Chapter 80 - Final Preparations (Patreon)

That night, Abby flitted from one shadow to the next, barely making a whisper as she infiltrated the residential area for the guild’s inner members. Once, she’d dreamed of owning one of the mansions in the luxurious neighborhood, but now, she saw it for what it was – the result of hypocrisy, greed, and corruption. The whole affair with Elder Einar had taught her that. If the guild could look the other way while one of its members murdered children in the pursuit of power, they were capable of just about anything.

She knew there were good people in the Champions of Light. Dirk was one of them, she thought. But he was also powerless to do anything about people like Callum Einar, even when the evidence was screaming in his face. An elder, even one so repulsive as Einar, was too valuable to hold accountable, and for all Abby knew, his actions had been sanctioned. After all, the man wasn’t alone in his attitude. The other elders were just as likely to applaud his actions as they were to condemn them, dead children and adventurers be damned.

As she approached her destination – a walled compound just at the edges of the area allotted to the Children of Light – she considered just how naïve she’d been. After the issues with Julio, she’d vowed to be smarter, to be more cynical. He’d taught her that the rules that governed the Radiant Isles were more like suggestions than outright laws. The lecherous man had been allowed to do whatever he wanted, so long as he continued to get stronger and use that strength to further the guild’s own pursuit of power. Thus, a monster had been created. That she had fallen prey to that monster was a personal failing, and one she’d promised herself she wouldn’t repeat.

And then she’d gone and done it again, only this time, she was gambling with Zeke’s life. It had only taken her a few moments to realize that Dirk wasn’t going to help them, that the guild would do nothing to punish its elder. More, if the evidence had been any less compelling, or if she hadn’t had a personal relationship with the man, Dirk would have likely captured them. His loyalty to the guild demanded it. Accusations against the guild, true or not, were not to be tolerated, otherwise, it would bring everyone down.

If Zeke had gone in there alone…

Despite the muggy atmosphere that had come in the wake of the most recent rainfall, Abby felt herself shiver. Zeke probably would have killed a few of them. Maybe as many as a dozen. But the Champions of Light had earned their status as one of the most powerful guilds in Beacon, and they housed a host of old monsters that would have easily picked her friend apart.

Abby pressed herself against the fifteen-foot wall. Like most of the city, its facade was comprised of white stucco. She’d studied the layout, so she knew that on the other side of the wall, there was an elaborate garden before it came to the mansion itself. At each corner of the square plot, she saw towers jutting from the ground. Each was around thirty feet tall, topped with red, clay tiles, and manned by a single guard on loan from the guild’s modest defense force.

The compound only had one entrance, and it was guarded by a pair of Einar’s own men. He was a newer elder, and one of the least powerful in the guild, but even that much came with a significant stipend. To the people of the guild, appearances were important, and an elder had certain standards he was expected to meet. Thus the elaborate compound and the personal guards.

Abby positioned herself close to the wall, then locked her eyes on the closest guard tower. Waiting for just the right moment, when the guard’s attention wavered, she scaled the wall then dropped to the other side. Without a moment’s hesitation, she darted into the garden where she found the cover up some artfully trimmed bushes. It wasn’t perfect, but with the moon hidden by clouds, she was confident in her ability to hide. Still, Abby waited for a few minutes, just to see if she had raised an alarms. The compound remained as silent as a tomb, save for the chirp of cicadas.

Keeping low to the ground, she dashed from one shadow to the next, remaining hidden while she drew ever closer to the main building that was her eventual destination. Like most of the others within the city, this building reminded Abby of Mediterranean architecture, complete with the white stucco, red roof tiles, and plenty of arches. However, there were differences as well – most notably, the floating balls of light hovering in important locations. In some ways, they seemed like electric lights, but she knew they were created by magic and governed by runes. Similarly, the building’s climate control was powered by glyphs and runes. Zeke would’ve probably stopped to study them.

Pushing the thoughts of runes, magic, and décor from her mind, Abby crept closer to the building. It was far from the largest mansion around, but it was still sizable enough that if she had to search for her target, it would take some time. Luckily, she knew where he would be at this time of night – the result of her latest trip to see Gemma Altair, Beacon’s resident queen of the criminal underworld. Her organization kept tabs on all the city’s wealthiest citizens, so it only took a bit of gold to get the information she needed.

Abby quickly found the servant’s entrance; it was late enough that only one or two would be up and about. She was prepared to do what she had to do, but that didn’t mean she wanted to hurt someone whose only crime was to work for the wrong master. Luckily, she didn’t have to resort to premature violence, and she quickly made her way through the halls to her final destination.

With a thought, she summoned the [Windseeker Bow]that had been Zeke’s unnecessary apology gift. She still felt guilty that he’d thought it necessary, but not so much that she’d have even considered not using it. She did want to make it up to him, though, which was part of the reason she was standing outside of Einar’s office.

Taking a deep breath, Abby retrieved a single arrow from her satchel. At first glance, it appeared to be a normal projectile, just like any other arrow. But it was special, a fact supported by the faint, orange glow of the arrowhead. It had cost her thirty gold, but it was a necessary expense, given her plans for the night.

After another steadying breath, Abby squared her shoulders, nocked the arrow, then opened the door, revealing an opulent office. The decorations all screamed luxury, wealth, and power. She saw trophies from various monsters, a vast desk made of dark wood, and enough books to stock a small library. She ignored it all, focusing on the man seated at the desk and studying an old scroll.

Einar himself wasn’t a physical impressive man. Narrow shouldered, thin, and with a face too gaunt to be handsome, he looked like the scholar he was reputed to be. But even sitting behind the desk, there was a haughty air about him. An arrogance that told anyone who cared to look that they were beneath him.

Abby pushed those thought to side, drew back on her bowstring, and fired the arrow. Einar reacted the moment he heard the twang of the bowstring, summoning an air-based skill to attempt to throw the arrow off course. But Abby’s [Gust of Wind] was stronger. Or perhaps it was simply more focused. Either way, the arrow was only thrown marginally off course, and what should have been a strike to the heart slammed into the man’s shoulder.

“What is the meaning of this?!” he roared, throwing himself out of the looming, leather chair that might have better been categorized as a throne. He pointed at Abby with a trembling finger, but nothing happened. “W-what…”

Abby summoned one of her conjured arrows, saying, “Yeah – that sucks, doesn’t it? I’m told it’s a very jarring feeling, losing access to your mana.”

She remembered the arrow’s description:

Silencing Arrow (G) – This arrow was crafted by a talented fletcher and enchanted by an equally talented enchanter. Effect: Silence.

The arrow had one use, and it was to cut off a person’s skills. Even on someone lower leveled, it wouldn’t last long, and for an elder like Einar, it would only be moments before he fought through the effect. Abby wasn’t going to give him that much time. She loosed her conjured arrow.

Showing moderately impressive agility, Einar dove out of the way, but even then, the arrow caught him on the neck, nicking an artery. His hand clamped over the wound as he scrambled back toward the desk. According to Abby’s information, he kept a few healing potions in one of the drawers. As soon as he reached the desk, another arrow hit him in the chest with enough force to send him sprawling. It was probably enough to kill him, but she still shot him three more times, just to be sure.

In the past, Abby had shied away from killing human beings. Like any other person her level, she’d become very well acquainted with death, but she had always considered targeting people to be crossing a line. By nature, she wanted to see the best in people. She wanted them to live up to that expectation. But Julio had taught her the error of that, and Einar’s actions had cemented the lesson in her mind. Some people didn’t deserve to live. Einar had killed children. That alone was enough to preclude him from receiving even the barest hint of any sympathy. But if that wasn’t enough, he’d also been a threat to Zeke’s life.

Abby shook her head as she approached the dying man. In only a few minutes, he would die out on his own. The only thing that could save him was if a healer were to suddenly appear. But she didn’t want to leave things to chance, so she dismissed her bow and drew her hatchet. For a second that stretched far longer than it should have, she stood over the bleeding man. Her eyes locked onto his, and she saw confusion mingled with hate.

“Why?” he muttered, blood spilling out alongside the single word he could muster.

“You tried to kill my friend,” she said.

And then, she swung the small axe. It cut through the flesh of his neck like it was nothing. Whatever other powers the man had, he hadn’t invested many of his stat points into endurance. Still, the blade caught on the spine, refusing to go any further. Abby knew he was already dead, but after pulling the axe free, she swung again. This time, it didn’t stop until it hit the floor.

Despite being in phenomenal shape, and with the stats to back it up, Abby was breathing hard by the time she straightened back to her full height. Regardless of her reasons, what she had done had been cold-blooded murder. It was necessary. It was justified. And she knew it was the right thing to do. But that didn’t stop the nausea from twisting her stomach into knots.

But she didn’t doubt herself, nor her actions. If she’d have been stronger in the past, perhaps Vlad would’ve survived. Abby had chosen to save Julio’s life, and that action had been rewarded with betrayal. And what’s worse, she should have anticipated it. She should have known what was coming. But back then, she’d clung to her choice to see the best in people. It had been a mistake, and one she didn’t intend to repeat.

Over the next few minutes, Abby rummaged through Einar’s office, looking for valuables. She came away with a few books – one of which would be a gift for Zeke, a pouch of gold, and some enchanted jewelry that seemed to have been custom-made for his skills. It wasn’t the wealth she expected to find, but she didn’t have time to make a thorough search. It wouldn’t be long before the body was found, and by that point, she would be long gone.

Departing the compound proved even easier than infiltrating it had, and it wasn’t long before Abby dropped the ground outside the walls and strolled away like she hadn’t just murdered a man. Her trip through the city was uneventful, and a while later, she made her way up to the seventh tier, where Zeke was probably training with Master Silas. It was an unreal opportunity for someone who wasn’t part of the temple hierarchy, and there was a part of her that suspected that Silas was trying to recruit Zeke into the Radiant Guard. Not that Zeke had any interest in that kind of thing, of course. He’d die of boredom if someone expected him to live the regimented life of one of the Radiant Guard.

Most of the guardsmen recognized her face, but those who didn’t know who she was let her pass when she flashed a badge Silas had given to her. It was tied to her personal mana signature, and if anyone stole it, the thing would crumble into dust.

A nifty security measure, Abby thought.

Finally, she reached the training facility, where she predictably found Zeke sparring against a trio of the Radiant Guard. They had him surrounded, but she couldn’t help but think that he had the advantage. Zeke might not have been as polished as the trained warriors, but she’d seen him face down an army of monsters and come out on top. That kind of impression didn’t easily fade.

The trio was comprised of two men and one woman, and they each wielded blunted swords. All wore armor, and Zeke was decked out similarly in the armor set Luigi had crafted from the drachnid carapaces. Zeke held his glossy, black kite shield in one hand, and his crude mace in the other.

The woman swung her sword, but Zeke’s shield moved to intercept it. At that same moment, one of the men attacked, swinging for his leg. Zeke moved more quickly than she’d ever seen him move before, dodging the attack. More, he turned his shield block into an attack of its own, and slammed it into the woman’s face. She went skidding back, but she didn’t lose her footing. Meanwhile, Zeke’s mace arced out, clanging against the third warrior’s sword and sending it flying.

“Enough!” barked Silas, who Abby hadn’t noticed before. About ten feet from the exchange, he stood leaning against one of the columns ringing the training yard. “You are still too slow. Too weak. You swing your weapon like an untrained neanderthal. Do better. Lady Constance expects big things from you.”

Zeke’s shoulders slumped in weariness and defeat.

“You have improved, though,” the man said, his voice gentler. “You leave tomorrow, yes?”

Zeke nodded, saying, “First light.”

“Good,” Silas stated, casting a knowing glance toward Abby. “I suspect that you will be leaving sooner than you expect. Remember your drills. And above all, harness your instincts. A warrior who relies only on them is little more than a beast.” Then, he glanced at Abby, saying, “Miss Summers. I trust your…ah…mission was a success?”

Abby felt panic rising in her chest. How much did he know? What would he do with that information? Would he turn her in? The Temple of the Sun was the nominal source of order within Beacon, so it fell to them to enforce the laws.

He laughed. “Don’t worry, girl,” he said. “I have no love for men like him. Good riddance, I say. But I advise you to speed up your timetable. It would probably best if you were gone from the city by the time your work is discovered.”

“What?” asked Zeke, looking back and forth between the two in confusion.

“Nothing,” Abby said. “I’ll tell you on the road. Let’s get our things and get out of here. Where’s Pudge?”

A nearby shadow moved, revealing a pony-sized bear rolling over. He snorted loudly.

“I’ll get him up,” Zeke said, stowing his mace and shield in his spatial storage.

“Good,” Abby said. It was high time they got out of Beacon.