EPISODE 109: Silent City
— ???, Year 7291. Season: Color Fading.
Black, decayed land extended as far as the mortal eye could see, but Zedra and much of the [Brava Guild] members were beyond that—beyond mortal .
“(Pulsar Scan),” Alaina, their prestige archer, activated as she fired off a shot into the horizon. A large war bow carved with various inscriptions fired off a single large arrow close to a meter and a half in length. The arrow began its arc over the dead land—a blue pulse spread from it every half second as it quickly disappeared from view.
Alaina kept her eyes closed, but her hands continued to move over a large piece of parchment. A map began to take shape that showed even the smallest of details. The image of a city—Silent City—began to take shape.
Hovering around Alaina were the core members of the [Brava Guild]. The first, Zedra, was their leader and main damage dealer of the group. The Felion, a beastman with a cat-like appearance, was geared with a set of light armor and two wickedly sharp scimitars. A belt filled with vials—potions, poisons, and all of the above was strapped to her waist. While her sharp cat ears and tail constantly flickered around—both aware for signs of danger. She stood at a height of 166 centimeters—not the shortest, but far from the tallest of the group. The title of the shortest belonged to one small green goblin with a large war bow, one that matched her in height, slung across her shoulders. Alaina herself was the goblin in question—standing at 143 centimeters, with a short crop, military-style fade.
In front of the two women was Sid—the tank of the party, who made bears appear small. Two large tusks emerged on either side of the orcs mouth, but one was slightly smaller than the other. It’d give the orc a comical appearance, but the tribal scars on his face did much to detract from that. While Sid stood guard in the front, Lairo stood behind the group, staff in hand with a spell ready to be released at the first sign of danger. He stood at 175 centimeters tall and wore a large brown robe with armor plates woven within the material covering his vitals. However, a book floated before him, its pages flipped slowly as he read. Finally, next to him was Caiden, their resident healer and [Enchanter]. Several buffs were already upon the party as they stood within the range of his Intent. A large spiked mace and large kite shield casually dangled in his hands—prepared in the case of danger.
The party stood in silence—a rare treat for them—as they let Alaina concentrate on her work.
The goblin woman grunted as she finished and held the map up for her party members to inspect it.
“It ain’t bad, but (Pulsar Scan) couldn’t penetrate the depths of the gash splitting the city,” Alaina spoke.
“Hmph, it’s nothing but undead ta worry bout in these parts, my hammer will crush their skulls ta tiny bits.”
Zedra rolled her eyes at the words of Sid before her vertical pupils realigned on the detailed map. The entire city was shown on the parchment, and she’d identified several notable spots their employer hired them to check out.
“It’s a task-based quest, the more spots we check, the better, the light of El shall guide us safely as we complete this quest,” Caiden commented.
“Can’t wait to journey to Mt. Redcoomshi and finally meet that there God of yours,” Zedra said.
“If fate allows it, then we too shall rise into the Astral and enter the Hall of Adventure.”
Zedra nodded at Caiden’s words before opening her mouth to speak once again. “Let’s get back to business. There are four major objectives—several minor ones, each scouting of one makes our payday bigger. The first, of course, is the big un.”
Zedra pointed at the large gash that split the city. “Second most dangerous objective, but as long as we check it out it triples the pay we receive, no questions asked—but.”
Sid groaned, “There’s always something.”
Smiles crossed the faces of the elite members of the [Brava Guild]. Zedra continued, “…as Sid mentioned… there’s always something. It’s well known that the Hordes of Ard reside within the Shattered Scar. Should we choose to delve…”
“You know we will,” Alaina muttered.
“Then,” Zedra continued without missing a beat. “We must get as accurate of an account of the undead as possible. This is a non-negotiable clause in the contract we took on. The Path of Apotheosis is opening shortly, and that means the Silent City will become active as the Gods play their war games. Those who’ve been stuck as demigods since the last Great War will have an opportunity to ascend.”
Caiden loudly cleared his throat, but Zedra ignored him and continued.
“That means the [Lady Death] herself will be rising, and we know the [Light of the Sun] doesn’t like that. Now that brings me to the highest paying task,” Zedra paused to take a breath. Her gaze traveled from the map and toward the center, where the Silent City was located. It seemed to penetrate the distance between them and their target until it landed on the castle that stood tall, unmarred by the Shattered Scar that split the city in twain. Around her, much of [Brava Guild] did the same. Each member held a different expression.
Alaina was filled with desire and hope. Caiden held resolve and determination. Sid’s expression was filled with excitement and lust—not for carnal pleasure but a lust for battle. Lairo, who kept quiet this entire time, finally closed his book and tuned into the conversation. While the leader of [Brava Guild] held the same light in her eyes when she admired shinnies.
“If we can, we are to enter the castle and confirm whether there is any activity. If we do this… then we can guarantee us a spot in getting into the Astral once the Path of Apotheosis opens up. Just a matter of what God you’d rather serve under or, better yet, we can venture out and carve a place of our own.”
Each member reacted differently to her words. Sid grinned, the scars on his face seemed to dance, which made his appearance become even more wicked. Lairo harrumphed, but his knuckles turned white as he gripped his staff. Alaina remained silent, but she seemed to stand taller. In comparison, Caiden muttered a prayer to God El, which remained ignored by most.
Yet through all their differences, each member held the same light that Zedra’s eyes held— desire.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was presented to them, a chance to ascend to the Astral Realm and continue their path of progression.
“We have an opportunity here to continue our path of progression. Fights against calamity beasts are not enough to sustain our leveling. I believe it’s best we complete the mission to full completion,” Alaina stated.
Nods of agreement came from each member of [Brava Guild]. Each knew the opportunity they held came rarely.
“Enough talk, let’s move,” Sid said. The large orc grabbed his horned helmet off the ground and set it in place. His black knight armor complete.
“Good, we’ll approach the least valuable target first—Aral Catacomb.”
Alaina groaned—she was not ready for what was to come.
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It took the group the better half of an hour to travel within mortal eyesight of the city. The moment they were within viewing range, the [Brava Guild] demeanor changed.
Sid led them forward, thick boots crunched on the hardened packed dirt. There was no sound to accompany them besides that of their movement. No chirping of insects, calls of birds, and other life-bearing sounds weren’t present.
Everything in the Silent City was decayed— dead.
Not even the sun seemed to shine the same upon the life empty land.
It was quiet enough to hear the beat of their hearts—at least Alaina’s large, seawater-green ears could hear it. She stood to the left of the group—bow in hand, a slight way away as her eyes roamed the walls of the city. She’d be the one to detect any threats far before anyone else in the group. Only Zedra could keep up with her in terms of Intent. Usually, she’d scout ahead, but Silent City was renowned for the number of adventurer groups—prestige, and demigod alike, who fell in their exploration.
The group stood in a kite-shaped formation—Caiden at the rightmost point and Zedra trailing behind. She walked nearly twenty meters behind everyone—a distance easily covered in seconds. The mage, Lairo, moved within the center, protected by all.
The guild entered the city through one of the many large holes in the wall. Sid shifted large rocks out of the way with a single hand—casually picking up debris nearly thrice his height with ease.
They entered the Silent City through the southwestern point—slightly disturbed as nothing made sounds besides themselves. It didn’t take long for them to find an entrance into the depths of the city—at which point the group re-converged with one another.
“(Voice Link),” Lairo spoke as they stood in front of a gaping hole that led into darkness. The long-bearded man gazed curiously into the depths. A tendril of mana shot toward each of the members of [Brava Group] and once done, Zedra spoke.
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‘Good, we’re mentally connected. The catacombs are the least dangerous of the areas in Silent City, but they are…,’ Zedra hesitated before looking toward Alaina.
‘It’s ok, at some point every goblin should visit the birthplace of our race,’ Alaina’s voice was grim, but a hard determination was set in her gaze.
They entered the depths, silent but prepared for anything. Their formation condensed as the Aral Catacombs were a pack of twisting, complex tunnels that once severed as the sewage system and home to Saphens aplenty.
It didn’t take long for the glistening white of bones to crunch under their boots as they traveled deeper under the direction of Alaina. Mutters of discomfort came from Sid as the tunnels grew narrower at certain points—this caused the large orc to hunch over as he pushed ahead under Alaina’s direction.
The goblin seemed to know exactly where she was going, and even Zedra nearly lost track of the number of twists and turns they made. It was only after an hour of swift traveling that the group slowed.
‘We’re approaching. Weapons hot,’ Alaina called, her bow stayed strapped to her back, but a small compact crossbow appeared in her hands.
The load-out for much of the group was the same. Each changed to a smaller, easily accessible weapon that could be used in tight spaces. They weren’t sure whether a battle was coming or not, but their task was simple.
‘The Graveyard is upcoming. We have to confirm the quantity and quality of Death Mana within the area. Lairo,’ Zedra began to say.
‘Yes, yes, yes, I’ve prepared the spell in advance. In case things go wrong, I have a backup spell ready. I won’t forget to fire it off this time.’
‘Heh, not like Calabaster where you forgot to prepare the reagents for the seismic charge. Now that, was a battle God Radix would appreciate,’ Sid mentally chuckled.
‘Did you set our secondary teleportation point to just outside the Ard Deadlands,’ Alaina asked curiously.
The group paused and as one they turned to stare at Lairo.
‘Yes, yes, of cour-,’ The [Archmage] said as he rolled his eyes but paused midway—mental groans immediately erupted from the group.
‘LAYYY… EEE…ROOO,’ Zedra said through gritted teeth. ‘Did you set our teleportation point?’
‘Shh, let me think,’ Lairo responded, just as the other members of [Brava Guild] began to voice their concerns.
Lairo took out a small rock from seemingly nowhere and held it up to his face for inspection. A dim blue light extended from his spectacles and hit the rock, causing it to vanish instantly. The [Archmage] began to mutter to himself, and several small spell constructs appeared before him. The group waited, weapons drawn, concern evident on their faces.
‘At least if we die, the Hall of Adventure is always waiting,’ Caiden spoke quietly. There was no response, but the grips on their weapons tightened.
The air was nearly scentless. However, Zedra wrinkled her pink nose, a frown on her face as she turned toward the direction they were traveling. A moment later, Alaina followed her.
The group needed no communication as Sid moved forward—a glow emerged from Caiden that covered the group before a visible golden tendril shot from the elf and firmly connected itself to [Brava Guild].
‘Looks like the guardian is truly awake,’ Alaina said grimly.
The group squinted, they’d paused only a half dozen meters away from a sharp curve in the catacombs that led to their first destination. There was no light to see by, and the group used none—each having a passive skill that allowed them to see in various lighting conditions. It was one of the primary passives any well respected [Adventurer] would have.
A small green light peaked from around the corner. It watched them for several moments before disappearing. A second later, two small green lights appeared. The process repeated until the third set of lights appeared. With each appearance, the lights would draw closer. Sid frowned as he gazed down at the small lights, they were nearly at Alaina’s height, and it would be a back-breaking event to try to attack whatever was approaching.
‘Not, yet,’ Zedra commanded—a serious non-negotiable tone set in her voice.
Alaina’s aim never wavered as she aligned her crossbow at the first light. Her grip around the weapon was tight—blue veins showing through her green skin.
‘Caiden, anti-dead weapon buff,’ Zedra commanded.
“Guess we can go loud… Light of the Sky, Light of Adventure, I call upon thee to guide us. Set our weapons alight with the flame of the divine—banish our foes and settle our woes. For it is within thee that our confidence rest as we use the (Undead Bane Armament).”
“Lairo, hurry up,” Sid urged. “I ain’t planning on fighting Gorrick — Endless Hunger… Though that would be another achievement ta add to my face,” Sid said the end slowly—as if pondering on whether the task was worth it. “The elders couldn’t deny me then.”
The mage didn’t respond, still muttering to himself as he gazed at his spell constructs. He gently stroked his beard with a pondering expression—lost within his own world.
“We’ll have to push through and confirm Gorrick is awake—that is not negotiable,” Zedra said, light in her eyes for the confirmation of their first reward.
Out of the darkness ruffled small green figures—goblins.
They were dressed in rags—most barely were covered. Each of their eyes held a green glow to them and as they shuffled towards [Brava Guild] drool began to leak from their mouths.
Footsteps pitter-pattered against the ground like raindrops on a spring morning. It echoed through the tunnels until it was the only sound that could clearly be heard.
No—there was something else that Zedra’s sharp cat eyes twitched to. Groans—those from the stomach, began to emerge as the first of the goblins came toward them.
It began as a slow walk, before quickly turning into a jog and then an all-out sprint.
The hordes looked like nothing more than children—ribs, and bone poking through their gaunt flesh.
Alaina gasped and reared back slightly, but her heart settled as an influx of mana appeared from the tendril connected to Caiden.
“Attack.”
The command was simple, and a dozen bolts were released as Alaina fired—her first shot splitting into multiple. A second and third quickly followed. Sid’s shield bashed against the ground, and he pushed forward, the group followed closely behind. A red haze—like that of a meteor entering the atmosphere, projected out from Sid and Caiden carefully guided Lairo forward.
The first volley impacted into the forerunners of the approaching horde. Bolts tore through flesh and red blood spilled into the floor—a dozen bolts and a dozen goblins dropped. When the third volley arrived, Sid was upon the growing horde—sympathy in his eyes, but his shield showed nothing of the sort as he bashed the weaponless creatures to the ground.
Bones cracked under his assault, goblin bodies snapped in half with a single push. Those who didn’t die instantly, pelted by the remains of their brethren, groaned in pain and terror, but [Brava Guild] did not let up. They pushed forward, a trail of bodies left in their wake.
A bump appeared in Alaina’s throat, but her skill never stopped until they broke through into a large caravan. Skull-carved pillars supported the ceiling and the group paused, disgust, hatred, and a grim resolve in their faces.
Thousands of bodies lay stacked upon one another—goblins tearing at their neighbors as they consumed the flesh of their kin. Upon the rising mound of bodies was a far larger goblin than any presented before. It held several rolls of skin flaps that dangled as its large hands grabbed goblin after goblin—consuming them whole. Yellowed black teeth stained with blood crunched continuously as Gorrick’s body jingled.
Alaina turned away, unable to watch more. She knew the stories… they all did, which is why there was no hesitation when attacking.
The fat goblin paused, only just noticing its visitors.
“Ahhh guestssssss,” Gorrick hissed in delight. “A new cycle must be ssstaring… Oh how wonderful to sssserve yourselvesssss to me up my awakening. I grow tired of endlesssss consumption of these tasteless vermin.”
“Gorrick — Endless Hunger… do you not grow tired of constantly reanimating and eating these goblins,’ a grim Zedra asked.
‘Prepare to leave, we cannot fight this demigod. Perhaps... none outside disciples of the Sun temple can defeat him… but they cannot break the curse,’ she spoke to her companions at the same time. ‘Lairooooo, hurry.’
“Oh, but of course not… the pain in their souls is the tastiest each time.”
“So it is true… you’ve kept them alive for nearly seven thousand years… seven thousand years of endless torture,” Alaina half questioned—half commented aloud.
Small yellowed, beady eyes aligned on her. They light up in excitement upon seeing the green of her skin.
“Torture? Hahahahaha, your bloodline calls to us child—it is no torture but endless pleasure. Do you believe I force them to consume? Look,” Gorrick’s chubby hands gestured, and the monster took a step forward. It chuckled as it stood and talked—its height would have it towering even above Sid.
‘Sid, forward, Alaina cover him. Let’s buy our resident [Archmage] the time he needs. Remind me to dock his pay after this.’
Gorrick smiled in Zedra’s direction and disappeared. “Shit, he can hear u-“
Her words never finished as a large black knight moved before her—before crashing into her and sending them both flying.
“Sssssaphens, sssssaphens, oh, I will enjoy the taste of your flesh.”
Alaina’s arrows reached Gorrick the moment the creature struck, the mountain of fighting goblins descending in a rush toward them.
Gorrick frowned, pulling out several arrows and two daggers from its thick folds of fat. The wounds left closed just as quickly.
“LAIRO,” Caiden yelled—shaking the mage.
’There! Now it is set,’ Lairo spoke—looking up to see the rest of [Brava Guild] in an intense battle.
“Is that… Monsters? ”