Chapter 40: Pursuit II

Rowing was much harder than it looked. Allan and Spade had made it seem effortless, but Leo struggled to get the boat to move in a straight line. The oars felt awkward and heavy in his hands, and it took a while for him to get into a consistent rhythm.

Now that he was alone, Leo activated [Fade into Background]. The fog around him grew thicker and thicker until he could barely see the water below him. Shadows passed by, and he heard the distant splashes of other Hounds rowing, but he kept his focus on Ivan’s increasingly hazy silhouette.

In the corner of his vision, he kept the party map pulled up to keep an eye on Spade and Allan. The two blinking dots representing them were still by the shore, and for a second he worried they would follow him anyway.

Despite his fears, the two dots finally moved, circling the shore enough to get away from where Dalton and Douglas had disappeared and then slipping into the forest as well.

Leo’s shoulders relaxed a little, but he wasn’t going to allow himself to be relieved just yet. He flipped over to Allan and Spade’s stat sheets, checking that they were at 100% health, before focusing again on Ivan. He would keep pulling up the stat sheets to check on them, but he couldn’t have them open at all times. That would obstruct his vision too much.

Tightening his hold on the oars, Leo paddled faster. Now that the mist was so thick, he could get closer without risking being seen.

At the side, he faintly caught the rough shape of an island that Ivan passed by. How far into the lake were they by now?

The Glass Lake was massive, but they were definitely reaching the deeper waters, the parts that fishermen didn’t go to and didn’t know the routes to when the fae’s spatial magic was active.

Up ahead, Ivan’s boat slowed. Leo held his breath, matching his pace as well as he could.

He squinted. He could make out the faint outline of an island that was a bit smaller than the first one they’d checked.

As Ivan approached the shore, Leo realized that the mist thinned out around the island, allowing him to see more. He slowed down, keeping the boat in place as Ivan jumped onto the shore.

At a glance, the island didn’t look much different from the others they’d seen. Sturdy trees with straight trunks dotted its surface, but they weren’t quite as dense as the forest on the island Douglas and Dalton had gone on, and the trees here were much taller.

As Ivan slipped into the trees, Leo’s row boat gently brushed the shore. He climbed out, and after taking a moment to consider hiding the boat, he opted to simply tug it further into the shore and follow behind the Hound. He didn’t want to risk losing sight of Ivan.

The mist was indeed thinner here, no longer opaque but a faint haze that lended the trees an ethereal quality. Damp, fallen leaves littered the floor, and Leo was careful not to step on any twigs as he followed behind Ivan.

The Hound didn’t even look backwards. He kept moving forward, barely giving his surroundings a passing glance, which only furthered Leo’s suspicion.

Up ahead, the trees thinned out and faint sunlight pierced through the fog. Leo ducked behind a thick tree trunk, carefully peering out as Ivan stepped into a small clearing.

Yellow-green grasses swayed in the wind, a few scattered leaves resting atop the otherwise smooth earth.

The clearing itself was fairly small and almost perfectly circular in shape. The straight trees lining the perimeter almost looked like walls or pillars framing the space.

What most caught Leo’s attention, however, was the pond in the center of the clearing. It, too, was a nearly perfect circle, and its shallow waters were as crystal clear as the Glass Lake itself.

And in the very center of that still surface, a faint glow lit up the waters with a golden shine. Although it was small, Leo recognized the rough shape in the center of the light.

[Fragment identified]

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

[Progress towards next level: 68%]

—

Allan frowned, cutting into the branches with his axe to clear the way. The forest was overgrown with thick bushes and dense branches, making it difficult to maneuver around.

So far, they hadn’t found a trace of the fragment.

The [Healer] cursed under his breath, shoving aside another branch to continue through.

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“Looks like he’s stopped moving,” Spade remarked, grey eyes focused on her party map. Allan just grunted in response and cut through another bush.

“I don’t think the fragment’s here,” he muttered. Dark eyes flitted about, watching both for the fragment and for any sign of Douglas and Dalton. They hadn’t encountered the two Hounds yet, which wasn’t too unlikely given the size of the island, but it didn’t do anything to quell the tension in his muscles.

“There’s one more area up ahead to check,” Spade said. “After that we can leave, seeing as you’re so worried.”

Allan shot a frown at the [Executioner]. Before he could respond, however, his next step sank down a little deeper than usual. He looked down, noting that the dirt here was softer and more moist.

He turned, veering right and pushing through the trees. Sure enough, he could hear the sound of running water, and when he made it through the bushes he found himself standing by a river.

It was larger than he’d expected, and the tides moved so quickly that a perpetual white foam dusted over the water’s surface where waves crashed into the rocks sticking out from below. If anything were to fall in, it would easily be swept into that churning current.

The forest stopped a few feet away from the river, leaving some clear ground to walk on. Allan frowned down at the waves.

If he focused, he could swear he heard a louder sound further up ahead, a distant roar distinct from the rolling flow of the river in front of them.

“…Do you hear that?”

Spade cocked her head, quiet for a moment as she listened.

“Sounds like a waterfall up ahead,” she remarked. “Might be worth looking into.”

Allan nodded slowly. The dot representing Leo on the party map had been moving slowly forward for a while now. Perhaps he’d landed on an island and was searching as well? There were no injuries so far at least, if the health on the [Fragmentholder]’s stat sheet was to be believed.

“Let’s hurry,” Allan said. The faster they got off the island, the better.

The two turned, keeping along the bank of the river towards the distant sound of the waterfall. Soon, the tips of rocky hills poked out from above the canopy, and the sound of falling water was reaching a crescendo.

As they stepped forward again, however, a rustle sounded from the forest.

Allan jerked back, nearly crashing into Spade, but it was too late to hide.

In the next second, two figures stepped out from the trees and onto the river bank. Allan’s fingers tightened around his axe as Douglas and Dalton turned and the two groups met eyes. Dalton’s eyes widened in shock.

For a second, no one moved.

Then Dalton’s mouth twisted into a sneer, and the Hound lunged.

—

Leo’s mind churned as he took in the shape of the fragment, muscles tensing in anticipation.

Right now he was too far away to reach it before Ivan did, but he could grab it from the Hound as he was leaving. After that, he would run back to the boat; it was a straight route through the trees from here.

Ivan stepped forward carefully, wading into the shallow pond. The water rippled around him, but it didn’t drag him in like the larger Glass Lake did. Still, the Hound’s brows were furrowed, and he moved cautiously as though expecting the worst.

Leo’s eyes narrowed. He bent his legs, readying to [Sprint] out.

For a moment, Ivan simply stood there staring at the fragment surrounded in that golden glow, frozen perhaps in disbelief or awe.

Finally, he slowly reached out and grabbed it, fingers tightening around the shard.

At once, the golden glow died down. Leo activated [Judgement] and projected his skill at Ivan, a mirrored notification appearing in front of both of them.

[You have obtained [1] minor fragment]

Before Leo had a chance to process that this fragment was again a minor one, a sudden yell drew his attention.

Ivan hunched over abruptly, his free hand clutching at his head. His eyes squeezed shut, pain written across his features. Leo hesitated. What was going on? Was this an effect of the fragment?

He forced down the questions and gritted his teeth. This was his best chance, while Ivan was frozen in place and not paying attention. He couldn’t afford to let the moment pass. He’d figure out what was happening after the fragment was in his hands.

Activating [Sprint], Leo darted out from behind the tree and straight towards the Hound. He focused, readying to jump and grab the fragment from the man’s hand.

Before he could, a new mirrored notification flashed across his vision.

[You have been removed from your party]

Ivan’s eyes widened, and Leo cursed.

He threw himself at the Hound, shoving him out of the way just as the pond behind them burst, spraying the area in droplets. Leo felt a faint tugging just behind him, a hair’s width away, before crashing roughly into the ground.

He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the newly formed bruises and scratches, and spun around.

On the other side of the clearing across the pond, a familiar woman stood, hand outstretched and finger pulled back from the use of her skill.

The Hounds leader raised an eyebrow, pale blue eyes glimmering with faint amusement. Compared to Leo and Ivan, now covered in pond water and mud, her appearance was perfectly put together.

Leo tensed, his hand flying to the dagger at his waist as Sonia stepped forward.