Chapter 140: Infected City (1/2)
Eve knew the woman and trusted her. The owner that was, not the informant in front of her. Trusting an informant was not something one did. You simply entrusted them with only the information that you were sure wouldn't cost you dearly. And some risks had to be taken. In dungeons as much as here.
“It's me, yes. Empty today, is there a tournament or is everyone shitting their pants about the demon invasion.” Eve answered, sitting down opposite the woman in a casual way. She didn't plan to drink anything.
“You shouldn't talk too loud about demons, shadow. I heard some interesting tales regarding your involvement. Perhaps the imperial capital won't be just as safe for you in the coming years.” the woman replied, looking around and increasing the magical barrier around them.
“If someone has a problem then let them come and talk. You probably know more about what the hell happened back in Ravenhall than me at this point.” Eve answered.
“They left you know. There was a big demon horde taken care of yesterday and all the members of your order left after that. Perhaps that's why there are fewer people here today. Rather I think it's the increased shifts for everyone, there's war, and where there is war, there's gold to be made. Why waste your time on drinking?”
Eve didn't say anything about her lack of association with the Hand, that information the broker would have to get from somewhere else. So the Hand left, all of them? Perhaps to retake their fallen capital, there was little else she could think of. At least she knew now where to send her letter, not that many a courier would bring it into the south east mountain chains.
Eve casually opened her pouch and removed some of the documents she had found before, handing some of them to the broker who read through them and stashed them quickly. The woman took a deep breath. “That's quite valuable.” she simply said, leaving other interpretations open. Eve knew that she'd paint a target on her back for having those documents, perhaps some people would assume she was involved with the killings which considering her past years wasn't too far of an assumption to make.
“There are some people I'd like to know something about. Tell me if you have anything significant.” Eve started and proceeded to ask about the man she had fought, Edwin and the people she had taken out a week ago. The informant only had something about the woman who had managed to injure her. Not much but probably enough for Eve to continue her search. Running after Edwin didn't seem reasonable after the killings she had heard about. He was moving too quickly, so the next logical step for her was to continue her search with more stationary individuals.
Individuals that were a little less alert than the man she had fought.
_______________________________________
“Are we lost?” Ilea asked, punching through another wall and stepping into the dark. “I think we're lost.” demons screamed as they ran towards her but she simply turned around again. “Trian!” she shouted as the demons in the next room over clawed at the stone walls, trying to get to the noise they had heard.
“Yes yes, calm down. We have another two hours until the attack starts.” the man said as he floated into the room. “Stop destroying walls, it's gonna be even more confusing.”
“Sure. Let me just go up, I'll let you know where we are in a few moments.” she asked, for the third time in the past hour. The man had previously insisted on using his map to navigate the tunnels but it was getting more and more clear that they had lost their way. Either the map wasn't up to date anymore or he wasn't the best navigator. Fighting hordes of demons and listening to Ilea's room descriptions were certainly a part of the issue as well.
“Alright, just make sure not to break into the city itself.” finally the man resigned, Ilea smiling and thanking him as her wings spread before she blinked upwards a couple times. The underground network of Ravenhall was certainly bigger than she had ever expected but then again with earth mages it was likely much easier to build something like this compared to what something like a big metro on Earth would've cost.
She thought about why more cities she had previously visited didn't have something like that but it might simply be too dangerous, having children with explosion or earth magic around. Plus most of the rooms didn't look to have been used recently. 'For storage or dungeons perhaps...' she thought as she finally saw something different through her Sphere. No further ceiling was beyond the next layer of stone, she was standing right below the city streets.
'That's a little concerning...' she thought, looking at the scene as she blinked around in the infrastructure below the city, looking for the right way to go without loosing herself as well. Two minutes later she was back with the others and pointed in a specific direction.
“We're four floors deep and Viscera is that way. By the way the streets are full of demons, half of them consisting of beasts I've never seen. Thousands, the streets are packed. The mind weavers certainly didn't just enjoy their newfound castle.” she reported and started running, the others followed.
“Sulivhaan was right then, good thing we're already here.” Trian said as he followed behind her. “Demon. The mind weavers seem to be working together, or do you know of someone able to control thousands of other demons?” he looked back to the monster floating behind them, his group of demons following him.
“I do not know...” the demon answered, a little out of breath at the speed Ilea set. “Some circles exist but this level of cooperation, I have never seen.” Ilea started simply crashing through walls head on, her Veil protecting her face from any damage. There were simply too many levels of the complex for some simple walls to cause a cave in.
“What if we just have the whole city collapse from below?” she asked, smashing through another wall, feeling like a certain red liquid man in a big jar.
“Would take too long, even if we used more firepower than just us. Plus how do you suppose we protect ourselves from the cave in?” Trian asked as he lazily floated through the hole she had produced. Ilea wanted to ask if he had ever heard of controlled demolition but then again she didn't know enough about it either to make much of a difference. Claire might've been able to help, with her remote explosion runes.
Then again they likely had the skies, and artillery against infantry was more than just a little effective, especially if they don't have trenches.
The levels ended in unchanged rock from the mountain and the group had to go upwards more and more until Ilea stopped the others. “We're right below the entrance. You guys are ready?” Trian and Kyrian nodded and the mind weaver was actually smiling, at least the closest thing he could produce with his hideous excuse for a face.
“Weavy, you sure you don't want to join the demons? This is your last chance I bet but I hope you know you'd die in the process.” Ilea said, reminding the monster one more time of his position. He had only his life to lose.
“Your concerns aren't unfounded but my kind has not informed me of this alleged alliance. I have spent over two hundred years in the salt lands and you have so far shown great hospitality to me, something your kind normally considers something to be destroyed on sight. I have not sat idle since coming here, Ilea. And I don't plan to find an early death like the others of my kind. Make sure to give them a painless death if you can.” the demon had talked more than he usually did, into their minds and completely without the pressure he had usesd in their first encounter.
“I like you more and more, sure you don't want a real name? And sure, I don't really kill anything not fast, if I can.” Ilea said. “We'll follow the plan then.” she said to the others.
“Weavy is a suitable name as any.” the demon said, only to her. She smiled under her helmet but didn't respond.
“Will do, good luck Ilea. Don't die.” Trian said.
“We'll wait for you inside.” Kyrian added, nodding towards her.
“I'm the healer so it's you who shouldn't die.” she added and shook her head, silly mages and their arrogance. She walked to Trian and put a hand on his shoulder before she slapped his helmet with quite a bit of force. “Your reflexes are shit mate.” she said and stepped to Kyrian before she hugged the man. Ilea wasn't quite sure if anything came of their hookup but she liked him well enough, as a friend and possibly more.
Ilea left them behind and motioned for the demon to follow her. He hadn't been informed about anything. Even the attack on the city was only communicated after they had started their travel from Morhill to the outskirts of Ravenhall while mind magic savvy members of the Hand had kept an eye on the demon during their stay.