Steamforged sorcery a li.., p.5
Steamforged Sorcery: A LitRPG Adventure, page 5
A rattle broke the silence. Angel nearly fell off his chair but managed to catch and right himself. He brushed his hair with his hands and readjusted his scarf, trying to look as professional as possible.
FIVE
The chug of gears and the hiss of Magitech pistons reached Angel’s ears. He shifted so that he could get a better look at the dark elevator shaft and crossed his hands, straightening his back. A minute later, the platform ground to a halt and a dull clang rang through the room.
A Hunter strode from the shadows, a large triangular hat perched on their head. Their face was completely obscured by a scarred metal mask with two tubes near the mouth that led to a small tank at their side. Their clothes were heavy canvas with metal plates over vital areas. Dozens of pouches that Angel suspected housed artifacts were distributed across their body.
The Hunter sat down in the chair across from Angel. He stared into their eyes, but could see only darkness behind them.
“You want to cross the desert?” the Hunter asked. Their voice came out metallic and static, making it impossible to determine their age or gender.
“I do,” Angel said. “Have you made the crossing before?”
“Yes. Not escorting someone, but I’ve made it. Before we continue, show me the coin. I’ll not be wasting my time if you don’t have it.”
Angel reached into his pouch and stacked five Vei on the table in front of him, not taking his eyes off the Hunter the entire time. “Happy?”
“For now. Why do you need to cross?”
“Is that relevant?”
“No, actually. Just curiosity,” the Hunter admitted. “Five Vei will get you a one-way trip. No promises about the way back, and I don’t know how long I’ll stick around our destination.”
“That’s fine,” Angel said. “But why should I hire you? I need a Hunter, but I’m going to need some proof that you’re capable enough. How do I know that you won’t just gut me the moment we leave Bronze City and take my money?”
“The Hunter’s Guild would wring me alive,” the Hunter replied. They let out a burst of static that Angel realized was probably a laugh. “The money is good, but I have no plans of dying for it.”
“Sensible,” Angel said. “In that case, how do I know that you’re good enough to keep us alive?”
“It looks bad on the guild if a Hunter fails. They wouldn’t have sent someone unqualified for the task. Besides, it doesn’t look like you’re going to have much of a choice. How many other Hunters showed up?”
“How’d you know that?” Angel asked, the corners of his lips turning down in a scowl.
“You just told me.”
Angel winced. He wished he could get a better look at the Hunter’s face, but he got the feeling they didn’t have any plans of taking their mask off.
“There will be two of us,” Angel said finally. “We’re leaving tomorrow morning, before the sun rises.”
The Hunter cocked their head, examining Angel. “Nobody said anything about two people.”
Angel wordlessly put another Vei on the stack. The Hunter reached out and swept the coins across the table and into one of their bags.
“Pleasure doing business with you…”
“Angel,” Angel said, extending his hand. The Hunter shook it.
“You can call me Cowl.”
“A pleasure, Cowl,” Angel said. “Be at the city gates an hour before the sun rises tomorrow.”
Cowl gave him a single nod. It was hard to be certain, but Angel decided Cowl was probably a man due to the stocky build. Cowl stepped onto the elevator and pulled the lever. The elevator descended into the darkness, leaving nothing but the rattling of chains in its wake.
It returned a minute or two later to collect Angel. He got on, leaving the water behind, and descended into the darkness. When the elevator reached the ground, he hopped off and quickly departed Hunter’s Rest.
The sun had already started to set, positioning itself in the perfect spot to shine in Angel’s eyes. He raised a hand in annoyance, scurrying to shelter in the tight alleys to avoid its glare.
Angel dropped by the marketplace and bought a pack of rations and two large water skins for fifty Vex, which made his travel purse considerably lighter. There was food in the Barren, but it was safer to carry the extra weight than starve to death halfway to their destination. He also managed to find a map for another ten Vex. It only covered the surrounding area, but it was better than nothing. He didn’t normally need a map to travel the Barren, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
He made his way back toward Fence’s shop, bobbing and weaving through the crowd in case anyone had followed him. Angel didn’t have any reason to think he was being watched, but it never hurt to be careful. After all, he was about to sneak the Magistrate’s daughter out of the city. The less people saw him, the better.
Fence was sitting in his chair and examining a sword when Angel got back. The large merchant grunted a greeting, not even looking up at him.
“Hello to you too,” Angel said, going to his room. He closed the door behind him and set his travel pack on the ground. He scanned the walls, checking the hundreds of artifacts and trying to decide if any were worth bringing.
Most of them were either broken or so damaged that there was no point bringing them along. Angel sighed and sat down in his chair. He pulled out the pendant and the clamshell and set them on the table.
It took him a few minutes to get the pendant open once again. The motions that the clamshell made were almost exactly the ones he’d memorized, although there were a few he’d gotten wrong. Angel went back over the process in his mind, then turned his attention to the pendant.
He spent the next few hours hunched over the table tinkering with the artifact. Unfortunately, just like the previous day, it was entirely unresponsive to his attempts. By the time Angel gave up, night had fallen.
He closed the pendant and the clamshell, wrapping them both and returning them to his pocket. Then he turned the light off at his desk and went to bed.
The following morning, long before the sun had a chance to rise, Angel rolled out of bed. He stretched his arms and legs out with a yawn. His palm throbbed and a ripple of purple traveled under his skin, prickling like ice water. He used the artifact to check his status once more, but he was unsurprised to find that nothing had changed.
More than anything, he wanted to examine the relic. But he knew himself well enough to know that when he started examining the red cube, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Moreover, he couldn’t let anyone know it existed. It would be a long time before he was alone enough to get any good work in on his prize, so he did his best to push it out of his mind.
Angel attached the silver board to his back and scanned the room one more time in case he’d missed something important. He couldn’t find anything, so he slung his travel pack over his shoulder and silently slipped out of his room.
Fence was snoring loudly in the shop. Angel rolled his eyes as he locked his door behind him and left, closing the outer door as quietly as he could to avoid waking the man. It let out several defiant squeaks, but the large merchant could sleep through just about anything.
The sun had yet to rise over Bronze City. The streets were chilly and the smell of oil hung in the air. Angel shivered as he made his way toward the eastern side of the city, where the Magistrate’s estate was located.
There weren’t as many people out as Angel was used to. A short merchant prepared his cart for the day, hanging drab rugs and curtains up for display. Another man had started to prepare breakfast, but all Angel could smell was ash.
Sickly orange light from the kerosene lamps lining the streets extended the shadows and warped them grotesquely. A slight wind moaned through the streets, ruffling Angel’s hair. He frowned and pulled his scarf up, wrapping his face to protect it.
He arrived at the Magistrate’s estate a short walk later. It was large, although it was far from being the largest building in the city. It was three stories high, with iron and bronze walls carved with symbols depicting strength and prosperity. The building was fenced off on all sides by black iron with spikes at the top.
A lone guard stood at the front gate. He wore thick metal armor that made him stand nearly two heads taller than a normal human. Each plate was several inches thick. Two tubes ran from a massive canister on his back to his arms and legs, delivering green energy that ran through the armor with an intimidating hum.
He didn’t show an ounce of interest in Angel. He kept his gaze pointed up at the smog-filled sky. Angel gathered his wits and approached the man confidently. The guard noticed his approach when he was nearly upon him, shifting his armored head slightly.
The guard nudged the gate open just enough for Angel to squeeze through. He averted his gaze as Angel passed. Angel made his way to the front door and pressed on the polished metal handle.
It swung open silently, revealing a beautiful interior. A gold-plated chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting strange shadows over beautiful red carpets and a table made of mahogany. A young woman waited in front of the table, her hands clenched and lips thin.
If Angel had to guess, he would have said she was a year or so younger than he was. She had sharp, intelligent features with striking similarity to Dalliah. Her skin was pale, unblemished by the scorching desert sun. The woman’s most striking feature was her eyes. They were a pale red, like twin rubies. She swallowed as Angel inspected her.
“Are you just going to stand there and look at me?” she whispered.
“Sorry,” Angel replied in the same low tones. “Let’s go. I got lost in thought.”
She shifted away from the table and followed him. Angel closed the door behind them as silently as he could. They started toward the gate. Then he frowned.
“Where’s the guard?”
“Guard? My mom ordered the watch to skip tonight to prepare for a ceremony so nobody would see you when you arrived,” she said, giving him a baffled look.
“Shit,” Angel cursed. “Someone knew I was going to be here. We need to move. Now.”
He grabbed the girl’s hand and set off at a brisk jog, ducking into the alleys and weaving toward the exit. A part of him wanted to drop everything and sprint, but that would draw too much attention. His mind churned as he tried to figure out why a fake guard would let him in before running off, but he didn’t have enough time to think about it.
“What’s going on?” Dalliah’s daughter whispered. “What guard are you talking about?”
“I’ll explain later. No time now,” Angel replied, darting out the gate and turning down an alley. He slowed to a brisk walk after a few minutes, then peeked out at the main street.
A troop of guards, all wearing the same armor as the first man, were striding down the street away from them.
“Are there always this many guards at night?” Angel muttered, mostly to himself.
“Yes,” Vanessa replied. “Mom keeps the streets safe. There’s at least one guard at every major intersection, and —”
“Time to move,” Angel said abruptly as the guards turned a corner. “Unless you’ve got anything particularly important that you have to add?”
Vanessa shook her head. They emerged into the main street. “Walk normally and keep your eyes straight ahead. Pull up your hood as well.”
She followed his instructions and Angel let go of her hand. He put his own hands into his pockets and forced himself to move at his normal pace. The towering gates grew closer. They were still half-open, of course. The city only closed the gates when it was under siege, which didn’t happen as often as it used to. They passed another troop of guards and Angel tensed as he felt their gazes wash over him. However, they weren’t stopped.
As usual, several merchants had already set up near the gates. They didn’t have many customers yet, and most of them didn’t look particularly interested in trying to catch Angel’s attention this early in the morning.
He could scarcely believe his luck as they walked out of Bronze City and into the cold, early morning desert without a single person bothering them. That didn’t shake the feeling of unease hanging over him, but it did a lot to reduce it.
A lone figure broke away from the wall and joined them. He held his sword at his side in a loose grip. The blade was soaked red. He flicked it, splattering blood onto the sand. The girl flinched, but Angel put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, he’s with us. This is Cowl,” Angel said.
“Hello,” she said, holding a hand over her heart. “I’m Vanessa.”
“Pleasure. Unfortunately, we don’t have time for introductions. We need to leave,” Cowl said. “Do you have a way to travel quickly through the desert?”
Angel and Vanessa both nodded. Angel grabbed the board from his back and tossed it to the ground. Vanessa reached down and pressed something on her boots, which let up with a faint blue glow. Cowl examined them, then rolled his neck. Two paper thin translucent wings unfurled out from his back, fluttering to life with a dull hum.
“Follow me,” Cowl said, shooting off into the desert.
Vanessa broke into a jog and leaped forward, the light under her feet growing brighter as she skated across the sand with increasing speed.
“Great. She’s a walking spotlight,” Angel grumbled, leaning forward to accelerate his board. He easily caught up with the other two and reduced his speed to stay in pace with them.
“Interesting board,” Cowl called over the hum of his wings and the wind rushing by them. “Old World Magic?”
“Yep,” Angel replied. “Got it a few years ago. I can’t go back to using anything else.”
“Why?” Vanessa asked. “It’s much bulkier than skates, and they’re not even that expensive anymore. They only cost a Vei.”
Cowl suppressed a laugh and Angel nearly fell off his board.
“Only a Vei? Only?” Angel exclaimed. “That’s a few months’ salary! Besides, my board will run your sad little skates into the ground. Old World Magic dwarfs most of what we’ve got now.”
“You’d have more money if you didn’t spend all your time tinkering with artifacts,” Vanessa said.
“You sound like my landlord,” Angel said. “Your mom talked to you about me, then?”
“Of course she did. I wasn’t going to travel with some… stranger.”
Cowl glanced at her and let out a small chuckle. “What am I?”
“You don’t count. You’re a Hunter,” Vanessa said, not sounding certain of her own words.
SIX
They traveled for the next few minutes in silence. Angel continued glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone had followed them, but Bronze City was fading quickly into the distance without any signs of pursuit.
“I don’t suppose your fancy shoes turn off?” Angel asked. “The bright light is kind of a beacon for anyone trying to follow us. Why do they even do that?”
“They don’t,” Vanessa said crossly. “And they glow because they’re the latest model. It helps you see where you’re going at night.”
“That’s stupid,” Angel said. “We’re going to have to remove that part. I’m not going to travel with walking Vyrg bait.”
Vanessa’s face paled at the name of the monster. “They’re not here… are they? I thought Vyrgs stayed in the center of the desert.”
“They’re everywhere,” Angel replied. “They just don’t bother with lone humans often. There’s no reason to entice them by dressing up like a fairy, though.”
“You act as if you’ve seen a Vyrg.”
“I have,” Angel said flatly. “Watched it crush an entire caravan. They had some great artifacts.”
Vanessa gaped in horror. “You robbed them?”
“They were dead. It’s not like they needed the artifacts anymore,” Angel replied.
Before Vanessa could reply, Cowl raised a hand. They slowed to a stop. The strange Hunter’s wings retracted into their back and they touched down on the sand. Angel hopped off his board and Vanessa’s twinkly shoes turned off.
“What’s wrong?” Angel asked.
“We’re far enough away from the city to speak without worrying about getting caught. And the Seeker is right – your skates need to go. You’re giving away our position to the entire desert.”
“Fine,” Vanessa said, a worried frown crossing her face. “But how do we get rid of the lights? I don’t think there’s an off switch.”
“We can break the lights,” Cowl said.
“Break them? But… I don’t have any others!” Vanessa’s face fell, but the blank gaze of Cowl’s mask was too much to argue with. With a sad sigh, she started to take her boots off.
“I can turn them off without destroying the skates,” Angel said. “It won’t take me long. Do you think we can spare the time?”
“Five minutes,” Cowl said, cocking his head. “You know enough about skates to modify them? You don’t even have your own pair.”
“I suppose we’ll find out,” Angel replied, taking the boots from Vanessa and turning them over. The bottom of each shoe had a thin strip of metal with several tiny valves and a canister. Miniscule lines ran from the canister, crisscrossing the sole.
Angel’s mechanical arm let out a hiss of steam and needlelike points emerged from his fingertips. His eyepiece dropped down and magnified the lines. He traced them from the canister, muttering to himself as his fingers fluttered over the shoes.
After a few moments, Angel nodded to himself. He reached into the bag at his side, digging around and pulling out a thin metal tool with a pointed tip. He channeled magic in his left hand and a small spark of blue light flared at the tip. Angel pressed it against one of the lines. He repeated the process on the other shoe, then handed them back to Vanessa.
