Avery, Blair, and Roman instantly readied their weapons as they looked around. Mercer pulled out his flute while forming a Bard Orb nearby. Blair channeled and created a Gravity Orb while Avery created a Fire Orb and Roman a Lightning Hand.
“How many are we talking about?” Avery questioned as she eyed the area around them.
“Do we know where they are coming from?” Blair asked as she scanned the area as well.
“Do we know who they are?” Mercer inquired as he looked at Liam.
“Don’t know, don’t know, and don’t know. Roman, do you have anything?” Liam rapid fired back as he pulled out a Minor Mana Potion and drank it quickly to replenish the missing mana he used earlier.
“On it,” Roman stated as he placed a hand on the ground, closed his eyes, and concentrated as hard as he could.
Jude noticed Roman place a hand on the ground and grew curious. He made his way over to them with Kala and asked, “What is he doing?”
“Figuring out how many we’re dealing with, which direction they are coming from, and how far they are,” Liam stated, trying to be as vague as he could.
Shock grew over Kala’s face as she looked at Roman. With curiosity filling her she asked, “How is he able to do that?”
“That sounds like bullshit,” the dagger wielding girl scoffed.
Liam narrowed his eyes as he glared at her before replying, “It’s an ability he has. Not my place to say more about it.”
“A.K.A. bullshit,” the girl commented.
“Ciara, can you be quiet please,” Kala scolded before looking back at Liam and saying, “Sorry about her. My group is skeptical about things until they see it with their own eyes.”
“Not a bad trait to have, but they should practice restraint more than anything,” Liam stated as he looked at her. His gaze was neutral. “Do you have any information on who these guys could be? Are they Demon-kin, Beast-kin, Human, elves, what? Are they a part of some group or a random party you guys pissed off?”
“I apologize Kala for butting in, but you don’t have to these guys anything. They have nothing to do with those crazy bastards nor with us. They could easily try and give us to them or abandon us in the middle of a fight,” the last cloaked male individual stated as he glared at Liam through the opening of his hood. Liam couldn’t see much, but he was able to see faint signs of tattoo markings on the male’s cheeks.
Kala was about to say something, but was stopped as Roman shouted, “Shit!”
Liam turned to look at him. As Roman stood back up and looked at him, Liam asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I couldn’t get an exact count. There was a lot of interference…the kind that tells me there’s a lot, but at the same time it feels like there isn’t a lot. But they are heading our way from that direction,” Roman informed as he pointed towards the direction Kala’s group was standing. “Judging by the movements I felt they could arrive within five minutes or less…”
“Okay, it doesn’t sound that bad,” Avery said as she looked in the direction Roman pointed to.
“It’s not the amount of people that has me concerned,” Roman stated. There was a hardness in his voice. His eyes narrowed as he said to Liam, “I’m not one to suggest shit like this, but I think we need to get out of here before they get here.”
“See!” the hooded man shouted as he spat on the ground. “They are already running with their tails between their legs at the sight of conflict.”
“Manchin!” Kala shouted. She was about to say more, but Roman interrupted as he turned his glare on the hooded man and said, “I wasn’t talking about just us. I was saying we all need to get out of here.”
Liam stared at Roman. He was right that he wouldn’t ever suggest it. If he was suggesting it then that only meant the enemies were too much for them to handle. However, how could he know how strong they were? Liam quickly asked, “How do you know how strong they are?”
Everyone looked confused as they stared at Liam then at Roman. Roman looked hesitant at first, but it disappeared as he replied, “I’m not sure exactly how strong they…Its just…It felt like they knew I had tried to sense them. The only way that could happen is if…”
“They were stronger than you,” Liam finished for him. He was right. Roman was growing in strength and wasn’t weak compared to everyone here. However, that didn’t mean he was the strongest person on the island. He was even more curious with who these people were. He figured there were a few people who knew.
“You must be pretty damn weak then if you think they are strong,” Falin forced a chuckle.
An idiot is always on cue. Liam thought as he looked at Kala. “Who are they? Judging by loud mouths proclamation here, you had a run in with these guys before. When? Today? Yesterday?”
Kala tensed at Liam’s questions. She looked to be unsure what to say as she tried to think about it. However, Jude, being as impatient as he always was, stated, “Both mine and her group have come across them before. On a couple different islands and on this one here not too long ago.”
Kala whirled on Jude. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. Jude never looked at her, but instead stated, “Don’t give me that look. He’s fought them before.”
Liam’s brows furrowed as he looked at Jude. If what he was saying was true then he was talking about the Seven Immoral Vices. He wasn’t sure how Jude knew about his encounter with them, but that wasn’t important right now. he needed to know if it was a mixture of the seven or a specific group of them. with almost a growl, Liam asked, “Which Vice are we facing?”
“What?” Jude and Kala asked, confusion suddenly wrapping over their faces.
Liam felt their confusion which made him confused. “You said I have fought them before. You were referring to the Seven Immoral Vices…right?”
“Who are the Seven Immoral Vices?” Jude asked as interest filled his eyes.
“A cult that I and a few members of my team had to take on back on Cashat Port not too long ago…didn’t you already know this?” Liam asked while feeling extremely puzzled.
Jude looked puzzled by Liam proclamation. “No. I haven’t heard about anything you’ve been up to since the Tutorial Area. But I did hear through rumors that an island outside of the Arkadian Kingdom area had something catastrophic happen…” Jude eyed Liam. “That’s right you have some Beast-kin blood pumping through your veins. That means you were sent there huh? Damn now I want to know what…”
“Not the time,” Liam snapped. “Tell me. If it’s not the Seven Immoral Vices then what did you mean I have fought before?”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Jude, looking annoyed, said, “I guess what I said was wrong. I meant you have fought against one of their members. It was with me, Aranis, and Inyis…”
“With you, Aranis, and Inyis…,” Liam muttered to himself as he tried to think about what he was talking about. A sudden memory suddenly flashed before his eyes. It was a scene that had happened right after they had killed the sixth Floor Boss of the black dungeon in the Tutorial Area. It was when they were tied up by two men and used to help create a portal to some strange place. One of the men was Steve and the other was Gary.
“You’re talking about that time with Gary?” Liam growled.
Jude nodded. “We never got the actual name of the cult or the order, or whatever they are a part of, but you and I have come fought their kind.”
Realization suddenly dawned on Liam. He understood why Roman wasn’t able to get an accurate count and why he felt something off when he tried to feel for them through the earth. He looked at Roman and said, “Skeletons.”
Roman’s eyes widened as he understood what he was saying. He then scowled and cursed, “For fuck sake. Again with the skeletons.”
“At least it’s not zombie creating spiders,” Blair sarcastically scoffed.
“What?” Jude questioned looking interested at the mention of zombie creating spiders.
Blair waved a hand dismissing him as she asked, “So what are we going to do?”
Liam was about to say something, but his ears suddenly picked up the sound of bones rattling against metal. His, Roman’s, Blair’s, Mica from Jude’s group, and the dagger wielding woman from Kala’s gaze turned towards the direction the sound was coming from as their ears perked.
“Shit, they’re here already,” Liam cursed as he watched several people walking towards them from the dense foliage. Liam took in their appearances as they got closer. There wasn’t much for him to take in since they all wore black hooded robes. He noticed a symbol rested over the spot where their heart was, and it drew his attention in. As soon as he took in the symbol, his entire body froze. He recognized that symbol. It was the very same symbol Lolita had given him back on the last island from the people they were fighting against.
Liam’s eyes narrowed as he stared them down. He could feel his heart beat race a bit as he thought about the disaster that happened back on the last island. He didn’t know the full details of what happened with Lolita and her group and why they were fighting them; but from their clear anger when they attacked him and accused him of being with these guys, Liam understood they were not a group that was good.
Coupling that with the recent information he had received from Jude about Gary being from this group, Liam didn’t trust himself at the time. It didn’t help when he heard some snickering coming from one of the hooded individuals as the new group stopped not too far from them. As much as he didn’t want to, Liam repeated the words Calm the Storm in his mind to help ease the anger that had sprouted from nowhere.
He positioned himself behind Jude’s and Kala’s group and activated Veil of Shadows. He didn’t want to pull too much attention on himself as he tried to formulate a plan. Having the shadows cover his body and by standing behind the group, it gave him the perfect cover to blend in and hide from their sight. He wasn’t sure how strong these guys were, so he suspected if he needed to fight a surprise attack was the best option.
“I see you’re done throwing that tantrum of yours, Champion of Time,” an old, sophisticated voice stated as the hooded figure who stood in the middle of the group stepped forward. “Since you have, I advise you come with us while we are still being friendly.”
Falin, Ciara, and Manchin along with the other cloaked female stepped in front of Kala ready to protect her. Feeling their resolve, Kala stated with confidence, “Still being friendly? If you call attacking us with the intent to kill then I’ll have to refuse.”
The older man let out a sigh as he said, “I do apologize for the force those youngsters have used, but you are mistaken. Their intent to kill wasn’t directed at you, but rather towards…the riff you have accompanied yourself with.”
The members of Kala’s group scowled as they stared at the group. Liam was confused as he listened to the older man. The way he spoke made him sound like he knew Kala, well knew she was the Champion of Time. How did he know that though?
Kala placed a hand on the shoulders of the two members closest to her, trying to calm them a bit. After she felt their bodies relax slightly she turned her focus back on the man and stated, “Attacking to kill members of my team is still an attack on me. I don’t know why you are so adamant on me coming with you, but I will have to refuse.”
“You don’t seem to understand you don’t have the right to refuse,” the hooded figure to the right of the old man proclaimed as he stepped forward. The older man and the others looked at the figure.
“What are you doing?” the old hissed.
The figure, a young female from the sound of the voice, looked at him and replied as she brought a hand towards her mouth, “You did things your way old man. We waited patiently as you tried to ‘converse’ with her into coming with us. I’m impatient and have things to do. We still need to find the other nine as well. They are young and new to our world. There is only one way to make them understand and that is through force.” She snapped her fingers as she finished her statement.
Bones rattling against metal filled the air all around them. The three Champions and their members looked around trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. It didn’t take long for them to find the source as skeletons wearing armor appeared all around the edge of the clearing, surrounding them.
“Seriously? They have armor this time?” Roman clicked his tongue.
Liam stared at each skeleton and assessed a few.
[Summoned Skeletal Warrior. 8,570/8,570 HP. 0/0 MP. Level – 38.]
[Summoned Skeletal Warrior. 8,990/8,990 HP. 0/0 MP. Level – 41.]
[Summoned Skeletal Warrior. 8,570/8,570 HP. 0/0 MP. Level – 38.]
[Summoned Skeletal Warrior. 9,260/9,260 HP. 0/0 MP. Level – 42.]
Liam’s mouth dropped a bit. The rest of the skeletal creature he assessed was roughly around the same levels. These creatures were higher in level, and probably in other aspects, than not just him but the others as well. Judging by the looks his teammates and a few of Jude’s teammates had they had probably assessed the creatures and saw it as well.
Liam understood two things. One, Roman was right and two they needed to get out of there. However, Liam wasn’t sure how they would be able to. He wasn’t sure if he had anything that could last long enough to distract them. He would need something that could not only create a distraction, but something that could disrupt and distract. Not something flashy, but maybe something that could also jar their senses…
A light bulb turned on in Liam’s mind as he thought about an ability that no one should have a resistance towards yet in his arsenal. He had used this ability once and it had turned out great. He only hoped it would be enough. Liam shifted his weight as carefully as he could as he leaned in towards Mercer and whispered in his ear.
At first Mercer stiffened as Liam touched his shoulder. He then relaxed a bit as Liam started whispering a plan in his ear. Mercer gave a swift, sharp nod as he kept his eyes forward, trying not to attract attention in his direction. After Liam moved away and went to tell Blair, Avery, and Roman, Mercer slowly approached Jude and whispered Liam’s plan.
Jude formed a frown when Mercer started off what Liam had told him. However, after Mercer mentioned Liam was going to show him a fun new ability he had to create an opening as well a couple new toys he had learned recently, he slowly started to grin. Jude knew Liam had more things he was holding near. He was a smart and strategic guy. The type of guy he wanted to beat one day.
Jude’s attention was brought back to the present as one of the hooded individuals in the back stated, “Oi. Why does it seem like there are more people here than before? And what’s with this strange power mixed in with the Champion of Time’s power? I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
The older man and the younger woman looked at him before looking at Jude’s and Liam’s group. They hadn’t seen them until their group member pointed them out. Their focus on Kala had clouded their sight. However, after finally seeing Jude and the others, these two had finally noticed the other power their member had mentioned.
“That is strange…I don’t think I have any recollections of a power such as this,” the female stated as she looked around.
“I…have to admit I don’t either,” the old man agreed, feeling a bit uneasy.
“Which one of you brats does this power belong to?” the female demanded.
Jude could faintly hear Liam chanting a spell. He was rather surprised that he could barely feel any power building up with his chanting. Not wanting these people to catch on or somehow hear Liam’s whisper chant, Jude replied, “Does it really matter to you who that power belongs to?”
The female and old man turned their gazes on him. The old man then said, “You’re right that it doesn’t matter…but that only applies if it belongs to some riff. However, judging by the potency and the way the lingering feeling of this strange power is trying to bend the nature of my power to its own rules…Which is an interesting effect mind you. It tells me that it doesn’t belong to a riff, but rather a new player we were unaware of.”
“New players mean new additional pieces,” the woman agreed. “However, since we don’t know what the nature of this power belongs to, we must figure it out now. So tell us…who and what does this power…”
Before she could finish, Jude and those around him heard Liam softly say, “Get lost in the symphony, Discordant Bells of Cacophony!”