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

nodded to him in thanks as he clambered up onto the ledge that ran around the balcony of Mal’s room. He crouched and jumped off, thrusting down hard with his powerful wings, and we were all buffeted with the wind as he soared upward.

“God, I’d love to fly,” I muttered, and I looked to Oracle, who remained perched on my shoulder. She’d been quiet since we had arrived, and I could tell, after the Drow incident, that she just wasn’t comfortable around others right now.

“It’s nice,” she whispered, stroking the back of my neck with one small hand. I smiled at her in reassurance, patting her legs where they dangled against my chest and upper arm.

“There’s everything you need inside,” Soween said less than a minute later, when she returned with a leather folio, which she passed to Yen, then threw her a bag as well. “Might be a good idea to change your gear again, after they made you last time, if you know what I mean?” she said, and Yen colored, darting into the antechamber to swap her plain Legion scouting attire and cloak for a more common design.

“Thank you,” Yen said when she returned. I nodded my thanks to Soween and Mal as well, leaving the room behind Gaion as we all hurried outside.

“How long will it take to reach the healer?” I asked Gaion, and he shrugged.

“Normally, fifteen or twenty minutes, depending on the time of day. She’s only a few streets away, on this side of the river in the Merchant Quarter. Now, though? Depends on anything. Could be quick, could be slow, but Mal asked me to get you there, so I will, and I’ll make sure it’s safe.”

We moved quickly through the corridors, passing through a few rooms and across an empty bar area that was being mopped and cleaned ready for the night’s festivities by a bored-looking lizard man.

Once we left the shade of the building, I looked around. The courtyard appeared empty, besides the Fenris, which still stood where I’d left it.

“That thing yours?” a voice called, and I spotted a man dressed in ale-spotted leathers, dragging a wheelbarrow of dung out of a stable on the other side of the open space.

“Yeah, why?” I asked, and he snorted.

“Why, he asks… because the damn thing won’t move! I’ve got deliveries in and out all day, and that damn thing won’t budge! Just attacks anyone that touches its bridle. Why have a bridle if you can’t use it, eh? I ask ya,” he said, setting the wheelbarrow down.

“Crap,” I muttered. “Okay, good point. where do you need him moved to?” I asked, and he gestured to the stables. “Fenris, go and stand in the stables where this man…” I looked to him and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Bart.”

“Go into the stables and wait where Bart asks you to. Don’t go anywhere else.” I added at the end, just in case.

“About time,” Bart muttered, gesturing to the stables. “Get in there, last stall on the right. Don’t break nuthin’.” Fenris shifted and strode across the courtyard calmly, and Lydia, Yen, Stephanos, Oracle, and I set out into the streets. Following Gaion, we crossed the manicured gardens of the private, richer areas of the Cloudring, and passed through the outer gates into the city proper.

Here, the smoke was heavier, the cloying taste of the herbs in the air stronger, yet with less of an effect, thankfully, and I felt my head clearing as we walked through the streets.

Gaion picked up the pace again, and we all started jogging along, until he spun suddenly, knives whipping out, and he shouted out a warning to the rest of us.

“Assassin!”

We reacted instantly, Yen and Lydia taking up station on either side of me, Oracle lifting into the air from my pocket, and Stephanos grunting as he hefted his bow, nocking an arrow. I could feel the presence of Amaat, swooping nearby, and…

“Bane!” I said, relaxing. “Tang!” The boxes nearby shifted as Tang moved out into the open, grinning at me and the rest of the group.

“You know him?” Gaion asked, a pair of long daggers braced in his hands as he looked to me. I nodded, gesturing to him to calm down.

“I do. He’s sworn to me; as is…” I searched around, and a swirl of smoke drew my attention to Bane, who stood only a few feet away.

“About time you spotted me,” he said, letting loose with a sub-sonic ‘thrummm’ of amusement.

“Yeah, well, you’re a stealthy fucker,” I retorted, grinning at him. He’d not been with me long, but damn, I felt better knowing Bane was close by.

“Where are we going?” he asked, and I gestured to Gaion.

“This is Gaion. The deal’s done with Mal, that’s all I can say here, but he’s taking us to an appointment with a healer.”

“Then we’ll follow and watch over you,” Bane said, stepping back into the smoke. His form became hazy almost instantly, and a few seconds later, he was gone, while Gaion stared around in annoyance.

“Anyone else I should know about?” he asked gruffly, his daggers still in his hands, and I shook my head.

“Not that you need to worry about. Lead on, mate,” I said. Tang moved into the group, taking up the left rear position, clearly intending on staying close to Yen from now on. Oracle rolled her eyes at Gaion, slipping back into my pocket and giving me a subtle nudge to remind me of where she was hiding, and the view this morning when I’d woken up.

Gaion nodded to me and sheathed his daggers, clearly on edge, but he soon set off jogging again, and a few minutes later, we were out of the smoke, emerging into a faint ray of sunlight.

I drew a deep breath, closing my eyes for a second and enjoying the sun on my face, until a passing Airship moved across the sky and blotted the pleasantly warm rays out.

Glaring up at it, I jogged along with Gaion and the others,