Hylore – Seahold (Noreland Capital) Spring 2344 AS

  Day 17

  I was back in the Adventurers Guild looking for work.

  My armour was repaired, and I was feeling good. The black rat fever was gone, and my mind and body felt clear and ready to get back to work. I needed to find something to do that did not involve rats this time.

  Unfortunately, I have not found one so far. The number of black rat extermination quests now dominated the lower board. When I first started over two weeks ago, there were maybe half a dozen; there are close to twenty now.

  There were several that I could do relatively quickly, maybe even one day, and that would greatly help my System debt. Being level 3 now meant I had to take on more challenging quests or take far fewer-level ones to keep my system debt in the positive.

  Reviewing the list, there were three requests for black rat extermination, only two streets apart. They were up close to the wall in the poorest area of the slums. I could head over there and take care of them. On the other side of that war was not the countryside but the old city cemetery—a place I did not want to visit.

  Yes, I think I will…

  "Excuse me, Adventurer Hector." Receptionist Irene's voice came from next to me. I almost jumped in surprise.

  I turned and looked at her. "Of course, Receptionist Irene, how can I assist you?"

  "Can you please come with me. The Guild Leader would like to have a word." She stepped to the side, indicating with a hand the door at the back of the room I had been through before.

  Inwardly, I was cursing like mad, but I outwardly stayed calm. "Of course."

  She led me to the back of the main room and up to the door that led to the office. She knocked on it and opened it slightly.

  "Guild Leader. Adventurer Hector is here."

  "Send him in." Came the deep voice from inside the room. She stepped aside, opening the door as she did so for me to enter. I nodded to her and thanked her as I passed.

  Inside the room, I found two people waiting for me: Guild Leader McGriff and Watch Captain Graystone. I realised that the consequences of my altercation with Jarrod and his goons a few days ago had come now to find me. Receptionist Irene closed the door behind me, trapping me in the room.

  "Please, sit," McGriff said, indicating the chair before the desk. He was sitting behind his desk, and Captain Graystone was standing off to the side, very close to some cabinets. The air was tense, but I did as I was instructed, sitting down across from him.

  "Adventurer Hector, thank you for coming. Captain Graystone is here reporting to me in a most disturbing matter. It seems several days ago, you had an armed altercation with several members of the Watch in Low Town." McGriff's tone was firm and concerned. "He has reported to me that this is not the first time you've had an altercation with the Watch and the squad in particular."

  "That is correct. I have stepped in before when I found this particular Watch squad committing crimes against the local population." I did not look at Captain Graystone, but kept my focus on McGriff.

  "Crimes, you say!" McGriff exclaimed, looking at Captain Graystone. "Well, this changes things."

  "Not really. He pulled a firearm on the Watch and threatened to use it." Captain Graystone spoke calmly, without anger or accusation. He did not seem happy to be here, but he was fulfilling his duties.

  "That may be so. An investigation will need to be instigated and possibly a System trial then." McGriff reminded him. He turned back to me. "Are you willing to face the System investigation and possible trial?"

  "I am," I said calmly, but inside I was unsure whether I would pass such a review. I was pretty sure, given my condition, that I had crossed quite a few lines I shouldn't have.

  "Excellent!" McGriff boomed. "Shall we proceed to Watch Captain Graystone?"

  "The squad he is referring to is on record of being accused of such crimes and is under investigation. The Watch does not want a full trial of the adventurer but is requesting he automatically accept a city quest." We had both turned and looked at him as he spoke, and my stomach dropped.

  "That is well within your rights, Watch Captain," McGriff said slowly, his eyes narrowing. "What are you seeking my adventurer to do?"

  Watch Captain Graystone seemed unhappy with what he was doing, but he had to avoid the embarrassment of the System trial and everything it would reveal about the Watch in Low Town. I suspected he wanted to deal with Jarrod and his squad in-house. This was the best way for him to maintain the Watch's authority over adventurers without taking them to trial.

  I remembered something about politics vaguely being the most significant danger in someone's life. I had always avoided office and national politics as much as I could. Well, I was being reminded of why I did that in real time today.

  "The old city cemetery is overtly active at the moment. We are requesting that the Adventurer's Guild send Adventurer Hector into the cemetery for a reconnaissance mission. He is to engage and terminate no less than four undead and gather information on the number still active. Upon completion of said mission, he will be rewarded with 10 gold coins."

  McGriff's eyes were now narrow slits as he looked at the Captain. "You're not asking for a small thing here, Graystone. It's been years since the last great culling in that cemetery. The nobles have been ignoring it far too long."

  "I know." Captain Graystone sagged slightly, revealing some of the pressure he was under. He was the officer in charge of defending that section of the wall. "I have been petitioning for several years for more patrols in the big cemetery, but the budget has never been allocated."

  I have noticed the lack of use of Graystone's rank and the more familiar tone they now take with each other. It seems that these two had a history and knew each other.

  "10 gold coins for eliminating four undead is not the standard going rate for such a quest." McGriff pointed it out to him. "Having him go in with such a low return is almost an abuse of the privilege you are quoting."

  "Unfortunately, it is all I have access to, and the privilege the System grants us in the watch is valid." I do not know Captain Graystone that well, but he always seemed to be a man of duty and honour. I was seeing firsthand whether he realises that it is not the cost of being such a man in the city. He seems so weary.

  McGriff said nothing for a few long moments, just looking at the man to his side. Something passed something between them, and he just let out a deep sigh. "Unfortunately, Adventurer Hector, the good Captain, is right. This is not a quest you can say no to. Head out to the reception desk, and Irene will give you the details."

  It seems that politics might be the death of me here, and all my good deeds had come back to bite me in the arse. "I understand."

  I slowly rose and walked toward the door that led back to the main room. My mind was spinning, trying desperately to come up with ideas on how to survive what I had just been assigned to. I closed the door behind me.

  Hector closed the door behind him, and McGriff exploded.

  "By the gods, Graystone! Are you trying to kill him?" His voice roared, but he knew that no one beyond this room could hear them.

  "No, McGriff, I'm not. But I'm desperate." The weariness and tiredness that have been leaking out of him are suddenly on full display.

  This reaction was not what McGriff expected, causing him to pause his tie rate. "What's going on, Graystone?"

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  He knew the man across from him far too well, having dealt with him as well, working next to him since arriving in the city.

  "Things are getting worse. The nobles are becoming far too lax in ignoring their duties in the city and beyond. The cemetery is the best example of this, as is the undercity. Regular funding for clearances and investigations has dried up or been redirected to other projects. Low Town and the cemetery are now almost completely ignored. Even your own adventurers are avoiding that part of the city. The gods sent us Adventurer Hector as I was getting desperate."

  McGriff fell silent, listening to his friend's words, and grew increasingly disturbed by them. He took a few moments before responding.

  "How bad is it?" He asked, fearing the worst was about to come.

  "What you want to know about the city of the countryside, both are just as bad." Graystone crossed the room and sat where Hector had just left, and began rubbing his head and eyes. "The nobles are panicking. Their estates are under pressure now. Surely you've noticed how few of them are leaving the city now. Just reaching some parts of the country is getting next to impossible. Even the main roads and rail lines are being attacked."

  "I've seen the reports too." McGriff leaned back in his chair. "The other guild branches across the country are under extreme pressure. We're bleeding members with so few replacing them."

  "Well, here in the city. The nobles have completely ignored the low Town in the cemetery, as well as the undercity, as you know. The army is to spread out, fighting the horrors when they must. The Watch is starting to rot. Jarrod and his group of goons are just one sign of the symptoms I'm trying to deal with."

  "That's why you shouldn't be sending Hector into the cemetery yet," McGriff said pointedly. "He's the first I have seen in five years with any sense or the ability to go further."

  "I know. The fact that he stood up to Jarrod and his squad not once but twice shows his character. The problem is, McGriff, I don't have any more time, and my resources are minimal. I need to know what's happening in the cemetery."

  "The fog got that thick?"

  "It has. It's pushing right up to the wall now. It hasn't passed due to the barriers, both physical and magical, but it's testing them. More members of the Watch are suffering from severe chill while on a shift on that wall. You can hear sounds off in the fog, but we can no longer count the numbers."

  Both men fell silent, thinking about the dangers of that cemetery. Both, when they were younger men, had been forced to travel into it and fight whatever lay within. The dead did not rest easy in that place, as the Eldritch horrors trying to destroy the world had a foothold there. The most successful culling had been when the second wave of Crusaders had sent a team into the graveyard; they had managed to get several years of peace from that place. But now it had been neglected too long, and the evil had returned and grown stronger.

  "He's not ready," McGriff spoke suddenly.

  "Neither were we. I need to know what's going on in there." Grayson pointed out as both men looked at each other, remembering the past.

  "What about these rumours of a third wave of Crusaders have you been hearing?" McGriff asked, almost hopefully. "Surely we can call upon them to come to our aid?"

  "Come to Noreland?" Grayson gave out a bitter laugh. "Out of the two Crusades, we have only had two teams ever visit us. They didn't stay long in any regard. Now we must work as normal with those we have at hand."

  "He's only a level 3 adventurer." McGriff closed his eyes, rubbing them. "You know it's recommended that anyone going on there be a minimum level 5. And that is strongly hinted against anyway."

  "I know. He is the only one I can get to go in there. All the others have refused." Graystone said unhappily.

  "Retirements and attrition have taken their toll even on my guild." McGriff acknowledged with a bitter tone. "We, too, are bleeding. That's why we can't afford to lose him; he could inspire others to take up the mantle and fight what's out there."

  "I know. By the gods, I know. All the good work is done in Low Town, and dealing with the black rat infestation has helped the population. He's only slowed the spread of the rats now; there are in all sections of the city, and this is for the nobles to wake up and start to take action against them."

  "Finally. One man cannot carry such a burden upon himself. Thankfully, the city's alchemists and healers are finally working on a cure for the fever."

  "Yes, the promise of gold from the nobles generally gets them working a lot faster. I even heard that the mad alchemist Victor Greyscale has taken up the cause." Graystone said.

  "Hector actually completed a quest for him to recover 20 bodies of black rats. If anyone could find a cure for that fever, it's that crazy bastard."

  Both men laughed at the thought of the crazy alchemist of the city. He was chaotic and destructive but brilliant. Over the last decade, he had risen to become one of the most prominent alchemists in the city and had come up with many new potions and concoctions that had brought great wealth and benefit to him. If he fixated on a problem, he worked on it until it was complete. Now that he had taken up the cause of the black rat fever cure, many were hopeful that it would actually make an appearance.

  "That's good to know. Hopefully, the cure would be easy enough that the poor in the city could afford it." Graystone pointed out. Greyscale was known to produce his concoctions and potions at a reasonable price, depending on their outcome.

  "We can hope." McGriff agreed.

  Before either man could say anything more, there was a knock at the door.

  "Enter!" McGriff boomed out.

  Irene opened the door slightly and put ahead through it. "Adventurer Hector has taken the quest and is heading to the cemetery right now."

  That caused Graystone to get up. "I'd better get going."

  The two men bid their farewells, leaving the McGriff alone in his office, thinking.

  Things were deteriorating faster than he realised. He needed more people in the guild willing to commit to the complex, dirty work. The army was under pressure, and the nobles' states were being overrun by monsters in the countryside, straining the economy. The Watch was rotting from the inside out, according to Graystone. All signs pointed to a darker future.

  That was why men like Hector were so important.

  He represented one of the last of those willing to stand against the horror from beyond.

  I was walking through the city streets, a bit shellshocked.

  I was making my way to Low Town and the wall that blocked it off from the cemetery. I had a good idea where the gates I needed to pass through were. I had been given official documentation to allow me to pass into the cemetery.

  The job sounded simple. Go in, kill four undead, and get out after a quick look around. I knew better now. I had faced the undead before and knew they were no joke.

  I would be paid 10 gold, which would give me a substantial credit balance toward my debt. It will also put me on better standing with the Watch after my recent altercation with Jarrod and his squad of goons. The problem was that I was walking into an area I had never been before, and I knew the status debuff I would suffer when I ran into the first of those walking corpses.

  I decided to do the quest today to get it done. I don't want this hanging over me, giving me time to think about it and envision all the ways it can go wrong. Best to rip the Band-Aid off now and get it done.

  The walk gave me time to think about how I was going to do it. I had all my weapons and equipment with me, so there was no need to go back to the tavern. I felt that the pistol I had to work with was more of a problem than a solution here. I heard vague stories about the cemetery and that the area was constantly shrouded in fog. I could fire off the pistol, but the noise would attract more danger to me, I think. The more I thought about it, the more sure I became that I needed to go quickly and quietly, so I needed to be done and get out.

  That would have meant relying more on my club. Rubbing my hand along that shaft, I thought about it as I walked, thinking it might actually be insufficient for the job. But then I remembered I had another option—my Noreland war mace.

  The more I thought about it, the more I realised that it would be the best weapon for the job. The first undead I had fought and killed, I'd use the club to shatter its skull. It had worked, but it required far more physical effort than it should have. The war mace, on the other hand, would make the destruction of any skull far easier.

  Yes, the war mace would be the best choice.

  I began walking a bit faster now with my decision made. It wasn't the best situation I was in, but now I had an effective way to complete the quest. I went over it again in my mind: destroy four undead and scout the grave. The system would tell me when I had observed enough, allowing me to retreat.

  I wasn't happy about going in, but I felt a bit more confident now.

  Low Town buildings soon surrounded me as I made my way through the city. As I approached the wall that blocked the cemetery from the city, the quality of the buildings dropped dramatically, even in this part.

  I soon came in sight of a large gatehouse built into the wall. Several members of the Watch manned the position. The doors blocking my access to the cemetery were large and heavy, made of wood reinforced with iron. As I approached the gates, two Watch members guarding the inner section perked up at the sight of me.

  "Hold, citizen, and state your business." One barked as I approached.

  "Adventurer Hector, on a city quest. I have permission to pass the gate into the cemetery." As I spoke, I reached into my side pouch and drew out a letter bearing official stamps and seals. I handed it to the man who had spoken to me.

  He took one look at it and spoke. "Wait here while I get my Sargent."

  He turned and disappeared through a side door in the gatehouse's fortification. After several minutes, he returned with an older man following. This man carried the insignia of a Watch Sargent on his arm.

  "Show me your documentation, Adventurer Hector." He requested, and I handed him the document. He spent a moment looking it over and nodded happily. "We'll open the gates for you, and you must step through quickly. We'll keep an eye out for your return and will open the gates once more. If you get into trouble within the cemetery, we will not come to assist you."

  "I understand." I really didn't like it, but I had to deal with this fact.

  "Do you wish to go now?" He asked.

  "I do."

  He quickly turned the barked orders, and the heavy crossbar was removed from the gates by the two Watch members. The sergeant pulled the door slightly open, letting in the world beyond. As I stepped up to pass through, I was hit by a sudden gust of damp, cold wind. There was something wrong with the wind and the cold I was feeling as it passed straight through my armour, but it wasn't there.

  "Good luck, Adventurer Hector." The sergeant offered as I passed him, and I nodded thanks.

  I step through into the cemetery. Behind the door closed, and I heard the heavy thunk of the crossbar being replaced. I looked out and saw… Very little. There were grave markers along the path before me, on either side, with small tombs and statues dotted around. The further you looked from the gates where I was standing, the thicker the fog became to the point where you could see nothing but a wall of grey.

  I could feel the eyes of the guards above me regarding me. In the distance, I could hear faint sounds of movement. Everything was muffled and strange. I opened my dimensional storage ring and pulled out the war mace.

  It was the weight of it that suddenly filled my hand, and it felt right again, like it belonged there.

  "All right, Hector. Let's get this done." I said to myself, psyching myself up. With this, I stepped along the path and allowed the fog surrounding me to thicken.