Chapter 44

As soon as Diya found Gwyneth, he removed his coat and threw it over the both of them. They ducked by a boulder, and he willed the garment to stiffen. The space tightened, forcing the pair to squeeze together. Gwyneth dispelled her spirit, and the couple held their breaths. Diya didn’t know whether the coat would muffle their heartbeats and could only hope. Their plan, while half-baked, had potential. Any other time, he would’ve taken a few days to formulate a plan and lay more traps. Unfortunately, they lacked such luxuries.

“Did anyone see you or the lantern?” Diya whispered, once sure the bats had passed.

“No,” Gwyneth replied, panting. “I kept low and the lantern as dim as possible. It limited the power of my lightning spells, but the bats are angry enough for that not to be an issue.”

After counting down from a hundred, Diya relaxed his coat. The pair rose slowly and studied the fruit of their labour. The De Lawney settlement was on fire. Blood streaked the ground and buildings, and screams filled the air. Men and women yelled, but the screeching bats drowned most of their sounds.

“How many did you bring with you?” Diya asked.

Gwyneth shrugged. “I didn’t count. It's likely I wandered into a nest. Lamp kept them distracted while I just ran.” She didn’t appear pleased with herself as she watched the chaos unfolding ahead. “This was home for a bit. Arthur and I moved here just before he died. The De Lawneys were sick of his habits and wanted to keep a closer eye on him.”

“Watching this place burn must be cathartic then.”

“I thought it would be.” She sighed. “Not everyone there was awful. They were all De Lawney climbers, following the house’s orders. Some were just trying to support their families outside, though. I hope this doesn’t turn out too poorly for them.”

“We can feel bad about them later,” Diya said. The fight had moved to the settlement’s corner with the medicine hut. A few bats ripped at wooden walls and roofs, and all the humans were engaged in combat. “Let’s grab our prize and get out. I’ve prepared an escape route for us. It should slow pursuers enough for us to reach the rendezvous point safely.”

Seeker’s Lantern followed Gwyneth with its light as dim as candlelight. Diya would’ve preferred it emit no light at all, but they had to make do. Because Gwyneth lacked martial skills, not having it summoned wasn’t an option. The metal shell could block most blows, and when electrified, it also served as a half-decent weapon.

As they entered the settlement, the pair found a pair of middle-aged men peeking at the bats from behind the outer wall. One’s arm hung limp at his side while the other appeared mostly unharmed. Before Diya could discuss how to disable them, Gwyneth hit them both with her lightning. The pair collapsed like a tower of cards.

“Did you kill them?” Diya asked, shocked by her lack of hesitation. Most had no trouble killing tower monsters but squirmed at the thought of killing fellow humans.

“No,” she answered, spitting on the uninjured man. “They deserve it, but I didn’t. It would raise too many questions. I just about sued enough power to knock them out.” Gwyneth paused. “I think.”

Taking the direct path, though quicker, would result in either the De Lawneys spotting them. Meanwhile, no matter where they went, the bats would hear the pair. Diya risked the latter, hoping the fight and easier prey would appeal to them more. He still kept the pen clutched in his gauntletted hand, ready to release Seeking Inkfire Bolts if the occasion called for it.

“What the?!” A woman exclaimed just as they turned a corner. She held a bow in her hands. Much to Diya’s disappointment, she didn’t remain as shell-shocked as he had hoped. The woman swung her arm at the shadows to her left.

Gwyneth pointed at the ground and screamed. “Use Spell Thief!”

Diya followed her directions without hesitation. He called forth the pen’s mischievous presence and swung it at their feet just as the shadows warped. A new silent but bloodthirsty energy entered the barrel. It made Diya’s skin crawl.

“You!” The woman snarled, baring her teeth. “Traitor—”

A lightning bolt struck the woman in the chest. She shuddered and shook, feet glued to the ground. When the lightning faded, the woman collapsed, and smoke rose from her clothing. Tendril-like, brick-red burn marks marked her neck and jaw.

“She’s dead,” Gwyneth said, panting and wiping beads of sweat from her forehead. “Assassins and contract killers don’t deserve mercy.” She kneeled over the woman, checked her pockets and pulled out a small stack of cards. Gwyneth clenched her jaw. “I knew it.” A low grumble rose from her throat as she pocketed the cards. “I bloody knew it.”

“What is it?”

“Later.”

The fighting appeared focused around the medical shack. There were now fewer bats than De Lawney climbers, but both sides appeared to have suffered significant losses. Several injured people sat against the wooden building. They occasionally used ranged weapons or spells to support the remaining fighters but failed to do more. Despite his distaste for the noble house—and the nobility in general—he felt a hint of guilt. The several dozen bat monsters had caught them off guard and devastated their numbers.

Either not all of them got around to upgrading their spirits, or their combatants aren’t around.

“I don’t think we have much time,” Diya said, giving up on stealth. He sprinted to the pillar and fired vines out of his gauntlet. Even though the tier-one Ensnaring Vines occupied a position in his deck, he had Ink Vines slotted in his third journal slot. Despite its tier-zero ranking, the conjuration offered incredible utility.

The gauntlet’s launcher propelled the vines all the way to the pillar’s peak. He willed them to stick and then retracted the conjuration into the pen. Diya leapt, and the force pulled him towards the fiery rhombus. Much to his relief, it emitted no heat. However, he felt a maelstrom of power inside the stone. The energy reminded him of Alexander’s soul.

The stone resisted, forcing Diya to wedge his axe’s spike in the gap between the stone and the crystal. He wiggled the weapon, struggling to get it in deeper.

“C’mon!” He mumbled but saw only minor results.

“Thief!” A gruff voice yelled. “Over there!”

Arrows clattered around Diya. One grazed his shoulder. He saw no choice but to burn ink. Diya pressed his pen into the gap created by his axe and fired inkfire bolts, hoping it would provide lubrication. Then another arrow struck his back. The coat’s padded section cushioned the blow, but he felt an arrowhead against a rib. It stung and shook his body. The weapon or the person firing the projectiles had significant power behind them.

Diya had hoped to avoid any moves with a chance of damaging the stone, but he saw no other options. He cast Frozen Ink Lance. As the fountain pen’s barrel grew into a staff, he held it tight, ensuring the nib didn’t slip out of the gab. A pit formed in his stomach as he heard a crack, and the damage spiderwebbed across the stone. Much to his relief, it popped out of the pillar without breaking. Diya dropped the lance and stuffed the stone inside his coat, masking the glow, and sprinted toward where Gwyneth waited.

Javelins and arrows rained around Diya as he ran. He willed the coat’s padded sections to stiffen, lowering his torso’s flexibility. He didn’t care about the limitation. They didn’t intend to fight. While watching his back, Gwyneth had rigged the exit gate using her camping cards. As soon as Diya passed the threshold, a pair of giant campfires roared to life behind him. Even if the pursuers put them out, Diya hoped the flames would sufficiently damage the supports to make the gate collapse.

After a short uphill sprint, the pair crested the mound. Before continuing towards the rendezvous point, they paused, glancing back at the settlement as expected pursuers leapt through the flames. The De Lawneys wouldn’t let go of their prize so easily. Diya could already hear the caged beasts roaring and fighting their bindings.

At least there are just two of them. They’re much too fast for my liking, though.

Diya pointed his gauntleted hand at the pursuers and summoned the pen. It took a couple of seconds to manifest, and he fired two volleys of Seeking Inkfire Bolts. The pursuers danced around them, leading the projectiles into obstacles. As soon as they continued towards the mound, Seeker’s Lantern floated towards them.

“Run,” Gwyneth said.

A blinding flash burst from the tool. Pained screams rose from the pursuers, but their footfalls didn’t cease. Even though he had turned his back to Seeker’s Lantern, spots bordered his vision. He pitied the De Lawney pair’s eyes. Diya guessed they had the means to pursue prey with senses besides sight. After all, relying solely on one’s eyes would result in failure on a floor of forever-night.

It doesn’t matter how good you are at setting traps. They’ll all prove pointless if you don’t master misleading your prey first.

Neer’s words had helped Diya master his role. Given his marksmanship skills, Diya didn’t expect the ink bolts to hit their target. Something as simple as a flash of light wouldn’t stall climbers with several months or years of experience with their soul card for long, either. Instead, as they fled into the dark forest, Diya heard surprised screams. One, if not both, of the pursuers, hadn’t seen the trench and fallen victim to Ensnaring Vines.

As they fled, Diya couldn’t help but feel thankful it was a spell card, not a tool like rope or campfire. The latter required absorbing the conjuration back into the card. Meanwhile, a spell’s effects eventually faded. He hoped the vines would last long enough to slow their foes.

“Don’t,” Diya said when Gwyneth activated Healer’s Cantae.

“But you’re hurt,” she protested.

“It’s too bright. Once we’re far enough from the De Lawneys and sure the pursuers are gone, then you can heal me. For now, I’ll tolerate the pain.” He peaked inside his coat. The cracked crystal still appeared intact, and he didn’t feel any energy leaking from it. “Let's hope the Mothmin hold up their end of the deal despite the damage. Are you sure they have access to a gate?”

Gwyneth nodded. “Apparently, the crown is the key for that, too.”

Blood dripped from Gwyneth’s left arm. Diya hadn’t realised she had suffered injuries, too. He left his questions for later and picked up the pace. They jogged through the glowing forest, hoping no predators would find them.