I bounded through the dark forest, leaping across the canopy of trees. I tried to stay at the treetop, out of view of anyone that was possibly on the forest floor.
I was no longer in my Mortal Form. I couldn’t waste any time. If what I heard from Faith was true— then Edithe and Rachel were in danger. My companions were in danger.
Daniel tried getting me to wait for him. However, he was too slow. And carrying him would have only slowed me down. So I left, on my own, for Viechester. Unfortunately, I seemed to have run into a minor problem. The same one I always faced whenever I traveled on my own.
...Am I lost?
I wasn’t entirely sure if I was heading in the right direction. Daniel had pointed it out on the map for me— he had instructed me to head in a straight line without making a single detour. But it was hard to follow a path when there was nothing obvious to lead me.
undefinedI had been given his map too. Just in case I got lost. But… I barely understood how to read it.
Pushing myself off a thick branch, I grabbed onto the trunk of a tree right at the edge of the forest. I saw a road just before me. Does this road lead to Viechester? I was about to jump down to check when I caught a glimpse of something moving in the shadows.
A flicker.
Chains spread through and in between the trees, hurling heavy spiked balls at me. I threw myself from the tree as the clanging of the metal echoed above me before I landed on the dirt ground.
I glanced up just in time to see a cloaked figure falling after me. It was a Human man. He wore the same shadow cloak of the Harrowed Vindicators, but he bore no mask. His hood was not up, exposing an unbridled fury on his face. He stared down at me with a single eye that nearly burst out of its sockets.
“Demon! I have found you, now I will get my revenge—”
Defeated [Flailberserker of Chains - Lvl. 65]
Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy!
...who was that? Why did he attack me?
I didn’t know. But I killed him easily and continued on my way. Maybe he’s just another Human mad that I’m a Demon. That was probably the case. I saw a sign slightly further down the road indicating that I was indeed heading to Viechester. Maybe I should change to my Mortal Form. Don’t want Hadrian or the other Valiant Dreamers attacking me for being a Demon!
The group that stalked through the halls of the temple was gripped by a deathly silence. Edithe’s eyes glazed over the gilded walls, paying attention only to the heavy beating in her chest. The thumping of her heart echoed in her head, almost like a drum. It grew louder and louder— almost deafeningly so— becoming the only thing she could hear.
Calm down, she told herself. So far we’ve seen nothing, and that’s a good thing. If there really were assassins here, they would have left some signs. The [Priests] promised to keep Rachel safe, and even if they weren’t combatants, they still would be able to put up a fight.
But the question was, would the Iron Champions Company really risk angering the Sanctum of Elements? Certainly, the Den of Souls would not stand for an attack against [Priests], even if they were from a different denomination. The Iron Champions might have been treading a thin line, but they weren’t idiots.
Despite what Edithe had been telling herself all night, she knew they weren’t immune to consequences. It had only been a month since they poisoned Baris, then three days since they tried to burn down the headquarters. Whether they would have actually faced backlash for their actions over what happened in the past night— or rather, the past six hours— remained to be seen.
Edithe quietly led the group through the familiar corridors leading to William’s quarters. She knew that he slept on the third floor of the [Priests] dormitories. That was because he was one of the higher ranked members of the Sanctum of Elements in Viechester.
The moment the group reached the dorms, Edithe knew what happened. She understood why there were no signs of a scuffle— no evidence of fighting. Because the assassins did not attack the [Priests]. Instead, they used some sort of artifact to erect a barrier and cordon off the entire area.
Frowning, Edithe approached the translucent yellow wall of energy and placed a hand on it.
“It’s a powerful sealing spell. At least, too powerful for me to break. It’ll probably dissipate by the time the sun’s up. But I don’t think anyone inside even realizes they’re locked in since it cancels noise too.”
“Think we can destroy it if we combine our magic?”
Cless suggested, trying to inspect the barrier too. Edithe shook her head.
“No. I say we don’t waste time trying to break in. The fact that the Iron Champions Company— or their assassins— are blocking out this entire area means Rachel and William aren’t inside.”
“Where are they then?”
Sophia asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
“I’m a [Hunter]. I can probably track them down if you give me some general directions.”
“I’m not sure. But if I know William, he might have been anywhere from studying away in the temple library or wandering the streets to feed the homeless.”
“And this Rachel…”
Ian piped up, narrowing his eyes.
“She’s with him?”
“Yes. Or she should be.”
Edithe spoke almost as if she were remembering a fond memory.
“When I was little and visited the temple for some of the spare scraps they handed out, William would always bring me around to show me his work. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t interested or was just trying to bother him— he would always be so patient and kind to me, showing me every part of his daily life and teaching me new things.”
“You grew up in the streets?”
Sophia blinked. The red-haired woman nodded.
“Yes, and William took care of me. Just like how I trust he’ll take care of Rachel. So she has to be with him, and if he isn’t in the dorms, then we’ll have to sweep through the temple. Find where he’s at.”
“If you’re certain Rachel is with him, then I can just use a Skill.”
The other [Mage], Cless, offered. Edithe turned to him, raising a brow.
“You can?”
“[Scry Direction]. It has a long cooldown. But I can use it on people whom I’ve interacted with. And I used to visit this temple quite a lot too. I probably spoke to William once or twice— enough for it to work.”
“Let’s give it a shot then.”
Cless nodded and began activating his Skill. Edithe waited, casting wary glances around the area. Once or twice, she thought she saw someone sneaking around. She sent Mistshard over to check, and it turned out it was just her paranoia getting to her.
The assassins won’t know that we’re coming, we’re fine. Edithe found herself breathing again. Cless finished his casting, and his eyes shone slightly blue as he scanned the surroundings.
“Well?”
Edithe couldn’t help but ask after a moment passed. He raised a finger and pointed down a large corridor.
“There.”
The group proceeded to follow Cless. They made their way down the winding halls until finally reaching a large, familiar room. It was the summoning room of this temple. The place where Edithe first summoned Hana.
There, Edithe’s eyes grew wide as she saw…
William and Rachel were standing over the summoning pool. The [Priest] had a book open, reading aloud an excerpt from the Immortal King’s Legacy as the girl rested her head on his lap, her feet lightly kicking against the water.
“And it was only when Alexander regaled the wonderful tales from his world to the Council of Cremont did the [Archbishops] at the time allow him to cross through to the Spirit Plane—”
He paused and glanced up at the group that approached him. Edithe ran up to him, the relief on her face evident.
“William!”
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