Atkozott POV

Well, needless to say, it was a good thing I got out of there when I did. Not long after I finally left the forest, there was a huge fluctuation of mana. Like a spreading storm of darkness, a pitch black mist spread from the center of the forest, engulfing everything within a few kilometers. I was sure Volkal was in its range. Even I was forced to rush Kala into a full out sprint to outrun it, managing by a hair. When I had dismounted, I found I couldn’t see anything past the pitch black mist that writhed and shimmered with magic.

I had no idea what Aldo had done, but the muffled screeches coming from within sounded ominous. Curious but not suicidal, I refrained from entering and mounted Kala again. The rest of the way was smooth with no issues. I sat on Kala’s back and flipped through the grimoire. I couldn’t understand much, it was written in a messy way. Once I’d passed the pages that held complicated rituals, I saw a warning written on the bottom. My eyes widened when I realized what happened to Aldo. I'm pretty sure he was invoking a Djinn, a spiritual entity of great power. Since this said it could grant a wish to the summoner, I understood what Aldo was after.

However, seeing the result, it was clear Aldo had failed and he had failed miserably. According to the explanation in the grimoire, preforming summoning rituals was with high risks. The mist was the result of Aldo’s botched ritual and seeing the scale of it? It was a huge blunder. Apparently, when a summoning ritual was botched, instead of reaching what you sought, there was a chance to open a threshold to something they called the Beyond. The mist and creatures they called the Abominations came out, remaining as long as there was mist. Though they don’t leave the mist, after it clears up, what’s usually left is a lifeless wasteland. Seeing the description of the creature, I felt a nagging sensation that I saw something like that before...

A single eye and a horn, hooked claws and thin yellow fur covering a gray hunched being. Wasn’t something like that at the Golden Swan before? If I recalled correctly, the creature was in a cage and extremely agitated. Perhaps it didn’t manage to escape back past the threshold. Intrigued at the phenomenon, I was glad I took off when I did.

Putting the grimoire away for now, I took out my map and tried to find my approximate location. Following a finger from Volkal to the Forest of Amissum, I glanced up and saw the position of the sun. Seeing I exited on the north-eastern side, I made a complicated expression when I saw I was around two weeks away from Harlheim. It was the largest city in my vicinity. Maybe I could stop by camp Warmonger.

It might not be such a bad idea since I had a few plans. For one, I wanted to thoroughly study the grimoire and the booklet Aldo gave me. Get some alchemy tools to try my hand at it. I only skimmed over the booklet, but there were only four recipes. One was for this Asubritt thing and the other for flammable gel. The description awfully reminded me of napalm, a highly flammable substance I’d read about in some book back on Earth. The third one was something akin to an energy drink. I skipped the last recipe since it was for boosting performance in bed.

Scratching my chin, I figured the camp was as good a place as any to get some training in. Maybe work on my magic and wait out my shedding. If what Aldo said was true, it would be a couple of months, and I was estimating double the first one. It was just a guess though, I had no idea when it’d really come but I knew the signs now. So far, there were no symptoms, it was still a ways off.

The reason I didn’t want to find this witch immediately was my biggest issue. The village Aldo mentioned didn’t exist on my map. Though the Vidas Forest was marked, I had no idea where to begin looking. That forest spanned over nearly a third of Terra Silva, connected with the Forest of Amissum and stretching all the way to the eastern coast. There were at least a dozen villages along the edges of the forest. I could wander around for years and not find the damn witch. My map had the forest marked with a big red X, making me chuckle. I needed to do some research, ask around and use the guild resources to my advantage for once.

For the next two weeks, I traveled at my own pace but reached Harlheim on the second week. When I noticed a large number of carts and wagons in the distance I knew that I was near the checkpoint. I breathed in deeply and stretched, giving Kala some meat that was left over from the deer I’d hunted yesterday. Recalling the pompous Earl who demanded my fight to the death, I cringed and slapped my forehead, getting a few odd glances.

I needed to use that Asubritt once I got past the guards, I really wasn’t in the mood for a grudge holding noble to send trouble my way. I’ll admit, I forgot about him but it was now renewed in my mind, making my own resentment rear its head. My mood plummeting at the memory, I was up next. The guards gave me funny looks that quickly turned haughty. Since my hood was required to be off at checkpoints, they could see my horns and clearly inhuman features. Their reactions didn’t surprise me in the least, I was used to being ostracized.

“Your identification, demon.” he immediately assumed and stretched out his hand. With a grunt, I handed him my papers, pulling them out of thin air. Widening his eyes a bit, he took them and looked them over while the other one measured me up, “What is your business here?” he asked with a condescending tone. Annoyed, I grumbled back, “Passing through, doing some shopping, visiting my guild.” I said with a monotone voice, keeping an indifferent expression.

“Which guild?” he asked almost instantly. Frowning, I simply pointed at the badge on my armor, “The Warmongers.” Something flashed in his eyes when he heard the name but quickly concealed it. The other guard was finished with authenticating my papers and gave them back, “They check out.” he said with clear dissatisfaction in his voice, looking at me as if I were trash. Ignoring him, they bugged me some more since the line behind me wasn’t that long.

As I was growing more annoyed by the second a scent of mint and honey entered my nose. Not even listening to them rant anymore, I glanced around curiously. Was that woman here? I caught a glimpse of red hair in the distance, walking away with a crew of people. There was another familiar scent, but I overlooked it as I drilled a hole into the back of the elven woman. Was this not too much of a coincidence? Seeing her for the third time so randomly? That sensation that awoke every time I saw her was weak because of the distance, making me frustrated beyond belief. I needed to see what this was about eventually. It was like the answer was at the tip of my tongue, but wouldn’t come out.

“Hello! Are you ignoring me?!” the guard shouted, snapping me out of my stupor as I glared at him, “I need to be on my way, if there is nothing else, let me pass.” I growled, my annoyance clear on my face. Sharing a glance, the two guards gave despicable grins, “Sure thing, passage is 10 gold.”

Scowling at them in obvious disbelief, I grimaced, “Why don’t I give you my kidney as well while I’m at it?! Do you think I was born yesterday?” I hiss with sarcasm, knowing full well the entrance fee never went above 50 silver per person and even that was stretching it. They shrugged, “You don’t want to pay? Then get lost!” one of them shouted and laughed.

I couldn’t start a fight here in broad daylight, no matter how much I wanted to crack their skulls. Grimacing, I turned to leave and saw a familiar face. Mortier’s eyes widened in recognition as he pushed past the line and slapped me on the shoulder with a wide grin. Though, it was more like the crowd parted for him like the great sea. The demon looked the same as always, his curved horns gleaming in the morning light as he narrowed his eyes at the two guards, “Making trouble for our guild members again are you? Don’t tell me we need a repeat of last time, hm?” he asked with a low voice. Visibly paling, the guards looked at him hatefully and spat, “Fine! 40 silver, both of you and don’t you mention this to anyone!” he said through gritted teeth. Paying him for the both of us, I pushed past them with a cold glare.

“Atko! Where have you been? You seem to be doing well for yourself.” he made small talk as we walked the streets of Harlheim. Filling him in on some minor things I’d been doing, I observed the state of the city. Furrowing my brow, I could almost sense the gloom in the air. The commoners looked sunken, the injustice clear on their depressed faces. Guards were much rougher than in Tallah, bothering people left and right for the smallest things, asking for payment. The beggars were clearly starved, lying in gutters weakly, unable to even beg for help.

Glancing at Mortier, I frowned, “What is up with this place?” I asked in confusion.

His face visibly darkened, “The Earl is.” he hissed with a whisper, “That bastard increased taxes which resulted in the prices rising. The people here can’t handle it. He’s acting as if this is the capital, trying to contest with Evergreen since he’s been pressuring him lately. As a result, the Earl began harassing our guild base actively. I’m sure Evergreen is dealing with it, but there are some rough times in store for the citizens. Some are actively trying to move away but he is making it impossible for them with extra payments. No one here can afford leaving except for the wealthy, but they are-” he grimaced, “exempt from the new taxes. That bastard has everyone here under his thumb and he’s getting more daring by the day.”

Glancing at me he grinned, flashing his teeth, “Though he still doesn’t dare to bother us too much.” he said with snicker while glowering at a guard who wasn’t minding his own business. Chuckling, I sighed wishing to just do what I came here to do and leave, “Hang on.” I say and turn into a deserted alley. Looking at me strangely, Mortier shrugged and followed.

Checking to see if anyone was around, I nodded and took out the jar. Mortier was staring at me bizarrely, “What is that?”

If that old man was messing with me and put just plain mud in there... I cringed at the thought, “Hopefully something that works.” I mutter in answer and grab a handful. I sniff it and, surprisingly, it had a fruity smell. Here goes nothing. I smear it on my face, making Mortier gape in bafflement. After covering everything, I got a strange sensation. I blinked a few times and looked down at my now humanoid hands.

The color of my skin looked more tanned, the chitinous skin and my claws were replaced by a pair of normal hands. I squint at my hands closely because they still felt the same. After focusing a while, I could make out a shimmer, my claws overlapping with the hands. Quickly I check my tail behind the cloak and gape in shock. My usually long and scaly tail was much shorter and furry, it didn't even reach the ground. Don't tell me. Grabbing my head, I felt my horns but stared at Mortier who just looked plain confused at this point, “Please tell me they’re not dog ears.” I say with disbelief.

Glancing at the top of my head then back at me, he grinned, “They’re dog ears.” he said and began laughing. Great, I was disguised as a beastman. Not sure how I felt about that, I glanced at Kala who was looking at me with confusion. She sniffed at me and tilted her head. Petting her, I smiled, “It’s still me girl.”

"I suppose it doesn't really matter." I sigh and try to move the tail. It was odd. It felt like my usual tail, but I could clearly see a dog tail, moving out of sync a bit. My body didn't actually change, this Asubritt created an illusion that layered my body and concealed my actual appearance with a random one that corresponded with the norm. I stare at the jar in my hand in appreciation. This could be very useful indeed. The bad part was its fragility. I shrug and turn to grin at Mortier, "Shall we go?”

He gave me a skeptical look and snorted, “I don’t know what that was, but I get why you need it. I’m guessing the Earl still remembers you as well, seeing as you ripped out his champion’s throat.” he said with a grin and gave a thumbs up, “I would’ve eaten him though, waste of meat. I heard Azuran’s were tasty.” he said with a thoughtful face before jumping, his arms waving around, “Don’t tell Saal I said that!”

Knowing demons were never picky about their diet, I grinned and caught up with him until we reached the guild. It was a large building, three stories high with a small flow of people going in and out. The image of the eclipsed moon was on the plaque outside. Walking in, I saw the lobby was a tavern as per usual. Seeing Ha’Luk sitting at a table, Mortier gave me a slap on the back while grinning, “How about a drink, eh?”

Shaking my head, I smiled wryly, “Unfortunately, I have some things to buy. Do you know if there’s an alchemy shop anywhere nearby?” I ask casually. He seemed to think before shouting out to Ha’Luk, “Oy! You dabble in herbs and alchemy, help him out.” looking confused, Ha’Luk glanced up from his book and saw us, giving a toothy grin before walking over, “Hello, I am Ha’Luk. Forgive me, but I do not know you. Are you a new member?” he asked me politely while towering over me like a mountain of muscle. Mortier ginned, “Can’t recognize him with the doggy features huh? It’s Atko.” he said, his eyes darting between us as if enjoying the show.

His eyes widening, Ha’Luk seemed confused, “But... What?”

Sighing, I glared at Mortier, “It’s just a disguise. I don’t want to deal with the Earl’s shit so early in the morning.” I grumble and look him in the eyes, “Do you know where an alchemy shop is around here?” I ask again. A few explanations later and I left the guild to find the Jolly Cauldron, an alchemy shop in the west district. Apparently, it was owned by a noble but he still rose the prices, netting in a huge profit of his own. Ha’Luk told me to try and haggle but not to have high hopes of getting a lower price. Kala was left in the care of the guild, enjoying some fresh water and a nice stake in the stables.

After a short walk, I spotted the crest Ha’Luk had described of a smiling cauldron. I walked in, a small bell announcing my visit. The flare of strong scents nearly made me sneeze again, reminding me of Aldo’s smelly den. I curse under my breath. Maybe alchemy wasn’t for me. I thought awkwardly as I glanced around the empty shop. It wasn’t overly large, the shelves stocked with bottles, flasks and jars, filled with all kinds of stuff. They were all labeled with names and prices. A human kid with short brown hair and a girly face was sitting behind the counter, looking bored out of his mind. In fact, he barely looked at me and kept dozing off. I raise an eyebrow and look around a bit.

Opening my booklet, I checked the ingredients I needed and walked to the counter. He frowned skeptically, “Can I help you?”

I narrow my eyes and sneer, "You always talk to customers like that? Maybe I should talk to someone in charge, see what they think about this.” I mutter casually, laying the ground work for my haggling. The kid was making it easy with his behavior.

He winced and cleared his throat, straightening his back, "Please excuse my behavior, no need to talk to the manager.” he said nervously.

"I need an alchemy set and some ingredients." I say and begin listing the things I needed to make that napalm and the energy drink. He was scribbling it down with a quick hand. Double-checking, he looked at me with an apologetic smile, "We do have some of these, but we’ll need to order the rest. I can give you the set immediately, but you’ll have to come pick up your ingredients next week. You will need to leave a deposit though.”

Lifting a brow, I shrugged, “That’s fine. I’ll pay for the set immediately and leave the deposit. Tell me the price.” I tensed slightly, prepared to lower it as much as I could.

“Let’s see.” his head lowered to his notebook as he scribbled down and calculated the costs. I was slightly surprised at how adept he was at arithmetic, making short work of it and giving a happy grin, “That’ll be a total of 246 gold. The alchemy set is 100 gold coins, your ingredients total to a 146 gold. The deposit is 73 gold.” I inhaled sharply. That was the most ridiculous price I’d heard so far. Though I didn’t pinch my pennies since it was easy enough to find a job, even I wasn’t willing to part with such an amount. I inwardly thanked Ha’Luk for telling me the regular prices, making me realize they were double the usual. A set was 50 gold, and most herbs never went above 50 silver per gram. Only a few rare and precious resources costed more. It was an utter rip off, making me understand the severity of this city’s situation.

Glaring at him, I hissed instinctively through gritted teeth, “I don’t know whose leg you’re pulling, but that is ridiculous. I’ll take my business elsewhere if you don’t lower that to a more acceptable price. I don’t know what kind of mad man is running this business but he’ll soon be out of it if you continue raising the prices so much.” the kid flinched at my rough grumble, looking awkward, “I- I can’t really do anything here. The prices are set in stone for now, I don’t have the authority to lower them.”

I felt a twitch on my face and sighed in annoyance. I headed for the exit. Grabbing the handle of the door, I turn to look at the stunned kid, “You really should tell whoever is in charge to go stick a pole up their ass because if I ever see them, I’ll do it for them.” I growled and left in a bad mood, slamming the door behind me. It was a shame, but there was no way I was paying that amount. I’ll buy it at another opportunity. I wasn’t in that much of a hurry to start dabbling in alchemy. I had other thigs to do besides that.

Heading back to the guild, I saw some suspicious behavior from the guards. They were keeping a close eye on the guild, seemingly searching for someone. Ignoring them, I walked in without a worry. Not even Ha’Luk recognized me and we were actually acquainted. Seeing the duo was still here, I figured I might as well have a drink.

For the next couple of hours, we talked and exchanged stories with some decent mead. I was steering clear of the Fireale for now, my last encounter with it still fresh in my mind. The three of us must have drunk an entire barrel by now, but no one showed any sign of feeling it save Mortier who seemed to have a slight buzz. Guess it was true demons had high tolerance for alcohol. Ha’Luk on the other hand looked the same as ever, saying how he usually drank an entire barrel on his own before getting a buzz.

As midday approached, I stood to get Kala and head to the camp. The duo had some things to do in town so they bid me goodbye. I’d learned they were actually partnered up and often worked together. Feeling relaxed from the annoying ordeals in the morning, I was about to exit as the insignia on my chest seemed to burn.

Evergreen POV

Working at my desk, I was looking over the report on Harlheim. That bastard was playing with fire. Raising taxes, abusing his positon, roping in all the other nobles. I could tell he was trying to push me out but he wasn’t the only one trying to get rid of my influence. That little fly will be dealt with in due time.

Grinning, I glance over the other reports. Novvav was in good shape, the proceedings going as planned. Blanch had a few issues with the nobles in charge, they were grouping together unlike Harlheim and setting up their own little council. How adorable. Tallah was gradually falling under my control, only a couple of nobles left that needed to be ‘persuaded’. Checking all the large towns, I frowned at the report from Volkal. Someone had triggered an Abomination infestation and the whole city was cut off from the rest of the world, put under lock down. Seeing the report came in yesterday, I understood it was a big one this time and will probably last for a month according to the estimations.

Groaning in annoyance, all my plans for Volkal went up into flames. The city will be a ghost town by the end of the week, let alone surviving an Abomination infestation for an entire month. Taking a deep breath, I reevaluated my plans. No matter, I’ll just volunteer my assets into repairing the town. The control will come soon after. It will take long enough for the council to appoint new order. Pondering on how to proceed, I felt my necklace shatter.

Standing up in a fit, my chair fell over as I grabbed the pearl. Focusing my mana, I felt my panic rise as I saw the last few seconds of Thalia’s memories. Bandits. Forest. Completely surrounded. Cursing loudly, I grabbed the little statuette on my desk and shattered it against the wall in fury. Breathing heavily, I quickly looked at Mave. She was staring with confusion and concern, ready to jump at my next order. Ignoring her, I went directly to my bookshelf and pushed the books in, using my magic to trigger the combination lock. A section shimmered before revealing my safe. Prying it open in a hurry, I took out a metal box with the insignia of an eclipsed moon, “Mave, lock the doors and set up a barrier!” I shouted and set the box down.

Opening it, I saw my wide collection of vials, all of them filled with the blood of my debtors. Feeling a loss at having to use one of my favors preemptively, I knew I had no choice. If I sent my guild, a lot of things that were in place will fall apart and my enemies will latch on to the weakness like rabid dogs to a bone. I needed this done efficiently and covertly, guaranteeing my niece’s safety in the process. The favors were my best option.

Immediately disregarding more than half of them, I knew they were all in Velegard, too far to do any good. Taking out 10 of them that I knew weren’t near here, I looked at Mave hastily, “Quickly, we need to find out which one of them is near Harlheim and camp Warmonger.” She nodded her head and casted a tracking spell. I joined in, using my own magic to search for the debtors. After a few minutes, I couldn’t help but grimace. Why did it have to be him? I had different plans for Atkozott but I knew he was the closest one by far, the man was in Harlheim at this very moment. Two were in the camp but they were unsuitable for the task I needed done.

Clenching my teeth, I opened the bottle containing his blood and took out one of the badges in my drawer. Dripping a small drop, I watched it sizzle from the acid but it still did its job. Mave assisted me as I cast the wide-range communication spell, connecting to the small matrix that was in the insignia of his guild crest. Bringing the badge to my mouth I spoke, composing myself as to not show weakness, “Hello, Atkozott. I’m calling in my first favor.”

Atkozott POV

Feeling the burning sensation on my chest, I scowled at the crest, feeling clear magic emanate from it. Soon enough, I felt something probing my mind. I fought it at first but suddenly felt a sensation of dread fall over me. With wide eyes, I realized it was the warning of the deal I’d made. Relaxing my guard, I felt the mana reach my ears, “Hello, Atkozott. I’m calling in my first favor. In the forest by Harlheim there is a bandit hideout. The request is as follows. Save a red haired elven woman named Thalia and protect her while you investigate what happened to her. She is a member of my guild so you should start you search there. Once you find the one responsible, and I mean the mastermind, send me all the information you know. I believe foul play was at hand and I want to know if that sniveling bastard of an Earl had something to do with it.” his voice was steady but dark as he spoke, showing he was truly angry, “Do this carefully and efficiently, keep yourself under the radar. Once you’ve delivered the information, the first favor will conclude.”

Scowling at the layered request, I cursed loudly, making people look at me strangely. I didn’t care as I whispered through clenched teeth, “Bastard! You never said they’d be layered.” I received no answer as the badge cooled down. Feeling a tight strain in my chest, I knew the deal was in effect as the magic seemed threaten me for a moment before dying down. Shit.

I didn’t have time to wonder how he knew I was here. If this elven woman was who I thought she was, I saw her this morning, leaving with a crew of people. Knowing bandits and their habits, I knew I was on tight schedule. Though I was half glad that Evergreen seemed to waste one of his favors, it still pissed me off. But I needed to keep my word. Fair was fair, despite the fact that he was despicable. Returning to the bar, I glared at the innkeeper, “Tell me everything you know about the group that left this morning to subjugate the bandits in the forest.”