Rune stepped out of the rotating purple vortex, landing inches from the part material and incorporeal draw bridge.
The two skeletal guards stared back, and green sparks lit up where their eyes once belonged. Lilith moved up from her perch on Xera’s hilt and slithered up with her shadow tendrils, waiting on Rune’s shoulder.
Rolling winds shoved the soil around the draw bridge. The area was deserted, not a living soul in sight. Reaching up to a floating ruined door behind him, Rune waited for his intent to be registered.
“Where is everyone? What a waste of a grand return,” Xera said.
“They’re all huddled in the Foyer or should be. Better this way.”
A prompt spread out to Rune’s mind.
[Leave the Ruined Realm? Y/N? Warning: Leaving shall start the twenty-four hour dungeon lock once you leave]
Mentally confirming ‘yes,’ Rune reappeared in the gray twisted forest. The slowly creaking decaying door sounded off behind him. Rune came face to face with a surprised party, one he recognized.
The unanticipated event made him let a word slip out. “Elnora?”
In the back of the five man group, an elf’s white clothes contrasted against the dusk, “And who are you? How do you know my name?”
Terga oversaw Rune, and Kite shifted his shield. The monic twin sisters, Lilac and Mona, reacted in tandem. Lilac raised her bow and Mona her wand.
Regaining his bearings, Rune waved his hand in dismissal, “Your over-reactions are amusing. I’m leaving the dungeon, not trying to fight you. Stop embarrassing the hunter’s guild over me knowing one of you.” Rune took an educated guess, “Is it so surprising I know a competent healer’s name when you all know mine? I can see it in your eyes.”
Kite stepped up with Terga, positioning to guard the three back-line members, “Rune the Insane, everyone says you’re a sadistic, cruel hunter that spares no one you see. Why shouldn’t we be cautious around you.”
Yelaris went too far, better too much than too little. Probably enjoyed getting back at me this way. Sneaky cat man.
Terga began to take the helm of the situation, “I’m the captain of the Blue Tigers, Terga. What business do you have with our healer, Rune?”
Taking the opportunity to diffuse, Rune brought out the Helenic Mace. “I’m looking for a suitable buyer for this rare mace. Its level requirement is level 35, and its secondary effects are top-notch. Your healer is someone I had in mind to try and sell to.”
With a more believable excuse sold to them, the Blue Tigers relaxed while keeping a spark of vigilance. Terga dashed Rune’s hopes, “We’d need an appraiser to take your words at face value. If you want to try and sell it to Elnora, you’ll need a certified document from a reputable practitioner. Step aside, my team has no time to waste while we prepare for the Tide.”
The main goal for revealing the Helenic Mace was to divert suspicion for his slip-up. With that accomplished, Rune felt okay with the rejection. He side-stepped, five sets of eyes glued to his figure and Lilith’s.
Stuck in the awkward situation, Rune put his back to a tree and gestured with a hand to the creaking rotten door that served as the entrance to the Ruined Realm. Terga escorted her back line members in first. With those three in, Kite went in next. Terga paused for a second before entering the Ruined Realm.
“Don’t easily show items of that value around, people will target you for it in a heartbeat. The Blue Tigers have a code against that sort of thing, but plenty of teams do not.”
The blue furred Tora vanished into the Ruined Realm, leaving Rune be.
Light died down as the setting sun left the horizon, and dusk rose. Smelling a mix of decay and mulch, Rune wrinkled his nose. He knocked against the twisted tree behind him.
“They can try and come take what’s mine.”
Rune slowly traveled down the pathway leading back to Sylen’s South gate, enjoying the slowly rising twin moons. The pale gold one reminded him of Authoria and the silver moon of the First Reaver. Parties avoided him like the plague, which was to Rune’s preference.
While showing off the Helenic Mace avoided one headache, it did create another. If I try to sell it off with my public identity, it could make the wrong people realize I’m Rune.
The Reaver wanted the three underworld powers to know that Rune was Luke and Luke was Rune. But that’d be all, and to be nuanced about it, he wanted them to ‘suspect’ Rune was Luke, not confirm it. Take it as his way of taunting three forces he couldn’t face head-on yet. A slightly childish venting, of course, but that was one purpose to the extra persona. He intended to sell his Runic Enchanting services as Rune exclusively. As Luke, he’d act as a hopeless fool with no aptitude in his chosen profession, at least in public.
As for why Rune decided to keep on the mask, he saw every reason to remain in persona with the night coming. The underworld gangs needed more cleaning for the Tide. If he didn’t do it, then who would? Rune snatched a piece of paper he looted from the Purple Emperor’s leader. While transversing down the road and enjoying the dusk’s winds, Rune read over the paper. On it, the organization's daily plans, accounting, and goals were in plain view.
Start a territory war here, sell drugs there, show off prostitution over there, and try to steal his companion way over in the corner. None of that was important to Rune; those plans would never see the light of day.
No, in the bottom left corner, three names were under a column written as: Bird Companion Contract Competition. In the margins were notes such as Keep an eye on this member who might find a lead, but Rune skipped to the three names written in bold ink.
The Green Vipers
The name was crossed out in a straight line. The words ‘Who or what is Rune?’ were written next to it. Rune kept on to the other two names, anticipating new targets; the list did not disappoint.
The Peach Ghouls
The White Snakes
Already aware of the White Snakes, Rune set a different goal for tonight. He originally would go after the White Snakes, but with a new name involved, he pivoted. Planning to interrogate another batch of street thugs on the word and knowledge about the White Snakes and Peach Ghouls.
Before doing that, Rune scanned the document he held. Breathing out, he failed to find any detailed information on either group. The only exception was that the White Snakes had a Tier 2 leader named Garian, and the Peach Ghouls a Tier 1 leader named Jelena. Their hideout location, indications of strength, and other helpful information were nowhere to be found.
Nearing the three way road split, Rune noticed the ever steaming line of refugees left with fear in their eyes. By chance, a handful of hunter parties came from the road leading to the Beast Divide, but his path was barren.
Seeing one of the hunters in the groups coming this way, Rune felt a lightbulb go off.
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Should see if the Sigil Stone reveals who I am with this mask on. If it does, I’ll have no choice but to backtrack, take off the mask, and find another place to put it back on.
He retrieved the sigil stone, tossing it in his hand. The information fed into his mind, occupying mental rather than physical vision.
[Sigil Stone: Rune]
Age: Unknown
Level: Unknown
Class: Companion Linked Spell Sword
Occupation: Tier 1 Hunter
Profession: Runic Enchanter, Proficiency Unknown
Wanted: No
Reassured, Rune continued to the congested path, cutting into the grass as usual. The small kids around their fleeing parents pointed at him curiously or at Lilith. Xera was in the midst of yelling her crystal off, trying to scare the kids. Rune assumed she forgot no one could hear her with this mask on. Wayfinder sought fit not to remind her.
A human boy with sallow cheeks jammed his finger at Lilith, “Pa, what sort of creature is that? Is it the man’s pet?”
Meeting eyes with Rune, the father tore away and walked pace with the crowd. He lectured his son, “Be careful, son, around these parts, if a hunter gets the wrong idea bout’ you, grandma may have to bury you out back.”
“Ah, pa, the man’s not one of them. That there pet of his is a wonder is all I’m sayin’.” The human boy stuck to his guns.
“Tanner, you’ve always been a stubborn one, but this ain’t no time for back-talk. We’re headin’ to your aunt’s ranch in the interior. No time to annoy a hunter with death hangin’ around him. Open your eyes, boy.” The father grasped his son and scooped him up.
“Pa, you’re treatin’ me like I’m one of them toddlers. I’m old enough to walk on my own.”
“Ain’t big enough to use your eyes. This pa will do it for you. Now shut it.”
The Reaver came closer to the south gate, amused by the father and son conversation. He imagined his appearance, especially Sooty’s eldritch form, was less than pleasing to the eye. He fit the dark and scary type to a frightening degree, as he was reminded of when the guards clutched their weapons around him.
An elf guard spread his stance as he demanded, “Sigil Stone. Take it out slowly, we’ve got archers and mages ready to fire if you make a sudden move, dark one.”
Appearances and status change how people treat you, and that applied to any sentient social creature. With that knowledge, Rune figured the gate guards would be a pain toward him. He revealed the sigil stone in his palm, turning it over slowly to the agitated gate sentry.
Snatching it from Rune’s hand, the guard stared at it. Over a minute later, he made no motion to lead Rune in. The bunched-up hunter groups behind him muttered in complaint.
“What’s the holdup? The guy handed over the stone.” An impatient tora woman with dark green fur and yellow spots said.
Coming over from further in the station, a different sentry tapped his coworker on the shoulder, “What’s the verdict, Quinn?”
“Get the highest quality revealing crystal we have. I can’t break through this stone. Over half the information is either unknown or falsified.”
Leaning back, the other sentry spoke into his city-issued sigil stone, “Leara, bring down the black-quality revealing crystal. Have a possible fugitive trying to enter the city.”
Behind Rune, the reveal caused the three hunter grounds behind to try to raise a racket.
“You stupid guards, that’s Rune the Insane. Bastard’s a piece of work but not barred from entering the city yet. Stop wasting time.”
Tapping his foot, Rune caused the loose dirt on the cobblestone road to billow up. He crossed his arms, staying silent. The guards were merely giving him a hard time. If those other hunters knew him through Yelaris’ rumor-spreading network, then these guards recognized him from the beginning.
Internally, he weighed if it was more of a hassle to leave, take the mask off, and put it back on after passing the gate inspection. This time, he wanted to see how entering as Rune would go. Now that he had his answer, the Reaver wouldn’t try it again.
A red-haired elf woman with a two-handed axe strapped to her back entered the checkpoint. She held an abyssal black crystal; a faint black light radiated off the item. She stopped short of where Rune stood and nudged the sentry, who called her down. “This the one?”
The sentry signaled. With confirmation, the woman scanned Rune with the black crystal. He felt as if every inch of his being was being scrutinized. As the crystal pulsed once, Rune’s aura was extrapolated out, and Lilith’s form distorted. Two forces competed, but the mask won after Rune exerted a minor amount of essence on the item.
Disgruntled, the red-haired elf guard grasped onto Rune’s mask and tried to pry it off. The Reaver demonstrated incredible restraint, clamping onto Lilith and preventing her tendrils from attacking.
His blue wisps expanded, brushing back to his white hair, he advised the guard, “This mask is not the type to come off. Get your hands away from me.”
“And what are you going to do, you maniac hunter? Don’t think I haven’t heard of you torturing kids for fun and killing women in the red-light district.”
Rune seethed internally, Ye-lar-is.
A red-bearded man in yellow chain mail casually strolled to the spectacle. The elf woman snatched her hand back to salute him.
“Representative Deter, what brings you here, sir?”
The representative smiled at the three guards, and he pointed to Rune’s sigil stone. “Return that to our benefactor if you would. This man is responsible for busting a trafficking gang. The Purple Emperors, I’m sure respectable guards such as yourselves, have heard of them.”
Taking orders from a superior, the guard offered Rune his sigil stone back. The Reaver took it and dropped it into the Inventory.
“Your orders sir? We suspect this man to be a fugitive.”
Deter laughed, “This man isn’t a fugitive. He’s an invited guest to the City Lord’s manner,” looking over to Rune, Deter asked, “Won’t you accept my invitation, Rune? Would certainly get these sorts off your back.”
“I’ve got another round of nightly cleaning. If you want me to visit your city lord, I can only promise to come by in the later half of the night.”
“That puts me in a bind, Rune, but I like you, so let’s make a deal; how about it?”
“Depends on the deal.”
Laughing again, Deter said, “I suppose it would. You’ll take this tracking crystal, don’t worry, it’ll only reveal your location to me. You can return it to me once you visit the City Lord’s estate. Can you do that for me? You’d be free to go if you did.”
Rune put his thumb and index finger over the bottom ridge of his mask, thinking.
The three sentries here want to bar me from entering the city. With all these eyes on me, running away isn’t an option. The rude red-haired elf is tier two and near the peak of it. I put myself in between a rock and a hard place.
Subtly turning his head to inspect the guards around him, Rune noticed they started to build a reinforced encirclement.
Mistakes get punished, and it was a mistake to believe I’d get into the city so easily with the persona I’ve attached to ‘Rune.’ I have to get on the City Lord’s side eventually, may as will take this step.
“You’ve settled me into a checkmate, Deter. I’ll take the tracker, provided it’s temporary.”
Deter tossed the tracking crystal to Rune, “It belongs to the city, not me. You’re a valuable but unknown asset. If you keep your word, you’ll be rid of it before the night is over.”
Rune flipped over the crystal. Etched onto it was the City Emblem, a yellow-red shield, and a radiant golden Ailm symbol emblazoned the center. He asked, “Do I hold it the entire time, or?”
“Put it on your mask, and it’ll attach. You can remove it whenever you like. I’d advise you not to until you’ve kept your end of the bargain.”
“Noted.” Rune put on the crystal, which lightly attached to his mask. He started to enter the city, passing the sentries. The red-haired elf woman acted to stir up trouble but Deter put an arm behind Rune as the Reaver left.
“You’ve got a city’s reputation to uphold, Leara. A City Lord representative has made a pact, and trying to impede this man further is the same as going against the City Lord. Are you prepared to face the consequences of that treasonous act?”
_____________________________________________________________________
With the guards off his back, Rune wandered the Southern Quadrant.
When the mood struck him, he’d scratch Lilith on her back while searching for a new information source; Rune perused every shady spot he saw. He ‘educated’ a few ruffians, but none knew a lick about where the White Snakes or Peach Ghouls held up.
“A bunch of refuse, too low to know anything organized.”
Xera commented, “Why did you let them go? Those dirty guys tried to extort you.”
“People with no brain cells tend to die early, and I’ve got plenty of the ‘proper’ attention now. Trying to spread my reputation further by killing every thug in my sight is a waste.” Inspecting a baby-faced bandit, Rune said, “The other reason is half of them are kids who found the wrong path. They haven’t gone too far. On the off chance they turn around their life, I’m not going to take that away from them.”
Xera wiggled in her sheath, “But most of them are a measly five or six years younger than you master.”
“Five years ago, I couldn’t be considered an adult. I’m not sure how this world treats adulthood, but in mine, they’re kids. We’re not crossing that line, Xera, accept it.”
Xera’s voice lowered to that of a squeak. “I’m not out for that, I just want to be useful to you.”
“You do your part, Xera—”
A group of eight grizzled men blocked the way in a side road Rune meandered down. Their bodies were covered in scars, tattoos, and ripped upper armor. Their weapons dripped from fresh blood.
Rune pointed at them while looking down at Xera, “See? It’s idiots like these that I’m searching for. Strong enough to know something, too stupid or too myopic to see death staring them in the face.”
The Reaver slowly slid Xera out of her sheath, “You eight better know something that will help with my nightly cleaning or the next couple of minutes will not end well for you.”
Ripping a shadow-themed Essence Fissure above the eight rogues, they crashed to the ground. The pressure was over tuned, and their heads crunched into the dirt and gravel path.
Coming up to one, Rune grasped his head and controlled the pressure to be relieved around the target’s neck, “You, where are the Peach Ghouls or White Snakes? If you can tell me either one, you’ll get to be the one who keeps his arms.”