Riftside 3 - Chapter 6

The air in the Adventurer’s Guild Hall was thick with the scent of old parchment, stale sweat, and the low-grade despair of bureaucracy in a crisis. 

Harold Markwell sat in the common area, looking like a man being buried alive under stacks of casualty lists and requisitions. His eyes, webbed with red, didn’t even seem to register us as we approached.

“Harold,” I said, and he blinked.

“Ash. Umm, I already know the attack’s been beaten back, so unless you’ve found a way to un-kill our brothers, sisters, and fifty rift-rotten guards, it can wait,” he snapped, the tip of his quill scratching angrily across a form. “I’m busy.”

“This is about a new way to die,” I said, my voice low, and I waited for my words to register.

“Uh-huh,” he said, not yet looking up. “Do we truly need more?”

“Red-rated beast. Scouts ran legs raw, yelling ‘Steel Scrambler’ by Twisted Titan,” Knut said.

“Perfect,” Harold cursed under his breath, and the quill moved even faster. “Let me know if it’s attacking.”

“Say it’s bigger than Timberline,” Knut continued.

Harold’s quill snapped, spattering ink across the page. He threw the ruined halves down and finally glared at us. 

“A big crab. Wonderful. Add it to the pile, Ash. It can get in line behind the four gaping holes in our wall and the fresh graves we’re digging.”

“Give us a quest to hunt it, and you won’t have to add it to that pile of yours,” I said, crossing my arms.

Harold sighed, the sound a gust of pure exhaustion. 

“Ash, I appreciate the report, but right now—”

“That threat will be dealt with,” a voice like grinding stones echoed from the back of the Guild. “But not by you.”

Tarn Vos slammed the door of Harold’s office closed behind him. He stood braced on a steel-tipped cane, his chest and arm bound so tightly beneath his tunic that he looked like a statue threatening to crack. 

“You sold me a vision, Aldrich,” he began, each word clipped, his cane thudding against the floorboards as he approached. “Strengthen our numbers with fresh blood. Widen our shield wall. An inspired little speech. So excellent, in fact, that I’ve decided to incentivise you four to be among the first to implement it. Show the other parties the wisdom of our little plan.”

I was glad Roq was in my spatial, sparing me his howls of outrage.

“You will not hunt,” Vos said. “You will not raid. You will not so much as spit in the direction of that Rift until your party has taken on a greenhorn and dragged them, kicking and screaming, through a breakthrough.”

“It’s only been a day,” I clipped back. “Most of the scavengers were wounded in the battle. They’ll need time before undergoing the breakthrough.”

“Time?” Vos snapped.

“You are the one who talked of not sacrificing the young and doing things by the book,” I said. “Processes. Right?”

“And you talked me into accepting a desperate plan to avoid Dawnwatch being overrun,” Vos said. “You lit this damn fire, Aldrich. Convinced me that boosting one scavenger and putting them into established parties can overcome the challenges. So you will not abandon the plan to go chasing glory. You will set the example to the other groups. Now, tell me. Who do you choose as your fifth?”

This was no longer an offer. It was an order. 

“We have decided on someone, though we haven’t made the offer yet,” I said. “Enar Silker. Town Guard and scavenger.”

“Silker?” Vos raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I haven’t heard of him. Must be more guard than scavenger then? Why not pick one of the dozens of ambitious scavengers nearly at breakthrough?”

“He’s helped protect my family when Domitius thugs came calling, and got nothing but a cracked skull for his trouble,” I added, my glare fixed on Vos.

“Has loyalty,” Knut said. “Stands. Never run from battle. Good heart.”

“He fought on the wall until he got knocked unconscious,” Eryn said. “He’s selfless to a fault. You’d like him, sir.”

Nabeeh smirked. 

“Plus, he’s one of the few men in this town who hasn’t tried to hit on me, which shows excellent judgment.”

Vos’s gaze swept over us and the anger faded. 

“Loyalty. Courage. Judgment.” He gave a single, sharp nod. “Passable. So be it. Harold, Madeleine, give Aldrich whatever he needs from the reserves to make this guard an adventurer. Mind Gems and Class Gem. Put a rush on it.”

“Right away, sir,” Harold said and closed his eyes.

“Oh, and Aldrich?” Vos said.

“Yes?”

“Give him the finest equipment Steel & Scale has to offer,” he added. “Courtesy of the class gem you got, and which it doesn’t look like you’ve used yet.”

“Understood. And how many other parties have picked scavengers?” I asked, trying to deflect from the topic of my class gem.

“Two,” Vos said, shifting more of his weight onto the cane with a wince. “Shay and Manhua, though neither have moved towards the breakthrough, which is why I need you to show leadership. They all fear… failure.”

“Speaking of avoiding failure, sir. I’m level seventeen,” Nabeeh said. “While you’re feeling generous, with but a few handful of gems I could be ready for my own breakthrough within a few days. Less risk with an adventurer’s breakthrough, and a stronger mage makes for a stronger party, yes?”

Vos’s face darkened, his brief moment of approval evaporating. 

“No,” he said, his voice going cold. “Do you truly not grasp the position we are in? Did I stutter when I explained the stakes? This is not a fund to further empower your little clique. This is triage. We are not forging a single, perfect spear to throw at the heart of the enemy, Adventurer Sayani. We are desperately trying to hammer together a shield wall out of scrap wood and rusty nails. We need bodies. We need numbers. A concept your party leader, in a rare moment of clarity, seemed to grasp.” He turned his glare back to me. “Get it done, Aldrich. Then, and only then, you can bring me a proposal for a hunt. And it had better include at least two other parties. Fifteen adventurers for one red threat. Not a single person less.”

He didn't wait for a reply, turning his back on us and limping away, a ramrod-straight pillar of pain and authority.

“May the bells have mercy on us all,” Harold said, sighing. “You have really screwed us over this time, Ash, but what is done is done.” He turned to look over his shoulder. “And Madeleine, bring me another quill.”

*

“Time for Timberline,” Knut said with a yawn as we hit the street outside the guild. “Some drinks before I find pretty doctor and… offer help, ” he chuckled. 

“With what, exactly,” Nabeeh asked. 

Knut just wiggled his eyebrows, making the fire mage groan. 

“Men,” she said, though she smiled when she said it.

“Heya, Ash! Hey Eryn, and Nabeeh, and scary Knut!” Karl said, jogging along the street, likely heading home. 

“Hold up!” I said, and he slid to a halt. “I’ve got a task for you.”

“Anything,” the boy said, puffing up his chest and glancing up at Eryn and Nabeeh. “Need a scavenger?”

Knut laughed and ruffled his hair. 

“Do not fight before you can climb.”

“Huh?” Karl said, face scrunching up.

“Find Enar the guard,” I told Karl, holding up a silver coin. “Tell him we’re at the Timberline and I want to buy him a beer. It’s important.” 

I flipped him the coin.

He snapped it out of the air and his eyes widened upon recognising it as silver. 

“Oh, wow! You got it, Ash!”

“And Karl? Hey, hold up. Listen to me. If you can hold onto that coin for a whole week without spending it, and you bring it back to me, I’ll give you another one to go with it.”

His face lit up with the challenge. 

“I can do that! I won’t spend it, I swear!” He pocketed the coin and sprinted off, a small whirlwind of purpose.

“A week of patience is worth double. That’s a good lesson,” Eryn said, sliding her hand into mine, her fingers warm.“Will you teach the same to our kids someday?”

“Yes,” I said and squeezed back. She bit her lip as she looked up at me. “More than once it looks like.”

“Come on,” Nabeeh said. “I need a drink to dull my senses. Watching you two is giving me a toothache.”

The Timberline seemed like a tomb. There was none of the usual boisterous laughter and shouting, just a low murmur. Johan moved between tables with grief etched on his face. He’d lost regulars in the attack, some of which were genuine friends. We all had. 

When he brought us our drinks, it was without his usual jokes, just a tired nod of acknowledgment.

“New weapon?” he asked, nodding at Roq who I’d set on the table.

“Nope,” I said. “That’s Roq. I just upgraded him. Reforged. Wanted a spike to better penetrate armor, and a longer haft for, you know, more reach.”

“Smart,” Johan said. “I’ll be right out with pie and milk for the hammer.”

“Warhammer,” Knut corrected.

“Warhammer,” Johan said, nodding. “Got it.”

“Excellent,” Roq said. “Now I can finally change into my true form and actually taste pie!”

“Not a chance!” Eryn hissed under her breath. “You do that and I’ll place an arrow between your eyes!”

“Stay warhammer,” Knut growled.

“You better not ruin our favourite tavern by stomping around like a monster,” Nabeeh hissed too. 

“What?” Roq said, taken aback at the flurry of verbal attacks. “This is tyranny! I demand to assume my Primal Form and enjoy these delicacies! It is my right as a king!”

“A giant, rage-filled lizard-monster appearing in a tavern full of grieving, armed drunk adventurers and guards is a catastrophically bad idea, your majesty,” I said, keeping my voice low, before taking a long drink of my ale. 

“If you get us banned,” Knut said, “No more pie. No more milk.”

“There’s always Ma,” Roq said, haughtily. 

“No. More. Pie,” Knut said, glaring at Roq. “Tavern gives free beer. Don’t mess with beer, warhammer. Never.”

“Hmph. Fine. But you owe me double pie at home.”

Not long after, Karl arrived with a nervous looking Enar in tow. The guard still had his face bandaged, but he smiled when he saw us and waved.

“Hey,” Enar said, his eyes darting around our table. “Karl said you wanted to see me? Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine, Enar,” I said. “Better than fine. Sit down and have a drink. Johan, a round for our friend here.”

Enar sat, looking deeply uncomfortable under the focused attention of our party. “So… what’s this about? Am I in some kind of trouble?”

“The opposite,” I said, leaning forward. “You might have heard rumours that the Guild is looking to strengthen Dawnwatch after the catastrophe at Sentinel Station. It has been decided to give a few scavengers a chance to advance. Boosting them to classed adventurers.”

Enar nodded slowly. 

“I have heard. It’s great news for the town. We need to be stronger.” He took a sip of the ale Johan set before him. “But… what’s that got to do with me?”

“We get to sponsor one of those candidates, Enar,” I said. “And we want to offer that spot… to you.”

He choked on his ale, sputtering. 

“Me?” He looked around the tavern as if searching for someone else I might be talking to. “But… why? I’m just level five. There are dozens of scavengers better than me. Garret, Nina… they’re stronger, faster, and well, you know, tougher?”

“Strength and speed can be gained with gems,” Eryn said gently. “Loyalty can’t.”

“You stood on wall when could be safe,” Knut grunted. “You fought.”

“You bled for us,” I finished. “You didn’t take a bribe, and you didn’t run. That’s the kind of person we want at our back. We’re offering you a chance to join our party.”

Enar stared into his mug, his knuckles white. The hope warring with disbelief on his face was a painful, beautiful thing to watch. 

“Join… your party?” he whispered. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes,” Nabeeh urged. “But know this. We have our conditions.”

He looked up, his fear giving way to a desperate resolve. 

“I’ll do anything.”

“We’ve got the melee fighting covered with me and Knut,” I explained. “So, we can’t sponsor you for a warrior or tank breakthrough. What we need is a mage, a healer, a ranged specialist… some kind of support. When you close your eyes, Enar, what kind of adventurer do you see?”

For the first time, a flicker of a dream lit Enar’s tired eyes. He took a deep breath. 

“A Healer,” he said, his voice barely a whisper, but filled with a conviction that silenced the table.

“A…healer?” I said with a raised eyebrow after a long moment.

He stared into his ale as if seeing a ghost in its murky depths. 

“I… I’d thought about it before,” Enar began, his voice rough and evenhesitant. “What I’d want to be. But during the tunnel attack… that’s when I knew.” He swallowed. “My friend, Corvan… we joined the Guard on the same day. He has—had—two little girls. Never shut up about them.” A pained smile flickered across his lips and vanished. “You might remember him, Ash. Tried to stop you from climbing the scaffolding once. When the Splinterbacks started firing, we were holding the line at the breach. A volley came over. Nina and I hunched behind a shield. Corvan… he was a half-step too slow.” Enar instinctively touched his own stomach. “Took a quill right in the gut. Didn’t even make much noise, just this… awful, wet sound.”

“Bad wound,” Knut said, nodding knowingly.

“True. We dragged him behind a pile of shattered wall, but the healers were completely overwhelmed. There was… just all this blood. It was…, Ash, it smelled like hot copper. I held his hand, trying to put pressure on the wound with my other. Nina went back to hold the line, asking me to come, but he was fading so fast. Just kept looking at me, asking if help was coming, and I…” Enar’s voice cracked, and he had to stop. “I lied to him. I told him to just hold on, that they were on their way. But I knew he wouldn’t make it, and I felt his life just… soak into my gauntlets. All I could do was lie to a dying man.”

“Enar,” Eryn said, putting a hand on his. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too,” I said, letting out a deep breath. “A lot of good people died.”

“I was useless,” he choked out, his voice thick with shame and fury. “I can hold a shield, but I couldn’t stop him from dying. My children… this town… we’re drowning in people who can break things. We need more who can mend them. If I get one choice in this rift-damned life, I choose that. I want to be the reason someone else’s family gets to see them again.”

Johan cleared his throat, having paused his work to listen, and he gave the scavenger a nod of newfound respect.

“His spirit is steadfast,” Arclight purred. “A worthy choice, wielders.”

“A Healer, huh?” Roq mused. “A noble, if tactically questionable, ambition. Very well. You have been chosen by the companions of a King. Do not squander this honor, youngling. Your purpose is now to assist me in my glorious quest for vengeance… and to make sure my wielder doesn’t get himself killed before I reach my next breakthrough.”

“Then it’s settled,” I said, raising my mug. “We will sponsor you to become a classed healer, and when you do, we’ve got a spot with your name on it.”

“I might even be a bit jealous,” Eryn said. “But by the bells, I understand your need.”

Enar looked up, a real, genuine smile breaking through his weariness. “Thank you. All of you. I won’t let you down. When do we start? I’ll be ready tonight if you need me to be.”

Eryn smiled gently. 

“We admire the enthusiasm, Enar. But how are your wounds? Veyron cracked you good, and you took some hits during the siege.”

“Your face still bandaged,” Knut said, nodding at the man’s face.

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “Doctor Ridley healed me up herself. Told me I should rest for a week, but… with so many dead, she looked the other way when I took up a post on the wall today. Said she needed every able body she could get.”

“Spoken like a true future patient of the doc,” Nabeeh said, wincing. “You’ll fit right in with us.”

Enar just squared his shoulders. 

“It’s not like the monsters are going to take a break and wait for me to heal. We have to be ready.”

“You are not wrong,” I said. “Which is why we’re starting now.” I drained my ale and stood, the legs of my chair scraping against the floorboards. “But the process of consuming the Mind Gems… you know it takes time, and your body can only handle so much at once.”

“I’m not average,” Enar said, his jaw set. “I’m ready for anything.”

A chill went through me. Our party exchanged a look, a silent, grim acknowledgment. Knut rubbed his chest, his eyes distant, not with memory, but with the ghost of agony. 

Enar had no idea what he was truly signing up for. The price of power wouldn’t be paid in coin or courage, he was about to pay up in pain.

“Good,” I said, forcing a smile and clapping him on the shoulder. He was determined, and I perceived that to be more important than anything for surviving the transformation. “Because your new life starts now. Come on. Let’s go get you some gems.”

I looked at his face, a mask of hope, determination, and a complete, blissful ignorance of the agony he was about to endure. We were about to give him the power to protect his family, but first, we had to break him.