Denizens of the Labyrinth

They had rested for almost four hours and soon they had begun to travel again. the vale felt endless, but Jazmel was happy for the chance to be outside, he had been stuck in the outpost for the last few weeks and now that he was out. He had planned to delve, deeply into the labyrinth; he had even considered trying to find the next fountain and cleansing it like he had done for the first one.

He walked through the tall grass, using his hands to part his way and stroke the strands that reached his palms.

The labyrinth had a way of making surreal worlds seem beautiful, he had no idea what this place was called or to whom it was home. But Jazmel could tell it was extremely beautiful and peaceful, he had to wonder how many other places were like this and he hoped he would have the chance to see them; as many of them as he could. The vale was about to descend into another valley again but before he could take a step towards it, Baek was beside him.

“Come out.” He said and Jazmel looked around before lowering his hand slowly to his swords on his belt.

“Ahhh, I was hoping he would step a little closer and I would be able to catch him before you caught me!” a voice called out, Jazmel looked around, but he couldn’t see who was speaking; even his eyes couldn’t seek out the Mana.

“I said come out, otherwise you will force me to attack.” Baek said and this time Jazmel knew it was serious; for Baek had drawn his sword and the Mana he usually kept hidden deep within; was now being released in steady waves.

After this warning; since amplified by the Mana. A lone man stepped from literally nowhere; it was as if he stepped from a different plane. But after stepped into sight Jazmel could tell he was strong; his Mana was unlike anything Jazmel had seen before. It was purer than any other besides Baek; it roiled off his body in waves that seemed to emboss the world around him. He was dressed simply, in sandals that wrapped up to his calves and a short kilt that tied at the front in gold and purple. To Jazmel he looked like a priest or a shaman, his body was adorned with tattoos; which oddly, were done in gold. They wove over his arms, chest, and shoulders in artful designs and Jazmel could tell that they had meaning; for the Mana was extensive. But he also knew he knew nothing of their meanings.

The man wore cuffs on each wrist which in part, also resembled arm bracers but they were also ornamental in style. At his waist he carried a weapon Jazmel had never seen before. It was a blade of burnished copper and gold; he could see the two metals woven together. The blade was circular, almost like a question mark and it had a single handle, but the blade was curved wickedly.

“What business do you have here?” Baek asked, not offering any ground, and standing before Jazmel and Tango who watched earnestly.

“I wonder what items he had on him, that sword he is carrying looks unique. But now that I have seen you, I imagine you have far better rewards on you.” The man said and Jazmel watched interestingly as the Mana wrapped in his tattoos began to grow and fill his core which was already vast. But he did not have anywhere near the Mana that Baek had; Jazmel knew that, but Baek was not showing it just yet.

“Do you think the risk is worth the reward?” Baek asked and Jazmel could already feel that Baek was preparing to not talk anymore.

Jazmel stepped back and gave Baek some space, it seemed like there was going to be a fight and he didn’t want to be caught up in it.

The man pulled his weird blade from his waist and then placed it on his shoulder, waiting. Jazmel was a tad confused; he didn’t understand why the man was so comfortable before Baek; he was even waiting for him to react. He took a step forward and Jazmel saw that he was clutching a small pyramid of green lustrous jade. He simply threw it at the ground beneath where Baek was and as it neared him it grew in size and engulfed him quickly.

It swallowed him, then returned to its small size. It fidgeted and Jazmel grew distraught about his imprisonment.

“Now that we got rid of the more serious nuisance. What will you guys do?” he said, and Jazmel felt dread fill his heart as a smirk spread across this man’s face.

Tango darted in and not giving him a second to respond; he struck at him with his skills.

Wind blade

Wind blade

Wind blade!

Jazmel watched as Tango fluttered about the man as he used his skill, but the man blocked him. Not so easily that he didn’t focus on him; but enough so that Tango had to do his best to strike him. Tango was extremely agile when moving and Jazmel had noticed that his speed just seemed to keep increasing even in the heat of battle.

Resonance!

Tango disappeared; to the untrained eye, he looked like he melded with the air about him. but Jazmel could see his Mana just as well. He struck from his camouflage and the man was cut but not before defending from the worse of the wound.

Wind blade!

Tango caught him across the face and the man snarled before barking out his own skill.

Scarab shed!

Jazmel watched as the man’s wounds healed, he shed a layer of skin and immediately he was fine. Tango appeared beside him, out of breath but otherwise all right.

“Oh no, he’s a tier III ranker. Too much for me when I fight him again you need to run. I can escape on my own; but for some reason he seems to be aiming for you.” Tango said as he chugged two Mana potions and disappeared on the wind again.

“Oh no, nobody is going anywhere. I am taking that boys eyes and his sword.” As he said those words, Jazmel found himself suddenly frightened but also settled. If he were to die today, he would fight until the end. He drew Yoru and stepped beside Tango, he was about to try and deter him, but Jazmel simply looked him in the eye, and he stopped before he began.

“Oh, are you are going to join the fray now little one?” He swung his sickle blade and Jazmel watched as Mana parted against the blade; that was interesting.

“If you want it, take it from me.” Jazmel said; through clenched teeth.

Blade wrath!

Cleave!

Blade wrath!

Blade wrath!

Jazmel spun in a deadly dance and slashed and sliced the air as he tried to carve this stranger up, but he could not, he was not able to land a mark or scar on the man, he didn’t even use his sickle. He simply evaded Jazmel with slight body movements.

Jazmel was angered; this man should not have been this strong to him. there wasn’t that much of a gap, but then Jazmel remembered Baek’s words and if this man was truly a tier III ranker, then the gap was unnaturally large. But Jazmel did his best and before he could stop; Tango supported him and drove the man back.

“You are strong; nearly a ranker but not there just yet. You would have been a strong ranker if you hadn’t met me.” He beckoned at Jazmel with his sickle and then motioning to Tango he said; “You are a ranker, the levels are not that different between us, but you haven’t sundered your skills enough. You got comfortable.” He said and Jazmel could tell Tango was affected, he went rigid with anger and the wind began to distort around him.

Mana began to swirl around Tango, wreathed within it, he began to distort the very Mana around him. at the same time, the ground began to shake and rumble and all three of them turned to watch as the pyramid which had trapped Baek, began to twitch and before their very eyes it hopped in the air as it bulged with exertion.

“Impossible” the man said and in that moment Jazmel could tell he was scared. The miniature pyramid jumped again, and Jazmel watched as the man whirled to turn on them before the prison that held Baek failed. But Tango reacted first and crashing into him; knocked the man off his feet and several he hit the ground in multiple spaces before crumbling to a stop a good few feet from where Jazmel and Tango had been,

White light began to shine from the pyramid and in moments it went from a dull shine to a massive brilliance that Jazmel had to shield his eyes from. He heard the space break; the pyramid shattered from the strength of Baek who Jazmel realised, had never really released all his Mana and power before them. but to escape the prison, he had, had to exert himself to the point where he burst the thing that had tried to imprison him. Jazmel was relieved to see Baek step from the small pyramid unscathed. But he was also aptly aware of just how many items and artefacts he still had not seen in his time in the labyrinth.

The man had risen, clearly hurt from Tango’s attack but not to the point where he couldn’t read the situation, he disappeared from sight and as he moved, Baek moved too.

White heron

A burst of white Mana which embossed the entire area flashed across Jazmel ’s sight and he couldn’t see what had happened, by the time his eyes recovered from the flash. Through blurry eyes, he could see that Baek was holding the man by his throat, and he was limp in his grip.

“Release them all now.” He said and Jazmel didn’t realise what they were discussing but from the man’s storage ring he released a torrent of rings and Jazmel realised in horror that this man was a hunter of seekers. The rings he had collected were their own and he had kept them for himself. He poured rings from both hands and when the torrent had ended, he whimpered when Baek pulled his own rings from him.

Baek let him stand on his feet, but pulling a talisman from his own ring, he placed it on the man’s forehead and immediately he fell rigid and almost like he was in a deep slumber.

“He will sleep until the talisman is removed.” Baek explained, Jazmel and Tango simply nodded at him explaining. On his own, Baek raised a swan and sent a message out. The swan darted off and while it did what he wanted, he drew a Mana circle around the man and the rings of his victims.

“I have sent word for the heralds to find him and to repurpose the rings he stole.” Baek told them.

“But why would the heralds deal with this? Seekers fight all the time.” Jazmel asked, remembering the fights he had, had up until now.

“Seekers fight here and there, that is the life of those pushing for the pinnacle. The competitiveness isn’t the issue. This man has taken it upon himself to simply hunt others, usually heralds will deal with them. But if you are lucky enough to capture or defeat them, if you alert the heralds. You can usually claim a bounty.” Baek explained, after that he tossed both Jazmel and Tango a ring each. The ones he had taken from the man himself.

Jazmel let his Mana seep into the ring, and he realised it was much bigger than his own rings. He impressed his Mana and imprinted the ring as his own, as the new owner and then he looked inside. This ring was spacious, in size it was around the size of the main chamber in the outpost with the central node.

It was filled with wealth and jewels. But those were not the things that interested him, no the man had accumulated a considerable sum of resources. Items and artefacts that Jazmel had not even heard of before, he began to analyse them.

He looked through the list and shook his head. He would hand these over to Colin and have him sell these things, he needed to buy more Mana essence chests, and all these were all items that he was sure would sell well.

“We should leave now; I am sure the gate is further into the valley.” Tango said, he had taken the time to scout and on his return he was eager to go. Jazmel readjusted his swords in his belt and then made to follow.