Rising from the summoning circle, Bob's rocky shoulders emerged from the ground, his thick arms the size of a man as he stood towering above the wagons and carriages of the Inquisition procession. Dust and rubble fell from him as he flexed his gem covered hands into fists, the earth slightly shaking beneath him.

"You think the Inquisition will be fooled by the parlor tricks of an illusion!" The grand inquisitor screamed as the soldiers drew their scimitars.

"Cross formation," Ezekiel said to Onyx and Bob, both immediately understanding the colonel's instructions.

Bob crashed both fists into the nearest wagon, breaking it apart in the middle to the gasps of nearby guards who took a step back, realizing that the large elemental was in fact very real. Even the grand inquisitor staggered momentarily, shocked at the creature’s massive strength.

A soldier ran up behind Ezekiel with his scimitar held high, but as he closed the distance Onyx leapt out, her steel teeth clamping down on the soldier's arm. Growling fiercely, Onyx twisted her head and ripped the soldier's arm off at the elbow, dropping him to the ground screaming as the stumped pulsed out blood.

A group ran towards him directly, three moving in tight formation. Moving his hands in deliberate fashion, Ezekiel spoke the arcane words, "Tor Rin Far!" causing a hole to appear beneath the soldier's running feet. They yelled in shock as they fell dozens of feet, crashing to the ground with a sickening crash.

Another group from the rear of the procession moved around the thrashing earth elemental as it proceeded to rend and destroy the rest of the wagons. The soldiers ran towards Ezekiel with their weapons drawn, and he quickly yelled, "Ark Nar Yornel!"

Oil coated the ground under the soldiers, causing them to fall into the greasy substance. Before they could get back up to continue after Ezekiel, green fire exploded in the middle of the group, igniting the oil. Those within the flames who could still draw breath filled the air with screams.

Looking beyond the dying guards, Ezekiel saw Liarra and Korlac had entered the fray. The huge orc fighter was swinging his falchion with great skill and strength, easily cleaving soldiers in half.

"Why didn't you run!?" Ezekiel called out amidst the chaos of the battle.

"Because Korlac is as big a sap as you are! Where's Davis?" Liarra asked as she pulled out another vial of liquid.

"I don't know, I lost track... Behind you!" Ezekiel yelled, warning Liarra of a soldier who was just about to slash at her from behind.

A blur raced through the shadows, barely visible as it leapt past the soldier, snagging the scimitar right out of his hands. The guard stood confused. Seizing the moment, Drez battered the larger opponent with a series of kicks, fists, knees, and elbows, dropping him to the ground unconscious before he could react.

"Drez! Where'd you come from?" Zeke called out.

"From the docks! Saving friends!"

Zeke nodded, returning to look for Davis. His eyes landed upon the guards who had been holding onto Ella. One pinned her to the ground as the other raised his sword, preparing to bring unholy justice upon the tavern keeper.

"Noooooo!" Zeke tried to cast a spell but knew he'd be too late. The blade flew through the air, but suddenly sung out as steel met steel, as Korlac's falchion blocked the fatal blow. He shoved the scimitar up and off his blade, then chopped it down through the guard's shoulder, separating his arm from the rest of his body. The guard fell to the ground screaming in horror.

The guard holding onto Ella released her, fumbling for his own sword to engage Korlac, but never finished drawing it as Liarra hit him from behind with a white vial. The glass exploded on his back and webs erupted, wrapping the guard in a tight, sticky cocoon.

Kicking herself off the ground, covered in dirt and tears, Ella ran to Ezekiel as she frantically searched the chaos. "Where is he? Where's my son?"

Looking out through the bursts of fire and Bob throwing yet another wagon into the dark woods, Ezekiel saw the grand inquisitor holding her blade at Davis's neck, the steel glowing with a dark pulsating energy as she raised her grand staff.

"Crap!"

Zeke ran, working his way through the wreckage, not waiting for his allies to follow. A horse ran in front of him, nearly toppling him over as it dragged half a flaming wagon, but Ezekiel narrowly dodged it as he ran to the middle of what was left of the procession.

Closing the distance, Ezekiel arrived a dozen feet before the grand inquisitor, her mask removed, revealing a scarred face with a twisted snarl. She completed an incantation, causing her staff to pulsate with energy.

The space behind her sliced open as if a giant knife cut a clean hole between two points in reality. In the dimensional hole, Ezekiel could see the inside of a large, stone-floored hall, covered in more idols and symbols of the Inquisition on the floor.

Desperate, he yelled "Ark Nar Lor!" as he flung a glob of glue at the inquisitor, hoping to prevent her from entering the portal. The sticky glob flew wide, missing her as she dragged the crying Davis through the portal, the slice in the air sealing behind them.

Ezekiel swiped at the air as he reached the spot just as the hole sealed, his anger and frustration peaking as he stomped helplessly at the ground.

Gathering his thoughts for a moment, processing what had just happened, Ezekiel suddenly felt a sharp jab at his side, knocking the breath from him. Falling to the ground while grabbing his ribs, he found it hard to breathe as fluid filled his lung. He saw Greggory standing above him with a blood-covered dagger in his hand, a smirk across his lips.

"I'm taking that coin purse of yours, then I'm dragging your dead body to whatever remains of the Inquisition! They'll pay me double after all this trouble you've caused..." Greggory taunted as he leaned over Ezekiel, preparing to stab him again.

Suddenly, a sword burst through Greggory's chest. Blood spurted from his mouth as it gaped in disbelief. Turning, he saw the sheriff holding the blade as he twisted it, sending a shudder through the dockmaster.

"I always hated you," the sheriff revealed, venom dripping from his words.

Greggory's eyes rolled back in his head as he slumped down next to Ezekiel. The moon elf was relieved, but still struggled to breathe as he continued to bleed all over his jacket.

Dropping to his knees, the sheriff checked his wounds and immediately knew the damage was beyond his ability to help.

"Help! Man down!"

Running up, Liarra threw a small vial of red liquid at the sheriff who deftly caught it.

"Pour that down his mouth, quickly!" she ordered.

Uncorking the potion, the sheriff carefully administered it to Ezekiel, making sure every drop got in his mouth. The liquid didn't taste bad, and it was warm on his tongue. The elf choked momentarily before finally being able to take a full breath again. Touching his side, he found the wound had sealed, leaving a fresh scar behind.

"Where... Where did they go? What happened!?" Ella demanded as she caught up with them, Korlac and Drez in tow. Only Bob continued the assault against the scattered inquisitors, smashing the shattered pieces of what was left of the last wagons. The soldiers had either been killed, ripped apart, knocked unconscious, or fled, leaving the area in shambles from the brief brawl.

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"She used a recall spell, likely with her staff. It’s not as versatile as a true teleportation spell, and would only be able to send her to a very specific location. She took him to some kind of stone hall, but I have no idea where," Ezekiel explained as he stood up and buttoned his collar.

"I'm sorry Ella. I saw the inside. They took him to the Citadel," Bron said as he sheathed his sword.

Dropping to her knees again, Ella cried, stricken with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. An awkward moment passed between the group as they caught their breath, the scene settling as Bob ceased his attack and thundered to join them, his stone figure dwarfing all of them.

"We gonna talk about this?" Liarra asked, pointing up at Bob.

Ignoring her question, Ezekiel turned to the sheriff. "How much trouble will this bring to the village?"

"Had the grand inquisitor not escaped? Possibly none. But she's going to report to her superiors, and we can expect them to send a very specific response, as they've done previously to other villages deemed 'lost,'" The sheriff said.

"What does that mean?"

"A cleansing battalion will be sent to kill everyone in the village. They'll decree that the city is anathema to the Church and the king, and then they'll wipe us all out." Bron explained morosely.

"I... I'm sorry," Ezekiel said softly, looking across the village. His mind kept going over and over his decision to interfere, trying to figure out if there was another way he could have handled the situation, another way that everyone could have survived. Nothing immediately came to mind, and Ezekiel knew nothing would. It was an impossible scenario, the life of a child for the life of a town.

Moving on from that, knowing that what was done was done and there was no use in lingering on the past any longer, Ezekiel started chewing on their present ordeal.

"Where will the Church dispatch soldiers from to Greencoast?"

"The Citadel," the sheriff answered, raising an eyebrow at Ezekiel's questions.

"And how far away is the Citadel?"

"Over a week’s ride, if you push your mount. It's hard travel, too, and you'd pass through more than a few dangerous spots. The land isn't as safe as it once was."

Ella stood and looked at Ezekiel, afraid to hold onto hope at whatever he was thinking through out loud.

"I can ride out. Try to meet whoever they send. If I can dispose of them, that should buy the town more time."

"And then what?" Liarra asked.

"Then I ride to the Citadel."

Liarra snorted a derisive laugh, her eyes rolling at the absurdity of the proposal. "So let me get this right, your grand scheme is to not only take out a battalion on your own, which is frankly impossible, but then after that you're going to take on the entire Citadel to save one boy."

Ella snapped back at Liarra, her anger boiling over. "He's my son!"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but this is the Inquisition we're talking about. Military arm of the Church, and they answer only to the king himself. The Citadel isn't their biggest military outpost, but it's still insane to consider. Are you seriously going to assault it?"

"It's not the craziest thing I've planned," Ezekiel replied, his eyes staring at the carriages on fire.

"We going to war again, Zeke?" asked Bob in a deep, reverberating voice.

"Again, huh?" Liarra commented with a raised eyebrow.

"What war?" Korlac asked as the orc sheathed his falchion.

"It was a long time ago. Sheriff, normally I'd stay to help clean up, but I need to get moving if I hope to be of any help."

"What about Ashland Port? What about your brother?" Liarra asked loudly.

"It's been 127 years since I last saw him, another month or two won't hurt."

Liarra raised her goggles off her forehead and huffed in frustration. "Well, good luck with your suicide mission. I was against this little skirmish, but Korlac insisted. We're out of here, and no offense, Ella. We're happy to mess with the guards from time to time, even poke at the Church by raiding their cargo transports, but this is a whole different level of trouble that will only get everyone killed."

Drez moved to Ezekiel's side, taking a determined stance as he stood with the summoner.

"Drez coming. Drez help Davis."

"I appreciate your offer, but like she said, it's a suicide mission. You've done enough, Drez. More than I could have possibly imagined."

Drez starred at Zeke with his deep green eyes, his usually chipper demeanor gone, replaced with fierce determination.

"Drez coming."

Ezekiel nodded, not wanting to fight with the goblin anymore and appreciating the young creature's bravery. Suddenly, Korlac walked up and stood behind both Ezekiel and Drez, joining them as well.

"No, no, no, no. Don't you do this, Korlac!” Liarra squared up to the towering orc, her tone fierce.

"We can help," he replied curtly.

"What's this ‘we’ crap?! Just because you're going doesn't mean I am, too. Maybe both you and the goblin have cotton in your ears, but he's suggesting we fight both a battalion and the Citadel. Even with all of us, we're not enough to fight a small army!"

"It's not just us..." Ezekiel affirmed as Onyx joined their ranks followed by the ground shaking thuds of Bob standing behind all of them, towering above even Korlac.

The entire group looked at Liarra who had moved defiantly away from the rest, pacing back and forth as she chewed her lower lip in thought.

"You have other summons at your disposal?" She asked.

"Yes."

"And more tricks up your sleeve, like that hole you conjured in the ground?"

"I specialize in warfare spellcasting."

"Great, so you can drop some fire blasts or bolts of lightning on them?"

"No, I am not an invoker."

Liarra stopped in her tracks in front of Ezekiel, her tone firm. "Korlac's determined to go, so I'll tag along, for now. First indication that this isn't going in our favor, though, and I'm out."

"Understood," Ezekiel said.

Turning her ire on her colleague, Liarra confronted Korlac, her tone still serious but softer. "And you, I expect you to have some sense of self-preservation. We're friends, closer than most, but don't think for a moment I won't ditch you, too, if it means avoiding certain death."

Korlac grinned, knowing he'd won some unspoken argument between the two of them.

"Zeke, I go now?" Bob suddenly interrupted, his voice deep like lazy thunder.

"Yes, thank you, Bob. Thank you very much. I may need your services again soon."

"Anytime, Zeke." Bob dissolved away, the magic holding him to the plane having waned.

"Sheriff, I apologize, but we'll need to leave now. I'm sorry we won't be around to help clean up our mess." Ezekiel said, surveying the results of his actions.

Bron stepped forward and shook Ezekiel's hand firmly. "It's okay. They likely would have taken about a dozen villagers, anyway. It wouldn't have stopped at Davis. Do anything you can to stop them, and maybe we'll never have to deal with the Inquisition again."

Turning to Ella, Ezekiel saw fearful hope dancing in her eyes. She appeared unsure whether to cry for her son or cheer for their efforts. Ezekiel held her by the shoulders in an attempt to help ground her for a moment. "I'll do everything in my power to bring him back."

"Please, I... I can't lose him too." Ella softly wept.

Letting her go, Ezekiel straightened his jacket and checked his collar one last time before turning away, rejoining his new companions.

"With all these destroyed wagons and carriages, Korlac is pretty sure we can secure some mounts for us. Drez is small enough, he can ride with me. So we'll need to round up three if we're to ride out tonight," Liarra said.

"Two," Ezekiel corrected.

"Oh? And what are you riding then?"

"Scout." The summoner explained as he began conjuring. Arcane runes appeared on the ground, pulling forth Ezekiel's familiar horse from the Far Realm.

The orc had already secured the largest steed to carry himself, and found another, smaller horse to carry Liarra and Drez. Each took a moment to secure their gear, weapons, and supplies, freely taking from the dead soldiers of the Inquisition whatever they needed.

In less than half an hour the group was on the road with their respective mounts as the smoke from the smoldering wagons rose high above the clouds. Townsfolk had already started picking apart the remains of the procession, taking any weapons, armor, or items of value that were left behind. Local fishermen carried the bodies on boats for disposal at sea. In a short time, the road was cleared of the remains of the battle. The wagons were broken down into spare wood for construction or furnaces, the horses stabled, and the weapons and armor secured at the smithy.

Late into the evening, Ella approached the jailhouse just as Bron was locking up. His face was covered in dirt and sweat, the long day heavy on his face.

"Do you think they'll do it? Do you think they'll save him?"

"Ella, have you slept at all yet?"

"They needed help with the horses, and I had plenty of room in the stable. You didn't answer my question. Do you think they can do it?"

Sitting on the steps of the jailhouse with a heavy sigh, Bron dusted off his trousers and wiped his face with a square of cloth he kept in his back pocket.

"I saw him in action before, Ezekiel. While I've heard of magic used outside of the Church before, I've never seen the kind of stuff he's doing. Pulling creatures from another world into ours to fight for him. When we were in the woods, he summoned a pack of flying dogs that chewed lightning. He called them shock paws, or something."

Pulling a small flask out from his leather jacket, the sheriff took a swig and then offered it to Ella, who joined him in the drink as she sat next to him.

"The point I'm saying is, the kind of power he wields is usually reserved for the Church. I don't know where or when he came from, but even the grand inquisitor seemed taken by surprise by what he could do. That means, of all the people I've met and come to know, I think him and the other four have the best chance there is to bring Davis back."

Ella took another swig of the flask, then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"I just hope it's enough to save him."

Bron placed the flask back in his leather jacket, then stood up with creaky knees.

"I hope it's enough to save everyone..."