Chapter 51

Cackling and manic laughter stirred Diya from his slumber. At first, he thought local pubs had just closed or the inn kicked drinking patrons out of the common room for the night. He crawled out from under the heavy covers and peeked out of the window, hoping to find out what joke had set them off. Diya saw dozens of ugly yellow eyes glowing in the darkness instead.

Torches and magical lights bloomed around the walls and battlements. Calls to arms and pained screams followed. When Diya spotted silhouettes of the attackers, all remnants of sleep left his body. The De Lawneys had pushed into hyene lands to expand their territory and the beasts were now fighting back.

“Wake up!” Diya whispered, shaking Gwyneth.

“What is it?” She groaned, pushing his hand away.

“The settlement is under attack!”

Seeker’s Lantern lit up as soon as Gwyneth sat up. Her hand shot to the staff leaning against the bed. The speed at which she’d gone from fast asleep to alert confirmed her tale of living all of her life in Gaia’s Ark—or at least until she got her spirit. No settlement except the floors’ central hubs was truly safe from the tower’s monsters.

The pair dressed and rushed down the stairs. The inn’s common room was deserted. Gwyneth saw no trace of the landlady, her staff, or the cook. Diya didn’t hear them either. They rushed out of the building but stayed close to the doorway while surveilling their surroundings.

The commotion appeared concentrated around the gate the pair had used to enter the settlement. However, the sound of cackling hyenas rang from all directions. Scared and injured individuals ran into buildings while armed and half-clothed climbers sprinted towards the fight. When Gwyneth moved to follow them, Diya grabbed her hand.

“What?”

“The gate won’t be protected now,” he said. “Let’s sneak through.”

“What about Victoria?” Gwyneth asked.

“I don’t trust her. If we have the option to get to the next floor without her help. Let’s take it.”

I’d rather not end up in her debt, either.

“Fine.” Gwyneth sighed, carefully placing her mask over her face. “Let’s stick to the alleyways. I’d rather not be seen.”

“Of course.”

As they walked through the darkness, the slime skin coat appeared to disappear altogether. Occasionally reflected light gave away Diya’s boots, but the rest of him blended into the shadows. At first, he had questioned Shadowtouched’s effectiveness. Now, Diya wondered what other keywords he could create for his summons. Just runes appeared to only grant mild effects. The real power came through when they worked together and combined to make something more.

For the time being, Diya held the fountain pen in his left hand without summoning the gauntlet. His axe hung from his belt. If anyone spotted them, he wanted them to think the pair were fleeing the fight.

Unfortunately, Diya’s plan didn’t last for long. Since the De Lawneys populated the inns and taverns around the gate, the pair had no choice but to find accommodation on the opposite end of the growing settlement. The pair successfully crossed the first street without incident. The second street featured a handful of injured climbers fleeing the fight. Diya and Gwyneth evaded them successfully and slipped into the alley on the opposite side. Much to their disappointment, three sets of ugly yellow eyes awaited them.

“What are they doing here?!” Gwyneth hissed, summoning Seeker’s Lantern. The spirit crackled with lightning. Its bright blue light stood out like a beacon in the darkness.

“Pursuing maimed prey,” Dia answered, drawing his axe. The illumination got the pair their first glance at the hyenes.

And I thought the troglodytes were ugly.

The hyenes all stood with hunches. Their heads were colossal for the rest of their body and reminded Diya of hyenas. He had never seen one in person,, but the Boleyn libraries had dozens of bestiaries full of illustrations. The patchy grey-brown fur and ugly eyes only made them less appealing. The largest of the beasts cackled, and its two companions rushed towards the pair.

Seeking Inkfire Blades bloomed to life over Diya’s left shoulder and the fountain transformed into a spear the following moment. The hyenas didn’t hesitate or pause. One fell onto all fours and raced towards him. After a handful of strides, it leapt, bounced off the alley’s wall and descended on Diya, scything a pair of daggers at him. Seeker’s Lantern met the hyene mid-air, interrupting the jump. Before Diya could step in and skewer the beast with Frozen Ink Lance, the second hyena emerged from its friend’s shadow.

Harden!

The claws raked across Diya’s shoulder. Fortunately, his coat’s padded section kept the appendages from reaching flesh. The force behind the blow still staggered Diya, throwing him off balance. He pointed his spear at the sneaky hyena as it retreated, and the floating daggers shot toward it. Unlike the bolts, the conjured blades appeared to have weaker tracking abilities. The first embedded itself in the ground and remained as a burning more of inkfire. The second shattered against the alley’s wall. Fortunately, the final projectile found a home in the hyene’s gut.

Meanwhile, Gwyneth electrified her staff’s blade and struck the second hyene. Seeker’s Lantern had successfully stunned it. The lightning coursing through her weapon caused the creature to seize and collapse. Diya lunged forward, driving his spear through the creature’s throat and finishing it. As he retrieved his weapon, an explosion knocked him off his feet and rattled his bones. Diya felt searing heat through his left sleeve and along his neck. Whatever damage the first hyene had inflicted now felt ten times worse.

“On the roof!” Gwyneth alerted him, firing lightning spells.

Diya gritted his teeth and dove. Another explosion to his left threw him into the alley’s wall. His eyes darted toward where Gwyneth pointed, and he glimpsed a cackling silhouette dancing and jumping between rooftops while his hands burned with dark orange flames. Instead of continuing to attack the pair, it turned tail and ran. Since it had the high ground, the pair failed to follow its route.

“You’re hurt,” Gwyneth whispered. The light coming off her soul switched from bright blue to warming gold. It pulsed and radiated, sending cooling waves through Diya’s body. The pain in his shoulder lessened, but the stinging along his neck remained.

“Put it out,” Diya said. “We need to get to the gate.”

“Are you mad?! It's too dangerous. These things are too powerful for us to fight while also remaining unnoticed. Let's head back to the inn—”

“No.” Diya cut her off. “We need to do this now.”

Before Gwyneth could protest, Diya grabbed her hand and dragged her through the alley towards their destination. She protested for a handful of steps, then gave in. However, her spirit didn’t extinguish itself or disappear. Instead, its glow faded to a glimmer. The effects weren’t as potent, but Diya felt his discomfort fade with every passing moment.

The explosions and sounds of battle had awakened the rest of the settlement. More half-dressed climbers spilt out of De-Lawney-marked buildings into the cold night. Calls to arms filled the night and all rushed towards the now flaming wall and gates. In an effort to stay hidden, the pair had to spend several minutes ducking behind corners or empty crates. It slowed their progress considerably and left Diya’s heart thundering in his chest.

A quarter of an hour passed since they’d left the inn, and the sound of battle was deafening. It masked their footsteps and it wasn’t long before their destination was within sight. With their hearts racing in their chests, the pair stepped out of the alleys into the main street.

“Hold it!” A panting gruff voice called. Diya froze, and Gwyneth spun around to face him. “Where do you think you’re going? All non-disabled climbers to the hub-ward gate.”

Diya willed the fountain pen to expel its contents. Ink spilt out of the nib and soaked his left hand. He nudged Gwyneth before turning around to face the man. Diya feigned a stagger and leaned on the woman. She spared him a glance before returning her attention to the man.

“We were in the fight!” She exclaimed. “He took a claw to the throat. I’m trying to get him somewhere safe before I patch him up—”

“And he has the strength to make it this far form the gate?” The man demanded, stomping closer. Burn marks and blood stains covered his leather armour. Diya hoped he would keep his distance. In the dark, ink could pass as blood, but they needed distance to get away with the ruse.

“We were pursued,” Gwyneth replied, pointing at the alley they had just exited. “Continue in a straight line, and you’ll find two corpses. There were three of them. We killed two, and the other burned him before running. I need somewhere safe to patch him up.” She made a show of pressing a hand to Diya’s throat. “I can’t let my husband bleed out. I just can’t.”

The man paused. He glanced past them at the alley. “I fucking hate hyenes.” He grumbled. “They don’t just kill. They cripple and maim before stalking and tormenting their prey. Can you heal?”

“I have bandages.”

“That won’t be enough if the beast got an artery.” The man paused again. He looked over his shoulder at the spreading fire near the gate. “Go to the gate. I’ll send a healer and a few men. It’s probably for the best if we set up a medical tent there.”

“Thank you,” Gwyneth said as the man nodded and raced away. She held her breath until he was out of sight and then sighed. “That was close. Quick thinking.”

“I’m glad you caught on. Let’s keep moving. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

Worried the man would return, they walked briskly instead of running. Much to their relief, they saw no one in the archway’s vicinity. Silver light shone through the space, and they saw nothing beyond it. Diya eagerly stepped up to the gate and reached for the opening.

The white felt like a glass wall. He pushed, but Diya’s hand failed to pass through. When he applied more pressure, an opposing force pushed him back.

“What in Gaia’s name?” He mumbled and tried again. The results were the same.

“What’s wrong?” Gwyneth asked. The door didn’t oppose her touch. Her fingers, palm, and wrist disappeared into he silver without issue.

“Why won’t it let me through?” Diya’s heart pounded in his chest. He peeked over his shoulder. The fire around the distant wall and gate had grown. No human or hyene walked the square or connecting streets.

“Maybe it's the hollow soul,” Gwyneth whispered. Her brows remained furrowed. “Do you think both cards need upgrading before you can go through?”

Diya gave up on their ruse and sprinted to the upgrade station on the opposite end of the square. He summoned the cards for the journal and Eirkh’s monster card. Gaia spoke to him as he held both to the stone.

Eternally bonded to a journal is an unfortunate fate for the great broodmother Eirkh. Perhaps in your hand, her soul and memory will find justice and good use.

Absorbing it will temper your body to impervious to the cold. Warm temperatures will tire you out slower, too. Your body will need less food and water to sustain itself. Pain thresholds will increase, too. However, you must pay attention to sustenance, rest, and injuries closely. Letting them accumulate may lead to your demise.

Spells and summons stored in the journal’s blank slots will require three-quarters as much ink. The effects will extend to Cardsmith’s effects, as well.

Diya didn’t have time to think whether the monster card had decent compatibility. The reduction in ink costs felt good enough since it would let him use Seeking Inkfire Blades more freely. He wouldn’t need to focus on retracting Ink Vines, either. Instead, he’d have the luxury of leaving them stuck to foes.

“Do it,” he whispered. “Absorb the soul.”

It felt like only a handful of moments had passed when Diya finished the upgrade. However, he found a dozen climbers trudging towards the gate. His heart dropped. If he and Gwyneth tried slipping away now, they’d be seen. In fact, if they got too close to the silver light, someone would likely get in their way.

“You took too long,” Gwyneth said, taking his hand and pulling him away from the square. “We could run for it, but if they’ve got anyone faster, we’ll be in trouble.”

“What do you think we should do then?” Diya asked.

“Return to the inn. Sleep. Victoria will meet us after breakfast.” Gwyneth squeezed his hand when he opened his mouth to protest. “I know you’d rather keep your distance, but I can’t risk a De Lawney seeing my face. If you must go through the gate, do it now, and do it alone.”

“No.” Diya sighed. “We stick together.”

[Author's Note: Hey guys. Apologies for the delayed chapter. As some of you know(and saw photos on the discord), my dog gave birth to seven puppies. One of them fell ill and I was too busy with them for the last couple of days to edit.

On another note, from next week, I'll post 5 chapters a week on RR from Tuesday to Saturday. Patreon will match the schedule. However, since I'm behind, I'll post through the weekend to ensure we're 21 chapters ahead of RR.]