“Ribs... I think I’ve—” Ryke started, before bursting into a loud cry, sounding almost like a child shouting in pain. The backlash was finally kicking in; his body was getting its first real dose of agony.

  - - - - -

  “You still at it,?” a man’s voice drifted out.

  “I didn’t think someone could pull that stunt on me, yet I’m here, aren’t I?” Leon replied, his eyes fixed on the burnt house in the forest, the fire with distant screams.

  “ mean making such an entrance? , boy we moving or sorry, I mean, never say never. Care to fill me in?” the man said. He stood at six feet tall, looking down on the 5’9" Leon. He was Black, not quite as buff as Dreezy, but well-built and looked to be in his late forties.

  “A bunch of stupid people. Well, I found myself here and thought, why not get my hands on Valmere?” Leon said, finally looking at the man.

  “What about... you are usually in Droskaal or Chi’Varaine?”

  “I decided to make me a walk. Met your brother on the way." The man started, stopping before continuing "I heard about Jack—how bad was it?”.

  “He couldn’t fully wield them. But talking about my brother, how far off was he? Me and him don’t have to meet yet; it’s best for everyone,” Leon replied as the house continued to crack and crumble.

  “There’s a lot happening. Be prepared, it might start getting bumpy,” the man said before vanishing into thin air.

  “Come out, Karl!” Leon shouted.

  Out of the woods came Karl, his feet still shaking.

  “Let’s go get the rest of it,” Leon said with a smile, starting to tease the boy. “That man is our master. He could...” He stopped, laughing as he remembered the man’s twin blades.

  - - - - -

  “It’s been rough, hasn’t it?” Eddie said.

  “Every day fighting some new monster. Before now, I thought the Veyriss serpents were rare, but now we have them killing more people by the day,” Joe replied, his hand clenched tight.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “That’s why Gate Openers are a big deal. One decided to go out with a bang and now we have reports coming from even the Varkune Kingdom,” Reed said, taking a seat.

  “Forget about Varkune. Olskaard and the other districts have had a mess to clean up. Even Darmian is proving to be important,” Lena interrupted, placing jugs of beer on the table.

  “What about that girl, Sky? I mean, we haven’t seen her,” Eddie noted.

  “Passed through. Nothing around her house,” Joe said.

  “Yeah, maybe she ran away. Constantly fighting someone... she’s a girl after all,” Eddie replied.

  “Well, at least we're done with the inside jobs. You don’t know how it feels caging an eight-foot-tall, angry-looking Orga,” Reed said, looking at his bruised hands.

  “That’s scary. So is fighting a serpent big enough to cut you in half, with a poison that’s equally dangerous. Now that’s picking favorites,” Joe said, taking a sip. “It’s nighttime. Let me go check on my girl,” he added, taking his leave.

  “I haven’t seen him before,” Eddie remarked, his gaze shifting to a white guy with a scar.

  “Lots of people turning up. Makes you wonder,” Reed said.

  " I've got to go home, I'll see you tomorrow." Joe said, leaving the others.

  Joe reached home, where Mira was waiting to welcome him.

  “Good day?” she asked.

  “The usual,” he replied, kissing her on the cheek as he went in.

  “Do you think...?”

  “No. Hey, we can’t be doing this. I’m here, aren’t I?” Joe asked, cutting her off.

  “Yes, yes you are,” she replied, hugging him tightly before walking toward the kitchen to get food.

  On the other side of things, Darmian found himself in the capital, Olskaard, waiting in the guild for someone. A woman pulled up, taking a seat across from him. “Here’s your money,” she said, handing over a small sack of gold and silver coins. “The Guild Master truly liked your work today,” she added, standing up to leave.

  “That so?” Darmian said, about to take his leave as well.

  The guild was crowded today—lots of adventurers and "wannabe adventurers," in Darmian’s words, were all over. It was the right crowd for a good pocket thief, and two of them bumped into Darmian as he was heading for the door.

  “I’ll give you one opportunity. Unless you give me my money, I’ll make sure you know whose fire is faster and more dangerous,” Darmian said. A grin spread across his face; he had one hand on one guy’s neck and his other hand on the second guy’s face. “I’m not here for this. I’ll burn you before the Guild Master even walks down those stairs.”

  He didn't move. Everyone was watching them now, whispers rippling through the crowd.

  “He always acts tough,” one person said, the words reaching a now-pissed Darmian.

  ‘It’s getting hot... my eyes... they are feeling a burning sensation,’ one of the thieves thought, tearing, while the other gasped for air.

  A third party member, who had been watching from the crowd, threw the sack back, " forgive us, we are sorry." He said.

  “Next time, I won’t even talk,” Darmian said, letting them go. “And if you have a problem, please—I’m always down. Stupid bitches!” he shouted, bumping into everyone in his way as he exited.

  “I liked the power display,” a man said, stopping Darmian in his tracks. The man was walking toward a carriage at the end of the alley, which was for Darmian.

  “Who might you be?” Darmian asked, turning around.

  “Just a curious person, looking for someone curious,” the man replied, standing at 6’1".

  “Are you sure you have the right person?” Darmian asked, turning around.

  “Very much. See, powerful people seem to have a tendency of meeting each other,” the man said.

  “I feel the need to say no. Can I say no?” Darmian said, staring the man down.

  “It seems like there are lots of disappointments now,” the man said. “Can you bargain for your life?”

  “Not if I wouldn’t. See, you said powerful people tend to find each other? Go look for one, it shouldn't be that hard right,” Darmian replied, turning his back to walk away.

  “See, now you’re disrespecting me,” the man said.

  “Should I ask for permission to leave?” Darmian asked, turning back around.

  “Mmmmm. I go away, then I find this...” the man said, his black coat fluttering as his arm blurred into motion.

  'What the....' Darmian’s thought cut short as the sheer weight of a punch forced him off the ground. Amidst the confusion of being airborne, he saw a foot following through, aimed straight for his head.

  Thinking fast, he slammed his right hand down—not locking the elbow, but keeping it bent just enough to spring. He executed a desperate flip, using the momentum to lash out with his legs and kick the man back. There was just enough space between the alley walls for the two of them to put some distance between each other.