“Report!”
Even before reaching us, the large man’s steady voice could be heard from the far end of the corridor.
“Surprise attack! Enemy was highly mobile! We.. lost the Druid.”
Upon hearing the short version, the large man, who was already visible beyond the curving stone, slowed his rapid approach.
Slowly scanning the scene, his eyes eventually stopped on Alrox.
“Any life-threatening injuries?”
“No, sir!”
“At ease. What, exactly, happened here?”
“We got ambushed. The enemy’s target was him.”
He nodded his head towards me, with the MIS branch leader likely throwing a short gaze as well, not visible behind the dark glass.
“Did you identify the enemy?”
“...I think I know who it was.”
His answer came as a surprise, at least to me. The ember took a deep breath.
“Redclaw.”
“Redclaw…”
Theodor’s voice no longer carried an undertone of urgency. Instead, when pronouncing the name, as if sampling its taste at the end of his tongue, a tinge of apprehension was evident in his tone.
“Who.. is Redclaw? Also... Alrox... help me with that potion.”
My voice was strained, and my breathing was rugged. The pain in my arms, which I conveniently ignored, was now coming back with a vengeance.
Rather than Alrox, it was actually Theodor who approached me.
“That case?”
I nodded.
He reached towards my potion case, which still held the tiny vial he gave me, half-filled with the precious liquid. From this range, with his large metal ‘fingers’ this close to my body, I finally sensed the source of his dexterity – tiny threads of arcane energy coming from his fingertips.
In a moment, his fingers gripped the tiny vial, raising it to my mouth as he explained.
“A deranged murderer. Rabid beast, always chasing the thrill of the hunt. And an officer in the Crimson Shadows.”
‘Crimson Shadows… of course.’
I wasn’t even even surprised at this point.
As the bitter, yet warm liquid entered my body, I instantly felt my bruises starting to recover.
“Ghh..”
However, the pain in my arms only intensified. Well, I knew it was a good sign, in terms of recovery, at least. Still, judging by Joshua’s state earlier, it would probably be a few days, maybe even a week, until I could properly use my sword.
“Do you know why he was targeting you?”
“I..”
For a moment, I thought about trying to conceal the truth, yet, something told me trying to deceive this man was a very bad idea.
“It started when some low-level gang attacked me in the Slums. Turns out, the Crimson Shadows really were their patrons. Have you heard of the incident in Eastern? The one involving Zod?”
“Hmm…”
The contemplative sound made me believe this man was aware even of that seemingly minor incident.
“Alright. Alrox, continue your report.”
“Sebastian was the first to notice the sudden attack…”
Over the next minute, the ‘ember’ recalled his version of the events, asking me to fill in a few gaps.
“Why did you choose to turn around?”
It was the Transcendent Spellblade who asked the question, evoking a small pause.
“Had you continued down the corridor, you could have avoided a near-certain death.”
At his question, asked in a slow, testing tone, I raised my eyes, definitely.
“It worked out, didn’t it?”
I wasn’t sure, but I could swear a faint chuckle came out from under the helmet.
“This wasn’t what I asked.”
“...”
For a few moments, we stood in silence.
“Some time ago, I promised myself – I said that one day, I’d grow strong enough. Enough to not have to choose – between what I had to do, and what I wanted to do. Between saving a teammate, even a temporary one, and surviving by myself.”
I stopped for a moment.
“I’m still not quite there. But… I felt that if I didn’t act now, when there was a realistic chance… A chance to make a difference… I felt that if I stayed back, it might become a habit. And habits are hard to break.”
The silence descended once more. At the corner of my eye, I noticed Alrox’s subtle look. Despite his lack of words, I could see the gratitude in his eyes.
“Alright. I shall stay here until the main squad arrives. If they hadn’t engaged Redclaw, you should find them at the entrance by the time you’re there.”
Alrox nodded. Meanwhile, I walked to my sword, fruitlessly trying to pick it up, my arms flaring with pain at each attempt.
“Let me help you with that.”
A moment later, a regular Mage Hand, perhaps slightly larger than those I’ve seen so far, gripped the hilt, smoothly returning the sword to my sheath.
“Thank you…”
I couldn’t see Theodor’s expression, but for some reason, I imagined an amused smile behind the visor.
“Now, go. Alrox, use the phrase 'translucent alacrity’. One of them will escort you to the headquarters.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Dismissed.”
“Let’s go.”
Heeding his words without delay, I followed Alrox through the twisted gap in the metal doors.
For a minute, we marched in silence, step fast and senses sharp.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. You did more than me back there.”
Aside from opening up a path to the Druidess, without his arcane contraption, we wouldn’t catch the elder’s attention.
Well, that might’ve seemed like a good thing, but, thinking back, had we rushed back through the corridor, passing by Theodor, that man, Redclaw, might have intercepted us on the way out – then, our chances of survival would truly be zero.
Not to mention, if our diversion was truly the deciding factor in delaying the elder’s attacks enough to prevent the inner chamber from being breached, his decision - which I merely followed - might have saved the city from much bigger troubles.
“Still... even if I saved your life once, you saved it twice. Not to mention, this was supposed to be my job, not yours.”
“Didn’t I sign up for this patrol duty?”
The man chuckled.
“This was a lot of work for 5 gold.”
For the first time in a while - perhaps ever, in this world - I let out an actual laugh, albeit a short one.
“Well, they
did
specify a performance-based bonus.”
Soon, we reached the security lobby leading outside.
On the way there, I didn’t miss the claw marks, newly carved into the floor. It would appear Redclaw rushed through the corridors at top speed, using his movement Skill all the way to the exit.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“What even is that Path?..”
As I mumbled, half to myself, Alrox must have caught my gaze, which just rose up from yet another claw mark.
“Druid. Circle of The Claw.”
“Druid?..”
For a moment, I started getting suspicious – was there more at play here than-
“He’s plagued this city for over two decades now. And… Claw Druids seldom see eye to eye with the tree huggers. While it still warrants investigating, I doubt there's a connection here.”
I nodded. He clearly knew more about this than me.
Meanwhile, we exited the building, with smoldering remains of the wooden guardian hauling our emergence.
“Halt!”
Well, it wasn't just the blight remains – across the breach, four armed figures - three men and one woman - halted their movement, stopping in front of the charred lumber just as we came out.
“Alrox?”
One of the men recognized my companion. However, their suspicion didn't fully dissipate, with most of their gazes directed at me.
“Translucent alacrity. Chief's waiting for you at the chamber. Said you'd give us a ride to HQ, too.”
Upon hearing the code phrase, the last remnants of suspension faded from their faces. Instead, the lean, blue-eyed man who seemed to be their leader, simply nodded.
“Kel, can you give them a lift?”
“Yes, sir.”
The one who answered was the man who recognized Alrox – he was short of stature, 1.60 at most, he who carried a glaive which was comically long for his size.
“Let’s go, Al.”
Nodding in agreement, the man beside me strode past his colleagues, who ran into the facility, and I followed from behind.
“Sebastian, meet Kelron. The second-best Pole Master in this city.. and second gnome in our office.”
“Get bent, you oversized oaf.”
Clearly, having seen an actual gnome, I could tell he was just a short human man.
Turning to me as if that exchange never happened, the short man extended his hand.
“Kelron. Friends and certain clowns call me Kel.”
“Sebastian. Guess you can call me Seb.”
The handshake was surprisingly firm – despite his height, his Strength had to have been in the 2nd realm.
“Seb here - I owe him one life from this mission.”
I raised my eyebrow at the strange expression.
“Ha! Welcome to the club, kid.”
Kelron, on the other hand, clearly understood its meaning.
“Sod off. We're even since that sewer run.”
“I told you I had it under control back then!”
As the two men bantered, with a very faint hint of nervousness hidden underneath their words, we stepped onto the bloodied plaza. Following the men’s direction, I turned my head to the left-
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but let the sound slip, taken aback by the sight in front of me.
This was.. something between a car, and a tank? Definitely some sort of armored vehicle, with no horse in sight.
The thick metal plates at its sides, slightly convex, were clearly meant for protection against any and all common attacks. In fact, based on its sturdy metal frame, the six massive steel wheels, their solid ‘tires’ - made from an unknown semi-hard substance - clearly made to endure the harshest of surfaces, and the plates to their sides providing extra protection, I would be surprised if even Alrox’s earlier ‘grenade’ would be enough to inflict significant damage on this thing.
The vehicle itself stood over two meters tall and five meters long, with its width slightly larger than its height.
“Won’t find a propulsion carriage like this in any caravan, even the high-sec ones! Betty here’s one of a kind.”
The short man’s voice held an undeniable measure of pride.
“This short trip? Gonna cost a dozen gold, at least. Well, probably a few dozen, given the damage to the road. But who’s counting, ha ha!”
The short man pressed his token against a certain area of the plate which looked like a door – and, evidently, it was indeed the door to the ‘driver cabin’, as it slid upwards shortly after.
“
Haaa…
Sometimes, I wonder if damaging public property is one of your hobbies.”
Alrox was waiting near one of the plates at the back, with me beside him.
“Gotta make up for those stingy bonuses somehow.”
“Maybe one day, chief’s gonna tally up all your public property damage. Decide to collect the debt.”
“If he ever does, I’m defecting to Luskar the next day! And I’m selling them
your
information first.”
“You think their pay’d be any better? If anything, you’d have to pay
them
to take a menace like you on board.”
With a shake of his head, and a very subtle smile, the short man hopped into the driver cabin, vanishing from our sight.
“Plus… with everything else going on today, those gold coins might as well be pennies.”
The tone of Alrox’s last words was much darker.
“Anyway, hop in.”
Upon those words, the plate near me and Alrox slid up in a similar fashion.
Inside, I could see a relatively large empty cabin, with short, circular metal rails extending perpendicular to the walls, which were covered by some sort of hard fabric, akin to leather, creating 12 ‘standing spots’ along them.
“Sit over there. I’ll help you buckle up.”
From the thin metal wall that separated this cargo hold from the driving compartment, which also had a barred glass window (nearly a slit, based on the size), hung two seats.
Their surface was made from seemingly high-quality wood, polished and waxed, and both the arm and back rests were padded with softer leather, while the seat had some different kind of soft fiber. They also had something akin to leathery safety belts.
“Thanks.”
Conveniently, there was even a small gap between their backrest and the seat, more than enough for my sheath to fit through.
“That’s an.. impressive vehicle.”
As Alrox was helping me with the belt, I couldn’t help but comment.
Honestly, while I wasn’t much into military stuff on Earth, this thing was at least at the level of a modern armored SUV, one you’d see in war movies. And even then, its armor was probably closer to that of a tank.
trrn!..
“Right? Half of the estates in Central are worth less than this beauty.”
With the glass barrier sliding to the side, Kel’s voice, coming from behind it, joined the conversation.
“And the lamp posts on those streets are worth more than your salary. Eyes on the road.”
Clearly, Alrox did not share Kel’s passion for heavy vehicles. With a chuckle, the short man pressed something.
Click
!
Tuuuuum
The sound of ignition did not follow, nor did anything I would associate with the common roar of a car engine – well, perhaps an electric vehicle, but I never rode one of those. However, the faint tremble, and continuous humming sound, suggest this ‘propulsion carriage’ was now running. The subsequent tug, which might have thrown me off my seat had it not been for the safety belt, indicated its take-off.
“How’s the situation?”
This time, it was Alrox who initiated the conversation.
“Multiple disturbances. Started with an attack on HQ, but that’s been taken care of. A few forest elementals near the shrines and temples. As far as I heard, before we departed, large gatherings, like the Plaza of Devotion, were hit the hardest, as far as casualties go. As for the main targets – this facility, a few important locations in Eastern, some factories near the slums, too. Three inner gates were attacked, but that was probably a diversion – Central has been quiet.”
“And Western?”
“Nothing. I mean, anything of note there is related to the Tower. The druids probably decided it wasn’t worth the risk.”
“
Haaa
… how in the hells did this happen?..”
A small pause followed Alrox’s exasperated sigh.
“Wasn’t it those branches and leaves?..”
I thought this was something we talked about, back after the first fight.
“This.. Sebastian, do you know why there are so few trees in the city?”
“Erm… Regulations, right? There are plenty of trees in Central, by the way.”
“Ha! Central, he says..”
Clearly, Alrox knew something I didn’t.
“The only trees allowed in the city are artificially designed ones.”
“Like the Red Pines?”
“Well.. yeah, sort of. I mean, the Red Pines were designed in the era of the Old Empire. As far as I know, besides the special conditions required for their soil, they are considered the tip of the spear of biodesign, even to this day. Ehem!”
He realized he had veered off the main subject.
“Anyway, even the common designed plants you’d find in the city - as far as the word ‘common’ can be applicable - possess certain properties, which are required by regulations. One such property includes resistance to druidic magic, or any possession and manipulation magic, for that matter.”
“Ah…”
That explained a lot of things at once.
“Still.. Couldn’t she.. Well, I don’t know, create similarly colored leaves, and slowly smuggle them in?”
The response to my words was yet another sigh.
“Yes… probably. But something like that would take months, maybe years of preparation. And the scale.. the fact we failed to catch on to it – that’s a massive blunder.”
The bitterness was evident in his voice.
“Why, though? What’s their goal?”
At my question, Alrox waved his hand, dismissingly.
“Who cares at this point? They are deranged fanatics. I heard that even before the Calamity, once the Thousand-Flame Empire began planting artificial forests that could resist their control, many of the Life Circles had already declared open rebellion. Those days… a century or two AC, the tensions re-ignited. It’s been like this for most of this millenium.”
Judging by his tone, this was a delicate subject, so I decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“What about the Claw druids?”
At my question, a tinge of disdain painted the man’s face.
“Damn animals is what they are. I mean, not all of them.”
He quickly shook his head, catching himself in the overly-harsh assessment.
“There are plenty of them who choose military service. Those who wish to retire have special sanctuaries, even a city in the Lionheart province, up north. But, they are banned from regular cities and towns for a reason – the very nature of their Path demands they hunt. And when most of those who surround you are humans…”
He didn’t continue, nor did he have to.
“
Haaa…
Anyway, this damn succession can’t come fast enough. Right now, this city is like a stranded caravan, with countless imperial hounds circling it, drawn to the smell of blood.”
Tang
!
“Ghh..”
The sudden halt flung the seatbelt nearby, its metal tip striking the inner wall. As for me, I instinctively grabbed the armrest, which only served to send a flare of pain, originating at my broken bones.
“Anyway, we’re here. Come – there should be a Sun Priest in the temple on standby. We’ll get those arms fixed in no time.”
At his words, something suddenly rushed to my mind. A thought that almost slipped by, buried under the chaos of this tragic day.
“The Sun Temple! I must get to the Sun Temple!”