Ben couldn’t ignore the flashing prompts any longer. “Red!” He shouted, and the mercenary stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. “I need - “ he panted, leaning against a nearby wall - “a minute. To rest. And to sort out some - “ he breathed - “of the battle prompts.”

Red, who was breathing heavily as well but not nearly as hard as the scout, twisted his mouth in a frown. “Still a noob,” he muttered. “I forget. You have to learn to do these things on the go, skin. Especially in long battle campaigns such as this one.”

The warrior looked around, and Ben followed his lead. The two players were standing against a high wall in the very heart of the city, about half the distance from the Great Palace to the Punishment Square. A battle recently took place here, and there were bodies of both elves and humans lying around, some of them still bleeding. There were no breathing enemies to be seen, though; the only living people that Ben could see were either citizens - who cowered inside their homes, peeking out of the windows - or his allies: half a dozen human soldiers, who were ordered to accompany the Beacon and obey his commands.

It was Viridion who decided to separate the soldiers who survived the battle in the Great Palace into three groups. The lord told Ben that the elves - cunning bastards that they were - were probably hiding throughout the city, so it would be best to try and reach the Punishment Square from three different directions. Viridion led the first group, Commander Hayet the second one, and the Beacon took command of the third group. His squad consisted of fourteen soldiers when they had first left the palace, but after nearly thirty minutes of rigorous fighting, only six remained. The elves seemed determined to delay the reinforcements as best they could, and Ben’s group had encountered three well-placed ambushes along the way. It was only thanks to the scout’s high perception skill and his Hawk-Eye power - enabling him to locate the hidden elven archers along the way - that the party from the palace had managed to survive at all.

Red, seeing no immediate danger, finally grunted. “Fine,” he said. “But be quick about it. No time for big decisions, or we’ll miss all the fun.” He grinned beneath his helm, his dark eyes glinting in the light of a nearby lantern, and wiped blood from his chin with the back of his hand. “There are more elves to kill, and the night is still young.”

Ben nodded. “I don’t intend to delay any longer than I need to. Tell Lieutenant Amberwood to secure this street and be ready to leave in two minutes.” Amberwood was the officer in command of the Sonadinian squad that Viridion assigned to Ben, a big man in his forties with a grey beard and an easy smile, that seemed as enthusiastic for battle almost as the Red Mercenary was. His smile was gone after so many of his men had died in such a short time, but the big soldier seemed more than ready for another fight. “And don’t forget to search the rooftops,” added the young Beacon. The elves had proven themselves as proficient stalkers, and Ben quickly learned to keep his eyes up and look for them as they crossed the streets of Sonadin.

The black-skinned warrior went to speak with the lieutenant, and Ben moved deeper into the shadows of a nearby alley, as far from prying eyes as he could allow himself. The city was eerily quiet since the elves had breached the walls - the disciplined citizens were following a well-known battle protocol and had barricaded themselves inside their homes, letting the soldiers do their duty without interference. Still, there were thousands of people living in Sonadin, and Ben didn’t want to be disturbed while he was browsing through his prompts.

When the scout was sure he was as alone as he could be, he closed his eyes and accessed his interface. He planned to be true to his word and spend as little time as he could here, but he did wish to see what he gained during the last hour of gameplay.

The first notification was a polite way of asking him if he wanted to get into all the available details or skip to the main course:

Caution: you’re in an ongoing battle campaign. Going over your full battle log is not advised at such a time. Do you wish to access only your primary prompts?

Ben mentally nodded and skipped to the prompts that were blazing the brightest, knowing they were the ones that required his immediate attention.

Ongoing Battle Campaign (The Bane of the Elves) Total Enemies killed: 22 Ongoing battle rewards: Shared XP Reward (deducting war party’s XP): 16,240 (base 14,140 + 2,100 for utilizing your character’s skills) Personal XP Reward: 8,120. Current XP: 38,570 (you have gained 1 level). Points to the next level: 6,430 Skill Increases: Perception +1 Stealth +1 Backstabbing +1 Dagger throwing +1 Daggers +2 Crossbows +2 Wands +1 Leadership +1 Well done! You have crossed the first threshold (level 10) of your Stealth skill. You receive the following boons: XP reward: 50. Current XP: 38,620. Points to the next level: 6,380 Stealth Power 1: Stealth Shot (adjusted to accommodate your current class choices) They say that stealth is the realm of the rogues, but those who said it probably never met a stealthy trickster scout! Having crossed the first threshold of Stealth, you have gained a unique power to accommodate your unique character: Stealth Shot. With this badass ability, your shots from stealth have become much deadlier, and your enemies may become disoriented so you can plan your next move. Blast your way through the shadows, sneaky archer! Damage boost: +4 damage for every 2 seconds you aim from stealth (damage increased due to your Passive Focus Power) Critical chance boost: +5% for every 4 seconds you aim from stealth (increased due to your Passive Focus Power) Special: 50% chance for disorienting your target after the first successful Stealth Shot in an encounter. Cost: 2 mana and 2 stamina for every second you remain in stealth. Well done! You have crossed the first threshold (level 10) of your Daggers skill. You receive the following boons: XP reward: 50. Current XP: 38,670. Points to the next level: 6,330 10% more likely to hit. Daggers Power 1: Swift Strike Do you know the old saying, ‘don’t bring a dagger into a sword fight’? Well, it’s still sound advice, but now that you have Swift Strike you may actually survive and even score a hit! Activate this power to increase your attack speed by a factor equal to the number of thresholds you crossed with your Daggers skill (+1). Current attack speed: X2. Cost: 20 mana and 20 stamina. Cooldown: 1 minute

Ben was amazed by the long lists of skill increases and new powers that he had managed to gain in such a short time. His eyes kept widening when he continued to the next prompts.

VD achievement: My First Command Leading other players is fun, but to truly become a military commander, one must assume the role of a battlefield sergeant and lead NPC soldiers into combat. You have accepted such a position by a formal army general and led your soldiers into at least three encounters. The system analyzed your actions, and you receive the following boons: XP reward: 500. Current XP: 39,170. Points to the next level: 5,830 Leadership +1 Trustworthy +1 Charisma +1 New title: War Leader 1 (Sergeant) From this day forth, you may present your new title to any battle commander and gain the proper respect, as well as apply for a job as an officer with the army’s rank.

A sergeant. Ben smiled, marvelling at the prospect. Me, a battle commander. It was so out of character for him that he almost wanted to laugh, but then he paused to reflect on it for a moment. Was it really so strange to think of himself as a military leader? Maybe it was before he started playing VD, but now… Ben had to admit that ordering people - first his companions, and then these soldiers - was making him feel quite good about himself. Besides, he liked how the game kept surprising him, and how he rose to the challenge time and again. If these were the benefits of such a low level, what would happen when he reached level 15? 20? 40??

Ben had to put aside his fantasies, though, and focus on his current status - which was enough to make him grin. The next prompt dealt with his level-up, and Ben was thrilled to see he had gained enough experience points to reach level 9.

Level Up! You have gained enough experience points to reach level 9. Way to go, adventurer! Level up bonuses: health, stamina and mana points are fully restored. You receive 4 points to allocate - either to your skills or to your ability points. Choose wisely.

Ben was whisked away into his interface to complete his level-up, but the scout returned to the game almost as swiftly as he disappeared. He had already made up his mind on how to use his level-up points; Ben was tired of being so close to death so many times, and after the last time, when he lay bleeding on the palace’s floor with an arrow in his guts, the young hero knew that he just had to use everything he could to boost his hit points.

So Ben did just that and used all of his 4 points to increase his Constitution, bringing it to 25 (26 with the boost he got from eating the meat of the cave dragon). This increase immediately resulted in his HP going up to 47 (49 with the dragon’s boost). It was still low compared to tank characters like Red - from what Ben knew, the mercenary had nearly double the HP - but it was a decent number, and it gave Ben higher chances to survive severe injuries.

Ben instantly felt the change in his body. It was as if his skin thickened, and he felt more robust, more resilient than ever before. When he opened his eyes, he took a deep breath and allowed himself a confident smile. Game on.

Seven minutes later, the level 9 hero had a chance to test his new powers. The eight humans were about to cross the main avenue, which, according to Lieutenant Amberwood, separated the Punishment Square area from the rest of the city. Before they crossed into the open street, Ben raised his hand to signal the soldiers to stop, and did what he had done before: he paused in an alley under cover of darkness, asked Red to cover his back, and activated his Hawk-Eye power.

With his current level, Ben had 40 seconds to scout with his invisible drone until the power drained his mana reserves. His high wisdom score meant he could launch it to a height of 52 feet - enough to sail above most of the buildings in Sonadin - and to a range of 105 feet, which he hoped was enough to detect any elf who might be lurking in the dark. He also relied on his Dark Vision and Passive Focus, two powers that complemented his Scout Power perfectly, enabling him to penetrate the darkest spots - and surprise the enemies who were of a mind to do the exact opposite.

He needed nearly the entire 40 seconds to locate the elven archers. There were only three of them this time, and they took positions behind a large curtain, on a high balcony on one of the tallest buildings he had seen thus far - a five-storied residence structure that was nearly out of range of his Hawk-Eye. The elves were well hidden, using some kind of innate ability to shroud themselves in darkness, but Ben’s perception skills were good enough to see through their magical cover.

Just three, he thought. His Identify skill also triggered, and he realized that the three were only level 6. A plan formed in his mind.

The scout closed his magical eye and opened his real ones. He gave a brief nod to Red - their agreed-upon sign that enemies were found - and signalled him to retreat to a safer place, where they could whisper without the risk of being heard. Lieutenant Amberwood joined them, and the two warriors listened as Ben laid out his plan.

“Hell no,” said Red immediately, and Amberwood nodded. “He’s right, sir Beacon,” said the lieutenant gravely. “You cannot do it. It’s too dangerous.”

Ben’s eyebrows shot up, and he felt an unexpected flare of anger. “Cannot?” He repeated in a dangerous tone, and the lieutenant grimaced. The man was too veteran to be cowed by the young man’s attitude, though, so he just nodded. “Aye, sir. This is madness. We should do it as before, you and my archers should shoot and distract the elves while the mercenary and the rest of us storm the building - “

“No.” Ben almost growled. He couldn’t abide with disobedience - not with Red and the other soldiers looking. “No,” he repeated. “The building is too high. We’ll be hard-pressed to have any good shots at them, and it will take you too long until you climb to the fifth floor. No, I need you to stay here and guard the street - there’s fighting going on less than a hundred yards from here, you should be ready if it comes here.” It was only half a lie. Ben did hear shouts and cries of battle, but he had no way to know precisely where the shouts came from.

The lieutenant pressed his lips, obviously not satisfied, but this time he kept his mouth shut.

“Skin,” said Red in a low voice, and put his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “You sure? It’s three against one, and these elven bastards proved to have some nasty tricks up their silvery sleeves.”

Ben forced himself to smile. “Positive. They’re low level, and I have some new powers to check out.”

The warrior grinned. “Then why didn’t you say so in the first place? Go ahead and do your shit, mighty leader. We’ll do our part.” He turned to the soldiers. “You heard the Beacon,” he snapped, playing the role of Ben’s second in command with gusto. “Take positions along the exits to the street and keep your guard up.”

And so it was that Ben found himself alone, using Sealth to walk silently back to the street. He craned his neck and looked up, scanning the buildings across the street from the building where the elves were hiding. There. There was an empty balcony on the third floor, some 30 feet above his head. Ben teleported there and immediately crouched, using the balcony’s low wall as cover. His breaths came out fast, but he wasn’t afraid - only excited.

The scout cautiously raised his head, picking over the edge of the wall and scanning the large building on the opposite side of the 40 feet wide avenue. The elves were in the same place. They were moving, he saw, and one of them was pointing down. Ben followed the direction of the elf’s gesture and smiled. The elf had noticed the white smoke Ben had left when he teleported. Good, he thought, keep looking, asshole.

Feeling more secure in his position, the trickster scout slowly raised his crossbow and notched a short iron quarrel. He focused, taking careful aim - and activated Stealth Shot. He wished he could wait the full 20 seconds that his mana allowed and cause massive damage, but Ben’s mana reserves were limited, and he had to time his actions very accurately if he didn’t want the unfortunate incident in the Great Palace to repeat itself.

He released the crossbow bolt after 4 seconds, which left him with 32 mana points. The quarrel crossed the 40 feet distance in the blink of an eye - and hit one of the elves square in his upper torso. Nothing could stop this supercharged bolt - definitely not the weakly enhanced chain mail the elf wore - and it tore through metal, flesh and bone with an empowered force of 82 critical damage points. It was so powerful that it pierced right through the back of the elf and scored another hit on the elf that stood behind him. Cries of pain broke the silence of the night.

Two notifications blazed in Ben’s vision, one informing of the kill and another of successful disorientation of the second target, but Ben didn’t have time to read. He teleported again, draining another 30 mana points - which, after the 1 second regeneration time that passed since he released his Sealth Shot, left him with 7 mana. His teleportation took him nearly the entire distance to the elves’ balcony but it was still not enough: Ben found himself in midair, some 5 feet away from the balcony’s edge, where the dead elf was in the process of falling to the floor. The second elf was looking about, disoriented, but the third one had spotted Ben as he appeared and he smiled viciously, obviously expecting Ben to fall to his death.

Ben didn’t fall. Executing the next phase of his plan, the trickster used the last reserves of his mana and stamina and used his Air Steps power, turning the very air solid as he used it to jump and land on the porch right next to the astonished elf. Without pausing, Ben drew his Dagger of Trickery, lunged forward and activated his second new power: Swift Strike.

It was amazing. Ben’s hand blurred as he struck with his dagger too fast for the elf - who was still holding his longbow - to react. The trickster’s aim was a bit off - he was still unsteady on his feet after the precarious jump - so the dagger did no more than slice the elf’s forearm, causing a mere 3 points of damage.

Luck was still on Ben’s side, though. As the dagger struck, the elf cried in dismay and turned his head in alarm - and Ben saw that blood appeared on his face as well. A prompt flashed.

Successful triggered effect: Double Wound.

His magical dagger was once again proving its worth; Ben’s attack caused a second attack on a random location on his target’s body - and it happened to be the elf’s cheekbone. The elf, not knowing what was attacking him, tried to jump backwards and see who his second attacker was.

Ben decided to confuse his foe even further. He cast Death Aura, emptying his small regenerated mana pool and choosing the injured elf as his target. The immediate result was as expected: the elf lost 1 HP, and Ben gained an extra layer of magical protection.

The second effect was much more surprising. The elf cried in fear and more pain than Ben could take credit for. The death spell seemed to paralyze him and Ben, who read the prompt that appeared, suddenly felt apprehension deep in his guts.

You used a death spell against a creature devoted to the preservation of life. You have unlocked a secret ability of your spell: fear. By using a life creature as your target for empowering your Death Aura spell, you have a 35% chance of causing them to temporarily lose their wits and cower in fear for a duration that is equal to your Death Magic level times 6 seconds.

“Mamzer Rasha!”

Ben heard the cry in Elvish - his mind registered that it came from the third elf on the balcony - but he was still too distraught by what happened to dodge in time. The elf, who dropped his bow and drew a thin blade, managed to lunge at him and his sword found a tear in Ben’s battered leather armor, finding the scout’s flesh beneath. Ben’s dark aura protected him somewhat, but not enough.

You were hit! Elven archer hits you with rapier for 7 piercing damage.

The pain snapped the scout back to his senses. With a ferocity that surprised him, the Beacon fought back, trying to circle his opponent so he could strike with his dagger. Both he and the elf were more proficient with ranged weapons than with melee ones, so they were equally disadvantaged, but Ben was three levels higher than the elf. He was also full of rage - at what, he wasn’t sure - so it was the young human who pushed the taller elf back until the forest creature was with his back to the low wall of the balcony.

Their short skirmish took no more than 10 seconds. All the while, the elf that Ben had siphoned life from was crouching in the corner, looking with wide and frightened eyes at the two combatants.

Mamzer Rasha. The elven curse was familiar to Ben, who had enough dealings with the forest elves during the ancient life of his second identity in Nolxar. It was the equivalent of “evil bastard”, and for some reason, it shook the very core of Ben’s previous certainty that he was doing the right thing by siding with Lord Viridion. That and the prompt that informed him the elves he was killing were creatures that were devoted to the preservation of life.

The elf that Ben was pinning against the low wall seemed to sense Ben’s doubt. He snarled and opened his mouth - probably to curse Ben again.

Ben didn’t want to hear it. With a shout of defiance, the scout suddenly ran forward, in a dead-on collision course with the elf. His foe raised his rapier to block Ben’s path, but Ben allowed himself to be struck by the thin blade, knowing it couldn’t cut too deep without any force behind it.

He was right. The blade was caught between Ben and the elf, merely scratching Ben’s neck - and then Ben’s momentum took both combatants over the low ledge of the balcony and into the open air.

They plummeted down in an instant. The elf grabbed onto Ben; he was screaming something, the wind shrieked in Ben’s ear, he could see Red waiting in the street below with a horrified look on his face, he was about to crash -

Only he didn’t. The 10 seconds he fought with the elf were enough to replenish all of Ben’s mana, and a split second before he and the elf met the pavement below, the trickster teleported again, reappearing a few feet away, standing behind the Red Mercenary.

The elf wasn’t so lucky. The archer smashed against the hard stone head first, the mighty blow splitting open his skull with a horrible sound. Blood and brain spattered about, and Red jumped back in shock. “Ben!” He shouted. “Where - “

“I’m here,” said Ben quietly from where he stood behind his companion, and Red turned to look at him. His horrified look immediately turned into a grin. “You did it!” He laughed. “You beat them. I saw the jump from here, skin, it was glorious - “

Ben wasn’t in the mood. “I left one of them alive up there,” he said briskly. “We should get going, the time for stealth is over. Lieutenant!” He barked. “Come here!”

Amberwood ran from where he stood guard in an alley, accompanied by two of his men. “Beacon, sir!” He saluted. Then his eyes darted to the body of the elf, and Ben saw something that might be admiration in them. “Beacon!” He said again, and his tone was clearly more respectful. “What are your orders! Sir!”

Ben still felt too distraught to feel any kind of pride over his recent victory or the lieutenant’s admiring tone. He grimaced, feeling the pain from the stab wound the elf had inflicted on him. Putting his hand on his side, he could feel wetness on his leather armor and realized he was still bleeding.

Red saw it too. “You out of potions?” Asked the warrior. He didn’t seem worried.

Ben shook his head. “I have a few left. But It’s nothing.” It’s a wound from a creature of life, who saw in me the embodiment of evil. Ben turned hard eyes on Amberwood. “Let’s finish it, lieutenant,” he said quietly. “Gather your men. Lead us to the Bane of the Elves.”

Amberwood nodded. “Aye, sir Beacon. It’s this way - “

The sound of an arrow cutting the air caused everyone to look up in alarm - a movement that proved to be the last living action of the soldier who stood next to Amberwood. The silvery arrow struck the throat of the soldier, piercing the man’s flesh, tearing through the soft skin and tissue and exiting from the other side. The man didn’t even have time to scream. He fell where he stood, dead.

Another arrow followed right after, aimed at Red’s head, but the elf had lost his element of surprise. The big warrior raised his magical shield just in time, and the arrow bounced off it without harming anyone.

“Run!” Cried Ben. The elf he had left in the porch of the fifth floor had obviously recovered, and he seemed to be a deadly archer. And full of hate. “Now!”

They ran. They crossed the large avenue, rounding a corner just as another arrow came rushing from above. The projectile passed next to Ben’s ear in a whoosh and was embedded in a wooden door of a herbal store, quivering. As Ben passed next to the store’s window, he could see an older woman staring at him from inside, holding a small girl in her hands. A thought came to him unbidden: he didn’t see any citizen among the bodies when they crossed the city. The elves seemed to spare the non-combatants of Sonadin, with the exception of the nobles in the Great Palace. Creatures dedicated to the preservation of life. Doubts bloomed anew in his mind.

“Here, sir!” Shouted Amberwood as they crossed another small street and burst into a vast square, which was barely illuminated compared to the rest of the courts Ben had seen in the city. The scout immediately recognized it as the same place he had looked upon when he had first watched Sonadin from afar, for two reasons: the dark square had none of the famous glittering Sonadinan spires that could be found throughout the city - and in its center stood a dozen large cages. All of them, except for one, were wide open and empty.

Amberwood bellowed in dismay. “We came too late!” He cried. “They already freed their kin!”

It was true, Ben immediately saw. When he had first looked on the Punishment Square, there were people locked in all of its cages. Now the cages were empty, their portcullis doors swaying madly, broken, their heavy locks shattered. Ben’s Passive Focus triggered, and he glimpsed movement in the dark alleys on the other side of the square. The Elves. Escaping. I should tell the others.

“Not all of them!” Said Red, pointing. “There’s a group of elves still locked in that last cage!”

Ben saw that one of the cages still had captives in it. Unlike the others, the heavy lock of this cage withstood the attempts of breaking it, and the elf fighters couldn’t free the people locked inside. There were five captives crowded in that cage, Ben saw. They were small, he noticed, puzzled at first - most of the elves he had fought were taller than him - but then he looked again and understood why. They’re children.

“And here come the ones who want to get them out!” Called a familiar voice. A new group of humans appeared, ten soldiers who ran into the square from a nearby street. Leading them was Lord Viridion himself, with Commander Hayet by his side. The lord was pointing at a group of elves who left the cover of darkness and approached from the other side of the square. Ben counted twelve elven warriors.

“Soldiers of Sonadin, with me!” Shouted Viridion. There was blood on his blade and his face, but he seemed unwounded, and his very voice inspired the humans around him. Ben also detected a dim aura around the lord, which he identified as a magical shield. “Kill them all! For the glory of Sonadin!” Cried Viridion. He ran toward the cages, and the soldiers - from both his and Ben’s squads - shouted their battle cries and ran after him. In response, the elves called something in their language: “Garshu et haroa!” - and ran on to meet their hated foes.

Ben was thrown into battle, the intensity of the situation leaving little room for thought. Arrows zoomed through the air, but the elves had time for only one volley before they were forced into melee - a volley that did no damage at all when Lord Viridion’s protective aura intensified and repelled the arrows. Then the two groups met, and the last battle of the campaign - which will later be named as The Bane of the Elves - commenced in full.

Ben fought, using every resource he had just so he could survive. This last group of elves was the strongest he had met - their levels ranged from 8 to 12, and their leader was a fierce battle mage of a level too high for Ben’s skill to identify. The humans were more numerous, but their levels were lower than the elves’, and they were exhausted after crossing the length of the city while having to fight around every corner.

Ben used his shadow wand, fought with his dagger of trickery, teleported to higher ground, jumped around with his Acrobatics skill, and even paused the game to buy himself a short respite to think. Still, after the first minute of fighting, the VD player realized that he would soon be out of tricks. The elves were simply too powerful, and cunning as well - as the trickster learned when an elf ranger teleported right after him when he tried to find an elevated position. Ben teleported to the top of a broken cage, from where he could safely use his crossbow - and was caught entirely by surprise when an elf materialized in front of him, blade in hand.

It was then that Ben decided to use his Pause The Game! power. He used his 5 seconds of frozen time mostly to calculate his chances of surviving a melee with a level 11 elf ranger so, when time resumed its course and the elf attacked him with a long sword, Ben’s chosen course of action was to duck under it and jump off the roof of the cage.

He wanted to use his Air Steps, but his stamina was too low, and the scout landed heavily on the ground, slipping on a puddle of blood. His leg twisted under him and he cried in pain and fell, losing his balance.

His instincts saved him; Ben rolled away just as the elf jumped after him with a vicious strike that would have decapitated him. The sword met the floor where Ben’s head had been, and the scout jumped to his feet, dagger in his hand. The elf straightened and was about to lunge at him again, but two of the human soldiers charged at the ranger from both sides and he had to turn to meet them.

Ben knew then that he had only one trick left to him. I should use my Godlike Power. He had abstained from using his most powerful ability up until now, as it was a daily power and he knew he should save it as a last resort, but by the way this battle was progressing, it seemed that the time to become a demi-god was finally upon him. Half of the humans lay dead or dying, whereas only four of the elves were killed. Viridion and the elves' battlemage were fighting each other, and the elves were slowly pushing the humans away from the cage. The elven children huddled together in the cage, looking very frightened as the battle raged around them.

Children, thought Ben. Why would Viridion keep children locked up in a cage in the middle of the city?

The thought was disturbing, and Ben hesitated. No time for this, he thought. I should use my Godlike Power. Now, before it’s too late -

Something struck him from behind, brutally pushing him forward. Pain exploded in his lower back, and Ben found himself on the floor, flat on his stomach. He twisted his head and saw the silver arrow firmly embedded in his body, sticking out of his back.

You were critically hit! Elven archer hits you with silver arrow for 39 points of piercing damage. You are heavily wounded. HP remaining: 3/49 You are about to die. Do something!

Ben’s vision became a red blur. He remembered he should indeed do something, something that could save him. A power, wasn’t it? He should use some kind of power. Or was it something else? A vow. I should break a vow I have made. But which vow? No, fool. You should use your Beacon Power. It will make you stronger. You can kill all the elves in the world.

Kill the elves? The thought was strange. But Noah says all elves are creatures of good. The prompt said so too. Why am I killing elves? The children, he thought, I have to save the children.

That last thought caused his eyes to widen somewhat. He tried to look up from where he lay stunned and bloody on the ground. He could see elves and humans fighting, but he couldn’t see the cage from his precarious position. Someone was approaching him. A big, dark-skinned man, bloodied all over, holding a sword and shield and wearing a helmet. Ben recognized him. “Red!” He croaked, relieved. “Help! We need - to help - the children,” he whispered, feeling himself weakening with every word. “Give me - healing - potion.”

The Red Mercenary loomed over him. It was not the first time that his friend was looking at him from such an angle, and Ben remembered thinking once that Red was looking like a dark angel when he glared at him like this. Now, however, there was nothing angelic about the man. Red seemed angry, or rather, disappointed. Disappointed? That makes no sense.

“What a waste,” said Red. Why was he raising his fist?

“Red,” Ben whispered. “I need - “

Something hit him in the back of his head, and everything went black.