Chapter 267 - A Sly Switch (1/2)

Despite their lack of sleep, Devina and her Paladins moved swiftly through the city to the docks. They'd been on this mission for five months already, they couldn't let this opportunity to eradicate the shadows in this world slip through their fingers.

”Are you sure you're okay Lukas?” asked Aina, her tone cautious.

Lukas huffed, ”I'm fine, not like he can over power seven of us”.

At least they hoped. It certainly seemed unlikely.

Kelly huffed, ”I still think you should have stayed back to rest. You hit your head pretty hard”.

”Drop it, Kelly,” Lukas snapped, ”I know my body better than you, and I say I'm fine”.

Devina doubted that, but she didn't protest. She could not help the feeling within her that she needed all the help she could get.

They rounded a corner and slowed their pace somewhat as the crowd along the edge of the docks thickened with busy workers, sailors, guards and commoners, all vying for the last of the goods that had come in with the morning tide. A few food vendors were set up to the side, lines indicating that they were dealing with the lunch time rush, albeit in the end of it.

Devina's eyes scoured over all of them before Aina hurriedly tapped her arm and pointed a few blocks down to where a pair of priests loitered among the crowd.

Devina and her group moved towards them swiftly, the crowd parting for them when they recognised the fluttering white robes of the Holy Order.

Devina arrived quickly before the priests who hurriedly bowed their heads to her out of respect.

”Where did you see him?” asked Devina, eager to get straight to the point.

”He was purchasing a ticket on a vessel bound for Port Lutte this afternoon, Priestess,” the first Priest stated.

”And now?” asked Aina.

”He has been back and forth through the crowd along the dock, seemingly buying time before he must leave,” said the second Priest, ”Right now he is among that crowd over there”.

The Priest pointed to a crowd of people around one of the dock masters they seemed to be arguing about something, though from this distance Devina couldn't tell what about. There, on the edge of the crowd, a figure in a poncho with a deep hood stood. Clearly male, and with a long brown braid emerging from the depths of his hood to run down his front.

Devina frowned. The wrongness, it was not around him.

Lukas stepped forward, but Devina caught his arm as she turned back to the Priests, ”Has he noticed you?”

”We thought he had earlier, as he disappeared down an alley and appeared to be trying to lose us, but he emerged from the other side and has since circled around the docks and the vendors,” said the first priest, ”As I said it merely seems as if he is buying time before a trip”.

Devina nodded, then motioned to Priests to move away.

”We out number his easily, Priestess,” Lukas stated, ”Why do you hesitate?”

”Something is off,” Devina admitted, ”I don't sense any of that...wrongness. Do you?”

She looked around at her other Paladins before Lukas spoke, ”Is it not possible that he can turn it on and off? After all, we do not use our influence over the Mist constantly”.

Aina nodded, ”Yes, perhaps you only feel that wrongness when he is using his abilities”.