Chapter 71 – Brand Identity

  “Just like that?” asked Cole. “You just said the other path was really, really good!”

  “Fuck what I said. Take the bouncy bullets path.”

  Roxy chuckled. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Howie serious, Cole. Might want to listen.”

  Cole pried Howie’s hands off his shoulders, and the kid seemed to realize for the first time that he’d grabbed them to begin with. “I didn’t think it was possible either,” Cole said, tossing Roxy a half-smile before turning back to Howie. “I had been leaning towards the alpha, since, like you said, it’s a great teamwork boost. Even though the bounce is just one other target until I level up more, I’m worried about the bullets trying to bounce through teammates. Always know your target and what lies beyond, right? Having shots ricocheting makes it that much more to keep track of.”

  “I don’t think your subconscious would allow that,” said Howie, shaking his head. “Part of your class active is IFF, right? That’s part of your Valkyrie class affix, I think. It’s your subconscious dictating those labels by their connection to you through the Lewis Field and I don’t think it would ever let a bounce harm someone you saw as friendly. To the point, though, chaining abilities are almost always busted. The way we’re evolving, we’re setting out to be a one-squad army. You might only have one bounce now but think about when you’re level thirty shooting one guy in a doorway and flatlining his entire squad. Plus, on-damage affixes apply to chains, so the more you stack up on one gun with your secondary class, the more they’ll pop on groups of enemies. It’s the perfect synergy with your subclass.” He raised a finger. “But most importantly, it takes you away from a path of pure kinetic enhancement and puts you on one of kinetic redirection.”

  “That’s important?” asked Cole.

  “It could open up a lot of really interesting future evolutions,” said Howie.

  Cole chewed his lip. “I’m glad you’ve thought about this a lot,” he said.

  Howie shrugged. “When I was taken, my mentor was a mage obsessed with class evolution theory. He was a dick, but he was the only one in that otherworld that made any goddamn sense to a min-maxing Dungeons and Dragons kid.”

  “Sounds like you were right at home,” Cole teased.

  Howie looked away. “Heh. You know, before that I actually fantasized about getting spirited away to a fantasy world to learn magic? Be careful what you wish for, I guess.”

  “At least you had a mentor,” Cole said. “All I had were heart-eating demons.”

  Nona stood up suddenly. “I’ve got all my charges back. I’m going to take a look around.”

  She glanced at Cole for confirmation. Progress. He nodded. “Be safe.”

  She walked toward the door, disappearing mid-stride, which caused Nutmeg to growl and whine. Howie stared at the spot where she just was for a moment before shaking his head. “Didn’t even open the door. She’s just gone. Wild.”

  “Supposedly anyone with what she called Soul Sight can see the shard of her soul that swaps with her physical form. But it sounds like that’s high-level mages and deific energy classes.”

  “I feel like such a bitch,” said Roxy. “I was so rude to her, talked behind her back. I had no idea she was leaving part of her soul off-world by being on Earth.”

  “Not really something you think about taking into account,” said Cole, waving it off. “You know now.”

  It took Nona about fifteen minutes to return, by which point the artificial sun was almost completely occluded. It didn’t move in the sky, just looked as though an eclipse was sliding over it, offering some reprieve from the scalding heat. And apparently, the next floor would be even worse.

  “No sign of Beast Cult,” she reported. “But Moriarty and his team were spotted at another hold north of here. Locals are getting wary of Kickers in the tower. Fastest path out of the city is southeast. But I heard locals talking about how we broke the peace. The local lord isn’t happy about it. But he won’t risk drawing Dallemonte’s gaze by using deific skills to divine our location.”

  Cole scoffed. “If you ask me, this city is better off without that creep.”

  “I agree,” said Nona. “But there’s a heavy tax on gambling, spirits, and flesh trade. And the lord was using those ethereal marks to power-level himself and his retainers. We bit into the city’s collection, and therefore, directly into his growth.”

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  Cole rubbed his face. “Damn. Not exactly going to welcome us back with open arms if we get into trouble outside the walls, are we?”

  “We’ll be lucky to not have bounties on our heads. I also got these,” said Nona, pulling out a handful of glass vials. “Heat resistance potions. Two for each of us.”

  And seeing as Cole still had the pack with all the local marks, he could imagine how Nona had requisitioned such treasures. “Good work,” he said, taking one. “Are they safe?”

  Nona wiggled her hand. “Depends on the alchemist.”

  Good enough.

  Cole popped the tiny stopper out of his vial and downed the contents about two seconds before remembering he had the team member with high resilience and a healing ability that should have tested it first. It burned like a shot of Fireball Whiskey on steroids, and in a moment the sensation spread throughout his entire body.

  “Gah!” he said, shaking his head. “Oh, that’s awful. Drink up everyone.”

  The rest of them took a potion each, including one for Nutmeg, which she coughed and sneezed at after Besson poured it into her mouth and clamped her jaws shut so she couldn’t spit it out.

  “How is a potion that makes me feel hotter supposed to keep me cool?” asked Howie.

  “It’s a tempering potion,” said Nona. “It will be unpleasant, but you won’t be harmed.”

  Cole turned to Jaral, fishing another pair of marks out of his admin pouch. “Thanks for your discretion and hospitality.”

  Jaral smiled and took the marks. “Please leave now, sirs,” he said.

  Cole spun his hand in the air, and everyone moved to grab packs and heat cloaks. He thought it would be absolutely miserable to have the cloth draped over him, but a moment later, realized he wasn’t even sweating despite feeling like he’d had chilis rubbed on his skin. He shook his head. Potions. Maybe he should look at getting an alchemist class for the team. Properly shrouded with their weapons out of sight, Cole led them out of the building and back down to the street.

  “Southeast?” asked Cole.

  Nona nodded. “There’s a small gate, One-way—anyone coming back comes through the north gate. Only two guards checking debt brands.”

  Outside, it still wasn’t full dark, as the occlusion of the sun wasn’t absolute. A ring of eclipse shone around the artificial sun, casting the town into a deep twilight. Cole and the others proceeded, not receiving anything more than a passing glance from most of the passers-by. Cole was still paranoid, worried with each extended glance that someone would bring the local authority down on their heads.

  “If we get separated,” he said, “Rendezvous two klicks east of here, most prominent landmark in the area. Should keep us in radio range.”

  But the paranoia seemed to be unfounded, as fifteen minutes later, they reached the small exit gate, built like an amusement park one-way turnstile to allow climbers out, but deny them entry back in—except the Six Flags exit didn’t have wicked metal blades on the stay the fuck out side. This city did. Large groups attracted monsters, and a bunch of people crammed into a walled town meant regular attacks that could come from any angle.

  The bored guards didn’t even have weapons to hand as they processed the short queue. They must have been challengers themselves, but for whatever reason had stopped here instead of conquering the next set of floors. Each person that filed up to them was forced to expose the underside of their wrist, and some were pulled aside and made to wait.

  “What’s the deal with the ones on the bench?” asked Howie.

  “Indebted. Trying to leave the hold while you still owe is an offense,” said Nona.

  “Well, none of us have brands,” said Cole.

  Finally, their turn in the queue arrived. Roxy, Nona, and Besson all cleared and then filed out the turnstile. The first guard took Cole’s arm and slid his sleeve back to expose his wrist.

  “Clear,” he started, then stopped. He flipped Cole’s wrist over and looked at his watch. “What’s this?”

  “Time-keeper,” said Cole. He huffed. “For all the good it’s done here, eh?”

  The guard laughed. “Aye. Looks quality, though. Don’t suppose you’d consider trading it?”

  Cole shook his head. “I don’t plan to be in this realm forever,” he said. “I want to get home.”

  The second guard’s eyes turned down at that. “That’s a feeling I know well. He Branded?”

  “Nay,” said the first.

  “Go on, then.”

  Cole touched the brim of his cloak and went towards the gate but stopped.

  “Oy, what’s this, then?”

  He turned back. The guard had Howie’s sleeve up, where a tattoo of a stylized serpent coiled around his forearm.

  “It’s just a tattoo,” said Howie. “I’ve got a couple others"

  Cole took a step toward them. “He’s with me. We just got here yesterday.”

  “Don’t look like a brand to me,” said the first guard. “Gods, looks like a living creature wrapped ‘round his arm. Never seen a mark with such life.”

  “That’s as may be,” said the other guard. “But orders are orders. He has to be checked. He looked up at Cole. “I have to keep him here. You can stay with him, or you can go. Your choice.”

  Cole looked back over the queue. Some people were stirring, looking over one another to see what was going on. “The rest of our group is already outside. Can’t we come to some sort of understanding?” he said, reaching under his cloak and pulling out a set of four marks.

  The first guard licked his lips at them, but the second remained resolute. “The debt-auditor will be here soon enough.” He narrowed his eyes. “You got some pressing need to be out of the hold, do you?” he asked.

  “I don’t want to lose the rest of my team,” said Cole, sliding the marks back in his pouch and settling his hand on the grip of his sidearm.

  The guard noticed the shift in Cole’s posture and put a hand on his own weapon. “They’ll keep. Don’t turn this ugly, son. Just wait like a good lad. I’m in a forgivin’ mood, but don’t press.” He flicked his eyes up to the top of the wall, where a pair of climbers patrolled with muskets, and they’d already noticed the commotion.

  Cole followed his gaze, then met Howie’s eyes and relaxed. He smiled at the guards. “No problem.”

  The guard gestured again to the bench, and Cole took Howie to sit and wait.

  “Cole? What happened? Where are you?” asked Roxy.

  Cole keyed his mic, turning to Howie so it would look like they were chatting. “Got waylaid. Be ready to cover us. This might get loud.”