By the time the sun begins to rise, the forest has finally started to thin.
The two moons fade from view as pale orange light spreads across the sky. Through the remaining trees, I can see farmland stretching toward a town surrounded by a low stone wall.
Smoke rises from dozens of chimneys.
People are already moving along the roads, guiding carts loaded with vegetables, grain, and wooden barrels toward the town's entrance.
Elara pulls the gray cloak farther over her head.
"That's Briarwood," she says.
"You said the closest town was half a day away."
"It would have been if we were walking normally."
"We were walking normally."
"You walk much faster than a normal person."
I look toward the town.
It seems peaceful.
There are no towering walls, magical barriers, or armies waiting outside. Just farmers, merchants, and guards who look half asleep.
It doesn't seem like the kind of place where anyone would know about me yet.
A notification appears.
Dread received through rumor: 2
Dread received through rumor: 3
Dread received through rumor: 1
I suppose I was wrong.
Elara notices me staring at the air.
"More fear?"
"Yes."
"How close do you need to be to sense it?"
"I don't know."
"That seems like something you should understand."
"I've had the ability for less than a day."
She considers that.
"That's true."
We leave the forest and join the main road.
Several travelers glance at us as we pass.
Elara's clothing is torn and stained with dried blood, while my coat has several cuts from the fight with Varek's unit.
We don't exactly look like ordinary travelers.
"Before we enter," Elara says, "you should hide your weapon."
"It's already hidden."
"And the blood?"
I look down at myself.
Some of it belongs to me.
Most of it doesn't.
"That may be more difficult."
Elara takes one of the spare cloaks from our supplies and hands it to me.
I put it over my coat.
It covers most of the damage, although the dark fabric underneath is still visible around my boots.
"What about you?" I ask.
"I can use an illusion."
Silver light gathers around her fingers.
She touches the edge of her hood.
The light spreads across her body.
Her silver hair turns dark brown, and her violet eyes become an ordinary shade of green. The blood on her clothing disappears, replaced by the appearance of a simple gray dress.
The illusion is convincing.
I can still sense her presence beneath it, but visually, she looks like a completely different person.
"That would have been useful when the soldiers were chasing you."
"I couldn't maintain it while poisoned."
"Can you make one for me?"
"Not one that will survive inspection. Illusions become more difficult when placed on another person."
"So I still look suspicious."
"You always look suspicious."
I decide not to argue.
The line outside the town moves slowly.
Two guards inspect each cart before allowing it through the gate.
A wooden board has been placed beside the entrance.
Several notices are attached to it.
Most show sketches of criminals beneath lines of writing I can somehow understand.
World Translation must be affecting written language too.
One notice offers three silver coins for information about a missing horse.
Another promises ten gold coins for the capture of a bandit called Red Tomas.
Then I see a fresh sheet of parchment near the center.
The ink is still dark.
A rough drawing shows a man holding a curved weapon.
The face looks nothing like mine.
The artist has given me a pointed nose, a scar over one eye, and hair reaching my shoulders.
At least the scythe is recognizable.
WANTED
Unknown foreign mage responsible for attacking royal soldiers and abducting Princess Elara Asteria.
Suspect possesses dangerous decay magic and should not be approached.
Fifty gold coins for information leading to his capture.
One hundred gold coins if delivered alive.
I stare at the notice.
"That was fast."
Elara moves closer without looking directly at it.
"They must have used a communication crystal."
"How much is one hundred gold worth?"
"Enough for a common family to live comfortably for several years."
"So I'm valuable."
"You sound proud."
"It's been less than a day."
"That is not something to be proud of."
The people waiting near the gate whisper while looking at the notice.
"I heard he killed thirty royal knights."
"My cousin said the man burned them alive without touching them."
"That isn't what I heard. They say he summoned a demon from the forest."
"Apparently, he ate one of the soldiers."
I turn toward Elara.
"I did not eat anyone."
"You turned a man into ash. People tend to exaggerate."
Another notification appears.
Dread received through rumor: 4
Dread received through rumor: 2
Dread received through rumor: 5
The rumors may be inaccurate, but they are useful.
My total Dread is rising without me doing anything.
We continue toward the gate.
The guard on the left barely looks at the farmers ahead of us. When our turn arrives, however, his attention immediately sharpens.
His eyes move over my cloak and stop on my face.
"Names?"
"Shin."
Elara hesitates.
"Lena."
The guard looks between us.
"Family name?"
"Don't have one," I say.
He frowns.
Everyone here probably has some kind of family name, even if only nobles use them regularly.
"Where are you coming from?"
"The west."
"There's nothing west of here except forest."
"That's where we came from."
The second guard steps closer.
He is younger and far more interested in Elara than me.
"You two hunters?"
"No," Elara says.
"Merchants?"
"No."
"Then what were you doing in the forest?"
I consider telling him that I was fighting a secret military unit sent by a prince.
Elara answers before I can.
"Our carriage was attacked by grave wolves. We escaped, but everything we owned was destroyed."
The first guard studies us.
"Grave wolves don't normally come this close to Briarwood."
"We noticed," I say.
His gaze moves toward my cloak.
"You injured?"
"Not anymore."
The guard reaches toward the fabric.
I catch his wrist before he can touch it.
The soldiers standing nearby immediately raise their weapons.
The guard looks down at my hand.
"Let go."
"You shouldn't grab strangers."
"You're entering my town."
"Does that give you permission?"
Elara lightly touches my arm.
"Shin."
I release him.
The guard steps back, rubbing his wrist.
His fear is faint, but the Mark responds.
Dread received: 1
He looks at the wanted notice.
Then back at me.
The drawing is terrible, but the description mentions a foreigner with unusual magic.
We may have a problem.
"What kind of weapon do you carry?" he asks.
"I'm not carrying one."
"Open your cloak."
Elara moves slightly closer to me.
I can feel silver energy gathering beneath her illusion.
Fighting our way into town would be easy.
Entering quietly afterward would not.
Before I can decide what to do, shouting comes from farther down the road.
A cart has overturned.
Wooden barrels roll across the ground as a pair of horses panic and pull against their restraints.
The younger guard turns.
One of the barrels crashes into his legs, knocking him over.
People scatter.
A farmer desperately tries to control the horses.
The first guard looks away from us.
"Get that road cleared!"
Elara pulls my arm.
"Now."
We move through the gate while the guards are distracted.
No one stops us.
Once we are inside, I glance back.
The overturned cart seems strangely convenient.
Elara continues walking.
"Did you do that?"
"I loosened one of the wheels while we were waiting."
"You used magic?"
"A small telekinetic spell."
"You could have done that before the guard touched me."
"I didn't think you would threaten him over a cloak."
"I didn't threaten him."
"You looked like you were considering breaking his arm."
"I was."
"That is a threat."
Briarwood is larger than it appeared from outside.
The main street is lined with shops, inns, food stalls, and wooden homes built close together. Colorful cloth banners hang between rooftops.
Merchants shout over one another, offering bread, meat, tools, potions, and charms.
The smells are unfamiliar but not unpleasant.
A woman carries a basket filled with fruit shaped like blue pears.
A blacksmith displays swords that glow faintly along their edges.
Near the center of the street, a child is making tiny animals out of floating water while other children watch.
Magic is everywhere.
Not powerful magic, but enough to remind me that I am no longer on Earth.
Elara lowers her voice.
"We need different clothes."
"We also need information."
"And somewhere safe to stay."
I take out the pouch of coins we stole from Varek's men.
"How much do we have?"
Elara checks it while we walk.
"Twenty-three silver and forty-eight copper."
"Is that enough?"
"For basic supplies and a room, yes."
"What about gold?"
"One gold coin is equal to one hundred silver."
"So my bounty is ten thousand silver."
Elara looks at me.
"Are you planning to collect it yourself?"
"Would that be possible?"
"No."
"Disappointing."
We enter a clothing shop near the edge of the market.
An elderly woman sits behind the counter, sewing a sleeve onto a green jacket.
She looks up when we enter.
"Traveling clothes or formal?"
"Traveling," Elara says.
The woman looks at my cloak.
"Something less burned, I assume."
I glance down.
Small holes from the mages' attack cover the fabric.
"That would be good."
She leads us toward the back of the shop.
Elara chooses a dark green tunic, brown pants, boots, and another hooded cloak.
I find a black shirt and trousers that feel flexible enough for fighting.
The shopkeeper places a long dark coat on the counter.
"This would suit you."
I examine it.
The material is heavier than my current coat but reinforced along the shoulders and chest.
"What is it made from?"
"Night elk leather. Resistant to cuts, weak fire spells, and bad weather."
"How much?"
"Eight silver."
Elara immediately shakes her head.
"Five."
The woman laughs.
"Seven."
"Five and twenty copper."
"Six silver."
"Deal."
Elara pays before I can speak.
"You're good at that," I say.
"I spent years attending royal markets."
"I assumed princesses didn't need to negotiate."
"That is why merchants try to charge us more."
We change into the new clothes in separate rooms.
My original black coat repairs itself whenever I use death energy, but it still attracts too much attention.
I dismiss it the same way I dismiss my soul weapon.
The fabric dissolves into smoke and enters my skin.
When I summon it again, it appears completely restored.
Elara stares when I leave the changing room wearing the new clothing.
"Your coat disappeared."
"It's connected to my soul."
"Of course it is."
I place the night elk coat over my new clothes.
The outfit is simpler but still dark enough to suit me.
Elara's illusion disappears while she changes, revealing her silver hair again.
She ties it tightly and hides it beneath her hood before restoring the brown-haired appearance.
When we leave the shop, the wanted notice has already spread farther into town.
A messenger is attaching copies to walls and shop windows.
People gather around each one.
"Prince Caelan is offering one hundred gold?"
"They say the foreigner defeated Captain Varek."
"That can't be true."
"Varek returned half dead."
"I heard the stranger stole the princess to sacrifice her."
This time, I don't correct them.
My Dread rises steadily.
Dread received through rumor: 2
Dread received through rumor: 4
Dread received through rumor: 3
Dread received through rumor: 6
A larger notification appears.
Dread has reached 500.
Dread Collection has strengthened.
New passive ability acquired: Fear Sense.
The world around me changes.
At first, I think the sunlight has dimmed.
Then I notice thin streams of gray energy rising from the people around us.
Some are barely visible.
Others are thick enough to resemble smoke.
Each stream carries an emotion.
Concern.
Anxiety.
Suspicion.
Fear.
I can sense who is afraid and what direction the emotion is focused toward.
Most of the people gathered around the notice are afraid of the man in the drawing.
Afraid of me.
The energy moves through the street and enters the Mark within my chest.
I stop walking.
Elara looks back.
"What happened?"
"I can see it now."
"See what?"
"Their fear."
A merchant passing beside us glances at me nervously.
A thin thread of gray energy rises from his body.
Not because he recognizes me.
Because I am staring at him.
I look away.
The energy weakens.
"This ability is going to take some time to understand," I say.
Elara watches me carefully.
"What does their fear look like?"
"Smoke."
"Can you tell what they fear?"
"Not exactly. I can sense where it is directed."
Her illusion hides her expression, but I can feel a faint thread of fear coming from her.
It points toward me.
"You're afraid of me," I say.
The thread strengthens.
Elara looks away.
"You gain power from fear, carry a weapon created by Death, and have become an enemy of the kingdom in less than a day."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"Yes," she says quietly. "Sometimes."
I'm not sure how to respond.
Her fear benefits me.
Still, I find that I don't particularly enjoy sensing it.
"You don't need to be," I say.
Elara looks at me again.
"Was that meant to be reassuring?"
"Yes."
"You should work on it."
We continue through town.
The Fear Sense ability makes the crowded street almost overwhelming. Every person produces some amount of gray energy.
A child fears losing sight of his mother.
A merchant fears that his food will spoil before it sells.
A thief near an alley fears being noticed by the guards.
Their emotions are weak and unfocused.
The fear directed toward the World Raider is different.
It is colder.
Sharper.
It flows directly into the Mark.
The Reaper was right.
Fear created through rumors is weaker, but an entire town can produce more than a few terrified soldiers.
We reach an inn called the Silver Stag.
A wooden sign above the entrance shows a white deer beneath three stars.
Elara stops.
"This is the place."
"You've stayed here before?"
"My mother trusted the owner."
"Does the owner know who you are?"
"Yes."
"That seems risky."
"We need someone we can trust."
"You trust her because your mother did?"
Elara remains silent for a moment.
"I have no one else."
That is not exactly reassuring.
We enter.
The inn's main room is warm and crowded. Travelers sit around wooden tables eating breakfast while a bard quietly plays a stringed instrument near the fireplace.
Conversations stop for only a moment as people look at us.
Then the room returns to normal.
A woman stands behind the counter.
She appears to be in her early forties, with short red hair and a thin scar running from her cheek to her jaw.
Her eyes settle on Elara.
They widen slightly.
The woman immediately hides her reaction.
"Rooms?" she asks.
"One," Elara says.
"Two," I correct.
Elara looks at me.
"We need to save money."
"I'm not sleeping in the same room as you."
"You don't need to sleep."
"I still want my own room."
The red-haired woman looks between us.
"Two rooms cost one silver per night, meals included."
Elara places two silver coins on the counter.
The woman takes them.
"Upstairs. Last two doors on the left."
Elara doesn't move.
"My mother used to say the silver stag only lowers its antlers for the moon."
The woman's hand stops.
A hidden phrase.
She looks around the room before leaning closer.
"And the moon only rises for those who survive the night."
Elara releases a breath.
The woman leaves the counter and gestures toward a door behind the staircase.
"Come with me."
We follow her into a small storage room filled with sacks of flour and barrels of wine.
She closes the door.
The moment we are alone, she grabs Elara by the shoulders.
"Your Highness."
Elara's illusion disappears.
The woman stares at her silver hair and bruised face.
"What happened to you?"
"My brothers found out."
The woman's expression darkens.
"I warned the queen that Lucien could not be trusted."
"My mother is dead, Mara."
"I know."
Mara looks toward me.
Her fear rises immediately.
It is directed at the wanted notice visible through a small window.
Then at my face.
She recognizes me.
Her hand moves beneath the counter beside her.
Probably toward a weapon.
Elara steps between us.
"He saved me."
Mara does not relax.
"The notice says he abducted you."
"The notice is a lie."
"He attacked royal soldiers."
"That part is true," I say.
Mara pulls a dagger from beneath her coat.
The blade is held low, but ready.
"You brought him here?"
"He removed the dusk venom from my body and protected me from the Black Crown."
Mara looks toward Elara's side.
"They used dusk venom on you?"
"Yes."
Her grip on the dagger tightens.
"What happened to Varek?"
"He survived," I say.
"Barely," Elara adds.
Mara studies me.
Fear continues flowing from her, but now it is mixed with curiosity.
"You're the one they're calling the World Raider."
"Yes."
"Ridiculous name."
"Captain Varek said the same thing."
"And what happened to him?"
"He stopped laughing."
Mara slowly lowers the dagger.
Not because she trusts me.
Because she believes attacking would be a mistake.
"Why are you helping the princess?" she asks.
"I need information."
"About the royal family?"
"About this world."
Mara's eyes narrow.
Elara speaks before she can question me.
"He isn't from Elaris."
The dagger rises again.
"Where is he from?"
"Another world."
Mara stares at Elara.
Then at me.
Then back at Elara.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I watched him summon a weapon from his soul," Elara says. "His magic destroys spells and stops grave wolves from regenerating. He speaks our language but knows almost nothing about the kingdom."
"None of that proves he came from another world."
"I was sent here by the Reaper," I say.
Mara's fear suddenly becomes much stronger.
The dagger slips slightly in her hand.
"The Reaper?"
"He claims people here consider him a children's story."
Mara makes a symbol over her chest.
"The stories say Death sends servants before the fall of kingdoms."
"That sounds promising."
"It was not meant to be."
Elara sits on a wooden crate.
"We need to know what has happened in the capital since I escaped."
Mara looks at her.
"The palace announced that you were kidnapped by a foreign assassin."
"We saw the notices."
"Lucien addressed the capital himself. He claimed the assassin entered the palace using forbidden magic and took you while you slept."
"I escaped through the eastern tunnels."
"I know. But the people don't."
"What about my father?"
Mara's expression becomes grim.
"The king has not appeared publicly in two weeks."
Elara becomes still.
"Is he alive?"
"No one knows."
The binding seal on her neck glows faintly.
She grips it.
Mara notices the mark.
"They sealed you."
"Lucien and Caelan were both present."
"What did you discover?"
"I can't say."
Mara reaches toward the seal but stops before touching it.
"Royal binding magic cannot be removed easily."
"He thinks he can do it," Elara says.
Both women look at me.
"I said I would try."
Mara shakes her head.
"If the seal is connected to the princess's soul, one mistake will kill her."
"So I've been told."
"And you still intend to attempt it?"
"Not until I understand how it works."
Mara turns toward a shelf and moves several bottles aside.
Behind them is a small metal box.
She unlocks it and removes a folded map.
The map shows the kingdom of Asteria.
The capital is marked near the center, surrounded by rivers and several smaller cities.
Briarwood sits near the western forest.
Mara points toward a mountain range north of the capital.
"There is someone who may be able to help."
"Who?" Elara asks.
"A former royal seal master named Aldric."
Elara frowns.
"I thought Aldric was executed."
"That was the official story. Your mother helped him escape."
"Why?"
"He discovered that Prince Lucien had ordered several forbidden seals created. The queen believed those seals were being used on members of the royal court."
Elara touches the mark on her neck.
"Where is he?"
"In the ruins of Saint Orin's monastery."
Mara points toward a location two days north of Briarwood.
"The road is dangerous. Bandits control the eastern path, and royal patrols have blocked the western one."
"That doesn't sound difficult," I say.
Mara looks at me.
"There are nearly fifty bandits."
"Better."
Elara sighs.
"Please stop becoming excited every time someone describes a threat."
"I need Dread."
"There are safer ways to collect it."
"Not faster ones."
Mara folds the map.
"Before you go anywhere, you need to leave Briarwood."
"We just arrived," I say.
"The town gates will close within the hour."
"Why?"
Mara moves toward the small window.
Outside, bells begin ringing.
The conversations in the inn stop.
A rider enters the town square wearing royal armor.
Several soldiers follow him.
One carries a banner displaying a black crown.
Mara's face becomes pale.
"They found you."
"That was faster than expected," Elara says.
The rider dismounts.
A town official approaches him.
The man wearing royal armor removes his helmet.
He has long white hair tied behind his head and a black mark running across his forehead.
Even from inside the inn, I can sense the pressure of his mana.
It is far stronger than Varek's.
People in the street move away from him.
Their fear forms thick streams around his body.
"Who is that?" I ask.
Mara closes the curtain.
"Lord Malrec."
Elara's expression becomes tense.
"Caelan's executioner."
Mara nods.
"He is one of the Seven Royal Blades."
"How strong is he?"
"Strong enough to destroy this entire inn without stepping through the door."
That gets my attention.
Outside, Lord Malrec raises one hand.
His voice spreads across the town through magic.
"By order of Prince Caelan Asteria, the gates of Briarwood are sealed."
The room becomes completely silent.
"Every building will be searched. Anyone found sheltering the foreign assassin known as the World Raider will be executed for treason."
Fear spreads through the inn.
Not just fear of Malrec.
Fear of me.
The Mark absorbs it.
Notifications fill my vision.
Dread received through rumor: 7
Dread received through rumor: 8
Dread received through rumor: 6
Dread received through rumor: 9
Lord Malrec continues.
"The princess must be recovered alive."
His voice becomes colder.
"The World Raider does not share that protection."
I smile slightly.
Elara sees it.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Whatever you are thinking."
Lord Malrec turns toward the Silver Stag.
Even through the wall, I can feel his attention settle on the inn.
The black mark across his forehead begins to glow.
Mara steps away from the window.
"He can sense royal blood."
Elara's illusion flickers.
The binding seal on her neck shines through it.
Footsteps begin moving toward the inn.
I summon my scythe.
Black smoke coils around my hand.
Elara stands.
"We should escape through the cellar."
I look toward the front of the building.
Lord Malrec's presence grows closer.
My Dread rises with every step he takes.
"He came here looking for me."
"He came here to kill you."
"Exactly."
"Shin."
I rest the scythe against my shoulder.
"Varek delivered my message."
The inn's front door opens.
Every person in the main room goes silent.
Heavy footsteps cross the wooden floor.
Lord Malrec has arrived.
I look at Elara.
"Now we send the prince another one."
END OF CHAPTER 6