The guards returned carrying an array of weapons and small packs. One even brought extra packs for Orrin and Madi. Orrin declined his. [Dimension Hole] held all he would need.

Brandt helped Madi strap the quick-drop harness over her shoulders. The entire bag could be released in an instant for greater mobility in a fight.

Jude introduced Orrin to everyone. The guards coming with them were a strange group. There were three women, each wearing contrastingly different styles of armor. Alysha stood in half-plate and a tower shield, a longsword at her side. Leigh wore ring mail and held a longbow. Hetdt twirled a short wand in her fingers, with padded armor under a long robe. They all nodded at the introduction and went back to stuffing their packs.

The other five guards were men. Two mages in robes only, Efraim and Brooks, shook Orrin’s hand. Charlie, Shiu, and Ryland were in the Catanzano colors. Each had a shortsword and a long dagger strapped at their side.

“You’re the one who got in her way while we were trapped inside,” Shiu said with a look. “You couldn’t have gotten in her way?

Jude growled low and took a step towards the man, but Orrin stuck out his arm and blocked him.

“I did my best, but I’m only level twelve. My spells bounced off her. Tony thinks she must have a high Constitution. Is that going to be a problem for you all?”

Shiu let out his breath in a huff. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like an asshole. We all felt useless stuck behind the door. Except for Ryland here who got a chance and blew it.”

Orrin recognized him as one of the two who had charged the kidnapper. The tall man scowled. “She got lucky with that whip. I didn’t know her reach but I’ll get her this time.”

The other two members of the expedition held the uncommon class of [Locationist]. Orrin knew that teleporting wasn’t rare but to have a class dedicated to it was. A man and woman stood arguing a few steps away from everyone else. They wore normal clothing and would have been indistinguishable from any other citizen of Dey.

As Jude explained, teleporting yourself was easy enough but most people didn’t build out to have the mana needed to move groups of people. These two worked for the Guild and made a decent living making quick jumps around town. They plied their trade in anything from an alarm to a letter.

Orrin and Jude wandered over to the couple just as the man pushed the woman hard. She stumbled back only a bit.

“Open your ears. Do you realize what they’re asking? We are going to be stuck ten miles away from the gates and have to walk back alone,” the man spat.

“Orrin, meet Jack and Jillian, the worst siblings you’ll ever see,” Jude interrupted the fight. “Jack, you’ve already agreed to the terms. Are you trying to squeeze more pay out of a rescue mission?”

When Jack’s eyes left his sister to glance at Jude, Jillian took the opportunity and sucker-punched him in the stomach. The man doubled over.

“Nah, Jude,” Jillian said with a laugh. “We’re ready to go when you are. We can always sleep under the stars tonight.”

“Are you two not coming with us?” Orrin asked.

Jack spat on the ground and straightened. “The contract is to ferry you lot as close to Doc Haven’s fields as we can. You can all find your own way back.”

“But you could help us. I could buy you mana potions. I’ve only got a few 100 MP mana potions but I’d share. You could get us closer and...” Orrin trailed off. His fingers had rested along his potion belt. Orrin realized he still had a Regen potion.

“Tony!” Orrin turned away, ignoring the [Locationist]s.

The man appeared behind him. “I was hoping you wouldn’t think of that.”

Orrin yelped and twisted. “Fuck. You’re too quiet for an old man.”

Tony smirked. “Yes, you could probably [Teleport] the group closer after the first jump. But then you’d be asking a dozen people to wait on their hands while you spent what... ten minutes refilling your mana pool?”

“Six minutes,” Orrin countered. “But I could only get about half the group each jump. I’d have to wait with the first group then jump back and jump again...”

Orrin ran the numbers. “The first half would need to wait for about fifteen minutes for me to get everyone there and recharge.”

Tony nodded. “And do you think these people who were just insulted are going to wait around? Use your potion when we get to our destination. You’re going to need it.”

Orrin talked with the teleporters some more. They told him where the teleport point would be roughly. Orrin and Tony were able to find a spot only half a mile away that Orrin knew. He couldn’t teleport somewhere he hadn’t been. They settled for a spot not far from where Orrin and Daniel had helped Dane the farmer with his giant rat problem so long ago. Dane’s farm was only four miles from Dey, but they’d traveled further out in search of those monsters. Orrin’s group would catch up with the others and then they’d all start running.

Brandt gave the all-clear. The groups split up, with Tony and Madi sticking close to Orrin. Brandt and Jude were in charge of three soldiers each. Hetdt and Ryland joined Orrin’s group.

With a final nod, Jack and Jillian popped each group of five away. Orrin rolled his shoulders and did the same.

Hold on, Daniel. We’re coming for you.

Landing in a field with rotting animal corpses was not a pleasant experience. At least I wasn’t as unlucky as Madi.

She’d landed after the [Teleport] with both feet stuck through a maggot-ridden corpse of a dire rat.

While she yelled at Orrin, he ignored her and used [Map] to find the other members of his party. Jude and Brandt were closer than they’d thought.

“This way,” Orrin said, not seeing Madi’s hand slapping his head until [Side Steps] triggered. He jerked to the side and she fell down, nearly missing another pile of rat bodies.

“Nice!” Orrin muttered sarcastically. “Maybe you should hit me the whole way. I haven’t leveled that up all the way.”

Hetdt let out a single chuckle but quickly stifled it. They moved on and connected with the group.

“The siblings left already?” Madi asked distastefully.

Brandt nodded. “They took a potion and teleported right back. Everyone gather up. We run in twos, side by side, and staggered. Keep another group in sight at all times. Orrin and I will take point. If you need a break, hand signals only. We don’t know how far out they’ll have scouts but you can bet we aren’t going to sneak all the way in. Full engagement upon contact. Lord Catanzano requested the one who attacked his house be taken alive but the rest are fair game.”

Jude looked up at the starry sky. “I won’t be pointing fingers if she doesn’t make it.”

Brandt gave Jude a stern look. “Move out people.”

Running. It always ends up being running. Orrin thought as he kept one eye looking forward and another on his [Map]. Brandt had set the pace at first but had to slow down for Orrin and Tony. The man was ages older than anyone else on the team.

“Still nothing,” Orrin whispered in his head to Tony. Tony then pinged the report to everyone. Keeping quiet and unnoticed for as long as possible was paramount.

Thirty minutes turned into an hour and Orrin started to flag. He waved at Brandt and the convoy slowed to a stop.

“Did you find them already?” Jude whispered as they huddled. “What’s the plan? Can you give us all those boosts?”

Brandt shushed Jude and turned to Orrin. “Needed a break?”

“Just a few minutes,” Orrin responded. He didn’t mention that Tony had groaned in delight when they stopped too.

Tony shot Orrin a rude gesture with his finger.

I guess the middle finger crosses dimensional borders, Orrin chuckled to himself.

As everyone else stood waiting, Orrin, Tony, and Madi squatted and tried to catch their breath.

“Do you think I should buff everyone?” Orrin asked the other two. “It might be the difference we need.”

Madi had been quiet for the entire trip and simply looked to the mind mage.

“If we get the chance, then yes,” Tony responded. “If we get attacked, try and [Teleport] Daniel away.”

“You don’t think we are going to get the drop on these kidnappers, do you?” Madi asked in a whisper.

Tony shook his head. “Something is off about all this. How did they know Daniel was out of the house? Tymon knew where they planned to escape to but had no [Teleport] ability of his own. Did they think he would just show up later?”

Orrin pondered Tony’s words until the stitch in his side subsided. “You both ready?”

Madi pulled a smile on. “I didn’t need the break. That was for you.”

Tony winked at Orrin. “She was nearly falling over, too.”

“I was not,” Madi said and put her hands on her hip.

Orrin let out a low laugh. “Let’s go.”

After two full hours of running, Orrin held up a fist and stopped. Brandt gave a few hand signals and the party spread out.

“I’ve got movement up ahead. Someone is sitting in that small cluster of trees at the foot of that small hill,” Orrin explained to Tony.

“Brandt wants to attack,” Tony responded a minute later. “I suggested you and I go for a walk. I can make the scout’s eyes pass off me. You can use [Camouflage]. We can take him out quietly. Brandt said it’s up to you.”

Orrin didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go. I’m going to cast [Utility Ward] on us though.”

Tony grunted and began telling the rest of the group what was happening.

Orrin’s party consisted of Brandt, Jude, Tony, and Madi. He wanted all five of them to be in the best shape if it came down to a full-on brawl. With his promise to not mana cycle, he cast the spell without pre-buffing himself.

Casting [Utility Ward] at level one on his party, as he didn’t want to risk level two and the negative effects, Orrin glanced at his mana.

MP: 431/530

Luckily, his stats also went up dramatically. That "28" in Willpower was really coming in handy.

Tony missed a step and turned to Orrin. “Hearing about it and witnessing it firsthand are two very distinct things. I feel younger than I have in a decade.”

Madi waved and looked at Tony. Tony shrugged and gestured for Orrin to follow. Orrin cast [Camouflage] and tried to stay close to Tony.

“What was that?” Orrin thought at Tony.

The mind mage shook his head. “She told me to keep you safe. Now let me concentrate, I have to cast this without knowing where the person is. Not exactly the easiest thing to do.”

Orrin watched as Tony shimmered and flickered before coming back into view.

“That should work,” he said and continued his earlier conversation. “She’s scared to let you out of her sight. It’s sweet but also self-serving. She’s new to having a friend. She’s worried that if you get hurt, she’ll have to go back to being completely under Silas’ control. She’s also mad at herself for thinking of you as a pawn. Her thoughts are at war with each other. Is Orrin a friend first or someone to use?”

Orrin didn’t like that one bit. He was just starting to trust her more.

“Don’t think like that. She’s been raised to view the world in a second and weigh a person’s use. She’s fighting that in-bred training hard. She truly cares for you and Daniel.”

Orrin nodded and tossed a thank you at the man before pulling his [Map] back up. He kept an eye on his party member dot. Tony wasn’t gone but Orrin felt a headache start the longer he tried looking at him.

They’d made it halfway up the old path they’d been following. The enemy spot on his [Map] still hadn’t moved but now that they were closer...

“There are four more white dots just over the hill.”

“Five total or four and Daniel?”

Orrin shook his head in frustration. “I don’t know.”

“Same plan. Take this one out. Do you need me to do it?” Tony drew a long stiletto dagger from his hip.

Orrin swallowed hard. He wasn’t running [Mind Bastion] to keep out the fear and revulsion of what he was about to do.

“I’ll get close and try to drop his Dexterity. Then I’ll finish him off if we can’t take him prisoner.” Orrin tried to sound confident.

“Good luck. I’m not sure the guard is going to take any prisoners though.”

Orrin grit his teeth and drew his sword. “One thing at a time, Tony.”

He stepped off into the night, hoping the old man followed.