Chapter 106

“This is ridiculous. Anyone who wants to find out my identity won’t have to try very hard. How is a mask going to prevent that?” Wil asked, scoffing as he followed Tarlin through the snow-covered streets of Ur.

The man had been good on his word, knocking on Wil’s door two days later, ordering him to bring his gear and follow him. They had been weaving their way through one of the slummier parts of the city when Tarlin had told him that he would need to wear a mask to hide his identity for the meeting.

“They’ll suspect but won’t dig into it. Everyone takes an oath to respect each other’s anonymity.” Tarlin explained, avoiding a passing cart, the narrow street forcing them to duck into a side alley until it passed.

Wil merely grunted in response, not surprised that he would be required to take another oath. It seemed this trip to the Wilds was entirely unauthorized, and undoubtedly illegal. Still, he had no choice, not if he wanted to maintain his freedom and confront the Betrayer. Joining an established team would take months, and his target would likely be long gone by the time they made the journey into the Wilds.

“Remember, I haven’t gotten you a spot, just a meeting with the groups. You’re on your own after I make the introductions. If you’re hesitant about it, better to tell me now before you commit.” Tarlin said, resuming the walk down the street. The paved road was slushy with snow, and the surrounding houses had bars over the windows. Everything in this section of town looked old and neglected.

Wearing his pristine armor and white cloak, Wil stood out like a sore thumb, and he was growing weary of the stares he was receiving.

“It’s fine. I don’t have many options, do I. As long as they’re heading deep into the Wilds, I’ll keep my mouth shut and do my job.” Wil said, pulling the hood of his cloak lower over his head.

“Good man. We’re nearly there. Here, use this to cover your face. It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll do.” Tarlin said, holding out a black rag. Wil frowned at the dirty piece of clothing, before shaking his head.

“No need.” He replied, holding out his hand and conjuring a mask.

Thankfully, his magic worked, unaffected by the chaos. Formed of mana, he held a beautifully crafted mask, perfectly molded to his face. It was shaped like a Dragon Turtle’s head, its sharp beak slightly open. It shimmered in the light as the sun was reflected on the azure blue scales. At the top, he had added a fin, curving backward above his head.

The mask was a perfect recreation of the Azure Lord’s visage, and Wil felt amused as he placed it over his face, thinking of how the mythological and powerful creature would react to him using it as a disguise. With the mask and his cloak pulled low over his head, only his equipment could give his identity away.

Although the mask would only last a few hours, it was long enough for this meeting. After, he would visit Tessa, maybe she could make him a more permanent copy.

“That’ll do. Remember, let me do the introductions first. You’ll also need a code name, no one uses their real name, not for this sort of thing.” Tarlin advised, nodding at the sight of Wil’s mask. They had arrived at what looked to be a warehouse, the windows broken, and the building clearly abandoned.

“Any suggestions?” Wil asked, stopping with Tarlin outside the door. The doors were closed, but Wil could sense people inside, the mana within strong from their presence. He estimated over a dozen higher ranked individuals had gathered for this meeting.

“Something simple, easy to remember.” Tarlin suggested using the black rag to wrap around his lower face, leaving only his eyes and balding head uncovered. It was lacking as a disguise, but Wil assumed everyone already knew who Tarlin was, the older man simply going through the motions.

“Azure.” Wil said, going along with the disguise of the Azure Lord.

“Easy enough to remember.” Tarlin said, pushing open the door and stepping inside. Wil followed closely behind. The warehouse was empty, with a thick layer of dust on the floor and an air of abandonment. The wide-open space was occupied by a gathering of masked individuals, clearly separated into three distinct groups.

“You’re late.” A man called out, standing in the center of the warehouse. Wearing a gold mask that covered the upper half of his face, his outfit was completed by rich robes, the shimmer of magical artifacts surrounding him.

“Hmph. Weathers terrible. Had to trek all the way across the city.” Tralin responded, nodding his head at the group. Stepping forward, he shook hands with the richly dressed man, before gesturing to Wil behind him.

“This is Azure.” Tarlin said, the only introduction he would give. The richly dressed man eyed Wil speculatively, as if assessing his worth, before finally giving a nod.

“You may call me ‘Gold’. I will be your client for this little endeavor.” Gold said to Wil, before turning back to Tarlin. “Has he taken the Oath?”

“Not yet. I thought it best to wait until you witnessed it. He’s trustworthy.” Tarlin replied.

“Well. Go ahead!” Gold ordered, and Wil felt an instant dislike towards the man. Thinking of his goal, Wil forced the words out that Tarlin had told him on the way. The oath was restrictive about not attempting to learn the identities of anyone present, and to act in good faith to accomplish the mission.

“Good. Now, does anyone have any objections to Azure taking part?” Gold asked, looking to the other groups.

To Wil’s left, a trio stood together, their leader leaning against a support pillar. Flanked by two women in beautiful, long dresses, the male was wearing a black Dragon Mask, while his companions wore a red Phoenix and a blue Luan. The man was clearly a warrior, his plate mail armor scarred, and he cradled a long spear in his arm.

Wil could feel that the spearman was a Rank 7, his companions both Rank 6 and likely mages. Wil turned and waited, expecting a confrontation. To his surprise, their leader simply nodded after assessing Wil’s Rank 10 mana.

“No objections.” He muttered in a deep baritone. Wil nodded in thanks, turning to the next group.

This was the largest and most diverse group amongst those gathered. There were five in total, and Wil spotted a cleric, wearing the yellow robes of Primaris, as well a young woman dressed all in black, a pair of knives belted to her hips. A mage with a long staff and a young man with a sword on his hip stood in the front of the group, but it was the figure standing in the rear that took Wil by surprise.

The man was nearly seven feet tall, bare chested despite the cold, and heavily muscled. His torso was covered in scars, and his only weapon was a large hammer with a wickedly sharp spike on the end. Wil could feel the mana radiating from the warrior, violent and barely contained.

This group were similar to the last, all Rank 7, and each wore a black mask that covered their entire faces. The only distinction between them was a white number on the front, ranging from ‘1’ to ‘5’. Their leader appeared to be the mage, a woman, although Wil had trouble determining her age with the mask and thick robes she was wearing. Her mask had the number ‘1’ on the forehead.

“A Rank 10 would be most welcome, although we are curious about your abilities. Five has requested a demonstration before we agree.” she said, looking behind her at the towering warrior. He lifted his warhammer, and Wil could feel his violent mana wrapping around the weapon. Assessing his opponent for a moment, Wil nodded in agreement.

The warrior charged, his companions already moving out of the way as he lifted his weapon above his head, his powerful muscles bulging and enhanced with all of his Rank 7 mana. Wil quickly responded by pulling out the emerald from his bag of holding, pumping it full of mana and slamming it down against the warehouse floor.

He couldn’t risk his magic failing, not at a moment like this, and he didn’t want to use the ‘Dragon’s Tooth’ against an opponent that he had no intention of harming. He couldn’t fully control it yet and could easily kill the man before him.

His opponent was nearly upon him before a hand erupted from the ground, made of earth and soil, planks of wooden flooring still clinging to its appendage. The warrior immediately reacted, leaping to the side of avoid the grasping hand, swinging his hammer as he did so. The hammer made a dull ‘clang’ as it made contact, the elemental clearly coming out on top of the exchange.

Wanting to end it quickly, and not able to use his mana for anything else, Wil had given it enough mana to bring it to Rank 10, although it could only maintain that level of power for a few moments.

The elemental surged out of the ground, its head nearly brushing the roof of the warehouse. It lifted one of its massive legs, stomping down towards the warrior. Narrowly dodging, the warrior was about to attack once more when the woman spoke, her voice cutting through the noise.

“Five, that is enough. We are more than satisfied to have Azure join us.” she said, nodding her head in greeting to her new companion.

Wil nodded back, while draining the mana from the elemental. Stepping forward, he scooped the gemstone into his hand, before looking at the third group.