Chapter 29 – A Wolf Amongst Ravens

  “Harbinger,” the old Nephesh’s voice stopped Hall in his tracks. Already about to leave, he turned toward the frail elder who had followed him into labyrinth. “I forgot to tell you something about your armor. It’s better not to show it to anyone.”

  Hall raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “Unfortunately some of its materials, especially the gravewood, is outlawed by most churches. After all, it’s considered heresy to steal from the grave of a god. Few people know about it, but if someone who does, would take a closer look,” he shrugged, “let’s just say it would be better to keep it close to you.”

  “Understood.” Hall wrinkled his forehead. “Guess it will be a pain to repair any damage then.”

  “Not necessarily,” the elder said and pulled a worn hammer from the pouch he carried. Scratches covered the wooden grip and traces of rust on its head laid testament to its age. “This is something we picked up over a century ago in a Sorian ruin. Take it as a reward for dealing with the Nachtmahr infestation.”

  Oh right, the quest reward, forgot about that. Hall received the battered tool with reservation. It resembled a common hammer, but he gave it a closer look.

  “Impressive.” The doubt in Hall’s mind had vanished. “Let’s give it a try.”

  He took the cloak off his shoulders, folded the torn cloth over his arm and raised the hammer in his right. Each strike of metal against cloth cast a flash of light on the dark material of his cloak and slowly raised its durability. Small tears closed, rips vanished and after the last hit, the light disappeared. “Well, it’s still pretty shredded, but it will be useful in the future. Thank you.”

  Hall pocketed the hammer and said his goodbyes once again before he ventured into the labyrinth’s darkness.

  While he rushed through the hallways, Lili read the ledger they had taken from the Nephesh as Moira guided him through narrow passages, past holes in the ground and stairways that lead nowhere. The stale air around them grew warmer and puddles of water formed on the earthen ground.

  There has to be a way to travel faster, this is just ridiculous. Some areas and cities allowed the use of teleportation devices or different means—ships or zeppelins—for fast travel, but Hall had never seen one. “Hey Moira, is there some kind of portable teleporter? Any kind of magic, maybe a scroll?”

  “Of course there is,” the grimoire said. “Both actually. Rune stones that allow teleportation to a specific location are pretty common from what I remember. Though I wouldn’t know how to get one. Ask in town.”

  Hall nodded and his lips curved to a smile. Even though Moira had become less conceited, almost a bit tame, she still couldn’t help but sound haughty every now and then. But he didn’t mind her cheeky attitude, especially when he remembered the memories she shared and Grim’s expression when she had mentioned Moira’s past.

  “Alright,” Hall waved toward the darkness ahead. “Let’s find an exit close to the market place. I need to sell a few things and replace some armor.”

  Time flew by as they rushed through dim tunnels and, after several hours, the city’s noise finally reached their ears. It took almost four hours, but in reality, not even one passed. I’m still not used to it. Guess few are, but it sure will shake things up.

  “The next right should lead to a warehouse, at least that’s what the map indicates,” Moira said.

  A metal door, coated with rust, blocked their way. Hall pressed down the handle, but the heavy door didn’t move an inch. Even using his full strength, he couldn’t sway it.

  “Is it jammed?” Lily asked.

  “No,” Hall pressed through his teeth with his shoulder still pushed against the metal. “The rust is only a deterrent since the handle is well oiled.” He took a step back and scratched the back of his head. “I’d say somebody blocked it. My guess is, the kingdom’s forces want to limit the rebels’ movements. Maybe lure them into a trap, but I doubt they’ll know every exit. Let’s look for another one.”

  They advanced toward the next exit, but another blocked door greeted them. Exit after exit had been sealed and after one more hour, they stood in front of another door. But its rotten wood barely budged when Hall pressed against it. “Oh come on.”

  Wide cracks in the door revealed boards and various pieces of scrap somebody had used as a barricade. Hall pressed his palm against the wood and sighed. “Moira, how far to the next exit?”

  “There aren’t any close to the market. The next one… maybe ten minutes.”

  Without another word Hall took the scythe from his inventory and rammed it into the door. The weak material offered little resistance and split under the onslaught. Again and again he slammed the heavy blade against the blocked exit until he stood on a pile of shredded wood and panted heavily. “Let’s go.”

  “Alright.” Lily had taken a step back and watched Hall’s frantic hacking with raised brows. “You really showed that door.”

  The stairway before them lead into an empty warehouse that stored nothing but rodent feces and dust. Cold air had seeped through cracks in the wall and few rays of light shone through broken windows.

  This time nothing stopped them from entering the streets of Roselake. Hall and Lily took a deep breath and smiled at each other. “Finally, fresh air.” Lily hovered above the ground, turned toward the setting sun and closed her eyes.

  Few people hurried through the street around them and threw nervous gazes at the dark figure that stood in the middle of the road. They pressed themselves against the walls to get as much distance between them and Hall, but he shrugged it off and walked toward the market place.

  The cities atmosphere dampened their euphoria quickly. No children or elderly walked the streets and everyone carried at least one weapon. Some wore badges or uniforms while others concealed their faces or hid in the shadows.

  Hall’s boots left deep prints in the dirty snow slush that covered the ground. The cracked leather barely protected him from the elements, but he didn’t slow his steps.

  He ducked into a side street, entered a dark alley and, circling around, returned to the road leading to the market place.

  Lily had stayed silent during their detour. Now, back to where they had started, she asked, “What was that about?”

  “We are being followed,” Moira said.

  Lily’s eyes widened and turned toward Hall. He only nodded and kept moving. “Four of them. I wasn’t sure at first, but they are definitely after us.”

  “Why?” Lily asked as her eyes darted into dark corners.

  “Don’t know.” He shrugged and furrowed his brow. “But… they are voyagers.”

  Thanks to his ‘Soul Perception’ Hall managed to differentiate between players and inhabitants of Novus Vita. Mostly because the souls of those growing up in this world had far more complex souls. Deeper shadows, brighter light.

  A player’s soul reflected their actions, not only their infamy, but even small acts of kindness or evil. So, after spending little time in this world, how much could a soul really show?

  “They are a good distance away, but judging by their soul energy, none of them have a lot of infamy,” he shook his head, “they look normal to me. White vests almost. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

  Hall had spent more time under Roselake than in the city itself, so he barely knew its streets. Yet at this late hour, few still went after their business, so finding an abandoned ally proved easy enough. When only empty houses and stores remained besides them, he stopped and took out his scythe blade. Without materializing his chains, he used soul weaving and tied one to the scythe.

  “You know, the voyagers we met don’t seem to like you very much,” Moira said.

  “To be fair, most inhabitants of this world don’t go crazy over me either. Oh well... you can come out now!” Hall raised his voice and yelled into the shadows.

  “There are more than four.” Lily pointed at a figure in the back of the players who stepped into the light.

  Hall narrowed his eyes. Even now he could barely perceive the cloaked man. What is he?

  At the front of the group stood an armored knight, carrying a heavy shield and a longsword, his eyes fixated on Hall. Behind him, a man in leather pulled two daggers from his sheathes and stepped in front of a girl wearing a white robe. Another woman, dressed in red cloth, brandished a heavy staff made from black wood.

  “Are you sure it’s him?” A deep voice came from the knight’s helmet.

  The girl in white tightened her grip around a short staff she carried. “He looks scary. Do we really have to fight him?”

  Hall’s ears perked up, but he stayed silent and listened.

  “It’s him.” The cloaked man loomed in the background of the group. “Be careful, his level is somewhere between 65 and 70, so he’s stronger than you. Especially that priest girl of yours.”

  Lily shifted her position and drifted behind Hall. “There’s something wrong with that guy.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know how he knows my level. Or how and why he found me. Weird,” Hall whispered.

  “The pin on his chest.” Moira’s voice resounded in his head. “I’m sure it means something, but I can’t quite remember what. Be careful though.”

  The golden symbol on the cloaked man’s chest stood out like a drop of blood in the snow. A cross with an eye in its middle, an ominous symbol that seemed almost alive and pulsating.

  “Don’t forget,” the man garbed in a black robe hissed. “Finding him was my job. Fighting him is yours.”

  “No worries.” The knight waved his sword toward Hall. “Even if his level is a bit higher, we’re still four and he’s alone.”

  Hall glanced at Lily beside him and stroked the scythe in his hand. Its tip dug into the frozen ground and vibrated in anticipation. “Kill,” the weapon’s quiet voice resounded in his head.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Hall’s voice echoed through the abandoned alley. “You seem like decent people. If possible, I don’t want to fight you.”

  “To be honest, I would prefer not to fight either.” The light of a single torch colored the knight’s armor in flickering red. “But the price that rich guy put on your head, together with the king’s reward, is just too good.” He nodded his head toward the cloaked figure. “Also we need to pay him for finding you. It wasn’t cheap and took way too long. So, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to die here.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t let that happen.” The last ray of sun light had disappeared and with it any remaining warmth. Icy air rose from the ground and formed thin mist that curled around their legs. With nightfall, a blanket of silence enveloped the two parties.

  For a moment longer, Hall stayed quiet, before he raised his hand and infused his armor with soul energy. The throbbing veins in the gravewood exuded black light and his burning eyes beneath his hood pierced the darkness. “I’ll warn you one last time, leave.”

  Lily’s wailing song brought a freezing wind to the street. The four players sucked in the air through their teeth and chills ran down their spines when they heard the sounds of chains that threatened to tie them down like lambs for the slaughter.

  “Do we have to fight?” The priest girl’s voice broke and she took a step back. Streaks of blond hair fell into her delicate face and obstructed her vision.

  The moon turned blood red and veiled them all in menacing light. “It’s gotten cold,” the woman, a mage several levels below Hall, said. “I don’t like this. He hasn’t moved, but I’ve already gotten messages about negative status effects.”

  She swallowed hard and like the rest of her friends, her hands trembled in the face of the sole enemy. The shadows they had used to hide, now turned against them, shrouding their former prey as if bowing to his will.

  “And I can’t dispel them.” The girl in white frantically drew runes in the air and cast spells, but to no effect.

  “Enough.” The knight slammed his sword against his shield. “They are just area of effect debuffs and you can’t dispel them because your level is too low. Get a hold of yourselves and attack.”

  He lifted his blade and charged at Hall. Right behind him ran the other man, both daggers raised. Golden flakes of light surrounded their weapons as the priest waved her wand and cast support spells on her party.

  Hall materialized his chains and observed calmly. “Guess there’s no other way.”

  He shifted his stance, put his full weight behind his chain and threw it toward the knight. The collision stopped him in his tracks, but barely left a dent in the shield. “Not bad, but with this you can’t defeat us.”

  “First rule,” Hall said. “Kill the healer.”

  “What…” A shadow darkened the moon’s light and, lifting their gazes, they saw a large scythe falling—falling toward the girl in white.

  While Hall had attacked with his left, he had swung his right chain in a wide arc above his head. The priest’s eyes widened and she raised her arm in defense. “Protective Barrier,” she yelled.

  A blue sphere formed around her before the scythe blade impaled her. The dark metal crashed into the barrier and for a moment an expression of relief slipped on her face. But it disappeared together with her shield. The scythe shattered the barrier and its blue shards of light mixed with red blood as the weapon dug into her skin.

  Though it took less than half her health, she dropped to her knees and the mage in the party rushed to her side. “Damn you!” She lifted her staff and shot a globe of flames toward Hall.

  “Lily, tie down the melees.”

  Transparent mana chains broke through the ground and wrapped around the charging men’s limbs. It stopped their onslaught, and damned them to watch Hall walk between them toward the two girls.

  A chain slammed into the ground in front of the mage and the skill ‘Sound of Silence’—even though weakened—interrupted her spells.

  They struggled against chains and silence, against the darkness and fear that took hold of them. Heavy footsteps on the snow accompanied the grim figure that seemed untouchable.

  “I really hate to do this.” Hall stopped in front of the priest girl. Mud covered her white dress and her trembling fingers covered the gashing wound in her chest.

  “Taste bitter. Don’t want…” the scythe’s voice resounded in his mind. The weapon was created to cleanse evil, to destroy darkness. Killing the innocent didn’t suit it.

  “I know, I’m sorry.” Hall closed his eyes for a moment. He raised the scythe over his head, infused it with a large amount of soul energy and struck down twice. Her white robe had turned red as had the snow around her. I the scythe won’t serve me any good against them.

  The connection between chain and scythe dissolved with a thought and the blade disappeared in his inventory.

  “Damn it, look what you made me do.” He grit his teeth and struck down the mage with few blows of his chains.

  The sound of ripping mana shackles caught Hall’s attention. The two men charged at him. This time, they blindly rushed forward, desperate screams rising from their throats.

  Again, Hall reacted calmly. He wrapped the chain around his left arm and blocked the warrior’s sword. The heavy strikes left him unfazed. The knight’s group wasn’t weak. But their level was low and their coordination poor. They had underestimated Hall and paid dearly.

  Both attackers slashed and stabbed their blades at Hall, but he either blocked them or ignored the damage.

  “What are you?” The knight’s voice trembled. “Our equipment, our weapons, everything is enchanted with the light attribute. Why aren’t you weakened by it?”

  “Who says I’m darkness?”

  “Then what are you?” The knight panted and the tip of his blade hit the ground. He lost all strength to fight.

  “That’s not important anymore, goodbye.” Without resistance, Hall struck them both down.

  “I haven’t forgotten you.” Hall still showed his back to the cloaked man.

  “And what are you going to do?”

  “I think I’ll kill you.”

  “You’re welcome to try.” A dry chuckle followed the man’s words.

  Hall gripped his chain and swung it toward his target. Almost too fast to follow with the naked eye the weapon slashed through the body. But there was no resistance, no collision, as if it cut through a shadow. And nothing but hollow laughter remained.

  “Shit.” Hall clenched his fist and looked at the bloodbath he caused. The scent of copper rose from crimson puddles of melted snow. Lily had turned away from the image, but he forced himself to watch a little longer. A bitter taste covered his tongue as he left the mangled corpses behind.

  ---------------------------

  Despite the tense situation, nobody had closed the auction house yet. So, Hall put in the few items of worth he owned.

  The cavalry swords he had gathered from the nobles’ mansion, as well as the items he had brought from Benmal’ach’s dungeon. He kept the arbalest. A powerful long range weapon might prove useful and it required far less practice than a bow.

  Hall sold the remaining items, mostly worthless, for a handful of gold coins and counted himself lucky. Almost all merchants in the large auction Hall shivered when Hall approached them. Only the auctioneers themselves seemed unimpressed.

  “Slow day?” Hall asked the man behind the counter.

  “People are scared.” The man rubbed his eyes and suppressed a yawn. “Bad for business. Need anything else?”

  “Please show me leg armor only those that have the option to buy them right now.”

  Hall browsed through dozens of windows and picked new gloves, new boots and armor for his legs to replace his old one. 24 gold coins bought him decent enough items. The auction prices weren’t affected by his character traits. He would pay obscene sums when buying from a merchant, but at least he could afford new items without relying on them.

  They were a little expensive for their quality rating, but they offered good protection and didn’t weigh him down.

  He put his new pieces of armor on and a smile crept on his face. Before, his lacking equipment made him nervous. Now, he at least had bought himself some safety.

  “One more thing.” The last fight showed him how lacking he still was. His main weapon, his skills, they were suited to hunt enemies with high infamy. But fighting good people or normal players was a given, especially in the upcoming battles. “Let’s look at daggers and knives suited for combat.”

  A long list of weapons appeared before him and only after several adjustments did he narrow them down. “This one.”

  The dagger resembled a combat knife in weight and form. Its wide blade—single edged and saw teeth on its back—would leave terrifying wounds. He fastened the knife’s sheath around his waist and made sure he could pull the weapon at a moment’s notice.

  At least now he could offer a clean death to those who didn’t deserve to suffer.

  “Almost ready,” Hall mumbled and opened his inventory. Besides the arbalest, he also owned the smoke and flash bombs he got from Jorn for supporting the resistance, but only a small number of potions. Additionally, his canteen contained little water and his rations had dwindled.

  After he had spent twelve gold for his new weapon, he invested another ten in potions and food. Many craftsmen offered their goods in the auction house, so he stocked up while he could access it. “All set, let’s visit Shep.”

  They stepped into the empty street again where the cold night hid enemies and allies alike. He couldn’t tell them apart, so he avoided them all. At least nobody bothered him until he knocked on the gate of the old church that served as an orphanage.

  “Who’s there?” A rough voice asked.

  “It’s me, Hall, you asked me to come before meeting up with Jorn.”

  “Not so loud.” The door opened and a hand reached from the inside. It grabbed onto Hall and pulled him into the dimly lit entrance hall. “We don’t know who’s listening.”

  “Some grip you got there.” Hall grinned and massaged his shoulder.

  “Na, you’re just sensitive.”

  Shep stroked his bald head and motioned Hall to follow him. The monk robe he wore hid his figure in the dark room, but his shoulders hung deep and he dragged his right leg.

  “What happened here, Shep?”

  The large man growled and shook his head. “Trouble. But nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  “What about the children?”

  “We tried to get everyone out of the city, but it was difficult. We ran into, well, trouble.” He clenched his fist and candlelight revealed his scabbed knuckles. “Still, by now most of the civilians are out. By tomorrow the slum should be empty. Same goes for most parts of town. I’ll take the last group of kids myself tonight. So, from tomorrow, whoever you see on the street is fair game.”

  “Even my allies?”

  “Allies, huh?” He almost spit out the word. “You shouldn’t count on anyone. I don’t even know which side has worse scum fighting for them.” A long sigh left his lips and his shoulders dropped. “Just try to be careful. I know you voyagers don’t die like we do, but… there are worse things than death.”

  The sound of shattering glass echoed through the quiet hallway. Hall yanked the dagger from his hip and whirled around, but Shep acted even faster. The burly man darted toward the sound, his arms raised.

  Faced with the charging Shep, a muffled screech emerged from a young boy as he dropped on his behind. Shards of a broken vase lay to his feet, but his big eyes focused on the bald giant in front of him.

  “Damn it Ralk, you should be in bed.” Shep helped up the orphan and brushed the dust off him before he picked up the pieces of glass.

  “Oh, it’s the kid you saved,” Lily said. “Guess he wanted to see you.”

  After he stood up, Ralk straightened his clothes and took a step closer to Hall. But his eyes widened and his face lost all color. His small hand grasped for Shep’s robe as he hid behind the man’s wide back.

  “What’s with him?” Lily cocked her head.

  “He’s scared,” Moira said, her voice holding a hint of sadness.

  “Of what?”

  “Of me.” Hall said, his expression blank. Lily opened her mouth, but after a moment, she lowered her head and stayed quiet.

  “Go on ahead, Hall.” Shep lay his big hand on the child’s head. He showed an apologetic look. “I’ll bring him to bed and be with you in a few minutes.”

  Hall nodded and with a last glance at the frightened Ralk, he walked into Shep’s office.

  “Hello there.” A familiar figure greeted him.

  “Oh, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  ---------------------------

  “The king will see you now.” The guard saluted the man who waited in front of the throne room.

  “Finally.” He made no attempt to lower his voice in front of the guard. His chin rested on the grip of a large two hand sword, but his eyes never ceased to scan the room.

  “Bale, we have news.” Another man in a dark leather armor approached him.

  “What is it?”

  “Sir,” the guard nervously interrupted them, “the king is expecting you.”

  “Let him wait,” Bale sneered and turned toward Nayr, one of the twins, who carried a stack of documents. “So?”

  The blond rogue handed the most important ones over and Bale looked through them without hurry. The guard bit his lips, but remained silent.

  Most of the documents contained information about troop movements and the supply situation. “Oh, what did they find?” The letter Bale opened carried the symbol of a cross with an eye in its middle. He raised an eyebrow and a grin formed on his face. “Got you.”

  At first, Bale hadn’t really cared about the figure people called Killchain. He had killed a few nobles, spread some fear, nothing to worry about. But he ridiculed him in an interview, for everyone to see. Though Bale had no proof, he knew it was him.

  It wasn’t his pride that took a hit. Pride meant nothing, just a useless sentiment. But the armor of intimidation he carefully manufactured through threats and fear was scratched. And public spilling of blood would fix the damage.

  “Nayr, send men to the old church in the southern slums. Our friend found refuge there.” He hesitated. “No, better hire a few of the stalkers.” He pointed at the symbol on the letter. “They won’t be detected. Let them follow him for now, I want to take care of him myself. And let someone keep an eye on the people in the church,” he licked his dry lips, “we might find a use for them.”

  ----------------------------

  Author’s Note:

  Hope you enjoyed the new chapter :grin:

  As always, I’d be glad to hear your input, ideas and suggestions as well as any advice toward mistakes I made. My gratitude to those who help me out with my story.

  Thanks to Requizition (Author of here on RRL) for proofreading.

  And a very special thanks to Trent for sponsoring this chapter, you’re the best :D

  :bye:

  Status Window Hall:

  Spoiler

  Skill Overview Hall:

  Spoiler

  Equipment Hall:

  Spoiler

  Weapons:

  Main-hand:

  Not equipped:

  Armor

  Chest:

  Legs:

  Gloves:

  Boots:

  Back:

  Rings:

  Necklace:

  Active Quests:

  Spoiler

  Completed Quests:

  Spoiler

  Available Titles:

  Spoiler

  Stat Window Lily:

  Spoiler

  Skill Overview Lily:

  Spoiler