Azalea watched the flow of rushing figures leaving and entering the town square, covered by the corner of a building. If anyone did look her way, the light was uncertain enough in this alley that there was a low chance of her being spotted. Oscar had told her about this spot, as well as sharing the trick he used to avoid being noticed even if someone was staring directly at his position.
“The trick is not to move,” he’d explained. “It’s ironclad logic, even if it doesn’t make sense. But it really does work. If you’re not moving, the chances of you being spotted are super low. Even if you think you’ve been seen, don’t move. More often than not, the person is just trying to make you give up the game, and has no real idea if you’re there or not.”
“How did you learn this in real life?” She’d remembered asking. “Are you a hunter or something?”
At that, he’d just grinned, shaking his head. “Hardly. I grew up in a city. But I read a really old but popular book series where the main characters did things like this. I think the creator of the game must have been a fan because so far, all their stealth tactics work a treat.”
Azalea still had her doubts, but she hadn’t been discovered yet. She was inclined to believe that it was more Oscar’s natural talent at stealth and not the ideas shared by an old book series she’d never heard of. Either way, she’d needed the guidance, because it was of the utmost importance that she not be discovered. She had to remain out of sight, or else she wouldn’t get useful information. This was a different kind of fight, she thought. Not one that required strength, speed, or a cunning tactical mind.
Yes, she was watching the village square. But in reality, she was keeping an eye out for one particular person. Old Man Sumba. After what the bandit had let slip the other day, their guild had been taking it in turns to spy on the village chief’s home, watching for any strange activity. So far, they’d been watching for nearly two straight days, and nothing seemed amiss. He left his home shortly after first light and didn’t return until well after the sun had set, casting darkness over Silver Village. So either the bandit had lied to them, or this was a foe whose actions were impossible to dissect.
“It’s gotta be him,” Caius had said at their table the previous night when Oscar had reported that there was no behavior out of the ordinary to report. “The more I think about it, the more I’m certain. Nobody else could pull it off without being suspicious. But nobody would think that he had anything to do with the raiders who were trying to destroy his village.”
Not that he had any motivation to collude with the bandits, Azalea thought now, watching the elder’s front door. Any minute now, if he kept to the same schedule as yesterday, he’d walk out clutching his cane, and begin his day’s work of overseeing the village. He’d been very involved in the new defenses that the players and Terrians had worked together to build. Of course, the thought that he might sabotage them in some way had occurred to them, but Caius had inspected the defenses and found no damage or missing pieces there.
So, if it was Old Man Sumba, then what reason did he have to turn against the village that he’d called home for so many years? He had a wife and son here, not to mention half a dozen grandchildren. He was linked to this village as closely as Azalea had been linked to Caius. And she couldn’t think of a single thing that the bandits could do or offer her to turn against him. No, the more she thought about it, the less convinced she was that Old Man Sumba was the one casting the anti-magic field.
She gave a small start of fright as someone poked her in the small of her back. Fearing that she’d been caught spying on the village chief, she whirled around, her bracelet lifted to attack whoever had discovered her. Of course, no magic came out, and she was relieved. It was Riley behind her, looking a little startled himself, his hands held out in surrender.
“Sorry!” He yelped, taking a hasty step back. “Didn’t mean to scare you, you just didn’t reply when I said your name.”
“It’s okay,” she said shakily, her heart racing about a million miles an hour. “I just wasn’t expecting to be relieved for a few hours.”
“Oh, I’m not here to let you go that easily,” he said, throwing her a roguish wink. That wasn’t much like him, she thought, but she accepted it. Riley was charming, in an energetic sort of way. What was the problem with a little byplay? What on earth was she thinking about? She was supposed to be focusing on her task!
“I think that’s the one you’re supposed to be staring at,” the monk said with a slight smirk. She turned again and saw the village chief leaving his home. He paused to call a farewell to someone in the house, then began hobbling away. Azalea watched him closely if only to hide her flushed face from Riley.
“He looks grumpy this morning,” She noted. The deep scowl on the man’s face was obvious even from this distance, and it was enough of a shock for her to forget her embarrassment. “He wasn’t in that foul a mood when you saw him yesterday morning, was he?”
“Not that I could see,” Riley replied easily. “Maybe he just got into an argument with his wife.”
That was a logical enough explanation, but Azalea wasn’t sure. This abrupt change from his usual demeanor was too severe. There was no way that a morning spat with his wife could have caused it. No, this was something else. She made up her mind in an instant and stepped out of her hiding spot. “I’m going to follow him and see what he’s up to.”
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She couldn’t be sure what had prompted the thought, but she had a feeling that, perhaps today, he wasn’t going to get started on his task of supervising the village straight away. Riley called out softly from behind her. “Should I come with you?”
That definitely wasn’t like him, she thought, sparing half a glance back at the monk. He looked hesitant as if he wasn’t entirely certain what he should be doing at that moment. Not like him to be indecisive, Azalea thought. Maybe he was still anxious after scaring her half to death. With a smile, she beckoned him to follow. Looking highly relieved, he darted forward to catch up with her.
“So, where do you think he’s going?” Riley asked his usual grin in back in place. That was more like him, she thought, smiling up at him.
She could only shrug. Already, the village chief was sticking to his usual route. He looked, for all intents and purposes, as if he were going about business as usual. Still, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that he was going to make a change, and very soon. No more than two minutes after she had the thought, Old Man Sumba reached the only crossroad in the village. Going left would take him out of the village on the side closest to the forest. Going right would take him to the inn, where his first stop of the day always was. Today, he went left.
“Good morning, chief!” One of the villagers who’d volunteered to take on guard duty saw his chief approaching and called out a friendly, respectful greeting. “What brings you out here so early?”
Even the guard could tell that he wouldn’t normally come this way so early in the morning, Azalea thought. Either Sumba was incredibly obtuse, or he really had nothing to hide. She shared a quick glance with Riley, who could only shrug in confusion. She heard the old man reply to the guard. “Good morning, Brendan. I’m just going out on a stroll. Fancy stretching my legs, and taking in the scenery.”
“Oh,” the young villager said, seeming to accept his words at face value. “Very well, sir. But please, at least let me send a guard or two to protect you.”
“No need, son. I walked these paths even before your parents were born. I know their ways, and I can avoid trouble.”
He walked away before the guard could reply, effectively putting an end to the conversation. The guard fell back, looking a little troubled, gripping his torch nervously. Well now, Azalea thought to herself. That was definitely strange behavior from the old man. She had to figure out what that was about. She turned to Riley. “Go tell Caius about this. I’ll follow him, and use Contact if I find anything out.
“Are you sure,” he asked, looking nervous all over again. “I think I should stay with you, just to be safe. You never know when the bandits might appear. Or some other threat. Anything could be coming over the horizon.”
Now that really wasn’t like him, Azalea thought with a frown. “Oh, come on. You should know by now that I can take care of myself.”
Was he just getting a little too protective over her? Maybe he thought she might get distracted, with Dale’s death so recent in her life. If that was the reason, he really hadn’t learned much about her in these past few months. Hoping that wasn’t the case, she added, “I’ll be fine, Riley. Besides, Caius should know about this straight away. He’ll have some new change to the plan based on what I find out, I’m sure.”
“But what if you get attacked?”
She shrugged. “I’ll run away and use Contact for that anyway. Seriously, Riley, I don’t need to be babysat.”
That reply, combined with her suddenly stern tone, finally seemed to convince Riley. He raised his hands again, this time in a gesture of acquiescence. “Alright, sorry for pushing. I’m just trying to help.”
“I appreciate that,” she said in a softer tone. “But I really can look after myself, you know.”
He grinned at that. “Oh, I know. You didn’t get that Slayer title for nothing, did you?”
She scowled at the mention of her title. He knew she didn’t like talking or hearing about that, especially when she was trying to focus on something. “Just go tell Caius what Old Man Sumba is doing.”
She turned and made her way quietly out of the village without waiting to hear his response. Honestly, what was wrong with him today? He was normally so sharp when it came to her mood, even predicting her needs before she knew they existed. Today, he was so obtuse, constantly saying and doing things to annoy her. He’d gone from charming to getting constantly under her foot. Or was the change in herself? Had Dale’s death affected her subconsciously so that she was now growing irritated with her friends?
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Interesting. That girl had somehow sensed that something was off. Anasuya watched the upright, angry back of the red-haired girl striding away toward one of the secret ways through the village defenses. They had no idea what the behavior of the village head meant. They had their own job to perform. It was a shame Azalea couldn’t focus long enough to allow them to deliver the news.
Anasuya could see what Asami found so interesting in that woman. She had a fiery spirit and knew what she was about. Quick-witted and sharp, too. Ever since they’d found Project Terra, Anasuya hadn’t met anyone who could see through their disguise. True, the girl hadn’t actually figured out that it wasn’t the friendly monk she’d been talking to, but she had clearly noticed tiny changes between the original and Anasuya’s portrayal.
It was a shame they hadn’t gotten a chance to fight, Anasuya thought, dropping the spell that had changed her appearance to match that of ‘Riley’, the one figure they could count on not being anywhere near Azalea at that time. The real Riley was across the village, talking with the blacksmith about a new sword for their leader Caius.
Anasuya replaced the mask over their face, hiding their features away. They loved the anonymity that the mask offered. That, combined with their androgynous features and nondescript frame, left others guessing constantly as to whether they were male or female. Just the way they liked it. Mysterious.
Well, they would have to find another way to warn the Progenitors of the incoming army. There was plenty of time, so they weren’t concerned. But if they failed to perform their next mask perfectly, they might not be able to manage to deliver the warning without revealing themselves. And they wanted to keep their skills - and the services they could offer with them - a secret for as long as possible. If people knew there was a player who could copy the appearance and skills of other players, their work would become nearly impossible.
On to the next attempt, Anasuya thought, making their way down the quiet side street toward the center of the village. Who to copy next?