They camped far enough from the town to hide while keeping its distant lights in view. Umtha was brought out of the secret room angry and spitting to have been left so long. Legeis tried to explain the situation as well as the new plan to rescue the ogre player as she waited for an explanation. Umtha's ears dropped as she pointed a finger in his face, saying they had wasted too much time already. A lively argument full of gestures and stomps ensued as Legeis informed her they were going ahead with or without her help.
“I am very nervous about this plan,” Quinny said as Legeis argued with Umtha about the role her goblins would play.
“What choice do we have?” Heather asked and looked to the distant town that was just a series of lights on the horizon. “They will reset him if we don’t rescue him.”
“I know,” Quinny sighed and looked at Frank as she stood in his ghoul form behind Heather. “You two are wonderful people.”
“Heather and I just wish things were different,” he said and looked to where Blackbast and Breanne were talking. “I hope she’s right about being able to turn him invisible and slip out.”
“She said she’s done this before,” Heather replied as she wondered too.
“She slipped people through walls,” Frank corrected. “She never tried to keep them invisible the whole time.”
“Why is she planning to do that?” Quinny asked.
“Because the ogre is even bigger than me,” Frank replied and put an arm around Heather as she leaned into his chest. “He stands no chance of sneaking out unnoticed otherwise.”
“She says she can do it,” Heather said nervously as she watched Blackbast and Breanne talk. “I hope she's right.”
Breanne stood before Blackbast as she reached up and took the collar off. Instantly she changed back to her normal appearance and let out a nervous sigh.
“I am going to need my full power. You should hold on to this,” Breanne said and handed it to Blackbast. “I will put it back on when I return.”
Blackbast took the collar with a nod and put it in a pouch for safekeeping. “You do not have to wear it all the time,” she said and looked Breanne in the eyes. “Though I do enjoy seeing it around your neck.”
“I thought it was important to maintain the disguise?” Breanne asked.
“It is, but I am aware you find it distasteful,” Blackbast replied. “If you are willing to carry it in your pocket, I am fine with you putting it on only when needed.”
“I will consider it,” Breanne said with a slight smile. “To be honest, I have grown rather fond of the disguise, and it isn't like you demand we serve the role.”
“It allows us some measure of safety,” Blackbast agreed. “Though this Skullman seems to have seen right through it.”
“He and I have a bit of a storied history,” Breanne said with a sigh. “He is also familiar with Heather, Quinny, and Frank. He must have seen us and put it together.”
“Let us hope no more of your past so easily sees through our deception,” Blackbast said with an odd smile. “When you come back, will you do me the honor of allowing me to put it back on?”
“You enjoy locking people in those things, don’t you?” Breanne asked.
“Oh, but I do,” Blackbast purred. “But I promised not to lock any of you, and I will honor our agreement. If you should ever change your mind, I would be happy to make it permanent.”
Breanne smiled and turned away before pausing to look back and say she would consider that too. Heather nearly laughed to see the surprised look on Blackbast's face as Breanne approached the group to witness the last of the argument.
“She is still unhappy about the plan,” Breanne said and folded her arms. “I don’t need her help if she is going to be this much trouble.”
“I want the goblins to go,” Heather said with a shake of her head. “I hate the idea of you going into that place alone. At least they can report back if something happens.”
“I have done this sort of thing before,” Breanne reminded. “It will all go fine, and I will be back in less than two hours.”
“We hope,” Heather sighed and turned to face her. “Don’t take any risks.”
“This whole thing is a risk,” Breanne pointed out. “But one I am uniquely suited to taking.”
“I still think I should fly overhead as a bird,” Heather argued, but Breanne shook her head as the argument finally ended.
“Well, she's going to help,” Legeis said as he joined the group. “She already has a dozen of her stealthy goblins here and will send them with Breanne, but she doesn't want them to go into the town. They will follow her to the wall and wait outside for one hour. If she doesn't come back, they will send a runner to tell us while the others go in to find her.”
“But she could be dead by then?” Heather protested.
“It’s all I could get her to agree on,” Legeis replied with a shrug. “She thinks it will be harder for Breanne to sneak in if the goblins are shadowing her. She doesn’t want them to risk the city unless she doesn’t return in time.”
“I agree,” Breanne replied as she made a slight smile. “I have true invisibility, and I can pass through some very thick walls. I would have to limit myself for the goblin's sake if they were going to follow me the whole way in.”
“Well, be careful,” Heather replied and hugged her. “If you don't come back, I am coming to find you.”
“If I don’t’ come back in two hours, you should all run,” Breanne corrected and reminded the group that she had a dungeon heart. She would respawn back at their lairs and use magic doors to rejoin them if she died. Quinny and Frank wished her luck, and with a final nod, she faded into her spectral form and drifted into the night.
Breanne crossed the countryside as fast as she could fly, with the goblins running behind her. She reached the outer wall in just over half an hour and waited for the goblins to get in place around the base. They faded into the shadows to wait and hide, so Breanne took that as her cue and faded from sight as well. She then floated right through the wall and arrived in an alley on the other side.
From here, it was a simple matter of looking for their holding cells, which she guessed would be close to the plaza. She flew up and traveled over rooftops, using invisibility to ensure nobody saw a thing. There was still a risk that she might wander into a magical trap, but by avoiding the ground, that risk was likely minimal. There were still players in the streets, and she was careful to avoid them. Ten minutes later, she was in the plaza, using her magic to double her defenses. With a weave of shadows, she was able to blend into the darkness and move about silently. Nearby the stage where the ogre was displayed was a stone blockhouse that resembled a fortress. NPC guards stood at a metal gate to deter intruders from going in.
Breanne floated undetected to a wall and carefully touched the bricks. There were spells that could be placed on walls and structures that would prevent her passage or even burn her for being undead. If the walls were consecrated, she would find passing them a challenge, but her hand easily slipped into the stone, indicating they were safe.
With confidence, she flew through to become just another shadow in the yard. A quick search revealed the only thing of notice was a pair of massive oak doors.
“This looks big enough for an ogre to use,” she said and carefully touched it to ensure it was safe. A moment later, she was inside a dimly lit corridor with all the charm of a castle dungeon. Using her shadow spells, she darkened the torches on the wall, limiting the light they produced so her weave of shadows would conceal better. The hall went down a shallow ramp until it was well underground. It opened into a round chamber where four NPC guards sat at a table playing a game of dice. She sank into the walls and slipped passed them, heading through a door on the other side.
With a pleased smile, she looked down the long row of cells that marked the prison that would contain her target. Instead of going down the hall that might be warded, she entered a cell and went through walls one by one until halfway down, she found him.
He sat on the ground with head lowered and shoulder sunk as if resigned that his fate was all but certain. Breanne came through the wall like a ghost and hovered in the air with her haunting red eyes glaring down on him.
He leaned back as if alarmed, then narrowed his eyes, struggling to see in the dim light. Breanne was surprised at how civil and calm he looked. He was more like a massive and broad human with a bald head and slight tusks poking out of his lower lips. He had a thick brow that was creased with worry above a broad flat nose. The rest of his body was a wall of muscle and brute strength. Breanne wondered why he hadn't simply ripped the door from his cage.
“Who are you?” he asked in an unusually clear voice.
“My name isn't important,” she said and fully entered his cell. “I need you to get up. I have come to rescue you.”
“How?” he asked and nodded to the door. “Do you have the key?”
“I don’t need the key,” Breanne said with a wicked smile. “I am a ghost-type class called a banshee. I can carry you through the walls with me, and we can slip into the night.”
“I am not exactly stealthy,” he pointed out as he stood and towered over Breanne. “I don’t hide easily.”
Breanne was struck speechless by how big he was close up. His frame was insanely powerful, and he carried himself with an odd kind of nobility, looking at her with a thoughtful gaze.
“Are you going to tell me your name?” he asked when she was silent for too long.
“Breanne,” she replied nervously as she felt silly for saying it wasn’t important earlier.
“I am very pleased to meet you, Lady Breanne. My name is Grumosh, and I am an Ogre conqueror.” He finished his sentence with a slight bow and then returned his gaze to her. “Now, how do you plan to get me out of the city?”
“I am going to carry you the whole way,” Breanne said as she struggled to think clearly. “I will fly us over the rooftops and then pass through the outer wall. Once we are outside, I will keep you concealed until you are well away.”
“You can carry me?” he asked with a raised brow.
“I don't mean literally carry you. I need to touch you to make you spectral; then I can pull you through the walls,” she explained. “I also have access to shadow magic and can use some of the spells to help conceal our passage.”
“You make it sound like you have done this before,” he said with an approving nod.
“Many times,” Breanne replied with a stern gaze. “I refuse to let people treat monster players this way. I have some friends nearby who feel the same way, but I could not risk them coming with me. I do have some goblin allies waiting just outside the wall. They will assist if we need it.”
“A noblewoman with a noble heart and earnest friends,” he said approvingly. “I had almost begun to believe I would never find a player like you.”
Breanne struggled to focus on the task at hand while hoping her banshee form couldn't blush. She floated to his side and explained how her touch would feel cold. She also warned him that passing through walls would feel like water, but he needed to keep calm.
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“You have my trust,” he said, and she took his arm.
She quickly pulled him into the ether and floated him off the floor. He looked around in amazement and nodded that he was ready to go. Instead of going back the way she came, she went up instead, slowly coming through the floor to make sure it was safe. They were inside a hall with a guard walking away, so she pulled him to the closest wall and arrived in the outer yard.
“This does feel funny,” he said as they arrived in the fort's yard. She placed a weave of shadows on him and then took him to the wall and pulled him through. Now they were in an alley outside, and despite the spells, he tried to hide along the wall.
“We need to go up and over the roofs,” Breanne said as one of the moons lit up the night sky.
“We will be easier to see up there,” he pointed out.
“We risk stumbling into a magical trap if we stay on the streets,” Breanne argued. “Even I can’t avoid a trap meant to reveal ghosts or rouges.”
“This town has a strong hunter presence,” he said with a nod. “If the traps don’t get you, those hunting beasts will sniff you out.”
“Then we agree to use the roofs?” Breanne asked.
“It would appear I have no choice but to defer to your experience,” he replied with a smile.
Breanne looked away and focused on flying them both up and resting just above the nearest roof. He was right about the moonlight illuminating the area, but she could deepen the shadows where needed. She laid out a few spells to deepen the shadows and create dark pockets, then strained to make him invisible. To her dismay, his size was an issue, and keeping him both immaterial and invisible was rapidly draining her power.
“You seem a little too skilled at this,” he said as they huddled in a shadow along a wall.
“And you seem a little too articulate for an ogre,” she replied while watching two players walk down a lane they needed to cross.
“I suppose that I am a bit of a contradiction. I admit I picked the class for the strength,” he replied as they waited for safety. “But I don’t see why I should pretend I am stupid just to fit other people’s expectations.”
“I agree with your point,” she said and leaned out to get a better view. “But why not pick one of the strong hero races.”
“Because I didn't want to be a hero,” he replied with a shrug. “I would rather live in my compound and sleep on a bed of skins from bears that I killed. I don't like the comfortable life these heroes chase after, using magic to do the simplest tasks.”
“Do you prefer a rustic life?” Breanne asked with a ghostly smile.
“A would call it a simple life,” he replied as she stepped out.
“The road is clear,” she said and focused on making him invisible again. She raced across the open gape, arriving at a distant roof just as a party of three players turned the corner.
“Why are we being so careful if we are invisible?” he asked as they ducked into another shadow beside a chimney.
“Because it isn’t perfect,” Breanne huffed. “I can make myself invisible easily, but making others invisible is very taxing. You are so large that keeping you completely invisible is too much of a strain, so I have settled for making you transparent. With my extra shadow spells in place, you are very hard to see when standing still. But when we run….”
“The motion is easy to detect,” he said with a nod.
“Exactly,” she whispered and deepened more shadows on the roofs ahead. She then took the lead, carrying him to the next shadows until they were leaning over another street.
“You look tired,” he noted as Breanne watched the road.
“I am using my magic up quickly,” Breanne admitted. “It’s like I am trying to keep four people spectral at once.”
“Leave me behind if you can't get me out safely,” he insisted.
“I am not leaving you behind,” Breanne snapped and glared at him with her glowing red eyes. “I came this far, and I am not giving up now.”
“I appreciate your tenacity, but I would not desire to see such a noblewoman come to harm because of me,” he replied.
“That decision is mine to make,” she replied and poked his massive chest. “Now, you drop this subject so I can concentrate.”
“I will trouble you no more,” he said with a wide smile.
Breanne focused on the open lane that was unusually well lit by magic lanterns. If they could cross this gap safely, they would be over halfway to the outer wall. The street appeared empty from their vantage point, but anyone could come out a door without notice. She was also very aware that her strength was waning. His size was difficult to manage, and it was depleting her power faster than anticipated.
With no reason to wait, she dashed across the gap and was halfway across when something flew overhead. They arrived at the roof on the other side, and she strained to pull him into a wall to help hide his bulk while looking back with concern.
A player standing on a magical green disk floated into view and called up a light spell to illuminate the rooftops.
“He has seen us,” Grumosh said.
“Keep quiet,” Breanne whispered as she slowly pulled him through the wall to avoid the motion drawing attention. They passed into a bedroom just as the player illuminated the shadows they had been hiding in.
“He must not have gotten a good look at us,” Grumosh said as they hid in the room, watching the light pass over the window. “If we're lucky, he will think it was just a trick of the light and shadows.”
Breanne nodded weakly and suggested they press on. He turned to lift her head and saw the strain in her eyes.
“You can't keep this up,” he said with an understanding gaze. “It's too much to keep me spectral and fly over the city, isn't it?”
“I can manage it,” Breanne replied and took a defiant stance.
“But for how much longer?” he asked. “Are you going to run out of strength just as we reach the walls?”
“I will do what I have to do,” Breanne said defiantly. “Now, let's move before my friends wonder what happened to me.”
“At least risk the streets,” he urged. “It will conserve your strength if you don’t have to carry me.”
“Fine,” Breanne relented. “But first, I need to get us there.” She strained to carry him through the back wall and several more before coming out the front of the house. She picked a deep shadow to deposit him in and then let go of her power.
“I am still covered in shadows?” he asked as he held up his hand.
“I don't have to concentrate to maintain that,” she said and let out a deep sigh. “It will help a little but again, only if you stand still.”
He nodded and looked around to see if the path ahead was safe. Nobody stirred in the streets, so he turned back to Breanne with another idea.
“Become solid,” he said and held out his arms. “I will carry you.”
“Why would you do that?” Breanne asked as she nearly faltered, stumbling to one side as she held her dizzy head.
“That’s why,” he said and stepped closer to tower over her. “Now, you have brought me this far at great personal risk. Let me carry you the rest of the way so you can conserve your strength for the wall.”
Breanne's visage started to color as the gaunt face was replaced by fair flesh. Her hair became smooth as silk and dark as the night around them. She looked back with her green elven eyes as he nodded as if in understanding.
“An elf maiden,” he said as if surprised, then smiled slightly. “I shouldn't be so surprised that you are beautiful. After all, they say true beauty reflects the soul.”
“Are you trying to flatter me?” Breanne asked as she smiled slightly.
“Only sharing what I feel,” he said and swept her up, easily cradling her in one arm.
“Well, I feel exhausted,” Breanne admitted as she clung to his chest. “I didn’t realize your size would be such a strain.”
“I am sorry to be such a burden,” he replied and stepped out of the shadows into a narrow lane. “But I will endeavor to make it up to you.”
Breanne nodded as he ran across the lane and ducked into another alley, her shadow weave masking his prescience as he squeezed down the narrow passage. He struggled with his bulk in the confined space but went out of his way to carry her gently. She found herself clinging to his chest and marveling at the powerful frame. It reminded her of the bars that held him, so she had to ask why he hadn't simply bent them to escape.
“They are magically enchanted to drain your strength if you touch them,” he replied as he looked around a corner into the next street. “I tried to escape two days ago.”
“Two days ago? How long have you been here?” she asked.
“Almost a week,” he guessed, not really sure. “I was under a sleep spell for most of it, so I can't be certain.”
“I am sorry you had to endure that,” Breanne sighed.
“I’m not,” he replied and turned to look at her as he adjusted his arm. “If I hadn’t been captured, I might never have met you.”
She smiled and had to look away as he dared to step into the light and thumped as he raced across the street. He found the next alley a little wider and quickly dashed between the buildings into the shadows.
“What made you come to New Eden?” she asked as they crept along.
“Would you believe I was a scrawny shut-in nerd that people picked on?” he replied.
“I do find that hard to believe,” she admitted.
“Well, it is the truth,” he said and looked around the next corner to see five players heading away at one end of the street. “I was rather unimpressive and didn't have much time for things like sports. I was much more inclined to read a book or listen to a great composer. My time in school was a misery, to say the least. I spent a lot of time playing MMOs because, at least there, I could pretend I was strong. I always played the strongest race available, and frequently those were the savage ones. I was just going into college when the visitors arrived, and when they invited people into New Eden, I saw my chance.”
Breanne understood his pain and patted his chest to show her sympathy. He thumped across the next street to hide in a shadow along a low wall. He had to follow it and arrived at a locked metal gate barring their passage into the next yard. With one hand, he tore it free and set it aside to squeeze through a narrow archway.
“So you could have torn those bars apart,” Breanne said approvingly.
“I could have twisted those bars like they were straws if they hadn’t been enchanted,” he said as they entered a private yard. “So, why did you come to New Eden?”
Breanne felt nervous to admit her reasons but, with a sigh, explained the whole story. She didn't tell him her actual age but made no effort to hide that she was old enough to be in a home. Her life was mostly behind her, and the days ahead were empty of meaning. New Eden was a chance at a new life filled with all the blessings of youth.
“Then you have the great blessing of age and the appreciation that gives you,” he said.
“How exactly do you figure I have appreciation?” she asked.
“Your time in that home has given you an appreciation for the blessings of youth,” he said. “You, far more than I, understand what this new life offers.”
“I would swear you had a few years under your belt,” Breanne countered. “You speak with a very mature point of view.”
“I liked to read,” he replied and then stepped back. “Quiet. There is an NPC patrol coming.”
Breanne tensed and readied herself to make him spectral if they needed to. He moved deeper into the shadows between two buildings as six men in armor walked by in the street. Neither of them dared to breathe as the guards strolled by, talking about getting a drink.
“It always amazes me how lifelike they appear,” Breanne said as they crept up to watch the guards go.
“I have spoken to players who say they were originally not like that,” Grumosh said. “I have a theory that the visitors are studying us and using that knowledge to improve them. We may be helping to build an AI that believes itself to be a player.”
It was the most interesting concept she had heard to explain the nature of NPCs. Not only was he strong, but he was a remarkably deep thinker. She admired that as he crept out and headed for the next alley and the final street before the wall. He squeezed down another narrow alley and into a small yard dominated by a tall marble statue of a woman. From here, he looked over the garden wall to check the next lane.
“Almost there,” she said as the wall loomed ahead.
“And yet so far,” he replied and stepped back. “There are players on this street, and they have two hunting cats.”
“I should have enough strength to make you completely invisible for a few moments,” Breanne suggested, but Grumosh shook his head and looked into the yard.
“What we need is a distraction,” he suggested and set Breanne down. He then went to the statue and grabbed it with both hands. Breanne watched in amazement as he lifted a statue as tall as she was and, with incredible strength, hurled it into the air. It flew over the houses and down the street to crash in a loud rumble. He was at her side in an instant to sweep her up and carry her away.
As he hoped, the players left to investigate the disturbance giving them the opening they needed. He quickly crossed the street and hurried down one final alley to the wall. Breanne took over and made them both spectral. With a strained groan, she pulled him through the city walls, and a few moments later, they emerged as she practically collapsed.
“Where are your friends?” he asked as she scooped her up and cradled her to his chest.
“The goblins are all around us, but you can’t see them,” Breanne groaned and pointed into the night. “But we need to go that way.”
He nodded and thundered off, carrying Breanne gently in his arms. She guided him as they talked about where he would go. He explained how he had a whole encampment hidden among the mountains in the north. She listened as he described his home with a passion few people could manifest. He truly did love what he was and his simple way of life. Breanne thought he would be bogged down with the endless requirements of survival, but he admitted he did have some perks. He had a few NPCs who did most basic chores and acted as a defense. Aside from them, he was all alone and spent many nights sitting beside a fire to think.
Breanne told him about her home in the swamps and mountains that surrounded them. She admitted that she had been alone for a long time before meeting her friends and sympathized with his isolation.
They finally drew close enough to see the trees where her friends waited, and Frank was the first to spot them. He set Breanne down just before the trees, and she led him in to introduce the others.
“A very interesting mix of friends,” he noted as he looked them over. “I am glad you have such good company.”
“We are glad you are free,” Heather said as she clung to Frank’s arm. “We hated to see you in that place.”
“I am exhausted,” Breanne moaned and looked weak on her legs.
“Come,” Blackbast urged and took her hand. “You will ride in the palanquin, my pet.” She took Breanne to the palanquin and sat her on the edge before producing the leather slave collar. “Now, be a good pet and accept my yoke.”
Breanne looked up with wide eyes and met Grumosh's gaze as Blackbast snapped the collar around her neck. She saw his expression change and hung her head, unable to bear it.
“You’re a slave girl?” he asked and looked around to notice the collar on Heather’s neck. “So are you.”
“So is Quinny,” Heather added as Quinny pointed to her collar with a smile.
“Please don’t think any less of me,” Breanne asked as she hung her head. She was surprised when Grumosh got down on one knee before her and placed a hand over hers.
“I could never think less of you,” he said as softly as he could. “Truth be told, that collar makes me respect you even more.”
“It does?” Breanne asked as she looked up.
“In my experience, only two types of women wear such things. One is the type that is weak and easily controlled, but the other is noble and strong-willed. She wears the collar because she wants to and seeks to sow happiness by serving another. Her heart is full of love, and she is a great blessing to her master. I think we both know which one you are.”
“She is indeed a blessing to me,” Blackbast agreed as Breanne blushed deeply. “She has a deep respect for the collar and a heart of gold.”
“Could I speak to you alone?” Grumosh asked as he looked at Blackbast. She nodded, and together they headed out of the camp as Quinny and Heather came to Breanne's side.
“Is he sweet on you?” Heather asked with a growing smile.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Breanne replied as she watched him talk with Blackbast. “He was just being polite.”
“Then why are you blushing?” Quinny asked.
“It just caught me off guard,” Breanne remarked and tried not to look Quinny in the eye. They watched as Blackbast and Grumosh talked about something for nearly ten minutes, with Blackbast looking back every so often. Finally, Blackbast nodded, and the two returned to camp as Grumosh said his farewells.
“I thank you all for the aid you have given me. I hope one day to repay it,” he said and looked to Breanne. “I also hope you will understand my desire. I would like more time to discuss it, but they will discover me missing soon, and I can't be caught here with you.”
“Do you have a weapon or anything?” Heather asked as he turned to go.
“I am afraid my weapons are back at my home,” he replied. “My fists will have to suffice until I get there.”
“Here, take this,” Legeis said and pulled the hammer from the back of his armor. “I got it fighting a wild ogre, so it should suit your size.
Grumosh took the massive weapon with a nod and tested the heft. He bowed his head to Legeis and, with a final farewell to Breanne, headed into the night.
“I hope he makes it home,” Breanne said as he vanished into the darkness.
“I wonder what he meant by you understanding his desire,” Heather said.
“That was an odd thing to say,” Breanne agreed.
“I can answer that,” Blackbast purred with a pleased smile as she leaned over to
whisper in Breanne's ear.
The quiet dark of the night was broken by the shrill cry of Breanne's voice as she screamed in sudden shock.
“He did what!”