Chapter - 59
Jacob entered the village head's house silently, every sense heightened. His heart sank as his eyes took in the sight before him: Elara and Seraphina sprawled on the floor, unconscious, their chests rising and falling in a slow, unnatural rhythm. Above them stood the village head, his expression twisted in a cruel smirk.
Jacob's instincts kicked in. He moved like a shadow, his steps soundless.
Just as the village head began to turn, alerted by some sixth sense, Jacob pressed his revolver against the back of the man's head.
"Don't move, bud, or you'll be scraping what's left of your brains off the wall," Jacob said, his voice cold and steady.
The village head froze, his breath hitching. "How… how are you still standing?" he stammered, his smirk faltering. "I saw you inhale the poison, saw you eat the food. How are you not unconscious like these two?" His words revealed a truth that surprised Jacob, but there was no time to question it now.
"Tell me everything about what's happening here," Jacob demanded, cocking the revolver's hammer. Blue faerium swirled around the gun, its ethereal glow causing the dark mage to flinch.
The dark mage sneered. "You'll kill me anyway, won't you? I will only say this: the temple is filled with capable mages. You'll never clear it. Even if you call for reinforcements, it won't matter. By tomorrow, we will have achieved what we came for." The dark mage's laughter was manic, echoing through the room.
"And... I didn't come alone."
At that moment, Jacob sensed it—a surge of magic behind him. Without wasting a second, he fired, the revolver's blast shattering the silence as the bullet tore through the village head's skull, splattering blood and brain matter across the wall. Before the mage's body hit the floor though, Jacob was already moving, spinning just as the dark warrior lunged out of the shadows with a sword aimed directly at his chest.
Jacob twisted, narrowly avoiding the blade's deadly arc as it sliced a thread from his sleeve. With his revolver still in hand, he fired again, the bullet grazing the dark warrior's shoulder. The man staggered but recovered quickly, his face contorted in rage as he circled Jacob, blood soaking into the torn fabric of his robe.
The man lunged again, the tip of his sword glinting under the faint light. Jacob met him, dropping his revolver and drawing his own blade in one fluid motion. Their swords clashed with a sharp ring, metal scraping against metal as sparks flew from the collision. The dark warrior's strikes were wild but filled with brute force, each swing intended to kill.
Jacob ducked beneath an overhead slash, using the momentum to drive his elbow into the warrior's ribs. The attacker grunted, stumbling back, but he quickly regained his stance, swinging his sword in a deadly arc. Jacob sidestepped, his movements fluid as he countered with a quick thrust aimed at the enemy's exposed side.
The blade caught the man just below his ribs, drawing a spurt of blood. But rather than retreat, the warrior pressed forward, gritting his teeth against the pain as he slammed his fist into Jacob's jaw. Jacob staggered back, his vision blurring for a split second before he steadied himself.
Both men were breathing heavily now, their stances coiled, each calculating the other's next move. The warrior's fingers curled, and Jacob saw the faint glow of faerium beginning to build around his hand. Before the spell could fully form, Jacob lunged forward, driving his sword through the dark warrior's forearm, disrupting the magic with a flash of light.
The enemy screamed, his voice ragged with pain. But he wasn't finished yet. With a snarl, he ripped his arm free from Jacob's blade and swung his sword in a final, desperate arc aimed at Jacob's throat. Jacob ducked, moving in close and catching the warrior's wrist with one hand while he drove his sword into the man's stomach with the other. The man gasped, his grip loosening as his sword clattered to the floor.
Jacob withdrew his blade, watching as the dark warrior's eyes dimmed, his body slumping to the ground beside his fallen comrade. The room fell silent again as Jacob stood over the dead bodies, unfazed. Death never did faze him.
Glancing at Elara and Seraphina, he quickly knelt beside them. Recalling a technique Thorne had taught him, he infused a bit of his faerium into them, hoping to wake them up. It was a method used to rouse patients from deep unconsciousness.
To his relief, the technique worked. Both women stirred, their eyes fluttering open. They were dazed and confused, but alive.
Jacob explained the situation in a few terse sentences. "The village head was a dark mage. He poisoned you, but I managed to stay conscious and kill him and his accomplice. We need to quickly get to the temple."
As they gathered their bearings, a commotion outside drew their attention. Most of the villagers had gathered, likely having heard the gunshots. Jacob stepped outside, addressing them with authority.
"I've killed the dark mage," he announced. "We are heading to the temple to stop the others. We need your help. Someone must ride to Ironhelm and inform the Monster Hunter Guild of the situation. Request reinforcements."
The villagers, visibly relieved and grateful, nodded in agreement. One of them, a young man with a determined look, volunteered to carry the message. Another villager stepped forward, offering them a shortcut to the temple that would help them avoid other obstacles along the way.
"Thank you," Jacob said. "We'll stop whatever is happening at the temple. Stay safe."