Emrin spawned in the alley right next to Tsoya’s house, boots finding the stone wet from recent rain. He heard a soft yelp from behind him and turned to see an old, chubby lady heaving with each breath. “Felial’s buttocks sonny, ya gave me a fright, appearing outta nowhere like that.”
Emrin raised a hand as the last of the dark mist that accompanied players spawning faded. “Sorry.”
“You people blessed by the stars, I swear,” she mumbled as she fiddled with the door to her home. “Don’t you got nothing better to do with your immortality than to scare old people?”
Emrin chuckled to himself and walked further down the alley. Shantalar’s npcs were certainly expressive. In Asohan and all other Hallowed cities he’d visited, they carried a much stricter, silent attitude. Perhaps his rank and the heavy armour he used to wear were to blame, but Shantalar really felt different. And as he went out into the main road and saw what was happening, he understood just how much. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were standing completely still on the streets, gazing up at the sky. The moon above filled more than half of the sky and showered the city with its deep, orange light.
Just what was going on? He checked the system notifications for an answer.
The festival dedicated to Felial, God of the Moon, has reached its final day. No light can shine brighter than Felial’s eye in the sky, gazing down upon all creation. All players who’ve visited Shantalar during the festival get several bonuses for the next three days: +15% Experience to players under level 100. +10% Crafting experience. +8% Magic find.
Emrin gazed up at the huge, golden orange moon as well and watched it shift in his vision slowly, as if an elaborate illusion. Black gathered in its centre and lines of deep crimson formed from it, like the pupil and iris of a monstrous eye. The shiver that ran down his back reminded him to move, and when he blinked next the moon seemed normal save for its colour. Creepy celebration or not, he couldn’t waste time here. He had to find Veelander.
Moving through this orange light when everyone bathed in it in stillness felt profane, but nobody tried to stop him. No one even spared a look in his direction. As he moved to the central square, he noticed that no torch or lantern had been lit tonight. Whether that was because they weren’t needed or simply religious superstition, he did not know. Thankfully, the large bonfire at the very centre of the city still raged on, and so did the dancing and the drinking. It seemed alcohol was still a potent bane of both inhibitions and propriety. Emrin was laughing and almost singing along to the happy tune when he felt himself trip on something. The muffled grunt that came from beneath sounded oddly familiar.
“Veelander!” Emrin pulled the bard up by the lapels of his jacket.
“Angh -uhfgah?” Veelander struggled to form words as his eyes rolled back, but the stench of his booze on his breath was answer enough.
“For fuck’s sake.” Emrin let him drop down with a thud that sounded delightfully painful. “Why do I always get the alcoholics?” He pushed Veelander with his boot so that his face landed on the muddy water in hopes that would do the trick. “Wake up!” he yelled.
“Ah? Boss?” Veelander raised his brows and wrinkled his forehead, then squinted away from the light. “Where am I?”
Emrin rolled his eyes and leaned forward into his hand. Just where the fuck did he find them. “I asked you for two very simple things. Five hogs, and your knowledge about the Red Ravens written down.” Emrin squatted next to him. “Do you have either of those?”
“Ugh,” Veelander turned with difficulty and stood on his hands and knees, looking down. “No, but I have a STD now, I think.”
“For the love of–” Emrin yanked the bard up and gave him a few solid wake-up slaps. “Are you useful in any capacity?”
“Yeah– Yeah. Please stop slapping me. I’m awake.” Veelander wiped the mud from his face and stood by himself. “I’ll uhm, get it done.”
“Good.” Emrin huffed and pulled him away from the crowd. “Why were you getting shitfaced in the first place?”
“Well I was at this bar trying to write down my thoughts, when I saw this smoking hot half-orc girl giving me the guilty side eye. And I thought, why not buy her a drink, you know? One thing led to another and–”
Emrin raised a palm. “Yeah, I got it.” He leaned against a wall and looked around, making sure they were alone before bringing out his tiny notebook. “You really should avoid bars from now on. They don’t do you good.”
Veelander simply shrugged. “I’ll try, but no promises.”
Emrin glanced at him menacingly but left it at that. He could worry about the bard later. Right now, he needed a different kind of aid. ‘So, do you know anything about what we discussed?’ he scribbled down and spent some moments looking at the words.
“I know a place,” Xua said in his ear, “but it’s dangerous.”
‘Dangerous is what I’m looking for. Show me the way.’
Emrin followed Xua’s instructions and walked through the streets quickly, dragging Veelander behind him. He could hear the man mumble numbers in his ears every now and then, always stopping at thirteen. This brought the pair to a winding staircase next to a house which numbered thirteen steps, at the end of which stood a simple wooden door. The letters on the sign above it were a vibrant red, and he could hear screams and the clash of metal coming from within.
“Maldir’s sinkhole?” Veelander asked teasingly. “I thought we were avoiding bars, boss.”
“Shut up,” Emrin mumbled. He knocked on the door and a horizontal slit was moved aside.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
A pair of eyes locked onto them. “Passwerd?”
“Roses speak of death,” Emrin parroted Xua speaking in his ear.
“Aye! Welcome to Maldir’s.” The door opened and a burly man dragged them both inside, locking it shut behind them. “Destroy responsibly.” He nodded and Emrin observed the countless scars etched onto his chin.
Emrin took a deep breath of booze and gunpowder and looked around the space. On the right, tables with all sorts of drunkards swinging cups around, singing, dancing and playing cards. The night was young, so they were lively and loud. People who wore only rags sat close to others who wore clothes that seemed too expensive to soil with cheap ale. Knives and firearms outnumbered the glasses five to one on the splintered hardwood tables, with some blades ruined by red blood-rust. Only two people spared glances in their direction, then quickly returned to the card game once it was their turn. To Emrin, it was a surreal scene.
“Boss, look over there.” Veelander whispered and pointed.
At the other side of the bar, six or so people were crammed in a circle too small for any two of them as they traded punches. Bare knuckle punches. Right in the face. That explained the smell of blood. Around them, a small crowd was shoving and yelling for their favourite fighter. Emrin pulled up his hood and moved straight to the bar. There was no telling who frequented this place and how many of them could be dangerous. By the looks of it, quite a lot of them, so he decided to keep a low profile and not draw too much attention, just like Xua had advised.
Veelander on the other hand held no such concerns. The moment he spotted a scantily clad waitress he beelined for the poor girl. The dress she wore was two separate pieces of red fabric held together by golden thread, leaving the sides of her thighs and chest visible. Daring, but it did the trick. Not that Veelander was hard to entice. Emrin knew the man for a very short time, and the fact that he hadn’t ended up shanked and left to dry in one of Shantalar’s many alleys for hitting on the wrong woman was a miracle.
Emrin sighed and went back to the task at hand. The man at the counter carried a white beard and more scars on his face than Emrin had ever seen before. The bulk of the biceps on his arms alone was bigger than Emrin’s head. Intimidating, even if they were just used to wipe a glass for now.
“Are you Maldir?” Emrin leaned on the counter.
“The one and only!” Maldir let out a hearty laugh. “What can I get you? What’s your poison?”
“I’m looking for a weapon,” Emrin leaned in a little closer. “Something capable of causing damage.”
“Oh yeah?” Maldir set the glass aside and placed both his massive palms onto the counter, leaning forward as well. “And what would that be?”
Emrin hesitated. Could he really trust this person? Xua Yu had to know what he was talking about, right? “I want a bomb,” Emrin whispered.
“What’s that?” Maldir turned his head to the side to hear him better.
“I said, I want a bomb,” Emrin said a little louder.
“Sorry son, but I’ve gone a little deaf from all the gunpowder. Can you speak up?”
“Tsk.” Emrin glanced around to make sure no one was watching. “I want a bomb. An explosive device.”
Maldir squinted and pouted, pushing his pinky into his ear and twisting. “Come again?”
“I want to buy a fucking bomb!” Emrin screamed without realising it. He went all wide eyed and looked around, but nobody seemed to care. They just kept dancing and fighting and drinking as if somebody hadn’t just screamed about a bomb. Just what was this place?
“Ah, a bomb!” Maldir nodded in approval and chuckled. “Sure, sure, I can do that. What spread are ya looking for? Person? Vault? Building?”
“Can you do city?” He'd fought against and alongside Asire. He knew that if he wanted a change to get the man, he’d need to pack some serious power. That’s why Xua had led him here. And well, he had a quest to finish, so why not get some more enemies caught in the blast?
It was Maldir’s turn to be surprised. He rubbed his beard and finally scanned Emrin over. “I got some new magitech from my friends at the tower. Something to cause so much havoc though… it’s gonna cost you. Probably your life too.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Emrin replied. “I have a tendency to come back.”
Maldir’s face went bright at that. “Oh, blessed by the stars are you? Just what I needed to test this out.”
“Does that mean I get a discount?”
Maldir burst into a loud guffaw. “You’re funny.”
“How much then?” Emrin asked.
Maldir leaned back and huffed. “Let me think here.” He counted something on his fingers and seemed to be really struggling. “Sixteen hundred gold.”
Xua Yu whispered in Emrin’s ear before he had the chance to ask. “Can be done.” It’s almost like he was waiting for it.
“Agreed.” Emrin extended his palm for a handshake. “I can pay up front.”
“Damn right you're gonna pay up front.” Maldir gripped his hand with a smile and squeezed hard.
[You have taken 5 damage]
“Don’t want to have to go through your remains for my money after you blow yourself to bits.”
“Don’t worry.” Emrin winced and retrieved his hand, looking down at the red marks in the shape of Maldir’s fingers. “One more of these handshakes and there’ll be no way to light the fuse.”
“Ha! You’re a funny guy!” Maldir leaned forward and gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder that nearly sent him stumbling. “I like you!”
[Affinity with Maldir the Destroyer has slightly increased. You have taken 7 damage.]
Talk about a shitty trade-off. At least he’d found what he was looking for without much trouble. “Thanks,” Emrin said. “How can I pay you?”
“Here.” Maldir straightened his back and reached into his breast pocket. He pulled out a small card and slid it to Emrin. “Moon, Sun, Axe, Blood. Ounis bank. Large deposits only.”
Emrin ran his thumb over the impressions of the symbols on it. It was tastefully thick. Impressive. He certainly didn’t expect to find such a thing here of all places. “Got it. Should be in today.”
“I’ll have it ready the night after the deposit. Come by before opening hours and I’ll get you a nice long fuse too, cause trust me, you wanna stand far away when that thing goes off.”
“That’s the plan.” Emrin slid the card into his pocket. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
“Do tell me though, why do you need so much firepower?” Maldir stroked his beard. “What are you blowing up?”
“And spoil the surprise?” Emrin laughed in turn. “If it all goes to plan, you’ll hear about it.”
"No, lad." Maldir chuckled and shook his head. “With what you're buying, I’ll hear the blast itself."