Eternal Rest

Back at the capital beneath the Adventurer's Guild, after days of interrogation, Guntar finally relented and spoke.

"That can't be all?" Rayne questioned skeptically.

"Look, man, I swear that's all I know. I wasn't in a position to refuse a gold ranker, so I did what I had to do! Alright?" Guntar replied defensively.

"No, Guntar, it's not alright," Rayne retorted, shaking his head. Guntar appeared relaxed as he spoke, as if the consequences of opening the tunnels and releasing the undead didn't weigh on him. He claimed he had no choice in the matter, blaming an old man named Silva for coercing him into accepting the deal. Guntar confessed to receiving hush money, which he spent recklessly on booze and brothels. Despite his disclosure, it seemed like Guntar's revelation didn't provide much substantial information. Guntar admitted he didn't know much about the old man - his origins or his intentions. Rayne was left with little to work with, and he suspected Guntar hadn't divulged everything.

"He's hiding something. I'm sure of it! A few more days in the cell should make him spill out everything," Rayne thought to himself.

"Enough, Guntar. A few more days in the cell should make you spill out everything!" Rayne declared before turning and exiting the cell, leaving Guntar behind, bewildered.

"I did tell you everything… a few more days is all I needed anyway," Guntar mused.

"So? How'd it go?" Belle inquired the moment Rayne returned to his office. He shook his head, his expression betraying a sense of disappointment. "He talked. Said he told us everything, but nothing that would lead us directly to Silva."

"Oh...do you think he's lying? Maybe I didn't press him hard enough?" Belle questioned.

"No, you did fine Belle," Rayne reassured her, though guilt lingered in his voice. "I'll let him cool off in a cell for a few more days."

"Shouldn't we report him to the guild?" Belle suggested.

"No! Not yet…sorry, Belle. We will after we get the information I need. Okay?" Rayne pleaded.

Belle nodded her head. She understood how much finding Silva meant to Rayne. Though she didn't know all the details, she knew enough to want to help him in any way she could.

Ever since the attack on Westbrook, Rayne hadn't been himself. The incident likely brought back memories of the night his father died. He had been under immense stress lately. Kidnapping Guntar wasn't their usual approach. As representatives of the Adventurer's Guild, there were proper methods and channels they were supposed to follow. Not that they never resorted to alternative means, but not to this extent.

Later that night, in the dungeons beneath The Guild, a swish was heard followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. The clicking of steps echoed down the corridor until they stopped in front of Guntar's cell. "Doesn't look that bad," a meek voice said from behind the prison cell doors. Guntar slowly lifted his head and smirked.

"Once you get used to it, it's quite refreshing," he replied.

The jingling of keys was heard, and then the door unlocked. Trevak casually stepped in. "I've been gone for a week, and look at the mess you've got yourself into?"

"Ah, it... wasn't my fault?" Guntar said, sounding more like a question than a statement. "You're back early..."

Trevak nodded. "Come, let's get you out of here. We're leaving the city tonight. I have a safehouse ready, but it will take us a few days to get there."

"That's nice. I didn't know you had that kind of connection! Maybe you should be the boss!?"

"You're speaking nonsense... and no thank you. With a pretty face like mine, no one would take me seriously."

Guntar snorted, and with Trevak's help and under the guise of the guard, they sneaked out of the dungeons and then out of the Adventurer’s Guild.

Early the next morning, Belle found dead guards in the dungeons and an empty cell. "Well, poop…"

"Is he dead - gone or gone - gone?" Rayne asked after Belle rushed into his office and delivered the news.

"He's... the disappearing kind of gone - gone! How bad is it?" asked Belle, obviously worried about the whole ordeal.

"Damnit! I told them many times that bronze rankers aren't enough of a security in the dungeons!"

Rayne saw her distressed and tried to diffuse the situation. "It's bad, but better he disappeared than died in our cell. Have a wanted poster commissioned."

"Already done, sir!"

"Good girl. Come, we need to have a message sent to Veeno in Westbrook at once," Rayne said, motioning Belle to follow.

"Veeno? Is it about what Guntar said?"

Rayne stopped in his trek and turned. "Yes. Guntar didn't say much, but the interrogation wasn't without merit. You know what? You go ahead and send a message while I'll go and deal with our superiors blowing this out of proportion."

Belle nodded. "Okay, Rayne. What should the message say?"

Rayne thought for a moment and once he formulated his thoughts, replied. "Tell Veeno to take a group of his most trusted men and explore the tunnels. I'll mark the location of the entrance. And…tell him to be careful! He should expect an encounter with the undead, but he should also be prepared for the unexpected. Once he clears the tunnels, he should report back his findings."

"Consider it done, sir!" Belle replied and turned to leave when she heard Rayne suddenly add: "You did good, Anabelle. I'm proud of you."

She stopped, frozen in her steps, a shiver running down her spine. She couldn't hide her stupid wide grin, so she didn't turn around. Instead, she raised her hand and gave him a thumbs up. Rayne laughed at her uncool pose, the sound echoing through the halls of the guild. A red-faced Belle hurriedly left the room.

The guild boasted a dozen gold rankers, each one invaluable in their own right, a fact Rayne knew all too well. He was particularly aware of their worth as the apprentice of one of the kingdom's strongest men, his master and the current guild leader, Fluvis Frose.

"What the hell did you do? We have dead guards on our hands, and even worse, you let that man escape!!" An elderly man shouted, pacing back and forth in his office. His name was Gustav, and he was a member of the bureau. The same man that berated Rayne after the attack on Westbrook. "This was the last straw! I will see to it that you are expelled from the guild! You hear me?!"

Rayne leaned in closer to the man and said, "Why in the world would I give a flying fuck? I have my own guild. I'm not here wasting my time in the adventurer guild because I want to, but because I was needed! So you can shove your seat in the guild right up your-"

cough cough A loud cough made both of them pause and turn to the doors.

"That's enough of you two," Fluvis interrupted, entering Gustav's office and putting an end to their bickering. Their arguing could be heard out of the office and down the hallway, for all to hear.

sigh "I'm sure Rayne had his reasons for undertaking such a risk and taking matters into his own hands, right kiddo?" Fluvis sternly asked.

Rayne realized the importance of justifying his actions, especially given the gravity of the situation. Armed with the information extracted from Guntar, he proceeded to do just that.

"The interrogation of the suspect involved in the Westbrook assault strongly suggests that a faction of the undead, raised near Westbrook, remains active in the tunnels beneath the city. Consequently, I've dispatched my men to investigate and provide a thorough report."

Gustav, visibly skeptical, responded with a disdainful grunt. "And how reliable do you believe this information to be?" he questioned.

"We'll see, won't we?" Rayne retorted, exchanging a meaningful look with Fluvis. Gustav snorted in response, threatening that this wasn't the end of the matter. He vowed to dispatch Roselyn and her men to the tunnels, insisting they "get the job done!"

Rayne clenched his teeth but maintained his composure, replying with forced acquiescence, "As you wish." With Gustav storming out of the office, his agitation evident, he left Rayne and Fluvis alone in the room.

Awkward silence filled the room until Master Fluvis was the first to break it. "How is it that you have such a temper? A man of your position, a gold ranker, and what’s more, someone specializing in Ice magic shouldn't have such a temperament!"

"I'm... young?" Rayne replied, not coming up with a better excuse.

Fluvis paused for a moment, then chuckled. "You're quite right. I often forget how young you actually are! Back in my day-"

"I'm leaving," Rayne interjected, and proceeded to exit the office.

"Wait, Rayne! This is important!" the old man called after him, following him out.

On the same day, Veeno, accompanied by a group of guild operatives, covertly entered the tunnels beneath Westbrook to commence the not-so-secret operation of locating the remnants of the undead army. Several hours later, Roselyn, a gold rank branch guild leader, herself ventured into the tunnels with a small group of companions.

In a discreet tavern tucked away in the western district of the capital, Silva and Tivaara descended via a private manavator, accessing the Underground with utmost secrecy. The Hounds' ownership of the tavern, acquired years ago, provided a strategic gateway to their covert operations.

Exiting the manavator, they navigated through an abandoned alley that led to a bustling intersection, where the underground streets bustled with activity. Unlike the well-lit city above, the underground was veiled in darkness, illuminated sporadically by the faint glow of manaposts and distant crystals adorning the ceiling. Within this shadowy realm, an eclectic mix of dubious characters engaged in covert exchanges and the trade of illicit goods, all under the watchful eye of the Assassin’s Guild, which held sway over the clandestine affairs of the Underground.

After entering the bustling street, Silva and Tiv halted before a nondescript building and made their way inside. Inside, the air was thick with smoke, and patrons filled the tables, indulging in drinks and cigarettes. A low, mellow tune floated in the background as the bartender, wiping a glass behind the bar, gave the newcomers a nod of recognition. In response, they reciprocated with a subtle nod before proceeding past the bar and through the doorway leading to the basement entrance.

This building served as another clandestine refuge for the Hounds, functioning as their primary base of operations. In the depths of the hideout's basement, a pale, emaciated figure with blackened veins crisscrossing his body lay upon a bed. Beside him, a medic meticulously reviewed data in his notebook. Upon hearing approaching footsteps, he swiveled to face the newcomers.

"Ah! Silva, Tivaara, it’s been a while!" The medic greeted the two warmly.

Silva greeted him with a nod, while Tiv offered a silent acknowledgment before stepping aside and leaning against the wall.

"How is he, Bert? Any better?" Silva inquired.

The medic, Bert, shook his head solemnly. “Afraid not. I’m surprised he lasted this long. The ritual was too much for his body to handle. This is way beyond mana poisoning." Bert motioned for Silva to get closer and continued, his voice grave. “Mana within his body is corrupted and is ravaging his body from the inside. His body is breaking, falling apart! Look at this.” The medic pointed towards the missing hand.

Silva clicked his tongue in disapproval, observing the stump in place of a hand.

“It fell off… The corruption is spreading fast and I cannot stop it. It’s already too late.”

Silva let out a heavy sigh. The man hadn’t been with them for long, and though he had grand ambitions, he was still a valuable member of the Hounds. “A shame, really. Any chance he turns into one of them?”

The medic adjusted his glasses, meeting Silva's gaze. “Undead? Impossible. An abomination? Low chance. It’s more likely he’d turn into one of the corrupted ones, but we’ll end it before it gets to that.”

Cultivating impure mana like the necromancer did and neglecting to filter it through Meditation was the primary cause of mana poisoning. While rare, when it occurred, one of the most dreaded outcomes was for the infected to become corrupted and eventually transform into an abomination. Corrupted mana had another name seldom spoken among the living, as it was closely associated with the Netherrealm: Chaos mana. As its name suggested, it was volatile, destructive, and diametrically opposed to pure mana. Chaos mana served as the catalyst for the creation of undead and demons alike.

Silva nodded grimly. The presence of the corrupted in the capital would undoubtedly unleash chaos. It was a shame, indeed. With his demise, their mission faced a setback, albeit a temporary one. They had strategically left the Risen in the tunnels, knowing the necromancer couldn't control them all at once. Now, they lay dormant, but it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon them. Nevertheless, they had taken precautions to mitigate the fallout if that were to occur.

"We did as much damage with the undead army as we could. He did well. Has he woken up? Said anything?"

"Well, he did wake up briefly. Said something incoherent and fell asleep again. He’s been like this ever since. Oh, he did ask to see the newcomer, Bones was it?"

Silva raised an eyebrow. "Bones? What in the world would he want to see Bones for?"

The medic shrugged and remarked that his patient’s head wasn't screwed on straight.

"I’ll try and ease the pain as much as possible but…we should think about ending his suffering," Bert said, but was interrupted by a raspy voice beside him whispering, "No!…not yet."

Bert escorted Silva and Tiv out of the basement, and they parted ways. Bert returned to the basement, while Silva and Tiv headed off to an undisclosed location.