Chapter 10: XCVII — Soldiers and Lies

  Frost Guard!

  Kayode set his arm and the ice answered, blooming outward in a smooth disc of pale blue. Hard frost traced its surface, the edge clean and deliberate, like a shield cut from glass.

  [—Skill(s) Acquired—]

  [Learned Skill ? Frost Guard — I — Active: You may conjure a fragile shield of ice that interposes itself against an incoming blow, shattering to absorb the impact.]

  And after a moment the shield fell apart.

  The sound of Lami’s scribbling came next, “You learn fast,” she noted, as she wrote something about him down in her notepad.

  “Thank you,” Kayode replied stiffly.

  It had taken him three weeks to learn this one, though Kayode suspected that had more to do with Lami’s schedule than the difficulty of the Skill itself. Unlike last time, they hadn’t been able to devote an entire day to training; instead, their sessions had been broken into hours, scattered across the weeks.

  And those hours had been…odd ones.

  Though Kayode was the one getting free training, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Lami had been getting more out of it than he.

  He could feel her watching him, the way he learnt, the way his Class reacted to each bit of training they went through.

  Kayode was determined to keep her as in the dark as he could manage, answering none of her questions, and Lami seemed all too eager to wander around blind until she hit something useful.

  It was a terrible situation for him. And an undaunting one for her.

  “I say we move onto something more all encompassing, perhaps,” she suggested, settling into a chair and looking up at him like she wanted to read his thoughts.

  “I would love to,” Kayode lied. “But I have a Quest.”

  “In two hours.” She waved a dismissive hand, reminding Kayode that she was in fact in charge of not just the entire city he was in, but the whole Marchionate it was under. “You can spare one.”

  Kayode saw no reason—no believable one at least—to deny her this. So he acquiesced. “Of course.”

  She nodded at that. “Good.” Then she was on her feet. The woman closed her eyes, pulled up her sleeve, and whispered softly, “Ice Scale.” A deep white frost crept across her skin, whitening it layer by layer until her once-dark flesh had become a smooth, pale blue surface.

  That could certainly help him die less.

  “Now let me show you,” Lami turned to Kayode and took his hand in hers. “Close your eyes,” she whispered.

  And he did.

  “Now think of something cold… Then personalize it, as something that might protect you. As a close ally or a loyal servant.”

  Kayode did. And at first nothing happened.

  Then he felt something cold around his fingers, then on his palm.

  He heard Lami gasp.

  Opened his eyes to see the frost and instead saw his hand on a Stone, and a glowing light between the pair.

  [(A) Class Identifier Stone: Kingdom Maker (S+)]

  Kayode snatched his hand back, the rock fell out of Lami’s slackened fingers. But it was already too late. She knew.

  Lami stumbled back, placed a hand over her mouth, and stared wide eyed at Kayode. Her fingers were trembling, not like she was scared, but like she was gazing upon the impossible.

  Kayode felt his stomach drop, and a pit form. It did not surprise him that there were Stones that could do that, and it had occurred to him that Lami might eventually find a way to check his Class. But he simply couldn't have done anything to prevent this. If she wanted to, she could have encased his feet in ice and pressed that Stone against him.

  For a moment there was just silence. No words. The pair just stared at one another with the wordless knowledge that what just happened had changed everything.

  “I had my Mother send this over. She was reluctant to ship an A Tier Relic to another Duchy…But I insisted. I knew there was something about you. But I…I was expecting an S Tier Class…” Lami whispered, as if weary that saying the words out loud might make it too real. “But that…you’re the…”

  “I am…” Kayode admitted. No use denying it now.

  And then she was regaining her composure. “That makes you the greatest threat to the Grand Duke there ever was. That makes you a threat to my Oke—my fiancé,” her eyes narrowed now.

  And Kayode’s hand twitched for his weapon. Before he was a curiosity. But surely this reveal had thrown a wrecking ball into whatever she had been planning.

  If he was going to die here. He was going to die fighting.

  Right. Die after Lami walks through me, more like.

  And then Lami made her move.

  “I think the crown would look much better on your head.” she smirked.

  “What?”

  “Yes, it has a lovely shape,” she noted, pointing at him with her quill. “And the face isn’t half bad either.” Her tone was different, eyes less inquisitive, more coveting.

  Kayode frowned. “You’re… flirting with me?”

  “And smart too,” she grinned. “All the good qualities of a King,” she said. And now the woman was on her feet, stepping towards him.

  Kayode took a step backwards, and felt the wall stop him from going any further. Was this a lie? A test to see if he could be trusted to be loyal to Okechukwu. “Why would I trust you? You just told me you are willing to betray your own fiance if it means allying with a stronger candidate.”

  “You don’t need to trust me,” she whispered, closer now, her breath hot against the skin of his neck. “You need to trust in yourself. That there is not a Class out there that can hold a candle to your Kingdom Maker.”

  The scent of flowers clouded his mind; his heart raced like he was in the throes of combat. It was hard to think. So Kayode shot her a question rather than an answer. “And your intention is to be Queen?” He hoped she might deny it—knock her off balance.

  “Do you know a woman in the Kingdom more fit for the duty?” she asked, and Kayode could see no ego behind her words, only a certainty in her abilities.

  She was, after all, the smartest woman he knew. The most beautiful too. With flawless skin, full lips, and eyes that seemed to grab his soul by the core—“I have to go.” Kayode freed his mind from her grip, pulled his gaze away, and made his way for the door.

  “Goodluck!” she called out after him, giggling. “We’re going to have so much fun, Kay!”

  And he was out the door.

  It suddenly made sense why Okechukwu had been so smitten. The man was being played. All the combat training a man could hope for, and he was defenseless to matters of the heart.

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  Was she playing Kayode too? Yes, obviously. Only a fool would miss that. Was it working? That he didn’t know for certain concerned him. If Lami had figured out his Class was a threat this quickly, then surely Okechukwu would as well. Ancestors knew Clarke would not be tight-lipped about the details of his Class when asked, and the things he had been seen doing with it were not consistent with a D Tier like Okechukwu had assumed.

  Lami had been more or less instantaneous in deciding to switch loyalties when she thought Kayode was a better option, and he was under no illusion that she’d hesitate to switch back if he became a worse one.

  No. he wasn’t going to throw his lot in with someone that would leave him to the wolves the moment it became beneficial to her.

  …But that was what everyone around him already was. At least, unlike the Grand Duke and the Marquess, Lami’s interest were not directly contradictory to his.

  That he knew of.

  That I know of.

  For the second time this month, Kayode left the Marcholt unbalanced.

  ###

  [You have slain a Razor Back of the 1st Awakening.]

  [—Skill(s) Acquired—]

  [Class Skill ? Right of Passage — II — Passive: You are fluent in the languages of local peoples, so long as they are higher species.]

  Kayode pulled his sword free from the last of the hyena-like creature, and let out a sigh of contentment.

  No level up this week, but he didn’t mind it. He had already Levelled during last weeks’ Hunt—pushing him to Level 8—and gained a new Skill with it. It flashed in his eyes now.

  [Class Skill ? Right of Passage — I — Passive: A King shall travel where he wishes. You may move freely through habitable regions without suffering harm, impairment, or discomfort from climate, weather, or environmental conditions that would hinder others.]

  Kayode wasn’t sure how good this one would be in the long term, surely once he hit his fifth or sixth awakening harsh weather would do nothing to him due to sheer durability, but for the time being, in this heat, it was a welcome bonus.

  It seemed the rest of the Red Falcons were just as satisfied with their lot for the day, high fiving each other and chatting over Razor Back corpses.

  At the very least it was a useful distraction from his thoughts about Lami.

  And then a voice cut over the crowd. “We’re not done yet!” Clarke announced.

  Kayode resisted the urge to roll his eyes. And then did so anyway.

  “I saw half the pack flee into that cave,” Calrke continued, pointing to one not quite far away.

  “Uh, Boss, I think that’s marked with the another Party’s symbol,” Harlan mentioned softly. That meant that by law, whatever was in there was theirs to hunt, and other parties were not allowed to enter.

  “We’re going in,” Clarke repeated. Final and hard. “They don’t get to claim our hard work. And if they have a problem with it, they can bring it up with the Marquess.” And an instant later he was riding towards the opening.

  “Well, you heard him, boys,” Harlan sighed, and the Red Falcons began moving.

  The past few weeks working with them had been thankfully uneventful. Clarke had avoided meeting Kayode’s gaze since being scared off in the alleyway, now only glaring at him from a distance when he thought Kayode wasn’t looking.

  The man wasn’t going to do anything to him. He was a coward and Lami had given him a reason to be scared, so Kayode wasn’t worried.

  He was, however, growing rather sick of being attached to his Party, and subject to his idiotic orders. It really was just a matter of time before they found themselves in another Sunweaver situation again. And Kayode had no interest in ending his loop like that.

  Lami had told him that an increase in five levels was equivalent to doubling in power. And now that he was Level 8, he had to admit it did in fact feel that way. He was certain he could take on an entire band of Goblins, which was odd to realize when just one was almost the death of him not too long ago.

  He had been waiting to reach Level 10, but perhaps after this he could set off from the Party and begin hunting on his own terms.

  He considered asking Harlan to join him. The man had experience in the fields Kayode lacked, and in general a good head on his shoulders. Good enough sense not to question Kayode about his Class despite obviously knowing it was something well beyond D Tier by now.

  But would he leave Clarke’s side? He had to be paying good, for him to withstand being treated like shit by the Party Leader, and Kayode doubted he could match what the Bastard was offering the old adventurer.

  “You keep staring at me like you want to fuck me. I’ll have you know, I’m married. Unhappily so, but married all the same,” Harlan growled.

  Kayode blinked. “No—I”

  “We’re here,” Harlan gestured to the cave, reached into his backpack and started handing the men torches.

  A moment later they were on fire and the group was walking in.

  The cave was a narrow thing at first, then opened wide, so that the entire party could stand shoulder to shoulder and not even touch the walls.

  They stayed close, followed the sound of Razor Backs laughing. Then heard their screams cut through the cave.

  “What was that?” a man asked.

  And a Razor Back came sprinting out of a passage. It took two more steps and collapsed into the dirt, sliding to a stop at Harlan’s feet. “It’s dead,” Harlan said, and the entrails that hung out of a split open belly told him why.

  Even Clarke’s stupidity wasn’t immune to the magnitude of their situation. The man swallowed. “What could have—”

  Then the statue emerged from deeper in. It was shaped like a person, though as tall as one and a half men stacked atop one another, carved from hard stone, its eyes glowing a sandy red. Set into its chest was a crystal of the same hue, embedded deep in the stone and faintly pulsing with inner light. In one hand it carried a sword that looked sharp despite being stone; in the other, a broad shield. Lamellar plates wrapped its frame—an ancient style, long since fallen out of use. It was stained with blood. Razor Back blood. And then it was coming for theirs.

  The first man screamed as a blade was run through him. Another was sent flying as a fist made of earth cracked into his face.

  “It’s a Golem, get the Gemstone!” Harlan roared. He ran at it, sword in hand, only to get a backhand that sent him to the stone floor. He stirred after that, but didn’t stand.

  Men screamed, Kayode got into action.

  He charged and swung his blade. The thing caught it with its own, and Kayode saw the stone bite into the edge of his own weapon. He threw a fist and the skin split across his knuckles, felt bone jar from the impact, the shock running up his arm as he punched the impossibly hard shield.

  Then a foot met his chest and drove the air out of his lungs. Kayode went tumbling onto the ground. The Golem was already upon him by the time he came to a stop.

  And it was the spear a man aimed at its chest that stopped it from skewering Kayode, and focusing on blocking that instead.

  Then Clarke’s blade bit into the side of its head and sent it stumbling back.

  He tried to capitalize, but the Golem was back in action a moment later. The edge of its shield smacked into the side of the man’s helm, denting it and dropping him to the ground.

  More men came after that, often in turns, threes at most, but often not even a pair. They were dispatched with ease, and viciously slashed at.

  Kayode realised why instantly, they were scared to approach, and with Harlan down there was no one to organize them.

  If it continued like this, half of the men here would be dead by the time they had finally put this thing down.

  He needed to create an opening, and he had just the thing in mind.

  Just as it finished dropping a man, Kayode lunged, blade ready,

  It caught sight of him and charged at him as well, shield already coming around in a brutal swing.

  Kayode met it head-on and drove his fist into its face.

  Stone shrieked as its head snapped aside, the glow in its eyes stuttering—red washing to white—as its balance failed. The body faltered, weight slipping.

  [Iron Fist (II): The Enemy Is Stunned.]

  The notification flashed—as if the Skill was triumphantly claiming responsibility.

  But its shield was already moving.

  The rest of its momentum carried the swing through. The edge of the shield slammed into Kayode’s chest, blasting the air from his lungs and hurling him backward. He hit the ground hard, ribs screaming as he skidded across the stone. He was certain he had cracked something. But Kayode reckoned it was worth it.

  Ahead of him, the thing staggered to a stop—still standing, but with its arms sagging now, shield and blade dipping uselessly, vulnerable.

  Kayode’s Party was not the most organized. But they were not green either. The adventurers recognized an opening when they saw one, and they descended on the stunned creature—less like falcons, and more like vultures.

  Blade after blade struck from every angle, blows delivered with desperate focus, many aimed straight for the glowing Gem at its center. By the time the golem’s eyes flickered back to red, the gemstone was already cracked. By the time it began the motions of defending itself, the stone shattered.

  It crumbled instantly, collapsing into heavy chunks of rock that cracked into the earth.

  [You have slain a Stone Golem of the 2nd Awakening.]

  [—Skill(s) Acquired—]

  [Class Skill ? Vessel of Stone — II — Passive: Every battle won for the Throne is its own reward. You restore a small percentage of your maximum Health Points each time an enemy you defeat is slain.]

  The feeling that accompanied Kayode was not all too dissimilar to that of Mend. A warmth washed over him, this time internal rather than external, and his sides hurt that bit less.

  Harlan slowly rose to his feet, still looking dazed, but with a Support at his side to tend to anything serious.

  “Aha!” came a voice—Clarke’s, triumphant. He had taken off his dented helmet now, revealing a large welt across the side of his face. Still, he grinned like he had bested the Golem himself. “No threat is too great for my Falcons!” he walked over, picked up the shattered gem and tossed it to a member. “Turn it in to the Adventuring Guild as soon as we get back to Ezeria—Golem Gems are worth an arm and a leg.”

  He was in a good mood, which Kayode reckoned was much better than having the tyrant in a bad one.

  As far as days with the Falcons went, today was on the nicer side. And then the notification flashed in Kayode’s eyes.

  [Conditions Met.]

  The look of confusion in everyone else’s eyes told Kayode that he had not been the only one privy to that notification.

  “What does that mean?” Clarke asked, panic under his tone.

  “Oh no…oh no…oh no…” Harlan’s voice was trembling. Kayode saw the man who had been steely under everything Kayode had seen him be through tremble and shake in a terror that absolutely gripped him.

  [Identifying Participants.]

  Harlan shook his head as if trying to will a bad dream away. “Not again! Not again!”

  That only bred more panic and confusion amongst the Party. Men began running for the exit.

  [Translocating Participants.]

  The world flashed a blinding white.

  [Dungeon Activation Successful.]

  [You are now in White Dungeon: Chamber of the Forgotten.]

  “No!” Cut Harlan’s voice one last time.

  And then the Dungeon appeared.