AA. 68 (Patreon)

Much to Nil’s delight, three out of four people he requested for the quest answered his call. He, the old mage, and the assistants that summoned him stood just outside the intricately drawn magic circle, waiting for the others to arrive. Several warped relics, aether gems, and more littered the ground. They had invested a significant amount in the Summoning.

Katherine appeared a couple of minutes after him, doing up her form-fitting navy blue long coat as the cold night air washed over them. The first wore a knee-length dress and a corset. Her high boots just about reached the hem of her dress, leaving little of her tights-covered leg exposed. She looked like a noblewoman on business, which made sense given the type of quests she usually got. Despite each garment’s medieval style, she still had a law-enforcement vibe. One look at her, and he was almost sure she was going to be stern and ask a bunch of questions.

Meanwhile, Susan looked at how he imagined sorcerers in the fantasy books he used to read as a child, appearing at the heart of the magic circle just after Katherine. Her purple dress had a long slit running from halfway down her thighs to the hem. Nil guessed she needed extra range of moment to mount and hop off her wolves when necessary. Unlike Katherine, Susan carried a staff, and he caught a glimpse of a bandolier strapped to her right thigh.

The last to arrive was none other than Sakura—the woman who assisted him during the emergency quest. Unlike the last time they met, she carried no weapons and wore half-plate armor, looking like a medieval knight.

“I was expecting to see you or hear from you ever again,” she said, shaking his hand. “Imagine my surprise when the Schema tells me you requested me specifically for help at a Bronze-danger level.”

“We’re all shocked by his growth,” Katherine commented, stepping up to the pair and draping an arm around his shoulder. It almost felt like an attempt to establish territory. Nil considered the thought silly. Sakura lived in another dimension. He doubted Katherine considered her a threat—given the casual nature of the relationship, it wasn’t even a concern—so she and Nil could be fleeting acquaintances at best. “He trains like a maniac and does little else.”

“I’m glad you’ve brought friends Summoned,” the mage said, interrupting the union. “The situation is dire, and Mistress Mila needs—”

“And Prince Albert,” a similarly dressed woman added.

“The Scourge cult attacked our headquarters in the dead of night,” the man continued, ignoring the interruption and addressing Nil directly. “They took our leaders through a powerful sleep spell, and we fear the worst. Please. Save Mistress Mila. Save them all. She asked me to request assistance from Nexus if we ever needed it. The mistress never forgot your bravery and strength when facing the Cursed One.”

“Of course,” Nil said. “I’ve brought a summoner, a Mind Mage, and a knight experienced fighting the Void—”

“And the Scourge,” Sakura said.”

“—with me. Explain what happened, and we’ll do our best to ensure the prince and Mila come out alive.”

“Isn’t Mila about nine or ten?” Katherine asked. “What is she doing hunting the Scourge?”

“The mistress’s magic is so pure and strong that the Control World sent a teacher,” the man replied. “They’ve been training in a space outside of time.”

Nil wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but he imagined time dilation was at play. He knew the Nexus and Control Worlds expected great things of Mila, but he didn’t think they’d get so directly involved.

They have agents on Earth and are investing a lot in the investigation. Why wouldn’t they do the same on a Beacon World?

The old mage and Prince Albert’s follower rolled a map out on the table and explained the situation while the assistants brought them drinks and food. Meanwhile, Susan summoned Skoll and Hati and sent them out to scout and watch the perimeter.

An agent of the Scourge had infiltrated the kingdom. The local Well of Power—the one under the fort gifted to House Stark—was already on its way to turning into a Font of Cursed Energy. The Scourge’s agent had orchestrated Mila’s family gaining the property to wipe them out and continue perverting the well. They had tracked the cult to a neighboring city and had them cornered when a traitorous mage turned the tables.

It was only a brief background of the situation, but given the time-sensitive nature of the situation, they didn’t have the time to discuss it in detail. The old mages believed that the cult intended to sacrifice the three powerful individuals and use the ritual to summon more Cursed Ones and Scourge champions to the world, accelerating its transformation into a Dark World. 

“You did a good thing inviting me for the quest,” Susan commented, studying the map. “This is precisely the type of quests the Nexus has me do.” She pulled a palm-sized metal case out of her pocket, revealing little rune-covered discs. “Do you mind if I take command of this operation? I have a fair deal of experience with rescue and infiltration.”

“Of course not,” Nil said, surprised by how the usually meek woman changed into a focused, authoritative figure.

“I was summoned to be Nil’s sword,” Sakura said. “Point me where to cut, and I’ll do just that.”

Katherine only nodded.

“Good.” She held out the case. “Stick these on your necks. It will help me sense your positions and relay information.”

“Like a radio?” Nil asked, amazed by the tiny arcane devise.

“Precisely. But you can’t communicate with each other, only me.”

A faint electric tingle pulsed down Nil’s neck.

“Testing. Testing. One, two—”

The annoyed look from Susan shut Nil up.

“You don’t need to talk out loud,” Katherine explained. “It's like telepathy, and it broadcasts intentional surface thoughts. Since you’re not used to it, declare an activation phrase that you can think of before sending a message.”

“Understood,” he replied and ran a quick test. 

Is this clear?

Roger.

The Scourge cult had taken over the city’s red-light district. It let them prey on patrons from all wakes of life, draining the life force from the poor and tired and magic or money from the more affluent locals.

The locals had little information about the agents, and Susan and Sakura didn’t have anything concrete for them either. Scourge champions were similar to and as diverse as Summoned. Their abilities and magic were born of Cursed Energy, and they had their own version of soul weapons. 

“Expect double-edged swords and tools designed to torture and mutilate,” Susan had said. Nil knew to expect something similar to or as horrifying as Fatima. However, the description didn’t sound too different from his ability. Expend had the power to torture, mutilate, and kill, and it came with a painful cost.

The cult occupied a large complex of buildings, and there was no way to determine the prisoners’ precise locations. In fact, there was no telling whether they were kept together or separately. In fact, the latter felt more likely, so they couldn’t work together or combine their magic to overwhelm any anti-magic containing them. Apparently, Prince Albert and Mila’s grandfather were accomplished magic swordsmen. They didn’t have powerful spells to blast their way out, but their spells would enable them to fight them through a small army of the world’s ordinary soldiers, armed or not.

As a result, everyone moved separately. Susan had divided the map into three sections and had her summons smell the kidnapped trio’s clothes. She stayed with the mages, protecting the command center and watching the map. The rest of the Summoned took a quadrant each. Hati moved between Nil and Katherine, looking for a scent and ready to assist when needed. The wolves had shrunk themselves to the size of street dogs and leaped along the roofs. Their versatility amazed Nil. The summons and how swiftly she came up with her plan explained why the Nexus considered Susan a valuable asset.

It was early evening. The red-light district was just starting to get busy. Nil walked briskly, scanning his surroundings with Energy Instinct active. He wanted to run and cover as much ground as possible, but that would draw far too much attention. Silencing his movements with Absorb wouldn’t be enough. The area was far too brightly lit with multicolored lanterns, and scantily clad women stood on the balconies and windows waving and beckoning. Much to Nil’s annoyance, the visage appeared alongside them on passing balconies. He scanned the ladies of the night with Energy Instinct and got nothing. His soul weapon was just being a torment.

Nil take a left ahead. 

Did Hati pick up a scent?

It took him a couple of attempts to get the message through. He forgot to use the activation code the first time around and almost spoke out loud. 

No, but we’re tracking a strange presence in Sakura’s section, and Hati detected something similar next to you. It might have something to do with the ritual.

Understood. I’ll check it out straight away.

A loud crash sounded in the distance, almost making Nil jump out of his skin. He craned his neck over the stalled crowd. All eyes moved toward the thick column of smoke rising a few streets away.

Isn’t that where Katherine is?

Correct.

I’ll head over straight away—

No. She is investigating an identical arcane presence. It might be part of a larger ritual. Focus on your own.

But she might need my help!

She is at the peak of Bronze and far more potent than the little she showed you. Focus on the task you’re assigned. Obey the chain of command.

Understood.

Nil fought his urges, and speed walked in the opposite direction, weaving through the crowd as they moved toward the fire. Although he was currently put off by Katherine, he still cared about her deeply. Besides, despite her reservations, she hadn’t yet turned her back on the quest and accepted his summons. She was trying to do the right thing, and he didn’t want anything to happen to her while at it.

As a mage, she wasn’t built to function alone. However, she was more powerful than the quest’s danger level, and her spells allowed her to shut down most opponents. Nil suspected she hadn’t shown him all of her arsenal either. He reminded himself to focus on his job as she did. Saving Mila was his priority.

Impatience got the better of Nil. He slipped into a side street and took off running, using Toggled Supercharging to speed toward where Susan directed. It led him to a building with no alluring women in the window. The shuttered windows and silence made it stand out from its vibrant and alluring neighbors. It was the start of the busy hours for most brothels, and the silence made the structure stand out. More importantly, Energy Instinct detected a mixture of dark and noxious arcane presences. Hints of dark smoke leaked through the cracks in the window, and the visage stood on the roof, beckoning him like one of the balcony women. 

We’ve got Cursed Energy. I’m heading in.