Bonus Chapter Get out of here. muttered Maelaeran I'm not leaving!

snapped Teia, her emerald eyes were abla e with determination. !ou "an't possibly fight this many "reatures off! !ou're not as strong as you thin# you are, dammit! !ou're right. "almly replied Maelaeran. $urrounding the hill they were standing on was a vast horde of unearthly monsters% fangs, "laws, s"ales, and rough hides were but a fra"tion of the various features populating the demoni" menagerie inhabiting the base of the hill. & rau"ous "a"ophony of shrie#s, howls, and snarls permeated the air as the "reatures attempted to find their prey whi"h had so narrowly es"aped them. The s#y overhead was filled with dar# "louds, the o""asional booms of thunder and flashes of lightning added to the already lovely atmosphere. There was also a "onstant downpour of rain peppering the land and soa#ing the group huddled together on the hill. &long with Maelaeran and Teia was the remainder of his party' (altha ar, )reya, Grisea, and the twin warriors% &very and &nna. &s to why the monsters surrounding the group had not stormed up the hill was than#s to the in"redible s#ills of the two spell* "asters (altha ar and Mela"h% they had "reated an illusion that effe"tively rendered the party invisible to the sear"hing eyes of the monsters. +nfortunately, this also meant that the party was virtually trapped on top of the hill until the "reatures had dispersed, whi"h, did not seem would be anytime soon. $o Maelaeran had "ome up with a plan to draw the "reatures away using himself as bait and let the rest of his friends es"ape unnoti"ed. (ut what other option is there Teia, as#ed Maelaeran. -e ride out the storm! &nd how long would that ta#e, .ours, /ays, !ou #now as well as I do that these "reatures are unli#ely to leave us well enough alone. This is not a random assortment of "reatures roaming around, they were spe"ifi"ally gathered together to ta#e us out. (ut* began Teia. In addition, how long do you thin# we "an maintain this illusion, )or now, it's #ept them from e0ploring the top of this hill too thoroughly, but eventually they'll find us. e0plained Maelaeran, nodding towards (altha ar and )reya who were "lut"hing onto their staves with pained and fevered e0pressions. )reya wea#ly tried to protest that they "ould #eep going as long as it was needed, but it was "lear that their strength was fading fast. Grisea loo#ed 1ust as tired and was tending to a wounded &nna, who had sustained a nasty bite on her leg and had "ame down with a slight fever. &nna's brother, &very, was "rou"hed over his sister with a stri"#en e0pression, wiping away her sweat and murmuring whispered pleas. Teia's rebuttal died unspo#en in her throat when she saw the rest of the party and their "ondition. $he turned a teary fa"e towards Maelaeran and 2uietly whispered to him There has to be another way.

.eh, it's my way or the highway 1o#ed Maelaeran, a smile briefly appeared over Teia's fa"e as she gave a watery "hu"#le. Maelaeran lightly tousled her auburn hair and went over to the rest of his group to assess their "ondition before heading out. /espite their haggard "ountenan"es, (altha ar and )reya ea"h insisted that they "ould maintain the illusion as long as was needed, although their defian"e seemed to use up most of their strength. Maelaeran a""epted their "ourage and honoured them for it, saying that it would be better spent on helping the rest of the party. Maelaeran wal#ed over towards where &nna was laying on her brother's "loa# and #nelt down ne0t to her. &nna's eyes fluttered open at the new presen"e and gave a small smile when she saw Maelaeran. .ey there, fearless leader. "roa#ed &nna .ow are you feeling, as#ed Maelaeran. Terrible. (ut I thin# I 1ust need some rest. Grisea's doing a good 1ob with helping me. /o we have a plan for getting out of here yet, -e do. smiled Maelaeran, !ou 1ust need to rest though, this misadventure will be over the ne0t time you wa#e up. Than#s said &nna sleepily, I thin# I'll ta#e you up on that offer... .er eyes drifted shut and she san# on"e more ba"# into a deep sleep. &very loo#ed up at Maelaeran and without saying a word, sei ed him into a tight bear hug. 3ase up there gasped Maelaeran, The monsters should be the only ones trying to #ill me. &very let go of Maelaeran and tried to say something, his lip 2uivering with some restrained emotion. It remained a mystery, as &very's 1aw sei ed and he snapped a 2ui"# salute towards Maelaeran. Maelaeran returned the salute automati"ally and &very went ba"# to tending his sister. &s Maelaeran turned around, a warm glow suffused his body as he felt the tell*tale signs of healing magi" wor#ing on his in1uries. Grisea! e0"laimed Maelaeran, -hat are you doing, !ou should save your strength for &nna! $hut up. retorted Grisea, I've done as mu"h as I "an for &nna, she'll be fine as soon as we get out of this fu"#ing rain. If you insist on going through this harebrained s"heme of yours, then you should at least ma#e sure you're fully healed to "harge into battle. 3veryone is in1ured here, Grisea, you should have used it on the others or yourself. -hy waste a healing spell on me, angrily replied Maelaeran. )u"# you! !ou don't get to ma#e a "all li#e this and e0pe"t any of us to be o#ay with it. shouted Grisea. Maelaeran began to ma#e his own reply when Grisea "ut him off, 4o! /on't give me that whole 'I'm the leader, so it's my duty to ma#e sure everyone ma#es it out' "rap! !ou owe me for that healing spell, so you better ma#e sure you get your ass out of this mess alive. ...!ou're right. $orry. said a "hastised Maelaeran, I'll meet you ba"# at the outs#irts of Mogul 5han's en"ampment. Than#s for the healing. /on't s"rew this up. said Grisea, sei ing his forearm as he did so.

$pea# for yourself. laughed Maelaeran, grasping Grisea's forearm in turn. Grisea turned away and began to wor# on &very's wounds, as he would be the one "arrying his sister out of this pla"e. Maelaeran wal#ed towards the edge of the illusion barrier only to be stopped by something tugging at his shirt. .e turned and saw a down"ast Teia "lut"hing the edge of his tuni". Maelaeran said nothing and waited for Teia to spea#, her body was sha#ing lightly as thi"# tears plopped onto the grassy surfa"e below. ...6romise me... she whispered 2uietly, 6romise me you'll definitely "ome ba"# I'm not a fan of lying. said Maelaeran bluntly. I don't "are. said Teia fier"ely, turning her fa"e upwards, -hat is the Guild without a leader, The Guild was around long before I "ame along. & Guild of thieves is what was there. & "onstant drain on 4everwinter, an oo ing sore that su"#ed the life out of an already dead land. !ou and your friends "hanged all of that. !ou saved us. finished Teia simply. The Guild will still have the rest of you. My "ompanions are still in 4everwinter. 4evin, in parti"ular, will still be there. -hat made the Guild great was the "ooperation of many, not the deeds of a few. (ut I* "ho#ed Teia. I "an't say I'll "ome ba"#. !ou all seem to thin# I'm throwing away my life here, I view it as a very high*ris# gamble. 3veryone in the "learing turned to fa"e Maelaeran and remembered 1ust how good his lu"# of the die was and their e0pressions be"ame somehow more grim. ...I get lu"#y sometimes said Maelaeran 2uietly, offended that they had su"h low estimations of his "han"es. -hatever he had said, it seemed to do the tri"# as Teia released him, and before he "ould say anything, pressed a sheathed dagger into his free hand and mar"hed ba"# rapidly without a ba"#wards glan"e. Maelaeran ga ed at the 1ewelled dagger in his palm thoughtfully, a twin to his poison dagger he had retrieved from that 7hangeling wit"h all those years ba"#. Well...No sense in delaying the inevitable. Turning towards his rag*tag group of followers, Maelaeran gave them his final address, If I do not return within a wee#, I turn over leadership of the Guild to 4evin and -ilson 8-ho's -ilson, as#ed &very. Mason's twin half*brother answered Maelaeran9. .owever, if they refuse this position for whatever reason, I leave it amongst you si0 to ta#e over "ommand 1ointly. If you don't return within a wee#, we'll be bringing the entire Guild with us to drag your sorry ass ba"#. growled Grisea. This got a laugh from the rest of the group, despite the "ir"umstan"es they happened to be in. /uly noted. "hu"#led Maelaeran, $o. .ere's the game plan' I'll snea# over to the giant asshole at the "orner of the mob and #ill him. pointing at the troll that was being given a wide berth from the other "reatures. That should grab the attention of the entire mob. &s soon as that guy goes down, I'll leg it as far away as possible from this

position. stomping the ground beneath him in emphasis. Get yourselves to safety when they're all "hasing after the idioti" 3ladrin. finishing his e0planation with a smile. The warriors all nodded relu"tantly at the plan, giving ta"it approval to Maelaeran's idea. 4o one brought up the 2uestion of how Maelaeran would es"ape from all of the "reatures "hasing him. &fter "he"#ing all of the gear he thought he might need, Maelaeran de"ided to a"t upon a sudden impulse and too# off his "ommand "ir"let that adorned his head. -al#ing over to Teia who loo#ed on with "onfusion, he gently pla"ed the "ir"let on her head and said, I thin# you'll benefit more with the "ir"let's ability for telepathi" "ommuni"ation than I will. 5eep them safe little one. (efore Teia "ould respond, Maelaeran gave a last smile and disappeared from the "learing with a snap of his fingers.

Maelaeran's teleport "arried him to a small "opse of trees that surrounded the hill his group was on and whi"h offered a de"ent amount of "on"ealment from prying eyes. Maelaeran's eyes settled on the swath of land he would have to traverse to rea"h his target. (etween him and the troll' .obgoblins, werewolves, ara"hnid warriors, imps and more blo"#ed his path. &t this "lose of a view, Maelaeran saw that it seemed the hobgoblins were in "ontrol as they were bar#ing orders to the rest of the mob who 2ui"#ly obeyed. :u"#ily, there was only a little amount of no*man's land that Maelaeran had to "ross as there were several po"#ets of woodland that would offer de"ent "over. $tealthily, Maelaeran darted over to one su"h spot, 2ui"#ly dispat"hing of the two imps who were near it and stashing their bodies away in the bushes after relieving them of their arrows and bow. In this fashion, Maelaeran "arefully made his way over towards the troll, somehow managing to avoid any further en"ounters with the "reatures. ...Why is this so easy? I should have had a few close calls... Maelaeran paused before moving out of "over and on"e more loo#ed out at the "rowd of beasts arrayed before him. Oh, fuck. It wasn't obvious from the hill, but the beasts were sear"hing the area in a grid*based pattern from the outside of the area to the inner parts. &nd Maelaeran's guild was sma"# dab in the middle, where the "rowd of beasts was growing in si e all the time. Tossing all "aution to the wind, Maelaeran sprinted out of "over and ra"ed over to the troll as fast as he "ould, as noisily as he "ould. (y the power of Greys#ull!! roared Maelaeran, his hand drifting over his "rot"h where he had "on"ealed his longsword earlier and pulled out the steel phalli" symbol with a flourish. Two goblins that were nearest to him turned in alarm at his shout and were about to "ry their own warnings when their heads were severed from their bodies. The troll was almost within rea"h and several of the monsters were ta#ing up their own alarms that they had finally dis"overed their elusive prey. The part of Maelaeran's mind that was not totally fo"used on his survival was utterly bewildered at the vast variety of monsters in his path. Maelaeran du"#ed underneath a vi"ious swipe from a werewolf, parried the sword of a #obold and a goblin and impaled a vampire on the polearm of a

drider. (ut he "ouldn't dwell on the abnormality for he had finally found his target who had also noti"ed the little "reature running up towards it. The troll, while in"redibly stupid, understood from the wild gesti"ulations of the goblin that travelled with it, that the little "reature s"reaming its head off was something to smash. & wide grin bro#e on the troll's fa"e, enhan"ing its beastial features as it readied its mighty oa#en "lub against the palm of its hands. &s the figure darted towards the him, the troll brandished his weapon with more gra"e than would be thought possible of su"h a lumbering beast. Than#s to the anti"s of a "ertain travelling buddy Maelaeran had, he was used to seeing something big and stupid move with su"h alarming finesse. Thus he was unfa ed by the shrill whistling that pier"ed the air as the troll's mighty "lub ra"ed towards his body. The eyes of the "reatures that were following Maelaeran's trail halted their advan"e and wat"hed with undisguised glee as the troll deliver his #illing blow. $e"onds before the inevitable "on"lusion of Troll vs. 3ladrin, Maelaeran a"tivated his final teleport. The troll's atta"# passed through thin air as the "reature he had been so intent on destroying disappeared, his minis"ule brain trying to wor# out where his 2uarry had disappeared from. (elatedly, the troll noti"ed the goblins that a""ompanied him franti"ally pointing up in the air above the troll where Maelaeran had 1ust re*appeared. Try not to s"ream too loudly and bite down on the pillow, Papa's going in dry. sneered Maelaeran as he des"ended in verti"al alignment with his sword that plunged towards the troll's unprote"ted ne"#. Maelaeran's longsword pier"ed the thi"# hide of the troll's nape, who let out a blood*"urdling roar that drowned out the sound of the rain and attra"ted the attention of the entire mob of "reatures in the area. The troll howled in pain and fear, as he stampeded straight through the outs#irts of the mob of monsters, his "lub whipping ba"# and forth a"ross the legion of "reatures, adding to the "haos already present on the ground. Maelaeran desperately held onto his longsword that was now firmly embedded into the trolls ne"# of whi"h was bleeding profusely. -ith one hand holding onto the sword, Maelaeran rea"hed into his pou"h for a small, bla"# bottle. The troll "hose that moment to bu"# his head forward, allowing Maelaeran to ma#e use of his momentum and smash the bottle a"ross the top of his head, spraying the "ontents of the vial all over the head of the troll. (la"# li2uid oo ed down the nape of the trolls ne"#, the water fa"ilitating its passage all the more rapidly, until finally it "ame into "onta"t with the metal of Maelaeran's sword. /rawing his dagger, Maelaeran stru"# against the blade and "reated a small spar#, that ignited the trail of oil on the troll and turned him into a living tor"h. -ith renewed shrie#s, the lumbering giant shone li#e a bea"on in the dar# night as his head bla ed with in"redible strength. & final struggle from the troll finally shoo# Maelaeran off the "reature's ne"#, who landed with a"robati" tumble. The troll's last struggle, while su""essful to remove Maelaeran, proved to be too mu"h and it "rashed to the ground with a resounding boom, unmoving.

The troll had "arried Maelaeran a surprising distan"e, and so he had time to retrieve his longsword from the troll's "orpse before the "reatures behind him "ould "at"h up. 3yeing the ghastly mob with "ontempt, Maelaeran shouted with all his might, Is that all you frea#s got,! 7ome on, isn't anyone here hungry?! The "rowd of "reatures roared with rage and "harged towards Maelaeran. Inwardly, Malaeran breathed in relief as he saw that the entire mob was now fo"used on him and were moving away from the hill. Maelaeran stowed away his sword in an e0tra*dimensional po"#et on his arm and began sprinting away from the mob as fast as he "ould. &head of him some distan"e away was a fairly thi"# forest that he hoped he would be able to lose the mob in. And all I have to do is outrun them thought Maelaeran, a 2ui"# glan"e over his shoulder "onfirmed that some of the "reatures were slowly gaining on him, Well this should be fun. &s he ran, Maelaeran used the motion of his arms and legs to slowly slide his longbow off of his shoulders. Maelaeran "ould hear the werewolves' snarls as they rapidly approa"hed him, although the shrie#s and howls of the monsters behind them made it diffi"ult to 1udge how many there were. The forest still lay some distan"e away and the land in between was entirely flat% devoid of any out"roppings or ledges. ;ne parti"ular feature "aught his eye however, and that was several flat stones 1utting out at odd pla"es along the ground. &s he ran, Maelaeran angled towards one of the stones and in"reased his gait even further as his longbow slipped down into one of hands% the other rea"hing into his 2uiver. <ust before he rea"hed the stone, Maelaeran 1umped, twisting in the air as he did to fa"e the dire"tion of the on"oming werewolves and plu"#ing = arrows from his 2uiver in one smooth motion. :u"#ily his 1udgement was "orre"t in that there were only > werewolves, but they were also mu"h "loser than Maelaeran had previously assumed. &s Maelaeran fell through the air, one arrow was fitted to the string of his bow, pulled ba"#, and let loose towards one of the werewolves. Mira"ulously, the arrow had "aught the nearest werewolf mid*stride and pier"ed its heart, stopping it dead in its tra"#s as it's body tumbled end over end and finally "ame to a halt with a s2uel"h in the mud. The se"ond arrow that was "lut"hed between his fourth and fifth fingers was now set onto the string of the bow, 1ust as Maelaeran's feet tou"hed down on the wet surfa"e of the stone. &s Maelaeran pulled ba"# on the bow, the momentum of his 1ump propelled his body a"ross the slippery surfa"e of the stone, and "arried him off the edge of the ro"# as his se"ond arrow was released from its hold and sailed into the open 1aws of the ne0t werewolf. The arrow passed through the mouth of the se"ond werewolf as it was snarling and pier"ed the ba"# of its throat. The werewolf fell to the ground, s"rabbling at its throat with its "laws, blood foaming at its mouth. There was no time to draw any more arrows as the last two werewolves finally "aught up to Maelaeran as they leaped off the ground and sailed through the air towards him, "laws e0tended and fangs bared as they roared in delight. -ithout a moment's hesitation, Maelaeran dis"arded his bow and drew a dagger in one hand as his other did the same with the dagger Teia had given him. The "laws of the werewolves s"raped

a"ross his "hest plate, pier"ing it and drawing blood "ausing Maelaeran to howl in pain. (ut before their 1aws "ould "lose around Maelaeran's unprote"ted ne"#, his daggers swept a"ross ea"h of the werewolves' arms, the edges of ea"h of the daggers had ta#en on a "urious shimmer that e0tended outwards and en"ompassed both werewolves in its mysterious light. Blade of endrianne style! "orcing the #ortal -hen Maelaeran had left to train in the 3ladrin lands all those years ago with his longsword, his father had taught him one of the #ey fighting styles for 3ladrin warriors' (lade of 7endrianne. & uni2ue style that made use of the 3ladrin's inherent ability for teleportation. )or"ing the 6ortal was a te"hni2ue that sent the enemies through a single portal and for"ibly removed them to another position. 4ormally, it was used as a means of re*ad1usting the battlefield and removing one's enemies to a disadvantageous position. (ut Maelaeran had de"ided to ta#e the te"hni2ue further as he "onsidered one basi" 2uestion' What ha$$ens when two ob%ects occu$y the same $osition in the same time? Maelaeran's 2uestion was soon answered as the two werewolves disappeared and re*appeared in the position where Maelaeran had lo"#ed the e0it gate's "oordinates' The same position as the werewolf that had "ollapsed with an arrow in it's throats, now laying still from its final death throes. -ith a fli"#er of light, the two werewolves re* appeared, and for an instant, appeared to overlap seamlessly with the motionless werewolf below them. Then the portal was "ut off and nature too# its wor#, as all ? bodies tried to o""upy the same spa"e, and were promptly ripped apart where their bodies overlapped with the others. Maelaeran fell heavily to the ground, and his breath was #no"#ed out of him. .e rose up from the ground gasping for air, unable to indulge in his su""ess, as the mob was still gaining on him. Maelaeran bro#e into a shambling run as he "ontinued to ma#e his way to the forest ahead of him. & grim smile bro#e his features, win"ing a bit from the pain of the wound the werewolves had given him, & down, a hundred more to go.

Maelaeran was sprawled on the floor of a "ave, his "hest heaving with great breaths, gasping as every movement of his "hest wall stret"hed the wounds he had re"eived and sent bolts of agony ra"ing through his nervous system. (eyond the sounds of his own laboured breathing, Maelaeran "ould hear the s"ree"hing sounds of his pursuers, some sounded "loser than he would have li#ed. The forest had proven to be undoubtedly useful in Maelaeran's es"ape, but there were 1ust far too many "reatures to evade. -hile the ma1ority of the "reatures had been split up loo#ing for him in the forest, there was only a finite number of pla"es where he "ould have hid in the area. It was as Maelaeran was ra"ing through the dense greenery that he stumbled upon a fairly well*"on"ealed "ave. .is #een ears had pi"#ed up a high*pit"hed whistling "oming out of the "avern, whi"h he thought might've been wind @ indi"ating a potential e0it. $ei ing that faint thread of hope, Maelaeran "overed the entran"e with a leaf wall, hoping that the foliage of his magi"al "onstru"t would offer some de"ent "amouflage.

&s Maelaeran s"rambled towards the sound of the whistling, the passageway be"ame noti"eably wider until it finally ended in a large "avern. $tala"tites hung from the "eiling overhead and glistened with a watery sheen. The whistling noise was also the loudest in this area and Maelaeran now noti"ed a new sound, the soft tri"#ling of water. $wivelling his head towards the sound, Maelaeran found a small stream of water spilling out of a "ra"# in the far end of the "avern and emptying out into a small pool of water that filled the "entre of the area. &s he got nearer to the "revi"e in the wall, he heard the whistling noise again, emanating from the hole. &t regular intervals, the stream of water gushed out in a higher fre2uen"y, a""ompanied by a gust of air that billowed out from the "revi"e and produ"ed a #eening sound. &s he lay there on the ground, re"overing from the strain his body had been through, he "onsidered 1ust how s"rewed he was. .e was, effe"tively trapped in this "ave. Well, I'll either die from the infection from these wounds or pausing his thoughts as his ears twit"hed, "at"hing the sound of some nearby howls Or I get torn to $ieces when they eventually find me. #erfect. $till, Maelaeran was not in"lined to lie there and die li#e a dog. 6ainfully, he propped himself up on one elbow and wearily made his way over to the pool of water. Maelaeran dipped his hand into the "lear water and 2uaffed down the water in several hasty gulps% he was surprised at how dehydrated he was. &fter filling his water*s#in up, Maelaeran divested himself of his "hest*plate, pulled of his tuni" and tore it into long strips of "loth, whi"h he then used to "lean and dress his wounds. -in"ing with every move, Maelaeran felt marginally more "lear*headed after the 2ui"# first*aid he had applied as he "onsidered his ne0t "ourse of a"tion while re*dressing himself in his armor. .is 2uiver of arrows, he de"ided, was useless to him now% it was unli#ely that he'd get another bow and the e0tra weight would only slow him down. ;ne of the twin sheaths where he had #ept his daggers was empty, the only one left in his possession was the one Teia had given him. &side from his longsword whi"h he had #ept stowed in a e0tra* dimensional po"#et, the many pou"hes adorning his person were all empty 8save for a small bag he #ept around his ne"# whi"h held Mason9. Maelaeran on"e again made his way over to the small "revi"e and inspe"ted it more thoroughly this time. The "ra"# in the wall was a"tually 2uite large, about as tall as Maelaeran himself, but it was e0tremely narrow at various pla"es, whi"h "reated the whistling noise as air passed through in different amounts between the spa"es. (he water has to be coming from a basin somewhere on the surface, the amount in this $ool is far too much for the source to be sim$ly ground run)off. I'd never be able to s*uee+e through this narrow $assage, but maybe...a tele$ort might carry me through to the other side. Maelaeran did not #nown whether or not the other side would have enough spa"e to a""ommodate his body, as he re"alled the s"ene with the werewolves earlier that had almost "aught him. The point was moot however, until he had re"overed enough to a"tually perform a teleport. )or now, the best "ourse of a"tion seemed to stay in the "ave and try and re"over as mu"h as possible.

Who knows? ,aybe I can %ust sneak out of here through the way I came , a nearby howl interrupted his musings, (hen again- maybe not. 3very fibre of Maelaeran's being was on high alert, as the nearby "ries of the monsters grew "loser and "loser. (ut pa"ing around nervously would not help him and through a supreme for"e of will, he for"ed himself to sit down and "onserve as mu"h energy as possible by going into a tran"e. .is nature as an 3ladrin would allow a part of his mind to #eep a wat"hful eye 8and ear9 out for any signs of danger, but his body would get some of the rest it so desperately needed. 3ven as he thought this, his mind drifted through the memories of his many years as he delved further into his tran"e. )or now, at least, Maelaeran was at pea"e.

It was probably the snapping sound that wo#e him up first, but the feral "ries of some un#nown "reature probably helped as well. Though his body "ried out against the sudden movement, Maelaeran bro#e out of his tran"e and readied himself. &s he drew his longsword, he assessed his own "ondition' . minutes at least, before I can attem$t a tele$ort. Although I don't think I'll last much longer than /. &s Maelaeran wat"hed the entran"e of the "avern with trepidation, the sounds of his leaf wall being bro#en growing louder with every se"ond, he belatedly reali ed that it would've been better to plug the narrow passageway with the leaf wall. It was too late to move it now, however, he needed to save his strength for the teleport. .owever, if he didn't do something fast, the "reatures outside would brea# through his wall and #ill him before he "ould es"ape. -ith that thought in mind, Maelaeran started running ba"# towards the entran"e. &s his feet pounded against the hard surfa"e of the "ave's rough surfa"e, the shouts and "ries of monsters grew ever louder. )inally he rea"hed a bend in the passageway and "ame to the entran"e that he had sealed with his leaf wall. The mighty e0panse of foliage that had been assembled by the spirits of the forest he had summoned was being violently ripped apart. The forearm and snout of a warg had pier"ed through the entire thi"#ness of the wall and was s"raping against the inner part of the wall to free more of its lupine body. It's rampant flailing seemed to be wor#ing too, as more of the "reature po#ed through the wall as its entire head "ame through the gap. It's eyes fo"used on Maelaeran 1ust in time to see his sword thrusting between its eyes. The warg spasmed on"e...twi"e...and then fell motionless, blood drained from the body and "olle"ted itself into a sanguine puddle on the floor. Maelaeran withdrew his sword from the s#ull of the monster with a wet s2uel"h and whipped off the e0"ess blood and brain matter with a swipe of his sword. &pparently the other "reatures ma#ing their way through the wall hadn't yet reali ed what happened, as the s"rat"hing and ripping of bran"hes "ontinued without pause. The reptilian head of a #obold po#ed through and was 2ui"#ly dispat"hed of with a 2ui"# slash of his longsword, its head rolling a"ross the ground, as blood spewed from the stump of its ne"#. <ust as Maelaeran was getting into his stride, a thi"# and powerful arm burst out from the foliage and "lamped its massive hand around his ne"#. (efore

the hand "ould deliver any sort of s2uee ing for"e, Maelaeran's sword "ame around his side and "hopped into the arm holding him. The sword did not go all the way through as he e0pe"ted, instead it stopped midway through before rea"hing the bone, the flesh of this "reature was unbelievably strong. (ut he heard a bull*li#e roar from beyond the wall and the hand holding his ne"# sla"#ened off and released him. Maelaeran attempted to pull free the sword in the arm, but it held fast within the thi"# mus"ulature of the "reature that had assaulted him. .e was about to try again when the "reature whom the arm belonged to po#ed its fa"e through the wall. "uck. 0idn't think they had a minotaur. &bandoning all attempts to retrieve his sword, Maelaeran turned tail and fled down the tunnel ba"# towards the "avern as the minotaur roared in fury, froth dripping from it's bull*li#e fa"e as it saw it's 2uarry es"aping from it and redoubled its efforts to free itself. Maelaeran "ould barely hear the sounds of the howling of the minotaur and whatever other "reatures were right behind it, the sound of his heartbeat pulsed loudly in his ears as he ra"ed towards the "avern. Maelaeran ran until he "ame to the dead end at the "revi"e, he still needed a little bit more time until he "ould teleport. Turning around slowly, his ba"# to the wall, Maelaeran got his breathing ba"# under "ontrol and drew his dagger and 8after a moment's hesitation9 retrieved Mason from his pou"h. /ifferent sounds "ould be heard now, a loud snap e"hoed a"ross the "avern and the vi"torious "ries of the minotaur "ould be heard. More sounds now, the 2ui"# pattering of feet that indi"ated something was moving through the tunnels with speed and ease rapidly approa"hed Maelaeran. (arrelling around the "orner, another warg burst out into the "avern and "harged towards Maelaeran. Maelaeran whipped Mason towards the warg's s#ull with a loud thump, "ausing it to stagger out of its "harge and allow Maelaeran to slip past it as it "rashed into the "avern wall. /a ed, the "reature groggily tried to get up until Maelaeran's dagger was plunged into it's s#ull. 6ulling his dagger out, Maelaeran turned to retrieve Mason as the minotaur "ame "harging out of the passageway, roaring is e0ultation at having finally "ornered it's prey. Maelaeran started to ba"# away slowly and get as near to the "revi"e as possible, hoping that perhaps that the minotaur would "harge into the wall li#e the warg did. (ut despite it's beastial appearan"e, this was no stupid "reature as it approa"hed Maelaeran "autiously with a sword 8his sword he noted with surprise9 "lut"hed in his unin1ured arm. Maelaeran pla"ed his dagger in front of him and settled into a fighting stan"e, his own weapon loo#ing 2uite small indeed in the fa"e of this hul#ing monstrosity. The minotaur rumbled with a deep, unsettling laughter at the patheti" site of its prey and a wide, demoni" grin split its features and revealed its many sharp fangs. &s the minotaur in"hed step by step, Maelaeran suddenly sheathed his dagger and pivoted around on his heel, slapping a hand against the "revi"e. The minotaur fro e, disturbed at this sudden "hange in behaviour as Maelaeran loo#ed ba"# over his shoulder and smiled at the minotaur. I'm not sure what I would have done if you had "harged. Than#s for ta#ing your time, dumbass. taunted Maelaeran.

+naware of what his prey was planning, the insult and this puny "reature's "o"#y smile enraged the minotaur as he howled in fury and "harged towards him. Maelaeran win#ed, his ga e still lo"#ed with the berser# minotaur, and disappeared.

Maelaeran emerged into a spa"e utterly devoid of light or air, and for one pani"#ed moment, he believed himself to be trapped within the stone and flailed about desperately. The motion of the fluid around him then told him that he was submerged somewhere deep under water. $o now the fear of being buried alive was repla"ed by the fear of drowning as he started #i"#ing with all his might, his hands sear"hing outwards for some sort of solid surfa"e. .is prayers were answered as his hand found the outlines of a wall. )ollowing the "ontours of the wall, Maelaeran began to swim as fast as he "ould, his hand s"rabbling against the wall to give as mu"h speed as possible. (ut he had lost all sense of orientation, he "ouldn't tell whether he was going up or down with the utter la"# of light. The burning pain in his lungs told him he was going to die if he "hose wrong. It was only a few minutes, but the e0ertion his body was being pla"ed through made it feel li#e days. $uddenly, Maelaeran noti"ed a slight shift in the wall, not a bend or a sharp protrusion, but the barest hint of an upwards slant. More importantly, a little glimmer of light "ould be seen. .e was running out of air and he needed to "hoose whether to #eep on following the wall or swim towards the light by swimming away and up towards the light. (here's a light at the end of the tunnel...right? &fter a moment's hesitation, Maelaeran re*oriented himself and #i"#ed himself off of the wall and started swimming towards the light. The glimmer grew brighter as he approa"hed it, but it still seemed so far away, as he strained with the effort of the la"# of o0ygen, his mus"les s"reaming out in pain. AB metres...the pain in his "hest be"ame e0"ru"iating, he had to ta#e a breath, his body was overriding his own will...AC metres...he should have #ept following the wall...B metres...his mouth opened of its own a""ord and he too# a breath, "old water filling his throat and airways. Maelaeran burst out of the water "oughing and ret"hing water as he too# in great lungfuls of sweet air. .e had emerged out into a small la#e, the light of the full moon was refle"ted onto the surfa"e of the water, and its pale glow illuminated the surfa"e of the water around him. Maelaeran began swimming towards the shore, "oughing the entire way, despite his attempts to #eep 2uiet as his body filtered out the water that still remained in his lungs. Maelaeran pulled his e0hausted body onto the shore and "ollapsed on its sandy ban#s, still breathing heavily. .e "ould not rest though, as the sounds of the "reatures hunting him "ould still be heard. -ith slow, "areful movements, he "rawled up into a standing position and began to trudge towards a thi"#et of trees and away from the "ries of the monsters behind him. Maelaeran was at the point where he "ould "ollapse at any moment% both physi"ally and mentally he was "ompletely drained. &nd yet he still managed to put one foot in front of the other, his body entered into an automati" routine driven by the

thought of needing to return home. The wounds he had treated earlier had opened up again, but the blood that was seeping out from the bandages only registered as a vague semblan"e of pain in his mind, one hand was pressed absently against the wound to staun"h the flow of blood. $o it was in this "atatoni" state that Maelaeran did not noti"e how dar# the "luster of trees seemed, despite what seemed was a bright night than#s to the light of the full moon. The dar#ness grew heavier and thi"#er, as his gait slowed down with every step ta#en in the oppressive atmosphere as alarm bells started to ring off in his mind. 0arkness is normal at night...right? No...it's the moon should be making the surroundings brighter...Ah. #erha$s I am in the grove of trees already, that makes sense. /imly, Maelaeran "ould not seem to re"all if he had rea"hed the trees yet, it was a fair distan"e away from the shore of the la#e and he was moving too slowly to have rea"hed it already. ,eaning that this darkness...is artificial? The "onne"tion now formed in his mind sent Maelaeran ba"# into a state of overdrive, as adrenaline "oursed through his body and set him on full alert. &"ting purely out of instin"t, his hand dropped towards his dagger and was about to draw it out when a small hand pressed down on his own with inhuman strength. 4o, no. I've seen your s#ills with that dagger, so I thin# we'll leave that nasty little thing where it is. said a simpering voi"e in high and sweet tones. The dar#ness bro#e all around Maelaeran at the sound of the mysterious voi"e. & elvish woman stood before him, her "omple0ion and features suggesting that of a beautiful young lady, but her eyes glowed with an eerie red light. .er ruby lips parted in a sweet smile, revealed the presen"e of unusually sharp "anines. 1am$ire2 Maelaeran tried to avoid her ga e and "lose his eyes, but the damage was already done. ;h, don't loo# away dear. I promise I won't bite. laughed the woman. 7ompelled to obey, Maelaeran's defian"e at the order 2ui"#ly melted away when he stared into her bewit"hing eyes. I have to say, you put on 2uite the show tonight. I did not believe my master when he told me of your group. I mean, #illing Maegara, she laughed again, 4ow that was really unbelievable. "hu"#led the woman. .er laughter subsided when she loo#ed at Maelaeran with some "on"ern, perturbed at the la"# of any rea"tion when her fa"e suddenly lit up, ;h! I'm sorry, 'I grant you permission to spea# in my presen"e.' The fog polluting Maelaeran's mind was dispelled and he was able to form "ohesive thoughts on"e more% though the signals his mind were sending to his body to move were still being blo"#ed by the vampire. -hat do you want with my Guild, spat Maelaeran. !our...guild, .a. &haha. .ahahahah! repeated the woman slowly, brea#ing out into a fit of giggles, her laughter sending "hills down Maelaeran's spine. &s if I "are about your patheti" e0"use for a Guild. 4o, no, I'm interested in the group you used to travel with. she said sedu"tively, deli"ately tra"ing a finger down Maelaeran's "hest and soa#ing it with his blood. -ho are you, as#ed Maelaeran

:areen% vampire lord of the 4orth she said theatri"ally with a bow. ...$o what now, !ou going to #ill me, -hat, said :areen in surprise, her eyes widening, 4o, no! If I was serious about #illing you, I would've sent more than that minotaur to the "ave you were hiding in. ...-hy, muttered Maelaeran. .mm, -hy what, dear, teased :areen, a "hild*li#e smile playing a"ross her fa"e. !ou ba"#ed me against impossible odds and you say you don't want to #ill me, (ullshit. snorted Maelaeran derisively. :areen said nothing, her fa"e was an imper"eptible mas# as she stared at Maelaeran with intense s"rutiny. & "old sweat bro#e out on Maelaeran's brow as she remained there, studying him, or...what seemed li#e appraising him. &s if he were "attle and wondering if it was good deal to buy him. Maelaeran tried to let nothing show on his fa"e as he mat"hed her stare, all the while trying to move the hand that was on the hilt of his dagger. 6erhaps she #new what he was trying to do, or maybe she had "ome to a de"ision as a slow smile "rept a"ross her fa"e. !ou're an interesting one aren't you, she breathed, I'll admit, a small part of me did want to #ill you. 4othing personal, you #now, I didn't see that you had mu"h value. (ut now,...I thin# I'll #eep you after all she purred. I thin# you'll find me...not very amenable to orders growled Maelaeran with "len"hed teeth. All or nothing now...2 as he shouted with all of his might in his mind to move, he bro#e free of the "ompulsion and ripped free the dagger from it's sheath. The #nife sailed towards :areen's heart, only to be stopped at the last moment as :areen's hand shot up and "aught the blade end of the dagger between her fingers. $he was overwhelmingly strong, Maelaeran struggled to move the blade even an in"h further, but was denied by the brute for"e of the vampire lord. -ell, well! This is surprising! laughed 4areen, not a hint of anger was on her fa"e, rather a loo# of delight illuminated her features. I didn't thin# you'd be able to brea# free of my "ompulsion, you "lever boy you! "ongratulated 4areen. (ut. she began, as she gave a "old smile, !ou did try to #ill me 1ust then, so I thin# that's going to "ost you a hand. (efore he "ould even rea"t, 4areen's other hand enveloped Maelaeran's and she pulled out the dagger fro en in his hand that she was gripping. (ending his hand at the fingers so that his palm fa"e outwards, she plunged his dagger into his hand and out through the ba"#. Maelaeran howled in agony as the dagger pier"ed his flesh and redoubled his shouts as 4areen bro#e every finger on his hand in su""ession. & strange lethargy "ame over Maelaeran, tinged with nausea when he saw the whites of bone po#ing out from underneath the flesh of his mangled hand that flopped down uselessly ne0t to his body, the dagger po#ing the s#in of his leg. If not for 4areen's magi", he would've "ollapsed on the spot, as it was, he was for"ed to remain where he was as his "ries of agony subsided into heavy breathing. The entire time, 4areen was observing

Maelaeran with pity and regret, ;h, I'm sorry I had to do that dear. (ut you really must understand the "onse2uen"es of your a"tions. apologi ed 4areen, tenderly stro#ing his "hee# with one hand. If not for the immobility, Maelaeran would've instin"tively flin"hed away from her tou"h, and so he "ould only submit to her tou"h as waves of revulsion roiled within him. $omething must have appeared on his fa"e as she gave him a sad smile, I #now it hurts, but you'll forget about all of this pain soon. -hat...do you...mean. said Maelaeran with fatigue. 4areen gave a low "hu"#le and sweetly said, 4ormally this is the part where I tell you about the gifts of immortality. (ut I feel that wouldn't matter so mu"h to an 3ladrin. Instead I'll tell you the power you'll gain by be"oming li#e me and how mu"h better you'll feel when you're mine. 4areen leaned in "lose to Maelaeran and whispered into his ear, !ou'll "rave my attention and will want to "ater to my every desire. !ou might start out as a servant, but you'll eventually "ome to love me and the gift I give you with your own free will. I doubt I'll forget this...! angrily retorted Maelaeran 4o...but one day you will forgive this and loo# on this day as a happy one. mewled 4areen as she moved away from his ear and loo#ed him in the fa"e, /on't loo# so sad, I'll ma#e sure your friends re"eive the same gift, maybe even the ones that were hiding on that hill with you. promised 4areen. $he "o"#ed her head to the side with a "urious smile at Maelaeran's stri"#en e0pression, -hat, you didn't thin# I #new where you were the entire time, I wanted to see what you would do, and you did not disappoint! /on't you dare tou"h them! roared Maelaeran. (ut 4areen was not affe"ted in the slightest at his rage, she only gave that infuriating grin of hers and said, I won't be the one to tou"h them. I'll leave it up to you. )ear gripped Maelaeran by 4areen's words and he hotly denied them, 4o matter what you do, I won't harm them! !ou say that now, interrupted 4areen, but the thirst of fresh blood will over"ome you, as it always does. Imagine this "ompulsion that I pla"ed on you multiplied by a fa"tor of a thousand! Then you might #now the #ind of "raving that will be instilled in you. Maelaeran shoo# his head furiously at her words as he attempted to move his hand with the dagger embedded in it, to whi"h it only very wea#ly responded. 4areen stro#ed the top of Maelaeran's head and murmured softly to him, I wonder what it will be li#e when your friends greet you again. -ill they embra"e you with relief and gratitude, Dight before you plunge your fangs into their e0posed flesh and drain them of every single drop of blood. :et's find out shall we, "uck, fuck, fuck2 ,ove2 ,ove2 Maelaeran "ried desperately into his mind, his hand only wea#ly slapping against his leg, the dagger embedded in it po#ing into his leg. 4areen noti"ed the movement and laughed in wonder, ;h, you are an in"redible one! I want you even more nowE 4areen wrapped Maelaeran into a tender embra"e, her long hair "as"aded down the sides of her fa"e as she nu led the side of his ne"#. $top... pleaded Maelaeran

/on't fight it. "rooned 4areen, li"#ing his ne"# with a 2ui"# fli"# of her tongue, I'll only ta#e a small bite out of you. NO2 4areen bared her fangs and san# them into the soft flesh of Maelaeran's unprote"ted ne"#. Maelaeran "ried out in pain, as 4areen dug deeper into his body, her embra"e be"oming tighter as blood ran down in rivulets down the sides of her mouth. Maelaeran "ould feel something being in1e"ted into his bloodstream, a foul substan"e being shot out of 4areen's fangs and poisoning his system. &s his life was being drained out of him, Maelaeran san# into a state similar to a tran"e, his memories spiralling all around him. Ahh, don't be like that. Come on, let's get to know each other. I barely know more than your name, uh ! "aelaeran, although I lost my right to use that name a while ago. #ow it's $reyskull.! I need to do this. I can't let her die again.! %er? &o you know some o' these people who were taken?! (ou couldn't sa)e me. *ut you didn't kill me either.! she replied with a sad smile. #o. I didn't.! +)ery second we spend dwelling o)er our 'ailures, means losing time o)er what we could be doing instead.! ,o what now?! asked "aelaeran -hat do you mean what now?! laughed .a/orge, #ow we return to the town and take it o)er!! A good idea, it would be a good place to gain more 'ollowers 'or the $od o' .ight! asserted .ighto)ius (ou mean 'or the 0ra)eller! inter1ected &2 0he 'uck are we supposed to do then?! asked "aelaeran -ell...you guys can take control o' the 0hie)es guild.! Pass! said #e)in Pas &ammit.! began "aelaeran when #e)in beat him to the punch. -hy the hell would I want to 1oin the 0hie)es guild! asked the little girl. %as to beat li)ing on the street.! supplied "aelaeran &oubt it. I know the guild's reputation. I think I'll take my chances out here rather than with a pack o' scumbags! replied the girl scathingly. It's under new management. I'm going to try to steer the guild into a new direction. "y way or the highway, you know?! "eaning?!

"eaning i' they don't like it, I'll beat the crap out o' them and kick them out.! 0he girl started laughing be'ore she could stop hersel'. I'm still not sure, you could be one o' those creepy child sla)ers! &on't worry, I'm not with any o' the Churches here.! reassured "aelaeran .../ine, but i' there's any 'unny business, I'll make sure you regret it!! )owed the girl. %ah! &eal!! holding out a hand to the girl, -hat's your name, kid?! 0he girl eyed the pro''ered hand suspiciously, be'ore shaking it, ...0eia.! -hy...stop at a pie"e. gasped Maelaeran, "ausing 4areen to pause slightly, -hen you "ould have the whole thing! Maelaeran mustered the last bit of will he had and plunged the now shimmering dagger into his own leg, drawing blood as he did so. 4areen, sho"#ed at the sudden a"tion, drew ba"# from Maelaeran's ne"#, -hat are you... she began, then stopped when she noti"ed Maelaeran began to faintly glow with an ethereal light, as his entire being began to fade. (y the power of Greys#ull, bit"h invo#ed Maelaeran, grinning a 'fu"#*you' smile to 4areen. -hile Maelaeran had only enough strength to teleport a few in"hes, it was all he needed, as he lo"#ed the e0it gate's "oordinates in the same position as 4areen. 4areen did noti"e the danger she was in, until it was too late, as Maelaeran disappeared for the briefest of moments and then re appeared in the same spa"e and time as herself. It was in the infinitesimal moments before he was obliterated along with 4areen that Maelaeran had time for a final thought' 3orry for not being able to come back. (ake care of yourselves . The magi" ended and Maelaeran's body overlapped with 4areen's own and tore the both of them apart before 4areen "ould even "ry out. The pie"es of their bodies "ollapsed into a pile together on the ground, blood draining out from their remains and "ongealing into a thi"# mass on the ground. Dain eventually washed these remnants away and began to soften in intensity as the dawn of a new day bro#e out. Days of light pier"ed the dar#ened light, as the monsters, now leaderless, began to disperse and fight amongst themselves. $ome distan"e away, far from the forest, the remaining members of the Guild of .eroes were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as they saw the outs#irts of Mogul 5han's en"ampment. ;ne of the members, drew ba"# her hood and sear"hed the distan"e in the dire"tion they had "ame from, ga ing with a fier"e intensity at the surroundings. 7ome on Teia, give him some time and he'll ma#e it ba"#. said Grisea, "lapping a hand on her shoulder. ...I #now. <ust a little paranoid, you #now, said Teia relu"tantly, before turning ba"# around and "ontinuing the last stret"h of their 1ourney.