The morning after the meeting in the Broken Spire, Kael woke to the sound of bells — not the alarm bells that meant a beast breach, but the steady, deep peal of the market's opening.Life in the city went on, even after the Shaper.
Ryn was already waiting outside his small rented room, leaning on her crossbow.
"Still alive," she said. "That's good. I half-expected you to get ambushed on your way home."
Kael smirked. "Maybe I did."
Her eyes narrowed. "And?"
"I'm still here."
She didn't push — but she watched him a little too closely as they walked toward the Guild quarter.
The Guild hall was busier than usual. Not the celebratory chaos of their return, but something tighter, edgier. Hunters moved with purpose, their voices low.At the notice board, Kael saw why.
Pinned in the center was a crude charcoal sketch — of him. Beneath it, in block letters:
AUTHORIZED FOR GUILD SUPERVISIONAll hunters assisting this individual to be registered before departure.
Ryn whistled low. "They're really leaning into the leash idea."
"Won't stop me," Kael said.
From the corner of his eye, he saw someone watching them — a tall man in polished leather armor, silver Guild insignia at his shoulder.Rank: B-Rank (Low), ~1,100 GP.Name: Captain Dorrin, head of the Third Company.
Dorrin didn't bother to hide his stare. "If you're smart, Kael, you'll stick to your assignments. Step out of line, and I'll be the one reining you in."
Kael met his gaze without blinking. "Then you'd better bring more than a leash."
Before Dorrin could reply, a runner burst in from the courtyard, panting.
"Message for Council! Beast sighting — inside the east sector!"
That froze the room. The east sector was well within the city walls — no hunting zone anywhere near it.
Dorrin snatched the message strip. "Where?"
"Warehouse row, near the old tannery."
Ryn's face tightened. "That's two streets from the orphan yard."
Kael was already moving. "I'm going."
Dorrin stepped in front of him. "Not without clearance."
"Then try to stop me," Kael said, brushing past.
They reached the east sector fast — too fast for the streets to clear, so they pushed through clusters of shouting merchants and confused residents.Kael's senses were sharp, looking for the ripple in the air that came with predator movement.
The first sign was the smell — not rot, not blood, but that strange green scent of wet moss.
"Shaper," Kael muttered.
Ryn's grip on her crossbow tightened. "Inside the walls?"
They rounded the corner to the tannery row. The old brick buildings were dark, the air damp. And at the far end of the street, a figure stood perfectly still in the middle of the cobbles.
It looked human. Male. Broad-shouldered. Wearing the stained apron of a tanner.
Rank: Unknown. GP signature… muted. Almost invisible.
The eyes gave it away. Too black. Veins faintly red.
Kael called out. "You don't belong here."
The man tilted his head — and smiled with a mouth too wide.
Then the ground cracked. Moss spilled upward between the cobblestones, spreading fast.
Kael's knife was in his hand instantly. "Ryn — get the people back!"
She shouted for the crowd to move. The figure stepped forward, and Kael caught the faint shimmer at its chest — not a full heart like the marsh Shaper, but a dim echo.
A node.
[C-Rank (Mid) | GP: 540]
The moss surged at him in a wave. Kael leapt onto a low crate, slashing down to sever the tendrils. The man-thing's form shifted as it walked — apron peeling away to reveal skin half-covered in bark-like plating.
From the right, Dorrin and two of his B-Rank guards charged in.
Guild Guard #1: B-Rank (Low), ~1,050 GP.Guild Guard #2: B-Rank (Low), ~1,000 GP.
Dorrin barked, "Contain it! Keep it from spreading!"
They moved well, their strikes breaking up moss patches before they could take root in nearby walls. But every piece they destroyed seemed to send strength back into the Shaper-node.
Kael recognized the same loop as before — kills inside its influence fueled it.
He shouted, "Don't feed it! Target the body!"
The node's arm extended unnaturally, bark splitting to reveal root-tendons that lashed like whips. One caught Guard #2 across the chest, slamming him into a wall. Armor dented, breath gone.
Kael lunged in low, Stonehide flaring as he closed the gap. His blade found a seam at the hip, biting deep.
[C-Rank (Mid) | GP: 540 + 10 = 550]
The node shrieked, but its smile didn't fade.
Dorrin took the opening, his longsword flashing in a clean arc that severed the node's left arm. The moss reacted violently, spiking up between them like a wall.
Kael didn't hesitate — he vaulted over, landing right in front of the thing. Close enough to smell the rot under the green.
"Where's your heart?" Kael growled.
It only smiled wider. "In every street. In every wall."
The cobblestones beneath Kael's feet cracked — and a dozen thin tendrils shot upward. He slammed his Stonehide-covered arm into them, breaking through, but one wrapped around his ankle and pulled hard.
He went down on one knee. The node's bark-covered hand reached for his face —
An arrow slammed through the wrist. Ryn, from the alley mouth.
Kael tore free, driving his knife upward through the ribs.
[C-Rank (Mid) | GP: 550 + 20 = 570]
The node's smile finally faltered.
It staggered back, black ichor spilling from the wound. The moss writhed violently, then began to pull away from the walls and street as if retreating.
Kael pressed forward, blade flashing. Dorrin moved with him, their strikes crossing. One last slash from Kael's knife severed the spine, and the node collapsed in a heap.
The moss went still.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then Dorrin turned to Kael, breathing hard. "That thing… was inside the walls. For how long?"
Kael wiped the ichor from his knife. "Long enough to blend in."
Ryn joined them, glancing at the heap. "This was just a node. Which means…"
Kael finished for her. "…there's more."
The guards began clearing the street, moving the injured, breaking up any stray moss.
Dorrin met Kael's eyes. "Whatever I said before about leashing you — forget it. If more of these get inside, I want you in front of them."
Kael almost smiled. "I'll hold you to that."
But in the back of his mind, he remembered the pale-eyed man's warning. The hive knew. And it was already inside the city.