Dhek groaned as his consciousness was pulled from the brink. He stirred for a moment, unable to focus on his surroundings as he felt the restraints around his hands and legs. The beads of warmth trickling down his chin stained his shirt a dark crimson. Mixed in with the sickeningly metallic taste in his mouth was something else.

“Rise and shine,” a voice hissed, as Dhek’s eyes finally adjusted to the dungeon’s flickering lights. The guard in front of him grinned a toothy, broken smile, his ashen glare sending shivers down his spine. Dhek then noticed the small, half-empty vial clutched inside the dwarf’s hand. “Are we ready for round two, chief?” the guard asked, barely making an effort to mask his glee as he turned around.

Next to the dimly lit chamber’s door, the dwarf, clad in hardened leather armor, sighed as he stood up from the chair. Towering over the brown-haired guard by almost a head and a half, rhet Khadar stared disappointedly at Dhek as he spoke. “I had expected more from you. But I guess failure runs in the family for you Modins. Honestly, if this is it for you, you should have just run away like that coward brother of yours.”

Shame gripped Dhek momentarily before quickly giving way to rage. “You of all people have no right to–”

The guard captain’s gauntlet flashed across his face as a new wave of blood gushed out of Dhek’s mouth. “Speak only when you are permitted to do so, you cur.” Another sigh escaped Khadar. “I mean… really, what sort of pathetic dwarf disobeys a direct order just to stand up for a pair of human mages of all things…”

Lowering his gaze, Dhek had started to tune out the captain’s drivel. Numbness washed over him as the ember of rage within him died out. In its place, that overwhelming feeling of shame had returned, deep within the pit of his stomach. ‘I’m sorry Loke… you were right. You were right about all of them. If only I had actually left Troria with you…’ He sighed and fought back against the sensation of tears welling up in his eyes.

The sound of footsteps reached Dhek’s ears, followed by the creak of the chamber’s rusty door. He jerked his head up and gasped at the surprised emerald stare looking back at him. “Thal Goldur…?” he whispered.

“Khadar… what’s the meaning of this?” Goldur asked, whipping his head in the guard captain’s direction.

“Sir! Run and get help!” Dhek yelled, his voice trembling. “The captain’s taken two adepts hostage. Run before–”

Khadar’s gauntlet lashed across his face again as the guard captain spun around and knelt on one knee in front of Goldur. “Apologies. I merely wanted to find out if the dogs from the Mages Guild had told him anything, back when he tried to aid them.”

“You there!” Goldur snapped and glared and the dwarf still holding the half-empty health potion. “Take that sorry excuse of a man back to his cell. You can deal with him later.”

The room felt as if it was spinning around Dhek. He swallowed hard, trying to force back the bile rushing up his throat as the brown-haired dwarf hoisted him up by the back of his shirt. “Move it,” he hissed through broken teeth.

“There’s another one!” Dhek heard Goldur telling the captain, dragging his feet in order to hear more of their conversation. “Another adept showed up and he’s already asking questions! How did he even get past the checkpoint?!”

“I’ll get right on it, thal,” said Khadar.

“You had better,” Goldur growled. “It’s about time we cleaned up everything. Including our business with that bitch and her patsy…”

With the voices of the two dwarfs now just a distant whisper, Dhek scanned the cells along their way. ‘Empty? They kept bringing Strangers here, but I’ve never actually seen any of them get taken back. So, the rumors must be true…’ As they walked past an adjacent corridor, Dhek finally saw another closed jail cell besides his own. And while his weary eyes couldn’t make out anything clearly inside, he could’ve sworn he saw something stirring in the dark.

****

The door to the foreman’s house opened, but Drake and Lilly didn’t see Pike standing in the doorway. Instead, two pale-green eyes stared up at them from a curly mess of auburn hair.

“Who are you?” the little girl asked, knitting her brow as she then turned back to yell from the top of her lungs. “Ellie! Someone’s here!”

Shuffling noises, followed by the sound of something shattering and then a muttered curse reached Drake and Lilly’s ears as Mrs. Ellie hurried out of the kitchen. “Why, hello there,” the woman smiled, curtsying slightly and grabbing Lilly by the hand to lead her inside. “You must be Ms. Lilly and Mr. Drake. Now, don’t be shy, come in!”

Once more, the two found themselves seated around the foreman’s coffee table as Mrs. Ellie set a small, ornate tray on the table. On it was a teapot, a couple of cups, and a bowl stuffed with something resembling puff pastries. “I apologize,” said the caretaker as she poured the amber colored liquid into the cups. “Mr. Pike did mention that he was expecting guests today. So, I whipped up a couple of pies, but they still need a bit of time in the oven, since I didn’t think you would be arriving this soon.”

“Please,” said Drake, raising his hands and gesturing for Mrs. Ellie to also take a seat. “You didn’t have to bother so much for our sake.”

“Nonsense!” the caretaker frowned as if dismissing a kid’s ridiculous fib. “It’s been weeks since I’ve seen the Sir smiling about anything that didn’t have to do with Anna.”

“If you don’t mind us asking,” said Lilly, taking a careful sip from the cup in front of her, “where did Mr. Pike go?”

“Oh, he said he had to stop by the mine to get a couple of things in order.”

‘He might be trying to get that spell tablet from the warehouse,’ Drake thought to himself, his gaze fixated on a singular point on the table.

“No need to stare a hole right through the bowl,” Lilly chuckled as she took one of the pastries. “Just grab a piece.” But the moment she bit into it, her eyes widened with sheer amazement. “These are so good!” she groaned, licking her fingers and immediately reaching out for another one. “On second thought, there’s no rush. Take all the time you need!”

Drake shook his head and sighed, a creak drawing his attention towards the top of the stairs that lead to the second floor. Glaring at him from behind the wooden guardrail, Anna huffed loudly and then left.

“I take it she’s not thrilled that we’re here?” Drake asked, his gaze still lingering on the spot that the girl had just left.

“Please don’t think ill of her,” Mrs. Ellie smiled as her chipper mood had begun to wane. “Sir was supposed to take Anna into town today so that she could choose an apron for herself.”

“An apron?” Lilly asked.

“I promised to teach her a few things,” said the caretaker, “now that she’s finally feeling better.”

Raising an eyebrow, Drake asked. “So, is the treatment really working then?”

“As far as I can tell, yes," Mrs. Ellie replied, biding her time for just a moment. “I know Mr. Pike isn’t Mrs. Paula’s biggest fan, but I also know Jonathan, the boy that’s always by her side. His dad left before he could even form words, and his mom died in the mine a couple of years back. That’s when Mrs. Paula took him in to help her out with her patients. He’s a good kid. So, if he trusts her, then that’s more than enough for me.”

The caretaker’s story gave Drake pause. Turning to look at Lilly, he saw that she also didn’t know what to make of the woman’s story. A moment later, he heard her voice inside his head.

Maybe the healer really is just trying to help people by doing stuff for the Conclave. I mean, not everyone even remotely associated with them has to have some sort of secret agenda. You know what I mean?

He scratched his head and sighed. Lilly had a point. The fact that she was also so open to the notion annoyed him even further. Especially since she was the one that had pushed so hard for the idea that Paula had to be involved in something shady. But if the healer really didn’t have any other connection to the Conclave other than trying to secure some funds, then they were almost back to square one. Their only other lead, as in the exiled players having something to do with the adepts’ disappearances, was also a longshot.

“Boss, quick!” Drake heard Zeph yelling inside his head. “There’s someone upstairs!” Without giving him the opportunity to say anything, the spirit continued. “And I DON’T mean the little girl!”

He shot up from the chair, startling both Mrs. Ellie and Lilly. He then vaulted over the coffee table. His eyes lit up, leaving faint blue trails as he bolted up the flight of stairs. Sensing two presences in the room closest to the landing, he slammed the door open. A large thug, dressed in studded leather armor, looked at him dumbfounded as he pressed his hand over Anna’s mouth, smothering her tear-filled scream. Snapping out of it, the thug hoisted the little girl up and jumped out the opened window.

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“Zeph!”

“On it!” said the spirit, a powerful gale erupting around Drake as he leaped over the windowsill. Aiming his hands down, he unleashed a violent gust of wind just before he landed in the garden surrounding the house. “To the left!” Zeph yelled as he listened for the muffled sounds of Anna’s wails, Lilly’s voice echoing faintly from somewhere in the house.

The dusty walls of Harkon’s alleys rushed past Drake. He gave chase, heading deeper into the maze-like streets as they finally turned onto a longer stretch. Raising his arm, Drake conjured a Manabolt within his palm and aimed. He then stopped and fired.

At that moment, whether through luck or intuition, the black-haired man glanced back and sidestepped, stumbling into a nearby wall as the magical projectile raced past him, illuminating the dim alley. But by the time the thug regained his balance, Drake had already closed the distance. His palm then slammed into the man’s face as a brutal surge of air burst out from the point of impact. Screaming, the thug fell on his back, releasing Anna as he pressed his hands to his face.

“M-my eyes!” the man howled, tears streaming between his fingers. “You’ll pay for this, you bastard!”

But as the man lurched up, baring his teary, bloodshot eyes at him, Drake leaned back, shielding Anna as he braced himself and yelled. “Spell Piercer!”

The whirling, sphere of mana crashed into the failed kidnapper’s chest, hurling him into the wall and knocking him unconscious. Drake glared at the downed man, his blood beginning to boil when he felt the little girl grab onto him. He sighed, pushing down his anger as he felt her silent, trembling gasps.

“You okay?” he asked, kneeling to pick her up. Still shaking, Anna nodded, burying her head in his shoulder. He took another look at the thug before scanning the area around them and contacting Lilly. “I’ve got Anna. Is everything okay at the house?”

Yeah, I’m here with Mrs. Ellie. What the fuck just happened?

“Someone tried to kidnap Anna,” he replied as he ran back towards the house.

Wait, what?! Why? Is she okay?!

“She’s fine and we’re on our way back. But the house is definitely not safe right now.”

No shit… Alright, I’ll fill Mrs. Ellie and we’ll meet you at the inn. Okay?

“Got it.”

****

“Nothing,” Vala sighed, stepping out of the cave. Her eyes darted towards her HUD to check the time. She then accessed the map in her inventory. “Just a couple more places left to check… If those players are still around Harkon, then they must be holed up somewhere further away.”

“Maybe they just left,” said Mia as she came up beside Vala. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? They die on the way to another town and just respawn back in Harkon. Then they try again once the guards kick them out, right?”

“Sh’s rig’t, y’know.”

“Swallow!” Vala groaned, her skin crawling at the sound of the lycan’s incessant chewing.

“What?” said Bane, raising his brow as he took out another handful of nuts from his rations. “You’re the one that said we can’t afford to take another break.”

“That’s because by the time we get back, it’ll be almost dark outside,” said Vala. She then took out their compass, checking to see the direction in which way they had to go now. “Anyway, if you insist on stuffing your face like that, at least make yourself useful and message Drake and Lilly. Tell them we’ll be on our way back soon.”

“O’ky,” Bane mumbled before finally swallowing. “Done.”

A little while later, the three had finally reached the last area that Vala had marked down on their map: a small inlet hidden at the base of the mountains surrounding Harkon. But while the area certainly could have lent itself to being a comfortable campsite, they still didn’t find anyone.

“Well, I guess that settles it,” said Vala, “let’s head back.” As the other two nodded, following just behind her, she glanced back at the lycan. “Say, Bane, that ability of yours that you used on me, does it also work at a distance?”

“No idea,” he answered, raising his hand. A moment later, the lycan’s gray fur had taken on an even darker color, shimmering and swaying in the light breeze. “Let’s test it out!”

Extending his hand towards Vala’s shield, Bane frowned for a second, trying his best to concentrate. However, nothing had happened. Only when the lycan’s fingers had gotten close enough to touch her shield did Vala even feel the slight increase in her kite shield’s weight.

“Hmm,” Bane muttered, “seems like I have to be physically in contact with whatever I’m targeting for it to actually work.”

“Even so,” said Vala, “if you learn how to properly use that spell, melee fighters are going to have one hell of a time dealing with you. Especially anyone wearing heavy armor.”

“I’m counting on that,” he replied, all while looking at Vala with the most mischievous grin possible. A moment later, the lycan’s ears perked as he turned towards her and Mia. “Oh! It’s Drake!” he said, nodding along to whatever the mage was telling him. However, Bane’s silly grin soon turned into a frown.

“What’s wrong?” Mia asked.

“Someone tried to kidnap the foreman’s daughter.”

****

“We there yet?” one of the players asked, shuffling forward to see the road ahead of the wagon.

Craning his neck, Correy eyed the rogue behind him. “Not quite, Lex,” he answered. Alexius, or ‘Lex’, kept to himself for the most part. But he was at least the sort of guy to take everything in stride, including his avatar’s death at the hands of those two NPCs, back when they had attacked that dwarven merchant’s caravan. “With a bit of luck,” Correy continued, “we might get there by nightfall. Right, Patterson?”

The tall, pale-skinned man groaned, ignoring the question as he tugged on the reins of the ox-like beast pulling the wagon.

“See?” Correy grinned. “Just like I told you. Thanks, Patterson, always a pleasure talking to you.” He rolled his eyes as his words fell on deaf ears again, not getting even the slightest rise out of the alderman’s greasy-haired lapdog.

So far, the road had been nothing but trees and even more trees, an endless sea of green and brown, interspersed with the occasional splotches of bright, blue sky shining through the thick canopy. So, when they finally entered a large clearing, the early autumn sun forcing them to squint as it barreled down on them, every last one of the five players riding in the back got up to check it out.

“Shit,” sighed a female player, wearing a tattered, gray robe. “I thought that forest was never going to end…”

Eyes half closed and leaning back, Correy did his best to tune out the random ramblings of everyone else, but his patience had almost reached its limit as well. As a small bump in the road shook his eyes open, a slim, plume of smoke caught his attention.

“Hey, Patterson,” said Correy, raising his voice as he continued to stare at the column of smoke in the distance. “Let’s check that out.”

The man didn’t reply, but half an hour later, the lanky, brown-haired man had stopped the wagon close to the smoke’s origin. Itching for absolutely any form of entertainment, Correy and the others jumped out and entered the forest. It wasn’t long before they finally found a roaring bonfire responsible for the pillar of smoke and soot. But what they didn’t expect to find was over two dozen players loitering around the fire.

“Who the hell are you people?” one of them asked. The player in question, a male taur, got up and headed for Correy and his group. A good quarter of the others had followed the taur’s example, keeping close to one another as they each drew their weapons.

Correy grinned as he eyed the other six standing behind the taur. “Easy there, pal. No need to get hostile,” he said, raising both of his hands up in the air and pointing towards the raging bonfire. “We saw the smoke. We’re on our way to Harkon, and since we haven’t seen anyone else in over a day, we were curious.”

The moment they heard the name of their destination, the mood of the taur and everyone else around him soured immediately. “Hah,” the taur spat, frowning as he stared into Correy’s eyes. “Good luck with that.”

“What do you mean?” Lex asked. “What’s luck have to do with it?”

“The whole place has it out for us players,” said one of the men next to the taur. “This genius over here tried to rob a store, got busted, and then killed one of the guards,” he added, gesturing towards a bald, bearded man to his side.

“Can it, Shado,” the bald man snapped.

“Okay…” said Correy, raising an eyebrow. “That still doesn’t explain what you all are doing here.”

The taur sighed. “After that, the dwarfs started rounding all the players up to try and torture them before booting them out of town. Not that they can actually do that, but still… They also have the entire town square surrounded. So, if you can’t change your spawn point before they get to you, they just pick you up the instant you log back in.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Correy grinned. “I think I have a proposition that you might find tempting.” In the meantime, the remaining players had also left the bonfire, surrounding Correy, Lex, and the others. “We just so happen to have some business in Harkon that requires us to raise some hell, so how about you all–”

“The answer is no,” the taur snorted, raising his longsword and cutting Correy off.

“Maybe we should hear them out,” said Shado, the bald player.

“Angus, you should really listen to the man,” Correy mocked.

“Watch it,” the taur snarled before turning around to face the others. “Didn’t we already decide that we were going to head on over to another town? I mean, what? Just because these assholes showed up, you think that suddenly changes our situation? If we go back, we’ll just have to deal with those damned dwarfs again. So, no! Over my dead body!”

“Heh, that can be arranged!” Correy smiled, summoning his axes as he lobbed one straight into the taur’s back, bowling him over.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Correy shot towards the taur, cocking his axe back as he then saw the bald player aim his sword towards him. Grinning, he darted into range as Shado’s sword slashed his side. But instead of stopping, Correy simply rammed the bald man, toppling him to the ground as his axe crashed down into his skull.

A burst of sparkling red light exploded from the spot where the player’s body had just been. And before his Axe Throw’s stun could wear off, Correy grabbed his other weapon, tearing it out of the taur’s back. He then stifled the pained groan filling the air as another explosion of sparkling, red mist replaced the taur’s body.

No one said a word as the axeman sighed, tilting his neck to work out a crick. “So,” he said, scanning the other players’ faces, “how about it? Who wants to get some damned revenge on those shitty dwarfs?!”

One Good Turn Deserves Another Update: You have asked a group of Strangers exiled from Harkon to assist you. Lead the raid on the town and use the ensuing chaos as a cover to carry out your assignment.

Get into contact with Paula, one of the local Conclave members, and assess the situation before you proceed to eliminate all of the Conclave’s loose ends.

Quest Difficulty: C+

As the initial shock of the situation wore off, faint smiles began to appear on the faces of the players surrounding Correy. And after a moment of silence, cheers and calls to arms erupted throughout the clearing.