The bar was mostly empty, lest for a few drunken men chatting and playing darts. Dim lighting gave the bar an ominous, yet aesthetic ambiance. The smell of alcohol pervaded every wood or fabric in it. Arthur, with a perception above the average awakener, frowned at the strong smell. Walking toward the bartender, Arthur ordered a beer to make himself stand out less.
He wore a pair of thick fake glasses and combed his hair differently. It was a lame disguise, but that's as much as he could do without his illusion ring on him. However, he still had the F-rank skill Camouflage that allowed him to decrease his presence. After a few beers, he started his act.
"Ah, I'm pissed," His voice a higher octave from usual, acting drunk as he said to the bartender. "That bitch said she preferred someone taller! Can you believe that? Do I look like a shortie to you? Do I?" The bartender shrugged.
"Everyone is fake, you're fake too!" He pointed at the bartender who was wiping the glass cups wearing a wry smile.
"Buddy, how low is your alcohol tolerance?" The bartender laughed, brows twitching. "Whoa! Do that in the bathroom!" He lost his cool when he saw Arthur looking like he's about to vomit.
"I… Uwa," Arthur had his hand on his mouth as he pretended to barely hold his vomit inside. The bartender came from behind the counter and started dragging him across a corridor toward the bathroom.
"Jeez, don't drink if you're this weak!"
He grumbled as he pulled on Arthur across the rooms. These rooms were private for 'personal use' of any customers that wanted to rent. It seems it has been placed in case two drunken and eager people wanted some private time.
Si has said that the meeting would be in one of these rooms. That's why Arthur had Si draw the outline of the place and send it to him for Arthur to come up with a plan. Realizing that he would pass through the doors if he went to the inner bathroom, Arthur decided that he would have the bartender guide him there since it was the closer of the two.
It would be suspicious if Arthur wanted to go to the inner bathroom while there was one across the bar near the door. However, if the bartender was the one to take him there because it was closer, it would be fine.
As he passed the doors, Arthur placed his hands on them as he flailed his arms while 'resisting.' What the bartender didn't realize was that at a certain door, a rune glowed briefly before disappearing. It was the room that Si said the meeting would be in. The next few moments were spent imitating vomiting in the bathroom before getting kicked out.
"There should be laws against treating fine men like this," Arthur grumbled and stole one last glance at the bar. With a humph, he left the scene and found an alley that was veiled by darkness yet still within the rune's range.
"Let's see what you can do," Arthur shared the connection with the rune as he allowed the voices to enter his mind. Si's ability was truly godlike despite its lack of combat power. He was able to foresee the meeting, its exact location, and the time. However, he said that something was obscuring his vision. That's why Arthur had to get here himself. It was essential to learn about the Enders' goal.
Voices from all over the bar started appearing in his mind as he was wearing invisible earphones. He realized that some of them were the sound of the darts hitting the board, the low music, the bartender grumbling as he flushed Arthur's vomit, and the bar's door opening.
Looking at his watch, it was 5:59 PM. As he watched the clock turn to 6, a bell on the counter rang.
"A room, please. Nice and warm." The voice was familiar. It was Tyrin's voice, crisp yet distant.
"Enjoy your stay, Sir." The tone the bartender used was a world different from the one he used with Arthur. It held subtle respect and understanding.
Standing with his back to the wall, slowly being covered by the darkness taking over the world, Arthur realized for the first time how the night arrived earlier than in Kera. Did it have to do with Yalen being to the east of Kera? He wondered.
Clank.
"Ugh," Arthur was startled by the loud sound of the door closing. He forgot that the rune was engraved on the door itself. His mind was still a bit dizzy but everything came back to normal.
"It's 6 already, where is she?" He heard Tyrin talking to himself, or maybe someone else?
"She's late!" He was impatient. Arthur looked at his watch and found that it was 6:01 PM. Was Tyrin scared of something?
"Were we found? We need to leave."
He said 'we' instead of 'I.' This made a chill run through Arthur's spine. Was he with that hideous black creature? The Ender? However, Tyrin didn't leave and started to pace around the room judging by the sound of his steps. Arthur could even hear him biting something, probably his fingernails.
Creak…
The window creaked while the sound of footsteps was still going. It meant someone else opened the window? As if answering his questions, a different voice appeared in his mind.
"Why so anxious, young man?" It was a mature feminine voice with a slight accent. The wooden floor creaked as if someone stepped on it. Then, slower and more stable footsteps followed.
"You're late, we could have been found out," Tyrin said, unhappy.
"Mm, no one likes an impatient man," Arthur heard her say in a flirtatious tone, the sound of skin being caressed, and heard a sharp breath being taken. Was this guy meeting a lover? What kind of weapon of mass destruction did Si foresee exactly?
"Stop it!" Tyrin snapped, and it sounded like he slapped her hand away. "Give me the artifact! Tomorrow is the time we…"
"Don't dare to disrespect me, little boy." Her tone changed as she cut him off. Arthur could hear the threatening tone she had and Tyrin went mute. After a few moments, his voice came out like a whisper.
"I'm sorry, I…"
"I know you fear for your life, but no risk is unrewarded when you work for our Lord." The newcomer said.
"Then…"
"If you activate the weapon at the Apprentices Cup, we'll take care of the rest. After that, you will be assigned whatever position that pleases you. The Yalen kingdom will be ours, and we shan't be ungenerous with those who help us." Her accent was distinct as if the Yalveran was a foreign language for her.
Arthur's body shivered with goosebumps covering him from head to toe. He could hear a gulping sound, the rattling of clothes, and the silence that followed. His rune's time ended.
"Sneaking is bad," A voice as hoarse as a rusted engine came from his back. Arthur could feel the darkness swirl around him, trying to swallow him. Was he found? Is this the Ender? How?
Without even thinking, Arthur used his Fire rune. With his hand facing the wall, it exploded with raging fire as the creature hissed and Arthur was launched forward. However, it did little to stop the creature from giving chase after a moment of delay.
Arthur sprinted for his life. However, he heard one of the windows of the bar opening. He would be a fool if he didn't realize this was the woman giving chase as well. He zigzagged through the alleys, but the shadows and the feeling of danger kept fast approaching.
He crossed a busy street, arrowing between a few moving cars as they honked and angry drivers cursed from their rolled windows. He slid over the trunk of one car before continuing his escape across the city.
It seems that since this was a lower district, security was lax here. This was also the reason that Tyrin and his companion were confident enough to meet here. Arthur's danger sense was ringing bells as if it went crazy. He turned around to glance behind and saw a shadow of a person running atop the roofs.
Even worse, there was a flame-like substance darting across the buildings and following him. It seemed that none of this substance was seen by the masses as they went about their life after yelling at Arthur.
'I'm screwed,' Arthur's mind raced as he took a turn to another alley. Unlike Si who could foresee things, Arthur had to duck it out with his luck. Unfortunately, it seems his luck was rotten it was a dead-end.
"No place to run, sneaky rat!" He heard the woman shout from behind him in her distinct accent. The closeness of her voice made his heart quiver with fear. He was already using his Legacy rune and Agility amplification rune, but he was barely able to outrun her due to the difference in their starting points and the complex structure of the city.