At that statement, the Emir moved to rise, a guard stepping forward to offer his arm. The old man struggled to his feet with wheezing breaths and gripped his staff, leaning most of his weight on the ornate instrument. Then he turned his eyes back to Finn. “The champions are all meeting at the northwestern gate. Join them when you are ready to depart.”
The Emir began to shuffle away but stopped only a moment later. He turned back to Finn. “One last thing; while I admire your humility, do not let it blind you. You were not born to this world and do not fully understand its trials. I assure you that your opponents will not show any mercy.”
Then the old man walked away, swiftly encircled by his guards. That left Finn and his companions standing alone in the garden with their thoughts, a heavy silence lingering in the air as they tried to process the next stage of the competition and the Emir’s words.
Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Finn watched as the Emir walked away. His thoughts were troubled. There was something about this whole encounter that had felt… off. Perhaps it was how easily the Emir had seen through his ruse. But that seemed to only be part of it. This had been a test of some sort, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a much deeper game at play.
“Well, shit,” Kyyle said, breaking the silence. “I can’t say that I feel any better about this.” This was met with a soft snort from Julia and Abbad’s usual stoic silence.
Finn could only nod. He had a suspicion that things were about to get interesting.
Chapter 7 - Prepared
When the group arrived at the northwestern gate, they were met with a chaotic scene. Royal guards had cordoned off the gate, creating a line of heavily armed men that effectively locked out the city’s residents – a gesture that seemed rather pointless since the townsfolk did their best to stay well away from the guards and avoid eye contact.
Abbad slowed as they approached the line of guards, turning to Finn. “This is where I must leave you.”
“Oh, darn,” Julia commented sarcastically. “What ever will we do without your energizing personality to keep us entertained?”
Abbad simply gazed at her, his expression impassive.
“It’s not really any fun when you don’t react,” she grumbled under her breath.
Finn rolled his eyes, offering the librarian his hand. “Thank you for your help, Abbad.”
“It is my duty, nothing more,” the librarian answered. As he accepted Finn’s grip, Abbad pulled him close and whispered in his ear. “Protect that tome.” Finn’s eyes widened, filled with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
Then, just as quickly, the librarian released him. Abbad nodded at Julia and Kyyle and gestured at the Mage Guild guards. The group soon set off toward the east.
Finn watched them walk away, his thoughts troubled as he tried to process what Abbad had told him. The librarian’s unusual parting message aside, he supposed he should feel relieved. In some ways, he had finally obtained what he wanted. He was now free of the guild’s influence, at least momentarily. Despite how grueling his introduction to this world had been, it felt like the training wheels had finally been removed – leaving him with an unsettled feeling in his stomach.
“So, what was our favorite sour-faced librarian’s parting words?” Julia asked, interrupting Finn’s thoughts. “Wait, let me guess! I bet it was something touching and personal.” She rubbed at her chin. “Did he finally reveal the contents of his butt scroll?”
“I was going to go with declaring his undying love for Finn,” Kyyle quipped in return. “The guy sure seems obsessed with him.”
Julia’s eyes went round in mock surprise. “You’re right. Wait, do you think… do you think he gave Finn a special library card?” The pair proceeded to break down laughing.
Finn just sighed. “Really? Are you both done?” He glanced at Julia, who was rubbing tears from her eyes. “What’s your problem with Abbad anyway? He’s been nothing but helpful since I arrived here.”
Julia shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t trust him.” A grin crept across her face. “Or maybe I’m just jealous of all of that sweet, sweet librarian love you’ve been getting.”
Finn let out another sigh and just walked away, heading toward the line of purple-liveried guards. Maybe Julia and Kyyle were following – or maybe not. He was starting to wonder if he should have picked some older and more serious companions.
As he approached the line of guards, a man stepped forward. He appeared to be in his forties, his hair cropped short, and his skin a weathered tan that spoke of a lifetime spent in the desert sun. “Guard Captain, Altair,” he barked in greeting, bowing his head. “You must be Finn.”
“Uh, yes,” Finn replied cautiously, not certain how the guard had identified him.
“The Emir sent a runner ahead with your description,” Altair explained curtly, addressing the confusion on Finn’s face. “And these are your two companions?”
“Yeah, this is Julia and Kyyle,” Finn said, waving at each in turn.
Altair nodded. “Alright, come with me, and we’ll get you mounted. We’re nearly ready to head out.” The guard captain turned on his heel and headed through the line of guards, who parted before him.
The heavily armed men and women inspected Finn curiously as he passed, their eyes looking him up and down. It seemed his reputation must have traveled outside the guild’s walls. Or maybe they were just curious about the champions. Although the way their hands hovered near their weapons poked some holes in that theory.
Behind him, Finn heard Kyyle whisper to Julia, “Uh, what did he mean by mounts?”
They didn’t have to wait long to find out. As they passed the line of guards and rounded the wall of a nearby building, they saw that the narrow entrance to the gate was filled with dozens of massive black creatures that resembled beetles. They were nearly seven feet tall, their bodies stretching approximately ten feet in length. They each walked on six long, gangly legs, their limbs flattening into broad, almost paddle-shaped feet. Saddles had been affixed to their backs, along with packs and supplies.
However, the over-sized bugs were dwarfed by the creature in the center of the group. Finn found himself staring at what he could only assume was the “mother of all beetles.” The monster was almost thirty feet long, and its chitin shell rose more than a dozen feet into the air before flattening into a broad surface. On that living platform, the guards had erected a covered awning and a railing. Finn could already make out several guards stationed on the creature’s back, bows slung over their shoulder. Several more carried staves, which marked them as casters.
Meanwhile, Kyyle had already shaken off his shock. He was tapping at the air, his eyes darting between the beetles and a screen that Finn couldn’t see. The young earth mage must have been taking notes on their guards and new mounts.
Altair wasn’t oblivious to their stares. “The smaller male Dune Beetles serve as good mounts, but they only respond to the commands of their queen,” he offered, gesturing at the massive creature. “So, we’re forced to bring a female on every excursion. Luckily, the males will do almost anything to protect their queen, so they’ll encircle the larger beetle in the case of an attack, creating a natural defensive position.”
“How large do they get?” Kyyle asked. “Are these mature?”
Altair tilted his head as he looked at the young man. “About this big and yes.”
“How do they attack or defend themselves? What do they eat? What about mating?” Kyyle shot off in rapid-fire sequence. “You mentioned that they were matriarchal—”
“And here are your mounts,” Altair interjected, cutting Kyyle short with an irritated glance. The guard captain waved at a cluster of three beetles near the back of the group. “As you can see, they’ve already been saddled, and the Emir has ordered that all three champions be provided with basic rations and supplies – apart from what you can carry, of course.”
Altair turned back to Finn and his companions. “Any question
s?” He immediately raised a staying hand as Kyyle opened his mouth. “Does the champion have any questions?” he clarified. Kyyle frowned.
Finn sympathized with his young friend. He had plenty of questions – although perhaps they weren’t all created equal. There were only two questions right now that warranted Altair’s time.
“Where are we heading, and how long will it take to get there?” Finn asked.
Altair nodded, respect shining in his eyes. Clearly, this was a man who appreciated blunt pragmatism. “We’re heading to the Abyss, which is located a couple hundred miles to the northwest of the city. Depending on whether we encounter any issues, the journey should take two days, give or take.”
Finn glanced at the beetles as they waddled about on their odd feet. Two days for these fat lumbering creatures to travel a few hundred miles? Finn could practically feel the questions radiating off of Kyyle as the young man’s eyes darted back and forth between the beetles and Altair… Yet Finn shook his head. There was no sense rocking the boat. Some answers would come in time. Growing old sucked, but at least it had taught him patience.
“Alright, then we just need a few minutes to get settled, and we’ll be ready to head out,” Finn finally replied.
“Good,” the guard captain said. “You have 15 minutes. Stow your belongings and get mounted. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”
With those parting words, Altair left them to it.
“It’s going to take me at least fifteen minutes to figure out how to climb this thing,” Kyyle muttered, staring at one of the beetles.
Julia snorted at him, jumping up the creature’s chitin legs with nimble, fleeting steps before settling in the saddle on its back. “It’s really not that hard,” she taunted from her new perch.
“Show off,” Kyyle retorted with a small smile.
Finn was distracted from their banter by a scratch of metal on metal. He cocked his head, listening for the noise above the din of talking soldiers and the thump, thump, thump of insect feet striking sand and stone.
Then he heard it again; the noise was unmistakable and out of place.
Finn scanned the beetles and soldiers around him, stepping away from Kyyle and Julia as he hunted for the source of the noise. He soon found it. Mechanical, spiderlike creatures about the size of a dog wandered around and beneath the beetles. They had eight whirring limbs attached to a flat metal torso. It didn’t take Finn long to notice the spider-like creatures were funneling toward a single location a dozen yards away.
He stooped to inspect one of the spiders as it shuffled past, noting that it was hauling a bag that rested on its torso. Maybe they were being used to help transfer equipment to the beetles? Up close, he could make out the gears beneath the metal casing that protected its body, the cogs grinding and shifting with each movement.
“Interesting. What do you run on?” Finn murmured to himself.
“Checking out one of our Mechanids?” a voice spoke up from behind Finn.
Whirling, he found himself facing a woman. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, her bright-green eyes framed against olive skin. Her gear was unusual compared to the others. She wore a simple tunic and trousers, but the clothing had been customized. Additional pockets had been sewn into the material, and the joints had all been reinforced with thick fabric. Topping it all off, she had a massive bag slung across her back, the pack overly large for her slender frame.
“They are certainly interesting,” Finn replied warily. “I was just wondering what powered them – first time seeing something like this.”
The woman nodded. “The answer is pretty simple,” she replied. “Although, it’s probably easier to just show you.”
She approached the Mechanid, and it immediately slowed to a stop, seeming to sense her presence. The woman crouched beside it, yanking a tool from one of her pockets. She tapped at the instrument, and alternating attachments shifted to the top, allowing her to loosen the bolts attaching the cover to the Mechanid and then pry it free. Her hands were a blur, and within only a few seconds, she had stripped off the metal casing, revealing an intricate system of gears contained within the creature’s torso. Suspended in the center was a single glowing crystal the size of a golf ball that gave off a bright-yellow light.
“They’re powered by mana crystals,” she offered, pointing at the gem.
“Fascinating,” Finn murmured, leaning down to inspect the creature more carefully. His fingers itched to take the thing apart, but he resisted… barely.
Although, the Mechanid and the strange young woman raised a different question. He had seen this sort of mechanical technology twice already – both with Charlotte and when Abbad had forced him to witness the purge of that air mage’s mana. It had also become abundantly clear that only one group was responsible for crafting within the city.
“You’re with the Merchant Guild, aren’t you?” he asked, glancing at the woman out of the corner of his eye. “Which I suppose would make you their champion.” That last part was more statement than question.
A smile tugged at her lips. “I suppose it would.” She offered a hand – strangely her left – gripping his hand and wrist with surprising strength. “My name’s Kalisha. I take it that you’re Finn?”
“Seems everyone here knows me already. Although, I guess that makes the introductions easy.”
She cocked her head as she began to reassemble the Mechanid. “Word travels quickly within Lahab. We’re a relatively isolated city, our main exports being sand and gossip. As a traveler, that may have you at a disadvantage.”
“In terms of gossip?” Finn replied.
Those green eyes flashed. “In terms of many things.” The tension left her eyes as quickly as it appeared. “But yes, it does mean you may have missed out on some of the more… interesting rumors.” She gestured at a group a dozen or so yards away.
Finn’s brow furrowed as he saw blue robes clash against more practical beige that the merchants tended to prefer. He soon recognized their owner as her cold eyes met his.
Vanessa.
The ice mage sniffed derisively and turned back to her mount. It seemed the Merchant Guild had been more than happy to woo the runner-up in the mages’ competition. That didn’t bode well. Her illusions would likely be lethal in a group battle, particularly if they synergized well with the merchants’ talents. Finn would need to be wary of that group.
“I understand you two know each other,” Kalisha observed, following his gaze. “Although, I have to say, my first impression isn’t that you’re an arrogant, sadistic asshole.” She raised her hands defensively. “Not my words, of course.”
Finn snorted. “What can I say, some people hold grudges.” He glanced back at Kalisha, giving her a meaningful look. “And some people let their own pride get in the way.”
“Finally, a man with some sense. A rare sight around these parts,” Kalisha replied with a small, teasing smile.
Finn wiped off the dust on his hands and rose back to his feet, Kalisha following his lead, and the mechanical spider soon drifted off toward a row of nearby beetles. He’d decided to change the subject. “Well, thanks for showing me your mechanids. Although, I’m surprised you were so open about explaining how they work. You know, being competitors and all.”
Kalisha laughed. “The use of mana crystals isn’t exactly a trade secret around these parts. Besides, these are just being used to haul equipment. The design of more advanced logistics and weapon systems? Now those are a bit more proprietary.”
“Hmm,” Finn hummed to himself, watching the merchant. She seemed much more friendly than he had expected – especially after the Emir’s warning and having recruited Vanessa. “Even so, you don’t seem to mind that a traveler is participating in the Emir’s competition. Forgive me, but I wasn’t exactly expecting a warm reception.”
Kalisha shrugged. “Not everyone shares the same view. Besides, competitors or not, you may eventually become a customer,” she retorted, another smile drifting acros
s her face.
“Now that’s a mercenary attitude I can understand,” he said, matching her smile. “So, if you’re in the mood to share, what sort of gossip have I missed?”
Kalisha pointed at the far side of the courtyard where a cluster of beetles was stationed. Three serious-faced men stood nearby, checking their equipment and whispering quietly among themselves. Each carried a different weapon strapped to their back. “Well, I’m not sure this is much of a secret either, but our stoic friends over there represent the Fighter Guild. Their champion, Malik, is the one in the middle.”
Malik was a giant of a man, standing nearly seven feet tall, his body rippling with muscle. He wore loose flowing cloth, revealing inky black bands that wrapped around both arms and stretched up to his neck. Strapped to his back was a pair of wickedly curved swords, the steel oiled until it gleamed in the harsh sunlight.
“Oh, and don’t expect a friendly greeting from them,” Kalisha cautioned. “The fighters are normally rather standoffish – even when they’re looking to make a purchase – but they seem to be even more tight-lipped of late.”
As though he could hear them, Malik chose that moment to glance in their direction, his eyes briefly meeting Finn’s. He saw no fear in the fighter’s eyes, only a calm resolve. An instant later, Malik turned away, returning to his preparations without any other acknowledgment of Finn and Kalisha.
“Great. Looks like it’s going to be a fun trip,” Finn said in a dry voice.
“Now you understand why I don’t mind the conversation,” Kalisha said with a laugh. “Although, I do need to get back to it. Feel free to seek me out during the journey. I’m not above making some coin – the outcome of this competition be damned.”
“Not sure I have much in the way of money,” Finn shot back. “The Mage Guild doesn’t seem to pay that well – or at all.”
Kalisha just shrugged. “Merchants also accept payment in favors,” she offered with a wink before turning and walking back toward her group’s mounts.
Awaken Online- Flame Page 7