Good evening! Serenity shares her looted silver talents with the rest of the survivors! Vigilance Jin swore to ensure that the survivors of the wreck could have a fighting chance in their new, hostile world. But in a land as ruthless as Sacred Growth, where mercy can be fatal, ensuring their survival will be no simple task, even with the combined efforts of Serenity and Vigilance.
+10 major influence with Vigilance Jin
+25 silver talents gained
+ major virtue gained
- minor charm gained
NOTES: There may be some terminology unfamiliar in this chapter. The Orthodoxy, briefly mentioned during the [ORIGIN] for Shackle-seeker, is an alliance of the nine most powerful sects of Stryfe. The sects in bold are directly descended from the Thearchic Nine. During the Second Orthodox War (yes there were two), their members were shuffled, with the losers falling out of grace and into second-rate obscurity. The current members of the Orthodoxy are, ordered by most influential to least: Sky God Sect, Sea King Palace, Earthshaker Hall, Lunar Lady Convent, Thousand Drifting Clouds Sect, Wuji Gate, Azure Sky Sect, House of Healing.
I'm afraid that with all my midterms coming up, I'll have to put out a chapter once every three days until the worst of the storm passes. Thank you everyone for continuing to read Sectbreaker!
Their group took refuge in the courtyard surrounded by a crumbling manor on the outskirts of the shantytown. It was far from the main gate, but at least the air was more breathable. Serenity would live a mile from Black Wind City if it meant being free from the stench. The people of the shantytown had given up completely, and it was reflected within the squalor.
Serenity didn't intend to give up like them. As she distributed the silver to each household, she grew more familiar with the remaining survivors. Some had decided to take their chances on their own, despite all of Vigilance Jin's arguments. Roughly five households were left in their group. Ten adults and half the number in children. Until they could clear the inside of the manor of rubble and patch up the drafty sections of the walls, each family bought themselves a tent with their new silver talents. She didn't even want to imagine how they would've gotten by if she hadn't agreed to stay.
In line with a disturbing new trend, it appeared the task of finding a way into Black Wind City fell on her shoulders. Vigilance Jin would search for his own leads into the city, agreeing that it would be more efficient cover more ground apart from each other.
To be capable, she decided, was to suffer in silence while toiling for those less skilled. It wasn't entirely the survivors' faults, however. Many appeared as if they'd never even seen the outside of their quaint mid-spiral village or well-maintained sect-held city. Harvest Growth, Serenity's childhood, was similar. Her ancestors had traded their independence for stability and peace from the sects.
Living life on the move, however, had taught Serenity many things.
"Hey, girl. Girl! The elven one with the black hair!"
Serenity halted in the middle of one of the shantytown's countless winding streets. These streets had no proper names—rather, they were defined by the clutches of pleasure houses and shady establishments that had carved out their territories in the shantytown. Many were owned and operated by gangs, who in turn bribed the gate guards to look the other way. Perhaps one such gang could even get Serenity and the survivors through the wall. It wouldn't be cheap, however.
The man who had called out to Serenity certainly looked disreputable enough to be a part of said gangs. He approached her from the side of the street. Serenity blinked. Upon closer inspection, the man almost appeared familiar to her. His cloak was in tatters. His helmet was dented, and he held it under his armpit. But the beard and his shifty, conniving eyes were impossibly familiar... where had she met this man?
"It's me," the man hissed. "Daredan. I was an officer aboard the Intrepid. The transport ship. By the Pale Springs, I thought we were goners. I take it everyone else made it out?"
Ah. Serenity nodded, her dark eyes narrowing. Did the officer know about her surprise? She didn't feel the slightest twinge of guilt for dumping the corpse-eaters on him. After all, he and his men had been hired to protect the passengers from such dangers.
"I remember you," Serenity replied coolly. "You certainly didn't waste any time getting out of there, did you? And how did your men fare, brave officer of the Intrepid?"
"Never seen so many corpse-eaters in one place," Daredan grumbled. "Almost like someone kicked them up in a frenzy. They were barking mad, I tell you. Anyway, none of that's important. You're the same as me, right? The gate guards won't let you into Black Wind City? Of all the damned places we could've landed..."
"You're familiar with this place?" Serenity inquired. She didn't know much about Sacred Growth. Hopefully, she could squeeze information out of the guard. He seemed eager enough to talk anyhow. There didn't appear to be much other virtues within his shallow-looking appearance beside it. Any tidbit of information would be valuable. Many of the Frontier's worlds were still mysteries to her. Communication and information only grew harder to transmit the further one traveled away from the core worlds of Stryfe. At the very least, she was pretty sure Sacred Growth was far out on the galactic spiral even by Frontier world standards.
"I was stationed here early on in my career when I was still wet behind the ears," Daredan said. He started walking down the street purposefully, appearing to have a destination in mind. Serenity followed him, quickly glancing around to make sure none of his guard friends were waiting in ambush or following them. "It wasn't always a shithole like this. Black Wind City is the only surviving sect hold, but there used to be more of them around here. The Sky God Sect had installations all over Sacred Growth. The list of sects with vested interests in Sacred Growth was endless. Sea King Palace. Earthshaker Hall. All changed during the Second Orthodox War."
Serenity raised a brow. By the Thearchic Nine the guard loved to talk. She listened anyway.
"While the Orthodoxy was warring against each other, Sacred Growth simply fell apart," Daredan explained, staring up at the broad blue sky above. "Demonic cults moved into the jungles. Spirit beast populations weren't getting culled. After the sects pulled out, most of the thearchic artists went with them. The few that stuck around, however, formed something called the Commune."
Serenity nodded in understanding, tucking stray strands of hair behind her pointed ear. "And is that where you're headed?" she asked. "The Commune? Unless you've hidden yourself very well, neither of us are exactly thearchic artists."
"Bah," Daredan said with a dismissive wave. "They don't stop mortals from wandering. The real Commune spaces are deeper in the city. All we'll likely find here are more mercenaries and low-level thearchic artists barely a step removed from us mortals. One of 'em might get us into the city though. Granted we have the silver for it."
They came upon an alley nestled between two towering stone structures, white banners marked with a single dark line fluttering from their peaks. Serenity assumed this was the entrance to the Commune.
They walked down the alley. Before long, a merchant's stall blocked their path. Behind it, an elf with his face hidden beneath a headscarf watched Serenity and Daredan. The elf was flanked by two massive ogres, their chests bared and cudgels gripped in their hands.
Like most other ogres, two short, signature horns grew from their foreheads. Their flesh was a particular shade of ash gray.
"No entry into the Commune without supporting the local economy first," the elven merchant said, likely smirking beneath his head scarf. "We've got enough of you freeloading parasites running around Black Wind City as it is."
"I'll cover it," Daredan said, sheepishly scratching his cheek. "Consider it my apology for, uh, leaving, as I did. I suppose its the least I can do."
"This is ridiculous," Serenity muttered. "But if that's what it'll take, show me your wares, merchant."
"All at a very reasonable price," the merchant crooned.
Serenity glanced at the armaments displayed across his stand and chose...
[ ] [ACTION] OLD JEZAIL
Serenity leaned over for a closer look. The rifle had seen far better days, and quite a bit of use, evident from the several tally marks etched into the graceful curve of the wooden stock. She'd never been much of a marksman, but a jezail might be just the thing she needed to get the drop on her unsupsecting foes from a safe distance.
[ ] [ACTION] OLD SHIELD
The shield was rounded with blades jutting out around its circumference. Perfect for bashing, defending, or possibly even throwing as a last ditch effort. A close-range armanent that might just come in handy when put up against a foe who liked to bring the fight to her.
[ ] [ACTION] OLD WHIP
Serenity knew the value of good crowd controlling weapon. The whip was leather and had razors woven in throughout its length. Perfect for the mid-range. Not as effective against someone far from her, nor close to her, but just perfect for rending the flesh from indecisive mid-range fighters.
The merchant let them pass gleefully, counting out the silver talents he'd procured from a hesitant and scowling Daredan. Serenity swore she saw a part of the guardsman's soul leave as he parted with his money. In the end, all he had left to buy his way was a stubby dagger likely to break apart before actually piercing flesh. She couldn't say it wasn't well-deserved.
Leaving the alley and its extortioners behind, they found themselves in a vast central square, sheltered beneath the canopy of a towering tree that rose from the center. Stands were set up all around the square with fierce-looking indivduals that were the furthest thing from merchants manning them.
Usually, Serenity could point out a few shades or ghosts lost amongst the crowd, wandering aimlessly amidst the living. But the Commune was devoid of the occultic entirely. She saw the paper talismans and prayer lanterns hanging from the arching branches above and sighed. Her gourd would have to continue waiting for something to refine.
Daredan turned to Serenity. "We should split up," he said, scratching the side of his bearded cheek. "We can cover more ground that way. Let's reconvenne back here in an hour."
Serenity seperated and approached some of the stands around the square.
She started with a more friendlier looking stand manned by a young woman and an elderly man who appeared to be her grandfather. For some unexplainable reason, the various hardened mercenaries and soldiers gave a wide berth to their stand. That only further intrigued Serenity, however.
"You're a new face around these parts," the young woman said, smiling. She was short, standing around Serenity's shoulder. Her hair was cut in a rough, brown shag and tamed by a pair of goggles that sat over her head like a bandana. Her overalls were stained with a bright variety of colors and she smelled faintly of medicine. "You with the wreck that came down yonder that way? Everyone in the city saw it go down pretty hard, and the shen you brought over with it. Had our city adminstrator sweating buckets. But seeing as how you're armed to the ears, it seems you can handle yourself just fine."
Serenity clapsed her fists together in the standard Stryfian salute. "My name is Serenity Shan," she said cordially. "Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
"My name's Mejian," the woman replied, saluting Serenity back. "This old geezer sitting over here is my grandfather. He doesn't do much talking these days, on the account the city manager plucked his tongue from his mouth."
Her grandfather, who was sitting on a stool, scrunched up his wrinkled face as if he'd just smelled something foul.
Serenity blinked. "The city manager?"
"Strange prig of a hag in the red," Mejian replied with a toothy grin. "She talks real funny. Expects to have the very ground she walks upon worshipped. Most thearchic artists who make it past their early years are a little touched in the head. And the older they get, the stranger they get. Suppose all those years spent cooped up in meditation are bad for 'em."
"I see," Serenity said. "This may be a forthright question, but would you happen to know a way to get into the city?"
"Of course," Mejian replied enthusiastically. "My grandfather and I run a shop in the city. We make reagents and pills for thearchic artists. If you can align yourself with the right group, they can get you through the walls and more. I could set you up with an association if you want. They aren't as stuffy as sects. Its all purely transactional."
Serenity nodded, deciding...
[ ] [ACTION] THE RED CLOAK AGENCY
Mejian explained the Red Cloak Agency to Serenity. They weren't the largest or most violent mercenary group in Black Wind City, but they had pull with some of the city's local nobility. Enough to get themselves and their associates in and out of the city without raising suspicion. In exchange for getting Serenity across, they might have her bruise some toughs of a rival company if she wanted in through them.
[ ] [ACTION] THE CYNIC
The Cynic was a smuggler with a dozen faces. Literally. An organization composed of a dozen indivdiuals from all manner of races, they ran luxury goods that would otherwise be tariffed to the Pale Springs and back through the expansive labryinth-like sewer beneath Black Wind City. Serenity might have to escort a shipment through said dangerous sewer if she wanted a way in through them. At the very least, Mejian said they didn't deal in slaves.
[ ] [ACTION] THE CAREFREE MANOR
The pleasure districts of Black Wind City were owned and managed by the many gangs that warred for supremacy of the criminal underworld. One such organization was the Carefree Manor. Plenty of beautiful young women found themselves spirited away from their shantytown tents and into one of the many brothels located around the pleasure districts. Serenity didn't even want to imagine what kind of lives awaited those girls. The Carefree Manor could get Serenity across, but she imagined finding a way out from them might involve a healthy dose of delicious violence.
[ ] [ACTION] REFUSE HER OFFER
Serenity wasn't quite ready to align herself with people she barely knew in a world unfamiliar to her. Mejian was kind for offering, but Serenity would find her own way into the city. Hopefully, Daredan or Vigilance Jin would have better luck.
