Chapter 25
The return to Lint was a quiet one.
The road stretched ahead, dust curling under the wheels of the cart. No one spoke much. The clatter of wood and iron was the only sound that filled the space between them.
They had completed their mission. The Wraith was dead. They had scouted the village of Greenvalley. And were on the way to return from what could be considered a great accomplishment.
But none of them felt like celebrating.
Not after losing a member of the team. Jaro hadn't been family, not even a close friend. But he wasn't a nobody either. They had fought together, ate together, and risked their lives side by side. The space where he should've been sitting now felt glaringly empty.
Alden sat near the back of the cart, eyes half-lidded as the landscape rolled by. He thought of the fight. The way the Wraith had towered over them…
He clenched his fists.
He was too weak for this world.
A simple village inspection mission had nearly killed them all. He had let his guard down after defeating Jarek, after the pressure of his debt had been lifted. He had started to take comfort in the small victories, to breathe a little easier.
But that night reminded him what kind of place this was.
If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to live long enough to see what this world truly held, he couldn't afford to be careless again.
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The walls of Lint appeared on the horizon by the time the sun reached its zenith. The town walls loomed over the plains, tall and silent.
The guards at the gate recognized the group's badges and waved them through without question. No one asked where they had come from. The sight of their clothes, torn, bloodied, and burned spoke for itself.
They headed straight for the Stonewatch.
Inside the administrative building, the air was cool and quiet. Darius led the way through the corridors until they reached one of the recording halls. Behind a long desk sat two officers. And judging by the faint pressure surrounding them, they weren't people to be trifled with.
"Hunter squad number four, reporting from Greenvalley," Darius said, placing a sealed pouch on the table along with the mission scroll. "Mission complete. We have eliminated a wraith during the mission."
One of the officers opened the pouch and inspected the object inside: a small, blackened crystal core, its surface twisted with threads of dark Qi. The other verified the scroll.
The officer on the left nodded once, setting the document aside carefully. "Proceed with the report."
Darius recounted everything. From the moment they arrived at the village, to the whispers, to the missing people, and finally to the battle. Darius spoke most of the time, occasionally glancing at Renna or Scourge for confirmation. Siv filled in the details on the talismans, the wardstone, and the state of the village after the fight.
When it came to Alden's moment and the sudden burst of strength he exhibited, Darius hesitated. The officers noticed. One leaned forward slightly.
"There was mention of an unusual light during combat." He said. "Can you tell us more about it?"
Alden frowned.
Scourge grunted. "A flare of Qi. Happened under pressure. I have been training the lad, and he's been meditating, trying to understand Qi."
The officer raised a brow. "That so?" He glanced at the team, probing for more. But no one spoke. A pause followed before the man finally leaned back.
"Understood."
They moved on.
It took them some time to complete the report. The officers asked many questions, mostly about the villagers and the general feel of Greenvalley. They also mentioned the lack of official papers marking the completion of the mission from Greenvalley's chief. But they willingly skimmed over it since the team had presented the wraith's core as proof.
The officers tallied the data and scribbled notes on thin parchment before passing over a small ledger.
"As per Stonewatch regulation, the core is your property." The officer on the left said. "You may keep or sell it. We'll offer a direct exchange if you prefer."
Darius glanced at the others. No one seemed interested in holding on to the cursed object.
"Sell it." He said.
The officer nodded. "Wraith-class, single core Qi level… seventy minor Qi stones."
He counted out a stack of small translucent shards, and slid them across the desk. Darius picked them up and split the reward evenly, keeping an extra share for Jaro's next of kin.
No one argued.
The paperwork was brief. The tone remained clinical, but Alden could see faint curiosity in the officers' eyes. This might have been the first time a group of hunters returned with a wraith kill.
When it was done, Darius signed off the mission and thanked the two.
They stepped out into the daylight.
"I'm heading back to rest." Renna spoke first, seemingly in a hurry to leave.
"Same." Siv murmured.
Darius nodded. As per the regulations, they had two days of off time after a mission outside the town. "Get patched up, all of you. I'll handle the remaining administrative tasks and keep you updated."
The Scourge stretched his arms, grimacing as his shoulder popped. "Thanks captain." He added, his tone flat but not entirely joyless.
They went their separate ways after that.
Alden lingered for a moment outside the building. The sun was still strong, its light glinting across the cobblestones and catching on windows high above.
"Hey."
Alden turned around to see Lysa hanging around. She rummaged through her pouch and handed him a couple of Qi stones. "Thanks for saving me back then."
He looked at the Qi stones, and hesitated. "You don't have to do this, we're a team."
Lysa shook her head and pushed the stones to his chest. "No. I wouldn't be here if not for you. Heck, I would even invite you to dinner, but we're not exactly in the right state for that."
Alden chuckled and graciously accepted the stones. If Qi stones had the same use as what he had in mind, then he desperately needed them.
"Thanks, Lysa. Now I'm the one who owes you one."
"Think nothing of it. Honestly, I have no use for Qi stones. I'm no cultivator. I'm planning to trade the rest I have for gold and some medicine."
After exchanging a few more words, Lysa left. Now, it was only Alden standing there.
He watched the grand camp ahead where a few guards were doing drills. He took one last look at the Stonewatch tower, and started walking.
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Alden headed straight for the nearest bathhouse. Warm water and clean bandages did wonders for a tired body, though the sting that came after reminded him just how much his muscles had endured.
Once dressed in a new set of clothes, he stepped back into the afternoon light, the air carrying the familiar scent of baked bread and smoke from food stalls further down the street. His stomach growled.
He didn't have a destination in mind, his feet carried him along familiar streets until a certain worn sign caught his eye. Alden decided to check it out.
As he walked in, a smiling old man stepped forward to welcome him. But then the person halted when he saw Alden's face. The man looked familiar, and a second later, Alden realized why.
It was the same person who had lent him a cloak and a machete, back when he had been ambushed by Jarek and almost died in the alleys.
The old man's gaze flicked up, recognition flashed across his weathered face. Then his expression flattened into wary disbelief.
"I hope you're not here to threaten me again, kid." He said, shaking his head slowly.
Alden couldn't help but smile wryly. "Threaten you? I was thinking more along the lines of paying you back."
The man grunted, half-skeptical. "That so?"
"Yeah." Alden said, moving toward an empty table. "Maybe even throw in a little extra, if the food's good."
That earned a faint snort. "Money changes people, huh? You barely had scraps last time."
Alden smirked and sat down. "Things change. I work for the Stonewatch now. Weekly pay and all."
The man raised a brow but didn't comment further. "Well then, what'll it be?"
"Something decent." Alden replied. "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday."
The owner grunted and looked at him suspiciously. "You're not broke are, are you? Let me tell you right now! I don't care if you're Stonewatch or not, if you think you can dine and dash on me, then you have it wrong."
Alden sighed. His hand drifted into his chest pocket and he dropped a hefty bag of coins on the table. "I'm hungry, old man."
The owner looked dumbly at the bag, then he quickly disappeared into the back.
The diner was mostly empty, with just a pair of merchants nursing drinks by the window and a young courier waiting by the door. The quiet hum of frying oil drifted from the kitchen.
When the food came, it smelled rich and savory. The man served him a plate of roasted meat, seasoned greens, and a thick slice of bread still warm from the oven. Alden ate slowly, savoring each bite. It felt good to spend money on himself. The steady pay from Stonewatch wasn't much by noble standards, but it was more than enough for a man who had grown used to surviving on scraps.
After finishing, he leaned back in his chair as the owner approached with a towel slung over one shoulder.
"Business treating you well?" Alden asked.
The man shrugged. "As well as it can. Fewer travelers lately. Everyone's scared of the horrors, even if the guards keep saying it's safe. Half the caravans don't make it to town anymore. But…" He eyed Alden. "Guess you're one of the people making sure it doesn't get worse."
Alden smiled faintly. "Trying to. It's messy work, but better than fighting in the Arena."
"At least out there, you're fighting for something." The man nodded in agreement.
Alden reached into his coin bag and placed a couple silvers on the table, more than enough to pay for the meal ten times over. "For the food. And for the things I borrowed that day."
The owner blinked, surprised.
"This is too much…" He argued hesitantly.
"Call it interest." Alden said. "I owed you."
The old man hesitated, then accepted the payment with a slow nod. "Then I won't be polite. Haha, I have a business to run."
The owner chuckled quietly and tucked the payment away. "You be careful out there, kid. Stonewatch or not, the town's getting strange lately."
"I will." Alden said, standing. "And thanks again."
As he stepped outside, the sun was already starting its slow descent. The light turned warmer, casting long lines across the street. Alden felt a little refreshed, though the exhaustion from the previous day still clung to him. Yet, instead of heading back to the barracks to rest, he turned toward the quieter quarter of town, where the Scourge lived.
The streets grew quieter as he moved away from the central market. Before long, he reached the small courtyard enclosed by cracked walls and a wooden gate.
He knocked twice. No answer.
After a pause, he pushed the gate open just enough to peek inside. The yard was empty, save for the faint rustle of leaves from the tree in the corner.
"Figures." He muttered, stepping in and letting the gate creak shut behind him.
He looked around once before lowering himself to the ground near the stone steps. The place was still, quiet enough that he could hear the faint trickle of water from a pipe nearby. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and let his breathing settle.
Meditation came easier now.
His control over his inner flow had grown steadier, though he could still sense flaws. There were small breaks in rhythm that refused to smooth out. He focused on them, tracing the energy's slow path through his body, until his thoughts began to fade.
Time slipped by.
He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there when a familiar voice broke through the quiet.
"Didn't expect to see you here."
Alden opened his eyes. Renna stood just beyond the gate, her cloak drawn loosely around her shoulders. Her expression was calm, though her eyes carried that sharp glint she always had when thinking too much.
"I could say the same." Alden said, smiling a little. "Evening, Renna."
She nodded back in greeting. "I wanted to ask the Scourge about something." Her gaze swept over the empty courtyard. "Looks like he's out."
"Seems like it." Alden leaned back against the step. "You can wait with me if you want. Unless you've got somewhere else to be."
Renna hesitated for a second, then stepped inside and closed the gate behind her.
She quietly sat beside him, and for a while, neither spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. The occasional distant clatter from the street filled the air. Eventually, Renna sighed softly.
"Feels strange, doesn't it?" She said. "Coming back from something like that and pretending life goes on."
Alden nodded. "Yeah. It does. You feeling alright?"
She looked at him, seemingly hesitating about what to say. Alden could understand her. Renna was a member of the Thornevale family. The same one that run the Stonewatch. It must have upset her to be sent on such a risky mission.
"I'll be fine." She quietly replied.
Alden gave her little pat on the shoulder. "I'll be here if you ever need me."
The quiet returned, broken only by the faint breeze moving through the courtyard. Hours passed before footsteps echoed beyond the wall.
The gate creaked open, and the Scourge finally stepped through. He looked fresh and energetic. Nothing like his earlier appearance. He stopped mid-step when he saw them sitting there.
"Well." He said with a faint smirk. "Didn't think I'd have an audience waiting."
Renna sighed. "You took your time."
"Good things take time." The Scourge replied, unbothered. "Since you're both here, I assume this isn't just a social call."
Alden stood, stretching his stiff legs. "Depends on what you call social."
The Scourge chuckled and gestured toward the door. "Come in then. Let's see what you've come to bother me about this time."