After they had all crossed through the portal, Quin closed it, and as June spoke to the gathering.
"Now, we're roughly ten leagues out from Revelcroft and will travel on foot from here on out," he said, drawing low murmurs from the crowd. "Rest assured, my daughter, the Shining Arrow Guild and I will do everything in our power to keep you all safe."
"When we get to the city, you're free to do as you see fit," he continued, stepping forward. Many faces paled at his declaration, fearing that he'd leave them destitute in such an unscrupulous city as Revelcroft.
"But worry not," he said. "I'm not so callous as to send you on your way with nothing to your name."
With a flick of his hand, he conjured a moderately sized bag and held it out. He reached inside and pulled out a plain silver ring. "This is a spatial device, and contained within each are ten Soul Crystals and twenty-five Essence and Energy Crystals, each. Everyone here will receive a ring, and what you do with it is up to you."
The onlookers' eyes bulged, nearly popping as a variety of emotions passed over them, ranging from shock to disbelief, before settling on cautious skepticism.
He turned to Urzenkeil and handed him the first ring.
"That isn't necessary," Urzenkeil said, waving his hand in refusal.
"I won't be having any of that," he said, tossing the ring at Urzenkeil. Urzenkeil reflexively caught it, and he moved on to Merriam.
"Thank you, sir," Merriam said, graciously accepting it.
He watched as she slipped it on her right pointer finger and channeled her Soul Essence into it. A gasp of shock escaped her lips after having reviewed its contents.
"You weren't jesting?" Merriam asked, hardly believing what she had just received.
He clutched at his chest, feigning injury. "Ouch. Even after everything we've been through last night, you still don't trust me?"
"I… uh…" Merriam stuttered, looking for an apology.
"I'm just kidding," he said, lightly patting her on the arm with a hand.
Upon hearing her words, the group clamored forward, eager to receive free money.
June could only shake his head at the sight of it. Lysia's form of currency was Soul Crystals, as well as Essence and Energy Crystals. That was because Lysia itself was a vassal state of the Althoric Empire, which had turned Soul Crystals into a currency. It was nothing more than an underhanded way to keep the general populace from ascending as Cultivators and challenging those in power.
Forced to choose between being selfish and Cultivating, or buying food for the next week, most people with families would choose the latter.
He turned to the others and distributed rings to the remaining members of the Shining Arrow Guild, including Keyvarah and Reyah, who both looked at him in confusion. "It's only fair that you two receive one as well," he said with a smile.
After finishing, he had the guild members help organize the freed prisoners into rows of four. He handed a second bag to Quin, asking her to help him pass out the remaining rings. They worked through their rows at a rapid pace until everyone had received a ring.
"Of course, if you have nowhere left to go and you want to stay with us, you are more than welcome to do so," he said after they convened at the head of the group once more.
Some in the group released a cry of elation, primarily those of Vyshtani descent, while most just looked around with trepidation, unsure of his plans.
"With that out of the way," he said with a clap of his hands, "Urzenkeil, you and your guildmates take the lead. Quin will stick close by while I'll bring up the rear."
Once he had finished and they had assembled, the journey to Revelcroft finally began in earnest.
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Back when Quin was nothing more than a Dungeon denizen in the Repository, she hadn't really traveled beyond her tiny village. It wasn't until her adoptive father, June, saved her from the horde of zombies that she actually saw the truth of her reality and a multitude of worlds through Dungeon-hopping in the Repository. She had seen vast expanses of frozen wastelands, to burning hellscapes, and everything in between.
Yet, none of that had prepared her for the vast city of Revelcroft. She had glimpsed the city from afar when she scouted ahead, but hadn't approached, choosing to return instead. Crossing through the portal was a mundane task, and the relatively short walk to the city was pleasant and uneventful.
So now, when she approached with their large group, she couldn't help but gawk at the enormous stone wall. It was well over thirty feet high, with multiple watchtowers scattered across it. Guards in leather armor stood posted at each watchtower, bow in hand and a quiver across their backs.
"Is this the first time you've been to a city?" Merriam asked teasingly, walking beside her.
"Yes," she said, quickly hiding her excitement as a blush spread across her face.
"Oh, stop it, Merriam," Yisha admonished from her other side. "Don't mind her, Quin. It wasn't very long ago that I first laid eyes on a city like this. It was quite… breathtaking."
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" she said, turning to her and smiling.
"Mamma! Look! The gate!" Draxxus shouted, pointing ahead with his wooden training sword.
"Yes, my cub," Yisha said, patting his head.
The giant wooden gate stood wide open as a line of people filed out. Guards stood ready, checking those entering and leaving, going through their packs and wagons. Once finished with their inspections, those leaving or entering would pay either a whole Soul Crystal or five Essence or Energy Crystals before the guards let them be on their way. However, she spotted some who had paid more, and the guards would let them pass without even checking them.
"How stringent yet corrupt," she said in a low whisper.
Merriam's brows furrowed in frustration. "You're right about that," she spat, throwing a scathing glare at the guards as their group approached the line of people.
"Halt!" a guard shouted as he and a few of his companions rapidly approached them while Urzenkeil stepped forward from the head of their group.
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June walked near the back of their not-so-little group as Keyvarah and Reyah flanked him. They both had their hoods pulled up low, hiding their crimson eyes. He understood why people feared Vampires—but they were his responsibility for now, and he'd do everything within his power to keep them and the others safe.
He had remained vigilant on their short trek to Revelcroft, his Aura Sense always active, extended to a range of 300 yards. So it hadn't surprised him one bit when the group came to a stop as the city wall loomed over them, casting its shadow over them. A small contingent of guards had stopped them and were currently in a heated discussion with Urzenkeil.
"Come on," he said to Keyvarah and Reyah as he moved through the crowd.
"What?" Reyah asked, but he ignored her as Keyvarah moved to follow him.
Reyah's growl of frustration reached his ear, but she moved in behind Keyvarah and followed them.
"Stay here," he said to them when they came upon Quin's little group.
"Yes, June," Keyvarah said, coming to a stop beside Quin as Merriam moved to her other side with Yisha and Draxxus.
Reyah stepped up beside Keyvarah and grumbled in irritation as he advanced on the guards and Urzenkeil. One second, he was walking through the group, and the next, he appeared beside Urzenkeil, startling the guards.
"By the Divine Mother!" the lead guard cried out, stumbling back a step and drawing his sword. "Who in the seven hells are you?"
"Is there a problem here?" June asked, first looking at the guard, then at Urzenkeil, who was just as shocked as the guard was.
The guard was an Althori man of average male Althori height, around seven feet and six inches. He wore shiny golden armor from head to toe, with a flowing red cape and a sword sheath on his hip. His scraggly black hair stuck out from beneath his helm as his blue eyes stared back at him.
"By order of the Noble Guards of House Dumar, identify yourself, you cur!" the lead guard shouted, pointing his sword at him.
His companions behind him also drew their weapons and held them at the ready.
"Stop this nonsense, Crydell," Urzenkeil said, trying to diffuse the situation.
June waved a hand. "It's okay, Urzenkeil," before stepping forward, mere inches from Crydell's sword tip. "I'm June. What seems to be the problem?"
"Silence, worm! I'm the one asking the questions here!" Crydell bellowed, drawing the attention of the other guards at the checkpoint.
"Okay. What is your—"
Before June could even finish his sentence, Crydell roared. "Silence and know your place!"
Crydell's voice then lowered to a hushed hiss. "Or I'll gut you here like the dog you are."
June's amenable expression suddenly fell, turning to ice, as he took a step forward. Without a second's hesitation, Crydell's blade struck out, aimed right for his heart. With a wicked grin smeared across Crydell's face, his victory was all but assured. However, his grin faded, and a bewildered look overcame him as his sword failed to pierce June's chest. It had even failed to pierce through the clothes he wore as he took another step forward, forcing Crydell back.
Crydell's blade then melted into molten liquid metal with every step he took. He had suffused the area where the sword made contact with him in Fire Essence. Crydell's confused face vanished, turning into horror as he released his sword and stumbled backward onto his ass.
Crydell's fellow guardsmen were all too stunned to respond as June walked up to tower over Crydell. "What is your question?"
Sweat beaded down Crydell's face as he stared up in terror at him.
"Well?" June asked before another man approached, trailed by more guards.
"What's going on here?" the newcomer bellowed out.
He was a whole head taller than Crydell and wore the same armor as well, except for a crest pinned to his chest, where his cape attached to his breastplate. And he was big, not just in height but in width as well. June could see his muscles rippling beneath his armor. Strapped to his back was a massive battleaxe that looked like it could easily cleave a man in two, and with his build, June didn't doubt he could.
"Are you the commanding officer here?" he asked, turning to the man.
The man's brows furrowed before he answered with a nod. "I am. Zeraiah Callemdun, Fifth Commander of the Noble Guards of House Dumar."
"Good," June responded, extending a hand out before Zeraiah clasped his arm and shook it. "I'm June."
With the introductions out of the way, June's eyes then fell on Crydell. "Perhaps you can explain to me why your men stopped us from entering the city?"
Zeraiah's eyes dropped to Crydell. "Get up, you fool," he said, kicking him.
June didn't miss Zeraiah's eyes ever so slightly shifting to Crydell's melted sword behind him before returning to him.
Crydell jumped to his feet, standing at attention. "Commander!"
Zeraiah held his gaze with June for another heartbeat before turning to Crydell. "Explain."
Crydell's eyes briefly shifted over to look at June before returning to stare ahead. "I was notifying Urzenkeil that we do not accept vagabonds and beggars in our great city when this… man attacked me."
Zeraiah turned to look at June, who just shrugged. "I was just trying to figure out what the holdup was before your man here—" June motioned at Crydell, "threatened to kill me."
Zeraiah stepped past June and picked up Crydell's destroyed sword, pulling up the dirt and gravel fused to it as well. "And this?" Zeraiah asked, returning to stand before June with the blade in hand.
"I took him up on his threat," he said, shrugging one of his shoulders.
"This was a Viridium blade crafted by a renowned master blacksmith in the Sovereign Realm," Zeraiah said, holding it up.
"Shame," he said with a shake of his head. "If only your man had the discipline to approach strangers with a modicum of respect, then perhaps it wouldn't have been destroyed."
Zeraiah grunted in acknowledgment before tossing the sword at Crydell's feet. "Return to your post, Sergeant."
"Yes, Commander," Crydell said, slamming his right fist across his breastplate before bowing low.
June watched on, intrigued, as Crydell picked up his sword, which immediately disappeared into his spatial storage, before returning to the checkpoint. He found the customs of foreign militaries interesting, how they differed yet shared similarities with the U.S. military. Crydell may have been an arrogant asshole with little discipline, but at least he remembered his rank and file.
"Now," Zeraiah said, turning to him, "who are these people and why have you come to my city?" He gestured to the large group of people standing behind him.
June looked at Urzenkeil, prompting him to step forward and explain what had occurred. Of course, Urzenkeil had kept to the story they had discussed that morning before breakfast, claiming that the Shining Arrow Guild had attacked Castle Dumar and lost a majority of their company in the battle. The people behind them were prisoners they had rescued from the castle dungeons.
When Zeraiah pressed about June, Urzenkeil replied that his company had met June and his daughter on the road while traveling to the castle, and they offered their assistance in clearing out the Vampire scourge. Without their help, he feared his entire company would have perished. Zeraiah gave them a skeptical look until Urzenkeil explained that there was more than one Vampire present at the castle; in fact, it had been a coven of over two dozen.
Zeraiah's brows scrunched together as a worried expression fell over his face. It was clear to June that this was the first time he had heard of this, showing that not all who served House Dumar were involved in their illicit dealings. The man felt honest and trustworthy, yet it was only a gut feeling. He'd have to verify it himself.
It was then that Jemia, Jezaiah, Andrasta, and Cama approached. "Zeraiah!" Jemia called, running up and hugging the soldier.
"Jemi?" Zeraiah stammered in shock before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "I thought I had lost you!"
His eyes then landed on the rest of the approaching group, and they widened. "Jezaiah! Andrasta! You're alive as well!" He released Jemia and hugged the other two as Cama stood awkwardly off to the side.
"You clearly seem to know each other," June said, looking between the four of them.
"Yes!" Jemia said, smacking Zeraiah's arm. "He's our older brother."
Now that they were all standing before him, he could definitely see the resemblance. "I can see that."
Once the reunion between the family had settled down, Zeraiah's face hardened as he looked at his brother and sister. "What happened?"
Jemia, Jezaiah, and Andrasta each took turns retelling the tragic story of how their Guild met its end. Their story also had the added benefit of verifying June and Urzenkeil's.
After they had regaled their tale, Zeraiah clasped Urzenkeil's arm and shook it firmly. "Thank you, Urzenkeil. If not for you, I surely would have lost my siblings."
"No thanks needed, Commander," Urzenkeil said, returning the handshake and bowing his head lightly.
"Nonsense," Zeraiah said, clasping Urzenkeil's shoulder and giving him a firm shake. "What you and your Guild did is commendable, and I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart."
He then turned to June, his voice boisterous. "And you! Thank you! If it weren't for you and your daughter, none of them would have made it back home."
June clasped Zeraiah's outstretched arm and shook it. "You're welcome." He then turned to glance at the group behind him before looking back at Zeraiah. "So, Commander. May we enter your city or not?"
Zeraiah sighed as he looked at the group. "Yes, you can enter. But… there is an entrance tax."
"How much?" June asked, not at all surprised. In fact, he knew the exact price from his time in Vern's mind. But Zeraiah didn't need to know that. He just had to play ignorant since this was his first time entering the city.
"Either a Soul Crystal or five Essence or Energy Crystals," Zeraiah said with a wince. "I personally would let you through, but my Lord Garn Dumar is a strict man and a stickler for the law. I'm sorry."
He couldn't help but chuckle. From what he had seen in Vern's memories, Garn was his older brother and by far the worst of the two. June's amusement drew a confused stare from Zeraiah.
"What's so funny?" Zeraiah asked.
"It's nothing," he replied, drawing upon his Nature Essence and weaving several large sacks. He filled them each to the brim with Essence Crystals from his spatial dimension. In mere seconds, seven brown sacks full of Essence Crystals lay before Zeraiah.
"There," June said, motioning to the sacks, "that should be enough to cover 237 people, and a little extra to speed things up."
Zeraiah's mouth nearly dropped to the dirt road before he composed himself and picked up one of the many crystals. With his Essence Sight, June could see Zeraiah channeling the Essence within before his eyes widened in shock. Zeraiah quickly collected the sacks into his storage device. A moment later, he called over one of his men as he tossed the sacks back onto the ground, likely having used his device to help him count the crystals. "Lieutenant Nethander!"
A broad-shouldered Althori guardsman, with golden hair billowing from underneath his helm, stepped forward and placed a fist over his chest, bowing slightly. "Commander!"
"I need you to take this to the city treasury and take a few men with you," Zeraiah commanded.
"Yes, Commander," Nethander said before lifting his head and collecting the sacks into his own spatial device. He returned to the small group of guards that had arrived with Zeraiah before breaking off with two others, heading back into the city.
"So?" June asked as Zeraiah turned to him.
"Yes, you and your group may enter," Zeraiah answered with a wave of his arm. "Come, I'll even escort you in myself."
"Thank you, Commander," he said before turning to Urzenkeil. "You and your guildmates can head on over to your Guild House. I'm sure your Guild Master is anxiously awaiting any news of your victory or defeat. We'll find a nearby inn and settle those who are staying with us before heading over."
His brow furrowed in question. "How would you even know where the Guild House is?"
June just tapped his temple before returning to Quin and the rest of their merry little band.
"What's the situation?" Merriam asked when he arrived.
"You and your guildmates will head back on your own, while Quin and I will head to a nearby inn with those who have nowhere else to go," he said, throwing a thumb back towards Urzenkeil. "You, Yisha, and Draxxus should get going."
Merriam and Yisha both looked to Quin, who nodded in response, but it was Draxxus who spoke up first. "What about my training?" He whined, stomping his tiny little feet as tears formed in his eyes.
"Draxxus," Yisha admonished.
"Now, Draxxus," June said, kneeling and holding him still by the arms. "Are you a big boy?"
"Yes!" Draxxus cried out, his tears falling as he nodded vigorously.
"Then you know about patience, right?" he asked, to which Draxxus nodded once more. "Then you should know that as a big boy, you have to be patient. For the joys in life are worth waiting for."
"They are?" Draxxus asked, his tears stemming as he wiped his face.
"Yes. There's nothing more rewarding than waiting for the right time to relax and enjoy yourself. For if you don't, you'd end up being nothing more than a lazy noble who takes things for granted. Do you want to be that, Draxxus?"
Draxxus shook his head fervently. "No! I'm a big boy now! I can be patient!" he exclaimed.
"Okay then," he said, rising and ruffling his hair. "Then go with your mother. Besides, it's not even noon yet. I'll come find you later, then we can train."
"Okay!" Draxxus said, grabbing hold of his mother's hand.
When June's gaze turned to Yisha, she had a slight blush as she averted her eyes. "Thank you," she said with a slight bow of her head before making her way towards Urzenkeil.
"Be careful there, June," Merriam said, poking him in the arm with an elbow. "Or you might just woo our sweet Yisha."
His brows raised, and she threw him a mischievous grin. She then burst into a cackling laugh as she walked away with the rest of the Shining Arrow Guild.
He sighed, with a slight shake of his head. He knew she was right, yet he couldn't help it. Just as he had used Keyvarah the previous night to cope with the loss of his wife, he was using Draxxus to cope with the loss of his children. Maybe using wasn't the right word—more like a symbiosis. They needed something that he could provide, and he needed what they offered. A give and take.
It just so happened that his treatment of Draxxus might inadvertently draw his mother's affection. That was something he wanted to avoid for the moment. He didn't want to confront that possibility yet, not when he still needed to help Keyvarah deal with hers.
"Okay, everyone," he said, waving the group to follow him. "Those of you who want to stay with us follow Quin into the city. She'll take us to an inn where we'll stay for the night. Those of you who are leaving us can talk to Commander Callemdun for assistance."
He nodded at Quin when he finished, and she led those willing to stay into the city, bypassing the line of people waiting to enter. He followed until he reached the gate, then stopped to wait for everyone to enter the city. To his surprise, a decent number of the Althori prisoners had stayed with them. Unsurprisingly, all the Vyshtani prisoners had remained. In the end, a little over half of the group remained, while the rest gathered near Zeraiah and his guards.
"Commander!" he called, walking over.
Zeraiah turned to face him. "June. What can I do for you?"
"Nothing for me personally. Just… take care of these people—help them out. They've already endured hell; no need to put them through more," he said.
Zeraiah stared at him long and hard before nodding. "I give you my word; they'll be safe here."
He wasn't so sure about that, although he returned Zeraiah's nod. This city, after all, fell under House Dumar's dominion. Not to mention, the presiding lord of the city was Ravengel's eldest son. It was like sending sheep to the slaughter, and technically, he was doing just that.
The rings he had distributed contained signatures of his True Soul, which he could easily track. He planned to see what House Dumar would do once they discovered that their little scheme at Castle Dumar was no more. It may be callous of him, but he needed to know how they'd react so he could prepare countermeasures.
His heart thrummed at the thought. It had been ages since he'd been in an actual war. Though it excited him, he wasn't a warmonger, far from it. It was just the soldier in him itching to come out and flex a little. Sure, indiscriminately wiping out hordes of monsters was fun. But the thrill of planning battle lines and strategizing deployments was something he sorely missed, especially after the System had turned his entire world upside down and torn it to shreds. Besides, they had provided him with a valid excuse to vent some of his frustration and anger.
He turned and followed the group, Keyvarah and Reyah on either side of him, bringing up the rear as they made their way deeper into the city. Three different streets converged at the gate, all of which were cobblestone and just wide enough for a single cart to pass through. The surrounding buildings were ramshackle huts cobbled together with wooden planks or looked abandoned. The scent emanating from the area left him wanting to leave as soon as possible.
"Have you ever been to a city like this before, June?" Keyvarah asked as they walked.
"I've been all over, but I've never been in a city like this," he said as Quin led them down the eastern road. They passed by several huts, and with his Aura Sense, he could sense the people within, noting that they were all Vyshtani.
"It looks like the slums are only reserved for a certain type of people," he commented, peering at the huts as a couple of eyes stared back from within.
"Yes," Keyvarah said with a sigh, her eyes falling to the ground. "A cruel injustice that should never have existed."
She had a kind heart and soul, even if she had viewed the world through rose-tinted glasses full of naivety. That was before Hivengel had taken and turned her into a Vampire. Despite that, the spark of kindness remained through all that darkness. He had glimpsed it when he peered into her mind and could even see it now when he looked at her. But the naivety was gone, replaced with an understanding of the darker side of reality.
"It is indeed," he said as they exited the slums and entered a nicer part of the city. He took in the sight before him and couldn't help but find similarities between the architecture of Revelcroft and Florence during the Renaissance era.
A square marketplace lay before them, with hawking merchants standing at their stalls trying to sell their wares. He found the assortment of goods being sold quite interesting. There were several food vendors, a couple selling clothes, while the rest sold random knick-knacks. It wasn't all that different from a modern-day flea market.
"Do you want to do some shopping?" Keyvarah asked him, grabbing his hand and tugging it slightly.
"We'll see if we have some time later," he said, squeezing her hand lightly. "If not, then we can tomorrow."
She yipped in glee as they moved through the market square with haste, not even slowing to look at what the merchants had to offer.
Beyond that was a residential area with tightly packed homes on either side, much like condominiums. Their designs were quaint, built more to house as many people as possible into as small a space as possible.
Their group, being the size it was, had drawn quite the attention. Mostly, it was curious stares from the residents. But that wasn't all, as there was more than one attempt made to rob his people of their rings. However, he had thwarted their laughably pathetic attempts with some timely placed Kinetic Essence to trip them up or knock them off balance.
The act hadn't surprised him at all in a seedy city like this. But he found it curious why they had suddenly targeted them. It was something he'd have to look into later as they continued on their way.
It had taken them ten minutes to traverse from the gate to the Guild District. Upon arriving, Quin found five inns near each other, and June rented enough rooms for his entire group for an entire week. Once he and Quin had helped settle everyone into their accommodations, he turned to Reyah as they stood before her room with a raised eyebrow. "I see you've decided to stay."
Her face flushed a darker shade of blue before she stammered, "Yeah… what of it? Do you have a problem with my decision?"
"No," he said with a shake of his head. "Just surprised, is all."
She glowered at him before entering her room and slamming the door in his face.
"It seems you've said the wrong thing," Keyvarah said with a small laugh.
June just shrugged as he knocked on Reyah's door. She instantly swung the door open and glared at him. "What do you want?"
"Could Keyvarah stay with you for now? I've got a meeting with the Shining Arrow Guild Master, and I don't want to leave her alone in our room."
Reyah pursed her lips as she stared him down. He, however, didn't back down. Eventually, she gave in, sighed, and moved to the side, waving her hand. "Come in."
Keyvarah hesitated as she looked at him. "Can't I just go with you?"
"I don't think that'd be a good idea. Their Guild just suffered major losses due to Vampires. Bringing you along right after returning wouldn't really go over too well at the moment."
Her face went downcast as she nodded in agreement. As she made to move inside, June stopped her and pulled her down to kiss her forehead. "Just know that you aren't what they think you are. You're more than that, okay?"
A soft smile creased her lips before her lips locked with his. The sweetness of her lips left an impression as he returned her kiss, but only briefly before breaking away, a little awkward with Quin and Reyah still standing there, watching. Quin wore an amused smile while Reyah's scowl had only deepened.
He cleared his throat, backed up a step, and motioned into the room. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I'll be waiting," Keyvarah said, walking inside before Reyah slammed the door in his face a second time.
Quin's amusement remained as they made their way down the hall.
"What?" he asked in a joking tone.
"It's nothing," she said before flying down the stairs, her coattails flowing with the movement. "Come on. I think we've made them wait long enough."
He nodded in acknowledgment as they exited the inn together.