Chapter 15: The Great Betrayer

  Moving swiftly through the forests on legs augmented with ki, Karja was surprised to see the noble brat keep up with her so effortlessly despite running at full steam through the shrubbery.

  More impressive, he was able to see her in the darkness of the forest.

  Eventually what would normally take four hours to cross was done in half the time as Ark and Karja neared the bright glow of the city limits.

  “So this is Lunacrypt…” Ark muttered, taking in the sight of the city powered by magic. From its highrise towers, large walls crested by glowing blue lights, and a stream of traffic leaving the city even at night, the city was a jewel that put all other cities in his time to shame.

  Thanks to Welkin's discretion, Ark hadn't seen much of the city during his escape from the academy, but from what he knew from cities this size, there was no doubt a healthy thriving underworld.

  One that would be perfect to suit Ark's needs.

  “How do you plan to get past the guards?” Ark asked, noticing the checkpoints and soldiers that patrolled the highways and walls. Even at a distance and low visibility, Ark could make out the shapes of magical golems patrolling the parepits and crowd gathered at the highway of cobblestone laden with merchant wagons.

  “There, down to the left,” Karja said, pointing to an unilluminated section of the wall, “As the home to the Mags Foundation, the city sports a strong defence, lots of fancy magecraft and constructs, but nothing an ol pick axe and a bribe or two can't solve.”

  “Is that so?” Ark said, following the woman quietly through the night and approaching the towering wall.

  “Hm. There are defensive enchantments on this, very complex. But nothing too impressive,” Ireliex said smugly as Karja suddenly changed course, heading back to the tree line.

  “Where are we going?” Ark asked, weary of his guide.

  “Don't worry, it would be painfully obvious if we just dug a hole at the wall, the blackout zone is just a landmark, the actual entrance is over here,” Karja said, although her words didn't give Ark comfort.

  The pair kept walking, moving quietly until finally coming to an abrupt stop.

  Suddenly Karja spun, her axe swinging at Ark only to be deflected by his iron dagger.

  “You didn't really poison me did you?” Karja hissed, glaring at him, her murderous aura clear as day to Ark.

  Shit.

  Now Ark was left with a choice. Come clean or lie. The last time he had fought Karja he had the element of surprise, but now… well, he'd be hard pressed in a direct conflict.

  “I did poison you,” Ark lied, his voice calm, “And I do have the cure.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Want to test those waters? By my estimate you've got ten hours left.”

  “Then why don't I feel anything?”

  “Any good poison isn't immediate. Less time to find a cure if you don't know you're poisoned,” Ark said, taking a step forward, “Ask yourself, would a noble brat really step out here if he wasn't so sure?”

  Karja clenched her jaw, her expression twisting as the gears in her mind spun.

  “Now, either I get what I want,” Ark pressed, “Or you die Its really that simple.”

  “And what's to stop me from cracking your skull until I get what I want?” Karja said, her body radiating small sparks of lightning.

  “Oh, you'd be surprised. I don't break easily,” Ark said coldly, staring the woman down. “Tick tock. You're burning your life away, Karja.”

  Of course the barbarian wasn't aware of how badly Ark needed her. Although he had the Baroness’s backing, if he was going to accomplish his goals he needed subterfuge, money, and perhaps most important, contacts.

  Karja just happened to be one of the contacts Ark was hoping to poach.

  “Well… aren't you just full of surprises,” Karja said, sheathing her axe on her hip holster. “The entrance is below your feet.”

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  Ark raised a brow, his eyes still on Karja as his foot tapped the ground beneath his feet.

  A hollow echo replied, leading credence to Karja's words as he stepped away and allowed the woman to shift the foliage away and reveal a wooden plank.

  “Well? Yous coming?” Karja asked, opening the panel.

  “Ladies first,” Ark said with Karja shrugging as she entered the underground passageway.

  Bold move. Ireliex sent, the chicken not visible but speaking in Ark's mind as he moved through a wide tunnel supported by iron beams.

  You disapprove?

  Not at all. I do find it intriguing that you are able to lie so easily as you breathe. It is impressive.

  Yeah well… you learn a thing or two as a slave. Ark sent back, his thoughts turning to a lifetime that almost seemed as though it had occurred yesterday.

  The fighting pits…

  The rebellion…

  Irielex’s attacks..

  Liana…

  After a few minutes of walking, a foul odor began to tickle Ark's nose, drawing him back from his painful reminiscing.

  “I take it this connects to the sewers?” Ark asked.

  “Right yous are, can't get anything past you,” Karja said as the pair came to a wooden door reinforced by iron.

  “So, Karja, tell me about yourself. What's a C class knight doing running around with bandits?” Ark said as they passed through the door. “Surely you could have gone into more honorable work.”

  “What is this? A date?” Karja replied, confusion on her face as she grabbed a blue glowstone off a nearby scone. A rare and expensive magical material, glowstones reacted chemically to oxygen, allowing them glow without ever needing to be charged. And in a space filled with toxic fumes where one bad spark could ignite a big boom, glowstones were crucial to navigation.

  Seeing as there was a glowstone readily available within a smuggling route, hinted to ark at the level of coordination between the thieves.

  And they say honor is dead among thieves… At least if I need a quick exit I can ignite the fumes…

  Ark made a mental note of the tunnel before turning to the barbarian clad in bronze, “Think of it as a job interview.”

  “For what? You trying to save lil ol miss bandit?”

  “On the contrary, I'm on the pathway to hell and looking for company. Although the journey might even earn you some coin,” Ark replied. “If you fancy taking chances.”

  “Ha!” Karja let out, flicking her violet eyes to the man covered in bandages beside her. “Say, if you have a kid, does that make them a princeling too?”

  “I’m disowned, any claim to the throne I have is mute,” Ark said, following his guide casually into the rank and sewage-filled water that flowed beneath the town, “Though that may soon change.”

  Karja looked over her shoulder, eyeing the noble who held not disgust in his eyes at his surroundings but singular focus.

  “You handle yourself well, not many nobles I’ve met would ever dane to get themselves all mucked up,” Karja said while carefully wading forward.

  “Is what it is, no sense complaining when a job needs doing,” Ark replied while circulating his ki.

  “Fine, you’ve got my interest princeling-”

  “Don’t call me that, especially within unknown walls,” Ark cut in, “If you have to address me, call me… Ark.”

  “After the Great Betrayer?”

  Ark ceased walking, the only sound in the dimly lit tunnel being the rushing sound of fetid water and rats scurrying about.

  “The Great Betrayer?” Ark repeated Karja’s words, the syllables that left his mouth slow as he tried to wrap his mind around the title.

  “What? Whats got yous tongue?” Karja asked, unaware of the flame she had ignited within Ark.

  “Ark the Great Betrayer huh?” Ark asked, pushing forward, “Why is he the great betrayer?”

  “You don’t know? It's a common child’s story, even the gutter rats and goblins knows.”

  “Humor me, think of it as a request from your future employer.”

  “Ha!” Karja barked, “Yous got jokes… Ark was the name of the slave that fought beside the emperor, back when he was a prince mind you-”

  Emperor, the word making Ark feel ill.

  “-During their fight against Ireliex, he was tempted with the prospect of freedom and sided with the Fell Phoenix to strike down the Emperor’s party-”

  Ark clenched his jaw, his breathing coming out shallow and steady.

  “-The Big E managed to cut him down and slay the giant bird, but not before the Saintess and the Shield were slain by Ark… Yous okay? Why are yous just standin there?”

  Ark swallowed his rage, the Saintess referring no doubt to Lilian and the Shield being Alexios.

  The image of both lying dead played in Ark’s mind, his fists bawled into fists, yet, despite the anger seeking an outlet, Ark still possessed the clarity to ask about the last member of his former team.

  “What happened to Jasper?” Ark asked.

  “The Wizard?” Karja replied, “He survived, although barely. Went on to found the Magitech Foundation. Still alive too apparently if you’d believe it.”

  “Jaspers alive….” Ark muttered, his mind trying to make sense of the child prodigy being alive and well despite being there during Roland’s betrayal.

  Was he in on it?

  No… The boy was just that, a boy. A child who didn’t possess such malice and joined the party mainly out of curiosity… But then again Ark had been wrong about Roland.

  Perhaps we can find this Jasper and ask him ourselves. Ireliex offered.

  “Yeah…” Ark replied with Karja confused about his mumbling.

  “Yous a pretty strange fellow,” Karja said as Ark pushed passed her.

  “Trust me, you don’t know the half of it,” Ark hissed, now motivated more than ever to seek vengeance against the man who had wronged him and rewrote the truth to hide his crimes.