The Way Off

-----E-----

I managed to drag Elishia's body back inside, only that one singular shot was fired, no more came at me. Whoever shot their weapon was obviously intended to just kill her.

There was blood coming from both sides of her head, and her eyes were still open.

Where the hell was Vincent? I didn't notice him around.

I heard running footsteps coming my way, and I looked up to see who they were. It was Franek and some of the other hunters, including Nia and Reve. Letya, Ivy and Braxton were not here.

„Ethan! What are you doing up. . ." Franek suddenly stopped talking when he noticed the body. He drew out his sword. „What the hell did you do?!"

„It wasn't me! It was a sniper! I only have my shield and sword!"

„Shut up! Guards!"

„Huh?"

I heard more footsteps coming.

„Wait a minute! He wouldn't do anything like this! Why would he . ."

„You as well!" Franek cut Nia off. The mansion's guards arrived. „Handcuff those three and put them behind bars!"

���What, why us as well?" Reve and Nia said.

„You two are his friends, right?"

Ah crap, this is not going to end well. Should I just allow them to arrest us? Or should I flee?

I don't know the laws around here and all the punishment that I could get. It does awfully look suspicious for me to be on the balcony with her at the right moment when a sniper was looking at the mansion.

Vincent wasn't around, he must have tricked me again. And when he is suspected to have been collaborating with the assassin, then I would likely be in an even worse position than I am in now.

Dammit, I can't take the chance of getting captured by them, and it is kinda my fault for Elishia to be outside.

I hope Nia and Reve would help me, and not get cuffed.

„Program! Sky Barrier!" I called out and shot a wave of the shield energy, blocking the guards that were running at us, I also just in case blocked the other hunters there.

Then I quickly followed it up with the Light Energy program, blinding Franek when he was about to swing at me.

„Run!"

Nia quickly ran after me to the balcony, but Reve took a second, then followed.

„After them!" Franek yelled.

-----V-----

Amara and I changed houses and we took our seats next to a table. It was the same room as the last time, with no decorations around me at all. Amara took off her helmet, she had a smile on her face.

„Now, are you going to tell me how I can get off this planet?" I asked.

„Of course, you did help me after all."

„I only helped you to go back to space."

Amara put her legs on the table and crossed her arms.

„This is what I know, you need to go in a vault so your artifact weapon would show a hidden program, and once you activate it you would need to follow the instructions there."

„Huh?"

„This hidden program shows you the location of a gemstone on this planet, and once you gathered all five gems from all the other planets you can insert them to your artifact to go back the place you first got your artifact."

„I'm sorry, but the other planets?"

„Yeah, so you didn't know that there are humans and those lizards also on the other planets? Just like this place, there are artifacts and vaults scattered on them."

„How come I haven't seen a space ship around here, and also why have no one talked about space?"

Amara put her feet down and leaned over the table with her hands grasped.

„Because only those who were transported here with their weapons know, but I have heard of some people here that knows about the other planets."

„And why only those who were transported?"

„The weapon of those transported can only reveal the hidden program in their artifact."

„If you know about all of this, then why haven't you yet left?"

„Because I made a mistake. When I first arrived at the star system, I followed a signal on the desert planet, Aganos. And there I received the sniper, it gave me immense pain once I activated a program, I was sent somewhere else. It was also a desert planet, but with people around."

Ethan and I were on a continental planet with forest and vegetation, and once we were transported we arrived at a similar planet. She was on a desert planet, then was transported in a similar place.

I found out that the name of the star is Tessera at the old astronomer lab, and also that the planets where similar when first arriving at the star. We are either at the same star system or it is the Nanos that gave us the language to make us think that the locals are saying Tessera.

„Then what did you do after you arrived?" I asked.

„I traveled to city to city, trying to figure out a way off. Then I started hunting down artifacts with the local hunters. Then when I finished going through a vault, I saw that a new program appeared. I checked it out and it showed me the way to an orange gem. When I found it I didn't really know what to do with it, so I tried to see if the nanomachines would do something to it, and they did."

„What happened next?"

„The gem was eaten, and my screen turned from orange to white. Nothing else."

„The screen changed color? Why would it do that?"

„I didn't understand it at the time, and when the gem didn't do anything else for me, I started hunting artifacts again. Then I got a lead on a vault from a dungeon, and when I found the vault and completed it, there was a teleporter that made me arrive at this planet."

„Teleporter? Is that how people travel between planets?"

„Yes, or you could also get something else instead of a teleporter to get between planets."

„I think I get it now. When someone is first transported with their artifact, they need to find a gem and let the Nanos eat them. Then travel to the next and continue until you find all the gems."

„Exactly, but there is one other thing that I didn't know."

„And that is?"

„The gems need to be inserted into the artifact in order. I didn't know that, so when I found the blue gem on this planet, it was only made into rubble when I tried feeding it to my artifact."

„But can't you get a new one?"

„No, I found out there is only one gem each for your artifact on the planets. I talked to a person that also was transported like us, he told me that the gems needed to be fed in order of the screen's color."

„Huh?"

„The desert planet had an orange gem, and my screen at the time was orange, so there was no problem there, but when I had a white screen and tried to feed the blue gem, it was destroyed."

„So you are now stuck here, forever?"

„Basically, but. ."

There is that word she is holding for a long time.

„But what?"

„Two people can be transported back to where they first got hold of the artifact, so I can finally escape from here! All we need to do is find the stones and activate the transport program, and when I am next to you I can come with you."

I glanced down at my blaster, and thought for a second.

„I think there is a bit of a problem."

„I was just smiling with joy, are you going to ruin it?"

„Yeah, sorry, but I didn't arrive here with this artifact."

She glared at me.

„Then how did you get here?"

„I was with a second person, and he was the one who connected with the artifact and made us appear here."

Silence. Then I started to hear her giggle.

„Of course. . my luck is already drained. Maybe some of the people I have killed came back to make my day even worse. Of course, you don't have the weapon that brought you here, of course!"

She laughed out loud, her laugh was always creepy.

„So, who is it?" She asked.

„I'm not so sure if I should tell you that, after everything you told me."

She stood up from her chair and grabbed her helmet and rifle.

„Fine, keep your secrets about your friend."

„He isn't my friend."

„He is not? Then who is he to you?"

„Nothing, he is nothing to me."

„Is he a bad person? A good person?"

„If you are trying to get him to help you to fly off this star system, then don't waste your time, he would likely not help out someone like you."

She came closer behind me and whispered in my ear.

„My darlin', I am just going to follow you around in the shadows, because he is the only ticket out." She started walking away. „Oh, and one more thing. Don't even try to shoot me in the back, you'll regret it."

She was gone.

Shit. I was going to abandon Ethan, but now things got a lot more complicated. I need to go back and find him. He is likely in some trouble right now.

Amara likely knows that Ethan has a shield, he was besides Elishia when she took the shot after all.

If I remember correctly, Ethan's shield had a white screen. So I need a white gem.

Amara said she got an orange gem on Aganos, the desert planet, then she got a blue one on this planet, I think the planet that I am on is known as Kentrikos or Kentri. So orange for desert, blue for this continental planet. Then there is the jungle planet, Dasos, maybe there is a green one there, and on the snow planet, Edafos, maybe that is where the white one is.

But Amara said five gems, there are only four planets. Crap, I should have asked for more info before she left.

I left the building and made my way to the mansion.

-----E-----

After we managed to leave the mansion with guards on our tails, we went through many alleys to try and flee from them. It was tiring, but we finally found an unlocked door that lead to an empty house. We stayed silent for a few minutes, then Nia spoke up.

„So, what happened?"

„Someone from a distance shot Elishia in the head. That is all I know."

„Eh. . . if you didn't do anything, then why did we run?"

„Because we would look suspicious," Reve answered. „You were on the balcony with her, so obviously Franek would suspect us helping the person behind the kill."

„Sorry for getting you two in trouble," I said.

„Heh, we should be fine, we didn't really do anything."

„Actually, I think Vincent had something to do with that assassin."

„What. . ."

They stared at me, blankly.

„And why would he do that?"

„He likely had a different quest than he said before. He didn't want to tell us that he needed to kill her, that bastard."

„That is just great, my blacksmithing business might forever be in ruins in this country."

„Couldn't you just try and say that you are innocent? You were dragged into this after all."

„No, it was the right choice to run. Franek wouldn't believe what you would say, after going through his family's mansion without notice, and taking Elishia out to the balcony right when there is someone watching. It all would seem like you helped the assassin."

„Okay, I would not end in a good place, but what about you two?"

„We are working together, so they would also assume us for this as well. We all would likely be brought to execution without any proof."

Damn, the law here is not that great. It is a death from a noble family, so of course, we would end up dead. We should leave for a different country asap, and not bring Vincent along.

„So what do we do now?" Nia asked.

„We should leave for a different country, how about Simul?" I said.

„Before we do that, I want to go back to Dunwich to grab a few things."

„Are you sure? Won't we get caught?"

„It's fine, the army here are slow, it would take time before the people in Dunwich would know about us."

„Alright, if you say so. But I want to ask you two this, why are you guys okay with going to a different land?"

„I have nothing here, I have stolen quite a lot. And it would be great to not have Wilmer around," Nia answered.

„I was thinking about going to open a shop at Simul after a month or two, so it doesn't really bother me."

„Why do you want to change places?" I asked.

„Simul is more friendly to artifact hunters. And I also wanted to be more friendly to the dynami, I'm not talking about being friends to the Dynami Empire, just the other more kindly lizards."

„What about your apprentice, wasn't he at your shop, keeping things busy?"

„That is why I wanted to go there first, I want to ask him if he wants to come with me to open a new place at Simul someday."

„Sure, okay. Then shall we leave?"

„What about Vincent?" Nia asked.

„I was thinking about leaving him, I think it's better that way. And also, do you remember that he might have a quest from Wilmer to capture you?"

„Oh, right. Yeah we should leave him."

I don't really know that I am making the right choice, maybe he really doesn't have anything to do with that assassination and I am just jumping onto conclusions.

Actually, even though he didn't do anything, I think it's better to just leave him. He did betray me before and tried to kill me.

„Let's go, back to Dunwich!"