****

“Do you think he made the right choice?” Aurora asked in a whisper. She had tucked Par in to sleep, and now had come to join Hawk at the wagon’s window.

“You should leave it be,” he answered, eyes not moving from the snow outside. It was white and innocent looking but after the many ambushes no one ever felt safe. Even kicking all the mounds before settling didn’t help. Somehow the yetis managed to stay unnoticed, causing twice as much harm when people believed themselves safe.

Aurora moved closer, looking through the window for a moment before her gaze returned to him. “But what if it truly is Ace? Wouldn’t you want to talk to him?”

Hawk snorted. “No, thanks. He’s a danger, the longer he stays gone, the better for everyone.”

“But..”

“Stop it. He’s Silver Wing,” Hawk said, turning his head to her. Their eyes met for a second and he shifted his gaze back to the watch. “Remember the hall. Do you really think he wants to chat?”

It silenced the woman. She didn’t say anything more, just sat next to Hawk and stared into the wagon’s wall. He didn’t break the silence either, continuing his watch.

He more felt than saw the snow shift ten meters ahead. One moment there was nothing there and the next a human shaped mountain stood. It rushed forward with an incredible speed but Hawk was ahead of him.

He lighted a short fuse and a loud bang echoed through the camp. It made the creature flinch, giving Hawk time to grab his bow and release three arrows in succession. They didn’t fall the yeti but managed to deter it from coming this way.

“Stay,” Hawk threw to Aurora, leaning out the window. From there he grabbed onto the horns above meant to keep packets in place and dragged himself upwards. A couple of boxes broke under his feet but he ignored them and found the highest point.

From his vantage point he could see the fights below. Like usually, snow had risen but [Hawk Eyes] helped him to identify his targets. Arrows left his quiver, passed the bow and stuck into flesh. A familiar routine.

He saw Monthu battling a yeti and released an arrow to hit its shoulder. It slowed the creature’s attack speed and Monthu’s guards finished it off. Then the group ran off to find other creatures to fight.

Hawk just shifted his eyes and helped a struggling axeman. The arrow finished the target as right before it hit, a ball of fire exploded on the yeti. The man who had been fighting it brushed his hair out of his eyes and took his time finding another battle.

By the time he managed to move out, there was none left. Hawk along with other hidden archers and mages managed to kill the rest of the yetis. It was pretty easy once they got that teamwork going.

Tanks stayed outside in a ring around the wagons and made sure no yetis passed. They didn’t try to kill the creatures but just kept them away. That was the job of archers and mages who stayed behind. They either slept in the wagons or walked right by them on the march.

It gave them the ability to aim or cast spells without interruption which resulted in quick defences. There weren’t that many yetis as it had seemed before. Those creatures were just stronger than players one on one and were good at finding such battles. And creating confusion among the rest of players.

Snow started to settle and Hawk saw Aurora pushing her head through the window. “Is it over yet?” she asked, looking up at him.

Hawk put the bow back into his quiver and stepped off the box. He shooed Aurora in before climbing down himself. There he settled in his place by the window. “Yeah, but you should wait for me to tell you to open the window. What if you were met by a yeti’s claw?

“As if. I would have heard if they’d killed you.”

It was a logical answer so Hawk nodded and continued his watch. There was little chance of yetis attacking the same place again but it could be their strategy. Make players complacent and then annihilate them in one go.

“Is everyone safe?” Monthu asked, coming over to join them. There were scratches on his new scythe but the man himself looked fine.

“Yeah.”

“Good job on noticing them first. We were in the meeting,” he said, sitting down on the wagon’s wheel. Hawk glanced at him to note his hunched form but didn’t say anything. He nodded and then returned his eyes to the surroundings.

Monthu shifted on his seat, leaning back. “Is he always like this?”

Aurora gave him a small smile from behind Hawk. “He’s still hung up on what happened.”

“Leave me be,” Hawk growled, glaring at both of his companions. “It was my fault all those players died! We might fail this quest because of it!”

Monthu hit the archer’s head with a fist before standing up. “Don’t be an idiot. We all missed that ambush, you weren’t the only one on scouting duty.” He said before walking away to do whatever the general’s had to do.

“Why are you staying here? Won’t you see more from the wagon’s top?” Aurora asked, moving to check up on Par. He was sleeping without any worries so she just pulled his covers higher up and sat down nearby.

“They’ll see me and won’t attack.”

Aurora shifted her head to get a better look at him. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

Hawk glanced back, his eyes shining unnatural orange with black slits in the middle. It made Aurora turn her eyes away, he looked creepy.

“Not now. We know the strategy but if they learn that, they’ll change,” Hawk said, returning his eyes to the outside. He sat there like a statue. “We can’t have that.”

Aurora had nothing to reply to that. She opened her skill menu and looked over the abilities. They weren’t anything special, heals and that’s all, but the levels were decent enough. Most had passed Advanced and a few were closing in on half of it.

She could still increase them, though. So she closed her eyes and started whispering the incantations, pretending to heal herself. It wasn’t the most effective of ways to level up abilities. It got less and less experience each time repeated, but she didn’t do it too often. This meant she was still getting a decent amount, one worth the effort of whispering the spells.

Some two hours later a green flash rose over their camp and ordered them to leave the wagon. The lunch break was over and they had to get moving again. Par was still sleeping so they left him there, walking out together.

“Hey,” Deedara greeted them, being the first to join their group. There were over twenty yet to come.

“Hi,” Aurora answered, starting a chat with her while Hawk made his way to the back of the wagon.

He could see the middle group already assembling. They consisted of melee fighters and would join the wagon ahead or behind them, depending on which one got attacked. There had never been two close ambushes at the same time.

At least till now, and their defence strategy was based on that.

After making sure everything was looking good, Hawk went to the front of the column. He was Monthu’s best friend and his right hand man, he had to stay close.

In half an hour all wagon’s signalled that they were prepared and the march began. People stepped on hard snow and wagons rolled forward while high cliffs towered over them.

It was a beautiful place in a way. White ground, snow mounds and few bare sticks here and there. The valley itself was engulfed by two mountains at each side which had steep cliffs some twenty meters high and then went up in a more cone like shape.

But to Hawk it all felt like one huge trap. Someone, who knew the place, could split his army and come at them from both sides, cutting any chance of retreat. They would be massacred like sheep in a slaughterhouse.

A bird screeched in the air and the archer raised his eyes up. He wondered what could have startled it but nothing seemed to be amiss. No snow floating from the cliffs, nor moving shadows.

They travelled without any incident for three hours when a dark shape dropped near Monthu. Hawk was about to draw his dagger when he recognised Dark, their rogue leader.

“There are problems,” he said in a calm voice, eyes down. It wasn’t a clear warning so Monthu stepped out of the crowd. He motioned for Dark to follow him.

Hawk went after them.

“What is it?” Monthu asked, turning back to face the rogue.

“There’s a cliff up ahead. It’s steep. I could find no way to get the wagons down it.”

Monthu frowned at that, his eyes looking up ahead. He couldn’t see what was there but it didn’t seem like he was aware of that. “How far away is it?”

“Two hour journey at the current pace. No additional paths anywhere. We either have to go back or abandon the wagons,” the rogue explained. His voice was emotionless and calm, it didn’t seem like he cared about the bad news.

Hawk didn’t trust him at all. There was something about him that screamed danger. It was in the shift of his eyes, the way he always had his head down, shoulder’s relaxed but hands never straying too far from the daggers strapped to his belt.

“We’ll travel ahead, then,” Monthu said. Dark bowed and strode off. When he was far enough, Monthu spoke up again. “What do you think I should do?”

“It would be a two week journey to return back. The players would be furious,” Hawk answered. “Hopefully, we can get down somehow.”

Monthu grinned at that. “Somehow.” He then moved to catch up with his column and Hawk followed him. There wasn’t much they could do in this situation but either go forward or turn back. Both of which seemed like wrong choices at the moment.

Snow creaked under their feet as they hurried to the front but nothing jumped at them. The yetis were being quiet. Too quiet for Hawk’s liking. It was bad when they attacked but this... This could only mean one thing, a trap was being laid somewhere.

Hawk grabbed onto a bar of one of the wagon’s and pulled himself upwards. He climbed onto the top and slowly stood up. From there he could see far back into their column, especially with [Hawk Eye] that increased his vision.

He scanned the area as best he could, taking notice of every brush and mound but nothing seemed out of place. There were little to no place to hide around their army. That could have explained why there hadn’t been any attacks for the last few hours but Hawk didn’t believe it.

The yetis had ambushed them at first and through all their preparations in the morning. Yet now they were silent. It was worrying. He shifted his gaze to the front.

Their path continued to go onwards with no apparent changes. A mile or so ahead there was a turn to the right, hidden behind a side of the mountain. Could an ambush be set there? It was a possibility but Dark was sure there was nothing there.

It was hard trusting him but he was L’s dog. There should be no reason for him to lie about anything, unless he was bought off by Marion, of course.

Hawk climbed down the wagon and sprinted towards Monthu. “Let me go ahead and check everything.”

His friend had a questioning look to that but didn’t ask it out aloud among other people. “As you wish,” he said before returning to his conversation with Deedara. The priestess acted as a representative of the whole guild since everyone else were platoon commanders and couldn’t stay around Monthu all the time.

Hawk thanked with half a nod and jogged ahead of the column. He had no sneaking abilities so he just walked quick and tried to look into every corner. Snow and ice met his eyes. The two things covered everything.

The ground beneath him had an undisturbed fresh coating, it had snowed last night. He tried to find places where the rogues had moved through but no matter how much he looked, there were no traces. It was hard to believe they had really gone through here.

Could it have been a lie?

No, he shook his head. Half of them had gone in this direction, he’d seen them with his eyes. They had moved through this snow even if there wasn’t a single footprint remaining.

That made him frown. If he couldn’t notice his own rogues, how was he to find the yetis? It was their home place, they knew the surroundings and how to use them best.

He stamped on the ground with the next step, a few snowflakes raising from under his feet. They only reminded of the possible danger and he went forward. There was always a chance he could notice something. Unlike rogues he had no hiding skills but instead he had his eyesight. Like all archers, he was unequalled in spotting movement and finding targets from afar.

Yet there was nothing around. Snow and steep mountainsides, impossible to climb. He walked to one, testing it but it was pure rock. The moment he cleaned the snow off, dark, frozen earth could be seen. No traps there.

So where then?

That was a good question. He turned his head back to see that he had made quite a distance between him and the army. Because of the wagons they moved slower than his hurried pace.

“What are you doing here?” asked a voice from behind him. Hawk grabbed for his dagger, thrusting forward before even understanding who it was that talked to him. But his attack was blocked and he met two black orbs. “Dark,” he whispered.

The rogue sheathed his dagger but didn’t move back. Hawk did that instead, taking a few steps to the side. It left a space of some meter between them.

“That’s me,” the black robed man answered. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking around,” Hawk answered, starting to walk again without turning his back to the rogue.

Dark didn’t seem to like that answer. His eyes narrowed a bit. “You’re not a rogue,” he said in a tone that implied he was something worse.

“And?” Hawk asked, walking by the side of the valley to have Dark not right behind him. The rogue wasn’t to be trusted. It wasn’t out of the question that he might attack without a warning if he had betrayed his master.

Hawk gulped at that thought, not liking where this was going. He had so wanted to make everything right that he had forgotten he wasn’t invincible himself. His class wasn’t meant for close combat duels. Unlike the rogue’s standing still right behind him.

Dark sighed and caught up to him. “It’s dangerous. You’re just asking to be killed.”

At this Hawk stopped and turned around. Was he hearing right? “You’re worried I’ll get killed?”

“You’re part of the lord’s appointed leaders. Of course, I want you to survive. My mission is to ensure your survival,” Dark answered, his eyes the same dark orbs. It was hard to say whether anything in them showed that he was lying.

Hawk frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. “Your mission? Isn’t it to work for us as scouts?”

Dark started walking again and Hawk joined him.Their boots made footprints in the snow that could be easily seen by a naked eye. After a moment Dark opened his mouth. “Our order was to ensure this mission’s success. For the moment the best way is to act as scouts so that’s why we’re doing that.”

“Rogues as guardians?” Hawk asked in a low tone, more himself than the black robed man.

It was just such a strange thought. Rogues were usually associated with assassinations and traps. Saving lives didn’t come close to their usual set of skills.

This all sounded so illogical. There was something more to it than what it appeared. Either their mission was something else than they were led to believe or the rogue was lying. Both choices not to his liking.

“The lord trusts our master. He’s the world’s greatest being,” Dark said in a tone that made Hawk turn his head. There was light in those dark orbs and the man’s cheeks were flushed. He was staring into the distance with an expression which could be described only with one word - awe.

“Master?” Hawk wondered when the ceremony of Monthu’s appointment came to his mind. “Silver Wing,” he said like it was a curse. “Is he here?” he asked without really wanting to know the answer to it.

Dark’s eyes dimmed. His face returned to its expressionless state and the man lowered his head down like when he always talked to Monthu. “No. He had important business to attend to.”

It sounded very much like Ace. Hawk could believe that. The kid never liked to waste time on travelling or preparing for a journey. But he was always there when something happened. There wasn’t a battle or exploration he’d ever missed.

That meant he was soon to show up, if he wasn’t here already. It was a somewhat scary thought. The kid managed to get them out of many troubles, ones he usually had caused himself, but this time things were different. They weren’t exactly on different sides of the battle but more like on a hastily patched up alliance.

One both sides didn’t appreciate. Hawk could understand Par a bit but in his mind the kid was too nice. Being betrayed was a shitty thing and people shouldn’t be forgiven for that. Ace had acted like a spoiled brat most of the time in their travels and his last words had only proved that he was one.

He knew not what caring for others meant. Why would anyone want to be his friend was beyond Hawk’s understanding. He just hoped Monthu wasn’t thinking about forgiving either. The guy was just so weak everywhere his brother was involved.

“If you’re truly here for us, wouldn’t it be safer to follow me from the shadow, or something?” Hawk asked, glancing at Dark.

“What shadow?”

A look around reminded Hawk about where they were. It was all white without any larger structures to cast shadows. The place was a simple field between two mountains without anything in it. “How do you move without leaving a trace?”

“Trade skill,” Dark answered, lifting his head halfway. He put his finger to his lips and closed his eyes.

Hawk tried listening too but didn’t pick anything up. He could hear his own breathing, voice echoes from far behind and snow grinding under their feet. There was no wind but he doubted that was a cause for worry.

Without saying anything Dark started walking again. His eyes were locked on the ground but it was hard to judge his expression with black paint covering the upper half of his face.

“What was that?” Hawk asked. “Did you hear something?”

“No,” Dark replied, his voice lacking any emotion. He didn’t say anything more and Hawk stopped his questioning too. It was hard for him to decide whether to trust this rogue or not.

Dark sounded like he knew what he was talking about but could his words be believed? L trusted him but the rogue was under Ace. That was the same as saying someone was beyond saving, too far gone.

They walked in silence for half an hour when the path before them just ended. One moment it was there and the next empty space met Hawk’s eyes. He moved a step closer to the edge and glanced downwards.

The sight below froze him in the spot. “Is that what I think it is?” he asked in a whisper.

“Looks so,” Dark answered, coming to one of the walls at the sides and leaning back. He closed his eyes, standing still.

Hawk didn’t waste any more time on him and returned his eyes to the sight below. Hundreds of meters down a large snow field rested. It was huge, sure, but that wasn’t what separated it from all others.

It was what was on top that arrested attention.

Snow covered beams rose from the ground in half-arcs. They were in two lines facing each other and going from largest in the middle to smaller arcs farther away in both directions.

If that wasn’t enough to make it look like some giant lizard’s spine, there was a gigantic skull lying at the farthest corner. It was covered in snow and a bit out of shape but there was no mistaking. This was a dragon’s carcass.

Who could have killed such a beast, was the first question in Hawk’s mind. These legendary monsters were out of anyone’s league. Whole guilds tried to hunt them down and never succeeded. Some said they had come close but that could have been just boasting.

A cold shiver went down Hawk’s back as he thought about meeting someone who killed a dragon. Hopefully, those bones were very old. Maybe the creature even died from natural causes.

It was doubtful judging by the way the skull was twenty meters away from the spine but who knows. Maybe the winds down below were very strong. Or the current inhabitants of these mountains redecorated the place.

“What is there?” Monthu asked, waking Hawk from his thoughts. He looked around to find the whole column having caught up.

“Wow!” Aurora shouted out with Deedara in tow, their eyes locked on the sight below. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” the first whispered.

It made the other players interested too and everyone pushed to the edge. Some ice mage created a barrier to keep people from falling and the sightseeing began. Everyone pushed, rushing to see the remains of a dragon.

Monthu tried to regain order but his words weren’t heard. The rumour of a dragon spread through the army and everyone wanted to see it. They abandoned their wagons and left elks to whine as they hurried to see the legendary beast.

Hawk had to agree there was magnificence even in the remains of that monster but this was too much. He was stuck near the edge, unable to move backwards nor forward. Someone pushed him into a wagon, hitting him against the wheel.

It would have been a good chance to climb up but the thing was already crawlling with people. There wasn’t a free space he could get a hold of.

“Hawk!” a voice shouted and he turned his head. He saw Dark trying to push to him, saying something but he was too far away to be heard.

Seeing that, he did his best to move to the rogue. Hawk pushed against people, earning glares and shoves backwards but managed to take a few steps. Another few and he would be near the guy.

“What is it?” he shouted out when he was close.

Dark took a look around and then answered in a loud voice. “There is someone above us. Many of them.”

“Have you told this to Monthu?” Hawk asked in an instant, his face turning pale. If they were attacked now...

“Don’t have in contacts and can’t reach him.”

/Enemies above/ Hawk sent the message. But, before he could receive a reply, there was a roar from above. He raised his head and saw creatures of white falling from the sky. They were snarling and slobbering as they descended with their claws aimed to massacre.

Hawk tried to get his bow out but there were just too many people around. There was no space to get his weapon out. And he wasn’t the only one with that problem. He saw warriors struggling to get their steels out, mages being disturbed mid-chant by the jostling of the crowd.

And then the monsters were on them.

“Get away! Gaaah! My sword! Eline! Make wa-!” came shouts from everywhere in a deafening roar. People screamed over one another but the sound of flesh being cut was the loudest in Hawk’s ears.

Blood splashed into his eyes as a person before him was killed. He disappeared in a grey whiff of smoke and Hawk found himself face to face with a yeti. At some point the ground around him had freed up and he took out his dagger.

It was a pathetic looking thing compared to the claws of the monster ahead of him. The yeti attacked and Hawk tried blocking, his dagger breaking in the middle. He looked at the jagged edge for a moment before raising his head to face his death.

“Sor-” he started to say when he saw a black shadow dash in front of him. It attacked the yeti without hesitation and reddened its white fur. The creature roared, baring its fangs but the rogue didn’t seem to notice.

Dark jumped right under the creatures flailing hands, stabbing three daggers into the neck. They weren’t enough to fell the beast so he dived under the claws again and outside.

The yeti was more careful now, following his every move. Dark stood still, waiting for a good moment to strike. His patience was rewarded when the creature growled and dashed for him. It opened its left side and Dark made his way there, avoiding the claws in his path.

Two new wounds blossomed on the yeti’s side and another on its hand as a parting gift. Dark then froze in place again. Not a muscle moved while he waited for another mistake.

It didn’t take long and when the creature turned to run, he dashed in. His dagger found the soft flesh of the belly and carved a picture in there. The yeti roared in pain, clawing at its chest in blind rage. A few strikes reached Dark but none of them were fatal.

He pushed his dagger even deeper and soon the creature over him relaxed. For a second it wavered in the air, still trying to stand and then fell to the ground with a humph. Bits of snow rose in the air as red liquid soaked in for a moment. Then the monster was gone and a pile of items lay instead.

“You okay?” he asked turning to the lieutenant. The archer was staring at him wide-eyed as if he’d never seen anyone kill a yeti before.

“How did you do that?” he asked but Dark grabbed his hand and dragged him away. This place was too dangerous to stand around. They needed to find the commander and make him organise the players somehow. “Where are we going?”

Or they would all be annihilated. ‘I can’t have that! Wing told me to ensure this mission’s success!’ “Follow me,” he ordered the archer, releasing his hand and darting forward between two yetis slaughtering people.

The lieutenant was still trying to ask questions but he was following and that was the most important part. Now they had to reach the commander somehow. Dark had seen him on the other side of the valley right before the commotion started.

A yeti came his way and he dodged its claws, slashing at its side. The creature roared at him but after a moment went after another, easier prey. That was fine by Dark and he increased the pace. It wasn’t certain that the commander survived but it had to be checked.

If the answer was no, the archer behind him would have to be used. The guy didn’t seem to be leader material but he had a rank and that was what mattered. People should listen to him if he only said something with authority in his voice.

Few moments later he saw an elf being protected by three players. They were all backed to the wall by four yetis with no chance for escape. Poor fools letting themselves be cornered.

As he watched them, a man with a scythe dashed in, slashing the back of one of the yetis. It hollered in pain, whirling around with teeth bared. It was good the man’s weapon was so long or his hands would have been bitten off.

Now only a few scratches on the scythe’s handle appeared along many older ones as he moved it out of the way. The yeti sprung at him but the man, as if awaiting that, took a step to the side. This move landed him in a perfect position to make a deep cut on the yeti’s back.

The man then brought his weapon back and took a defensive position. His chest was raising high, sweat running down his forehead but his lips were set in a grim line.

At the creature’s hesitation the man jumped forward, his scythe making a wide arc as it came down. The yeti blocked it with his claws but in an instant the man shifted the handle and pushed the back of it into the creature’s chest. It made the yeti stumble backwards and gave a chance for the blade to return and slash at its shoulder.

Two arrows embedded into its heart. Dark glanced backwards to see the archer with his bow in hand, preparing another shot. It prompted the rogue to go help and while the man held the yeti’s attention slash at its neck. Few more arrows and strikes later the creature fell to the ground, turning into mist.

“I need to he-” the man said.

Dark now recognised him as the commander and interrupted him midway. “You need to order everyone! Unite them!” The man didn’t seem to get it, staring at him without any understanding in his expression. “Look at them! They’re getting slaughtered!”

He pointed at all the people around them getting slaughtered. They were running, getting in each other’s way and doing everything but fighting back. And those few who did were on their own. Alone they stood no chance.

“You need to calm them down! Make them fight as a unit! They need to b-”

“I know!” the commander shouted out, rushing off. Dark followed him to the first wagon and saw him climb up. From there he bellowed, “Hey!” For a moment the battle turned silent, both sides turning to look at him. “Form groups! And move here! Stop running! Are you cowards? Or the best warriors of Lasran? Chosen heroes?”

There was no hesitation from people as they shouted back. “Heroes!” But it was one thing to shout and a whole another to fight creatures that were five times your strength.

The elf jumped on the wagon with his long legs and started a lively tune. It wasn’t anything like his performance the night before. There was no surge of joy or magic at its sound. Yet there was something special in it.

“What shitty music is that? It gives no bonuses!” some warrior shouted out before receiving a slash over his chest armour. The elf just smiled at that and continued to play.

Dark had to agree that the music was strange. Usually, bard songs gave some statuses to increase the fighting capabilities of players who heard it. This did nothing of the kind but Dark wasn’t quick to disregard it. He saw the panic in players’ eyes disappearing and a certain calm wash over them.

It was like a magic spell. No one who were in the fights noticed its power but from the outside it was obvious. Dark changed his opinion about this guild leader. There would have to be information collected about him, he was much more dangerous than he let on. Dark himself had disregarded him as just another casual player.

While he thought that a yeti smashed into the wagon they stood on. It lurched to the right and they slid down, falling onto the ground. Dark landed on his feet like the two leaders but the elf hit his shoulder. He scowled in pain before regaining his trademark smile.

“Fate smiles on me,” he said, standing up when a claw caught him in the back. It hurled him three meters forward where he landed on his face. His back was a bloody mess, it was clear he was no fighter by the damage he took.

The elf coughed blood, cleaning his face with the back of his hand. There was wonder in his eyes as he saw that and the yeti preparing to lunge at him. Dark felt for the elf but there was no way to aid him.

After the commander’s words and the song, they had become the primary target. More than ten yetis had come to try and kill them. For the moment they were safe with their backs to the fallen wagon but if they took a step forward, it was all over.

They had to wait for other players to come and aid them. It was a sad truth for the elf but when was truth ever welcome.

The elf seemed to have resigned to his fate too. He laid down on his back, staring at the sky with a faint smile on his face. It confused the yeti, judging by the time it took to attack but it was ready now.

The creature tried to kick at the lying elf when a blade intercepted. It cut through the skin with the yeti’s own momentum, leaving a wide gash on the foot. “No,” Dark shouted out for that was the commander who had moved out.

Sure it was a brave thing but suicidal too. He left himself open and all other yetis surrounded him. There was no way to save him. “Monthu,” the archer shouted out, shooting arrows one after another at the backs of yetis but they ignored him. They had rounded on the enemy leader, ten on one. Nothing was going to get them off of him.

“Leave him,” Dark muttered, grabbing the elf by the shoulder. The archer didn’t listen so he snatched him by the collar and dragged him away too. At least one of the leaders had to live. If all the commanding players were killed, the mission would end in nothing but failure no matter how many other players survived.

He managed to get them near the edge. There were less fights there as neither side wanted to fall, the barrier being gone. For a moment Dark hesitated and then pushed both players off. The elf stared him in the eyes as he fell but didn’t shout anything unlike the archer who was cursing in a myriad of languages.

“Jump off,” Dark shouted out as loud as he could. It wasn’t much but some heads turned his way. “There’s too many of them! The only way is to jump off! Do it! You’ll live!”

Disbelieving eyes met his words but there was nothing more he could do. He was just a simple rogue, not a hero, or saviour. If those people had any brains, they would follow him. If not... No, he didn’t want to think about that. He had to succeed in this mission.

He had promised it to his master.