“How much time do we have left?” Miguel stood up from healing Ethan, blinking from the sudden bright release of radiant energy.

“Fifteen minutes.” Ethan slung his axe back into his harness.

“We need to move, how is everyone?” he asked no one in particular.

He looked around the room, noticing that David was doing the same. Leah was healing Tae-Won while Miguel was eating and drinking to restore his mana. Sam was seated next to him, purple energy crackling around his eyes.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Ethan swore to himself. I fucking told him to be careful! I specifically said to watch out for Mana Depression and now he’s got it. This is just as bad as if someone had died or Escaped out. Fuck fuck fuck.

Ethan couldn’t even look at Sam as he marched over to David.

“We’ve got an issue.”

“What’s up? We short on time?” David winced as he stretched. Miguel had healed him to full when he’d touched him earlier, but his muscles still hurt after overuse.

“Sam has Mana Depression.” Ethan stated, his annoyance coming through in his words.

David sat up quickly and looked over at their friend appraisingly.

“You sure? He looks calm sitting with Miguel.” He turned his head to look at Ethan again.

“Positive, he was acting manic in the fight and I warned him to be careful.” Ethan gestured quickly at Sam, “look at his eyes.”

“Maybe…” David squinted across the room. “What spell was he casting again?”

“Looked like Darkbolt and some Curses. I know he launched a massive Flame Vortex and a Blizzard too.”

“He’s good then,” David looked away from Sam and Miguel. “Using Darkbolt, or any Shadow class magic, has ‘corrupting’ type effects. If he’s going Warlock, get used to seeing that.”

Ethan felt like an idiot. The first class he’d gotten above level fifteen was a Sorcerer and he’d gone for the Warlock spec with it. He remembered exactly how addicting the Shadow magic could be.

“Well I’m fucking dumb.” He blushed as he apologized to his friend.

“You’re good.’ David paused, “I’m going to tell you something and I don’t want you to get pissed.”

Ethan nodded slowly, a pit forming in his stomach.No conversation ever went well when started like that.

“You’re really high strung right now. You need to calm it down.”

Confusion and worry turned to shock and anger.

“I’m just trying to get us ready and into the raid clan.” Defensively his entire body tensed and he clenched his fist. “If you think I’m doing something wrong with how I’m leading right now we can talk about it when we get back to the guildhall, But tonight we need to get this done.”

“I know you are, but you need to calm it down just a little.” David put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder, trying to get his friend to relax. “I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, I’m just concerned about you.”

“Hey, we got to go!” Tae-Won yelled, unknowingly interrupting David and Ethan, as he helped the duke’s daughter up from the chair she’d been tied to.

“We’ll finish this later.” Ethan said before he turned and ran over to Tae-Won, helping to get the woman ready to move out.

“Guys, we’re almost done. We just have to get her out of here.” Ethan tried to encourage his friends through the final stretch of the quest. Smiles of success were already creeping up on Tae-Won and Sam.

“But we’re not there yet.. We have to hurry and we don’t know what’s on the other side of that door.” He said, pointing at the massive doors at the far end of the room.

“So we’re going to just run as fast as we can. Get her out and get the reward.” Around him everyone nodded as a plan came to him “David, you’re going to carry her out. Miguel, buff and bubble him. Leah, stay in caster to keep helping heal him. Everyone else, keep any mobs we see off David and the girl.”

David walked over to the still bound hostage. She was wearing a simple white dress that was luckily still intact. Her hands were tied behind the chair and her mouth was gagged. Even though she’d obviously seen the battle, and the group utterly annihilating the raiders, along with holy magic David had been casting, she struggled against the ropes and shrieked into the gag.

“Hey, hey. I’m not here to hurt you.” David approached her slowly, crouched low to her level with his hands open wide. “I’m going to pick you up and carry you out of here. Is that okay?”

The girl sobbed silently, but nodded her head. As gingerly as he could, David picked her up easily and carried her over his shoulders.

“You think we’re going to have to fight out way out?” Sam spoke up, the magical purple cracks in his face glowing.

“I honestly don’t know, but we've only got like eight minutes to get her back to the Duke so we’ve got to hurry.” Ethan said, shaking his head.

David walked back over with the hostage ready.

“Good to go.” He said, shifting her slightly to a more comfortable position.

“Tae-Won, get ready to open the door. I’ll go first and then everyone circle up around David with the girl.” Ethan gripped his axe as Tae-Won put his hands on the wooden door handle.

“Ready?” Tae-Won looked over at Ethan and David.

“Waiting on you.” David shrugged, shifting her again.

“Open it.” Ethan nodded at Tae-Won.

The massive wooden door moved slowly as Tae-Won backed up, pulling the door open. Ethan could see that the entryway was empty directly in front of the door as he took off at a run. Behind him David panted in exertion, Sam and Tae-Won flanking him for protection.

Suddenly, a group of five bandits appeared out of the shadows.

“PATS!” Ethan yelled back, slamming his axe into the ground. Frozen shards of rock shot forward in a line from his spell and the group of bandits was thrown back and separated. Next to him, Sam stopped and began slinging spells at the injured mobs. Tae-Won, however, sprinted forward.

The frost enchantment of Ethan’s axe enhanced his spell, causing all of the bandits to move significantly slower.

With a push of his legs, he leapt at the attackers. Landing the middle of two bandits who were slowly struggling to get to their feet, Ethan swung low with his axe. His attack took off the head of one of the slowed bandits and dug deep into the shoulder of the other. Tae-Won appeared in a flash of smoke and stabbed his dagger deep into the eye of the bandit Ethan had injured.

On the other side of the frozen rock shards, a confused sheep bleated and wandered around in a circle. Giant roots ripped from the ground to hold the two remaining bandits. Ethan leapt across the divide, carefully aiming himself to not land on Sam’s polymorphed target. The two restrained mobs fell quickly to Ethan’s axe.

“Keep moving!” David called from ahead of where Ethan, Tae-Won and Sam had gotten distracted from the patrol. “Six minutes thirty seconds to get back!”

Ethan sprinted to catch up, staying just ahead of Tae-Won and Sam to reach the escort group.

“Almost to the gate.” Ethan’s heart was racing as he spoke to David, who just nodded as he breathed heavily. “We’re going to make it.”

“Don’t…. Curse…. It….” David’s strength wasn’t low, but having to sprint while wearing plate and carrying an NPC was taking its toll on the Paladin.

“You need me to take her?” Ethan had less armor and his Second Wind was back, he could regen enough stamina to make it.

“We can’t waste the time.” Sweat poured down David’s face as he panted. “Takes you five minutes to get from the gate to the Duke’s tent alone. We’re pushing it.”

Ethan nodded and kept pushing forward.

Another pack of 6 bandits were hiding in the guardhouse by the wrought iron gate. They were able to catch them unawares and Ethan charged forward to stun one of bandits as it emerged. With a slash of his axe, he dispatched the stunned bandit. A bright ball shot forward into the wooden shack and an explosive blast knocked him onto his back. Heat radiated out from the burning building and Ethan raised an arm to protect his face.

Why is everything always on fire in this game!?

“Sorry about that Ethan!” Sam called from beyond the gate.

Ethan scrambled to his feet, checking the time as he took off running after his guild mates.

Quest Time Remaining: 00:03:42

“KEEP GOING!” Ethan sprinted harder, hoping that his friends weren’t running out of stamina as they pushed closer to the Duke’s command tent.

Around them, ballistae and catapults were being loaded. Men in the livery of the Duke of Elmswood stood near pitch covered arrows and boulders, ready to light the siege weapons as soon as the command was given.

Ahead of Ethan, David stumbled as he collided with a footman. Ethan sprinted harder, catching up with David and helping him to his feet.

“We got this.” He muttered encouragingly.

David took off again in the direction of the Duke’s tent.

The seconds ticked by as Ethan and his guild sprinted through the campsite. One by one, his guild mates dropped out as they ran out of stamina. Miguel went out first, tripping and falling face first into the ground. He rolled and took Sam down with him. David managed to dodge his rolling guild mates and when Tae-Won fell out he aimed himself away from the three remaining runners.

David stumbled as he stamina drained away, several times Ethan had to help catch him from falling over. Finally, only a hundred yards from the tent, David tumbled to the ground, taking the Duke’s daughter with him.

“Exhaustion. I can’t go anymore.” He panted heavily, the NPC daughter crying next to him from where he’d fallen on top of her, her gag having come off in the fall. Leah cast a very quick healing spell on her, making sure she was nowhere near dead when they got her back

Quest Time Remaining: 00:00:57

Ethan looked at the distance between himself and the tent. We’re so close…

Ethan activated Second Wind and energy coursed through his veins. It felt to him like he’d tapped into a reserve of stamina he didn’t know he had before. His muscles still burned, but he was able to race forward with the Duke's daughter on his back.

The second slipped by as he ran, each step getting him closer and closer to the tent.

Ten seconds left. Ethan counted down to himself as he ran, the burst of stamina slowing being burnt through

Five seconds. The tent flap was right in front of him, All he had to do was push the cloth and he was in.

Two seconds. Ethan leaned forward to use his torso to open the tent and fell over

****Your stamina is depleted. You are exhausted. You must rest to recover stamina. Movement speed, attack speed and damage reduced by 75%****

Ethan gasped as he lay on the ground, fire burned in his lungs as he struggled to breath. Cursing himself for turning off his Stamina notifications again, he quickly looked around to see where he was. Most of him was in the tent with the Duke’s daughter. Duke Farnham was staring at him open mouthed. Panic set in when he realized the timer read 00:00:00.

He rolled over onto his back and covered his face with his hands. They’d failed again. We were so close! So fucking close! I don’t even know what we could have done differently!

Ethan uncovered his eyes, the dim firelight illuminating the tent with a warm glow. In the corner of his vision, among the icons he’d minimized earlier to keep himself focused, was a glowing quest icon. Nervously, he tapped in the air to open it.

Quest Update: The Princess in the Castle - COMPLETE!

You have successfully rescued Duke Mace Farnham’s daughter from Elmswood Keep before he was forced to begin the siege! Talk to him for an incredible reward!

Rewards:

Surprise (Talk to Duke Farnham)