Archivauld sat back in his chair, setting his paper on the table. Adopting a thoughtful expression, he took at the woman sitting across the table from him. This was the third time he had run into her, a woman who could unravel everything. Archivuald wanted nothing more than to never see her again, but it just didn't seem in the cards for him.
He had caught her attention, and would have to find a way to get her to leave him alone.
Ignoring her clearly wasn't working, but what other route could he take? His mind raced as he considered his options. She seemed to think he was a stalker of sorts, so maybe he should play into that?
No, that might draw even more unwanted attention. Plus if he admitted to being a stalker, she might try to toast him with that terrifying orb of lighting. How about a fan of her singing? No, that wouldn't work either.
He wasn't really one for the musical arts. His train of thought was derailed, as she let out an annoyed sigh, setting her stringed instrument onto the table.
"Well, what song do you want? Let's get this over with," Tallia said.
Archivauld raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to sing for me if you don't want to. If I'm being honest, I just came for the food, and the fine ale," Archivauld replied.
She swore under her breath.
"That's not how this works. I volunteered my time, and I'm a woman of my word," Tallia replied.
He shrugged..
"I don't care what you play. Just make it quick," Archivauld replied. Perhaps if he continued to be an asshole, she would leave him alone.
"I should have listened to my father. Nothing but ingrates frequent the dancing lily," Tallia muttered.
Grumbling, she stood and walked over to the corner.
Turning, she met his eyes with a fierce gaze, raising her instrument. Her long delicate fingers strummed the cords, dancing across the strings. A dark melody echoed from the lute, her voice somber and bleak as she began to sing.
She sang of the tragedy of Arcadia, of the darkness that hid amongst the hearts of those who walk in the light. She sang of how the city, beloved by the holy mother, was lost not from outside, but from within.
It was quite the song, telling a story that many in the Order of today might find as blasphemous. Archivuald had never heard it before, his mind racing as the song came to a close.
"Do you think that song is true? Do you think Arcadia fell because the Order became rotten from within?" Archivuald asked.
Tallia slung the strap of her instrument over one shoulder, shrugging.
"Perhaps. Arcadia vanished nearly a thousand years ago, so most of us are just guessing. The Order likes to say Arcadia fell because of an outside threat, mostly to make them look good. If you actually read ancient history, the few books left say otherwise," Tallia said.
Archivauld nodded thoughtfully.
"Sounds like the Order, in denial of their own hypocrisy," Archivuald replied.
Tallia hummed noncommittally. "Anyways, good luck to you," Tallia said.
Without preamble, she sauntered out, her lythe curves making his heart flutter as she left.
Not a few seconds later, the butler strode in with a covered silver platter.. His thoughts of Tallia, and a past lost in time faded, his mind on the delectable smelling food the butler placed in front of him.
One bite was enough to push his displeasure at seeing that infuriating woman to the back of his mind. The food was delicious, and his mug of cold ale really hit the spot. The day was young, the food delicious and the Ale flowing. The best part was, he wasn't even paying for it…..
There was a loud knocking sound that shocked him awake. Archivuald awoke with a start, his head throbbing as he blinked furiously. He winced, the previous day's experience slowly coming back.
He had eaten at least a ten course meal over the previous day, and about twenty mugs of ale, which would explain the pain behind his eyes.
Head swimming, he groaned, pushing back the covers of his small bed to reveal his rumpled shirt. He was still in the same sauce stained outfit from the day before, though he had at least taken off his boots before climbing in bed.
A good sign, at least. His well used ax was nearby, leaning against the wall, and his purse was lying atop the nightstand. He seemed to have made it back in one piece. A good thing considering he couldn't remember most of the previous day.
There was that loud knock again.
"I'm coming!" Archivauld shouted.
Massaging his temple with one hand, he pushed aside the blankets, his feet hitting the floor with a thud. Trudging towards the door, he scowled as there was another loud knock.
Head throbbing, Archivuald flung open the door, revealing an amused Tanner.
"What!" Archivauld asked.
Tanner cracked an amused smile.
"You look like shit," Tanner said.
Archivuald grunted, glancing down at his rumpled food stained shirt.
"I had an eventful day…" Archivuald replied.
"I got that impression. You racked up quite the tab. Ninety eight silvers for one day of gluttony," Tanner said.
"You were the ones who offered an unlimited tab at such an expensive place," Archivuald replied defensively.
Tanner waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm not here to chastise you. We secured our first knight tier contract, and I wanted to tell you as soon as possible," Tanner said.
"I appreciate you coming, but did it have to be so early in the morning?" Archviauld asked with a yawn.
"It's nearly dusk… You slept all night and for most of the day," Tanner replied dryly.
"Ahh…. I see. Well then, thanks for waking me up I guess," Archivuald replied.
Tanner pulled a folded envelope from his pocket, waving it temptingly. "I have already mapped out your route, and packed you some travel supplies," Tanner said.
"You are a good man, you know that," Archivuald reached out to grab the envelope, but Tanner snatched it back.
"What?" Archivuald asked.
"You are not going to lose another one of our horses are you? Those things aren't cheap, you know," Tanner said scoldingly.
"I promise, I won't lose the horse this time," Archivauld replied.
Tanner glared at him a moment before giving him the thin envelope. Adopting a lecturing tone, Tanner spoke.
"This rift is only about a six-day trip west, near the small town of Yurth. If you are having trouble locating the rift, you can ask people in the town for directions. They are the ones that spotted it, and sent word of it," Tanner said.
"Yurth? That's not a very good name for a town," Archivauld said.
Tanner shrugged.
"It wasn't me who named it," Tanner said.
"Why are you sending me so far, anyway? Wasn't there any closer rifts?" Archviauld asked.
Tanner shrugged again. "It was the only knight tier rift we could get at a reasonable bid. The only reason we were able to get it at such a favorable price is because it's in the middle of nowhere. None of the more affluent guilds want to waste that kind of time for such a low tier rift," Tanner replied.
Archviuald nodded.
"I guess that makes sense. Oh well, it's not that far away. I should be back in just over half a month," Archivuald said.
"That's the spirit. Just don't get yourself killed. If you come back in one piece, we should have another for you on your return," Tanner replied.
"Perfect. So what is the split on this one?" Archviuald asked.
"Considering the distance, the essence stones will have leaked dry by the time we cart them back to sell them. Even freezing the monster corpses can only prolong the degradation for so long. How about this, you get all the essence, while we get the first emblem and the Nexus. If more than one emblem appears in the rift, it's yours," Tanner offered.
The deal was surprisingly fair. He would be a fool to not take such an offer. It was almost too good of a deal, though perhaps the long distance was part of the reason for the generosity. Archivauld narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Tanner.
"I'm not complaining about your favorable treatment, but first you pay for an entire day at the dancing Lily, and now you are giving me extremely favorable terms on our first knight tier rift. What's the catch? There is no way that clearing five copper rifts is worth this kind of treatment?" Archivauld asked.
Tanner grunted noncommittally..
"Let's just say we are taking a gamble on you. Now, enough about that. Let's go over the route to Yurth, it's not a well-trodden road, so you might get lost if you aren't careful," Tanner said.
Archivuald still had his doubts, but eventually copitichalled. He felt like they were scamming him, but no matter how he thought about it, it was a win win situation.
The next morning, Archviuald rode up to the stronghold's front gate, his saddlebags heavy with travel gear and rations. Archivuald chewed on a piece of dried apple, as the member of the Red Hand at the gate waved him through. He had no idea when the Red Hand had managed to take over gate duty, but it was much to his favor.
The Black Heart motif stitched into his cloak was visible for all to see, a new guild, but still, it was obviously a dark guild. And, considering the Red Hand were technically on his side, they let him through with barely a glance at his papers.
A pleasant change from when the inquisition overseers were on duty.
A smile tugged at his lips as two inquisitors were pulled from the line. Their annoyed grumbling made him chuckle as the Red Hand overseer went over their documentation with a fine-tooth comb. Probably just to inconvenience them.
It didn't take long before he was free of the stream of traffic leaving the city, and was finally alone.
Being free of the hustle and bustle, took an unseen weight off his shoulders.
He hadn't realized how tense he was until he was back in the wild.
The soft clop of hooves, the distant call of monsters and the rustle of the wind were his only company as he rode. It was a peaceful day, though that peace could be broken at any moment.
It might seem peaceful, but these forests were infested with monsters. Even so, he was unlikely to be attacked so close to the city, given the frequent patrols by the city guard, and the guilds.
In either case, Archivuald wasn't too concerned after spotting a brief flicker of grey slipping through the trees. His horse's ears went flat, and it nicker softly as it smelled the predator nearby.
He had known this would happen.
Archivuald had considered not bringing a horse at all, considering Foxy would be tagging along, but it was a long trip over rugged terrain.
Archviauld had no desire to walk all the way, though after six days in the saddle he was reconsidering his life choices.
His inner thighs and butt ached something fierce after a tiring week of sitting in the saddle. Each step of the horse was like he was sitting on pins and needles, a very unpleasant experience.
It was a lot more exhausting than expected to just sit around in the saddle for an entire week. To make things more dull, he hadn't seen a single person in four days.
He was starting to wonder if he was heading the right direction. Based on the detailed map given by Tanner, Yurth shouldn't be much further.
The distant roar of a monster echoed through the forest, brought on an easterly wind, the thick smell of smoke wafting to his nose.
Archivuald perked up. Smoke usually meant people, and people meant he was close. His horse didn't seem nearly as excited, stomping nervously as they rode. Archivuald frowned at his horse's reaction.
Over the past week, he had gotten pretty good at reading his horse's reactions. The horse was quite perceptive, able to sense Foxy despite how sneaky she was. The horse always seemed to know when danger was near, and he had grown to trust its sense.
Archviauld unloose his ax from it's loop on his back, urging the horse forward with a gentle kick to its sides. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as his eyes darted about the forest, the horse nervously moving forwards.
At first, it was just the smell of smoke, then he noticed there was the sharp tang of blood on the air.
No wonder the horse was on edge, with the thick smell of death in the air. Following the path, they finally broke cover from the trees, the outer perimeter of a small town coming into view.
Or what was left of it. The wooden palisade, built to keep monsters out, was smashed down, with trails of black smoke still rising from the burned out husks of the buildings inside.
When his horse stopped, refusing to go forwards anymore, he couldn't even blame it. The smell of death and smoke was heavy on the air, the smell overwhelming.
Archivuald tied the horse to a tree with a thick lead, and walked towards the town, on high alert. It was quite the risk, but given the state of the town, he doubted anyone was still around.
Gripping the haft of his ax tightly, he stepped over the shattered remains of the outer wall, entering the town proper, or what was left of it.
Last reports put the town at nearly a hundred people, mostly composed of miners. The town only existed because there were several valuable seams of ore in the area.
Now, the town, and all of its residents were gone, the town burned to the ground. Only one building still stood, though that was only because half of it was built from brick, the other half still smoldering.
As he walked through the burned out town, he didn't find a single body, though the stench of blood was powerful.
Based on how far burned the buildings were, he guessed they had been set aflame a few days ago. It was strange, reminding him of the reports he had read about in the papers. Reports of entire towns going missing without a trace.
He caught movement from the corner of his eye, and whirled, his ax raised to attack. He paused as he realized who it was.
Foxy, appeared from behind one of the burned husks, her nose to the ground as she sniffed around.
Archivuald let out an anxious sigh, lowering his ax. Damned fox was too sneaky for her own good.
"Can you find whoever did this Foxy?" Archviauld asked.
Foxy, didn't miss a beat, walking around the burned out buildings, sniffing the ground. She eventually paused near one, with a confused expression on her face.
Archivuald walked over with a frown.
"What is it? Can't you find them?" Archivuald asked.
Foxy growled softly, pawing at the dirt beside a burned building.
"You think they are underground?" Archivuald asked doubtfully.
Foxy let out an annoyed bark, pawing at a specific spot on the dirt.
Peering closer, he frowned, crouching next to Foxy. There were some weird scorch marks on the ground. How odd.
Brows furrowing, he picked up a handful of the scorched dirt, smelling it.
To be honest, it just smelled like burned dirt, but Foxy seemed to think otherwise.
"The smell of whoever did this ends here?" Archivuald asked.
Foxy barked in agreement. Now, that was troubling. How could people just disappear?
"Foxy, was the town killed by monsters?" Archivuald asked.
Foxies wide fluffy ears flattened, clearly uncertain.
After looking around, his best guess was that a rift opened in town, and the monsters spilled out, killing everyone. But then, why were there no remains, and why were there no monsters after only a couple days?
Rift monsters were not exactly known for their subtly, at least not lower tier rifts, anyway.
The more he looked around, the more questions he had. No wonder the inquisition was keeping this kind of phenomenon low key.
It was a head scratcher.
"Lets search the area. Maybe someone got away, and we can ask them what happened," Archivuald said.
Foxy growled in agreement, bounding off, her nose to the ground like a bloodhound that caught a scent.
Archivuald hadn't wanted to get involved in something like this until he saw the scope of what was happening. This could not be ignored. Whoever or whatever was committing this mass slaughter needed to be stopped. Archivuald wasn't an ingrate.
If he could help out by providing Pelas some helpful information, he would. That would be the extent of his involvement, at least for now.
Archivuald was still not in a position to face this kind of foe head on.
He would have to leave that to the more influential guilds, the inquisition, and the Cult of the Dark god.
Archivuald was just here to clear a rift, but he would learn what he could and pass it upward.
Having made up a basic plan, Archivuald combed the town, noticing dried blood and scuffed dirt where people had fought back.
It was quite apparent that there had not been many who had put up much of a fight. He found only a few discarded spears, the occasional pitchfork, and a hammer likely owned by the people who had lived here.
A couple of the weapons, like the hammer, and even the pitchfork were stained with dark ichor. Archviauld could only make a few guesses as to what that ichor came from.
He could name most monsters upon sight from his time in the order, but he had no idea after seeing the blood. Foxy didn't seem to have a clue either, though she couldn't tell him even if she did considering she couldn't speak. All in all, it was an unproductive few hours of searching.
They even branched out, searching the nearby hills out from the town in hopes of finding people hiding in the mines. Despite Foxy's acute sense of smell, they hadn't found any sign of life. All they found was just more blood staining the dirt. Whoever invaded this town had been surprisingly thorough.
He was about to give up, and start looking for the rift, when Foxy stopped to sniff at something hiding in the grass. It was dagger, one made of dark metal, with angry looking fractals carved into its blade.
Dark Ichor stained the long curved blade. Curious, he picked it up, the blade longer than he would expect for a dagger. It was a good find. Foxy sniffed the dagger, seeming to scowl as if personally offended by it.
"What is it?" Archivuald asked.
Ignoring him, Foxy turned and patted away her nose to the ground. Following Foxy, he noticed the occasional spatter of dark ichor spread intermittently.
It looked like whoever got stabbed headed this direction. More exciting was the fact, the blood was heading away from the town. A good sign.
Sighing, he tucked the dagger under his belt, deciding to inspect it closer later.
Given the odd metals it was made from, it should go for a few silvers at the very least, even if its fractals did nothing.
Breaking out into a jog, Archviuald set off after Foxy. Finding the increasingly sparse ichor drops was hard after they enter the forest, but Foxy had no trouble following it.
Archivuald had no idea what they would find, but hopefully it was someone alive enough to answer questions. Who knew, it might even be a monster they were after.