Chapter 20: The Dementher’s Deal

Warden Beatrix stepped through the Larkin Manor’s front door feeling unsettled. As much as John would prefer that she refrained from “parenting” Corbin now that they were separated, she couldn’t help but worry about the young man, especially when it came to Corbin’s blind faith and obedience to Fallon.

‘There’s just something about that girl that feels—off, and it’s not just the fact that she’s Xander’s daughter. My gut tells me Fallon will bring Corbin nothing but trouble.’

Beatrix sighed as she turned to the stable where her faithful Galehorn, Daisy, waited impatiently. The giant rabbit with its single ridged horn occupied one of the larger stalls that could easily fit five Orinthian horses. The Warden scratched behind the Galehorn’s floppy ear and relaxed as Daisy’s back leg twitched rhythmically with appreciation.

“Sorry about the wait, Daisy. Let’s head back so you can enjoy your dinner,” Beatrix murmured soothingly as she removed the hook fastened to the Galehorn’s reins and climbed the saddle strapped between the giant rabbit’s folded wings. “Home, Daisy.”

The Galehorn’s silky whiskers twitched with anticipation as it hopped down the path between stables, then a few feet outside, where Daisy then launched herself over the Manor walls. Two gray wings spread out as the giant rabbit’s back legs briefly connected with the edge of the stone wall and kicked off a final time.

The Warden stayed low against the Galehorn’s neck until Daisy had gained enough altitude to soar peacefully along the wind currents as the city of Highguard spiraled below. Once Beatrix’s private residence behind the Sentinel Guild Hall walls lined up ahead of them, Daisy straightened and tucked in her wings as the pair descended in a rapid dive.

Beatrix gripped the reins and saddle tightly as the Galehorn stretched out its wings once more above the back training yard of the Sentinel Guild. A gust of wind and dirt spiraled up to meet them as the giant rabbit's back feet touched down first. Daisy hopped along and folded her wings before arriving at the guild stableyard, where two Consultus Sentinels stepped forward quickly to greet them.

“Welcome back.” A young woman with blonde hair tied into a single large braid that reached below her waist belt greeted the Warden as Betrix dropped down from Daisy’s back.

“Thank you, Molly,” Beatrix replied with a nod as Consultus Molly, a B-rank Wildling well on her way to becoming an A-rank Druid. The Consultus fell in step beside the Warden as they proceeded inside Beatrix’ss private residence. “Have you prepared the teams that I asked for?”

“Yes, Warden. All members are Consultus and Materia as you requested,” Molly answered promptly as she stepped lightly ahead to open the front door. “How was your meeting with the Commander?”

Beatrix shot Molly a glance as she removed the dark gray Sentinel coak with its Scarlet bird of prey formed entirely of blades and weapons. “Eventful. Did Praeditus Simon report in on today’s dungeon clears?”

“No, but his subordinate, Consultus Cora, dropped off today’s records. I gave them a quick glance over and locked them in your office before closing up for the day.”

“Anything unusual?” Beatrix removed her Red Dawn Long Bow and placed it on the large dining table. She turned with a faint frown as her secretary hesitated. “What is it?”

“An—irregularity,” Molly explained hesitantly. “The group that cleared Cyren’s lair reported that the boss did not drop a monster stone.”

“Again?” The Warden’s tone hardened as she yanked roughly on the buttons of her uniform. “That makes what, the second time in the last thirty days that a core has gone missing.”

“Consultus Cora said that Praeditus Simon was looking into it.”

“Of course he is,” Beatrix grumbled as she yanked off her quiver and tossed it onto the table beside her bow, followed quickly by her prized Dragon Leather Jacket.

Praeditus Simon was technically Beatrix’s second in command, though the Warden rarely interacted with him directly herself. Paragon Delancy had instated Simon as the Warden’s “supporting officer” two years ago after Beatrix expelled five high-ranking Sentinels from the guild for “carrying” praeditus brats through the dungeons for quick levels.

‘The same thing is starting up all over again, but this time under Simon’s supervision and doubtlessly with the Paragon’s blessing. Why doesn’t Delancy just change the damn law if he’s going to turn a blind eye to it.’

“Should I look into the matter as well, Warden?” Molly asked with a worried look.

“No,” Beatrix said firmly as she pulled out a chair. “It’s best if you pretend not to notice.”

The Wildling nodded but continued to look concerned.

“Was the count for the dissonance stones within the normal range?”

“Yes, Warden. Vanguard Leader Ryker reported 92 dissonance stones collected.”

‘Well, at least they’re not sloppy about that. Cyren’s lair is the easiest dungeon to clear by far, so it’s the safest one to give those praeditus brats a boost in experience. Then they join the guild and leech off their party until they’re high enough rank to move on to another town with higher dungeons.’

“Should I change up the rotation for Ryker’s group?”

“Not now. There are other more important tasks to deal with. How many board quests were cleared today?”

“63 at last count and the last registered Trion just reached Materia rank today thanks to the quest.”

“About time, the next guild Assessment is coming up after all,” Beatrix muttered as she sank into her chair.

“Should I fetch dinner or something to drink?”

“No, I already ate. Anything else of interest to report?”

“Let me think,” Molly mused as she opened her notebook. Her hazel-brown eyes flashed yellow as her [Night Vision] skill kicked in, which allowed the Wildling to read in the dim light of the dining room. “Oh, I almost forgot. Materia Jarel turned in his Sentinel badge two hours ago.”

“What?!” Beatrix sat up sharply. “Why?”

Molly shrugged as she tapped the notepad. “He said the Warden would understand his situation better than everyone else.”

“I do, which is exactly why I’m asking,” Beatrix snapped and then sighed as she dragged a hand down her neck. “Is that idiot trying to force me to return him to the rotation by threatening to leave?” She snorted and shook her head.

“Should I follow up on his withdrawal application?” Molly asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

“No,” Beatrix replied and rapped her knuckles against the table as she stood. “I’ll check in on him later and get a straight answer. That will be all, Molly, thank you. Go home and get some rest.”

“Understood,” Molly replied as she placed her hand over the badge on her left shoulder. “Please call me if there is anything else you need.”

The Warden offered a tired smile as she folded her hands together and stared at her Red Dawn Bow. She listened to the sound of Molly’s feet retracing their way to the entrance of the building, followed by the front door opening and closing again.

“Bah! Jarel, what the hell are you thinking?” Beatrix grabbed her bow and quiver and turned towards the stairwell that led up to a spacious bedroom, a connected private bathroom, and an open balcony. The Warden left her weapon on the table at the foot of a large bed, covered in fur blankets, then continued out to the balcony which faced the Sentinel Guild, the training grounds behind it, and the guild’s stable yard.

The stable’s residents growled, hissed, and grumbled as they slowly slipped off to sleep. Then the breeze carried nothing but the sound of silence as the deep hours after curfew settled in like an ominous wake. The tingling sensation from before crept up the back of Beatrix’s neck as the Warden’s hand shifted lazily to the Titanium Dagger on her belt.

A presence as tangible as the wind upon her hair and face spun the Ghost Sniper back towards the balcony doors as a white piece of paper twisted and glided across the balcony towards her feet. Beatrix frowned at the note, trapped it beneath her leather boot, and activated [Hunter’s Perception].

Ghost Sniper Active Skill—Hunter’s Perception Allows the Ranger to see all living targets within 100 meters at or below the Ranger’s current rank. Reveals all combat information of targets at or below the Ranger’s current rank. Note: Targets one rank above the Ranger will provide limited combat information. Targets two ranks above or higher will provide even less information.

The walls of the Warden’s house lit up in a pale blue light that framed the pillars and beams like a glowing skeleton. Beatrix found no sign of a monster, human, or animal within her residence. She turned to glance down over the grounds, but only the well-illuminated stables of monsters and the figure of Molly talking to the Sentinels on guard inside the Guild building lit up before the Ghost Sniper’s skill.

“I’m too old to be getting spooked over nothing,” Beatrix muttered as she knelt to pick up the folded piece of paper. She recognized the blank piece of stationary as the same parchment she kept in her office on the first floor. “How odd. When did I—”

The Warden blinked and nearly recoiled from the paper in her hands as black letters appeared upon the parchment as if a burning quill had written them.

Orion Grantham is held in the Garrison Prison. His life is in danger. Should you wish for him to live, you must act quickly, Warden Beatrix Hart.

As soon as her name appeared on the page, the message erupted into flames. Beatrix dropped the document with a hiss and watched it curl up into a wisp of smoke that quickly disappeared into the night air.

The Warden returned to her room and grabbed her bow as she paced the length of the room restlessly.

‘What in Dolion’s twisted balls is going on? A message that appears out of nowhere then sets itself on fire the minute I read it? Is this arcane magic or necromancy? Is Arlo having a laugh at my expense? The last I heard from Ophelia, she and her boy were both on their way to Emberlight. They were reported missing a month after Asher was executed. So why would Orion be in the Garrison prison?’

The Ghost Sentinel’s leather gloves tightened around her bow as she drew in a sharp breath, then grabbed her quiver, spun, and ran swiftly towards the balcony before leaping over the rail. Beatrix landed effortlessly upon the path below and strode determinedly towards the stables to wake Daisy for one more late night ride.

‘Delancy, you fuck—if I find out you or Xander had anything to do with this—’

The lower prisons were quieter than usual. Orion waited in his corner with one arm wrapped around his bent knees while his left hand tapped rhythmically against the collar that suppressed his powers. With every third or fifth strike, a tiny spark sizzled between the Lightning Mage’s fingers and the collar until Orion’s rare ability [Lightning Weave] activated.

Rare Ability—Lightning Weave Allows the Mage to ignore the charge time of all lightning-based skills and cast them instantly. Mage Active Skill—Voltage II (Tier II) A short charge skill that paralyzes, stuns, or disrupts any of the target’s actively charging skills. Inflicts 54% damage to the target.

Mage has inflicted 54% lightning damage to Suppression Collar. Durability reduced by 54. Suppression Collar’s remaining durability is at 242/350.

ALERT! Suppression Collar’s barrier skill [Mana Drain] has activated. Your total Mana Pool has been drained by 90%.

ALERT! Due to [Extreme Fatigue] and [Hunger], your Mana Pool has been reduced by 40%. The remaining 30% will be drained from your total Health Pool.

Lightning Mage Orion has received 71,669 damage from [Mana Drain].

“Cosima’s—fucking—biscuits!” Orion hissed as his health bar, still visible to him via his Nucleus, dropped rapidly.

Orion Grantham. Nucleus (Ingenium). Class (Mage). Rank (B). Level (73) Lightning Mage Orion. Health: 71,670/143,339 238,898. Mana: 0/57,335 995,559. Experience till next level: 289,763/1,322,100. Status Effects: [Extreme Fatigue], [Hunger], and [Blindness].

‘Now to wait until my health and mana fill up again, so the next skill I use won’t get me killed.’ Orion sighed and dropped his head back to rest on the wall as he blinked and stared into a sea of nothingness. ‘That Seviner’s probably laughing her ass off at me. Of course, she won’t deliver my message. She works for the fucking Paragon.’

The blind Mage kicked his legs out restlessly then stiffened as a soft snigger emerged from close by.

“So that’s how you did it,” a familiar male voice murmured. “Then again, after five years down here, I’m sure a genius like you had a lot of time to figure out how to neutralize a Suppression Collar.”

“Julian,” Orion hissed as he pulled his legs back and reached to the wall at his side for support as he rose. “What do you want?”

The sound of iron turning in a lock sent a cold wave of nausea through the blind Mage’s gut.

“Oh, I’m just dropping by to see how you were doing, old friend.”

“Friend?” Orion snarled. “Since when have we ever been friends?”

A sharp laugh filled the cell as metal hinges grated open.

‘As weak as I am, it seems Delancy still felt the need to send his Assassin to kill me personally. I suppose I should feel honored.’

Orion inched back and held his breath as he listened intently to the sounds of the Assassin’s boots as they glided across the prison floor like a ghost.

‘Damn it. If I hadn’t broken my collar earlier—Fuck!’

“Well, if it brings you any comfort to think of me as your enemy, then I suppose I’ll have to settle for that,” Julian replied in a conversational tone.

“What do you want?” Orion growled, his sightless eyes moving restlessly through the void as sparks of ether magic flickered through the shadows in which the Assassin hid.

“Oh, I’m not here for me,” Julian replied with an audible sneer. “The Paragon would like the ledgers your father stole returned. Tell me where they are, and I’ll give you the courtesy of a quick death.”

The Lightning mage clenched his jaw as he exhaled slowly through his nose. “If it's death either way, then why should I tell you?”

“Oh,” Julian murmured, followed by an oddly pleased giggle. “Well, if you prefer a messy end, Mage, then I’m more than happy to oblige. I promise to be exceedingly careful so you can enjoy the full experience, even in your delicate state.”

“Eat Gromulus shit, you maggot!”

An outline, barely there and then gone, appeared in the void as Orion braced himself. Pain speared through the Mage’s left leg as skin and muscle slid open beneath the Assassin’s blade. Orion swung his fist uselessly, hitting nothing as his weak legs buckled and he toppled down to the floor.

Lightning Mage Orion has received 17,394 physical damage from Assassin Julian.

“Don’t worry, Mage, I brought a spare D-grade dagger to ensure I didn’t kill you too quickly.”

“You sadistic fucking psy—”

A boot slammed forcefully into Orion’s ribs before his back collided with the prison wall.

Lightning Mage Orion has received 9,556 physical damage from Assassin Julian.

“Oopsie, you’re a lot weaker than I thought,” Julian taunted as he grabbed a fist full of Orion’s hair and yanked the Mage’s face off the floor. “Guess being born a genius means nothing when you have no armor and no skills to defend yourself.”

Orion barely had a chance to draw in a shallow breath before the Assassin slammed his head back down into the stone floor.

Lightning Mage Orion has received 23,890 physical damage from Assassin Julian.

“I’m trying as hard as I can not to kill you,” Julian snickered scornfully. “But who knew you had become this weak?”

“I guess—you’re not as—skilled as you thought,” Orion wheezed out with a mirthless grin.

“Fucking cocky Praeditus,” the Assassin hissed as he grabbed Orion’s left hand, spread it on the floor, and then drove his blade through it.

Lightning Mage Orion has received 17,394 physical damage from Assassin Julian.

“What a shame. Can you even see your Health Pool now, Genius?” Julian muttered as he wiped his blade against the Mage’s shoulder. “If you could, you’d probably be really fucking grateful that you’re less than an inch away from death, but you’d be wrong—”

Orion gritted his teeth as the Assassin flipped him over, then slapped a hand over the Mage’s nose as he pressed a vial against the blind man’s teeth.

“Bite it open and drink if you want to live—at least for a little while longer.”

Orion shook his head away and kept his mouth closed as the Assassin laughed.

“You always were annoyingly perceptive,” Julian commented as he removed his hand and slapped the blind mage’s cheek.

“Just get it over with,” Orion spat as he cautiously positioned his feet and braced himself for another attack. He started as a rough cord glided down over his face and then tightened around his neck. ‘Fucker!’ The cloth rope constricted as the Mage was yanked sharply upright until he was barely standing on his toes.

“Death by suicide,” Julian taunted somewhere at the other end of the makeshift noose. “A fitting end for a crippled nobody like you. Better hold your breath, Genius.”

Another forceful wrench pulled Orion off his feet altogether. He kicked behind him, feeling for the wall that was no longer within reach. The fingers he had pried beneath the cloth did little to ease the choking grip around his neck as his lungs protested and blood rushed to his ears.

A disembodied scream broke the Mage from a spiral of panic as the familiar scent of blood filled his sharpened senses. The fabric yanked, and then he plummeted to the ground, choking and coughing as he inched backward from whatever trick the Assassin would play on him next.

“Do you want to live, Orion Grantham?”

The Lightning Mage froze in place as the voice that was far from human grated against his ears. He took in a slow, halting breath as he raised his gaze from the floor and beheld a chaotic dark cluster of red ether that lit up the void before him with the image of a nightmare.

“Answer me, Orion Grantham. Do you want to live?!”

Somewhere beneath the panic that all but paralyzed his thoughts and movement, Orion flinched and answered, “Y-yes.”

“Then you must swear your allegiance to my Master.”

“W-what—I mean—to who?” Orion responded brokenly.

“I will only give you her name when you are prepared to swear your undying allegiance, mortal.”

The Mage lowered a shaking hand from his throat as his gaze dropped from the horned inferno-like monster before him. Instinct told him that whatever this was—it had killed Julian—and would likely kill him next if Orion refused.

“I-I will swear my allegiance.”

“Good,” the creature growled as the chaotic inferno stepped closer.

Blind as he was, Orion saw the claw that reached towards him but was powerless to move away. The tip of the curved nail burned as it pierced through the Mage’s chest, then pulled free a pale blue strand that matched the Mage’s four-pointed Nucleus.

“By the power of the Ancienter, the Herald of Doom, and the Gate King, do you, Orion Grantham, swear your life, body, and power forever to the service of my Master, Fallon Gaumond?”

‘Gaumond! Fallon Gaumond? Xander’s fucking brat!?’

Pain exploded through Orion’s chest as the strand held by the monster’s claw burned with the same red magic that illuminated this creature. ‘No—this Dementher.’

Orion had read more than a dozen books on the legends of the Gate. The drawings of the nefarious intelligent beings that controlled them were disturbing, chaotic, and random at best, but there were two common denominators he now recognized as based on reality. The Dementhers were always drawn with horns and six limbs. The burning figure before Orion now had four arms, two legs, and a single enormous, curved horn.

Orion flinched and lowered his gaze as the Dementher stepped closer. Its other sharp, clawed hand reached towards the blind mage’s face.

“I will not ask a third time, mortal,” the Dementher’s voice rippled with power, impatience, and something else that made Orion shut his eyes in terror.

“I-I Swear. My life—body and power—to my new Master, Fallon Gaumond.”

“Signed, Witnessed, and Sealed,” the Dementher whispered in a gratified tone as he returned the glowing red strand to Orion’s chest, where it burned like the flames of the Ancienter.