Book 2: Chapter 74

The plan was simple. Daniel was going to create a distraction a few blocks away. Something flashy and big but not traceable to him. Madi would help him cover his tracks and make their way back to Orrin. He would be waiting by the gate to Sanerris’s home for them. They would use [Map] and [Camouflage] to sneak inside and find Brandt. Orrin had tried to find Brandt using [Map] but something blocked his view into the castle. He could make out the grounds but beyond the inner courtyard was a blank slate.

Orrin had [Teleport] and Daniel had [Homebase]. Either one of them could get the entire party out of Mistlight if they needed to, with Daniel’s once-a-month skill bringing them all the way back to Dey in a moment. They wanted to save that as their trump card. Sanerris would probably send people after them if they tried to run over land and when the shit hit the fan, Orrin didn’t know how much mana he’d have left. A night of sleep and most of the day had helped him reset to a full pool of mana, but he was about to attempt a break-in on the leader of Odrana’s fortress.

“If you see my butterflies in the sky, abort and meet by the side gate,” Madi said as she a strap on Daniel’s chest tight. The contraption he used to carry Gertrude rested on his back since he wouldn’t have Orrin to carry around his giant sword.

“We know what to do.” Daniel reached over his shoulder and connected his weapon to its holster. “I’m more worried about Orrin going alone. We shouldn’t split up. Isn’t that one of your rules, O?”

Orrin smiled as he double-checked the vials on his hip. “That’s for gaming. There isn’t a dungeon master waiting for us to fuck up in real life. I’ll be watching to see where most of the guards leave from. We want to keep the element of surprise for as long as we can. More importantly, have you figured out what you’re going to do to create a distraction big enough to draw out his guards?”

Daniel’s grin chilled Orrin’s soul. “I was thinking about bringing a building down.”

“Don’t do anything that hurts people.”

“There are a bunch of empty buildings around, haven’t you noticed?” Daniel took a peek out the room’s window. “The fronts are painted and the small lawns are maintained but nobody comes in or out of them.”

Madi frowned. “Mistlight is prosperous. There’s no reason someone wouldn’t buy a failed business. Which building are you talking about?”

“After we bought our clothes, do you remember the street with the guy selling lizards on a stick? I noticed five buildings with the doors locked up tight. There was a thick layer of dust up the steps behind the iron gates of each one.”

Orrin pulled up his [Map] and sketched out the local streets on a spare piece of paper. “Show me where they are.”

Daniel ran his finger along the squares and lines of Orrin’s doodle. “Here to here. I don’t know which one exactly I’ll go for, but you should be able to see the dust, right?”

“It’s weird but yes I’ll be able to see,” Orrin answered deep in thought. Why would there be a bunch of empty buildings on a street with so much foot traffic?

“Should you boost me up then?” Daniel spread his arms wide. “Hit me with it.”

Orrin rolled his eyes. His base will was twenty-eight. He cast [Utility Ward] at level two, which was the equivalent of casting each increase stat spell five times at level two. The plus two to each stat became plus six instead, adding up to a total of thirty extra points to each stat for all three.

And it only cost me 200 MP! Orrin thought. I guess really only 198 MP but who’s counting?

With his intelligence at fifty-eight, the rest of his spells cost almost half as much and he quickly got Daniel to the maximum strength and dexterity that he liked. He kept Madi in the sixty range.

“What gives?” Madi’s eyes were distant, the telltale sign that she was checking her status. “You didn’t push me all the way up.”

Orrin scratched his neck and tried to not turn away from her angry tone. “I’ll bring you up more once we reconnect. I don’t like buffing you even this much when we’re all separated. If something happens, you’re going to go down hard with side effects. You only have twenty minutes before the [Increase Dexterity] and other spells wear off, so hurry.”

Madi didn’t argue, realizing Orrin’s concerns were valid. Instead, she threw a pillow at Daniel in frustration. [Side Steps] activated and he blurred to the side.

“We can pillow fight later,” Daniel said as he bent and tossed the pillow back on the bed. “Time for a rescue.”

Orrin had to wait alone for ten pain-staking minutes before the clamor began. He had found a spot that sold books on the curb, mostly trashy romance novels like the ones Silas kept as a keepsake. He posted up to avoid suspicion.

True to his promise, Daniel used a combination of his [Gravity Strike] and [Shooting Star] to pinball around the inside of what Orrin hoped was a vacant building. Orrin heard the screams from a few streets over before he saw the plume of dust rise into the air.

No butterflies. That’s good at least.

More yelling nearby alerted Orrin to the gate opening. Half a dozen guards ran out and made their way toward the disturbance. The guards that remained closed the gate but stood nearby, watching the distance.

“Hey.”

Orrin jumped and turned around. Madi smiled.

“Where’s Daniel?”

Madi rolled her eyes and pointed to the alley. “He got covered in dirt. He doesn’t want to be seen. We only got away because all five of those buildings were under construction. They had taken down the walls between them. We just walked out of a different entrance. Luckily, it was close to some small streets. He got a few looks but almost everyone was covered with dust when that building came down.”

Orrin followed Madi. “How’d you avoid getting covered?”

Madi brushed imaginary dirt off her sleeve. “I was raised properly. I know how to avoid a mess.”

“Hurry up,” Daniel hissed from in front of them. “Did they open the gate?”

“Yes, but they closed it again.” Orrin made sure they were still in a party and cast [Camouflage Ward]. He also reapplied the various buffs that had worn off and cast [Ward] on each for good measure. “We might have to fight our way in.”

“I’ve got it,” Madi stated. “Stick close.”

“We can’t look at each other. Shit, I hate this spell. It makes me want to puke,” Daniel complained.

“Madi, tap your spear on the ground every few steps,” Orrin called out as loud as he dared. A small click ahead of him helped him find his way forward. Orrin had to agree with Daniel. Being on the other end of [Camouflage] was disorienting. He knew Madi was ahead of him and could catch glimpses of her whenever she moved. As long as she kept her back to something simple, like the walls of the building nearby, Orrin’s eyes would gloss over her, barely able to find her. Once she stepped into the street with the Sanerris estate in the background, Madi’s figure reappeared like an afterimage. She shook and distorted a bit. It hurt his eyes and turned his stomach.

“I see why you don’t like this,” Orrin whispered to his side. He kept [Map] running as Madi approached the gate. Two guards still waited on the inside of the entrance to Sanerris’s house. “What is she doing?”

Madi raised her hand and shot a [Shimmersight] at the guard furthest from her. As the lights exploded across the man’s eyes, she reached in and yanked the first guard against the metal gate… hard.

“That was awesome, Madi,” Daniel said, pushing the gate open and punching the stunned guard in the face. “Orrin, give me some rope. I’ll tie them up.”

Orrin sighed and held out two pairs of manacles. Daniel took them gingerly.

“Do I want to know why you have these?”

Orrin sighed. “I came prepared. Handcuff their hands together and make them hug that tree. Hurry up.”

They approached the front door in a crouch. Standing by the front door made Orrin feel exposed. Even with [Camouflage] running, he felt like there were eyes on him.

“Any guards inside?” Madi whispered in the wrong direction.

“I can’t tell,” Orrin reached out and tried to grab her arm. He touched her hair instead. “Sorry.”

“This is going great,” Daniel complained. “I’m going in.”

The door creaked a little as they entered the main entrance to the castle. Orrin sighed in relief that no guards waited right inside.

“This is too easy,” Madi muttered. “Where is everyone?”

“Responding to the distraction,” Daniel said before moving deeper into the house. “Which way, O?”

Orrin checked his [Map]. “Shit. It’s not working. Everything is greyed out and I can’t even make you two out anymore.”

“Daniel, get over here and stay close. We might need to drop [Camouflage]. If we get split up in here…” Madi trailed off.

Orrin didn’t try his other spell but knew from Madi’s warning that Sanerris would have teleport wards activated. He checked the entrance hall they were in. It was furnished nice enough but not too extreme. A few paintings of people Orrin didn’t know lined the walls. Chairs and a few tables rested underneath with trinkets and curiosities for people to peruse as they waited for the Lord of Odrana to receive them. Other than the front entrance they’d come through, two doors were closed at the far left and right side of the hallway.

“Which way?” Orrin whispered to Madi.

“I don’t know.”

“We probably should have figured this out beforehand.”

“We can’t walk into a shop and ask for the layout of the castle, now can we?”

“This way,” Daniel’s voice moved to the door on the left. “Follow me.”

Orrin checked his mana pool. He could take a regen potion now but decided to wait. He could blood cycle a few full mana pools before he needed the quick boost of a regen potion. His party was at full health, boosted up, and ready to fight. He’d done what he could. It was time to let Daniel be the [Hero].

Daniel kept one hand on the hilt of Gertrude, ready to swing her over his shoulder at any moment. He slowly turned the door handle and gently opened the door.

After taking a half-step inside, he turned back and smiled. “Dining room. Nobody’s here.”

The three walked into the lavishly appointed room. Sanerris had spent money on the furnishing here. They stood at the end of a long table that glistened with a fresh wax polish. Silverware was laid out but no food was on the table. Various bottles lined wine racks along the far wall. A set of doors at the other end of the room exited to what Orrin thought must be the kitchen.

“Should we steal all his alcohol?” Daniel walked around the table and lifted a bottle. “Madi, is this stuff any good?”

“Put it back,” Madi hissed across the table. “We need to keep moving before—”

Two servants entered the room with steaming bowls of food. One set her bowl down and turned without incident. The second paused with wide eyes fixated on what appeared to be a floating bottle. He blinked twice and moved to run.

“Fuck,” Orrin cursed as he cast an inversed dexterity debuff on the man. His legs landed funny and he fell like a newborn colt. Orrin hit the woman as well. She hadn’t even turned from the noise.

Madi helped Orrin pull the woman to the side of the room as Daniel picked up the man. “Which way to Brandt?”

The man’s lips quivered and a dark stain appeared on his pants. His lips moved and sound came out but with the lowered dexterity, he couldn’t form words. Orrin sighed and motioned to Daniel to hold him tight. He cast an [Increase Dexterity] on the man.

“— sh I can’t talk. What is happening? We’re just the help. Please don’t kill us.” The man’s eyes darted between the three and settled on Orrin. “Please help me.”

“Shut it and answer his questions,” Orrin demanded, trying to use a commanding voice.

“Anything you need. We have the good silverware in the kitchen. I can fetch it for you if—”

Daniel shook the man once like a ragdoll. “Where does Sanerris keep the prisoners?”

“I work in the kitchen. I don’t go into the rest of the castle,” the man raised his hands at the look on Daniel’s face. “Wait! Wait! Meena takes food to other rooms. She’ll know! Let me go. She’ll tell you what you need to—”

Orrin reduced the servant’s dexterity to zero again. Orrin crouched down next to “Meena.” “I’m going to let you move in a second. You heard his question so if the first thing you say isn’t a direction, I’m going to be very disappointed.”

Meena was young, probably not even Orrin’s age. She stared up with huge eyes and her chest heaved as she tried to take deep breaths. Orrin increased her dexterity until she could sit up.

“I’ve never been to the basement, I swear. A guard takes the food and brings it down,” she said in a panic. Her hands gripped Orrin’s pant leg. “Please don’t kill me.”

“Which way?”

Orrin asked more questions before he reduced their dexterity again and pulled the two into a corner. Madi had been searching and came back with an extra table sheet. They covered the hyperventilating bodies with the cloth before turning to the kitchen door.

“Through the kitchen, a right at the end of the hall, and find the door next to the old Lady Sanerris,” Orrin repeated the instructions Meena had given. A guard was always posted by the door and would take the gruel they brought to anyone kept below the castle.

Daniel cracked his knuckles and Madi rolled her shoulders. “[Camouflage Ward] has worn off. Orrin, reapply it?”

Orrin held his hands out to either side and summoned a sword in each. One made of ice and one flickering with flames. “No. Let them see us and scream for help.”