Arc 2: Chimera

Chapter 16: Shifting Sand Part II

 

Knowing that the searing heat was synonymous to the Extollan Wastes during the day, the frigid cold during the nights would catch you by surprise. However, like all the other inhabitants who made this desolate terrain their home, Paul wasn't caught off guard by the changing temperatures. Coats made from Black Wolf pelts were standard-issue for night wear in the Wastes, more so that the ebony-colored fur easily blended with the darkness, keeping them relatively safe from wandering nocturnal monsters.

Paul was accompanying half a dozen mercenaries employed by the Shifting Sand. They would be taking the role of the "bandits" for Paul's plan. Wrapping up their party of eight was an informant high up in the guild's ranks, with a special "Tracking" skill. All men, dressed in black garb, stealthily retraced the path taken by their quarry.

"That young master should be physically weak," commented Carlos, the informant from Shifting Sand. He was a man around his late twenties, with a pointed chin, dark skin, short brown hair and sharp black eyes. He smirked as he kneeled and rubbed some dirt off the ground. "Their pace is painfully slow, and they had to stop at least three times today."

Some of the hired "bandits" guffawed. "Then this will be an easy job!"

"Nothing beats getting free money from those noble upstarts."

"They only got two knights, yeah? What a joke…"

Paul frowned - there was nothing deadlier than overconfidence in the face of an unknown enemy. The young lord might not be gifted physically, but being accepted in the Academy meant that he had some talent for magic. Whether meant for offense and defense, it was likely he would give up without a struggle. Outnumbering the other side proved to be an advantage, but a careless mistake could be their undoing.

He would have liked to voice out his opinions, but as the lowest part-time underling with non-existent combat power, Paul kept his mouth shut. If he offended them, he could end up being left for dead with no one to care where he'd gone.

"We're near, so let's review the plan." Carlos reached out a hand to stop them, afterwards facing all of them with crossed arms and a watchful gaze. "You six will handle the knights, try not to injure them severely or else we'd get reported to the Magedom and you know what that means."

There were some grumbles and growls, but ultimately there was a semblance of reluctant agreement.

"While you keep the bodyguards busy, Paul and I will sneak into the tents. That young noble should be there, but it will be easy to catch him off guard with a Sleep Spell. Once he's unconscious, we can rummage through his belongings and figure out his identity. Nick a prize or two, if we're lucky."

The greed on the man's face was so obvious that Paul could only do his best not to let out a frustrated sigh. This was a very big shortcoming for illegal guilds - all members were driven by purely self-interest. Though, it wasn't like he had room to criticize - he was on this job for the extra money. Conscience and morality were superfluous for the so-called "wastes" living in this barren edge of the continent.

"Got it, everyone?" In response to Carlos' question, Paul nodded while the others grunted in assent. "Let's go then!"

The group quickly moved towards the nearest source of light - a campfire in the middle of the land. As they closed the distance, Paul could see the silhouettes of the male and female knight that once visited the White Chrysanthemum Inn just yesterday. The two seemed to be standing guard, staying still and silent as the night that beckoned the end of the day.

As the hired men prepared and got ready to approach and announce their presence, Paul suddenly shivered, his body covered by a sudden feeling of dread. There was something amiss in the scenery they just witnessed, and this sense of apprehension only grew deeper as seconds ticked by.

"Wait!" Paul grabbed Carlos' arm, only to be responded with an expression of suspicion. "Something's wrong… Why are the both of them on guard duty?"

Carlos tsked, taking his arm off the boy's grasp. "Who cares? Let the other guys deal with them. Just follow orders and don't be a burden."

The older man murmured something about "rookies" and "wasting time", but Paul was too agitated to listen carefully. Still, with his life at stake in more than one meaning, he could only follow Carlos as they moved in a circular direction, trying to sidestep the guarding the knights and reach the twin fancy tents pitched in the rear.

When they reached a large boulder that bordered the tents, Carlos quickly stretched an arm to stop Paul's movements. The boy knew that the guild agent was using a "Sense" Skill to take stock of the surroundings. He once wondered how Shifting Sand was able to expand their influence so quickly and so thoroughly and Martha replied that anything was possible with the right combination of people and their Skills. Paul knew that learning Skills was difficult without the right predisposition and physique, not to mention how difficult it was to find the right mentor. Training Halls were built for that purpose, but the countries strictly manage those establishments that only those with identities of nobles, soldiers or scholars were given access.

So how can a street rat like him learn a Skill to earn a living? Only through aligning with illegal organizations like Shifting Sand. It was dangerous, but you could get lucky - Carlos was a living testament to how someone could rise with just a few carefully chosen Skills.

"The nearest tent, there's a single presence there," said Carlos, taking out a steel knife. Though the weapon looked plain, a small engraving of blue letters on the blade told Paul that it was Enchanted. Enchanted tools could reproduce a single Magic Spell, though with only limited uses. The higher-ups must have thought highly of this operation if they decided to lend such valuable gear.

"It must be that noble boy. Stick to the plan, once we get the signal, I'll rush first and cast a Sleep Spell. You only need to stand guard outside, whistle twice when there's danger and we need to take off."

Paul nodded, trying to stifle the doubts rising inside his chest. Before he could even compose himself, a piercing roar bellowed a few meters away from them.

"There's the signal." Carlos quickly took action, disappearing from the view and into the tent that he pointed beforehand. As ordered, Paul stayed where he was, hiding behind the large rock while taking peeks every now and then.

Minutes passed by, but Paul could not see or hear anything afoot. He comforted himself by repeating over and over again that he was in the company of professionals. This wasn't the first time he tried to hoodwink travelers in the Wastes and every encounter had always been a resounding success.

The formula was always the same. Two parties - one sneaking in and getting what they wanted, the other causing a distraction by making as much as ruckus as possible. Yeah, the more noise they made, the more anxious the victims would be…

"Wait, noise…" Terror filled every one of Paul's nerves. "It's too quiet, why…"

A cheerful voice chirped from behind him. "Oh my, why indeed~"

As quick as a frightened rabbit, Paul bolted while puckering his lips to whistle. He only made one successful screeching sound when something wrapped around his legs, causing him to fall face first into the hard ground. He groaned in pain, as slithering sounds echoed around him. He could only cry as thick rope-like things bound him from his feet to the neck. Even his voice was stolen from him - the bindings even wrapped around his mouth.

Paul felt despairingly helpless as the ropes that tied him up moved and carried his body mid-air. The snake-like motions caused him bouts of nausea and tears started to form on his eyes. In just a few seconds, he was not floating upright yet haphazardly, caught by hundreds of emerald-colored vines.

Is this Wood Magic? Paul could only guess the nature of his captor's abilities. Speaking of which, that woman's voice was familiar…

"Oh my, why are you crying, my dear child? Is Mother's embrace too much? You will need to endure the discomfort until Lord Haruki comes and checks on us."

Standing in front of the incapacitated Paul was the middle-aged maid from the night ago. He could only stare in shock - why was such a powerful Spellcaster working as a servant? And what child, what mother?! This woman was as perverted and crazy as that time!

"Ah, don't look at me too much~" cried the maid, putting both hands on her cheeks, mocking Paul with the guise of a flustered maiden. "If you glare at me so sharply, Mother will get wet, and Lord Haruki will tell me off. Ohhhh, what a dilemma…"

Paul prayed hard that this "Lord Haruki" would hurry up and stop this mad woman from assaulting him!

"Ho, so this is the 'child' you were so proud about~"

A tall and lean figure approached them, with Paul recognizing him as the male knight from before. He felt even more despair, if this knight came here so leisurely meant the worst outcome - the bandits they hired were routed cleanly.

The maid looked incredibly displeased at the new arrival. "Urgh, what're you doing here?"

"Just making sure you won't get up to your usual antics," replied the knight, crossing his arms beneath his head, displaying the disposition of a lazy rogue. "I can't let Haruki see something obscene, after all. My beloved's eyes need to be protected."

The woman scoffed; her face disfigured so much that it chilled Paul to the bones. "I dare you to touch him, I'll show you something obscene - with you groveling on the ground!"

"Not interested," said the knight, shaking his head. Then, he turned to someone at the back, grinning widely. "Ah, Raven, nice to see you joining us at last."

Paul watched as the other knight moved closer, not a sound coming out from her lithe footsteps. "If Consort Monad had assisted me, I would have arrived earlier."

"Eh, it's not like I could help much. You know I don't possess Psychic Magic, can't do Mind Wipe like you and Haruki."

Paul's eyes widened. Mind Wipe? The middle-level Psychic Magic Spell that can erase and reconstruct a person's memories? Why go to that extent? What are these people planning? For once, Paul felt like he was the prey falling into the carefully hidden trap.

The female knight that was called Raven kept an emotionless face all the time. "I see. I do appreciate your work of keeping them restrained. It enabled me to accomplish the mission more efficiently."

"Ah, those guys were so frightened so I doubt they could do anything but gape and cry. That'd have made it easier for you to use Mind Wipe. I never knew our identities as Demons would scare them so much."

Demons? These people were Demons?! If not for the bindings tying him up, Paul would have fallen to the floor and faint in fear.

"From the information we've gathered so far, it appears that Demons are a rare sight in these parts. Most of the known Demon kingdoms lie to the northwest of the continent."

The knight that was named Consort Monad nodded. "Demons of Pride, Gluttony and Wrath, right? Living near them could very well be hell on earth."

"Lord Haruki says it is good that we at least know their location. They won't be a threat for us in the meantime."

"True. Envy, Sloth and Greed - the remaining three Factions are much more dangerous, especially since they are keen at subterfuge as our Sovereign. But Haruki seemed to think that they'll also be on the move soon."

The female knight had a happy expression on her face for once. "Indeed. Lord Haruki's wisdom is unprecedented, I am so glad I could serve him as his aide."

Paul had grown dizzy with the alarming amount of information he had been getting. Demons! These people were Demons, and they were encroaching in Human territories! That just meant one thing would follow them - Corruption! And he, like all the other Humans in Extollan Wastes, cannot live well in those bloated lands.

The Nit Magedom should know of the impending crisis. It concerned the survival of their own species!

"Are the Human Leaders really worth your loyalty?"

A soothing voice with a provoking question popped up, making Paul freeze his spiraling thoughts. He saw the young master - the leader of this group of Demons - finally emerge from the tent with an expressionless Carlos following dutifully like a puppy. No, there was something eerie about the blank face of the skilled informant - it was as if he had no will of his own!

"Welcome, Lord Haruki~" The maid looked giddy as she placed both hands on her well-endowed chest. "It seems that the Mind Control Spell went perfectly~"

"Yes," said the young man with a nod, but his eyes never left the bound Paul. "Though doing it two times in a row would be a little difficult, even for me."

Raven sneered at the captured boy, surprising him with the aggression that came out of nowhere. "I say we use Mind Wipe on him, too. We can give him to Lady Avon too, since she seemed to like him."

"That's the easy way out, for sure." The other knight cut in, crossing his arms with a newfound stern expression on his handsome face. "But remember our plans? We need to return our 'guests' in one piece. Each and every one of them. With a Mind Controlled spy mixed in, of course."

"This man, Carlos," stated the boy called Lord Haruki, pointing at the spiritless man beside him. "He's a direct subordinate of one of the Shifting Sand's top brass, Darwin. He will be very useful, but it's a headache keeping the Spell up at all times."

The next few words shattered Paul's world in an instant. "But that's where you come in, Paul."

Lord Haruki softly giggled, seeing the dumbfounded look in the other boy's face. Paul felt himself blush despite the precarious situation; his voice, his appearance, even the way he stands and looks at you tickled every one of his fancies.

"Aren't you tired, Paul?" The sound of the young master's voice soothed Paul like a lullaby, making him feel just how exhausted he had been. "Just because you were born out of wedlock, you had to be burdened with the prejudice and scorn of others. And it's not just you. Every year, more and more illegitimate children are born in the Wastes."

That was true. Life had been so unfair. It wasn't like Paul was asked to be born in this world…

"And it's not the prostitutes' fault, either. Martha, your mother, the employees in the Inn, they were only forced to fall into dire straits. If given the opportunity, I doubt they would take the same path as they did."

Yeah, that was true. It was the same for him, too. If he was given the chance to prove himself, maybe learn a Skill or two, he wouldn't have to live so poorly…

"You know what I think? It's the Human nobles who are at fault."

Paul's eyes glazed over, watching every move of the other boy's lips.

"They turn a blind eye, even though they extoll these so-called 'Virtues'. If the Nit Magedom truly expounds 'Wisdom', then they should have known that the mind rules over the body. When pleasure and desire are restrained, Humans will only rebel and revel at what is forbidden and forgotten."

At this point, the young master's blue eyes dimmed a deep dark - a color so profound and penetrating that it captured Paul's very soul.

"I can give you everything you want; you only need to dare dream beyond Human comprehension."