10 Narrowly Evading Calamity

After that the conversation turned to menial topics and only lasted a short while until Kran took his leave and was led by a rather comely maid to the best room on the premises. Ichabod sighed a sigh of ample relief when the door finally bolted shut. Just for good measure, he waited the span of one hundred breaths before he sprang to his feet and lunged towards the hunter.

"What in the name of the Abyss is happening Gayle?!" He demanded as he grabbed the hunter's collar. "An expert of the Church! A powerful one! What did you do?!"

"Calm yourself, old friend." Gayle pushed Ichabod away gently and offered him his flask as they made their way to the seating. Ichabod took a large sip of the heavy liqueur and allowed its harshness to wash through him. "Don't panic Ichabod, but I may have very well saved your life earlier."

"What in the blazes do you mean?!"

"You're an excellent liar. One of the best. But if I hadn't barred that Kran fellow from reading your thoughts, then your death would be as certain as the Sun rising from the East come morn." Nonchalantly explained Gayle as he crossed his boots over Ichabod's desk. "Don't worry, I masked my intervention in a way that it would look like an artefact's effect and not the work of one versed in the spiritual arts. The man didn't suspect a thing."

"Are we in danger?" Ichabod slumped down on his own chair and allowed his hands to fall on his voluminous stomach. He was filled with worry and regret. Regret that he'd asked Gayle to pursue Naliam and his men, having possibly caused the greatest calamity of his life.

"Not at the moment, no. But don't be fooled; had it been Kran's master conducting the interrogation there is no way I could have barred him from your mind."

"You know Kran from before?"

"Not him, but I'm familiar with his master's signature, and the ring he gave me has it." He pulled out the ring and unceremoniously tossed it to Ichabod, allowing it fall on the desk. "Believe me when I say you don't want to know who that person is."

The ring, which had originally filled Ichabod with a sense of greed, instantly turned into an object that he viewed as cankerous. A blight in his eyes that he couldn't help get rid of. Yet he dared not touch it. Instead, he chose to change the topic.

"What's an enkar?" He asked.

"An exceedingly rare kind of beast. And even more dangerous." Said Gayle after taking another sip from his flask. "You're interested in their value, however. Let me tell you exactly how valuable they are, then. That arm I just sold could easily fetch me the money needed to purchase ten of these rings if sold to the right buyer."

"Then why did you…?"

"Why didn't I sell it for more? Because that Kran fellow would have followed me when I left Groamburk and tried to kill me as soon as he saw the opportunity. That arm can bolster his power to another level if he takes it to a skilled alchemist to process into a potion. Tell me, have you ever heard of a martial artist who wouldn't kill for a chance to raise their strength?"

"But you would have killed him if he tried!"

"Yes. And then his master would come." Deduced Gayle. "The trouble that would cause me would far outweigh the benefits."

"Very true." Nodded Ichabod after a short while. "And you can always just go and grab another one."

"Ichabod, mark my words very carefully, no one must ever know of that cave in the mountain. I lied to Kran and you know it. There wasn't just one enkar, there were at least two dozen in there. A full pack. Enkar only ever form a pack around natural sources of incredible Qi and magic in order to absorb it. That's why their bodies are so useful to martial practitioners. Let me ask you a simple question: what do you think would happen to this small city if it became known that a cave full of untouched enkar corpses lies not fifteen miles from here?"

Ichabod's face turned a shade of green. Gayle was right, if it truly was such a coveted being, then knowledge of the cave's location would only spell the complete destruction of Groamburk and its inhabitants. And if a legendary Heaven realm martial artist deemed it necessary to appear, then Ichabod could scarcely imagine what the consequences would be. Maybe the entire mountain range would disappear!

"May the Divines take us in innocence…" Was all he was able to say before a harrowing thought crossed his mind. "But Gayle! What if that Kran finds it!"

"He won't. I hid the entrance as soon as I came out. The formation I used isn't something someone of his skill could ever see through. Furthermore, it would be too difficult for him to find it even if I hadn't concealed it. And it's too dangerous for him to publicise he has that arm. You can rest assured that he won't mention the enkar's existence, even to his master."

"We are safe, then."

"As long as no one ever finds out about the cave, then yes. For that, I hope you can keep yourselves quiet." Gayle pointed his finger at Ichabod, but it was clear he was also referring to Lara and Loren. "But right now, the cave is the least of our worries."

"Pray tell, what do you mean?" The calmed Ichabod became restless once more.

"I was meaning to tell you what happened in detail, but Kran's appearance has changed everything. I cannot afford to remain here for long. I must leave and establish false tracks for Kran to follow before it is too late. After that, I must disappear from this Kingdom, never to return."

Ichabod couldn't believe how steadfast the hunter was talking. The implications of what he was saying crashed against Ichabod's consciousness as the myriad of possibilities panned out in his mind; each more daunting than the last.

"Stop speaking in circles and be out with it!"

"Calm yourself, Ichabod."

"When have those words, in the history of humanity, ever calmed someone down?!" He angrily rebuked.

"For the sake of our relationship, old friend, trust this ancient hunter." Gayle gently placed his flask on the desk, lowered his legs, clasped his hands as if he was praying, and his expression softened in a way Ichabod had never seen before. "I've lived a tragically long life, Ichabod, much longer than you could possibly imagine. The only reason I'm still alive is because I value caution as the highest of virtues."

"I know this well."

"Then you know I wouldn't do anything without carefully considering every possible outcome."

"Very well." Ichabod sighed and resigned himself to trust his old friend. "Pray tell, what is it that transpired at Yrsogam?"

"It is best if you follow me." Responded the hunter as he stood and faced one of the bookcases against the wall.

The innkeeper knew that Gayle wanted him to activate the mechanism which would make it silently open like a door and reveal the hidden passage in the wall. Grunting in apparent dissatisfaction, he did so. Both men made their way down the corridor and hidden steps therein and headed towards the servant's quarters. At that time of the evening it was supposed to be empty as everyone should have been working hard to keep the clientele of the establishment pleased and ensure their continued success. However, Ichabod was surprised to see a woman holding a large package as soon as they arrived in the simple chamber.

He was about to ask what Gayle intended with bringing him here when he noticed that the woman wasn't someone under his employ. But she wasn't unfamiliar to him, either. It was the minstrel that had been performing in his inn the night Naliam had arrived. Noticing the arrival of the two men, the minstrel stood up and bowed politely towards them. Ichabod could tell that her gaze was filled with admiration towards the hunter. But the package she was gently carrying in her arms was what truly caught Ichabod's eye.

It wasn't a package at all. Resting in her bosom was a new-born babe gently wrapped in several fabrics. It didn't look to be over a month old. Quickly, Ichabod's mind put two and two together and his knees faltered as he found himself almost stumbling to the ground. It was only the hunter's lightning fast reflexes that caught him and held him up.

He was about to scream out in outrage when Gayle strongly held his hand across his mouth and gently shook his head. Using his free hand to wave around in strange motions, a series of bluish green lights emitted from the tip of his fingers and covered all four of them. It was a concealment formation, one that would hide them from any prying eyes and ears. Only when the lights disappeared did Gayle release Ichabod from his grasp.

"Give me one reason…! Only one reason why I shouldn't have my men surround you right now!" He indignantly exclaimed.

"Because the only being in a ten thousand-mile radius that is more dangerous than the envoy upstairs is standing right before you." The look in Gayle's eyes told Ichabod that the hunter was not bluffing. "Listen to what I have to say before you make a decision."

"Very well, then." Ichabod sighed. It wasn't like he had any choice in the matter. Whatever the outcome of the conversation, he felt like he had aged ten years since the Church's agents had first arrived. "I recognise this girl. I thought you said she was dead."

"I lied." Explained Gayle as he moved to stand in front of her, shielding her. "Ichabod, you were right to send me to Yrsogam. But you were completely wrong as to the true nature of events that were going on there. In fact, I suspect not even the Church truly knew what was going on, otherwise they would have sent a whole contingent of Heaven realm martial artists to deal with it, and not just a band of renegades."

"Divines save us…"

"You don't know how right you are." Gayle crossed his arms over his chest and struggled to choose his next words. "I don't know how, but something came to Yrsogam. An ancient formation of secret energies of almost unimaginable power brought something incredible from the Abyss. Even I was not able to completely see through it when it finally landed in my hands. That's not the problem, though.

"The problem is that if anyone ever finds out about it, be they from an Empire or the upper echelons of the Church, they will do whatever they can to stick their hands into this matter and claim it for themselves."

"What in the name of the Abyss happened, Gayle?" Ichabod paled. Not at Gayle's tale, but at the sombre expression that had plagued his eyes; a frightened look that had never adorned his face before. It truly meant that the hunter had come across unspeakable evil.

"A summoning of sorts. I'm not sure. But I wasn't able to put a stop to it even when we arrived at Yrsogam…"

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