[Melas] Chapter 99: Dark Meeting (Patreon)

Author’s Note:

I’ve been doing a lot of setup. No plot progression. Time to get things moving. This isn't a banger just yet, but it's over 3k words.

Also, I just realized a heinous error in the last chapter. It should be spring, not winter. I don’t know why I made the mistake. Fuzzy brain.

Time had passed and time had gone. Spring had come at full force, bringing with it an end to the frosty season. The misty mornings turned to a dawn of new life— flowers bloomed, animals came back from their hibernation, and critters now filled the nook and crannies that once were so dusty and empty during the cold weather.

The agrarian sector resumed its processes, no longer impeded by the harsh winter storms that had come at an unusual time last month. And industry too, while hardly as set back by snow, came back to the forefront of Dwarven daily life.

The streets were not packed with ice, but packed with life. The city bustled with people going about their business, rushing to and from their duties in the factories or the fields. The docks too were brimming with a sea of Dwarf men and women, unloading cargo from ships that could now enter Jahar’taw.

I wasn’t sure what brought the brief cold front to this boreal country in the beginning of spring. It made me delay my plans to create a bunker in the outskirts of the city, hidden within the forestry close to the farmlands. However, I was now glad that I now longer had to traverse through layers of sleet that covered the brick surfaces that made the roads and walkways of the city.

Right now, I was marching towards the inner city within the mountain of Jahar, brushing past busy Dwarves on the way to the train station. I had my mask hidden in a bag around my shoulder. I was going to the city alone— to meet with Lisa and Jack there.

We could not go together. Just in case either of them were being tracked. So, what I had to do was arrive in the city and get dressed, change to ‘Aria the Hunter’, and then meet up with the two. Then that was where I would get nervous.

I was going to the city— going with Lisa and Jack— to the underworld of Jahar’taw. Dealing with criminals was not my forte, even if I had some experience with it over the past few months. But to make matters worse, I was going to meet with the Dark Crusaders. One of the many groups that wanted me dead.

Sighing, I plopped myself onto one of the cushioned seats in the train as it readied itself to depart for the inner city. An elderly Dwarf couple— one whom I had seen make this trip many times before— nodded at me, recognizing my peculiar black hair and the distinct fact that I was a Human girl traveling on my own.

I smiled back, courtesy not forgotten even with the stress and worry building up inside of me.

The train left and soon arrived at the next train station. Then the one after and the one after that, before finally cresting to the top of Jahar and entering the caldera of the inactive volcano. The coach passed through a dark tunnel before rumbling to a stop. Its wheels screeched against the metal tracks as excess steam was screamed off, and I stepped out into the train platform, looking around.

The city spread out before me in its vast, sprawling glory. It was something straight from the industrial era— after, even. If I had still been on Earth, I would have thought this to be a city in the early 20th century. Towering brick buildings patterned down the perpendicular streets of Jahar’taw, allowing me to easily slip into the hustle of the city life and disappear down a dark alleyway.

I set up a quick detection spell, ensuring that no one was nearby, before changing my attire to a dark leather hood and my enchanted mask. I hid my distinct black hair under the hood and donned the mask on my face. Only my silver eyes hinted to my identity, yet the sheen of the metal cover would distract anyone from noticing it.

Lisa and Jack were waiting for me where they said they would be. What was ostensibly a restaurant serving Goblin food at first revealed itself to be a den from criminals to hang out. The basement there was where the two former smugglers were hiding.

A Goblin of slightly shorter stature than me stopped me from entering the basement. But all I had to do was show him a flash of magic, and I was let in.

In the dark, musty room, I found the only two Humans waiting at a round wooden table. They were amongst Goblins, two Beastkin, and a single Elf there. I took a seat next to them and gave them a curt nod.

“Lisa, Jack.”

“Aria,” the young woman said, smiling. “Good to see you made it. I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

That was a lie. I glanced about and leaned over the table, whispering softly. “This place… it’s where you’ve been procuring my books for the last two months?”

“One of the many places.”

“I see.” Nodding slowly, I took a good look around the room; it wasn’t like the gambling and drug den back in Laxis— it seemed to be more… specialized than that. Everyone here seemed to have dealings with magic or heresy instead.

“If you’re wondering about the Dark Crusaders, they don’t have any foothold here,” Lisa reassured me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Their presence isn’t as pronounced in Jahar’taw, although they have been trying to gain some influence as of late.”

This was a place for gangs, underground hideouts, and criminal groups to gather and discuss magic. And considering that spellcasting was one of the most prominently banned activities in the world, places like this— neutral zones that service towards such illicit behavior— do pop up quite often. However….

“That’s not who I was worried about,” I muttered.

Lisa raised a brow, but Jack grunted. “The Church then. More specifically, that bitch.” His voice was loud enough to be heard by others, but he was vague enough that we could have been talking about any woman in the Holy Xan Empire.

“Well, don’t worry about them here. Maybe they have spies, maybe they don’t. But we’d know if she’s here. After all, a one armed mad Human isn’t such a common sight to pass off.”

“And you’re sure?” I gave the young woman a dubious look.

“Of course.” She waved a hand off. “I have my network and we’re keeping an eye out. Now come. We have to go to the meeting spot with the Dark Crusaders. Remember what to say, alright?”

She made it sound like we had a speech ready, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. All we had planned to do was have me show off my magic to them— placate them into knowing that we, as their customers, weren’t part of the Church. Because the very act of learning magic was considered heresy, and even to use it to deceive others was punishable by… well, not death. But it was punishable.

Gesturing for me to follow them, the two got up from their table and started back towards the outside of the den. We went out a side exit, entering in a dirty alleyway with only a drunk Dwarf passed out on the floor a couple feet away from it. I frowned as I took a closer look at the unconscious man.

“Was he… beaten?” I asked, looking over at Jack and Lisa.

The man grunted. “Probably tried to enter while drunk. They don’t let Dwarves in.”

“Ah.” That was all I said. Leave it to Jack to find an anti-Dwarf den.

Shaking my head, I followed after them as we navigated through the underworld of Jahar’taw. I would honestly have been intimidated if I were by myself— the stares coming from gruff Dwarves milling about the side streets and the occasional groups of Goblins turning their beady, yellow eyes towards me sent shivers down my spine. The pipes that ran across the buildings let water drip to the ground, giving off an eerie ambience that made me feel like I would get jumped just from looking at someone wrong.

Eventually, we came to a stop before an abandoned looking building. It was old and worn down, its brick base crumbling through the passage of time, but I knew it was the perfect place for criminals to gather. Or terrorists. I exchanged a look with Lisa as she spoke.

“This is the place.”

“Let’s go in then,” I said and stepped forward. She cocked her head.

“Not even going to ask me if I’m sure?”

“Nope. It’s definitely the place.”

Lisa shrugged and waltzed up next to me. “I can’t believe you’re even more confident than me.”

“I just want to get it over with.” I glanced back at the dark alleys and empty streets behind us, something told me I was being followed. But that was a feeling I had everyday since Lilith attacked me in the Springs of Recovery.

Our footfalls echoed through the abandoned building as we made our approach through the rundown corridors with little to no light in them until we reached a main lobby area. There, we headed up a grand set of stairs to a second floor. It opened up to a dark large room with brick columns holding up the rest of the building scattered sparsely apart.

I frowned. Maybe this isn’t an abandoned building, but a building that was abandoned under construction.

The open air layout of this floor sure made it seem like it.

I took a step into the second floor and immediately felt a sensation of mana being gathered around me. I backed up warily as Jack drew his two blades, noticing something was off too. I brought a hand to my Shock Pistol— then caught myself and instead began preparing a Fireball.

“Show yourself,” I called out, eyeing one of the magical auras I felt behind a nearby pillar. “If this was a trap—”

“It’s not a trap,” a voice sharply cut me off.

I slowly lowered my hand, although Jack wasn’t that stupid and still kept his guard up. “Who are you?” His voice was low and threatening. Of course, he knew who we were supposed to meet with. And while them being the Dark Crusaders was the assumption I would have normally made since they were using magic, I had just come from a den of spellcasters or magic-interested individuals.

I was more cautious now.

“Calm down, that was just a test.”

A figure appeared in the darkness ahead of us. They were fast. Nimble. Just like the Goblins I had met when I first strolled into the Dark Crusaders’ camp in the Free Lands. Their voice— his voice— resembled Karna’s too, however despite the fact that he was supposed to be uneasy about me, he was far less hostile than Karna had been then.

More Goblins appeared behind the first, all of them donning different kinds of Dwarven clothing— all wearing vests or suits. Not the kind of scant and rough armor the Goblins under Gerritt had donned.

The foremost Goblin— the one who I had sensed casting magic— stepped forward. He was tall for a Goblin. About my height, give or take. And he narrowed his luminescent eyes at me as he took me in.

“You’re the client Lisa has been talking about?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but quickly replied with a grunt instead. “I am.” You’re a Goblin, Melas… Aria. Don’t let them think otherwise.

“I see.” He looked unconvinced as he cast his gaze to the young woman beside me instead. “This is the person who has been buying all the books we’ve been trying to sell and failing for the past year. A child?”

“I am not a child.” I glared at him under my mask. I turned my head up, discreetly casting a weak light spell right at the edge of its eyeholes. “Insult me again and you’ll regret it.”

“Hmph.” The Dark Crusader crossed his arms. “It seems like you really are a Goblin. But why the mask?”

“None of your business.”

“Oh really?” He gave me a dangerous look. “Tell me, Ms Random Goblin, what exactly can you do against me. Are you aware of who you’re speaking with?”

I bit my lower lip. Well, this is tense right off the bat. However, I gave him an uncaring shrug instead of backing down. This is what Goblins do, I told myself.

“If you’re so important, why would you be meeting with a ‘Random Goblin’ such as myself?” I posed the question back at him.

This, for whatever reason, seemed to grate on the Dark Crusader’s nerves. He took a step forward— but Lisa quickly spoke up, getting between us.

“Alright— everyone is getting to know each other. But we’re all business partners here, right? Aria here has been buying dozens of gold coins worth of spellbooks from you guys.” The young woman shot me a wink and turned back to the group of Goblins ahead of us. She clapped her hands together. “And you all know Jack here, of course. He was the one who introduced me to you!”

I raised a brow at that. Jack’s affiliated with the Dark Crusaders? I had no idea.

The Goblins grunted one after another, with that enough to seemingly defuse the situation just a bit. Jack grunted too and my eyes widened.

So that’s where he picked up that habit. And his hatred for Dwarves… It all made sense.

Now was not the time to inquire into his past; I spoke up, sounding dissatisfied but amenable.

“I am aware of your station, Dark Crusader. Or should I say, Dark Acolyte. I noticed that spell you were casting when we stepped foot into the second floor. A Disciple?”

The foremost Goblin paused, his frown changing as he nodded approvingly. “Why yes I am.”

I bowed my head slightly. “I apologize if I was disrespectful, but I’m sure you know how uneasy a meeting like this can be.”

“Of course.” He tapped a finger on his chin. “Aria, was it?”

“Yes.”

“I am Mahir, a Disciple of the Dark Crusaders. It seems we started off on the wrong foot. I apologize for that too.” The Dark Acolyte bowed his head slightly before straightening. “I was sent here to inquire on your… intentions behind your purchasing of our goods.”

I snorted and raised a hand, letting a ball of harmless light sit there for all to see. “As you can see, I am not with the Church.”

“Of course. But I have taken a look at your records— the ones you have with the Hunters Guild.” Mahir gestured at another Goblin to hand him something, and a sheet of paper was passed over to him. “You’re Aria, as Lisa had told us. A Goblin as you’re telling us. But also… a Hunter.”

“I am.”

“And you’re a Hunter that… uses magic?” He gave me a doubtful look. I shrugged.

“That’s how I do my jobs,” I said simply.

“Is that so?” Mahir squinted at me. “And why would a Goblin do jobs that help those Dwarf scum that have only put our people down.”

“It pays good money.”

“And all that matters to you is money?” he posed the question to me, as if it was something that was difficult to answer. Truth be told, it wasn’t.

“It isn’t all that matters, but it is one of the most important facets of our life. Why else would you be concerned about doing business with me, Disciple Mahir? It is for the gold I provide, is it not?”

I cocked my head at him, waiting for a response. He paused for a moment, thinking it over. “Perhaps,” he started, “but we are here for reasons beyond just that.”

“And what is that reason?”

“To recruit members, of course. But I see now that there’s no point in trying to recruit you.” He spoke simply, and waved a hand off. “Very well then, Aria. We shall continue to do business and no more than that.”

“But Disciple—” a voice beside him broke out. “Any new member we bring in will help your position out in the Dark Crusaders.”

“I don’t care about my position, I care about our cause.” Mahir shot me a sidelong glance. “And I can see clearly that there is not an ounce of our beliefs in her.”

“Is that meant to offend me?” I cocked my head.

“I intend it to be such, but I don’t think you’d perceive it as one.”

“Of course not.”

“Here.” Mahir reached into a bag on his side and produced a book. A spell circle formed on his hand as it floated over to me. I caught it, blinking.

“What is this?”

“A token of our business partnership, and nothing more than that. It elucidates more on Geomancy, which last I heard from Lisa you’ve been looking for, but it also teaches about our cause. Perhaps if you ever change your mind, you can join us. Until then.”

The Goblin turned around and stalked off. I held the book in my head, confused, as they disappeared and from the room one after another.

It was only when the last of the Dark Crusaders left did Jack relax. Lisa clapped to her hands, delighted.

“That went better than expected.”

“It did,” I sighed in relief.

I looked over at the man as he watched the area where the Dark Crusaders had been, wanting to ask about his relationship with them, but decided now wasn’t the time.

I put the book I was given in my bag after giving it a brief scan for anything magical about it, before deciding it was safe.

“Let’s just go back,” I said. “I thought we would have gotten into a fight with them or something, but luckily it didn’t come to that.”

We slowly made out way out of the building, taking the normal exit rather than jumping out of the side of it like lunatics.

“You’re too paranoid, Aria. Everything went fine!”

“Mhm.”

I smiled to myself, feeling cathartic that things were working out just as we were leaving the building. Then suddenly, an explosion blasted apart the floor ahead of us. A Fireball went off, followed by a flurry of crossbow bolts.

I threw myself to the side, getting to the ground as I erected an Earth Wall ahead of me. Jack grabbed Lisa and was already hiding behind cover as the bolts struck the brick and earth. Panic surged through me as thoughts raced across my mind.

Did they come back to attack us? Was this a trick?

I paused, seeing the figures moving in the shadows beyond my barrier. The loud shouts they were making— their accents.

“Oi, make sure you get the lad and give him a good beating!”

“Tha’s what he gits for comin’ back ‘ere!”

I frowned.

Dwarves? But… why?