“Khaddar, you don’t have to do this!” Pike pleaded, pulling back against the tug of the mana crystal embedded into his cuffs. “You heard those explosions as well! We have to go back!”

The captain just sighed, yanking the control rod hard enough to make the foreman stumble forward as he landed on his knees in the crackling sea of leaves around them. “Get up,” the dwarf said dryly, not even bothering to look at Pike. “Keep yapping and I’ll kill you on the spot.”

The foreman’s head spun as he tried to process the words of the person in front of him, someone that until a few moments ago had been a friend for more than a decade. The cuffed dwarf next to him stopped and tugged, almost ripping the rod out of the other guard’s hands.

“You might as well just get it over with,” Dhek groaned, his little act of defiance sapping at the little strength he still had left. “Or what? If we bite our tongues like a couple of good little prisoners, we’ll suddenly stop being a nuisance to you and that corrupt pencil-pusher Goldur?”

“Goldur?” Pike asked, blinking incredulously for a second before stopping, which forced the captain to drag him forward again.

“Hahah!” Dhek wheezed, struggling to catch his breath in between his sinister outbursts of laughter. “Seriously, cap? You haven’t even told him why he’s getting axed? Couldn’t look him in the eye to tell’im why you’re orphaning his daughter?” With Khaddar not saying a word, the dwarf sighed and glanced over at the foreman. “Sorry Pike, but you’re just another sacrificial pawn in these bastards’ games… I have no idea how you got dragged into this mess, but I can tell you it’s definitely their fault,” Dhek hissed, staring daggers at the back of the captain’s head. “All I know is that two adepts from the Mages Guild came asking questions. Questions about the Conclave.”

Pike’s eyes widened with horror at the dwarf’s words as he began connecting the dots inside his head. “B-but what do they have to do with that?”

“Heh,” Dhek grinned. “When those two came to apply for passage into Harkon, I was dumb enough to report back to the cap here. Next thing I know, I’m told to throw them into solitary for them to await their execution. But this was my chance to finally ask someone from the capital about my brother, so I begged the captain to let me talk to them. That was my second mistake… They threw me into a cell next to those two, and over the course of the next couple of days, I had to sit there listening to the sounds of them getting questioned. And then it was my turn. Isn’t that right, cap?”

“Wait a second,” Pike mumbled as beads of cold sweat began to dot his forehead. “So, Paula, the Conclave, and then the adepts… Khaddar, you knew about all of it?!”

“Paula?” Dhek asked. “What does the healer have to do with this?”

“Argh!” Pike screamed, the veins on his temple throbbing violently. “She fucking convinced me to tamper with some of the Waterstones in exchange for Anna’s treatment… Tell me, Khaddar! Did you know that the Conclave was behind it? Did you know about the entire thing?! ANSWER ME!”

Stopping in front of the foreman, the captain looked up at the starry sky and sighed. “The Beggar came to Goldur and me with a proposition. She told us that the Conclave would match our wage for each tainted shipment we could supply. But Goldur didn’t want to take the risk, so he suggested that we use someone as a scapegoat.” Khaddar finally turned to look at Pike. “He said that we should use you. Insisted that you’d be up for the job if given the proper motivation… She agreed. Said she’d handle it herself as long as we pretend to look away.”

“Handle it herself…?” the foreman repeated as his breathing accelerated. He felt a numbness akin to death. His vision darkened and his senses dulled to the point where it seemed like his body wasn’t even his own. “She did it?” he asked, his whispered voice trembling as he fought to stay in control over the multitude of emotions trying to claw their way out of him. In that moment, amid the cacophony of hate, anger, confusion, and grief, he finally understood.

Next to him, lips pursed, Dhek hung his head as his hands balled into quaking fits, struggling against the cuffs’ unyielding metal. But Pike didn’t care for the dwarf’s show of empathy, sincere though it might have been. Eyes narrowed, he simply stared at Khaddar, a feeling of utter disgust bubbling deep within him as he finally found the strength to take a breath and speak.

“She came by a few months ago,” said Pike, surprised at the calm with which his words flowed. “Anna had caught a fever from playing outside in the rain. So, I asked her to stop by. That’s when it started, right?” He didn’t bother waiting for the captain to reply, not that he expected the dwarf to do so. “One moment she was getting better and, before I knew it, she could barely get out of bed.”

Khaddar frowned. “I promise you, Anna will want for nothing,” he said, turning around as he slowly started to walk ahead.

“Y-YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” Pike cried, thrashing in vain against the invisible tether’s pull. “Don’t you DARE say her name! DON’T YOU DARE!” he yelled, fighting back scorching tears as he tried to hold onto the hope of ever seeing Anna again. Right now, he would make a deal with whatever misbegotten being he could if it meant getting back to his little girl. But as they then stepped out of the forest and into a small clearing, he knew that this was it.

“Pike!”

Hearing the vaguely familiar voice calling out his name made the foreman flinch. He spun around, the cuffs digging into his wrists as he looked for the voice’s source. “OVER H-” he tried to shout, biting his tongue and falling to his knees as he was suddenly yanked forward.

“Blast it,” Khaddar grumbled, impaling one end of the control rod into the earth and placing his palm on the other as the other guard did the same. The yellow Mana Crystals lit up and began to pulse, causing Pike and Dhek to shriek. The two fell to their knees, their bodies convulsing in rhythm with the two crystals.

In spite of the periodic shocks, the foreman groaned and raised his head. And there, at the edge of the clearing, he saw two figures rushing out of the tree line: the mage adept from earlier and a lycan.

****

“Where to?” Drake gasped as he and Bane raced through the forest, their footfalls echoed by the crunching of dead leaves.

“A bit to the left!” said Zeph. Floating ahead of them, the wisp lit up their path, guiding them through the heavily wooded area. It took them every ounce of focus they had to follow the spirit while navigating the uneven terrain.

“How the hell are Vala and Lilly gonna catch up to us?” Drake asked via the system’s chat, sparing himself the added effort of trying to talk while running.

“There are little arrows,” Bane replied. “If you’re too far from your other party members, the system shows you the direction.”

But before Drake could say anything else, he heard the foreman screaming in the distance.

“Y-YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

“That’s the foreman!” said Drake. “Pike!” he called out, picking up the pace.

They each grabbed a small, orange vial from the belts that Bane had made for them and downed them, dashing towards the clearing in front of them. As they broke through the trees and into the moonlit glade, an unexpected sight lay before them. There wasn’t a single player in sight. And instead, the two guards facing them had drawn their weapons while Pike and another dwarf knelt against the ground, writhing in pain.

“The hell…?” Bane muttered as they came to a halt some distance away from the guards.

“Are you alright?” Drake asked, raising his hand and allowing his ring to glow a pale shade of blue. “We’re here to escort the foreman back to his daughter.” However, neither of the dwarfs bothered to lower their weapons.

“Mighty kind of you,” grinned the taller of the two guards as he tightened his grip on his large war axe, his glacial tone sending chills down Drake’s spine.

The level 10 dwarf closest to them took a step forward, adjusting his stance and raising his axe, while the eyes of the other level 7 dwarf darted in between them and the two men lying on the ground.

“T-they’re going to kill us!” Pike groaned as the cuffs around his hands crackled with electricity.

“Shit…” Drake whispered, drawing his sword and aiming his left hand at the dwarf that was furthest away. Seeing the level 7 guard raising his sword above the cuffed dwarf, Drake grit his teeth and fired. The Manabolt rushed past the guard, missing him entirely. But it had at least been enough to make the dwarf take a couple of steps back.

“I’ll handle that one!” said Bane as he rushed to the side, making Drake flinch while he left him to deal with the other guard.

“Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” he anxiously returned, much to the lycan’s confusion. “I mean… killing them would make things somewhat complicated for us once we get back to the guild. Just think of it as a challenge!”

Hearing his friend’s annoyed groan, Drake at least knew that Bane would do his best to heed his request, which allowed him to focus on the task at hand. In front of him, the guard beheld him unblinkingly as the twin edges of his axe glimmered in the evening’s early moonlight. For an instant, Drake glanced over to Bane and the other guard before also scanning the whereabouts of the two cuffed men. But the moment his eyes came back to those of the guard, he froze: the tall dwarf had somehow advanced a couple of steps without him even noticing.

“What the fuck…?” He asked, turning his thoughts towards his spirit. “Zeph, did you see him advancing just now?”

“Yeah. He… slid forward a couple of steps.”

“Great…” Drake sighed, trying to spot any sort of opening in the guard’s stance. ‘Shit… this guy’s the real deal.’ He took a deep breath, feeling the reassuring weight of Zane’s pendant on his chest as he did so. He had somehow managed to hold his own against the skeletal knight. But back then, he didn’t need to think about holding anything back. Suddenly, the dwarf leaped forward, bridging the distance as he brought his axe down.

You have activated Tempest.

Movement and Attack Speed increased by 20%.

A short burst of wind spiraled out from Drake as he jumped back, flattening the blades of grass around him and stirring up some of the amber leaves around them. The guard’s compact swing zipped through the air. And as it came to a halt, the axe’s spike rushed forward, ripping through Drake’s shirt and making contact with the chainmail underneath.

Groaning, he fired a Manabolt at the dwarf’s chest. It crashed against the guard’s breastplate, stopping his advance as Drake dashed to the side. He circled around, placing himself in between the guard and Pike. “You don’t have to do this,” he gasped as his mind raced to find the right words.

“What would you know?” the dwarf said coldly before stepping forward and launching a horizontal swing, forcing Drake back.

“He’s right, Khaddar!” the foreman yelled, his voice breaking as he struggled to speak through the repeating shocks. “S-stop this insanity before it’s too late!”

“It’s already too late. And if I stop now,” the captain frowned, “then everything will get even worse.”

No sooner had Khaddar finished speaking, that he then charged Drake. He stomped and twisted his entire torso, the spike of his war axe rushing up in a diagonal line as it scraped against the chain links of Drake’s armor. The captain then stepped forward, curving his axe’s trajectory mid-swing as he then brought it down and to the side.

Unable to dodge, Drake grit his teeth, raising his left hand and bracing it against his body. His bracer caught the dwarf’s axe, releasing a high-pitched sound as it flashed blue upon impact.

You have been hit! 73 damage absorbed via Manashield (-73 MP).

Powering through the dull pain and numbness, Drake took advantage of Khaddar’s surprise. He touched the axe and unleashed a Wind Strike, pushing it away as he then let go of his sword. Drake slammed his hand against the dwarf’s breastplate, sliding his foot back as he channeled a fifth of his mana into his palm. A heavy thud reverberated through the evening sky as the pointblank impact knocked the astonished captain to the ground.

Glancing at the dent in Khaddar’s armor, Drake bent down and grabbed his sword. He kept his distance, wary of what else the dwarf might do as he tried his luck again. “Come on, captain!” he groaned, his arm still stiff from Khaddar’s attack. “You’ve got to realize this will only inflate tensions between everyone!”

The captain heaved himself up, narrowing his eyes as he tightened his grip on his axe. “That won’t happen,” he growled, glancing at the dwarf fighting against Bane before glaring back at Drake. “Not if you don’t live to tell anyone about it!”

With a fearsome roar, Khaddar rushed in again, swinging faster and faster as one of his attacks finally landed, drawing a red line over Drake’s left thigh.

You have been hit! -38HP.

Drake winced, raising his sword in defense. But seeing Khaddar’s expression, he then lowered his sword as the tension in his body vanished. The captain looked as if someone had slapped him, his fight and determination completely gone.

“You’re a Stranger,” the captain declared blankly.

“That’s right,” Drake nodded, finally realizing that the dwarf wasn’t looking down, but at the cut on his leg. The neon red line had all but disappeared, leaving no trace other than the small tear in his pants.

Khaddar closed his eyes and sighed. “Heh, of course you are. A Stranger working for the Mages Guild. Sure… Why the hell not?” He slammed his axe into the earth, burying its spike as he turned towards the other guard. “That’s enough, Edan!” he yelled, causing the dwarf and Bane to freeze and look in his direction. “Release Dhek and Pike.”

It took the guard a moment to process the situation before he hesitantly stepped back from the lycan in front of him, slowly sheathing his sword and making his way towards the control rod that kept the dwarf named Dhek pinned down. The guard moved swiftly, disabling the rods and then uncuffing both men.

“What’s happening?” Bane whispered as he came next to Drake. But he got no answer as they all stared at each other. And for the first time since they had all entered the clearing, the only sound that could be heard was that of the wind rustling through the nearby trees.

“Pike, you’re right,” said Khaddar as he raised his gaze to meet Drake’s. “This farce has gone on for long enough. And I refuse to let it get even more out of hand than this.” Both the foreman and Dhek remained silent as the captain continued to speak. “Mage, I’m not sure how much you already know, but I can fill you in on any necessary details. And I’ll also testify to both my and Goldur’s crimes. I only ask that when you report back to your Guild, please advocate for leniency for my men. They were only following orders and nothing more. They shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of my failure.”

“Captain,” the other guard muttered, “what are you saying? You can’t–”

“I can and I WILL!” Khaddar thundered, causing the dwarf to shrink back. “And you’ll all be called back and assigned somewhere else. Is that clear?”

“Y-yes sir…”

“Good,” the captain nodded. “Now… as I’m sure that Dhek here will be happy to tell you, Goldur and I have already killed the two adepts sent by your Guild.”

The soft chime of the system almost made Drake’s heart jump out of his chest as he then heard Bane’s voice inside his head. “So much for that,” said the lycan.

“I see…” sighed Drake. “Do you mind telling me why?”

“Goldur and I didn’t want them asking questions,” he answered. “We first tortured them to find out what they knew, and then I killed them myself.”

“W-what questions…?” Pike asked, his body still wracked by light convulsions.

“About our deal with the Begg–with Paula and the Conclave,” said Khaddar.

As the captain paused his explanation, Drake heard Bane’s voice again. “You have to at least appreciate the fact that, by pinning everything on just him and that other guy, it should at least allow the dwarfs and the humans to avoid any major diplomatic issues from this fiasco.”

“The situation’s already tense enough,” replied Drake. “This whole shitshow will cause even more friction between everyone. But yeah… this should at least help a lot.”

“Captain,” said Drake, “what exactly did the Conclave want from you?”

“I don’t know,” Khaddar frowned. “They just wanted someone to mess with some of the Waterstone shipments leaving Harkon.”

Hearing this, the foreman gasped. “That’s right!” he said, stumbling next to Drake as he pulled out a wooden tablet and a small Waterstone from his vest. “I was trying to grab these out of the warehouse when the captain found me…”

Drake took the two items and stored them in his inventory, causing Pike and the guard to gasp audibly. “Okay,” he said, glancing towards the forest, “we should make our way back to the town. They might still need our help defending the town.”

The foreman’s face became livid. “W-what? What happened?!” he yelled, grabbing and shaking Drake’s shoulders. “Is Anna okay? Did you see her?!”

“S-she’s fine,” he stuttered as he gently tapped Pike’s hands. “We left her with Mrs. Ellie and Wade at the inn.”

The foreman stepped back, letting out a sigh of relief. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Drake heard a muffled squelch as Pike fell to his knees, his eyes wide with shock. He then slumped forward, revealing a small throwing axe jutting out of his back. The hair on the back of Drake’s neck stood on end as a familiar voice called out to him.

“Do my eyes deceive me?” asked Correy as he strode out of the trees. “Spellsword? Is that you?”