Riven.

1:30 a.m. 10 th Maha, 1092.

Darkness loomed over Riven as torrid winds and punishing rain slammed against the city. The howling winds made it impossible to hear beyond shouts, and t he blinding rain reduced visibility to less than an arm away.

Due to the unfavorable conditions, both armies retreated to their camps to treat the injured and mourn the dead . The gales rendered an attack on the walls suicidal. As a result, b oth armies decided to wait out the storm; the interim would allow them to prepare for a second round.

The only problem was in the Kertan camp. The siege towers had only worked so well because of the element of surprise. Given time, the lizards would definitely form a counter. Or, at the very least, be much more prepared for a wall battle than the last time. While this fact infuriated Absalon, there was nothing he or anyone else could do to change the weather. Hopefully, the players did not lose their spine when the time came.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Shadows ran across the southernmost walk-wall, their footsteps drowned out by the howling wind. Their daeben leader held up a closed fist, bringing the party to a hard stop . Despite the rain, they could make out what seemed to be a tower of some sort in front of them, lit up by the magelights around it.

Kashi took out his bow and then notched an arrow as he slowly edged his way towards the bastion. Beside him, Kira's eyes morphed to navy blue, further erasing her presence. Shadow and Craig were the only other Summoned in his group. Five of the volunteers followed closely behind the four, each unsheathing their weapon.

So far, they'd met no resistance, but that was only because they were still on the final southern wall. Once Kashi’s party crossed the bastion, they would shift to the eastern wall. From there, it was a straight run across two bastions to reach the north wall. These walls would be manned. Especially after the next bastion. Well, it was easiest to see them as checkpoints on their quest.

Kashi pulled his hood over his head and then covered his nose and mouth with his scarf as he pressed against the wall beside the door. Shadow did the same at the adjacent wall, while Kira walked up to the door.

She sniffed through the bottom cracks and listened for sound from the interior. Satisfied, she stepped back.

“ Seven of them : Three active, and two asleep on the ground floor, one ascending the stairs, and one at the top."

Kashi nodded. He gave instructions to Shadow and Kira a nd then awaited her signal.

“ Now! ”

Kashi burst the door open as the trio stormed into the room. The farthest drakul stood by a fireplace warming its fingers. The other stood by the exit door t o their left. The closest was right in front of them with its back to the invaders.

Puchi!

The drakul registered the intruders but barely had time to let out a scream before Kashi riddled the farthest with arrows.

Shadow phased above the second and slit its throat, while Kira slammed into the closest, knocking it to the ground. She ripped its throat out before it had a chance to struggle.

The d aeben made sure the sleeping drakul never woke again as he stabbed their hearts with his arrows.

Once their demise had been confirmed, the trio quickly ascended the stairs, taking them two at a time. None of their feet made any sound. Shadow and Kira had increased stealth because of their classes and race, respectively.

Kashi, on the other hand, had nearly maxed out the [Silent Feet] skill. He made sure to activate it every chance he got, even outside combat, to increase its level. He came to a halt in front of a wooden door. Kashi pushed open the door, and then continued up a flight of stairs, only slowing down when the rain began to enter the staircase.

Carefully, Kashi climbed the last flight of stairs, peeking into the room above.

Two drakul chatted in an unfamiliar tongue. A rope that led to a gigantic bell with magic circles etched onto i t hung between them .

Kashi’s eyes narrowed as he observed the bell. So that was the alarm mentioned on the map. Leila had said disabling them should be their first priority.

Kashi nocked an arrow . “HEY!” He sharply screamed, causing the drakul to turn around in shock. In that split-second where they registered his presence, he released his shot.

The drakul turned to pull the alarm, but the rope had fallen to the ground, split by the d aeben 's arrow . Enraged, the drakul turned their focus to the stairs, but then reele d back, crying out in pain as arrows bored through their skulls.

Shadow followed up the attack, with swift stabs to their exposed backs. He then nodded at Kashi as their limp bodies fell to the ground.

One of the volunteers donned the Drakul armor, then picked up the dropped magelight. His job was simple: pace back and forth to give an illusion that all was right with the post. He clasped hands with the delf, sharing a determined look. His job, while seemingly simple, was quite dangerous in its own right. He would have no means of defense should a squad of drakul decide to perform an impromptu checkup.

Everyone present understood this, but they had prepared themselves for such an occasion. After a brief goodbye, Kashi and his squad opened the doors to the east wall-walk.

The rain battered down even worse, with the last of the stars blocked by malicious clouds. The d aeben 's greatest fear was , however, was the occasional lightning flash that illuminated the world for a brief second.

Kashi shook his head to clear his mind of needless worries and then le d his party down the wall-walk. Bobbing light a few feet from Kashi alerted him to a patrolling drakul. He motioned for only Shadow and Kira to accompany him as he made a mad dash for his target.

The drakul never knew what hit it.

Shadow ran up behind it, shut its mouth, and sunk his blade into its spine in one clean motion. Kashi quickly retrieved the magelight before it fell, and punched the guard, sending it flying over the battlements to the river far below. Its death cries were drowned out by the wind.

He handed the magelight to another volunteer, as the trio continued their charge.

They met, and dealt with three other drakul similarly, then stopped in front of the second bastion. Unlike the first, this one had an open canopy at the top. This was for added protection because half of the controls to the second gate was housed there. The drakul could snipe oncoming attackers from the vantage point.

Unfortunately, it provided minimal shielding from the elements. This caused it to be unmanned at the present time.

Kashi tied a rope to his arrow, drew the bow to full length, and then released.

While his arrow could not penetrate the castle walls, the wooden roof was a whole other matter. Thwack! As planned, the arrow buried deep into the ceiling.

Kashi tugged on the rope, but it held fast. Convinced it wouldn't plop off halfway, he placed a foot on the wall, then the next, and began his ascent. Pulling himself over the top, he plopped onto the canopy floor with a massive sigh of relief.

Kashi collected himself and disabled the alarm, then made his way down the stairs. He made to open the door, but it swung open of its own will, bring him face to face with a drakul.

Silence reigned as the two stared at each other.

The drakul opened its mouth to scream, but Kashi delivered a punishing blow to its stomach, lifting it off the ground. Its voice and breath caught in its throat as it stared at the delf with fright and disbelief. The delf stabbed an arrow through its snout, pinning the upper and lower jaws together, before stabbing three more through its heart.

Kashi caught the deceased drakul before it got to ground.

"Haere i runga i?" called a sentry from the bottom floor. Seconds later, footsteps could be heard ascending the stairs.

The d aeben cursed as he dragged the body up the stairs. He tossed it over the side of the canopy to the rivers below as he awaited the sentry.

But it never showed.

A mass of white hair ascended in its stead.

Shadow waved at the d aeben , signaling the demise of the sentries at the base. Kashi's distraction proved fruitful; It had been easy picking them off from behind as they climbed the stairs.

A recruit operated the switch for the gates while the rest exited the tower and continued further up the wall-walk.

The weather had worsened, and the d aeben was glad they had their backs to the wind else it would have severely hampered their progress.

The attacking trio quickly dispatched all opposition on their path , and th e bodies were tossed over the wall to hide them.

Bam!

Kashi, Kira, and Shadow crashed through the doors of the final bastion, stealth no longer a priority. There were quite a few drakul stationed here, but their numbers meant nothing to the trio. Less than two minutes after entering, the tower was captured.

Kashi entered the control room at the top of the tower. It was the only room with a window or, more accurately, a transparent wall. Its view was focused on the tower on the west end, its control room's magelight shining brightly through the storm. The only other notable feature was the control panel.

It was fixed to the wall below the window, with several buttons and doo-dads on it. It was also riddled with magic inscriptions on almost every inch of its frame. What caught his eye, though, was a device that looked like a phone. It was round, resembling a clam, but had a cable running from it to the panel.

While Kashi wanted to test it out, the worst thing that could happen was him mistakenly announcing his presence to the entire city. Instead, he chose to stick with Leila's plan. He held his breath as he flicked the magelight on and off in a pattern.

There was only nail-biting silence.

However, the tower opposite suddenly repeated the pattern, causing the d aeben to heave a sigh of relief. So far, all had gone according to Leila's plans.

Using the light, they coordinated a countdown.

Kashi counted under his breath. On zero, he pushed a button and then waited for the magic to unfold.

Drakul patrolling on the north tower cursed the lousy weather for stopping their glorious battle. They didn't mind so much thoug h, as it should subside by daybreak. They dreamed of cracking human skulls, using them as bowls for their victory wine. Haha.. tomorrow would be a g l o-

Ruumble !

What was that? It felt just like... The drakuls’ eyes widened in fear and shock. I mpossible!

The ground shook even worse, and with it dawned a horrifying realization: the gates were opening.

Kashi grinned. Perfect! Everything was perfect!

He resisted the urge to jump for joy as he ran down the stairs.

"I'm guessing this means the gates are open?" Shadow asked.

"It's opening," replied the delf. "Craig, it's your turn."

"I must admit, I am rather relieved to hear that," replied the flame mage. "Was beginning to feel like a decoration." He equipped a bronze staff and began the incantations for a spell.

As he readied the spell, Kashi burst open the doors to the north wall. "Seems we had the same idea."

A drakul beyond the door opened its mouth to scream, but Kashi quickly leaped and kneed its jaw. It staggered backward, stunned by the sudden blow. A punishing kick sent it flying off the wall-walk to the earth several feet below. "Craig!"

"[Flame Vortex]!" shouted the mage as he stomped his staff onto the ground.

Spirals of flame burst out from Craig’s staff, growing larger every second. As it burned the air around it, it took the shape of a dragon. The apparition flew high into the night, spun around, then crashed down. A raging inferno engulfed the city, barely hampered by the rain.

Kashi could hear the cries of the burning drakul even through the incessant thunder booms. He smiled as he turned to Craig. "Amazing! That was an awesome skill. Remind me to learn it sometime."

"You won't be learning anything soon, intruder," a broken voice called behind him.

Irritated by the interruption, Kashi turned to the drakul.

A red brute glared him down. Its muscles bulged, glistening in the flashes of lightning. Behind it w as several drakul s armed with spears, pikes, and swords , aiming for t he control room.

"Craig, Shadow," Kashi called. "Change of plans. You guys return alone. I'll hold them off."

"What are you planning?" Shadow asked. "You can't be thinking of throwing away your life to save others, I hope?"

Kashi scoffed. "What is this? A manga? I'm no noble hero. Don't worry about me. I'll catch up to you guys."

The white -haired ninja decided not to press the issue. "Let's go," Shadow said, pulling Craig along with him.

"You think we'll let you go?" cried the brute as it dashed forward.

"Earth-Shattering T echnique, third form : [Wall] !" Kashi cried as he stomped the floor.

Gruu!

A wall of stone shot up from the ground and blocked the brute's advance.

Shadow and Craig used the opening to retreat. The flame-mage cast a barrier of flames on the bastion's south door to prevent any Drakul from entering--or at the least slow them down. Once the flame wall was up, they fled back to their starting spot, clearing out the few pockets of resistance in their path.

Meanwhile, Kashi retreated to the base of the bastion.

The drakul gave chase after smashing down the weak wall. The d aeben eyed their approach, with the knowledge that soon some more would attack from the south door. He trembled as he stared at the hulking drakul, his fists clenching and unclenching rapidly.

"Don't bother begging for your life," said the drakul. "Cowards deserve no mercy."

It was only natural for the daeben to be terrified for his life. After all , he had to stand alone against an army of pissed off lizard-men.

There was only one problem...

Kashi wasn't scared.

No, Kashi brimmed with so much excitement, it was immensely difficult to keep his joy hidden. The reason for his happiness lay in the dull glow around his feet and legs. Ever since obtaining the skills from Ferulic's legacy, he had never had a chance to use them. Yet now, he had more than enough test subjects to practice on.

Kashi unequipped his bow as he beckoned the drakul's approach. "Please, do come. I do not have all day after all."

Kashi’s words, matched with his unmasked excitement, sent shivers down everyone present.

The drakul could tell.

They weren't the hunters. No, they were all about to be slaughtered.

Elsewhere, Absalon watched the blazing dragon crash into the city, raising flame tendrils above the city walls. He knew that skill. It was one of the high-level AoE fire spells. It lacked substantial initial damage but burned for long periods. It was famous for being almost invincible. Still, to see it on such a large scale. Its caster was a genuinely terrifying person.

"That's surprising," Nyte said, walking up to him. "You think the pirates actually came through?"

Absalon shook his head. "Those stupid pricks don't have this amount of firepower. And they wouldn't risk their lives without a clear profit. No, this is a player... But who is it?"

The swordsman looked doubtful. "A player? How'd they get in? Were there remnants after our attack earlier?"

"Maybe... more importantly, this is a golden opportunity."

"What do you mean?"

Asha slapped them both on their backs. "What're you guys waiting for? They've graciously invited us in."

Nyte frowned, and then focused on the castle gates. A flash of lightning illuminated the opening gates, and he grinned. "Well, now, it'd be rude of us to refuse." He tapped Absalon's shoulder as he walked away to rouse the troops for a charge.

Asha glanced at the mayor/commander. "What's the matter? You have that look."

"I don't have a look," replied Absalon.

"Yes, you do. It's that 'bad, bad' look."

He glanced at her and sighed. Judging from the determination in her eyes, she would not drop the subject anytime soon. "I don't like it."

"Don't like what?"

"This situation. It's too easy. It feels like we're dancing to someone else's tune."

Asha raised a brow. "Heeh? As skeptic as always. Why can't you just believe in luck for once?"

"Cause luck depends on humans."

Asha sighed, shaking her head. "Well, don't worry." She tapped his shoulder and then said as she walked towards her unit. "Whatever we face, Nyte and I'll handle it."

Absalon watched her retreating figure. He had no doubt that his generals were capable in their own rights, but there was something... something wrong somewhere. He could feel a presence on those walls, a pressure that caused a tingling at the nape of his neck. It was a feeling he couldn't shake.

Absalon closed his eyes, a nd then drew in a huge breath. Whatever this feeling was, he would face it in the castle. And like every other challenge he had faced so far, he would crush it.

Minutes later, the Kertan army stormed Riven's open gates. The rejuvenated army slew the bewildered drakul with ease, but their momentum did not last. Little by little, the drakul roared, morphing to brutes, angered by the cowardly fire-attack on their homes.

The first sector was soon embroiled in the flames of battle, as the embers from Craig's attack died out.

Atop the walls, Kashi took in a huge breath to calm his beating heart. He turned and then ran down the wall-walk to meet up with Leila and the rest.

Inside the tower, clumps of flesh plopped off the blood-covered walls.