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AN: Didn't make it. I tried.. but I just can't get back into the old project :( doesn't meant I've given up tho. I promised to keep writing on it, so that's what I will do... but not while doing so would result in abysmal quality. Sorry.

“Deus” was instructing various villagers working on the new building. The work was paid by the lord.. but since this was a building desired by “Deus”, many of them would even have worked for free. Work was progressing normally when a few adventurers caused an uproar by entering the village. They had “found” something they absolutely wanted to show of with and attracted quite a bit of attention.

“It was reaaally difficult! She saw through us almost instantly, we had to fight her! And you know just how strong elves are! But.. as you can see, we were able to defeat her! Look at this wound, she almost sliced my throat open! If she had cut only a hairs breadth deeper.. but I reacted quickly and activated my rune armament!”

Hearing those words, Quintus walked towards the adventurers.. and the person he saw, collared and bound, was no one else but Carmela.

(Now this.. is a surprise. Carmela? Just what made her go out of the barrier? Hmm.. if I don't do anything, she'll be sold of at the next cities slave market, that's for sure.. and I kinda don't want that..)

“Hey..”

There was a crowd around the group of adventurers and their “catch”, it was quite the commotion.. yet everyone went silent once a single person raised his voice..

“.. so you managed to capture an elf? Now, that's just perfect.. you know, I need to experiment with runes, and elves just have much more divine energy.. it would be great if I could put that energy to good use. Would you mind selling her to me?”

He.. just had offered to buy the elf! What he said seemed logical, but a divine needing more divine energy? Thus, in the minds of some..

(so even if he's a divine, he's a man too.. )

of course they wouldn't dare say that aloud, especially not with “Deus” nearby.

“O-of course we will sell!”

“And what would the price be?”

“If it's you, we wouldn't mind just giving it away! Your gear has saved us from many dangerous situations, consider it us paying you back for that!”

(Yet all they ever bought were telescopes and a chainsaw.. for that tool to be actually used as a weapon, I should have expected that to happen..)

After motorizing sheers, Mana had used the very same concept for other inventions as well. And the chainsaw had earned itself quite the reputation, both as an efficient tool and especially as a weapon, since it could not be blocked by normal means. Even thought it couldn't be used for a long time before one would run out of mana, that time usually was more then enough.

“You already paid for the gear, and that's the gears purpose.. but if you insist, it would be impolite to decline such an offer.”

“Of course!”

The person that had spoken for the entire team had earned himself a few angered stares by his teammates, but he hinted at the chainsaw he was carrying, and soon they nodded understandingly. And thus the elf was given to Deus for free, alongside the bracelet that went with her collar. Deus send of the workers, most of them had stopped working on the building to watch anyways, and with Deus telling them to leave, of course they would do so.

“Remaining silent for all of this time.. you don't intend to say anything, do you? ..Carmela”

“How do you know my name?”

“Deus” took of the hood, unveiling..

“Quintus?!?”

“Well, I'm out of this.. your turn.”

“..why.. did you leave the barrier?”

“Your voice.. it's different from the one just now entirely.. could it be!”

“Why did you leave!”

“..I had no reason to stay anymore. That plague, was it your “friends” acting too? Is that how far you take your revenge?”

(I have this feeling there is some kind of huge misunderstanding going on here..)

“Plague?”

“Half the village died. So, was it your doing?!”

“Ehm.. I wanted to give you two some time to talk with each other, meeting after such a long time under such strange circumstances and all that.. but it looks like that will only lead to confusion.. especially for me. Quintus, could I take over? So, first of all, you know that Quintus had a reason to kill your uncle? How did you find out, did your parents tell you?”

“I found a book about his mothers sickness while searching for a way to cure the plague. The rest I could figure out myself.”

“And there was some huge plague spreading through the village?”

“Yes.”

“About that plague, no, first of all.. I understand how I'm doing it, but how comes you look so calm about this entire situation?”

“I guess that after experiencing such things.. you either go crazy or become like this. Anyways, you are a spirit, correct?”

“Yep. And concerning that plague..

Help: Warning, foreign substance discovered within the air. Analysis: Sleeping gas. Currently preventing Quintus from inhaling it. Carmela has been put asleep to prevent unpredictable, potentially dangerous actions. The gas originates from outside our observation range. I recommend waiting for what is going to happen next and eventually using the moment of surprise. As the enemy is using such methods, I estimate he does not consider himself to be able to deal with us in combat or he desires us to remain uninjured. This is most likely a kidnapping attempt.

(what the..)

...

“Good, it should be clear now. Get in, seize the target, get out! Go!”

(They seriously dug a tunnel to the basement? One, two.. a five man team. Help, analyze their equipment asap.)

Help: High quality armor. Focus lies on mobility. Some materials are unknown. Analysis of properties running. Used sound silencing runes to remain undetected. Will try to improve sonar by adding a detector for places that swallow an abnormal amount of soundwawes. Usage of some runes I do not know about. They posses various apertures, based on the structure I estimate them to be steam-based weapons and tools. In that case the function of one of the runes would be to heat the water within the containers. Fighting against such numbers would be risked, but I estimate victory to be possible using the moment of surprise.

(They want us alive.. so I guess that this might work?)

“Hey, do you really think this would work on me? This is sleeping gas, right? But that won't do. I have a good reason to fight against you, but since it looks like you didn't want to hurt me.. instead of turning this into a huge mess, why don't we talk this over?”

The sleeping gas had no effect?!? They had not been instructed on what should be done in this case.. their orders were to bring him alive, but if he was able to resist the effects of the drug and fought them, that might become difficult, unfeasible even. They had no information on how powerful he was, so underestimating him, especially given their situation, was not an option.

“To help you decide..

An object left the possession of one of the teams members. It was shaped like a gun, a tool that would shoot a pressurized steam jet. One might question the concept, but it was hard to defend against, could blind, and inflicted great amounts of pain. It was meant to cripple, not kill.

..now that we can talk on.. even grounds, what is your decision?”

Considering the ease with which he was able to disarm them, they understood that they definitely should accept his offer.

“We will talk.”

“That's good.. now, first of all.. why kidnap me?”

“I can't say.”

“I thought you would talk?”

“That is information we may not tell you about under the current circumstances.”

“What happens if I try to ..persuade you?”

There was no need to explain just what was meant by those words.

“We will prevent that from working.”

(ready to die for their cause? Now that's professional.)

“So there's something big behind this. Can you tell me what would happen if your team fails?”

“..there will be a second mission during which your safety will not be guaranteed. It will not fail.”

“You threatening me? Anyways.. what makes you so sure you wont fail on the second attempt?”

“I can't say.”

“So, there's some big organization with unknown strength after me, and they would like me alive, but if necessary also take me dead.. is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“And you have been send by that organization, which estimated sleeping gas would be enough to take care of me?”

“Yes.”

“And you still believe the second mission definitely will not fail?”

“Yes.”

Help: I am unable to determine whether or not he is lying.. there is something strange about them. Give me some time to analyze that.

(Well.. they seem to consider my presence here to be dangerous to them.. while desiring me to be with them. So they are most likely after either me as a divine, or me as an inventor. Given that I'm not deified outside of the village, most likely the later. If I go with them, it would be like going into the lions den.. but maybe being treated like its cub. If I act against them.. either choice is risky.)

Help: I would recommend going with them. It might clarify a lot of the unknown variables they have brought up, like what their organization actually is, and it's strength, which would be to our benefit. Choosing to fight against them might give us a tactical advantage compared to being right within their base, but depending on the organizations abilities, said advantage might be absolutely useless. Especially as they seem convinced that the second attempt will not fail. This may be an empty treat, but we are not in a situation in which we should underestimate them.

(So I should go with them.. but..)

“There's an elf girl in here. What will happen to her if I go with you? And what would happen to the other villagers?”

“She did not see us, there is..”

Help: Is there any worse timing to wake up? I guess not.. shouldn't the sleeping gas have a longer lasting effect then that? Well, what's done is done..

“And.. what is going to happen to her now?”

“We will have to silence her.”

“And if I don't let you?”

“The second team will not fail.”

(This.. is annoying. Really annoying.)

“In that case.. could she go with us?”

“Yes.”

At that moment Carmela, who had been unable to move up to now, finally regained some control over her body.

“Why.. would I let you.. decide that!”

An orb of fire formed in the air, but before it could be launched toward whatever target she had had in mind, Carmela was knocked unconscious by a hit from the blunt side of a sword that suddenly started to float. The fireball dissolved.

“I.. have her under control. We will both go with you.”