Once the sun came up, and the swelling of my eye went down, Casey and I started traveling the road towards Luhana city. We could have made it a lot faster if we had travelled straight there, but I asked Casey if we could map out the area on the way. We discovered a few winding roads along the way, and mapped them a few miles away from the main path. One of these rocky paths lead to a large rocky hill, that was very out of place in its mostly flat surroundings. I was just about to turn away from it when I noticed a small opening in the foot of the hill with a mine cart outside.

"Oh hell's yeah!" I proclaimed, "Let's check it out."

"Wasn't there a Troll in the last mine we saw, and a Concentrated Slime in the one before that?" The unenthused Nightkin recalled.

"You gotta risk it, if you want the biscuit" I recited, as I inched towards the mine.

"What fortune cookie gave you that piece of wisdom?" She inquired.

"What's that? Can't hear you... So busy getting rich in here" My voice echoed out of the mines small opening, "I got the Search skill while I was solo yesterday. We can just go in about a half mile and I will be able to find cool shit other people would miss. C'mon lets go."

"Sounds useful. That your second General skill?" She asked.

"Yup. Its still super low level, but I got the hang of it. I just focus on something like gold or water when I activate it and I just get this instinctive feeling that leads me to it." I bragged.

"I got a new skill too. When we have to fight a demon or some other ridiculous monster in this mine, I'm sure it will be more useful than yours." Casey grumbled as she lowered her head to enter.

Casey took point, using her Night vision while I trailed a few yards behind her carrying a torch from my inventory. We walked down the dirt path of the shaft until it became rough stone beneath our feet. The walls of the mine appeared damp, but were actually dry to the touch. The stale air coming from deeper in the mine crossed the nostril holes in my avatars muzzle and I detected a faint scent with my updated Beastkin senses. I signalled Casey to proceed slowly under caution. Once a quarter mile into the mine we saw a dim light around the tunnels bend. I put out my torch and remained still, after Casey signalled she would be scouting ahead. As the stealthy Nightkin stalked the solitary light from the darkness, I felt the sensations of imaginary bugs crawling up my scaled leg, and internally cursed the hopefully non existing spider on me. Casey didn't take long to reach the flickering, but otherwise stationary light. She observed the area for a moment then signalled for me to approach.I didn't bother to relight the torch, as I quickly caught up to my party member. As the natural curve in the tunnel seemed to straighten before me the source of the light was revealed. Next to an unconscious Dwarf NPC was lantern on its side. The Dwarf was dressed in simple and dirty clothes with a short ungroomed beard that paled in comparison to Randy's magnificent and managed bristles. Only a few feet away was the corpse of an Orc NPC who seemed to be victim to a falling support beam. The Orc's skull had been torn open and the pressure of the blow had popped out his eyes. The corpse also appeared to have its arm broken back underneath of itself when it fell to the floor, but I'm sure that was post mortem. The Dead Orc was dressed in fur and leather armor and had a sword unsheathed but not on his person. I drew my own sword, then kicked the Dwarf attempting to wake him. After the second failed attempt I resorted to more extreme measures. Shwaak! The sound of me slapping the Dwarf rang out into the empty void of the mine.

"Arggh...nngggh. Ugh?!" the grunts of the Dwarf rising to a sitting position stirred the dark stale air.

"Wakie wakie, or your life I takie!" I chanted while pointing my sword at the NPCs heart.

The Dwarf seemed to process his surroundings then his eyes became wide as they found my sword reflecting the lanterns light. He then cried out, "Please don't kill me! I only came back for my fathers pick. Please don't put me in one of those collars, I have a family!"

I looked at the dead Orc as the Dwarf pleaded for his life. I scanned the corpse to confirm my suspicion.

"You're fine now, I'm not one of those Slavers. I just wandered into the mine, you can go." I said as I nodded to the exit.

"You're not a slaver? Just wandered in? Are you an adventurer?!" The Dwarf began to ask desperately.

"Yeah. I was looking for some materials for making gear. Then I found you... Sleeping Ugly." I chuckled.

The NPC ignored my statement and proclaimed: "I have a request!"

The screen of my AVA lit up as a notification appeared.

A Hidden Quest is available! Will you accept/decline?

"Fuckin A!" I exclaimed as I accepted the request.

My sudden outburst made the Dwarf flinch. Then he said, "A group of slavers have seized our mine, and enslaved my fellow miners. I beg you to dispatch these villains and save us!"

I looked at Casey, who was still unnoticed by the Dwarf. Casey revealed herself and the NPC went stiff with fear as she answered him instead.

"Sure we'll kill those assholes for you, leave it to us." She grinned.

The Dwarf sighed in relief and then went outside the mine to wait for his kin, and the adventurers to return. I retrieved the torch from my inventory and lit it once again. Casey and I pulled up our maps via the PAC. The mines layout was relatively simple. We entered into the East tunnel. The East tunnel connected and turned into the North-east Tunnel about a hundred yards ahead. We would possibly run into guards or traps there. Then the North East tunnel stretched another couple hundred yards and reached a large circular open chamber. Beyond the main chamber was unplotted by the map, so far. We would get more information as we progressed. Casey was investigating the slavers corpse when I saw her pull the leather chest piece and fur leggings off the corpse. Needless to say I was curious.

"Watch'a doin'?" I asked playfully.

"You'll see, just save your jokes for after I'm done." She warned, as she drew her dagger and began to cut strips into the fur and leather.

"Oh. Ok." I conceded.

After several minutes, Casey took the strands of armor and fashioned a length of makeshift rope. She then presented her finished product and informed me of it's purpose.

"We can take them by surprise if we travel in the dark, without torches. I can see in the dark, so I'll lead you through the tunnels. Just hold on to the rope and stay silent." She ordered.

"It's a good Idea, Cass. I'm not sure I serve any purpose in this plan, but strategically its genius." I remarked, struggling to not to ruin Casey's moment by reminding her I have a rope in my inventory.

"Its ok, I have a strong back, I can carry the team for a while." She smirked.

"Uh uhn. No way. If your going to carry me, it's gonna be princess style... I insist!" I demanded in a stern, but satirical manner.

Casey shook her head and chuckled softly. Then I put out the torch, yet again. I held my hand out in the void and took the homemade rope Casey had placed there. In the pitch black nothingness ahead of me I saw nothing. I only followed the tug of the rope in my hand like a dog being led by it's master. I Thought of a classic movie when Luke and Han led a furry giant into a prison, disguised as the bad guys. I struggled to hold back the signature gargled cry of the giant creature, and guessed something that simple probably only worked in movies. I finally saw a flicker of faint light up ahead, then felt a hand press my chest signalling for me to wait. The rope went limp and I stood silent and motionless for several minutes. Then I heard the tell-tale Schwik of a sharp blade and the muffled gurgling groan of what I assumed to be a slaver guard. Then a second sound followed, I assume was a dull thud of a body being lowered to the floor. After a few minutes fingers snapped in front of me and the rope pulled taught again. I was soon standing at a small table and chair with a lantern placed on it. The corpse of another slaver lay beside the small table. I put out the lanterns flame, then added it to my inventory. 'Hello darkness my old friend,' I thought as the light left my eyes again and I felt the rope's pull beckon me further into the abyss. After a short walk, that I totally never face planted into the wall a little during, we approached another lit area. This area was the large chamber in the middle of the map. Now that we were further in, I pulled up my map and saw that a new tunnel going south had been freshly added. The simple design of the mine was like a crooked letter 'Y' with a large circular chamber below the fork. Casey checked her map as well, then sent me a message:

Message from Casey Jones.

Casey: I will circle the outside of the chamber, and pick off the guards quietly. I'll give you a sign after I thin their numbers. Then I'll need you to go get their attention while I hit them from the shadows. Can you hold off several of them by yourself?

Bruno: Well I guess we'll find out. You just do your ninja thing and trust me to do my punching bag thing. XOXO

Casey: Oh one more thing, when I find the hostages, I'll let you know.

Bruno: How will I know? What do I look for?

Casey: Trust me you'll know when you see it.

Chat disconnected.

Once the chat was disconnected, Casey stepped towards the room and disappeared. I remained waiting outside the chamber like baggage waiting to be claimed. After several minutes of idle slaver chatter in the distance I poked my head out and looked through the room. The slavers were starting to stir, possibly realizing their numbers had dwindled down to around a dozen. Just when I was wondering if Casey had ran into trouble, A bottle of wine hurled through the air and crashed on the ground near my feet. 'Subtle' I thought. I began to hear the idle voices louder and clearer, as they approached my location. I then turned the corner with my sword and shield drawn, to face the several slavers walking my direction.

"Who's spillin' the booze around here?! Don't you know that's a party foul!" I shouted as I used my Taunt skill.

The startled slavers gawked in surprise. I used the opportunity to throw a few knives into the closest enemies. That's when the recipients of my knives pulled out the blades and charged. I blocked the first to arrive with my shield. I then used my shoulder to push him over a pile of rocks laying on the ground. The next slaver to arrive caught a shield bash with his face and the third attacker caught my shield with his free hand. I then jerked the shield upward and the bladed point at the bottom sliced across his eyes. The next four arrived at the same time, so I stepped back alongside a table someone had placed a few metal tools on and threw it in their direction as I jumped over several mining carts. I saw one slaver duck under the flying table and keep coming. Two took the full force of the projectile and toppled head over feet. The last one threw herself out of the way and was slow getting back to her feet. I kicked off of a mining cart and thrust my sword down where the swift slaver was, but he was agile and dodged me. He shoved his dagger at my face and barely scraped on of my scales.

"Fuck that was close!" I shouted as I countered his next attack with a shield bash.

He took the hit from my shield but then latched onto it attempting to slow me down until reinforcements arrived. Fortunately I was smarter than him. I channeled my skill Sparks into my shield and electrocuted him. So far Sparks was the only skill I could channel through my shield. I tried to imbue it with fire from my Firebreath skill, but it had no effect. Except I had to replace my melted leather grip, but no combat effect. I asked Ned to try channeling his Windshot Into it, but that only sent the shield flying out of control. I also had to replace Randy's tent from that experiment too. I decided to stick with what works and a shield that doubles as a stun gun works. After putting down the agile slaver, I moved my head just in time to dodge an arrow that came whipping by.

"Hey, It's already seven against one! Arrows are cheating!" I shouted, as three more slavers approached.

I then jumped onto one of the mine carts and kicked the wall behind it, rolling away from the cluster of slavers and looking for another opportunity. All I had to do was knock the enemy down hard. The slavers hadn't noticed but those who didn't get up in the next few minutes, didn't get up ever. I was knocking them down and Casey was finishing them after I pulled the rest away. All that were left was the three chasing me and now two with bows firing from a distance. The ranged fighters were a big problem. I couldn't kite them around, and they could attack outside of my range. I resorted to jumping from obstruction to obstruction. Pushing over the equipment and the slavers property for cover. I needed to keep moving while being pursued , but I needed to stay in cover from the ranged attacks. The slavers were gaining the upper hand. To make matters worse One slaver landed a dagger in my leg so now I was slowing down. My speed reduction cost me, as an arrow pierced my shoulder. My digital body pushed the arrow out and left an open wound. I suffered the Bleeding effect for several seconds causing my HP to drop a little over time. I rolled across the floor in time to miss two arrows penetrating the barrel behind me. I stood up behind a support beam and Spark-bashed the first slaver to come close, then I released my Firebreath to block my getaway. I was a tank being forced into guerrilla warfare.

"Fuck this! Only four left, take the ranged and I'll take the foot soldiers." I shouted.

The slavers looked around in confusion, when an Ebony assassin appeared behind the Bowmen and began to tear them apart with criticals. I stood and faced my enemies like the gamer gods intended. The swordsman lunged in and the axeman followed suit. I dodged the axe, and parried the sword. My own blade found the thigh of the axeman as I kicked the swordsman in the chest. The swordsman staggered back and the axeman lifted his axe preparing to swing down. I brought the bladed part of my shield across his soft fleshy under arms and he dropped the axe while screaming in pain. I then impaled him on my curved sword. The moment I buried my sword in the axeman, I had to toss a knife into the swordsmans left shin to slow him down. I picked up the slavers axe and blocked the sword with my shield. I then slid the blade of the axe across the swordsman's throat. I expected his HP to hit 0 and the damage to be fatal, but he was still hanging on. I kicked my boot into the knife sticking out of his shin and as he fell forward, I latched my arm around his neck and wrenched it with all my weight until I felt it break. I grabbed the handle of my sword and pulled, with a loud sshhluuck sound my sword was free of the corpse. I looked over at Casey and she looked as if she were waiting on a bus.

"It's about time! I'm not getting any younger here." She scolded.

"Uh, my bad." I said sarcastically, then looked around the room, "Remind me to loot this place on the way out, but for now..."

I looked at the old door separating our current location from the south tunnel.

"Wanna guess the big bad is holding the hostages ...and fuck knows what else, behind door number 2?"