Chapter V: The Gathering
The stage has been set. With the death of the arrogant swordsman who dared to control him and the attack on the wizard and assassin Devlin was the topic of many rumors spreading across Midgard. The streets, taverns, and almost everywhere imaginable were filled with parties and guilds in search for this force of nature. The legend was slowly coming together; it was merely a matter of time before it was fully formed.
As the people of Midgard searched for this man of incredible force, they were clueless as to where in the world he really was. It seemed that as soon as he did something of significance he was gone in the next instant.
Devlin and Cleo had just entered the desert south of the Willow Forest. They were now making their way to the Pyramids. But first, they must quietly slip into the desert trade post known as Morroc. They had to replenish their supplies and lodge there for a while and wait for the Pyramids and its immediate area to be clear of the numerous parties trying to search for him.
This was really how Devlin avoided them. Instead of being one step ahead, he preferred to be one step behind. It was really a practical strategy. Since most of the parties followed each other there was only one location they searched at a time. To remain behind them would provide them with enough cover to move freely.
"It's really, really, really hot here!" Cleo complained. "Can't we go a little more to the south where it's cooler? The climate here is terrible. How could the people of Morroc bear the heat?"
"You asked for an adventure, and that's what I'm giving you," Devlin replied. It was pleasant for him to be finally traveling with someone. He used to feel that it took forever for him to get anywhere he was going. Now, however, because he has someone to talk to he never noticed the journey. Although the desert was hot it was necessary for them to head for the pyramids.
As they entered the city, Devlin was cloaked, they went on to find the local inn. The city was bustling with all the people. It was a merchant's haven, shoppers as far as the eyes can see. It was proving difficult to find any inn with a vacancy. Devlin really didn't mind the price because he was carrying a small fortune with him. And if he needed any money he always could go to the local Kafra employees and request to take money from his account. He never really needed one before but because he recently acquired a fortune because of the new Orc Graveyard he had to open up an account while he was in Izlude.
After nearly three hours of searching, they finally got a room in a very big inn. It was one of the better rooms the inn had to offer, but Devlin didn't mind since they would probably stay there for a couple of days to a week. His only real problem with the room was its bed, not that it wasn't comfortable or anything like that. In fact it was too comfortable, the only problem is it's a king sized single bed. He tried to get a room with twin beds, but since the clerk thought they were a couple, they looked good together, and it was the first room to be available they had to take it.
Devlin spent a lot of money to find accommodations and yet, for all that money, he had to sleep in the floor. At least Cleo was enjoying herself, it was worth it. She even offered to sleep on the floor knowing how much he spent to get the room. And when Devlin refused, she offered to let him sleep on the bed. Devlin was a quick thinker; he used every plausible excuse to sleep on the floor.
They spent a pleasant afternoon on the porch overlooking the city. They talked about everything, from their plans to their interests. As the sun slowly set they were treated to a spectacular change of color both in the sky and the city skyline as shop lights flickered on one by one. Darkness soon followed. They were free to roam the streets in search of useful rations that they would need in the pyramids. Under the moonlight, they looked like the perfect couple to most, and few even suspected of their true identities. But of course, not all could be fooled. An assassin quickly recognized him as the man his party has been searching for.
The assassin's party was composed of three knights, a priestess, and another assassin. They were searching for the great Lord Devlin ever since they've heard of his creation of an Orc Graveyard. They first heard of him through most of Morroc's locals talking about a swordsman who killed one of the members of the notorious swordsmen parties that preyed on Morroc. They later learned of his knighthood and his name. Such was their admiration for him that they were going to pledge their allegiance to him. They were not the only party who was looking for him with the same reason, but it was really fortunate for them to have found him.
The assassin tailed them until he learned of where they lodged. He quickly assembled his party to tell them of the good news. They reached a decision as to how they were going to approach him. They wanted to meet with him in private, but not in his lodgings, it would be disrespectful, so they decided to send him a letter. They arranged for him to meet with them just outside Morroc.
Devlin had no idea what the letter was about, but decided to go to the designated meeting area to find out what these people wanted. He didn't think of it to be so serious that he didn't mind Cleo coming along. When he arrived he found a small party waiting for him. They started murmuring among themselves when they saw him walking up to them. They gave several approving nods when they saw him, indeed he looked like a man worthy of respect.
"Lord Devlin," the priestess said. "We would like to request that you admit us into your service. We would swear our loyalty only to you. We would carry out any of your wishes and protect you with our very lives. Would you grant us this humble request?"
"Lord Devlin?" Devlin repeated. "I think you are mistaken. I am not a lord, but merely a knight."
"We are not mistaken," answered one of the knights. "You are indeed our Lord Devlin."
"I really don't know to what I owe this honor, but please tell me why you want to serve me?" Devlin asked. "I am curious as to why anyone would want to serve me. I have nothing to offer."
"Merely being at your service is enough reward for us," the priestess answered. "Please accept us as your followers."
Devlin knew they were being sincere about their request. But he was still puzzled as to why anyone would want to serve him when he had not yet made a name for himself as a knight. He could not disrespect them by refusing so he gladly received them. "What are your names?"
The priestess answered for all of them. "I am Catherine, that knight with the spear is Alexander, the one with the Poring is Eidenborough, and the last knight to join us is Maxwell. The assassins are Vincent, the one who found you, and Vladimir."
"It is a pleasure," Devlin answered. "This is my friend, Cleo. We went here to train in the pyramids but there are still a lot of people looking for me in the area. We can't train until they leave."
"Do you want us to accompany you to the pyramids when you train her?" Vladimir asked hopefully. "We could be of great help. I know the layout of the pyramid well and we can protect her if there was anything that went wrong."
Devlin considered having them around while they trained and agreed. It would be better if they had help and someone familiar with the pyramid's interior. They later went back into the city and parted ways. Little did anyone know that the Order of Death was slowly taking form. They would train in the pyramids for a few days with the help of the small party and then move on to the next stop.
The pyramid was a cursed place. Scattered bones came to life through the evil spirits trapped within its walls. There would never be a shortage of enemies throughout their stay. The only real danger was that the evil spirits never stopped possessing skeletons that you could never really be sure of your safety. They would have to leave every night to stay safe while they sleep.
Cleo wasn't confident if she could take on any of the walking skeletons. Devlin has really done well to teach her how to defend herself, but with a walking skeleton she seemed to loose her confidence. Catherine saw Cleo's dilemma and offered to keep her company while she trained to protect her in the event Cleo was faced with a horde.
Cleo was beginning to relax because of Catherine's help. She grew confident with each spirit they were able to exorcise. It wasn't really that bad; she discovered she could handle it after all. But she occasionally got in over her head and needed Catherine to support her with sanctuary fields set up to protect them. As Cleo focused on healing the skeletons, a skeleton archer from the end of the hallway sent his arrow from his bow with such speed it whistled as it sped through the hallway. The sanctuary field vanished and Cleo turned back to see what happened. Catherine had been hit in the back and now fell over and was resting her weight on Cleo. Cleo was now alone facing a horde of skeletons coming after her.
At that moment she felt herself drained of all strength, it only lasted a second, and then she felt sick. She immediately understood her situation. Despair had begun to take its grip on her. In that instant she remembered Devlin, where was he, she thought?
The stage has been set. With the death of the arrogant swordsman who dared to control him and the attack on the wizard and assassin Devlin was the topic of many rumors spreading across Midgard. The streets, taverns, and almost everywhere imaginable were filled with parties and guilds in search for this force of nature. The legend was slowly coming together; it was merely a matter of time before it was fully formed.
As the people of Midgard searched for this man of incredible force, they were clueless as to where in the world he really was. It seemed that as soon as he did something of significance he was gone in the next instant.
Devlin and Cleo had just entered the desert south of the Willow Forest. They were now making their way to the Pyramids. But first, they must quietly slip into the desert trade post known as Morroc. They had to replenish their supplies and lodge there for a while and wait for the Pyramids and its immediate area to be clear of the numerous parties trying to search for him.
This was really how Devlin avoided them. Instead of being one step ahead, he preferred to be one step behind. It was really a practical strategy. Since most of the parties followed each other there was only one location they searched at a time. To remain behind them would provide them with enough cover to move freely.
"It's really, really, really hot here!" Cleo complained. "Can't we go a little more to the south where it's cooler? The climate here is terrible. How could the people of Morroc bear the heat?"
"You asked for an adventure, and that's what I'm giving you," Devlin replied. It was pleasant for him to be finally traveling with someone. He used to feel that it took forever for him to get anywhere he was going. Now, however, because he has someone to talk to he never noticed the journey. Although the desert was hot it was necessary for them to head for the pyramids.
As they entered the city, Devlin was cloaked, they went on to find the local inn. The city was bustling with all the people. It was a merchant's haven, shoppers as far as the eyes can see. It was proving difficult to find any inn with a vacancy. Devlin really didn't mind the price because he was carrying a small fortune with him. And if he needed any money he always could go to the local Kafra employees and request to take money from his account. He never really needed one before but because he recently acquired a fortune because of the new Orc Graveyard he had to open up an account while he was in Izlude.
After nearly three hours of searching, they finally got a room in a very big inn. It was one of the better rooms the inn had to offer, but Devlin didn't mind since they would probably stay there for a couple of days to a week. His only real problem with the room was its bed, not that it wasn't comfortable or anything like that. In fact it was too comfortable, the only problem is it's a king sized single bed. He tried to get a room with twin beds, but since the clerk thought they were a couple, they looked good together, and it was the first room to be available they had to take it.
Devlin spent a lot of money to find accommodations and yet, for all that money, he had to sleep in the floor. At least Cleo was enjoying herself, it was worth it. She even offered to sleep on the floor knowing how much he spent to get the room. And when Devlin refused, she offered to let him sleep on the bed. Devlin was a quick thinker; he used every plausible excuse to sleep on the floor.
They spent a pleasant afternoon on the porch overlooking the city. They talked about everything, from their plans to their interests. As the sun slowly set they were treated to a spectacular change of color both in the sky and the city skyline as shop lights flickered on one by one. Darkness soon followed. They were free to roam the streets in search of useful rations that they would need in the pyramids. Under the moonlight, they looked like the perfect couple to most, and few even suspected of their true identities. But of course, not all could be fooled. An assassin quickly recognized him as the man his party has been searching for.
The assassin's party was composed of three knights, a priestess, and another assassin. They were searching for the great Lord Devlin ever since they've heard of his creation of an Orc Graveyard. They first heard of him through most of Morroc's locals talking about a swordsman who killed one of the members of the notorious swordsmen parties that preyed on Morroc. They later learned of his knighthood and his name. Such was their admiration for him that they were going to pledge their allegiance to him. They were not the only party who was looking for him with the same reason, but it was really fortunate for them to have found him.
The assassin tailed them until he learned of where they lodged. He quickly assembled his party to tell them of the good news. They reached a decision as to how they were going to approach him. They wanted to meet with him in private, but not in his lodgings, it would be disrespectful, so they decided to send him a letter. They arranged for him to meet with them just outside Morroc.
Devlin had no idea what the letter was about, but decided to go to the designated meeting area to find out what these people wanted. He didn't think of it to be so serious that he didn't mind Cleo coming along. When he arrived he found a small party waiting for him. They started murmuring among themselves when they saw him walking up to them. They gave several approving nods when they saw him, indeed he looked like a man worthy of respect.
"Lord Devlin," the priestess said. "We would like to request that you admit us into your service. We would swear our loyalty only to you. We would carry out any of your wishes and protect you with our very lives. Would you grant us this humble request?"
"Lord Devlin?" Devlin repeated. "I think you are mistaken. I am not a lord, but merely a knight."
"We are not mistaken," answered one of the knights. "You are indeed our Lord Devlin."
"I really don't know to what I owe this honor, but please tell me why you want to serve me?" Devlin asked. "I am curious as to why anyone would want to serve me. I have nothing to offer."
"Merely being at your service is enough reward for us," the priestess answered. "Please accept us as your followers."
Devlin knew they were being sincere about their request. But he was still puzzled as to why anyone would want to serve him when he had not yet made a name for himself as a knight. He could not disrespect them by refusing so he gladly received them. "What are your names?"
The priestess answered for all of them. "I am Catherine, that knight with the spear is Alexander, the one with the Poring is Eidenborough, and the last knight to join us is Maxwell. The assassins are Vincent, the one who found you, and Vladimir."
"It is a pleasure," Devlin answered. "This is my friend, Cleo. We went here to train in the pyramids but there are still a lot of people looking for me in the area. We can't train until they leave."
"Do you want us to accompany you to the pyramids when you train her?" Vladimir asked hopefully. "We could be of great help. I know the layout of the pyramid well and we can protect her if there was anything that went wrong."
Devlin considered having them around while they trained and agreed. It would be better if they had help and someone familiar with the pyramid's interior. They later went back into the city and parted ways. Little did anyone know that the Order of Death was slowly taking form. They would train in the pyramids for a few days with the help of the small party and then move on to the next stop.
The pyramid was a cursed place. Scattered bones came to life through the evil spirits trapped within its walls. There would never be a shortage of enemies throughout their stay. The only real danger was that the evil spirits never stopped possessing skeletons that you could never really be sure of your safety. They would have to leave every night to stay safe while they sleep.
Cleo wasn't confident if she could take on any of the walking skeletons. Devlin has really done well to teach her how to defend herself, but with a walking skeleton she seemed to loose her confidence. Catherine saw Cleo's dilemma and offered to keep her company while she trained to protect her in the event Cleo was faced with a horde.
Cleo was beginning to relax because of Catherine's help. She grew confident with each spirit they were able to exorcise. It wasn't really that bad; she discovered she could handle it after all. But she occasionally got in over her head and needed Catherine to support her with sanctuary fields set up to protect them. As Cleo focused on healing the skeletons, a skeleton archer from the end of the hallway sent his arrow from his bow with such speed it whistled as it sped through the hallway. The sanctuary field vanished and Cleo turned back to see what happened. Catherine had been hit in the back and now fell over and was resting her weight on Cleo. Cleo was now alone facing a horde of skeletons coming after her.
At that moment she felt herself drained of all strength, it only lasted a second, and then she felt sick. She immediately understood her situation. Despair had begun to take its grip on her. In that instant she remembered Devlin, where was he, she thought?