Chapter 38: Into the Mist

A chill washed over the boat. Leo shuddered, the hairs on his arm raising as their surroundings faded into swirling, hazy white and grey. It was the sort of cold that sunk deep into the bones, the kind that lingered long after its source dissipated.

Behind them, the distant sounds of pursuing Hounds grew more muffled, and even the sound of the oar moving through water seemed muted. Leo swallowed, shaking away his growing unease, and squinted through the fog.

Up ahead, the blurry silhouette of an island peeked through the haze. Leo frowned, mind churning as he recalled the map. Based on the location they’d taken off from and their path thus far, he was able to get a rough estimation of their location.

“Are we stopping there?” Spade called, nodding her head over to the island in question.

Leo shook his head. “That one wasn’t circled,” he muttered. Hazel eyes kept flitting backwards, acutely aware of the boats that could appear behind them at any moment. “The closest one is the island past that one. Should be on the left if we keep going straight.”

Spade nodded and paddled harder, Allan doing the same. The boat moved smoothly through the water and past the island.

Through the fog, Leo could make out jagged stones and a few stray trees. A part of him worried that he’d remembered the map wrong, that maybe they should check just in case, but then he remembered the Hounds behind them. They were on a time limit and couldn’t afford to hesitate.

“Do you want to switch with me?” Leo asked, but Allan shook his head and Spade didn’t seem to even consider the question.

“It’s faster if we row,” Allan said. “You should focus on navigating.”

The [Fragmentholer] nodded and shifted position so that it was easier for him to look around. He pulled up the Fragmentholder Database again, just in case, but it once again showed nothing but a vague glowing area.

More notable were the notifications that had appeared after their scuffle with the three Hounds on the boat.

[You have gained experience! Experience shared with [2] other party members]

[Progress towards next level: 36%]

Spade had previously suggested that the [Executioner] class gained experience from killing, so that explained part of the jump. Even then, Leo couldn’t help but wonder if his own [Fragmentholder] class also gained experience from killing; how else would they have gained so much experience from one fight?

He didn’t let himself think on the issue any longer. The rough shape of the next island was quickly approaching. Leo glanced behind, but he still didn’t see any Hounds yet.

“Let’s circle around from the right,” Leo said, pointing out the curved line of the shore to a spot that dipped in slightly. “That way the boat won’t be so obvious.”

The boat soon bumped lightly into the island shore. Unlike the one they’d passed, this one was covered in dark dirt and thick trees, and it was smaller than the first one.

The three jumped out, and after some consideration, they pulled the boat a little further up so it wouldn’t wash away and to better conceal it within the thick grasses running up to the water.

“I’ll take the center, you two search around the perimeter,” Leo muttered, the words coming quick and rushed. “We’ll meet back here.”

“The fragment looks like a glass shard, right?” Allan asked.

“It should.” Leo’s brows furrowed, increasingly aware of what a colossal task this search really was.

“I… I don’t know what sort of place it could be in.” The last fragment had been on the warden, after all. They hadn’t encountered a “scattered” fragment yet.

“Just to be safe, let’s be thorough, but don’t take too long or the Hounds’ll catch up.”

With a final nod, the trio dispersed, rushing into the trees.

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Leo scanned his surroundings, moving from the thick canopy to the soft dirt. Little puddles of water dotted the moist earth, forming a rough path through the small island. Hazel eyes lingered on them, the way they would shine at the right angle from the thin light streaming through the leaves. The fragment too would probably shine in the light, so he kept an eye out for any gleaming.

Despite the island being so small, barely more than a patch of forested land drifting over the lake, it took far more time than Leo would like before they met up again at the shore.

The [Fragmentholder] looked at Allan and Spade hopefully, but both shook their heads. Leo bit his lip. From here, he could make out the distant, faint silhouettes of more islands deeper within the mist.

A distant splash sounded to the right, and Leo quickly ducked down into the bushes, Allan following while Spade stepped behind a nearby tree.

Peering through the leaves, he could see another boat landing on the shore several feet away. There were only two Hounds on it this time.

Leo could just barely make out a few muffled words. The two seemed to be discussing how to divide their search routes. It looked like they hadn’t noticed them.

Beside him, Leo felt Allan tense, the man’s grip on his axe tightening. He silently placed a hand on his arm and shook his head. It was better to wait for them to come closer.

The two Hounds finally seemed to come to an agreement. With a parting nod, one turned and walked the opposite direction while the other made his way towards them. Spade casually placed a hand on her sword. She was the closest, and as soon as the Hound was in range, she stepped out from behind the tree trunk.

It would’ve been inaccurate to call the resulting events a “fight.” The [Executioner] made quick work of the surprised Hound, slitting his throat in one smooth, exact motion.

The Hound’s body fell limply to the ground with a thud, his hand still in the middle of drawing his own blade. Their progress to the next level crept up to 41%.

A shout rang out across the island. Before Leo had time to close his stat sheet, he felt the air sizzle, and Allan shoved him to the side just as a burst of lightning flew past them, singeing the tree behind them.

Jumping out from the bushes, Leo activated [Sprint] and ran at the Hound as he pulled his arm back to cast a second spell. The man jerked, taken aback by the sudden burst of speed.

He attempted to re aim his spell, but it was too late. Leo lunged at the man, knife in hand, and aimed at his throat the way he’d seen Spade do it.

The cut was much messier than the [Executioner]’s, a bit crooked, but it achieved the same thing. Leo felt the metal dig through flesh, and the Hound choked. A bit of lightning sparked around them, and Leo gritted his teeth. It wasn’t as strong as a full spell would’ve been, but it still stunned him momentarily. Thankfully his resistance stat was high enough for it to not do too much damage.

[You have gained experience! Experience shared with [2] other party members]

[Progress towards next level: 46%]

That settled it, then. [Fragmentholder] did indeed also gain experience from killing. The question was if the System differentiated kills in the service of finding fragments or not.

Leo turned away from the Hound’s still body, pushing it out of his mind. They would’ve attacked as well if they’d seen them first, he reminded himself.

“Is he dead?” Allan asked as Leo returned to their hiding spot. He nodded, eyes still scanning the shore. Through the fog, he could see the silhouettes of more boats passing by.

“We’ll need to pull up our cloaks when we travel,” he muttered. “If the Hounds don’t realize it’s us, they shouldn’t attack.”

Then again, Sonia had said whoever found the fragment first would have it, so maybe the mercenary group wasn’t above attacking each other either.

Across the water, more boats passed by, dispersing in different directions. One approached especially close to the shore, and Leo ducked back behind a tree, peering out from behind to get a better look.

It was hard to make out in the fog, but sitting within the boat, he could just barely make out two figures. A tall middle-aged man with a stoic expression. A younger one casually resting a long spear over his shoulder. Douglas and Dalton.

Leo held his breath, waiting for the boat to touch the shore, but it never did. Instead, it continued past, swimming smoothly through the water and proceeding further into the fog.

“All the Hounds must be searching now,” Allan said quietly. If Douglas, the apparent second in command, was on the lake, then it was likely Sonia was as well.

“Let’s follow them.”

Leo blurted the words out, and Spade raised an eyebrow while Allan turned to him with his brows furrowed.

“Isn’t that dangerous? What if they see us?”

“If we keep far back enough, it should be fine,” Leo said in a rush. Hazel eyes remained trained on the boat growing smaller, and he squeezed his fingers into a fist.

“Even with the map routes, it’s gonna take way too long to check the islands.” He frowned. “I’m guessing Douglas might have a better idea of which islands’re more likely to have the fragment than others. We might have a better shot if we follow them.”

He could be wrong, of course. Douglas might know as little as they did. But it seemed like a better option than their current plan.

Allan nodded slowly, processing the words. “Okay,” he said. His dark eyes shifted over to the boat in question. If they waited much longer, the two Hounds would disappear entirely from view.

Their own boat sat along the shore, waiting. Leo exhaled.

“Let’s go.”