I Ran Away To Evil: Book 2 & 3 - A Cozy LitRPG RomCom

Julian and Lomen found nothing of interest and then returned to search the room at the end of the hall.

They did so by throwing open the door, mage staff and sword blazing, ready to ambush anyone inside. There was no one. The room was an empty storage bay, large doors shut, with a window and a smaller entry door also closed. Julian made his way to the window. Everyone in the street was running for their wagons like their life depended on it. Others were hollering direction, grabbing onto anything, as the caravan of carriages all turned and headed for the port gate.

“Well, I feel foolish,” Lomen blushed, lowering his flaming staff.

“Dont,” Julian told him, stone-faced, “It is better to be safe.”

“GRAYSON!” A musical voice screeched outside. A woman stood trying to block the port gate.

“If she’s been found that means we’ve been found.” A gruff looking elf shouted back, leading the line. Julian immediately guessed whom they were speaking of and anger warred with relief. The elf held out his palm face forward and said, “[Clear Road].”

It was a perk favoured by travellers that let the caster move without hitting others in traffic. The wagons practically bent reality around the young blond woman, and Greyson led his charge through the port gate.

Julian wouldn’t let even one of those who’d kidnapped his sister escape. He ripped off the door from its hinges, stepping out into the street and pointing at the caravan. “[Tracking].”

[You have attempted to use the Skill: [Tracking]. You may track targets equal to your Tracking 4 x Perception 25 = 100. You will know the direction of each target tracked. Skill Bonus effect: Border Master removes distance limiter. Warning, target’s who enter dungeons or alternate spaces will not be tracked, but will reappear after they have returned to this realm. You have selected 17 Targets. One Target has resisted Tracking.]

Sixteen faint red arrows appeared at this feet, overlapping as they all pointed in the same direction, following everyone except the blond woman up front.

She turned to stare at Julian, her eyes going wide and then narrowing when she saw who had attempted to use an ability on her.

“Julian von Slyke.” She spoke softly, walking towards him. Julian stepped frowned to meet her, lifting his arm and activating his Divine Shield Arts. Hidden Arts allowed him to do so without saying the skill. The blond woman's voice crawled up his spine, making him shiver with some unknown emotion. He caught himself leaning towards her voice. She continued, “The Grand Duke of North Sumbria.”

That wasn’t right, he was the Duke. As long as his mother remained the Grand Duchess, he would continue to be so.

He replied. “Fire Ball.”

It wasn’t a spell or an ability he possessed, and she knew it by the way she cocked her head to the side in confusion.

Then Lomen’s spell whirled over his shoulder, the heat brushing uncomfortably close to his pulled back dreads.

The woman yelped and dodged right, “You dare! [Watcher of Fate].”

The skill hit Julian through his Divine Shield, completely ignoring his master level protection. The only way that would happen is if the woman was a drastically higher level than he was, or if her powers were divine in nature and were considered a buff.

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Your fate has been sealed for fifty three seconds. Character sheet sealed. Abilities sealed. Movement sealed. Health Points sealed. Mana points sealed. Immune to all Damage.]

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:52]

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:51]

It was a high level Divine art used to prevent death. The person in front of his was at least level sixty, if not higher.

Julian couldn’t move as the woman approached and glared up at him. Her beautiful cornflower blue eyes were as clear as the sky and captivating. Her hair looked so smooth that he could run his hands through it. And her frown made him nervous.

He felt disgusting. When someone put so many points into Charisma, it effected the world around them. This woman had min-maxed her attributes so much so that she was far beyond what any normal person could achieve.

“Well, you’ll be better than your sister I suppose.” She tapped her chin, eying Julian up and down. She glanced over his shoulder at Barry, who’d presumably been hit by her skill as well. “Why do I know you?”

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:41]

“Well, no matter. I’ll take you both.” She nodded to herself and lifted one hand. Pink threads glowed, tied to each digit. She wiggled her left hand once and the thread on her index finger came into focus. It formed a long pink thread that created a circle large enough to walk through, and then with a flash of light, a portal appeared.

She reached out to touch Julian, when a wave of magical energy washed over the entire area in a forceful shimmer.

The portal collapsed, the pink threads dissolving into nothingness. Another dome of magic encircled the entire city.

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:32]

“NO!” The woman screamed. The last of the caravan behind her was caught on this side of the port gate, watching their companions ride off down the road. They jumped from the wagons and ran in all directions, abandoning any merchandise.

Not that they would get away. If Julian could have smiled, he would have.

It was the Arc Warden.

The magical artefact took an incredible amount of mana to activate, so much so that his mother couldn’t have done it alone. No travel powers could be used within the sphere. Fast Travel, Portals, Dimensional, Spatial… even some magical spells were void under its enchantments. Everyone was left to their own power to walk, run, swim or fly. The entire city was trapped within the Arc, as it warded those inside from the outside and prevented travel to and from the area itself as well. It was a siege artifact, meant to hold a city under siege or protect it during a siege from the outside.

“Why is Fate doing this to me?!” The woman stomped her feet. She reached into a pocket and pulled out nothing. This made her angrier. Whatever tricks she had in her spacial pocket, poisons, items or equipment, it mattered not if she couldn’t access it.

A shadow moved on the ground nearby. Julian tried not to draw attention to it as John’s shadow found it’s way closer and closer to where she was standing.

Once John had control of the woman’s shadow, he could follow her or even detain her depending on their level difference.

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:19]

“I guess we have to do this the hard way.” She pulled out a dagger from her boot, flipping it once and catching it so that her fist was raised but the dagger pointed at Julian. He wasn’t the biggest fan of being stabbed, but it wouldn’t be the first time. He usually died in dungeons and was resurrected by party members.

His mother wouldn’t bother holding to Sumbrian inheritance laws. And even if she did, Julian didn’t mind giving over the title of Duchess to his younger sister. It might be interesting, especially with Chloe standing beside her.

Tendrils of shadow reached out, almost touching the woman. She aimed at his chest once and when she leaned back to strike, John’s shadow finally made contact.

“Ack!”

The woman jumped and glanced down, sensing the attack. Whatever bonus John had for ambush wasn’t enough. The shadow shrivelled back as divine light burst out of the woman.

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:11]

“Drop the knife!” A voice called out from further down the street. Julian couldn’t see who it was, but it sounded like Chloe. The other search party had found them.

The woman didn’t do as she was told, and instead, feathered wings erupted from her back and she launched into the air.

“[Soul Bind].”

“[Holy Arrow].”

“[Wind Blade].”

Despite everyone throwing attacks at the woman, only the Wind Blade managed to hit her, and that didn’t slow her down. She flew north and dropped out of sight.

Chloe ran forward coming into view, unable to use her own travel abilities. Tears ran down her cheeks. “Follow her!”

[You have been effected by the Skill: [Watcher of Fate]. Time until effect wears off 00:00:01]

“It’s alright, Chloe.” Julian said, falling forward a step as the effects wore off. The tiny necromancer shot him a look even as he explained. “Julia’s already freed herself.”

"About that," A shadow man shaped John interrupted. "Julia is back at the palace."

"Then I'm going back." Chloe stated, turning on her heal.

"Wait." Julian called. "You're still needed here."

“What do you propose?” Chloe raised an eyebrow. Hana, Wendy and Suki stood beside Lomen, waiting.

“You go after her.” Julian pointed the way the celestial had flown off.

Chloe sighed. "Alright, what about you?"

“I’ll clean up here.”

There wasn’t anyone left in the street, but he knew where they’d all run off to.

And with the Arc Warden, there wasn’t anywhere they could hide.