(Second Book Complete!) Runeblade: A Delving & Skill Merging LitRPG

It was a simple pile of loose dirt, clear of the orange and brown leaves that carpeted the surrounding forest. Once Porkchop had packed it down, and the wind picked back up, even that notable feature would be erased. A good half league from the road, the grave would be just like any other patch of ground in a forest. Invisible and featureless, except for the body buried six strides beneath the surface.

Brushing some of the dirt from his trousers, Kaius frowned down at the grave as the wind picked back up. Leaves rustled above, and an orange star tumbled past him. It stuck to the side of the mound — the process had already begun.

None of them said a word to curse the rogue, but neither did they have well wishes for her next journey. The woman had been a thief who had spoken easily of murder. One who had tried to plant a knife in his eye, and had gotten an axe wedged into his chest.

And yet, those actions had only come in self-defense.

It was a strange feeling, to kill another and feel no guilt, despite knowing it was avoidable. The rogue had been an obstacle to rescuing Kanmost, and had been a potentially lethal threat — even then, he had tried to give the woman an out. Perhaps he had been naive, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He’d done what he needed to do, and the woman had made her choice.

The sack in his hand felt just a little bit heavier. Inside were the few items they’d found worth taking from the woman’s body. It wasn’t much — a couple of Rare tier one knives, as well as the woman’s cloak and her odd tonic bandolier. Her clothes had been artefacts too, but minor ones. They’d get some gold for them, but none of them were so poor that a little gold was enough to prompt them to strip the woman to her smallclothes. It felt disrespectful, especially to one who had fought hard till the bitter end.

Really, Kaius was just glad he hadn’t enjoyed it. Her death, at least.

Kaius was under no illusions that he was a peaceful man. The thrill of the fight quite literally roared through his blood, and he smiled at the thought of death and dismemberment. Battle was as much a succour for his soul as a soft bed and a warm meal, and weaving a dance of spell and steel made him feel alive.

But he didn’t enjoy killing people. It had left him feeling tired without the grand drive of revenge, or the heat of anger to buoy him. He couldn’t deny there had been a primal satisfaction to the retribution he had brought to bear against Old Yon and his men, but this and that were different.

Porkchop broke the spell, stepping onto the mound with a single paw. The loose dirt packed tight, and he repeated the process, flattening out the surrounding ground. Within the hour, there would be no trace left, and so far from the road it was likely that no one would ever find this place.

“Come on, let’s leave,” Kenva said, turning away from the grave without another word. The rest of them followed.

They’d pushed deep into the trees, just to be sure they were out of sight of the road, so the return trip would take them a while. At a casual walking pace, at least.

All around them, Kaius could sense beasts. Small Copper birds, with beaks of gleaming blue flitted from branch to branch overhead, and an Iron stone-skinned boar showered the ground with dust and shredded bark as they rubbed against a tree only a few hundred strides away. It was almost normal — a scene he’d lived through a dozen times a day when he lived in the Sea. A tenuous balance of peace as creatures just went about their lives, as if they were still simple animals.

Perhaps if he and his team had been weaker, they wouldn’t have passed so freely, but the reality was that they were strong. Even the most territorial of local beasts just… got out of their way.

Opening the sack in his hand, Kaius took another look at the tonic bandolier. A thick belt, with a double stacked row of ten tonics lying exposed on its edge. Even if it was weak, he could see the utility of having such easy access to tonics. Though, he wasn’t sure if it was right for him. Exposed, the tonics could easily shatter under the rigours of front-line battle.

He analysed it anyway.

Quickfire Spatial Bandolier:

Unusual - Tier I

With enough prep time, anything is possible.

A bandolier made from telmeth leather soaked in spatially attuned resin. It is enchanted to store alchemicals and tonics inside of a small spatial container, with ten vials exposed. Vials are rearranged from internal stock when reaching for a tonic, ensuring the intended consumable is always on hand.

Depths-wrought Artefact.

Accessory (Bandolier)

Durability II, Self Repair I, Alchemical Storage I, Intent Reading II

Kaius nodded, impressed at its function. That was far more useful that simple storage for alchemicals. Withdrawing an item from a spatial artefact took focus, something that could easily become a problem in combat. Sure, it didn’t take long, and was only a small distraction — but at their level, even a split second was enough to kill.

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It was almost enough for him to want it for himself. He certainly had less time to react then Kenva or Ianmus.

But, no. There was still the problem of the exposed bottles. Breaking an uncommon healing draught was one thing, but truly powerful — and therefore useful — alchemicals were inordinately expensive. All it would take was a single slip up, and they might lose a resource that they couldn’t replace.

Pulling the belt and cloak out of the bag, he stored it and the daggers in his ring. The blades were just merchant fodder.

“Here,” he said, tossing the cloak at Kenva.

Its black fabric wafted like smoke as it caught the breeze. He’d taken a look at the thing earlier, and it only made sense for her to have it. Another first-tier Unusual, it was enchanted to break up silhouettes — but most of its power went to boosting the wearer’s active stealth Skills.

She gave it a quick once over, before it vanished with a soft pop. “Thanks, might come in handy if I need to play at thief again — might even stop it from turning into a disaster next time.”

“What about the bandolier?” Ianmus asked, trailing a few steps behind them next to Porkchop.

“Take a look,” he hoisted the belt high enough for both Ianmus and Kenva to analyze it. “It doesn’t really make much sense for me or Porkchop to use, since the tonics are liable to break — Porkchop’s too fat anyway.”

“Hey!”

A massive paw slammed into his back, sending him stumbling forward. He just laughed.

Kenva eyed the bandolier in his hands thoughtfully. “They can definitely break — it’s how the rogue escaped the first time. Used her skill to kick the bandolier. Anyway, I think Ianmus should have it.”

“Huh? I can heal myself — wouldn’t it make more sense for you?”

She shook her head. “Takes two hands to draw. Besides, you’ve mentioned how much focus your keyseals take to keep stable when they’re active. This would let you use a mana tonic with less effort.”

Kaius could see the wisdom in that. Plus, the rogue had used smoke bombs and other utility devices to great effect, and the bandolier still had plenty of them left. Ianmus was their least maneuverable and most vulnerable member by far; being able to break line of sight at the drop of a hat could give the rest of them a few precious seconds to rescue him.

“Catch,” he said, tossing the bandolier to the mage.

…

The updraft caught his feathers, taking him higher. Far beneath his wings, an endless sprawl of golden trees spread out — severed only by the highway that cut south east. Even a quarter league up, he could see the speckled grey of the local stone, and the ruts where thousands of wagons had made mark of their passage.

Three figures and an immense beast wandered out of the woods, finished with hiding the evidence of their crimes. A moment later, their craft reappeared — an ancient and impossible device that had no business being in the hands of baseborn thugs.

Had the aen secured it? Crude reflection of true peerage the Hiwiann clans might have been, but there were known landyachts on the Altier Steppe.

Regardless, he’d seen enough. They were still sticking to the road — likely heading in the direction of Tennereth. It would be a hard ride, but they could keep pace, though he’d need to check on their position regularly to make sure they hadn’t left the road. That, and to ensure they stayed over the horizon, well out of sight.

A scream of triumph slipped free of his beak, and he wheeled away, flying out of sight of the guildhounds. Moments later, he released his grip on his Skill — better to use a new bird every time.

…

Trees slid past Julian as he dug his heels into the side of his windsoul charger, encouraging it to keep up the pace. It was easy for the beast — a bare trot that moved faster than a mundane stallion’s full gallop.

Even after so many years, he thought the creature was majestic. A wide, almost horse-like head that tapered to a hawk’s beak that shone like polished obsidian, and its powerful legs tapered into clawed feet that dug deep into the soft soil. With every movement, dense, downy feathers cushioned him, and the very wind parted to ease their passage.

Father had purchased a full twelve from a northern breeder on the eve of Julian’s class selection, and in the years since he’d insisted that every one of them could move with their mounts like they were born in the saddle.

Perfect for tracking down a gang of thieves.

A twitch of movement behind him caught his eye. Their scout, coming back to full alertness — he’d thought the prospect of having beastmaster on their support team odd when Edmund had first suggested it, but the man had proven his worth many times over at this point.

“Slow,” Julian commanded, holding up a hand.

“My lords,” Steelheart’s man said.

“Speak, good sir,” Julian replied, eager to learn all he could.

The beastmaster nodded. “I spotted our quarry burying a body, it looked like some sort of rogue, judging by the armour. It was missing an arm, too. They’ve returned to the road — same heading.”

Baron Rosenhall grinned atop his mount, before he raised his brow at Julian. “I knew they were involved — do we need any more confirmation?”

Julian scowled, gripping his reigns tight enough his knuckles started to whiten. That settled it — Kaius and his team were involved beyond a shadow of a doubt. They’d been in that hideout, and for all he knew had Kanmost’s journals on them.

Beside him, Edmund scratched his chin. His charger clacked its beak as the man shifted balance — ornery, that one.

“We could cut a harder line north? We’d be able to reach the edge of the woods before them — it’s a good place for an ambush.”

Julian rejected the idea immediately. They might have been dealing with thieves, but they were still undoubtedly powerful — anyone who had reinforced all of their Aspects would have to be talented, and they had a greater beast besides. No, if they were going to take back what was rightfully his, they would have to do it smart.

“We keep our distance for now, and stay just over the horizon. They took jobs from the Guild as cover, so there’s a chance we might be able to catch them half spent.”

If not, well. The guildhounds had left Baanswell decisive and swift — almost as if they knew where they were going. If the team wanted to lead him directly to Kanmost, he had no complaints — all the better if both of his enemies could spend themselves fighting each other. After all, the prize always went to the most patient hunter.