Chapter 15: Nightfall

By the time they figured out exactly where they would go, the sun was already sinking below the horizon.

They were currently northeast of Avel’s Glass Lake and would reach it within a few days of travel. They would move south around it, and there were a good number of smaller towns and villages on the road that they could use for shelter along the way.

Leo wanted to pawn off the extra crests for money, but they couldn’t exactly sell those out in the open. That would be beyond suspicious.

They’d have to head for a larger city to do that, one with an underground market. The city couldn’t be too close to Sindrey or the authorities would immediately recognize them, so they agreed to head towards Alnwick, a city located near the southern shore of the Glass Lake.

While they discussed their plans, Leo also had to figure out what to do with those 300 points. Part of him was tempted to use some to level [Visual Illusion] to level 2, but he wanted to wait and see how useful it was.

Like passive skills, spells could be leveled with use, but they leveled much slower than the former. Anyone serious about magic would invest points in their spells, and mages often had to sacrifice using points on stats and active skills for the sake of magic.

The few exceptions were those who gained enough bonus points that it didn’t matter, like the Empire’s High General, but Leo had never received any and still couldn’t figure out how to. He decided to raise his agility, mana, and magic all up by 1.

In the end, Leo felt thoroughly exhausted from the day’s events. First the robbery, then the system notification, then escaping the prison. He could feel his weariness catching up with him, but even then, he couldn’t sleep completely free of fear.

When the Silence appeared, Echoes typically formed in open areas, so the rock shelter did provide some security. At the same time, one could never be too sure. He could still remember lying awake in this very same spot five years ago, alone and even more weary with travel. Every rustling branch, every shifting shadow had been enough to make him jump.

Now, at least, there were others around. They quickly agreed to have two people on watch at a time, mostly because Allan and Leo didn’t fully trust Spade yet, and the [Executioner] seemed to take their suspicion in stride.

“You should sleep first,” Allan argued. Leo scowled.

“I’m fine. You’re the one who exploded shit.”

“That was just a potion. You were thrown in prison.”

“For a couple hours max.”

“That’s still more than me,” Allan said lightly. He frowned. “I’m serious, don’t worry about it.” His eyes flicked over to Spade, and his voice went a little quieter. “I’ll keep watch.”

Leo hesitated. With the party system limitations in place, they would be fine, but he couldn’t help being paranoid. It was true, though, that he was struggling to stay awake at this point, and the constant dull ache of his injury was the only thing really keeping him conscious. He would probably be a terrible guard right now, which they couldn’t afford when the Silence could appear at any time.

After running through a few more arguments with himself, the [Fragmentholder] nodded, albeit reluctantly.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But don’t forget to wake me up to swap shifts.”

Allan smiled. “Of course.”

—

Night swept across the forest in a quiet whisper. As the sky darkened and the silver glow of the moon illuminated the canopy, the rustling breeze and distant calls of birds fell across the cluster of stones like a soothing wave.

It was a full moon that night, bright enough to maintain some visibility. Under the shadow of the slanted stone, Leo slept curled in on himself, chest rising and falling in an even, albeit slightly quickened pattern.

Allan and Spade sat at the exit on the border to the forest proper, where the moonlight provided just enough light to catch the shadowy shapes of the surrounding trees. Since starting their shift, neither had spoken a word to each other.

Allan glanced back at Leo, then turned to the [Executioner] who sat leaned against the boulder casually, blade resting on the grass beside her.

“I think he’s asleep now,” he muttered quietly. Leo didn’t jostle or stir at the words—proof of just how tired he must be. The [Fragmentholder] was usually an incredibly light sleeper.

Spade snorted. “Took long enough.” Despite her words, there was no malice in her voice, though that didn’t stop Allan from narrowing his eyes slightly.

The [Executioner] cocked her head. “It’s a nice night, at least. Avel’s sky is quite clear.”

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“It is.” Allan glanced in her direction. “Though I couldn’t say if Avel’s any different from other countries.”

Spade chuckled. “Understandable. I suppose you haven’t traveled much, then.”

“Certainly not as much as you,” he said lightly.

A beat of silence passed, broken by the distant call of a bird and the rustling of the canopy. The [Executioner] studied the man sitting across from her and raised an eyebrow.

“Well? You look like you’ve got something to say. Might as well come out with it.”

Allan’s eyes darkened. He leaned forward, any trace of friendliness gone and replaced with a hard look that was at once cold and icy and yet also burned like a blazing wildfire.

“I don’t care what explanations you give,” he said lowly. “I don’t trust you, and I’m not buying your bullshit. What do you really want?”

Spade met his gaze evenly. “You’re out of luck, I’m afraid. I really am looking for someone.” She cocked her head. “That was the truth.”

Allan snorted. “As if. I know what you are. I saw your fucking stat sheet.”

The [Executioner]’s responding smile gleamed like the edge of a sharpened blade.

“You would know, wouldn’t you.”

For several moments neither one spoke, the sounds of the night seeping into the heavy silence between them. They didn’t look away, eyes locked in an unspoken standstill as both refused to back down.

And then, as a passing breeze scattered twisting leaves off pointed branches, Spade smiled.

“Does he know?”

She didn’t have to specify who “he” was or what she meant. Allan’s glare seemed to glow in the moonlight, and the [Executioner] continued without pause, the casualness of her voice at odds with the tense line of the man’s shoulders.

“I was surprised to see you also had the [Cleave] skill. Level 2, even. How long did you spend in that class?”

Shared skills weren’t uncommon between classes. Some, like [Renewal], were general skills that many people could receive.

Others were a bit more select, appearing within defined categories of class types. To those in the know, they could act as a “signature,” a proof of a current or old class recognizable to others like them.

[Cleave] was a fairly strong combat skill for its level, and it was a staple among a certain subset of criminal classes.

Allan didn’t respond to Spade’s question, muscles remaining tense and eyes sharp. A brisk wind blew past the opening beneath the stones, hitting just his left side.

Behind them, Leo continued to sleep, a dark silhouette on the ground. Allan watched him a moment longer, making sure he didn’t wake up, before he turned back to the [Executioner] in front of him.

“You seem to care a great deal about him.”

Allan’s eyes narrowed.

“I owe him.” The words were low, so quiet that they were barely audible above the wind. “I’m warning you now. If you make one wrong move, one wrong step…”

His voice trailed, not needing to voice the unspoken threat. Grey eyes met dark brown.

“I’ll hold you to it.”

Spade’s voice was steady and calm. She adjusted her position, gazing out into the shadowed forest. Allan remained in place, where he could see both the [Executioner] and Leo in his peripheral vision.

The rest of their watch passed in silence, only the sounds of the forest providing any backdrop. It was a clear night, the kind that would indeed be considered beautiful in places with wards where the Silence wasn’t a concern.

Allan breathed in the crisp air, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

The alleyway smelled of iron and piss. In the slanted shadows, colors lost their saturation and red became nothing more than a dark stain.

Something squelched when he moved, knees engulfed in a warm, viscous pool. Garbage lay scattered over hard cracked stone, joining lumpy silhouettes and twisted shapes. One of them twitched, made a wheezing sound or perhaps a gurgle, but he couldn’t hear it over the sound of his own heavy breaths, over his own heartbeat ringing loudly in his ears.

A footstep echoed throughout the alleyway, and he jerked his head up. His muscles tensed, at once sore and still thrumming with adrenaline, and his fingers were sticky when he clenched them into fists.

The figure stopped at the edge of the street, backlit by harsh lamplight and an overcast sky. He waited for the person to leave, to duck their head and hurry on with their own business like every other person in the slums did.

The stranger didn’t do that. Instead, he simply stood there, staring.

And then, against all odds, he took a step closer.

Dark eyes opened again, and Allan exhaled. He tilted his head back, letting it rest against the cool hard stone behind him.

Tomorrow, they would set out. Tomorrow, they would leave Sindrey for good.

—

Name: Leo

Age: 24

Level: 20

Class: [Fragmentholder, Tier 1]

Personal Skill: [Judgement Lvl 2]

Strength: 14

Magic: 13

Constitution: 12

Agility: 23

Defense: 11

Resistance: 12

Mana: 19

Equipped Passive Skills (3/3): [Stealth Lvl 2], [Acrobatics Lvl 2], [Lockpick Proficiency Lvl 2]

Active Skills (4/8): [Mana Recovery Lvl 2], [Fade into Background Lvl 2], [Renewal Lvl 2], [Sprint Lvl 2]

Spells (1/13): [Visual Illusion Lvl 1]

—

Name: Allan

Age: 24

Level: 20

Class: [Healer, Tier 1]

Personal Skill: [Wrath Lvl 1]

Strength: 19

Magic: 16

Constitution: 17

Agility: 17

Defense: 16

Resistance: 10

Mana: 16

Equipped Passive Skills (3/3): [Endurance Lvl 2], [Athletics Lvl 2], [Weather Tolerance Lvl 1]

Active Skills: (4/8): [Celerity Lvl 2], [Renewal Lvl 2], [Even Path Lvl 1], [Cleave Lvl 2]

Spells (1/10): [Mend Lvl 2]

—

Name: Spade

Age: 31

Level: 22

Class: [Executioner, Tier 1]

Personal Skill: [Empathy Lvl 3]

Strength: 21

Magic: 6

Constitution: 22

Agility: 17

Defense: 20

Resistance: 11

Mana: 14

Equipped Passive Skills (3/3): [Vigilance Lvl 2], [Athletics Lvl 3], [Blade Proficiency Lvl 2]

Active Skills (5/8): [Reckless Wager Lvl 2], [Precision Lvl 2], [Renewal Lvl 1], [Duelist’s Challenge Lvl 2], [Cleave Lvl 2]