“Greetin-”

  The rough-looking dwarf at reception, his rich black beard tied in two thick braids, gave me a very suspicious look.

  “I’m sorry. I got attacked earlier today. Nearly escaped with my life.”

  I couldn't blame the dwarf for his suspicion, but I did hope he'd let me pass without making a fuss.

  Luckily, it seemed he bought my story, and the suspicious grimace was replaced with a bitter scowl, as the dwarf deeply sighed, mumbling under his breath something about the city going to hell those days.

  “Can I get a room for the night?”

  “2 silver, 5 copper.”

  Without question, I reached into my newly acquired pouch, which was hanging from my waist, containing most of my copper and silver coins, and paid the innkeeper.

  Under different circumstances, I would seek a long-term stay with better rates, but I firmly decided against staying here for longer than one night – there was no telling when the dead gang's patrons would start investigating, and the faster I left, the colder my trail would become once they inevitably come to the nearby inn with questions.

  “Dinner is still being served. Our roasted pork’s the best you'd find ‘round these parts, lad.”

  “Thank you. I'll give it a try.”

  After receiving my keys, I quickly went to my room, which wasn’t much different from the Blue Mushroom one, except the bed being stiffer and the floor being dirtier.

  After leaving my bag, I decided to head downstairs and have dinner.

  As I entered the large dining room, I earned a few looks, but those eyes did not linger long.

  The people gathered around the tables looked.. very much like you'd expect to see in a biker bar around the bad part of town, at least if bikes were invented before synthetic leather.

  Quite a few leather jackets, cheap linen clothes often stained with cheaper ale, plenty of tattoos, rough-looking faces and often muscular builds.

  There were also quite a few dwarves mixed in – four out of the two dozen or so people, which was about as many as I’ve seen in Pine Harbor throughout all my days there.

  I scanned the room for free tables, but even the small, two-person tables were occupied. However, at one such table, I saw a familiar face.

  “Mind if I sit?”

  “...Oh? No, of course not! I always welcome good company, ha ha!”

  The cheerful voice remained the same, yet it didn't seem he recognized me yet. Perhaps my voice sounded a bit too rough, and also distorted by the bandages.

  “Do you want to order?”

  The question, asked curtly and bluntly, came from my right, where a short dwarven woman stood. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I've seen one, but this was beside the point. Clearing my throat, I answered.

  “Ehem. I’ll have your.. roasted pork.”

  “One silver.”

  I handed the coin, which the waitress quickly pocketed, making her way to the kitchen.

  “Ah, I see you've heard of the local specialty! The pork here is indeed delicious. Best I've tasted, and I've tasted quite a few!”

  After throwing a quick glance around, making sure nobody was paying attention, I slowly leaned in towards the halfling, who looked at me in confusion.

  “Pinpin. Pretend you don't know me. I can't talk in the open right now, so come to room 7 after the meal – up the stairs and to the right, until the end of the corridor.”

  The growing confusion on the halfling's face was slowly replaced by recognition.

  “Seb-”

  His hand shot to cover his own mouth, as if remembering my words.

  With a big, energetic nod, he quickly got back to his own vegetable stew.

  Soon, my roasted pork arrived as well.

  The meat was tender and juicy, covered in some sort of sour-sweet sauce, served with a large, steaming baked potato.

  I could understand the praise for this dish – while it was expensive compared to anything similar in Pine Harbor, it was definitely worth its price, and the portion size was very generous, too.

  By the time I finished my meal, Pinpin was already gone. Knowing him, I made my way to my room, to find him loitering in the corridor, his face brimming with curiosity, just as expected.

  “Seb! What happened? Are you hurt? How did this happen?”

  Under the barrage of questions, I opened the door, lightly shoving the halfling inside, and going in myself before locking it again.

  “...Seb?”

  “Those bandages are fake. Well, the one on my left arm is real, but that's beside the point.”

  “Are you… in trouble?”

  The halfling's face showed genuine worry.

  “Not yet, at least. Although I'll leave this inn tomorrow, just to be safe.”

  “That sounds like you are in trouble!”

  “Anyway, how's life in the city?”

  Without denying his words, I change the subject.

  “It’s great! I've already found two taverns to perform at! I also..”

  His voice grew quieter.

  “Handled things with Lily, for the most part.”

  “Lily?”

  “Ah, that's the name of Timmy's sister.”

  The room grew quieter, as both of us lowered our eyes for a few seconds.

  “Did you give her the rest of the money?”

  “Goodness, no! I paid for the academy tuition, gave her a quarter of the rest, and she'll get the remaining money monthly, just like Tim wanted. Didn’t I already tell you this?”

  Come to think of it, I vaguely recalled he did.

  “Anything else of note?”

  “There wasn't really much else. It’s only been a week, after all.”

  “Ah…”

  With everything that's happened since he left on that caravan, which traveled for two weeks, and only arrived in Silverveil a week ago, I felt like it's been a few months since that funeral.

  “You sound like you have a lot to tell.”

  “...Amelia died.”

  “What?..”

  With a heavy heart, I recapped most of the things that happened between the time he left, and the time I arrived at the city.

  Of course, I reluctantly changed the story about Amelia to the one where she and the old priest were kidnapped by cultists, and didn't specify anything about the captives in the goblin camp mission.

  “My condolences.”

  “Three greater goblins? And a shaman behind it all?”

  “Those poor villagers…”

  The halfling listened to my stories without interrupting, only reacting at a few certain points.

  “And so, today I finally made it to the city.”

  “This wound on your shoulder – did you actually get attacked? Right in the middle of the street?”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Well, it wasn't exactly the street…”

  I began retelling my journey since arriving in the city.

  When I got to the point where I decided to turn into the alley, the halfling gave me a strange look.

  “...what?”

  “Seb… everybody knows to avoid dark alleys in big cities. This goes without saying for the slums, or anywhere Southern. I suppose that nice gentleman thought you'd know this.”

  “Well, I'm not from the city, so I wouldn't know this.”

  “Ah! That makes sense. That must be where you got in a fight, right?”

  I nodded my head.

  “To think those kinds of thugs made their home here, this far to the west! They must be getting brazen.. or, well, with what's going on in the Silverton estate…”

  His voice trailed off for a moment.

  “Anyway, I'm glad you managed to escape! I just hope you took the long way around – otherwise, those thugs will probably visit this inn soon- Oh! Is that why you are hiding your face?”

  “About that…”

  I wasn't sure how to put it, so I just put it bluntly.

  “They’re all dead.”

  A heavy silence, instantly descended upon the room.

  “Seb..”

  The halfling’s eyes were slowly filling with horror.

  “Don’t worry! I did my best to not leave any tracks, and I dragged the bodies back into the hideout. They won't be discovered toda-”

  “Was it a small gang?”

  Pinpin's face was solemn, his voice completely serious – a very rare sight, which I didn't remember seeing more than once.

  “Y-yes. Five members.”

  I couldn't help but be taken aback by his sudden shift.

  “And did they mention any parent gang? Any backers or patrons?”

  “They did mention a name. They called themselves Mad Dogs, and said their backers were the Crimson Shado- Hmph!”

  I couldn't finish my sentence, as the halfling's hands covered my mouth. His eyes were wide open in terror.

  “Seb…”

  “Was it really that bad?”

  “Maybe they just threw out that name…”

  “Pinpin?”

  “No, no! They wouldn't dare…”

  “Pinpin! Who are those guys?”

  My voice finally brought the bard out of his dazed state, as he looked into my eyes in a dazed gaze.

  “You need to leave the city.”

  “Can you at least tell me who they are first.”

  He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and spoke once again, the tension still evident in his voice.

  “They are among the ‘big three’ gangs in this city. And among them, they are the bloodiest, most cruel, relentless… More beast than men. They are not a big gang – the smallest one among the three. However, each and every one of their members is a Path-bearer, and some of the officers are rumored to be in Elevated ones.”

  “...Elevated? You mean they're very tall?”

  “...”

  The halfling was looking at me with shocked eyes, as if screaming ‘this is no time for jokes!’

  “I really don't know what that means.”

  The halfling sighed, before quickly explaining himself.

  “Path bearers are divided into four major ‘realms’, one for each 5 levels. The first realm is called “The Rising Realm”, and those within it are called Rising Path-bearers. Next are Elevated, or High Path-bearers, which not many can reach – much less so some underworld rats. But the.. the Scarl-let.. they have more than one!”

  His voice toned down to a whisper.

  “There's a rumor they are retired Raiders - the most vile sort of adventurers, secretly preying upon their peers rather than monsters or criminals. Whether it's true or not, their mad streak of slaughter four years ago, dying the streets red, earned them an unparalleled reputation in the underworld, rapidly elevating them to the same pedestal that the other two syndicates shared for decades.”

  His eyes shone with even greater fear than before.

  “And not only had the Gray Syndicate and Tainted Angels failed to crush them, but so did the city watch. In fact…”

  The halfling's voice became even lower, as he paused and quickly scanned the surrounding walls, as if looking for eavesdroppers, before leaning towards my ear.

  “...it's almost as if someone very high up, be it in the military or noble circles, is protecting them.”

  This… did sound very bad, actually.

  “How do you know all this?”

  “A bard is always on the lookout for new stories. Sometimes, the whispers you pick up at the tavern are of a different kind.”

  ‘Aight. Time to get the fuck out of here.’

  Of course, I still had to testify and get my residence permit, and in the meantime, I'd drop the sealed ore at that workshop – the one named ‘Iron Cog’ or something similar, which Goromir from the Crimson Anvil told me about.

  “Thank you for this warning. I'll leave the city as soon as I can.”

  I'd also have to go and apologize to Bern – although I owed him a favor, and the gold he offered me was tempting, staying here for long would be tantamount to throwing my life away.

  While I was sure those Crimson bigshots wouldn’t just abandon everything to avenge a 3rd rate gang, those guys did seem pretty capable, and killing that gang would be seen as a message – one that the Crimson Shadows would surely answer in kind.

  As long as I explained the situation, I was sure Bern would understand. At worst, I could return to pay off my debt if my soul was still intact in three years – or face a terrible fate before repaying it, in which case, I wouldn’t care.

  ‘Ah, right! The temple! The priest…’

  Perhaps in my attempts to keep the painful memories out of my mind, the fact that I had to visit Amelia’s master in the Sun Temple totally slipped my mind. Thankfully, I still had the token he sent me, resting deep in my backpack.

  ‘I have a few days. I think I can manage everything by the end of next week.’

  Given that today was Mercy (Saturday), I hoped to find my way out of the city, onward to Valor's End, by Mercy next week.

  “I’m glad you're taking this seriously. I.. wouldn't want to lose anyone else to carelessness.”

  The halfling's voice brought me out of my thoughts, as I realized I probably sat in silence for over half a minute.

  “By the way! Can I ask you a few questions?”

  “Sure thing, Seb! Ask away.”

  By the time Pinpin left my room, I learned a few things.

  The Steel Cog Workshop - whose correct name was written in my notebook - was most likely in Eastern.

  More specifically, while the southern industrial zone, stretching from the middle to the north-eastern edges of Southern, was focused on mass produced goods - as well as expensive industrial ones from a few specific factories - the south-western part of the eastern district was an unofficial continuation of it, but instead focused on high grade artisan goods, such as smithies and different types of workshops.

  I also learned that the major templates were all concentrated around the Plaza Of Devotion, in the south-eastern part of the northern district.

  ‘Come to think of it, I heard so much about the Sun Temple, but I never even asked her where it was..’

  Feeling a hushed sigh subconsciously escaping my lips, I focused on recapping my plan for tomorrow.

  First – Finally sell this ore at the Steel Cog. I'd also ask the owner to recommend a good smithy in the area, or a similar shop that would take care of my damaged equipment.

  Second – relocate to the Milky Leaf Inn, which was a not-too-expensive place in the northern parts of Eastern. It was considered a decent part of town, quite close to all my areas of interest.

  Third – Go to Northern, and report my relocation at the Ministry.

  Afterwards, I still needed to visit the Sun Temple, which was on the way, find and visit Bern's tavern, and finally – visit the Adventurer's Guild, which was also located at Northern, but to its southwest side.

  Apart from the Ministry, which was my first priority, and the guild, where I also hoped to find a proper training ground, the rest could wait for the next day, based on how much time I’d have left.

  ‘Speaking of training, it's a shame I can't do proper training in this small room.. and I really don't want to go outside tonight. Guess I'll have to count that fight as training, then.’

  Well, I did have another form of training I could do – right here and right now.

  Taking off my equipment, setting the sheath beside the bed like I always did, I closed my eyes, continuing my journey down Sebastian's memory lane.

  Only this time, the 3rd memory was different.

  Shortly after starting his meditation, the young Sebastian suddenly felt a very peculiar sensation – it felt as if the whole world around him was subtly shifting, like the surface of a calm sea, and if he reached forward with his hand, he would be able to create ripples..

  ‘Dad! I did it! I think I did it!’

  The excitement shone through the young teenage voice.

  ‘You did? Tell me, how does it feel?’

  ‘It’s like!.. Like I’m in the middle of a lake! I can feel the currents on the surface, and if I touch it-’

  ‘Good. That's very good, Seb.’

  Sebastian’s father raised his hand.

  ‘Now, remember those words very carefully. Are you listening, Seb?’

  ‘Y-yes!’

  ‘One day, I will teach you about Paths.’

  ‘What paths? Is there another path through the-’”

  ‘Seb. This is very important.’

  ‘...sorry.’

  ‘You will learn about it in time. But just in case I'm… not around when you do, you have to remember what I say now.’

  His eyes grew solemn.

  ‘This feeling you just felt – engrave it in your mind. Your heart. But never, ever, try to reach for the ‘water’. Not until you're one step away from reaching your Path.’

  ‘But dad! What's a Path? And.. why would you not be around?’

  The father's gaze froze for a fraction of a second, before turning complicated. However, his lips wore a warm smile.

  ‘Maybe I'll have to go on a short journey.’

  ‘If you do, take me with you!’

  The smile on his face gained an imperceivable shade of sadness.

  ‘Everyone has their own journeys, Sebastian. And some roads must be walked alone.’

  The memory gradually faded, leaving me in an empty room.

  ‘That’s it!’

  While the feeling was still fresh in my mind, I closed my eyes, concentrating on the same ‘lake’ Sebastian saw.

  For a few seconds, all I saw was darkness. Ten more seconds – nothing changed…

  ‘Come on… just a little bit more!..’

  …and then, I could feel it! It was the same feeling that Sebastian experienced, all those years ago.

  Unable to contain my excitement, I ‘reached’ for the surface of the lake. At first, it felt like stretching your hand towards something that was just out of reach. But I pressed on, applying more and more effort and focus…

  Whooom

  In the real world, a faint gust of wind blew through the closed room the moment I ‘touched’ the lake. It felt as if, for a moment, I could feel the surrounding world through a certain connection which I didn't have before.

  And then, without anything on my part…

  A hurricane of translucent words and characters erupted around me.

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