The dead quiet that settled over the promenade felt like the breath before a hit. Dozens of glowing, blue-violet eyes stayed glued to Silarias and Nyx. The stall vendors, the guys locked into ancient armor, the floating entities hovering over the balconies,every single one of them stopped cold. Realizing these two had never heard the word
Gemcraft
hit the crowd like a shockwave.
Then the place blew up.
In under a second, the street turned into a roaring wall of noise. People thrust glowing crystals into the air, leaving hot, multicolored streaks behind like they were holding up sacred relics.
“Never heard of Gemcraft?!” a huge, four-armed vendor roared, his voice shaking the upper platforms. He shoved his way through, chest dripping sweat. “Your Highness! Take this one! Cut straight from the deepest cobalt veins in the abyss! A stone that holds your royal aura forever!”
“Get out of the way, you fat pirate!” a skinny, birdlike beasthuman covered in black feathers shrieked. He swooped over the crowd, talons outstretched around a bright, green-glowing crystal. “Take mine, Mr. Nobody! This doesn't just catch your face, it floats on your own soul-force! Look at this glow!”
“HE’S LYING! HE WANTS TO STEAL YOUR SOULS!” someone screamed from the dark side-alleys.
The promenade spiraled into pure frenzy. Hands, claws, and tentacles shoved forward. The blinding flashes of gold, teal, and ruby gems turned the alley into a mess of light beams, flying sparks, and rough shoving. Unwanted gifts rained down around Silarias and Nyx.
Silarias balled his fists, set his jaw, and moved in front of Nyx. The amber glow in his eyes flared, ready to blow if the crowd pushed one inch further.
TAP.
It wasn't loud, just the tip of a wooden cane hitting the stone. But the vibration hit the street like a physical blast. A ring of gold Ether-energy shot across the ground, cutting right under the crowd's feet.
The noise died instantly.
The shouting vendor froze with his arms pinned in the air. The bird guy dropped mid-air like a rock, catching himself at the last second and stumbling back. The bright neon glow from the gems snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
An absolute, cold dread ran through the plaza. The crowd backed off fast, like the floor just turned to fire.
“Oh man… the Ethercorps…” someone muttered from the shadow of a stall.
“It’s actually him… back up! Clear out!” another whispered.
The crowd split down the middle, opening a wide, clean lane down the stone street.
Through the gap walked a man moving with total, quiet authority. His outfit was a weird mix of old and new. He wore a long, deep red velvet coat lined with moving gold embroidery. But under that heavy coat sat raw machinery: brass gears, thin glass pipes holding glowing liquid ether, and hydraulic joints built right into his shoulders and wrists.
He looked like an old-world painting packed with high-tech kill gear. A sharp top hat threw a heavy shadow over his face, hiding his eyes. In his right hand, he held a dark wooden staff with thin gold rings spinning around the wood in a silent loop.
He stopped a few paces away, checking out Silarias’ fight stance and Nyx’s cold face with an amused look.
With a smooth motion, he tipped his hat and dropped into a bow so low the edge of his coat scraped the floor.
“Sila… Mr. Nobody…” his voice was low, deep, and heavy enough to silence the rest of the street. He placed a gloved hand on his chest. “Leonardo von Etherhart, at your service. The King sent me to clear your path.”
Silarias loosened his fists a bit, but his eyes stayed wide. The total control this guy had over the mob, combined with the quiet ticking of the gears on his shoulders, left him completely speechless.
“Silarias…” he got out, puffing his chest, “…and Nyx Landlo—”
STOMP.
The heel of Nyx’s heavy boot came down hard right on the top of Silarias’ foot.
Silarias’ eyes nearly popped out of his head. Pain shot right up his leg, but he bit his lip so hard his whole jaw shook. Trying not to break form while shifting his weight off his wrecked foot, he forced out the rest: “…Landlovers of the Ward… yeah… crazy stuff.”
Leonardo looked down at Silarias’ strained face, then at Nyx’s heel still planted on his boot, a small grin tugging at his mouth.
“Looks like our Nobody’s brain took a hit from all the noise,” Leonardo said smoothly, throwing his coat back as he let out a short laugh.
Nyx gave a cold, polite smile, lifted her chin, and gave Silarias a shove forward. Silarias limped the first couple steps before catching his balance, trailing behind Leonardo as he led them toward the open side of the market.
The view was wild. Dozens of stone bridges floated through the sky, lit up by blue and gold neon signs. But as Silarias stared up at a floating dining spot passing overhead, a cold thought hit him, wiping away the food, the sights, and the weird gear.
He stopped dead on the stones.
“Hold on a second…” Silarias muttered. He looked at his empty hands, turned to Nyx, then looked out at the massive sea of people. “Where is everyone else?!”
Leonardo stopped. He turned on his heel, leaned both hands on his staff, and gave Silarias a look so dry it hurt. He raised one eyebrow.
“Wait…” Leonardo said, his voice completely flat. “You’re telling me you just realized they’ve been gone since the second you stepped into this market?”
Silarias’ pupils shrank to points. The panic didn't build; it slammed into his chest like a truck. Miki, Ren, the giant Uktar, the mentors… they lost them!
“WHAT?!” Silarias yelled.
ZAP!
The air cracked. Where Silarias was standing a microsecond ago, only a pop of empty air and a few sparks were left.
What followed was total, reckless speed. Across the entire market, bright gold trails cut through the dark. Silarias was flash-stepping at a ridiculous pace.
FLASH!
He popped up on a floating balcony thirty meters up, slamming through a table and sending soup flying. “MIKI?!”
FLASH!
He smashed past the window of a weapon shop, appearing on the roof across the street, looking around like crazy. “REN?!”
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
Three gold streaks cut right through a massive waterfall running between two buildings. His voice echoed raw over the thousands of people below: “UKTAAAAAAR?!”
Shoppers ducked, plates smashed on the ground, and neon signs flickered from the wind of his raw speed.
Down on the street, Leonardo didn't even flinch, just leaning on his staff. He tilted his head back, watching the gold lines trace a mess across the buildings. He looked over at Nyx, who was leaning against a stone post with her arms crossed.
“Is he… always like this?” Leonardo asked.
Nyx watched a flash of light knock a giant fish sign sideways with a loud crunch. She let out a tired breath and shook her head. “This is normal. You don't want to see him actually stressed.”
Right then, the air on the street turned heavy again. A thick, nasty pressure hit the stones.
Stepping out of a dark side-alley was a group that looked like bad news. On the left walked massive Hellspawn with glowing red horns and skin like cracked lava rock. Above them hovered ugly, bat-like beasthumans with leather wings and sharp teeth dripping venom.
But the guy in the middle made the whole street go dead silent.
He was huge, walking with a slow, arrogant strut, covered in way too much gold. Solid gold plates covered his chest and shoulders, and heavy gold chains hung around his thick neck, the massive gem-encrusted crosses clinking with every step.
His face was locked in a nasty sneer. The second his eyes hit Leonardo and the gold Ethercorps pin on his coat, his eyes narrowed, and a low growl came out of his throat.
Feeling the heavy magic coming off the crew, Nyx tightened up, keeping her eyes locked on the gold-covered guy.
FLASH!
The air tore open. Silarias slammed onto the stones with a heavy thud, stopping four inches from the gold leader’s nose. The wind from his sudden stop blew the guy’s heavy chains backward.
Silarias didn't even notice the gang. Hunched over with his hands on his knees, his chest moved fast as sweat hit the floor.
“I… man… I can’t… find them!” Silarias wheezed, his lungs burning.
He straightened up slowly, wiped his face on his sleeve, and found himself looking right into the ugly, pissed-off face of the gold guy, who was staring down at him with total disgust. Silarias blinked twice, looked back at Leonardo and Nyx, and took a step to the side.
At the exact same time, with the exact same annoyed tone, Silarias and Nyx called out together: “Who are these angry monkeys, anyway?!”
The words hit the street hard. The Hellspawn bared their teeth, and the leader squeezed his gold gauntlets until the metal groaned.
Leonardo threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Ha! Amazing! Trouble for later, my young friends, trouble for later!”
Before the gang could take a step, Leonardo lifted his staff and brought the tip down hard.
BAM.
The gold rings in the wood spun at top speed. A thick, golden fog poured out, covering the three of them in a second. The mist turned so thick the whole street went dark.
“Sfumato!” Leonardo called out, his voice hitting hard.
A blinding white flash hit from the middle of the fog. The ground dropped right out from under Silarias and Nyx.
“Hold on tight, kids! This is going to be a wild ride!” Leonardo laughed.
Silarias felt his stomach drop out. As the world turned into a fast blur of movement, he and Nyx shut their eyes tight, waiting to see where the magic was going to dump them.
The dead quiet that settled over the promenade felt like the breath before a hit. Dozens of glowing, blue-violet eyes stayed glued to Silarias and Nyx. The stall vendors, the guys locked into ancient armor, the floating entities hovering over the balconies—every single one of them stopped cold. Realizing these two had never heard the word
Gemcraft
hit the crowd like a shockwave.
Then the place blew up.
In under a second, the street turned into a roaring wall of noise. People thrust glowing crystals into the air, leaving hot, multicolored streaks behind like they were holding up sacred relics.
“Never heard of Gemcraft?!” a huge, four-armed vendor roared, his voice shaking the upper platforms. He shoved his way through, chest dripping sweat. “Your Highness! Take this one! Cut straight from the deepest cobalt veins in the abyss! A stone that holds your royal aura forever!”
“Get out of the way, you fat pirate!” a skinny, birdlike beasthuman covered in black feathers shrieked. He swooped over the crowd, talons outstretched around a bright, green-glowing crystal. “Take mine, Mr. Nobody! This doesn't just catch your face, it floats on your own soul-force! Look at this glow!”
“HE’S LYING! HE WANTS TO STEAL YOUR SOULS!” someone screamed from the dark side-alleys.
The promenade spiraled into pure frenzy. Hands, claws, and tentacles shoved forward. The blinding flashes of gold, teal, and ruby gems turned the alley into a mess of light beams, flying sparks, and rough shoving. Unwanted gifts rained down around Silarias and Nyx.
Silarias balled his fists, set his jaw, and moved in front of Nyx. The amber glow in his eyes flared, ready to blow if the crowd pushed one inch further.
TAP.
It wasn't loud, just the tip of a wooden cane hitting the stone. But the vibration hit the street like a physical blast. A ring of gold Ether-energy shot across the ground, cutting right under the crowd's feet.
The noise died instantly.
The shouting vendor froze with his arms pinned in the air. The bird guy dropped mid-air like a rock, catching himself at the last second and stumbling back. The bright neon glow from the gems snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
An absolute, cold dread ran through the plaza. The crowd backed off fast, like the floor just turned to fire.
“Oh man… the Ethercorps…” someone muttered from the shadow of a stall.
“It’s actually him… back up! Clear out!” another whispered.
The crowd split down the middle, opening a wide, clean lane down the stone street.
Through the gap walked a man moving with total, quiet authority. His outfit was a weird mix of old and new. He wore a long, deep red velvet coat lined with moving gold embroidery. But under that heavy coat sat raw machinery: brass gears, thin glass pipes holding glowing liquid ether, and hydraulic joints built right into his shoulders and wrists.
He looked like an old-world painting packed with high-tech kill gear. A sharp top hat threw a heavy shadow over his face, hiding his eyes. In his right hand, he held a dark wooden staff with thin gold rings spinning around the wood in a silent loop.
He stopped a few paces away, checking out Silarias’ fight stance and Nyx’s cold face with an amused look.
With a smooth motion, he tipped his hat and dropped into a bow so low the edge of his coat scraped the floor.
“Sila… Mr. Nobody…” his voice was low, deep, and heavy enough to silence the rest of the street. He placed a gloved hand on his chest. “Leonardo , at your service. The King sent me to clear your path.”
Silarias loosened his fists a bit, but his eyes stayed wide. The total control this guy had over the mob, combined with the quiet ticking of the gears on his shoulders, left him completely speechless.
“Silarias…” he got out, puffing his chest, “…and Nyx Landlo—”
STOMP.
The heel of Nyx’s heavy boot came down hard right on the top of Silarias’ foot.
Silarias’ eyes nearly popped out of his head. Pain shot right up his leg, but he bit his lip so hard his whole jaw shook. Trying not to break form while shifting his weight off his wrecked foot, he forced out the rest: “…Landlovers of the Ward… yeah… crazy stuff.”
Leonardo looked down at Silarias’ strained face, then at Nyx’s heel still planted on his boot, a small grin tugging at his mouth.
“Looks like our Nobody’s brain took a hit from all the noise,” Leonardo said smoothly, throwing his coat back as he let out a short laugh.
Nyx gave a cold, polite smile, lifted her chin, and gave Silarias a shove forward. Silarias limped the first couple steps before catching his balance, trailing behind Leonardo as he led them toward the open side of the market.
The view was wild. Dozens of stone bridges floated through the sky, lit up by blue and gold neon signs. But as Silarias stared up at a floating dining spot passing overhead, a cold thought hit him, wiping away the food, the sights, and the weird gear.
He stopped dead on the stones.
“Hold on a second…” Silarias muttered. He looked at his empty hands, turned to Nyx, then looked out at the massive sea of people. “Where is everyone else?!”
Leonardo stopped. He turned on his heel, leaned both hands on his staff, and gave Silarias a look so dry it hurt. He raised one eyebrow.
“Wait…” Leonardo said, his voice completely flat. “You’re telling me you just realized they’ve been gone since the second you stepped into this market?”
Silarias’ pupils shrank to points. The panic didn't build; it slammed into his chest like a truck. Miki, Ren, the giant Uktar, the mentors… they lost them!
“WHAT?!” Silarias yelled.
ZAP!
The air cracked. Where Silarias was standing a microsecond ago, only a pop of empty air and a few sparks were left.
What followed was total, reckless speed. Across the entire market, bright gold trails cut through the dark. Silarias was flash-stepping at a ridiculous pace.
FLASH!
He popped up on a floating balcony thirty meters up, slamming through a table and sending soup flying. “MIKI?!”
FLASH!
He smashed past the window of a weapon shop, appearing on the roof across the street, looking around like crazy. “REN?!”
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
Three gold streaks cut right through a massive waterfall running between two buildings. His voice echoed raw over the thousands of people below: “UKTAAAAAAR?!”
Shoppers ducked, plates smashed on the ground, and neon signs flickered from the wind of his raw speed.
Down on the street, Leonardo didn't even flinch, just leaning on his staff. He tilted his head back, watching the gold lines trace a mess across the buildings. He looked over at Nyx, who was leaning against a stone post with her arms crossed.
“Is he… always like this?” Leonardo asked.
Nyx watched a flash of light knock a giant fish sign sideways with a loud crunch. She let out a tired breath and shook her head. “This is normal. You don't want to see him actually stressed.”
Right then, the air on the street turned heavy again. A thick, nasty pressure hit the stones.
Stepping out of a dark side-alley was a group that looked like bad news. On the left walked massive Hellspawn with glowing red horns and skin like cracked lava rock. Above them hovered ugly, bat-like beasthumans with leather wings and sharp teeth dripping venom.
But the guy in the middle made the whole street go dead silent.
He was huge, walking with a slow, arrogant strut, covered in way too much gold. Solid gold plates covered his chest and shoulders, and heavy gold chains hung around his thick neck, the massive gem-encrusted crosses clinking with every step.
His face was locked in a nasty sneer. The second his eyes hit Leonardo and the gold Ethercorps pin on his coat, his eyes narrowed, and a low growl came out of his throat.
Feeling the heavy magic coming off the crew, Nyx tightened up, keeping her eyes locked on the gold-covered guy.
FLASH!
The air tore open. Silarias slammed onto the stones with a heavy thud, stopping four inches from the gold leader’s nose. The wind from his sudden stop blew the guy’s heavy chains backward.
Silarias didn't even notice the gang. Hunched over with his hands on his knees, his chest moved fast as sweat hit the floor.
“I… man… I can’t… find them!” Silarias wheezed, his lungs burning.
He straightened up slowly, wiped his face on his sleeve, and found himself looking right into the ugly, pissed-off face of the gold guy, who was staring down at him with total disgust. Silarias blinked twice, looked back at Leonardo and Nyx, and took a step to the side.
At the exact same time, with the exact same annoyed tone, Silarias and Nyx called out together: “Who are these angry monkeys, anyway?!”
The words hit the street hard. The Hellspawn bared their teeth, and the leader squeezed his gold gauntlets until the metal groaned.
Leonardo threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Ha! Amazing! Trouble for later, my young friends, trouble for later!”
Before the gang could take a step, Leonardo lifted his staff and brought the tip down hard.
BAM.
The gold rings in the wood spun at top speed. A thick, golden fog poured out, covering the three of them in a second. The mist turned so thick the whole street went dark.
“Sfumato!” Leonardo called out, his voice hitting hard.
A blinding white flash hit from the middle of the fog. The ground dropped right out from under Silarias and Nyx.
“Hold on tight, kids! This is going to be a wild ride!” Leonardo laughed.
Silarias felt his stomach drop out. As the world turned into a fast blur of movement, he and Nyx shut their eyes tight, waiting to see where the magic was going to dump them.