Azure: Gunner

If you find yourself in legal trouble related specifically to Guild work, immediately send word to Guild HQ to obtain legal representation. If you’re cleared of charges, the Guild will cover the Lawyer’s fee. However, if you get in hot water just because you fucked up, don’t come looking for sympathy. You can still request a Guild-recommended Lawyer, but the cost is on you, and I’ll warn you right now – those bloodsuckers ain’t cheap.

- Delver’s Guild Handbook, Section 16.1 – "The Law”

I exchanged glances with the other recruits as we followed Elin out of the door. Neither of them seemed to know what to make of the situation either. Outside, we found Hassan and Vale waiting with Elin, who refused to make eye contact with any of us.

Mason directed us out of town immediately. It was still surprisingly early, not even 0800 yet, and he said we had enough time to make it to the campsite before dark. As we walked out of town through the eastern gates, I switched back into my armor, feeling much more secure as I did so.

We followed the road past a number of farms and then continued on into the wilds towards the south-east. As the town receded behind us, Hassan left the formation to range out ahead. The rest of us were unusually quiet, Elin’s sullen attitude infecting the group.

With everyone back in the same Squad, there was no way to chat with anyone without being overheard. I desperately wanted to gossip about Elin and her maybe-wealthy family, but it would have to wait for another time. At least it’s also preventing her from saying anything nasty to me…

A mile or so past the last of the farms, I started to feel a bit strange. It seemed like the air was a bit heavier, like there was a subtle sense of pressure around me. I looked around, but the other recruits seemed oblivious. Behind me, Vale and Block were bringing up the rear and I noticed myself noticing Block. He’s not doing his disappearing trick again. Does it only work in towns? That doesn’t make any sense, Waste it…

The strange sensation gradually increased over the next hundred yards or so. I was starting to get concerned, when Block suddenly spoke up from behind.

“Ah, that feels nice,” he commented casually. I turned around and looked at him.

“What are you talking about? I feel weird, like something is pushing on me.”

“You feel it already? We’re entering a Tier 2 zone, but I’m surprised you noticed it so soon. Does anyone else feel anything?” He directed the question at the other recruits, who all denied it.

“High mana sensitivity, remember?” Vale grunted as if that explained everything.

“I feel a tingle on the back of my neck, like someone is watching us,” Raylan added a few minutes later, looking around suspiciously.

<I’m always watching, Raylan,> Hassan’s voice over the Comms made all of us jump and look around, but we couldn’t spot him.

“Just so you know, that’s super creepy,” I muttered, getting a laugh from Block.

<Stay sharp everyone,> Mason warned us. <Kids, you’ll probably feel a little weird at first, but you’ll get used to it eventually. Remember the feeling, it’s a vital sense for a Delver. Mana zones aren’t fixed, they change and drift over time, so mapping them out isn’t reliable. There are likely to be more Tier 2 monsters roaming around in this zone, which is why I want to get through it quickly and safely. You’re much more vulnerable to corruption when the ambient mana is this far above your Level.>

<We’re benefiting from the Army passing through here yesterday,> Hassan reported. <It looks like they fought a significant engagement about a mile ahead of where you are now.>

It wasn’t long before we could see what he was talking about. There were scorch marks scattered around the road in various places, with multiple small fresh-looking craters blasted into the dirt. I noticed what looked like some dried blood near the base of a few small boulders ten yards to the side of the road. Beyond that, there was a single, large burned area about fifteen or twenty feet wide.

In the center, there was a modest pile of ashes getting a bit smaller every time a breeze caught it and flung some into the air. There were a few scorched bones, cracked and splintered from the heat, among the pile. I smelled the scent of charcoal and ash as we passed – the wind had been blowing it away from us before.

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<Standard Army policy, to burn monster corpses whenever possible. Cuts down on food for scavengers, and reduces the chance of drawing more monsters to the road,> Mason informed us curtly.

He kept up the pace as we moved on past the devastated area. We were moving even faster than I was used to from the previous days’ marching – it was a very brisk walk for me. Vale, with her short legs, was jogging despite the weight of her armor and the increasing heat of the day. I drank a bit of lukewarm water from my canteen to quench my thirst.

A mile passed without us seeing any living creatures and nothing more than sparse plant life. I spotted a few specks in the sky that were probably birds, but I couldn’t tell how big they were or how far away. We were now beyond the eastern end of the Shadow Hills – they had stopped at the Devil’s Gorge, but some small, rolling hills nearby had blocked the view to the south. A few minutes later, Hassan suddenly came back on the Comms, his voice urgent.

<Incoming, multiple hostiles from the north! I’m out of position, moving to support yout!>

<Vale, stay with the kids! Block, move to intercept and gather them up. Once they’re bunched up, I’ll clear them out with Chained Strike. Kids, stay back and do not engage unless you have no other choice. We want their attention on Block and me!>

I had my gun in hand and was looking north when a large group of shapes burst into view. Identify.