The Stubborn Light of a Dying Flame [Isekai - LitRPG]

Instead of leading them through the gate, Hoka started running away from the city at a pace just slow enough for them to catch up.

"I take it we're supposed to follow her," Helga said, frowning after the overzealous Yndar. "What do you all think?"

Patty shrugged. "She'll just complain about it later."

"Maybe if we run slow enough, she'll get impatient and carry us," Bob joked.

After seeing Fluffy safely to his housing, the three of them started running in the direction Hoka had gone. She was standing a mile or so away, looking annoyed.

"You three took your sweet time following," she complained, setting off again.

"Were we supposed to bring Fluffy?" Helga snapped. "He's had a long enough day as it is."

Hoka shook her head. "Whatever. It's a bit of a hike, so don't go pushing yourselves too hard. And no, Bob, I don't plan on carrying you, so don't even try it."

Bob grinned. "How do I get that listening spell again?"

Hoka flashed him a toothy grin. "Come back to training and maybe I'll tell you."

There was no chance of that. Patty still had nightmares of her one on ones with the colorful lineup on monsters that Hoka believed to be level-appropriate foes. Grinding in the tunnels was less painful in the long run.

They ran for what seemed like hours, Hoka staying no more than a few paces in front of the other three no matter how quickly they ran. Patty considered stopping and refusing to go any further until Hoka explained where they were going. They must be halfway across Alatha by now.

"Hey Hoka," Bob said, breathing hard as his endurance was starting to flag. "This person you want us to meet… couldn't it wait until tomorrow? I'm going to pass out from all this running."

"We're almost there," Hoka said. "You guys need to work on your stamina. Have you been training at all?"

"Not in cardio," Bob said.

"At least tell us where we're going," Helga said, having an easier time breathing thanks to the free points she invested in Dexterity.

"Seriously, Hoka! This is sadistic, even for you," Bob complained.

"Oh hush," Hoka said. "To answer your question, Helga, we're going to Jeshilon. It's a small city to the north of Pillan. It's not far from here, even at this pace."

Even at this pace, Patty thought sardonically. Hoka probably considered this a light jog.

"And who is it we're meeting?" Patty asked, mostly just trying to distract herself from the burning in her legs.

"I've been going through the other towns to try and recruit more humans for Pillan," Hoka said. "I met an interesting one in Jeshilon; claims she knows the three of you."

Patty exchanged looks with Helga and Bob. Could it be someone from their guild? They hadn't run into any of the other members yet. It wasn't a large guild, but considering how loud they had been, Patty had thought it would be easy enough to find their friends, even with the millions of players that were invited to the opening event.

Of course, Patty hadn't expected to get stuck in an area that the Emberians called 'the unclaimed wastes'.

If the woman in question really was from their guild, then it would have to be Tanya, Kathy, Lilly or Emma. They'd met up outside of the game enough to know that none of the guys were catfishing.

"What did she look like?" Helga asked. "Age, gender, facial features."

"Just wait until we get there," Hoka said. "You humans all look the same to me."

"Hair color at least," Bob insisted. "She could have been lying."

"I don't remember," Hoka said. "It was unusual though, I remember that much."

It had to be Kathy. Her hair color changed by the week. Last Patty checked, it was bright green—the kind you might see at a St. Patrick's day parade—and she usually matched her clothing to her current style.

"She asked for the three of you by name," Hoka continued. "Family names included. She either knows you or she knows of you, which still sounds like someone you'd want to meet."

Patty would have sighed if her lungs weren't preoccupied with keeping her alive through the ridiculous run. Patty and the others weren't famous enough to be known by anyone outside of their circle—at least not by their government names—so, either it really was someone from their guild, or Hoka was lying to get them to follow her to Jeshilon.

The latter seemed more likely in the current situation.

"Here we are," Hoka said.

The stone wall that wrapped around Jeshilon was much shorter than the one in Pillan, and it didn't have enough space on the top for guards to stand. The door—which seemed to be an actual door and not the usual fortified gates—was abnormally large, stretching almost to the top of the wall.

Patty couldn't gauge the city's size from the front view, but she had a feeling it was much smaller than she had seen thus far, since Hoka had mostly dragged them to the major cities in Alatha.

"You were looking here for new recruits?" Bob asked skeptically.

Hoka shushed him as a door in the gate opened.

A large blob of purple tentacles peeked through the door. There was a time when Patty might have screamed and run away, but she was getting used to considering everyone to be sentient until the System told her otherwise. The… man… nodded politely at Hoka, his tentacles bobbing in place.

"Evening, Hoka. I hope you're not here to poach my guests again," he said, his voice surprisingly quiet for such a large man.

"Lokan, good evening! I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing!" Hoka smiled, pressing Patty forward slightly. "I'm here to reunite two humans who were separated by the tutorial. One of your guests from southern district, behind the bakery."

"The crazy one with the missing limbs?" Lokan asked, frowning down at Patty. "What makes you think they're related?"

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Missing limbs… that didn't sound good.

"Family resemblance," Hoka said with obviously feigned surprise. "Can't you tell?"

Patty bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Wasn't it Hoka who had said less than an hour ago that all humans looked the same?

Lokan wasn't buying it either. He narrowed his eyes—which Patty could barely see through the curtain of tentacles surrounding his face—and looked like he was about to send them away.

Hoka rushed to add, "I brought a few others who were hoping for a tour of your fine city. Surely you wouldn't turn away potential immigrants."

Ah, so that was her play. They were Hoka's bargaining chip to get back into the city. Couldn't this have been done with any other humans? Patty should apply for a change of residence. Hoka was getting too comfortable with them as roommates.

Hoka couldn't have used any other humans, Patty realized, because Lokan might actually convince them to stay. Hoka had grabbed the three humans she knew wouldn't trade their proximity to the tunnels for the relative comfort of a safer location—although Patty wasn't sure she would consider this safe, but they must have something that Hoka considered enticing enough not to risk it.

Hoka knew they wouldn't leave, because they had already received several offers from other cities who had stolen away half of Hoka's 'good luck charms', as she called them.

Patty wasn't sure if she was impressed by Hoka's play or annoyed by the fact that it was keeping her from going to bed. From Bob and Helga's expressions, they were quite sure of their position.

"Hoka, you owe us big time for this," Bob snarled through gritted teeth.

"I'll be sure to pay you back in full," Hoka promised, still smiling while Lokan thought it over. "Just listen to his pitch, enjoy the food and meet me back at the gate, okay?"

Lokan seemed to come to a decision. "I don't see any reason why you can't reunite some old friends while I give them a tour," he said. "But if I catch you trying to persuade any of my guests, I will not be so amenable next time."

He stepped aside, gesturing welcomingly with one of his thicker tentacles. "If the two of you would follow me…"

He led Bob and Helga away, both looking to Patty for a rescue.

"I'll catch up," she promised. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

Bob snorted. "I hope this relative of yours is your crazy aunt Lauren!"

"Her name is Jolissa," Lokan said, missing the joke in Bob's statement. "They don't share a last name, but I have come to learn that this fact does not indicate a lack of familial ties amongst humans. I would love to hear about where you are from. The humans in my little city are so very fascinating. I met one…"

He moved out of hearing range and Hoka waited until he turned a corner to breathe a sigh of relief. She headed down a street to the right of their position.

Patty followed along, trying not to look disappointed. She didn't know a Jolissa. Unless one of their members had been giving a false name this whole time, Hoka hadn't actually found someone she knew.

"So, this Jolissa…" Patty began. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"What?" Hoka blinked at Patty, then she seemed to remember something. "Oh, no, we're not meeting Jolissa. He was more likely to say yes if I told him it was her because she's legitimately insane. There was no chance of me convincing her to come back with us to Pillan.

"Contrary to Lokan's paranoia, I'm not here to steal his residents. I have something to confirm." She shook her head. "Besides, his humans are… weird. I can't put my finger on it, but I don't think I'd gain anything convincing them to come with."

With that cryptic remark, they came to a small rundown shack that had been wedged into the side of an alleyway by someone who had clearly never heard the term 'urban planning'. Hoka knocked twice, dust shaking free of the ancient wood as she did so. No one came to the door, so Hoka knocked again.

"Maybe they're not home," Patty suggested.

"Oh, she is," Hoka said. "She's probably sitting in that hole-ridden chair of hers and grinning like an idiot." She raised her voice. "Open up, Kiori! I brought you what you asked, now you have to tell me the rest of it!"

Kiori… Patty thought. Another name she didn't know.

Hoka growled in frustration, stepping aside and gesturing at the door. "You knock. I think that's what she's waiting for."

"Me?" Patty crossed her arms. "What is that supposed to do?"

"Kiori is… particular about who she lets into her house. She probably wants proof that I brought you before she opens the door."

Patty frowned. "And she'll know it's me by my knock?"

"Just try it, okay?"

Patty sighed and uncrossed her arms, tapping her fist against the wood.

"Come in," a woman's voice called from inside.

Hoka rolled her eyes and pushed the door open, a sour expression on her face. Patty followed her inside, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.

The interior was plain, but clearly larger than the exterior. The inside seemed to have been built into the wall of the buildings next to it and the ceiling must have been taller than it looked because Patty couldn't even touch it on her tip toes. Across from the door was a fireplace lined in brick—a bold choice in a shack made entirely of wood—and a set of comfortable looking red chairs arranged around a low table. Despite Hoka's statement, they didn't look old or worn.

In the back of the house was a kitchen with dried herbs hanging from the ceiling and an impressive array of dishes stacked next to the washbasin.

In the sitting area, an old woman watched them with a serene expression, her name tag enabled.

[Kiori Prim — Level 102]

[Human]

Level 102?! How much has she been grinding? The woman looked like she would blow away in the wind. Her long silver hair flowing over her thin frame. Besides the hair, her features were average Caucasian facial features, though there was something off about them; her nose was a little too small, her eyes too close together. She was plain and odd at the same time.

Patty chided herself for judging a woman based on her appearance.

"I see you brought me what I asked," the woman said. Her voice smoother than Patty was expecting from a woman that old. "Did you fulfill my other request?"

"Lokan is leading a couple humans around the city as we speak," Hoka assured her. "Now for the rest of the story. You were telling me about the boundary…"

Kiori clucked her tongue. "You have no manners, Hoka. Have you told our guest the first half of the story yet? Or did you intend to let her guess at the contents of my tale?"

"She doesn't need to know the first half," Hoka said. "I brought her here like you asked. She probably doesn't even believe in future telling."

Future telling? Was Kiori supposed to be some sort of shaman?

"Yes," Kiori said slowly. "We humans are skeptical of such things. But I believe this one might be open minded, given the situation."

Patty wasn't sure if she agreed with the woman's statement, but if she was going to have to listen to a story, she might as well hear the first half as well.

"I'm interested," Patty said, taking a seat on one of the chairs. "Though I probably won't believe you if you start talking about the future."

Kiori smiled. "Your honesty will serve you well. You seem to be the logical one in your little group, despite your usual optimism. I will respect your privacy, of course, but I thank you for your help with my current predicament."

"Predicament?" Hoka asked, sitting in the chair next to Patty.

"Irrelevant to the story," Kiori said. "Patty, might you help me in the kitchen? I was just about to make a pot of tea."

Patty hesitated for a moment before following the woman over to the small stove area, weaving through the dried herbs that hung from the ceiling.

Kiori busily lit the stove, placing a pot of water on top. "Would you be a dear and grab me some tea leaves?"

Patty looked around the room at the many herbs hanging from the ceiling. "Which ones are tea?"

"Any of them is fine," Kiori said. "They are all popular teas. Choose whichever you prefer."

Patty shook her head. "I don't know anything about tea… maybe you could—"

"No," Kiori said firmly, though her voice was still gentle. "You must choose the tea. It won't work if I decide."

"What won't work?"

"Trust me." Kiori winked at Patty, which didn't make her feel any better.

Giving up, Patty pulled a leaf off of a nearby bundle, sniffing it. The scent stung her nose, and she recoiled, tossing the leaf away.

Kiori laughed. "I see nettle leaf is not to your liking."

Patty blushed. She tried a few more plants—more cautiously this time—and selected one that smelled like mint. She had never tried mint tea, but she figured this might be similar to peppermint—at the very least it wouldn't be as bad as the first bundle.

"An interesting choice," Kiori said thoughtfully. "How has your stay on Ember been thus far?"

She moved about the kitchen, pulling leaves off of various bundles, as well as several more from the mint-smelling plant and threw them all in the pot.

"My time's been pretty much the same as everyone else's," Patty said.

Kiori raised one of her stark white eyebrows.

"Okay, I've probably had it better than most of the Chosen," Patty admitted. "I've mostly just been grinding in the tunnels." She glanced at the old woman's name tag again. "You don't seem to have any trouble with that."

Kiori chuckled. "When one gets as old as I am, you pick up a few tricks." She stirred the water in the pot, replacing the lid to trap in the steam. "There," she said, pulling the pot off the stove. "This needs some time to steep. In the meantime, why don't I begin my story. You don't have long to listen to it, I fear."