Naomi Miller was an Outlander. Summoned years back to the continent of Kasan, she had spent her time fighting for her life and trying to survive. So far, with the guidance of Thien and others, she had managed to keep herself alive. Of course, despite doing what was asked of her and more, the young woman had been enduring nothing but setback after setback.
She was alone with no connections or allies. The only thing she could call a friend—which was far-fetched, to say the least—was the hellish Demi-God that called himself Thien. He had given her a quest, one that actually aligned with her intentions for the first time ever.
‘Your quest is to simply cut the head off the man who is behind the Tyok Incident. Do that, and I’ll grant whatever request you might have left.’
The request she had was simple. It was a goal the Outlander had since the beginning. Ever since she had been dragged into this game set up by those conniving Gods and Deities. She was betting that Thien was currently watching over her, his spindly fingers putting valdoras on her name alone.
‘Best I get this over with as soon as possible.’
Naomi carefully navigated the crowds that filled Yorktown’s marketplace, her slim figure slipping past busy folk and merchants. She was in her element, and the crowded streets gave her a chance to blend in and get closer to finding out more about the town and clan. And him.
James Holter was the target of her objective. Just like Thien told her, he was the way for her to find the people behind the Tyok Incident. The same incident that had robbed her of everything. Of everyone.
‘If he’s even slightly involved…’
Naomi forced that thought away. She needed to keep her emotions in check and, more importantly, determine if James Hotler was associated with those men. There was a good chance that Thien had led her on to try and create unnecessary chaos.
Dremor’s Boatman had a tendency to make things much more complicated than they needed to be. His words were twisted, and his intentions were always unclear. Naomi could choose not to believe anything he said, but it was annoying since he never lied about things.
Thien was as truthful as they came. He just happened to ‘forget’ important info and context with his briefings. Naomi had learned this the hard way during her initial years in Azura. The son of Myr reveled in conflict, especially if it was unnecessary. That was one thing he shared with the God of Chaos. That and his damned smile.
‘As long as I’m careful in my quest, I can get through it without any unnecessary bloodshed.’
Naomi planned to confront James when he was alone and without the option to flee. She had initially thought about talking to him back when she spotted him on the docks but decided against it. If Holter was affiliated with her enemy, then she would have no choice but to kill him then and there. Having no witnesses or backup would make it all the more easier to do so. It was purely logical.
The young woman was so caught up in her thoughts that she neglected to pay attention to her blind spot. On her walk, she bumped into someone, her left shoulder colliding with them.
“Sorry,” Naomi mumbled an apology. She turned her head to the stranger as her vision was obscured on her left. With only one eye to use, Naomi had to be careful with her surroundings.
“No problem,” the stranger waved off the incident. She was an older woman, possibly in her forties. She had blond hair that was tied up, leaving her blue eyes to be more visibly seen. At first, Naomi assumed she had bumped into a relative of Holter, but she soon dismissed that. This stranger didn’t have the aura that most Outlanders had. She was clearly Azuran.
“Do I know you?” the stranger asked, her brow furrowing.
‘Shit, does she notice it?’
“You must have me confused with someone else,” Naomi said with a shrug. “I’m new here.”
The young woman was internally panicking at the thought of her presence being made. She had done her best to hide the otherworldly aura she gave off. Despite her enchanted items and passive skills, the uncanny feeling that emanated from Naomi was still there. Even if it was barely noticeable, certain people had an eye for these things.
‘This is bad. If she knows…’
“Hm, must be coincidence,” the stranger muttered, a response that was more or less directed at herself. “Sorry, I’ll be on my way.”
Naomi only nodded before she, too, headed off toward the edge of the town, mainly to get away from the stranger before she caught on to who she really was. The last thing she wanted was for her presence to be announced to the other Outlander. James Holter was still an unknown, and she knew that if he was affiliated with those people she called her enemy, then her entire quest was more or less fucked.
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‘Just gotta keep a low profile. At least until James gets back to the island.’
Until then, Naomi was going to scour this island for any clues.
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Helen felt more than a little miffed at the stranger she had bumped into earlier. She was currently on her way to the marketplace, mainly to get something to eat for herself, when she encountered the strange young woman. At first, Helen didn’t think much of it until she felt it.
The feeling that something was off. It had been ages since she felt like this, and yet, at the same time, it was very familiar. She could have sworn she recognized it.
‘But what is it? Danger?’
No. While Helen was never blessed with the Alert skill, she always had good instincts regarding dangerous people. This person wasn’t dangerous, at least not toward the veteran. Helen recognized the look in the woman’s lone eye. It was the same gaze that accompanied those who had experienced death before. It was similar to Seamus’ gaze whenever he reminisced to her about the past.
She had gone through some shit. That was for sure.
‘So young, though,’ Helen thought. The stranger was likely no more than James’ own age, her youth still apparent even with the bags under her eyes and the noticeable scars that ran on her left cheek.
Yet she still had the same manners as someone who had just been through a war. The fidgeting at her side and the quick glances she gave when she eventually walked off. It reminded Helen of herself in the following years after the end of the Outsider Wars. Like she was looking at the same fidgety girl who had just been discharged from the Redyr company, her service as a hired sword no longer needed.
‘Maybe I should…’
Before Helen could even think of following the young woman, the stranger had disappeared into the crowd, leaving not a trace behind.
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Naomi peeked from her spot in the alleyway, her Alert skill not picking up any more detection. It had flared up when she disengaged from the blonde woman, which confirmed to her that she was being suspected. At least, that’s what she guessed. Even after all the time she spent with Alert, Naomi still had a weak grasp on how it worked.
From everyone she had spoken to, from aged warriors to high Wizards, the skill worked like an instinct. Detecting those who are either potential threats or noticing people who simply looked at her for too long. It was almost like it chose what was important in spite of what the user’s idea of importance was. Despite that, Naomi still couldn’t get it to work properly.
‘Wish I knew how to train with it a bit more.’
The young woman shook her head at that. There was no time to get lost in her random thoughts and tangents. She had an island to scour. Yesterday had proved to be fruitless, with the only notable thing being the orcs that visited every now and then. Yet they indicated nothing interesting outside the fact that Holter was particularly good at diplomacy. Either him or someone else.
Naomi had dealt with orcs before, and she was surprised to see them allied with humans in this part of Valenfrost. Not that she had never met a friendly orc; it was just rare for her to see them.
The town had nothing special about it outside of the marketplace. That and ‘New Aldren,’ whatever that was.
‘I guess all that’s left is the mountain.’
Naomi peeked out once more and shifted her focus toward the edge of town. Behind the tall forest that lay behind the distant wall, she could catch a glimpse of a mountain. If it could be called that. She had seen it on her way here and figured it to be a hill at first until her ship had gotten closer. Now that she was on the island, Naomi could clearly make out the stone cliffs and barely visible path that winded around it.
She had found out yesterday that the guardsmen usually took turns going up there. Not that it was an open secret, either. Naomi only happened to find out when she scouted the town at night, overhearing someone named Jonas complain about the walk up the steep hill. After listening in some more in the proximity of other guards, Naomi found out that there was something guarded up there.
Something that not even they knew.
‘Guess I know where I’m going.’
Naomi could always wait until nighttime to infiltrate, but something told her it would probably be much, much safer to do so in the daytime.
‘Well, I’ve done better in worse conditions.’
The Outlander formed a series of runes with her fingers, her breath coming out in a whisper.
“Feather Step. Shadow Step.”
With her buffs active, Naomi rushed toward the forest, her movements careful and precise. She was pleasantly surprised at the lack of sunlight, making her movement between shadows easier and more noticeable. Feather Step was probably a little overkill, considering Naomi’s black cloak was enchanted to muffle sound, but the trained Outlander did not make it this far being underprepared.
Besides, there was a chance she could run into someone who had enhanced senses. Especially hearing. There was no way in hell she was going to risk it.
Naomi made it to the forest in no time, where her speed picked up underneath the shadows of the canopies. She quickly cast another Shadow Step, extending its life span as she made her way up.
The steep incline was a bit of a problem, but Naomi had no doubts she would be able to make it to the mountain in no time. While she doubted she’d find anything interesting with whatever they were guarding, Naomi knew she had to figure out what it was. It would drive her crazy if she left it be.
Little did she know that it would be something beyond her expectations.