《Nightsea Outlaw》
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 01 | Awaken
Josh lay facedown in the dirt, as did the fifty other slaves around him. Several coyotes patrolled between them, each as large as three full-grown men. Each of them was a shaggy light brown, their mouths hanging open as they panted in the fading heat of the desert day.
"If you stand before the signal, you''ll be shot," one deputy said in a booming voice at the edge of the circle of slaves. "Today''s a glorious day. Don''t ruin the hunt."
Josh had one thought on his mind. His breath came in coughing fits as he took in dust and dirt. Two years. For two years, he had survived working in the mines. He had toiled away after being captured by Goldfist. All he wanted was for his sister to be safe. That was why he had to survive. He would survive this hunt, no matter what. As he lay there, breathing hard in the orange rays of the setting sun, the ground beneath him shook.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Josh knew the noise. His entire body shook, and a fresh wave of sweat covered his back. Whispers around him withered into silence. The coyotes growled and whined.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Alright, maggots. Today is the day you prove your worth to our organization. Today is the day you race to survive. Today is the day you embody what it means to be a true man."
Sheriff Goldfist''s voice echoed through the ground, much like his footsteps had just moments before. Josh shook on the ground. Every week, it was the same trial. Every week, he had completed the run. Yet, he was afraid.
"Money and strength. These are the two things that every great man needs. None of you whelps has money, so you have to prove you''re strong enough to survive. You have until dusk to reach the mines. Anyone who is caught is too weak to stay in my operation."
No slave moved from the ground. It had been a while since new captives had been added to their group. Every one of them knew what was to come. They were the survivors, after all.
"Deputy Silvertooth, gather the hounds!"
A sharp whistle preceded the patter of paws and claws on dirt. The coyotes romped through the crowd of prostrated slaves, trampling over many without a care. Claws dug into Josh''s shoulder with a piercing spike of pain, but he stifled a cry. All survivors knew that showing weakness was death.
He heard the coyotes skitter to a stop far away. That was it. Another run was upon him. Josh closed his eyes. So quietly that only he could hear it, he whispered a prayer to the Scions. He prayed he would be able to stand. He prayed he would not stumble. He prayed someone would come and save him from this madness. Scions above, save him. He had to survive for his sister''s sake.
"On my mark." The hammer of a gun clicked, ripping Josh from his prayer.
Bang!
Josh''s arm muscles burned as he pushed himself up in a jump. He landed on his feet as many of the others were just getting to their knees. Without a second thought, he oriented himself to the setting sun. He ran. Barefoot and in rags, he ran.
Others were already with him. Even with his natural quickness, he wasn''t the fastest. He had worked too long in the mines to be that. He was too worn out by the constant work. He was too hungry, simple as that.
"Release the hounds!"
Josh barely had time to register those words as coyotes howled behind him. Paws skittered across the ground again. Joshua risked just one glance back and instantly regretted it.
Goldfist''s giant form dwarfed Silvertooth''s in the shadow of the setting sun. Twenty coyotes, each as large as three men, tore after the running slaves. They kicked up a storm of dust and dirt in their wake. The quota was twenty. It was always twenty. The coyotes were kept hungry to feast on whoever they could catch. Their fangs flashed in the light of the setting sun. He spun his head back around as the first person fell to a coyote''s leap.
Run. Run. Run.
The only thought on his mind was to run- faster, faster, faster. His legs ached with each impact, his lungs burned, and tears ran from his eyes. He wanted to live- Scions above, he wanted to live.
Another thump behind him cut through his gut as another person fell. They cried out, but Josh didn''t look back. Just a little farther. He saw the barred gate to the mine sitting open in the distance. He just had to make it a little farther. He stumbled but righted himself in two extended large steps.
Thump.
He felt a pressure, but not on his back, as he had feared. A heavy weight crashed into his shoulder, catching him mid-stride. Joshua threw out his arms. He tried to correct his steps. He tried to keep his balance. He fell. The ground slammed into him as the weight on his side slid down his body and onto his leg. He gasped in pain as bone cracked and his knee twisted. It was faint and far away, but his mind still blanked. He had a brief moment of darkness before he opened his eyes again.
Josh lay on the ground, rocks digging into his cheek. His arms and legs were splayed out around him, and his right leg prickled with needles of pain like he had hit a cactus. He briefly recognized the form next to him as another fallen captive before he felt four paws land on his back. Joshua weakly turned his head to look, but drool fell into his eyes. Teeth came down, clacking for his face. He couldn''t fight back. He couldn''t run.
All Josh could do was scream.
Clitter-clatter. Clitter-clatter. Clitter-clatter.
The steady rattle of steel against steel tumbled through Alex''s mind as he lay face down on a hard surface. Back and forth, his resting place shook as he struggled to keep his eyes closed. A wailing whistle in the distance pulled at his body and turned him over. He opened his eyes and groaned at the dim orange light coming from his side.
"Quiet down in there!" Metal raked against metal to his right, and Alex closed his eyes shut tight to block out the sound.
Alex took a moment to recollect the last few days. Where was he now? Where had he been? What had he been doing? Alex reached deep into the fuzz of his memories but returned with nothing. All he had was a faint sense of falling and a hard impact.
"What did you do this time?" he whispered to himself.
He opened his eyes and held his palm in front of his face. Alex closed his hand into a fist before bringing it down on the wooden bed below him and forcing himself into a sitting position. He was in a small rectangular room, his back against the wall and bars in front of him. A barely perceptible shake tilted the room at regular intervals, and he could hear the faint clatter of metal on metal below.
He patted himself down. The smooth feel of his leather duster still covered his body, and he was still wearing his boots. He hadn''t been robbed blind, at least. The last time that had happened, he had to chase down the thieves completely naked.
He was on a train. He was behind bars on a train. He cracked a smile as he examined the room further. Soft light gleamed from a hanging metal lantern outside the cell, filtering through the bars and the other two cells to his left and right. He was the only prisoner.
Two men worked through stacks of papers outside his cell in the lantern''s light. A few of the papers were strewn across the floor. Wanted posters, all of them. If Alex squinted, he could make out a few of them. ''Sword Saint'' Sayed. ''Thorn Queen'' Leah. Jean Baptiste ''the Reanimator.'' Bounty hunters or lawmen, the two men were looking to see if Alex''s head was worth anything.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Unfortunately for them, Alex knew what his head was worth.
"Nothing so far, Cletus," the mustached man said to his partner. "If we don''t find nothing, we''ll be better off shooting and dropping him out the back."
"I told you." Cletus tapped his finger on the table. "I recognized him from somewhere. I''ve seen his face on one of these posters. We''ll eat well when we get to Portsmouth."
Alex didn''t see a badge on either, but he could see two pistols on the table. Bounty hunters, then. He kept quiet as he searched the room. He flexed his fingers and opened the gate within himself just a little. Electrifying impulses ran out from his chest, tingling through his muscles and fingers. He flexed his fingers and let his hand follow his eyes. He could feel the guns on the table, as well as the metal bars and train car in his senses. Each had a tiny magnetic field around them from their construction. He snaked his senses through the room, searching for what he needed.
He needed to be ready to act. After a few moments, his eyes found what he was looking for. His black ironwood staff leaned against the wall of the far side of the room.
Alex reached out with his will, wrapping his mind around the staff and flexing his right index finger. Slowly, the staff rose from the ground and took an upright position. He was ready.
"Wait a second," Cletus said, pulling out a poster and holding it to the light. "It couldn''t be. Look at this, Joe."
Joe got up from his chair and peered at the poster, reading the text out loud, "''Tin Man'' Ortega. One million dolers."
"I''ll be damned," Cletus said, reaching down for his gun on the table. "We got a bona fide celebrity here."
Alex didn''t hesitate. He stretched out his right hand, calling his staff to him. The magnetic field around the ironwood followed his tug, and his staff whirled through the air to follow. Cletus'' head was fortunately directly in its path.
Thunk.
A hard hit from the staff to the back of Cletus'' head sent him sprawling on the table. Paper fluttered through the air, and the table collapsed beneath his weight, sending the guns clattering across the ground and away from both men. Alex stood and reached his hand through the bars. The staff found his hand. He steadied himself by planting it on the ground.
"You two caught a fish too big for you," Alex said.
Joe went for his own gun, kneeling on the floor with an alarmed shriek. Alex didn''t let him get to it. He threw out his right palm, opening his gate further and releasing a cone of magnetic force in a wave.
The gun flew across the room and into the wall from the wave. The lantern above rocked outward, screeching against its hook before falling back into position.
Joe stumbled to the ground before turning on his back. He looked up at Alex in horror.
"What are you?"
"An outlaw."
Alex moved his open hand over, reaching out with his mind and grasping the keys on the man''s belt. Electric power pulses rippled through his arm as he pulled the keys toward his hand. The keys tugged at their hook on the man''s belt until they pulled up and away. They floated gently into Alex''s hand.
Joe was on his feet and running out of the train car by the time Alex let himself out of the cell. He stepped over Cletus'' unconscious body as he made his way toward the door. He held his staff in his hands, ready for a fight.
Screech!
Steel ripped across steel and shook through Alex''s ears. Alex, along with everything else in the car, was thrown forward. He dropped his staff and instinctively extended both hands, repelling out with magnetic force in all directions. A sharp spike of pain cut into his forehead as he exerted his will on the magnetic field around him. A warm liquid ran down his nose and onto his lip.
He remained standing, even as chairs slid across the floor and tumbled to the ground. With a heaving tilt, the car stopped, along with what Alex presumed the rest of the train. When he was sure the train car had stopped, he let go of his repulsive field and fell to one knee. Inside his chest, his gate closed. He took a deep breath as he reached around for his staff.
"Time to find out what that was."
He kept his head down as he came to the door, pausing as he opened it a crack to listen. Outside, he could hear people yelling and loud cracks of gunfire. He closed his eyes and focused.
Bang. Crack. Thump.
"Ha ha ha." A man laughed over the din. "Gather them up, deputy! Don''t miss a single one!"
Alex pushed the door open with his staff and looked outside. He was indeed on a stopped train, and he could see a cloud of dust outside with several shadowed figures standing in it. The dust started to settle as he watched, revealing a group of people on the ground with around twenty men around them. The men held the people at gunpoint as several gunmen tied ropes around them. Captives.
Alex had freed himself and fallen into a train robbery. He clicked his tongue as he looked over the highwaymen. They were in a uniform of sorts, each wearing matching hats, boots, grey pants, and leather vests. The only real difference between them was the color of their shirts. Each one was a different shade of color, completing the full spectrum of a rainbow. If he squinted, Alex thought that each of them even had the same face.
Alex reached out in the air with his senses, opening his gate slightly. Each man had at least one gun on his hip, but they were too far away for him to influence. He also felt a tug of metal on each of the men''s chests.
"Deputies!" Out of the fading dust cloud, a giant of a man appeared.
He stood as tall as half the length of one of the train cars and about as wide as one. Like the deputies, he wore a large hat, grey pants, and a leather vest. Even with his size, it was his fist that stood out. A golden-plated mechanical hand extended out from his forearm, attached to his arm by an iron contraption. A length of chain was wrapped around a cylinder on the contraption, coiled tightly up the length of the giant''s forearm. The ground seemed to shake under the giant''s feet as he approached one of the deputies.
"Sir." The deputy saluted. "I have the valuables and the hostages secure."
"Good." The giant laughed, his mechanical right hand grasping into a fist in the air. "We''ll have new workers in our mine, ready to prove their strength or die."
"Who do you think you are?" One of the captives demanded, pushing himself up to stand despite his arms being bound.
"Oh?" The giant smiled wide through his thick beard. "We''ve got a rabble-rouser."
"I am the son of the High Judge of Portsmouth," the man said, throwing spittle as he swung his torso forward. "I demand you release me at once. Your lives are already over. The moment my father..."
The giant''s metal hand clasped over the man''s mouth and torso, blocking any further outburst. With one tug, the giant raised him up, holding the man aloft and laughing to himself.
"A lot of lip on this one," the giant said with a knowing smile.
The men around him laughed.
"As to your first question." The giant''s arm whirred and began to rotate faster and faster until the grappled man was a blur. "I''m Goldfist. Sheriff of this town."
He brought down his fist, pointing it back toward the train. Alex had an inkling that it was pointed toward himself, but he couldn''t bring himself to look away or take cover.
"Golden Bullet!"
Bang.
The golden fist blasted out from Goldfist''s arm, and the clink of chains filled the air. Goldfist''s body shook from the attack as the man and fist careened through the air toward the train like a cannonball. Alex braced himself.
Clong.
A brief silence filled the air around him before being vacated by the loud clang of metal on metal. The car he was on shook around him as the one in front tipped precariously. With a groan from below, joiners ripped apart as the car rolled over and onto its side. Alex had a faint glimpse of red in a massive crater in the side of the car before it fell out of sight. His car shook as it righted itself on the tracks.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
In the ringing silence, the chain clicked again, and Alex could hear Goldfist laughing in the distance. The fist returned to the giant, throwing up a dust cloud as it dragged across the ground. Alex stood still, steadying himself with his staff. There was a lot of power in that punch. Sighing and looking over the fallen train car before him, he stepped forward and jumped off the tracks.
"Take them to town, deputy!" Goldfist yelled as Alex approached. "More slaves for the mines!"
The deputies had the people corralled around them. Goldfist himself was wrangling a giant coyote, one fit for the giant of a man he was. He had a hand on the saddle and appeared to be climbing on so he could ride away. The deputies were gathering their coyotes and mounting them as well. Alex counted about fifteen of them in total, minus Goldfist.
Alex approached them from behind, but they didn''t seem to notice. When he was about a train car''s length away, he stopped and coughed. He stood with his staff planted in front of him as both men turned to face him. There was a moment of shock before both moved into position, the deputy standing in front on one side of the sheriff.
"You missed one, Silvertooth." Goldfist clenched his fist.
"I did, I reckon," the deputy said, his hand on the whip on his side. "Why''d you come out, stranger? You''d be safe if you stayed inside. Fancy yourself a hero?"
"This whelp?" Goldfist leaned back and spewed out a mighty laugh. "He ain''t even fit enough to lift a pick. Look how scrawny he is."
"He can work on that in the mines." Deputy Silvertooth grinned, revealing a single silver-coated tooth among his pearly white teeth.
Alex shook his head, picking up his staff and pointing it at the two men.
"To the second question, I''m no hero. Tell me where I am, or I''ll beat you both into the ground."
"A fighter." Goldfist belched out another laugh. "What do you think, Silvertooth?"
"If we want to keep him, we have to break him."
Alex spun his staff around his body, taking a stance with his arms in front of him. He couldn''t manipulate something the size of Goldfist''s mechanized fist, but he still reached out along the natural magnetic fields around him. The other men stood around the captives, watching the fight but unmoving. A faint wind blew across the desert. A buzzard cried in the distance. Alex charged at the two men, ready for a fight.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 02 | Hard Punch
"Step," Alex said and disappeared.
An outside observer would see nothing but his foot touching the ground once and then a blur. He crossed half the distance between himself and the two men, blurring in a flurry of motion. It was like a full sprint compressed into a single moment. He reappeared briefly, his next footstep about to hit the ground like he had just taken a single step. Silvertooth''s and Goldfist''s eyes widened, but they could still react.
Before Alex could take his second step, Silvertooth advanced, his hand on the whip at his hip. He smiled, showing his silver incisor as he tensed his body. Alex instinctively tried to adjust his trajectory on his next step, but his momentum committed him. Something was off, but in the instance of movement, Alex could do nothing about it.
"Split."
Silvertooth''s body cascaded into a rainbow spectrum of colors. He seemed to split into separate flashing colored images, spreading out around Alex''s vision. A loud crack split the air around Alex, and a thin, heavy weight bit into his chest and around his arms. Alex had a moment to realize that the deputy''s whip wasn''t merely a whip and that more than one whip wrapped around him. He tilted his foot back and caught himself before falling.
Alex had a moment to look around him. His arms were held closed against his body by the strength of five men around him. Each of them was like the other deputies, with a different shade to their shirt but otherwise identical. A chill sank into Alex''s stomach as he looked at the other clones watching over the captives.
"You''re cursed."
"I am cursed. You''re right about that," the nearest of Silvertooth''s unoccupied clones said, tipping his hat. "I''m a man able to replicate himself."
Alex flexed against the restraints. He was as good as trapped. Spikes in the whips held them tight against his skin, piercing through his skin and drawing blood. He was as good as dead unless he came up with something fast.
He started to reach out along the magnetic fields around him, but Goldfist interrupted his thoughts, raising his fist and aiming at Alex, "Hold him still."
Alex didn''t hesitate. He immediately began manipulating the magnetic forces around him. The fist was too large and too fast for him to stop when it was already in motion. A wall of force to stop would be crushed back against him, making an attempt to push it back impossible. Instead, he created a negative, repulsive bubble of force directly in front of his body, shaping it with his mind as quickly as possible.
"Golden Bullet!"
Bang!
The ground rumbled as the fist fired for the second time. Alex jumped into the air, pulling against his restraints despite the pinpricks of pain and positioning the bubble between himself and the fist. The deputies between him and the fist scattered into shards of light as the fist barreled through the air. The whips around him vanished as they disappeared. Alex made sure his bubble was between himself and the fist. He focused on maintaining the repulsive field as the fist crashed into it.
He was thrown back, but the fist did not touch him. Instead, the bubble shook from the impact, folding and rippling with waves like the sea itself when a large object fell into it. Pinpricks of pain shot through Alex''s mind and down his spine as the ripples shook across his bubble. He held on.
"Just a little more," he whispered as he was shot back toward the train.
Warm liquid ran down his lip from his nose. He sensed the metal of the fallen train car behind him. Alex threw his hand back, angling a second field ball so it would ricochet across the train. His muscles screamed as he hit, and he heard the fist hit the train car as he was tossed upward and over the train car. He had a moment to smile before he hit the ground, unconscious.
"Is he dead?" Silvertooth turned to Goldfist, the giant''s chain rattling as he reeled his fist back in.
"No whelp could survive that," Goldfist said, turning away. "The weak get what they deserve. Get the new slaves to the mines. We need to break them in."
He hopped up on his coyote and kicked it into a run. The coyote yipped, but the giant of a beast rode off regardless. It kicked up a storm of dust behind it as Goldfist headed north.
Silvertooth shook his head before turning to the copies of himself. With a whistle, they all mounted their own smaller coyotes. Together, they used their whips to coordinate the new slaves and follow after Goldfist. Silvertooth himself hung back. His current boss was a little too arrogant. The kid had some skill, and Silvertooth wasn''t sure he hadn''t survived.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Silvertooth recognized the ''step'' technique. It was a skill taught on the Five Paths, which was practiced exclusively by the Military Police. Silvertooth would know; he had seen the techniques often enough before he was assigned to Section Zero, the intelligence unit. Mastering those techniques took a lifetime. Most of the rank and file couldn''t use even one of the paths. To see a whelp doing even one...
He made his way back to the train. With two hits from the Sheriff''s fist, the train car had seen better days. The first punch had caved in part of the car and knocked it over on its side, and the second had torn up the wheels on the bottom. He made his way around the destruction, keeping his eyes peeled for the dark-skinned kid.
He found the kid lying face up in a pile of dirt about five meters away from the train. His right arm and left leg were broken. They splayed out at odd angles. That should have been enough, but Silvertooth wanted to make sure. He felt along the kid''s neck for a pulse. Nothing. No breath. No pulse.
He stood up and turned away, his eyes following the setting sun to the west. He spat in the dirt. Silvertooth might have been a slaver for his mission, but that didn''t mean he liked killing a kid.
"Arrogant little brat."
He didn''t need to keep up the charade for much longer. When they found what Goldfist was looking for, he could call in the Military Police to take over. Then his boss would be in for a real surprise. A few slipships descending were the perfect distraction for a shot in the back. Silvertooth cracked a smile.
He closed his body''s gate, and the light flowed out of him. His other bodies still had their gates open, and he could feel them in the distance. They were faint, but he could still sense them.
He focused on his clones in the distance, transferring his mind over to one of them. His senses faded out of his current body as he let his form dissipate into shards of light, leaving the boy alone and dead on the ground.
Alex lay in cold water, his eyes closed as he floated back and forth with each wave. The scent of salt water filled his nose, and soon, he felt the clinging touch of wet sand on his back.
"Again?" he whispered as he opened his eyes to the night sky above him.
He stood and looked up at the pale moon above. The night sky glittered like a sea filled with glimmering diamonds. Alex knew that sky better now than when he first saw it. It was the nightsea, the space between islands revealed with the setting of the sun. All that was missing was the sudden spotlight, shouts, and gunfire he had heard the last time he was on that beach.
This visit was peaceful in comparison. He smiled as he bathed in the light of the moon. It didn''t change his goals. It didn''t change his path. However, even he could enjoy his new life and the few moments of happiness in the strange world.
It had been ten years since he had woken up on that beach the first time, ten years since he had left his old world behind. He closed his eyes tight.
He opened them again. He was lying down again. The night sky above him was not the same. It was not wet sand that clung to him but the dust and dirt of the desert around him. His lips were dry.
Alex instinctively flexed his fingers and toes. They burned, but they were still all there. He pulled his arms and legs together. They worked. He rose to a sitting position. Every part of his body groaned in pain. He examined himself. The skin on his right arm and left leg was a faint purple, meaning they had stitched themselves together while he slept. He was glad that he had slept through their healing. He touched a hand to his chest and felt the whirring vibration of his gate, hidden beneath his clothes.
"Did worse than I thought," he said.
He was lucky. That wasn''t the first time he had tried to stop a large object like the fist with his curse, but he hadn''t done it in such an extreme situation before. He would have been crushed instead of thrown if he had been off by just a little. He shook his head. He had been arrogant to think he could have handled both of them without a plan.
"Can''t fix the past," he said, opening his gate slightly and reaching out with his senses.
He found his staff and called it to his hand. It flew from the ground to his left and attached to his hand. With it, he pushed himself up to stand and surveyed the world around him. He still didn''t know where he was, but after a second bout of unconsciousness, he had a better idea of what had happened before.
He had been traveling on a fairly fancy slipship that he had stowed away on a few days ago. Traveling from island to island was no easy feat for an outlaw on the nightsea. He had been awakened by screaming and the sound of explosions. A crash in the nightsea had sent him to this particular island. He didn''t know how much of the slipship had survived the transition to the island, but he probably rode some of the wreckage down. The two bounty hunters must have discovered his unconscious body in or near a town. Alex reached up and rubbed at the growing stubble on his chin. That made his situation a little easier. He had three paths before himself.
He could follow the train to Portsmouth, which the bounty hunters had named for him. He could also backtrack toward the town they had come from, assuming it was along the tracks back the way he came. Then there was the third option.
He didn''t know how far in either direction he would need to go to find a town, but he could be sure that Goldfist and his deputy had a place of operation relatively close by. That meant food, shelter, and hopefully, information, even if he had to take the fight a second time. He knew he wouldn''t lose a second time now that he knew Silvertooth was also cursed.
He walked back toward the train and over the tracks, following the path of destruction toward where the fight had happened. He could make out tracks in the dirt that led to the northeast. He could follow them and find out what he needed to know. He didn''t have any real interest in stopping the operation, though he did owe both men for the fight.
Alex''s stomach rumbled as he looked over the tracks. The cold of the desert night nipped at his face. He had to make a choice, but he already knew the answer. He made his way northeast.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 03 | Normal Day
Sam woke up alone in an empty house. Outside, the rising sun peeked over the horizon, but she couldn''t see it because her room had no windows. She stretched and sighed as she sat up in bed. She was the only one she could rely on, so she had to get moving.
She got ready quickly, changing into her work overalls after taking a cold bath with some precious water she had saved from the last rain. That was one benefit of being alone: she could save on water.
She grimaced. It wasn''t funny.
She ate a cold breakfast of jerky and stale bread. She would have to go into town today to see about buying some supplies. However, first, she would have to do all her morning chores. She stood from the table, leaving the empty farmhouse and going outside.
Her boots clattered on gravel as she looked over the orchard surrounding her family''s home. A decent crop of apples was growing, and she would need to harvest soon. She wished her brother was still around to help her. As near as she knew, he had just run off and disappeared two years ago. He had left her alone after their parents had died without a word. She didn''t have the strength to hate him anymore.
"I''ll make it," she said, stomping toward the barn. "You''ll see. I''ll survive all this."
She filled up a bucket at the well and made her way into the barn. She watered the chickens first and then ensured that the water trough for Winny, her mule, was also filled to the brim. Once she was done with that, she proceeded to go to the next item in her routine.
All in all, the sun was almost at high noon by the time she was done with all her chores around the farm, and her body was exhausted. She could barely pull the cart out and get Winny when she was done. She practically collapsed in the seat after strapping the mule to the cart. She had to force herself to sit up to slap the reins and click her tongue to send Winny down the dirt road that led up to the barn and went toward town.
She was able to rest as she rode over the bumpy road. Mentally, she counted how much money she had left in her pouch. She needed enough to buy grain and food for herself for the rest of the month. She had a good amount, but it was still before harvest. Until then, she could only string along her budget.
The sun was at about a mid-afternoon height when she made it to Dry Gulch. It was a dying town on the frontier of the island of Tombstone. Even Sam could recognize that. The stranglehold Sheriff Goldfist held over Dry Gulch meant that there was no more trade. There was no more prosperity. The only option any of them had was to run, and that just ended in death in the desert. So, they did what all people did in hard times. They got used to it and resigned themselves to fading away.
She stopped the cart next to the general store. It took real effort to push herself off of the cart. Her muscles groaned as she stood up, and she winced as she got on her feet. The cart ride hadn''t been comfortable, but being off her feet alone had been a major relief. She walked back and forth a few times to get the blood flowing back into her legs before she stepped inside.
Sloan, the manager of the general store, sat at his counter at the front, polishing a glass in the sun''s light from his many windows. Sam stepped through the open store and waved. She didn''t like Sloan, but she had to deal with him.
"Why if it isn''t my favorite customer." Sloan grinned as he said the same thing he said to every customer. "What can I do for you, Samantha? We only have a few hours until dark."
"Good to see you too, Sloan." Sam forced a smile on her face. "I''ll take a grain sack while grabbing a few necessities."
Sloan heaved himself on his feet, grumbling as he went behind the counter and down the steps to his basement. That was where he kept both the grain and the alcohol he sold. One was a precious ingredient to make the other. Sam made her way through the store, grabbing some necessities. By the time Sloan made his way up the stairs with his grain sack, Sam had the few items stacked on the counter. It would be enough to survive for a little longer.
"Ah." Sloan sluffed back down in his chair after he sat the grain sack on the counter. "That''ll be ten silver dolers."
He had an eye for math, as everyone in the town knew. Sloan could look over any group of items and immediately tell you what they were worth. Whether he had it right was something few of them could tell, but he was the only store left in town.
Sam bit her lip. She had enough, but with that, she wouldn''t be able to make it to the end of the season. She began to reach out for the fresh bread loaf, ready to pull it away and live without it. It wouldn''t be fun, but she had lived through worse than being hungry.
"Don''t do that," Sloan said, his hand catching hers with his own.
It was warm, and Sloan''s skin was rough from years of hard work and age. He was as old as her parents would have been. For over fifty years, he had lived in Dry Gulch. Sam paused, but Sloan didn''t let go of her hand. His grip was firm.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"We all see that you''re struggling out there," Sloan said. "An apple orchard ain''t fit for one struggling girl to take care of. You should give up on that old farm and come into town. There''s plenty of work here for a girl your age."
Cold pinpricks ran down Sam''s spine. She knew she had grown a lot over the last two years, but Sloan''s statement was sickening. The man had known her as a child.
"What kind of work?" she asked.
"You know..." Sloan''s hand was sweaty as it held hers. "The kind of work that can be done on your back. A pretty girl like you only really needs to lay there..."
Sam pulled her hand back, but Sloan''s grip just strengthened around her fingers. Crushing pain ran up her arm, and she clenched her teeth. She didn''t scream. She already knew she was on her own. That was what Dry Gulch had become.
Slap.
She pivoted on her hip, bringing her left hand across Sloan''s cheek with all her strength. His jaw dropped in shock, and he let go of her hand. Sam didn''t take the moment for granted. She ducked down as a fist came for her head and darted toward the door.
The pain in her body was forgotten in the rush as she jumped back onto her cart and whipped Winny into motion. The donkey whined but pulled the cart down the dirt road. Sam had a moment when Sloan came out the door as her cart went by. She could see his face in that frozen moment. It was red in bluster and fury as he yelled after her. She ignored it, holding hard onto Winny''s reins as they rode out of town.
There was no one in town she could turn to. The people in Dry Gulch were the only ones left after five years of Goldfist''s rule. The lawlessness hadn''t been immediate, but five years of having an outlaw as sheriff had corrupted them. All they cared was that supplies kept coming in, regardless of what they had to do.
Sam pulled on Winny''s reins, and the mule slowed as she got out of sight of the town. She hadn''t realized it at the moment, but tears were streaming down her eyes. She ran her hand across her cheeks to dry them as she looked around her. The sun was setting in the west, bathing the town of Dry Gulch in orange light as shadows lengthened. Sam would need to hurry up to get home before dark. She needed to make sure there were solid walls around her and Winny before the mist came out.
She made Winny ride hard, and they made it back to the farmhouse by the time the sun was a faint pinprick on the horizon. Around her, mist rose, clinging around the cart even as she parked it by the barn.
Sam didn''t know why it had started, but soon after Goldfist had arrived in town and taken over, a dark mist would take over the town every night. The deeper in the night, the thicker the mist was. It would be annoying if it were just mist, but not a problem. However, there were things out in the mist. Creatures of warped flesh with horrible claws and pale skin. They only came out in the mist and disappeared with it when the sun was out. That was the reason they had no way to escape. No one knew how far out the mist reached, but no one who tried to leave town ever returned, and help never came.
Sam couldn''t sleep in the house, not if she wanted to get Winny secure in the barn. She opened the barn door after she untied Winny from the cart and slammed the door closed behind her after getting Winny in. She locked the door from the inside, placing a broom between the handles to make sure it would hold. The monsters weren''t very strong, at least none that she had heard of. Solid locked doors and strong wood walls were good enough to hold them back.
She helped Winny into her stall and made sure the mule had hay to munch on. Outside, she could hear scrambling feet and heavy breathing, but she ignored it. If she didn''t draw attention to herself, she would be fine. She prepared to sleep in the hay by taking a pitchfork up to the second floor. It wouldn''t be the most comfortable sleep, but she would be fine.
She looked at the barn''s ceiling as she lay in the hay. Outside, she could still hear the footsteps. Sometimes, sharp claws cut across the wood outside. It was never forceful, just probing.
In the farmhouse, Sam had taken up residence in the centermost room after her parents had died. Her brother had been with her then, and it made sense to separate themselves as much as possible from the mist so they could get a decent sleep. While it had been hard after he had left, she hadn''t had to sleep near outside walls like this in a long time.
She wasn''t sure how much time passed before she heard the noise. It wasn''t the same noise as the monsters outside. There were shuffling footsteps and heavy breathing with scratches against the wood, but that wasn''t what she heard. Instead, it was more like...
Crack. Thump. Crack. Thump. Thoom.
At first, she thought it was a thunderstorm, but nothing had looked like that outside. Rain was rare enough in Dry Gulch, hence the town''s name. She sat up, reaching for the pitchfork beside her. She was on the second floor, so she felt relatively safe. She had never done it, but she felt she could fight one of the mist creatures if she had to.
"Scraw!" a long, piercing scream licked up her spine.
"Arc Slash."
Crack. Thump.
The scream stopped as quickly as it had started with a solid hit, and she heard a body hitting the ground outside. Surely, no one was dumb enough to be outside after dark. She made her way over to the barn, where there was a window that looked down on the yard below. It took a moment to open; the hook was almost completely rusted to the latch. She held her breath as she opened the window to look out into the yard.
Seven mist monsters were out in the yard, their vacant black eyes searching the yard for anything living as they shuffled between the farmhouse and the barn. They were abominations of men, their flesh wrapped and warped around their skeletons. Large flesh sacks hung off at random places on their body, practically glowing yellow with puss through their pale skin. Their jaws were long rotted away, leaving jawless teeth along the top of their mouths and nothing more.
At the center of them stood a tan-skinned man in the pale moonlight, shrouded in a brown leather duster. He had a strong but scrawny build like he had drawn out all the strength his body could handle and more. Across his shoulders, he held a long black staff. His short black hair was tousled and sweaty.
"What are you doing?" Sam demanded before she could catch herself, and the man flashed a smile up at her.
"Fighting," he answered as his staff caved in the skull of one of the monsters, sending white blood flying across the yard.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 04 | Samantha
Another of the mistwalkers approached Alex, and he swung his staff and cracked it hard across the face. Above him, the girl who had shouted watched. Alex wasn''t sure if she was horrified or intrigued, but it didn''t matter. With such a low level of seepage in this area, a rift in the Veil wasn''t nearly as dangerous as some places on the nightsea.
After following the trail of Goldfist and his men for a few hours, he had come upon the mist and promptly lost the trail. He knew it was a sign of a rift in the Veil that separated the Real, the Surreal, and the Outside. An old mystic had tried to explain to Alex the details once, but Alex never really understood it.
The Real was the real world. The Surreal was the origin of all magic and supernatural powers that existed alongside the Real. The Outside was everything else. The Veil was what separated all three. The barrier was strongest with the Outside, where the mistwalkers came from.
All he knew was that it meant he had business in this town.
"Rail Gun."
Two of the mistwalkers came for him, interrupting his thoughts. Alex threw his staff at the first, opening his gate to direct it at the creature''s head. The ironwood staff slammed into its skull at a distance, piercing through the softened skeleton and exiting in an explosion of white blood and green puss on the other side. It collapsed to the ground, and Alex turned his attention to the other.
A swift kick bent one of its knees in the wrong direction, causing it to tumble. The creature began to scream, but Alex slammed his boot down on its head, ending it before it could react. These were weak fodder in the Veil¡ªcreatures made from people and animals who got lost inside the mist. Alex pulled on his staff and called it back to himself¡ªfour more to go.
"Mind if I come in to talk?" Alex turned his head back up to the window as the four remaining monsters shambled toward it. "I could keep this up all night, but honestly, it''s been a long day."
She hesitated. Alex knew the look. He was just some random person out in the night. It didn''t matter that he could just break the door open or release the locks with a little manipulation of the metal on the latch. That wouldn''t help his case at all.
Thunk.
He swung his staff without looking, taking down the closest of the monsters with a hard hit to its head. He kept his eyes trained on hers until he got the answer¡ªthree more to go.
"There ain''t nothing else you want?" she asked, biting her lip. "Just some shelter for the night and to talk, right?"
Thump.
Alex spun his body, hitting another of the approaching monsters in its midsection with a two-handed swing of his staff. It practically flew across the yard, landing hard against a wooden fence before crashing to the ground¡ªtwo more to go.
"Yeah," Alex said. "I just don''t feel like fighting all night, and I need to know some things. I lost the trail I was following in this mist."
"Nothing else. Do I have your word?"
"Iron Scythe."
Alex opened his gate a little more, going into a spin and releasing his staff with a whirling throw. It flew in an arc toward one of the remaining two monsters, and he directed it with the currents of magnetism. The top had a positive charge, and the bottom had a negative. He sped it up by pushing on the positive, making it rotate faster and faster until it crashed through the first one and sent it sprawling to the ground. He kept the staff going after the impact, catching the last remaining monster in the neck from behind. As it fell to the ground with a thump, he reached out his hand and caught the staff, planting it on the ground.
"You have my word."
She nodded and disappeared from the window. Alex stood out in the night and listened as he waited. The seemingly endless moans and scratching of shuffling monsters were far off in the distance. He could only barely see the lights of the stars and moon above him in the mist.
Metal clinked, and something slid away on the door to the barn before one of the doors opened. The girl stood illuminated in the light from a lantern, and Alex had a moment actually to see her for the first time.
Spotted freckles lined her face, though they were mostly hidden against her tanned skin. Her skin contrasted heavily with her short, crop-cut blonde hair and her light blue eyes. Her blue overalls and green shirt marked her as someone with no time for anything beyond work. She held a pitchfork in one hand as the other held up the lantern.
"Thank you," he said as he walked in.
The door closed softly behind him, and the girl busied herself locking it again. Alex had a moment to look around, but it was just a typical two-story barn with only one animal housed inside. A donkey with a grey coat gave him a side-eye as he walked to the middle of the barn.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"I''m Sam," she said, reaching out one hand. "Sam Appleton."
"Alex." Alex returned her handshake with his own. "Alex Ortega."
Her hands were rough with callouses, but she probably thought the same for him. His had more to do with constant fighting, while hers would be from working on the farm. Alex couldn''t help but crack another smile as they both released the handshake. It was good to meet people who weren''t trying to kill him. At least she wasn''t trying to kill him yet.
"You said you were looking for information," she said.
She walked across the room and pulled a wooden stool out from behind a door. She handed it over to him before she leaned against the wall. She still held the pitchfork in her hand and used it to push her back against the wall.
"I am," Alex said, setting the stool beneath him and letting his staff rest on the ground before he sat down and looked back up at her. "How long have you had that mist problem out there?"
"About five years," Sam said, looking toward the door as the shuffling noise of feet resumed outside. "It''s been like this since Goldfist killed the sheriff and took over at the mines."
"Big guy with a gold fist," Alex said with a nod. "Not that the name leaves much to the imagination."
"You''ve seen him?" Sam asked, raising her eyebrow as she looked back at him.
"He just hijacked a train south of here with his ''deputies'' in tow," Alex said, raising his hand to make air quotes around deputies. "He hits like a truck."
"A truck?" Sam turned her head.
"Don''t worry about it," Alex said, raising one hand to stifle any protest. "Where am I at?"
"Dry Gulch."
"That the island or the town?"
"Tombstone is the name of our island," Sam said. "Dry Gulch is the town. The nearest towns are Portsmouth to the west and Haven to the east. Haven''t seen either since I was a child, though."
"I take it the mist is the major problem with that," Alex said. "Those towns are probably both far enough away that you wouldn''t be able to reach them without supplies either. Either you would bring enough that you would be slowed down, or you would bring too little and never make it."
"How''d you guess?" Sam asked.
"I just walked from the tracks to town, and it took most of the night," Alex said, stretching his arms out and yawning. "I might be able to make it, but I''m..."
He trailed off and stopped himself from saying more. The end of that sentence was something he didn''t want to share. He wasn''t entirely human anymore, after all.
"What''s Dry Gulch like?" Alex asked.
"Five years ago, it would be your typical small town," Sam said. "Nothing like Portsmouth. Everyone knew everyone else, and most people got along most of the time. We had a sheriff, but he never had much to do. Until those two came, we were peaceful."
"I take it things changed when they took over."
"The few who cared to fight back are gone. Don''t know if they survived the mist. Even my brother left after our parents died. The people left in town may not like what''s going on, but they''ll take whatever they can get from Goldfist to keep their lives running. They''re surviving, but they ain''t living."
Alex raised his eyebrow as he looked up at the donkey. It huffed and shook its head at him as if backing up everything she said. Alex smiled and nodded.
"That Goldfist guy chose a great place to set up operations," he said. "Too far away for easy help. Still has access to the rails to the south. He probably only needs to knock over a train every few months. The people who are lost can be written off as dying of starvation out in the desert. Most people would blame it on monsters roaming the island."
Alex looked back up to her, and she was on the verge of tears. Put that way, the situation really sounded hopeless. He mentally kicked himself. He shouldn''t have said that, either.
"Sorry," he said as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"It''s okay," she said. "I already knew. It just hurts to hear it laid out like that. What did you want out here anyways?"
"I was involved in the recent hijacking," Alex said. "Initially, I was just looking to find a place to rest before I figured out where I would go. Now that I know there''s a rift in the Veil here that changes things."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I might need to deal with this Goldfist," Alex said. "You said he''s taken over the mines, right?"
"Yeah," Sam said. "He''s been digging in there for years. Nobody knows what he''s looking for down there, but he does sell the gold to the general store for supplies."
"The general store has supplies?" Alex asked. "After five years?"
"Yeah..."
Her eyes widened in realization. Alex smiled. Basic supply logistics wasn''t something most people in town would have to think about. Supplies were coming into town through some method unless the people left in town could generate everything on their own.
"Where''s Sloan been getting everything?" she asked, though the question wasn''t directed at Alex. "If no one can get out, how does he keep getting new stock?"
"That can be on a list of things to find out," Alex said, reaching down to pick up his staff. "And it can be found out in the morning."
He pushed himself up with his staff and walked over to the door. He sat on the ground and leaned his back up against it. It wasn''t supremely comfortable, but he didn''t need to be comfortable to get sleep anymore.
"I''ll take this spot if you don''t mind," Alex said, resting his staff over his shoulder and against the wall. "I take it you were sleeping on the second floor. I don''t know how much you can trust me, but if you wait until the morning, I wouldn''t mind some help when I go into town. I want some information, and I think the answers are in Dry Gulch."
Sam watched him, her face unreadable. He knew he didn''t present as a hero because he wasn''t one. He was an outlaw, a wanted man with a bounty on his head. If it hadn''t been for the mist, he might have offered to help get her and any others out of town who wanted to leave. That would have been the limit. However, the mist meant that there was a core nearby. A core was an opportunity. It was a chance that he might actually be able to go home.
"We can see in the morning." Sam nodded, climbing up the wooden ladder to the second floor.
She took the ladder up with her, and Alex smiled. Not a full amount of trust, then. He hoped she would be able to get some sleep. He could easily jump up to the barn''s second floor, but nothing in him would ever want to. Once she was settled in, he reached his hand onto his heart and pressed down on his chest.
In moments, he was asleep.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 05 | Chores
Alex woke up as the sun broke over the horizon. He hadn''t dreamed at all, but he was rested. It was like most of the times he tried to sleep since he had been changed. It took very specific circumstances for him to experience sleep as anything more than just a moment of darkness before waking up.
Faint orange light filtered through the upper window of the barn, lighting the second floor. Alex listened as he rested against the door. Up above, he could hear faint breathing. Sam was still asleep. He could hear the donkey resting in its stall as well. He stood carefully and worked the latch on the barn door. There was a slight creak to the metal as he unlatched it, and he paused to make sure that both of them were still asleep. They were. He went outside and closed the door just as quietly as he had opened it.
He wasn''t leaving yet. He just wanted to get to know his surroundings in the light of day. The mist''s nature obscured all senses. Not only did it inhibit sight, but also smell and even senses granted by a curse like his magnetic control.
The yard wasn''t that different from those he had seen before, and the farmhouse would have been idyllic if not for its disrepair. A single dirt road led off into the distance, and several fields lay fallow over the hills down that road. Alex made his way around the house and was surprised to see a large orchard on the other side of the house. To see apples and green grass growing in the desert was like walking into an oasis, and a small pond in the middle of the orchard added to the aesthetic. It was like a little piece of paradise.
Alex smiled until he saw the two gravestones beneath the largest of the apple trees. He made his way over to them and knelt to read. Abraham Appleton and Evelyn Appleton. The same text was below their names.
"Planting the seeds of old to start anew in tribute to our home, Boston," Alex whispered.
He wasn''t the first person to be transported to the nightsea. As near as Alex could tell, it was a common enough occurrence. There were those like Sam, who was born on an island, a native to the nightsea. Then there were those like himself who came from other worlds and made the best they could.
"You couldn''t find a way back," Alex said, shaking his head. "I wonder if it is a better life to accept that there is no going back."
He stood up and made his way toward the pond. He thought back to how he came to the nightsea. He had returned home to Buenos Aires after spending four years and far too much money to get his political science degree at Columbia University. He was flying home to see his parents when a blinding light came across the horizon.
He woke up on a beach in the middle of the night. At the time, he had no idea where he was and no idea what had happened. The people who captured him after that were how he learned about the new world he was stuck in.
"I just want to go home," Alex said as he looked down at his reflection in the pond.
His reflection said nothing in response. Alex sighed, turning back and walking through the orchard and back toward the barn. He could only deal with one thing at a time. A lifetime ago, he would say he was only human. Now, he wasn''t so sure.
"That''s a problem for another time."
Sam was waiting for him when he returned to the barn, her arms crossed by the door. Alex was sure he had been as quiet as possible. Apparently, he had woken her up nonetheless.
"You ready to go into town?" Alex asked, looking her over.
"After my chores." She raised her eyebrows at him. "You being here doesn''t change that someone has to take care of this farm."
Alex looked at the farm a second time. He didn''t say his first thought, that the farm was barely hanging on, but instead smiled and nodded.
"Give me some of them. I''ll help out if it means we get to town faster."
A guilty weight settled into Sam''s stomach as she went inside after giving Alex a list of chores to do. She didn''t mind the help, but he had asked for more than what she had given him at first until she had no other normal chores left over.
Her stomach rumbled as she washed herself and changed back into her clothes. She remembered when she had more clothes, even Joshua''s repaired and stitched-together hand-me-downs. Now, she was down to just the one that wasn''t threadbare and didn''t have the money to buy more. She couldn''t even sew, something her mother could do, but she never had time to learn. Her mother was taken from her before that could ever happen.
She stopped after getting dressed, crouching down and hugging her knees tightly to her chest. It was selfish. She should have been out doing chores, but having Alex there gave her time to breathe for the first time in a long time.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Tears ran down her cheeks, and her every breath staggered out from her chest. In and out, she focused on each breath. She closed her eyes tight to the world as the tears flowed. She had taken for granted how much working hard from dawn until dusk kept her distracted.
She missed how her mother would cook her a warm breakfast every morning. She missed how her father would teach her how to work around the farm and treated her like she could become anything she wanted one day. She even missed how her brother would tease her about being the youngest.
She missed them more now than ever before.
Sam spent a long time kneeling in the bathroom. It wasn''t until she was sure that all of her tears were out that she moved on to the kitchen. She didn''t have much left, especially after her failed shopping the day before, but she at least had eggs. Neither of them would go hungry because of that.
She started up the wood stove and set about cooking scrambled eggs. She even took out some of the precious salt she saved for special occasions. As she worked, she could hear some work outside. Someone appeared to be hammering on wood, and she could hear wood cracking as it was peeled away.
She ignored it. Worst to worst, Alex was utterly ruining what was left of the farm unsupervised. She had the feeling that the next time she went to town, it would be the last day she would see the farm. Once the townsfolk found out she had brought in an outsider, that information would make it up to Goldfist.
One time was enough to see what he did when he was angry. Once they went into town, her farm, her life was on a timer. By helping him, she was placing a lot of trust in Alex.
"But what else is there?" she asked herself. "Stay here and rot away like a tree with rotten roots, or put my trust in that man and hope. There ain''t no choice between the two."
The eggs were done, properly scrambled, and ready to eat. She placed the pan on the table and gathered two plates and two forks. She couldn''t do much to thank the man, but she could make sure he got fed.
She went outside to get him, only to find Alex already walking toward the house, a hammer and bundle of nails in his hand. The chickens were out in their fenced-in yard, feeding. Winny was out of the barn and already strapped into the cart''s harness. Several of the smaller holes of rotten wood in the barn were covered, and she was sure that he had done other things she couldn''t see. The farm wasn''t perfect, but Alex had taken the time to fix as much as he could.
"Breakfast is ready if you want it," she said, her own hunger dulled at how fast he had finished the chores.
She had half expected to have to help out after they ate, but she wasn''t as sure now. If he had already watered all the animals, they would only need to make sure that the chickens made it back inside the henhouse before they left.
"Good," Alex said as he let go of the hammer and nails.
To Sam''s surprise, they floated in the air, making their way over to the farmhouse independently. The hammer corrected any loose planks of wood with a few solid hits, and the nails held themselves in place to secure the wood as it came around to hammer each of them in with one mighty swing. She had never seen anything like it.
"You alright?" Alex asked as he walked past her and into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table even as the hammer continued working.
"Scions above," Sam whispered, her legs turning to jelly and falling to the ground. "What is that?"
Alex reached down with one of the provided forks and scooped a quarter of the eggs onto his plate. A smile cracked his face as he dug into the eggs, eating them with the speed of a hungry man.
"It''s my curse," he said bluntly as he ate. "You saw me take those creatures out with the staff last night, right? This is similar, but more about control and less about power. It''s good training."
She had thought that he was just skilled with a staff. He was strong, but no stronger than she thought many of the men in town were. She thought about how he had thrown his staff and how it had returned to his hand.
"You can control things with your mind," she said, helping herself stand up and making her way to the table.
As shocked as she was, it didn''t change the fact that she was hungry.
"No," Alex said. "I can manipulate metal with my mind. Everything metal has an inherent magnetic field around it. I can control the strength of the field around myself and influence the field around other things."
He let go of his fork to demonstrate the point, using it to dig into some more eggs and bring them to his mouth. Sam watched, but it still didn''t make any sense.
"You say it''s your curse, what is that?"
"You ever see that deputy fight?" Alex asked, but Sam shook her head. "That makes it harder. Some people are cursed. They have powers over certain things, whether their own body, a particular element, or just some weird stuff. For some people, it''s like magic. They wave their hands and cast spells. As far as I can tell, it is all just a curse. People tried to explain it to me before, but it boils down to spooky powers that some people have."
"Never heard of it before," Sam whispered.
"To be fair, unless you see a lot of travelers, chances are you would never have seen it," Alex said. "Considering the current situation, the chances of that are slim."
Sam frowned. She hated how he kept reminding her of that. He seemed to be a fine enough fellow, but he was about as blunt as a rock every time he spoke.
"Sorry," Alex said, setting down his fork. "I''ve been at this life a long time. This world isn''t the nicest. I forget that real people are getting hurt out there. I''ve seen a lot of different islands, and the one constant is suffering."
"Not in the Twelve Kingdoms," Sam said. "The Scions make sure of that. If I had to go anywhere, it would be there."
He looked at her as if he had something to say but held it back. A grimace cut across his face, but it was replaced with a small smile. Sam suddenly felt like a child again, about to get reprimanded. Her face burned.
"Maybe someday you''ll get to see them," Alex said. "Just don''t get your hopes up. Goldfist is your first problem."
Sam and Alex finished their breakfast on lighter talk, even as the hammer went on by itself outside. In less than a quarter of the time it would have taken her on a normal day, the chores were done, and they rode off in the cart to town.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 06 | Quiet Questioning
Dry Gulch was a dead town, near as Alex could tell. The windows of most of the buildings were shuttered, and the doors were held closed by long planks of wood on the outside. Early in the morning, the streets were completely deserted. It was still early in the day, but even in small towns on other islands, there would be the hustle and bustle of people going about their day-to-day lives. Even from the ridge above it, Alex couldn''t see anyone on the dirt roads below.
"Take me to the general store first," Alex said from where he sat down in the back of the cart. "I want to see how he gets supplies."
"You going into town is going to paint a target on our backs," Sam said as she pulled on the reins to slow down Winny. "There ain''t no way we''re going to hide the fact you''re a stranger. You better be ready for a fight."
"I''m always ready for a fight," Alex said, tapping his staff against the cart. "But I hope it doesn''t come to that immediately. Hurting people makes them less likely to answer honestly, despite what most think."
He didn''t think he would get much with just questioning. Instead, he intended to have a look around. If anything, it would be better if they could stop outside of town and have Sam lead him in on foot.
"Before we get into town, find a good place to stop," Alex said. "If you can sneak me in, we''ll get farther without drawing attention."
Sam didn''t protest and instead drove the cart down the bumpy dirt road. She found them a place to hide the cart above the ridge, off and to the side behind some brush. Alex followed as Sam led him into town. There was no hiding their walking in, but once inside, she led him down a few side roads and between buildings so they weren''t walking down the main road.
Dry Gulch was built in exactly what its name sounded like¡ªa dried-out gulch between two ridge lines. There was never a real worry about flooding; Sam had pointed out an old dam north of the town that fed into the town''s water tower. Alex imagined that being in the gulch sheltered the townspeople from most of the heat of the day, though the noonday sun must have been terrible.
Alex kept his gate open as they walked through the town. He could sense the occasional person in the shifting magnetic fields, the only likely source of moving metal, but they were all inside their homes. He made note of each of the few occupied homes as they passed. Sam did a decent job of keeping them out of sight, so he wasn''t too worried about being spotted. Finally, they came upon the back door of the general store. Sam stopped and showed it to him.
"Smart," Alex said, reaching out his hand and touching the door softly.
"You want to keep out of sight, best to go in the back door. He keeps it locked, though."
Alex felt the metal lock beneath the knob with his senses. Carefully, he pushed up on the tumblers inside the lock with his magnetism while turning the cylinder inside. Before he had acquired his powers, he had a vague idea of how thieves picked locks, but being able to feel the inside of one with his senses made it like he had x-ray vision.
Click.
The lock gave in, and the latch opened. Alex held his hand on the knob. Now came the hard part.
"I''m going in alone. Keep a lookout for me. The less anyone sees you with me, the better if things go wrong."
"Don''t need to tell me twice," she said, taking a position across from the door. "I''ll keep an eye out and knock on the door if there''s a problem. Think you can handle that?"
"I''m the outlaw here." Alex smiled. "No need to pretend you''re a hardened criminal."
With that, he opened the door and stepped inside before shutting it softly behind him. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. He was in the back room of the store. A single bed lay off to the side with a kitchen nearby to cook in. Sloan must have lived and worked in the same building. Alex noted that the room was empty and snuck to the nearest door, putting his ear up to it so he could listen.
"Another shipment is due soon," he said. "I''ll get the supplies over with some of the boys."
"Any problems recently?" Though muffled, Alex recognized the voice as Deputy Silvertooth''s voice.
Two options immediately presented themselves to Alex. He could rush in right now and maybe take down Silvertooth, or he could listen and wait. The main problem he saw was he didn''t know enough about Silvertooth''s curse. If his power was to create copies of himself, this could just be a copy. What would happen if a copy was defeated? Would the original know? Would it affect the original at all? There were too many questions.
"Sam''s a problem," Sloan said. "She''s still staying on the edge of town, but she''s refusing to come inside and find proper work."
"The Appleton kid? Maybe we should take her like we took her brother. She''d learn real quick the way of things if she was working in the mines."
"That might not be necessary. Her farm''s about to come to harvest, and she won''t be able to do that on her own. Once she breaks from that, she might be more willing to come in."
"You telling me what to do?" Silvertooth''s voice took on an edge.
Clatter.
"No, sir. I was only thinking that it would be extra work. The less work you have to do, the better."
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
"Keep it that way," Silvertooth said as boots tapped across the floor and a door opened. "You do well to remember that your store exists because we let it exist. Your dirty town exists because we allow it. Good dogs should know to wait to be fed and not yip at their masters."
The door closed, and silence filled the room. Alex waited at the door. He wanted to make sure that Silvertooth was gone. He could probably stop Sloan before he screamed, but that was still a risk.
"Good dogs should know to wait to be fed," Sloan repeated mockingly. "Hah. Without my money, they wouldn''t have any food. My supplies keep them off the magistrate''s docket. That arrogant little pissant is lucky keeping slaves fed makes me so much money."
Alex decided he had waited long enough. He threw the door open and, in a second motion, tossed his staff like a javelin. Sloan had a moment to look in shock before the staff was up against his throat, manipulated sideways mid-air thanks to Alex''s magnetism. Alex walked forward with his hand held out to hold it tight against Sloan''s throat. He put a smile on his face as he approached the merchant. All Sloan could do was gasp for air.
"Sorry," Alex said. "I don''t want you screaming out while I try to get some answers from you."
He made his way to the door and locked it with a finality. He could have twisted it closed from a distance, but he wanted Sloan to see. He needed the man to understand that it was just Alex and himself in this room. No one was coming to help.
"I''ll let that go, but if you scream, I''ll kill you. I can figure out what I need to know by reading your ledgers and searching this building if I have to."
He looked into the man''s eyes as he approached. There was fear there, though that might have just been the lack of oxygen. Alex waited for him to nod, slowly releasing his staff and calling it back to his hand. Sloan fell to the ground, grasping at his throat and gasping for breath.
"You said you want answers," Sloan said between breaths as he recovered and rose to one knee. "I don''t even know who you are."
"''Tin Man'' Ortega," Alex said.
Sloan''s face paled a ghostly white as the blood drained from his face. Alex figured that the man knew a good bit from trading to get supplies. Of all the people in this town, he would know the name.
"I''m glad my name precedes me with you. You know what I''m capable of then."
"Burning August," Sloan whispered. "An entire island burned to the ground. A king assassinated and an army crushed by just one man."
That was an exaggeration, but Alex wasn''t going to correct him. His story kept spreading far and wide and changing with every retelling. It suited the life of an outlaw.
"What would a man like that be doing in a town like this?"
"I''m the one looking for answers here," Alex said, tapping his staff on the ground and causing Sloan to flinch. "When I heard that you had supplies despite the mist, I knew something was going on. Tell me how you get supplies in and out."
There was a look in Sloan''s eyes. Alex knew what he was going to say before he said it. Alex reached out along the magnetic lines around him, grabbing a nearby knife from a shelf and flinging it with pinpoint accuracy.
Thunk.
It landed right beside Sloan''s head.
"I hope that answers that question," Alex said.
"I understand." Sloan held up both hands, his entire body wet with sweat.
"Then tell me."
"It would be easier to show you," Sloan said, though he was shaking. "Follow me."
"No tricks." Alex pulled the knife from the wall and brought it to his hand. "I don''t have to tell you what will happen to you."
Sloan nodded before standing up behind his counter and walking toward the other end. Alex followed after him, noticing stairs that led down into a basement for the first time. Below was what seemed like a normal basement, full of barrels, boxes, and cloth bags. Sloan went up to one of the largest barrels without hesitation. He grabbed onto the spout and turned it.
Click.
Metal hinges creaked as the false front opened to reveal a long, dark tunnel. At the end of it was a bright light, but it was a good distance away¡ªa smuggler''s tunnel.
"You don''t have a tunnel to the next town," Alex said. "There''s no way you have a tunnel long enough to come out on the other side of the mist. That ignores that it would expand over time, seeing as it probably started at the mines."
He forgot he wasn''t alone for a moment, so he said his thoughts out loud.
"You''re right," Sloan said after a moment, starting down the tunnel. "It''s what is at the end of the tunnel that''s important."
Alex followed after. His staff echoed as he walked, tapping down on the ground with every other step. He was wary. There was something off about how open Sloan was. There had to be a catch to all of it. There had to be a plot.
"When the mist first became a problem, I had a plan." Sloan''s voice echoed in the tunnel. "I had the funds, especially with the Sheriff''s support. All I needed was to have a few people dig out the tunnel for me and take one of the abandoned buildings after people were taken to the mines. That those people would disappear to work in the mines soon after helped me keep my secret."
Alex remained silent, focusing his senses on the tunnel around him. Everything in the situation smelled like a trap. He needed to know, but he could tell that the story was a distraction.
They stepped out into the light at the end of the tunnel, and Alex raised his eyebrows. Before him was a slipship, though a small one, floating in the air inside a hollowed-out basement. It had four lodestones attached on both sides at the front and end of the vessel, encircled in metal loops that linked to the hull. A light sail shimmered even in the relative darkness of the hollowed-out building. It had a purposefully flat deck and a single pilot''s seat at the back. It was built for one purpose: to haul cargo short distances and nothing more. It would have cost a small fortune, but Alex imagined that Sloan made that and more back by bringing in goods for Goldfist.
Above, the building was completely hollowed out, and even the roof was destroyed. Only the facade remained. Unless someone looked down directly at the building and paid attention, they would never notice that it wasn''t a building anymore.
"You have a secret slipship," Alex said, turning to Sloan.
Click.
The hammer cocked on a gun beside him, and Alex smiled. There it was. He had stopped paying attention to his senses for a brief moment. Honestly, who would expect a slip ship to be hidden inside a building?
"Now for a bit of repayment," Sloan said as he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Alex''s ears rang as he held out his hand, calling a repelling force into his hand as a shield. The bullet slowed mid-air as it approached him, its force rotating slower until it stopped. Alex relaxed his hold on the field as he overcame the bullet''s kinetic energy. He reached out with his fingers as it slowed, grasping hold of it and inspecting it.
"Clever," Alex said.
Sloan didn''t fire more bullets, though he had a revolver. The shock on his face was more than enough to confirm that he wouldn''t shoot anymore. It would be harder to stop multiple shots, but it wouldn''t look nearly as cool.
"Now." Alex let the bullet drop and swung his staff right for Sloan''s head.
Thunk. Thunk.
Sloan fell to the ground, unconscious. Alex checked the man and took his gun before looking back to the airship. He didn''t have to look far for a rope to tie Sloan up, and he could carry the man back to the entrance easily enough. However, the slipship presented him with a problem.
"What to do with you?"
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 07 | Caught
Sam''s watch was boring. She looked back and forth down the alley, but no one was watching or moving about town. So many of her days had been taken up by daily chores that she hadn''t realized how much of a ghost town Dry Gulch had become. She sighed as she rubbed her boot in the dust. With all the excitement of a stranger and something finally happening in town, she hadn''t realized how much waiting would be involved.
Click.
She heard the front door of the store open. Sam hesitated. She felt like her watch at the back wasn''t doing much good. She could sneak around the alley and take a peek at who came out.
"What harm could there be in looking?"
She slunk through the alley and peered around the corner. It only took one look for her to put her back against the wall and stand still. Deputy Silvertooth stood on the other side of the wall, his hands in his pockets as he looked over the street. Sam held her breath. Her heart beat too loudly in her chest. She tried to calm it down. Her entire body tensed.
"You know, it isn''t polite to follow someone." Sam jumped back from the voice on her left, right out into the street.
She fell, landing with her hands and rolling across the ground. When she came up, a second Silvertooth looked down on her. From the porch of the store to her left, the first Silvertooth walked calmly over, a smile on his face.
"What?" She had a second as he loomed over her, but that was all she could think to say.
"You know, I was just talking about you," the first Silvertooth said, taking his hands out of his pockets and cracking his knuckles. "Well, I was listening to someone talk about you. Fancy that you would show up right after."
Sloan had been talking about her to Silvertooth. The thought slid across her mind. She couldn''t process it now, but instinctively, she knew it was a bad thing.
"Now, I don''t think you were listening, but I don''t want to take the chance. Why don''t you come with me to the jailhouse real quick, and we''ll clear everything up," the second Silvertooth said as he reached for her.
Sam didn''t think. She didn''t have time to. Her hands dug into the dirt, and she flung it up at the deputy''s face. She didn''t wait to see what happened. Instead, she was on her feet, sprinting as fast as she could down the street. She thought to run for the store, but it was too uncertain. Alex needed time, and she had messed up. Instead, she sprinted deeper into town, hoping that someone, anyone, would help her.
The water tower was at the center of town, and almost everything was based around it. Sloan''s store was the one exception, as he didn''t need a water supply to do business. Sam ducked into an alley, keeping the water tower''s silhouette in mind. Behind her, she could hear stomping boots, but she didn''t dare turn back.
"Split!" Silvertooth yelled behind her.
A multi-colored light flashed, and Silvertooth appeared in front of her. Sam kicked up dirt as she slid to a stop. Sam still heard boots behind her as Silvertooth reached out to grab her. She chanced a look back, but he was there as well.
"Cursed." She remembered Alex talking about it.
She had never seen Silvertooth beyond the days when Goldfist had taken over. The giant of a sheriff had been scary enough, but she had never known what Silvertooth could do. The man could make copies of himself.
"Now, stop running and get over here," Silvertooth said from both directions. "I don''t want to have to hurt you more than I need to."
"Why are you after me?" Sam pushed back against the alley wall.
She couldn''t go forward or back, so there was no place to run.
"Well," the left Silvertooth said, rubbing at his chin. "After Sloan told me you might be a problem, you were just on my mind. I figured I could help with a family reunion of sorts when I saw you. It just popped into my head."
"Family reunion?" Sam asked. "I''m not related to you."
"Hah." The left Silvertooth laughed. "Too true. I''m talking about your brother, of course. We''ve had him working at the mine for two years now. If I need to take you later anyway, I might as well do it now."
Sam froze. Her brother was gone. He had either died trying to escape Dry Gulch or died in the mist. He was good for nothing. He had abandoned her to live alone. He wasn''t at the mine.
"You''re lying. Josh died two years ago."
"What reason would I have to lie to you?" The Silvertooth on the left grinned, and his copy on the right mimicked him. "Telling you serves no purpose. You can''t run from me. You''re going to the mine either way. I just thought you would want to know what happened to him."
Sam didn''t know how to respond to that. He was right. Silvertooth had no reason to lie to her. She clenched her fist. How had she been so blind? She had never thought he had just been caught and sent to the mine.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Oh, don''t be angry," Silvertooth said. "Truth is, your brother came to us. We didn''t need to catch him. He came to us with the sob story of his parents dying and his sister being too young for him to take care of on his own. Goldfist listened to him and granted him what he wanted. Goldfist freed him from his suffering and gave him a purpose. He would work in the mines until he died."
Slap.
Sam hit the Silvertooth on her left as hard as she could with her open hand. Her bones ached from the impact, but it felt good. She started to run, but Silvertooth grabbed hold of her hand. His grip bit into her arm as he spun her around and shoved her face into the wall.
"Now, why''d you have to go and do that?" Silvertooth''s breath burned against the back of her neck. "Now, the way I see it, you have three options. You can go and work in the mines like your brother, you could go and work in the brothel, or you can just die right here. If you hit me again, I''ll make that choice for you."
"You can rot," Sam said, spitting at his face but missing.
Thump.
Sam was slammed into the wall like a hard punch to the face. She gasped for air. Her vision blurred, and the bitter flavor of blood filled her mouth. Sam closed her eyes.
"Now, don''t go making the easy choice," Silvertooth said.
Sam kicked back with all her strength. She didn''t aim the kick. She wasn''t in a position to think about it. It was a kick fueled by instinct. She had the satisfaction of hearing a harsh grunt from Silvertooth before he fell to the ground.
Thump.
Sam didn''t question her newfound freedom. She ran to the right. She briefly saw both Silvertooths on the ground, their hands grasped between their legs. Sam smiled and felt liquid drip out of her mouth as she ran. She reached up to wipe her lips, and her hand came away bloody.
She didn''t care.
She exploded out of the alley and onto the road. She immediately pointed herself toward the water tower and sprinted for it. All rational thought had left her mind. All that was left was the destination she had set for herself.
She didn''t remember how much she stumbled or how many times she fell. The entire experience felt like a faraway dream. All that had happened pushed away any conscious thought.
She hit the doors to the saloon and rolled inside. She heard shouts, and hands grabbed her. They held her down. They demanded to know what she was thinking. Again, she lost herself in the blur as they lay her against the wall.
"What should we do?"
"We can''t just leave her."
"Who do you think is after her, huh? It''s the deputy. We need to turn her over."
"You do that, and you won''t make it to the door. I might have to live here, but that doesn''t make me a monster."
"What about my kids? If we don''t hand her over, then Goldfist will come for them."
Scuffling and shouting. Sam ignored it as she lay her head against the cool wood of the wall. Her head was still swimming back and forth as if she was still running. She didn''t have anything left in her. If the townspeople in the saloon decided to hand her over, she couldn''t run again.
Bang.
A gunshot rang through the air. A single point of sound gave Sam something to focus on. Her vision came back, along with her hearing. She was surrounded by people she knew. Thomas, the bartender. Joel and Frank played cards in the bar every day. Minnie, whom she hadn''t seen in years, was dressed in a fancy red dress. She knew all of them.
Their eyes were locked on the saloon door. Five men stood at the door, one holding his gun pointed to the ceiling while the others leveled their own guns at the crowd. They all had the same face, the same clothes, and the same look. They were all Deputy Silvertooth.
"Now that I have everyone''s attention," the centermost Silvertooth said, a smile cracking his face. "I have some business with that girl. It would benefit everyone here if you all stepped away."
No one moved. Whether it was shock or because they didn''t want to give her up, all four of the group were frozen. Sam tried to push herself up, but her arm fell limply to the side when she tried to pick it up.
"I said." The center Silvertooth cocked the hammer on his gun. "It would benefit everyone here if you all stepped away."
"Yes, sir." Frank was the first to move, stepping off to the side with a slight bow of apology.
Joel followed after, a deep frown on his face. Sam couldn''t blame him. They didn''t have a chance to survive standing up to Silvertooth. He had them outgunned, and if she understood his curse, he could practically bring his own army.
"No." Thomas moved between Silvertooth and the gun, putting his hands out wide at his side. "Not until you explain what is going on in the least. The way I see it right now, this ain''t right."
"Don''t make me do this, Thomas," Silvertooth said. "We''ve done business together for five years now. You do good work for us. Goldfist''ll be mad if we have to go find a new bartender."
"Then put away the gun and talk," Thomas said. "Ain''t nothing in the world that can''t be fixed with a pint and a few words."
Bang!
A gunshot was Thomas'' only answer. Smoke curled around Silvertooth''s hand as the bartender dropped to the floor. Minnie screamed, dropping by the bartender''s side. Tears flowed from Sam''s eyes, but she didn''t have the strength to move or cry out.
"Why?" Joel asked before jumping at Silvertooth with his hands balled into fists.
Bang!
He didn''t even get to throw the first punch before slumping to the ground. Frank''s face was solid white, but he didn''t move. Sam tried to stand but only managed to fall over on the floor.
"Look what you made me do," Silvertooth said as his clones kept their guns trained on Frank and Minnie. "Are you happy? Neither of them would have died if you hadn''t run. If you hadn''t..."
He paused but didn''t finish that particular thought.
"Know you''re going to suffer for that. Those two got an easy end. You''re going to work in the mines and die slow. When the coyotes have their claws in you and their teeth on your neck, you''ll beg for a quick death."
"You." Sam tried to talk, but she couldn''t even get herself off the floor.
Strong hands grabbed her around the shoulders, and two of the copy deputies held her between them as they marched out of the saloon. The main Silvertooth led them out into the street.
"You should save your words," he said. "I''m going to make you scream plenty tonight."
Sam didn''t have the strength to respond. She hung her head, looking at the ground as tears fell out of her eyes. When she came to town, and Alex talked to her about doing something, she had never imagined that things would turn out like this. The dirt below her turned dark in little spots as her tears hit the dirt.
Whir. Whir. Whir.
Sam recognized that noise. The whirring sound of something rotating quickly through the air. She looked up through her bleary eyes and saw a dark figure standing near the water tower in the noonday sun.
Thunk. Thunk. Thump.
Sam hit the ground on her knees as the hands holding her disappeared. Like a glass figure, the copies of Silvertooth shattered around her. Sam caught herself on the heels of her palms. She looked up and could see Alex clearly after a few blinks.
"Looks like you ran into trouble," he said as the staff returned to his hands after flying through its long arc. "And hello, deputy. It seems like we keep running into each other."
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 08 | High Noon
Gunshots had been the only hint to Alex about what had happened when he finally got back to the store. Sam was nowhere to be seen, and he could see tracks of men in the dirt following after someone toward the water tower at the center of town. If he hadn''t rushed over, he might never have found her. If he hadn''t heard gunshots, he might have been slower.
Sam looked bad. Her mouth was bloody from a cut. Purple spots were already forming on the left side of her face. He didn''t see any gunshot wounds, but he assumed that was related to people inside the saloon Silvertooth had walked out from.
Alex locked eyes with Silvertooth. Silvertooth looked at him with a mixture of anger and disbelief. Alex held his staff ready, opening his gate and embracing the magnetic fields around him. He had been taken by surprise during their first fight. He wouldn''t let that happen again.
"How''re you still alive?" Silvertooth demanded, pointing his gun at Alex. "I checked your body after the fight. Your arms and legs were broken clean off. You didn''t even have a pulse."
"I drank a lot of milk as a kid," Alex said, twirling his staff through his hands as he took a stance. "You know what they say. Milk builds strong bones."
Judging by his confused look, Silvertooth was not inundated with the same commercials as Alex was when he was a kid. Granted, from what Alex understood, his version of Earth was just one of many, and not all of them were anything like Earth. That was assuming that Silvertooth wasn''t a native of the world. Alex didn''t have any way to tell.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Four shots, the same as the two Alex had heard before, echoed through the road. Alex raised his hand, generating a repulsive field with his already open gate. He couldn''t do the trick from earlier; there were too many bullets, but he could deflect them.
Ting. Ting. Ting. Ting.
All four bullets ricocheted away from him. The color drained out of Silvertooth''s face as he dropped his gun and reached for his whip. Alex smiled. They were on a more even playing field this time.
"You''re cursed."
"As are you."
"Split!"
Lights cascaded around Silvertooth, and in a moment, he had six copies, all armed with whips, at his side. Alex leaned forward, grasping his staff as he charged. He kept the first Silvertooth in mind as he ran in. He needed to test an idea he had about the deputy''s curse.
"Step."
Alex instantly crossed the instance between them, thrusting his staff at the deputy''s heart without a second thought. He had a moment to see the shock on the deputy''s face before the face went slack, and whips crashed beside him. The Silvertooth Alex hit shattered into shards of light, and a cutting pain crossed his shoulder.
Thwip. Crack.
Another whip cracked across Alex''s back. Sharp shards bit into his duster, and a stinging pain ran across his back. As soon as Alex''s foot hit the ground, he didn''t wait.
"Step."
He reappeared a distance away from the deputies. Now there were six, each one armed with a whip, and one of the whips already bloodied. Alex looked through the eyes of each of them and noticed one was smirking already.
"Only one is the real you," Alex said, planting his staff on the ground. "The rest are copies made out of light."
"Pretend that helps you," one Silvertooth said as he cracked his whip on the dirt. "Split."
The downed copy was replaced in a flash of light. Alex tugged on a piece of metal near one of the buildings. A small, sharp, and rusty nail floated up in the air. He had an idea.
"Step."
Alex feinted a charge forward but tilted to the right at the last second.
Whips came down on the ground where he would have been, cutting into the dirt as he appeared next to one of the buildings. Alex pulled on the nail, lining it up with the Silvertooth who had spoken last.
"Grah!" Silvertooth let out a yell as the nail hit him in the back.
There wasn''t enough force to pierce anything deep. Alex wasn''t nearly accurate enough for something like that with such a small object. There was a reason he favored a staff over just random bits of metal.
"The one you inhabit, while you''re in it, you''re flesh and blood," Alex said, searching his senses for more metal.
He noticed that metal bolts held up the water tower, which gave him another idea. He was sure he had most of Silvertooth''s powers figured out, and he could beat the deputy.
"Whelp," Silvertooth said, his eyes relaxing before that body faded into shards of light. "It doesn''t matter what tricks you use. You can''t beat me. Split."
Instead of replacing the broken copy, ten deputies were now on the road. Alex smiled, holding up his staff. Without Goldfist to back him up and the element of surprise, Silvertooth didn''t have that many tricks.
"How about this, then?" Alex said as he wound up and threw his staff like a javelin: "Rail Gun."
He pushed on it with his magnetism as he threw it, accelerating the strike. He ran forward as it careened toward the Silvertooth who had talked last. It charged forward like a bullet, crashing into that Silvertooth and breaking him into shards of light.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
"Step."
Alex didn''t wait for his staff to return. He stepped toward the left Silvertooth first, cutting the distance between them to zero as he threw a hard punch into the man''s gut. The copy shattered into light shards. Alex pivoted, swinging his other arm and hitting the next copy without pausing as hard as he could. Even as that one shattered, Alex took out another, carrying the momentum of his punch into a hard kick across the third''s abdomen.
A whip cracked, and Alex stepped away, this time toward the water tower. He had taken out four of the clones in just a few seconds. The time it took for Silvertooth to transfer his consciousness gave Alex time to act.
"They''re fragile. Your ability is a glass cannon."
"Shut up!" Silvertooth spat. "Split!"
Six turned into twenty deputies.
"You think you can take me? I''ll make an army if I have to."
Alex was already manipulating the bolts of the tower behind him. It didn''t take long before the bolts on the front side were loose. All it would take was a solid hit to bring the entire water tower tumbling down. The only real problem was Sam was in the way on the road.
He reached out in his field for his staff, rolling it across the ground with a push toward Sam. It rolled up against her leg, and she looked down at it. He hoped she would take the hint.
"You''re wide open!"
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Three whips crashed into Alex. Two of them succeeded in wrapping around his arm and biting into his duster, while the third cut down his chest. Alex gritted his teeth but stood still. He only needed a few more moments. He focused on the bolts behind him, making sure that all of them facing the deputy were released.
"I don''t know what you can do," Silvertooth said as he walked closer, drawing a knife from his belt. "Your curse seems to have something to do with moving stuff with your mind. You also know one of the Five Paths. I''ll make sure you die a painful death, even if I have to put a knife in your gut."
"Be still my beating heart," Alex whispered as more of the deputies grabbed hold of his arms, and others drew their knives. "What makes you think I only know one of the Five Paths?"
"You''re bluffing. Even a vice-captain at most knows three. Not that it matters."
"Two," Alex said. "I know two of the five."
"Stop lying," the main Silvertooth said as he grasped Alex''s shoulder and pulled the knife back.
"Might."
Alex''s muscles bulged, and he tore his body left and right. The copies holding onto him were flung to the ground far in front of him. Silvertooth jumped backward to get out of the way, exactly as Alex had wanted. Alex didn''t stop at that, turning away from the deputy and running to the water tower. He punched the water tower with one solid hit to the nearest support. The wood exploded out in a shower of splinters before Alex''s muscles relaxed to normal.
Groan. Snap. Snap. Crash.
The tower tilted as it crashed to the ground over him. Alex was lucky to be where he stood. He was close enough that the water tank wouldn''t hit him. It crashed to the ground in front of him, sending water cascading in all directions as the wooden tank shattered on the ground.
"Might." Alex jammed his feet into the ground as the water washed over him, his body taking the hit like a slap to the face.
It didn''t matter. His body could take a storm without moving with that technique. Silvertooth wasn''t as lucky. As Alex had guessed, the deputy''s strength was focused on his curse and his curse alone. His lungs burned, and dizziness wrapped around his head, but the pain was worth it. As the water receded and the water tank fell in two, Alex could see only one very wet Silvertooth on the ground, coughing and sputtering up water as he pushed himself up from the ground.
"Who are you?" he asked as Alex approached him.
"''Tin Man'' Ortega," Alex said, balling his hand into a fist and lining up a kick to the deputy''s face.
The man''s face went as white as his teeth as Alex kicked at his face. Alex saw the light in his eyes fade before the hit. Silvertooth shattered into shards of light as Alex''s kick connected.
"Couldn''t get it," Alex whispered as he looked around.
Sam had managed to limp away with his staff. She stood near an alley where she could still see the fight. Alex gave her a nod and a smile, but she didn''t return it.
It felt like his entire body was on fire with a fever, and his muscles ached with every movement. If there was ever a time he regretted breaking out of the laboratory before he had learned the other three techniques, it was now. If he had at least mastered the Path of Breath, he wouldn''t be nearly as drained from using the Path of Might. The Path of Step wasn''t nearly as draining, but he couldn''t use it all the time.
"You alive, Sam?" he asked, limping over to her.
"Barely," she whispered, gripping his staff like a lifeline as she leaned against the wall. "What about Thomas and Joel?"
Alex raised his eyebrow, but he didn''t ask. Instead, he limped his way over to the saloon and looked inside. Two men lay on the floor. A woman was putting pressure on one of their wounds while another man held a cloth to the other man''s shoulder.
"Both alive," Alex yelled before he walked into the saloon.
Sam nodded to him and collapsed to the ground. Alex felt the same but couldn''t afford to collapse just yet.
"You got a doctor in town?" he asked the two people working.
"Doc Brown," the woman said.
"Go get him. I''ll help out here." Alex took her place next to the wounded man.
Once she was gone, he looked the man over. It was a shot to the gut, and the bullet was probably still inside. There would be shards of metal all through his intestines if the bullet had shattered. It wasn''t a good sign, but Alex wouldn''t just rip out metal with his curse in that situation.
"Help''s coming," Alex told him as he gripped his shoulder and helped him hold pressure on the wound.
"Thank you," he said as he looked up to Alex. "Is Sam alright?"
"She''s beaten and bruised but alive," Alex said a tight smile on his face. "I take the deputy shot you."
"For just trying to be neighborly," he said, gritting his teeth.
"Hey, you''re the best kind of neighbor."
"Joel, you going to be okay over there?" the man asked, turning his head over to the other man who was shot.
"I''ll be fine," Joel said. "Can''t feel my arm, so I don''t feel any pain."
"Lucky. You got a name, stranger?"
"Alex."
"Did you kill the deputy, Alex?"
"No, he got away. He''s a slippery thing."
"That he is. Listen here, Alex. I need you to get Sam and get out of here. Silvertooth will be back with a vengeance if you didn''t kill him. He might even bring Goldfist with him. I don''t care how strong you are. That isn''t a fight worth taking while Sam''s at risk."
"Understood." Alex looked over to the uninjured man. "You. Come help hold the pressure here. That guy will be all right."
He waited for the uninjured man to come over and start holding pressure on the man''s gut. Alex stood up and looked down at him. There was a faint smile on his lips.
"You have a name?" Alex asked.
"Thomas."
Alex walked over to the bar and grabbed one of the bottles. On the front of the bottle, he noticed a black turtle with a long snake''s tail. He brought it over and set it next to Thomas.
"Take a swig if you need it. I''ll go and get Sam somewhere safe."
"Stealing my alcohol, too." Thomas grimaced but didn''t refuse the bottle.
Alex nodded and walked out of the saloon. A simple reconnaissance had exploded into a blown brawl that wrecked the town''s water tower. He didn''t imagine that things could get much worse. He made it over to Sam and picked her up despite her protests.
"We''re getting you to the cart and getting out of here," Alex said firmly. "I''ve got a good five minutes in me before I collapse. Can you get us somewhere safe?"
"I can," Sam whispered after a moment''s hesitation.
"Good," Alex said as he walked her back toward the town''s entrance.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 09 | Secrets
Silvertooth fell over, gasping for air as he crumbled to the ground from his chair. The body he had jumped to had been resting. Even his copies would get tired after a while. He pushed himself up from the ground, looking around the room and catching sight of some of his other copies playing cards. They snapped to attention and stood at his thought, coming over to him and helping him stand back up.
"Good job, boys," Silvertooth said, adjusting his hat. "Where''s the Sheriff? We have a problem."
His copy pointed him down the tunnel. Their base of operation was made of several hollowed-out tunnels close to the entrance to the mines. He was currently in one of the gathering rooms, where his clones could take a break when they were operating independently of himself. Goldfist would be in his room, where his copy had pointed him down the tunnels. Silvertooth left his men behind.
He could make copies of himself made out of light if he had to describe his curse. Each one got a copy of whatever he had on himself, and they could act independently within certain degrees of behavior. When they were close to Silvertooth, he could control them directly and coordinate them with his mind. When they were further away, they could follow simple orders and act like he would in given situations. ''Tin Man'' Ortega had been right in his assessment of Silvertooth''s curse. His copies were fragile. They could hit others but could be shattered easily. The body he inhabited with his conscious mind was sturdy since it wasn''t made out of light, and he could transfer between bodies with a little focus.
There were other limitations. The range and number he could maintain wasn''t infinite. Between Dry Gulch and the mines was about the limit of the distance he could maintain, and he could have about fifty duplicates at any one time. Most of them were committed to maintaining security at the mines and watching over the slaves. That gave him about twenty he could use safely.
There was one last real limitation or weakness. If a person hurt his occupied body, knocked it unconscious, or killed it, the same would happen to all the other copies. As the Appleton girl had taken advantage of during her escape, every one of his bodies had felt that kick.
"That brat''ll get what''s coming to her," Silvertooth said as he approached the circular door to Goldfist''s room. "After I warn the boss."
Ortega was a threat not only to Goldfist''s operation but also to Silvertooth''s mission. The second that Goldfist found what he was looking for, Silvertooth had to call in the cavalry. If Ortega interfered or shut down the operation, his bosses would be very displeased with him.
Knock. Knock.
"Boss, I''ve got bad news."
Slam!
"And I''ve got great news!"
The door practically jumped open, and Goldfist ducked through the entryway, stepping out into the larger tunnel with a smile and stretching his beard. Silvertooth barely had time to jump back from the door as it hit the wall. Hinges creaked, and the wood of the door cracked along its edge.
"They found it!" Goldfist enveloped Silvertooth''s shoulder with his left hand, and Silvertooth was thankful it hadn''t been the right hand. "Follow me."
Silvertooth didn''t get a chance to interrupt as Goldfist practically ran off down the tunnel. Dust and dirt fell from the beams above that held the tunnel stable, but Goldfist didn''t seem to care. He was like a child who had just got a new toy- a giant child who could crush a train like a tin of beans with one punch. Silvertooth followed him carefully until Goldfist made it to the oversized lift at the end of one of the forking tunnel paths.
"I''m happy for you, boss," Silvertooth said as he stepped onto the platform, and Goldfist pulled a lever. "But there''s something I have to tell you."
Steam hissed below them as motors started up and the platform lowered into darkness.
"What could be more important than this?" Goldfist gestured down below, but they weren''t at the bottom yet, so it lost some of the effect. "Just wait."
"There''s a problem in town."
"We won''t need the town for much longer. Once we figure out how to get in..."
Goldfist trailed off, and Silvertooth sighed. Goldfist''s obsession with power was unquenchable, as was his obsession with money. That was why Silvertooth had been assigned here. Goldfist was searching for an island core. If he found it, the Military Police would be very interested in acquiring it for themselves without having to do any of the work.
The lift lurched to a halt on the bottom floor of the mine. The deepest they had dug was probably around fifty meters deep, and that was with the help of natural caves underneath the island''s surface. Goldfist had brought some heavy equipment when he first came to town, but maintaining it over the years had proven difficult with his imposed lockdown. This was especially true after they had broken the mist barrier beneath the island.
Goldfist walked out and down a tunnel, and Silvertooth followed after him. After the man had told him about the discovery, Silvertooth could tell Goldfist the bad news. They walked for a time until Goldfist walked out into a wider area, another natural cave the slaves had found.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Here it is," Goldfist said, rising to his full height as he stepped out into the cavern. "We found it at last."
Silvertooth stepped out of Goldfist''s shadow, tilting up his hat as he looked around the room. The normal torches that illuminated the tunnel weren''t needed here. Glowing stones across the dome''s roof bathed the area in a dim blue-green light. Stone eroded by water formed a dais in the center of the room, surrounded by a black pond of liquid. On the dais were two stone pillars supporting a third stone beam. The center was empty, but Silvertooth recognized it immediately. It was an inactive portal and island core. Stepping through it would take a person to the island''s anchor, the very thing that allowed the island to exist in the nightsea.
Silvertooth released a low whistle that echoed through the cavern and up the tunnel. "You try it yet, boss?"
"Sent slaves in, but they dissolved in the liquid around it." Goldfist shook his head. "I''m going to have them build a bridge across and die trying tomorrow."
Ever a practical man, Goldfist''s solutions never disappointed Silvertooth. While Silvertooth didn''t disagree that sacrifices were necessary to achieve a goal, sometimes Goldfist took things even further than he would. That he had sent more than one of their slaves in was in line with that problem.
"While we''re figuring that out," he said. "I still have some bad news. There''s an outlaw in town."
"Someone made it to town? Through the mist and the desert?"
"It''s that kid from the train."
"That brat?" Goldfist laughed. "So you''re telling me the problem''s solved then. You took him in or killed him?"
"Boss..."
"You didn''t? You losing your edge deputy?"
"He''s ''Tin Man'' Ortega," Silvertooth crossed his arms. "Even if he''s lying, he was able to take ten of me in a fight. He''s cursed, same as me."
Goldfist stopped laughing, a frown creasing his face as he looked down at Silvertooth. Silvertooth saw him weighing the situation. He was thinking over whether Silvertooth was worth keeping around if he lost a fight to one man.
"He''s cursed, eh?"
"Can move stuff with his mind." Silvertooth grimaced. "He dropped a water tower on me, boss."
"The town''s water tower?" Goldfist raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, boss."
"I see." Goldfist turned away from the cave and started walking back toward the lift. "I''ll give you all the coyotes, and I''ll take over watching for the slaves. You think you can handle him if you have seventy to back you up?"
Silvertooth frowned, but he understood. This was a test. Goldfist wasn''t going to leave the cave now that the portal had been discovered. Silvertooth would either prove himself or die trying, just like the slaves who would build the bridge across the pond. If he couldn''t take out Ortega, he was weak, and the weak didn''t belong in Goldfist''s operation.
"I can," Silvertooth said. "Heck, boss, that might even be overkill just for one man."
"See that you do," Goldfist said. "We''ll go gather the slaves and supplies now and bring them all down here. I was going to give them until tomorrow, but this will speed up my plans. I''ll have them build the bridge tonight, and I''ll have the core in my hands before the night is over. I don''t care how many of them have to die!"
They rode up together, and Silvertooth coordinated his copies to help Goldfist take all the slaves down. Once the orders were out and things were in motion, he stepped off to the side and exited the tunnel. Beyond Goldfist''s operation, he had a report to make.
He couldn''t make it in the mine. Instead, he walked out of the entrance, ostensibly to gather together the coyotes from the kennels. Once he was there, he walked over to the fence line that held the coyotes and took a black stone out of his pocket. He opened his gate a little and breathed aether into it as he brought it up to his mouth. With the imbued aether, it reached across the nightsea to his real boss. A woman''s voice came from his hand, and Silvertooth suppressed his instinct to salute.
"Report."
"Lieutenant, this is Agent Five. Goldfist has found the core. All is ready on Tombstone."
"Excellent. How quickly will you need support."
"He''s going for the portal tonight, but I don''t think he will solve it immediately," Silvertooth said, looking behind him. "However, there is an additional complication."
"Go on."
"There''s an outlaw looking to disrupt the operation." Silvertooth felt sweat trickling down his spine even as he spoke. "He says he''s ''Tin Man'' Ortega."
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.
"Repeat."
"I said he''s claiming to be ''Tin Man'' Ortega."
Another long pause. Silvertooth held his breath as he waited. The lieutenant normally would have ended the call with final instructions already. She was a direct and uncomplicated woman. The fact that there was this much hesitation didn''t bode well for him.
"Agent Five, we need you to capture or delay Ortega as long as you can. This mission takes priority over securing the core."
Silvertooth''s eyes widened. That wasn''t what he expected.
"Ma''am," Silvertooth said. "I''ll do what I can, but he''s just one man. The havoc Goldfist could wreak here with access to the core..."
"Agent Five!"
Silvertooth stopped talking immediately. The only time the lieutenant ever yelled was when something was life-threatening. He waited, practically holding his breath until she came on again.
"Ortega is a more grave threat. If he has figured out what Goldfist is after, he''ll go after the core himself. While Tombstone is not under our jurisdiction, we don''t want another Burning August."
"Burning August," Silvertooth whispered.
"Ortega''s responsible for that. He''s the reason the Twelve Kingdoms might as well be renamed the Eleven. Under no circumstances are you to let him anywhere near the core. Goldfist might access it while you take him in, but that''s a lesser risk. Better in the hands of an outlaw than a terrorist."
"I''ll take him in," Silvertooth said, his voice shaking. "How long will it take for backup to get here."
"I''ll get the Captain on it. We''ll get a squad on the fastest slipship we have. With any luck, we''ll be breaking the dome by tomorrow morning. You''ll have to hold out until then."
"Thank you, ma''am."
"Scions protect you, Agent Five."
Silvertooth put away the stone, drawing the aether back from it and into his body. He had a day to go and take down Ortega, assuming the man wasn''t already coming for the mine. Why else had such a ruthless outlaw, no, terrorist, taken an interest in Dry Gulch? He wasn''t just out for revenge against Goldfist and himself. Silvertooth was sure Ortega wanted to do the same to Tombstone as August.
He transferred himself down to Goldfist and updated the boss on his plans to take on Ortega. Goldfist already had the slaves corralled and was taking them down the lift with supplies in tow. Once Silvertooth got the confirmation, he let go of all his current copies and made his way toward the kennel. He would go to town and track down Ortega, even if he had to burn everything down to draw the terrorist out.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 10 | Out the Pan
Alex woke up on the hard wood of the cart. His eyes snapped open, and he saw a familiar wood roof above him. He was in Sam''s barn, lying in the cart. He let the thought settle before he pushed himself up. The feeling of safety left him as his brain worked through the implications of his situation.
"No," he whispered, jumping to his feet on the cart and making it shake beneath him.
When he had asked Sam to get them somewhere safe and then collapsed in the cart, he hadn''t meant the farm. The farm would be the first place Silvertooth would look after he reported back to Goldfist. Well, maybe the second, assuming Silvertooth went to town first to settle up with the other people in the saloon. Alex jumped off the cart onto the dirt floor.
He had to find Sam and get her to a safe place. He looked around himself and saw the donkey in its stall, giving him a side eye as it stood against the stall door. There was another problem. If Silvertooth came to the farm, Alex didn''t imagine the deputy would even let the animals off clean. Silvertooth didn''t strike him as the type of man who took defeat in stride.
He found Sam leaning against the wall, a pitchfork crossed between her arms as she slept. The left side of her face was marked with purple bruises, and dried blood marked a cut on her lip. He had forgotten the fight. His hand went to his chest and felt beneath the cuts in his shirt. A long scab had formed over where Silvertooth had hit him with a whip. The duster had taken the brunt of the rest of the attacks, so he hadn''t needed to worry about those.
Alex held back a smile. While he didn''t know everything that happened, she had staved off Silvertooth long enough for him to get out and help. That was impressive in its own right. He didn''t have time to let her rest, though. No light shone from the window on the second floor, and Alex didn''t think the mist would stop Silvertooth or Goldfist from paying the farm a visit.
"Hey, wake up," Alex whispered as he shook her shoulder.
A look of shock cut across her face, and Alex caught the handle of the pitchfork before she could bring it to bear against him. He clicked his tongue to reprimand himself. He should have been more careful but forgot in the moment.
"You''re alright," Alex said, keeping a hold on her shoulder. "Everything''s going to be alright."
"Alex," Sam whispered, dropping the pitchfork and grabbing his hand. "You''re okay."
"About as okay as I would expect," Alex said, keeping a smile on his face. "You look like you''ve been through hell, though."
"The deputy, he..." She paused, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "He caught me after I went to check the front. He told me he wanted to take me to the mines. He told me my brother was there."
Alex raised an eyebrow at that.
"He doesn''t have a good reason to lie," Sam said, shaking her head. "He said Joshua was at the mines, that he was going to take me there and reunite us."
"Another problem to add to the list," Alex said. "We''ll look for him there when I go. I need to go there anyway to check on something."
"Thank you." Sam had to reach up to wipe away tears as they ran down her face.
"Don''t thank me." Alex let go of her shoulder as he stood up. "I''m going there for my own reasons. More importantly, we need to figure out something first."
"What?" Sam kept wiping away her tears.
"Silvertooth is going to come here sooner rather than later. I don''t think even the mist will be enough to keep him away. So long as one person in town knows where you live, he''ll be coming."
"The farm?" Sam''s tears stopped instantly as realization set in on her face.
"We need to go, and I''m not sure what will happen to it. If we stay, we''ll be sitting ducks."
Sam squinted her eyes, but the confusion over the phrasing passed quickly. "What about Winny?"
Alex looked up at the donkey. "We might be able to send her running off. If she''s smart, she can probably outrun most of the mistwalkers. Leaving her here locked up will probably get her killed, though. If Silvertooth wants you at the mines, he won''t leave anything standing or alive."
Sam stood up, looking between Winny and Alex. A pang of sympathy cut into Alex''s gut. He could understand having to make a hard choice quickly. That had been his entire life since he had come to this world.
"I understand," Sam said as she made her way over to open Winny''s stable door.
She stopped halfway there, looking up at the barn''s second floor. Alex followed her gaze and noticed the orange dancing glow creating shadows through the window. His nose flared as he breathed in deeply and noticed the smell of smoke for the first time. In an instant, he knew they were too late.
"Get over there and get down," Alex said. "If the barn catches, you need to run. Ride Winny and stay away from anything moving in the mist. Head to town and don''t look back."
"But I can help," Sam said, moving for the pitchfork.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"You can help by not being an extra target," Alex said, raising his hand and calling his staff to it.
The staff whipped from the ground, and he caught it. He immediately turned and released the latch on the barn door, pushing it open and stepping outside without looking back. She would either do what he asked or not. He couldn''t afford to think about it. He could only focus on the fight ahead.
"Wait," Sam said, making Alex pause. "In town, I kicked Silvertooth hard. Both he and his copy fell over when that happened."
Alex turned back, staring her directly in the eyes and giving a nod. That information was useful. He had a decent idea of Silvertooth''s curse now. The deputy could create copies made out of light, and those copies were under his control. He couldn''t make an infinite amount of them, and the bodies his mind didn''t occupy were weak. It took a moment for the deputy to shift his mind between his copies. Finally, if the body his mind was occupying was hurt, the other copies felt that pain but didn''t dissipate. Alex assumed that taking out the body controlling the others would be enough to stop all the other copies, but that wasn''t something he had tested yet.
He tapped his staff as he looked to the farmhouse. An inferno blazed behind it. The orchard was engulfed in flames. Fire licked across the dry grass toward the house. The light would push back any mistwalkers from the area. The creatures thrived in shadow and minimal light. If he focused, he could see a few on the edge of the fallow fields around the yard, shuffling in the darkness but not approaching.
Alex ignored them, making his way toward the burning trees, and he suspected the deputy.
"More fire!" Silvertooth shouted at his copies.
Twenty of his copies were dedicated to torching the orchard and farmhouse, each working in tandem to light grass and branches before moving on to the next one. Twenty of his other copies held the coyotes on leashes. Each one was an asset, and he didn''t want them running off while the fires blazed.
They had been invaluable in clearing the monsters from the fields on their path over here, but until Ortega came out, they were better held in reserve. His last ten copies had their guns out, their eyes searching the area for any sign of movement. When Ortega showed his face, Silvertooth was ready to take him down.
"Set the house alight next. If they''re in there, we''ll drive them out."
His copies moved to do just that. Some grabbed burning branches and tossed them onto the roof. Others ran around with torches and lit the sides of the house on fire. Others broke windows and tossed their torches inside. The old wood went up fast and burned like a blazing sun in the night.
"You''re going to a lot of trouble just to call me out."
Silvertooth and all the copies froze. With him holding control of them, they couldn''t act independently. He searched around with his eyes and ears, each copy doing the same. He couldn''t pinpoint where the voice came from.
"You''re a monster, you know that? Burning down this farm, dragging those people into the mines, and making them slaves. Shooting those who stood up to you. All for what in the end? Greed?"
"That''s funny." Silvertooth laughed, and his clones did the same all together. "The man who burned August to the ground is judging me? I don''t need to hear those words from a terrorist like you."
"Hah. You might have a point. What makes you think you can stand up to me?"
"There''s seventy of us and one of you," Silvertooth said with a grin. "Release the hounds!"
The coyotes, who had been pulling against their leashes, surged off and toward the farmhouse. They were trained to attack anyone who wasn''t Silvertooth or Goldfist, and with their keen senses, they would be able to find Ortega, even in the smoke and soot of the fires. There was no way that just one man would beat them. Each one was as strong as a bull, with the sharp teeth and claws of a predator.
Behind the house, the coyotes growled, but Silvertooth did not go after them to look. He didn''t believe they would lose, but he had to be ready for any eventuality. Instead, he called his copies back to himself, all of them drawing their guns and holding ready. Ortega might have been able to stop a few shots, but he couldn''t stop fifty-one.
Thump. Whine. Crunch. Yelp. Thack. Thack. Thack. Thack. Yelp.
Ten of the coyotes ran out from behind the farmhouse and off into the night. Each one trailed blood behind it from several wounds. Silvertooth gulped down the lump that formed in his throat. There was no way Ortega could take out all twenty.
Thump. Crunch. Whir. Crack. Snap. Whine. Yelp.
Five more coyotes ran out from behind the farmhouse and out into the night. Silvertooth waited, but no more sounds came out from behind the house. He focused on the clone around him and made sure his control was tight. When Ortega came out, they would all be shooting the same target. All together.
"I didn''t like having to do that, you know. Those creatures, you made them what they are. I will make sure you go down for everything you''ve done."
"Then come out and face me like a man!" Silvertooth yelled, cocking the hammer on his gun even as his fifty copies did the same.
"Gladly."
Movement caught Silvertooth''s eye, shadows flying above the remains of the farmhouse¡¯s roof in a cloud of darkness. He instantly trained his gun upward, and the hands of all his copies followed, but he didn''t fire. None of the shadows were large enough to be Ortega. He instantly looked to the farmhouse. The sky attack was a fake out.
"Step."
A chill ran down Silvertooth''s spine, but no strike came for him or his clones. He glanced up and saw a large shadow among the many in the air and tried to raise his gun again. He was too slow and cursed himself for falling for a double feint.
"Scrap Storm!" Ortega yelled above him as metal rained down on himself and all his copies.
Nails, metal plates, pieces of pipes, forks, knives, spoons, every kind of metal that might be found around a farm rained down on Silvertooth and his copies. Silvertooth instinctively raised his arms, blocking his head from the attacks, but there were so many. There were too many to counter.
His copies shattered into light around him, even as nails and forks pierced into his arms. A knife embedded itself in his shoulder, and a heavy metal weight hit his arms and threw him into the ground. He was alive at the end of it all but bloody and bruised from all the objects. He forced himself up on one knee as the barrage ended, looking around him at the metal implements scattered about.
Thump.
Ortega landed on the ground in front of Silvertooth, a broad grin on his face as blood ran out of his nostrils. Silvertooth tried to bring up his gun, but a sudden wave of force sent it clattering out of his hand. He was beaten.
"See." Ortega''s breath came in sharp bursts. "Told you I''d get you."
"Doesn''t matter," Silvertooth said as he forced himself to stand, holding up both of his hands balled into fists. "The Military Police are on their way. When they get here, you''ll get taken down. Captain Drake will bring you in."
A look of confusion ran across Ortega''s face, and Silvertooth smiled. That was the opening he needed. He charged forward, swinging his fist in a hard right hook as he closed the distance between them. At the last second, he tapped into his gate, splitting himself five times.
"Split!"
Ortega didn''t move. He didn''t need to. A black object flew up from the ground and clocked Silvertooth in the jaw from below, sending him and all his copies flying up and away in a long arc. Silvertooth''s vision flashed white before being consumed by darkness. The last thing he felt was the flash of pain on his back as he hit the ground.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 11 | Community
Alex called the cast iron pan to his hand, catching it deftly and holding onto it with a smile. The one thing he liked about his curse was how it could weaponize anything metal. Not that he always had the strength to do it. He reached up and rubbed the blood from his nose as the migraine ran further up his scalp. He closed his gate, and the pressure lessened somewhat, but recovering would still take time.
"Now, what to do with you?" he asked as he approached the deputy.
A dark bruise was already forming on the man''s face. Alex rifled through Silvertooth''s pockets, pulling out the deputy''s gun and placing it in his duster''s pocket before he tossed the whip into the nearest fire. He stopped when he pulled a black stone out of Silvertooth''s pocket. It felt odd as he rolled it between his index finger and thumb. Something was missing from the stone, and Alex could sense that he needed to put something in for it to work. He slid it into his pants pocket. He would work on that later.
Alex reached down and picked up the deputy, carrying him over his shoulder as he made his way around the burning orchard and back toward the barn. The fire burned across the farmhouse, a roaring blaze that would not be stopped with a few buckets of water.
Alex grimaced as he lay the deputy''s body next to the open barn door. Sam stood next to the open door, her hands on Winny''s reins. Her eyes were locked on the burning farmhouse and orchard behind him. Alex didn''t know what to say. He walked over to Sam and stood with her as the fires lit up the night sky.
"Sorry," he said as the fires burned.
He reached into his duster pocket, pulling out Silvertooth''s loaded gun. It was a side-load revolver, and the silver reflected the flames as the house burned to the ground. Alex frowned and flipped the gun so the butt of it was pointing away from him. He handed it over to Sam, holding it out until she looked at him and locked eyes with him.
"The way I see it, you get to decide what happens to Silvertooth. I can''t take him and turn him in to the authorities. I don''t know what the townsfolk will do, and I don''t have a stake in what happens to him. You know what he''s done better than most people, so decide what happens to him."
Sam reached out and grabbed hold of the gun. It didn''t shake in her hand the slightest bit. She looked it over momentarily before walking over to Silvertooth''s prone form. The deputy lay splayed out on the ground, his now bruised face facing the sky. Sam pointed the gun down at the deputy.
Click.
The gun''s hammer drew back with a deafening click. Alex held his breath. The air stilled, and the flames froze in their dance. Alex didn''t dare move. This was a decision she had to make.
Bang!
Smoke burst out from the chamber as the gunshot ripped through the night. Sam dropped the gun, and it clattered across the ground. Alex made his way forward, the ringing in his ears muffling the sound of Sam sobbing as she dropped to her knees. He looked down at Silvertooth and noted the divot in the dirt next to his head.
"I couldn''t do it," Sam said, tears flowing down her face. "He hurt so many people. He killed so many people. He took my brother, but I can''t do it."
Alex nodded, picking up the gun and sliding it back into his duster pocket. After securing it, he knelt beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Sometimes," he said, "it''s harder to show mercy. I wouldn''t have. Knowing what he''s done, knowing what he might do, I couldn''t live with that. You''re stronger than I am, Sam."
She cried where she stood, and Alex stood up and looked around. He would need rope, in the least. He didn''t have any place to put the deputy, and if what he said about the Military Police coming was true, he didn''t have time to waste. His mind ran through the possibilities as he weighed his options. As he searched around, he noticed several orange lights approaching in the distance.
There were about twenty of them in total. Alex opened up his gate, but the mist obscured his senses. He couldn''t sense what they had on them, but he knew it wasn''t the deputy. He called his staff to his hand and got ready for another fight.
"Over there!"
"The farm''s on fire. We need to hurry!"
"Does she have a well?"
Alex let his staff down as the crowd came closer. There wasn''t going to be a fight. He let a smirk crack his face as he kept looking for rope. It didn''t take him long to find it in the barn, and he set about tying up Silvertooth in it. As he did so, the remaining people of Dry Gulch arrived in the yard. They didn''t waste time asking questions. They went to work immediately.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Men sat up a fire line, dunking the few buckets on the farm into the well and handing them in a chain to throw on the house. They couldn''t put the fire out, but it wouldn''t spread to the barn, at least. A woman in a red dress came over to Sam, wrapping her arms around the girl and comforting her.
Alex didn''t worry about that. Instead, he picked the one face he recognized in the crowd, the one who had been shot in the shoulder if the bandages were any indication. He picked up Silvertooth by the ropes that bound him and took the man off to the side.
"I''ve got the deputy bound up. I''m going down to the mines for Goldfist. Can you keep him tied up until you can get in contact with Portsmouth?"
"We can. We got a jail in town."
"You''ll need to keep more than one person on watch with him at all times, armed. He has a curse that lets him duplicate himself. Keep him gagged, too, if you can. He says ''split'' every time he activates his powers. The more precautions you can take, the better."
He nodded as Alex patted him on the shoulder and dumped the deputy on the ground. Alex turned to leave, but the man reached out a hand to stop him. Alex turned back, raising his eyebrows.
"Wait. I''m Joel, stranger. Who are you?"
"Alex Ortega. Better known as ''Tin Man'' Ortega."
"You some kind of outlaw?"
"I am." Alex nodded. "Not the kind that robs people or goes around murdering for the fun of it. I just have a goal that requires me to make some hard decisions. Those decisions put me on the wrong side of the law, more often than not."
"So you ain''t just going to beat Goldfist and take over the town after?"
"Hah." Alex smiled wide. "I''m bigger than this small town, no offense."
Joel looked like he would take offense, but Alex waved it off. He pointed roughly east of the farm with his staff.
"Would you say the mine is in that direction?"
"Roughly." Joel squinted into the distance. "You can''t miss it. Some of the old drills are broken down outside. If it wasn''t for the mist, you could see it on a clear day from the water tower."
Alex didn''t add that you couldn''t look anywhere from the water tower in town anymore.
"Make sure Sam''s okay," Alex said as he started to walk off again.
"Yes, sir."
Alex started into the night, setting his pace at a walk while he let his body recover. He left his gate closed and decided to rely on his eyes and ears to keep out of reach of the mistwalkers. It would take time, but he didn''t have the time to wait. With the Military Police coming, he had a countdown to get done and get out of town. He wanted to be far away when the Military Police came running.
He had barely gotten out of the firelight when he heard hooves trotting behind him. Alex stopped and waited. He didn''t have to guess who it was, and he didn''t disapprove. Sam was proving herself to have more grit than most of the people he had ever met.
"Let me guess," Alex said as the trot slowed, and Sam jumped from Winny behind him. "You won''t let me go to the mines alone."
"How''d you guess?" Sam asked, stepping up beside him.
"In just two days, I''ve gotten to know you.¡± Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out Silvertooth''s gun. "Take it. If you''re coming with me, you might need it. I''m not saying you need to shoot anyone, but just in case."
Sam took the gun and tucked it through a loop in her overalls. It was too big for her pockets, but it would stay in the loop if she kept a hand on the butt of the gun. She gave Alex a nod as she went back to mount Winny.
"Leave Winny in the stable," Alex said, an idea creeping into the back of his head. "If you''re coming with me, we''re heading to town first. You gave me an idea."
Sam didn''t protest, taking Winny back and running back to join him. Alex knelt and held his staff behind his back. Sam looked down at him questioningly, but Alex just shook his head. His idea needed speed. He wouldn''t be walking on the first half of the trip anymore.
"I''m faster than you are," Alex said. "Sit on the staff and grab onto my shoulders. I''m going to run us to town, and I don''t want you falling off. Keep the gun from moving around too much, too. I don''t want it going off and hitting my leg or anything."
Sam did as he asked, planting her legs between his arms and the staff and grabbing hold of his shoulders as he stood up. Alex grunted under the new weight, but after a few steps, he adjusted to it.
"I''m not too heavy?"
"Light as a feather," Alex said through gritted teeth.
He didn''t go into an all-out sprint. He needed to conserve his strength. Instead, he sped up step by step until he hit a steady trot. Sam bounced around on his back with every other step, but she held on with all her strength.
All in all, it took him about an hour at that pace to make it to town. Sweat covered his entire body and soaked through his shirt, but that was just a minor inconvenience. He took a long drag of water from a house''s water barrel as he caught his breath at the town entrance. Sam waited patiently, her hand on the butt of the gun as she looked around the road. All around them, the mist clung to every building like a black ooze. Alex could hear shuffling down each alley, but they had time before the mistwalkers were a problem.
"Why''d we come to town?" Sam asked as Alex dunked his head in the water and came back up moments later to fling it all over his back.
"Simple," Alex said, walking down the street and picking his way toward Sloan''s store. "We''re going to pay a visit to the shopkeeper. I left him tied up earlier, and being tied up in the mist isn''t good for your health."
"That''s it?" Sam asked as she ran up behind him. "If you left him inside, that could wait for the morning."
"Oh, this can''t wait.¡± Alex felt a smile creep across his face despite his fatigue. "You see, we need to borrow something from him."
"What?"
Alex spotted the store and ran over. With a slight opening of his gate and a twitch of magnetism, he undid the lock on the door and opened it. He could hear shuffling and footsteps down the street, but it didn''t matter. He motioned for Sam to come inside. Once she was in, he closed the door and locked it behind them.
"You see," Alex said as he led Sam to the tunnel. "Sloan here has a slipship."
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 12 | True Names
"Cut it faster, slaves!" Goldfist yelled as he walked over to the black pool.
Useless, the lot of them. They would redouble their efforts if they knew what glory awaited through the portal across the black pool. Island cores were closely guarded secrets to the government of any island, assuming they found it and found a way to access the portal.
The cores were buried deep beneath the ground and hidden on each island. With it, a person could control every aspect of an island. They could warp it to their sickest pleasures. They could raise mountains and call forth floods. They could send terrible storms and cause bountiful harvests to rise from fallow fields.
"Get that wood cut and start building!" Goldfist yelled, slamming his fist down hard on the ground.
The slaves had built the first foundations of their bridge. Ropes had been tied to the stone on the far side after Goldfist had thrown over two slaves with ropes attached to them. They had only broken their legs and lay waiting on the small island on the other side of the black water. The ropes allowed the slaves to work on the frame with the timbers they had, and they were now busying themselves, cutting them into smaller planks and beams. Goldfist would have crossed using the ropes, but his size wouldn''t allow it, and the shore was too far for anything else to reach. He might jump, but if he missed, it was all over.
Goldfist smiled as he clenched his mechanical fist closed. He was so close to what he wanted. An island core in his hand would make the foundation of his future. He would remake Tombstone into a fortress against the Military Police and the Scions. He would emerge as a new power in the world that everyone would bow before.
"You are so close to what you desire, Hakim," the Seer''s voice came from behind him, and Goldfist turned to face the voice without hesitation.
A black hole in reality itself faded to nothing as the dark-robed Seer floated through, his feet hidden by his robes but not touching the ground. He wore a red mask to conceal the upper half of his face, but his mouth and nose were pale as moonlight. The mask was ornate, like the face of an angry beast on the upper half, with blackened slits for eyes. His hands were hidden in his long sleeves, and everything about the man was cloaked in shadow, much as the day they had first met.
"All thanks to you.¡± Goldfist smiled. "I can''t help but think you want something."
"No, Hakim," the Seer said. "We are merely here to confirm that you found it. Do with it what you will once you gain access. That is precisely what we want."
"I''d appreciate it if you would stop using that name.¡± Goldfist gritted his teeth. "I gave up that name when I got to this cursed world."
"We apologize, Hakim," the Seer said unrelentingly. "We must call all things by their true names. It is part of our way."
Goldfist licked his lips. He had abandoned that name when he came to the new world. The one he had left behind was a war-torn place where only the strong survived and held sway over the weak. Even with his size, he had been weak in Hajh. Even with his strength, he was a fly among the true giants of Hajh. On Tombstone, though, he was the strongest there was. With the core, he could rule over everyone there. His fist clacked together as he clenched it tight. Everyone on the island would bow before Goldfist.
"I''ll ignore it," Goldfist said. "For the sake of our partnership. If that''s all you want, then you can leave. I need to get these slaves moving."
The Seer''s head turned almost a full ninety degrees to the side. A cold shiver ran down Goldfist''s spine. He expected to hear the man''s neck snap from the sheer angle his head turned, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the Seer spoke as if nothing happened.
"We remind you, Hakim, that you serve us in your endeavor. You serve Sarrack, and you serve us to serve his greatness. Do not forget that we gave you the power you needed to gain access to this core. We gave you the arm that you take pride in. We can take as easily as we give."
The Seer pointed its hand out into the crowd of slaves. Goldfist followed where the covered hand pointed and saw one of the slaves stand up with a cut log on her shoulder. She wore rags and looked as grimy as every other slave. Back in his own world, he would say she was from Xing to the east of his homeland, but in this new world, he might say she was from April.
"Any one of these slaves could replace you, Hakim. They all have desires. They are all bound by their true names. We can bind them to our will and have them open the portal in your place."
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
"Why not open the portal yourself?" Goldfist said through gritted teeth. "You''re so strong, so powerful. Why not float over there and open the portal?"
"We do not take this lightly, Hakim." The Seer raised his arms high.
Rumble. Crash. Rumble.
The ground around Goldfist shook. Loose rock and dirt started to hit his head as it fell from the ceiling above. The slaves dove to the ground, grabbing hold of anything they could in a frantic attempt not to get crushed.
Thump. Squelch.
A man screamed, and Goldfist saw that a falling rock had crushed his leg into a bloody mess. Goldfist grimaced and got down to one knee, letting his mechanical fist rest on the ground as he bowed down to the Seer. He hated every moment of it, but he was just moments away from triumph. He couldn''t let his arrogance stop him from gaining true power.
"Great Seer, I apologize for my outburst. This path has been long, and I wish only to serve your master in my efforts."
He chose his words carefully and stated them like he would have spoken in the past. He said it like when he had to beg not to be bullied by the other giants. He had been a runt among them, and they ensured he knew his place daily. That skill would save him today and help him obtain true power.
The room stopped shaking, and the Seer lowered his arms. Goldfist took in deep breaths as he kept his head lowered. He just needed a little longer, and he wouldn''t have to bow to anyone else. Even if he had to bow now, it was just a matter of time.
"Stand, Hakim," the Seer said, and Goldfist did so. "You are but moments from glory, and we will not see you robbed of what you have worked for. Just remember, Hakim, that we can see into your true heart. We will be watching you and what you do on this island in the name of Sarrack."
"Thank you," Goldfist said, bowing his head even as he stood to his full height.
"We must go, but know that we will be watching over you."
With that, a dark portal opened behind the Seer, and it retreated into the blackness that spawned it. Goldfist stood still, his entire body covered in sweat and his mouth dry. He had very nearly ruined everything by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. If he hadn''t bowed, his entire operation would be over.
He looked out over the slaves. Most were fine and standing on their own. The one man whose leg had been crushed still screamed, and the woman that the Seer had pointed to knelt next to him, cradling his head in her hands. For a moment, Goldfist wondered why, but then he saw her rub her hand over his head. She was comforting him.
He thought back to when he had acquired that particular slave. She had come into town two years earlier, a bounty hunter in a trench coat with several guns if he remembered right. She had come for their bounties, but he and Silvertooth had taken her out. He was surprised she had survived this long, but that just proved that she was strong.
Was that why the Seer had pointed to her? The thought crept through Goldfist''s gut as he made his way over to the screaming man. He hated when the weak cried out. It reminded him of himself, crying in camp after a hard day''s work back in Hajh. The warriors would come back and beat on him. He deserved it back then. He deserved every hit for being so weak.
"Move," he told the woman as he came over.
She did, but he could feel her glare on his back. That was good. That was the kind of anger a person needed to survive in the world. That made the woman strong enough to be in his operation.
"Worthless," Goldfist said as he grabbed hold of the rock with his mechanical fist and heaved it off the man. "Any of you who are too afraid to stand up now are worthless to me!"
He looked down over the man, but there was nothing to salvage. His leg below his knee was flattened, and blood stained the stone floor around it. The only reason the man hadn''t bled to death was because the stone had stopped the bleeding. It freely flowed out now, and the slave''s face was growing paler by the second.
"This is what the worthless deserve!" he yelled.
He reached down and grabbed the man with his fist. He spun on his feet even as he picked the man up, tossing him high up in an arc and over to the black pond. The man screamed every second he was in the air until he hit the black water.
Splash. Hiss.
The black water tore away at the man''s body as he sank beneath the surface. He screamed the entire way down until his face went beneath the water. Then, only a few bubbles rose to the surface for the brief moment of life he had left. When the last bubble popped, Goldfist knew that the slave was dead in the water, reduced to nothing.
"Death. The weak deserve to die so that the strong may succeed. That is the truth of the world. Anyone of you who cares to argue that will end up the same as him."
The slaves watched him with wide eyes. They feared him, but he didn''t need that. What he needed was strong people to work under him. The slaves were useless as they were, beaten down and broken. It took a special quality for one to rise to the top. Those were the ones that would form his future soldiers. Those were the ones that he could respect enough to allow them to even glimpse the power that was possible.
"Wealth and Power. That''s all you whelps need to know. That''s all you whelps need to strive for. That is what makes a man a true man. Anything done to reach those two goals is right. Anything done to raise yourself from the whelps around you is justified. Don''t think of the people around you as anything but tools to use to gain what you want. That''s the real way to live life!"
He laughed, raising his mechanical fist into the air as he looked over his slaves. They practically cowered before him, and Goldfist knew he was right because they did so- all but the one woman. She glared at him defiantly, even now. Good. That one slave understood what a real man had to be. Inside, she was more of a man than any of the other slaves.
"Now get back to work!" Goldfist yelled, and his slaves complied, going back to building the bridge so the giant could cross.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 13 | Into the Mines
Hrrm.
The slipship''s deck vibrated beneath Sam, shaking as Alex flipped switches and levers in the pilot''s seat. The entire thing was roughly the size of a large cart, with four stones coming off of both sides that glowed a hotter and hotter red as Alex kept messing with the controls.
"Stop stealing my ship!" Sloan shouted from the ground below.
He had worked himself up to his knees despite his arms being bound to his sides by a heavy rope. He had been unconscious when they had gotten there from the tunnel beneath the store. Sam would never have imagined that Sloan had a hidden slipship all these years.
She frowned. He had a way out for the last five years. He could have gotten people to safety, called for help, and brought in the magistrate. Instead, he had supplied Goldfist while the town rotted away. Sam spat down at the ground as the slipship rose higher into the air.
"You deserve every bit of it!" she yelled. "Dry Gulch bought this ship with our blood. You''ll get yours after Goldfist!"
"Watch out, you''ll join the People''s Revolution with that kind of talk," Alex said, though he kept a broad smile on his face.
"The People''s Revolution?"
"I doubt you would ever hear of them. You''re out in the Fringes, and Tombstone isn''t part of the Twelve Kingdoms. They fight against the Scions, mostly by trying to overthrow the appointed ruling families of the various islands."
"Who would fight against the Scions?" Sam looked perplexed.
"They have their reasons." Alex shrugged as he pulled one final lever.
The ship floated up through the wrecked building that served as its port. Sam grabbed hold of the ship''s side, keeping one hand on the gun in the belt loop at her hip and the other on the wooden railing. Her stomach stirred as they rose above the rooftops of Dry Gulch and through the mist. The air around them seemed to grow darker, and she thought she could hear screeches out around them.
"It always gets thicker before it gets better," Alex grunted from the controls, his hands on the ship''s wheel.
Blue light scattered through the darkness and exploded when they broke through the mist. Above Sam was the night sky, filled with glittering stars along with the full moon. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she looked over the dark mist below them and the bright night above. It had been so long since she could see the clear night sky. Not since she was a child had she looked up and seen the full light of the moon. The mist had made the night a dark, foreboding thing, a place where monsters roamed and children could be taken. Above the mist though, it was like she was on an open sea and could see for kilometers around her.
"Are you with the revolution?¡± Sam asked as she followed the trails of stars through the sky.
Click.
"No," Alex said as he pulled a lever. "The best thing to call me is an outlaw. I do what I do for myself, and the Military Police want me dead. Anything else would just make it more complicated."
Silence passed through the night around them as Alex reached up and pulled a rope. The ship''s sail turned and billowed outward, filling up like a heavy wind blew across it. Slowly, the ship turned until it faced east. They scooted slowly at first, and it was hard to tell against the mist below, but Sam felt her stomach fall backward as the ship sailed through the air.
"Goldfist is an outlaw, too," she said, the wind ruffling through her hair like fingers.
"He is," Alex said. "Different people do different things to become outlaws. Some people steal. Some people kill. Some people do worse. All an outlaw is at their core is someone the government wants to bring in."
"What''d you do to become an outlaw?"
"Two things," Alex said. "Well, maybe three."
Sam looked at him, but he only turned the wheel and kept his eyes on the mist below. She didn''t know what he was looking for in the mist, but it might have had something to do with his curse. She couldn''t see anything at all.
"What?"
"Two aren''t that important," Alex said with a sigh, and the deck of the slipship tilted down and into the mist. "I burned down an island, killed the Mad Tyrant Fabian, and ran away."
Sam''s breath caught in her chest. She didn''t know what to say at all. Alex had admitted to murdering a man so easily. What he said about Silvertooth whispered at the back of her mind. ''You''re stronger than I am, Sam.''
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Did he deserve it?"
"Does anyone deserve to die?" Alex asked as the shadows of the mist wrapped around them. "I don''t have the answer to that. I thought it was right at the moment, but I don''t know everything. Like everything I do, I did my best and moved on. If I face the decision again, I might do the same."
The four stones on the slipship hummed lower and lower as they went deeper and deeper into the mist. In the distance, Sam could see two burning orange lights casting shadows in the mist. Alex kept the slipship pointed towards those as they descended.
"Silvertooth''s gun.¡± Alex nodded at the gun on Sam''s hip. ¡°We''re going into a dangerous situation down there. I don''t need you using it for me, but if there are any surprises, don''t hesitate to pull that trigger. Silvertooth was beaten, but someone coming after you won''t be. You can''t have regrets if you''re dead."
Sam looked down at the gun and gave a nod. Her hand on the butt of the gun would be shaking if she didn''t have it in a tight grip. Her left hand had the railing of the ship to settle it. With a lurch, the ship stopped above the ground at the edge of the torchlight in front of the mines.
Alex jumped down first, securing the slipship with an anchor in the ground attached to a rope. When he was done, he reached up and helped Sam down. She stumbled as she hit the dirt. Pain shot up her legs, but she kept her balance and forced herself to stand. In just a few days, her entire world had flipped upside down. She wasn''t about to let a jump slow her down.
"Keep behind me," Alex said as he walked forward, holding his staff ready in his right hand.
They walked forward into the light, and Sam got her first look around the entrance of the mines. Old machinery, drills, and chains were scattered around the entrance, forming a broken and rusted metal wall with only one entrance. It was about twice as tall as Alex was, and she could only see the hill over it.
At that entrance, two torches burned brightly, illuminating the night around them and keeping the mist at bay. Sam realized that torchlight would be most necessary at the mine. The mist would fester inside such a place, even in the light of the day, without torches to push back the mist. Every night, before the mist rose, someone would have to light up every tunnel in the mine to keep it at bay and dispel it before the day broke.
"Who are you two?" Alex yelled out toward the barricade as they came to the entrance.
Two men in rags, who were hidden from sight near a kennel outside the mine, came out, both of them shaking as they looked Alex over. Their bodies were threadbare, and their eyes were sunken. They were alive but starved and weak.
"Sir, we''re just on guard duty," one of them said through their long white beard.
"Goldfist keeps you both out here to man the lights," Alex said.
"Yes, sir," the bearded man said. "We don''t want any trouble. We just want to survive the night."
Alex looked around him and sighed. Sam made sure to keep him between her and the two men. She didn''t recognize either from town. They were outsiders who had been kidnapped by Goldfist and brought in to work the mines.
"This should be the last night you have to do this, but keep up your watch," Alex said. "Do you know where Goldfist is?"
"In the mines," the bearded man said. "He''s down in the new tunnel, with all the rest of the slaves. They''re building a bridge down there to cross the water."
"To a stone structure," Alex said, shaking his head.
He turned his back on the men and started toward the mine. Sam followed after, making sure she wasn''t left behind. Alex didn''t slow the slightest bit as he walked through the open tunnel and into the mines'' torchlight. His eyes stayed focused forward, and Sam had to jog to keep up.
"What''s happening?" she asked.
"He''s found the island core," Alex said, his staff in his hand and off the ground as he walked. "All that''s standing between him and controlling this entire island is a pool of black acid and the locks on the portal."
"They said all the slaves are down there."
"Yeah, your brother should be down with them. If he''s working on getting them across the bridge, he''s in danger."
He stopped at a fork in the tunnels, and Sam nearly ran him over. She came up beside him and saw that his eyes were closed, like he was focusing on something in the distance. Sam couldn''t see anything that marked the way to go in the dim light of the lantern above them.
"This way.¡± Alex started down the left path, his boots thumping against stone as he began to run.
Sam followed after, and they ran for what felt like hours. In the dim torchlight and with the walls only marked by the wood support beams, it was impossible to tell how deep they were going in the mines. All sounds seemed to echo indefinitely, and the smell of snoot filled her nose as they ran. When Alex stopped again in front of an empty shaft with metal bars across it, she stopped beside him. Her hands dropped to her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
"This is it," Alex said, looking down the shaft.
"Down there?" Sam asked between breaths.
"Yeah," Alex said. "The lift is currently down there, so we would have to wait to call it up."
He stopped as he looked over the shaft. Sam followed his eyes, and a stone sunk into her stomach. If the beams were made of metal, then she already knew what he was thinking. In just a few days of knowing him, he was the kind of person who would jump down if he thought his curse would let him.
"Are you sure you''re ready for this?" Alex asked, looking back at her. "Once we''re down there, there''s no going back up. Until the fight is over, one way or the other, there won''t be a way to run from it. If I lose, that gun won''t do anything to Goldfist on its own."
"I understand," Sam said, gritting her teeth. "I understand my brother might be down there, living in suffering for two years without me because he tried to help. I understand that people I know might be down there, working in the mines because they got on Goldfist''s bad side. I understand that if you don''t beat him, this town and myself are as good as dead anyways."
Alex looked her over and smiled.
"Good," he said as he swept her up in his arms. "That makes this so much easier."
Without a word of warning, he jumped into the hole. Sam gasped. She knew what he would do, but he didn''t even bother to ask her. Her eyes instantly shot down to see the bottom of the shaft. A faint pinprick of light in the distance marked the end of it.
She couldn''t help it. It didn''t matter that she felt like she could trust Alex. It didn''t matter that he had some strange power to manipulate metal things. At that moment, she was falling faster and faster toward the ground, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
She screamed as they plummeted down the shaft.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 14 | Li Wen
"Open, you blasted rock!" Goldfist slammed his mechanical fist into the stone door covering the portal. "I won''t lose to you when I''m this close!"
Dust shook off the portal''s stone pillars as Goldfist hit it again. Behind him, the slaves watched him. He could feel their eyes drilling into his back. They were laughing at him. He knew it. They were too scared to do it openly, but he knew they enjoyed every second of his failure. He stood on the threshold of the power he had always wanted, but a simple stone door kept him away.
Slam.
He hit the stone with his left fist, placing his forehead against the stone immediately after. The door was cool to the touch and rough against his skin. He had to think. He needed time. Where was Silvertooth when Goldfist needed him?
He opened his eyes and turned to the slaves. Only ten remained after they had built the bridge across the pond. The weak lay at the bottom of the black pool. At least what was left of them lay there. Goldfist had made sure that they had walked across with him to prevent any sabotage. He found the slave he was looking for and pointed to her with his left hand.
"You, come here."
The woman, the former bounty hunter, came over, her dark eyes glaring up at Goldfist as she stood before him. Goldfist resisted the urge to squash her outright. If she could prove herself, she might be as useful as Silvertooth. If Silvertooth had been too weak, she might even be his replacement.
"Prove your worth, slave. Figure out this portal''s puzzle, and I''ll give you the status deserving a worthy man!"
He thought he saw a smirk cross her face, but it disappeared in the blink of his eye. Goldfist clenched his fist closed tight. He took a deep breath to keep his anger at bay inside his chest. If she couldn''t solve it either, he would take out his rage on her and then move to the next slave. Until then, she could still prove useful.
She walked past him, and Goldfist stepped back. His left hand went to the holster on his hip, and he kept his eyes on the slave as she looked over the stones. It could be better described as a small cannon, built for his large size. The butt of his gun was cold in his hand. If she solved the stones, he would need to move fast. He couldn''t let her go in first.
"There''s writing on these stones," the woman said as she walked around the pillars. "They run up and down the pillars and down to the dais below. Did you notice?"
"Of course I did," Goldfist said through gritted teeth. "Do you take me for a fool?"
The truth was, he hadn''t noticed them at all. He hadn''t even bothered to look around him in the rush to go over to the portal after the bridge was complete. He moved closer to the dais, keeping his hand on his gun.
"See these?" The woman knelt and pointed along the rim of the dais. "The line break along the dais probably represents the beginning of the script. That''s where you would start reading, following it around the circle, up the pillars, and back down the dais until you reached the break again."
"And you can read it?" Goldfist smiled, spreading his beard wide.
"With years of research, a team of assistants, and access to things left behind in another world," the woman said, and Goldfist saw the smirk return. "I know languages, but I can''t just look at a script and tell you what it means without a reference."
"So you''re useless to me?" Goldfist pulled his gun from his holster and pointed it at her.
She didn''t flinch in the slightest, staring down the barrel and up at him with her dark eyes. The barrel was the size of her head, but she didn''t seem to care. Goldfist gritted his teeth as his finger tensed against the trigger.
"You''ll kill me, outlaw, because I can''t read a text that no one here could figure out in a lifetime?" she asked. "Think about it. What use am I to you dead? With me alive, you at least have a chance to figure it out."
"You said it would take you years. Are you saying it won''t?"
"I''m saying I might get lucky.¡± She shrugged her shoulders. "I need time, and I won''t have time if you blast my head off. You''ll just be stuck here, no closer to your goal."
"You were the bounty hunter.¡± Goldfist split his face with a smirk. "I''m surprised you survived this long. I didn''t know you were smart, too. Where''d you learn all this stuff?"
"In another world, I wouldn''t be a bounty hunter.¡± She shrugged again. "I studied ancient languages at Oxford in Britain. Not that it matters anymore."
Goldfist tilted his head. He hadn''t heard a lot of those words before, but he understood that she was like him. He came from Hajh, and she came from Britain. They had both come to this new world and made themselves into who they were now. The past was behind them.
"This Britain is like Xing?"
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"The people there, do they look like me?" she asked.
Goldfist nodded, reholstering his gun.
"Then no. Your ''Xing'' people would be from countries near China."
"What''s your name?"
"Li Wen."
"As a courtesy to another outworlder, I''ll give you five minutes to figure out this puzzle, Li Wen. If you can''t figure it out in that time...I''ll have to try more drastic measures."
The woman looked at him, but she wasn''t angry. Even with the threat to her life and his unreasonable demands, she didn''t even flinch. Instead, she knelt in front of the dais and began to run her finger across it.
She worked her way around the dais, following the script with her finger. She followed it when it broke from the rim, went up the pillars, and back down until she returned to where the script began. She mumbled to herself the whole time, but Goldfist couldn''t hear what she said.
Goldfist watched her closely, but he didn''t see anything special. After a few moments, she seemed to give up on the script and made her way over to the two stone doors that stood between the pillars. She rubbed her finger across the stone, but nothing happened.
Goldfist''s patience was wearing thin.
"Aah!" A woman''s scream broke the silence, echoing out from the entrance to the cavern with a warbling tilt.
Thump.
Something heavy landed in the tunnel next. Goldfist put his hand back on his gun. The thump repeated itself through the tunnel in an echo, but no other sound came out. As the echo faded, only silence remained.
"A slave must have fallen down the shaft," Goldfist thought as he turned toward the bridge.
He couldn''t see down the tunnel from where he was. He was torn between keeping an eye on Li Wen and checking out the tunnel, but he couldn''t do both at once. Again, he questioned where Silvertooth was, but that wouldn''t solve the problem.
Tap. Click. Tap. Click. Tap. Click.
Sweat trickled down Goldfist''s back. He stood at the bridge, the stone portal behind him. Throughout the cavern, the sound echoed, but there were no words. Silvertooth wouldn''t have jumped down.
Goldfist swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. He remembered what Silvertooth had told him. ''Tin Man'' Ortega.
"Silvertooth! Is that you?" he called to the tunnel, pulling his gun out of his pocket and pointing it at the entrance. "Tell me if it''s you, deputy!"
Tap. Click. Tap. Click. Tap. Click.
From the tunnel, a man emerged, dressed in a shredded leather duster. Goldfist gritted his teeth. It was the same dark-skinned whelp who had fought them at the train. Silvertooth had failed, which meant Goldfist would have to clean up the mess.
The whelp looked like a mess. Dried blood ran down his lip, and his eyes looked sunken and dark. Silvertooth had bought Goldfist that with his life, at least. The whelp was weak.
"Ortega, I presume.¡± Goldfist leveled his gun at the man as he stood at the tunnel''s entrance with his staff. "You killed my deputy to get here. I won''t let you get away with that lightly."
"Hah." Ortega laughed, holding up one hand. "Silvertooth isn''t dead. He is beaten, but he isn''t dead. I left him in the care of the townsfolk so I could come down and pay you a visit."
"And what do you want with me?"
Thump.
"I need to return the punch you gave me, for one." Ortega smiled as he planted his staff against the stone. "For two, you have something I want."
Goldfist couldn''t help but look back at the inert portal.
Click.
"You know about it?" He cocked the hammer on his gun.
"I''ve seen one before." Ortega shrugged. "It looks like you weren''t ready when you found it. You don''t even know how to open it."
"And you do?"
"Should work the same as the last one," Ortega said. "You want me to tell you how it works."
"Like you would."
"True. You''re not someone I would want mucking about with a core. I like this island so far, and I wouldn''t want to see it getting messed up by someone like you."
"So we''re at a crossroads. You know how to get in, but I want to get the core. There''s only one way to solve this."
"You''re right about that." Ortega sighed as he looked over the cavern. "I''ll give you this one chance then. Come over here alone and give up, and I''ll make this easy for you."
"Whelp!" Goldfist yelled, shaking dust loose from above him with his voice alone. "Do you think you''re strong? I can flatten you with one punch."
"I''m not strong." Ortega''s voice barely reached Goldfist''s ears in the booming echoes of his outburst.
"But you''ll stand against me?" Goldfist demanded.
"Yeah."
"Then you''ll die!"
Boom!
The gun shook in Goldfist''s hand as the gunshot sent ripples of force up his arm. Even though he was a giant, the gun was built to the limits of what steel could handle. The black powder in each cartridge alone could blast a wide hole in the mine''s stone walls. Goldfist smiled as the bullet careened toward the outlaw, black smoke rising from his hand.
Out of habit, he popped the gun open, tossing it in the air, ripping a cartridge from his vest, and slamming it in before catching the gun. With a click, it closed again.
Ding. Crack. Thoom.
Goldfist looked back up from reloading. His eyes turned to the tunnel entrance. Ortega still stood, his left hand outstretched and a smirk on his face. Beside him, embedded in the stone above the tunnel entrance, Goldfist''s bullet rested in a crater, stuck.
"Silvertooth warned me you had a power," Goldfist said, holstering his gun, his voice dull in his ears as they still rang from the gunshot.
"Last chance!" Ortega''s voice was also muffled, but Goldfist could still hear it.
Ortega began to walk to the side of the tunnel, going along the wall and tapping his staff with each step as he made his way toward the bridge. Goldfist''s heart beat loudly in his chest. His breath quickened. In and out. He looked around him and could see the eyes of his slaves on him again. He could feel them laughing at him. The loss of Silvertooth. The stupid puzzle kept him from the door. Now a challenger, ready to stop him before his dream was fulfilled.
They were all laughing at him. They wanted him to fail. Goldfist gritted his teeth, clenching his mechanical fist and bringing it up to point at Ortega. Everything had gone wrong the second the outlaw had shown up. Everything was that man''s fault.
"The weak deserve to die!" Goldfist raised up his fist and aimed it at Ortega. "GOLDEN BULLET!"
Boom!
A second time, the cavern shook with the explosion. Goldfist''s metal hand shot out and across the pond, the chain clicking behind it. Goldfist smiled as he looked at Ortega. There was no way Ortega could survive.
"Step!" Ortega disappeared from beside the tunnel, and Goldfist''s hand shot past where he had been standing.
Slam!
Goldfist''s hand slammed into the wall, cracking through stone and lodging itself inside. Ortega reappeared across from it, holding his staff ready as he stared down Goldfist. Silence crept up in the room in the thundering echoes of the attack.
"Okay," Ortega said through the ringing in Goldfist''s ears. "Let''s do this."
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 15 | Golden Blows
Clink. Clink. Clink. Click.
Alex''s chest burned as he waited for Goldfist to move. His entire body was torn and tired. His muscles ached, and his breath came in short bursts. If not for the time crunch, he would have rested before he tried to take Goldfist in a fight. He leaned on his staff as Goldfist''s chain between his arm and his fist grew taunt.
"Grah!" Goldfist yelled, jumping into the air with a leap that took him high above the pillars of the portal behind him.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
The chain kept reeling itself back in, but Goldfist''s hand didn''t return to him. Instead, his body followed the chain, pulled along through his jump and over the black pool and bridge leading to the portal. Alex ran to the side as Goldfist came crashing down into the wall, his body shaking the ground with a thunderous boom as he reconnected to his fist where Alex had just been.
"I''d rather fight you face to face anyways," Goldfist said as he ripped his fist from the wall, tearing out rock and dirt with it. "After everything you''ve done to me and my operation these last few days, it''s time for me to settle the debt between us. You''ll pay me back in blood."
Goldfist towered over Alex. His sheer mass was his greatest strength in Alex''s eyes. One punch from the oversized mechanical hand would easily crush his bones, but that wasn''t the only danger. Alex gritted his teeth. How far would he have to push his body and his gate to take the giant down?
"Where''s your spirit now whelp?" Goldfist asked, raising his hand in a clenched fist. "You were all fire when we first met, but look at you now."
"Step."
Alex closed this distance between them instantly, taking the momentum from his body and into his fist, slamming it as hard as he could into Goldfist''s stomach. Cloth exploded around his fist, shredding through Goldfist''s shirt like it wasn''t even there.
Thoom.
The sound of the punch echoed after the hit. Alex pulled back, ready to retreat, but Goldfist''s mechanical hand came down around him, grasping him tight and cutting off his breath. His staff and arms were pinned to his side, and he could only kick the air uselessly. Goldfist pulled him up like he weighed nothing. Alex grimaced as Goldfist held him up to the giant''s eye level.
"Thought you had me there." He coughed and spat out a trail of blood on the stone. "Lucky for me, I''m built of stronger stuff. That''s one thing I can thank Hajh for. Giant''s blood in my veins gave me the strength I needed to become the man I am today!"
Pressure pushed in from all sides as Goldfist held his grip tighter and tighter. Alex coughed up the air in his lungs as Goldfist smiled at him. The giant''s eyes glinted as he pulled his fingers tighter and tighter together.
"I''ll make you pop," he said as he looked Alex directly in the eyes.
Bang!
The pressure on Alex released for the briefest of moments. He took in a quick breath as he pushed against the fingers. They released him from their grasp, and he slid down to the ground, catching himself on his hands and knees. His staff clattered out of his hands and to the ground as he fought to catch his breath.
"Who did that?" Goldfist turned and froze as he looked to the tunnel.
Alex looked up. Sam stood at the tunnel entrance, Silvertooth''s gun in her hand and the barrel smoking from the shot. Her hands shook, and her face was white as she stared down Goldfist. Alex put a hand to his side as he tried to stand up, but his leg twisted beneath him.
"You shot me?" Goldfist raised his fist without a moment of hesitation. "I''ll crush you! Golden Bullet!"
Time froze around Alex. He saw Sam dropping the gun and running back toward the tunnel like a statue. He saw Goldfist above him, hand up and ready to fire. If Alex did nothing, Sam would be hit by that fist. The fist that had knocked over a train car. The fist that had turned a man into a puddle of blood and flesh in an instant. That fist would obliterate Sam.
Alex might have been selfish. He might have only helped Sam because he wanted to access the core. However, Sam was there because he brought her. She had the gun because he had given it to her. Her death was on his head.
"Step!" he yelled through clenched teeth, pushing his body up with his hands as he disappeared.
He reappeared between Sam and Goldfist, planting his feet on the ground. He held out his hands, bracing his entire body. He could only do it one more time. Anything more than that, and he would rip his body apart.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
"Might!"
Boom!
The fist exploded out from Goldfist''s arm. It streaked through the air toward Alex. Alex didn''t dodge. He didn''t move in the slightest. Instead, he took the fist head-on, bending forward and planting his feet.
Slam!
Every muscle and bone in his body screamed at him as he took the hit. Alex clenched his teeth and screamed but held firm. His feet dug into the stone floor behind him, cutting through the stone like a hoe across a field.
Clong.
The pressure stopped. The fist fell to the ground in front of him, rolling across the stone in a clenched state. Alex fell to his knees and looked down at his chest. Blood was already soaked in his duster, and his muscles were alight with a fiery prickling pain. If he used might again, he really would tear his body apart.
"Alex!" Sam yelled from the tunnel, already running toward him. "Are you okay?"
Alex resisted the urge to respond sarcastically. He was a little angry, but it was stifled by the horrible pain and the fact that the gunshot had gotten him free of Goldfist. Instead, he looked her directly in the eyes and nodded. He needed her to stay away. He couldn''t win the fight if he had to defend someone else.
Click. Click. Click.
Goldfist walked forward, his chain returning to his arm with each step. Alex looked up at him. Every breath in and out made his chest twitch. His arms felt like limp noodles at his side. Yet, he still needed to fight. He still needed to stand.
"You''re like a roach," Goldfist said with a smirk as his fist rolled across the ground to return to his arm. "I hit you again and again, but...klech."
He stopped mid-sentence and made a coughing noise. Blood fell out from Goldfist''s mouth as he fell to his knees. He spat it out on the ground, pushing himself up on his mechanical hand as he glared at Alex.
"Internal bleeding," Alex smiled. "I hit you hard enough that it sent ripples through your body and messed with your internal organs. I might look bad on the outside, but you''re torn up on the inside."
"Shut up!" Goldfist pushed himself up from the ground, towering over Alex again. "I just need one more good hit, and you''ll be splattered on the wall."
Alex couldn''t argue with that. He opened his gate and reached out along the chamber''s magnetic lines. His staff rose from the ground, whirling through the air in a wide arc. He reached up with one hand and caught it, planting it on the ground and forcing himself to stand up.
He was like a child next to Goldfist in size, but he had to win. He opened his gate further, focusing on the cavern around them as they stared each other down. Goldfist looked in about as much pain as Alex felt. He just needed to outlast the giant and take him down. Yeah, that was it, he told himself through the dizzying haze around his mind.
"Let''s see how you handle this!" Goldfist yelled, charging forward with his mechanical hand, ready to throw a punch.
Alex held up his staff. He might be able to step again, but he needed to conserve his strength. The Path of Step and Might put pressure on his body, and he couldn''t do them indefinitely. Combined with his fight against Silvertooth, he had already pushed himself too far without rest that day. He needed to fight smart.
"Golden Blows!" Goldfist yelled, his hand suddenly speeding up into a flurry of punches.
Alex ducked and weaved, keeping an eye on each fist as they came at him. While it wasn''t the Fivefold Path, Goldfist''s technique tapped into the same source of power that fueled those feats of strength. Goldfist was calling on the ambient aether of the Surreal to make his punches so fast that it seemed like a flurry of punches in a single moment.
Alex vaulted backward and out of the flurry, landing on one knee by the black pool. Goldfist punched the air where Alex had been, stirring up dust and dirt with his attack. Alex took a moment to catch his breath, holding himself steady with his staff.
"Hah, you couldn''t stand up to it." Goldfist breathed heavily as his attack finished. "If you hadn''t run, you would have been reduced to mush!"
"Yeah, I would," Alex admitted, standing up with his staff. "I''m surprised you knew a technique at all. I thought you were all bluster and just the fist."
"Heh, don''t insult me." Goldfist smiled. "I''ve had over twenty years in this world to learn how it works. I may not be able to move like you, but I found the power I needed long ago."
"And what have you done with it?" Alex asked. "You took over some no-name town in the desert and subjugated people to dig holes. That''s all. You didn''t challenge yourself. You ran to hide where no one could find you so that you could still have power that isn''t rightfully yours."
Goldfist frowned, looking down at Alex from his great height. After a moment, he clenched his teeth through his black beard, raised his fist, and pointed to the portal. Alex didn''t move, even with the fist pointed toward him.
"What are you saying?" Goldfist asked. "I am strong! I am rich! I have everything that any man would ever desire. When I get the core, I''ll bend this entire island to my will and create a paradise!"
"I''m saying you''re missing something."
"What''s that?"
"Strength binds you. Strength gives you a responsibility to act. It makes you bound to the world around you. Money has to be maintained. It has to be guarded. Money binds you again to this island and to this world."
"What of it?" Goldfist asked, slamming his fist into the ground and shaking the room around them. "It lets me fulfill every desire. What''s wrong with that?"
"It robs you of your freedom," Alex said, looking at the inert portal. "You stand there bound in chains of your own making. You can never really be free."
"Trash," Goldfist said. "Everything you say is just trash. You''re saying you don''t have things you want? Why else would you be down here except to take control of the core yourself? You''d take the island the same as I would."
"Would I?" Alex asked, turning to look back at Goldfist and taking a stance. "Let''s find out after I beat you into the ground."
Inside his body, Alex''s pain lessened. He wasn''t whole, and another use of the Path of Might would break him, but he could fight. Just the time talking had been enough for his body to start the repair work that he needed to keep on his feet. For once, he wanted to thank the people who had turned his body into an experiment. They were why he could keep fighting, even beyond what a person should be capable of. He opened up his gate and embraced the magnetic flow around him.
"Step," he whispered, cutting across the cavern to the right of Goldfist and away from the portal and tunnel.
It was time for the fight to really begin.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 16 | Hard Punch
"Come back here, you whelp!" Goldfist yelled, running after Alex.
His gigantic strides gave him a speed that Alex could only match with ''step.'' His chest heaved in and out, every breath sparking a new pain up and down his body. He could keep going, but every push pushed his body closer to the breaking point. Instead of relying on his body alone, he reached out with his curse, sensing along the magnetic fields in the cavern.
The tools the slaves had used to make the bridge pinged in his mind, and he reached out to them as he ran across the cavern. Goldfist was on his heels, the giant holding up his fist again and ready to fire.
Boom!
Thunder cracked through the cavern, and Alex dropped to the ground, rolling to a stop as the fist whistled by above him. As he stopped, Alex reached out a hand, and five axes flew into the air and came for him as he ripped on their magnetic fields.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
He pushed himself up to his knees as the axes rotated around him. Goldfist hadn''t waited. He charged even as his fist returned to him, his left hand balled up and ready for a punch. Alex flung his arm forward and let each axe fly out from their orbit as Goldfist closed the distance.
"Iron Circle." Alex came up with the name on the spot, which helped shape his desire.
Whir. Thunk. Whir. Thunk. Whir. Thunk.
Three of the axes cut into the giant, two cutting deep into his thighs, and one embedding itself in his chest. Goldfist barrelled on despite the axes, bringing his non-mechanical fist down on Alex as he towered over the kneeling outlaw. Alex rolled forward between the giant''s legs, coming up on the other side and running again.
Boom. Crack.
The rocks parted and cracked under Goldfist''s strike, even with a normal punch into the ground. The giant turned as his mechanical fist returned to his arm. Rage filled his eyes as he looked over to where Alex stood. He ripped at the three axes with his free hand, and blood dripped out of his wounds. On something Goldfist''s size, the axes were closer to paper cuts than actual damage.
"You''re just going to keep running?" Goldfist demanded. "Stand here and die, like a weakling should."
"No." Alex reached along the magnetic fields again, calling up hammers from behind Goldfist and pulling them toward himself. "Return Trip."
Again, he didn''t have a real name for the technique, but it helped him focus on what he wanted to do. Goldfist''s position meant that the hammers would hit him hard in the back on their path toward Alex. Alex licked his dry lips as he focused on speeding up the hammers, increasing the pull around his body so they would come faster and faster.
"Enough." Goldfist spun his fist, slamming the hammers and knocking them away. "Your tricks won''t work on me. Fight me like a man, or I''ll go after the girl!"
The giant''s eyes shot to the tunnel, and Alex saw Sam next to one of the support beams, doing her best to stay out of sight while the fight continued. He had to give it to her. If he had seen a fight like this back on Earth, he wouldn''t have stayed to watch what happened. He would have run for his life.
"Step."
Alex disappeared again while Goldfist was distracted, calling his staff to his hand as he appeared to Goldfist''s left. Goldfist turned to him even as he reappeared next to the giant, his golden fist punching forward at Alex.
"Golden Blows!" Goldfist''s punch blurred again, one fist becoming hundreds in the blink of an eye.
Alex was caught before his foot hit the ground, each punch striking him in the air. Every hit felt like a sledgehammer striking his body. One to his chest. One to his arm. One knocked his staff into his shoulder. Alex flew back from the punch''s force, hitting the wall and sliding to the ground in a heap.
"Got you, whelp," Goldfist said, raising his arm after his attack and pointing it at where Alex landed.
"Yeah," Alex whispered, forcing himself to stand up.
He had lost a lot to get where he wanted to be positioned. Cracked ribs. A dislocated shoulder. A broken nose. However, it would be worth it if Goldfist did what he wanted. It was a gamble. Now, he just needed it to pay off.
"Why don''t you take the punch then?" Alex held out his arms, opening himself up as he stood against the wall.
"Hah!" Goldfist said, holding onto his fist with his left hand as he aimed it at Alex. "You accept your defeat then. Hold still, and I''ll grant you a quick death."
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Whir.
His fist began spinning faster as he glared down at Alex. Alex closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses along the whirring fist. He needed to know the second it fired. Everything in his plan relied on that.
Click. Boom.
Alex felt the mechanism click into place just a fraction of a second before the fist fired off Goldfist''s arm. Throwing all his strength into his legs, Alex jumped up into the air, opening his eyes as the fist blurred across the cavern floor below him.
Boom. Crack. Crunch.
The whirling fist hit the stone wall, cracking open a crater and breaking deep into the stone. Alex came down with his staff as the fist stopped, aiming it down at the fist''s chains. As he came down to land, he threaded the hole in the chain and whispered as he drew on his strength for what he hoped was the last time.
"Might."
The staff slammed through the chain and into the stone below, cracking through stone and rocks as Alex pushed it down. He stopped when it was halfway through the ground, releasing his focus on the Path of Might. He let go of the staff and fell hard on his shoulder. He groaned as he rolled across the ground, stopping when he lay with his back on the cold stone and staring up at the glowing stones on the ceiling.
Clink. Clink. Clink. Clack.
"What did you do?" Goldfist demanded as he tried to reel back his fist.
"Got you," Alex said, breathing hard as he rolled and forced himself to stand up.
He reached out to all the objects he had grabbed before and more. Axes, saws, and hammers came to his magnetic call, flying across the cavern to him and rotating around him. Alex staggered forward toward Goldfist while the giant pulled against his bound chain. There was nowhere for the giant to run or hide. Alex had him trapped.
"Iron Circle."
"No!" Goldfist yelled as he tried to move, but the chain was taut.
Goldfist could move toward the fist, but that would only drive him closer to the blades and hammers that rotated around Alex. Alex advanced step by step, spinning the tools faster and faster around his body as he walked into Goldfist.
"Have mercy!" Goldfist screamed as the first axe cut across his arm.
Alex stepped back, turning his head ever so slightly as he looked at the giant. Tears flowed down Goldfist''s face as he stared down his death. Alex shook his head. Apparently, Goldfist didn''t understand his own words.
"You said it yourself," Alex said. "The weak deserve to die. How many people have you killed? How many have you enslaved? How many have you made to suffer for what you wanted?"
Goldfist cried out as Alex took another step closer, and a saw bit into his chest.
"I''m sorry!" Goldfist yelled, his left hand letting go of his arm and going to his side. "Sorry that you''re alive!"
The gun came up, but Alex didn''t let it fire. An axe flew out from his circle of tools, cutting into Goldfist''s wrists and sending the gun clattering to the ground. Alex pushed on the axe harder with his right hand, which cut clean through Goldfist''s non-mechanical hand. It flopped to the ground, leaving Goldfist with a bloody stump.
"Aah!" Goldfist fell to the ground, his chain clinking loose next to him as he fell forward and onto his knees.
"Now, you''ll understand," Alex said, letting go of his control and letting all the tools drop to the ground.
He spun on one leg, punching as hard as he could into Goldfist''s jaw. Bone cracked, and Goldfist dropped to the ground, face first. Alex stood, heaving his breath in and out as he looked around himself. He needed to take a break, but it wasn''t over yet. With some effort, he forced himself to walk to his staff, pulling it up and out of the ground. Now, he had something to lean on.
The giant had been a formidable opponent. His body had given him durability and strength that Alex couldn''t match. His fist and gun kept anyone at bay, and the strength of his punches couldn''t be underestimated. In the end, Alex could only win because of his curse and because he could increase his speed and strength.
It had been an entirely different fight than with Silvertooth. That man''s reliance on his curse had made him a glass cannon. Because of Alex''s own body, so long as he was willing to take a few hits, he could easily take out someone like that. He and Goldfist were a bad match in comparison.
He shook his head to clear the haze that started to wrap around it. He still had a long way to go. He had to get stronger if he didn''t want to die in this world.
"Alex!" Sam ran over from the tunnel, taking a wide path around Goldfist before she stopped by Alex.
"Come on," Alex said, looking over to the small island across the black pool. "Let''s go see if we can find your brother."
He started to walk but nearly stumbled. Sam came up next to him, supporting him with her shoulder. Together, they limped more than walked their way over to the bridge and across it. Alex looked across all the slaves as they walked. All of them watched him with wide eyes except one woman who stood on the stone platform in the small island''s center.
"You beat him," the woman said, raising one eyebrow.
"You don''t sound impressed," Alex said, pushing himself off Sam''s shoulder so he could stand alone. "You''re all free now. Once the night is over, you can go back to town and get your lives back in order."
"He isn''t dead," the woman said, nodding to Goldfist.
"Not yet, anyway," Alex said. "He might bleed out if no one looks after that hand."
"Why didn''t you kill him outright? You said yourself that he''s caused so much pain. Why let him live?"
"You can''t have regrets when you''re dead," Alex said. "Simple as that. Maybe he''ll learn from his mistakes. Maybe he won''t. But if he''s dead, he''ll never be able to do better."
"Without a hand, he won''t be able to do much at all." She looked down at him from the platform, crossing her arms.
"He got the first metal hand somehow. He''ll manage."
"Who are you?"
"Alex."
"Why did you fight Goldfist? What do you want?"
"You asked my name, and I gave it. How about you give yours first."
"Li Wen. Now answer the question."
"I''m here for that," Alex said, pointing at the stone structure behind the woman. "She''s here to find her brother. Do any of you know her?"
Sam walked away from him and into the slaves who stood on the island. She looked between each one but didn''t seem to know any of them. Alex frowned, looking up at Li Wen as she followed Sam with her eyes.
"Does your brother look like you?" Li Wen asked.
"Yes." Sam came back over. "He might have changed some in the last few years, but we''ve always been almost like twins."
"Your brother''s dead. He died three days ago in the last run," Li Wen said it as a matter of fact, like dying was as natural as breathing.
"No!" Sam screamed, collapsing to her knees on the stone.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 17 | The Dead
Sam''s heart broke in her chest. Three days. Three days earlier, and she could have seen her brother alive. Three days earlier, and she could have apologized to him. Three days earlier, and she wouldn''t have been too late.
She fell to her knees, her hands the only support on the smooth stone floor. She could still remember the last time they had spoken, how he had smiled and laughed the night before he left.
Burning tears ran down her face. The world around her seemed to disappear entirely. Her chest heaved, and she closed her eyes. For the last five years, she had done her best to keep it together, even after Josh had left her behind. Every day, she had lived her life hoping that things would get better.
But that was all a lie.
"Sam.¡± A hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up.
Alex knelt beside her, his face a smudge through her tears. Sam tried to say something, but all that came out was blubbering nonsense. Alex rubbed her back with one hand, and Sam did her best to get her emotions under control.
"You never knew," Alex said. "Don''t blame yourself. You never knew he was here. You''re not responsible for this.¡±
"Then who is?" Sam choked out. "Who''s fault is this? I should have known. I should have figured it out. He didn''t just disappear."
Alex paused, only his hand moving across her back. Sam focused on breathing in and out. Every time she breathed out, her entire body shook. She closed her eyes to the world around her, knocking a fresh wave of tears down her cheeks.
"Goldfist and Silvertooth are the ones who did it," Alex said. "If it weren''t for them, none of this would have happened to Dry Gulch. None of these people would be slaves. No one would have died in the mines. You didn''t do this."
Sam stopped breathing, her eyes blinking open. He was right. It didn''t make it hurt any less, but he was right. She repeated the thought in her head, forcing it again and again until the weight of her sadness pushed back from her mind. It would be there, but it was distant now. All that was left was an empty hole in the pit of her stomach.
"I didn''t do it." Sam looked up at Alex, blinking away the tears a final time.
"That''s right," Alex said, his mouth a flat line as he looked up at the other woman. "We need to get you all out of here sooner rather than later."
"I''m not leaving this structure to you," Li Wen said, her arms crossed in front of the stone. "I don''t know what you plan to do with it, but it can''t be any good if Goldfist wanted it too."
"You think you can stop me?" Alex stood up from Sam''s side, and a chill ran up her spine.
The way he said the words reminded her of his capabilities. She had seen him take on Silvertooth and Goldfist in just two days. He had dropped a water tower on Silvertooth by himself and taken down Goldfist with his own hands. Deep inside her mind, she suddenly worried about what someone like Alex would do with the stone door on the platform.
She shook her head and forced herself to stand up, rubbing her eyes dry with her arms and turning to the ten men and women who remained on the stone island. She didn''t care what Alex wanted to do. He had already proven that he would face death itself to help her out.
"Let''s go," she said to the former slaves gathered around her, pointing toward the bridge. "Unless any of you want to argue with him."
None of them did. Sam followed them to the bridge, her hand on the gun at her hip. Alex remained behind with Li Wen as they argued, but that wasn''t Sam''s problem. Scions above, she would make sure those who survived got out of those mines, if nothing else.
Their path to the tunnel took them all past Goldfist''s limp form. Sam stopped beside the prone giant, and she looked him over. A pool of blood was forming around his body, all coming from the cuts across him and the stump that was his left arm. Sam noticed that the giant was still breathing, albeit faintly, as he lay face down in his blood. Her hand shook on the butt of the gun.
"It''s all his fault," Sam whispered as she looked down at Goldfist. "Everything that happened. It''s all his fault."
The former slaves stopped and looked back at her, but Sam kept her eyes focused on Goldfist. Alex had said it himself: everything that happened was Goldfist''s fault. He had come to the town and taken over. He had released the mist. He had captured her brother and worked him in the mines for two years. He had killed her brother. The gun was cold in her hand. He wasn''t dead yet. He was still breathing. She could end it all now. All she had to do was draw the gun and pull the trigger.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Someone needs to right it," she said as she drew the gun and pointed it down at Goldfist''s head.
Click.
She pulled back the hammer on the gun, and it clicked solidly in place. Her hand shook as she pointed it down at Goldfist''s head. The bullet may have been small, but a shot into the back of the head would make Goldfist''s size irrelevant, right? The thought passed through her head, and she shook her head to clear it. What did it matter?
The former slaves looked back, frozen. She met their eyes and nodded. They had suffered even more than she had. They deserved to see Goldfist put down permanently. She would never let him harm anyone else again.
"You can''t have regrets when you''re dead.¡± Alex wasn''t anywhere near her, but his words still came to her. "You''re stronger than I am, Sam."
"Grah!" she grunted, pulling the gun away and throwing it to the ground in front of Goldfist.
She hated herself. She hated that she hadn''t been able to pull the trigger. When she faced down Silvertooth, she wasn''t able to shoot him. Now, she couldn''t bring herself to shoot Goldfist, even after all he had done. She hated every moment of it.
"Let''s get going," she said, turning to the ten freed slaves.
"What is it?" Wen asked, pointing at the stone door behind her.
She didn''t trust this man named Alex. As near as she could tell from what the dark-robed man and Goldfist had said, something powerful was locked behind the doors. She wasn''t about to let some random man access it if she could stop it.
"You didn''t answer my question," Alex said, stepping forward with his staff and onto the platform.
He towered above her when standing at his full height. She was by no means a tall or overly strong woman, especially after so many years working in the mines. Instead, she would rely on something that went beyond strength.
She opened the gate inside her chest, and cold spread throughout her body. Her breath came out in a white mist as she looked him in the eyes. She could see them widen in shock. She smiled as she clenched her hands into cold fists.
"You''re cursed too, then," Alex said before a smirk cut across his face. "Feels like you dropped the temperature by six degrees."
Wen raised her eyebrows, ¡°Celsius?"
"Yeah. You''re from Earth, then?" he asked.
"Oxford."
"Buenos Aires, originally," Alex said, stepping back.
Wen let the gate in her chest close, and the temperature around her rose quickly along with it. Sweat broke out across her body, a side effect of her curse changing the temperature. She took a few deep breaths as she waited for it to pass.
"That''s assuming it''s the same Earth and not just slightly different," Alex said. "Not that it matters. Always good to meet someone else that got stuck here."
"How did you make it here?"
"Bright light hit my plane, and I woke up in the ocean. You?"
"A bright light opened up in front of me, and I went through. I ended up in a forest on some abandoned island. Took weeks for a ship to come by."
"Hah, lucky."
He reached up and rubbed the back of his head before looking over to the door. Wen followed his gaze and tensed up again. She had forgotten what they were arguing about in the surprise of finding someone else from Earth.
"Look," Alex said, tapping his staff on the stone. "Neither of us is in a condition to fight, and I''m in a hurry. How about this? I''ll open the portal, and you''ll keep behind me while I do what I have to do in there. When I''m done, I''ll open a door topside at the mine, and we''ll both leave it together."
Wen squinted, looking Alex over and then back to the stone door. He was right that she didn''t want to fight. Her curse was only effective when she had her tools with her, and she would have to get them remade when she got out of the mines. Two years was a long time, and she hoped that she could find a gunsmith who could work with her.
"Okay." She nodded, stepping back and letting Alex approach the stone door.
He reached out a hand and touched the stone as Wen stepped behind him. Under his breath, he whispered words in a language she couldn''t understand. He repeated himself a few times, and she paid attention as best she could to try and understand what he was saying. However, the words didn''t match any language she had ever learned, and they seemed to bypass the natural process in the new world that forced everyone to speak the same language.
"There it is," Alex whispered, and his hand glowed a faint blue against the center crease of the door.
A circle of bright blue light drew itself on the stone around the circle, reaching out along the stone and up to the script that ran along the stone pillars. The light flowed out from that center, lighting up the runes Wen had been unable to figure out until the entire dais was glowing.
The entire platform shook as the light completed its path. Stone fell away, revealing stark silver metal beneath. Wen fell to her knees as the stone pillars in front of her shattered like a cracking egg, revealing two large metal pillars, still as square as the stone, and a metallic door where the stone one had been.
Hrrrm. Click. Hiss.
The door opened slowly, sliding down into a slot in the floor. Behind the door, a blue portal with blackened spots across it opened and glowed. Alex turned back to her, a smile on his face. He practically laughed as he spoke.
"Bet you didn''t expect to see that, did you?" he asked as he turned back and stepped inside the portal.
He disappeared inside, leaving Wen on her knees in front of it. So many questions flooded through her head as she looked over the platform. Why had it been covered in stone? Why was it buried so deep beneath the island? What did it do, and why was it so important that Goldfist wanted it? Her breath came quick in her chest as the possibilities ran across her mind. However, another thought came into the back of her head, just a whisper in the whirling tide pool of her questions. What if the portal closed while she was still outside?
She forced herself to stand up, running toward the blue portal and jumping through without hesitation. Her foot landed on solid, soft ground, and she immediately looked all around her. She stood in a long tunnel with metal walls and carpeted floors. Fluorescent lights ran along the corners of the tunnels and into the distance. She saw Alex waiting down the tunnel for her, his hand on his staff. She turned to look behind her, but the portal was gone.
There was nothing to do. She could only accept her circumstances. She stepped forward and followed behind Alex as he turned and led her deeper into the structure.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 18 | Island Core
Alex looked out the windows in the corridor as he waited for Li Wen to catch up to him. He didn''t trust her but felt better if he kept her close. There were a lot of things inside of a portal that someone could mess with and create major problems on an island. He knew from experience what a person could do if they didn''t know what they were doing.
Black, empty space stared back at him like hollowed-out eyes. Alex thought he saw movement out in the darkness, but he knew nothing was out there. Nothing could exist out in that void.
"What''s that?" Li Wen asked when she came up to him.
"The Outside," Alex said, turning away from the windows and following the fluorescent lights down the corridor.
"The what?"
Alex clicked his tongue. Now, he would have to explain, wouldn''t he? He had the maligned benefit of being captured by people who knew what was happening when he first got to the nightsea. Not everyone was that unluckily lucky.
"The way it was told to me," Alex said, stopping and pointing out one of the many windows. "There are three layers to the world. The Real is the normal day-to-day islands that we live in. The Surreal is where things like curses and techniques come from. The Outside is everything else."
She looked out into the blackness, and Alex waited. It was a lot to take in at once, and he didn''t even know if it was right. It was just what the other prisoner with him had told him before the man died.
"And that''s the Outside."
"Yeah," Alex said, turning again and walking down the corridor.
He stepped into the nodule at the end of the corridor. Glowing panels and buttons glowed on the walls around him. The island core was in the center, separated from the rest of the room by chrome handrails. Alex entered the room and stepped in between the chrome handrails. Behind him, Li Wen gasped as she walked into the room as well.
"Very sci-fi," she said. "Do you know what all of this does?"
"Yeah," Alex said as he reached out to touch the controls on the core.
Images flooded into his mind, just like the first time he had accessed a core back on August. Equations he couldn''t understand flittered across the edge of his vision, along with diagrams and maps that moved too fast for him to see. Alex pushed through the images as he flipped a few switches on the core.
Listen.
A screen opened up beside him in the air, and he could see it displayed the cavern outside. Goldfist lay unconscious on the floor, the same as Alex had left him. Sam and the freed slaves were long gone. Just what he needed. He focused on the image and pushed a button on the core. A blue light appeared below Goldfist''s body, and Alex flipped a switch. In a flash, Goldfist fell through the portal, and Alex redirected it, hitting another button and making the screen switch locations.
Grow.
He brought up Dry Gulch with a few flicks of switches and focused the screen on where the water tower had been. He reached out to an orb on the control panel and imagined a large iron cage. Iron bars erupted from the ground and closed on each other in a cage fit for a giant. Once it was finished, Alex flipped another switch, calling a portal into existence at the top of the cage and dropping Goldfist through it and onto the ground. He flipped the switch again, and the portal closed.
"It''s like a control panel for the entire island," Li Wen whispered beside him. "You can manipulate the entire thing like a game."
"There are some serious limitations to it," Alex said as he pushed a button and brought up a screen of the mine.
He looked through the map of the mine until he found what he was looking for. There was a point where Goldfist''s mining operation had cut into an object that was part of the portal infrastructure. He hit a button and brought up the item, a large metal pod that would have been encased in stone to protect it. The stone was cracked, and mist seeped from it on the image. Alex flipped a few switches and pressed a few buttons. The crack was repaired with a flash of light, and Alex flipped away from the screen. One more problem solved.
Build.
"How do you know how to do all of this?"
"I don''t," Alex said as he walked around the control panel. "These places kind of get in your head once you''re inside. They want you to use them, and they''ll guide you along with what you want to happen."
"It wants you to use it? You''re saying that this place thinks."
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"Be glad you''re not attuned to it," Alex said. "Hurts something fierce when it starts talking to you."
He brought up a screen of the mine again, and as he looked over it, his subconscious immediately began doing the math. The core already knew what he wanted to do, and it was facilitating his desires without question. Alex pressed a few buttons and flipped a few switches. As he finished, he flipped one last switch and opened a portal at the entrance to the room.
"There we go," he said, nodding toward the portal. "That''ll take us to the entrance of the mines. In about three minutes, a sinkhole will open up where the mine was and send all of this as deep as it can into the island. No one will be able to access this core again."
"That''s all you wanted with it?" Li Wen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It already gave me what I came here for.¡± Alex tapped the side of his head. "However, I can''t use it yet because the information isn''t complete. I figure if I visit enough island cores, I''ll learn what I''m looking for."
"And what are you looking for?"
"A way back home. Now, let''s get out of here."
He walked over to the portal and bowed, holding out his arms like he was holding a door open for her. Li Wen sighed, glaring at him. Alex smiled but kept his head down.
"But I have so many questions."
Rumble.
The room shook, and Alex had to adjust his footing to keep standing. He stood up and looked down the corridor. It was already starting. The room would be unstable until the operation was complete and the core had found its new resting place.
"You won''t find the answers here," Alex said. "Now come on, before I throw you through the blasted portal."
"Like you could," she said, gritting her teeth and walking through the portal.
Alex followed after her, taking one last look around the room. Even though it was only the second time he had visited an island core, he could barely believe it. So much power concentrated in one place, just waiting for the right person to find it and take control of an island.
"Take a rest, and hope no one ever finds you again," Alex said as he stepped through the portal and out into the bright light of the full moon.
"Alex!" Sam ran over, stopping right in front of him and pointing up at the sky. "The mist is gone."
"Yeah.¡± Alex smiled, looking out over the freed people and Sam. "Looks like things are going to be getting better here."
"You still need to answer my questions.¡± Li Wen walked to stand beside Sam, crossing her arms across her chest.
"We need to get away from the mine first, " Alex said, pointing toward the slipship he had left anchored away from it. "Unless you want to get swallowed up."
They walked away from the mines as a large group. The former slaves smiled and talked among themselves, even though their conversations carried a weight of loss. They were the survivors of Goldfist, but that meant that so many others had died. Alex could understand that better than most.
Boom. Crack. Rumble. Crash. Rumble.
As they reached the slipship, the ground rumbled and shook beneath them. Alex turned and watched with the rest as cracks split open around the mines, pulling in the wall of machinery and the kennels that were outside first. Wider and wider, the cracks opened up, swallowing anything above them before collapsing in on themselves. More rumbles and booms started, and Alex had to drop to one knee to keep from falling.
Cracks ripped up along the hills, and dirt crumbled into the gaps as the hills collapsed. Alex closed his eyes and focused on keeping himself off the ground. He had had more than enough for one day.
As suddenly as the earthquake had started, it stopped. Alex kept his head down and focused on his breathing. His entire body ached. From head to toe, he was nothing but a throbbing sack of meat. All of his fights were catching up to him now that it was all over.
"Alex, look!" Sam grabbed his shoulder, and Alex looked up to where she pointed.
The hill was gone, along with the machinery outside and the mine''s entrance itself. Flat, freshly disturbed dirt replaced it, carving out a massive circle that ended right before the slipship where they all stood. They would have been taken beneath the ground if he had been just a little bit off. Alex took a deep breath and forced himself up with his staff. He didn''t have much left in him, but there was one thing he still needed to do.
"Sam, come here," he said, opening his gate and taking control of his staff.
"What is it?" She approached him, and he handed his staff to her.
The second she had a good grip on it, he pushed with his curse and lifted her onto the slipship''s deck. Around him, the former slaves gasped, but Alex paid them no mind. He kept his eyes locked on Li Wen, and she stared right back at him.
"Now, I know you have questions, but I need to get her back to her house in one piece," Alex said.
"So let us all ride with you."
"You seem to be misunderstanding something," Alex said, reaching out and calling his staff back to his hand.
It whirred around in a long arch until it attached to his palm, and Alex took hold of it.
"I don''t know you, and you don''t know me. Simply put, I won''t wait around forever answering questions I don''t have time to answer. The Military Police are coming, and I don''t aim to be caught by them."
"Why would you?" Li Wen stopped, and Alex saw the gears clicking into place in her eyes. "Goldfist called you Ortega. Alex Ortega. Alexander Ortega."
"Also known as ''Tin Man'' Ortega." Alex finished. "Sounds about right, ''Cold Shot?''"
"You know me too," she whispered, her hands going lax at her sides.
"The curse was a good tip-off. You disappeared about two years ago. The World Daily Post had tons of articles speculating what happened to you."
"So, you''re just going to leave us here?"
"Yeah, I am an outlaw," Alex said, dropping his staff to the ground and pushing against it.
He popped up into the air, reaching out his hand and catching hold of the side of the ship while calling his staff back up to his free hand before she could do anything about it. Granted, Alex thought that no one there was ready for another fight.
He pulled up the anchor before moving to the pilot''s seat. He began flipping switches as fast he could, using the wheel to pull the ship around and back in the direction of Dry Gulch. He waved down to Li Wen, also known as the bounty hunter ''Cold Shot,'' before pointing to the west.
"Town''s that way!" he yelled. "If you want Goldfist''s bounty, I''d say take it. I can''t turn it in myself."
Li Wen glared up at him as he pulled on a lever and let the sails unfurl. In the brighter moonlight, the ship shot forward and over the terrain. Sam began to laugh as they sailed through the sky, and Alex joined in with her. The fight was over. Through it all, they had won.
Now came the hard part.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 19 | Goodbyes
"Captain Drake, we''re approaching Tombstone''s bubble!" Lieutenant Brunhild yelled as the ship shook around them.
"Don''t slow down." A deep voice rumbled out behind her in the captain''s chair of the small cockpit, and a whisp of smoke tickled her nose.
"Full power to the engines," she said into the silver tube beside her before putting it back against the console.
The ship''s wheel shook in her hands, and she wasn''t sure if she could hang on. They had taken the fastest ship they had that could carry at least ten of their team. The ship was one of the first of its kind, a jet-propelled slipship that could cut through the nightsea like a bullet. The only issue was that the blasted contraption tried to shake itself apart when running at its top speeds.
"Don''t slow down for an instant. We''re going straight to Agent Five''s last known location. Section Zero will never let us live it down if we lose one of their agents to an outlaw!"
A red-scaled claw reached out from behind her, the talons pinching into Brunhild''s black uniform but not piercing through. She reached up with one hand and pushed her short-cut blonde hair from her ears before returning her hands to the wheel.
"Do you think he''s alive, sir? This is ''Tin Man'' Ortega we''re talking about."
"He''s intelligent." More smoke rose behind her, and Brunhild had to wave it away with one hand. "He knows to run away if he can''t take a fight."
"We''re at entry!"
Through the window in front of her, the bright light of Tombstone''s atmosphere filled her vision.
The ship shook and rumbled in her hands, and she could hear her subordinates yelp through the tube at her side. Brunhild grunted as she held onto the wheel with all her strength. She would have to reprimand them later.
Crack. Boom.
The ship shook and tilted forward as the white light was replaced by a sunlit day over sparkling blue waters. Brunhild pulled up on her wheel hard, trying to take control of the ship. It shuddered as it righted itself, and she tilted it back so that the ship was parallel with the sea below.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Captain, we''ve lost all but one engine," Brunhild said, looking over the readouts on the panel in front of her. "We won''t make it beyond the shore at this rate!"
"Dr. Oz''s creations are always more trouble than they''re worth.¡± More smoke rose from behind her. "Take us to the nearest port. We''ll have to find transport on the island.
"Yes, sir!"
Brunhild turned the ship in the sky, using a map of the island on her display to guide the ship. With only one engine, they had slowed to a crawl. They could barely keep this ship up in the sky under their thrust with the reduced lodestones on the ship by design.
"We''re coming for you, outlaw." Captain Drake growled behind her, and more smoke filled the cockpit.
Alex brought the ship down, this time more gently than he had when they came down toward the mines. He didn''t have to worry about dodging creatures in the mist anymore now that the mist was gone. Sam looked out from the deck where she sat, holding onto the rails with a white-knuckled grip as they flew over the farms around Dry Gulch. Alex didn''t need to look far to find where to land.
Smoke still rose from the burnt farmhouse, and the destruction was more visible from the air. The flames had consumed the entire orchard, and the farmhouse was a mix of stone and ash. The only thing left over was the barn and the fenced-in chicken coops. Alex brought the slipship down in the barnyard. Sam was completely silent, her gaze locked on the orchard and farmhouse as they came down.
Alex said nothing as he kicked the rope ladder to the ground below, climbed down, and anchored the ship. What could he say? Sorry for getting your house burned down. Sorry that confronting Goldfist and Silvertooth cost you so much. Sorry that your brother died before we even met. Too much had happened to the girl over the last few days. The worst part was that Alex knew he would add just one more thing to that. He grimaced.
"Sam, we''re secure," he said.
"I''m coming," Sam said, climbing down the rope ladder as he had and landing on her boots at the very end. "I need to check on Winny and feed the chickens."
Without missing a beat, she was off on her routine, and Alex followed after her. He wouldn''t just run off. That would be a betrayal of the trust she had put in him over the last few days. He waited as she let out the chickens and threw feed out into their yard. He waited again as she opened up the barn doors and patted Winny''s head. The donkey gave a huff in response.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
"It''s all over, isn''t it?" Sam asked after she was done, wiping her hand on a rag as she looked over the ruins of her home. "Everything is done, and you don''t have any reason to stay."
She was turned away from Alex. He couldn''t see her expression, but there was a shake in her voice. She was ready to fall apart, and he knew it. It made him feel all the worse for what he had to do next.
"Yeah," Alex said, putting his hands in his duster pockets. "I need to get out of here before the Military Police get here. They won''t stay long if I''m not here."
"Just like that?"
"That''s the kind of life I live," Alex said. "Going from place to place, meeting new people. Getting in fights, tearing down bad guys."
"That sounds so lonely.¡± Sam still didn''t look at him.
"It can be," Alex said. "But at the same time, it isn''t. Every island is a new experience. A chance to meet new people. A chance to see things that I''ve never seen before. In just the last five years, I..."
He stopped. He forgot what he was working for whenever he said it. It was like he didn''t care about going home. That was wrong. Everything he had done in the last five years was bent toward the goal of getting home. Sure, things had happened, but that didn''t mean he didn''t want to see his parents again.
"Sorry," Alex said, looking up at the slipship.
"Don''t be."
Orange light peeked from the horizon, and soon, it would be morning again. Already, the moon was setting in the west. It wouldn''t be long before it was another day, and Alex couldn''t wait any longer.
"Can I come with you?"
The question caught Alex off guard. He looked down and saw Sam staring at him. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, and her mouth was set in a tight line. It wasn''t a spur-of-the-moment question. She was very serious.
"I don''t have anything in Dry Gulch anymore. Josh is gone. My parents are gone. Now, even the orchard and house are gone. I don''t have anywhere left to go."
Alex looked out over the farmhouse and to the orchard beyond. She was right, in a way, but there was no way he would take her with him. That would be practically the same as sending Sam to her death. He knew that. The way he lived his life was too dangerous for her.
"Come here," Alex said, keeping his hands in his pockets as he walked over toward the farmhouse.
The smell of soot and ash filled his nose, even though the fire was long over. Heat still radiated out from the beams of wood that were strewn across the house. Alex walked past it and out into the orchard. Most of the trees had fallen over and collapsed, cracking from the heat of the fire and falling over as they were reduced to ash. Only a few were left standing.
Alex walked over to the centermost tree of the orchard, near the pond that he had looked in just two days ago. Despite the destruction, two gravestones stood beneath one of the few intact but ashen trees.
Alex saw what he was looking for and reached down to pick up a blackened apple. It was blackened and burnt, and his hands were soot-stained as he held it up. He turned to Sam and held it up so she could see it.
"Do you see this?" he asked.
"It''s ruined." Sam frowned, leaning forward. "Like everything else, it was ruined by Silvertooth."
"Maybe.¡± Alex reached out a hand and opened his gate.
It didn''t take him long to find what he was looking for. He had scattered so many implements across the orchard during his fight with Silvertooth, and he hadn''t cleaned up after. A single knife was easy enough to find. It flew through the air, and he caught it by the handle.
"Take a look at this," Alex said as he cut the apple open in his hand, holding the blade as he rotated the apple around in his fingers.
He let the apple fall open in his palms. The inside flesh was a sickly brown, and the apple had burst along its edges, but what he wanted her to see was still inside. Sam bent over his palm and squinted at the apple''s core.
"Seeds."
"Even with all this suffering, all this pain, and all this destruction, the seeds are still there," Alex said as he dug out a few with the tip of the knife. "Life goes on, and on, and on, even when the entire world turns against us."
He held out a few seeds on the knife, and Sam reached out to catch them. She looked down at the seeds as Alex worked through the second core. He worked carefully, making sure he didn''t miss a single one.
"You have to understand this, Sam. You''re like these seeds. You''re just starting on your life. Someone may have burned the entire orchard around you, but if you plant yourself in the ground, you''ll grow up into a full tree before long."
He deposited the remaining seeds in her hand before dropping the knife and apple. He gestured out to the remains of the orchard around them. All around, he could see burnt apples on the ground, each full of their own seeds.
"Your suffering doesn''t have to own you. The pain of the past doesn''t determine your future. Make your own path in the world, Sam." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her his best smile. "Coming with me now would be like taking those seeds away from the orchard. Grow and find your way. It may not be here in Dry Gulch, but I can tell you that it isn''t with me either."
Sam looked between him and the seeds, the tears she held back flowing freely. Alex patted her on the shoulder but kept his eye on the sky. The sun was rising, and he couldn''t wait much longer. Every moment he spent was precious.
"You''re going."
"Yeah," Alex said. "Don''t forget what I said, Sam. With any luck, you''ll see me again someday."
He turned and walked away. He made sure he didn''t glance back at the smoldering orchard. If he did, he might cry himself. Even after knowing the girl for a few days, he wanted to help her. Her life was an entire deck of unfair cards, and the last few days had just made the whole thing worse.
He pulled out the anchor on the slipship and pulled it up behind him as he climbed up the ladder. With a pull of a lever, it was back in motion, the light of the rising sun filling up the sails and breathing new life into the slipship''s engine. Alex turned the ship over the farmhouse and flew out to the orchard, reaching in his pockets as he held the engine''s throttle.
He tossed out a small bag that jingled with the sound of dolers inside as he went over the orchard. It landed at Sam''s feet as he let go of the throttle and sped away. He waved as he flew off to the west, and he could see Sam below waving back. With that, he knew she would be alright.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 20 | Appleseeds
Alex parked the ship at the docks around Portsmouth. The city was built like any port city had to be, with a water dock and a slipship dock that ran in a circle above the city in the air. Alex chose the lowest port he could, even though most of the slots were empty. He was planning to jump out from the ship the second he could, to avoid having his name associated with it by the dock master.
After he moored the ship with rope lines, he did precisely that, jumping down to the ring below and then doing it again until he was close enough to the ground to jump to a rooftop. No one gave him any notice. The docks were not very busy, and it would take the people who worked the docks hours to notice an abandoned ship so early in the morning.
Alex had to hand it to Sloan. The shopkeeper had bought a ship that was perfect for smuggling goods short distances. It wouldn''t do anything out on the actual nightsea, but on an island, it was perfect. It was a waste of money for any situation other than Sloan''s. Trains were an easier way to transport items in bulk, and even carts were a practical solution for moving stuff short distances. No, the slipship was closer to a sports car. It was built for a specific purpose and was super expensive.
Alex wouldn''t ride on that out in the nightsea. Instead, he would find a ship and pay for passage out of Tombstone. His options would be limited in a town like Dry Gulch. The destinations would be places that the island did regular business with.
"Someday, maybe I''ll get my own ship.¡± Alex laughed to himself as he walked down the street, tapping his staff every few seconds. "But that''ll mean I need a crew, too. Then that comes with expenses of its own."
As he walked down the street, he noticed a few wanted posters all along the walls. He stopped when he saw a few faces he recognized and couldn''t help but smile. Grim drawings of Goldfist and Silvertooth stared down at him, along with their bounties beneath.
"Ten thousand dolers and five thousand dolers." Alex whistled. "Not breaking the bank, but decent money."
His bounty was one million dolers, but it wasn''t an indicator of anything beyond how much you were worth to someone who wanted your head. He was worth a lot because of August, simple as that.
"If only I could have cashed it in.¡± He shook his head and jingled the few coins in his pocket.
He had dropped most of it down to Sam, a compensation for the trouble he had caused. Not that he thought he had done a bad thing by helping in Dry Gulch. He just knew that he only did so to help himself. Any other good done was just collateral damage. Collateral help? He wasn''t sure what to call it.
He made his way back toward the center of town in a circuitous route. He was being cautious, but that was because he didn''t want anyone in town to associate the abandoned ship with him. The best thing he could do was find a supply frigate that was hiring workers. That way, he could ride for free and get paid. Below that, he could buy a ticket on a passenger ship, but that cost money he didn''t want to spend. He reminded himself that he shouldn''t regret throwing the money to Sam. She needed it more than he did at the moment.
"Just keep repeating it," he whispered as he ducked through a crowd of people in jeans and shirts.
They barely paid him any notice. So long as they didn''t have a bunch of posters of him plastered on their walls- and they shouldn''t, considering he was in the Fringes- he would be fine. The only people out looking for him were the Military Police.
"Move out!" A group of people in red and black uniforms caught his attention down the street.
"Oh no.¡± A weight dropped in Alex''s stomach, and he ducked between the two nearest buildings. "You just had to tempt luck."
He peered out from where he hid and saw the group. A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair led the way for a troop of ten soldiers in similar uniforms. She held a long silvered spear in her hands, and each of her men held a rifle resting on their shoulders as they marched. The uniforms were those of the Military Police, the enforcement arm of the Twelve Kingdoms, and above them, the Scions.
"They shouldn''t be on a Fringe island like this," Alex whispered to himself as he watched them march down the street. "That is unless they knew about a prize worth risking the backlash over, idiot."
They were here because he was, of course. Alex gritted his teeth as he watched them. He could start running, but he also wanted to know more. No, running was the smart thing to do, but Alex was too curious to do the smart thing. He settled himself to the edge of the nearest building and did his best to listen.
"Halt!" The soldiers mostly stopped in unison at her words. "Wait for the Captain!"
Alex leaned out a little. A captain. That meant they were serious. This wasn''t just some roaming band of soldiers. Knowing he was on an island had pulled a captain off his desk and out into the field. Alex was honored in a way.
"Lieutenant." A deep voice cracked through the air as swinging doors on a nearby building opened. "Calm down."
A towering, scaled lizard man stepped out of the doors, dressed in the same red and black uniform as the others. The only real difference between them was that he wore no boots, so his black pants ended at his natural clawed feet, and there was a hole in the back of his pants for a long red tail. Alex raised his eyebrow. Now, this, he wasn''t sure about. Was it a curse that made the man look like a bipedal lizard, or was he from a world where that was normal? Alex never really knew which one to guess. Goldfist was a good example. Was he a human whose curse made him a giant, or was he just a giant?
"Stop speculating," Alex told himself, focusing on the lizard man.
"Captain," the lieutenant said, saluting. "We''re ready to move out."
"Good. I''ve secured passage on a train that goes out toward Dry Gulch. The operators have assured me that they can stop on the way. We just need to wait an hour before it leaves.¡± The captain ducked beneath the awning that ran along the front of the building and stood up to his full height as he walked to his soldiers.
"We''ll find him, Captain Drake." The lieutenant saluted.
"Then let''s move out, Lieutenant Brunhild.¡± Captain Drake blew out a puff of smoke as he walked away, his claws clasped behind him and his tail swaying back and forth as he walked.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Alex ducked back behind the building as they approached and walked past. He breathed a sigh of relief after they passed him by. He didn''t need to take on a captain and his squad so close after his fights with Silvertooth and Goldfist. He wasn''t even sure he could take them on a good day when he was fully rested. He waited in the shadows of the buildings for a few minutes until he was sure the group was long gone.
Well, they would find two bounties when they went to Dry Gulch, he smiled. If Silvertooth were with them, they would recover him, but that was a small loss. He hoped they would pay out the bounties, at least when they took the outlaws. Dry Gulch needed that money. After five years of suffering under Goldfist, those people deserved any windfall they could get.
Who was he kidding? These were the Military Police. Dry Gulch would be lucky if they didn''t find any puppies to kick while they were in town.
He made his way over to the nearest saloon. Inside, he found precisely what he was looking for. Sailors always found the closest bar to port when they came to port, and there were a few that needed to hire extra hands to replace those they had lost while sailing.
Alex had the pick of a few places to go. He didn''t want to go out into the Twelve Kingdoms, as that was like jumping back into the fire after you got out of it. That left Fringe worlds, and he found one going toward a place called Glory Plateau.
Alex rechecked his list of destinations as he sat at his table. Glory Plateau was the actual name of the place. It sounded like a cliche, but the frigate was transporting supplies, and it wasn''t one of the Twelve Kingdoms. Alex stood up and made his way over to the man he had heard about it from and negotiated his terms for working on the ship.
After about an hour and a few drinks, he was signed on and walking with the man up to the ship. The man''s name was Hubert, and he was a short, fat man, red in the face, and loud as he could be. Alex liked Hubert. He was a straightforward man who expressed exactly what he thought at the moment, even if it would get him in trouble.
"Captain''s good," Hubert said as he led Alex up the central steps of the docks. "Never had a storm under the captain. Never had a man fall overboard. There''s never been a man that didn''t want to serve under her."
"Sounds like a good ship," Alex said as he followed the man.
"You said you''ve sailed before?" Hubert asked.
"On a few ships," Alex said, looking up at the spiral case above them as he took one step after another. "I''ve done pretty much everything except being an officer on one. I never stayed with a ship long enough for that."
"You might just do that here. I''m telling you, son, the captain''s a sight worth every bit of work we do. The pay''s good, but the sights are better."
"You''re a real philosopher.¡± Alex smiled.
"What''s that?"
"A lover of beauty."
"Hah, that I am, son."
They continued their banter as they walked up the stairs until they reached the highest part of the docks. A few ships were docked on each level, Portsmouth being a relatively deserted port on the Fringes. However, on the top level was where the big ships were, and there were three in port.
Frigates were slipships built for transport. They were long and bulky, with the largest lodestones that could be made attached along the hull on both sides at regular intervals. A frigate could carry and supply an entire city with what was stored inside for a year. For that size, it also needed a large amount of solar sails. The frigates at the port each had around ten sets of masts each. Alex couldn''t help but grin as he looked up at them. They lived up to stories he had heard about the age of sail on Earth, back before he was taken to the nightsea.
"Big things, ain''t they?" Hubert asked next to him.
"Yeah," Alex said. "How''s it handle?"
"Like trying to herd a whale.¡± Hubert laughed. "But we make do with what we can. Just don''t be expecting it to take any tight turns."
"Does it have a name?" Alex asked.
"The Night Queen."
Alex nodded, and they walked onto the ship together. Hubert showed him his work after a visit to the quartermaster to sign him on. Alex nodded along as Hubert explained how to tie ropes, climb up the mast, and unfurl the sails. He knew all of it, but he didn''t mind. It gave him something to do as they waited to set sail.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
After some time at port, a bell rang across the boat, repeated again and again by each group that manned each mast. Alex climbed up the mast as soon as he heard it, unfurling his set of sails while others did the same above him. The ship shuddered as it lurched forward, up and away from the port. Soon, it floated up and away from Portsmouth, leaving it behind as the noonday sun blazed overhead.
"We''re underway!" Hubert yelled the obvious up to Alex, but Alex could barely hear him as the wind whistled past his ears.
He stood on the mast and waved down to Hubert before looking at the horizon. He was waiting for the best part of sailing, the passage out from the bubble that surrounded every island and led to the nightsea. Below him, Portsmouth faded away, and he got a good look at Tombstone from the sky above. The entire island looked like a skull formed out of the water. It even had two large lakes that served as eyes on its northern half. Alex found himself laughing as he looked down at it.
The cold air was the first tip that they were close. A white mist came out from Alex''s mouth as he looked out over the sky. It wasn''t immediate, but the blue of the sky faded, growing more and more translucent until it was as black as night.
Pop.
Alex rubbed his ears as they popped through the atmosphere and out into the dark. Lanterns were lit along the deck below, and Alex squinted out into the night. In front of him was a sea of darkness with a spattering of bright white lights in the distance. Each was a tiny oasis of light in the creeping darkness of the nightsea. Alex held his breath as he looked out over them, noticing the faint trails of light between each of the stars, some stronger and some fainter. Behind him, the white light of Tombstone illuminated the sky, but he didn''t dare look back at it. He didn''t want to go blind.
He was underway again, out in the nightsea. He slid down the mast and landed on the deck next to Hubert. Hubert looked up at him with a smile of his own across his face. It didn''t matter how often sailors sailed from an island to the nightsea. It never got old.
"Time to get to work." Alex cracked his knuckles.
Sam picked up the shovel and tied it to Winny''s back as she stood in the center of the cleared orchard. It had taken a few days of work, and that was with the help of some of the townsfolk she had paid with Alex''s dolers. All that was left was an empty field with her parent''s graves around a pond.
She stepped back over to her parent''s graves and put down the new gravestone next to them. She didn''t have a body, but she hoped Josh would have a place to rest next to them. She made sure the small stone went upright as deep as she could make it. When she came back, she wanted it to be still standing.
Behind the graves, she had planted one of her apple seeds. She had gathered as many as she could from the orchard, but this was just the start. She had her own dream now and would have to go a long way to fulfill it.
She returned to Winny and took the donkey by the reins. Instead of the cart, she had a saddle now. The chickens were all sold off, and the barn and land were sold to some people in town. Sam didn''t have any regrets. She had figured out what she wanted to do.
"It''ll take a while, Winny," she said as she walked the donkey out toward the road. "But we''ll make it."
She hadn''t known what she would do when Alex first left. It had taken days for things to settle down, and that was before the uniformed people saying they were the Military Police came to town. They had taken Goldfist and Silvertooth away, promising that they would take care of the outlaws. Sam had to laugh at that. They hadn''t bothered until Goldfist was already beaten, but she hadn''t said anything at the time.
Once they were gone, she was left with a barn and some money. She settled on what she wanted to do after that. She would go off on her own, starting with the nearest town and going to all of Tombstone after that. She would explore the world and see what she could. She would experience all the things she could find and never look back. At each place she stopped, she would plant an apple tree. That would be her mark on the world.
She smiled as she stuck one foot into Winny''s stirrups and flung her leg over the saddle. Winny grunted at the weight, but she was already weighed down with supplies for the road as well. Sam patted her neck and whispered softly to her. They were in for a long road together, and she couldn''t have Winny getting anxious now.
"Let''s go," she said, pulling the reins and lightly tapping her foot against Winny''s side.
With a grunt and a huff from Winny, she rode off into the east, right into the rising sun.
Volume 01 Goldfist | Encyclopedia Entry
Protagonists
Name: Alexander Ortega
Status: Alive
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®Tin Man¡¯
Curse: Magnetism (1st Grade)
Techniques: Path of Step, Path of Might, ¡®Iron Scythe,¡¯ ¡®Rail Gun,¡¯ ''Scrap Storm,'' ''Arc Slash,'' ''Iron Circle,'' ''Return Trip,''
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 01
Feats: Defeated ''Mad Tyrant'' Fabian by assassination. Defeated Apostle Lucien by nightshade. Defeated Deputy Silvertooth by knockout. Defeated Sheriff Goldfist by amputation.
Current Location: Leaving the island of Tombstone.
Bio: Alexander Ortega was taken to the nightsea from a mid-route flight on earth from the United States to Buenos Aires. He was captured in a lab on the island of August and experimented on. His escape led to the events termed ¡®Burning August¡¯ and served as his rise to fame as an outlaw. He was last spotted on Tombstone after defeating two outlaws who were present in the town of Dry Gulch and obtaining the island core.
Antagonists
Name: Sheriff Goldfist
Status: Alive
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®Hard Punch,¡¯ ¡®Hakim¡¯
Curse: None
Techniques: ¡®Golden Bullet,¡¯ ¡®Golden Blows¡¯
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 01
Feats: Defeated ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega by knockout.
Current Location: Tombstone, Military Police custody.
Bio: A giant from the land of Hajh on another world. Goldfist took the name from his previous name, ¡®Hakim,¡¯ after a dark figure promised him secret information to find an island core. Due to the interference of ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega, his operation was ruined, and he lost his second flesh hand in the ensuing fight.
Name: Deputy Silvertooth
Status: Alive
Occupation: Spy and Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®Shining Light,¡¯ ¡®Agent 5¡¯
Curse: Hard Light Clones (1st Grade)
Techniques: ¡®Split¡¯
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 01
Feats: Defeated ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega by knockout. Defeated Samantha ''Appleseed'' by knockout.
Current Location: Tombstone, Military Police custody.
Bio: A secret agent from Section Zero assigned to watch over Sheriff ¡®Hard Punch¡¯ Goldfist in the town of Dry Gulch. After encountering a wandering outlaw, ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega, he was defeated and captured by the local townsfolk. Due to his bounty, the Military Police had to pay out to the town for both Goldfist and Silvertooth.
Minor Roles
Name: Samantha Appleton
Status: Alive
Occupation: Farmer
Aliases: ¡®Appleseed¡¯
Curse: None
Techniques: None
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 03
Feats: Survived the Dry Gulch incident.
Current Location: Tombstone
Bio: A resident of Dry Gulch who lost her parents and her brother to Goldfist''s rule over the town. Due to the intervention of ''Tin Man'' Ortega, she helped overthrow the two outlaws and now journeys Tombstone, planting seeds from her family''s orchard in towns she visits. She has a donkey named ''Winny.''
Side Roles
Name: Joshua Appleton
Status: Dead
Occupation: N/A
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 01
Feats: Survived two years of slavery under Goldfist.
Bio: At a young age, Joshua lost his parents to the rule of Sheriff Goldfist. In order to help his sister, he traveled to the Sheriff to work. He was forced into slavery soon after for two years. Joshua died three days before Goldfist was overthrown.
Name: Captain Drake
Status: Alive
Occupation: Captain in the Military Police
Aliases: Unknown
Curse: Unknown
Techniques: Unknown
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 19
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: Tombstone
Bio: A captain in the Military Police known for his odd appearance. He has the appearance of a red humanoid dragon. He came to Tombstone to track down ''Tin Man'' Ortega after his presence was reported on the island.
Name: Lieutenant Brunhild
Status: Alive
Occupation: Lieutenant in the Military Police
Aliases: Unknown
Curse: Unknown
Techniques: Unknown
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 09
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: Tombstone
Bio: A lieutenant in the Military Police who works under Captain Drake. Wields a spear and was in communication with ''Agent Five'' or Silvertooth before arriving at the island.
Name: Li Wen
Status: Alive
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Aliases: ''Cold Shot''
Curse: Cold (1st Grade)
Techniques: Unknown
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 12
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: Tombstone
Bio: A bounty hunter who was captured and enslaved by Goldfist. Before coming to the nightsea, she was a linguist at Oxford University on Earth.
Name: The Seer
Status: Alive
Occupation: Unknown
Aliases: Unknown
Curse: Unknown
Techniques: Unknown
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 12
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: A mysterious figure working with Goldfist to help him access an island core. The figure appears to be powerful, but little is known about it.
Organizations
Name: The Military Police
Description: An organization working for the Scions that is built to protect the Twelve Kingdoms and the greater Empyrean. It is a militaristic organization that operates a massive fleet of slipships that stretch across the nightsea. It also has several outposts out in the Fringes that seek to protect the interests of the Empyrean in the nightsea beyond the Twelve Kingdoms.
Name: The Scions
Description: A group of individuals who rule over the Twelve Kingdoms from the Empyrean. They are treated like gods by many in the nightsea. Their powers are unknown. Their purpose is unknown.
Name: The People''s Revolution
Description: An organization that fights against the Scions. All other information on them is unknown.
Name: World Daily Post
Description: A media organization that reports news, distributes bounties and is the go to source of information for anyone out in the nightsea. It is said that they have eyes and ears everywhere.
Slipships
Name: The Night Queen
Description: A frigate type ship that is built to transport goods. It is a massive slipship with multiple lodestones down its length. The current captain of the ship is unknown.
Creatures
Name: Mistwalker
Description: A common creature in the mist that marks a break in the Veil. It has white pasty skin with massive tumors covering its body that are filled with puss. It is said that they are made from the animals that get lost in the mist.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21 | Thief in the Night
Sayed grinned as he stood in the tunnels underneath the arena. Above, he could hear the people''s cheers. They cried for him to win, to show them what a real fight looked like. He held his khopesh tight in his right hand. The long, curving blade practically glimmered in the darkness. Who was he to deny them what they wanted? He was stuck on this island until he won all his fights, so he would make those fights glorious.
Bump. Bump. Bump.
The people above began stomping their feet in a rhythm that echoed down into the maze below. Behind him, his compatriots huddled together in the light of a single torch for protection against anyone who might wander the maze. One of them, a young boy, came up to Sayed and handed him his clawed gauntlet.
"Thank you, Jack." Sayed held out his left hand, and the boy helped him slide it on.
"No trouble, sir." Jack smiled up to him with a toothy grin that was missing quite a few teeth.
Sayed clenched his hand tightly as Jack finished up on the straps. His gauntlet was a silvered one, the tips of the claws coated in silver even though most of it was forged steel. It gave Sayed''s left hand the look of a demon''s claw, fitting for his style.
Bump. Bump. Boom. Bump. Bump. Boom.
"Abed." Sayed looked back into his compatriots as the crowd outside grew louder and louder.
Sayed knew. The fight would begin soon. Soon, the light would appear, and he would stand in it as chosen. Then, he would be transported to the arena above, ready to fight whatever was there to the death.
"Yes, Saint." Abed came forward and bowed.
Sayed put a hand on the man''s shoulders. Like Sayed, Abed wore the same flowing robes of their people. Abed wore a white head covering, the cloth on the back covering his hair and head from sight. Sayed''s head covering was a deep blue, marking him as the superior between the two. He and Abed had come through the portal to the new land together. They were the survivors of the last battle of their civil war.
"Protect them both while I am gone, brother."
Abed nodded, and Sayed held his gauntlet up to his face in a fist and closed his eyes. He whispered a prayer to God above that the Creator would look over him and his compatriots during this battle. God willing, he would come through the fight unscathed.
Boom.
The sounds from above ceased, and a light appeared in front of Sayed in the echo. Sayed took one last look back at his compatriots before he stepped into the light. He left the tunnels below the arena in a flash and was transported to the fight.
Cheers erupted around Sayed as he walked out onto the ice-covered ground. He looked up to the stone walls around him and raised his khopesh and gauntlet high for all to see. Thousands packed the arena, ready to watch him and whoever else had come into their lights fight.
Sayed took a moment to check just that. A group of rogues and ruffians stood around him, each dressed in completely foreign clothing. They were all the same, the fighters at Glory Plateau. They had all broken the law of the land and were sent to the arena to fight as punishment. So, he wasn''t surprised that many people who had come to fight had dark glints in their eyes or masks to cover their identity. He only hoped that they could all fight. Otherwise, none of them would make it back to the tunnels below.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice boomed from the stands as the announcer set the scene for the fight. "Today, you will bear witness to a most marvelous fight. We have scoured the many islands of the world to find the most marvelous and deadly of beasts, a white dragon!"
A white portal opened above the arena as if on cue, and a great shadow covered the field. Without even a whisper of sound, a giant winged lizard fell through the portal and onto the ice below.
Crash.
The ground shook around Sayed, and he widened his stance to avoid falling over. The dragon was a majestic beast. Large white wings flared out as it looked around the arena with feral yellow eyes. Four clawed limbs cut into the ground beneath its heavy form as it picked itself up from the ice and rose to full height. Sayed smiled as its jaw opened and roared, revealing sharp rows of blue-white teeth.
"They can''t be serious," someone said beside him, a mischievous individual if Sayed had to judge from his dark hood and daggers. "They expect us to take out that thing?"
"We can''t do it."
"We''ll die if we even get close."
"I want to go home."
Sayed closed his eyes and brought his khopesh parallel to his face. Inside his chest, he opened the gate within and felt heat pump through his muscles like a pulsing heartbeat. He smiled, taking a stance, gauntlet out and khopesh held above his head.
"Do not be cowards!" Sayed yelled and saw the dragon shift its gaze from the crowd to the fighters. "You all know the stakes of this as well as I do. Be ready to fight or perish in that thing''s maw. Those are the wages of the arena."
He felt more than saw the others around him come to a grim acceptance of what would happen. They knew he was right. In Glory Plateau, once you were sentenced to fight, you only had two choices to find freedom. You could fight, or you could die.
"He''s right. Ain''t no one here going to die today!" a man in silver armor yelled next to Sayed, drawing out his sword. "We can take it."
He ran out before anyone else, his broadsword held high. Sayed watched momentarily before the dragon''s head lashed out and caught the man in its maw. The dragon ripped him in half with a sickening crunch and threw blood all over the ice.
That chilled the other fighters around him. Sayed focused the heat in his body on his blade, orange light radiating from it in a glow as he focused his eyes on the chewing dragon. Even with one of their number dead, there was still a fight to be had.
"For glory!" Sayed yelled as he charged at the dragon.
The nightsea surrounded Alex as he looked out from one of the many masts of the Night Queen. The massive frigate slipship sailed through the darkness that made up the nightsea, following a light trail through the glowing globs that each marked an island. A cold wind blew around him, and he held his leather duster closer around his body. With just the duster, his shirt, and pants, he wasn''t made to be on watch duty out on deck, but that was the job he had taken to get a free ride to the next island.
The nightsea was the connecting void between each island in the world Alex had found himself transported to five years ago. Before coming to the new world, he had just graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science and was returning home to see his family after four years of hard work. He would have been holding his nephew for the first time if a white light had not consumed the plane and dropped him in the middle of the sea.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
As soon as he thought it, Alex knew that wasn''t right. He had been in the nightsea for ten years now- five years in the lab, five years out in the open outside of August. Mateo would be thirteen now. Alex shook his head as he looked out over the dark expanse of the nightsea. It was closer to space than an actual sea, and he was happy that he hadn''t been dropped in the nightsea when he first came to the world. That would have been a death sentence.
"See anything, son?" Hubert called up from below, and Alex slid down the mast to the ground.
"Nothing," Alex said, catching himself on the deck and letting go to stand beside Hubert. "We''re going to be at Glory Plateau soon, though. The light trail is about as wide as the ship now."
"Good, we can get some drinks together before you leave us."
Hubert was a short, squat, and stout fellow, a man as red in the face as the setting sun. Alex had known Hubert for only as long as the trip from Tombstone, but the man was reliable, and Alex liked him.
"On you?" Alex asked, smirking as they walked over to the rails.
"Split it."
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Bells ran up and down the ship. Ahead of the ship, Alex could see the bright white light of the island. He held up a hand to shade his eyes but quickly looked away so he wouldn''t go blind. Entry into any island''s bubble was like flying directly into a star. The light they gave off washed out the darkness of the nightsea, though they gave off no heat.
"Brace!"
The yell came up and down the ship, and Alex grabbed hold of the railing.
Boom. Pop.
The deck shook beneath them momentarily before the pop of passing out of the nightsea and into the island burst through the air. Alex opened his eyes and looked all around him. Dark blue water stretched around the ship as they sailed through the sky. Hubert elbowed Alex in the side as he looked around the water.
"There it is. Glory Plateau."
In the distance, a massive stone structure rose from the water. At first, Alex thought it might have been a mountain, or as the island was named, a plateau that reached into the clouds. However, as they grew closer and closer to the structure, Alex could see that it wasn''t a natural formation.
Like the idealized Roman Coliseum he had seen time and time again in history books and movies, a circular construction rose in rings, covering most of the visible island in front of him and rising high up into the sky. Curved arches, balconies, and other ornate structures came off of it, and he knew immediately that it hadn''t been built with human hands. Someone had used an island core to form that structure.
"Can you believe people live in that thing?" Hubert asked beside him. "The higher up they are, the richer they are."
"Their homes are in it?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, yes, but no," Hubert said, shaking his head. "I''ve only ever been on the outside, where they have a few places for travelers, but each layer is like a city on itself, all built around the arena."
He held up his fingers in a circle and drew a circle around that with his free hand''s finger.
"The center is an arena where everyone goes to watch the fights every day. The outside has peoples'' homes, shops, and everything else."
"For every level." Alex whistled as he looked up at the towering structure. "You ever see one of the fights?"
"I did." Hubert shook his head, stepping away from the rail and rubbing at his balding head. "Brutal thing. They make prisoners fight for entertainment. Always to the death. Whether they are fighting beasts or each other."
"Prisoners?"
"People who break laws on the island. Make sure you don''t do anything to draw attention to yourself while you''re here, Alex. Wouldn''t want to see you stuck in that arena fighting for your freedom."
The structure''s shadow fell over the ship, and a chill ran up Alex''s arms. Ahead, he could see the docks and several circular platforms that went out into the water and rose to the sky. The size of the structure dwarfed them, but there were more here than there had been in Tombstone.
"Well, islands are as they are," Hubert said, shrugging his shoulders. "Talking about it won''t help. Let''s get to work so we can go have that drink."
They set to work as the ship approached one of the docks, hovering in the air as it was attached to the platform. For a ship as large as the Night Queen, it took over an hour for the entire docking process to finish, checks to be completed, and payouts to be made. As day turned to night, Hubert and Alex went to find a bar to have the promised drink, along with many of the other deckhands on the ship.
Alex had to admit it was a good time. As he held his glass of rum across the table from Hubert, he couldn''t help but smile. Hubert grabbed the bottle between them and refilled his glass.
"The Black Turtle makes the best drink you can find." He hiccuped as he poured another glass, setting the bottle on the table with a heavy thud afterward. "It''s amazing you can find it at almost every port you go to."
The bottle had the same label Alex had seen in the saloon on Dry Gulch. The label did get around the nightsea. Some products and companies had a wide-ranging reach throughout all the islands. The Black Turtle brand was one of them, specifically in the alcohol trade.
"You''ll have to get back soon." Alex raised his glass, and Hubert toasted him. "To good sailing."
"To good sailing," Hubert said, taking the drink in one swig.
He was redder in the face than when they had started drinking. Alex wished he could get drunk like that still. Ever since the lab, his body just processed through the alcohol too quickly to get drunk. He finished his current glass and then set down the glass on the table. Together, they left the bar, Alex walking with Hubert to ensure the man returned to the ship.
"Keep an eye out," Hubert said as he stumbled back and forth down the lantern-lit road. "The outskirts of the city are always the most dangerous."
Alex had seen that, both when they were coming to the bar and again now when they were going back to the ship. Men, women, and even children huddled around cobbled-together hovels and tents up and down the dirt road traversing Glory Plateau''s outskirts. From what Hubert had told him, those outside the arena were the poorest of the poor and often the most desperate.
Some were beggars, some sold trinkets, and some did other things entirely, but all the people who lived on the outskirts were fighting to survive. Beyond the few businesses that catered to people passing through the port, there was little that so many people could do to make a living.
Hungry eyes stared at them as they walked, and Alex kept his staff visible in his right hand. He didn''t need to fight someone. He was just trying to survive, so he made sure that anyone who looked over at them would see someone they didn''t want to mess with.
"Give me a moment, son." Hubert stopped at a half-broken fence post and bent over, breathing heavily.
"You feeling your drink?" Alex asked, stopping and leaning against part of the fence with his staff leaning on his shoulder.
"Shut up," Hubert said as he dry heaved toward the ground. "Not all of us are young."
Alex didn''t correct him; instead, he focused on the area around him. In a nearby tent, an old man was huddled next to a fire, rubbing his hands to keep warm. There was some movement in the distant shadows, but no one approached.
"Okay!" Hubert rose, taking a deep breath. "I can make it a little more."
"Stop! Thief!"
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
A woman ran toward them from down the dirt road, her dark green cloak fluttering behind her. She held a bag, and an older man in a worker''s smock ran after her. As they ran, the older man fell face-first into the dirt, and to Alex, it looked like she would get away. He resigned himself to do nothing as she ran closer to them. It wasn''t his business, after all.
"Woah there, missy," Hubert interjected himself in front of her, and they both tumbled to the ground in the resulting crash.
Alex shook his head. In Hubert''s drunken state, he was more of a liability than anything else, but Alex stood up from the fence to help him out. As much as he didn''t want to get involved, he also wanted to ensure Hubert returned to the ship.
Vrrm. Thwoop. Thwoop. Click.
As he reached down to help Hubert up, he heard it. From above came the hum of engines and blades, which sounded like a helicopter. In the darkness of the night and the shadow of the plateau, a beam of light shone down, illuminating both Hubert and the woman.
"STOP. LAWBREAKERS." A mechanical voice droned from above. "JUDGEMENT COMMENCING."
"There you go, lass." Hubert had helped himself up. "Looks like you''re going to the arena. Crime being crime and all that."
"JUDGEMENT REACHED." The drone''s light focused into two cones, one of which followed Hubert as he started walking back toward Alex.
"Wait!" Even in his drunken state, Hubert noticed something was wrong, waving his arms at the light. "I ain''t done anything. I''m not with her!"
"SENTENCE!" The drone''s voice was unyielding. "ENTERTAINMENT!"
Hubert looked to Alex, the color draining from his face as tears ran down his eyes. Alex sighed. There was a chance when he came here that he would be in the same situation. However, that was going to be after he gathered more information about the island. Granted, the plateau itself already told him that there was an accessible island core somewhere on the island, and if it were going to be anywhere, it would be where all the rich people were.
The drone''s light grew brighter as Hubert and the prone thief were enveloped by the bright light. Alex sighed again, leaning forward and taking in a deep breath. It would be tight, so he needed to be sure of the timing.
"DO NOT RESIST."
"Step."
At the last moment, Alex charged. He disappeared before he reappeared right next to Hubert. It was like he had taken a thousand steps, all compressed into one second. He pushed Hubert hard and out of the light as it consumed himself and the thief, transporting them away from the dirt road and into darkness.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 22 | Labyrinth
Alex stood in darkness. Not a single speck of light lit the area around him. Looking around, he couldn''t tell if his eyes were open or closed. Only the sound of breathing, quick and labored, remained.
His chest burned as he heaved in and out. It was like he was instantly taken from sea level to the top of a mountain. The air felt dangerously thin. Except, that wasn''t entirely true. He wasn''t suffocating. Something was missing in the air that was usually there. Something he had grown so used to since coming to the nightsea.
"Shades." A woman''s voice hissed beside him, and he assumed it was the captured thief. "There''s no aether here."
That was it. Aether was something that was in every part of the islands in the nightsea. Everything was infused with aether, from rock and stone to trees and animals. It made everything more resilient than it should be. It powered things like Alex''s Path of Step, allowing him to move short distances quickly. Aether even flowed out in the nightsea, forming trails of light that went between islands.
Yet, wherever they were, there was no aether to be found.
Alex reached out his hand and felt cold stone beneath his fingers. His hand grew colder and colder as he touched it, like the stone was leeching away the heat of his body. A slow, dull pain prickled across his skin, and he realized the problem. The stone ate away at the aether as well.
"What the hell did they make this out of?" Alex wondered and heard the woman scuffle across the ground at his voice.
"Who''s there?"
"The person you got caught up in all this," Alex grumbled, tapping his staff against the ground until it hit the wall.
The stone surrounded them, but he had to figure out what the room looked like. He opened his gate inside his chest, but it didn''t respond. He closed his eyes and focused, but the gate remained closed. Even his curse needed aether, not that he ever had the opportunity to test that during his time on the nightsea. It had always just worked.
He heard the woman shuffling away, attempting to be quiet, but he wasn''t about to let that happen.
He reached out and grabbed toward the sound, finding what he thought was a wrist or ankle, and dragged it toward him. He couldn''t see her in the darkness, but she gasped, and something hit him hard across the chest. Alex grunted but didn''t let go. He was going to get some answers, one way or another.
Slap.
"Stop fighting," Alex said as the echo of her slap rang out in the room around him. "I''m not going to hurt you, but I won''t let go either. You got me stuck in this situation, so we''ll help each other get out of it."
"I don''t want to get out," she said but stopped hitting him. "My plan was working fine. If your friend hadn''t stopped me, I would have been caught, and you wouldn''t be here."
So, she had seen what happened. Alex nodded but didn''t let go of her wrist. Not that she could see him, same as he couldn''t see her. All in all, neither was in a good situation when reading the other person.
"Why would you want to be here?" Alex asked.
"None of your business."
Fair. Alex had to give her that. It was indeed not his business. At least, it wasn''t until he had stepped in to save Hubert. Now, it was his business. He sighed but didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t force her to tell him if she didn''t want to.
"You have a light?" he asked.
"I might if you let me go."
Alex tightened his grip on his staff, debating what to do. If he let her go, she might try to run off again. He was reasonably confident he could catch her, deprived of aether or not. He wasn''t a slouch regarding physical strength or speed, so he thought he could catch her if she ran.
"Alright," Alex said, letting go of her wrist.
The only sound he could hear was breathing and her sifting through something, probably a sack or bag he hadn''t seen. He heard her set something on the ground and take something else out of the bag.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. Fwoosh.
Alex had thought to cover his eyes an instant too late. Sparks on the ground caught the torch alight, and an orange flash cut through the darkness. Spots speckled across his sight as he brought up his arm between himself and the torch.
"Aah!" Both of them cried out at the same moment.
"Stupid darkness," the woman said as Alex waited for his eyes to adjust to the world around him.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
The orange light from the torched seemed to dim as the woman raised it, and Alex guessed that the walls were absorbing the heat and light of the torch much the same way he thought they absorbed aether. Whoever had designed the room around them had to have been diabolical. It made whatever they were in the perfect prison to keep anyone in, powerful or not.
"It''s a maze," the woman said beside him, and Alex looked down at her. "A maze beneath the arena that holds all the fighters before they get called up. The only way to get in is to get caught doing a crime. The only way out is to win your fights."
She had taken the hood off her green cloak, and he could see her at least dimly in the torch''s light for the first time. She was pale-skinned, and her face was covered in dark freckles. Her short black hair was messy. Dark green eyes stared up at him as she also looked him over.
"I''m Alex." Alex nodded at her.
"Erin," she said.
Alex felt like he recognized her, but he didn''t know where from. He pushed the thought aside. It didn''t matter right now. Thanks to her antics, he was stuck in a maze that leeched at the only things he knew could get him out of tight situations. All that mattered was getting out and gathering information about Glory Plateau.
"So, it''s a maze?" Alex asked. "That means there''s an exit?"
"No one''s ever found it." Erin shrugged, holding the light forward.
Alex could see a turn along the flat wall ahead, the light casting shadows at an angle down it. Erin didn''t move forward first but held out her torch to light the way. The intention was clear: he would lead the way.
"Alright, I get it." Alex sighed, stepping forward. "Just make sure to keep it close. I don''t know what''s out there."
"Neither do I," Erin said but kept close behind him.
They crept down the hallways slowly, and it felt like hours of exploration. Time and time again, the hallways cut left and right, each time at a perfectly cut right angle. The entire thing was like a massive square maze puzzle, and Alex had to stop and think about it.
"What is it?" The torch was dimmer than before as Erin came up next to him.
"I don''t think just wandering it is going to work," Alex said, looking at the torch. "And it looks like we''re about to do this in the dark unless you have another one of those."
"Only two more." Erin shook her head.
"I thought you were ready for this?" Alex grinned.
"Shut it." She frowned at him. "So what''s your plan?"
Alex looked around him again, but all he could see were advancing shadows as the torch grew dimmer and dimmer. Again, he thought about the maze puzzle he saw as a kid in papers and on the back of cereal boxes.
"So." He sighed. "What we do is follow one wall, and no matter what, we don''t leave that wall. Assuming this is a static maze, eventually, we will go through all of it. Light or no, it will take us through the entire maze, and if there''s an exit, we''ll hit it eventually."
"And starve to death along the way." Erin shook her head. "The arena is as big as most of the island, and we''re right underneath it."
Alex had to admit, she had a point. Due to what had happened to him in the lab, he could go longer without eating than most people. However, he wasn''t alone, and even he would eventually drop dead from hunger or thirst.
"Randomly choosing won''t work either," Alex said.
If only he had access to his gate, he could at least sense the magnetic fields around them. Everything gave off a magnetic field of some kind, and it would let him see in the darkness and around corners as they walked. However, without aether, his gate remained closed.
Thump.
Something fell hard in the distance, and Erin turned the torch behind them. The dim light did nothing to illuminate the further parts of the hall. Her breath quickened, and Alex closed his eyes to listen, ignoring both of their breathing as he tried to understand what was out there.
Thump.
Something hit against the stone in the distance again. Alex opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He had an idea. It might have been an incredibly stupid idea, but it was better than any of the options they had right now.
He picked up his staff and tapped it against the stone floor.
Knock.
"What are you doing?" Erin hissed in a whisper.
"Trying something." Alex shrugged his shoulders.
Thump. Thump.
Knock. Knock.
Alex replied immediately to the sound as it gave two thumps in a row. Someone or something out in the maze was trying to communicate, and he was willing to give it a shot. He could see Erin''s face go a ghostly pale as she looked between him and the end of the hall.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Alex started forward toward the source of the sound without thinking. It hadn''t seemed to move closer, so he thought that maybe it couldn''t. The torchlight faded behind him momentarily as he walked out of the dim orange light.
"Wait, where are you going?" Erin whispered after him before the light came closer behind him. "You don''t know what that is. It could be a monster!"
"Maybe." Alex stopped and waited for her to catch up. "But it is something down here. Anything is better than just waiting around in the dark."
He started off again before she could object, and he could hear her walking after him, her boots clapping against the ground fast to keep up with his stride. She managed to keep him at the edge of the torchlight so he could only barely peer ahead as he knocked on occasion and listened for the return thumps. After some time, the thumps grew loud enough that he could guess how far ahead they were, and he quickened his pace down the hall.
If he focused, he could hear talking echoing down the walls. The voice was muffled, and he assumed that the walls consumed sound much like they consumed everything else. The more he learned about the maze, the more sure he was someone with an island core constructed it. No naturally occurring rock he could think of had all of these properties. He was sure the lab he had escaped from on August would have been built out of it if there was.
"Brother, you must hang on," he heard a man crying in the hall before him and stopped, letting Erin catch up. "Someone is coming. Just hang on."
As Erin came up behind him, her torchlight pushed back the shadows of the maze, and two men were revealed next to a wall in a bend. One knelt over the other, dressed in a deep blue robe that covered him from head to ankles. Much of the robe was soaked dark purple with blood. Beside him was a long sword that started straight and then curved outward like a backward sickle. Alex had seen something like it before in his old world history classes. It was like an Egyptian khopesh, even having a hooked end on the back of the sword. As the light came over man, the man looked up to Alex and Erin, tears running down his eyes and snot falling into his bushy black beard.
"Please, help him!"
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 23 | Wager
Lucien shook his head as he watched the battle finish. An ice dragon, and it had taken ten men to take it down. Only one had truly survived it, and it had been the one that had beaten every fight in the arena so far. ''Sword Saint'' Sayed. Lucien pushed a lock of his long white hair out of his face. Not even a worthy opponent.
"Weaklings," he whispered as he looked through the glass and down at the dragon''s corpse below.
"Oh, don''t be harsh, Lucien," the corpulent organizer of the fights spoke up from where he lay behind Lucien.
Lucien sighed before turning back to the abomination of a man. He was larger than any man should be and was more fat than man. Lucien risked corruption just by looking at the balding man. He lounged on an oversized couch, one hand propping up his rounded, completely hairless head while the other picked up a bunch of grapes and slavered it into his mouth. He devoured the grapes in one gulp, pulling out the woody vines with sickening pop after sickening pop.
"You promised me a worthy opponent," Lucien said, flexing his fingers.
"And you will have one when they reach the pinnacle. They are merely dregs now, but the arena will mold them into the strongest you have ever seen. They will be pushed and grow, only to be plucked," the man paused, licking his lips, "by your glorious fingers."
It took every fiber in Lucien''s being not to kill the man. He grasped his right wrist with his left hand as power gathered in it, and his gate opened on its own in his chest. His curse hungered, but Gulantry was not a meal that would nourish it. Lucien forced his breath in and out until his gate closed.
"Oh, be still my beating heart." Gulantry fell back with mock abandon, his couch creaking under his weight. "Be patient. You will have the fight you desire before the end of this round of ascension."
"You better not disappoint me," Lucien said, again looking down below at the dragon''s corpse.
From the stands, people jumped down on the arena¡¯s floor. They came from the lowest levels because the lowest levels housed the poorest in society. In small groups, they began to harvest the dragon, taking out axes and knives and carrying away parts in bags. Lucien smirked.
"The struggle to survive," he whispered as he looked down on the peasants below.
"Oh, Lucien," Gulantry said from behind him, and Lucien turned to see the man''s couch hovering through the air halfway between them. "I have a meeting with some of my best patrons. It would be...a blessing if you would come and show them what they could wage their fortunes on as the fights progress."
Lucien narrowed his eyes at Gulantry and sighed. He had no desire to meet anyone who wasn''t strong enough to give him a proper battle, and he doubted the weaklings that bet on the fights were worth his time. However, Gulantry was the one who afforded him this opportunity, and to turn the corpulent man down would offend.
Lucien nodded, and Gulantry clapped his hands, his couch turning around in the air and lifting him to the opposite side of the room. The entire place was full of seats and cushions, with mounds of food stacked on tables across the room. Gulantry''s couch dropped on one corner of the room, and Lucien sat on one of the nearest chairs, holding his hands on his knees to keep them occupied as he waited.
"Ah, the screens.¡± Gulantry snapped his fingers, and several blue squares appeared in the air around them.
Shadowed figures looked down through the screens, and Lucien sat as still as a statue as he kept his eyes forward. He carefully composed his face into an unfeeling and blank mask to give nothing away in the meeting.
"It is good to see you all.¡± Gulantry flourished with one hand across all the screens. "May your wagers ever be profitable."
"May our wagers ever be profitable," the shadowed screens said in chorus.
"Now to business.¡± Gulantry leaned forward. "As you can see from the last fight, we have quite the contender in the Sword Saint. He alone was able to take down that vicious dragon. What would you all suggest as the next challenge for him?"
Lucien narrowed his eyes. That was a lie. The man had only survived because he had fought with so many other competitors. The ice dragon was starved and weaker than it should have been. Gulantry was running a fraud by the men on the screens. Lucien thought back to what Gulantry had told him the first time he had sent an invitation to come to Glory Plateau.
The house won ten percent of all bets, regardless of who won or lost. If some of the men were smart, they would bet high against the ''Sword Saint'' in the next bout and hope to win a large sum. Some of the more weak-minded men would then also bet on the ''Sword Saint,'' hoping to win the more considerable sums. Lucien had to admit it was a good con, but he had no patience for such underhanded tactics.
Images flashed across the screens as each of the men submitted their suggestions. Lucien was able to catch a few, but none of them looked particularly interesting to him. They all would be easy foes to beat for him. Not a single one could bring him close to the glorious euphoria that a dance with actual death could bring. That was the only true reason to fight.
"Oh.¡± Gulantry looked through the provided images on another set of screens that appeared near his hands. "So many exotic options. Good thing I can have any of them in stock in moments."
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Why not a prey that is worthy of such an excellent fighter if you are so right?¡± Lucien smiled with one side of his mouth, reaching up and pushing his long white hair behind his ears. "Surely, if this ''Sword Saint'' did so well against the dragon, he deserves a real challenge."
Across the shadowed screens, the men murmured, and Lucien assumed they had noticed him for the first time. They were so caught up in their greed that they had failed to even assess the room. If they had been in the same room, he might have taken one of their heads to serve as an example. Alas, he could not just take Gulantry''s head- not yet, at least.
"Who is this man?" One of the shadows leaned forward in his screen.
"A former Apostle," Gulantry said and quickly kept going. "He is interested in the fights, much the same as all of you, but not for monetary gain. He desires to fight the strongest of my arena to test his strength and will serve as the final challenge for whoever reaches the top."
There were more mumbles from behind the screens, but Lucien ignored them. He was not some cowering dog in the face of these men. No, he stood up from his seat and walked over to the screens so they could see him clearly.
"What every being strives for is an ultimate challenge. A fight to the death where only the strongest can survive. I say that this ''Sword Saint'' might have bested Gulantry''s dragon, but how would he fare against a far stronger foe? How would he fare against a nightshade?"
The talking fell to the silence as Lucien looked from screen to screen. All the men knew what he spoke, so they had some influence and power on their own islands. Nightshades were creatures that dwelt deep in the mists. Not the normal mistwalkers that came out when a rift in the Veil opened, but the true predators of that realm. Entire armies had fallen to keep them away from cities in the early days of Erth. Lucian knew from experience how ferocious a nightshade was.
"Ah, a jest.¡± Gulantry laughed, looking up from his screen. "A nightshade is not something that I could bring out. The light of the day itself and the lack of mist would dissipate it instantly."
"Even if we could bring one to bear, there would be nothing to bet on," one of the images spoke in a monotone voice. "A nightshade would easily win, even if we sent in a hundred prisoners. It would be more interesting to send in something a little stronger than the dragon to test their might. There would be more profit to be made that way."
Lucien''s gate opened again, and he didn''t let it close this time. A dark red mist began to rise around his body, and wails echoed out into the room. Gulantry immediately fell back on his couch, the legs creaking as they broke, and he tumbled backward on the floor. The men in the monitors gasped though they were outside Lucien''s reach.
Ba-boom. Ba-boom.
In the darkness behind Lucien, the sound of a creature approached. From the mist, an alabaster-colored clawed arm shot out, slamming into the nearest chair and shattering it in a hail of splinters. Lucien took in a deep breath, closing his gate and letting the arm dissipate into particles of dark mist before all of it was sucked back into his own body.
"Merely place me in the room, and I can bring out such a creature," Lucien said, looking across the screens. "Though, if I must admit, one of you was right. At his current strength, a nightshade would win far too easily. There would be no struggle to survive. There would not even be time to despair. Perhaps we should save it for a later fight."
Gulantry lay on the floor, and Lucien pointedly walked back over to his seat and sat down again. He couldn''t help but smile. Now, the men on the screens knew the true stakes. They knew that in the end, he would win. Everything else before that was just an appetizer before the main course.
"So.¡± Gulantry pushed himself up on one knee after a few moments and with a few grunts of effort. "What should the next fight be then, gentlemen?"
No one spoke as Gulantry plopped himself back onto his couch with a massive creak. Gulantry went back to going through the images of various creatures. Lucien kept his eye on the screen but again saw nothing of interest.
"I have a proposal," a woman spoke this time, and Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"Go on.¡± Gulantry stopped perusing the images. "The more suggestions, the better."
"Why not pit them against each other this round," the woman said. "What better way to thin out the herd and ensure that only the strongest are left? Place as many as you can into the arena and give them a time limit. They are to kill each other until only one remains or the time limit is up. We can place bets on the number of survivors."
"And how many shall participate then?" a man asked from a different screen. "How many prisoners do you have down below Gulantry?"
"Almost one hundred, but most would not be suitable for a fight," Gulantry said, rubbing his corpulent chin as he looked over a screen. "I think that around twenty of them would give a good fight. The way I normally call them into the arena would also allow for a few more. I like willing fighters more than unwilling ones."
"True," the woman said. "Cowards that just piss themselves aren''t worth watching."
Lucien had to agree with that. There was no point in killing the weak. The more equal the match-up, the more chance that both the fighters would experience the ecstasy of fighting for their life. Without the possibility of defeat, it would simply be too easy, and neither would ever reach that height.
"But where is the drama in that?" another screen asked. "Imagine how they would fight if they had the weak among them to defend. Imagine how they would cry when they fail. Think of the suffering that would cause."
Lucien looked up at that voice, and the shadowed figure on the screen tilted back and began to laugh. Lucien would not object, but he did not think the weak were worth fighting. It would mar the joy of the fight, but if he was honest, Gulantry had already done that with his mere presence.
"Ho," Gulantry said, looking over at his screen. "Indeed, it would be interesting. It would give all of them the motivation to fight. There are camps down below where they gather. Brother against brother. Friend against friend. It has a certain drama to it. Indeed, we will make a large arena and randomly distribute the fighters."
Lucien frowned. Whoever survived had better be strong. If they weren''t, he would torture Gulantry before he killed the man. That would be his compensation for how this arrangement mocked the real purpose of battle. There was no struggle in a fight against the weak.
"Then it is decided," Gulantry said. "I will prepare a suitable arena for tomorrow''s bout, and it will be a free-for-all with an hour time limit. Whoever among the prisoners survives will be deemed worthy to go forward in the greater fights. If they are strong enough, they might even be able to face Lucien''s nightshade next."
Lucien''s lips curled up in a smile. The fight would indeed be worth it if it brought him fighters closer to his own strength. They might even stand a chance if the strongest from the fight were pitted against his nightshade.
"Place your bets tonight, and may the results ever be profitable," Gulantry raised his hand before dismissing the screens.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 24 | Lying Swordsman
Erin ran toward the injured man without a second thought. Despite everything she had planned. Despite how hard she had worked to get to Glory Plateau and get herself caught, she couldn''t just leave an injured man lying on the ground. Every instinct in her knew that she shouldn''t get involved. She could have used the distraction as an opportunity to sneak away. However, the man just had to be injured.
"Hold him still," Erin said, kneeling next to the crying giant of a man. "Keep him on the ground. Don''t pick him up."
The crying man beside her did as she asked, placing his hands on the injured man''s shoulders as Erin looked him over. Erin examined the man quickly. He was dressed in a tattered dark cloak, and his armor was cut in several places with holes about five centimeters in width and with a centimeter between them. Blood should have been seeping out of the wounds, but instead, the wounds were ice cold to the touch, and flakes of frozen dark blood stuck to her fingers as she took them away from the wound.
"We need to get the armor off," Erin said, reaching into her cloak''s pocket and pulling out a short black dagger. "Hold this."
She held up the torch, and Alex took it. They wouldn''t have much longer in the torchlight, and every second counted. With just a few quick movements, she cut through the clasps that held the armor together and the man''s undershirt beneath. Without a moment''s hesitation, she ripped off the armor and shirt and let them fall on the ground behind her.
"Give me your robes.¡± She turned to the man who had been crying.
"My robes?" He looked back at her, confused.
"Do you want this man to survive or not?"
The man looked at her with a moment of doubt but then pulled away the cloth that tied his robes together. A solid muscular form was hidden beneath those robes, and the man handed them over to her while he wrapped the blue cloth that had held the robes to him around his hand.
"Bring the torch closer."
Alex brought down the dim orange light of the torch as Erin searched over the wounded man''s body. There were four wounds in total across the man''s chest and lower stomach. The skin around the wounds was black in a circular radius, and the man''s entire body felt cold to the touch. To her, it looked like a massive beast bit him and then suffered a case of frostbite around the rooms.
"What did this to him?" she asked the crying man beside her as she started cutting his robes into strips of cloth with her knife.
"An ice dragon," the man said. "We were the only two to survive the fight. This island cares nothing for the prisoners who fight in it. "
"How long have you been here?" Alex asked.
Erin set about her work, their conversation forming a background in her mind as she put pressure on the wounds with her hands and bound them tightly. She didn''t have the tools to care for the man properly. She hadn''t expected to have to worry about doing any treatments. She was only here to find a man and break him out. Combine that with being unable to access her curse due to the lack of aether in the maze, and she didn''t think the injured man would survive.
"Twenty-nine combats," the man answered.
Erin paused from her work and looked at him. The now half-naked dark man seemed so tired after saying those words. Deep dark bags marked his eyes, and she realized what he meant. Almost one month of fighting in the arena. One fight per day.
"You are both new?" the man asked, looking between Alex and Erin as she worked.
"Yeah, I''m Alex."
"Erin," Erin kept her focus on binding the bandages tight.
"I am Sayed. I wish it were better circumstances that we could meet in, brothers."
The man was breathing, but it was too shallow. She closed her eyes and began to feel for a pulse on his neck, but the heartbeat was so faint that she kept losing track of the count. She knew he wouldn''t make it, but she also knew there was nothing she could do that she hadn''t already done.
"How do you know him?" Erin asked, looking up at Sayed.
"We just met in the arena today," Sayed said, looking down at the man, and she could see tears welling in his eyes. "But we are brothers in adversity nonetheless. What do you say? Did you help him?"
Erin looked down at the man and looked back up to Sayed. "Does he have a name?"
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"Not that I know. I only know he is a brother."
"Well, if he can wake up, he might be able to tell us, but I don''t think he''ll wake up. The only reason he''s even breathing right now is that his blood froze on the surface of his skin. Once it melts, he''ll bleed out internally."
"No." Tears fell down Sayed''s cheeks as he looked down at the man. "Is there nothing to be done?"
"Not without aether," Erin said, standing up from the ground and knocking the dirt off her pants.
She looked down as Sayed knelt beside the man and picked him up. If she had only finished her studies back at the Coven, she might have been able to help him. However, that was in another time, on another dying world.
"You know about medicine?" Alex asked her, holding out the torch.
"A little," Erin said, taking the torch. "My people taught me a lot before I quit studying the healing arts. If it weren''t for this maze, I could have done more for him, though it might not have been enough to save him."
"A curse?" Alex asked.
"Yeah."
"This place feels like it''s on the top of a mountain," Alex said. "The walls seem to eat away at the ambient aether. I tried opening my gate earlier, but there was nothing."
Erin raised an eyebrow. Not everyone across the nightsea was cursed, but having them both be cursed and meeting each other wasn''t an everyday occurrence. She started to ask what he could do, but Sayed spoke up before she could.
"If you are both new to this island, I will show you to a safe place down here," Sayed said, walking past them and carrying the dying man in his arms. "Please, help me carry my weapons, and I will take you to my camp."
Alex looked at her and shrugged before picking up the man''s sword and a silvered gauntlet from the ground. Together, they followed the odd man down the hallway. Erin had no idea what would happen, but they at least had a lead.
Sayed led them down the hallways, though he occasionally had to stop to put his ear to the wall. He would listen for a few moments before moving on again. Erin shared a look with Alex as they walked. He clearly had a method. That, or he was leading them into a trap. She was very aware of that possibility.
"What are you listening for?" Alex asked when Sayed stopped again.
"There is a flow of air near the stone," Sayed said, closing his eyes to listen again. "When you place your ear close to the stone, you can feel it. Follow it up, and you will reach our camp on the higher floors."
It was such a small detail, but she hadn''t thought to look for it. Alex had a look of surprise on his face as well. She guessed there was something to be said for knowing the maze for over a month. She only hoped she wouldn''t have to spend that long down there.
They walked for what seemed like hours, but it was impossible to tell. There was no way to mark the days without any light beyond the torch, with the walls dampening sounds around them, and with no sense of the outside world. Erin could see why Sayed had said how many fights he had instead.
"We''re almost there," Sayed said as they turned another corner.
Several orange torch lights lit the area around that corner, though Erin couldn''t see it until after she crossed past the wall. Three people in total huddled around a single torch in the hall. Sayed ran ahead of them to the people, all dressed in rags, and sat the injured man in front of them. They all came forward to look at the man. Erin stayed back, and Alex stayed with her as they watched.
"Who is he?" a young boy asked, looking up at Sayed.
"A brave warrior," Sayed said, patting the boy on the shoulder as he stood up. "Let me tell you the tale of today''s fight so you may understand the glory this man brought onto all of us who have to live below."
Erin''s torch went out as Sayed walked to the edge of the camp''s torchlight. He raised both arms, and his shadowed figure made him appear large and menacing. The youngest member of the camp, a boy, gasped as he began the tale.
"Many mighty warriors were called to fight in the arena today to show the people of the plateau what strength looks like," Sayed said. "All were brave warriors drawn to this island from the nightsea. Today, we faced a great ice dragon!"
He stomped around the small space, and the young boy whispered to the elderly man behind him. The elderly man watched knowingly, a grim smile on his face. He had to know that not many would survive such a beast.
"We stood in the stadium as the great ice dragon descended from above. Some men cried out in anguish as the shadow of the dragon''s wings enveloped them. Others fell to their knees. However, this man stood tall against the dragon. He drew his daggers and roared defiantly to even the dragon''s cries."
The boy gasped and looked down at the prone injured man. The child''s eyes seemed to glow as his imagination took hold. Erin had heard similar stories as a child, and she let a smirk crack her face as Sayed continued.
"All his comrades fell around him until only he and I remained in the arena. We thought all was lost. We thought that the dragon would gobble up us both. The dragon''s scales were like steel and deflected our attacks. Its teeth were like daggers that cut through any armor. Even I thought that we should give up. We should retreat and find another way. Perhaps the lords of the arena would see fit to give us mercy."
"No," the boy wailed.
"Yes!" Sayed said. "It was only because of this man''s words that I could recollect myself and remember the great warrior I should be. He told me we had to stand and fight for all the fallen. If we did not, we would sully their sacrifice to defeat the dragon."
With bated breath, his audience of three waited for him to finish the story. Throughout it all, Erin knew it wasn''t true. She had no idea why Sayed would lie to everyone around him, but it was just a story.
"So, we stood together and charged the dragon. It came for us both with its claws and teeth, as such an evil creature is wont to do. This man did the unthinkable in that moment. As the dragon tried to bite down on me, he pushed me out of the way to take the blow for himself. I mourned him in that moment, but it gave me the opening I needed to defeat the dragon. With his sacrifice on my heart, I cut into the dragon''s chest with my blade and killed it. This man here is the reason I return to you all now. He should be treated like a king as he takes his rest."
A cheer jumped from the boy''s mouth, and he moved closer to the prone man. The man didn''t move, and he wasn''t conscious. Erin knew he probably wouldn''t wake up. Sayed had lied to make that boy believe a dying man was a great hero, and she had no idea why.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 25 | Truth to Lie
Sayed stepped away from his story and toward where Alex and Erin stood. Shocked wasn''t the right word to describe Alex''s feelings when he heard the story, but it was the closest. Sayed had spun a story for the three men, and they had listened to his every word. It must have been a daily occurrence. After every fight, Sayed would tell the story of the fight to those who stayed behind in the maze. Alex had so many questions.
"Saint, wait." A man dressed like Sayed had been before came forward and bowed to Sayed.
"Yes, Abed," Sayed said as he turned to him, smiling.
"Your robes, Saint. What has happened?"
"There is nothing to worry about," Sayed said. "I gave them up so that we could help that man. I will do what I can with what I find. Such is a small price to pay to honor such a brave warrior."
Sayed currently just wore a loose-fitting cloth around his groin. In Alex''s eyes, Sayed was a lifelong fighter. Scars covered his skin across his chest and down his legs. However, there was only one single long scar down his back.
Abed frowned at the answer but bowed and returned to the two other prisoners. Sayed again came toward them, a broad smile on his face. He bowed to them before rising to introduce himself.
"While we have met, it was not in the best circumstances. I am Sayed. In this world, I am known as ''Sword Saint'' Sayed."
"I thought I recognized you," Alex said, nodding as he thought back to the various posters he always saw plastered across towns. "I''ve seen your poster before."
"Yes.¡± Sayed nodded back. "I am wanted by the authorities of this world. All for the simple crime of wanting people to be free."
"My full name is Alexander Ortega.¡± Alex held out his hand. "I''m also wanted by the Military Police. They call me ''Tin Man'' Ortega, but call me Alex."
Sayed clasped his hand, and they shook hands. Sayed''s grip was firm, but it wasn''t crushing. They met eyes, and Alex already knew he would like Sayed. He smiled as they let go, and both turned to Erin.
"Erin, as before," she said, not looking either of them in the eye. "Just Erin."
Silence filled the air around them, but Alex wouldn''t push. You couldn''t force people to say things they didn''t want to tell you. You could try. Torture was one way. But it wasn''t right to push when another person didn''t want to say.
"So.¡± Sayed broke the silence. "You are both new to the island or at least new to this arena. You are welcome to my camp and can stay safe from the fights above. I volunteer for every fight here so the most vulnerable can be safe."
"That''s why you fought every day," Alex said. "For the last month."
"It is a burden one such as myself should bear." Sayed nodded. "For God has blessed me to be a fighter."
"That reminds me.¡± Alex held up the sword and the gauntlet, letting his staff fall against his shoulder. "These are yours."
"Thank you, my brother.¡± Sayed reached forward and took the sword and gauntlet before returning to the group. "Jack, can you please take these to my tent."
"Yes, sir." The boy with a mess of long black hair dressed in rags ran from the other two men, taking the sword and gauntlet before rushing back into the camp.
"On Hajh, he would have been an initiate," Sayed said. "I met him for the first time a month ago in the maze, asleep in what I think was his father''s arms. The father had died soon after coming here, as many do."
"The people who run this place don''t care much about who gets put down here."
"Far too true, brother," Sayed said. "The poor take the worst of it. That was why I came here to begin with. I was going to free them all. However, I did not know how the entire thing worked. It was only after I was captured that I found out how hard it is to escape from here. The only exit I have found is when going up to fight."
"Whoever set this up has access to a lot of power," Alex said, carefully not mentioning that he knew the source of that power.
He liked Sayed, but that didn''t mean he would spill all his secrets out in the open. Sayed seemed like the type of person who would honestly say whatever he thought despite how he had spun the story about the dragon earlier. However, there were too many unknowns to throw out everything he knew.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"What was with that story from earlier?" Erin asked. "You said yourself you didn''t even know that man, yet you lied about what happened in the fight, didn''t you? Why would you do that?"
"Ah," Sayed said, looking back at the small group of prisoners that had gathered around the unconscious man. "It is for a very simple reason. People often need a good lie to hope for a better day tomorrow. There are many harsh truths in the world, but we are blessed to be able to believe in lies so that they may one day become the truth."
"They dream of a better tomorrow, so you can make it better?" Alex asked.
"Something like that," Sayed said. "Everyone needs a good story, or, as you said, a lie, to help them be better. All I did was take the fight and make it a story to help those people sleep better tonight."
"What happens when they figure out it won''t get better?" Erin asked. "Lying isn''t going to help them when they see that they''re not getting out of here."
"By then, they will at least know not to dash the hopes of the young." Sayed turned back to them, smiling. "The old know that the young are the future. The old know to tell the story so the young may hope."
"You don''t ruin Santa for kids." Alex shrugged, but both of them looked back at him, confused. "Don''t worry about it."
"Is there anything you two wish to know about the maze or the fights?" Sayed asked. "You are newcomers, and I will not have you go into this world as blind as I did the first few nights."
"Are there other groups in the maze?" Erin asked.
"Several. We have met many of them," Sayed said. "We are at the highest point in the maze, and most people come here at some point. However, they don''t always survive to come here. Most choose not to stay, or they perish in the arena."
"Have you ever heard of a man calling himself Roald?" Erin asked. "He would be an old man and very secretive."
"Never," Sayed said, raising an eyebrow. "Is he a family member?"
"No." Erin frowned. "He might have gone by another name."
"When would he have gotten here?" Sayed asked.
"About half a year ago," she said. "We were hoping..."
She stopped. Alex wanted to hear more, but Erin looked down to avoid eye contact with either of them. Both Sayed and Alex waited, but Erin didn''t continue.
"How do they call you into the fights?" Alex asked.
"A white light appears near groups of people in the maze. If no one goes into it, it goes and takes them."
"Have they ever forced people in beyond that?" Alex asked.
"Only if no one takes on the fight," Sayed said. "In my time here, no light has ever just appeared above anyone."
"It makes it more of a choice," Alex whispered. "I imagine they want people who are willing to fight, not people who run."
"They do find that more entertaining," Sayed said, a grim smile cracking his face. "I''ve seen the crowd throw rocks and other things at those that run away."
"Hubert said something about it being for entertainment," Alex sighed. "If the people who watch are that wrapped up in it, that''ll make anything I want to do harder. I wanted to poke around more before I came into the arena."
"You wouldn''t have been able to," Sayed said. "The only way into the stands is through the maze. The rest of the people are born and die inside the structure."
"I know how they do it," Alex whispered, shaking his head.
Whoever ran the island used the island core to provide for everyone they wanted on the island. If there was a heavy stratification between the rich and the poor, then he probably didn''t even have to feed the whole island. The people of Glory Plateau were trapped in a cage, and anyone who fell out of line would be sent to die fighting for the entertainment of the people they ran from.
"I hate it," Alex said.
"Both of us do, brother," Sayed said, patting his shoulder firmly. "But for the moment, I can only fight. I can only protect those around me."
"What if you could do more?" Alex asked.
"More than being trapped here?" Erin said, shaking her head. "If Roald isn''t here, I need to get out myself."
"There is no escape from the maze." Sayed shook his head. "The only chance to even try is when fighting in the arena. The walls there are high, and there is always a fight before immediately being sent down below."
"But they call more than one person up," Alex said. "And it isn''t like down here up there, right?"
"You will feel stronger in the arena than down in the maze." Sayed waved at the walls around them. "There is a hunger in these walls that eats away at you. It draws away your strength and leaves you weak. Going into the arena is like a breath of fresh air."
"Which means aether," Erin said.
"Which means I can use my curse at least," Alex said, running his boot across the stone below him.
He would be able to sense weaknesses in the area around him then. He would also have access to his two paths. Alex smiled. The situation looked grim when he was first brought into the maze, but now it was looking up.
All in all, it wasn''t a great plan, but it was a start. If he went up the next day for the fight, he would be able to get a better sense of the situation. Once he did that, he could develop a plan and at least not be sent back to the arena. Unless the person operating the island core knew more about it than him, Alex was confident he could keep himself from being caught again. He cracked a smile.
"Do you know who is in charge of the fights?" Alex asked.
"A man named Gulantry." Sayed nodded. "He will watch the fights from a protected balcony. I have never seen it pierced by man or monster, but he enjoys watching the fights and rarely will not be there."
"Alright," Alex said. "This is something I can work with."
Sayed looked at him, and for a moment, Alex thought he saw disbelief on the man''s face. He didn''t have to speculate much to guess what he was thinking. When confronted with this situation, most people wouldn''t immediately react by thinking through the possibilities and developing a plan. They might go into shock or break down when a situation seems hopeless. That just wasn''t who Alex was.
If he were given a problem, his mind would not stop until he solved it. It was how he had escaped from the lab. It was how he had made it this far. He would not let himself be beaten without a fight. That was who Alex was at his core.
"So, my brothers." Sayed smiled, returning to his camp and beckoning them both to follow. "Let us eat together tonight so we can go into glorious battle tomorrow."
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 26 | Its About Family
Abed walked over to Sayed the second he was alone. The strangers had gone off on their own, inspecting the maze around the camp in the dim light of the camp''s torch, and Sayed was digging through his belongings, pulling out clothes, and examining them in the pale orange light.
"Saint, we must speak," Abed said in a hushed voice as he approached Sayed.
"About what, my brother?" Sayed''s voice, as ever, was far too loud for the situation.
"These outsiders you brought with you." Abed looked back at the two, but neither appeared to be listening in. "First, you bring in Jack, and that is understandable. He is just a boy. Then you bring in Gramps. Don''t you think this is too much? Every added person is an extra risk."
"Hah." Sayed laughed, shaking his head and placing a hand on Abed''s shoulder. "What would you have me do, brother? This maze is inhospitable, so we must be the source of hospitality. God would demand nothing less of us."
Abed clenched his teeth. Since they came to the new world, Sayed had grown almost insufferable with his devotion. Abed said his daily prayers, as Sayed did. The priests called Abed to fight in the war, and he fought hard, the same as Sayed. Abed had done everything the same way Sayed had.
Yet, he remained unblessed in this new world. He was still a man and nothing more. It wasn''t fair.
"You don''t understand, Saint," Abed said.
"What is there to understand?" Sayed pulled up a large, tattered white cloth and examined it before setting it aside. "There are people who need help. It is my duty to help them. If they stab us in the back, I will take care of them. Trust must be given before it can be returned. The Word says as much."
"I know that." Abed sighed. "But that must give way to the situation. We should not bind ourselves to dogma."
Silence passed between them on those words, and Abed knew he had been mistaken to say them. He should not contradict the words of a Saint. That would be unbecoming.
"Be careful, my brother." Sayed reached out and patted his shoulder again. "Those words are the beginning of a dark path. One can question God''s word, but kindness is not something to give up on. People were created to help one another. Those who forget that are the cause of evil."
Abed bit his lip. This was not a new argument. They had the argument many times before. Yet, it always seemed to end the same. Sayed''s will was unbending. If he wanted to help people, he would, regardless of how it ended.
"Saint, I am saying that is precisely why we ended up stuck in this maze," Abed said. "Because we rushed to help, we were put into a position that trapped us. We could have helped the people of this island better by being more cautious."
"And we would have had to let an innocent man be trapped here," Sayed said, crossing his arms as he towered over Abed. "Do you think he would have survived these trials? The old man on the street? Would he have lived through the first round of fights? God placed us here to act, and we acted. Gloriously, we took down two of those mechanical servants before they could take us here. We did as we should do. When the time comes, we will both escape from here, you will see."
Every time, it was an admonishment. Abed sighed. Sayed was like an older brother. He always knew best and Abed was always wrong. He respected Sayed. He respected that Sayed would always do the right thing, even when it hurt him. He respected that Sayed always appeared to be so strong. However, Abed had never been that strong.
"I am weaker than you, Saint." Abed shook his head as he turned away.
"No, you are wrong there as well," Sayed said, and Abed looked back at him. "You are anything but weak. Your worries are not a weakness. I have those same worries every day. I merely trust in God that I will find my way through those worries. There are times we will be tested, but we will come through it stronger than before. We were put here to do good, Abed. Do not forget that."
Abed smiled to hide the frown that rested on his heart. He wished he had some sign. Sayed had been given his blessing, but Abed had not. They had crossed over to this new world together, but nothing had come of it. Sayed had been blessed with the power of fire, but Abed had just come through the same man. He still was weak, no matter what Sayed said.
However, he would at least try to appear to be strong, for Sayed''s sake.
"Perhaps I should be more like you," Abed said and felt tears running down his face. "By pretending to be strong, I would become strong. Maybe that is my path forward."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"I think you do not need to pretend," Sayed said, reaching out and embracing Abed in a hug. "But you will find your way in this. If that is what you need to realize what you already are, then do what you need. You will always be my brother, Abed."
The hug was warm, and Abed appreciated the sentiment. After everything that had happened in the last few years, Abed truly felt that the month in this maze was the worst part. It had eaten at him slowly, being in the dark every day with only Gramps and Sayed with him. The darkness always seemed to whisper to him during those times, and it took every prayer he could muster to drive those whispers away.
Abed returned the hug for a time before they both let go. Tears streamed down Sayed''s face, but he smiled nonetheless. Abed shook his head and couldn''t help but smile as well.
Jack darted through the shadows, stalking the newcomers through the darkness as they explored. He didn''t see newcomers often, even in his short few weeks in the maze. The few who came to the camp didn''t usually stay for long. Most went up into the light and never came back. Those were the ones that always had the grandest stories. Sayed told the best stories Jack ever heard.
He knew the two newcomers'' names now, Alex and Erin. They weren''t like Gramps. He was old. They weren''t like Abed or Sayed. Both Abed and Sayed seemed like heroes, but these two weren''t. Alex looked like a ruffian. He was the kind of man who would try to corner Jack in an alley and demand the money Jack had just pickpocketed. Erin was a girl. As all little boys believe, girls couldn''t be heroes.
Jack shuffled behind a pile of clothes as he watched them searching through the few piles of discarded clothes and belongings piled up in the camp. Sometimes, they were left by people who went into the light. Sometimes, Sayed brought them back with him.
"How do people live here?" Erin turned to Alex.
"Any way they can." Alex looked over and shrugged.
Neither of them seemed to notice him, and Jack smiled. He had always been the best at hiding. When his father was angry, or the merchants chased him, he could always find the best hiding place.
"You said you were looking for this guy, Roald?"
"Yeah, but that lead is gone. I need to get out of here if I can''t find him."
"I take it you''re not going to tell me more?"
"None of your business."
A strong, wiry hand reached down and grabbed Jack''s shoulder. Jack gasped as Gramps picked him up. He was tucked away beneath the old man''s arms in moments as Gramps walked him back to camp.
"Can''t be doing that, kid," Gramps said as he walked. "People need their privacy, and people don''t take kindly to being listened in on."
"I wasn''t doing nothing wrong," Jack said as he wiggled to escape.
"Yeah, and doing nothing wrong is a good way to get killed," Gramps said. "I was asked to look after you, and I''m going to do that. You can cooperate, or I''ll be making you cooperate."
"You''re no fun." Jack sighed but stopped struggling.
"I''m old. I''m not supposed to be fun."
Gramps got him to the fire and set him down on his own ragged and tattered cloth. Jack knew why Gramps had come for him. The food would come soon, and Gramps always ensured that Jack ate first, even if it meant he had to eat less. Jack never understood why he did that, but who was he to argue?
"Who do you think they are, Gramps?"
"Those two?" Gramps looked back at where Alex and Erin were. "Look pretty rough, both of them. They aren''t any good, but they won''t be our problem for long. They look like the type that wants to go up to fight."
"Is fighting bad?"
"It isn''t fun. Smart people don''t want to die, Jack. Every time you fight, you risk dying. You risk not coming back and living another day."
"Sayed fights."
"Sayed is crazy, but he is a good kind of crazy." Gramps smiled. "He''s the kind of crazy that can make a dumb decision and get away with it. That''s why he keeps coming back. Scions must have blessed him."
"Sayed says God is the one that helps him."
"And Sayed''s wrong about that." Gramps reached out his bony hands to the fire. "Ain''t no gods in this world but the Scions. If you forget that, they''ll curse us."
Jack didn''t know if he would mind being cursed. He had seen a few cursed people before he was taken to the maze. One man could spit fire from his mouth, and another could form blades and swords from his body. Jack wouldn''t mind those kinds of curses.
Slap.
"None of that."
Jack reached up and rubbed at the bump on the back of his head. Gramps never walloped him, but whenever he thought Jack was thinking something dangerous, he reminded Jack that he shouldn''t be thinking that thing. Jack had no idea how Gramps knew what he was thinking.
He thought maybe Gramps could read minds, but Gramps did nothing in response. That clearly couldn''t be the case.
"Should be any minute now," Gramps said.
Click.
A column of light sprang into existence in front of them near the camp, and in that light, the food appeared. This time, there were a few dried meats with fruits and bread, but what was given always seemed to vary and never seemed to be enough. The light disappeared just as quickly as it had come.
"Go on," Gramps said, pushing Jack forward. "Get what you want, and then the adults will figure out what we need."
Jack scuttled forward across the ground, picking up a piece of bread, an apple, and a piece of jerky. He quickly scuttled away again to eat in pieces near the wall and away from the fire. It didn''t matter how long he had been with the others in the camp or how nice everyone was to him. Jack couldn''t trust them to eat around them.
After that, the adults came over to the food. They spoke softly as Jack munched through his bread. He could have listened in, but he already knew they were talking about boring adult stuff. He wouldn''t be interested in those things until he was older. Instead, he thought about Sayed''s story.
Jack imagined himself standing up against a mighty dragon, long sword in hand and clad in gleaming metal armor. The dragon would come for him, but he would push the dragon back. Jack would be able to beat that dragon and carry its head back as a trophy of his victory. He wouldn''t die like the man who came to camp.
With those thoughts inside him, Jack ate his food to survive another night.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 27 | Battle Royale
They spent the night together in the camp. Sayed was able to scrounge together new clothes, a ragged shirt, and a sort of blanket he could wrap around his legs. He told his new brothers some of the stories of his old days on Hajh, the bloody battles fought in the civil war, and his transport to this new world with Abed.
As the orange light of the single camp torch burned to low embers and had to be put out, they all went to bed. As always, each person in the camp had to take a watch to ensure that no one came upon their camp unnoticed in the night. Even Sayed took a watch. He was not so weak that he could not perform a watch after a fight.
The man called Alex approached him during his watch, sitting beside him in the darkness as Sayed listened to the quiet maze around him. Besides their breathing, Sayed felt a faint breeze on his ears. He had told the newcomers that almost everyone who came to the maze eventually made it to his camp, but that was only partially true. The times he had newcomers were very rare. Most people didn''t survive the maze at all.
"You should get some sleep, brother," Sayed said after sitting in silence for a while.
"I don''t need much sleep anymore," Alex said with a quiet laugh. "Besides, I always find it hard to just sleep before a fight I know is coming. My mind gets too focused on what could happen and what I could do."
"There is not always something to be done," Sayed said, nodding. "But I understand the feeling."
"Well, in this case, there is," Alex said, and Sayed heard him shuffling on the ground next to him. "This place is perfect for one thing, practicing with limited aether. So, I''m going to be here meditating for a while."
"Meditation, I understand, but this is the second time I have heard you speak of this ''aether.''"
"If you haven''t had anyone to teach you about it, that''s not surprising," Alex said, breathing deeply in and out next to Sayed a few times before continuing. "For people born in this world, it seems to be something they''ve always had around them. They don''t even need to think about it. For people who were forced here, like us, our bodies adapt to it over time, but it''s very noticeable."
"Ah," Sayed said, nodding. "That is why I can use my powers outside of this maze."
"You''re cursed?"
"Blessed." Sayed shook his head. "Blessed with the fire of God to fight off my enemies. This aether must be the breath of God that fuels all to be stronger."
"Your god from your old world?" Alex asked.
"God is not bound to just a world," Sayed said, tapping his chest above his heart. "It is with me even now. I can feel it here. It is the fire that fuels me."
"Did you have your blessing before you came to the nightsea?" Alex kept up his steady breathing next to Sayed.
"We did not need it in Hajh. The strength of our blades was more than enough. No, this blessing was something that was needed when I came to this new world. I only wish Abed had received the same blessing."
"Interesting," Alex said and resumed his breathing exercise. "Did Hajh have giants, by any chance?"
"Hah, giants!" Sayed laughed. "You speak of legends. Giants were creatures my ancestors fought off to find our land before the destruction of Xing. There were no more giants in Hajh after my people''s first war to claim the sands of Hajh."
"I met a man on Tombstone," Alex said again and resumed his breathing. "He was as tall as a house, and he said he also came from Hajh."
"Then he would not be from my Hajh. The giants were killed far before my time. There were no more giants in Hajh."
"I wonder," Alex said but didn''t finish, only resuming his deep breathing.
"Perhaps I should join you in this meditation," Sayed said with a chuckle, crossing his legs beneath him and holding his hands flat together. "I will call out to God and commune with him."
Sayed took a deep breath and felt just a tiny amount of the power one would feel outside the maze enter his body. He was used to going in and out of the maze daily, so he knew the difference between the two states. He knew the difference as well as he knew his blade when he swung it in a fight.
Since coming to the maze, he had noticed that the experience down below the arena had made his abilities easier to use. He felt he could push his blessing and body further after all his time in the maze. It was a lot like fasting. Fasting during the Holy Days showed him real hunger and told his body what it could handle if pushed a little further.
He did as he had been taught back on Hajh and quieted his mind. He imagined the tranquil rock gardens of a temple. He imagined each stroke of the stone gardens. He imagined feeding the fires of the furnace in the center of the temple as the high priests did. He imagined standing out at the center of the temple, looking down the Grand Line that allowed anyone who stood on the hallowed ground to see the sun from sunrise to sunset. In his heart, he felt the warmth that pushed back the cold of the maze. God was watching him, even now, guiding him in this new world so that he could grant all he could the freedom they should always have.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Hours passed in the dark maze, and Sayed fell into a slumber at some point. He did not break his pose, and he did not falter. He did dream. He dreamed of fights from long ago. He dreamed of battles to defend his home from the heretics. He dreamed of a world that he may never return to.
Bump. Bump. Boom.
A familiar sound stirred him from his sleep, and Sayed almost fell over as he regained his conscious mind. His dreams were swept away, and he looked around him in the darkness. People in camp groaned, and one person lit one of their precious torches to shed orange light on the camp all around them.
"It is time," Sayed said, standing up and cracking his neck back and forth.
Others in the camp rose, and Jack was soon at Sayed''s side with his gauntlet and khopesh. Sayed strapped on the gauntlet and held his khopesh ready. He was about to start a prayer when the white light came out faster than usual. Something was wrong.
"What is this?" Abed yelled out, and others expressed the same.
Sayed opened his eyes and looked out from a white spotlight. All around him, the camp members were surrounded by their own light. Thoughts ran through Sayed''s head, but he didn''t know what to do. What was happening? Did the people who ran the arena finally run out of patience? Was there a mistake?
Sayed looked over and saw Jack running from his own light. The boy was fast and could almost stay ahead of the light. However, it was always right behind him, and he couldn''t run forever. Everyone who had been underground knew what that light meant: fighting, death. There was nothing to be done down below. It would only be resolved in the arena.
The light consumed him and consumed every other person in the camp.
Sayed took a deep breath and felt renewed strength fill his body. He opened his eyes again in a ruined and crumbling building. Light shone down from above through holes in the roof, but his line of sight was blocked on all four sides. A set of stairs on the far side of the room went down to the floor below, and a broken ladder led to a hatch on the other side. Broken furniture, a bed, and a few chairs were strewn about the room.
He went to a hole in the wall and looked outside. As far as he could see around himself, there were buildings of varying heights, all in a state of ruin. Sayed had seen many arena setups. However, this was a first. He couldn''t even see the wall that marked the start of the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
The announcer''s voice echoed through the stadium. His tone rattled through Sayed''s bones and even the walls of the building. Dust and dirt shook down and fell to the floor. Sayed looked up to the ceiling above and waited.
"Today, we have a special performance for you! One hundred fighters have entered the arena!" his voice lowered to a conspiratorial tone. "For one hour, they will fight to the death. The survivors will continue to fight for their freedom. Only those who survive the hour will make it to the top!"
Sayed thought of Jack and Gramps. Where were they in the city, huddled together and hearing these words? He thought of Abed. One of them needed to reach them. They would have to protect them for the hour, or all was lost.
"The time begins now!"
In the sky above, Sayed saw a timer appear, the clock ticking down from one hour to fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds before ticking down again. Fifty-nine fifty-eight. Fifty-nine fifty-seven. Several screens also popped up in the sky above, displaying different people fighting and dying.
"May you be protected, my brothers," Sayed said, silently closing his eyes in prayer as he drew his khopesh up and in line with his nose. "This is cruel, and I cannot change what has happened. Only God can protect you all."
With that, he charged down the stairs, pushing past furniture and rubble before bursting out the door and into the streets. A single man stood outside in the street as if he had been waiting on Sayed.
The man was large and muscular, holding a sizeable bearded axe in both hands as he stared down Sayed. He wore a leather harness and the fur of a beast as a cloak. His skin was dark from a life in the sun, and scars covered his body. Yellow eyes stared Sayed down.
"I do not have time for this," Sayed whispered, holding his khopesh ready in a wide stance, his sword above his head, and his clawed gauntlet facing out.
He opened the gate in his chest and gave himself over to his blessing. Heat surged through his muscles from his heart, pumping with each beat through his chest and limbs. The blade of his khopesh began to glow a hot orange as the heat transferred from his body and into the sword.
"Ohoho," the announcer''s voice called out, and a screen appeared above where Sayed and the other fighter stood. "Here we have what we''re looking for, folks. ''Sword Saint'' Sayed faces off against Grabnar ''the Barbarian.'' Both are strong melee fighters, but Grabnar might have the edge with his rage. What do you think, audience?"
Boom. Boom. Thump. Boom. Boom. Thump.
Cheers erupted through the crowd.
"Oh?" the announcer said. "You think Sayed has the advantage?"
Boom. Boom. Thump.
"GRABNAR!" The warrior across from Sayed yelled, holding up his axe with one hand and looking up to the sky.
Sayed would have cared to do a show for the crowd on a normal day, in a normal fight. He was always willing to give a good fight. That was part of storytelling. It gave meaning to those who needed it, like the poor who watched the fight from the bottom tier of the arena.
This day was different, however. This day, the arena had taken people who did not want to fight and could not. This day, it had taken people from his camp and thrown them into danger. He had to break past this man and find his brothers. There was no time for a prolonged fight.
"Demon''s Thrust."
Instantly, he threw his body forward and cut the distance between himself and Grabnar. His khopesh pierced through the right side of Grabnar''s chest, glancing down across his exposed armpit as Sayed carried through with his thrust. Sayed''s blade cut through the muscles and tendons that held the axe like a blazing hot knife, searing the skin closed even as the cut went through.
Sayed took a step back in the next moment, standing in front of the stunned Grabnar as he lowered his blade to the side. Grabnar stood still momentarily as he looked up at Sayed. Then he dropped his axe and fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder and screaming in pain.
"Grab-"
Sayed walked past him. "I will find you, my brothers."
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 28 | Jacks Grand Adventure
Jack ran out of the darkness and into the light. He gasped in a breath, and in that moment, the strength he had been denied for so long filled his lungs. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees on a rock road, but it didn''t hurt.
"I''m out," Jack whispered, looking around him. "I''m in one of the fights!"
He jumped up to his feet and jumped into the air with a cry of delight. He could be like the men in Sayed''s stories. He could fight. He could take down a monster and have his story told at the camp that night.
"But I don''t have a weapon," he said, looking around the arena to see what he was up against.
Thump. Thump. Boom.
The crowd cheered, but all Jack could see were the ruins of buildings all around him. The buildings were falling apart, and many of them had holes that looked deep into shadow. From his position on the street, Jack couldn''t see any weapons, and he couldn''t see any monsters either.
"There are supposed to be monsters," he said in a huff as he started walking down the street.
He put his hands behind the back of his head as he walked. The way Sayed had always described the arena, there was always a monster to fight. There should have been other people around him as well, ready to be his allies in the fight.
He always wanted some underlings to boss around.
As he walked, he noticed that off to the side of the street was a brown metal ball, about twice as tall as he was, resting against a wall. Jack didn''t hesitate. In a way that only a child could appreciate, he knew exactly what the ball was.
"Foul monster!" he yelled as she charged at the ball.
Slap.
He punched the ball but only got a hurt hand as a reward. Jack kissed his knuckles as he examined the ball, but he couldn''t see what was special about it. It had a few places where there were seams, and it was too heavy for him to push. He had tried.
"Not much of a monster," Jack said, sulking to the side and putting his hands in his pockets. "Is this really how my story is going to go?"
Jack wanted nothing more than to bring back an epic story to tell. It would be such a letdown if this were all that would happen while he was in the arena. He imagined Sayed looking down at him, frowning and crossing his arms. Jack wasn''t about to be a disappointment.
"Stupid ball!" Jack kicked the ball with his boot but only succeeded in stubbing his toe.
As he knelt to hold his toe from the pulsing pain that ran through it, the ball moved. It rolled slightly to the side. Jack stood up, a smile on his face and the pain forgotten. It had worked!
He jumped up and kicked it again, softer this time. It moved again, rolling away from him. He kicked it again.
"Take that, you monster!" Jack yelled out.
The ball rolled away. Jack kept following it, kicking it again and again until he had it in a corner down an alley. Jack smiled as he sauntered up to the ball. Now, there was no place for it to run. He would win. ''Jack Defeats the Ball Monster'' would be the name of the story.
"Now you will perish, foul beast!" Jack yelled as he threw the final kick at the ball.
"WHO''S A BEAST!"
The ball opened up at the last moment, and a hand- a very human hand- caught Jack''s foot. The ball monster picked him up, and Jack struggled against it. This was the best part of the fight. The hero was in danger. He had to pull through.
"Why are you kicking me, kid?" the ball monster asked as Jack closed his eyes and windmilled his arms to strike at the monster. "I didn''t do anything to you, but you just stood there kicking me. What''s wrong with you? Didn''t your parents knock any sense into you?"
"My parents are dead, monster!" Jack yelled, throwing out his fist and landing a solid hit on the monster.
"Grah!" the monster yelled, and Jack fell to the ground.
He scuttled around and turned to face the monster. The thing that had been a ball was now out of its shell, and it was almost like a man, but also not. He was hunched over, clutching at his crotch, and his arms and legs were armored in brown metal. They were bent at odd angles that made him look longer than he should have been, and the armor on his arms and legs bulged out awkwardly from his body.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"What kind of monster are you?" Jack asked, taking a fighting stance.
"I''m not a monster, kid." The man grumbled as he let go of his crotch and looked Jack over. "That hurt, by the way."
"If you aren''t a monster, then what are you?"
"I''m Ned. Ned ''the Needler,''" the man said, looking over Jack with goggled eyes.
"That''s a weird name for a monster," Jack said, stepping back and relaxing his guard.
"I''m not a monster," Ned ''the Monster'' said. "Look, kid, apologize for hitting me in my jewels, and we''ll call this even."
"Why should I apologize? You''re a monster, and I''m fighting you."
"Kid."
"That''s the way things are in the arena."
"Kid."
"So let''s fight."
"Dark Needle."
Fwip. Fwoosh.
A long black spike shot out of the man''s hand. Jack ducked down using instincts forged through years on the streets and hugged the ground. He would have been skewered if he had been a second too late.
He looked up and saw the needle embedded into the wall behind him, cracks forming around it. Bits of the wall came crumbling down, and just a little fear crept up Jack''s spine. That could have hit him.
"What was that for?" Jack demanded, jumping up from the ground.
"You deserved it. You aren''t listening to me, and you hit me in my jewels. I''m not going to take that lying down. No man would."
"But you aren''t a man. You''re a monster."
"Pin-missile Volley!"
Fwip. Fwip. Fwip.
Again, through years on the street, Jack''s instincts saved him. A circle of small needles shot out in a cone, and it was only by a hair''s breadth that Jack avoided them. They cut into the wall where he had been, creating a circle of needles sticking out from the wall.
"That''s it, kid. I wasn''t going to add ''child murderer'' to my crimes, but it just isn''t worth it. You''re going to die."
Jack could have stood and fought. He was capable of it and didn''t doubt himself in the slightest bit, but Sayed had always said that the smart live to fight another day. He turned, and he ran.
Abed drew his khopesh as the light overtook him. He had been prepared for this day, as much as Sayed had told him not to worry. He was a warrior at heart and did not doubt himself. He immediately assessed his surroundings and found that he was in a stone room with light filtering in from outside. He took a breath and was invigorated by renewed strength, but he was alone.
"I must find Gramps and Jack," he said immediately. "They will be in danger."
He set off for the nearest exit, a broken door at the opposite end of the room. As he did so, he heard the announcer''s words and understood their intent. There would be a culling of the people in the arena.
"There is no time to waste."
As soon as he opened the door, he saw a man in rags on the street, holding a dagger. Abed did not know this man, but he held his khopesh ready to fight. The man looked him over, and old grey eyes assessed Abed.
"I don''t want to fight," the man said, shaking his dagger in his hand. "I want to go back to the maze. Leave me be."
"You say you do not wish to fight, but you hold that dagger," Abed said, taking on his stance.
"I won''t be defenseless," the man said, stepping back.
"I do not have time to mince words with you," Abed said, shaking his head and staying resolute in his stance. "If you put away the dagger, you may come with me. I do not wish to kill you, but I must see to my compatriots. They will be in this arena and will need my help."
The old man looked confused, his eyes searching between the dagger and Abed. Abed remained resolute in his stance. Alone, this man was not a threat, even with his dagger. Abed could easily dispatch him, but that would not be right.
As admonishing of an older brother that Sayed could be, Abed knew that mercy was more important than anything else. That was the way of their people.
"This isn''t a trick?" the old man asked.
"No," Abed said. "If you put away that dagger, I will take you with me. We might find others who do not wish to fight. Together, we can all escape this insanity."
"I want to trust you," the man said. "I''ve heard stories, you know, stories of a swordsman who fights down here with a heart of gold. Are you him?"
"No, that is Sayed," Abed said with a smirk. "But I am his friend. The stories are true, old man. We only wish for the freedom of all trapped in this arena, audience and prisoner alike."
Clitter-clatter.
"I never thought there were people like you," the man said as he dropped the dagger to the ground. "I ain''t never met anyone in my life that didn''t want something from me. That didn''t want a fight or some coin. You really mean what you say?"
"I do," Abed said, rising from his stance and motioning to the dagger with his sword. "But pick that dagger back up, old man. We will find as many as we can who do not want to fight, but there will be those who do. You are right to want to defend yourself. Stay near me as we search."
The man looked down before hesitantly reaching out and grabbing the dagger. Abed wasn''t sure if the man was relieved, but he wouldn''t worry about it. The old man had already stated his intent by disarming himself, and Abed would help him. It was what Sayed would do, after all.
"Now follow me," Abed said. "We will search through each building, but we will not call out for my friends. We must be careful in how much attention we draw to ourselves before we have more people willing to help."
The old man nodded, and Sayed started down the street. He could hear the sounds of fighting all around him, but they were hard to pinpoint in the streets. It was no different from the civil war in that way. Fighting house to house, street to street, was always a din of chaos and confusion.
Above him, the timer ticked down, and Abed knew he had to hurry. He and the old man went from building to building, adding to their numbers when they could and disposing of those who did not want to surrender when they had to. By the end of thirty minutes, they had ten total people in their group.
However, in all that time, he never found Sayed. He never found Gramps, and he never found Jack. Abed settled himself to pray that those three would find their way in the chaos. He knew that if he did not find them, God would see to it that Sayed found them. Even with all his doubts, Abed was a man of faith. Even without Sayed''s blessing, he knew God would protect them all.
"May God protect you, Saint."
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 29 | Master of Magnetism
Alex opened his eyes and took in a deep breath. Aether filled him, and he opened his gate instinctively before he could even take in his surroundings. Electricity pulsed out from his heart and through his muscles with every beat. His gate filled him with a tingling sensation as if he was moving an asleep limb for the first time in hours. He could sense metal all through the walls, and the building reminded him of concrete when he looked around himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
The same announcement everyone in the arena heard started, and Alex saw the timer start and the screens light up. He quickly assessed his situation and guessed how Sayed would react when he found out what happened.
"That''s not important," Alex said, focusing on his senses. "I need to gather as much information about this place as I can. If I can figure out how to get out, this fight doesn''t matter."
He jumped through the window of his building and landed out in the street. Around him, he could hear the sounds of metal clashing, people screaming, and other general noises associated with fighting. He could even feel some of the fights in his senses. He focused on looking around the horizon. He needed to find a wall.
He ran, holding his staff at his side as he picked one direction. Even if he couldn''t see the wall, if he ran far enough, he would find one eventually, right? There had to be an edge of the arena at some point.
He didn''t use ''step'' to increase his speed but just took it at a steady pace. He heard more and more fights around him, and he saw them in his senses, but he ignored them. He ran past ruined buildings but could not see a wall. After a few minutes, he stopped. He could have sworn he had already run past one of the ruined sets of buildings.
"That''s a lot of power to put in," Alex whispered, looking around in all directions. "You would have to change the setup''s gravitational pull as well. Negate all of it from the island."
Thump. Thump.
He tapped his staff on the ground. It felt as solid as it should. He dropped it and stood over it. He opened his gate, focused a repulsive magnetic force down toward the staff, and sent himself flying into the air.
Back in his original world, there was a person in fiction who was called the ''Master of Magnetism.'' He could use the very magnetic field of the earth itself to fly. Alex wished he had that strong of an ability. Sure, he might be able to do something like that someday, but now, his curse wasn''t strong enough.
As he rose to about the height of a three-story building in the arena and reached the limit of his curse, he felt what he was looking for. The wall that held the stands was in the sky above, curving around the arena. Whoever ran the island had turned the arena floor into a massive city-sized sphere and was using the island core to make something that would only exist in a story.
He looked out over the ruins around him. Sayed had told him nothing about this, but Sayed also might not have known. Maybe this was just for one fight. He looked over the ruined and crumbling concrete rooftops around him. He had to find Sayed if he wanted to confirm what he knew.
"What''s this?" The announcer''s voice echoed through the air. "Let me see. Who is this man?"
The sound of shuffling papers scratched across the air as the announcer looked through information. Alex ignored him. Down below, he could see a boy running in the streets that he recognized from the night before. In the light of day, Jack looked like any street urchin, and he was running down a street away from a rolling ball of long spikes.
"Oh, we have another celebrity in this fight. That''s ''Tin Man'' Ortega!" the announcer yelled. "Isn''t it amazing, folks? Look at him floating in the air like a leaf in the wind."
Alex released his magnetic force against his staff, letting himself fall at a decent pace until he reached the ground. He kept in mind the direction Jack was running. It wouldn''t do to let Jack die.
"Step."
After reaching down and picking up his staff, he stepped again and again through the ruins toward Jack. Through his peripheral vision, he was aware that a screen was following him now, and the announcer was announcing what he did at each moment. It grated on his nerves.
"Where''s he going, folks? Our visuals can barely keep track! Such blinding speed!"
Alex heard Jack as he came to an alley and stopped to let the kid run by before walking out with his staff. He thrust it toward the spiked ball as it came barreling down the alleyway and whispered one word.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
"Might."
His muscles bulged, and he sank into the ground with a small crack. The spiked ball ran headlong into his outstretched staff, and he heard a faint metallic ding as his staff reached past the spikes and into the sphere in the center. The ball pushed against him with its inertia, and he was forced back, but it couldn''t get past his staff or his increased mass. It came to a stop. Behind him, Alex heard Jack collapse to the ground, gasping for breath.
"You alright, kid?" Alex asked as he released his hold on the path, and the strength bled out of him.
"Did ''Tin Man'' Ortega just save a kid? Doesn''t he know this is a fight to the death?" the announcer yelled.
His breath came in ragged gasps, but he would be alright in a second. The Path of Might was more draining on his body than the Path of Step. There were times in his life on the nightsea that he wished he had also mastered the Path of Breath. It would have let him use both with less fatigue, but he didn''t have the luxury of that choice.
"Watch out!" Jack yelled, and Alex felt the ball open up in his senses.
"Pin-missile Explosion!"
Alex had a fraction of a second to react. He dropped his staff and threw out a repulsive field behind him as he spun and rolled to grab Jack. Pinpricks of pain ruptured along his back and up his arms as he stopped in front of the boy. Alex grunted as more and more spikes pierced his back, cutting into the leather duster and sticking into him.
"Oh, that had to hurt, folks."
His eyes flashed white for a brief moment before the pain was over. His back was alight with pinpricks of fire as if it had just been stung by thousands of fire ants, and he could feel blood soaking through his duster as he looked down at Jack. Jack looked up at him in horror, and Alex had to imagine that he was pretty banged up. Alex smirked down at Jack.
"You alright, kid?" he repeated.
Jack nodded, and Alex stood up. The fact that his repulsive field had done nothing meant that the spikes themselves weren''t metal. As he turned to face the thing that had once been the spike ball, he saw a small man dressed in metal armor that curved around his body. A helmet covered most of his face, and red goggles obscured his eyes. Every part of his body seemed to be covered in brown metal plates, even his mouth.
Alex started walking in a circle around the man as he examined the man until Jack was no longer in the line of fire. He didn''t want to have to take another hit like that one. The repair cost to his duster would just be astronomical.
The repulsive blast Alex had thrown pushed the man back, leaving him splayed out. He no longer had spikes covering himself, but it didn''t take much for Alex to guess that the spikes were his curse. Even now, he felt the spikes in his back fade to nothing, leaving just the holes from the attack to bleed out into his duster.
"Who''re you?" the armored man demanded, his voice echoing in his suit.
"''Tin Man'' Ortega faces off against Ned ''the Needler!''" The announcer answered that question before either man could say anything. "What kind of fight are we going to have here?"
"You could be ''the Bull'' for all I care!" Ned yelled, holding out one hand. "Pin-missile Volley!"
"Step."
All along Ned''s arm, spikes appeared in a blending of dark mist before shooting out in a stream where Alex had been just moments before. Alex appeared just a few meters away and looked at the circle of spikes in the wall. It was an impressive ability, to be sure. Alex reached out his hand and pulled on his staff. The staff whirred through the air before he grabbed it.
"Ortega dodges the strike faster than the eye can see!" The announcer''s voice again rumbled through the fight.
"This is a bad match-up for you," Alex said, keeping his gate open as Ned followed him with his eyes.
"Shut up."
"Try it again," Alex said, holding up one hand and waving for Ned to do another attack.
"Pin-missile Volley!"
Alex pushed with a magnetic field right before Ned struck, using the metal armor to push his attack up and to the right. The attack drew a line up the nearest building until the volley stopped. At the end of it, Ned stood stunned, gawking up at his attack.
"Another disappointment, folks," the announcer said. "Looks like Ned is out of gas. Will he pull out a victory from defeat? Will he be able to overcome Ortega''s overwhelming strength?"
Alex walked forward as Ned took in the problem. His attack had missed entirely, and Alex understood his frustration. The man cried out, slamming the ground with his fist over and over again.
"It isn''t fair! It isn''t fair!"
"Yeah," Alex said as he loomed over him. "Life isn''t fair, buddy."
Thump. Crack.
He swung down with his staff and hit Ned''s helmet as hard as he could. Ironwood was as hard as metal, and with his strength, not even the armor could stand up to it. Ned went down like a sack of rocks and lay splayed out on the ground. Across the building, his spikes disappeared from his most recent attack.
"Oh, folks. We have an upset. Easily beating Ned ''the Needler'', ''Tin Man'' Ortega survives to the next fight. Will he make it, folks? We''ll find out! Now, look over here..."
Alex tuned the voice out. He couldn''t take the announcer anymore. Sure, it did make him feel a little pride that he had won, but having someone announce your every action was obnoxious. He had never been a person who liked that much attention being focused his way.
Alex nodded to himself as he walked away from Ned. At least now he could focus on finding Sayed. He walked over to Jack and reached down to help the boy up. Tears ran down his face, but Alex just smiled at him. He could only imagine how traumatizing the experience had been.
"It''s alright, Jack," he said, reaching out a hand to the boy. "Let''s go find Sayed."
Jack took his hand and stood up. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes briefly before looking up at Alex. When he was ready, Alex reached out with his senses, looking through the ruins around him. Sayed had a gauntlet and sword, so Alex should be able to sense him. Alex just needed to keep going and fighting, and he would eventually find the man.
With the entire world descending into battle around them, Alex and Jack set off to look for Sayed at a run. Alex couldn''t go his full speed without leaving the boy behind, but that was alright. Alex already knew Sayed was strong. He was sure the man was burning his own path to find the people from his camp.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 30 | Hopes Demise
"''Tin Man'' Ortega." Lucien looked down at his screen and felt a smile crack unbidden across his face. "WPN Nine."
"You know the man?" Gulantry''s couch creaked beside him as the man leaned forward to look at the screens that were plastered across the glass.
"He is an old acquaintance." Lucien reached out and touched the glass. "You could say he is the reason I am the man I am today."
"If I recall correctly, he is the man responsible for Burning August. Killed King Fabian and everything." Gulantry reached down and picked up an apple from the plate on his couch. "Amazing what one man can do to an island."
"I know. I was there."
Gulantry turned to him, his mouth agape. Lucien reached up to his forehead. In it, there was a single pale stone embedded, as all Apostles had. His stone was cracked, and it was a blemish on his life that it existed. His status as an Apostle had been forfeited that day.
"When you first came to me, you said you had been an Apostle, a servant of the Scions," Gulantry said. "You didn''t say what happened to you."
Lucien frowned. The reason he had not shared that information was simple. Gulantry didn''t deserve that information. Gulantry was only worth his ability to give Lucien a good fight. Beyond that, he was lower than any of the people he thought beneath himself.
"They say that Apostles are the protectors of the Scions. They are people with abilities above even the Twelve Rulers. You''re saying you were at August, and you and the king could not stop this man?"
"Not quite," Lucien said, grasping his hand closed as he watched Ortega deal with the trash on the battlefield. "Not everything that has been said about August is true. Much is story and fabrication. It is true that King Fabian died that day. It is true that the island burned to the ground. It is true that Ortega was there, at the center of it all."
"But did he kill the King? Did he burn down the island?"
"It was chaos," Lucien said. "That is all you need to know. I failed my mission that day, and for it, I was thrown from the Apostles."
He had no reason to protect the Scions or their schemes any longer, but Lucien would not tell trash like Gulantry the truth. The lab, the experiments, and the shattering of mind and body. Only he needed to know what had actually happened on the island.
"Maybe we should eliminate him now if he''s so troublesome." Gulantry began to fiddle with the air, bringing up a small screen and scrolling through it. "I would hate to have my island meet the same fate as August."
Lucien''s gate opened on its own like the gaping maw of a great beast. A red-tinged black mist covered his right arm, replacing his pale, graceful hand with the gnarled brown husk of a monster''s claw. He lashed out at Gulantry''s hands, knocking them away and dispelling the screen as his vision blurred red.
"No." The words rattled in his throat in a monstrous rasp. "I will not allow one such as you to sully this battle. If Ortega survives, he shall be my prey. Our reunion will shake these walls as we each struggle to our dying breath. I will have my fight."
Thump.
Gulantry had fallen from his couch and looked up at Lucien with fear. Lucien didn''t know what he saw, but he could see his now yellow eyes reflecting back at him. Lucien smiled as he closed his gate and reduced himself to his normal form. He had lost control there, but that was the fate of beasts like himself.
"I understand." Gulantry raised his hands on the floor, his corpulent mass making it impossible for him to scurry away from the onslaught. "Please, Lucien. I understand. I only wished to make sure that he would not cause harm to the island. If you are sure that you can handle him, I will not have that worry."
"I can," Lucien said as calm settled over his body. "If he had not escaped me on August in the chaos, I would have beaten him in the end. What I failed to understand back then was how crafty he was."
"Then, let us prepare for the next round of fights," Gulantry said as he struggled to get his mass back to his couch. "If you wish it to be the nightshade, we must craft the arena to fit the creature''s environment. Step away from the fights for a moment, and we''ll work together to give the people the fight of their lives!"
Lucien knew that Gulantry was distracting him. Perhaps the man wanted to make sure there were no more outbursts, and Gulantry wished to control the focus of his anger by directing him. Lucien knew that Gulantry was manipulating him, but instead of being angry, he went along with it. If he focused on Ortega down below, then his anger would consume him. His prey was so close, and they would battle again soon. That would have to be enough to slate his thirst until they met in the arena.
Abed ran through the streets, leading the people he had found behind himself. He had found ten people who did not wish to fight. Some he had to fight to free, while others he had found hiding in abandoned buildings. He only had his khopesh at his side to fight off others, but he had been lucky so far.
"This way!" he yelled back at his compatriots, leading them down an alleyway.
As he ran ahead, he saw a dark-robed figure suddenly step in front of the alley''s exit. The figure held his arms up high, and too late, Abed realized what he was doing. The air around and behind Abed sparked and cracked.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
"Lightning Lance!" the dark-robed figure screamed.
A line of blue light arced from the figure''s hand, connecting to Abed''s khopesh before jumping again to the person behind him. Abed didn''t have to think too hard to imagine that it jumped between each person in the alley. They had walked into a trap.
Crack-Boom!
A stronger line of lighting jumped through each person in the alley, and screams filled Abed''s ears in the wake of a deafening crack of thunder. His fingers tensed hard around his khopesh. The smell of burning flesh and fat filled his nose as he fell to his knees. An explosion of pain ripped across his arm and down his leg. Skin ruptured and cooked under the heat. Abed fell to the ground, and his vision went dark.
Thump.
He opened his eyes and looked across the blackened ground. The robed man advanced toward him, and Abed tried to move his left arm. The fingers didn''t respond, though he was sure they were still burned and charred around the khopesh. He tried to force himself to stand, but his left leg did not even twitch. All he accomplished was a slight movement in his right leg and some spasms in his pinned right arm. He looked up as the robed figure approached him, his fingers cracking with electricity.
Abed was a warrior. He had fought in hundreds of battles in the civil war that had ravaged Hajh since he was a child. Before coming to the new world, he and Sayed had been brothers in arms and would fight together back to back, no matter the circumstances. Sayed had entrusted the safety of their camp to him, and he wouldn''t let Sayed down. Abed gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. He lunged forward and grabbed the robed man''s ankles. He could hear the man laughing, but he wouldn''t give up.
"I will not let you take them."
"Listen to yourself." The robed man laughed. "They''re already dead. You''d see it if you could look behind you. No one survives my powers. My curse makes me the strongest thing out here. Nothing beats lightning."
"I will not let you take them!" Abed pulled harder on the man''s ankles, but he did not budge.
The man reached down toward him, lightning cackling in his hands. Abed closed his eyes. This was to be the end. He and Sayed had been unstoppable together, but the one time he had to fight alone, he was useless. If only he had received a blessing like Sayed. Maybe he would have been able to fight. Instead, he had failed in his duty and would die for it.
"Listen," the man whispered before raising his voice. "Lightning Volley!"
Crack-Boom. Crack-Boom. Crack-Boom.
Several lightning strikes struck the ground behind them, and Abed looked back to see the men on the ground. They were unmoving in the strikes. Not a single stirred or shied away from the strikes. They were all completely motionless. Dead.
"See, you''re the last one," the robed man said. "Now sit still and stop crying so I can finish you off for good."
Crackle.
His hand glowed as he brought it down on Abed. Abed closed his eyes tight. From the right side of his face, tears wet his cheeks. His ears rang, and he didn''t want to see the end. The entire left side of his body was useless. He did not even have a chance to fight back. He was going to die. The thought hit him like a punch in his gut. He gripped the man''s ankle with all his strength.
He was going to die.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Small objects fell on the stone around him. Abed blinked his eyes open, and through the tears, he saw tiny spots on the ground. What were they? It took a moment for him to recognize them. They were seeds.
"Thorn''s Grasp!"
A woman''s voice yelled out from above, and Abed looked up at the bright light to see a descending shadow. Vines erupted around him and the robed man from the seeds. They grew rapidly, entangling around both of their bodies but finding more purchase on the robed man. They wrapped his arms tightly around his chest, snaked around his legs, and even across his fingers. They forced his hands closed, and Abed pulled as hard as he could on the man''s legs.
Thump.
The man tumbled to the ground, completely wrapped in vines from head to toe.
"Are you okay?" a woman in a green robe asked as she cut away the vines with a black knife.
It took a moment for Abed to recognize her. The night before, she had come to the camp with Sayed. He recalled the conversations the two newcomers had had with Sayed while at the edge of camp. He thought her name had been Erin.
"The others," Abed gasped out.
"Worry about yourself," Erin said, a green glow coming to her hand as she brought it to his right arm. "You saw his second attack. They didn''t even move. You''re the only survivor."
Abed''s heart ripped in half in his chest. Tears flowed freely from his right eye. Was he indeed the only one to live? He had found so many survivors. They could have all gone home if they had just held on for the hour.
"No."
He closed his eyes and willed the world to go away. Would he have to carry this failure for the rest of his days?
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely noticed that sensation began to return in his left side as Erin''s glowing hands worked over his body. In a distant part of his mind, he registered that his fingers twitched around his khopesh, but it was unimportant.
Abed cried for his fellows as Erin healed his wounds.
Sayed heard the sound long before he knew where it came from. It was a faint scratch of claws against stone in the din of the arena, hidden behind walls and out of sight. He slowed in his run and closed his eyes. He could not be delayed from finding his brothers from the camp, but his instincts could not ignore that sound. Sayed clenched his teeth and opened his eyes, ducking into an alley and the shadows of a building.
"This way," he said, honing in on the slight sound.
When he turned the corner, he had to stop himself from collapsing to the ground. His fingers trembled at the sight, and his throat went dry. Sayed fought to keep a cry out of his throat, but one managed to escape anyway.
"Ah-"
Clatter.
He dropped his sword and fell to his knees. There was so much blood in the alley. Far too much blood than should have been possible. Sayed looked up at the center of the blood and saw a familiar figure crushed into the wall. Only his head remained intact. The rest of his body was broken and crushed to pieces.
"Why could I not protect him?" Sayed cried out.
Gramps''s head was all that remained of the old man. Sayed''s breath caught in his chest, and he searched around the street for the cause of Gramps''s death. Claw marks cut into the walls, deep and long. He saw a green piece of scale on the ground nearby, partially hidden by the blood. Whatever had done the atrocity had been as large as the buildings around him, and Sayed immediately marked it as a person with a curse.
He would not call such a thing a blessing. This one was truly a curse.
"The machinations of evil have dug deep around this arena," Sayed said as he reached down to pick up his sword.
He forced himself to his feet and pushed away the sickness that threatened to rise inside him.
"I remember when you first came to our camp, Gramps." Sayed forced back his tears. "I remember how you would not tell us your name and how you reluctantly took on the role of caring for Jack. You were a kind man, too kind to be forced into such a world."
He turned away, closing his eyes to the scene and forcing it out of his mind. There would be time to mourn when the fight was over. Right now, he needed to focus on finding Abed and Jack. So long as they might be alive, he could hope.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 31 | Dont Die Alone
Erin toiled over Abed with her hand, channeling the power of her gate to encourage muscles and skin to regrow. There was too much damage, and she knew it. While she would restore some movement to him, Abed would be crippled for life, assuming he survived the rest of the day.
Lightning was a strong element. People with curses specializing in that element were in the top tier of destructive power. Her curse paled in comparison. With her gate, she could make living things grow, including spurring people''s bodies to heal with just a touch. She couldn''t reverse damage beyond what the body would do naturally, but she could enhance the healing process and speed it up.
An ache echoed through her head as she ran her hand down Abed''s leg. The flesh was stitched together and bruised, but it wouldn''t go any further. She was already pushing her curse too far by doing this much. She was denying reality.
"You will never be a true healer," she whispered the words to herself as she pulled back her hand and closed her gate.
She stood up and looked over to the entangled man. Thorns from the vines she had grown over him pierced his skin, and he was bleeding out. A vine wrapped around his mouth made sure he wouldn''t be able to use his power again. One thing she knew about all curse users was that they needed to speak to make full use of their powers. He might be able to throw sparks from his body without speaking, but more complicated techniques required intent. Intent required speech.
"You had to interfere," she scolded herself as she then looked back to the men behind Abed.
She had been looking for Roald. Every piece of information she had told her that he had stopped at Glory Plateau. Not even finding one piece of information confirming he had been on Glory Plateau didn''t bode well. His knowledge would tip the scales in the fight against the Scions for the People''s Revolution.
Yet, she had come here only to find a dead end. Then, she had gotten involved when she didn''t have to. Every second lost was a second that Roald might be out in the ruins, fighting and dying with the information in his head on the line.
"Erin," Abed whispered from the ground. "Can you help me?"
The healer inside Erin pulled down at her heart, and she frowned. She wanted to be anywhere but here right now. However, she knew the rules of the Coven. Even if she had been expelled, the first rule was written into her soul.
"Rule One. Never abandon a patient." She knelt next to him and listened to his last words.
"I know I will not make it," Abed said, shivering as he pulled his curved sword up and pointed the hilt to Erin. "Please make sure that Sayed gets my blade. Tell him that I will see him in the Crimson Fields again."
Erin honestly didn''t know what to say. She reached down to take the hilt of the odd sword, and Abed let go. It fell heavily in her hand, and she had to change her balance to keep it from hitting the ground.
"Oh, how sad." A voice called from above, and Erin looked up to see a figure in a brown cloak looking down from a window.
He held a bow in his hand and had already notched an arrow. He held the bowstring tight, aiming directly at Erin down below. Erin instinctively held up her hands, holding the sword high in one hand as the man looked her over.
"Now, let''s set down the sword," the man said. "Looks like a good trophy to keep from this encounter."
Erin did as he asked, slowly lowering the sword and setting it against the stone street. The archer nodded as she rose back up. She needed to think. There had to be a way to get out of the situation.
She noticed a flicker in the light that cut through the archer. His form shifted in the light, and Erin narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong, but she didn''t know what it was. The archer smiled down at her, and she saw that his eyes weren''t watching her.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Now, stay still," the archer said the second Erin tried to turn her head to find the source of the noise. "I wouldn''t want to kill you accidentally."
Thump.
She felt a cold sliver run up her spine and instinctively turned. From above, the arrow flew, and to her surprise, a dagger came for her back at the same time in her peripheral vision. Erin spun on her heel, deflecting the dagger at the attacker''s wrist by instinct and stepping to her right. She flinched for the arrow but felt nothing. A moment later, the image of an arrow shot out of her chest and shattered into shards of light.
"An illusion," she whispered as she stepped further away from her attacker.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
He stood off to the side, recovering from his thrust with his dagger. He wore a cloak that was a mix of dark green, black, and brown speckled in a way across his cloak that it would hide him if he stood in a forest. He held a long, curving serpentine dagger in his hands, and when he turned, a mask covered his face, so only a portion of his pale face was visible, along with his bright blue eyes.
"You saw through it," he said, holding up his dagger vertically in front of his face in his gloved hand.
"Who are you?" Erin asked, holding up her dagger with her right hand while she held her left ready.
"Someone who would know the ''Thorn Queen'' when he saw her," the man said, closing his eyes for a moment as he stepped back. "Hidden Mirage."
He slipped away from sight like stepping behind a curtain. Erin tensed her body and listened to the world around her. Rocks and rubble scratched at her ears, and she spun around. A faint footfall thumped behind her, and she spun again. She couldn''t pinpoint him, no matter how hard she tried.
Scratch.
Erin tilted the second she felt the dagger touch her back, sliding so that it cut into her shoulder instead. She gritted her teeth as the dagger pierced through her left shoulder. The dagger was cold to the touch, and her nerves lit up in response to the piercing metal. She looked down and saw the long serpentine knife jutting out from her. She suddenly felt the heat of the man standing behind her, where there had been nothing before.
"Why do you drag it out?" he whispered in her ear. "Do you know how much money I could make with your head?"
Erin stabbed down with the dagger in her right hand, right into his leg. She wasn''t going to waste words on the man. He was the type to enjoy toying with his opponent. In a rapid movement, she pulled out the dagger and stabbed him a second time before he pushed her away, throwing her forward into the ground and taking her dagger with him.
"Grah!" he yelled out as she rolled on the ground.
The pain in her shoulder spiked like fire, but she forced herself to take the roll into a kneeling position. She opened her gate, and a green light erupted from her shoulder. An itch ran across her nerves as skin and muscle stitched themselves back together beneath her clothes. The blood flowing from her open wound slowed and stopped in seconds.
"You''re going to regret that," the man said, pulling her dagger from his thigh as he stepped back again. "Hidden Mirage."
He disappeared, leaving Erin in the alley with Abed seemingly alone. Erin put her back against the wall, keeping her eyes open as she reached into her bag and drew out a smaller sack. Her attack would buy her a few seconds. The man would need to bind his wound, or he would risk bleeding out. She opened the bag and scattered the seeds across the ground in a wide arc around her. She wasn''t about to go down easily.
She reached out with her senses, opening her gate further. Each seed was a tiny flame in the world around her, and she tied the threads of life to each one and her gate. They waited for her command. Now, all she needed to do was wait.
Her plan was simple. The man would have to approach her to attack. All she needed to do was to wait for him to step on one of her seeds. She would cause it to grow when it cracked and wrap him in vines. Then, she could move in and finish him off. He could hide himself visibly, but that didn''t mean he didn''t exist. She just had to be patient, and she would have him.
"What are you planning?" the man asked, but his voice came simultaneously from two directions. "Do you think you can see through my mirage with just a few seeds? I know your reputation. I won''t approach you so foolishly."
Abed moved in her peripheral vision, his arm reaching out and scattering her seeds further. After swinging through the wide arc, he grabbed his sword. Erin kept her focus on her seeds. She needed to see the attack coming.
"Grah!" the man yelled out in pain.
Flick. Snap.
She heard it a fraction of a second before it hit, and she had to duck. An arrow dug into the wall above her head. At the same time, a man holding a bow appeared beside Abed''s prone form. The shot had gone wide, and Erin could see the reason why. Abed had stabbed the man in the foot with his sword. Blood flowed freely around the blade, and the man swung his bow down at Abed''s face as he screamed in pain.
"You bastard!" the man yelled as he swung the bow down at Abed''s face again and again. "Why would you do that."
Erin lunged forward, reaching into her bag for a bunch of seeds and throwing it onto the man as he vented his rage. She opened her gate fully and channeled life into the seeds as they fell into the man''s clothes and around his feet. He had a moment to look up at her, fear in his eyes as he stopped swinging his bow and realized what was about to happen.
"Thorn''s Grasp."
Vines grew from the seeds, thorns piercing into the man''s skin as they climbed up his limbs and around his body. He dropped his bow and reached for his dagger. He tried to hack away at the vines and pull at them with his free hand. In the process, he cut into his skin, even as the thorns pierced his free hand and let blood flow out from his fingers. In moments, he was covered in blood from a hundred tiny wounds across his body, and he ceased his struggles as the vines closed tight.
Erin closed her gate, and the rampant growth of the vines stopped. Moments afterward, she fell to one knee, her breath coming in short gasps as she focused her mind. That much forced growth after attempting to heal Abed was pushing her body to its limits. She felt like she wanted to throw up to get rid of all the access energy inside her body.
"Are you alright?" Abed asked her.
"I''ll be fine," Erin said, looking over to him. "Thank you. How did you see him next to you?"
"What do you mean?" Abed asked as he attempted to turn his head but had to stop to grimace in pain. "I did not know why you stood there while fighting him. Did he have some way of holding you still with magic?"
"No." Erin frowned, looking over to the vine-wrapped man. "You were able to see him, but I couldn''t. He must have been able to project illusions into one person''s mind."
"Not that it matters now." Abed laughed but ended up in a coughing fit. "You should go. Leave me here and look for the others. If you all work together, I am sure you will be safe."
He didn''t have much time left. Erin shook her head, shuffling over on hands and knees and retrieving the sword from the dead man''s foot. She returned it to Abed and set it down next to his head before sitting next to him.
"I''ll be here until the end," she said to him. "No one deserves to die alone."
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 32 | The Beast
"We''ve got fifteen minutes left, folks, and only five survivors left? Who will make it into the final round?"
Alex and Jack made up two of those people. Alex suppressed a curse as he ran down the alley, with Jack trailing behind him. He didn''t even accomplish what he set out to do. The nature of the arena made escape impossible in this configuration. He needed Sayed''s advice, but Sayed could be anywhere in the sprawling city. Whoever operated the island core was a jerk to set up this situation.
"So, who do we have left, folks?" the announcer continued. "It looks like we have Maki ''the Beast,'' ''Tin Man'' Ortega, ''Sword Saint'' Sayed, and ''Thorn Queen'' Leah. And, last but not least...Jack? That won''t do. He needs a real name. How about: ''Street Urchin'' Jack?"
A cheer rang out around Alex, and he shook his head. How many people had died in that hour? Their lives had been thrown away because some people wanted entertainment. Alex grimaced. He hated this island.
"But how will we narrow five to one? Why, new orders from the Great Gulantry. A special restriction is now in effect."
Crack. Crush. Boom.
In the distance, the echoes of collapsing cement and iron echoed through the alleys. Alex stopped in his tracks, reaching out and grabbing Jack by the collar before Jack ran past him. The boy practically jumped into the air, his legs windmilling before slowing down. Alex sat him down once he stopped running and listened.
Crack. Crush. Boom.
He didn''t like those noises. Alex looked around himself and saw exactly what he feared was happening. The arena''s edges were compressing, crushing buildings and streets alike as the world shortened with every second. Alex clenched his teeth as he checked the other side. The landscape devoured itself in the same way as the arena pulled in on itself. He needed to make sure he and Jack would make it to the center of the destruction. Whoever controlled the island wanted a more intimate battle for the final act.
"What''s going on?" Jack asked him as Alex knelt.
"Jump on my back," Alex said. "If you want to get out of here, don''t let go. We''re going to run."
Alex could say what he wanted about being a glorified babysitter, but Jack did as he asked. He used his staff to give the kid something to sit on before sprinting down the alley. He knew the others would do the same until the arena settled. It was all part of the test. He knew Sayed, and he didn''t have to throw out many guesses as to who the ''Thorn Queen'' was. Erin had her own wanted poster if he was right. That only left the last name, which he had never heard of before.
"Don''t worry," he told himself between breaths. "He''ll be reasonable, and we''ll just talk the last few minutes of the fight."
He stopped every time he hit a four-way intersection just to make sure that he was traveling toward the center. It was hard to tell from ground level, but already, the destruction was slowing down at the edges of the horizon. To his eyes, it looked like space was folding in on itself as walls rose at the edge of the folding concrete. It was like an arena was being built rapidly on all sides from the top down.
Alex shuddered. This was just a fraction of the things that were possible for someone who held access to an island core. What wasn''t readily apparent was the cost that was being paid. He had to wonder how much power had been stored at Glory Plateau. How much would be lost for these tricks with the arena?
A dust cloud rolled toward from all the destruction, obscuring his view of the walls around the arena.
"Jack, you can get down," Alex said, kneeling at an intersection.
"We''re here?" Jack asked, looking around him.
"You''ll want to find a good hiding spot," Alex said. "We''re about to have company."
He wasn''t wrong. Sayed appeared first from the roiling dust to his left, sword held out at his side as he walked toward the intersection. He could see a familiar green cloak come out of the dust cloud to his right. Erin, or ''Thorn Queen'' Leah, had also survived.
That left Maki ''the Beast.''
Boom. Boom. Crash. Crunch.
The ground shook, and Alex planted his staff into the dirt to keep steady. A steady weight dropped down heavily in his stomach. He hated every moment of this fight. Now, a true monster came from the center of the arena. A creature over two stories tall walked out from the dust, reaching out and pushing over one of the crumbling ruins with its clawed hand. Thick green hide covered it, and a long, toothy jaw opened up in a primal roar.
The best way Alex could describe Maki was a mix between a man and an alligator. He took the bipedal gait of a man but had the hide, eyes, jaws, and claws of an alligator. Like with the captain back in Dry Gulch, Alex had to question if it was a curse that made him an alligator man or if there was an entire island full of giant lizard people.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Alex looked over to Sayed and Erin as they joined him. They had ten minutes.
Sayed''s face was set in a grim line, and all signs of the jovial man from the maze had gone out of him. He had seen the most losses of the three that day. Erin''s eyes had dark bags under them, and she looked completely drained. None of them were ready for the last fight. Alex nodded to the monster in front of them.
"You think he''s willing to talk?"
"No. How many do you think he killed?" Sayed asked, flexing his clawed gauntlet. "We will have to beat him before we can mourn the lost. If I am right, he deserves to be taken by my blade."
"Do you think we can?" Erin asked, standing a little farther back than either of them. "We should just buy as much time as we can. We can outlast him."
"Now, what way is that to end this?" Alex asked. "If not for Jack, think of all those who died. Their story needs more than us just living through this."
"Hah." Sayed''s frown cracked into a light smile. "Taking down something like that would be worthy of an epic story. I would gladly spin a tale that would give glory to the fallen that helped to take such a beast down."
"That''s your support, then," Alex said, turning to Erin. "What about you, ''Thorn Queen?''"
"You''re offering to buy time for me." Erin shrugged. "As long as I can stay back and out of the fight, ten minutes will be like no time at all."
"You hear that, Sayed?" Alex laughed. "She''ll gladly help us take it down."
"That is not what she said, brother." Sayed shook his head, but he still had a light smile on his face.
"Let me go in first." Alex started walking forward, resting his staff across his shoulders and draping his arms over it.
He walked forward and was aware of Sayed keeping a distance behind on his left side. Erin was much farther back but still walking forward with the group. Maki ''the Beast'' looked down at them as they approached him, his yellow-slitted eyes blinking as he looked down from above. To such a creature, Alex had to be like a small dog. If he were quick and strong, Maki would be able to take them down easily. Alex was banking on the size of the monster man slowing it down.
"What''s this?" the announcer asked. "The three outlaws are teaming up to fight Maki! Who would have thought that such people could work together?"
Graw!
More than said, Maki opened its maw and roared. The sound shook Alex''s bones and even rumbled the stones around it. Alex had to wonder how such a creature could fit in the maze down below. While the maze had been spacious, the roof hadn''t been tall enough to contain the beast. He chalked it up to another sign that this monstrous body was part of a curse, not a naturally occurring creature in the nightsea.
"Hey, Maki!" Alex yelled out.
Whoosh. Crack. Boom.
The attack was as quick as a lightning strike. The hairs on the back of Alex''s neck raised, and it was his only warning that it was coming. He jumped to the side, rolling across the ground when he hit to gain as much distance as possible. Alex stood on one knee and saw the massive fist, as large as his chest, cracking deep into the pavement. His ears rang from the sound of the strike, and he could barely hear the announcer give a replay of what just happened.
"Maki strikes first with his mighty claws!" the announcer yelled.
"Demon''s Wind!" Sayed yelled, his sword blazing orange as he charged toward the fist.
A series of flashes cut across Maki''s clawed hand as Sayed blurred past it. He came out on the other side of the fist. He held his sword high above his head as he stood in a wide stance. Alex stood up, holding his staff with both hands. Maki''s fist seemed to heat and sizzle. Black burned cut marks ripped open across its hide. However, the moment they appeared, a green light suddenly glowed across the cuts. The rough hide stitched itself back together before their eyes.
"That''s not good," Alex whispered before the tail came for him. "Step!"
He shot forward as Maki''s tail slammed down on the ground. Again, concrete ruptured under Maki''s strength. Alex didn''t stay still after coming out from his step. He continued to run to create some distance between himself and the beast.
"He can heal himself," Sayed said from beside him as they both skidded to a halt a short distance away.
"And he''s faster than he looks." Alex nodded. "Maybe Erin was right. We run out the timer and hope for the best."
"We can," Sayed said, his face creasing with a frown. "It would be the most prudent action. However, that thing killed Gramps."
Alex set his own mouth into a thin line. That changed a few things. He hadn''t known Gramps long, but he knew Sayed would keep going in a fight, even if he backed off. He couldn''t just let Sayed fight Maki alone.
"Alright," Alex said. "We take him down. That''s the goal."
Above them, Alex noticed the timer. It was at nine minutes. They had nine minutes to take down Maki, and then the four of them would be shunted back down to the maze below. He gritted his teeth as Maki got down on all fours, snapping his jaws in the air as he watched both Sayed and Alex.
"I''ll be the distraction," Alex said. "You hit him as hard as you can from the side."
"Right!"
"Step!"
Alex charged forward, going straight for Maki''s alligator face with his staff. He disappeared for a second before reappearing right next to the monster''s mouth. The jaw snapped at him, but it only caught the air. Alex planted his staff on the ground and vaulted onto Maki''s back.
For a brief moment, he knelt with his knees digging into the rough hide. He tried to find a handhold, but the entirety of Maki''s back was covered with a slick, oily film. Maki bucked beneath him, and Alex ducked the tail as it swung for his head.
"Any second now," he whispered as a claw reached for him.
"Demon''s Thrust!"
Maki twisted to face Sayed as he charged toward it. A leathery arm came up to defend the beast as it rose from all fours. Alex tumbled off the back, hitting the ground hard as he saw Sayed charging at the monster.
Like a hurtling comet, orange light covered Sayed''s blade and gauntlet as he thrust forward with his sword and into the beast''s blocking arm. The thrust burned into Maki''s hide and pierced into its arm. It let out a roar of pain as Sayed fell to the ground in front of it, landing on his feet in a wide stance.
Roar!
Alex''s bones shook again as Maki roared out in agony. The beast clutched at its now severed hand with its right hand, and green light glowed around the wound. On the ground, its severed claw twitched. Sayed had scored the hit and done some real damage.
"With any luck, we''ll be able to do this," Alex whispered, forcing himself to stand up with his staff.
Squelch. Crunch. Crack.
As soon as he said it, a new clawed hand erupted in a mass of goo and puss from the stump Sayed''s cut had left behind. The rough hide was a faint white instead of the dark green as before, but Maki flexed the clawed hand as it regenerated more. It grew tougher and greener in moments until it matched the leather hide across the rest of Maki''s body.
"Well, hell," Alex said. "Now what?"
Above him in the sky, the timer read eight minutes remaining.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 33 | Attraction
Jack had been in the maze for a long time. He was an urchin first and had been one every day of his life. He stole to eat. He pick-pocketed to stay alive. He even stabbed a man or two to keep himself safe at night on the streets. That had been his life until he was caught by the guards and taken up in that blinding light. Then, it had been the dark loneliness of the maze and nothing else. He hadn''t been born special enough even to know his real parents, and he thought he had been doomed to live down there in the dark, alone, until the day he died.
If Sayed hadn''t saved him, he would still be down there, in the dark and alone.
"Another devastating blow from the ''Sword Saint,''" the announcer yelled as Jack watched the fight. "But, again, Maki ''the Beast'' recovers the severed limb. There are five minutes left in the round. Can the three fighters work together to win, or will ''the Beast'' be too much for them to handle?"
It was just like in the stories Sayed told every night. Jack was able to watch them firsthand. He would even be able to tell his own story when everyone came back to camp. Abed and Gramps would be there, and he would get to tell the tale. He only hoped everyone would be ready to hear his version of events. He made sure he paid extra close attention to the fight.
"What are they doing now?" the announcer yelled, and Jack moved closer to the wall so he could get a better look through the crack.
The man Sayed had called Alex hit the monster down low with his staff, and his strike seemed to strain against the leg for a moment before he sent it flying off the ground. The monster was in the air briefly, both legs flying out from under it before it crashed hard into the ground on its shoulder.
An orange glow came from above it, and Jack gasped. Sayed had disappeared from where he had been and now was striking down at the monster with his sword. Orange light burned bright as he slashed down at the monster''s head. Jack frowned as the monster seemed to notice Sayed. A long tail struck Sayed hard, sending him flying into a nearby building with a crash and a cloud of dust.
Boom. Crack.
The sound came a second later.
"No!" Jack yelled out, grasping the wall hard with his fingers as he watched.
"A solid hit there, folks. I don''t think Sayed is going to be getting up from that. Can ''Tin Man'' Ortega hold his own against Maki ''The Beast?''"
Jack started to run out of the building. He had to go help Sayed. Sayed had done so much for the camp. Sayed had kept them all together for the last two years, fighting every day to make sure no one else had to come out there. Anyone in the camp would have come to help him, and anyone in the camp wouldn''t care how risky it was. He started running for the broken door of the building, but the announcer stopped him.
"What''s this?" the announcer yelled. "Is that ''Thorn Queen'' Leah rushing to his side? What is she doing? Folks, I wouldn''t believe this unless I saw it with my own eyes. She''s healing him and putting him back in the fight!"
A loud cheer ran through the stands, and Jack rushed back to his viewpoint. He held his breath as he looked through the dissipating dust cloud. Indeed, the new lady from the camp was next to Sayed, her hands glowing green as she helped Sayed get to his feet. Jack couldn''t hear what she said, but it didn''t matter. As long as Sayed was okay, they would win the fight. Sayed never lost.
"You can do it, Sayed," Jack whispered as Sayed stood, picking up his sword and taking a stance with his clawed gauntlet.
Alex continued to distract the monster, seemingly a ghost of movement between each of its strike down at him. Jack''s eyes couldn''t even keep up with his movements. Every time the monster struck at the man in the duster, he seemed to be somewhere else. He was never able to hit the monster back, though. Jack knew the reason for that. The man was fast, but he wasn''t as strong as Sayed. Only Sayed could beat the beast in the end.
He saw Sayed and Alex yell at each other across the battlefield as the monster looked between them. Jack wasn''t sure if the monster understood speech, but it didn''t seem like a good idea to him to yell what you were planning to do in front of it. He wasn''t Sayed though, so it was a great idea for all he knew.
Together, they moved on to the monster after that. This time, Sayed struck first, striking from his higher position and catching the monster''s claws with his sword as the monster defended. However, Jack could see the trick. Alex ran in from below as Sayed was distracted by a flurry of sword strikes from above. While Sayed was awesome, Jack focused on Alex. He wanted to know what the man was doing.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Several black objects began to float up from the buildings around Alex. Jack had to squint to see them. It took him a moment to tell, but he quickly figured it out. Seven long pieces of metal floated around Alex. The man swung his hands in the air, manipulating them around his body before grabbing one and slamming it hard into the monster''s thigh.
Creak.
The sound of the metal bending scratched against Jack''s ears as Alex wrapped the metal around the giant''s foot, creating a band through the flesh that seeped with dark blood. Green light began to pour from the wound immediately, but the light couldn''t seem to force the metal out from the flesh if it was looped into a circle.
Roar!
"What''s this?" the announcer yelled as the monster swiped down at Alex. "What''s Ortega doing to Maki? This feels like cheating, folks. With only three minutes to go, is this how they''re going to win against ''the Beast?''"
In the sky above, Jack could see the time. Two minutes and fifty-nine seconds remained.
Gulantry fiddled with screens as he and Lucien planned the next day''s fight. He needed to keep the man distracted. Otherwise, he might go down and try to ruin today''s fight. He dearly wanted to please Lucien. He would make so much money if Lucien became a regular fighter, but the man was obsessed with battle far too much. If only Lucien had wanted anything else, Gulantry would have had an easier time getting precisely what he wanted from the man.
He had an island core, after all. Almost any pleasure, desire, or taste was at his fingertips to give to those he deigned to bless. He could give everything to the paupers and peasants below and make their lives like the Empyrean on Erth. He could grow crops with a wave of a hand. He could raise homes with but a few swipes of a screen. He could heal the sick with but an errant thought.
But, alas, where was the pleasure in all that?
"Lucien," Gulantry said, noticing the man was watching the arena again. "Tell me, how is the fight going below?"
"''The Beast'' isn''t as ferocious as the name implies." Lucien sneered as he looked down through the window. "He has the strength to fight but none of the wit to keep himself ahead of three opponents."
"I thought there were five fighters." Gulantry looked up from the map of the next arena on his screen.
"There are, but one is a child," Lucien said. "Ortega went around making sure that he survived."
"And the other three are working together, you said?"
"Very well. Do you monitor them in the maze? Might they conspire down there together?"
Gulantry frowned, reaching down and plucking an orange from his ever-present plate. He gobbled it down, rind and all in one bite, but thought nothing of it. Even the rind had a particularly appealing contradictory taste that the fruit alone could not replicate.
He licked his fingers as he thought about the implications. He had never thought that anyone in the maze would ever be able to work together for that long. For the last thirty days, Sayed had protected many of the people in the maze, but he was always one man, and the people down below were too weak to plan anything. Sayed was the consistent survivor. Very few people who went into the arena beside him lasted for more than a few fights if even one.
"It has never really been a concern," Gulantry said, frowning. "When one stands on such a pedestal of power, one finds it hard to believe that anyone conspiring in dark corners could ever succeed. Especially so when they have nowhere to go but the maze."
"That is the problem," Lucien said, shaking his head. "You''ve never encountered a man like ''Tin Man'' Ortega."
"What can one man even do?" Gulantry laughed, spitting out pieces of his orange across his body and the couch he reclined on. "They say he''s responsible for Burning August, but that''s a lie. No one man can destroy an island."
Gulantry paused at that moment and looked down at his screen.
"Wait. You mean he gained access to a core?" Gulantry asked, assuming that Lucien, as an Apostle, was as versed in the operations of an island as he was.
"He used the core to do the unthinkable," Lucien said, stepping over to where Gulantry lay on his couch.
Lucien seemed to tower over him, his usual more detached presence suddenly alight with fire. He leaned over Gulantry, and Gulantry saw that his eyes were yellow instead of the normal blue irises and held a single bestial slit in them.
"After escaping from our custody, he took hold of the island core and wreaked havoc on everyone on the island. No one was spared. He released the seal holding back the Veil and let monsters roam free."
Gulantry''s jaws dropped. Island cores were closely guarded secrets for any island that found them. They founded dynasties of kings and ensured prosperity. To let one get into a prisoner''s hands so easily, Gulantry could scarcely imagine. Even Glory Plateau''s core was hidden well and locked away so that none but him could access it.
"The only choice in the end was to burn it all to the ground." Lucien sighed, stepping back toward the glass.
"You mean Ortega did not do that part?" Gulantry asked, sagging back into his couch.
"No, he did not," Lucien said. "But what does that matter? By releasing the Veil, he allowed me to acquire my strongest form yet. I would not have realized how much serving the Scions held me back without him. He set me on the path to find you, Gulantry. It is fitting that we face each other again in the next fight."
"Assuming he survives," Gulantry shook his head, returning to his screen.
"Did you hear nothing of what I said?" Lucien asked. "How do you think he escaped the prison? How do you think he beat past the guards? How do you think he found the most closely guarded secret of any island, the location of the island core?"
"He is crafty, perhaps," Gulantry narrowed his eyes. "I do not know him as you know him. If you don''t tell me, I''ll never know."
"His very presence calls people to him. His actions call on people to change. Every decision he makes draws him allies who will fight with him. You can see it down there already. The three of them are working together to beat ''the Beast'' because he is there."
"So, you say Maki will lose this fight?" Gulantry asked.
"How about we place a wager?" Lucien turned back to him, smiling.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 34 | Demons Divide
Alex''s entire body was numb as he ducked and weaved through claw strikes from Maki. Sayed saved him at the last moment, charging in with his sword and cutting into Maki''s flank. Alex jumped back and fell to one knee. They had about four minutes left in the fight, but Maki didn''t seem like he was going down. Seven four-foot-long pieces of rebar now stuck out of Maki''s hide, each one looped around to prevent it from being pushed out, but still, the green energy glowed around the wounds. Still, ''the Beast'' refused to fall.
"And it seemed like such a good idea." Alex gasped between breaths. "Seven ''might'' uses later, and I''m doubting it."
Could they just back off and play it safe to run out the timer? Maybe. Did that mean the person who ran the arena had to play by the rules? No. Did Alex like the idea of trying to negotiate with a man who hadn''t even said a word before attacking them? Definitely not. Had Maki killed Gramps? Yes. Alex pushed himself up with his staff and prepared to charge in again. There had to be a way to take Maki down.
It was muted in his ears, but he could hear the crowds cheering from the stands. Moreso than sound, it felt like a vibration that ran up from the ground. Some stomped their feet while others shouted for Sayed to fight on or for Maki to give it his all.
Boom. Boom. Thud. Boom. Boom. Thud.
Alex knew somewhere in the back of his mind that the entire process was beyond messed up. He had read of cultures who fought for entertainment, like the Romans. Even in his own day, there were arguments and debates about how people who participated in American football gave away their bodies for money in their youth. Concussions that ate away at a person''s mind were the price of that entertainment.
However, that didn''t stop him from feeling the thrill of a good fight. Even when lives were on the line, even when people died, he couldn''t stop the adrenaline that pumped through his veins with every heartbeat.
Sayed continued to fight Maki off in the distance, and Alex paid close attention to find his opportunity to take back over. Maki had been too good at playing defense and only had one piece of rebar left. If he could hold Maki still, maybe he could get one last piece into a vital area. His current piece was sitting off to the side on the ground, waiting after it had been knocked away in his previous attempt.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flit of green movement. Erin dashed in between buildings, keeping an eye on the fight but also keeping out of it. Alex looked at her as she watched over Sayed. ''Thorn Queen'' Leah was her bounty name, and a thought ran through Alex''s mind. There had to be a reason for that title. The same as his ''Tin Man,'' ''Sword Saint,'' or ''the Beast.'' Whoever ran the bounty office had a sense of humor when naming outlaws, and ''Thorn Queen'' should be no different. Keeping an eye on Maki as Sayed parried one of his claws with a sword, Alex approached Leah.
"What can you do?" Alex asked.
"Three minutes remain, folks, and it looks like Sayed is going to hold back ''the Beast'' alone!"
"Demon''s Divide!"
"What are you talking about?" Erin asked, her eyes flitting between Alex and the fight.
"Your curse," Alex said, leaning forward. "I''ve got magnetism. Sayed clearly has heat and a sword. What can you do?"
Roar! Crash! Crunch!
"Oh, looks like Sayed took a nasty hit there, folks!"
"Is this really the time?" Erin asked, nodding over to the fight.
"You will not take me down, monster! In the name of God, I will win!"
"He''s fine. We need an edge, and we''ve got three minutes left. What can you do?"
"I can¡ª" Erin hesitated but then glared at him. "I can make things grow¡ªseeds, plants, and even a person''s body. I can make them grow faster."
Alex frowned as he let those thoughts play over his mind. Her healing ability was tied to growth. She made parts of the body grow naturally but faster. She could also cause plants to grow, but there was no vegetation in the arena. When she healed people, her hands had a green glow, much like Maki''s wounds.
"I can support," Erin said. "But I''m no help against something like this."
"Can you trust me?" Alex asked as the realization hit him.
Alex knew it was a lot to ask of anyone. Trust was something a person built over time. It required give and take. It required a person to be there for another again and again. He had a crazy idea. If he was right, they didn''t need to stall Maki. They could win.
"Sayed gets up again!" the announcer yelled. "How many times can this man stand up after being put down? He truly is the Champion of the Arena!"
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"What are you going to ask me to do?" Erin''s face went pale, and Alex realized he had a wide grin cracking his face.
"Two more minutes remain in the fight, folks. Who will win? Maki ''the Beast'' or ''Sword Saint'' Sayed? Will ''Tin Man'' Ortega or ''Thorn Queen'' Leah swoop in to steal the spotlight? Only two more minutes to decide who goes on to the next round!"
Alex explained the plan. Moment by moment, Erin''s face paled more and more. What had been whiter than a sheet now almost glowed like LED lights. At the end of it, she did not look like she could ever trust him. However, Alex knew it was the best plan he had.
"Fine," Erin said in a way that implied Alex was insane, and she was only agreeing because he held a really big stick in his hands. "We''ll try it."
Erin didn''t trust Alex, not in the slightest. What kind of madman did he think he was? She kept close enough behind him that he didn''t think she was running away but was ready to bolt the second she could. She was on a critical mission. She couldn''t afford to take unnecessary risks, but he had just barged over and asked her to get close to that monster. She had said she could support him, but that was it.
"Oh, what''s this?" the announcer said. "Folks, it looks like ''Thorn Queen'' Leah and ''Tin Man'' Ortega are up to something. They''re charging at Maki!"
The crowd collectively gasped. Ahead of them, Sayed stood against the monster. He was beaten, bruised, and bloody from cuts across his body. He had no sword, and only his gauntlet remained, the claws on it glowing bright orange. With just a cursory look, Erin knew he wouldn''t survive the next minute. One more good hit from the monster, and Sayed would fall.
However, the man''s face did not show despair. Instead, a broad smile stretched his beard from side to side. Erin couldn''t believe it. He was enjoying this. It didn''t take long for her to realize Alex''s smile reflected the same. They were both enjoying the fight.
It made her sick to think about it.
"Sayed!" Alex yelled as he charged. "One more time! We need to hold him still!"
"Alright, brother!" Sayed yelled and charged forward from the opposite side.
The monster looked between them as they charged, and Erin slowed herself. Even if she did help in the end, she didn''t need to get caught up in that monster''s claws for the plan to work. It was better if she stayed back before she made her decision. Playing it safe was the right thing to do.
They hit the monster from top and bottom. Alex screamed a word as he slammed into the monster''s legs, knocking it off its feet like a cannonball. Sayed yelled something, slammed his clawed gauntlet down, and fell on top of the monster. Erin ignored that.
Bump.
Her breath was coming quickly in her chest. Her heart beat in her ears as time seemed to slow around her. The world turned into silence as the beast hit the ground. Alex fell to the ground and looked back at her. Sayed held on to the monster''s chest with his burning claw. In her mind, this was her moment to run. She could run. They would have to last for less than a minute. They would all survive and be in the maze in less than a minute.
Bump. Bump.
"Only one more minute!" the announcer yelled.
But could she do it? It was a new way to use her curse, a way she hadn''t thought of in her few years with it. Granted, she had never encountered a monster like Maki ''the Beast'' before. Even after joining the Revolution, she had mostly been on missions to gather information or to find people. She hadn''t needed to adapt to a life or death struggle because there was always an out. There had always been an escape.
Bump. Bump. Bump.
"Erin! Do it!"
Inside her, her gate felt eager. It wanted to open up and try it. She had never had this feeling before. She was the one who controlled the gate inside of her. But now, at this moment, it seemed like the gate itself was pleading to her. It wanted to be used. It wanted to try.
Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump.
"Shades," she whispered, opening her gate and running toward the monster.
Power curled and wrapped through her body, twining from her heart. Like growing vines inside of her, the power twisted and slunk its way through the rest of her body. Her hands gained a green glow as she approached the monster and placed them on it. She whispered a simple command in her mind and used it to structure her will. She told the monster to heal.
"Thirty seconds!"
Time resumed its normal flow around her as she touched her healing hands to the monster''s hide. Green light flowed out from her hands, and in seconds, the monster''s own green healing light exploded out in a flash. The monster''s wounds coiled and grew back faster than they had before. Most of the cuts and scrapes healed instantly, but seven had a problem.
Erin grunted as she poured more power into her healing, and she looked over to the monster''s legs to see if the plan was working. Muscle, hide, and tissue were trying to stitch themselves back together, but because of the metal bars stuck in the monster''s hide, they had nowhere to go. Hide and muscle strands erupted from the open wounds as they met resistance inside. The healing was happening, but it was disjointed and corrupted. Hide and tissue desperately reached over the metal bars and tried to stitch themselves to the other side. The monster''s body was pulling itself apart in seven places while trying to stitch itself back together.
"Twenty seconds!"
"Sayed!" Alex yelled. "Can you get it?"
"I''ve lost my sword, brother, but I will try!"
"Wait!" Erin yelled herself, letting go of her healing with one hand and reaching into her cloak.
From the straps, she pulled out Abed''s sword. She had to momentarily let go of her healing, but she threw it up to him with both hands. It whirred through the air, but Sayed merely reached out a hand with a smile and caught it like he had been practicing that trick his entire life.
"Then let us give this tale a proper end," Sayed said, holding up the blade and letting it glow bright orange.
"Ten seconds!"
"Demon''s Divide!"
With a long arc, Sayed jumped into the air and cut down through the monster''s neck, severing through hide, bone, and flesh with one mighty stroke. The monster had no defense for it. It was hobbled on the ground, beaten and broken from the fight. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. The fight was over.
Brrt.
A loud bell rang out in the arena. The crowd cheered, and Erin fell to her knees. She closed her gate. They had done it. They had won. She had done it. She had used her curse in a way that she had never expected. She looked over to Alex and saw him on the ground, grinning and giving her a thumbs-up.
"What a fight, folks!" the announcer yelled. "Maki ''the Beast'' is defeated! ''Sword Saint'' Sayed. ''Tin Man'' Ortega. ''Thorn Queen'' Leah. ''Street Urchin'' Jack. Those four are going on to the next round!"
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 35 | The Lost
The crowd cheered in the aftermath of the fight. Their voices boomed and echoed across the walls, and Alex closed his eyes as the rumbles of their cheers, clapping, and foot stomps echoed through his body. He felt like a used-up rag but couldn''t help but smile. They had won the fight. He took a deep breath as light consumed his body, and he opened his eyes again in darkness.
It took a while to recover enough to hear the world around him again. Going toe to toe with an opponent like Maki was not something even he could walk away from without major damage. Even with Sayed and Erin fighting with him, Maki was an entirely different beast from anything he had fought before.
Curses were as wild and varied as the different islands in the nightsea. Some were simple, like Sayed''s curse, which, as near as Alex could tell, let him heat objects he touched. Others could be more complex, like making copies of a person. Some even felt like cheating, say Maki taking on the form of a giant beast with the strength, endurance, and healing to make it hard to take down. Maki had a potent combination of abilities tied to his curse, making him a strong opponent.
"Thank you, brother." Alex heard Sayed in the distance, drawing him out of his thoughts.
He still couldn''t see anything but could hear two people shuffling around in the darkness. As he took in a breath, it came up short. They were in the maze again, so the abundance of aether from above was gone. He had forgotten about it, but being above had felt like swimming in an ocean after being stuck in a desert. He pushed himself up from the ground, but a wave of dizziness struck him, and he had to go back down.
"That''s new," Alex whispered.
"You''re here too?" Erin''s voice came from where Sayed''s voice had come from. "Give me a second."
Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Fwoosh.
Orange light flashed through the hall and then faded and dimmed immediately. Sayed lay propped up on a wall on the opposite side of the hall. To say he looked bad off would be a kind way to describe him. His face was bruised, and several cuts ran down his arms. Even his appropriated rags from before the fight had several dark stains on them.
"Sit still," Erin said as she lay the torch on the ground and started working on Sayed.
"It will be fine," Sayed said with a smile. "My mother always told me I was built of steel."
"I feel that," Alex said, rolling himself across the floor and to the torch.
He picked it up from the ground and held the end of it against the floor. He didn''t have the strength to stand up, but he could do at least that. Erin looked back at him with a shake of her head and returned to working on Sayed.
"You''re both idiots," Erin said. "You didn''t need to fight that thing. We could have delayed. We could have played it safe."
"True," Alex said, frowning as he considered it. "Why did I want to fight it? It doesn''t make sense."
"That is the call of the arena." Sayed laughed and then coughed. "There is an enchantment on the entire thing, I think. It calls anyone inside to fight with all they have. It thrills the people in the stands to cheer and yell. Why else do you think so many would find these fights entertaining?"
Alex had to pause to think about that. Blood sports were a thing throughout the history of humanity in his old world. It didn''t take much to push people to be cruel to one another. He didn''t know if he could blame it on the person who had the island core influencing people''s minds, though that was a possibility. Sometimes, people just sucked.
"Maybe," Alex said.
"It might explain something I felt," Erin whispered, but she quickly moved on, putting the few strips of cloth she had used back in her bag and picking it up. "I think you''ll be fine, Sayed. At least you won''t die tonight. You managed to avoid any major hits."
"Thanks to good training, my brother. Taking a hit correctly is just as important as striking a foe true."
"You keep calling everyone brother." Erin shook her head as she turned to Alex. "Shouldn''t I be ''sister'' instead?"
"No," Sayed shook his head. "Anyone in trying times with you is a brother to be supported and protected. It is even more true once you have seen combat together. Brotherhood does not care about your body."
"Right," Erin said as she knelt next to Alex. "Now, what about you?"
"I''ll be fine," Alex said, but he couldn''t move away. "Just give me a while, and I''ll be back on my feet."
"Really? Because you don''t look ''fine,''" Erin said, her hand coming down on his shoulder.
Alex bit back a curse. Just the pressure of her hand hurt. He had used the Path of Might too much, and it would take time for his body to recover. He clenched his teeth and tried to raise his hand to wave her away, but his body wasn''t having it.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
"Just let her look, brother," Sayed said, closing his eyes as he rested against the wall. "She is a healer."
"Not like I can stop her," Alex grunted as she pulled his duster away from his chest and pulled up his shirt.
"Shades," Erin said as she looked down at him. "What in the sha-om is this?"
Alex frowned. There it was. On his chest was a metal device, starting in the center and then reaching out over where his heart would be. He specified ''would be'' because the device entirely replaced his heart. He knew that because he was awake when the crazy Doctor Ozymandias had installed it.
"That''s...hard to explain," Alex said.
"Hard to explain? It doesn''t make any sense!" Erin shook her head, reaching out and touching the device. "Is it on? What is it doing?"
"Trying to keep me going," Alex said.
She tapped it a few times, but, of course, nothing happened. The look of concern that lined her face would have made Alex worried if he hadn''t lived with the device in him since the lab. On its own, it was almost funny to see someone worrying about it now. It was just a part of him.
"I just...don''t understand," Erin said. "Why do you have this?"
Alex sighed. They were going to be stuck together until they got out of the maze or the arena, so he might as well make sure they were both in the loop. It wasn''t like it was a major secret, and he assumed that other people with curses had something similar that caused their own curses.
"When I got to the nightsea I got picked up by some people. They installed this in me, giving me my curse, among other things."
He looked up at Erin, and her face was wide open with a look of shock. Sayed had also opened his eyes again and looked over to him. The way they looked at him, he would think he had dropped a bombshell secret detail that no one knew about.
"That''s not how it works," Erin said slowly.
"Then how did you two get your curses?"
"Blessings," Sayed corrected.
"I first felt mine the moment I came to Erth," Erin said.
"It came from your old world? You called it Earth?"
"No," Erin shook her head. "Erth is this place. All the islands and the nightsea are on Erth. My old world was called Erys."
She stopped, and he could see that she was kicking herself internally for revealing that information. Not that it was something that needed to be hidden. It was no secret that many people on the nightsea came from a different world.
"It was the same for me," Sayed said. "When I came from Hajh, I felt God''s blessing in this new world. I do not have any such device in my body."
"You have an artificial gate," Erin said. "Someone tried to create a curse."
"Succeeded. Dr. Ozymandias succeeded."
"The head of Section Six," Erin whispered.
"You sure know a lot." Alex tried to raise a finger to point.
"That''s none of your business," she snapped.
Alex smiled. That was more of what he expected from her, but she unintentionally revealed a few things. He didn''t think she was with the Military Police, mainly because she had outlaw status, so only a few possibilities were left.
"We can talk about that later. More importantly, spell the name of this world for me."
"E. R. T. H."
"Ah," Alex said. "That''s why. I''m from E. A. R. T. H."
"Well, ignoring that," Erin said, looking back down at him. "You''re bruised up but don''t have anything major."
"Most of it sealed up while we were still up there," Alex smiled. "If I give my body time to relax, I''ll be fine. Just pushed it too far in too short of a time."
Erin looked down at him like she was looking at a monster. However, he didn''t feel any malice in the look. She only seemed confused about how he worked. Alex was just happy that he had a name for the world. In the years he had been on Erth, he had heard people name islands, cities, and the nightsea itself. He had never had reason to ask, but at least the world as a whole had a name. Also, he now knew he was a weirdo, so that was neat.
"You''ll both live, but what about the next round? I can''t use my power to help Sayed heal, and we''ll be stuck down here without aether to help passively. What are we going to do?"
"The food will come soon," Sayed said. "With just four of us, it will be enough to help. Even that will give us strength."
"The four of us," Erin whispered.
"Yes. You, I, Alex, and Jack."
Alex looked around, but he didn''t see Jack anywhere near them. At the same time, Sayed gasped as he realized as well. Neither of them was in any position to move, but Sayed tried and failed to stand up. He fell to his side on the maze''s floor but kept looking around.
"Where is he? Everyone else is gone, but Jack survived! The announcer said Jack survived! Come out, Jack!"
Alex had to admit Sayed was more composed than he should have been. Abed and Gramps were gone, but he hadn''t called out when they first came down. He had to have known the second that the arena was shortened to four that the others hadn''t survived. Yet, he hadn''t shown any hint of sadness. Sayed had to be made of some stern stuff, or he was in shock.
"Jack?" Erin moved for the both of them, picking up the torch and moving to one side of the hall to the corner before coming back and doing the same on the other side.
"He should be here," Sayed said to Alex as she looked. "When people are taken down from the arena, they appear together. They may go their own way afterward but are not separated."
"That''s assuming the person running it has to follow those rules," Alex said. "Whoever is doing this doesn''t have many limitations. He could have thrown us pretty much where he wanted to."
Tears began to run down Sayed''s face, and Alex mentally kicked himself. Again, his tendency to analyze and state what he saw returned to hurt someone. He grimaced as he tried to think of a way to step back from what he said.
"But if that''s his habit, I don''t think he would deviate unless something changed."
"Precisely, WPN Nine," a voice that Alex never wanted to hear again echoed through the maze. "You were always able to put things together quickly. That''s why you were able to escape the lab."
"Lucien," Alex whispered, and his body struggled to move.
"Correct again," the voice said, echoing off the walls. "Gulantry has allowed me this opportunity to speak with you at my request, and who am I to deny you the chance to speak with a superior once again? It is good to see you, ''Tin Man'' Ortega. I have much to pay you back for soon."
"Where did you send the kid?" Alex grunted as he succeeded in moving an arm.
"He will be the prize of the next match. Consider him motivation to fight so that you do not try to run away. I already know that you''re making those plans. That is who you are, Ortega."
Okay. He wasn''t wrong, but that didn''t mean Alex would give that to him. He pushed himself up using his arm and looked all around at the darkness. He couldn''t pinpoint the source of the voice at all.
"What''s your game, Lucien?" Alex asked. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why, the same reason I do all things." Lucien laughed. "To get a good fight. Now rest and recover. Your food will come soon, and I want you in tip-top shape before tomorrow. Show me that August was not a fluke. Show me that you are worthy prey to fight, and you will get your urchin back."
With that, the voice faded away, leaving them all in darkness.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 36 | Cards on the Table
Silence dropped between the three of them as the voice faded. Erin stood a little away, but she had still heard it all. Never in all her time on Erth had she expected to see so many different things in one day. Even when she first came from her old world, it had been on an island with a small town. However, here on Glory Plateau, in a few hours, she met the outlaw who burned down August, found out about artificially created curses, and discovered Doctor Ozymandias had been responsible for it.
She needed to go back and tell Leneski. Even if her original target wasn''t in the maze, this information alone was worth the trip to the Fringes. However, she still had one problem. She was still stuck in the maze.
"Who was that?" Sayed yelled at Alex, pushing himself up from the ground and toward Alex. "Do you know him?"
"Lucien." Alex sighed, propping himself up on one arm. "Yeah. I definitely know him."
"Why is he doing this to Jack?" Sayed demanded, tears streaming down his eyes. "He is just a boy."
"He won''t kill him," Alex said. "That''s not what he does. All Lucien wants out of life is a good fight, and he has a bone to pick with me."
"And why''s that?" Erin asked, carrying the torch back and taking a seat two meters away from both of them. "What did you do?"
"Hah." Alex wheezed out a laugh. "That''s a story. Do you both know what an Apostle is?"
Sayed shook his head as he pushed himself back against the wall. Erin frowned. She knew what an Apostle was and didn''t like where this was going. Alex pushed himself up to a sitting position as he looked between them.
"A servant of the Scions," Erin said. "Whether as bodyguards or as hands in the world, Apostles serve the Scions."
"Correct," Alex said, raising one hand like he was ringing a bell.
Erin thought through all the intelligence they had on the Scions. They were monstrously strong, of course. One Apostle acted like an entire army for each of the Scions. Any time they operated outside the Empyrean, it was usually in the Twelve Kingdoms, with the Military Police.
"You said his name was Lucien?" Erin asked.
"Yeah, Lucien Griffin."
"The Butcher," her breath caught in her chest. "You''re saying that was Lucien ''the Butcher'' Griffin."
"Wait..." Alex whispered, and his eyes went wide.
"What does this mean?" Sayed waved his hand between them. "Why is that important?"
"He isn''t an Apostle anymore," Erin said. "He disappeared five years ago, and a bounty was placed on his head by the Military Police. They gave him the name. ''The Butcher.''"
"Great, like he needed a nickname," Alex said, a smirk cracking through his shocked face. "He was the one assigned to watch over the lab at August. The last time I saw him, I left him in a room with a nightshade and ran. I kind of hoped that the nightshade took him down, but here we are."
"A nightshade," Erin whispered, her jaw dropping.
Not only had Alex burned down an island, but he had also met and been experimented on by Dr. Ozymandias, met and survived Lucien ''the Butcher'' Griffin, and now run into a nightshade, a monster from the mist that hadn''t been seen on Erth in centuries.
"Who are you?"
"An outlaw," Alex said. "Simple as that."
"No," Erin snapped. "You don''t get to say ''Simple as that.''"
Erin needed to get back, now more than ever. If she were stronger, she would drag Alex back with her, too. He could have information that would aid the Revolution if everything he said was true. He was almost like a gift-wrapped bundle of secrets. The device in his chest alone would be worth millions of dolers to the right people, but more importantly, it would be invaluable to overthrow the Scions. The ability to give curses to anyone you wanted would tip the scales of power in the world.
"So," Alex said, nodding to Sayed and ignoring her. "With that said, we can assume Jack''s safe for now. Lucien wouldn''t intentionally go after someone who was significantly weaker than him. He just wants to try and make sure I don''t run during the next fight."
"You were thinking about escaping?" Erin pulled out of the storm of anger and raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"I already had a decent idea." Alex shrugged. "The arena at the start just messed with it. It was built to fold space onto itself, so I couldn''t get to the edge. Once it shrunk down, I could sense the walls and the outside. With the right distraction and moving fast, we could get out."
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"What do you mean?"
"Okay." Alex sighed, looking between the both of them. "I''m going to put all my cards on the table. Well, almost all of my cards. I don''t think you''ll be able to trust me if I don''t, and I don''t think I can do this alone. Lucien wasn''t someone I could take on back on August, and I don''t think he''s someone we can take down now. I''ll tell you both everything I think is relevant, and you can decide if you want to try my plan."
Erin remembered when he had run up to her in the fight. He had been out of breath and barely standing, but he had demanded that she trust him. That was, of course, after he had demanded to know about her powers.
She hadn''t known him for very long, but each time he faced a problem, Alex seemed to set out to solve the problem immediately. When the sound had occurred in the maze, he had tried something immediately instead of just going the safe route. When they had fought Maki, he had spent the entire time gathering information and testing it against the monster. She didn''t doubt that he was doing the same with escaping the arena.
"Fine," Erin said, nodding. "Tell us your plan."
Click.
A light shone down between the three of them, and a massive silvered plate full of food appeared out of the light. It was different from the rations doled out the day before. Fruits, vegetables, and meat adorned the plate. Just as it appeared, the light vanished.
"Looks like our delivery has arrived," Alex whispered.
"Should we trust it?" Sayed licked his lips.
"He wouldn''t poison it." Alex nodded, reaching out and grabbing an orange. "Not his style. Dig in, and I''ll tell you what I know."
Sayed grunted but also reached out to grab a piece of cooked meat. Erin shuffled forward without getting out before picking out a few fruits. She wasn''t as badly hurt as Sayed or Alex, but her use of her gate had left her drained. A fraying feeling rested at the edge of her body, but it was still there in the background.
As the two men ate, she could already see the effects of the food. Sayed began to be able to move, and his bruises were receding to small dark spots. Alex began to move more and more as he spoke, and even she felt like she was being stitched back together again inside. There was still a lack of aether in the air, but she wasn''t dead tired anymore.
Out in the wider world, aether made everything stronger, more hardy, and resilient. It was in the air people breathed, the food they ate, the water they drank, and even woven into the fibers of their clothes. It was a subtle thing, but even to people who weren''t curse users, it made them stronger than they would have been without it. It also made them live longer with few diseases and sicknesses. There were exceptions, but many of the things she had been trained to treat in the Coven on Aerys weren''t problems on Erth. Not that she had any right to worry about that anymore. Despite her curse, she hadn''t been a true healer in a long time.
"Alright," Alex said as he grabbed another fruit from the table. "Let me give you both what I know."
He bit into the fruit before continuing, making vague movements with his hands as he swallowed. Erin wished he would get it over with, but she had to imagine that his body was feeling worse than her own with what he had done in the arena. They all needed to recover if they were going to survive the next day.
"Lucien''s curse lets him consume things and then summon them from a mist he calls up," Alex said. "He has to beat whatever it is to consume it, but I''ve seen him call out all sorts of monsters and sometimes even people to fight. He can only call one out at a time, but they''re always strong."
"You left him in a room with a nightshade," Erin whispered as she plucked and ate a grape.
"Which means he can probably call out one of those," Alex said. "That''s the thing about him, though. You don''t have to worry about more than one thing to fight. You just need to keep him delayed and not get killed, and you can get away. The plan is to run, not beat a nightshade."
"How precisely do we do that?" Erin asked.
"What about Jack?" Sayed added.
"There''s the harder part," Alex said. "Everything is going to depend on where he puts Jack. If he has him in the arena, we can get Jack out. If he doesn''t, we''re going to need another plan. I would place a bet that he will be in the arena, though."
"Can''t Gulantry just teleport him or us back here if we try to get Jack?" Erin asked.
"Two problems with that," Alex said, holding up two fingers. "First, it''s hard to hit moving targets, doubly so if there''s more than one to hit. Second, that guy who''s running this, Gulantry, he''s about to get hit hard by a backlash."
"What is this ''backlash?''" Sayed asked in between bites.
"Think of it like..." Alex paused as he looked at Sayed. "Overextending in a fight. When he uses the island core to make an arena like what we fought in, he is pushing really far into enemy territory. What he doesn''t know is that now he''s surrounded on all sides and is about to be killed when they collapse on it. Like that, but with the power he''s using."
Erin understood what Alex was trying to say, but she didn''t like the analogy. Alex seemed to have chosen it to help Sayed understand it by picking a subject he understood. To her, a backlash would be more like what happened to Maki. The healing effect caused something horrible to occur in response to it being empowered. However, even that probably wasn''t what he was getting at. The People''s Revolution had limited intelligence on island cores. They knew what they were, but no one had ever been able to take hold of one.
"I see that might not do it," Alex said. "If you had electricity in your world, I would compare it to playing around with wires until you accidentally touched a hot cable, but I don''t know if that would work. Basically, overusing the core will cause bad stuff to happen to the person using it and the island as a whole. It isn''t a matter of if. It''s a matter of when."
"Do you think he knows?" Erin asked.
"I don''t think he would have done what he did yesterday if he did." Alex shrugged. "I also don''t think he nor Lucien are listening to this conversation. For Lucien, it just isn''t his style. For this Gulantry guy, he seems pretty arrogant, judging by what he does. We''re beneath him in his mind."
The weight of a cold stone settled in Erin''s stomach. She hadn''t considered that. Again, Alex showed himself to be a planner. He was taking variables into account every second. For a moment, Erin could hope that they could escape the next day.
"Those are all the cards," Alex said, leaning forward and looking between them. "If you can trust me, let me tell you what we''ll do to break out tomorrow."
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 37 | Nightshade
Sayed stood in the darkness, controlling his breathing. In and out. In and out. With every focused breath, he took in the little strength that remained in the air of the maze, and when he exhaled, he let out his anger, grief, and impatience. They would be called to fight soon. He could feel it in his bones as he rested his hand on his khopesh in its sheathe. What was more important to him, above all, was to remain calm. He would follow the plan.
Whir. Whoosh. Whir. Whoosh.
"You going to be okay?" Alex asked beside him, and Sayed could hear him twirling his staff.
The three of them were as recovered as they would be. It was a rough night''s rest, but the food had helped heal his aches and cover his sounds. Erin''s bandages had also helped, but there was a limit to what she could do in the maze.
"I will be fine, my brother," Sayed said, clenching his gauntleted hand closed.
"Really, because you''re taking this much better than I expected." His staff stopped making its noise, and he tapped it against the ground. "When we met you, you were crying over a guy you just met, but now..."
He let the sentence trail off, but Sayed understood. It would be hard to understand the ways of his people. Alex was not from Hajh, and he did not understand. Sayed took in a deep breath, quelling the heat that rose from his heart.
"We mourn for those who are still here, not those who are gone," Sayed said, focusing on a point in the darkness ahead of him.
In his mind, crimson grass rose, and a sunny plain stretched out around him. While his people lived in a massive desert, the Crimson Fields were a paradise hidden near the great Sevet River. They were a resting place, a natural wonder that not even the High Priests could exploit or tarnish. In the distance, he could see Abed, completely naked and standing in the grass. Abed bowed his head to him before walking deeper into the grass. In moments, he was entirely out of sight.
"Neither of you knew Abed or Gramps," Sayed said, reaching up with his right hand and tapping his chest. "I mourn for them here, but there is no one else to share the mourning with. Because of this, I will keep it inside."
Even in the darkness, he could feel Alex''s gaze upon him. It was not some magic of his old world nor power granted by a blessing. He just knew that Alex''s head was tilted to the side as the man looked at him.
"Interesting," Alex said.
"Abed said something to me," Erin whispered. "He said he would see you in the ''Crimson Fields.''"
"Yes, he will." Sayed nodded, and he could feel the hot warmth of tears touching his cheeks. "It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow, but we will meet again someday in those fields. That day, I will be with all my brothers for eternity."
"Sounds nice," Alex said.
"By the will of God, that day will not be today!" Heat surged in Sayed''s chest, but his gate remained closed.
Bump. Bump. Thump. Bump. Bump. Thump.
"It''s starting," Erin said as the noise of the crowd above rose louder and louder.
"We are ready." Sayed opened his eyes, but there was still only darkness.
"Don''t forget the plan." Alex clapped Sayed on the shoulder. "We''re going to focus on getting Jack and everyone out. Fighting is just the distraction play."
Bump. Bump. Thump. Bump. Bump. Thump.
Sayed said a prayer, holding his gauntlet up to his forehead as he called out to God. Firstly, he wanted protection. Protection for Jack against his captors. Protection for Alex and Erin as they fought for their freedom. Secondly, he wanted strength. Strength to overcome his foes. Strength to stand when others would falter. Thirdly, he wanted vengeance. Vengeance on Gulantry and Lucien for what they had done. The fires of his god would burn bright for that moment he stepped through the light. He promised himself he would not forget what had been done by those men. Whoever wreaked such havoc deserved to be put down.
"Give these things to me, God, and I will show them your glory," Sayed whispered before lowering his fist and drawing his khopesh.
Bump. Bump. Thump. Bump. Bump. Thump. Click.
"Here it comes," Sayed said, and three columns of light appeared before them.
"Hah, they''re giving us the option this time." Alex laughed before immediately jumping into the light.
"He''s insane," Erin whispered, sighing before jumping into her own light.
That left Sayed alone.
"I will do it, Abed," Sayed said. "I will do what it takes to make this right and carry on our mission in this new world. No person deserves to be enslaved. No man, woman, or child deserves to be in fear. That is why God sent us to this place. Any place we find such a state, it is our holy duty to right the wrong, to free the innocent, and to liberate the enslaved."
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
He paused and looked up into the light.
"A Saint is one who has mastery over demons. Today, I will become like a demon myself if it means that Jack will be saved."
Hot tears ran down his face, but he did not wipe them away. He stepped forward into the light, and it consumed him. Instantly, he stepped out into the arena, but there were no brightly lit walls.
Instead of being almost blinded, as he had expected, he walked out into a dark red mist. Sayed searched around him for Erin and Alex, but neither was in sight. In the distance, he could hear the crowd''s cries, but they were muffled through the mist. Only one voice spoke true through that din.
"We have a special treat for you today, folks." The announcer''s voice rang out through the arena. "The Great Lord Gulantry has pulled some strings for a one-of-a-kind fight for you all to watch. Today, you will witness a creature that hasn''t been seen on Erth in centuries! A nightshade!"
Groan. Thump.
The ground shook around Sayed as something deep in the mist took a single step. Sayed threw out his arms to keep his balance and quickly searched around him to find the origin. However, all he could see were the red-black wisps of the mist around him, rising like smoke from the ground.
"Now, I know what you''re thinking," the announcer said. "We can''t see it. That folks, is where Gulantry has given you a gift. Everyone will have access to their own personal screen today to watch the fight. Raise your hands up, and it will appear before your very eyes!"
Groan. Thump.
Sayed opened the gate in his heart, letting the heat flow out from his body and into his sword and gauntlet. The blade began to glow a hot orange, and his claws did the same. He still could not tell where the beast was in the mist, but he wouldn''t be taken by surprise.
"One final thing, a bonus surprise from Lord Gulantry," the announcer said, and high up in the center of the arena, the mist seemed to be pushed back.
A small figure hung by his arms on an erected gallows. Ropes tied him to a wooden beam that was then tied to the ground and disappeared in the mist below. It was like a small hilltop inside the arena, though Sayed could not see the path to get there. He didn''t need to get closer to know who it was. Jack was there.
"''Street Urchin'' Jack will be the prize of today''s match. Either the three outlaws beat the nightshade, or the nightshade will have a delicious meal of the boy!"
Cheers ran up through the crowd, and Sayed growled. In his time in the arena, he had understood why the people watched the fights, but never before had this situation arisen. The arena was a blood sport, but it was between fighters. Death was the norm, but never had an innocent child been offered up for a monster. A firestorm arose in his gate as his anger flared. Who were these people to throw away a child''s life so easily and cheer for it?
"Such debauchery. It may be they deserve this."
Groan. Thump. Groan. Thump.
Sayed felt the attack in the air before it happened, and he turned his gauntlet up to deflect. A heavy weight crashed into his hand, and he went flying almost instantly. He had a brief moment of confusion as he whirred through the air. Something had hit him hard, and his arm ached from the attack. He threw out his hands as he careened toward the ground and caught hold of the ground with his clawed gauntlet.
Scratch.
Dirt and rock separated as he slowed and placed his feet on the ground. As Sayed slid to a halt, he looked up to see what had struck him. In the distance, a long, pale, clawed arm, larger than Sayed''s torso, hung out from the mist, seemingly suspended in the air and attached to nothing.
Craw.
A horrible scratching cry pierced his ears, and Sayed had to close his eyes to block out the pain. This was it. This was the nightshade that Alex had told him to expect. Sayed took in a deep breath and forced himself to stand. He did not know where his comrades were in the mist, but he had to trust they would do their part, just as he did his own.
"So, foul demon," Sayed said, holding his sword and gauntlet wide as he walked toward the nightshade''s arm. "You come to face me first in this mist. Today is a day that you will feel the wrath of God!"
Groan. Thump. Groan. Thump.
He took on his stance, holding his gauntlet out in front of him as he held the blade of his khopesh parallel to the ground and next to the claws. He took in another deep breath as the creature walked out of the mist and into sight. Pale white skin shone out, even in the darkness of the mist, almost sickly despite the creature''s movements. Muscles rippled up and down the nightshade''s body, stretched tight against the skin. Long yellow and white claws extended out from its webbed hands as it approached on all fours. Hardened veins stretched across its torso, and broken red tendons ran the length of its arm in patches. It was a horrifying sight to behold, but that was not what Sayed focused on. The head of the creature sent shivers down his spine.
It had no eyes to see. The white bulbous head merely rested on the giant frame of the monster. Instead of a nose or snout, a circular red-lipped mouth covered the nightshade''s face. Dark drool and spit fell from that mouth and down the creature''s body.
Fear crept up through Sayed''s legs and up his body to his arms. On Hajh, he had fought demons, creatures of flame and fire with evil looks in them. This creature towered over such things. To a nightshade, the demons would be but fodder, snacks as it searched for a greater meal. His right hand shook, and his blade began to shake in the air next to his gauntlet. The orange light of his blessing began to fade away from his gauntlet and khopesh as the heat faded from them. The nightshade demanded nothing less than fear from any who looked upon it.
"But that is what you told me," Sayed whispered, remembering Alex''s plan. "That is the power of this creature that I must stand against. That is why I must push back and stand, no matter what tricks this monster uses."
Sayed breathed in and out slowly. He forced his gate open in his chest. With the heat of his blessing, the fire of God, he pushed back against the fear that clung to his muscles and bones. He pushed that heat beyond his body and into his blade and gauntlet, forcing both to glow brightly in the mist.
Groan. Thump.
"You come for me, nightshade," Sayed whispered as the beast took another step forward. "But know this. You do not face a mere warrior of Hajh. You face a man who has seen a hundred hundred battles. You face a man who has honed his blade night and day. You face me. You face ''Sword Saint'' Sayed!"
He charged for the monster, blade in hand, as he brought up his khopesh with an arcing cut. Heat flashed across the skin of the nightshade as Sayed''s swing hit, and he felt the resistance of the monster''s skin as he tried to cut across it. Sayed grunted but continued with the cut before jumping back from the attack as the nightshade struck back at him with a vicious claw.
Craw.
The nightshade cried out. The fight had begun.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 38 | Its a Trap
Alex opened up his gate, and the world around him revealed itself. The mist stunted it, but he could sense further than he could see and needed that edge. His part in the plan was simple. He would avoid the nightshade and Jack and instead focus on finding Lucien in the mist. When he found Lucien, it would give the man more than two people on him at once, one on his summoned monster and one on himself. By doing that, they would provide enough of a distraction that no one would notice Erin when she cut Jack down.
"Hopes and dreams," Alex said as he ran through the gravel and dirt that covered the most.
Groan. Thump.
In the distance, he could hear the nightshade move, but he purposefully went in the opposite direction of it. He wasn''t going to deal with that thing unless Sayed needed backup. However, he was sure that Sayed would be fine. Sayed had already proven that he could hold his own in a fight.
Alex had already run near the walls to ensure they were there. They were, so Gulantry wouldn''t be pushing the core that hard to run this fight. Alex was concerned about the screens the announcer mentioned, but he wasn''t sure how much power that would be used when it came to an island core. He knew the breaking point but didn''t know everything that could lead to a backlash from the core.
"Where are you, Lucien?" Alex whispered as he ran through the mist.
"Sayed engages the nightshade!" The announcer suddenly yelled, and Alex stopped and spun around to listen. "On screen four, you can see him take on the beast! He''s going blow for blow! As expected for the Champion of the Arena!"
Alex tuned it out again and focused on the world around him. He hadn''t expected them to be separated, but he couldn''t fix it either. He had to stick to the plan. He had to find Lucien in the mist.
As he ran, he noted again that he hated the mist. It had properties that dulled the senses and made it harder to see and hear. Even the magnetic sense he got from his curse was limited in range because of the mist. He had to focus on the edge of his senses. He had to squint to see deeper into the mist. He had to listen so he could even hear beyond his immediate area.
Shadows danced around him, but then he felt it. A figure out in the mist caught his attention. Alex focused on it, running straight at it. There weren''t many options for who it could be, but he was sure. It would be Lucien standing out in the mist.
"You finally made it, WPN Nine," Lucien said as the mist rolled back from his body. "I knew you would come for me. You were never one to fight a creature like the nightshade. You always knew to go right for the throat."
"You''re confident," Alex said as he began to walk a circle around Lucien.
Lucien, on his own, would look fairly unthreatening. He was a man who had a face that reeked of nobility and prestige. Long white hair, the hallmark of Apostles, reached down his back. Black steel armor covered most of his body, and steel black clawed gauntlets rested at his waist. On his back rested his weapon, a greatsword that seemed far too large for such a man to wield. If it wasn''t for his enhanced body, Alex knew Lucien would not even be able to lift the weapon.
"A superior being does not need confidence," Lucien said, reaching up with one hand and drawing out his greatsword with one fluid motion.
He took one step forward and flung it through a one-handed flourish that hurt Alex''s wrist just thinking about it. After swinging it through several arcs, he brought it up with one hand, pointing it at Alex. Alex came to a stop and took his own stance. He didn''t need to win. He just needed to survive.
Alex noticed then that the announcer didn''t come on and say anything about the fight. He had tuned it out earlier, but the man seemed to be there sheerly to build up hype. Alex had to assume that was because they were keeping Lucien''s presence in the battle a secret. Alex kept that idea in the back of his mind but still focused on Lucien.
He was nowhere near Lucien''s level when it came to fighting. As an Apostle, Lucien was like an apex predator. He would know all of the Five Paths. He had a body built for combat, and if what Alex had heard was right, that was more literal than metaphorical. Like himself, Apostles were experiments, creations that weren''t human any longer. The only real up he had on Lucien was that he had full access to his curse while Sayed kept the nightshade busy.
"Step."
Crash. Boom.
Alex disappeared just a blink before Lucien''s sword strike hit the ground. Alex reappeared off to the side, and when he looked back to the crater Lucien had left behind, he was already ducking the next blow.
Fwoosh.
"Might."
Boom.
The sword scythed through the air above his head, and Alex clenched his fist, aiming a punch right at Lucien''s chest. His muscles bulged mid-strike, and his knuckles crashed into the armor. Metal rang out like thunder under the punch, and Lucien was thrown back. Alex''s hand pulsed from the hit, vibrating in and out as his muscles relaxed. He grabbed his staff in both hands, retaking a stance.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Hah," Lucien laughed from where he stood, holding a hand to his chest as his sword lay pointed off to his side in the other hand. "You have some strength, as expected."
When he released his grip on his chest, metal shards of the armor fell away and onto the ground, leaving a plain white shirt visible underneath. Lucien smiled as he looked up at Alex, his eyes a stark yellow and taken over by an animalistic slit iris.
"But, I wonder. Will you be able to keep up with me?"
"Oh, I can do that," Alex said, his eyes keeping track of Lucien''s sword.
The man was fast, but his preference for his greatsword gave Alex what he needed to stay one step ahead. If Alex knew where the sword was going, he just needed to be where it wasn''t. However, that didn''t mean it wasn''t dangerous. If Alex could take it out, he may be able to survive just a little longer.
Luckily, that was where his curse came into play. While he couldn''t just throw Lucien around, he could use his curse to deflect the sword. He could throw off Lucien''s strikes and slow them down just enough to make a difference. The problem was how much focus was required.
"Let us try it then."
Whip. Crack.
He disappeared again, and Alex rolled to the side. The air beside him rippled open like a wave passed through it, and a massive scar ripped through the ground. It cleaved a line longer than a small car through the dirt. Alex spun on his heel and tensed his body as he threw his next punch.
"Might."
His muscles bulged, and his fist made contact with the greatsword''s flat edge. His knuckles flared with pain and heat, but he didn''t care. He just wanted to hear the sound he was looking for.
Slam. Crack.
Metal shards exploded out from the greatsword, shooting out with shrapnel away from Alex. Alex immediately backed away from Lucien, holding his staff ready for the next strike, but it didn''t come. Instead, Lucien stood frozen mid-swing and looking down at his blade.
"A pity," Lucien whispered, rising from his stance and looking down at his shattered sword. "Hunger was my favorite, but I already know I no longer need it."
He raised the sword and raised his left hand. A black mist seeped out from that clawed gauntlet and began to eat away at the broken sword, reducing it to dust in moments. When it was over, Lucien smiled and threw his hands wide.
"Is this not glorious! Look at you now! I have surprised you." Lucien looked all around him. "Now is time for the curtain to fall and a new act to begin."
Erin ran through the mist, her gate open to the world around her, and she had to swallow down every few seconds to keep from vomiting. The mist in the arena was like a toxic cloud of death and decay. Every breath in ate at her body and clouded her mind. It wasn''t the same as normal mist from a rift in the Veil. This mist had a malevolent intent to it, like it was ever hungry for more and more to consume.
Erin swallowed down again, slowing her pace momentarily and dropping her hands to her knees to catch her breath. Miasma seemed like a more appropriate word to describe what she felt- a dark mist that brought disease and death.
"You can do it, Erin," she whispered to herself. "Find Jack and get him out. Then we can all get out of here."
Groan. Thump.
In the distance, the sound of something moving in the mist echoed out. Erin patently avoided it as the announcer said Sayed had engaged the monster. All was going according to plan then. She just needed to find that hill in the mist, and she would find Jack.
Crack. Boom.
In the mist in front of her, two shadows fought. One swung what looked like a giant sword, while the other seemed to disappear and reappear steps later. Their sounds were muffled, but she didn''t have to guess. Alex was doing his part in the plan and keeping Lucien distracted. She just needed to find Jack, and they would be able to start the escape.
She pointedly avoided the two shadows as she continued deeper into the mist. Her boots dug into the gravel, and she had to watch around her. The mist almost wholly blocked her ability to sense living things around her, so she couldn''t tell what was around her beyond sight and sound. She could feel a slight incline across the dirt and rock beneath her. Wherever she was going, it was up, and that was where she had seen the figure on the hill.
Slam. Crack. Boom.
"On screen five, folks, you can see Sayed''s signature technique. ''Demon''s Thrust'' is a charge that tries to skewer his opponents. Most enemies wouldn''t be able to take it, but the nightshade is no pushover."
Erin looked down the hill and saw more shadows in the mist. Something large was hit back and fell into the ground. That would be Sayed, fighting off the nightshade. The man was practically a monster all on his own. He named all his attacks with ''demon''s,'' which was a bad omen in itself. What kind of man thought harnessing a demon''s power was a good idea?
"Focus," Erin chided herself, as her old mentors were wont to do.
She looked up the hill and took in a small breath. The dark mist still rested all around her and ate at her, but she didn''t have much farther to go. She kept walking and made her way to the top.
At the top, the mist was completely dissipated, and she could see the figure hanging up on the structure. Erin ran forward without hesitation. If Jack had been tied up there for some time, there would be a risk of limb loss due to circulation being cut off. There was also the chance that he was injured when they tied him up there. Her thoughts immediately focused on how to best treat him, even if she was in denial about being a healer.
"Don''t kid yourself," Erin whispered as she approached the figure. "You''re still not a true healer."
The figure was wrapped in a dark cloak, and she couldn''t see his face. He was still small enough to be Jack, but she couldn''t help but feel something was off every time she moved closer. Every instinct in her told her that this was a trap.
"Jack," she whispered as she reached out for his hood. "Are you alright?"
There was no response. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and took hold of the hood. She pulled it back and gasped. A dirty skull rested beneath the hood, chin down. It was marred with dirt and cobwebs and appeared to have been there for a long time. Erin took a step back, looking around her. As she did so, the skull fell off the body, rolling across the ground.
Thump. Rattle. Rattle.
This wasn''t part of the plan.
She ran. Immediately, her only thought was to get as much distance between her and the hill as she could. Whoever the skeleton had been, it wasn''t Jack, and she wasn''t going to stay around and find out why it had been planted there. Her boots crunched into rock and dirt as she sprinted down the hill and deeper into the choking mist.
Crack. Boom.
Behind her, the ground rumbled and split. Erin risked a look back but immediately regretted it. Though the mist was quickly consuming the hill, she could still see the giant cracks forming as the skeleton fell into one of the massive gaps. She didn''t need any more impetus.
She ran for her life.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 39 | Metamorphosis
Gulantry looked down at his screen as Lucien toyed with the fighters. All around him, he maintained about a hundred screens, each a viewpoint into a particular piece of the action. His gift to his people was this beautiful sight. They didn''t get to see all the views; Lucien was saved for him alone, but they could see the Sword Saint and his fight with the nightshade from at least thirty angles alone.
"I can just feel the viewership rise and rise." Gulantry moaned as he licked his lips and reached for fruit from his every present plate. "Such a delicious sensation."
His enterprise reached beyond merely the arena below because he had bigger dreams than controlling one small island. No, he was building a media empire on the backs of those who fought in his arena and those who watched the bloodshed. Every fight, every view drove his name, his greatness, ever farther. Word of mouth was spreading far and wide. Soon, any island with access to its core would tune in to watch his fights.
He could only broadcast to those islands connected to his network, and so far, his audience was more limited to those who just wanted to place bets on the fights. None had wanted to broadcast his entertainment, but they would soon see the value. The distraction alone allowed for so much leeway in how he treated his people. When they were watching the fights, they did not notice how hungry they were. They ignored the cries of their children. It kept their minds off their poverty.
"A media giant that will crush the World Daily Press," he chuckled to himself. "That is my potential. I just need to push a little more. I just need a few more islands to catch on. Then I''ll have the greatness I have always deserved."
His entire empire was built on his greatness. He was the one who had found the island core all those years ago. To himself and others, he presented that as the truth, but deep inside, the lie ate at him. To have his greatness dependent on another was not something the Great Lord Gulantry would ever admit to.
"No one should ever know," he whispered, reaching for another fruit from his table. "Even the Seer himself told me never to tell anyone. So, is it really a lie that I found it all on my own? I did. That is the truth of it. I, the Great Lord Gulantry, found the island core and built this entire enterprise. I alone am why it succeeds. I alone am what holds this world together. To think any less is impossible."
He chuckled to himself to dissuade himself from thinking further on the matter. He ate another orange and focused on Lucien''s fight. If only he had not agreed not to broadcast it to the masses, he would be so much further ahead. An Apostle in combat was something no one should miss.
As he watched, he failed to notice the spiderweb of cracks spreading across one of his screens.
Crack. Boom. Groan. Thump.
"Folks, I don''t know what is happening, but the arena appears to be shifting. I can''t seem to find a viewpoint that shows why. Everyone look and yell out if you see what screen is showing it!"
Lucien smiled as the ground shook beneath him. One of the combatants had set off his trap. That meant it was time for the grand reveal. He held out his arms and took in a deep breath, opening his gate wider and wider until it seemed that it would burst in his chest. Dark tendrils of mist stretched out from his arms, and he drew in the mist around him.
His gate ate greedily at the mist and grew more and more inside him. He smiled as Ortega watched him. Ortega''s entire being was one of planning and preparation, but Lucien had surprised him. The joy that rose in him meant he couldn''t keep the smile off of his face.
"I knew what you would plan, Ortega," Lucien said as he drew in more and more of the mist, feeding it into his gate. "I knew you would send one to distract the nightshade. I knew you would personally come and try to fight me for a time. I knew you would send the third to rescue the boy. So I laid my trap."
Ortega looked behind himself at the place where the rumbling in the ground had started with a side look that still kept Lucien in his sight. Ortega didn''t let his guard down, and Lucien would commend him for that, even though he did not need subterfuge.
"You see, I know you, Ortega. I know you from all those years in the lab. I know you from every trial and experiment you overcame. I know you from when we fought, and you when left me to the nightshade''s mercy." Lucien shook his head. "I knew your only thought would be escape and that you would not leave the boy behind, so I planned accordingly. I knew you would think me vulnerable, but I knew that would be mistaken."
"I know how you work, Lucien," Ortega said, fully facing him. "You''re strong, don''t get me wrong, but you''re not invincible. While you have the nightshade out, you can''t fight to your full potential."
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"True," Lucien said. "I am limited when using my curse at its first level."
"First level?" Ortega narrowed his eyes.
"I sometimes forget you are an off-worlder," Lucien shook his head, his grin stretching ear to ear so much that it hurt. "After I had that old man executed, you lost your one source of information. You''re practically no different than a babe regarding knowledge about Erth."
"Say that again," Ortega said through gritted teeth.
"I do not need to," Lucien said, drawing a hand to his chest and forming a black ball of mist inside. "All I need to say is this: When you left me with the nightshade, my curse was at but its first level. Defeating the nightshade allowed it to evolve. My curse is at second grade, and I must thank you for making it possible."
Lucien closed his eyes and took in a deep, final breath. Lucien''s gate in his chest opened wide like a gaping maw, and it consumed him. Instantly, the mist all around the arena sucked back into his gate, creating a vortex of wind, dust, and dirt that found its focal point in his heart.
"Folks, the mist is pulling back! Look away from the screens and look down to the fight. There''s the nightshade. There''s ''Sword Saint'' Sayed. Look, ''Thorn Queen'' Leah is running toward the walls! Who''s that in the center? A man is fighting ''Tin Man'' Ortega. We couldn''t see before! Who is this man? What is going on, folks?"
In the distance, light shone down on the arena from the stands as the mist faded away and subsumed into him. In moments, the entire arena was revealed as it was: a circle of dirt and rock with a hill piled high in the center. Cracks and fissures had appeared in that hill that had not been there previously, but that was part of Lucien''s plan. It was his sign to begin the final act.
Kraw!
The nightshade held up its arms against the light as the light ate away at it. Its resistance was futile, in the end, as no creature of the Veil could stand up to direct sunlight. Black splotches appeared across its skin as it dissipated into black dust. The black dust followed the suction of the mist, also going into Lucien''s body.
"I don''t know what is going on, folks, but it appears that ''Sword Saint'' Sayed wins his fight with the nightshade by daylight! Now, we only have the last contender in the center. What will he do?"
"This is a curse of second grade," Lucien said, opening his eyes and seeing the red and black mist swirling around him in his peripheral vision.
He could not see it, but he knew his eyes would have changed from deep blue into a beast''s yellow-slitted eyes. His second grade took his curse and brought it into his own body, and it let him truly fight the way he wanted to.
"Beast Arms."
Lucien stretched out his arms and willed them to change. Pale white skin grew from his gauntlets, and webs stretched across his fingers as claws grew where the fingertips had once been. His arms grew and warped with the change, growing longer until they could have almost touched the ground with the tip of his claws. In moments, he had the arms of the nightshade attached to his body.
"What have you done?" Ortega whispered as Lucien flexed both of his new arms.
"I have changed," Lucien said. "Something you do not believe is possible. You will not find the boy, ''Tin Man'' Ortega. He is long gone. Neither will you escape. All three of your lives will end in this arena on this day. You will be my prey and give me the fight you denied me on August."
"They''re talking, but we can''t seem to get an audio track here in the booth. Someone, anyone, get us in so we can broadcast this!" the announcer yelled at someone, clearly not knowing he was broadcasting out.
"Step."
Thump. Crack.
Ortega disappeared in a flash, and Lucien brought up his arm. He caught the staff against his arm, and the tough hide of the nightshade easily repelled the force. Lucien smiled, spinning on his foot and swinging his second arm in a long arc. Lucien tapped into the Path of Might without a word, for that was the sign of true mastery, and clocked Ortega hard in his shoulder. Ortega went flying across the arena in a long arc. He landed on the ground and rolled in the dirt. Lucien smiled, looking down at his monstrous hands. This was the power he truly desired. Not domination of monsters, but taking their strength for his own. His gate had granted his desire when it had evolved.
"Demon''s Thrust."
Whoosh.
Lucien perceived the attack through the Path of Will before it came and acted accordingly. He twisted his body to the side and ducked down, balling his claws into a fist as the attack sailed past him. The ''Sword Saint'' weakling stood above him, committed to his thrust with his right arm extended and his gauntlet close to his chest. Lucien punched up, again tapping into the Path of Might without a word.
Crunch. Boom.
Giddy glee ran up Lucien''s arm and into his gate as he cracked into the man''s ribs and sent him flying as well. The ''Sword Saint'' landed in the dirt a few meters away, his arms splayed out, and his sword lying discarded on the ground next to him. Lucien smiled, turning his attention back to Ortega and walking casually over to where the man had rolled to a stop.
"A good try, but neither of you can stand up to one such as me. You will fight, for sure, as all cowering animals must to survive, but know this fight was over before it began. No one in this world, not even the Scions themselves, will be enough to stand against me. You are but the first steps on my path to ruling over the Erth."
As Lucien expected, Ortega pushed himself up with his staff. The man would not last long in this fight, and Lucien knew that. He would hate to end his enjoyment, but that was the price of his desire. He desired the hunt, the fight, and the kill. That must always come to an end one and only one way. He only regretted that Ortega was not stronger.
"I had high expectations of you," Lucien said as he reached down to grab Ortega. "The doctor always said that you would be his greatest creation. You would be the weapon that would upend everything. But look at you now, beaten and broken so easily."
Ortega mumbled something, but Lucien couldn''t hear it. He bent closer so that he could listen to Ortega''s final words. Ortega looked up to him, and anger and hatred were burning in his eyes.
"It isn''t over yet!"
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 40 | Struggle to Survive
"We have a fight now, folks. It looks like the man at the center has grown monster arms and is taking on Ortega. Ortega looks beaten, but he''s still standing up. Look at him go, ready to fight!"
Alex knelt on the ground, clutching at his chest as he forced himself up with his staff to his feet. Lucien watched him, his chin up as he looked down on Alex. Alex would wipe the smile off that face if it were the last thing he did. He drew in a deep breath to tamp down the anger in him. He needed an edge if they were going to survive.
Aether flowed through his body. Though he wasn''t healed, he could stand. He could fight. He just needed a moment to think. However, as he saw the glint in Lucien''s eyes, he knew that he would never get that moment.
"Step."
Slam. Crack. Boom.
His legs burned as he disappeared and jumped back and away from Lucien. Lucien''s strike carved into the ground, and the sound wave shot across Alex''s ears like a buffeting wind as he landed on one knee against the ground.
He looked over to Sayed, and the swordsman was also getting up. They shared a look. Sayed was a warrior. Someone who had fought in countless battles, even before the nightsea or the arena. In his eyes, Alex saw acceptance. Sayed knew he was fighting someone out of his league but would fight anyway.
Alex nodded at him, and Sayed nodded back.
"You know, you were always a jerk," Alex said as he stood up again, holding his staff against the ground to keep his balance. "You keep saying you''re strong, but all you do is pick on people who can''t fight back against you. Anytime someone gets close, you kill them before they have a chance."
There was one extra piece. Alex didn''t know where Erin was in the arena. She might have run, and she had been the stickiest part of his plan. Whether or not she did as she was asked would have determined a lot. However, he had a good feeling about her. She didn''t seem like the kind of person who would just run off and leave them to die, even if that meant she could get out.
He would have looked around for her, but Lucien was already approaching, casually walking as he flexed his monstrous arms.
"Your words are nothing." Lucien smiled. "Like all beasts, you throw out anything you think will make you survive. It is no different than the yips and whines of a beaten dog."
Lucien disappeared, and Alex reacted, holding up his staff as the hit came. He didn''t have time to dodge or time to do anything else. A sledgehammer the size of a bear slammed against his staff, and Alex could do nothing to stop it.
Thump. Crack. Pop.
Alex''s staff shattered next to his face as the hit came, breaking into splinters and chunks of hard, heavy wood and flying into his face. Lucien followed the hit through. The momentum carried into his shoulder and sent him flying. His staff fell out of his hands and onto the ground in two pieces.
"Oof." Alex wheezed as he hit the ground for a second time and rolled to a stop.
"A heavy hit on Ortega, folks. Whoever this mystery man is, he''s wiping the floor with a bona fide outlaw."
Alex''s mind reeled as he pushed himself back up from the ground. His arms burned, and his shoulder was numb, but he wasn''t just going to lie down and take it. Again, Lucien walked toward him at a slow, steady pace. There was no rush in him. He knew that he had won already.
"You think that''s anything?" Alex''s head spun, but he saw Sayed lining up behind Lucien.
"I think this fight was over before it began," Lucien said as he looked up at the stands. "A pity. Your last moments will be lying in the dirt here."
"Step."
Alex charged forward this time, wrapping his arms around Lucien''s stomach and holding on as hard as possible. Lucien''s heart beat next to his ear, slow, calm, and steady. Nothing Alex was doing threatened him.
"You are a disgrace. I thought you would be a worthy opponent here, but this is what you bring to bear?"
"Demon''s Thrust!"
Alex had seen Sayed''s approach from behind Lucien. It wasn''t much, but all he needed to do was hold Lucien still so Sayed''s attack could hit. Even if they couldn''t kill Lucien in one hit, if Lucien couldn''t dodge, Sayed may have been able to slow him down.
Clang.
Alex looked up where Lucien''s arms had reached around his back at an unnatural angle. They held Sayed''s sword hand firmly, and the tip of Sayed''s hot orange blade merely touched Lucien''s armor.
"Excellent attempt by Sayed there, folks, but it looks like this mystery fighter is just too good for anyone to take down!"
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
"Pathetic."
"Not yet. Demon''s Claw!"
Sayed pulled back from his trapped hand and used that to pivot his free arm forward, his claws glowing brightly in a blur as he slashed across Lucien''s face. Black blood arced through the air as the hot metal cut a line across Lucien''s cheek.
The air around them stood still as Lucien glared at Sayed. Alex held on with all he was worth, but Lucien''s previously glacial heart rate accelerated next to his ear. It beat faster and faster until it was practically a drum set being beat on by twenty drummers at once. Alex had the presence of mind to catch Sayed''s eyes, and Sayed looked at Lucien in fear as Lucien looked at him. They both knew Lucien would no longer hold back whatever was about to happen.
"A solid hit from Sayed, but it doesn''t look like it did anything to the mystery man!"
Erin looked out into the arena from the rock she hid behind. In the distance, she could see the fight, and she wanted nothing to do with it. An ex-Apostle wasn''t something that she could handle, even if Sayed and Alex were in the fight. They were crazy to think that they could do anything to the man.
"Looks like we''re in for a beat down, folks! We still can''t seem to get any audio for the area, but I''ll be here to continue to give you a blow-by-blow!"
Erin started to look over the walls near her. She thought maybe she could scale them if she used her curse to grow some vines. The walls were about four times taller than she was, but they weren''t unscalable.
The mission came first. That was the lesson she had learned from her time with the revolution. If she could escape, the ones left behind were acceptable losses. Even if she was the one left behind someday, all that mattered was that one person survived to complete the mission.
"Sayed''s getting up! He''s charging in without his sword. What does he think he''s doing? Our mystery man''s just picking him up like he''s nothing. He''s spinning Sayed around like he''s a ragdoll!"
The announcer called her attention back to the fight. Sayed had made it up from the ground and grabbed Lucien''s arm. Lucien spun with him on his arm, going faster and faster as Sayed desperately tried to hang on.
It didn''t take long for Sayed to lose his grip. He flew off in an arc and landed hard on the ground. Lucien immediately turned his attention back to Alex, walking toward where he lay on the ground.
Erin bit her lip.
She could do something, but she would just be charging into the same situation. What could she do against Lucien? Lucien was an ex-Apostle. He could take down armies with ease and subjugate entire islands without even a hint of support. The escape plan was busted, which was the only reason the three of them had any hope.
She could escape. Lucien was distracted, and if she grew a set of vines up the wall she could scramble over and disappear into the crowd while no one was watching her. It wasn''t much different from the original plan. Escape while Lucien and Gulantry were distracted. The only difference was she would escape alone.
Yet, could she just leave them behind?
Sayed and Alex were injured. They were no different from patients who battled serious terminal diseases. Would she abandon them to die alone? Same as with Abed, could she leave them both to die in that arena?
Doubt ate at her as she reached into her bag and drew out her last three bags of seeds. She always kept a good stock of them because of their usefulness for her curse. She even had her own garden back at the revolution''s base. There were more varieties of plants she dealt with, but her black-briar thorn vines were the best she had found on Erth.
"Our mystery man has Ortega by the throat! What''s he going to do, folks? Decapitation? Strangulation? No, he''s bringing up the other hand!"
Erin clenched her teeth as she looked down at the three bags and looked back to the fight. She ran, loosening the loops on all three bags. In the distance, she could see Sayed doing the same, rising again and charging toward Lucien, his gauntlet burning bright.
She only had one thing on her mind. No one deserved to die alone.
Sayed had been pushed to his limit. His sword lay far off in the dirt. His flames were but fumes in his chest. Inside him, he had nothing left to give. His body was broken, and his mind was wrapped in the haze of battle.
Yet, he would not abandon his brother.
"Stop, you foul demon!" Sayed yelled as he charged at Lucien, his clawed gauntlet glowing brighter than ever before with his rage. "Demon''s Claw!"
"Will these distractions never cease?" Lucien lashed out with his arm, cracking it across Sayed''s body.
Again, Sayed was thrown across the ground, stone and dirt scraping across his skin as he rolled to a stop. Sayed hated losing to this monster. All of their effort, and he could only scratch Lucien''s cheek. Sayed was no initiate when it came to fighting. He had fought countless battles through his people''s civil war. However, he could not even touch this one man, even when they had him outnumbered.
"Oh, that had to hurt, folks."
"Again!" Sayed pushed down with his arm to stand back up, but the muscles refused.
He fell back down, face-first into the dirt.
"Again!" Sayed tried again.
He fell into the dirt once again.
"Again!" Sayed''s arm refused to respond.
Tears ran down his face, and he turned to look up at Lucien. Lucien had returned his attention to Alex, holding Alex up by the throat as he held up his free hand with one long white claw pointing at Alex''s heart.
"Now, so that we can finish without interruptions. I was going to make your death easy, but then you both had to go and mar my face. I can''t let you get off so easily now."
"It," Alex panted through his constricted throat. "It suits you. You''re finally starting to look as you are on the inside."
"Oh, you will pay dearly for your mouth, Ortega. I am going to kill you. Then, I am going to kill the insect behind me. Then I will finish off the coward, slowly."
Sayed blinked away the tears that ran down his face. There wasn''t anything he could do anymore. He had tried his best, but Alex was going to die. Then he would die.
"I will join you soon in the Crimson Fields," he said as he whispered a prayer to God.
"What''s Leah doing?" the announcer yelled out.
As he began to close his eyes, he saw a flash of green. Erin charged at them, her cloak flowing behind her like a flag. She stopped just moments before reaching them, throwing three objects into the air.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hundreds of tiny black seeds fell across the ground around all of them. Sayed couldn''t move to look, but he knew that it was part of Erin''s powers. She was coming to make a final stand with them.
"Thank you, brother," he whispered.
"Thorn Garden!"
From the seeds, vines erupted upward, growing up and around Sayed and blocking his view instantly. The last thing he saw before the vines cut off his vision was them growing up and around Lucien''s body and tangling into Alex, then he only saw the mass of green and black in the circle around himself.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 41 | Black Spot
"''Thorn Queen'' Leah has covered the arena in vines. She''s taken hold of the mystery man and appears to be growing an entire wall of thorns to hold her foe."
Life flowed out from Erin like tendrils into the different seeds, forcing them to grow and grow. They intertwined around Lucien and formed walls of thick green and black vines in a close circle. Erin closed her eyes tight as she focused. She demanded more from the vines, wrapping them tightly around Lucien and pulling on Alex with the others.
"Grah!" Lucien grunted as she pulled Alex from his grip.
She left her gate open and pushed through the vines to get him. The thorns cut into her skin and tore at her cloak, but she pushed through. She grabbed onto Alex and tried to lift him, but he just fell into her as dead weight.
"Try again," his whisper was faint, but she felt his hand grip her shoulder like he was just waking up. "And thank you. For coming back."
Erin grunted and stood up with him again. This time, he supported more of his own weight, and they limped through the circle of thorny vines again. She fell through on the other side and took Alex tumbling with her.
"Sayed!" she yelled as she focused on her gate again.
Lucien was tearing apart the vines and pulling them off of his body. She kept the vines growing and growing, but her gate was ripping and tearing in her heart. It was like thorns and vines were wrapped around her heart, tearing away at her gate to release any restraints.
Sayed appeared out from a patch of vines, dragging himself across the ground with his clawed gauntlet. The going was slow, but he pushed himself over to Alex, finally collapsing beside him.
"Enough!" Lucien yelled. "Beast''s Maw!"
Flames erupted in the center of the vines, shooting out in a column from Lucien''s location. Erin gasped and fell back to the ground as her gate forcibly closed. The line of flame cut down and across her vines, turning them to ash instantly and throwing heat through the entire arena.
"The mystery man has a lot of tricks, folks. Now he has a dragon''s face!"
The announcer was right. As Erin landed on her hands and looked up at Lucien, his face had been replaced with a red-scaled maw. His modified arms were gone, and his black armor had returned in full. The face transitioned back with a quick veil of black-red mist as the vines burned away from his body, and he looked down at Erin with his yellow eyes.
"Enough with the weaklings. I will not be denied. Today, I will kill Ortega!"
Crack.
A line cut across the arena, cutting a line between Lucien and the three of them. It didn''t stop at the arena, though. Instead, it cut up the walls on both sides, all the way up the stands. In the distance, Erin could hear the echoes of it continuing.
Rumble.
Erin shook with the ground as it cracked and moaned. Something was happening beneath the arena, and it shook like the entire island was falling apart from the inside. The crack widened, forcing Lucien farther away from the group.
"I don''t know what''s happening, folks, but I can tell you this announcer is running for his life!"
Screams erupted from the stands.
"What are you doing, Gulantry!" Lucien demanded.
"I cannot control it!" A man''s voice echoed from the air above. "It is like there''s an emptiness that just grows and grows. I¡ª"
Static replaced his words, and Alex began to laugh behind her. Erin looked back at him, but a mad grin stretched across his face. He knew something.
"You see Lucien?" Alex asked, forcing himself up to his knees. "You know what''s happening¡ª a backlash. He broke the core with his games, and now he has to pay the price. He''s probably already gone."
"No." Lucien looked over to them as his side of the arena slid further away.
"What are you going to do, Lucien?" Alex asked, still stuck to the ground. "You going to stay and finish us off. I can''t beat you, but we could probably delay you long enough. You wouldn''t live through that."
Lucien glared across the chasm at them but said nothing.
"Yeah, you run." Alex laughed and raised his middle finger at Lucien.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Erin had no idea what he was doing, but it didn''t seem like a polite thing to do.
"Fine then," Lucien said, looking around him. "Perhaps you can take today as a lesson, Ortega. Be stronger the next time we meet. A battle is no fun if the prey can not even keep up. Beast Wings"
Lucien turned away, and mist covered his back. Two long wings covered in white feathers shot out from the mist. Lucien bent down before launching himself into the air, his wings flapping again and again until he was out of sight.
"Hah," Alex said, and Erin turned back to look at him. "We did it."
"Jack..." Sayed tried to pull himself up from the ground, but he couldn''t even do that.
"Hold still." Erin opened her gate and let the energy flow into her hands until they glowed green. "I''ll patch both of you up as much as I can."
"We don''t have long," Alex said as he fell closer to Sayed, probably to make her job easier.
"What''s going to happen?" Erin''s brow knitted as she held her hands over both men.
She couldn''t heal them both, but they were tough people. If she could just get them to the point where they could at least move on their own, maybe they would have a chance to get out of there. A secret part of her also thought that if the worst came to worst, she could get out on her own, even if she would hate herself afterward.
"The shaking will get worse, and starting wherever Gulantry kept the core, this entire island will be consumed. The arena will go first soon, maybe some of the outskirts, but it will slow down after that. Maybe a week for anyone to get out of the island''s territory."
"And after that?"
"Poof. No more island, just a black spot on the nightsea."
"A Black Spot?" Erin raised her eyebrow. "I thought those were legends."
Rumble. Crack.
At the center of the arena, where the hill had been, a black orb cracked through the ground and floated up into the air. A wind blew toward that black orb, and in moments, loose dirt and rocks were shooting through the air in a funnel toward it.
Whoosh.
"That''s our timer," Alex whispered, rising to one knee. "Can you get up, Sayed? We need to go. Now."
"I can try, brother," Sayed grunted as he stood up. "For Jack''s sake, I will escape this place."
"That''s the spirit," Alex said, standing up the rest of the way.
"You''re both insane," Erin said, shaking her hand as she closed her gate.
She was dried out and spent, like vines laid out in the sun. Between calling up the vines, restraining Lucien, and healing Sayed and Alex as much as possible, she had nothing left inside of her.
"Do you still have it?" Alex turned to her.
"The sword?" Erin patted her back, where the sword was strapped against her. "Yeah, I do."
"New plan. Run for the wall. I''ll handle the rest."
"My blade!" Sayed looked around.
"Already handling it," Alex said. "Run."
They took off at a sprint toward the edge of the arena. Out of the corner of her eye, Erin saw Sayed''s sword arcing through the air, following right behind them. She half expected the announcer to call out that they were running away, but he had already fled the arena with the crowds.
"Catch Sayed!"
Sayed reached out his right hand and caught his sword with it, much the same way he had when Erin had thrown it to him the day before. He was out ahead of her, somehow outpacing her despite his injuries. Again, Erin had to wonder what the two men were made of.
"Don''t stop running!"
They came for the wall, and Erin ran straight at it. The original plan was that Sayed would get the nightshade close to a wall and hold it off. Erin would have freed Jack and gotten Jack over to Sayed. Alex would have distracted Lucien until he could throw them over the wall with his curse. However, that plan had gone to sha-om.
"Rail Gun!"
Alex yelled, and Sayed''s arm was thrown forward with his sword, arcing up into the air like it had been launched out of a gun. At his full running speed, he was thrown up and over the wall and out of Erin''s sight. She heard him yell out as he landed on the other side, but she couldn''t make out what he said.
"One more! Rail Gun!"
Force slammed into Erin''s back, and she could feel the grooves of the sword that was strapped to her back pushing her up into the air. Her feet kept going below her like she was running on the air itself. She looked down and could see the stone benches below. Sayed was down there, his arms open and ready to catch her. She hit him hard, but he took her entire weight with only a grunt.
"I got you, my brother," Sayed said, setting her down on the ground.
"Alex." Erin nodded, and they both ran to the edge of the stands.
At the center of the arena, the once small orb had expanded to consume the entire hill. It seemed like a greedy monster, eating everything in its path and ever wanting more and more to consume. Erin hoped Alex was right that it would slow down because everyone on Glory Plateau was doomed if it didn''t.
Alex was running toward the wall, and she saw him jump into the air. He threw his feet out in front of himself like he would run on the wall. In the initial plan, he would have had his staff and would have pushed up the wall with it, but it was gone.
"He''s not going to make it," Erin said.
The wall was just too high.
"Hah, have faith," Sayed said, reaching down his arm.
"Step."
Alex disappeared and reappeared moments later, both his hands reaching out for Sayed. Sayed grabbed onto one hand and grunted. Erin reacted immediately, jumping up and reaching as far down the wall as she could with her right hand. Her left tapped the corner of the edge as Alex''s fingers caught in hers.
"Pull!" Sayed yelled, doing most of the work and pulling both back up and over the edge.
They fell together in a heap by the arena''s edge. Sayed and Alex lay breathing hard on the ground for moments after, and Erin took a second to reorient herself. Her shoulders were on the ground, and her abdomen was pressing hard into her chest. She had landed in the worst possible way.
"Thanks," Alex wheezed as Erin found a way to roll away from the wall and onto her back.
"We''re never doing this again." Erin sighed as she pushed herself up and onto her knees.
"Never say never." Alex laughed as he lay splayed out on the ground. "But we do need to go. This isn''t anywhere near far enough."
Erin was on her feet instantly, looking back at the growing orb. It had doubled in size again. All that was visible in the arena was the top half of the orb. It looked like a giant dome of inky blackness.
"Get up!" Erin yelled and reached down for Alex.
He took her hand, and once he was up, they both helped Sayed to his feet. Together, the three of them ran through the stands and up through the stone arches that were the arena''s entrance and exit.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 42 | Street Urchin
Alex didn''t look back.
The three of them ran through the arch and out of the stands. Behind them, the massive black hole that had been the island''s core ate away at the arena''s rock and stone. Alex refused to look back.
Whoosh. Rumble. Crack. Boom.
It hadn''t happened in August, but he knew from his interactions with the core what would happen if it was abused. It was something that was like background noise in his mind. Whenever he interacted with a core, it implanted information that he couldn''t directly access. He would have feelings and hunches but nothing more besides that. It was how he could operate a core''s control panel without knowing exactly what he was doing. Eventually, it would give him enough knowledge to thoroughly understand the world, including a way to get home, though he couldn''t say why he knew that.
It was complicated, simple as that.
So, he knew he needed to run away from the backlash. He knew the backlash was caused by overuse of the core. He also knew it wouldn''t completely consume the island after the initial burst until much later.
Hunger.
As he ran, he saw the aftereffects of the mass of people running for the exits to the arena around him. There had once been hovels and tents set up all around this floor of the arena. He imagined that there would have been stronger, sturdier buildings on the higher floors. They had been pushed over and trampled underneath the crowd as they had fled. Fires burned across some of the tents, and the black smoke was hiding the arena''s roof entirely.
Fear.
They ran past bodies, trampled to the ground underneath the crowds. Women, children, the old and young, no one who had fallen behind would have been spared in the desperate escape. Erin didn''t stop once, and Alex took that as a sign that they would not be saved.
Thirst.
Alex clenched his teeth. Cores had a way of getting in a person''s head. The voice was on August, and Tombstone had been soft and feminine. This one was grating. It cut into his head every time, and the commands were primal. Along with each word came a flood of images. Much the same as when he accessed the other cores, he couldn''t understand them.
"Stop," he whispered, but it did nothing.
"Look ahead!" Sayed yelled from the front, still easily keeping ahead of both Alex and Erin.
Ahead of them, cracks had formed in the side of the arena''s walls, and much of the structure had fallen away. A massive hole opened out to the island beyond. There were more bodies strewn across that hole, more victims of the crowd.
"Go for it!" Alex yelled. "Once we''re out, we''ll be out of the initial burst!"
Sayed sprinted ahead like an Olympian runner, Erin not far behind. A pang of jealousy cut into Alex''s chest. He wished he could run that fast, but he didn''t dare risk another use of one of the Paths. He had recovered but didn''t want to break anything this close to the exit.
Sayed jumped through the hole first, followed by Erin, and Alex made it out last.
Behind him, the wind roared, stone cracked and crumbled. He didn''t stop running but slowed down until he finally stopped next to Sayed and Erin. Sayed had already fallen to the ground, facing up toward the sky. Alex joined him. They had stopped a distance away from the arena. To their right, the outskirts of the arena were swarmed with masses of people, all clamoring for the docks. To their left were the open hills and mountains of the rest of the small island. In front of them was the arena, slowly crumbling inward and upward as a massive black ball rose higher and higher into the sky.
All that was left was a giant crater pitted into the ground.
"That''s it then," Erin said, the only one of the three of them left standing. "Roald wasn''t there. This was a dead end."
"No island core." Alex sighed as he looked up at the massive orb. "And another island destroyed. I wonder if they''ll blame this one on me."
"Abed is gone," Sayed added. "Gramps and Jack are also gone. I miss them already, brothers."
"I really liked that staff." Alex sighed again and had to kick himself to realize he hadn''t noticed what Sayed had said.
Alex looked over to Sayed, and tears were already streaming down the man''s face. Alex had to give Sayed one thing. The man cared more than anyone he had ever met. He couldn''t help but wonder how much the man had kept bottled in during the fight. Three losses over such a short period would break anyone.
"What story would you tell about them?" Alex asked, looking up into the sky.
"For Gramps and Abed, that is already done," Sayed said, his voice shaking. "They fought like all in the arena that day to fell the foul Maki ''the Beast.''"
"And Jack?"
"That is where I am at a loss. We did not defeat Lucien in the end. We do not have a great fight or accomplishment to lay at his grave. I do not want a brother so young to die without a word to his name."
"Lucien isn''t someone you beat. He''s someone you survive," Alex whispered, mostly to himself.
There was that bit of doubt nestling inside of him. He was always a confident person. He always had a plan and could read his opponents enough to figure out a situation and find a loophole to win. However, in this case, Lucien had just been too strong. An Apostle was on another level.
"''Street Urchin'' Jack''s Grand Escape," Erin said. "He sacrificed himself to tear down an island so that his hero, ''Sword Saint'' Sayed, could fight another day."
A silence dropped between them, and Alex''s breath caught in his chest. In a way, it worked. If the point of a story were to lie to lift up the fallen, then Jack outsmarting or outplaying an Apostle to get his friends to safety would be a pretty good accomplishment to lay down at his feet.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"That might be good," Sayed said, rising and looking over the ruins of the arena.
Sayed stood at the edge of the docks with Alex. In front of them was the sea, something that was almost completely foreign to Sayed. He had been on it several times since coming to Erth, and he had seen the nightsea, but a life spent in the desert made such things so strange every time.
"A blessing every time I look upon it," Sayed whispered.
His sword, newly bought from the closest shop at an ''island destroying'' discount sale, lay strapped on his back. An empty sheathe rested on top of it. The opening pointed in the opposite direction of the first. His gauntlet rested on a holster at his hip, put away now that the battle was finally over. He had come to this island one month ago to free the people. Had he succeeded, or had he failed?
"So," Alex said beside him, and Sayed looked down at him. "What are your plans?"
"I truly don''t know, brother," Sayed said, looking back to where the arena had been.
The dark hole was growing ever and ever wider over the top of the crater. Alex had told him it would be weeks before it fully consumed the island. Many had already escaped the island, and he could see some people in the distance as they made camps a bit away from the docks.
An old man helped twenty more pull ropes to put tents in place. A middle-aged woman cooked soup in a massive pot, and a line of people, young and old, lined up with wooden bowls to eat from it. The arena''s people were mixing with those who had lived on the outskirts, but there was no fighting. There was no blame. There were only people caring for other people in hard times.
"I''m surprised they didn''t take the chance to get some revenge," Alex said beside him. "Imagine living your entire life in the shadow of that arena, and when it fell down, all the people who lived a better life just came out to take your space."
"There must be hard feelings," Sayed agreed. "But when you see your brothers in pain and suffering, it is hard to carry that anger with you. Even your worst enemies do not deserve to starve."
"Even after all they did?" Alex asked. "They cheered for all those people who died. Abed. Gramps. Jack."
A pit burrowed itself into Sayed''s heart. He turned to Alex and placed one broad hand on the man''s shoulder¡ª his hand practically engulfed the entire thing. He smiled, though he could feel the sting in his eyes.
"God commands me to forgive. Their stories will be told, and that will have to be enough. We mere mortals can ask for nothing except to be remembered after we are gone. Anything more, and we risk treading into cold and darkness."
"Understood." Alex reached up and patted him on the back with a smirk.
Sayed laughed, and all his anger and sorrow sluffed off of him as he did so. He would miss Abed. He would miss Gramps. He would miss Jack. However, he could not bring them back. He would carry their stories forward with them. He would make sure they were remembered.
"What are you two doing?" Erin asked, walking up from behind them.
"Settling memories, I guess," Alex said as they both turned to her.
"On that," Erin reached into the back of her cloak and undid some straps before producing Abed''s khopesh. "This should be yours."
"Ah, thank you," Sayed said, taking the hilt and sheathing the sword on his back. "Abed would be happy that his sword helped you escape."
Sayed would have a lot to learn about using two swords together. The khopesh was not an overly long blade, so he could use both of them effectively, especially considering his size. However, what was more important was that the sword had been Abed''s sword. He would wield it in his memory and incorporate his friend into all his fights moving forward.
"Well, I contacted some people while you were doing that." Erin shook her head, looking over to the camp being erected. "The cavalry will be on the way soon enough. If what you said was right, these people will have a ride out of here before the Black Spot forms."
"It is," Alex nodded.
Silence fell between the three of them, and Sayed frowned. He had just met these two brothers but did not want to part from them. It was not often that one met people willing to lay down their lives for others. Alex and Erin had come through the heat of battle and proven themselves to be as strong as steel, even if there had been some doubt along the way.
"I guess this is goodbye then," Erin said. "Unlike you two, I have my own ship to get on and some reports to make."
"To your bosses?" Alex asked with a smile.
"To someone." Erin frowned. "We might meet again."
"You said you were looking for someone," Sayed said. "A Roald?"
"He wasn''t there. Even if he was, he was dead in the maze. There''s nothing for it now. We''ll just have to go back to looking for leads."
"A shadowy organization," Alex said, a smile still on his face.
"Stop it." Erin pointed at him. "You''re not getting any more information out of me. I already know what you can do with even a hint."
"Fair." Alex shrugged. "Maybe someday."
"Good luck, both of you," Erin said, bowing slightly before turning away and heading down the docks.
"Well," Alex said as she walked out of sight. "You said you didn''t have any plans, right, Sayed?"
"I did." Sayed nodded, looking back down to him.
"How about this then." Alex opened his hands wide. "Why don''t you come with me for a bit? You told us when we met that you came here to help people, and I can guarantee that we''ll always find people needing that. Every damn island I go to seems to be on the brink of disaster, and the one thing I learned today was that I''m not ready..."
He stopped and looked down at his shaking hands. Sayed frowned. He did not think Alex was weak. They had fought a powerful opponent, yes, but the man had held his own. He had survived.
"I might not be strong enough for this. Not alone, at least."
"You will not be alone, my brother," Sayed said, slapping Alex hard on the back and sending him toppling to the ground. "Together, we will go out into the world. We will gain the strength we need, and by the glory of God, we will do great things worthy of a grand tale!"
"Never change, buddy," Alex said from the ground, and Sayed roared in laughter.
Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.
Jack woke up in a cold and dark place. All around him, he could hear the sounds of water dripping. Rats skittered across the stone. He stood up and looked first for Sayed but quickly realized that he was entirely alone.
"Where am I?" he asked as he scurried around the dark place.
In the distance, he could see a bright pinprick of light. Jack was hesitant, but he made his way toward it. Step by step, he picked his way forward, sticking close to the stone wall to make sure he wouldn''t be seen.
Bits of trash began to appear on the stone floor. A barrel next to an open pipe that slowly dripped water into it formed from a shadow in the darkness. The closer Jack came to the light, the more he heard.
It was the sounds of people walking on the street, talking, and shopping out in the light. He saw more people than he had seen in a month. Even if Jack was only a boy, it didn''t take much to put the pieces together. He was in a city.
Jack was no slouch. He had spent his entire life pick-pocketing and stealing to survive. These streets were no different than the hidey-holes and shadows that he used to romp through in Glory Plateau.
He approached the light, peering down the corner and seeing the shop stalls down the street. They were loaded with goods. Apples, bread, and even pottery were being sold to the various people who passed by.
Jack licked his lips.
Stealing got him sent to the arena to begin with. Had he learned his lesson? Was this a second chance? He could not try to steal those things, and maybe he could live a good life this time. Sayed was gone, but he could find a way to survive.
He began to walk away, back into the alley.
He hadn''t made it five steps before he changed his mind. He rushed out into the street and nipped the first apple that he could get. The seller yelled out, but Jack was already gone. No one in this town knew it yet, but they were about to meet the greatest thief to ever live.
He ran and stole a piece of bread next before grabbing one bowl from the pottery stall. Before he was done, the entire shopping district was chasing him, following him into the dark alleys where he would hide and lose them.
"I''ll make you proud, Sayed," Jack told himself. "I''ll make the grandest story you have ever seen with this life."
On the island of November, there were many tales of various heroes and villains. There were plays that anyone could watch at any time of the day that told those stories. However, no one on November would ever be prepared for what was to come. No one could have expected the story of ''Street Urchin'' Jack.
Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Encyclopedia Entry
Protagonists
Name: Alexander Ortega
Status: Alive
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®Tin Man¡¯
Curse: Magnetism (1st Grade)
Techniques: Path of Step, Path of Might, ¡®Iron Scythe,¡¯ ¡®Rail Gun,¡¯ ''Scrap Storm,'' ''Arc Slash,'' ''Iron Circle,''
First Appearance: Volume 01 Goldfist | Chapter 01
Feats: Defeated ''Mad Tyrant'' Fabian by assassination. Defeated Apostle Lucien by nightshade. Defeated Deputy Silvertooth by knockout. Defeated Sheriff Goldfist by amputation. Defeated Ned ¡®the Needler¡¯ by knockout. Assisted in defeating Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Alexander Ortega was taken to the nightsea from a mid-route flight on Earth from the United States to Buenos Aires. He was captured in a lab on the island of August and experimented on. His escape led to the events termed ¡®Burning August¡¯ and served as his rise to fame as an outlaw.
On Tombstone, he defeated two outlaws who were present in the town of Dry Gulch and obtained the island core.
Having arrived in Glory Plateau, Alexander Ortega has survived his fight with ex-Apostle Lucien ¡®the Butcher¡¯ Griffin and escaped from the island before it was turned into a black spot. He has acquired an ally in ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed.
Bio: Sayed came to Erth from the world of Hajh after the bloodiest and final battle in his people¡¯s civil war. He escaped that chaos with Abed, his brother-in-arms. After finding themselves in the nightsea, they traveled with the mission of freeing people from oppression everywhere they found them. Sayed met his match in Glory Plateau, however, until he escaped with the assistance of ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega. He joined Ortega after the events of Glory Plateau.
In regard to Hajh, Sayed has confirmed that there were no giants, but only legends of giants in the distant past.
Name: Erin Leah
Status: Alive
Occupation: Outlaw and Revolutionary
Aliases: ¡®Thorn Queen¡¯
Curse: Growth (1st Grade)
Techniques: ¡®Thorn¡¯s Grasp,¡¯ ¡®Thorn Garden¡¯
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: Defeated cursed lightning user by thorns. Defeated illusion user by thorns. Assisted in defeat of Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Erin came to Erth from the land of Erys, where she came into contact with the People¡¯s Revolution soon after. Moved by the goals of the movement, she joined the revolution and became a stealth operative for secret operations. She arrived at Glory Plateau to find a man named Roald, however she could not locate him on the island, and left after escaping the arena with ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega and ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed.
Antagonists
Name: Lucien Griffin
Status: Alive
Occupation: ex-Apostle and Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®The Butcher¡¯
Curse: Monster Absorption (1st Grade), Body Transformation (2nd Grade)
Techniques: Path of Step, Path of Might, Path of Grit, Path of Breath, Path of Will, ¡®Beast Arm,¡¯ ¡®Beast Maw,¡¯ ¡®Beast Wing,¡¯
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 23
Feats: Defeated Nightshade. Fought ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega, ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed, and ¡®Thorn Queen¡¯ Erin to a draw.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Lucien served as an Apostle on the island of August, overseeing Dr. Ozymandias¡¯s lab there. He had an unknown mission there that he completed as ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega escaped the island. After defeating a nightshade on the island, he was thrown out of the Apostles and left to his own devices with a bounty on his head. At some point during this time, he obtained the moniker ¡®the Butcher.¡¯ After coming to Glory Plateau with promises from Gulantry for a grand fight, he was staved off by the three outlaws on the island and escaped the island before it became a black spot.
Name: Gulantry
Status: Deceased
Occupation: Ruler
Aliases: ¡®Great Lord¡¯
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 23
Feats: Obtained an island core.
Current Location: N/A
Bio: Gulantry was the ruler of Glory Plateau for over two decades after obtaining the island core. He used the core to set up fights on the island and, over time, created a stratified society that existed solely to watch people fight in the arena. During the fight between the ex-Apostle Lucien and a group of outlaws, the overuse of the island core caused a backlash that took Gulantry and Glory Plateau with it.
Side Characters
Name: Abed
Status: Deceased
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: None
Current Location: N/A
Bio: Abed traveled to the nightsea with Sayed, but never received the same powers. Together they fought to free the oppressed across the nightsea. However, Abed would meet his end at Glory Plateau at the hands of an unnamed man cursed with the power to manipulate lightning.
Name: Jack Down
Status: Alive
Occupation: Thief
Aliases: ¡®Street Urchin¡¯
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: ¡®Assisted¡¯ in defeating Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯
Current Location: November
Bio: After a life on the streets, Jack was caught with his father near Glory Plateau and transported to the maze below. There his father died and he was found by Sayed. After a few weeks with the group, he was sent away, by unknown means, to the island of November.
Minor Characters
Name: Grabnar
Status: Deceased
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®The Barbarian¡¯
Curse: None
Techniques: Unknown
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 27
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: N/A
Bio: Grabnar was defeated in one strike in Glory Plateau by ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed. His only known words were his name, ¡®Grabnar.¡¯
Name: Maki
Status: Deceased
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®The Beast¡¯
Curse: Lizard Form (1st grade)
Techniques: Unknown
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 32
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: N/A
Bio: Maki was a man who was cursed with the power to become a giant lizard creature. He met his end at Glory Plateau at the hands of ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed, ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega, and ¡®Thorn Queen¡¯ Leah.
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 28
Feats: None
Current Location: N/A
Bio: A man who fought at Glory Plateau. After trying to kill ¡®Street Urchin¡¯ Jack, he was defeated by Alexander Ortega and killed by the arena¡¯s restructuring.
Organizations
Name: The Military Police
Description: An organization working for the Scions that are built to protect the Twelve Kingdoms and the greater Empyrean. It is a militaristic organization that operates a massive fleet of slipships that operate across the nightsea. It also has several outposts out in the Fringes that seek to protect the interests of the Empyrean in the nightsea beyond the Twelve Kingdoms.
Name: The Scions
Description: A group of individuals who rule over the Twelve Kingdoms from the Empyrean. They are treated like gods by many in the nightsea. Their powers are unknown. Their purpose is unknown.
Name: The People''s Revolution
Description: An organization that fights against the Scions. All other information on them is unknown.
Name: World Daily Post
Description: A media organization that reports news, distributes bounties, and is the go-to source of information for anyone out in the nightsea. It is said that they have eyes and ears everywhere.
Ships
Name: The Night Queen
Description: A frigate type ship that is built to transport goods. It is a massive slipship with multiple lodestones down its length. The current captain of the ship is unknown.
Monsters
Name: Nightshade
Description: A creature that lives in the mist when the Veil is broken. A massive creature with white skin, long nail-like claws and a single dominating circular mouth. It has been the bane of many an island in ancient times.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 43 | Reunion
Erin moved swiftly down the empty hall, her green cloak flying like a flag behind her as she ducked between pillars. The hall was ornate, as would be expected from a noble''s house, even on the Fringe islands. Her mission was simple. She would infiltrate the treasure room of the house, retrieve the documents, and escape. It was a simple in-and-out job that was infinitely more preferable to her last one.
Glory Plateau. An island turned into a black spot because a madman decided to hold his own personal blood sport for all to watch. Erin still shuddered at the thought.
That job had been insane. She had run into two outlaws who had helped her escape, and she was thankful for that, but after a few weeks of downtime, she wasn''t sure anymore if they hadn''t just made the whole situation worse.
"Don''t worry about it now," she whispered to herself as she peered around the next corner. "The chances of seeing them both again is ridiculously small."
She had orders from the People''s Revolution. If she ever encountered the two men again, she would keep track of them and report back to Leneski everything they did. One man, ''Tin Man'' Ortega, was of particular interest.
He was an artificially created curse user, responsible for at least two major catastrophic incidents if the World Daily Press was to be believed. Erin knew better than to believe it completely. After all, she had been there for one of the major incidents and knew the real story.
The other man, ''Sword Saint'' Sayed, was a figure of sorts but not nearly on the scale of Ortega. He had made a name for himself by toppling a few regimes on the Fringes before disappearing into Glory Plateau for a month. However, he was on the loose again, thanks to Ortega and herself.
At the end of the hall, she spotted the door she was looking for. A man dressed in light steel armor stood guard at the door. He held a halberd in his hand as he leaned against the wall and read a small book in the other. His helmet lay off to the side, and his curly brown-haired head was fully exposed. He was a man on guard duty, taking a break.
"Alright, Erin," she whispered as she reached into her bag and pulled out a smaller pouch filled with seeds. "It''s time to get to work."
She opened the clasp on the bag and took out a handful of little black seeds. She closed it and stuck it in her pants pocket. She might need more in a moment but needed a free hand first. She measured out the distance with her eyes. About ten meters separated her and the guard.
She threw the seeds as hard as she could and ducked around the corner again.
Ting. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Who threw that?" the guard demanded, and she could hear him picking up his halberd.
"Thorn''s Grasp."
Inside her heart, her gate opened, and the power in it grew out from the gate and through her body. It wrapped around her muscles and down her limbs until her entire body was suffused with energy. The seeds she had thrown were black-briar thorn seeds, and she could sense them scattered along the floor down the hall.
Energy flowed out from her and into those seeds. Erin couldn''t see it but could hear the vines scratching and growing across the floor. They crept up as the armored man moved, and she had him ensnared in seconds.
"What''s this," he said as his halberd clattered to the floor. "Ala¡ª"
Thump.
Before he could finish, she had him completely wrapped and dropped to the ground. Erin checked the hall. The guard was on the ground, writhing as the vines wrapped tighter and tighter around him. She smiled. It was easy.
She walked over to the man as the vines continued to wrap around him and make their way across the floor. He wouldn''t die, but he would be completely immobilized until she was done. She kept her gate open to pour small amounts of energy into the vines as she approached the door.
The halls were empty except for the guard. So long as she was careful, she would be able to break in, get the logbook, and get out. All she needed was to get through the door without being caught in the next few seconds.
"What do we have?" she whispered as she knelt and looked at the handle.
On the white door was a handle cast in bronze, and below that, there was a keyhole for the lock. It looked like a more modern deadbolt style, but it was a noble''s house, so that was expected. She knew that the guards on duty didn''t carry keys. That was part of her research before she tried to break in. So she had to get through the lock with her own skills unless she wanted to try and hunt down the head butler for the estate.
"Just a little work," she said, pulling out her pick and lever.
She placed the lever in the keyhole and slid the pick inside. She wasn''t an expert in lock-picking, but it was something that people picked up when they worked for a revolutionary army. She started with the back pin before testing each of the pins in the lock. The middle one clicked in place first.
Click.
The sound made her look around, and she had to remind herself that the sound was louder to her than it would be to anyone else. She worked through the pins again and got another click on the furthest pin. One more time, and the lock turned from the pressure of her lever. She pulled out the pick and put both it and the lever away.
"Okay," Erin whispered to herself. "In and out. Find the book."
She opened the door a crack and examined the room beyond through it. She almost had to close the door immediately. Two men stood inside the room where they had no business being. One was a big brute, while the other looked more scrawny and wiry. The big one was pulling drawers of shelves while the smaller one was looking through papers on a desk.
It took her a second to recognize both of them.
The big one was Sayed. He wore leather armor over a blue shirt now with black pants, unlike his old clothes. Two prominent curved swords were strapped to his back, and his clawed silvered gauntlet was attached to his belt.
The smaller one was Alexander Ortega. He was a man with dark brown skin and looked much the same as the last time she had seen him. He had his brown leather duster on, though it had several patches on it now that had mismatched colors, and as always, he wore a casual shirt and pants beneath it. The one thing missing was his black staff, which had broken on Glory Plateau.
"Oh." Alex looked up at her. "Hey, Sayed. Look. It''s Erin."
"What are you two doing?" Erin hissed at them.
"Burglary," Alex said. "Albeit unsuccessfully at the moment."
"How did you even get here?"
"Through that window." Alex pointed to the broken window behind him.
"But before that, there is a tale." Sayed laughed as he pulled out another drawer.
Alex had a problem. Being an outlaw who didn''t rob people didn''t pay much, and he now had Sayed''s appetite to worry about. He sat across the table from Sayed in their booth at a tavern, leaning back on a chair and looking up at the dimly lit candle lantern above their table.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Sayed was chowing down on his food. Alex had already finished his own, but Sayed had wanted seconds and thirds. The man could eat enough to sink a small army, and there just wasn''t enough between them.
"So, about our problem," Alex said as Sayed ate. "We need to find some work or something, or else we''re going to have a hard time out here."
"You worry too much, my brother," Sayed said as he bit into a piece of bread. "God will provide what we need."
"We do what we can for ourselves first." Alex shook his head, pulling the note from his pocket that explained why they were in that tavern to begin with. "You think he''s going to show up?"
"He will be here, brother." Sayed took a swig of his mug. "He has called two men such as us to do work for him. He would be foolish not to come. One does not cross wanted men."
"Hah." Alex laughed as he looked around the tavern. "Then you have to ask why he''s an hour late."
There were other people in the tavern, for sure. They were on a small island in the nightsea, one so small that only one tiny landmass formed the bulk of the island. It was a port, for sure, but it wasn''t a major one. Alex hadn''t even gotten the name of it before they hopped off their previous ship. That was when a boy came up with a message that asked them to wait for a meeting.
The other people in the tavern looked normal, as far as people who sailed the nightsea went. They wouldn''t be out of place in an old sailing adventure movie as extras in the background. The entire place was built almost like one of those B-movie sets before the hero would get out on a boat and sail off into the sunset.
"What was this place called?" Alex asked, pouring another bit of Black Turtle whiskey into his glass.
"Last Call," Sayed said through bites of food.
"Not the tavern. The island."
"Lastport."
"Man, they really don''t think about these names, " Alex said, shaking his head.
He leaned forward on the table.
"You two must be my contacts," a woman who hadn''t been there a second before spoke, and Alex turned to her immediately. "My apologies for being late."
She was dressed darkly beneath purple robes, and her hood shadowed her face as she stood a little away from their table. Delicate hands rested on her hips as she looked over both of them. Alex felt like he was being put up for sale.
"You''re the one who wrote the note?" Alex asked, kicking out one of the four chairs at the table with his foot and motioning for her to sit.
"I represent the person who sent the note," she said. "Again, I apologize for being late. Our contacts knew you were in the area, but I had to get on a fast ship to get here once we heard back. I only just arrived in port."
Alex raised an eyebrow. Several islands were nearby in the nightsea around them, all of varying sizes. While large islands were the primary focus of most kingdoms in the nightsea, there were several outposts that also were necessary to get ships from place to place. Lastport was just one of these many islands.
Alex didn''t like the implications of having that many contacts looking for him and Sayed.
"And the person you represent is willing to pay us for something?" Alex asked. "What do you want us to do?"
"Yes," the woman said, taking her seat and scooting the chair forward to the table before placing both of her pale hands on it. "There is an item that my boss wants, and you two are well equipped to obtain it from what we know of you."
"You wish us to be thieves," Sayed said, stopping his eating and looking down with a baleful eye. "We are not thieves."
"The item itself was already stolen, to begin with," the woman said, nodding to Sayed. "I would not dare dishonor the ''Sword Saint'' himself by asking him to be a thief. No, you''re going to take the item because it was stolen, and we will endeavor to use our resources to return it to its rightful owner after reading it ourselves, of course."
"So what is it? Schematics? A map?" Alex asked.
"A logbook," the woman said. "We don''t know how this noble acquired it, but it details some important events that we want to study. We haven''t been able to find the author himself, so this logbook will have to do until we find him."
"And the pay?"
"Two hundred gold dolers," the woman said, pulling out a bag. "Fifty as an advance. One hundred and fifty when the logbook is returned."
"That''s pretty good." Alex smiled as he propped his face up with one hand.
"So long as we are not thieves but merely returning the book, yes." Sayed nodded.
"Give me the details and tell me where I can return it, and we''ll get your book." Alex reached out for the bag, and the woman handed it to him.
"You will find it in the house of Lord Landry," she said, smiling. "He has his own private estate and small island not too far from here. You should be able to purchase one of the supply boats and get a ride out there. Take back the book and return it to me in one week''s time here, and I will pay the rest."
"And what if we''re late?" Alex asked.
"Then you can leave a message for Tania," she said. "The barkeep knows me well and will get the information to me."
Alex looked over at the man working the bar at the tavern. He was a portly man with a dirty rag in his hand as he cleaned the tables. Alex nodded. That would work. Worst to worst, he would have a network of spies hunting him down if they failed for some weird reason.
Not that they would. The job sounded easy.
"Alright," Alex said.
Tania stood and bowed to them before leaving their table. Alex made sure she was gone through the doors before he turned to Sayed. Sayed looked at him through one eye as he downed another mug.
"Well, I don''t trust anything about this," Alex said. "That''s way too easy for that high of a price. Any two-bit thugs could break into a noble''s house and get a book."
Thunk.
"But would they have the flair we have?" Sayed said, slamming down his mug and revealing the frothy mustache that covered his black beard. "Would they be able to spin a story of a grand heist?"
"No, but she doesn''t want that," Alex said, shaking his head. "Look at it this way. Why hire two people with our bounties to steal a book? You simply don''t do that. I smell a trap."
"But you took her money, brother." Sayed pointed out. "Clearly, you intend to go along with the request."
"I do," Alex said, sliding the bag back and forth between his hands. "There are tabs to pay, and sailing around has its cost. It would be so much simpler if we had a ship of our own."
"That would have costs as well," Sayed said.
"But we could sail where we wanted to, to more islands. Right now, we only visit the main ones."
He didn''t add that those islands would have well-guarded island cores that the rulers of those islands would likely know about. There was only a chance the island core was unprotected on newly established islands. He needed to find more of them if he had any hope of getting home.
He had been gone from Earth for over five years now. His nieces and nephews would be growing up, and his parents weren''t getting any younger either. Would they live long enough for him to find a way back?
"We will find our way," Sayed said, raising his mug to the sky. "That is the life we live, brother."
Alex sighed and shook his head. He didn''t like it, but he would take the job. There was a chance that it would lead to something more. After Glory Plateau, he took an interest in learning more about the world around him. This was the second time he had met someone who had organizations they worked for on Erth. The last time, it was Erin, and he had only gleaned a few details of what was going on.
"So finish up there, buddy," Alex said, pointing at Sayed''s food. "I''ll pay the tab, and we''ll get a small slipship to take us to the island. Some of the deposit is going to those."
Sayed nodded and began to devour his food again. Alex got up and paid the barkeep, making sure that he got the change in return. When he came back, Sayed was done, and they left the tavern together. They walked out into the muddy streets and down to the docks, where several slipships hummed as they floated in the air beside massive wooden platforms.
"A small ship," Alex said, looking up at all the traffic flying in the air.
Slipships were built like old sailing vessels from Earth, his Earth. The only real difference was that each one had massive stones bound by metal bands sticking out from its sides. Instead of cloth sails, they had shimmering golden light sails that caught light and powered their engines. Slipships came in many shapes and sizes, but they were the only things that sailed out in the empty void that was the nightsea.
"Come on," Alex said as he saw what he was looking for.
It would be a small fishing ship, something that gathered the small creatures that existed out in the nightsea and brought them in to sell. Fish was probably not the right word, but it was the closest. The ship was moored on a low dock, and a man sat in front of it, his eyes covered by a white cap as he leaned back on his chair. He wore dirty clothes and smelled of the sea salt around them.
"You up for sailing?" Alex asked as he approached.
"Depends." The man didn''t even move his hat. "Where do you want to go, kid?"
"There''s an island nearby owned by Lord Landry," Alex said. "We''re going out to visit him and talk about a job he wants done."
"Lord Landry, you say." The man reached up with one burly, calloused finger and tilted up the brim of his cap. "You happen to be sent there by Tania?"
Alex frowned. "I may."
"Then, I will sail you out there for the regular rate." The man stood up, looking over Alex and Sayed with sea-grey eyes. "Looks like she was right that I would be getting two visitors today. One gold doler for going there and back."
Alex liked it less and less as he paid the man and stepped into the boat with Sayed. How many people were part of the intelligence network, and how far ahead did Tania tell him to expect them? Alex was a schemer, a planner by nature. If you left him alone in a room with a problem, the problem would come out of the other side, bruised and begging for mercy.
However, he couldn''t even comprehend this level of foresight.
"I had to take the money in advance." Alex shook his head as the old man started up the ship and set course through the air across the sea and toward the dome that separated them from the nightsea.
The ride to the Lord''s island was an easy one, and it hadn''t taken much for the old man to get them to the docks. A quick cover story, and they were on their way, up the steep cliffs that surrounded the manor and onto the grounds themselves.
All in all, it was too easy.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 44 | Deep Dive
"And then we grandly threw a stone through the window and climbed inside." Sayed finished the tale as Erin looked at him with wide eyes.
"That about sums it up," Alex said with a nod.
Erin shook her head as she rubbed her face. Already, she was questioning if she had heard of this ''Tania'' before. There were a lot of people involved in the revolution, and she didn''t know all of them. There was good reason behind that. It was harder to take down independent cells than to take down a more connected organization. This seemed like one of her people''s plays, but there were other groups in the nightsea.
"You''re looking for a logbook," Erin said, shaking her head as she closed the door behind her.
Thump.
"Nothing so far," Sayed said as he dropped another drawer on the ground.
Erin flinched and took a deep breath. The entire situation was spiraling more out of control every second. She needed to focus on what was important. She was here to find the same thing as both men. She could use that.
Thump.
"Look at this," Alex said as Sayed dropped another drawer. "There''s a ledger here that shows a logbook being sold off."
"Oh, let me see," Sayed said, walking over to stand behind his shoulder.
Erin sighed and also walked around to look. It was amazing that the three of them hadn''t seen each other for weeks, yet now they had shown up to the same job at the same time, and neither man acted like that mattered.
"Says here that it was sold off to..." Alex rolled his finger down the line, and Erin followed it.
"The Military Police bought it yesterday," she whispered.
"Well, that puts a wrench in the works," Alex said.
"We just need to find out where it went," Erin said as she looked down the ledger. "It would be shipped along to the nearest outpost, which would be... at Cragg Hollow."
"You sure about that?" Alex asked, pulling down the paper to check some of the past registry entries.
"They wouldn''t send a battleship to pick up some book," Erin said, tapping her chin. "So, it stands to reason that it would be a small ship. That ship would go to an outpost to wait for a larger ship, assuming they didn''t have one already."
"You''re making this logbook sound super important," Alex said.
"The ledger says they paid a thousand gold dolers for it," Erin said. "That''s a lot of money."
"And your boss wants that book," Alex said, a smile cracking his face.
"We do." Erin sighed.
"We''re also in the business of obtaining that book," Alex said, putting the ledger down and stretching his hands wide. "If we don''t have the same boss, this might be a problem."
Erin''s eye twitched. She was trying desperately not to give anything away, but he was digging in hard. She wouldn''t just tell him she worked for the People''s Revolution.
"That doesn''t mean we can''t cooperate," Erin said. "We''re after the same thing."
She didn''t add that Lenenski had told her to keep an eye out for them and to follow along with them when the opportunity came. Even if she didn''t get to keep the book, she could get the information from it and pass it along.
"I think this may have something to do with the man you were looking for." Alex clasped his hands together.
"Roald." Sayed chuckled. "I think his name was Roald."
"Shades," Erin whispered.
Had she known that it would all lead to this, she might never have joined the revolution. She felt like two shopkeepers were working her over. They would poke and pry until they got something out of her.
"Fine," she said. "You''re right. That logbook contains notes Roald wrote on his journey to the New World. My people need it because it will open up options for our future plans. I can''t tell you anything more than that."
"The New World?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
Erin took a deep breath. How much should she tell him? Most people would think the New World was just a legend, like black spots. However, if she wanted to follow her mission, she would have to work with both of them.
"There''s a limit on the nightsea," Erin said. "The Military Police have been examining it for decades now. Where we are, they call it the Old World. The New World exists beyond that. No one knows how to get in or out, and all expeditions there have never come back¡ª all except one."
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"And this Roald guy came back?"
"Sounds like a grand tale!"
Erin flinched as Sayed laughed. She didn''t know why he insisted on being so loud. If they weren''t careful, someone would find out they were there.
"Sir Reginald?" a woman yelled in the hallway outside, and it came through the door muffled. "Guards! Guards!"
"That''s our cue," Alex said, shrugging his shoulders.
"What do you say, brother?" Sayed placed one hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her. "Will you come with us to find this book, or must we work against each other? The choice is yours."
Outside, she could hear the sound of boots stomping down the hall. The lock clicked closed at the door, and she could see Alex motioning to it with his fingers. His curse, of course, let him do that kind of thing.
"For now, let''s get out of here," she said. "Once we''re clear of all this, we''ll settle on terms."
"Sounds good to me," Alex said as he went to the window and jumped out.
They were three stories above the ground floor.
"Good to have you with us, brother." Sayed laughed before he followed Alex and jumped out.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Erin shook her head as someone began to bang against the door. She looked out over the edge and saw Sayed waiting to catch her below while Alex kept an eye out. Erin shook her head before she jumped, curling her body in and closing her eyes. Air cut past her briefly before she fell into Sayed''s arms.
"Got you," Sayed said as he braced her fall and then set her on the ground.
"Thanks, Sayed," Erin said, touching his arm for support as she realigned her balance.
"Anything for a brother!" Sayed laughed.
"They''re outside!" someone yelled down the building from them.
"Rail Shot." Alex turned, flicking a coin from his hand and sending it flying like a bullet.
"Argh." A person fell at the side of the building with a thump.
"I don''t want to waste any more coins," Alex said as he ran toward the cliffside, Sayed following after him.
Lord Landry''s manor was built on a tall cliff overlooking a cove. The docks were far below the outside edge of the island. Erin had parked her ship far away from the docks and trekked over the more hazardous terrain to sneak in unnoticed.
"You parked your ship at the docks?" she yelled after Alex as he ran off.
"The old guy''s there," Alex said through quick breaths. "Pretending to do a shipment. Unless you have a better plan."
"Stop!" she yelled, and Alex stopped in his tracks with Sayed.
"So, you do have a better plan?" he asked.
"My ship''s on the far side of the island," Erin said. "If they''re smart, they''ll lock down the dock. Fewer people to fight if we go to mine."
"I thought it didn''t have room for people on it?" Alex smiled. "That''s what you said back at Glory Plateau."
"You''ll have to squeeze in," Erin said, glaring back at him. "Come on."
She started to run, getting ahead of both men and picking her way across the rocky terrain back the way she had come. As she crossed out into the open, she could hear several people shout from the manor. The alarm was raised. Guards were coming. Her plan needed to work, or they would have to fight.
She knew they could fight. Sayed or Alex alone could probably take out the guards, but that would take time. That might lead to even more problems, and she would rather no one know someone had been snooping around. There were more organizations in the nightsea than hers, and she didn''t need any of them to know about the logbook.
"We''re going to have to be careful going down," Erin said as they ran over sparse grass and around rocks.
"Careful is a perspective," Alex said from beside her as he followed her. "We''re always careful, right, Sayed?"
"Of course, brother!" Sayed yelled. "But I feel these guards are gaining on us, and there are very many of them."
Erin chanced a look behind her, and he was right. At least twenty guards, each with a shining breastplate, followed after them. They were ahead, but the guards would know the island better than any of them.
"I got it," Alex said, dropping behind them and stretching out his hands.
The guards, all concentrated in a center mass, flew back without a whisper of sound. It was like they had suddenly been thrown into an invisible wall, and they scattered out in a cone from where Alex stood.
"Step."
Alex disappeared from where he had been and was running along with them as if he hadn''t left. Erin focused back on running. Behind her, she had only a glimpse of a few of the guards standing up and following after them. They had a good lead now. They just needed to maintain it.
"Over here," Erin said through her panting as they approached the edge of the island, away from the cove. "The path is down here."
A thin dirt path led down the cliffside. Waves crashed along the path on the lower sections, and the smell of salt filled Erin''s nose as she looked down. This was the problem. They would have to go slow if they wanted to make it down the cliff.
"Well, " Alex said, coming up beside her and looking down. "That''s not going to work."
"What do you mean?" Erin asked, her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "There isn''t any other option."
"The guards could just drop stuff on us," Alex said. "They don''t even need to follow us."
"You bring up a good point, brother." Sayed nodded. "And it would be cowardly to just slowly make our way down this edge. Not worthy of a good story."
"You thinking what I''m thinking?" Alex asked Sayed.
"Yes, brother." Sayed nodded.
Erin didn''t agree with what either of them was thinking, whatever it was.
"We''re in this together, right? " Alex approached her, put his arm beneath hers, and held her up.
"Agreed," Sayed said, doing the same with her other arm and holding her up.
Together, the three of them were locked at the shoulders. A sinking feeling filled Erin''s stomach as she looked out over the cliffside. At that moment, every decision she had ever made that had led her to this felt like a mistake.
"No," she whispered, but she had no strength in it.
"Don''t worry, we''ll break your fall." Alex smiled next to her. "Ready, Sayed?"
"Ready!"
"No!"
It was too late. Together, both men took a running jump with Erin dangling between their shoulders. They flew out and over the cliff, and Erin did her best not to look down. However, that was impossible.
"Get ready!" Alex yelled as the wind whipped around them, throwing their clothes against their skin and Erin''s hair across her face.
Sayed let go of her and Alex rolled so he would hit first mid-air. Erin closed her eyes as they fell and focused all of her thoughts on ignoring the pit that opened in her stomach.
Splash.
Icy cold water ripped across her body like a thousand tiny daggers as she and Alex plunged into it. Alex had taken most of the blow, but she gasped as the cold clawed into her. As they sank into the water, Alex let go, tapping her on the arm before paddling up toward the surface.
Erin had a moment to assess her situation as her lungs burned for air. She was about to go to another island with the same two madmen she had met on Glory Plateau. They had just jumped off a cliff when they could have taken the slow path.
She shook her head and began to swim up after Alex. She could see Sayed doing the same in her limited vision not far away. She hoped sha-om was ready. There was a good chance she would be there soon.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 45 | Pasta la Vista
Alex broke the water''s surface and began to windmill his arms and kick his legs. He gasped in a quick breath as he looked over the surface. Water streamed down his face, and he blinked to clear his eyes. He had the faint feeling of cold nipping across his skin, but it was muted.
Splash.
"Hooh." Erin broke the surface second, gasping for breath. "I''m going to kill both of you."
Her voice shook as she spoke, and Alex realized the water had to be really cold. Sayed broke the surface seconds later, laughing after he, too, gasped for breath. Alex smiled. It hadn''t been that bad of an idea.
"I''m telling you, it was the best option," Alex said as he trod water. "Now, where''s your ship?"
"Yes, before the cold takes you both," Sayed said, though he seemed perfectly fine.
Granted, his curse was probably chugging away, pushing back the cold. Alex shook his head as he searched the horizon but couldn''t see Erin''s ship. He hadn''t seen it when they jumped off the cliff either.
"It''s..." her teeth clattered together. "In a cave. Over there."
She began to swim, and Alex followed after her. Alex noticed Sayed was looking up toward the top of the cliff, but he followed soon after. The way Alex saw it, they didn''t have to worry about the guards anymore.
They were running more for convenience than the area''s actual strength anyway. Alex was confident that there weren''t any people at the manor who posed a threat.
They emerged from the water at the beach. Erin clutched her arms tight around herself as she led them down the beach toward a cave burrowed into the cliffside. They made it there quickly, and Alex got a good look at Erin''s slipship as it sat moored in the cave.
It was about as small as the fisherman''s slipship but built differently. There was a small deck on the back and what looked like the glass cockpit of an old fighter plane on the front. Small light sails covered the top and sides of the ship, coming out from practically tiny masts across the almost tube-like design, and there were four lodestones in total, both front and back.
"That''s the weirdest design I''ve ever seen," Alex said as he looked it over.
"It is built off older designs," Erin said as she walked over to the rope ladder hanging off the back end. "We have some genius in our organization who made it work, but it isn''t something that most people could scrape together."
"It is very tiny," Sayed said as she climbed the ladder and stepped up on the deck.
"You''ll both have to squeeze in the back," Erin said as she looked down from the deck as Sayed started climbing it. "I''ll be in the pilot''s seat, of course."
She ducked inside from the back deck, and Alex started climbing after Sayed. His wet hands and clothes made it more difficult, but it was better than nothing. He was about halfway up the ladder when he noticed something strange at the mouth of the cave.
A shadowy figure hung down from the roof, suspended by two long lines as it lowered itself to about halfway through the cave. Alex squinted to better understand what it was, but all he could make out was that it was hanging off the cave walls.
"We may have company," Alex said to Sayed as he came up to the deck.
"Noodle Web!"
Shadows covered the entire cave in darkness as lines shot out from the figure all across the cave entrance. Even the figure dropped out of sight against the sudden wall, and Alex grabbed hold of the nearest railing to keep his sense of direction.
"You fools!" A man''s voice echoed through the entire cavern. "I am the Head Chef of the manor, Antonio Fettuccine! You will not escape this island alive!"
"Sayed," Alex said as he opened his gate.
Electricity pulsed through his heart and out through his body in rhythmic waves, charging his limbs like a lightning strike with each pulse. Instantly, the world around him came alive in his senses, and he could sense the man out in the air in front of the cave. Beside him, Sayed''s sword began to glow, giving light to the cave.
"I will handle it, brother," Sayed said. "Just be prepared to catch me."
"I got you." Alex nodded.
"Foul demon!" Sayed stepped up on top of the ship, standing over the cockpit. "You will not stop our escape!"
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"What''s he doing?" Erin yelled through the open door.
"Get us closer," Alex said, leaning his head inside. "He''ll take care of whoever that is. Just be ready to hit it when the way clears."
Hrrm.
The ship rose into the air, humming with power as the lodestones pushed it up and forward.
"We will carve a path forward!" Sayed yelled, his sword glowing brightly as they approached the wall of noodles covering the cave. "Demon''s Divide!"
Sayed jumped up high in the air and came down with his sword. An orange line flashed as he came down and cut through the noodles, the noodles falling away uselessly as he fell all the way down into the water below.
Splash. Sizzle.
"Now!" Alex yelled as he ran for the back of the ship and reached out along the magnetic fields below him.
The ship shot forward, and he grabbed hold of Sayed''s swords with his mind, pulling them up after him and carrying Sayed as they blew past the man who had blocked their path. Sayed floated up through the air behind the ship, clutching his sword as Alex brought him in against the wind resistance.
"Might." Alex''s grip bent the metal railing as he struggled to hold against the ship''s momentum. "Grah."
He threw Sayed over the railing, and he could feel the wet touch of blood on his lips dribbling out of his nose. He closed his gate and collapsed to the ground, breathing hard as the ship shot off and left the island as a dot in the distance.
Sayed found himself packed away against a wall, hunched over inside of the ship beside Alex and with a few bags of supplies surrounding him. His open gate radiated heat off of him, and he let it fill the room to help Alex and Erin not succumb to the cold.
"We''re approaching the nightsea," Erin said from her pilot''s seat at the front of the ship. "Brace yourself."
The ship shook and shuddered as the blue sky faded and became transparent before the blackness of the nightsea consumed it. In the distance, spots of light, like islands in the darkness, stretched out all around the ship, and wispy white trails stretched out from them and out into the nightsea itself.
Sayed adjusted his neck to get a better view, but the view from the glass was small, and there were no other windows in the metal, tubular room.
"And we''re out." Erin pressed a few buttons on her console before she turned back to them. "You two going to be okay?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "Bit cramped, but we''ll be fine. Good cut back there, Sayed."
"Your assistance was appreciated as well." Sayed grinned, looking down at Alex. "You got me back onto the deck perfectly."
"That guy was cursed to control spaghetti, right?" Alex looked between them. "I''m not going crazy."
"Curses are a lot of different things," Erin said. "Some are simple and elemental, like Sayed''s heat."
"Mine is no curse. It is a blessing from God." Sayed corrected.
He had his blessing since he came to the nightsea as a blessing from his God. The heat was a sign that he was favored. The dry heat of the desert itself was what he commanded.
"Right," Erin said. "Others are more weird. I wish we knew more about them, but they almost seem like random quirks. No one has any idea where they come from."
"Like bugs in a system," Alex said, and Sayed raised his eyebrow.
He liked Alex. After they fought together in Glory Plateau, they formed a working partnership. However, sometimes, the man said things that made no sense. How could insects be a part of a system?
"Don''t worry about it," Alex said, looking between the two of them. "More importantly, do we know where we''re going? Cragg Hollow?"
"Right." Erin turned her seat back around and hit a few buttons.
A screen above her to the right came to life, and what looked like a chart of the stars came up. A glowing line cut across the screen, looping from a triangle at its center and off the chart. Erin pointed up to it.
"That''s our path," Erin said. "I''ll keep us on it. Won''t even take a day in this thing."
"You''re that fast?" Alex stood up and made his way behind her chair to look over the screens. "What kind of ship is this?"
Bump.
Sayed tried to move, but he just hit his head on the ceiling. He settled himself back into his hunched position. Thankfully, he did not think that they would be on this small ship long. If he had to spend his life aboard something this small, he would never be able to get the soreness out of his cramped muscles.
"The best way to describe it is a corvette. That''s what the plans it was built from called the design," Erin said. "This one is a one-person design, made to run fast and avoid bigger ships."
"Could not the inside be bigger?" Sayed asked as he hugged his arms around his knees.
"Sorry." Erin turned back and smiled at him. "If I had known, I would have at least emptied out some supplies. No one in their right mind would have expected you two to show up."
"Yeah, feels like too much of a coincidence," Alex said.
"All things are guided by the hand of God," Sayed whispered but didn''t say it too loudly.
He was sure that they would meet again after they parted ways at Glory Plateau. Erin had been the only of the three to go off on their own, but Sayed knew they would meet again. Even in the great, wide, vastness of the nightsea, nothing could stop brothers in arms from coming together again.
"I don''t know who ''Tania'' is or whether that is her real name, but we''ve got bigger problems than that. What do you two know about Cragg Hollow?"
"Nothing," Alex said.
Sayed just shrugged and tried to move out one of his legs before it fell asleep. His leg couldn''t extend fully across the small space, so he had to lean it at an angle. God preserve him. He would get out of the tiny space soon enough.
"My people have limited intelligence on it. It is a Military Police outpost, for sure, and there are a few ships there for the base," Erin said as she leaned back in her chair. "We don''t have any real contacts there, though. Every time we''ve sent a person in, they''ve not come back out. They don''t seem to be caught; no one gets sent off to the Clink, but they also don''t come back out."
"Well, that''s great," Alex said. "Sounds like something is going down there besides just the logbook being there."
"Sounds like the beginnings of a frightful tale," Sayed added. "Mysterious and treacherous is the path ahead."
"We''ll have to be careful in the approach," Erin said. "None of what you two were doing today."
"Hey, my middle name is careful," Alex said, looking back to Sayed. "And Sayed knows how to follow along with a story."
"Very true," Sayed said. "I will adopt the role of a sneak thief if need be, though we are not going in to steal but to liberate a wrongfully stolen possession."
"See?" Alex said.
"Fine then," Erin said. "We''ll go in together. Just make sure I don''t regret this."
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 46 | Ghosts
Craw. Craw. Craw.
Another night, another patrol. Erick walked through the streets, his spear in his hand as he looked for anything to do. The ever-present nightly fog of Cragg Hollow obscured his vision as he walked down the cobblestone streets of the city. He wore his guard''s uniform, a metal breastplate over a black shirt, leather gloves, boots, and pants with red lines down their hem. His uniform was his identity. He was a simple footman for the Military Police, ensuring justice was served across the Empyrean and all its holdings.
"Cursed crows," he whispered as he walked down the street, looking out from the buildings to his left and out into the open sea to his right.
"You''ll never move up with that attitude." Agnes stood beside him, holding her spear across her shoulders and dressed in the same uniform he was.
"Who wants to move up in ranks?" Erick laughed. "They''ll throw me in an office job and away from people if I do that. Justice will sleep if I''m behind a desk."
"Listen to you, still thinking you''re a hero." Agnes laughed, her braided ponytail shaking as she hunched over. "We serve the Scions boy, the Empyrean."
"I''m no boy." Erick began to walk away, deeper into the fog.
"Then stop thinking like one." Agnes followed after him as he continued his patrol.
"You don''t get to tell me that," Erick whispered to himself as he peered into every shadow.
"Oh, if it isn''t a guard." An old woman walked out of the fog, and Erick''s grip on his spear tightened before he relaxed.
It was just an old woman, nothing more. She wore a purple dress that dragged on the ground from her stooped frame, and she looked up at him as she leaned on her withered wooden cane. The only hard part was the mask she wore. It was the mask that every citizen of Cragg Hollow seemed to wear, and it gave Erick the creeps.
A porcelain white mask, blank of anything but a stretching smile both with the eyes and the mouth. Erick looked into that mask and reminded himself that there was a person behind it. He needed to respect the local customs within reason, per his training.
"Good evening, miss," Erick said, bowing. "Any trouble tonight?"
"Nothing." The woman laughed, coming closer to him with measured, steady steps.
Click. Tap. Tap. Click. Tap. Tap.
Erick resisted the urge to back away. He was alone out on patrol, and the woman was creepy, for sure, but she was just an old woman. This wasn''t some horror story told by his parents at night. This was the real world and not a fable.
Aroo!
The old woman froze as the wolf''s cry pierced through the night. Erick readied his spear as he looked through the fog. Wolves were a major problem for Cragg''s Hollow, though no one was sure where they came from. There weren''t any forests nearby the cove.
"You best get inside, miss," Erick said as he ran. "I''ll find it and run it off."
"Wait." She tried to reach him, but he was quickly running down the street and toward the source of the noise.
"You''re quite the charmer," Agnes said, running behind him with her spear out. "Always were making the ladies fawn over you."
"Not the one I wanted to," Erick hissed at himself as he ran.
Arr!
Erick ducked down an alley, and he found the culprit there. A shadowy creature that seemed to be made of falling ink sat on its haunches in the alley. Yellow eyes looked out at Erick as it wagged its tail. Erick pointed his spear forward and steeled himself.
The creature had the appearance of a wolf, but it wasn''t flesh-and-blood. It and its kind had been a problem for the three months he had been stationed at Cragg''s Hollow. Melded from an inky blackness, they appeared all over the city, but no one except Erick ever wanted to do anything about them.
"Come on then," Erick said, thrusting his spear forward. "You called, so let''s get this over with."
The wolf looked at him with a twisting head before jumping up to the top of the alley wall and vaulting over it with two quick leaps.
"Wait!" Erick ran after it, jumping on a nearby barrel to gain some height before attempting his own jump.
He caught the lip of the wall with both arms, spear over the edge to give him extra leverage as he struggled to kick up and over the wall. Below him, he could hear Agnes laughing, and he felt his face burn as he finally pushed himself over and landed on the ground.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
"Just like basic training." Agnes didn''t make a sound as she appeared behind him, and Erick shook his head.
"After it," Erick told himself as he ran down the alley and hopefully toward the beast.
He ran for a long time until his lungs burned and his legs wanted to give out, but he never seemed to catch the beast. Just like every night, it eluded him. Soon, he came up to the hill that rose up and over the edge of the cove and looked out over the city. He stopped there, catching his breath as he looked out over the fog-filled town below.
"You should really give up on this," Agnes, ever at his side, said as he held his hands on his knees and breathed.
"You should leave me be," Erick said between gasps as he squinted at the city below.
"I can''t do that." Agnes laughed hollowly.
The city stretched out before him, spires and towers sticking out from the fog cloud, but the shorter buildings were just shadows beneath that. The moon shone down from above, giving ample light to the town, but the damned fog was the problem. Soon, the light of the moon would be blocked by the cliffs above the cove, and then he wouldn''t be able to find anything at all between the street lamps that dotted the city.
"Why do you insist on tormenting me, Agnes?" Erick whispered, turning back to Agnes. "You''re already dead, Agnes. For over a year now."
She smiled at him the same way she always had during basic training. A stupid training accident had taken her from him long before he could ever tell her how he felt. Scions, he was an idiot, and her shade seemed to be a constant reminder of that. At his words, she disappeared, just as she always did, leaving her smile last before it too fell away.
"Never get an answer for that." Erick sighed as he looked up at the night sky.
The stars above him twinkled, and he took to watching them for a while. One thing he missed on patrol was looking up at the night sky. It just hadn''t been possible due to the fog the last three months. He used to go out and look at the sky with Agnes every night.
Erick reached up and wiped the tears that were wetting his cheeks.
"You have a duty. Get back to that," he scolded himself, taking one last glance up at the night sky.
It was then he noticed that one of the stars was wrong. One of the stars streaked across the night sky and toward the bay, trailing a line of light behind it. Erick had a few moments to watch it before he knew what it was. A slipship was coming in for a hard landing.
"Alarm!" He ran off into the night, back toward the city and the docks.
Captain James Hawkins believed in order. He sat at his desk on the Little February, the schooner-class slipship moored in the waters around Cragg Hollow, reading message after message. He loved order, but he hated paperwork. He stood up from his desk, nearly hitting his head on the beams above him, and made his way toward his cabin door.
"A good view of the night is what I need," he said. "A breath of air and salt will get me back to work."
So long as he did not run into his most annoying subordinate, he would be fine. He would remain in control and be back to work. There was little chance of running into Private Landson. The man should be out on patrol and far away from Captain Hawkin''s ship.
Hawkins opened the door with one meaty fist and ducked through it to step to the other side. Fog covered the night around him and immediately soured his mood. He would give anything to be posted somewhere else, somewhere his skills would be recognized. However, here he was, on some little crappy outpost out and away from a major island. He''d never move up in the ranks if he never got out of Cragg Hollow.
"Order through strength," he told himself as he walked over to the railing and looked out over the bay.
In his limited vision, he could see the docks below, and his ship rested in the water there, the lodestones off. The ship acted more like a sailing ship than one of the nightsea, but there was little point in keeping the stones running during a permanent assignment. It was safer and more effective to keep the system off and only to do monthly tests to ensure that none of the systems were broken.
"Alarm!"
Captain Hawkins''s jaw clenched tight as he looked out in the fog. He knew that voice. Private Landson ran out of the fog and down the docks. Captain Hawkins sneered. He didn''t need a reason to hate a private, but Private Landson never hesitated to give him cause.
Weakness defined the man, and Captain Hawkins hated weakness.
"Report!"
"Sir!" Private Landson stopped and saluted, his hand coming up to his chest as he stared out into the night. "There''s a slipship coming in fast. Crash landing."
Whir. Splash. Sploosh.
A ship careened through the fog like a ghost and crashed into the bay as if on cue. Water spiked up into the air, and a wave rushed over and slammed into the Little February. Captain Hawkins braced himself, gripping hard onto the railing on the side of the Little February and gritting his teeth as the water washed over. Below him, Private Landson maintained his attention, only dropping to a squat stance long enough for the water to wash over.
"A little late, private!" Captain Hawkins yelled. "Alarm! Lieutenant Tanis, go find Doctor Livesay and drag him back from whatever bar he''s slouching in. We''re going to have injured. The rest of you, wake up and get to work. We''ve got a ship to recover.
From below decks, the lieutenant appeared first, dressed in his customary dueling suit with his rapier at his side and his feathered hat already tipping in greeting with a tug of his finger. Behind him, several uniformed men filed out and started down the ship''s deck toward the gangplank.
"On it, sir. Step," Tanis said before disappearing in a blur of motion.
He reappeared down the dock. The other men filed down the gangplank and started getting ropes ready as some of them jumped in the water to swim out to the sinking slipship in front of them.
"What are you doing, Private?" Captain Hawkins yelled down to Private Landson. "You''ve got a job. Get to it."
"Yes, sir!" Private Landson relaxed his attention and started working with the other men to recover the ship.
Captain Hawkins crossed his arms as he looked down at the sinking ship. It wasn''t every day that a ship crashed into the water. He could already see the Military Police''s insignia on its side, an ''M'' and a ''P'' next to each other on a black and red flag. However, what was more notable were the burn marks that ran along one side of the ship. It had been attacked mid-route. There weren''t many people stupid enough to stand up against the Military Police, and attacking one of their vessels was tantamount to suicide in the long run. There had to be a reason the ship was attacked, which meant there had to be something valuable on board.
"All the more reason to pull it out of the water," Captain Hawkins said as he made his way down the gangplank to help pull the ship out of the water.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 47 | Promotion
"Brace for impact," Erin said, and Alex dug his fingers into the back of her chair to keep from being thrown back.
The little ship, a corvette class, by Erin''s words, slammed into the bright white light of an island''s dome. The glass had already tinted in response to the bright shining light of the island, and Alex appreciated that little convenience. The ship shook around him as several items were scattered from their place throughout the room.
"God save me from these knickknacks," Sayed said in what he thought was a whisper behind Alex. "I will be happy to have my feet on land again."
"We''re through."
They shot out into the island''s atmosphere, the ship shaking but holding together as Erin guided it through the night sky over the sea below. In the distance, Alex could see the island itself.
Not all islands were large out in the nightsea. Some could be as large as a large country on Earth, like Brazil, while others were tiny things that were barely worth settling down on by people. Cragg Hollow was a smaller one. About twenty tiny land masses sprawled out from a larger island. Each one of the smaller islands was about the size of a small town, while the largest one could easily fit one or two cities on it if the builders weren''t worried about space.
"It''s the big one," Erin said as she brought the ship on a wide bank around the smaller islands.
The island was a cove, a semi-circle crescent shape rose with high cliffs above a beach, and a tall spire in the back formed most of the terrain. He could see the shadows of some buildings in the cove, but Alex couldn''t see them for one particular reason.
"That''s a massive fog bank." Alex pointed out the side of the bubble cockpit.
"That should be the port, but we''re not going to land there," Erin said. "Don''t forget it is a Military Police outpost."
"Like I could." Alex smiled.
"We''ll land and moor on the far side of the island," Erin said. "We''ll have to find the entrance to the cove from the other side."
"Another small path to climb." Alex looked back at Sayed. "How can you make that a good start to a tale?"
"I will try once we see it." Sayed nodded from his hunched position among the supplies.
"I swear, I''m going to regret all of this," Erin whispered as she guided the ship around the cove and down the jagged rocky coast of the island.
She pulled against a lever and spun the wheel as they sailed past the coast. In a few minutes, they had seen most of what was on the other side. Two beaches cut out away from the mountain that dominated the rear of the island, and either one would make a decent landing point, even if it was a little exposed.
"I think we''ll be better off if we moor it on land," Erin said, pointing at the beaches. "Those are too exposed. The ship will be easy to spot if they send out any patrols."
"We can do some camouflage," Alex said. "Throw some of the foliage up over it after we land."
"It''s the best we can do. I''ll take it in for the landing."
The ship shuddered and shook as she brought it around on the sparse shrubbery-filled land below. The engines whined as the ship settled against the ground before finally shaking as it touched the ground.
Thump.
"Come on, Sayed." Alex turned away as Erin finished off the landing process. "We''ll go and get some of the stuff around here and do our best to hide the ship."
"Anything to be free of this space," Sayed grunted as Alex turned the wheel that held the exit door closed.
Creak. Thump.
The door whined as he pushed it open, and the smell of salty seawater filled his nose as he stepped out onto the small deck. All around him, the open land rushed out in a carpet of short green grass and bushes before quickly rising up the mountain on his left side. Alex looked up at that peak, and he could see what looked like goats higher up the mountainside.
"So, we must gather some of this to cover the ship?" Sayed ducked through the door and looked around them. "How about a competition?"
"Whoever can gather the most buys drinks?" Alex asked.
"I will agree to those terms." Sayed nodded, a smile stretching across his face. "Ten minutes will be the time."
They set off in separate directions. Alex focused on gathering as much of the tall grass as he could. They would have to tie it together, but when they were done, it would form a net that would block the ship from aerial view. He wasn''t an expert at making camouflage by any means. He just had seen old documentaries on battles in wars, gleaning the basic idea from that. Like a lot of kids growing up, it was the stories of the past that fueled his imagination.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Alex had a decent selection of grass piled up in about ten minutes. He turned and saw that Sayed had already had one thought. Using his sword, the man had cut several branches from nearby shrubs, more than enough to cover the ship from at least one side if laid together. Sayed hacked at another shrug with his sword as Alex watched, the curved edge acting like an axe as it severed limbs from the base of the plant.
After about ten minutes of work, they came back together and agreed that Sayed had won. Using the branches of the shrubs as a basis, they set about masking the ship from sight until Erin came out and looked down at their handiwork. She shook her head and sighed as she jumped down from the ship''s deck.
"I could have handled all that without the environmental damage," she said, looking out over the small area they had both cleared to gather the material.
She looked over their work and then reached out her hands. Green energy began to flow out from her hands and into the plants thrown around the ship. The grass and branches slowly expanded over the ship, the gathered materials growing to camouflage it like a net.
"Patch Growth," Erin whispered.
"That''s one way to do it," Alex whispered as the ship was covered from sight.
"An impressive ability." Sayed nodded, with his arms crossed behind her. "While I should take victory in the competition, brother, I say that she wins."
"I can''t really argue with that." Alex laughed as he turned and started walking away from the ship. "We treat Erin at the first tavern we find in town."
"Hah, another competition to find it then, for the second round?" Sayed laughed after he followed after him.
"Hey!" Erin turned around and followed after them. "We need to find the logbook first!"
Alex led the way toward the town, and he soon found a well-worn footpath that led through the various shrubs and grass that surrounded the beach and toward the cove. He noticed that Erin would stop a few times as they walked down the path, bending down to pick up a plant and depositing it inside her cloak. He didn''t think to ask, mainly because it wasn''t his business, and it didn''t slow the group down. However, he made sure to pause every time he noticed her doing it.
After about thirty minutes of walking, they were into the larger cove and could see the fog-covered city itself. Starlight still twinkled above as he looked out over the hilly land that led to the rocky beaches. The only real oddity was the fog. It seemed very unnatural.
"You think that fog''s going to be a problem?" Alex looked back to Erin because he already knew Sayed''s answer.
"It doesn''t seem right," Erin said as she looked at the fog beside him. "It seems to end in the city limits."
"Could be a cursed person," Alex said. "Or someone mucking about with an island core."
"We''ll find out. The important thing is the logbook." Erin shook her head, moving forward and leaving the two of them behind.
"I still don''t like it," Alex grumbled, thrusting his hands in his pockets as he walked.
He dearly missed his ironwood staff. The weapon had been with him for years, and being able to hold it gave him a measure of confidence, even if it was just a staff in the end. A showdown with an ex-Apostle on Glory Plateau had ended with the staff shattered, and he had no idea where in the nightsea ironwood came from.
"Maybe a frying pan," he whispered to himself as he and Sayed followed after Erin.
"Sir, we''ve pulled up the ship." Erick saluted as Captain Hawkins watched the recovery operations. "We already have men working inside to search for survivors."
"Belay that," Captain Hawkins said, looking over the ship. "Have them search the cargo hold first. We need to know why they were attacked. Recover can come after that."
"Sir, those are our people in there." Erick''s voice shook as anger boiled inside of him. "We can''t just leave them."
"I have no use for a soldier who can''t follow orders." Captain Hawkins looked down at him, his muscles bulging around his neck. "If you can''t give the order, I will, Private."
"Sir." Erick stopped his salute and turned to walk to the recovery efforts.
He communicated the orders down the line and entered the ship with the recovery team. Ropes held the ship up to the docks, keeping it from sinking further into the bay. He went through a hatch on the deck and down below, climbing the metal ladder and going into darkness.
The ship was of metal construction like all the Military Police ships. The short light sail masts that powered the lodestones were all broken, so the ship couldn''t maintain its height on its own. Some portholes on the ship gave light to the dark interior, and Erik could see especially well through the pale moonlight that came in through the massive hole in the side of the ship.
He made his way down a second ladder and into the ship''s cargo hold. Twice, he came across dead soldiers and confirmed their status despite his orders. However, the cargo bay was mostly empty, except for one large chest in the center.
"That would be it," he said, reaching down and cracking open the chest.
"Are you sure you should?" Agnes''s ghost whispered in his ears, but he shrugged it off.
"I need to know if the order is worth it," he told himself as he looked inside the chest.
In it was a rectangular metal box gleaming with a light of its own. A single red button rested on the lower right side of the box, and text was printed across it like a book. Erik reached in and picked it up.
Hrm.
The box hummed in his hands, and he looked it over carefully. It looked like a book, except hinges locked the sides, and no one in their right mind would make a book out of metal. On the front, he read the text. ''Roald''s Log of a Journey to the New World.''
"What in the night is this?" he whispered, already knowing that information was above his pay grade.
Taking the ''book'' in hand, he climbed back up the stairs until he was back on the decks. He made his way over to the captain. Lieutenant Tanis returned with the doctor by his side as he came over.
Doctor Livesay was hunched over as he walked, his dirtied doctor''s coat dragging across the ground as he approached on his cane. His thick glasses forever seemed fogged over so that no one ever saw his eyes, and he gave Erik the creeps.
"Captain Hawkins!" Erik yelled out as he jumped back onto the docks and approached the man. "I recovered this from the hold. It appears to be the only cargo."
"Let me see." Captain Hawkins reached down and picked up the book, holding it up to his eyes and squinting to see it.
"Looks like a book to me," Doctor Livesay quipped as he scuttled over to the Captain, his small form dwarfed by the Captain''s frame.
"Not much of a cargo then," Lieutenant Tanis said as he rested against one of the dock''s poles.
"No." Captain Hawkins shook his head as he held up the book. "This is great. With this, we''ll all get promotions. This is a guide to get to the New World!"
A sinking filling burned into Erik''s stomach as he watched the men fawn over the book. Behind him, soldiers and comrades had died or might be dying in the ship''s hold. Yet, all three of his commanding officers only cared about some metal box.
The anger inside him burned brighter, but he kept it there and didn''t let it go.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 48 | Masks
Fog-covered streets made it nearly impossible to navigate the town. In the night, there didn''t seem to be anyone walking the street at all either. Erin looked up at the sky but couldn''t see a single star or even the moon through the thick cloud bank.
The city''s homes and buildings stretched down in lines for each street, all of them leading toward the coast and what she assumed to be the port. The doors for every home and business were shut, and the windows were shuttered. Only a few had a faint orange light in their windows that glowed out into the night.
"For a place this size, I''d imagine that there would be at least a few people out in the street," Alex said.
"We are on the outskirts," Erin whispered, her eyes roving between the buildings.
The fog was like a close blanket around them. They could only see a few meters away down the cobblestone streets. Shapes of every variety filled the fog, but the entire town was eerily silent.
"The taverns might still be active, and they''ll be closer to the docks," Alex said. "What kind of outpost is here anyways?"
"Listen," Sayed interrupted, holding up a finger to his lips. "Something is out there."
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
A shadow darted through the fog cloud before disappearing down the two long shadows of an alleyway''s entrance. A shiver ran down Erin''s spine. She didn''t like not being able to see what was around her.
"I didn''t sense anything from that," Alex whispered, looking over to Erin with a raised eyebrow.
"Let''s just get down to the docks," Erin said a little too quickly. "We''ll figure out everything else from there."
"Lead the way, then," Alex said. "Keep an eye on our backs, Sayed. I''ll watch the front. I don''t like anything about this."
"Understood, brother," Sayed said, drawing his gauntlet from his belt and strapping it to his hand.
Erin hoped it wouldn''t be necessary, but everything about the fog was digging into her gut. She put her hand on the black dagger on her belt. Was there a reason that everyone the revolution had sent to Cragg Hollow disappeared? Every time the revolution tried to implant a spy in the area, they just disappeared.
Aroo!
Erin quickened her pace down the road. She chanced a look back and saw Alex moving after her, his eyes searching all around him and his fists clenched. Sayed turned every few steps to check behind them before rushing to catch up. She was glad she wasn''t the only one who felt like the entire situation was off.
Lamplight began to appear in the fog as they approached the coast and, presumably, the docks. They rose as shining beacons in the night, their lights barely pushing away the fog in a radius around them. However, there was still not a single person on the streets.
"Wait." Alex grabbed Erin''s shoulder, and she slowed. "There''s something weird ahead."
Pant. Pant. Pant.
A shadowy, four-legged creature stood out in the fog, panting as it stood before them. At first, Erin thought it was a wolf, but it was too big to be one. It was almost as tall as Erin was, and that was on all fours.
"That is no normal creature," Sayed said, drawing his sword from his back.
"Agree on that," Alex said, drawing a coin from his pocket and holding it in his fingers.
Aroo!
The wolf-like creature howled and tore off into the fog, jumping twice before it was up above and over the roofs of the houses around them. It hadn''t been there for a fight, but Erin couldn''t even begin to guess why it was out in the fog.
"What''s its game?" Alex whispered, walking forward into the fog. "Erin, get in the middle, be ready to respond. Sayed, keep an eye out behind. Let''s keep going."
Shuffle. Scratch.
Several times as they walked down the road, something moved in the fog around them. Every time, it didn''t rush into sight or attack them. It merely remained on the periphery, never coming through the mist and into plain sight.
"I would say it was playing with us, but I don''t get it," Alex said as they approached a set of brighter lights in the distance.
They peeled back the fog as they walked into the radius of their light. Sound seemed to burst out from the fog as it was dispersed by that light. A low horn played from a man in the street, his body dressed in a festive garb of many colors inlaid and stitched together with a feathered cap on his head.
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Several people stood around him on the corner, clapping their hands together as he played. A child ran through the night between the lights, laughing a chilling laugh as he disappeared into the shadows.
It was like they had walked into an oasis in the night.
"What the hell?" Alex whispered as Erin stopped next to him, looking over his shoulder.
"What in sha-om?" Erin repeated the feeling as she looked over the people.
"In the name of God, what is this?" Sayed said the same, much louder.
Everyone in the crowd was dressed in similar bright colors, stitched in patterns across their shirts and pants. Women wore dresses of similar style, stitched with bright colors in patches across their clothes. However, that wasn''t what was unusual. Everyone in the crowd wore a white porcelain mask that hid their entire face, with a forced grin on each, both in the mouth and the eyes.
"Every one of them," Alex said, looking between each crowd member.
"I don''t like this at all," Erin whispered. "Look at their skin."
She had noticed that each person''s skin was dry and cracked around the mask. Wrinkles ran down their necks and beneath their clothes. She had never seen anything like it, even in her days back in the Coven on Erys.
"We''ll come back for it," Alex said, nodding toward the water at the edge of the crowd. "Looks like we found the boardwalk. The docks can''t be that far off."
Erin pulled her hood tight over her head as they walked together into the crowd. She could feel the smiling eyes of the masks watching her as the people of Cragg Hollow went about their activities. None of them said a word as the trio skirted past them. They merely continued to clap to the sound of the horn as the masked blower played his tune.
"This cursed fog," Sayed said as they made their way down the boardwalk. "How do these people see at night?"
"They don''t seem to go out into the outskirts," Alex said, tapping his chin as he walked in front of them. "And whatever that thing was in the fog, it hasn''t come out since we got close to the water."
"Mysterious," Sayed said in his deep, booming voice. "A great beginning to a mysterious tale."
"Look over there," Erin said, pointing down the boardwalk.
Several ships sat in the docks ahead of them. Most were just regular ships, used in local fishing to provide the city with food, Erin had no doubt. However, there was one ship that didn''t match the rest.
Instead of a wooden construction, it was grey and made from metal. Instead of massive light sails across its length, there were smaller ones that stuck out from its back to gather the light. Six massive lodestones ran the length of the ship, three to each side, but they didn''t seem to be active because the ship merely floated in the water of the dock.
Beside it was a wrecked ship, held to the docks by several ropes as men in red and black uniforms worked it over. Erin didn''t need to look twice to know who they were. Military Police. She resisted the urge to duck down a nearby alley to avoid being seen.
"That''s it then," Alex said, nodding to the ship. "You think that ship was the one carrying the logbook?"
"It was attacked." Sayed squinted. "You can see a hole with burn marks around it on its hole."
"No one just attacks Empyrean vessels," Erin said, shaking her head. "The retaliation makes it suicide."
"You said that logbook was valuable, though," Alex said, looking back at her. "Maybe valuable enough to risk that."
Erin didn''t like this entire situation. She was out, essentially on her own, and the thing she had been sent to take back could be less than fifty meters away from her. The only thing stopping her from getting it was the Military Police, who manned the larger ship. She needed a plan. She needed leverage, and she knew she didn''t have a lot of time.
"We don''t know they have the logbook," she said.
"But we can assume they do." Alex raised a finger. "It''s a gamble. The question is what we can do to up our odds."
"Can we simply rush the guard there now, search the hold, and take the logbook if it is there?" Sayed asked.
"Outposts will have a captain and a lieutenant, at least." Erin shook her head. "They also have all the men needed to operate that ship, so a small regiment. You two are strong, but I don''t think you''re that strong."
"Hey, the three of us are strong." Alex laughed. "But you might be right. I''ve never faced off with a captain or lieutenant before."
Erin didn''t outwardly disagree, but she wasn''t one for combat. She didn''t know how well she would do if it weren''t a simple in-and-out mission. Her abilities just never felt good for offense.
"So, what do we do?" she asked, looking at Alex. "You''re the one that always has a plan."
"Two thoughts," Alex said. "I don''t think we''re in danger of them moving anything anytime soon. That ship is powered down, and I don''t see any way they could get that book out of here fast if it is here. I think we can assume it will be here for a while."
He paused, and he looked back the way they had come.
"Second thought, I don''t like whatever is up with this town. Those masks are something we should look into. It might be a curse, or it might be something else. It might even have to do with why the Military Police are here."
"So, what''s the plan?" Erin asked again.
"We split up," Alex said. "Sayed keeps watch on the ship because he sticks out. No offense, buddy."
"None taken, brother." Sayed laughed. "But I must say that doesn''t sound like an act worthy of a grand tale."
"I think that part will come later." Alex shook his head with a smile. "Don''t count out a fight yet. While you watch the ship, keep an eye out for anyone who looks different or is acting strange. While you''re doing that, we''ll check out the townspeople and ask some questions. We might even be able to ask the guards a few questions if we can find them in a tavern in town. Catch them off guard."
"I have one request if I am to do this," Sayed said, a frown curving his beard as he looked down at Alex. "I request that you bring me some food from the tavern for the night. Even now, I feel it has been too long since we have eaten."
"Before the end of the night," Alex promised, crossing his heart with a finger.
"We''ll meet back here then?" Erin asked as she looked back in the fog.
"Yeah." Alex nodded. "Don''t take any risks you don''t need to. We''ll meet back here in a few hours to compare notes. Then we can figure out what we want to do."
All in all, Erin thought it was a solid enough plan. There were sure to be holes in it, but there were limits to what they could do if they didn''t want to cause havoc near the ships. She nodded and turned to walk back toward the crowd of people they left behind, and she could hear Alex following after her after he said goodbye to Sayed.
They had limited time and a lot of work to do, but Erin was ready to get started.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 49 | Shenanigans
Sayed stepped away from Alex and Erin and began to look for a vantage point. He wanted a place well in sight of the docks and the ship, but he also wanted a place where he could not easily be spotted in return. As in any battle, he knew his answer quickly enough.
"Height is always the greater advantage."
He looked up at the nearest building to him. It looked like a warehouse of sorts, with a long tiled roof that slanted with one side facing the docks and the other away. He could easily keep his watch by lying on the far side without being spotted.
"An easy feat for one such as me." Sayed laughed before he vaulted onto some nearby barrels and vaulted again to reach the top.
He lay down atop the roof and looked over the docks. Besides the metal ships in the harbor and the flurry of activity around the sunken one, the rest of the area was quiet. The other ships in the bay, regular ships from what he could tell, lay moored in their places, sinking and raising with each small wave in the water.
Sayed was not a man who liked to be bored, so the rest of his time on watch passed by with excruciating slowness. In time, he came to realize that he wanted anything but to be on watch and would much rather rush down and try and take the ship, even if he died in the attempt.
"But your brother asked that you do this important duty," he told himself as the men below thinned out and finished their work on the damaged ship. "You must keep your attention focused on what is happening, lest something slip through."
Scritch. Scratch. Pitter. Patter.
Sayed looked up from his watch to find the sudden source of the noise near the roof, and he saw the cause almost immediately. Across from him, approaching from the other side of the roof, was a shadowy four-legged creature that looked almost like a dog. Glowing yellow eyes looked up at him as he rose to one knee to face it, and it began wagging its tail.
"The creature from the fog," Sayed whispered.
Now, he could stay on watch, as Alex had requested. That would be the right thing to do to honor his brother''s request. However, in every story, there was always a distraction that could prove advantageous, even if the original goal was lost. The creature was important, and Sayed would do anything not to be bored.
"What say you, beast?" he asked the dog-like creature. "Are you here to fight ''Sword Saint'' Sayed, or are you here for some other cause? Speak what you want with word or action."
The beast sat on his haunches and tilted its head at Sayed again. Its tail wagged behind it before it gave a bark and ran along the rooftops. Sayed had not one moment of doubt. He ran after it and into the night.
Erin and Alex split up when they reached the crowd. Erin pointed toward a sign for the local tavern and gave Alex a nod before disappearing inside. Alex couldn''t blame her. After their experiences outside tonight, even he wasn''t sure about going out into the fog. He wasn''t worried about fighting but didn''t like whatever the creature had been in the fog.
However, he didn''t have to worry about that for the moment.
He hung around the partying folks for a little while, observing them and how they acted first and foremost. Their masks still set his teeth on edge, but otherwise, they seemed to be normal people. If he had to describe it quickly, he would say that it wasn''t that different from going to an Oktoberfest celebration. Lots of plaid, lots of people out having fun in silly clothes. Except for the masks.
It was while he was doing that he noticed the problem.
There was another person in the crowd without a mask, a boy who stood in the alley behind the man playing the trumpet. The boy was dirty and dressed in rags. He was also staring directly at Alex.
"That''s as good a start as any," Alex whispered to himself as he started walking around the crowd.
The boy immediately ran off and down the alley.
Alex bit back a curse and picked up his pace. He didn''t ''step'' ahead, as he didn''t want to draw attention to himself, and he was sure he could keep up with a kid. As he entered the alley, he broke out into a full run, and he could see the kid running ahead, down the narrow space between the stone buildings, and toward a turn.
"Hey, kid!" He didn''t quite yell, but he raised his voice. "I don''t want to hurt you. I just want to ask you some questions."
The kid didn''t stop.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Well, what did you expect?" Alex pushed his legs harder as he ran after the kid.
The kid jumped around the corner, and Alex sped up after him. By the time he hit the corner, the kid was already approaching the end of the alley and a second corner. Well, he had tried. It was time for a less subtle approach.
"Step."
Like a thousand footsteps compressed into a fraction of a second, he disappeared, jumping up as he did so and reappearing right in front of the kid as he landed on the ground. Alex turned and reached out, grabbing hold of the kid by his rags and holding on tight.
"Now," Alex said as he looked down at the boy. "I''m not going to hurt you, but I want you to stand still and answer some questions."
He had about a fraction of a second to notice the massive clawed arm that shot out of the alley and toward his face. Alex ducked instinctively. He pushed the kid behind him as he came up with his now free hand in a punch.
"Might."
Crack. Boom. Sploosh.
He punched hard into a muscled torso and felt the impact of his punch radiate out from his fist and into the creature, whatever it was. Black liquid spattered out from his punch, scattering like a popped water balloon through the alley.
Alex had a second to look up before the creature fell apart. It looked like a classic conception of a werewolf from horror movies but made from an inky substance. Yellow eyes stared down at him as the creature deformed, its muscular body reduced to black goo on the ground.
"The hell was that?" he whispered as he looked back for the kid.
The kid had backed away across the ground and now rested with his back against the wall in the corner. He looked up at Alex with wide eyes as Alex turned to him, and he might have been on the verge of screaming for help.
"Stay away!" he yelled, looking up at Alex. "I don''t want to hurt you!"
Alex raised an eyebrow as a black, inky substance fell out from the kid''s hands in droplets and pooled onto the ground. A wolf-like form rose from that substance, standing protectively around the kid as it looked at him with those same yellow eyes.
"Well, imagine that," Alex whispered as he looked down at the kid. "You''re cursed."
Erin walked into the tavern and saw much the same as she had seen outside. Several people wearing those porcelain masks sat around tables, mugs in hand or on their table as they spoke closely with each other. Again, it felt like they were all looking at her as she walked in, and she made sure she had her hood pulled up over her head as she entered.
She first approached the barkeep, who stood at his post with the same mask as everyone else. He polished a mug with a towel as he looked down at her, and again, Erin felt like eyes were staring into her back.
"One mug of your preference," she said.
"A silver doler." The man nodded as he turned behind him and filled up a mug from one of his barrels.
Erin pulled a gold doler from her pocket and set it on the bar. When the barkeep turned back to her and saw it, she couldn''t see his expression, but he reached out and took it nonetheless before depositing the mug on the bar.
"You want something more, I take it," he said softly.
"I just want to know more about this town," she said. "I''ve been to a lot of places, and I''ve never seen anything like this."
"Far too true." The man snorted as he picked up another mug and began to polish it. "You won''t find many places out there like Cragg Hollow. However, I understand that most islands have their own oddities."
"Does everyone here have one of those?" Erin whispered.
"The mask?" The barkeep tapped his chin. "They keep the monsters away. If you''ve been out in the fog, you''ve probably seen or heard them. If they catch you without a mask, they''ll attack you."
Erin raised her eyebrow at that. She doubted that a mask would keep anything from attacking anyone. She looked over all the people in the room, and again, a tickle of fear ran up her spine and shook her shoulders.
"Yet, they wear them inside," Erin said. "Why?"
Clatter. Smash.
The barkeep froze in his movements. Behind Erin, a glass mug crashed to the ground. She turned to look and saw a person, still wearing a mask, rubbing their head as they picked the mug up.
"Sorry," the man said, nodding toward the barkeep. "I''ll clean it up."
"For sure," the barkeep said and resumed cleaning the mug in his hands. "Sorry about that."
"It''s alright," Erin said, reaching down to pick up her mug. "What''s it like being an outpost?"
She was choosing to ignore her previous question. The barkeep had frozen up before the sound, and her instincts told her not to push there. Instead, she would go for a distraction and hope for the best.
"Keeps the trouble away," the barkeep said. "Especially useful for us because we have Dr. Livesay. He''s saved the town so many times from the various sicknesses and ailments of the young and old. Without the base here, we''d lose a lot of people."
Erin nodded and took a sip of the drink. The alcohol stung on her tongue and burned as it went down, but she wasn''t going to drink much of it, just enough to keep the barkeep off guard.
"They seemed to have some trouble tonight," she said. "There''s a crashed ship out in the bay."
"It was more of a surprise because of the fog." The barkeep laughed. "Took everyone as a surprise because no one could see it coming. Also emptied the tavern of any of the normal guards. Tonight was a slow night because of that."
"The guards come here a lot then?"
"On a normal night, they''d be out here off their ship, yelling and partying. Dr. Livesay would be here with them, too. He''s always been the best patron of the bar for as long as the bar has been here."
Erin''s hand tilted, and some of her beer spilled to the floor. She quickly corrected her grip and did her best to focus on the barkeep. He seemed to be moving in her vision, swaying from side to side.
"Not much of a drinker, eh?" The barkeep laughed as Erin reached out her hand to steady herself on the bar.
Something was horribly wrong. She felt it as surely as a rock being dropped in her gut. She set the mug on the bar but only ended up spilling it. The floor rushed up to her, and she hit the hard wooden floor. The cool surface rested against her face as the room stopped spinning.
"Don''t worry, Felix, keep manning the bar." A voice rattled through Erin as she closed her eyes. "She was asking a lot of questions, and I want to see what she knows before I hand her over to the doctor."
"Take your time," the barkeep said as Erin tried desperately to force her eyes open. "The business at the dock will keep the doctor busy for a while."
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 50 | Logbook
"This book changes everything," Captain Hawkins repeated as he looked down at the metal book in his hands.
This small outpost had been his prison for far too long. It had been three years since he had been stationed here, three years of nothing but minor outlaw attacks and escorts. Here, in this book, was his chance to turn that all around. He might even rise in rank. Major Hawkins. Colonel Hawkins. They both had a nice ring to them.
"Doc, Lieutenant, come with me." He nodded to Doctor Livesay and began to walk back to his cabin. "The rest of you get back to work!"
"Sir." Private Landson saluted before walking away.
Captain Hawkins led his two most trusted subordinates back to his cabin, dropping down in his chair with a huff and waiting for them to settle in. Doctor Livesay took a seat across from his desk while Lieutenant Tanis took a position leaning by the door, his hand on the hilt of his rapier.
Thump.
"This book," Captain Hawkins said, laying the metal book on the table. "This book is going to change everything for us."
"Yes, but what is it?" Doctor Livesay''s fingers clattered together in front of his face, his palms touching.
"This book is a logbook of Roald''s expedition," Captain Hawkins said.
"Who''s that?" Lieutenant Tanis asked from where he rested on the wall, unmoved by the name.
"About thirty years ago, he went out to find the limits of the nightsea. He wanted to know if what we had was all we would ever see. He wasn''t the first to try but the first to succeed. He came back and tried to spread what he had found, but the Military Police got to him before it got too far."
"That''s not the story I remember hearing." Doctor Livesay shook his head. "I recall him being called a liar in the World Daily Press."
"The Military Police suppressed the information." Captain Hawkins put one finger on the cover, tapping it lightly. "He was given the choice to either die or live in obscurity. He chose his life."
"So, he actually made it," Tanis raised an eyebrow.
"He did," Captain Hawkins nodded. "And this book is a record of it if the title is right."
"Delicious." Doctor Livesay shuddered. "Forbidden knowledge."
"The New World." Captain Hawkins chuckled. "It has secrets about the New World inside."
"And how does that help us?" Lieutenant Tanis was like an unmoving statue.
"It''s information that our superiors want to keep suppressed," Captain Hawkins said. "They''ll give out ranks just for finding it and getting it to them. We''ll finally get out of here."
"Rank is worthless, but knowledge is power," Doctor Livesay said. "Let me see the book; I want to look at its pages."
Captain Hawkins never understood the doctor. He was well-liked by the townsfolk and the smartest man the captain had ever met, but the fact that he didn''t mind being stuck in Cragg Hollow told Hawkins all he needed to know. The man cared nothing of rank. However, even he was curious. There was no harm in the three of them knowing the secret.
"Here." He slid the book across the desk to the doctor.
"Such a strange device of a book," Doctor Livesay said as he picked the book up and examined it from all sides. "I suppose you just press this button to open it."
He did so.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Unauthorized user. Access denied.
The doctor yelped and tossed the book up and down in his hands before dropping it to the ground. He practically stood up on the back of his chair for a moment, a feat that Captain Hawkins would never have expected possible by the old man, before slowly climbing back down.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The book beeped three more times before it turned off. Doctor Livesay slowly reached down and picked it up before depositing it back on the desk and looking at it through his perpetually foggy glasses.
"I''ve never seen anything like it," he said. "Captain, would it be alright if I took this to my lab to examine it? I do not wish to break it or anything. I merely might be able to find a way to open it with the right tools at my disposal."
Captain Hawkins grunted and looked up to Lieutenant Tanis. The lieutenant looked back at him with his dark eyes, and they shared a knowing, silent thought. They had known each other for years, so they could communicate like that easily.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Lieutenant Tanis will accompany you," Captain Hawkins said. "To keep the logbook safe. We don''t know who might be after it, and someone must have attacked the ship. Better we be safe than sorry."
It was a lie, at least in part. Yes, the ship had been attacked, and yes, the logbook was valuable. Doctor Livesay was also someone that Captain Hawkins couldn''t completely trust. Men that didn''t want rank or power weren''t people he could predict. They were wild cards that might do something crazy if given the opportunity. Doctor Livesay was one of those men, and Lieutenant Tanis would make sure that nothing unpredictable happened while he was in possession of the logbook.
"See what you can find out, but don''t go overboard, Doc," Captain Hawkins said. "Our superiors need that book in one piece if we''re going to get our promotions. If it''s broken, we can''t prove it was more than a hunk of metal."
"Yes, yes," Doctor Livesay said as he carefully picked the book back up again this time and stood. "I will endeavor not to break anything. I am a man of science, after all. The secrets of this book are just as important as how the book itself works. Come on, Lieutenant."
"Captain." Tanis tipped his hat before he followed the doctor out of the room.
That left Hawkins alone. He needed to send out a communication to Rockford, and to do that, he needed to send out some orders. He knew that some of the units in the Military Police had faster ways to communicate, but he was just the captain of a small outpost. Unfortunately, that meant he was at the end of the line for any upgrades for his ship or his outpost. He settled into his desk and picked up his pen to write his orders.
Erick walked away from the docks. The other guards were finishing their work on the ship, and they no longer needed his help. He wasn''t in the right state of mind to begin with. Anger was like a hot iron in his gut, and he needed to cool it off.
He pointed himself down the docks and towards the tavern. What he really needed was a drink. That would cool off his head.
"Your anger will be the death of you," Agnes whispered in his ear. "You''ll get gut rot from all the drinking."
He waved his thoughts away as he walked through the fog banks and into the light of the area around the tavern. Several of the townsfolk were out, all in their festive white masks. A man played a song on his horn as the rest of the people in the square danced. Erick ignored it and instead made his way immediately into the tavern.
Cragg Cove had been open longer than even the doctor had been stationed at the outpost. The bartender, Felix, was friendly with the guards and always made sure their cups were full and everyone was happy.
Which was why, when he walked in, the atmosphere seemed entirely off.
A townsperson was hauling off a woman by her shoulders, dragging her feet across the floor with every step. Erick held the door open out of habit as he took the woman outside. Part of him questioned it, but Felix just stood at the bar, cleaning it from an apparent spill. Something had clearly happened, and he shouldn''t panic without context.
"Ah, Erick. Come over for a drink." Felix waved from his work before returning to it. "That young lady couldn''t hold her liquor, so I had my friend take her home. Not before she made a mess of my counter."
"Oh, that makes sense," Erick said as he approached the bar and found a seat on a stool far away from the mess. "I''ll have one of the usual then."
"A fine ale," the barkeep said, a smile in his voice and across his mask as he picked up a mug and filled it from one of his barrels. "What brings you in? Is the recovery at the docks done?"
"As done as it will be," Erick said as he looked down in his drink. "There weren''t any survivors in this ship. Didn''t seem like a big crew to begin with. All we did was recover the bodies and the cargo really."
"Oh, secrets to share then?" Felix asked as he polished his glass.
"Just a book," Erick said. "That''s all. The Captain seemed interested in it, but he''ll probably have Doc examine it."
"The good doctor has a good head on his shoulders." Felix chuckled to himself as he placed one glass down beneath the bar and picked up another. "He''ll figure it out if anyone can. He''s always been a blessing to this community."
"I guess," Erick said before taking a sip of his drink. "Any problems recently? I''ve been itching for some action, but all I ever get are those wolves in the fog sometimes."
"That''s why you should wear a mask," Felix said, clicking his tongue. "Once you do, those pesky wolves will leave you alone."
"Sorry, but that just sounds like a superstition to me," Erick said. "How do those masks even keep anything away?"
Thump.
"Monsters hate happiness more than anything," Felix said, setting down his mug on the bar. "By wearing our masks, we trick them into thinking we are always happy. Monsters thrive where there is sadness and fear in the world, and our people have no fear or sadness so long as we wear these masks."
That sounded like a load of crap in Erick''s mind, but he kept it to himself. Part of his training in the Military Police was to respect local cultures to a degree, especially outside of the Twelve Kingdoms. While they could just enforce their will out in the Fringes, it would cost resources and manpower to do so. It was much better to let those few fringe islands with outposts run under their own rule with Military Police protection.
At least, that''s what his drill instructor had told him again and again.
"I might go out on a patrol then," Erick said, sliding his unfinished drink forward with a silver doler. "A good walk in the night will clear my head, and I''m not due to sleep until morning."
"You never seem to finish your drinks," Felix said as he took the drink himself and chugged it down.
Droplets of ale ran down his mask as he drank, but he got more in him than he wasted. Erick shook his head. He would never do something like that. It seemed so unclean.
"I suppose wasting a drink is blasphemy to a barkeep," Erick said. "Sorry to do that to you, Felix, but I want to think more so than I want not to tonight."
Clink. Thump.
"A fair desire." Felix burped as he sat down the mug. "I''ll hold you to finish some of my ale someday. I think you''ll find that it won''t erase your problems but make them easier to deal with all the while."
Erick left the bar and its patrons behind and walked out into the cold night. His spear was gone, but he honestly didn''t need it on patrol. He had dropped it in the rush to get back to the docks and would find it again while walking. Either that or a townsperson might return it to the Little February tomorrow.
He made his way past the hornblower, who seemed to be packing up for the night. The crowd outside had cleared out, and only a few people were dancing now in the street. Erick nodded at them as he walked past them, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked into the nearest fog bank and out into the night.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 51 | Klaus
Alex towered over the kid, pondering what to do as the inky and shadowy wolf stood over the boy in a defensive stance. Honestly, he wasn''t sure what he was going to do because he hadn''t expected any of this. Alex stood and thought for a moment. What should he do?
He squatted down, making his frame appear smaller to the kid, and stretched out his hands. He was fairly sure he could handle the wolf if need be, but he just wanted to talk. He did his best to smile, but how the kid looked up at him made him doubt he was succeeding.
"Hey," Alex said as he looked down at the kid. "I''m not here to hurt you. I just want to ask some questions. I saw you staring back there, and I think you know something."
The kid backed away further up the wall with a soft cry, and the wolf advanced closer.
"I really, really don''t want to do this." Alex sighed, holding up his hands but not backing away. "This town is giving me the creeps, and you''re one of the few people I''ve seen without a mask. I just want to know what''s going on here."
"No mask," the boy whispered as if he was seeing Alex for the first time. "Never put on the mask."
"Why''s that?"
The wolf was edging closer, but Alex didn''t move. He reflexively tightened his hands into fists, but he knew if he broke the wolf, the kid definitely wouldn''t talk. Things like torture or harming people were always more effective in movies than in reality, not that he had seen a movie in half a decade. Honey worked better than blood.
"Hey, shadow-thing." Alex looked at the wolf and cracked his fingers across his neck. "I''m not going to harm the kid, but you need to back off. I can''t hold a conversation while you''re threatening me."
"Don''t hurt him!" The kid jumped forward, wrapping his hands around the wolf''s neck. "He''s my brother!"
Alex raised an eyebrow at that. To his eyes, it was a curse of some kind. He may not know the actual ability or precisely what it did, but anything strange, like a goo-formed wolf, would be a curse. Like the spaghetti guy from Landry''s manor, curses came in all shapes and forms. However, there was no way that this wolf creature was actually the kid''s brother.
"We need to slow this down," Alex said, holding up his hands in defeat. "Look. I''m Alex. I came with my friends to this town to investigate something. When we got here, we got thrown into this mess. I just want to know what is going on here."
The kid looked up at Alex from where he had hugged the wolf. The kid held tight to that inky and shadowy substance, and Alex had to wonder what he was thinking. Was he debating whether he could trust the strange man who had chased him down the alley? In the kid''s shoes, Alex wouldn''t.
"The masks change people," the kid whispered. "The masks eat away at them. They change them from the inside."
"What do you mean?" Alex moved from his squatting position to sit down on the cobblestones.
"Back when my...my parents first took us here," the kid whimpered into the wolf''s side. "They didn''t have masks, but the townspeople came one night and forced one on them. My brother hid me beneath the bed. He told me to stay quiet."
Alex clenched his jaw tight. He thought back to all those people in the square, playing music and dancing. They had come down on a family and forced them to wear the same masks. This town had something wrong, and he needed to know what.
"They didn''t find you?" Alex asked, keeping his voice to a whisper.
The kid shook his head and buried it into the wolf. Alex wanted to press the kid on that, but he had to be careful. He was about to lose the kid, and he didn''t know if he would step on an emotional landmine with his questions. He wasn''t a psychologist or anything.
"They fought the people with masks, and the people with masks didn''t like it." The kid coughed. "They didn''t stop."
Alex was getting a better picture. The kid''s family had fought back, so the townspeople had given up on putting the masks on them. He didn''t know precisely what the masks did, but it was like he had walked into a horror movie.
"They better not start chanting ''For the greater good,''" Alex whispered.
Clickety-clack.
Alex spun to look down the alley. A figure stood at the end of it, staring directly at him and the kid. Alex could see the mask on the figure''s face in the light of a nearby lamp. The porcelain mask was smiling widely before the figure ducked out of sight and ran away.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Kid," Alex said, reaching out past the wolf and grabbing onto the kid''s arm. "We''re getting out of here. We''ll figure out everything else later."
The wolf lunged for him, and sharp teeth bit down into Alex''s arm. Alex grunted but stood up, tossing the kid into his arms as the kid struggled against him. The wolf continued to bite him as he took a running jump onto a nearby crate and a second leap onto a rooftop. From the alley below, he could hear the sounds of people yelling and the alarm being raised.
"Alright, kid, wolf. I''m going to run." Alex warned them as he sprinted across the slanted rooftops.
He was fast, both in terms of normal human speed and in terms of his technique. He didn''t need to use his Path of Step to outrun a normal person, even when the increased ability of the people on the nightsea was considered. Given the distance between him and the ground, he didn''t need to use ''step'' to get ahead.
He focused his path away from the docks and out into the greater town. Fog clouds clung around him, limiting his vision, but his open gate mitigated that disadvantage.
He dropped down at the end of the rooftops, following along the rising hills toward the edge of the cove. He saw a hill that jutted out in the fog ahead of him, and Alex set that as his goal. The kid stopped struggling in his arms, but the wolf wouldn''t let go of its grip.
Alex jumped down from the rooftops and into the fog again as he approached the hilltop. He made his way up to the top and out of the fog cloud before he set the kid down. The wolf still bit into his arm, and Alex held it out and looked at it. As near as he could tell, it was a construct made of the black goo the boy could generate. However, it also seemed outside the kid''s control, which was unusual.
"Brother," the kid whispered up to the wolf. "You can let him go now."
The wolf opened its yellow eyes and looked around. Finally, it dropped down to the ground and returned to its owner, running circles around him before standing protectively at his side again. Alex shook his head as he took a seat on the grass.
"Alright, kid," Alex said, holding his hands open and wide. "We should be safe from those masked guys. Let''s get it all settled right now."
The kid looked between Alex and the bite marks on his arm. While they had been bleeding during the trip while the wolf hung on and itched something fierce, they were already scabbing over and healing. In a little while, the bite marks would be gone entirely.
"It''s fine, kid," Alex said, waving off the look. "Start with your name. I''m getting tired of calling you kid."
"Klaus," the boy stuttered as he wrapped his arms around the wolf. "My name is Klaus."
"Alright, Klaus." Alex cracked a smile. "Your family was killed by those people with masks; that much is easy."
He stopped and rethought his words before he made a kid cry.
"That part I understand." He raised up a finger. "The second thing I want to know is what your curse is."
"My curse?" the kid asked.
"The wolf," Alex said. "More accurately, the goo that goes with the wolf. What is that?"
"I don''t know." Klaus sniffled, wrapping his arms around the wolf''s neck. "I''ve had him since the people came with the masks. My brother said he would protect me, so he''s my brother protecting me."
"Huh?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Does it feel like there''s an open gate inside of you? Something that''s causing power to flow through your body?"
Klaus shook his head.
"Weird," Alex said, looking down at the wolf.
Maybe it wasn''t a curse. Maybe it was something new and different in the nightsea. Alex had no clue. He shook his head to clear out those thoughts. Exploring the mysteries of Erth could take a backseat until he figured out everything else.
"Okay, what about those masks? Do you know anything about how people get those?"
The kid began to shake, and Alex immediately regretted asking the question. Again, he was just too blunt to deal with people in emotional distress. This time, however, the wolf came to his rescue, curling around the boy and nuzzling into him.
Eventually, the crying stopped, and Klaus looked up through tear-filled eyes. "The doctor. The doctor is the one who puts masks on people. When the mask is on them, they change."
Alex took in a deep breath. Now, he was getting somewhere.
"Do you know where people get the mask put on them?" Alex asked.
"There''s a place down by the docks," Klaus said as he looked back toward the town. "The doctor works there. When people are taken in, they come out with the masks."
Alex looked down at the town below the hill. If he squinted, he could make out the glowing area of lights around the docks. Already, the light was dimming. Maybe the call to alarm had driven people away from their festivities. Maybe they were going to bed.
Alex grimaced. His answers now would either be down by the docks or in capturing a masked townsperson to find out what they knew. He looked back at Klaus. There was no way he would carry the kid with him, of that much he was sure.
"Do you have a safe place to stay?" Alex asked. "I assume you have something if you''ve been out on the streets as long as it looks like, but will you be okay while we figure this out?"
Again, he had to kick himself a little for how he phased it. He wasn''t the best at dealing with people, let alone kids. However, to his credit, Klaus didn''t cry or blanch at the words.
The kid looked up to him with very dark eyes. Klaus looked like he had spent a lifetime out in the streets, running from masked people every day and night. Had he had a single night of peace since his parents and brother were taken from him?
"I do," he said. "My brother keeps me safe."
"Okay," Alex said. "Then go there and hide. My friends and I will see about this doctor. He might have the answers we need anyway."
Klaus nodded to him and began to walk away, back down into the fog with his wolf following behind him. He turned and waved before he was out of sight in the mist. Alex waved back before Klaus disappeared in the fog.
"I''ve got a bad feeling about this," he said to himself as he looked down over the town once again.
Everything about Cragg Hollow had rubbed him the wrong way the second he came to town. The job he had taken rubbed him the wrong way as well. The secrets he knew Erin was hiding rubbed him the wrong way. Now, he stood on a hill, fussing over what to do about everything that rubbed him the wrong way. With a nod, he started down the hill and toward the rooftops.
It was about time he started rubbing his problems the wrong way.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 52 | Night Skirmish
Sayed jumped from rooftop to rooftop as he chased after the wolf. It was a fast creature. Whenever he thought he had caught up to it, it jumped ahead of him again. Sayed leaped another time onto another slanted rooftop as the wolf waited for him with a wagging tail.
"You are very fast, my friend," he said after he landed, putting his hands on his hips and laughing. "You are giving me a great exercise."
Ruff.
The sound didn''t come from the creature''s mouth but echoed over the rooftops nonetheless. Sayed grinned broadly. The merry chase had been a good distraction, and the wolf had not led him far from his vantage point. If he looked back, he could still see the sails of the slipship behind him.
"But I am afraid our chase must end," Sayed said, his face turning into a frown. "I cannot leave too far from that ship. It is my mission, given to me by a brother, to keep watch over the goings on."
The wolf tilted its head, looking up at Sayed with yellow eyes as it sat there. Sayed shook his head and turned to look out over the bay. He spoke to the beast, but the stories where they talked back were fables, just like the stories of giants back on his world of Hajh.
"Farewell, strange beast." Sayed flexed his leg muscles, squatting as he prepared to leap away.
As he was about to do so, he looked down. Two men, unmasked, unlike the rest of the populace, walked down the streets. One of them was an old man carrying a metal box in his arms as he hobbled down the street on his cane in his white coat. The other was a man in a tight duelist''s uniform, his hand on the hilt of his sword even as he walked. As he walked, the man tilted up his fancy feathered cap, looking right up at Sayed.
"We might have some trouble, Doc," the man said as he examined Sayed and the wolf.
"Alas, I have been spotted." Sayed looked at the wolf. "Perhaps a talk would be better than a fight."
"Who are you?" The swordsman walked forward, his hand still on the basket hilt of his sword.
"I am Sayed," Sayed said without hesitation. "I am known in this world as ''Sword Saint'' Sayed."
Shing.
The swordsman immediately drew his sword. He pointed the double-edged blade at Sayed while taking a long stance. He held the sword in his left hand and locked eyes with Sayed. Sayed felt a smile stretch across his face as he reached for his sword.
"I do not take a fight lightly, but let it not be said I do not enjoy a clash of blades," Sayed said as he put his gauntlet on his left hand and fastened the straps.
When he was finished, he pulled his sword off his back with his right hand, holding his khopesh by his side as he looked down on the two men. In contrast to the swordsman below, Sayed''s own blade was closer to an axe than a sword. From the hilt, it started as a straight edge before it curved outward along the sharp end of the blade, ending in a sharp tip at the very end. Along the back, the dull edge was hooked before following the curved edge back down to the straight portion of the sword.
"What do you want?" the swordsman asked. "Why would an outlaw be running around an Empyrean outpost?"
"I am glad my name precedes me." Sayed''s smile showed his teeth. "However, I want nothing more than to fulfill my assigned mission. If you put away your blade now, swordsman, I will put away mine, and we will go our separate ways."
"Doc." The swordsman nodded at the older man. "You get a move on. I''ll handle this guy and catch up to you at the lab."
"Certainly." The old man shuffled forward, and Sayed watched him go.
The wolf darted off behind him, following the man down the rooftop. Sayed had no idea why, but it didn''t matter much to him. Right now, he needed to defeat the swordsman and make his way back to his watch.
"So, how shall we start this tale?" Sayed asked. "Perhaps you will do me the honor of telling me your name, swordsman."
"Tanis is enough," the swordsman said, lining up the tip of his blade with Sayed''s chest. "Consider it a flower on your grave once I kill you."
"Ho." Sayed chuckled as he took on a stance, holding his khopesh high above his head with one hand as he held out his gauntlet before him.
He left his gate closed for the moment. He did not yet know if the man below had a blessing of his own to fuel his combat. If he were a normal man, it wouldn''t be fair to fight with such an advantage. If nothing else, Sayed wanted his tale to be a grand one, not one in which he might be seen as a cheat for being favored by God.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Step."
Sayed knew that phrase. His brother, Alex, used that technique repeatedly to move quickly over a short distance. Sayed reacted on instinct, clenching his gauntlet into a large fist. Tanis'' blade appeared a moment later, thrusting forward at Sayed''s heart.
Ting. Sksh.
Sayed forced the blade up and away from its target with his gauntlet. Across his shoulder and through the sleeve of his cloth shirt, the sword cut through the skin on his arm. A stinging pain ran across the cut, making Sayed smile.
"Very good," Sayed said, knocking the blade away with his gauntlet as he swung his sword toward the man''s abdomen.
"Step."
The man disappeared instantly before reappearing at the rooftop''s edge, far away from Sayed. He retook a stance as Sayed did the same. This time, Sayed extended out his blade to the tip of his gauntlet, holding his body back in a relaxed stance while he pointed the tip of his sword in a horizontal line right at Tanis.
"Demon''s Thrust," Sayed said and disappeared.
Ting. Sksh. Crack.
The swordsman parried Sayed''s thrust with the flat of his blade, and sparks flew out to light the night sky as he held back Sayed''s strength. Tanis had to put two hands into the blow, one pushing against the flat of the blade while the other held the hilt and Sayed noticed. He brought up his gauntlet in a hard punch and caught the swordsman in his side as a follow-up.
"Oof." Tanis grunted as his body twisted to the side to try and avoid the blow.
He fell back a few steps down the other side of the roof, and once again, Sayed held the high ground.
"Quite the fighter, aren''t you?" Tanis rubbed his side with his free hand.
"I could say the same for you." Sayed laughed, holding his sword by his side. "It is rare that I am able to fight another swordsman. Normally, in this world, I fight monsters and people with guns and spears, but rarely swords."
"And do you find that fun?" the man asked, taking another stance and facing Sayed.
"I think this fight will make a grand tale," Sayed said, holding his khopesh high above his head. "That is all that matters in the end."
"Far be it from me to ruin that," Tanis said as he glanced down the side of the roof. "But I am not as interested as you are."
His muscles tensed in his stance as he returned his glance to Sayed. Sayed held his gauntlet forward, knowing the man favored his thrusts with his thin sword. He would not be knicked a second time by that blade.
"Line Thrust."
The man didn''t move. Instead, his blade cut forward into the air, and the air itself shot forward with it. Sayed flinched as the wall of force and wind hit him, and he found himself off his feet and in the air from the strike. He flew out over the street below and into the water.
Sploosh.
The water rushed up at him, and cold wrapped around him as he fell into darkness. Sayed momentarily went limp in the water as he oriented himself to his surroundings. He held his grip tight on his sword as he looked up to the wavering brightness of the obscured moon above him.
He hadn''t expected that. If he were above the water, he would have laughed. Instead, he swam upward and gasped for a big breath as he broke the water''s surface.
As the water fell from his face and covered his eyes, he looked for the swordsman but quickly discovered that he was gone from the rooftop. Grumbling, Sayed paddled over to the docks and pulled himself up onto them with one hand and a jump.
Cold immediately cut at him across his body like a thousand tiny blades. Sayed opened his gate in response, letting the heat flow through him as he sheathed his sword. He left his gauntlet on. There was no sense in not being prepared if the authorities now knew of his presence.
"A fighter worthy of a story," Sayed said as he looked both ways down the road.
No one was out in the streets now, but if he looked down a nearby alley, he could see the wolf''s yellow eyes watching him. Sayed smiled at it and waved with his gauntlet.
"You return again, my friend," Sayed said as he walked over to the alley. "Do you know where the swordsman ran off to? I would very much like to continue our battle."
Whine.
The wolf sat on its haunches, wagging its tail but still not moving. Sayed tilted his head as the wolf looked off to both sides before standing up and approaching him.
"Maybe you do not." Sayed shook his head as he squatted down to the ground.
The wolf approached him, and he reached out to pet its head. The wolf''s fur felt oily and slimy, but Sayed ignored that. On Hajh, they had sand wolves that some trained to be pets. He knew how to deal with this kind of animal. The key was to rub them behind the ears until they were your friend for life.
"Alas, I will have to go back to my watch soon," Sayed said as he rubbed both sides of the wolf''s head. "I will say that you are a good boy."
The wolf looked up at him from between his hands, its yellow eyes glowing in the night. Sayed let go of it and stood. Around him, he could see crates and barrels that he could use to leap up to the rooftops. He still had a vague idea of where he needed to go to return to his watch post.
"We may meet again someday," Sayed said as he flexed his legs in a squat and jumped up on a crate before leaping again to the top of a roof.
He ran along the rooftop, not looking back at the wolf at all. With a few well-timed jumps, he went rooftop to rooftop until he came upon where he had originally made his watch. As he lay on the tiled roof and looked out over the ships below, he noted that nothing had really changed in his small adventure. Thankful for the opportunity to relieve his boredom, he settled into his watch without complaint.
At least he tried to.
Click. Tap. Click. Tap.
From behind Sayed, he heard the wolf approach and turned to face the beast. He had enjoyed the distraction, but enough was enough, and he needed to work. He looked up from where he lay, and the wolf was there at the edge of the roof, its tail wagging as it looked at Sayed with its yellow eyes.
Yip.
Sayed sighed and stood, ready to shoo the creature away, but it immediately took off down the rooftop. Sayed stopped, shaking his head as he watched it go. As soon as it was two rooftops away, it came back, yipped again, and ran off toward the end of the rooftop a second time.
Sayed felt the wolf was trying to lead him somewhere. Maybe their play earlier was not just play but the wolf''s attempt to show him something. Sayed knew he should stay for his watch, but at the same time, he couldn''t successfully watch in secret if a wolf was constantly bothering him. He had to make a choice.
"Okay," Sayed said, following after the wolf. "I will give up my post for a time, but no more play. Show me what you want me to see, wolf."
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 53 | Monster
Erin''s head felt like a spike had been driven right between her eyes when she woke up. There was a ball of pain implanted in her forehead, and the candlelight that flickered on the table in front of her did nothing to help it. She slowly blinked her eyes, acclimating herself to the room and looking left and right to get an idea of where she was.
It was a small home. In her peripheral vision, she could see a bed behind her, and in the far corner, a cold and lifeless wood-fired stove sat. There were just two chairs at the table she sat at, and a man in a mask occupied the second one. He leaned forward, looking at her over the candlelight, his hands clasped in front of his face as he watched her.
"Shades," Erin hissed as she tried to jump away.
Errp. Thump.
Her chair scraped against the wood floor, and she hit the ground on her side. She hadn''t noticed, but her hands were bound in front of her, and her feet were bound together. She had tried to stand up, but the ropes had made that impossible.
"You''re awake, ''Thorn Queen,''" the man said as he stood, walked around the table, and righted her in her seat.
When he was done, he sat down again, placing his hands back together in front of his mask as he looked at Erin. Erin sat in the chair, struggling to control her breathing and keep her panic down. She had been drugged, and this masked man had taken her to his home for some unknown reason. Panic was the least of the things she should do in that situation.
"Who are you?" she demanded, struggling against her bonds.
"What is more important to you is that I know who you are," the man said. "I know you well, Erin. I know who you work for. I only don''t know why you are here. Did the revolution finally send someone to see where we all went? Are we finally important enough to recover?"
Erin stopped struggling and froze. She looked over the man but couldn''t see beyond the mask. She didn''t know how many operatives they had sent to Cragg Hollow, but none of them had ever returned. Who could he be?
"If you''re with the revolution, then you wouldn''t have drugged me."
"Let us be clear," the man said, tapping his finger on the desk. "I didn''t drug you. Felix, the barkeep, did. I merely saw my opportunity to get one of our operatives out of a bad situation and took it."
"And then tied me up."
"I did just that." The man chuckled behind his mask, grabbing onto it and bending over.
As he did so, Erin saw the wrinkles on the side of the mask closely for the first time. They were more like veins than wrinkles, bulging out from his face and into the mask. A heavy weight settled in her stomach as he came back up from his laugh. What were the masks?
"So, you''re one of us then. Why have you never reported back? What''s happening on this island?"
The masked man looked out over his room and sighed. Erin couldn''t get a read of his intentions with his mask on. Was he trying to delay her until someone else got to the house? Was he working with the person who made the masks? There were too many questions. Too many unknowns.
"There''s so much that you don''t know," he said, looking back at her. "So much that I can''t tell you, even if I wanted to. I''m just a ghost. That''s all that''s left of me in this. Once the mask goes on you, it''s like you''re a different person. There''s a will behind it that you have to follow, no matter how much you want to resist."
Scrrch. Thump.
He stood up from his chair, which scraped across the ground behind him before falling down. He looked down at Erin as he began to walk around the table. Every step echoed through the quiet room. Erin''s breath caught in her chest.
"I wanted to report back," he said as he circled the table. "I wanted to get help. What was I supposed to do? Once I reached the island, the townspeople quickly found me out. Of course, they had no idea I was a spy, but one person without a mask was too obvious. They weren''t being sold, and the townspeople never seemed to be without their mask. No. They knew to come for me the same way they came for everyone we sent here. We didn''t have the mask."
He stopped in front of Erin, and Erin tried to flinch away. She needed to escape her binds, but the ropes were too tight. Her dagger was nowhere in reach, and her bag wasn''t tied to her belt. She didn''t have the tools to get out and couldn''t grow dead things.
"I want you to see, Erin," the man said, squatting down to her eye level. "I want you to know what you''re up against. It''ll hurt me. It might even kill me, but the revolution deserves that much."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Crack. Squelch.
He reached up and pulled at his mask, but the mask resisted. He grunted as he pulled harder, and cracks began to split the mask at the edges. It was like the entire thing was glued to his face. Erin couldn''t take her eyes off the sight as he peeled away the mask bit by bit and dropped it to the floor.
"It''s been years," the husk of what the man had been whispered as he looked up at the ceiling. "Years since I felt the light touch my face. Years since the air touched my skin. Is this what it felt like back then? I don''t even remember anymore."
He fell to the ground, convulsing.
"Come on," Erin said, wriggling and twisting against her binds. "You could have at least untied me first."
She was horrified, for sure. The man''s face, when he revealed it, was dry and cracked. It was shrunken and drained of blood. The eyes were pushed back into the sockets, and his skin had been a sickly gray. In the back of her mind, she wanted to scream. Yet, that could wait. Right now, the man was convulsing on the ground and needed serious medical attention. She might not be a healer anymore, but every bit of her training was whispering to her. She needed to help.
"And." She grunted, pulling her wrist higher from the binds. "You had to make sure they were really tight. Had to bind my legs too, just to make sure I couldn''t walk away and find a sharp object."
A wire-tight line of pain cut into her wrist. Already, blood seeped down her hands, making them wet. She kept her gate closed. The blood could heal later. Right now, she could use it to slip out, maybe. She struggled against her binds for a few minutes until she got one hand free.
The pressure was immediately gone, and she opened her gate.
Energy twined out from her heart along her limbs. The cut on her wrist glowed green as she bent over and untied her feet. In moments, she was out of her binds and kneeling on the floor next to the man. However, she was too late. His convulsions had stopped, and he lay unmoving on the ground. A smile cracked his withered face.
"Take a breath," she said as she closed her gate and eyes.
She focused on her breathing. In and out. She needed to put together the bundled information she had. The townspeople wore those creepy masks. They had wanted to put one on her. There might still be agents of the revolution running through the town with their own masks on. The masks appeared to drain away at people. They had some will that was forced on the people who wore them, though she had no idea what that meant.
"Okay," she said, looking down at the man''s face.
Again, what stuck out most to her was that his entire face was drained. A line ran along the man''s face where the mask had pressed into it. More veins than she thought possible in the face were like the roots of trees across it. The eyes, as she had noted before, were pushed back into the skull by the stretched and dried skin.
"I don''t know who you were," she said to herself as she looked over the man. "But thank you for this much."
She assumed that the mask was part of a curse. That was the first possibility. Someone had been cursed to be able to put masks on people and drain them. The second possibility was that this was something entirely new for Erth. Maybe a magic from another world that had made it through the portal. She had never heard of anything like that, but the nightsea was vast.
She stood up and found her things. They sat near the door, propped up against the wall. She slung her back over her shoulder beneath her robes and put her dagger back into her belt. She looked back at the man lying on the floor before she left.
"I can''t leave him on the floor," she whispered. "And I should bring the mask with me."
She went back to the man and picked him up off the floor after a few tries. It was a major effort, but she was able to carry him over to his bed eventually and lay him on it. She didn''t have the strength to do much more than that, so he just lay splayed out on the bed, but it was better than being on the floor.
She turned to find the mask on the floor, but it was gone.
Tap. Tap.
A chill ran up Erin''s spine as something crept across the floor. It was like the sounds of crab legs climbing across a stony beach. She didn''t like that sound one bit. She drew her dagger from her belt and opened her gate.
"Of course, the mask keeps going," she whispered as she looked over the ground. "Why wouldn''t it?"
The house''s shadows now seemed much longer than they had before. In the candlelight, each shadow was large enough to hide a full-grown man, not just a mask. Erin''s heart raced in her chest as her eyes darted between shadows.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
After the liquid hit her shoulder, she had about half a second to roll forward. She had been so focused on the ground that she hadn''t thought to look up. She rolled into the nearest wall and hit hard as something fell to the floor behind her.
Thump.
"Hiss."
Erin came up with her dagger and saw a mass of pink and white on the ground before her, advancing with waving tendrils as it approached. Crab-like legs scuttled the creature forward, and she could see the cracked carapace that had once been the mask on its back. Two long black eyes on stalks found her own.
"Shades," Erin whispered as the creature scuttled forward.
She immediately darted to the side as it charged at her. The creature''s flesh made a squelching noise as she fell on her side next to the door. Her hand was already digging into her bag, pulling out a pouch by instinct alone and throwing it at the creature.
"Thorn''s Grasp."
She reached out with her will and funneled energy into the pouch before it could even reach the creature. Vines exploded out from the pouch as the bag fell on the creature. They wrapped around it, with more and more vines appearing each second to catch hold of every tendril. Black thorns dug into the creature all along its body. In moments, it was subsumed by a mass of green and black vines.
Crunch.
The creature''s shell broke as the vines grasped tight around it, and Erin backed herself against the wall. Never in her life had she seen such a creature, and she didn''t want to go near anything like it again. A horrible realization cut through her panic as she panted in the candlelight.
Every townsperson they had seen had one of those masks on their face. Every single one of them was infected with one of those things. They weren''t masks. They were monsters.
Erin took a moment. She put her fist up to her mouth until it was completely covered. Once she was sure that the sound would be muffled, she let out a long, muted scream. For a good thirty seconds, she screamed into her fist until every stress of the last few minutes was let out of her. When she was finished, she took in a deep, long, calming breath.
"Alright, let''s get to work."
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 54 | Rescue
Erick walked down the street with only one thought on his mind. He would find his spear from where he had dropped it and get back to base before the night was over. Then, he could get a well-deserved nap and hope that everything would blow over before his next patrol.
No book. No Captain Hawkins fuming at him. No problems. Just everyday patrol life.
"Wouldn''t you like that?" Again, Agnes''s ghost whispered in his ear, and he shrugged it off.
"Not now," he told himself as he walked toward the hill at the edge of town.
Above, the faint light of the moon was fading. It wouldn''t be long before his night shift ended, and the fog was gone for the night. Even Cragg Hollow had a sunrise, and not even a blanketing nightly fog could get rid of that.
The problem was that due to his night guard duties, Erick rarely saw it.
So, he continued down the cobblestone streets as the crows cawed above him, and Agnes''s words tried to distract him. Erick didn''t have much to keep an eye out for. Even the most raucous partyers wouldn''t be out this late at night. All that was out in the fog was Erick and his spear, wherever that was.
He followed along his path from the docks back up to the hill when he finally spotted his spear resting in the alley next to a house''s wall. He walked over and bent to pick it up. The heavy weight felt comfortable in his hands.
As he turned to walk back toward the docks and end his nightly patrol, he noticed the problem. A shadow flitted by a nearby building and down an alley. Something was moving on the periphery of his vision, and it was trying to keep quiet about it. Erick stopped moving and listened to the world around him.
Patter. Patter. Patter.
Should he leave it be and get back to the ship? Yes. Should he not run off on his own down alleys where he might be attacked? Basic training also said yes. Was he a soldier in the Empyrean, a member of the Military Police, and duty-bound to check out that noise? He believed so.
Erick tiptoed over to the alley and peered down it. At the end of the alley, he saw a shadowy figure pushing a crate before disappearing behind it. Erick followed after, holding his spear at this side as he snuck down the alley. He didn''t want to spook whatever it was. Perhaps it was benign. However, every one of his instincts doubted that conclusion.
He stopped at the crate and looked down over it. He could barely see what was in those shadows in the darkness of the alley, far away from the streetlamps. He would have to get close to take a look or light up a torch, which he didn''t have.
Erick made his decision and knelt to see inside.
A hole in the wall was roughly formed with rocks cutting through it. If Erick had to guess, it was broken through from the house on the other side. He could make his way through the hole if he left his spear.
He sat his spear against the wall and started to crawl.
Some voice in the back of his mind told him he was being stupid. He was disarming himself to go into a creepy hole, and he didn''t know what was inside. He was also going to do it anyway. He wasn''t weak. He could handle whatever small thing had scurried through that hole.
It might even have been the wolf that had eluded him for three months.
"I''m going to get you this time," he whispered as he shimmied his way through the hole and into the building beyond.
He stood in darkness on the other side. The room around him was devoid of light, save for a sliver of muted moonlight that shone through a window on the far side. Erick took in a slow, deep breath to calm his heartbeat. Already, it was tapping a fast beat in his chest.
He knew he was in danger, but he wouldn''t let that stop him.
Creak.
On his first step into the house, the first floorboard betrayed him, splitting the air with a deafening creak as he placed his foot down. Erick stopped, his eyes darting around the room. Nothing in the house reacted to him.
Creak.
He made his way to the window, creaking plank by creaking plank. He winced at each one, but he needed to open the window and let in as much light as possible. Right now, it was simply too dark in that room. Too many things could hide in the shadows.
When he came to the windows, he noticed the glass was broken on all of them. He pulled back the drawn curtains, and the entire room was filled with the muted moonlight. He had a moment to see the room, and it set his nerves on edge.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
The entire place was ransacked. Chairs lay broken and on their sides next to a split table. A stove lay in pieces, broken off from the chimney pipe that led up to the ceiling. A small bookshelf lay on top of books, crushing them against the ground. If the destruction had looked more orderly, Erick would have thought that it was a burglary. However, this was more like a beast had been let loose in the room.
"Scions above," Erick whispered as he looked over the destruction.
He thought about his patrol route through the town, and it didn''t take him long to guess where he was. When he had first arrived in town, there was one abandoned home. The outside door was boarded closed, and the entire place looked condemned each time he patrolled past it. That was this house. He never thought about it on patrol, but it was the only one he could think of.
Pat. Pat.
Something moved in one of the rooms beyond the one he was in, and Erick''s eyes immediately started jumping between the two doors in the house. He reached for his spear, but it wasn''t there. In his mind, the ghost of Agnes chided him.
"You''re going to get yourself killed," she whispered in a sing-song voice.
"You''re a private in the Military Police," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes and clenching his fist. "You don''t need a spear. You serve justice."
He opened his eyes again and started toward the nearest door. He wasn''t going to be afraid of any sounds. He wasn''t a child. He reached up and opened the door, surprised to see a faint orange light on the other side.
It was like the roots of a tree were growing across the floorboards. That was his first thought. A tree''s roots grew from the ground and focused on one point in the room. The center point was almost like a platform, and a person''s prone form rested on it. Erick could see the roots entangled in that person''s body, and on the person''s face was one of the porcelain masks.
He held his breath.
A child sat next to the platform, a young boy in rags. Beside him was the shadow wolf Erick had been chasing for the last three months. Its eyes glowed bright as he looked up to Erick. Erick again reached for his spear out of habit, but it wasn''t there.
Grrr.
The wolf''s tail pricked up, and it separated itself from the boy. It began to circle the door, its back stretching upward as it leaned forward. Erick looked between the boy and the wolf for a moment as he started putting the pieces together.
"Wait," he said, holding up his hands. "I''m not here to hurt anybody."
The wolf stopped in its circling, but it didn''t relax at all.
"You''ve been protecting this kid, right?" Erick said. "Anytime I got close to here, you led me away. That''s why you always wanted me to chase after you."
Again, the wolf couldn''t say anything, but it didn''t advance.
"I''m a good guy," Erick said, pointing to himself and then to the boy. "I can get him some help. We can go to the base and get him some proper clothes. We can even help him get placed with a foster family."
The wolf''s spine relaxed down, but it still watched Erick. Erick took that as a sign and began to walk into the room. As he did so, he got a better look at the figure on the platform.
The mask on the figure''s face was cracked, and the body beneath the mask was like a dry husk. Pink tendrils extended from the roots around the body and into the white mask. Black goo seeped out from the body and down the platform. Erick had no idea what any of that meant, but the black goo looked a lot like what the wolf was made out of.
He knelt beside the kid and saw that he was asleep, which was why he hadn''t reacted at all. Erick reached out and shook the boy''s shoulder, and he could feel the wolf approaching him from behind.
"Hey, kid, wake up," he whispered.
"Brother?" The kid opened his eyes, and as they focused, he jumped back into the platform.
"It''s okay," Erick said, bringing his hands back and looking between the kid and the wolf. "I''m not going to hurt you."
The kid was breathing in short bursts, gasping in and out as he looked between Erick and the wolf. After a moment of looking at Erick, he seemed to calm down. He slumped down against the platform and curled up a little to make himself smaller.
"You''re the second person to say that to me today," the boy whispered.
"Did the other person hurt you?" Erick asked.
"No," the boy said.
"I''m not either. I''m a guard with the outpost here. If you come with me, we''ll go to the ship and get you something to eat. You look like you haven''t had a decent meal in years."
"Are there any masks there?" the kid asked.
"The townsfolk?" Erick raised an eyebrow as he looked back up to the platform. "No. We can avoid them on the way back if that''s okay with you."
At this point, he questioned why he had been so comfortable around the masks. Beyond his training, he wasn''t sure why it had seemed so acceptable. Looking up at the platform now, he had a lot of questions to ask Captain Hawkins when he got to the ship. He would get answers, one way or another.
"I think you''ll help a lot of people if you come with me," Erick said. "There''s something wrong with this island, but no one is talking about it. If you come with me, we''ll get this all sorted out. Then, maybe things will get better here."
"You think so?" the kid asked, looking between him and the wolf.
"Kid, I''m with the Military Police," Erick said with a smile. "It''s our job to serve justice throughout all the Erth. If you ever see one of us, you have to know you can trust us. We''re here to protect people like you."
The kid looked over to the wolf.
"Is it okay if I go with him, brother?" he asked. "Will I be safe?"
As if to answer him, the wolf padded over, past Erick, and knelt next to the kid. Its inky black form started to dissolve, the droplets running up the kid''s arms and beneath his rags. The wolf was gone in moments, but Erick knew where it was. It could come back at any time if needed.
"I''m putting a lot of trust in you," Erick said, looking down at the kid. "That wolf could be trouble on the base, but I won''t say anything about it so long as it only comes out to protect you."
"Okay," the kid nodded, standing up beside the platform.
"Then let''s go down to the docks together," Erick said as he stood, reaching out his hand. "I''m Erick, by the way."
"Klaus," the kid said as he took Erick''s hand.
"I''m glad I found you, Klaus," Erick said.
They went out through the makeshift tunnel in the wall, and Erick led Klaus out into the fog-filled night. He was already thinking about what he would tell Captain Hawkins when he got back to the ship. He already knew there would be a lot of yelling, but looking down at Klaus, Erick knew it was the right thing to do.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 55 | Snatch and Grab
Alex jumped between rooftops as he ran toward their meeting place. The night was almost over, and he needed to meet with Sayed. He hadn''t gotten the chance to grab any food, but he thought he might be forgiven, considering what he had found out. With any luck, maybe Erin had bought something in the tavern and taken it to the swordsman.
He noticed that the streets below were empty in his senses. He couldn''t see people due to the fog to begin with, but not a single person walked the streets now. Maybe even the partygoers from earlier had gone to bed.
He thought about what the kid had said. The masks were part of the problem. He didn''t know what they were, but he needed to get back with Sayed and Erin and hear what they had done before he went forward on it. It wasn''t like he wanted to grab a random person on the street and remove their mask to see what was behind it.
"One step at a time," he said as he approached the docks and settled on the roof near where he left Sayed.
Unfortunately, Sayed was nowhere to be found.
"He wouldn''t have just left," Alex lied as he squatted down and looked out over the bay. "Sayed definitely wouldn''t just leave his post, right?"
Sayed was a very loyal person, to say the least. He wouldn''t have left without a good reason and could take care of himself. Both Sayed and Erin had survived a brawl with an ex-Apostle on Glory Plateau, and that feat spoke of how strong they were. No, he would wait until they came back, and then they would make their plan.
He didn''t have to wait that long before Erin showed up.
She walked down the street below, still shrouded in her cloak. She carried an extra bag in her hands as she approached the alley of the building he was on. He jumped down and landed in the alley a little way in front of her.
"How''d it go?" he asked.
"We have a problem." Erin shook her head and walked over to him with the bag. "One of my people on the island found me and told me a lot. He showed me a lot. There''s something weird happening here, and I have no idea what''s causing it."
"Is it about the masks?" Alex asked, inspecting her bag as she sat it down on the crate. "I found a kid that told me the people in masks attacked him and his family. Something about them putting masks on other people."
Erin took in a deep breath and stepped back from the bag.
"Open it." She nodded at it. "That''s one of the masks."
Alex looked between her and the bag and felt like he was being pranked for a moment. If they weren''t standing in a fog-covered city on another world, he might have thought she was pulling the same kind of pranks his college roommates did to each other on a nightly basis.
He had to remind himself where he was.
"Okay," Alex said, opening up the bag.
Inside was a mass of flesh and tendrils, barely visible in the darkness. Little pieces of porcelain were stuck to the tendrils like eggshells. Alex''s breath quickened, and he closed the bag tight. He hadn''t needed to see that.
"What the hell is that?" Alex asked.
Erin took a few deep breaths in what Alex thought was an attempt to gather herself. Apparently, she had a bad experience with it. Alex hadn''t seen the thing alive, so he had no idea what it was like. However, Erin seemed traumatized by it.
"I asked myself the same," Erin said, and Alex noticed that she looked even paler than normal. "When I went to the tavern, I was drugged. One of our people intercepted me and took me to his home. He took off his mask, and that''s what it turned into."
"Did he tell you anything before he did it?"
"Only that the mask changes people. He didn''t say anything about where it came from. It seemed like the mask made it harder for him to do what he wanted."
"Something''s wrong with this place," Alex said.
"Agreed."
"We''re not closer to finding the logbook either," Alex said. "If we find it, we could just get out of here."
A crushing weight was building in his stomach as he thought about it. Could he just leave the kid on the island? Whatever these masks were, they were clearly not good for that kid''s life. The townspeople had driven him into a life on the street because the kid had survived their attack.
"That''s an entirely separate problem," Erin said. "I''m going to have to report what''s happening here in the least. I''m not even sure the Military Police know about it. None of the guards were wearing masks on the docks."
"Is it normal for them not to interfere with the locals?" Alex asked.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"On Fringe islands, yes," Erin said. "They don''t have enough soldiers to patrol everywhere, so outposts must work with the local people. They''re much stronger in the Twelve Kingdoms, so they can get away with being more brutal."
Alex had never had the time to find out about that. Since he ran from August, he had kept a low profile and went to islands that weren''t part of the Twelve Kingdoms. In all the five years he had been free of the lab, he had only managed to run into the Military Police once, and that was on Tombstone.
"So, the question is, what do we do?" Alex said as he looked down at the bag. "Our main priority is the logbook, but all we found out about was the masks. Maybe we need to change our approach."
"Where''s Sayed at anyways?" Erin asked, looking around.
"Sayed''s gone."
"You don''t think something happened to him?"
"Don''t worry. Sayed knows what he''s doing. What''s the worst that could happen?"
Sayed followed the wolf over the rooftops. Step by step, the wolf led him further along the docks and toward the setting moon. Sayed knew he should return to his watch, and his brothers would return soon and be shocked to find him missing. However, he wanted to see where this wolf''s tale took him.
The wolf stopped at the rooftop''s edge, and Sayed slowed when he caught up to it. It didn''t run any further, and Sayed had to lean over the rooftop''s edge to see why it had stopped. Below him was a window on the second floor of the building.
To Sayed, the building looked like it might be a warehouse. There were large wooden doors down below and several windows on the second floor to let light in. He lay down on the tiled roof and leaned his head over to look through the window.
The inside of the building was lit by candlelight in one major place. Near that candle, Sayed saw the old man from earlier in the night, before his fight with the swordsman. The old man was, in fact, talking with the swordsman as they stood by a desk.
"I think, my friend, that I will need to get a closer look at this," Sayed told the wolf as he stood up and quietly walked toward the roof''s edge.
He jumped down to the street below and landed with a soft thump. He considered his approach. If he had just charged into the building, there would have been another fight, and it was far too early in the tale for that. Instead, Sayed would see if he could find another entrance.
He made his way down the alley.
Craw. Craw. Craw.
In the sky above him, crows called out. Sayed kept close to the wall as he walked around the back of the building. There, he saw his opportunity. A smaller door on the first floor led to the back of the building. If it was unlocked, he could sneak his way inside.
He made his way over to the door and tried to open it. It cracked open slightly to his gentle touch. Sayed smiled, first peeking inside and then letting himself in. As soon as he closed the door behind him, the noise from outside stopped. Not even the crows'' calls made their way inside once the door was closed.
All he could hear was the people talking above.
"The captain is far too obsessed with his promotions," the old man, Sayed guessed, said on the level above him.
"Doc, you''re the only one who wants to work on a nowhere outpost like Cragg Hollow," Tanis, the swordsman, said in return. "How long have you been here anyways?"
"Long enough," the old man Sayed now knew as Doc said with a sigh.
Sayed began to make his way along the bottom floor. In the dim light of the candle above, he could make out the shadows of tall, long structures beside him. They were taller than Sayed was, and three of them, next to each other, stretched the length of the warehouse.
Sayed tiptoed down the structures and closer to the voices. He needed to get a better vantage point, and that was the only path forward. If he were to be a sneak thief, he would play the part.
"You two don''t understand how important this place is," Doc said. "There are medical discoveries here that could change the world."
"Getting promoted would change our pay more." Tanis sighed.
Click. Tap. Click. Tap.
Someone walked around on the floor above him, and Sayed pressed himself against one of the containers.
"What do you even use this warehouse for, Doc?" Tanis asked, and Sayed could see him looking down over the bottom floor from where he stood. "I never understood how you always had something to do in this warehouse."
"Would you like to see my research?" Doc asked, and Sayed saw that he had joined Tanis on the railing. "Come downstairs, and I will show you."
They moved away from the railing, and Sayed quickly made his way to the far side of the container. He pressed himself back against it and peered around the corner. He saw the two men walking down the stairs and onto the bottom floor. Doc led Tanis past the first container, and Sayed immediately sprinted toward the stairs as quietly as he could. In moments, he was on the second floor of the building and out of sight of the two men.
"When I first came to Cragg Hollow thirty years ago, I made an interesting discovery," Doc said as Sayed quickly looked around the second floor.
He saw a desk off to the side, where the two had started. On it was a metal box of sorts. Sayed walked over to it and examined it. On the outside, he saw lettering. ''Roald''s Log of a Journey to the New World'' was written on it. Sayed picked it up.
"Roald was the name of the man Erin was looking for," he whispered. "Perhaps this is what we are looking for."
"I found a creature," Doc continued. "It was a crustacean of sorts that took the form of everyday objects when it hibernated. I spent decades working on it and modified it into a useful tool."
"What does it do?" Tanis asked.
"Here," Doc grunted. "Find out for yourself."
Splash.
"What was that, Doc?" Tanis yelled as water splashed around below. "Get me out¡ª Argh!"
Sayed kept the metal box in his hand as he ran over to the railing. When he looked down, he saw the old man named Doc looking down over one of the large rectangular structures on the first floor from a platform. He had his arms crossed behind his back as he watched the swordsman, Tanis, struggling in the water. Long, spindly limbs had wrapped themselves around the swordsman''s body and dragged him under the water.
"What trickery is this?" Sayed yelled out, looking down at the man below.
"Who are you?" the old man''s head snapped to look at Sayed. "The book!"
Sayed looked down at the book and then looked out the nearest window. He didn''t know what was happening, but he didn''t like any of it. If he had the book they were sent to pick up, though, he knew it was the priority. He held the book close to his chest and ran for the window.
Ksht. Thump.
Glass shattered around Sayed''s body as he jumped through the window with one leap. His shoulder slammed into the wall on the other side of the window, and he fell to the ground with a thump. He landed in a wide stance on both feet and, without missing a step, immediately ran out into the street and down the docks.
"The glory of this one is mine. I return with the treasure in my hand," he said between breaths as he ran down the street and back toward their meeting place.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 56 | Escape
Klaus''s fingers dug tight into Erick''s hand as they approached the ship. The streets had been empty the entire return trip, and even if one of the townspeople had attacked them, Erick had his spear ready to deal with them.
However, he didn''t need the spear. The entire town was completely quiet as he approached the ship. Even as he passed by the tavern, it was shuttered and closed. No lights shone in the window to push back the night. If it weren''t for the streetlamps still burning, he wouldn''t have been able to see at all for the darkness.
"Come on, Klaus," he said as they reached the docks.
The ship that had been attacked was rigged up with ropes across from the Hispaniola, and only one man remained on guard near it. The other soldiers would have gone to bed, which was where Erick needed to be. This one night had been the longest of his life.
"Landson." The guard on duty nodded at him from where he leaned against a wooden pole.
"Gregory." Landson nodded back.
"Who''s the kid?"
"I need to take him to the captain," Erick said. "There was an incident in town, and he''s a witness to it."
"You want to give him more reports to write?" Gregory laughed. "You''re a braver man than I am."
"What can you do." Erick shrugged as he walked up the gangplank. "Justice never sleeps, or whatever they told us back in basic."
Erick made his way over to the captain''s door and knocked. He already knew he would regret it, but it was the right thing to do. Soldiers followed chains of command. He had to take his issue up with Captain Hawkins before anything could happen.
"Maybe I''ll get some answers now," Erick said, looking down at Klaus, who stared at the metal door.
"What?" Captain Hawkin''s voice shook the door.
"Captain!" Erick said, instinctually clicking his boots together. "I need to make a report. There was an incident in town tonight!"
"Landson?"
Thump. Thump. Thump. Bang.
Erick moved Klaus back from the door with him before the captain could reach it. The door slammed against the side of the cabin before bouncing back and hitting Captain Hawkins''s outstretched fist. It bounced back a second time before it remained open.
"What do you want, Private Landson?" Captain Hawkins glared at Erick. "Haven''t you caused me enough trouble tonight?"
"Sorry, sir!" Erick said, saluting. "I found a person on my patrol who witnessed a murder. I brought him here immediately by protocol."
Captain Hawkins''s eyes bulged, and veins stretched across his forehead as he looked between Klaus and Erick. Erick maintained his composure. The captain knew just as much as he did what needed to be done, even if it led to extra paperwork and extra complications.
"Why did it have to be you, private?" Captain Hawkins sighed, and his arm that rested against the door relaxed. "Of all the people on this outpost, why is it always you?"
"I don''t know, sir," Erick said, still keeping at attention. "I just do my job to the best of my ability."
"You said murder, right?" he asked as he looked down at Klaus. "You saw someone killed?"
Klaus didn''t say anything, and Erick had to kneel next to him and place a hand on his shoulder.
"You can tell him, Klaus," Erick said. "Like I told you earlier. We''re the good guys."
"The townsfolk, they murdered my parents." Klaus spit it out like a bitter drink. "When we moved here, they attacked us."
"The townsfolk?" Captain Hawkins frowned.
"The masks," Erick said, looking up to the captain. "He told me they were trying to put masks on his parents and his brother. I thought you would know more about it than me. I''m still new here."
"The masks." Captain Hawkins furrowed his brows. "They aren''t normal. I''ve never had the time to ask..."
"Captain!" From the side of the ship, Doctor Livesay approached with Tanis in tow behind him. "The logbook was stolen! Just now!"
Erick looked up at Tanis and saw the mask on his face. He stood and put Klaus behind his leg as he backed away. He didn''t know what was happening, but Lieutenant Tanis hadn''t worn a mask before, and it was the same porcelain mask the other townspeople wore.
"What?" Captain Hawkins yelled, staring down at the doctor. "How did you get it stolen? Lieutenant Tanis was there. Wait. Why is he wearing one of those masks?"
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
The doctor looked up to Lieutenant Tanish and shook his head. Erick kept pushing Klaus back and away from them. He didn''t know what was about to happen, but his duty was to protect Klaus.
"He...suffered an injury to his face from the thief," Doctor Livesay said, putting his hands in his pockets. "The one who stole the logbook is out and loose in the city. We need to find him!"
Captain Hawkins lumbered forward, and Erick could see the confusion on his face. A lot had happened in just a few moments, and the captain was clearly struggling to process it all. Erick held his spear tight in his free hand as he edged Klaus further away.
"He has a mask," Klaus whispered but still moved as Erick guided him.
"Get ready to run," Erick whispered back.
"Lieutenant, speak to me," Captain Hawkins said as he approached the doctor and Tanis. "Tell me what happened."
Tanis didn''t move at all. He stood stock still, his hand on the hilt of his rapier. Erick took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. Everything about the situation was wrong. He needed to think. He needed to be ready.
"What''s wrong with him, Doc?"
"He just has a new perspective now," Doctor Livesay said. "Severe injuries can do that to a person, you know?"
"I just..." Captain Hawkins looked down at the doctor, and in that moment, Doctor Livesay made his move.
Slap.
With a speed that belied his age, the doctor thrust up with his hand, taking a white porcelain mask from his pocket and slapping it onto the captain''s face. Captain Hawkins reached out at the same moment and grasped at the doctor''s wrist but stopped when his fingers closed.
He stood frozen on the decks.
"What did you just do?" Erick breathed out in a hushed whisper.
"Oh, sorry," Doctor Livesay said, his arm still held up by the captain. "I didn''t bring a mask for you. I was more concerned about ensuring the captain was under control before this logbook situation worsened. I don''t need higher-ups poking around Cragg Hollow when they hear about the logbook. We best keep that a secret between us."
He said it so matter-of-factly that Erick wasn''t sure what to do. As he spoke, the captain let go of his wrist and stood slack on the deck. Silence filled the air between them, and Erick looked between the doctor and the gangplank as his heart beat a fast march in his head.
"I see your problem," Doctor Livesay said, crossing his arms and looking at Tanis. "Tanis, be a dear and block the gangplank for me. We already killed the one guard on duty, so one more shouldn''t be a problem."
"Step."
Shing.
Tanis moved across the deck in an instant. He blocked the only real exit to the ship and drew his sword before standing in a wide fencer''s stance. Erick licked his lips as he looked back at the doctor. He didn''t need to be told what the doctor intended for him.
"Why are you doing this, Doc?" Erick asked as he pushed Klaus further back behind him. "You''re one of us. Why are you betraying the Military Police?"
"The Military Police?" Doctor Livesay asked, reaching up and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Boy, it is irrelevant. All that matters is knowledge. There are so many things in this world. There are so many places with strange creatures and powers. That''s what I found in Cragg Hollow thirty years ago. I found these creatures that took control of other animals by binding themselves to the creature''s brain and controlling their mind."
Doctor Livesay walked over to the opposite edge of the ship and looked out over the bay.
"My research could create an army of slaves¡ª thousands of drones willing to fight to the death for whoever commanded them. I hadn''t been born powerful, not like the captain or the lieutenant. All I had to my name was my mind and a simple curse that let me generate fog."
Doctor Livsesay looked back at him, and his bony face cracked with a wide smile.
"So, I used my mind to modify the creatures. I made my plans and laid out what I needed. I used my fog to keep this town out of sight and out of mind while enjoying the funding the Empyrean has provided for my research here. I took hold of this town and have proven that my method will be viable."
"You did this for the Military Police then?"
"No, my boy. Are you even listening to me?" Doctor Livesay laughed. "I don''t want this research in the hands of those bureaucrats. They are far too powerful to begin with. No. I want to sell this information to the highest bidder. Do you know how much people would be willing to pay to take control of entire islands and bend the people to their will? The People''s Revolution, the Underground Lords, any of the many shadowy organizations across the Erth would pay me handsomely to be more of a thorn in the Scion''s sides."
The doctor laughed again as he walked back toward Erick, stopping next to Captain Hawkins, who still stood unmoving.
"Think of the research I could fund. Think of what I could discover with that funding. That''s why I made all this possible. What do you think, my boy?"
Erick clenched his teeth tight. He didn''t know what insanity had gripped the doctor or how long he had been like this, but the doctor clearly knew nothing. Erick looked down at Klaus, and the kid was shaking as he held onto Erick''s hand. Erick knew his answer.
"A soldier of the Empyrean serves justice," Erick said. "Nothing that you have said, doctor, has anything to do with that!"
"A pity," Doctor Livesay said, shaking his head and crossing his arms behind his back. "Hawkins!"
"Pro¡ª" Hawkins tried to speak before he snapped to attention and spun around to face Erick.
"Eliminate him. We will also need to go below and capture the rest of the garrison. Once we do that, we will search this town for the logbook and then leave for new waters in the Little February."
"Understood," Captain Hawkins said as he lumbered forward with his fists clenched tight.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Kid," Erick said. "We''re about to do something stupid. I need you to run when I give you the chance."
Erick knew there was nowhere to run. With Tanis guarding the gangplank and the captain walking toward him, he felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. He let go of Klaus''s hand and held out his spear. He would do his duty and buy Klaus time.
Thump. Snap.
As soon as Erick took his stance, Captain Hawkins lunged forward and grabbed hold of his spear with one hand. He broke off Erick''s spear with a twist and a deafening snap. Erick looked up at Captain Hawkins, who towered over him, a fist raised in the air and ready to come down on Erick''s head.
Aroo. Ruff.
The wolf shot out from behind Erick, tackling and pushing Captain Hawkins back. Erick stood still for a moment, his broken spear in hand, as he turned back to Klaus with wide eyes. Klaus looked up at him, and his face was white with fear.
"Run!" Erick said, running at Klaus and grabbing his hand.
Together, they ran for the only place Erick could think of to escape. He yanked Klaus''s hand hard and pulled the kid up in his arms as he jumped over the edge of the deck. Together, they plummeted into the water.
Splash!
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 57 | Left Behind
Erin couldn''t keep her eyes off the bag with the mask as she and Alex waited for Sayed to return. Part of her wasn''t sure that the pieces were truly dead inside the bag. After it had attacked her, she wasn''t sure what she could trust anymore.
She had been able to keep herself calm by focusing on her breathing. That was all that kept her from screaming again just to let out the stress. Never would she have imagined that a simple job to recover a book would have led her to the nightmare that Cragg Hollow was.
Alex leaned against the wall, occasionally looking back and forth as he fiddled with a coin.
Skrt. Skrt.
At the end of the alley, Erin heard something move. She turned, opening her gate and allowing the power of growth to fill her. She wasn''t taking any more chances tonight. However, she soon realized she didn''t need to worry. Sayed skidded to a stop at the end of the alley, catching sight of them before turning and rushing over.
"My brothers!" he yelled. "Much has happened since we parted ways. This town is very strange."
"Yeah," Alex said, nodding at the bag. "Something is majorly off about the townspeople. Those masks are serious."
"And we''re not closer to getting the logbook." Erin sighed.
"That is where you are wrong, brother," Sayed said with a wide grin. "I have good news."
Sayed held out what he had been holding in his arms. It was a rectangular metal box with a large button on the lower right side. Erin wasn''t sure what to make of it until she saw what was written on the outside.
''Roald''s Log of a Journey to the New World.''
Her breath caught in her chest. That was exactly what they were looking for. It looked nothing like a logbook, but she was no stranger to strange things out on the nightsea. Her hand shook as she reached out to touch it, and Sayed let her take it.
"This is it," Erin said. "This is what we came for."
She pressed the button with her thumb.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Unauthorized user. Access denied.
Erin dropped the book as she jumped away from it. It floated in the air, and in her peripheral vision, Alex held a hand out. He had used his curse to keep the book from falling. She reached out and took hold of it again.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"That box is... weird," Alex said. "It''s like the inside of an island core. I can''t sense anything inside of it."
"What do you mean?" Erin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, there should be metal parts inside, right? It looks like a computer, but it just feels like a black void inside."
"What''s a computer?" Erin asked.
"Don''t worry about it." Alex sighed, stepping closer. "That''s not something that we have to worry about right now. We got the book, but there''s still a problem."
Erin grimaced. She didn''t like where this was going already. The mission was over, and they could get out of Crag Hollow before they ran into more masked people. She didn''t have to think hard to guess what Alex would say.
"The only problem we have is that we''re still here," Erin said, raising her hand. "Don''t even start, Alex. We can let the Military Police handle whatever in sha-om is happening here."
"What is happening?" Sayed asked. "When I found the book, the man who had it pushed someone into a big vat of water. The man was a swordsman who bested me on the rooftops earlier tonight, and I wanted to repay the favor."
"What were you doing all night?" Alex shook his head as he looked at Sayed. "I thought you were just going to be on watch."
"Ah," Sayed said, raising one finger. "That is a fine tale! It begins as I lay low on the rooftop on my watch. None of the soldiers at the ship dared to make a move, knowing I had my eyes upon them. Many days passed, and I held onto my post despite the hunger in my belly. I maintained my discipline until I was besieged by a wolf molded from shadow and ink. We began a chase, and though I could not catch the wolf, I kept him within sight until two people noticed our game from the street below."
He paused, raising his other hand as he grinned wide.
"One was a renowned swordsman, Tanis, and the other was merely called Doc. To protect his comrade, Tanis came for me, and we crossed blades. By fluke, I slipped on the roof. Tanis was able to best me and send me flying out into the bay. He knew it was only by that fluke he won, so he ran from me. That is where my new friend, the wolf, assisted me. Together, we tracked down the swordsman and Doc to their lair."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Erin looked at Alex, and he was shaking his head with his eyes closed as Sayed kept going. From what Erin could tell, this was common, and knowing Sayed herself, she couldn''t say she was surprised. Sayed always wanted everything to be a grand story.
"In their lair, Tanis was betrayed by Doc and pushed into a vat of dark water. I broke through the window, but upon seeing the logbook, I knew it was the greater treasure, and I should take it and make my escape!"
"And you ran all the way over here with it," Alex said. "I don''t know if I should be happy or sad that this lines up with what Klaus told me."
"Klaus?" Erin asked.
"A kid I questioned, who didn''t have a mask. He told me that people who go to see the doctor near the docks come back with masks on their faces. The masks change people. He also seems to either be controlling that wolf we kept running into or something else, but they are connected."
"Does any of that matter?" Erin asked. "We have the book. All we need to do is get out of here. The Military Police can handle their own mess."
"I do not agree," Sayed said, crossing his arms. "It would not be a grand tale if we were to run away. I feel the villain of this tale has yet to be revealed."
"This isn''t a story," Erin said, rubbing her eyes with her finger and thumb. "Sayed. You have to understand that what''s more important is the mission. This book can change everything for people. A whole new world for people to go to. New allies to find. We need to get it out of here. If we stay, we might end up like the townspeople."
"Then we would go out as heroes in a grand tale," Sayed said. "People would tell our stories for decades."
"Who would tell the story, Sayed?" Erin frowned, holding onto the book with one hand as she waved toward the buildings around them. "Look around you. This town is completely taken over. If we die, if we get those taken, then who will be left to say anything? I saw what happens to them. The masks drain them into husks."
Sayed didn''t have a response for that. His mouth was open like he would say something, but Erin had stumped him with that. If she had been arguing with one of the Mothers back at the Coven, she would have smiled at that. However, she couldn''t enjoy the victory the way things were at the moment.
"When you''re on a mission, the mission is all that matters," Erin said. "If someone falls behind, you don''t go back for them. If someone dies, you don''t bother dragging them with you. They knew what they signed up for when they took the mission. We need to leave. Now."
The words hurt to say, but she knew they were right. One of the revolution''s agents, faceless due to the mask as well as their protocols, lay dead in his house. There would have been others as well. If she mourned for every one of them, she wouldn''t be able to finish her mission.
However, it felt hollow at the same time. She had helped the agent up onto his bed instead of leaving him dead on the floor. She had stayed with Abed on Glory Plateau because of her training as a healer. She had fought together with Alex and Sayed against Maki ''the Beast,'' even when she could have run away. She had even fought the ex-Apostle Lucien in an impossible fight to buy a little bit of time for Alex.
She buried that pit deep inside of her. She wouldn''t acknowledge it because the mission was more important. It didn''t matter if it was wrong; she would do it anyway.
"What if it''s you that gets left behind?"
Erin turned as Alex spoke for the first time in a while. He had his hands in his pockets as he looked at her and was completely serious. Erin stared him back in the eyes and steeled herself. She wouldn''t falter.
"Then I would be left for dead," Erin said. "I would be tortured if I was alive. I wouldn''t give up anything. I wouldn''t hate someone for leaving me behind to finish the mission."
"I don''t know if I can agree," Alex said as he walked over to stand by Sayed. "This isn''t a story, that''s true. We''re not riding into town to save the day and reap the rewards. We were here for that book, and we got it. In any other situation, we should get out."
He reached up and patted Sayed on the shoulder. Sayed nodded down at him. Alex then approached her and took the book out of her hand. She let him because he sounded like he was agreeing with her.
"This book''s important. You''re not wrong about that, Erin," Alex said. "For Sayed and me, it''s money to live on. For your organization, whatever it is, it''s a key to greater things."
"Which is why we need to leave."
"I would be on board with that, but there''s just one problem," Alex said. "Tonight, I met a kid who has lived here for years. He''s lived on the streets surrounded by his family''s murderers. That isn''t right, and this doctor seems to be the problem. I''m not saying we shouldn''t run if things go south on us, but I am saying that kid didn''t sign up for any mission. He doesn''t deserve to live in fear. We can do something about it, and we should."
Erin immediately regretted letting him take the book from her. She didn''t like that there was suffering, and no child deserved to live like that. However, that was a problem that was bigger than she was. She couldn''t fix the world by herself. That was why she joined the revolution to begin with.
"How many lives are worth one child?" Erin asked, clenching her fist tight. "That book could save so many, and you''re risking it for one person."
"Yeah," Alex said. "If I don''t risk it for that kid, then nothing will ever get better for him."
"What about the millions of people who live out there suffering? Are you going to save all of them? The people who live in the Twelve Kingdoms who suffer under tyrants? The people who are killed by outlaws and warlords every day? What about their suffering? Why does one person matter so much when so many people are suffering out there?"
"Because there''s something I can do about it. Because I''m here right now, and I can see it."
"That''s selfish. You''re only helping him because he''s beside you. You wouldn''t do anything if he were at the heart of the Scion''s power."
"Yeah." Alex nodded, tucking the book into his duster. "You''re right. It is selfish. I will help Klaus out because I''m right here, and I can. If I don''t, things won''t ever get better. I''m not some cog in a machine with a grand goal. I''m an outlaw. I do what I want. If you don''t want to, you can run. If we die, you can pull the book from my dead body and leave us behind."
He smiled back at her as he started walking down the alley.
"I won''t hate you for that, Erin. Only you have to live your life."
As he and Sayed walked away, a shadow flitted across the entrance to the valley. A man and a child, running hand in hand, stopped in front of Alex and Sayed. They were soaking wet, and water dripped off both of them as the man caught himself on his knees and the child fell to the ground. They had been running, and they didn''t have anything left inside of them to keep going.
"Help," the man whispered before he fell to the ground.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 58 | Youre All Idiots
Alex waved over to Klaus as he assessed the situation. The man was dressed like a guard, and Klaus was with him. Neither wore a mask, which, in his mind, was the best thing about the situation. However, they were running for something, and Alex had to assume that the threat wasn''t far behind.
"We can do that. You have a name?"
"Erick," the man gasped.
"I know Klaus already." Alex smiled. "Tell us what''s going on."
"Something''s wrong with this town. Doc''s gone crazy. He''s got the Captain and the Lieutenant. They''re going to kill everyone."
Without context, it sounded like he was rambling. Alex could place ''Doc'' as the doctor Klaus had told him about. If the guard worked for the outpost, that meant he had run across Klaus and taken Klaus back to the outpost. If Klaus had told the same story to the guard, he would have reported it to his superior officer. Alex assumed that the doctor had acted and done something to the guard''s superior officers after Sayed had pulled his stunt to get the book.
It would have been very complicated to explain for a man running for his life and soaked to the bone from a swim in the bay. Alex could sympathize with being cold, wet, and confused. That was the summation of his first day on Erth.
"You cannot run forever!" a man yelled from the street. "Come back, Private Landson, and do your duty. Die to protect this town!"
Alex didn''t need the explanation because the problem was already present. He opened his gate and let electricity flow through his limbs from his heart in a pulsing, steady rhythm. The world around him lit up with all the metal forming points in his mind.
"Sayed," Alex said, walking past Klaus and toward the street. "Let''s go."
He didn''t bother with Erin because she had already made her position clear. Back on Glory Plateau, when they had worked together to escape the arena, she had been willing to work with them, but this would be a step too far. It was regrettable, but Alex fully believed that every person needed to live their own lives by their own values.
"Right, brother," Sayed said, drawing his sword from his back as they stepped toward the street.
Three figures molded out from the fog, like sculptures coming from globs of shadow. One was a large man with a strong jaw, built wide like a wall. His short-cut hair was spiked up, and he wore an open black jacket over his bare chest. Beside him was a much smaller man, though still muscular. He wore a duelist''s uniform in the same black and red and a hat with a feather resting on his head. Both of the men wore the same porcelain masks as the villagers.
Behind them was a bent old man who rested himself on a cane. He wore a dirty white lab coat and looked at Sayed and Alex through foggy glasses. The old man paused, and the two men stopped with him.
"Oh, more people to deal with. More calculations to make," the old man said as he looked over Sayed and Alex. "I suppose you two are here to stop me. ''Sword Saint'' Sayed, I believe you said your name was."
"Indeed, foul villain," Sayed said, holding up his sword and pointing it at Tanis. "I need to repay you for your trickery."
"You need to give me back my book," the man said, crossing his arms behind himself. "And who is this with you? Another ruffian."
"''Tin Man'' Ortega," Alex said, holding up his fist with a finger on his thumb and a coin balanced there. "Rail Shot."
With a flicker of electricity through his fingers, he sent the coin flying off with all the force he could push into it. It shot across the street and right toward the doctor''s head. The big guy''s meaty hand shot out faster than Alex thought possible. The coin hit his hand with a solid sound.
Thnk.
"Not much of an intellectual, I see," the man said. "A pity."
Shing. Thump.
The swordsman drew his sword, and the big man slammed his fists together before they walked forward and took on stances. Alex nodded at Sayed. They were in for a fight, and he was pretty sure the guy in the lab coat was the doctor Klaus had mentioned. Everything was falling into place.
"Captain Hawkins!" Erick came to the edge of the alley, holding onto the corner as he looked out over the eminent fight. "What are you doing? Fight off whatever that mask is. Don''t you want your promotion? Lieutenant Tanis, you have to stop!"
"Enough of this whining," the doctor said with a wave of one hand. "Eliminate all of them."
"PRO¡ª" the big man yelled as he charged Alex.
"Step." Alex jumped backward like he had taken a thousand steps instantly, disappearing into a blur as he led the man he assumed was Hawkins away.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
"Let us take this to where it began!" Sayed yelled at the swordsman and jumped to the rooftops above.
"Step." The man named Tanis disappeared after him, and they were both out of Alex''s sight.
Alex and Sayed had been working together for a few weeks, and one of the first things they figured out was that while they could fight together, it was generally better to keep out of each other''s way. Alex''s magnetism and Sayed''s sword didn''t always mix well, and they were both strong enough to fight on their own in most situations. Hence, when facing off against people, it was better if they stayed out of each other''s way.
"You''re with me, Hawkins," Alex said as the man charged at him again. "Step."
First, he would lead Hawkins away. With Tanis occupied and Hawkins fighting Alex, Alex assumed that the doctor wouldn''t be that much of a threat. He was just an old man. What trouble could he cause?
Erick watched the situation unfold with hope and horror in his heart. He had successfully gotten Klaus away from the ship, but the doctor followed him. He had run across some strangers, and they had agreed to help him, but they were outlaws. Now, he stood facing the doctor on the street from where he leaned against the alley wall. Klaus and the woman in green were behind him, and he didn''t know what Doctor Livesay could do.
"That is the problem with drones," Doctor Livesay said as he looked up into the fog. "You cannot give them too specific orders, and they are not the same as having thinking soldiers. It is unfortunate, but it is a design flaw I have yet to fix."
He seemed almost sad as he said it. Erick held his breath, and he could hear Klaus whimpering in the alley behind him. Should they run? Should they fight? He wasn''t sure, and the doctor''s confidence threw off his instincts. If he had his spear, he would be more confident.
"Oh, right," Doctor Livesay said, turning to Erick like he was just remembering the man existed. "I almost forgot about you."
A chill ran up Erick''s spine as the man advanced toward him.
"He''s going to kill you," Agnes whispered to him. "If you don''t kill him, you''ll be joining me soon."
Erick choked out short breaths. He balled up his fists. Doctor Livesay was just an old man. He was a private in the Military Police. He could take the old man. It seemed dishonorable, but this was a life-or-death situation. He stepped away from the wall and held up his fists.
"Oh, interesting," Doctor Livesay said, holding up his hands. "You wish to fight me then? Why don''t we try an experiment? Hit me as hard as you can and see if you can take me down. If you can, I will give up and let you arrest me."
"What game are you playing?" Erick asked.
"I am playing no game. An experiment is the only way to know if you are right that you can best me. I am merely allowing you to see if you are right. So please, try and hit me."
Erick didn''t like it. Everything about the situation felt off. He felt like he should run, but what was there to do? There was a town of infected people surrounding him. Captain Hawkins and Lieutenant Tanis were distracted. He would never have a better opportunity than that moment to finish everything. He closed his eyes and charged at the doctor, throwing his punch right at the doctor''s face.
Thump. Crack.
"Grah!" Erick fell to the ground as pain ripped up his arm.
He held his hand in front of his face, and it swelled and reddened. It was like he had just tried to punch a brick wall with all his strength, and the wall had punched right back. He looked up and saw that Doctor Livesay was smiling down at him.
"You should know that to achieve any minor rank, including Doctor and Lieutenant, one must know one of the Five Paths. I know the Path of Grit."
Erick knew that. He really did. Lieutenant Tanis knew the Path of Step. Captain Hawkins knew the Path of Might and the Path of Breath. Acquiring paths was hard, and he had never imagined Doctor Livesay doing any. The doctor never seemed to do anything physical; he was so old.
"Now, hold still. This will only hurt a little bit."
Crack. Snap. Rip.
Two stumps bulged up from the doctor''s back, and he leaned forward as they cracked down his body. The white coat tore under the pressure with a sickening rip, and two long clawed arms clacked at the air from the doctor''s back. They looked almost like crab legs in the dim moonlight.
"What are you?" Erick fell back, the pain in his hand forgotten as his heart tried to jump out of his chest.
"I am the next step of humanity," the doctor said as a second pair of arms cracked off of his back and pushed his body up into the air. "This is the result of my experiments with the creatures. A body to fit my mind!"
Clack. Clack.
Erick scrambled back across the cobblestones and toward the alley. All he knew at that moment was fear, and he ran from the doctor. When he reached the alley, he saw Klaus huddled next to a box and covering his body. Erick stopped as he watched Klaus.
A soldier in the Military Police, a soldier of the Empyrean, was supposed to be a hero. They were supposed to serve justice and keep the people safe. The stories Erick had heard as a child, over and over again, were of brave soldiers standing up and driving out outlaws and warlords who preyed on the weak. It was a soldier''s duty to fight for those who couldn''t defend themselves, even if they had to die trying.
"Alright," Erick whispered to himself as he turned around and stood straight.
He balled his fists tight as the doctor advanced on him, one clattering step at a time. He would stand and fight even if his spear were broken, even if he couldn''t hold his own for more than a minute. He was a soldier, and he would do his duty.
"Oh, are you ready to fight me now?" The doctor''s face cracked along lines that ruptured in his skin like a broken mask "Are you ready to face the next level of humanity?"
"I''ll take that," Erick said, spitting on the ground. "I may just be a human, but I''m not about to let someone like you hurt people!"
He charged at the doctor. The doctor swiped out with one of his claws, and it caught Erick in the chest. He flew through the air and into a wall. White flashed across his vision, and a sudden hard pain slapped across his back as he hit the stone wall of the building, and he slid to the ground.
"Ha ha ha," the doctor laughed. "Such a weakling to be spouting such high-minded ideals. What could you do in the end? You were stupid and weak, and you are where you deserve to be!"
"Why are all of you like this?" Erick had only barely noticed her before, but the woman in the green cloak walked out of the alley and looked at him, shaking her head. "Why are all of you willing to fight so hard when you know you''ll lose? Why do I want to help you?"
She pulled a bag from her pouch, and Erick saw her open the string and pull out a few small dark objects. With a flick of her wrist, she threw them at the doctor, and they clattered against his shell before falling to the ground.
"Thorn''s Grasp."
Vines exploded out from the dark objects and climbed up the doctor''s body as the woman ran past him and to where Erick lay. Green light glowed across her hands as she reached out to him, and the pain along his back and down his limbs lessened.
"You''re all idiots," she said.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 59 | A Straight Path
Sayed landed on the roof and ran down the tiles as he strapped on his gauntlet. When finished, he drew his sword again and turned on the man following him. Tanis now wore a mask but was the same swordsman Sayed had faced before. This time, Sayed would best him, no matter what. That was the appropriate conclusion for this story.
Sayed refused to open the gate that resided within his heart. The blessing of his God would aid him in this battle, but again, he did not think Tanis had access to such power. It would be unfair to burn his heat bright if Tanis could not do the same. No. He would win the fight with his skill as a swordsman because that was how warriors showed their pride.
"Now, we face each other for the final time. Let us dance in battle!"
Sayed took a wide stance, holding his khopesh up high above his head as he held out his gauntlet. He took in a deep breath as he stared down Tanis. Tanis held his sword at his side as he stood at attention on the edge of the roof. All of the man that had been there before seemed gone.
It was the mask, of course. Alex and Erin told him that the mask drove out a person''s will. It left them a puppet. With the mask on, was this really even the man he fought earlier any longer, or was he just a phantom of what he had been?
"Speak, demon," Sayed said. "Lest I defeat you without a word uttered."
"Step."
Tack. Shing.
Tanis blurred in a flash of movement, and Sayed only caught a glimpse of the tip of his sword before he could react. He brought down his khopesh beside his face, and his wrist strained against the force of the thrust as he deflected the tip of Tanis'' rapier up and away from himself.
"Demon''s Claw!" Sayed yelled and slashed up with his gauntlet''s claw.
"Step."
Tanis disappeared in a blur of motion before the claw could cut across his face, and Sayed only hit the air. Sayed regained his stance as Tanis reappeared across the rooftop from him. Sayed clenched his legs tight as he pushed against the tiles beneath him.
"Demon''s Thrust."
Tick. Clatter. Shing.
He shot forward in a line from where he started, thrusting forward with his sword. Tanis stabbed out with his own blade and directed the trajectory of Sayed''s thrust. Up and away, Sayed''s blade flew, and he had to grit his teeth to keep the sword in his hands.
At that moment, he was open, and the rapier came down in a slashing arc and cut into his shoulder. Sayed jumped back to avoid the blow, but all that did was save his arm from being slashed through. A rapier wasn''t a slashing blade, unlike his khopesh, but even it could do the job in the right situation.
"A fine blow," Sayed said, touching his shoulder with the hand that held the hilt of his sword for a moment.
His knuckles came away bloody. There should have been pain, but the beating in Sayed''s heart pushed all that away. This was a fight, a battle to the death. There was no time for pain. There was no time for suffering. There was only the thrill of the fight.
"It seems that mask has not diminished your ability to fight, even if it has taken your ability to speak freely. Fine. I will focus all my efforts on but one thing. I will free you from the demon that controls you. In the name of God and my title as Saint, I will vanquish that demon."
Tanis didn''t respond to his words, and the swordsman again took a stance. Sayed did the same, ignoring the blood that drained from his shoulder. Already, he was feeling the effects of the draining blood, but he pushed his vision together and forced his mind to focus.
He was a warrior. He would not fall.
"Demon''s Wind."
Ting. Ting. Ting.
He came at Tanis, this time not with a thrust but with a series of flashing slashes. Sayed blurred into motion, and each one of his slashes appeared to hit in the same moment as he clashed against Tanis''s blade. Six strikes made up Demon''s Wind, but only three found their mark.
"Grah." Tanis fell back from his attempt to deflect, reaching up to touch his shoulder with one hand as he held out his rapier.
Sayed smiled as he appeared on the next rooftop over behind the swordsman. In truth, he only needed one of the strikes to hit for his goal, and that one had accomplished what he desired. He turned to face Tanis across the alley between the rooftops and saw the cracked mask when Tanis turned to face him.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Deep and yellow, an eye stared out from the crack around Tanis''s mask. The skin around the cracked mask was pink and veiny but did not bleed. Sayed knew not what corruption the mask visited upon a person, but the skin around it was proof enough that it was evil.
"You must wish yourself to be free of the mask," Sayed said. "Only through your own desire can you free yourself from its power!"
Again, Tanis took his stance and faced Sayed. He appeared to ignore the break in the mask, but Sayed could see the tear flowing down from the freed eye. Sayed took on his wide stance with his khopesh held high.
"We will truly be able to fight when you are free of its control," Sayed said, smiling wide. "Only then will I be able to call you ''brother'' as you deserve for your skill."
In truth, Sayed did not know Tanis as a brother, not yet. The position of brother was reserved for people who fought with you in battle. However, if his enemy was truly the mask and not Tanis, as Sayed suspected, then they could only defeat the mask together. That meant that when the mask was defeated, Sayed would call Tanis brother when the fight was over and both Sayed and he had won against the mask.
"Line Reverse."
Tanis disappeared in a blur of movement, and Sayed watched for the tell. He needed to see the moment that Tanis struck that would allow him to guard or parry. Then, he could gain the momentum back and strike again.
Searing pain cut into his side, and he instinctively flinched away as a blade cut across his ribs. Sayed looked down and saw Tanis''s blade coming from behind him. He reached down with his gauntlet and grabbed onto the tip of the sword.
"Hah!" Sayed said as he slammed back with his fist, forgoing stabbing with his blade to strike instead with the hilt of his khopesh.
Crack. Clatter.
The sound of cracking porcelain echoed through the night as several shards plummeted to the ground. Sayed reached back as he held onto the sword and slammed down the hilt a second time. A second crack and clatter filled the night before Tanis could pull away from him with a solid kick to his back. Sayed fell forward and would have fallen down the alley to the ground below if he hadn''t kicked off from the edge and rolled onto safety on the building''s roof on the other side.
"The mask is the true enemy," Sayed said as he came to his feet from the roll and turned to face Tanis.
More of the mask had cracked, and now Sayed could see part of the man''s face. A third of the mask still covered him, but now part of his lips were exposed, as well as his cheeks. The skin was cut open and flayed like he had been whipped several times. The lips were moving beneath the smile of the porcelain mask, though Sayed could not make out what they said.
"Fight the mask," Sayed demanded again. "In the name of God, you must if you want to be free, Tanis!"
Tanis took a stance, and Sayed thought he saw the word ''No'' struggle across his lips. Sayed smiled. He was right. The mask was the problem. Whoever Tanis was beneath that mask, he first needed to break the mask if he wanted his fight.
"Line Convergence."
Sayed had not taken his stance, but he saw the strike coming. The air around Tanis''s sword appeared to blur as he thrust out toward Sayed and cut the space between them. Sayed first thought that the strikes were intended to hit him all over his body at once, and it would be impossible to block. He brought up his khopesh, but it was too late.
Ting.
The sound of the strike rang out through the air. It was not a strike of many but a strike of one. The lines of the rapier converged on one point, right at Sayed''s heart. Sayed was thrown back before he could even feel the pain. He was only saved by his gauntlet, which was now pitted on a single point from the force of the strikes.
"Not yet!" Sayed yelled as he slammed down with his clawed gauntlet into the roof, slowing himself from being thrown back. "Demon''s Thrust."
He shot forward with his sword and aimed his thrust directly at Tanis''s face. He scored his hit with a smile, and the tip of his blade sent more cracks across the swordsman''s mask. Tanis jumped back at the last moment, and more porcelain fell to the ground along his path of retreat.
"Kill me."
The words came out from Tanis''s lips as Sayed returned to a good position. Sayed raised an eyebrow. The first free words of the swordsman were to beg for death. Sayed had intended to free him from his mask, but the swordsman was begging to die.
"You would rather die?" Sayed asked, holding his khopesh high. "You only get one chance at life. Are you so willing to throw it away?"
"It''s inside," Tanis said. "I feel it wriggling inside my mind. The mask is just the shell. You''ve only freed me for this moment. Kill me while I am still me, Saint. My body may not be my own, but my mind is still here, trapped beneath that mask. Kill me as a man."
Sayed did not like it. To him, the man was giving up any hope of survival, but what did he know? A mask had never taken him. He did not know what happened when one was placed upon a person. Sayed sighed. Who was he to deny the wish of a fellow swordsman?
"Fine, my brother," Sayed said. "I will defeat you with all I am."
Inside his chest, he opened his gate. Heat pumped out from his heart and out through his chest, arms, and legs. The fire inside went through his fingers and into his blade and the claws of his gauntlets. Soon, his weapons glowed bright orange, pushing the fog around him away. With the fire of God active in his heart, Sayed held out his blade and pointed the tips of his claws at Tanis''s heart.
"You were holding back on me," Tanis laughed as tears ran down his cheeks. "Even earlier. You were holding back when you were fighting me."
"You did not appear to have a blessing as I do," Sayed said. "If you had, I would have drawn on mine to match your power. Because you did not, I did not. Such is only fair when in a good fight. Only in extreme situations will I not worry about that."
"That''s a good philosophy for people like us," Tanis said as his body marionetted into a stance. "I wish I could have fought you under different circumstances, ''Sword Saint'' Sayed."
"I wish that were also true, brother," Sayed said. "But we are not the masters of our own fates. Only God above can determine who and where we fight. We are the only ones that can determine why."
"Scions above," Tanis said through gritted teeth. "Let''s end this."
"Demon''s Thrust!"
"Line Convergence!"
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 60 | Green Whip
The power of growth twined out of Erin''s arms and out into the guard as she kneeled over him. Her gate was fully open, and between funneling energy into keeping the black thorn vines growing over the doctor and healing the man, she was already straining her limits.
It was all her stupid training from the Coven back on Erys. She wanted to leave to complete her mission, or not accomplishing that, at least not get involved in a useless fight, but she couldn''t convince everyone else around her to do the same. There were times to get involved and fight, but knowing how to pick battles was key to fighting a revolution.
Yet, she couldn''t just leave them alone. If she did, they would die. The same thing had happened to her back on Glory Plateau. When they faced Lucien, an ex-Apostle, there had been no way to win the fight. Still, she had run in and helped Alex and Sayed escape. She could have run on her own, and if she had, she might have been killed and trampled by the evacuating citizens of the island as the island itself was torn apart from the inside.
Maybe it was because Alex was lucky, but so far, every time she helped him out, it worked out for the better.
"What are these insipid vines?" The doctor clacked against the vines across from her, cutting through them and ripping them from his body in large jerks with his four crustacean arms. "They will not restrain my greatness!"
He ripped away the last of the vines, and Erin stood up from the guard. He was in no position to stand up, but she couldn''t buy any more time. She drew her dagger from her belt and reached into her bag for seeds. From what she had seen, the doctor was strong and tough. If she were smart, she would run and let him take the guard and the kid peeking out from the alley.
"Who are you supposed to be?" The doctor''s face split as he talked, revealing writhing tendrils squirming beneath it.
"''Thorn Queen'' Leah," Erin said, drawing out three black seeds between each of her fingers.
Click. Clack.
"The People''s Revolution?" The doctor''s claws pinched the air as he scuttled to the side toward the water. "I have found a few of your people in town over the years through my conversions. I have never been able to get information from them other than who they worked for. Your people are one of my potential buyers if you might be interested in my masks."
"What about this is interesting?" Erin asked as she kept the doctor in front of her. "What about taking over innocent people did you think the revolution would be interested in? We fight for people, not to take control of them. You rip out their humanity and leave them broken husks. We want to free them from the Scions and let them live their own lives."
"The goal would justify the means, in my mind," the doctor said, still maintaining his distance. "An obedient army awaits you on any island you put the masks on. With the revolution''s network, you could easily get them out to the populace and then slowly gain control. With the masses on your side, the Scions must choose between destruction or compromise."
"The Scions don''t compromise," Erin said. "If we did what you say, they would use a D.J.P."
"Hah." The doctor''s voice cracked as he laughed. "But could they do it on every island across the Twelve Kingdoms? Could they do it to the Empyrean itself if it was compromised? The Divine Judgement Protocol is not a measure to be taken lightly. The Scions want order at any cost. If they cared for destructions, Erth would be destroyed."
"Have you ever seen one?" Erin asked, leaning back on her leg with her dagger in front of her. "Have you ever witnessed a D.J.P.?"
"No," the doctor admitted, scuttling back toward the water. "I have heard stories, but I have spent most of my career stationed here."
"It takes an entire island and reduces it to ash," Erin said. "One of the Scions themselves channels enough aether to warp reality and causes the island to burn. No one survives that. Not a single person walks away."
"Again, a measure the Scions do not use lightly," the doctor said. "This is why they can be forced to negotiate."
"You don''t negotiate with gods! You either crush them, or they crush you!"
Her heart raced in her chest, but she knew she was right. The doctor knew nothing about the revolution if he thought that they would ever buy into his ideas. The revolution was one for the people, and they were looking for a way to beat the Scions. They knew the threat the Scions were to humanity. There would never be a negotiation.
"Hrm," the doctor said before looking down the street. "A pity. If the revolution is uninterested, I guess I will have to go with my second line of clients. Perhaps the Underground Lords would find my masks much more agreeable."
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Erin clenched her teeth. That wasn''t an option either. While they didn''t directly compete with the Underground Lords and their black markets, they weren''t on friendly terms either. The Underground Lords would try to overthrow the Scions just to replace the Empyrean with their own rule.
"Why are you like this?" Erin asked as she and the doctor danced away from where the guard lay. "Why are you so willing to sacrifice so many people?"
Skitter. Clack. Clack.
In the distance, down the street, a rock clattered across the cobblestone. Erin didn''t think anything of it until she took a moment to think about the doctor''s words. Something was approaching in the fog, and the doctor served as the perfect distraction.
"Ah, it is not evil, but good I seek," the doctor continued his distraction as he backed her further down the street. "I seek for humanity to grow better and stronger. To do that, I need the funding to continue my research without distractions. It matters not to me who is in control. All that matters is that I can pursue my knowledge to benefit all of us."
Tap. Tap.
Erin could hear the footsteps behind her. She was already formulating her plan. If what she guessed was right, she would soon have an army behind her as well as the doctor in front of her. She would be pinched between the two just as surely as she would in the doctor''s claws.
She tossed the seeds in her hands forward, and they clattered against the doctor''s carapace. Inside her, she reached out to the seeds with her gate and called on the vines to grow along the doctor''s body.
"Thorn''s Grasp!"
Instantly, the vines started crawling over the doctor''s body, wrapping around his claws and limbs and trying to bind them closed. The doctor immediately started cutting into the vines, but they were just a distraction. Erin stopped watching him and instead focused on the fog behind her.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of seeds. With a wide arc, she flung them out and behind her, throwing a second arc and a third to make sure the seeds were scattered all behind her. Even as she finished, the first of the shambling forms of townspeople molded out from the fog.
They came in the hundreds, though she could only directly see ten. The rest she could sense in the aether around her through her gate. They shambled forward like puppets, their movements closer to a mimicry of humanity than a human gait. If she had been a normal person, she would be terrified. However, she was an outlaw and a revolutionary, and she was prepared.
"Thorn Garden."
A wall of vines erupted up as the possessed townsfolk entered her reach. The vines crawled away from her like a slow-rising wave, covering the townsfolk as they grew higher and higher, forming a moving wall that crawled over and bound the townspeople in thorned vines.
"Impressive," the doctor said as he removed the last of the vines on him.
Click-clack.
The claw came for Erin''s head, and she ducked it by the width of a hair. The doctor was on her in an instant, his claws cutting at her at every opportunity. She only kept ahead by constantly rolling and dodging as she ran across the ground and away from the doctor. Unlike Alex and Sayed, she wasn''t good in melee. Her main ability was in strategy, not throwing punches or swinging swords.
So she ran, and the doctor chased her. The vines of her garden stopped growing as she ran, and in her fading senses, she could feel the townspeople struggling through the vines and breaking them. They wouldn''t be trapped for long, and she didn''t have a good way to hurt the doctor directly. What she needed was a way to hit back.
She considered her available plants as she ran down the street. She had her black thorn vines, but they wouldn''t be enough. There was another option that would better restrain the doctor, but she had no way to hit him hard enough to put him down.
However, she was about to take a play out of Alex''s book.
When they had met on Glory Plateau, he had come up to her in the middle of a fight to ask her what she could do. It had seemed insane at the time, but it had worked. Now, she had a piece of information she could use, but she didn''t know enough to use it. She needed the kid. She needed Klaus.
She ran back toward where the guard had been and saw Klaus kneeling beside his body. The guard whispered to him but still sat unmoving against the wall. Erin knelt next to him, even as she heard the approaching clacks of the doctor from behind.
"Klaus, I need your help," Erin said. "I need that wolf that has been around town. I need it to help me fight the doctor."
Klaus looked up at her with wide eyes but eventually managed to speak, "My brother?"
"Can you call him to help?" Erin asked. "I need him to fight the doctor."
Klaus looked very confused, but the guard reached up and touched his shoulder lightly. The guard smiled at Klaus.
"Klaus, be brave," the guard said with a smile. "That''s something we all have to be when things are scary. It doesn''t mean you aren''t afraid. It just means you''re fighting against it."
Click-clack.
"Oh, you stopped running."
From the mist, the doctor''s monstrous form emerged. Erin reached into her bag and pulled out two yellow seeds from a pouch as she turned and faced the doctor. Whether Klaus could call on the wolf for aid was out of her hands now. She could only do what she could with what she had. She took a deep breath as she faced down the doctor.
"Are you sure you want to fight this time?" the doctor asked as Erin aimed her throw. "My minions will be free of your thorns soon, Leah. When they arrive, you will not be able to defeat them all."
"Maybe not," Erin said, flicking the seeds out from her hand and to both sides of the doctor. The doctor didn''t try to dodge because the seeds hadn''t been aimed at him. The second they hit the ground, she reached out with her gate and empowered the seeds.
"Green Whip," she said as two long stalks shot up from the ground and grasped at the doctor''s claws.
Clack.
The doctor''s claws cut the first one, but the second wrapped around his chest, and the green plant did what it was built to do. It constricted around the doctor''s chest and pulled on it hard. With a silent gasp of air, the doctor was thrown back and into the ground, landing hard on his shoulders with a solid hit.
Thwack.
Erin would have smiled if she hadn''t seen what had happened before. If the doctor knew the Path of Grit, then the strike was just a way to slow him down. She reached in her bag for more seeds as what she knew proved to be true. The doctor rose from the ground on his crustacean limbs and opened his mouth in a guttural scream.
Volume 03 Thief in the NIghtmare | Chapter 61 | Full Iron
Alex led the possessed man, whom he assumed was Captain Hawkins, on a chase. The man looked like a bruiser but didn''t seem to have the speed. If Alex had to guess, based on his build, he would have learned the Path of Might first. The real question was which path he had taken to gain the captain''s rank. All captains knew two paths because that was required to gain the rank. Given that Captain Hawkins couldn''t keep up with Alex, that left three options.
The Path of Grit made the user resilient. Like fighting a stone wall or a steel hull, the Path of Grit made the user much harder to hurt. Strength and technique could break through the durability, but normal people couldn''t scratch that kind of defense.
The Path of Breath gave the user nearly endless stamina. The Path of Breath allowed the user to fight without tiring and let the user utilize techniques so efficiently that they could use step and might without tiring.
The Path of Will was the hardest to gain and the hardest to quantify. The Path of Will allowed the user to see and react to the world around them faster than a normal person could imagine. It allowed the user to intimidate and convince through their will alone and, to some extent, acted as a damper on the ambient aether around the user.
All three paths were passive, with the Path of Might and the Path of Step being the more active techniques until they were mastered. If all five were mastered, it created a monster that couldn''t be stopped. Lucien was the only one Alex ever heard of who had mastered all five paths.
Considering his fight on Glory Plateau, he was happy only to be dealing with someone who knew two. That put him on equal ground with Alex. Alex knew the Path of Might and the Path of Step. The two active ones were easier to gain, but most soldiers in the Military Police didn''t go for both.
Alex didn''t have a choice in the matter.
"PRO¡ª" a meaty fist struck at Alex, and Alex jumped back again.
"Yeah, I get it," Alex said, feeling around himself with his curse to get an idea if he was far enough away. "You want a promotion."
"Might!"
A second punch Alex hadn''t been ready for came for him, and his back hit against a wall to stop him from moving back. Alex had to give it to Captain Hawkins. Even in his controlled state, he had managed to catch Alex off guard.
Boom. Crack.
The wall beside him exploded in a shower of rock and stone. A crack erupted up the wall and down to the ground, parting it like a fault line. Alex rolled to the side, covering his head and coming to his feet in a run until he had a decent distance again. Captain Hawkins stood with his fist buried in the wall for a moment before he extricated his fist in a shower of dust and turned to Alex again.
"Okay, that''s confirmed," Alex whispered.
The only questions remaining were his second path and if he had a curse, though Alex doubted it. Despite his experiences in the last few weeks, curses were exceedingly rare. He had just been very unlucky on the last few islands.
"Step."
Alex disappeared in a blur of movement and was within the captain''s reach when he reappeared. He punched up with one fist, aiming for the captain''s jaw. As he flexed his legs, he also called in the necessary aether to do a much harder move.
"Might," he and Captain Hawkins said at the same time.
Alex''s fist connected with the captain''s jaw, and pain shot through his ribs as a meaty fist hit him in his side. Alex clenched his teeth hard to stop the scream that escaped his lips as he flew out into the air over the water.
Splash.
Cold water cut across his skin like tiny daggers as he was wrapped in the icy cold water. Alex lay in the water for a moment, floating away from the moon''s dim light above. He was stunned, but he wasn''t out. His mind was already racing as he guessed the captain''s second technique.
The Path of Breath.
It made the most sense. If Alex had been smart, that would have been his second choice to master. That was if he had a choice or the knowledge at the time. Instead, the old man in the cell next to him on August had taught him how to use ''might'' and ''step'' first.
If he hadn''t died on August, Alex would have killed him.
He took that realization as inspiration. He pushed himself out of his stunned mind and began to swim toward the surface. When his head broke the water, he saw Captain Hawkins waiting for him on the docks, except there was a large stone in the captain''s hands.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Come on," Alex groaned, ducking back beneath the water and swimming toward the shore in a rush of movement.
Sploosh.
The stone fell where he had been, and Alex thanked all the luck he had ever gained that the captain was being controlled right now. He hadn''t thought he could go toe-to-toe with a captain before this, and he was sure of it now. If the captain were acting on his own with his two paths, Alex wouldn''t stand a chance.
The second his foot touched the sand, he muttered through a hail of bubbles as more rocks fell over the water around him.
"Step."
It wouldn''t sound like that to someone else near him underwater, but that didn''t matter for the purpose of a technique. All that mattered was that it was said to direct the flow of aether through his body and do what he wanted it to do.
He disappeared from underwater, dragging the water around him with him. In a fraction of a second, he stood on solid ground, dropping the accumulated water around him and onto the cobblestones below. The captain stood down the road from him, and Alex watched him turn slowly away from the water.
"You''re really some work," Alex spat out some of the water that had gotten caught up in his lungs in the trip out of the water.
"Pro¡ª," the captain muttered in a quieter voice than before.
"Well," Alex took a stance and focused on the area around him again.
He was really regretting losing his staff back on Glory Plateau right now, so he would need to improvise. He could use coins, but they had already proven too ineffective. They were too small to carry enough kinetic force with his magnetism.
"The good news is, you''re right next to warehouses," Alex whispered as he charged toward the nearest building and kicked through the double doors with one solid kick.
Crack. Snap.
Whatever held the doors closed snapped under Alex''s strength, and he ran into the darkness inside. Behind him, he could hear the echoing footsteps of the captain following after him, but it was already too late. In his senses, Alex''s end game was revealed.
Solid pipes made of metal lined the entire area. Alex assumed they were used for some form of plumbing for the island, and he didn''t know what kind of metal they were made of, but they practically glowed in his vision as he entered the warehouse. A treasure trove of weapons for someone like him was open. He just needed to reach out and use them.
They had the weight he needed and the strength of their magnetic polarity. He reached out with a hand and tugged on the field of one of the pipes. It flew through an arc in the air and he caught it in his hands as Captain Hawkins ducked inside the warehouse.
"Alright, let''s try this now," Alex said, taking a stance with the pipe as he had with his staff, when he still had it.
"PRO¡ª" The captain charged forward at Alex, lit from behind by the moon''s dim light.
Alex charged forward and planted the staff like a vaulting pole into the ground. He flew over the captain and landed on the other side as the captain''s fist slammed hard into the ground where Alex had been. Alex swung the pipe as they spoke the word together.
"Might!"
Boom. Crack.
Thump.
The ground shattered underneath the captain''s strike, and Alex slammed the pipe hard down the captain''s back. The shock of the hit shot up Alex''s arms, and he felt his entire body shake after the hit. His attack was solid, but the captain''s body, using might, had thrown the blow back. Alex had to admit that he had forgotten about that even as a ''might'' user.
The Path of Might allowed the user to amplify their strength, and the captain certainly had a leg up on Alex in that department already. While using it, the person''s body was also temporarily swelled and stronger. That was why, when Alex pulled the pipe away, the pipe was bent in half.
"Well, imagine that," Alex said as a meaty fist swung forward and caught him in the jaw.
Clash. Clatter.
Alex hit the pipes stacked against the wall hard. As he hit the wall, Red flashed across his eyes, and pipes fell around him. He had about a second before the next blow came, and Alex only barely avoided it by pushing hard on a pipe that was against the wall.
"Might."
Clatter. Boom. Crack.
Alex flew like a rag doll into more pipes but avoided the strike aimed at his head. Again, the captain''s meaty fist cracked through a wall, this time letting more moonlight into the warehouse. Alex rolled to his feet and tried to collect himself as he gained some distance.
He was more certain now than ever that Captain Hawkins knew the Path of Breath. He had used ''might'' too many times in such a short period. Part of him was thankful it wasn''t a Path of Might and Path of Grit combo. Alex wasn''t sure if he could handle that.
"Iron Scythe," Alex whispered, reaching out with his curse and taking hold of another pipe as the captain turned to face him again.
He accelerated the pipe as it whirled in a wide arc. He hadn''t thrown it, so he hadn''t been able to give it nearly the acceleration he wanted to, but he focused on making it spin faster and faster as the captain advanced on him. Once it had arced behind the captain, Alex brought it back toward himself with a yank, bringing it down low as the captain brought his legs close together.
Thunk. Flop.
Even if he couldn''t impart a lot of force into it, and even if Captain Hawkins was a massive refrigerator-sized jarhead, no one could keep their balance if you tripped them while they had a narrow stance. The captain was thrown backward and fell to the ground, and Alex charged forward, calling more pipes to himself, seven in total.
"Time to try an oldie, but a goodie," he said to himself as he ran to the captain''s prone form, calling the first pipe into his hand. "Might."
He bent the pipe and slammed it hard into the ground around the captain''s wrist and proceeded to quickly do the same with each of his limbs and his neck with three total uses of ''might.'' When he was done, Alex fell back on his butt away from the captain and laughed. He was giddy from using ''might'' so quickly one after another, but he was also sure it would work.
He closed his gate and fell hard on the ground. He needed to take a break. He needed to sleep. Surely, the others could handle the rest. As he closed his eyes, the ground shook around him. Alex peeked one eye open and saw the captain struggling against his binds.
"Come on," Alex whispered. "That isn''t fair."
"Full Iron!"
The captain yelled, pulling against all his bonds as once as his muscles surged. It wasn''t a technique from one of the paths but one of his own personal creations. Alex''s jaw dropped as the captain broke through the pipes and sent them into two broken pieces on either side of him.
The fight wasn''t over yet, and Alex wasn''t sure he could win anymore.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 62 | Trifecta
Sayed let the heat flow out from his sword as he faced his opponent. Tanis, the swordsman, had broken through his possession but had only done so to ask Sayed to kill him. Sayed would fulfill that request but would not enjoy it. He took in a deep breath. Even without a blessing, Tanis was a formidable opponent.
"Line Convergence!"
Ting. Shing.
Sayed brought up his gauntlet and deflected the single point of the strike. In part of his mind, he reflected that the technique was excellent, but only if it killed the opponent on the first strike. After that, only striking a single point gave power but was easily parried. Tanis''s sword ran up his gauntlet and past his face.
"Demon''s Divide." Sayed swung out with his khopesh, and Tanis threw his body backward in an unnatural motion that rang with the cracking of bones.
Crack.
Sayed''s slash cut across the swordsman''s chest, but the swordsman was already out of reach. Tanis jumped back from the slash afterward, his back still bent at an odd angle. Sayed stood up straight and held his khopesh at his side as he watched the swordsman.
Crack.
"Grah!" Tanis yelled as his body corrected itself straight again.
"This demon who has possessed you is a crafty creature," Sayed said, holding his sword up. "It is making this fight as hard as it can."
"Sorry," Tanis said with a cough. "I would control it if I could."
"I just need a moment," Sayed said. "A single moment where the demon slips, and I can finish this. Can you give me that moment as a swordsman?"
Tears ran down Tanis''s eyes as he looked directly at Sayed and took on his stance again. His sword pointed out in a straight line, and his body tensed. Sayed did the same, holding his khopesh high and his gauntlet out. They faced each other across the rooftops, and Sayed held his breath.
"Line thrust!"
Sayed grunted as he took the hit. The rapier pierced through his lower chest, cutting through his body and out the other side. The pain was indescribable, but Sayed didn''t care. He needed an opening, and this was the one he could use. He just made sure that he presented the right opening that would pierce neither his heart nor his lungs.
"Demon''s Grip."
His muscles bulged as he grasped the hilt of Tanis''s sword with his gauntlet. He would not release his grip, no matter what happened now. He would force his opponent to make a mistake if he could not catch his opponent in a mistake.
Tanis looked up at him, and there was fear in his eyes. However, at the same time, the tears that flowed down his face told Sayed he was ready. Sayed held his sword up high, keeping his eyes locked with his opponent''s own. He would not look away. No matter what happened now, the swordsman deserved the honor of knowing the end of the story.
"Demon''s Divide."
He brought his khopesh down, dividing through Tanis''s skull with the strike. Heat sizzled, and light flashed as he bisected Tanis in one move, killing the mask and the swordsman with one solid blow. Sayed let go of Tanis''s hand and let the body fall away and down the roof in a steaming, burning, and bloody mess.
Ultimately, he stood on the rooftop, holding the rapier through his body as he looked down at the swordsman''s remains.
"You would have been a great tale and an honorable fight if not for your companions'' machinations," Sayed said. "If we meet again on the Crimson Fields, I will give you the fight that would bring you honor, but you must wait until I reach that place, brother."
With that said, Sayed removed the rapier from his chest. Heat burned out from his wounds to seal the cut, and he focused the same on the cut to his shoulder. His fight was over, and he had won. Now, he just needed to return to see how the others fared.
He would need the time to figure out the best way to spin the tale.
Alex stood up and reached out in his senses. If pipes weren''t going to work, and he couldn''t overpower the brute, he would have to play it smart. In his senses, he could see the buildings around him as he ran from the charging captain.
"Why couldn''t you have just gone down?" Alex complained as he ran out the door and down the street.
"PRO¡ª" Captain Hawkins crashed through the stone wall and chased after him, mere seconds behind.
Alex had tried to bind him down, hoping that being unable to move would be enough, but the captain had just plowed straight through it. Alex had spent a lot of his stamina trying that, and the fact that it hadn''t worked was frustrating.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
He needed another option. Something like a vat of molten metal he could drop down on the captain or just something that he could use to restrain the captain that wouldn''t be broken with a use of ''might.'' Again, Alex had to curse the old man who had taught him his two paths. He would have been so much better off if he had just known about the Path of Breath and learned about it back then.
He wouldn''t find a vat of molten metal. That would require an active forge, and it was late in the night on an island out in the sticks. Instead, he would need to settle on a different solution. There was plenty of metal in the warehouses around him, and he had an idea.
"Rock Barrage!"
Behind Alex, the captain yelled out, and earth and rock were ripped up and out of the ground below in large chunks. Alex only looked back for a moment before he ducked down the nearest alley. Several chunks of cobblestone road flew past where he had been and cracked out against the ground further down the road.
Every second was costing him, and he needed a plan. He ducked into the nearest building, and in his senses, he could feel something he could use. This one was a forge, and an anvil rested in the center of the room, surrounded by various implements. Alex had an idea, and it was insane.
"Pro¡ªMight!" the captain yelled from the alley, and the wall near Alex bulged out where the captain hit it.
He didn''t have long to set up. He positioned himself across the anvil from the wall and guestimated his shot. He began to push on the anvil with his magnetism, and it barely budged. He had expected that the anvil was just too heavy. It had to be at least one hundred and fifty kilograms.
However, that wasn''t his plan. He kept his magnetism focused on pushing the anvil as more of a guide as the captain hit the wall again.
Slam. Crash.
The captain came through the wall in a way that reminded Alex of old commercials for powdered drinks that no one else on Erth would understand. Alex grunted and flexed his muscles as he pushed on the anvil. He would only have one shot.
"Iron Kick."
His foot slammed hard into the anvil while his magnetic control pulled up and pushed forward on it. The anvil took off from the force of the blow and followed his strike, shooting up through the air like he had shot it out of a cannon.
Thump. Crack. Boom.
"Pro¡ªgrah!" the captain yelled out as the anvil caught him in the face.
He flew back into the wall behind him and cracked the stone from the force of the blow. Alex grunted as he forced himself back to his feet and charged at the captain. He couldn''t stop there, not if he wanted to win. Already, the captain had proven himself to take more than one hit to put down.
"Step."
He appeared beside the down captain, placing his hands on the anvil as he grunted one last time.
"Might."
He picked up the anvil and slammed it down in two quick movements onto the captain''s head.
Crack. Squelch.
Alex stood over the captain''s remains, breathing hard as he fought to keep his stomach under control. He hadn''t needed to see that, but the captain had been too strong to put him down with anything less. After a few minutes, he had his breath steady enough to walk back toward the street.
It was over. Now, he needed to check on Sayed and Erin.
Erin pulled out more seeds as figures shambled through the fog behind the doctor. Behind her, Klaus cried out, and the guard gasped. She needed help. She couldn''t beat the doctor alone, and she knew it. She could control the area, but she couldn''t put him down.
Erin flung out her seeds as the doctor charged, and vines burst around and entangled his limbs. He was getting faster at cutting himself free, so Erin kept throwing more. She focused her power on growing the vines to bind his arms, but he snipped through them with his crustacean claws.
"Enough of this." The doctor scuttled forward and swiped down hard at her, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her tumbling to the ground. "Your puny plants cannot stop me. Stay still and die slowly, or I shall find a mask to put on you."
Erin reached for a dagger, but one pincer came down and pierced into her shoulder. She cried out in pain, but no one was coming to help her. She closed her eyes. The book was in Alex''s hands now. If she died here, she deserved to be left behind.
Aroo!
Thump.
The piercing pain of the claws was ripped from Erin''s shoulder, and she was suddenly free to move. Erin opened her eyes and saw the shadowy form of the wolf that had hounded them earlier in the night, grasping large muscular arms around the doctor and pulling him back. It was closer to a wolfman than an actual wolf, but she didn''t care. She took hold of two more seeds, both yellow and threw them on the ground next to the doctor.
"Green Whip."
This was the opportunity she needed. She funneled the power of growth into the two stems, and they curled up from the ground, grabbing for two of the doctor''s arms. They flexed against him and pulled hard on his body.
Crack. Snap.
Like pulling off a crab''s arms to eat it, the two vines pulled at the doctor''s claws and tore them from his body. The doctor screamed as they were wrenched from his body, and Erin smiled. She may not have been able to break through his shell, but she could tear if she needed to. Blood spurted out from the doctor''s legs where they had been forcibly wrenched from his body.
"A second time," Erin whispered, focusing her mind on the two stalks.
The vines threw away the original arms and grabbed onto the remaining two on the doctor''s back.
"No, not like this," the doctor said. "I was supposed to be superior. My plan should have worked. I had everything I needed!"
"Green Whip," Erin said, pulling back on the legs.
Crack. Snap.
With a sickening crunch, she pulled off the final two legs. The doctor screamed again as the wolfman brought him down to the ground and held him there. It wrapped its hands around what remained around the doctor''s mouth, cutting off any further words from the doctor. Erin had a feeling that the wolf wouldn''t let go until the doctor was dead.
It didn''t take long for the doctor to spasm and stop moving underneath the wolve''s muscles. Erin took in a deep breath as the doctor moved no more. In the same instant, the fog around them disappeared as if it had never been there. Erin looked out over the wall of vines that covered the street and saw the masked townspeople still struggling against it.
The creatures still possessed them, and everything Erin had seen indicated that there was no going back. After being assimilated by the maks, the only thing that remained was a dried dead husk.
The fight was over, but it also wasn''t over. The doctor was dead, but his damage remained. She turned away from where the doctor lay and made her way over to the guard and Klaus. If nothing else, she would make sure that the two of them made it out of Cragg Hollow.
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 63 | Run
Alex sensed Sayed before the man dropped down beside him in the alley. Sayed was cut up and bruised, but he wasn''t bleeding. Alex hoped he looked better, but he doubted it. He knew he had been lucky that Captain Hawkins had been masked. Alex would have been a goner in a one-on-one fight where the man might have used some strategy with his almost endless strength.
"Good to see you, brother." Sayed slapped him hard on the back as he started walking beside Alex.
Alex almost fell over, and lines of pain shot through his shoulder and back, but he managed to keep his feet under himself. Already, his body had started working through fixing him back up to normal. He could take a hit or two from Sayed.
"You too," Alex said. "It looks like you took some nasty cuts."
"My opponent was strong." Sayed nodded, a frown cutting across his normal smile. "But he was not himself, so I was able to defeat him. If he had been like the man I faced on the roof before, I am unsure if I could have won."
Alex shook his head.
"We need to think about how we can get stronger," Alex said. "We''re nowhere near Lucien, but even captains and lieutenants can give us trouble. We''ll run into the Military Police more and more out here at some point. We won''t always be so lucky."
"Very true." Sayed nodded, a smile cutting across his face again. "Perhaps we will find it along the way in our next journey and our next island. It is only by forging ahead that we can make progress!"
Alex had to appreciate that attitude in Sayed. He had been focusing on his breathing recently in his spare time, but he hadn''t made any breakthroughs in gaining the Path of Breath. The other option was for his curse to evolve, but he didn''t know how that happened. He had only seen it when he faced off with Lucien back on Glory Plateau. He hadn''t even known it was possible before that.
"Information is what we''re missing," Alex said. "Ten years in this world, and I barely understand it. I didn''t even know it was called Erth until recently. With all these islands across the nightsea, no one seems to talk to each other. What I need to find is a library."
"Maybe Erin has access to some information," Sayed said. "She is part of an organization of some sort, is she not?"
"True." Alex sighed as they turned the corner.
In front of them, down the clear streets, townspeople shambled forward in their masks, clawing and grabbing at the air as they ran. In front of them, Erin ran carrying Klaus, and Erick, the guard, stumbled behind them. That would have been odd, but between them and the townspeople, a massive muscular wolfman made of a dark, inky substance fought through the crowd of townspeople, ripping and throwing as many as it could as it was overwhelmed.
"Well," Alex said. "We might have to deal with this first."
"Run," Erin gasped as she ran past both of them.
"What do you think, Sayed?" Alex asked.
"I do not wish to add unnecessary deaths to my blade," Sayed said, grabbing hold of the stumbling guard, throwing him over his shoulder, and running after Erin. "I say we run!"
"I don''t disagree," Alex said, turning and taking off after Sayed.
They ran for what felt like an hour, but it was probably only ten or so minutes. While the townsfolk were ubiquitous across the town, they didn''t appear to be coordinated when the doctor wasn''t part of the equation. Alex had no idea what happened to the doctor, but he didn''t have time to think about it. Instead, he focused on avoiding the mass of townspeople around the docks, and soon, they were clear of them and close to the hill that Alex had talked to Klaus on earlier in the night.
Erin sat Klaus down as soon as she got there before collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath. Sayed sat Erick down nearby and Alex found a tree to lean on as he and Sayed waited for them all to recover. He was tired, for sure, but nowhere near as pushed as he had been during his fight with Goldfist or Lucien. Those had torn him up badly.
"You guys going to be alright?" Alex asked after a while of the three of them catching their breath.
"I hate all of you," Erin groaned, rolling to get up first as green energy glowed through her body. "Why in sha-om did you think it was a good idea to take those people on instead of running?"
"Hey, we made it through," Alex said.
"And we won our battles," Sayed finished.
"What if you hadn''t?" Erin asked. "I had to fight that monster of a doctor, and he nearly killed me!"
"So you did beat him?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Now that has to be a tale worthy of being told, brother," Sayed said with a smile, clapping one hand down on Erin''s shoulder.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
"Not now, Sayed." Erin staggered but was able to stabilize herself. "We need to get out of here, now. No arguing this time."
Alex looked out over the town below. To the east, the sun was rising, and the fog was gone. It felt good for the sun''s rays to hit his skin. The one night in Cragg Hollow had been long, but it was finally over. He looked over to Klaus.
"You okay, kid?" Alex asked.
Klaus stood up from the ground and nodded to Alex before he went over to Erick and helped the man up. The guard didn''t seem to be in any position to move, and Alex realized he would have been part of the garrison at Cragg Hollow. He was with the Military Police.
"Thank you all for getting us out of there," Erick said, looking between the three of them. "What happened to the others?"
"Dead," Alex said.
"Tanis fell to my blade," Sayed said next.
"You killed them?" Erick''s breath came in a stuttered gasp. "Did anyone survive but Klaus and me?"
"I''m not sure," Alex said, looking out over the town.
"If they have a mask on, they''re already gone," Erin said. "I''ve seen what the masks do to a person. In order to control them, they have to penetrate into the brain. While a person can gain control in some ways, I think that is temporary."
"Tanis did ask me to kill him after I cracked away the mask, and he did not seem in control of himself," Sayed said after a moment.
"One of our people was able to rip his off but died right after," Erin said. "I don''t see any hope here."
"What''s that?" Alex pointed out over to the bay.
A massive slipship with light sails concentrated on its back rose from the bay, floating high above the waters as it shed water down below. If Alex remembered right, it was the ship that had been beside the wrecked one in the bay and was definitely a ship of the Military Police.
"That''s the Little February," Erick said, rising to his knees and looking out over the bay. "It''s coming this way."
The ship floated toward them, and as it grew closer, Alex saw soldiers looking out over them with binoculars. He didn''t see any masks on them and saw a few waving down to them on the hill.
"Looks like you have a ride," Alex said.
"I thought Doctor Livesay killed them," Erick said. "He must have left them to come after me when I ran away."
"Well, there''s your hope, Erin," Alex said. "Though, I don''t want to be around when a slipship full of Military Police comes around."
"No need for another fight this morning," Sayed agreed.
"We''re still going to talk after this," Erin said, standing up and taking a deep breath.
"Who are you people?" Erick asked as Klaus helped him stand. "You showed up out of nowhere and killed all my officers. Now you''re running."
Alex looked him over, but the guard looked too tired to even think. He had probably forgotten they they had already introduced themselves, and the welling bruises on his head told Alex that he might have hit his head.
"We''re outlaws," Alex said with a smile. "And we got what we came here for. Getting you and Klaus out was just something that happened along the way."
"Outlaws?"
"''Tin Man'' Ortega." Alex smiled, clapping the man on the shoulder as he walked away.
"''Sword Saint'' Sayed." Sayed did the same behind him before following.
"Idiots," Erin said as she followed after them.
The ship lowered down a rope ladder when it was close enough, and Alex made sure that he saw Erick climb up the ladder with Klaus before he turned back to Sayed and Erin. They stood in the shadows of a nearby building as the ship rose and flew away from the island. Now, they just needed to settle things between themselves.
"So, let''s solve this now," Alex said, taking the book out of his duster''s pocket.
It was still in one piece, a metal rectangular cube with a red button on its front. Alex looked it over in his hands as the three of them stood in the shadow of the building. It seemed like a small thing to be worth so much money.
"When I hit the button earlier, it didn''t open at all," Erin said.
"Yeah, access denied." Alex ran his finger across the cover. "If we turn it over now, you won''t be able to get any information out of it."
"But that is the end of this quest," Sayed said, crossing his arms. "Unless we wish to betray our client."
"It says it''s a logbook, but it isn''t much of a book at all," Alex said. "You can read a book. To me, this seems closer to a computer."
He hit the button, expecting the same message Erin had heard earlier that night. However, the book did nothing of the sort. Instead, it beeped and glowed with a blue light.
Beep. Beep. Authorized user detected. Beep. Beep.
A single circle opened up in the book''s center, and a lens popped up from inside. Light projected in a cone from that lense, and several numbers flickered across the air above the book. Alex nearly dropped it, and Erin immediately came in close to look at the light.
"Shades," she whispered as she read the numbers. "Those are coordinates."
"Well, that''s surprising," Alex said as the light flashed again, showing the image of a face before flickering off.
The lens closed on the book, and the light left it. The logbook lay silent in Alex''s hands. Erin looked between him and the book like he knew what was happening. Alex, of course, had no idea what was happening. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Let me try it," Erin said, pressing the button.
Beep. Beep. Unauthorized user detected. Beep. Beep.
"Now you," Erin said.
Alex pressed the button, and the book repeated that he was authorized and displayed the coordinates again. When it was finished, Erin''s face was twisted in confusion. It looked like she was trying to make sense of something, but there were no connecting threads.
"Why would you be an authorized user?" Erin asked.
"No idea," Alex said.
"Maybe I should try," Sayed said, reaching out and touching the button.
Beep. Beep. Unauthorized user detected. Beep. Beep.
"This doesn''t make any sense," Erin said, tapping her chin.
"Nothing has made any sense since I came here." Alex sighed. "What''s more important is what we should do about these coordinates and if we should keep the book."
"You keep saying ''we,''" Erin said, shaking her head. "We''re not working together."
"What do you mean?" Sayed asked, reaching down and hugging the three of them together. "We have fought together twice now and are brothers. We should go after this place together and continue the adventure. What else is there to do?"
Erin''s grumpy face was right next to Alex''s, but he couldn''t help but smile. Sayed had a point. They had already worked together for two islands now, and he didn''t doubt that Erin would want to tag along for a third island. Giving back the book could wait. He wanted to know where it went just as much as Erin seemed to.
Sayed put them both on the ground after a few moments, beaming a bright smile with his hands on his hips.
"We''ll go for it," Alex said, shaking his head at Sayed. "Do you want to come with us, Erin?"
Erin let out a sigh, raising her hands in defeat. "Fine, but don''t make me regret this."
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 64 | Divine Light
Pop.
Erick held Klaus''s hand as the Little February passed through the bubble that separated Cragg Hollow from the nightsea. Islands of light glowed around them in a sea of darkness, small trails of wispy light stretching out from a few in the distance and toward the slipship. Erick''s breath caught in his throat as he looked out into that empty sea. Every time he saw it, awe welled up in his chest.
"Look, Klaus, that''s all of Erth stretched out around us," Erick said, dropping to one knee.
Around him, soldiers went about their work. They would be anchored by the island for a few days while waiting for backup. Messages had already been sent out in a smaller ship the day before. Someone would come along soon, and they needed to make sure nothing escaped the island until that point.
Erick picked Klaus up and walked him over to the end of the ship as they pulled away from the bright light of Crag Hollow''s bubble to a safe distance. Once they were there, soldiers threw out anchors, black balls that floated out in the emptiness of the nightsea.
"Activate!"
With the command and a few flipped switches, the balls arrested their lazy floating, and soon, the ship pulled against all four chains on all sides of the ship. The anchors would ensure that they would not float away as they waited.
Klaus held onto his chest, and Erick rocked him.
"It''s alright, Klaus," Erick said. "We''ll have you on a different island soon enough. You won''t have to worry about Cragg Hollow ever again."
"Look!" one of the soldiers yelled from the rails.
A single small ship exited the bubble in the distance. Erick sat Klaus down on the deck and borrowed a pair of binoculars from a nearby soldier. The ship was of an odd design. Small sails jutted out from all four sides of the ship, and it looked built for speed and nothing else. It looked closer to a metal tube than a ship, with a small deck reaching out from the back.
On the deck, he saw the two men who had fought to rescue him looking up at the Little February and waving. The bigger man waved with both arms, while the smaller one waved only one hand. Erick smiled. They had made it out and were on their way.
"They''re not townsfolk," Erick said as he felt tears falling down his cheeks. "Leave them be. They''re not carrying masks out with them."
There wasn''t really much of a command structure left without the captain and lieutenant. The next in line for command was the second lieutenant, but he had died at some point during the night as well. Erick didn''t think they could catch up with the tiny ship if they wanted to anyway, as he watched it speed off into the night.
Days passed, and he helped Klaus around the ship day to day like he was caring for a son. It wasn''t until the third that he noticed Agnes hadn''t appeared or whispered to him once. Taking care of Klaus had just been so distracting that he hadn''t noticed at all.
They ate, slept, and rested, all while watching Cragg Hollow to ensure no ship escaped.
On the third day, a slipship arrived.
"Dreadnaught to port!" the lookout''s yell woke Erick from his nap belowdecks.
He managed not to fall out of his hammock and poked Klaus awake as the kid slept beside him. He and Klaus had been inseparable since the island, and Erick was uncertain exactly what he would do with the kid. He remembered the figure back in the home that had found Klaus in. Klaus''s brother was still down on that island.
"Come on, kid," Erick said as Klaus opened his eyes. "Let''s go see a dreadnaught."
He helped Klaus out of the hammock before getting out and changing into his uniform. He made sure he looked presentable enough in the lantern light belowdecks before walking up with Klaus. Klaus still rubbed at his eyes as Erick walked him over to the railing.
The dreadnaught was easily the size of a small island on its own. The length of it cast a shadow over the Little February, and Klaus gasped beside him as it came to a stop. Long-barrelled guns and cannons stuck out in all directions from the ship, and it lacked the outside lodestones that most ships had. The reason for this was the ship was built around a massive lodestone. Instead of placing many on the outside, it was just a singular lodestone dug into to make places for troops, a bay for smaller ships, and weapons. It could never enter an island on its own, but it wasn''t built to. Instead, it was an island in itself.
"We have incoming," a soldier on the rail said as he looked through his binoculars.
From the ship, even to the naked eye, a line of purple lighting sparked out and through the space between them. It jumped between points repeatedly, zigzagging its way toward the ship. Erick knelt next to Klaus as fear gripped his stomach. He didn''t think the Military Police would kill their own, but he didn''t know what kind of weapon that could be.
Crack. Boom.
Lighting struck the deck, and a bright light flashed across his vision. He tried to shield Klaus from it, and Klaus whimpered in his arms. It would be a horrible fate for them to survive the horror of Cragg Hollow only to die out on the nightsea.
However, he did not die, and after a moment, he looked out into the normal light. A woman stood where the lightning had flashed, dressed in a flowing black and red robe. Her dark skin steamed and hissed with the ambient heat of the lightning as she put her hands on her hips. Her long, curly black hair was streaked with lines of purple, and she looked over the gathered soldiers with glowing eyes.
"Report," she said.
Erick had heard rumors, as all who served in the Military Police had. The three strongest people in the Military Police, the commanders who ran the three largest ships in the entire fleet, were known by name and reputation. The first was the Chief of the Ground, a mighty giant of a man who could cleave mountains with his steps alone. The second was the Chief of the Sea, an old man who belied his strength with the subtlety of dark water. The third was the Chief of the Sky, who came in a lightning bolt and rained down destruction on the foes of the Empyrean.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
"Sir!" every person on the ship stood up to salute, even Erick, because their lives depended on it.
"Report!" she said again, her tone unyielding.
"We are the survivors of Cragg Hollow," Erick said without thinking. "The outpost has been compromised, and we have the only known survivor."
"What happened?" the Chief of the Sky approached him, and he felt small even though he was taller than her.
"Doctor Livesay had these masks," Erick said, forcing his thoughts together. "He used them to take control of the townspeople, and he used the masks to take control of Captain Hawkins and Lieutenant Tanis. When his plot was discovered, he tried to eliminate the entire garrison. We are the survivors."
"Your name and rank?"
"Private Erick Landson," Erick said.
"And who is this?"
She knelt next to Klaus and smiled at him. Erick felt Klaus grip the legs of his pants tightly as Klaus tried to hide behind his leg. For a moment, Erick was lost on what to say, but a quick look by the Chief of the Sky silenced him.
"He is a survivor," Erick said. "I made sure that he was safe when I discovered him in town."
"Hello, child," the Chief of Sky said. "Do you have a name?"
"Klaus, ma''am," Klaus whispered.
"Did my soldiers take good care of you?"
"Yes, ma''am," Klaus whispered again.
"Good," she said before standing up. "Tell me, Private Landson, do you know about any logbook?"
"We discovered one on a ship that crashed into the port," Erick said, still maintaining his stance at attention. "Captain Hawkins sent out a report on it. The last I knew, it was in his possession."
"And it should still be on the island?" she asked.
"It should be," Erick said. "None of us left with it."
She asked him more questions, and he told her as much as he could. He didn''t mention the outlaws, mainly because he wasn''t sure he should. They had saved his life, and he was the only one alive who had met them. He felt he owed them something for that. When he was done, the Chief of Sky seemed satisfied and walked away from him toward the railing.
"Good," she said, reaching down and pulling a stone from her pocket. "On my name, Adhira Arya, the Chief of Sky, I will initiate the Divine Judgement Protocol."
"Sir," Erick said, his stomach churning. "What is happening?"
"From what I understand," Chief Arya said, crossing her arms across her chest. "There was an unknown threat on that island that took out a captain and a lieutenant. On top of it, there was a forbidden object there as well. The entirety of the Empyrean will sleep well tonight, knowing that they will face no threat from either after today."
Erick relaxed his stance at attention because he didn''t understand what was happening. There was a dreadnaught right above them, and there was a chief right next to him. He thought they may have gone to the island to save the people there, but instead, she had called for a D.J.P.
"You look confused, private," Chief Arya said. "What''s wrong?"
"I don''t understand," Erick said. "There are people down there."
"Those people are already dead, from what you tell me," Chief Arya said, blowing up one of her long bangs as she put her stone away. "I will not risk my soldiers trying to retake the town, nor do I want to risk spreading the infection. Destroying the logbook is just a bonus on top of that. No one needs the knowledge that the book contains, Private."
Bzzt. Hiss.
Purple electricity arced out from her finger as she left no more room to argue. She pointed it down at the deck, making quick work of drawing lines in a pattern. Twelve interconnected lines in the shape of a star were burned onto the deck, and the smell of burning wood cut into Erick''s nose. She finished the symbol by connecting the twelve points of the star into a dodecagon and placed a final dot in the center of the symbol. Erick recognized the symbol, and a chill ran up his spine.
"You." Chief Arya pointed to one of the men, who immediately saluted.
"Yes, sir!"
"Are you ready to serve?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Then step into the circle."
He did so without complaint, standing in the circle at attention. Sweat poured down the man''s face, and he was shaking. Erick didn''t know what was about to happen, but he couldn''t stop it. He reached down and covered Klaus''s eyes.
"¨~¨~ ¨~ ¨~¨~ ¨~¨~. ¨~ ¨~¨~ ¨~ ¨~¨~¨~ ¨~¨~¨~. ¨~ ¨~¨~ ¨~¨~. ¨~¨~ ¨~ ¨~¨~¨~¨~ ¨~."
He didn''t understand a word of the language, but it burned into his mind. The words told him to be afraid. The words told him to bow. The words told him that he was nothing.
Dark tendrils climbed from the circle, wrapping around the soldier. Erick watched in horror as the man was dragged beneath the circle, screaming the entire way down. He tried to cover Klaus''s ears, but he was frozen on the spot as the man disappeared.
A humanoid figure in white armor rose in the soldier''s place, easily standing twice as tall as any of the men on the ship. Erick couldn''t think, speak, or move. He could only watch as the armored figure stepped forward and out of the circle. In his hand was a massive hammer, the head made of silvery metal with two ram''s heads in place of the ends.
"¨~ ¨~ ¨~¨~ ¨~¨~. ¨~ ¨~?"
The voice rattled through Erick''s head like a bell, and he knelt next to Klaus, covering the boy from sight. Never in his life had he seen one, but he knew what the armored creature was. Buried in his mind, he knew it was a Scion.
"That island is a threat to the Empyrean," Chief Arya said, bowing. "It must be destroyed."
The Scion looked down at the island before walking to the edge of the railing and raising his hammer. As he raised it, the light of a burning sun lit at the head of the hammer. Spots flitted across Erick''s eyes as he stared directly into them. This was a D.J.P. Divine Judgement Protocol.
"You all are ordered to cover your eyes. If you don''t want to go blind, that is the best option. Ignore anything you hear or see for the next few seconds. It will all be over soon."
Erick saw light lance forth from the hammer. He closed his eyes tight as the light burned bright behind him. He had no idea what would happen, but Klaus didn''t deserve to see any of it. The Divine Judgement Protocol was something that no one should have to witness.
Zap. Boom.
The ship shook beneath his feet as he held onto Klaus. It was like being in a heavy storm with no protection. His body was pushed this way and that, but Erick held onto Klaus. No matter what, he wouldn''t let go. A deafening scraping noise assaulted his ears a final time as the ship leaned heavily to one side before the anchors corrected the ship''s tilt and brought it back down.
"Alright, it''s done," Chief Arya said, and Erick looked up to where Cragg Hollow had been. "The Judge has saved us all. Be sure to keep him in your prayers tonight."
The armored figure, along with Cragg Hollow, was gone. Instead of a glowing bright light in the nightsea, there was just a cloud of dust, rock, and dirt, slowly spreading out in all directions from where Cragg Hollow had been. There was not a single sign that there had been an island there. All of the people who had lived there were gone in an instant. No sign of the Scion remained either, only a fading cloud of black smoke at the edge of the railing.
"Prepare to join my ship," Chief Arya said as purple lightning scattered around her. "Pull up your anchors, and we''ll take you to the nearest bay."
Crack. Boom.
She arced back into the nightsea in a flash of lightning, zigzagging a path back to her dreadnaught. Erick fell to his knees beside Klaus and felt Klaus wrap his tiny arms around his shoulders. Erick struggled to breathe, but he managed to rub Klaus''s back.
"It''ll be okay," he whispered words he didn''t mean. "We''re the good guys."
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 65 | Lord Bacia
Tania walked slowly down the alley, keeping an eye behind her after every step to make sure she wasn''t followed. Once she was satisfied, she pulled a golden key from her pocket and walked to the nearest door. She entered it into the keyhole and rotated it once, twice, and then a third time before she opened the door. Green light filtered out through the cracks, and she stepped inside quickly, closing the door behind her as she stepped onto the stone floor of the Underground.
"Welcome back, Mistress Tania." A man wearing a blue uniform and holding a spear bowed to her as she stepped into the glowing light of the stones that lined the tunnel.
"It is good to be back," Tania said immediately as she walked past the guard and down the tunnels.
The light at the end of the barren walls of the tunnels grew and grew until they came out to the cavern below in a burst of light. A spacious cavern stretched out before Tania, the roof and wall stretching so far out that they were hidden in darkness. Below her vantage point, cut smooth by the hands of people more ancient than she, stretched the stone structures of a city, the entire system aglow with light provided by the same stones that lighted the tunnel.
"It is good to be back, Undertown," Tania said, gathering her cloak around her as she descended the steps down to Undertown below.
She made her way close enough to the city that she could catch a carriage. A rotting man, wearing a cabbie''s hat and uniform, tipped his hat to greet her as she got in. She didn''t ask his name. He was drim and lesser than her.
"To the Apex," she said, putting a coin in his outstretched hand and leaning back in her covered carriage behind.
"Tck, Tck." The cabbie pulled on his reins and set his horses into motion.
The rotting corpses that used to be horses whinnied as they pulled the cart forward, and it shook and bumped as it went down the road into Undertown. For a while, Tania was sure she would be spared any attempt at conversation, but the rotted drim looked back at her with a toothy smile that revealed the rot underneath.
"You''re out late tonight, m''lady," he said. "Back from a visit to the Real?"
"I think that would be obvious," Tania said, looking out to the streets as they entered Undertown proper.
Drim and humans alike wandered the streets of Undertown, for the Underground was beneath all islands in the nightsea. To most, it was merely a legend, but to people like Tania, it was home. She even thought she spotted a winged argent in the crowd at one point. Had that been a zoa speaking with a fishfolk? Every time she returned to Undertown, she noticed more and more of the different people there. Would they have giants running around next? Not that they would fit easily in Undertown.
"Too true, m''lady, too true." The cabbie laughed ghoulishly. "I always like to hear news from the Real. I left my friends back in the mines when I found Undertown, so I always want to find out how things are going topside."
"''Things'' are much the same as they always are," Tania said. "The People''s Revolution makes small plays against the Scions, and the Scions push them back every time. The Old World operates in ignorance of the New World, even as it enjoys the various imports from unknown places. The balance of power is maintained, and we thrive because of it."
"Don''t think I don''t appreciate that fact," the cabbie said, spitting down on the street as the carriage rolled to a stop at stopped traffic in front of them. "I appreciate that I can work here for a wage and live a life, or unlife, I guess."
Yet, he insisted on talking with her and bothering her with his problems. He was a drim, and she was human. Protocols were to be followed for a servant class like the drim. Tania feigned to entertain his fancy, though. They would be in traffic for a while.
"What kingdom did you serve in?"
"Why, the Empyrean itself in the mines," the cabbie said. "Worked day and night cutting away at lodestone and shipping it out to the people up above. Didn''t fancy I would fall through the world and down here. Luckily, I was drim and not human. Otherwise, I would have died from the fall. Can''t kill what is already dead!"
"I imagine that is one benefit," Tania said as she focused on anything but the cabbie.
"The only problem with Undertown is the traffic, really." The cabbie cackled. "I''d trade my left eye for a way to fly over all of it to get my fares done and home sooner. "
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Wuh-pssh.
Her cabbie cracked a small whip as the line in front of them began to move, and the carriage was on its way again. He was thankfully silent for the next few minutes, and soon, they were at her destination, the Apex. When they stopped, Tania stepped out onto the solid stone sidewalk, and the cabbie turned to her before she walked away.
"Have a good day, m''lady," he said, tipping his hat again before he rode off.
Tania shook her head and wiped off any filth from her robes that may have touched her. Once she was finished, she looked up at the building where she had been dropped off. It towered above her. If there had been a sun, it would have created a massive shadow over the entire city around her. However, the glowing stones that ran up the side of the building gave off its own light all around it, like all of the buildings in Undertown. She could already see her boss at the top of the towering building, looking down at her through the glass window, still a shadow except for the light of his cigar.
She quickly made her way up the stairs of the Apex and inside. Her boss was not a man to keep waiting.
She rode the lift up to the top floor of the Apex and stepped out quickly. Her boss''s office was at the end of the hallway, and she quickly made her way down the hallway and to the door. She opened the door to a dark room lined with shelves full of various jars with different items suspended in a liquid. All of them were in various states of decay.
Wooh. Pah.
"Welcome back, Tania," a line of smoke curled up and away from a man sitting at a desk, hidden by the room''s shadows.
Tania''s back tensed as the voice cut through her. Unfortunately, she had terrible news, and her boss did not like bad news. She needed to phrase her words carefully, or she might not leave the office alive. She took in a deep breath, and the fumes that filled the room caused her to cough.
"Take your time, Tania," the man said, leaning back on his chair and putting his black dress shoes on the table. "We have all the time in the world."
From a normal person, that would have put Tania at ease. However, she knew her place. This was an Underground Lord, a criminal boss in Undertown who had connections all over Erth. The nightsea was just one arena for power to this man, and a single word could have her in a black bag by the end of the conversation.
"Lord Bacia," Tania bowed after clearing her throat and gathering her courage. "I have to make my report."
"You do," a white, toothy smile lit up the room for a moment before it was again replaced with the singular glowing ember of Lord Bacia''s cigar.
"I sent out ''Tin Man'' Ortega to find the logbook, as you requested, a week ago. He has not reported back to Last Port since then."
Lord Bacia took a deep breath, and a line of smoke shot up through the dark room. Tania took a moment to gather her breath again. There was more, and the entire situation was about to get a lot worse. She kept her hand on the door handle because her first instinct was to run.
"Go on," Lord Bacia stood up from his desk.
His cigar was the only thing marking his movements into the deeper shadows of the room as he went over to one of the shelves. Each step echoed in the silent room. Tania pushed down her racing heart. She wasn''t responsible for the problem. She was just reporting it.
"From my sources, the logbook was either destroyed on Cragg Hollow, or he took the book and ran," Tania spit out the words as quickly as she could like they were poison. "We have no idea where he could be."
Wooh. Pah.
Another deep breath in and another exhalation of smoke rose from the shelf as Lord Bacia picked up one of the jars and held it closer to the light. His dark hands were revealed in the dim light of the glowing stones as they held the jar.
"You think I blame you," Lord Bacia said, chuckling.
An itch scratched at the back of Tania''s throat, and she had to force herself not to cough. The room was growing more and more noxious by the second, and her lungs burned to take a breath of air. Even with the door open, the acidic stench of the room was overpowering.
"I only do, insomuch as you bear the blame, but honestly, most of it lies on myself," Lord Bacia said, setting his jar down on the shelf and turning to her.
He approached her slowly, step by step, and his shoes clicked on the floor with each step.
Click. Tap. Click. Tap. Click. Tap.
Lord Bacia practically towered over Tania. Again, his teeth flashed white in the darkness before they were replaced with his cigar''s glowing embers. Tania trembled. She could run. Maybe she would make it down the hall, but part of her knew the truth. She was far too late for that.
"You see, it was my decision to try my hopes on this ''Tin Man'' Ortega. It was my choice to put out that trust, not yours. I''m the one who should be punished, not you, Tania."
He raised one hand into the air in front of her, palm facing himself. From the darkness, he produced a long curved knife, and in a single stroke, he cut through his hand and sent it falling to the floor in a mess of blood. Tania flinched back from it, but the blood shot out on her clothes.
Hiss.
"Ahh!" Tania screamed as the blood burned through her clothes and through her skin.
She fell to the floor, only to find a puddle of burning liquid there, too. The hand was gone, but the puddle remained. She rolled out of it, but it was too late. Already, it had eaten at her skin and her clothes. Like a fire across the skin, the burning liquid spread.
Lord Bacia had a reputation in Undertown. He was neither a man to be trifled with nor disappointed. He had the same cutthroat attitude as any of the Underground Lords, but he also was a man with a plan. Messing with his plan in any way would put a target on a person''s back. He paid well. He had his means, but mistakes ended in death.
"I''m sorry," Lord Bacia said as Tania pressed herself against the wall. "You see, I tried to make myself pay, but look, my hand is just back where it left off, good as new. Because I can''t punish myself, I guess I can only deal with you."
Tania screamed again and again in that office as Lord Bacia reduced her to nothing, bit by bloody bit. The last words she heard before she knew no more was the sentence Lord Bacia said often to those he had to kill.
"What part of you should I keep to remember my failure?"
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 66 | Revenge is Best Served Cold
Erin tapped the red button on her console and opened the line back to her headquarters after entering a few choice numbers on her keypad. She waited in silence for the transmission to cross the nightsea and return. Outside, she could hear Alex and Sayed sparring.
Thump. Thwack.
"A good blow, brother!" Sayed yelled. "But you are far too slow! Demon''s Thrust!"
Slam. Crunch.
"Alright, that wasn''t fair," Alex said.
"Fair is irrelevant." Sayed laughed.
The sound of their fight was muted through the door, but she could still hear them well enough to make out what they said. They had been fighting in sparring matches for the last few days, and she was happy they hadn''t destroyed the ship in the process.
Click. Beep. Beep.
The red button on her console glowed, and Erin pressed it. From a speaker on her console, a scratchy voice leaked out. There was a lot of static, as there always was, but she could still hear the voice. The technology to communicate across vast distances using fluctuations in aetheric waves was still new.
"Report. Over."
"I''ve recovered the logbook and joined up with ''Tin Man'' Ortega," Erin said. "The logbook gave us coordinates that I''ve been able to decipher, and I know the location it is pointing to. Over."
Static hissed across the speaker, and Erin waited. She could only communicate so much at a time and needed confirmation that the other side received it. After a few moments of silence, the voice returned to the line.
"Where is the location? Over.
"That''s the crazy part," Erin said, tapping her finger on the console. "Boss, it is right in the middle of Death''s Yard. Over."
Again, another pause gave Erin time to gather her thoughts. Death''s Yard was a ruined portion of the nightsea where accidents were common. Storms raged across that part of the nightsea, and it was right in the middle of a massive debris field. Rumors had it that several islands in that region were destroyed suddenly and without warning. All that was left were their remains.
Ships didn''t come back out from Death''s Yard. That was where they went to die.
"What secrets might lie there?" The voice crackled over the speakers. "Such a horrible place to try and go, but what better place to hide a secret? Is it your intent to follow the coordinates? Over."
Erin licked her lips. It was a promising possibility, but there was so much risk attached. She didn''t think her ship would survive the trip to begin with. It was so small that it might be ripped to shreds just by the debris field. According to the stories, that wasn''t accounting for the storms or the various other monsters that supposedly roamed there.
Granted, how did the stories come back to be stories if no one ever returned?
"Ortega wants to try it, and ''Sword Saint'' Sayed is backing him up," Erin said. "If my mission is to keep an eye on them and the logbook, I will have to go in. Over."
Part of her wished that her boss would recall that mission, but she knew the chance of that. After she had reported that Ortega was an artificially created curse user, her boss had made clear in no uncertain terms that she had to keep track of him. Anyone in the People''s Revolution had orders to send information on ''Tin Man'' Ortega back to their superiors. She had just been unlucky enough to actually run into him.
"That is your mission priority. We don''t have the resources to force Ortega to come in, and if we did, he might do to us what he did to August. He is safer being watched. If he accomplishes tasks that align with our own goals, even better. Over."
Erin sighed. There went that hope. She looked over to where the logbook lay on the console beside her. How easy it would have been to just run away with the logbook and give the job to someone else. She preferred to work on infiltration and stealth missions, not getting directly involved.
"How is my garden doing? Over," Erin asked.
"Being watered daily by the initiates." She could hear the smile in her boss''s voice. "You''ll have more seeds at your disposal when you come back, and if you need any more, we can get them shipped to you. Over."
That was good. If there was one thing that Erin was proud of after she came to Erth, it was her garden. She had plants from all the places she visited there, vines and flowers, and everything else that caught her eye. In part, it was from her training as a healer. Plants of all kinds have always had a use in medicine. However, in a more selfish part of her, she wanted them because they were nice to have. That was something she kept strictly to herself.
"Anything else you need from me, boss? Over." Erin asked.
"Just be safe. Over." Her boss chuckled softly over the line before the sound cut out.
Click.
Erin smiled as she hit the red button one final time and ended the communication. She knew better than anyone that the revolution had good people in it. They may have to make hard choices sometimes, and the mission always came first, but they were good people.
She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. She was going to be stuck with the two insane men who were currently actively damaging her ship with their antics for a while. If she were lucky, their brashness would sort itself out, and she could escape. If she wasn''t, they might take her down with their decisions someday.
Stolen novel; please report.
"It is for the mission," she told herself as she stood and went to the door.
"You did good, brother," Sayed said, reaching a hand down, and Alex took it.
"That kick wasn''t fair." Alex shook his head as he brushed off the remnants of a crate from his body and took a deep breath.
That was one other crate that wouldn''t be a problem for their living space on the ship, but in Alex''s mind, the entire place was just too small. He couldn''t fault Erin for that, but they needed a bigger ship if they would go forward together. For Sayed''s sake, if no one else.
How does a person tell a friend they need to get a better apartment so they can all be roommates? That was the closest analogy Alex could think of, but then it raised the question of whether Erin was his friend yet. He brushed that off.
"Again?" Sayed asked, taking a stance.
Click.
The door to the inside of the ship answered that question, and Erin walked out from the deck through the now open door. For a moment, the three of them stood on the deck, the ambient quiet of the nightsea wrapping around them.
"How did you mysterious bosses take the news?" Alex asked with a smile.
"They told me I''m stuck with both of you." Erin''s mouth drew a thin line. "Unfortunately, we don''t have the resources to send anyone else out here."
"So, we''re going together?" Alex asked.
"Three brothers on a grand adventure." Sayed laughed, drawing himself up to his full towering height and spreading his arms wide. "What sights will we see? What stories shall we forge? There is no limit to what we can do together!"
"Yes," Erin answered Alex''s question, ignoring Sayed.
"Alright," Alex said. "Now, you said something about a ''yard of death''?''"
"Death''s Yard is where the coordinates point to," Erin said, walking over to the deck railing and looking out over the darkness of the nightsea. "That''s the first problem we have. We need a way to get in there. This ship isn''t going to be good enough to survive entry."
Alex nodded as she spoke. That would be a problem, which would also solve their space problem. Who was he to not go along with a solution that fixed multiple things at once? The question was, what could solve the problem?
"You''re implying that there exist ships that can survive in it," Alex said, going over to the railing, leaning with his back against it, and propping himself up on his elbow.
"The Military Police''s ships are built for the toughest places," Erin said. "If we could get our hands on a cruiser class ship, that might be able to get into Death''s Yard and survive the debris field. They also have some shielding technology that would push back against the debris. They are large but not as big as a destroyer or a battleship, so we could pilot one together. I just don''t know how we can get our hands on one. They destroy ships when they decommission them."
"I mean," Alex said, looking over to Sayed. "When you can''t get it the legal way, there''s always a second option. We could just hijack one."
Erin turned to him with wide eyes. He didn''t think she hadn''t thought of that option, but it was more like the option itself was too dangerous to consider. Alex smiled back, doing his best to feign that he wasn''t worried about it.
"That''s insane," Erin said, shaking her head.
"All we need is one, right? We find one that isn''t being watched properly and steal it. If we pull off the job right, we get the ship and can use it while no one is the wiser. It''ll increase our bounties if they find out, but it isn''t like we''re not outlaws already."
"And we have already played the role of sneak thieves." Sayed nodded, crossing his arms. "While I do not wish to be one at all times if it is necessary to help, I will become one again."
"See, Sayed gets it," Alex said, giving a thumbs up to Sayed.
"Every ship has at least a captain and a lieutenant on it," Erin said, raising two fingers. "They won''t be easy to beat."
Alex grimaced. That was true. The only reason they had been able to beat Captain Hawkins and Lieutenant Tanis on Cragg Hollow was because they were being controlled. He still wasn''t sure he could take either of them in a one-on-one fight and walk away. Captain Hawkins alone had been too strong. However, they didn''t necessarily need to beat whoever was in charge of the ship. They just needed an opportune moment.
"That''s where a plan comes in," Alex said, raising one finger. "I don''t know if you remember, but I am the master of making plans. All we need to do is make sure we strike at the right time, and we won''t have to worry about those things. We can take it and be away before anyone knows better."
"I don''t like it." Erin shook her head.
"Come on." Alex sighed. "I know I don''t always get it right, but haven''t we been through enough together for you to put a little trust in me?"
Erin gave him a look that told him she had no trust in him and that she thought he was insane. Alex could have been reading her wrong, though.
"I''ll put out a call for more information on any cruisers in our area." Erin deflated with a sigh, pushing herself up from the railing. "We might be able to find something, but if we don''t, we''ll need to figure out something else."
"That''s all I can really ask for," Alex said, looking over the nightsea around them.
In the darkness of the nightsea, islands glowed bright white, forming tiny islands of light in the sea of darkness. Each was a new possibility, a new land with new people to meet and things to see. Alex smiled. If his plan didn''t work, there could be an endless number of possibilities to use to get into Death''s Yard. All he needed was time.
With those thoughts in mind, they sailed off into the nightsea.
"You''re fired."
The words stung Antonio Fettucine as he sat on the docks at Lastport. He had his suitcase beside him, full of the implements of his trade, and the clothes on his back. He had nothing else to his name besides his skills as a chef.
"It is all their fault," he whispered, tears flowing freely from his eyes as he looked out over the sea before him. "They are the reason that I no longer have a home. They are why I am stuck here, bereft of my work."
He reached up and rubbed at his eyes. What life did a chef have if he wasn''t allowed to cook? How would he live without the patronage of Lord Landry? Those questions ate at him the same way the swordsman''s blade had eaten through his noodle wall.
"Was I not loyal enough? Had I not sacrificed enough for you, my lord? What more would you have me do?"
The questions came out in blubbers, like a too-wet dough as he tried to work it. It didn''t stick together. Antonio reached into his pocket and pulled out his silver watch, a gift from Lord Landry from the good times.
"Where should I go? What should I do?"
Crack. Thump.
"Eh, get a move on, or we''ll run you through!"
Antonio looked up only to see a crowd of people around two men. Both of them held up swords to the crowd, and they carried another man in chains between them. They seemed to be a boisterous group, but Antonio didn''t know why they were so angry.
"This here''s ''Mad Dog'' Butch. If you get too close, he''ll bite your hand off before we hand him off to the authorities!"
Bounty hunters. Antonio knew about the trade. They would take the bounties issued by the various authorities in the world and cash them in. A lot of money was caught up in the business, and almost anyone willing to risk their life could take up the trade.
Antonio stood up, wiping away his tears from his drying eyes.
He wondered if the ruffians who had attacked the manor had bounties. If they did, could he track them down himself? He had his knife skills honed from his time as a chef. He had his curse, which allowed him to produce noodles of various degrees of hardness and malleability. He could find out if they had bounties and use his abilities to bring them in.
Maybe then, Lord Landry might forgive him.
With a smile, Antonio Fettucine made off after the two outlaws. He had questions aplenty and was sure they might have the answers. Joy lit up in his heart for the first time after he had been fired.
"I will find you, ruffians," he told himself as he walked. "And when I do, you will rue the day you crossed ex-head chef of the manor, Antonio Fettucine!"
Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Encyclopedia Entry
Protagonists
Feats: Defeated ''Mad Tyrant'' Fabian by assassination. Defeated Apostle Lucien by nightshade. Defeated Deputy Silvertooth by knockout. Defeated Sheriff Goldfist by amputation. Defeated Ned ¡®the Needler¡¯ by knockout. Assisted in defeating Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯ Killed Captain Jim Hawkins by anvil.
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Alexander Ortega was taken to the nightsea from a mid-route flight on Earth from the United States to Buenos Aires. He was captured in a lab on the island of August and experimented on. His escape led to the events termed ¡®Burning August¡¯ and served as his rise to fame as an outlaw. On Tombstone, he defeated two outlaws who were present in the town of Dry Gulch and obtained the island core.
On Glory Plateau, Alexander Ortega survived his fight with ex-Apostle Lucien ¡®the Butcher¡¯ Griffin and escaped from the island before it was turned into a black spot. He has acquired an ally in ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed.
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: Defeated Grabnar ¡®the Barbarian.¡¯ Defeated Maki ¡®the Beast¡¯ by decapitation. Killed Lieutenant Tanis by bisection.
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Sayed came to Erth from the world of Hajh after the bloodiest and final battle in his people¡¯s civil war. He escaped that chaos with Abed, his brother-in-arms. After finding themselves in the nightsea, they traveled with the mission of freeing people from oppression everywhere they found them. Sayed met his match in Glory Plateau, however, until he escaped with the assistance of ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega. He joined Ortega after the events of Glory Plateau.
In regard to Hajh, Sayed has confirmed that there were no giants, but only legends of giants in the distant past.
After the events of Cragg Hollow, Sayed continues to journey with Ortega in the search for Death''s Yard.
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: Defeated cursed lightning user by thorns. Defeated illusion user by thorns. Assisted in the defeat of Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯ Assisted in killing Doctor Livesay by suffocation.
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Erin came to Erth from the land of Erys, where she came into contact with the People¡¯s Revolution soon after. Moved by the goals of the movement, she joined the revolution and became a stealth operative for secret operations. She arrived at Glory Plateau to find a man named Roald, however she could not locate him on the island, and left after escaping the arena with ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega and ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed.
After the events of Cragg Hollow, Erin has joined up with Ortega and Sayed to find what is hidden at the coordinates left in Roald''s logbook.
Antagonists
Name: Captain Jim Hawkins
Status: Dead
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Occupation: Captain in the Military Police
Aliases: ''Little Jim''
Curse: None
Techniques: Path of Might, Path of Breath, ''Iron Body,'' ''Rock Barrage,''
First Appearance: Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 46
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: N/A
Bio: The captain of the outpost at Cragg Hollow and the Little February. His primary concern in life is rising in ranks and getting a promotion. He was killed via blunt force trauma by ''Tin Man'' Ortega.
Name: Lieutenant Tanis
Status: Dead
Occupation: Lieutenant in the Military Police
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: Path of Step, ''Line Thrust,'' ''Line Convergence,'' ''Line Reverse''
First Appearance: Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 47
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: N/A
Bio: An expert swordsman and lieutenant in the Military Police, Tanis has served with Hawkins for years. His service came to an end after being defeated by ''Sword Saint'' Sayed in Cragg Hollow.
Name: Doctor Livesay
Status: Dead
Occupation: Doctor in the Military Police
Aliases: Doc
Curse: Fog Generation (1st Grade)
Techniques: Path of Grit
First Appearance: Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 47
Feats: Unknown
Current Location: N/A
Bio: Doctor Livesay has been stationed on Cragg Hollow for over thirty years. He discovered the parasitic crustaceans at some point in that time and spent most of his days modifying the creatures into masks that could be placed on people''s faces to control them. When the logbook brought the danger of more attention to Cragg Hollow, he decided to enact a plan to escape the island, forcing masks on his other officers before attempting to steal a ship. His plans were foiled when he was killed by ''Thorn Queen'' Leah and an inky wolf.
Side Characters
Name: Erick Landson
Status: Alive
Occupation: Private in the Military Police
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 46
Feats: None
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: Assigned to Cragg Hollow after a tragedy in basic training, Landson believed that the purpose of the Military Police was to serve justice. While serving in Cragg Hollow, he became involved in the incident surrounding Doctor Livesay''s attempt to take control of the garrison stationed at the island. Due to the events, he was only able to save one of the townspeople, a boy named Klaus.
Name: Klaus
Status: Alive
Occupation: None
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 03 Thief in the Nightmare | Chapter 49
Feats: None
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: An orphaned child who has been protected by a shadowy wolf after his family was killed by the townspeople of Cragg Hollow. He was rescued by Erick and has been taken away from Cragg Hollow before its destruction. He has no cursed ability, and the wolf is no longer present now that the island is destroyed.
Organizations
Name: The Military Police
Description: An organization working for the Scions that are built to protect the Twelve Kingdoms and the greater Empyrean. It is a militaristic organization that operates a massive fleet of slipships that operate across the nightsea. It also has several outposts out in the Fringes that seek to protect the interests of the Empyrean in the nightsea beyond the Twelve Kingdoms.
Name: The Scions
Description: A group of individuals who rule over the Twelve Kingdoms from the Empyrean. They are treated like gods by many in the nightsea. Their powers are unknown. Their purpose is unknown.
Name: The People''s Revolution
Description: An organization that fights against the Scions. All other information on them is unknown.
Ships
Name: The Little February
Description: A patrol ship for the Military Police assigned to the outpost at Cragg Hollow. It is a long ship with light sails placed along its rear instead of its length. Made of thick metal, it is not like the normal wooden ships on the nightsea.
Name: Erin''s Ship
Description: A ''Mercedes'' class ship built on only blueprints from ancient times. Designed more like a metal tube than a modern ship, very few people can maintain or pilot this ship. Ortega has described the ship as a submarine with a jet fighter-like cockpit on the front.
Creatures
Name: Crustacean Masks
Description: Modified parasitic crustaceans that can take control of their users when placed on the face. They penetrate the brain with tendrils and use a mixture of electricity and chemicals to control their hosts. Once taken control of, the only known cure for the masks is death.
Name: Unnamed Brother
Description: A masked townsperson who used to be Klaus''s brother. Due to a fluke in the application of the mask, the mask was unable to fully take hold, and the boy was left paralyzed. Because he had a curse, the boy used his curse to create inky wolf projections to help protect his brother. With the destruction of the island, he is now free from his suffering.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 67 | A Perfect Plan
Alex exited the noodle shop and walked out into the busy streets of Zanhai, a city on the island of Lundao. He carried a wooden box under his arms that was warm to the touch, and he darted between the various people of the city as he made his way back toward the docks.
The shop owners had given him a strange look when asked for an order ''to go.'' A few extra coins to buy bowls, spoons, and cups went a long way to getting what he wanted, and Alex might have started an entirely new business model for them if it caught on. Granted, food delivery and ''to go'' orders had only recently caught on in the grand scheme of human history back on Earth. Erth and the nightsea were entirely different matters.
Once he made it through the crowds of people to the docks, he climbed the stairs of the high structures that serviced the various slipships that were moored in the sky. There were regular docks for ships that operated in the island''s sphere below, but slipships were entirely different.
Largely crafted of wooden hulls, most with at least four lodestones, two on each side, slipships sailed through the sky as easily as a ship sailed through the water. The only real difference between them was that slipships were built to sail on the nightsea, the black space between islands that connected them all together. Light sails, made of a shimmering golden material, gave power to their lodestones and allowed the ships to sail across what would have been impossible back on Earth.
Alex quickly found the ship he was looking for and stepped on the small deck from the walkway. Erin''s ship was a metal tube with four lodestones surrounded by metal protection on the outside. Smaller light sails lined the top and sides of the ship, and the front was more like the fighter jet''s cockpit than what most slipships used. A small deck stretched over the back of the tube, and a single door led to the front of the ship where light cargo and the pilot''s seat were.
Without a moment''s hesitation, he opened the door to the ship''s interior and stepped inside. Two people waited for him inside, a small table set up between them. Erin sat in the pilot''s seat, leaning back on it and shaking her messy black hair at the other man in the room. She wore her usual green cloak over her black shirt and pants. She was pale, and only freckles across her exposed face marked her skin.
Sayed sat across from her on a crate, laughing at what was most likely one of his stories. He was as tall as his tales were and sported a thick, bushy black beard. He was taller than he had any right to be and came from a desert world before he came to Erth. He held one of his two curved blades and was polishing it with one hand as he laughed. While their last adventure on Cragg Hollow had not been kind to his clothes, he still had his leather chest piece over his normal clothes, an inconspicuous look compared to the white and blue robe Alex had first seen when they met on Glory Plateau.
Thump.
"Welcome back, brother," Sayed said, a broad smile stretching his face as he tried to stand but only managed to bump his head. "I just finished recounting the tale of Abed''s first battle."
"I never know what to take seriously with you," Erin said, still shaking her head. "You expect me to believe that a whale fell from the sky?"
"Why would I lie?" Sayed asked, raising his eyebrow.
"To make a better story," Erin said, leaning forward on the table. "It''s what you always do."
"Either way, food''s here," Alex said.
Alex sat the box on the table and opened it. Steam rose from inside the box, and the scent of the boiled noodles and the spices in the broth filled the small space. Sayed lifted the bowls out and set them on the table while Erin made sure that everyone had an empty bowl and spoon. Alex moved the only other chair in the room over to his side and took a seat as they sat down to eat.
"May God bless this meal with his fire," Sayed whispered, closing his eyes with one fist in front of his face before he began to spoon some of the broth and noodles into his bowl.
They each took turns getting noodles and broth into their bowls and started eating. A few minutes of silence passed before Alex put down his spoon and got ready to continue their meeting. They had a job to get done, and the noodles were just fuel for the fire.
"Starting where we left off," Alex said. "We have the coordinates, but we need the ship. Death''s Yard is too tough for your ship, Erin, so we''ll need to get a better one. What did your people say?"
"There''s one ship, a cruiser, that fits what we need that we might be able to get," Erin said before slurping down her noodles. "The ship is commanded by Captain Grayson and is called the Robin."
"That sounds good to me," Alex said. "The question is whether we can get it alone, or at least while the crew is away. What do the Military Police use it for?"
"Right now, it is being used to transport a prisoner to the Clink," Erin said, crossing her arms. "The good news is that they''ll have to make a stopover here. They''re doing message deliveries for the area. If we catch them while their guard is down, we might be able to take the ship. I wonder why they would dedicate one ship to one prisoner, though. We couldn''t get any more information about that."
"We could attack it head-on. It would make for a grand story," Sayed said as he spooned in a second helping of the broth and noodles.
"I don''t want to fight a captain if I don''t have to," Alex said, shaking his head and leaning forward. "Is there anything else we should worry about?"
"We''re so far out on the Fringes, and there isn''t an outpost nearby, so the response shouldn''t be quick. So long as we get out of here fast, they won''t be able to catch back up to us for a while."
"And you paid out the dockmaster for enough time not to total this ship, right?" Alex asked.
"We''re paid out for the month," Erin said, nodding.
"Alright, that makes this easy," Alex said. "This is going to be the plan."
"Another day, another delivery," Grayson said, puffing the Red Phoenix cigarette in his hand as he turned to walk down the length of his ship. "We''ll deliver the mail, we''ll deliver people, we''ll deliver whatever you need."
Captain Richard Grayson stood on the prow of his ship, looking out over the railing as it flew above the city of Zanhai. If he could help it, they would have avoided docking here, but his men needed supplies, and one of the Military Police''s duties was to deliver mail and messages for the Empyrean. Even if he had a dangerous prisoner to transport, most of the income of the Military Police was found in the basic services they offered to the Empyrean.
One of his men stopped and saluted next to him before going back to swabbing the deck. His uniform was crisp, as was to be expected, but it was a complete contrast to Grayson''s own uniform. Grayson''s black and red jacket was unbuttoned, revealing the white shirt beneath. His boots were unpolished, and he wore his hat askew on his head.
The Military Police were an all-encompassing organization. While they didn''t rule over the Twelve Kingdoms, they provided services ranging from security and policing all the way to delivering the mail. The higher-ups made good money doing that, and so long as they kept the Scions happy, they did good business.
Some soldiers in their ranks bought into the propaganda. They thought they were soldiers serving a greater cause. They thought they served the Empyrean out of duty. Grayson knew what they really were: mercenaries to their core.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"I want to retire," he mumbled as he stopped by the cabin door. "Lieutenant, stop drinking and wake up the crew. We''re going into Zanhai, and we need to get ready to deliver that mail so we can be on our way."
"I''m up," a shadow beside the cabin grumbled and stood up.
Round as a ball and short, Lieutenant Cade stood on two squat legs and rubbed his bald head. Like Grayson, his uniform was a mess, but more because of the various food stains across it than anything else. Grayson shook his head. He might not respect his uniform, but he at least respected himself.
Rattle. Screech.
"Hop to it," Grayson said as he opened the cabin door and stepped inside.
"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Cade attempted a salute before Grayson stepped inside.
Thump.
"Private, report," Grayson said the moment the door closed.
"We''re pulling into port now, sir," the private said as he stood at the ship''s wheel.
The Robin, Grayson''s ship, was a cruiser. The helm was at the front of the ship and built high enough to get a good view of the entire area at any given time. It had a metal hull, as most Military Police ships did, and it swooped back along the ship to the end. It had the customary four lodestones that lined the hull and a long deck in the back with two cannons mounted on both sides of the ship. Two small light sails in its rear gathered the necessary power to run the lodestones. There was storage space and living quarters for all the soldiers down below. Right now, the entirety of the storage space was dedicated to the few crates of mail to deliver and the one cage that held their prisoner.
"Are there any reports of grumblings from our cargo?" Grayson asked as he looked over the console surrounding the ship''s wheel.
"He''s still asking for a song, sir," the private said. "He keeps humming to the guards, but they''re following orders and keeping back from him."
"Such a troublesome cargo." Grayson shook his head. "I''ll go down there myself next and knock him around for a while."
"I think the boys downstairs would appreciate that, sir." The private laughed.
"Bring us in, and I''ll handle that." Grayson patted the private on the shoulder as he walked to the stairs that led below decks.
His ship had ten men in total serving on it. Eight privates did most of the menial work. That left Lieutenant Cade and himself for everything else. It was a small crew, but it was enough to run the ship efficiently. In an emergency, Grayson could run the ship with as few as three people, but he was happy with what he had. The Robin had been his command for ten years, and it would be his last ship before he retired. That was why he wouldn''t tolerate the disrespect his current cargo kept being.
He nodded at his two soldiers on duty as he walked down into the cargo bay, past the hammocks that were strung up for his soldiers to sleep on. A single cage dominated the shadows in the cargo bay, rising as tall as two men and wide enough to hold at least ten.
Right now, it only held one.
A dark-skinned man sat at the center of the cage, kneeling in dark blue robes with his hands held in chains in front of him. Two guards stood a safe distance away with spears in their hands. Grayson hadn''t liked him since the man had been pushed off on his ship for transport to the Clink. He picked up a piece of metal tubing as he approached the cage and began to hit the bars as he walked around it.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
The metal tube rang with each hit on the bars as Grayson walked beside the cage. He made sure to go slow, as he wanted the prisoner to hear every second of it. The guards across from the cage flinched with each hit, and Grayson reminded himself he needed to test their nerves as well.
"I heard you wanted music," Grayson said as the echo of the final hit shook through the room. "So, I personally came down and brought you some."
The man looked up at him with his dark eyes. It was an attempt to intimidate him, but Grayson was far too old to be intimidated. He hit the tube back and forth between the bars again, getting another round of raucous sound.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
"Your provocation is unnecessary," the man''s deep voice rattled through Grayson''s old bones. "I merely wanted to express how terribly boring this trip has been. If you allowed me to provide music or even to cook for your crew, then I would find this whole experience less tedious."
Grayson opened his mouth and cracked his jaw. Again, the man was infuriating to carry. If he had his way, he would just kill the man and dump his body out in the nightsea between the islands. However, orders were orders, and he needed to keep the prisoner under control.
"Do I need to remind you of your crimes?" Grayson asked. "No, don''t tell me. Jean Baptiste, also known as ''the Reanimator.'' You have carved a path of destruction and depravity across three islands. You poisoned the magistrate at Grasspoint, tortured the people of Windam with the spirits of their dead families, and scammed one of our food transports and diverted it to some random village on Dryport."
"That last one was charity." A white toothy smile preceded a chuckle. "Those people would have died without that food."
"It doesn''t make you some kind of hero." Grayson crossed his arms, tapping the tube against his side as he looked over the man in the cage.
"Oh, I''m far from a hero." Jean sighed. "I only have one desire, and I will do what it takes to achieve it. If I can make life more interesting along the way, then what''s the harm?"
"The harm is to the order of the Empyrean," Grayson spat out words that he didn''t care that much about.
"The best way to live our lives is to do as we will." Jean shrugged his broad shoulders and raised his hands to point up with one bony finger.
Grayson had nearly forgotten. Instead of flesh, the man''s fingers were bone white, lacking skin and muscle. The bony arms were manacled, but by all that was right in the world, they shouldn''t work at all. From what Grayson had heard from the guards, the only part of the man in front of him that was truly a man was his head. Even his heart had been replaced by a purple crystal stone in his chest, though it wasn''t visible because of his robes.
"And look at where that got you," Grayson said, tapping the cage bars. "A ride on my ship to the Clink. No one returns from the Clink, Jean. You''ll be buried there, and you won''t be able to mess things up topside again. Take it in stride and at least conduct yourself properly for the rest of this trip."
"Hah." Jean snorted.
With the manacles on the prisoner, Grayson had nothing to fear from his curse or any techniques he might conjure. However, even though he was chained, Baptiste, ''the Reanimator,'' still sent a chill down his spine with just that sound.
"I wonder what a man must do to ''properly conduct himself.'' Must he beg like a dog for scraps at the table? Must he address his superiors with deference? Must he bend his knee and put his face in the ground to prostrate himself?" Baptiste ''the Reanimator'' shook his head. "A man conducts himself in alignment with his desires. I desire to live an interesting life as I pursue my goal. If that leads me to destruction, so be it."
Grayson stepped back, and the shadows seemed to stretch around the prisoner in the cage. He felt like his heart stopped beating in his chest. Even though he knew that Jean could do nothing to affect him, it was like his words stung at Grayson''s very self.
"But the bones told me that I would have an interesting trip, so I must await what fate brings me." Jean smiled and shook his head, regaining his posture from before the conversation.
"Freak," Grayson whispered under his breath before he turned to the two guards. "Keep an eye on him, and don''t give him any more meals for the next three days. We''ll see how he likes his fate then."
He sluffed back toward the stairs and made his way onto the deck before the prisoner could affect his mood any further. He took out another Red Phoenix cigarette, walked onto the deck, and closed the door behind him. It shook in his hands as he lit it.
He took in a deep puff of the tobacco as he watched the ship finish docking into the port. His men were already securing the ropes to the wooden docks, and the ship''s four lodestones hummed with a lower frequency as they came to a rest. They had docked on one of the higher docks at the port, and he could see the various lights of Zanhai below.
"Get Lieutenant Cade on resupply," Grayson barked the order to the nearest soldier as he walked toward the extending gangplank. "Don''t leave the ship without at least three men to guard it. I''ll be in my quarters if there''s an emergency."
"Rail shot."
Zip. Ting.
Through his Path of Will, Grayson sensed the attack coming, and he held onto his hat while he spun to avoid the object as it zipped past him. He turned to face the docks and saw a brown-skinned man in a leather duster standing there, five coins floating in his hand.
"Who are you? Some kind of crazy wannabe?" Grayson demanded as he clenched his teeth.
"''Tin Man'' Ortega," the man said, a smile flashing across his face. "I saw the ship and couldn''t resist. You know, you and us outlaws are destined to fight anytime we cross paths."
The name scratched at the back of Grayson''s head, but he was never one to search through the bounties. He would have to look through the posters after he put the brat down. Even if he was old, he was still a master of two paths.
"Lieutenant Cade, watch the ship," he said. "I''ll take on this outlaw."
"Rail shotgun." Ortega thrust his hand out and threw a handful of coins into the air.
As one, they cut through the air in a wide arc, slapping across his men like bullets. A few of his men fell to the ground, clutching at their arms or legs, while others were able to dodge out of the way. Grayson dodged again without really thinking about it as he kept his eyes on the outlaw.
"Step."
The outlaw disappeared in a blur of movement, and Grayson took off after him. When his foot was on the docks, he sensed where the outlaw had gone again with his will. He pointed himself in that direction and began to run.
"Step." Grayson disappeared in a flurry of motion as he took off after the outlaw.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 68 | Step Two
Sayed crouched against the wall in sight of the ship named the Robin as he watched Alex run off into the night. Almost all was going according to plan. They had hoped to get the lieutenant to follow after Alex, but the round man stood on the deck with a few of his soldiers. Some of them limped from Alex''s surprise attack, but that would not be enough. Sayed knew that, at this moment, he would need to improvise.
"A daring ruffian enters the tale," he whispered as he opened the gate in his chest to receive God''s blessing.
Heat pumped out from his heart in rhythmic waves, flowing through his limbs into his khopesh''s blade and his gauntlet''s claws. As he stepped out from his hiding place, they glowed a bright orange in the night. It was time to begin the tale.
"Prepare to be boarded!" Sayed yelled, calling the attention of the guards.
They turned to him, taking out their spears as the six of them stood on the deck. The lieutenant stood still at their center, picking his nose as he slowly turned around. The man was a mess, with food stains covering his uniform. Sayed did not think he would get a good fight from such a person.
"Lieutenant, what should we do?" One of the guards looked up to the bald man, but the lieutenant didn''t appear to be paying attention.
Grrl.
"I think I could get some spring rolls," the lieutenant said.
Sayed shook his head. He wouldn''t get a good story out of this fight if the lieutenant weren''t even motivated to fight. Already, the men around him were uncertain. Sayed could easily take them out, and he jumped onto the deck with one movement to tower over the seven guards.
"We''ll have to take him ourselves," one of the guards said.
"Right!" the other five said in unison.
They moved as a unit, spreading out around Sayed with their spears. Sayed entered a wide stance, his khopesh held high above his head as he waited for them to positions themselves. He held his claws pointed at the one who had spoken and kept his focus on the guard.
"Let me show you a proper fight," Sayed said as he clenched his muscles in his arms and legs. "Demon''s Twister!"
Sksh. Ting.
He swung his blade in a wide arc as the circle closed around him, his heated blade slicing through spear points as easily as cutting through flesh. The guards were knocked back from his attack, five of the six falling to the ground.
The final guard, the one who had spoken, remained standing before him until his spear broke apart in the center. The guard dropped his spear and backed up until he hit the lieutenant''s large belly. The guard looked up at the lieutenant as Sayed advanced.
"He''s going to kill us, Lieutenant Cade! You have to help us."
"Maybe I should eat some rice." The lieutenant drooled, still not looking at his subordinates.
"I do not think he is worth your allegiance," Sayed said as he approached, his khopesh out to his side. "Abandon the ship, and I will let you all walk away."
"Lieutenant!" the man screamed up at the round man. "He''s going to take away all the food stores."
"What?" Lieutenant Cade looked down at the man as if he had heard him for the first time.
"No, I said I wanted the ship," Sayed tried to interject, but the guard kept talking.
"If he takes the ship, we''ll be out of food, lieutenant. You don''t want that, right?"
"Right!" The round man pushed the guard off him and faced Sayed. "We don''t tolerate food thieves on this ship."
"If that is what it takes for you to fight." Sayed retook his stance. "Then let us get on with it. I will take this ship!"
"Dough Hammer!"
The rotund man threw back his hand before bringing it down on Sayed. At first, Sayed was surprised. He would easily be able to take such a hit, assuming it could reach, and his blades would cut through the man''s hand as easily. He brought up his sword to block and said a silent prayer for the loss of the man''s hand.
Bam! Hiss.
Sayed''s blade met resistance as he held it up with both hands. Lieutenant Cade''s hand had grown to the size of a barrel, and his arm had stretched out from where he stood. Sayed''s blade caught the blow, but his hand shook as the weight of the attack pushed him back. The lieutenant was blessed as well.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Gruah!" Sayed forced the hand up and off to the side.
It snaked back toward the lieutenant, shrinking back to its normal size as the arm shortened. Sayed noticed a burning line across the man''s skin from where Sayed''s sword blocked the attack. He narrowed his eyes. This had not been part of the plan.
"What foul blessing do you have?" Sayed pointed his glowing sword at Lieutenant Cade. "What is this dough that you speak of?"
"I''m a man cursed with the power of dough." Lieutenant Cade smiled, his fingers stretching out into thin strings of pasty white. "Combined with the Path of Grit, there''s no way you can get past me to the food!"
Sayed took a moment to analyze the situation. On the nightsea, running into people with strange powers was not rare. Curses, or as Sayed preferred, blessings, allowed people to exercise supernatural abilities. He had seen many of this man''s kind on the nightsea, and it would take more than a curse and technique to beat him.
"Again, I do not desire your food, but your ship," Sayed said, holding his gauntlet out before him and lining up his sword''s point with it at his side. "Step away from this ship, and I shall let you live."
"The trickery of a food thief won''t work on me!" Lieutenant Cade''s arms stretched out into large white hammers. "Smash Parade!"
Whirr. Whirr.
He swung the hammers in a circular motion as he charged forward. It reminded Sayed of fights in the streets as a child before he and his brothers on Hajh knew the proper way to take on a foe. He took in a deep breath and clenched his muscles tight.
"Demon''s Thrust!"
Ting. Boing.
In a blur of movement, Sayed shot across the deck, stabbing forward with his sword into the man''s flesh. However, his thrust would not penetrate through the man''s flab. Instead, it bounced back and sent Sayed stumbling back as the hammers came for him.
Bam. Slam. Crunch.
A hit to his face knocked him to the right, and a hit to his chest sent him flying into a crate on the ship''s deck. Sayed grunted as he hit the crate, and it broke around his body. Pieces of paper fell onto him, and some burned as they touched his sword.
"You are powerful," Sayed whispered as he pushed himself up from the remains of the crate. "Yet, I feel I will still win the day. With the blessing of God on my side, I will knock you off this ship!"
"Is that a pastry?" Lieutenant Cade asked, tilting his head to the side as he raised one of his retracting hammer hands to his drooling mouth. "It sounds delicious."
"You will find out the taste of his glory," Sayed said as he began to walk a circle around the lieutenant.
In their earlier exchange, the lieutenant''s subordinates had managed to scramble out of the main fray and did not appear willing to interfere in the fight. Sayed guessed they were normal men, bereft of a blessing so that the entire fight would appear a flight of fancy instead of a simple battle.
Lieutenant Cade watched Sayed as he walked the full circle around the rotund man''s mass. Sayed had a few ideas he wanted to try, but every second wasted on an attempt was a second that the plan might be doomed to failure. Alex was his brother. Sayed would never let down a brother in need.
"I have a way to deal with your power," Sayed said. "It will be dishonorable, but I must sacrifice my preference for the greater good."
He took on a stance, holding the claws of his gauntlet close to his body in a tight fist as he stopped his circling. He switched his grip on his khopesh, holding it upside down in his right hand. Lieutenant Cade watched him and smiled.
"If you think you can beat me with a just punch, you''re mistaken," he said, taking in a deep breath and expanding in size. "My tough dough will push back your punch and throw you across the docks! Dough Ball!"
In any other situation, Sayed would find the man''s stance humourous. His legs were tiny sticks against the ground, and his arms were small now in comparison to the size of his body. He had indeed become a ball of dough, and even his head was melded into his round form. Again, Sayed had the impression that the man fought rarely, for Sayed saw the weakness in the technique.
Sayed focused the heat of his body into his gauntlet, letting the fingers of the hand burn bright against his skin. He clenched his teeth but ignored the stinging pain. He would finish this fight with one move. He just prayed to God that his plan would succeed.
"Demon''s Fist!"
He shot forward, his entire body like a cannonball, and threw his fist forward into a hard punch. The force shook through his arm and down his whole body as he slammed into the man''s body. Sayed then slammed down his sword, cutting into the deck with all his strength to hold himself in place.
Slam. Shing. Boing.
Lieutenant Cade''s body pushed back against the attack as the force rippled through his rotund body and then back toward Sayed. However, there was nowhere for the force to push Sayed back. His sword, planted deep into the deck''s steel, gave him a point of leverage. Sayed grunted as he pushed harder forward into Lieutenant Cade''s flesh, and the force reverberated back.
Whoosh.
Like a ball kicked as hard as a person could, the lieutenant''s round body was forced off his legs and shot through the air across the docks. Instead of Lieutenant Cade''s body throwing Sayed across the docks, the lieutenant flew off the deck and into the night.
Slam. Crack. Splash.
Sayed fell forward, catching himself on his knees with his gauntlet as he let his gate close. When he looked up, he could see the impression of a ball on a nearby slipship''s wooden hull from where the lieutenant had landed before falling to the water below. Sayed smiled.
"Lieutenant!" The men on the deck went to the railing and looked down. "We have to help him."
"Yes," Sayed said, standing up and swinging his blade through a wide arc before holding it at his side. "That sounds like what you should all do. Abandon this ship and leave to help your comrade. If you do not, I will need to take more forceful options."
The remaining guards looked over at him with wide eyes. Then, as one, they ran off the deck and onto the docks. Even two who had clearly been hiding belowdecks came up from the front of the ship and ran off to follow the rest. Sayed sheathed his khopesh on his back with its brother and took a good look around the ship.
With the ship clear, he only needed to cut the lines that held it to the docks. Once that was finished, he would do his best to bring the ship away from the docks and toward their meeting point. He was not that experienced in piloting a slipship, but Alex had assured him it would be simple.
Holding up his clawed gauntlet, he walked over to the ropes and set to work. All was going according to plan.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 69 | Step Three
Alex ran through the crowds, dodging through people and using the Path of Step when he had a clear moment to gain distance. Occasionally, he would look behind him to ensure the captain kept up with him. He didn''t want to get too far ahead since he was the distraction.
"Come back, kid!" Captain Grayson yelled at him. "You talked a big game, so come and show me you have it!"
Alex threw a copper doler out into the dirt streets in front of him and opened his gate. Electricity shot through him from his heart and through his limbs. He took a second coin out of his pocket as he pointed his hand to the coin he was approaching.
"Coin Vault," he said, sending a blast of magnetic force into the coin and throwing himself up with a twisting motion from the ground.
He cleared the heads of the people near the coin and took a moment in the turn to aim his second coin back at the captain.
"Rail Shot!"
He flicked the coin from his finger at the captain, and it shot out from him with the force from the magnetism that made up his curse. For the third time, what should have been a sure hit turned into a miss, as the captain twisted at the last second to avoid Alex''s coin projectile.
Alex fell back to the ground and rolled, knocking at least a few people over before he could make it back on his feet and continue running down the street. The pain of the hits and the roll was a dull sensation that was being overpowered by an odd feeling in his heart.
It was almost like heartburn, and he had to wonder what was in the noodles to cause it. Spiking shots of pain kept pulsing through his chest every few seconds. It wasn''t enough to stop him, but it was distracting, to say the least.
"Step."
Alex had a fraction of a second to duck the arm that came for his head from the side. He threw his shoulders back and caught himself on his hands backward in an awkward position. Above him, the captain''s arm cut through the air like a scythe. Alex dropped and rolled away before gaining his footing again.
"Step."
Crash. Crack. Thump.
Alex disappeared, heading toward the nearest alley. As he ran past it, he knocked over the first set of boxes piled in the alley and didn''t look back. The captain had the Path of Step so he could keep up with Alex, and Alex had guessed his second one already, making things much more tricky.
The Path of Will was a passive technique that attuned users to the world around them. Captain Grayson could track Alex for a good distance without even having a line of sight and see any simple attacks before they hit. Captain Grayson was a bad matchup for Alex unless the captain was distracted or careless.
Alex only had to hope that he also didn''t possess a curse.
"That''s not going to work!" the captain yelled out behind Alex.
Alex looked back as he ran and saw the captain vault over the pile of boxes like it was nothing. Alex hoped that his plan was working because if it wasn''t, there was a good chance he wouldn''t get away. He needed to improvise to gain just a little more time.
He reached out with his senses, even as his heart burned in his chest. Metal objects lit up around him, and as he ran by them, he pulled on their magnetic fields. Small objects like pipes, loose nails, and strips of metal roofing began to gather around Alex as he ran, forming a small junk barrier between him and the captain who tailed him. He knew the man noticed, but the captain remained in pursuit. Alex could hear him utter a few curses as he took a corner.
A dead end opened up in front of him, and Alex ran for it. He had a couple of options, but his plan was to distract and delay, not win. He skidded to a stop at the stone wall that ended the alley, his gathered metal floating above him as he turned to face the captain.
"A curse that lets you control metal, then." The captain stopped across from him, a fair distance away. "Don''t think I''m some inexperienced pup. I''m not running in to get crushed by that!"
"Is that what you see happening?" Alex asked, heaving in and out while clutching at his chest. "I''m just getting started, gramps."
Alex took in a deep breath and pushed his arms forward. The various bits and pieces of metal shot out all at once, forming a barrage of crap that cut across the air toward the captain. Alex smiled, but pain spiked through his heart again as he coughed through the name of the technique.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"Scrap Storm."
He stumbled forward, catching himself on his hands before he pushed himself up enough to see the results of the move. Metal shot through the alley, and he saw the captain reach up and pull his hat over his eyes with one hand.
Ting. Scrrp. Slam. Ding.
Piece by piece, as if in slow motion, he dodged through each piece of scrap, and they cut across the air behind him before hitting the ground. Alex fought to catch his breath as the pain in his chest kept going. Again, he had to ask himself what had been in those noodles.
"Some power you got there, kid," the captain said as he walked forward. "Seems you''re having a little bit of trouble with it, though. What''s wrong with you?"
"Just a little winded," Alex said, standing up.
This hadn''t been part of his plan, and it was showing. He would have to buy as much time as he could with what he had. The good news was that the scrap behind the captain was still in play, and he didn''t know if the captain knew that.
"Step."
They said it together and met in between the distance that separated them. Alex threw a punch that the captain sidestepped, and a hand caught Alex in the gut. Alex grunted but released a gasp of his backup plan with the remaining air.
"Return Trip."
Whirr. Thump.
"Argh!"
A pipe flew through the air toward Alex and caught the captain on the shoulder. The captain''s eyes widened a moment before it happened, so the man had seen it coming. However, because he was committed to his punch, he didn''t have the time to dodge. Alex staggered to the side, and both he and Captain Grayson caught themselves on the alley walls.
"Nice trick." The captain spat as he stood again and raised both fists. "You''re better than you look, kid."
"And you hit hard for an old man," Alex said, pushing himself up from the wall on unsteady feet. "I''ve only ever fought one person who knew the Path of Will."
"Yeah, it''s hard to learn," Captain Grayson said, cracking his knuckles together. "Really handy for keeping out of trouble, though. If you knew it, you wouldn''t have picked a fight with me."
"Maybe," Alex said, shaking his head to clear it. "Sometimes, we have to do stupid stuff to make our way in this world."
"I would consider letting you go." Captain Grayson smiled. "You''d be a lot of paperwork. But you had to go and hit my men with those coins. I can''t let you get away with that, kid."
"I went into this expecting it," Alex said, clutching at his chest. "But we don''t know how this fight will end."
"Step."
"Might."
Alex ducked the leg that sailed through the air above him and slammed his body forward. He wrapped his arms around the captain and spun on his heel to face the captain back toward all the metal he had thrown earlier. His chest screamed out at him, and Alex had a second to recognize where the problem was coming from before he pushed past it anyway.
"Scrap Pincushion!"
Whirr. Thump. Crack. Slam.
The pieces of metal shot through the air from the ground directly at Alex. However, Captain Grayson''s body was conveniently in the way, thanks to his quick use of the Path of Might. Pipes, nails, and bits of scrap metal crashed into the man while others sailed past. Grayson grunted as a few landed good hits before Alex was knocked aside with a quick elbow to his head.
Alex let go as the strength fled from his arms, and he spun from the elbow hit to his face. The captain fell onto the ground at the same moment, catching himself on his knees as Alex caught himself against the alley''s wall. His head swam, and the pain from his heart and his head combined.
"Just a little longer," Alex whispered, blinking his eyes to help clear out his shaking vision.
"That hurt, kid." Grayson coughed, pushing himself up on one knee.
His face had a few bruises and cuts now, and his left arm wasn''t moving like it should. Alex had gotten a few good hits in with that attack. Now, he just needed the second part of his plan to come in¡ªa little longer.
"Your mistake was trying to take me alone," Grayson said, taking in a deep breath and flexing his good arm. "If you had a crew, you might have been strong enough to take me down. But, since you got cocky and came at me alone, you''re going to be in a cage by the end of tonight."
"Hah." Alex laughed, reaching into his pocket and taking out another copper doler. "How about this? I''ll bet you this coin that I don''t end up in a cage by the end of tonight. You''re not going to take me out."
"What makes you say that?" Grayson shook his head. "Like it or not, kid. You''re not strong enough to take me down. I''ve seen what you can do, and you look like you''re halfway into the grave already. If you keep pushing yourself, you''re going to die alone."
"You see, that''s the problem," Alex said, dropping the coin to the ground as he looked up to the rooftops above them. "I''m not alone."
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Several small black objects fell across the ground from above, all over the alley. Alex smiled. Of course, Erin was part of the plan, and she was precisely where he needed her to be. He closed his eyes and pushed as hard as he could against the coin.
"Coin Vault."
"Thorn Garden!"
The captain already had a rough fight, and adding a second fighter was pushing him past his limits. Alex saw the shock on the man''s face as he began to react, dodging left and right as vines shot up from the ground and across his body. They twined and wrapped through the alley, catching hold of anything that they could find purchase on and constricting around them.
Alex was already shooting up in the air and out of the vines'' reach. He reached without looking toward the nearest rooftop, and a hand caught his. With a pull, Erin took him from his magnetic trajectory, and he fell onto the rooftop shingles.
"Grah!" Erin yelled as the both of them hit the ground.
They both rolled across the roof for a moment until they stopped. Alex closed his eyes and his gate immediately, and the pain in his heart lessened to nothing. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the stars twinkling above him in Zanhai''s sky. He took in a deep, steadying breath as his body began to recover.
"Let''s go!" Erin came over and blocked his view of the stars, reaching down with her hand to help him stand.
Alex took her hand and stood up. The world was still swimming around him, and a dull pain still throbbed across his heart, but he could stand. He could run. They crossed the rooftops together as Captain Grayson fought to free himself from the vines below.
With a few caveats, everything had gone according to plan.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 70 | Complications
Erin jumped between the rooftops beside Alex, and he seemed to be running slower than he normally did. Usually, he would be off and ahead of her, but she actually had to stop to let him catch back up every few rooftops they jumped between.
She didn''t have time to ask, but something was wrong. Every few steps, Alex would stumble before catching himself, and he was breathing harder than he should. He had just been in a fight with a captain, but that wasn''t enough to explain it.
"Wait," Alex said, stopping on a rooftop and dropping his hands to his knees as he caught his breath. "Just let me take a breather."
"What''s wrong with you?" Erin turned and slid down the slanted roof tiles to him. "You''re acting like you''re having a stroke."
"I''m only thirty," Alex said, clutching his chest. "I think it''s my curse."
Erin frowned and put her hand on his shoulder. He was shaking, and his entire body was slick with sweat beneath his duster. The only treatment she knew for a stroke was to let him wait it out, preferably not on a rooftop.
"I''ll be alright." Alex waved her arm away. "Just give me a minute. I''ve just been getting spikes since I closed my gate."
"That shouldn''t happen," Erin said.
She had never heard of anything like that happening with curses. Curses were part of the body and didn''t inherently harm a person. However, the problem was that Alex had an artificially created curse.
"Stick to the plan." Alex looked up, and blood trails ran from his nose.
Erin didn''t like it, but he was right. Her ''Thorn Garden'' technique wouldn''t hold the captain forever. She shook her head and moved so her shoulder was underneath his. Giving him her support, they both began running across the rooftops.
"Let''s just hope Sayed doesn''t wreck the ship," she grumbled as they climbed to the top of the slanted roof and then down again.
Jumping together took some effort, but they made it across the gap. As they came up to the top of the next rooftop, she saw a shadow against the night sky in the distance. A ship, the Robin, cut through the night sky toward the rooftops. Erin helped Alex down on the roof, and he held onto the corner of the top while she took a seed out of her pocket and reached up high.
She opened her gate, and the twining energy of growth flowed out from her heart and through her arms. Her hands glowed green as she held the seed aloft, and the plant shot out and up from her into the night sky.
"Moon Flower."
It reached higher above her than it would ever grow naturally. That was the power of her curse. She could cause living things to grow faster and greater than they would normally, all fueled by the green light flowing from her body. It made a beacon that no one would miss. An orb-shaped bulb opened at the top of the flower, and a new moon shone brightly in the night sky.
The slipship turned in the sky and came for them. For a moment, Erin was concerned. Sayed had almost no experience piloting a slipship, but he had been the best option of the three of them for the task. If he messed up now, then the entire plan would have been for nothing.
"He''s got it," Alex mumbled from where he lay on the roof, still holding onto his chest.
"You''ve got more confidence than me," Erin said, looking around the rooftops. "Shades."
A shadow crossed across the path they had taken in the distance, and Erin didn''t have to guess who it was. She climbed up the roof to Alex and worked on helping him up. From the sky, the ship tilted down. From the rooftops, Captain Grayson ran toward them.
"This is going to be close," she said, reaching into her pockets for a seed and pulling out a green one. "Can you hold onto me?"
"Hey, that''s something I would say." Alex''s head dropped onto her shoulder, and she almost fell over as more of his weight hit her.
"Stop!" Captain Grayson yelled. "Step!"
Hrrm. Groan. Crunch. Slam.
"Vine Whip!"
Whip. Crack.
In that one instant, the ship came close to the rooftops, and the bottom of the ship cut across a nearby roof, breaking through the shingles. Erin poured energy into the seed in her hand, and a green stem shot out from it, reaching out with a crack to catch the ship''s edge as it passed. Grayson reached for her, a hair''s breadth away from grabbing hold of Alex.
Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
In the next instant, the vine ripped at Erin''s arm, carrying her and Alex away from the Captain''s grip as the ship pulled up and away into the night.
"Shades!" Erin''s arm screamed at her in pain from her wrist all the way down to her shoulder, and her open gate flooded the energy of growth throughout her arm as the ground flew away beneath her.
She tried to pull up on the vine, but holding onto Alex was taking everything she had. Erin focused on keeping hold of Alex as Zanhai''s lights faded into obscurity in the distance. She was certain he wouldn''t survive the fall if she let go of him now.
"Did I get them?" Sayed boomed from above, and soon after, she saw his face looking over the railing. "Ah, there you are, my brothers! Just a moment, and I will pull you to safety!"
With a grunt, Sayed pulled up on the vine, hand over hand. Each pull ripped at Erin''s arm, and Alex almost slipped from her grip with each tug. Her muscles burned, and sweat poured into her eyes, but she held on for both of their lives.
"And over!" Sayed pulled one last time, and Erin was thrown through the air to the ground with Alex. "Quite the maneuver, brothers. I expected Alex to jump up with you instead."
"There were complications," Erin said, standing and walking a few steps away to steady herself.
Thanks to her curse, her body was mending, but she felt like she had just been stretched out. She took a few moments to orient herself. She could see the cabin at the front of the ship and knew they needed to hurry. If there were any other Military Police vessels nearby, it would only take a report from the captain to get trouble on their tail.
"Carry him to the helm," Erin said as she staggered toward the cabin. "We need to get out of here first."
"Understood," Sayed said, reaching down and picking up Alex before proceeding to walk ahead of her to the helm.
After about ten steps, she was fine but still felt frayed at the edges. Ever since she had met Sayed and Alex, she had been pushing her curse harder and harder. She had never heard of the adverse effects of using a curse, but she had to wonder if relying on it too much would affect her.
That was a problem for another time.
Sayed put Alex against a wall inside the cabin before kneeling next to him. Erin approached the helm, grabbing hold of the wheel and looking over the controls. For a Military Police vessel, it was a fairly standard affair, and with a few levers flipped, she could push the ship forward and into the night.
"Is he breathing?" she asked Sayed as she focused on getting them out of the island''s bubble as quickly as possible.
"Yes," Sayed said. "I think he may be sleeping."
"The pain''s put him out." Erin hoped that was the case because the alternatives were worse.
"Do you know what is wrong with him?" Sayed asked. "You are a healer, are you not?"
"I have no idea what''s going on with him." Erin bit her lip but didn''t correct Sayed. "He said that he thought it had something to do with his curse. Have you ever heard of a curse hurting the person that uses it?"
"No, blessings would never harm the wielder," Sayed said. "That would defeat the purpose of having blessings."
"We could try to take him to a doctor," Erin said as the ship began to shake in her hands. "Brace for exit."
Rumble. Pop.
Through the windows, the dark night sky faded, and the stars disappeared, only to be replaced with the nightsea. A void of darkness with bubbles of light strewn across it lay before her, and whispy light trails stretched out across the darkness from many of them. With that, they exited Lundao''s bubble, though Erin wouldn''t dare look back at the island until they were far away.
Erin flipped a switch, and a screen on the ship''s console lit up. A map of the nearby nightsea glowed a steady green on the black screen. With the press of a few buttons, she set the coordinates of their destination: Death''s Yard.
"Alright," she said as she stepped away from the console. "They''ve got a basic autopilot on this thing so that we can step away for a while without any major issues. Let''s get him below decks and into whatever they use to sleep around here. Then we''ll figure out what we need to do."
"Yes, brother," Sayed said, picking up Alex in his arms like a child and starting down the nearby stairs.
Erin followed him, only taking a moment to check the windows around the ship. The entire area was clear, but she didn''t like leaving the helm alone. Plenty of dangers out in the nightsea could take out an unaware crew.
A single light lit the far side of the cargo hold as Erin walked down the steps to follow Sayed. In the distance, she could see several boxes lining the walls. Thankfully, the hammocks were right at the front of the cargo bay, so Sayed could set Alex down without them having to explore the entire bay in the near darkness.
"Go watch the helm, Sayed," Erin said. "Just make sure we don''t run into anything, and come get me if you see anything odd."
"Yes, brother," Sayed said, climbing back up the stairs.
Erin set about examining Alex. She peeled off his duster and shirt and looked over his chest. Nothing by itself seemed out of the ordinary. He did have a massive metal object embedded over his heart, but that was part of his artificial curse. Doctor Ozymandius, head of Section Six, had done something to Alex in a lab on August, though she wasn''t privy to the information. She only knew that Alex attributed the metal object to his curse, and she had no reason to doubt him.
However, she didn''t have something similar, and no curse user she had ever met needed something implanted over their heart. Curses were just something that happened in the nightsea, and people had them. Maybe if she wanted to do autopsies of dead curse users, she might be able to figure out more, but she stayed as far away from healing work as she could since she had come to Erth.
That was part of her life that she had left behind on Erys.
"What should I do?" She reached out and touched the metal with her fingers, only for it to burn at her skin. "Ah!"
That wasn''t helping anything, but now she was more certain that the pain was related to the metal object. She was no Doctor Ozymandius. She wasn''t sure she could do anything with the object without hurting Alex more. She needed someone who had real expertise with curses.
"Your friend is in pain," a deep voice sent hackles up Erin''s back, and she jumped up and away from Alex.
She turned toward the darkness of the cargo bay around her and reached for the dagger on her belt. In the shadows of the single light, she could make out a cage in the center of the cargo bay with long black bars. At its center, she saw a dark-skinned man kneeling in blue robes. Her heart raced in her chest.
How had she not seen him before?
"His curse is growing," the man said again, a white toothy smile stretching across his face in the darkness. "He''s reaching for the next grade."
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 71 | Prisoner
Jean Baptiste looked over the pale, frail woman as she stepped away from the hammocks at the center of the cargo bay. He couldn''t help but smile as she approached him. She was like a timid deer in a forest, reacting to an unexpected noise.
"You needn''t be afraid." Jean raised his hands, revealing his skeletal arms and manacles. "I''m quite restrained here. With these cuffs and the bars of this cage, not even my curse could reach out and take you."
"Who are you?" the woman asked, pulling a black dagger out from her green cloak as she stepped around, but not closer, to the cage.
"You may call me Jean Bapiste," Jean said, resisting the urge to laugh that bubbled up inside him. "Sorry if my appearance frightens you. I''ve been kept in this cage for over a week now, and my captors have not left me with anything to do. The entire trip has been terribly boring."
She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him but only managed to come one step closer. Still, she hesitated, and Jean could not blame her. He was not a welcome sight in his current form.
"Your friend on the hammock, I can hear it in his breathing. I can feel it in his movements, even with my curse restrained. His curse is changing inside of him and growing. In time, he will arise with a new power from his slumber."
"You''re cursed?" The woman took another step closer.
"Undeath was my first curse. My own curse has grown since then, and I now have a curse of second grade. A pity these manacles are on my hands, or I would introduce her to you."
"Her?"
He raised his hands, showing off their skeletal nature again as he reached for the sky.
"My wife. Tell me, what do you think curses are?"
"They''re just a way to use the Surreal," she said, taking another step closer. "That''s all."
"Yes, but where do they come from? Why do some people gain curses while others do not? What is the cause of a curse, and what determines its nature?"
"No one knows." The woman took another step closer.
"Too true." Jean laughed, bringing up his bony fingers and clasping them together. "Some say it is a quirk of blood. Some say that it is inherited. Some say that it is a mark on a person''s soul. Others say that the Scions grant them as cruel mockeries. I don''t personally believe any of that."
"And what do you believe, Jean?" She now stood barely an arm''s length from the bars of his cage.
"I gained my curse after my first death," Jean whispered, closing his eyes and resting his cold bones against his forehead. "Eliza died to bring me back and cursed me all the same. I woke up with her cold body in my arms and realized that I was alive, but not."
"And what does that mean?" she asked, taking the final step.
In three swift moves, Jean was up and to the bars, one bony hand reaching through and wrapping around the dagger. He pulled hard against it and ripped it from her grasp. The woman fell back from the cage, landing on her hands and back as Jean retreated.
"Curses are the wishes of the lost," Jean said, sitting back down at the center of the cage as he worked the dagger into his manacles.
"Give that back!" The woman stood up and drew a pouch from inside her cloak. "Thorn''s Grasp!"
Green light emanated from her hands, and she threw small black objects into his cage. Jean had a moment to look at them before black vines exploded from the ground and up his body. He frowned as they wrapped around his robes and climbed his frame, pulling the cloth tight to reveal the skeletal structure of his body beneath them.
"So many of us in one place. Such a rarity." Jean laughed as the vines rose higher and higher up his body. "I will not fight back, woman. I merely wanted your dagger to pick away at my cuffs. I thought perhaps I could fit the tip in the lock."
"That''s not how lockpicking works," the woman said as the vines wrapped tighter around him.
"Then you know how to pick locks." Jean smiled wider. "Might I be able to convince you to release me? I know more about curses than many, and I would be willing to help your friend."
"You took my dagger," the woman said, clenching her teeth.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
"True, but it seemed the best way to get out of my current predicament," Jean said, letting go of the dagger and letting it fall to the floor.
Clitter-clatter.
"I promise you that if you release me, I will bring no harm on you or the others who have taken this ship. The fact that you have taken me away from the Military Police alone would be more than enough payment for my services. Fate has conspired to unite us, and you''re all already so interesting."
"You''re asking me to trust you." The green glow faded from her hands. "And that''s after you tried to take my dagger from me."
"True, but I did not attack you with it and would gladly give it back." Jean nodded down at the dagger on the floor. "What about your friend? With my curse, I could peer into his body and see it in better detail. I could tell you what is happening with the flow of aether inside him."
She stopped, narrowing her eyes as she stood a greater distance away from the cage than before. Jean knew he almost had her interest. He just needed to push a little more, and he might gain a path forward. It was time to roll the bones.
"I''ve told you my name. Why don''t you tell me yours?"
"Erin."
"Then Erin, think about your friend. You don''t need to free me from the cage. If you but loosen these manacles, I will inspect him and tell you what is wrong with him. After that, we can make further negotiations for my freedom."
Clink.
He held out his hands to the bars so that the manacles pressed against them, and his skeletal hands were through the bars. He did his best to smile in a way that wouldn''t be scary as he waited, and she thought over his offer.
"Sayed, get down here!"
A path forward forged by fate.
A large man carrying two swords on his back and wearing a clawed gauntlet came down the stairs. Jean had not been able to see him before, but he was clearly strong. If Jean intended to fight them, they would pose a serious threat together.
"Who is this man?" Sayed asked, looking Jean up and down. "His hands are awfully pale."
"He was a prisoner, but I don''t know why he was being held," Erin said.
"Then we must free him!" Sayed interrupted.
Erin shook her head and sighed, and Jean smiled. Already, the bones pointed to him getting out of this without too much trouble. Maybe these three would be interesting.
"In a minute," Erin said, reaching into her pocket. "Just be ready if he tries anything."
"Will do, brother," Sayed said, drawing one of his curved swords from his back.
Jean reminded himself to be patient. He had done much to raise suspicion. He truly just wanted to be out of his manacles, so he held his hands steady and waited. Erin produced two tools from her pocket and set to work on Jean''s manacles with them.
"Ah!" Erin gasped when she touched the metal. "What is this made out of?"
"A metal that saps away at the aether around it," Jean whispered. "It is a new invention, as I haven''t seen it before. It severely limits my curse."
"A way to keep cursed people locked away," she whispered as he kept working with her tools. "Like Glory Plateau."
"Let me see." Sayed reached out and touched the metal before recoiling. "Yes, very similar to the maze!"
"Focus, Sayed," Erin hissed at him and returned to work.
Click. Click. Clank. Thump.
The manacles fell to the floor, and Jean took in a deep breath. Aether filled his lungs for the first time in an eternity. Power filled him, and his gate opened on its own to drink in the aether like a man dying of thirst who found an oasis.
Death and decay slithered their way out from Jean''s heart and out through his body. His curse, when of the first grade, was simple undeath. He would not call Eliza to his side, for he did not wish to spook his acquaintances any more than they already were.
"Thank you," Jean whispered as he let out a breath. "Not having aether in you is horribly stifling."
"Remember our deal," Erin said, reaching down and picking up the manacles.
She pulled out a sack from her cloak and deposited the manacles in them. Jean watched her and saw the power hidden within her. A glowing green orb from her chest pulsed, even with her gate closed. He could see it wrapping around her heart and out through her body, though the tendrils of the power were currently clear and bereft of power.
Sayed was similar. A bright orange ball blazed brightly in his chest, and lines ran out from his heart and across his body in straight tubes. Jean did not know his power, but both were on the cusp of going to the next stage.
"You are all proving yourself to be as the bones foretold," Jean said, resisting the urge to laugh. "Your friend is growing into his second grade, but neither of you two are far behind. You must have pushed your curses far to see such growth."
"Pushed our curses?" Erin stood up, attaching the manacle bag inside her cloak.
"Life and death struggles, fights that take you to your limits¡ªthese are what are required to grow your curse. It binds your curse to you more and more and makes it your own. Bring your friend to me, and I''ll know the truth of it more than ever before!"
Jean was excited. If he had a heart, it would be beating wildly in his chest. Instead, his gate just opened further and further. It begged him to call out Eliza, but Jean held back. There would be a time and place for that. Now was neither.
"Sayed, bring Alex over here," Erin whispered, not taking her eyes off him.
Sayed grunted and left their area, returning moments later with a man in his arms. He was dark-skinned but not as dark as Jean himself. An odd metal device covered his heart, but Jean ignored that. He wore only dark pants and boots, but even with the coverage of clothing, Jean could have peered inside the man''s soul.
A glowing blue spiral whirled in his chest. Shocks of lightning ran out along his limbs every few moments, revealing intertwined lines of power through his body. Though the man was sleeping, his gate was struggling to remain closed. Jean knew exactly what he was feeling. When his curse had grown, when he had cried out for his Eliza as he faced death yet again, his gate had almost ripped completely from his chest.
Curses begged to grow. They wanted to become stronger. They were a part of the user''s very self. With each stage of growth, they would become more of what the user wanted, or more accurately, more of what they needed to survive on Erth.
"So, what can you tell us?" Erin asked as he looked Alex over. "What''s happening to him?"
"It is coming," Jean said, a smile spreading across his face. "Soon, you will bear witness to the birth of a second-grade curse. Do not be afraid. Do not be worried. He will come out of his rest stronger than ever before."
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 72 | Freedom
Erin bit her lip. She still didn''t know enough to trust the man, but he seemed to know more about curses than anyone she had ever met. His name also sounded familiar. She knew she had heard it before but couldn''t place it. Now, she was left with a problem. Should she free him from the cage next? What would he do once he was free?
"No man deserves to be behind bars." Sayed looked down at her. "If he was a captive of the Military Police, then what better thing to do than to let him free?"
"There are times when people need to be arrested," Erin said, raising her eyebrow at Sayed. "While I don''t like the Scions or the Military Police, they do put away people who deserve it sometimes."
Erin was a member of the People''s Revolution, but that didn''t mean she was an anarchist. If the revolution succeeded, they would need their own new system of order to keep people safe across the nightsea. The Scions were just too powerful to let rule.
"Then, what did you do to deserve your imprisonment?" Sayed turned to Jean, placing one hand on the top of the bars.
"Disturbing the peace," Jean said, smiling at Sayed. "I think the most recent charge was stealing supplies from them to give to those who needed them."
"That sounds like a fine charge to me." Sayed laughed. "We should let him out."
"You realize he could be lying, right?" Erin rubbed her forehead as what felt like a headache came on.
"Ah." Sayed nodded solemnly before turning to look back at Jean. "Are you lying, brother?"
"Of course not." Jean chuckled back at Sayed.
"There you have it."
Erin resisted the urge to hit Sayed. He was the most infuriating person to be around at times, but he was strong, and if Jean proved to be a real problem, she knew that Sayed would be the first to handle it. Together, they could do something about the man, assuming he did want to attack.
"Okay." Erin sighed and deflated a little. "We''ll let you out, but there''s not much we can do for you. If we go to another port, there''s a chance a patrol might spot us."
"So, I''m to come along on your journey?" Jean chuckled again, stepping back from the bars and rubbing at his wrists. "So long as the trip is interesting, it matters little to me."
Erin shook her head and walked over to the door to the cage. She took her time inside the lock to unlatch it with her lever and pick. After a few minutes of work, it clicked open, and the door swung inward.
Creak.
"A thousand thanks to all of you," Jean said as he stepped through the bars and out into the cargo bay. "I don''t know how I shall repay this debt, but remember that I owe you much."
Erin stepped back and away from him, keeping her distance until he held out the black hilt of her dagger. Cautiously, she reached forward and took it before returning it to her belt. She still didn''t trust him.
"What do you know about curses? That would be a start." Erin watched him as he stretched his bony arms. "What happened to your body, or what are you?"
"Let me answer the first as I stretch these old bones," Jean said, walking over to a wall and flexing his arms and body against it.
"Firstly, as to who I am. I am Jean Baptiste, known to the authorities as Baptiste ''the Reanimator.''"
A cold stone dropped into Erin''s stomach as she heard the words. She had heard his name before. Like the rest of them, he had a bounty out for his head. That wasn''t necessarily a bad thing, depending on what was done to earn the bounty, but the moniker ''the Reanimator'' did not bode well.
"I started my newest life after my friend stabbed me in the back," Jean continued. "My wife lay dead in my arms, and I set about my path to resurrect her. I have learned much about curses in my time as I sought her out."
He lifted his robes, revealing a skeletal rib cage beneath it, bound by a tight black shirt. Erin could see through him to where Sayed watched from the other side. A purple crystal floated at the center of his chest, where his heart would have been if he had any organs. It glowed faintly in pulses throughout his body.
"Mine will be more visible than yours," Jean said, reaching a skeletal finger down and tapping it against his crystal.
Tink.
"Yours would look like a heart to your eyes, but I lost my heart long ago. Inside each cursed person, straddling the barrier between the Real and the Surreal, there is a crystal that allows them to channel aether from the Surreal."
He dropped down his robes and walked by the cage to where Alex lay. He tapped Alex''s chest, where the metal device was embedded around his heart. Erin followed him around, and Sayed moved to the opposite side, his hands held open.
Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
"I don''t know what this is, but this ''Alex'' has a crystal in his heart, like every curse user. I can see the ball growing inside of him, and soon his curse will change. I cannot predict what will happen, but I have never seen a curse grow weaker, only stronger."
"And how long will that take?" Erin bit her lip.
"A day, two at most," Jean said, shaking his head. "Whatever you planned to do by hijacking this ship, I assume you will have the time. If not, you may need to change your plans."
"We''re taking the ship to Death''s Yard." Erin sighed. "It was already going to be dangerous enough with just the three of us, but now..."
"You''re going to Death''s Yard?" Jean frowned at her, his hand flat above Alex as he raised his eyebrows. "How fantastic! I knew the bones weren''t lying! This is going to be so exciting!"
Alex floated in a cold ocean. Above him, the night sky flitted by, and the waves rolled back and forth below him, sending him swaying deeper and deeper into the night. It wasn''t so different from the waters he had found himself in ten years prior¡ªbefore the lab, before the experiments, before the chaos that his life had become.
For the first time in a decade, he let out the release of the tension he had held inside of his chest. The first thing he learned from his cell neighbor when he came to the nightsea was that he couldn''t show weakness. He couldn''t lose. He had to strive to fight his way forward and break through any wall in his path. If he didn''t, he would never see his home again.
"What do you think, WPN Eight? How far have I made it in five years? How far do I have to go? Why does my desire to go home never fade from my mind?"
He thought that, in ten years, the memories of his family would fade. He thought he would forget the nights his mom cooked pastel de papa when he came home from university. He could still smell the beef browning on the skillet and hear the potatoes boiling over on the stove while his mother tried not to curse.
He thought he would forget the Gualeguaych¨² Carnival when they would drive out to watch the parades. The colorful costumes and loud music weren''t his favorite because he had always been a quiet child, but now they were like beacons back to the past. He would return to them joyfully if he could see his family again.
He thought he would forget his cousins and his siblings and their nightly texts, making sure he was okay. His family was gone, and part of his mind told him he must move on. However, there was just one problem.
"Yet, it''s still with me, even now. Ten years, my family. Ten years apart, and I''m still so far away. Why has it not faded? Why do I still want to go home?"
Tears dropped down his face, and Alex didn''t bother to keep them locked inside. He just let them fall into the ocean. Salt into salt. Pain into cold. He simply allowed himself to cry for the first time in a long time.
As the feeling drained out of his body, a thought crossed his mind: Pastel de papa. It hadn''t changed to the uniform language of Erth, Gualeguaych¨² as well. Zanhai, Sha-om, as Erin would often say.
Certain phrases didn''t translate across and kept their name. He didn''t know what the information could be useful for, but it struck him as odd. Why did those names not translate in mind or in speech?
"Another mystery of the nightsea," Alex said as the wet slap of sand touched his shoulders.
He reached down, and his hands sunk into the sand below him. With some effort, he managed to roll over and look out around him. A beach stretched out in front of him in the night, with a dark jungle on its edge. Alex stepped onto that beach and took a deep breath of the cold night air.
"Where am I?"
¡°Where do you think you are?¡± an old man''s voice called out from behind him, and Alex turned to face him.
A bent elderly man in rags stood behind him, leaning on a cane as he stroked at his wispy white beard. A pair of rounded but broken spectacles rested on his nose. Alex didn¡¯t recognize him, but he knew the voice¡ªall too well.
¡°I never saw you, old man,¡± Alex said, frowning as he looked the man up and down. ¡°And you never gave me your name beyond your designation. Is this what you really looked like, WPN Eight?¡±
¡°Who knows?¡± The old man shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re in your world, not mine.¡±
¡°And why are we here? Is this a dream, or am I losing my mind?¡± Alex asked, walking closer to the old man.
¡°I¡¯m merely here to get you to ponder a single question.¡± The old man smiled, looking out into the jungle to his right. ¡°What do you think you are missing, Alex? You¡¯ve had your curse for a long time now. What is it that you need more than anything else.¡±
A sudden pain shot through Alex¡¯s heart, his gate opening as electricity spasmed through his body. He had nearly forgotten in the foggy haze of the dream world he was in, but his curse was acting strangely. Something was happening to it, and he didn¡¯t know what. He looked down at his chest and put his hand over his heart.
¡°It does always feel like something is lacking, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Alex said as electricity fired all through his nerves across his body. ¡°There¡¯s always room for improvement. I like being able to move metal objects, but there¡¯s a problem.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t always have metal around you,¡± the old man said.
¡°Yeah.¡± Alex nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t count the times I¡¯ve had to chase down metal or how often I¡¯ve just had to rely on the two techniques you taught me to fight my way through. It would have changed entire fights.¡±
¡°That would definitely shore up your weaknesses, but are you sure?¡± the old man asked as he looked over Alex. ¡°I¡¯m certain there are other things you could think of as well. New ways to use your power. Other ways that your curse could change.¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Alex smirked. ¡°But you know me, old man. I¡¯m a pragmatist, first and foremost. If I see a problem, I¡¯m going to solve that problem.¡±
¡°Very true.¡± The old man laughed. ¡°Well then, let me guide you one more time. Close your eyes and focus on your curse.¡±
Alex did as he asked, closing his eyes and focusing on the electric feel ripping through his body. Shots of lighting ran out from his heart and down his arms. Alex took in a deep breath, taking hold of his power and focusing on controlling it.
¡°Now, call on the power and tell it to do what you need it to do.¡±
Alex focused on his curse, imagining how the power should work. Sparks of electricity should form around him as he generated a piece of metal, entirely formed by what he imagined. Whether a long piece of metal, a flat wall, or even an augmentation of his own body, the mark would be a flash of blue electric light before the piece of metal was his to command.
¡°Now, get ready for the pain.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Alex had a single moment before his entire world turned white, and pain ripped through his body.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 73 | Second Grade
Alex woke up, but he was in no pain. That was better than he expected. He lay swinging back and forth in a dark room, and his eyes could barely make out the shadows around him. Several hammocks swung nearby, and a faint distant light on the far side of the room gave just enough light to see the door''s shadows nearby.
He was alive. That was less of a surprise than it should have been. A part of him was just thankful for the pain being gone. If he had woken up with his chest still burning and the spasms of pain running through his chest, he likely would have just gone back to sleep.
"Second grade," he whispered, touching his chest and feeling the cool metal of the device beneath his fingers.
Lucien''s curse, back on Glory Plateau, was a second-grade curse. In his first-grade curse, the man could summon creatures he had defeated and absorbed in battle to fight for him. When Lucien had revealed the next stage of his curse, that summoning ability had warped into a transformation of his own body. Now, Alex''s own curse had changed.
"What will I become?" Alex whispered, pushing himself up from the hammock and swinging his legs to the ground.
His bare feet touched the cold metal, and he immediately searched for his boots and clothes. It didn''t take him long to find them, left in a bundle on a nearby hammock. He quickly dressed himself and went through the door and up the stairs.
Erin was at the ship''s helm up the stairs. She looked back at him and nodded as he came up, and Alex rubbed the back of his head. Erin had dark bags under her eyes, and Alex realized she and Sayed would have piloted the ship together for however long he was out.
"Hey," Alex said. "How long was I out."
"Two days," Erin said, pressing a button on the console and walking over to him. "How are you feeling?"
"Hungry," Alex said, realizing there was a faint pull on his stomach. "But I''m not hurting anymore."
"Jean said that would be the case." Erin nodded, and Alex tilted his head.
"Who''s Jean?"
"Do you remember what the ship was carrying before we hijacked it?" Erin asked, biting her lip.
"It was doing a prisoner transport." Alex nodded.
"There was only one prisoner," Erin said, walking toward the cabin door. "Come on, I''ll introduce you to him."
Alex followed her out through the door and onto the deck. The empty black vastness of the nightsea opened up in the sky around him, and islands shone brightly in the sky like bright white stars. Sayed sat on one side of the deck, polishing his blades with a smile. He looked up and nodded at Alex as they exited the door.
"Good to see you awake, brother."
Alex started to return the greeting when he noticed the man standing on the far end of the ship, looking out the back of the ship and into the night. He was almost as dark as the nightsea around him, but his blue robes still showed where he stood. The man turned to look back at them, a white toothy smile crossing his face, but the more important detail was his arms. They were just bones. They moved like hands and arms, but they were just the man''s bones.
"What in the..." Alex whispered.
"That''s Jean," Erin said. "Come on."
Together, they walked over to Jean, and the man began to chuckle softly as they approached. A weight dropped in Alex''s stomach, but he couldn''t place why. It reminded him of times he would be called into his father''s study back home, not knowing if he was in trouble or not.
"Look at you," Jean said, stretching his bony arms wide as he started to walk a circle around them. "You''ve grown your curse to the next level, and it already shows. Have you tried it out? Have you opened your gate since you awoke?"
"Not yet," Alex admitted, following Jean with his eyes as he came around to his starting point.
"The best way to learn power is to experiment with it," Jean said. "Open up your gate. See what new power it brings!"
Erin noticeably hurried away from Alex as he debated on doing what the man asked. For one, he didn''t know Jean. For two, he wasn''t sure what his gate would do, and that scared him. Alex stood still, looking at Jean, and resolved himself to one action.
"I''ll do it, but first, who are you?"
"Jean Baptiste ''the Reanimator,''" Jean said, spreading his arms and bowing. "At your service."
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Alex had seen his wanted posters before. The picture matched pretty well, though his skeletal hands weren''t on the poster. Alex had to wonder how Jean could move his arms at all. Bones were moved by muscles and tendons tightening and relaxing back and forth. How could a man have no muscles but still move his arms?
Of course, the obvious answer was aether, but Alex didn''t like it.
"You might want to step back, Jean," Alex said. "I''m not sure what this will do."
"Better we find out now than in the middle of a battle." Jean nodded, stepping away.
Alex closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and opened his gate.
Electricity sparked out from his heart in pulsing waves. The electricity flowed like bolts of lightning from his chest, down his muscles, and to the very tips of his fingers. In his senses, all the metal in the world around him became visible, and he could feel the various magnetic fields in the world around him.
Alex instinctively knew this was just the first grade of his curse. He could open his gate more.
"Yes, now one step more," Jean whispered.
Alex opened his gate wider, and the electricity that ran through his body no longer came in pulses. Now, his entire body was a live wire. Power ran back and forth continuously from his heart to every part of his body. His bubble of perception widened, and he could even sense the various metal bits on the bottom of the ship. Alex reached out one hand and formed the idea in his mind before he could fully understand what he was doing.
"Steel Disks."
Two static balls of electricity flashed above his head before two round pieces of steel materialized near him. They floated in the air in his magnetic field, and Alex smiled. They were each about the size of a medieval buckler shield. They were large enough to block or be thrown but small enough that he could manipulate them easily.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Manifestation of metal, very good," Jean said as he finished clapping his hands.
"Finding useful metal is the hardest part," Alex said, shrugging.
"An interesting choice," Jean said, holding up one finger. "What do you say to testing your new abilities with a sparring match?"
"Are you sure?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "I don''t know everything about it yet."
"The best way to learn is experimentation," Jean repeated himself. "Spirit Swing."
Hahaha.
The air around them grew noticeably colder at the man''s words, and a shadow spilled out from behind Jean. Alex watched as a purple glow lit up the floor beneath the man and a long twining tail wrapped around his body. From that purple light, a skeletal figure manifested, wrapping around Jean''s neck like a shawl. Two skeletal arms rested around his shoulders in a hug from behind, and white hair fell out and down Jean''s back from the creature''s skull.
"Eliza, I would like to introduce you to my new friends," Jean said to the spirit. "Let us show them how we dance."
He reached up and grabbed hold of the spirit''s hand. With a whirl, he sent her down the length of his arm and out onto the deck. For a moment, Alex was stunned at the sight. He had never seen a curse act like this before, and he had no idea what to make of Jean''s ability.
He brought the disks close to his body as they came for him.
"Spirit Step!"
With a flash, the two dancers disappeared from Alex''s sight. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and he moved one of his disks behind his head on instinct alone. That thought saved him from the kick that came for his skull.
Clang!
Alex turned and saw a leg manifesting from the spirit''s form as it stood beside Jean. They stood with their arms stretched out from each other and their legs out in the air. Eliza''s leg formed the kick while Jean''s body acted as a counterbalance.
"Step."
Alex disappeared in a flurry of movement like he had taken a thousand steps in one instant, reappearing further away and down the deck. The disks came to him immediately afterward, flowing in wide arcs until they returned to his side.
"Steel Disks." Alex thrust out one hand and sent the two disks flying off toward Jean.
The two dancers brought themselves together, joining hands and thrusting forward with one another as they took three steps. Alex watched as they moved and couldn''t help but be impressed. They moved together like two people who had lived side by side for their entire lives.
"Spirit Pirouette!" Jean said, extending out both of their arms as they went into a spin.
Wind formed an almost tornado around both fighters as they entered their spins. Faster and faster they went until they were both a blur. Alex''s disks tried to follow their path, but they were deflected away when the disks hit that wind.
Ting. Clang.
The two disks fell to the deck below and shattered into shards of electricity. Alex raised his right hand and knew he needed to try something else. The disks were useful, but not for the situation. He focused his mind on his arm.
"Junk Arm."
Blue electric lights sparked down his arm as he said the words, and metal pieces formed across his hands and forearm. In moments, his entire arm was encased in metal of various sizes and pieces, all held together with magnetic lines. He had an arm made of various pieces of metal, slightly longer than his regular one. He flexed his metallic fingers closed as he brought the arm close to his body.
"Step."
Alex came within reach of Jean as the two still spun in the air. The air around the man was like being next to a cyclone, and bits of dust and dirt cut into Alex''s face with stinging pain. Alex ignored that and pushed forward with his arm, throwing the strongest punch he could into the whirling storm.
"Steel Punch!"
His muscles swelled as he used ''might'' along with his curse for his punch, and his fist clashed with the whirling energy of Jean''s cyclone. Alex''s arm shook under the weight of the strike, and the wind pushed back against him the entire way.
"Parter Switch!"
Alex barely heard the technique before the wind momentarily vanished, and his punch went through.
Crunch. Clang.
His metal fist collided with Eliza''s skeletal body and slammed her away from him. Alex followed through with the punch all the way. His fist clattered against the deck as he was thrown off balance. He sensed the attack as it came at that moment. From behind him, Jean struck out with his hand, and Alex knew the fight was over.
Slap.
Instead of a hard punch to the back of his head, which might have ended him, only a light slap hit the back of Alex''s head. Alex looked up in surprise as the metal around his arms disappeared, and he fell to the deck.
"Very good, but that may have killed me if I wasn''t ready for it," Jean said as he stood over Alex with a smile. "The bones were right about you, Mister Ortega. You are a very interesting find for me indeed."
Alex had no idea what was happening but couldn''t help but laugh.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 74 | Nightsea Leviathan
Sayed pulled another stock cube from the pantry above him and dropped it into the pot. Outside and above the decks, his brothers enjoyed their time together, and he had volunteered to cook. With a little work, Sayed had found what he needed down below, and he was cooking on a stove hidden in a small alcove near the hammocks.
His gate was open wide as he burned it to heat the pot and boil the water with just the touch of his hand. He could have figured out how to start the stove, but that would have just been a waste. His blessing would allow him to cook without restrictions.
Much of the ship''s stock was dried food. Dried vegetables. Dried fruits. Dried meat. The rest were items that would help with cooking: salt, ground pepper, and stock cubes. Sayed would have given his left arm for a batch of spices from Hajh. That would certainly heat up the dish in a different way. However, he had to make do with what he had.
He took a few pieces of dried meat and smelled each of them. They were bland and lacking the fire that he wanted to impart on the meal, but they would be the centerpiece. Sayed dropped them into the pot unceremoniously. Next, he had a few options for vegetables. He sat to work, piece by piece, building his soup until it shimmered brightly in the cramped room.
When he was finished, Sayed smiled and made his way up to the deck, large pot in hand.
"I come from September, back over a decade ago now," Jean said, pointing one hand out into the distant night at a twinkling island. "I can always point back to it, no matter where I am. What about the rest of you?"
The three of them sat at a table set for four people. Thanks to a quick search of the cabinets, the bowls and spoons were already out, and the folding chairs and table were just one of the many luxuries hidden on the ship.
"I hail from a land called Hajh," Sayed said as he sat down the pot at the center of the table. "It was a land with a great desert, but with many oases hidden within."
"Erys," Erin said shortly. "The three of us are offworlders."
"Earth," Alex said. "Just add an ''a'' between the ''e'' and the ''r.''"
"So many of you in one place." Jean smiled as he picked up his bowl and spooned in some soup. "I''ve met so very few in my travels. Some integrate onto the islands they come to. Others become famous outlaws, but I''ve only seen a handful."
"I''ve met about six or seven," Alex said, shrugging as he took his turn with the soup pot. "There are some I''ve seen but never met in person, but you''re right that we''re rare."
"What''s rarer is that we''ve met so many cursed people," Erin said as she went next. "Ever since I met both of you, I feel like I''m surrounded by curses."
"How could it be a bad thing?" Sayed asked as he sat at the table and handled his own bowl. "The more blessings in this world, the better, I say."
"Curses occur more the greater suffering there is," Jean said, sipping his soup. "At least, that is what I believe. If you are encountering more curses in this world, then there is no doubt that you''re around more people who are suffering. If curses are the wishes of the lost, they are also there to try and ease the suffering of the user."
"I wish I could have told my heart that." Alex snorted. "I could have lived without the stroke."
"Pain is a part of growth." Jean cut back. "You do not progress without some amount of suffering."
"No pain, no gain, then?" Alex asked.
"Precisely."
"I cannot wait to see how my blessing grows and changes," Sayed said. "If what you say is true, then both Erin and I should see our powers grow as well. What is it like?"
Rattle.
"It is like having a conversation with a part of yourself." Jean leaned forward, letting his spoon drop into his bowl. "Your very soul will be bared before you, and you will be given a chance to choose how you should move forward. When you awake, you will have access to your changed curse."
"How often can it change?"Erin asked.
"I have no idea." Jean laughed, leaning back in his chair. "I feel my own growing ever stronger every day, so I assume there must be more, but even I haven''t seen the next stage yet."
"Every time I learn more about this place, there are more mysteries than answers," Alex whispered.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Is not the mystery part of the appeal?" Sayed raised one finger. "If we knew the answers to everything, what use would there be in going out and forging new stories? We live life because of the mystery."
"Precisely." Jean jumped forward in his seat, throwing his arms out. "Life needs to be exciting, and what better way to make it that way than the unknown? That''s why I keep going. That''s what gets me up every morning. Every day is a new chance to experience the world. Every day is a new place to show Eliza so that we may enjoy the pleasures of this world together."
"Which would lead to a grander tale." Sayed nodded, also leaning forward. "I feel we will get along well, brother. May your journey with us make the story ever grander!"
"How do I keep finding you people?" Erin shook her head, leaning back in her chair and away from the two men.
"Everyone lives life their way." Alex smiled, putting his elbows on the table. "Whatever gives people a good reason to keep moving on is good enough for me."
"But what about yourself? What motivates you on your journey?" Jean looked down at him, and Sayed stopped in his fun to look as well.
He had never asked Alex that. He had just always assumed Alex was much the same as Sayed.
"I wonder about that every day," Alex said, looking away with a sigh. "Yesterday, I would just say I wanted to go home, and I still do. However, I can''t deny that some of what I''ve done has been a little fun. I also can''t say that I haven''t helped people. If I had come here under different circumstances, I might love being here."
"Family is important," Sayed said, sitting down and letting his head droop as a weight settled in his chest. "Even more so after it is lost. Even with just our short time together, Gramps and Jack were a part of my family. Abed was my brother for even longer. I understand why you would miss your old world, brother, if that is what you left behind."
Tears came to his eyes, and he looked over to Alex. Alex reached out and put one hand on his shoulder. Alex had been there for that loss. While they hadn''t properly had time to mourn back on Glory Plateau in the last month, Sayed had found the time to cry often enough.
"What about you, Erin?" Jean turned to her, his voice now quiet. "Why do you continue on in the nightsea instead of settling down?"
"I..." Erin stopped, and Sayed rubbed tears from his eyes as he looked up at her. "I''d normally just say that it isn''t your business, but part of the reason I keep going is this."
Tap. Tap.
She pulled a bag from inside her cloak and sat it on the table. From it, a few seeds spilled out and onto the surface. Sayed didn''t have to look close to know what they were. They were a variety of seeds of many shapes and sizes.
"I want samples of plants from all over Erth," she said. "Beyond my mission, I want to know about all the different plants that grow out there. I want to know what they can be used for and how they can help people."
"It''s a beautiful dream," Jean said, smiling and rising from the table. "I can imagine a garden dedicated to growing every kind of plant, each with its own habitat that anyone could walk through."
Hroon.
A shadow crossed over the ship, obscuring their table. Sayed looked up above immediately and spotted the cause. A massive form, long and flat, sailed through the nightsea above them, but it was no ship. It flipped one massive tail against the aether behind it and propelled itself forward again as it circled around the ship.
"A leviathan," Jean whispered. "A very rare sight indeed."
The creature shot down toward the ship, its long, broad gray form cutting through the nightsea above them. Sayed started to retrieve his sword from where it was stored below decks. If the creature wanted a fight, he would be ready to give it to him.
"Is it coming this way?" Alex asked.
"No," Erin said. "It''ll be close, but it isn''t going to hit the ship."
"They aren''t violent creatures," Jean said. "They eat the smaller creatures that float through the nightsea and feed on the aether from islands. Just one eats millions of tiny fish in a month to satiate itself."
Hroon.
The creature continued spiraling toward the ship, but Sayed resisted his urge to run for his weapons. If his brothers were certain it was not a threat, he would consign himself to watch the creature in its majesty.
Whoosh.
The creature shot down and past the ship, its fins a gossamer white as it pushed down below the decks. The ship shook from the aetheric wind as it crossed by, and Sayed had to grab hold of the table and the pot to keep them from falling over.
"Magnificent!" Jean said. "That''s a portent of fate if there ever was one!"
"You are very focused on this ''fate'' thing," Sayed said, stepping over to stand beside him.
Jean turned to him, a broad smile on his face. With a twirl, he opened his arms to the sky around them before returning to his original stance. Every move Jean made was like a dance, though there was no music to give a beat to it.
"Fate is the best word I have ever found for it, though do not mistake me. No one is in control of a person''s destiny except themselves. We are all bound by our interactions, the people we meet, and the decisions we make. We are bound by our obstacles and how we choose to overcome them. I cannot tell you in advance how they will go, but I know they are determined by the will of those who must act them out. We are bound by a fate to strive for our goals, and that is what makes all of this so special."
Jean raised one hand and pointed to the nearest island.
"A thousand people may live their lives on that star, dreaming of a better tomorrow, but fate will push them forward to achieve that tomorrow. Fate is the impetus that drives us all forward, whether we recognize it or not. Fate is the desire to do something with our time and make it grand."
He brought his hands down and held them open wide.
"The desire to do something grand has brought us all together, my friends. In just the short time I have met you all, I know we will all do something that will change the very structure of the Erth. The bones have told me this, and I will do my part to strive forward with you all as we go into Death''s Yard!"
Jean bowed, holding one arm out and folding the other beneath his chest. Again, Sayed had to be impressed with the man. He knew how to spin words together into a tale that even Sayed might have trouble matching.
Hroon.
In the distance, the leviathan called one final time, and the ship''s shaking ceased. They were left with the empty nightsea around them with their destination still ahead. Sayed could not help but be short of breath. What sort of story would await them all in Death''s Yard?
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 75 | Deaths Yard
Death''s Yard was not something that just appeared in the distance, like the distant light of an island. Bits and pieces of it began long before a ship knew it was caught inside its bounds. Death''s Yard was a massive cloud of floating rocks and dust out in the nightsea, with a cloud of light streaming off it in many colors. A thin film of ultraviolet light worked like a ribbon around the phenomenon, and Erin gulped as she pulled back on a lever on the ship''s panel.
The ship slowed down a far distance away from the larger rocks that would rival the size of mountains.
"We''re here," Erin whispered, stepping from her duty station and out on the deck.
She needn''t have bothered. From their vantage point on the railing, the three men looked up at the various floating bits of dust and debris above and below the ship. There was a reason one came to Death''s Yard, and occasionally, a blue light would flicker just a little away from the ship''s railing as bits of dust and debris were destroyed on the ship''s shielding.
Boom. Crack.
Above them, the different rocks floated like they were suspended but weren''t unmoving. Occasionally, they would crash against each other and shatter into smaller rocks and dust. With all of them in motion, they would need to track each one to make sure they weren''t crushed. Navigating the space would be a nightmare.
"This looks fun," Alex said, shaking his head.
"We could be crushed at any moment. Think of the thrills!" Sayed added.
"Our fates will see us through. Just wait and see," Jean finished.
"We''ll need more than that," Erin said, walking over and taking a map out of her cloak''s pocket.
She unfurled it, showing a gridded chart of vague particles, dust, and dirt contained within Death''s Yard. A few of the larger rocks were mapped out, and there was little reason to suspect they would have crumbled in the few years since a survey of the area had been attempted, but the closer to the center the map was, the less detailed it was.
"No one has ever been able to get into the center," Erin said, putting the chart down on the ground. "And this chart is purely two-dimensional. The ship''s system will have a way to help us navigate, but you all can see the problem above us already."
"Let me guess," Alex said, looking down at the chart. "The coordinates are right in the center."
Erin looked up at him and nodded. Whatever was hiding in the center of Death''s Yard was at the center of rock, dust, and dirt. If they went slow, they might have a chance of making it in, but she had never heard of any ship that returned from Death''s Yard intact.
"Roald sure picked one hell of a place to hide it," Alex whistled. "An asteroid field by itself is enough of a deterrent."
Erin raised an eyebrow. She didn''t know what an asteroid was, but she assumed it wasn''t different from a big rock. This wasn''t the first time Alex had used words that didn''t make sense, and she assumed they were related to his old world.
Boom.
Another set of rocks collided above them to demonstrate the point.
"So, we need a way to keep track of them," Alex said. "I can probably do that."
"And we also need a way to keep larger ones away from the ship," Erin said, pointing over the railings. "While we have shielding, it won''t stop any of the larger rocks from crushing us. We''ll need eyes all around us, and we''ll have to adjust our course quickly."
"You can handle steering the ship, correct?" Jean asked.
"I can," Erin said. "If we have Alex keeping track of objects, the question is what you two will do."
"I can beat back any of the rocks," Sayed said, kneeling beside the chart. "If I tie myself to the ship, and Alex can pull my sword back, we will be able to make quick work of any obstacles."
"True," Alex said. "We''ve done it before, and I assume we''ll go slower this time."
"That leaves Jean," Erin said.
"I think I have an idea," Jean said, a smile lighting his face that Erin didn''t like at all.
After about ten minutes of explanations, they were set. Erin looked out over the deck from the helm''s cabin. Alex stood at the ship''s center, his eyes closed and his hands outstretched. His job would be to control both Sayed and any rocks that came too close. Jean stood at the back of the deck, and he would watch behind them. Erin would watch the front from the helm. Sayed was just finishing tying a rope around his chest in a looping harness. He would be their last line of defense from anything too large for Alex to handle.
Stolen story; please report.
"Are we ready?" Erin yelled back.
"Aye!" the three of them yelled in unison.
Erin shook her head as she entered the cabin and started the engines again. The entire ship vibrated and hummed beneath her fingertips as she pulled up on the helm and brought the ship into the outskirts of Death''s Yard.
Purple light glowed around her feet as the final part of their plan rose around her. Eliza''s skeletal form spiraled up around her body to rest on her shoulders, and the two bony arms lay down around her neck.
A pleasure to work with you.
It wasn''t speech as much as intent that filtered between them. The ghostly skeleton could not speak, nor did it open its mouth. However, Erin understood the creature''s intent at that moment.
Erin suppressed a shudder but focused on her job. Eliza was the last part of the plan because the spirit would communicate anything that happened on the deck to her. Erin wasn''t happy with the plan, but Jean convinced her it was necessary. She just had to remind herself that the mission came first as she entered the first rock''s shadows.
The world was alight in Alex''s senses as his newly expanded bubble of magnetism lit up around himself and the ship. The bubble''s limit was about double the entire length of the ship around him. Before, he might have been able to move something about ten meters away. Now, he felt like he could sense and affect metal up to maybe a hundred meters away.
Sayed and his swords were a tiny blip in comparison. Just a few weeks ago, he struggled to pull Sayed back on the ship with his magnetism. Now, he was sure he could do a lot more.
His bubble moved with the ship as it rose toward Death''s Yard.
Boom.
In his senses, he saw the two asteroids collide on the port side. They cracked apart on each other and floated in opposite directions as one mass but in hundreds of tiny pieces. Each one was the size of a table or smaller, and the ship maneuvered out of the way of the collision.
"The calm before the storm," Sayed said beside him.
"It''s going to get worse the deeper we go in." Alex kept his eyes closed as he focused on his sphere.
A rock the size of a refrigerator came down from above the deck, hurtling through space like an American football. Alex threw one hand up and pushed against it, directing the rock off to the side. He didn''t have the strength just to hold it back, but he could redirect it. He made sure the trajectory would send it to the side of the ship and away from the shields.
"This upgrade is something else," he said. "If I had been this strong back on Tombstone, I would have taken out Goldfist the first time we met."
"The island before we met, right brother?"
"Yeah."
A long pause passed between them.
"How do you think you would fare now against Lucien?"
Alex had to pause to think about that one. His magnetism might have been stronger, and he would have had access to more metal thanks to his ability to manifest it; however, that gap was just too large. With a second-grade curse and mastery of all five paths, Lucien was a walking army in one person. Alex wasn''t sure what it would take to beat Lucien, but what he had wasn''t enough.
"I might have lasted a little longer," Alex said. "I also know he isn''t going to stop. He''ll keep getting stronger, so we have to keep moving. If we don''t, he''ll make sure we don''t get lucky the next time we meet."
"I will keep that in mind, brother," Sayed said. "My blade will be ready to face him. I practice nightly, knowing that we will meet again so that I can avenge my friends."
The Robin pushed further and further into Death''s Yard. On occasion, Alex would need to push debris out of their path. More often, Erin would turn the ship to avoid the crashing rocks. As they went deeper, they would have to act more often. It wasn''t until they were well inside with a cloud of dust and debris behind them that the real problems started.
"That''s a big one," Alex said.
"I see it." Sayed moved in his senses, his sword in his hand.
Sizzle.
The air around it burned as Sayed activated his curse. Alex focused his senses on the side of the ship. The asteroid in question was almost as long as the ship itself and spheroid in shape. Like a soccer ball, it rolled through the nightsea toward them.
"Be ready to catch me!"
Sayed stood on the ship''s railing as the asteroid barreled toward them. Alex had an inkling that it wouldn''t be enough. Even if Sayed cut the ball-shaped asteroid, the two halves would still hit the ship. They would need more.
"Demon''s Divide!" Sayed jumped out as the asteroid came within sixty meters.
"Hard turn!" Jean yelled out, presumably to communicate it to Erin.
Tshing!
Alex saw the asteroid split in half in the blue light of his magnetic senses as the tiny blue dot of Sayed''s sword reached the tip. The ship''s oblong shape also turned his senses, turning to face the asteroid head-on. Alex thrust his hands forward together, willing a magnetic push against the rocks they bore down on the ship. It would be tight.
A line of pain shot through his mind, and blood dribbled down Alex''s nose. Something the size of the ship was pushing it when it came to mass. However, he at least had the satisfaction that Goldfist''s mechanical arm would be doable now when it came to his magnetic manipulation.
Bzzt.
Alex opened his eyes and saw the shield''s light burning a bright blue around the ship. Like they were flying through a canyon, the two halves of the asteroid slid across the ship''s shields, both pieces twisting as they cut through the nightsea around the ship. In seconds, they shot past and out into the rest of the debris fields around them.
"We''re in the clear," Jean said.
"I''ll pull back Sayed."
Alex walked over to the railing and tugged on Sayed while he wiped away the blood from his nose. The sword on Sayed''s back came at his call, and Sayed flew back through the nightsea to catch himself on the railing.
"Did you see?" Sayed smiled as he climbed over the rail and back on the deck. "I cut that mountain in half with only one blow!"
"That was an excellent maneuver." Jean nodded as he walked back to his post at the back of the ship.
"Just be ready for the next one," Alex said, walking back to the ship''s center and closing his eyes.
"The next one better be twice as large." Sayed began to laugh before suddenly stopping. "What is that?"
"What?"
Alex opened his eyes to see Sayed looking out over the railing and up from the decks. His sword was at his side, and his other hand bridged his brow. Alex followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at. Something large and glowing green floated between the asteroids above them.
"Is it a ship?" Alex squinted to see, but it was too far away.
"It is not a rock," Sayed said. "Maybe it is an island, though I have never heard of one that glows green.
"That''s a Flying Dutchman!" Jean yelled as he joined them.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 76 | Zombies on a Boat
Erin took in a deep breath at the wheel to calm her racing heart. The last close call with one of the rocks had nearly given her a stroke, and her heartbeat still had yet to calm down. The spirit resting around her shoulders wasn''t helping her heart, but she had at least grown to accept that Eliza was useful for avoiding rocks. Holding onto the wheel helped as well, but her heart couldn''t seem to calm down again.
"Why is it called that?" Alex yelled from the deck. "Of all the things!"
Erin took a moment to pull back on a lever on the console before opening the door and sticking her head out from the cabin door. The fact that she had heard him yell through the steel door was impressive, but she didn''t know what would call for it. The three men stood together on the deck, looking up above the ship. She followed their gaze and saw the green ship coming down straight towards them.
"What''s that?" she asked.
"A Flying Dutchman," Alex said, shaking his head. "Where does the name come from, Jean?"
"An old story," Jean said. "A ship called the Dutchman went missing and was never found. It is now doomed to sail forever, never able to enter a port. The ship''s spirit is said to appear often across the nightsea, and it assails ships with its crew of ghosts."
"''Dutch'' is the problem." Alex sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "The Netherlands was a country on Earth. People from there are Dutch."
"The Netherlands is an island? Should they not be called ''Netherese?''" Jean tilted his head. "Netherian?"
"Brothers," Sayed said, but he was ignored.
"No, not on ''Erth.'' The other Earth. Look, I don''t make up the names," Alex said. "But why would it be called a Dutchman on a completely different world?"
"Brothers," Sayed attempted to interrupt again.
"Maybe the ship''s name comes from your world," Erin said. "You''ve run into people from Earth before."
"No one talks about those anymore," Alex said. "Maybe if they were pulled from the past. Like how Sayed told me about giants being legends when I asked him about Goldfist."
"Brothers!" Sayed yelled this time. "The ship is here."
"Ahahahahaha!"
A wailing cry called out through the night as the green ship careened across their side from above. It rolled past them in a circle along a horizontal plane to match their side, turning a long loop around them before coming up to match their side.
The ship was large and long. Without the green glow, it would have been a modified frigate-type ship. It was wide as well, with a typical wooden hull that wouldn''t have survived in a place like Death''s Yard. Tattered and ripped light sails floated freely like waving flags off of its masts, and several figures stood on the deck, all glowing the same green as the ship.
Erin reached into her cloak and drew her dagger. She didn''t know what would happen, but none of this looked good.
"Avast!" one of the men walked forward, dressed in a long, tattered overcoat and wearing a large black hat marked with a skull and crossbones.
He drew a saber from his side and pointed it down at them. The ship was taller, so Erin couldn''t get a good view of all the crew, but a few of them stuck their heads over the railing to look down at the ship. They all had rotting skin, and if they hadn''t been glowing green, Erin would have thought they were drim.
Drim were a servant class for nobles. They were reanimated corpses that served as manual labor for mining and other tasks nobles didn''t want to bother with. Meeting any beyond the Empyrean was impossible.
"You entered our territory, scum," the pirate said. "Surrender, and you may survive!"
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Yar!"
Several men jumped down to land on the deck below while the leader remained standing above. Each one was dressed in typical but tattered sailing garb, and each one held a sword or pistol as they advanced on the four of them. Erin moved so her back was to the other three, and they all faced down their attacks.
"They''re serious?" Alex laughed.
"I believe so," Jean whispered, reaching out his arm and calling Eliza off of Erin''s shoulders in a whirl of purple.
"A lesson will be learned this day," Sayed said as he drew his sword from his back and took a stance to Erin''s right.
Erin drew a few seeds from her bag. Her heart was still racing, but she wasn''t worried, so she didn''t know what the cause could be. She just needed to focus on the fight, and then she could worry about that.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Boom! Crack.
Above them, two of the massive rocks collided.
Bang! Ting! Thump.
Several of the pirates fired guns at the same time, only for the bullets to ricochet off and into the distance. At the same time, the remaining ones with weapons charged from both sides, only to meet Sayed and Jean.
"Demon''s Twister!"
Shing!
Sayed cut his sword in a wide arc as he spun through three of the pirates, his sword not heated. The pirates were blasted away as a gale of wind rushed in a twister around Sayed, and they were thrown up into a semi-circle before crashing down on the deck below.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Spirit Battement!"
Several kicks exploded out from Eliza as Jean extended her out with her arms. Four of the pirates were knocked away and across the deck, falling in heaps on the ground. They groaned as they held various parts of their bodies.
Erin threw her seeds out onto the remaining pirates with guns and opened the gate in her chest. It roared to life, ready at her call as vines of power twined through her body and into her arms. It seemed more eager than usual this time, and a spike of pain cut through her mind, but she forced it anyway.
"Thorn''s Grasp!"
"Aah!"
Vines shot out from the seed and wrapped around the gunmen. Black thorns pierced into their skin all across their bodies as they fell to the ground. As Erin watched, the green light faded away from each of them as they struggled against the vines'' restrictive grip.
"Now, about that demand," Alex said, looking up at the ship above.
In just a few seconds, they had taken out at least twelve of the crewmen. The captain, Erin assumed, looked down at them from his vantage point, his jaw open and his rotting eyes wide. Whatever or whoever he was, he clearly hadn''t expected to meet this much resistance.
Dread Pirate Captain Bargen had not gained his title lightly. He was the strongest of all his men and had been hand-picked by Mister Deadman himself to serve as the chief guard for the operation in Death''s Yard. However, the loyalty he owed to the Finger was contingent. It was contingent on keeping himself and his underlings alive for another day.
Looking down at the four people below, he was already doing the math.
"Captain." One of his men tapped his shoulder, and the man''s rotten body shook. "What are we going to do?"
"Run," Bargen said, turning to his men and sheathing his sword as he hurried away from the rails. "Cut and run, boys! These people are too strong for us."
"Captain, one''s coming up!"
Bargen turned, and his man was right. One of the people from below, the dark-skinned man in the overcoat, shot up past the deck, his hand pointing down like he was riding a wave of air. Bargen''s cold, dead body went ice-cold as he saw the grin on the man''s face.
The man caught the railing and easily swung himself onto the deck.
"Now, where were we?" the man asked, cracking his knuckles as he walked toward them.
Bargen reached for his saber instinctively, but it was thrown from his hand with a blast of force from the man''s outstretched hand before he could even bring it up. It clattered to the deck with a finality that cut through Bargen''s black heart.
"Wait!" he yelled as his men charged at the man before they were blasted back the same way.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His remaining five men fell to the ground as Blargen fell back on his butt. He scurried back and away as the man approached him, trying to hold his hands up in surrender while also scooting back as far as he could. His heart would be racing now if it still beat in his chest.
"Junk Arm."
Metal materialized in a flash of electricity along the man''s arm, making it longer and jagged as he raised it high. That arm would be able to crush Bargen with one punch. He had no illusions about it. He was strong, but he wasn''t that strong.
"Please, wait!" he said again as he bumped up against the railing on the other side of the ship.
No final punch came. Bargen''s second death remained delayed. Slowly, he lowered his shaking hands and looked up at the man towering over him. The long metal arm was still there, ready to come down and end Bargen the second it could.
"I''m listening," the man said.
"Please! Show us mercy!" Bargen spat out as quickly as he could. "We''re too weak to be of any threat to you!"
"But you''re a threat to anyone else you come across," the man said. "I assume you''ve attacked people before."
"Only to drive them away." Bargen kept his hands up close to his face as he peeked out. "We just have to keep people away from the island. We''re just doing our jobs!"
"What island?" the man took a step forward and brought his massive arm that much closer.
"Nowhere!" Bargen yelled.
There was a distinct pause as silence filled the air.
"I''m going to assume this is an Odysseus situation." The man sighed. "You mean the island is called Nowhere, right?"
Bargen took a moment to breathe and realized the problem. If there were an island called Nowhere, then, of course, people would assume that it wasn''t anywhere. In all the excitement, he had never considered it a problem before. Granted, he had never run across a crew this strong before. He had no idea what an ''odisius'' was, though.
"Yes." Bargen dropped his hands down from his face and clasped them together in front of himself. "We''re just here as guards for the island. We have to keep people away from the island until the operation is over."
"What operation?"
"My boss would kill me if I told you." Dry, dead tear ducts wouldn''t produce tears, but that didn''t stop Bargen from trying. "If you''re not going to kill us, can you just leave? There''s nothing on that island anyone would want. No treasures, gold, or anything like that."
Click-clack.
The man brought down his fist to his side, gripping the fingers of the metal hand into a fist. The metal clacked as he raised his other hand to tap at his chin as he thought. Bargen gulped down the air through his dry throat.
"Unfortunately," the man said, shaking his head. "I can pretty much guarantee that we''ll need to go there. I have coordinates for the center of Death''s Yard, and I want to see what''s there. So, we have two ways we can do this."
He reached out, and the metal hand wrapped around Bargen. The tight grip pushed against his chest like a heavy stone as he was raised into the air. If Bargen needed to breathe, he would soon be suffocated, but he was drim. Breathing was more of a nicety than a necessity.
"There''s the easy way and the hard way," the man said. "Which way do you want to try first?"
Bargen would have cried if he had been able to. He tried his best, but loyalty could only be earned or bought in the end. Mister Deadman didn''t pay Bargen enough to die to keep secrets. If he were going to die either way, Bargen would choose the option that at least let him live a little bit longer.
He told the man everything.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 77 | Crime Boss
Bargen once was a big boss in the Underground. He commanded over one hundred men in his own little slice of paradise on the back streets. Clubs, drugs, and weapons. He had his hands on it all and wanted to become an Underground Lord himself someday. That changed the day he met Mister Deadman for the first time.
Bargen leaned back on his couch at the table in the furthest corner of his club. Beautiful women were sprawled around him, and his arms rested across the top of the couch. It was a good life, and Bargen wouldn''t want to be anywhere else.
Woon.
Vahn, one of his more musically talented men, played his horn on the center stage. His solo was well worth the price of the drinks Bargen charged, and his patrons were smiling and having a good time across his club.
"Boss." Michael, his second, approached him with a stack of papers. "Here''s the results of the most recent job."
"Good." Bargen smiled, leaning forward and leafing through the paper. "How much did we get?"
"One hundred thousand from Central," Michael said as Bargen reviewed the numbers. "Five hundred thousand from Westside."
"And no one can track it back to us?" Bargen nodded. "We''ll be set for the next stage of the operation. We''re moving up in the world, partner!"
"Yes, sir." Michael smiled.
Rhaa.
Bargen''s entire organization was drim, the designated servants of the world. If they operated on the surface, they would have to serve nobles. In Undertown, they should have served the Underground Lords. It was Bargen''s business to change that. He would become the first drim to gain real status in the Underground, and the six hundred thousand dolers were just the first step in his operation to take the lowest seat among the Underground Lords.
"It''s all about territory, Michael," Bargen said with a wide smile plastered across his face. "We control enough territory, and they can''t refuse us. This six hundred thousand will let us buy the guns and men we need to take out Bacia''s base. Once we turn him over, we''ll have his territory, and they''ll have to respect us."
"That''s what I''m talking about, boss."
Boom.
A loud echo shot through the club, and all the patrons went silent instantly. Bargen froze. It sounded like the noise had come from outside. However, he didn''t move. He had good men outside. They could handle any problems. That was precisely what Bargen paid them for, after all.
Boom. Boom. Thump.
More loud noises and a hit against the door at the club entrance drew more attention. Even Vahn''s music faded to nothing. Michael began to stand, but Bargen kept his seat. He was the boss. He would move last if it were needed.
Boom. Crack. Thump.
Michael flinched as the door cracked open and fell in, exposing the dark club to the light of the nearest building in Undertown. Several people reach out to block their eyes from the sudden light. Drim and the many different disparate people of the Underground''s full forms were revealed in that light. Whether they were human, fishfolk, argent, or anything else, all were welcome under Bargen''s umbrella of safety.
The bulk of one of Bargen''s guards blocked the door, but his feet weren''t touching the ground at all. Bargen''s eyes widened, and if he had a heart, it would have been racing in his chest. Something was very wrong, and it was confirmed when his man fell to the ground to reveal the man that had been holding him up.
The person was a human, devoid of the sickly pale skin of the drim. He wore a pinstripe suit and a fedora and was almost as tall as his guard had been. He was as thin as a pole, whereas his guard had a broad, muscular body.
That was the very first time Bargen saw Mister Deadman, and it was also the last time he walked around a free drim. If he could return to this moment, he would have made himself run. He would have made sure that they had never touched the banks. All of his dreams were doomed once they entered Lord Bacia''s territory.
"I''m here because I heard people were being uncool in my boss''s territory," Mister Deadman said as he raised one hand to tilt his fedora over his eyes. "Who is the boss around here? Lord Bacia sends his regards."
"Who do you think you are?" One of his men stood up, pulling out a pistol and pointing it at the intruder. "No one comes into our territory and causes trouble!"
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Bang.
Before Bargen could even issue the order, it was already done. Tony pulled the trigger. After all these years, Bargen had almost forgotten the man''s name, but that was it. The bullet flew through the air like it was moving in slow motion. Bargen figured that was part of him reliving the experience. In reality, it had been a mere second before his entire world fell apart.
"Bone Yard."
From the ground, skeletal bones erupted around the man, encasing him in a wall. They didn''t stop at defense, however. Skeletal frames shot up from the ground all around the club. Boney arms grabbed onto patrons and his men alike. Each one of them was drug down into the ground in moments.
The screams. Bargen remembered the screams the most, even all these years later.
When it was over, it was just Bargen and Michael left. Bargen hadn''t even made it out of his seat. His men were decimated. His patrons were scattered or dead, their heads the only thing remaining buried above the ground. In mere moments, his operation had been rendered completely defeated. All it took was one man.
Mr. Deadman came to him, still tilting his fedora over his eyes as he approached Bargen''s table. Bargen shook, bringing in his arms and leaning forward. He expected to die that day, but that would have been too much of a mercy. No. He was made an offer he couldn''t refuse.
"Lord Bacia wants you to pay back your debt," Mister Deadman said. "Come work for us, and he''ll forget what you did today. All of your men are ours now. All of your territory is ours. All of your money, all of your weapons, all of your drugs are now Lord Bacia''s property, you hear?"
Bargen agreed to the terms and bowed to the man. What other choice did he have to survive?
"Good. I''m glad you can be cool. Keep it up, and you''ll go far."
The jobs started small at first. He and his men would be tasked to guard a part of the territory or be called to fight off a rival lord. He would lose some and recruit some more, but they would remain his men. His dream of being an Underground Lord was dashed, but he could at least still work for his men and make his living. They were forced into the situation, but it wasn''t all bad.
However, Bargen would never stop nursing the heat in his belly. He would never forget what Mister Deadman had done to his men. He never met Lord Bacia face-to-face, so he focused all his anger on the perpetrator he knew. One day, he would get his revenge.
Alex looked down at Bargen. Did he pity the drim? The man had a dream once. He had wanted to go as high as he could and make his own path in the world. Sure, he had to hurt people to do it, but it sounded like Undertown was a harsh place. Alex thought back to his history courses on the United States and the stories of discrimination.
Maybe he could be a little kinder.
"What about the island." Alex turned away and looked over the railing. "What does this Lord Bacia want out there?"
"Artifacts," Bergen said. "He''s digging around on there for artifacts from the past. We''ve never found much more than pottery and decayed books, but they keep digging, and we keep watching. Maybe someday they''ll find something useful, and we''ll finally be called back to Undertown, but until then, we''re stuck out here."
"And you don''t want to work for him?" Alex asked.
"I would have killed him that night, but I was too weak," Bargen said. "He''s just too strong. If I had fought back then, we''d have died all over again. At least by groveling and promising my loyalty, we got a few more years of our life on Erth. Even if we have to live like dogs, living is better than dying."
Alex wasn''t sure he could agree with that, but then again, he had struggled to survive the lab''s experiments. If he hadn''t hoped to escape someday, why else had he fought so hard to survive? He had to give Bargen a begrudging level of respect there.
"We''ve got business on that island," Alex said. "I suspect it has to do with the ruins, but I can''t be sure until we get there. We''ll get your people out if you help us get there and help us on the island."
Bargen''s eyes widened at the offer, and Alex clenched his metal arm around the railing. He couldn''t be sure they could take down Mister Deadman yet. That would depend on how strong the man was. Alex didn''t know anything about Undertown or any Underground Lords, but that was a problem he would get to when it faced him. All he could do was focus on the problem right in front of him.
He needed to get to the island, and the more information he had, the more he could plan. Offering to help Bargen was just one step on that path. Alex looked at Bargen and met him in the drim''s dead grey eyes.
"You''re not joking," Bargen said. "Why would you go and help us out after we attacked you."
"I hardly call it an attack." Alex snorted. "No offense, but your men probably couldn''t have even taken me alone. The rest of those guys down there are pretty strong, too. No. I''ll help you because it helps me. All the information you can give me on the island and any help navigating it will make a difference in the long run. Me helping you helps me. Simple as that."
His face had doubt, but Alex couldn''t blame him for that. He wouldn''t trust anyone if he had lived Bargen''s life. However, Sayed had told him often enough trust was only possible if you put your trust in someone else first. He would trust Bargen''s information if Bargen would give it to him. If that worked, they might be able to work together, and Bargen could be free of his debt.
"What if Mister Deadman finds us?" Bargen''s jaw tightened as he looked down at his legs. "What if you lose? Then we''ll just be back to the same situation, but he''ll know we betrayed him."
"If it comes to a fight, we''ll beat him to a pulp," Alex said.
"You think you can take on Mister Deadman?" Bargen laughed. "You''re strong, kid, but he''s a Finger."
"I''ve gone toe to toe with two Military Police captains," Alex said with a smile. "I''ve survived two fights with an apostle. I''m not worried about some two-bit boss out on some random island."
That shut Bargen up, but only for a moment.
"Who are you people?"
"I''m ''Tin Man'' Ortega," Alex said. "My friends down there are outlaws as well. We''ll get what we want on that island, and your boss isn''t going to be able to stop us."
Alex released his concentration on his metal arm, and it disappeared in a flash of electric light. He flexed his fingers as he looked down at them before he turned to face Bargen again. He was more certain of himself now, and he was stronger than he had been when he faced Lucien.
"What do you say?" He stretched out one hand. "Is it a deal?"
"Fine," Bargen grumbled, shaking his hand. "But I need my men to pilot my ship. Send them back up, and I''ll take you to Nowhere."
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 78 | Mister Deadman
When he was finished, Alex dropped down to the deck of the Robin. Erin and Jean were finishing tying up the drim pirates that had attacked them, and Alex now knew a lot more about drim than he ever needed to in his life. Sayed stood off to the side, not interfering but also not participating.
Alex was impressed. He knew he couldn''t order any of them around. They weren''t a team or anything like that, and he definitely wasn''t a leader, but they had taken the initiative in handling Bargen''s crew like they were a team. If he were some middle manager, he would have given them a speech about how proud he was of them taking the initiative.
Instead, he had to do the opposite.
"Let them go," Alex said as a rope ladder fell behind him to the deck. "Their captain is going to take us to the coordinates."
"It can''t be that easy," Erin said, standing up and wiping sweat off her forehead.
"I made him an offer he couldn''t refuse." Alex smiled, but he was the only one who would understand it. "Turns out that they work for someone on an island in the center of this place called ''Nowhere.'' Knowing our luck, that is where the coordinates are. If we help him free his men from his boss, he''ll help guide us through the island."
"A twist of fate indeed," Jean whispered, crossing his bony arms. "The question is, why would they be there? No one goes into Death''s Yard for a reason, and supplying any operation out here would be an amazing feat."
"There are a lot of details on that." Alex shrugged. "But what''s important is his boss, Mister Deadman, is searching the island for artifacts, and us going there is going to start a fight."
"That''s quite the name." Jean laughed, tapping his chin with one bone.
"I''ve never heard of him," Erin added.
"Either way, Bargen needs his men back to sail his ship, and we can take them all down if they give us any more problems." Alex nodded to Sayed. "Cut them loose, Sayed. We can get moving as soon as they climb back up."
"Yes, brother." Sayed set to work with a smile, his previous mood forgotten.
Alex knew Sayed well enough to guess why he was happy to cut prisoners loose while also being unwilling to help tie them up. To Sayed, a loss of freedom was unacceptable. Sayed was a man who believed everyone deserved to be free without compromise. While it was an interesting perspective, Alex was more of a pragmatist than that. He and Sayed didn''t always agree, but they didn''t need to. They just had to respect what the other was willing to do.
"You guys better thank your captain," Alex said as the pirates stood up and began climbing back up their ship. "Don''t forget how easily we rolled your crew when you lead us back to the island. We won''t be so nice next time."
He would have said that they had gone deathly pale, but their deathly pale flesh didn''t seem able to change colors at all. The twelve of them made their way up the rope ladder and back onto their ship with a few whimpers but nothing more.
"Alright," Alex said. "It''s the same setup as before since it was working so well. Is everybody good?"
"Eliza''s at your service." Jean smiled as the spirit rose around Erin in a purple light.
"I will need to redo the harness," Sayed said, going to gather more rope.
"If we must." Erin shuddered as she walked toward the cabin with Eliza on her shoulders.
Alex smiled as he opened his gate, and the Flying Dutchman started off in front of them with a quiet hum. All in all, he was ready to get to the island. Whatever was ahead of them was already proving more interesting than a set of numbers and a mysterious nightsea phenomenon.
Snap. Snap.
Mister Deadman snapped his fingers as he walked, keeping up a tempo for his movements as he took in the camp around him. His men were working, directed by the two remaining Knuckles to his Finger. Mister Deadman tilted his fedora as he stopped on a balcony overlooking the laborers.
They were drim, every single one of them. They were made to serve, and he was nice enough to make sure they were at least paid for their service. Sure, he might need to kill one or two to make an example of them, and his underlings might accidentally squash or cut the hands off of a few more by accident, but if they played it cool, most of them would get a hefty bit of dolers from this operation when they all went home.
The balls and chains just made sure they didn''t forget what was waiting for them at the end of the operation.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"Men," his voice flowed like cool running water. "We all need to be cool here. You''ve all been doing great, and the boss likes it. He personally called me the other day and said that we''re doing such a great job that we''re going to triple the number of work hours. That''s approval from Lord Bacia himself, you hear?"
"Yeah!" One of the drim workers held up his rotting arms, pickaxe in hand, before noticing that no one else had done the same.
"You see." Mister Deadman shook his head. "That''s precisely the problem with you lot. You just don''t know how to be cool."
He pointed one finger to the drim, who had cheered. He cocked his thumb back like his finger was a gun and made a shooting motion. All that was missing was the sound effect.
"Bone Shot."
From Mister Deadman''s finger, a single bullet shot out, long and white. It cut through the drim''s heart in an instant and sent him falling to the ground. Mister Deadman regained his stance, putting his hands in the pockets of his pinstripe suit as he looked out over the rest of his men.
"You see, you need to play it cool. You don''t yell out when someone tells you good news; you just smile and maybe nod. Everything is in how you act. It doesn''t matter what''s rattling around inside your noggin. Everything is about what''s on the outside, you hear? That''s how you play it cool. Now, all of you, get back to work."
Snap. Snap.
Mister Deadman began to walk away, snapping his fingers all the while as he headed over to his office. He paused at the door. The entrance was cut into the excavated rock that overlooked the dig site. Mister Deadman turned to call out to his underlings. It was time for a meeting.
"Bragg, Cragg, get up here!"
"Yes, boss!" the two said in unison in their own slow way. "Bound Jump!"
Boing. Bam.
The two rotund brothers shot into the air like cannonballs before falling back beside Mister Deadman. The planks below them creaked under their weight as they landed. Mister Deadman nodded at them as he opened the door and let them inside.
The two brothers were larger than average men, and each had to duck to enter his office. Cragg was a master of the hammer and carried a large one strapped to his back with a red band. Bragg was the master of the sword and carried a two-handed broadsword strapped across his back with a blue sash. Both were twins with the same face, a balding head, and a bristling beard. The sashes and weapons were the only way that Mister Deadman had ever been able to tell them apart.
Creak. Snap. Snap.
Mister Deadman followed in after his underlings at a cool, calm pace, snapping his fingers as he walked. He went over to his desk and sat down in his leather recliner, snapping his fingers with every other step along the way. The brothers took their seats on the floor. Mister Deadman had already run out of chairs that could hold their weight.
"Lord Bacia sent a message through our Hand," Mister Deadman said. "He wants us to speed up our operations. He believes this place will not stay a secret for much longer, and we had better get him results."
"But, boss," Cragg said, taking his finger out of his mouth with a length of spit following it. "We don''t got no more drim. How are we supposed to make them work harder without more drim?"
"We''re going to pull in Bargen on the next run, see," Mister Deadman said, putting his fingers on the table and leaning forward. "That''s at least twenty more workers. Then we''re going to push them harder. Fewer breaks. If they argue with us, then we''ll just show them how uncool that type of thing really is."
"Why''s he in such a hurry, boss?" Bragg asked. "Even if someone comes, we''ll just cut them up."
"No, we''ll beat them back," Cragg said, turning to his brother.
"Cut."
"Beat."
Snap.
"Both would be cool," Mister Deadman said, holding his hand up in the air after snapping his fingers. "Remember, fighting with your brother isn''t cool, Bragg, Cragg. You do your best when you work together. You do good when you are bound together. You''re useless when you''re apart, you hear?"
"Yes, boss," both twins said in unison.
"Now, to answer your question," Mister Deadman said. "Lord Bacia is in a hurry because we haven''t produced anything on this site in the last year. After a year of digging into that old temple, we haven''t pulled up a single artifact. That isn''t cool, you hear?"
"But boss," Cragg said. "We can''t go faster because there ain''t no way to break through the walls."
"And the creatures come at night," Bragg said. "They keep breaking the equipment!"
"Then we''ll just have to up your patrols." Mister Deadman shook his head. "We have to play this cool; otherwise, we''ll have a Hand coming down to take our heads. Your brothers are Knuckles. You don''t understand how uncool a Hand can be when angry, you hear?"
"Yes, boss."
"What time are we expecting Bargen?"
"Should be in tonight, boss," Bragg said, taking his finger out of his ear.
"We''ll have to wait for him to report back from the old docks." Mister Deadman shook his head. "How uncool of us to never bother building a new one. Send a few drim out to meet him to tell him to hurry along after this meeting, you hear?"
"Yes, boss," Cragg said.
Snap. Snap.
Mister Deadman snapped his fingers as he ran through the rest of his plan. Besides site one, there wasn''t much more they could do to quicken their pace. Site one had been a dead end, an empty temple with no sign of any path forward. That was why they had moved to site two, closer to the second mountain and closer to the massive statue of the monster that was carved on its peak. That site had been much more promising.
However, maybe site one needed one more look.
"Get to work and remember to keep it cool," Mister Deadman said. "I''m going to take a few of our men out to site one for one final sweep. Maybe we can find something that will be useful to Lord Bacia there."
"Yes, boss." Bragg and Crass saluted before leaving the room.
Mister Deadman stood and looked down at the map of the island on his desk. Two peaks, one on each side with a valley between them. The peak to the east had a massive statue sculpted into it of a tentacled creature. The peak to the west had a platform, but its statues had crumbled down the side of the mountain and to pieces long ago. Nowhere was an island that was stuck between those two temples, and all of their work had only found a path forward on the east one.
"Maybe one more try," he said. "Maybe the other site will have something cool hidden."
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 79 | Scouting
Jean looked out into a bright white light at the center of Death''s Yard. Like most of the nightsea, the space around the island was clear. The debris of Death''s Yard started a distance away, the rocks forming a block for any light escaping from the island and out into the greater nightsea.
The Flying Dutchman sailed through the space in front of them, generating a wispy trail of green light behind it. With no more rocks to worry about, their own ship accelerated, following the ghost pirate ship.
Jean smiled. Now, this was exciting¡ªa hidden island at the center of a forbidden place. That was the kind of excitement for which he lived his second life. He closed his eyes as they crossed into the island''s bubble to keep from going blind.
Pop.
The distinctive pop of a change in air pressure cut through his ears as the ship shook through the island''s bubble. A dark night sky opened up around the ship as the Flying Dutchman led them across the sea and into the dark below with its green trail. In the distance, Jean could see an island marked by two peaks. He made his way down the deck, his duty no longer needed, and called Eliza back to him.
She shot through the air and rested on his shoulders before he closed his gate and allowed her to rest. Alex and Sayed walked up next to him, both mesmerized by the new island as he was. Jean couldn''t keep the smile from his face. Fate had brought him some very interesting people indeed.
"What''s that?" Alex nodded to the east as they circled around the island.
"It would appear to be a giant mollusk consuming the mountain''s peak," Jean said, tapping his chin. "Though it appears to be carved from stone, and I doubt such a creature could actually exist."
"We''ve seen weirder things." Alex frowned. "Just not something so big."
"The whale from earlier was certainly large." Sayed pulled at the ropes around his chest. "Though that creature would be greater than a hundred of them together."
"Look at the other peak," Alex said. "There''s a flat platform there, but nothing else."
"And there are buildings down below," Jean said, looking down over the tops of the trees. "One set of buildings for each peak."
"We''ll have to talk to Bargen once we''re there." Alex shook his head. "There are more questions here than answers."
"That''s the fun of a mystery," Jean said. "You never know what the world will bring until you figure it out."
The Flying Dutchman flew low and into the water as they approached the island''s far side. In the distance was a small outpost with buildings lining the coast and a water dock running out into the water. It wasn''t built for many ships, but Jean didn''t imagine the operation on the island needed that many.
A single drim stood out on the docks, waiting for them, dressed in tattered garb like the pirates from the Flying Dutchman. He waved as the Flying Dutchman sailed into the docks but seemed less certain when their own ship pulled up the opposite side.
"Captain Bargen," the drim yelled up at the ship. "The boss wants to see you and your men immediately."
Thump.
Bargen jumped down from his ship and landed on the deck in front of the drim. Bargen was taller than most of the other drim and looked a lot stronger in comparison. He bent over the drim, covering the drim''s smaller form in his shadow.
"We''ve had a change of plans," Bargen said. "You can either be on board and escape with us, or you''ll have to die right here."
"Captain," the drim gulped. "I don''t reckon I''m paid enough for this."
"None of us are paid enough for this," Bargen said, bringing two fingers to his mouth and blowing a shrill whistle.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Bargen''s crew jumped down from their ship and began to secure it to the docks. Alex turned to Jean as the hum of the Robin''s own lodestones quieted. Erin soon came out of the cabin to join them.
"Let''s get this plan rolling," Alex said. "We need to make sure Bargen knows what we''re doing first."
"Yes," Sayed agreed before pausing. "But what are we going to do, brother?"
Jean looked over to Alex and saw a look of surprise on his face. Jean was sure then that Alex didn''t realize that he was the leader of the small group, even if he already seemed to be. No one had ever taken the three of them aside and figured it out.
"I agree," Jean said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is your plan?"
"Simple," Alex said. "We take a look around on foot first to avoid attention, and then we either take out his boss or sweep in when he isn''t looking and take whatever is here for ourselves."
"That''s not a very good plan," Erin said.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"To be fair, it isn''t the full plan at all." Alex grinned. "Let''s talk to Bargen and see what he knows first, and then we''ll actually have a real first part of the plan."
Together, they left the ship to meet Bargen on the docks. The man was already working with his crew to tie down his ship in the water while he talked to a few of his crew off to the side. Jean didn''t completely trust Bargen. The drim captain had flipped loyalties far too easily. Jean was certain he would turn on them if given the opportunity, and he was prepared to deal with that when the time came.
"Look at me, already thinking as part of the group," Jean whispered to Eliza, but she couldn''t hear him while his gate was closed.
It had been far too long since he had the company of others who weren''t trying to hurt him. Jean embraced the experience like it was an old returning friend and delighted in the joy that rumbled through his old bones.
Bargen stood at the end of the dock, issuing orders to his men as they approached. They no longer had the green glow around them, and Jean assumed that had something to do with their ship. Alex retook the lead, not that Jean was surprised, as the captain turned to them. The large drim crossed his arms and looked down on the four of them.
"Tells us about the island," Alex said. "We need to know what''s going on here if we''re going to take down this Mister Deadman."
"You''re making yourself look like a rank amateur," Bargen said, shaking his head. "You don''t go asking the people you just threatened for information."
"I think you''re mistaken," Alex said as blue sparks of electricity lit the air around him, and several metal spikes appeared in the air. "I''m not asking. I''m telling you to give me the information."
The floating spikes rested in a sem-circle around his head. Beside him, Sayed drew his saber, and Jean smiled. He wouldn''t need to participate. Instead, he just reached up and cracked his bones against each other.
Crack. Crack.
"I get it, I get it," Bargen said, holding his hands. "So long as I can get my men out of here, I''ll help you guys out. Let me tell you what you need to know."
Bargen turned around and pointed up at the two peaks. The moon cast shadows from the side of the mountain down on them, but the stone statue of the mollusk on the peak of the east mountain was fully visible in the moonlight.
"There are two temples out there in the forest," Bargen said. "One for each mountain. We used to maintain the camp on the one to the west, but now we just have a camp on the one to the east."
"Why''d you give up on it?" Alex asked.
"Because we couldn''t get in," Bargen said. "We dug there for a long time, but we finally hit a material we couldn''t drill through, break through or blow up. So Mister Deadman decided it would be a better use of our resources to try the other temple."
"What''s he looking for?" Erin asked. "Why come all the way out here just to dig at some old buildings."
"That''s above my station, miss," Bargen said, looking down at her. "I''m only paid to run supplies and run off any trespassers."
"How often do you have people coming close enough?" Jean looked out to the south at the mountains. "This is an island no one knows about, in a place no one wants to go."
"It is a boring job." Bargen sighed, scratching at his side with one finger as he looked out to the sea. "But it keeps me away from Mister Deadman. So long as I run people off, he isn''t going to kill me for being uncool."
Alex frowned and narrowed his eyes but shook his head like he was ignoring a thought. Jean would have very much wanted to know what that thought was, but this wasn''t the time. Instead, Jean pushed further.
"Your people are at the east camp, then?" Jean asked.
"Yeah," Bargen nodded. "If I can just sneak them out, that''ll be best. There''s no need to provoke a fight, and if we run hard enough and fast enough, there''s a chance Mister Deadman will forget about us."
"He''s that kind of boss?" Jean asked.
"No, but I can hope, can''t I?" Bargen asked. "I just want my men to be free of this. They had no idea what they signed up for when we first took this job. Now, we can either die for not being killed by you or for betraying Mister Deadman. Betraying Mister Deadman just lets us live a little longer, and if you kill him, then we''re free."
"That''s some positivity right there." Alex shook his head. "The way I see it, we should go and take a look around first. Scout out both temples to see what''s happening and then come back to form a plan."
"Would you have one of us scout while we all wait?" Jean looked out over the island. "That seems like it would take more time."
"No," Alex said. "We split into two teams. One team goes to the east temple, one to the west. Then we meet back here to make our plans."
"I want to go to that temple," Sayed said immediately, pointing to the peak with the mollusk statue. "Wherever there are people in chains, that is where I want to be."
"We''re not looking to start a fight yet." Alex raised his eyebrows. "We will, but I''d rather go in with a decent plan."
"I can hold myself back for a time, brother." Sayed nodded. "But if it would aid those who are being forced to work, I cannot but want to go there."
"That decides Sayed," Alex said, shaking his head. "What about the rest of us?"
"If I may." Jean raised one hand. "Why not let fate decide?"
He pulled out a small pouch from his pocket and emptied its contents into his hand. He then laid the pouch on the ground and began to rattle the bones between his hands, moving them back and forth in a rhythm next to his head.
Rattle. Rattle.
He threw the bones down onto the cloth and then looked them over. After a few moments of inspection, he was sure of his path forward. Jean smiled as he reached down and replaced the bones in his pouch. The path ahead felt right. He knew it in his bones.
"I will go forward to the east camp with Sayed," Jean said, standing beside the swordsman. "I will be the most helpful there."
"No fighting." Alex sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Promise me."
"I promise, brother," Sayed said, smiling broadly and clapping Jean on the shoulder.
"That leaves us," Erin said, shaking her head and looking at Alex.
"I''ve got a bad feeling about this," Alex said before turning to Bargen. "What about your people?"
"I will lead you both to the old temple," Bargen said, looking down at Alex. "And my first mate will take your companions to the camp. If we are just going to scout the surroundings, that will be best. My people won''t begrudge me a day."
"What about the rest of your crew?" Alex asked.
"They''ll sail away from the shore and hide both ships," Bargen said. "When we are ready, we''ll light a signal. That will keep our ride home safe."
"That''s a lot of trust to put in you," Alex said.
"Which is why I''m going with you." Bargen nodded. "We may be drim, but we stick together. My men won''t leave without me, and I won''t leave without the rest of my men."
"Except for the ones on our deck when you wanted to run." Erin smirked.
"The price of battle." Bargen narrowed his eyes. "When you work with your crew, sometimes you understand that one must be left behind for others to succeed."
With the plans set, they began their path through the forest with Bargen and his first mate leading the way. Jean knew they were accepting a heavy risk by working with the pirates, but that was just one chance of many in the sea of fate. Maybe they would be betrayed. Maybe they would succeed. All that mattered was that he was strong enough to deal with either outcome.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 80 | Fated Encounter
Sayed lay in the dirt, overlooking the camp below from the brush with Jean and Captain Bargen''s first mate, Michael, at his side. Michael was a man of sorts, made of the same rotting flesh as the rest of his crewmates. Sayed believed that Erin had called them drim. However, as Sayed looked down at the excavation camp, he could ignore their outer appearance. They were brothers in bondage, and that was all that mattered.
The camp was built partially into the mountain, where the land had naturally filled in around the various ruined buildings. The drim below were digging away with pickaxes and hand drilling into stone with hand drills, while others of their number focused on carrying away the rock and debris in carts to the edge of the camp. Some buildings were exposed, all made of a dark black rock that ate the moonlight around them. Just one of the taller spires of one of the buildings was exposed down to an open door, but the drim worked on nonetheless.
"They''re still working this late at night," Jean said. "Do they not tire?"
"We drim can work harder and longer than you humans." Michael snorted. "That''s why we''re often hired for labor. We''re cheap to hire, and you can push us harder. But normally, we wouldn''t be working this late. It looks like Mister Deadman is pushing us harder."
"But why the need for the chains?" Sayed grumbled as he looked down at the chains binding the legs of the drim down below. "If you are working for a wage, then there would be no need for the chains."
"We start working for a set wage, sure," Michael said, quirking his head. "But once you get on a site and the job seems bigger, the rules change. The pay doesn''t. Some people try to run when that happens, and the chains keep them from running."
"Tough negotiations," Jean whispered.
"We tried to run, but they have our mates down there," Michael said. "Now they have a set of hostages we have to abandon if we want to leave."
A fire burned in Sayed''s heart as he looked down on the drim, no the men, down below. His entire body burned to free them, but he had to remember the plan. If he just ran in, then Alex would be angry at him. Sayed respected Alex, and it would take much for him to disobey that request.
So long as they freed the men below, he could wait.
"Some of our men work with them to keep order, but the main enforcers are Cragg and Bragg." Michael pointed to two rotund men below.
They weren''t drim, but they were oddly shaped. They were large men with almost spherical bodies, almost like the dough man Sayed had faced off with back on Zanghai. They were both bald, and each had the faint whisp of a beard running over their faces. One was currently picking his ear, while the other had one finger digging into his mouth.
"Strong, but not very smart," Michael said. "Beyond Mister Deadman, those Knuckles are our real problems."
"What''s a Knuckle?"
"Fingers work for Hands. Knuckles work for Fingers," Michael said. "You guys probably don''t know anything about Undertown, but that''s how things are. That''s how the Underground Lords run their operations."
Sayed did not care for any of this. Instead, he kept his eyes watching the men down below. Cragg and Bragg walked through the camp together. One had a massive two-handed sword that he held balanced on his shoulder as he walked. The other had a massive hammer that he carried balanced on the opposite shoulder. Sayed watched as they came upon one of the workers below, towering over the man.
His heart burned inside him.
"And where is this Mister Deadman at?" Jean asked.
"His office is there." Michael pointed to a rounded door built into the wall of the excavation site on a platform. "He doesn''t spend much time there, so if he were here, he would be wandering around."
"So, the boss is out, and the two underlings remain." Jean smiled. "If we were not just here to look, I would say now was an opportune time to attack. The winds of fate already blow in our favor."
Sayed watched as the man with the hammer, he did not know the name, raised it, and brought it down on the drim. More fire burned inside of Sayed''s chest, and he clenched his teeth. He had to remember his promise. He had to stick with the plan.
Sayed slipped on his silvered gauntlet, rising to one knee as he looked down on the camp below.
"Michael, your brothers down there suffer under bondage," Sayed said. "They cry out for help, and we have been sent here to save them."
"That wasn''t the plan," Michael said, standing and holding up his hands. "Your boss said you''re just here to scout the situation out. Cragg and Bragg are stronger than the captain. We can''t just run down there¡ª"
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Fate predicted this," Jean said, smiling as he pulled his robes off his body. "That is why it sent me along with you, Sayed!"
"For glory!" Sayed yelled as he jumped off the ledge and down into the camp.
Thump.
Sayed landed in a squat, catching himself with his arms out before he reached up and drew his khopesh from his back. He left his second one still sheathed as he faced the two large men. The one with the hammer looked up from where he had smashed down his hammer on the crushed drim.
"Bragg, I think that''s an intruder."
Thump.
"Spirit Swing."
Jean landed next to Sayed, a purple glow surrounding his body as Eliza climbed up his chest to wrap around his neck. A smile was plastered across his face as he stood up from his own landing, reaching out one arm with Eliza''s spectral hand entwined over his own.
"Cragg, that''s two intruders," the one with the sword said, taking his finger from his ear. "We''re going to need to stop them."
"Your devilry ends today," Sayed said. "You would bring these men low with your chains, but we will free them!"
The two brothers looked at each other, and Sayed hesitated. Neither of them seemed very bright. For a moment, Sayed suspected that he might be able to finish them with the threat alone. However, the brothers only nodded at each other.
"They''re not devils," Cragg said. "They''re employed."
"We''re just making them work," Bragg said.
"Why don''t you just leave," Cragg finished.
"Bound Strike!"
The brothers moved as one. Cragg raised his hammer, and Bragg swung his sword from his shoulder. They came faster than they should have, jumping through the air with one quick motion from one leg while they swung their weapons in tandem.
"Demon''s Thrust!"
Sayed charged forward with his blade but could only focus on one brother. He picked the swordsman, aiming his thrust at the man''s chest. The air around him shot with him like a cannonball, and Sayed thrust his blade out as he threw his entire body into the thrust.
Ting.
Cragg''s hammer caught Sayed''s sword and knocked it to the side. It shook in Sayed''s hand, but he still held firm. Sayed brought up his gauntlet because he knew that Bragg''s slash was coming next. If his gauntlet failed, he would lose his hand to the massive sword.
"Spirit Step."
Ding.
In a blur of motion, Jean appeared beside Cragg, holding Eliza''s arm fully extended as she thrust a kick into the air. Bragg''s blade was pushed aside with the kick, and Sayed twisted his body to the right to avoid the blow altogether. Bragg''s blade hit the ground, cleaving a line in it.
Boom. Crack.
The air from the force of the strike pushed Sayed to the side, and he nearly ran into Jean as he fought to keep his balance. Together, they jumped away from the brothers. Sayed realized at that moment that they weren''t to be underestimated.
"They are strong," Sayed said, his breath coming in short bursts as he watched the brothers recover from their attack and hold their weapons ready.
"They work well together." Jean nodded. "This isn''t going to be a solo dance, but a dance with a partner. We''ll have to watch out for each other if we want to win."
"Agreed."
"We may have just met, Sayed, but fate brought me on this path with you for a reason," Jean said. "We must win."
"Then let us take down these brothers and free these men," Sayed said with a smile. "In the name of God, we will free them!"
"What''re they talking about, Bragg?"
"I don''t know, Cragg. We just need to crush them."
"Bound Tops!"
"Run for your lives!" one of the drim yelled as he pulled against his chains.
Together, the brothers held their weapons behind them before swinging as hard as they could in a circle. They spun faster and faster, becoming almost like children''s toys spinning in a center as they bounced against each other and out into the camp in random directions.
"Bosses, what are you-"
Drim ran away from the brothers, but many could not run fast enough. Some lost heads, some lost arms as they were crushed and slashed by the brother''s assault. Sayed clenched his teeth tight as his heart burned in his chest. He could not allow such an atrocity.
"We must separate them," Sayed said, picking the whirling mass with a hint of blue in it. "Demon''s Thrust!"
"Spirit Step!"
Ting. Ding.
Sayed charged for the center of the blue top, thrusting forward with his sword. Metal clashed against metal as his sword clattered against the spinning blade. His thrust was forced away from the brother, but he was able to interrupt the spinning motion, sending Bragg spinning and falling to the ground with his blade, carving up a line of dirt and rock around him along the way.
In his periphery, Sayed could see that Jean had accomplished much the same. Cragg lay on the ground, his hammer to his side as he clutched at his head. The whirling attack was countered, and they had the brothers separated.
There was a good chance here. They could win.
Sayed ignored the burning in his chest as he took on a stance. On any other day, in any other moment, he would have called on his blessing to fuel his fight. When there were men''s lives on the line, he could not take the time to make a fight exciting. However, he remembered how Alex had felt his heart burn before he had been brought down for his own blessing to change. Sayed knew his blessing well, and normally, it did not simply burn in his chest on its own. No, it was an act of will to open the gate, to take part in the blessing of God.
Which meant that if he opened his gate again, he would be useless for a time. Sayed would have to wait, and he would have to win this fight without his blessing. He smiled to himself as the brother stood up, sticking his sword in the ground for leverage as he glared up at Sayed.
"You ain''t playing fair," Bragg said. "You ought not go and separate family like that."
"You will join your brother in defeat once we have finished with you." Sayed couldn''t help but bare his teeth in a smile. "With how you throw away the men beneath you, you will deserve every wound we give you today."
Bragg looked at him with a vacant stare for a moment, and Sayed guessed that Bragg was having trouble understanding what he said. The man reached up with one finger, putting it in his ear as he balanced his sword on his back.
"I don''t get it," Bragg said, lifting his heavy blade in one hand. "But orders are orders, and intruders need to be cut up!"
Sayed braced himself as Bragg charged at him again, sword held high.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 81 | Confrontation
Erin''s heart burned in her chest as she followed Alex and Bargen through the forest. It was like her gate was yearning for more aether from the air around her, even though it remained closed. She wasn''t a fool. She had already guessed what it meant. She just wasn''t in a place where she could afford to go down for a day or more. Their goal was in sight. Nowhere was the place where the coordinates led to. She had to keep going for the sake of the mission.
"Be careful," Bargen said as he pushed through more brush. "There are creatures that sneak around at night on this island. No one ever sees them, but they like to steal things."
"They just steal?" Alex asked as he pushed away a branch and waited for Erin to cross under it before releasing it.
"We call them gremlins," Bargen said. "They take parts from machines and tools when people aren''t looking. Every time we try to catch them, they scurry away in the dark. Those little gremlins have set back this operation for months on their own."
The forest was silent around them, but Erin took a moment to look through the brush. Moonlight shone through the leaves, giving the entire forest an eerie look. There were plenty of shadows for creatures to hide in, but even if her nerves were on edge, she couldn''t see or hear anything.
"Here we are." Bargen pushed out through the last bit of brush and disappeared into the pale moonlight.
Erin followed Alex through the last bit of brush and stepped out into the clearing. The remains of a camp stretched out in front of them in a semi-circle. Several tall white buildings were unearthed in the pale moonlight, each one towering high up into the sky and casting long shadows. Some tools and machinery were left behind, most broken or in disrepair to the casual glance.
However, what was most notable to Erin was the broken statue in the center of the excavation. A person''s legs rose up on a platform about half as tall as one of the nearby towers. She felt it would be as tall as one of the towers if it weren''t broken off at the waist. The statue was clearly the central point of the ruins, and the excavated buildings stretched out in a semicircle around it.
"We called it the west temple while we worked here," Bargen said. "Never found anything useful, though."
"It feels...familiar," Alex said as he walked over to the statue and placed a hand against the massive stone feet. "I know I''ve never been here, but it feels familiar."
Erin narrowed her eyes. Alex was proving to be a bastion of different mysteries. First, he knew about island cores. Second, Doctor Ozymandius experimented on him to create an artificial curse. Third, he had accessed Roald''s logbook, and the logbook had recognized him. Now, he seemed to recognize the temple. The revolution was right to want her to keep an eye on him.
"How long has it been since this place was abandoned?"
"The camp?" Bargen asked. "About a year now."
"No, the island," Erin said as she walked around the statue.
Bargen shrugged his shoulders as she looked over the stone. The problem with islands on the nightsea was that they weren''t entirely integrated with one another. One island could have more advancements than another one that was close by, and so long as the people there didn''t have a way across the nightsea, they would never interact. It made guessing the age of abandoned islands impossible.
"Listen," Alex said, stopping and looking around him.
All Erin could hear was her heart thumping as hard as it could in her head. Her curse wanted to grow, and her gate wanted to open. If she opened it now, she knew it would grow. She closed her eyes to force her heart to calm down.
"Not now," she whispered. "Not now."
Snap. Snap.
The sound didn''t make sense. It might have been twigs snapping in the forest, but they came too quickly after each other. That wasn''t it. Instead, it almost sounded like someone snapping their fingers out in the night. Erin opened her eyes and grimaced as a spike of pain ran down her arm.
"No," Bargen whispered, his eyes wide as they darted back and forth to the shadows of the trees around him. "He shouldn''t be here. He should be back at camp. Why is he here?"
"Who?" Erin grimaced as she fought back against the pain.
"Mister Deadman."
Rustle. Crunch. Snap. Snap.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
A group of people emerged from the trees. At the front of them was a rail-thin man dressed in a black and white pinstripe suit. He wore a fedora tilted over his eyes as he strolled forward. His right hand was held up, and he snapped his fingers with every step. He stopped when he looked over the clearing and saw the three of them.
"Well, isn''t this conveniently cool," he said, looking over the drim around him. "Bargen came out to meet us at the old camp. Isn''t that cool of him, boys, you hear?"
Bargen fell backward and landed on his hands. Terror was written across his face. Even his dead grey eyes were open as wide as dinner plates. Erin reached for the pouch in her cloak and began to draw at seeds. There was going to be a fight. She already knew it. She also knew she was nowhere near ready for it.
"You don''t look very dead to me," Alex said, walking between Bargen and Mister Deadman with his hands in his pockets. "How do you go about getting a name like Mister Deadman?"
"Just one way of being cool is not telling you." Mister Deadman smiled, holding one hand up to his face. "Looks like your old boss betrayed us, boys. How uncool of him. It seems he''s brought some intruders out to our operation. What should we do with someone who is so uncool?"
The drim around him hesitated. They were dressed in much the same way as the crew aboard the Flying Dutchman, and Erin didn''t have to stress to guess that they were Bargen''s men. There was a little hope there. Maybe she wouldn''t need to fight if they turned on Mister Deadman.
"Oh, are you hesitating? How uncool," Mister Deadman said, pointing a finger at one of the drim. "Bone Shot."
From his finger, a long white bullet shot out, piercing through the drim''s head and sending him tumbling to the ground, unmoving. Silence rose like cold from the ground as the remaining drim looked between each other.
"Sorry, boss." One of the drim turned to Bargen. "Nothing personal."
The drim advanced on the three of them, each one carrying a pick or shovel. Erin clenched her teeth. How far could she push her gate and not collapse? How long would it take for her to get to the next level? She didn''t know the answers, and she didn''t know if Alex could take on Mister Deadman alone.
"Now, we can''t have that," Alex said, reaching out one hand. "Force Wave."
It was like a ripple in the air. In a wide arc, with just that motion, the shovels and picks rattled in the hands of the drim. Alex grunted, and the wave crashed forward. With a hard yank, the shovels and picks were thrown from the drim''s hands and out into the night.
Thump. Clatter.
The drim had a moment to look at their hands and then back to Alex. They had a choice to make, and Erin could see the indecision on their ghostly pale faces. They could stand and fight a man who had just thrown their weapons away or face their boss as failures.
"Run!"
The first drim broke and ran through the brush and out into the surrounding forests. The other three immediately followed. They would rather run than face off against the two men.
"Now, that is very uncool," Mister Deadman said, snapping his fingers. "Bone Yard."
Snap.
Crunch. Squelch.
"Ahh-!" the screams of the three men were cut off in the night, and Erin''s breath caught in her chest as the sounds of whatever happened to them carried to the clearing.
Whatever it was, it sounded like a horrible way to go.
"Now, I''m at an impasse," Mister Deadman said. "I don''t have any men left, but I still have an intruder to deal with. I''m not supposed to be the one getting my hands dirty, you hear? That is just so very uncool."
As Alex walked toward Mister Deadman, Erin pulled the three seeds out of her pocket. She was debating how far she could push herself before she would go down. She would have to wait for the right moment if she wanted to affect the fight.
"I think killing your subordinates isn''t cool," Alex said, smirking. "What do you say to that?"
"Bone Shot."
"Steel Disks."
Ting.
Faster than she could see, Mister Deadman had pointed his finger at Alex and released another one of his bony bullets. At the same moment, Alex''s electricity flashed in front of him, and his two steel disks appeared, one of them catching the bone bullet and sending it ricocheting off into the night. Erin reminded herself to breathe as she kept her eyes on Mister Deadman.
"Oh, you have some cool abilities there," Mister Deadman said, reaching up and adjusting his fedora. "You want to test yourself against me?"
"That''s something, coming from some two-bit thug," Alex said, taking one of his hands out of his pocket.
"He''s insane," Bargen whispered from near Erin. "There''s no way he can take on Mister Deadman. Look at what he did to my men."
Tears ran down his eyes, but it took a moment for Erin to see that the liquid was dark and not clear. She didn''t know much about drim, so she didn''t know if it was unusual. Erin took a deep breath to try to control the burning sensation spreading out from her heart.
"That''s just Alex," she said. "You give him a wall, and he''ll bust his head open to break through it. Don''t worry, though. He''s strong."
"No one''s that strong," Bargen said. "Why did I think that we could get away? Why was I so stupid?"
Erin walked over to him, and every step was an unsteady gamble. She felt like she would fall over at the slightest breeze. Her head was wrapped in a haze, and everything in her was going far too slow. Soon, she knew she would collapse, and her curse would change. Every moment she fought to stay conscious was to continue the mission.
Slap.
She reached back and hit Bargen as hard as she could across the face with her open hand. Pinpricks of nails lit up across her hand, but she clenched her teeth past it. A hammer tried to hit her in the side of her skull as she pulled her aching and red hand back from the slap and looked down on Bargen.
"He''ll handle it," Erin said. "Come on. We need to get out of the way."
When she first met Alex, she hadn''t trusted him. She wouldn''t say he was a friend yet, but she knew he would handle the fight. Even if he had to come out missing an arm or a leg, he''d beat down Mister Deadman and his curse. She should have known that the best thing she could do in her state was to get out of the way, but Bargen gave her the excuse.
Together, they walked over to cover, leaving Alex to fight the battle. Once they were behind a wall, Erin collapsed to the ground and rested her head against the cool stone. She could still see the fight, even if it was blurry.
"Take him down, Alex," she said as she closed her eyes to darkness.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 82 | Two to Tango
Jean twirled Eliza back into his arms, wrapping them in a circle around her as his opponent fell to the ground from his spinning attack. Jean had the fortunate fate of fighting the brother with the hammer, while Sayed had taken on the one with the sword. If it had been different, the fight might have been more difficult for Jean.
"Where am I?" the man asked as he lay on the ground, his hands planted in the dirt and his head shaking. "Where are you at Bragg?"
That would make this man Cragg. Jean took a deep breath, filling his nonexistent lungs as he focused his power. The energy from his gate spiraled through his body, giving it to his limbs in kicks and jabs in a way not that different from his dances.
"You''re fated to separate from your brother," Jean said as he looked over Eliza''s wispy white hair. "I have seen it."
"Ain''t no one going to separate us," Cragg said, standing up, grabbing his hammer, and taking a wide stance. "Momma always said twins have to stick together."
"Then you''ll just have to prove your own fate," Jean said, leaning forward as he began his next movement. "Spirit Step."
He disappeared from where he was with Eliza, closing his eyes as he embraced the aether flow around him. They spun through the air like two dancers in a waltz. In the flash of movement, they reappeared behind Cragg, Eliza extending her legs in a kick.
Bam.
Solid metal rose to block the kick as Cragg raised his hammer so the head of it intercepted the kick. The force of the blow reverberated through Eliza and into Jean''s arm, and Jean clenched his teeth against the force that rebounded. Cragg would be no slouch in a fight.
"Hammer Swing!"
Cragg''s muscles bulged as he took one step and swung his hammer in an arc. Jean saw the attack coming and pivoted on one foot, carrying Eliza out of the way of the strike as the next movement of their dance. The very air where Eliza had been shook from the force of Cragg''s blow as it missed, and the rotund man spun away.
"Missed it," Cragg said as he caught his footing.
"You''re aiming for Eliza," Jean said as he wrapped his arms around her again.
"Why not?" Cragg asked, cracking a toothy smile. "She''s your weapon, ain''t she? There ain''t no better way to win."
Jean frowned. To say such a thing was unthinkable. He would need to correct Cragg''s misconception.
"You say that she is a weapon, but there is where you''re wrong," Jean said, throwing out his arm and sending Eliza twirling in a pirouette. "Spirit Pirouette."
She twirled faster and faster, building up speed and rotation on that one spot. A twister formed around her as Jean held her there contained. The longer he waited, the more powerful the technique would be, and he needed to make a point very clear.
"We are partners in this world, bound by fate. Not even death could separate us from each other. To call her a mere weapon is nothing short of a request for death."
Jean released her out like a top, sending her careening toward Cragg. The brother was not idle, though. His leg muscles flexed as he held his hammer in both hands in front of him. With a grunt, he threw himself up into the sky.
"Hammer Jump!"
This time, his target was not Eliza but Jean. He vaulted over Eliza, ignoring the attack and coming down with a heavy hammer swing. Jean watched him, but there was no way for him to escape. He would have to rely on his own curse to counter.
"Spirit Wall."
Jean raised his hand and called the purple wall into existence above him. Skulls with dark black holes for eyes cackled out into the air, spreading their purple energy out and around them in a large rectangle. Jean pushed his will and his aether into the technique and hoped fate would preserve him one more time.
Boom. Crack.
Wall and hammer collided together with a horrific thunder. A line of darkness cut through Jean''s barrier as the hammer broke through and careened toward him, supported by Cragg''s mass and the strength of the man''s technique.
Bone and hammer connected as Jean took a glancing blow across his hand. His barrier was enough to drive Cragg off target but not to stop the brother. Jean''s arm was struck to the side as the hammer crashed into the ground.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Boom.
Dirt and rock exploded out from the ground as Jean jumped back from the attack, reaching out an arm and calling Eliza back to him. She came in her spin back into his arms, and he encircled her tightly in a hug as he regained his footing further away from Cragg. The man stood with his hammer resting in the crater, breathing hard as he looked up at Jean.
"You''re fast, skeleton man," Cragg said with a smile.
"And you are strong," Jean said, looking down at his hand.
Cracks had formed down his palm and reached up his arm. They would not render his arm useless, and they would heal through the power of his curse, but they served as proof of Cragg''s strength. His bones were as hard as steel, yet the hammer-wielding brother had managed to crack them with one blow. Jean would have to be careful if he wanted to win.
"This is just starting to get fun," Cragg said as he stood from his crater and rested his hammer across his shoulder. "Ain''t had a good fight like this in a long time."
Eliza looked between Jean and his hurt hand, and he knew she was concerned. They were soul mates, after all. Jean smiled at Eliza and nodded to her. She wasn''t able to speak, but he could at least ease her worries.
"It will be alright, Eliza," Jean said. "Our love is greater than this man."
In the distance, Jean could see Sayed struggling against his own opponent. The two swordsmen continually clashed swords against each other, yet Sayed had not draw his second blade. That made no sense to Jean, but he wasn''t in a position to question it. He could only focus on his own fight until he took Cragg down.
"You talk big, skeleton man," Cragg said, cracking his fat neck back and forth as he swung his hammer in a circle with one hand. "You think you can beat me, but I know. I know what I will do to you. I''ll break your bones into pieces. I''ll break them down into dust. When I''m done with you, there ain''t going to be nothing left."
Jean smiled and tilted his head toward Eliza so that her ghostly hair could tickle across his nose. Cragg was such a simple man. What he would do to the man was almost a pity. He had a hundred ways to express that, but he was sure that Cragg wouldn''t understand.
"Your mistake was thinking you stood a chance against me," Jean said as he gathered aether through his body. "Fate has decreed to me that this will end here and now."
"You think so?" Cragg stopped spinning his hammer as his leg and arm muscles bulged again. "Hammer Festival!"
Jean''s eyes widened as the brother took a bounding leap again into the air. As he had before with his brother, he spun in the air like a top, the hammer going so fast in a circle that it kicked up dust and dirt along the brother''s path. It twisted down towards Jean, but Jean merely took a few steps back.
Cragg was a fool. He had given up control for a random attack, and Jean would not participate.
Boom. Crack.
Cragg collided with the ground with an explosion of motion, and Jean prepared to release Eliza into a kick the second he was off balance. That was when Cragg surprised him. Cragg came out of the spinning attack with one foot, breaking down in the ground as he swung his hammer as hard as he could. Jean was right in the path of it, and he didn''t have time to dodge.
Thump. Crack.
Even though his body was just bones, that didn''t mean Jean didn''t feel pain. Lines cracked down his left arm as the hammer made contact and knocked him away. His bones shook under the force of the strike, and Jean was stunned as he sailed through the air.
It felt like, well, a hammer had struck him at an absurdly high speed on his arm. Pain blossomed out from his arm and through his shoulder as a brief moment of weightlessness encompassed him. The ground came up to remove that feeling, and Jean tumbled to his side, far away from where he had been.
He lay on the ground, forcing his thoughts together as he built his mind back into a coherent whole. Stones stung against the skin on his cheek, one of the few places on his body he could still feel that kind of pain. He forced himself up from the ground with his right arm as his left fell uselessly at his side.
"A twist in fate, indeed," he said, spitting on the ground as Eliza reappeared around him.
He could see the look in her dark eyes. She was worried. He did his best to smile as he struggled to his feet. The problem with fights to the death was that one mistake could lead to an upset, and he had let his guard down for just a moment. That had been enough for Cragg to get in a good hit. He couldn''t afford to let it happen again.
"What do you think now, skeleton man?" Cragg asked as he approached, his hammer in one hand while the other hung over his lip. "Ain''t any fancy words for me after I hit you?"
Jean took a deep breath and drew in as much aether as he could. Eliza disappeared from him as he called in his power. Normally, he would restrict his curse to its use at the second level. He loved Eliza dearly and did not care to be separated from her. However, he would need all of his focus for this, and while Eliza was an excellent partner, sometimes a solo performance was needed.
Purple light flashed out from him, reaching down his limbs and wrapping around them. Even his broken arm was caught up in the light. Skulls shot out and cackled down his body as it was entombed in the energy. Jean exhaled as his new costume was completed across his body.
"Spirit Shroud."
A long purple coat curved away from him, going above his head and down in two arches beside his legs. Beneath the coat was a yellow shirt that covered his skeletal frame, and matching purple pants, glowing in the same energy as the rest of the costume, covered his legs.
Jean reached up, and a long purple hat flowed out from his head to cover his bald head. He tilted the hat forward, bowing as he smiled. This was the peak of his first level of curse. His curse gave him the power to manipulate small ghostly entities. His second level allowed him to manifest more powerful singular spirits, like Eliza.
Eliza was powerful, and when they worked in tandem, he could create a great dance. Truly, she was what he desired from his curse, which was why he chose her when his curse grew the first time. However, there was nothing wrong with his original ability.
A curse''s grade was not simply an increase in power. It was a new way forward that did not negate the old path. Cursed users who did not recognize that were doomed to failure. Sometimes, using an old, perfected routine was better than a new experimental one.
"We were fated to meet this day," Jean said as he rose from his bow. "Let me ask you this simple question, Cragg. Would you like to dance?"
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 83 | Twin Blades
Sayed''s chest burned, but not with the righteous fire of his blessing. Some people might think Sayed was simple, but he knew what the burning sensations meant. Jean and Erin had explained to him what happened to Alex, and Alex had explained what the growing blessing in his own body felt like. Sayed knew that if he opened his gate again and gave himself over to his blessing, it would also change.
Which was why he refused to use it at this moment.
Bragg stood away from him, holding his massive two-handed sword horizontal to the ground and behind him. Its long, curved blade was closer to a giant knife than an actual sword. Sayed''s own curved khopesh was a utensil in comparison, but Sayed knew the size of the blade made no difference.
The power of a sword rested on the user''s skill and the will to win the fight. Nothing more mattered.
"Why you got to separate us like that?" Bragg asked, narrowing his eyes. "Ma always told us we were useless apart."
"Your mother was right, in part," Sayed said, taking a wide stance and pointing his sword at the man. "Both of you are useless. Men who would trample and oppress others have no use in this world but to be overthrown by those with the will to do so."
Bragg quirked his head, and Sayed assumed he was working out what was said. After a moment, his eyes widened, and he dropped the end of his heavy sword to the ground as he pointed to Sayed with one hand.
"You''re making fun of me!" Bragg yelled.
"Excellent." Sayed smiled as he flexed his muscles and drew power into his body. "Demon''s Thrust."
He shot forward, thrusting his khopesh down the length of his body as he charged. He disappeared for a moment before reappearing right in front of Bragg. His sword thrust out in front of him as he grunted through the pain.
Slap.
Bragg''s hand lashed out and caught the flat of Sayed''s blade, knocking it aside and off course from the man''s heart. A shock of pain rippled across his arm, and Sayed clenched his teeth to focus on holding onto his sword, if nothing else. He saw the next strike coming but couldn''t move to evade it.
"Sword Hammer!"
Crack. Thump.
The pommel of the sword Bragg held came forward as the brother twisted his body. Sayed tried to step backward, but it was too late. It came up in a vicious arc and knocked Sayed across the jaw. Sayed flew back from the strike, his vision blurring as his shoulders slammed onto the ground. A grunt escaped his lips as he rolled himself over and onto the ground.
Still, he held onto his sword as he lay face down in the dirt.
For a moment, he lay there, but he was still in a fight, and he knew the next hit was coming. Sayed rolled instinctively across the ground and was rewarded a moment later with the sight of Bragg swinging a downward slash at where he had been moments before.
Boom. Crack.
The weight of the rotund man''s hit cut through the ground with a slice, leaving a gash cut deep into the ground that caused dirt and rocks to explode out of it and into the air. Sayed forced himself up onto his feet. His muscles bulged again as he drew in power and charged toward the now off-balance man.
"Demon''s Divide!"
A downward slash, hard enough to cleave stone, came for Bragg''s body, but the brother moved out of the way of the strike. He pivoted on one leg, letting go of his sword and coming around again with a fist this time. Sayed brought up his gauntlet and cut toward the fist with his claws. He would not be hit a second time.
"Demon''s Claw!"
He scored a hit across Bragg''s hand. He knew he felt the claws connect as he completed the arc of his swing and carried himself away from Bragg''s reach. When he turned, he saw Bragg with all his fingers in his mouth. Tears ran down the man''s face and mixed with blood coming out from his knuckles.
"You''ll pay for that, jerk," Bragg sputtered out, kicking out drops of blood and spit as he glared Sayed down.
"A fight with no injury can hardly be said to be a fight," Sayed said, smiling as he held his khopesh up again. "Are you some fool who thinks a battle can be fought without bloodshed? We both wield blades, Bragg. Wielding a sword means that blood will be spilled. There is no compromise with that."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"Shut up!" Bragg took his bleeding hand out of his mouth and took hold of his sword with both hands.
His face burned red, and sweat streamed in heavy rivers down his head. Sayed had struck a nerve again with the man. Sayed knew it was best to keep a cool head during a fight. Even in the desert, a hot head could quickly lead to mistakes, which invariably led to death.
Sayed took in a deep breath, but still, his heart burned. He needed to end the fight soon. If not, his blessing might try to overtake him even if he refused to open his gate. He did not know if that was possible, but it felt right. Of the many strange happenings he had seen on the nightsea, a blessing being out of control of a user would not even be close to the top of the list.
"I''ll show you!" Bragg said, raising his blade and taking a long step. "Sword Festival!"
Bragg leaped into the air with a bulge of his muscles as he swung his blade. He spun faster and faster, much like a children''s toy sent spinning with a string, as he came down on Sayed. Sayed took a stance, pointing his gauntlet up at the spinning swordsman with his sword held high.
He had already seen the technique once and knew how to counter it. He would thrust into the center of the attack, where the sword wasn''t. When he did that, it would be over for Bragg. Sayed did not go into the attack happy, but it was necessary. To free the drim, he would need to kill Bragg.
"Demon''s Thrust."
He charged forward into the air and thrust up with his blade. It should have hit Bragg right on the top of the man''s head, or failing that, it should have cut into his shoulder or chest. Wind buffeted Sayed as he thrust out his khopesh, forcing him to shut his eyes to it.
Ting. Ting. Ting. Ting.
Vibrations rocked down Sayed''s arm as his blade was thrown back and away from Bragg''s head. In that blur of motion, Sayed had a flash of insight into what the brother was doing. After he had started spinning, the brother held up his sword close to his body so that the curve came over his head. Instead of thrusting up into Bragg''s head, Sayed had thrust into a rotating blade pointed directly at himself.
He didn''t have time to think. He only had time to act. Sayed threw up his gauntlet to cover his heart as the strike struck him. Metal cut and drilled into his gauntlet''s palm as he caught the tip of the spinning sword. The force of the strike drove Sayed back down toward the ground with the tip of the rotating blade, sure to skewer him and shred him through when he landed.
Sayed grunted as he pushed against the blade. He had to remove himself from the edge of the strike, or he would die. He pushed himself away from the attack and sent himself sailing through the sky away from Bragg as the rotund man came cratering into the ground.
Boom. Thump.
Sayed hit the ground in a roll for the second time that day, this time losing his khopesh as he landed in the dirt. Rock and stone cut across his skin as he rolled to a stop across the ground, and when it was over, he lay looking up at the night sky above. Bright lights danced across his eyes, and for a moment, he didn''t know where he was.
"Your sword," Abed''s voice came to him. "Get your sword, Saint, before it is too late."
"Grah!" Sayed slammed his gauntlet against the ground and forced himself to roll over.
His khopesh lay on the ground a distance away. On the far side of the sword, Bragg was standing up from the crater created by his attack. Bits of dirt and dust fell from the rotund man''s body as he retrieved his sword and began walking toward Sayed.
"Stand up, Saint."
"I will not fall here." Sayed clenched his teeth and pushed up with his gauntlet.
The fingers of the gauntlet creaked and groaned in protest as he planted his hand against the ground. The gauntlet had done what it was supposed to do: protect Sayed''s hands from his opponent''s blade. However, it was useless metal now. Unless he found a smith with sufficient skill to repair it, the gauntlet would never have the finesse he needed to fight with it again.
"The sword, Saint!"
He forced himself on his feet and stumbled toward his sword. Bragg swaggered forward with each step, in no rush to finish off Sayed. Sayed picked at the straps of his gauntlet, and with a few tugs, the leather straps came loose, and his gauntlet fell to the ground.
"Take it!"
Sayed jumped forward and took the hit of his sword from the ground. He caught himself on his feet, a habit from his years of wielding the blade in battle, and faced Bragg once again. Bragg smiled wide, showing a mouth missing many teeth as he laughed at Sayed.
"The big man thinks he can fight me now?" Bragg asked. "I''ve hit you hard twice. You look like you''re going to fall over. Ain''t no way you''re going to beat me with that toothpick."
"That''s where you are wrong." Sayed reached up with his free hand, grabbing the hilt of the second sword strapped across his back.
Sayed had held two swords since Glory Plateau. On that island, his brother from Hajh, Abed, had given his life to protect others who were prisoners to the island''s owner, Gulantry. The blade was the last remnant of his brother and his friend. Sayed did not wield it lightly, but he knew that he needed Abed''s help if he was to survive.
He drew the blade, standing tall with both khopeshes in his hand as he faced down Bragg. Sayed closed his eyes and looked up to the sky as he called on one final thing to ensure his victory. With a smile, he began to pray.
"God, may you deliver me this enemy today. With the power of Abed''s blade and my own, grant me the strength and the will to overcome what stands in my way. Grant me the power to beat him back and save those who suffer in bondage. Do these things for me, and I will call on your blessing and accept the next step in my path to show your glory."
As Sayed finished, he opened his eyes and took a wide stance, leaning forward with both swords at his side as he watched Bragg. There was but one more thing he needed to do. It would be a risk, but Sayed trusted in his blessing.
He opened his gate.
A blazing fire erupted through his heart, and a spike of pain ran along the nerves of his body like a raging wildfire. Sayed clenched his teeth as the heat pumped out and along his muscles, making its way from his heart to the very end of his fingers and toes. Finally, his blades began to glow a hot orange as he faced down Bragg.
"By the glory of God, I will defeat you this day!"
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 84 | Two-Bit
Alex couldn''t help but smile as the energy of his gate shot through his body in bursts. The electricity tickled through his body from his heart, and he felt like he could take on anything. Mister Deadman glared him down, the man''s eyes still hidden by his tilted forward hat.
"You think you''re cool, I see," Mister Deadman said. "Taking my Bone Shot without a care in the world. I''m not going to stand for it, you hear? Bone Barrage."
Mister Deadman raised both hands from his side, pointing them at Alex and miming shots in the air. Alex had a fraction of a second to react. He hadn''t pushed his ability to its furthest yet and wanted to see what his new curse could do.
"Steel Wall!"
Ting. Ding. Ting. Ding.
The steel disks disappeared as Alex rolled forward. A blue light appeared before him as a small wall caught his shoulder. The bone bullet barrage crashed against the metal, ringing out into the empty night as the shots went wild. Alex kept his head down behind the wall. It was large enough to cover about half his body up to his waist, but it wasn''t bigger than that. He would need to keep that in mind.
The ringing faded to echoes in moments as Alex hid behind his barrier. So far, Mister Deadman appeared to be able to shoot bones out of his body. Alex knew from Bargen''s story that there was another technique, something that could drag people down into the ground.
"Bone Yard."
That was it. Alex took in a breath, throwing one hand over the barrier and tossing himself in the air. As he pushed up with a magnetic shove, he saw five bony arms shoot out from the ground where he had been to grab at him. Thankfully, Alex was far away from that, shooting up into a spin in the air like a bullet in an arc over Mister Deadman.
Alex released his hold on the wall and swung his fist. Below, the wall would fade away, and beside his hand, another spark of electricity formed as he called a piece of metal into existence. A long metal spike, about the length of his forearm, formed beside his hand as he punched down toward Mister Deadman below.
"Rail Gun!"
He had lost his ironwood staff back on Glory Plateau when Lucien had shattered it, and he had missed using his favorite technique. He had tried replacing it with coins, naming the new technique ''Rail Shot,'' but the coins didn''t have near the mass he needed to do real damage.
His steel spike shot down like a bullet, following the arc of his punch right at Mister Deadman''s face. Mister Deadman raised his hand as the attack came, and Alex knew as he fell to the ground that the man already had a response to it.
"Bone Wall."
Two bones jutted out of the ground, as tall as Mister Deadman himself, before smaller links of white bone shot in between them. In an instant, a solid white wall made of bone crafted itself together, linking the two pillars together.
Bang. Crack.
The wall shuddered under the speed of the strike, the bone cracking outward like it was on an active fault line. However, the wall held with the spike embedded in it as Alex fell to the ground in a roll. He came up on his feet, facing down Mister Deadman as the man turned on him, his hand readjusting his hat to cover his eyes.
"You think you''re cool," Mister Deadman said, shaking his hand with a sly smile. "But I won''t have this, you hear? It would be so uncool if I couldn''t beat down a twerp like you. Bone Scythe."
Alex''s gate hummed with electricity as Mister Deadman raised his hand. A long white pole appeared from his hand, extending out as long as Mister Deadman''s body. Two curved blades shot out from both ends, going in opposite directions. Mister Deadman twirled the two-bladed scythe in his hands. He brought it behind his back, switching hands and swinging it through the air.
"Just shooting and grabbing doesn''t seem to work on you, you hear?" Mister Deadman said as he practically danced with the weapon. "It looks like I''m going to have to make this fight a little more personal."
Alex really missed his staff, but he had a better weapon now. He reached out his arm, focusing as blue electric light sparked around it. The flow of aether into his gate became a gale as he called the metal into existence around his arm.
"Junk Arm."
"Death''s Advance."
Ding.
Mister Deadman came for him as his arm formed, and Alex brought up the long metal arm in a defense hold in front of him. Metal met bone as the scythe came for him in a downward cut. Alex''s feet were forced back into the dirt from the blow, and he grunted as he held the attack back.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Mister Deadman was strong. Alex had fought plenty of people as strong or stronger than himself, and he would rate the man at least at a lieutenant''s strength, if not a captain''s. Part of him regretted calling Mister Deadman two-bit earlier.
"I take it back," Alex said as Mister Deadman pushed harder against his arm. "You''re not a two-bit thug. You''re a three-bit thug. Junk Arm."
Alex stepped forward, pushing with his arm and throwing Mister Deadman off. He spun with his left arm and called another junk arm into existence along his left side. A spike of pain shot through his mind, but he pushed past it as he swung his left hand around.
"Steel Swing."
Clatter.
Mister Deadman brought his scythe around to catch Alex''s arm and vault over it. He came down with a heavy swing immediately after, and Alex had nowhere to go. He was already committed to the hit. The scythe''s blade cut down through his arm. Mister Deadman came down to his knees from the force of the attack.
"Bone Slice."
Shing. Crack.
Separation was all Alex felt for a moment as his metal arm fell away from his body and landed on the ground. Then came the pain. It was like he had touched his shoulder with a live electric wire and couldn''t move. All he could do was stand there and focus his mind on the blindingly bright sensation that ran through him.
"Now, be cool," Mister Deadman said as he stood up from his attack, swinging his dual-bladed scythe in circles around him.
Alex had no words, but his brain could react on its own. In his mind, he slammed against the wall of light that blocked his thoughts and forced more aether into his gate. The light cracked as he willed what he wanted through the pain, and blue electric sparks crackled down his left stub of an arm.
"Junk Arm."
It replaced his missing arm before blood could even flow out from it. Jagged pieces of metal fused into his flesh and sealed off the damage. The original cut arm fell to the ground, now bereft of its metal encasement, but Alex didn''t care. He only needed to focus on Mister Deadman. The dark, limp arm on the ground would be a problem for later.
"Junk Barrage!"
He swung his fists together against Mister Deadman, punching faster and faster until the air around him was full of fists. Mister Deadman tried to jump back from the strike, but he was caught off guard. In a small unconscious part of his mind, Alex couldn''t blame him. No one would expect someone who lost an arm to just keep on fighting.
However, this wasn''t Alex''s first time, and it probably wouldn''t be the last.
His body was forged from experiments done by Doctor Ozymandius in a secret lab on August. He was built to make an artificial curse, one step in a program to create a batch of new warriors for the Scions. Alex didn''t know all the details, but his designation at the lab had been WPN Nine. Before he had burned August to the ground, he had been dissected, broken apart, and put back together again more times than he could count.
And, through all that, he was still here.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Crack. Bam.
Not all of his punches hit, but they weren''t supposed to. Mister Deadman was fast and dodged most of the strikes as he backed away, but it only took one mistake. Alex stepped forward in one long step as his metal fist made contact with Mister Deadman''s face, carrying the punch through and sending the man flying away with his bone scythe.
Thump.
"How''d you like that?" Alex asked as he stood there, his metal arms extending out in front of him.
Mister Deadman kneeled where he landed a distance away, his bone scythe discarded beside him. The man''s pinstripe suit was now dirty, but more importantly, his hat lay on the ground beside him. The man''s face was pale, and his oily black hair was a matted mess on his head. However, it was the eyes that set Mister Deadman apart. His eyes were stark white with small patterns etched in them as black marks. They reminded Alex of the intricate carvings on skull masks from Dia de los Muertos.
"Now, that''s just uncool," Mister Deadman said as he reached down and picked up his hat, knocking off the dust from it as he stood up and replaced it on his head. "You don''t go knocking the hat off a man like that and ruining his suit by throwing him into the dirt. I''ll need to keep my cool, but I''ll also need to be more serious now. Can''t have someone as small and uncool as you beating me down."
Rumble.
"Bone Chimera!"
He opened his arms wide and closed his eyes momentarily as the ground shook beneath him. Bones shot up from the ground all around him, rising until they were twice as tall as the statue''s remains in the ruins. Alex put one hand on the ground to keep from falling over.
The bones wrapped around Mister Deadman like a rising tower. Spindly arms and bony legs came off of the growing skeletal body as it extended out across the open area of the ruins. The buildings around them shook, and some collapsed under the force of the transformation. The remains of the statue toppled to the ground and cracked into pieces.
Slam. Crack. Crumble.
Alex could only describe what had formed from the mass of bones as a gigantic scorpion. Two large pincer claws came out from the front of the body, and a long tail with a scythe came off the back. Long, spindly limbs held it up, and the carapace of it was covered in the stark white bone that had marked all of Mister Deadman''s techniques. Mister Deadman stood at the center of the creature''s mass, his legs entombed in bone but his upper body free. He hadn''t changed in size in the slightest bit, and Alex felt he could use many of his techniques from where he stood while maintaining the giant scorpion form.
It just wasn''t fair.
"You see, I was holding back all this time," Mister Deadman said as his skeletal monstrosity of a body skittered forward toward Alex. "I thought it would be cool just to handle you with my first-grade curse, but you just had to go and push it. It would be uncool for me to be angry, but I can''t say I''m happy about this, you hear?"
The shadow of his scorpion form covered Alex as Mister Deadman approached, and Alex gulped down the lump in his throat. He wasn''t sure he could handle Mister Deadman now. However, he also knew he couldn''t let that show. He grasped his metal fists together as he looked up to Mister Deadman at the top of his scorpion body.
He needed a plan.
"You know what," Alex said, as he took in a deep breath of aether and opened his gate wider. "I changed my mind again. You''re not a three-bit thug. I''m going to do you a favor and upgrade you to a five-bit thug."
"Being overconfident can be cool, in its own way," Mister Deadman said, pulling his hat down over his eyes with one hand. "But it won''t look cool when you''re face down on the ground dead, you hear?"
With that, one pincer shot out for Alex. The fight was on, and Alex had no idea how he would win.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 85 | Flaming Resolve
Bragg heaved his sword into the air as he approached the swordsman. Bragg didn''t know how having two swords could possibly make a difference. Two tiny twigs were nothing against his sword. His momma had bought it for him special, just like his brother''s hammer. Both weapons had the marking for White Tiger Steel on them. They were the best possible weapons money could buy.
"You ain''t nothing special," Bragg said. "Look at my sword. We got better weapons and better strength. Your twigs ain''t going to do nothing."
"The value of a warrior is not tied to a blade," the man said as he held out both of his swords. "A warrior is made by the deeds he does in this life. He is remembered by the stories people tell about him as he journeys into his next life. Today, I will show you the strength of these swords in my hands. They are the greatest swords ever made."
They burned orange with heat, and Bragg gulped down the lump in his throat. To his eyes, the blades looked as hot as the sun and gave off an almost blinding light. Even he was smart enough to be cautious. The first thing he learned from working for Mister Deadman after his mother had gone away for a vacation five years ago was that you couldn''t underestimate people.
"She''ll be back soon. She''s just on a long vacation," Bragg mumbled absently as he drew in a deep breath to call in power for his technique. "Sword Cut!"
Instead of getting closer to test the man, he cut a wide arc through the air with his blade. The air extended out from it, and joy surged through Bragg''s heart. The dream of every child, a flying sword cut, sliced through the air toward the swordsman, and Bragg kept his eye on it as he finished the swing with his giant blade.
"Got you!"
"Devil''s Divide."
Shing.
The swordsman cut up and down with both of his swords, the orange light of the blades intersecting the moment the flying cut reached him. For a moment, the slash stalled in the air and struggled against the two swords, but that didn''t last long. Bragg''s stomach dropped as he watched the attack split in half mid-air, the two halves of the cut continuing on to cut into the rock wall of the dig site. Rocks crumbled as the attack carved through the stone and dissipated.
Now, Bragg hadn''t expected that. The swordsman approached him, advancing step by step with his two blades held out to his side. Bragg thought about it. He would have to try a lot harder if he wanted to win. He spared a look back to his brother, but Cragg was busy in his own fight against the flashy skeleton man.
"Fine," Bragg said, taking his finger out of his ear and taking hold of his sword with both hands. "Momma always told me I have to be the better brother, being two seconds older."
His legs bulged as he drew in another deep breath, calling the power of the air into his body. He held up his blade by his head and reached back with his sword, ready to bring it down in a hard swing. With a grunt, he shot off into the air in a charge towards the swordsman.
"Sword Charge!"
Boom.
He barrelled forward like a cannonball, the air around him parting in a gale of wind as he shot toward the swordsman. As he came within range, he slammed down his foot and swung his blade, the muscles in both of his arms bulging as he cut down and to the right across the swordsman''s body.
If he timed it right, he would cleave the swordsman in two. If he missed, he would take a second step, which would allow him to swing around for a second slice. He had never had to swing for more than two hits with that technique.
Whoosh.
The first swing caught air and nothing more, and Bragg slammed down his foot for the second swing. His eyes searched around him as he rotated, but he couldn''t see the swordsman at all. He had to complete the swing to keep his blade in his hands, and his sword caught air for a second time. Bragg had no idea where the puny man had gone.
Whoosh.
Bragg looked up by instinct alone. He expected to see the swordsman there and raised his blade to block the blow. The flat of his blade would be able to take the hit. It was made of White Tiger Steel, after all. However, nothing came down to hit him, and there was no silhouette of the swordsman above him.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Where''d he go?" Bragg looked left and right in confusion.
It was only too late that he saw the blur of movement he hadn''t seen before.
"Devil''s Wind."
The attack didn''t come from above but from below. Twelve slices came for his chest, and they cut against his skin in searing flashes of pain. Bragg''s sword was already in a bad position, so he couldn''t just step away. He hadn''t expected the swordsman to duck his slash and then stay in the shadow of his sword.
"Grah!" he yelled as he was thrown back from the force of the cuts.
Bragg stumbled away from the swordsman, and he saw the smile on the man''s face as he fell on his butt in the dirt. Bragg had a moment to look down at his body. Several cuts ran across his legs, and his stomach, all of them burned closed and black. Bragg''s body was tough because his momma didn''t raise any weaklings, but it wasn''t immune to damage. He clenched his teeth and shoved his sword into the ground to force himself onto his feet. The swordsman was coming at him again.
"Devil''s Divide!"
The swordsman held up both arms, crossing them across his body as he shot forward. Bragg brought up his sword as a shield, throwing himself behind the blade as the twin swords cut through the air toward him.
Ting. Crack.
Heated metal cut into his sword, and the entire thing shook up through his arms as the blades cut into the metal. Smoke poured up from the blades as they twisted against the metal of Bragg''s sword, and Bragg had to take a step back to get a breath of fresh air.
The pincer of the swords protested his release, but his sword came with him as he retreated. Bragg brought it up to inspect it and saw two melted pits at the midway point of his sword. A line had cracked between them, and to his surprise, as the blade cooled, the sword broke in half.
Cling. Clang.
Half of Bragg''s sword fell to the ground, and he looked down at it with wide eyes. It shouldn''t have been possible. The sword was the best, made from White Tiger Steel. No one should be able to even put a bump on the sharp end of the blade.
But there it was, the blade tip rested in the dirt in front of him while he held only half of his sword. Bragg turned as the swordsman advanced on him and realized he had a problem. His weapon was gone, and he couldn''t win the fight.
"Devil''s Thrust!''
The swordsman held both of his swords at his side, the blades intersecting in front of him before he charged forward for one final time. Bragg tried to bring up his blade to block, even if it was just half of a sword, it could at least shield him, but it was too late.
Shing. Crack.
One sword came for his broken blade, piercing through the metal and knocking it away. Bragg absently reached for it, even though he knew it was the wrong move. He didn''t want to let go of the sword. It was the only thing left¡ªthe last gift from his mother.
The second one came directly for his heart, and Bragg had nowhere to go. The sword pierced through him, and his heart burned as it cut through bone and flesh before it came out the other side.
His mother once told him he was only good for fighting and watching out for his brother. Bragg remembered that. It was his job as an older brother to make sure that Cragg was protected. Throughout their entire life in Undertown, he had lived by that code. Whether they were fighting in the streets on the way home or whether it was when he had to take his father out and throw him into the trash because he had taken a hand to Cragg one too many times. Bragg was supposed to be the strongest. He was supposed to protect his younger brother.
Now, here he was, sliding down a sword as he fought a swordsman on a no-name island out in the nightsea. He wasn''t sure where his life had gone wrong. Was it when he first started working under Mister Deadman? Was it when he and his brother had started beating the drim to make them work harder? Was it when they had used them as target practice for their techniques to hone their skills? No. Bragg knew that all of those had been necessary to become stronger.
No, his mistake had been letting himself be separated from his brother. The two intruders would have lost the fight if they had stayed together. Bragg knew this to be true. His one regret in life was that he would die away from his brother.
He fell forward onto the blade as the light around him faded, and he breathed only one word.
"Momma."
Sayed''s breath caught in his chest, and another spike of pain ran down his arm from his heart. He couldn''t keep his gate open any longer. He had to let go. He dropped his swords and let Bragg''s body fall with them as he closed his gate.
He had pushed himself as hard as he could, opening his gate and calling in power far beyond what he should. His blades had burned brighter and hotter than ever before, and Abed''s sword had brought him the victory he needed. However, he was now paying the cost of pushing his blessing so hard. Even with his gate closing, the heat still roiled through his body.
He looked down on Bragg. The man lay in a growing pool of his own blood. Sayed regretted having to kill him, but he didn''t have anything left. When men crossed blades, they did so knowing that death was on the other side of the battle for at least one of them.
"May you find your way in the next world," Sayed mumbled as his head swam. "But know I will not join you in the Crimson Fields today. You will have to walk alone until your brother joins you there."
His blessing was changing inside of him. Heat ran through his arms and legs like steam coming off of boiling water. After he fell asleep, he would wake up a different man with a changed blessing. How would he grow? He didn''t know.
The ground rushed up at him, and he fell face-first into it. Heat radiated off his body in bursts as he lay against the cold ground. Above him, the moonlight shone down, and in his blurry vision, he could see Jean trade blows with Cragg.
"I have gone as far as I can, brother," Sayed whispered. "It is up to you to go the rest of the way."
Sayed closed his eyes and let himself be consumed by the darkness. The heat remained even as he slept, roiling across and out of his body as he fell through darkness and toward a bright light. As he fell, he recognized the desert sand before him. Hajh rose to face him as sleep claimed him.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 86 | Dance, Dance, Dance
A kick came for Cragg''s face as he saw the swordsman drop his brother to the ground. Cragg never could have imagined that his brother could be beaten. They had always been together, even after their mother went on vacation.
"Bragg!" Cragg yelled out as the kick connected with his face.
Crack.
Bone-cracking force slammed into his jaw and knocked him off balance. Cragg flew through the air as the glimmering purple light of his opponent''s outfit cut past him. His thoughts were on his brother until the spike of pain managed to reach his brain. Then, his thoughts were only on the pain.
"Hammer Slam!"
Boom. Scrape.
He slammed his hammer down into the ground and used it to arrest his motion. Rock and dirt flew up into the air as he gouged a line through the ground with the head of his hammer. His feet and body fell to the ground with his hammer held in front of him when he finally came to a stop.
"You bastards took out Bragg!" Cragg yelled, spitting out a loose tooth as he stood up with his hammer. "I ain''t going to forgive you!"
He charged forward with his hammer, and he saw the man in front of him reach up and tug on his hat with one hand as he swaggered forward. The bony man snapped his fingers as he walked forward in a beat that reminded Cragg of Mister Deadman.
"Hammer Festival!"
Cragg took two steps, swinging his hammer with all his might as his muscles bulged, and he launched forward in a spinning attack. He threw himself forward through his spinning vision, using the bright purple of the bony man''s clothes to guide his attack because that was all he could make out in the whirl of the world around him.
"Spirit Step," the bony man said before he disappeared from sight.
Bragg couldn''t stop his attack, so he kept going forward in his spin. A single prick of pain pierced his scalp before it faded, and the purple light of the man''s clothes appeared behind him. Cragg tried to lean back toward the way he had come, to take the momentum of his attack back toward the bony man, but he couldn''t seem to control his movement.
"Spirit String."
Cragg could make it out through the flashing image of the bony man in the purple clothes. A line of purple energy ran between them, and the bony man held that string tight in his skeletal hands. Cragg understood the problem vaguely. So long as the string was there, he was under the bony man''s control.
"Spirit Partner," the bony man said. "So long as we are connected, you''ll be my dance partner."
"I''ll...break...you," Cragg said as he spun in place.
"Come here," the bony man smiled as he ripped on the string, and Cragg''s rotating form came for him. "Let me show you the first step. Spirit Cross-steps!"
As Cragg was pulled in, the bony man began to kick out while moving in a circle around him. He manipulated the string with one hand while a flurry of kicks slammed into Cragg. Cragg took each of them, unable to dodge them because of the pull of the string.
Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.
Cragg''s rotational motion stopped at the end, and he spun off to the side until he fell to the ground. Out of instinct, he caught himself on his hands and knees and knelt while taking in quick breaths. All around his chest and back, bruises broke out from each of the kicks, and each one felt like a hammer hit him.
"That hurt!" Cragg cried out as he dropped his hammer and gasped for breath on the ground.
They hadn''t been strong enough to take Cragg down, but each one of the six pulsed with heat and pain as he held his side. With a grunt, Cragg forced himself to stand and reached up to knock away the purple string on his head. The bony man stood across from him, snapping his fingers in a beat again.
Snap. Snap.
Just like Mister Deadman. The skeleton man was confident. Cragg couldn''t let him win. Cragg was strong, and even though he was the youngest, he still had to protect his brother. He stopped at that thought. Bragg was dead. He had seen it.
His breath quickened in his chest as he looked up at the skeleton man. It was their fault. It was all because the two intruders had come down into his camp to pick a fight. He and Bragg could have continued their work if the intruders had just left things alone. They could have gone about beating up the drim and forcing the drim to get the job done. Now, he was alone. Cragg would be the only brother now. What would momma say to him when she came back from vacation? Cragg felt hot tears running down his eyes as he thought about how she would yell at him.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
"Who do you think you are? Why are you intruders even here?"
"I can''t speak for anyone else," Jean said, looking over to the swordsman and Bragg''s body before he smiled. "But I''m here for one reason only: the experience itself. Only two real goals are left for me now that I''ve been to the other side. I want to experience all the world has to offer, and I want to have Eliza by my side while I do it. The only meaning to my life is the absurdity of existence itself. Why not enjoy it?"
Cragg narrowed his eyes. He could barely understand what the man was talking about, but none of it sounded right. People just couldn''t live life for themselves. His momma had always told them that they were meant to serve. They had to fight for someone. That was why they had served Mister Deadman when she went on vacation.
"That ain''t right, skeleton man." Cragg stood, forcing himself up with his hammer as he heaved in and out. "Someone like you can''t beat me. I have someone that depends on me!"
"Your brother is dead," the bony man said. "Your boss isn''t here. You only have yourself."
"Ain''t no one going to talk to me like that. Hammer Slam!"
Cragg''s face heated up as anger pumped through him. He gripped his hammer tight, hurting his hands as he pulled it up from the ground. He took in a deep breath as he raised his hammer, his muscles bulging as he struck down at the bony man. He put all his strength into the strike, making it go as fast as he could and making the head of his hammer a blur in the air.
"Spirit Pirouette!"
Bang. Slam. Bam. Bam. Bam.
The bony man spun into a whirl, becoming a purple, glowing tornado as he spun with one leg out. The first kick caught Cragg''s hammer and slammed it to the side. The second, third, and fourth cut into him like a tornado. Cragg dropped the hammer as the force of the kicks reverberated through his body. They kept coming and coming as the bony man spun faster and faster. Cragg kept falling as the flurry of the kicks threw him into the air. The kicks finally stopped when his back hit a wall, and he crashed into rock and stone.
"Bragg," he mumbled as he closed his eyes and fell into darkness.
Jean stepped back from the man as his attack finished. Cragg slipped to the ground, falling face-first into the dirt without the force of Jean''s kicks to keep him upright. Jean reached up and adjusted his hat with one hand as he looked down on the unconscious man.
"You just didn''t have the will to grasp your dreams," Jean said, looking down at him. "Maybe one day, you''ll meet us again. I hope you don''t hold your brother''s death against Sayed."
He walked away and closed his gate, leaving Cragg behind. His purple suit disappeared, revealing his dancing clothes beneath. There were a few rips where there hadn''t been before, and his left arm was still cracked, but he could move it now, and the healing process was on its way. With his gate as his source of being, all of his bodily functions were now handled by the crystal in his chest. So long as that remained intact, he could still manage to live.
Michael had climbed down during the fight and now came up to him, breathing hard and dropping his hands to his knees as he looked over the carnage the fight had left behind. Jean made his best smile as he patted the man on his shoulders.
"It looks like your troubles are over, my friend," Jean said. "We can free your crew and go meet up with Alex with the knowledge of a job well done."
"This was just supposed to be a scouting mission," Michael wheezed as he waved over the area.
"It was, but fate determined otherwise," Jean said. "Just like fate determined that Mister Deadman would not be near the camp, otherwise he would have already intervened, I think."
Michael''s ghastly pale face went a shade paler as he realized the implications. Jean wasn''t sure they could have handled a third fighter in the melee, even if he knew nothing about Mister Deadman''s abilities. However, they had been fortunate. Jean suspected that fate had guided Mister Deadman elsewhere precisely because Sayed would have jumped down to fight. He did not believe in a god, like Sayed did, but he could appreciate the machinations of the causal chains all around them.
"Now, go find the keys and free your companions," Jean said, turning away from Michael and making his way to Sayed.
He thought about the situation as he walked. If he were right in his guess, Mister Deadman would face off against Alex and Erin. He did not know what machination of fate drew the boss off, but it was a good enough assumption.
Bragg lay face first in the dirt, blood flowing up in spurts out of his pierced heart. Death was a messy thing, and Sayed''s attack had been merciless. Jean shook his head as he picked his way through the muddy ground and picked up both swords before taking them further away and setting them on the ground. Now, he just had to go and get Sayed out as well.
The man lay on his side in a pool of blood that wasn''t his own, and Jean had to extract him from it, taking hold of his legs and dragging him through the dirt and mud. Jean had no water on him, but he could at least do Sayed that dignity.
"You had quite the fight," Jean said, looking Sayed over with glowing purple eyes. "You pushed your curse to the extreme, and your next stage is underway. I wonder what powers you will have when you awake?"
Jean couldn''t predict how such a thing would go. Sayed''s primary ability was heat, according to what he had been told. Would he rise up wreathed in fire as an avatar of his god? Would he spout flame from his mouth? Would he be able to conjure swords made out of flame? There were so many possibilities, and no one curse grew the same way as any other.
Even if someone had a curse similar to his own, they could branch out in a myriad of different ways when reaching the second grade. He had chosen to be able to manifest spirits as a growth from his initial ability to manipulate spirit energy. Eliza had walked him through the steps, and he had seen how she would be with him once again. He didn''t imagine that someone with the same abilities would choose the exact same power.
He had just wanted to hold Eliza''s hand once again.
In the distance, he saw Michael running back, keys in hand. Jean smiled as he walked away from Sayed, content to let the man grow in peace. Once all the prisoners were freed, they could go to the west camp to meet up with Alex.
Jean was sure that there would be a surprising turn of fate from whatever was happening there.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 87 | Memories of Home
Crickle-crackle.
Erin woke up in a familiar room, leaning back in her chair with books surrounding her while a fire burned in the fireplace nearby. Her cat, Midnight, jumped off of her lap as she opened her eyes and darted off into the shadows. Erin''s heart raced in her chest. All of this was wrong. Every bit of it was wrong.
She stood up from her chair and looked out the window. Moonlight played shadows across the dark forest around her hut. She let out a breath as she looked over her home. She was home. She was on Erys. She blinked her eyes slowly before trying to rub the sleep away and checking again.
"It isn''t possible," she said as she walked over to her chair and picked up one of the books.
The pages inside were blank, and she understood it then. It was too good to be true. No, she wasn''t back on Erys, resting in her home with her books. She focused back on what had happened before. She had to fight a haze that blocked her memories, but she could piece it together.
Alex.
He had been fighting Mister Deadman, and she had been on the brink of collapse. Her curse had been ready to change, and she had collapsed behind a wall to start the process. It had been either that or collapse in the open in the middle of the fight.
She hoped that she could trust Bargen to keep her safe.
"Jean said something about this." She looked around the room, focusing on each part.
Everything felt like she had left it back when she first left it all behind, even Midnight. However, that wasn''t quite right either. Midnight had died long ago, a victim of the fire that claimed her home while she ran for her life. Erin looked at the door, and her heart sank. She knew where she needed to go now but wasn''t sure she had the strength.
Creak.
Erin approached the door slowly, step by step. Each time she stepped on one of the floorboards in the cottage, they creaked under her weight. She clenched her teeth for each one as she made her way forward. She couldn''t let herself be scared away. This was her world. She needed to know that. Everything in this small place was a part of her.
She stopped at the door and put her hand on the door handle. Images of fire, people yelling, and the smell of smoke rose in her. She pushed them down. Her home was gone, and she knew it. She wouldn''t be called a ''witch'' by the townspeople anymore.
She opened the door and stepped outside. The stone path she had always remembered led off through the clearing and into the forest. It would have taken her into town if she had followed it back on Erys. Her water well rested in the center of the clearing, the stone rising until the wooden makeshift roof took over the rest. Everything was where she had left it before the attack. Everything was in place.
She fought to keep the tears from coming to her eyes, and she snorted in the snot that started running down her nose. She never thought she would see it again. After she ran away to the Coven, after the sisters took her in, she never thought she would come back.
"It isn''t real," she lied to herself, wiping away the tears on her sleeves. "It isn''t real."
Midnight came up beside her, knocking against her leg before running off into the night. She didn''t chase after it. Again, she reminded herself it wasn''t real. However, part of her just wanted to stay in this make-believe world forever.
"Do you think this will last forever?" a child''s voice whispered from the forest, and Erin froze.
She looked out into the darkness, squinting her eyes as she searched for the source of the voice. It was a voice from her past, all too familiar and all too heartbreaking to hear. She was at a crossroads. She wanted to see it, to confirm what she thought it was, but at the same time, she dreaded seeing that little girl''s face once more. Erin took in a deep breath as the shadowed figure walked out into the moonlight at the forest''s edge.
She wore rags, but it was the same girl she had seen in the Coven years ago¡ªthe same girl Erin had befriended while feeding her behind bars¡ªthe same girl that the other witches had killed right in front of her on the night she ran away from her second home.
"This isn''t possible," Erin whispered, tears falling down her face as she fell to her knees.
Jean had warned her that someone would come to aid her in her curse''s growth, but she never imagined it would be Mara.
"You''re here for a reason, don''t forget it," Mara said, her black eyes watching Erin through the yellow slits of a shade.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Mara was a child, but at the same time, she was a shade. Ram''s horns grew out from her head and through her short white hair, and her skin was a dark red. She looked in many ways like a human child, but at the same time, too different to be called anything but a shade.
"I''m so sorry," Erin said, covering her mouth with her hands as she looked up at Mara.
"Don''t worry about me." Mara smiled, revealing two pointed teeth. "Right now, we''re here to talk about you¡ªto talk about your curse."
A sudden thought twisted inside Erin''s body, and her gate opened on its own. The energy of growth twined its way through her arms and legs from her heart. She could feel it like roots stretching beneath her skin. She planted her hands on the ground, tears still streaming down her face as the curse twisted its way through her.
"Your curse is changing," Mara said. "How will you control it?"
Erin took several short breaths, her mind racing as she fought to control the curse twisting its way through her body. She had no idea what she wanted, and she didn''t know what to do with her power. It wasn''t until recently that she had made more use of it. She thought back to all the fights she had been in, and a thought came to mind.
"I have an idea," she whispered out through clenched teeth.
"Then imagine it," Mara said. "Make it your own."
Erin focused her mind on her curse, shaping it into something new. Her greatest weakness was the problem, and she would fix it. She would turn herself into her own garden, ready to take in the seeds from all over the Erth and grow them to suit her needs. She imagined how the power would work in her mind and then embraced it as pain ripped through her arms and legs all the way up to her heart.
Sayed stood up, letting the sand fall from his body as he looked out over the desert night around him. The air was cold and cut across his skin as he smiled. He was home, if but for a time. He looked out to the east and saw the grand walls of Hajh rising in the distance, taller than a mountain. Even from his place down at the bottom of the dune, he could see their height shining in the moonlight.
"It is good to see you again," Sayed said. "But I fear that I will not be home for long. I know what I have come here for. I face a choice on how to move forward with my blessing. I now need only find the place where I must make that choice."
With that in mind, he trudged up the sand to the top of the dune. As he reached the dune''s apex, he looked down to the west. Below, the red fields stretched out along a wide river. Sayed''s breath caught in his chest as he looked out over the Crimson Fields.
Truly, the Crimson Fields were a real place. They referred to the fields that stretched out north and south of Hajh along the great Sirine River. However, there were the Crimson Fields of the world and the Crimson Fields of the next life as well. The fields of the next life were reserved for the dead.
Sayed made his way down toward those fields, instinctually knowing that was where he must go. The cold cut at him, but he pushed forward. The pain was a numb thing in this world, and Sayed did not have to worry about it. He walked until he was at the edge of the fields, where the red stalks of the many plants rose high above him.
He could see shadows moving inside the plants, but Sayed was not afraid. His destination was in front of him.
"Come out and face me," Sayed said to the shadows. "You will find that my will is as strong as my heart. I will not falter."
A shadowed figure walked out from the red grass, a dark man with a great black beard and hair similar to Sayed''s own. He wore no clothes, for he was walking out from the Crimson Fields, but Sayed knew him. He knew him the same way he knew all of his brothers. Abed stood before him, a smile on his face as he looked Sayed over.
"You''re growing, Saint."
"Abed!" Sayed rushed over, wrapping the man in a hug.
Or, he attempted to. Sand scattered around Sayed as he passed through Abed, and Abed reappeared moments later behind him again. Sayed sighed. Abed was a part of the dream, not a real tangible thing. He had wanted to see Abed again after Glory Plateau, but this was not truly Abed. He was not truly in Hajh. They were all just part of the dream.
"I am sorry, Saint," Abed said, shaking his head. "We are not in the Crimson Fields because you are still alive."
"I know," Sayed said, turning to face Abed again. "I was just overjoyed at seeing you again, brother. I could not help myself. We are here for entirely different reasons."
"Yes." Abed nodded. "Your blessing is changing, Saint. It is time for it to grow, for it to become something new."
Sayed put his hand over his heart, closing his eyes as he felt the heat of his gate open up on its own. Fire raced through his body as he stood there, roiling through his arms and legs from his heart and causing heat to rise out of his body. Sayed looked down on Abed as he opened his eyes.
"I have given this much thought," Sayed smiled. "When I was first told that this would happen, I was told that it would be up to me to make the decision, but I think that is not quite right."
"It is your blessing, Saint." Abed frowned. "It is up to you what to do with it."
"See, this is how I know you not to be Abed." Sayed shook his head. "Abed would feel the same way I do in this. I appreciate that you have let me see him again, but Abed and I both know what the real answer is."
"And what is that, Saint?" Abed asked.
"It is not up to me how my blessing changes," Sayed said, tapping his heart with his fist. "That is up to God. I have prayed, night and day, since I was told that this could happen, asking God for what it thinks I should do. I know how to change my blessing, and God will see it through."
"Then are you prepared?" Abed asked.
"Abed, again, you reveal you are not truly Abed. Again, I appreciate being able to see my brother again, but Abed would know the answer to that question without even asking. I am always ready."
Abed smiled as pain ripped through Sayed''s heart, and heat flared across his body. Like a great furnace, his body burned, and Sayed collapsed to his knees in the sand. In all that pain, he focused on what his blessing should be. He focused on shaping it and creating the power that he wanted. Images flickered in the heat around him as the world changed, and Sayed knew he had succeeded when he was surrounded by the hazy images of every person who had fallen.
"I have done it," he whispered as the pain ceased and darkness took him.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 88 | Into the Temple
"Oh, come on," Alex said as he watched Mister Deadman''s scorpion form clatter across the ground toward him, massive pincers open and shooting forward. "Steel Wall!"
He put out one of his metal hands, and the wall snapped into existence in front of him in a blue flash of electric light. Hot blood ran down his nose as he pushed his curse harder. Alex grabbed hold of it, clenching hard into the metal with his hands and throwing himself up in the air. He pushed against the wall with his magnetic field, rising as high up in the air as he could as he assessed the scorpion form.
The scorpion was made of bone, much the same as everything else Mister Deadman had thrown at him so far. The difference was in terms of size. On Glory Plateau, Alex had fought a man named Maki ''the Beast,'' and Maki was about the size of a two-story building. On Tombstone, he had fought a giant named Goldfist, who was the size of a one-story building.
Mister Deadman''s scorpion form dwarfed both of them. It was easily as tall as half the tower that had been excavated in the camp. Alex clenched his right metal fist as he reached the height of his arc and began to fall.
"People have said it often enough. The bigger they are, the harder they fall," he whispered. "Steel Punch."
He came down with speed, and Mister Deadman''s form hadn''t caught up with him yet. Using the wall he left on the ground, he aligned himself with Mister Deadman''s body and threw out the punch. Bone met metal as Mister Deadman skittered out of the way, and Alex''s punch glanced off one of the scorpion''s legs.
Boom. Crack.
The bone appendage crumbled under the hit, bones cracking and flying off in an explosion. Alex hit the ground in a roll, making it back on his feet as he gathered aether into his legs. He was about to ''step'' away, but Mister Deadman had other plans.
Skitter.
The massive scorpion''s body skittered in a circle, and a claw came for Alex in a wide arc. Alex didn''t even have time to move as the claw crashed into his left arm and knocked it into his side. He flew through the air, experiencing a brief moment of weightlessness before he hit the hard, cold stone of a wall.
Boom. Crack.
Stars exploded across his vision as he crashed into the wall. Alex was sure that he had broken at least a bone in his side as he slid to the ground. He caught himself on his metal arms, holding himself up as he puked out the remains of his last meal. It felt like a hundred hammers had hit him all across his back and side, and he closed his eyes as he tried to focus through the pain.
"Get up," Alex said, spitting as he pushed himself onto his feet. "Get up and fight."
Mister Deadman came for him, the skeletal scorpion body skittering forward with claws outstretched as the massive maw opened wide. The teeth were spiky ridges lining the scorpion''s mouth. Alex was reminded of when he fought Maki. Sometimes, curses were just plain unfair.
He clenched his left metal fist as he focused on the first claw. He released his hold on his right metal arm, and it disappeared in a spark of blue light. Alex took in a deep breath. He needed every bit of control he had if he was going to try and pull off the next attack.
His arm contorted into itself for a moment, gathering up power as he flooded it with the same aether from the Path of Might. Curse and technique together. He had seen it often enough but still wasn''t used to it. The metal on his arm grew, the fist now becoming twice its size as Mister Deadman came in range.
"Steel Punch."
Whoop.
He shot forward with his fist, taking a step and throwing the increased mass forward with his left mechanical arm. The arm extended forward like it was on a spring, breaking off his body and flying out with the mass of a small sedan.
Slam. Crack.
The fist connected with a pincer that had been brought up to block the attack, and the pincer shattered into a shower of bones. Alex smiled, but then he saw the problem. The mass of the scorpion''s body was still coming. He had a moment to take a breath as the second, intact pincer crashed into his body, knocking him into the wall with the force of a speeding truck.
Slap. Crack.
Rock crumbled around him as he crashed into the wall and threw it. The claw hit his chest like a hammer, and Mister Deadman wasn''t going to stop. Time and time again, he was slammed back against the next wall. Again and again, he cracked through the stone. Each time, his back screamed at him to make the pain stop. Air shot out of Alex''s lungs until, finally, the force on his chest stopped, and he dropped to the ground.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He didn''t have the strength to catch himself. He fell face-first against the cold ground. He was alive, but every part of his back was shooting pain out at him like a live electric wire.
Somewhere in his mind, Alex had to admit he was making a poor showing with his new abilities. Sure, he wasn''t used to them yet, and he still needed a lot of experimentation, but it was like he had forgotten the fundamentals. Normally, he would dart in and out of a fight, making sure that he only struck when he saw a vulnerability, but now, he was just standing there and taking hits he could avoid. He closed his eyes and rested his face against the cold metal beneath him.
Then he looked up. He was on metal. A smile crossed his face as he pushed his body up from the ground with a thought. He caught himself on unsteady feet and looked up at Mister Deadman, who rested on the top of his skeletal form.
Snip. Click.
The scorpion''s body was too big for the space it was in, and Alex had fallen just far enough away that the pincers couldn''t reach him yet. In front of him was an opening in the wall. The stone had been broken through to an apparent hole in a metal structure.
Alex should have realized it before, but he had been too busy focusing on the fight. The temple was structured like the entrance to an island core: a stone structure on the outside and metal on the inside.
His mind locked his plan into place as the pincers struggled to snap at him. With a mock salute, Alex retreated into the temple structure and further away from the pincers. Now, he just needed Mister Deadman to follow him in.
"Can''t even get inside? How uncool," Alex said with a smile as he retreated into the shadows.
Bargen ran through crumbling rock and debris. He held Erin underneath one arm as dodged between falling rocks. Outside, Mister Deadman''s scorpion form ripped and tore at the outside of the temple, wrenching rock and metal with its claws. Bargen didn''t want any part of that fight. He wasn''t crazy. He wasn''t going to waste his second life, even if he had to live it as a drim.
However, he did have to wonder at the woman he carried. She had fallen asleep in the middle of the fight, and nothing he could do would wake her up. A rock came down as he watched her, and Bargen heard it quick enough to dodge out of the way.
"How did I get wrapped up in all of this?" he yelled as he ran deeper into the temple complex.
Metal clanged against his boots as he ran, which wasn''t as odd as it should have been. His men had been digging through both complexes for a long time now, and they had learned that the stones outside the temples were just coverings for what lay beneath. That was the larger part of the problem of digging deep. Not a lot of things could cut through that metal, and his men only had access to so many tools. Mister Deadman might have helped, but Mister Deadman saw their work as beneath him. It was uncool to do labor, according to Mister Deadman.
The brothers were no different. The work was for drim and drim alone. They would beat, shove, and even kill, but none of them would dare lift a finger to actually help at the dig. Bargen was used to it, but that didn''t make him feel any better.
Just now, across from him, Mister Deadman was making progress against what had stalled their operation for years. They could have been done and at home if not for how the three bosses treated his people.
"Just survive the night," Bargen said, forcing down the anger that rose from his heart. "You can get as angry at them as you need to once everyone is safe."
A figure ran at him in the darkness, and Bargen skidded to a stop. He nearly dropped Erin as he turned to run, but he recognized the person. Alex ran at him, a smile plastered wide on his face. The man was beaten and bruised and missing his left arm, but he was smiling. Bargen gulped down a lump that had formed in his throat.
''Tin Man'' Ortega was a dangerous man, and Bargen would do good to remember that.
"Other way!" Alex yelled. "He''s coming."
Crash.
A large mass in the distance slammed against a wall to punctuate that statement. The sound of bone legs skittering on metal rang out through the room, and Bargen had to gulp down a second lump once he realized it was getting closer.
He turned, and he ran, easily staying ahead of Alex behind him.
"Once I get him to a more open room in here, get her out of sight," Alex said behind him. "I''ll be able to take him down now."
"What makes you so sure about that?" Bargen yelled back, taking a fleeting glance behind.
Two black eyes gleamed in the darkness as the bone-white body of Mister Deadman''s scorpion form exploded into the shafts of light trickling in from above. Bargen picked up his speed, breathing in and out faster as he forced even more out of his undead body.
"I''ve got an edge," Alex said. "Just keep her safe. She''ll be in a hell of a mood when she wakes up!"
Bargen had no idea what ''a hell'' was, but now wasn''t the time to question it. Together, they ran down the hallway until a sudden tap on the shoulder at an intersection called on Bargen to turn right. Bargen had to spin to take the turn, but he did it without a second thought.
"This way," Alex said, taking off down the turn. "We need to take him deeper in!"
Click.
As they ran, lights began to turn on in the hallway. They weren''t torchlights like Bargen was used to, but instead, they glowed a bright white along the ceiling down the hall. Bargen didn''t dare look back to see Mister Deadman''s form in the bright lights. He could tell with just his ears that Mister Deadman''s scorpion body was gaining on them.
Skitter. Clatter. Click.
In a sudden burst of light, they came to an open room. Lights clicked on through the space, and Bargen had a quick view of his surroundings. Metal pillars ran the length of the room, which was as large as his entire ship. Lights ran the length of the ceiling from one side of the room to the other, and the entire thing appeared to be made of segmented pieces of metal.
"Get to a hiding spot," Alex said as he ran for the center of the room. "Stay out of sight!"
Bargen didn''t have to be told twice. He ran across the side of the room, ducking behind a metal pillar with Erin in tow once he was a safe distance away from the entrance. Once he was relatively sure he was safe, he set her down next to a pillar before peering out the side to watch.
Mister Deadman''s scorpion form ripped and tore through the metal entrance, tearing two gashes into the top of it to bend the metal back and away so that the entire form could fit through. He exploded out into the room, skeletal legs skittering to a stop as he rotated left and right.
Bargen gulped down one final lump in his throat as Alex walked out from the pillars to beckon Mister Deadman closer. He knew that the real fight was about to begin.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 89 | Accelerate
Mister Deadman crashed through the entrance, skittering to a stop against a pillar as he rushed through. He had to admit he was about to lose his cool. The metal man stood in the center of the room, surrounded on all sides by the pillars that ran across its length. Mister Deadman could make his way through, but he would have to go slow. The pillars were evenly placed, and the metal tubes were as thick as a quarter of his scorpion body.
Skitter.
"You think you''re cool, ya hear?" Mister Deadman said, using one hand to hold onto his hat as he skittered along the outside of the columns. "You call me a thug, but I''m nowhere close. I''m a cool operative, you hear?"
"You might think you''re cool, but you''re too goofy to take seriously," the man said, remaining unmoving at the center of the room. "I mean, don''t get me wrong, the bone scorpion is terrifying, but I can''t take you seriously when you''re talking about being cool all the time."
Skitter.
"Who are you to judge, you hear?" Mister Deadman said, continuing his circular path around the room. "I''ve already taken your arm, and I''ll take the rest of you soon. You won''t think you''re so cool when you''re buried six feet under."
"Took you long enough," the man said, flexing his metal arms. "I''m ''Tin Man'' Ortega, and I''m about to put you so far in the ground you won''t see the sunlight ever again."
Mister Deadman gulped down a lump that had formed in his throat. Now, that was a cool threat, and he had to admit it. It even helped cool his own anger that had been building up. He may have been a Finger, but that didn''t mean he was invincible. He would have to play things cool.
"You sound like you think you''re cool," Mister Deadman said. "I''ve heard that name before. ''Tin Man'' Ortega. Why would the man who burned down August be running around Nowhere? That sounds like a lie to me. That''s very uncool, you hear?"
"I can''t blame you for doubting," Ortega said, stretching out his arms and turning to face Mister Deadman. "But why don''t you come here, and I''ll show you just how strong I am."
Mister Deadman wrapped one of his pincers around a pillar, his chimera''s mouth clacking its teeth as he looked through the pillars. He knew this was a trap of sorts; otherwise, Ortega wouldn''t have stopped running. However, Mister Deadman was cool. He knew he was strong enough to take out some petty man with delusions of grandeur.
"You''re going to regret that, you hear?" Mister Deadman whispered as he threw his body forward through the pillars.
Skitter. Skitter.
He had to skitter back and forth to navigate the pillars, but he didn''t want to give up his form. Going into his chimera form was always a gamble, and giving it up would weaken Mister Deadman. If he left himself weakened in the middle of the fight, he didn''t like his odds. No, Mister Deadman would stick to his plan. He would tear up Ortega piece by bloody piece.
Ortega didn''t stand still for him, but Mister Deadman expected that. He swung one of his pincers at the center as he brought his chimera arm around a pillar, but Ortega disappeared on him. Mister Deadman read his tail, the scythe darting left and right behind him as he waited for the attack.
"Rail Gun."
Ting. Clatter.
Up and to the left, Mister Deadman tracked the voice, lashing out with his tail and catching the metal spike with a swipe. He immediately reached up with his left claw pinching at the air where the sound came from, even if he hadn''t seen Ortega there.
"Got you!" Mister Deadman yelled.
Clack.
His claw only cut into the air. Ortega was already gone.
"Steel Punch!"
Crack.
Mister Deadman''s body shifted, and he looked down on his left side. One of his legs cracked and broke off, falling into shards on the ground. Ortega was there, his metal arm extended from a punch. Mister Deadman wasn''t about to let that go unpunished.
"Bone Spin!"
Thunk.
His legs moved in rapid succession, spinning his body as quickly as he could. His scorpion form blurred as he lashed out with his claws. Bone met metal with a satisfying hit, sending Ortega flying through the air. Due to his position, Mister Deadman was able to keep himself still as the rest of his body rotated, so he used that to his advantage.
"Too focused on playing it cool, you hear?" He lashed out with his claw, stopping his spin and launching himself into the air to catch Ortega.
Ortega threw up his arms to defend, but Mister Deadman clenched them tight, pushing them against Ortega''s body and holding him still.
"I''ve got you now, you hear? You ain''t going to get away from me."
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"You''re right about that," Ortega grunted as he pushed against the pincers.
"Now I''m going to crush you to death!"
"Well, wait a second," Ortega said, grinning wide. "Wouldn''t that be an uncool way to end this?"
Mister Deadman blinked, reaching up and adjusting his hat. He gave Ortega a side-eyed look. What did this man know about being cool? Mister Deadman was the definition of cool.
"You think me winning isn''t enough?" Mister Deadman asked, squeezing his pincer tighter to emphasize his superior position. "You''re finished now, you hear. Just play it cool and die so I can find the rest of the intruders and kill them, too."
"You know that isn''t right," Ortega said, pushing back harder against the pincers. "This isn''t how you end the fight. It needs to be cooler."
Mister Deadman''s eyes widened as his mind raced. He had an idea. He smiled. He could give ''Tin Man'' Ortega a cool death. He had the ability and the advantage. He could afford to do more to give Ortega a cool send-off.
Snap. Snap.
"Alright, alright." Mister Deadman snapped his fingers. "I can give a dead man such a cool request. Let me show you this form''s most powerful ability. Then you can tell everyone you meet in the next world how cool your death was."
He brought his pincer low before flinging it up into the air and releasing Ortega with it. There was no real risk since he was sure that Ortega couldn''t fly. Ortega would fall into his technique, and they would both get the cool ending they desired.
"Bone Guillotine!"
Whoosh. Whoosh.
His bone-scythed tail began to spin a circle above his head, cutting through the air with rapid speed until it formed a solid ceiling of blurred bone. Ortega fell down toward the tail and his inevitable death. All Mister Deadman had to do was wait, and he would reduce Ortega to giblets.
However, Ortega didn''t fall. Nothing fell through his attack, not even a single spurt of blood. Mister Deadman stood in his scorpion form, waiting. Eventually, he slowed down his tail, revealing the metal ceiling above him.
"I swear, if you ran away, that would be the most uncool thing ever, you hear?"
"No one''s running." Ortega knelt upside down on the ceiling, one metal arm beside him as he looked down on Mister Deadman. "I just needed a moment to gather the strength for this last hit."
Mister Deadman noticed it then. Ortega''s arm was gigantic, at least triple the size it had been before. A sinking feeling ran up Mister Deadman''s spine as Ortega let go of the ceiling and fell fast toward him. The fist stretched out in front of him, and a shadow crossed over Mister Deadman.
"Steel Punch!"
"Bone Escape!"
Ortega disappeared from sight right before Mister Deadman''s technique went off. Bone Escape was a last-ditch move in his chimera form. A bone case would cover him, and he would sink into his scorpion body before he shot up and away from where he was. His body shook as he shot off and away from his body, and shook again when the case hit the ceiling. The one problem with the technique was that he couldn''t see how things ended.
Slam. Crunch.
Alex shot down toward Mister Deadman like a meteor, his fist extending out as he put everything into his last hit. He had waited up above until Mister Deadman had let his guard down, and that was when he had executed his plan. The best way to beat a bug was to squash it. He just needed something large enough to get it done.
Hence, the giant metal arm was built to accelerate forward in a massive punch while he pushed against the ceiling with his magnetism. Add to that a bit of the Path of Step, and he hit the scorpion''s bone body like a sledgehammer, crushing the entire body into the metal floor below. The only problem was the massive bone bullet that shot up past Alex''s face and through the ceiling above him.
He stood in the air on his arm for a moment, suspended with the crushed scorpion body beneath him.
Blue light flashed across his arm as power fled his body. He released his hold on the arm as he let his magnetism slow his fall and landed on his feet. He closed his gate as he looked over the bone remains.
"He better be dead," Alex said as the adrenaline from the fight ran through him.
Nothing moved on the scorpion''s broken body as he looked over it. Alex let out a breath, and he noticed that the bones began to disintegrate around him. He was lowered to the ground as the bone turned to ash and faded away.
"I''ll take that as a sign," Alex said, lolling back and forth as his head swam. "No body, but I''ve seen weirder things today."
He needed a break but knew he had one more thing to do. He was right when they first came to the temple. He had seen structures similar to this before, which meant that there was a place somewhere in the temple he needed to go. The sooner he went there, the better.
"Bargen!" Alex called out as he took another deep breath. "You still here?"
Bargen emerged from behind the pillars, about a soccer field away. He held Erin under his arms, and his eyes were wide as he looked over Alex. Alex raised his remaining arm and waved, and he couldn''t help but smile. He had won.
"Your arm." Bargen looked at Alex''s left shoulder, where only a stump remained.
"Nothing to worry about," Alex said, shaking his head. "Can you carry her and follow me? I''ve got something to find down here."
Bargen gave him a strange look but still nodded, following Alex as he made his way out of the room and down the metal corridor. Alex opened up his magnetic senses to the world around him and found the path he sought. It led down and deep into the complex, and several sets of stairs led him to the bottom level. It wasn''t until he came to a stone-sealed door that he knew he was right. The temple was built with the same technology as an island core''s gate, and he could see the metal beneath the stone.
"Alright," Alex said, looking up the length of the door.
It was tall enough that a giant could fit through it, matching the corridors he followed. Whoever had built the structure had been larger than Mister Deadman''s scorpion form. Alex shook his head. That wasn''t important right now.
He reached up, touched his hand against the cold stone, and whispered so Bargen wouldn''t be able to hear.
"¨~¨~ ¨~¨~, ¨~¨~ ¨~¨~¨~ ¨~¨~¨~."
He didn''t know what he said. It was something that was handled by his subconscious. It was part of the knowledge that contact with island cores gave him, and he couldn''t think directly about it without a spike of pain running across his head. All he really knew was that when he touched some technology on Erth, it responded to those words.
Rumble.
Blue light extended out from his hands, forming characters in a circle around his hand and climbing up the door until the entire thing lit up. The ground began to shake around him as the stone fell away, leaving a metal door in its place.
After the stone cracked and fell to the ground, the metal doors slid down, revealing a massive blue portal hidden behind the metal.
"Alright," Alex said, motioning with his remaining hand. "Toss her through. We''re going inside. Keep an eye out, and we''ll be back in a little bit."
Bargen raised an eyebrow but didn''t look like he had the courage to argue. With a heave, Bargen threw Erin through the portal, and Alex nodded to Bargen as he stepped through. Blue light enveloped him, and a tingling sensation ran over his skin as he crossed into the unknown.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 90 | Trust
Hrrm.
Erin gasped for breath as she opened her eyes to a bright white light above her. She was on the ground panting as her mind raced. The last thing she remembered was collapsing to the ground with Bargen nearby. Alex had been fighting someone. She blinked her eyes and looked around her, pushing down against the ground and propping herself up.
She lay in a metal corridor, the ceiling lined with white lights. A faint humming echoed through the walls, and she closed her eyes against the mild pressure in her head. She didn''t know where she was or how she got there, but the mild burning in her chest told her that her curse had grown.
"But what happened?" She forced herself to stand up and began to walk down the corridor.
There was no path behind her, so the only way to go was forward. The narrow metal corridor opened up at its end, and she stepped out into a circular room made of the same silver metal with four oval windows that opened to blackness.
However, what was most noticeable was the large rectangular box in the center of the room on a raised dais and Alex lying against the stone steps. Erin''s breath caught in her chest. The left arm of his duster was torn away, and a withered purple arm lay resting at his side.
"Shades," she whispered, delicately picking her way toward the dais. "What in sha-om happened to you?"
She didn''t immediately rush in. She had learned her lesson back on Glory Plateau. However, she couldn''t resist for long. Even if she had failed, the healer in her still wanted to reach out and help people in need. That was who she was at her core.
She reached out and checked Alex''s pulse as she knelt next to him. His heartbeat and breathing were steady. She wouldn''t have thought anything odd was happening if it hadn''t been for his arm. However, there it was. She reached out and put a finger against the arm, and it pulsed underneath her touch.
"I''m going to have to wake you up," she said. "There''s too much I don''t know about you."
Alex had been the subject of an unknown experiment. She didn''t know all the details, mainly because getting him to talk about it was like pulling teeth from a cat, but it had all been to create an artificial curse. She wasn''t sure what else Doctor Ozymandius had done to Alex''s body.
"Come on, Alex," she said, shaking his shoulder, but he grumbled and turned his head away.
Erin raised an eyebrow. She would have to try harder, but she was more certain now that he was better off than she thought. She still didn''t like the purple arm, but he didn''t seem to be in pain. She shook his shoulder harder.
"Wake up."
"Five more minutes."
Slap.
That did it. Alex''s eyes opened wide, and he tried to shoot up. Unfortunately, it failed, and he fell back down on his side as his left arm flailed uselessly beside Erin''s feet. She waited for him to calm down and take in the room before he finally looked at her.
"What was that for?"
"Your arm," Erin said, pointing down to it. "I didn''t want to do anything about it before I asked you, and you were stubborn about waking up."
He looked at her with a sideways glare before nodding slowly. "Fair."
With a bit of effort, he used his right arm to push himself further up the dais and rested back against the rectangular box. He took a few moments to gather himself while Erin sat down to wait. Her mind still didn''t feel right, and if he were going to take his time, she would get as much rest as she could.
"So, I lost my arm taking down that ''Mister Deadman,''" Alex said with a grin. "I need to give it some time to grow back."
"Your arm just grows back, just like that?"
"The joy of being a lab rat, simple as that."
"Do you want my help?" Erin asked, holding up her hand. "I haven''t tested how my curse has changed, but it should still be able to access the first-grade abilities. At least, that''s what Jean told us."
"He''s right about it," Alex said. "I can still feel fields and manipulate them. The metal generation is the new toy."
"Do you want my help?" Erin repeated.
Alex looked down at his arm and then looked back at her. After a few moments, he heaved a sigh and moved so that his left side faced her. He gave her a thumbs-up with his right hand as he looked away from the arm.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
"I''ve never had serious injuries grow back while I''ve been awake," he said. "The idea of it has always scared me a little. I always thought it would be similar to watching a doctor give me a shot."
"Why would a doctor shoot you?" Erin asked as she got up and moved beside him, kneeling and extending her hand.
"An injection for various health benefits," Alex said.
Erin didn''t understand it, but she didn''t have to worry about those kinds of things anymore. She opened the gate inside her heart and let the vibrant energy of life itself flow out through her body. It twined around her muscles and legs like a growing vine, and green energy began to glow in her hands as she brought them close to Alex''s arm. She willed the arm to grow and repair itself.
"Ah¡ª" Alex said through clenched teeth as his flesh moved. "There it is."
Crack.
Purple skin darkened and stretched underneath the green light, his arm growing longer as several cracking noises emanated from it. In front of Erin''s eyes, the arm grew from a purple floppy mass to a fully restored arm with Alex''s normal brown skin.
"There, all better." Erin closed her gate and stepped away.
She hadn''t felt the surge of energy she had expected, but the overall healing process had definitely worked faster than before. If she had access to that much growth power back on Glory Plateau, Abed might have survived.
She took in a breath, closing her eyes as Alex stood up next to her. When she opened her eyes, he was flexing his arm and gripping his fingers into a fist before releasing them again. He did it a few times before he smiled and punched his fist into the air.
"Just like new," he said, wrapping his arms around her in a quick hug before letting go and stepping away. "Thanks."
Her breath caught in her chest for a moment, but she stifled the surprise and focused on the more important issue. "You''re welcome. Now tell me how we got in here. Tell me where ''here'' is."
"That''s a little more complicated," Alex said, looking up at the ceiling. "I thought this was an island core, but this doesn''t look like anything I''ve ever seen before. After I got you inside, I kind of finally collapsed over here while checking the place out."
"And why are we inside?" Erin cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Time differential," Alex said. "Cores can control how much time flows while inside in regards to the outside. I was hoping that we could use that to help both of us recover in a few minutes if there were still problems outside."
"And this isn''t a core." Erin got it, but that didn''t mean the implications weren''t trying to give her a headache.
"Yeah, found that out right before I collapsed. If you''re up, that means we''ve been in here for at least a day."
Erin nodded and stood up, looking over the rectangular box. It looked like a coffin of sorts, and a single line ran along the top of it to form a lid. She had no idea what could be inside, and no writing was on its surface.
"What about this?" she asked, reaching out to touch the box''s surface, which was almost freezing cold. "It''s freezing!"
She ripped her hand away, rubbing it with her other hand as she looked down at it. Alex also stood up and touched the box, but he didn''t rip his hand away immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"¨~¨~."
A spike of pain ran through Erin''s head as he spoke the words. She flinched and held her hand to her forehead, where the pressure was greatest. It had been fleeting, but it was like the word Alex had spoken was telling her to obey it. She closed her eyes tight, focusing the pain away before turning her attention to Alex again.
Blue letters flickered out from his hand like an electric spark. They first formed a circle around his fingers before stretching out along the lengths of the box, lining up on the corners, and then running into the dias below. Alex released a breath, a fog cloud coming out of his mouth as he released the box and stepped away.
"This is the second time," Erin said, clenching her fist as she watched him. "You seem to be able to do things that no one else can. You were an authorized user of the logbook, and now you have this. Who are you?"
"I am who I''ve always been," Alex said as the lights across the box grew brighter. "I''m a guy from Earth who was taken to this world. I want to go home, and I''ll do what it takes to get there. What else really matters?"
"What about all of this?" Erin raised her voice, gesturing to the room around her. "I don''t know anyone who can do this!"
"Are you saying you can''t trust me?" Alex asked, putting his hands in his duster''s pockets. "What about you? You won''t even tell us who you work for."
Erin stopped short, biting her lip. It was true that they had worked together for a while now. However, she did not willingly share that she was an agent of the People''s Revolution. Alex also didn''t know it was part of her mission to keep track of him. He was a person of interest to the revolution. His powers and exploits could be one of the keys to taking down the Scions.
"I did trust you," Erin said, sighing. "When Mister Deadman showed up, I trusted you to finish the fight. I let myself collapse because I knew you would win."
Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He exhaled and took his hands out of his pockets before reaching out and touching the box again. He looked down at his hands.
"I don''t know, and that''s the truth," Alex said. "I don''t know why I can do these things. I assume it has to do with the experiments, but it took me three years to get my mind back after escaping August. The things I did there¡ªI warped the world itself with an island core, and that did something to my mind. If I hadn''t been knocked away from it, I would have turned August into a black spot. I don''t even remember most of the lab anymore. I just remember the old man that helped keep me sane."
"I work with the People''s Revolution," Erin said, the strain in her mind releasing as the information flowed out from her. "I joined it to help people."
Alex looked at her with widened eyes, but he nodded. At that moment, a bridge had been built between them. For the first time since they had met, they had shared something openly with each other, holding nothing back. Maybe they could make it stronger, but that would take time.
Click. Hiss.
White mist streamed out from the box as the lid of it clicked open. Alex locked his gaze on the lid, but Erin stepped back, covering her mouth out of instinct. She had far too many experiences in her life of mysterious gases. She only stopped when she realized that Alex hadn''t moved at all.
A bright white light shone out from the crack as the lid was pushed back and to the side, metal arms holding it in place as it revealed what was hidden inside. Alex gasped out a breath as he looked down at its contents, and Erin had to get closer to see.
The white light shone up at her as she looked inside.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 91 | M.A.R.I.
As the box opened, Alex''s mind buzzed with whispered words. Images flashed across his eyes faster than he could even understand. It was just like when he accessed an island core. Every time he interacted with the technology, it implanted something in his mind. He blinked a few times as he took in the box''s contents.
It took him a few moments to figure out what he was looking at. A figure in a white gown, not that different from a hospital gown, lay in the rectangular box, curled up in on itself in a fetal position. Stark-white skin shone in the light from the box''s corners, and black lines ran down the figure''s limbs to ball joints at every point a human body could bend. Long white hair was wrapped around the figure''s form, reminding Alex of a sleeping child.
"What the heck is this?" he whispered, remembering that Erin stood beside him.
"You''re the one that opened it," Erin said. "Shouldn''t you know?"
Alex truly had no idea. He felt like he stood on the precipice of a cliff. Whatever the creature was in the box, he knew it was what the coordinates pointed to. His breath caught in his chest, and he hesitated. What was it? Alex hesitated to call it human.
"It looks like a doll," Erin said, leaning forward but keeping her hands away from it. "I''ve never seen anything like it before."
Listen.
A soft voice rang out in Alex''s head. It was familiar to him, mainly because he had heard it two times before when he had been close to island cores. His hand shook as he picked it up from the lip of the box and reached down to touch the figure.
"Wait." Erin tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Bzzt.
Static crossed the distance between his fingers and the creature''s skin. The figure shook in the box, its limbs shaking suddenly before stopping. Erin jumped back immediately. Alex didn''t. He saw the creature continue to move. He kept his eyes on it as the figure continued to convulse as he took his hand away. Whatever it was, it was waking up.
"Why did you do that?" Erin asked in a terse whisper as he took a step back.
Tiny fingers gripped the side of the box, each one closing around the edge as the arm raised the figure up from where it lay. Blue pupilless eyes looked out over the room as it pulled itself to a sitting position. Its white hair fell around its face, which was more human than he expected.
"Think about it," Alex whispered. "The coordinates led here. The logbook responded to me the same way that everything like island cores do. This has to be what it was leading us to."
"And if it isn''t?" Erin raised her eyebrow at him. "What if it was at the other temple?"
Thump.
The creature leaned forward and fell face-first onto the dais. Alex resisted the urge to laugh, stepping forward as it fell further down the dias in an almost flip and landed splayed out on the steps. He knelt down next to it and reached out a hand.
"Are you okay?"
It looked at him as it lay on the floor. Aside from the ball joints and lines across its body, it looked surprisingly human. With the right clothes, the only way someone could tell it wasn''t human would be the eyes.
"Starting. This unit is designated M.A.R.I.," it said in the same soft feminine voice he heard when he accessed cores. "What settings would you like to implement?"
"Now that''s a question." Alex frowned, scratching his chin as he looked at Erin.
She looked just as lost as he was. Alex gestured with his head and eyes, asking for her to come closer, but she just shook her head and stayed back. Alex sighed. He would have to go it alone, and he had no idea what he was doing. Granted, that wasn''t that different from his normal life.
"What options are there?" Alex asked.
Bzzt.
M.A.R.I.''s body flinched with an electric shock, and Alex reflexively rocked back on his heels. The spasm stopped a moment later, and M.A.R.I. looked up at him with glowing blue eyes. They flickered, almost like a blink, as M.A.R.I. tilted its head.
"Roald?"
"You know Roald?" Erin crossed the room in an instant, bending down to look at M.A.R.I.
Alex shook his head. Of course, that was what it took to get Erin to rush in. M.A.R.I.''s head turned to Erin, and Alex waited. He wasn''t sure what to make of it and had no idea what it was. However, M.A.R.I. was something out of a science fiction movie to him. A robot that looked like a human. Now wasn''t the time, but maybe M.A.R.I. dreamed of electric sheep.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He kept the smile off his face.
"Roald is the name of the original user," M.A.R.I. said. "Would you like to reset to factory default, or would you like to restore settings ''Roald?''"
"Use the ''Roald'' settings," Alex said immediately before nodding at Erin. "Trust me. If you want to know more about that guy, that''ll be the best option."
Erin frowned but nodded. Light flashed on M.A.R.I.''s blue eyes again, and then they went out. M.A.R.I. collapsed back onto the dais, her body completely limp. Silence filled the room for a moment, and Erin and Alex both shared a look.
"Did she break?" Erin asked.
"I have no idea," Alex said, poking at M.A.R.I. with his finger.
Bzzt.
Blue light flickered across M.A.R.I.''s eyes as it twitched again. Alex could hear a faint whirring noise as M.A.R.I. rose again, taking in the room around it. It looked between Alex and Erin for a moment before it opened its mouth and spoke.
"Where is Father?" The voice was less robotic now and reminded Alex of a young girl''s voice. "Where is Roald?"
Sayed''s body burned hot when he finally woke up from his dream. As he opened his eyes, the night sky, full of stars, stretched out above him, and a flickering orange flame danced across his vision to his right. He raised one of his massive hands and looked at the back of it. His blessing had grown, and he could feel it even now in his heart. The pulsing heat of God begged to be released from his gate.
"I have taken another step, my brothers," Sayed whispered. "Where will it lead me now?"
"To dinner if you''re hungry." Jean chuckled beside him, and Sayed looked up to see the skeletal man in his blue robes sitting in the grass next to him.
"That is a mighty fine fork in the path." Sayed grinned, pushing himself to a sitting position and taking in the world around him.
It was not the sands of Hajh that greeted him but a camp in a clearing surrounded partly by a forest and party by broken buildings. A bonfire burned at the center of the camp, and many figures lay sleeping in tattered blankets around him. Sayed recognized the men as the drim they had fought to free, and he saw Michael nearby, leaning with his back against a crate with his eyes closed.
"I take it from everyone''s position that we won the day," Sayed said, pushing himself up on shaking legs to stand. "I imagine there is quite the story to tell of how your own fight ended."
"We did," Jean said. "The fight ended in an...unfortunate way. We raided the camp''s supplies and brought them to the west camp. Turns out our friends ducked into a portal of sorts and haven''t come back for a day now."
Sayed looked out at the ruins around them and realized they were not in the same camp. These ruins were more revealed and, in a way, more intact. A statue rose up until it broke off at the waist, and a tower rose even higher near it.
"Bargen is watching where they went in," Jean said. "He seems very dedicated to making sure they get back out, even if he can''t get through the door. He told me to thank you for saving his men."
"I would not dream of doing otherwise." Sayed cracked his stiff neck. "Where there are those who are in chains, it is my duty to free them."
"You''re all an odd bunch." Jean lounged back on the ground. "But I suppose that''s why I''m glad fate drew us together. Help yourself to any food you can find in the crates, and tell me about your curse. How has it changed?"
"My blessing," Sayed corrected, walking over to one of the already opened crates and looking inside.
A flash of movement caught his eye near the crate''s edge, and Sayed quickly moved to see it, but he saw nothing there. Slowly, he looked around, and occasionally, he could catch movement in the forest around them.
"I feel we are being watched, brother," Sayed rested his hands on the crate. "Do you have my weapons?"
"I do, but they''re nothing to worry about." Jean motioned near Michael''s crate where Sayed''s two swords and broken gauntlet lay. "Michael told me that there are little gremlins who like to sabotage the excavation efforts. They haven''t done much to us but move around in the night."
"And you are not curious to see them?"
"I''ve spent most of my time watching over you, friend." Jean snorted. "Maybe I''ll try and catch one when Alex comes back."
Sayed did not trust the little things that hid in the shadows, but his stomach grumbled enough to reinforce that he didn''t have the energy to waste chasing them. He reached down into the crate, taking out long strips of dried meat and a few pieces of old fruit. They weren''t rotting, but it was clear that the supplies were old.
"There is not much here." Sayed frowned.
"Drim don''t need to eat much, from what I understand." Jean shrugged. "Just make due until we can leave. No one''s in danger of starving to death."
Sayed sighed and returned to his resting place, sitting down and beginning to eat the food. It wouldn''t sate the fire that burned in his stomach, but it would quiet it for a time. Jean waited beside him, staring at Sayed expectantly, his dark eyes glimmering in the firelight.
"You wish to know what power I gained from my blessing," Sayed said between bites. "Like you told us before, I was shown a friend from the past, and he helped me along. I think the power will be interesting. I called on my blessing to create mirages for me."
"Mirages," Jean said, raising one bony finger. "That''s a power I would have never thought of."
"The power of the desert." Sayed nodded. "The power to fool enemies with a mirage. I thought it very appropriate for myself."
"Considering how devout you are, I''m surprised you wouldn''t upgrade to flames. Why wouldn''t you want to wield a power similar to your god''s?"
"I see your point," Sayed said, starting to peel the skin of the orange fruit next. "However, flame is inherently a power of destruction. While God is many things and is, at times, a destroyer of evil, there are other aspects to its power that are more important. The true power of God is not destruction. If I took the flame, I would not honor what I love most about it."
"So you chose to create illusions?"
"What better way to tell a story?" Sayed smiled. "The power to control what is seen, whether in battle or when telling a tale. I will be able to bring my stories to life with the power of my blessing. I will be able to show my friends Hajh in its glory. I will be able to give life to the stories of the fallen."
He took a bite of the fruit.
"I can think of no better power than that."
Jean laughed, shaking his head and bending forward. Sayed joined him in his laughter, and soon, they had woken up the entire camp. Together, they waited for Alex and Erin to return. Sayed hoped that they had a grand tale to tell of where they had been.
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 92 | Alliances
Alex and Erin stood with the strange mechanical humanoid, and Alex was still unsure of how to deal with her. He gave Erin a sidelong look before he thought of a decent answer to the creature''s question. It might not have been perfect, but it would do for now.
"That''s a good question," Alex said with a slight frown. "From what I know, no one knows where Roald is, and people are looking for him."
"People, looking for father?" M.A.R.I. asked, its eyes flickering as she leaned toward him.
"Yeah." Alex nodded. "We''re looking for him too. I''m Alex. That''s Erin."
M.A.R.I. looked between them both. A part of Alex''s gut twisted. Whatever it was, M.A.R.I. was acting like a child. What he was about to do didn''t feel right, but it might have been necessary.
"Why are you looking for him?"
"To ask him some questions." Alex looked up to Erin, raising an eyebrow. "Erin here knows some people who want to learn about his travels from him. Do you know where he is?"
Erin frowned, but she didn''t argue. That was in line with what Alex knew about her. She would do anything necessary to complete a mission, and finding out Roald''s location was top on her list. She knelt down next to M.A.R.I. and smiled.
"We want to make sure he''s okay, but he''s hiding from everyone."
"I don''t know where he is," M.A.R.I. said, its eyes flitting between them. "He told me he would see me soon before leaving me here, but he said it was unsafe."
"Did he say why?" Erin asked.
"No." M.A.R.I. looked down, its eyes dimming.
That was going nowhere. Alex scratched his head. He didn''t think they were going to get much more on Roald from it, but he had other questions. He started thinking about all the sci-fi novels and movies he had read or watched.
"Do you know what you are?"
"I am the navigation system for the Nighthawk," M.A.R.I. said. "I am a Magical Artificial Recombinant Intelligence."
"Magical?" Alex narrowed his eyes.
"A combination of the arcane and science," M.A.R.I. rattled off without a moment of hesitation.
"The Nighthawk is a ship?" Erin bit at her finger.
"Roald''s ship," M.A.R.I. said.
"Is it here?" Alex asked.
"No," M.A.R.I. said, looking off into the distance. "I can sense it, but it is far away."
"Do you think he would be with it?" Erin asked.
"I do not know," M.A.R.I. said.
Alex shook his head, stood up, and walked away. His mind was ready to check out for the day. After fighting a giant bone scorpion, regrowing his arms, and stumbling on an android, he just didn''t know what he was doing anymore. He thought he had seen enough weirdness to be used to Erth, but here he was.
"It''s a way forward," he whispered as he looked back to M.A.R.I. "Do you have a name, kid?"
"My designation is M.A.R.I.," it said. "I am not a child."
"Yeah." Alex nodded as each letter was spelled out, and he ignored the second part. "But can we call you Mari? If we have to go around spelling your name all the time, it''ll be awkward."
Its eyes flickered, and Alex thought he saw numbers running across them like a screen. Again, Alex had to wonder at what he was looking at¡ªan android thinking and speaking in front of him. There were so many questions, but they could wait. After a moment, it nodded, looking up at him.
"That is acceptable. Changing colloquial designation to Mari."
"Alright, Mari." Alex nodded. "What do you think? Do you want to come with us to find Roald?"
Across from it, Erin put on her best smile, and Alex thought she might have tried giving a thumbs up if Mari had waited any longer. However, the android stood and nodded. It was about as tall as Erin''s waist, and Alex had to force himself not to see it as a child.
"That is acceptable," it said.
"Alright, we''re going to leave now," Alex said, reaching out a hand. "Our friends are waiting for us."
Mari walked forward, taking his hand. Alex walked with it down the dais and toward the exit, and Erin had to hurry to catch up. Alex shook his head as they walked down the hall toward the blank metal wall at the end of it. They would look like a family out on a stroll if not for their location.
As they walked, Mari took hold of Erin''s hand, so they were both walking with it between them. Alex cracked a grin, shaking his head at Erin, and she rolled her eyes. Depending on how long they traveled together, he would have serious problems seeing Mari as anything but a kid.
"Do you even know how to get out?" Erin asked as they stopped at the wall.
"There''s only one way to find out," Alex said as he touched the wall with his flat palm. "¨~¨~ ¨~¨~, ¨~¨~ ¨~¨~¨~ ¨~¨~."
Blue light flickered in a circle around his hand but then stopped. It flickered off and on like a light bulb about to go out. Alex frowned and tried repeating the words, but it didn''t help. He was about to pull his hand away when Mari spoke.
"Open sesame," it said.
Light sparkled around his hand, and the circle formed. It ran away from his hand and up the lengths of the wall. Blue light flickered across the wall, and a portal similar to the one they entered through appeared across the surface.
"Interesting," Alex said. "Thanks, Mari."
"It is part of my operation," Mari said. "But you are welcome."
Alex shared a look with Erin, but she only shrugged. Together, the three of them crossed through the portal. A flicker of static ran across Alex''s skin as they walked through, and in seconds, they stepped onto the metal floors of the ruins.
They stood, hand in hand, at the entrance to the portal. The portal snapped closed behind them with a flicker of light, and Alex locked eyes with Bargen. The drim captain was leaning against the wall, halfway through a yawn. Bargen''s eyes darted between Alex, his restored arm, Mari, and Erin.
"I don''t even know where to start."
Captain Grayson sat waiting in the room, clasping his hands in front of him as he stared into the flickering light of the lantern. As he waited, he questioned again why he hadn''t retired already. He was too old to be cavorting around, fighting outlaws, and getting his ship stolen.
That was the problem in the end. His superiors would take his commission for that. Would he be discharged without severance? The Military Police had a reputation of taking care of its own, so long as you didn''t screw up.
Unfortunately, losing a ship was a prime example of screwing up.
He looked down at his hands. When had they gotten so wrinkled? He picked through the spots across his skin with his eyes, and he could only think about how many years he had served the Military Police. He had left his hometown in December, a young man over sixty years ago, and now here he was, worrying about what would happen when someone responded to his message.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"You''re a relic," Grayson said. "All that''s left is to hope they won''t take your years of service away."
Click.
The door opened, and a red-scaled lizard man entered, dressed in the same black and red uniform Grayson wore but modified for a long red tail and an absence of shoes. Grayson stood up, but he didn''t salute. On the lizard man''s collar were the bars of a captain. They were equal in rank, at least until Grayson was bumped down for his mistake.
"Captain Grayson?" The lizard man opened his maw to reveal pointed teeth as he spoke.
"I am Captain Grayson," Grayson said.
"I''m Captain Frank Drake." The lizard man nodded, his yellow eyes blinking as he walked over and sat at the table.
He held a folder in his claws and set it on the table as he sat down. Drake motioned for Grayson to sit back down, and Grayson did as he asked. Drake opened the folder and appeared to begin to read before he finally broke the silence between them by tapping one of his claws on the table.
"I''ve read your report," Drake said, his face hard to read. "In fact, it would be better to say I intercepted it. When I read that you had an encounter with ''Tin Man'' Ortega, I had to come here straight away."
"You''re after that kid?" Grayson furrowed his eyebrows.
"You don''t keep track of bounties, do you?" Drake asked, his face forming into something that might be called a smile. "That kid has a million doler bounty. He''s wanted for several crimes, but the most prominent is burning down August."
Grayson''s heart almost skipped a beat. His eyes widened, and his breath caught in his chest. ''Burning August'' was something almost everyone would know about. He might not know all the details, but that was more because of his laziness than anything else.
"Normally, your report would have gone up the chain, and eventually, maybe a few months from now, they''d send a ship for your men, take you back to Rockford, and discharge you," Drake said, leaning back and clasping his claws in front of his chest. "However, I''m here to make you an offer."
Grayson licked his dry lips and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He knew what was supposed to happen to him, but he didn''t like it being said so easily. It made a mockery of all of his years of service.
"I take it there''s a bright side to the offer," Grayson said, locking eyes with Drake.
"We''ll get your ship back." Drake shrugged his shoulders. "We''ll capture Ortega and Baptiste and bring them both back to headquarters. By the time anyone who cares to notice that your ship is missing starts asking questions, we''ll have everything back in order, and there will be less of a reason for our superiors to think about discharging you."
Grayson pursed his lips, nodding his head as Drake finished. It was a good offer. It would be a gamble, but it might just save Grayson''s retirement if he was willing to play along. It was true that the Military Police''s bureaucracy moved with the swiftness of a barge. A month or two delay in decisions wasn''t unusual.
"This isn''t an order," Grayson said, raising one eyebrow. "This is an offer."
"I can''t order you around." Drake nodded. "We''re both captains. However, if you serve aboard my ship, I will ask that you follow my orders out of courtesy."
"Your house, your rules," Grayson said, knowing he would expect the same. "I can live with that."
"So, are you on board?"
Grayson considered it. He already knew he wasn''t facing any good options. If he had just waited on Zanhai, he would have eventually received the discharge he dreaded. It was only a matter of time. However, if he went with Drake, there was a chance he could keep his retirement. If he could recapture the prisoner and take the people who stole his ship, then while all wouldn''t be forgiven, he would probably be allowed to retire in peace.
Grayson smiled. It was an offer he couldn''t really refuse.
"Okay," Grayson said. "I hope your ship has room for all my men. We''ll need space for eight."
"We can accommodate." Drake again attempted a semblance of a smile. "I''ve got ten men on my current ship, along with my lieutenant. That gives us eighteen in total, with two captains and two lieutenants. I don''t think ''Tin Man'' Ortega will be able to beat those odds."
Grayson thought back to the kid. Ortega had managed to distract Grayson long enough for his friends to beat Grayson''s lieutenant and steal his ship. During the run, Ortega had managed to hit him, even with his use of the Path of Will. Even if the man was pushing himself to the extreme, getting hits on a captain was no easy feat.
"I hope you''re right," Grayson said, biting his lip. "I don''t know much about him, but one thing I know is we can''t underestimate him."
Clap.
"Believe me," Drake said, closing the folder and standing up from the table. "If there''s one thing I won''t do, it is underestimate ''Tin Man'' Ortega."
A bonfire burned into the night on the coast of Nowhere while two ships rested in the docks. Alex leaned back against a crate around the fire as people yelled and cheered around him. The drim celebrated rejoining their newly freed crew members. Bargen danced with a mug of liquor in his hand, the other holding a bottle with the Black Turtle label.
Sayed stood near the fire, placing fruits and vegetables on sticks and roasting them before handing them off to Jean, who distributed them to the drim. Alex hadn''t noticed before, but Sayed seemed to enjoy cooking more than any of them. With his curse, it made sense. Cooking always involved a little bit of heat.
He spotted Erin at the edge of the camp, near where the forest began. Every few moments, she knelt down in the grass before pulling up a piece of a particular plant. He had noticed this habit in her since Cragg Hollow. To him, it fit her well, considering her curse.
He took another sip from his mug and let the burning liquid run down his throat. Mari huffed beside him on the adjacent side of the crate. He looked over and raised an eyebrow at it as it fiddled with the fruit in its bowl.
It was wearing his duster draped over its shoulders. Alex had felt bad about leaving it in the hospital gown, and they didn''t have any extra clothes running around that might fit someone so small. It would be something to solve on another island. Maybe he could tap Erin to help Mari pick something it wanted.
"Finish your food, kid," Alex whispered. "Sayed''s putting a lot of work into it."
"I am not a child." Mari glanced at him with its blue eyes. "And you are not my father."
"True." Alex sighed. "But so long as you''re with us, we''re going to look out for you. That''s what people have to do for each other."
In truth, he had been surprised when it had even taken the first few bites of the food. He didn''t know anything about androids and had been hesitant to take a peek using his magnetic senses. He was still having difficulty with how he was supposed to see Mari. Was it a machine? Was it a person? He had no real answers.
"Would you consider yourself Roald''s daughter or his son?"
Mari glanced at him again, chewing through one of the pieces of orange in its bowl. He waited patiently for it to finish. It reminded him of caring for his siblings when he was younger. Again, his mind was divided on how to treat Mari.
"Roald often called me his daughter," Mari said.
"That makes it easier," Alex said, reaching down and grabbing one of the orange slices from her bowl and popping it in his mouth.
"Hey!" Mari pulled the bowl away, far too late.
Glaring at him with flickering blue eyes, she brought the bowl back closer to her chest to continue eating.
"I''m not sure what to think of you," Alex said, looking up at the stars above him. "But that can be a start."
After a while, Sayed came over and sat down with him, holding several skewers with roasted fruits, vegetables, and dried meat on them. He had a broad smile on his face as he looked between Mari and Alex.
"I still cannot believe that you both were blessed in such a short time, brother." Sayed did little to contain the laughs behind his words. "To think that you came back with a child in a few hours."
"Come on, Sayed." Alex groaned. "You''ve made that joke too much already. It''s getting old."
"And I am not a child." Mari pointed at Sayed, Alex''s duster sleeve drooping down from where it was longer than her arm.
"Hah, it will never get old." Sayed shook his head as he started to eat his skewer.
Jean joined them soon after, sitting alongside Sayed and taking an offered skewer. As ever, he smiled a bright white smile, his bony arms holding his skewer away from his robes as he ate. Alex was grateful that he wasn''t making jokes, at least.
"A fine group I have stumbled into," Jean said. "If you will have me, Eliza and I wouldn''t mind seeing what fate has in store for us all."
"Why would we not?" Sayed yelled, slapping Jean on the back. "You are already tried and tested as a brother in battle. We would be happy to have you along on our journey."
Alex had no idea what had happened between the two, but he had to admit that Sayed wasn''t wrong. He already knew Jean was strong enough to come with them, and if Jean believed that it was fated that they would work together, who was Alex to argue?
"Happy to have you along." Alex raised his mostly empty mug in a toast.
"But where are we going?" Erin asked, joining in on the conversation and sitting down by Mari. "I''m not even sure what to think about this all anymore. I knew Roald had found a way into the New World, but..."
She trailed off, looking down at Mari. Mari, for her part, slid so that she could lean against Erin, bowl in hand, as she continued to munch through the fruit. Again, Alex had trouble seeing Mari as anything but a kid, doll-like android appearance notwithstanding.
"Everything we''ve done so far has been a lot of questions without any answers," Alex said, looking over to the eastern mountain peak at the massive mollusk statue that covered the top of the mountain. "I don''t know where we''ll get the answers, but it feels like we''re onto something. Unless you guys want to stay here and dig through that other dig site, I say we take Mari to the closest island we can, get some supplies, and find out where Roald''s ship is. Maybe he''ll be there, and we can finally figure this all out."
He left out the other reason he wanted to go. Someone as explored as Roald might know something about Erth that he didn''t. Maybe Roald knew a way to cross back to old worlds. It was a low chance, but it was better than what he had been doing.
"It''s my mission anyway," Erin said, brushing through Mari''s white hair with her fingers. "Finding him is most of the reason I''m out here."
"And I''ll go to the ends of Erth to help out a brother." Sayed smiled, holding up an empty skewer like a sword. "You already know that."
"For me," Jean said, holding up one bony finger. "You are already such interesting people. So long as we are fated to be together, I''ll go wherever you will."
"I want to find my father," Mari said, looking up to Alex with her glowing blue eyes.
Alex had to smile. He didn''t know where they were going, nor did he know how it all would end, but with people like this around him, he was sure that they would do something great out on the nightsea.
"Then it''s settled," Alex said, looking over the drim that partied around them. "Let''s go find this ship."
Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Encyclopedia Entry
Protagonists
Name: Alexander Ortega
Status: Alive
Occupation: Outlaw
Aliases: ¡®Tin Man¡¯
Curse: Magnetism (1st Grade), Metal Generation (2nd Grade)
Feats: Defeated ''Mad Tyrant'' Fabian by assassination. Defeated Apostle Lucien by nightshade. Defeated Deputy Silvertooth by knockout. Defeated Sheriff Goldfist by amputation. Defeated Ned ¡®the Needler¡¯ by knockout. Assisted in defeating Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯ Killed Captain Jim Hawkins by anvil. Defeated Mister Deadman by blunt force.
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Alexander Ortega was taken to the nightsea from a mid-route flight on Earth from the United States to Buenos Aires. He was captured in a lab on the island of August and experimented on. His escape led to the events termed ¡®Burning August¡¯ and served as his rise to fame as an outlaw. On Tombstone, he defeated two outlaws who were present in the town of Dry Gulch and obtained the island core.
On Glory Plateau, Alexander Ortega survived his fight with ex-Apostle Lucien ¡®the Butcher¡¯ Griffin and escaped from the island before it was turned into a black spot. He has acquired an ally in ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed. His cursed has evolved after many trials and tribulations to second grade.
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: Defeated Grabnar ¡®the Barbarian.¡¯ Defeated Maki ¡®the Beast¡¯ by decapitation. Killed Lieutenant Tanis by bisection. Bragg by impalement.
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Sayed came to Erth from the world of Hajh after the bloodiest and final battle in his people¡¯s civil war. He escaped that chaos with Abed, his brother-in-arms. After finding themselves in the nightsea, they traveled with the mission of freeing people from oppression everywhere they found them. Sayed met his match in Glory Plateau, however, until he escaped with the assistance of ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega. He joined Ortega after the events of Glory Plateau.
In regard to Hajh, Sayed has confirmed that there were no giants, but only legends of giants in the distant past.
After the events of Cragg Hollow, Sayed continues to journey with Ortega in the search for Death''s Yard. During the events on Nowhere in Death''s Yard, Sayed loses his gauntlet and begins to use Abed''s blade for the first time.
First Appearance: Volume 02 Glory Plateau | Chapter 21
Feats: Defeated cursed lightning user by thorns. Defeated illusion user by thorns. Assisted in the defeat of Maki ¡®the Beast.¡¯ Assisted in killing Doctor Livesay by suffocation.
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Erin came to Erth from the land of Erys, where she came into contact with the People¡¯s Revolution soon after. Moved by the goals of the movement, she joined the revolution and became a stealth operative for secret operations. She arrived at Glory Plateau to find a man named Roald, however she could not locate him on the island, and left after escaping the arena with ¡®Tin Man¡¯ Ortega and ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Sayed.
After the events of Cragg Hollow, Erin has joined up with Ortega and Sayed to find what is hidden at the coordinates left in Roald''s logbook. With their trip to Death''s Yard, her curse has evolved in an unknown way.
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 67
Feats: Defeated Bragg by knockout.
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: A man from September who died after being stabbed in the back by a friend, Jean woke up with his wife, Eliza, dead in his arms in a rotting body. Driven by his belief in fate, he journeyed through the nightsea to find a way to bring back his wife and grow his curse. After many adventures, he found himself captured by the Military Police, on the way to a life in chains at the Clink. Fortune favored him when Alex and his crew found him and rescued him.
Antagonists
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Name: Captain Grayson
Status: Alive
Occupation: Captain in the Military Police
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: Path of Step, Path of Will
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 67
Feats: None
Current Location: Zanghai, Lundao
Bio: The captain of the Robin. His ship was stolen from him by Alex after a stopover in Lundao to drop off mail. He was close to retirement when it happened, and is now facing discharge without retirement benefits if his failure is found out.
Name: Lieutenant Cade
Status: Alive
Occupation: Lieutenant in the Military Police
Aliases: None
Curse: Dough (1st Grade)
Techniques: Path of Grit, ''Dough Hammer,'' ''Dough Ball,''
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 67
Feats: None
Current Location: Zanghai, Lundao
Bio: A lieutenant in the military police, he was defeated by Sayed so that the crew could steal the Robin.
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 78
Feats: None
Current Location: Unknown
Bio: A finger who works for a Hand in Undertown, Mister Deadman was the supervisor for the operation on Nowhere in Death''s Yard. After being defeated by Alex, he escaped to an unknown location.
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 78
Feats: None
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Gifted to Mister Deadman by ''Ma,'' Cragg and Bragg fought together to keep the Drim in line. After Jean defeated them and Cragg witnessed his brother''s death, Cragg was left unconscious on the island.
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 78
Feats: None
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Gifted to Mister Deadman by ''Ma,'' Cragg and Bragg fought together to keep the Drim in line. Bragg was killed by Sayed on Nowhere.
Side Characters
Name: Bargen
Status: Alive
Occupation: Captain of the Flying Dutchman
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 76
Feats: None
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Originally a mobster in Undertown, after his operation was taken over by Lord Baccia and Mister Deadman, Bargen was put to work in the operation on Nowhere. He gained the privilege of using the Flying Dutchman to keep people away from the site until he betrayed his boss to escape with all his men.
Name: Michael
Status: Alive
Occupation: First Mate of the Flying Dutchman
Aliases: None
Curse: None
Techniques: None
First Appearance: Volume 04 Nightsea Heist | Chapter 76
Feats: None
Current Location: Nowhere
Bio: Bargen''s first mate and his best friend throughout the years. Micahel follows his captain whereever their future escapades will go after the events on Nowhere.
Organizations
Name: The Military Police
Description: An organization working for the Scions that are built to protect the Twelve Kingdoms and the greater Empyrean. It is a militaristic organization that operates a massive fleet of slipships that operate across the nightsea. It also has several outposts out in the Fringes that seek to protect the interests of the Empyrean in the nightsea beyond the Twelve Kingdoms.
Name: Underground Lords
Description: A mysterious organization that exists in Undertown. They have operatives that operate across the nightsea known as Hands, Fingers, and Knuckles.
Name: The Scions
Description: A group of individuals who rule over the Twelve Kingdoms from the Empyrean. They are treated like gods by many in the nightsea. Their powers are unknown. Their purpose is unknown.
Name: The People''s Revolution
Description: An organization that fights against the Scions. All other information on them is unknown.
Ships
Name: The Robin
Description: A cruiser for the Military Police. It has the common steel construction of the ships and enough room for about ten sailors in total.
Name: Erin''s Ship
Description: A ''Mercedes'' class ship built on only blueprints from ancient times. Designed more like a metal tube than a modern ship, very few people can maintain or pilot this ship. Ortega has described the ship as a submarine with a jet fighter-like cockpit on the front.
Creatures
Name: Gremlins
Description: Small unseen creatures who steal items from the dig site on Nowhere. No one knows what they look like as they are too small and fast to catch.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 093 | Cold Shot
Wen lay against the dirt, cool wind blowing around her as she looked through her rifle''s scope on the valley below. Her target stood at the center of a group of men at the encampment. One of his hands held a dagger, and the other held a child kidnapped from the local village. Their ship was moored in the lake nearby, about the size of a barque. His crew was about twenty men, according to his bounty.
He was Sam ''Big Mouth'' Bass, and he was wanted for murder, assaulting Military Police ships, and mostly a lot of robbery. During his last job, in the nearby town, he had taken a hostage because his robbery had gone wrong.
Wen took in a deep breath as she lined up her shot.
Sniping was difficult, even for the most skilled people back on Earth. She had spent most of her life studying languages at Oxford, so it was something she had to pick up when she came to her new world. The name sounded the same, but the world was entirely different. Erth was a world of islands that glowed brightly in the space called the nightsea. Each island was like a world on its own and mostly independent, with the exception of the areas under the rule of the Empyrean. She didn''t know why it was called the Empyrean, but the word wasn''t lost on her, given all the time she had spent studying English as an undergrad. If she had more access or time, she would have spent years learning all she could about Erth.
Bass brought his dagger close to the child as he yelled something at his men that Wen couldn''t hear. She exhaled slowly as she finished lining up her shot, finishing pulling the trigger once all the air had left her lungs. She may have been a linguist, but a gun didn''t care what you knew.
Hiss-bang. Thwoop.
Super-compressed cold air shot out of the side of her gun, converting to steam as it hit the hotter air around it. It would be a disservice to call what she shot out from her rifle a simple bullet, but the object shot through the air just like one, right toward Bass''s heart.
She couldn''t hear the sound from the hit, but she didn''t need to. Through her scope, the projectile shattered across him, and her ''bullet'' took effect. Instantly, ice began to spread across his body, cracking out from his chest and over his clothes like a growing blue fungus. Bass''s eyes widened as he tried to move, but it was already too late.
Wen stood up, slinging her rifle over her arm as she began to walk down the hill toward the valley below. Bass''s men were already scattering as ice covered the man''s body, turning him a bright white and holding him perfectly in place. They had no idea what was happening, and she was ready to monopolize that ignorance. She drew her revolvers from her waist, cocking the first shots.
"Time to get to work," she said.
She didn''t have to shoot many of them, and the few she did were changed into the same ice statues. While alone, none of the men were as dangerous as they had been together under Bass. None of his crews had bounties by themselves, but Bass was worth a pretty doler. By the time she reached where Bass stood frozen, the ice was also beginning to grow over the child. Wen holstered her guns as she approached and pulled the child away before she could be taken over by the ice. A few of Bass''s fingers cracked as he struggled against the ice. He was alive, though Wen was only sure that was possible on Erth.
"Are you alright?" Wen asked as she brushed the ice off of the child.
"Yes," she said, rubbing her eyes and face.
"Can you find your way back to town?" Wen asked, nodding toward the entrance to the valley.
"I can, ma''am." She nodded.
"Then go and make sure you don''t get caught again," Wen said, giving the girl a slight shove to put her on her way.
"That was nice," a man said as the girl ran off.
Wen turned to face him. A man stood near one of the tents with a gun in hand and pointed at Wen. Wen raised an eyebrow at him but didn''t move. He had her in his sights, and there wasn''t a lot she could do if he decided to shoot the gun.
However, he hadn''t shot yet.
"You worked for Bass?" Wen asked.
"I did," he said, looking at the ice statue. "I was his second in command."
"I don''t have a bounty for your head," Wen said, locking eyes with him.
The man wavered between her and Bass, a frown crossing his face as he did the mental math. Wen patiently waited for him to get the picture. She didn''t have any interest in dying today. She just needed the money from Bass''s bounty.
"So, you''re not interested in me," he said, a grin crossing his face. "You''ll let me go?"
"I will," Wen said.
"I''ve always wanted to be the boss." The man smiled, lowering his gun as he examined the ice statue. "Bass was an idiot. He never knew what we had going."
"And what do you plan to do?" Wen let her hands rest next to her sides as she watched the man''s eyes.
"Go after something bigger," the man said. "When I''m done, they''ll have to give me a bounty name, too."
"And what name do you think you''ll deserve?"
"That''s a hard one. Maybe ''Tall Order'' James."
Wen didn''t comment on how short he was. Instead, her hand grabbed her revolver, and she brought it up before he could even react. She took the shot without a moment''s hesitation, and James couldn''t react fast enough to do anything in response as the ice cracked across his own body.
Hiss. Bang. Crack.
"You should have shot first," ''Cold Shot'' Wen said, shaking her head as she looked around her one last time. "What kind of bounty hunter would I be if I let someone like you go?"
"Da-" Before he could even finish the sentence, the ice had wrapped around his face and covered his entire body with a white sheen.
Wen looked over the two outlaws and shook her head. She had to shoot seven shots in total for the entire fight, and that would take her about an hour to recharge. She took out her tools and sat on one of the camp chairs. She had a while to wait before the two men melted and she could actually arrest them.
She pulled out a metal cylinder from her bag and held it in her hand as she opened her gate. An icy chill ran down her arms from her heart as she held both hands to it. White fog flitted out from her mouth as she exhaled and focused her will on the cylinder.
"Ice Touch."
Alex ducked through an alley as he slipped through the crowds to his destination. His brown leather duster, renewed from his most recent trip to a tailor, flapped around him in the heavy wind as he looked for his friends. A storm was coming for Grey Lagoon, and he wanted to be off it before the coming rain shut down the entire island.
Plip. Plip.
Drops of water hit the ground around him, and the dirt around the many wooden buildings was quickly turning to mud. Alex quickened his pace as he pulled his duster tight around him. It didn''t take him long to find his friends waiting for him beneath the patio of one of the nearby businesses.
Erin wore her typical green cloak over her black clothes, not quite standing out, but definitely not someone who lived in Grey Lagoon. Her hood was up, so only her pale face was visible, and he could just make out her messy black hair inside of it.
Beside her, Mari held her hand. From what Alex could see, they had succeeded in getting real clothes for the android, so her doll-like features were now hidden except for her eyes. Underneath a simple red hood for her cloak, he could still see the glow of Mari''s blue electric eyes. Without the articulated joints and black lines down Mari''s body, she could almost be a small girl. All of that was hidden now, thanks to the simple shirt and pants Erin had gotten for her. It was leagues better than the hospital gown they had found her in on Nowhere.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Sayed was the last member of their party who had left the ship. The large, bearded, brown-skinned man stood in his normal leather chestpiece with his loose-fitting shirt beneath it. Two swords rested sheathed on his back, and he was examining a broken gauntlet in his hand. It looked like he hadn''t found a smith that could work with it.
Jean was the last one in their group, and he had politely remained behind to make sure that no one stole the ship while they were gone. It was a good thing because, below his head, Jean was just a skeleton beneath his blue robes.
Thap. Thap. Thap.
Alex stepped up onto the wooden patio and out of the rain right as it began to pour. They hadn''t beaten the rain, but that wasn''t the end of the world. It just meant they would have to be much more careful and hurry up before the storm hit in full force
"Alex!" Mari ran over, letting go of Erin''s hand and grabbing onto his.
"Hey, kid." Alex smiled down at her, looking between the other two. "How''d it go?"
"I''m not a child." Mari glared up at him with glowing blue eyes as Sayed and Erin shared a glance.
"I was able to load the ship with food and water." Sayed frowned, still holding his broken gauntlet in his hand. "But I could not find a single smith who could fix my gauntlet in our limited time. I do not think we will ever have enough time if we continue at our current pace."
"Sorry." Alex grimaced as Mari began to climb up to sit on his shoulders.
He had to stand still, or she would fall off. While she always insisted she wasn''t a child but a Magical Artificial Recombinant Intelligence, to him, she wasn''t any different from his siblings back home on Earth. She wrapped her arms around his head as she sat on his shoulders, her legs dangling to the side as she rested her chin on his forehead.
"It is fine, brother." Sayed smiled. "I will find a way to make do with what I have. God will see me through."
"I got into contact with my people," Erin said, shaking her head as she looked up at Mari. "They''ll go pick up my ship for me. We''ll have it available if we ever need it."
"But it won''t get here anytime soon," Alex guessed.
"No. Zanghai is just too far away. We''d be better off getting the Robin out of here as quickly as possible. The fewer eyes that see it, the better."
The Robin was a Military Police ship they had stolen so that they could get access to Death''s Yard. Erin''s ship didn''t have the shielding that a Military Police ship had to be able to deal with debris fields. However, running around in a stolen ship would raise red flags at some point that would point people directly at them.
"We''ll figure something out," Alex said as he felt Mari lean harder against him. "Hey, kid, no falling asleep up there."
"Not a child," Mari whispered drowsily, obviously falling asleep.
"So we''ve got supplies, and we''ve put your people in the loop. Anything else we need before we get out of here?"
"A destination would be nice." Erin frowned. "Mari wasn''t able to give us coordinates or anything. All she could do was vaguely feel where the ship we''re looking for was."
"I think I have an idea for that," Alex said. "As I was waiting for my duster to get fixed, I started thinking about how we might be able to figure out where it was."
"And what is that?" Erin crossed her arms.
"Triangulation." Alex motioned to them both. "Here, spread out."
He got Erin situated at one point, Sayed at another, and himself at a third. Between them, they made a triangle. Even if Mari resting on his head made the entire thing look ridiculous, he would make his point. Thankfully, the fact that he wasn''t tall made it easier for him to move beneath the patio. He would have dragged Mari''s head across the roof if he had been as tall as Sayed.
"So, Mari is like a compass. She feels when she''s getting closer to the ship," Alex said, pointing up to the sleeping android wrapped around his head. "What we need to do is take measurements of how strong the feeling is from separate locations, three at a time. That''ll tell us what direction it is strongest in. Once we do it a few times, we can draw lines out on a chart and see what direction that''s pointing in. Then we''ll narrow down the islands the ship could be on."
Erin raised her eyebrow, and Sayed looked completely lost. Alex sighed, wishing he had a compass and a map to demonstrate how it could work. It wasn''t perfect and would take some time, but it was better than just going with a slightly stronger feeling.
"Say we do three measurements where we''re at." Alex started pointing between the three of them. "Sayed is a hot measurement. I''m a cold measurement, and Erin is a warm measurement. We draw a line that goes between you and Sayed, but closer to Sayed and away from me. Then, we go across the street again and do a second measurement, drawing the same line. Eventually, all the lines will point more in the direction of one island than another."
"It''ll narrow it down," Erin said, tapping her chin and looking at the ground. "It might work."
"I do not understand, but it sounds very exciting for me to be the hot one." Sayed smiled, placing his gauntlet into his belt. "If you say this will work, brother, I will believe in you."
"It might work." Alex shrugged. "We can figure it out as we go, and if it doesn''t work, we''ll try something else. Failing doesn''t mean that we have to give up, right?"
"As long as we don''t die, sure." Erin let out a small laugh, looking out into the rain. "We''ll need to run to the ship. Otherwise, we''ll be stuck here until the storms are over."
"A race is what I think you said." Sayed started running off into the rain, droplets hissing off his skin as he activated his curse to keep himself dry. "The last one on the ship is on cleaning duty!"
"Hah." Alex smiled, pulling Mari off his head and catching her legs with his arms so that she rested against his back.
He couldn''t keep up if he left her up there, and she might fall off. He started to run but noticed Erin was already rushing off ahead of him. She also had a good head start, holding her cloak tight to her body.
"That''s not fair." Alex jumped out into the rain. "Step."
He drew in a breath of aether before disappearing from sight with Mari. It was like he had instantly slammed his feet into the ground a thousand times. He reappeared beside Erin, sprinting past her as his boots splashed water and mud around him.
"Sayed''s fast," Erin gasped as she ran beside him.
"And he started before everyone else." Alex ran past her, his legs pumping hard through the mud.
Part of him wanted to play fairly despite using a technique to speed himself for the short distance he had. However, he was already running at a disadvantage with an extra person, and Sayed had already used his own curse.
Alex opened his gate.
Like an electric pulse around him, his senses came alive, and he was aware of all the metal in his vicinity. He kept his power locked to only the first grade of his curse, and electricity flowed out from his heart and into his limbs with the steady hum of an electric motor. He intentionally made sure he didn''t focus his senses on Mari. While he was curious about the internal workings of an android, he still wasn''t sure how he should approach that.
As a kid, he binged on science fiction novels and movies, so the question of what an android was occupied his mind from the moment they met. It took him far too long to do anything but call Mari ''it,'' only settling on ''she'' after asking a few pointed questions.
If androids were people, then it made sense to treat them like people. If they were machines, it made sense to treat them like machines. He didn''t have access to Mari''s thoughts, so he could only do his best. However, he erred on the side of thinking of Mari as a person. She acted like a kid, and that was enough.
He shifted Mari in his arms, holding out his hand and pulling against the swords on Sayed''s back. Sayed continued to run against his pull, his legs still trudging against the mud, but Alex''s magnetism was stronger than ever.
"Got you." Alex smiled as he continued to run past Sayed, leaving him behind and releasing his magnetic hold.
Splat.
He spun his head back and saw Sayed kneeling on the ground, forcing himself up through the mud and shaking a little off his gloves. His grin was still plastered on his face, and the mud was quickly drying and cracking off his skin as he stood and continued running again.
"Bean Vault!"
A long green stalk appeared in Erin''s hands behind Sayed, and she tipped it into the ground as she reached him. The green stalk grew and grew as she vaulted with it into the air and over not only Sayed but also Alex. In seconds, she was past Alex and running through the muddy ground around a corner.
Alex shook his head as he ran after her. In part of his mind, he thought such a display was an unnecessary drawing of attention to them. However, in reality, he knew the biggest problem they had right now was the ship and not themselves. Sure, they had bounties on their heads, but that wasn''t the end of the world on the nightsea. He was more worried about keeping the ship hidden.
Besides, a race was fun, and Sayed was going to lose. He ran through the streets and towards the docks, climbing one of the massive wooden towers built for slipships to dock in the air above the normal water docks. It didn''t take long to get to the ship.
The Robin was a long metal ship¡ªa cruiser, as the Military Police called it. It had a forward cabin and a long deck behind it, with two bays for loading cargo that could be opened from below. Two small sets of light sails rested on the rear of the ship, gathering the necessary power to drive the ship forward.
Erin made it first, just a little ahead of Alex, and it was mostly because Alex let her win. Alex had the time to take Mari past where Jean sat in the cabin and below the deck, resting her in one of the many hammocks in the cargo bay below. She had managed to stay asleep despite the run.
Sayed was the last of the three to get to the ship, covered in constantly drying mud as he climbed the steps up the docks and to their gangplank. Erin and Alex shared a look from the cabin as he came inside, not needing to dry off from the rain, thanks to the heat coming from his body.
"Looks like you have cleaning duty." Erin shook her head as he ducked inside.
"He already had cleaning duty." Jean chuckled from his seat by the ship''s wheel across the room from them, holding a newspaper marked with ''World Daily Press'' on it in his bony fingers.
"A venture with nothing to lose and everything to gain." Sayed shook his head, still grinning despite his heavy breathing. "A great story if I had won."
"I take it by your presence; we''re ready to be underway?" Jean asked, standing up from his seat and walking over to the wheel, his long blue robes flowing with him.
"Yeah," Alex said, nodding out to the rain. "Let''s get out of here before it gets worse."
Crack. Boom.
As Alex said, a line of lightning cracked across the sky, and white light flashed across the windows as the engine started humming to life. Four lodestones on the sides of the long metal ship hummed to life as it lifted up and away from Grey Lagoon. In moments, they were in the air and above the storm, sailing toward the horizon.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 094 | An Offer
Wen stood in the bounty office as the clerk processed her payment. A fan above her ticked every few moments as it cycled air through the dimly lit room. Dark curtains kept all but a few glimmers of light from getting in, and the clerk had a single desk lamp to light his space behind the counter.
"Just a moment." The man pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as he repeated what he had said an hour ago.
That was typical for regional governments not directly affiliated with the Military Police. Fringe worlds would pay out on Military Police bounties, but they had to be reimbursed through a long chain of bureaucracy. Even in a new world, bureaucracies moved at a snail''s pace.
Her two captures were long thawed and shivering behind bars, suffering from severe bouts of frostbite. They would be lucky if they didn''t lose any fingers or toes, but to Wen, they were lucky even to be alive. People on Erth were hardier than people from her world. From her readings, they had aether to thank for that.
Beep. Beep.
Wen pushed aside her jacket and pulled out the small device that beeped from her belt, holding up one finger to the clerk at the bounty office as she pressed down on it. It clicked with a satisfying sound, and static hissed across it.
"I have a client who is looking for you," the voice hissed with static.
"What price?" Wen asked.
"Five hundred thousand in advance, another five hundred thousand on completion."
Wen let out a low whistle. That was good money. Bass would only net her thirty-thousand in total, and that would be enough to get a few repairs done on her small ship and buy a week''s worth of supplies. One million would let her take a long vacation.
"What''s the job?"
"The client is keeping that a secret." The voice giggled. "But I''ll tell you a piece of strange news. The client is on the same island as you."
"That''s odd," Wen said, looking toward the door.
"I bet they''ve been tracking you, so it would be better for you to meet them face-to-face either way. The best way to deal with snoopy people is to be direct."
"Alright," Wen said. "Where do they want to meet?"
"The Roaming Pony." Static crackled across the box again. "Looks like I''m losing you. I hope you-"
The voice cut off, and Wen returned the box to her jacket pocket. The box was an experimental thing that not a lot of people had access to. She had gotten two from a bounty and left one of them with her friend at the bounty hunter guild headquarters on April. Jia used it to tell Wen who was looking to hire her while she was out on a job.
However, it was odd for a client to come out and find her. Normally, she hunted down bounties based on what she found. Wanting to hire her and finding her were two different things that meant she needed to be careful. She knew she should go and see the client, but she also knew she shouldn''t go in without a plan.
"Ahem." The clerk coughed to get Wen''s attention. "I have your paperwork ready, ma''am. I just need your signature in a few places, and we will release the money to you as a check."
Wen sighed as she walked over, her boots clicking against the wooden floor as she peered down at the paper. Several ''x'' marks covered the paper, and it didn''t look like it stopped on the first page. She picked up a pen and prepared herself for the punishment, which was paperwork.
After an hour, she was done and leaving with a check in her aching hand. She would need to stop by a bank to cash it, but that could wait for later. Instead, she made her way through the town toward the docks. Like many islands in the nightsea, Tua Springs focused most of its resources on the shores of their island, with the largest towns being ports.
The Roaming Pony had a single sign outside its door near the boardwalk, marked with a shabbily drawn symbol to mark it as something different from the rest of the taverns and inns on the street. Wen stood with her hand on the door as she looked at the awning covering the patio. It was early in the day, so she should be able to avoid crowds, but she still didn''t like that the client knew she was coming.
"You won''t get anywhere by just standing here," she whispered as she opened the door and walked inside.
She entered a dining room lit by several open windows along the front of the building. A man stood in front of a bar, cleaning the bartop with a dirty rag as he leaned over the side. The entire place was empty, with the exception of one table.
"I bought this place out for today, so I expect good service for my coin!" A man in golden armor sat at the booth''s center, three other men sitting around him as he leaned back against his seat.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
He was blonde and looked young, but only his trimmed mustache made him look any older than a fresh man into adulthood. A white cross marked the shoulders on his armor, but Wen didn''t recognize those symbols.
To his right, a man in a dark coat and a wide-brimmed back hat sat, a curved sword resting in his arms as he bent his head forward. She couldn''t see anything beneath the shadows of his hat, but she knew him, if by reputation alone. Matthew ''Witchfinder General'' Hopkins, an expert in finding people with curses and exterminating them, moved his legs into a more comfortable position as he settled into his seat.
To the young man''s left was a man she didn''t know. He wore a white chef''s uniform and looked at the sparse food set out on the table with disgust. His hair was pulled back into a tail behind his head, and his eyes were a cold blue. He carried no weapons and appeared to be a cook of some kind to Wen.
The last one was a long man in a pinstripe suit. His dark sunglasses and pointed hat only partially covered his weasely face, and long whiskers ran out from his ball nose. She had never seen a human who looked like an animal, so she guessed it was probably a curse.
"We''ve got company, sir." The weasely man pointed to Wen.
"We can''t have that." The young man reached up and pulled at his mustache with one of his golden gauntlets. "We''re waiting for a special person, and I can''t have some lady interrupting my wait. This entire building is reserved for a meeting with ''Cold Shot.''"
Wen raised an eyebrow, resting her hands on her pistols as she looked over the man. He already wasn''t making a good impression, so there was a good chance she would walk out and refuse the job. However, even at that, she remembered how much money had been offered.
She could give him a little more rope to hang himself.
"Why else would I be in this broken-down inn?" Wen asked, cracking her neck side to side as she approached.
"A woman?" the mustached man''s eyes widened.
"I could have told you that." Hopkins barely moved, still resting back with his sword.
"You would make me a fool?" The mustached man''s face turned a bright red as he slammed a golden gauntlet down on the table.
"No, the armor does that for you." Hopkins tilted up his hat, revealing two dark brown eyes. "What kind of person goes around looking for specific bounty hunters without knowing who they are?"
The mustached man started to speak but, instead of responding, let out a long breath and took a few moments to collect himself. He placed his other hand on the table and stared directly at it. Overall, Wen wasn''t impressed.
"I only want to hire the best for this job, and ''Cold Shot'' came recommended without much information beyond his skill with a gun."
He took another deep breath, looking up at Wen.
"I apologize for my rudeness. It was a surprise to meet a woman as accomplished as you are. I am Prince Bibi, soon to be King Bibi of the island Diamond Peak."
Wen nodded to continue, looping one thumb through her rifle''s strap as she let the other rest on the butt of her pistol. Outside of his temper tantrum, this was closer to what she expected from a client. If he got to the point quickly, she would think a lot better of taking his money.
"This is Matthew Hopkins, Mister Foley, and Antonio Fettucine." Bibi nodded at each one of them in turn. "They are also well known in the bounty hunting world for their particular abilities."
"Hopkin''s skill preceded him with me." Wen nodded toward him before turning to the other two. "However, I apologize. I''ve never heard of either of you."
"I am new to the scene, but I''ve made a name for myself." Antonio leaned back, making himself as tall as possible so that he could look down on her. "I''ve captured twenty men in twenty days, each with a bounty over twenty thousand dolers."
Wen smirked and nodded. It was good for a newbie, and he specified captured and not killed. It took more skill to take people alive than dead. He may have been dressed like a chef, but there clearly was something deeper going on with him.
"My work is less open to scrutiny," Mister Foley said, his dark eyes looking between the three of them. "Just know I come highly recommended for my abilities."
He pulled back his pointed hat and ran his fingers up his styled spiked hair. Wen noticed that his fingernails were long and pointed. It was almost as if they had been intentionally sharpened to be razor-sharp points. Already, she was fairly sure both men on her left were curse users. She thought Hopkins wasn''t, but a lot of him was a mystery, even with his infamy.
"Quite the team you''ve gathered." Wen raised an eyebrow. "I can''t think of any bounties where having four hunters would change the game enough."
"That''s because we''re not hunting people," Bibi said, raising one finger. "You see, there is a rite of passage for those who would become kings in my land. We must undertake a hunt in our homeland, back on Diamond Peak. We must kill a great bearcat and take its corpse back to our father to show that we have the will to rule."
Wen narrowed her eyes. "Surely you don''t need bounty hunters for that. You bought three bounty hunters to hunt an animal?"
"I see the doubt in your eyes, but the bearcat is not to be underestimated. Their claws can cleave stone. Their eyes can see great distances, and they are crafty beasts," Bibi said, nodding as he spoke. "However, what is more important to hiring the four of you is this: We go not just for a bearcat, but the matriarch¡ªthe strongest of their kind. We will capture it alive. Only with that will I be able to convince my father to return my people back to our homeland."
Wen blinked, running through what he had told her in her mind.
"It isn''t your home anymore," she said.
"An accident," Bibi said, rubbing a finger across his mustache. "A confluence of aether created an aetherstorm over our central lake. We had to abandon the island for the last twenty years. It is only now that the storm would have abated enough for me to return and claim our birthright."
Wen looked between each of the three bounty hunters. In her mind, having four of them along would be overkill for hunting a simple beast. However, if he paid as much as he said he would, it would be worth the excursion, even if the job ended up being easy. The only real question was if she could handle being on a ship with Bibi for the journey there.
"I don''t take this lightly," Bibi said, wagging one finger at her. "I will pay you all well, and by the end of this, we will return to my father with a live captured bearcat. That will convince my father to return my people home and grant me the title of king."
Wen took in a deep breath. It was a tempting offer, and she could use the money. It would be an easy job. Besides how annoying she already knew Bibi would be, there were no downsides. She looked Bibi in the eye before she spoke.
"First, let''s talk about pay. Then we''ll see how this goes."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 095 | New Destination
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 096 | Firril
Crickle-crackle.
The fire burned down to hot coals as the pot sat over it in the fireplace, and Firril watched the orange coals pulse with heat. A mushroom soup bubbled inside the black pot, but Firril could not smell it, feel the heat that came off the fire, or even taste the soup she was making. She was an automaton, and she was forever denied the world of tasting and smelling.
She picked up the top of the pot and inserted her ladle, stirring it with mechanical precision four times before taking it back out and setting it on the small table next to her.
"How''s the soup coming along?" Runa asked, her voice creaking like an old floorboard.
"It will be complete in ten minutes," Firril said, turning her glowing eyes across the room to Runa, who was sitting up in bed.
The room was close and warm, unlike the rest of the keep. It took too much wood to fire all the hearths across the keep to maintain warmth, so Firril focused on Runa''s room and maintained the temperature there. Years ago, she would maintain the hearth in the workshop as well, with Gary''s assistance, but Runa didn''t move much from bed anymore.
If not for all the knickknacks and bookshelves in the room, it would have been a much larger space. Runa, however, liked keeping all her work and reading close. Firril never complained about the cramped space. She was an automaton. She never complained at all.
"Come here then, Firril," Runa said, looking out the stained-glass window near her bed. "See what Gary''s up to right now."
Firril stood, her mechanical legs whirring as cogs and gears came to life. She shuffled across the floor, her metal body creaking as she took each step. Runa watched her with a patient, wrinkled smile on her face. While her green eyes were as sharp as ever, her grey hair and wrinkled, pale skin reminded Firril of the woman''s age. Runa had grown much older than her creations in the last thirty years. Firril knew that humans did not last forever, and Runa would not be long for the world.
That did not mean she would not miss her creator.
"Look, look," Runa whispered as Firril stood next to the bed, pointing down to the keep''s internal park below.
Creak.
The bed shook under Firril''s weight. She was small for an automaton, the smallest of Runa''s creations, but she was still made of metal and heavy. Firril did her best to be careful as she leaned over Runa''s body and placed her hands on the stone lip of the window. She looked down and saw Gary below.
Gary was in every way completely different from Firril. He was a giant of an automaton, his form barely able to fit through doors inside the keep. His body was heavily armored, and his large bucket head was built almost like a knight''s helmet, with two slits covering his eyes. He swung his massive blade, sending the long, overgrown grass swaying with each stroke.
However, that wasn''t what was odd about Gary. No, it was the fact that he was dressed warmly despite his nature as an automaton. He wore a heavy winter coat with a furred white hood, heavy gloves over his fingers, and even fur-lined pants and boots. A long red scarf trailed behind him as he exercised, flowing behind him as he swung his mighty sword.
"He still thinks he is human." Firril shook her head, stepping back from the window and going back to watch her pot boil.
"I would expect no different from my son." Runa laughed before she stopped.
Cough. Cough.
Her body shook with the coughs, and Firril reached over, holding one hand on Runa''s back as the coughing fit continued. Runa grasped Firril''s hand, closing her eyes as she fought to breathe and gasped. After a few minutes, it was over, and Runa''s breathing calmed to a normal rate.
"It is getting worse," Firril said. "We need to get you to a doctor."
"There''s no cure for getting old." Runa waved her away, wrapping her blankets tighter around her body. "Go put some more wood on the fire and check the soup. I''ll be fine."
Firril did as she was told because that was what automata did. She was made for a purpose, and she would fulfill that purpose. However, that didn''t change how she felt. She was unsure how to express it. Feelings were distant for Firril because she didn''t have the same biological processes humans did. She stopped mid-way to the pot and turned to face Runa.
"You''re doubting again." Runa smiled at her, revealing her few remaining teeth. "Come here."
Creak.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Firril came back to the bed, sitting down next to Runa and causing the bed to creak again. Runa shuffled to the side to make room for her and placed a hand over Firril''s own as they sat together. If she had a mouth, Firril would have smiled. That was one of the odd thoughts that would often cross her mind.
She was an automaton, but there were times and places when she felt things she didn''t think she should. As they sat together in silence, she wondered if that was what Gary felt all the time. Was that why he wore clothes?
"We all have our times," Runa said as she patted Firril''s hand. "There is a season for everything, and mine is coming to a close. I just need to make sure that these hold bones last long enough for me to complete the mission. Any day now, the ones we''ve been waiting for will get here, and everything will change. Then you and Gary will have to take care of each other out here."
"What is the mission?" Firril asked. "You never told us."
"The fewer people who know, the better." Runa smiled and sighed. "I''m the last of us that I know of. I haven''t heard from everyone on the crew in years."
"I understand," Firril said, her eyes turning toward the pot as it continued to boil. "But I am not a person."
"Hah." Runa gripped Firril''s hands tighter as she began to laugh.
She sat there for a long time, her body shaking as the laugh cycled through her. Firril tilted her head as she watched her creator struggle to breathe as she laughed and laughed. It wasn''t until another coughing fit ripped through her frail frame that she stopped, holding one hand over her mouth and gasping for breath. Firril didn''t understand what was so funny, but then again, she wasn''t programmed to understand such things.
"Sometimes I forget how you two work." Runa smiled as she gripped Firril''s hand. "I created you, but you continue to surprise me every day. When I etched the algorithms for behavior in you, I had no idea what I was doing. I made mistakes. I made errors. However, you two still woke up and worked like I had expected. Whether it is Gary down there swinging his sword or you cooking soup for me, you are more of a person than some people have the right to claim to be. You will always be my children."
Firril wished she could feel more than she did at those words, but they weren''t the first time she had heard them. Even now, as they sat together, Runa looked back out the window and down at Gary below, what she had just said already forgotten.
"Oh, look at Gary go down there, Firril."
Firril stood up, shuffling across the floor again on her mechanical legs as she went to check on the soup. She left Runa behind, but that was okay. Runa would come back again from where she had gone later and be the same old woman that Firril knew her to be.
"Oh, what''s that?" Runa asked as Firril opened the pot to check on the soup.
Firril suppressed a faint hiss of electrical feedback as she turned yet again and walked to the window.
A black spot in the sky stuck out against the clouds as it floated down toward the island. Firril turned her head as her eyes tried to focus on the object. She wasn''t sure, but she had a few things in her knowledge banks that could fly through the sky. She couldn''t be sure unless she went outside to check, but she thought it might have been a slipship. There was a slipship coming in for a landing on Diamond Peak.
"Why would they come here?" Firril asked herself as she leaned over Runa''s legs. "The island is supposed to be abandoned."
Bam. Thud. Bam. Thud.
Metal legs churned up the stairs as Gary ran to the room. Firril stood, crossing her arms over her chest as he came. Gary was neither quiet nor subtle, but that was just who he was. He only seemed to slow down as he approached the door and opened it gently.
"A ship!" Gary''s electric voice warbled as he ducked inside the room. "There''s a slipship in the sky!"
"It looks like things are about to get interesting." Runa chuckled softly as she pushed away her blankets. "Get my coat and get ready to move. We need to prepare to greet our visitors."
Firril watched as a new energy seemed to fill Runa. She pushed her tiny, frail body out of bed in her white pajamas and began to walk across the floor. Runa smiled at Gary as she made her way carefully over to the closet, and Firril followed. She had no idea what was happening, but she would fulfill her programming and help Runa prepare.
That was her job as an automaton.
Beep. Beep.
Captain Frank Drake, a captain in the Military Police in command of his current vessel, the Arbiter, reached up and clicked the tube next to his desk with one long black claw. It was a small thing, his own private cabin on the ship with enough space for a bed and his desk, but it was a luxury he never wanted to go without.
"Report," he said into the tube.
"Sir, we''ve gotten several reports of people sighting the Robin. The information says that they spotted it heading to the far end of the First Quadrant, heading out of Grey Lagoon."
Frank looked up at the small flat-plane map of the nightsea above his desk. There were several islands at the far end of the First Quadrant. They could get headed in the right direction, but the islands in that area were either part of the Fringes or quarantined. There were no Military Police outposts beyond one near Haven.
"Get the ship moving toward Grey Lagoon," Drake said, smoke billowing out of his lizard mouth as he stood up from his desk. "Tell Captain Greyson that I''ll meet him in the cabin. I want him to know he''s in the loop on this."
"Yes, sir!" He could practically hear the soldier salute through the line.
With a click, Drake hung up on the call and took out a sheet of paper. With delicate red-scaled claws, he began jotting down each of the possible islands in the direction that the Robin might have run. There were about twenty possibilities in total, and he would have to work with Grayson to help narrow them down.
The Robin had been Grayson''s ship, and a run-in with some outlaws had left him facing a discharge if the news made its way back to Rockford. Drake had intercepted the report and discretely brought it back to meet with the other captain. There, he made the man an offer he couldn''t refuse. Join Drake on his mission to find the outlaws responsible for stealing the ship and save his job in the process. If Grayson hadn''t, he would have faced a discharge that would see him out on his end with no severance or retirement pay.
Drake''s interest wasn''t in the ship, however. It was in the outlaw that had taken it. He stood with his list of islands, exited his cabin door, and entered the ship proper. Only one thought was on his mind as he made his way to the deck.
"We''ll catch you this time, ''Tin Man'' Ortega."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 097 | Landing
Whoosh.
Crack-boom.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Crack-boom.
Hrrm.
Creak. Crack. Thump.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 098 | Confrontation
Whoosh.
Snow blew past Firril as she looked down the slope into the docks. Beside her, Runa stood, hand on her cane and bent forward, her warm winter coat wrapped around her and her face hidden by her silvered goggles and scarf. Gary stood out in front, his massive sword balanced on his shoulder as he looked over the snowy haze.
The port''s ruined buildings were just grey shadows in the fog, and even Firril''s mechanical eyes could not see them as more than dark boxes. The ship had landed out inside the storm. She had heard it in the silence between gusts of wind. Now, they only waited for the intruders to come out from the icy mist.
Crackle.
Snow shifted in the distance as the wind calmed. Firril clenched her fist tight as she tried to peer through the mist. Four distinct shadows approached, the largest of them carrying an object over its shoulder. Firril looked over to Runa and saw the old woman drawing a metal box out of her coat pocket and holding it up with one gloved hand.
"Time to see if these old machines still work," she whispered with a smirk as she pressed a button on the device.
Hmm.
Electricity hummed to life in the snow, and two domes rose. Scuffed metal reflected what little light came through the clouds above as panels opened on the two turrets and long barrels extended out. They were pointed directly at the intruders.
"Wait," a man whispered from the fog, holding up a blob that Firril assumed was his hand.
Click.
Lights clicked on either side of the turrets, illuminating the area partially. Most of the light reflected off of the snow that still fell across the area, but instead of barely visible blobs, Firril finally saw the intruders'' forms in the bright white lights.
Four people, dressed in red and black heavy coats, their eyes covered with goggles and their faces wrapped in masks, approached in the snow. The largest one held a bundle over his shoulder, but they were otherwise unarmed. The second smallest of the figures stood at the front of the group, his hand in front of him and open as they stood frozen in the lights.
"That''s far enough," Runa said, the wind dying down for a moment to let her voice carry. "You folks better turn around and go back where you came from. We don''t want any MPs on this island."
The strangers looked at each other before the one in the front spoke, still holding his hand up.
"We''re not with the Military Police," he said, a trail of white vapor coming out from his scarf. "Our ship had some problems, and we needed to land on your island. From our ship''s records, it was abandoned."
"Well, it isn''t," Runa said, coughing a few times before she continued. "Go back to your ship and limp out of here. We don''t want any trouble."
She held her finger on the button to activate the turrets. Firril knew several were hidden in the island, long deactivated and unused. She wasn''t even sure if they all worked. However, since Gary was standing in front with his sword, she wasn''t worried. Even if the turrets didn''t work, Gary would be able to deal with the strangers.
"Alex," a woman said next to the man.
"Don''t worry. Everyone get ready."
The big man sat down his bundle, and Runa sighed. Firril knew Runa didn''t want to hurt people, but the island had to be kept safe. Firril held herself still and wished she had eyes to close as Runa pressed the button.
Click. Brrt. Click. Brrt.
The turrets warmed to life, clicking bullets into place before shooting out a stream of smoke and fire. If Firril had ears, they would have echoed with the sound of gunfire, but instead, she only flinched at the sound. Snow jumped up in a line as the turrets tracked up, but something odd happened when they reached the intruders.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
The bullets ricocheted off and away from the group like a bubble of force surrounded them. Firril moved without thinking, standing in front of Runa as a few bullets whizzed back in their direction. After a few moments, the turrets ran out of ammunition.
Click. Click. Click.
"Well," Runa said, clicking the remote again. "I didn''t really expect that. Gary!"
"On it." Gary hefted his sword in both hands, raising it above his head and carving a path through the snow with his feet as he charged.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
"Sayed!"
The largest of the group charged forward, drawing two swords from his back and catching Gary''s sword as it came down. The snow around them parted from the force of Gary''s swing. For a moment, Firril was sure that the swordsman had been crushed.
Ding.
"You seem like a strong opponent, metal man," Sayed said, pushing back against the blade. "Besting you in a fight would be worthy of a grand tale!"
Firril had no idea what was happening. She could never have imagined someone stopping Gary''s sword. He was an automaton built to fight despite his delusion of being human. He practiced daily with his blade, and it easily weighed enough to crush a person in one swing.
"What do we do, Runa?" Firril turned back to Runa, but she had her eyes on something else.
"Is that..." Runa whispered.
Firril followed her gaze to where the large man had sat down the bundle. The bundle moved slowly in the snow, like a cone with legs, as it walked toward the man who still held out his hand. Blue eyes flickered in the blowing snow as it watched the fight, and Firril realized that whatever it was, it wasn''t a human.
"Gary!" Runa said, hobbling forward on her cane past Firril and into the fight. "Stop."
Gary pulled back on his sword immediately, stepping backward but still ready to take another swing. The big man did the same, holding his two swords at his side but not continuing the fight. A cold wind blew snow across the area as Runna hobbled forward and past Gary, right toward the blue-eyed figure in several layers of heavy clothes.
"M.A.R.I.," she whispered, falling to her knees in the snow in front of the figure. "Is that you?"
"This unit is now designated ''Mari,''" the figure said, looking down at Runa.
Runa looked up at the figure as she knelt in the snow, white mist coming out from her scarf as another burst of cold wind blew across the area. Runa mumbled, but Firril couldn''t hear her. Firril trudged forward in the snow, clearing a path, hoping that she could hear what Runa was saying.
"It''s been twenty years," Runa whispered. "Is it time?"
Cough.
A hacking fit came over Runa as she gasped for air and collapsed. She curled in on herself, and Firril hurried over to her, her body clanking as she knelt next to the old woman and rested one hand on her shoulder. Her eyes assessed Runa''s face and found that she was running a fever. The warm clothing certainly heightened her temperature, but Firril knew she needed to get Runa back to her room.
She shouldn''t have come out into the storm to begin with.
"Well," the man in front said, putting his hand down as he stared at Runa. "I''m not sure what to do here, but is she okay?"
"She is sick," Firril said. "Please just leave, like she asked. We need to get her back up to the keep."
"I can''t do that." The man sighed, kneeling to be at eye level with her. "How about this: We get her back to your home together and talk about it out there. As easy as it would be for us to blow past the three of you, I don''t want to do that. We can''t talk it out here, so you get grandma here safe and warm, and then we can talk about what''s going on here someplace that isn''t freezing cold."
Firril tilted her head, her eyes roving between Runa and the man. She wasn''t sure what she was feeling, but it might have been uncertainty. She picked Runa up from the snow, taking care as she cradled the old woman in her arms. Firril turned to Gary.
"Can you watch them?"
"I can." Gary''s electric voice warbled through his scarf.
"Then you can come with us," Firril said before marching through the snow.
The strangers followed behind her, and Firril was uncertain. She didn''t know what the strangers wanted, but they hadn''t attacked Runa, even after the turrets had shot at them first. That brought a certain level of trust in her mind. At least, that was what Runa had programmed into her.
Alex nodded to Erin before they all began to follow the two machines up the path. He didn''t know where they were going, and in truth, he could barely see the world around them. The heavy wind and constant light snow from the clouds above obscured any thought of seeing beyond a few meters around them. The machines could be leading them to their death in the snow, for all he knew.
However, he trusted his instincts.
Not far down the road, he spotted a machine that was only just starting to be covered with snow. It was a metal minecart on a barely hidden track with a wheel and seat at its front. The basket on the back was large enough to carry a massive amount of materials down to the docks. Considering the tunnels into the mountain, Alex guessed it was used to ferry ore down to the port for export. He could even smell the earthy mineral smell of the rocks that it had once carried as they got close.
"Get in," the machine carrying the old woman said, gesturing at the cart and setting the old woman inside before climbing in herself.
The large sword-wielding machine sat in the front chair, his large frame comically dwarfing the wheel but still managing to balance in it. Alex turned back to the rest of the group and shrugged but got in all the same. Their winter gear and the cold wind were making conversation difficult, but they managed to coordinate scrambling over the walls of the cart nonetheless.
Clank. Whir.
The cart''s engine warmed to life and started down the track. Alex took a moment to notice the rust on the sides of the cart. The port had been in ruins, and the carts were stained with rust. He had been surprised when the turrets had fired at all. Everything on the island looked like it had been abandoned for the last two decades, which was what he expected out of a quarantined island.
Except for the two machines piloting the cart. From what he could see of the sword-wielding one, they looked almost new and shiny. The old woman had been taking care of them for however long she had been on the island.
Creak. Crack-Boom.
The cart creaked over the tracks as they came up the hill, right as a streak of purple lightning lashed out from the clouds above and struck against the side of the mountain. Alex had to pull up his goggles and rub at his eyes, and the cold bit at him the moment his skin touched the icy air outside. He suppressed a curse as he slid the goggles back on.
"Once we get to the tunnels, we''ll be safe from the wind and the lightning, " the machine said, her hand on the old woman''s shoulder as they rode on.
Once he blinked the spots out of his eyes, he looked ahead, noticing the tracks disappearing into the open dark maw of a large tunnel. The cart sped up as they approached the tunnel, and the sword-wielding machine leaned forward on the handle as they passed through the tunnel entrance and into darkness.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 099 | Stakes
Click. Click.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Click. Kssh.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Click. Click.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 100 | Coincidence
Clunk-Clunk.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Creak.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
Creak-clunk.
Tweet. Tweet.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 101 | Arrival
Pop.
The force of changing air pressure shook through the ship, and Wen took a few gulps of air as she walked up the stairs and onto the deck. The rest of the bounty hunters were outside, looking out over the railing as the ship soared against a blue sky. They had arrived at Diamond Peak.
"Excuse me." Kali burst past Wen with her camera in hand, ready to take pictures of anything that might prove interesting, and already dressed in a heavy coat.
Everyone was dressed in their warmest clothes, but Wen wasn''t sure it would be enough. Below the ship, most of the island was covered in grey clouds, and it didn''t take a meteorologist to guess that it would be snowing.
"It''s far too chilly." Antonio rubbed his arms as he looked over the waters below. "We''ll need some good warm meals if we want to find this bearcat matriarch."
Click.
"Diamond Peak is the coldest island on Erth," Kali said as she took another photo of the island down below. "The information I researched before you all picked me up said it was because of the aetherstorm. It enhanced the natural cold climate of the mountains and turned it into a perpetual winter island."
A smirk cracked Wen''s face. Researching articles reminded her of her work back on Earth. When she was an undergrad at Oxford, she worked with The Oxford Student, the school''s newspaper. A good reporter always did her research.
Thump.
"We''ll be going in for a landing soon." Bibi exited the door on the side of the ship and stepped out onto the deck. "I expect that we''ll have to trek up to the keep for the day and then scout out from there to find the bearcat''s nest."
Wen grimaced. The expedition wasn''t going to be quick, which meant more time around Bibi. Wen took a deep breath as she looked down at the island. She just had to keep reminding herself how much money Bibi was paying.
"Ship repairs, ship repairs," she whispered.
"Is there supposed to be a ship in the docks?" Mister Foley asked, preening his whiskers with his long nails.
"What do you mean?" Bibi asked, approaching the railing and following Mister Foley''s gaze.
"There''s a ship in the docks." Mister Foley pointed down.
Crack.
"Trespassers on my family''s land." Bibi clicked his tongue, his armored hands clenching hard into the railing until the wood splintered underneath his grip. "I need to go speak to the captain. One moment."
His face burned a bright hot red as he went back over the deck and to the door. In a few moments, they could all hear yelling inside. Wen shook her head as she looked down at the ship below. Whoever it was that was on a quarantined island, they were about to make her job very complicated.
Thump.
"We can''t be landing on land with this ship." The bent old captain burst out from the door moments later, his body wrapped in a warm coat with a white hat that matched his short hair. "That''s something Military Police ships do."
"There are people on that island." Bibi stomped after the old man, his face still burning red. "On my family''s island. We must confront them immediately and remove them!"
"That''s not what you''re paying us for," the captain said, walking over to the railing and leaning on it to look over at the island. "We''re here to see you safely to the island and pick you up when you''re done. There''s nothing in the contract about landing out in the middle of a snowstorm!"
Clink. Bang.
Wen''s hand went to her revolver, but it was too late. The old captain looked down at the hole in his chest, his eyes wide as blood seeped out from the wound on his heart. Bibi stood with one arm extended, a panel on his armor open with smoke rising out of it.
Clink.
"Then we''re going to change the contract," Bibi said as the panel closed and the captain fell backward over the railing. "This ship is now the property of the Abrams Family."
Two men stood near the door the captain had burst through and looked at each other as Bibi turned on them. Wen watched as they walked out onto the deck with clenched fists. There were few rules out on the nightsea, but betrayals were never tolerated.
"You just murdered a man in cold blood in front of all of us." Wen pointed out, her hand on her pistol as she raised an eyebrow at Bibi. "We''re bounty hunters. People who do what you just did are no different than the scum we track down."
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"The scum you track down aren''t nobility." Bibi sniffed, rubbing at his mustache with his golden gauntleted fingers. "Know this. If you raise a finger against me, you''ll be the one who is turned into the authorities when we return to the Core. My father has connections. He will ruin any of you if someone so much as scratches me. If any of you try and harm me, you''ll be hunted down like dogs."
That was a less-than-satisfying prospect. Wen knew the ins and outs of the Twelve Kingdoms better than most people. She looked over to Hopkins, but the man just shrugged back at her, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Hopkins was a professional, but she was sure he was more interested in the money than standing on principle.
She sighed. She just had to take the job. No amount of money was worth dealing with a man like Bibi, but now she was stuck. If she took him out, she''d be the one to face the consequences. She forced down the anger that was rising up her throat and forced a smile on her face.
"Alright then, what do we do now?" she asked, tilting her head and glaring holes into Bibi.
"You two." Bibi snapped, pointing at the two crewmen. "Bring us in close to examine that ship. If there''s no one aboard, we''re going straight to the keep. If there are people on my island, they''ll go to the keep first!"
"Yessir," one of the crewmen grumbled as they went back into the cabin.
"Are we all on board?" Bibi asked, looking between the bounty hunters.
"So long as he pays is there, I''ll do any job," Mister Foley said, a smile cracking across his face. "I don''t know about the rest of you, but that''s always been my motto."
"I will do the same." Antonio nodded, and two eyes now turned to Hopkins and Wen.
"I''ll need an increase." Hopkins shrugged in his dark coat, his face still masked and unreadable. "I was hired on to kill an animal, not hunt down people."
"But you are amenable to it?" Bibi asked. "Money is no barrier for any of you. My family has enough wealth to pay you all handsomely for your assistance in this delicate matter."
Wen narrowed her eyes as she felt the gaze of all four men turn to her. She might be able to take a few of them out in a few shots, but in the end, she would lose. There were too many of them and only one of her. Hopkins alone might have the skill to take her on.
"I''ll do the original job," Wen said, locking eyes with Bibi. "That was what we agreed on. I won''t interfere, but I will not be a party to murder."
"There won''t be any killing if they don''t resist." Bibi shrugged, looking over the railing where the captain had fallen. "I didn''t take any delight in that, but I will not risk my people''s land for one man''s stubbornness."
Wen highly doubted that, but she wasn''t about to show it. Instead, she turned and looked down at Kali. The reporter hadn''t said anything, but the hand that wasn''t holding her camera was shaking. Wen grimaced. That might turn into a problem. She imagined the girl dead with blood staining the snow around her. If Bibi was willing to kill the captain so easily, there wasn''t anything stopping him from just shooting Kali. Wen wasn''t in a position to stop him, either.
"Now, Miss Kali." Bibi turned on Kali, a grin that didn''t reach his eyes on his face. "I understand that you just witnessed something that I would rather keep below the table. I''m still open to including you on this expedition, so long as your report is on the hunt and nothing else."
Kali''s eyes widened as she looked over the railing.
"Yes." Bibi chuckled softly. "If you don''t agree, I''m afraid our contract might not have an amicable end. Even if your report includes those details after we part ways on more amicable terms, my family will be forced to take drastic measures."
He flexed his gauntlet as he said it, and the implications were clear. Whether in the snow or in the Twelve Kingdoms, if any of them crossed the prince, they would end up dead. Wen didn''t like being threatened, but she also liked her life as a bounty hunter. It wasn''t like studying languages back at Oxford, but it kept her stomach full and at least let her live out on Erth.
"I understand." Kali gulped and took a deep breath. "I will use my utmost discretion in my article."
"Great!" Bibi smiled, turning to walk back toward the cabin. "Let me go make sure of the crew''s loyalties. When we do land, I''ll have to make sure that they can''t just leave us here."
Thump.
The cabin door closed as he entered the interior of the ship, and Wen''s shoulders slumped. All of the tension fled her body, and she relaxed her grip on her pistol. She almost had to try to freeze four people at once. It wasn''t a conscious thing, but the possibility had been stuck in the back of her mind. She let out a deep breath before turning on Hopkins.
"You''re okay with this?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
"A contract''s a contract." Hopkins shrugged. "You don''t get far in the business if you go around crossing powerful families either. The only difference between us bounty hunters and assassins is that the government pays us."
"And that doesn''t count Section Zero," Mister Foley said, holding up one sharpened fingernail. "The Military Police has its own spies and assassins."
"I''ve never been so scared in my life," Kali whispered before collapsing to her knees.
"That''s life away from the Twelve Kingdoms." Mister Foley laughed, squatting down next to her. "Strict morality is something that you can enjoy when you get back to civilization. Out here in the Fringes, all that matters is that you''re strong. The strong do what they will."
"I''m just now beginning to understand that." Antonio nodded, crossing his arms as he looked down over the railing. "This entire expedition has been an enlightening experience."
"You''re not going to be a problem, right?" Hopkins asked Wen, his hand on his sword. "I don''t like to kill other professionals, but he''s our pay, and if he dies out here, we''ll have real troubles when we get back from the expedition."
"I won''t be a problem." Wen sighed. "I don''t like it, but I understand.
She walked over to Kali, reaching out a hand to help her up. Kali took it, and Wen hefted her up to her feet. The reporter was unsteady, but after a few steps, she found her footing. Wen smiled. One thing she could do in all of this was make sure that Kali made it out.
"We''re settled in this then," she said, looking between all five of them. "All of our decisions from this point on are to get back to the Twelve Kingdoms alive and with our reputations intact."
"Yes, ma''am." Hopkins tilted his hat with one hand.
"I''m just starting out, but I''ll have to agree," Antonio said, his smile cracking.
"I won''t bite the hand that feeds me. Just make sure you don''t do the same." Mister Foley narrowed his eyes.
Wen nodded as the lodestones around them hummed, and the ship began its descent. As the ship''s bow pointed down, she could just make out the docks with its ship in the distance. She had a bad feeling about the entire thing, but she would survive it. Just like she always did.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 102 | Roalds Plan
Crickle-crackle.
Alex stood in a warm, cozy room that reminded him of his grandmother''s house on Earth. Aside from the area around the fireplace, books lay stacked across the entire room. Most of the spines didn''t bear titles, and they weren''t like the mass-market hardcover and paperbacks he was used to. No, these were either hand copies of books or originals, complete with little pieces of additional paper sticking out of a few of them where someone had added notes.
He didn''t know why, but his fingers itched to grab one and take a look.
He might have if it wasn''t for the old woman glaring at them. Runa sat upright in her bed, wrapped in quilts as she occasionally shivered. Firril was working with a large black pot over the fire, warming up a soup of some kind if Alex could guess from the sweet and savory smell wafting from it. Gary had chosen to stay outside, which was fortunate because he was pushing it when it came to space.
They were all out of their heavy coats and down to more or less their normal clothes. Alex still had his coat on because he had to leave his normal black duster back on the ship. Sayed was down to his leather armor over his usual shirt and pants. Jean still wore his coat and gloves, but Alex assumed that was to hide his skeletal nature. Erin wore her green cloak over her regular black clothes, which she had managed to fit underneath her heavy winter coat. Mari was out of her many layers and was back to her new red cloak with the hood down.
She stood beside Alex, her arms wrapped around his leg as she looked at the old woman. Erin knelt beside Runa, doing some basic checkups on the woman''s health, from measuring her heartbeat to having her cough to check her breathing.
"You''ve got a cold, I think," Erin said as she stood from beside Runa''s bed. "If you take it easy for a few days, you''ll be alright again."
Cough. Cough.
"Thank you, dear, but I assumed as much," Runa said as she recovered from her cough. "The real problem is I''m getting old. I don''t have much time left on Erth, and spending it on this freezing island isn''t helping."
"And why are you on this island?" Alex asked as he leaned against a bookshelf and crossed his arms. "You know Mari, and you''re on the island she led us to. You can''t really pretend this isn''t all connected."
"I''m not going to." Runa laughed.
Cough.
She looked between the four of them as the soup continued to simmer in the fireplace. Alex kept his eyes on her and noticed that she was assessing each of them. She was trying to figure out as much as she could about the strangers in front of her before she revealed what she wanted to say.
"First, who are all of you, and how did you find M.A.R.I.?" Runa asked.
"We call her Mari." Alex sighed. "It''s a lot easier to say."
Runa looked down at Mari, who moved further behind Alex''s leg. She smiled, shaking her head.
"I can do that," Runa said. "The last time I met Mari, she was still with the ship. She hadn''t really been born yet. In this form, she''s something different than what she used to be."
"Wait," Alex said, closing his eyes and touching his forehead with his thumb. "First, let''s get this part over with. I feel like you''re about to reveal something complicated."
He waved across his friends before pointing at himself.
"I''m Alex. We found Mari on an island called Nowhere on Death''s Yard."
"I''m Erin."
"I am Sayed."
"Call me Jean."
"Welcome to Diamond Peak then," Runa said. "You know who I am now, as well as Firril and Gary."
Alex nodded.
"Then, let''s get this over with," Runa said. "You found Mari where Roald hid her, and Mari led you here."
"We did," Alex said.
"Which means you''re here to see Roald."
"Yes," Erin gasped but stopped as Runa favored her with a smile.
"I''m sorry to tell you this, then." Runa frowned, shaking her head as she looked down at the bed. "Roald is long gone. He would have been over sixty years old today if he were still here."
"For how long?" Erin asked, her eyes going wide in shock.
"About ten years now, I think," Runa said, sighing. "You stop keeping track of time the older you get. Every day just becomes the same after a while."
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
This made Alex question why Erin had shown up on Glory Plateau. How did she have information that Roald had been there if he had already been dead for so long? Mari gripped his pant leg tightly, and he looked down at her. She may have been an android, but she had just heard the man who she saw as her father was dead.
"Are you okay?" Alex whispered, placing a hand down on the top of her white hair.
"I don''t know," Mari whispered, frozen on the spot as Runa continued talking.
"It was all his plan in the end, though he wasn''t sure how long it would take. He wanted Mari back here, and he wanted it to happen at the right time. However, it might be too late."
"All very cryptic," Jean whispered, shaking his head. "Why won''t you just be clear?"
"Don''t begrudge an old woman her time," Runa growled as she pulled her blankets up tight around her. "If you push me too far, I''ll stop telling you anything. There isn''t anything left that you could do to me that would make me tell you what I don''t want to tell you. You can''t threaten the elderly. We''ve seen everything."
Alex glanced at Jean, and they both shrugged. Alex didn''t see the need to force the old woman to talk. Whatever Roald had planned, Mari was key to finding his ship.
"We''ll listen," Erin said. "We just don''t understand what''s going on."
"Roald had a plan, and he roped us all in on it," Runa said, shaking her head. "He thought he was the smartest guy around, and you help your friends. But over the last ten years, I just wonder if it will work."
"So what was the plan?" Sayed asked. "Surely, it must be something grand for you to be so secretive!"
"Hm." Runa frowned and looked into the distance. "You know the problem with getting old, young man? You forget all the details that don''t matter in your life. I know his plan, but I''m not sure I remember the details."
Alex sighed. It wasn''t like everything they wanted to know was tied behind this old woman''s words. Mari could sense the ship. They could find the ship without the information. However, he still really wanted to know what was going on.
"What about his ship?" Alex asked. "Do you know where it is?"
"His ship," Runa''s eyes snapped wide, and she locked her gaze on Alex. "You''re looking for his ship!"
"Yeah," Alex said. "That''s where all this seems to be leading. Even if you don''t remember everything, surely you remember that his ship is on the island."
"Where did he leave that thing," Runa whispered, looking down again.
At first, Alex thought she was putting on an act, but he was more sure now. She had some form of dementia. He wasn''t an expert on those things, but pretty much everyone across Earth had heard of the disease. A byproduct of a long life was that the human body and mind weren''t ready for. Eventually, everyone who lived long enough would develop some form of dementia as the connections in the brain became harder. She wasn''t trying to stall them. She just couldn''t remember.
"I see the problem," Alex said, stepping away from the bookshelves and Mari.
Mari scampered after him, staying behind him as he approached the bed and kneeled to be at eye level with Runa. Her eyes seemed to be vacant as she looked past him. He would have been better able to recognize it before if he had taken the time.
"Thank you for everything you''ve told us so far," Alex said. "We''ll find the ship on our own."
"Oh, you''re welcome," Runa said, a light crossing her face with her smile. "I don''t think I got your name, though."
"It''s Alex." Alex nodded, heading toward the door. "Come on guys, we need to talk, and she needs to rest."
He exited the room and out into the chilly corridors of the keep. Outside, Gary held their clothes in his arms, his sword strapped on his back, as he stood like a tower next to the door. Alex took his gloves and goggles off the top of the stack and fiddled with them as he walked over to the far side of the hallway. Mari stayed beside him, her blue eyes still searching every nook and cranny. She was still nervous, even if she didn''t recognize it.
He waited for everyone to get out and for the door to close.
"She isn''t going to remember," Alex said. "We could be here all day running in circles with her, or we can find the ship. I''d rather let her rest."
"Are you sure?" Sayed looked back over his shoulder. "She seems crystal clear in one moment and hazy in the next."
"I''m sure."
"Can Mari sense the ship still? We might be able to get answers there." Erin crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down on Mari.
"I can," Mari said, her voice shaking. "I can feel it below the mountain."
Thump.
Firril opened the door behind them, stepping outside before letting it close again. Alex wasn''t sure how a machine could look concerned, but from her hands clacking together in front of her and how slowly she walked, Firril was nervous. She bowed to them all before she spoke.
"Thank you for not pushing Runa," she said. "She''s doing her best, but with humans, their minds fade in old age. She truly wanted to help you, but she couldn''t put it in words."
"But you can." Alex narrowed his eyes as he watched her. "That''s why you came out to thank us."
"You can''t go directly to the ship." Firril nodded. "You can try, but you cannot access it without first unlocking the seals."
"And what locks this ship away?" Sayed asked.
"There are three towers on the island," Firril said. "North, southeast, and southwest. I''m certain you saw them when you first approached."
"We did," Alex nodded. "I wasn''t sure what they were for."
"They gather power from the aetherstorm to fuel the barrier around the ship. Come with me."
She walked them down the hallway and out of the keep, though everyone had to take a moment to regear up in their winter clothes. Gary stayed behind, acting like a guard for Runa''s door. A cold wind blew across the mountaintop as they stepped out onto the flat plateau. There was a light layer of snow across the area, but it didn''t seem as deep as out at the port. Above them, Alex could see a clear hole in the clouds that stretched exactly as wide as the flat top of the mountain.
There were definitely some island core shenanigans going around.
Ahead of them on the snowy field was a lake. As they approached it on foot, Alex noticed it was crystal clear and unmoving. He realized it wasn''t a lake but a transparent barrier covering a hollowed-out area below it. As Firril led them to the edge and pointed down, he saw what they had been looking for.
A dark-blue ship shaped like a submarine with two long tubes sticking out of its side rested at the bottom of the dried-out lake. It floated at the bottom of the area, but that wasn''t what caught Alex''s eye.
A large cable ran from it to a metal structure in the center of a black lake nearby. Alex took in a breath. It was an island core. The ship was connected directly to an island core. He had no idea why, but that was more than enough for him to want to jump down at that moment to examine it all.
"That''s Roald''s ship," Firril said. "If you want to know more about it, you must deactivate the barrier. Turn off the three beacons, and you can go inside and find the answers you''re looking for."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 103 | Paths
Erin struggled to control her breathing as she looked down at the ship. A thin, transparent barrier separated her from the answers she sought. She walked toward the lake, reaching out her hand. She was so close. A gloved hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from stepping onto the barrier.
"Be careful," Jean said, nodding down to the area. "There''s an aetheric charge to this barrier. If you touch it, it will throw you very far, I think."
"So, to access this ship, we must journey and turn off the power source." Sayed nodded, crossing his arms.
"That is correct." Firril nodded, tilting her head as she looked back at them.
"I''m alright now," Erin said, and Jean let go of her wrist.
Truly, she wasn''t sure, but she wasn''t going to kill herself because of a stupid mistake intentionally. It was just that the ship was so close. Everything she wanted to know for the last few months was down there, and it was hard not to give in to that temptation.
"We don''t want to lose such a valuable team member." Jean smiled with a soft chuckle.
Erin''s ears burned as she walked away from the dried-out lake bed toward Firril. She thought it might be better if she didn''t look at the ship. She wasn''t sure it would work, but she might as well try. After a few moments of focus, she could just barely ignore that the ship was down there.
"The barrier''s all around the ship, right?" Alex asked. "There''s no other way to get in?"
"No," Firril said. "The aetherstorm powers it and surrounds the entire ship."
"And all three need to be turned off?"
"Deactivating one or two will weaken the barrier, but it will still be active. Runa designed it to operate during repairs, though those haven''t ever been needed."
"How easy is it to deactivate?" Erin asked.
"In each tower is a lever attached to a metal pillar," Firril said. "All you need to do is pull the lever to turn off the power. The real problem is the guardians."
"Guardians?"
"Machines built to defend the towers. Runa designed them to ensure no one could reach through the barrier without being strong enough."
"A grand fight?" Sayed said, a smile cracking across his face and showing his teeth.
"Oh, don''t tell him that." Alex sighed. "Now he''s never going to stop."
"I''m surprised with how many defenses there are," Jean said. "It seems like Runa built a gauntlet of trials to keep out people long after she was gone."
"She wasn''t sure when people would return," Firril said. "She didn''t even know if Roald''s plan would ever succeed. Runa was always the kind of person who would give her best if a friend asked, though. She built everything to ensure that Roald''s plan would work when Mari returned here."
"Unless we lose to the guardians." Alex laughed, shaking his head as he looked down at Mari. "He''s got a lot of trust in us."
"He does," Mari whispered.
"So, we need to turn off those beacons if we want our answers," Alex said, cracking his knuckles. "There are three towers, four of us, five if you count Mari."
He paused as he looked over everyone and then sighed.
"We''ll split up." A shudder went through his body. "Realistically, Mari will just slow us down, so one of us stays here with her while the other three go and shut down the towers. Then we get back as fast as possible and examine the ship."
"You have a way with words." Erin sighed. "A blunt way."
"It is my specialty." Alex snorted. "Anyone want to volunteer to stay behind?"
"I may be able to find something useful in those books," Erin said, raising a hand. "And like Mari, I would just slow you three down. You''re monsters, but I''m only human."
"Hey, don''t sell yourself short." Alex smiled. "You''re at least half monster."
"You''ve held your own in many of our battles," Sayed said, rubbing at his beard.
"But I''ll also use the time for some research," Erin said. "There were a lot of books back in Runa''s room. There might be some answers there I can find before we even get to the ship."
She knelt and waved Mari over, and Mari waddled through the snow in her heavy coats. She held out her hand, and Mari grabbed hold of it. She didn''t mind watching Mari. Having Mari around was like having a little sister¡ªa smart sister who could read and help her look through books for useful information.
"That sounds like a plan." Alex nodded. "Now we just need to figure out who goes where."
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
"I am in favor of letting the bones decide," Jean said, reaching into his coat and pulling out a purple pouch that everyone knew was filled with bones.
"We could do that," Alex sighed. "But I''d rather know if there''s anything special about the guardians first. Are they designed specifically, or all three the same, Firril?"
"The one to the southwest is similar to Gary," Firril said.
Sayed''s immediate smile told Erin that was where he would go, regardless of what Jean said the bones told him.
"The one to the north was built similar to the turrets, and the one to the southeast uses a spear."
"These feel almost made to fight us." Jean looked down at his pouch. "Even without the bones, it feels like fate is pulling us forward!"
"Yeah," Alex said, looking off to the north. "Everyone knows where they''re going then?"
"Yes," Sayed and Jean said at the same time.
"Then let''s get going." Alex nodded as he pulled the hood of his coat over his head and started north.
Erin stood with Firril and Mari as she watched them go. Once the three of them were out of sight on their own paths away from the mountain, she felt Mari squeezing her hand. Looking down at Mari, she noticed cold, clear tears running down her face.
Wen watched the docks below as Bibi''s ship descended. The entire bounty hunting crew was kitted out in new clothing, heavy grey winter jackets taken from the crew quarters and shared among them. Only Bibi was without any form of protection, his golden armor gleaming even in the clouded-over sky.
Crack-boom!
Purple lightning blasted down from the sky above, catching the side of the mountain with its jagged strike and momentarily sending up a cloud of smoke in the oncoming snow. Wen kept a hand on her gun out of habit more than fear. Her weapons couldn''t do anything in the face of that kind of power, but they made her feel safe regardless.
"Closer, closer," Bibi whispered as the ship descended to the docks.
Click. Pssh. Clink. Click.
Kali snapped a photo of Bibi looking out over the island, her eyes still wide as she rolled a wheel in the camera. All of her photos would have to be vetted by Bibi now, but she was already adapting to the new restriction. Wen grimaced as she thought about how precarious her position was. Wen had the option of defense, on some level, even with all the other bounty hunters present. Kali just had her camera.
"We are close enough!" Bibi yelled toward the helm.
"That''s a Military Police vessel, isn''t it?" Hopkins walked to the edge of the railing next to Wen. "What would they be doing out here?"
He was the only one in the group who had yet to change into heavier clothing. He was still in his long black coat and wide-brimmed black hat. Wen didn''t know how he could stand the cold wind that cut through her body every few minutes, even with her heavy clothes.
"No idea," Wen said. "If they are really Military Police, I don''t think Bibi will be able to protect himself if he goes through with his plan."
"You trust them more than I do." Hopkins shook his head. "Life doesn''t play out like a story."
"How did you even get involved in all of this?"
"He found me and offered too much money to refuse." Hopkins shrugged. "Same as you. Same as everyone else. It doesn''t help that he''s nobility. You know what they can do."
Wen did know. There were multiple ranks of nobility, but each one had power. They didn''t necessarily have curses, but they had real political power. In the Twelve Kingdoms, a noble could declare you dead, and anyone with any sense would kill you. In the Fringes, they were more careful with their pronouncements, but if word ever got back to the Twelve Kingdoms, an entire island could be destroyed for crossing a noble.
"If we moved fast enough, he would be dead," Wen said.
"Your hand would be on the ground before you drew the gun," Hopkins said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I understand he''s not a good person, but none of the nobility are. We were doomed the second he heard our names."
Wen grimaced. Hopkins was right, of course. Of the four of the bounty hunters, he was the most experienced. However, that didn''t mean she liked it. In her life, she had known too many men with power who thought they could get what they wanted. She eyed Kali. What would she be willing to do when push came to shove? She didn''t know.
"Well, we all just need to get through this," Wen said.
Whoosh.
A cold wind cracked across the ship and shook it beneath their feet. Wen grabbed hold of the railing and saw Bibi raise one arm toward the ship. When he had shot the captain, he had raised the other arm and shot out a bullet. This time, he raised his left arm.
"This is how we handle trespassers on Diamond Peak!" he yelled as a panel on his armor opened.
Click. Boom. Whoosh. Crack. Boom.
Wen wouldn''t describe it as a bullet because that didn''t explain what it did to the ship''s hull below. A black ball shot out from Bibi''s armor with explosive force, sending it down at the ship at high speed. She could only spot it because she was used to looking for small objects. It slammed into the ship''s hull, penetrating the metal armor with a crack and erupting with an explosion inside. The ship shuddered under the attack before sagging over to its size. Smoke rose from the hole in its side.
"Now, let us fly to the keep," Bibi said, stepping away from the railing. "There will be no escape for these trespassers. We will find them wherever they hide on this island and teach them what happens when they sully my family''s lands."
The ship shuddered as it rose against the winds, its light sails ripping back and forth as crosswinds tore at it. Wen bit her lip as the ship fought its way up the mountain. There was no way it would make it in the storm. Bibi was going to get them killed before they even landed.
"Prince," Mister Foley said, clutching one of the masts tight. "I don''t think it is a good idea to sail up in this storm. We might lose the ship."
Bibi turned on him in an instant. He ran across the deck, his armor keeping him balanced as he slammed one fist into the mast. Wood splintered out from the impact, and Mister Foley flinched. Wen saw him clack his fingers together like he would respond with force back, but Mister Foley stopped before he went too far.
"Are you saying we must delay?"
"I''m saying if we want to catch your trespassers, we won''t do it dead on the mountain," Mister Foley said. "Isn''t there a way up the mountain other than flying?"
"There isn''t." Bibi turned to him, going toward the cabin. "Even if it shreds our sails, we will reach the top!"
"What about the mines?" Wen asked, and Bibi rounded on her.
"The mines?"
"We need to be able to leave the island when this is all done," Wen said, shaking her head. "We can''t do that with shredded sails. Listen to reason. We cannot fly up that mountain."
Bibi looked ready to explode, but it all stopped once he took a deep breath. He stood there for a few moments, breathing in and out before he seemed to gather himself back together. Wen eyed him until, finally, he seemed ready to speak.
"I understand. Let me go tell the crew."
As he walked away, Wen realized that she needed another plan. Trusting Bibi to his word was impossible. If she wanted to survive, she needed to make some hard choices soon. It wasn''t the first time in her life she had to make those kinds of choices, but if she wanted to live, she was about to have a career change.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 104 | Kick-Off
Jean trudged through the snow to the southeast of the keep, following the path he was meant to find easily. Fate seemed ready to guide him to the distant tower as a long stone bridge shot out of the mountain toward the tower''s shadow in the distance. Jean smiled, sending a jet of steam out of his scarf and across his goggles as he walked. He looked at the ruins with the eyes of a scholar, noting everything he saw and how it matched up to Firril''s descriptions.
A series of stone structures connected the faraway towers to the central peak from the top of the plateau and across the ranges of mountains around the larger mountain. According to Firril, they were all part of an older system, with the three towers serving different functions for the abandoned kingdom. The towers were defensive structures for the three main villages surrounding the peak. To the north were the forests, whose lumber was transported to the mines to build structures. To the southwest were the fields, which supplied the island with food stores. Finally, in his direction were the ranges, which were unsuitable for crops but great for sheep and goats. Together, the three areas contributed to the central keep and allowed the kingdom to thrive.
That was before the aetherstorm hit.
The bridges were crumbling, and the path was covered in heavy snow. Black marks showed where lightning had burned the structures several times during the decades that the aetherstorm had raged over the island. Jean sighed and opened his gate. Dark energy welled inside of him, wrapping out from his heart like tendrils across his skeletal body. He released Eliza from her slumber and sent her flying forward through the falling snow and down the length of the bridge.
Her form shot through walls and the occasional pavilion across the bridge before looping in a wide arc back to him and wrapping around his shoulders. She was a skeletal spirit, almost as much bones as he was. Only her long white hair remained from what she had once been, but to Jean she was beautiful still.
He really only wanted some company for the road.
"Such a winter land of wonder," Jean said, touching one of Eliza''s arms with his gloved hand. "It reminds me of our time together on November."
Eliza said nothing in return, but he could feel a connection as she stared at him with hollow black eyes. Jean smiled as he thought about walking through the streets dressed in furs and of their dances in the winter festivals underneath the falling snow.
"You don''t know how much I miss your touch," he whispered to Eliza as he started across the stone bridge. "I hope soon that we will be able to hold hands again and truly be able to dance again. I want to feel your warmth in my arms again."
Jean let out a warm spray of mist through his scarf as he let go of the tension he didn''t know he was holding in. One thing he didn''t have much time to think about was the doubt he carried with him. He had grown stronger to be with Eliza again, but there was an uncertainty in his curse. Was he truly Jean, and was she truly Eliza?
After a misunderstanding with his best friend, he died, stabbed in the back when he least suspected it. The last thing he knew was the piercing pain in his spine as the dagger found its purchase. When he woke up, Eliza was in his arms, and his best friend was dead on the ground in a pool of blood. He looked down at his hands. Beneath the gloves, they were just bones. Except for his head, he was a skeleton, not that different from Eliza''s spiritual form. His curse gave him the power to manipulate, control, and bend spirits to his will.
But what was he in the end?
"What do you think, Eliza?" Jean asked. "What defines a man? What makes a person human? Am I the same man who died ten years ago on the floor, or am I some shade shambling around in his place with his memories?"
She didn''t speak because she couldn''t. Jean''s heart moved inside of him as if she could feel her chastizing him yet again. He was not so far gone that he couldn''t remember her voice. He knew precisely what Eliza would say to him.
"Don''t you go thinking on those things." She would wag her finger at him. "You''re a scholar, but that doesn''t mean you have to go questioning everything about everything. Live in the moment. Enjoy this moment. That''s what matters most of all."
He was more likely to accept that than anything else in his undeath. That was the driving idea he was ready to carry forward: Live in the moment, don''t ask so many questions, enjoy what you have, and don''t question it unless you have to. It went against his nature but was better than the alternative for now.
"Fine, fine," he said, smiling at her as he looked ahead across the bridge. "I''ll keep these questions to myself for now to avoid ruining our stroll. But I don''t guarantee I won''t return to them in time. Some questions burn to be answered, even if the answer doesn''t make a man happy."
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The bridge arched up and down between smaller mountain peaks as it led the way toward the tower. In Jean''s eyes, it was truly a remarkable construction, reminding him of the architecture of April, which was also a very mountainous island. Thanks to his body''s nature, it was an enjoyable walk all the same.
Finally, he came upon the tower, the grey stone structure rising high to meet the bridge before ascending to even greater heights in the heavens above. Jean slowed as he approached, noticing that the snow in front of him was thinning out as if it had been cleared away from the footsteps of heavy traffic.
He was not alone on the bridge.
Crack-boom.
Purple lightning struck across the sky, lighting the clouded area with a flash before dimming again to the faded, dull grey of the snowy day. A man with a wide-brimmed brown hat stood across from Jean on the bridge, a spear in his hand and wearing a tattered brown cloak. Jean furred his eyebrows as he looked closer and realized that wasn''t quite right. A machine stood on the bridge across from him, guarding the entrance to the tower with two circular red eyes that never blinked.
"I take it you shall be my fated partner for this dance." Jean smiled as he unbuttoned his heavy coat and let it flow in the wind. "I know you are a machine already, but do you speak?"
The machine leaned forward, taking its spear in both hands, turning to the side, and pointing the spear directly at Jean. That answered his question more than anything else. This guardian would not let him pass so long as he wanted to go to the tower beyond.
"A silent dancing partner is no fun." Jean sighed. "So let me provide my own for the first part. Spirit Swing."
Eliza, who would have been invisible to all eyes but his own before, swirled into sight in a fiery funnel of purple flame around him. Her long white hair wrapped around his shoulders as she rested her arms across his neck in a hug from behind.
"This is my wife, Eliza," Jean said, holding out one hand and letting Eliza put her own on top of it. "We will show you our dance. Are you prepared?"
Click-ksh.
The machine charged forward without a second thought, blurring faster than any man could move while thrusting with its spear. Jean blinked. If he was a second too late, he would be skewered on the tip of that spear. It would be a terrifying thought if he had any organs to skewer.
Ting.
The spear tip met bone with shattering force, and Jean felt the crackle of his bones as the spear tip crashed into his ribcage. However, only cracks would result from the strike. Jean grunted but stood his ground as the machine''s momentum slowed, and it stood with the spear stuck into his chest.
"I just want you to know," Jean said, shaking his head as he looked at the machine in its red eyes. "That was very rude."
He had a better look at the machine''s head now, beneath the brim of its hat. It had a blank grey face aside from its eyes. There was no attempt to give it a nose or mouth. It was built to fight and nothing else. Jean pitied it for a moment.
Then he struck back.
"Spirit Battement," he said as he kicked back away from the spear and swung Eliza out from the length of his arm.
Thump. Thump.
She twirled away from him, extending her body outward as a long, skeletal leg grew out from her body. It blurred in a flurry of motion, snapping in the air with fast, precise kicks that struck at the machine''s chest. Two strikes hit solidly on the machine''s chest, throwing it back through the air and toward the tower.
Crick. Crack.
The machine pushed down in the snow to halt its movements, balancing after a moment''s hesitation and bringing the spear forward again. Jean smiled. It wasn''t going to be a pushover. Perhaps he would get some challenge out of it.
Click-ksh.
The machine leaned forward again as Jean brought Eliza back into his arms. He spotted the small spout of steam that gushed out from its legs as it charged, thrusting its spear forward again. This time, it didn''t target Jean''s chest, but he saw it coming for his head.
"Spirit Step."
The spear met air as he disappeared, reappearing behind the machine and spinning around with Eliza a second time. Jean was about to call on Eliza to do a second kick when the machine did something unexpected.
Crack-ksh.
It spun on its torso, something no man could accomplish, swinging the spear in an arc toward Eliza even as Jean spun her down his arm to kick at its body. Jean stepped forward, raising a hand above Eliza as he changed strategy.
"Spirit Pirouette!"
Whoosh.
Instead of coming out in a kick, Eliza spun in place like a top, going faster and faster as the spear approached, her leg extending out in not a kick but a whirlwind. The spear met spirit as it hit the tornado that his love had become, and the spear broke.
Crack.
If it had stopped there, the machine would have been disarmed but not beaten. So, Jean did not stop there. Faster and faster, Eliza spun until her wind drew in not only the machine but himself as well. Only his arm kept him from succumbing to the whirlwind. The machine was not so lucky.
Thump. Bang. Thump. Crack. Thump. Krsh.
Bit by bit, piece by piece, the machine was torn to shreds underneath Eliza''s assault. Like Jean, she wasn''t just bones. Unlike Jean, she was a spiritual creature who could hit harder than steel and was closer to a weapon than anything else in terms of power. The machine''s body stood no chance as it was torn to bits until only the head with its staring red eyes remained.
Jean knelt in the snow after it was over, Eliza resting around his shoulders again. The fight was done, no matter how short it had been. He hadn''t been pushed to his limits, but that was alright. It was good to have easy fights from time to time.
"It was your fate to lose to me, machine," Jean said. "But do not mourn for it. I am merely a sign that your long watch is over. Rest while I go to deactivate this tower and bring the machinations of fate to fruition."
He stood and stepped away, walking toward the tower, ready to do his part in the plan. All in all, it was too easy. What he needed was a challenge. The tower loomed above him, and Jean stepped through the door.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 105 | Twleve-to-Six
Hiss.
Steam rose from Sayed''s shoulders as the snow continued falling on him. Tiny flakes danced through the sky before his eyes, obscuring his vision as he took the final step from the spiraling staircase to the open fields below.
Sayed looked back up the mountain, taking in the stone structure that snaked back and forth. The path had been wide and built of stone, with each step covered by a stone roof, but now that he was out in the fields, the path disappeared.
In the distance, he saw the tall grey tower rising over the hovels of small homes around it. The fields were long fallow, and the relentless winter had replaced any wheat that might have grown with only hardy weeds that shot up through the layer of snow.
"A land long abandoned, guarded by the ghosts of the past," Sayed whispered as he strode through the snow, melting the white sheet around his ankles with the heat of his blessing.
His blessing gave him an advantage that none of the others could enjoy. He had already stripped off his heavy coat and only had his normal clothes on. The raging fire of his gate fueled his body, sending heat through his limbs, which fought back the cold with ease.
Sayed pushed forward through the snow as quickly as he could, pushing through the breaks in the tall weeds to find what he thought was the path toward the town and the tower. It took him only a short time to reach the ruined buildings at the tower''s base.
Like the port, the town''s buildings were full of holes, caved-in roofs, and no signs of life. The only sign of the roads that once existed were the standing walls of the buildings. Sayed stopped at the center of the town and looked up at the looming tower. It cast a shadow over the village and was as tall as the mountain. It reminded him of the giants of old stories, standing taller than could ever be believed.
"But there should be a guardian, should there not?" he asked the silent town, receiving nothing but the cracking snow to answer his question.
At first, he thought there would be no fight. Maybe the guardian had long rusted away, like the machines back in the mines. However, as he stood in the center of the town, a shaking sensation rose in his spine. Something was watching him.
Crack-boom.
Purple lightning shot across the sky, instantly illuminating the area in violet light and erasing all the shadows of the tower and the buildings. Sayed caught a blur of motion as a man stepped out from one of the buildings.
No, it wasn''t a man. Instead of two arms and two legs, like he would have expected, it had six arms coming off its metallic torso. Each one ended with a long, straight blade. Aside from its singular red eye on its oval metallic head, Sayed would have mistaken it for a man.
"Ah, I see you shall be my opponent." Sayed smiled, reaching up and drawing both swords from his back.
If his opponent had just one sword, he would have brought out the same number, but he felt justified in drawing two with his opponent wielding six. He even kept his blessing active. It definitely was not because he was worried about the cold.
Click-ksh.
Steam rushed out from the machine''s torso as its hands blurred. The top two blades on its body began to spin, and it held the other four blades pointed forward, ready to strike out with piercing strikes. It walked toward Sayed, its red eye filled with one single purpose.
It was ready to kill the intruder, of that much Sayed was sure.
Whirr.
Sayed took a wide stance as the machine approached. His gate was already open, and his swords soon burned with an orange-hot light as he focused his mind on his opponent. He would not falter. He took a deep breath as he charged forward.
"Devil''s Thrust!"
When he used only one blade and his gauntlet, his techniques were called'' Demon''s.'' However, his gauntlet was broken on the last island, and he could not repair it. When he used Abed''s blade with his own, his techniques changed, and he used the name ''Devil''s'' to denote that in his mind.
He thrust forward with one blade, right toward the machine''s chest. He threw his entire weight behind the blow but was stopped when the machine brought up one sword to parry. His sword rang out as the machine diverted the force.
Ting.
Two blades came for his throat, but Sayed was not done. Each of his ''Devil''s'' techniques had two parts. Shifting to his left foot, he thrust forward with his second blade. Metal met metal as he pushed into the machine''s chest enough to throw it off balance. Sayed jumped back before the machine could recover.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
He needed distance to assess his opponent.
"You are certainly complicated." Sayed shook his head as the machine continued to advance after recovering its balance. "You are not fast, but any attack presents a problem. One blade will bind, and the others will attack with full force. No mere mortal would be able to pull off such a skill."
This was fine since it was a machine, but Sayed didn''t dwell on it.
"I will have to go all out." Sayed nodded, bringing his blades down to his side and standing full-on facing the machine. "Not a single strike, but several, quick as lightning itself."
The machine pressed onward, ignoring his words as it advanced with a stride that only a witless creature could manage. Sayed closed his eyes. If the machine would not speak to him, that was fine. He would instead focus on the precise timing. The machine was not fast, so it was not a threat beyond its defenses. So long as he struck his swings correctly, he would win the day.
Whirr. Click-ksh.
The machine advanced unrelentingly on Sayed, but Sayed stood unmoving. He focused on his breathing. In his mind, he could see the blades spinning above, ready to come down and hack away at his body. He could see the long points of the swords, ready to stab the moment his blades were bound. The machine was good. He just needed to be better.
Click-ksh.
"Devil''s Wind!"
Crack-boom.
Lightning struck across the sky, illuminating the area in a flash of purple light. Sayed let out his breath in one blast, throwing steam around his face as he shot forward. Twelve slashes, arcing with an orange glow from the heat of his blades, lashed out at the creature, striking twelve points in a circle around the machine''s body. The cuts arced in the circles, drawing lines across the machine''s body. Six blades blocked and parried. Six strikes went through.
Shing.
Sayed appeared behind the machine, and his attack finished. He closed his eyes as he let go of the tension in his muscles and looked up at the tower. The shadow of it fell over him again as the lightning''s glow faded.
"You were an interesting fighter," he whispered as the machine crumbled to the ground behind him, sparks spurting out from six open cuts across it. "But you were not worthy to continue this tale."
He sheathed his blades on his back again, trudging forward into the snow toward the tower. He knew he needed to find a lever. He knew he must use it to turn it off. Everything else was beyond his thoughts as he entered the door.
Grayson kept his eyes down as the Arbiter approached Diamond Peak. He stood still on the ship''s prow and could not leave it as they searched the local area for any recent disturbances. A ship in the distance entering the island had called their attention to Diamond Peak. It had taken them precious time to catch up and explore the quarantined island. Even if it didn''t turn out to be Ortega, they were duty-bound to investigate a ship breaking quarantine.
Pop.
The air pressure in Grayson''s ear changed like a popping balloon as they entered the island''s bubble, and Grayson opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. In the distance, he could see the mountainous island out on the sea, shaped like a crescent moon. He couldn''t make out much in the distance beyond the cloudy skies that clung around the island''s mountains and the occasional purple lightning strike that shot across the sky.
Whoosh.
Grayson pulled his black coat tight around his shoulders, buttoning it for the first time in a long time. A cold wind bit him as the ship descended onto the island rapidly, and soon, he could make out the port below.
"We''ll check out the ship." Drake came out of the cabin and approached him on the deck, his lieutenant and Grayson''s lieutenant in tow.
Lieutenant Cade was Grayson''s lieutenant and was more of a ball than a man. He was cursed with the power to make his body like dough and could shape it to his will. He also knew the Path of Grit, which made his skin as strong as iron to blunt attacks. While it was a potent combination, the man''s personality was a problem. He was a lazy, fat ball with a head as bald and round as the rest of him. Even now, his uniform was in disarray, though Grayson didn''t have much room to talk on that front.
Lieutenant Brunhild was a woman, which wasn''t exactly rare in the Military Police, but it was rare enough. She was as pale as snow with long blonde hair and stark blue eyes. Her face had three lined scars, but the rest of her body was so covered in her uniform that he couldn''t tell if there were more. Considering her personality, he didn''t doubt there were more. She was as hard as steel, though he knew little about her capabilities.
"We''ll be ready just in case this is Ortega," Drake said as he approached the prow. "If we see the Robin at the dock, we''ll know immediately. If there is another ship, we''ll force them off the island for their own safety."
"We''d be overkill for the second one." Grayson snorted. "I''m not sure if I hope it''s Ortega, though. I want the chase to end and my ship back, but he''s kept ahead of us."
"Well, look down." Drake nodded. "We''re getting close."
There were two ships in the iced-over docks down below. One was a typical wooden construction, with normal light sails extending up from a single mast and a long design. That, however, was not what caught Grayson''s attention. He clenched his teeth as he saw the second ship and the smoke rising out of it.
The Robin, a cruiser in the Military Police, wasn''t the greatest ship he had ever set foot on. It was alright and did the job it was meant to do¡ªthe kind of ship that would do its job and not ask too many questions at the end of the day. It didn''t deserve to sit on an abandoned island, spilling black smoke out from inside from a massive hole torn in its side.
"Is that it?" Drake asked, his forked tongue slipping out from his serpentine jaw.
"It is," Grayson whispered.
He closed his eyes as he put his hands on the Arbiter''s railing. He wasn''t one to mourn a ship. They were just ships, but that was his chance for his reputation to escape the situation unscathed washed down the toilet. That was his chance to retire with his pension just gone. Grayson licked his lips before he opened his eyes and looked down at the ship again. It was still there. He wasn''t dreaming. His ship was lying in a smoking ruin on Diamond Peak.
"We need to check," Grayson mumbled, turning away. "We need to check the other ship for cannons. See if they shot it."
A clawed hand rested on his shoulder, and Grayson paused, looking into Drake''s yellow eyes. They were serpentine, but there was an emotion hiding in them that Grayson couldn''t quite read. It might have been pity. It might have been understanding.
"We''ll get on it." Drake nodded. "And we''ll bring the people who did it to justice. That''s the way of the Military Police. Everyone. Move out!
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 106 | Matriarch
Alex stood before the forest, looking out into the shadows ahead. Behind him was the mountain, with its zigzagging ramp that led down the side a short distance before following the long mountain spine of the range on the north side to a plateau. The forest stretched out in front of him on that plateau toward a shadowed grey tower in the distance. However, there was no path forward. Any roads were long since covered with heavy snow and were invisible.
Alex strode forward in the snow, the cold biting into his toes as he walked. He was warm enough, but he knew that he would feel the aches from this hike later. The only good news for him was that the snow was so compacted beneath his feet that he didn''t have to worry about sinking in too deeply as he walked.
"Granted, this entire situation feels like a game," he said, letting out a gust of steam through his scarf as he made his way into the forest''s shadows.
It bothered him that the setup was so elaborate. What kind of plan would require so much effort, not just the towers on the island but also the logbook and hiding Mari away on an island in the middle of Nowhere? He was starting to wonder if Roald was just a madman.
For the last three years, his life has been that of a wanderer. He has gone from island to island on the Fringes after escaping from August and the reaches of the Twelve Kingdoms. His primary goal was to find island cores and access hidden knowledge that implanted itself into his subconscious every time he used it. There, he had some hope of finding his way home.
However, island cores were hard to reach and find, and measuring his progress toward that goal was difficult, to say the least. Roald presented an alternative. He was a man who had apparently explored beyond the limits of the nightsea and found a new world. There might be other alternatives to finding island cores out there. There might even be a way for him to get home.
He thought about the ship at the bottom of the empty lake. Cables attached it to an island core. He thought about what that could be used for, but his subconscious came up with nothing. He hated that he didn''t have direct access to information that was implanted by an island core, but it was just one of the drawbacks.
Crack.
In the dark forest around him, hidden in the shadows of the trees, a heavy foot stepped down, breaking a branch and disrupting the silence. Alex froze. He scanned the area around him, looking for any sign of movement. Yellow eyes glimmered in the darkness.
"Alright," Alex whispered, opening his gate.
An electric thrum shook through his body as electrical wires of power snaked out from his heart to the tips of his fingers and toes. Like crackling lighting, his heart sent out electric shocks through his limbs, and he opened his senses to the world around him. No metal was in the area, but he vaguely sensed the creature in the distance and several others hiding on his opposite side. They were all around him, and he felt they were watching him. They were waiting for him to make a move.
"Great," Alex whispered, clenching his fist tight in his gloves as he took in how many there were.
He couldn''t see them but could at least keep track of them. He''d worry about what they were if they attacked, but they hadn''t done anything but watch him so far. He pushed forward through the trees, indicating that there was less snow on the ground as he approached the tower.
Grawr.
A roar echoed through the trees as he walked, but the animals didn''t move closer. They followed him through the trees as he continued deeper and deeper into the forest. As he walked, the path got easier, and he noticed remnants of the people who had once lived there. Rotten wooden fence lines marked an old dirt road, and several wooden carts that were mostly rotted to pieces occasionally lined it. Some of them were filled with logs that were mostly desiccated underneath the weight of the snow. The entire operation looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry.
Once he could see the road, he began to follow it, and the path became even easier. Still, the eyes watched him as the creatures followed. It set Alex a little on edge, but he was certain he could handle himself¡ªmostly, anyway. It reminded him of the family cat, Reyes, and how he would hunt mice that liked to run around the house at night, stalking and watching for just the right moment to strike.
He took a deep breath as he approached a clearing. Several broken and dilapidated houses were in the area, and an old ruined sawmill lay open to the elements. The entire area was falling apart, but that wasn''t what caught his attention. Instead, he focused on two things.
Firstly, the tower he had come to flip the switch on rose high behind the area, now almost fully visible through the falling snow. The height of its grey stone reached up into the clouds above until it disappeared. Secondly, he noticed a mass of broken machinery in the center of the ruined village. What had once probably been a round machine was broken into pieces and strewn across the ground. Long pieces of broken muzzles lay stretched out across the ground.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The guardian specializing in shooting that Firril described lay broken into pieces across the village.
The culprit was obvious. A large brown-furred creature lay sleeping in the center of the town, its bulk easily the height of a two-story building while lying down. At first, Alex thought it was a giant bear, but that wasn''t right. While its body had the typical look of a brown bear, the face of the sleeping creature was noticeably almost feline. Though its large eyes were closed, two ears perked up from its head, and a long tail extended out and around its legs. Its fur was a light shade of brown, and its whiskers twitched as it growled softly.
The only word he could use to describe it was ''bearcat.'' It was a massive bearcat that dwarfed anything he thought should be possible. It reminded him of visiting museums as a child and seeing the giant bones of fossilized dinosaurs that stretched to the ceiling of the displays. What was it about Erth and the giant creatures that seemed to be spawned there? Maybe it was a byproduct of aether, but he didn''t know.
"What the hell have I walked into?" he whispered, and the giant creature''s ear twitched toward him.
Green eyes opened as the creature awoke and stretched its long legs and arms in the snow. Long black claws extended out from its paws before it rolled onto its side to look at him. Under that gaze, Alex felt like he was being sized up for a meal. In his senses, he could feel the creatures watching him from the forest, stalking closer.
Bearcats. A bearcat the height of a mansion with its own small ''pride''¡ª''pack?'' Alex didn''t know what he should call a group of bearcats.
He shook his head and imagined the flow of aether around his arms. He knew he was about to get into a fight. He''d probably win, but the creature in front of him reminded him of Maki ''the Beast,'' from Glory Plateau. Taking that guy down had required a group effort.
"Junk Arms."
He held out both arms, and blue electric lights exploded around them in tiny balls. He called metal scraps into existence around his arms, forming two elongated metal arms made entirely of metal. The metal clung tightly to his coat as he held the construction together and waited for the attack to come.
''Why are you here, child?'' The bearcat rolled over in the snow before rising on all fours and stretching its back up high.
The voice hadn''t come from its mouth, as it had clearly yawned while it had stretched. Alex tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. It was like the creature had spoken directly into his mind. Alex debated how to proceed, but he figured he might as well try the obvious first.
"Do you understand me?"
''Does an elder understand a child''s wants?'' The giant bearcat licked its lips as it paced to the right. ''Of course, I understand you, child. Tell me why you have come to my land. This is my realm, and all who walk it need my leave.''
"I''m here for that tower behind you," Alex said, pointing toward it and keeping his eyes on the cat.
''The towers are to be protected,'' the bearcat''s voice dropped to a whisper. ''The secret must be kept until the time is right.''
"And who gets to determine that?" Alex clenched his mechanical fists. "We''re here to find out what Roald discovered. Mari deserves to know what happened in the least."
''You come to learn the secrets of the master, child.'' The bearcat crouched down low. ''He was a great man who took me when I was but a cub and brought me to strange lands. I owe the master much for the strength I gained then.''
Alex narrowed his eyes.
"Yet, you know he wanted his secret to be brought into the open eventually," Alex said. "You knew he had a plan."
''He did.'' The bearcat stalked forward on its haunches as if ready to pounce at him with its black claws.
"What if it is time?" Alex said, keeping his arms down as his mind raced. "We''ve brought M.A.R.I here. She deserves to know what happened to Roald if no one else does."
Hesitation. The bearcat paused slightly as it stopped its approach. Alex stared at its large green eyes. He might have found what he needed. He just needed to push a little more, and maybe he could get out of the situation without a fight.
''The daughter is here?''
"She is," Alex said. "I can take you to see her after I flip the switch, so long as you promise not to hurt her and let us go down into the ship to find out what he wanted to keep so secret."
Purr.
The bearcat sat back on its haunches, letting out a pur as it looked down on him. It was no longer ready to pounce, and the tension broke in the air. Alex could sense the other creatures in the forest around them relaxing in his magnetic sphere.
''You are an odd one, child,'' the bearcat said. ''Know I am called ''Scratches'' by my old master. If you take me back to see M.A.R.I. again, I will welcome you to the tower to deactivate it.''
Crack. Crunch.
From the forest around them and into the small village, several smaller bearcats approached. Each was about the size of a brown bear and dwarfed by Scratches, but they were all the same build as the massive bearcat in front of him.
They didn''t attack, and they didn''t charge at him. Each one found its own place to sit in the snow around the massive bearcat, lounging out and relaxing now that the battle was over. Alex couldn''t help but smile. He had been worried that there would be a fight. He would have won, but he wasn''t the kind of guy to just go around hurting animals. Alex released his hold on his gate, and his metal arms disappeared in a flash of blue light.
A small cub, about as small as a baby bear, ran up to him, hitting his leg hard with its head and rubbing against him. Alex instinctively knelt and scratched at its head, the same way he would have when Reyes popped out of a random corner to greet him when he came home.
"If you wouldn''t mind leading the way, I''d be happy to get out of this cold." Alex smiled as he looked up to Scratches.
Scratches nodded and started toward the tower in great loping strides through the snow. With a final pat on the head, Alex left the cub and the rest of the bearcat ''pride'' behind. He had no idea what would happen, but he couldn''t deny that Erth was full of surprises.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 107 | Princely Behavior
Crickle-crackle.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Click.
Whoosh.
Clank.
Click.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 108 | Mister Foley
Alex turned the golden scepter in his hand as he and Scratches, the giant bearcat, walked out of the forest. The scepter itself was bejeweled and would be worth a good bit of coin once they got off Diamond Peak and to a more inhabited island.
"Are you sure I can take it?" he asked.
''The people of this island are long gone,'' Scratches''s voice itched in the back of his mind. ''They will not miss it.''
Alex shook his head but didn''t bother questioning it. The scepter had been hidden away in one of the few rooms in the tower, kept behind glass in a display. He had found the lever close by, sticking out of a metal column placed up the tower through a roughly hewn hole in the floor and ceiling. All in all, the entire process was too easy.
It no longer snowed outside, and the skies were starting to clear. It all gave Alex a feeling he had been lied to. Instead of the towers generating a barrier powered by the aetherstorm, he wondered if the towers maintained the aetherstorm. Runa''s dementia made it so that he couldn''t take her words at face value.
"Were you here when the aetherstorm started?" Alex asked as they walked back to the keep.
''I was but a cub returned to my home.'' Scratches shook its head as it prowled forward. ''I remember when the storm was created. There was talk of a plan and much shouting. They were all very loud back then.''
Crack. Drip. Drop.
Alex reached up and pulled down his scarf. Above him, the clouds were clearing out, and the sun had begun to shine down with its warming rays. Winter was ending on Diamond Peak, and the aetherstorm above was almost entirely gone from the island''s north side. The clouds cleared up to the southeast and southwest. An electric hum shook the air as the aether dissipated into the atmosphere. The hair on Alex''s arms and head felt like it was standing on end. A static electric charge hovering over his skin was the best way he could describe it.
"Why are things always more complicated than they appear?" he asked, mostly of himself, as he looked over the rest of the sky before settling on the path before them. "What''s that?"
In the distance, Alex could see a figure walking toward the forest. They weren''t dressed in the red and black of their stolen Military Police Uniforms, so he knew it wasn''t one of his group. Whoever it was wore a heavy grey coat. If the figure had been larger, he might have thought it was Gary.
''A weasel.'' Scratches sniffed.
"That''s obviously a person."
''I have traveled to many places. That person smells like a weasel.''
Alex rolled his eyes but trudged forward regardless. He wasn''t about to argue with a creature that wasn''t sure if it was a bear or a cat. Scratches followed him, its massive form romping through the snow in easy strides, making it impossible for Alex to stay ahead.
As he was walking toward the figure, he saw it stop and take on an odd stance. The man threw one leg backward, holding two fingers of each hand forward, one pointing down and the other pointing up. A cold sensation ran up Alex''s spine, and he was certain the man said two words. A vibration in the air shot out from his fingers as he swung them both like opening doors. The vibration shot out like a long blade. It kicked up snow from the ground as it cut through the air, and Alex''s breath caught in his chest as he realized what it was.
Back on Earth, he often saw martial arts movies as a kid. They were easy to find online for free, and the subtitles could be in any language, regardless of what was spoken on screen. One of the most common things in those movies was a technique of a master swordsman, where they would cut into the air and send the cut flying toward their opponent. Alex opened his gate, hesitation fleeing from his mind as he focused on the metal device in his chest. It was a flying blade technique, if he wanted to name it.
Electricity thrummed through his body from his heart, arcing out like lighting through his limbs. It was like the steady electric hum of being next to a live wire was running through every part of his person. Alex reached out a hand even as his gate finished its activation and focused his mind as he tore his gate open wider.
"Steel Wall."
Thwip. Thump.
An electric blue light flashed in front of him, appearing like it had been there the entire time. A moment later, a heavy impact crashed and broke on the wall as the air-based attack hit and dissipated against the steel. Alex rushed forward, putting his shoulder against the wall and peeking into the cold field beyond.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Scratches had jumped to the side, avoiding the attack, and the figure stood unmoving in the distance. In Alex''s estimation, the figure was about fifty meters from him. He had ways to close in, but they would require being exposed.
"Why can''t we just talk this out?" He sighed as he steeled himself and prepared to jump out behind cover.
No matter what, he would need to get closer. He had some ranged capabilities, but they weren''t his go-to option. He had always been more of a puncher when it came to fighting, even back on Earth, the few times he got into trouble. Fists were something he could rely on when the going got tough. He dropped the scepter in the snow as he got ready to fight.
"Three, two, one," he whispered before charging out from behind his cover.
Twip.
"Step."
In a blur of motion, like he had slammed his foot against the ground a thousand times in an instant, he surged forward, disappearing from where he had been as another air-blade cut across the ground before reappearing a short distance away.
"Rail Gun."
Alex clenched his fist, pulling back his right hand for a punch. He focused, taking a deep breath as he imagined a solid metal rod in the air. A blue electric light flashed as the rod entered the world. With a push of magnetism and throwing a punch like he was throwing a rock, he sent the rod flying at the figure in the distance.
Whoosh.
The bar shot off like a missile, careening toward the figure right on target. Alex didn''t let the opportunity go to waste. He assumed the figure had some form of defense. He charged forward, keeping an eye on the rod and the figure as he cut the distance between them.
Shing.
An air blade cut out with a flick of the man''s fingers, deflecting his rod and sending it careening off to the side and crashing into the snow. It was outside Alex''s range and disappeared in a flash of blue light. The figure''s fingers lined up on Alex as he charged, and Alex took in a deeper breath.
"Wind Scythe!"
Twip.
"Step!"
He could hear the man this time and shot off to the side in a blur of motion as the blade cut through the snow where he had been. Now, they had about ten meters between them. Alex could finally figure out why the man had randomly attacked him.
"What''s your problem?" Alex asked, clenching his fists as he geared up his body for a fight.
"I was sent to retrieve one of the trespassers on the owner''s island," the man said, the wind rotating between his fingers. "When I saw you returning with a monster, I assumed you were a threat."
Alex looked over to Scratches, who was still a distance away, ready to bolt to the side at a moment''s notice. She had come closer but was still further away than Alex had gotten, thanks to his Path of Step. Alex eyed the figure.
"So you attacked," Alex said.
"I did. If you know what''s good for you, you''ll come with me back to the keep. The prince is paying me a pretty penny to get both the bearcat matriarch and any trespassers. I don''t have to kill you, but I will."
"Heh." Alex smiled, holding out his right arm. "Junk Arm."
Blue light flashed across his arm as it was covered by mishappen bits of metal. It elonged into a fist that was a little longer than his normal arm and a much larger fist. Alex flexed the fist in his magnetic senses, and it closed tight as he brought it close to his body.
"I don''t know who you are, but I''m not going to do that," Alex said. "I''m ''Tin Man'' Ortega, and I don''t roll over for anyone."
Because of his goggles, Alex couldn''t see what was going on across the man''s face. However, his fingers twitched at the name. Alex wasn''t surprised. He was wanted for a million dolers for burning down an island, but he was more surprised when people didn''t know who he was.
"You said ''Tin Man'' Ortega?" the man''s voice shook. "My boss told me to be on the lookout for you."
"The prince did?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"No, someone much more important." The man shook his head. "Did you really beat Mister Deadman?"
It was Alex''s turn to be shocked. He had beaten a man named Mister Deadman. He was a guy dressed in a pinstripe suit with really pale skin that Alex met back on the island of Nowhere in Death''s Yard. The man had the power to manipulate and generate bones, and he turned into a giant bone scorpion before Alex beat him.
"I did," Alex said.
"You can call me Mister Foley," the man said as the wind twisted between his fingers, turning faster and faster as he drew them apart until he had a looping twister formed like a whip between them. "Miss Malone sends her regards, but I have to kill you now."
Alex''s muscles tensed as Foley grabbed hold of the vortex with one hand. Mister Foleyh hadn''t attacked yet, and Alex wasn''t sure exactly what he could do. He was clearly cursed and could manipulate the air around him, but Alex didn''t know the limitations of his power. If Alex rushed in, he might lose before he understood what was happening.
"Wind Whip," Mister Foley whispered, lashing out with the wind in his hands.
Whoop-crack.
Alex threw up his arm and caught the wind against it. The metal shook under the strike, and Alex clenched his teeth. He pushed back against the attack, but it didn''t stop with the initial hit. The wind lashed around his arm, rubbing against it with a vibrating force that shook through his entire body. His teeth clattered together as Mister Foley pulled back on the whip.
"Wind Throw."
Mister Foley pulled hard on the whip, and Alex''s feet left the ground. Foley didn''t seem like he should have had the strength to pull off the move, but Alex was rotating in a circle around the man. Mister Foley spun his arm in a circle, like a cowboy with a lasso above his head, and Alex was caught along for the ride.
Crack.
Foley swung hard on his windy whip, pulling the line taunt and carrying Alex with it. Alex sailed through the air toward the snow below, the ground rushing at his face faster than should have been possible. Alex closed his eyes, and pain rocked through his arms as he landed on his shoulder. He rolled through the snow to a stop as the wind around his arm dissipated.
He pushed himself onto his feet without a moment''s hesitation, even as nails of heat slammed across his arm. Alex knew he needed to get back momentum in the fight. He focused his eyes on Mister Foley as he used his metal arm to push himself up from the snow.
The fight was only getting started.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 109 | Desert Mirage
Sayed tilted his head as he examined the glass case before him. Inside the case, in the tall southwestern tower, was a golden gauntlet, bejeweled with gems of many different colors. He was no expert in types of stone, but the entire thing seemed really expensive. While he liked that it was a gauntlet, he knew it would be useless in battle.
He had already found the lever and flipped it down to deactivate the tower. When he had turned off the device, the entire thing had shaken for a few minutes, but now the tower was silent. Sayed touched the glass with one finger as he again considered his problem.
He could easily steal the gauntlet, and no one would miss it. However, the important question was why he would steal it. God certainly did not like thieves, but at the same time, for a thing so long abandoned, was it truly stealing? He wouldn''t use it in battle, but it would be a fantastic souvenir of his trip to Diamond Peak. Sayed closed his eyes and furrowed his brows as he twisted his mouth. Finally, he drew one of his khopeshes from his back and cracked the glass open with the sword''s handle.
Crack. Ksh.
The glass shattered around his hand and fell into the display. Sayed reached in and took out the gauntlet, admiring it in the dim light stones that lined the room. He sheathed his khopesh. He smiled as the gemstones glittered in the dim light and carried them out with him as he went back outside into the cold.
"A prize worthy of the last fight."
His gate still burned hot in his chest, making it unnecessary to cover against the cold. He had not let it close because of the cold seemed to wrap around the island. However, when he stepped outside, he noticed the cold wasn''t as oppressive as before. Above him, sunlight shone down through the dissipating clouds, and the shadows of the storm were gone.
"Strange," Sayed mumbled. "I thought the aetherstorm fueled the devices, but they appear to have made it instead. When we return to the keep, there will be much to answer for."
Many people had assumed, to their folly, that Sayed was slow-witted when they met him. However, he knew better than most what was happening around him. If the storm truly powered the towers, the storm would not lighten but worsen when the towers stopped leeching the energy. That much was obvious to Sayed. Whether Runa knew was an entirely different prospect.
Sayed looked down at the gauntlet as he walked back toward the mountain when the shadow crossed his path. It was a long shadow, longer than it had any right to be, and at first, he thought it was from the tower, but it came from the wrong direction. Sayed looked up and spotted a solitary man standing directly in his path at the entrance to the town.
"Hello, stranger!" Sayed held up one hand before noticing he still held the gauntlet in the other and slipped it behind his back. "I did not think there were any other people on this island. Are you friends with Runa?"
The figure was dressed in all black and had a wide-brimmed hat that shadowed his face. He wore a long coat and held a sheathed curved sword in one hand. Sayed kept an eye on that blade while waiting for the stranger to respond.
"You weren''t what I was expecting." A line of mist escaped from under his hat as he appraised Sayed. "Aren''t you cold out here?"
"I could ask the same of you." Sayed grinned, putting his hands on his hips as he flexed his muscles. "My friends were dressed very warmly, but that long coat does not look warm enough for the snow."
"True," the man said. "But we bounty hunters have an image to maintain."
"I see. Have you come for the head of the great ''Sword Saint'' Sayed?"
"Hm." The man shook his head. "I thought I recognized you, but that isn''t why I''m out here. I''m with the island''s owner, and he sent us to gather up some trespassers. Now, I''m in a bit of a bind. I have to bring you in either way, but I didn''t expect to find someone out here like you."
"Hah," Sayed said. "I am the least of your concerns, I think. If your master sent others to go after my friends, they''ll soon find other outlaws to fight."
"Oh, do tell," the man said.
"They will find ''Tin Man'' Ortega to the north, Baptiste ''the Reanimator'' to the southeast, and ''Thorn Queen'' Leah in the keep itself. I pity any of your allies who meet one of my friends."
"That is quite the roster." The man whistled, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I''ll have to beat you quick and hurry back if that''s the case. The money alone from those bounties would pay for a good bit of living."
"What makes you think you can handle so many?" Sayed asked, pulling his khopesh from his back. "We are all strong."
"Everyone I fight is strong," the man said. "I''m Matthew ''Witchfinder General'' Hopkins. I''m sure you heard the name."
"I have not." Sayed shook his head.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He spread his legs into a wide stance and held his khopesh over his head.
"No lie?" Hopkins asked as he brought his sheathed sword up next to his head. "That''s more of a surprise than anything else. I was sure almost every outlaw out there knew who I was."
"I did spend some time locked away recently." Sayed shrugged, taking a deep breath and gathering power inside his chest. "Perhaps that is when you became famous."
"Well, doesn''t that beat all?" Hopkin shook his head. "I guess I''ll just have to show you."
Sayed tensed as he prepared himself. Already, his blade began to glow with the heat of his blessing. He couldn''t stop that in this cold, so it wouldn''t be a completely fair fight. He hoped Hopkins had a blessing of his own. That way, the fight could be a fair one.
"Shadow Slash."
In a movement faster than Sayed''s eyes could follow, Hopkins drew his curved blade and resheathed it. Sayed tensed, expecting a flying blade similar to Bragg''s attack from Nowhere. No blade cut through the air, though. It wasn''t until Sayed''s eyes trailed to the ground that he saw the attack.
From Hopkin''s shadow, a line shot out across the ground toward Sayed. Sayed raised his blade as he saw the cut flying toward him, hoping to block the invisible attack. He never saw it coming, even as his blade vibrated in his hands.
Shing.
Sayed grunted as he pushed the attack away. He saw the shadow careen off into the distance until it struck against the shadow of a building. The building crumbled under the attack. It fell into two pieces as if a blade had sliced through it.
"That is a strange ability," Sayed whispered as he turned back to Hopkins.
"I have power over shadows." Hopkins shrugged as he raised his blade again. "That is my curse. You seem to have something of your own."
"I am blessed with the heat of God." Sayed nodded, pointing his khopesh at the man''s heart as he again adopted a wide stance. "Let me show you my own skill."
Sayed took a deep breath as the man''s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. His muscles clenched tight, and the snow around him caved in. With a release of his breath, he let out the power built up inside of him and charged forward.
"Demon''s Thrust!"
"Shadow Slash."
Shing. Ting.
Sayed thrust his body forward along with his sword. He disappeared in a flash of movement, reappearing close to Hopkins. He caught Hopkin''s invisible blade when the shadow of his blade met Hopkins'' own. His blade rattled as he pushed against it, and with a second grunt, he pushed it to the side yet again.
However, he did not stop.
"Demon''s Claw!"
Sayed did not have the benefit of his gauntlet, so when he slashed upward, his fingernails glowing brightly with the heat of his blessing. Hopkins sidestepped Sayed''s slashing fingers, and light streaked past the man''s hat as Sayed finished the arc of his slash. Sayed''s fingers burned with the intense heat of his curse, and he knew his nails would need time to repair themselves later, but it was his only option with his gauntlet gone.
Thunk.
Though the blade was still sheathed, Hopkins lashed out with it, knocking Sayed in the stomach with the hilt and throwing him back into the snow. Sayed hit the ground for a brief moment before rolling back up onto his feet. He placed one hand down on the ground and couldn''t suppress the laugh that escaped his lips.
"A good hit." Sayed smiled as he pushed himself up from the ground, the snow on his body instantly turning to water and running off his chest as he took a stance again. "I thought for a moment that you just had one move."
"I have many." Hopkins shrugged, holding his blade at his side as one hand hovered over the sword''s hilt. "But you don''t go around fishing with a gun."
"I understand that statement fully. " Sayed nodded, his mind going to Abed''s sword on his back. "I am not one to waste strength on those weaker than me. A fair fight is the best fight, whenever possible."
"You''re going to make me regret having to kill you, aren''t you?" Hopkins shook his head, and Sayed thought he saw a flash of his white teeth beneath his hat. "There are a lot of strong swordsmen out there, and I''m certainly not the strongest, but you''ll find that a lot of them are like us."
Hopkins''s shadow grew around him as he stood there, becoming a dark pool that sunk around his ankles and blackened the snow to nothing but a dark void. Sayed recognized that he was using a technique related to his blessing and was probably accessing a higher form of it.
"Endless Shadow," Hopkins whispered as his shadow finished pooling around him in a massive bubble of dark void.
"You say you will need to kill me, but I think it will be the opposite," Sayed said as he drew in a deep breath and filled his gate with even more aether. "I think you will find that I am holding back."
He forced his gate wider and wider as he focused on his breathing. He had yet to have an opportunity to use the second level of his curse, but he thought he might be able to try out a few things against this Hopkins. Heat rose off his body in clouds of steam as the vapor in the cold air instantly boiled near his skin. The air around Sayed shimmered, and he seemed to grow larger, taller, and wider in a few moments. Even his blade grew in length and width.
"Desert Mirage."
"Aren''t you full of surprises?" Hopkins laughed as his hand touched the hilt of his curved sword. "Let''s see how much that makes a difference. Void Barrage."
In a flash, he drew his sword and sheathed it in the next instant. From his shadow, lines of darkness shot out, twelve in total, lashing outward through the air and no longer bound to the ground around him. Sayed saw the cuts coming but did not move. Instead, he opened his arms up to the attack and welcomed the attacks to hit his body.
The twelve cuts slashed into Sayed''s form, but he felt no pain. Blood, steaming and hot, poured out into the snow all around him, staining it red, but Sayed felt nothing. His body fell to the ground, but Sayed was no longer there.
Crunch.
Hopkins walked over to Sayed''s body, looking down on it from above as blood melted the snow around him. Sayed had fallen forward and was now face-down in the snow. The heat of his curse was fading around the body; soon, even his blood would turn to ice.
"I think you were too big for your britches," Hopkins said as he shook his head. "You got the second level of your curse and got too confident. A lot of people are like that. It makes it easier for me to cash in their corpse."
He reached down to turn the body over, but his hand went through Sayed''s shoulder.
"What in the abyss?" Hopkins said, and Sayed knew he saw the flaws in his illusion then.
"Death Mirage."
Kthk.
Sayed stepped next to Hopkins, thrusting his sword into the man''s back with a smile. His blade sliced through the leather jacket easily, and Hopkins froze in place under the sudden assault. Sayed leaned close to whisper in his ear.
"Fire is not my only blessing. Beware the power of my mirage."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 110 | Pasta Party
Jean fiddled with the ruby-jeweled circlet in his hands as he stepped back into the snow from the tower. The treasure had been sitting beside the lever in the tower, and he had hardly even considered picking it up. However, leaving such a treasure there without being used would be a crime. Surely, the citizens of Diamond Peak would forgive them for taking it if they ever returned.
"A bright sunny day, how unexpected," he whispered as the sun''s warmth touched his face for the first time since he had arrived on the island.
He quickly pulled back his hood and removed his goggles and scarf, relishing in the sun''s bright rays. Eliza flowed through the world around him, her spectral form floating this way and that in the newly cleared sky. Jean smiled as he put the circlet on his head, the red ruby softly touching his forehead.
"If only I had been fated to be a king, I think it would have suited me well," he told Eliza as she floated past on her way down. "Of course, you would have been my queen, Eliza."
She swirled up his body, wrapping around him until she came to rest on his shoulders. Her empty eyes locked with his before she nodded at him. Jean smiled as he continued into the snow, following his path back toward the broken machine he had left after his fight.
It still lay there in the snow, broken and unmoving. Bits and pieces were strewn across the area, and Jean paused a moment to close his eyes and send well wishes to the machine in death. He had no idea if an automaton had a soul¡ªhe hadn''t seen a sign of one when they had fought¡ªbut he was not one to not wish better on such a thing.
Crunch.
As he stood there, boots compacted snow nearby. Jean opened his eyes, and across the bridge, he saw a figure in a coat. Jean took a deep breath, adding fuel to his open gate as he squinted to make out the figure. As far as he knew, there were only six people on the island, eight if he counted the two automatons. No one should have been coming out to see him, and he didn''t recognize the figure in the coat. Something else was happening, and he had no idea what it was.
"Hello, stranger," Jean called out to the figure as it approached the last stretch of the bridge. "I wasn''t aware of anyone else on this island. Are you an automaton?"
Light gleamed off the figure''s goggles as it looked over to him. It wore a grey coat, and its face was completely covered by its scarf, goggles, and hood. A chill ran up Jean''s spine as the figure examined him. He felt like he was being assessed as a threat.
"I need you to come with me," the man said, his voice hard and bitter as the cold. "You are trespassing on my client''s land; he doesn''t want you here."
Jean weighed his response.
"You can hardly blame a man for wandering an island when no sign keeps him at bay." Jean chuckled. "People are fated to wander wherever they please, and there was no announcement or sign saying that I could not walk on this land."
"If you come with me now, it won''t be a problem," the man said. "Make no mistake: I will take you in by force if need be. I am Antonio Fettucine, an up-and-coming bounty hunter."
Jean frowned. That changed things significantly. He might have gone with the man if he was a simple guard. He wouldn''t mind explaining his actions to a local lord and would even return his ill-gotten circlet if it were noticed. However, a bounty hunter created a problem. A bounty hunter might recognize his face. Jean smiled at the invisible Eliza before he opened his gate further and embraced the chill of death.
"You see, that''s a problem," Jean said as the figure continued to approach. "For, you see, I am an outlaw myself. You can call me Baptiste ''the Reanimator.'' Spirit Swing."
Eliza sparked into sight with a purple glow, spiraling around his body in a long loop as part of the theatrics before resting on his shoulder. He reached out one hand, and Eliza put her own hand in his. Fettucine paused in his approach, his emotionless goggles taking in all of Eliza and Jean with an audible gulp.
"That complicates things," Fettucine said, shaking his head. "I want to get through all of this with my reputation intact. If you don''t come with me, I will have to show you the skills that made me head chef at Lord Landry''s manor!"
Jean raised an eyebrow. It was an odd thing to boast about. In his experience, being a head chef had little to do with fighting. However, if that were the man''s battle cry, Jean would have to praise him for his uniqueness.
"Then let us dance!"
Jean let the aether flow through his body as he drove his gate further and wider open. He embraced the purple flow that shook through his limbs as he opened himself to the spirits. Eliza''s form turned a bright purple as power flared from him and into her.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"Spirit Step."
He disappeared in a flurry of motion, instantly cutting the distance between him and Fettuicne. He reappeared behind the man, twirling Eliza in his arms and preparing her to lash out in a vicious kick to the back of the man''s hand.
"Noodle Net!"
Fettucine spun on one leg, white ropes extending out from his coat''s arms. They lashed together, forming a net between his hands as he turned. Jean was in the middle of releasing Eliza for her kick, and he had to pull her back with all his strength to avoid the clutches of the net.
Whoosh.
The net caught nothing but air as it sailed past, and Fettucine made a second spin as he was thrown off balance. Jean watched him, unsure of what he was dealing with. There were many kinds of curses across the nightsea, but he had never heard of a man cursed with the power to control noodles.
"Such a strange ability."
"It was perfect for my old job," Fettucine said. "Yet, I have also adapted it for the new. Where I once made glorious pasta dishes with my powers, I now use these tools to capture those who would defy the law. That is the zest of my life now! Penne Missile!"
Thwip. Crack.
Lines of light brown cut through the arm of Fettucine''s coat as he held it pointed towards Jean. Jean threw himself to the side, balancing with Eliza''s arm as they created a U-bend where he had once stood. Short, sharp lines of pasta shot through the air, whistling past him and toward the bridge. Though the attack seemed silly, the results were not. A line of pasta missiles stuck out of the stone construction, and several cracks erupted down its length from the force of the attack.
The right arm of Fettucine''s coat was in tatters as he lowered it, a cold white whisp of air coming out from his scarf. He glared at Jean through his goggles. Jean brought Eliza close, pulling her skeletal torso into an embrace as he observed Fettucine. It would be wrong to say that his ability was strictly just pasta or noodles. No, it was more than that. He had to be using some aether to harden the pasta into a usable form. Jean suddenly doubted that he would have been able to escape the net''s reach if it had managed to catch him.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"There is more to you than meets the eye, my friend," Jean said, his shoulder twitching as he began to tap his boot on the ground. "However, I don''t think that is all there is to your ability. Surely, you come up against me with more than the power of pasta at your side. You are glowing with a fate much grander than that."
Whoosh.
"It may be true that I''m holding back." The wind blew past Fettucine''s head, knocking the hood off and revealing greased-back blonde hair. "But that is only because I am uncertain of my new abilities. I have yet to try them against a strong opponent. My noodle web has been more than enough before this point."
"One doesn''t grow strong by not testing themselves," Jean said, nodding along with his tapping footbeat. "The dance of fate requires you to push yourself to the limit to grow stronger. Show me your best, and I will answer with my own. That is all I ask of you!"
"Alright!" Fettucine said, ripping away his jacket to reveal a crisp white chef''s uniform in the sunlight. "I will show you my power. Don''t regret it!"
Jean smiled. The one thing he truly cared about, the one thing he wanted in life now, was the experience. He didn''t want to live with any more regrets. If his opponent didn''t come at him with the best, Jean wouldn''t be able to be happy. It might sound foolish to those who cared about winning, but Jean wanted to know he was the best. He wanted to know what Fettucine was capable of. That would bring him the utmost joy.
"Noodle Armor!" Fettucine held up his hands as he sent strands of noddles out and around his entire person.
The noddles twisted and curled as they fell around Fettucine. They wrapped tight around his arms, legs, and chest as they formed into layers of lines. Sheets of pasta formed into plates around his chest, and curled spirals stretched between his limbs to connect them. On his knees, elbows, and shoulders, circular pieces of pasta formed, hardening into protective plates over the joints. In seconds, Fettucine had a fully formed whole wheat set of armor over his body, giving him a wide girth and elongated arms and legs.
It didn''t make sense to Jean that Fettucine could move in the armor, but the man was full of surprises. He swung his arms out in quick jabs, stretching his arms as he tested how far each one would go with each punch. Jean watched, carefully measuring the length Fettucine seemed to be able to move.
It wasn''t a new level to his curse but a technique. Of that much, Jean was sure. Whenever someone''s curse ascended to the second grade, it burned brightly in the person''s chest. While Fettucine was using a lot of aether to fuel his armor, it was nowhere near as bright as the second grade.
It was a pity. While Fettucine was certainly doing well with such strange power, Jean was confident he would win. Unless the chef had some secret weapon, Jean knew that his and Eliza''s dance would carry him through. His foot stopped tapping for a moment as he prepared his attack.
"Spirit Step!"
Jean disappeared in a blur of movement yet again, reappearing with Eliza behind Fettucine. Fettucine was already swinging around with his long noodle-armored arm, the long strands elongating as he pivoted on one foot.
"Noodle Jab!"
"Spirit Battement!"
Jean spun Eliza down the length of his arm, more certain this time than the last of the distance for the attack. A spectral skeletal leg extended from Eliza''s body as she rolled out the length of Jean''s arm. Her leg blurred into motion as she kicked the air repeatedly, kicking up snow and dust with the wind from her speed.
Splech.
Noodle met bone as the fist connected with the flurry of kicks, and for a moment, Jean thought he had the upper hand. The noodles buckled under the attack, flowing back like water pulled away in a tide. It flopped backward before surging back in place as Eliza''s relentless kicks continued.
However, it wasn''t that simple. As Eliza''s leg should have blurred faster and faster in a series of cutting kicks, they instead slowed. Lines of pasta wrapped around her leg, drawing further up the bone as they stuck tight around her limb. Jean''s eyes widened as he realized the problem.
The noodles around Fettucine''s body were sticky, and every attack he made against it caused the armor to wrap tighter and tighter around Eliza''s form. Lines of noodles strapped Eliza into the armor, drawing her away from his arms and into the chef''s sticky trap.
"What will you do once I take away your spirit, Baptiste?" Fettucine asked as a smile cracked his face.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 111 | Stone and Fury
Erin looked out the window as five figures split from the armored man. Two were still left with him, but they didn''t look ready to fight. Gary watched them leave below, balancing his giant sword on his shoulder but otherwise unmoving. Erin had no idea what was going on, but she knew there was about to be a fight. And she didn''t want to be involved.
"Go get him, Gary!" Runa yelled from next to Erin as she leaned at the window.
"Runa!" Firril tried to pull the old woman away, but she seemed possessed. "You have to get away from there!"
"Not while Gary''s going to give him a thrashing. That petty prince deserves every lick! I should have bent him over my knee a thousand times when he was a child!"
Erin raised an eyebrow as she started to back away.
"Runa!" Firril pulled at the woman, albeit gently. "Gary''s in danger, and so are you. We need to leave while he buys us time."
"What?" Runa turned, her eyes empty as she searched the room. "Is that M.A.R.I.?"
A pain tugged at Erin''s stomach as she saw the woman reset again. She was out of her mind, her thoughts taken by the dementia of her age. Erin''s back hit a bookshelf, and she nearly fell over. Mari watched her with blue eyes as she righted herself and took a deep breath.
"Erin," Mari whispered, walking over to her and taking her hand. "Can you help?"
Erin froze, looking into Mari''s large blue eyes as her heart clenched tight. She wanted to get out of there. She could get Alex, and they could deactivate the towers and hop on the ship to run. There was no need to get involved in a fight against some random man down below. Sure, she had gotten involved in a few fights, but that didn''t mean she wanted to rush into one.
The gate in her chest writhed and shook, calling for her to open it and draw in more aether to fuel its power. It wasn''t the first time that Erin felt like the gate had a will of its own. On Glory Plateau, it had called her to action. On Cragg Hollow, it made her want to fight.
"I can''t," Erin said, kneeling to be at eye level with Mari. "Gary can handle him. We need to get everyone out of here."
Mari''s blue eyes flickered with static as she tilted her head and stared at Erin. Despite how inhuman Mari''s features could seem, she still had a face beyond her large blue eyes, and she frowned at Erin. Erin grimaced.
"But you''re all heroes, right?" Mari asked. "Sayed told me the stories. You save people when they need help. That''s what you all do."
Erin wanted to correct her. Sayed certainly saw himself as a hero. Although Alex usually acted in his own interests, he might be seen as a hero. Jean was in fights for his own interests as well. Erin only went into a fight when there was no choice. She would rather sneak away than go face-to-face with anyone and risk her life. Without the others dragging her into their conflicts, she would do anything but fight.
She was no hero.
"The mission comes first," she whispered, the words tasting foul as she said them.
To Erin, the small fights were largely irrelevant. Getting to the ship and getting the rest of the group off the island was more important. As soon as the barrier was down, she could pilot Roald''s ship and pick up the rest of the group. They could get off the island without having to worry about any fights. Beyond survival, there was no point in fighting the people sent after the group.
"We need to get out of here," Erin said, tugging on Mari''s arm.
"But what about Gary?"
"Gary isn''t a person!" Erin said, and Mari froze.
All eyes in the room focused on Erin. Firril''s eyes locked on her. Mari''s blue light reflected on her skin. Runa''s jaw dropped, and a look of shock crossed her face. Erin frowned. It was like she had detonated a bomb in the room.
"You''d just leave him to die," Firril said, her voice warbling. "Because he isn''t a human?"
"Who says he''s going to die?" Erin stood up. "Do you think that man is that strong?"
"I don''t know," Firril said. "But I know he''s going to fight. He''s risking himself down there for us."
"Which is why we should run to the ship. Everyone should have flipped the switches in the towers by now. We can get in the ship and get them out of here."
"Which leaves Gary behind." Firril let go of Runa and rose from the bed, her body hissing with steam as she stepped toward Erin with robotic movements. "I will not abandon him."
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
"Sometimes you have to abandon a person for a mission."
"So Gary''s a person now when it''s convenient for you?"
"No," Erin whispered, her ears radiating heat as she looked down. "I just¡ªI just want to make sure we can escape. We shouldn''t be taking fights we don''t have to."
"It''s too late for that," Runa whispered. "The fight is on your doorstep. Will you abandon your home or stand and save it?"
Erin closed her eyes tight to force away the headache that was trying to form. The gate in her chest strained against its restraints. It wanted to open. It wanted her to use its power. Erin knew that this wasn''t her home. Runa was just talking about her own perspective, but she understood. Her body wanted to fight, even if her mind fought against it.
"Erin."
Erin opened her eyes and saw Mari staring up into her own.
"Am I a person, or am I just a machine? Would you leave me to die if it meant everyone else could escape?"
Erin''s heart skipped a beat as those blue eyes looked into her own. Mari hadn''t been with them long, but she was like a little sister. While her body had many doll-like features, Erin couldn''t help but see her as a person. She thought of the two automatons. Was she more willing to think less of them because they didn''t look human?
"No, Mari," Erin said. "I wouldn''t."
Her heart seemed to beat again when she said those words. She hadn''t thought about them, but they felt right. She wouldn''t leave Mari behind. Even if¡ªeven if the revolution gave her orders otherwise. That thought was less certain in her mind. The foundations of it were shaky.
She took in a deep breath. The man was just in armor. He couldn''t be that hard to fight. She had fought with an ex-Apostle on Glory Plateau and beaten a crazy mutated crab doctor on Cragg Hollow. She wasn''t weak. She could handle him.
"We''ll run if there''s trouble," Erin whispered, pointing to Mari before drawing a line to both of her eyes. "We''re not going to stay in an unwinnable fight."
"Yay!" Mari threw her arms up before falling back onto the floor.
Erin shook her head. She opened her gate, headed through the door, and left all of them behind. The second the door closed behind her, she regretted everything she said. Erin knew she didn''t want to fight, but she also knew that she would be okay. It didn''t change that her first gut reaction was to cut and run.
Erin opened her gate as she walked, embracing the power of growth inside her chest. Power writhed and twisted through her arms and legs like growing roots and branches of a tree. Her fingers and toes tingled as she drew more aether into her body. Even her skin began to itch, and she knew that plants would be budding out beneath her clothes and forming into small multi-colored stems. She was ready for a fight when she stepped through the doors, down the stairs, and into the park.
The armored man stood before Gary. Gary held his sword in both hands, pointing it forward as they faced off. The man in golden armor didn''t have a weapon on his person. In Erin''s eyes, he was about to lose against Gary unless he had some tricks up his sleeve. She approached but kept quiet. Only the two men who stood away from the man in armor noticed her, and they did nothing but watch.
"You will fall today, machine," the man said. "I, the great King Bibi, will restore you to your rightful place."
"I''m a man," Gary said. "You may be the lord of this island, but if you can''t recognize flesh from steel, you don''t deserve the title."
Bibi''s face grew red at the words, and he held up one arm toward the automaton. "I won''t be cowed by some machine!"
Click.
A panel opened on his arm, and a long barrel shot out from it, pointing directly at Gary. Erin had a moment to recognize it as a gun. Gary didn''t flinch. He charged forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc and down on Bibi.
Bang. Ting.
A ringing sound shook Gary, and he froze on the spot. Smoke rose out from the barrel of the gun, and Bibi smiled. His ears still burned with anger, but he began to laugh. Erin froze on the spot as she watched Gary. He was as still as a statue, his sword mid-swing.
Hiss.
A line of steam shot out from his chest, shooting out and into vapor as he stood frozen.
"A machine, through and through until the end." Bibi began to laugh. "Machines should know their place. They are the servants. They are the worker. They should follow orders and think of nothing else!"
"Stone and Fury," a warbled electronic voice escaped Gary''s blank face. "Will you just shut up!"
Clank. Crack.
Gary''s body twisted, swinging the sword forward despite the internal damage. The long blade clanged into Bibi, not with much force, but with enough to send the man falling to the side in his armor. Bibi gasped as he fell, landing on his side in the dirt.
Thump.
The large sword fell out of Gary''s hand as he collapsed to the ground, grasping at his side as he knelt on one knee. Erin hesitated before running forward, placing a hand on Gary''s shoulder as he shook from the steam releasing from his body.
"I''ve been hit bad," Gary said. "I think I''m bleeding out."
Erin wasn''t sure what to say. He was clearly only leaking steam, but it did look serious. Her abilities were only good for living tissue, so she couldn''t simply accelerate his body''s growth. However, she wasn''t sure how to break it to him.
"Hang on," Erin said as she watched Bibi stand again, his face burning a bright red all the way to his nose.
"I will not stand for this mockery!" Bibi yelled, bringing his barrel to bear again.
"Vine Whip!" Erin lashed out with her arm, a green vine sprouting from her skin and shooting toward Bibi.
Thwap.
With a solid hit, her vine wrapped around Bibi''s arm, closing the hinge around the barrel and pulling Bibi closer. The attack nearly threw Erin off her balance, and the weight of the armor pulled against her more than she expected.
On the island of Nowhere in Death''s Yard, her curse had evolved to the next stage. She hadn''t been able to use it in a fight yet, so she wasn''t used to it. Instead of needing to rely on seeds she carried around with her, her body was now a garden. Any seed she consumed, she could grow plants based on it. There was more to it, and she was certain she could even modify the plants she took in, but she had yet to get a chance to really experiment with them.
"A parlor trick," Bibi said, holding up his other arm.
Click. Fwoosh.
A line of fire shot out of the arm, cutting through Erin''s vine and sent it falling limply to the ground below in a blackened mass. With another lick, the panel closed as Bibi rose to his full height in front of her. The fight was far from over.
"Another trespasser to take care of," Bibi sighed. "You''re truly all like roaches."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 112 | Decisions
Cold wrapped around Wen as she trekked north with Kali. Though both had coats salvaged from the ship, the biting cold was still oppressive. She didn''t know how the undisturbed area around the keep worked, but it defied everything she learned from her required secondary school and university science courses.
However, even as she was contemplating it, the storm disappeared. The sun''s radiating heat peeked through, dispersing clouds and opening up a bright day. Wen paused, looking up at the sky, and Kali stopped beside her. Kali held up her camera toward the aetherstorm as it dissipated.
Click.
Kali snapped a photo of the sky, turning a crank on her camera again as she kept walking. Something Wen had noticed about Kali in their short time together was that she was constantly looking for things to take pictures of. If she had been born on Earth, she would have the beginnings of a great photographer. Wen wished she had a digital camera to show off to Kali, but those didn''t exist on Erth yet.
"Wait up," Wen said, running forward to catch up with Kali.
Kali slowed down. "Do you think we''ll make it out of this alive?"
"I''m uncertain that Bibi can be trusted to keep to his word," Wen said. "He''s made a lot of threats, and he''s hurt people. He seems to break every promise he makes."
"What if he just shoots me and dumps my body out here?" Kali''s eyes were wide.
"I won''t let him get away with that," Wen said.
"And then he just shoots you too or has one of the men do it." Kali shook her head. "We''re all alone out here, and he''s a noble. He has a family back home backing him up. All I have is a cat to feed."
Wen clicked her tongue. That was the rub. She couldn''t fight off all the other bounty hunters at once, regardless of what she wanted to do. If Bibi ordered them to kill her and hide the body, they would do it to keep their status intact.
Even she ignored the death of the ship''s captain. People''s integrity had a cost, even her own. The line she was drawing at Kali was just arbitrary in the end. Kali stopped walking and stared at her, and Wen locked eyes with the young woman. Why was she willing to fight back for a reporter? Was it the situation, or did she just want to feel like she hadn''t lost her integrity?
She pushed that feeling down.
"Let''s just focus on getting through this in one piece for now," Wen said. "You can''t worry about what''s right when you''re dead. Maybe we''ll find an opportunity to break away."
"Which just leads to my life changing forever." Kali shook her head but followed Wen as they trekked further north.
Wen didn''t have the heart to argue. Their problems had been made the moment they had both signed onto the expedition.
The aetherstorm was gone around them, and Wen heard the change in her surroundings as they walked. Snow cracked and crunched as little drips and drops of water made a song in the ground around them. The area''s temperature was rising quickly, and she pulled down her hood and scarf so she wouldn''t start sweating.
"What''s that?" Kali pulled up her camera and pointed in the distance.
Click.
Wen squinted, her googles doing a lot to block out the light shining off the snow. In the distance, she saw three figures out in the snow. She didn''t have to guess. It would be Mister Foley after he found one of the intruders. However, it was the third figure that caught her attention. A furry four-legged animal stood off to the side of the two figures. It was larger than any bear had any right to be, but Wen immediately recognized the body of a bear. A long tail and a feline face also marked it as a cat. Her search for Bibi''s quarry was over because it was definitely a bearcat.
The question was whether the creature was the matriarch, the largest of the bearcats, as Bibi had requested. For all she knew, a larger one was hiding in the distant forest. Wen pulled her rifle off her shoulder, unslung it, and looked down the slope. The animal was at least the height of a three-story building. It had to be the matriarch. However, as Wen looked at it, she was less certain she could take one down alone. If it resisted the freezing effect of her rounds, she would have to use regular bullets, and she didn''t think regular bullets would do much to take it down.
Click. Crunch. Crunch.
Kali snapped a photo before walking forward toward the fight. Wen changed her scope over to Mister Foley. His coat was halfway torn off, and the trespasser he faced against was equally uncovered. Wen had to pause when her scope rested on the trespasser. She recognized him.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
It was Alex, also known as ''Tin Man'' Ortega.
"What in the hell," she whispered, adjusting her scope to make sure.
Wen had met Alex on Tombstone after years of being a slave under the thumb of an outlaw. Alex had fought Goldfist and his deputy, and he had inadvertently set her free. He hadn''t come to save her or any of the other slaves. Instead, he had come to the island to gain access to the island core. After he ran away, she started looking for him but couldn''t track him down.
Yet, here he was. The famous outlaw who had burned down August was in her sights. If she pulled the trigger, she could take him down and start asking questions. Snow exploded between the two fighters with a flick of Foley''s wrist as she lined up the shot. No. If she took down Alex, Foley would kill him.
Wen took a deep breath. She faced a serious choice for the second time in the last two days. She wanted to take Alex in and ask him questions, but she also wanted to survive and make it back to the Twelve Kingdoms with her reputation intact. In the end, she couldn''t have both. She also had the bearcat to worry about. If it was the matriarch, it was what Bibi wanted. There were too many decisions to make and too many variables to worry about. What was more important to her?
Steeling herself inside, she lined up her shot and made her choice.
Captain Grayson stepped away from his ship''s broken hull. There was nothing left, nothing salvageable. His ship was broken and dead on an abandoned island on the Fringes. He should have been angry. He should have been ready to tear down the world to get revenge for his ship. However, Grayson was tired.
He sat down on the docks, looking at his ship as it lay on its side in the ice. A black line of smoke still billowed out from the hole. Grayson sat there awhile, embracing the numb sensation prickling his body. It wasn''t until Cade, his lieutenant, sat beside him that he noticed someone else was there.
"What''re we going to do, Captain?"
"I don''t know." Grayson sighed, reaching up one arm to pat Cade on the shoulder.
Cade wasn''t the best officer in the Military Police, far from it. He was in his position because he was too dumb to work any other job, but he had still managed to learn the Path of Grit. However, Cade was Grayson''s Lieutenant. They had been together on the Robin for the last decade. Like it or not, they had lived in the same home for a long time, and it hurt to see that home gone.
"I think you''ll still be able to salvage your commission," Grayson said. "They''ll put the blame for this squarely on my shoulders. I''ll see to it. None of our men need to suffer for this. I''ll just take my discharge, and this will all be over."
"But captain." Cade frowned. "What about your retirement?"
"Nothing for it, but it''s gone," Grayson said. "That''s just how it will have to be."
Grayson thought about the letters burning in the cargo hold. There was nothing left of them but ash now. Those letters would never get to the people they were intended for. A few weeks ago, he wouldn''t have cared, but what if there was a final letter from a dead son to a mother in that crate? He had taken his job for granted, and now he realized how much it mattered.
Thump.
"There''s no one on the other ship." Captain Drake stepped off the other ship onto the docks. "If we''re going to find them, we''ll have to search the entire island."
"Yeah," Grayson whispered, standing up and patting Cade on the shoulder as he turned to face the lizard. "We might as well get a move on then. There''s nothing to be saved here."
Several soldiers in black and red coats, led by Captain Drake''s lieutenant, hopped down from the ship. Together, they were a strong force, and searching for Ortega would be easier if they all worked together. Drake looked down the docks before returning his gaze to Grayson.
"I''m sorry for your loss," Drake said, his tongue flicking from his maw.
"I''ll feel better when Ortega''s behind bars." Grayson shrugged. "Let''s get on with this. I don''t want to see her like this anymore."
"Alright!" Captain Drake yelled so all his soldiers could hear. "Spread out, search the town! We''ll have to find a way up to the keep if they aren''t here. Lieutenant Brunhilde will guard the port with two men while we search. Move out!"
With a salute, they spread out through the village. As Grayson walked, he opened his mind to the world around him. With the Path of Will, he could see things that no normal man could. Walking past ruined buildings, he knew their search would be for nothing. There hadn''t been anyone in the area for hours. It was too cold to feel where they went, but he knew the area was empty.
He went to tell Captain Drake when he noticed the sunlight break through the clouds above.
Before his eyes, the clouds dispersed, clearing the way for sunlight to stream down on the port town. Grayson knew that the island was under the effect of an aetherstorm. While it was weakening, it still had years left before it would fully be cleared away. Yet, he could see the sunlight shining down on him from above. He could feel the warmth on his nose.
"Drake!" he yelled, pulling down his scarf and releasing a burst of white mist.
Drake ran toward him, his serpentine head switching between the sky and Grayson. Grayson could tell that he didn''t believe what he was seeing either. It gave Grayson a cold feeling in his stomach. What they knew about the island was wrong.
"Did you see what caused it?"
"I have no idea." Grayson shook his head. "I don''t sense anyone in this area, though. I don''t think they''re going to be here."
Drake looked up the side of the mountain, and Grayson followed his gaze. At the top was a massive round stone keep. It was just as likely a place as any Ortega to be. However, the real problem was how they would get up there.
"Get back to the ship," Drake said, returning toward the docks. "Everyone, get back to the ship!"
"Step." Grayson disappeared in a flurry of movement, reappearing next to Drake as he ran. "What are you thinking?"
"We can take the ship up to the keep," Drake said. "That will make it easier to find them. We can still leave people behind if they decide to double back."
Grayson nodded. It made sense. If they didn''t have a direct path and didn''t know exactly where Ortega was, an eye in the sky would be the best way to get an idea of what was happening. They could outmaneuver him as long as Ortega didn''t come back and take the ship.
"We''ve got him," Grayson said. "He''s got nowhere to go, and we have the only ships on the island. All we need to do is close the rope, and he won''t be able to escape."
"Exactly." Drake smiled back at him in his own serpentine way.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 113 | Shadows Retreat
A cold, stabbing pain pierced through Hopkins''s side. He hadn''t seen Sayed move behind him. The last thing he noticed was that the man was on the ground dying. How had he gotten behind Hopkins? He tried to concentrate, but the blood leaking out from his side made a great distraction. Below him, the body flickered, and he noticed it was more blurry than it should have been. He blinked, and the form wavered before disappearing.
"How?" He coughed, and a kick to his back sent him falling to the ground and off the sword.
"You were fighting an illusion," Sayed said as he towered over Hopkins, his shadow shielding Hopkin''s eyes from the sun. "God has more power than just the heat of its wrath. It is the flame, yes, but it is also the invisible heat of the desert sands that trick and distort the senses of men."
Hopkins grimaced, rolling over in the snow and planting his sword down to help himself to his knees. He wasn''t done and opened his gate further to manipulate the shadows around his abdomen. He wrapped a layer of shadows around his side, coiling it tight until it would hold pressure to stop his bleeding.
It didn''t take a lot in a sword fight to take down an opponent. One severe blow was enough to start your opponent toward death''s door. Sayed''s thrust had been that blow, and if Hopkins couldn''t rely on his curse, he would have bled out in the snow right then and there.
A grin cracked across his face. He hadn''t fought like this in a long time.
"Why do you fight?" Hopkins asked, taking in a steadying breath and forcing himself to stand.
A sting of pain rocked through his side as he stood, but he clenched his teeth and let out some of his breath to cool it. He was an experienced bounty hunter. He wouldn''t let a mortal wound slow him down. It would ruin his reputation.
"That is a hard question." Sayed shook his head, beginning to pace a circle around Hopkins. "I am a man seasoned by many battles. I fought in the war to protect my people from the heretics. When I came to the nightsea, I fought to free people from their bondage. In it all, the common thread is simple. I wish to bring honor to the fallen by creating a story so grand that they are brought up by being part of it."
Hopkins coughed.
"That''s it?"
"It is."
"Hah." Hopkins let out a low chuckle as he forced his shadow tighter around his chest.
At this point, he was like a leaking barrel, and he wanted nothing more than to escape and wrap his wound. The question was if the ''Sword Saint'' would let him. Hopkins didn''t know the outlaw, but in his experience, they didn''t leave bounty hunters like himself alive. His business was fought to the death. His only option was to escape.
"Then I''ll need to push myself even harder," Hopkins said, narrowing his eyes.
He focused on the shadows around him. The first grade of his curse allowed him to use shadows as a method of attack. He used that to transfer the attack from his sword to his opponent in what was often the perfect sneak attack. The second grade of his curse allowed him to generate and manipulate shadows originating from his body freely. He could escape if he was willing to give up his bounty-hunting career. Bibi, he already knew, wouldn''t let him just walk away.
Was he ready for a career change?
He gathered a well of aether inside his chest, pushing it through his body with the cold, tingling sensation that accompanied his curse. Power coiled around him as he manipulated the dark tendrils, and he focused his mind on what he wanted to do.
"Black Hole."
A bubble of shadow erupted from the ground around him, the tendrils of darkness connecting together and consuming all the sunlight. It was about the size of the small village around the tower and would look to outsiders like a bubble of darkness blanketing the area. Inside, there was no sight or sound. There was no light. It was pitch black.
Not even Hopkin''s could see inside of it.
He staggered in what he thought was the right direction, holding his side as he did so. A jolt of pain accompanied every step, but he wouldn''t stop until the light hit his eyes again, and he was out of the bubble. Sayed would be just as blind, and Hopkins needed to trust that the confusion would be enough to allow him a head start.
Whoosh.
He sensed movement around him. While he couldn''t see, there was a flow to the aether he could feel in the dark. Instinctively, Hopkins threw himself to the side. Was it a blade that passed by his head? Not even he could tell. He pushed himself further away from where Sayed had been. He needed to escape. He walked until he hit the edge of the bubble.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
He grunted as he fell forward in the snow. He kept his gate open, focusing on keeping the bubble intact as he crawled away. He made it a few meters away when a bright orange ball exploded out of the bubble. Sayed stepped out with two swords, blazing as hot as two suns.
"It''s a dastardly trick, but still a worthy one," Sayed said as he searched the snow. "Where have you gone, Hopkins? Come out so that we may finish our fight!"
Hopkins drew the shadows to himself, adjusting the flow of his gate and spreading them out into long tendrils again. He had what he wanted: distance. All he needed to do now was get away from the swordsman.
"Shadow Stride!"
Using the shadows like limbs, he rose on eight of them, pushing through the snow and away from the town in quick, long strides. He walked like a spider, and he was certain that Sayed would not be able to catch him unless he stopped.
He was already formulating his plan. He would make for the docks. He could take the ship and leave Bibi behind. He would throw his good name as a bounty hunter into the dirt, but that name was worth nothing if he died.
As he ran over the fields, he chanced a look back. ''Sword Saint'' Sayed stood on the edge of the town, his swords still burning bright as he laughed. Hopkins would remember that laugh. He would remember that the ''Sword Saint'' had beaten him. One day, when he was stronger, he would turn the tables and beat him.
That much, Hopkin''s promised himself to slake his shame.
Sayed released the hold on his gate as the swordsman disappeared. Hopkins had chosen his life over death, and Sayed couldn''t blame him. Not every swordfight needed to be to the death. Sayed did not relish killing and would have offered mercy for Hopkins if he had asked for it.
However, he was also fine letting him run away. Sayed sheathed his swords and reached behind his belt, pulling away the gauntlet from where he had secured it. Despite a scuff or two across the gold''s surface, he found it was still in good shape. It would make a grand trophy from the fight.
He looked to the keep in the distance, and that was when he noticed the ship rising to the side of the mountain. A steel Military Police slipship rose against the stony side of the mountain. He could tell from the prominent mark of ''MP'' on the ship''s side. Sayed raised an eyebrow. With the storm gone, there was no reason to keep the ship below, but the ship''s shape did not quite match the Robin.
Sayed ran toward the mountain, keeping track of the ship as it came to the keep. The closer he got to the ship, the more certain he was that it was not the Robin. That left Sayed with a question: Whose ship was it? He frowned as he ran toward the ramps that led up to the keep.
There were limits to how fast he could run. However, Sayed was quick. He practically vaulted up each step, his breathing coming in short rasps as he ascended the mountain. The air was thin but full of aether, and it fueled him higher as he pushed himself harder.
He came out on the top as he saw the ship making a wide pass across the keep.
Several figures dropped from the ship, landing in the snow with solid impacts around the keep. Two figures were on Sayed''s side of the keep, and he knew there would be others surrounding the keep in a formation. Sayed rushed forward, drawing his khopesh from his back and pushing his gate open wider.
He might have been denied a victory against Hopkins, but whoever these people were, he would stop them.
"Stop! Put up your hands, or we''ll shoot!"
Sayed ran on, pulling out his second sword.
Bang. Bang. Ting. Ting.
Two bullets shot out from their guns, and Sayed sliced twice. His swords rang out as they cut through the projectiles. Sayed was on the two men in red and black coats before they could track him for follow-up shots.
"Devil''s Twister!"
His swords cut in a circle around him, blowing up snow and dirt into the air and sending the two men flying with their rifles. They fell in the snow a distance away, and Sayed quickly assessed the ship''s position. It had gone a full circle around the keep before returning toward him.
As it approached, a large figure dropped into the snow, sending more snow flying as it cratered into the ground. Sayed recognized Lieutenant Cade from when they had hijacked the ship on Lundao.
"Oh, you have returned," Sayed said, a smile cracking his face. "The last end to your story had you falling into the sea!"
"Don''t think I''m going to forgive you for that!" Cade''s face burned red as he threw his body forward, one hand stretching into a massive ball as he threw a punch. "Dough Hammer!"
Thanks to his blessing, Cade''s body had the property of dough. When he combined that with the Path of Grit, he had a body that could withstand attacks but also stretch and mold itself into devastating strikes. Sayed brought up both blades, catching the arm as it came down on his head.
Sayed blocked the attack with a grunt as he focused on his gate. He opened the gate wider, causing his swords to flicker with orange light while steam rose from his body. If Cade was here, the Military Police had caught up with them all. He couldn''t afford to hold back.
"Then it is time for me to test my abilities," Sayed whispered, grunting as he pushed off the arm with his blades and jumped back to create distance. "Devil''s Wind!"
Twelve slashes lashed out across the air between them as Sayed disappeared. Every attack hit because Cade wasn''t a nimble fighter. Sayed appeared on the other side of Cade, his blades flickering as he turned to face Cade''s back.
"That ain''t going to work!" Cade spun on one heel, revealing twelve dark lines on his chest centered on a single point. "Dough Swing!"
His strike came for Sayed, but Sayed didn''t appear to move. His form blurred slightly, and if the lieutenant had paused to check, it was a little more blurry than it should have been. Sayed''s mirage wasn''t an unimpeachable illusion. The massive handball passed through where Sayed had been, but Sayed''s body only flickered as Cade came around for another swing. The true Sayed appeared as Cade committed himself to the blow, standing in a wide stance off the side as he charged more heat into his blades.
"Devil''s Thrust!"
He charged into Cade''s back, throwing his sword forward in a long thrust. It slammed into Cade''s side but didn''t penetrate. Instead, Cade bounced off his sword, and Sayed threw his foot back as he thrust his second sword in a shorter thrust. With two solid hits, Cade was tossed away from Sayed, landing in the snow far away. He rolled to a stop in the snow, and Sayed began to run.
He couldn''t truly defeat Cade as he was. He needed to get to his friends and help them escape.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 114 | Kickball
Whoosh.
A cold wind cut through the air between Baptiste and Antonio, and Antonio smiled. He had his opponent right where he wanted. The troublesome spirit was captured in his armor, and Antonio could take his time binding and breaking the outlaw down using his powers.
People thought less of him because of his power. They thought he was weak. They thought he could do nothing. He couldn''t spit fire or shoot out light beams; he could control noodles. Those people were wrong, and Antonio knew it in his heart.
Noodles were the strongest power¡ªstronger than any sword, gun, or weapon that mortal hands could bring to bear. That was why Antonio would succeed at the end of this day.
That determination was how he bound the spirit to himself. The sticky nature of noodles, combined with the aether in his curse, allowed him to bind things constructed by curses. Not only that, but opponents couldn''t call the construct back so long as his noodles bound it. This was his secret to taking down cursed people while bounty hunting; it was how he had made a name for himself.
He might be the disgraced Head Chef of Lord Landry''s manor, but he was no slouch.
"You might as well give up," Antonio said. "I have your spirit bound, and soon I will bind you. You don''t stand a ghost of a chance against me."
Baptiste chuckled, and Antonio had to take pride in that. His pun was truly exceptional.
Snap. Snap.
Baptiste snapped his fingers in a steady beat. Antonio furrowed his eyebrows. Baptiste was too confident in his position. Antonio was sure that it was a bluff. He had the spirit under control. All he needed to do was trap the man.
"You think that I only have one trick?" Baptiste asked as he continued to snap his finger. "That''s where you''re mistaken. Spirit Shroud."
Purple light flickered over his body, covering his coat and pants as it sparkled over his limbs¡ªa long purple suit formed over his body, with a yellow shirt beneath it. The same light ignited from his fingertips as he raised it to his head, forming it into a long hat that he pulled over his head with a yellow feather sticking out from it.
"You have your armor, and I have mine," Baptiste said, continuing to snap his fingers as he began to circle Antonio. "I am sorry, my beloved, but you must wait while I take care of this ruffian. He should know better than to separate two dance partners."
"You will take me seriously." Antonio growled as he raised one of his noodle arms. "I''ll have you encased in noodles when I''m done with you. If you so much as touch my body, you''ll end up the same as your spirit."
He drew a deep breath, focusing on his open gate. His noodly powers wrapped and corded through his body more and more. He raised one hand as he stepped forward, the noodly armor around it sluffing with it as he aimed his punch.
"Noodle Cannon!"
Antonio slammed his foot down on the snow in front of him, throwing his hand forward in a punch. His noodle-covered arm shot forward, stretching beyond his reach and flying right toward Baptiste. Antonio smiled as he noticed that he was right on target.
"Spirit Step."
Baptiste disappeared, and Antonio reflexively ducked the kick he thought was coming for his head. However, the kick never came. As his arm stretched to its limit before snapping back toward Antonio, he searched the area around him. When his arm returned to him, he rolled with it, spinning around to face the man standing in the snow behind him.
"Have you ever played ''kickball?''" Baptiste asked as he stood in the snow with one foot on the head of a machine. "Every child at some point plays some game where they kick a ball, whether there are formalized rules or not. It is an experience to relish as a child because you can never truly experience the joy again."
"When I was a kid." Antonio lined up his next shot. "Doesn''t everyone have some sort of game they played as a kid? Don''t think you can distract me from this fight. It''s not like we''ll break out in a game while you''re losing to me."
"I always liked playing it as a child," Baptiste said. "It was a simple thing. Just you and a few friends running through the street until sunset, kicking a ball back and forth with each other. I always loved those games."
Antonio had no idea where Baptiste was going with his prattling. There weren''t any balls around. For a moment, he was sure that the outlaw was insane. He focused on what he had come to do. He needed to defeat Baptiste and bring the man back to Bibi. Then, he could escape the island and be free from this wretched situation.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"You talk too much," Antonio said, holding his fist back before lunging forward with a second strike. "Noodle Cannon!"
"Spirit Piourette!"
Even as his arm shot out, Baptiste kicked the machine head up into the air and began to spin. He rotated faster and faster as Antonio''s arm shot forward. Antonio smiled at first, thinking he had a sure shot. However, then he noticed that the wind from the spinning threw his punch off course.
Thump. Crack. Thump.
His noodle arm fell in the snow, but the machine head came down in range of the twirling Baptiste before he could pull it back. With a solid crack, Baptiste landed a kick on the head, sending it careening out like a bullet right toward Antonio''s face.
Antonio didn''t have time to dodge. In his armor, he gave up speed for the power of his noodles. With a solid thump, the head cracked into his face, and darkness consumed Antonio''s vision. He fell backward into the snow, the power of noodles fading from his consciousness as cold embraced him.
The last thought to cross Antonio''s mind was that he would remember Baptiste. Someday, he would find him again and beat him. He would rue the day that he belittled the power of noodles.
Jean reached out a hand, calling Eliza back to him as the noodles faded from around her. She jumped into his arms, wrapping around him with her light purple light as his suit faded away. Jean exhaled as he closed his eyes and released his hold on his curse.
"You should rest, Eliza," he said as he closed his gate. "You''ve been through much today."
He stared into her hollow black eyeholes as he closed his gate and let her fade away. Again, he wished he could bring back more of her. He wanted to hear her voice again. He wanted to feel the soft caress of her fingers across his face.
Maybe when he was stronger.
He looked down at Fettucine''s body in the snow and sighed. The man''s face was purple with a large bruise, and his nose was bent at a crooked angle. His eyes were open, but only the whites of the eyes were exposed. It was sufficient to say that Jean had won by knockout.
"This is why you don''t separate me from my partner, friend," Jean said, reaching down and grasping his legs.
It took him a few minutes, but he dragged Fettucine to the tower and deposited him inside. As much as he had angered Jean, the man didn''t deserve to die unconscious in the snow. When he was done, he made his way back to the bridge, making a decent pace back to the keep. The sun above renewed his strength, and he was no longer focused on sightseeing.
That was why he was surprised when he noticed the metal slipship cutting through the air from over the keep. It took him a moment, but he recognized it wasn''t the Robin. Jean paused on his bridge as he saw the ship make a dipping pass near the start of the bridge by the keep. Two figures in dark coats dropped down there.
"Looks like we''re at it again," Jean whispered as he started forward down the bridge, ready to fight.
He opened his gate, and a cold, chilling energy filled his body. He remained adamant in his words. He would let Eliza rest. Instead, he would focus on his own dance for this fight. He wasn''t ready to call out his full power yet; that would depend on how strong his opponents were.
Lines of purple energy ran off his body, so thin that they were barely visible. This was the first iteration of Jean''s curse, Spirit Strings. His Spirit Shroud was his best version of the technique, wrapping the strings into a battle suit that allowed him to move freely with the power. Beyond that, his second level centered on Eliza and their dances in tandem.
"You fools found your fate on this bridge," Jean called out as he approached the end of the bridge, where two men stood in the archway, rifles in their hands. "You may run, you may hide, you may fight, but every man finds his fate ends the same way someday."
His words had the chilling effect he wanted. The rifles came up, training on him. Jean chuckled, manipulating the strings before him into a lattice structure. He was already prepared for his first move.
"Stop where you are! Do not resist! You are under arrest!"
Jean did none of those things, walking forward with his hands in his pockets.
"Fire!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The remaining snow across the bridge jumped up in small bursts, drawing lines toward Jean as they cut through the snow, shot by shot. Jean raised his hand, drawing his strings tight in a practice motion he hadn''t used in ages.
"Spirit Wall."
The lines drew tight, forming a barrier between himself and the soldiers. Bullets crashed against his barrier, but they only slowed and rolled after they failed to penetrate his defenses. Jean shook his head as he couldn''t help but grin.
All he had to do was wait.
Click. Click.
Both men''s guns clicked empty, and Jean released his hold on the technique. Stretching one hand wide open, he sent out long lines of spectral energy to grab onto the men''s coats. Each one took four, connecting to their limbs to link them to himself.
"Spirit Parter."
With a pull, he raised their arms into the air, their guns flying from limp fingers as they both raised their hands to the sky. Jean casually strolled toward them, snapping his finger every other step to a beat that was only in his head.
Snap. Snap.
Jean rarely used these techniques, mainly because they weren''t his style. He preferred the fun of dance over the use of strings. However, that didn''t mean he hadn''t taken the time to figure out interesting ways to use the first level of his curse.
"Now," Jean said as he stood before the two men. "I''m going to find my friends. When you wake up and your comrades retrieve you, remember why you shouldn''t shoot at strangers. Think about your fates in your dreams."
Thwap. Thwap.
With two kicks, he released his hold on the two soldiers, who fell into clumps in the snow. This time, he didn''t bother putting them away. The ship circled above, and he figured that the men''s superiors would come and get them soon.
He had already guessed that it was a Military Police vessel. The large MP on the side and their symbol were more than enough to guess that. However, Jean had no idea how the Military Police had followed them all to the island. He had far too many questions to answer alone, and he could not fly to get up to the ship.
Jean strode for the keep, watching the ship as he moved. No more soldiers dropped down. He quickly made his way to the keep, entering through the wide northern doors to check on Erin. Whatever was happening with the ship above, they needed to regroup. He only hoped his friends were alright.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 115 | A Noble Death
Bibi stood triumphant and tall. He would not let these trespassers run him from his homeland. He was a proud prince, no king, of the Abrams family. He would not submit to some petty rabble-rousers on his land.
"I won''t let you sully my land further, woman," Bibi said as he clenched his gold gauntlet tightly.
She had sent out a vine to stop him earlier, but his armor''s built-in flamethrower had stopped the attack before it became a problem. Bibi''s armor was top-of-the-line, built by the best engineers in the Twelve Kingdoms. The suit was like a walking slipship, armed to the teeth with weapons and powered by an aetheric core that animated the limbs with superhuman force. If he tried with his armor, he could probably lift at least one side of a galleon, and it was worth every doler spent on it.
Several black objects scattered out from her hand, falling on the ground around him. He wasn''t sure what the woman was trying to accomplish, but they wouldn''t do anything to him. He shook his head, trusting in his armor to protect him from anything the woman tried.
"What''s wrong with you?" the woman demanded as she stood defending the automaton that had defied him. "Just because you''re a noble, it doesn''t give you the right to hurt people!"
Bibi laughed, shaking his head at her ignorance. He was surprised that she didn''t know. Granted, he was out in the sticks. The Fringes were known for their ignorance. Unlike the Twelve Kingdoms, there was no central authority, and peasants weren''t taught their place unless a noble family like his own rightly guided them. His family had been far too derelict in their duty. So, he would need to educate her.
"That is precisely what nobles can do," Bibi said. "We bear the blood of the Founders. We are the untainted families, the last true humans."
Click.
With a hidden release, he opened all the panels on his armor. Long barrels extended from his arms as he raised his hands. His two shoulder guards flipped up to reveal the two cannon barrels mounted there. The two guns on his belt and the two hidden in his knees also extended outward. He would reduce the machine and the woman to bits in the next few seconds.
"The simple truth is, we are better than you," Bibi said, taking his time aiming his weapons. "We are the ones blessed by the Scions to rule over the filth-stained remnants of humanity. When this island is brought into one of the kingdoms, my family will join the Heavenly Stars. But you won''t see that. You will be long dead."
Bang. Bang. Bang.
He shot off every barrel at the woman and the machine in a cacophony of smoke and fire. Smoke rose before his eyes, obscuring his vision as he blasted away, but he was sure that the shots hit. He even heard the sound of metal meeting metal as his shots hit the machine. Inside his armor, his barrels automatically reloaded, clicking into place with gears as they ejected the spent shells onto the ground around him.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
"Now, to deal with the old woman." Bibi strode forward, but his feet refused to move. "What?"
"Thorn''s Grasp."
As Bibi looked down, he noticed that black thorned vines were rising up around his feet, grasping around his arm and binding him from moving. He struggled against them momentarily, pulling hard against the vines, but they kept climbing up his legs.
He sighed, opening the panel on his right arm that housed the flamethrower. He would need to be careful, but he could easily burn away the vines. All the woman was doing with her strange power was delaying the inevitable.
Whoosh.
The blade came for his head, and he only barely missed being decapitated. Bibi ducked down, and a bead of sweat ran down his spine. In the clearing smoke, he saw the machine man standing, its sword in its hand after a mighty swing, and the woman standing directly behind him. All of Bibi''s bullets had hit their target, but the machine had stood in the way. It was full of holes, leaking steam from every part like bursting white blood.
"Fury and Stone," the machine warbled. "Let''s take him."
"Agreed," the woman said, stepping from behind him and opening her palm. "Seed Spray!"
Like a spout, a mass of black seeds shot out from her hand, slamming into Bibi''s armor in a deluge and then falling to the ground. None of them were able to hurt them, but as he felt one of the seeds roll down his back, he knew what the problem was. They weren''t there to hurt him. They were there to get into his armor. Bibi pulled the trigger for the flamethrower, and a gout of flame shot from his arm.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Fwoosh.
It was too late.
"Thorn''s Grasp."
A piercing pain stuck into Bibi''s back, crawling up the skin underneath his armor. It reached out along his arms and legs, holding his body taut and stopping him from moving into position. Bibi struggled against the pulling force inside his armor, but his limbs refused to move. He was trapped in long black vines, and he could do nothing.
"This can''t be how this ends!" Bibi yelled as spikes of pain climbed up his head, and he saw dark lines wrap across his face. "I''m a noble. I am a king. Some woman and a useless automaton can''t kill me."
"You talk a lot," the machine''s voice warbled again as it stood over him, holding its massive sword in two hands high above its head. "There''s one thing I know. The measure of a man is taken not by his blood but by his deeds. The fury to do what is right in our limited time, and the stone to take our hardships with determination. That''s all that matters."
"Father!" Bibi cried out as the sword came down.
Then he knew no more.
Erin sagged as she closed her gate. The man who had called himself a king lay on the ground, his armor destroyed and his body in two pieces. Gary stood over him, leaning forward with steam hissing out from his body. His hands still held onto his sword''s hilt. Erin wanted to approach, but even with her training as a healer, Bibi was a gruesome sight.
She took a few deep breaths before she could make the trip. She placed one hand on Gary''s shoulder and leaned over to inspect him, but his eyes were no longer glowing, and the steam was fading away. The swing he had made was his final one. She knew little about machines but was sure he wouldn''t move again.
She stepped away from him, holding her hands to her side and unsure what to do. She had called him nothing more than a machine in the room, but his words made him seem so lifelike. If a machine could speak like that, was it any different from a person?
Was Mari less than a person? That was the real crux of the problem. Ever since she had met Mari on Nowhere, it had wriggled in the back of her mind: What made a person human? What made them different from a slipship or from a guidance system?
She had no idea.
However, Gary clearly had thoughts and feelings. He had thought he was a man, healed by Runa and willing to fight for her safety. Was she so cold that she could deny what he had done?
She shook her head as she turned to the two remaining men. They stood frozen as they watched the scene, and neither of them had tried to intervene. Now, they looked at each other but didn''t approach.
"What about you two?" Erin asked. "Are you ready to fight for him?"
"No, ma''am," one of the men said, raising his hands. "We were forced into helping him out. He killed our captain and took us as hostages."
Erin narrowed her eyes.
"What about the others?"
"Those were bounty hunters he hired to hunt bearcats on the island," the man said. "They won''t be too happy that he''s dead because he threatened to put them out if any harm came to him. We might be safe because no one knew our names, but there will be a price to pay if his family hears he''s dead."
Bounty Hunters. Erin sighed. That would complicate things. She was certain that Alex, Jean, and Sayed could handle themselves, but it also meant that the bounty hunters had an incentive to bring them in. It wouldn''t be as simple as: ''Your boss is dead, so give up, and we''ll all leave.''
Though, if Bibi''s threat was real, there was room to negotiate.
"Go back to your ship," Erin said. "If the hunters don''t return in a day, assume they''re dead or not coming back."
"Don''t need to tell us twice," the man said, nodding to his friend as they walked back toward the elevator platform.
Erin turned away, making her way back toward the room. She would get Mari, and they would go and find Alex first. Two of the bounty hunters headed north, so he was the most likely to need help. If she was lucky, they could negotiate and settle things peacefully.
If she wasn''t lucky, things were about to get more complicated.
As she walked toward the entrance to the keep proper, two figures burst through the large wooden doors. Both were dressed in the typical black and red of the Military Police. One was an old man, and his uniform was a little askew. It took Erin a moment, but she recognized him. Captain Grayson of the Arbiter, the very ship they stole on Lundao. The other looked like a lizard mixed with a man, complete with his yellow eyes and red scales.
Erin froze her hands out at her sides. She didn''t know them but recognized the captain''s bars on their coats and at the collar. Erin had gotten stronger but wasn''t ready to take on two captains. If they knew or guessed who she was, she was about to be in for a bad time.
"This island is under quarantine," the lizardman hissed, his tongue flicking out as he scanned the area. "We need to arrest you. Do not resist."
"First, where''s Ortega?" The Captain Grayson held his hand. "We can save the rest for later."
"I..." Erin paused, her mind racing for what she should say.
They didn''t recognize her, which was a good thing by itself. She had a wanted poster, but it wasn''t like the Military Police could memorize everyone who might be on one. She wasn''t as infamous as Alex. So long as she didn''t announce who she was, she wouldn''t immediately draw too much attention.
"I''m sorry! I was forced here by that man over there. He said he was a king and he was here to retake his homeland. I sent the other people on the ship back down!"
"Miss." Captain Grayson eyed Bibi''s corpse before looking her over. "If you''re going to lie, you probably shouldn''t do it while standing in front of me. I''m a Path of Will user."
Erin suppressed a curse, her ears burning as she realized the problem. She didn''t have anywhere else to go, so she opened her gate, knowing she would be in for a fight.
"Demon''s Thurst."
"Spirit Battement!"
Two figures shot out from behind the captains in a blur of motion, knocking them away. Captain Grayson dodged an attack, jumping away from the door and out into the park. The lizardman was less lucky, a foot catching his head with a solid thump and sending him flying before he caught himself.
Erin couldn''t help but smile. Sayed and Jean stood before her, laughing as they stepped out from the keep. She wasn''t in the fight alone and wouldn''t have to try to take out two captains. There was a chance they would all walk away from this after all.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 116 | Ice Cold
Mister Foley watched Ortega stand up in the snow. Ortega''s metal fist clenched tight as the outlaw eyed him. Foley knew little about the man beyond the fact that he had taken out Mister Deadman and that Miss Malone had asked him to keep a lookout for him.
As a loyal Finger, he wouldn''t refuse the request of a Hand.
The wind whirled around his fingers as he manipulated his whip and waited for Ortega to charge. The outlaw was just out of range, and unless he wanted to switch tactics, Mister Foley had to keep still. Ortega shook the snow off his body and slammed his metal arm down in the snow.
"Step."
Ortega disappeared in a flash of movement, throwing a snow cloud around him. Mister Foley turned, swinging his whip behind him on instinct alone. Mister Foley saw Ortega mid-stride as the outlaw swung his fist and lashed out with his whip.
Crack.
"Wind Whip!"
The wind whip wrapped around Ortega, grabbing hold of his torso. Mister Foley used the wind inherent to the whip to manipulate the air around Ortega, pulling him closer and throwing him over in an arc through the air and to the ground.
Mister Foley smiled as Ortega rolled through the snow again, falling out of his reach. The outlaw wasn''t smart enough to beat him. He had no idea how Mister Deadman had lost to such a weak opponent, but with his mastery of the wind, Mister Foley was unstoppable.
"You might as well give up," Mister Foley said, drawing his whip around his fingers and forming a long lash. "You can''t even get close to me."
"Step!"
Ortega disappeared again, throwing up another volley of snow as he stood and charged at the same moment. The second he saw Ortega appear in front of him, Mister Foley lashed forward with his whip, bringing down his whip on his torso so that he could throw the man again.
"I don''t need to get closer," Ortega said, pausing as the whip wrapped around him again.
Crunch.
Mister Foley wasn''t going to stop. He was already manipulating the air around the outlaw and pulling up with the whip, which is why he didn''t notice the sound of snow crunching behind him and didn''t hear the soft purr of the bearcat until it was on him.
Whoosh.
Claws came for his head, and only his attunement with the air around him prevented them from gouging his scalp. Mister Foley raised a free hand, letting go of his wind lasso and pooling aether in his palm. Wind twisted through his body as he sent out a repelling blast of air.
"Wind Ball!"
"Mrow!"
A solid mass of rotating air slammed into the bearcat, sending it off balance but not flying away. Mister Foley surged forward from the pressure of his attack, catching himself on his hand on the ground as he took in sharp breaths. He forced himself on his feet, already mindful that Ortega was coming for him. He needed to reassert control.
"Now, about that distance." Ortega stood before him, already bringing his arm up as Mister Foley''s eyes tracked up to him.
Thump.
A heavy weight slammed into Mister Foley''s chest, sending him flying. It felt like an anvil had slammed directly into his heart, and for a moment, he couldn''t breathe. Cold and cracking pain followed immediately after as he hit the ground, and Mister Foley gasped for breath as he lay in the snow.
Ortega had surprised him. He hadn''t expected the bearcat to come for him while he was occupied with the outlaw. Honestly, who could expect such a thing? Mister Foley let out a cough, hacking up a line of red across the ground before he forced himself to stand with a burst of air.
He wasn''t done yet.
"You think you have me beat?" he yelled as he channeled more aether into his gate, forcing it open further and further as he fed it more energy. "You haven''t seen anything yet. I''ll show you what real power looks like, and then you''ll wish I held back."
He called on the power deep within him as he opened the second level of his curse. The air around him raged and twisted as tornadoes formed around him. They rotated faster and faster, spinning around him like a wind wall, kicking up snow and dirt.
He would show Ortega not to mess with him ever again.
"Wind¡ª"
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Thoop. Crack. Crackle.
An odd cold sensation spread across Mister Foley''s body, followed by the sound of what might have been a gunshot. He looked down, mid-transformation, and realized that a line of ice was spreading across his body. His limbs refused to move as the ice crept over him. Soon, it had his entire body trapped, and his aether flow froze with it.
Mister Foley guessed what was happening to him in an instant and realized it was too late. He scanned the horizon and saw two figures in the distance. One leaned on the top of a hill while the other stood next to it with a camera. ''Cold Shot'' and the reporter. Wen had chosen her side, and it was against Bibi. Mister Foley immediately began a new plan, channeling air across his skin as the ice cracked and grew over him.
He might have lost, but he wasn''t going to die. Not here.
The last thing Mister Foley saw was Wen standing in the distance and slinging her rifle over her shoulder as she approached. He didn''t know why she had betrayed them all, but he would remember it when he returned to report to Miss Malone. No one crossed the operation and lived to tell about it. That was Undertown''s motto. As a deep chill cut into Mister Foley''s chest, he knew he would get revenge. It might not be today or tomorrow, but Wen would have the entirety of Lord Bacia''s operation hunting her down once he got word back to Miss Malone.
Those were his last thoughts, as the ice covered his entire body, and he became a statue of a coated man with long whiskers on the top of Diamond Peak.
"What in the hell?" Alex looked over the frozen statue that had been Mister Foley before he tracked the line from the object that had hit him to the nearby hill.
A shadowed figure stepped down from the hill, hands on the pistols at her hips as she approached. A second figure stood beside her, a camera in hand. They both wore the same grey coats that Mister Foley had worn, complete with goggles and masks to cover themselves from the cold.
"I''m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but who are you?" Alex asked, holding up his metal arm defensively as the person approached.
"That''s a bit cruel, Alex," the woman said, her hands still on the guns at her hips. "You''ll still let me call you Alex, right?"
"''Cold Shot?''" Alex squinted at her.
As she came closer, he could recognize her a little more. However, when she took off her goggles and pulled down her scarf, that was enough. She didn''t look as emaciated as back on Tombstone, but she was definitely Li Wen, also known as the bounty hunter ''Cold Shot.''
"We meet again." She shrugged, still holding the pistols. "I wish it was under better circumstances."
"What kind of circumstances are we talking about?"
Alex didn''t let down his guard. He knew Li Wen''s reputation and had a decent idea of what her curse could do. Mister Foley''s fate was just one indicator of how busted her power was. If he let himself get hit by one of her shots, he wasn''t sure even his magnetic ability to repel bullets would stop her.
"I was brought here by the island''s owner," she said, nodding to the woman with the camera beside her. "So was she. We were supposed to track down a bearcat matriarch and bring it back for him so he could impress his father. Then he went and committed a few murders on us."
Li Win eyed Scratches, who stood a little away from Alex, her hair still in hackles and ready to pounce. Alex nodded to Scratches, but the bearcat didn''t move in the slightest. She was as still as a statue as she leaned forward on all fours in the snow.
"He a noble?"
She nodded.
"Sounds about right."
"This leaves us with a problem," she said. "If we go against him, he''ll have us killed the second we get back to civilization. If he gets harmed at all, we''ll be put out, too. There''s not really a win scenario in all of this for us."
"Sounds like you lost the second you accepted the job." Alex nodded. "When you throw in with people like that, it''s all or nothing."
"There''s no going back, is there?" The woman next to Li Wen''s eyes went wide as the realization hit her. "We were never going to come back at all."
"Yeah." Li Wen nodded. "The moment he murdered that captain, anyone who wasn''t immediately on his side was marked for death. That''s how nobles think."
The woman let go of her camera, and it fell against her chest, the strap catching it from hitting the ground. She ripped off her goggles, revealing her dark skin as tears ran down it. Alex grimaced. Erth was a hard place for people without power, and the woman seemed normal.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Alex asked.
"Take us with you." Li Wen smiled, taking her hands off her guns and holding them up. "I just want to make sure Kali gets out of this alive and in one piece. Beyond that, I have no plans."
Alex let his arm fall as he processed what she had just said. He looked over to Scratches, who had calmed down considerably, her back no longer arched, as she padded toward him in the snow. She sensed the fight was over, even if she remained silent for now.
"You''re putting a lot of trust in me," Alex said, holding up his non-mechanized arm. "What makes you so sure I''ll help you out?"
Li Wen snorted.
"You can''t be serious." She shook her head. "I researched you after we met on Tombstone. I''ve been keeping tabs. You help people whether you like it or not. You don''t always make the best choices, but your heart is in the right place. That''s who you are, Alex."
Alex frowned.
"Let''s say I do that," he said, shaking his head. "What about this prince? What about the other people?"
"He sent them after your friends while he fought an automaton," Wen said. "Are you concerned?"
Alex thought for a moment. "How many are there?"
"One for each of you that I know of," Li Wen said. "Add that to Bibi, who is fighting the automaton."
"Jean and Sayed should be fine," Alex said, narrowing his eyes. "Erin should back up Gary, so unless the prince is powerful, that''ll be handled too."
"Sounds like you found strong friends," Li Wen said.
"I did," Alex said.
He paused as he looked over them and back to the keep. They were wasting time at this point, and he knew it. He could trust Li Wen enough to stay true to her word. However, with the other bounty hunters, he wanted to hurry up at least and check on his friends. He was confident they were strong enough, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t be beaten.
"Alright," he said, waving away any doubts. "You can come with us, and we''ll figure out the rest as we go. I assume you''ll all be safe if you stick to the Fringes for the rest of your life."
"We can only hope." Li Wen nodded, slapping Kali on the back with a smile. "I take those chances as better than surviving Bibi''s graces."
Together, they set off toward the south, Scratches now leading through the snow. As they walked, Alex took one last look at Mister Foley, still a statue frozen in ice. He couldn''t help feeling that the fight had been too easy, even with Li Wen''s interference.
However, that was just luck in life sometimes.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 117 | Dragon
Sayed and Jean stood before the two men, walling them off from Erin as they faced off. Erin held her hands at her sides, taking a deep breath as she watched the two captains move. She had no idea who they were, but they seemed strong. She didn''t question the golden gauntlet that Sayed wore nor the gemmed circlet on Jean''s head.
"Is that Baptiste ''the Reanimator?''" the older man asked, his eyes wide.
"It''s good to see you again, Captain Grayson." Jean bowed to the old man, purple energy crackling around his body.
"And ''Sword Saint'' Sayed," the lizard man said. "Rare for so many big names to be working together."
"Hah." Sayed laughed. "If only you knew the half of it. We have ''Thorn Queen'' Leah and ''Tin Man'' Ortega with us too!"
"Shades." Erin shook her head.
Of course, Sayed would reveal more than he should. That was one of the problems with him. So long as there was doubt, there was opportunity, but Sayed never left any doubt. He continued to laugh as he rested his sword on his shoulder.
"What''s Ortega planning?" The lizard man narrowed his yellow eyes. "He''s drawn so many big names together, but why?"
"Well, that is a long story," Sayed began.
Slap.
"No, Sayed," Erin said, stepping back from slapping him on the shoulder.
"Fine." Sayed sighed, rolling his sword off his shoulder as he took a wide stance. "Then, foul villains, retreat or face the wrath of we three!"
Crack. Crack.
"You don''t get to call the wronged party villains," the Grayson said, cracking his knuckles. "You all stole and wrecked my ship!"
"We didn''t wreck any ship," Jean said as purple energy wrapped around his body. "Spirit Shroud."
A suit of glimmering purple light appeared around his coat, wrapping him a suit. He pulled a purple hat around his head with one hand, calling it into existence with a glittering light display. Sayed stepped up next to him, his sword glowing bright orange.
Erin embraced the power of her gate. She wouldn''t fight directly, but she would act as support, which was where she preferred to be. Her skin began to itch as stems grew out inside her coat, ready to be used at a moment''s notice.
"You fools think you can take two captains." Grayson looked them over. "Do you even know who we are?"
"Do we need to?" Jean asked, a chuckle ringing out.
He took a moment to glance at Erin and nod. Sayed did the same. Erin narrowed her eyes. They were trying to signal something to her. She then noticed that they were holding back. Eliza wasn''t out, and Sayed didn''t have both of his swords drawn. They weren''t staying to fight. They were going to run. Erin''s mind ran through everything that had been said. The Robin was destroyed. These men had to have come from somewhere. That meant the docks were being watched.
That left one alternative.
The aetherstorm was gone, and they would make a break for Roald''s ship. Neither Sayed nor Jean thought they could take on two captains, even with her helping. She eyed the captains. Just how strong could two men be?
"Demon''s Thrust!"
"Spirit Battement!"
Sayed shot off with his sword at the lizard man captain, crossing through the air faster than Erin could see. At the same moment, Jean jumped at Grayson, his leg blurring into sharp kicking motions as he launched his own attack at the old man.
"Might."
Ting. Whoosh.
The lizard man caught the tip of Sayed''s blade between two claws, holding the thrust perfectly as Sayed strained against it. Grayson dodged between Jean''s blur of kicks, seemingly unbothered by the fast stream of attacks rushing at him.
Erin formed two seeds in her palms, pointing them up into the air and over the fighters. She knew why they had been so uncertain now, and they would need her help if they wanted to survive. Pulling in aether, she threw the seeds high in an arc so they landed behind the two captains.
"Vine Whip!"
Two vines burst out of the dirt, swinging toward both captains from behind.
"Step."
Fwoosh.
Grayson disappeared from both her and Jean''s range, his feet blurring like he took a thousand steps at once until he was far out of range. The lizard man just turned his head and released a gout of flame from his mouth, cutting through the vine and reducing it to ash.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"Petty tricks." Grayson shook his head. "You have to be fools to think you can take us out, right Drake?"
"They''ve spent their time out in the Fringes," Drake hissed. "Their ignorance is a mockery of the Military Police."
"I would be glad to show you my might if you would release my sword." Sayed smiled as he struggled to remove his blade from Drake''s grip.
"Gladly." Drake let go of Sayed''s sword, and Sayed nearly fell backward from the sudden release of tension. "Let us show you precisely what you are dealing with."
Crick. Crack.
With two snaps, Drake''s body shook, stretching and distending as he grew larger. His skin stretched as he doubled in height, his claws growing longer as his body stretched. Two sets of massive wings shot out of the back of his body, black leathery skin stretching between red-scaled bones as the captain filled the small space.
"Is it some kind of curse?" Sayed breathed as he stepped back.
"I don''t sense any cursed aetheric energy in him." Jean breathed as he retreated to Erin. "This is something else."
''My kind is ancient.''
The voice wasn''t a statement of words but more like a thought that rushed through Erin''s mind. She saw ancient caves and deep caverns separated by lengths of wide oceans. There was a word in her world for creatures like this, creatures that lived in solitude and flew in the sky.
Dragons.
"Run," Erin said, turning and sprinting for the door.
Sayed and Jean needed no prompting. While they were often the ones to rush headlong into a fight, they already knew that this wasn''t one they would win. They were on her heels as she ran through the door, and they both helped throw the door closed behind them.
"Seed Spray!" Erin threw out both hands, sending a blast of black seeds at the door.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Thorn Garden!"
Black thorny vines grew over the door, blocking it from being opened and providing a barrier. Erin had no illusions that it would hold for long, but every second counted if they were going to escape. In the end, they were lucky. If it took time for Drake to come out of his form, he wouldn''t be able to get through the door.
"We need to get Mari." Erin panted as she turned and began to run again.
"She''s already gone," Runa said from the hallway, forcing Erin to stop.
The old woman stood wrapped in her coat next to Firril. The machine was bent over, helping support her, but there was a look of determination in the old woman''s eyes. She was in a moment of lucidity. Erin didn''t know how long it would last.
"I sent her toward the ship the moment the storm stopped," the old woman said. "Get out of here, you young''uns. I need to give these people who are destroying my park a good talking to."
Erin stood frozen, unsure of what to do. There was no way an old woman could keep two captains from chasing them, and Runa had to know that. What could she do to delay them? She started to say something but then realized that Mari would be alone, out in the snow, with maybe the rest of the Military Police soldiers and bounty hunters wandering around.
"Shades," she whispered before nodding to Runa. "Thank you."
"Do hurry," Runa said as she looked up to the black vines at the door. "We don''t want you to miss your ship out of here."
Erin, Sayed, and Jean ran towards the exit, plowing into the snow outside. Erin knew that she was leaving Runa to die, and that scratched at the back of her mind. She didn''t like it but didn''t see any other options. There were just too many powerful people running around, and they were the small fish in the pond.
Boom. Boom.
Massive clawed arms struck at the metal doors, slamming them against their hinges and pushing back against the metal bars. Firrl stood unmoving as she watched the doors bend and cave. Runa stood beside her, carrying a resolute determination she hadn''t seen on the old woman''s face in decades, keeping her steady.
Firril had seen everything. She knew what was coming. Gary was gone, blown apart by Bibi. She wouldn''t be far behind if she stood in the way of these two men. She often wondered what she would experience when she died.
She was a construct of circuitry and aether. Her mind was a series of crystals that worked together and manipulated aetheric energy to think. When she died, those processes would cease. And she assumed she would cease with it.
"We had a good run, Firril." Runa reached up and pattered her arm. "Go into combat mode and be ready."
"Understood." Firril nodded, letting several panels on her armor click open.
Like the turrets at the dock below, she was loaded with weaponry, just in case she was needed to defend the keep. This was the first time she had ever had to use the function, but thanks to Runa''s regular maintenance, her barrels extended from her arms with well-oiled ease.
Firril aimed her guns at the door, prepared to fire on Runa''s orders.
Bang. Screech. Thump.
With a solid hit, the doors banged open, the metal screeching and bending as the doors bent outward and the vines were pushed away. An old man and a rapidly shrinking lizard man stood at the doors, both breathing heavily as they looked over the hallway.
"I told you it was a dumb idea to go into your dragon form," the old man said. "We were in an enclosed space."
"Fair, but I rarely get to use it," the lizard man said as he looked over the tatters of what once had been his dark red and black coat. "I''m going to need a new uniform."
"Are you the rapscallions messing up my park?" Runa yelled, charging forward at the men with her fist held high.
"What the¡ª¡± The old man raised his hands as Runa banged on his chest.
"Why are all you brutes coming in today and messing with my property!" Runa yelled. "I came out here to get away from everyone. I don''t want people messing up my park and ruining my machines!"
The two men momentarily looked at each other, and their confusion was evident.
"Miss." The lizard man leaned down, but Runa swung a hard fist that clocked him across the face.
"Don''t you ''miss'' me!" Runa yelled. "How are you all going to compensate me for the damages? Are you with that wannabe king? He broke my Gary! It''ll take ages to repair him, and I don''t even want to consider the expenses."
"Ma''am," the old man said. "I understand you''re frustrated, but this is a quarantined island. If you don''t stop assaulting my associate, I''ll have to arrest you."
"Arrest me?" Runa asked. "Who do you think you are?"
"We''re with the Military Police." The old man smiled. "Now, you can either step aside so we can chase down the outlaws who ran from here, or I can make you."
Runa started to say something to Firril, but the old man raised a hand to cut her off.
"And if your machine there so much as points one of those barrels at either of us, we''ll tear both of you apart limb by limb. Our mission is too important for you two to slow us down."
Firril lowered her arms, let the panels click closed, and dropped her head in defeat. She had never expected them to be able to stop the two men, but she was surprised that they had managed a distraction this long.
She could only hope it would be enough for the others to escape. The two captains rushed past both of them, no longer hindered and ready to continue their hunt.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 118 | The Nighthawk
Alex ran through the snow with Li Wen and Scratches beside him. Kali, the reporter, rode on top of Scratches. They had made good time, and the lake rose in the distance. He could also see a few figures looking down the lake''s rim.
"Your scope good for that distance?" Alex asked Li Wen as they ran.
"Hah. Don''t underestimate me." Li Wen released a stream of steam as she slowed and pulled up her rifle. "Let me look."
She sighted down the rifle, and Alex, along with Scratches beside him, came to a stop. Kali had to hold on to the bearcat''s fur to keep it from falling off, and Alex saw it flinch in pain. He put one hand on the animal''s head as they waited.
"Three, no four people," Li Wen said as she checked down the sights. "Two women, two men. One of them isn''t even wearing a coat."
"That''s Sayed." Alex nodded, starting up again. "We need to hurry. They''re going to beat us to the ship."
"There''s a ship?" Li Wen asked as she slung her rifle back over her shoulder and began jogging.
"Long story, but yeah." Alex let out bursts of steam between breaths. "We found Roald''s old ship, and it''s our ticket out of here."
Several emotions clouded Li Wen''s face at his words. Confusion, annoyance, acceptance, she ran the gambit of emotions to that news as they ran. Alex simply focused on the path before him, yelling out when he got close enough that he thought the others could hear him.
"Hey!" he yelled as he ran.
Sayed turned first, waving one arm and saying something Alex couldn''t hear. Moments later, all the others turned around and waved for him to hurry up. Alex picked up the pace, with Scratches and Li Wen not far behind him.
"We have done it. The ship is free," Sayed said, grabbing Alex in a massive bear hug when he came within range. "Now, we only need to flee!"
"Yeah." Alex patted Sayed on the back before Sayed dropped him. "Good to see you too, buddy."
"There are two captains." Jean pointed back to the keep. "And a slipship has been prowling around the sky for a while. The Military Police caught up with us."
"Good thing we''ve got a second ship." Alex nodded.
"What about these two people with you and this mighty beast?" Sayed opened his arms wide as he looked at the bearcat.
"Scratches!" Mari ran forward, slamming into the side of the massive bearcat matriarch.
''Little One!''
"Woah!"
Kali tried to grab the bearcat''s fur, but she failed and tumbled into the snow as Scratches rolled onto the ground with her belly exposed. Mari quickly began to rub the massive beast''s belly. Alex had a moment when the entire situation looked cute, but then he remembered what Jean had just said. There were two captains on the island, on top of the whole cavalcade they had already dealt with.
They needed to run.
"Li Wen, Kali, everyone else," Alex said, gesturing between all of them with one wave of his arms. "Let''s get out of here."
"I''m not going to ask." Erin looked over the newcomers. "But we do need to go now."
Together, they climbed down the lakebed and into the cave. Alex spared one last glance over the lip of the lake before he jumped down, but the keep appeared empty. He did wonder what happened to Runa, Firril, and Gary, but that would have to wait. They had survived on the island long enough without interference, and if there were Military Police soldiers running around, escape was more important.
Hrrm.
Roald''s ship loomed at the bottom of the lake bed, floating above them as they approached. The ship was painted a dark blue that looked almost like the ocean''s surface at night and was shaped in a way that reminded Alex of a submarine. It was as long as a modern nuclear submarine. Two pods that ran the ship''s length extended out from it, and it lacked the common light sails on every ship he had seen sail the nightsea. On the back was a single cone-shaped golden protrusion with a spiral pattern across it. The front of the ship had a raised and armored area that he guessed was a cockpit or bridge, and there was a long deck along the back with an entrance that met that armored area.
"It reminds me of my ship," Erin whispered as she looked up at the ship. "But not exactly the same."
"Definitely different from most of the things we''ve seen sailing around." Alex nodded. "It''s like something from a completely different era of history."
"What are we waiting for?" Sayed was practically giddy, a grin cracking his face. "Let us get on board and see what this ship has to offer."
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Wait," Alex said, looking down the ship''s length and following the line of cables that ran over to the metal structure at the center of the black pond.
It was an island core, and a ship was hooked up to it. The wiring was thick and sheathed in black rubber. Two spots on the ship had ports that connected to the island core. Alex wasn''t sure they could leave while the ship was connected.
There were too many questions about how it would work.
"Leave them connected," Mari said, her voice hollow as she slid off Scratches''s back. "Until we leave, leave them connected."
"Can you handle it?" Alex looked at Jean, and Jean nodded.
"I will make sure we disconnect before we go," Jean said as he examined the connections. "I think I see how they work."
"Alright." Alex dropped a copper doler on the ground, opened his gate, and pushed against it.
He vaulted up to the ship''s deck and quickly found a rope ladder that he threw down to the rest of the group. The ladder seemed to have been protected by the energy field from the elements and decay. It looked as sturdy and strong as a newly woven rope.
"Thank you for seeing me again, Scratches." Mari was the last to climb the rope, rubbing Scratches behind her ears before climbing. "I have to go now."
''Come back and visit after this adventure is over, Little One,'' Scratches voice reached into Alex''s mind. ''My children will be glad to have an old friend to play with.''
Alex shook his head, focusing on the door ahead of him. It had a large metal wheel on it, holding it tight against the ship''s hull. More and more, It reminded Alex of a hatch on a submarine. The hatch was even sealed to the hull, unlike most cabin doors on slipships.
"There''s only one way to find out." He looked back, noticing that Sayed, Erin, Li Wen, Kali, and Mari were all watching him. "I guess I''m leading the way."
Creak.
The wheel turned reluctantly, groaning as Alex flexed his arms and spun it. The hatch was rust-free, probably another benefit of the barrier''s protection, but it wasn''t easy to turn either. With a low whine, the door opened, and a flood of stale air rushed past Alex as the ship''s internal atmosphere equalized with the outside.
A set of spiral stairs lay before him, leading into the ship''s bowels.
"Come on," Alex said.
Thump. Thump.
Alex''s boots shook the stairs a little as he entered the ship. He stepped down onto a long corridor that looked like it ran the ship''s length. Much like the outside, it was all metal, with doors similar to the entrance that lay open. The only difference was that the interior was a stark white that seemed to glow in the shadows of the flickering lights that ran down the floor. Alex suppressed a shudder.
No one had been on this ship in a long time, and he felt the inherent emptiness of a place long abandoned. He wasn''t a superstitious person by nature, and he had never believed in ghosts or spirits, despite his grandmother''s attempts to convince him otherwise. However, he could imagine the spirits of the long-departed floating through the ship, looking to scare any intruders.
Thump.
Mari landed next to him, jumping down the final steps of the stairs before looking around the corridor. Without hesitating, she began to walk toward the front of the ship, grabbing Alex''s hand as she led the way forward.
"This way," she said.
Alex let her lead the way, ducking through two doors before they went up a ramp that led to a spacious area. Behind him, the others stopped and took their time, looking around the new ship with gasps before following him.
"Very sci-fi," Li Wen''s voice echoed what she had said back on Tombstone when they had stepped inside an island core.
She wasn''t wrong.
The best way Alex could describe the area was as a bridge. There was a single central chair with two long arms that came off of the seat. Two orbs on the arms looked like controls of some kind. Besides that, there were four seats on either side of the main chair, each one with a set of control panels with glass screens raised in front of them that were partially see-through.
Mari pulled on Alex''s arm, leading him up a small set of stairs onto a platform that ran the length of the area behind the controls. Alex noticed a rounded hatch set into the floor. A small wheel on the top could open it.
"I need to go in to start the ship," Mari said. "Can you open it for me?"
"Sure." Alex spun the wheel to the left, loosening it with ease.
Creak.
The hatch opened, and all he could see below was a dark pit. Alex looked over to Mari, but she didn''t seem bothered. With a quick jump, she dropped into the shadows and looked up at Alex. Her blue eyes glowed in the darkness.
"Close it."
A weight settled against Alex''s chest, and he gulped down the bad feeling that welled up inside of him. It felt like he was putting a child in a cage, and nothing in it felt right.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Mari nodded, and Alex closed the hatched.
Hrrm. Click. Click. Click.
The hatch spun itself closed as power hummed through the panels all around him. Screens pulsed to life, and the flashing lights of the ship stopped, bathing the white metal all around him in fluorescent light. With a click, a screen flickered along the front of the bridge, and Alex could see several viewpoints from outside the ship. On the center of the curved screen was the cave in front of the ship, while two other screens showed wide-angle shots to the left and right of the ship that looked out over the rest of the cavern. Alex could see Jean on the left screen, and he jumped away from the ship as it shuddered.
"The Nighthawk is operational," Mari''s voice came out of speakers in the ceiling, and Alex jumped. "Beginning broadcast."
"Broadcast?" Alex whispered.
Erin rushed in, Sayed right behind her.
"I have no idea," Erin whispered.
"Whatever it is, it can only be the start of something grand," Sayed whispered.
Alex slapped himself across the face. He couldn''t let himself get distracted from their main problem, regardless of what was happening around them. Whatever the broadcast was, they had to get ready to leave. The moment the Military Police figured out where they were, they were running on limited time.
"Sayed," Alex said as he jumped into the center chair. "Go to the deck and tell Jean to get ready. Whatever this broadcast is, we need to figure out how to fly this thing if we''re going to use it to escape."
"Let me see what I can do." Erin nodded, jumped into one of the remaining seats, and examined her controls.
"I have some experience," Li Wen said, running in and taking another seat. "We can figure this out together."
Alex nodded and began examining his own controls. As he did so, thoughts began to flood from his subconscious, and he began to touch buttons without even thinking. Like with island cores, he knew how the ship worked. He placed his hands on the two orbs in front of him as a voice came over the speakers.
"Hello," a man said as a screen flickered to life in the air before Alex. "I am Roald, the famous explorer, and this is my message to all of Erth."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 119 | The Message
The man on the screen was like a shadow, his dark hair covering his face as he bent forward against a bright light. A smile cracked across his face as he looked up into the camera recording him, and a dark hand reached up from his lap to push his hair back from his forehead.
"The Erth is a cage," Roald''s voice echoed through the ship, and Alex noticed that everyone had a little screen floating in the air in front of them. "It is a cage created by the Scions to shield humanity from the rest of the world."
A diagram appeared on the screen, showing a set of two circles around a central point. The circles were divided into six each, each labeled with the name of one of the islands of the Twelve Kingdoms. A cross through the middle, cutting the horizontal and vertical planes in half, further divided the map into quadrants.
It was a map of Erth, with the Twelve Kingdoms at the center and the Fringes beyond as tiny dots of black against the white screen.
"This is Erth, as the Scions call it," Roald said. "The known world with the nightsea to connect it all. Not all islands across the Fringes know this, but most who hear this message will. You are not alone on your island."
"I''m not the only one seeing this, right?" Alex asked.
"No, it''s definitely real," Li Wen said as Roald continued to speak.
"This has to be what the connections are for," Erin said. "That''s an island core, right?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "He''s using the core to broadcast this message across the entire Erth."
"That''s dangerous, right?" Erin asked.
"Yeah."
Click.
A flash of light filled the room as Kali took a photo.
Samantha Appleton, now also known as Sam ''Appleseed,'' held her gun steady in sun-tanned hands on the man across the bar from her. He had his fingers woven tightly in a woman''s hair as he stood frozen, a gun held at the woman''s head. However, he no longer pulled hard against her hair.
She was in Red Dirt, a town on the island of Tombstone, and had just been eating lunch when the man across the room had decided that the woman had offended him. When she resisted, he had threatened to shoot the woman, and Sam had intervened. She blew one of her long blonde bangs from her face as she eyed the man in front of her down her revolver''s sights.
That was when a screen appeared in front of everyone''s face in the bar, and a man was talking like it was perfectly normal. Sam kept her gun trained on the man, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the barkeep had taken out his shotgun and pointed it at her.
The screen had paused their standoff, and part of her was thankful for it.
"It is a cage to keep us restrained and unchanging," the man on the screen continued. "We live on a world designed to keep us in chains. That is the secret they wish to keep."
Sam didn''t take her eyes off the man. He seemed about as confused as he was drunk from his red face, but even he could tell that something was off in the room. He tried to rub away the screen with his elbow, but it only flickered as his arm passed through.
"Put the gun down," Sam said, keeping her voice low and cold. "This isn''t the time."
"They want us too caught up in our own petty troubles to see the potential in this world. That was why they created the Twelve Kingdoms. That is why they discredited me and called me a liar."
"You can''t have regrets when you''re dead," Sam said, cocking back the hammer on her gun to emphasize her words.
Thump.
The man dropped his gun, his jaw slackening as the message continued. The woman scurried away, free from his grasp. The screen that floated in the air followed her, the message not stopping for their own particular problems. The man she held at gunpoint finally ran out of the bar, the screen following him every step of the way out.
"That was what I discovered when I went on my journey to find the limits of the nightsea," the man coughed. "I discovered a passage to a new world, the New World, and there I learned the truth of this world. I learned why we are all here."
Sam held up her gun, clicking the hammer closed and eyeing the barkeep. The barkeep gave her a nod and pulled up on his shotgun that had been pointed at her. Whatever was happening with the screen was more important than what they were dealing with.
Sam focused on the screen, thinking of Alex and their trip into the mines to find the island core.
"Are you caught up in all of this?"
"I found the path out. I made it past Devil''s Reef and through the Dark Meridian. I reached the New World, and there, I learned the truth."
Jack stopped running, freezing in his tracks as he watched the screen. Everyone around him in the crowded street on the island of November had their own screens. Some people were laughing, some were quiet, and some looked very confused.
Crunch.
Jack took a bite of the apple he had just stolen, now that the shopkeep he had taken it from had given up the chase.
"The Scions tried to hide my discovery, to label me a liar, but I am here today to tell the truth and show you the fruits of my plan, which has been over two decades in the making."
Jack could understand plans. Ahead of him, one of his other urchins had stopped to hear the message. Like all of his underlings, the boy was dressed in begging rags, and he would have blended in nicely if he hadn''t stopped to gawk at the screen. The boy was supposed to be a distraction, but the screen had ruined that plan. Jack looked to the screen again, ruffling his hand through his scraggly black hair as he struggled to pay attention.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
This type of stuff had always been beyond him. All he really cared about was keeping food in his stomach for himself and his friends. Other islands, new worlds, those things were all something for people with the means to worry about it.
"Sayed would have a blast with it, though," he said, a smile creeping across his face.
"That is why I had to find a way to reveal it to everyone simultaneously. I had to ensure the time was right and everyone was ready. I worked with despicable people. I made deals with monsters to ensure this information would get out to the world. Listen well when I tell you all this. You are not bound to your island. You are not bound to live under the boots of the Scions. There are worlds of plenty to see, wonders you can scarcely imagine, and the way is prepared for those brave enough to try."
It wasn''t that Jack wasn''t brave enough to try; he just had a good thing going already. He began walking down the street, the screen staying in front of him, determined to convey the entire message. Jack gave it the kindness of feigned listening, but he had other plans. There were plenty of stalls to lift supplies from while everyone was distracted. He just needed to get his people to work.
"I found the path out. I made it past Devil''s Reef and through the Dark Meridian. I reached the New World, and there, I learned the truth."
Creak.
"What I am offering all of humanity is simple: the chance to do the same. I have worked tirelessly to ensure everything was ready for this day. I have been waiting for you, and it is time to spring my trap and reveal the truth to the world."
Bargen leaned back in his captain''s chair, his massive size straining the chair''s legs as he kept an eye on the screen in front of him. He sat aboard the Flying Dutchman, his hands on papers, as he did the real duty of every captain: keeping track of their income and distributing the spoils of the crew''s efforts.
However, the little screen was proving the right kind of distraction.
"Even now, people are putting all the pieces in place for me," Roald said. "This message is the trigger. As I speak, hidden shipyards will build new ships, ready for the Dark Meridian, and send them to every shipyard on Erth. Designs for engines will be dispersed, along with guides created from the logbooks of my journey to the New World. The path is laid out for those with the strength and courage to follow."
Bargen thought back to warehouse stores he had seen in Undertown. Massive buildings lined the east side of town, where no one was allowed to go. He had heard of Roald and always labeled him a loon like everyone else did. He hadn''t discovered squat, and that was the story everyone stuck to.
However, if what he was saying was true, Bargen thought about the opportunities that might exist outside the grip of the Military Police and the Scions. There were people in Undertown who would invariably be ready to exploit those opportunities.
That was just human nature and, by proxy, drim nature.
Thump.
"Boss!" Michael, his second in command, burst into the room, his grey drim flesh practically glowing in the light from the screen before his face. "Are you seeing this?"
"Aye," Bargen said. "I think the Underground Lords have been involved in this for a while."
"Thought the same," Michael said. "Explains all the stockpiling we''ve seen over the years."
"Who would have thought they were hiding something this big?" Bargen shook his head, chuckling.
There was an opportunity here; he just had to be ready to take it.
"I have made a wave of information that the Scions cannot stop. My message to everyone who is listening now shall be clear. Listen to these final words as I lay my ship to rest and prepare for a better future for all of the people of Erth."
"Erick, what is it?" Klaus pulled on Erick''s pant leg as Erick watched the screen unmoving.
Erick stood with a shirt in his hands, soaked with soapy water from the bucket before him. Klaus had been helping him wash his clothes before he went on patrol later that night. Now, he stood, listening to a man on a screen give a message about how the world was about to change.
"I don''t know," Erick whispered.
The message was a change, and a change was what Erick needed. Agnes no longer haunted him since he took in Klaus and adopted him. He was still a guard working on a new outpost, but perhaps he could work a little bit harder. A promotion would allow him to learn more about what was happening.
"But what do you stand to gain?"
"But what do you stand to gain? I see you all out there, you vagabonds and outlaws who live on the fringes of the world to hide from the authority of the Scions. You crave freedom, to get out from under the thumb of power, wealth to make yourselves kings, the power to do as you will, and the truth of what this world really is."
Lucien stood in the middle of a bloodbath, holding the last man up by his neck as he sputtered and choked. A screen had appeared in front of Lucien''s face not long ago, as well as in front of the dying man he held. He had paused to listen, as he wasn''t in any danger, and the man could wait until the message was finished to die.
Images flashed in front of him. Pictures of cities made of emerald and gold. Land unsullied by human hands. Strange people that Lucien had never seen before. Lucien smiled as he watched the screen. Roald had found precisely the perfect motivation to bring Lucien into the fold.
"To those who are brave enough, there is a world beyond this one with opportunity. There''s wealth and power beyond imagining for those willing to grasp it. If you want to find the truth of this world, travel through Magnus Hortus."
Several images flashed across the screen at those words¡ªhowever, the first name stuck with Lucien. Magnus Hortus, the island of heavenly delights, rested at the center of the Twelve Kingdoms. He knew of Roald in passing, a man sanctioned by the Scions after he returned from a journey to test the limits of the nightsea, but to think such a secret rested at the center of it all.
"Hah!" Lucien laughed, tightening his hand around the man''s neck. "Did you hear that? New lands beyond the reach of the Scions. New worlds to test my strength and find worthy opponents. I had found my life boring, but that such a grand opportunity should fall in my lap!"
"Grrk¡ª" the captain sputtered.
Lucien sighed, gripping the man''s neck tighter as he gurgled. Lucien didn''t actually want to hear his words, of course. The excitement of new possibilities simply overcame him. He was some lowly captain in the Military Police, out to find Lucien and bring the ex-Apostle in. Lucien had barely spared the captain any attention as he slaughtered his men. Such power was beneath him.
Crack.
With a twist of his wrist, Lucien killed the captain, dropping the man to the ground in a bloody mess and looking up at the moon above. If there were ships to find, he would have to commandeer such a vessel. He would take the captain''s ship for now and find a port away from his current island with people on it. Surely, if Roald''s words were to be believed, it would be child''s play to find a ship that could sail in this new world.
"Let us go," Lucein said, stepping over bodies and blood as he headed toward the grey ship in the distance. "We will find new prey in this new land that will satisfy. If not, we will simply kill anyone who tries to stand in my way!"
"If you are ready and willing, go out and take it¡ªjourney to Magnus Hortus. Find the entrance to Devil''s Reef. Brave the Dark Meridian. Climb the heights of Olympus and reach the New World. There, you will find humanity''s legacy. There, you will learn the truth."
Grayson shook his head as the screen continued to play its message. For the moment, his chase was forgotten. He stood on the precipice of a new era. If what the man on the screen said was true, then the Military Police would have much more to worry about than his missing ship. Drake stood beside him, equally enraptured by the message.
"The fool actually did it," Drake hissed. "He went through with his plan."
"There was a plan?" Grayson asked.
"I knew a man named Roald long ago," Drake said. "He had journeyed far and wide and discovered something the Scions wanted to keep hidden. He was someone I let go because I thought the smear campaign would be enough to keep him silent."
"And look how that turned out," Grayson whispered. "Looks like he''s getting his revenge."
"The chaos this will cause," Drake whispered. "How many will run for the Core now that they know the truth? How many will die as they push their way to Magnus Hortus?"
"Break out of your cage, Number Eight. Find the truth. It will set us all free."
Grayson spat into the snow. "We still have an outlaw of our own to catch!"
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 120 | Titans Clash
As the message concluded, Alex put his hands on the two orbs in front of him. The moment he touched them, his vision blurred, and he wasn''t in his body anymore. It was an odd sensation to describe. It was like he was part of the ship.
When he looked out in front of himself, he could see outside of the ship. If he tried to turn his head left or right, he could see the dark lakebed all around the ship''s sides. He ripped his hands away from the orbs, and the sensation faded as the ship''s bridge returned to his vision.
"The hell is this," he whispered.
"It''s like the ship''s speaking to me," Erin whispered as she tapped at the screen in front of her. "Are you feeling the same thing?"
"I''ve never seen anything like this before," Li Wen said, ripping off her coat and throwing it to the side as she leaned back in her chair. "It''s like the ship wants us to pilot it. It''s giving us a crash course on what to do without even speaking to us."
"That is my purpose as the navigation system," Mari''s voice came over the speakers. "I am here to assist in piloting for the crew of the Nighthawk. Until you are familiar with the systems, I will help you learn them."
"Kali." Alex turned to the reporter. "Can you tell Sayed to help Jean detach the ship? With that message done, I think it''s time to leave. Thinking about this all can wait for later."
Kali''s eyes were wide, and she had clicked a few more photos during the message, but she nodded and headed down the ramp and into the ship''s interior. Alex turned back to his controls, looking them over and tapping the metal of the chair''s arms in front of them.
"We should be able to get this ship out of here," Alex said. "I think we can blow past the Military Police''s ship if we just focus on escaping."
"There might be a problem with that," Erin said. "One of the captains turned into a dragon."
"A what?" Alex understood the word, but it didn''t stop his heart from skipping a beat in his chest.
"He transformed while he was fighting us," Erin said. "Runa said she would try and delay him, but the second they''re out of the keep, they''ll be on us."
"Hopefully, the message delayed them," Alex said. "Mari, can we get this ship started?"
"They are just finishing decoupling now," Mari said. "Take control, and I will help guide you through the process."
"Let''s do this!" Alex said, retaking hold of the orbs and embracing the feeling of the ship around him.
He could see Sayed and Jean climbing up the ladder on the ship''s side, both hurrying as Kali yelled at them to hurry. Again, it was like he was experiencing everything the ship was through his own senses, and his stomach churned as he focused on the engines.
Hrm.
With but a thought, he willed the ship to rise. With a shake, the tubes on the sides of the ship hummed in his ears, and the ship lifted from where it had floated, rising higher and higher until he could see the vast expanse of Diamond Peak''s plateau around him. In the distance, two figures exited the keep, mere black specs against the grey stone walls.
"Those are the two captains," he said.
"The screen changed," Li Wen said beside him.
The image of the world around him zoomed in on the two figures in Alex''s mind, and he recognized both. Captain Drake, in a shredded uniform, stood at the entrance to the keep, and Captain Grayson was beside him in an unkempt uniform. Even as he watched through the zoomed-in vision, Captain Drake''s form bulged and changed. Wings snapped out of his back, growing like long finger bones before webs of leathery skin stretched between them. In moments where the captain stood, a dragon rose, flapping its wings hard as it took to the air.
"That''s a problem," Alex said, pulling the ship up higher into the air and climbing as fast as he could.
His best bet to escape was to exit the island from the topside. He wasn''t sure if a dragon could fly in the nightsea, but it was better than trying to take it on in a fight with a weaponless ship. He paused at that thought.
"Mari, what can this ship do?" he asked.
"The ship adapts to you," Mari said. "Open your gate, and you will see."
Alex did as she bid, opening his gate and embracing the flow of electrical energy that streamed from his chest and through his limbs. This time, however, it wasn''t just his body that he felt the energy flow through. The ship itself surged with the rumbling pulse of the energy.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Thump. Thump.
"Strap in," Alex said as he felt Sayed and Jean enter the bridge. "We''re about to get in a fight."
"Go somewhere safe," Jean said to what Alex thought was Kali. "Find a handle to hold onto."
"Alright."
Alex didn''t focus on the conversation; instead, he threw more energy into his gate, took a deep breath, and drew in as much air as he could. The ship''s engines roared as power flowed into them. To Alex, it felt like the ship was gathering in aether from the air around it.
"Rail Gun," he whispered, forming the image of a long steel spike in his mind.
Blue electricity sparked in the air to the ship''s left side, and a long line of blue balls bounced off each other. Afterward, a long metal spike appeared in the glow, not too dissimilar from the kind that appeared when he used the technique.
With a nudge, Alex sent the spike flying off into the distance, right toward the approaching dragon''s head.
"Did you see that?" Erin said.
Click.
"Don''t think about it now; just focus on surviving," Jean said.
Alex watched, the image zooming in again as the spike approached Drake''s dragon form. Drake reached up with one hand, batting the spike to the side and out of Alex''s range like a twig.
"Damn," Alex said before he noticed the second figure rising into the air.
From the north, a long brown form circled as it grew larger. Alex''s vision adjusted as he focused, and he recognized what it was immediately. Mister Foley had an evolution of his curse, and he had escaped the frozen binds Li Wen had used on him.
"We''ve got a second problem," he said, trusting the others on the bridge could hear him. "Weasel to the north."
Erin gasped to his left, and he assumed something inside the ship was changing the display for the rest of them. For the moment, he didn''t want to see what would happen if he released the controls mid-climb up into the island''s sky. He could try that kind of thing out after they escaped.
"Why don''t you make them each other''s problem," Li Wen said.
"Charge at them," Sayed said. "Bring one into the other, and in the confusion, we escape."
Alex pulled on the orbs, intuitively judging the ship''s angle as he stopped their upward climb and angled the ship down to the north. The ship immediately went into a dive, and the ground rushed toward his vision.
Piloting the ship was proving to be a surreal experience. His senses were tied to the ship, but his movements and thoughts were all tied to his body. He would think about what the ship needed to do, and his body would move automatically to use the right controls to make the ship move.
The truth of the situation was obvious. It was the same thing Alex felt when he operated an island core. The ship was related to the same technology, which meant that Mari was also involved in that technology. There was so much he didn''t know about these things yet, even though he used it like an expert.
It was almost like how normal people used cell phones. They did not know how cell phones worked; they just knew what taps and clicks to do in a particular order to get what they wanted. Again, it was something he had to file away for later as the massive weasel whirled up in the air in a spiral toward the ship.
Mister Foley''s weasel form was easily as large as Captain Drake''s dragon form. While the man had comically tiny feet sticking out of his furry body, the real danger Alex could see was a massive bone scythe, easily the length of half of the long weasel form. It flicked around in a circle as Mister Foley spiraled closer.
"Rail Shot," Alex said, focusing on his gate, thinking of the coins he had used for the technique.
Again, the ship took a massive intake of air into its engines, and sparks of blue light lit up the sky around the ship. Round silver disks popped into existence in those flashes, and Alex shot them all forward in a clump toward Mister Foley.
Mister Foley''s form spun to the side as Alex ran the ship straight toward him. In less than a second, the ship blew past the flying weasel, engines burning hot in his mind as he pushed it to go faster. Foley immediately began to turn to chase, but as Alex looked back, he saw that Captain Drake had caught up.
A red-scaled meteor of a dragon slammed into Mister Foley''s fur, the two clashing with scythe and claw as they hit. Captain Drake wouldn''t have known anything about Mister Foley, and the giant weasel form would hopefully throw him off even more.
"Keep going," Mari''s voice echoed over the speakers. "Do not stop."
Alex leaned forward in his chair, pushing on the two orbs as hard as he could.
Beep. Beep.
Red and yellow lights flashed in the side of his vision, and a computerized whine echoed through his head. Alex leaned back on the controls, and the ship slowed with him. Again, he checked behind him, and the two titanic monsters were still fighting.
"The engines are overheating," Erin said. "Looks like there are several problems across the ship."
"That''s what happens when you leave one to sit for decades," Jean said, coming from his right. "We''ll have to be careful until we can get this ship to a port; otherwise, we''ll end up with the fates of castaways."
Alex definitely didn''t want that. Whatever the Nighthawk was when it came to ship designs, he wasn''t about to lose it because he was a lousy pilot. Keeping his eyes on the fighting behind him, he focused on moving the ship toward the horizon. So long as Captain Drake and Mister Foley occupied each other, there was no need to break the ship to escape.
"There''s a ship rising to the south," Jean said. "Looks like the Military Police vessel that was in the sky earlier."
"Can they catch up?" Alex asked.
"I don''t think so," Jean said, chuckling softly. "They''ll give it a good try, but we''ll need to find a way to lose them once we exit the island. Unless they want to leave their captain behind, we should have a good chance at that."
"Good," Alex said, taking a deep breath and leaning back on the controls. But how long do I have to stay like this, Mari?"
"Do you wish to exit ship combat mode?" Mari''s voice crackled over the speaker.
"Will the ship keep going if I do?"
"Yes."
"Alright, do it," Alex sighed, leaning back and letting go of the orbs.
His vision flooded back to him as he did so, and the bridge was restored around him. Sayed and Erin sat to his left, strapped into their chairs with screens in front of them. Sayed was very clearly keeping his hands to his side while Erin tapped away at her own screen. Jean and Li Wen sat on his right, both equally occupied by their own screens. Kali, the reporter, knelt at the ramp that rose to the bridge, her arms hooked in a loop around a side as she held on for dear life. With one hand, she held up her camera and took a photo.
Click.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 121 | Ends and Beginnings
Captain Grayson looked at the sky as the dragon and the massive weasel fought. In the distance, the Artibter rose up to try to follow the outlaw''s ship, but Grayson already knew it was too late. For the second time, Ortega put him on the back foot, and Ortega was getting away.
Grayson stood in the cold wind as the old woman and the machine approached him from behind. He sensed them through the Path of Will long before they reached him, and he turned and sighed.
"We''re going to have to sort out what happened here before we can pursue them," he said, focusing on the old woman. "Is there any chance you''re going to make it easier for me?"
"Well, aren''t you a dearie?" the woman said, her smile not quite reaching her blank eyes. "What are you doing on my island?"
"I didn''t think so." Grayson sighed as he turned to the machine. "What about you? What do you know about all this?"
"Data not available," the machine chirped.
Roar.
Grayson glanced up and saw the massive weasel retreating away from Captain Drake, who had thrown his wings wide as he came in for a landing. Grayson shook his head as he walked into the snow to meet Captain Drake.
Slam. Crunch. Crack.
Captain Drake transformed back into his lizardman form in harsh crunching movements, the spasms fitting for a horror story. Grayson looked away as he waited for the lizard man to finish and only looked back to the other captain when Captain Drake spoke.
Cuts and scratches covered Captain Drake''s scaled body. Several scales had been torn loose from his body, and a few of the wounds even seeped black blood. Captain Drake had been an entire barrel of surprises from their short time working together, but his dragon form was on an entirely different level.
"I won''t be able to catch up to them now," Captain Drake said. "We''ve lost them."
"I figured." Grayson spat. "You look like you''ve been through death and back."
"I didn''t expect the giant flying weasel." Captain Drake shrugged. "I don''t know if it was working with them, but Ortega''s ship seemed to attack it before it came after me."
"It doesn''t matter either way." Grayson sighed. "My ship''s lost, and when we return, I''ll have to report it."
"I think we''ll have bigger problems," Captain Drake said. "The repercussions of that message alone will be a thorn in our side for an age to come."
"You think people will believe it?"
"It said that the broadcast reached every living person on Erth simultaneously," Drake said, narrowing his eyes. "That alone will spur many to believe it."
"I always thought Roald was a liar," Grayson said. "They teach you about him in school. They even have a little rhyme. I don''t remember it anymore."
"Well, we know that''s wrong now," Captain Drake said. "The Academy will have a field day with the message. They''ll have to accept it now that it is everywhere."
"A new era," Grayson said, shaking his head.
"All focused on one place."
"Magnus Hortus," Grayson said. "The center of the Twelve Kingdoms, right next to Rockford and the Clink. The land of unending delights."
"You''ve heard of it?"
"Never been there." Grayson shrugged. "But I hear you can buy any experience you want there."
"A land for nobility, not grunts like you or me." Captain Drake nodded.
"Don''t lump me in with you." Grayson snorted. "I can''t turn into a dragon."
"About that." Captain Drake turned a yellow eye on him. "Can I ask that you keep that a secret for now? Not even my superiors know about it."
"It isn''t a curse?"
"It is what I am," Captain Drake said. "My people were not many before I was taken from our world, but we could take the forms of smaller creatures as we pleased. It is the only way I fit in here."
"Considering what you''ve done for me so far, it''s the least I can do." Grayson smiled. "We may not have saved my ship, but I can''t say we didn''t try."
"Very true." Captain Drake''s mouth split into a serpentine smile, and a puff of smoke escaped. "Just don''t think that this is over."
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"I don''t understand why you''re so positive about this," Grayson said. "No matter how you cut it, we had Ortega and his crew right here, and we failed to get them. They succeeded in whatever they planned to do here and escaped."
"That''s the short game." Captain Drake shook his head. "Look at it this way. I''m fairly certain that this island was the origin of the message. We have plenty to investigate here before we leave to figure out how Roald pulled it all off. Our report will be the one piece of information our superiors will have about what happened. We''re bringing back invaluable intelligence that only cost them one ship."
"Hah."
Grayson couldn''t help but laugh. From that perspective, Ortega stealing his ship was a boon. If his ship had never been stolen, he wouldn''t have been anywhere near any of this. Grayson would have retired in obscurity after his service was up and lived out the rest of his days on his pension. Now, he had an opportunity he would never have imagined. It was quite the change.
"There''s the Arbiter," Captain Drake said, looking up at the approaching ship. "We''ll have to sweep the island for survivors and evidence, question anyone still alive, and then we can worry about making our reports."
Grayson looked back to find the old woman, remembering all the talk about survivors, but when he did, he noticed she was gone. Somehow, she had slipped away from their conversation along with her machine. Grayson rubbed his beard as he looked back to the keep.
They couldn''t have gone far, and a full sweep of the island would eventually find them. He resigned himself to the additional work as they waited for the Arbiter to come down and pick them up.
Firril lay Runa down in her bed, tucking her back into the covers before returning to the fireplace to stoke the embers one last time. Runa''s breathing came in labored breaths as she lay against the pillow, and Firril could tell. Her time had finally come.
Clank.
Firril closed the pot lid and stood, shuffling across the room to Runa and standing over her.
"It was good to see that old codger again," Runa said, a smile crossing her face as her eyes fluttered open. "Twenty years waiting on his blasted plan, and he couldn''t even be here to see it through."
"You did that for him," Firril said, pulling the blanket higher up to ensure it was right below Runa''s chin.
"And I got to see Mari again, don''t you forget that!"
If Firril could have smiled, she would. However, her flat, metallic face didn''t allow it. Instead, she stood up, picked up a bowl, and returned to the pot. She opened it and prepared to ladle another serving of soup for Runa.
Clank.
"Things are going to change now," Runa said, her voice quiet. "The time of us old people is coming to an end. A new generation will push through on their own journeys. They''ll find a way to change the world and make things better."
"Do you think those outlaws will improve things?" Firril asked as she turned to bring the bowl back over to Runa.
"I understand." Runa smiled weakly. "It''s hard to believe that a bunch of selfish people doing what they want can make things better. But you saw them when we first met. They could have killed all three of us. They didn''t. Instead, they indulged me. They helped an old woman back to her bed and reunited Mari with the ship."
"But why did they do it?"
"They wanted to know about Roald, they wanted power, and they all had something they wanted. There''s nothing wrong with wanting something, Firril. The only thing that can be wrong is what you do to get it."
Firril didn''t understand, but then again, she wasn''t programmed to understand. She put a spoon into the bowl and brought the warm red soup to Runa''s lips. Runa sipped at it but didn''t even finish the soup in the spoon before resting back and closing her eyes.
Firril stood, knowing she would need to wait to try and feed Runa again. This was their normal interaction. Runa''s time would come soon, and then Firril would be without even that purpose. Firril sat down the bowl on the table as she scanned the room.
The books were the last record of Roald, the original copies of memories of his and Runa''s journey from the Erth to the New World. Though not every single one would be sent out to the rest of the world, the documents around her were the most complete collection of information on the Dark Meridian and the New World.
"Fwah."
Runa breathed out one last long sigh before going completely still. Firril returned to her, bending down to examine the woman. After a few minutes, she knew that it was all over. Runa was gone, and her purpose was fulfilled.
"Initiate the final part of the plan," Runa''s voice came to her from decades ago. "When the plan is complete, we must burn down everything in this room. The information that is here cannot fall into the wrong hands."
Firril trudged to the fireplace mechanically, reaching one metal hand into the embers and drawing out a burning coal. With a flick of her wrist, she threw the coal into the first bookshelf. Smoke briefly smoldered out of the books before an orange flame sparked along the pages. Firril reached down and picked up another piece of coal, throwing it onto another bookshelf.
She repeated the process again and again until the entire room was blazing orange with flames. She didn''t feel the heat¡ªshe was a machine, after all¡ªbut she stayed long enough to know the room was ablaze.
She left Runa''s body behind as she stepped through the burning wooden door and out into the stone hallway. The fire would be contained in the room and wouldn''t spread to the rest of the keep. Everything important, information that could only be found by journeying beyond Erth, went up in flames behind Firril as she marched down the stairwell and toward the park.
She found Gary kneeling in the park, near the split body of the man who had worn golden armor. Gary''s body no longer released the steady hiss of steam it had earlier. He had shut down due to damage across his systems and would no longer move.
Bullet holes were the problem, but otherwise, he was in one piece. That meant he could be repaired. He might be able to be Gary again. Firril nodded as she finished her inspection. There was hope that he could get up again, which would have to be enough.
Firril reached down, pulled Gary''s hands away from his sword, and then pulled his arm over her shoulder to pick him up. She made her way out of the park with some effort, carrying Gary with her the entire time.
She staggered her way over to the elevator to the pits and laid Gary down on the platform before she went to pull the lever. After she turned it and the platform started its descent into darkness, she found the time to finally talk to Gary, even if he couldn''t hear her now.
Creak. Clank.
"I may not be Runa," Firril said as she knelt beside Gary. "But I''ll try to bring you back to operation, Gary. We don''t have Runa anymore, but there are places we can hide while we wait for those people to leave. Once they''re gone, we''ll figure out what we''ll do together."
If she could have smiled, she would have, but instead, she rested back in a sitting position as the elevator continued its descent.
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | Chapter 122 | A Meeting, A Decision
Chief of the Sky Adhira Arya appeared in a flash of purple light in a dark room. She coldly examined the room around her in the afterglow of her curse. She didn''t come here often, nor did any of the Three Chiefs, but even so, she knew the room far too well.
Click.
Two lights clicked on, illuminating the room in a wan light and revealing the black metal door in front of her. It came together on two jagged points in a circular shape, and as she approached, it slid open, allowing her through and into the rest of the Citadel.
Hiss.
The hallways were largely empty, and that was by design. The masters she went to meet did not need servants or guards. They were the pinnacle of power on Erth¡ªthe Scions.
Tap. Tap.
Only the echo of her boots on the metal floor sounded through the cylindrical hallway as she followed the floodlights to the next set of doors. There were three doors in total before she would reach the meeting room, and Arya wanted to walk as slowly as possible.
Hiss.
She faced a problem unprecedented in the history of Erth. In one move, across the entirety of the Twelve Kingdoms and the Fringes, Roald had destroyed centuries of peace and prosperity. Even now, wannabe outlaws and warlords were rising against the rulers of the islands, making their move to take control and stretching the resources of the Military Police thinner and thinner.
They already lacked the strength to defend, protect, and operate the Twelve Kingdoms, which was why the Fringes existed. Roald''s message was another weight on an already stressed system, pushing it to the breaking point.
Hiss.
She stepped through the third door.
Three spotlights illuminated the dark room. On the right was a dark giant of a man who towered at least double Arya''s height and was wide enough to match. He wore no shirt and only had dark red and black pants as his uniform. He only glanced at Arya as she entered, pointing his two wide bull horns that stuck out of his head at her before cracking his knuckles with his hands and returning to attention.
He was Sarruma, Chief of the Ground.
To her left was a smaller man in comparison. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his long black and red jacket hanging open. He had also turned to Aryia, his smile barely showing through his short, pointed grey beard. He waved one pale hand as she stepped into her spotlight, returning his hands to his pockets as she faced forward.
He was Caspian, Chief of the Sea.
"You''re late," Caspian said, giving a soft laugh that didn''t escape the light around them.
"I had to redeploy my soldiers," Arya said, blowing a lock of her long black hair up and crossing her arms. "There''s trouble brewing across all of the Fringes now. There are too many hotspots for us to handle alone."
"So long as the Core remains pure, there will be no trouble," Sarruma huffed. "My soldiers keep the Core safe. There will be no rebellions, no outlaws, and only order."
"This entire mess makes me glad I''m operating out in the Meridian." Caspain laughed. "Sure, it''s dangerous, but it beats trying to keep people in line."
"That may change today, depending on their decision." Arya looked up into the dark room above.
Her heart quivered as the room''s silence tried to bear down upon her. They were waiting for the Scions to show up. A meeting of the Scions was rare enough, but a meeting that required all three chiefs to be there was even stranger.
In the thousand years of the Scions'' rule, not once had the secret of the Dark Meridian or the New World slipped out. Humanity had stayed in its gilded cage, ready to squash the lives of others to see their own lives improve. Arya bit her lip. Was that all about to change, or would the Scions crush humanity to keep them caged?
Click.
Twelve lights illuminated the room at once around them as screens came on. Immediately, Arya''s heart thumped harder in her chest as the Scions forced their presence upon her and the other two chiefs. She knew she was in the presence of higher beings and what her place was.
Even with all her power as the Chief of the Sky, she was insignificant in the presence of such creatures.
"The time has come," a figure said, and the screen immediately lit up in front of the chiefs.
It leaned forward, revealing a white helm molded like a lion''s head. No face was visible, but Arya could see the yellow eyes that glared from the holes in the armor''s helm. That Scion was the King, the ruler of the twelve.
"We should squash this insurrection before it has time to fester." A second Scion leaned forward, revealing his helm to be that of a ram.
That was the Judge. Arya had summoned him to erase Cragg Hollow due to its infestation. Any Scion could be summoned to perform a Divine Judgement Protocol when needed, but he answered the call the most from what she knew.
"How many souls will you send as a sacrifice," a woman hissed from behind the chiefs.
Arya knew that one was the Queen, and her white helm was shaped like a snake''s head.
Bam.
"Enough!" The King slammed his gauntlet down on the table, and even through the screen, Arya felt reverberations of his power. "We are here to decide what to do, not squabble over what has already been done. Chief Arya and Chief Sarruma report on the current situation."
"The Core is quiet, my lords." Sarruma bowed his head slightly but was otherwise unmoving as a rock. "If there are any plans of rebellion or movement toward Magnus Hortus, it is being kept quiet. This shows that our plan to drive out those not compatible with life in the Core has been successful. All that is left are those who will accept the benefits of living under our protection."
The King''s helm turned to Arya, and she felt her stomach drop through her feet. She was lightning incarnate, and her curse allowed her the destructive power that entailed, yet she was nothing but an ant under that gaze. Arya bowed deeply, closing her eyes.
"The Fringes is in chaos," she said. "Several groups who have been waiting for any sign of weakness have risen and are making their moves. We''ve lost two outposts to outlaw attacks, and there''s more fighting across all four quadrants than we have the manpower to handle."
"Mismanagement," Sarruma grunted, and Arya glared at him before resuming her bow.
"The Dark Meridian is the same as always, chaotic and untamed." Capsian cut in, holding his hands wide. I don''t think the message reached across to us. I didn''t even know about it until I read the first reports."
"All the more reason to squash it now," the Judge said, ignoring the infighting among the chiefs. "We''ve wanted to assimilate the Fringes for decades now. We should take each island one by one and incorporate them into the Twelve Kingdoms. Not only will we have more of humanity under our protection then, but we will also end the threat of rebellion."
"That ignores the constant birth of new islands," one of the Scions said, but the figure didn''t lean into the light. "Every month, more and more islands are taken into the Erth from the Dark Meridian. The Academy has found that the rate is accelerating. We could not take in islands fast enough and maintain order."
Silence permeated the room. The Scions assigned themselves the purpose of taking islands into the Twelve Kingdoms for their protection. Their goal was to bring order to the chaos of the frontier so that humanity could be protected. Because that protection came at the barrel of a gun, stepping out of line meant death.
"Think of the opportunity."
Hmm.
A flash of multicolored light sparkled in front of the chiefs. Lines that stretched the entire spectrum of light flashed as a white-robed figure appeared. He floated in the air, his feet refusing to touch the ground as he raised both hands high. His long sleeves fell to reveal bone-thin hands.
"Speak, Seer," the King said. "Tell us what you see."
The Seer turned in a circle, taking in all the room with a wave of his arms and revealing his garnet mask hidden in his long, pointed cowl. The Seer was one of the few Scions who wore no armor to hide his form, but he still had the mask to hide his face.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
"A simple point we are forgetting has occurred to us," the Seer said. "The plan has always been to protect humanity long enough for it to grow strong. The plan has always been to strive into the Dark Meridian and take the world that we have been denied. This event presents us with an opportunity. It presents us with a chance to test and see if we can send people out into the New World and succeed!"
The arguments started immediately from all sides.
"We have failed to consolidate our power."
"We do not have enough forces, either in the Military Police or in the Academy. There will not be enough forces to take even a portion of the Dark Meridian."
"I can vouch for that," Caspian whispered, winking at Arya with a quick smile. "My boys can barely keep one Constellation''s route safe to keep supplies coming back here."
Arya rolled her eyes but quickly turned her attention back to the bickering Scions. It was in these moments that she realized how fragmented they were. When they argued amongst themselves, they looked less like unimpeachable divine beings and more like squabbling humans.
The only difference was that an argument between Scions could destroy half of the Core.
"Enough!"
Boom.
The King''s voice bellowed across the screens and through the room, shaking through Arya''s bones and sending her to the ground on one knee. The other chiefs did the same next to her. Even Sarruma could not stand up to the King''s single command.
"Finish your point, Seer," the King spoke, his voice echoing in the silence. "I wish to hear your idea."
The Seer bowed at his waist, still floating in the air. When he rose, he held up one bony hand, raising a single finger.
"Our first point is this," the Seer said. "We can no longer stop the flow of this information to the Erth. The message was sent, but we did not have the means to stop it. That is a new fact of our world unless we wish to tear humanity down and spend another century rebuilding it from the ashes."
Arya didn''t like the latter idea. The scale of the genocide to reduce humanity''s numbers and then rebuild it was too much.
"Our second point." The Seer raised a second finger. "Is this a chance to eliminate those who do not like our rule. To push them away from even the Fringes and let them dash themselves upon the trials of the Dark Meridian. We all know the dangers of that land. The few that survive will be easier to deal with due to their small numbers."
That rubbed Arya the wrong way. He was talking about letting people who had bounties go. Those people were trouble, and most were beyond the reach of the Military Police due to the small numbers of soldiers she had available, but to just let them leave would spit on the graves of the victims.
"Our third point." The Seer raised a final finger. "These unwanted outlaws will provide us a chance to test the Dark Meridian. We will be able to see the weaknesses in the defenses of the Constellations. We will know how to invade when the time comes to take this new land. We are taking our problem and making it theirs."
"But will we just let them go?" the Judge asked, tapping one finger on the metal desk before him. "That hardly seems just."
"We can set up the Twelve Kingdoms to thin out the herd if you wish," the Seer said. "Only let the strongest through to truly wreak havoc on the Dark Meridian. We can create the test that grants those who want freedom the chance to taste it."
"And send the ones who fail to die or to the Clink," the Judge said, leaning back in his seat.
"Many kingdoms will fall," the King said. "We may even lose another island like we lost August."
"An island can be rebuilt in time," the Seer said. "And if they are weak enough to fall to outlaws, that is a lesson we should learn now, not when we enter the Dark Meridian. This is a chance to thin out our own herd and cull our own weak for the battle to come."
Arya shuddered at the implication. How many children would die in this coming purge? It might not be at the hands of her own people, but the cost would be immeasurable. She gulped down her thoughts and focused on staring at the ground.
It was all beyond her control.
She was but a human. She may have a curse that gave her the powers of lighting itself, but she was still just a human. If her superiors told her that she must kill a thousand babies to save the Empyrean, what authority did she have to argue?
It pitted her soul, but that was the reality of the world.
"We will try this plan," the King said. "Allow those who would try for the Core. Only intervene to stop important islands from falling. I trust that you chiefs can decide where to concentrate the defenses."
Thump.
"We can," Sarruma said, slamming his fist into his chest as he rose from his knees.
"Then this meeting is adjourned." The screens flickered off, and the Scions departed, except for the Seer, who still floated in front of the chiefs.
"An odd turn of events for all of us." The Seer turned on them, his red mask tilting to the side. "We trust that you will keep us abreast of developments in this operation. We are very interested in seeing who makes it to the Dark Meridian."
"Yes, sir." The three chiefs saluted as one.
Alex sighed, walking down the hallway of the Nighthawk as he held a tablet in his hand. He had spent the last few hours reading through the schematics for the ship and a sort of user manual, and the entire thing reminded him of studying for exams right before they happened. There was no way he would remember everything.
He made his way toward the center of the ship, his stomach rumbling for the first time in a very long time. His body made it so he didn''t need to eat often, but after the events of Diamond Peak, he was more than just hungry. He was starving.
"Anything?" he asked as he stepped through the open circular door and into the wide kitchen area.
"There are no food stores in any of the cupboards or pantries," Sayed said, smiling wide like he was delivering good news. "We have nothing to eat unless we wish to start consuming each other."
"What about you, Erin?" Alex asked. "Can you just grow something from your curse?"
"They''d taste terrible and make you sick," Erin sighed, her stomach rumbling. "When you force them to grow quickly from just my body, they just become fiber, and most of my plants are made for combat. I would need a proper garden or at least a few pots with seeds to make something edible."
"I''ll put that on hold," Alex said, looking over the rest of his makeshift crew.
Erin, Li Wen, and Jean all sat around one of the four short tables in the mess hall, leaning back on cushioned chairs as they reviewed the provided tablets. Like him, they had spent the last few hours reviewing information on the ship controls in a sort of crash course session.
Click.
Kali stepped into the room after taking a photo of it, the reporter''s eyes searching every nook and cranny of the ship for information. Alex filed her away as another problem that would need to be dealt with before they decided what they were doing.
"Mari?" Alex looked up to the ceiling.
"Yes," Mari''s voice piped in over the speakers.
"Can the ship keep going without you in it?"
"No," Mari said. "I am part of the navigation system and function as the autopilot when no one is in control. I must remain in the control room if you wish the ship to keep moving."
"Alright." Alex sighed, setting his tablet on the table. "Then at least listen in; you''re part of this. We need to have a meeting."
Everyone looked up from their work and set down their tablets. Sayed stepped away from the kitchen, and Kali even lowered her camera and sat down near Li Wen at a table. Alex leaned onto the table, spreading his arms wide as he gave them each a solid look.
"We''ve got to talk about plans, people," Alex said. "Right now, we have a ship, but we''ve never formalized who we are or what we''re doing. We''ve just kind of bumbled through everything, doing the best we can. If we''re going to move forward, we need to change that."
"We need a leader," Sayed said, sitting near Jean and Erin. "Every unit needs someone to make decisions for the group''s best interests."
"The real question before that is, why are we all here? What do we all want?" Jean raised one finger. "If we are in this together, we need to know what we are journeying together for."
Alex nodded.
"I''m here because I want to find a way home," Alex said. "I''ve spent the last few years looking for island cores because the information inside seemed like my best bet. If what Roald said in his message is right, his path might be a better way forward. I want to see if the New World has any secrets that will let me go back to Earth."
He paused before nodding to Sayed.
"I am intrigued by this talk of powerful opponents in this Dark Meridian and in the New World. While finding my way back to Hajh would be good, there is no point if I have not forged a story worth telling. I want to go to the New World to find and defeat these enemies and create my grand story. Whether I ever return to Hajh is secondary. We all face the Crimson Fields regardless of the path we use to get there."
Sayed turned to Erin.
"I''m here for the mission." Erin shrugged but bit her lip. "Though, I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t interested in the New World. I picked up two of Roald''s books, which show plants I''ve never seen before. I''m not against adding more variety to my garden."
Erin eyed Jean.
"Mine is simple." Jean chuckled. "Fate has brought us together, and we have already done so much. I fought a man who controls pasta today. You people have all brought us these experiences, and it is a joy for us to journey with you. I have no doubt that we will find even more to enjoy together."
Alex looked over to Li Wen.
"I''ve never been like you," she said. "Once I left Earth, I gave up on it. However, I''ve always wanted to know more about this world. I want to know why it is so odd. Why does the nightsea exist? What are curses? What are the Scions really? If that message is true, then going to the New World is my only choice."
"That doesn''t explain why you shot Foley," Alex said.
"I shot him because I saw you there." Li Wen shrugged, looking at Kali. "When Bibi shot the captain and threatened the rest of us, I promised myself I would get her out of the situation no matter what. If I have to become an outlaw to get her out, that''s what I will do."
That left Kali.
"I''m not part of this," Kali said, raising both her hands. "You all seem like very nice people, but I''ll be hopping off at the first safe place we stop."
"What about Bibi''s threat?" Li Wen asked.
"I''ll take that as it comes." Kali sighed. "I''ve got a cat at home to feed, and I''m not abandoning her to go on an adventure."
"I can give you a few contacts," Erin said. "The People''s Revolution always needs more, and if you''re run out of your home, they''ll make sure you have something to do."
"Thank you." Kali nodded to Erin. "I''ll take all the help I can get."
"What about you, Mari." Alex looked back up to the ceiling.
"I go where the ship goes," Mari''s voice chirped back, giving a short pause before continuing. "But, I do like you all. You have made the trip together fun so far."
"Alright," Alex said. "With that said, who do you all want to lead us."
"I think that''s obvious." Jean stood up, slapping Alex on the shoulder as he headed down the hall.
"You will do great." Sayed stepped from his chair in one long stride and returned to the kitchen. "Just as I will once I find something to cook for all of us!"
"He''s always been the planner." Erin glanced at Li Wen. "We might as well let him keep doing it."
"You''ve all been here longer than I." Li Wen nodded. "I will trust your judgment until he disappoints us."
"Really?" Alex sighed. "Do you all just not want to do the work?"
"You''ll do great," Mari said.
Alex sighed, stretching to his full, short height and looking over the mess hall. "Then I guess I need to solve the first problem. Where do we go first?"
"I have a suggestion for that." Li Wen stood up. "Let''s go to the map, and I''ll show it to you. There''s an island in the first quadrant that''s known for being neutral toward everyone. It''ll be the perfect place to check over the ship and get supplies."
"What''s it called?"
"Dry Turtle."
Volume 05 Cold Hunt | End of Volume Updates (Previously Encyclopedia Entries)
So, I''m writing this in July, right before the start of August. This volume was a major worry when I was writing it, but I felt better about it after a lot of major edits. This volume is the end of the first major arc to the series, where I focus on getting the entire crew together. From this point forward, as in the story, things are going to change majorly as the crew figures out where they''re going and what they''re going to do.
An IRL friend has been working on me with feedback on beta using what I''m using for Patreon copies (Story Origin). The system works really well and keeps things more organized than just doing it as posts, so I like it. If you feel anything improves in my writing, you can thank him for that, because he definitely helps me catch wording issues a lot. I''m sending him a free omnibus after I make it as compensation so don''t worry about him being unpaid.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I''m starting up at a new school district next week, and in terms of this series, I''m working on a print omnibus of the first 5 volumes that I hope to have out by October (to go with the newsletter, which you can totally join if you want to click on my website or the summary page for this fiction.) I''m also beginning to work on a serious side project after a break, and that should be out during the writathon in November.
I''m not good at talking about myself, but all in all there''s a lot to look forward to, and thanks for being along for the ride.
Edit: September me here. I had to stop writing for like a full month from late July to August, and man did it hurt getting back up to what I''m used to. The good news is that I''m back to writing with backlog out to January. The bad news is the side series might be delayed until I get more back to normal. Starting up work at a new district is rough.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 123 | A Righteous Knight Appears
Boom. Thump.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Slap.
Flick.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 124 | Dry Turtle
Pop.
Hrrm.
Groan. Thump. Clink. Thump.
Grumble.
Knock. Knock.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Click. Hiss.
Tap.
Hrrm. Phreet!
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 125 | Slavers
Click. Hiss.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Crack.
Thump.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 126 | Lessers and Betters
Hrrm.
Puff. Thump.
Whoosh.
Slap.
Tsk.
Creak.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Thump.
Thump.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 127 | Authority
Dry Turtle stretched before Erin as she helped Mari jump down from the small ship''s deck. Mari landed beside her in the dirt, only stumbling and grabbing onto Erin''s green cloak slightly before regaining her balance. Erin made sure Mari was standing before she looked at the city around her.
Tall wooden buildings painted various colors, each one several stories high, occupied the streets around her, and a sea of people who looked plucked from across all of the Erth filled the streets. Normally, she would only see so many people in one place if it was a major city in the Twelve Kingdoms.
Hrrm.
"So, we need to solve the food problem first," Alex said as the shuttle rose back into the sky. "We eat, see off Kali on a ship, and then figure out what to do about our financial troubles."
"If I can find a bank, I can cash in on my bounty and chip in some," Wen said, her eyes constantly roving the streets around them as she spoke. "It wouldn''t cover everything, but it can help defer the cost."
"I do have this as well." Sayed drew a golden gauntlet from his belt. "I found it on the island."
"Crap," Alex said, his eyes on the gauntlet.
"What?" Erin raised an eyebrow.
"I dropped the scepter I picked up." Alex sighed. "That would have helped a lot."
"Am I the only one that didn''t steal something from the island?" Erin sighed.
"I think Jean had a jeweled circlet when he returned from his tower," Sayed said, a smile cracking his beard.
Grumble.
Several stomachs shouted for sustenance simultaneously. Erin''s ears turned red, and she put one hand on her stomach to calm it down. None of them were in any position to argue. The only question was where they should eat.
Mari grabbed onto her hand, pointing down the street.
"Let''s go there!"
Everyone turned to look down the street at the nearest corner, where a large green sign stuck out from the side of the tall building. ''Cat''s Cradle!'' was written across the sign in bright yellow text, and a few groups of people sat outside at wooden tables with food on their plates.
"Why that one?" Alex asked, stepping beside Erin.
"It looks fun," Mari said, putting one finger on her lips as she looked at Alex.
"Alright," Alex said, shrugging his shoulders at the rest of them. "I should be able to handle one meal without breaking the bank. Let''s go."
Together, they set off toward the restaurant, Alex leading the way with Wen holding the rear of the group. Erin kept her grip on Mari''s hand tight as they folded into the milling crowds. Again, she had to be impressed by how many people were in Dry Turtle.
Bang!
Erin jumped, dropping to one knee and wrapping her arm around Mari as she scanned the area around them. Alex had his hands out to his side, and she knew he had already opened his gate while Wen and Sayed took positions to her left and right.
Click.
Beside Erin, Kali had already pulled out her camera and was snapping photos as best she could. Her camera''s lens was pointed across the street, and Erin followed it to see what was happening.
"Get out of our way!"
The crowd on the other side of the street fell away from the sidewalks and out into the wider paths. Some people fell over themselves, and some cried out in pain as heavy boots trampled them. Erin kept her head down, but they were safe from whatever was happening for the moment.
"Where''s the ship?"
A man wearing a white bandana across his face and a wide-brimmed black cap exploded into the street with two other men dressed similarly. Erin''s eyes traced between the large burlap sacks in their hands and the sign on the building. ''Bank.'' They were bank robbers.
"I don''t know, but we better get moving. The Cleaners will be here soon!" the tallest said to the shortest.
"What''re you saying, Brian? Where''s the driver at? He''d be here right now!" the second tallest yelled.
"Hey, don''t use your real names!" The shortest among them pulled down his bandana, throwing spittle at the second tallest.
"Hey, don''t reveal your face!" the tallest reached down and slapped the shortest across the back of his head.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
"What is this, a comedy act?" Alex asked.
"Should we not intervene?" Sayed cracked his knuckles.
"Don''t get caught up with it," Wen said. "We don''t want to get tangled with the Port Authority."
Erin stayed down next to Mari as the men fought among themselves. The crowd around them pushed and shoved to maximize the distance between themselves and the men, and soon, it was like they were standing in the eye of a storm. Eventually, the men caught on to the change.
The three men went silent as they began to scan the crowd around them. For a moment, no one spoke, but a faint whisper of mumbling came from the crowd. Erin had to focus just to pick up on what everyone was whispering.
"Are they stupid?"
"Don''t get close!"
"Any second now."
"What in tarnation are they talking about?" the shortest robber asked.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Click.
Kali snapped another photo, though she pointed her camera to the sky this time.
A voice rang out from the rooftops, and Erin''s eyes shot up to catch a man in an orange long-sleeved jumpsuit standing on the roof. Beside him were several men dressed in similar suits. All of them wore differently-adorned white masks. Each one looked like it had a silly face scrawled across it with a brush. The central figure''s mask appeared to be two pitted eyes and a large, cackling, sharp-toothed mouth.
"There is no need to fear, citizens and patrons of Dry Turtle!" the man yelled, his broad chest thrusting out as he stood leaning forward over the street. "For the mighty Cleaners are on the case!"
Erin gulped as the masked man looked down on the robbers, shading his mask with his hand before resting his hands on his hips. In what might have been an attempt to strike a heroic pose, he again puffed his chest out and held his head high.
"Three of you have decided to mar the peace of our fair city!" the man yelled. "And three of you will have to pay the price! My ropes of justice shall bind you to your crimes!"
"What in the abyss is he talking about?"
"What''s that matter? Shoot him, boys!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The robbers shot at the man on the roof as he jumped down toward them. Beside him, the other men in orange also jumped, holding their arms close to the bodies as they descended. Bullets flew this way and that, but none seemed to hit their mark. The central man in orange yelled out as he fell, throwing his arms open wide.
"Rope Trick!"
Thump.
Long lengths of white rope shot out from his hands, twirling into spirals as he landed on the ground in front of the men. Erin thought he would stumble, but instead, he caught himself on his hands and knees. When he stood, he pulled his ropes tight, and two of the robbers slammed together at the end of the ropes.
"He''s got a curse." The final robber dropped his gun, darting toward the crowd as the other orange-suited men landed.
"Lock Down!"
Thump. Clink.
Another orange-jumpsuited man appeared from the crowd, catching the robber with one arm across his chest. The final member of the Port Authority''s arm bent, his orange sleeve turning black as his arm filled and wrapped around the robber''s chest. With one hard shove, the man pushed through the robber''s chest, his arm going through the robber''s back as he completed the swing. A long black bar was left behind, holding the robber''s arms closed as he fell to the ground on his face.
Thump.
"No one escapes from the Port Authority!" the newcomer yelled, holding one fist up.
He was wider than the other members of the Port Authority, and his mask had a large frowning face drawn across it. Where the first man was muscular, the second one was a lot more rotund, though his arms were also unnaturally long. His fists were easily at his knees as he let down his hand and dropped it to his side.
"Another job done by the Cleaners!" the first man approached the second, and they clapped their hands together.
Slap.
Click.
The crowd erupted into a cheer as the two men congratulated each other, and the other members of the group began to pick up the robbers. In moments, they had carried the robbers down the street and out of sight, the two masked men following after as people cheered after them.
"That''s why we shouldn''t cause any trouble," Wen said as the crowd returned to its milling motion through the streets. "We don''t have enough luck to survive an encounter with them."
"You know who they are?"
"A little." Wen frowned.
"They made for some great shots," Kali said, resting her camera on its strap. "I just wish I could see how they turned out right now."
"They''re part of the Port Authority," Wen said. "They''re called the Cleaners, and their job is to hit anyone who violates the peace so fast that they''re swept away before anything worse can happen. You don''t break the peace in Dry Turtle and walk away."
"You don''t know their names?" Erin asked.
"I don''t know everything," Wen said, side-eyeing Erin. "I know certain things, but there''s too much for everyone to know everything on Erth. Just don''t go around starting fights, and we won''t have to worry about what they''re called. The best way to survive out here is to keep your head down."
"Noted," Alex said, his eyes locked down the street in the direction they had gone in. "I''m not planning to start a fight. So long as we don''t run into those slavers again, we should stay out of trouble."
"But why do they wear the masks?" Sayed asked. "Surely there is a story behind the practice."
"No idea." Wen shrugged. "If you ever get caught by them, I''m sure you could ask. Or you could ask around town, but I doubt you''d hear the definitive story."
"Rumors spread far and wide. It takes work to dig into the truth," Kali said, putting her hands in her pockets.
"Now that sounds like journalism." Wen laughed, shaking her head.
Grumble.
Erin''s stomach ached as it reminded her that she needed to eat. Mari looked up at her with wide eyes, but then a quick smile spread across her face. Erin''s ears burned again, but she did her best to ignore it.
"Alright," Alex said. "Let''s go eat, and we''ll figure out everything else from there. Don''t let me forget to grab something to bring back to Jean."
"Last time, you forgot to bring one to me," Sayed said, starting toward the restaurant. "I will not let you forget for our brother."
"Are you still holding a grudge over that?" Alex asked. "That was all the way back on Cragg Hollow, and Erin didn''t get you one either."
"Erin is not the leader," Sayed said.
"I wasn''t the leader back then," Alex grumbled. "We just kind of made it up as we went along."
"But you did make the promise," Sayed said as they continued arguing back and forth.
Considering the events of the last few hours, let alone the last few days, Erin couldn''t help but smile a little. While they had gotten off on a shaky foot at Dry Turtle, there was at least a chance they could get out of the town in one piece and start their journey toward the core.
She gripped Mari''s hand tight as she followed after the rest of the group.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 128 | Charles in Charge
Miss Brooke sat in her corner of paradise in Cat''s Cradle, a cup of tea in her hand, steam rising from it as she looked over the crowd. While a few significant people were in the room, none of their bounties were worth her time, and she had a more important mission to handle.
She was on the lookout for a very specific person under the orders of Miss Malone.
Sip.
She held out one pinky as she sipped from her teacup, as was only proper for a lady of her standing.
"Already, I can smell a great feast!" a large man with dark brown skin burst through the restaurant''s double doors, two sheathed swords on his back and wearing a leather jerkin over simple clothes.
Miss Brooke paused to set her teacup back against its saucer. She recognized the man. Quickly brushing through her memory, she found that she was indeed correct. He had a bounty, though it wasn''t the largest she had ever seen. Only twenty-five thousand dolers. He was ''Sword Saint'' Sayed.
"Calm down, Sayed," a shorter, dark-skinned man in plain clothes and a black and red jacket stepped beside Sayed, his hands in his pocket as he scanned the room.
Miss Brooke''s breath caught in her chest. Though he wasn''t who she was looking for, ''Tin Man'' Ortega had a hefty price on his head. One million dolers to turn him in and that much money would be a boon to the operation. With her particular abilities, she could easily see herself taking him in.
However, Miss Malone gave her specific instructions. Miss Brooke knew the costs of defying a Hand.
"Can you both be quiet," a pale woman in a green cloak stepped in between the two, holding a child''s hand who wore a red cloak that shaded her features.
Tap.
Now, that was odd. Miss Brooke tapped her finger against the table as she assessed the situation¡ªthree outlaws with decent bounties in one place. ''Thorn Queen'' Leah wasn''t as famous as Ortega, but she was still worth twenty thousand dolers. Miss Brooke couldn''t believe that three major figures would be working together.
Then she noticed the woman in the back.
She wore simple clothes with a leather vest over her shirt, a rifle slung across her chest, and two revolvers on her belt. A wide-brimmed hat rested on her head, and long black hair fell to her shoulders. Miss Brooke immediately recognized ''Cold Shot'' as the woman joined the group of outlaws to select a table.
A final woman with frizzy black hair and dark skin joined them, but as far as Miss Brooke knew, she didn''t have a bounty, nor was she famous. Miss Brooke picked up a sugar cube and dropped it into her teacup, stirring it as she watched the group.
They weren''t who she was looking for, but she would need to report the information to Miss Malone. Since the message had aired, things in the world had changed. Perhaps this group of outlaws working together was just a sign of the times, or perhaps it was something more significant.
She, for one, wanted to know more. Perhaps she could follow the group a little further and then report to Miss Malone. A wicked smile crossed her face as she opened her gate. A flowing, cooling sensation flooded her body as power crashed through her muscles from her heart to her fingertips.
Her skin turned translucent as her sensations collapsed into a soggy mix and blur. In moments, she was a puddle of water on the floor, with her consciousness split among the various droplets. With a faint movement impulse, she began to cross the floor as a puddle of water.
Sayed sat back in his seat after the waiter left with the group''s order. The fiery spice of cooking meat and vegetables in a blend of peppers had already reached his nose. He knew the restaurant would provide an experience he had been waiting for since they had left Cragg Hollow¡ªa true meal worth his pallet.
For a time, he could put away his anger over the slave. He could put away his need for justice. He would enjoy this meal and, then, when it was over, focus on repairing the ship. He did not like that he could not free the slave, but Alex and Wen were right. They were not strong enough to change this island, at least not yet.
However, if he saw the opportunity during their stay on Dry Turtle, he could not guarantee he would not take it.
"Say that again!"
Crash. Clatter.
Across the busy restaurant, two men stood up, their table crashing to the ground along with all the plates and finery that had been on it. One man held the other by his collar, his face burning bright red as he glared down at the other. Sayed tracked them, as did the rest of the people at the table, but no one moved.
Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
"Don''t interfere," Wen said. "They won''t show up for a simple bar fight, but I''d rather not risk it."
"You heard her," Alex said. "We can worry about it after we eat."
"I said, you''re insane, Charles!" the man held by his collar spat back in the other''s face. "You''re dragging us to the Core for nothing! That message is a fool''s errand!"
"You''re the fool, Harold," Charles said, bringing his mustache closer to Harold''s bulbous nose. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and you''re leaving it because you want to stay yoked to the past. There''s a New World out there! There''s wealth beyond imagination, but you won''t sell the ship to get one that can handle it. Why? Because you''re afraid."
Charles was the smaller of the two men, but his muscles bulged across his arms as he kept the other man in place. Harold was tall and lanky, so he wasn''t being held up by his collar, but it was clear to Sayed that Harold couldn''t escape the grip, even as he dug against Charles''s hands with his nails.
Blood flowed out from Charles''s skin as Harold''s nails scratched across him, but the man didn''t flinch.
"It''s a fool''s errand," Harold repeated. "If you want to chase your childish dreams, then get off my crew. You''ll have to find your own way!"
"If that''s how things are going to be," Charles whispered, releasing the collar with one hand.
Bang!
With one fast motion, faster than anyone else at the table could react to, a revolver was at the base of Harold''s chin, and the shot was fired. Harold slumped as gore exploded out of the back of his head. Grey and red instantly sprayed people at a nearby table, and Sayed tensed his arm as he reached for his sword.
"Wait," Wen said.
Click.
Sayed looked across the table. Alex had a hand out, and Erin was covering Mari''s eyes. Kali had her camera up and had already snapped a photo. Wen had her hand out in front of Alex''s, already ready to block him from acting. Alex grimaced but lowered his hand.
"What''re you all looking at?" Charles spun, his gun flashing across the room and a crooked smile on his face. "Don''t you all know? The world''s changing! The old powers are dying and those who want better will be the future masters of destiny! That message was the key! Break out of your stupor and seize what''s rightfully ours!"
No one in the room seemed ready to take him up on the offer. If he had not shot the other man, Sayed would have been one to agree. Instead, he kept himself ready to move in case the man shot toward himself or his friends. The man swirled around again, his short black coat flipping this way and that as his gun roved the room.
"Excuse me, sir," the waiter, dressed in a simple white shirt and pants, approached the man. "Can you please take this outside? You''re scaring the other customers."
"They should all be afraid," Charles said, turning the revolver on the waiter.
"Wen," Alex said. "I understand, but we''ll make it quick. Force Pull."
Clatter. Clink.
Alex stood, and every metal object in the room suddenly clattered and clanked toward his hand. Even Sayed''s swords tried to go along with that tug, but their vertical sheaths kept them locked to his back. Forks, spoons, knives, guns, and the revolver in Charles''s hand all shot through the air toward Alex, gathering together in a ball of metal in front of his hand.
"I like the idea of a New World," Alex said as Charles turned to him with wide, blood-shot eyes. "But I''m not going to just let you do what you please."
Crack.
"And you are ruining our chance to finally eat," Sayed said as he cracked his knuckles. "It has been three full days since I have had a meal."
"You''re lucky you''re right," Wen whispered, drawing her own revolver and pointing it at Charles. "Just keep the damage minimal, and I can talk us out of any trouble."
"Oh, a group of heroes enters the picture." Charles laughed, stepping away from the waiter and holding his hands out beside him. "You''ve disarmed me."
He laughed, his thin chest heaving as cold grey eyes looked over the table. His wiry white hair and long fraying mustache gave him the look of a madman, even if his actions before hadn''t shown it. A prickling tingling ran up Sayed''s spine as he stared at the man. There was more to Charles than just his revolver.
"We''re not heroes," Alex said. "We''re just outlaws trying to enjoy a meal."
"Outlaws?" Charles looked them over. "You have a kid and a bounty hunter with you! What kind of outlaws are you?"
"We are the kind who wish to eat," Sayed said, his grin growing wider. "But we will fight you if we must. Do as Alex asks and leave this place!"
"Hah," Charles shook his head.
He raised one hand, and Sayed tensed for him to call on some blessing of his own to continue the fight. Might he summon a fiery explosion, or might he call the powers of the light itself to shoot at them? The possibilities were endless across the nightsea when it came to a blessing.
"Reject."
From the mass of metal, a single revolver flowed through the air and back into Charles''s outstretched hand. He caught it and, with a twirl, holstered it on his belt. Sayed''s eyes widened. Alex still held the rest of the metal in the room in his hand, yet Charles had called his gun back to him like the magnetic force wasn''t even there.
"I''ll give it to you all," Charles said. "What kind of people are you? Will you go for the Core and try your luck in the Dark Meridian? Will you try for the New World?"
"I don''t think less of those who won''t," Alex said. "But the New World has something for me. We''ll all be going for it."
"Good," Charles said, pulling up his belt as he looked over the rest of the room. "The rest of you count yourselves lucky that these idiots were here today. They''re the right kind of idiots in this world. Dumb for standing up to me, but at least they''re willing to risk their all. If you''ve a single spine in your body, you''ll all leave this island behind and stake your claim in the New World."
He walked toward the doors, stopping only for a moment as he placed his hands against them to swing out and step outside.
"Roald said that humanity was in a cage. They''ve become far too tame. The world needs those who would push humanity out of its cage. Escaping isn''t enough. We''ve got to tear the entire thing down if we want to be ready for the next world."
With that, he exited, leaving the room in quiet cries of anguish as the people near the dead man''s table cried out in fear. Alex released his hold on the metal in front of him, and Sayed relaxed his muscles as the doors swung back and forth from Charles''s exit.
"Well," Alex said. "Maybe we can finally eat."
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 129 | The Night Queen
Alex handed the warm wooden box to Sayed as they stood outside of Cat''s Cradle. The meal was done, and now they just needed to see everyone off. It was the second time he had convinced a restaurant that a ''to go'' order was a good business decision, though it was helped by his rescuing the waiter from being shot.
"Okay," Alex said to Sayed. "You and Erin are going to find a store to order supplies from and send them to the ship. Li Wen and I will see Kali off and sell the gauntlet to see how much money we have. Can you do it?"
"Have some faith in me, brother," Sayed said, taking the box. "I will ensure that the food gets delivered in the least."
"And I''ll make sure he doesn''t go running off," Erin said. "Do you want to take Mari with you?"
Alex looked down at Mari, who still held onto Erin''s hand. She hadn''t spoken much since they had gotten done at the diner, and part of him wondered if seeing the murder had something to do with that. However, they weren''t in the place to ask that kind of question. The android rubbed at her eyes and let out a long yawn.
"You guys will probably get back to the ship first," Alex said. "Take her with you and let her get some sleep. She''s been active for more than three days straight. Might as well give her a chance to dream of electric sheep."
Slap.
Li Wen gave him a light tap on the back of the head. "No one knows what you''re talking about when you say those things."
"I know." Alex sighed, smiling at Erin''s raised eyebrow. "Let her get some sleep."
With that, they parted, and Alex followed Li Wen and Kali toward the port. The crowds in the streets had thinned a little, leaving a pitted dirt road stretching between the buildings. Parallel lines marked where people had driven carts down the road the last time it had rained, and the occasional pothole acted as a land mine for anyone foolish enough to step in it or to ride over it.
Alex could see why the shuttles were miniature slipships. With the roads so unmaintained, they were the best option to get around. The roads would be for those too poor to afford the ride, whether for supplies or people, while the rich rode the skies in style.
"I can''t wait to get back to April," Kali said as they walked, her hands on her camera. "I need to develop these photos and write my articles."
"You''re going to write articles on what happened?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Who wouldn''t?" Kali said, giving him a quick grin. "I witnessed the origin of this message and even met some famous outlaws. My boss will be ecstatic when he hears about all of this."
"What about Bibi''s threat?" Li Wen asked, looking down at Kali. "If you post that article, you''ll draw more attention to yourself."
Kali stopped for a moment, looking down at the camera. People parted around them as they waited for her, a few grumbling at the inconvenience. It reminded Alex of walking around a busy city like New York City. Most people there knew better than to stop in the middle of the sidewalk.
"It might draw some attention to me, but I''ll be fine," Kali said. "My boss can send me on an assignment when it publishes, so I''m off the island, and I can be out of people''s sight and mind while it cools down. I can probably bring Whiskers with me this time, so I don''t have to worry about keeping him fed."
Alex snorted out his laugh. After meeting a massive bearcat named Scratches on Diamond Peak, he struggled with names. In his mind, Whiskers was a massive black cat nearly the size of a sedan because that was what the nightsea was training him to expect.
"I can''t say I wouldn''t do the same," Li Wen sighed. "Just be careful. We barely survived Bibi''s madness back there. I would hate to see what happens when his father finds out he''s dead."
"The same thing could be said about you," Alex said as they began to walk again. "When you froze Mister Foley, you cashed in your chips. Are you sure you want to follow along with a bunch of outlaws?"
"The message helped," Li Wen smirked at him. "But when I saw you again out there, I knew I needed to make up my mind. Of all the people I''ve met on Erth since I''ve gotten here, you seem to want to know how it works the most. I have a hunch that I''ll learn a lot if I follow you around."
Alex wasn''t sure if he should feel flattered or not by that statement, so he shrugged his shoulders and focused on the thin clouds above them. It wasn''t like he was an expert on Erth. He just knew about island cores and could access them. Everything else he kind of made up as he went along.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
However, having more strong people with him wasn''t a benefit he could refuse. If they had all been together back on Glory Plateau, they might have been able to take down Lucien before the fight. If he wanted to find out the truth in the New World, he would need all the help he could get.
"I''m more concerned about the reactions to the message," Alex said. "Everything seems so unchaotic. I thought more people would be tearing up the world around them when told they lived in a cage."
"But what can we do about it if we are?" Kali whispered. "Who can really stand up against the Scions?"
"Not everyone is as hardheaded as you are," Li Wen said. "There are people who will believe it and act, but most people won''t tear up their lives for the possibility of something better¡ªnot when they already live well enough where they''re at."
For a second time, Alex couldn''t help but shrug, unsure that he should take that as a compliment.
"Besides, this is just one island," Li Wen continued. "And probably the most stable one on the Fringes."
As she finished, they reached the docks, stepping out onto one of the long wooden boardwalks that stretched out into the sea around the island. At set intervals, large wooden towers rose into the sky, each allowing slipships to dock in the air above on platforms extending out in varying directions from the towers. Some slipships also rested in wet docks below, along with local boats that couldn''t hope to sail on the nightsea.
The entire operation probably took a few kilometers, and the docks were the largest Alex had seen outside of when he had escaped August. A flurry of activity across the long docks marked that Dry Trutle was a center for trade and commerce.
That was why Alex wasn''t surprised when he recognized one of the larger ships resting on the high tiers of the air docks. A smile cracked his face as he looked for the name on the back of the long ship to confirm. It was the Night Queen, a massive transport ship that needed four lodestones on each side to keep its bulk in the air.
"I know that ship," he said, pointing up and causing Li Wen and Kali to pause. "We might be able to negotiate if they''re going in the right direction."
"That transport ship?" Li Wen squinted at the massive bulk of the Night Queen. "Are you sure?"
"It''s worth a shot," Alex shrugged. "Besides, I know a guy."
With that, they started down the docks and toward the ship''s tower. It didn''t take long to climb the steps up to the ship, and Alex was only a little winded when he reached the top. Kali wasn''t as fortunate, but her body hadn''t been modified through experiments to be stronger than anyone had any right to be.
As they walked up the boarding plank, Alex heard Hubert long before he saw him. Hubert was short and round, with a face that always seemed red, no matter how much he had recently drunk. He stood on the deck of the Night Queen, directing a group of sailors as they worked with ropes to pull up the ship''s light sails.
Alex held up a hand as Kali and Li Wen moved forward, causing them to stop and wait for the man to be done.
"We need another hand here, boys!" Hubert yelled, spittle flying from his grey beard as he looked over the working sailors. "We need this sail up so we can do mast repairs!"
Alex waited as the men pulled against the rope in waves. Pull. Release. Pull. Release. It reminded him of the times he had worked on slipships to make his way across the nightsea. It wasn''t even that long ago, weeks ago, that his life was much like these sailors, but now, he had his own ship.
"Heave, ho!" With one final tug, the sailors brought the sail to the top of the past, and men on the top set about securing it together with ropes.
"Good job, boys," Hubert said, putting his hands on his hips as the men fell to the ground, breathing hard. "Go get a rest."
Hubert turned, ready to walk away, when he saw Alex standing on the deck. Confusion made the man tilt his head to the side before his eyes widened, and a grin cracked his beard. Hubert ran at Alex, his arms out and a laugh escaping his lips as he charged forward.
"Alex! Abyss be damned, how are you here?"
He hit Alex hard in the chest, hugging Alex before stepping back and shaking his head. Alex took a moment to pat Hubert on the shoulder. He honestly thought he would have never seen the old man again. The Fringes were wide, and there were more than enough islands to route between for them never to cross paths.
"That''s a long story," Alex said. "How are you doing?"
"After getting off that mess on Glory Plateau?" Hubert asked. "I''m doing great. I''m just surprised you got out. I saw those fights before we had to leave. I didn''t think you''d be able to find a way out. And what with me being the reason you were there. I felt right wrong that I put you in that situation."
"It worked out in the end," Alex shrugged. "I met some people because of it, and I got pretty lucky. I came into my own ship."
"You did now?" Hubert asked. "Are you thinking about following that message? Are you heading for the Core?"
"I might," Alex said. "However, that''s a long trip, and not why I''m here."
"Then why are you here, son?"
"Where''s the Night Queen heading now?" Alex asked.
"We''ve got a long arc of shipping toward the Core," Hubert said, scratching his beard. "We''ve got some choice cargo heading toward the Twelve Kingdoms in about a month, and it''ll take us that long to get there with all the stops on the way."
"That''s just what I was hoping to hear," Alex smiled, looking back at Kali. "I want you to meet my friend back here, and she needs a ride back to April or as close as you can get her."
With that, he negotiated with Hubert to take Kali with the ship. It might not have been the fastest available ride, but with an ''I saved your life from prison'' discount and a little poking and prodding, Alex convinced Hubert to sign Kali onto the ship. With that problem solved, he and Li Wen left the ship, and Kali took a final photo of them as they walked off the deck.
Together, they went to see exactly how much money they could scrounge together to repair the Nighthawk.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 130 | Recognition
Erin leaned on the counter as she placed her few coins on the wood. The shopkeeper eyed her as she counted the coins, but she already knew she would be short. His beard bristled as she tapped through each coin, and she knew that kindness wouldn''t win the day.
"I''m a little short." She smiled at the man.
"That''s a little bit of an understatement." The shopkeeper put his hands inside his robe''s pockets, narrowing his eyes at her as she tapped the counter. "What in the supplies list are you willing to part with then?"
The problem was that they needed the supplies and also needed to save as much as possible for repairs. She knew how hard it was to supply a ship, even her own small one that had gone back to the People''s Revolution headquarters after it was picked up. Supplying one for six people was an entirely larger undertaking.
"How about a bulk discount?" Erin asked.
"Bulk is for supplies in the hundreds," the shopkeeper said, curling his lips. "Not for this meager amount."
"There has to be something we can work out," Erin said, trying to wink at the man.
"If I gave away supplies for free, I wouldn''t have a shop for long," the shopkeeper said.
"Oof."
Crack.
Mari, who had been working her way through the shelves in the small shop, fell, knocking over something that sounded incredibly expensive. Erin winced, afraid to look over and see what the automaton had broken. Beside her on the ground was a shattered blue and white vase. The remains of a green stalk with a few green leaves lay on the ground in the dirt.
She didn''t recognize the plant, but she focused on making sure Mari was alright. She pulled Mari up from the ground by her arm and held onto her hand. She couldn''t afford any more mistakes. The shopkeeper came around the corner, his robe flowing behind him as he knelt by the plant.
"That was my nicotiana plant. It''s one of a kind!" he said as he ran his hand over the green leaves. "Just one alone costs a fortune!"
Erin bit back a curse as he scooped up the plant, the glass forgotten as he rushed back behind the counter. He mumbled to himself the entire way, and Erin picked up on a few of his words as he pulled out another pot and attempted to replant the green stalk.
"You''ll have to pay for damages, of course," he whispered as he tried to shove the roots into a new pot. "It will be very expensive. This plant is a rare procurement from a mysterious island. I''d never seen anything like it before. It is one-of-a-kind."
He emphasized the last few words, but Erin wasn''t worried. In those words, she saw an opportunity. Her curse was the power to control growth in living things, and the plant was rare. She stood up, taking Mari back to the counter as she leaned over it.
"Excuse me," she said, keeping her voice low.
"What do you want now?" The man turned on her, holding the limp plant in a new pot.
"I have an offer," she said as she extended her hand.
She opened her gate, giving into the power of growth that rested inside her. Energy twined through her body like long roots, growing across her arms and legs as she tapped into her gate. Her hand began to glow green as she held it toward the plant and willed it to grow.
The nicotiana plant''s stalk grew longer out of its new pot as its leaves expanded wider. The plant nearly reached the ceiling in moments, with several new growths sprouting off it. The merchant gasped, glancing between her hand and the plant.
"You''re cursed," he whispered.
"I am," Erin said.
"You made the plant grow!"
"I did." Erin nodded.
"I bought this plant from a traveling trader, and he said there were so few of it. I could create my own supply if I could make more of them. I could make my own empire selling the plants. I thought cultivation of it would take forever, so I had just thought to sell it outright."
"Now, you don''t have to," Erin said, eyeing him. "How much would a few extra pots of that plant be worth to you? Enough for our supplies? Enough to ignore your broken pot?"
The merchant looked back to the floor, where the broken pot still lay with scattered dirt. When he returned his gaze to her, he had a smirk on his face. Erin returned the smile. Now, she had something that she could work with.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
"I will give you the supplies for free and ignore the cost of the pot if you grow me at least five pots," he said.
"Pull out five seeds and put them in their own pots," Erin said. "I''ll give you five in exchange for the supplies. I need them delivered as well."
"Gladly, for my new favorite customer." The merchant smiled, digging around for more pots and soil.
Erin smiled. She gripped Mari''s hand a little tighter and glanced down at her. Mari had just given Erin the leverage she needed but looked none the wiser. Erin sometimes wondered how much Mari knew when she did things. Had she guessed that breaking the plant would lead to the conversation, or did she really break it by accident? Erin didn''t know.
"Alright!" the merchant returned with his pots, each filled to the brim with newly scooped dirt. "Let''s get to work!"
Ding.
As Erin raised her hand, someone came through the door behind her. She was so focused on working with her curse that she didn''t notice the large looming shadow until it had completely covered her. By then, it was too late.
"I thought I recognized you, ''Thorn Queen.''"
Sayed sat outside on a patio about a building away from where Erin had entered, his eyes roving the streets as he waited for Erin to return. His gate remained open as he imbued the box in his hands with the heat of his blessing to keep it warm.
"I do not see why I could not be inside," he said as he looked down at the wooden box. "I promised I would not break anything, did I not?"
However, God commanded all to be patient, even in the most trying times, so Sayed would be patient. He would wait for Erin to return, and they would take the meal back to Jean on the Nighthawk together. That was his lot in life.
As he waited for a long time, he began to get used to the pace of the street. People would walk by, avoiding eye contact with him as they went about their day. Very few would greet each other. Most kept their eyes down as they went on their way.
It was very unlike Hajh. In Hajh, people would greet each other in the street like they were brothers because, in reality, they were all brothers. Everyone who lived in Hajh was part of it, and everyone knew that meant being kind first and foremost. Even the smallest and weakest deserved the kindness of a greeting.
Sayed sighed, keeping his hands on his box.
He was a stranger in a strange land, bereft of a home that he missed dearly. Though he would never bring himself to say it to the others, there were days when he wished his adventure was over and that he could retire to rest at home in Hajh. Chances were he would never make it back, but that did not mean he would not dream of returning to that place on lonely nights.
"But that is not the way to live one''s life," Sayed whispered. "One should live looking forward, not looking back. If I cannot have Hajh as it was, I will make this world more like my home."
He looked up and caught the eye of a woman walking down the street. She wore dark black robes and had a lot of jewelry on her neck. She was an older woman with short, curly white hair that dominated her features. Sayed smiled at her, showing his teeth with the ferocity of his joy.
"Hello!" he said.
She looked at him for one harrowing moment before turning and running away as fast as she could.
"Well." Sayed shook his head, standing up with the box in hand as he watched her push through the crowd to escape him. "You cannot say I did not try."
"Stop!"
A yell in the street caught Sayed''s attention further down the road, where Erin had gone into the shop. A large man, Sayed thought he recognized, burst through the door, carrying something in his arms as he ran down the street, along with a large black rounded object. Sayed looked past him as a second man came out of his shop, waving his arms.
"I need her! My plants!"
He fell to the ground, crying as he buried his hands in his face. Sayed was not one to leave a man lying in the street crying. He made his way over to the man, bending down to check on him. The man didn''t react as Sayed loomed over from behind, but Sayed held the box with one hand to tap him on the shoulder.
"What is wrong, my friend," Sayed said. "Tell me what has happened."
"He took her." The man sobbed. "That woman would have made me a fortune for just a few supplies!"
Sayed had no idea what was going on, and as he looked up the man who had run was already gone. A second figure approached from the shadows of the story, and Sayed recognized Mari''s red hooded cloak. Sayed smiled, walking over to her as he held the box steady.
"What has happened, Mari?" he asked. "Where is Erin?"
"That man took her." Mari pointed down the street.
Sayed frowned, looking toward where the man had run. He paused, putting the pieces together and making decisions very quickly. Of course, he would chase the man, but two other problems needed to be dealt with in the meantime. He handed the box to Mari.
"Hold onto this," he said, turning away to talk to the man in the street. "Hello, may I speak with you?"
"What?" the merchant looked up, tears streaming down his eyes.
"That woman was my friend," Sayed said, kneeling beside him. "I will go and get her, but there is something else. Will you watch over Mari for me while I find her. I cannot carry Mari around while I am chasing after him."
"I," the merchant said, pausing as he took Sayed in. "Yes, I will watch over the child while you find the woman."
"Second, and this is most important. You said she made a deal with you for supplies?"
"She did."
Sayed nodded. "If you honor that deal in advance, we will stick to it. Our ship is in great need of supplies, and you have my word as ''Sword Saint'' Sayed that I will ensure we fulfill the deal she made."
The man looked between Sayed and Mari for a moment like he was at a loss for words. Finally, he pulled himself together.
"I''ll do more than honor it. I''ll send your ship a month''s worth of supplies!"
Sayed stood, not wanting to waste more time. He started in the direction the man had run, dodging through the people around him to follow the kidnapper. He knew Erin was strong and that she could look after herself, but if she had been taken by surprise, well, even he could be taken by surprise, and he was strong.
The biggest problem was he recognized the man who had taken her. Though he had only seen the large man''s back, he was sure it was the same person. They met on the shuttle from the repair docks to Dry Turtle proper earlier that day. It was Roy, one of the slavers, who had taken Erin.
Sayed could not let him get away.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 131 | A Dark Knight
Alex left the bank with Li Wen, and he noticed that Dry Turtle''s sun was skimming dangerously close to the horizon. When they arrived, it was roughly noon, the sun high up in the middle of the sky. Now, the island was cycling toward night, and they had only managed to finish selling off the gauntlet and cashing Li Wen''s old bounty.
He could only hope it would be enough.
"I never imagined owning a ship would be this expensive," Alex said as they waited for the shuttle at one of the stops.
"Be glad you don''t have to worry about fuel," Li Wen said. "The fact that light sails even exist makes managing a ship that much easier."
"But the Nighthawk doesn''t have any light sails," Alex said. "Which is why I don''t understand how it''s fueled. Every ship I''ve seen out here has a set of light sails; even the most modern Military Police ship has a set of them."
Li Wen paused, tapping her chin as she looked at the descending sun. "Not only that but the ship is completely sealed. You don''t see that often, even on MP ships."
Alex had a few thoughts on that. When Roald sent out his message, he mentioned a few key locations that were part of the path to the New World. Devil''s Reef and the Dark Meridian awaited anyone who dared to reach Magnus Hortus.
Maybe a ship needed to be airtight to make it through those places. His stomach shook at the thought of sailing into a complete unknown. He would do it, but he wanted to know more about what he was up against. He looked out over the street of milling people.
"You''ve been to the Twelve Kingdoms and a lot more places than I have, right?"
"In my time as a bounty hunter, probably," Li Wen said. "You spent more time on the Fringes than the Core?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "Aside from August, I don''t have much experience anywhere but the Fringes. I always thought it would be best to keep a low profile as far from the Military Police as possible."
"It was the right call," Li Wen said. "There''s a lot more scrutiny on a Core island than out here. While bounty hunters will operate in the Fringes, most of the money is made by serving local islands to a major one. It pays faster, too."
"So, with that in mind," Alex said. "How many people know about Magnus Hortus in the Twelve Kingdoms?"
"Almost no one," Li Wen said. "Normal people don''t talk about much beyond the local islands around one of the main ones. Aside from local politics, there isn''t much reason to worry about anything. If you have enough money, you can live a decent life."
"And if you don''t have enough money?"
"You serve someone who does, or fight back and die." Li Wen spat. "I won''t sugarcoat it. Where we both came from wasn''t perfect, but every one of the Twelve Kingdoms is no better than a dictatorship or oligarchy. You don''t live a good life without power, money, or connections."
"But I imagine it is orderly."
"A gilded cage for the ones in power, a cold iron one for those without."
Alex took a deep breath. He couldn''t bear the weight of all of Erth on his shoulders, but that didn''t mean he liked it. The question was if he was willing to do anything to change it. However, the reality of the problem was just too big for one person. The same answer he had given to Erin on Cragg Hollow still rang true to him now.
"Do what you can for the people around you," he whispered, shrugging. "And don''t worry too much until you can do more."
"Don''t forget, we have a goal here," Li Wen said. "The world may not be up in arms yet, but I imagine plenty of people are heading toward Magnus Hortus. If we want to learn how this world works, that''s where we''re heading too."
"Yeah," Alex said. "It''s always a question of priorities, isn''t it? There were plenty of people suffering back on Earth that I didn''t think about every day. Slaves picking plants to make chocolate. Drug operations keeping families hostage to sell across borders. Homeless people on every street."
He stopped, shuddering as he remembered that there was more than that. Outside of a certain viewpoint, the nations of Earth could be seen as just as dystopian as their counterparts. The reason it didn''t seem so was a product of the life a person led. Some had the privilege of not seeing the actual suffering around them.
Some lacked the empathy to even care if they did see it.
"The way I look at it is that it isn''t my problem." Li Wen let out a long breath. "Unless you have the strength to overthrow the entire system, you do what you can for yourself. You help people when you can, but you have to recognize the situation. You have to know that you can''t change the world alone. A slave won''t thank you for dying because of a moral principle."
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
"So, never change anything?" Alex asked.
"Whatever''s hiding in the New World might change that."
"If Roald''s telling the truth, yeah," Alex said.
"You think he set all that up to lie?"
Alex thought about the end of the message on Diamond Peak. Two words stuck out to him, meaning more to him than they would have to anyone else: ''Number Eight.'' Alex was WPN Nine, and WPN Eight had been his cell neighbor during the experiments he had endured on August. He did not know, but he wondered if it was related.
What would Roald have to do with a Military Police laboratory on August?
"I don''t know."
Hrrm.
A shuttle descended with a faint hum, its few passengers already bending over to see the ground. After the occupants jumped down to the ground, Li Wen and Alex climbed on board, and soon, they were flying off to the east and towards the repair docks.
Artur huddled gallantly in the back of his cage, holding his arms tight around his knees in the most perfect posture he could manage as he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Around him, he could hear people whimpering and crying in their own cages, some with many to a cage while some only had one like his own.
"A knight has no fear," Artur whispered. "For victory is always near."
The words tasted bitter, but Artur took them like any medicine. He had lost to the Harper brothers, and they had taken him. In hindsight, he had been overconfident. Now, he was trapped in a metal cage that ate away at the aether that could fuel his escape. His power was inactive, and he had no way out.
He would have to be resourceful if he wanted to escape.
However, with all that thought, he still sat in the corner of his cage, his back against the bars and his knees held tight against his chest. Who was he trying to fool? He had been humiliated, broken, and thrown into a cage to be sold for ransom. Could he escape?
Thump.
A man entered the room, throwing a momentary light into the darkness and revealing the droves of people locked in cages throughout the room. In that instant, Artur saw the people around him, haggard and bone-thin. He saw the dark, sunken eyes looking out of the cages at the momentary light. He saw the thin fingers wrapped around the bars. Then darkness again.
"We need a place to put you before you wake up," Roy Harper spoke in that darkness, and Artur heard him approach your cage. "This one is as good as any, and there''s still plenty of space."
Creak.
With the working of a key, the door to Artur''s cage opened, and Roy dropped a solid dark form inside. Artur froze, seeing the exit but not immediately scrambling for it like he should have. Did he not have a knight''s soul? Why would his feet not move for him? He held his legs tighter to his chest, closing his eyes and waiting for the door to close.
Thud. Click.
"Now, don''t go hurting the new meat, you hear me, prince?" Harper laughed as he turned away and went back to the door. "I''ll be back for feeding time for the rest of you lot. Stay alive until then!"
Thump.
In another brief light, Artur caught sight of a green cloak in front of him before being submerged in darkness again. Around him, the whimpering and crying continued. Artur closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing as he tried to summon the courage to move. The words came to him unbidden but still necessary nonetheless.
"A knight strives to be better; he follows chivalry to the letter," Artur whispered. "Stand and rise, brave knight; your courage is needed to fight."
Artur''s hands were like heavy stones as he pulled his arms away from his knees. He stretched out, his legs aching as he moved them for the first time in hours, and he began to crawl across the cage to see the newcomer. Roy had deposited her on the ground unceremoniously, her face planted against the cold black metal of the floor, but Artur was able to turn her over, and as he did, he recognized her.
"Fair lady from early today," he whispered. "I had thought that you went along your way."
Artur frowned, looking down at the tattered rags he was left with.
Here, he had a lady in his cage without proper attire of his own. His tunic was in tatters, and his pants were ripped. He didn''t look like the knight he wanted to be. He looked like some foul nave, ready to take advantage of the provocation.
Taking a deep breath and dearly missing the aether that should have come with it, he focused. He brushed off as much dirt as he could and did his best to tie together the holes in his pants. He would make himself as presentable as possible.
"Ugh," the woman groaned, rolling over. "My head."
She froze on the ground, and Artur froze with her. Uncertainty held him still with strong hands. He still needed time to compose himself. He needed to present his best foot forward. His mind raced as he searched for the words that would carry him through the encounter.
"A fair lady lay before me. An opportunity that is rare to see," he whispered before finding his courage and raising his voice with a squeak. "A light so bright that I do delight. How may I serve you, this knight?"
He smiled at the world play. It was exactly what he would have heard from one of the old stories. Glancing up from his kneeling position, he could see the woman''s pale face in the dim light. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was warped into a frown.
"Who are you?" she asked, backing away from him.
"I am but a humble knight caught in a situation of fright," Artur thought through his words. "A prince brought low, but you may know. The last son of Lopold, the Crow of Old."
He made sure that he had each word rhyme, which was a trial to do every time. He smiled, knowing that the lady would be impressed. Who wouldn''t be with such a paragon of knighthood in front of her? When he looked back into her eyes, though, the same confusion was still present.
"Are you playing some kind of game? Why are we in the cage? What''s going on here?"
Her voice rose higher and higher with every question, and she cast around with her hands as she looked from one side to the cage to the other. His eyes had already adjusted to the dim light, but she was still adjusting to the dark warehouse. Artur frowned, trying his best to think his way through the problem.
"Apologies, lass," he said. "I try not to be crass. I am Artur. Of that, I am sure."
"Erin," she said, watching him with a sidelong glance. "And why do I get the feeling this will be more complicated than it needs to be?"
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 132 | Gel Tob
Jean looked with disappointment at the setting sun as he stood on the deck of the Nighthawk, his bony arms resting on the rails as he leaned over the side. His gate was closed, and Eliza was hidden. While he could have her invisible near him, he didn''t know what strange abilities people in Dry Turtle might have. It would be best to keep any shock he might cause tucked away when it wasn''t necessary.
Warm, humid air clung around his bones, and every few moments, he could hear a drip inside as condensation formed and dropped another water droplet to the ground inside of him. Dry Turtle''s jungle climate reminded Jean why he preferred less tropical islands.
His favorite islands were winter islands. The islands that were not as extreme as Diamond Peak but still cold most of the year were the greatest. They had the most beautiful snow on those islands and plenty of time to enjoy it as that was the dominant climate on the islands. It was the weather of warm hearths, close parties, and lots of laughter. However, this humid and hot island left those lands far behind.
Add to that, he had not eaten all day.
He couldn''t believe they had forgotten to bring back food for him to eat. He might not need to eat; it might be something he did just for the sake of it, but that didn''t mean it wouldn''t hurt his feelings to be left out. He shook his head. Maybe something had happened in Dry Turtle that prevented them from comingback, but they couldn''t know that until someone, anyone, returned.
Thump.
"You people have one strange ship," Gel Tob said, opening the door and stepping onto the deck. "Even with the new-style ships, it isn''t like anything I''ve ever seen."
"We did pick it up under strange circumstances," Jean said, facing the man with a grin. "What about the repairs? How do the costs look?"
"Right now, not too bad." Gel rubbed the back of his head as he looked over the deck. "There''s some tubing in the engines that looks like it''s finally broken, and a few other odds and ends maintenance-wise that look like they''ve been left to rot for decades. It might cost you folks a good ten thousand dolers to bring everything up and running."
"Ten thousand is no light fee." Jean whistled. "But it will bring the ship up to running order. You''re sure about that?"
"It will." Gel patted his chest. "You can have my guarantee on that. I don''t want to see a ship like this crashing out of the nightsea."
Jean looked him over. In his orange containment suit and with his oiled-back hair, Gel Tob was the image of a mechanic very much. A few other workers stepped out, still in their full containment suits. They saluted Gel and then descended the ladder and to the ground below.
"Do you have much experience in sailing?" Jean asked. "Or do you prefer to just work on the ships?"
"I''ve been about a time or two," Gel said, cracking his neck as he watched another ship land in the docks. "But my place has always been with a wrench in my hand at docks. I''m good at repairs but not much else."
"We all find our own fates." Jean nodded. "I found mine with this crew. So long as it is the path you want and you make the best of it, I don''t think anyone is in a position to judge."
"You''ve got a way with words." Gel smiled, holding out a hand. "If you want, you can come and eat with my men. I know your people left you to watch the ship without supplies. That''s hardly fair."
"It isn''t." Jean sighed, shaking the hand with his own bony fingers. "But I will choose to have faith in them. They may not be perfect, but I haven''t found them to go back on their word so far. Something must have happened to delay them, but they will return, just as promised."
They released grips, and an unsteady silence passed between them. Jean was just happy that Gel didn''t seem disgusted by his skeletal body. That was a rarity diffrerent than most islands he visited. Most people at least gave him strange looks, but Gel hardly seemed to notice, nor had the mechanic asked why Jean''s body was the way it was.
"Well, when they do get here, give them this," Gel said, handing over a long piece of paper with several numbers on it.
Jean looked it over and realized it was a list of parts with prices beside them and numbers laid out for labor and other things. A tax was listed along with a transport fee at the bottom. All in all, it looked like any receipt that he might see from a business.
"An itemized list of all parts, fees, and services to be rendered," Gel said. "Once they have the payment ready, we can get to work. We service four yards in total, so you can be here for a bit before we have to kick you out if you can''t pay."
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Have no worries about payment." Jean nodded, folding the paper and tucking it inside his robes. "My friends will fulfill the cost."
"Then you have a good night, my friend," Gel said as he walked to the edge of the deck and climbed down. "I hope your friends don''t keep you waiting."
"Neither do I," Jean said as he leaned on the railing again.
He waited for about another hour as storm clouds began to roll in over the horizon. A strong wind blew at the hot, humid air, allowing Jean to cool down as the warm air was blown to the side by sudden gusts of chilling wind. A storm was coming to Dry Turtle. Lightning flashed across the sky in the distance, and Jean counted the seconds.
Crack-Boom.
Five seconds. In the distance, he could spot the shadows of approaching shuttles. People returning for the day were brought in as fast as possible, and the cabbies would not desire any more trips once the storm hit. Jean hoped that everyone would be returning on this round of shuttles.
If not, he would regret not taking Gel up on the offer.
"You chose your path, and you chose to put your faith in them," Jean said. "So you must accept that. Have some trust, and wait."
As he said the words, he saw people running toward the ships. Above them, like a coming wave, droplets of rain fell to the ground. Though they were all shadows, he spotted two figures rushing toward the ship, their hands above their heads as they ran.
"Let us hope for the best." Jean sighed, already knowing something had gone wrong.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Rain fell onto the deck as the two figures climbed up to the top. Alex and Wen were already soaked, and Jean didn''t stop for pleasantries as he ushered them inside and out of the falling rain. Once they were in, he pushed the door closed, leaving them to listen to the muted sound of rain crashing against the metal hull.
Water dripped from both of them as they stood in the ship. They were like wet cats pulled out of the storm. Wen''s breathing came in short gasps, but Alex seemed unaffected by their run for the ship.
"We barely beat that storm," Alex said, shaking water out of his sleeves as he smiled at Wen.
"At least the supplies should be fine," Wen said. "We sent back Sayed and Erin hours ago."
"They have yet to return," Jean said, crossing his arms as he looked to the door. "I thought maybe you all had forgotten about me."
Alex''s eyes went wide, and Wen frowned. Jean grimaced. So, something had indeed gone wrong between the town and the ship. They didn''t know where three of their crewmembers were, and they were in the middle of a storm. Jean shook his head. This day couldn''t get much worse.
He didn''t mention the implication that he hadn''t eaten yet. Something had clearly gone wrong with the plan, and Jean wasn''t a selfish person. No, he would remember this disappointment the next time he was asked to wait on the ship without a meal. He would know to make his own arrangements next time.
"At least you saw Kali away?" Jean asked.
"We did," Alex said. "I just don''t know what could have happened to Sayed and Erin."
"They had Mari with them, too," Wen said, pursing her lips.
"Well, I trust they are strong enough to not worry too much," Jean said, reaching into his robes and pulling out the paper. "These are the estimates for the repairs."
"Thanks." Alex took the sheet from him and read it over before handing it to Wen.
"Look''s standard," Wen said. "We can afford the repairs easy enough now."
"That still leaves Sayed and Erin," Alex said. "I can go and try and find them, but with the storm, it''ll be hell to get to the city again."
"Where could they even have gone?" Jean asked. "You said you sent them back hours ago."
"Yeah, we told them to get supplies for the ship and bring back food to you," Alex said. "I just don''t know¡ª"
Crack-boom.
Thunder shook through the hull as lightning struck close by. The hull could only muffle so much of the sound, and then the rain''s patter returned in the thunder''s echo. Jean looked at the door. He couldn''t be certain, but he thought he heard someone walking around on the deck.
Thud.
A heavy weight fell against the door, and Jean turned to face it. A second heavy thud hit the door as Jean narrowed his eyes. Alex clenched his hands into a fist, and Wen''s hand went to the revolver on her belt. Whatever came through that door would face all three of them together.
Creak. Tap. Tap. Tap. Thud.
The door creaked open, and a large man fell face-first onto the floor, a wooden block in his hands kept precariously from touching the ground. Sayed had returned, and he now lay on the ground, steam hissing from his skin as he held the box up to the group. Behind him, Mari stepped over Sayed, looking between the three of them with her glowing blue eyes.
"Alex," she said. "Erin''s gone."
"Mari," Alex said, breathing a sigh of relief. "What do you mean? What happened to Erin?"
Jean knelt next to Sayed as they talked, putting one bony finger to Sayed''s neck to feel his pulse. It was there, beating strong through his heated skin. Sayed had just collapsed from exhaustion. He would be fine once he had time to rest.
"A promise kept," Sayed whispered, holding up the box.
Jean picked it up and opened it. Despite the circumstances, he couldn''t help but smile. Inside the box, kept perfectly warm by the power of Sayed''s curse, was a small meal of a steak with vegetables and bread. Jean closed the box to keep in the heat as Sayed''s arms fell to the deck.
"A man took Erin," Mari said to Alex. "He ran away with her after knocking her out."
"Who?" Alex asked.
"The man from this morning," Mari said. "One of the men on the shuttle."
"Slavers," Alex whispered, standing up and furrowing his eyebrows as he kept his eyes locked on Mari.
"That complicates things," Wen said, frowning. "We can''t just report it to the Port Authority and expect it to be solved."
"You said that when we came here," Jean said. "Are they really so complicit in the slave trade?"
"There''s a lot of money involved." Wen shrugged. "Money buys ignorance."
"Let''s get Sayed to a bed and meet up in the mess hall," Alex said, kneeling next to Sayed and lifting him with one shoulder. "We need to think this through and come up with a plan. We won''t get anywhere if we just keep standing here."
Jean came in on the other side of Sayed''s shoulder and helped Alex carry him to his room. When they were done, they met with Wen and Mari in the mess hall. It wasn''t long before Alex had a plan, as Jean had come to expect from the man.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 133 | Places and Dreams
Crack-boom.
Smoke curled out from Kye''s mouth as he sat at his desk, bent forward over the papers in front of him. Rain came down in a torrent outside his window, the droplets forming a cacophony as he tried to focus on his work. The little candle beside him barely provided enough light for him to read. His work conditions were terrible, but that was the plight of the Port Authority.
He wore his orange jumpsuit open. The rain did nothing to stop Dry Turtle''s relentless humidity. His white mask lay on the desk beside him, its fearsome-toothed grin staring up at him as he worked. Every once in a while, he would look into the mask''s dark eyes and remind himself to have that kind of ferocity in his paperwork.
"Benji!" he yelled, setting his Red Phoenix cigarette on his ashtray as he looked for his lieutenant.
"Yeah, boss!" Benji looked up from his copy of today''s World Daily Press before immediately looking back down.
He wore his white mask askew across his head, leaving his strong-jawed, tanned face completely exposed in the candlelight. Kye sighed, putting down his pen as he stood and walked over to Benji''s desk. Several unfinished forms waited there, and Kye was sure that Benji was leaving them there for him.
"What''s so important in that paper that you can''t do your share?" Kye asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You haven''t heard?" Benji turned the paper in his hand, folding it so one particular article was visible.
"Well, clearly I haven''t," Kye said, rolling his eyes. "I''m too busy filing the paperwork for those robbers today. We would have beat the storm home if you were doing the same."
"I sleep in the barracks, boss."
"Well." Kye scratched at the fuzz on his chin. "It''s the principle of the thing, isn''t it?"
"Right," Benji said, giving him a withering stare. "But look at this article, boss."
"Announcement," Kye read, side-eyeing Benji as he looked back and forth between his lieutenant and the article. "In light of recent events, the Scions have made a decision regarding access to the Dark Meridian. For the first time in history, those who wish to journey beyond the Erth are invited to come to Magnus Hortus. Those who will brave the unknown will be welcomed into the ranks of heroic explorers."
Benji gave Kye a sidelong glance, and Kye quickly skimmed the rest of the article.
"They''re inviting creeps and villains to come out of the shadows and go somewhere else," Kye said after reading the rest. "Looks like they''re going to try and catch the worst of them on the way out, but some will make it through."
"Explains the uptick in business," Benji said. "We''ve been seeing more and more ne''er-do-well running around recently. I heard there was a murder at Cat''s Cradle we missed earlier."
"We can''t be everywhere at once." Kye sighed. "When we heard that message a few days ago, I thought everyone would go insane scrambling toward the Core, but hardly anyone moved."
"That''s because people like comfort," Benji said. "They don''t want to see hardship, they don''t want to explore, they just want to live decent lives."
"Then why are we dealing with more ruffians?"
"Because those people have it bad, and they want it better by any means necessary." Benji shrugged. "Think about it. If you have a home and a family, why would you want to go to an entirely new world? What''s the point in risking what you already have?"
"Better opportunities? Adventure?" Kye licked his lips. "I''ve heard of gentlemen explorers, nobles who want to see the far stretches of the world. Surely, they will send people out to see if they can profit from all this."
"You know the smuggling ring we broke up last year?" Benji asked.
"Yeah, they were importing drugs from somewhere, not selling them in the shops but on the street."
"You ever wonder where those drugs came from?" Benji asked. "We never found out, but they all had the same mark as the ones sold in the shops."
"So they stole some shipments," Kye said. "I don''t get what you''re on about."
"Do you ever wonder where those shipments come from? The ones with the four different labels: Black Turtle label alcohol, Red Phoenix Smokes and Medicines, White Tiger Steel, and Green Dragon Lumber."
"They''re companies, aren''t they?" Kye asked, looking back to his ashtray. "All of that comes from the Core."
"I think the nobles in the Twelve Kingdoms already do business over the Dark Meridian," Benji said, tapping his finger on the desk. "They had all the time in the world to establish trade across this Dark Meridian the message was talking about. They''re only comfortable letting us through now that they''ve conquered it all."
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
"So you think this is all a conspiracy to get people out into the Dark Meridian?" Kye asked.
"I do," Benji said, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. I think that they''re all in cahoots to make as much money as they can from us working men."
"I''m not seeing the benefit for them."
"I don''t either," Benji said, and Kye sighed.
The one problem with Benji was that he would go off on these hard-hitting conspiracies and then come up with nothing in the end. He had the mind to take things apart but didn''t always have the intelligence to put all the pieces back together.
"Well." Kye took a deep breath, set down the paper, and looked over his paperwork. "Speculating about it isn''t going to get us anywhere. Unless you''re planning to quit and buy a ship to sail to Magnus Hortus, there''s still paperwork to do!"
"Like I would." Benji laughed. "I''m one of those people with too good a life to go somewhere else. Not that I don''t dream about it on occasion. Dry Turtle is the place for me."
Kye stalked back to his desk, and as he started to work on his paperwork, he noticed that Benji had picked up the paper yet again and was already pursuing the articles. Kye sighed. He needed to find a better underling if he had to do all the work anyway.
Thwip-crack.
"Grah!"
William Harper swung his whip hard into the man''s exposed back, drawing another line of blood in the candlelight as he continued his most sacred work. One lash. Two lashes. Three lashes. Four. He swung the whip again and again. Each time, the man screamed out and pulled against his restraints. Each time, William smiled.
It was ecstasy¡ªpure bliss.
"Know that the Scions are watching over you!" William yelled as he brought down the whip another time.
Thwip-crack.
"Ahh!"
"Know that they are watching you and know your every thought of escape!"
Thwip-crack.
"Grah!"
"Know that they are judging you for even daring to think of stepping out of line!"
Thwip-crack.
"Ahh!"
"As the word says! Only by following their given path can a person truly know peace. Only by submission can a slave know happiness. It is your place to serve by divine order. Do! Not! Forget!"
As he hit the slave the last three times, he realized he was breathing hard. His face, slick with sweat, gave him pause. How many hours had he been disciplining slaves today? How long had he been at the sacred work? He smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
"One hardly finds a chance to reflect on the time when enjoying their work so much," he said, looking down at his whip before curling it up and replacing it on his belt.
William turned away from the slave that stood hooked into the whipping post, blood streaming out of several long lines cut across his pale skin. It was a pity. He would have been worth more unmarked. However, the slave had tried to escape and almost forced his way out the door in the small warehouse he and Roy rented in Dry Turtle''s West District.
"Here, cool yourself down for a few hours," William whispered, picking up a bucket and tossing its contents over the slave.
Splash!
Cold water gushed out of the bucket in a torrent, covering the slave in an instant and leaving him shivering like a rat in a rainstorm. William dropped the bucket, heaving hard as he turned toward the door. He would lock the slave away for a few hours, which would give the slave time to realize there was only one place in the world for his kind: at the bottom.
Thud. Click.
William closed the door and locked it as he exited into the hall, making his way toward the entrance to the warehouse where his brother was waiting for him. Roy sat at a table, looking out the solitary window in the room they had turned into a makeshift apartment. Rain pattered outside the window, and a heavy wind shook the glass.
A storm was upon them, bringing down the Scions'' wrath to remind the people of Dry Turtle, who was above and who was below. William was just happy that he was above some others. Even if he was below the Scions and the nobles, he had the dignity of being above everyone else.
"I got the girl," Roy said, his chair squeaking as he turned away from the window to face William. "I got her and got out, just like you asked."
"None of the rest of the crew tried to come after you?" William asked, pulling out his chair and sitting down.
He leaned heavily on the table, his heart still racing from his sacred work. He had to lean forward on the table, and his skin stuck to the wood as he focused on taking deep breaths. It took him some time to gain control, and Roy waited for him, as his brother always did.
"One tried," Roy said. "I think he was that ''Sword Saint'' fella. He isn''t going to be any problem, William. I lost him proper as I was running and took enough turns that he had to go running back in the rain."
"That''s good," William said. "I would have liked to procure all of them, but ''Thorn Queen'' Leah will have to be the prize. It is very unfortunate that they left her unguarded for us to borrow."
"Unfortunate?" Roy asked, scratching at his growing stubble.
"For them," William said, raising one finger. "Fortunate for us, of course. That''s the way of the world, though. You take advantage of others, or you get taken advantage of yourself. The Scions favor those who see an opportunity and grasp it."
"We''re always good at that." Roy chuckled.
"Where''d you put her at?"
"In the cage with the ''prince,''" Roy said, raising his fingers when he said the word ''prince.'' "It''s the only cage we have that is made of the leeching metal. Should keep their curses under control until we can get them sold off."
"We haven''t heard back from the buyers for the prince then?" William asked with none of the flair of his brother. "We sent out the message the moment we could. You''d think they''d be scrambling to come and take him off our hands."
"They''ll come," Roy said. "You said it yourself, brother. They''re proper folk. Underground people. They don''t mess around from what I hear."
Roy was right about that. Anyone who worked in the more morally questionable trades knew how the Underground Lords operated. Whether it was getting contraband supplies and drugs or trading in people you shouldn''t, like nobles, the Underground would operate across Erth to get you the lowest price. So long as you didn''t cross a member of an organization, you were golden.
"The prince will bring a pretty doler," William said. "We just need to make sure no one but our buyer knows about the particular heritage involved. The Scions are fine with trading in lower flesh but selling a noble, that''s heresy of the highest order."
"What do we care about that?" Roy asked.
"We don''t." William smiled. "It is technically allowed, and that''s the best kind of right."
Roy paused, looking into the air behind William before he burst out laughing. William joined him soon after. They laughed as the rain continued outside, and the storm drove on. They would make enough from the prince to live like kings for a time.
William would get exactly what he deserved.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 134 | A Daring Chase
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Water tapped against the metal outside the hull as Alex took a deep breath. What had been a simple run for supplies while getting the ship repaired was now a rescue operation. Alex closed his eyes as he leaned against the table in the mess hall.
"When it rains, it pours."
"What?" Li Wen asked, sitting back in her chair.
"Just contemplating on our luck," Alex said, looking up. "We got a ship, but the second we''re in a port, trouble just keeps coming at us."
"Our fate is ever to be luckily unlucky," Jean said between mouthfuls of his meal. "Though let it not be said that I do not appreciate the gift of this meal. Sayed''s curse kept it superbly warm."
Alex raised an eyebrow at him.
"You guys are awfully calm for one of us being kidnapped by slavers," he said.
"I have trust that we will see her safe." Jean shrugged. "Besides, with this storm, no slavers will leave the island."
"They''re more likely to try and sell her here." Li Wen nodded. "People who want to buy come here for the most part. They don''t go to other places to sell. Dry Turtle is the central hub for trade between the First Quadrant and the Fourth Quadrant."
"Still." Alex sighed.
"I don''t know her that well." Li Wen shrugged. "We''ve only known each other for a few days."
"Weeks." Jean nodded. "But I am still behind going to rescue her. I just see that we have time to figure this out. We don''t need to rush in."
"You''re not wrong." Alex nodded. "I just wish we knew more about what happened."
"But we will get her back." Mari pulled on Alex''s shirt.
"We will." Alex smiled down at her. "The question is how."
"I may assist with that, brother." Sayed stumbled into the open entrance to the mess hall, leaning against the white metal frame and breathing hard. "I have information that is vital to save her."
Alex knew Sayed had pushed himself hard to get back to the ship, and that was before he had to search for Erin. If he had run after the ships stopped leaving the town for the docks, he would have had to run several kilometers, carrying Mari with him.
"Alright," Alex said, waving him in. "But sit down first. We don''t want you to collapse while you tell us what happened out there."
Sayed nodded, stumbling over to the table before he collapsed into a chair. It creaked under his large frame as he leaned back against it. After taking a minute to steady his breathing, Sayed leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"It all started while Erin was in a shop buying supplies," Sayed said, his eyes roving between the three of them. "While I waited patiently down the street, barred from entry, a man came out in the street and yelled¡"
Sayed raced through the dirt streets, throwing all restraint to the wind behind him as he chased after the slaver in the distance. A sea of flesh kept him from seeing the slaver, but the slaver ran fast, and Sayed could not push past the crowds of people fast enough.
And the slaver was escaping.
He remembered the man. It wasn''t the brother who had sat down on the ship, William, but Roy, who held Erin over his shoulder as he ran. Sayed continued to run after him, but more and more people moved to block his way as the large man cut down an alley.
"No! Come back, you fiend!" Sayed yelled before cutting hard to the side of the street and between buildings.
He would take to the alleys if he could not catch the man on open ground. He was sure that he would be able to make his way down a similar route behind the buildings. Surely, the alleys were as logically planned and straight as the streets, but with fewer people.
As he turned the corner and saw the massive fence in front of him, he knew that he had overestimated the rightness of his strategy. However, Sayed was not one to give up easily. He drew a khopesh from his back, aiming toward the fence as he gathered power in his legs and arms.
He took in a deep breath, and his muscles bulged. With precise focus, he brought his sword down in a long swing, slicing into the fence vertically with all his might. He called out the name of his technique as he visualized the flow of power.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Demon''s Divide!"
Crack-ksh.
Dirt and splintering shards of wood exploded around him as he cut down through the fence, dividing the wood cleanly into two separate sides and leaving a long v-shaped passage through the fence. Without a moment''s hesitation, Sayed ran through the opening, hoping that there would be few other things blocking his path on the other side.
"I will not be stopped!" Sayed jumped over a man working in a garden, his feet not even touching the long stalks of the man''s plants as he vaulted the next fence line.
With the aid of the posts on the opposite side, Sayed vaulted over the fence, taking his chase past his first obstacle and deeper into the alley. More obstacles rose to block his path: a woman with a baby in a carriage that he dodged around, a sleeping man who rose just as Sayed tried to vault over him, and a cabbage cart being moved through the alley between streets.
He took each one in stride, but each one inevitably caused delay. Sayed had to stop after a few and realize that he would not catch up to the slaver. The man was too far out of sight, and there was no other way forward. Unless he knew precisely where Roy might have gone, he could not even hope to guess where to search.
So he returned to the merchant. Perhaps he could find answers there. He trudged his way back toward the street, perfectly avoiding returning the way he had come. As he chanced a glance down the alley, he frowned. A long line of disrupted people glared at him, none willing to approach with his naked blade in his hand.
"Apologies." Sayed smiled tightly, quickly running toward the street to avoid any more incidents.
He returned down the road and eventually found the merchant''s shop. The man stood outside, his hands in his robe''s pockets as he glanced down the street. Sayed hurried his steps once he was close to the man.
"Can you tell me where the city keeps its slaves?" Sayed asked, standing tall above the man with his khopesh still in his hand.
The merchant looked between Sayed and his sword, the man''s eyes wide as his mouth gaped open. Sayed looked down at his sword and quietly sheathed it. While he might still need it, it drew more attention than he wanted.
"Please," Sayed said. "I need to find Erin, and I think that man will take her there. When we met on the shuttle, he was a slaver, and I have no doubt he intends to sell her into bondage."
"That''s usually what happens when they''re brazen enough to kidnap someone in broad daylight," the merchant said.
Whoosh.
As if to punctuate his statement, a sudden shadow fell over the street, and a chill wind blew over them both. Above, a line of clouds had consumed the sun, and the cold told Sayed that rain would come soon. He held back the shiver as the chill settled across his skin and into his bones.
"Nothing to be done for it," the merchant said. "Once a slaver takes you, it''s almost impossible to prove your freedom. The Port Authority won''t side with you unless you have a solid case. You might as well let her go and get back to your ship."
"No," Sayed said.
"What''d you say?"
"No," Sayed said. "We will not leave behind a brother in need. Tell me, merchant, where does this city keep its slaves? I will go there and retrieve her myself if I must!"
"That''s a fool''s errand," the merchant spat. "You''d be going against the Port Authority, and the slavers would have the right to defend themselves. You''d be hung at the gallows in less than a day!"
"A small price to free a life," Sayed said. "I would rather spend my short life hung to death than to leave a brother in the hands of slavers."
"You''re crazy." The merchant looked down, clenching his fists. "But I can''t stop you. Take your friend and go west. You''ll see the warehouses out there where they keep the slaves. You might find your friend, or you might be too late."
Sayed nodded, reaching past the merchant to open the door and retrieve Mari. Mari came with him easily enough, and he set out to the wast, hoping he would find Erin in time. As he walked, the storm grew above him, clouds rolling out wide over the horizon to block out all light and turn day into night.
"But did you find her?" Alex asked.
"I did not." Sayed shook his head. "I made it to the edge of the area, but there were many guards out with thick black clubs. They patrolled the streets between some outdoor cages. However, I could not spot Erin in any of those. There were several large buildings beyond that, and each one might hold over a hundred slaves."
"Their ship was in the docks this morning, right?" Alex asked. "They rode the shuttle over with us, so they were in for repairs, just like us."
"They were." Li Wen nodded. "That means they likely have a base of operations in the West District."
"That means we might be able to find them, at least," Alex said, closing his eyes. "You didn''t spot anything else while you were there, Sayed?"
"By the time I thought to search the buildings, the storm was upon us." Sayed sighed. "I thought it best to bring Mari to shelter before she might catch a sickness, but then the shuttles were no longer running."
"Then how''d you get back here?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"I ran through the jungle, of course." Sayed puffed out his chest. "I needed to bring news back as quickly as possible, and if the shuttle wasn''t enough, my feet would have to do. There are several roads, it seems, that run between the docks and Dry Turtle, though the one I found was very old."
As Sayed described the situation, the skeleton of a plan was gathering in the back of Alex''s head. The details of a plan were sketching themselves together in the back of his mind, and his eyes roved back and forth as he put them all together. The best news for him was that he was no longer alone.
If it had just been him on the ship with Mari, he wouldn''t have been able to act. Unless he wanted to risk losing Mari when he went to rescue Erin, he would have no choice but to leave her alone on the ship. That alone could cause problems. That wasn''t considering that he wouldn''t be able to watch the slavers''s ship if they happened to run while he was looking for Erin.
No, he wasn''t alone anymore, and that meant he could plan for all the contingencies.
"Okay," he said. "I''ve got a plan."
"Exactly as expected, brother." Sayed grinned up at him. "Just make sure that I''m going to help find Erin. I need to make up for my inadequacy earlier."
"I''ll take my assignment with grace now that my tastes have been sated." Jean smiled, closing the now empty food box.
"I''m still new to this," Li Wen said. "So, I''ll go with the flow for now."
"There needs to be three teams," Alex said as he explained the plan.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 135 | Rhyming Drops
Erin''s chest burned as she tried to breathe in the aether, but nothing came into her system besides the normal air. Whatever the cell was made of, it sapped her strength away. She couldn''t help but think back to Glory Plateau, where her curse had been entirely blocked in the maze.
"Do you know where we are?" she asked the person across from her who had called himself Artur.
"Trapped we are, alas," he said, putting one dirt-smudged hand up to his forehead. "It is so crass.
"Are you doing that on purpose?" Erin narrowed her eyes. "Why are you rhyming?"
"It is the nature of my trade," Artur said, cracking a smile despite his squalor. "I am a prince who a knight was made."
"And that makes you rhyme?"
"It is this way in the old stories seen." Artur nodded. "Before a damsel, a knight''s word gleams."
Erin took in a few deep breaths as she solidified that she was trapped in a cage, bereft of her curse, with a crazy, dirty man in the cage. She supposed she had to count herself lucky that he hadn''t tried to do anything to her while she slept. The knight persona could have been a facade to hide who he was.
"I remember working with a merchant," she said, rubbing her head. "Then someone hit me from behind."
"Roy Harper was the man who brought you in." Artur nodded. "He is a slaver, like William, his kin."
Erin remembered the two men from the shuttle ride to Dry Turtle. They must have followed the group and saw the opportunity to take one of them. She had just been the unlucky one to be alone. She thought about that for a second before a heavy weight settled into her stomach.
Mari.
"Did he just bring me, or was there anyone else?" she asked, locking eyes with Artur.
"Alone, alone, you were placed in the cage," Artur said, frowning and nodding. "No one else was captured that I can gauge."
Erin nodded a few times. She was already getting used to how he spoke, even if the situation was weird. She slowly scanned the dim room around them, her eyes finally adjusting to the low light. Several other cages covered the room. A sharp, sour odor filled her nose as she realized she was in a room full of people in cages.
She should have known immediately, but the reality was only just sinking in. Slavers had captured her. She had to hope that Sayed had found out and picked up Mari. Otherwise, Mari would be running around Dry Turtle completely alone. She also had to hope that Sayed knew where she had been taken or that the rest of the crew could figure it out.
She liked them, but she already knew she should be more proactive than that. Pushing herself up to her hands and knees, she crawled over to the end of the cage. There had to be a door to the cage; that''s how she would have been dropped in. She fumbled around in the darkness as she searched the bars for the lock.
"What are you planning?" Artur followed after her, crawling behind her. "Is it going to be daring?"
"I want to see if I can get out," Erin said as her hand ran across the cold metal.
It leeched at her as she touched it, but that had to be a property of the metal. It pulled the aether out of the air and restricted her curse. She felt the hole for the key and found it too small to fit her pinky inside.
"But I could pick it," she said, reaching beneath her cloak.
Empty pockets and straps greeted her, and she frowned. Roy had been smart enough to search for any items and throw her in a cage to block her curse. She remembered what he had said right before he had knocked her out: ''Thorn Queen, '' Leah. He even knew her bounty name.
"Sha-om," she whispered, clenching her fists tight. "Did he leave me with anything?"
"Roy is well versed in a search." Artur shuffled closer to her. "He is why I was left in a lurch."
Erin''s jaw moved back and forth as she ground her teeth together. She needed a way out, and Artur''s rhyming wasn''t helping her in the slightest. She might have found it charming if she wasn''t in a cage¡ªhowever, the reality of where they were made it so much worse.
"You." She pointed at Artur. "Don''t talk for a minute. Let me work through it."
Artur frowned but sat back on his legs, holding his hands over his knees, one over the other. Erin thought through what he told him and forced her thoughts together through her hazy mind. Piece by piece, she recalled all the man had told her so far.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"You''re a knight," she said slowly. "And a prince. You were captured by Roy and his brother. You''re from the Lopold family."
She paused. She had heard that name before. She wracked her brain, thinking through meetings and secret conversations over the aetheric radio with her boss, Lenenski. Where had she heard that name before? Then it hit her harder than Roy had when he knocked her unconscious.
"Grim Aegis," she said. "The Lopold Family are the rulers of Grim Aegis."
"Indeed, we are." Artur smiled. "I have traveled far."
"Why would a noble, much less royalty, be in Dry Turtle." Erin furrowed her brow. "Much less in a cage?"
"Betrayed I was on a trip." Artur leaned forward, a smile cracking his dirty face. "My butler, the traitor, gave me the slip."
"And your name is Artur, Artur Lopold," Erin said.
"It is indeed." Artur nodded. "Call me if in need."
Erin sighed. She would have to accept it. However, there was a more glaring problem sitting in front of her. Both the nobility and the royalty were all arms of the Scions. They may not work directly with the Scions, but they ruled over islands where the Scions held sway.,
As a member of the People''s Revolution, someone like Artur was her enemy, plain and simple. At best, he was an ignorant bystander, festooned in the prestige of his power as a son of a royal family and unknowingly hurting the people below him. At worst, he was an active abuser who hurt his people and lived off the wealth they generated, like Bibi on Diamond Peak.
Neither option was good in her book. However, that didn''t change the fact that she was stuck in a cage with him. What good would it do for her to strangle him? Could she even manage a fight without her curse? No, she needed to escape, just as he did.
"Okay," Erin said. "But why are you so anxious to help me?"
"Is that not obvious? Am I not showing bliss?" Artur stood before bumping his head against the roof of the cage.
Bang!
Metal rang out before he fell back to his knees, holding his head and whimpering softly for a moment. After he recovered, he quickly assumed his heroic stance, though not going as high as he did the first time.
"You are obviously a lady most fair," Artur said, holding out an open hand. "As a prince and a knight, I am in your care."
Erin''s ears burned a little at the words, but that didn''t change the situation.
"Okay," she said. "Let''s work together to get out of here. After that, you''re on your own."
He nodded a little too vigorously and nearly fell forward onto the cage''s floor.
"So, what is the plan?" he asked. "How will we escape this pan?"
Erin hesitated to say, ''Out of the pan and into the fire.'' Instead, she licked her lips and cast about the room for anything that might help. She wasn''t Alex, but she hadn''t worked with the People''s Revolution for years with nothing to show for it. She would come up with a plan.
Miss Brooke slipped off Ortega''s clothes as part of the dripping water. She lay on the metallic floor until she was absolutely sure that no one was watching. As Ortega and a large, burly man left the ship, she guessed that the amount of people inside was reduced as much as it would ever be, and she let her face reform from the puddle she had been in.
She only let her face form completely out of the water as she searched the area. She lay in a small room next to a set of stairs leading deeper into the ship. Miss Brooke smiled. Her curse made infiltration as easy as murdering a baby. She shuffled over to the stairs and let her body drop down them to the hallway below.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
That''s all she was when she used her curse. She knew of very few people with one like her curse. She could turn herself into water, retaining her consciousness even as a puddle. She could also manipulate and control the water she became, turning herself into a variety of shapes and other related things.
It made infiltration far too easy. Why bother with a challenge when the easy path lay before her?
As her form coalesced in a puddle below, she again waited. There was no movement in the hall, no sound of people moving. Slowly, she let her face form and peered around her, raising part of the liquid to peer down each side of the hall. Not a single soul moved down the hallway.
"Wen!"
Plop!
A tall, dark man came out from a door, and Miss Brooke immediately dropped down into a flat puddle. Through her other senses, less so through sight, Miss Brooke was aware that he had walked past her and that he was now in a different room. A moment later, a child ran after him, and Miss Brooke waited yet again for the hallway to clear.
Once she was certain he was gone, she rose again, peering down the hallway before slinking toward where the man and child had come from. She wanted to explore the ship as much as possible while they were occupied.
She slurped around the ship, bit by bit. She had heard of the newer models, the ones made with the new blueprints after Roald''s message was sent across the Erth. Of course, she wasn''t that interested because those ships solved problems for people who didn''t have access to the Underground.
She didn''t need a slipship to travel between islands or to the Dark Meridian. She was a Finger and had access to the Ways. At the right location on an island, she could travel to any place she pleased, so long as it was connected to the Underground.
Fingers and Hands could be almost anywhere at any time, making them the perfect operatives for the Underground Lords. Combine that with their personal power and curses, and there was a reason that the real rulers beneath the Scions, the ones who supplied rulers beneath the table, were the Underground Lords.
That was why Miss Brooke had chosen that side, after all.
"But is this worth missing my possible appointment?" she mused as she rose from her puddle and entered a kitchen area.
She assumed her full form, warping from the puddle and stepping lightly onto the metal floor. It was cold against her bare feet, and she had to focus to form a pair of shoes over her skin. Truly, she had trouble maintaining such things when using her curse, and she also had to focus on restoring her long black dress to her naked body.
Taking a path down the hall, again away from the direction the man and child had gone, she focused on exploring the ship. She would search every nook and cranny she could before escaping out the door. Whether it led to anything was irrelevant. Miss Brooke was only concerned with learning as much as she could.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 136 | Entry
Pitter-patter. Crack-boom.
Rain continued to slosh down on Alex as he and Sayed entered the west side of Dry Turtle, each covered in mud up to their knees as they pushed through the muck that had delayed them since they had left the docks. It had been slow the entire trip over, and Alex was already eyeing the roads for an empty shuttle to steal on the way back¡ªthe consequences be damned.
"Over here, brother." Sayed waved Alex over from the rain and into a convenient patio.
Alex ran to catch up to him, ducking under the patio and appreciating the immediate relief from the constant taps of raindrops against his clothes. He was soaked to the bone, and a chill ran through his body. Thanks to how a lab experiment rebuilt his body, he probably wouldn''t catch a cold, but that didn''t change the dagger of cold that cut into his spine.
"So, we need to figure out which one of these warehouses she could be in," Alex said, looking over the several large buildings that stretched down the length of both roads in front of them. "And there''s no one outside to ask because of the storm."
"That is correct." Sayed nodded as steam hissed off his skin.
"That''s horrible." Alex sighed, looking up and down the street.
At the end of the street was a large, empty wooden stage set up where it looked like the district would do auctions. There were several outdoor cages, though all stood empty in the storm. Alex supposed that even slavers wouldn''t want their ''products'' to get sick. He shook his head.
"Let''s see if we can find anyone to give us directions around here," Alex said. "If we just start busting down doors, they''ll call for the Cleaners, and we''ll have a real fight on our hands. It''s better if we take the more subtle approach."
"What will we tell them?" Sayed asked. "We are not to merely say, ''We are here to find our friend and free her.'' Even I know that would be a fool''s folly."
"No, you''re right," Alex said, pulling Sayed closer by the shoulder. "We''re going to tell them that we''re looking to buy a slave. That''ll at least be a better story than that we''re trying to free one."
"It sours my tongue, but I will go along with it," Sayed said, shaking his head. "Once we find these slavers, I will have my revenge for this slight."
Alex couldn''t help but smile. He could have chosen a lot worse people to join with when he first asked Sayed to come with him on Glory Plateau, but his unwavering disdain for slavery was a good factor in the man''s favor. The only problem with Sayed was how inflexible he could be in rougher situations.
"It would be a good bit of revenge for the shuttle ride," he said, remembering when they had first met the two slavers. "I owe them a good punch for that entire conversation they forced on us."
No break in the rain appeared, but Alex spotted movement down the street. Beneath one of the other patios attached to the various buildings, he saw a man leaning against a wall before standing, walking to the patio''s edge, and throwing out a lit cigarette. The orange light flickered as it fell into the street and was snuffed out.
"There''s someone," Alex said, pointing down the street. "Let''s go try out our story."
Together, they ran out into the rain once again, and Alex held up his arm to keep his vision clear. They trudged through mud and ruts to the second patio, and the man standing there watched them on their approach. Alex put down his arm again as he came back beneath the protection of a roof, dripping a line of water from his sleeve as he smiled up at the taller man.
The man wore a uniform of sorts. It was a long grey coat, and he had a rounded hat on his head. The entire uniform was mostly dry, and Alex guessed he had run for cover the second the storm started. A patch on his right sleeve read ''security'' in yellow letters.
"What are you boys doing out in this storm?" the man asked, looking both of them over. "There won''t be any sales for the rest of tonight, I think, so there''s hardly a reason to be in the west district if you aren''t renting out one of the buildings."
"About that," Alex said, smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. "Our ship is heading out tonight, and we had pushed off the business of coming over here until after the storm started. It came so fast that we couldn''t hurry over here before everything closed down."
"Well, that''s unfortunate," the man said, raising an eyebrow. "But I can tell you that you''re too late to get your business done then. There aren''t going to be any sales in weather like this."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"You''re right." Alex sighed, looking over to Sayed. "That''s really unfortunate. I guess we''ll just have to return to the ship with nothing to show for it. Our client will be so mad, though."
"He will be furious." Sayed nodded. "He would have paid extra, I think, to get his hands on a slave quickly."
"But if they''re closed, there''s nothing to be done," Alex said, reaching out and patting Sayed on the shoulder. "That''s just how things are. We''ll head back to the ship and tell him the news. If we work it right, we should be fine."
"Are you sure, brother?" Sayed asked, a frown creasing his beard. "Surely there is some other way we can get access to one of the sellers. This mission does not need to fail because of one mistake. Perhaps there are some who would sell to us if they but knew of our plight."
"You can stop." The man sighed. "I see what you''re going for."
He held out a gloved hand, palm up. Alex smiled, reaching into his pocket as he opened his gate. He had left pretty much all their money with Wen and Jean. They would need it if they wanted to pay for the repairs. However, his curse made that a nonissue so long as the man didn''t notice what he was about to do.
Power thrummed through his body in waves, electric arcs racing out of his heart and down to the tips of his fingers and toes. His entire body was filled with a static charge, and his skin tingled as the hair on his arms raised.
He put his hands in his pocket and focused, imagining a single round coin, gold in color and imprinted with the same symbols that every doler had on it. With a flash of blue light hidden inside his pocket, a solid metal coin fell into his hand.
He pulled out a gold doler, depositing it in the guard''s hand.
"That''s a pretty doler," the man said, looking down at the gold in his hand before taking it up to his mouth and biting into it. "But as soft as gold."
"Our client pays well." Alex shrugged, holding his gate open as the man deposited the coin in his pocket.
The coin would disappear if he closed his gate, was damaged too much, or was taken too far away from his body. It was only a manifestation of his curse, albeit on the second grade. It was a new application for his curse he hadn''t thought of before since the upgrade a few weeks ago, but he could already see the use.
"So what kind of slave were you looking for?" the man asked, looking down the street. "There are a lot of different groups working out here. It would help narrow it down to the ones that would be important to you."
Alex licked his lips. He hadn''t thought about that ahead of time, but he quickly settled on what he would say. He couldn''t hope to know what they would be selling Erin for or if they would just be turning her in for her bounty. Instead, he took the other option.
"I''m looking for specific sellers," he said. "Our client has heard of some sellers who are highly recommended. Two brothers, in fact."
"You mean the Harper Brothers?" The man raised his eyebrow. "I''ve never heard them come recommended for much of anything, but if you say so."
"They are who our client wants," Sayed said, clenching his fist tight. "We very much aim to make sure that our client is happy."
Anger was written across his face, from his purpling ears to his clenched teeth, but the man either didn''t notice or didn''t care. Alex knew he would need to keep an eye on Sayed so long as they were dealing with slavers, but now he wondered if he would have been better off leaving Sayed with the ship.
Granted, that would mean trusting Sayed to watch the ship unsupervised.
"Well, I''m not one to throw away a hundred dolers," the man said, looking up at the sky before spitting on the patio floor. "Though my wife won''t appreciate how much mud she''s about to clean off her boots."
With that, he stepped out in the rain, expecting Alex and Sayed to follow immediately. Alex sighed, holding up his arm again to protect his eyes as he ran out into the downpour. They ran down the street and across a few buildings before cutting down an alleyway.
Though the alley acted as a barrier to the wind, it also funneled all the rainwater from the roof and down the sides of the building. Water soaked through Alex''s sleeves as he pushed through what felt like a wave in the ocean. The torrent continued, but he kept sight of the man as he sprinted ahead of them toward a door at the end of the alley.
"If I needed a bath before, I no longer need to bother!" Sayed yelled beside him, his voice barely coming through the torrent of water.
Alex did his best not to think about it. The ship hadn''t been stocked with water when they departed from Diamond Peak, and none of them smelled great when they had left the ship. However, when they finally refilled the ship''s tanks, there were two shower rooms on each side.
"We really weren''t ready for our first ship," Alex said as he passed through the final waterfall from the roof and beneath a small roof that covered the door where the man waited.
"Here it is," he said, pointing up at the door. "When you''re ready to talk to them, just knock, and I''m sure they''ll come running."
"You don''t want to stay for them?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrow.
"I''d rather brave the rain," the man said. "I know you folks are strangers, but be careful around those two. If they weren''t related, I think they''d sell each other into slavery."
Alex raised an eyebrow but nodded. The man ran off into the rain again, holding his cap tight on his head as he splashed through puddles and ran down the alley. Alex and Sayed were left alone in the wake of his running away. The rain was their only company.
"We''re not going to knock," Alex said, reaching out to the door and feeling the internal mechanisms with his magnetism.
If you could control magnetism as part of your curse, it didn''t take much to take apart a lock, and Alex flicked the lever that held the door closed without even breaking a sweat. When he was done, he opened his eyes and nodded up to Sayed.
"In and out," he said. "We get Erin and get out of there before the Port Authority shows up. No distractions, no tangents. Got that, Sayed?"
"I do, brother." Sayed nodded, cracking his knuckles and neck.
With that, Alex reached for the handle on the door and opened it, revealing the darkness beyond.
Crack-boom.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 137 | Miss Brooke
Tip. Tap.
Even through the hull, Wen heard the rain pulsing down on the ship in a steady run. She held a silver metal cylinder in her hand as she sat on her bed, focusing her curse on making the cylinder colder. Inside were her bullets, special creations made of crystal that would break and unleash the power of her curse on whatever they broke against. She embraced the chill that ran through her arms as she focused on the cylinder.
When she first came to the nightsea, before she knew the entire place was called Erth, her main problem was that her curse wasn''t useful. It was the ability to make things cold. That''s all it was. Unless she wanted to run around with a cold hunk of metal, and she didn''t, considering her size and strength, she couldn''t use it for much more than giving people a mild case of frostbite with her hands. She was lucky when she had run into someone who knew what they were doing. That man had brought her into the bounty-hunting world and showed her the ropes. He had found a way to make her curse useful.
He was the reason that ''Cold Shot'' even existed.
She focused on the cylinder, even as water droplets dripped from the ceiling above her. She focused until the cylinder was so cold that ice formed on the outside of it, turning it into a white frozen cylinder. When it reached that point, she released it and laid it on the bed to warm up. She had twelve shots left in her revolvers and six in her rifle. She would have to make do with that until the can warmed and allowed her to make more bullets.
With that done, she was left with ship-watching duty, the same as Jean. Her second mission was to keep an eye on the slaver''s ship, but that had to wait until after the storm passed over. No level of insanity would compel a person to sail in the storm that raged outside. She stood up, feeling a faint grumble in her stomach as she wished they had gotten the supplies in. They had eaten lunch, but considering the three days without food before, that was only a little to tide her over.
"Can''t fix it in this storm," she whispered, walking toward the kitchen.
She knew there was no chance that Sayed had missed any possible scrap of food when he had searched over the last three days. She also knew that it would be pointless to try. However, that didn''t mean she wasn''t going to try. It would give her something to do while she waited for the storm to blow over. She went down the hall and toward the kitchen, hoping but knowing that she would only meet despair.
"Wen!" Jean came running down the hall, Mari in tow.
"What?" she asked, stopping and putting a hand on her hip.
"I just wanted to make sure that I received the funds Alex has set aside for the repairs," he said, holding out a hand. "If you would watch Mari, I will go and find Gel to pay him, and maybe they could start on the repairs sooner."
"Sure." Wen sighed, pulling out the bag that held the coins and handing them over. "Don''t overpay. We need the rest to outfit the ship as best we can¡ªsupplies and the works."
"I''ll be sure of it," Jean said, taking the bag and heading up the stairs. "Gel and I are already on good terms."
Wen shook her head, looking down at Mari as she stood in the hall. The girl put Wen on edge. She had an uncanny look to her. For the most part, she looked like a human, but Wen couldn''t ignore the black lines that ran across her face and up to her too-large glowing eyes. While the red cloak and clothes did much to cover the uncanny nature of her appearance, her long white hair and bleached white skin were dead giveaways that she wasn''t human.
"Come on then," she said, heading toward the kitchen. "Let''s see if Sayed was wrong."
Mari followed her silently as she walked into the kitchen. Wen froze at the entrance, noticing a humanoid figure that shouldn''t have been there standing in the middle of the room next to the table. Wen''s hand immediately went to her revolver, and she drew it faster than the person could react. She lined up her shot, her finger on the trigger and ready to fire the moment she was sure the person was an enemy.
"Who are you?" Wen demanded.
"Oh, dear," the woman said, smiling at Wen. "I thought that I would have some time, but I was wrong. You''re ''Cold Shot,'' aren''t you?"
The woman wore a long black dress covered in several lace windows that showed pale skin beneath. A broad black cap of similar style rested on her head, and her arms were covered up to her shoulders in long black lace gloves. She held one hand over the other in front of her, both placed near her stomach, as she watched Wen with cold blue eyes. Wen didn''t blink as she stared down the woman. Nothing about her belonged on the Nighthawk.
Click.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Second chance," Wen said, cocking the hammer of her revolver. "Who are you?"
"Now, dear," the woman said. "Don''t do anything you might regret. I was prepared to have a polite conversation with you, but if you turn violent, I''m afraid that I''ll have to become very unladylike. You wouldn''t want me to do that."
Hiss-bang.
Wen didn''t like the idea of shooting within the confines of the Nighthawk. For the first part, the shot was loud, and her ears rang the second the bullet fired. For the second part, if she missed, it could cause damage to the ship. They were already paying for repairs. She didn''t want to be the one that added to the cost. However, the gun was the way she used her curse. It was either that or give up and allow herself to be taken by the strange woman.
Crack. Ksh.
Her bullet''s tip cracked against the wall of the kitchen, ice quickly spreading around the wall where the bullet landed. Wen looked at the ice in shock, right through a massive hole that had opened up in the woman''s body. Wen didn''t need a monologue to know the woman had a curse as she saw droplets of water drip from the hole in the woman''s chest.
"That was terribly dangerous," the woman said. "It''s a good thing I know you, ''Cold Shot.'' You''re my natural enemy when it comes to curses, so I don''t want to give you the opportunity to land one of your shots."
Wen licked her lips. Even with the advantage, she didn''t know if she could take down the woman. She had five shots left in her current revolver¡ªsix in the second. Her rifle lay in her room, its six shots useless. She had eleven shots to figure out how to beat whoever this woman was.
"Who''s that?"
Mari came in from behind Wen, and Wen held out a hand. The woman smiled, looking at Mari, her face warming as the edges of her head turned translucent.
"I''m just a visitor," the woman said. "Who might you be, little one? You certainly look odd."
Hiss-bang. Hiss-bang.
Wen fired off two more shots in quick succession, stepping between Mari and the woman. Both shots went right through her body, two more holes forming to make sure not a single bullet touched her skin. Both shots cracked against the wall, spreading the ice further across the metal surface. Wen could only hope it wouldn''t cause permanent damage as she turned, took Mari into her arms, and ran.
She could try to get up the stairs and out before the woman caught up with her. Wen didn''t know how the rain would affect the woman''s curse, but it was a better option than just standing there and firing uselessly at her. She would just keep creating holes until Wen ran out of bullets. That was a losing scenario, no matter what Wen tried. She beat her way up the stairs two at a time until she stood at the exit door. It was sealed tight against the hull, and she''d have to turn the wheel to get out.
"Stay close to the door," she told Mari, and Mari nodded as Wen holstered her gun.
She pulled hard on the wheel, and it creaked against her arms. It was true that the nightsea, the Erth, made people stronger. An essence of sorts permeated everything across the Erth. People took it in when they breathed. They digested it in what they ate. It was even in the water they drank. It was aether, and it allowed people to do feats that Wen would have thought impossible back on Earth. However, all of those things required training. It required concerted effort, and Wen''s focus on her weapons had allowed her to ignore that.
That was why it took her precious seconds too long to open the door.
"Why are you running, dears?" The woman ascended the stairs like a rising tide, her body flowing as a mass of water before coalescing back into her form. "I only wish to speak with you. Even with your rudeness earlier, I did not come here to start a fight."
"Then why are you on this ship?" Wen asked, her hands on her guns at her hip.
She didn''t draw them again, not yet. While she was certain they would be useful, she needed the right opportunity. She needed a distraction. Unfortunately, it was only her and Mari aboard the ship. If Jean hadn''t just left, she might have had the chance to hit the woman while she was distracted. At the moment, the best she could hope for was delay. If she delayed long enough, Jean might come back. Though, he would have to come right through the door behind her.
Wen would need to move the woman.
"I''m here because I saw a curiosity," the woman said. "Who would imagine a bounty hunter sailing with a group of outlaws? There has to be some terrible gossip there, and the world runs on information. More than dolers, more than power, knowing the truth of things is the greatest power that exists in this world."
"I have a set of circumstances," Wen said, eyeing the woman. "If they were different, I wouldn''t be with these outlaws, but I need them to get what I want. It''s that simple."
"What circumstances would compel you, though?" the woman asked. "Don''t tell me you''re one of the fools who thinks they''re going to make it to Magnus Hortus? The Military Police will make certain you don''t. That message was a distraction and nothing more."
"That''s part of it," Wen said. "There''s more than that. But I think that message has more truth than you do."
"Oh, the information was definitely true," the woman said. "Anyone who is in the know knew it already. No, the fact that the Scions invited people to come closer to the Core is a deception. They''re just using it to draw in malcontents. They have no desire to let outlaws sully the Dark Meridian or the New World with Erth''s problems."
Wen narrowed her eyes.
"You think they can stop all of it at once? There have to be hundreds of outlaws running for the Core already. It''s been days since the message went out."
"Days." The woman laughed. "There''s already new ships and designs out and available. Even those little guidebooks from the message have been distributed. Most people don''t care. They just want to live their lives. Hundreds of outlaws are nothing to the Military Police, not in the Core. You''re a bounty hunter. You know that to be true."
Wen couldn''t deny that she was right, but as she talked, she noticed something on the floor. A trail of water reached out from the woman''s feet toward Wen. It came out from the woman''s foot, and Wen noticed that her boot''s toe was completely transparent. Wen drew her gun in the blink of an eye, firing a shot at the ground between them in the puddle. Sound exploded around her as the shot went off, and ice crackled across the floor.
Hiss-bang. Crack.
"Ah, that is unfortunate," the woman said as ice formed across the puddle. "I will have to get serious then."
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 138 | Escape
"Hrng." Erin reached through the cage bars, trying to get her fingers around a thin piece of metal just a little too far away.
"Perhaps if you took in a breath," Artur said behind her, still kneeling and watching her work. "Otherwise, we might face our death."
Erin sighed, pulling back from the bars and letting the pressure fade from her cheeks where they had pressed up hard against the cold metal. After an hour of trying to escape, the prince, knight, or whatever he was had proven more useless and annoying than anything else. She clenched her hands to keep the blood flowing to them. Trying to reach through the bars had caused her fingers to tingle and become numb.
"Why don''t you be useful?" she said. "Try and reach for it."
"Anything for a lady, so long as it is not shady."
Artur looked out of the bars before crawling over to the edge. With one long, pale, but dirtied hand, he reached for the thin piece of metal. He grunted as he pushed his shoulders up against the cage. His arm was longer than Erin''s, and his fingers flicked across the metal as he reached out to it. From what Erin could see, only his fingertips could reach it, but he was still just a little short of grabbing it. She crawled over, pushing against him with her shoulder.
"Reach it," she said, leaning her shoulder into his back.
"Grah." Artur pushed harder into the bar with her help. "Aha!"
Thump.
He jumped back, and Erin fell back onto the metal floor as he knelt over her with the thin piece of metal in his hand. His face spread wide with a smile as he held it up to the dim light. Erin rolled over, getting her hands beneath her so she could push herself up again. Artur handed the piece of metal over to her, and she took it in shaking hands. It was a thin piece of metal, maybe a rusty nail.
Erin only hoped it would work on the cage''s lock.
Rattle.
"What do you think? Are we on the brink?"
"The rhyming isn''t helping at all," Erin whispered as she fiddled around inside the lock''s keyhole. "Is there any way that you can just not do it?"
"It would break my vows," Artur said solemnly. "To not conduct myself by ideals I espouse."
"Well, you need to rethink your vows," Erin said as she pushed the nail into the keyhole and jiggled it around.
She was unfamiliar with the type of lock on the cage, and a nail wouldn''t normally be good for anything. She didn''t think it would work without her normal tools, but doing something was better than doing nothing. She closed her eyes as she focused on the feel of the inside of the lock. The tip of the thin nail ran the length of the bottom of the hole as she poked around inside. There was a simple spring inside, and if she pulled it back with the nail, it would pop open on its own.
Erin took a deep breath and focused on getting the right angle to hook into the mechanism.
"Just a little more," Erin grunted as she tried to bend the nail against the lock''s interior.
Click. Creak.
The door swung open, leaving a clear path out into the room, and Erin fell backward. A warm hand caught her by the shoulder, keeping her from hitting the steel again. Artur smiled down at her, helping her up and pushing her forward. Erin crawled out of the cage, her lungs filling with aether the moment she was no longer touching the metal. Artur followed immediately after, standing up faster than she could and looking around the room.
"Those two escaped," whispers came from the cages. "Let me out!"
Clang. Clang.
"You''re both free. Let us out!" another yelled.
"Shh!" Erin breathed out, standing unsteadily as a wave of dizziness washed over her mind.
The power of aether was nothing to be understated. Already, her body was filling with new strength, and even though she had been without it for only a few hours, it was enough to mess with her senses. She blinked a few times, trying to focus, and that was when she noticed that Artur had moved away. He stood in front of the cages of the shadowy slaves, pulling on the bars with all his strength, but to no avail.
"These bars are resistant. I need help this instant!"
"Hold on," Erin said, walking over and pushing him away from the bars. "We need to figure out where those slavers are at first. If we give away that there are a bunch of free people in here, they could come in here and just catch us again."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
She knew it was the right thing, even if it made her stomach churn. It was just like completing a mission. If she let the people out of the cages now, they''d rush out and give away that they were escaping. They had already risked everything just by yelling to be freed. They would come back, so long as she was able to. She looked Artur over. Would he be more of a hindrance than an asset in this escape attempt? She could run now and get away from him.
"I understand; that is the way of the world," Artur said, stepping past her and holding his arms out beside him as he looked over the people. "Fine people, we will return when this plot is unfurled."
The people in the cages didn''t look happy about it, but from Erin''s perspective, there was nothing they could do. Unless they could break out of the cages on their own, they needed Artur and her to get out. That thought pushed at her mind. They wouldn''t be there if they could have escaped on their own. That was the problem with being captured and enslaved. There was no hope to get out. There was only wallowing in despair.
That was why the Scions had to be taken down. That was why the system needed to be broken. In the Twelve Kingdoms, there was no hope. There was only oppressor and oppressed. That was the reality that the People''s Revolution wanted to end.
"What do you say?" Artur asked, turning to her. "Are we to save them and be away?"
Erin sighed, reminding herself that he might be useful. If he could contain himself long enough from rhyming, he might even make a good distraction if they got caught. She nodded at him, heading toward the door at the edge of the room. They would need to be quiet. Even the slightest misstep could lead to a fight.
She tiptoed to the door and stuck her ear against it to listen. Artur''s breathing behind her muted some of the sounds, but she mostly heard the faint tapping coming from outside. She wasn''t sure, but it sounded like a heavy rain. The skies had been clear when she had been knocked out. Had there been a storm?
"Come on," she whispered, pushing the door open and turning the handle.
Creak.
The sound of the door opening echoed down the hall, and Erin winced. She leaned out into the hall, looking both ways. The hallway was dark, except for a light at one end on the right side. Erin took in a deep breath, again appreciating the feel of aether in the air. She had her curse if she needed it. That was something she could rely on. She just needed to make sure she wasn''t taken by surprise again.
"Come on, ride on." Artur burst past her but still managed to whisper. "Before we are set upon."
"Can you please stop," Erin hissed, stepping out into the hall.
Artur grimaced, holding up his hands and letting Erin take the lead. She started down the hall, taking careful steps as she approached the light. The only sound she could hear as she approached was the soft patter of rain on the roof. She paused at the door, and Artur stumbled into her back. She nearly fell forward but caught herself against the wall. She glared back at Artur, but he held up his hands again in defeat.
Snort!
She peered around the corner at the noise and saw one of the slavers from the shuttle. He was the one dressed in all black that had made a chair with his curse. Erin bit her lip. he appeared to be sleeping. He leaned back on a chair, his feet propped on a table with his hands on his chest. His head lolled back as he snored. A thought crossed her mind as she watched him. She could take him down now. She could throw out a handful of seeds and wrap him in vines.
However, she had met plenty of people on Erth who weren''t susceptible to that tactic. Doctor Livesay on Cragg Hollow had shrugged off her vines time and time again. It would be better if she could get away from the building without waking him at all. She scanned the room, and she saw what she was looking for on a counter near a window. A pile of objects was lying on the counter, and a few she could recognize, even from a distance. Some of the bags she wore beneath her cloak were propped against the wall, and her black dagger lay in front of them. There were other objects there as well, including a grey shirt made out of several linked chain rings, a sword, and a shield.
Thump.
Artur pushed past her with a sudden gasp, tiptoeing across the room in a very exaggerated style, holding both hands up and taking large steps. Erin held onto the door frame, her breath catching in her throat as she watched him go. He hadn''t even said anything. He had just rushed ahead right toward the weapons. She had been debating doing what he was doing, but in a more dignified way. However, she had stopped herself. Waking up the slaver was just too risky.
He went right for his weapons, and Erin grimaced. He made it across the room without making a noise. She was a master infiltrator. She could do better than he did. She stepped out of the door and into the light. She felt more than heard the noise behind her as she did so. A door closed with a soft thud, and boots started down the hall. She turned and spotted a lumbering figure approaching. She didn''t have time to doubt.
She rushed into the room, crossing it in seconds and grabbing Artur by the shoulder. He started to speak, but she threw her hand over his mouth. There was no time to argue. There was no time to think. There was only time to find a hiding place. She scanned the room and saw a door on the far side. She moved bodily with Artur, and he didn''t resist, following her as the sounds of the approaching figure grew closer. Even he had to realize there wasn''t time to get his belongings.
Click. Thump.
In seconds, they were inside a small pantry, barely large enough to fit both of them and full of cans and other food items. The smell inside was musty, and Erin struggled to control her breathing. Artur looked down at her, and it seemed like he would say something, but she kept her hand over his mouth. Now wasn''t the time for rhyming verse. Now was the time to be completely silent and hope no one noticed them.
Thump. Thump.
"You awake, William?" the man''s voice echoed in the room, far too loud for Erin''s ears.
How close was he?
"Hmph," the other man grunted before yawning. "I was having the most delightful dream, Roy. Why did you have to interrupt?"
"We still haven''t heard from the buyer for the prince," Roy said, and Erin thought his voice was getting louder.
Thump. Thump.
"That''s to be expected," William said. "With the storm and all, even members of the Underground don''t want to get wet if they don''t have to."
"Yeah, I guess," Roy said. "But I''m getting hungry. Do we have any good food left?"
A shadow crossed over the bottom of the door, where a little of the light from the room came through. The doorknob for the pantry jiggled. Artur tensed underneath her hand. The fight was upon them, and they would have to take on both slavers at once. Erin didn''t like it, but that was the reality. She took in a deep breath and prepared herself as the door''s handle turned. There would be no going back once the door opened.
Erin opened her gate.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 139 | True Form
William stretched, rising from his chair and blinking as he looked around the room. Roy had made his way over to the pantry to try and find something to eat, but that was normal for him. Roy was always hungry, and while William could eat, he wasn''t in a hurry to tap into their meager stock in the pantry. He would much rather go and have a fine dining experience. They could save the cans for when they were out in the field.
"When''s the last time you checked on our prisoners?" Willaim asked, and Roy paused at the door, his head dropping against his shoulders. "You did check on them, Roy?"
Roy turned with his hand on the pantry''s door handle and a half smile on his face. William sighed. He couldn''t trust Roy not to slack off, mainly because that was the essence of his brother. Where he had their father''s intelligence, Roy had their mother''s lackadaisical work ethic. William had already guessed what Roy had been doing in his free time while William had been napping. He didn''t disapprove, but he wished his brother would keep his predilections in moderation.
"Did you clean up the girl after?" he asked. "You didn''t feed her to Fido to clean up the mess, right?"
"I washed her down with a bucket." Roy shrugged. "Don''t worry. I didn''t choose any of the valuable ones and left her in shape to still earn a price over meat. I know what I''m doing, brother."
That was too true. Roy did know how to pick from the weakest stock for his fun. That one would sell for less, but if she were one of the less valuable ones, the loss would be a small percentage if she sold on normal margins. Much like William''s punishments, even Roy''s predilictions had an eye for business. Even if they hadn''t been related, they were good matches working together. They knew what the business was and how to optimize it.
"You know, brother." William made his way across the room, lightly patting Roy on the shoulder. "I am most glad that we share blood. This world is made all the nicer knowing that there is one other like me in the world, above the unwashed masses."
Roy smiled at him, and they shared the moment, standing in the room together.
Click.
William turned as he heard the noise coming from the hall. It sounded like the front door had unlocked itself, but that was impossible. Only he and his brother were free of cages in the building. He hadn''t heard anyone walking down the hall either. Roy let go of the pantry door and followed his gaze. The torrent of rain outside was louder for a brief moment, and then it softened again a few seconds afterward. William was certain. Someone had just broken in through the front door.
"Roy," William said. "Be a dear and go out the back to contact the Port Authority."
"I can do that." Roy nodded, cracking his neck side to side. "I''ll even throw the bar on Fido''s cage on the way out. He can be your backup."
"Very good," William said. "Time for the mongrel to earn his keep."
They would need to go out into the hall for Roy to reach the back door, which meant William would also need to block in the intruders. He didn''t want them to run, so he hatched a plan. He would need to block and trap them so the authorities could clean up the mess. That would end the way the thieves deserved: being hanged on the gallows. He stalked toward the door, his hand out as he opened his gate.
Power rippled through Williams''s arms and legs as the energy of his curse flowed out from his heart and through his limbs. It was a cloudy sensation, like rising above the mundane world to see the truth of things. It was like he had stepped out of a dark cave into the sun''s bright light. His curse allowed him to access the ideals behind the world. He could manifest creations of pure thought and bring them into reality.
"Form Barrier!" he yelled as he jumped around the corner, focusing his mind on the shadows moving in the darkness.
Puff. Thud.
Above the two figures, a red object roughly the length of the hall appeared, one side perfectly straight before being connected between the two points by the curve. To the eyes of a lesser person, it might have appeared to be a capital ''D,'' but William knew better. It was a barrier to trap his enemies inside. It fell over the two figures, encasing them inside, and was easily almost as tall as half of the wall. Willaim smiled as he stepped out into the hall and motioned for his brother to run.
"Go, I will hold them here!"
"I''ll be back quick!" Roy ran off down the hall.
If he found one of the bells placed all around the city, they could have the Port Authority there in minutes. Along with security, if Roy managed to grab a few of those boys, they should have enough force in minutes to stop whoever was trying to break in. William smiled. That was why no one tried to threaten the slavers in West District. Even if a person had a personal vendetta against one of the brothers, they would be fools to try and come after them in Dry Turtle.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
He smiled as he looked at the wall he had created. All he needed to do now was wait.
"Demon''s Divide!"
From inside his barrier, a man yelled out, and a line of white-hot light bisected the red wall in front of him. William quickly raised his hand, forming the next image in his mind. Whoever the intruders were, they were about to break through. He would need a weapon, and only the strongest would do. He smiled as the image raced through his head¡ªa fitting weapon for himself. He called out the form and grasped for the handle.
"Form Axe!"
Puff.
A long shaft formed in his hands, red and gleaming, and he pulled the axe into his hands, taking it in one hand as he reached for the whip on his belt with his free hand: two sharp spikes, gleaming and bright stuck out of one end. A more critical person might call it a lower-case ''k,'' but William knew the truth. The true form of an axe, the basis of all axes, dropped into his hands. He smiled, stepping to the side as the orange light from the wall before him glowed brighter and exploded out in a rain of hot material.
William sidestepped the explosion as the two figures stepped out into the light from the break room. William recognized them immediately. The shorter one in simple clothes with dark skin was Alexander Ortega, also known as ''Tin Man'' Ortega. He was the outlaw who had reduced August to ash and lived to earn a one million doler bounty. Beside him was ''Sword Saint'' Sayed, a lesser-known outlaw with a more modest bounty of twenty-five thousand dolers.
Even Sayed would have been more than enough for William to live the good life for a while if he turned in the bounty. However, William recognized them more from their time together on the shuttle when he had first marked their group as a target. He knew that he couldn''t take them all at once, so he had decided to have Roy pick off the one he thought was weakest. ''Thorn Queen'' Leah was in one of his cages. He shouldn''t have been surprised that her comrades would come to rescue her.
The question was how they figured out that Roy had taken the girl and how they had found his warehouse so easily. William would need to solve those problems. Otherwise, he would need to relocate his operation. He couldn''t have ne''er-do-wells like the two outlaws coming in and messing with his operation. That would just be terrible for business.
"I see we meet again." Wiliam smiled, holding his axe to the side as he faced the two outlaws. "What brings you to my fine emporium in the middle of this Scion''s forsaken rainstorm? I never imagined someone with your tastes would be interested in my trade."
"You know why we''re here," Ortega said, cracking his knuckles. "Tell us where she is, and we might let you live."
"Such fine heroes." William laughed. "Ready to ride in and save the damsel from the evil slaver. I don''t know what you''re talking about, boy. All I know is that you''re breaking and entering, and the Port Authority frowns on messing with businesses!"
"Sayed." Ortega leaned forward.
"I do not see the other," Sayed said, holding his glowing blade out beside him. "We must hurry. Let me handle this slaver while you find Erin. The Port Authority could already be on their way."
"You don''t want to just jump him?" Ortega asked.
"I am not aware of how jumping over him would help, but I wish to make sure he pays for what he has done."
"Alright." Ortega snorted, taking a coin from his pocket as he stared at William. "Yell if you need help."
William had no idea what they wanted, but he wasn''t about to let either pass. The entire plan depended on him delaying both of the men. If Ortega managed to free Leah, then there would be more witnesses to speak. The Port Authority might question whether there was an unmarked slave running around outside a cage. He cursed Roy''s laziness for delaying and himself for taking his nap. If they had taken the time to do their jobs, this wouldn''t have been a problem.
He hadn''t even had time to properly forge the papers for Leah. At least with the prince''s papers, they had time to do that on the trip.
Crack.
"I don''t think you boys understand your situation," William said, cracking his whip on the ground next to Ortega to draw his attention. "I''m not letting either of you past me."
Ortega didn''t respond to him or his attack. Instead, the outlaw looked at the burly swordsman beside him, nodding once as Sayed took a wide stance, the blade held high above his head. William tensed, holding up his blade as Sayed took in a deep breath. Something was coming, and only the two outlaws knew what. He would have to be prepared if he hoped to hold his ground.
"He''s all yours," Alex said.
"Demon''s Thrust!"
Ting.
Sayed rushed forward, and William raised his axe to intercept the sword. Metal rang out as William caught the sword in the top spike of his axe, but he couldn''t hold Sayed''s thrust back. The man hit him like a speeding slipship, and William''s boots slid back on the smooth floor as Sayed drove hard against him. The swordsman didn''t stop in his thrust as he forced William back. Sayed grunted, and William pushed against him, but it wasn''t enough.
Thump.
William''s back hit the wall on the far side of the hall. Sayed had pushed him to the far side of the building with his thrust, and only William''s burning arms kept the man''s sword from his heart. William felt a smile creep across his face as the rush of battle filled his mind. He hadn''t had a good fight in a long time, and the ''Sword Saint'' seemed willing to provide. He would only have to hope that Roy had managed to free Fido before he escaped out the back. That would have to prove enough of a distraction for Ortega until the Port Authority arrived.
"You think you''re hot stuff." William grunted as he pushed back against Sayed''s sword. "But I''ve dealt with a hundred outlaws like you who think they can look down on me for being a slaver. I''ll show you how strong you need to be to capture people. I''ll show you why I''m superior, and you''re inferior!"
He kicked out with his foot, catching Sayed on the knee and sending the man off to the side. William threw himself to the other side of the hall, dropping his whip as he held out his hand. He needed more than just his axe to fight the swordsman. So he called on a shield.
"Form Shield!"
Puff.
He reached out and grabbed the handle on the shield. A less sophisticated man might say that the shield looked like an oddly shaped red ''G,'' with most of the empty space covered except for his handhold, but William knew better. It was a shield to push back the strongest of fighters. He held it up between himself and Sayed, ready to fight the man to the death.
"Let''s get on with it," William said, clapping his axe against his shield. "I''ll show you why I''m feared far and wide!"
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 140 | Fido
Sayed watched as William produced a strange shield from the air and grasped hold of it, taking a stance and ready to fight. They were not weapons of a variety that Sayed knew, but he had already proven capable of fending off Sayed''s thrust. Sayed knew that he would need to go another step beyond if he wanted to beat the slaver despite his strange powers. He reached back, drawing his second blade and letting the heat of his blessing flow through it.
He would take on the slaver with almost everything he had. He didn''t have much time left if they were worried about the Port Authority''s arrival.
"You lessers really know how to make it difficult," William said, holding up his shield with his oddly shaped axe ready to strike the moment Sayed attacked. "It looks like I must show you your place in the world."
"My place." Sayed laughed, shaking his head as he held one sword up high and one sword low while widening his stance. "My place is that of any man, any brother, who walks this world free. No person deserves to be in chains. Devil''s Thrust!"
Ting.
In an instant, Sayed rocketed forward, thrusting out with one blade while he brought the second up in reserve. William watched his move and interposed his shield, the red metal of the object deflecting Sayed''s thrust up and away. Sayed came around with his second sword, but William came out with his axe, pivoting with it and sending Sayed''s blade slicing through the ground. Hot metal cut through the hard floor below, leaving a gouge as wide as Sayed''s arm.
"That''s the problem with people like you." William shook his head. "You don''t understand the way things are. Block Cut!"
He slammed forward with his shield, and it crashed against Sayed before he could recover. He only managed to get one blade in the way of the attack before the shield pushed him back. William drew a line around his person, making an almost perfect rectangle in his swing over his head and around his side. A line vibrated in the air before crashing down over his head, and Sayed had to throw himself back to keep from being caught in the attack.
As he stepped back and recovered, the line hit the ground, cutting into the hard floor the same way Sayed''s strike had. It settled, forming a rectangle around the man''s body. Sayed took a deep breath, holding his blades ready at his sides. He had never seen a technique like that before. It might have been a part of the man''s blessing, or it might have been something wholly new and unique. Sayed didn''t know.
However, he knew he had God''s strength on his side, and that would see him through. He took in a deep breath as William took on his stance. If Sayed couldn''t blow through the man''s shield with a thrust, he would have to be creative. He focused on the timing, holding both hands at his side with his swords pointed at the walls. Willaim''s foot dragged for a moment, and Sayed embraced the opportunity.
"Devil''s Divide!"
Shing.
His muscles bulged as he swung both blades at the same time on the shield, catching it from two different directions, up and down. The metal cracked with the force of his blow, and he had the shield trapped in an instant. Sayed grunted as he forced the loop to close, bringing both heated blades together and cutting the shield in half. It clattered to the ground in two pieces before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Then the axe came around.
It wasn''t the sharp end of the axe but the blunt tip that caught Sayed in the stomach. Sayed doubled over as the wind blew out of him, and William leaned forward on the handle. He had thrown everything he could in the strike, and Sayed felt it. Not even his leather jerkin had been enough to blunt much of the force of the thrust. The attack would have disemboweled Sayed if it had been a spear instead of an axe.
Instead, he dropped one of his blades to the ground, the metal quickly cooling as it lay on the floor without the power of his blessing to fuel it.
"You lessers always ruin everything," William said, pushing Sayed up and throwing him to the ground. "You have to know that there is an order to this Erth. There are the ones who rule and those who must serve. There are those ignorant of the order and those who know. That is the world the Scions have created for us all. They rule with the absolute authority of divinity itself!"
He raised his axe, ready to bring it down on Sayed''s head. Sayed gritted his teeth, closing his eyes against the wave of dizziness that ran through his body. The hit should not have been that much for his body, but he had already pushed himself so hard that day. The reality was that he was tired, and he needed proper rest to be able to fight at his best once again. However, he also could not let William speak such lies. He cast around for his second blade, Abed''s blade, and grasped its hilt tight in his fingers.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
"Block Cut!"
Ting.
A line extended up and behind the axe, forming a rectangle in the air around the blade. The air around it hummed with energy as William held it high before bringing it down toward Sayed''s head. Sayed threw both swords up to defend himself. His muscles ached as he pushed against the strike, but he held it firm. Sayed would not die today, not at the hands of some slaver. He pushed against the strike with all his might.
"You will not spread these lies further," Sayed whispered. "Divinity never seeks to rule over others. God wants nothing of such petty things. It wants each person to fulfill their purpose, to create their best story with what they have! God wants nothing but freedom for every brother under the sun!"
Erin stood with her hand on Artur''s mouth in the closet as the sounds faded and the shadow moved away. She couldn''t tell what happened. One moment, Roy had been at the door, and she had been ready to throw out a spray of seeds. The next was a series of loud noises, yelling, and metal ringing against metal. She kept her hand against Artur''s mouth as she debated what to do, even though the sensation of her skin against his lips was growing ever more uncomfortable.
"Hmmph," Artur said through her hand. "Mrmph."
He had to make it rhyme, of course.
"I know," Erin hissed. "I just want to make sure they''re gone."
Slowly, she released his mouth, reaching down to the door handle and opening it. She opened the door slowly, revealing the room through a crack that she let expand in short movements. The room was now empty. Something had caught the slaver''s attention, and they were now gone. She finished opening the door, stepping out of the pantry, and allowing Artur to follow after her. They stood in the kitchen for a few moments, both listening to the room around them.
Shing. Ting.
The noise came from down the hall, and Erin guessed it was the distraction that had occupied the slavers. Whatever it was, it had come at the perfect moment. If they had been in that pantry another second, they would have been fighting both men. Artur immediately rushed towards his items, and Erin did the same. They didn''t have time to waste.
"We cannot delay," Artur said as he dropped the chain over his chest and put on a pair of gloves nearby. "The others need aid today!"
"Yeah, yeah," Erin said as she strapped her various bags back under her cloak and slid her dagger into her belt.
All in all, she hadn''t lost anything but time and dignity with her capture. Now, she just needed to settle what to do with Artur and the trapped slaves. She could easily escape without them¡ªthe door was just around the corner. If she went back to help Artur free them, they would just be captured again. They were trapped on an island with nowhere to run and no money to escape. They wouldn''t escape Dry Turtle unless she wanted to take them to the ship.
However, she was a member of the People''s Revolution. It was wrong to leave them in those cages, and she knew it. So long as she could still escape, she was bound to help them. Anything less would be a mark on the revolution''s principles. She turned to Artur as he sheathed his sword on his belt and strapped his shield to his left arm. Though he still wore only tatters, she might believe him now if he said he was a knight.
"Let''s go," Erin said, starting toward the door. "Be ready to fight. If those slavers step out, we need to hit them hard and run if they don''t go down."
It was the harsh reality, but it was the best she could do.
Together, they made their way back to the door, and Erin peered around the corner again. Down the hall, she saw two figures fighting in the darkness. However, one of the figures gave off enough light from his blades for her to recognize him. It was Sayed, wielding both of his swords as he fought against William. William had an odd axe in his hand, shaped like a lowercase ''k,'' and was pushing down against Sayed''s blades as he lay on the ground. Sayed held the axe at bay but was clearly struggling against the strength of the attack.
"A fight between two men," Artur said, drawing his blade. "I draw my blade yet again."
"Wait." Erin put her hand on his sword, stopping him from fully drawing it.
She was doing the math. Sayed wouldn''t have come alone. That meant others were somewhere in the building. She didn''t see Roy either. If she was right, they were operating on limited time. If they wanted to free any of the slaves, they would need to hurry. She peered into the darkness and saw an open door further down the hall. Anyone else that had come would probably have gone down there. The question was if Roy had run to get help or if they were fighting him now.
Either way, she knew Sayed could handle himself.
"Come on," she said, rushing down the hall toward the door. "Let him handle William. We need to get them out of the cages!"
"Grah!" Sayed yelled as she sprinted toward the door, throwing off the axe and kicking hard between William''s legs.
William let out a scream as she ducked in the door. However, Sayed''s fight was going in the moment, and Erin was certain he would win. Artur followed after her, sword drawn and shield out as he hurried in front of her. He was ready to protect her, though she wasn''t as sure she needed the protection. The room around them was dark and larger than the one she had been held in. That one was further down the hall.
They walked into a large room that Erin immediately guessed was a warehouse area. Several crates lined the walls, and even in the darkness, she could see a sort of order in the crates. In the next moment, she realized that they weren''t alone. Something lurked in the darkness.
Pant. Pant.
A large shadow padded through the darkness, glowing eyes gleaming in the faint light from the door. Erin''s breath caught in her chest. Whatever it was, it had to be at least twice as large as a house. She reached out, grabbing hold of Artur''s collar before he could go further into the room. He nearly fell backward from the force of her pull and quickly glared back at her while pointing his sword forward.
"Don''t," she hissed. "There''s something in there."
Aroo!
From the darkness, the creature raised one large canine head, and Erin shuddered. It rose up over them, quickly padding in their direction in the darkness. She opened her gate and embraced the twinning energy of life inside her body. Prickles ran across her skin as vines grew out from beneath her cloak. If the creature wanted a fight, she would give it one.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 141 | The Man With the Plan
Alex sensed the creature before he fully entered the room. With his gate open and his senses attuned, he always had a vague sense of where people were around him. Bodies of all kinds disturbed electromagnetic waves that permeated the world, and while he couldn''t tell exactly what was what, he could tell when a massive creature was trying to hide in the shadows of a massive open warehouse.
"You''re a big one, aren''t you," Alex said, extending out his right arm and focusing on the image he wanted in his mind. "Junk Arm."
Blue electric lights flashed down his arm, covering it with various metal scraps to form a mechanical arm a little longer than his normal one. Alex brought up the arm and faced down the creature, smiling. While he hadn''t found Erin in the warehouse yet, he wasn''t going to just run away from a fight.
He''d steamroll the creature and look around after.
Aroo!
It howled, throwing one meaty head into the air and letting a line of drool drop to the ground as it raised its body high. Alex knew what it was then: a massive dog. He brought back his fist and took in a breath, gathering in aether and letting his leg muscles bulge.
"Acceleration Piston!"
Thud!
He shot forward like a cannonball, throwing out his punch as his feet blurred. One thing he learned by watching Sayed fight was that he could incorporate the techniques from the Five Paths into his curse. When Sayed charged with his sword in his ''Demon''s Thrust,'' it wasn''t that different from using ''step'' and ''might'' while charging with his heated blade.
Whoosh.
The massive shadowy dog dodged him, and he sailed over it. Alex flipped his feet mid-air, using the metal beams he sensed in the building to reorient himself and kneel against the wall. He raised an eyebrow as he looked back at the waiting canine. It wagged its tail on the ground, looking up at him on his perch.
"You''re a smart one, then," Alex whispered.
At that moment, he heard a noise, a scuffling sound near the door. He saw two figures standing silhouetted against the light in the dim light from the hall. One held what looked like a sword and shield that practically glowed in his senses. It was definitely metal. The other was a hooded figure who stood behind.
The dog turned to face them, leaning forward while raising its back haunches. It was ready to pounce and let out a second howl at the new intruders. As Alex watched it wag its tail, he couldn''t help but shake his head. The massive dog thought it was playing.
"It could snap off a person''s leg with one bite, but it thinks it''s playing," he whispered.
It made sense, to him, at least. Big dogs were most often the most friendly kind of dogs. The small dogs that his grandmother kept were mean little things that would bite people at every opportunity. He rarely had any trouble with big dogs.
The two figures at the door backed away from the dog, and Alex saw what was about to happen. The dog would take it as a chance to chase and would pounce on them. He wasn''t sure, but at least one of those figures felt like Erin in his senses. He wasn''t about to let her turn into a chew toy.
"Step."
He threw himself from the wall in a flurry of motion, his feet beating against the wall like he had taken a thousand steps in a fraction of a second. He reappeared right in front of the dog in a flash of movement. He released his hold on his junk arm and imagined something else¡ªa spherical orb that was as perfectly round as he could make it. He made it hollow and hoped for the best, but he already knew it wouldn''t be the same as a rubber ball.
"Steel Ball."
He held up his hand, and a spark of blue light flashed, the solid weight of the object falling into his fingers. The dog froze mid-pounce as it saw the ball shine in the light. Alex smiled. Whether it was the size of a building or a normal-sized dog, he knew of very few who could resist a ball.
"Might."
His arm muscles bludged as he brought back the ball and threw it to the far side of the room. With a bark, the massive dog ran after it, romping around the various crates and other objects inside as it jumped between obstacles. Alex had no idea where the ball went, but he just needed the dog distracted for long enough to check on them.
"Alex." Erin ran behind him, stopping and gripping her fists tightly. "I don''t know where to start."
"I''m getting that feeling, too," he said as he watched the dog rummage through the room with its snout, searching for the metal ball. "You okay?"
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"I got out." She shrugged. "Some more people are in cages in a different room. I want to get them out if we can before we leave."
"I''m not opposed to it." Alex nodded, still watching the dog. "Once Sayed gets William cleaned up, the faster we get out of here, the better. I think Roy went to get the Port Authority."
Erin had seen the same thing he had at the robbery. Her face paled beneath her hood. She looked back at the man who was with her as he approached, too.
Alex would have described him as a ''pretty boy.'' He had very sharp features and a young face, but his hair was cut short. He wore chain mail over a torn and tattered tunic and carried a sword in his right hand with a shield strapped to his left.
Alex squinted. He thought the man looked familiar in the darkness, but he couldn''t place where he had seen him. It wasn''t important, though, as claws scratched the stone behind him, and he turned to face the dog again. It dropped the ball from its slobbering mouth.
Thunk.
Alex watched the ball roll to a stop against his boot. He looked up and saw the dog''s jowls slick with saliva in the darkness. The dog looked down at him, quirking its head as it waited for him to throw it again. Alex had to hold back a laugh.
"Alright, alright," he said, levitating the ball above the dog''s head with his magnetism.
He swung it back and forth, letting the dog''s eyes follow it before tossing it with a fling out to the far side of the room. It hit hard in the darkness before rolling to a stop somewhere among the crates. The dog jumped after it in a huff, leaving the three of them alone again.
"We always had a cat, but dogs always make me smile," Alex said as he turned back to Erin and the stranger. "Alright, run me through what''s happening and give me the fast version. If we''re going to set people free, we need to do it and be gone before the Port Authority gets here."
"Heroes, true heroes, enter the stage," the man said, his voice soft and high. "Ready to rip and tear, free the caged."
"Not heroes, outlaws." Alex raised a finger as he raised an eyebrow.
He wasn''t certain, but the man was rhyming. Had he done it intentionally, or was it accidental? He thought about the sentence. No one in their right mind would intentionally talk that way. Clearly, he meant it to be a rhyme. The question was: Why would he do that?
"He rhymes everything he says," Erin said, nodding to Alex. "Yes, it is annoying as it sounds, but it''s part of him being a prince or a knight. I''m not sure which."
"As I have told you, fair dame," the man said. "It from my knighthood came."
"Alright," Alex said. "But he''s working to free slaves?"
"He was in the cage with me," Erin said. "We got out together and were trying to get out when you and Sayed broke in."
"Make sense."
Thunk.
The metal ball dropped behind Alex, and he casually lifted it again before tossing it to the other side of the room with his magnetic control. Erin watched it with wide eyes, but the man just smiled. It was like he was at a parade or a birthday party¡ªjust smiles all around.
"Okay," Alex said. "Do you know where everyone is kept?"
"Not in this room, but I saw three others," Erin said. "We were in one."
"Alright, we''ll go room to room as fast as we can. Can you open the locks, or do we need a key?"
"I can handle the locks," Erin said.
"And I can protect her," the man said. "Bring on the the foul curs!"
"Alright." Alex shook his head. "You guys go right, I''ll go left. Bring them back here, and don''t mess with the dog. It seems relatively tame."
"What about if you run into¡ª" Erin stopped, rolling her eyes, and headed out of the room to the right with the man following behind her.
Alex followed her out into the hall, throwing the ball again to distract the dog. He took a left instead of a right and immediately turned into a fight. Sayed and William were pushing against each other, blade to blade. However, after a moment, Alex noticed the problem with William''s weapon. It was oddly shaped, resembling a lowercase ''k.''
His curse had allowed him to manifest a chair on the shuttle. That chair had been a glorified ''h'' in lowercase. He had dropped a massive wall on Alex and Sayed, and on reflection, Alex thought that it had been shaped like an uppercase ''D.'' Now, with the ''k,'' Alex had a better idea of the man''s curse. He could manifest letters into existence, modified to a specific purpose.
"How Platonic." Alex shook his head as he ducked into the first available door.
He could help Sayed after, assuming the fight was still going on. Unless he thought Sayed was about to lose, there was no point wasting more time. Multitasking was the key to success in situations that had multiple fronts. He ducked inside and saw what he was looking for.
Several cages stretched out around him, and there were people inside each. Some even had several people crammed inside of them. Each one was haggard and gaunt. Alex looked into cold, dead eyes that stared back at him with nothing left. None of them expected anything out of him. So long as he didn''t make their situation worse, they would accept whatever he did.
"Okay." Alex reached out to all the locks at once, pulling on the mechanisms inside with his curse and releasing them.
Click. Creak.
"First order of business," he said. "You''re all free. Head to the open door one room to your right, and we''ll give you the best chance at escaping all of this. You''re free to try on your own, but make sure you don''t run into the fight on your left. I can''t guarantee your safety with the two men who are currently trying to kill each other."
They looked at him, some in shock, while others only blinked.
"Get going, or I''ll relock the doors!"
That got most of them moving. They shuffled out into the hallway, and a few fell over as they saw the fight going on at the end. However, others were there to help them up, and they made their way right. Alex only hoped none of them tried the front door. He didn''t think it would be long before the Port Authority arrived.
"You think you''re some kind of hero?" an old man asked, his grey whiskers fraying in all directions as he stopped at the door. "I''m leaving, but we''re all just going to get caught again."
"Maybe you will, maybe you won''t." Alex shrugged. "But one thing I can''t do is leave you all here without doing something."
The old man looked at him for a long moment before nodding and running out into the hall. Alex followed after, ready to go to the next room. He knew the clock was ticking. Now, he just needed to beat it before the Port Authority arrived. If they took too long, things might get messy.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 142 | A True Death
William pressed down hard on Sayed''s blade, but the swordsman didn''t budge in the slightest. Instead, he pushed up against William''s axe, throwing up and off and causing him to stumble into the wall. William grabbed onto the cold stone of the building, and as he did so, he saw several slaves running out of a nearby room.
"No!" he yelled, reaching for his whip with one hand.
They were freeing the slaves. Those slaves were William and Roy''s hard work running out down the hall. He started after them, but something caught his leg. William tumbled to the ground, rolling and dropping his axe at the same time. He stopped on his back, facing up at the ceiling.
Puff.
"You will leave those people alone." Sayed appeared above him, both swords in hand.
"Those slaves are my property!" Willaim threw his palm out. "Form Arrows!"
Puff.
A multitude of sharp objects shot out from his hand, each one in a ''V'' shape. They blasted through the air randomly, but most were centered on the swordsman. Sayed brought up his swords, cutting at the missiles in a fury as he was pushed back.
"You lessers don''t understand." William pushed himself up, calling his curse to his hand again. "Form Scythe."
Puff.
A long weapon with a flat end that stretched out far formed in his hand, with a secondary blade just below it. A lesser person might call it an upper case ''F,'' but William knew better. It was the true form of a scythe, and he would use it to harvest the swordsman.
"You''ve ruined all of our hard work." Willaim''s breath came out in ragged gasps. "My brother and I have made a life for ourselves out of our place in this system. We''ve fought hard and long to make it to where we are today¡ªyou outlaws are just here to ruin it. You don''t respect the hierarchy. You fools don''t know your place!"
He pushed himself up from the ground on the scythe and assumed his stance, ready to bring the scythe down on the swordsman or hit him with the blunt end to set up his next attack. Either way, when the swordsman came for him, he would have a way to react.
"You''re the fools." Sayed held both arms out, pointing his blades toward the ground and letting his head hang. "You think that this is a world of order. You think you have a place in it because you are not bound, so you bind others. That is the fool''s path."
William hesitated, leaning on his back leg and preparing for the strike. He knew that the swordsman would come for him soon. He knew that the attack was coming, but Sayed''s stance was full of holes. William could reach out with a thrust and follow up with a slice, and it would all be over.
It was too easy, and thus, it had to be a trap.
"Desert Mirage."
As the swordsman said it, the heat around his body doubled. Sweat erupted down William''s back as a wave of hot air crashed into him. Around Sayed''s body, four additional arms flickered into existence, each one holding a copy of his swords. William eyed their blurry forms. They were obviously fake.
However, he then noticed that the rest of Sayed''s body had taken on the same wavy blur. Now, he couldn''t see the difference. William licked his lips. He knew of mirages. They were common on desert islands that had extreme heat. They were illusions and nothing more. He just needed to know where Sayed was coming from and what sword was real, and he could handle that illusion with no problem.
"You think you can beat me with such tricks?" William asked, smiling as he pulled his blade back and put the scythe shaft out. "I am above such petty things because I see the true world. I know the forms that are higher than reality!"
Sayed raised his swords, not responding to William''s provocation. William watched him line up the six blades so that they were at one point in front of him. The tips of the blades touched as he leaned forward. The fool was going to charge William, and William would just catch him on the end of his scythe. Even if he had the illusory swords, that wouldn''t stop William from striking him hard center mass.
Fools would be fools. That was their station in life.
"Mirage Thrust!"
Sayed shot forward, his swords coming in like an arrow targeted at Willaim''s chest. William stepped forward, lashing out in a thrust of his own with his spear''s shaft. However, his spear only met with air. It crashed against Sayed but kept going. The illusion passed through William, the sword going through his chest before the image flickered and disappeared.
William''s heart raced, and he searched the hall for the swordsman. The illusion had been a fake out, meaning he had to be elsewhere. His eyes flitted back and forth until he saw the wavy lines of air off to the side.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Devil''s Wind!"
From the wavering air, Sayed shot out. He was to the side in the narrow hall, but it was just enough to avoid being a head-on strike. William had his shaft thrust out at the illusion and swung it to interpose between them, but it was already too late.
Six cuts reduced his scythe to broken pieces falling through the air. Six cuts sliced across his skin, sending waves of fire down his nerves. A single slash cut across each of his limbs, followed by a searing hot pain that burned brighter than a branding iron. Finally, two cuts slashed an ''x'' across his chest, and he fell back and to the ground against the wall.
The smell of burning flesh reached his nose as he lay on the ground, gasping for air.
"I do not believe in reducing my enemies to bondage." Sayed cast a long shadow over him, both of his blades burning a bright orange in William''s swimming vision. "I will not leave you in a cage of your mind or any other."
The swords came down on William, and then he knew no more.
Erin followed Artur into the first room, one door before the room they had both broken out of. Artur had pushed ahead without asking, and she wouldn''t question it. He held out his sword in his right hand and pushed forward with his shield in the left. However, there were no enemies in the room.
There were people. A musky odor assaulted Erin''s nose as she looked through the dark room. The light from the hallway illuminated it, but she could see several shadowed figures inside. However, the first thing she could perceive was that they weren''t in cages.
She needed light.
"It''s very late," Artur said. "Barrier Activate."
A soft blue light emanated from his shield, lighting the room in a pulsing glow. Erin looked around the room in the new light and nearly bit her tongue when she saw what was inside. Several bodies lay stacked on the far side of the room, motionless. They were the source of the smell and were completely naked as they lay piled up in massive heaps.
Her breath caught in her throat. Flesh upon flesh, stacked together, no different from items in a storehouse. It wasn''t so much the death that surrounded her but the casual nature of it. She had seen plenty of death in her time, but to treat people like objects, to throw them in a pile, that was monstrous.
It wasn''t that different than how the Coven treated shades, and the Coven had turned out to be as monstrous as they claimed shades were.
"What in sha-om happened here?" Erin whispered as she walked further into the room.
She had a hope that at least one of them would be alive.
"Grgh," a man tied to a rack, his arms above and his legs bound below, groaned.
"Right here, right here," Artur whispered, moving closer with his shield. "No need for you to fear."
Erin followed him forward, opening her gate and embracing the energy that flowed inside. Vibrant growth twined through her body, and her hands glowed with a green light as she approached. If the man were alive, she would be able to help him. His back was covered in long red lines that seeped with blood. He barely moved as they approached, but Erin still reached out with her hand.
The power of growth coursed over to the man as she touched his back. His wounds puckered and stitched together rapidly, scabs growing over blood before the skin closed. In moments, the cuts were gone, though scars remained.
"Aah." the man sighed, collapsing against the rack but still bound by his restraints.
"Alright, help me get him out," Erin said.
She and Artur sat at his binds, removing each one. Once finished, Artur sheathed his sword, threw the man over his shoulder, and started for the door. Erin checked the bodies, making sure that none were alive, but the reality was stark.
About ten people, both men and women, lay in those piles. Their skin was sickly pale, and not a single one of them breathed. Some had the same markings as the man, while others had their throats slit. No one would leave that room alive.
She followed Artur out, and Artur made his way toward the next room, still carrying the man. Erin jumped forward, blocking him off and motioning for him to take the man to the warehouse area. She could handle the next room on her own.
"Are you certain?" Artur asked. "He is not a burden."
"I''ll handle it," Erin said, suppressing the shudder she felt walking back into the hallway. "I''ll handle all the locks in there, and I think Roy is long gone."
Artur nodded, turning and carrying the man toward the open door. Erin closed the door and took a deep breath, letting the hallway''s comparatively stale air waft over her. The dank smell of death clung around her, and she wouldn''t be fully rid of it until she had several baths.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Thankfully, the rain continued outside. That would help once they left the building. She rushed to the next door, taking her tools from her pocket as she walked. The slaves they had left behind looked up to her as she entered, and for the first time that night, she felt a little hope rise in her chest.
"One at a time," she said as she approached the first cage. "When you get out, head down the hall until you see a man with a sword and shield. He''ll take care of you all until we can get out of here."
"Thank you," the woman in the first cage whispered, her bony fingers patting Erin''s hand as she worked.
She finished unlocking the cages in a few minutes. It was quick work and distracted her from the contents of the adjacent room. When she finished, she stopped, looking over the cages in the darkness.
Slavery lay at the heart of the Twelve Kingdoms. Many people captured out in the Fringes were later transported to the Twelve Kingdoms and used to fuel the nobility''s insatiable desire for labor. However, Erin knew that labor was often unnecessary. Automatons and machinery could often do the bulk of heavy work throughout the Twelve Kingdoms and would only need relatively few to operate it.
However, the stagnation enforced by the Scions, the enforcement of their hierarchy, made it so that there were always lessers to the nobility. The lessors needed to be used, or they would become corrupted and turn to immorality.
That was the ideal that William espoused so loudly back on the shuttle. Standing surrounded by the cages, she reminded herself why she had sided with the revolution. She reminded herself that her fate would have been tied to those cages if she hadn''t run away.
Leneski had saved her from that, and the cages around her reminded her of that debt. She needed to contact the People''s Revolution again soon. However, that would have to wait until after they escaped the warehouse. She left the room, checking once again for more doors before returning the way she had come.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 143 | Distaste
Crack-boom!
Rain fell in a torrent around Benji and Kye as they stood beneath the nearest patio to the warehouse. They looked out down the narrow alley, where the rain came down like a funnel. All sides of the building were being watched. Those inside who disturbed the peace could not escape.
"I hate the rain, Benji," Kye said as they looked over the warehouse.
"I hate it too, Kye." Benji shook his head, reaching up and adjusting his white mask.
"My brother is in there!" the man, Kye thought his name was Roy Harper, yelled out from the side of the patio, held at bay by the rest of the Cleaners. "Why are you all just standing here?"
"We''ll handle Cleaner business, sir!" Benji yelled before returning to his stance, his arms crossed over his chest. "You have to love civilians telling you how to go about your job."
The other Cleaners formed a wall between Roy and Kye, making sure that he didn''t come too close while Kye planned the assault. In reality, Kye was debating the best way not to run out into the heavy rain. It would be better to lay siege than rush in. The criminals had no escape.
"So, are we going to run in?" Benji asked, rubbing a line of water off his clothes from the run over to the warehouse. "We''re already wet. I hardly see the harm in getting more wet."
"You''re not wrong," Kye said, squinting through the torrent.
"I''m just not seeing why we''re standing here waiting, other than the rain," Benji said. "Not unless there''s something you''re not telling me."
The reality was there were a lot of things that Kye wasn''t telling Benji. The reality was that Kye thought Roy just had a captured person escape, and it was likely someone who had been kidnapped on Dry Trutle. Kidnappings happened often enough in the back alleys of the West District, but he had just heard a report of one earlier that day, and the culprit matched Roy''s description. But without proof, the Port Authority would side with the brothers. The more he delayed, the more time there was for something to go wrong.
Kye didn''t like slavery, but it was a fact of life. His idea of justice considered that.
So, he stood and waited, looking out into the rain and trying to guess what would happen. Would they try for the front entrance? Would they try for the back? Or would they try something clever?
"Hey, Benji," Kye said, looking at the other man as he crossed his long-sleeved arms. "I''ve never really asked, but how do you feel about all this business?"
Kye waved over the area in front of them, trying his best to encompass the West District without actually saying the words. Saying the words left him feeling dirty as if he''d just stepped in dog droppings. Slavery was a part of life, but it was one he''d rather not look at. So long as it happened out of his sight, he didn''t care much about it.
"It makes you a lot of money if you''re willing." Benji shrugged, eyeing the long, wet path down the alley. "I never had the stomach for it. I joined up with the PA before I ever thought about working in the West District."
"They tried to recruit you?"
"Not until they noticed my curse." Benji flexed his arms. "Being able to bind people up in metal locks would be a fine way to handle slaves. I was lucky they didn''t know about it until I was older. Otherwise, I might have been one of those guards they hire or a slaver myself.
Kye grunted, cracking his knuckles. It wasn''t easy to imagine Benji as a slaver. He didn''t have the sleaze that Kye had come to expect from those kinds of men. Benji might have been a lazy slob who never did his job well or completely, but he had some restraint.
"Every time we have to come here, it''s the same story," Kye said. "Someone''s broken free, there''s no sign who owns them, and we just have to return them to those who say they do."
"What else would we do?" Benji asked. "Turn them loose?"
"No." Kye sighed. "Can''t have people running around without some order to it. The West District might not be pretty, but it''s still part of Dry Turtle. We still have to maintain order."
"The order of things is what keeps this place together," Benji said. "So, are we going in or not?"
"Not," Kye said.
"You know the boss is going to come down on us if we sit here twiddling our thumbs," Benji said, giving him a sidelong glance.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
"We''ll make sure nothing gets lost in the end," Kye said. "If they were just busting out, they would have come out by now anyway."
"That''s assuming they didn''t run out before we got here."
"He rang the bell fast, and we got here in less than five minutes," Kye said. "If they''re all gone, the brother would have come out already."
"Assuming he''s not dead."
It was a good point, but it didn''t match with Kye''s instincts. The Harper brothers had a reputation of sorts, and they weren''t weak. Unless they bit off more than they could chew with a kidnapping, there wasn''t anyone who could just take them down.
Either the problem was bigger than they could handle, or Roy was hiding something. Kye guessed the latter. He didn''t want anything to do with the entire area if it was the former. There were dangerous people in the world that not even the Cleaners could handle if push came to shove.
"So, are we going in?" Benji asked again.
Kye sighed. It was going to be a long day. "When the rain lets up. Then we''ll go in. Until then, have everyone keep under some cover and stay dry."
Knock. Knock.
Jean knocked on the door of the metal building on the ship''s repair lot. A light shone from inside out into the night, and occasionally, he heard the sounds of people talking, laughing, and cheering inside. Above him, outside the small canopy over the door, rain continued in its relentless torrent. The clouds above were ever-dark and promised an even darker shade as night marched on.
"It is as if this storm is bearing down on Dry Turtle in punishment," Jean whispered as he heard someone approach the door. "I only hope fate protects Erin while Sayed and Alex find her."
Creak.
The door cracked open, and Gel Tob peered out at Jean through the wan light from the room. Jean smiled at the man, holding his arms wide to show he meant no harm. Gel nodded and quickly waved him in. Jean hurried to get out of the rain.
Gel was in more casual clothes than what he had worn before, and several men across the room were similarly dressed. They wore simple white shirts with very short sleeves and patched canvas pants that looked well-worn. Several of the men were talking across the room and only stopped to nod before continuing.
"You waited on the thick of it to take me up on my offer," Gel said as Jean stepped inside the warm room. "We still have a few leftovers if you want to eat with us."
"I''m afraid that is not why I have come." Jean shook his head, tucking his hands into his robe''s sleeves. "Though I also bring good news to balance out the scales."
"What''s that?" Gel raised an eyebrow, leaning back.
"I have brought the payment for your work, and if my estimation is right, we might also be able to pay extra for expedited work tonight."
Crack-boom.
"Tonight?" Gel looked to the door as lighting shook the walls. "You want my men doing work in this storm? Why in the abyss would you want that?"
"You see." Jean looked both ways before waving in Gel for a whisper. "How much can I trust you and your men to keep confidence?"
"You can trust me, so long as we get paid and you''re not doing anything too illegal." Gel smiled, leaning closer. "The key here is the ''being paid'' part. If you stiff us on the bill, we''ll have no reason to keep any secrets."
"I can understand that rule very well." Jean nodded, placing his fist against his chin as he continued. "Well, understand that my comrades might have run afoul of some of the more¡ unsavory sorts in Dry Turtle. One of our members was captured, and two of us are currently on the move to the city to rectify the situation by any means necessary."
"Slavers?" Gel asked.
"Yes," Jean said. "Therein lies our problem. If they can retrieve our friend without being molested, then we should have no issue, but if the kidnappers were to contact the Port Authority or attempt to chase us down themselves, well, we are without a working ship to flee the danger while things cool off."
"I see the problem," Gel said, mimicking Jean''s stance and raising his fist to his chin. "There''s a simple solution to that, though."
"What''s that?" Jean asked, feigning ignorance.
"We could do a rush job on your ship and get it ready to roll in case you run into any problems. So long as you were willing to pay a twenty percent upcharge, I''m sure we could work extra hard in this rain to get your ship moving before this storm is over."
Jean nodded, reaching into his pockets and pulling out much of the money that Wen and Alex had brought back with them. It would be a steep price to pay, but getting the ship ready to move was more important. They could find supplies on any nearby island. Ship repairs needed to be done in a dock, and with only one operating engine on the Nighthawk, they couldn''t just go elsewhere to get those repairs.
Jean almost wished they had someone knowledgeable in ship repairs, but that kind of thing was a long way off, considering that the plans for ships like the Nighthawk had just recently become available in the last three days. It would be some time before experts spread far and wide who could work with the newer ships.
"We''ll be over soon. We just need to get suited up again," Gel said, heading over to his workers. "Get up, boys. We''ve got work to do."
Several of them groaned, but most ran off immediately to separate rooms to change. Jean smiled as Gel returned, his hands sticking out of his pockets as he looked at the door.
"While they''re getting ready, let''s go ahead and settle the terms," Gel said. "We''ll do the work for twenty percent more, but I''m not a monster, so I''ll also give you a five hundred doler discount. We change what work is charged for depending on your people''s exit time frame. If they need to leave earlier, we can arrange to charge for less if the job isn''t completed."
"Such easy terms." Jean smiled, holding out his hand.
"We here at Dry Turtle understand how people see us." Gel shrugged. "They think we only care about short-term profits, and that''s only partially true. We care about it, so long as we have our skin on the line, but when the going''s better, we can afford to be innocent. Being nice creates all sorts of new customers to make money off of."
As he said it, Jean couldn''t help but nod. "I can see why so many want to work with you."
"Yeah, me and the boys are good for that." Gel smiled. "Now, let''s head back to your ship. I can start picking out the critical areas first and have them run those to make sure your ship''s ready."
Jean couldn''t help but chuckle as they walked out. While they had come to Dry Turtle completely unprepared, it looked like they would have a leg up on those wishing to track them down. Whether the captains of the Military Police or the slavers on Dry Turtle, none of them stood a chance.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 144 | Devils Gate
Artur couldn''t help but smile as more of the now-freed people filed into the room. They stood in nervous groups, and the massive dog staring at them in the darkness did little to help their nervousness, but otherwise, so many were hale after their experience.
It was better than the few they had left behind, lying dead on the floor in the next room.
Artur knew of the prevalence of slavery across the Twelve Kingdoms and had seen its effects firsthand whenever they went to visit any of the core islands; however, on Grim Aegis, slavery was outlawed. His father would not stand to see his people in chains, and all who called Grim Aegis home were his people.
To come out to the Fringes and see it so prevalent firsthand turned Artur''s stomach.
Not that he could change it. No, he only wanted to return home to Grim Aegis and make his father proud. That would prove that he was wrong to banish Artur from the realm. No matter what his father claimed he wanted, Artur would show the king what a proud knight was capable of.
That was why he was so overjoyed to have found this ragtag group of heroes. Though they claimed to be outlaws, Artur could see the truth of the matter. They were heroes through and through. If Artur could persuade them to his cause, perhaps he could bring them back to Grim Aegis and show his father what he was capable of.
"That should be everyone," Erin said as she entered the room behind the last group of stragglers.
She looked exhausted, her pale skin red in the cheeks as she panted and looked around the room. Her two other compatriots were still absent, but Artur didn''t doubt for a moment that they would be coming soon. He smiled at her and quickly put together his thoughts into a couplet.
"Soon, we will need to flee," Artur said. "For that, they must be free."
Erin narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head and sighing immediately afterward. Artur couldn''t help but be who he was, though. Just like when his father yelled at him and tried to make him do as his station demanded, Artur could not be someone other than himself.
"It will all be worthwhile," Artur said. "Remember, heroes always smile."
"Hah." Erin snorted out a laugh, and a smile flickered across her face.
Artur returned the same. While he didn''t like their circumstances, that didn''t mean they could falter. Part of a knight and a hero''s duty was to put on that brave front and be a beacon of hope to the people around them. At least, that was what Artur had learned in all of his studies.
"I am certain I saw movement outside that door," a large tan-skinned man said as he walked into the room, sheathing two swords as he followed the shorter man who had sent Artur and Erin to free the rest of the prisoners.
"I wouldn''t be surprised," the shorter man said. "It took us so long to clear out all the cages that he had plenty of time to get the Port Authority. The question is, why haven''t they just charged in?"
"Perhaps it could be the rain," the large man said, rubbing at his beard.
"I don''t think getting wet would be enough to stop them if they wanted in," the other said, grimacing. "If we had a way to see outside, then maybe we could figure it out, but it''s best to assume they''re out there."
"So what are we going to do about it?" Erin asked.
"Let''s put ourselves in their shoes," the shorter man said. "You''re coming to respond to a break-in, where there''s fighting, and you want to make sure that the people are caught. The weather''s not in your favor, so you do your best to surround the building and cover all the exits."
"It would be a sound strategy," the larger man said, nodding and closing his eyes. "Cover all the possible ways the rabbit could escape, and you will always get your meal in the end."
"I may have a thought to say." Artur stepped forward, raising his hand. "If you don''t mind the delay."
"Alright, first we need to solve this: who are you?" the shorter man asked. "I get the gimmick, but is now really the time?"
"I am Artur, knight and prince the same." Artur bowed. "And I would gladly know of these heroes'' names."
"We''d like to know the same," one of the slaves, an older man, spoke up. "Just who are you people?"
"I''m Alex," the shorter man said before pointing at the larger one.
"Sayed," he said.
"Erin," Erin said.
"We''re outlaws, and we just came to get her out after she was kidnapped," Alex said, pointing at Erin as he looked over the gathered people. "Getting all of you out is more of a side effect than what we were here for, not that I''m going to tell you to go back to your cages."
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"If we run out, they''ll just capture us and return us to the cages," the older man said to murmurs of agreement. "Not that you don''t have my thanks for freeing me, but freeing me just to go back is¡"
He trailed off, but Artur understood his words.
"I intend to give you all a fighting chance," Alex said. "We may not be heroes because we''re outlaws, but that doesn''t mean I''m just going to send you all to run out the back."
"So, with that in mind," Artur said, looking around the room. "What is the path forward for us to find?"
"Give me a minute," Alex said, looking up at the massive dog as it sat back on its haunches. "The one thing you can always count on me for is that I have a plan."
"Even if it''s insane," Erin said under her breath.
Clap.
"Those are the best ones!" Sayed boomed, clapping his hands together.
"The way I see it, we have all the resources we need right here," Alex said. "I can''t guarantee you all won''t get caught again, but I can give you a fighting chance."
"How''s that?" the old man asked.
"Instead of going through a door, we''re going through a wall," Alex said, pointing to the wall on the far side of the warehouse. "Then all we need is a distraction and some cover, and we can escape while the Port Authority deals with all the mess."
"You''re planning to use us as distractions?" The old man clenched his fists, glaring down at Alex.
"Hah, no," Alex said, holding up one hand.
From across the room, a metal ball flew through the air, planting itself perfectly in his hands. Behind all the freed people, where it had been resting, the dog rose, its tail suddenly wagging as it watched the ball. Alex smiled, tossing the ball across the room with one solid throw.
Thump.
The massive dog ran off into the shadows, breaking through several crates as it searched for the ball.
"That''s the distraction," he said, pointing at the dog. "Erin''s the cover. Sayed will get us through the wall."
"Wow," the old man whispered. "Just who are you people?"
"We really need to come up with a name." Alex sighed. "We never just sat down and thought one up."
"Don''t look at me," Erin said, raising her hands.
Artur had seen Erin''s healing prowess in action earlier, so he wasn''t certain how that would help make cover for them. While he had seen the swordsman fight, he had no idea how the man could break through a wall. Artur was skilled with a sword but couldn''t cleave the stone in twain.
However, they all seemed very confident in their abilities. Perhaps he could assist them. Artur''s curse allowed him to generate barriers, shields of force, and light that could repel most things. Without the amplifier in Grim Aegis, it wasn''t nearly as powerful as his mother''s had been before her death, but it was still a fairly strong curse.
"Perhaps I can assist as well," Artur said, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Their attacks I may be able to quell."
"Is that with just your skill in the blade?" Sayed turned to him, putting his hands on his hips and looking down on Artur.
"No, it is my curse," Artur said. "With my shield, attacks I can disperse."
He reached inside of himself and opened his gate, pulling out his shield from behind his back as he did so. Blue light again lit up his shield, forming a lined barrier that almost perfectly matched the shape of the metal. With a little mental effort, he sent the shield up and above himself, forming a dome in the air that stretched about as far as the huddled group of people around them.
"It may not stop all forays," Artur said. "But its strength will do for today."
"Alright," Alex said. "That can fit into the plan easily enough."
"What about us?"
"My advice would be to split up once you are all out, head straight for the docks." He looked around the room like he was figuring out the chances for each person to overcome every obstacle. "Stow away if you have to, but get off this island. You''re more likely to find help doing that than staying here."
"Thank you," the old man said, looking over all of them. "Thank you all. You didn''t have to do this. The fact that you''re willing to risk it means something."
"It is the least one should do for brothers in need," Sayed said, smiling wide.
"So, let''s get this started," Alex said. "Sayed, pick a part of the wall and start cutting. I''ll throw out the ball and send the dog out to distract them. Once that''s done, Erin will throw out a garden path that''ll cover everyone. We run, and we don''t stop until we''re out."
"I understand, brother!"
Sayed stepped forward, his swords glowing brightly as he stood before the wall. He held both swords ready and took a deep breath. Artur walked forward, paying attention to the man''s stance. He didn''t often get a chance to see another swordsman in action. His muscles bulged in his arms and legs as he faced the wall.
"Are you all ready?"
"Ready," Alex said, the metallic ball floating around him as the dog watched from beside him. "Make sure you make the hole big enough.
"Ready," Erin said, her hand glowing brightly from within her sleeves as she held her hands toward the door.
"Then, let us start this tale!" Sayed said. "Devil''s Gate!"
With three sharp swings, Sayed cut through the air in front of him, his blades growing a hot orange as he cut two vertical lines and one horizontal line. It was only three quick motions, but they cut deep through the stone. A wafting of fresh air flowed into the room, and the sound of the relentless rain outside echoed through the tiny cuts.
"One more," the swordsman said, bringing his swords to his side. "Devil''s Wind!"
Twelve slashes cut through the stone, drawing lines from the corners and sides to the center of the stone. With a grunt and a kick immediately after, Sayed now stood before an open entrance to the warehouse. Outside, the rain came down onto the street, and Artur could even see a few people standing on a patio, watching in masks.
"Your turn," Alex said, waving the ball in front of the dog and then throwing it out into the rain.
Ruff.
With a throaty yell that shook the air, the dog ran out into the rain, following the metal ball. The people in masks started to yell, though Artur couldn''t hear them through the rain. Erin was already moving, pushing to the door and throwing out her hands.
"Thorn Garden!"
A spray of seeds shot out of her hands and across both sides of the entrance. Black vines immediately sprouted out of the ground and grow together in a cone. It stretched out as she led the way forward, and Alex motioned for everyone to start running.
"Do not be a barge!" Artur yelled. "Charge! I say charge!"
Together, they ran for the exit, following Erin''s lead as she forged a covered path out of the warehouse.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 145 | Stowaway
Kye was debating whether to send one of his men to find a cup of coffee for him and whether there were any shops nearby that were still open when he heard the screams. From the right side of the building, several of his men came running through the rain, their arms flailing as they pushed through mud and water to reach his patio.
"What in the abyss¡ª" Benji whispered beside him.
From the alley, a shiny ball rocketed through the air, slamming hard into the back of a man''s head and sending him twirling to the ground. Kye raised his eyebrow. Surely, they weren''t just running from that? Even the weakest of his men shouldn''t have to worry about some ball.
Aroo!
A massive dog burst out of the alley, romping through mud and trampling over his men, who were too slow to get out of the way. Kye''s jaw dropped. It was almost as tall as the warehouse. How the hell had something that large just appeared out in the rainstorm? Maybe it was a part of a person''s curse.
"Fido, no!" Roy yelled from Kye''s right. "How''d you get outside?"
He ran out into the rain, waving his arms at the dog as he trudged through the mud. The dog looked at him momentarily before its head swiveled around the area. Eventually, it locked back onto the metal ball. The dog lowered itself on its front paws and raised its hindquarters, its long tail wagging.
"No!" Roy yelled, pushing closer to the dog.
Thump.
The dog ignored him as the ball rose into the air again. Without an impetus, it shot off past Roy and toward the patio, slamming hard into one of the posts before falling to the ground. Kye looked down at the ball and then back to the dog. An unsettling pull hit his stomach.
The dog jumped, knocking past Roy and sending him tumbling to the ground. Kye took a deep breath and opened his gate. Lengths of white power pulled across his body, constricting his limbs tighter as his heart tied itself to the tips of his fingers and toes. He held out his hands, pointing them toward the charging dog.
"Rope Trick!"
Crack.
Lines of long white rope shot out of his sleeves, snapping around the dog''s limbs and tying themselves tight. Kye ran to the right and out into the rain, pulling the ropes with them and wrapping them around the post. The dog slammed into the post, still after its ball and unaware it had been caught. Kye pulled the ropes tight and strained as the dog fell.
He wasn''t nearly strong enough to hold the dog. Water poured into his mask and over his eyes like a waterfall as he pulled hard against the dog. Instead of moving any further, though, he only sunk into the mud up to his ankles. Another reason why he hadn''t wanted to bother with the intruders was that the muddy roads were nearly impossible to walk in.
"Help me, Benji!" Kye yelled. "Men, get in and hold that dog!"
Benji looked him in the eyes for a long moment. Kye knew how he looked, already covered in mud and sunk to his ankles. Benji frowned and sighed, cracking his knuckles, and walked toward the dog at the end of the patio as it struggled against its binds.
"Fine," he said. "But I don''t get paid near enough for this."
Several other Cleaners approached the down dog with Benji, and the dog pulled hard on Kye''s ropes as it stood to fight them off. The beast seemed to have lost all pretense of play. Now, they had a fight on their hands. The dog bent forward and growled, its tail stock-still.
As Benji stepped out into the rain, it lunged. Its teeth lashed out at him as its head shot forward. Kye pulled hard on his ropes, pulling the dog to the side to keep it from landing the attack. He slid in the mud as he strained his muscles. His arms and legs burned as he pulled hard against the rope.
"Grah!" he screamed, pulling harm against the rope and closing his eyes tight.
"Hold it tight, boys! I''m going to put a collar on this beast!" Benji yelled. "Lock Down!"
Crack. Thud. Grrl.
Then, the pull on Kye''s arms settled down to nothing, and he nearly fell over from the loss in tension in his ropes. He opened his eyes and looked over the scene. Benji stood over the dog, flexing his arms as he looked down on the creature. The dog lay in the mud, head down, with one of its legs bound in a black metal bar with its neck. Benji''s own curse had allowed him to immobilize the beast.
Kye plodded through the mud toward Benji, slapping him on the shoulder with one mud covered hand.
"We got him," Kye said, squinting through the water toward the warehouse. "But where in the abyss did it even come from?"
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Roy acted like he owned it," Benji said. "They must have kept it inside. Maybe the intruders released it?"
"Could be," Kye said, looking at the downed Roy in the mud not far away. "You''d have to kick a dog pretty hard regularly to have it attack you instead of the intruders."
"They''re slavers." Benji shrugged. "Not really the best of humanity."
"Hah." Kye chuckled, turning to his men.
"Find out where the dog came out and head inside through the other entrances. I think our stalemate is over. If we can pick up on their path, we''ll track them down, but the priority is investigation!"
"Sir!" his men saluted before starting off into the rain.
"Let''s get out of this rain, Benji." Kye pointed to the front entrance that his men were already entering.
"I could do with that." Benji nodded.
As they approached the alley and its torrent of rain, which Kye would use to wash off his orange jumpsuit, one of his men came running back toward him. Ahead, smoke poured out of the warehouse''s open door, and Kye had to suppress a curse. The building was on fire.
"Sir!" his soldier saluted, his hand reaching his mask. "The inside is on fire."
"Tell me something I don''t already see," Kye grumbled. "Go get the fire teams!"
Erin''s vines provided some protection for their escape until they finally got to an alley on the far side of the street. Then it was back out into the rain, the same it had been all evening. Alex sighed. Every step he took sunk up to his ankles into the mud, and he knew it would only get worse on the run back to the ship.
They''d have to steal a slipship.
"Does anyone else smell smoke?" Sayed asked as he exited the vines, looking back the way they had come.
"I started a fire on the way out." Erin shrugged, stepping out next with the slaves and Artur. "I thought it might be a good distraction and clean up any evidence."
Alex turned to her, raising an eyebrow. Considering her personality and power set, he would have never imagined her to be an arsonist. Granted, she did work for a revolutionary group. Burning down a few buildings was probably a normal procedure for a group of terrorists.
Not that he didn''t approve.
"Shield Dome." Artur held up his shield as he walked out into the group, and the patter of rain abated. "Make yourselves at home."
Alex looked up at the glowing blue dome. Sure, it would hold off the rain, but it would also attract attention. The faster everyone split up, the better. He turned to the others, pushing back his black hair and clearing the water streaming down his face.
"Alright," he said. "We''re going to split up here."
He pointed down the left-hand street, roughly in the direction of the docks. While he didn''t have perfect bearings, with his magnetic senses opened, he could sort of sense which direction north was. With that, he could also pick out the direction the docks should be in.
"The docks are that way. You should all split up once you''re there. Pick any ship that looks like it''s going off the island. Supply ships are the best if you can find some loaded crates to hide around. Don''t get caught."
"Thank you." The old man stepped forward, reaching out a hand, and Alex shook it.
"Don''t thank me," Alex said. "There''s still a good chance a lot of you won''t make it. Good luck, but don''t count on luck carrying you through."
"You all gave us a chance. That''s what matters." The old man shook his head. "I might be able to see my grandson again. That chance is worth all the suffering in the world."
Alex could understand that. It was the same mentality he had back when he was captured in the lab. Every chance for freedom or escape was a chance to see his family again. That was, of course, before he discovered he wasn''t on Earth anymore. However, he carried the same hope inside him, even now. Every step forward was a chance to go home again.
"Good luck, my brothers!" Sayed came behind Alex, slapping him on the shoulder as Alex released the old man''s hand.
Alex nearly fell face-first into the mud.
"May we meet again," the old man said, waving as he walked into the alley''s shadows with the freed people.
Soon, they were completely out of sight, and Alex turned to Sayed and Erin.
"Let''s go take a slipship. I''m not walking back."
The blue light above flickered and faded as they set out into the rain a second time. Alex made sure they kept to alleys for a long time, not stopping until they were out of West District. As they trudged through the mud, he kept an eye out for one of the shuttles. Surely, there would be one parked out in the streets, floating above the surface and ready for when the storm was over.
It wasn''t until after they had been walking in the rain for about thirty minutes, his clothes completely soaked against his skin, that he noticed one floating near an open window. He slapped his head upside the head. He had been stupid. If a person ran a shuttle, they wouldn''t park it on the ground when it wasn''t in use. Why do that when it could be stolen?
Instead, they would park it near where they lived. The crystals that powered a slipship could easily take an inactive night anchored in the air during a storm. He raised a hand to call Erin and Sayed to stop, pointing up into the sky.
"I got it," he said, opening his gate.
Electricity flowed through him, and the world came alight in his senses as lightning thrummed through his body. Alex quickly threw a coin on the ground before pushing against it and throwing himself toward the anchored slipship. He landed on the deck of the shuttle with a soft thump, crouching and listening to the nearby shuttered window.
There was no light inside, and Alex assumed the owner was asleep. He quickly set to work, sneaking over to the control panel and flipping a few switches before untying the rope that held the ship to the building. He released the ship''s current power level, and the ship slowly began to descend, leaving its berth behind as it came down to the street below.
"Come on, let''s go." He waved Erin and Sayed on board.
Three people jumped on board, and Alex quickly let loose on the slipship''s throttle, opening it up to rocket into the sky. The rescue mission was complete. They had gotten Erin back and even saved some people from a bad life. All in all, Alex would call that a success.
Then he noticed the problem. In the relative darkness of the storm, he did a quick headcount as he pointed the ship toward the repair docks. One, two, three shadowy figures knelt on the deck to avoid the rain. Then, of course, there was himself¡ªfour people in total.
He squinted. Artur had managed to follow them onto the slipship. For whatever reason, the knight had decided to stow along rather than run for safety. If it weren''t for the rain, Alex would have stopped the ship, but instead, he knew they''d have to talk the moment they landed.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 146 | Water Works
Wen stood with her back to the door, Mari at her side, holding her revolver steady on the woman. In her mind, there was only one thing she could do to stop the woman. She was almost certain that if she could just land a shot on the woman''s watery body, she could win. However, the woman simply wouldn''t allow it. In fact, the more she watched the woman, the more care the woman seemed to take around Wen''s aim.
Freezing cold would be the absolute worst matchup for a person who turned into water. The only problem was landing the hit.
What Wen needed was a distraction. She needed another fighter in the fray to distract the woman and give her the opening she needed. She might be able to use her hands, but that would involve melee combat. There was a reason she didn''t run into melee fights. They were just too risky.
"Steam Bullet!"
Hiss.
The woman held up a finger aimed like she had a real gun in her hand. Wen flinched to the side immediately, crashing into Mari and sending them both to the ground. Wen didn''t need to guess that the technique was dangerous as the bullet whizzed by above her and clattered against the door.
Ptss.
Water hissed on the bulkhead above her as it spattered. Wen had a moment to look up before she lined up her shot. The woman was already pointing her finger down on the ground where she lay. She needed an edge if she wanted to get past the water woman.
Wen pulled the trigger.
Hiss-bang.
She had one more shot left in her revolver, and she went ahead and lined the last shot even as the woman opened a hole to let the first one through. This time, Wen shot toward her feet, aiming precisely between both of her legs so that the bullet would crack open there.
Hiss-bang. Crack.
The water woman tried to dodge, but it was too late. Wen''s bullet cracked open, exposing the area around her legs to a sudden rush of cold. Ice crept up her legs and torso, rising quickly as it turned her watery form white. Wen threw herself onto her feet. She needed distance, and she needed to get the door open. To do that, she needed the water woman disabled.
She kicked forward with her boot right as the ice solidified up the water woman''s abdomen. She was trying to break free, but Wen wasn''t about to let that happen. With one solid hit, she knocked the woman down the steps, sending her falling into the ship''s interior.
"Let''s go," she said, turning to the door, spinning the wheel, and slamming it open into the rain.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The torrent was still coming down hard on Dry Turtle, and Wen peered out into the inky blackness of a moonless night. She didn''t know how the water would affect the woman''s curse, but she needed to get Mari out if she had any hope of winning a fight. She gripped Mari''s hand tightly as she ran out into the torrent, heading toward the edge of the deck.
As they ran for the edge, she saw Jean climbing up the ladder on the side. He eyed her, rain spilling off his bald head and soaking into his robes. Behind him, another man climbed the ladder and watched her in his orange jumpsuit. Wen slowed, holding Mari beside her as the rain pummeled across her vision.
"We have an intruder," she said, pointing back to the ship''s entrance. "We need to get Mari somewhere safe while we deal with it."
"Gel." Jean turned to the man who had met them earlier that day and waved Mari over. "Can you take Mari while we handle this? We can return to the repairs as soon as this problem is resolved."
"Sure," Gel said, kneeling down and holding out a hand to Mari. "We can keep an eye on her. Come get me once your business is over, and I''ll have my guys work on your ship."
"Thank you." Jean smiled before turning back to Wen. "What''s the problem?"
"Some woman who can turn into water," Wen said, drawing her second revolver. "I only have six shots left, but she keeps moving herself around, so I can''t get a clean shot."
"A water curse." Jean nodded, stretching out his hands. "Perhaps I can help. Spirit Swing."
A purple aura grew around him as he raised his hands into the air. From his feet, a purple spirit rose from the ground. It had a skeletal frame with dark eyes and long white hair stretching behind it. The spirit rose around Jean until it came to rest on his shoulders. It was Eliza, his departed wife, and his primary tool when he fought.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"If we are to dance in the rain, I hope that it does not strengthen our foe." He tore his robes off, revealing a skin-tight black dancer''s uniform beneath.
"It''s either that or take her inside the ship." Wen shrugged. "I only have six bullets left in this. Unless I get back to my room, I need to make them count."
"Hah." Jean chuckled. "Is your curse bullets? I thought it was to freeze things solid."
He had her there, but again, she didn''t know if she could use her curse on the woman at short range. The problem with her cold was that it didn''t act quickly enough. She had her premade frozen bullets, but they took minutes to make. While the effects were instant, the buildup wasn''t.
That made her curse a lot less useful in combat. It was better at making tools than just instantly freezing her enemies solid. That was why she had the bullets and gun designed in the first place. Without them, she could, at best, focus her cold on a single point over several minutes to see the same effect.
"If you can keep her busy, I think we can beat her," Wen said.
"You haven''t been with us for long." Jean smiled. "Though we are a team of sorts, we rarely, if ever, fight together."
Wen raised her eyebrow at him as rain poured over her face. Wen had no idea what he could possibly mean by that. Surely, the benefit of being in a group of people was working as a team to take down opponents. That was a basic winning tactic, even against a weaker opponent.
"It''s alright," Jean said, nodding at her visible confusion. "I''ll give you a hand this time, and we''ll work on your ability to fight alone before the next."
As he spoke, the water woman reappeared at the door. Her legs were like long sticks as she looked over the deck. When Wen had frozen that part of her body, she must have lost the water associated with it. Wen grimaced. She should have taken her inside the ship, but it was too late. She held her revolver ready as the woman stepped outside.
"I was going to be kind to you, you know," the woman said as she stepped out into the rain. "But you couldn''t just play along, now could you, dearie?"
Water cascaded into her form, and her legs instantly filled back into her original figure. However, they stopped when she finished her original long dress. It was like her body had a preset look that she wanted to maintain. She wasn''t letting in the additional water that now bounced off her wide black hat.
Wen narrowed her eyes. That was useful information. She just didn''t know how she could use it.
"Greetings, my fair lady." Jean stepped forward, arm in arm with Eliza. "I have to ask why you are on our ship. I don''t remember any of us inviting you aboard."
"What do we have here?" the woman asked, quirking her head as she looked Jean over. "A gentleman, a skeleton, a combination of both, perhaps?"
"A gentleman, a scholar, and a lover of new experiences." Jean bowed with Eliza before rising again. "You may call me Jean, Jean Baptiste. But again, I must ask, who are you to grace our ship with your presence."
The woman tapped a finger against her chin like she was considering Jean for the first time as something more than an insect. Wen kept her grip tight on her gun. She would have already taken at least three if she wasn''t certain that the woman would predict her shot. However, she already knew that it wouldn''t be enough. The woman was watching her out of the corner of her eye.
"Such a fine man," the woman said, smiling. "I have received much better treatment from you than what your companion has given me. For that, I will deign to give you at least my name. I am known in the trade as Miss Brooke."
Wen didn''t recognize the name, but it reminded her of one of the men who had been with her on Diamond Peak a few days before. His name had been Mister Foley. According to Alex, he had also met a similar man named Mister Deadman. Wen had to wonder if they were all related.
"Well, Miss Brooke." Jean smiled, his purple aura darkening as he put one foot forward. "May I ask you kindly to get off of our ship? As you were not invited, it would be incredibly rude for a lady such as yourself to stay."
"I see your point." Miss Brooke looked at the door behind her before turning on Jean with a smile. "But you see, I had important business here that I have yet to conclude. While I have already gathered much information, I have to repay a favor that your companion has dealt to me."
"Oh, Wen, did you a favor?" Jean asked, looking back at Wen for only a moment.
"Indeed, she did." Miss Brooke nodded. "You see, your companion there managed to strike me with one of her cursed bullets. Very few people can hit someone with a curse like mine, and well, I just can''t let such a power stand in the world if it might be used against me in the future."
"That is unfortunate," Jean said. "Wen''s only been with us a short time."
Wen''s ears perked at that. She didn''t think Jean would throw her to the woman''s mercy¡ªthat wasn''t his style. However, what else could those words be leading to? If he turned on her, she would be facing two fighters with only six bullets left. Those odds would leave her dead with no one the wiser.
He was an outlaw. Would he do that to her?
"So you don''t care if I take her?" Miss Brooke walked forward, her heels clicking against the metal deck with every step.
She stopped just a meter away from Jean. Jean''s smile spread across his face as he looked down at the woman. He didn''t even glance Wen''s way as he looked deep into her eyes. Wen''s finger itched to turn her gun on him and pull the trigger. At least with that, she would only have to fight one of them with only one more bullet down.
"Oh, I would care." Jean chuckled. "It isn''t the length of time you spend with a person, but the quality of that time. We already played a great game together, and I also won it. ''Uno'' is what Alex called it."
"Then why all of the facade?" Miss Brooke sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "It doesn''t change anything for me if I have to kill one of you or both of you."
"Oh, I just wanted to get you closer," Jean said, placing a hand on Eliza''s shoulder before taking a step and spinning her forward toward Miss Brooke. "Spirit Battement!"
A furious series of kicks lashed through the air, striking Miss Brooke faster than Wen''s eye could see. However, the reaction wasn''t what Wen would have expected. Instead of the kicks connecting and beating the woman to a pulp, her form broke off in bursts of water spraying out onto the deck. Her form crumpled as her body fell apart from above the waist.
When the attack was done, only her legs remained standing in the rain, completely still as water streamed down over the deck.
"I suppose I should have expected that," Miss Brooke''s voice rose from the deck as her legs collapsed into a puddle on the ground. "Let''s get this over with."
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 147 | Fated End
Jean watched as the once singular Miss Brooke rose as nine humanoid forms from where she had been scattered on the deck from Eliza''s furious series of kicks. Jean hadn''t expected that. A chuckle rose from his chest as he looked over the several women rising from the deck.
From what he could tell, Miss Brooke didn''t look like she was dressed for a fight, but her curse made that not matter. She wasn''t just a single person, but the water itself. Somehow, her curse allowed her to transcend her physical form and transform her body into water while still retaining her thoughts.
He pondered if the curse was of the first grade or much higher. Would a second-grade curse allow the user to become the element they could originally only manipulate? Perhaps a third-grade curse? Not even he and his time dealing with curses could guess what level of curse that was.
"Water Clones," Miss Brooke whispered as she reformed in her original body.
"Where there was once one, now there are many." Jean smiled. "Is there anything else your power can do?"
"Oh, we have plenty of interesting things to show you." All ten of her forms cocked their hands into gun shapes at once. "You''ve both managed to delay me long enough. Time for you to all die! Steam Barrage!"
"Spirit Step!"
Hiss. Ptss.
Jean reacted instantly, already guessing what she would try to do. From each finger, a hot blast of water shot out and into the rain, but as they did so, steam hissed out from the fingers. Jean''s feet blurred as he disappeared and reappeared behind the furthest away clone. He swung Eliza on his arm as he continued the dance.
She had split into ten. What would happen if she had to split into even more? He wanted to test the idea out. Perhaps there was a limit to how many forms she could take or the volume of water she could control. Maybe it would weaken over time. He didn''t know, and that was the exciting part.
"Spirit Battement!" he yelled as Eliza''s leg blurred into a flurry of kicks, crashing into the clone and bursting it into a shower of water that dispersed into the rain.
Hiss-bang. Crack.
Wen took a shot with her revolver, the bullet crashing into another copy and causing ice to form across it rapidly. The woman flinched across her remaining eight copies as Eliza''s kicks and Wen''s ice took down two. Jean noted that as he drew Eliza into his arms.
Miss Brooke felt pain across all of her copies, and while she was split, she could not as easily dodge as she may have when she was in a single form. Operating multiple bodies at once probably caused her strain and meant she couldn''t fight as effectively as she could in one.
He smiled. Making more people to control had a cost, no matter what. It wasn''t as simple as overwhelming an opponent with more copies. So long as she chose this tactic, they might be able to force a stalemate or a win. Jean readied Eliza as he prepared for Miss Brooke''s next move.
"A trifling annoyance." Miss Brooke shook her head, her eyes watching one copy turn into a white statue of ice before looking to Wen. "Your ability is the most troublesome of the bunch. Water Whip!"
As one, her remaining nine lifted their long dresses, revealing long black boots with equally tall heels. She raised her legs and kicked, the long line of the boot becoming transparent as each one turned to water. With a single fling across all eight copies, she shot a long line of water across the deck, right at Wen.
Thwip.
Wen tried to dodge, jumping to the side with all her might to get below the attacks, but it was too late. Not every whip needed to connect, but more than enough did. One whip, two whips, and three, the water wrapped around her limbs, binding them together as she fell to the deck. As Jean watched, it bound her arms tight around her body. Wen struggled against them and dropped her gun to the deck as the water tightened around her.
Jean assessed the problem and aimed at all the copies. He would go through and dismantle them before the binding could be completed. Hopefully, Wen could free herself once the pressure was off her. He leaned forward, taking a deep breath as he and Eliza crossed the distance to the clones in tandem.
"Spirit Break." Jean lunged forward in a flurry of movement.
He swung kick after kick as he moved through the copies, sending them crashing into spurts of water one after another as he and Eliza alternated in their dance. However, even after every kick, the water lines around Wen remained. Jean came out on the other side of the group of Miss Brookes, Eliza fluttering around him as he looked over his work.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He had hit every single copy with a solid kick, and the torsos of each one had broken, leaving only the legs and abdomen as thin lines. Each clone''s leg was still outstretched and connected to the lines of water wrapping around Wen''s chest. Even though he had broken each one, it hadn''t been enough.
Jean didn''t understand it. He had never seen a curse before that let a person completely change their body into a separate form. Sure, many curses allowed people to generate and manipulate a substance, but they didn''t allow a person to turn into that substance themselves. If Miss Brooke was indeed water, there wasn''t much he could do to harm her. All she had to do was reform herself after an attack, no worse for wear.
The lines of water connecting the clones to Wen bulged and folded into each other, following a path together through the air and combing until they formed a bubble around Wen. Jean''s eyes widened as Wen was wrapped in a massive orb of water.
Once the orb formed, four long lines and a single stub on the top lashed out, two of the lines of water touching the ground. The water thickened and grew, rising high above the Nighthawk as a roughly humanoid liquid form rose against the dark clouds.
Crack-boom.
In moments, Miss Brooke formed out of that ball, the massive orb sticking out from her belly as it protruded from her dress.
"I always thought about having a child." Miss Brooke, now twice as tall as she had been before, tapped the bubble with one hand. "However, I always worried if the curse would kill it."
Aside from the massive bubble protruding from her body, Miss Brooke roughly retained her original form. So, she had the appearance of her dress and clothing, but the distended bubble remained transparent and showed Wen as she tried to swim against the water to reach the surface.
As Jean watched, bubbles burst out from Wen''s mouth in the water. She was drowning, and he had to act quickly. That was certainly no condition to use a curse in. Especially without the chance to breathe, there would be little that Wen could do.
"Alright, Eliza." Jean took a breath. "We may need to hurry. Wen will not last long inside there."
He examined his options in an instant. While he might be able to defeat Miss Brooke, that would take too long. No, shattering the bubble and giving Wen a chance to be free would be better. Then, they could work together to bring down the woman.
However, freeing Wen might prove to be the hardest thing to accomplish. He watched her struggle against the bubble and try to swim to the surface, but a strong force pulled her back to the center every time. Panic wouldn''t buy him more time to act. He made his decision.
"I''ll have you out in a moment," Jean said, taking Eliza in his arms and raising his knee for her to rest on. "Are you ready, Eliza?"
Eliza nodded, her empty eyes staring up at Miss Brooke. Jean took in a breath, embracing the power of aether within his body and allowing it to flow out through his skeletal limbs. Power gathered to his fingertips like lighting, and he slung Eliza out the length of his arm, letting go of her fingers at the last moment.
"Spirit Pirohette!"
Eliza shot out into the air like a cannonball, thrown forward with the strength of his kick as he spun on his remaining leg. She spun in the air as she flew toward Miss Brooke, aimed directly at the bubble that held Wen captive.
"You think I would let you?" Miss Brooke raised one transparent arm, sending a wall of water falling from it to crash onto the deck below. "Water Fall!"
Splash!
Eliza crashed against the water, even as the impromptu waterfall slammed into the deck. The water crashed around Jean''s ankle as he focused on watching Eliza. She needed to get through that wall of water. If she didn''t, he would need to make the next move.
Tik-shh. Tik-shh.
Water slung off of the fall as Eliza penetrated through it, but the water slowed her spin. Jean adjusted his feet, focusing on the far side of Miss Brooke. He took in a breath and gathered aether through his body, and in the next instant, he charged, calling on the power.
"Spirit Step!"
He charged through the waterfall with all his might. His body disappeared in a blur of movement, but he still had to pass through the water barrier. Water sloshed over him, slowing but not stopping him until he came out on the other side.
"Hrah!" he yelled as he crashed through the waterfall, the water sloshing around him and soaking him to the bone. "Of course, because I am a skeleton!"
He didn''t pause to chuckle at his own joke. Gathering a breath, he threw himself up with one leg, his other extended in a kick. A water arm came for him, but Miss Brooke couldn''t take both Eliza and him at the same time. He sailed past the wave, crashing into the bubble and slamming his foot hard into Wen.
Splash!
His foot penetrated the bubble hard, and the force holding Wen inside pulled him faster than his initial kick toward Wen. His foot crashed into her chest with a solid thump. The force of his kick forced Wen out the other side, and he saw another wave of bubbles burst out of her mouth as he sent her out the other side.
Now, Jean was not a proponent of friendly fire or attacking one''s own teammates, but his plan worked the way he wanted. He settled into the water, the cold wrapping around his limbs like the center bubble was a vortex drawing him in. Wen crashed out the far side, falling out in the air and onto the deck.
The one good thing about Jean''s skeletal body was that he didn''t need to do much to survive. He didn''t need to eat unless he needed to repair a part of his bone body with the food''s nutrients. He didn''t need to sleep unless he wanted a time without any thought. Lastly, he didn''t need to breathe so long as he wasn''t trying to use a technique. He had enough aether stored inside himself to keep Eliza active and in the fight.
So, he did not panic as the center of the bubble drew him in. He did not struggle against the water. He remained in control. Though the water was crushingly strong and restrained his bones from moving a single centimeter, he did not need to move. Eliza and Wen were free on the outside.
He trusted that they would rescue him. He was not fated to die inside of a water bubble, but his part in the fight was over.
Jean closed his eyes as the fight continued outside.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 148 | Cold Touch
Miss Brooke clutched at her abdomen. Her primary captive, the bounty hunter ''Cold Shot'' and quite possibly the greatest threat to her in the fight, had been released from the watery prison she had created. Now, her companion, the skeleton man, had taken her place. Sparks of pain ran through Miss Brooke''s body from how often he had broken her to pieces.
While her form allowed her to take almost any hit unscathed, that didn''t mean she was immune from the pain of individual strikes. Even the water streaming from above, penetrating her watery form and fueling her to greater and greater power, came at the cost of pain. Each droplet of rain was like the pinprick of a bobby pin, launched through her multitudinous nerves spread across every drop of water she controlled.
"It''s enough to drive a lady mad," her voice boomed in her giant form as she searched the deck for ''Cold Shot.''
She needed to catch the woman, no matter the cost. Her curse was the greatest counter to Miss Brooke''s. While the skeleton man could hurt her, he would not be able to defeat her, not with the power of his current curse. However, she couldn''t see ''Cold Shot'' on the deck.
"Where are you hiding, bounty hunter?" Water boiled across her skin as she searched this way and that across the deck.
Slap. Splat.
A form with long white hair shot across her vision, and Miss Brooke batted at it as it landed a kick across her face. Water droplets sailed out through the night, landing on the ground in a line beside the ship. The skeleton man''s spirit was still active, even though he was bound inside her bubble.
"Your impertinence is ending my patience, dearie," Miss Brooke said, taking in more of the water, rising higher into the sky and distending her form. "If I cannot take the bounty hunter, I will crush and break this ship in half. Ocean Leviathan!"
Miss Brooke''s lowest grade of curse was simple. It allowed her to manipulate water. Her second-grade curse allowed her to become water itself as an element, which was why she had her current form. While her Ocean Leviathan wasn''t a form that transcended her second grade, it was the culmination of everything she believed the form to be about. It was the raw power of the storm and the sea. It was the fury of the wind and the ripping power of a tidepool.
She laughed, and as she did, she grew taller and wider. She lashed out to the side with one arm, and a long, watery tendril formed from it. She lashed out with the other, and the same happened on the other side. She grew longer and more serpentine as her skin dissolved into the clear blue color of the ocean itself.
Her legs merged together, wrapping around the ship in a long, winding tail as she folded her arms into her body. A long maw rippling with waves of teeth opened up as she let out a guttural scream. The leviathan took control of her senses as she searched the deck below.
She was no longer the lady but the serpent. Her thoughts were bent on destruction and destruction alone. Like a storm, she would rip the ship below her asunder and leave its wreckage as proof of the consequences for those who thought they could defeat the storm.
A faint wisp tried to attack her, but she ignored it, the same way she ignored the thousands of prickling, painful stabs that cut across her form from the storm above. All that pain was just fuel for her rage. It would make crushing the ship so much easier. She pulled her body tighter as she wrapped around the ship.
"I. Will. Have. You. Dead. Dearie!" she annunciated each word as she roared and brought her head crashing onto the deck.
Groan.
Water crashed over the ship harder than the storm above. The metal shook beneath Miss Brooke''s form. Already, the clamps holding the ship tight were buckling and breaking. She flexed her body against the length of the ship, pulling the end tighter as she wrapped her head around the front.
She would snap the slipship in two with her might. Then, the bounty hunter would be revealed. Then, she would have the threat beaten and would no longer have to worry. Once the hurtful cold was gone, she would be the strongest. She would be the greatest. Not even Lord Bac¡ª
Her thoughts stopped, and some of the lady in her was restored. No. No one was as strong as Lord Bacia. She wasn''t even as strong as the Hand that commanded her. She was a Finger. She may have been higher than a Knuckle in the organization, but she had to remember her place.
Not even her second-grade curse could save her if she forgot her place.
"But that does not mean I will let you get away, ''Cold Shot,''" she said, renewing her efforts to break the ship in two.
If she wanted, she could release her form and try to find ''Cold Shot,'' but that would severely weaken her. Once this technique was released, it would take hours to recover to her full strength. No, it would be better to rip the ship in two and take on ''Cold Shot'' once she was in the open.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Creak.
The ship''s hull resisted her, and she had to pull harder. She funneled more power into her gate, wrapping tighter around the ship as she extended her body into a longer form. She welcomed the rainwater falling from above. The fools should never have let her outside in a storm. The water-fueled her power.
Whoosh.
Even as she thought it, the water stopped falling from above, fading out into light tapping before disappearing to a single drop a moment later. Miss Brooke angled her head to the sky. The storm was over. Moonlight came down through parting clouds.
"You talk too much." A woman stepped out onto the deck, her hand glowing bright blue and white in a spiraling ball. "Cold Touch!"
However, becoming water, being able to become invincible on a whim, was just plain unfair.
She threw herself past the door and closed it behind her. Hopefully, Jean''s skeletal form would allow him to last longer inside the woman. She had just been drowning the entire time. Her mind was still wrapped in a haze from the minute inside that bubble. It was like it had a gravity that refused to let her escape.
She couldn''t even take a breath to call on her cold.
However, now she had a problem. She had no way to beat Miss Brooke. She could get her rifle, but those six shots didn''t seem like they would be effective. All the woman had to do was cut off her form to get around Wen''s cold, and that was assuming she didn''t just create holes for the bullets to pass through.
Wen had also lost her distraction. Without Jean, she was certain not a single shot would land. That left her with the problem. She had no way to win. She collapsed against the door, hanging her head as she focused on her breathing. She needed to recover first.
Hock-pt.
She hocked a bit of water from her lungs on the floor as she stared at the metal floor. Outside, she could hear the faint echoes of the woman yelling along with the constant rhythm of the rain. She needed a way to fight back and wracked her mind for options.
She could create a ball of cold. That was what she did when she made her bullets. That was all she did, and that was why she needed to have the bullets made in the first place. Unless someone wanted a convenient air conditioner or cheap ice, her powers weren''t good for much else. They took minutes to work their effect.
However, that was a good point. She was safe at the moment. She had a minute, at least, right?
She opened her gate, embracing the chill of her curse as it blew through her body like a wintery breeze. A cold sensation expanded from her heart, chilling her limbs out to her fingertips as they flowed into her arms and legs. Wen focused that power even as she channeled it, calling the strongest chill into her hands.
"Cold Touch," Wen whispered, cupping her hands into a ball and focusing on opening her gate wide.
She would normally hold an object there, but she didn''t have that option unless she wanted to get her bullet charger from her room. No, she wanted a sphere of cold, something she could jab into Miss Brooke the moment she least expected it. She closed her eyes as she embraced the cold inside of her.
Groan.
The ship groaned beneath her, and she knew that Miss Brooke was attacking it directly. If the woman couldn''t get at her, she would break the ship in half to find Wen. However, Wen couldn''t stop to react. She needed to focus. She huddled closer to her ball of cold, even as a seat formed and froze across her hands.
She needed it colder. Colder than ever before.
She knew a little bit of science from her undergrad at Cambridge. There was an absolute cold that ate at so much kinetic energy that nothing happened. Absolute zero. That was what she was aiming for. She wanted the freeze to ripple across Miss Brooke faster than she could react. If Wen could pull that off, she was sure she could take all of Miss Brooke in one shot.
Crack.
She focused despite the sound of metal creaking around her. She focused on the ball in her hand despite the fact that she was closer to death every second. If she failed with this ball, there was nothing else she could do. Alex and the others would come back to a broken ship with her dead. Maybe Jean would survive to tell them what happened. Maybe he wouldn''t. She didn''t know enough about him and his curse to tell.
Tap.
With a final tap on the hull, the sound of rain dissipated outside. Wen looked up from her orb. Was the storm over? She listened closely, still drawing more cold into the ball in her hands. She didn''t hear any more rain outside.
She took it as a sign. With her hand cupped around the orb, still pouring her cursed aether into it to draw it ever colder, she stood and flung the door open, stepping out onto the deck. Wind blew past her face as she looked out over the watery loop of a tail wrapped around the ship.
"But that does not mean I will let you get away, ''Cold Shot,''" the voice boomed out of a head that was up and above Wen, far out of sight.
Wen ignored it, rushing across the deck toward the tail wrapped around the ship. She wouldn''t aim for a harder target, not when a guarantee was in sight. She thrust out with her hand as she reached the tail, crushing the ball into the whirling water with one solid hit.
"You talk too much!" she yelled, pushing the cold orb into the water until it broke. "Cold Touch!"
The ambient heat of the water resisted her touch at first, but Wen didn''t let up. She didn''t let her cold infusion stop for a moment as she jammed her hand deep inside the water. The orb was just the initial strike, and white ice expanded out from where the orb struck Miss Brooke''s form.
If Wen had just stopped there, it would have been for nothing.
Instead, she focused, pouring more cold through her hands and into the serpent form, drawing more and more aether into her gate and willing it to transmit more cold into the serpent. Instead of a tiny orb, it was the entirety of Wen''s curse that the serpent''s water fought against, and the water lost to the ice.
White shards cracked along the serpent''s form, freezing it against the hull as it raced up the body. The last thing Wen heard from Miss Brooke was a guttural scream and a crash of water far away. She collapsed to the deck moments afterward, spent as ice shards clung to her fingers.
She wasn''t sure, but she thought she won.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 149 | Rhyme with Time
The rain stopped right as Alex brought the shuttle in for a landing. He flipped a few switches as he brought it down near one of the shuttle stops, leaving it floating above the mud and muck below as moonlight filtered in from the parting clouds above.
"Let''s just hope they don''t track the stolen ship to us," he whispered as he threw the final lever and reduced the engine to minimum power.
They would be out of Dry Turtle with any luck by the time anyone bothered to investigate. Even if the Port Authority did come snooping around, it wasn''t like they had a database of fingerprints to run any they might find against. As far as Alex had seen across Erth, there was little emphasis on investigation¡ªjust accusations and witness statements.
That was lucky for them because no one saw them steal the ship or free the slaves.
"Alright, let''s shove off," he said, jumping down onto the deck from the control panel. "When we''re away from the ship, we can talk about our stowaway."
Erin and Sayed looked at Artur as he rose from his crouch beside them. They hadn''t noticed him either. Alex only had the benefit of trying to see through the storm to pilot the shuttle. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have even thought to take a head count.
Thump.
He landed on the ground, sinking in a little as he jumped off the ship. The others followed him, and they began walking back to the ship. As they did, Artur jogged ahead, sloshing through the muddy ground to talk to Alex.
"It would be germane for me to say why I chose to follow," he said, frowning as Alex didn''t stop walking. "Just a moment of your time, if you would allow."
"I''m never going to like this rhyming thing," Alex said, letting out a sigh. "Why are you following us? You would''ve had better luck trying to stow away on the ship with the others."
"That is why to you I must speak." Artur stopped to raise a finger, but Alex kept walking. "I wish to journey with those who protect the meek!"
"We don''t do that," Alex said, turning around. "We act in our best interests. We wouldn''t have been involved if Erin hadn''t gotten caught."
"It''s not like I tried to get kidnapped," Erin said, walking past Alex and continuing toward the ship.
"I didn''t say you did." Alex shook his head, following after her. "But like I said, if you hadn''t been caught, we wouldn''t have even gotten involved."
"It hurts my heart, but it is true," Sayed said. "While I may have high ideals, the reality of this world is that of darkness and strife. To change it would require power I do not possess yet."
Alex noted the ''yet,'' but he wasn''t surprised. If Sayed wanted one thing, it was for everyone to be free. Alex understood the sentiment, but the extremity to which Sayed pursued it gave him pause. What would Sayed do to free someone? Would he take a fight he couldn''t win?
It was a reminder of the risk of traveling with a group. He would need to keep an eye on Sayed, especially as they got closer to the Core. Slavery and oppression were as common there as breathing.
"You say the words, but you deny the actions." Artur ran ahead of them, stopping in front of them and throwing his arms wide. "You acted to help, even if you had your reasons."
Alex sounded out the words in his head. He wasn''t certain, but that didn''t feel like a rhyme. Granted, he wasn''t an expert. His major in college was political science, and worrying about rhymes in meters was an entirely different department.
"Alright." Alex raised his hands. "So, why are you so keen to come with us?"
"For that, I will need to tell you a tale," Artur said. "And without interruption, I would like to regale."
Alex crossed his arms but nodded. Erin and Sayed took up positions at his side. Erin put her hands on her hips while Sayed left his hands open.
"A story is always worth the time." Sayed smiled. "Even if it must be conveyed in rhyme."
"Oh, don''t start." Erin sighed. "Then we''ll all be doing it."
Alex stifled a chuckle but waved for Artur to start.
"My father turned me away. Sent once more into the fray," he said, bowing his head and clenching his fist. "His counsel was a devlish damsel. In his ear, she whispered, ''Make him an example.''"
Alex raised an eyebrow. If he could keep up the rhyming speech throughout the entire explanation, he would have to give points for it. It didn''t mean he would let the prince come along or help him out, but that kind of dedication required commitment.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"Father still with me bears a grudge. For a death and a life, he became a judge." Artur looked up, raising his hand and opening his fingers wide. "For the cost of a youthful tryst, I was to be sent away, dismissed."
It was like listening to someone speak a dialect. The language was the same, but it took extra effort to interpret what the words meant. Like people who used ''pop'' instead of ''soda,'' the extra effort pushed against his brain and made him think harder. Alex rubbed at his forehead.
"I would travel to lands far to show my worth. After achieving grandness, I would return to berth," Artur said, bringing his hand in, closing it into a fist again at his chest. "However, I could not foresee the true plan. Betrayed, I was by my butler, my serving man."
That explained how he got captured, at least. Alex thought back to the shuttle. He was a little more certain now that the person chained around the neck was this knight, prince, or whatever he was. Alex frowned but chose to say nothing. It wasn''t his business.
"Into the hands of slavers, I was delivered. For gold and silver, in the end, only a sliver." Artur shook his head. "My butler betrayed me for the love of Miss Malone. He left me with slavers to work the stone."
"Slavers," Sayed grumbled, crossing his arms.
"But my land, she needs me, of that I am sure. Grim Aegis, the guardian of the Twelve''s allure." Artur looked to the clouded moon. "So, take me with you, bring me along, I say. I will make sure you receive compensation that day!"
That perked up Alex''s ears. Not the money, though they certainly needed more coin. Grim Aegis was one of the entrances to the Twelve Kingdoms. There were only four in total. If Artur was truly the prince of Grim Aegis, he could help them get the ship through the barrier around the Twelve Kingdoms.
The prince standing in front of them was the solution to one of their biggest problems. He was like a gift-wrapped key to the door. For the cost of getting him to Grim Aegis, they could get through the first barrier to Mangus Hortus.
"For I cannot retake Grim Aegis by myself. I need heroes like you who can help."
"Did you say Grim Aegis?" Erin asked, locking eyes with Alex, and he nodded to her.
"Why? Is it important?" Sayed grunted.
"Grim Aegis is a key island," Erin said. "Have you ever been to the Twelve Kingdoms?"
"Once," Alex said. "I was more focused than getting out than in, but I learned enough."
"Never." Sayed shook his head.
"If we''re going to Magnus Hortus, we need to go through a key island," Erin said. "Grim Aegis is one of them."
"That sounds like an easy solution!" Sayed boomed, a wide smile cracking his beard.
"A fortuitous turn of fate." Artur clapped. "Let us go, no need to wait!"
They immediately clasped hands, and Alex shook his head. He didn''t like that it was this convenient, but at the same time, it was the path forward. Like when they had found Mari and got to Roald''s ship before Runa had died of old age, too much of his life lately seemed lucky.
It was almost enough to make him think Jean had a point about fate. Almost, but not enough.
"So, let''s say we bring you with us," Alex said. "You get us through Grim Aegis and into the Twelve Kingdoms, and we help you get home."
"That would be a fortune that would be repaid." Artur let go of Sayed''s hand and turned to Alex. "Not just in one, but thrice and more once the deal is made."
There was another reason Alex thought about agreeing to help him. Not only was it on the way, but a royal family near the core would have access to their core. They would also not use it recklessly to mitigate the chance of a black spot forming. If Alex could access the core, it would just be one additional boon to the already long list that Artur was offering.
"Let''s go to the ship and talk it over." Alex sighed. "But we''re going to have to figure out how to talk without you rhyming all the time."
"In the written word, I am not bound by oath," Artur frowned. "So, if need be, find paper, parchment, or both."
"Alright, come on," Alex said, rubbing his head as he pushed past Artur toward the ship.
As they approached, Alex noticed a problem. Well, it was less of a problem and more of a giant serpentine ice sculpture wrapped around the ship''s hull. He stopped as they approached, looking up at the sculpture and squinting. Once he was sure it wasn''t a threat, he took the time to appreciate it.
"Shades," Erin whispered beside him. "What happened?"
"Jean and Wen must have a great story to explain all of this," Sayed said, already starting up the ladder. "Let me find them. I want to hear it first!"
"He''s too excited about it," Erin sighed, following him up the ladder.
"Such a strange beast," Artur said, clapping Alex on the shoulder. "You should celebrate its defeat with a feast."
As he said that, Alex noticed a figure beneath the ship, staggering away on a single stiff leg. She looked like she was wearing a dress, though her leg stuck to the folds of the dress in an unnatural way. He narrowed his eyes, pushing Artur''s hand off his shoulder as he snuck forward.
He opened his gate, letting an electric charge pulse through his body. Already, he was putting information together. The only reason the woman would be covered with ice anywhere near the Nighthawk was that she had a run-in with Li Wen. He didn''t say a word as he focused on his gate.
"I''ll get her next time," the woman said as she dragged her frozen leg across the ground. "She''ll rue the day she stood up to a Finger!"
"Is she hurt¡ª" Artur started to run past Alex, and he was sure he had an accompanying couplet, but Alex held out a hand to stop him.
"She''s about to be." He focused, calling an electric blue light into his hand as the woman turned around. "Rail Shot."
Bzt.
In a flash, the coin appeared in his hand, and he flicked it forward, empowering it with a magnetic push that sent it careening right toward her forehead. To a normal person, imbued with aether for their entire life across Erth, it would have been enough to at least put her down.
Splash.
It shot straight through, piercing her skull and knocking out the back with a spray of clear water. In the next instant, her entire body fell away into a puddle, leaving only the frozen leg lying on the ground. Alex tilted his head as he watched the puddle.
"What in the hell was that?" he asked.
"Of that, I have no clue," Artur said. "Whoever she was, I hope that was her due."
Alex gave him a sidelong glare before turning and starting up the ship. Artur followed after him. When he got on deck, he''d get whatever happened out of Li Wen. Then, they would settle whether or not they would escort Artur home. He only hoped that Jean had managed to get the repairs so they could get out of Dry Turtle quickly.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 150 | Wrap Up
Alex stepped onto the deck and looked at the massive water serpent frozen to the ship. It was mostly intact and reminded him of an ice sculpture. Sayed already stood next to it, peering up with one hand over his eyes. Erin kneeled next to Li Wen on the deck, her hands glowing green as she whispered to the woman. Alex walked over to the serpent as Artur followed him onto the deck. He reached to touch the skin but stopped before getting within a meter.
Even at this distance, the cold ate into him with sharp claws. It was like he was standing next to the open door of an industrial freezer. He stepped back from the ice and headed closer to Sayed. As he expected, Sayed was radiating heat that evened out the temperature. It was enough that the two atmospheres canceled each other out and left a temperature similar to a moderately air-conditioned room. Alex sighed but then noticed the problem.
"Where''s Jean?"
Boom. Boom.
Several loud hits rocked against the sculpture from above and within it. Lines formed from a central area above the deck, raining down shards of ice on them all. Alex threw his arms over his head, but Artur ran forward before the shards could fall on them all. He threw out his shield above his head and called out his technique.
"Know you are not alone," he said. "Shield Dome!"
Light shot out of his shield, forming a spider web-like blue dome above them. The shards of ice fell into it but shattered and crashed against the blue light. Alex put his arms down and watched the ice fall. He couldn''t deny that kind of curse brought a lot to the table. Having Artur along seemed like the best idea more and more.
Crack.
A long line formed in the serpent''s frozen body, and a figure burst out and dropped toward the ground. The figure landed against Artur''s shield on one knee, bending forward with his head bowed. Alex smiled as he recognized Jean''s skeletal form. Artur, however, looked up at the skeleton man on his shield as his hand went for his sword. Alex quickly ran forward, putting a staying hand on his arm before he could draw it.
"He''s a friend," Alex said, locking eyes with him.
"Is he a man, or is he a monster?" Artur asked, still holding his shield and protective bubble toward the sky. "Once you answer, I will defer."
"Aren''t we all monsters?" Alex asked, shaking his head. "He just wears his curse on the outside."
Artur smirked and released his barrier, allowing Jean to fall through and land on the deck in a squat. Jean stood up and brushed himself off before smiling wide and beaming at the rest of them. A spirit flew through the sky in a long arc before coming to rest around Jean''s shoulders. Eliza''s long white hair flowed like water behind her as she looked over the group with empty black eyes.
"I thank you for catching my fall." Jean tucked his long bone-white arm underneath his chest as he bowed. "I was worried I would be far higher in the air when I broke out."
"Can you tell us what happened?" Alex asked, waving over the remains of the thing behind him. "This isn''t what I expected to come back to."
"Hah." Jean snorted. "I don''t think I expected this either, but first, we need to check on Wen. I''m certain she''s beat the woman, but I don''t know much more than that."
"She''ll be alright." Erin walked over, supporting Li Wen on her shoulders. "She just pushed her curse really hard, from what I can tell. She couldn''t stop producing the cold from her hands."
Alex raised his eyebrow. That was curious. Most of the time, curses protected the user''s body from being harmed by their curse. However, like Sayed''s curse, he wondered if it needed a medium. He never saw Sayed use his heat beyond what would keep his body warm on anything but his swords and his old gauntlet. If Sayed made his nails or fingers exceedingly hot, would it burn through his skin? Would he lose a limb?
"Ah, yes." Sayed came over, carrying his heat with him and laying a hand on Li Wen''s arm. "You are deathly cold, brother! You should be more careful with your blessing."
"I didn''t have much of a choice," Li Wen said, raising her head weakly from Erin''s shoulder. "We barely beat her."
"It looks beat to me," Alex said, looking up at the serpent.
"I don''t think I killed her. She probably escaped."
"Was she wearing a black dress?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Jean said.
"I hit someone with a coin that was limping away from all of this; I assumed she was related. She just burst into a puddle on the ground."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"That was her." Jean nodded. "She''s probably gone by now. Just breaking her form wasn''t enough to put her down."
"A black dress, you say?" Artur cut in. "Do you know the name of this dame?"
"Miss Brooke," Li Wen said, narrowing her eyes. "Who''s this?"
"He''s our ticket into the Twelve Kingdoms," Alex said before Artur could respond. "I heard her say she was a Finger before I hit her. Like Mister Deadman."
"Five Fingers to a Hand, more Knuckles below," Artur said. "These are the people who serve Miss Malone."
"We have got to get you writing stuff down," Alex said.
"Why''s he doing that?" Li Wen asked, blinking. "It''s creepy."
"Oh, I don''t know," Jean said, looking Artur up and down. "I''ve heard of worse gimmicks for someone to show some personality. It may be charming, and I think we should just leave it be."
"Don''t start. We already had Sayed doing it earlier." Alex shook his head at Jean before turning to Li Wen. "Something about an oath. We can talk about it in a minute. First, where''s Mari?"
"I sent her away with Gel," Jean said. "We had to evacuate them both at the start of the fight."
"Good thinking." Alex nodded. "Can you go get her and get Gel on the repairs? We may not be in trouble, but if the Port Authority finds out what we did in Dry Turtle, they will come after us. I want to be able to run if we need it."
Jean nodded and headed to the ship''s ladder, quickly climbing down and leaving them behind.
"While they''re doing that, let''s get everyone caught up." Alex waved everyone inside. "We''ll need to make sure we get some supplies first thing in the morning and be ready to move out."
"I have a person for supplies," Erin said as she and Li Wen staggered toward the door. "I just need someone to come with me. We''re not going to do that entire rescue operation again."
"We''ll send two," Alex said, cracking a smile.
With that, they went inside to figure out everything.
Kye looked out over the melting ''thing'' wrapped around a ship in the repair docks. He scratched his pencil at the back of his head as he looked over his notepad. A short, dark-skinned man looked at him with a smile as he checked his notes. The story sounded too fantastical to be believed. The man, Alex, however, had several witnesses, including a member of one of the repair crews, to corroborate the story.
"So you''re saying your ship was attacked by an unknown curse user who was trying to kill one of your crew members?" Kye asked. "They changed into the serpent, and one of your crew members was able to fight it off."
"Yeah," Alex said. "My crew member has the power to freeze things solid, so she was a bad matchup for the intruder."
"Why would she want to attack your ship?" Benji asked, pulling up his mask long enough to scratch at the fuzz on his face.
"A good number of us have bounties." Alex shrugged. "I know that doesn''t matter to you all, but some people will break the peace to make some cash. I''m surprised she wasn''t after my head."
"You''re ''Tin Man'' Ortega, right?" Kye asked. "One million doler bounty? Not the most expensive bounty ever, but still a pretty doler."
"I am." Alex nodded.
Kye sighed. One problem with a place like Dry Turtle was that it attracted many people with bounties. While most bounty hunters knew not to operate in the city and keep the peace, occasional upstarts decided to try their luck. Alex and his crew were lucky they had been able to fight her off. From what he could tell, the woman they described had an exceptionally powerful curse. He wasn''t sure even he and Benji could contain a person like that.
"You wouldn''t happen to know anything about a stolen shuttle we found near the docks?" Benji asked, nodding back toward the way they had come. "We think it might be related to the breakout of some slaves in the West District."
"No idea." Alex shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "We were too busy dealing with repairs to be out and about last night. I can''t say I''m hurt over the idea, though. Slavers are scum."
Kye raised an eyebrow but said nothing. This wasn''t proof that Alex was involved in last night''s events. However, if he was, it was a cheeky jab at both of them. Kye was more annoyed with the chaos than he was with the lost slaves. While their supervisor would yell at them later, it was one of the things that just happened sometimes. He did put a little mark next to Alex''s name. He''d look into it if they stayed for long, and he found some evidence to connect them.
"How long is that thing going to stay frozen?" Kye asked.
"It''s mostly gone now," Alex said. "Apparently, our crew member had to freeze it so cold that it''s taking a while to thaw. We figure it''ll be off the ship in a few more hours. Then we''ll head out."
"Where you headed to?" Benji asked.
"The Twelve Kingdoms."
"You''re going to the Core?" Kye asked, his jaw dropping. "That''s running straight into the fire for an outlaw like you."
"What can I say." Alex shrugged. "I saw the message, and the Dark Meridian sounds a lot more fun than Erth. There are too many restrictions here. If we can make it through to Magnus Hortus, it''s worth the shot for the freedom."
"The Erth is a cage," Benji repeated the words from the message.
"I''m surprised I don''t see more people going for it," Alex said.
"Oh, they are," Kye said, closing his little notebook. "We''ve seen plenty of new traffic gearing up with the new ships and getting modified, and we''re not the only free port on Erth. I imagine other major ports are seeing even more traffic. Plenty of people are salivating at the idea of a new world."
"What about you two?"
"We''ve got a job." Benji laughed, and Kye nodded.
While it seemed like a grand adventure, he was getting too old to go on those. He had a stable life and a good income. While the world might be a cage, he had carved out his happy life. But if he had been just a few years younger, that might change his mind.
"Well," Kye said. "We''ll look for a woman matching the description then. Thank you for your report. Good luck in your sailing!"
"I appreciate it." Alex smiled, reaching out a hand to each of them in turn.
His grip was strong and confident. Once done, he started back up the ladder to his ship, leaving Kye and Benji on the ground. Kye took one last look over the ship as Benji walked away. Maybe if he had been born in a different time or place, he''d be one of those outlaws sailing for Magnus Hortus and the Dark Meridian. Then, some grumbling old Cleaner like him would have to come along and put a stop to his dreams. Maybe he wouldn''t be looking too hard into the disappearance of the slaves.
"Come on, let''s go get a drink before we go off shift!" Benji yelled. "I heard they''ve got some premium Black Turtle vodka at Cat''s Cradle!"
"Alright, alright," Kye said, turning around and following after Benji.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 151 | Cold Contact
"Thank you so much for coming back." The merchant bowed to Erin as she finished up on the last plant, her hand still glowing green from the open energy of her gate. "I''m so sorry I was unable to stop the fiend who took you!"
"It''s alright," Erin said, looking back to ensure Sayed and Jean stood behind her at the door.
Jean smiled back at her, and Sayed gave her a thumbs-up. Erin turned back to the merchant.
"Do we still have the same deal as before?" Erin asked. "You''ll send supplies over to our ship, right?"
"I already signed the paperwork." The merchant nodded. "I''ll have some of my men send it over within the hour. Just make sure you have someone ready to take it in."
"That won''t be an issue." Erin smiled. "After last night, we''re being extra cautious."
"Well, thank you for returning." The merchant bowed to her. "If you''re ever in Dry Turtle again, please stop by, and maybe we can work out a second arrangement."
"Sure." Erin smiled as she walked toward Sayed and Jean.
"Are we ready?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, let''s head back," Erin said, and the three of them departed the shop.
The crowds of Dry Turtle stretched out before them in the humid heat of the day after the long rainstorm. Mud still covered the streets, and the people who marched out had to deal with that problem, but that wasn''t enough to stop commerce in a place like Dry Turtle.
Erin stood on the patio and checked every single person in the crowd. After what had happened the night before, she couldn''t be too careful. If there was one thing she learned from the entire thing, it was that she would always watch her back.
"Alright," she said, looking back to Jean and Sayed. "Let''s go."
"Take your time, brother." Sayed smiled back at her. "It will not all come back at once."
Erin''s ears burned, but she ignored the comment. They were treating her like a child who might be taken without a word at a moment''s notice. She appreciated it, but she hated it. She shook her head as she marched into the crowd and headed back toward one of the shuttle stops.
The three of them melded into the crowd, Sayed and Jean keeping behind her as she pushed through people toward the main road. Erin was still a little nervous, but melding with the crowd''s movement helped her a little. She only looked behind herself a few times as she walked to make sure there wasn''t a towering figure ready to knock her out.
She was so focused on those checks that she didn''t notice the kid who ran into her before it was too late.
Thump.
"Ow," Erin said as she fell backward, only catching herself on one foot.
The foot sank into the dirt, and Sayed''s hands were on her shoulders immediately afterward to balance her. She clutched at her stomach, catching a small object the kid had dropped when he ran into her. She looked down to find him, but he was already gone. At least, that would have been what happened if Jean hadn''t grabbed the kid by the collar and held him up in the air with the solid strength of his bony hands.
"Now," Jean said. "What strange fate has made you run into us?"
He held the kid up in the air by the collar of his brown shirt. The kid was dressed in simple clothes: a shirt and pants. He kicked his muddied boots in the air as he struggled against Jean''s hold. Jean stood unmoving, waiting for the kid to tire out and give up.
"Let me go!" the kid said.
While Jean handled that, Erin checked what she had caught. It was a small piece of paper, rolled and bound with a red seal. She recognized it immediately and quickly brought it in close to her cloak. She slid it into a pocket before anyone else on the street could see it.
"Put him down, Jean," Erin said. "He just ran into me. Nothing was stolen, nothing was harmed."
"Are you certain?" Jean asked.
"I am," Erin said. "Let him go."
"As you command." Jean chuckled, letting the kid down.
The boy sprinted off into the crowd the moment he was free, as the revolution had trained all its delivery agents to do. If spies were around, they didn''t want children like the boy to be caught. Jean''s ability to grab him threatened to expose part of the network.
"Who was he?" Sayed asked.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"No idea," Erin said, starting forward again with the message concealed. "But what happened yesterday is no reason to bully a kid."
"He was tiny," Jean said, following after her.
"Hardly a worthy opponent," Sayed said. "Now, if he had been a grand beast, then we might have had an interesting fight on your hands."
They continued talking as Erin picked their way toward the shuttle stop. She couldn''t pull out the letter while walking with the two of them. They both knew she worked with the People''s Revolution, but that didn''t mean that she revealed every little secret of the operation to them. She would need to wait until she was back in her room on the ship to read over the letter.
The fact that the revolution had even managed to find her was amazing by itself. The last time they knew her whereabouts was on Lundao before they had stolen a Military Police cruiser to find out what was hidden in Death''s Yard. Since then, she hadn''t been able to contact them at all.
She scratched at her hand as she walked underneath the small shelter next to the shuttle stop. Her hands itched to get the letter, but it would have to wait. Together, she waited with Sayed and Jean for the shuttle to arrive so they could return to the ship. It was almost time to get the ship out of Dry Turtle and on to Grim Aegis.
Wen sat in her room, leaning over her ammunition cylinder as she focused on freezing it. The battle was over, and she had won. She should have been happy that she had taken down the water woman, Miss Brooke. However, it wasn''t enough. She had been lucky. Jean had been there to be a distraction, and she had been able to get Mari out of the fight. If either of those conditions had changed, she easily could have lost.
That was the reality. She wasn''t strong enough.
She sat the cylinder down, and waves of vapor came off it, the same as her hands as she looked around the room. She had the power to freeze and make things cold, but that wasn''t as useful as she wanted it to be. She had her gun and her bullets, but once those were gone, she had nothing left. That was the reality Miss Brooke had taught her, and it had been a painful lesson.
She closed her gate, releasing her hold on the cold that wrapped around her hands. A numbness that hadn''t been there before caused a faint tingling sensation in her fingers. Concentrating the cold into the orb against her skin had damaged the nerves in her fingers. It would heal over time, but until then, her fingers and hands were slightly slower than normal. Charging the cylinder probably didn''t help, but she wanted enough ammunition prepared.
"You''re too prepared," she said, standing up and walking toward the door.
As she entered the hall, she saw Alex returning from outside. He was rubbing at his wrists and only turned to notice her after. He threw on a smile that he hadn''t had before and started walking toward her. An unsettling weight dropped in Wen''s stomach. She had wanted to be alone for a while to come to terms with what happened. She had even managed to avoid Mari as she caroused around the ship.
Wen started back into her room and sat down, putting her hands in her lap and staring at them. Maybe he would pick up on it and go away. If only she could be that lucky.
"I handled the Port Authority." Alex''s shadow fell over her door as he leaned against the corner. "They''ll keep an eye out for Miss Brooke, but they don''t think they''ll find her."
After a minute, Wen whispered, "That''s good. I don''t want to run into her again."
"That''s unlikely." Alex sighed. "A while ago, we ran into a man called Mister Deadman on an island called Nowhere. He called himself a Finger, the same way Miss Brooke did. Even through his rhyming, Artur''s made it clear they''re related."
"On Diamond Peak, one of the bounty hunters was named Mister Foley," Wen whispered.
"He''s probably with them, too," Alex said. "Bargen told us a little about it all. There are Knuckles who work for Fingers who work for Hands. In this case, the Hand is someone named Miss Malone. They work for people called Underground Lords to further their own interests. To me, it sounds like a massive black market of sorts."
"Mafia and gangsters, all very American." Wen smiled.
"Don''t look at me." Alex raised his hands. "I only went to university there. I was born in Argentina."
A silence passed between them. Alex was the only person she had met on Erth that was from Earth. She had journeyed for a long time, but they both seemed to be the only people who came to the world from that shared place. Neither of them knew enough about the process to know why, and that was partially why Wen had chosen to join up with Alex. He was searching for a way back, and there had to be some answers on the way.
"Did you ever imagine this is where you''d end up?" Wen asked.
"Did I ever imagine that I would have been transported to another world full of islands, magic, and monsters?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow before laughing. "No. I was going to head back and get my masters in Political Science. Then I was going to go about teaching, I guess. I never really had plans after that."
"The day I came here, I wished I could be anywhere else," Wen said, looking at her hands and clasping them together in the vain hope it would drive away the tingling sensation. "My fiance had just dumped me, and I was taking a walk in the park to clear my head."
"That''s why you don''t care about going back?" Alex asked.
"Maybe," she said. "It wasn''t the end of the world, but if I went back, I would have to confront that, wouldn''t I?"
"I know the feeling. Back home, I was about to confront my dad about something in our family. When I do go back, we''ll have it out, one way or another."
Wen looked up at him, but he was looking down the hall, back toward the front of the ship. She knew he wouldn''t share much more than that, but it was a piece of information that she hadn''t known before. They were both tossing out a small secret they wouldn''t have shared, and it helped soothe a little of her pain.
"There anything else bothering you?" Alex asked, turning back to her.
"My hands are still numb," Wen said, smiling as she held up a hand with partially clenched fingers.
"I never knew a curse could hurt a user," Alex said, crossing his arms. "I always thought there would be protections built in for it."
"I''ve never used it that way before." Wen gestured to the cylinder. "I''ve always chosen the safe path when it comes to my curse. Sometimes, I think that''s why it''s so weak."
"Well." Alex walked over, kneeling in front of her and grasping her hand with both of his hands. "One thing I learned from Jean is that pushing yourself makes your curse stronger. What you did yesterday is what you have to do to make it grow. Keep pushing yourself like that, and it''ll surprise you someday with the next grade of power."
His hands were warm as he held her hand, and he gave her a wink before he stood and started out of the hall. Wen stayed there for a while, thinking about his words. Was her real problem the fact that she didn''t push herself? Was it because she chose the easy path? Words she hadn''t thought about in a long time returned to her.
"Why do you always settle?" she whispered.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | Chapter 152 | Take Flight
Hiss.
Erin closed the door to her room, and it sealed with a hiss of air behind her. She held the letter in her trembling hands, sealed and ready for her to read. She sat down and looked at it, the red seal impressed with a single symbol. The People''s Revolution used the symbol of a chain with one broken link. Not that Erin needed the seal to confirm that the letter was from the People''s Revolution. She knew that just by how it was delivered to her.
And she dared not open it.
"What if there are new orders?" she whispered, staring down at the faded parchment of the letter. "What if the mission has changed?"
Her current mission was to keep an eye on Alex. ''Tin Man'' Ortega was a living weapon, an artificial curse user created by the Military Police''s top scientist, Doctor Ozymandius. Couple that with his seeming relation to Roald, the disgraced explorer who had just sent a message across the entirety of Erth revealing the existence of an entirely new world beyond the reaches of the Scions, and he was the most important person across all the nightsea to keep an eye on.
"If they tell me to go, what will I do?" she asked. "If they tell me there''s a more important objective, I have to go, right? There''s no other choice."
For such a small piece of paper, it weighed like an anvil in her hands.
She came to Erth through a portal from her homeworld, Erys. When she first arrived in Erth, she came to December, one of the Twelve Kingdoms. Almost immediately, she had been captured by a noble. If it hadn''t been for Lenenski, if she hadn''t fallen right into one of the revolution''s operations, she would have been in the same situation Artur had been in when he found her: locked in a cage, ready to be sold as flesh to be used an owner pleased however.
"I owe them," she whispered. "Who am I to say no? With so much suffering, they''re the best chance to defeat the Scions and give some freedom to the Erth. Why do I think that what I want is more important?"
There was the real problem. Despite how often she called them idiots, despite how many problems they caused, she enjoyed being around the crew. Alex might be a brash jerk at times, but he really cared about the people they helped, so much so that he would put himself at risk to free some slaves or to follow the wishes of an old woman. Sayed was as dense as bricks, but he was honest about what he wanted and how he carried himself. Jean might have been a hedonist, but he had put himself on the line for people he barely knew, like Wen.
She paused. She didn''t know Wen well enough yet, but the woman had been willing to risk her life to protect the Nighthawk. That had to count for something.
They reminded her of the tight-knit nature of the revolution''s cells. Leneski and the others were like family to her, too. That made the message all that much harder to think about. It was like choosing between families, like choosing between the Coven and Mara. She licked her lips. She didn''t want to think about the fire, about the screams. She didn''t want to remember Erys at all. Mara and the Coven were in the past.
"Just read the stupid letter," she chided herself. "Stop worrying over nothing."
She flicked her thumb to remove the red seal, which pulled away from the rolled-up parchment without resistance. Now, nothing was between her and reading the paper. She pulled it open, unfurling it and revealing scribbled handwriting that reflected no normal language. It was one of the scripts the revolution used to communicate and needed to be translated before she could understand it. However, she could get the broad strokes if she remembered the script being used.
She checked the first and last symbols, noting the lines present across two bars. The lines denoted which script was being used and what cipher needed to be used to translate it. Two ticks on the first bar and one at the end on the last told her what she needed to know. She skimmed the letter, pulling out symbols she could recognize. It wouldn''t be the same as the complete cipher, but it would give her an idea of what was being ordered.
"They''re on the move," she whispered.
She didn''t know exactly where, but the heads of the People''s Revolution, figures hidden behind secret identities and several layers of anonymity, thought it was the right time to start putting their plans into action. They were going to try to take one of the Twelve Kingdoms. In the wake of the message, in the wake of the wave of coming change, they would try to take down one of the Twelve Kingdoms and free it from its rulers. Then, they would see how the Scions responded.
Erin''s stomach turned at the thought. In the past, she would have been sure that the Scions would respond to something like that with full force. They would burn down an island before they saw it fall from their control. This was no island on the Fringes but one of the Core islands. It sounded risky, but the question was what they wanted with her. They would only send the message if she had a part to play in the conflict.
How the revolution survived all this time was its secrecy. Reports were only sent to those who needed to know the information. You knew the people in your cell, but beyond that, it was all passcodes and passphrases that allowed orders to pass between cells. While that had holes, it also meant that one person or cell being compromised wouldn''t break down the entire organization. Some cells would always survive.
She knew she needed to break down the message, so she sat near her desk, pulled a piece of paper from one of her bags, and started translating the information.
Miss Brooke dragged herself as a puddle into her apartment room in Dry Turtle, only reforming her body once she was sure she was safely inside. She reformed herself, but it strained at her. She didn''t have enough water to fully complete her form, so she was left with a hollowed-out interior that made her skin slightly transparent. She walked over to the nearest of several mirrors in her home, checking herself against it to make sure that her dress had at least maintained its form.
"It''s either this or forming myself out of dirty mud water," she said as she turned back and forth in the mirror. "And darling, we both know I want no part in that."
That kid had done a number on her. Cold was her natural enemy, and her arrogance had gotten the better of her.
"Kid?" she looked herself over in the mirror. "She could have even been thirty. Am I getting more judgemental in my old age?"
She shook her head. She needed water, fresh and clean, then she would feel alright again. After that, she would need to go to her appointment. She had missed it the night before, but there was little she could do. The Harper brothers would either understand her circumstances or die. There were no in-betweens when dealing with the Finger, Miss Brooke. She smiled, giving herself a wink in the mirror before heading out of the room to shower and restore herself.
She paid extra for hot showers at her building. Even though they were communal, it was the best available for her. She stood, seemingly fully clothed in her long black dress, looking up at the metal showerhead above her and pulling on the lever in the wooden wall.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Kssh.
Hot water sprayed all over her from the head, sending steam surging around her as the hot water spilled through her entire body. She wrapped her arms around her chest as the burning hot water filled out her form, turning translucent skin from transparent to stark pale and revealing her true form. Not a single drop of water landed on the floor before her as she adjusted her height to just the perfect level she wanted.
When she was done, she pulled the lever closed, looking down at her form with a smile.
"As always, an upgrade from the original." She turned on her long black heels and left the shower behind.
A woman wearing a towel over her body watched Miss Brooke as she left, and Miss Brooke winked at her before she strutted out into the hall. Some people had to struggle with beauty, but since she had come into her curse as a child, she never had that issue. She had become precisely the woman she wanted to be, and she knew exactly what she wanted, both in terms of her future and in her appearance.
Anything less than perfection was pointless.
She made her way out of the complex and to the street, catching a shuttle with a wave of her hand before her feet even had a chance to touch the mud-caked road. After the night before, she didn''t want to touch mud ever again. ''Cold Shot'' had sent her into the mud, and ''Tin Man'' Ortega had reduced her to droplets across a muddy road. However, she could return the favor another day after her meeting and after she had rested.
The ride to the West District was quiet, and as the shuttle brought her down near her destination, she noticed that the streets were largely empty¡ªthe reason why was obvious. Several figures in orange jumpsuits, wearing white masks, had cordoned off the area. On closer inspection, as the shuttle came down, she noticed they had entirely blocked off the warehouse the Harper brothers rented. Miss Brooke frowned as she stepped off the shuttle and onto a nearby patio.
The Port Authority investigated crimes, and it looked like the Harper brothers had been a victim of a crime. She didn''t care so much about the brothers than whether their prize was safe. Miss Malone wanted the prince, and the brothers had caught him. All they needed to do now was exchange money, and Miss Brooke would bring the prince home right into the waiting hands of Miss Malone. Then, they could begin their takeover of Grim Aegis in earnest.
"Surely, William knows better than to disappoint me," Miss Brooke whispered as she walked toward the area cordoned off by a yellow rope.
"Excuse me, miss!" one of the masked men yelled at her as she approached. "You can''t come in this area. It''s off limits pending an investigation."
Miss Brooke glared at him from her position on dry ground. The man''s jumpsuit was marred up to his knees in mud, but he didn''t seem to mind. He had a pen in his hand and a notebook out as he examined her through his white mask.
"And if I had business with the Harpers today, where would I find them?" she asked. "Where''s William?"
"Sorry to say, but William died last night." The man scratched at the back of his head, though the mask completely hid his expression. "Slave escape. However, Roy''s still around. He''s inside gathering their things. I can send someone to go get him if you need to talk to him."
"No need." Miss Brooke sighed, her legs turning translucent as she stretched out her legs and stepped over the rope. "I will speak with him in private. Do not follow after me unless you wish to die, dearie."
The man watched her go but didn''t lift a finger. Most people who knew about curses knew better than to try and stop someone like her. The moment you gained a curse that let you become a substance, you were often too dangerous even to try to contain. That was the reality and power of a curse like her own.
She entered the warehouse and reformed her feet when they were on solid ground and away from the mud. She hurried into the dark warehouse and quickly found Roy carrying a small box in his hands as he walked toward the entrance, escorted by another member of the Port Authority. Miss Brooke didn''t stop for an instant, taking a direct route straight for Roy without pause.
"Miss Brooke," Roy said, stammering. "You never came last night."
"It looks like William isn''t expecting much anymore," Miss Brooke said, turning on the Port Authority employee. "Leave us; we have sensitive information to discuss. He will be outside soon enough."
The masked man looked her up and down before sighing and throwing up his hands in defeat. Miss Brooke waited until he was outside before she told Roy anything else. He had already said too much by revealing her name unnecessarily.
"What happened? Do you still have the prince?"
"We did." Roy stammered. "But someone came and broke him out. He and his crew killed William!"
Tears ran from his eyes, and he reached up to rub them with one hand. Miss Brooke blew up one of her bangs with a sigh. This was the problem with working with people like the Harper brothers. They couldn''t be trusted to keep a kitten under their protection, much less a prince. If they hadn''t been the ones to find the prince, she wouldn''t be in this situation.
"How, Roy?" Miss Brooke asked, stepping forward and stretching her height as she did so. "Who killed William? Who took the prince?"
"We saw them on the shuttle," Roy said, not meeting her gaze. "We thought we could take one of them for the bounty. But then, well, then everything went wrong."
"Who?" Miss Brooke yelled, her arm turning into a transparent, massive limb as she wrapped it around Roy and brought him to her face. "Who took the prince?"
"''Tin Man'' Ortega and his crew!" Roy yelled, tears streaming down his eyes. "They came because we took ''Thorn Queen'' Leah, and they broke everyone out, the prince included."
Miss Brooke froze like she had just been hit with the frozen orb from the night before. ''Tin Man'' Ortega. ''Thorn Queen'' Leah. ''Cold Shot.'' They were all connected. Her skin began to boil and bubble as the anger and frustration built inside her. If not for ''Cold Shot,'' if not for Ortega, she would have the prince in her hands. All because she was curious about why a bounty hunter and a group of outlaws were working together.
"Ahh!" Roy screamed as the water boiled against his skin.
"I won''t let it happen!" Miss Brook yelled. "I won''t let them get away with this. I''ll get every bounty hunter, pirate, and outlaw across all four quadrants on their tail. They will not escape me!"
Alex leaned forward and grabbed the ship''s orbs, joining his senses with the ship and opening his eyes to the docks around them. He could see several ships already floating up into the air, their repairs and upgrades done. Outside, Gel Tob waved, still dressed in his orange jumpsuit and with the rest of his repair crew. Alex shook his head as the Nighthawk''s engines hummed around him. They had made a pretty penny out of the repair work, but they had managed to get them out before the morning was over.
Hrrm.
"Docking bay release," Mari''s voice came over the intercoms, though she was huddled inside her own area of the ship.
"We''re good to go," Li Wen said from his right side, and Alex pulled the ship up and into the sky.
They joined several ships as they departed from Dry Turtle. Most of the ships were older, with wooden hulls modified with a new golden cone on their ends similar to the one on the Nighthawk. Others were very similar to the Nighthawk in design, with their design only differing in the small bells and whistles that made each ship individual and unique. However, Alex didn''t pay too much attention to them, instead focusing on the sky ahead.
They were leaving an island for the first time in a while without being on the run. Because the rescue operation had gone off without a hitch, they could return to Dry Turtle if needed, which was more than he could say for the last few islands he had visited. Glory Plateau was a black spot. Cragg Hollow was infested with monsters. Nowhere was in the middle of Death''s Yard, and Diamond Peak was probably crawling with Military Police once they figured out it was the origin of the broadcast to all of Erth.
"Alright," Alex said as Dry Turtle became a speck behind them. "Let''s get this ship moving toward Grim Aegis."
"Yes!" Sayed yelled from his left.
"I''ll put in the coordinates," Jean said from his right. "Just focus on getting us out of the island.
"Roger," Alex said, pushing the ship''s engines harder.
They shot forward and away from the pack, leaving the other ships behind as they rocketed through the sky. The Nighthawks''s design was closer to Erin''s old ship than anything else he had seen, and it was built for speed. Soon, a bright flash of light consumed the ship, and they exploded into the empty darkness of the nightsea.
Pop.
For a moment, Alex blinked, allowing his vision to come back. In moments, he could see the various bright lights in the distance all around him, floating orbs of light in the darkness. A map appeared in his vision on his right side, and he pushed the ship in the indicated direction. Grim Aegis was the destination. As he pushed the ship forward, he noticed Erin was unusually quiet, though she sat in the seat to his left. He could sense her there, but she hadn''t spoken since she had come on deck.
"A new journey begins at the end of another," Artur''s voice entered the deck, and Alex pulled away from the orbs to see him standing in front of the main seats. "Of what will happen in the future, I will dare not utter."
"Oh, come on." Alex wasn''t the only one to complain as they sailed off to their next destination.
It was going to be a long trip.
Volume 06 Shining Knight | End of Volume Updates
It might take me a while to update the encyclopedia this round. I''ll put it out in an A/N when its done. I''m heading into STAAR retests and getting through Great Depression/New Deal stuff in classes, so that''s been a major distraction to writing and editing. I have them done on volume seven out to chapter nineteen, which gives me to the end of December to make sure I''m caught up. I''m planning to finish up on the second half of Thanksgiving week.
On other news- I have print copies of the first five volumes out along with the regular e-book copies. They are Print on Demand, so the price is reflected in that. Sorry that it has to be so high, but I make about 1.89$ on each sale of a print book, which is slightly less than I make on the sale of an e-book. Links to them can be found on my website, which is linked directly to the author''s note above. There''s also a free copy of Goldfist there that you can load on whatever e-book platform you have relatively easily.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Not much else to talk about, other than I''m starting on writing volume eight at this point, as I finish the edits to volume seven. Have fun reading 07 Gilded Jungle when it drops on Wednesday.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 153 | Dark Objects
"Ikal! Get back here, boy!"
Ikal ran into the brush, sweat streaming from his palms as he ran from the torchlight into the darkness. He refused to go back and listen to that man anymore. Whatever his mother said, that man was not his father, not his true kin, a stranger to the tribe, an outsider who didn''t belong. His heart raced in his chest as he pushed past a frond, and the jungle''s darkness wrapped around him. In the sudden quiet, crickets chirped, and a soft wind blew across his bare chest.
The jungle around their village was as deep and dark as the sky above in the dead of night. However, if he saw glowing orbs in that darkness, they weren''t part of the lined Constellations in the sky but likely a creature staring out from its hiding place. Ikal knew he shouldn''t be out alone in the forest at night. He knew it was dangerous and that running out into the night was stupid, but he didn''t care.
"I''ve done it before. I''ll do it a hundred times more," he whispered as he picked his way through the trees and roots toward his hiding spot.
It took him a good bit, so much so that he had forgotten the argument that had sent him running out into the night by the time he reached his spot. He didn''t stop moving, though, even as his lungs burned in his chest and his legs went as floppy as wet vines. The path to his spot was familiar enough that he didn''t have to worry about tripping or falling. He knew every step from the countless times he had run out to watch the Constellations above.
He knew the various snakes and creatures that stalked the forest, and they gave the village a wide berth. That was why he had his secret spot at all. He didn''t go toward the old ruins, not because it was forbidden, but because he didn''t wish for his father¡ªhis real father¡ªto see him cry. No, he went the right path toward the coast and the cliffs that looked out over the sea.
As he approached the edge, the brush cleared up, and he found the small clearing of grass that ended sharply on jutting stones that poked out over the ocean. With a sigh, Ikal sat down on those stones, wrapping his arms around his knees and taking a few deep breaths with his head down. He still needed to calm down from the fight. That was why he had run out here, to begin with. It was a way to get away from James¡ªa way to get away from his mother.
"He''s not my father," Ikal whispered, blinking the tears out of his eyes as he sat there on the cliff''s edge.
It took him a while before the tears stopped running down his face, and he held his head up to get a clear view of the night sky. He sniffed as he watched the stars. They twinkled in the night sky above him like they had on almost every night before. When James had come to the island and started telling his outlandish stories, he imagined what was out there. James told stories of warrior women tribes, giant lizards, and even monsters that spawned from a dark mist. He had seen everything.
"He''s still not my father," Ikal said, rubbing at his nose and looking to the side. "Even if he''s taken mother, he won''t replace father."
"No one''s here to replace him, boy."
Ikal jumped at the words, dropping forward and away from the tall grass behind him on instinct. He nearly fell forward and off the cliff entirely, but a strong, calloused hand grabbed his shoulder and gently but firmly pulled him back. Ikal started to run, but that hand held him planted on the spot. James had found him, and he knew he wouldn''t get away so easily.
"You shouldn''t go running off into the forest, Ikal." James positioned him on the ground and then plopped down beside him, the man''s long, skinny legs stretching out on the stone. "You know it makes your mother worry."
"I know the jungle," Ikal said, crossing his arms and looking away.
James was a foreigner and, before all his time out in the sun, had the pale skin of a sick man. However, after the last few years on the island, he had taken on the bronze sheen. However, he did not grow the proper coat that all the other villagers had. In fact, the only fur he had was the white hair on his head and his short beard. Everything else on him was completely bare. Whatever kind of creature he was, he was nothing like Ikal''s people.
"Familiarity doesn''t mean safe." James sighed, shaking his head before reaching up and adjusting his glasses. "Look, Ikal. I know the situation with your mother makes your life strange, and I know I don''t help things with the way I am, but I want you to know that¡ª"
He paused, and Ikal turned to see what was wrong.
"Did you see that?" James asked, pulling one hand from his long black cloak and pointing at the sky. "Up there!"
Ikal narrowed his eyes. James was clearly trying to distract and put him off his guard. There would be nothing in the sky, and James would use it to make a joke to get in his good graces. He knew it was coming because James had always tried something like that to distract him.
"You''re not fooling me again," Ikal said.
"No, look." James stood up, his wooden sandals plopping on the ground as he pointed to the sky. "I''ve never seen anything like it!"
"Alright," Ikal gave in and looked to the sky.
The Constellations were gone¡ªthe lined figures, such as Pisces, Leo, and Orion, had disappeared from the sky. They had been replaced by glowing balls of twinkling lights, completely unconnected to anything else. Ikal''s eyes jumped across the sky in frantic sweeps, going this way and that as the connected worlds of old had disappeared completely. Whatever he was looking at was nothing like he had ever seen before.
"It''s the nightsea," James said, dropping his arm. "How is this even possible?"
Ikal didn''t know what James was talking about. James had always called the night sky the Dark Meridian and had tales aplenty about it. Now, he was calling the sky the ''nightsea'' and just stood there with his jaw gaping wide. James thought about running but thought better of it. Something was wrong.
"What does it mean?" Ikal asked.
"I don''t know."
***
Alex stood on the deck of the Nighthawk, sipping at a coffee as he looked over the massive screen wrapped around the angular hull in front of him. He had a good view of the space in front of the Nighthawk from the bridge as they sailed out into the nightsea. Ahead of the ship, hundreds of tiny dots of light led the way out toward the Twelve Kingdoms, what some people called the Core. Alex took another sip of his coffee.
"Being awake matters more than it being bitter." Alex sighed.
"Did you say something?" Mari''s voice crackled over the comms.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"No," Alex said. "I''m just surprised how much distance there is between Dry Turtle and Grim Aegis."
"Current distance to Grim Aegis will take us one week''s travel," Mari pinged.
Mari was the reason he was on the deck while everyone else was asleep. They needed to keep Mari in the ship''s ''operation room,'' which the manual had called the small hole she was currently tucked and sealed away in beside Alex''s feet. Alex had looked inside several times, and it was a terrifying thought to be in the dark, hooked into a bunch of wires. Even if Mari was an android built to operate the ship''s navigation, no one deserved that.
So, he made sure she was never alone while the ship was in flight. If he were in her situation, it would be what he wanted. Granted, if he were in her situation, he wouldn''t be human, not that he was sure he was human anymore.
"Pull up the ship," Alex said. "I want to take a look at it."
The screen in front of him changed, showing the Nighthawk from the external cameras on the ship. Alex wasn''t sure exactly how they worked and how much of a relationship they had with the digital cameras he was used to back on Earth. Everything in this world of empty space with occasional bright islands full of life that the residents often called ''Erth'' was a mixture of what he would consider magic and science.
The Nighthawk was a long tube of a ship. It was something that reminded Alex of submarines. The entire ship was painted a dark blue, not too different from a moonless night sky. Its bridge, where he was standing, was on the front nose of the ship, raised and armored with tiny windows that he assumed had their own cameras contained inside. Behind the bridge was a flattened deck where someone could walk out and stand on the back of the ship on a flat surface. The entrance was out of the back of the bridge and up a set of stairs that went behind the bridge. On both sides of the ship, there were two long pontoons that functioned like the lodestones on other ships to allow it to fly, both through the sky and the nightsea. Finally, on the very end of the ship, there was a large golden cone lined to look like a drill. He still didn''t know what that did.
All in all, it was a weird ship but a good pickup from a random island on the far end of the First Quadrant.
They had just come out of a repair yard in Dry Turtle, and the mechanics there had brought the ship back up to operational order. The Nighthawk had been left running at the bottom of a dried-out lake for over three decades if the message and information they had received were correct when they had found it. That was a lot of time for rust and decay to eat away at the ship, and that didn''t count the fact that it had been hooked into an island core as well as a source of power.
All of it, including Mari, had been a plan from some old explorer who had found a new world. He had promised a path out of the Erth and beyond the reach of the tyrannical Scions that ruled it and their attack dogs, the Military Police. That was why they were heading to Grim Aegis. That was why they had picked up a rhyming knightly prince who promised them passage. Everyone on his crew saw it as a path forward to their own goals. Alex wanted to find a way back to Earth, and new islands beyond the reach of the Military Police were the best possibility he had seen in years. It beat his older methods of randomly hoping to find unclaimed island cores on the Fringes to gather piecemeal information.
He finished looking over the ship and sighed.
"Alright, you can turn it off," Alex said, taking another sip of his coffee with a curling lip. "Still bitter."
"Why are you drinking it then?" Mari asked.
"To stay awake," Alex said. "I wish I knew the recipe for Coke, even if it''s horrible for me."
Who knew, though, maybe one day he would run across an island that had discovered how to make soda and convince them to export it to the rest of the Erth. It was a fleeting dream, maybe even more unlikely than him making his way back home, but if he could pursue one, why couldn''t he do the other? He swirled the brown coffee in his mug. Maybe he could give it all up and just open up a soda business on an island. It would be easier.
"But then, who would get up to hijinks on random islands?"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Alex looked up from his coffee. "What''s that?"
"There are several ships approaching," Mari said. "Eight-o-clock position."
Alex sat his cup down, jumping into the ship''s pilot seat. In front of Mari''s raised platform, there were five seats. A central seat was a large chair with two arms that had orbs on the end. To the left and right were four sideways-facing seats with their own clear glass screens. Alex climbed into the central seat and got ready to take control of the ship. The experience pulled his senses into the ship''s sensors, so he didn''t want to tap into that until he had to.
It was a surreal experience.
"Are they coming for us?"
"It appears so. Several smaller ships have launched from one of the main ships. Putting it on screen now."
The screen in front of him flashed, and Alex saw five main ships in total. One was a frigate, built with a wooden hull and large, light sails that old ships favored. One thing he had noticed across the nightsea was that there was always a mix of old and new, and that frigate was the perfect example of it. Beside it were two more modern-looking ships. One was golden and shaped like a deformed diamond. It had a protruding bridge, like the Nighthawk''s bridge, and several pointed pieces stuck off its body. The other was a metal-hulled ship that was shaped like a US Navy cruiser. It had a small light sail setup along its back, and the helm was on the forward part of the ship. If Alex didn''t know any better, he would assume the ship was with the Military Police since it matched their designs, but then he saw the black flags with a skull and crossbones flying from the two more traditional ships.
That told him all he needed to know.
"Pirates," Alex said, leaning forward and grabbing both orbs. "Wake everyone up, Mari. Things are about to get bumpy."
As he touched the orbs, Alex''s senses merged with the ship. At the same time, he opened his gate. Lightning thrummed through his body from his heart, sending shocks with each heartbeat to his fingertips. That power then flowed into the ship through the orbs, and in moments, he and the ship were one shared experience. He saw the ships approaching out in the nightsea and saw the ten smaller objects that had detached from the cruiser.
They were each roughly the size of a person and appeared to be open suits, each carrying a person wrapped in massive arms. They blasted through the air with cables attached to them, and Alex guessed what they were. They were boarders. They would try to land on the ship and wrap it with the cables. He smiled as he focused his mind. He wasn''t about to let that happen.
"Rail Shotgun," Alex whispered as blue lights flared around the Nighthawk.
The Nighthawk didn''t have a weapon system, per se. It was weaponless, except that a person who touched the orbs of the central seat could use their curse to conjure larger versions of its power outside of the ship. Alex''s curse in the first grade was simple magnetism. It allowed him to manipulate metal objects freely. The second grade of his curse allowed him to conjure metal objects. The Nighthawk amplified both, allowing him to manipulate larger objects and create more metal than he normally could.
Soon, relatively small bits of coin-shaped metal appeared from the blue lights. Alex sent them flying off with magnetism accelerated speed, right at the approaching suited figures. As he did it, he spun the ship around, the pontoons humming louder as he pushed the engine. He couldn''t see his shredding attack''s damage to the approaching suited figures, but he didn''t care. He needed to address the approaching ships first. If he could cripple their crew to prevent a boarding altogether, that was ideal.
"They''re pirates," he whispered, leaning forward into the orbs, forcing the ship to go faster. "Don''t pity them. They won''t have it for you."
The three ships split apart, the wooden one sailing forward to meet him while the other two took off on side tangents. Alex knew the other two would be coming for him from behind, but he didn''t plan to stop. He focused on his gate again, calling electric lights around the ship. He focused on the wood frigate in front of him and smiled.
"Rail Gun."
A long metal spike appeared next to the ship and shot out, accelerating with his magnetism out toward the frigate. It tried to turn, and Alex saw the cannons on the side as it did. He threw the ship down, bringing it below where the cannons could hit as his spike slammed into the frigate''s hull. There was no explosion, but he saw the spike pierce the frigate and send it tilting to the side. He had to have hit something important because the ship slowed down until it began to drift.
"One down," he said, shooting forward and not stopping for a while before he turned around.
He could run, but there wasn''t a place to hide nearby where he thought he could lose them. He would need an asteroid cluster, like Death''s Yard, or a set of islands if he wanted to hide. The main problem with the nightsea was that it was mostly empty space between islands. It wasn''t a place where you could hide once attacked. Alex licked his lips as the yellow ship burned its engines hot to try and catch up with him. The cruiser appeared to be gathering what was left of its crew. There was a chance that with two ships disabled, the cruiser would need to help out its friends and leave him alone.
"One more, then make a break for it," he said.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 154 | Robismo Awaken
"You''ve got to take them down," the old white-bearded captain of the Swallow said, shaking his head as he adjusted his pipe. "We''re scuttled and need to be towed after."
Boss Benbeck leaned back in his seat, sighing at the cursed dark blue ship. Two of his fairweather allies were already down, one impaled and the other recovering crew members. That left his ship, the glorious Gilded One, the only one still active and able to take on the Nighthawk for the bounties inside. However, that also left a problem. There were no longer shields left to take hits for him. There would be no towing afterward, however. The fight would end in a few moments, and then he would handle the only other ship that could move.
"What should we do, Boss?" Jeff Armstrong asked from the helm in front of Benbeck, his arm muscles bludging as he held the helm stead.
Armstrong was the definition of a strongman and the perfect man to hold the helm. No matter what happened in the next few moments of this encounter, Benbeck could count on Armstrong to see them through. Benbeck smiled, pulling out a comb and slicking back his blonde hair.
"He''ll be on us in thirty seconds," Athena said from her console on the right side of the bridge, her hands working the joystick as she lined up the munitions with the approaching ship.
Athena had been an excellent find, taken from the streets of his no-name island and trained to be the perfect navigator and gunner for his ship. The fact that she wore a perfect black jumpsuit and always had the perfect angle for Benbeck to see was only extra icing on top of his cake. If only she was as smart as he was. He shook his head. That was why he was the leader, right? He could see the things no one else could.
Benbeck didn''t think the munitions would be enough, though. From what he heard from their sources, Ortega''s primary method of dealing with problems was his magnetism. Ordinary ordinance wouldn''t cut it for a person who could do that. Benbeck stood from his golden captain''s chair, brushing off his golden tailored suit and adjusting his collar. No, he would need to take things more personally. He turned to Athena.
"Prepare a special munition," Benbeck said. "We''ll use Robismo to distract him while we escape to try again. He''ll run before he stays in the fight."
"Are you sure?" Athena asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That''s been their method in every encounter, according to our sources. They run first and don''t do too many risky things. Trust in my information-gathering ability, if nothing else."
"Loading a Robismo shot." Athena shook her head, and Benbeck opened his gate. "Tell the rest of the crew to prepare for evasive maneuvers."
A whirring sensation ran through his body as he focused on the window in front of him. Power rushed through his body in a circle, turning gear upon gear from his heart all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes. Benbeck smiled as he embraced the power and focused it in his mind. The moment he saw the munition launch, he would release his power and see how Ortega handled a problem magnetism couldn''t solve.
"Launch!" Benbeck yelled before calling out the name of his technique. "Robismo Awaken!"
***
Ring.
Erin ran onto the bridge, her short, curly hair still frazzled from her sudden awakening. The alarm above her continued to blare, causing pulsing pain to run across her forehead. As she stepped around the corner and into the front of the bridge, she noticed she was the third one. Wen already sat at her console, dressed in a long light blue robe. Like Erin, she hadn''t had time to get dressed between the alarm and the run-over. Erin had time to throw on a larger-than-normal shirt over her underclothes before she had run in, and that was about it. She was still barefoot, which left the metal floor cold to the touch.
Alex had the luxury of being on watch, so he was fully dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants as he leaned forward in his central chair, both hands on the orbs that controlled the ship''s piloting systems. His black hair was matted to his brown face with sweat as he stared into the distance. Erin hadn''t taken the chance to pilot the ship, but according to everyone else, it was a surreal experience where your senses merged with the ship, and you controlled it with that shared connection.
"What''s going on?" Erin asked as she jumped into her seat, which had cushions to keep her legs off the metal.
"Pirates," Wen said. "We''re about to tangle with the last one. "Where''s Sayed and Jean?"
"Artur and Jean are trying to wake Sayed up," Erin said as she pulled up readouts on the ship. "Anything damaged yet?"
"Nothing yet," Alex said through clenched teeth. "Just give me a second, and maybe you can all just go back to bed."
Erin checked the screen in front of her and saw the final ship change course so that it was pointed directly at them. They would charge each other in the space between them, and Alex would probably use his ''Rail Gun'' to try and take down the ship. She clenched her hands around her armrests as she prepared for that turbulence. Beyond doing that, she wasn''t sure she could do much in this situation. Normally, she just helped Mari decide on the course and planned stops.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
"What''s that?" Wen asked, and Erin saw the blip on their forward sensors.
The ship had launched something small at them. Erin squinted, but of course, that wasn''t going to help. Whatever it was, it was too small to get any real detail out of it.
"Too small to worry about," Alex said.
The moment he said it, the blip grew on the screen, going from a dot smaller than the launching ship to a massive object over three times the size of the ship. Erin looked over to the main screen and saw what it was. A massive humanoid figure that looked like it wore blocky golden armor had appeared in front of the golden ship, punching toward the Nighthawk with what looked like a massive drill on its hand. Erin''s eyes widened. It just wasn''t possible.
"It''s too close," Alex said, pulling up on the orbs as they rushed toward the figure. "I can''t even sense it."
Thud. Scrtch!
While they had managed to pull away from the figure, the ship still shook. It was too late to avoid the hit. Erin''s screen flashed with red markers and lines running across the upper side of the ship. It had landed a good hit, whatever it was. However, the real question was why Alex couldn''t deflect it. The massive figure looked like it was made of metal. Surely, he should have been able to push the drill away or minimize the damage.
"Rail Shot," Alex said, and a massive spike shot away from them, striking the golden ship instead of the figure. "We''re getting out of here."
The ship ripped into a hard turn, and Erin was pressed hard into her seat. She gripped her hands on the armrests as Alex pulled the ship around and took a tangent off their previous course. The problem was that until they got a decent distance away, there would be no hiding from visual identification or sensors. She only hoped that Alex had managed to disable the golden ship so it couldn''t give chase.
"We''re going to go hard for a while," Alex said. "Someone tell me how bad the damage is."
"Minor hull breach," Mari''s voice chimed over the speakers. "No present danger."
"That''s good to know, but I don''t want to go for a round two," Alex said as they shot off and away from the ships. "Erin, see if you can find us something to hide in to check for repairs."
Erin had already started pulling up a map and searching through the options. While there weren''t infinite known islands across the nightsea, there were enough, even out in the Fringes. The problem was that they hadn''t been on their current route toward Grim Aegis. The other option was to find something like a debris field to hide in, but those weren''t plentiful.
In reality, the nightsea was mostly empty.
"I''m not seeing a lot of options that would be faster than heading straight for Grim Aegis," Erin said. "How long can we afford to go off course?"
"The less, the better." Alex sighed, pulling away from the orbs. "Pick the best option you can, and Mari will start us that way."
Erin looked through the list of options and started ticking them off one by one. She immediately removed any ones that went back toward the Fringes. While Dry Turtle had a repair yard, one of the few places they would be welcomed back, it was back the way they had come, toward the edges of the Erth.
She focused on the map in a cone in front of the ship. That would keep their forward momentum and allow them to find a decent island for repairs. She started sorting through them, estimating which one would be the shortest path among the known islands.
She had gotten down to three when the alarm went off again.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"What is it now, Mari?" Alex asked.
"Island directly ahead."
Erin blanched, looking at the main screen as the words came over the speakers. That was impossible. There were no known islands in the area, and the ship''s information had been updated in Dry Turtle. There couldn''t be an island anywhere near the ship. It was impossible.
Erin was just about to say as much when she saw the flickering bright light that took up the entire viewscreen.
"Slow us down," Alex said as he walked above the bridge and picked up his cup. "Then take us a little away from it so we can get an idea of what we''re looking at."
The Nighthawk slowed and pulled away from the still flickering island, and Erin opened her video feed from the external cameras. The island would flicker every few seconds, black lines running across its entire surface before it shone bright again. She had never seen anything like it.
"Alright, breakfast club," Alex said. "Any ideas?"
"Breakfast club?" Wen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You''re both dressed like you''re up for breakfast," Alex said. "I never actually watched the movie."
"I don''t understand why you keep doing that." Erin shook her head, pulling her shirt further down her legs. "But I''ve never seen anything like this."
"Me either," Wen said, adjusting her robe. "It''s like the island is a dimming light bulb."
"It''s not a black spot, right?" Erin asked.
"Nah," Alex said. "That would just start consuming it from the center out. I''ve never seen anything like this either."
"What about you, Mari," Erin asked.
"Insufficient data," Mari''s voice came over the speakers.
"Well, there you have it," Alex said, taking a sip from his cup. "We don''t know what it is, or why it is here, but it is here, right in front of us, and we need a place to check over the ship."
The island flickered again and a cold stone dropped in Erin''s stomach. There was no way they should go inside that island. Who knew what was happening inside? They could lose their lives just by entering.
"Sounds like the start of a grand tale!" Sayed''s voice boomed as he stepped onto the bridge, scratching at his long black beard.
He was dressed similarly to Erin and Wen, leaving Alex the odd man out when it came to night fashion. A simple shirt and shorts left his muscles bare as he walked barefoot onto the bridge. It almost made up for his comment from earlier. However, Sayed was not alone.
"A fateful event." Jean entered the bridge, his dark face split with a white smile as he held his bony arms inside his blue robes.
It was likely because Jean didn''t need to sleep because of his condition¡ªhe was a skeletal creature for everything below his neck¡ªbut he was just dressed in his normal clothes.
"What about Artur?" Alex asked.
"Sayed knocked him out cold." Jean chuckled. "I managed to dodge the punch.
"You do not sneak up on Sayed in the night like a thief." Sayed frowned, crossing his arms around his broad chest. "I will apologize to him when he wakes."
"Wen, Erin, what do you think?" Alex asked
"It seems okay to check out, though we want to make sure we don''t park the ship in an easily visible place while we look at it," Wen said. "Maybe they''ll just pass us over."
"I''m not sure the island is stable," Erin said, biting her lip. "But at the same time, we won''t know what''s going in there unless we go inside."
"That''s settles it," Alex said. "Head in Mari."
Hrrm.
The engines hummed as the ship pulled back toward the light and entered the island''s dome.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 155 | Dark Landing
Ikal ran through the trees behind the other hunters as they tracked the strange object through the night sky. It was rounded and dark, and a little smoke trailed behind it as it made circles around their island. They did not speak but moved through the brush in almost absolute silence. Their padded feet barely made a noise as they approached a clearing. The object kept falling, but it was slowing down, not speeding up as it approached the eastern side of the island.
They were all geared for a hunt. Each member carried a short bow and a quiver of arrows. The group''s men also had long black stone swords, while the women carried daggers. If an object presented a problem, they would strike swiftly from the shadows before the intruders knew what hit them.
Even Ikal had his short bow, though he carried a dagger because he had yet to earn his own stone sword. The jagged black blades of the stone it was made of gleamed in the moonlight on his hip. The rocks it was made from, like on the arrowheads and swords, had to be chipped away with harder rocks to make the edges sharp, giving the weapons a pebbly feeling between the smoother edges.
The leader, Aapo, signaled with his hands, tracing a line from his eyes to the object and pointing to the east. He shook his head, and his shoulders sagged. A few of the other hunters signaled back, but Ikal just watched the object as it started to land. He knew why everyone was anxious. The object was landing near the old ruins.
"That''s going to be a problem."
Ikal jumped, his fur standing on end as the voice snuck up from behind him. Even with his long ears, he hadn''t heard James approach. A strong hand patted his shoulder as James walked past and out into the clearing. Ikal''s jaw dropped wide. James didn''t seem to have a care in the world about the strange object or how dangerous it could be.
"That''s a slipship, alright," James said, rubbing at his beard.
Ikal''s ears perked. James had told many tales of slipships to his people. He had never heard of one like the one he saw in the sky. It was more like a tube than the long swooping designs that James often described. However, he also expected James to hide things from himself and his mother. That was how the man had managed to insert himself into their lives.
"And they''re going right for the ruins." James tracked the ship as it came down for a landing with a finger. "Aapo, I know how your people feel about outsiders intruding there, but it looks like they''re just using it to land for repairs. Would you mind if we tried talking to them first?"
"If we can keep them under control." Aapo crossed his arms over his white-furred chest. "If they are cursed, like many outsiders, they may be dangerous."
"That is true." James sighed. "If we''re on Erth, we''ll be more likely to run across cursed people. How about this: we sneak in, I go and try to talk to them, and if that doesn''t work, you guys can fill them full of arrows until they''re dead. That way, you''re rid of me and them at the same time?"
"No one wants to be rid of you, James." Aapo smiled, revealing his sharp teeth. "Your intervention saved us, and we owe you that debt, outsider or not."
"I just don''t want to risk any of your people," James said, rubbing the back of his head. "You''ve already suffered enough in my eyes."
Ikal looked down at the ground, doing his best to hide his tears. His father had died because of James''s people. They had come to steal away several of their tribe for some unknown end that James refused to tell Ikal. Ikal''s father was one of the ones who had died at the hands of the outsiders.
"Fine." Aapo sighed, his black ears twitching. "But if it goes wrong, we''re getting you out of there whether you like it or not. Ikal needs a father, and Potira needs a husband."
Ikal bristled at those words, his tears forgotten, but he only managed to look to the side and cross his arms. He could yell all he wanted, but Aapo was the leader. Ikal couldn''t contradict his words while they were out in the jungle. It was simply a matter of survival.
"Thank you," James said, pushing up his glasses as he rubbed at his eyes. "How your people have welcomed me over these last few years has meant everything to me. Though I miss my own people, your hospitality has made this island a home to me."
The rest of the tribe made their own gestures of support. They smiled, and some patted James on his back as they approached him. Despite Ikal''s feelings about James, the man was well respected among the tribe. They couldn''t see what Ikal saw in the man. James was an outsider, and outsiders couldn''t be trusted.
Ikal stuck his tongue out to the side as he had just eaten a bitter berry but also made sure to face away so that he wouldn''t be seen.
"If I keep talking about it, though, I think poor Ikal is going to spit up his dinner. Let''s find this ship before the night''s over and see if we can stop the problem before they start."
Aapo nodded and led his hunters into the forest, with James following behind. Ikal eventually followed after, making sure to keep himself out of sight. There might also be a chance to sneak off and visit the temple, assuming everyone else was busy. Ikal smiled as he kept an eye out on the east. He could sneak off and visit his real father.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
***
Alex brought the ship low toward a lake in the island''s center, partially covered by tall trees. From what he could see of the island, it was mostly jungle, with tall cliffs jutting out over most of the edges and a singular peak that dominated the island''s north side. There were a few beaches, but he didn''t want the ship to be easily visible against the light brown of the shores. No, the best option would be to camouflage the ship near the lake and hope the trees provided some cover.
"Bring it in slow," Li Wen said as she looked at her panel. "The landing is going to be tight."
"I know," Alex grunted, pulling back on the orbs as he brought the ship in. "Just make sure I don''t ding anything else until we can look at it."
"The branches will not cause significant damage," Mari chimed in over the speakers. "However, please do not intentionally run into them."
Alex sighed but focused on bringing the ship in. With the controls, he had a good view of the area and brought the ship in to float near the treeline next to the lake. Then he slowly brought it down into the water, as close to the shore as he could without getting it stuck in the lake''s silt. It took a few minutes to even out the ship with the pontoons in the water before he was finally satisfied.
"There," Alex said, stepping back from the controls. "Any complaints?"
"We have successfully landed, powering down engines," Mari said as the pontoons hummed lower and lower before finally shutting down.
They acted as the equivalent of lodestones on normal slipships, and as far as Alex could tell, they weren''t powered in the same way as normal lodestones. The Nighthawk had no light sails of any variety. He was sure the answers would be somewhere in the ship''s manual, but he had yet to find anything. Everything about the Nighthawk seemed impossible, even in a world that already specialized in the impossible.
"Alright," Alex said, turning to his crew. "If everyone will go get dressed, we''ll check the ship and then check around the area. Someone wake up Artur, and we''ll help Mari out of her hole."
With that, they split. The rest of the crew headed out the front of the deck while Alex and Erin climbed onto the back of the bridge, standing next to Mari''s exit hatch. After a few minutes of waiting, the hatch opened, and air escaped it with a slight fog as it released from the floor.
Hiss.
"You all right in there?" Alex asked as he waved the fog away and looked down into the dark hole.
"I''m fine," Mari said, one pale hand exiting the dark hole.
Alex reached down and helped pull her out, and she came up relatively easily, considering her weight. Mari was an android, and while she was shaped like a human, there were dead giveaways that she wasn''t one at all. Her blue eyes were large and glowed blue when she was in dark places. She had lines down her face and throughout the rest of her body, along with rounded joints on her limbs where they bent. Right now, she was wearing a long white robe covering most of it, and her normal clothing made it a lot easier to hide what she was, but Mari stood out as not human without those coverings. She also wasn''t light by any means.
"Alright, off with Erin, kid." Alex handed Mari off to Erin, and the two exited the bridge to get Mari ready.
"Let''s go, Mari," Erin said. "We''ll try out a new cloak this time."
"I''m not a child." Mari managed one final retort before she was gone.
"Then why does everyone on the crew treat you like their little sister?" Alex asked, shaking his head.
He searched for his coffee mug and quickly found it before he started off toward the kitchen to place it in the sink. After a few minutes of preparation throughout the ship, the entire crew stepped out onto the deck, dressed and ready for the new island.
Alex had thrown his black jacket over his normal clothes, and that was all he needed. Sayed now wore his usual leather chest piece over a stark white shirt and simple brown pants. Jean was dressed in his dark blue robes that covered his skeletal frame, except for his head. Li Wen had her dark brown coat and guns ready, with her rifle slung over her shoulder. Finally, Erin had changed into her normal black clothes with her green coat over them while putting Mari in a matching set. It certainly blended in more than Mari''s normal red cloak.
Artur was still absent, but Alex assumed he was just putting on his full chain mail. The prince didn''t know how to take things casually and would probably come out for repairs dressed like he was going into battle.
"Let''s get to work," Alex said as Sayed and Jean wrapped ropes around their torsos to climb down the side of the ship.
Alex, on the other hand, opened his gate. Electric power thrummed through his body as he walked toward the edge of his deck, running from his heart in a rhythmic beat as he opened himself to his power. He focused all his mental effort on pulling his body toward the ship, and as he walked off the side, he simply followed the curve of the ship like he was walking over a bump.
His jacket fell forward as he started down the side, but otherwise, it was no different from walking on flat ground. As he came around the curve, he also saw the extent of the damage. A long black line ran across the ship''s left side from where the robot''s attack had landed.
"You know, your curse is plain unfair," Jean said as he lowered himself on his rope.
The rope was pulled around the back of his legs as he came down, step by step, his hands contorting his rate of descent as he walked backward down the ship''s side.
"I know, right?" Alex said. "It''s the niche usage that makes it fun."
"Aah!" Sayed fell past both of them before his rope pulled taunt less than a meter from the water''s edge.
Alex and Jean looked after him, but he just hung in the air motionless for a moment before raising a single thumb. His arms and legs dangled beneath him, and Alex held back a laugh. Sayed always went into things full bore without thinking about how they might turn out; this was just another example of his antics.
"I will be alright, brothers; just give me a moment to recover myself," Sayed said.
"My friends, I don''t want to cause a fright," Artur''s voice came from above. "But I feel eyes upon us in the dark of night."
Listen.
Alex looked out into the forest, and as he did, a voice called out from the deep jungle. It was a voice he recognized from too many times before, and if he was hearing it, that meant only one thing. He smiled but didn''t let it show. He would need to know more before they started blustering around looking for an island core.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 156 | Eyes in the Night
Miss Glory lay against the top of the Javelin''s bridge, her viney form sprawled over the metal edge so that she could listen to the crew''s conversations. She had tagged along when she heard the three ships were going after ''Tin Man'' Ortega, but they hadn''t been up to snuff. Now, the Javelin had lost half of its crew, and the Sparrow was scuttled with no real hope of recovery. If her head was active, she would have shaken it, but instead, she just shook a few of her vines.
Only the Gilded One was still active and currently floated above the Javelin. The captain of the Javelin was speaking with Benbeck over the ship''s comms, and Miss Glory was listening. The conversation was not in the captain''s favor, and Miss Glory knew he was just asking to be stabbed in the back.
"We need assistance," the captain said. "We''ll have to go and pull the crew that survived from the Swallow, and we can split them between our ships."
Which would mean the quarry would have time to get away. Miss Glory withered at the thought. Miss Malone would reward whoever brought Ortega and his crew in, especially after what happened a few days ago on Dry Turtle. The much-desired prince, who had escaped the clutches of Miss Malone due to a quick decision of King Lopold, had been captured but allowed to slip away.
That was why she had been happy to stow away on the ship to try at him. If the pirates couldn''t take down the ship, there was every chance that she could. Her curse allowed her to do things not many other people could do. She was a plant woman whose true form was a motley assortment of vines around a bulbous core.
She writhed closer to the deck''s entrance, shrinking her plant form slightly so that it would be less noticeable.
"Unfortunately, that just isn''t in the cards," Benbeck''s voice came over the speakers.
Thump.
"What are you talking about? We entered this agreement together! Are you thinking about hanging us out to dry?"
"Oh, I have much worse thoughts than that," Benbeck cackled over the speakers. "You''ve already proven precisely how useful you''d be if we actually caught Ortega. Seeing as I and my crew don''t want to share the bounty more than we have to, it just makes good business sense to eliminate the competition."
Miss Glory coiled up on herself. She could already see where this conversation was going, and she needed to be ready for when the insanity broke loose.
"Apologies," Benbeck said. "It''s just the cost of doing business. Fire a salvo, Athena, all tubes."
There it was. Benbeck showed his true colors at the darkest hour. Miss Glory was proud of him. He saw the right choice for a man who wanted to win. Cut the dead brush and give time for the garden to grow anew. There was no sense in keeping the dead weight with you if it could simply be cut away.
Or, in this case, blown away.
"Get off the deck!" the captain yelled, throwing down his speaker and turning to his crew. "Fire back if you can!"
His men, who had been working at retrieving the few survivors of the boarding team, all looked up before the few that could begin running for the side. In a way, Miss Glory pitied them. They wouldn''t make it, even if they managed to get off the ship. All that came from jumping off was starvation while floating in the nightsea.
She, of course, wouldn''t have that problem.
"Pop Spring."
Miss Glory transformed herself, coiling into a spring of vines with her curse. The pulse of life ripped through her vines as she pulled them into a tight spring. Tubes lit up around the Gilded One''s hull, and Miss Glory shot off the deck simultaneously. She floated through space as a bulbous pod with tendrils trailing behind her. She landed against the Gilded One''s bottom and stuck herself tight with sticky sap.
A single shot rang out from the Javelin before the missiles hit. Someone had managed to fire a shot using a cannon up at the ship. The Gilded One shook under the blast but held firm despite the attack. It had landed far from Miss Glory, so she had nothing to worry about. A small trail of smoke spilled out from the hole in the Javenlin''s hull as the Gilded One''s salvo shook the ship below.
Boom!
Explosions ripped through the ship behind her, but Miss Glory only bathed in the heat from the blasts. The men screamed as their lives were snuffed out below, and the Gilded One turned to the scuttled ship. Benbeck, like many who worked with the less savory members of the world, wouldn''t leave the chance of witnesses, and Miss Glory could appreciate that. She would ensure he was properly rewarded when the job was done and Ortega was captured.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
She shuffled down the ship with her viney form, finding the best perch to wait out the trip to continue after Ortega and his crew.
A second salvo launched, and another bright island burned in the sky momentarily as Benbeck destroyed the damaged ship. When it was all over, the Gilded One turned in the direction that Ortega''s ship had run to, floating through the now much more silent nightsea with only the hum of its engines giving sound to the silence.
Wherever Ortega had run to, it would not be long before the Gilded One caught up. Then Benbeck would have his shot at taking Ortega in. Miss Glory would pick up the slack and finish the job if he failed. The prince would be hers, and Miss Malone would give her the reward she deserved.
If Miss Glory still had her head, she would cackle the entire way. However, she was a plant and lacked the ability to do that. So, she merely wrapped herself around the hull of the Gilded One and settled in to wait.
***
Wen looked out over the forest in the direction Artur had pointed but saw nothing. She pulled out her rifle and looked down at its scope, but there was no sign of watching eyes in the forest. She would have thought he was lying, but the prince was so earnest in everything he did that she doubted it.
The prince had come out from below decks just moments before, fully clad in his blue tunic with chainmail over the top, his longsword in its sheath, and his shield strapped to his back. If it wasn''t for his long white hair and slightly effeminate features, he might look like a warrior. He just looked like a cosplayer lost from his convention to Wen.
"Start dragging Sayed back up," Alex said as he motioned for Jean to come up as well.
He probably had the same idea Wen did. If Artur had seen something, it would be worth investigating, and having half your crew hanging off the side of the ship in an attack was the worst possible position to start in. Wen kept her rifle ready as she scanned the jungle around them.
"So, let''s say you''re right," Alex said as he walked onto the deck like he was strolling down a perfectly paved sidewalk. "How would you check it out while keeping the ship safe?"
Artur turned his head, tapping his finger on one chin and releasing the rope he had been using to help pull Sayed back up.
"Hey!" Sayed yelled as he fell back to his previous position.
"I''ll get you." Alex sighed, pulling on the rope.
When Jean reached the top, he also helped, and soon the two of them had Sayed back on the deck. Sayed smiled as both men pulled him up. Artur still held his thinking pose. Erin just shook her head to the side, holding onto Mari''s hand as she watched the entire event unfold.
Wen was getting used to her crew members'' oddities. Ever since she first met Alex on Tombstone, she knew he was weird. That only proved true when they met again on Diamond Peak, and she decided to join him. Everything about the man and his gathered crew was over the top.
"Thank you, brothers," Sayed said with no hint of anger toward Artur. "I thought I was lost down there."
"No worries, Sayed," Alex said. "But that returns us to the original problem. How should we go about it?"
"I say the best strategy." Artur raised one finger. "Would be to split into groups of three."
"Three," Alex said, looking between everyone. "That would just be two groups, wouldn''t it? We could cover a lot more ground if we split up more."
"What if you run into danger?" Artur said, throwing back his hand toward Erin and Wen. "We shouldn''t leave our ladies alone in the hands of strangers."
"Most of us can take care of ourselves." Alex sighed.
While it was true that one of them had been kidnapped on Dry Turtle, and Wen''s curse needed her weapons, Alex was right. Every one of them was a powerhouse of some sort. While they all had their weaknesses, they also had access to the power of a curse.
Erin had the power of growth and could use it to devastating effect with the plants she cultivated. Wen could freeze enemies solid with a single shot. Sayed had the power of heat that he channeled into two blades. She didn''t know how to describe Jean''s spirit power fully, but it was sufficiently creepy and powerful. Finally, Alex could control magnetic fields and conjure metal.
Even Artur had his sword and could conjure barriers based on what Alex had told her.
"So, we are splitting up to search the area for threats?" Jean asked. "Surely we won''t bring Mari along into that dangerous situation."
"I''ll watch the ship with Mari." Wen raised one hand. "I can support you all from the deck, so long as you stay within two hundred meters."
"Even in this brush?" Alex asked.
"You''ll be on your own there." Wen shrugged. "But if you draw something out into the open, I can support."
"I guess that means I have to go out." Erin sighed, kneeling to face Mari. "Be good for Wen, and don''t get in any danger while I''m out."
"I won''t." Mari crossed her fingers behind her back, which was not android-like.
"Then I will assist Erin, as is my knightly duty," Artur drew his sword. "I take this job with the utmost solemnity!"
"Alright." Alex ignored Artur and turned to Sayed and Jean. "We''ll each take a direction out from the ship in a cone, head out about a hundred meters, and then come back if we don''t find anything. Can everyone handle that?"
"Question, brother?" Sayed raised one hand.
"Go ahead."
"How far is two hundred meters?"
"I''d say about the length of two American football fields, but that isn''t going to help." Alex sighed, rubbing his eyes and looking down at the ship. "About the length of four ships out."
"That I can understand." Sayed nodded.
"Alright, let''s move out and keep an eye out for any problems along the way. If you get in a sticky situation, draw whatever''s after you into the open, and Wen will back you up," Alex said, looking over each of them. "Any other questions?"
Everyone shook their heads. Alex nodded, and they parted ways, each taking a direction out in the jungle to scout. Wen glanced to check on Mari, who stood not far from her, glowing eyes watching Wen''s every move. Wen nodded and brought up her rifle, using the scope to track each member as they walked off the small beach area and into the cover of the foliage.
She almost pitied whatever was watching them. If they thought they could take down this crew, they were about to be in for a rude awakening.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 157 | Broken Arrows
Jean stepped out into the jungle, taking a deep breath as he took in the night around him. To his right, Sayed''s back had already disappeared into the brush, heading along the rim of the lake to the west. Erin and Artur were pushing in the opposite direction, going east of the lake. That left Alex and he splitting the difference between the two. Jean opened his gate for the company as Alex faded from sight with a parting wave.
Creeping energy coursed through Jean''s limbs as he opened his gate. It crawled through his body, filling it with the dark energy of death itself. Jean pulled his hands from his robes as he poured more aether through his gate, going past his first level curse, which was his titular spirit strings, and opening himself to the second level of his curse. The crawling energy of the spirits filled him then, rattling his bones as he spread his arms wide.
"Spirit Swing," Jean whispered as purple light surrounded his feet and began coiling up his robes.
Skeletal arms reached up from the light first, grasping and pulling at the air as they raised the rest of the spirit through the portal. A long, bony frame, the top the only part still humanoid, crawled through the air and around Jean, wrapping around him with long white hair in a spiral until the arms came to rest on his shoulders. Eliza, his dearly departed wife, soon rested against him, her empty eyes observing the jungle around them.
"Keep an eye out for any would-be threats, my love," Jean whispered as he started off into the deeper jungle. "I feel four eyes will be better than two in this endeavor."
She didn''t reply to him, but that was their normal relationship. Since her death and subsequent resurrection using his curse, she hadn''t been able to utter a word to him. That didn''t matter to Jean, though. Her presence was enough to soothe his nerves as he stepped into the jungle. Darkness wrapped around him as the brush pulled at his robes, and his sight diminished. However, with his curse, Jean didn''t need light to see.
The world around him was positively glowing with aether. From the tiniest rock hidden beneath a frond to the tallest tree wrapped with long vines, everything in the world glowed with the power of the aether that flowed within it. So, he saw every object around him in bright violet light. It was useful to a degree, but it also came with problems. The lighter concentrations of aether in the air allowed him to see, but they also blocked a little of his vision.
"A good evening for a stroll," Jean sighed. "Humidity that wettens the bone, bugs buzzing through every inch of air. At least I have great company to share it with."
Eliza regarded him with her dark gaze and a head tilt before she returned her attention to the trees around them. Jean shook his head and was about to come up with something else to say when he noticed the difference in the trees around them. It was subtle, but there was a change in the aether along the tree line to his far right. Several aetheric blobs there didn''t match the long, straight trunks of the trees or the splayed-out leaves of fronds and ferns. No, Jean was sure they were creatures gathered together in one group and watching him.
He placed one bony hand over Eliza''s own. Now, he could charge straight at the creatures and reveal himself to them. Perhaps he would catch a glimpse of them before they scurried away. However, that was assuming that they were just creatures of the jungle and not something else. If they were people, they might attack him, which he was sure he could easily handle. However, it might lead to a misunderstanding. He often had enough trouble convincing people he was safe due to his outward appearance.
"Eliza, we''ll need to hide you for a moment," he said, drawing in his breath and rendering Eliza invisible to the outside world.
She still rested around his shoulders and could be called back to the world immediately, but it would be enough to put him on a better footing. He couldn''t maintain her invisibility in battle, as it required a certain amount of concentration, but he at least could use it to appear more normal to those who looked upon him. Jean raised his hands as he walked toward the group. If they were merely animals, he thought they would scatter. He hoped to give them pause with his more normal appearance if they were people.
Unfortunately, he achieved neither.
Thwip.
The missile, whatever it was, shot past his face faster than he could catch. Jean ducked to the side on instinct alone before more missiles flew out from the bush. Jean ducked the first few, but there were at least ten in the air, each glowing bright with the imbued aether within them.
Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.
"Spirit Step." He disappeared, dodging to the side until he could better understand what he was dealing with.
The arrow barrage stopped for a moment as Jean jumped behind a tree. He needed a moment to think. If he had charged in now, he would have gotten to the bottom of whatever was shooting. However, he did not come into the forest to fight but to scout. Whether fate would allow him to accomplish that goal was at stake. Taking a breath, he peered around the corner. He estimated the distance to where the arrows had come from and smiled.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"I will show you I can keep up with your moves," he whispered before jumping out from behind the tree again. "Spirit Step."
Thwip. Thwip.
Jean dodged through the two missiles that came his way before he drew in a breath. His skeletal legs strained as they blurred into fast motion. He disappeared a second time before reappearing above his assailants. He had a moment to see their forms before confusion clouded his mind.
"In all my days on the nightsea," he whispered. "I''ve never seen anything like this."
***
Sayed cut through leaf, branch, and vine with his khopesh as he made his way through the jungle, forging his path forward with every slice. His gate was closed, and his blessing was put away for the moment. He was no fool braggart, willing to burn down the entire jungle for the sake of his ease. Sayed knew that his power had that inherent destructive nature, and even if the constant buzzing insects around him tried his patience, he would not punish the jungle for them.
"These bugs try me at every turn, but I will persevere through it all." Sayed forced a smile before swatting his free hand at his neck.
Slap.
In the echo of his slap against his skin, the jungle around him turned to silence. Sayed froze, his eyes searching the trees. He knew from his many times hunting that silence in nature meant something was wrong. In any place with trees and such vibrant life, the silence was how prey stopped from being found. While Sayed was a mighty warrior, he knew that he alone would not cause such quiet.
Someone or something was in those trees, watching.
"A problem that can easily be remedied."hHe put on a broad grin and drew his second khopesh from his back. "Come with me, Abed, and be ready for this creature."
He would need to keep his gate closed and his blessing away, for his heat would cause much damage to the world around him, but that did not mean that Sayed was disarmed. His sword skills came to him long before his blessing. Sayed took a wide stance, holding his blades out to his sides, and pointed forward as he closed his eyes to listen.
While the forest had indeed gone into a sudden silence, subtle sounds still surrounded Sayed. With his eyes closed and his will focused on his hearing, he could pick them out and guess their direction¡ªthe sound of footsteps on wet ground, the patter of several feet across the stone, the snap of a branch, and the brushing of a leaf being moved away from its bush. Sayed zoned in on the noises as he took in a breath.
Snap. Twip.
Sayed spun on his foot at the sound, identifying it as coming from his left. He swung his sword in a wide arc and caught the object mid-air, knocking it up before slicing it in half with his second blade. There was no need for a technique for such a simple maneuver, and he let out his breath as he opened his eyes. A broken arrow lay at his feet, its two halves sticking up from the tall grass where they landed.
"I will give you this chance, stranger in the dark," Sayed said, smiling. "If you do not fire again, I will allow you to live. Attack me one more time, and I will not be as kind."
No additional arrow came for Sayed, and he heard some rustling in the bushes again. Perhaps he had been too harsh in his statement and scared the attacker away. That was exactly the opposite of what he should achieve on a scouting mission. The point would be to find out who was out in the dark, not just scare them away. He sheathed a sword to give himself a free hand. With a grimace, he reached down and picked up the broken arrow.
It was a simple wooden shaft with a wicked black stone for a tip. The tip looked like it had been cut by chipping away at the edges with a different stone. Sayed ran the arrow across his arm, and it came away with a short line of blood. It was deadly sharp. If the arrow had managed to reach him, it would have pierced through his skin easily.
He held the arrow in his hand and debated on what to do. He could chase after the person, but that would mean more possible attacks and might even make the person more aggressive. He did not know if he wanted to fight the owner of the arrow yet. They had not attacked him after his minor threat, so they clearly did not want a fight as well.
"I can push forward against them or continue on my path. One option leads closer to the goal but might cause trouble. The other leads away and would be the easier path," he whispered. "I already know which path is for me; I just pray that my assailant stays their hand. I need answers, not bodies, tonight."
He nodded and turned toward the direction of the arrow, holding his blade ready while he held the arrow in his other hand.
"Brother, I come to return your arrow to you." Sayed raised his voice. "I have many questions, and you might have answers. Please do not shoot again so that I do not have to take drastic measures."
As he walked forward, a solid bulk landed behind him.
Thump.
Sayed turned his head in time to see the long black creature coiled on the ground. Its head was pulled back as it watched him with yellow eyes. A snake, as long as the tree it had fallen off of, with a head the size of Sayed''s own. It glared at him in the night before opening its black maw wide to reveal two long fangs. Before he could fully turn to face it, it lashed out. Its fangs lashed at Sayed with the speed of lighting.
Hiss. Kshaw!
Sayed spun on his heels, but as he did so, he felt the next arrow coming from behind. He stood between the snake and the arrow for a moment, knowing that if he fought off one, the other would have him. His assailant had played their hand well. They had waited until he was distracted before attacking. Sayed had to choose, and he chose to handle the snake first. The assailant could wait for if he survived the shot.
Fwip. Thump.
Before he could even fully turn and swing, the arrow cut past his ear and struck the snake in its open mouth, sending its head flying back and pinning it to the tree. Sayed stopped in the middle of his swing, his anger forgotten. His smile returned to his face, and he sheathed his blade.
"I see you, brother," he said. "And thank you. Perhaps we can talk instead of fight."
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 158 | In the Trees
Erin and Artur made their way through the jungle, Artur taking the lead with his shield out. His sword easily hacked a clear path through the brush. Erin focused on the plants around her, and on occasion, she would stop and kneel, picking away a part of a plant and putting it in a pouch. She was harvesting the seeds of the plants for those with them and would later incorporate them into her curse.
It was part of the new ability she gained with her second-grade curse. She could grow and replicate any seed she consumed inside herself, modifying the plant to do things that it already did, but better. Every island they went to, when she had the opportunity, she added new plants to her repertoire, but now she could actively use them from a garden she carried inside herself at all times.
The problem was harvesting the seeds, so she would take pieces of the plant and harvest them later. That also left out plants that used pollen instead, but she hadn''t figured out how to incorporate that into her curse. She was sure she could. She just needed to figure out how.
"There are too many vines in the way," Artur said as he cut through another bit of brush with his longsword. "We may reach the end by the light of day!"
"At least having a clear way will help Wen keep an eye on us," she said, bending down and plucking a flower off a vine with a seed and tucking it in her bag. "I don''t like the idea of splitting up to scout."
"That is the thrust." Artur slashed through another bit of the brush. "But the key is to rely on trust."
Erin resisted the urge to rub at her eyes, mainly to keep the various saps of the plants she kept gathering out of them. Artur was the most recent edition to the crew, and his constant rhyming couplets made him difficult to talk with at the best of times. He was mostly harmless beside that quirk, though he was one of the nobility, and she couldn''t fully trust him.
Ting.
Artur stopped in his next swing, and Erin''s eyes tracked to where he held his sword mid-swing. He had been cutting through the brush, but something in it had resisted the blade. Some of the vines covering the structure fell away, revealing a tarnished metal surface beneath it.
"What is it?" Erin asked.
"A metal surface hidden beneath the vines," Artur said, sheathing his sword and pulling away some of the vines. "It looks like it has succumbed to the ravages of time."
"Can you pull more off it?" Erin stepped next to him, pulling away some of the vines. "There shouldn''t be anything made of metal out here, right?"
"I will set about this task." Artur grinned. "You only needed to ask."
He pulled at the vines, ripping them away from the object until it was fully revealed. Erin stepped away as he pulled up the brush, and soon she saw it was a statue of sorts with stylized heads of creatures stacked one on top of the other. One she thought might be a serpent, and another looked almost feline. Once Artur was done, she reached out and touched the metal.
It was surprisingly soft to the touch, and she pushed on it with her thumb. The metal moved a little with her push, and some of the wear on the outside smudged with it. Even with only the faint moonlight behind her, Erin could see that the layer beneath the grime glowed gold.
"This statue is covered in gold," Erin whispered, reaching into her cloak and taking out a rag.
She rubbed at more of the statue, polishing away the much and grime to reveal the metal beneath. It wasn''t a great job, and she would need actual chemical solvents to restore it fully, but the entire statue was covered with gold across its surface.
"Why would someone pay such a price?" Artur asked, kneeling next to the statue''s base and running his hand across the bottom of it. "To waste such material is surely a vice."
As he pushed away some of the dirt on the ground, he revealed a layer of metal beneath the statue that stretched further out. Erin raised her eyebrows. A path lay hidden beneath the dirt, and it, too, was covered with tarnished gold. Artur began to pull at the edge of the path and soon came up with a perfect square of tarnished gold.
"Look and let it be known," Artur said, turning the bottom of the square to her. "The bottom is made of stone."
"Gold over the top of it, like a plating," Erin nodded, looking back at the statue. "I wonder if it''s just this area or if it goes further into the forest."
She looked deeper into the jungle, but the path was impossible to make out, especially in the dark. How many years had these structures been buried underneath the dirt and vines? She didn''t know, but it had to be a long time. This made her wonder about what else was hidden in the jungle around them and, more importantly, where the people who had made it all were.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"There''s only one way to find out," Artur said, scraping away more dirt to reveal the path. "That is to charge ahead and rout!"
Erin couldn''t help but smile a little. Instead of finding strangers or monsters out in the jungle watching them, they had stumbled on a mystery. She preferred that so much more than having to get into a fight. Artur stood and drew his sword, stepping ahead of her as he led the way forward.
She held her hand over her stomach to suppress the building pressure there. Excitement or otherwise, a twist in her gut told her to be cautious. Erin followed behind, looking for any other structures on their path deeper into the jungle.
***
Wen watched through her scope as each of her colleagues faded into the brush. Alex was the first to disappear completely, ducking through the trees with a wave at Jean. Sayed, Erin, and Artur lasted much longer, mainly because they were actively cutting their way through the brush; however, even they faded around turns at some point in their path.
Soon, Wen was alone, with only Mari to keep her company. Wen finished a final scan of the shoreline before glowing blue lights filled her scope. Wen sighed and pulled away from the scope, giving a withering glare to Mari as she bent over to be in front of the lens.
"What do you need, Mari?" Wen asked.
"Where did everyone go to?" Mari asked, her head tilting and her long white hair falling further to the side.
"They went to scout the area after Artur felt like we were being watched." Wen sighed, standing up and slinging her rifle over her back. "We''re going to stay here to watch the ship and keep you safe."
"Ah." Mari looked over the deck and then up to the trees above them.
So far, every interaction with the android had been strange. Mari acted so much like a child, but then she would suddenly change and act like a machine in specific moments as well. Wen didn''t know what to make of that and had no idea how Mari worked.
In fact, no one on the crew, as far as she knew, understood how Mari worked. Mari had a doll-like body with marble white skin and blue eyes. Lines covered a lot of her body, marking panels that covered the outside. However, with her clothes on, most of her non-human features were harder to see.
Now, she was acting more like a child.
"Do you want to go below deck?" Wen asked. "I can watch up here while you''re inside."
"No, that''s not a good idea," Mari said, walking over toward the lake and leaning on the rail.
The ship rocked back and forth in the small waves from the lake, and it was Wen''s turn to tilt her head. Mari leaned against the railing on the side of the deck and looked out over the dark waters, her long white hair flowing in the light breeze blowing over the lake.
"Why do you say that?" Wen asked, her hands instinctually resting on her revolvers.
"I think they''re waiting for you to be alone."
Snap. Thud.
Wen spun toward the trees, drawing both revolvers as she scanned the shore to try and find the source of the noise. The moment her back was turned, though, she heard the sound of something landing on the deck behind her. She winced but spun again, already knowing she would be too late to react.
Five dark humanoid figures stood on the deck, their hands holding dark black blades as they faced Mari down. In the moonlight, their most visible detail was their slitted yellow eyes. Wen brought up her guns, keeping two of them in her sights. However, one had already taken hold of Mari and held a blade against her neck as it glared at her.
"Put your weapons down, outsider."
As her eyes adjusted to the creatures, she could see them better. Each had a human face, though their eyes revealed a more bestial nature. Their ears were long and pointed, and their black figure was covered in spotless fur. They were each dressed in small bits of cloth that draped from their shoulders over the rest of their body, and each was armed with. Their blades reminded Wen of obsidian blades from South American dig sites.
"I don''t want any trouble," Wen said, keeping her guns ready. "But this is our ship, and you''re trespassing."
"This is our jungle, and your ship is trespassing here," the leader growled. "Put down your weapons, and I''ll not slice this pup''s throat."
Wen narrowed her eyes. She might be able to freeze a few of the figures. There were five of them on the deck, and only one had a hostage. If she hit the one with Mari first, he would freeze, and the rest would probably come for her. She might be able to land a shot on them all.
However, if she missed, she didn''t doubt that the leader would cut Mari''s throat. Wen might have been cold, but she wasn''t going to sacrifice Mari just to maybe win a fight. She lowered her guns and holstered them, but she didn''t drop them to the ground. She was willing to talk, but not much more.
"We didn''t know it was your jungle," Wen said. "We landed here to repair our ship as best we can. My friends went out to scout around because they thought we were being watched."
"You were being watched outsider," the leader said, pulling the blade away from Mari''s neck but still holding onto her. "We saw your ship come through the sky and saw it was going for our sacred grounds. We came out to find you before you entered, but it seems we are too late."
"Too late for what?" Wen asked.
"Your people stepped into our sacred grounds, and they walk into danger now." The leader shook his head. "While we do not wish you harm, we cannot let you wander our home freely. Death and misery await those who walk into the next realm while still bound to the flesh."
"You''re saying that by walking into your sacred grounds, my friends might die," Wen said. "So are you going to let me stop them, or are you just going to keep me here until they die?"
"James will bring them back," the leader said. "Of that, I promise you. Stay here for now, and we will await his return. Once they are all back, we will decide what to do with all of you."
Wen wasn''t sure how someone would bring the rest of them back, considering that if they tried the same method with Alex, Jean, or Sayed, they likely wouldn''t walk away whole, but she didn''t say anything. Instead, she resigned herself to waiting and kept her eyes on the five figures.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 159 | Reluctant Fist
Bzzt. Slap.
Alex slapped at the insect that had just tried to bite him, sending it to its demise without a second thought. The jungle wrapped around him with its humid air like a blanket, and he hated every moment. He was from Argentina, and one of the many reasons he left was the humidity in Buenos Aires. Sure, New York didn''t have heavy swings in temperature, but he liked not feeling like he was walking around with a wet blanket on his shoulders.
He sighed. It was something he would have to get used to again while they were on this jungle island.
Alex pushed through the last bit of heavy jungle into the clearing he had spotted ahead. It was hard to tell through the trees and in the night, but he thought he had seen some structures through the trees and brush. Considering they were looking for people Artur had sensed watching them, it was a good bet that any structures would lead him to those people. However, as he stepped out into the clearing, he had to reassess that assumption.
A sprawling complex lay open before him, and he immediately started falling back on his experience in history as an undergrad. A tall rectangular pyramid dominated the central area below him, and he realized he had seen the top of it through the trees. Around the pyramid were several structures, some large squares while others were collections of smaller boxes. If Alex weren''t certain he was in the nightsea, he would have thought he had stumbled on South American ruins, like Teotihuacan or Chichen Itza.
"Except this is in better condition." He let out a low whistle.
The ruins below were covered in dirt and grime, and the faces of the buildings all had green or brown hues, but beyond that, he didn''t see any structural damage at all. Alex squinted as he tried to spot any damage to the buildings. He may have been more on the political side of social sciences, but even he knew that ruins shouldn''t be intact if they looked as old as this one.
"Which leaves two options." Alex started toward the ruins, shaking his head as he walked. "Either they aren''t as old as they seem, or something else is going on."
Not a single person moved over the green slopes as he came down to the bottom of the area, and he assumed the entire place was abandoned. Why would be the question, but to answer that, he needed to know more.
"Would have helped if I dragged Wen along." Alex sighed as he stepped up to the first building on the edge of the ruins.
It was a squat rectangle about the size of a one-story home. He reached out and touched the wall of the building, feeling cool metal underneath his fingers. As he pressed into it, rubbing at the grime, it gave a little under his fingers. He raised an eyebrow at that. There was no way it was possible.
"Who in their right mind¡ª" Instead of worrying about it, he opened his gate.
There was one way to confirm he was right, and as he embraced the electric thrum of power that shot through his body from his heart, he opened his senses up to the world around him. His curse allowed him to sense the metal around him, and his senses lit up in a blue glow as he stepped away from the building. Every surface of the ruins, including a path he hadn''t seen beneath layers of dirt and grass, was covered in metal.
"It''s all plated with gold." He shook his head.
It was so dumb, yet at the same time, it was an impressive feat. While gold was a soft metal, it would tarnish and smudge over time if left unmaintained. It was so wasteful. There was also the problem of its rarity. Getting enough of it to cover a place like the ruins should have been nigh impossible.
He turned, pulling at the metal of the structures, but it was stuck fast. The entire outside of each structure was completely coated in a layer of gold, almost like it had all been painted on with super glue. He grunted as he pulled, but no amount of effort would pull the gold plating from the stone underneath.
"But, if someone had a curse, that could change things," Alex said. "Maybe a power like old king Meidas."
In Greek mythology, there was a man who could turn anything he touched into gold. At the start of the story, the king loved the ability to turn every little object around him into gold at a whim. It hadn''t ended well for him when he had tried to eat. The touch ended up being his downfall.
"However, the problem is that it''s still here," Alex said. "I always thought that when it comes to curses, the curse fades once the user is gone. Heck, even if you knock them out, that''s usually enough to do it."
However, there was another option. The whisper in the air when he stood out on the deck of the Nighthawk came back to him. Listen. Build. Grow. Walk. He knew it was the first part of the words that every island core generated. A core could build a gilded temple, but not without consequences.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
He walked into the center of the ruins and sensed more of the metal around him. However, there was no sign of anyone who might have been watching them on the ship. Unless they were dealing with the dead again, like back on Nowhere, he doubted that a lost ruin had some random people hiding in it.
"A dead end, in more ways than one." Alex shook his head, starting back the way he came.
He would send Wen to check out the ruin once he was back at the ship, but the mission to find any searching eyes had ended in nothing. He could check for a core after he was sure the ship was safe as well. It might also give the others a chance to see what the inside of one was like.
As he went back toward the jungle, though, he noticed a bit of movement off to the side. A shadow jumped between buildings just as his eyes focused somewhere else.
He wasn''t alone in the ruins.
"I''ll give you a chance to come out," Alex said. "But if I have to come and find you, you''ll be sorry."
He flexed his fists as he let the power of his curse flow through his arms. With a deep breath, he began to gather energy inside of him, throwing the power through his gate as he pooled more aether into his body. While, for once, he had a lot of metal around him, with it attached to solid structures, it wouldn''t be as useful as the metal he conjured with the second grade of his curse.
"No, Ikal!" a man yelled.
Thwip!
An arrow flew past Alex''s cheek faster than he could see it, cracking against the wall of one of the buildings behind him. Alex turned toward the center of the ruins, catching sight of a shadow that ducked behind one of the buildings. He gathered up his building ether in his legs.
"Step."
His feet blurred as he took a thousand steps instantly, and he appeared at the edge of the building a moment later. Alex spun around the corner, hand outstretched and ready to summon metal to his aid. However, the moment he came around the corner, nothing was there.
"Arrows don''t appear out of nowhere," he said, looking up.
As he thought, a shadow disappeared over the edge of the rooftop.
"Empty Vault."
Alex flung a hand down, sending out a blast of magnetic force and sending himself flying into the air. With the metal all over the ground, he didn''t need to drop a coin like he might normally to throw himself in the air. In the next instant, he sailed toward the rooftop, grabbing hold of the edge and vaulting over with ease.
His ever-running shadow had disappeared again.
"You know, I don''t like chasing ghosts," Alex said, shaking his head and pushing down with magnetic force again on the roof of the building.
He started floating into the air, holding his arms out to the side as he got a better view of his surroundings. Once he was about three stories up, he had a complete view of the ruins, and the running shadows had nowhere else to hide. He spotted the movement one building over from the air and held out his hand.
"Coin Shot."
A flash of blue electricity called the coin into his hand, and he shot it forward with a flick of his thumb and a burst of magnetic force. The coin shot like a bullet, whistling toward the two shadows as they ran for the next building. Alex started to descend toward where they were before the coin even hit, certain he would hit at least one of the shadows.
Ting.
He was left disappointed. The shadows had managed to escape, and he landed on the ground just as his coin disappeared in a burst of sparking electric blue. Alex checked down the length of the building but didn''t see any more moving shadows. Whatever it was, it looked like it was successfully staying out of sight.
"I can''t even sense them," he said, shaking his head.
Normally, he had some vague sense of people around him when his curse was active. It wasn''t nearly as good as he senses with metal, but he could still have a vague sense of the living creatures around him and the small electrical signals they generated. Whatever he was chasing wasn''t giving off either, or at least had some way to block his senses.
"That''s the problem," Alex said, closing his eyes. "You''re relying too much on the curse. You don''t keep doing the same thing if it doesn''t work. You try something different."
He focused on his hearing, trying to ignore the electric surges going through his limbs as he focused on all the sounds around him. Insects buzzed in the distance, and a faint breeze blew over the ruins, causing the grass to scratch against itself. All in all, the entire area was silent, except for two things.
Two people were breathing hard inside one of the nearby buildings. Alex tilted his head as he tried to pick out which building it was. After a few moments of listening, he could pick it out. He opened his eyes and charged for the nearest building, jumping through as he summoned a length of metal along his arm in a burst of electric blue light.
"Junk Arm!"
Pieces of jagged metal appeared down his arm, covering it in a protective layer that slightly extended his reach. He would only use one for the moment and mainly had it out to defend himself more easily if attacked again. He was ready to pay whoever it was back for the arrow.
Whoosh. Thwip. Clink.
As he came through the door, two things happened. First, a fist came at his face, and Alex just barely ducked beneath it. A strong, tanned hand had appeared from the darkness, and he only had time to observe that before the arrow shot from a corner of the dark room. It slammed into his shoulder, deflecting off the metal of his arm before it snapped and fell to the ground.
"I don''t want to do this," a deep voice said. "But you''re not giving me much choice here."
After the fist receded, a kick came up, and Alex threw down his bare hand to catch it and throw himself up with the force of the kick. His bones shook under the force of the kick, and a part of him was happy he didn''t take the attack, just stood there. He swung his fist to the side in the direction of the attacker and felt a solid hit as he knocked the person back into the darkness.
Thud.
"Considering you''ve shot at me twice so far, I don''t want to believe you," Alex said, catching himself on his feet after the leg was thrown back into the dark. "I''ll just figure out what''s going on once I put you down."
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 160 | The Zoan
Alex had no idea what he was dealing with in the shadows, but based on his vague sensation of them, he thought there were two. One stood near to him, spread out in a stance with his fists ready, and the other was in the corner. Alex was almost sure the one in the corner had taken the shots at him, but he couldn''t tell more unless he drew them both out into the open.
Considering how they were already messing with his magnetic sense, he didn''t like the odds of that happening.
"I didn''t want to do this," the man in the shadows said, taking in a deep breath as he brought back his fist. "Flash Fist."
Alex brought up his metallic arm, throwing it between them without even thinking. Knowing a technique wasn''t uncommon for anyone across the nightsea to have access to. Techniques were just application of will to aether to allow the human body to perform superhuman feats.
Thud.
Alex skidded back on the ground when the punch hit his arm, and he only stopped when he slid out through the entrance. Alex grunted as he pushed against his arm, but the man still held him in place with the force of his fist. It was like a truck was pushing against his arm.
"So you''re cursed." The assailant was now revealed in the moonlight.
He was a bearded old man with long white hair and tanned skin. What stood out to Alex wasn''t the rags he was dressed in but the ragged black and red jacket draped over his shoulders. Alex looked at the old man in his grey eyes through his glasses and saw the cold, calculating gaze of a member of the Military Police.
"Who the heck are you?" Alex spun, letting the fist pass by him as he kicked hard with one foot right into the man''s abdomen.
"Oof!" The man grunted, grabbing at his stomach and catching Alex''s foot before he could get away. "Flash Whirl!"
The man''s feet blurred as he spun in a circle, and Alex was already along for the ride. His vision swirled into a blur of motion, and his blood flooded his brain. The man kept going faster and faster until he finally released Alex, sending him arching through the air.
Alex''s mind raced, and his vision shook, but he didn''t need to see to recover. His senses might have been thrown off, but he knew what direction he was flying in and that there was a metal all around him. He threw one hand in the direction he was going and willed his curse into a blast of magnetic force behind him.
"Force Wave!"
The blast slowed him down until he slammed into the ground. He rolled across the grass and dirt for a few moments until he finally stopped. Alex pushed himself up with one arm, blinking the shaking in his vision away. He focused on the area around him.
The man had thrown him to the bottom of the giant pyramid with his throw. Alex had to be impressed. It was over the length of a soccer field in one throw. Alex pushed himself up, clenching his metal fist as he saw the man walking toward him.
"Are you done fighting?" the man asked.
"Nah," Alex said, holding up his fist. "Just had to let my brain settle from that attack. Step!"
Alex''s feet disappeared in a blur as he instantly cut the distance between him and the man. He reappeared behind the man, swinging his arm toward his head from behind. However, the man ducked his attack without even looking, and Alex had a good idea of what he was dealing with.
"Steel Swing!"
Whoosh.
"Step."
The man disappeared and gained some distance from Alex, and Alex smiled. The man wasn''t that different from another he fought on Lundao when they had to steal a slipship from the Military Police. Alex guessed he had mastered the Path of Step and the Path of Will, similar to that other captain.
The Path of Step allowed the man to use quick movements to move and attack during a fight. Alex guessed that his two techniques from before were just an application of ''step'' to his punch. The Path of Will allowed the man to predict Alex''s attacks. It was a good combination and the same one Captain Grayson had.
While Alex couldn''t take that captain down, he had upgraded his curse to the second grade since then. He had given the captain a good fight while it felt like he was having a stroke, so it stood to reason he might be able to beat the man in front of him.
"You''re good." Alex laughed, holding up his left arm. "Junk Arm."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Blue light flashed around his second arm, and he formed a second metal arm to give himself double the attack options. As the light faded, he raised both fists, putting one foot forward as he got ready to throw punches. The old man watched him, quirking one eyebrow before he also entered his own stance, holding his hands up in a similar stance.
"You young people have too much energy." The man sighed, cracking his neck left and right as he relaxed into his stance. "You''re always far too willing to fight for the fun of it."
"Can you blame us?" Alex asked. "It isn''t every day I get the chance to go toe-to-toe with a captain."
"A captain?" The old man laughed, flashing his teeth. "Is that what you think I am?"
It was Alex''s turn to be surprised. He had to be bluffing. There weren''t many ranks he knew about above a captain in the military police, and they wouldn''t be hanging out on some random island. Captains and lieutenants were the most common of the rank and file officer out in the world.
"So, what do you think you are?" Alex asked as he leaned forward.
"A commander." The old man smiled as he took in a breath. "Flash Fist."
***
Jean stood over his three assailants, completely flabbergasted at their appearance. He had expected fierce warriors on the other end of all those arrows, and in a way, he was a little right. However, part of him expected them to be, well, human. What he was looking at didn''t quite fit his expectations.
"What are you all?" he asked as he looked over the three of them.
They were a hybrid of man and beast. That was the best way he could describe them. Each one of them was covered in dark fur, except for a long white area of fur that ran from their necks down into the exotic clothes they wore. Ears stretched off the side of their heads, long and pointed, yet still covered with black fur. However, they also had their own hair, and each had their own unique style, long and short. Their eyes were slitted and yellow, but they otherwise had normal human faces with human features.
They even had long tails.
"Cat people," Jean whispered, shaking his head. "I never thought I would see the day."
"What is he?" one of the assailants hissed, their bows still pointed at Jean.
"He reeks of death."
"Look at that spirit on his shoulders! He''s a shadow shaman!"
"Now, now." Jean raised both hands, turning Eliza invisible with his will so she wouldn''t bother them. "While I might look odd, I can assure you all that I am mostly harmless. I merely wish to speak with you and was reacting to you attacking me first."
"Don''t believe him!" one of the figures hissed, and Jean guessed it was a ''she'' based on its clothes. "It''s a nightwalker!"
"Nightwalkers don''t look like that," another said back. "But we should be careful. He still smells like death."
"That would be my curse," Jean said, keeping his hands raised. "It can be disturbing until you are used to it. However, I assure you that I mean no harm. My companions and I just wanted to know who was watching us from the forest."
"You''re from the ship?"
"I am." Jean smiled. "We came out to investigate when one of our fellows thought we were being watched. We had to split up to search more ground, but I honestly didn''t think I''d be fated to see such a sight this day."
"You promise not to attack us?"
"I would have if I planned to already." Jean raised his hands higher. "Trust me when I say that I could have killed all of you if I had wanted to, and I had cause to because of your arrows."
An audible gulp interrupted the silence caused by that statement.
"Put down your bow, Iara." One of them lowered their bow. "You too, Jaci. We can help walk him back to his ship. The others should have encountered them by now."
The three assailants put down their bows and stood, and Jean watched every moment. They had pads on the bottom of their mostly human feet, and their nails were long and sharp like claws. They had their tails and their ears, as well as their fur. Aside from those features, though, everything else about them was human. Again, he couldn''t help but take note of the oddities of their forms.
"I am Jean." Jean smiled, holding out his hand. "Known to many as Baptiste ''the Reanimator.''"
"I am called Maocir." The central figure looked at Jean''s hand but didn''t reach out to shake it. "These are Iara and Jaci, my fellow tribesmen."
"And if you don''t mind me asking, what exactly are your people?" Jean closed his skeletal hand but didn''t take offense.
It was hard to find people willing to interact with him, after all. His body was little more than a skeletal frame below his head. While he had his dark and handsome features preserved, including his incredibly sexy bald head, he couldn''t say the same for everything below his neck.
The lack of skin and muscle definitely made others wary of his appearance.
"We are the Zoan," Moacir said, thumping his bare chest. "Though we came from many tribes before we landed on this island, we are still one people. We are the first people."
Jean raised an eyebrow at that. According to every bit of history in the Twelve Kingdoms, the first people were the nobility, which the Scions created. The Scions weren''t human; they were more like divine beings, and they created the nobility to rule over and control the Erth.
It was the kind of thing that could only exist out on the Fringes, and if the island he was on were ever incorporated into the Core, then these people''s history would be erased alongside it. It made Jean want to learn more about it, even if now wasn''t the time.
"What of you, Jean? What are your people? You look like James, but you are clearly not human."
"I was a man once," Jean said, looking at his skeletal hand. "I like to think I still am, in a way. I died and came back thanks to the power of my curse, which granted me this body."
"See, he isn''t a nightwalker, Iara." Moacir smiled at his friend. "I told you."
"We''ll find out who is right when we get them all back to their ship." Iara bristled, her fur standing up and even her long hair becoming frizzy as she turned and walked back the way Jean had come. "Come on, outsider. We will find the truth of things when all of your people return."
Jean couldn''t help but chuckle. He travelled the nightsea precisely for situations like this. A flickering island out in the Fringes and a strange fur-covered people who called themselves the Zoan. It was everything that he had gone out to explore the world for. He followed after the three as they led the way back toward the lake and the ship, smiling all the way.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 161 | Back Again
The more they followed the road buried beneath the dirt, the more obvious the signs became to Erin. It didn''t take her long before she recognized that the odd-shaped pillars that appeared every little while were more markers similar to the one they had uncovered. There was a definite path where trees refused to grow, even if some brush and fronds did pop up along the path. The effects of the gold road made it impossible not to notice.
"There is little room to roam." Artur grunted as he swung his sword through some brush and kicked the remains out of the way. "When all roads must lead home."
"To someone''s home, at least," Erin whispered, tapping her chin as she followed him. "Or what''s left of it."
Boom!
The jungle around them shook, and Erin grabbed hold of Artur''s shoulder to stop from falling to the ground. Artur held up his shield, his eyes searching the jungle around them. Erin balanced herself as another hit shook the area, causing the leaves and vines around them to shake.
"Mighty giants must be the cause," Artur whispered, his shield glowing blue as he opened his gate. "Unless it is merely raucous applause."
Erin shook her head. Artur''s compulsion to rhyme his words seemed unbreakable. She wondered if he would do it even if he were knocked out during a rhyme. She forced that thought out of her mind as she pushed through the brush and toward the origin of the noise.
Through the brush and fronds, she stepped out into an open clearing. In front of her, down an incline, was a large complex of several square buildings surrounding a large stepped pyramid. Erin put a hand on the nearest tree trunk as she looked over it. It was massive, and though it looked abandoned, it had to have taken thousands of people to build it all.
"Shades," Erin whispered, rubbing her eyes.
Even in the distant moonlight, the ruins looked covered with tarnished metal, the same kind of metal covering the road that led to the ruins. If what she saw was real, the entire area was gold. Erin gulped down the dry lump that had formed in her throat.
That was impossible, right?
"A path ahead." Artur came out through the trees, his shield still glowing brightly. "No cause for dread."
Boom!
As Erin looked out over the ruins, she caught the source of the sound, even as the ground shook yet again. Two figures stood out near the temple, throwing punches back and forth against each other. Every hit shook the ground around them, but neither figure seemed ready to back down.
One was an old man, almost comically scrawny except when his muscles bulged before a punch. He wore a black and red coat over his frame but had only ragged and torn rags beneath. He had no shoes, but Erin noticed he wore cobbled-together sandals when he kicked the other figure.
The other was Alex, and Erin was more surprised by how normal that felt. Alex always had a penchant for diving right into trouble, and the man he was fighting was trouble. Erin bit her lip as she watched the exchange of blows, unsure what to do.
"We should help him." Artur pointed his sword toward the fray. "More hands help when hope dims!"
"Wait." Erin grabbed Artur''s hand, pushing the sword down as she watched the fight. "That''s not the best idea here."
"Why not intervene and overwhelm?" Artur asked. "Teamwork is well known regardless of realm."
"You haven''t been around us." Erin sighed, shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips. "Especially those three. If it looks like he can handle it, don''t run in. Alex, Sayed, and Jean love fighting¡ªthere''s no sense in interrupting it unless it is important."
"That is an odd behavior." Artur raised an eyebrow but still sheathed his sword. "But people come in many flavors."
Yeah, like rhyming princes who always spoke in verse. Erin didn''t say what she thought, but it was at the back of her head. Or a healer who worked for the People''s Revolution in denial, a skeleton man who only wanted to travel the world with his reanimated wife, a swordsman who would hold back to get a better story out of his life, or an automaton who denied she was a child, all the while acting like one.
Except for Wen, they were all oddballs of one sort or another.
"Now I have to wonder what secret Wen''s hiding," Erin said as she watched the fight.
"I do not want to cause alarm or any such," Artur asked, as he put down his shield and let the glow fade as he released his curse. "Or do they both seem to enjoy this fight far too much?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Erin squinted as she tried to get a good look at the two, and she noticed both of them were smiling like kids who had just discovered a new game. Neither of them was fighting for their lives; they were fighting and enjoying it. Erin frowned but then just shook her head.
"I''ll remember if he needs to be picked up after this is over," she said. "Maybe he needs to learn a lesson about fighting for the sake of it."
"Oh my, how scary you can be." Artur chuckled. "Perhaps, for his sake, Alex should flee."
Erin glanced at Artur before focusing again on the fight. She had been joking, if just a little. However, if Alex asked nicely, she would heal up any wounds he had. It wasn''t like she enjoyed helping him; it was just what anyone trained in the healing arts would do.
"Come on," Erin said, starting toward the buildings. "We can look around while he''s having his fight."
Together, they set off through the buildings.
***
Alex''s gate blazed with aether in his chest as he opened it wide for his stupid plan. Blood ran down his nose, but he didn''t care. He was simply having too much fun in the fight. All the details of how he had gotten in it were forgotten. All that mattered was that he and the old man in front of him continued to trade blows until the other went down.
Whoosh.
Alex ducked a punch from the mystery man before bringing his left arm right into the man''s gut. However, to Alex''s surprise, the man took it. The air around them shook with the force of the hit, but the man didn''t move a centimeter from where he stood. A smirk cracked the man''s lips as he looked Alex in the eyes.
"You''ve got a strong punch for a kid," he said before pushing down on Alex''s arm with one hand. "Flash Kick."
With a vault, he jumped over Alex''s metal arm and landed behind Alex. Alex had only a moment to spin around and throw up his other metal arm to defend as the kick came. Alex''s arm shook as the man''s foot made contact, and he had to redouble the magnetic hold that held his feet to the ground.
Boom!
Alex had come up with the strategy early in their fight. The man he stood against could throw punches strong enough to send Alex flying, so he used his curse to hold himself to the ground. With the metal beneath his feet, it formed the perfect anchor to keep him from being thrown around.
However, that still meant he had to take the hits, and every hit from the man sent a shockwave rippling through Alex''s body from just the force of the strike. It felt like he was trading blows with Superman, assuming that comic character could come to life off the comic panel.
"You''re good," Alex said, taking in a few ragged breaths.
"And you''re not bad for a kid." The man nodded, holding up his fists again. "In ten years, you might be where I was when I was just starting."
"Ooh," Alex said. "That hurt more than your punches."
"Hah, you can''t let a little banter get to you, kid." The old man smiled as he took in a deep breath. "Flash Fist."
His legs blurred as he shot forward again. Instead of just taking the hit on his arms, Alex did something different this time. He released his hold on one arm, letting it disappear in a flash of blue light as he threw himself to the side. He pushed away from the ground with the magnetic force of his curse simultaneously, practically throwing himself toward the nearest wall.
While standing there and trading blows was exciting and a little fun, Alex still wanted to win the fight, and he wouldn''t do it by sitting still and taking every punch the man threw. His body might be more durable than a normal person''s body, even if the people on Erth were already tanks compared to his original Earth, but it wasn''t indestructible. His arms and chest still pulsed from taking the hits through his metal arms. He didn''t want to imagine what would happen if the old man caught him somewhere more vulnerable.
The old man''s punch caught nothing but air as Alex landed against the metal wall, holding himself there with his magnetism as he focused on his arm. He had used this technique once before on Nowhere in a temple where he was fighting a man named Mister Deadman. The man had been in the form of a giant scorpion at the time, made entirely from bone.
On reflection, Alex realized that a lot of the people he fought had bizarre powers.
Alex pushed that aside, taking in a deep breath as he channeled aether into his metallic arm. The metal on the arm grew like a muscle and doubled in size as he held it ready beside him. Once he was certain of his footing and target, he launched himself off of the wall, pushing with his magnetism just as his feet blurred to add additional force.
"Acceleration Piston!"
He shot off the wall like a cannonball, throwing his fist forward in a punch as he careened toward the old man. Alex wouldn''t have used the technique on any normal person. So far as he could tell, the old man could take the hit. This was the first real chance he had to practice the technique outside of coming up with it.
Boom!
Flesh fist met metal fist as Alex slammed into the old man. However, the old man didn''t move from the hit. Alex pushed, practically suspended in the air between the man''s arm and the wall behind him, thanks to the magnetic push propelling him forward. However, the old man didn''t budge.
"Oh, you''re going to go serious." The old man laughed, pushing back against Alex as he walked forward.
He pushed Alex like a cart on wheels, using one hand and merely walking forward. Alex''s stomach dropped as he slowly walked back to the wall, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. At that moment, Alex realized just how big the gap between them was.
He gulped.
"Now, why don''t I show you a real technique!"
The old man jumped back, and Alex fell to the ground, his arm shattering into a line of blue electric light as his concentration broke. Alex caught himself on his hands and knees and tensed as he prepared to run. The fight had taken a turn he hadn''t expected, and he didn''t know if he could take a real hit from the old man.
"Flash¡ª"
The old man had taken a stance, his body held wide, and his fist held back as he pointed at Alex. Alex''s mind raced at countermoves. He could ''step'' out of the way or throw up a steel barrier and hope that it dulled the strike. He was just about to do both, one after the other, when the old man stopped, his eyes going wide and his jaw going slack.
Crack.
"My back!" the old man yelled before he fell to the ground, clutching at his back.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 162 | The Hunt Begins
Ikal stared out from his hiding spot into the ruins, his jaw slack as James lost. He couldn''t believe it. James may have been hateable, and James may have stolen Ikal''s mother from him, but James was strong. James had single-handedly fended off the invaders that had come to their island in the Dark Meridian. Every time they were threatened, James had easily beaten their enemies.
But to be beaten, thrown to the ground because his back hurt¡ªit was unsightly.
Ikal gripped the corner of the entrance, glaring out into the night as he licked his lips. His bow was strapped around his chest, unneeded. He couldn''t do anything when two strong opponents fought like this. It was James who needed to stand, fight, and pull himself back together.
"Get it together, old man," Ikal whispered.
"Is that it?" The man looked down on James, casting his shadow over the old man as he bent forward in pain. "Are you going to be alright, old guy?"
"Shut it," James whispered, his forehead lined with pain as he closed his eyes. "You try doing this when you''re as old as I am."
"At my rate, I don''t know if I''ll live that long." The man paused, looking out over the ruins. "Well, since we have this pause to the fight, do you want to tell me why you''re fighting me over this ruin? I get it''s made out of gold, but you don''t seem the prospecting type."
"You noticed?" James said, lowering himself to the ground with a groan and laying flat on his back.
"Rubbed the walls of a building a little, but the first tip was that everything here''s made out of metal." The man gestured at himself. "My curse is all about magnetism."
"That explains the metal you conjured." James smiled through gritted teeth. "If you''re not here for the gold, why come to this island?"
"We got attacked by pirates." The man sat across from James, putting his hands on his knees and sighing. "Needed to stop to check on the damage when we spotted this flickering island out in the middle of the nightsea. Then we got a sense we were being watched and went out to check."
"That would be the Zoan." James nodded. "They''re the natives of this island, and these ruins are their sacred grounds. I spotted you while I was chasing down my son. I wanted to get you out as quickly as possible."
Ikal bristled at the words. He wasn''t James''s son. His father was brave and had defended their home until his death. His spirit was interred within the great pyramid. Like all great warriors, he had earned his place in a temple of gold.
"You didn''t shoot the arrow at me then?"
"My son did," James said with a chuckle. "You spooked him. He''s probably listening right now, just getting angry at me calling him my son."
"So, what, you''re the great defender of these people?" the man asked.
"From the constant chaos of the Dark Meridian, yes," James said, and the man froze.
"The Dark Meridian? Not the nightsea?"
"If what you''re saying is right, it looks like I''m finally back home, though I never wanted to come back." James sighed. "If we''re on Erth, the Military Police and the nobility will find this place someday. Though the Meridian is chaos, the order of Erth won''t be better for them."
Ikal didn''t understand at all. He knew what the Dark Meridian was. It was the world his island existed in. James had told those stories often enough. However, this Erth, this nobility¡ªhe had never heard of them at all. He leaned forward to listen better, his long ears twitching.
"Every once in a while, new islands are brought into the Erth," James said. "The Dark Meridian was always explained as a birthing ground for islands that would come to Erth someday, according to my lessons in the Academy. Not all the islands there make it, but they are formed out in the Fringes when they do. At some point, if an island is useful enough, the Scions take it into the core under the dominion of one of the Twelve Kingdoms."
"I''ve seen August," the man said. "I know what it looks like."
"Oh, you''re well-traveled." James laughed. "Sad what happened to August."
"Yeah," the man said. "I do get around, but not as much as a member of the Military Police."
"I''m that obvious, am I?" James said. "So, what are you?"
"Outlaw," the man said. "Call me Alex."
"You''re lucky I left my career behind a year ago," James said. "Though they''d probably recomission me if I brought in ''Tin Man'' Ortega."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"Oof," Alex said. "I''m lucky you''re out with a bad back then."
Crack.
"Very lucky." James pushed himself up, and his back loudly complained. "My official title before I left was Commander James Hewett. I won''t be fighting anymore today, though. You have my word. My back will put me out for a while."
Ikal knew these things already, though he had little context to put it together. The Military Police were warriors for a distant group of islands, like a Constellation, but in a different world. According to James, they had come to the Dark Meridian to explore and make peace, though he had given up his tribe to help out Ikal''s people and protect them. Beyond that, Ikal knew little because James would often be too far into his drink to speak coherently.
"Hard to believe that when I just saw you fighting." Alex sighed. "But that''s one of the oddities of the Erth, I guess."
Ikal had to agree. He had seen what James was capable of, and it was hard to believe that he couldn''t still fight. He could move so swiftly and hit with such powerful blows, but a simple pain in his back supposedly disabled him. Ikal didn''t believe it for a moment.
"If you''ll help an old man to your ship, we can find Ikal and meet up with your friends," James said. "I told them not to hurt you all until I had a chance to sort it out. So long as they didn''t go starting a fight, the hunting party should just be observing."
"Hah." Alex laughed, standing up before reaching out a hand to James. "You haven''t met my crew. I just hope they didn''t go overboard, or else we may end up enemies."
Alex helped James stand. As he did so, movement blurred on Ikal''s left. Ikal turned, and two other figures appeared from behind the building. One was a man with silvery hair dressed in metal-ringed armor and carrying a sword and shield. The other was a small pale woman wearing a green cloak with a hood over her head.
"We''re here too, Alex," the woman said, waving.
"A glorious fight on this night," the man said, sheathing his blade before he spread his arms wide. "A test of might to show who is right!"
Ikal fell forward, losing his grip on the side of the door at the sight of the odd people. He hit the ground on his shoulder and winced in pain but was otherwise okay. When he blinked and looked up, they all towered over him.
"That would be my son," James said, resting one arm over Alex''s shoulder. "Come on, Ikal. We need to get these nice people back to their ship before someone causes a misunderstanding."
Ikal threw himself on his feet with a single jump, landing on all fours before pushing himself to his full height. He, at best, came to the waist of the four people around him, but he held himself tall as a proud Zoan warrior nonetheless.
"Yes, James," he said, averting his eyes for a moment.
"I''m not going to ask." Alex shook his head before turning with James and starting to walk away. "I don''t want to ask, and I don''t want to know."
Ikal didn''t know what the man was so concerned about, but the other people with him smiled and shook their heads as they looked down on him. They quickly turned and followed after their leader, leaving Ikal in the dark in the ruins, still not knowing what was funny.
"Outsiders." Ikal shook his head before looking at the ruins behind him.
His father lay sleeping in those ruins, his spirit permanently interred inside the temple at its center. While Ikal had run off here to take a peek, despite the elders'' warnings, he didn''t see the dangers of the ruins now. The elders'' stories of a disease that infected those who entered the ruins, not on a sacred journey, seemed foolish now. He had gone in and was perfectly fine.
He shook his head as he turned and darted toward the others, leaving the ruins behind.
***
Pop.
Benbeck leaned forward in his seat as The Gilded One burst through the bubble and into the flickering island. He held a coin between his fingers as he looked out through the windows in front of him. A large circular island with high cliffs on almost all sides rose in front of them as they sailed through the sky. Benbeck started flipping the coin between each finger, turning it repeatedly as he ran it through each one.
"I know they''re here," he said. "I can feel my luck burning bright."
"Aye, captain." Jeff''s mustache twitched as he adjusted their course toward a southern beach that wasn''t completely blocked off by cliffs.
"It is the most likely course if they''re going to check for damage," Athena stepped away from her console, her curves dancing in Benbeck''s peripheral vision in her black jumpsuit. "However, the problem is our ship''s also been hit."
"How expensive is it?" Benbeck asked, snapping his coin from mid-air with a grimace.
"We won''t know until we find a repair yard." Athena sighed, holding up both hands and shaking her head. "I don''t think we should keep the ship in the air longer than we need to, though. The longer we''re up, the more damage we might cause."
"So we''ll have to search on foot," Benbeck said, leaning back in his chair and thrumming his fingers across the armrests. "We''ll need the entire crew then. Get on the comms and tell them we''ll find Ortega and his crew before anything else. The second we land, I want everyone out on the beach and ready to search."
"Aye." Athena gave him a faux salute before returning to her station and relaying his orders through the communication tubes.
Benbeck brought up his fingers and formed them into a bridge in front of his face. He had five main members of his crew, including himself¡ªpeople who would be strong enough to take on the likes of ''Tin Man'' Ortega. Siegfried was an excellent swordsman who carried a massive sword. Athena was an excellent scout and navigator with excellent bow skills. Jeff''s fists could break through a ship''s hull with one punch. Manfried''s fiery techniques were useful for more than just the kitchen. Finally, Benbeck''s Robismo was the ultimate trump card against anything Ortega could hit them with.
If Benbeck had left a few of his minions to guard the ship, and they had gone out and found Ortega with his crew, they could have wrapped up the entire operation before sundown. While the island was large, there was no way that Ortega could keep his slipship hidden while it was being repaired.
"Bringing it in for a landing," Jeff said, spinning the wheel as he brought the ship down.
Thump. Hrrm. Thud.
The Gilded One shook hard as it crashed into the water, sending waves splashing out onto the beach as it slammed down. In the wake of the waves, and with the force of their landing disappearing, the ship slowed. Its lodestones hummed lower as it powered down. With a soft impact, it came to a stop against the beach.
"Alright," Benbeck stood. "Everyone get out onto the beach, and I''ll give out my orders. We''ll have the entire operation wrapped up by morning!"
Volume 07 GIlded Cove | Chapter 163 | Return
Wen and the strange creatures stood facing off, a steady silence settling between them as they waited for everyone to return. The group leader still had Mari too close for Wen to act, and she hated every moment that passed. Her hands rested on her revolver, but they wouldn''t be fast enough.
Her curse was too slow. It had a strong effect, allowing her to freeze an object or person with her touch, but it took time. Those precious seconds meant that the five figures would have time to react. If she didn''t pull it off perfectly, then either Mari or she would pay for those shots with blood.
She sighed. It wasn''t the first time her curse had let her down, and it probably wouldn''t be the last. That was why she favored it over long ranges instead of up close. It gave her time to plan things out and predict what would happen in advance. With her opponents standing in front of her with weapons ready, it was an entirely different game.
"You know, this isn''t the friendliest way to deal with strangers," Wen said, eyeing the leader. "You could have come to use openly."
His yellow eyes narrowed, and his ears flicked as he focused on her, drawing his gaze from the jungle below them. The mixture of animal and human features made him hard to read. Was that a sneer that crossed his face, or was Wen just imagining it? It was impossible to tell.
"If you knew the secret of our sacred grounds, you would thank us," he said, gripping the black blade in his hand tighter. "Even in just a short time, there is the risk of making a person sick. For days, you and your friends would waste away, praying for a quick death."
Wen watched him through all that. She didn''t think he was lying. She wondered what could cause someone to be sick by just being in a place. She wasn''t a medical expert. Her degree had been in languages, but she did know a little bit, the same way anyone would by living on modern-day Earth before coming to a new world.
If it were caused by drinking water, simply being in the ruins would do nothing. Bacteria and viruses needed living things to propagate, and if no one stayed there for a long time, it should have the same effect as a quarantine. That made her think about chemical spills and the like, and she had heard stories of train derailments that could poison groundwater for decades.
However, that again would rely on drinking it. It wasn''t like miasma was a thing¡ªthat she knew of anyway. It used to be how humans explained diseases, but who was to say that it couldn''t be a thing in an entirely different world with different rules?
"You''re being awfully cryptic," Wen said, turning her back to the pack.
She was done with posturing. She was stuck in a standoff until everyone else returned. There was no sense in dragging things out because it would change nothing, so she crossed her arms over her chest and waited.
Sayed was the first to make it back, cutting through the trees with his oddly curved blade as he led two of the strange figures back through the forest. He bore a wide grin as he told the two figures a story without a care in the world. Wen wished she could have been as lucky.
"And that is when I sent him flying with only a single blow!" Sayed boomed as he reached the ship. "Oh, Wen, have you also found the strange creatures, brother?"
"Yeah." Wen sighed, resting her arms on the railing. "Everyone should be back soon, and we can clear everything up."
"They were a strange surprise, I must admit," Sayed turned back to the two behind him. "They killed a snake that was trying to have me for its supper, as long as half the ship."
Wen highly doubted that, but Sayed was known for his exaggerations. As he finished that sentence, Jean came out of the jungle from where he had left, followed by three more of the figures. Wen noticed their differences despite the darkness. They weren''t as similar as she first thought.
Though they all had dark fur, the lighter fur patterns across their chests differed. They all had the same kinds of ears, but some were tipped with lighter fur while others weren''t. Wen could even recognize that two were women now, who had their breasts bound in a tight cloth wrap.
"Such an oddity," Jean looked over them and then up at Wen. "Have you come across the Zoan as well? They were quite surprised to come across out in the forest."
"Yeah, I''ve got five of them up here," Wen said, looking back to see that the leader had taken his sword away from Mari and approached the side of the deck.
"Maocir, have you seen James?" the leader asked as he looked down on the group.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"He ran off to catch Ikal." Maocir stepped around Jean, crossing his arms over his furry chest. "Ikal ran off for the temple the second he thought he wasn''t being watched."
"A troublemaker, as always." The leader shook his head. "Once Ikal is caught, James will bring your friends here."
Wen raised an eyebrow at that. The names weren''t matching up. Ikal, Maocir, and James. They didn''t make sense together. At the same time, the leader had walked far enough away from Mari. A part of her resisted the urge to take a shot at him now that Mari was safe. However, that would be petty.
Yet, the butt of her pistol was solid underneath her palm. She pushed the thought aside for later.
"Who''s James?" Wen asked.
"He is an outsider who came to live among our people a year ago," the leader said, looking back over the jungle. "He came to the island when our people needed him, and we owe him much for that."
"He just came in and helped you without¡ª" Wen started to object, but then she noticed Jean and Sayed standing below.
They were the counterexample to her first thought. Alex and his crew always stuck their noses in other people''s business. Alex would maintain that it was for selfish reasons, even though it never matched up for her. She had to admit that her first instinct might be wrong.
"There they are," the leader said, pointing over the railing.
Alex, Erin, and Artur emerged from the trees. Alex supported an older man with his shoulder, and Wen didn''t have to guess that it was the man called ''James.'' The tattered jacket he wore over his shoulders made him stick out. Red and black were the Military Police''s colors. Now, she had to ask why a member of the Military Police would ever help out a group of people. They weren''t known for being nice.
Well, that wasn''t quite right. Most people in the nightsea saw the Military Police as people saw the regular police on Earth. They thought the Military Police were necessary, if somewhat regrettable. On any of the Twelve Kingdoms'' islands, the Military Police were the government and provided all the necessary services that made people''s lives possible. They had less authority in the Fringes but would step in to bring in outlaws and warlords whenever possible.
In that light, they were positive. They used to sign Wen''s checks, so she couldn''t complain. However, she also knew the darker parts of the Military Police. They had their hands in killing dissidents and making sure that everyone in the Empyrean stayed in line. That, in Wen''s mind, wasn''t that different than the regular police, especially in more fascist regimes. They existed to protect the way things were at all costs. Stepping on a few heads was just part of the job.
"You''re not writing a thesis," she whispered, pushing the thoughts aside.
That world was far behind her, even if the habits were hard to break.
"Man, it looks like we all found them." Alex sighed as he looked over the crowd, shaking his head. "Furries."
Wen snorted, but no one else seemed to understand him. While the strange creatures weren''t quite what people on Earth would imagine with the statement, specifically lacking animalistic faces, they were a close approximation. The leader tilted his head as he stood next to her but didn''t comment on the words. Without the context, the word didn''t mean much.
"Alex!" Mari blew past them all and quickly descended the ladder.
Alex let the old man stand alone, and Mari jumped into his arms. Alex managed to catch her but staggered until he regained his balance. Again, Wen wondered if Mari was more a child than a machine. She certainly acted the part of a child.
"There are cat people," Mari said.
"And who is this?" the man with Alex asked, looking over Mari. "She''s very blunt."
"Complicated." Alex shrugged before looking down at Mari as she lay in his arms. "We''ll talk about it in a while, Mari. First, we need to get everything settled."
He handed her off to Erin, who helped Mari to the ground. Erin held her hand off to the side, momentarily mollifying the android.
"Hello, everyone." The man against Alex''s shoulder waved. "I''m James, and I''m glad we got everyone to one place. We''ve talked about your situation, and I think it''s best if we invite you all to the village for the night."
"Just like that?" Wen asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Well, it''s best if you don''t go trying to repair your ship in the dark, and despite how they act, Aapo and his people are some of the most friendly I''ve met."
The one next to Wen puffed out his chest as James said that, and Wen shook her head. How had she gotten wrapped up in all of this? Had it started on Diamond Peak when she decided to join Alex? Or had it started back on Tombstone when he had taken down Goldfist? Jean would say it had all been set in motion the moment she had walked through a portal in the park and found her way to another world.
"No one will be left behind this time then?" Jean asked, his smile gleaming in the dark.
"I think the ship can manage without us out here," Alex said, looking around. "It''s so dark, I can barely see through the shadows."
"You don''t need to worry about your ship," James said, curving his back as he put his hands on his hips.
"Why''s that?"
Crack.
"We keep an eye out for any intruders on a rotation," James said as he popped his back. "When we see someone come into the island, we get ready for if they land."
"So you want us to trust in you?" Wen said, looking over the animal people standing on the deck. "That is after you threatened us."
"We did throw hands," Alex said, raising an eyebrow at James. "However, we can lock the door on the ship. I don''t think anyone will try to bust their way in tonight."
Wen didn''t have that level of confidence. However, she also didn''t think they could fully check out the damage to the ship that night either. It was a balancing act, and the question was if the risk was worth it. The problem was out of her hands, though. They had elected Alex to be the leader of their group, and it wasn''t unreasonable to leave the ship behind.
"Everyone good with that?" Alex asked.
A round of agreements was passed among them, though Wen didn''t join in. Instead, she promised to keep an eye on these strange new people. She could be the eyes that everyone else was not, and if they slipped up and came for the ship, she would handle them.
"Alright. Mari, lock the doors. We''re going to their village for the night."
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 164 | Golden Landing
Benbeck stepped out onto the Gilded One''s small rear deck, immediately starting down the ladder and onto the wet beach below. His crew was there waiting for him, but he had something he needed to check over first. The other ship had managed to ding the Gilded One during the cleanup, and he wanted to see for himself how bad the damage was.
Several large holes gaped open in the metal hull. Tears brimmed in his eyes. The metal was cold, even with the gloves between them. The holes were jagged, and the perfect golden sheen of the Gilded One was ruined.
That worthless captain had managed to damage his ship. Benbeck hung his head, almost forgetting that his crew was waiting on the beach behind him.
"Boss." Jeff approached Benbeck, but Benbeck didn''t want to turn around. "We''re all gathered like you asked."
"Give me a moment to mourn for her," Benbeck said. "She''ll never be the same after this!"
Jeff sighed behind him but left him alone, and Benbeck ran his hand over the hull. The Gilded One was a recent purchase that put him in massive debt. Catching Ortega was on the path to repaying that debt and making the Gilded One his own. He didn''t want to face his lender empty-handed.
But now, because of the complications, his ship had holes in its hull. It was almost too much to bear.
"It''s alright, baby," Benbeck whispered as he ran his hand over the hull again. "We''ll catch Ortega tonight and repair you as soon as possible. You''ll look better than new when I''m done with you."
He waited with a dramatic pause, and then he turned to face his crew. They stood arrayed before him in all their glory on the beach, his hand-picked group that he trusted to see out his plans to overturn the world. Athena stood furthest to the left, his eyes and ears thanks to her curse, dressed in her black jumpsuit with a long green and brown cloak behind it. She had a quiver of arrows tied to her waist and her bow ready in one hand as she gazed off into the night. Jeff stood flexing next to her, his bared chest muscles pulsing as he breathed deeply of the night air. Siegfried had his massive broadsword planted in the ground next to Armstrong, his plate armor glimmering in the moonlight as his long blonde hair fluttered behind him in the wind. Manfred was the last in line; his greasy hair was pulled back in a tight knot with his large chef''s knives sheathed at his waist underneath his tarnished white apron.
Then there were the other two, his minions, who he never bothered to remember the names of. And, of course, there was the strange creature kneeling in the sand.
"And who is this?" Benbeck sauntered forward, drawing a comb from his suit''s pocket and using it to style back his hair.
"We found him looking at us from the trees," Jeff said, kicking the creature. "He tried to get away, but Athena made sure he stopped in his tracks."
"I would have taken more than it''s leg," Siegfried growled. "But her arrow was faster."
"We don''t need every person cut in half, Seigfried." Athena sighed.
"Besides, that would ruin the potential meat," Manfred said, clicking his tongue as he adjusted his circle bifocals. "You have to cut it up in a certain way to keep the meat clean."
Benbeck squinted down at the creature''s leg, noticing a bit of dark brown mud in the sand where it had bled on the beach. Athena had managed a clean shot to its knee. It wouldn''t be running away anytime soon, whether it was man or beast. He smiled as he bent down to see it better in the moonlight.
"What are you, creature?" Benbeck asked. "You have the shape of a man but the fur and ears of a beast. I''ve traveled far and wide in the Fringes and never seen anything like you."
"Hrah!" The creature lashed out with long, curving nails, and Benbeck threw his head back to dodge it.
It was lightning quick, but Benbeck had enough experience talking to caught and broken captives. He knew that there was a chance the creature would take a shot at his face the moment he was close enough. That was why he never let his guard down.
Crack.
"None of that!" Jeff kicked down again, clocking the creature behind its shoulders. "You got to respect the boss!"
"Thank you." Benbeck stood back up and turned away from the creature. "You know, you''re lucky beast. There are people all across the nightsea that would pay a pretty penny for you. If there are more like you, slavers will come from all over to take your kind, dead or alive, to sell to the highest bidder."
Not that Benbek would. He might have been a money-grubbing murderer, but he wasn''t a slaver. Even he had standards, and that stopped at trading in people''s freedom. Death was preferable to slavery when it came to his captives.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Our people will not submit to your kind, outsider," the creature said.
"Oh, it speaks," Benbeck said, faking surprise.
"An animal that speaks is an animal all the same." Siegfried''s lip curled as he lifted his blade. "Let me take its head so we can move beyond this waste of time. For the first time in so long, we have real opponents to face."
Siegfried was after a fight, as was his way. He was an expensive asset to keep on the ship, but his skill with the sword made him worth every penny. Siegfreid had no hope as an independent bounty hunter; he had no sense for money, but under Benbeck''s guidance, he was like a scalpel.
"I wonder what it tastes like." Manfred leaned forward, his hands on his knives as he tilted his head. "I think it''ll be more stringy than fatty. Would it even be worth cooking?"
Manfred had a different problem. He went by many names, but the most prominent one was ''the Cannibal.'' Benbeck had stopped eating meat ever since Manfred became the ship''s cook, which was probably why he was losing so much weight.
"Do you even hear yourself sometimes?" Athena sighed, looking toward the trees. "We''re here for a mission, not to satiate your weird meat fetish."
Benbeck looked up at the Gilded One and sighed. They were getting off track, but that was always a problem with his crew. They were strong, but they worked with him because of the pay. Well, except for Jeff. Jeff ''Strong Arm'' Armstrong would do just about anything he asked.
"Kill him."
Snap.
When Benbeck turned around again, he saw the creature falling to the ground, its head twisted at an impossible angle, as Armstrong stood over it with both arms outstretched. The deed was done, and they could get on with their mission. Every minute wasted was one where Ortega might get away.
"Finally." Siegfried sighed, resting his massive sword on his shoulder. "Now we can get started."
"So, how are we going to dice up this work?" Manfred asked, a smile crossing his face as he met eyes with Benbeck.
"If there are people here, there should be a village or town nearby," Benbeck said, looking down at the strange creature.
"I see a fire in the distance and through the trees," Athena said, squinting her eyes at the tree line. "That might be a good place to start."
Athena was the perfect scout; her eyes could see things far beyond what a normal human could. Benbeck didn''t just keep her around for her looks. No, she was almost as valuable as Jeff. Where Jeff brought his loyalty, Athena brought a keen eye and mind.
"The island itself wasn''t that large from the sky," Benbeck said, combing his hair again. "We go there and scope things out, maybe get some information if Ortega and his crew aren''t there already. Then we play it by ear until we wrap this whole thing up."
"What about us, boss?" Benbeck''s two henchmen asked, looking at each other.
Benbeck turned on them, remembering they were there for the second time that night. He struggled to remember their names but came up blank, so he settled for calling them ''the fat one'' and ''the skinny one.'' It would do until they died or quit his crew, whichever came first.
"You two will stay behind and look after the ship." Benbeck smiled, pocketing his comb and pointing back to the ship. "While you''re doing that, see if you can seal up the holes and give it a good polish."
They both looked at him, their mouths agape, but Benbeck didn''t care. He walked past them, heading toward the jungle as the rest of the crew followed. He would find Ortega before the night was over and bring him and his crew in. That money was practically already in his pockets.
He would pay his debts, get the Gilded One in his hands debt-free, and finally be able to journey to the New World to make all his dreams come true. It was a small dream, but it was his own.
***
Miss Glory coiled around the hull, keeping to the shadows as Benbeck and his crew left. Her tendrils only released once they were behind the treeline and out of sight. After Athena had managed to spot a faraway fire through the night, Miss Glory knew not to reveal herself or move too early.
Benbeck had left two crew members behind, and they were currently arguing over who should enter the ship to get repair equipment.
"You''re just trying to be lazy," the skinny one said, pushing the fat one on the shoulder.
"You used the last repair kit. You know where they''re at," the fat one said, rubbing at his shoulder.
They started pushing and fighting each other, and Miss Glory decided that they were sufficiently distracted. She needed to get started, and every moment wasted was a moment that she couldn''t see what was happening in the forest. She released her hold on the ship''s hull and let herself fall to the sand below.
Plop.
"Pop Form."
Miss Glory dropped onto the sand and reformed her entire body. Her green mass writhed up in intertwining vines as she poured power into her gate. First, her legs writhed up from her plant form, twining into solid green stumps. Then she formed out her chest and abdomen, imbuing herself with a white moss over her body that formed her version of clothing. Her arms grew out from her shoulders, ending in long green fingertips, and finally, her head popped out of her torso, forming a rosebud with a black stamen at the center. Pink eyes blinked as she took in the world again through her humanoid form.
"Ah, it''s been too long," Miss Glory whispered out of a formless mouth, causing the two men to turn on her and see her for the first time.
"What in the abyss is that?" The skinny one jumped, grabbing hold of the fat one.
"Pop Entangle!"
Whip.
Miss Glory lashed out with her vines. They slammed into the two men, instantly binding them together in a looping coil. Miss Glory would have smiled if she had a mouth.
"Mmph!" the fat one tried to speak, but Miss Glory''s vines were already doing their work, growing over the two men and wrapping them tighter and tighter with every passing second.
"I need you two boys to be quiet for a while," Miss Glory said as she pulled them closer, wrapped them up, and laid them on the sand. "I''ve got work to do."
Miss Glory left the two men behind, starting toward the jungle and after Benbeck''s crew. Her plan was simple. She would let Benbeck and his crew handle Ortega, and when they had taken Ortega''s crew down, she would swoop in and take control. She would have to do none of the work but would reap all the benefits when she turned over the prince and Ortega to Miss Malone.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 165 | The Fallacy of Paths
Crickle-crackle.
Alex looked out at the massive bonfire burning in the center of the village, a wooden cup in his hand and a fermented fruit juice of some kind sloshing inside. He didn''t know what fruit it came from, but it tasted sickly sweet, especially considering the lack of sugar cane on the island. He rested his elbow on one knee and let the other leg lay straight toward the fire. The heat burned through his boots, but it was a comforting heat.
James lay on a rug beside him, stretched out so that his back was straight but still with his head propped on his arms as he looked into the fire. The old man could barely walk back to the village without complaining about his back pain. Even with all his strength, James couldn''t fight age.
The others were resting or off doing their own thing. The village was built of rounded buildings with dried, pointed grass roofs, each surrounded by a circular deck. Inside, some were communal sleeping areas, with hammocks tied between a central pole and the outer poles that made up the building.
Alex didn''t feel like sleeping, both because of his body and because of the new environment, so he volunteered to stay up and keep an eye on their hosts. They seemed fine, but trust had to be earned.
"You sure you''re going to be alright?" Alex asked.
"I''ll be fine in a day or two. I just pushed these old bones too hard in our little sparring match." James laughed, turning his head and wincing. "You can''t beat old age. You can only accept it."
"Don''t say that." Alex shook his head. "I can feel the clock ticking."
"You in a rush to live your life?"
"I''m not from here." Alex shrugged, taking a sip from the drink. "I want to get back, but every year that passes is another that I''m away from home."
"Ah." James sighed. "I know that feeling, though I left my home by choice. I was from April, you know. Made my way through the Academy and joined the Military Police to see the world. Then I got shipped off to the Dark Meridian."
"What''s it like?" Alex asked.
"The Dark Meridian?" James asked, reaching an arm around to push up his glasses. "Chaos. We''ve tried to build a decent foothold in it, but there are just too many competing powers. It''s nothing like Erth or the Empyrean. Everything here is just too orderly, too controlled."
"And being in the Military Police?" Alex asked. "You ran away from it, right?"
"I did do that." James sighed, staring at the fire again.
Bzzt.
Insects buzzed around them in the night, but Alex didn''t push. They had a long time to wait until the morning, and neither of them seemed to want to sleep. Alex was sure that James had his own reasons for it.
"You weren''t in the Military Police, right?" James asked.
"They detained me for a while," Alex said. "But I''ve never joined. Why do you ask?"
"You used ''step'' in the fight." James shrugged. "While techniques happen regardless, very few people who aren''t in the service learn the Path of Step."
"That''s because someone taught me it," Alex said. "Might, too. What about you? ''Flash Fist'' isn''t one of the Five Paths."
"It isn''t. I''m sure you figured it out already on your own, but the Paths are a fallacy. They''re a standardized way to look at the manipulation of aether."
Alex tilted his head. He had applied ''might'' to his curse and used ''step'' to help speed himself up while also using his curse, but he thought of those as more an application of one of the paths, not a contradiction. However, James was telling him something different.
"What are you talking about?"
"That ''Acceleration Piston'' you did back in ruins, how did you do it?"
"I used my curse to push myself off the wall while kicking off with my feet at the same time." Alex closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to focus. "I applied ''step'' to throw myself off with more force."
"But you didn''t use ''step,''" James said, a crooked grin cracking his face. "Step is a technique to kick the ground really fast. What would happen if you did the same with your arms?"
"Steel Barrage," Alex said, though he had been sure he copied that from Goldfist with his ''Golden Blows.''
"So you''ve already done it."
"Maybe." Alex grimaced.
"What other paths do you know?"
"Might," Alex said, but he already knew where it was going. "I''ve funneled the same aether for ''might'' into my arms before, made one big metal fist to squash a big bug."
"That''s what I mean," James said. "The Five Paths are a standardization for manipulating aether, not the be all end all of techniques."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"So what, I should just ignore them?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at the old man.
"That''s not quite right either." James sighed. "They''re good for learning the basics; you should learn the basics of all five if you can. But beyond that, you have to apply the principles behind them. Especially since you''re unlucky enough to have a curse, too. That adds an extra layer of work."
Alex nodded but wasn''t sure how he could apply that right now. However, he had a question that he needed answered if James was such an expert on techniques. He might never get the chance to be this friendly with a member of the Military Police again.
"So, what paths do you know?"
"Me?" James started to move, but again, his back stopped him. "I know three, though I was working on a fourth before I dropped out of the Military Police. I know the Path of Step, the Path of Will, and the Path of Grit."
"If you had to choose between ''will'' and ''grit,'' which would it be?" Alex asked.
"The Path of Will," James said. "Every time. ''Grit'' took getting hit a whole lot to master, day in and day out. By comparison, ''will'' was a lot less painful. ''Will'' is also the better long-term, though it''s hard to master. It''ll let you ignore some effects of curses if you''re strong enough."
"How?" Alex''s jaw dropped.
"You''ve got magnetism, right?" James said, rifling through his pocket until he drew out and unfolded a small metal pocket knife. "Take this out of my hand with it."
Alex smirked, opening his gate and embracing the electric feel that flowed through his body with his curse. He didn''t know what the old man meant, but there was no way he couldn''t just pull the knife out of his hand. He wasn''t even keeping a tight grip on it. Alex reached out a hand and pulled on the knife with his magnetism, but nothing happened. He tried again, but the knife didn''t budge.
"The heck?" Alex couldn''t believe it.
"Path of Will." James laughed. "Well, ''will'' in general would describe it better. Will affects aether, and curses affect aether. If your will is strong enough, you hold yourself better against someone trying to influence the aether around you."
"You can negate curses?"
"Parts of them," James said. "Try pushing against it."
He stabbed toward Alex, and Alex switched his curse. He willed a ball of repulsive force into his hand as the dagger came for him, and as he would have expected, the dagger slowed to a stop as it came toward his arm. However, the blade pushed forward after a moment, cutting into the ball of repulsive force like it was only slightly hindered.
"That''s freaky," Alex said, shaking his head. "I never knew there were these kinds of limitations."
"You ever see the really crazy curses?" James asked. "Like someone that can manipulate the air around themselves?"
"I''ve seen that one recently," Alex said, thinking back to Mister Foley back on Diamond Peak.
"You ever wonder why they don''t just rip the air out of someone''s body and suffocate them?" James held up a finger. "Or how we handle the ones that can change into elemental forms?"
Alex thought back to Dry Turtle. Miss Brooke had been a major problem, and if Wen hadn''t encountered her, he wasn''t sure that anyone on his crew could have taken her on. If there were other curses like that, he couldn''t see a way to take them down beyond something that could drain away the aether in a person.
"We call in the heavy hitters for those," James said. "To become a commander, you need two paths mastered, and you need the Path of Will. Anything above that, you can assume that you can''t just do what you want around them with a curse."
"That makes sense," Alex said after a moment. "I had never really thought about it before, but there have to be some limitations on curses and techniques. I just never thought you could negate them completely."
There was a problem, though. Alex remembered another encounter on Dry Turtle: a man named Charles Bolton who had pulled his gun back from Alex''s control after saying just one word¡ª''Reject.'' Was that a technique or a curse? He had no idea.
"Well, it takes a lot of learning, and we''ve developed other ways to negate curses and techniques over the years. Doctor Ozymandius is always producing something new to throw at people."
Alex grimaced but hid it as best as he could. He didn''t need to make any commentary on that particular person. Ozymandius was the reason he was the way he was now. Years of torture inside of a lab did things to a person that were best left out of any conversation.
"So," Alex said. "How does one go about mastering the Path of Will?"
"You sure? ''Grit'' hurts more, but it is a lot easier."
"I''ll take both if you''ll give them," Alex said. "But we''re heading for the Twelve Kingdoms. There are a lot of strong obstacles in the way. The Path of Will might be the thing that saves us in the end."
"Hmph." James eyed him with a sidelong glance but then shrugged. "I don''t know why I''m worrying about it. It''ll take you years to get it if you even learn it at all."
"So, there''s no point in not telling me." Alex smirked.
"You''re lucky you gave me a good fight, and I don''t get a feeling you''re bloodthirsty," James said. "If you were one of those madman outlaws I came across when I was still on duty, you''d get nothing from me. But you and your crew were kind, and I''ll pay that kindness back."
Alex rolled one hand, motioning for James to continue.
"Don''t begrudge a man his niceties," James snapped. "For that, I''ll tell you about ''grit'' first. That one''s simple enough. Focus on pushing aether into all your body at once and hold it while you get hit over and over again. Eventually, it''ll be so second nature that you''ll do it automatically. That''s all grit is. You throw a boost of aether across your body when you get into a fight without thinking about it."
"So it''s like might, but over your entire body," Alex said.
"Not as much as might." James wagged a finger. "Might puts a lot in a part of the body, more than what it should be able to handle. That''s why it flexes your muscles. Grit puts a smaller amount across the entire body to harden it but not overbear it. If you go too far, you won''t even be able to move."
"Alright," Alex said, kind of getting it. "And you have someone hitting you to practice how much you need until it is second nature to you."
"That''s right." James nodded.
"And what''s ''will'' then, focusing aether in your head and having people yell at you while you try to concentrate?"
"Will''s all about understanding aether flow," James said, shaking his head. "If you want to learn that, you first need to get everything quiet and just focus on manipulating the aether. Do it often enough, and you''ll start to notice the patterns in how aether flows, and your ability to control it will become more refined."
Alex squinted at him.
"You have to meditate on it?" he asked, thinking about monks in a temple, their arms on their knees and their legs crossed.
"Whatever you need to focus on the flow of aether," James said. "Some people use music to focus. Some people do it best in combat. Find a way to focus on the flow and pay attention to it until it''s second nature. That''s how you start the Path of Will. Once you understand the basics, you''ll know what to do to master it."
Alex didn''t know if he believed that, but it was a better hint than anything else he had heard before. It would at least give him something to focus on as they made their journey into the core. He picked up his wooden cup and tipped it at James in a toast.
"Well, thanks," Alex said. "I''ve at least got a place to start now."
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 166 | Cold Conversations
Wen knelt on the ground, holding the black cylinder containing her rifle rounds close to her chest as she focused on her gate. She opened it wide as the temperature around her dropped, and rivulets of condensation dripped from her hands onto the floor. A chill winter wind flowed through her body constantly as she focused the essence of cold into her hands.
She had to have the bullets specially made. They were crystal-tipped projectiles that would take on the cold and store it for a time. However, her real problem was her reliance on the tools. She didn''t encounter the problem often but knew it was there.
If an opponent took her by surprise, or if she ran out of ammunition, she had cold hands. While she could freeze an opponent, that took time to build up. It was why she had to sit with the cylinder every night and force it to be cold for over an hour.
However, there was little she could do to change it. Her tools were what made her power possible to use in a fight. Even Miss Brooke had required her to hide for a few minutes to build up enough of a cold ball to have any real effect. That kind of time just wasn''t normally possible in a fight.
She set the cylinder on the floor, her hands shaking from the pressure and the cold. Little bits of frost formed across her fingernails as she looked down at them. Why couldn''t she have gotten a curse like the others when she first came to nightsea? Magnetism had so many applications. If she were Alex, she could use his power with her sharpshooting skills to accelerate bullets to an excessive degree or curve shots to hit hard-to-hit targets. Sayed''s heat could allow her to shoot shots that melted through targets and could beat through armor. Admittedly, she couldn''t think of similar applications for Erin or Jean''s curse, but there had to be something.
Her cold just took too long. That was the problem.
Thump.
Jean had approached when she wasn''t paying attention, and she turned to see him sitting down on the floor with his back to the hut''s wall. She quickly hid her cylinder, tucking it beneath her coat and letting her hands start to warm.
"You''re still awake," his voice was a whisper, but he didn''t need to bother.
Erin and Sayed still hadn''t gone to bed in the hut the crew shared for the night. Mari was still with Erin, and Wen had decided to go to the room alone. It was surprising that Jean had come to join her at all. With his nature, she wasn''t even sure if he needed to sleep.
"I am," she said, doing her best to ignore the tingling feeling that tickled its way through her fingers. "Did you need me for something?"
Jean sighed, looking toward the door before he said anything.
"You seem to be in turmoil," he said, returning his dark eyes to her own. "I don''t think I would be a good compatriot if I didn''t lend an ear."
Wen glanced at the cylinder but didn''t want to say it. While they had traveled together for a few weeks now, that didn''t mean she completely trusted Jean. Aside from his appearance, there was something off about the man and his focus on the ''fates'' of others.
"I see some skepticism." Jean chuckled. "But don''t mistake me. I''m only here to lend an ear to a person in need."
"You''re worried about me," Wen said. "But there''s no need. I''m fine. I''m the same I''ve always been."
"That''s where I think you''re wrong," Jean said, raising up a skeletal finger. "I can see it in your soul. There is a war within you, and you doubt yourself. That much, at least, is clear to me, though I do not know why."
"A war within my soul?" Wen raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to make it more dramatic than it is?"
"Drama is the spice of life," Jean said with a crooked grin. "But no, it is important to settle these things, and I am here for you if you wish. I will not force you to talk, but I also will not leave."
Wen blinked a few times at him, unsure of what to say. Would he just sit there all night if she didn''t say anything? Again, she had to wonder if he needed to sleep at all. She didn''t want that hanging over her all night. The only other choice was to give him what he wanted.
"Fine," Wen said, picking up the cylinder. "Do you know what this is?"
"A tool you use with your curse," Jean said. "And it is an interesting crutch in my mind. While your bullets are effective when they hit, it has stunted your curse''s growth."
Wen grimaced. Was that an insult? She looked at the cylinder in her hand. Was it a crutch or the only way she could think of to make her curse effective? However, the other question was about what Jean knew about curses.
"What makes you such an expert?" she asked.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"My curse was originally simple," Jean said. "I could sense a sort of energy and manipulate it into strings. That was the first level of my curse."
Thud.
"There''s levels to curses?" Wen dropped the cylinder.
"At least two, as far as I am aware," Jean said. "The way I see you, you are stuck on the first level, and because of your reliance on your tools, you won''t ever push yourself to advance."
"I already push myself," Wen said, clenching her fists.
"Do you?" Jean shook his head. "When you faced the water serpent on Dry Turtle and froze it, that was pushing yourself. You came up with an application for your cold and tried it despite the risk to yourself."
Wen had been desperate then. She had time in the middle of the fight, and it allowed her to try something new. Was Jean saying that she had to do that? Instead of relying on her weapons, she had to throw them away and use her curse in a fight. She didn''t like it.
"But that''s too slow for a fight," she said. "I was lucky with Miss Brooke. She was more focused on breaking the ship than fighting me."
"True," Jean said, raising up his arms in a shrug. "But let me tell you this: My curse was also useless at the beginning. My strings could do little more than help me throw small objects. Spirit String."
He flicked out a finger, and Wen''s cylinder flew into his hand. Wen''s hand instinctively went for her revolver, but she stopped. Jean was a part of the crew, and he was trying to prove a point, even if it was irritating her.
"Even within the first grade of my curse, it has evolved," Jean said. "I can now manipulate my opponent''s bodies if their will is weak. I can create a barrier, and all of that was just part of my path to my second grade."
He threw the cylinder back to Wen, and she caught it. She sat it down behind her so that she was a barrier to any more strings from Jean, but Jean merely smiled.
"I get it," she said. "I don''t know what I''ll do with it, but thanks for the advice."
"Anytime." Jean laughed, rising and exiting the hut with a small wave. "I''m always interested in seeing people be their best. You have potential, Wen. You just need to use it."
Wen settled back against the enter pole as he left, pulling the cylinder out from behind her and looking at it. Was she truly so weak? Changing herself would require her to reconsider everything. It would change her preparations and how she dealt with opponents. It would be a risk.
She focused on her curse and held the cylinder close to her chest. She would think on Jean''s advice.
***
Ikal watched the woman in green as she sat with the strange creature in the firelight. He had never seen anything like the creature before. She smelled unlike anything he had ever smelled before. She didn''t smell like a human or a Zoan. He couldn''t even begin to describe the scent.
Then there were her eyes, which glowed blue in the night without the aid of any light.
"Neither Zoan nor beast and certainly not one of James''s kind," Ikal whispered as he leaned closer to the edge of the hut he hid behind.
"You know we can hear you, right?" the woman in green looked directly at him in his hiding spot, and Ikal quickly jumped backward. "You can come over to talk to us. We won''t hurt you."
Ikal stood in the darkness for a while, but he could do nothing. The strange woman had seen him in the darkness despite his efforts. He could run, but she had invited him to talk with them. Perhaps she could answer his questions about the strange creature. Ikal swallowed and slinked out toward the firelight.
"I''m Erin," the woman said before pointing to the strange creature. "This is Mari."
"I am Ikal, son of Rangi." Ikal thumped his fist to his chest once before sitting beside the two.
"So, why were you stalking us, Ikal?" Erin smiled at him, and Ikal''s ears burned.
"I was not stalking you," Ikal said, crossing his arms over his chest. I was just curious about you."
"And why''s that?" Erin asked.
"She smells weird," Ikal said, pointing one finger at the strange creature the woman had called Mari.
"I do not." The creature slinked away from him, grabbing Erin''s waist and hiding its face behind her.
"That kind of opening won''t earn you any friends." Erin put her arm around the creature. "It''s okay, Mari. I don''t think he said it to insult you."
She was acting like the other older girls in the tribe when Ikal approached them. They would all laugh at Ikal when he said something or run away and hide. Ikal looked away from the two of them and out into the forest, putting his hands in his lap as his tail twitched.
"She''s an automaton," Erin said. "She helps us navigate our ship, but that''s probably what you smell."
"An automaton?" Ikal glanced back at the two of them.
"I don''t know if I can explain it to you," Erin said, sighing. "Mainly because I don''t know that much about her yet, but that''s the best I can do."
"I see," Ikal said.
"What about you?" Erin asked. "I''ve never seen anything like your people before."
"If I didn''t know James, I''d think the same about you," Ikal said under his breath.
"True." Erin laughed. "Normal is what you''re used to, I guess. But tell me about your people. Please, the curiosity is killing me."
Ikal tilted his head, unsure of how curiosity could kill someone, but there was no harm in telling her a little about his people. So long as they were guests, it was his duty to give some hospitality to them. So he turned to face her, tapping his chest with one finger as he began.
"We are the Zoan, the first people. Our ancestors came from Paradise, and we have journeyed far and wide across the world. My tribe found this island a hundred years ago when we made our pilgrimage from Paradise."
"Paradise is a very specific word," Erin said, patting Mari''s head. "Why would you want to leave it?"
"That is the command of our gods," Ikal said. "We should spread far and wide, and when we leave this world, we return to Paradise to serve with our experiences. We go out into the world to improve so that when we return, we can better serve the gods."
"I see." Erin frowned, but Ikal didn''t know why. "And those ruins, that temple, what are they for?"
"They are from when we first came to the island," Ikal said, a tear running down his cheek as he thought of his father. "And they are where our fallen go to serve the gods."
"But why is it abandoned?" Erin asked. "Why don''t you all live there?"
"The sickness." Ikal''s tail drooped. "The temple is for those who have passed on, not for the living."
He stood up, turning away from the fire and toward the shadows. He didn''t like where the stranger''s questions were going, and he wasn''t going to force himself to stay.
"I''m going."
"Wait!"
It was too late. Ikal ran off into the night, the temple, and his father in the back of his mind.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 167 | Something in the Water
"Know that I hold no grudge against you, brother," Sayed took a deep breath, drawing aether into his body and making his arm muscles bulge as he pulled against Aapo''s hand. "But I will win this day and this prize."
"That ch''arki is mine, outsider!" Aapo strained against Sayed''s arm on the table, their stools on the ground forgotten, but Sayed did not budge.
Sayed smiled at him. He could let the man win, but the jerky smelled delicious, and he wouldn''t let it go so easily. He turned his grip and started to lean in with his shoulder, putting his full weight behind his movements. Aapo huffed, holding his breath as he fought back, but that was the man''s mistake. Sayed pulled harder, but in reality, he needed to do little more than turn his body. Arm wrestling was not about strength but technique, and he brought Aapo''s furry hand down.
Boom.
Sayed slammed Aapo''s hand onto the table with one last burst of effort, ending their match with a cacophonous boom across the hut. Around him, several of the other Zoans erupted in mewling cheers while others hung their heads in defeat. The wagers had been set. The bets were done, and Sayed won the day. One of the Zoan, a woman Sayed guessed from the binding around her chest, brought him the last piece of jerky and laid it on the table before him as victor.
"Let it not be said that I am not a good sport." Sayed drew one of his khopesh from his back, using the curved blade to cut the piece of dried dark red meat into two halves.
He slid it across to Aapo, and Aapo favored him with a crooked smile that split his furred face.
"Many thanks to you, friend," Aapo said, tossing the jerky into his mouth and beginning to chew.
"The experience is well worth the cost, brother." Sayed smiled, doing the same. "This village feels so alive, and it has been so long since we have experienced such great hospitality!"
"Hah." Aapo snorted, his slitted eyes flicking across the people around him, who had stepped away from the scene to return to their night''s festivities. "Is that how you see it, friend?"
Aapo stood up, stepping toward the door to the hut and looking out into the night. Sayed sheathed his sword and followed the Zoan, unsure of what he meant. Everything in the village seemed fine. Other than the normal travails of life, the people seemed to be happy.
"What do you see when you look at my people?" Aapo began to walk through the village.
Many of his people were retiring for the night, going into huts and rolling down the cloth doors that covered them. Sayed saw many of the Zoan at that moment, and he noticed something, but he wondered if that was what Aapo was talking about.
"A strange question," Sayed said. "But you have so very few children."
"That is precisely the problem," Aapo said, looking out to the center of the village and toward the bonfire. "We have three children in the village now, though we are fifty strong. James has talked to me about this, and he thinks it is due to the temple''s disease."
"The temple brings a sickness upon your people?" Sayed asked, a grimace crossing his face.
"We try to keep the young away, but that hope dwindles every day. It is not just in the temple but in the air we breathe and the water we drink. The sickness is all around us, and it dwindles us every day. I do not think our tribe will be long for this world, but soon, we will all return to Paradise."
"My people have temples of our own," Sayed said, his eyes drawn toward the fire. "Great stone structures built to follow the path of the sun across the Hajh. What purpose does your temple serve?"
"Our temple is a relic of Paradise," Aapo said. "When our island was severed from Paradise and sent into the Dark Meridian for our trials, the temple was the one remnant of the old world that would be here, forever unchanging. It gives us a place to keep our dead until we all return to Paradise."
"But it also causes you a sickness." Sayed shook his head. "I find that¡troubling."
"That is a relic of our founder," Aapo said, sighing. "He had a strange power¡ªa way to communicate with the spirits beyond us that no one else could. He gilded the temple as a way to honor himself and deny the gods, and for that, we were punished with the disease and forced to live away from the temple. We can only return when our path in this world is over."
"You are punished for the crimes of your forebearers?" Sayed shook his head. "I cannot see that as justice."
"But it is as the gods will." Aapo shrugged. "Who are we to judge them?"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Sayed took in a deep breath, unsure of how to respond to that. If his own god commanded him to do something horrible, or if his god caused an unjust punishment in Sayed''s eyes, would he be able to judge it? Sayed had never run into the situation before, so it was a novel thought.
"I do not know the answer to that," Sayed said. "But I will bring this situation to my companion''s attention. Perhaps they know something that I do not. Perhaps there is no need for your people to suffer any longer."
"You are a good man, Sayed." Aapo placed a hand on Sayed''s shoulder and smiled, his yellow eyes dilating in the night. "While I will hold out hope for our young, I think it is far too late for that."
After that, Sayed left him behind, going to gather all of his friends together before they went to bed. They sat around the bonfire, with even James joining the group as Sayed relayed the details of what Aapo had told him.
"The disease is very real," James said from where he lay on his stomach. "I helped a little with it when I first came and moved Aapo''s people further from the temple, but that clearly hasn''t been enough. I don''t know enough about diseases to point to the origins, and the constant fights to keep the village safe ended up distracting from the problem."
"It could be a chemical runoff or something like that," Alex said, looking at Wen. "I don''t know enough about that stuff. How about you?"
"I majored in languages." Wen shrugged. "I know about as much about science as you do. However, maybe the gold is giving off radiation, or there''s runoff that feeds into a river or something."
Sayed had no idea what the two of them were talking about, but that was normal. Alex and Wen had come from the same world, so they shared some knowledge that no one else in the group had. Sometimes, they would say things that would even make each other laugh but never explain them.
"I''ve worked on miners before," Erin said, patting Mari''s head as she slept in her lap beside the fire. "There have been cases where the metals they deal with get in the water supply and make them sick. It could be related to that."
"The simple solution would be to leave the island entirely," Jean said. "Strike out for a new one or one of the major hubs, like Dry Turtle."
"It would be best to do that without delay." Artur crossed his arms across his chest as he looked into the fire. "To outrun a sickness, you must go far away."
"That could be a sentence to slavery or death, assuming you could convince them to leave the island to begin with," James said. "Don''t think I hadn''t thought about it when we were on the Dark Meridian, and we could have traveled to a different island more easily. They don''t have the resources to build a slipship. No lodestone mines or anything of that nature."
"Man, it''s so weird talking about this with a commander of the Military Police." Alex sighed, looking down at James. "Why did you choose to protect them? How did you get away from the service? Something''s not adding up for me. It can''t be just because you''re a furry."
"Really?" Wen snorted.
"It''s kind of the elephant in the room," Alex said, eyeing her with a raised eyebrow. "You don''t want to bring it up, but it''s there."
Again, these were the little things that they would do. Sayed had no idea what they were talking about, but neither of them would explain. It was like they were speaking a secret language that no one else understood.
"That''s been bothering me too," Erin said. "Why are you here?"
"Fine, I''ll tell you." James sighed. "I''m not that long for the world anyways, though I thought my secret would die with me."
He pushed himself off the ground with a groan, his hand going to his back as he brought his legs beneath himself to sit up. He looked between each of them, his eyes locking with Alex''s last.
"The Dark Meridian is a place of strife and battle. It pits island against island, and entire empires constantly seek to connect new islands to their Constellations. But that''s just the background."
He reached out with a finger and drew a few connected dots in the ground as he spoke. To Sayed''s eyes, the dots were little more than pointed five-sided figures with arms and a leg. One of the arms held up what looked like a long stick of sorts. That must have been what James meant by a Constellation.
"We were out on patrol with our convoy, and I was the commander of the group," James said. "We ran across an invasion force and came out on the losing side of the fight. My command ship crashed into the island as we fled the battle, and all but three of us died in the crash."
"You were shipwrecked," Alex said.
"We were," James said. "And that was how we came across Aapo and his people. They showed us kindness in our moment of need, and I was grateful for it. However, my men saw it differently. They wanted to bring back the gold and one of the Zoan to our base. They saw the gold as a ticket to a promotion and some exotic new kinds of slaves to add to the mix."
James looked into the fire, his eyes going cold and distant.
"I didn''t agree with them, so I did what I had to do and gave up on going back to the service," he said, shaking his head and drawing his eyes away from the fire. "That''s how I ended up here, though I never expected to see the nightsea or the Erth again. I thought I''d spend my days fighting to keep this place safe."
"And Ikal," Alex said.
"I adopted him when I started seeing his mother," James said. "I think the term we used in the service was ''going native,'' but I don''t care. The Zoan have been kind to me, and I have a home here now. Maybe one day Ikal will accept that."
Sayed wiped at the tear forming in his eyes. It was a sad but also heartwarming tale. Hospitality and friendship were so important in strange lands, and James had repaid the kindness with his own. The man might have been a member of the Military Police, but Sayed knew then that he was still a good person.
"What happened to your ship?" Alex asked.
"Long sunk in the sea outside the island," James said. "Don''t think I hadn''t thought of stealing the lodestone off it, but it was too late by the time I thought of it. Unless you can dredge up the ship with your own, that''s not an option for getting them out of here."
"We can look into that in the morning." Alex sighed. "Not that I want to get invovled. However, since you guys were so kind to us, I''ll see what I can do."
Boom.
In the distance, an explosion ripped through the night. Everyone around the fire froze as a dust cloud erupted at the edge of the village toward the south side. Sayed reached for his kopesh as everyone else readied themselves. Only James stayed still, unable to move because of his back pain.
All eyes were on the cloud as a second explosion of force ripped through the night, and three shadowy figures stepped out from the cloud.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 168 | Ambush
Benbeck looked out over the village as his plan went into motion. The three heavy hitters on his crew, Jeff, Manfred, and Siegfried, stood out in the dust cloud while he and Athena stayed out of sight and ready to intervene if necessary. He wanted a clean operation. They needed to take down Ortega fast or get out of there, not that they knew where he and his crew were.
Benbeck just wished he had more information on the crew.
He knew several crew members were present, and he could even identify one of them who wasn''t Ortega. ''Sword Saint'' Sayed was famous enough from the stories Benbeck had heard, but that left the other four people he had seen as shadows around the fire.
One of them was an old man who hadn''t moved from the start of the attack, though he glared fiercely into the dust cloud. The other two were women, and one of the women had a child with her. Then there was the dark man in blue robes and the knight with silver hair.
"Some information was left out of the briefing," Benbeck sighed as he pulled out his comb and styled up his hair.
"I''ve got one!" Athena came at him through the brush, settling beside him with a furry creature bound in her arms.
"Let me go!" the creature yelled, but it was lost in the din of the attack
The creature fought back as best it could, but even though Athena wasn''t the strongest among them, it couldn''t break free from her grip. She held it in a neck hold as she knelt down, laying her bow to the side as she struggled to keep it under control. It fought back with long curved nails, cutting against her black jumpsuit but failing to cut through the leather.
"Are you going to help or not?" she asked finally, huffing out a long breath.
"Alright, alright," Benbeck said, grabbing onto the fur-covered creature and taking over so that Athena could act as support. "Thank you for securing the backup plan."
"Are you sure it''s going to work?" Athena picked up her bow and pulled an arrow from the quiver on her hip. "Ortega''s an outlaw, right?"
"I''ve heard stories," Benbeck said. "But I won''t know until I see him in action. You know what they say: always have at least three plans."
"James is going to kill you when he fi¡ª"
Thump.
Benbeck hit the kid as hard as he could in the back of the head with the butt of his gun. He didn''t have time to argue with the kid, whatever he was. Knocked out was just as fine a state as any to be in for Benbeck''s plans, and he could watch the fight without distractions now.
"Let''s see how this goes," Benbeck said as he leaned forward and peered through the brush.
"Ready to support as needed," Athena smiled.
Silence crept over the village in the wake of the explosion, and Benbeck''s crew emerged from the dust cloud. Their mission was simple: focus down Ortega and create a space for Athena to take down the main threat in a surprise attack. Benbeck and Athena would interfere if needed to help make the plays necessary. If things went bad, then they would focus on distraction and extraction first and regroup.
"Friends of yours?" Ortega asked, looking down at the unmoving old man who still hadn''t risen.
"We should have been warned," the old man said, pushing himself off the ground before collapsing with a grunt of pain. "What happened to our scouts?"
Of course, Benbeck had already handled it. He and his crew had gotten a lay of the land once they realized where Ortega was. He knew there was a temple to the east, and they had managed to flush out all of the village scouts in the area. Benbeck knew that knowledge of the area was needed to make a plan, and he worked accordingly.
"We are here for ''Tin Man'' Ortega and his crew," Siegfried shouted, hefting his sword high as the dust cloud cleared.
"Well, at least they''re obvious about it," Ortega sighed.
"Shall I show them the price of their transgressions, brother?" Sayed asked, already drawing one of his swords.
"In a minute," Ortega said, putting his hands in his pockets as she stepped away from the fire. "Jean, with me and Sayed. Wen, keep an eye out for any more of them. Erin and Artur watch over Mari and the rest. We good?"
Ortega and his crew moved out from where they had been standing around the bonfire. From those words alone, Benbeck had an idea of who was on his crew. He recognized at least two of the main players he hadn''t known before and now wondered how a bounty hunter was mixed up with Ortega''s crew.
"I am with you, brother," Sayed''s blade began to glow a bright orange.
"We will hold any attackers at bay." The knight''s shield began to glow as he and Erin pushed inside the building with the kid. "So take these foul villains and make them pay."
Wen disappeared into the shadows, and Benbeck didn''t like that. She was ''Cold Shot'' and was known for her sniping skills. If she got off a good shot on one of his crew, it might turn the entire plan on its head. It was a variable he hadn''t planned for, and he didn''t like that one bit.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Keep an eye out," Benbeck said to Athena. "But don''t hesitate if you get a clean shot."
Sayed, Baptiste, and Ortega stepped away from the fire and toward the intruders. Benbeck leaned forward, rubbing his gun against his pants leg as the confrontation started. He hoped his first plan would work. Otherwise, he would need to rethink the strategy.
"Oh, I didn''t think this would be so easy," Siegfried said, smiling as he hefted his sword off his shoulders. "You just came out without us even needing to take hostages."
"I take it you''re with the people who attacked us earlier," Ortega said, looking over the three.
"You should have kept running," Siegfried said, pointing his sword toward Alex. "We''ll take your and your crew''s heads in for the bounty and live like kings!"
"You guys came after me armed with metal?" Ortega looked over the three of them, and Benbeck bit his lip. "Force Pull."
Benbeck knew about Ortega''s curse, but he didn''t know its limitations. Curses could only do certain things, depending on the user''s will. Either Siegfriend''s and Manfred''s wills would be stronger than Ortegas''s, or they wouldn''t. How that broke down would determine the course of the fight.
Clatter.
Siegfried''s armor clattered against itself, but he didn''t budge. He held his sword in his tight grip with a smile on his face. Even Manfred kept his knives in hand. A brief moment of shock crossed Ortega''s face before a grim line set across it. Benbeck smiled. There was a chance.
"Oh, you seem to be having some troubles," Siegfried smiled, flipping his hair out of his eyes. "Why don''t you try it again? We have all the time in the world tonight."
"The more they struggle, the better they taste," Manfred clashed his knives together as he took on a stance.
"I''ll break them like a twig," Jeff flexed his arms.
"We''ll need to change tactics," Ortega said, looking over his crew. "Are you guys ready?"
"Cleaver''s Strike!"
Before they could respond, Siegfried bounded into the air, his blade burning as he came down toward them in a rotating slash. Ortega threw up his hand, and a blue light seemed to form in his palm before extending out around his body. Benbeck leaned closer, wanting to see exactly what the man was doing.
"Repulsive Wave," Ortega caught the blade with his orb, slowing Siegfried''s strike until the man was visible again.
Ting.
Manfred jumped into action, two knife blades going for Ortega''s side, but Sayed had imposed himself between Manfred and Ortega, knocking the blades aside with his glowing sword. Manfred grinned, but he was just part of the attack. His crew had two more shots to shoot.
"That will not work!" Sayed yelled, knocking the blades away before leaning forward to stab into Manfred.
"Strong Arm!" Before Sayed could finish his attack, Jeff was there as well, swinging a hard punch toward Sayed''s head.
"Spirit Step!"
Boom.
Baptiste appeared in the air, his leg slamming into the fist to knock it off course and away from Sayed. In the next moment, everything finished. Ortega pushed Siegfried back. Jeff was knocked to the side, and Sayed threw off the knives. Benbeck''s crew retreated, gaining some distance for the next move.
Even Benbeck, from his outside perspective, had some trouble keeping up with the fight. Even now, moments after it was over, he was still replaying each move in his mind. He shook his head. This was why he liked a ''behind the line'' leadership role. It let him think in a way that he couldn''t when his blood was pumping hot.
"Impressive," Siegfried said, smiling as he held his sword in both hands. "Your crewmates were ready to protect you the moment I made the opening."
"They''re working together," Baptiste said, his arms out at his sides as he held one foot forward. "We will need to do the same if we wish to win."
"I have your backs, and you have mine," Sayed said, reaching for his second blade.
"There''s doubt in them," Athena said as she lined up a shot. "Permission to take the shot?"
Benbeck waited, keeping an eye on the fight. While it was a pause, they weren''t in motion, and the attack would be easier to pull off. Benbek raised one finger to Athena before nodding. In the silence of the conversation, he didn''t want their position to be revealed.
"This can''t be it, though," Ortega whispered. "They''re a distra¡ª"
Twip. Thud.
Ortega staggered as Athena''s arrow hit his shoulder. Benbeck smiled, but then he noticed a flash of a lens near the hut. He had forgotten about ''Cold Shot.'' Surely, that single arrow couldn''t have been enough for her to track their location. No one was that good.
Hiss. Bang. Thwoop.
There was no shout of technique, nor was there a sign that ''Cold Shot'' had acted besides the sound of the shot. Benbeck dodged to the left, throwing himself away instinctively and hoping Athena had done the same. He knew he wasn''t faster than a bullet, so his only chance was luck.
Thump. Crack. Crunch.
A bullet whizzed past Benbeck''s head, crashing into Athena beside him and sending her falling to the ground. Benbeck had a moment to look down before he saw the worst possible outcome. Blue-white ice covered Athena''s arm and was spreading up it toward her shoulder.
"No, no, no," Benbeck said as Athena lay there on the ground, groaning in pain.
It had all happened so fast. At first, he thought he was winning, and then the bullet hit. Now Athena lay on the ground, her arm freezing. He needed to act quickly. If ''Cold Shot'' was able to fight unhindered, she would be able to take down the rest of his crew.
He pulled Robismo out of his pocket. He needed to act fast. Benbeck stood up, channeling aether into his body as he opened his gate. The whir of an engine turned through his heart, and gouts of combustion exploded up and down his limbs as he threw Robismo to the ground.
"Awaken Robismo," Robismo expanded in size in moments, and Benbeck made sure that the robot''s hand reached out beneath himself, Athena, and his hostage as it grew taller.
Crack. Boom.
Benbeck''s curse allowed him to control and expand Robismo''s size and everything necessary for its maintenance. Robismo grew until it was the size of the nearby trees and towered over the village. Benbeck picked up his hostage as Robismo put its hand forward, and he prepared to give his speech. It took his childhood imagination and made it all possible.
"I have you precisely where I want you, Ortega!" Benbeck yelled out the command for his men to retreat. "Don''t you dare move unless you want me to kill this hostage!"
He held up the kid with one hand, holding it by the scruff of its neck while he pointed his gun at it. Benbeck looked down at the people below and saw that Ortega knelt on the ground, clutching at his shoulder. Benbeck knew he would be a target for other members of the crew, though. He needed to issue his demands and get out while they were distracted.
"If you want this kid to live, come and meet me alone in the temple to the east! If I see even the hint of your crew there, I''ll kill this kid! Robismo Retreat!"
With that, Robismo turned, and Benbeck breathed a sigh of relief that ''Cold Shot'' hadn''t taken the opportunity. He only had a few seconds to get out of there, and his men would meet him at the temple. Hopefully, it wouldn''t be too late for Athena. She was an important asset, after all.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 169 | Backup Plan
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
***
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 170 | A Counter
"What do you see?" Alex asked as he lay his back against a tree.
Li Wen lay with her rifle resting on a root. The barrel pointed out into the ruins down below. Erin, Sayed, Jean, and Artur all had their backs to trees down the line, mainly because Alex didn''t want to reveal their position before everything kicked off. However, he also needed a lay of the land to make a plan. Mari was left behind with James. With the entire tribe on alert, Alex was sure she would be safe.
"They''re talking at the temple," Li Wen said, her scope roving over the area. "I still only count five of them."
"Can I see?" Alex asked, and Li Wen handed up the rifle to him.
He leaned around from behind the tree and looked through the scope. The entire rifle was uncomfortable in his hands. Alex never really liked guns. They reminded him too much of things he would rather not remember. He pushed that aside and lined the scope on the temple''s top.
"You said they were a crew," Alex said. "Do you know them?"
"The leader''s Benbeck, he''s the one in the suit," Li Wen said. "The big muscly one with the mustache is Armstrong. The one with the sword is Siegreid, while the one with the knife is Manfred. Their archer is Athena."
Alex ran the scop over each of them one by one. "They have bounties?"
"''Hothands'' Manfred, ''Darkblade'' Seigfried, ''Eagle Eyes'' Athena, ''Strong Arm'' Armstrong." Li Wen counted them off one by one. "Only Benbeck hadn''t done anything to earn a bounty that I know of anyways."
"Then how did he come to lead so many?" Sayed asked, his whisper-level voice not really a whisper.
Alex held a finger up to his lips as he looked over to Sayed, and Sayed ducked his head a little in a bow. Stealth was key until they knew what they were getting into, and Alex still didn''t have a plan. All the pieces were here, as near as he could tell, but he just needed to know a little bit more.
"He could just be paying them." Li Wen shrugged. "That would be my first guess. If you''re a small-time operator and need some quick muscle, paying a few outlaws is an easy way to get a crew."
"Not like we can out-pay them." Alex sighed, handing the rifle back.
"I''m surprised you don''t have a gun," Li Wen said, taking it from him. "With your curse, there has to be a few things that it would help with."
"I''m not big into guns." Alex sighed, squinting as he looked back over to the pyramid. "Besides, it hasn''t been as useful of an idea since I got my curse to second grade. I can just generate the metal I need."
"It sounds like it fixed a lot of problems for you," Li Wen said, shaking her head and leaning her rifle against her shoulder.
"I don''t think it''s going to help here, though," Alex said as he looked over everyone else.
Jean was good for close combats, and Eliza could be used to scout. She also might be able to fight from a distance, though he had never seen Jean do it, so he assumed he had some sort of range limitation on his curse. Sayed was in close combat, and his power was tied to his swords. He and Erin were both mid-range combatants and could go close range, though Erin obviously preferred not to deal with close range while he preferred close range. That left Li Wen. She was primarily a long-range fighter with her rifle, though she could use her pistols as needed.
While they all had their strengths, none of them could take out all five of Benbeck''s crew in a few seconds. Every one of them left up was a person who could respond, whether they killed Ikal in the process or were able to escape, and Alex didn''t want either to happen. Benbeck needed to pay in pain for attacking the Zoan.
He couldn''t just use the ship to bombard the area. The temple was stone and gold and would probably handle the strikes well so long as Benbeck''s crew got behind cover. Destroying it would also destroy the Zoan''s sacred grounds. While Alex was selfish, that didn''t mean he was a jerk. There was no reason to destroy the area just to handle a group of rowdy outlaws.
What he needed was an extra set of hands. He had asked the Zoan to stay back because he didn''t know them that well and didn''t know how they would handle the fight. They could easily have had one hothead who would have already revealed the crew''s location and required him to plan on the go.
"They are so well fortified and have the cover of night," Arutr said, leaning against his tree as he peered over the area. "It will be a difficult trial for us to prevail against this blight."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Alex looked at him and blinked a few times. There was an option he hadn''t considered yet, though he had seen Artur''s abilities in action twice now. Artur could generate a protective barrier from his shield. Alex thought about the two times he had seen Artur''s curse. How far away had the shield been from his body? Could he generate it like a bubble? Could he use it to protect someone else entirely? If he could get Arutr around the area where Ikal was, Artur could shield Ikal until the fight was over. It would allow his crew to fight without worrying about anything else.
It would also solve Alex''s other problem. At the moment, they had the other crew matched one-to-one. However, with Artur, they had a slight numbers advantage. That meant if Artur got Ikal out, they could still fight on equal terms with Benbeck''s crew.
"I know that look." Erin sighed, looking between him and Artur. "That means you have a crazy plan."
"You don''t have to add ''crazy'' in front of it," Alex said, a smile cracking his face. "I might have a plan."
"Well, give it to us." Sayed smiled, shining in the darkness around them. "The suspense is killing me."
"Well, all that hinges on a few questions." Alex shook his head as he turned to Artur. "Your barrier curse, how far can you extend it around a person?"
"Me? You wish to know about my ability?" Artur placed a hand on his chest. "My barrier can extend a good distance. However, there are limits to the resistance."
He held out his hand as he said it, and a blue barrier appeared around a distant tree. The distance was about ten meters away. Alex nodded as he thought about the distance. Would it be enough if Artur could get close to shield Ikal and protect him while they handled the rest of the crew?
"And it''ll hold against bullets and other things, right?"
"Its durability is much to be praised," Artur said, raising one finger. "But the greater the distance or attack, the less it will stay raised."
Alex frowned. It wasn''t going to be enough. He would need some additional crowd control with Artur so that they could get Ikal away. His hope that the barriers could just tank the hits was pretty much gone. He closed his eyes and sighed. He would need to adjust the plan.
"This would be so much easier if I weren''t planning around Ikal." Alex sighed, shaking his head.
"But you will plan around him?" Jean chuckled. "We certainly aren''t going to leave him out to dry?"
"Of course." Alex smiled back. "The problem''s here because of us. It would be rude not to help out people who took us in for the night."
"For a bunch of outlaws, you all never want to look out for yourselves." Erin sighed. "All your reputations are lies. Lies."
"Why would they not be lies?" Artur asked. "For in dire times, heroes always arise."
"Hero is a strong word," Alex said. "I just don''t want to leave Ikal hanging. I''m sure everyone here feels the same way."
He looked through each of them, and even though Erin had a stained smile, even she wouldn''t just leave a kid to die. While none of them were hardened criminals, even some of the most hardened ones Alex had met out in Erth wouldn''t just leave a kid to die if they could help it. Outlaws were people wanted by the government¡ªthat didn''t make them monsters.
"So, what do we do?" Artur asked. "Help will not fall upon us out of the blue."
Despite Artur''s insistence on rhyming, he was right. Alex couldn''t expect someone else to run in and solve all his problems. He had the people in front of him, their skills, and nothing else. He could only make the best plan he could and roll with that. Everything else, as Jean would say, would be up to fate.
"Alright," Alex said, turning to Li Wen first. "You''re our eyes. From what I can see, their sniper is out of commission because you hit her back in the village. So you''re going to mop up anyone you can when you have an open shot."
"Easy enough." Li Wen nodded, holding her rifle against her shoulder.
"Sayed and Jean." Alex turned in on the other two next. "Once we have Ikal safe, you''re backing me up. Sayed will prefer the swordsman, and Jean, you handle whoever is left over. I''m going to go in alone first to be the distractions."
"Naturally." Sayed smiled. "That swordsman will be no trouble for me."
"I will do my best, but fate will decide the outcome." Jean sighed.
That left the last two. Alex gazed at Erina and Artur, still unsure about his plan. He didn''t like leaving such an important part up to anyone but himself, but the reality was that Benbeck had told him to show up alone. He needed to be the distraction. That left Erin and Artur to do something that he would rather do himself.
"What about us?" Erin asked, looking between herself and Artur.
"You two have a special job." Alex smiled, and Erin''s face went white. "It''s one worthy of a master spy and a shining knight."
"Why do I feel like you chose the worst one for us?" she asked.
"Erin, you''re better than any of us at being stealthy," Alex said, raising an eyebrow at her. "I want you to use that to our advantage."
"Keep going." Erin motioned with her hand for him to continue.
"I want you to take Artur behind the temple. Once you''re there, you''ll get him to shield Ikal and get him away from the fight. You''re there to support that. Anything you can do to get Ikal out of there. Just don''t stop running until you''re sure he''s safe."
Erin frowned, looking down at the ground. Alex already knew what she was feeling. She thought he didn''t have confidence in her. Out of all of them, she was the most willing to run instead of fight. It wasn''t a bad instinct to have out in the night, but everyone else on the crew was more likely to fight than run.
"Once Ikal is safe, we''ll come back to help," Erin said. "As it is now, that''ll leave you all a person down in the fight."
Now that, Alex hadn''t expected. He had thought Erin would accept the plan as it was and just stay out of the fight. However, there were times, and this was one, where she would also show courage. It made him question how much he really knew about her.
At their core, who a person really was was revealed when their back was up against the wall. People would often say who they were and what they would do, but until they were in the real situation, until they had their face against the grind, that was all just talk.
"Now, that can work." Alex smiled.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 171 | Counter Plan
"Why does this place stink so much?" Benbeck complained as they stood atop the pyramid. "This entire place smells like rotten eggs."
"Isn''t me boss," Armstrong said, flexing his muscles at the edge of the platform.
"They''re on the move," Athena turned to Benbeck, her lip curling in a smile as she held up the revolver. "They''re splitting up."
"I wonder what his game is," Benbeck said, rubbing at his pointed beard on his chin as he looked over his crew.
He already considered taking out the hostage. It was what he promised to do, after all. However, even Benbeck didn''t like the idea of just killing a kid, even if that kid was a furry little monster. He frowned and closed his eyes as he thought through his options. If Ortega''s crew was splitting up, it meant they had a plan. He would need to out-plan that plan.
"How are they splitting up?"
"Ortega''s heading toward the main entrance," Athena pointed toward the front of the ruins as her head began to twist to the side, beyond what a human''s head should as she pushed into her curse. "Two of them have split up to come at the side entrances. It looks like they''re here to back up Ortega. Two more are coming around the temple and approaching from the back."
"What about the last one?"
"''Cold Shot'' hasn''t moved," Athena''s head finished its complete circle, stopping on the part of the jungle she had started on.
Benbeck knew her eyes were golden and slitted like a bird of prey. Her curse, which allowed her to take on the aspects of an owl, gave her superior vision as well as other perks depending on how much she leaned into it. Benbeck took a deep breath. Ortega had a good plan, and he could already see how the outlaw was going to act. The question was how he should respond.
"What''s the play, boss?" Armstrong asked, flexing his muscles as he looked out over the jungle.
"Should we cut a path to the first one and take them all out one by one?" Manfried clattered his knives together as he licked his lips. "Now that we know what they''re doing, we should press them."
That was a good idea, assuming that Ortega didn''t respond to their moment of weakness with his own team. They had ''Cold Shot'' to worry about as well. She would be able to spot any of their movements and help her team respond accordingly. Because they were on the top of the temple, their movements would be obvious to anyone watching.
However, there was another option. Benbeck could give Ortega precisely the fight he was looking for. Move for move, counter for counter. His crew was strong. Each of them had their own abilities and curses that could take on Ortega''s crew. Bebeck looked over his crew. He liked the idea more with each passing second.
"No," Bebeck said, nodding to Athena. "How do you feel about a little revenge?"
"On ''Cold Shot?''" Athena smiled, her dark pupils dilating wide as she held up her arm in a sling. "This arm is calling for blood."
"Good, here''s the plan."
***
Erin and Artur stalked through the brush around the temple together, and for once, Artur was completely silent. The rhyming knight was an oddity to Erin. A prince, a knight, bound to speak in rhyme by vows, he was nothing like what she knew nobles to be.
Nobles in the Twelve Kingdoms were selfish and only cared about how they could better step on the poor and downtrodden around them. Bibi on Diamond Peak was an exemplar of them. He had been arrogant and destructive and cared nothing for the lives he was ripping apart as he tore through the island he claimed as a birthright.
Artur walked in front of her, his shield at the ready as he hacked through the brush with his sword to clear a path. He didn''t complain or talk about how this work was beneath him. Just as when they met in Dry Turtle and escaped from some slavers, he merely did what was necessary for the situation and nothing more.
There had to be a catch. Erin knew it, but no matter how much she tried, in their short time together, he hadn''t given away a sign of the deplorable nature of the nobility that she was used to. If it wasn''t for what she knew already, she would have to rethink everything she knew about them.
"Erin, come quick," Artur whispered as he slunk deeper into the brush. "The temple is before us, in the thick."
Erin ducked through branches as he rushed forward, following after him. They were the key to the plan, and they would need to act quickly when they were at the temple. Alex had given them about fifteen minutes to make their way to the back of the temple. He would then step out and get Benbeck''s attention. Hopefully, that would give Erin and Artur time to act and get Ikal out of danger.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
That was the plan anyway.
Erin and Artur stepped out from the brush and stood at the smudged but still gilded foot of the temple''s rear. A stepped pyramid rose in front of them, reaching high into the night sky. All around Erin, the surrounding jungle was completely silent. Not even the scratch of insects echoed out from the trees.
She took a deep breath, opening her gate in preparation. Twining energy filled her limbs as she accessed the power of growth inside her body. Power flashed between her heart and the tips of her fingers and tows. Vines of power wrapped around her limbs as she finished her breath.
She had power, and that was a reassurance.
She glanced at Artur, who nodded back at her. It was time to get up the temple and start the plan. Everything depended on them getting up the temple silently and without being detected. The moment Ikal was safe, she would signal the rest of the crew to go all out.
"We will succeed," Artur whispered to her. "Those with luck have the greatest need."
Erin wished she was that confident in their chances of success. However, a biting doubt still ate at the back of her mind. So many things could go wrong, and everyone''s lives were on the line. If they failed to grab Ikal, every second they were behind would endanger Alex. If Alex folded, then the rest of the crew could fold just as easily afterward.
Her hand shook as she forced down the uncertainty and fear. She had a job to do, and that was all that mattered.
"Oh, glorious day, not one but two prey for me to taste."
Erin froze as the voice echoed through the area, its tone burning into the bit of her stomach like a hot coal. Artur moved immediately, his shield glowing as he strode behind her. His sword was ready at his side, but he didn''t seem to know where the voice had come from either.
"Come out, you foul nave," Artur said as he searched the brush around them. "I will give you the fight you crave."
Kshing.
Metal scratched against metal in the trees as two sharp objects were drawn across each other. Erin shuddered. She could imagine those blades being drawn across her back as the unseen foe stabbed her in the back. That he remained hidden made the situation all the more terrifying.
"You call on me to come out, but that would take away the fun of the hunt," the voice echoed out from multiple locations in the brush around them as the person moved between hidden locations. "The fun of it all is when your prey''s heartbeat is at the loudest in its chest. When its brain shuts down, it collapses in shock. The entire fun of the hunt is in the chase to that point."
"And what if it fights back?" Erin''s voice shook,
"Then you have an entirely different but still just as sweet encounter. A struggle for the strongest, where predator and prey are chosen again."
"Such perverse delight," Artur scanned the treeline but seemed just as lost on the man''s location as Erin was. "It seems designed to cause fright."
Erin was already making the connections that Artur had yet to. If they were being challenged behind the stepped pyramid, that meant that their enemies had set a watch or knew their movements somehow. The plan was over before it started, and that meant that they wouldn''t be able to get to Ikal in time.
How long had passed since they broke with the rest of the group? Five minutes? Ten minutes. Already, Alex had to be moving into place at the front of the temple, ready to start the distraction. Erin bit her lip. Shades. Unless she could get to Ikal, Alex was walking into an unwinnable fight.
"Go and see the plan mend," Artur whispered, his eyes roving over the jungle around them. "It will draw this coward, and I will defend."
Erin gave him a sidelong glance as he stood with his sword out and his shield pointed toward the forest. It might work, but she didn''t like the idea of leaving him alone to fight, even if he was noble. Of all the crew, Artur was the only one she had never seen take on a fight. Would his barrier curse be enough to take on the shadowy figure? Would he be able to hold his own while she went after Ikal?
Those doubts wriggled at the back of her mind as she looked between Artur and the temple above.
"Can you handle him?"
"In truth, I do not know," Artur said. "But a knight must hold the line, take the blow."
There came a point where trust was needed. Erin didn''t like that Artur was a noble¡ªthat he was royalty on the edges of the Twelve Kingdoms. But so far, he hadn''t hurt her. So far, he hadn''t done anything but conduct in, dare she say, a knightly way. On Dry Turtle, he had helped her free a group of slaves without thinking once of his safety. She would have to put her trust in that and move forward.
"Okay," Erin said, drawing deeper on her curse as she looked up the side of the temple. "I''ll do it, but make sure that you don''t die."
"A problem for those without guile," Artur laughed. "Even in death, a hero will always smile."
Erin shook her head and embraced her curse more. She would give Arutr what he needed, a distraction to the foe who hid in the shadows, but she would also make sure she wasn''t caught. Sprouts grew from her skin beneath her cloak, and an itch cut across her arms as they poked into the fabric. She eyed her path of the steps, and each one was taller than she was.
Her curse made that irrelevant.
She charged for the first step of the pyramid, focusing completely on the distance between her and the height of the step. If she wanted to get it on the first try, she would need to be fast and judge the distance correctly. With the hidden attacker, she needed to get it perfect.
"Sticky Shoot," she threw her hands forward and sent out a vine toward one of the higher steps.
Thwip.
It shot out from her hand with extreme force, coated with a sticky sap that would harden the moment it touched a hard object. As it shot out toward the higher steps, she saw the shadow move from the brush. A man with a long, greasy ponytail and small oval glasses over his beady eyes shot out from the brush, two knives out as he came for her back.
Erin didn''t flinch. She had to trust Artur to cover her back while she climbed the pyramid, or everything was lost.
"Radiant Shield!" Artur yelled. "I will not yield!"
Ting.
She didn''t see the actual hit, but behind her, she heard the sound of a metal point meeting a rounded barrier. A blue light burned behind her as she put her foot onto the hard stone of the side of the pyramid. The vines in her hands pulled taught against her as she climbed up the first step of the pyramid.
Erin climbed like her life, and the plan depended on it because they both did. She needed to reach the top of the pyramid fast. She only took one moment to spare a look down at the fight below. Artur held the knife-wielding man at bay on the ground, his shield glowing as he leaned forward into the two points of the knife.
Erin didn''t waste another second watching. Pulling her vine taut, she started climbing up to the second level.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 172 | Rise Robismo!
Alex opened his gate wide as he stepped out of the jungle and stood at the entrance to the ruins. The gold-plated buildings around him lit up in his senses as he stood before the lip of the valley, and electricity thrummed through his limbs as power rested like a static charge in his fingertips.
He was confident in his plan. He had given Erin and Artur enough time to get into position. Sayed and Jean were already moving in close from opposite ends of the temple. Li Wen was his backup and had supporting fire if anything went wrong.
It was now or never.
"I''m here, Benbeck," Alex held up a hand as he stepped through the temple''s entrance. "Just like you asked. Let the kid go."
The ruins rose around him, and shadows consumed him as he walked toward the center. No one responded to his call, which allowed doubt to be a back door in his thoughts. What if the other crew had just cut and run? What if they had just slit Ikal''s throat when Alex hadn''t shown up immediately? Alex had to push those thoughts aside.
It just didn''t track. Benbeck would think he had been poisoned and weakened by the arrow, which gave him an advantage. No one could expect Erin''s healing capability or his body''s resilience. Benbeck had to expect that either his crew would show up without him or he would become incredibly weak.
"I''m surprised you came," Benbeck''s voice echoed through the temple as Alex approached the center, and Alex stopped. "I thought for sure that Artemis''s poison had taken you down."
"Well," Alex said, looking around for the source of the voice. "You can''t account for sense."
"I heard you were the kind of man who would fight rather than run, so long as someone you knew was in danger but for a brat? That''s a level of stupidity I can never comprehend."
Alex probably should have gotten angry, but in reality, he didn''t care what Benbeck thought. In his mind, the situation was simple. The Zoan, despite the initial hostility, had shown them kindness, and that deserved the same kindness in return. If he and his crew had just run, leaving Ikal in Benbeck''s hands for a mess they caused, then he and his crew would be no better than trash like Benbeck.
"Even in another world, there''s right and wrong, simple as that." Alex sighed. "Why don''t you show yourself, and I''ll teach you the difference between the two."
Click.
A light shone as Benbeck stepped out on a nearby roof, Ikal in one hand, bound by rope, as he looked down on Alex below. That wasn''t expected, and Alex frowned. He had hoped that Benbeck would stay on the top of the temple, but he had changed things. Now, he couldn''t count on Erin and Artur coming up behind and taking Ikal out as a piece in the fight.
"Oh, I see the doubt in your eyes, Ortega." Benbeck laughed as he dangled Ikal at the end of his arm. "You had a plan, and that plan was cut off. You couldn''t account for our eyes in the sky and the fact that I could counter each one of your moves before you even knew it."
"What are you talking about?" Alex clenched his fists.
Benbeck''s crew wasn''t there. Alex hoped that he would have concentrated them all on him, that he would try to overpower Alex the moment he stepped out of cover, but they were gone. As far as Alex could see, it was just himself and Benbeck in the ruins. Where was the rest of his crew?
"I sent them to intercept your friends," Benbeck answered the unspoken question. "Artemis''s curse allows her to see farther than anyone should, so we knew when you arrived here and saw you split up. Instead of just letting you do what you please, I decided to counter your every movement."
He pulled Ikal up by his ropes, holding a gun next to the boy''s head as he looked down at Alex.
"One by one, I''ve countered your every move." Benbeck laughed. "So, I''ll give you a chance to get out of this alive. Surrender now. Bow your head and prostrate yourself in front of me. If you do, I''ll let the kid live, and you''ll be in chains the entire ride to my client. If you don''t, I''ll put a bullet in his head, and then I''ll kill you."
Alex looked at Ikal. The kid''s yellow eyes were wide with fear. Even though his mouth was bandaged, he tried to scream, but it only came out as a muffled cry. Alex took a deep breath. He had options but was less certain now than he would have been months ago. He knew what Benbeck was capable of and didn''t want Ikal to die.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
It was his fault that Benbeck had attacked the village. Benbeck''s crew was after his bounty. While Alex could cut and run without consequences, that didn''t mean it was the right thing to do. It might be stupid, but he was the one who would have to live with the consequences of his decisions. He didn''t want the image of Ikal bleeding out, a hole in the side of his head, to haunt his nightmares.
He might try to pull the gun out of Benbeck''s hand, but the weapon was inert to his senses. Was the weapon made of a non-magnetic metal, or was it not metal at all? Alex clenched his teeth as he recalled James, who had resisted his curse. Was it Benbeck''s will that held it against his curse?
There was no chance of that. The gun also didn''t appear ready to respond to his curse. That left him with one other choice. He had to trust in his crew.
"You think you outplayed me?" Alex asked, letting out a sigh. "But are you really so sure? You sent one of your crew members to handle each of mine, but what are you going to do when my crew wins? How will you feel when it''s six on one, and you have no one left to save your sorry self?"
Benbeck narrowed his eyes, still holding the gun up to Ikal''s head. IKal''s eyes were wide, and he still struggled against his ropes in a vain attempt to free himself.
"You''re going to fight? I''ll kill the kid! Don''t think I''m bluffing!"
Click.
Benbeck tightened his finger on the trigger, and Alex took in a breath. He didn''t have time to call metal, and he couldn''t pull the gun out of Benbeck''s hand. Instead, he threw all his magnetic force against the buildings behind him. His muscles tensed as he focused on the roof above him.
He knew it a little, but his conversation with James had reminded him. Curses and techniques had the same origin¡ªaether. Alex could combine curse and technique so long as he could figure out how to fit the blocks of power together. It was like dealing with a box full of random Legos. The question was what he wanted to make and what blocks he could use together to make it.
"Spring Step."
His feet pushed off the ground in a mad flurry of motion at the same instant that he threw himself forward with all the magnetic force he could muster against the building behind him. Alex shot forward like a cannonball, throwing his hand out as he disappeared.
Bzzt. Zap.
Force rocketed down his arm as he slammed into Benbeck, his hand hitting the barrel of the gun the moment it went off. Electricity cracked through the air as smoke filled Alex''s nose, and all three of them went down in a pile together. Confusion, darkness, and chaos reigned for a few moments as Alex struggled with Benbeck for control of the gun.
Alex had Benbeck on his back, his arms splayed out with both hands. Alex had his legs trapped with his body weight, and Benbeck couldn''t move. Still, Benbeck struggled to aim at Ikal, who had managed to roll a little away on the roof in the tussle.
"I won''t let you win!" Benbeck yelled as he tried to control the barrel and aim it toward where Ikal had fallen.
"MIght."
Alex didn''t play around. His muscles bulged as he forced the gun down to the ground and held Benbeck''s arms pinned. He wasn''t about to let Benbeck take control of the situation. Even if he had to break the man''s arm or kill him, he wouldn''t let Ikal die. That was the one thing he was certain of.
Bzzt. Zap.
A second zap sizzled through the ruins as Benbeck pulled the trigger, but Alex held Benbecks''s arm against the ground and didn''t let it move. It was over. There was nothing that Benbeck could do that would allow him to break Alex''s grip. All Alex had to do now was get the gun out of his control.
"Robismo!" Benbeck yelled. "Robismo Awaken!"
A fist shot out of Benbeck''s suit, slamming hard into Alex''s abdomen as it exploded from Benbeck''s pocket. Alex had a moment to realize what it was. It was the same as the massive robot that had appeared out of the golden ship during the attack out in the nightsea. In the next moment, he was thrown up in the air; Benbeck was left behind as the robot erupted in size below him.
The first hit slammed into Alex like a truck, and he could see the entirety of the ruins below him as he soared up through the sky. His chest burned as the wind raced past his back, and his head swam as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He would have screamed, but all the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
If his body wasn''t so strange, that punch alone might have killed him. However, he had the experiments and the general hardiness of a body that had lived on the nightsea for a decade to thank for his resilience. Alex slowed in his flight through the sky as the force of the punch waned, and he had a bird''s eye view of the ground below.
To the far side of the massive pyramid, he saw two figures fighting, one glowing blue in the night. That was the direction he had asked Erin and Artur to come to the temple from, and it wasn''t a far guess that Artur was fighting. He also spotted two shadowy figures rushing toward the other entrances to the temple, which would have been two more of Benbeck''s crew moving to cut off Jean and Sayed.
Benbeck had seen the entire plan and sent each of his crew members to counter it. Honestly, Alex wasn''t sure whether that was a better plan than gathering them all up and coming after him as one. He might have done the same in Benbeck''s shoes.
However, the massive robot below him reminded him that he had more important things to worry about.
He had a few seconds before the machine would be within range again, and he had to locate both Benbeck and Ikal. The robot stood on top of the roof with one foot, its single visor-eye tracking him as he fell. Alex saw Benbeck then, resting on the robot''s shoulder and holding on tight against the outside armor. However, no matter how hard he looked, he couldn''t see Ikal.
That left Ikal. Unless he was crushed to death under the machine''s foot, Ikal had to be somewhere nearby. Alex squinted his eyes as the wind rushed past his body. He threw his arms and legs wide as he gathered the power of his curse. It hadn''t worked on the massive machine out in the nightsea, and he wondered if that would be the same on the island. Instead of taking the risk, he would rely on the metal in the temple below.
"Junk Arm," Alex whispered against the wind rushing past his face as he came down for a fight.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 173 | Hollowedge
Srrch.
Whoosh.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Whoosh.
Boom.
Ting.
Volume 06 Gilded Cove | Chapter 174 | Strong Purpose
Boom.
Thump.
Boom.
Crack. Errn.
Stolen novel; please report.
Boom.
Boom.
Crack.
Crunch.
Boom.
Volume 07 Gilded Cove | Chapter 175 | Artemis Owl
Flutter.
Thump.
Hiss. Bang. Thwoop.
Crack. Flap.
Bang. Bang.
Bang. Thunk.
Crrk.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Flutter.
Hiss. Bang. Twoop. Bang.
Crack.
Thump.
Poof.