The Oracle Paths

Jake refrained from telling her that this could also be the work of their "allies. If it was Duke Gole, Haynt or Usadra (the only surviving seat of the Dark Races) who gave the order, then Rifalen might very well have chosen to cooperate to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

All things considered, this theory was quite likely. After the Mutant higher-ups were killed or captured, the coalition that included the Mutants may have determined that their faction was hopeless and chose to cut their losses by raiding their treasure room before the enemy.

The supporting argument for this was the fact that the vast majority of the Mutant corpses lying around were mostly civilians. There were very few warriors and adventurers, except for those who had the misfortune to be there at the wrong time. The other possibility was that they knew what was going to happen and chose to stay.

Jake attempted to locate Rifalen alive with his Shadow guide and as he expected the latter began to jog off in a certain direction.

'To the northeast... If I'm not mistaken, that's the Astral district.' Jake acknowledged thoughtfully. 'Anyway, with this Orichalcum door I have just what I need to test Xi's idea.'

Before pulling the door out of its hinges, he shared his suspicions with Aisling and surprisingly she agreed with him. Knowing Rifalen's pragmatic nature it was more in keeping with his temperament and much better than imagining him as a traitor. The number of people the young woman trusted could be counted on the fingers of one hand and Rifalen was definitely among them.

Jake stowed away the heavy metal door, then the duo, or trio including Jeanie, set off again. This time heading for Haynt.

The Astral district's vibe was somewhat different from the other neighborhoods. The most appropriate word would have been... bipolar.

The few Astral leaders of this faction were powerful light beings cultivating their power with starlight, while the other 98% of the population was made up of lost souls, ghosts and specters who had outlived their bodies for one reason or another.

Most of them were plagued by regrets and remorse from their past lives, and the dark thoughts that enveloped them greatly resembled those of the evil spirits behind the demons. In reality, these two paths were similar and a specter could evolve into a Demon and vice versa if the circumstances allowed it.

The main difference between the two was that Demons were a much broader category, but almost always associated with evil. Each culture had its own conception of Demons and they could take on all sorts of forms. Conversely, the notion of ghosts changed little from one culture to another.

Traditionally, the Astral people were the bane of ordinary ghosts, specters and evil spirits, and they had to behave themselves if they wanted to exist here in peace. Even if the ghost was once a holy man, he would still be vulnerable to harsh lights, lightning or flames. This was true for both friendly ghosts and evil spirits unless their soul possessed a specific attribute that allowed them to resist these elements.

For this reason, although the ghosts that roamed the empty streets gave off a more positive and docile aura, they too kept their distance from the Astrals' private dwellings.

Because of this racial shiism, the district was extremely dark and gloomy, but remarkably clean because the ghosts never defecated. At the heart of the district, in a small area representing a tiny part of the territory, magnificent crystal castles radiated a gentle radiance that served as a deterrent against these ghosts.

The largest crystal palace in the center belonged to Haynt and that was where the trio was headed. On the way, they couldn't help but notice how few ghosts and Astrals were on the streets, as if the ghost town had somehow truly become one, if that even made sense...

As they neared the palace, two Astral men standing guard in their human form blocked their way to ask why they had come. The two men had ageless faces and short snow-white hair. They wore robes of the same whiteness and carried long crystal spears to match.

"Halt!"

The first guard stalled them with the tip of his spear, but before he could ask them a question another low, booming voice covered his,

"Let them through."

The guard threatening them with his spear immediately lowered his weapon, then the two Astral men stepped aside without a word to let them pass. Once inside the palace, Haynt was already waiting for them along with a wrinkled old man with grayish skin and thin pointed ears.

"Rifalen!"

Aisling and Jake recognized the Vice-Leader instantly. The old Night Elf gasped with joy when he caught sight of his former leader unharmed, tears of relief running down his face. But when he remembered what had happened a few days earlier, his face turned ugly.

With no warning, he fell to his knees, his forehead pressed to the ground.

"Boss, forgive me! I failed in my duty!

Seeing the devastated and guilt-ridden face of the old elf, Aisling began to sob as well and hurried to lift him up.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine. If I hadn't fallen into that trap none of this would have happened." Aisling comforted him with a bitter, wistful grimace.

"It wasn't your fault either." Haynt finally spoke. "No one could have predicted what would happen. I mean, we could... But we'll talk about it another day."

Once the emotion of the reunion subsided, Rifalen explained what had happened to him, Haynt filling in the gaps in his narrative to give a clearer picture of the events. After hearing their side of the story, Aisling had lost all her cheerfulness.

"So if I understand correctly..." She resumed, her face utterly pale. "The Duke Gole refused to protect the Mutants after I disappeared and ordered you to grant them access to the vault to contribute to the war effort or else he would wipe out the entire faction. He also disbanded my faction and forcibly enlisted its members. Those who refused were ordered to leave the district and it was made clear to them that they would not be protected in case of an attack. After they left, the enemy coalition raided the district like a swarm of locusts and destroyed everything in their path. Did I miss anything?"

"Cough... No, that was a good summary." Rifalen looked down with a dejected air, his mind on the brink of collapse.

"At least Rifalen wasn't a traitor." Jake commented tactlessly. "That's still good news. As for your sister, she's still alive, I can feel her presence, but she was probably captured too. Last but not least, we know where the treasure you promised me is."

Rifalen nearly choked on his saliva when he heard Jake suspect him of being a traitor with such aplomb, but when Aisling's sister was mentioned, his memory abruptly came back.

"Ah! Your sister was also captured by Duke Gole. He didn't believe in your release, but just in case he chose to detain your sister as a hostage to ensure that you wouldn't choose to join the enemy side upon learning what had transpired here."

Jake sneered as he learned of the Duke's shameful actions. This aristocrat had little scruples, but he knew what he was doing or he wouldn't have been appointed as the head of the Empire's Imperial Guard. After hearing what he wanted to know, he stood up from his seat and headed for the palace exit.

"Where are you going?" Haynt asked in puzzlement.

"To retrieve my treasure, of course." Jake chuckled as he waved goodbye to them without turning back. "And incidentally to free Aisling's sister. I have a feeling that the Duke Gole and I are going to have a nice long chat between men. In the end this battle is bound to happen and I will pacify this city or die trying. Those who stand in my way and attack my friends deserve no mercy from me."

Haynt was taken aback by the overwhelming determination and confidence he exuded. When they had last met, Jake had seemed uninterested in power struggles and his attitude was not as unyielding. What had changed since then?

Although he had his doubts, he still held this Guilty man in high regard. His aura had grown a lot since the last time and the old Astral caught himself feeling a trace of danger in his presence. If he felt that way then his enemies must have been pissing in their pants.

Jake didn't bother asking why Haynt hadn't stepped in to save the Mutants either. As part of the Duke Gole coalition, he of course had a say, but because he was so powerful he had been ostracized. Not only that, but he had to deal with a mutiny in his own ranks, which explained the deserted district. Furthermore, his enemies feared him greatly and took the threat he posed seriously.

His every move was closely monitored.

The district looked peaceful, but Jake had detected three massive auras above level 80 as soon as he arrived, one of which was almost on par with Haynt's. It was abundantly clear that even if he wanted to, the powerful Astral couldn't easily interfere.

It was easier to destroy than to save or rebuild, and if Haynt had been forced to fight, the mutant district's destruction would have been the least of their worries, for Laudarkvik as a whole would have been wiped out. Because of all these considerations, Haynt had no choice but to stand by where he was.

Still, he had done his best to save those he could and had welcomed with open arms all the Mutants who had managed to flee to this place. They numbered a few hundred and were currently housed in another residence.

"Do you have a plan?" Haynt eventually asked.

"Do I need one?" Jake smiled as he pushed open the door.