“Even if you are not out there beyond the walls, there is still no failing to notice that there is a surge going on,” Dragonfly noted as she walked alongside Kite, Will and Serene along the now even more crowded streets of Gilded. Not all of the populace in the area left for the closest fortresses and holdfasts for the surge, instead, those able to chose the more comfortable choice made for the city. From where the group walked they could see houses and apartments now even more crowded as the inhabitants of Gilded dealt with the influx of relatives and friends suddenly eager to stay with them.
“At least we should not see any shortages of food any time soon,” Will noted. “My father had started preparing well in advance, so the surge hitting a few months earlier has at least not been a strain in that regard yet. But while he does not tell me everything, I have gotten hints that the casualties already being reported are already significantly higher than during the previous surge.”
“I believe that I can feel it,” Serene added. “I expected a lot of grief and fright, but there is also a lot more anger and frustration swirling on the currents here.”
Hearing her words, Kite also focused on his own aura senses a bit more in an attempt to let his aura gently quest outwards. The spiritual susurrus of all the normal-ranked auras was like a blanket over the whole city, and once Kite stopped filtering it out like he had been taught early in his career, he could feel it too.
“Then I hope that your father continues to show such foresight, Will,” Kite added as his focus returned to their conversation. “From what I feel, it would not take too much strain to have some people starting to cause trouble.
But I believe we should make haste to the Seventh peak, as I am quite curious as to why the director wanted to debrief us in person.”
“Walker did seem to think it important,” Serene agreed.
“A shame that he had to leave right away,” Dragonfly added. “I had hoped that we could have joined him on his next outing.”
“People like Walker are too valuable for the city and the adventure society to let them just sit idle during a surge. But I must admit that just the fact that he escorted us back to the city did make me think that this is something bigger than just us getting to rotate back for new contracts. A shame, too, as it felt like things just got interesting there in the end!” Will said, seeming almost dejected at not being out fighting at that very moment.
“At least we can get some good food again,” Dragonfly added. “And who knows, maybe the director just has some good news to make things interesting? Maybe even a few silver-ranked monsters which the local silvers can’t be bothered with right now?” The last part was added with such a hopeful tone that none present could doubt that, despite their differences, Will and the young woman truly were kindred spirits
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“I am sorry to say that I have bad news,” director Jarvan said as the group was escorted into his office by the deputy director. The branch director’s normally cheerful demeanor was now replaced with a sobriety that in and of itself told the group that the meeting would be a serious one.
“I must admit that just being called back like this had me worried. While I have appreciated most of our previous meetings, director, neither of us had expected you to give us bronze-rankers your time during the surge,” Kite said, the rest of the group nodding in acquiescence. “What is this all about?”
Jarvan leaned back in his chair, his expression weary. “A few days ago, some of our informants in the city started hinting at an increased interest in a particular adventurer among the information brokers and others in similar trade. Forewarned by this, we even managed to intercept an attempt at gleaning the contract assigned to said adventurer. You, Kite.”
“The sect,” Will said, reaching the same conclusion as Kite himself.
“Yes, or at least its members.” Jarvan confirmed. “We have managed to dig up enough information to all but confirm that the former disciple Resplendent Evening Mist has been the one making the requests, and reports have also confirmed that Soar on Enlightened Wind, still a disciple of the Descending Star sect, has been frequenting the town house of the Resplendent family as of late.”
While Kite was quite familiar with the first name, the second gave him pause. “Who is the latter?”
It was Will who answered his question, a bit of anger clear in his aura. “That has to be the former inner disciple who that cursed coward Mist brought when they ambushed you. Scum before the heavens, all of them.”
At his words, Kite thought back and remembered the former inner disciple who his ambushers had called Soar. But having been a bit preoccupied at the time, the name of the man had never been on the forefront of his mind.
“While we can only speculate, it should be rather obvious that they are aiming for another round with you, Kite. Doing so during the surge would make sense with all the chaos and distractions, even if such stupidity would make me kick them out of the society in a heartbeat had they still been members,” Jarvan growled.
“But surely, you can do something?” Will asked, still outraged. “I thought the adventure society protected their own.”
“And indeed we can, and will,” Jarvan responded, looking even more exhausted than before. “But as they are always bound to be, things are also complicated. Rupert, would you mind giving some context?”
“Jarvan, are you sure we should be openly discussing it?” The leonid asked, a concerned look on his face.
“It is all but an open secret now anyway. And you were here when Kite brought it up the last time,” Jarvan countered. “As a three-star, I would believe that he and the team he leads can be trusted with the information.”
Deputy director Rupert let his gaze wander over the gathered bronze-rankers, eventually nodding.
“After the little incident upon adventurer Kite’s return to Gilded, you said that you noted something; a familiar feeling from the offending disciple?”
“Yes,” Kite confirmed. “There was something about her; a kind of instability. While I had more trouble getting a sense of it back then, it felt very familiar to what I picked up from Rise of Morning Glory at our encounters. It felt especially prominent at our encounter at the Jade-Sky gate. During what few encounters we had, he always acted prideful, but at the end it felt a bit like he was so caught up in his anger and frustration that all sense left him.
But last time, you gave me clear indication that this is something that I needed to keep to myself and not delve further into the subject.”
“That we did,” Rupert agreed. “Because it is a topic that has caused much strife and contention amongst all the local powers since just before the war, and for you to delve further would just invite trouble upon you. But now…” He trailed off and gave a rueful shake of his head. “Trouble is already attempting to find you. And for you, and us, to choose the proper path forward, you will need to be clued in.”
“I assume that this would then also be related to when the Victorious Sunset sect closed their gates for a time?” Will asked, looking as he was trying to piece things together. “While it was explained away as internal investigations and preparation for the upcoming expedition, there was also plenty of gossiping around it speculating of internal strife and even that there had been an attempt to supplant the sect leader.”
“I see that the city lord has kept his end of the confidentiality,” Jarvan noted. “What we are about to tell you should so far only have been officially disclosed to the city leadership, adventure society and the Descending Star sect, but with some rumors lately getting closer to the truth we are quite sure that there have been several leaks.
The reason for the Victorious Sunset sect closing their gates was not out of strife but out of quarantine. After the quite obvious hint left by the servitor of the queen of jade and sky, the sect leader wisely called upon the church of the Healer to examine their members. And they did indeed find something out of the ordinary.”
“An affliction, or at least of sorts,” Rupert continued. “One that is extremely subtle, targeting the mind and emotions of the afflicted. It does little direct impact other than to start slightly inflating negative emotions, with anger and frustration being the most prominent. Even having found it and having been able to start cleansing it, a lengthy process in itself, the church still does not fully understand its nature other than what I previously stated, and that it seems to have both a magical and physical component.
This means that those of lower ranks, such as iron and bronze, are more susceptible as they still have more remaining of the conventional brain, with their biology more closely affecting their mind and emotions. But from the number of normal-rankers that have volunteered for examinations, we have yet to find any spread among them. So we assume that a certain level of awakened magic might also be needed for the affliction to take root.”
“And that is what was affecting the disciple? To cause him to act as he did after I left the gate?” Kite asked, trying to comprehend the complex situation being described.
“While I do not know of his specific case, it is probably safe to assume,” director Jarvan confirmed with a nod. “But as Rupert says, the church’s findings so far indicate that it merely aggravates the emotions and traits. This is not mind control, just gradually increasing nudging. And with prideful, arrogant or easily frustrated people, the effects seem quite potent over time.”
“But… Why?” Kite asked. “Where would this come from? I know little of such things. Are there monsters who inflict their targets with such afflictions? I have heard of quite insidious creatures.”
“As of its origins, we are still in the dark. The local chapter of Healer’s church has so far not made further progress, and if they have, they have yet to share any insights,” Rupert said, continuing. “But more pertinent to our current situation is that while many independent adventurers and even the city lord himself has subjected themselves to examination when asked, the Descending Star sect has so far vehemently refused,”
“So that was why the high priest suddenly wanted to see me before we left for the expedition,” Will exclaimed in response. “I thought it was just my father being worried for nothing. He tends to be thorough.”
“But what reason could the Descending Star sect possibly have for refusing?” Serene asked, Kite nodding in agreement.
“Well, according to them they didn’t need any, basically telling the rest of us that we were incompetent and weak for even inviting such outside scrutiny and admitting to not being able to handle our own affairs,” Jarvan replied.
“But that is just madness!” Dragonfly exclaimed, outraged. “Surely they cannot be that stupid?”
“Unless the judgment of some of their members is even further clouded,” Will continued.
“Which meant that what I felt might just be an indication of that,” Kite concluded. “That members of the Descending Star sect have been afflicted too. And for longer than most others. Do you think that affected them during the war as well? With Mist and the others ambushing me?”
“One can only speculate, and for that we would need their members to actually submit themselves to examination,” Rupert said. “But as you have probably heard, negotiations in that regard have already broken down. What little influence we had over them is now gone with them seceding from the adventure society. From the little incident at the beginning of the surge, I would not even be surprised if the sect leader himself was afflicted, silver-ranker or not.”
“Then why not force the issue?” Kite asked, still frowning. “They are a danger to the whole area acting like this. Even more so during the surge.”
“Politics. Again.” It was Will who answered this time as well, both Jarvan and Rupert nodding agreement as the young noble continued. “Father has told me a bit of what little word he receives from the capitol. And from what I gathered, the adventure society and the local powers are locked in even more of a power struggle there. If news reached them that the local leadership here were just going in heavy-handed against local and, according to some, rightfully independent forces such as a sect, things there might just take a turn for the worse.”
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“Is it really that bad?” Kite asked, turning to the director.
“I get little news myself, but yes, I believe so,” Jarvan confirmed. “And while Hua-Xi isn’t so big and influential on a global scale, it might still make quite the splash if the continental council decided to smack down on a nation like that. There is supposed to be a balance between the societies, the local government and the churches, and if such drastic actions are deemed too unprovoked, there would probably be multiple nations the world over who would use that to further hamper the adventure society’s work.”
Kite sat back in his chair, feeling thoroughly out of his depth. “Oh…” was all that he could manage, Dragonfly and Serene looking equally stunned.
“But I believe that we are losing sight of the more immediate picture,” Jarvan said, looking at Kite. “While I would like nothing more than to go and personally smack those troublemakers around, I can’t risk it now during the surge. I still need to focus on securing the region, no matter how frustrating it will be to have to play around such small-fry,” he grumbled.
“So what will you do then? Nothing?” Dragonfly’s tone was a bit accusatory, before she remembered herself. “Sorry, director.”
“As it is for a friend, such an outburst can be understandable. But not all of higher rank will show such leniency, so take care with that passion of yours.” Jarvan counseled, before turning to Kite. “As for you, I have an offer. We should be able to give you contracts which keeps you close enough to not be isolated, as well as add an extra level of secrecy to make it harder for the information to leak. At least while the surge lasts. Because I will not just be able to be completely idle, politics be damned. And the same goes for the sect. If they start letting the people of this region down any more for their own vanity, then they will be handled.”
Coming out of his outburst of frustration, Jarvan seemed to only then notice the bronze-rankers leaning back in their chairs, visibly pressured by his aura which had started pushing outwards as his emotions got the better of him.
“My apologies,” he said, regaining control of his spiritual presence. “As you can see, there is no solution which is completely optimal here. And I suppose that there is a lesson in there somewhere,” the director finished with a rueful shake of his head.
After Jarvan had spoken, only silence reigned in the office for a while, all of those present lost in their thoughts.
“Director, I…” Kite broke the silence, trailing off as if finishing a line of thoughts before he began anew. “I appreciate the aid the society wants to extend. But I want to counter with a suggestion of my own. Like yours, it has its flaws. And not just a little bit of risk. But unlike the one you propose, I do believe that my idea also has the chance of bringing benefits.”
As Kite proceeded to tell those present of his idea, eventually finishing left him to witness a few different reactions.
“Kite, this sounds risky. There is a lot that could go wrong,” Serene said, worry clear in her manifested voice.
“But how awesome wouldn’t it be?” Dragonfly countered, eyes glittering with excitement.
“Truly,” Will agreed. “Do you really think that you can do it, though?”
“Nothing is guaranteed. But in this case, I will choose to put my faith in my path to carry me through,” Kite responded. What he was to say next was interrupted by a chuckle from the branch director, increasing in intensity and being well on its way to a full belly-laugh before he reeled himself in.
“Guardian’s girthy glory, Rupert. Were we this dedicated at bronze rank?” Jarvan eventually asked, still unable to hold himself from chuckling just a little more.
“You might have been, Jarvan,” the deputy director noted dryly. “But without the local culture to make such a plan feasible at all, I want to give your younger self at least a bit of courtesy and assume that you would not have made the attempt.”
“True, true,” Jarvan acquiesced. “But I didn’t have Kite’s particular set of powers either.” Looking at Kite, he got a bit more serious even though a smirk still tugged at the corner of his lips. “The responsible, meticulous part of me-”
Jarvan had to halt as Rupert’s loud coughing at his words were a bit too pointed to ignore.
“As I said-,” he continued while giving his friend a flat look,” -part of me is quite worried about what you propose. Yet I can’t deny the gains for us, should you succeed. So I will be willing to accept, on the condition that you let us help and be part of the preparations. You have shown a lot of initiative and reason during the time I have known you, Kite, so now would be a stupid time to start entirely disregarding the advice of us old-timers. I will also insist on paying you, although that would have to be handled most discreetly for reasons I am sure that you understand.”
“Thank you, director. I will of course consider what advice you have to provide me,” Kite said, both relief and the sharp tingle of nervosity showing on his features and aura.
“Then I believe that we have a bit more planning to do, even though I will let Rupert handle most of it. Meeting him discreetly is a lot easier, and will make the story we wish to present just a little more plausible,” Jarvan said before pausing, an idea having come to him. “But you know, it would be a shame for me not to have at least a small, deniable finger on this operation.”
“Oh?” Kite asked, curious.
“While it might lead to nothing, I believe that it is worth a shot,” Jarvan said, nodding to himself. “As you are taking a risk not only for yourself, what director would I be if I didn’t at least cash in a favor to try and help you a bit further.”
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Walker gritted his teeth as he saw the breached walls of the village that was his next destination. Being one of the bigger settlements in the region, it had even once been affluent enough to be protected by magical defenses as well. Unfortunately, the emphasis was on the past tense, as said defenses had either been too old or weak to hold off whatever had broken through the perimeter of the settlement, even though Walker could also see traces of magical detonations as well.
“It was not an easy conquest at least, even if that is of no comfort to the dead,” Walker thought as he drew near, crossing the final stretch of distance by disappearing amongst the foliage of a tree only to appear from an intact shrubbery on the village plaza. His senses immediately searched outwards, using the plants of the area to reach even further. Within seconds, Walker had both noted something odd, yet hopeful, as well as where he needed to go.
Because from what he could feel, there were surprisingly few corpses in the village. Enough to be a tragedy, but not enough to be an extinction. And from the huge cluster of bronze-ranked monsters he could sense to the east, about a kilometer from the village, Walker also knew that he had little time to spare. He set off at a dead sprint in the direction, silver-ranked speed boosted further by being within a forest domain. Walker continued running even as he approached a cliff, conjuring a vine which he slung up towards the tallest tree he could find.
Assisted by strength and magic both, his swing carried him upwards and past the top of the tree serving as his anchor, rust-colored leaves falling as the tree shook from the speed and force of his passing. Walker was relieved, and a little bit thrilled, to have made the correct call as his display of impromptu acrobatics was enough to carry him to the top of the cliff, touching down on its very top. From here, he could see the glow of a flickering magical barrier in the distance, near the base of another set of cliffs. As that was also the location of the gathered monsters, Walker spared no further time for considerations, diving from his vantage into a free-fall.
Just as he made contact with the foliage that was rushing up to meet him, Walker disappeared yet again, his teleportation power causing him to meld with the plant life as he traversed the distance. Just a heartbeat later, he was launched out from a set of low bushes near what turned out to be the entrance to a mining shaft where a group of over twenty sledgehammer toads were taking turns bashing at the failing magical barrier which still protected the entrance. The bronze-ranked monsters were hulking, almost humanoid toads with thick, mottled skin blending in well with the forest environment and got their name from the heavy clump of stone-like bone at the tips of their tongues which they could wield with surprising swiftness to make crushing blows at range. Behind the barrier, Walker could also make out the sickly fear of normal-rankers inside where a middle-aged woman with slightly graying hair was trying to frantically feed more of a dwindling stash of spirit coins into the failing formation.
The small siege was quickly broken however, as the monsters suddenly found a silver-ranker in their midst, still retaining all the momentum of his fall before teleporting. Leaf-blade outstretched, Walker tore through the pack like a verdant meteor, swiftly causing thicker roots to grow over the mine’s entrance for additional protection. From thereon, there was really no contest at all between adventurer and monster, but a slaughter. A mere half minute afterwards, silence fell over the scene before Walker called out to the trapped people.
“Good folk, you can lower the barrier.”
Having his conjured roots disappear, Walker met the frightened gazes of those within. They were ordinary people, the ones he had spent his adventuring life helping as he had wandered the woods of the Autumn lands more than anyone else.
“It’s Brave Walker of Paths-.”
“Master Walker-”
“Thank the gods-”
After his talk with Kite before the surge began, Walker couldn’t help the twinge of pride in his chest at the almost immediate recognition, the barrier dropping soon after as people scrambled out of what was indeed a mine shaft. Walker started counting those present, but was soon distracted as he noticed the woman who had been keeping up the barrier. As the others exited, she had instead knelt down next to the formations and started to meticulously clean the dust and gravel from the sigils.
Ignoring the curious gazes of those gathered, Walker went to kneel by her side, noting the woman going through what looked like familiar motions; a process often repeated.
“Old formation. But well kept,” he noted, the woman only looking up at him after finishing her work.
“I’m sorry, master Walker, but I needed to finish-” she said, bowing subserviently even though Walker could glean little actual regret in her aura, choosing to wave away her apology.
“From what I gather, having maintained those warding formations is the only reason that these people are still alive,” Walker noted. “It would be a shame for you to stop the habit now. Because I assume that you are the one having taken care of them in the first place?”
“Well, yes, master Walker. They’re old, from the days when the mine was still prosperous. Still, I didn’t want our young lads and ladies still working here to be unprotected, so I learned what little I could.” Her explanation was a bit tentative.
“Auntie Stream has gone here every week to keep ma’ and pa’ safe!” called a young boy of around ten years old, swiftly being pulled back and hushed by his mother.
“Oh, has she now?” Walker asked, looking from the child to the woman before him. She looked like many who led the hard life of rural Hua-Xi; black hair now graying slightly and the wiry frame of someone used to working for a living. And from the look of her, and the feel of her aura, she was a stubborn one.
“Well, I can’t just lose the rest of ya!” the woman apparently called Stream called back to the boy, some of those gathered even chuckling a bit despite the tension. “My husband and son were both lost during the last surge,” she added, providing some context to Walker. “And that little rascal and his mother is all I have left of them. My grandson and daughter-in-law.”
“Then you seem to have done a fine job indeed,” Walker agreed.
“It would have been a better job done if those cursed wall formations hadn’t been decaying too. But those were always too big and difficult. Could never figure out how to care for them,” Stream grumbled.
Looking at Stream and feeling the bitter regret washing from her, Walker remained silent for a few seconds before he once more spoke up.
“They called you Stream, but may I ask your full name?”
He was surprised to see that the hard woman started blushing slightly at the question, yet she still answered.
“My- my parents named me Sweet Stream. After their favorite meeting spot,” she said before mustering back some of her previous grit. “But let it be known that both my husband and son never thought the name fit me very well.”
At this point, Walker had heard enough, and knew that he had found one.
“Well then, Sweet Stream, I would suggest that we start organizing your people here. Choose some to gather what you can from the village, then we leave for the nearest fortress. It will be cramped, but a lot better than these broken walls of yours,” Walker said. “And when all that is said and done, you and I need to find a moment to talk some more. Because I believe that I may have an offer for you.”
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“Will, please engage the other incoming pack.”
“By my path, they shall fall!”
Will’s charge lit up the half-gloom of twilight, his companions a whole phalanx of glowing spears to intercept the other incoming pack of monsters while Dragonfly continued her brutal duel with the chieftain of the ogre pack. Both the short woman and the huge ogre were bloodied and on fire, but from their auras it was obvious that Dragonfly’s was the one still growing in intensity.
“I know master Force always tell me I need to - raaaaaaaaagh! - step out of my comfort zone,” Dragonfly said, her sentence interrupted by the fierce cry she could not contain while she delivered a powerful upward slash with her axe while her conjured one descended from above, the pair meeting in the middle to catch the ogre in a most destructive vice. “But I already miss Kite handling these ones while I catch my momentum.”
“Be swept away by the hammer of the hurricane”
Serene’s spell was aimed behind the incoming pack of iron-ranked ogres who was coming to the aid of their chieftain, her powerful winds sending even their bulky frames stumbling and tumbling into the oncoming wall of spears. Having finished the casting, the priestess spoke even while her song continued to fill the area.
“We all do, but he will need every asset and advantage he can get if he is to succeed. So if we want to support him, we will adapt and make do,” Serene said, simultaneously releasing her held droning tone, a gust of wind forcing the ogre chieftain to take Dragonfly’s next attack straight onto its face. “And besides, I believe that Kite’s current predicament is a bit of a trial all in itself.”
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Standing before the huge wooden gates, Kite took a steadying breath. He already knew that those within had seen him, yet none had so far acted or announced themselves. As such, he had his aura pulse outwards, clearly announcing his presence.
“Announce yourself, adventurer!” The response was immediate, given in a clear and stern voice.
“I am Kite flown in on Winds of Fortune, and my arrival should be expected.”
There was a moment of silence, and a few seconds later Kite could see a shift in the raised magical defenses of the compound ahead of him. Not long after, the gates swung open, revealing a pair of junior elders clad in robes of gold, red and white. Both bowed courteously to Kite as he entered, feeling the distinct tingle all over his body as he passed through the partially lowered defenses and through the gate.
“The sect leader awaits you in her solar, Kite flown in on Winds of Fortune. Please follow us, and allow us to welcome you to the home of the Victorious Sunset sect.”