Azrael’s head jerked forward as the blindfold was roughly pulled off. It was bright, far too bright for the underground cavern and definitely brighter than what his eyes could take after the dark of the blind fold. Azrael squinted, noticing that the light seemed to originate from glowing rods. Glowing swords {Observer} corrected, the skill unobtrusively pointing out the pointed tips of the swords and the armoured knights that held them. Figures moved around in front of them, cast as silhouettes. He didn’t need {Observer} to point out that he was in quite a pickle. Even with a quick glance he knew that there were more than he could fight in his current state.

One of figures stepped in closer, blocking out most of the light and allowing Azrael to open his eyes up a little further. It was a man dressed in white and gold plate armour. On his left breast, equally wrought of gold, was the symbol of the Holy Empire. There was a little symbol underneath, which pointed out his position – A Justicar. The man towered over him, the blindfold clutched in his hand.

“Name and affiliation”

There was a tone in his voice that expected to be obeyed, but Azrael noticed it wasn’t the tone of a seasoned leader, rather of the narcissistic kind. It was the same kind of voice Melissa used, though entirely lacking her surety of being obeyed.

If it wasn’t for the mouth gag that the man had forgotten to take out, Azrael probably would have said something stupid. Instead, his eyes flicked downward, towards his gag. They flicked back up and looked at the man smugly. An armoured fist flashed towards him, roughly ripping the gag off.

Azrael smiled, spitting to the side. He already felt his lips swelling where the gauntlet had clipped him.

“Eat slugs” he said with a smile.

The gauntlet came back down, striking the side of his head and sending him sprawling onto the hard stone. Stars danced. He felt blood. He’d probably lost a few health points as well.

“We’re going to get along swimmingly” he slurred, as he metaphorically slipped into darkness for the second time that day.

*****

Sophie stood by the felled dragon and rubbed her temples with both hands, as she looked over to The Lightning Witch, who was currently being guarded by ten holy knights. One of her fox ears twitched with annoyance. Nothing was ever easy.

She turned away and ran one hand against the dragon’s red scales, feeling their texture. They were somehow rough and smooth at the same time, somewhat like what she imagined animal horn to feel like, but beneath that there was a metallic sturdiness. In the sun they would probably shine, but here in the cave they were dull, scratched and scarred from battle. She paused and looked up at the felled creature. Its eyes were unseeing and even as she stood there she the warmth of its body was fading.

Soon they would be cutting it apart, taking all that they could carry. Scales, claws, fangs, its eyes, its blood and most importantly its heart. Perhaps some of its bones if they could cut far enough. They would take as much as they could – as much as fourty men could carry. And yet, so much would be wasted.

Forty men could not carry a dragon the size of its house, so they would desecrate it with their holy blades, cutting away what they could take and wasting what they could not. Perhaps the opportunistic players back at the camp they had passed would take some, but there would still be more left over.

She turned her head and looked away, looking back to where their eight prisoners were being guarded. Despite having healed all of them, six of them were still unconscious. Two of them – both women – weren’t. Both were more trouble for her. A necromancer and a Ranker, and not just any Ranker, but Lilith – a well known streamer and a staunch opposition to the Holy Empire.

Orlando was for killing all eight. Purity demanded that the necromancer and Sam died. She herself didn’t want to kill anybody. The reality was they would likely kill everybody except Lilith. Death wasn’t permanent and Lilith no doubt had a few more lives to spare, but a Ranker wasn’t somebody you simply ‘killed’, especially one who was no doubt recording their every action.

Lilith looked in her direction and smirked, as if sensing her dilemmas. Sophie steeled herself and turned away from the dragon heading towards Lilith. If they were going to kill everybody, then it would be better to try and get Lillith to leave, so she didn’t catch that on camera. Holy Empire’s reputation would undoubtably take a hit for their actions today, but their PR people had most likely calculated the risks and benefits already. There was no need to add another variable to the mix.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“And so we are graced by your presence” Lillith smirked when she was within earshot. Her arm was casually rested against the hilt of her rapier. Nobody made a move to try and confiscate it.

Still, eight holy knights had their hands hovering nervously near their swords. Each and every one of them was ready to draw their blades the moment Lilith made a hostile move. It did not ease tensions when everybody present knew that only Sophie and maybe Orlando stood a chance in combat, should Lilith try anything. Lilith was strong – strong enough to break out of her ‘captivity’. The only reason she didn’t do so was because she was likely low on mana.

“I apologise for the inconvenience” Sophie said, smiling professionally.

She hated this bit, but it was part of the job description.

“How sincere.” Lilith drawled sarcastically “I don’t suppose you would give us our dragon back, would you?” she asked, nodding in its direction. Sophie looked back, seeing thirty holy knights starting the dissection.

“I don’t believe I can.”

“Unfortunate.”

“Quite.”

“I can however allow you peaceful exit from this cave. You have my word for that.”

Lilith looked at her with a flat stare. Filtering her words for what was unsaid.

“And the others?” she asked.

Sophie stayed silent, causing Lilith to raise an eyebrow at the unsaid implications.

“You do know I am recording ever moment of this, right?” Lilith asked.

“I am aware.”

“And you are aware of exactly how many people are going to see this exact footage, and let me tell you, it’s not looking good for you right now.”

“I am a- “

A slap resounded through the cave, followed by a dull thud. Every eye in the cave turned to Orlando.

He was standing over an unmoving body dressed in tattered and bloodied rags.

“I said heal the hostages, not beat the hostages” Sophie said, raising her voice. She was already storming towards Orlando before she’d finished. Lilith followed, curious, and her guards nervously followed. Nobody tried to stop her. The necromancer stuck close to Lilith’s back.

“You were supposed to heal them and tell me when they were awake” she lashed at Orlando, already drawing upon Purity’s powers of healing.

“He insul…”

Sophie blocked the rest of whatever out, focusing solely on guiding the mix of divine power and mana through the slumped figure’s body. She frowned, something was wrong. She felt like she wasn’t concentrating properly, half her power slipping through like the person wasn’t there. She tried to drown out everything, only to find she couldn’t. Surely Orlando’s voice wasn’t that annoy… she looked at the person’s face and in a moment realised why her she had trouble guiding her power. It was Sam-maybe-not-Sam. Purity’s mark on his soul was quite literally screaming at her to kill him – to cleanse him from this world. It was then, as half her power slipped out of her grasp, that she made her second discovery, one she’d sought and now inadvertently found a different answer to. Sam had a spark. He was a player.

His eyes snapped open. She staggered back, in surprise.

“Sam?” she asked.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lilith’s head suddenly swivel, before coming to a stop.

She sent a cautious pulse of divinity out. The spark flickered and vanished from her senses. Had she imagined it? No. It was there. It had been there.

“Prioress?” Orlando asked, his face scowling at Sam.

It..no..she…she needed space. She needed a moment to think. Orlando wasn’t helping the situation. Neither was having Lilith, the necromancer and ten holy knights standing around, all looking at her.

“Dom, Tristan, guard the other prisoners. Orlando, and the rest, please escort Ranker Lilith to the exit.”

His scowl deepened, but he made to follow her command. Lilith didn’t.

“I will be taking the others with me as well” she said “all of them”.

“I can’t allow that.”

“What? So you let me go, because I’m a Ranker.”

“Yes, I could hold you hostage instead and organise a ransom with the Bloody Baron”.

Lilith scoffed “You might as well let the rest go then as well.”

She pointed at one of the unconscious prisoners “See that guy? The big lug with the big sword? Sword King. Ranker.”

It wasn’t only Sophies eyes that opened wide in recognition of the name. But Lilith wasn’t finished yet.

“See the lady in the purple robe? She’s the number one divinations expert of Unity. The guy with the shattered shield? Guildmaster of Crimson Bulwark. Not too sure who the healer is, but the light mage is current seventh place in the unofficial illusionist rankings.”

“So, the filthy necro beside you is just a nobody, right?” Orlando drawled, his stance copying Lilith’s, with one hand casually draped across his hilt.”

Sophie felt his mean streak coming out. Sam had probably said something that riled him up and Orlando felt Sophie had stopped him from having his rightful revenge. Instead, he was taking it out on the necromancer who was hiding behind Lilith. The Ranker Lilith.

Lilith took a casual step towards Orlando. Ten hands grasped the hilts of their weapon, but she ignored them seemingly at ease.

“You are aware of who I am, right?”

“I-”

Lilith cut him off.

“And you are aware that my partner is the ruler of a city full of vampires and undead, right?”

“I d-”

“So, I believe it might be… shall we say… prudent, no not use any slurs while in my presence”.

Sophie saw Orlando snap, but didn’t move fast enough. His blade passed straight through the necromancer girl’s chest, Purity’s holy light burning away at her. A moment later his cruel and satisfied smirk turned into a gasp of shock, as Lilith’s rapier found a spot in his throat. Lightning sparked and two corpses fell to the ground. Both were black – one from divinity and one from lightning.

The surrounding holy knights all drew their blades, encircling The Lightning Witch.

Sophie felt the comings of a migraine.

There was only one call she could make.