The door slammed shut as Reyah spun, walked the short distance over to the bed, and flopped onto it with a heavy sigh. Keyvarah moved over to the window and sat in a chair, staring outside. She turned to look at Keyvarah and scowled, looking away immediately; the forlorn expression Keyvarah had grated on her nerves.
Ever since leaving the castle, a maelstrom of emotions continued to batter her whenever it involved that man. Especially last night when the scent of his blood wafted over to her. She had gone to investigate, not fearing for his safety, but out of curiosity. What she found had shocked her. The sight of June and Keyvarah entwined in bed like reunited lovers—him allowing her to drink from his neck as he slowly, sensually made love to her.
She didn't want to admit it, but jealousy blazed within her in that moment. Even now, it still raged, and she hated herself for feeling that.
What was going on with her? Why had the sight of them together gotten under her skin so much?
She feared the answer because she knew what it was. A part of her she was ashamed of, one she buried deep within herself. Yet June's presence had awakened it like the living dead crawling from its coffin.
Keyvarah's voice pulled her back to the present. "I'm not opposed to sharing."
She turned to look at the Althori noblewoman, who continued to stare out the window. "All you have to do is ask," Keyvarah said, turning to lock eyes with her.
"Not interested," Reyah said, sitting up and turning away from the insufferable woman.
Yet, the wetness between her thighs betrayed her words, which she knew Keyvarah wouldn't miss. She wasn't averse to the idea. Not at all. Her grandmother had a harem of over 100 men and women, and she, too, had partaken in such activities, not with her grandmother or her grandmother's consorts, but with her own partners. That was something that wasn't within her family's proclivities, unlike the Aldetorre of the Althoric Empire.
"Have it your way," Keyvarah said, before an uneasy silence fell over the room.
She hated everything about the woman. How desperately she clung to June as if he were the last living creature with blood flowing through his veins. Or how eager she was to please him. If he had wanted it, she'd happily fall to her knees and drain him dry for the world to see, and not of his blood but of his seed.
Reyah huffed a breath of irritation and did the only thing she could think of to clear her mind. She closed her eyes and delved into herself. Now was as good a time as any to Cultivate her newly acquired Soul Essence and Energy, courtesy of June.
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June and Quin exited the inn and turned onto a narrow side street, heading straight for the Shining Arrow Guild House. Tall buildings surrounded the street, casting deep shadows, and June took advantage of this, channeling his True Soul. As he continued to walk, two clones of himself stepped to either side of him in tandem before vanishing.
Quin glanced at him with a questioning look, yet she remained quiet. Instead, her voice sprang up in his mind.
What was that for?
June continued down the street as he explained.
One is to keep watch over the inns. It's not like I can't be here within a second, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. The second I sent to investigate House Dumar.
She went silent for a moment before she also summoned her own clone, which melded into the shadows. It was June's turn to give her an inquisitive look.
I want to see where those thieves are operating out of and how organized they are.
He nodded in agreement. That was something he had planned on investigating, but it just wasn't that high on his priority list at the moment.
Good idea.
They exited the side street onto a main street, turning left toward an intersection lined with large, stately buildings that reminded him of the White House. It was the Guild District, home to the many Mercenary Guilds that operated out of Revelcroft.
Every city had a Guild District with its own unique Guilds. However, if a Guild was large enough and had the funds, it could operate out of multiple cities. Doing so was very beneficial because it gave them more access to Dungeons, allowing them to grow in power, influence, and wealth.
Unfortunately, the Shining Arrow Guild wasn't such a Guild. It was actually on its last leg. The mission to reclaim Castle Dumar was a last-ditch effort for their Guild to remain operational.
They really had fallen on hard times, he thought as they stood outside of a dilapidated Guild House that hadn't seen repairs in years.
The life of a Cultivator isn't an easy one, Sarah said, her words igniting a spark of rage within him.
It doesn't have to be. I understand that competition breeds growth and progress, but this isn't that; this reeks of corruption and nepotism.
So it's not all that different from pre-System Earth, she quipped, and he couldn't disagree.
He knew that life on Earth had its flaws. Hell, even the United States wasn't perfect. But he still believed in what it stood for. Freedom and liberty for all. That was why he enlisted. Not to fight for the bureaucrat's agendas nor for the fight itself. He fought for his beliefs and to protect his family, because if he didn't, how could he trust others to do the same?
Now thrust upon an alien world where the political landscape's fucked in his eyes, he couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing. Not when he had the power to change things. But he had to tread carefully. He and Quin weren't the only ones in the Divine Realm. If he made one wrong move or pissed off the wrong person, everything he was planning would come to an ugly end.
The hinges screeched in agony as June pushed the door open. Inside was a reception desk at the back of a lobby. A single Vyshtani woman stood behind the reception desk. Her black feline ears stood prominently above her orange bob, and they turned to them as he held the door for Quin. Her head followed swiftly as her sparkling blue eyes with vertical pupils landed on them. The olive complexion of her brow creased as she stared at them.
Even from outside, his Aura Sense had mapped out the entire building, noting the several presences in the room beyond the door that stood behind the woman. Past that, in a room on the second level, were Urzenkeil and Merriam with two others. An Athori man stood tall beside an Althori woman seated at a desk. She had to have been the Guild Master they were speaking to.
"You must be the one Urzenkeil mentioned. June, was it?" the receptionist asked, her eyes roving over his body before doing the same to Quin as they approached. "And you, Quin-tel."
"I am," June said, coming to lean against the reception desk and extending a hand. "It's good to meet you."
The receptionist stared at it for a second before accepting it with a dainty hand. Her hands were as soft as silk compared to his battle-worn hands. He gave it a firm shake, the first proper handshake he had given since coming to Syrova, before releasing her.
"Just Quin is fine," Quin said, also extending a hand, which the receptionist shook as well.
"Urzenkeil had mentioned you'd both look…" she paused for a moment, thinking over her words carefully before continuing, "different."
"Yes, that we are," he said with a hearty laugh, seeing the Althori man beside the Guild Master made his way down to them.
"He also said that you're here to meet with our Guild Master," she said, her eyes narrowing as her black tail whipped from side to side behind her.
"Yes," he said with a nod.
He was just about to push himself from the desk and make his way to the door behind her when her words stopped him. "I think it's best you leave."
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"Our Guild Master already has enough on her plate that she doesn't need riffraff like you taking advantage of her or wasting her time."
"Oh, really?" He chuckled dryly, feeling another "Do we look like ruffians to you?"
"I don't know what or who you are!" she hissed, baring her canines. "That's reason enough not to trust you!"
"Come now, sweet Edora," an Althori man said, coming through the door behind her. "You shouldn't treat them that way. They are our guests."
Edora's face reddened as she spun around and bowed, her tail sagging along with her ears. "Forgive me, Master Baeorn."
"There's nothing to forgive, Edora," Baeorn said, patting her on the shoulder as he stood beside her. "Both your loyalty and respect for our Guild Master are commendable."
"Thank you, Sir," she said, lifting her head and turning to face June and Quin.
"You must be June and Quin!" Baeorn said, his voice resonating through the empty lobby. "My name is Matil Baeorn. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Matil was tall, even a few inches taller than Zeraiah. But he was the leanest Althori man he'd met. Not that the man was a twig. No, he was muscular. He just wasn't a walking Hulk like most Althori men were.
"Likewise," June said, exchanging a handshake with Matil.
Quin exchanged a similar greeting with Matil before June continued. "So, can we meet your Guild Master now?"
"Of course," Matil said with a smile that shone through his brown bushy beard. "Right this way."
Matil pushed the door open as he and Quin stepped around the desk and through the open doorway. The room looked straight out of a fantasy tavern, with wooden tables lined in neat rows and a bar on the far left wall. A staircase on the opposite wall led up to a railed balcony that overlooked the entire bottom floor. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, with Fire Essence Crystals lighting the room.
People sat around eating what he assumed to be lunch or a late breakfast, but their numbers didn't even fill out a quarter of the room, reaching only a little less than two dozen. Nobody sat at the bar as a Vyshtani man stood behind it, cleaning glass cups before wiping down the counter.
"Follow me," Matil said, gesturing with a hand toward the stairs.
Matil led the way as he and Quin followed close behind. A few intrigued faces rose from their food to stare at them, mostly those who weren't on the mission to retake Castle Dumar.
After making it halfway through the room, a door to the left of the bar swung open as Yisha and Draxxus walked through. Yisha had two trays of food balanced in either hand while Draxxus held another. His face scrunched in concentration as he followed his mother over to a table whose occupants were waiting for their food.
"Thank you," the Althori woman of the group said when Yisha set the food down before them.
"You're welcome, Olivee," Yisha said.
Draxxus plopped his tray onto the table, spilling a bit of the soup, and Olivee turned to him next. "And thank you, Draxxus!" she said in a cute baby voice, patting his head.
"You're welcome, Miss Olivee," Draxxus said before his eyes landed on June and Quin.
"June!" Draxxus called as he scurried over to him.
"Hey there, Draxxus," he said as the boy ran up to him.
"Can we train now?" Draxxus pleaded, jumping up and down with the energy of an overzealous puppy.
"Soon," he said with a laugh, ruffling Draxxus's hair. "After I've had a chat with your Guild Master."
Draxxus's face fell, but that didn't take away the energy he still had. "Okay then! I will be practicing out back!" he called as he ran back to his mother.
June turned back to Matil, who had a raised eyebrow as he stared at him.
"What?" June asked, stepping past Matil and up the stairs.
"I'm just surprised… I didn't think you'd be good with kids," Matil said, filling right behind him.
"Why wouldn't I be? I am a father after all," he said with a laugh before catching Yisha's gaze and giving her a wave. She averted her eyes quickly as her face became red.
"Yes," Matil said, glancing back at Quin. "Urzenkeil and Merriam had mentioned that."
"What else have they mentioned?" He asked, stopping at the top of the stairs, letting Matil retake the lead.
Matil's face remained as still as ice as he silently passed June.
The air remained charged as Matil led them down a hallway. They passed an intersection, and he glanced down the hall to his right. Rows of doors lined the walls on either side. They were clearly the Guild members' sleeping quarters.
They continued past the intersection, coming to a single door at the end of the hallway. Matil knocked twice before a husky, feminine voice called out. "Come in."
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Yisha smiled as she watched June speak with her son. A strange fluttering settled in her stomach every time June interacted with him, and she didn't know why. It wasn't a bad feeling; in fact, elation soared through her rather than wariness.
He wasn't the first to treat her son with kindness, as evidenced by Olivee's prior greeting. But something about him just brought out unfamiliar feelings within her, and it bugged her to no end. It was becoming quite a problem as she found her thoughts drifting to him at the most random of times.
"He's a looker there, isn't he?" Olivee said, bumping her on the side with an elbow.
"What?" she asked, Olivee's voice snapping her back to the room.
"Him," Olivee said, pointing at June with her chin.
Yisha followed her gaze and found June climbing up the wooden steps. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, everything stopped. He waved at her with a smile, and she immediately averted her gaze. Heat rose to her head, so much so that she might have emitted steam if it were possible.
"I mean, he's a bit small for my taste, but he's perfect for you," Olivee teased with a playful smirk.
Yisha was at a loss for words as her blush deepened.
"Quit that, Olivee," Goram said from beside Olivee. "There's no need to tease the woman beyond what you already have."
Yisha quickly collected the trays and bowed. "Enjoy your meal."
She rushed back to the kitchen with Draxxus quick on her heels.
"Sorry, Yisha!" Olivee called out with a laugh.
The door swung shut behind her, and she set the trays down on the counter, her heart racing. She slumped against the cabinet door behind her and hugged one of her three fox tails to her chest, burying her face in it. What was going on with her?
Beside her, Draxxus was busy punching invisible enemies, grunting and growling with every punch. Her heart calmed as she watched him. He had always been her rock that soothed her.
Draxxus suddenly hopped to face her, a giant smile painted on his face. "Mamma! Can I practice out back?"
"Yes, my cub," Yisha said.
"Yes!" Draxxus yipped, throwing a hand into the air before scampering through the kitchen and out the back door.
Yisha giggled to herself as she followed him outside, putting the previous encounter out of her mind.
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June stepped through the door that Matil held open, and the first thing his eyes landed on was the Althori woman sitting behind an ornate desk directly across from them. She had an elegance that belied her haggard state as strands of her chestnut hair hung loose from the tight braid that ran down her back. Urzenkeil stood as rigid as a tree off to the right, while Merriam leaned on the edge of the desk.
When they entered, Merriam hopped to her feet and ran over to hug Quin. "Quin! You came!"
"Of course I did," Quin said, a little confused.
"Right," Merriam said with a chuckle, "I thought it was only going to be your father showing up."
"No, silly. Why would you think that?" Quin asked with a light giggle.
Her question gave Merriam pause. "I… don't know… actually," she said, laughing nervously at the end.
June stepped up beside Quin. "Hello, Merriam."
Merriam gasped softly and backed away from Quin. "Ah! Oh, right. Hello, June," she said, bowing quickly.
"Oh, stop that," June said in a joking manner and rested a hand on her shoulder as she remained bowed. "There's no need for formality when we're already friends."
"We are?" Merriam asked, raising her head slightly. "Friends, I mean."
"I'd sure hope so," he said, lifting his hand.
Merriam straightened instantly, a smile on her face, and pulled him into a giant hug. "Then it's so good to see you again, June."
June could only chuckle, patting her back before the Guild Master cleared her throat. "Merriam, that's enough."
"Aww," Merriam said, releasing June. "You're no fun, sis."
"This is no frivolous meeting, Merriam. Now, take your place beside Urzenkeil," the Guild Master snapped.
Merriam rolled her eyes but did as her sister bade. Her sister's eyes tracked her until she stood at attention beside Urzenkeil before returning to June.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," June said, reaching a hand out for a handshake. "My name is June Mikkelson."
Merriam's sister stood, straightening her beige uniform, which reminded him of a WW2 officer's uniform, except with added flair. Her white and red over-the-shoulder cloak swayed with her movement as she grasped his arm in the Syrovan handshake. "Layhanna Milliadry and the pleasure's all mine."
"Quin-tel Granwoad," Quin said, shaking Layhanna's arm.
"Charmed to meet you," Layhanna said, gesturing to the two leather chairs behind them before settling back into her own chair, her gaze fixed on June. "I was informed that if it weren't for you and your daughter, my Guild members wouldn't be here today."
"Yes," June said, sitting down casually, leaning back in the chair. "But their fates would have been much worse than just dying."
"So I've been told," Layhanna said, throwing a glance at Urzenkeil and Merriam before turning to Matil.
Matil nodded in acknowledgment, and a moment later, June watched as a barrier made from Kinetic Essence surrounded the room. It blocked out all prying eyes and ears up to a certain power level—those in the Mythic Realm or below. However, that wasn't enough for June as he layered a thin layer of Wind and Kinetic Essence over Matil's barrier, obscuring the room entirely from the outside world.
Layhanna's eyes promptly landed on him, and he only shrugged in response. "Just reinforcing it, that's all."
She scowled long and hard before speaking. "Are you confident that Hivengel was working directly with his brother Ravengel?"
"Yes," he said without expanding on his response.
"And how did you come by this information?" Layhanna asked through gritted teeth.
June tapped the side of his head. "Psionic Essence and Lady Oltharin's firsthand experience from being enthralled to Hivengel."
"But how can I take your word for it? From the information I've gathered, you were the only one to have gone to Castle Dumar and killed Hivengel."
However, before she could continue, June butted in. "It was actually Reyah De' Altan who killed Hivengel. I just dealt with his Thralls."
Layhanna's glare deepened, her agitation clear on her face as she continued. "With no actual proof, I can't just trust your word alone."
"They're not just my father's," Quin interjected, drawing Layhanna's attention. "Urzenkeil and Yisha can attest to the fact that Vern Dumar had purposefully led your company into a trap that got most of them killed."
Quin turned to look at Urzenkeil. "Do you not trust the word of your own guildmates?"
"I do," Layhanna seethed through clenched teeth, "but now he's in a Soul Pact with your father, so I cannot just blindly trust him."
Quin frowned in confusion. "But—"
However, June stuck out a hand, interrupting her. She turned to him, and he sent her a telepathic message asking her to trust him. She nodded and leaned back in her chair, but he cocked his head to the side, feeling a foreign Aura brush against his barrier.
"Don't think I didn't notice that," Layhanna said, glaring daggers at him. "That little mental conversation you two just had. Schemers like you are highly untrustworthy."
He split his attention, tracing the Aura back to its origins, and found an Althori man clad in black and gold robes and armor like a 12th-century crusader standing before an auspicious white-stone building.
Back in the Guild house, he leaned forward with an easy smile. "Takes one to know one."
Meanwhile, at the auspicious building, the man spoke with a woman, who addressed him as Lord Adjudicator. He filed that away as the man flew into the sky, only to land before a mansion in the center of the city, Garn Dumar's home. His clone should already be there, so he tasked him with watching the Adjudicator before his attention returned to the room.
The death stare Layhanna gave him would have killed him a thousand times over—if only looks could kill.
He chuckled briefly before suppressing it. Because now they could as Cultivators of the System. Unfortunately for her, a person only in the Mythic Realm, she wouldn't be able to achieve that. And most certainly not against him.
Off to the side, Urzenkeil's body tensed as the veins on his temple bulged. Merriam's jubilant attitude shifted to one of shock before resting on fury.
"What's the meaning of—" Merriam shouted, but a single wave of Layhanna's hand silenced her.
"What's so funny?" Layhanna growled, her eyes never leaving June.
"Just a thought I had," June said, waving off her question.
Her frustration with his nonchalant attitude nearly boiled over as she made to stand, but a firm hand from Matil on her shoulder kept her from exploding. She planted herself back in her seat and took a deep breath to calm herself.
June liked her more and more. He had been intentionally short and casual with her to see how she'd react. She was easy to goad into reacting, but did well to stay composed. And when he had pushed her over the edge, she had a competent subordinate, whom she trusted and listened to, to reel her back. She had all the right makings of an excellent leader, and with a bit of guidance, she'd be just that.
June stood and bowed low; she was just the person he had been hoping she was. "Forgive me, Lady Milliadry."
His sudden shift in behavior caught all but Quin off guard. "I meant no disrespect. I just wanted to see what kind of person you were when tested."
Layhanna's mouth struggled to find the words as it opened and closed multiple times. When her brain finally caught up with the situation, she had only one question for him. "You were testing me?"
"Yes," June said, lifting his head and assuming a military posture. "I needed to see what kind of person you were, to know what kind of leader you are when under pressure."
"Why?" she asked, her frustration and anger evaporating into cautious curiosity.
"That was the very reason I wanted to speak with you in the first place," he said, sitting back down in his seat with a sigh.
"And that reason being?" Layhanna queried with a raised brow.
"Before I answer that, would you be willing to answer a question of mine?"
Layhanna looked at Matil, who nodded in response. "Very well, ask away," she said.
"As I understand it, from my conversation with Urzenkeil, you're trying to regain your family's noble status by completing the quest to retake Castle Dumar. Correct?"
Layhanna hesitated for a second before nodding in affirmation.
"But to what end?" June continued. "At the end of the day, wouldn't you essentially be pledging your fealty to Ravengel, the man responsible for the near-total demise of your Guild and the deaths of your Guild members?"
"Not necessarily," Layhanna said, but was unwilling to elaborate.
Silence permeated the room as he waited for her to speak, but it was Matil who stepped forward and spoke instead. "Sir Mikkelson, would it be presumptuous of me to assume that you were once a soldier from your kingdom?"
"Not at all," June said with a light chuckle, "and yes, I was once. A very long time ago."
He hadn't bothered to clarify that the USA wasn't a kingdom.
"Then, may I ask what a man such as yourself is doing in the Empire, or Lysia, for that matter?"
Quin looked at him, and he contemplated the best answer to give them. He wouldn't tell them the truth; he knew that much. It was still too dangerous for that, and their ignorance would serve as a better shield for the time being. Perhaps someday he'd tell them, just not today.
"We were just passing through when we came upon your company," June said, lying through his teeth. "We were honestly a little lost before that."
"You were… lost?" Matil asked with a skeptical look.
"Yup, hadn't the faintest of clues where we were."
"And where were you coming from?"
"A Dungeon," June said, throwing some truths in with his lies.
"Which one?"
"One that appeared not two days ago, a few miles from where your company made camp."
Matil scowled at him, clearly annoyed. "And where were you going?"
"Home."
"Where's that?"
"Some place that no longer exists."
Matil snorted in derision. "You seem to have an answer for everything. Answers that are quite vague and some that are frankly too convenient."
"True," June said with a nod, "we've only just met."
"And yet you expect us to share our life story to you while you keep yours close to your chest?" Layhanna spat, butting into Matil's impromptu interrogation.
"I don't expect you to. It was a genuine question. Whether you choose to trust me and share that information is up to you."
"And how are we supposed to trust you when you won't even trust us?" Layhanna countered.
"Well, Urzenkeil and I formed a Soul Pact with one another, so he has an idea of which Realm Quin and I are in. It takes a great deal of trust to form one with others, even more so when it's with a stranger."
"I'm well aware. It was the only thing Urzenkeil refused to tell me," Layhanna seethed, hurt from his supposed betrayal.
"Of course he did," June said with a snort. "It was part of the Pact."
He then turned to look at Urzenkeil. "Urzenkeil, if I were an enemy of your Guild, is there anyone here powerful enough to stop me from killing you all?"
Layhanna stiffened upon hearing his words, while Matil's scowl transformed into open hostility. June could see Matil's Soul Essence flow into his spatial device, a bracer he wore on his right arm, before Urzenkeil's voice caused him to pause in summoning his weapon. "No one."
Both Layhanna and Matil turned and frowned at Urzenkeil as June continued. "And if I were an enemy of Lysia, is there anyone capable of stopping me in the kingdom?"
"No one," Urzenkeil repeated.
"Now, Urzenkeil, can you think of anyone who could match me in combat in the Empire? Oh, and you don't have to give a name, just nod your head," June said, releasing a bit of his Aura.
They both froze when Urzenkeil nodded, and their faces paled when June's Aura descended upon them. The pressure in the room spiked as the entire room creaked and strained. The power, despite it only being a fraction of his true strength, behind his Aura suffocated the four Althori's souls. If he had wanted, he could have dominated them or crushed them in an instant.
But, as quickly as it came, his Aura disappeared, and the four members of the Shining Arrow Guild all released a collective breath. Those standing stumbled back a step while Layhanna slumped back into her chair.
"You see, Lady Milliadry, I've already afforded you a lot of trust just by being here. All I ask is that you share my trust," June said casually, as if he hadn't just briefly assaulted their souls.
Layhanna pushed herself up on unsteady arms. "Who… who are you?"
June flashed her a charming smile. "Just a man and his daughter, looking to build a new home."