The journey still took several minutes, and much as he would have loved to engage Azmar’s request for an in-depth reaction to his viral pleat in the pants, Gunnar used the time instead to send a message to Sheira, and update the Cryptids about his situation.

The realms of Pantheon rushed by in a cerulean blur as he waited anxiously for a response. As the founder of the Cryptids, he could offer quests to any of them, even if that quest involved his other guild. But though the AI had likely been exaggerating about the impossibility of the quest, there was no doubt that it was dangerous. And it was a fight they had no need to join, even if they were loyal to Gunnar.

“Nearing touch down,” Azmar announced.

Gunnar merely nodded in the general direction of Azmar’s voice. He could see the creature’s wings only as a shadow within the mists.

“What? I don’t even get an Okay, thanks? You really hate talking to me that much?”

“I’m just thinking.”

“Maybe I have some input you should think about,” Azmar said.

“You can’t tell me anything. You’re just teasing as usual.”

“Maybe.”

“What, then?” Gunnar asked. “I’m all ears.”

“That’s a weird expression.”

“That all?”

“You’re on the right track with the gods thing. Luka specifically.”

“They’re involved in all this then?”

“Tangentially,” Azmar said. “They’re involved in everything in this world. But a move like this doesn’t just spring up out of thin air. Luka clearly sees the Nighthawks as a threat to his stronghold in Thailen. My guess is you’re not the only one he talked to. This quest will seal your fate in that regard.”

“I wasn’t planning on serving Luka anyway.”

“That’s good, because by going back, you’re basically waging war on him. Assuming you don’t utterly fail and die, but if you do stop whoever this traitor is, then Luka will definitely see you as an enemy. The other Elysian gods too, most likely.”

“What do all of them care?” Gunnar asked.

“It’s like the masters told you when you joined. They follow lesser gods. That’s fine if they’re just pulling off little heists here and there, but control of a city? That’s the kind of thing that can shift the power dynamics in all the realms.”

“What other realms?” Gunnar asked. “Like other parts of the game?”

“The Reddik Empire is a realm. The Patron Isles are a realm. Elysium is a realm.”

“Like the realm of the gods?”

“Look, there’s lots of realms in Pantheon, okay?”

“But it’s not connected, right? Like I couldn’t just sail across the sea to another realm?

“This may be an open world, but it’s got limitations and borders. Only the gods can grant passage between realms.”

Gunnar’s mind roamed, wondering just how big of a game this was. He had to admit, despite the circumstances surrounding his entry here, it was pretty damn cool to be one of the first people to map this place out.

“So if I advanced far enough, I could unlock other realms then? Even Elysium?”

“Sure,” Azmar said hesitantly. “I don’t really know. I’ve never been to any of the others and I’ve never had a ward advanced enough to unlock them, so I can’t really say. It’s called the realms of Pantheon, and sometimes Nymoria references some of the others.”

Gunnar thought once again about the option to become a god. What if he could become powerful enough to challenge the Elysians? Was that what Nymoria wanted out of her champion?

“If you could please put your tables in their upright positions, that’d be great,” Azmar said.

The haze began to fade. Azmar’s taloned appendages latched onto Gunnar’s wrist, and his stomach heaved as they sharply descended. His feet landed on the cobbled street with a thud, and his vision cleared.

Gunnar found himself alone in the darkness of the same alley he’d stood with Em only a day previous. The streets were silent. Almost too much so, even for the middle of the night. It wasn’t until now that it fully hit home the ramifications of what had happened, beyond simply the masters and the general survival of the guild.

There were people like Nimble whose livelihoods were tied to the guild. Though he knew many were just NPCs, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was building something important in this world., determining what sort of place it would be. And he wanted it to be something good.

Before Gunnar ventured out to investigate the Nighthawk headquarters, a message finally arrived.

Sheira: If I were you I’d stay the hell away from here.

Gunnar: Afraid it’s too late for that. What’s going on?

Sheira: The governor’s dead. There’s a riot up near the palace. Skirmishes between guilds have broken out across the city.

Somehow, that only made the silence engulfing him even worse.

Gunnar: Where the hell are all the Red Cloaks?

Sheira: Soon as word broke about the governor, they retreated to their outposts. Anything goes on the streets right now. So like I said, I’d stay away.

Gunnar stood at the edge of the alley and peered out into the low lit streets. Many of the lamps had been blown out. He thought he saw movement from a second story window across the way, but when he glanced back, it was completely dark and still.

Gunnar: You haven’t heard anything about the Nighthawks?

Sheira: I think you overestimate how deeply I have eyes and ears in this city. I didn’t even know any of your masters died until you mentioned it.

Gunnar: Okay…

Sheira: You’re going to ignore my warnings, aren’t you?

Gunnar: I’ve got to figure out who the traitor was, and hopefully get the other Nighthawk masters someplace safe.

Sheira: Someplace safe being the crypt?

Gunnar: Probably.

Sheira: Not sure Jamie Lee is gonna go for that.

Gunnar: I knew I couldn’t be the only one who thought she looked like—oh shit, something’s happening.

A carriage had pulled right up to the secret entrance of the Nighthawk compound. Dressed completely in black, the driver stepped down from his seat and strode straight to the door, but before he reached it, a pair of Rogues emerged from the building. They glanced up and down the street, before motioning back to someone inside. A third Rogue appeared, shoving a female prisoner dressed in an elegant violet gown.

Gunnar’s chest tightened.

Even from a distance, he knew it was Leilani. She twisted and squirmed, but her resistance mattered little, and soon, she was loaded into the carriage. Two of the Rogues climbed in with her and quickly shut the door behind them, while the third joined the driver at the front of the coach.

Gunnar braced himself at the edge of the alley, trying to figure out what to do. He contemplated getting up to the rooftops. He had to find out where they were going, and maybe he could follow them up there. But he knew the chances that he could keep eyes on them long enough to track their destination were slim.

The carriage remained parked for about thirty seconds before another figure emerged from the Nighthawk compound. He wore a long dark jacket over a fine suit. Gunnar didn’t need to bother risking Scan. He had seen the man before.

Master Zeda.

The man strode quickly and confidently to the carriage and joined the others.

Niall was wrong, Gunnar thought. The traitor wasn’t the Grand Master.

Unless, of course, Zeda and Faraday were working together. Either way, Leilani was about to join the ranks of the other captured masters if Gunnar didn’t find a way to do something quick.

Quest Update - Mistress in Distress

Description: You’ve discovered the location of Mistress Leilani. She has been captured by fellow Nighthawk master, Thelonius Zeda. Should she fall into the hands of the Red Cloaks, or the other guilds, or basically anyone else in the middle of this Night of the Purge, it will not be good for her.

Objective: Free Leilani from captivity.

Reward: The gratitude of a very powerful woman can never be understated.

Do you wish to accept? Yes/No

Gunnar hastily accepted the quest, though he wondered briefly why this was separate from his Chaos Theory (Phase Three) quest. He supposed, technically, he could rescue Leilani, but not save the guild from Zeda, in which case, they had to be separate.

Hey, more XP for me, I guess.

But his thoughts were interrupted by a message flashing in his vision.

Sheira: What’s going on?

Gunnar: The traitors have Leilani. I’ve gotta go after them. I’ll send you my location.

Sheira: Don’t do anything stupid.

Gunnar: Stupid is my middle name. Don’t take it in vain.

The coach driver flicked his whip, and the pair of horses set out at a trot, coming to the end of the lane and circling around the large traffic circle.

Gunnar hastily shared his location with Sheira in his MiniNav, enabling a feature that would allow her to track him, then he dismissed all his windows, and he pressed himself up against the alley wall, waiting for the carriage to pass.

The horses had picked up speed by the time they circled past his hiding place. Gunnar took off the moment he glimpsed the front of the carriage. He ran out into the traffic circle just as the carriage passed, and even then, he had to sprint with all his might at the back of the coach. He activated Leap of Faith and jumped from a full sprint, landing on a small empty luggage rack on the back.

Despite his Agility and Stealth, the entire carriage shuddered at the impact, and he nearly lost his grip on the small iron bars of the rack. He tensed, fearing the carriage would pull over any second. But then, the carriage jolted again, and he realized it was simply the jostling of the wheels on the cobblestone.

Gunnar pulled his Cloak of Gathering Shadows tight around him, and he held on for dear life.