The boy who had been hailed as a prodigy in his early years had yet again become tangled with the threads of fate and awakened an old prophecy. “I have never seen anything like this before. This weapon isn’t a gun. It cannot be,” Marlin remarked as he analyzed the blueprint spread atop the altar. “The one who designed this wasn’t trying to create a firearm. This is entirely different. It’s shaped almost like a dragon’s gullet. There is no way this thing can shoot bullets.” “I don’t think he designed this weapon to fight other gunners. Maybe this was created to deal with the undead,” Ezra replied, taking a good look at the strange blueprint before him. “But how did I become a part of this prophecy? What has this got to do with me?” Even Marlin was surprised to learn that his fellow Gunsmith had kept a blueprint hidden for Ezra. There was no way to dismiss it as a coincidence anymore since Ezra had seen the village in his visions, and the pillar’s magic seal was awakened by his touch.
When Ezra and Aurelia returned to Dragon Claw's guild house, the Elders had gathered not just the Gunners, but the other important dignitaries as well. Even Lord Wilhelm was there along with his attendant. Iraka and Jasenki too were back from their mission. “What news do you bring?” Abigor asked as Ezra and Aurelia walked into the council room. “It is bad. We encountered a Night Walker out there. It was trying to perform a dark ritual to resurrect the dead and turn them into walking corpses,” Aurelia replied. “We had to burn the whole village down to prevent a repeat of the incident.” “That sounds a bit excessive, don’t you think?” Lord Cornelius asked, raising his eyebrows. “It is always better to be safe than sorry,” Flavius replied on their behalf. He then turned to look at Ezra. “Were you able to find any clues which might point us in the direction of the necromancers?” Ezra shook his head. “Nothing. The Night Walker was the one leading the undead horde.” Lord Sebastian ask
Once the other Gunners left, Lord Sebastian headed out with Abigor to inspect Aranor’s defense and check on the town guards. With the election coming up shortly, he wanted to spend more time with the common people and understand their hardships and grievances to serve them better in the future. Since the news of Zepheroth’s awakening had already spread like wildfire, the townsfolk were already beginning to doubt the Goddess, and many were even suggesting that they should leave Aranor and find safety behind the walls of the capital. The town guards had also started panicking because they were only used to fighting bandits and wild animals. However, none of them imagined they would be asked to defend this little town against the undead. Being a commoner belonging to the lower rungs of society, Abigor had been able to interact freely with the townsfolk and learn more about their opinions and this helped Lord Sebastian understand whether he was walking on the right path. If the electio
Ezra knew a blueprint that had been hidden for so many years would help him get his hands on a powerful new weapon. But for that, he needed to acquire two more components. “Where do I find these?” Ezra questioned Marlin, hoping the Gunsmith would have a better idea about gun components. But Marlin was as perplexed as him. “Like I said before; this blueprint isn’t for a conventional gun. I do not think just any component would fit with this weapon. You might need to acquire very specific parts designed especially for this particular blueprint.” “That’s not very helpful at all,” Ezra replied with a disappointed look on his face. He was so close to acquiring a powerful new weapon, yet its two parts were still not in his possession, and he had no idea where to look for them. Marlin peered at the blueprint for a good while and suddenly a thought occurred to him. “Where is the component you retrieved from that shrine? Show it to me.” Ezra retrieved the customized steel nozzle from his i
The dim light of the crescent moon filtered through the cloud cover and illuminated the town with a dim glow. Ishani’s shrine lay secluded in partial darkness, with its tinted glass windows glimmering as the moonlight washed its façade at uncertain intervals. The guards stationed outside the shrine had been hand-picked by Lord Sebastian himself, and were actively patrolling the area to keep trespassers at bay. They weren’t like those piggish sentries who gobbled gluttonous meals after dark and fell asleep as soon as the clock struck one. Ezra knew he had to be careful, or else he risked creating a bigger mess than he had ever been in. Attempting to sneak into the shrine would raise several questions about his intentions, and if Lord Wilhelm and the others found out, they would not miss the chance to drag his family name through the dirt and fling accusations at all the Romanovs. “It feels like you are stealing from your own house,” Marlin whispered as Ezra slunk behind a tamarind
With his eyes fixed on the priests chanting in front of the altar, Ezra began the countdown. “One…two…three!”On the precise count of three, Ezra flicked his arms in opposite directions, pointing his palms toward the two candelabra closest to him.Whooshing through the air, two powerful bursts of magic energy struck the candelabra, instantly blowing out all the candles. Before the astonished priests could turn around, Ezra realigned his arms and unleashed two more magic burst attacks, extinguishing the two remaining candelabra as well.With all the candles blown out, the inner sanctum descended into darkness, allowing Ezra to easily sneak past the priests and make his way to the other side of the room.Once he had reached Ishani’s idol, he asked for her forgiveness before walking up to her altar. The riddle had mentioned the ‘mother’s lap’, and Ezra knew it hinted toward the altar since all newborns would be placed on the altar to obtain the Goddess’ blessings.“What was that?”“The w
The priests returned to their positions once all the candles had been lit, and they immediately resumed their prayer. None of them had any idea that Ezra was right there in the room with them, but one wrong move could give him away. As the priests closed their eyes and folded their hands to ask the Goddess for forgiveness, a heavy voice echoed within the walls of the inner sanctum. “I see your sad plight, and it breaks my heart, children. But fear not, for light shall always drive out the shadows and cleanse the land of all evil!” Startled by the unexpected voice, the priests opened their eyes and stared at the idol of the Goddess. “Who…who are you?” one of the older priests finally asked, gathering his courage. “I am Aranya, the God of Creation!” the voice replied. “As Ishani’s elder brother, it is my duty to protect her and guide her followers when they stray from her path. But I am afraid her light is dwindling from your world.” Ezra quickly unleashed two controlled bursts of
Headstrong and determined, Ezra set off to look for the last missing component without paying any heed to Marlin’s repeated warnings. As the night darkened, the clouds gradually drifted away, letting the moon bathe the streets in its dim glow. Most of the patrolling guards had retired to the barracks by now, and the few who were still on active duty were starting to yawn. Since Aranor had not come under any direct attack and the undead hadn’t been spotted on the nearby roads, the guards had become complacent. The prophecy meant little to them, and many even thought it was another lie to keep the people faithful to Ishani. Ezra stuck to the shadows, carefully avoiding the street lamps and bright windows as he traversed the dimly lit streets with the wind still howling outside. As Ezra finally reached the old part of town, the last of the patrolling guards disappeared in the distance. Most of them preferred not to go near the merfolk, and the only ones posted to watch over this gate