Barry leapt behind the closest pine as dozens of projectiles crashed into the ground all around him. Knob took the same approach, and the pair shared an anxious look as they huddled behind the tree. Barry’s breathing was rapid, and his chest was heaving, but his willpower helped focus his thoughts.

“Knob, we need to get out of here. We can’t save Tuti if we’re dead,” Barry said through gritted teeth, “I’m going to send out my clone as a distraction and then we will run in the other direction.”

Knob replied with a shaky but determined nod and placed his hand and staff on the ground ready to push off at a moment’s notice. Barry reached down into his spatial sack and grabbed out stamina grass, mana moss and vitality mushrooms which they both immediately consumed. Suddenly, the sound of feet crunching through the undergrowth nearby made them freeze and Barry immediately summoned his clone right next to him, still hidden by the tree.

Barry silently signalled a countdown message to Knob using his fingers starting from three. On the count of two, Barry sent out his clone to the left-hand side of the tree closest to where they had heard the footsteps, pushing it to sprint and weave between the trees. On the count of one Knob clutched his staff tighter, held his breath and positioned his feet in preparation for their run. Through his clone’s vision Barry saw five shadowy humanoid figures less than fifteen metres away. The moment they spotted his clone two of the people fired attacks at him, a collection of shards of spiked ice and woody spears flew past and through his clone. A second later Barry and Knob burst forward and sprinted further away from their pursuers to the right-hand side of the tree. As they ran Barry continued to split his focus between his clone and his own vision. By now at least four projectiles had passed through his clone’s body, and he could sense at least one or two of the pursuers were closing in on him with their superior speed. Through Barry’s own vision he was yet to see anyone in front of him, but he had to keep turning around to check on Knob as his friend was slightly slower than himself. On his third glance back, Barry briefly panicked as he spotted an orc charging after them. However, as his mind ticked over, he realised it was the same orc that Knob had taken control of.

“It’s… ok,” panted Knob as he ran, observing Barry’s concerned looks, “I’m… about… to send him off... as a… distraction.”

By now the group chasing his clone had caught up and realised that they had been duped and had stopped attacking. Barry heard them shouting at one another that it was just one of the clones and that they needed to turn around. That made Barry frown, how did they know of his clone abilities? There were only two explanations, either they had been being watched at some stage, or Tuti had revealed their abilities to their enemies. He didn’t blame her, she wasn’t in control of her own mind after all, but it did mean that part of his usual surprise tactics in battle had been taken away from him. And that made their current situation even more concerning. Now that he knew his clone was no longer useful, he dispelled it and kept running forward.

After another fifty metres of sprinting Knob finally sent the orc off in an alternate direction as a further distraction. It wasn’t as useful as Barry’s clones as it didn’t provide any vision, but any confusion they could cause their pursuers was of benefit right now. Suddenly, Barry stopped dead in his tracks and Knob slammed into his back.

“What is it?” coughed Knob.

But it didn’t take him long to realise what had startled Barry as a total of seven people came out of the trees from both in front and to the side of them, weapons at the ready.

“Murderers! It’s time for you to get what you deserve!” screamed a level five female human holding a large sword as she charged at them.

“Fuck, we’re surrounded,” Barry said quickly to Knob, “We have no choice but to fight.”

As Barry focussed on the woman in front of them, he didn’t notice the black dagger that was thrown by a lizard man to his side. It penetrated into his shoulder and the pain reminded him of his first day in the training grounds when he was mauled by the leaping snarler. But thankfully Barry was a different person now, he had vitality to spare, and an impressive willpower that allowed him to keep his focus despite the shooting pain from the dagger lodged into his shoulder. Barry summoned his aura and illusion chain and swung forward with his illusionary weapon, causing the woman to raise her sword reflexively to block it. Barry followed with a heavy swing of his aura chain and managed to land a blow to her arm causing her to drop her weapon. Barry had been aiming for the woman’s chest but her perception was too high and she was able to react quicker than he had expected. Barry kicked the sword away and ducked down just as another dagger flew overhead. He also took this moment to pull out the dagger and throw it down to the ground.

By now a second combatant had entered the fray, and Barry was forced to jump back to avoid the swing of a long, spiked halberd. This enemy was a possant man, a level six dexterity specialist. He was short and stocky, but surprisingly speedy. His halberd sprayed out a strange mist into the air around it as he swung that made Barry’s vision blur momentarily and his footing feel unsteady. Realising this skill must be some sort of poison Barry stepped further away and out of the zone of the mist. Another dagger whizzed past his head and Barry was just able to dodge it in time. He glanced across to Knob who was backing away from the three approaching lizard men. He was about to run over in Knobs direction to help when his vision again blurred, and he felt the halberd slice into his thigh. With a guttural groan he swung his aura chain at the possant but the man jumped back with a smirk, easily avoiding the attack. Again, Barry’s vision cleared, and he saw the human had collected her sword and was standing next to the possant, her grip on the blade shaky but determined in her left hand as her right arm slumped limply at her side. Another glance at Knob made him worry as the lizard men were quickly gaining ground on his friend and Barry realised he would need to use his new skill to save his friend.

Knob wanted to turn and run, but he wasn’t sure he could get away, and he didn’t want to leave Barry to fight on his own. But he was scared stiff, there were three giant lizard people closing in on him fast, and his mind went into panic. He was much more used to using surprise attacks, he hadn’t done much actual face to face fighting. Despite his doddering thoughts, he reflexively sent out his tendrils to try and stop the lizard men, but all three of them stepped to the side of his attack, easily avoiding his grasp. He tried again to direct his tendrils towards them, but they were too fast. That made him panic even more. Did they know of his ability? How could he expect to win when his main attack had already failed? By now the lizard men were less than ten metres away. In another second they would be upon him, and he would be a goner. What could he do? Suddenly, Knob had a moment of clarity, and he remembered the new skill he had learned when his manipulation stat had reached level ten. It was something he had yet to use in the training grounds so far as he’d not been in a fitting situation. But this was the perfect scenario. He activated his ability ‘frenzy’, and a circular pulse of light shot out from him in a ten-metre radius all around him.

Stolen story; please report.

Immediately, the three lizard men stopped rushing towards him, instead stopping still for a brief moment before turning towards each other and attacking. The men mindlessly swung at the closest target with their weapons. The middle lizard man holding a shield was the first to fall as a sword and spear pierced him from either side. The sword lizard man and spear lizard man then immediately turned their attention towards each other, both stabbing forward. The lizard man wielding the spear had the greater reach meaning he was able to cause the first wound, but the sword wielding man ignored his injuries and chopped down at the spear man’s hand, lopping it off in a single swipe and sending blood gushing out. The now one-handed lizard man didn’t even flinch at the partial loss of a limb and used his remaining hand to clasp around the sword wielders neck, squeezing tightly. As he leant forward to bite the face of his gasping opponent a sword shot up, through his neck and out the top of his head, killing him instantly. A second later and Knob’s ability timed out, releasing the sword wielding lizard man from his frenzied rage. The lizard man gasped in horror at the scene around him and clutched at the spear wound in his chest, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. He turned his head in shock towards Knob who had used the man’s second of confusion to close the distance and swing his staff. The black, solid, spherical staff slammed into the lizard man’s gaping maw and knocked him out instantly. Knob doubled over in disgust at his own skill and dry wretched a couple of times, even as the sensation of a magic and item level up rushed across his mind. After rapidly dispersing his available skill points Knob picked himself up and turned back towards Barry, leaving the unconscious lizard man to bleed out.

Barry watched as Knob’s whole body shone for the briefest of moments and a blinding pulse of light shot out around him in all directions. Barry felt the pulse hit him, and then he felt his willpower push it down, leaving him unaffected. The same could not be said for the others in the skills radius as the lizard men began tearing into each other. Turning back towards the human and the possant, Barry saw the stocky man easily dispatch the woman with his halberd. But that gave Barry an opening, and he sprang forward and brought his aura chain down with as much force as he could muster directly onto the top of the possant’s head before the man could react. Although he might have been speedy, clearly this man was not as tanky as his body shape might have suggested, as the chain pushed down over an inch into his skull. The force of the blow disfigured the man’s head and sent blood spraying out of his giant eyes which now protruded outwards unnaturally until the man fell face first into the ground and energy entered Barry’s mind. Not pausing for a second, Barry turned and sprinted towards the dagger wielding lizard man and orc standing behind him, both of whom had been outside of the range of Knob’s frightening ability. Throwing two illusion chains forward as a distraction Barry caused the dagger wielding man to flinch just long enough for him to swing his aura chain forward again into the man’s ribs and causing him to stagger. Meanwhile the orc started to chant some sort of incantation, but Barry quickly ended that rubbish with another flick of his chain. After a second swing to both the initiates Barry felt more energy rush into his mind and he finally allowed himself to breath. After taking a moment for himself, Barry turned and hobbled over to Knob, his leg paining from the deep cut to his thigh.

“Knob, what was that ability? It was amazing and horrifying all at once!” Barry bellowed as he activated his rapid recovery skill.

Knob stared back at him with bloodshot eyes, “It’s my frenzy skill,” he explained, “It sends out a wave of light in a ten-metre radius and causes any person or animal within that zone with a willpower level less than half of my manipulation level to start attacking the closest creature to it for five seconds. That was the first time I’d used it. Seems to be effective at least.”

Barry saw Knob wretch as he said those last words and he could understand the feeling. The skill was unethical, inhumane, and despicable. But it certainly was effective.

“I think that might be the understatement of the year,” Barry tittered before sharing a brief, dark smirk with Knob.

“We can’t stay here though; we’ve got to keep moving. What are your stats like currently?” asked Barry.

“My mana is thirty percent from that attack, and my stamina is half from the run. My health is full though,” answered Knob.

“My health is around eighty percent and climbing fast, mana eighty and stamina seventy.” Barry replied, “Not bad but we can’t get complacent, I’m sure some others would have heard all that commotion.”

“You are correct young human,” said a deep, powerful voice, “We heard, and we are here.”

Barry stared past the bodies of the people before him and saw numerous figures emerging from the dark forest. He immediately turned and prepared to run when he saw an equal number of figures standing with their weapons ready from behind him. Frantically, Barry looked side to side and realised he and Knob were completely surrounded. A quick count showed there were eighteen people. Even in the darkness and from this distance Barry could sense their burning hatred towards him.

“This is bad, stay alert,” he hissed quietly towards Knob.

“Barry and Knob, we have come to put you down and deliver justice for all the pain you have caused,” boomed a particularly broad orc that Barry did not recognise.

Reflexively Barry inspected the man, and Knob did the same.

Inspection:

Race: Orc

Level: 9

Stat: Manipulation

There was no doubt in Barry’s mind, this was the true leader of the village, the man who had manipulated Tuti and Swirly.

“Peltra, is it?” Barry asked as his eyes continued to dart side to side in case of any attack.

The orc shuffled his feet ever so slightly at Barry’s word but soon regained his composure.

“Correct, I am Peltra, the leader of this community which you have devastated with your senseless violence and killing,” Peltra responded.

Barry couldn’t help but feel shame as he glanced down at the bloodbath around him, but this was no time to get distracted.

“This was not our intention, we were simply trying to help our friend, and also release these poor people from your mind control!” shouted Barry in reply.

A few people shot confused looks at Peltra who completely ignored Barry’s comments.

“How pitiful that you would accuse me of such lies, when the evidence of your own depravity is resting at your very feet. Do you think we will believe the words of a murderer?” Peltra spat back in reply with audible venom in his voice.

“We didn’t want this. These people attacked us, we were merely defending ourselves,” Barry pleaded.

“A likely story. And how do you explain the murder of Geltry who was kidnapped, probably tortured, and then killed!” hissed Peltra as he stepped forward towards the pair.

The group of followers surrounding him also stepped forward in turn, bringing the enclosing circle of initiates in closer. Barry and Knob tensed but held their ground, clenching their respective weapons firmly.

“It wasn’t like that!” shouted Knob, surprising Barry and Peltra.

“Quiet vagrant!” snapped Peltra, “Your words are pointless, we will not fall for your trickery, you despicable worm. Prepare to die!” Peltra bellowed as he stepped forward again.

“No Peltra, don’t hurt them!” came a soft and familiar voice from behind the orc leader.

“Tuti!” Barry and Knob exclaimed in unison.

“Are you ok?” Barry added as he stared forward at the vixant and ape who had appeared to the side of Peltra.

Even from a distance and with the minimal light Barry could see some focus returning to her eyes. Irritated, Peltra turned towards the small vixant.

“Tuti, these men are criminals and they have devastated our community, they must be put to rest like they have done to so many of our people,” Peltra declared gruffly.

“Surely there is another way,” Tuti wailed as she moved closer to Peltra.

The orc leader could feel his anger building at these comments. He could sense his control over Tuti waning and feared what she could do given her strength. These two men had already caused significant damage to his community, and having a third enemy to deal with was not something he could risk.

“Do not question me Tuti. Step back and do not interfere,” Peltra growled lowly.

With that he turned back towards Barry and Knob and began to raise his battle-axe.

“Atta...” Peltra began to shout.

“No!” Tuti screamed whilst rushing forward and grabbing at his chainmail vest in an attempt to stop the orc from initiating the attack on her friends.

With a firm backwards elbow Peltra pushed Tuti off him and sent her stumbling a metre backwards. Tuti stopped her fall and stood stoically, tears falling down her cheek, with Swirly yelping from her shoulder. For the briefest of moments Barry saw all clarity return to Tuti’s eyes as she smiled meekly back at him, just as Peltra’s battle-axe silently cut through her chest, separating her shoulders and head from the rest of her body. Barry watched in horror and disbelief as his friend’s knees buckled, and her top half slid backwards, falling to the ground, whilst blood sprayed forth in incredible quantities. Swirly screeched maniacally and clutched at his beloved bonds head whilst her blood sprayed forth and painted him a deep red. Peltra grinned fiendishly as he turned back towards the humans. His face and chest were splattered with blood, and his red eyes narrowed to meet Barry’s own. Fuelled by adrenaline and rage, Barry howled and sprinted forward.