Ten Minutes in Haven
| The following story takes place in 3131-2-3, several months before Boyo's Pirate Crew would arrive in Avel Caelora, and before the destruction of Empearbury. Haven, going under the alias "Smith Ridgers", has just invaded the nightclub Prime Meridian to talk with and meet an influential individual. |
THE SIDEWALK WAS CROWDED.
I walked down the scarcely-lit streets of Hyrdinn with nothing but a nice-fitting tuxedo, a baseball cap, twenty platinum gildings, leather-boxed dress shoes, and a gold-carved ring I summoned using my power. I skipped everyone in line until I reached the bouncer of my destination: a prestigious nightclub in the rich district of Hyrdinn called the "Prime Meridian". Named after the nation of Meridian, it was pleasantly aquatic themed nightclub that had no-doubt been the talk of the town for the past few weeks or so.
Without a second to spare, I flashed my ID card and a badge which marked me as a city inspector. The bouncer nodded once, unclipping the velvet rope and waving me in.
Of course, the badge wasn’t mine—I stole it from a Empyrean guard that had been accosting me moments earlier. The ID was from his friend, a "Smith Ridgers". The fancy tuxedo was from a suitor’s store, although granted, I had gifted myself. The shoes were "borrowed" from a cobbler shop around the middle-district, and I honestly don’t remember where I got the baseball cap anymore.
Stepping into the nightclub, I was immediately assaulted by a galling amount of neon lights with strobe effects. Bodies grinded throughout the dance floor, and the bar booths were stocked with people drinking this and that. Even with the distractions, I happened to spot my target, a thirty-something man with a cleave-shaven head and neatly-trimmed beard. John Edwards, a wealthy lord in The Final Empire, and an information broker.
Time to learn more about this "Killer of Yonia" that Vayen told me about…
It seemed Mister Edwards was sitting alone, his pure-sapphire ring engraved with the symbol of the Three Houses enough to keep most people at bay. He was stationed atop an incline within the VIP area, apparently waiting for someone.
And it just so happens that certain somebody is me.
I glanced around for any suspicious parties (other than myself), activating my Divination. My vision was tinged slightly yellow, turning up no results. I deactivate it with a bemused smile.
Of course, nobody dangerous to me would turn up here. After all, my reputation was already well-known throughout The Final Empire, in part due to my past escapades as a member of the Divine Cult. Not even the guards would dare turn me in once they saw my face.
I waved a hand, minimizing the action to appear discrete and minuscule. A golden watch of intricate design appeared on my wrist, as if by magic, but I knew the true culprit of this act: my eyes. I chucked to myself, sliding my hand back into my suit pockets. Remastering the Golden Eyes had proved difficult, and I ended up training myself to near-exhaustion several times over. At points, it felt like my eyes would fall out of their sockets.
Although I still required a few gestures to activate their properties, my power had thankfully returned to its original level. As a side-effect, this also affected my Divination, which I could now give in-depth search criteria to.
Speaking of which—…
Search for someone that may help me.
My Divination landed on a woman in a red sequin dress. She's speaking with a high official, but something about her demeanor managed to alert my vision. Since I was looking for enemies before, I hadn’t noticed her small mistakes before, but her posture was very stiff. The actions of an amateur. It seemed she was very new to this, and the lean in her lower abdomen spoke to her inexperience.
Not a noble; a woman disguising herself as someone she’s not. Opening up a trade route? Forging a deal for her struggling business? Or something more sinister?
It wasn’t uncommon for deception to plunder the streets of Hyrdinn. In fact, it was a common turn-of-phrase that lying had been invented in Hyrdinn. However, the mere fact someone as unrehearsed as her had not been caught was rather surprising. Most likely, she had some trump card that was deflecting suspicion off her.
That, I wanted to find out.
I breathed in, reopening my eyes and activating a sigil of the Old One. One of five tenets provided to me by years of training in the Divine Cult.
Now, most wielders of Divination never came across a single tenet in their entire lives. Actually, tenets were virtually unheard of. Divination was widespread, and commonly used by adventurers of D-Rank and higher. The concepts of tenets had been essentially erased from the annals of history. It didn’t help that training to master said artifacts of power were difficult, required much concentration, and were generally hard to come by. Even a wielder of the Third Tenet, the one I was activating now, would find it useless, as it would be extremely strenuous to concentrate in the center of a loud nightclub.
However, I was a prodigy of the Divine Cult. I didn't have access to one tenet—I had access to all five.
"Sphisi Tlem."
[Speak Truth.]
The winds themselves seemed to answer my call, eager to supply me with any information they could find about the woman I was staring at. Eventually, they decided the best course of action was to give me her name, thankfully one of the articles I was looking for.
(Amaylia Vinwall.)
I blinked.
No no no—…
Amaylia Vinwall, fifth in line to the succession as Preacher. The daughter of Prime Minister Vinwall, a religious authority of the Divine Cult.
And one of the women who had planned my murder.
This, naturally, put a large damper on my plans. Since she was part of the Ninth Division (commonly dubbed the "Assassination Division"), she was undoubtedly out for my blood. She wouldn’t know that I was framed for my actions, or that the cult I had cherished so dearly had turned against me.
She also, as an act of karmic retribution, wouldn’t know the Killer of Yonia was after her.
What to do, what to do…
The easiest solution would be snagging the bit of information I came for and leaving. The big risk I ran was that Amaylia would recognize me, but I felt I had the ability to avoid that. Even so, leaving a fellow cult member to die in a few days put a bad taste in my mouth, even if she had planned for my murder. I’d also find it distasteful to leave a misunderstanding unappeased.
Decisions decisions…
Eventually, I decided to enter the VIP area, flashing my ID once more for the burly man in front before stepping inside. Edwards noticed me immediately, giving me a large, phony smile.
"Mister Ridgers, a pleasure."
He reached out for a handshake, and I nearly had to do a double-take. I was so preoccupied by Amaylia that I nearly forgot my false identity.
"A pleasure, indeed." I grinned, giving him a firm handshake and taking my seat.
He grimaced. An expression that could easily be overlooked had I not the amount of experience underneath my belt as I did currently. My perception speed had become implausibly fast, allowing me the catch the frame-perfect skip from smiles to distaste. As quick as it left, the phony smile was back, and Edwards clasped his hands together with a look of intense interest.
"So, you wished to know about that Yonian fiend?"
A question asked with the intention of being heard. It was natural that few would care about Smith Ridgers, but there was at least one person who had their eye on John Edwards, and I had a feeling I knew exactly who.
"Yes, let us start. Tell me all that you know, and please, don’t hold back."
"Of course, Mister Ridgers."
He clears his throat, reclining slightly.
"That killer has been all the rage lately. It says his power is A-Class, and his speed is unparalleled. I even heard murmurings that he planned on joining the Dimensional Tournament before it was a cancelled."
A false rumor, unfounded and probably started by Mister Edwards himself, I reckon. I would have to take every word he uttered with a grain of salt.
A waitress approached our table, placing two large mugs in front of us. The style, at least at this nightclub, was skinny cone-shaped wine glasses, but it seemed this particular order was contained in stylized beer mugs.
"I was waiting for so long, that I ended up ordering us both drinks. Hope you don’t mind."
He takes a sip, and I follow suit, the cold fruity ale running down my throat with a sting. It was fancy, so it was weaker. I wasn’t sure why that seemed to be the correlation in every part of the world, but if one wanted to find hard ale in its natural form, one had to go to the middle or poor districts.
"My company hired him once, but he was nothing great. I doubt you'll find him very useful if you hope to employ him."
He thinks I’m a business owner, looking to hire an assassin. He wants to monopolize the Killer of Yonia's services by keeping them away from his competitors. That was easy enough to figure out. Apparently Mister Edwards found his skills more than reputable. However, a merchant of any caliber that bad-mouthed their hired killers was sure to meet an ill-fated demise.
"Mister Edwards, I would like it if you didn’t hold anything back."
"What ever do y—…"
"Sphisi Sislis."
[Speak Secrets.]
At my words, the winds began to speak.
This time, however, they appeared a bit hesitant. I could understand why; they're not used to loud environments. Their expressions seem to be asking: "Why can't we be in a forest or something?" However, as a close friend, they'll abide by my request. I’d have to thank them somehow later.
In any case, it’s not like I wanted to summon them in a nightclub. It was hard enough understanding them as it was.
The winds danced around Edwards like a masquerade, and they began to giggle.
"I siirs mi hizs mi Kessil ih Yihesi's phizil! Hi ssih ses siriihi sihv sirphsiisith errifesesi mir!"
[It seems he knows the Killer of Yonia's power! He can lick someone and completely immobilize them!]
The second one giggled again, her form pirouetting around his head.
"Be mi's hi mi ihi zmi ilviliv mi Kessil ih Yihesi i ess ses rirfils. Hi viish' ixih hiz sifie mi ses. Hi dhes melis mir hil sishesm lisisihs."
[But he's not the one who ordered the Killer of Yonia to kill cult members. He doesn't even know about the cult. He just hires them for selfish reasons.]
John Edwards blinks a few times in response to my request. A bemused expression crawls across his face, and he shakes his head, unaware that he just told me everything I needed to know. Only I could hear the spirits. I had no doubt that a man like John Edwards would have a heart attack if he could hear them.
Actually, I kind of want to see how he would react, I smiled sadistically.
John Edwards clears his throat, "I'm feeling pretty out of it, Mister Ridgers. I may need to take my leave. Is there anything else you need to know before that?"
Another smirk dances across my lips, and I give my head a small shake. "I have everything I need, thank you for your time. Be careful on your way back home—you never know what could happen."
It seems the sadism radiating from my smile unnerved him, as he responded awkwardly.
"O-of course, you be safe too, Mister Ridgers."
Mission complete.
Naturally, he also couldn’t hear my activation clause. Whatever he heard after that, he felt it pertinent to respond by shaking his head with a smile. I’m not sure what he think I said, but I hope it wasn’t anything embarrassing. I often felt like the wind spirits enjoyed messing with me, in any case.
As Edwards left the VIP area, I stood up, making my way to Amaylia. She was in deep conversation with another noble, although a young man was also at the table. He was rather out of place, as in substitution of a nice coat or suit, he wore a wrinkled white dress shirt and bandana. His pants were nothing more than ragged jeans, and he seemed rather young. No older than sixteen, at least.
I activated my Divination, and spotted a rather small, portable shotgun underneath the back of his shirt. It was a rather peculiar design, but seemingly perfect for hiding. It was well-hidden, but not hidden enough to hide from my all-seeing eyes.
The noble beside him was anything but modest. He wore a fine coat of synthetic thread, laced with gold and blue silk. He looked all the part of a dignified lord, and his auburn hair was well-kept and arranged in an attractive manner, giving him the look of authority, yet also somehow still seeming ever the eligible bachelor. Amaylia barely spared a glance at my approach, but the lord gave a gentle smile, one filled with authenticity in comparison to Edwards, and held out a hand.
"I thought for a moment my eyes deceived me, but it’s really you. I’ve heard much about you, Lord Ridgers."
"Lord Ridgers", huh?
The man’s intentions were completely hidden by an impressive poker face. It was possible he was being legitimate—gossip spread fast, and there was a tangible likelihood that my false identity had been exaggerated.
I gave him hand a firm shake, returning a smile of my own, "What brings you here tonight, Lord Halbric."
Yes, Lord Halbric, one of the city’s foundational lords. Out of every noble in this building, he was likely the most important. In regards to both trade and the city police, he maintained a firm, unwavering grip.
"But where are my manners? This here is the firstborn lady of House Aughon."
Amalyia took a step forward, curtseying as she smiled.
"Greetings, Lord Ridgers. I am a Lady Aria, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."
So that’s what she’s playing at.
House Aughon was well-known for their agricultural business. It was also said that over seventy-percent of their workforce consisted of poverty-labor, essentially cheap labor bought from the poorer districts of Hyrdinn who couldn’t afford to negotiate for anything better. It was legal exploitation.
"Nahce t' meet ya', Lord Ridgers."
The final voice was sung by the blonde youth. He seemed to only gaze up for a moment, lounging back on his chair rather lazily.
"That would be Boyo, my bodyguard."
I gave the bodyguard a coarse nod. I wouldn’t call myself an elitist, but seeing such an out-of-place bumpkin in the presence of near-royalty made me a bit sour.
I ignored the youth, instead turning to give "Lady Aria" a slight bow.
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Aria. The two of you wouldn’t mind a fourth party, I hope?"
"Not at all," Lady Aria returned my gesture with another polite smile, and Lord Halbric motioned for me to sit down.
"Of course not, there’s always room for a fellow conversation partner."
Boyo, meanwhile, snorted, which I took as his acceptance.
As I took my seat, Lord Halbric began idly tapping his fingers against the table, feigning incompetence. Essentially, he was pretending to be deathly curious as to my reasons for being here, and bad at hiding his emotions. In truth, I’m sure he was perfectly capable of masking his true intentions. He merely wished to coax me into nonchalance.
Giving your enemy the power and reassuring them that they had the conversation under control was a handy tactic, requiring both the ability to push aside one’s pride and the skill to deceive. Lord Halbric easily had both in spades. While your enemy grew overconfident, they would speak more freely, where in reality you were the true mastermind, leading the conversation on akin to a puppet master.
"What brings you to our quaint city, Lord Ridgers? I hear you come from a far away Kingdom. The nobles are dying to hear of your reason."
As if he just couldn’t wait any longer, Lord Halbric began to speak. Although he framed his question as belonging in large part to the other curious nobles, the tone of his voice emphasized that he was the real interested party. A failed attempt at concealing his objective, or so he wanted me to believe.
"I’ve come to make profitable relations with other houses—it’s a rather simplistic reason, and surely not anything the nobles gathered here would find interest in; I am merely seeking out competent lords and ladies to add to my estate’s repertoire."
Let’s see what you do with that, Lord Halbric.
His response was simple: a grin followed by a lengthy sip of tea. Amaylia smiled, her eyes the color of shattered glass.
"You remind me of someone I once knew, Lord Ridgers."
"Oh? You must tell me what he was like, dearest Lady Aria," Lord Halbric took another prolonged sip of tea.
"A rowdy fellow with great ambitions, but ones that didn't align with his house. He let his goals cloud his minds, and left his estate a criminal."
You could not be more obvert with your callout, Amaylia. Her demeanor caused me to wince, leading me to believe she had no doubt as to my true identity, even from the beginning. It wasn’t a matter of fooling her—she somehow had already come by the information.
However, she isn’t clawing at my face yet. Perhaps negotiations are still possible, or for some reason her thirst for my life has gone vacant. I looked her over; she was smiling her usual phony smile at Lord Halbric, but beyond her outward demeanor, I could see the storm in her eyes.
"I want to kill you, but it would not benefit the current situation". Good to know.
"Aside from that, Lady Aria, I would like to know more about your estate. Perhaps you could prove a valuable ally."
Maybe you don’t have to kill me.
"Well, House Aughon has stood founded on the principle of nature, and we revere the gods of fortune as they blessed our ancestors years ago. If anyone were to desecrate our beliefs, I believe we would just have to go to war."
Right, whatever I did is unforgivable. But listen, it’s not my fault, you see? I was framed! It seemed she wasn’t willing to budge on this topic.
"Ah, I see indeed. A wise thing, to worship fortune." Lord Halbric provides her words with a nod of approval. I turned my head slightly to glance at Boyo—he was apparently occupying himself by staring at the ceiling. If I had to put a word to his expression, it'd be boredom.
"Very wise indeed, Halbric. I must say though: this 'bodyguard' of yours has no manners or respect by the looks of him. I can only assume he is incredibly capable at his job."
The bodyguard snorts again, "I can't say I understand where you're coming from, but when I hail, this 'respect' business would get you kicked off my ship."
Lord Halbric sighs, "Simply excuse his manners, he is indeed the best as they come."
Lady Aria laughs, "I don't know, I think it's a rather unique quirk."
I turned to look at the bodyguard one more time. Boyo himself didn't seem too special, but on closer inspection, he was obviously many years younger than he appeared. While his clothes mostly covered him up, and his messy hair obscured the majority of his face, he still couldn't be any older than eighteen.
"Quite young, I must say. But I am not one to criticize your judgement."
Well, perhaps Boyo here will have the pleasure of—..."
Boyo leaps out of his chair and slides out his hidden shotgun, firing two rounds into the air. The thin chain holding up the chandelier shatter, crashing its weight onto the ballroom floor (thankfully vacant of people). The nobles in the nightclub begin to shout and scream, scattering about. Two thin blades appear out of thin air, striking the ground near Lord Halbric. With a yell, he jumps up and hides behind Boyo.
"Enemy ahead. Help me fuck 'em up. I can tell you're a fighter."
Lady Aria—no, Amaylia Vinwall slides two obsidian daggers from beneath her dress, spinning them around in her hands with an adept finesse.
I activate my Divination, searching the surroundings for the assailant. It was at that moment a masked figure suddenly fell from above, reaching for my throat. I responded in kind by creating a golden shield and slamming it into my would-be-attacker's body, knocking him back. He crashes into the table and flips upwards, launching his body into the sky.
Boyo takes a few more shots, and the assailant knocks the bullets out of the sky with his katana. He has two, one still strapped to his back, and steam begins to rise from his back.
A Nasod.
His emotionless, yet somehow sinister robotic voices rings out in the chaos of the nightclub.
"Die."