"A competitor?" The Master couldn't believe his own ears . Those two single words alone could mean that decades of hard work were at stake . If another Eldritch was involved in the purple crystal's disappearance, maybe it was an inside job all along .
It would have explained a lot of things . Abominations were fickle and greedy by nature, the only thing they respected was power . Eldritchs were the sum of their best and worst traits .
If any Abomination started to believe that the Master wouldn't be able to deliver their promise, they wouldn't hesitate a second to betray them .
"I believed all Eldritchs living on the Galen continent were on our side . " The Master said .
"It could be an ancient one that just awoke from its slumber . " Xenagrosh replied .
"Or maybe a youngster that evolved recently . The only thing I know is that the smell was that of a crafty Eldritch . It had distorted its scent by mixing it with several others, but my senses are not easily fooled . Otherwise I would have mistaken it for a human's . "
"Let's not rush our judgment . " The Master quickly regained their cool . "Maybe it's not a competitor . After all, a purple crystal is an almost endless source of nourishment for an Abomination .
"It allows the likes of you to hide in plain sight without having to harvest energy from living beings . Best case scenario, its actions will get the Guardians off our tail . They can't distinguish between a rogue Eldritch and our own . "
"Worst case scenario, it will ruin us all . We don't know how much it learned from Jarok, nor what it will do with such knowledge . " Xenagrosh's warning was too ominous to ignore it .
The Master could only sigh and plan the hunting of this new player that threatened to topple their already shaky chessboard .
***
The city of Othre .
Lith reached the massive gates made of solid wood and steel as the sun was slowly starting to set . Othre was the biggest trade city in the Kellar region, also known as the Warehouse .
Food provisions were a big issue for cities without Warp Gates . Because of the north's harsh climate, settlements could remain isolated for weeks during the winter months . Blizzards were so powerful that even mages capable of flight would be stuck in their homes .
The cold season was closing in and merchants came from all the Griffon Kingdom to sell the food supplies they could spare for a price way higher than their market value . Every year fear bred crisis, which in turn provided to a few the opportunity to get rich at the expenses of many .
Timing was of the essence, because to avoid panic and rioting the local governor had the authority to fix a ceiling price . If a merchant sold too early, they would saturate the market and earn little, too late and fixed prices would lead to the same result .
"Where is the nearest hotel?" Lith asked one of the guards that were checking the incoming carriages and taking note of all the food entering Othre .
The guard's annoyed gaze disappeared the moment her eyes met Lith's . The Ranger in front of him was way taller, more annoyed, and angrier than the guard . Thanks to darkness magic Lith didn't stink and water magic had allowed him to remain clean .
Yet after a week without a single second of relax, during which he had been forced to do his business behind bushes, Lith would gladly kill anyone standing between him and a bathroom .
"Go straight, then turn left on King's Road . You can't miss it, sir . " The woman stepped aside as her survival instinct kicked in .
"A word of advice, sir . " Her shift would last hours and she didn't want to see Lith again . "Because of winter, dimensional magic is banned inside the city . Before entering you should take out whatever you may need . "
Lith inwardly cursed against all the inhabitants of the north and their hate for dimensional magic . He took out a few coins, the Gatekeeper and both his communication amulets .
'Now I understand why the uniform comes with a utility belt . ' He angrily thought .
While he walked towards the hotel, Lith reported his arrival to his handler .
"I'm sorry, sir . " Said a kid bumping into him while playing with her brother .
"I'm not . " Lith replied while grabbing her arm and dislocating her shoulder to retrieve his pouch which she had just stolen . The desperate cries of the girl drawn the attention of several people who stared at him in anger .
"What was that noise?" Kamila asked .
"An accident . Over and out . " Lith replied eager to stop talking with his handler and get in touch with his girlfriend .
"She's just a kid!" Yelled an angry woman . "Fucking Rangers! They should be kept in the wilds with the beasts, where they belong . " A man added as several outraged voices joined the chorus .
Lith didn't even slow down his pace .
'Maybe I should rob them and see if their charity extends to their own money or is limited to mine . ' He angrily thought .
'She is just a kid . Maybe she was hungry . ' The popping sound kept echoing in Solus's mind . She felt terrible about what had happened .
'She could have just begged . I would have refused, you would have nagged me, and I would have given her some copper coins . She played with fire and got burned . '
A pebble struck the back of Lith's head, making him turn around . A small crowd was assembled around the two kids and were staring at him in defiance . Between the Skinwalker armor and his enhanced physique, Lith had barely noticed the hit .
Yet it had been strong enough to make a normal man bleed .
"Who threw that?" He asked with a casual voice and received no answer but middle fingers .
"All guilty, then . " A wave of his hand and an earth spell made the crowd fall on their knees while holding their heads in pain . Each one of them had been hit by a small stone, repaying them in kind .
"You are all under arrest for assaulting and slandering an officer . " Another wave of his hand made their arms and legs sink into the ground . "If and when I bother reporting this to a constable, they will free you . Have a nice day . "
The moment Lith gave them his back, the two kids and their accomplices hiding in the nearby alleys robbed all those present blind .
'Was that really necessary?' Solus had hoped that after Kamila, after being alone for so long in the wilds, Lith would have softened up towards people .
'Poetic justice . ' Lith replied . 'Look at the bright side . The girl now has more than enough money to get her shoulder fixed . '
He reached the Swan's Song hotel in less than a minute . It was a two stories stone building with a pitched roof and a banner representing a swan sitting near a maiden who was playing the harp .
The door opened into a common hall the pavement of which was made of hardwood .
Colorful carpets were placed under the wood tables that occupied most of the space . A huge fireplace spread light and warmth for the customers that were enjoying their dinner or simply resting from their daily activities .
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