-----V-----

„So what should we do? Should we head back and get our armor before going in?“

„We could go there now! I know these woods!“

„Are you often around here stealing from humans and lizards?“

„Heh, maybe.“

The night was still around, so we decided to sleep the rest of the night, I was taking the shift this time. I am not going to let this annoying kid be on watch. Strangely enough, Nia went to sleep next to Ethan, how is she not wary of us? She went to sleep without hesitating!

This kid must just be a thief, she is trying to get close with us then she would steal from us. It‘s stupid for her to trust us so easily.

Even though those gauntlets are useful to us, we should get rid of her later on. And she is strapped with colorful bombs! How insane is that?

Tessera rose, and Ethan woke me up from his shift. We ate some food which was just fruit, we had no meat.

„So what? Should we let Nia show us the way there, or?“

I glanced over at Nia, she was happily eating an apple.

„I don‘t know.“

„I think we can trust her,“ Ethan said.

Ethan, you‘re dumb. You are dumb even trusting me. You are to trustworthy to people.

Nia stopped eating her apple and looked over at me.

„You don‘t have faith in me?“

„Of course not, we just met!“

„But we introduced each other! Isn‘t that enough?“

You must be joking. Why do I have to stick around with a second annoying person?

„Please please please!“ She said with a pleading look.

This is in dynami lands. We can‘t just follow this kid there. But I would be happy to finish this quickly.

„First of all, will we come across dynami towns?“

„Nope!“

I thought for a hard moment. Either come get our armor and go back, or get this over with quickly. If we finish this early, then we could get a bonus.

„Fine, we will follow you, but if I sense this is a trap, then I will shoot you.“

„GASP! You will shoot me?“ She said with a worried tone, but it didn‘t sound sincere.

„Did you just say gasp audibly instead of actually gasping?“ Ethan said.

„Heh heh.“

----------

We followed the small devil through the woods and arrived inside the border. It all still looked the same, but she said that we are now in, „the danger zone“.

Nia didn‘t have any weapons on her, but she has those grenades and strange gadgets around her, so she wasn‘t technically defenseless.

She had her map open with one palm and glanced towards it a few times.

We rested a few times until finally after a few hours, Nia said. . .

„Were here!“

„Shh! You want every dynami to hear us?!“

„Oh, right, sorry.“

We looked through the tree lines and saw a cave entrance beneath a hill. So it must be in there.

„Let‘s scout out the area first before going in.“

Ethan and Nia agreed.

We circled around the area a few times but saw no movements of dynami.

„Okay, I think it‘s safe.“

„Yippee! Let‘s go find some artifacts!“ Nia shouted and ran towards the cave.

„Okay, I am actually going to shoot her.“

„Vincent! You wouldn‘t!“ Ethan stopped me.

„Just a stun shot. But fine, I won‘t do it.“

We hurriedly ran after Nia and entered the cave.

It was like an ordinary cave, but after walking around a bit, it started to change. It started getting more narrow, and stone walls became metal that had glowing orange lights around. We didn‘t need Ethan‘s light any longer.

„What is this place?“

I looked over at Ethan. He suddenly had a strange expression on him. Surprise? Or did it look familiar?

„I have no idea, but it looks amazing,“ he said.

Hm?

I was in front of Nia and Ethan, I didn‘t want Nia to run off again and trigger some trap. I glanced back at them, and I saw Ethan whispering something to Nia. Suspicious, but I didn‘t think much of it.

This was a long corridor, then we started going down some stairs, then again a long corridor, until we finally arrived at the end.

We only arrived at a dead end, if we want to keep going, then we need to start digging out this rubble that was in the way. Also, around the rubble were artifacts. Mostly decorative, but also weapons.

„Ooh! Jackpot!“ Nia shouted and was about to start taking the loot.

„We‘re not taking any of this,“ I said.

„Why not?“

„Our task was only to see where the locator leads. Nothing else.“ But I did want to take some, I just had this feeling in me to take all of this. But I didn‘t.

„Hey, Nia, do you know what this place is?“ I asked.

She thought for a second.

„Nope!“ She said and smiled.

Hm.

I was about to start heading back when I noticed Nia grabbing something out of the pile.

„What are you doing?“

„I found where the locator was locating!“ She said happily and showed me the rather similar locator artifact that I had.

„So it was tracking this?“ Ethan asked.

„Yup!“

I felt like this was a waste of time. A few weeks? I didn‘t get it at all. At least I will be able to find out about that sniper girl.

„We should maybe take this locator with us, as evidence that we found the place,“ Ethan pointed out.

„That is a good idea, but then it would be harder for Wilmer to find this place.“

„Wilmer?“ Nia said strangely.

„Hm? You know him?“

„Of course! I am his buddy! I haven‘t stolen anything from him before!“

Strange. Really strange.

„What else can we use as evidence?“

„I know! I know!“ Nia said and happily hopped around with her arm up. „We could trade the locators!“

„That might be a good idea, sure let‘s do that.“

Nia hacked the other locator and got the map, then we replaced them. It was easy to identify. The first one we had was more black, but this one was more greyish.

We started heading back to Dunwich. We have had no encounters with the lizards, I'm grateful for that.

----------

We arrived at the gate and showed our ID‘s.

„Vincent, where is Nia?“

I glanced back, and she was gone.

„Huh.“

„That‘s all?“

„I don‘t know where the brat is.“

She was behind us a few minutes ago, but she has now disappeared somewhere. If she is gone then I am fine with it, but her artifact is what I cared about most.

We went inside and moved towards the guild. Ethan had a worried look.

„What‘s up with you?“

„Oh, its nothing.“

Strange.

When we were about to enter the guild, we saw Nia beside the building. She motioned us to come to her.

„There you are! Why did you vanish all of a sudden?“ Ethan asked.

Nia now wore a cloak around herself. Is she hiding something?

„Heh. Maybe I should have told you earlier, I don‘t have an ID. So I couldn‘t get by the gate.“

„Then how did you get in?“

„Its a secret,“ she pulled out her tongue and winked.

She somehow snuck in? Has she been doing that her entire life?

„You said you know Wilmer, so are you going to come with us?“ I asked.

„Sure!“

There is something strange going on with her.

„Then let‘s go.“

We started going up the stairs of the building when I heard a strange whirring sound next to me. I looked back and saw Nia just smiling towards me.

What is she up to?

We knocked on Wilmer‘s office door.

„Come in,“ we heard him say. „Ah! Vincent! And Ethan. You are already done with your quest?“

„It was so much easier than I thought, why did you say it would have taken a few weeks?“

„First of all, go take your seats, don‘t just stand around all day.“

We took our seats. It was a bit strange for Wilmer to only address me and Ethan.

Wait.

I glanced back once again, trying to find Nia, but she once again vanished.

„Oh god damn it, she disappeared again.“

Ethan glanced around the room.

„I‘ll go find her, she shouldn‘t have gone far.“

Oh? Perfect.

„Sure go ahead, but could you also check out the blacksmith if our armor is ready?“

„Yeah sure, but make sure to split the reward for us.“

I waved. And grinned.

„Well, now he‘s gone. I thought I would have to come back later.“

„Who were you two talking about?“

„Eh, just some kid we met.“

„Hmm. Okay. Anyways, you did find what you were looking for, right?“

„Of course,“ I gave him the replaced locator.

„Ahh, I see, so what was there?“

I explained to him what we saw.

„And you didn‘t take any of those artifacts?“

„Of course not. My task was only to find the place. Can you tell me why you thought it would take a few weeks? That is what I am most curious about.“

Wilmer thought for a second.

„Because your hunt is not yet finished.“

„What.“

Oh, come on. There is more?!

„You do know what that place was, right?“

„No? I haven‘t seen such a place before.“

„So it‘s your first time seeing a map room?“

„Huh?“ What was he talking about?

„That place you were in, we have already found it, but the dynami were there first. That is why there was all that rubble, they got what was inside first.“

„Then what was the point in sending me?“ I didn‘t get it at all.

„I wanted to see if you would try and take some of the artifacts, and to see if you actually went there.“

„Why?“

„I just like seeing people go around their task for nothing, and also while you were out there, I sent out some people to find out where the dynami went with the map key, and they found it.“

Map key? So the map room has a key and there was a place it needs to unlock? And I guess the map room shows where the key shall go?

„And now that we found it, I want to send you out there to steal the best artifact there!“

He‘s crazy. Ethan and I against how many dynami? I do have my blaster though.

„Tell me, how many are there?“

„Just a few.“

„And why send me?“

„You want information about the woman, right? So I am giving you this task to get that info.“

I was getting irritated. I hate folks like him.

„Fine, whatever, but remember to not tell Ethan about this,“ I pointed to him with my hand, then I noticed something weird.

„Huh? What‘s this?“ My glove was supposed to glow only blue, but now I saw a faded red. But then, it was gone in a blink of an eye.

„What‘s wrong?“

„Oh, it‘s nothing, let‘s continue.“

What was that? That hasn‘t happened before.

Wilmer and I then talked for a bit about my quest. It seemed easy, but also it was not. I just have to see for my self.

-----E-----

I couldn‘t find Nia anywhere. I should go then to the blacksmith. I went into the blacksmith‘s store and saw him on his counter.

„Hi, I‘m back, you got the armor?“ I asked.

„Yes, Ethan was it? Where is the other one?“

„He told me to get the armor while he was busy doing other stuff.“

„Alright then, here you go,“ he said and pulled out two chestplates.

I examined it. It had the scales of the wolf around, and there was also some leather bits to hold it all together. Also, one had some tints of purple, and the other with tints of blue. Maybe the blacksmith saw my, and Vincent‘s artifacts color, so it would match.

„Could I change in it here?“

„Sure, go at the back, there is a changing room there.“

I thanked him and went in the back.

I got out of my cloak that I have been wearing since first coming here, and changed into the armor. It fit perfectly, then I wore my cloak above the armor. I got out of the changing room, and I saw there standing, was Nia.

„Nia? There you are! Where did you go?“

„Oh, hi!“ She had a thoughtful look at first, but then her smile came back. „I wanted to meet my friend, Mr.Blacksmith Guy.“

„Mr.Blacksmith Guy? But you said you were going to follow us to the guild.“

„Oh, I did that? Sorry you must have misheard me.“

She is acting strange all of a sudden.

„If I asked the guy if he knows you, would he?“

„Yup!“

I went to the front to ask him. Nia didn‘t stop me.

„Oh? Yes, of course, I know her, she sometimes helps me out around here.“

„Is your name Mr.Blacksmith Guy? I would assume not.“

„Of course not, it‘s Roderick Reve, she just calls me Mr.Blacksmith, I don‘t really care about it.“

„Alright, hey Nia, are you still going to stick around with us?“

„Yes I am!“

„Are you sure?“

„Yep! Because I want that thing, you know?“

She is likely talking about the vault, she doesn‘t want to speak out loud about it.

„We should then go, let‘s find Vincent.“

I bagged Vincent‘s new armor, and we went on our way.