Chapter 35
Lock the gate!
Rushing through the entrance into the gangs storage room, Gorn and Obe hurried to shut the metal gate that blocked the passage, throwing the bolt closed. Having just sprinted as fast as they could all the way from the crack leading to the ghouls nest, they were both out of breath. With a thump, Obe leaned against the wall, sliding down it until he was sitting. Gorn opted to lean over, his hands on his knees as he stared into the darkness.
What was that? Obe finally asked, his voice hoarse.
Shaking his head slowly, Gorn straightened up, his gaze still searching the darkness beyond the gate for any sign of movement.
Do you mean the betrayal, or Viper?
Either, Obe said wryly. We should have seen the betrayal coming. The signs were there, but I didnt think they would be so blatant about it.
Someone saw it coming, Gorns lips twitched into a smile. Seriously, sometimes I wonder if that kid can predict the future.
I know. Its almost creepy how accurate his predictions are. But who on earth is that Viper? I havent heard about any free Awakened who are that strong.
Thats a great question. Well have to ask Garrett when we go back up. Speaking of which, are we going up now, or do you want to wait?
We have to wait, Obe said, pushing himself to his feet.
Walking over to the wall, he opened a cupboard that was set against the wall and pulled out a crossbow, tossing it to Gorn. Taking out another crossbow for himself, he passed over a small quiver of bolts and then began loading his weapon. Gorn put the torch he had been carrying into one of the sconces on the wall and then joined Obe in loading his crossbow.
Regardless who survives, theyll likely come back this way, and when they do, we can have a chat.
Good idea.
With loaded crossbows, the two men waited in the dim light of the single torch that burned on the wall. The room was so quiet that the crackling sound of the flames on the torch could be heard clearly, but it wasnt long before the sound of footsteps alerted them that someone was coming. Only able to hear a single set of feet, they exchanged glances that were half-excited, half-horrified. Both of them preferred for Viper to have won the fight against the two adventuring teams, but the thought sent spikes of fear shooting down their spines. It wasnt long before they heard a raspy voice calling out from the darkness and a crimson mask appeared in their vision, seeming to float through the air like some sort of malevolent spirit.
Hold fire. Its just me.
Walking closer, Viper looked exactly the same as he had when theyd first entered the tunnel system, with his face-covering mask and his long black cloak. Somehow, that managed to be scarier than if he had arrived covered in blood. Sharing a glance, neither Gorn nor Obe wanted to open the gate, but they couldnt very well leave their savior locked outside it either. With a grimace, Obe finally stepped forward and threw the bolt back, opening the gate for Viper.
What happened?
Stopping before he stepped through the gate, Viper held out a small sack that clinked lightly, his other hand revealing a couple of metal badges.
Here are all but two of their adventurers badges. Turn them in at the guild to let them know that the others are dead. Its up to you whether you reveal their betrayal. If you do, tell the guild they were ambushed by the ghouls that had been hiding. You managed to kill the rest of the ghouls, but not before the two teams fell.
Sensing their attention, Gorns Dream Flower shook and drew back slightly, even as the ghouls it had trapped were drained of any life force that still remained by the nest stone. As a construct of pure mental energy, the Dream Flower was immune to the energy-sucking force the nest stone was giving off, and thankfully the flower ghouls didnt seem interested in eating one of their relatives. It was into this new situation that Obe, Gorn, and the adventurers had walked, allowing Garrett to reconnect with the Dream Flowers.
The nest stone had produced a sort of interference while it was creating the flower ghouls that had then lingered in the room, fading slightly with time. Guessing that hed have regained his connection sooner or later, Garrett knew the situation couldnt have gone much better for him. There were still some hurdles to overcome, specifically regarding the adventurers guild, but Garrett would deal with those as they came.
Through his connection with the main flower ghoul, Garrett commanded it to take the bodies of the eight adventurers and the nest stone, creating a new nest somewhere else. He was assuming that another expedition would be mounted, this one much stronger than the first, in order to make sure the nest was truly destroyed, and he didnt want the flower ghouls to be discovered. To help with their transition, Garrett had Viper go along with them, escorting them into the winding crypts that spread under the northeastern side of the city.
According to maps hed seen in the palace, the crypts ran from the adventurers guild down to the edge of the city wall that butted up against the swamp, passing under the inn he was sitting in and continuing out under the northeastern wall. It was a massive complex with so many passages and rooms that it was impossible to map accurately. It was also filled with undead of various types, and the flower ghouls would fit right in.
Gorns recovery was another boon for Garrett, and he could feel the restored connection as the Dream Flower settled back into its host. Though hed lost his connection to Reeve, he had gained a tremendous advantage in the flower ghouls in exchange. Gorn, however, was a different story. The Ghouls Tooth lieutenant was integral to Garretts connection and control of the Ghouls Tooth gang, and hed been feeling the strain of losing his influence over the gangs lieutenant over the last few days.
Once he was sure everything was on track, Garrett sighed and leaned back on the Dreamers Throne, blinking his eyes as his vision returned to his room. Feeling drained, he shook his head and opened up his status window, checking where he was. With the inclusion of the flower ghouls, he could sense both possibility and threat. If hed learned anything over the last few weeks, it was that growing in power and ability would invariably put him on a crash course with others who wielded power. His plans would have to change, and fairly quickly at that, to accommodate the new challenges he would undoubtedly come up against.
Thankfully, between Viper, his Guardian flower, and the new flower ghouls he found at his command, Garrett felt like hed finally developed some strength that could be used in the real world. His personal safety had been bothering him for a while, and with these new developments he was no longer a sitting duck for any half-bit adventurer with a smidge of muscle. On top of that, he could feel the energy building up inside of him as he inched closer to completing his soul spark. Overall, life was looking really good.
STATUS
NAME: Garrett Klein
PATH: Path of the Watcher
SUB-PATH: Dream Gardener
LEVEL: 3
EXP: 71/80
ABILITIES: [5/10]
Whisper of the Dream [1]
Observe the Dream [2]
Dream Seed [3]
Dreamers Cloak [1]
Beautiful Bewitchment [1]
