The world was a maelstrom of fire and ash. Smoke burned the eyes and clogged the throats of the townspeople who had gathered to watch, in horror, as a large section of the merchant district was immolated before them. Just what had happened? Where had that terrifying explosion come from? And where in Leviathan’s name were those blasted water mages?!
Just a few moments and a bit of foul play. That’s all it had taken. The Alchemical Cache had gone up in a deafening whoosh of multicolored fire, the magically reinforced materials used in its construction nothing more than kindling it the face of the potent agents that were stored there.
Hadn’t the people warned the council this would happen? Don’t trust the planeswalkers. They had said it over and over again. They were not part of this world, and as such could not be trusted. Had the council listened? Of course not. They were too busy stuffing their pockets with the taxes they levied on the businesses those fiends owned. Taxes that should have been used to improve the quality of life of the people. There really was no justice in the world.
The magical fire that had been created by the explosion had quickly spread to the surrounding buildings, engulfing them. Thankfully, the buildings had mostly been empty, the incident having occurred in the middle of the night. A few screams could still be heard, however, as late-night workers and merchants whose homes were above their businesses suddenly found themselves under assault by the terrifying conflagration.
Finally, the mages begin to arrive and combat the fire, with mixed results at best. Water was only mildly effective, after all, against alchemical blazes. Thankfully, fire and earth mages, along with the town’s own alchemist and a planeswalker artificer, had arrived to aid in the fight. Together, they managed to get the blaze under control, if not quell it entirely. Two men who should have been present for this catastrophe, however, were conspicuously absent, and their absence was noticed.
Along the outskirts of the crowd that had formed, three men stood watching quietly. Had the townspeople the attention to spare, they would likely have noticed that these men stood out among them, and not in a good way. They wore well-used weapons and armor and had cold, dead eyes. They were the eyes of killers. They were the eyes of mercenaries, and they searched for their target in the shadows of the raging flames. He had to turn up, sooner or later. After all, it was his cache they had destroyed, and it was worth a small fortune.
**************************************************
On the top floor of a building adjacent to the hellistic scene, the two men missing from the onlookers sat in a private office. This particular office had been kept off the books, for reasons just such as had presented themselves tonight. One man, a timid, twitchy fellow of small stature, watched the scene unfold with fear in his eyes, making vain attempts to keep his hands from shaking. He wore a suit fashioned in the popular style of the town, form fitting with gaudy colors, while several trinkets adorned his hands and neck. He was the embodiment of a merchant, as was his intention.
The man across from him, however, did not look like a merchant at all. He was tall and thin, with an angular face whose lines belied the man’s youth. He wore a simple black suit, that would not have looked out of place in their home plane, except for one small embellishment. There was a flourish of white cloth protruding from the suit just below his throat.
His friend watched him move about slowly and meticulously, as though he did not have a care in the world. It had always impressed him how controlled his friend was. He was much to young to act so precisely. But, he supposed that is what had made his friend so successful in this world. Being impetuous in this world was a fast track to the graveyard.
Just as the merchant was about to encourage his friend to hurry this along, the man finished his preparations. He took the final few folders of paperwork that he hadn’t burned and, turning to his friend, he smirked.
“You can stop your fidgeting now, Alexander. It is time for us to make our exit. Remember, you need to be seen leaving, fearful for your life.”
Alexander snorted at this. His friend knew good and well that would not be a problem. He truly did fear for his life, regardless of the fact that he did not have the information the Morte was looking for. He’d been angry when his friend had refused to share the secrets of his work, but he now understood that it was for his own protection. If their plan failed and if he was caught by the wrong people, all he had to do was request a verita to prove his claims of ignorance. That was how his friend conducted business, and Alexander appreciated the efficiency.
The two men made their way down to the basement of the building, noticing that the mages seemed to finally be shrinking the blaze as they passed the main level. Upon arriving at the basement tunnel his friend had commissioned almost a year ago, Alexander once again marveled at his friend’s forethought. Sometimes he wondered if the man was a seer, his talent bordering on precognition.
Upon entering the tunnel, the two men said their goodbyes. Neither were prone to excessive emotional outbursts, so the process was relatively painless.
“I’ll send word once the final shipment has been processed,” the man was all business as he spoke. “Try to put on a good show and please, for the love of all the random gods, don’t get caught. I don’t wanna have to come back in after you.”
Alexander was caught off guard by the man’s joking demeaner and laughed in spite of himself. His friend was typically all business in situations such as these. He must have been in a great mood to brush off what was essentially a fatal encounter. Then again, he supposed his friend was getting what he always wanted. One way or another, they were both leaving tonight.
**************************************************
A small smile graced the man’s face as he watched Alexander disappear down the tunnel. The man was a good friend, and an impeccable business partner. It was almost a shame their adventures had to end. Almost.
He turned and began walking down a different tunnel, the ambient heat rising steadily as he drew closer to the source of the flames above. The fact that the flames hadn’t spread into the tunnel was a testimony to the old artificer’s skill.
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The man crushed the first of three talismans in his pocket as the heat began to grow uncomfortable.
You have activated [Superior Shield Talisman]. You have become impervious to all Physical and Magical damage for [15] minutes. Talisman is destroyed upon activation.
The light blue sheen that enveloped his body was almost undetectable. He’d paid extra for the discretion. Well. He’d paid extra for everything, honestly. Money was valuable, but so was living.
He’d gotten a few funny looks when he’d had the items crafted. Most of the people in this world went for the more practical jewelry and trinkets when selecting magical items. They could be recharged, after all, and some of them didn’t even need that. Crafting talismans that would break down after a single use was no less expensive and highly inefficient. This was precisely why he’d done it, of course.
His temporary shield in place, he made his way to the trap door that was currently glowing. The artificer’s work was unmatched, but even it had its limits. The door would not hold much longer. But then again, it didn’t have to. The man grabbed the glowing handle with his shielded hand and lifted the failing door, emerging into an inferno.
Whatever those mercs had used, it was effective. He could not even see from the brightness of the flames, let alone the clouds of noxious gases and smoke in the air. He donned this world’s version of a respirator as he made his way through the remains of the building. The shield was proving worth every penny, but he was unwilling to test whether or not it could filter harmful air particles.
Finally, he emerged from the chaos into the cool night air. Removing the respirator, he tossed it into the flaming building next to him. He did not want to leave any clues that he’d been prepared for this. He had no doubt that those hunting him would spare no expense tracking him into the next world if they thought he was alive. He needed to die. It was time.
The man composed his face into one of utter outrage and anguish as he slipped into the crowd. He noted the three men immediately, but then he was looking for them. They began moving toward him as soon as he appeared, but their progress was hampered as the townsfolk noticed the man’s presence as well.
“There he is!” one man cried.
“Finally decided to show his face!” another shouted.
“Look at what you’ve done to our beautiful city!” one woman near him screamed in his face.
Good. They needed to hate him. He wanted no ties left to this godforsaken place, no one to dig any deeper when he was gone. He imagined what it would be like to actually lose the stockpile burning behind him, what it would cost. Then he stepped out from the crowd, as close to the building as he dared, and turned to face them, the rage evident on his face.
“Are you people satisfied now, huh?! Look at what you’ve done! Which one of you twisted, jealous little bastards finally did it?”
His vehemence caught the crowd by surprise, and their outbursts were silenced momentarily. They did not even notice as he slipped his hand into his pocket, grabbing the second talisman.
“Fools!” he cried again, getting into his performance. He had always enjoyed a bit of theatrics when the occasion called for it. “Ungrateful little snobs! All I’ve done is bring a valuable service to your town and tried to make a bit of coin in the process! But of course, none of that matters. All that matters is that I’m a planeswalker! Just an unwanted outcast, right?”
The mercs were moving through the crowd again. Did they really think he was too oblivious to notice them? No, they knew. They thought they had him trapped. Idiots. This was the problem with people who grew up in a magical world. They had a blind spot for all the little things that magic was capable of.
For a moment, he thought about continuing his tirade until the hired swords were close enough to be caught in the blast. It would serve them right, but it was also a tad risky. His shield was almost expired, after all. Oh well. Better get on with it then.
“Damn you all,” he said with every bit of ferocity he could squeeze into his voice. “Damn you all to whatever hell will-”
*crack*
*BOOM*
You have activated [Superior Detonation Talisman]. This talisman can be magically linked to explosive materials of [Superior] quality or lower. Once the talisman is activated, explosive materials will be triggered in [0] seconds. Talisman is destroyed upon activation.
This explosion that followed the cracking of the second talisman rocked the ground on which they stood, spreading out from the alchemical cache to completely engulf the man in a torrent of white-hot flames.
There were screams and yells as the crowd drew back, shielding their eyes from the brightness. It was done. He was done. He was finally going home.
*crack*
You have activated [World Talisman - Earth]. This is a one time use, Legendary item. Upon activation, user will be immediately transported to a random anchor point on their planet of origin. This talisman is destroyed upon activation and no items of the type [World Talisman] may be used again for a period of [7] years.
The remains of the third talisman disintegrated before they hit the ground, the man who’d just been holding it now nowhere to be found.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have completed the hidden quest [Blaze of Glory]. Experience gained!
Hidden Quest: Blaze of Glory Objective:
Escape Gamus in a manner that leads your foes to believe you are dead.
Bonus Objective (Completed): Use your chosen profession in your escape.
Rewards:
New Achievement: Dead Man Walking - Your foes believe you are dead! Your status has been changed to [Deceased]. Any actions you take moving forward will remain anonymous unless your identity is revealed.
Your profession [Alchemy] has been upgraded from [C-Rank] to [B-Rank].
You have acquired a new [S-Rank] alchemical formula.
Congratulations! You have acquired the [S-Rank] formula: Alchemyst's Fire.
You are unable to use this formula at this time. Hone your skills to [S-Rank] in order to use this formula.