MM - Chapter 170 - COMPANY TO DIE FOR

Instead of dreamily ogling at the second-floor items that were well outside his price range, Raine opened a call to Mel. She answered straight away, her too-attractive avatar throwing a wink in his direction. “Howdy there, stranger.”

All thoughts of the logical reasons he’d called for fled from Raine’s mind. The simple truth was that he missed talking to her over the last couple days. “Stranger?” Raine chuckled softly, “It's been what, an hour?”

“Not a chance! It’s been at least three days!” Mel looked to the side, checking the time. “Oh, goshdarnit. Whatever! You’re the only one who can keep track of two sets of time. And I’m allowed to miss your voice within five seconds of any conversation ending. Don't make me trade in my date ticket for it!”

With a twinkle in his eyes, Raine lifted both hands in surrender, “Fine. Fine. You win. Three days.” He cleared his throat, continuing in a thick, slow accent. “It's been too long, stranger.”

Mel’s face twisted as she vehemently shook her head, “No, no, no. I call you stranger. You call me lass. Stick to the script!”

Raine drawled out each word like he knew she wanted, “It's good to see your face, lass. Any longer and I’d risk forgettin’ how beautiful you are.”

Mel squirmed, features scrunched adorably as she ate it up. When she tried to mimic his accent, she burst into laughter before getting out the first word. “That was too perfect! How did you even do that?” Her smile was infectious as always, sparkling eyes dancing with mirth.

“Well, lass, where I’m from, we don’t let our boys out the house till they learn how to speak to a woman.”

Mel lost it, turning away to lean against a tree. Her fist thumped against the wood repeatedly as she convulsed with laughter. It took her two attempts to make eye contact without cracking up. “Too funny. Please stop, or I won’t be able to face the recruits.”

“As you wish.” Raine’s warm smile fell away, replaced by intense seriousness. Mel detected the shift instantly and perked up, waiting patiently for him to put the words together. “We need to talk about Dr. Shrou-about Pamalaiha. How did working with her go this morning?”

Mel’s expression bloomed, and she couldn't keep the grin off her lips. “We didn’t work a bit. She wanted to talk, so we spent the whole four hours chatting. She’s amazing: Smart, strong, and I love her accent. Uhmm,” Mel bit her lip, adopting an expression not usually worn when thinking about a ‘friend.’ “She’s… Wait! You said you wanted to talk about her, and I’m rambling on like a big dummy.” Mel ran her fingers across her lips in a zipping motion, then blinked at him with her large, steel-blue eyes, waiting.

Raine wasn’t one to beat around a subject. “I’m glad you two are getting along. In our last conversation, I got the distinct impression that she was interested in me. I could be wrong, but wanted to let you know anyway. If she is, I’m not against the idea unless you are. But this goes beyond Pamalaiha to any future woman who shows an interest. You will always come first to me, Mel. You can decide right now if it will only be the two of us, and I’ll stick to that.”

With a hand pressed against her chest, Mel released a relieved sigh, “I’m so glad that’s all it was. She is absolutely interested. You were pretty much all we talked about.” Meeting Raine’s intense expression with one of her own, Mel spoke in the most serious tone he’d ever heard from her. “I never once thought of keeping you to myself. I don’t care how many girls there are in the future. So long as I get my quota of Alaric time, I’m happy.”

Damn. This girl is pure gold.

Raine brought the accent back thicker than before, “You got one thing backward there, lass. It’s me who needs my quota of Melbelle time.” Mel’s bashful smile was precisely what Raine had been aiming for, and seeing it made his day. Unfortunately, Mrs. Stonewhall’s approach marked the end to their flirting. “I’ll message you later. Gotta go.”

“Okay, bye!”

Even before Mrs. Stonewhall spoke, Raine knew her answer. The regretful expression, so human-like with its sorrowful downcast, spoke louder than words. “The Master denied your request. Do not think of his refusal as a mark against you: the queen herself would have been denied. The… items you sought are not available at the moment.” Mrs. Stonewhall glanced behind Raine at a pair of employees drawing too close.

Raine nodded, accepting her explanation. If it was impossible, then there was nothing to be done about it. Before he could request the next best solution, Mrs. Stonewhall beat him to it: “However, I was granted authorization to trade you these.” She held out a hand, revealing a pair of dazzling golden opals with bolts of dark energy crackling across their surface. “The Master had already taken note of your achievements and contributions within the Silvergate Kingdom. He hopes that his desire to see your efforts continue is represented sufficiently by these.

Raine gingerly received the incredibly valuable items, careful not to accidentally trigger them before they vanished into his inventory.

[Terrafron’s Lost Eyes (Earrings): (Chaotic Gold) To become the guardian of the Divine Realm, Terrafron cast away each piece of his fleshy body. His eyes yet contain the spirit of the greatest defender to ever walk the Mortal Realm. When activated, shields the target in a nearly impenetrable barrier for 10 seconds (Uses: 2)]

Mrs. Stonewhall winked. “Do not be fooled by the Master’s flowery praise. He will be in contact soon regarding payment, which I can only hope will be reduced if you end up returning the eyes.”

“Thank you. I hope I don’t need them either.” Raine dipped his head in honest appreciation.

“I assume there’s no time for that cup of tea you promised?”

Raine had indeed promised to drop by for a friendly ‘chat’ when Mrs. Stonewhall presented his noble’s identification outside the arena. With the insanity of the last few days, he completely forgot. Raine glanced up to see her smiling softly, a glimmer of amusement reflecting from her light brown eyes. It was the exact smile she wore when tempting him to take the bonus question in the Auction House VIP exam.

Raine shook his head, backing away in the direction of the stairs. “Unfortunately, not today. Thank you again. I’ll make sure she returns alive.”

Mrs. Stonewhall stopped him with a raised hand, her voice hard and carrying an edge of desperation. “See that you do. Darkness looms on our horizons. These peaceful, sunny days will not remain so for long. Our little princess will soon be called to defend her people, and the forces at play are well aware of how vital a part she could play.”

Raine paused, brows knit.

Does she know what’s coming, or is that an educated guess? No, she can’t possibly know just how horrible it's going to get. Too bad Vaateaire doesn’t have seers or prophets, so I could claim to have seen the future and warn them. The best I can do is prepare Astra Infernum, so when the time comes, we’re ready to weather the storm.

“I understand.” Raine nodded sharply, then dashed from the second floor, taking the steps four at a time. He stopped at the kiosk with the shortest line. His foot tapped as he waited, each minute feeling like a lost opportunity to keep the troublesome princess alive through what was to come. Finally, he reached the pedestal and quickly punched in Crimson Nebula’s Ncode. He dumped fifty thousand pieces of low-level equipment into her account, retrievable from any Auction House, then dashed away.

Outraged shouts followed behind as he zipped through the Auction House proper. Outside, he didn’t bother calling for a carriage; there was no way they could keep up with his speed. He stuck to the back alleys, carefully checking for patrols between bouts of sprinting.

The guards at the Noble’s Quarter gates let him through without issue, though he was forced to a sedate speed as there were no dark corners among the wealthier streets. His destination wasn’t far. The steps leading up to the Teleportation Hall were pristine, unstepped upon by other Travelers, and infrequently visited by locals. The time would soon come when that would change, but for now, the Mana Stones that powered the portals were incredibly rare.

The pair of ever-present, hulking hierarchs guarding the entrance watched his approach, judging with their unmoving, stone eyes. The thought of facing a pair of hierarchs simultaneously had Raine’s skin itching. That would surely be a fight to make him feel even more alive than his bout with Jedidiah.

Inside, Selena and Lyale waited. The building consisted of a single large, circular room with thirty inactive portals evenly spaced along its outer wall. The center of the room was surrounded by a waist-high wall, its interior filled with crystal-clear water. That’s where Raine found the princess. She appeared bored, legs dangling off the wall. Her guardsman wore a mask of harsh frustration. Seeing Raine, the man almost spit before realizing where he was and thought better of it. 

Raine couldn’t find it in his heart to blame Lyale for his attitude. The man was about to watch the person he was sworn to protect, and had likely been protecting since infancy, go into a Mystic Realm with a total stranger. His expressions made it perfectly clear that if Raine came out and she didn’t, the sword on his hip would taste blood.

Selena hopped off her perch, twirling to show off a snug-fitting, Marvelous Gold set of leather armor. Raine recognized the shorekin hide it was made from—a sturdy, yet lightweight material from the Demonic Realm. Wearing a complete set, it was possible she had higher defensive stats than he did. Instead of being relieved, Raine wondered what had managed to kill her last time despite such impressive protection.

Knowing that this was his last chance to delay, Raine sent a quick message to the guild’s officer chat, of which only the core members had access. “Any emergencies I should be aware of?”

TwistedReligion was the first to reply. “No… everything's going super-smooth. Were you expecting an emergency? Should we be expecting an emergency?”

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Mel’s message was right on its heels.

Raine responded before they jumped to conclusions. “Good. I’m fine. Take care of our people until I’m back. A quest that I can’t delay popped up. Going to take a few days. If you need me, let Morty know, I’ll be out of reach through ZL.” Raine followed that up with one directly to Celeste. “I left gear for everyone in your auction house account. Expect trouble while I’m gone. Don’t drop your guard. This is your chance to show off the new, reliable Crimson Nebula.”

Raine smiled, imagining how much pressure she was about to put on herself. In his opinion, it was all part of the learning process. Celeste was young and immature, more due to a lack of experience than emotional intelligence. Suddenly finding herself in charge of so many souls without the backup net of Alaric would be a catalyst that allowed her to cement the changes in herself she was already yearning for.

Not getting the reaction she was hoping for, Selena turned away in a huff. Lyale was a coiled bundle of nerves as Raine crossed the expansive room, joining them at an inert teleportation ring. The structure was wide enough to fit a wagon through, a lifesaver for future logistics. Few valuable commodities and building materials could be stored in inventories. Like the wood and stone Raine purchased to construct his guild hall, they needed to be moved the old-fashioned way.

Without a word of greeting, Lyale deposited a fistful of small blue and green crystals into a receptacle atop a nearby pedestal. The large ring hummed to life, and a shimmering liquid the same color as the crystals spread to fill its interior. The scents of a pristine lakeside filled the air. The portal remained murky, masking the view of whatever was on its far side.

Selena’s fingers clenched a few times, her breathing uneven. Lyale wasn’t much better, eyes darting about the teleportation hall as though expecting an ambush before they even left. With an amused snort, Raine hopped through the portal. He knew that it led to the outskirts of a perfectly peaceful town two thousand kilometers northeast of Silverlight.

Raine wasn’t about to assume the area was as safe as his memories. He spun, casing the surroundings for threats almost before his body finished materializing. He was on a stone platform lacking a return gateway. The town he remembered didn’t yet exist. Calling the four homes and centralized barn a village would have been a stretch. Tinder’s Crossing would grow in time as teleportations became commonplace. The nearby lake was calm, its surface smooth in the fading daylight. The short marsh grasses around it had the potential to contain small, poisonous beasts, but otherwise, the gentle hills and flat, wild grass that made up the landscape were almost unnaturally tranquil.

Before the others appeared, Raine changed to his regular armor, though he left off the demonic helmet for now. He shook out his arms and legs, adjusting to the doubling in attributes. Lyale came through first, appearing from thin air in the center of the stone platform. His weapon was out in a blink as he spun, lips pulled back to reveal perfect, white teeth.

Selena appeared behind him, snorting at his expression and not bothering to do her own scan of the area. “Truly? Lyale, would you please relax? You’re inciting my nerves to stage a rebellion. I do not care for it.”

Lyale’s tone was significantly lighter than when he spoke to Raine. “Your Highness’s safety is my only concern. Please, ignore my antics as you would any other time.”

Selena gave him an annoyed look, though didn’t dignify his snark with a response. Instead, she smiled at Raine, “Master Alaric, I pray you don’t let his stuffiness infect you. I’ll simply be unable to manage.”

Raine hid a frown, eyes dancing to each shifting shadow among the thousands of blades of tall grass. “I’m afraid you’re in for a trial, then, Your Highness.”

“Ugh! Not you, too?!” Selena threw her hands in the air dramatically and stormed off the platform.

Raine wasn’t sure why she was pretending to be upset. It was clearly for show. Lyale was somehow clueless to her true feelings, and his lecturing tone had the opposite effect he was aiming for. “Imagine the shame if you were the first Celendine to perish before reaching The Girding.”

“Wonderful. Absolutely fantastic!” Selena’s tone held a bite that didn’t at all match her words, “I ask for a little peace before marching to my death, and you remind me of what is coming all the more. Unless it is of vital importance, you are to keep your lips sealed, is that understood?”

Lyale’s expression smoothed to neutrality. His only response was a stiff bow, which finally brought a smile to Selena. “Much better. Now, perhaps I can breathe. Master Alaric, which way is north?”

Raine tilted his head, also not bothering to speak. The message was clear, causing Selena to roll her eyes dramatically. She snapped her fingers, and a golden shimmer in the air materialized into a shoulder-height monster.

[Auroch Durgon (Mount): (Level 40) (HP ???/???)]

The tamed beast scanned its surroundings with intelligent eyes as Selena gracefully hopped onto its saddle. Somewhere between a bull and a horse, the heavyset beast (complete with wicked horns and basic armor) gave less an impression of speed, and more that of a slightly mobile wall of muscle.

With a snap of the reins, Selena was off, moving much quicker than appearances would suggest. Before following, Raine and Lyale shared a look and nod. Then, the higher-level guardsman sprinted ahead to lead the way, not bothering to mount up. Selena leaned forward with a kick to the auroch's sides, and the mount jetted forward to match his speed. Seeing the beast run, Raine was briefly hit by a pang of nostalgia for his lost mounts.

I’ll be level 40 soon enough. Will be fun hunting them down again. Maybe I should go for something a little more extreme this time around…

Raine blasted after them while cutting the air with Connection to decrease drag. With Fraction of Grace boosting his Acuity and Finesse by 20%, his maximum Move speed was just shy of 70 meters per second. The pace Lyale set was faster. They blazed north at over 300 kilometers per hour, forcing Raine to steadily burn Discipline to keep up. For the typical Traveler, such speeds would have left them gasping for breath, on the verge of death-by-exhaustion within minutes, let alone the hours that they ran. Noticing Raine wasn’t winded or uncomfortable, Lyale attempted to increase their pace but was brutally shut down by Selena, whose mount could only go so fast.

Thanks to attributes enhancing their perception, the zooming scenery remained crystal clear. The nooks and crannies with the potential to hide a stalking predator or the enemies of the Silvergate Kingdom were scanned relentlessly by both Lyale and Raine. They encountered hundreds of monsters; each and every one was cut down by Lyale. His sword would leave its sheath for the briefest of moments, and an invisible swing would release a crescent of light that streaked away, slicing whatever it touched in two.

Like this, they traveled through the night, ever north, ever further from home.