Painfully I sit up next to numbers 3 and 4 as the pain and flash of anger from losing those Kage starts to go away. I am tired man, the adrenalin has worn off and I feel like I could sleep right here, on the cold concrete floor. But, number 1 decides to come over and talk to me, numbers 3 and 4, with Koda and Wojtek standup and move away, going to help where they can. In saying that, Adoazze and her team are already putting these guys in Suppression Jackets, stored from some kinda Inventory Power.

Lock seems to be doing ok, breathing in and out heavily while leaning on his sword, the sword acts as a lightning rod like this, grounding him and allowing any excess electricity to leave. He looks at me for a moment and nods while catching his breath. I may have been awake for what feels like an age but he’s most likely gone through most if not all his mana.

As I shuffle backwards to lean against some crates, Number 1 joins me, sitting under the light of Imi’s blinding orb Power which has just become a light for now. He flings me a copy of the message he had received when the Kage disappeared.

Mana Beast Uprising:

Warning! Local Kage affected by intense mana overload. Attempting to shunt excess mana into atmosphere. (Failed with Result of Failed.)

Warning! Kage “fabric” has been irreparably damaged, loss of Kage imminent.

Kage Lost - X10

“Didn’t even ask them to do it, they just did. I don’t know what would have happened otherwise to me or Milrich.” replied Number 1 to my silent question.

Silently I stare at the Interface window, the words I had spoken to the Kage only a few days ago sound in my mind.

“Arise, join your Queen and Brethren under the rule of the Just, as Friends.”

Friends? I didn’t even know those Kage, just some large rat-like creatures that I fobbed off onto 5 so we could train them for espionage and fighting. Why they would help us just like this, without even asking, knowing what this drug does and the effect it has on Powers… I don’t understand it.

“Yea, I don’t know how to feel about it either” said Number 1 as if replying to my thoughts, “We had promised that they would have free will and we’d just be basically working buddies but. Do you think Creature and Power have them? Like in that forest that Koda and Wotjek described?”

I shake my head a little, “I don’t know, haven’t even read Koda’s Report yet…”

Standing up he says with a frown, “Make sure to read it, it gave us an idea about them. Talk to them about it, once we are out of this mess.”

I almost feel like I’m being told off which is weird considering who’s talking, the speed of the fighting and now the sudden quietness has shifted the mood for everyone. “Will do.” is all I can do in reply as I lean my head back to look up at the roof.

Dr Roselin walks between us all but mostly checks up on Lock, Milrich and then I. A quick wave over me with her wand-like device and she sends me some healing in the form of a glowing yellow mist that slowly sinks into my skin.

Lock has expended all of his electricity from his body and just lies-down as Roselin watches him, he has burns under his clothes from the electricity but she says he’ll be ok. Adoazze who sees my clones working while I sit around trying to sort out my emotions about this mess looks at Milrich and shakes her head at me, outside of my view.

Milrich, who at first tries to back out of it waving his hands is told via a stern look to go to me, he slowly walks over as the others stand near the Hoist on guard or talking through communication Powers. The only people nearby are Lock and Roselin who haven’t moved from where Lock dropped. Sitting down next to me, Milrich brings his knees up to his chest as he looks at me. Feeling his gaze on me I look over.

“What?” I ask tiredly, looking at Milrich and away from the rafters.

“You did well, you remembered what training you must have had and listened when I told you to move. I’m sorry about those shadow creatures.”

“Yea, so am I…”

We stay silent for a few minutes as Adoazze starts interrogating one of the guys we captured, the elf who had tried to stab me at the beginning of the fight with the intangibility Power. After activating a crystal, She, Number 1 and Imi disappear into a grey, swirling dome that appears around them.

“It’s a type of Guardsman silent communication crystal, allowing us to corner off an area in a dome. Not even light or sound will escape it so long as it is Powered.” says Milrich.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“You’re allowed to just start interrogating people like this? I don’t suppose she’ll be gentle.”

“No, in situations like these and under very specific conditions we are allowed it. But afterwards it goes under immediate review by a 3rd party, normally Adventurer Society or a city official… How are you taking it? Losing those shadow creatures?”

“I don’t know, on the one hand I’ve created them to help me and I them, they have agreed to this weird lopsided arrangement we seem to have with Power and Creature and then just go and… I didn’t even know them, you know? It’s like an acquaintance or someone you’ve only met once has died…”

“You're sad but not upset over it. I understand that.”

“I’ll be honest Milrich, before this whole thing started I was just going to chill here for now, in the city, slowly building up my Powers and trying to find a way home, but now… Now I don’t know how far they’ll go.” I choke out, “I want to go home man, back to Earth, home.”

Milrich nods his head as he looks back toward the grey dome, “I can’t help you there, but hopefully we can make your time here… be a bit better. I’m actually surprised by you a little” he says in a smile.

Confused, I ask him, “Surprised?”

“You’ve spent who knows how long here, and despite your setbacks, despite the Institute, despite Lincastle and yes, myself, you still didn’t give up. You may have felt like it, I don’t know, but you still didn’t give up when many others would have. Keep on not giving up.”

I sit there shocked looking at Milrich, thinking about all that has happened so far, how crazy it is that I’m even in another world let alone what I have had to go through… Can I keep that up?

I almost miss the grey dome dissipating with Imi and 1 dragging out the elf and bringing in the older elf who attacked us with that powerful attack Power. Milrich makes a sound of disgust as the elf is dragged into the dome, disappearing behind it. The elf who was brought out is silent, sitting there until Roselin goes past and checks up on him as well.

“I hate that Power he used on you, I’m glad that you were about to fight against it.” he says.

“Yea, it's a Gifted Power’s ability I have, that Power was called Haemorrhage right?”

“Mmm, it's a Power that tries to instantly rupture the skin, boiling the blood and trying to force it out of the victim by creating needles out of the blood itself to break the skin. It’s illegal in every country for a reason.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes longer as I try to sort these feelings out some more. I’ll read Koda’s report when this is over, I'll talk with the other Kage when this is over, I’ll… rest when this is over.

The grey dome suddenly disappears, inside of it Adoazze stands over a kneeling, frail elf who looks beyond pale, hand resting on his forehead. Number 1 looks at me a moment before looking back at the elf. Adoazze takes her hand off him as he drops to the ground.

Walking away she turns to us, back to the Hoist and says, “Everyone over here, we have a lead.”

Milrich easily gets up and holds a hand out for me to take, I look at it for a moment before taking it as he pulls me to my feet. As we approach Roselin walks next to me.

“Roll up your gambeson please, I’ll give you something to stay awake.”

Doing so with some difficulty she jabs me in the arm with her wand, not even breaking the skin but rubbing the tip into me hard. She removes the wand after a moment and says, “It’ll kick in soon, slowly.” as she walks towards the old, fainted elf.

We all, aside from Roselin, gather around Adoazze with Koda and Wotjek sitting on hind legs behind me and my clones. All of us, including Lock, are different levels of tired but we still have a job to do. Adoazze turns on the grey dome crystal as she begins her report, seemingly confident that these prisoners will not run.

“From what we can gather the boxes here are the same ones that you Number 5 found in the sewers, they were then supposed to be transported away but by who and with what we didn’t find out.”

“After talking with Master Naaf over comms, our plan for right now is as follows; we will move down the hoist and secure the tunnels below us while reinforcements who are already nearby will take charge of these ones here. Once cleared we are to report back, Masters Naaf and Carson are currently heading to secure Sir Falgus so they will be out of our direct communication for now. We will communicate with Headquarters for now. Rest up.”

Silently we move away from the circle, all of us take up positions in clear view of our now prisoners, the Hoist and the sides of the wall. Number 2 and Koda volunteer to keep an eye on the front door, walking to the wall and leaning against it.

In no time at all the Guardsmen arrive, a team of six in their red gambeson and opal engraved chestplate follow 2’s directions towards us and quickly take control of our prisoners. Despite being held captive they look like they haven’t moved, haven’t talked, haven’t even looked at us. I am almost tempted to ask what’s wrong with them but the thought comes to me too late as we get ready to depart.

Lock’s had some extra mana injected in thanks to Roselin and so is a bit better considering. Once ready we enter the Hoist and begin our descent downwards as Milrich fills a crystal with mana, we find ourselves in a small room filled with crates with a thin tunnel running through it in the back of the room, walking around the stacked crates and through the tunnel we find it and the room to be man made, or at least Power-made. Large digging marks cover the stone and are supported by beams of a different, stronger stone arching over our heads.

After 10 metres of walking in the dark only slightly illuminated by smaller lights from Imi we arrive in a familiar location, a sewer system, and right across from us is a tunnel leading towards a Teleport Platform.

As we exit the tunnel and enter the sewer several shapes come out at us from the shadows, Adoazze and Milrich who are in front instantly bring up their defences and Powers before three swords come to a stop, hovering in mid-air. They slowly move backwards as people walk out of the shadows, the unnaturally deep shadows.

“Stand down lads, these are Guardsmen. Hullo Ma’am, Sir. Adventurer Society member Shefde reporting, code 445-TIDES. Master Carson had us take the Teleport Platform and the original sewer location in case they decided to double-back. I take it they have been captured?”

“Yes, thank you Shefde, counter-code 673-WAVES. No one else has come through here?”

“Nope, and whatever drugs we’ve found so far seem to be all of them. I don’t think they had a contingency for their contingency.” Shefde replied.

Now that we’ve all exited the tunnel I can get a better look at him, a young (25ish) Trax with reddish, almost sunburnt skin with a single horn jutting out through his forehead. Short Sword and dagger in hand with three more smaller blades floating behind him which are quickly sheafed.

“What do we do now?” I ask Adoazze, an unasked question added in subtext. Where were these being taken to?