Rising Kite - A story from the world of HWFWM

Kite and his group remained on the dark street while they continued to keep watch, although most of their attention was drawn towards the silver ranked-battle. From afar they could see the silhouette that had been fighting the deputy director knocked to the ground as it seemed to be on its last legs.

Almost as if coming to the same conclusion, the creature unleashed a burst of its aura which had previously been flat and docile, followed by an eruption of dark fluids from within the bone armor. While unknown to Kite, Rupert has seen it use the substance inside it to attack many times, but this eruption was on a different scale as its bone exterior seemed to be shattered by the process.

From afar the observers could see the leonid be partially exposed to whatever the substance was, reeling back for half a second before the geyser of black fluid was split in half by a sonic attack. It was made through another of Rupert's roars, which he quickly directed towards the prone figure. He continued to channel the attack for one second, then two and finally a third as the spray of darkness split around him and his stream of resonance in a black rain. Finally the last dregs of power seemed to be spent, and the remnants of the undead monster lay even more lifeless in the small crater which had been formed in the stone below.

The deputy director stood victorious above his fallen foe, before righting himself, looking down at his splattered armor and seemed to sigh, visible even from afar. As he moved off in search of other prey, Kite realized that the whole exchange had barely made a sound beyond the first sonic explosion which took the battle out into the open. Another thought also struck him, which he voiced to his companions.

“Is it just me or did that monster look familiar?" he asked, brows furrowed.

" I know its aura felt familiar at least. Not exactly, but similar to something I have felt before." Serene agreed.

"And a bony monster filled with black goo sounds very much like something we know." dragonfly concluded, reminiscing back to their adventure outside Verdant steps.

"That is something that the deputy director will want to know." said instructor Concente. " As soon as we are done here we should-" she continued, before stopping as if to listen to something.

Just a few seconds later she turned to Kite, snapping; "Kite! Dispelling wave in this direction on my mark." she stated tersely while pointing off towards a nearby house and alleys around it.

"Wha-" Kite began, but was interrupted.

"Three." she counted, locking her gaze on him.

Mind catching up, he nodded.

"Two... One..."

"Dissolve the patterns of power." Kite chanted, willing the spell in the direction she pointed.

As the ripple through the air traveled outwards, they saw no visible target. But then, after half a second, a woman came flying above the rooftops carried along on faintly buzzing insect wings. Her speed and trajectory carried her straight into the expanding ripple of cancellation, apparently not expecting such an attack as she wasn't even able to attempt dodging.

Fortune favored Kite yet again, as the wave simply dissolved her wings, causing her to plummet to the ground amongst the alleyways, out of sight.

The instructor was already moving towards the nearest alley. "Bronze-ranker. Important. I'll handle it. Stay cautious and retreat if there's trouble." she shouted over her shoulder as she disappeared behind the house.

Taking a steadying breath, Kite nodded to his companions who in turn nodded back as they turned their attention towards the streets surrounding the compound. Even without the instructor present, they had a job to do.

Jarmiel was monitoring the group of auras ahead as he slowed down to a jog. One of the iron-rankers had an aura which felt unbelievably rich and powerful for her level, which made him slow down even further and pull his aura as close as possible as he drew near.

However, his heart soared in elation as the bronze-ranker that had been present suddenly left towards a nearby alley. Realizing that this was his best chance to sneak by unnoticed, Jarmiel took the time to look at the young iron-rankers who were watching the street as he passed them by, cloaked in his potent invisibility.

A blonde elf with a spear. Looked both rich and cocky. A slightly shorter human woman with lots of pink curls and a fierce look in her eyes. Another human, a young man with grayish-black hair in a loose topknot, giving off the feeling of looking everywhere at once. And finally, the one with the rich aura. A celestine with shoulder length jade hair who emitted a low hum which reverberated through the street.

"So young and proud, thinking that they are ready to take on what is coming." He mused in his thoughts. " I can think of many in the sect who would love to get their hands on these young prizes." Alas that was not his path. Jarmiel's was one of trickery, of power over others. Of winning.

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt the clashing bronze-rank auras off to his right, among the houses where the stationed adventurer bronze-ranker had gone off to. One of the auras enveloped in conflict was the messengers, he realized as his own aura shuddered in trepidation. If she was caught, it meant trouble. It drove home the point that he really needed to leave, to send word to the sect in case that the messenger would be unable to. They needed to be informed about tonight’s disaster.

Hastening his step, he cast one last look at the iron-rankers, noting that the celestine was looking around, a frown on her face as if she had almost heard something. Or sensed something. Keeping his aura clamped down and trying to think only subtle thoughts, he continued down the street while channeling mana into his obscuring power.

He was around ten meters past the group as he heard something. A voice which seemed to manifest from the very air itself, melodious and strong.

"Be swept away by the hammer of the hurricane."

Jarmiel started sprinting, still invisible. The kids were only iron-rankers, but he could not allow himself to get tangled with them and risk others deciding to investigate. He had only taken two steps as the torrent of winds hit him from straight ahead. The iron rank spell lost some of its effect against him, but it was still powerful enough to send him tumbling a few meters back down the street before once more finding his feet.

By this time, his cloaking was flickering as it still did when exposed to attacks. Before Jarmiel could continue running, he heard a whirring sound followed by light impact against his fortified cloth armor. His cloaking invisibility vanished entirely, as he felt that familiar pain of disruptive force damage while some of his mana was forcibly drained.

Fortunately, the damage was only light and he was still running as he tried to activate his invisibility once more while looking over his shoulder. To his chagrin, the spear-wielding elf and the human woman were charging towards him. Even with Jarmiel's bronze-rank speed, the elf caught up to him as he was carried rapidly forward on a wave of conjured spears.

"My Heavenly shaft will pierce you, evil-doer!" the elf shouted as he thrust his weapon towards Jarmiel. Accompanying it was a storm of conjured javelins, raining down around the elf and targeting the fleeing bronze-ranker. Jarmiel dodged to the side as his mind puzzled over the the young man’s poor phrasing, avoiding the main spear thrust while getting raked by the javelins. The lighter spears only produced shallow gashes through his bronze-rank resistance, lowered further by the rank disparity.

While sidestepping the attack he had considered using one of his abilities well suited for escape, but as he saw the human woman flying through the air in an arc toward him while carrying a flaming greataxe, he knew it was better spent on her.

As the fiery weapon descended, Jarmiel activated the ability in question. He was teleported a short distance to the side, leaving behind a shimmering cloud which the woman landed in. As his cloaking invisibility once more snapped into place just as he appeared after the short teleport, heard the woman shout:

"You won't get away from me that easily!" as she swung her axe towards the spear-wielding elf who leapt away in surprise. Jarmiel smiled as he continued running. It always felt good to have others dance to his whims, as his illusions made it hard to distinguish friend from foe.

Dashing into another alleyway, he left the streets and the iron-rankers behind. It had been a close call. Jarmiel did not fancy the thought of the silver-ranker coming to investigate while he dealt with the kids more thoroughly. And now, if the messenger had indeed been brought down, he might be the only one able to report on the matter. Jarmiel realized, with a grin, that he now had a story to spin and said a quiet prayer to Deceit in thanks.

“I’m impressed that you noticed anything at all. My senses didn’t pick up anything.” Kite stated in amazement to Serene from where they stood, still remaining at the dark street thay had been assigned to watch. The battle at the compound had mostly died down, and off to the side Dragonfly was still busy profusely apologizing to Will, the latter looking almost more uncomfortable from her rather close proximity than if she had actually hit him with her axe.

“I probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t slipped up, and that was still a shot in the dark.” Serene admitted. “It was probably for the best that I didn’t spot him earlier. While he was alone, going up against a bronze-ranker would still mean to risk serious injury or death for one or more of us even if we’d have had a chance to take him down as well. Essence-users have so many tricks and are sometimes way more ruthless and cunning than most monsters.” she finished.

Kite thought that she looked a bit unsettled, more than what he would have expected. “Serene, is something the matter?” he asked, deciding to continue in his dedication to not let such things simmer for long.

“I…” she began, before looking up. “We can speak of it later. The instructor is returning.”

Not long after, instructor Concente came back out from the alley where she had left. She was a bit bloodied, but was in a good enough state. The collared woman she dragged behind was a different matter though. She was clad in nondescript traveling clothes and hood, face hidden by what Kite assumed to be some kind of enchanted mask. It made her face hard to focus on and seemed to be unruffled and still in place even after a fierce battle. The mask was otherwise plain gray, with no features except a slit for the eyes.

“Serene, some healing would be nice. First her, then me.” the instructor stated. It was obvious that the prisoner was in a bad way, but fortunately Serene had the option to alleviate such a state. A wordless song started manifesting in the air around them, the melody rising and falling in a soothing rhythm like the branches of a tree swaying gently in the wind.

Kite and Dragonfly recognized the spell as one from her divine essence of Song, a channeled healing which affected everyone in an area. It had been one of their primary methods of recovering during their longer travels together, but was not as usable in a battle due to its indiscriminate nature.

All present had any injuries start healing, minor cuts and bruises at most for the iron-rankers while it took longer for the injured bronze-rank women.

While Serene sang, Kite started reporting their altercation with the escaped bronze-ranker.

Instructor Concente took it in and quickly interrupted him. “One moment, Kite.” she said before facing her head toward the compound. “DEPUTY DIRECTOR! INFORMATION, TIME SENSITIVE!” she shouted before turning back to Kite. “There. Continue.”

“Well… As I said, Serene discovered him through a stroke of luck. One of her spells let me reveal him for a short while, but he used some power to confound Will and Dragonfly as they closed in and escaped before either I or Serene could do much about it.”

“What kind of power?”

“He left behind an illusion which seemed to make Dragonfly think that Will was him for a short while, and apparently moved him as well so we didn’t see him again after that. Overall, I only think he was a man due to his build. The hood had enchantments to obscure the insides.”

“Well, you got as much as you could. Better that no more came of it for now.” the instructor stated as Will and Dragonfly joined them.

“But instructor, we failed.” Will protested, his pride seeming a little hurt by the exchange with the fleeing bronze-ranker.

“And had you pinned him down, not all of you might still be with us. Us bronze-rankers aren’t the durable monsters of silver and above, but we can still take a lot more punishment than you iron-rankers. One well aimed attack from your escapee might have ended you.” she started, before another, deeper voice continued.

“The instructor is right, young master.” stated deputy director Rupert as he had appeared behind the group without a sound.

“You heard their report?” asked instructor Concente, apparently not as surprised as the rest of them.

“I did. Wander is on her way.” he stated, then adding more at the questioning looks from Kite and his companions. “If I know where to listen, I assure you that my hearing is quite excellent. I was quite finished with the unexpected addition to the defenders when I heard Mirabel calling. Overheard the rest while I was on my way.

And as I said, it was prudent that you stayed on your post and not try to pursue the bronze-ranker earlier. From what you described, it might be one of the people we found in the underground complex. Most of the strike team is cleaning it up as we speak. They probably had more than one escape tunnel, and as you might have seen I became rather occupied.” Rupert finished, nodding his head to the rather wrecked yard of the compound.

“About that, deputy director. I-” Kite began, but Rupert silenced him with a gentle aura push.

“More urgent things first, adventurer. This man you intercepted. Did you do any harm or affect him in other ways?” the leonid man asked, as he took in the street with the bodies and three prisoners.

Kite shook his head, but Will cleared his throat as if to speak.

“Deputy director, I believe I might have scored at least superficial wounds.” he said, returning to the more measured facade he had presented during the meeting.

“Show me.” Rupert answered, and was led over to where they had intercepted the man for the fleeting moment of engagement.

The leonid’s sharp senses could make out some small spatterings of blood on the cobbled street, even through the slight dampness of the evening.

“Good. With this, we will have something to work with.” he said as he rose from examining it closer. “Wander. There is a trail here.” Rupert called to a woman clad in loose, simple robes who were approaching.

She had rich, brown hair cropped rather short and an angular face. What surprised Kite was that he could see no other enchanted equipment on her person, at least what was revealed to his magical perception. Wander, as was apparently her name, knelt next to where the small drops of blood stained the street, leaning down close. She sniffed one of the blood stains, then the next before rising to her feet.

“Its faint, but I got it~.” she answered in a surprisingly happy singsong voice which was a bit at odds with their dark surroundings and grim business. “I’ll see what I can find. Please hold on to the clothes for me. The commission at the trade hall just keeps getting delayed. Thank youuuu~” she finished without much time to get a word in for anyone else.

Then, the woman simply fell apart as the clothes sank down to the ground in a pile, covered in a swarm of brown rats where some were still making their way out through the sleeves or from beneath the hem of the robe. The swarm proceeded to skitter around in a swaying motion as if searching for something as one before making off into a nearby alley as the rats started spreading out. Kite even thought he saw one rat stand on its small hind legs and bow once toward Rupert, small paws cupped in a traditional show of respect, before joining the others.

“You’d be surprised at a rat's ability to follow scents, let alone a whole swarm acting as one.” the deputy director said with a chuckle. “Wander is one of our greatest assets when tracking things in this city.” he finished, turning to the rest of them. “Come along, and bring the prisoners. After a final sweep through this place, we will escort them to the holding cells at the seventh peak.

Clearing out the complex had not been a difficult task. With a silver-ranker on hand, there was no one strong or skilled enough to be able to hide. They rounded up a couple more hired thugs who had tried hiding or escaping after the raid was over, as well as a surprising amount of resources of different kinds found in the storage cellar beneath the compound. It was all gathered in separate dimensional bags to be looked over and analyzed by the local branch of the magic society.

Kite had only surface level knowledge about the local magic society branch as he had only used their facilities, but according to uncle Walker the cooperation with the adventure Society worked well enough, even though the local magic society deputy director was an elder of the Descending Star sect.

Responsible for finding many of the hidden caches was not the deputy director, but instead one of the bronze-rankers in the strike team. Apparently, he was a skilled formation and array-breaker, as well as ritualist, and led to them recovering much more than Rupert had initially hoped.

Finally, in the dead of night, the adventures were leading their collared prisoners back towards the adventure society campus on the seventh peak. Surrounded by bronze rank adventurers and under the watchful eyes and ears of the deputy director, there was little risk for any escape attempts. Kite and his group brought up the rear, keeping watch but overall feeling that their part in the night's activities was done.

"Kite, may I ask you something? Something of a... delicate nature?" Will asked as he fell into step beside him. Kite nodded, and they slowed down slightly to create some space between them and the group walking ahead.

The young noble seemed a bit out of sorts, looking around nervously. As he began talking, he leaned in close to Kite, as if it was a secret most sensitive that he was about to share.

"It- It's about Dragonfly." he half-whispered.

"What about her?"

"When... when she apologized to me... for the- you know- part where she attacked me under the influence of the illusion. She..." he trailed off, eyes scanning nervously around them.

"She..." Kite prompted.

"When I said I forgave her and that I understood the circumstances, she... hugged me." he finished, watching Kite expectantly for a reaction.

Apparently blank confusion was not what the young noble had been expecting, so he continued. "I- do you think that means she wishes to court me? I mean, she's very nice, but I am the fifth son of the city lord and I am bound to follow my family's wishes. It would be most inappropriate if-" He almost stammered, before Kite interrupted him in an act of mercy while forcibly keeping his smile from turning into a grin.

"You can relax, Will. Dragonfly loves hugs and will usually give them freely if she's happy. Or relieved. Or sad. Or... well, anytime she likes to." he answered with a smile, hoping to assuage the young noble’s nervousness.

Instead, Will looked back at him with a scandalized expression. "You mean she has hugged you as well?"

"Sure. Lots of times."

"S-Serene as well?"

"I think she's hugging her right now."

"By the heavens!" Will exclaimed, not believing his eyes as Dragonfly wrapped the taller woman in a sideways hug while they walked.

"Will... What do you actually know about hugs?" Kite asked, a bit incredulous but also finding the whole conversation supremely amusing.

"I- The- They are an act of dignified comfort between loved ones, such as spouses. Or family, if the occasion is special.

After a moment of silence Kite spoke up once more. "It... seems that our social worlds are quite different. In more ways than I thought." he said, slightly stunned. While he had imagined the different social strata to have their own peculiarities, he had not expected his noble friend to be that far removed from something as basic as casual physical contact.

The next five minutes were spent in an awkward but endearing conversation where Kite tried to, gently, guide Will through the surface level of commoner social norms regarding hugs.

"So... people can just give and receive hugs? From other people they view as close? Because they want to?"

"That's right. As long as they want to, at least." Kite gently coached.

"So... I could give you a hug? Here? Now?"

"Of course! We are friends after all. "

Carefully, as if reaching out to try and catch a fragile ray of sunshine, Will leaned in and gave Kite the briefest of hugs before quickly retracting.

"Oh heavens, look at me. Hugging a friend. On the street. Oh, if my governess saw me now..." the young elven noble said, looking less the valiant saint of spears in making and more a giddy teenager. Kite realized that he didn't know Will's exact age, just having assumed that he was around his own. If that was true, he was indeed a teenager, giddy or not.

Before he could ask him, the young noble had already continued. "This is excellent, Kite! Most excellent! You can teach me the ways of the common folk, so that I may better understand the wider world I have stepped into. And I could teach you the ways of the highborn. Heavens know you might just need it sooner than you think." he exclaimed, his raised voice drawing an angry look from an older lady who was looking out her window at the procession before closing the drapes with a *harrumph* conveyed purely through body language.

"That..." Kite began. "That is a great idea, Will. By the heavens, I sorely missed those skills during these last few weeks." He said, cringing slightly from just remembering some of the awkward meetings.

"Then look no further, friend. As sure as my name is Triumph of Indomitable Will, I will turn you into a man of courtly graces!" Will exclaimed, straightening into his usual proud posture.

"And I will do my best to show you the world of casual hugs." Kite answered, smiling.

After the procession had reached the seventh peak and the Adventure Society campus, the iron-ranked teams had mercifully been sent off to rest. As their bodies hadn't reached beyond normal limitations in the same way as the higher rankers, all of them were exhausted from the many hours of tension, the fights and the late hour. They were told to return in the morning for a debrief, then sent on their way.

Activating a talisman, Will was picked up by his manservant and brought home via portal. Kite, Dragonfly and Serene made a joint decision to pay for a night in the lodgings of the adventure society. It was a simple affair, in the form of a dormitory with bunk beds. Few were occupied, and the group had no problems finding a place for themselves in a corner.

Kite and Dragonfly were asleep in moments, while Serene found it more elusive. Memories arose, brought forth from what she had seen down in that cellar during the final sweeps of the compound. It wasn't much, but she had recognized some of them. The implements used by those following the path of pain.

She couldn't move

Couldn't blink

Couldn't plead

And the red-purple light flashed

Again

Pain beneath her skin

In her bones

Deeper, in parts unseen

And again she screamed

But nothing came out

Swallowed

Stolen

By them

Serene felt her pulse quickening. Breathing became shallower. The pinpricks of chill, like ice inside the tips of her fingers. But instead of succumbing, as many times before, she used her powers of sound manipulation to seal off a bubble around her, from which softer sounds did not escape. And she sang.

Because unlike that time, she was not alone. The goddess sang along with her.

There was defiance in the soft tones. They were still here, those who had stolen her voice. But she was still here as well. To show them that in the end, they had failed. She would be the one to sing of their demise.

Jarmiel felt ragged as he activated the hidden formations on the inside of one of the sect’s safe houses. The formations should hide him from most aura-tracking and the like, and disrupt most hidden markers left on him. While he was physically healthy, he felt drained by tonight’s events. First the messenger had arrived, increasing the pressure on him. Then the blasted raid against them, from a silver-ranker no less. And finally, the slagging messenger had gotten herself killed, or worse, captured.

It had taken hours through circumspect routes through the city to make sure he had lost anyone tailing him. His mind formed many invectives while he used the stashed equipment to check himself for markers and magical tracking, only halting the string of internal curses once the instruments showed that he was clear.

Looking around the safe house, a small and dingy cellar, he sighed. At least the last place had the townhouse on top to get out of the bleak stone environment. If he’d wanted to live surrounded by stone, he never should have left his homeland. Still, he had duties remaining now and would, if all went well, be leaving the city as soon as he could be extracted.

Jarmiel pulled down his hood, revealing a set of hawkish features, with swarthy skin and curly black hair cropped short. He went over to the previously hidden stash of equipment and brought out another item; a small messenger construct in the shape of an ugly beetle. Jarmiel knew that this was a precious item, both hard to make and expensive. There were only three safe houses in the city with this kind of messaging item, another reason that he had picked this cellar in particular.

He immediately started composing a message, writing on a small scroll with quick strokes. After he was done, he open a compartment in the construct and tucked the message into it along with a silver spirit coin also stashed in the safe house.

“A small fortune just for this. A message.” he sighed, as the valuable coin was absorbed into the system of the item.

The beetle-construct shuddered to life, and Jarmiel went over to the diminutive window which was the only source of natural light in the room, opening the hatch and allowing the beetle to clamber out.

Releasing a tense breath he had been half-holding, his shoulder slumped slightly as the messenger construct took to the sky on faintly buzzing wings. However, they immediately tensed again as he heard the faintest skittering sound behind him. Whirling, he drew a dagger but froze and quickly relaxed yet again.

On the other side of the room, a small figure stood on its little hind legs on a nearby box, tiny nose and whiskers twitching as it sniffed the air. Jarmiel chuckled, thanking his luck yet again. It was just a rat.

In a lavishly decorated room, tiled with fine, polished wood and decorated with exquisitely carved panels, murmured conversations filled the space with a light susurrus of voices. Small groups of finely dressed people sat around small, round tables, dining and drinking. It might have been the very image of a small court or dining room of a fine mansion, except that it had no windows. Behind the wooden panels were simply smooth stone all around, hiding the complex arrays carved into the mountain.

The sliding doors which led into the room opened softly, and a young man entered silently, his gaze kept on the floor and subservience radiating from both posture and trembling aura. Walking carefully across the wooden floor, the young man stepped up behind one of the finely dressed men seated at a table. Waiting, the trembling aura not calming.

A minute passed, then two, before the cowering man shuddered and inhaled sharply as pinpricks of sharp, deep pain, delivered through the touch of an aura to his, commanded him to deliver his message.

Others could only see one of the subservient walking up to the finely dressed man who remained seated, leaning forward to whisper a message. After a short moment, the young messenger rose again and left the room quite hurriedly on unsteady legs.

Unmaker of the White Seal, grand elder of the Unbreakable chains sect, remained perfectly still as he processed the message. In the back of his mind, he felt a small twinge of satisfaction from his divine lord, Pain, at his deft handling in its application to the messenger. After all, pain was a language understood by all souls, as long as the speaker was proficient enough.

Grand elder White also knew that some pains had to be faced head on, allowed to purify one’s mind to carry it stronger into tomorrow. Just like the pain of relinquishing his old name and life as the sect ostensibly fell those years ago. He rose from his table and walked briskly toward a raised section on the far end of the room. Upon it stood a wall made of paper screens, revealing nothing but a glowing white light from behind it which made the furniture on the other side cast stark shadows which were seen through the screen. The platform was even more richly decorated than the rest of the room, and grand elder White knelt before it, forehead touching the ground.

As the rest of the room witnessed his actions, they all quieted. He could feel the mix of curiosity and scorn from some of the less controlled auras in the room. White knew that taking in all these lowlifes was necessary, but it had never ceased to irk him. Still, his silver rank allowed him to tower over them, if only in spirit, and they would be a useful tool in the days to come.

His thoughts were interrupted as a female voice, half-whispered and slightly echoing, was heard from behind the screen, the light flickering in tandem with the unseen speaker. Another shadowy silhouette had appeared on the screen, a female clad in layers of robes with a myriad of pins and long needles holding an intricate hairstyle.

“Grand elder White. Speak.” the voice commanded.

“Sect leader, there has been news from Gilded. The cell implanted there has been raided, only the cell leader escaping. He claims that they were able to track the messenger sent there, and believes her to be caught by the adventure society. The strike was led by a silver-ranker, and all resources are presumed lost.” White stated, succinctly and without hesitation. There was no point in avoiding pain which was inevitable, only embracing it.

His words caused a new, louder murmuring to erupt like wildfire. White could hear many mutterings of incompetence and accusations of which of the sect’s factions was to blame. His own was mentioned more than once, but he remained silent as the angry murmuring grew into stronger words, then half-shouts. Only when some present nearly came to blows did the sect leader speak, immediately silencing the room again. White had always wondered how she did this, as he felt no burst of aura to the act.

“Your information is received, grand elder. It is most unfortunate. Most unfortunate indeed…” the sect leader’s unsettling voice mused. “We will have to adjust our plans accordingly. I order you all to convene in your factions. New orders will be sent and preparations made. And there will be an investigation into this matter where your cooperation is most mandatory.” she finished. “That will be all.”

And just like that, the silhouette vanished, leaving only the shadows of furniture to be cast by the white light. Grand elder White rose and strode directly toward and through the double doors leading out of the hall of elders, his followers joining up behind him. The tunnels around them returned to simple stone with few comforts, but White took solace in that they would soon free themselves from this bleak seclusion.

He would show those fools that they were not ready for the pain that was coming.