Aldritch was sitting on a large stone bench, just outside the aerial dock. The area he’d found was some kind of rest stop- or perhaps a picnic area would be the more correct term? Either way, it was the first place Aldritch had seen since leaving Mag Arsa that had grass- but unlike the grass back home, this stuff wasn’t oozing toxic waste into the air, nor was it blackened by death and smelling of brimstone.

It looked so comfortable, Aldritch had already taken his boots off and was just enjoying the feeling of the lusciously green grass between his toes- It was slightly damp from the early morning dew that had yet to dry, and refreshingly soft compared to what he was used to. He could see why people would picnic here- It even had a good view of the edge of the island, which was just behind a steel fence about a hundred feet from where Aldritch was sitting.

He glanced around at the people present; from the young couples just getting to know one another, to the large family gatherings with multiple generations of parents and their children enjoying the pleasant day out, and the loners like himself on the periphery of the park; each with their own reasons for coming here today. It truly was a paradise compared to what Mag Arsa had become.

“As beautiful as this place is, it’s a bit boring- isn’t it?” Oakairo asked. The feeling Aldritch got through their bond was that Oakairo was feeling sleepy… Which while understandable, was a bit funny and reminded Aldritch of the old days.

Aldritch couldn’t remember how many times he’d gone to visit the dragon god, only to find him sleeping atop the literal mountains of gold the dwarves of Than Kaldur had buried beneath their mountainous home.

The memory brought the slightest smile to Aldritch’s face… But Oakairo was right. It was a bit boring for his tastes. Aldritch pivoted his body to the left and reached into the back pocket of his trousers. He pulled a piece of paper that was about the size of his palm out of the pocket and looked down at it; it was a magically printed copy of the much larger, and far more detailed map of Auris Aldritch took a glance at in the hunters guild dormitory.

It was also the primary reason he’d insisted on going back to the dormitory after his conversation with the former Vice-Master. And they were just sitting on a wooden table near the dormitory’s entrance, free for anyone to take.

The map was a bit barebones, only having a few landmarks and the easiest ways to travel between them. But even that was a lot of useful information to cram into such a small area. Aldritch wanted to at least see most of the areas represented on the map before the end of the day, even if he couldn’t go inside and take a proper look around.

The aerial dock was clearly represented on the southwestern side of the little map. It was by far the largest area on the map, which was why Aldritch had started his exploration from there. After looking around the docks for a little over an hour, Aldritch had seen even more than he’d expected; flying pufferfish, horses with wings pulling carriages through the sky, and at least three species of dragon. But, since he was growing tired of looking around the docks, it was time to move on to the next area on his list.

“Hey, before we go… Think we could take a peek over the edge?” Oakairo asked in a pleading voice.

Aldritch glanced over at the edge of the island, then looked at the fence blocking it from the average citizen. Surrounding the entire aerial dock was a six-foot-tall stone fence that periodically shimmered with a purple light.

“Eye of the Magic Eater” Aldritch muttered and activated the spell he’d invented back when he’d first started hunting demons. The world through Aldritch’s eyes went completely black, almost as if he’d gone blind… Except, just then, something flashed in front of his eyes. Aldritch watched as the fence shimmered before his eyes; the wave of mana traveled from beneath the ground, to the top of the fence, and beyond- flowing high into the sky, before curving back towards the city and merging with the gigantic walls that protected it.

“Interesting…” Aldritch temporarily deactivated Eye of the Magic Eater to look down at his feet and locate a small pebble, the kind you’d find basically anywhere. He lifted it off the ground by pinching it between his index and middle fingers of his right hand.

He inspected the pebble for a few seconds, doing a couple of quick calculations in his head to determine how much strength he should put into the experiment he was about to perform. Once he was somewhat satisfied, Aldritch allowed the pebble to roll down his fingers and settle in the palm of his hand. Keeping his palm as flat as possible, he brought the pebble up to eye level and used the fingers of his right hand as a guide to aim it at a spot a few feet above the fence.

Aldritch flicked the pebble with the middle finger of his left hand and reactivated Eye of the Magic Eater- There was a loud popping sound that drew nearly everyone in the park’s attention, bringing all of their eyes over to Aldritch.

Aldritch wasn’t looking at them, however. His eyes remained locked on the watermelon sized hole he’d just punched in the ward. “That’s odd. I didn’t expect them to be that rigid. Normally, wards on the level of a city are meant to be supple- The more flexible they were, the better they were able to withstand hurricanes, floods, quakes, etc. Hard shields are usually more of a personal protection measure, meant to withstand blows from enemy combatants. Why would they use hard shields here?”

“Could be because they haven’t reached that level of magic engineering yet. Didn’t the cultist also have hard shields around his home?” Oakairo pointed out, reminding Aldritch of the ease with which he’d smashed through Edwards wards.

Aldritch frowned at the possibility of Iolara being so far behind. It didn’t seem quite right, they had many devices that were far beyond the technology Aldritch had seen back home. Why would they only be behind in the field of Magic Engineering?

“Which is easier to maintain?” Oakairo asked, temporarily drawing Aldritch out of his confusion.

“The hard shield is far easier to maintain… Which would explain why they were using it instead of the superior supple shield method. From what I’ve seen, Auris seems to be sorely lacking in resources and capable people.”

“Could you build the ward for them?”

Aldritch thought it over for a moment before nodding. “I could. Not for free, obviously. But I could forge a dozen or so ward stones to encircle the dock and replace what’s already there. Why? What’re you planning, my Lord?” Aldritch asked, while waiting for Oakairo to respond, he observed the ward through Eye of the Magic Eater. While it took longer than Aldritch personally found acceptable, the ward eventually closed the hole he’d created and returned to normal.

Provided they had an appropriate amount of power, all wards should have a self-repair function built into the foundation of the magic code. This would drastically extend the life of the wards, reduce maintenance costs, and improve its overall efficiency by something like 27%. But since this ward took seventeen seconds to initiate the self-repair protocol, its efficiency rate couldn’t be any higher than 15% percent.

“I’m thinking this new guild you want to start is going to need some startup funds… Which you are sorely lacking. You don’t even have enough money to rent a place to sleep- not that you do sleep, but you get my point.”

Aldritch tilted his head to one side and thought that over for a second. Oakairo was right, they’d need money to get started. And while he did have a few things he’d picked up that he could pawn, he’d rather not sell anything from his homeland. It was sentimental drivel, but they were all he had left of the place he’d once called home. “Good point.” Aldritch hummed and stood up. He picked up his boots and started walking away at the same time as five armed men arrived at the fence in thick leather armor that had been dyed dark blue.

They were all wearing dark helmets that covered their faces, while the leather armor covered their entire body like a second skin. Aldritch noted their weapons were all wooden clubs that had been enchanted, with what effect, Aldritch couldn’t say. But it was an interesting find to be sure.

Aldritch wondered who these strange individuals were, and what role they played within the confines of the city… But then he turned his back to them and kept walking. Sure, a part of him was interested in going over and introducing himself. But his curiosity towards them was but a feather compared to the weight of his curiosity towards the rest of the city.

Besides, he had a feeling he’d run into them again sooner or later. Auris wasn’t that big of a city, and he seriously doubted that anyone wearing such… obvious attire would be difficult to spot.

While carrying his boots in his right hand, Aldritch followed the little map to the next of the other three major landmarks within Auris city; The clocktower at the very heart of the Market Square was a colossal structure that even towered over the walls of the city. It had four faces, one for each cardinal direction, and the wooden structure had an absolutely fascinating pattern to the wood.

The base of the tower was a light, almost colorless wood that Aldritch realized would release a very sweet scent if the breeze caught it just right. But as his eyes moved up the tower, the color of the wood shifted hues- becoming darker, and less pleasant on the eyes. And once your eyes reached the very top of the clock tower, you could see yet another pattern in the wood. This dark, almost foreboding color caused Aldritch’s eyes to twitch every time he looked directly at it… "There’s an obfuscation ward up there.” Oakairo muttered.

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“This world is so interesting.” Aldritch replied, smiling up at the clocktower’s eastern face. He wondered if the clock mechanisms still worked, and decided to wait around to see what he would discover. However, despite waiting for several minutes, and periodically moving to view each of the four clock faces, the clocktower remained frozen at exactly [8:49:52].

Aldritch shook his head in disappointment and moved on to the next landmark; A four story building located about half a mile from the market square, with a sign mounted above the large, wooden double doors that read; The Sentinel's Roost.

Just as he’d predicted, Aldritch saw more of the blue suited men. But this time, instead of investigating something, they were coming and going from the building. Aldritch noted how none of the blue suited men ever left the building alone- they only traveled in groups of three or more, and often those returning from… Wherever they’d gone, were dragging with them lone men and women. The people they brought in were always in wooden chains that linked both arms, both legs, and their neck to a wooden brace attached to their waist.

Aldritch used Wisdom of the Great Sage on everyone entering and exiting the building- And to his great surprise, none of the people he scanned had a system installed onto them. Both the blue suited men and the chained individuals were, as far as Aldritch could tell, just normal civilians.

“A Sentinel back home was a watcher… Of sorts.” Oakairo explained. “They were the artificial guardians of the royal tombs in the human realms. Maybe these men serve the same purpose here?”

“I agree with them being defenders, but I don’t think it's tombs they guard. Judging by the prisoners, I would assume they were either a slave trading organization or a group of peacekeepers… And since I don’t see any horrified expressions on the other citizens, I’m inclined to believe it's the latter.” Aldritch said. As he spoke to Oakairo, he glanced around at the civilians going about their days. None of them paid the Sentinels, or their prisoners, a second or third glance after sating the inherit curiosity all mortals possessed. Which meant one of two things; Aldritch was correct, the sentinels were peacekeepers… Or this world was very used to the idea of enslaving their fellow mortals.

Aldritch hoped it was the former that was true- Mind you, it wasn’t because he hated slavery or wished to see it abolished. Sometimes such evils were justified, especially the way they’d handled slaves back home. To enslave your fellow mortals would see you hanged by the wrists on a public viewing platform, where you would slowly starve to death- Or be eaten by the birds, whichever came first. However, there was one organization that not only still enslaved mortals, but they were also given the authority to do so across seven different nations.

Oberon’s Scales was the name of the group; They were the fanatical worshipers of Oakairo’s brother, Oberon; Dragon God of Justice. Oberon supposedly granted his worshippers the ability to see the sins a person had committed and make them relive the horrors they’d inflicted on others. It was said that by the time the group was done with the criminal, the perpetrators would beg for the torment to end and willingly enslave themselves to the families of their victims. But it wasn’t as if this was the fate of all criminals the Scales caught. They only enslaved murderers, rapists, or thieves who directly caused the deaths of another person. Everyone else was handed over to the local authorities, as they weren’t worth any more of the Scales’ attention.

“Remember when they tried to arrest you?” Oakairo asked, and Aldritch could sense a wave of smug satisfaction coming through the bond.

“I do. They took offense to some of the people I’d killed and tried to bring me before Oberon. They might’ve actually succeeded if you hadn’t interfered.” Aldritch replied while continuing to watch the front door of the roost- He spotted a trio of Sentinels standing just inside the doorway of the roost. The three’s helmeted heads were pointing directly at him, and based on the body language he could see, Aldritch could tell they were whispering to one another.

“Who did you kill to piss them off?” Oakairo asked. Though Aldritch thought the question could apply to the sentinels watching him, he knew his Lord was actually still thinking about his run in with the Scales.

“I don’t recall.” Aldritch replied. He watched the trio of Sentinels leave the building and walk towards him in a triangle formation- their bodies practically screaming their desire for conflict. Aldritch imagined them waking up today and begging the gods- or anyone else who would listen- for the chance to prove their power and authority to someone.

Aldritch smiled at the three men as they approached. He found it very interesting that the two flanking the third had their hands resting on the pommels of their clubs, while the third man kept his body as relaxed as he possibly could… But Aldritch knew it was an act; his knees were too stiff, his posture too rigid. By putting on a show of being ‘relaxed’, the sentinel had inadvertently made himself seem even more stressed than if he’d just approached normally.

“It’s always amusing to me how those who’ve never known combat, always seem so eager to start a fight.”

“Hello, gentlemen.” Aldritch said, holding out his hand for the leader to shake, “You stand before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. Might I know your names?” He asked. Aldritch doubted they would respond in kind, but that wouldn’t stop him from showing them some common courtesy.

“Why’re you loitering around the roost?” The leader asked. His voice was slightly muffled due to the helmet, and both hands remained firmly by his side.

Aldritch kept his hand extended for a few more seconds before lowering it, and also dropping his smile. “Try again.” Aldritch replied while staring down at the much shorter men. One of the two at the back was obviously a dwarf, but the other two… They were a bit more difficult to place. The leader was bulky beneath his armor but was also tall- standing only a few inches shorter than Aldritch, so it was unlikely he was a dwarf, halfling, gnome, goblin, or any of the other shorter races.

“What did you say?” The Sentinel replied incredulously. His body tensed as his hand reached for the club at his waist.

Aldritch stared at the sentinel for a second before reaching out with his left hand. He placed his palm atop the sentinel’s helmet and with a light pull, he pulled the helmet clear of the man’s head, revealing a youngish looking human man with a shaved head. Aldritch noticed the two other sentinels freeze at the sight of him pulling off their friend’s helmet. Aldritch was also amused to note the hostility they were projecting had seemingly vanished into thin air, resulting in the three of them standing in shocked silence.

“I said,” Aldritch began, ignoring the surprised expression on the human sentinel’s face. “Try again. You wish for people to respect you, yes?” It took a second for Aldritch’s words to register, but eventually the human nodded. “That’s completely understandable. Young people like yourselves,” He was assuming all three were young for their races. “Have an inherent desire to feel respected. But you won’t get respect by acting like self-important little shits- respect is earned by your deeds, and maintained by the way you hold yourself. It’s not given to you just because you put on the uniform of a peacekeeper. Understand?” Aldritch explained while watching the three of them for any sudden moves. “If you understand, then introduce yourselves.”

“Er-” The human sentinel flinched as Aldritch thumped him on the forehead.

“Keep your back straight when you introduce yourself. Take pride in who you are and try again.” Aldritch said while staring into the human’s eyes.

Still extremely confused, the human straightened his back and said, “My name is Kal Morthas; Initiate sentinel.”

“Good.” Aldritch replied and smiled at the human. “Now, what are your names?” He asked the two others.

They looked between themselves for a second before the one on the left straightened his back. “I am-”

“Take off your damn helmet before you introduce yourself.” Aldritch said, interrupting the sentinel- who froze like Aldritch had just slapped him across the face.

“Sorry.” The sentinel muttered before taking off his helmet, revealing a young dark-haired dwarf with an unkempt beard. “Lorik Craigbrewer of clan Drakebeard. I’m also an initiate Sentinel.”

Aldritch nodded to the dwarf, but on the inside, he was frowning. The dwarf should know better than to act this way. Aldritch didn’t know how the other races raised their kids, but he knew dwarves. If this kid’s elders knew how he was swaggering around the city with these two.

Without saying anything, Aldritch turned to the final sentinel and was pleased to see a young… human woman standing there with her helmet tucked under her left arm. She had short black hair that was shaved on one side of her head and hung to her chin on the other. “Artemis Maia Theanole. I’m also an initiate sentinel.” She said and offered Aldritch a quick salute.

Aldritch glanced down at the armor they were wearing- he hadn’t thought it was thick enough to hide their forms so well, but he supposed it did make sense. Without the system, they would need thicker armor to withstand blows their bodies could not.

After a second to absorb that knowledge, Aldritch nodded. “Well then- Kal Morthas, Hillkin Lorik Craigbrewer of clan Drakebeard, and Artemis Maia Theanole. Once again, you stand before Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet all of you.” Aldritch said, a slight smile on his face. “And as much as I’d enjoy getting to know each of you, I do have places to be. You’re dismissed, sentinels.” He told them.

Aldritch nodded as the three of them shot him a salute before donning their helmets and leaving… “What the fuck did you just do?” Oakairo asked, astounded by what he’d just seen. “Did you use some kind of enchantment magic when I wasn't looking?”

Aldritch shook his head and departed for the next landmark. “Of course not. I wouldn’t waste the mana.”

“Then how?”

“They’re young soldiers. Sure, they’ve never been in combat, but they are. Presumably fresh out of training too. Going on that assumption, I assumed they would behave as all young soldiers would when presented with a higher-ranking officer.”

“Aldritch… You're not a higher-ranking officer.”

“Oh, I’m aware. But they clearly weren’t.”