There was little talking along their slow trip down the mountainside, toward the still burning city. After Lee had returned from wherever he was sent to be judged by the system itself, Neia and Ruven had been grabbed after him, one after another.
Surprisingly, he was still taking it the best out of the bunch. Em looked a mix between haunted and thoughtful, a terrible combination on her normally fierce and eager face. Ruven had only said that nothing had changed, but he had been judged. He was more worried for Lee and Neia, but it was clear that his run-in with the system, or whatever part of it that judged them, had spooked him.
Neia had the scariest of returns. Instead of fear or worry, she was ecstatic. Even now, as they approached the burning city where thousands upon thousand had just perished, she smiled and walked with purpose. From what little they had talked after their ordeals, she didn’t have anything taken from her either, only given.
The prisoner escapees were all but forgotten by everyone but Lee, who had made them a promise. Some of them, upon hearing about what had happened to the group, instantly decided to find their own path. They still had their small bundles of glittering gold, so they could easily find someplace to settle down.
Only two followed him and their group in hopes of finding family or friends.
As much as he didn’t want to stay a second longer in this miserable kingdom, Lee felt responsible—at least in part—for the disaster that befell them. Not everyone would be dead, and the injured would need his help.
After all, he needed money again.
The entirety of his stash was gone. The literal hoard of a dragon along with everything he owned. No more spare clothes, food, tools, odds and ends, bits and bobs, everything. Worst of all, his spellbook. Teaching, if he was going to continue to do so, would be a very lengthy process from here on out. Until he manages another one, that is.
The city gates of Felispar had crumpled. The two towering wooden doors blasted into nothing but ash, splinters, and rubble. Entering and exiting was nigh impossible without clambering over the remains.
Em led the way, her spider limbs showing their usefulness as she easily traversed the jagged, destroyed, and still smoldering rubble. Ruven, Neia, Lee and the two escapees came in from behind.
When Lee reached the apex of what remained of the stalwart doors and the reconnecting stone archway, he finally got a good look at the happening of the city. As far as he could see, there was a distant glow the burning city painted against the backdrop of the dark night and gray mountain. The acrid smell of smoke and the sharp blast of heat washed over him like he’d opened an oven he’d forgotten to turn off. In the near unnatural silence, he could occasionally hear the faint shouts and cries from those still surviving the absolute horrendous display of might Dendros showed the city.
Immediately the two escapees shared their thanks for saving them, before running off through the hazy smoke and fog of the city streets, disappearing like ghosts. Lee was about to call after them, before a voice spoke up.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Lee jerked from fright as Mimi spoke from right beside him. “Jesus christ!” He shouted. “I forgot you were even there! It’s been like two hours! How the hell didn’t I notice you?”
Mimi shrugged. “Perks of being a Mimic. So, what’s the plan? I need to go to another city to complete my quest. What about you guys?”
“Ruven and I need to head back the way we came. The other Dark Elves will be following our path. There’s nothing for us here, and we’ll need to warn them and set-up in a different city or town.” Neia said as she trailed her eyes over the green flames still licking the buildings surrounding them. “This kingdom is shit.”
Ruven nodded quickly at the last remark, then turned to Lee. “Thanks for getting us out of the forest, but fuck you for dragging me here.” He grinned, showing the lack of sincerity in the statement, but it still hurt a bit.
“I’m going to find survivors and heal them for now. After that… Well, I can agree with this kingdom being shit. To be honest, I give up.” He ran a hand over his ruined clothes. Right now, he looked like a beggar. “Pretty sure my robes are toast—Too destroyed to be repaired by the enchantments. All of my wealth and items are gone, along with my ability to store anything.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
He sighed. I’m back at square one. Might as well do it somewhere else. Maybe we’ll take a boat to some other continent?” Lee looked to Em, who flashed him a small, tired, sharp grin. She looked weary, and he couldn’t blame her. “I go where you go. Just, make sure to cut back on the adventures.”
Lee gasped mockingly, holding a hand to his chest. “You’re asking me to cut back on… adventures?”
She huffed and her small grin faded. Her bright red eyes seemed darker as she looked to the ground. “Yeah… they haven’t been like the books so far.”
“I’m with you there. Next place we go, I’m just going to be another guy on the road. It’s your turn to be the center of attention.” Lee said consolingly as he patted one of her metallic limbs.
Lee looked at their small group, about the many paths ahead for each of them. “I said my goodbyes to both of you before, and I won’t say them again. You’re free now, and we will see each other in the future.” He said to Ruven and Neia, who flashed him smiles.
Neia came forward and gave him a one-armed hug, but Ruven gave him a full embrace. During the hug, Ruven whispered in his ear. “You haven’t lied to me yet. We’ll see eachother again.” With a final squeeze, he let go and joined Neia’s side. With a final wave, they began climbing over the remains of the city doors, disappearing until the next time they met.
“I’m going with them. If they’re going to a city, it might have a church. Thanks for the quest.” Mimi idly flipped her hand in some nonchalant gesture of goodbye, then morphed into a bird, flying over the rubble.
Lee and Em both looked at each other. “And then there were two,” He said as he looked at the surrounding buildings. “One last good deed of healing before we leave this kingdom behind?”
With a loud slam of her legs, Em replied. “One last good deed. Then, we’re off to non-adventures.”
----------------------------------------
The cyan sphere that surrounded him burned with cold, judgmental light. Shane, God of Travel, stood shackled by chains of golden threads, each link pulsating with the weight of divine law. Though his expression was calm, his gaze betrayed a storm of defiance. His nephew, Lee Barnes, the mortal for whom he had risked everything, remained safe below in the world of Pallesia. But the cost of that safety now bore down on Shane with the full force of the System.
Above him loomed the System itself, its form an ever-shifting construct of sigils and light even he couldn’t make heads or tails of.
“Shane, Guardian of Roads and Keeper of Crossroads,” the Arbiter began, and Shane snorted. Nobody has used that title in ages.
The system ignored him, its voice resonating like the tolling of a great bell. “You stand guilty of unauthorized interference in the mortal domain. While the act of transporting your dying nephew to Pallesia was within the bounds of your authority, the abilities you bestowed upon him—healing, language comprehension, and access to a spatial dimension—constitute a breach of World Law.”
Shane inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the words. “I do not deny my actions. But I will not apologize for them, either. My nephew was dying—his light fading too soon. Pallesia’s magic could save him, and I gave him tools to thrive. I acted not out of selfishness but love.”
The System’s glow dimmed briefly, as if weighing his words. Then it continued. “Your motives do not excuse the consequences. The mortal Lee Barnes now exists as an anomaly. His abilities, though modest in the grand scheme, disrupt the balance. Worse, your actions cascaded from going unnoticed. Hundreds of arbitrations have been made.”
“To put things into perspective, Dendros, The Wicked Flame has been Deleted for his transgressions,” the System intoned, its tone cold and absolute. “However, the height of his malice and grave crimes does not absolve you. Your divine gifts to Lee Barnes—however well-meaning—represent a violation of the World Law. Balance must be restored.”
Shane straightened, his chains rattling faintly. “If balance must be restored, then do so fairly. Stripping Lee of everything I gave him would leave him vulnerable, an act as cruel as letting him die in the first place. He didn’t ask for these powers. Punish me, but spare him from suffering.”
The System responded, its glyphs rearranging themselves in a unique pattern. “Your plea is unnecessary. It had been determined that removing all gifts from Lee Barnes would create greater imbalance. Thus, a compromise was enacted. The mortal will retain autonomy over his fate. The gifts bestowed upon him were revoked, and he was granted a point system to select replacements. This will ensure a semblance of fairness to him, as a victim of you breaking the World Laws.”
Shane exhaled, relief flickering across his features. “And my punishment?”
The System’s light intensified, its glow harsh and unrelenting. “For your violation of World Law, you are hereby sentenced to severance from the mortal planes for five hundred cycles. During this time, you are forbidden from intervening in mortal lives, directly or indirectly. Any further breaches will result in your Deletion.”
Shane nodded, his expression unreadable. “So be it. But know this—I will watch him, whether I am near or far. The System may bind me, but it cannot erase our bond.”
“Your defiance is noted, Shane. Remember this moment well.”
As the chains around him tightened, Shane closed his eyes. Lee would face his own trials now, his fate no longer shaped by his choices.
For Shane, the punishment was harsh—but the knowledge that Lee still had a chance to thrive was worth every cycle of his exile.