Chapter 12

Bright light assaulted his senses almost as soon as he opened his eyes, forcing him to shut them once again, for fear of getting a migraine. He struggled to gather his bearings as he tried to recall where he was. He opened his eyes once again, slowly this time.

Looking around, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings, making him wary almost immediately. The room he was in resembled a hospital of the old world. He wasn’t aware that such a place existed anymore. Whatever this room was, it was clear looking at the apparatus and arrangements that a lot of care and resources had gone towards this project.

“So, you are finally up, huh, Atlas? I am glad to see that our notification system for this room is working! And what better first beneficiary of the system than the leader of ‘The Roaring Dragons’!”

Jordan looked towards the source of the sound to find the leader of one of his rival guilds, ‘The Wandering Phoenix’ staring back at him with a smile. That alone caused him to grow wary of the whole situation.

“Why am I here, Osiris?”

Osiris’ face lit up with his trademark smile, exuding the charisma that had enabled him to become the leader of one of the top three guilds in the region.

“Forgive me, Atlas, but when the leader of one of my rival guilds turns up half-dead on my door, the least I can do is take care of him and nurse him back to health!”

Jordan couldn’t help but let out a snort at that. “Really? I find it hard to believe that you did anything with my well-being in mind.”

Osiris could only shrug nonchalantly at that, “Meh, you are right, of course. You dying near my guild headquarters would have aroused a lot of my suspicions from the member of your guild. And a turf war at this stage of development of our respective guilds isn’t something we need.”

Jordan nodded at that. “I agree. Especially when the situation within my own guild might be more tenuous than ever!”

Osiris couldn’t help but chuckle at his rival’s misery. “I heard about your latest bounty. Bitten off more than you can chew, I think.”

Jordan gained an angry look on his face at that, “No, that’s not true! You don’t know how this man operates. He is a coward, choosing to strike his opponents in the back. A coward who uses poison to cover up his own failings and weaknesses. A coward who chooses to dwell in the shadows rather than shine out in the light.”

A raised eyebrow was what he received in response. “Touched a nerve, did I, Atlas?”

“No, I am merely stating the facts for what they are. The Bounty Hunter is nothing more than a menace, a man who has got ideas above his station.”

Again, Osiris shrugged as he said, “Say what you will, but he did take out four of your elite bodyguards. In fact, I was envious of your protectors myself. He took out three of them all at once. The video capturing the demise of your final three bodyguards is live on the forums for everyone to see. He may strike from the shadows but he always seems to draw blood when it comes to the reputation of your guild.”

Jordan felt his ire rising with every word that came out of Osiris’ mouth.

“Look, Osiris. I didn’t bother coming here just to argue with you. I came here to ask for your aid in this matter. And I promise to provide you with equal compensation.”

“And what is this aid you speak of, Atlas? I’d like to hear the words if you would oblige.”

Jordan could merely grit his teeth at the fact that Osiris was forcing him to voice his desperation for his own selfish amusement.

“I would like your help to take out the Bounty Hunter. I would like the help of your vast network and resources to aid me in this quest. And I truly believe that it would be mutually beneficial for both of us. It will help foster better relations between our members while taking out a common threat. After all, who is to say that the Bounty Hunter won’t turn his attention to you and yours once our affair is over?”

Osiris turned around so all Jordan could see was his back. “You must really think me a fool if that’s all you have to offer, Atlas! Mutual benefits? Taking out common threats? Last time I checked you were the one who kicked the hornet’s nest. Not me. So get out of here with that. You know as well as I do that I can take care of myself and my own without your help.

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Now, unless you have something actually valuable to offer, I suggest you prepare for your departure. I have already alerted your guild. Someone will be arriving pretty soon to escort you back.”

After saying his piece, Osiris started walking towards the exit of the room when Jordan stopped him.

“Wait! I have one more thing to offer. The first crack at the Minotaur dungeon. It’s yours! Just help me and I promise that neither I nor the members of my guild will enter that dungeon before you have a go at it. What do you say?”

Osiris turned around to face Jordan once more before staring him in the eye as if he was looking for something.

Then with a smirk, he replied, “Your offer is very tempting, Atlas but I am afraid that I have to decline. The risk outweighs the reward. I hope that you understand.”

Jordan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “The risk outweighs the reward? How? Don’t tell me you are actually fearful of the Bounty Hunter?”

All this while, Osiris hadn’t stopped staring Jordan in the eye, which was unnerving Jordan a little bit, much to Jordan’s chagrin. To add to that, the infuriating smirk hadn’t yet left Osiris’ face.

“It’s not fear that drives my decision, I am afraid. Rather, it’s temptation. As a guild leader yourself, I think you should understand that.”

Jordan looked at his fellow guild leader with perplexity written all over his face. He had lost any hope he had had of recruiting the aid of Osiris’ guild with those final words.

“You wish to recruit the Bounty Hunter? A common thief, a murderer, a man who would sink to unknown depths just for money? I thought you were better than that. Any respect I had for you as a guild leader before today has been lost today.”

That wiped the smirk off Osiris’ face immediately, much to Jordan’s satisfaction. With a steely expression, Osiris replied, “He’s strong. Strong enough to take out three of your bodyguards. Strong enough and skilled enough to poison the guild leader of one of the topmost guilds in the region without the target having even a whiff of his plans.”

“So, tell me if I am wrong in desiring such a valuable asset for my guild? I have to look out for the best interests of my guild, not yours.”

Osiris was practically frothing at the mouth after the disrespect shown to him by Jordan. Reining in his emotions once again, he turned around and said, “And even if he refused to join me, I’d rather not have him as my foe.”

Before Osiris could leave the room, Jordan shouted through gritted teeth, “ ‘The Roaring Dragons’ won’t forget this refusal, Osiris. I won’t forget how you turned me away in my hour of need. There will be hell to pay, Osiris. Mark my words!”

Osiris didn’t bother turning around as he walked towards the exit once more while saying, “I will send someone in to check your health. I would like you to leave as soon as someone from your guild arrives. Best of luck, Atlas!”

All Jordan could think through the rage building up in his veins was the manner in which he would make Osiris pay for his refusal to help him. But first, he had to deal with the Bounty Hunter and make an example out of him.

No one crossed him without paying their pound of flesh! No one!

“So, it went that bad, huh?”

Jordan couldn’t help but glare at Scottie after he asked that question. His already poor mood plummeted even more if that was even possible. Looking around, he saw the mess that he had created as soon as he had entered his office. At that moment, he couldn’t help but admire the restraint Osiris had shown in a similar situation.