I raced passed the fleeing, screaming crowd of nobles in my pursuit of Bell and her kidnapper.
So much for personal power. I thought scathingly as the cowardly societal elites ran, screamed, and generally caused carnage in their desperate attempt to reach safety.
The hooded figure walked casually away from the sea of flames which erupted from the top of the circular bar. They looked back at me with menacing, silver eyes hidden behind a mask.
Something about the way they held themself seemed oddly familiar to me, but I didn’t have time to think about that.
Pulling my bow from my inventory and nocking an arrow, I fired a warning shot to the side of the figure who stopped dead in their tracks.
“Stop, or the next one won’t miss.” I said cooly, channelling my inner action hero.
“How scary.” The figure replied in a deadpan, unimpressed voice. “That’s a lot of bravado for a mere phase two.”
They then turned and began walking away once more, completely ignoring, and underestimating me. Bell’s limp body lolled on the figure’s shoulder and they carried her like she was made of paper.
I fired another shot, this time aiming directly for the back of the kidnapper’s head. They moved ever so slightly to the left and my arrow sailed past them. I fired another and another after that, all of them easily dodged.
I felt my blood begin to boil over with rage at the ease with which this kidnapper dismissed me, and I began charging a Soul Shot.
Let’s see you dodge this you arrogant fuck. I thought, gritting my teeth as I felt the soul energy flow through me, lighting up my arrow in a sickly green glow.
It was painful, which would have been odd if not for my recent trouble accessing my soul view. Still, the pain only served to add to my rage as I pushed through the physical torment and continued charging my attack.
“Stop!” Panda shouted, finally catching up to me. “If you hit them with that it’ll hurt Bell.”
I knew he was right, but I wanted so badly to hurt this bastard. I looked down at my familiar and saw his large, rounded eyes. They looked concerned. Though whether that concern was for me or Bell I couldn’t tell.
I breathed out slowly and lowered my bow, glaring at the back of the kidnapper.
“Good choice.” They said, before vaulting the twenty-foot palace wall like it was nothing and disappearing into the night.
“Damn it!” I yelled, kicking the ground in my frustration.
“It might not seem like it, but you made the right call there, kid.” Panda said, resting a comforting paw on my leg.
“Where the hell is Lucas?” I asked the familiar. “He could have stopped this.”
Panda shook his head and glanced behind me, I turned, following his eyeline. A few feet away, Lucas stood, carrying a limp body, and looking up at me.
I walked towards him; fists clenched. He looked distraught, his face was scrunched up and there was something in his eyes… fear maybe?
As I approached I gasped as I realised who it was cradled in his arms.
The king’s body hung limp and lifeless in Lucas’ arms. Raphael followed a few meters behind; he had one less arm than the last time I’d seen him and from the wounds covering his chest and neck I was surprised he could stand at all.
“What… how?” I asked, stunned as I looked upon the pale face of Havar’s monarch.
I hadn’t known the man long, or even liked him all that much. Still, it was shocking to bear witness to such an important and likely pivotal assassination.
“The assassin chose the perfect time to strike.” Lucas said, his words hanging hollow in the thick air between us. “Havar in ruins, the palace understaffed, a ball to honour us warriors. They knew exactly when and how to pull this off.”
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We were interrupted by the heavy patters of Sally’s footsteps as she caught up to us.
“I lost him.” She said, looking at the ground and clenching her fists.
“Don’t blame yourself.” Lucas said in a measured tone. “Someone with the skills and planning to pull this off was never going to be easy to catch.”
“Wait, I’m confused here.” I said, putting myself between the two of them. “I understand assassinating a king, he’s an important political figure and I’m sure he had enemies, but why kidnap Bell?”
Sally and Lucas shared a look before she placed an arm over my shoulder and led me away from the others.
“We don’t know for sure if her kidnapping and the assassination was related, but if it was, then only one faction fits the bill.” Her voice was hushed and she spoke softly, stopping occasionally to check that no one was listening.
“Who?” I replied, barely allowing a breath to escape my lungs.
“Have you heard of The Morningstar Collective?” She whispered.
I nodded slowly.
I had received a quest to check out a place called The Morningstar Hotel and Spa and back when I’d purchased my armour one of their criminal lackies had come by to shake down the shopkeeper for protection money or something like that.
I lifted my hand and showed Sally the pentagram tattoo etched onto the back of it. I had received it in a loot box shortly after I’d accidentally killed another outworlder. Supposedly, it would allow me entry to the hotel.
“I thought I recognised that symbol the first time I met you.” She said thoughtfully, grasping my hand and pulling it closer to take a better look at the marking.
“Where is it?” I asked slowly, staring into space in the direction of the wall where the masked kidnapper had left with Bell.
“It’s everywhere.” She replied. “The Morningstar Hotel and Spa is a pocket dimension. It exists everywhere and can be accessed by going through a number of portals scattered around the planet. There’s one in every major city, or so the rumours state.”
“So where is the Havar portal.”
“I don’t know for sure, but I’ve heard that it can be accessed in the red-light district. I’d start there.” She tapped me on the shoulder and stood up straight, brushing her flowing silver hair from my shoulder.
“You’re not coming with me?” I asked, looking up at her perfectly sculpted and muscular jaw.
“I can’t.” She said sombrely. “You can only get in if you’ve been marked. If you do manage to find it though, see if you can find out who orchestrated all this. I know saving Bell is the top priority, but anything that can shed some light on the king’s murder will yield a good reward.”
She patted me on the shoulder and returned to Lucas and the others. I stayed put, staring up at the large wall. My head was swimming. I guess I was going to have to tackle that quest earlier than expected.
***
Diako sat alone in his throne room. It was a dank, dark place filled with shadows and deep black columns which guided a wide path to the entrance doorway.
From his seat of power he kept tabs on all of his retainers and members of The Organisation, His Organisation.
He was in the business of assassination, theft and controlling the goings on of the mortal world through shadow puppetry and manipulation. Prior to godhood, Diako was a skirmisher type fighter, he was shunned by the Adventure Society for his callous methods.
Diako cared only for getting the job the done. The end result was all that mattered in the end. The Adventure Society, however, cared very much for the means by which such ends were achieved.
What he considered to be collateral damage, they often called murder. Something he believed to be very short sighted. He was a diamond class adventurer when they exiled him.
However, the joke was on them, considering he now held influence over many of the mortals who oversaw the Adventure Society. He was now a god, and their petty organisation, his pawns.
One of which, he was watching very closely from his dark throne.
He saw as Lucas Regina carried the limp body of Havar’s ruler into the courtyard. The man was a mess, covered in scars and bruises from his pathetic battle with the dragon.
“Lucas.” Diako said, speaking directly into the director’s mind. “I have a new mission for you.”
My Lord, now is not the time. He protested, stopping, and staring blankly as he held the king, surrounded by his guardsmen. The king has been assassinated and I-
“I am aware of your petty mortal politics and recent events.” The god interrupted. “My needs outweigh those of you and your king, or are you forgetting our agreement?”
No, My Lord, of course not, Lucas relented, sighing internally.
Lucas was unaware of this, but when Diako was connected to his mind, he could sense the feelings the man was emitting. Most often he sensed loathing for the god, but also fear and a resigned feeling of duty.
It was one of the things Diako liked about the man. He lacked ambition, but he was content in being a salve to that which he called fate.
Of course, there is no fate but that which you make. Diako knew this for a fact. However, if Lucas was too blind to realise that, then he would serve the god all the better.
“The outworlder is about to traverse dangerous waters.” Diako continued. “I will watch over him, however, when he returns I want you to send him on a new quest.”
If that’s all My Lord, couldn’t it wait until later? Lucas asked and Diako could sense that the man was preoccupied with the events surrounding him in the mortal plane.
“No.” The god replied, making no effort to keep the venom from his lips. “You will leave the body with its guards and begin making preparations at once. He is to leave as soon as he is able.”
Lucas sighed and Diako watched as he made excuses and handed the body to a lycanid guard with one arm missing.
The beast was strong enough to take the cadaver in his single, muscled arm and he nodded to the director before leaving.
Diako leaned back in his throne. All was going according to plan.