Author's Note:

Thanks for the comments everyone, they motivate me to continue writing. Hope you like this chapter too ^^

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Now onto the chapter:

***

L watched the interactions before him unfolding and had a feeling he was an unneeded presence. One that might get in the way more than help.

He rose from his chair and with slow but quiet steps made his way to the door. They opened without a sound and he was out. Stairs looked foreboding with his energy close to zero but there was no way he was going back now.

Each step was a challenge. Every time he wondered whether this one would send him rolling down and out the game. But no, wavering and shaking he reached the bottom.

Heavy oak doors stood half open before him so he slid through the crack.

The courtyard was alive with noise. Booze was found and people were drinking to their heart’s content. Loud toasts were shouted and even louder cheers came after.

It was a merry mood L would have loved to share if not for the fact nothing had been solved. If the kid said true and Marion was alive, he’d be back here in moments. Provisions had to be made, more allies secured and made sure that this time they arrived on time.

And all his people were busy celebrating. Who was he to turn to aid him in his task?

Two women made their way towards him. He recognised them as Rowena’s sisters and found a wall to lean against. He wasn’t well-enough to face them without support.

“Where is our sister?” Aleena asked with a freezing stare.

L knew he wasn’t going to escape with lies. “With Marion’s mages.”

It was almost funny how the two sisters’ expressions turned from cold masks to disbelief, then horror and rage at last. Almost funny. Him being at the end of their gazes was somewhat disconcerting.

“I let her go with the rogues but the last suicide attack wasn’t my idea! It was all on her own!” he said and had a feeling he’d just made the situation worse.

Mila entered his personal space, looking at him with murder in her eyes. “Why would you let our little sister go with the rogues?”

L gulped. “She pleaded and cajoled whole day. I didn’t have a choice!”

“No choice? She’s just a little girl!”

“Is she?” Aleena asked with wonder in her tone. Mila glanced her way with puzzlement evident in her voice. “I don’t remember the time she actually wanted something. Just accepting what’s given and not bothering to care for anything herself.”

Mila’s eyes widened. “Now that you mention it...” She turned to face him again. “You sure she wanted it herself?”

“She pestered me till I gave in,” L muttered with annoyance. He could still remember how she got in the way, preventing him from doing any task, having a single conversation with his underlings. She had acted like a woman possessed.

“Mhmm.” Aleena patted his shoulder. “You’re okay for now but don’t think we’ve forgotten your transgression. She’s dead because of you.”

He opened his friend list and found Rowena’s marker shining as bright as ever. “Did you even check it?” he grumbled. Their surprised looks showed him the answer. “Well, no one died. They were just put on a trip and I need your assistance in preparing for inevitable return.”

Neither of the sisters liked what they heard, judging by the darkening in their eyes. “Marion is still alive?”

“As far as I heard, yes.”

“Shit, that miscreant. He has the luck of the devil.” Aleena straightened. “What has to be done?”

Whatever they were, the sisters were trustworthy. No matter the circumstances he could be sure they would do what he deemed necessary. “Go to our old allies and make them come. No being late this time.”

They nodded and without a word shifted into animals, flying off in different directions.

One thing done, a million more to come.

Going by the walls, to lean on them as much as stay out of sight. Celebration was good and all but he didn’t have time for it. Nor did he want to cut it short for others. They needed some happiness, even if it was false.

Right turn and he entered a set of valleys. They weren’t the worst but you could see decline in them. Earthquake hadn’t been kind. Many walls had crumbled, houses being forced to reveal their rotten insides.

L tried to walk past that as quick as he could while still counting each structure. Three, four, seven and nine. A house just like any other met his appraising look. Its roof was gone and the front wall had wide cracks, though, it was still standing.

Doors were open, squeaking from the wind. L took careful steps, not certain he was at the right place. Could someone really live here? But the look around showed that all the houses were in this shape.

It was either this place or he had entered the wrong neighbourhood. Not that surprising since he’d never been to the place but still. He would have thought he knew his city better than that.

Did he?

“What are you standing there for? Either enter or leave?” ordered a grumbling voice from the doorway. Its owner was a man whose age L didn’t dare to guess. One hundred would have been too few years by the amount of wrinkles on his weathered face.

“Are you Sedgart?” L asked with a cautious step forward. He was led to believe this was Wing’s master, an assassin that reached old age. Feat that few ever boasted.

Yet this ageing man looked nothing like a hardened criminal. He wore a tunic of patched rags, his hair a mess and full of dirt. The hand that kept the doors from being closed by the wind was bent and misshapen by arthritis.

“What if I am?” the man asked with a snarl. He didn’t seem to be in a conversational mood.

Not that L had a choice. He needed help. Any kind he could get. “We need to talk,” he said, moving up to the doors. “Mind if we go inside?”

“I see no reason to.”

“Are you going to be difficult on purpose?” L asked with annoyance entering his voice. He didn’t have time for this. “It’s about Wing. You know him, right?”

The man gave him an appraising look. Only now L noticed that his little eyes hidden beneath folds of wrinkles were sharp and clear. The ageing appearance was just a pretence. “I’ve seen him once or twice. What of it?”

L pushed himself in. He took in the bare room and dropped on the ground near the fireplace. “I have something to ask you and the whole street doesn’t need to hear. Are you interested or not?”

“When the city’s lord comes in secret, it never means well,” the old man muttered, limping his way to the fire. He took his time settling in and the sigh of relief that left his lips couldn’t have been faked. “So what did my student do?”

“He brought me the spell that saved us.”

Sedgart extended his hands towards the fire. “So what more do you need from me? The city should be under your happy rule.”

“If only that was so,” L said in a wistful tone. “Truth is they were just scattered and will return soon enough. I need your help in making sure this time we have a fighting chance.”

The old man didn’t look up as he said. “And what do you think I can do? I am too old to order your troops to battle.”

L smiled. “That might be so but your circle of spies would aid me greatly.”

“Why would I still have them? It’s been fifty years since I retired.”

“From what I heard, once an assassin always an assassin. You found Wing and trained him to become a master. Then after coming here you took over his duties and taught his students. I don’t see your retirement having affected your interests in the least.”

The man turned then, a glow in his blue eyes. “And what would happen if I just killed you now because you’re annoying?”

L considered it for a moment. What could he promise the man? What would he want? He seemed not mindful of his surroundings so money or comforts were out of question.

Some hidden wish would be great but he wasn’t familiar enough with the man to know them. Wing might but he was indisposed. Once again. He was getting into a bad habit of never being available when needed.

L almost missed the old times when the kid was travelling with his group and could always be reached. No. He shook his head to chase the imagination away. The kid might have been easy to reach but he didn’t do anything. That was no better.

At least now he didn’t have expectations that could be crushed.

“What if I promised something you want?” he asked.

“Which is?”

“How would I know?” L asked with a shrug. “It’s your wish, not mine.”

There was silence for a second and then Sedgart burst out laughing. “You’re an interesting kid. I can see why Wing decided to stick around.” He took cup of cold tea from somewhere behind him and gulped it down. “I’ll help you but in turn you’ll have to let me in on your plans.”

It was a large thing and at the same time very small. All the man wanted as his payment was trust. L wasn’t in habit of sharing it but he didn’t have much choice. He needed a spy master, someone to kill a few nobles and intimidate others.

“Deal,” he said extending his hand. The old man stared at it then shook with vigour not meant for his years. “Yes, yes. I’ll ask around what’s the situation and meet you in your castle later today. Now shoo, shoo,” he ordered, motioning for L to get out. “I have work to do!”

***

Kirin stepped out of the cabin, his mind working on overdrive. So many questions rose in his mind with one of them taking precedence. What in the world am I doing?

He had put trust into Aiden. It was a dangerous act of itself but to choose a person like him. The man knew too much. He was a worldly person, knew some of the horrors that hunted Kirin. Had his own unique ones.

What was he thinking allowing this kind of person in his life? Letting him in at least through the first pretence.

A blinking light on his desk caught Kirin’s eye. He opened his laptop to see a message from his parents. They had already bought the tickets in advance and just wanted to let him know. No backing out. His birthday would be celebrated.

It made Kirin wish for time to fly faster. But it wasn’t going to happen so he went to grab a bite and found a book to read. There was no way he was falling asleep with this rattled mind no matter how exhausted mentally he was.

***

“Are you okay?” asked a gentle voice and Rowena turned in its direction with a groan. Her head hurt as if hit with a brick and thoughts were jumbled. She couldn’t remember what had happened. “Who?” she asked in a whisper.

“Fenek,” the voice answered, helping her sit up. “We need to leave before someone finds us. Can you move?

The earthquake, mages, twister, a mad dash - all came into her mind with a rush. She wavered from the onslaught, pressing fingers to her temples. “What happened?”

Fenek dragged her to her feet as he answered. “We’ve been swallowed and then thrown out here. You hit your head when we fell.”

Rowena mumbled under her breath, trying to find balance. It was harder than she would have preferred but after a few seconds she felt more like a human. “Is anyone else..?”

He shook his head and pointed at a rise of trees, indicating they walk there. Rowena thought for a moment and turned into a wolf. Four legs had to be better than two when one was unstable.

Her companion glanced at her change but without a word started walking. She followed on soft steps.

The ground was barren and uneven as if a giant mole had passed recently. There were footprints to the right. Human ones. But she couldn’t see anyone. “Where did others go?”

“A bunch of wizards passed earlier,” Fenek answered. “There’s still many that I’ve not seen that came with us.”

“Shouldn’t we try to hunt those wizards down? It would make their returning to Marion even slower,” Rowena wondered aloud, glancing behind them. There was nothing. Wizards had to have been quick on their feet.

Fenek stared at her for a few moments. “You’re up for it?”

“’Course! I’d do anything for Lasran,” she answered with eagerness in her voice. Next second turning into an eagle and soaring upwards. She could feel Fenek’s gaze on her but ignored it.

This was time for hunting, not explanations.

Her wings carried her upwards and forward. Few circles later she saw a group of humanoid shaped figures. They were moving with the speed and abandonment of a hunted animal.

Interested Rowena flew in that direction, using her superior eyesight to see what was happening without getting too close. Wizards dashed out of a groove and ten heartbeats later a family of ogres followed.

Their colour of greenish grey made it hard to discern them from the nature around. It helped that they were half-giant and could pretend to be a small hill or mossy rock without a problem.

Rowena remembered hunting them at a time for a quest. It had been a challenge to find one but once angered they raised the whole clan. She had run like never before in her life, the thought to check their level never crossing her mind. Numbers often mattered more than skill.

One of the wizards tripped over his robe and fell. Others didn’t even glance backwards. The sound of stomping ogres loud in their ears. Few club strikes and the fallen was dead, ogres haven’t slowed.

This was soon to be over. They would catch up, killing everyone and doing all the work. Rowena turned to fly back when movement caught her eye. To the left of wizards and ogres, another party was resting, wolf pelts disappearing around them.

Now these people were a target that needed elimination. She sent a message to Fenek about directions and dived to the revellers. They weren’t going to enjoy their victory for long. Near the ground she shifted into a large white wolf and jumped into their midst.

They were better than she expected. Before she could swipe with her claws, two swords reached for her pelt. She dodged them at the last second but in that three more joined.

Outnumbered.

Not the best way to fight. But she wasn’t just a little girl. Nature was her ally. She darted sideways and out of the clearing. Warriors followed her with taunts and threats, waving their weapons in the air.

She manoeuvred into a thick under brush. Ten steps and she pushed against the ground. Warriors passed through. Two heartbeats more and she lunged at the last one. He struggled under the weight, falling as she bit his neck. It wasn’t enough so she clawed at his back until others turned.

And they were fast. Her coat was dotted with red as she pushed free. No more ambushes. They were too many for her to take care of alone. It was time to use her secret card.

Rowena pushed herself as fast as she could go. Warriors followed in her wake, this time with grim determination. She had almost killed one of their own. No more games. They were going for kill strikes.

Might as well.

Her muscles ached and she wished for a sight of her destination. It couldn’t be that much further. From the air it had seemed like a short distance away.

But that had always been so. She prayed for energy and followed the deterioration of the bar. Few minutes more and her body would be too exhausted to move. But not yet. Another step, another second of life.

When hope was going scarce, she saw the most beautiful thing ever. Ogres were smashing into wizards, finally catching up to them. She was about to jump in but a familiar voice stopped her in the tracks.

“Fenek?” she asked, turning around with her tongue lolling out. Her sides were lifting up and down as if she couldn’t take in enough air.

Her eyes met the rogue sheathing his blade. It was a curious sight as there had to have been six warriors behind her. Not Fenek. “Where are they?”

“I’m somewhat better at taking enemies unaware than you,” he said with a half-smile. She chuckled which sounded like a growl from her wolf’s muzzle. “I’m glad.”

“You okay?” he asked coming closer and inspecting her wounds.

Rowena sat on her haunches and shifted her head to look at her pelt. “Think so,” she answered. “Just scratches.”

He nodded and sneaked to take a better look at the ogres. They had killed all the wizards and were raising clubs in the air in victory. Another moment and they’ll leave.

Good enough. Rowena didn’t feel like trying the wizards’ fate and facing the ogres herself. Even if Fenek would be close to aid her.

“I saw tracks when getting to you. We should try to find their owners,” he said after coming back.

Tiredness tried to overwhelm Rowena but she wanted to help. For once, she could do something and nothing was going to stop her. “Got it. I’ll look for them from above.”

“Do it but wait for me,” Fenek ordered with a sharp look. “If you die playing hero, its not going to help anyone.”

Heat washed over her face and she was glad she was a furry beast. Turning into a hawk she nodded and shot upwards. Time to find more prey.

***

The rush of steps took L’s attention. He raised his head to see his study’s doors being blown open. A puffing young man reached his desk, resting his hands on it. “I need to tell you something,” he wheezed out.

“Take a breath,” L suggested, leaning back in his chair. What could Romeo want from him? The man had acted as leader of Draugar for most of the game’s time and been its face.

There was little more L knew than that. He hadn’t paid attention to small guilds, those that didn’t pose any danger or profit. And once Draugar became more they had a new leadership and this guy was pretty much gone. So what could he want now? And in such a hurry?

“Deedara contacted me,” he said between deep breaths. “She mentioned Hawk couldn’t get through to Monthu and they needed your decision.”

“Do they?” L asked with interest. “What is it they encountered?”

Romeo took a couple more breaths and straightened himself, took a step back. “They found a plaque. It has old writings on it that mage Nein could read from some other similar ones he’d seen in the caves. However, he doesn’t know the language itself so he would have no idea what he’d call.”

L whistled in appreciation. Now this was getting better and better. An unknown plaque of power. There was no doubt it was a spell and dangerous looking if the explorers went as far as contacting him.

One crazy thing after another. First the unbelievable spell that whisked his enemies away and took almost no payment, now some ancient plaque. Fate had fallen in-love with him or the world was going mad.

‘Then we shall have some fun trying to figure it out,” he thought as a smile made its way on his face. “Let them call it. I would not like their sacrifices come to naught and order them to return empty-handed.”

It couldn’t be worse than what the kid had called out in the mountains. And if it was, maybe the monsters would kill each other and humans would be back to squabbling among themselves.

“Nein said it’s on your head,” Romeo reported dutifully, his face taking on a pale sheen. “He started chanting,” he whispered in explanation. “The words... They sound so... So ominous.”

“That’s normal for a place where tornadoes and yetis frequent, dragon bones lie in plane view,” L said, dismissing his worries. Ominous words rarely brought anything scary. It’s the simple, innocent looking things in secret dungeons you had to be afraid of.

Romeo’s eyes widened. “There was a loud crash and the chat is off. I can’t hear anything!”

L sighed in annoyance and took up a document from his desk. It had provision numbers and their costs. His treasury would be empty before the end of the week and he would still be missing dozens of things.

There had to be a way to swiftly get money. He could borrow from the wizard’s bank but their return rates were extraordinary. Lifetime wouldn’t be enough to repay what he needed to borrow.

Draugar? He eyed the man before him. He was dressed in a long-sleeved brown shirt and loose pants. Neither of those gave an idea he had any money. Still. “How is your guild’s finances?”

The look he received told more than he needed to know. “What finances?”

“Thought so,” L muttered to himself. The guild hadn’t been on the popularity after Wing incident and even before it used up most of what they earned to care for the victims. Noble goal but it helped him little.

He needed to pay for supplies, repairs. Hire more craftsmen, soldiers. And it added up to quite a sum. One he never owned even before war started.

As he pondered the question a buzzing sound caught his attention. It was barely perceptible. Almost non-existent but kind of there. “Can you hear it?’ he asked Romeo.

“What?”

“Just listen,” L told him, shifting his head to hear better. It was soft but quite insistent. A look around the room gave to explanations. There was nothing that could produce such a sound.

He stood up and took a step towards the window. Opened it. He could see the wall beneath but nothing out of the ordinary. Two soldiers were standing sentry and talking, two more were walking up the step. So it was lunch break and changing of duty.

Yet the sound was growing stronger. As if something was getting closer. L leaned even farther, trying to see but there just wasn’t anything. It was a normal clear day in Las-

Grey shadows covered the sky. They were flying at break neck speed right above the houses. If L extended his hand, he could touch them. That is if he dared.

He didn’t.

There were words from expedition’s participants. Horror stories more like. Spirits that drained the life of its victim and nothing could be done. Few survived and those were different people. Of those who weren’t saved, many quit the game.

Rumours flew they needed counselling.

A shiver ran up L’s back. What were these monsters doing in his city?

But they didn’t seem to notice the terrified population under them. In a sea of grey they rushed past as if blind to the world. Couple of minutes and gone.

“What was that?” Romeo asked, startling L. He turned to see the man standing right at his shoulder, eyes still fixated on the once again clear blue sky.

“Wish I knew,” L answered in a soft voice, looking at the sky too. What could this signify? Was their time gone? It’s been awhile since he’d checked the global quest’s progress. There had been more pressing problems at the time.

Now he wondered if that had been the right assessment. It would be pretty pointless to win a kingdom if the whole world got destroyed. With trepidation he raised his hand to open the quest menu.

Before he was able, a window popped up.

*Beast from the Greater Realm

You have failed.

Your family, friends and acquaintances.

Your city, country and land.

You had one job and you failed.

More than enough of the beast’s parts survived and they are full of life energy stolen from beings of this world. It will allow the beast to recreate itself in this realm. An overflow of life will only quicken the process.

You can try to save the situation by killing the beast with those around you but that will be a perilous task. The power it holds is tremendous. Dragons are children’s toys in comparison to that beast.

Two weeks. In two weeks the beast will be complete and you will have your chance to remedy the situation. May all the gods and goddesses be on your side for you’ll need all the aid you can get.

Quest Difficulty: XXX

Quest Reward: The planet won’t be overrun by monster from other realms and all current races won’t go extinct.

Target Place: Summoning Grounds

Countdown till Start: 1 week, 6 days, 23.58.04*

L watched the seconds ticking down. There was only one thought in his mind. Game had answered his earlier question.

This world was going mad.

***

Blinking lights and the hum of machinery. Aiden closed his eyes, wishing for all of it to go away. He threw the cabin’s doors with force and winced at the bang. There was no reason to break the damn thing.

Not yet, at least.

He swept his hair backwards, noticing their rumpled look in the mirror. His reflection looked ten years older. He felt thirty years older than his twenty two. How did his wish for a simple happy life end him here?

It was a question for the ages, one he didn’t bother trying to answer. Waste of time.

A pile of documents waited for him on the desk. He sifted through them, noting how nothing new ever happened. Same old problems that he’d taken care off in other divisions of the company, other branches.

Still they had to be done. With eyes drooping he sat down and wrote orders, answered emails, suggested new tactics.

Three hours later he was done. Sleep threatened to overtake him but first he wanted to see his brother. A few days had passed without him leaving the game and worry gnawed at Aiden’s insides. Was everything okay? What had happened while he wasn’t looking?

Tristain was sleeping soundly in his bed. His hands were wrapped tight around the pillow as his head rested on the mattress. Aiden brushed hair from his eyes and kissed on the forehead.

Without another sound he left the room and went up the stairs to his own bedroom. Sound of a car engine halted his movements. He didn’t need a look outside to know who was back.

Sighing he reached his room and made himself presentable. It was superfluous, idiotic but something in him didn’t dare to show up in his tired, rumpled, sweaty appearance.

Shower cured most of it but the shadows under his eyes. They were clear and ominous but little he could do about them. Nothing but go downstairs and hope that everything would go smoothly.

It brought Ace’s smirk to his mind. One Aiden never knew just how to make himself. Both of them had dozens of skeletons in their closets but somehow they could not be more different.

Just shows how many ways a person can fall and still end up in the same hole.

The phone on his desk rang. He picked it up and without waiting said, “I’m coming.”

Downstairs he was met by two pairs of gleeful eyes. “You succeeded!” Melinda said, forgetting to control her voice and letting it go high pitched. “You finally made it happen!”

“Good work,” Cole said gruffly, motioning for Aiden to sit. He puled himself a chair and looked into the two people that should have been like parents to him.

Melinda had hawkish features and bight green eyes with which she looked down on everyone. For some reason, a lot of people found that attractive or fascinating and she was always surrounded by people. Her attendance in a party was like a sign of approval.

She was never home. Always telling him he was looking the wrong way, standing not straight enough. His words were uncultured, voice too low. Personality too withdrawn. Never a smile spared his way.

The man sitting next to her was her opposite. Bald, sharp eyed and with a constant frown on his face. He was regarded as the best entrepreneur. All risks he took always paid off and he never made a mistake. Businessman flocked around him to gain some insight, or join one of his ventures.

He was never there. Always remarking on less than perfect marks, mistakes made. His solutions were never good enough. All business ventures worthless, waste of time and money. Not a single good word was spared his way.

It were memories pushed into a corner and locked away. Under a hundred locks. Aiden had opened them to let the boy in but now he wondered if it had been worth it. Some things were better left unvisited, deleted from one’s life.

“Finally, you did something great! We’re proud of you! The way you played that silly boy, it was marvellous to watch!” Melinda started again. Her voice grated on Aiden’s nerves. “That live-video recording feature is such a highlight of the game!”

“Now we can find him,” Cole added in his strong voice. It sounded strange contrasted with his sagging face that he hid under layers of make-up his wife put on.

Aiden shook his head. He wasn’t sure himself whether he fought it was a bad idea or that it all seemed like such a sham. His whole life was nothing but what Tristain had brought into it.

Melinda gave him a look. “Is something wrong?”

“N-” he thought of saying. There was no need to talk. But habits didn’t agree. He couldn’t look weak or indecisive in their eyes. “Now is not the best time to start looking.”

Silence stretched as both turned to look him in the eyes. “Explain,” Cole ordered with a warning in his tone. He would tolerate no silly games now.

Backing out had never been part of Aiden’s training. “Now we only know his name. It might not be the most common one but there would still be more than ten thousand. He could sense you sniffing and this time escape for good.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Wait,” Aiden said, thinking up his ideas as he talked. ‘Sorry, kid,’ he thought privately to himself at the forefront, ‘but it’s you or me, and we both know what is more important to each of us.’ “He will talk.”

Aiden put a menacing smile on his face. It was easier than he would have liked to. “Now he trusts me and won’t keep his secrets so tight. In a week or so I should have all his background information. If I’m lucky, maybe even his last name.”

The two considered his words. Melinda bit her lip, faking uncertainty even at home, while Cole’s face broke in a cheshire grin, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. “You have my interest, kid. Two weeks. Get us more information and you might receive something special.”

He dipped his head in thanks. “I will do it.”

“Good, now go and check on your ventures. I heard some rumours about problems raising.”

“If you will excuse me, I will go and do just that,” Aiden said standing up. They gave shooing motions and he was off. It was hard not to start running but he kept his pace steady until he reached his room.

There he fell on his bed and covered his face with hands. What was he doing? Why? The boy trusted him. Was he ready to hammer in the last nail? Break an innocent fragile child to please his adoptive parents? Ones that never allowed him to call them that word?

Was he that warped?