B6 Chapter 5: Exit Stage Right

The captain settled into her chair as the glowing sigil on her chest settled. The lines of flesh carved clean from the knife healed over, leaving behind faint scars that were barely visible once the glow from the mana subsided. 

More than that, I could feel the weight of the contract, the branding. It was a mental ping that corresponded to a key I held within my own soul. With a simple nudge, I mentally grabbed the link and applied pressure.

At once, the scar on her chest returned to its full splendor of a glowing sigil. Ellena’s eyes opened wide, and her body stiffened.  

“H-how,” she managed after swallowing through the hesitation.

I shrugged. In truth, the contract wasn’t fully just a contract. It was, in a sense, a modified branding based on knowledge plundered and tweaked from memories.  However, the core of the rules should have remained intact. The only pain she’d suffer was supposed to be from a consequence of breaking our deal. 

‘

It’s why I understood her sudden fear and confusion. I shouldn’t have been able to exert influence on her mark, not remotely at least. But that was reliant on the mark being a standard contract, for which it wasn’t.

I released my grip and the sigil settled once more.

“How many contracts do you see require cutting the brand into your flesh?” I asked.

Ellena’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Brand marks are common in the southern continent. They usually signify lifetime commitments, such as those given to former prisoners or high-ranking members of a guild. I’ll admit, usually it’s through a branding device, like a hot poker or an extremely cold metal stamp.”

“I see,” I said. That was useful information; at least nobody would question it much, especially her own crew. I shook my head and grabbed the knife, wiping it clean of blood before tucking it back into my sleeve. “Don’t break your word. We have a deal, and you’ll be released from the contract when we are done. That’s all you need to worry about for now. Understand?”

“I do,” she said without hesitation.

Good. Good…

Ellena buttoned her shirt and hid the sigil, forcing my eyes away. Now that she was marked, I removed my tail from the oni’s neck and sighed. In truth, I hadn’t expected the current outcome. I expected a fight, a battle that’d require me to reap the captain’s mind before leaving her like the rest while the city guards swept the den.

I made sure to copy her memories before we started the brand, and Galarion had pilfered the relevant information and confirmed her words. 

“You’re lucky you were telling the truth,” I said.

“I make it a habit not to lie. It makes your words carry more weight.”

I eyed her and chuckled. “Don’t lecture me.”

Ellena stood up and glanced at her unconscious companion and then the den boss. “So what happens now? Are we to leave tonight?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I have two stops to make first. It’ll take me a month and a half to be ready, so start preparing for the journey then. For now, you’ll follow my instructions and leave through the hidden tunnel to escape capture. You’re no use to me in chains.”

The corners of the captain’s lips curled upward. “What hidden tunnel?”

Upon my command, I willed the runes in the room to shift and send mana into an unactivated portion connected to the wall. Stone silently slid down, revealing a dark tunnel that led upward.

Ellena nodded and she waved her hand toward the oni. Silver chains sprouted from her waist and wrapped the large woman up. When she moved to the tunnel, the chains dragged the first mate along with surprising ease.

When she reached the tunnel, I called out and let the room’s lights flicker for added effect.

“Don’t bother running and trying to remove that. It’ll turn your soul to shreds in an instant, a long, painful instant.”

She nodded unbothered. “As I promised, you have my services as long as it keeps me and mine alive.”

I smirked. “I’ll see you soon, Captain. Meet us at Sedetra, we’ll find you. Oh, before you scurry away, you might want to grab poor Rigger from the belltower. He’s currently having a little nap.”

The captain turned and left without a word.

Cracking my neck, I pushed the complex soup of distaste and satisfaction I felt to the back and looked at the ceiling’s glowing pink runes. 

Should be long enough. It’s time to send the signal. Let’s hope they can see in the dark.

I reached a hand out and sank my mental fangs into the network of runes that ran through the entirety of the den. It was rather convenient that the boss-man was a paranoid ass who thought to have everything under his control.

With a twist, the rune burned as I forced mana into the network. All the lights and enchantments inside the den flashed once before overcharging. In the distance, without the sound nullifications, the collective screams of dozens upon dozens of rats filled the tunnels.

I pulled up my hood and pulled out of one Khrem’s nightmare balls. The swirling mist gave off a faint glow, but I could see in the dark, so it didn’t look too different to me.

He did go through all the trouble of making them. Let’s see if we can enjoy a few more meals before we exit the stage.

Galarion bubbled happily as he sent me flashes of excitement through the link.

Whistling on the way out, I opened the door and headed down the tunnel. It was time to find new prey.

***

I removed my grip from the man’s head and stood up. He was truly a twisted bastard, and I felt nothing for the whimpers coming from his mouth as Galarion pulled together a specific set of memories for a second spike.

His body dropped limp as he curled into a ball underneath the metal cage. The collared wolf-like creature inside growled and attempted to swipe at his shoulder, but was a few inches short.

I observed the snarling beast and it whimpered in its cage as it backed away. The beast’s ribs were poking out, and long, barely healed gashes marred its side. 

I sighed. Even if I wanted to release it, it would be killed on the spot the moment the guards and adventurers found it. More than likely, it was also going around, tearing into the number of unconscious individuals like meal platters just waiting to be eaten.

Shaking my head, I reached a hand toward the cage and stretched the tendrils toward the beast’s mind. Its senses picked up something as it tried to swipe at the air, but it did little to stop me. Once I made contact, I picked at some of the memories, watching its capture and transfer from illegal poachers outside the city. 

It was a mother, but the pups had already been sold. 

I placated its hurt and fury. Leaving behind bubbles of joy, of sleeping cozily inside a den, and resting with a full belly. 

When I retracted my tentacles, I resisted the urge to kick the man’s face with my boot. Instead of giving in to the anger, I repeated the process with a few other beasts, going through the cages one by one.

Except, near the final cage, one covered with purple cloth that tingled in my senses, I stopped. The cage was small, the size of a small carrier for something like a cat. That wasn’t abnormal. I had even calmed some horned bunny creatures just moments before. No, it was the cloth that drew my eye.

The thing had enchantments woven into the stitch.

Suppress? No, that’s close but not entirely. I think it’s… Bind?

I pulled the cloth slowly and held it up, feeling the net of mana it radiated shrink as I folded the runes through the fabric. When I looked into the cage, a burst of orange mana radiated like a flame. 

I blinked through the sudden light and found a small ferret, one streaked with browns and oranges atop grey fur. It had three eyes, but was otherwise a normal-looking ferret.

No. That wasn’t true. It obviously had mana, and from the color, it was earth-related, which would explain its fur. Sending mana into my eyes, I tried to amplify the effect of Galarion’s transformation and searched for an aura. 

Slowly, the streaks of orange started to blur as the center of the ferret’s stomach turned airy. Brown and orange dust glowed in an ethereal haze. 

There, so it is a mana beast, I thought–

The hazy aura condensed and separated as it formed a spectral nose, then a mouth, and a singular hazy eye. The aura rose, its snout mimicking that of the physical ferret while it sniffed the air.

What the–

The aura snapped back toward the physical body of the beast and orange mana activated along its claws. The metal of the cage bent and cracked as a small pebble in its fur expanded and wedged itself between the bars, creating an opening.

It crawled out with some effort before it settled atop the cage and cocked its head. I could only blink as the strange creature lowered its head in a bow. 

“Lord. Free… Thank…”

The words were like rocks tapping together, a high-pitched echo between my ears. The creature raised its head and stomped its paw forward. In a flash of orange light, the creature disappeared into the earth, parting the stone like butter. Left behind atop the cage was a somewhat oblong-shaped crystal that glowed with orange light.

It was muddled around the edges, and brown particles speckled the otherwise clean glass.

Did that thing just talk… 

Even Galarion was confused. I pocketed the crystal and stared at the hole. The creature had dug straight down, far enough that even my ability to see in the dark wasn’t able to penetrate through.

Well then, that was weird. I think it’s time we actually head out. With the creatures sleeping peacefully, I stepped over the unconscious bastard and made for the exit.

When I sensed mana, I slowed and increased the volume of my whistling. In front of me, near a tunnel that had definitely not been there an hour before, tents had been erected. Squads of guards wearing the city’s colors, along with groups of adventurers sporting their badges on their collars, huddled underneath while people moved in and out.

I was quickly noticed by a human adventurer, a scout type who turned and raised a bow in my direction.

“Incoming individual, he has a mask,” the man called out.

People I assumed were his party members readied their weapons and one of the guards raised a stick that flashed light in my direction.

“Halt!” the guard yelled.

“I’m here to report in,” I said, coming to a stop.

“Identification?”

I summoned my adventurer’s badge as well as a coin with a specific stamp in the center. The guard was still suspicious, but the scout lowered his bow.

“Let him through, that’s the guildmaster’s token.”

“You sure?” the guard asked, never taking his eyes off me.

“Positive. He’s one of us.”

“Fine, but he needs to undergo a scan like everyone else. If he’s not–”

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” I said while approaching the guard. He and a few more raised their swords, but I brushed past them and cupped a hand to the side of my mouth. “Hey, you going to let this farce continue, or is this going to become a problem?”

The scout and his teammates scowled in confusion, but rustling from the back drew everyone’s attention. 

A large, lizard-headed beastkin politely shoved his way through the crowd. He dwarfed everyone around and with bright blue scales, he stood out amongst the rest.

“Enough. He’s with us. Return to your posts, and continue updating me every half-quarter.” The beastkin flashed me a weary smile and gestured to the tent he came from. “If you don’t mind. I’ll handle the debrief and you can be on your way.”

I received a few glares from the guardsmen, but I wasn’t concerned. They wouldn’t go against the guildmaster, not when his words were clearly stated. Any hothead who thought themselves a bigshot would find themselves crushed underfoot by their own captains for daring to cross the guild’s path.

Closing the tent flap behind us, the guild master led me to a sparse desk with two chairs. He sank into the large one with a creak and watched me sit.

“You should make it a habit of wearing your badge,” he finally commented.

“Sorry. I didn’t think it was smart to wear while infiltrating,” I replied.

“You could have put it on after. You knew we would be on guard. Especially with that mask.”

Fair enough. I scanned the guildmaster’s chest and felt for his aura. It glowed a bright blue with tinges of green at the edges. It was decently strong, but it lacked the sheer presence I expected from a guildmaster. 

The quality was there, judging by the colors. 

Spreading my senses outward, I took in the impression and parsed through the sensation.

A solid wave to crash against the shore. Its edges conjure up the whisper of a storm. It is the waavebringer, the change of tide. 

“You’re not tier three?” I said more as a question than a statement.

The guildmaster shook his head with a playful scowl. “I am only tier two. Maybe in another decade, I’ll try to make the push for tier three. But you shouldn’t be so surprised. Tier three’s don’t grow on trees. They aren’t as common as you’d think.”

“I see…”

The guildmaster sighed and waved his hand. A large pouch dropped onto the desk with a metallic clink, as well as a wooden crate. Inside were a dozen jars filled with plants and other ingredients.

“This is the reward for completing the quest,” he said while gesturing to the items.

“How much gold?”

“Two hundred. You brought down some big fish.”

I didn’t comment on the amount, eliciting another sigh from the guildmaster. He was obviously disappointed by my lack of amazement.

“The crate?” I asked.

“A personal bonus from my own collection. Your two teammates are a poison expert and an alchemist. They should appreciate the ingredients.”

I nodded and summoned Chomperz. He swallowed the items along with my knife and the loot I took from all the guards. The guildmaster watched with curiosity and only shook his head as I made the small mound of items disappear.

“I won’t bother asking if those were acquired during your mission. However, be warned that looting in public raids is generally frowned upon, if not disallowed. Most items have to be surrendered. Otherwise, there would be little to prevent some more harmful tendencies during such operations.”

“You could try. It’d be interesting.”

“I’d rather not,” he chuckled. “Is there anything you can inform me about? We’ve only made our way through half of the complex; it’ll be another half hour before it’s been fully swept.”

I debated going through the information one by one, but instead I had another idea. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the memories I wanted and pushed them together. Slowly, marbles started to form in my palm.

Three of them formed, one containing the information as to how the den operated, including the annoying amount of shady steps one had to take to get inside. The second was information stolen from the henchman, along with memories from the boss himself. While the third held information regarding the unconscious man near the beast cages, as well as memory snippets from the beasts that were related to the poachers.

The guildmaster eyed the marbles for a few seconds before nodding and digesting them one by one. When he finished the third marble’s consumption, his lips were tight as he nodded solemnly.

“I’ll do what I can regarding the animals. Luckily, we have a beast tamer in the city. I’ll contact her and see what can be done.”

“Good enough for me,” I said as I stood up.”

The guildmaster joined and walked me out of the tent. “You know, when I was informed a week ago of your incoming arrival, I was ready to dismiss you and your team. It wouldn’t be the first time a bunch of young adventurers caused a stir. Cocky, bold, and reckless, just the foolishness of youth, or so I thought. That was until I tried to look up your records. There are a few things I’m not privy to as a guildmaster. So when a black folder makes its way to my desk, it always requires a thorough look.”

He led me toward the exit. Occasionally, he’d wave somebody off, telling them to report to someone else while he talked.

“If it’s any consolation, I’m out of here after this. I found what I was looking for.”

We stopped near a set of rough stairs that led up through the new tunnel. Those nearby at least pretended to look away while the guildmaster held out his hand.

I shook it and he smiled.

“You’re making a name for yourself, you and your team. You may not have the same infamy as Broken Tower’s rate of clearing quests, but doing quests like these and shaking up a city is no small feat. Be careful of that, lad.”

I dropped my hand and smiled through the mask. “Noted.”

 “Panasia was right about you.” He looked up and tapped his chin. “Keep the token I gave you. If you are ever in Soluve again, hand it to the receptionists and they’ll get you in contact with me.”

I nodded a final time and waved goodbye, exiting through the tunnel. The city was in a bit of an uproar as the movements of large squads of guards and adventurers were enough to send the citizens into a frenzy. More than a few ships rushed out of the harbor and took to the seas, adding fuel to the gossip train.

Eventually, I made my way out of the city and into the surrounding forest. Once I spotted the marked tree with the purple splatter on the bark, I turned and removed my mask.

“How was it on your end?” I asked.

Sereza dropped down from the nearby branch and shook her head. “There were a few stragglers who attempted to run. Subdued three of them personally. One guy destroyed one of the side roads, turned the whole thing into quicksand.”

She followed along as we made our way toward the smell of smoke. Khrem sat on a chair by the fire, roasting some sort of fish with green scales.

“You’re back. It took you longer than expected,” he said.

I summoned my beanbag and sank while undoing the thread of mana I held active. Spirit Lord’s Invocation faded as Galarion landed in my hands with a plop. 

I stared at the watermelon-sized blob of jiggly glitter soup and shrugged. “I decided to go hunting a bit. Figured I’d test out the marbles you made.”

Khrem held out his hand expectantly. I had to poke Galarion a bit before he finally stirred and popped out a marble that he flung in Khrem’s direction.

While he busied himself with the data from the memories, I found Sereza staring at me from across the fire. 

“What?” I asked teasingly.

“You know what,” she retorted.

“I do not.”

She blew out her tongue and jabbed a finger my way. “Did you get what we came here for?”

I sobered and dropped the playfulness from my voice. 

“I did. The plans are the same. We’ll finish my business in Solunaria, then we’ll return to Sedetra in a month and a half. I secured us passage to where we need to go.”

“I’m surprised you don’t want to go immediately.”

“Yeah, well, I’m being cautious. First, we see if Isaac returned or if Teddy’s parents found anything. Then I deal with that. No point angering a goddess right now.”

“Probably for the best. It’s bad enough when we got chased by that one priest.”

The crackle of the fire filled the silence that followed. Khrem digested the information given from the marble and he helped set up dinner for the night. Come morning, we’d head back to the city and hire a carriage. 

If we were lucky, we’d make it back to the capital without any incidents slowing us down.

After dinner, I closed my eyes and sank into the beanbag. The others already knew what to expect, so they left me alone as I slowly sank my consciousness into a half-dream-like state.

When I opened them again, I was sitting inside a sea of stars and beside a glowing river that ran through the space.

“So you went through with it anyway despite my warning,” came a familiar voice.

I turned and waved at the floating, annoyed lemon-colored entity. “Hi, Eraztis. How are you feeling?”