City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

apologize, Lord Jax. We didn’t know that you were unaware of the Dark Legion, or the realities of…”

“The realities of fucking life…” I cut her off. “Yeah, okay, sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you, but this shit sandwich just got a lot shittier, okay? Give me a few minutes,” I said, shaking my head.

I sat watching up through the filthy, cracked glass, trying to spot different members of the Harpies, but gave it up as pointless after a few minutes. The smugglers sat despondently at the back of the group, and I frowned as I studied them. They were just normal people, or so they seemed…

“Yen,” I said, and she straightened to attention. “Think you could make it to the Arena with one of the smugglers? Just the two of you?”

She turned and looked them over, settling on Ellen, the dead caravan master’s granddaughter.

“We could; two women would draw less attention…”

“Three would be better,” Lydia added, stepping forward.

I nodded to her in thanks and looked over at Ellen.

“You up for this?” I asked her, and she shrugged.

“If it means I get to go home and get some clean clothes and a bath? Yeah, I’ll do it,” she said, sniffing her clothes and grimacing.

“Okay, then, you three head for the arena, find this ‘Mal’ guy, and get him back here.”

Ellen looked like she was going to say something, and I quirked an eyebrow at her in question, but she shook her head, instead turning to tell the other smugglers to wait with me.

I frowned and drew Yen and Lydia off to one side.

“Yen, I know you’ve met Lydia, but let me be clear on this, she’s got my complete confidence. If she says something, I need you to listen to her as though it’s come from me, got it? It might not be right; fuck knows I don’t ask the right questions, like, ever, but listen to her.” I said, and Lydia straightened, giving me a quick pleased nod.

“Of course,” Yen nodded to Lydia.

“I trust you both. Keep an eye on Ellen, but most of all, keep yourselves alive. I don’t trust her. There’s something not right there. If you get separated, retreat back here. Do you need anything?”

“No, sir. We’re just a group of girls heading out to see a friend,” Yen said.

“Well, have fun…and I know that to Lydia, ‘having fun’ means kicking some poor bastard’s head in, so at least try to behave, okay?”

“Well, I’ll try…” Lydia said, looking dubious. “Don’t know what I’ll enjoy if I can’t do that, though…”

“A girl after my own heart!” Yen laughed, and they both headed over to the door to take station on either side of Ellen.

“Get out there, and be careful, okay?” I said, grinning at them all.

“Yes, sir!” came the response from both Lydia and Yen, followed a second later by Ellen. I shook my head and smiled as they pushed the large wooden door open a few feet with a loud resounding creak, creeping out cautiously before hurrying out into the night.

I watched them from the window as they neared the mouth of the alley, each of them crouching to gather some dirt from the road and rub it into their clothes and hair. Ellen adjusted her top as Lydia attempted to hide her mace with her cloak.

As soon as they disappeared, Amaat was by my side.

“Do you want me to follow them? Watch over them?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“No, I think you’d put them more at risk. Best to stay here and trust in them,” I said, already feeling worried about them myself.

Oracle shifted on my shoulder, opening her mouth, and I shook my head.

“Not a chance,” I whispered to her.

“I could sneak along. The Drow caught me unprepared, that’s all…”

“Not a chance!” I repeated more forcefully. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“I’m a wisp, you know. I can look after myself.”

“You’re my companion, and…” I cut off abruptly, moving back as someone flew down into the alleyway.

“This way!” A high-pitched voice called, as three more silhouettes dived down.

“What is it?” the second one said, landing on a box outside the window and rubbing at it to try to move some dirt. He looked in, but clearly couldn’t see anything, and started making his way along the windows, peering in each one.

We all moved quickly, pushing ourselves up against walls and behind abandoned, dust-covered equipment, trying any means necessary to get out of sight.

“Those women, they came from this way,” the third voice said, and I felt my stomach clench in fear for them.

“So?”

“So, there’s nothing over here! Nothing but the old weaver’s…so there’s something going on, isn’t there!”

“Because there’s nothing here, there’s something going on?” the second voice said, clearly confused.

“Yeah!” said another voice as the door shifted.

“Open the door!” A fourth voice shrilled, indicating that there were at least two on the near side.

“That’s an Alkyon…” Amaat said to me quietly, glaring at the door as it shifted back and forth.

I gestured to Bane, and he crept over, taking up position next to the door, while Stephanos and Miren nocked arrows on their bows, one aiming at the door, the other at the one that was staring in the windows.

Arrin moved over to crouch next to the window closest to the first voice, and Barrett just grinned at me as he hefted his greatsword and strode into the middle of the room. I nodded to him and gestured for Tang to join him.

“Bane!” I hissed, and he met my eyes. “Take one alive.” He nodded, and I grinned, shifting my naginata around to point it right at the wall between me and what I assumed was the fourth member of their team.

I could hear movement on the other side of the wall, the crumbling masonry and cracked windows making it easy to see their movement. I looked to Amaat and gestured up towards the ceiling and the trapdoor. He nodded, launching himself upward with a powerful beat of