Chapter 30
A cold dread coursed through them, the emergency exit showed no signs of life, no matter how many times they placed their hands against it. They couldn't go back through tunnel as it would only take one mistake to leave them crippled with countless magical beasts all around them, defenceless or at the least their movement speed impeded from whatever damage they would take from trying to get down.
"Let me try something." Rhordan placed her hands against the pillar, praying that she could use it like she had with the other two instances of interacting with the dungeon's symbols. Silently standing there, she waited for the energy to react to her, waiting for it to spark and tell her what to do. Nothing, nothing happened as she stood there. "No…"
"What about the walls?" Gideon couldn't stand there and hope it would work, he practically ran back and forth around the area trying to find something that could ignite the teleport. He thought that if it could be turned off then there should be a switch or a lever, something that could activate it by hand. Ultimately finding nothing, he returned to Rhordan's side, praying that she could do the impossible yet again. To his fidgety nature, he started to scan the teleport room and a peculiar trend started to appear, one that he thought was odd to him but could possibly be explained by the resident sorceress.
Staring at Gideon for a second, Rhordan tried to understand what he meant. Shifting her gaze to the wall, she looked at all the glyphs engraved into the wall, somewhat similar to that of the previous room yet it had its own variance to it. She set about copying the glyphs to distract her from the looming thought of being trapped here just like the others had, unable to leave without putting themselves in grave peril.
Turning back to the pillar, she finally noticed what Gideon was trying to hint at. The pillar itself had no glyphs, there was nothing other than a pillar of stone. Whipping her head back and forth between the wall and the pillar, she practically threw her writing equipment to the ground as she placed her hands against the wall of the teleport room. Holding her hands there, she felt a dull thrum of power coursing through the wall. No amount of waiting could spark the wall into activating the teleport, after several minutes she decided to take the brash action and trigger the system by flowing a part of her mana into the wall itself.
A rumble shook the room, the glyphs on the wall lit up with the same bright blue as the teleport stone before, growing brighter in intensity as they powered up. Slowly the glyphs grew so bright the pair had to avert their eyes, and seconds later, the light disappeared. Nothing happened, no light or movement for a split second and then everything happened at once.
The blinding blue light exploded from the pillar, throwing the pair through the air and crashing to the ground nearly ten metres away, the impact dampened by their overfilled backpacks. Coughing harshly, their eyes unable to work as they shone with an afterimage of the bright blue light. Once their vision cleared, they stared incredulously at the pillar as it glowed bright blue.
"Nice!" Gideon praised Rhordan's work, relieved that they have their way out, even if it meant been sent sprawling onto their backsides from the blast. Shakingly getting to his feet, he helped Rhordan up before setting himself down beside the teleport. "We should still have a few hours left before nightfall, let's get some rest."
"Don't think I can rest after everything we have been through…" Rhordan gloomily admitted, she carefully collected her items she had discarded before sitting down beside him. Gideon couldn't disagree with her, his plan had fallen apart and if it wasn't by some sheer stroke of luck that Rhordan could interact with the dungeon itself, they wouldn't have found the tunnel to the first floor or reactivated the emergency exit. He could feel how high strung he was whenever he moved a single muscle, his body stressed to the point of a taut cable, rigid and unbendable.
Leaning against the wall, Gideon tried to relax, to unbind the stress in his body. With Rhordan quietly working beside him, putting her energy into studying the glyphs rather than trying to relax. She found it difficult to focus as all she could think about was being trapped within the walls of the dungeon, yet she knew that if they left the dungeon early, they could run right back into the arms of those they had just escaped from.
"Argh!" Raven sighed in defeat before she groaned in frustration, stowing away the items, she sat there with nothing to do. "So, are you going to tell me why we did all of this?"
"Not yet." Gideon had his eyes closed, he replied automatically before he remembered that he had promised to tell her once the plan was over. He quickly followed up his words before she could reply. "We still need to meet with my friend, they will want to hear my reasons as well so it would be best to explain it all at once than have everyone confused."
"That and you want to ask them a few questions, don't you?" Rhordan could guess that Gideon's reasons weren't totally ironclad, that he had a few gaps in his knowledge that needed to be filled in before he was absolutely sure, the nervous chuckle and him scratching the back of his neck confirmed her suspicions. "Fine, how about your past? You did say you would tell me."
"Yeah… yeah I did." Gideon sighed in defeat, he had been trying to avoid this conversation as best as he could, but he knew Rhordan's persistence. He knew that eventually he would have to speak, to tell everything of his past. "I don't know if I can tell you all of it, its… its just too painful sometimes."
"That's okay, I doubt we will be finding any way back home anytime soon." Rhordan smiled as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, she could see the pain flickering in his eyes as he remembered his history.
"Thanks…" Gideon returned her smile, though a with a hint of pain leaking through. "I doubt I could start at the beginning, but you already know the gist of it."
"You blamed yourself for the death of your parents, when you and they knew full well that there was nothing you could do." Rhordan kept her tone soft as she spoke, careful not to hurt him or make light of this open wound.
"Yeah… after that had happened… I lost myself, unable to rationalise what had happened to them." Gideon shuddered slightly, staring at the ground as he recalled his memories. "I couldn't live with what happened… so I didn't."
Rhordan remained quiet, allowing him to talk, though a part of her shuddered alongside him as she heard those words. Afraid of what he meant by them.
"I shifted into whatever animal I could think of at the time… and lived in the jungle… as an animal." Gideon shifted his gaze off to the distance, hoping the dimly lit corridor could provide him some solace. "Remember when I said that my powers are a balancing act? Well… I nearly lost to my animalistic and predatory side, just living as a monster in the forest. Hunting and killing whatever got in my way."
Clasping onto Rhordan's hand on his shoulder, Gideon used it as a lifeline, clinging on for dear life. He had never liked the many innocent creatures he killed in his sullen state, guilt nestled into his heart over their pointless deaths.
"It was… I don't know… a year I think, maybe two…" Gideon tried to remember how long he had spent as an animal, though when your entire life suddenly evolved around just three basic things like eating, sleeping and killing, time becomes meaningless. "Anyway, an old friend of my parents found me and managed to capture me. King Tawaba, a good man that looked after me and coaxed me out of my animal side, bringing me back to my human side."
"King Tawaba… he sounds like a chieftain of a tribe?" Rhordan diverted the conversation slightly, she could see pain ebbing into his eyes as he got closer to his time living with Tawaba, that something painful must have happened at that time.
"Yeah, he was a great friend with my parents as they would always come by and help out with any injuries or sickness the tribe had." Gideon smiled warmly, the first time he didn't look so defeated or in pain over his past as he recalled the good memories between him, his parents and King Tawaba. "Plus, he and my parents shared a common goal of saving the animals of Africa, to stop poachers or other corporations from taking their lives."
Silence reigned for several minutes as Gideon stared off into the distance, still holding onto her hand for dear life. Rhordan could finally see why he was so against killing animals, it wasn't just because of his powers, his parents fought hard to save as many animals as they could. It was his family's legacy to protect nature and the critters that lived within.
"It wasn't long after that that my uncle… he found out that I was alive and I was forcibly sent into his care." Gideon's eyes seemingly shifted effortlessly from the happy memories with his parents and King Tawaba, to hateful and self-disgust as he recalled his uncle, his exaggeration of the last word in his sentence spoke volume to his hatred of that man. "America, their court couldn't care less that I was perfectly fine living with King Tawaba, they only cared that because my parents were dead that I had to stay with my only living relative."
The venom in his voice stunned Rhordan, she had never been one to follow the courts or the laws of the country she resided in, she had left that to Robin since he could navigate his way through a crime scene like a detective that he could do the same in a court room. Though hearing Gideon's story, she couldn't help but feel upset that a group of unknown people decided the fate of others without knowing anything about it, that what had happened was unfair though there was nothing she or anyone else could have done about it at the time.
"You want to know they funniest part?" Gideon asked rhetorically, laughing coldly as he thought back to the first day he spent inside his uncle's house. His cold laugh caused Rhordan to tremble, she quickly placed her other hand on top of his, hoping to comfort him as best as she could. "He didn't even know about my powers, they were just a fortunate by-product he inherited. The real reason he wanted me, was because of my inheritance."
"Wait… does that mean you're rich?" Rhordan exclaimed aloud before she could stop herself, staring incredulously at the one member of the team that would always scrounge for a bargain or try to con Robin out his money from Batman.
"Unfortunately… My parents were renowned doctors that owned their own business, one they had inherited from my grandparents before they died." Gideon gloomily stared at the ground again, unable to take the bleak emptiness of the dim corridor before him. "Their business and their money belong to me once I turn twenty-one. After I got free from my uncle, I wanted nothing to do with it, that inheritance caused me years of suffering."
Gideon pulled his knees into him, leaning his head on her hands. The doom patrol had tried to persuade him against throwing away the fortune he was going to inherit, that he could use it for good or at least live a comfortable life. However, he couldn't bring himself to, the money only brought back painful memories.
"It wasn't until I started working for the titans that I started to think about it…" Gideon trailed off, he knew that what he has to say next may upset her, he definitely knew it would hurt their friends back at the tower, but he couldn't keep leaving them in the dark about his future plans. "Fighting as a titan, we never actually did much of a difference, sure we stopped the occasional villain or averted some major disaster but when you take the time to look at the people we save… you realise that there is much more than just saving them from monsters or bad guys."
Rhordan tensed at his words, unsure what he meant by them, though she chose to remain silent. She wanted to let him speak his piece before she said anything, hoping that he would explain how the titans weren't enough.
"Those people have to live their lives, they can't just lay about a tower and train for someday when a villain raises their head." Gideon sighed, suddenly finding the gloomy light of the corridor very comforting, raising his head and staring adamantly into the darkness in hopes of finding the courage to continue talking. "They don't have a child of a super-rich entrepreneur that can spend millions on top-of-the-line medical equipment or on the most experienced doctors to treat them. They have to get what they can from the government or hospitals, and it is never enough."
"You want to use your family's company to provide for those who can't afford healthcare, and to find ways to treat diseases that are fatal." Rhordan understood what he was saying, the titans could only fight, they couldn't create miracles and suddenly heal the sick or injured. When she broke down the titans, she could see it for herself, though they are heroes who risk their lives to save the innocent, they didn't have anything else to their name. People still suffered on a daily basis, and no amount of fighting or defeating villains could change that. Sighing, she rest her head on top of her own hands on his shoulder, wondering if being a titan was as good as she previously thought.
"Pretty much." Gideon nodded, he rested his head atop hers, taking comfort in her understanding rather than fearing that she would be outraged with him. "I spoke with Batman, when I turn twenty-one, Wayne Enterprises will temporarily take over Logan Pharmaceuticals, allowing me to go to college and get a degree in medicine. From there, I would take over the business and work in partnership with Batman and focus on improving the standard of care for all."
Gideon had managed to organise a meeting with Batman through Robin, he didn't tell Robin any of the details as he it would involve talking about his past. Conversing with Batman, they came to conclusion that Gideon could take over the business, but he had to have a degree before Batman would be willing to work in partnership with him, something they both agreed upon.
"There is one more part that I think you should know, since I have no legal guardian, I effectively have partial control over my inheritance." Gideon softly stated, his could feel the stress leave him as he had been talking, and this would leave him without worry. "With that, I can name a successor to my inheritance if anything should happen to me… at first I thought of the doom patrol, but they have their own business to look after… so I named you."
"Me!" Rhordan withdrew from their comfortable embrace, staring absolutely baffled, trying to interpret his words in any other way than what she heard.
"Yep!" Gideon goofily grinned at her, somewhat enjoying the surprised expression on her face. "I could say that I trust you or that I know you would use it for good, but the truth is… you came to this world with nothing, I have always wanted to give you something of your own, something that is yours without a single doubt, but I could never figure out what it was."
Gideon smile broadened, he had been trying to find the right time to tell her about his plan, but he could never find it. Though, he wasn't exactly the type to keep a serious mood going long enough to actually have that conversation.
"I made a deal with Batman, that if you chose to leave the titans before I turned twenty-one then he was to ensure you got to go to any college or university you wanted." Gideon remembered the baffled look on Batman's face when he said that, he was sure that he'd have done that anyway but Gideon wanted his word that neither he nor anyone from the titans or the justice league would stop her from leaving or go after her once she left. "And if you graduated before me, then to give you half of Logan Pharmaceuticals, if you wanted it that is."
"…Why?" Rhordan couldn't look at him, the offer had much more hidden within it, she doubted that Gideon would make a deal without having assurances that if she left then they couldn't ask her to come back. After everything they had been through in this world, she knew that Gideon knew how to bargain, and to anticipate future problems. What she couldn't work out was why, why her? She knew he tended to flirt with her on occasion but that couldn't completely explain it, could it?
"Simple, I can think of no one else I would rather have by my side in bringing hope and care to the people of earth." Gideon had to add in that last part due to their current situation, he smiled warmly at her, hoping she wouldn't reject his offer. He didn't care if she never reciprocated his feelings, what he did care about was giving her a chance to be much more than the lonely girl with dark powers.
"People hate me… they are creeped out by me, they would never see me as a saviour…" Rhordan miserably whispered, just loud enough for Gideon to hear her but quiet enough that if he chose not to say anything then she would jot it down to him not hearing her. His response startled her, he broke out laughing like a madman.
"Rhordan, you think I care what they think?" Gideon bluntly stated, pulling her around to look directly into his emerald eyes, determined that she hear his words. "I won't lie, at first I did find you creepy, but then I got to know you. I found myself smitten by what I saw under all those barriers you have around you, and they will too, if you just show them."
A single tear rolled Rhordan's cheek, she had hoped he had stated that with her actual name, but she couldn't bring herself to complain. The titans had proven time and time again that she was valuable to them, that she was worth fighting for. A small smile soon etched itself onto her face, and a glowing light burned in her heart.
"Thanks…" Rhordan leant back against the wall, Gideon followed suit and she leant her had back onto his shoulder, bring back out her paper and setting herself to work. She was content with what he had shared with her, resolving herself to wait for him to feel comfortable about opening up more rather than her pushing him. A part of her wished she could hear it all, to tell him that he isn't a monster after hearing his past, though she knew all too well what forcing someone to open up could do. Instead, she thought on his offer. "If we ever make it home… I think I might take you up on the offer… I doubt I could be a titan after all this."
Gideon nodded his agreement, glad that she would consider his offer. He rested his head on top of hers, withdrawing the pieces of paper that Rhordan had put together to for him to study this world's written language. He may have been a slow learner, but he resolved to catch up and not leave all the reading and writing to just Rhordan.
The two sat like this in comfortable silence for several hours, neither saying a word as they worked. The looming dungeon no longer held any fearful grip on their hearts anymore, instead it was just the quiet place they needed to relax in, just the two of them.
Once it was roughly the time to leave, they packed everything up and ensured they left nothing behind. Passing a determined look to one another, they pressed their hands to the stone without saying a word. The bright light enveloped them, encased in light they felt as if they were thrown through the dungeon, straight towards the massive stone doors at the entrance.
The blinding light took a second for them to blink out of their eyes, the darkness surrounding them made the transition somewhat difficult. The starry sky and bright moon gave the world around them a soft glowing peace, a tranquillity that could only be found in the utter stillness of life and light. That serene tranquillity broke as a deep gravelly voice spoke out from beside them.
"Was worried you two got yourselves killed." There, leaning lazily against the wall, was Xan in his full combat gear. He had a large grin plastered on his face, he strolled over to them and heftily struck their shoulders with his massive hands. "Glad to know you haven't gotten yourself mauled to death!"
"Glad you got my message." Gideon smiled happily at their friend, glad that he had arrived and was waiting for them to escape from the dungeon as he had asked. "I take it the instructors left?"
"Yeah, several hours ago." Xan stared suspiciously at Gideon, a mixture of confusion and awe in his eyes. "I knew you needed a blast gem, but I didn't think it was to blow up the entire field trip."
"Wasn't us." Rhordan shook her head, she could understand why someone would think that after the chaos that had happened in the dungeon. "Somehow an Ice Spine Panther made its way to the second floor."
"Whoa! A knight rank on the second floor, that's… that's almost unheard of." Xan whistled in astonishment rather than fear, he didn't sound too shocked at the news. They started walking out from the dungeon's entrance, heading towards the forest on the right side. "Though that doesn't explain what happened to Butch."
"Butch?" Gideon enquired, though he never heard of all the names of the adventurers joining the expedition, he doubted that Xan would name any of them unless they held importance.
"Jane Butch, cleric of the holy order, has the symbol of the flying sparrow on her staff." Xan described Helena almost perfectly, though he used a name they weren't familiar with. There looks of confusion mingled with recognition told Xan everything he needed to know. "Ah… She gave you some fake name huh? Her tiny form always had people second guessing her age, wouldn't blame you if you don't recognise her, though you should be wary of anyone baring the symbol of the flying sparrow."
"Who is she? This Jane Butch." Gideon felt he knew the answer, though he wished his guess was wrong. They passed into the forest, walking cautiously and carefully out towards an area that Xan knew and was leading them to.
"Hound of the Holy Order, vicious kind that kills for fun." Xan shuddered, just her reputation alone had him quivering in fear. Not many people met her face to face, the ones that did were either too terrified to talk, or too dead to even try. "Saw her being carted out on a stretcher, she looked very charred, almost as if… you didn't…"
"I didn't think she could track us!" Gideon tried to defend his action of turning Butch into an overdone steak, if he had any other option he would have used it. Xan broke out laughing, apparently loving the thought of Butch being roasted.
"I don't know what you two did to have Butch sent after you, but the Holy Order ain't gonna be happy about having one of their members turned into fried meat." Xan chuckled, he shook his head as he enjoyed the visual imagery of the Vicars' faces when they see Butch. "Don't worry too much, sure the Holy Order has power, but there are many that hate them and oppose their will."
"Great, just when I thought we didn't have enough enemies." Rhordan sarcastically stated, causing Xan to erupt into laughter once again. They walked for nearly half a mile before they found themselves in a large clearing, staring dumbfoundedly at what lay on the other side.
There, standing in front of a decent sized carriage made from light wood and a white canvas over the top, was Paylor, Sapphire and Grey, all waiting for them. Gideon was the most surprised out of the pair, he had gone to Paylor for the favour, asking him to send word to Xan to bring a pair of horses for them by the dungeon at night time, and if he had an item he could use to cause an explosion. This was far beyond what he asked for, a slight worry that he and Rhordan might become indebted to yet another person crossed his mind as they entered the clearing.
"I don't think I can afford a whole a carriage…" Gideon muttered aloud, causing the other four to laugh. Even Rhordan wondered how much of the gold pieces they had managed to acquire could cover this, though she wasn't exactly sure what the purchase rate was for carriages in either world was. Rhordan's thought of money soon disappeared as Aurelia landed on her shoulder, getting herself settled comfortable while Rhordan stroked her feathers happily.
"No need, figured I had to make a delivery to Larravass and thought to hire some adventurers to guard it." Paylor grinned mischievously, relishing in his cunning brilliance. "And anyway, I am more curious of what would cause the likes of you two to try and flee Bardia."
Xan, Sapphire and Grey all looked expectantly at Gideon, Rhordan joined in as well after recovering from the shock of Paylor's generosity. After she had recovered from her back injury, she had accompanied Gideon many times to the Yellow Bird Armoury and trying to even get a single copper piece more out of the old man was an impossibility.
"I don't have a full idea yet… but I have enough to know that me and Amethyst are in peril." Gideon stated solemnly, the pieces were fitting together but there were ones that were missing, ones that would complete the jigsaw he found himself trying to put together. "Ever since we became adventurers, things haven't been adding up. First of many being Baltharn."
"That weird guild director? I know he's creepy but…" Grey bluntly stated what was on all of their minds, they each knew him to be somewhat strange and reserved, that he was a peculiarity in Bardia.
"We have had to work secretly for him, taking on quests that don't make it to the board." Rhordan chimed in, explaining the pair's reasoning for their distrust and suspicions of him. "These quests were always way above our skill level, we think he was intentionally trying to get one of us killed or at least heavily injured."
"Remember that Steel Lion core I brought to you the second time we met?" Paylor nodded, his interest growing rapidly as Gideon and Rhordan spoke. "We were sent to kill three dire wolves a week after becoming adventurers, we got lucky and accidentally ran into the Steel Lion and let them hack it out with each other."
"That's absurd!" Sapphire cried out, not out of disbelief of their claim, but out of shock and outrage at new adventurers challenging three dire wolves. "There was no way the guild director could get away with sending you two alone!"
"If the quest didn't reach the board, then there is no record of it." Xan grumpily admitted, he could see where this was going and didn't like it. "No record means no rules on the difficulty of the quest or its rank either."
"It was the same with the others, from what we could tell from the magical beast index, the monsters we fought against had to be at least novice rank." Gideon and Rhordan never stood a chance against any of them, without magic or anyway to improve their strength they were useless against them. "It eventually got to the point we were supposed to face off against apprentice rank monsters as well."
"Most of the time we would search for another magical beast and let them clash with one another, others we had to find a way to force them to leave." Rhordan reluctantly admitted, knowing full well they couldn't out right attack them, forced to use underhanded tactics or cheap tricks just to survive. "Each time we went on these secret missions, we would always come back with more scars than we started with."
"Why didn't you just leave? Or refuse?" Sapphire was on edge, adventurers would always find a way to sport a new scar, but the ones rapidly appearing on the brothers before her had her surprised, especially after just one week of her actually paying attention to them.
"Debt, a powerful motivator and a cruel trap." Paylor grunted, there weren't many ways people would willingly go do something that had a near one-hundred percent chance of killing them other than debt, it was a vice that constricted the options of a person greatly. Especially in the hands of the powerful.
"Yeah, though we aren't any more." Gideon's words caused Rhordan to whip around and look at him, baffled at how they could pay off Baltharn without using their secret stash. "I left a pouch of silver that will more than cover our debt… in some place I am sure Baltharn will find."
"There's more to this story, isn't there?" Paylor was now fully invested into the conversation, he didn't really like the new guild director, not that he actually went anywhere near the building in the first place, but that didn't mean he wasn't interested in learning the dark secrets plaguing Bardia. "Ever since Baltharn arrived, things haven't been the same, and I doubt they stop at just you two."
"Agreed." Gideon grunted, shaking his head slightly as he resolved himself to tell them all his worry. "Me and Amethyst are commoners from a far-out land, nobodies with no name or anything to call their own. I can understand using us as a secret taskforce for problems he wanted to be dealt with quietly, paying us hush money would be far easier than running the risk of a skilled adventurer running their mouth arrogantly. But to send someone like Jane Butch after us…"
"Butch!" Sapphire and Grey simultaneously exclaimed, looking to Xan for confirmation. The reputation of this cleric was well known around the higher ranks of the adventurer's guild, one that struck fear in many.
"Yep, saw her myself." Xan grunted, shaking his head as recalled seeing her staff at the edge of the gurney. "Well, I saw her staff, her face was way too burned to identify her. Doubt she will look the same after she was hit by a mid-grade blast gem."
"I already said that I had little choice!" Gideon gripped, huffing and crossing his arms, he tried to ignored the stifled laughs from the others. Xan grinned and slapped Gideon's shoulder in camaraderie, laughing joyously at Gideon's misery.
"A hunter from the holy order does make things different, though I suppose you have a theory." Paylor interrupted their merry moment, glaring harshly at the others to stow their laughter and focus on the point of the conversation.
"Yeah, Baltharn always seemed to be one step ahead of us, knowing just the right level of difficult to outclass us or gave us things that didn't add up. Especially after we gained the steel chest plates from you." Gideon coughed before he had continued, he still couldn't say for certain but as Paylor had said, he had a theory. "I figured that the only way he could be ahead of us is if he had a spy, someone feeding him information about us. This spy had to be close enough to us that we wouldn't be suspicious of them asking us questions… at first I rashly thought it was Chrysanthis, then I realised who the real spy was."
"Bob, the inn keeper of the Blue Cat Inn." Rhordan finished for him, she had put the pieces together from his statement from before. She knew that only two people could be close enough to them that they wouldn't suspect as a spy and could ask them questions freely without suspicion, Chrysanthis was one but her kind-hearted and caring nature would have been insanely difficult for someone to mimic, that left the quiet lumbering giant called Bob.
"Bob is not a spy." Paylor shook his head, he had known Bob for a long time, he had many conversations with the man and shared just as many drinks.
"Paylor, can I ask, did Bob appear in Bardia before or after Baltharn appeared here?" Gideon could tell that convincing Paylor would be difficult, he was a stout and stoic man that was rigid in his beliefs. If he firmly believed that Bob was innocent, then anything short of actual physical proof wouldn't convince him.
"… After…" Paylor didn't like the question, its connotations had many implications that could be pure coincidences, but after hearing Butch's name, he couldn't hold onto his stubborn ways if any of it was true.
"Sapphire, what is the motto the receptionist girls use every time a new adventurer asks for the best place for lodging?" Gideon worked his way through each of them, getting them to piece together separate parts of a whole.
"'Eight copper gets a decent meal and fifteen for a night at the Blue Cat Inn…" Sapphire responded almost instantly, trailing off at the end as realisation dawned on her.
"And Xan, when was the last time the guild held an expedition like this for the beginners?" Gideon and Rhordan already knew the answer to this question, they had heard it from Blockade back in the tunnel, but they needed those before them to work it out for themselves.
"A year ago, the expedition to the dead lands." Xan grunted, a growing crease etching into his brow as he spoke, thinking over what was being said.
"On their own, it would be merely coincidence, but if you add that to the fact that a week ago, after our little escapade to the dungeon, I hinted to Bob about the entry point on the second floor." Gideon watched Sapphire and Xan stiffen before they looked wildly at the pair, realisation dawning on their faces.
"You got into the blocked off area on the first floor!?" Xan practically roared, his jaw hitting the floor as Sapphire's joined his. His words even startled Paylor, who was finding it hard to follow on until he put the two pieces of information together.
"Yes, we found the expedition… they didn't die right away…" Rhordan shuddered at remembering the corpses. "They looted everything in that area before waiting for rescue, though it never came. The items must have degraded over time, we couldn't find much more than this."
Heaving the two extra sacks off their shoulders, the others crowded around to look at the haul. Even Paylor couldn't resist taking a peek, he spied several sets of the intact armour and weapons, his jaw finally dropped.
"That's onyx and mythril fused metal!" Paylor's words startled Grey, who immediately dashed forward to look at the dark green armour plate at the very top.
"Isn't that a lost combination?" Grey asked baffled, trying to understand how the dark green metal was there before them. Onyx and mythril fused metal, or Dark Jade as its usually referred to, was a combination of the two metals that could out match even Crimson Gold, a metal famed for its insane durability and magical properties.
"If I could study that piece… then maybe…" Paylor couldn't help but drool over the chest piece, he quickly shook his head and coughed, trying not to look like he wanted it beyond anything else. "So, you were saying about Bob being a spy?"
"Take it… but considered us even!" Gideon could tell how valuable it was, and he still owed the old man for setting all this up. After Baltharn, he didn't want to owe anyone ever again. With slight hesitation, Paylor picked up the chest piece, examining it before gently holding it over a ring on his finger, nodding his acceptance to Gideon's deal. Once the chest piece had disappeared into the spatial ring on his finger, Gideon continued. "I didn't tell Bob the specifics, only that there was something interesting there and we couldn't get there because it was too difficult for us to be on the second floor."
"You forgot to mention that we are supposed to prove that some fairy tale about the Arc Mage is real, that the location of his tomb is in or near the Dead Lands." Rhordan filled in the gap that Gideon had left out, he winced as he remembered there was something that he forgot to add to his explanation. Paylor had an odd light in his eyes, as if he has an inkling as to what they were looking for. "A strange quest Baltharn told us to never tell anyone we were working on."
"So, no one other than you and Baltharn should know about this quest, which means that for the guild master didn't have a reason to organise this expedition to the dungeon unless it was to aid you both in supposedly finding this point of interest." Sapphire concluded, she was piecing it together far faster the others were. She sighed as she held the bridge of her nose, she had previously thought that this event could spark animosity among the higher ranked adventurers, they didn't get the chance to be led into the dungeon by the instructors and to floors they shouldn't have been able to go to at their level.
"That, and the instructors deliberately waited for me to finish copying the glyphs in the teleport room." Rhordan added, pointing out another irregularity that pointed towards Gideon was saying. The others looked at her weirdly, causing her to blush slightly and explain herself. "I like languages and their written form, I was copying the glyphs to see if I can decipher them."
"Anyway, I figured that with Bob spying on us then the money we were secretly keeping from Baltharn was pointless, so I used it to pay off our debt and left it in our room." Gideon quickly pressed on, drawing the attention away from Rhordan who silently thanked him.
"This is way too much for just two boys…" Paylor uttered aloud the thoughts of all of them, the evidence was there and with their own accounts as well made it difficult for them to disprove it. That said, all this effort for just two boys was way over the top.
"I would agree, hadn't Bob let it slip that this isn't the first time that Baltharn has trapped new adventurers that have no backing." Gideon continued, his words causing the others to look among them, thinking back as far as they could for anyone that shared any similarities with the twins before them. "Also, the last expedition was a year ago, to the dead lands, this has been going on long before we arrived."
"But… why?" Grey had been trying to follow along, he found it difficult to link one piece of information to another but he was managing, except he couldn't figure out why. He had experience with nobles and knew that they would play these types of games with commoners for fun, but not to the extent to actually hide it or cover it up, they usually don't care about that unless it concerns another noble of the same or higher status.
"That's what I am stuck at, though I think it has to do with Alex Greyhound." Gideon pensively thought, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to rack his brains. He could see the confused looks from all of them, even Rhordan stared at him incredulously. "Baltharn was only interested in us once we used his name, that and when I ask Bob about him, he tried to flip us on Alex. He made it sound that Alex sent us to Baltharn as if it was a trap."
"And if Bob is the spy then…" Sapphire shook her head, she didn't know Alex much, but this was weird, even for her. She was gradually regretting following Xan, she had overheard him planning a trip out of Bardia and wouldn't leave him alone, it wasn't until they were alone that Xan told her the truth. As she stilled owe the twins for saving her life a week ago, she decided to help, but learning of their plight and piecing together the previously irrelevant information, she wanted to go back to her room and forget about all of it.
"Yeah… and this is the part I am struggling with." Gideon admitted, he figured he got close to finding out the truth, yet the missing pieces surrounded Alex stopped his progress dead. He had a few ideas but after the debacle in the dungeon when his plan fell apart because he assumed things would work the same as their old world, he couldn't fully equate everything from their old world to the new one, nor could he use the same deductive reasonings as well. "Why Alex? What does he, a guild director, a strange inn keeper, an assassin of the holy order, and random commoners he has helped have in common?"
"Sounds like the start to a bad joke…" Xan grunted, scratching his head as he tried to remember anything, he could about Alex that might cause him to be a target. "I have nothing."
"What a surprise, blockhead." Sapphire and Xan glared at one another, daring the other to start up another one of their bickering sessions. They were cut short by a quick death glare from Paylor who had spent the trip out here listening to them bicker.
"Alex said he was a street urchin, didn't he?" Gideon turned to Rhordan, an inkling of an idea forming in his mind. The others looked at him, wondering what he meant by that.
"Yeah, he said his master took him in when no one else would." Rhordan had a feeling of where he was going, though she only confirmed his suspicions, letting him explain.
"If you think that because he is a commoner that the nobles are trying to throw him out then forget it." Paylor grunted, he wanted to dismiss Emerald's thoughts of the disparity between nobles and commoners despite the numerous times the nobles have banded together to shove a commoner back to the slums where they rose from. "Sure, there are nobles that are annoyed by commoners, but they can't do anything against powerful, influential or important commoners under the protection of guilds or clans. That said, someone like Alex isn't even in a powerful guild, nor is he in an important position that would push nobles to plot against him… other than his sudden popularity and becoming the beacon for the Silver Bloodhounds.
"True, but a street urchin wouldn't know about their past, would they?" Gideon figured that if it wasn't directly related to anything Alex did, then it had to do with someone related to him. "It's possible that it is his parents that they are after, or because he is their son… I'm not exactly sure."
"That wouldn't explain the cloak and daggers approach, surely they would just go after him directly." Grey knew that if the nobles disliked someone for their heritage, then they wouldn't be so indirect. "That and the Holy Order ganging up with some small-town guild director to target poor commoners that had been helped by Alex."
"Not if Alex belonged to a noble family they can't afford to upset." Gideon agreed with Grey, he doubted they would go to such lengths for any ordinary family or even a noble family. "… Or let him know that he belongs to one…"
"It would have to be one of the major clans in Averia, particularly one that the Holy Order would prefer to keep in their good graces…" Paylor didn't believe in Emerald's idea, he was only pondering aloud for the sake of curiosity and because the twins let him take the dark jade armour. "The only plausible clans that fit that criteria are the Original Six Clans, two of which have long since disappeared. Of the last four, only one…"
Paylor stopped, his breath slow and his eyes wide. His skin suddenly paled as he stumbled against the carriage, spooking the horses somewhat. Grey immediately rushed to his side to steady him, though Paylor shooed him off and stood upright, setting his piercing eyes upon Gideon.
"Boy, if you are right then…" Paylor had to swallow hard as he thought over the information rattling in his mind, the large-scale consequences that could very well shake the world's hierarchy as they knew it, consequences that could spell the end for countless lives. "Then Alex is at the centre of a storm that could level the entire land of Altharia…"
Silence reigned over the area, not even the birds or insects made a sound, the deafening stillness chilled the air as worried glances passed between each of them, praying that the old man was making this up to scare them.
"What… what are you talking about?" Grey stumbled with his words, he was used to the old man tricking him occasionally, making light of something serious. Yet his actions moments ago, they were genuine, Grey had only ever seen that reaction from him once before. The day his mother died.
"If Emerald is right…" Paylor paused, staring at all of them before stopping at Gideon. Heaving a deep breath, he finished his sentence. "Then Alex could be the lost heir to the Silver Wolf clan."
To Gideon and Rhordan, the Silver Wolf clan didn't mean much other than a possible name for one of the original six clans. Though the reaction from the other three adventurers told them what they needed to know, they had stumbled and gone as white as Paylor's hair. The deathly chill froze them harshly, Gideon swore he saw a snowflake drift past his face.
"The Silver Wolf clan's lost heir died nearly sixteen years! When he was one year old!" Sapphire exclaimed, refusing to believe the utter nonsense that had left Paylor's mouth. "Alex is seventeen years old, that would make them…"
Her words died in her throat as she realised what she had said, that Alex would be the exact same age as the lost heir. Sapphire shook her head, pacing back and forth as she tried to rationalise the swirling thoughts in her mind.
"I barely noticed Alex before, I only ever looked into him because of how often he visited Bardia, but from the few stories I heard of Alex, and the reports from some old friends of mine…" Paylor scratched his chin pensively, his mind slowly putting together the scattered pieces of a story. "Alex was found just north of Calatos, in a town called Brightmar, that is only a few leagues away from the incident that claimed the Silver Wolf's lost heir."
"No one would bother to look for the heir of one of the six original clans in that hovel." Xan grunted, clasping his head as he tried in vain to wrap his head around it. He had been good friends with Alex, they had gone on many missions together, and now he found out that not only is his friend the possible heir to one of the six original clans, but he also has a major target on his back. "Brightmar is considered a bandit's haven, and the number of orphans they have scrambling around the streets from the many nobles dumping half-blood children they don't want anyone knowing about would make it impossible for anyone to find the lost heir. "
"Why? I don't understand why, what would they gain by going after the people Alex helped? Why would they want to go after him in the first place?" Sapphire rattled off, she was practically spinning in circles now, unable to calm down.
"Perception…" Gideon stated coldly, his mind drawing back to the conversation he had with Baltharn. His word brought all of their attention to him, hoping he could provide an answer, or at least part of one. "They somehow found out about Alex, but if that information was ever leaked, that Alex was the lost heir, after he had been intentionally killed by one or more organisations, what would happen?"
"War." Paylor stated, catching onto Gideon's line of thinking. "They can't run the risk that if they kill Alex and his identity somehow getting back to the Silver Wolf clan, they would be signing their own deaths, and that of their followers and families."
"But…" Gideon continued, finally putting the last piece of the puzzle together, the last piece that fits it all together. "What if you discredit Alex permanently…"
"It wouldn't matter if his identity came out, no one would believe it." Xan stated before roaring in rage, swinging around and shattering a tree with a single hit. Taking several breaths, he calmed down enough to ask the question on his mind. "How?!"
"How else…" Gideon solemnly stated, trying not to let the anger inside him bubble up at the dastardly plan concocted against the teen that had saved his and Rhordan's life. "How do you discredit a commoner in a noble world?"
"You make him show that he doesn't belong." Rhordan finished off his words, she could see it now, especially from the viewpoint of a titan. "If many of the people I went out of my way to save were suddenly put through a living hell that would most likely claim their lives, and I found out it was done deliberately, I doubt I could restrain myself."
"Baltharn…" Sapphire lent against the carriage, unable to continue standing. "He hasn't covered up one bit of his tracks, leaving enough breadcrumbs around to point to him."
"And if that wasn't enough, a few stories from the resident and trusted inn keeper should nudge him in the right direction." Gideon sighed, now it all made sense. They had been played since the beginning, used as pawns in a much larger game.
"Why?" Sapphire couldn't speak more than a word, she stared at Gideon and Paylor. "Why would they do all of this? Surely it would be far better if you were seen to have brought the lost heir back?"
"Not if the next in line to clan throne is corrupt." Paylor grunted, venom and hatred rang in his voice. "It hasn't been decided yet who would be next in line, but if Averia managed to get someone they could control on the throne then…"
"It would be a storm that levels the entirety of Altharia. One where Averia would become the new dominant power on the land, not even the six clans could stand against them, Silver Wolf is the strongest out of all six of them." Grey muttered aloud, finishing off Paylor's open statement after the old man grew quiet. "What now? What do we do?"
No one spoke, they all looked helplessly around at each other, as if the freezing cold had sealed shut their mouths. It was Xan who finally managed to speak first, breaking the silence and the frosty cage around them.
"I'm going to Larravass, find my friend and protect him." Xan all but roared his resolve, a determined look in his eye attested to it. His words startled the others, unable to think as they admired the hulking brute's resolve. "Then, I am going to make them all pay for trying to ruin my friend's life."
"We are going to." Rhordan stepped up, joining Xan's cry and standing resolutely beside him. "Alex helped us when we had nothing, without him we wouldn't be here."
"Agreed." Gideon followed on shortly beside her with a slight note of hesitation in his agreement, though he and Rhordan had very little dealings with Alex, he had gone out of his way to help them when he didn't need to. Gideon could never forget his kindness nor his generosity, though the danger and risk involved with going up against the Holy Order and possibly the Kingdom of Averia had him afraid for his and Rhordan's life. He vowed he would do what he could to help Alex, but if it ever came down to deciding between Rhordan's life or Alex's then he was going to choose Rhordan's without a second thought.
"Sigh… What the hell, it's isn't like I have anything better to do." Sapphire sighed as she agreed, standing beside the other three. A part of her wanted to hide away from this brewing storm of destruction, but she couldn't bring herself to back down when she knew she could do something to stop it. "And I can't leave these two with blockhead, he'll have them on the wrong side of Literia within a week."
"Hey!" Xan grunted as the two exchanged glares, growling like feral beasts waiting for the off to maul the other.
"I want to go as well." Grey stated, looking hopefully at the old man as if he was asking for permission. Paylor heaved a deep sigh, rubbing his face in exasperation.
"Fine." Paylor reluctantly grunted, he knew all too well how much Grey had been longing for an adventure, or at least something that came with a side of mortal peril. Grey's eyes lit up, he looked exuberant at finally being set free, to travel to Larravass and try stop a coup. "But! You will make this delivery on time, you won't cause trouble for them… and you will follow Xanforess' orders. Is that clear?"
"Understood, Sir!" Grey bowed to the old man, grateful that he was finally given the chance to leave the supervision of his family. He had grown up with them constantly looking over his shoulder, telling him what he should do or think, it irritated the life out of him. That was why he rebelled, any time one of his family told how he should act, he did the opposite. It got on all of their nerves enough that they quickly and quietly curried him away to the old man as soon as possible, said old man turned out to be somewhat the same, just a little less strict and a lot less controlling other than the obligatory order of staying within Bardia.
"I need to return to my shop, I have some old friends that I need to contact." Paylor stated before anyone could ask why he relegated the delivery to Grey, he started walking off towards the town, stopping once to cast his eyes over them one last time. "When you get to Larravass, find Alex's master. I doubt that grouchy cantankerous old fool would willingly have any part in their plan, unless they found his weakness that is."
With that, Paylor left. Leaving them all standing there, glaring holes into his back, irked that the old man had hopefully given them a carrot to follow before dashing it out of their sight.
"We should head out, we won't make it Larravass if we stand here with our jaws hanging open. " Sapphire stated before heading towards the carriage, saddling himself at the reigns, the large wooden bench she sat had enough space for two which Grey took up as he joined her. Xan, Gideon and Rhordan went around the back, hopping into the already crowded container area.
The rear of the carriage had been filled with crates and barrels, enough to fill it almost to capacity, but left enough room for a few passengers. With a crack of the reigns the two powerful black stallions hidden somewhat behind the trees set to work pulling the carriage out of the dense forest and back onto the main road, heading towards Larravass.
Meanwhile
Conrad and Elisa sat in Baltharn's office quietly waiting for the guild director to speak, the expedition had been a catastrophic disaster as seven of the adventurers they had taken with them had been killed excluding the two that died in the first floor, countless others were gravely injured. They had struggled to fend off the Ice Spine Panther, though they managed to force it to flee after it found them difficult prey to eat. After trawling through the tunnels, they counted the dead and corralled the injured towards the emergency exits before accidently stumbling across Butch's charred body, how she survived such an attack baffled them though they knew not what caused it. They did know it had something to do with the twins as they were following their magical trail in an attempt to find them, though they lost it shortly after finding Butch.
However, what baffled them the most had been the expedition in the first place, they had never done such a thing for the low ranked adventurers before. That, and the fact that they had to keep an eye of brothers while not revealing Butch's identity. Altogether, it had them outraged and suspicious of Baltharn, they had practically demanded that he speak to them otherwise they would go to the local guard with what little they already had. Though it was a vague threat, it was one that had the guild director on edge the moment he heard it.
Baltharn had ushered them into his office and now sat before them, sighing deeply as he looked to be awaiting something, or someone. That someone burst through the door not a minute later in the form of a hulking mass, the large brutish innkeeper of the Blue Cat Inn stood before the instructors and Baltharn, thunder stricken across his face.
"How is she?" Baltharn asked, staring at the lumbering behemoth who shifted his piercing gaze from him to the instructors and back again.
"Crispy." Bob's curt response had Conrad snorting slightly and Elisa covering her mouth in a vain attempt not to laugh, the two knew of Butch's reputation and didn't like her one bit, they relished in the fact that she was in the state she was. Their amusement was cut short as the looming beast glared death upon them, daring them to continue their merriment. "The healers may be able to restore her vanity, but her magical core got damaged in the attack, they doubt she will ever return to normal again. If she hadn't been so reckless then she wouldn't be in her current state, a simple mana shield would have saved her…"
"Hmph! Serves her right." Elisa grunted, uncaring to the massive brute who now glared directly at her. She still couldn't believe that Baltharn had intentionally send Butch of all people to kill or maim the two young brothers, whatever her fate was now, it was karma for all Elisa could care.
"How did they find out?" Baltharn groaned, it was the only reasonable excuse to explain their escape attempt and Butch's current state. Butch had serious skills in tracking and hunting down her prey, she wouldn't have revealed herself unless they were trying to escape, and she wouldn't have let them get away no matter what. "I swear if Chrysanthis…"
"Had nothing to do with it." Bob interrupted him, slamming down the book that Baltharn had given the brothers along with a sack that jingled upon impact, the sound of silver hitting one another. "Those two are far smarter than we gave them credit, and they are hiding something from more than just us. That green-eyed one, he asked too many questions, I should have shot him down… didn't think he could work it out."
"Nevertheless, we can't allow them to reach Larravass." Baltharn steepled his hands, pensively thinking of their options. With Butch out of play, the nearest assassin around would take days to reach Bardia, and the brothers already have a head start. Though, even on horseback, they would take at least two weeks to reach Larravass, enough time for an assassin to catch up on a tamed magical beast.
"Why not send these two." Bob turned to glare malevolently at the instructors, a wicked glint appearing in his eyes as he smiled at them. Elisa wanted to vehemently oppose the idea when Conrad placed a hand on her shoulder, silencing her effectively. "Hmph, and here I thought you lack common sense."
Elisa tried to glare at Conrad, who only shook his head. Conrad had never met Bob until this point, he had previously been appointed to the Averia Adventurer's Guild branch and on occasion came to Bardia to run the exams. Seeing Bob face to face, feeling the overwhelming power he possessed as well as having affiliations with someone like Jane Butch left only one possible answer as to who Bob really was.
"What can we do for the Averia King's Special Executioner, Brutus Ironcore." Conrad spelled it out for Elisa, who turned deathly pale as she stared horrified at the hulking brute behind them. Brutus's face was only known by few among the crown guard, but his name was legendary. If the king ever wanted someone dead, or at least dissuaded from trying to avert his rule, Brutus would pay them a personal visit. Except, recently he had gone missing, few rumours spoke of him being killed while others spoke of him on a mission to protect the king.
"Glad to see you know your place, Conrad." Brutus took extra care to sound out his name, putting emphasis on his point of knowing one's own place. "You two are going to hunt down and kill those brothers before they reach Larravass… otherwise you will be considered traitors to Averia."
A chill ran down their spines, his words were genuine. The Special Executioner worked at the command of the king, one word from him and all of Averia would hunt them down and kill them. They couldn't even go to any of the other two kingdoms as they didn't have the power nor the will to protect someone like them, as for Larravass, though they are stronger than Averia, they too wouldn't help two instructors from the adventurer's guild.
"What are you two waiting for?" Brutus coldly stated, moving away from the door. He smiled darkly as the two begrudgingly exited the building, a gloomy expression on their faces. Turning to Baltharn, he glared harshly. "You better hope they don't make it to Larravass."
Before Baltharn had a chance to speak, Brutus barraged out of his office, thundering down the corridor at a high speed. Leaving Baltharn to sit there for a moment, before he looked at the book. Pulling open the pouch, he found the exact silver that the two owed him, they had paid him in full. Opening the book, a piece of paper fell out, curiously he opened it.
We couldn't find anything on the tomb, we return this book to you and the silver we owe you. As per our deal, you won't interfere with us when we decide to go to Larravass, now is that time.
The handwriting was not much better than a scrawl, but it was legible enough to read. Baltharn sighed, he folded the piece of paper back into the book before returning to work, hoping the distraction would spare him from knowing that he had broken his promise to the brothers.
Hours passed as Baltharn worked out his sullen mood, though his mind was in turmoil, he managed to fill out that day's work quota. He worked long into the night, stopping finally when he had completed his work. Clearing his desk, he pulled out a bag from one of the draws of the desk, filling it with a few items into it including the book.
Leaving the guild building, he travelled his usual route out of Bardia, admiring the vast expanse of stars overhead. He lived in a small house outside Bardia, it was nice and tranquil. As he walked along the road, he felt a presence watching him, though one that held no animosity towards him. Turning his gaze to the presence, he found himself staring at Paylor Blitzenwolf, the old blacksmith of the Yellow Bird Armoury.
"What can I help you with, Lord Blitzenwolf?" Baltharn bowed low to show respect to the elder before him, casting away the dark looming thoughts swirling in his mind. Paylor stared at the guild director, pensively thinking before he spoke.
"I am wondering why you would try to have two boys killed." Paylor's words caused Baltharn to flinch harshly, he should have known that they would tell as many others as they could. "I couldn't figure it out at first, that was until they said you gave them a special quest to look for a particular fairy tale regarding the Arc Mage."
Baltharn remained quiet, he couldn't anger Paylor nor could he fight him. Lord Blitzenwolf was highly praised as the master of close-quarter combat, at the distance they are now, Blitzenwolf could easily kill him with little to no effort.
"A fairy tale that, if I remember correctly, your wife searched for endlessly." Paylor watched as his words hit, the flinch that rocked Baltharn was clearly visible. "Your wife, a beautiful woman, and yet she unfortunately resides within a medical institute for mental afflictions in Averia."
"So, what if she is." Baltharn couldn't keep quiet, he didn't like Lord Blitzenwolf's line of questioning, nor did he want him to discuss his wife sickness so casually. Paylor merely smiled at the guild director, knowing he was hitting the mark.
"Do you even know why you are going after these youngsters?" Paylor redirected the question, hoping to draw Baltharn out of his shell. "And don't bother trying to make anything up for I know the truth."
"…I don't know…" Baltharn reluctantly admitted after an extended pause, he had tried to think up of an answer that could placate Lord Blitzenwolf, but if the master fighter knew the answer then he would definitely get himself killed if he tried to lie. Paylor burst out laughing, unable to contain himself as he learned of Baltharn's naivety.
"You don't know why they are targeting Alex Greyhound?" Paylor's question was purely rhetorical, he could only shake his head as he watched Baltharn looked perplexed at his mood. "Has it ever occurred to you to look into his past, to know that he was found in Brightmar, and that he is seventeen years old."
"What does that have to do with any of this?!" Baltharn felt a like child being lectured to, the teacher standing there gleefully watching him torment himself over trying to understand the reason why his actions were truly heinous beyond that of what he already knew.
"Seventeen years old, found in Brightmar the closest town to Fatal Valley, and now has not just the Holy Order and Averia after him and they both have power far greater than the entirety of the Silver Bloodhounds, yet they daren't touch him directly out of fear and apprehension of retaliation from the Silver Wolf if they ever found out the truth." Paylor spelled it out for Baltharn, showing the pieces and letting him work it out for himself. As the guild director of an adventurer's guild branch, he was privy to many intel reports and news of the happenings of the nobles of Averia.
"The lost heir…" Baltharn paled drastically, unable to stop the blood draining from his face. "But… why?"
"It seems that I was right… To gain control of one of the six clans." Paylor curtly stated, conveying enough for Baltharn to understand what secret plot he was unwittingly and unwillingly contributing to. "Your task was to incite Alex into attack you and discrediting him, which would mean if word ever got out about him possibly being the lost heir would be squashed as the baying of a commoner who doesn't know their place."
"I should have known it was weird that my task was to get him to attack me… but this…" Baltharn couldn't wrap his mind around this, he previously thought that the people around the Silver Bloodhounds wanted the rising star squashed so they wouldn't have to hear his name anymore, but this was far beyond anything he could have ever thought to be a plausible reason for his part.
"If the king of Averia manages to get someone under his control into the spot of the clan leader of the Silver Wolf clan, then not even Larravass would dare stand against him." Paylor sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a second before opening them to find Baltharn looking deathly pale. "I can only assume that because your wife is in one of the institutes in Averia, that she is what they are holding over your head."
The sullen look crossing Baltharn's face told Paylor everything he needed to know, though he didn't know much of the guild director other than his wife, he was sure of his nature from what little he garnered from Emerald. Baltharn only targeted those that Alex Greyhound helped specifically and only applied enough pressure to cause them anguish rather than what most wretched nobles would do if they were in his place, if he really was evil then he wouldn't stop there. He only did what was absolutely necessary to complete the task set to him by whoever was controlling him.
"For now, return to your duties. I will be in touch soon." Paylor stated before turning away, about to leave when Baltharn called out to him.
"Wait, what do you mean you'll be in touch?" Baltharn had expected to be killed or at least seriously mauled for his part in going after the supposed lost heir, for allowing the king to get away with getting one of the six original clans under his control. The power of Averia combined with the Silver Wolf clan, would make them far stronger than Larravass, and any other kingdom. If the king succeeds, then there will be no power on Altharia that can stop him. The thought of the horrific acts he would do to those that opposed him would give anyone cause to safeguard Alex until he can prove himself to be the lost heir.
"It will take time for me to get trusted agents in place around your wife, but once we do, you can atone for your sins without having to worry about your wife being dragged into this." Paylor stated, only stopping to turn his head to look at Baltharn. If he could secure an agent like Baltharn against the king, then they would have a good foothold on their goal to rescue Alex and stop the king of Averia.
Baltharn stared dumbfoundedly at Lord Blitzenwolf, all this time he could think of nothing else other than the fate that awaited his wife if he ever failed the king. Though, the words from the hulking brute from earlier rattled in his mind.
"If those brothers make it to Larravass, she is as good as dead… they forced Conrad and Elisa to hunt them down and kill them." Baltharn blurted out, drawing Paylor back into the conversation. Blitzenwolf pensively thought on the matter, though somewhat baffled as to who could force someone like Conrad to do something against his will. He had left the crown guard against the personal wishes of the king. "And… Bob…"
"I know of Bob, he is a spy. Don't worry too much about him." Paylor dismissed him as he tried to think around the issue, he needed the brothers as if it wasn't for them then he would have gone on blissfully unaware of the looming danger, that and their apparent ability for deductive reasoning could prove extremely useful. As for Baltharn, he wasn't been told much, so it would be acceptable to rescue his wife and take the both of them to a safe location for the time being. Taking out the link to the adventurer's guild in Bardia may tip his hand to those orchestrating this coup, but if they try to retaliate then they may just expose Alex to those that matter and solve the entire matter without him ever having to lift a finger.
"No! You don't understand." Baltharn cried out, if Lord Blitzenwolf's word were true then he could not only escape the clutches of the king, but be reunited with his wife as well, then he had to be sure that Paylor knew what he was up against. "Bob's real name is Special Executioner, Brutus Ironcore."
Silence reigned over the still night, the only sound escaping after awhile was Paylor sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"That… complicates things." Paylor grumpily admitted, if Brutus was involved then there was little gap in communication between Bardia and the king himself. With that little breathing room, any operation they pulled would have to be airtight and fool proof, an impossible combo. "Let's hope those brothers can survive till Larravass… two weeks to plan and execute a kidnapping from Averia… this is going to be fun."
Paylor rubbed his face with both of his hands, he did relish in the doing the impossible, but this was on another level. If anything went wrong, they would have the whole of Averia baring down upon them as he doubted the king would let Baltharn's wife escape, especially if he deliberately placed someone like Brutus as Baltharn's handler. His previous notion of not having to worry about retaliation from the king fell apart, if they don't make Baltharn's wife's rescue seem anything more than the guild adventurer paying mercs to smuggler her out of the kingdom then things will drastically fall apart.
"For now, I need you to keep Brutus busy." Paylor stated, staring directly at Baltharn. He knew that if the guild director made a mistake then he would most likely be killed, but with a task like this, any advantages he could get he would take. "The less he is looking at me or anyone else the better."
"Shouldn't be much of a problem, been tricking that walking mountain as often as I could to spare those youngsters' lives." Baltharn grinned, though his wife was at risk of meeting an untimely demise, he couldn't just stand back and watch youngsters full of life be torn apart. "It was Butch that was the problem, getting anything by her was impossible, well she was a problem until she returned from the dungeon."
"Taking a blast gem to face would do that." Paylor and Baltharn shared a short laugh, the humour easing the tense moment. "Those brothers are devious and tricky, I don't know who they are but right now I have more pressing concerns rather than why they try to masquerade around as commoners."
"Their backstory is quite believable actually, though you are right. Green-eyes isn't one to let your guard down around." Baltharn chuckled before staring seriously at Paylor, conveying the second sentence as a warning and a piece of advice. "Whoever they are… I'm just glad they are on our side."
"I take that as your acceptance to my plan?" Paylor grinned at the guild director, he knew that there was always a chance that Baltharn could run back and tell Brutus, but if he was accepting the plan out right then the risk dropped significantly.
"If you can promise to get my wife out safely, then I'll do whatever you ask of me." Baltharn resolutely stated, staring firmly at Lord Blitzenwolf. A nagging thought sprang into his mind, one that he knew he had to at least ask. "May I ask for a selfish request?"
"Speak." Paylor desired to be off this road quickly, any chance of a passer-by seeing them talking to one another could reach the ears of Brutus, and then things would be far trickier.
"Look out for Chrysanthis. I doubt Brutus would spare her if me and my wife suddenly disappear off the map." Baltharn had grown to like Chrysanthis, as one would of a niece. She was bright and cheerful, always willing to help others even if it meant using up her free time or even out of her own pocket as he had seen once before. He couldn't bear the thought of her suffering because of him.
"Don't worry, I doubt the brothers will forgive me if anything happens to her." Paylor grinned, quickly turning away and walking towards Bardia, leaving Baltharn in the quiet darkness.
For the first time in a long while, Baltharn let a happy smile cross his lips. He sighed pleasantly, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Quickly steeling himself, he let his uncaring and harsh mask fall back into place, hiding the blooming hope growing in his heart. He set off towards his home, intent on doing everything he could to assist Lord Blitzenwolf in anyway he could.
Author's Note: Who knew Baltharn was the good guy, and Bob's the bad guy? Plot Twist!
(May post another chapter tomorrow)
You have no idea how much I wanted to make a kentucy fried chicken joke, but I had to be serious about my writing and show that I can make a good joke without being crude about it. Though Butch is someone that isn't to be trifled with, I think I might have her make a return at a later point for revenge, but who knows…
As for Baltharn, not much is known about his background, not even Brutus knows much about him other than his wife falling ill with a sickness of the mind (mental affliction of some sort that I haven't fully figured out what it will be but for now the people of this world call it a sickness as a generalised term).
I know that there was a whole lot of seemingly random parts thrown together to form a semblance of a plot but it does work somewhat since the pair have been trained by Robin to look for clues and piece them together like a detective would to form a plan. Truthfully, the others don't fully believe the plot, but because Paylor realised that Brutus himself was playing a part in the plot then it meant it had to be somewhat true. For now they all are following along since they know Alex is a person who goes out of his way to help those that cannot help themselves, they all want to return the favour that Alex does for others.
That said, Garfield is reluctant to help Alex, not because he isn't grateful or willing to repay the favour Alex did for them, but because this new world is seriously unforgiving and they already had enough issues without adding in a mixture of the Holy Order and the kingdom of Averia. To put it bluntly, Garfield will help out as much as he can, but if it incurs the full wraith of Averia then he will bow out and drag Rhordan with him, he has to prioritise their own safety over getting involved in some fantasy book revolution against a corrupt king.
Also, regarding what Brutus was taking about Butch being reckless, those of a higher magical ranking can effortlessly project a magical shield around them that would have lessen the blow of magical attacks, its not perfect and can only lessen the magical attack of the same element or whatever is weak against it, however there is an exception to holy magic uses as their barrier takes a more of all round effect since most elements don't respond naturally to it. That was why he was saying that Butch was reckless, she hadn't put thought that the brothers could harm her at her current physical rank and completely dismissed the idea that there was any form of magical item they could possess that could do her harm.
Comments:
Eris- Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you liked Gideon's escape plan, though it fell through due to him underestimating magic. If he had conferred with Raven then he might have eluded a few of the mistakes he made.
Hope this chapter answered your questions. Conrad and Elisa are instructors who look after young adventurers, but that doesn't mean they can go against the guild director's orders, or that of the Holy Order.
As for the recent update, I have a few of the next chapters in their first draft state, I need to edit them but they are basically ready to be published. I'm thinking of posting the next chapter tomorrow, though I am still working out a few kinks in the story.