The calming, blue hue of the semitransparent quest prompt stood in stark contrast to the flame-streaked evening sky above Harkon’s back gate.
Skimming the quest prompt in front of him for a third time did little in terms of helping Drake organize his thoughts. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me… The town’s under attack and they want us to navigate this loony bin, bring it under control, AND find Pike and Paula?!’
“Boss! Step aside!” yelled Zeph at him as he looked up and barely managed to avoid getting bowled over by a large, panicked man trying to flee the chaos.
Already on edge, a gentle touch on his back urged Drake to spin around, his knuckles whitening as he clutched the handle of his sword. The sight of Mia’s concerned face, pulling back her raised hand stopped him in his tracks.
“S-sorry,” the blonde healer stammered. “You looked really anxious, so I wanted to ask if you were alright…”
“No, that’s on me,” said Drake, exhaling as the tension in his body began to slowly fade away.
Next to him, Bane raised his voice in a futile attempt to prevail over the surrounding commotion. “Just take it easy ‘til you get used to it!” the lycan yelled, revealing a small, toothy grin. However, that was easier said than done, given the dozens of people running around, screaming at the top of their lungs.
“Enough!” Vala boomed as she bashed her mace against her shield, startling everyone, including the terrified NPCs. “Everyone that’s not hurt, take the wounded to the nearest guard station and follow the guards’ orders! And you guys,” she commanded, glancing at Bane and the rest, “follow me!”
With a clear direction in mind, the haze gripping Drake disappeared as he and the others followed Vala towards the back gate. Almost immediately, the surrounding hysteria had also begun to die down and, while still visibly shaken, the townspeople had at least managed to calm themselves enough so as to not mindlessly stampede past them. Some even stepped out of Vala’s way as they headed towards the back gate. Tendrils of light and shadow shimmered across the street leading up to the gate. And as they rounded the dusty alley’s corner, they came face to face with a blazing pyre, taller than the gatehouse itself.
Like shadowy marionettes in a hellish play, guards and players fought against the infernal backdrop as their screams and shouts melded together with the crackling roar of flames.
“Over here!” a young woman yelled, waving frantically at a group of four NPCs carrying what looked to be a long, slender cannon over their shoulder.
The moment they reached her, the four men placed the cannon on the ground, propping its back end against the foundation of a stone building. And while they hurriedly angled the cannon towards the gatehouse, the woman knelt and grabbed the handle on top as a torrent of water shot forth towards the blazing fire.
“Shit…” Bane muttered, the dancing lights mirrored in his amber eyes, “what sort of event is this supposed to be?”
Next to Drake, Lilly laughed nervously. “Uhm, I don’t think this is an event. See that player with the cleavers over there, wailing on the guard? I’m positive that I saw him getting hauled off by the guards a couple of days ago…”
“She’s right,” said Vala as she raised her shield. “Three guards fighting off seven… no, eight players. They must be the ones that got kicked out of…” her words trailed off as she saw two swordsmen rushing the people trying to put out the fire. “C’mon!” she thundered, charging towards the firefighters, with Bane immediately following after her.
A heavy feeling of dread overcame Drake as he witnessed the chaos unfolding in front of him. The image of that healer he had killed, along with Correy’s deranged, bloody smile flashed before his mind. He took a shaky step forward, drawing his sword and exhaling slowly. ‘Take it easy… it’s just a game…'
“For you maybe,” he heard Zeph sigh, causing him to flinch for a second before he noticed the deep sadness emanating from the spirit’s voice. “Once these people die, there aren’t any do-overs for’em, boss. This is it.”
A myriad of thoughts surged through his head as Zeph’s words echoed over and over again inside his mind. He remembered Arthur’s kind expression. The look of excitement on Liam’s face when he promised to tell him stories. Pike’s sorrow and frustration. Even the fear and shock he had seen on Hank’s face, that had then shifted towards a conflicted yet sincere gratitude. And then there was Roy’s note…
“Sorry,” said Zeph, wrenching Drake’s attention back to him. “It’s just that… I know what it’s like to be that scared and confused. So please, boss… can you save them as well?”
Drake grit his teeth as he glanced over towards Bane and Vala who had the two swordsmen on the ropes. He then focused on the six players swarming the three guards. “Alright, Zeph. I’ll do my best.” Dust flew around him as he leaned forward, the whirlwind forming at his feet picking up in intensity. “Lilly, cover me!”
You have activated Tempest.
Movement and Attack Speed increased by 20%.
Not waiting for a reply, he shot forward towards the closest player, a tall, muscled man flailing his cleavers at the guard in front of him. Noticing him, the player kicked the dwarf to the ground and spun around as Drake raised his left hand and skid to a stop outside the man’s range. Blue flames flared and coalesced inside his palm. Three Manabolts then crashed against the player’s chest, pushing him back and forcing him to bring his cleavers up to defend himself.
“The hell are you doing?” the level 6 player howled, almost half of his health already gone. “Why’re you helping these assholes, especially after they even tried to torture us?!”
The man tensed, lowering his posture as he cleaved the air in front of him, his long, rusty blades scraping against one another midair, like a giant pair of scissors. But Drake had already ducked to the side, slashing the player’s side and then plunging his sword beneath his ribs. A moment later, the man’s body disappeared in an explosion of sparkling, neon red mist.
You have gained 13 experience points. (-50% Party Penalty)
Reaching to help the dwarf up, Drake froze as he felt something whistling past his head. He then heard a pained groan behind him, followed by Lilly trying her best to make herself heard over the roaring fire. “Drake, behind you!”
Turning around, he saw a level 8 human spearman and a scaled, reptilian woman with jet-black eyes clutching her shoulder. The level 7 phryan hissed at Drake as she nocked an arrow and drew her bow, the small, crimson mark on her shoulder already fading. In front of her, the spearman took up his stance, aiming the tip of his spear towards Drake’s chest and bringing his small buckler forward.
As the phryan archer prepared to loose an arrow, Drake jumped back and sidestepped, using the spearman to block the archer’s line of sight. While keeping his distance, he then immediately took aim at the spearman and fired a Manabolt. But as the bolt of blue energy smashed into the player’s buckler, dissipating on contact, Drake knelt and propped his arm, gathering mana in his palm.
You have activated Mana Manipulation.
With more than two thirds of Drake’s mana channeled into it, the swirling, blue orb crackled and shimmered. It burst forward, the recoil pushing Drake back as his Spell Piercer ripped through the spearman, slashing his life down to barely a fifth, and killing the archer behind him, the phryan bursting into a bright cloud of red smoke.
And in sync with the two muffled cracks of Lilly’s gun, a pair of bright holes punched clean through the spearman’s neck and head, felling him on the spot. The sound of shattering stone then drew Drake’s gaze to the side, where Vala’s mace had crushed one of the bricks of the house next to the five firefighters, crimson wisps still lingering in the air.
“Shit, let’s bolt!” yelled one of the players as he and the other two fled into the alleys leading towards the mining compound where the orange halo of the second fire flickered against the evening sky.
Drake cleared his throat, holding back a cough brought on by the pervading smoke. He then looked at the dwarf that had finally managed to get up, recognizing the face of the young guard that had stayed behind in the inn.
“Thank you,” said the blond dwarf, his breath labored as he warily scanned their surroundings for any other stragglers. “I don’t know what would have happened if you and your party hadn’t shown up…”
Approaching the two of them, Vala strapped her mace to her belt. “Best leave that question for later,” she said, looking at the young dwarf and gesturing towards the other two guards that had gone to help the firefighters. “Those two were on duty at the gate when that explosion went off, right?”
For a moment, the dwarf craned his neck and stared at the taur woman, as if he had wanted to say something else before shaking his head and sighing. “There should have been two others as well, but yes…”
“Alright, let’s find out what they saw” she said, starting towards the two. But not even after a single step, the young guard grabbed her wrist and pulled her back hesitantly. “What is it?” she asked, pulling her hand free.
“Please, just… let me talk to them,” he grumbled, averting his gaze.
Raising her brow, Vala nodded as the dwarf limped off towards the other guards, just as Bane, Lilly, and Mia showed up next to them.
“What was that all about?” asked Lilly, taking a couple of steps to the side in order to better see the dwarfs and the firefighters.
“Not sure,” said Drake as he glanced over to Vala. “He went weak in the knees the moment he saw you. Then again, it’s not every day that you get to meet someone almost twice your size.”
Still fixated on the dwarf, the taur shook her head when she saw the young guard talking to the other two and pointing towards them. “That’s not it,” she frowned. “See the way they’re looking at me and Bane?”
Scratching his head, the lycan chuckled. “So, I guess they’re not big fans of the whole cute and fluffy aesthetic.”
“Probably not,” said Vala, watching the guards make their way towards them. “The younger one bit his tongue and answered me, but I doubt the older ones will be as mindful. You’d best do the talking for now, Drake.”
Clenching his fist for a moment, Drake then brought up his hand and greeted the approaching dwarfs, feeling the ring’s runed surface against the base of his fingers as a blue hue radiated from it. The guard closest to him examined the silver band before nodding in acknowledgement. “Thanks for the help,” said the dwarf with a cold yet somehow sincere tone. “If it wasn’t for you, Oren here would’ve been cut even shorter.” However, before anyone could even think of saying something, he continued. “Beg your pardon for my curtness, mage, but what do you and your… companions want?”
“We only wanted to know if you saw what happened,” said Drake, trying to ignore the guard’s tone.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Fucking Strangers,” the dwarf spat, “that’s what happened. Close to a dozen of them. Killed the two standing guard outside, blew up the gate, and then stormed in. We tried to stop the bastards, but they outnumbered us…” he said, his eyes narrowing with hate. “Now, if that’s all, I’ve got three dead guards and a bunch of deranged murderers on my hands.”
After exchanging glances with the others, Drake turned to look in the direction of the mining compound. “If you’ve got everything handled here, then we’ll make our way to the compound,” he said firmly, leaving no room for debate on the matter.
“Don’t let me stop you,” the dwarf grumbled as he and the other two turned around. But before they could actually leave, Mia rushed towards the young, limping guard.
“Please, just a second!” Unhooking and opening the tome strapped to her waist, a gentle aura of light began to emanate from Mia as she held her hand towards Oren, all while muttering an incantation. “Mending Light!”
A warm, golden glow enveloped the young guard, the worst of his injuries fading out of existence. But while his wounds lessened, the hostility in the eyes of the other dwarfs just grew.
“A Beggar…” one groaned.
To which the other guard replied, in a barely whispered voice. “Not just a Beggar, but a demon Beggar…”
Despite being healed, the young dwarf broke into a cold sweat, taking in short, shallow breaths. Pursing his lips and averting his gaze, Oren followed the other guards in a hurry, leaving Mia and the others behind.
“The hell?!” Lilly burst out. “You healed him and he just ran off without saying anything? What an ungrateful bitch!”
“Uhm, he looked kind of scared to me,” said Bane.
“Let’s just leave it at that,” sighed Vala. “Come on, we have to get to the compound!”
The sounds of their steps as their boots made contact with the worn, paved roads reverberated throughout the darkened alleys. As Drake tried to get in contact with Arthur again, the Link Sphere in his hand glowing steadily, he suddenly heard Zeph’s voice.
“Sorry, boss… I really didn’t mean to pile even more stuff on you back there. I mean, I can understand your hesitation… But if players truly don’t die, then you shouldn’t let that stop you from saving anyone else.”
“I know, Zeph,” he said with a weak smile. “It just takes a bit of getting used to…”
“Yeah, I get that much. But I have to ask, shouldn’t you tell the others about the master’s message? It’s not like waiting is going to change anything, you know?”
“If you want people to listen,” he replied, glancing furtively at the others, “then that’s not something you can just blurt out whenever you feel like it… you need to find the moment for it.”
There was no need for Zeph to say anything. Drake could feel that the spirit agreed with him. But the truth was, he simply didn’t know how to broach that subject. His attention, however, soon shifted to a new notification that had popped up in the corner of his view.
Zane’s Regret has stabilized, becoming Zane’s Redemption.
Zane’s Redemption (Unique) A family heirloom left behind by former knight Zane Stills. While holding it, you can feel the lingering regret and anger that the pendant has absorbed over the years. But mingled in between, you can also sense something else. Hope.
By redeeming Zane’s spirit, you have cleansed his necklace, imbuing it with a fragment of the former knight’s will.
Atonement of the Errant Knight: Once every 24 hours, allows the wearer to ignore any source of damage that would have otherwise been fatal, while also increasing their Vitality and Endurance by 20% for 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 24 Hours
Equipment Slot:Neck AccessoryEncumbrance:0.1 Durability:55/55
“Now THAT’s something!” Zeph exclaimed. “But who’s this Zane guy?”
Drake equipped the pendant and forced himself to smile. “Heh, he was one of the spirits that helped me free you from that giant Manaroc. I really would’ve liked it if he could have joined us. But the master couldn’t keep him tethered to this plane, so he went and… Well, I guess I don’t really know where he is right now. Lighten up,” he said, sensing that Zeph’s usually chipper mood had soured, “despite everything, Zane found his peace in the end. Many aren’t so lucky, either in life or in death.”
“Yeah, I know,” the spirit sighed. “But that could’ve just as easily been me instead of him… it just makes you wonder, y’know?”
And so, the two spent the rest of the way in relative silence with only the thuds of his and the others’ footsteps to keep them company as they raced towards the compound. The smell of smoke soon became more intense, reaching its peak as they finally reached the street leading up to Harkon’ main gate.
With no one there to actually put the fire out, the flames had already reached the wooden barracks next to the gate. Scattered on the road heading up to the mining compound were the bodies of guards and townspeople as the sounds of fighting echoed in the distance. Making their way through the aftermath of the attack, no one said a word. The screams grew louder the moment they entered the narrow courtyard located between the compound’s various buildings.
“Great… now what?” Bane asked as he scanned their surroundings, flinching whenever he saw the mangled corpse of a guard or miner.
The answer came in the form of him spotting a pair of men carrying someone into the rightmost building, and Mia dashing off in their direction. But the moment the two men saw the healer rushing towards them, they froze. Immediately afterwards, one of them pulled out a dagger and aimed it at Mia as the other man struggled to drag the wounded person inside.
“Shit!” Drake yelled, as he and Vala bolted towards their healer.
Grabbing Mia by the shoulder, the taur stopped her as Drake slid in between them and the man holding the dagger.
“Stay back!” the man screamed, his weapon trembling in his hand. “Not another step, you freaks!”
“Wait!” Mia pleaded, sidestepping Vala and raising her hands before the taur could even react. “We’re here to help!” But the man said nothing as he continued to point his dagger at them. “Please, let me prove it to you,” said the blonde, taking slow and deliberate steps forward.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” Vala sighed.
Sweating and out of breath, the other man had since decided to lean the injured dwarf against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. Mia’s focus, on the other hand, was directed solely at the bloody, unconscious miner.
“Lady of Light, of you I do seek… Heal their plight, cast off what is weak! Mending Light!”
As soon as she had uttered the spell’s name, the aura of light building around her flashed and vanished, appearing around the wounded dwarf as it healed him back to more than half his health. And a few seconds later, his eyes began to open.
“Haddun…?” mumbled the miner, dropping his dagger and running off to the dwarf’s side. “Y-you’re alright!” He then turned to face Mia, stammering through short and shallow breaths. “T-thank you. For a moment, we thought that you were… with those savages…”
“You mean the Strangers?” Drake asked as he walked next to Mia.
“Y-yeah…” he replied, “They just barged into the dorms… and started killing everyone still inside…”
“Boss, I can hear a lot of people inside this place.”
Hearing Zeph’s words, Drake took another look at the building in front of them. “Is anyone else inside?” he asked, knitting his brow and approaching the other man next to the door leading inside.
“Y-yeah…” said the man near Drake. “Everyone was supposed to head over to the cantina.”
“Then you have these two idiots,” the dwarf groaned as he slowly heaved himself up with the help of his friend. “Stayed behind to help since my leg’s bad. And then we came across one of those Strangers while trying to get out.”
“He took one look at Haddun and lost it,” frowned the man next to the dwarf. “We got lucky. The captain and two other guards were passing by with foreman Pike in tow and that scared him off…”
The other miner opened the door to the cantina. “Come on, let’s get inside.”
“Wait a second,” said Drake, pulling him aside as the other two limped inside. “You saw Pike?”
“Y-yeah,” he said, shrinking away from Drake’s narrowed eyes. “But how do you–”
“Someone tried to kidnap his daughter earlier!” Lilly blurted, cutting him off as she darted next to him. “Do you know where they were going?”
“T-they looked like they were heading into the forest behind the compound,” he replied, “but I’m not sure…”
The Culling of Harkon Update: A group of Strangers have attacked Harkon, resulting in two massive explosions that have plunged the town into chaos. Most of the fighting seems to be centered around the mining compound. But while the situation has not yet escalated further, the number of injured people has increased.
With Paula’s location still unknown, it would seem that foreman Pike is your best chance of solving this mystery. Find the foreman before it’s too late.
Quest Difficulty: C+
“Shit,” groaned Bane as he skimmed through the quest update. “We just missed him.”
“You and Drake should go ahead,” said Vala. “You’re the quickest. We’ll follow you and catch up as soon as possible.”
“Uhm, guys?” Behind them, Mia wore a look of concern as she peered through the windowless building’s door. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to stay here and heal the injured,” she declared, the determination in her words being crystal clear.
“Roger that,” Bane smiled as he glanced over to Drake. “Okay, let’s go!”
****
“Damned Beggars,” Goldur muttered, pacing back and forth within his office. Even within the windowless room, he could still hear the fighting outside. “I never should have let that woman talk me into this…” He sighed, leaning over his desk as his gaze wandered to the cupboard in the corner of his office. ‘If word gets back to the Merchant’s Guild, I’ll be finished!’
Everything had gotten out of hand. If only he had turned Thurem in all those years ago, caste hierarchy be damned. Then he wouldn’t have been sent to this second-rate shithole to oversee banished lowlifes and the dredges of Trorian society. But everything wasn’t lost. He just had to get rid of Paula and Pike. Then his little clerical indiscretion would be gone and he’d be one step closer to buying his way back into Terasborg. He hated the capital, but being here really did put things into perspective.
“You never appreciate what you have until it’s gone,” he grumbled, sighing as he then heard the door close behind him.
“How right you are,” said a voice he didn’t recognize.
Ticked off, Goldur turned around, ready to lambast whatever idiot deemed it appropriate to just waltz into his office. But as his gaze met the voice’s owner, his legs gave way, forcing him to lean back against the desk.
Crouching below the doorsill was a tall human clad in studded leather armor, holding a bloodied axe loosely by its strap. But the man’s expression scared him the most. A scar ran over the human’s right cheek, his eyes narrowed and his pupils dilated with what had to be hate and excitement. The man, grinning a mocking, single-sided smile, stepped inside as he was then joined by an even taller human with a dead expression, his face half-hidden by his greasy, black hair.
“Who are you?” Goldur asked, his tone firm and commanding despite his shaking knees. “And how the hell did you get in here?”
The scarred man’s grin grew even wider. “Oh, who I am is less important. But you, Mr. Goldur, now that’s another matter entirely.”
“Are you the one responsible for those explosions and that racket outside?”
“Well,” the man chuckled, “I didn’t set those charges myself, if that’s what you’re asking. Though I did provide them to some interested parties. You know, those players that you took care of so lovingly.”
“Players?” Goldur asked, knitting his brow in disgust and irritation. “You’re one of those blasted Strangers? So, then what? You’re here for revenge?”
“Oh, nothing quite so crass,” said the man, waving him off and taking one of the chairs so that he could sit down. “The Conclave wants this mess solved, so they sent me.”
“The Conclave?” the dwarf scoffed, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. “They needn’t worry. My men are with that foreman in the forest behind the compound, so that won’t be a problem. As long as you people stop that woman from blabbing, the matter’s settled.”
Sighing, the man titled his head as he then stared off into the corner of the room. “See, Mr. Goldur, normally I’d agree with you, but you know as well as I do that there’s another loose end on our hands. And we have to take care of it as soon as possible.”
Chills ran down the dwarf’s spine. ‘Shit… how do they know about the adepts?’
“I’m talking about you,” the man grinned, his words striking Goldur like a bolt of lightning.
“M-me?” the dwarf stammered as his hands trembled on the desk.
“Oh, and you also don’t need to worry about Paula,” said the scarred man as he gestured towards the tall, lanky man behind him. “Your reputation’s safe.”
It was only then that Goldur noticed the dripping, burlap sack that the other man had dragged into the room. And at the scarred man’s signal, he let go of the sack’s end as the severed head of the healer rolled out, tumbling forward into and smearing one of the cupboards.
All the color faded from the dwarf looked into Paula’s unmoving eyes. And a moment later, he found himself lying on the floor, clutching his neck as the puddle of blood around him kept growing. He then heard the man’s final words, and the last words he would ever hear.
“Hah! I told you it was gonna be worth it to see the look on his face! Now then… it looks like this captain’s also made our list.”