Many become drunk with power and forget there are repercussions to their actions. Who is to say whether that man you took for a fool will rise against you tomorrow?
Wilfrid Pember - Historian- The Start of the Apocalypse
____
1. Silas Wycliffe - level 37 - Duellist
2. Sabine Gantzmann - level 35 - Blood Fist
3. Natalie Svoboda - level 33 - Cryomancer
5. Iris Azer - level 31 - Healer
4. Dominic Wood - level 31 - Squire
6. Faris Jabbar - level 30 - Mounted Archer
7. Ernst Kiefer - level 30 - Dragoon
8. Josh Thompson - level 29 - Antimage Brawler
9. Peng Qi - level 29 - Monk
11. Yuri Dmitriev - level 28 - Cleric
10. Elise LeBeau - level 27 - Minister
…
231. Tessa Flowers - level 18 - Alchemist
…
485. Rolf Ruttering - level 13 - Tactician
…
801. Dai Perry - level 2
River shimmering in the light, Josh led past its streaming passage, his steps steady even as he fingered his sword nervously. Behind him followed a party of thirty, including Sabine, Ernst, Peng, Iris, Natalie, Elise, and Yuri. However, his mind wasn’t on them, but rather on the two notable missing figures.
Yesterday had been a shock to him when he had opened his door after hearing a bout of forceful knocking, only to see Faris glaring at him. He had gotten along well with the Arabian archer in general, especially given how vibrant and charming a character he had been, so it had thrown him off-guard to see such a belligerent expression.
“Hey, man, you good?” Josh asked, inching away. His hand reached back to find something to swing in case the mood got any worse. It found the tall, wooden shoe rack, and he tensed.
The wind blew balefully, sounding like a distant howl, and Faris’s long black beard swayed with it. His eyebrows had snapped down into a single bitter line, and his eyes glowed fiercely. He chewed the words in his mouth before he spoke, “I heard you and Dom are planning to kill Sabine.”
Josh drew his hand back from the shoe rack and defensively waved both in front. “Not a chance, man. Where did you hear such a thing?”
Scowling, Faris shook his head. “Tell me if it’s true or not.”
Raising an eyebrow, Josh continued waving his hands. “Like I said, man, not true. Not at all true.”
“So bandana boy has no grievances against the bitch?” came the reply.
Wincing at the comment, Josh pondered over Faris’s actions so far. Could it be he wasn’t angry at Josh but rather Sabine? “Well…”
“Good, I’m in,” Faris cut in. He beckoned Josh out, “Let’s go to bandana boy. We’ve got a lot to discuss if we’re to catch her at the quarry raid tomorrow.”
And that had been that. Josh had followed somewhat reluctantly, more curious about Faris’s sudden change than this grand plan he was scheming up. Until now, the Mounted Archer had stayed neutral, batting away both factions’ attempts at pulling him in with good-natured chuckles. He had always said he was a free man with a free heart, but Josh saw none of that nonchalance now in the demanding figure stalking down the cobbled streets. None at all.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Natalie came beside Josh and shocked him out of his thoughts with her frigid aura. Applying Magic-Resistant Skin at once, he gave her a strained smile. “Hey, Nat, what’s up?”
Her snow-white hair had been tied back in a ponytail, and her skin was pasty as always. She scrutinised him with her piercing blue eyes. “This isn’t the way we went before. We turned left there.”
He chuckled and patted her shoulder feebly. “Don’t worry, this is a faster route.”
“How would you know? I thought you have only gone to the quarry once,” she replied.
Glancing back shiftily, relieved to see Sabine and her party hadn’t noticed anything yet, he turned to Natalie with a pleading expression. “Trust me, alright. Rolf looked at his maps and told me this is the route to use.”
Her eyes narrowed still. “Rolf? Interesting.” After a second, however, she gave him a pointed look and said, “Well, lead on then.” She shrank back to beside Iris and began signing rapidly with her hands. Several times the Healer turned to him with expressions of varying severity, but neither of them came up to him again.
It was a good thing as well because his heart was beating violently now, threatening to burst out his ribcage, even as he sweated profusely. What if their whole plan went wrong? What if too many of the fighters here chose Sabine over them? What if she knew about their scheme all along? Even as these thoughts jabbed and prodded at his mind, he had to admit to himself there was no turning back now as they were coming up on the selected spot.
To the right, the stream ran wide and deep, and would slow anyone who tried to escape through that route. The riverbank was rock-strewn and soft-soiled, although it still provided even footing for a fight. However, the best part of this location was that the terrain leading left from the river was heavily sloped and forested at the top, giving ambushers adequate cover and vantage.
Even as his breathing shallowed and quickened, Josh did his best to keep his gaze away from the treeline. Having been in so many skirmishes, he wouldn’t have usually been this nervous, but the memory of Sabine bursting open Mike’s head still haunted him. What was to say she wouldn’t just shrug this ambush off and do the same to all of them as well?
His body stiffened from the tension and he tripped over himself, tumbling down. He felt Natalie and Iris rush to him, and it seemed the short Healer was trying to heal him, although there was nothing wrong with him. Turning to tell her he was fine, his eyes instead widened as he spotted an arrow coming down from the hill. There was no time to react as it streaked through the air and stabbed into Sabine’s shoulder, throwing the Blood Fist off her feet.
Chaos broke out as people yelled and glanced around in shock. Three of Sabine’s men dashed to her and raised their shields against further volleys, while Ernst raced up the slope, and Peng calmly regarded the situation. The blond had nearly reached the top when a figure emerged from the treeline and struck down with a crushing blow. Although Ernst dodged, he messed up with his landing and slipped down some ways.
Dom chased after him with a mace and round shield, his characteristic blue bandana proudly tied around his head. Following him was Elise, then Faris, seated on his phantom horse. He released his bow and another arrow shot down, slipping in between one of the shields protecting Sabine and puncturing through the shieldman’s thigh. As the man roared, the Arabian archer silently nocked another arrow and fired again, a scathing grimace on his face.
The attackers’ identities only caused more mayhem as some of the thirty warriors rushed to help Sabine’s faction while others stood dazed, internally debating which side to choose. Natalie was one of the rare few who made her decision immediately, rising from tending to Josh as an icicle formed in front of her. It shot towards Sabine but struck the injured shieldman instead, this time catching him by his jaw and downing him for good. He was mewling when Sabine rose from her crouch and snapped his neck, blood draining from his wounds onto her hands.
“If that’s how you want to play, you should have just told me,” she shouted with a manic grin.
Peng was already moving towards Natalie, a rare smile gracing his face, when Josh finally found the strength to move. He raced towards him and slashed down, but the Monk caught the strike between his palms. Pulling suddenly, he yanked the sword from Josh’s grip and tossed it aside. “I’ve been wanting to test my skills against you,” he hissed.
To the side, Iris was getting ganged on by a group of Sabine’s faction when an unexpected man came to her rescue. “How wicked you are to gang up on a little lamb,” the Cleric said as he clobbered a man’s face with his hammer. Groaning, the man fell limp, and Yuri moved beside Iris. “I shall have to smite you in God’s stead.”
____
Lin Baya, the Wraith, was originally a successful businesswoman from China. Passing the normal tutorial, she joined Wenzhou and set up a business organising the labour required for the construction projects. Although she performed her work brilliantly, she was cast down from her position when the leadership of the town went to Mok Jum, the Unbroken.
The circumstances allowed her to switch her class from Manager to Wraith. Furious with her treatment, Lin began her quest to murder all who had crossed her. Her class provided her with fitting skills for assassination and as the number of her kills grew, the remainder of the old leadership began to band around her.
Their defiance to Mok’s rule grew into active warfare as Wenzhou was thrown into open conflict, Lin against Mok. Although Lin performed admirably, her vengeance was drawn to an end when Mok enticed some of her party to betray her for positions in his government. They led her into a trap, and although Lin killed both them and Mok, she ultimately fell to her injuries and perished.
Stefan Sommer - the Chronicler - Heroes and Villains of the First Age