Ethan hadn’t slept well when he woke up the next morning. He was sure of his coming actions, but that didn’t completely remove his trepidation. David will make sure everything goes to plan. Alera will eventually forgive me.

He looked over at the woman sleeping next to him. Alera was snoring her usual loud, and somewhat painful sounding, snores next to him. Drool ran down her cheek as she hugged her pillow. God she’s beautiful. He thought, reaching over to rub her back over the shirt she usually slept in. It was one of his, the same shirt he’d actually been given from Jerry in Grassmere, the first day he’d met her. The linen was soft under his hand as he petted her.

“Alera,” he said very quietly, his voice only barely above a whisper. “I love you. And I’m sorry.”

His stomach rumbled, the lack of sleep had made him extra hungry. But Ethan couldn’t bring himself to leave the sleeping rogue. If everything went according to plan, he didn’t know the next time he’d have a moment of peace. And definitely not with the woman he loved.

Ethan snuggled closer to her, holding her close with his arm across her back. He rested his head on her bent elbow, her morning breath blowing directly in his face. Alera snored harshly in response to his affection and unconsciously turned her head to face the window. Slowly, he drifted back to sleep.

Sometime later, he awoke to acrid kisses on his lips from the woman in bed with him.

“Morning sunshine,” she smiled at him as she played with his hair. “Big day, didn’t want you to sleep through it.”

“No,” he wiped his own dried drool from his cheek as he tried to clear his dry eyes. “Wouldn’t want that.”

“Come on,” she said cheerily, bouncing out of bed “I’ll make something to eat.”

The morning flew by in a haze for Ethan. The only aspect he recalled as they began their preparations to meet with their enemies was that the tension and anxiety of his guildmates grew thicker with each passing moment. The usually relaxed atmosphere of their guild hall was replaced with a growing silence all the way through lunch.

“Guys,” Sam announced suddenly and solemnly around 1330 server time, “I think it’s about time.” He’d been out of the guild hall until late the night before, ostensibly he’d been trying to collect any information about the location of the Blood Dragons as he could. But when he’d finally returned, he had to sadly announce that, once again, he’d come up with nothing.

His reaction to the meeting had been excitement. With Tae-Won back, they could redeem themselves and return to trying to gain entry into the raid clan. Ethan hadn’t told him of his own plans, keeping only David and Miguel in his trust. Already he was regretting the decision. Sam had been one of his close friends for years, and hiding his decision to sacrifice himself was eating Ethan up inside. But not as much as hiding it from Alera.

“I guess I finally get to meet Tae-Won,” Alera said, trying to sound chipper amidst the silent guild members as she sat next to a silent and crying Leah on the couch.

“Yeah.” That one word was all that Ethan could find in himself to say, every second the guilt of what he was about to do to her, and to everyone else, was eating at him. “Miguel, you got the gold?

“Ten thousand, right here,” he patted the brown satchel he carried around his waist.

“Good,” Ethan looked around the room, “everyone ready?” His friends all nodded back at him. They’d decided to show up unarmed. Their weapons, would of course, only be a quick swipe away in their inventory, but Ethan had wanted to make a show of their peaceful intentions. It didn’t matter if Paul showed up brandishing his weapon and threatening them, Ethan did not want them to look like the aggressors. David would be recording the exchange.

“What if they don’t show up?” Miguel asked quietly.

“They will,” David answered him. “If they don’t, then they default on the payment. We can take it back to Calder, and they won’t want that.”

“And they will want to rub it in our faces,” Ethan added. “If no one has anything else, then I think let’s get going.”

Their ride to the base of the Tower was quiet. Ethan rode alone at the head of their party, trying to steel his own resolve for what he was about to do. Miguel, Sam and David all rode behind him in a line with Alera and Leah bringing up the rear. Maybe Leah will be able to support Alera when I’m gone, the same way Alera has been there for her. Once again he was struck by how well Alera had connected with the Druid. He hoped that she wouldn’t feel out of place in the guild with him gone.

The Tower loomed high in front of them in the afternoon sunlight. The few clouds were soft and pillowy. Were it not for their horrible reason for meeting, Ethan would have loved the beautiful day. The torches of the one hundred story building were now lit up to the 29th floor, the raid clan had made hard earned progression in the time Ethan and his guild had been rebuilding. Arianna wanted me to be there for the 30th floor, now it looks like that definitely isn’t happening. Even when they brought Tae-Won home that afternoon, and even if Ethan was with them, they wouldn’t have the required gear or levels to join the raid clan. Not to mention their still in place ban.

In the distance, Ethan could see a small group of people gathered off to the side of the Tower. They’re here. Without saying anything, he dug his heels into his mare, driving her forward into a gallop. Behind him, he could hear the rest of his guild do the samie.

Twenty feet from the gathered Blood Dragon guild members, Ethan reined his horse to a stop and dismounted. Grenat, be with me through this. He mentally prayed to the Vættr of Earth, needing the blessing of strength from the immovable spirit.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Paul casually leaned against his spear as he greeted Ethan, the members of Disorder right behind him. His large grin did not match the malice in his eyes.

Three Blood Dragon guild members stood with him. Ethan recognized all of them. Caleb, now bald, wore dark plate armor, the hilt of a bastard sword visible over his shoulder. Kalinda, as radiant as she’d been in the courtroom, was once again in a form fitting dress. Dark crimson with a black scarf draped around her neck. The final woman Ethan recognized from the encounter on the road, she again wore deep purple robes and had the same bone dagger firmly attached to her belt. This time, her hood was down. Streaks of grey ran through her dark brown hair and her eyes glowed with Eldritch violet energy that seemed to have burned the skin around her face. Her crystalline staff was more ornate and strapped to her back. From the meeting with Tanya, he knew this had to be Erin. In her spiked gloves hand, she held a frayed rope that hung limply in an arc as it attached to their prisoner.

“Tae-Won.” Ethan heard Leah gasp behind him.

Her husband was bound and kneeling in front of the group of Blood Dragons. His clothing was ripped and torn, blood stains and gashes covered the pale skin Ethan could see. He looked to have lost weight during his imprisonment. His muffled cries came from under the bag Paul’s lackeys had tied to his head.

“Not so fast,” Paul stood upright, gripping the haft of his weapon and Caleb reached for his sword. “Do you have what we’re owed?”

Ethan looked at Miguel and jerked his head back towards Paul.

“Ten thousand gold. Let him go,” Ethan commanded, he could feel his blood racing through his veins.

“All in good time,” Paul smirked and regained his casual stance. “We’re just going to have a friendly chat first.” He looked between his own guildmates before turning back to Ethan. “Oh, no recording this by the way. We’re here in peace, but if you were to try to use anything against us, that will immediately end.”

Ethan turned his head only barely in David’s direction and gave an almost imperceptible nod. Two fingers on the paladin’s hand cut through the air as he ended the recording. Whatever was about to happen, nothing could risk their rescue of their captured guild mate, nor Ethan’s own plans.

“Now,” Paul announced, still maintaining his false friendly demeanor, “before we begin-“

“Wait!” Alera’s voice shocked everyone gathered as she stepped past Ethan, not even looking at him. “I need to say something.”

“Well, go on,” Paul waved his hand for her to continue. For the first time his face showed genuine emotion as he appeared shocked by the interruption of what was clearly going to be a well planned monologue.

“Look, I clearly got pulled into something I don’t know anything about,” Ethan couldn’t see her face as she talked, but her voice was firm. “And I don’t want any part of it.”

“I’m sorry,” Paul looked with confusion at his guild mates, “I don’t actually know who you are.”

“Her name is Alera,” Kalinda said in her musical tone of voice. “She’s one of mine, a Rogue.”

“Oh,” Paul said, looking back to Alera and Ethan. “Well, Alera the Rogue, what is it you want exactly?”

“I want out,” Alera answered him, resting her hands on her waist. “Of all of this.” She waved her hand around the field, gesturing to both Disorder and Blood Dragon guild members. “I don’t know you, I don’t really know what has happened, but this wasn’t what I signed up for when I first joined this guild.”

“HA!” Paul let out an exaggerated harsh bark of laughter and used his spear to prop himself up.

Ethan went numb. He loved Alera, and thought she loved him in return. What was she saying now?

“So let me get this straight,” Paul said, still faking getting himself under control. “You want to abandon this pathetic guild, leave them to their fates, and for why? You don’t care about them?”

“No.” Alera’s answer was flat.

The icey dagger plunged deeper into Ethan’s heart. His chest felt like it was pulling in on itself. Tears began welling up in his eyes.

“Traitorous bitch,” he heard Miguel loudly whisper behind him, bringing him back to reality.

“You know what?” Paul continued to grin, actual mirth showing in his twisted eyes. “Done. You leave them right now, and you walk away Scott free.”

“And the ban on me joining the raid clan?” Alera asked him hesitantly. Ethan was blindsided. He hadn’t even thought that Alera’s affection to him, and to his guild, were so mercenary.

“I’ll make sure it’s cleared up,” Kalinda spoke up from next to Paul.

“Agreed,” Ethan could only see her from behind as her hand flashed through the air.

Alera has left the guild.

The heartbreaking system notification flared into his, and his friend’s vision.

Ethan watched her turn around, hoping to see something in her face to make him believe it was all a farce. That this wasn’t the truth. But Alera didn’t even make eye contact. She strode purposefully and coldly through the ranks of her former guild, back towards the tree line. And with an electric pop, vanished.

None of Ethan’s friends said anything, he couldn’t even see their faces. At this moment, he’d never felt so alone in the game. Never felt so abandoned.

“Now, as I was saying,” Paul began again. “You brought this on yourself, Ethan. We,” he gestured to his own guildmates, “were heroes here. We were actually working towards getting people home, safe and back to their family.”

Ethan couldn’t even comprehend the words Paul was saying. I… I meant nothing to her… his earlier strength granted from Grenat had vanished.

“But you went and wrecked that.” Paul glared at him. “So now, even heroes have to sink down to your level.”

“Get to the point,” David said, stepping up to take over from his crushed leader. “Did you bring us here to gloat, or to make an exchange.”

“Both, actually,” Paul smirked again. “Well, it’s not gloating really, I just want to make sure you, Ethan Holliwell, understand. This is your fault. Everything that is happening, is because you were jealous of what you could never be, and you sought to destroy it.”

“That’s.. that…” Ethan trailed off. He couldn’t even muster the energy to defend himself.

“No, that’s exactly what happened.” Paul insisted, stepping closer to Ethan, his spear in his hand. “And now, you’re going to pay for it.”

“Right,” Miguel now added his voice to the debate. “Here’s our payment.” He tossed the bulging sack of gold at the feet of the assembled Blood Dragons. “Give us back Tae-Won, and it’s over.”

Caleb hurriedly snatched the cloth bag off the ground, pocketing it and nodding at Paul.

“Over?” Paul looked at him, “oh, it’s not over. Not even close.” His voice lowered in hatred and fury as he turned lightning fast and stabbed his spear through Tae-Won’s torso. Two feet of sharp metal emerging from the helpless man’s back

“Noooo!” Leah’s blood curdling scream rent the silent area. Ethan collapsed to his knees, the shock of Tae-Won’s brutal murder finally driving him over the edge of the pit Alera’s abandonment had set him on.

“It’s okay,” he could hear Sam attempting to comfort Leah behind him, “we can get him on the Cliffs.”

“You can try,” Paul grinned maliciously as he ripped his spear from Tae-Won’s lifeless body. The loss of support caused it to fall to the ground. “If you can beat us there.”

Four flashes of blue light lit up as all four members of the Blood Dragon guild vanished into thin air.

“Fucking teleport crystals,” Ethan vaugely heard David swear as he helped him to his feet.

Leah broke free from Sam's grasp and rushed to the body of her fallen husband. She fell as she clambered the short distance and crawled, bawling to reach Tae-Won’s corpse.

“Nooo!” She screamed again as she ripped off the hood, her voice breaking as she sobbed.

“Ethan,” David said softly in his ear. “You can do this, stand up.” He gently helped his best friend stand and walk to their dead friend.

Miguel and Sam reached Leah first, and immediately Sam returned to David.

“There’s a problem, it’s not Tae-Won,” he said softly, tears forming along with electric Eldritch energy in his eyes.

“Who is it?” David demanded, still half carrying Ethan.

“I don’t know,” Sam shook his head.

Recognition cut through Ethan in a flash, momentarily distracting him from the emptiness. The dead man’s sandy brown hair, his face, stern even broken and dead, Ethan knew him.

“Halder…” he managed to croak out, his voice breaking.

“Who?” Sam looked at him in confusion.

“Halder,” Ethan said again, “his name is Halder. He led the caravan… the one on the day I met Paul.”

Leah still knelt in the pool of blood surrounding the dead caravan master’s corpse. Her leather robes stained red.

“Then where the fuck is my husband!?” She screamed, green light eliminating from her eyes, electricity crackling in her hair. The earth trembled beneath their feet from her fury. Flocks of birds rose into their air, screaming their protest at their disturbance.