Ch. 77 – Stradholm I (Patreon)

They emerged into a dim, dark alleyway. Refuse was piled inside metal, mesh boxes akin to dumpsters but much lighter in weight. The scent assaulted Felix’s nostrils and he almost retched. Tinuriel – whose elven senses were much sharper – turned away and expunged her stomach contents. “Disgusting,” she muttered as she caught her breath.

Looking back at her, Felix saw that her and Reth’s physiques had changed – which meant his had as well. Their skin was much paler in tone, as if they had been deprived of sunlight for weeks. Their attire had changed drastically as well. Tinuriel was dressed in much more concealing and advanced armor – with servos and gears moving with silent hisses of ejected air as some hidden pneumatic servo whirred as she lifted her arms. Her blade was the same length, but the handle had a guard on one side, some type of trigger near the handle that looked like a bike handbrake, and the non-edged side was full of gears and cogs that slowly turned.

Reth’s robes were covered in holy scriptures of some type, seemingly threaded onto the clothing, and covered in armored plates that hung over vital parts. There were images of skulls covered with cogwheels all over the attire. His staff had a series of cogs that intertwined on top, and slowly turned as electricity gently hummed at the tip.

Glancing down, Felix’s armor had not changed much from Astragos. There was some clockpunk-esque ornamentation, but the largest change was his Hardlight Recurve. The weapon was still mounted on his wrist, but it did not look like a crossbow. Moving his finger, a small barrel extended outward. Lucifer, is this what I think it is?

Wrist mounted pistol? Yeah. Seems like in this ‘Verse they have firearms powered by springs that are then wound tight again. They’re called Springlocks. Yours has the hardlight projectiles though, so you don’t have to worry about re-cocking it.

The thought of firearms sent chills down Felix’s spine. Arrows and crossbow bolts were one thing, but he had seen how damaging a bullet could be to a body. Will my armor even protect me from something like that?

For the most part. The force is only a little more than that crossbow bolt that got you in the eye.

Accuracy is more important, then. Felix held up a finger, motioning for his allies to wait, as he got to the edge of the alleyway and peeked out. The first thing he noticed was the lighting – the streets were dimly lit with streetlamps that cast a dim, orange glow across the cobblestone streets. There were storefronts advertising a variety of wares, and several stalls set up in the streets. The storefronts had more floors on top, and he could make out clotheslines here and there, as well as the bustle of activity. It had the charm of Victorian era Britain, combined with a grim aesthetic that reminded him of Gothic-horror.

“We’re in some type of marketplace,” Felix said to his allies behind him.

Tinuriel walked up and looked out. She pointed to the farthest end of the marketplace, “Armed guards.” People dressed in heavy armor with maces strapped to their waists and arquebuses with a springlock housing where the priming pan normally sat, with a small crank on the opposite side. They were patrolling with an intent – a rigid, structural march with heads on a swivel. “They’re keeping a tight patrol. Their formation is on point.” Tinuriel sounded impressed with their training.

Reth looked the opposite direction, “There’s that building. It looks important.”

Felix looked where Reth was looking and saw a small statue of a woman, kneeling in prayer, carved from a white stone. People were lighting candles in front of it and seemingly worshipping it. Behind the statue was a single tower that stood out starkly from the stone buildings surrounding the marketplace, for it was made from the same white stone as the statue. “Gina did say we should go to a temple first.” He stepped out into the marketplace. Ghostwalk.

Felix walked swiftly across the market square. As he got closer to the statue, the world seemed to grow brighter. He paused and took a few steps back as the world dimmed again. The statue seems magical.

Querying…their Lady of Luminescence is who is depicted. The System states that she was the first to descend below the surface, before what they call ‘the scorching plague’ ruined the surface. She pioneered much of their current society’s underground survival. People worshipping her quite literally elevated her to godhood.

Interesting…

Even more interesting is that her corpse is still around. It’s kept in a grand temple in another city.

Might be worth visiting the corpse of a god. Felix walked back to the statue and passed it, ascending the small set of stairs and entering the vestibule of the building. The room it led into was well-lit if smokey. Censers released fumes and wafts of smoke that cloyed the air and stung Felix’s eyes. There were people in holy vestments, similar in design to Reth’s but not armored. People were gathered within, sitting in rows of pews that instantly made Felix compare it to Catholic mass.

A woman dressed in the holy vestments approached him. There was a small cudgel on her hip and a book on the other, strapped into place with a holster. She stood in front of him before he entered the main chamber, “Are you here to worship?”

Felix shook his head. Lucifer, what’s Versewalker going to translate to in this ‘Verse?

Witness.

“I’m a Versewalker,” Felix stated as Tinuriel and Reth walked in behind him. “These are my Escorts.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, and she looked Felix up and down, “We’ll talk to the High Priest. Follow me.” She led the trio down a narrow corridor before they ascended a tight set of spiraling stairs. Tinuriel had to walk sideways to fit her enormous blade up the tiny stairwell. The woman knocked on a door a few floors up, and then entered. They were in an cozy study, and sitting behind a desk was an elderly man who looked even more pale and gaunt than the rest of the people they had seen.

“Ah…visitors…Holy Sister?”

The Holy Sister bowed, “High Priest, this one claims to be a Versewalker.”

The old man leaned back and stroked his long beard, “Is…that right?”

Felix nodded, “I’m here to stop Crimson Tide.”

His eyes went wide, and the High Priest sat upright, “That information…is highly…restricted.”

The Holy Sister moved to the door and shut it, slowly reaching for her cudgel. Tinuriel swiftly turned and grabbed the woman’s arm. “I wouldn’t try to attack us.”

The High Priest stood up, “Sister…stand down.” He looked at Felix as his female counterpart relaxed in Tinuriel’s grip. “Versewalker…you will…solve the plague?

“It’s our job!” Reth said.

The High Priest looked to him, “You are…dressed in our…vestments…but you are…not one of us.”

Reth shrugged, “It’s just the clothes I got.”

The High Priest nodded, “Please…let the Holy…Sister go. She…can grab…the oils.” Tinuriel released the woman who left the room before returning a few moments later with several bottles. The old man took the bottles and muttered. Felix felt the room brighten and a warmth spread through his bones. He took the bottles and poured them out onto several pieces of cloth, handing them to the group – one each. “Use…this…one your…weapons. Fight…the demons.”

Felix took the cloth and pulled his weapons from his inventory, slathering the blade with the divine oil. They took on a dull, white gleam as he put them back. Can I use this on my Hardlight Recurve?

Querying…Huh, would you look at that. Hardlight is already potent against these ‘demons’ as he calls them. I doubt they’re demons.

Felix put the rag into his inventory. Reth finished polishing his staff, and Tinuriel spent slightly longer coating her blade in the substance, but within a few seconds the trio had imbued their weaponry with the odd substance.

The High Priest dipped his head, “Go…tunnels to…South…in her name.”

The Holy Sister tugged Felix’s sleeve, “Follow me.” She led the trio down the stairs and out onto the street next to the shrine. She pointed to the far end of the marketplace. “If you’re truly a Versewalker like you say you are, then go to the Southern-most rail platform. It’s been closed for days, and barricades have been put up to keep the blood fiends contained.”

“Sorry, the what?” Felix asked.

The woman’s eyes narrowed, “The blood fiends. The ones that…wait, how do you not know this?”

“Look, lady, we’re here to solve a Crisis,” Reth said. “But we just got here. So filling us in would be great.”

The Holy Sister shook her head, “If you truly were a Versewalker, you would know of our ills.”

Okay I’m tired of this. Fallen Flight. Felix’s wings manifested and Lucifer spoke. “Look, lady. I’m an Angel. A servant of your goddess. So just give the man the information he needs.”

The Holy Sister fell to her knees and her face showed pure, rapturous bliss. “Oh! A real servant of the Lady!” She prostrated herself – as did every single person within line-of-sight.

Really?

Hey, it works.

Felix sighed and shook his head, “Just…just tell me. Please.”

The Holy Sister looked up, tears streaming down her face. “Of course! It started a few days ago…

Five days prior, one of the cities that lay at the farthest edges of the underground expanses – a place called Nonalus – went silent. Trains that went there did not return. Eventually, an expeditionary force led by The Church of Her Radiant Light went there. They, too, did not return.

The Luminarch – the highest ranked holy servant of the Lady of Luminescence – banned all transit to and from Nonalus. They also established a quarantine on the Southern Station from the city Felix and his group had arrived in, called Fheldarm.

Over the past few days, people had gone missing. At first it was just a single beggar, or a child that wandered too far from the lit streets. The darkness was no longer safe for many, and rumors spread of blood-craving beasts in lurking in the shadows.

Felix looked to his allies, “Sounds like a vampire outbreak.”

Tinuriel nodded, “Let us hope that, like on Heficyre, they are counted as a race.”

Reth grimaced and shook his head, “I’ve never heard of these things except from the little bit I got from the VBV Function.”

“The System can’t categorize these. So we won’t know. Felix can always cleanse each of you with Rebel Against All Odds.”

“Or,” Reth said, “I can just use the healing Affinity to make a new Magic/Power effect.” Leaning over to one of the prostrated individuals – a woman who looked as if she was suffering from some type of hunched back – he tapped her with the staff. “Cleanse.”

The woman’s spine straightened and she let out an audible gasp before sighing in relief. She looked up, “Thank you, Angelic Attendee.”

Reth smiled, “No problem!” He turned to Felix, “See? We’ll be fine.”

Felix nodded and knelt, pulling the Holy Sister up. “We’ll set out right away.”

Crossing the city of Fheldarm took thirty minutes. The crowd parted as word had spread, and the central boulevard was filled with people who held out their hands in reverence, touching Felix and Reth’s clothing with awe as they passed. Perhaps hoping for a miracle.

Reth looked at Felix, “If we have the time, we should come back and fix these people up. I can do a huge Cleanse with Affinity Empowerment and Amplification.”

“Or, we could just open the VBV and have them come in for a few minutes. Let the Function work on them.”

Tinuriel scoffed and pushed one of the people away from her. Not roughly, but enough that other people got the message and no one reached out to touch her. “First we have to kill these vampires.”

“I don’t think they’re vampires in the sense you’re imagining,” Lucifer stated.

“What makes you say that?” Felix asked.

“Call it a hunch.”

The lights began to flicker. Felix’s vision shifted to Lucifer’s red-tinged dark sight. “That can’t be good.” People began to hustle indoors and shut themselves in. “Detect Hostiles.”

The golden shockwave emanated out from Felix. In the alley to his right, two figures were cloaked in the golden glow. The same on his left. Above them, on one of the roofs, another three were hiding just behind the lip of the rooftop.

“Umm…Felix? My dark vision isn’t working.”

“Neither is mine,” Tinuriel stated as she hefted her sword.

“Good thing we haven’t reshuffled Affinity effects yet. Hellfire Wick.”

The glowing ember shot up and floated in place above Felix. How come my sight works just fine?

This must be powerful darkness.

Okay, but we’ve been in dark places where Hellfire Wick didn’t illuminate anything.

Your Core Level was lower than the effect. Here, the effect is lower than your Core Level. You outrank it.

The street lights dimmed and flickered, and the golden auras came closer.

“Get ready,” Felix said as he pulled out his Channeling Dagger, holding it in his right hand, as he held his finger in the ready-position to fire his wrist-mounted magic-bow turned gun.

Reth chuckled nervously, “I think we’re in serious danger here.”

Tinuriel shook her head, “No. They’re the ones in trouble.”

The street lights flickered one last time before they faded. The only light came from the tip of Reth’s staff, Tinuriel’s blade, and the Hellfire Wick.

The golden auras rushed to the trio.

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