Lisa had stayed back at the safehouse, keeping watch, while Kai and the others were scattered around in wait. We knew who was in the car, but only when it finally stopped and the passengers exited did we fully confirm it.
A man stepped out, adjusting his suit and his hat. He had black hair and light blue skin, as well as a set of pointed ears. I stopped squinting as I confirmed it was him.
Bahr.
The Half Elf I had encountered briefly. Was it a chance of fate that I had met him at the beach before I got wrapped up in this whole ordeal? I remembered him trying to recruit me into some cause with some sort of story— if I had listened to him and gone with him then, what would have happened?
It was an odd thought. One which I highly doubted would have ever happened considering his trade. Yet I still wondered— perhaps because I was still wrestling with Braz’s comment that I was thoughtless— what was his story?
Doesn’t matter. He’s like Victor. He has to be stopped as soon as possible.
And more than just the pure morality of it: I had an incentive to finish things now. The sooner this was over and done with, the sooner I could get to the Taw Kingdom and hopefully finally find some peace and security in my tumultuous life.
Bahr was escorted by a group of a dozen men further into the pier, as a ship approached in the distance. More men were waiting for him out there, and he started discussing something with them.
I turned to Braz and he nodded. We both left the alley, finding ourselves a better vantage point where we could still remain hidden. I noticed a few other of the pirates moving around in the shadows. We had the docks surrounded.
We waited a minute. Then ten. And as the ship got closer and closer, suddenly another, smaller ship came out from the side. It assaulted the larger vessel, and its occupants began boarding it. Chaos broke out within the men waiting at the pier.
Bahr barked out some orders, and dozens of men hurriedly scrambled onto the few ships they could, rushing to their cargo’s aid. The Half Elf did not move of course. He just watched with six men by his side from where he was as the battle at sea continued.
Then it was time for us to act. Braz and I nodded, turning to a figure in the distance. Kai brought his rifle up, carefully aiming at our target. He aimed—
And shots came out from behind us. I whirled around as men poured out of a warehouse just next to the docks. A trap? Did Lisa—
My thoughts were interrupted as Braz pushed me aside from a stray bolt. He pulled me up, and steadied me.
"What do we do?" I asked the man, conjuring dozens of flaming arrows as I did. The projectiles landed amongst the oncoming men, bringing down only a small number of them, but impeding their movement greatly.
"Our job is to take out Bahr," he said. "We’re surrounded. There’s no escape unless we force our way out. But then he’ll chase after us through the city. We have no choice."
Then he turned back around and faced me.
"But that is myself and the rest of Ginah’s Crew. You have no reason to be here. I told you, didn’t I?"
I bit my lip, annoyed that he was bringing that up now. He was correct that I had no dog in this fight, but I was already here. And I did have something to gain from this. So I shook my head.
"Yes you did," I said. "I thought about it, and I still came here. Because I still have something to gain. So don’t tell me to run away when I’m faced with a monster— I don’t do that anymore."
Braz paused, inspecting my face, then he turned and shouted at Kai and the other pirates with us.
"Oi. We’ll be killing Bahr for you guys. Just hold them off!"
Kai nodded in our direction, signaling for us to go. He sent two pirates behind us as I started alongside Braz for the leader of the Elise. He was slowly coming at us from the edge of the pier, now halfway back towards us. I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye— a… ship.
The Lightbringer’s Vessel.
More backup. We had to act fast. We couldn’t waste anymore time on this. I brought out a hand, conjuring multiple Magic Missiles at once and sent it flying at the six men charging at us. They saw the attack coming, and simply leapt out of the way. Easily. Almost like Braz did when I had first met him.
I narrowed my eyes, and cast another spell. This time, they were more panicked as the Frost Javelin came at them. The projectile intercepted one of the men, killing him and pinning him to the floor of the pier.
They pulled out their own weapons. One man had a bow, and had just nocked an arrow with a glowing arrowhead onto it. He loosed it in my direction, forcing us to leap to the pier adjacent to ours.
It exploded, as expected. I prepared another spell to fire back, but Braz ran out in front of me. "You’re the only one who can beat Bahr.
These were skilled fighters too. Probably his bodyguards. They pressed Braz as I ran ahead. There was no time to waste here.
And there he was. The Half Elf I met when I first arrived in Luke. The Dark Acolyte who started the Elise. The one behind bringing the enuim to Laxis.
I approached Bahr, dagger already in hand; he narrowed his eyes as he watched
