- We’re nearing Waldheim, stay alert, we don’t know the situation over there. - James tells his colleagues, who are clearly still trying to get their bearings after reaching their limits
From behind him Cassandra and Alexander follow. Alexander looks back at the great formation of ice he formed with his attack which was still visible next to the mountain even from afar and as he looks back ahead he says:
- I wish to communicate that I am regretful about my display. I overexerted myself, and now I feel like if something should happen we are more vulnerable because of it.
- You almost succeeded in saying sorry in a weird way, that’s funny. - James replies
‘That is true though, but I don’t hold it against him. I know Cassandra charged him with arcane so that he could accelerate in an instant so they would catch up to me, and I know for sure he still had a lot of that energy left when he did his “secret technique”. To add to that, Cassandra was getting hurt at a dangerous pace so he needed to give his all. But now both of them are strained to a point they haven’t been in a long time. I will take responsibility for whatever happens next.’ James thinks to himself as they approach Waldheim, but then they spot something:
- Hey guys, isn’t that… the train?! - Cassandra asks
While on a hill not far from Waldheim they can see the train derailed off the tracks, it seems to be the train using the same route as they have, but at a later schedule.
- Yeah. We should check it out. - James responds
- Are you sure that that is wise, Reeves? Waldheim is near, what if we lose time here and something happens there? - Alexander follows
- Come on, Lex. Now you care so much for the people in Waldheim? - James responds referring to Alexanders initial lack of concern for the smoke they both saw
Alexander is almost furious at that response, but holds it back knowing deep within himself that James is right to respond like that.
‘I hope I wasn’t too mean with that one…’ James thinks
As they cautiously walk down the hill they hear no sounds coming from the train, they also see nothing suspicious. They circle it and check around, making sure not to get ambushed.
- Anybody in? - Cassandra asks, but there is no response
- Stay back, I’ll check. - James tells the two as he hops on the train
But to his surprise there is nothing and no one there, it would seem that the train endured an accident and that the people aboard likely went by foot towards Waldheim from there.
- Whatever derailed the train might have been unnatural… but it seems it was uninterested in the passengers after doing so. - James tells Cass and Lex
- Well Jim, guess it’s time we make for Waldheim, again. - Cassandra responds
- Let us make haste then. - Alexander follows
As the three arrive in Waldheim shortly after, they are greeted by scorched houses and roads.
- It looks like the flames are mostly extinguished, but who knows the extent of the damage that’s been done here, we need to check on the locals. - James says
As they walk by some houses they hear a young man curse in a kind of paradoxical nonchalant anger:
- These damned dogs, they burned my fucking coat…
As the three get closer they recognize him:
- I can’t believe it, Jack? - James replies
They reach the consensus that the derailed train must’ve had master Marva Senya’s team aboard.
- Yes! Exactly what I needed! You idiots, as if my team getting chased into the woods by fucking stone hot-dogs wasn’t enough. And look at what they did to my clothes!
‘Ah, Jack Quinn, my “old” rival, never change.’ James thinks to himself
- Wait, chased into the woods? They actively pursued them? - James asks
- Well… that’s what it looked like. - Jack responds
- But that is not a concrete affirmative answer. - Alexander replies
Jack holds up his hand on his chin for a second and looks sideways a few times, after which he replies:
- They’re wusses, when they derailed our train we thought we were under attack, but since they ran off we thought maybe it was an accident. Then they came again from the woods, but in hindsight it could have been a different pack. Anyway, they got scared when they saw the dogs coming straight for the town and ran.
- You stood your ground? - James asks
- Stood my ground? I attacked them with all I had Reeves. - Jack responds
‘Ugh he’s calling me by my last name as well’
- The fact that you attacked them might be why this happened… - Cassandra says as she looks around at the destruction around
Jack looks around as well and for mere moments he looks as if he’s regretting his actions, but he remains steady in his conviction that he did the right thing.
- I almost defeated one, but the others ended up ignoring me soon after I attacked, and they went on their way. I was this close! Then he decided to retreat and rejoin the others I guess. But if they aren’t chasing us, well I guess the others are unlucky because they ran straight in the direction of whatever they’re actually chasing. - Jack tells them
- You keep saying they ran, but I only remember Ryan being in Marva’s team with you? - James asks him
Cassandra then also asks quickly
- Ryan doesn’t seem like the type of guy to run when he’d think innocents are in danger!
James nods in agreement to that remark.
Jack sighs and looks down for a moment, then he raises his gaze with a slight sadness in his eyes and says:
- I thought you guys might have heard, Ryan didn’t make it past the Halls of Being.
James and Cassandra are visibly taken back by that information.
- What happened? - James asks
- How should I know? We didn’t manage to meet while inside. I talked with Marva though, it was likely a very specific memory that kept him there for too long, you can guess which by yourselves.
- He’s…? - Cassandra asks, worried
- He’s alive, as far as I know he didn’t sustain physical damage, but he was considered unfit to seek becoming master. - Jack explains
‘Ryan… it was your dream to become strong and protect the innocent, you would have chased those hell-hounds to the ends of the earth if it meant making sure no one was hurt by them along the way. Maybe you could’ve been strong enough to crack through them, even if they seem to be made of material harder than anything I’ve ever felt. What are you doing now? Did you give up on your dream?’
As James thinks deeply about the kindred spirit, Jack turns around and walks towards his luggage.
- They’ve left their shit here as well, I need to get a new deck, I’ve pretty much thrown all I had at that bitch. - Jack says while pointing out that his teammates left everything and ran
As he sits down to search his belongings Cassandra gets closer and asks:
- We’ve forgot to even ask about your new friends… Who are they? Shouldn’t we look for them?
Jack starts replying while still searching:
- Meh, talentless and apparently spineless dummies. Aiko Takahashi, Japanese gal about our age and Gabriel… well he doesn’t have a last name. The boy is younger, like your walking stick of bleach. - Jack says referring to Alexander
A good second after that remark it seemingly flew past Alexanders head, but afterwards, while creeping behind Jack, ready to choke the lights out of his eyes Alexander is stopped by Cassandra pulling on both of his arms trying to calm him down.
- No last name? - James asks
- He’s joined master Douglass’s Brotherhood of the Nameless a while after I ran away. He came willingly, no surprise, he’s a wuss, he couldn’t survive alone against a squirrel.
‘Huh, so that’s the name they’ve settled on for the orphanage, fitting…’
- Jim, I think you’re taken back by the lesser information. - Cassandra tells him
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
- What? - James asks confused
- A Japanese girl? Japan has brutally exterminated all magi long ago…
‘No… I completely forgot about any of that. If I remember correctly Japan was the first to introduce human mage-hunters, though I believe that practice has slowly died down thanks to the lack of “available work”.’
Jack then tells them, while finding a new deck of cards:
- Aha! Gotcha’. Anyway, yes, very sad. She was being smuggled off island to an organization of sick humans who had… fantasies. In any case, Oppenheim Intelligence had evidence of the smuggling ring and decided it was fair to give the Order the rights to act. Which was a very nice favor on their part, Marva told me in great detailed how she enjoyed going through every human lead to reach “the pens”, don’t ask. Apparently our little Aiko was going to be dumped off into the ocean thanks to the fact that she wasn’t playing nice and killed a few humans. I’ve heard she burned their-
- Ok, enough. - Cassandra replies
- But how is that possible? You think there’s some magi still hiding out there? - James asks
Jack thinks a bit and responds:
- Well, they like their sovereignty, they declined Oppenheim Industries collaboration agreement, so they don’t have the latest of anti-mage tech.
- Hmm, a whole country with no protectorates, but also no anti-mage surveillance systems and protocols, sounds possible I guess. - James replies
- Yeah, I’ve heard about some “daimyo” or whatever that gained huge political power there through his military organization. Apparently he hails from a very “honorable” clan that used to be top of the Japanese military, but when he became head of the clean he turned it into almost mercenary work or whatever and just used his militia as he pleased. He’s pretty much in run of the country, unofficially, but everyone kind of knows about it globally. - Jack tells them as if it’s some cool, interesting gossip
- God… - James replies
- Hey, what are you, human? - Jack replies as a joke about the One True Arcane that they do not have faith in regardless
As they talk they hear screaming coming from the woods and birds flying off in the distance.
- Something’s happened! - James says
- You know, we were missing a detective. - Jack replies
- Are the locals hurt in any way? - Alexander asks
- How should I know? They went inside and barricaded themselves soon as we shouted about the damn dogs. Chances are they’re all fine, it’s not that big of a town, we could pretty much see where every damn dog went. - Jack replies without worry
- Are you not a bit bothered that your friends might be in danger? - Cassandra asks, almost scolding him
- You’re the ones that said that the damn dogs are not interested in us, if I’m “too cool” it’s on you. - Jack replies
- Jackass. - Cassandra mutters under her breath
- Where was Marva during this? - James asks Jack
- What do you mean? She left us at the station as she was instructed before we hopped on the train. Though she said she might come to check on us if we don’t find our way in a while. - Jack replies confused
‘Oh, that must mean Nero came with us even though he was ordered not to… Sorry Nero, but now we have other people relying on us, not just ourselves.’
- Let’s move. - James says as he walks towards the woods
- You do you. - Jack says as he sits down on his luggage
James turns his head around and asks:
- Are you seriously not coming? We could really use your help, we’re kind of spent after fighting three of those “dogs” ourselves.
Jack looks at James and laughs a bit:
- You want to be heroes? Sure, go ahead, *tsk* whole ‘lotta good it did to Ryan.
After that remark James almost fully turned around, ready to swing, but he saw Cassandra shake her head, almost telling him that it’s not the time.
- Fine. Rot here for all I care. - James says as they start walking towards the woods where Aiko and Gabriel ran off
As they walk through the woods they can see charred trees and burnt patches of ground.
- It would seem the beasts fought with them. - Cassandra says
- Yeah… I wonder though, they all seemed to be going straight towards that direction, what’s there? - James asks
- The Du Blanc estate is slightly left, but straight ahead… the nearest human city: Silberburg. - Alexander explains
James thinks for a second and then follows up:
- If they really are of demonic origin, and they moved straight for the nearest human city… have they been tasked with attacking humans? - James asks
Cassandra then responds:
- Master Nero told us stories about demons, but never stuff like this. He said demons are the stuff of legends, but that he wouldn’t bet on them not being real if it came up to it. He said stories about accounts of demons having to latch onto humans souls to interact with the world, possessing them, but physical demonic beasts? These “hell-hounds”? He never said anything of the sort. - she explains while being increasingly worried
- Does it always take so long for “protectors” to show up? - James asks
- What do you mean? - Cassandra asks in response
- Well when we got to Waldheim the situation was kind of over, but there was no sign of any magi protectors coming to help. - James explains
Cassandra stops and noticing that they look toward her as she says:
- Jim, I don’t know how much you remember about this stuff, but protectors don’t just respond to a Protectorates needs on the spot. They need the Order to, well, order them to do so.
- What? And you’re telling me the Order didn’t? There’s no way they couldn’t have known about it from the minute something started going wrong, no?
- Yes, but they need to assess the situation carefully, especially since we don’t have a single idea what we’re dealing with here.
- Ugh, the way you just give away your faith to something. - James responds in frustration
- That’s not the way it is! - Cassandra replies with a slight anger building up
- Enough… there is reason to both of your viewpoints. This could have been a trap for all we know. - Alexander tries to stop the fight
Despite my attitude I am glad no one in Waldheim got hurt… Now let us proceed and see about those tracks. - he continues
They resume their search deep within the forest until they reach a slight clearing, there they see a boy with light brown hair, white shirt and brown pants, dressed in a modest outfit.
‘That must be Gabriel-’ James thinks to himself.
Behind him, a girl, slightly shorter, with black hair, pale complexion and wearing black attire reaches toward him from a short distance.
- Hey! - James shouts at Gabriel from a distance and waves at him, also pointing at him to look behind him
As he does, Gabriel sees the girl and hugs her on sight for a short duration.
- I’m so glad you’re alive as well! - Gabriel says loudly
At this point Nero’s squad has reached them in talking distance.
- So, you guys are Jacks friends? - Cassandra asks them
Gabriel, although far less than confident, had a very kind smile that emanated a kind of innocence the other acolytes somehow forgot could exist. It could have been the fact that he joined the Order later, or it was simply his positive attitude and clear innocence.
- Yes, yes, my name is Gabriel, nice to meet you guys, and this is Aiko, but do mind, she’s still getting the hang of the international language of English.
As Gabriel says that, Aiko looks at the three and nods in agreement.
They notice her eyeshadow being watered down her face, almost as if she cried.
- Poor thing, you must’ve come close to being caught… - Cassandra replies
Aiko raises a finger to her eyes and scrubs some of the make-up, inspecting it as if to make sure she understand why Cassandra is saying what she just did.
‘Hmm? What was that?’ James thinks to himself as he gets the feeling he almost noticed something else.
- Aren’t you cold? - James asks Aiko, who was wearing a sleeve-less outfit
She shakes her head in a ‘no’ fashion.
‘Huh, going by what Jack was going to say, I’m guessing she’s a fire sorcerer like Nero then… Lucky them.’
- Oh, I guess you did lose your coat while fighting the beasts? - Gabriel takes interest
Aiko nods her head in a ‘yes’.
- What have you done? - Alexander asks them in a serious tone out of nowhere
Both confused, they look at each other for a second and then Gabriel asks:
- What do you mean?
- Do you see any hell-hounds? - he asks in suspicion
After that question, James and Cassandra also take notice, and join in on Alexander’s worry.
- I, uhm, no, I don’t…
James joins in:
- When they switched their focus on us we had a hard time stopping them, we had to basically kill them to stop them, that’s why he’s asking. So now I’m asking too, how did you escape?
- You did not defeat them... - Alexander isn’t asking, he is stating, almost insulting them
- Hey! Get off of us! We don’t even know who you are! - Gabriel replies
- Easy, easy. - Cassandra says as she pats the James and Alexander on the shoulder then she continues:
I’m Cassandra Galanis, this is Jim and this is Lex-
‘Of course she only fully states her own name!’
-and we are master Nero’s squad of acolytes.
Gabriel looks away in thought for a second and then says:
- THE Master Nero? - he asks
Aiko seems scared of Gabriel’s extreme excitement to hearing that information.
- Hah, I’m sure Marva has told you a lot about him. - Cassandra replies
- Marva? Not only, the whole Brotherhood of the Nameless tell stories about him. I’ve heard that he’s scary as a devil towards all evil-doers! He’s like a hero to everyone there, even though master Douglass and him had their differences at different points in life. Anyway, sorry about my excitement, but I can’t believe I met Nero’s acolytes! Can I meet him?
During that conversation Aiko seemed to get increasingly nervous, but just after it she raises her hand, pointing towards the forest, and then they notice:
- Hell-hounds! They’re coming! - James exclaims
Get behind me! - he continues
Six hell-hounds are now charging at them:
- That is six too many for the state we are in. - Alexander says
- Is it a bad time to mention I didn’t defeat the ones chasing me? - Gabriel asks
- They ignored you after you hid and they went off ahead? - James asks
- Yes…? - Gabriel responds
- They weren’t chasing you if you didn’t attack them, but then why are they coming for us right now?! - James replies
- If you do not fight, I shall kill you myself where you stand. - Alexander tells Gabriel
Gabriel is horrified, he is overwhelmed by the events occurring.
- I should have stayed at the orphanage… - he says, disappointed in himself, almost crying
- Oh for fucks sake, they’re coming! - James says and then continues:
Aiko, I know you’re in a bad match-up if your best techniques involve flames, but can you help us? - he asks without looking back
Gabriel then responds:
- What do you mean? Aiko has always had an affinity for air.
‘Air… it is more common in the east to be born with an affinity for air, yes…
Wait, no, something’s wrong, it doesn’t add up… I know what I saw, the make-up! When she checked her make-up she had micro-expression akin to a slight smile of pleasure.
It can’t be…?!’
As James looks back quickly he sees Aiko behind Gabriel, she had her eyes and mouth open wide in a demonic grin, with her hand going reaching fast towards Gabriel’s heart from behind him—
- No! - James tries to warn Gabriel, the same feeling he had when he saw them at first
But it’s too late, her arm goes straight through the boys back as if it was made out of paper, holding his heart in her hand and saying in a distorted voice:
- Change of plans, caenum! - she says filled with malice
‘Was that… latin?’
Gabriel looks at his heart and then back at the three, blood dripping from his mouth and nose, and with all of his remaining strength he says:
- I’m glad to have met you guys, sorry…
At that point “Aiko” scorches his heart in her palm instantly and then she uses her arm to raise his whole body over her head as if it weighed no more than a twig. Blood dripping down her body, she exclaims:
- The humans get to enjoy their ignorance one more day, the “magi” pretenders on the other hand…
After saying those words she tosses Gabriel’s body off her arm in the direction of the approaching hell-hounds, one of which jumps and catches his body by his leg, followed by two of them dragging him down a hill, out of sight, to seemingly eat him.
Shocked and afraid, our three heroes stand back to back again, all sweating from their brow and looking all over the place thinking of a plan, then the demon says:
- I assure you the canes would rather consume human souls, magi taste foul, I would know. - it says while laughing
James gets his bearings and asks his friends:
- Any ideas?
But Cassandra and Alexander are shell-shocked, and to their horror, they can see one more hell-hound approaching from behind the demon to join the fight, James then says:
- Yeah, I don’t like our odds either…
The demon then starts to sink into a fire that spawned at it’s feet and tells them:
- I ticked one very important thing off the list regardless, but I will not dirty my hands with new era pretenders…
James then asks, furious:
- Why did you do this? Who are you?
‘I like our odds better if it leaves, but maybe I can get some information!’
The demon laughs:
- Just collecting debitae, with a lot of interest. Your world will know me as…
The Harrow.
As the demon sinks halfway into the ground, the hell-hound from behind actually jumps at it, grabbing its shoulder and tossing the demon into the tree behind it!
- What is this?! - the demon is surprised
Ah… I see!
As the demon utters that phrase the hell-hound visibly starts to swirl in a mirage, and it quickly turns into a big dobermann.
‘I know that dog! Scar! Which means-’
As James thinks those words he looks back at the hell-hounds behind them who were dangerously close to pounce on them, *slash* he hears as he sees their heads drop on the ground.
‘Ain’t no blade sharp enough to do that! Unless-‘
When he looks back at the demon, someone is standing right in front of him, between them.
A fairly tall, dark skinned woman, with cornrows, studded, sleeveless leather armor and long, curved, sharp daggers with markings on them.
‘I knew it!’
- Master Senya! - Cassandra exclaims relieved
Marva had her sights on the demon impersonating her acolyte, a dead, cold stare.
She moves her head slightly down toward James’s direction and says without looking at them:
- Jack told me about the situation in Waldheim, I found Aiko’s body not far from here, brutalized, where is Gabriel?
- It killed him just before you arrived… - James replies
- Then it is decided. - Marva says while getting ready to raise her voice
She raises one of her arms with her dagger pointing toward the demon:
- You bun dung idiot will have wished you remained in hell, burning for eternity!
After saying that Marva crouches instantly in an offensive position, ready to attack.
The Harrow laughs and starts levitating slightly above the ground, flames engulfing the form he stole, turning the image of Aiko’s body into an exposed scorched body with black eyes and then it says:
- Conjuratio Infernalis-
Esoteric circles and shapes start surrounding the demons hands and then James realizes:
‘No! A chant?! This can’t be! A demon that can use arcane?!’
Even Marva was surprised by what she was seeing, but the rage within her was burning brighter than the demon itself, he could have started bringing down the sky for all she cared-
A clash between a master of the new world and a ghost of the old is igniting!