Come on then you lot, Egard said gruffly. If Justice are watching, they won’t be able to sense us in here. But they will be able to see us if they get close.

“I don’t think we’ll have trouble from them today,” Sania replied. “Clive just saw to that.”

“I don’t know what you think you achieved, but trust me, they will be watching,” Egard snapped. “Now, if you want in, get in now before I close the door.”

I spoke quickly to Galota and Natta across the bond. “Hey guys, I want you two to come in last. You’re the strongest here, after Danivra and I want you guarding our rear.”

“Of course Lord Clive. We’ll watch the back with pleasure.” Galota replied with the mental tone of voice that suggested that he wanted some trouble.

With that, I followed Egard into the tunnel ready to deflect anything with my arm and start firing.

There didn’t seem to be any deception, though.

“How is this place shielded, Egard?” I asked

“Some Neuma generator. Old technology. Darkness doesn’t tell us exactly what it is. I think he has…” Egard suddenly screamed in pain. I recognised the reaction, from when I first met Grimstrom. Darkness had just said something to him loudly. I stopped our entrance into the tunnel as he spasmed on the floor. The dwarves with him moved urgently into a defensive position, around him as if I had done something.

“Don’t worry lads,” Egard’s voice came from behind them. “My own fault. Clive did nothing. Let’s get going and get you inside this fort,” he said to me as he pushed through the throng of his own guards.

We set off walking again, Egard walking alongside me, pointedly not interacting with anyone but me. Though, to me, he was surprisingly chatty. As if we didn’t hate each other’s guts.

“So how come you're half naked Clive. Where’s the clothes you traveled north with?”

“Where do you think?”

“Took them off, huh? Trying to hide from us?”

“Exactly,” I replied, not caring for the direction of the conversation.

“Daft really. You’re a bloody beacon. We can track you with or without clothes, though you don’t get the protection from everyone else, Like Justice and Destruction.”

“Maybe I’ll put them back on. But it’s not a concern, anyway. Even the threads of Darkness wouldn’t have stood up to what I’ve been through.”

“Maybe,” He mused. “You thought of armor.”

“Does it matter? Why are you talking to me like you give a shit. Just lead us through the tunnels, and then you can get on with your life again,” I replied.

“Just trying to be civil,” he huffed.

“Too late for that, Egard. I can forgive, but I won’t forget.”

He moved away after that conversation closer. And I walked with my friends again.

“Have you noticed the tunnel to the entrance of the ruins is crafted as a main tunnel?” Danivra asked in my mind.

“I hadn’t, but you’re right. The tunnels were never this well built and maintained in the other side tunnels.”

“They are very interested in Toucal,” she said seriously. “You saw what happened to Egard when he briefly touched upon it.”

“Yeah, seems Darkness doesn’t want me to know about it either. Which begs the question. Why the fuck did they agree to meet us there?”

“It seems strange,” Sania answered.

“There is only one reason I can think of, if there is more to this than meets the eye, which there always is,” Danivra said cryptically. “They want to see how Clive reacted to the area.”

I rubbed at my scraggly ass beard. “Did I do anything that could be of interest?”

“You moved the power and the rubble,” Sania said.

“You could see it,” Danivra added as if that was the bigger of the two achievements.

“Well, there’s not much I we can do about that now, so fuck it. But it’s something to keep in the memory banks for sure.”

After our conversation, I looked back along the tunnel to check everyone was still with us.

“Everything okay back there, Galota?”

“Yes. Though more dwarves seemed to appear from nowhere to escort the rear of our line.”

“To be expected I suppose. Luckily, we’ve got you guys back there to keep us safe.”

“Yes. You have,” he replied firmly.

The journey back to Cragside Fort took surprisingly little time. Faster, I thought than the journey to the ruins through the gorge, that was for certain.

“This is it then,” Egard said, reappearing from the front of his men again. Good luck getting those dwarves out. I’m sure you’ll manage it if you killed Natom and Stada.”

I shrugged. We’ll manage it because we haven't got any choice and… thanks for your help,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Egard beamed and clasped his chest. “Well, still my beating heart! Thanks from Lord Clive himself. Wonders will never cease.”

“Don’t fucking push it Egard.” I said walking away towards the door. “I figured I should be first through and I’d had enough of the tunnels and the company.”

As the door opened there were two, tired looking Drengalfar guards in this lower basement. One torch was lit between them. Jumping as quickly as they could to attention. One of them left the basement at an uneven run, the other put his hand out to stop us.

“We are waiting for your possible arrival, Demon man. Will you now wait until more guards and our leaders come to greet you?”

“I’d love to, mate. “But that’s kinda not possible. My army is stretched out behind me in the Nideland tunnels, and the dwarves want us out of there fast. Soooo, if you just want to head up them stairs and I’ll fill this room slowly. We’ll probably have to make our way up to the next level as well.”

I could see he thought about lowering his spear, but then thought better of it and slowly, but wordlessly began to back up the stairs.

As the lower chamber began to fill, it was as I’d expected. No where near large enough to accommodate all of us. We must have had around three hundred people on the next up of the empty basement, before Galota informed me that he and Natta were in the room and the dwarves had slammed the door shut on us.

I smiled at that. “Good riddance.”

We didn’t push any further into the basement, but more guards had arrived forming a line that was supposed to prevent us from moving any further into the castle.

“We’re here to help you guys. Look,” I said gesturing around me and smiling wide at them. “We’re all just standing here all peaceful, waiting patiently. So, sure keep your line, but relax.”

If anything my words put the poor emaciated fuckers even more at edge. Thankfully, the leaders of the fort, Melandrac Yestoris, the Drengalfar commander and Loric the Dokalfar leader both appeared. Accompanied by their closest people.

Loric streaked ahead once he laid eyes on Danivra, bowing before he even reached us, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He almost skidded on his knees in front of her like a kid in a supermarket.

“Your highness, I hardly dared hope it was true, yet here you are as the Demon man told us.”

“It is good to see you Loric and well done for all of those you have helped lead to safety, but…” she said raising her voice so all could hear. “This is Lord Clive, Protector of the North, and Seed of Creation! We here are his people and will not tolerate slurs against his name. We are here to free you from this siege and take you away from here, but this is only possible because of Lord Clive, and you will all show the proper respect and gratitude toward him.

All of those in earshot suddenly began looking around sheepishly. Drengalfar included. It seemed Alfar royalty was to be respected no matter the race as Melandrac also bowed. To be fair, that she was level 140 and could probably kill everyone here in a few seconds helped.

“Of course, your highness,” Loric said bowing again. I serve you, so if you now Serve the lord Clive, then so do I by extension.” He turned to me and bowed low. “Please accept my apologies for any disrespect, my Lord. It will not happen again.”

“Don’t worry man, I know what I look like, though. I do prefer Clive to demon man.”

Melandrac stepped forward looking angry. “I am not sworn to the Queen of Helvien, but if you can get us out of here, I will swear to you… Lord Clive.”

I smiled and patted him gently on his shoulder. “I look forward to that day, Melandrac. I reckon with a bit more meat on your bones you’ll be a huge help to our quest.”

“Which is?” Melandrac asked. The rest of the room listened to me intently and I suddenly felt self-conscious. My next words would be remembered.

“Er…” Shit, that wasn’t how I wanted to start. “Simple. I want to rescue as many people as possible, just like you lot, from the forces that invade these lands. I want to bind them together and using all of their different skills, abilities and powers that you all have to make us into a true force to be reckoned with. Then I want us all to have an easy life, eating, drinking laughing and learning, safe in the knowledge that we can kick anyone’s arse if they come knocking at our doors.”

An impromptu cheer rose up from my people first, but like a wildfire it spread through the Elves that heard my little speech. And like that, we were accepted into Cragside fort.

As we moved higher up into the castle, Danivra made the very good suggestion that we didn’t exit the castle until we were ready to actively help in the attack or defense, so our presence wasn’t witnessed by those outside.

Great in theory, but in practice, it made finding places for people to sit and sleep difficult within the castle. The Goblins opted to stay in the basement for some reason. The rest of us were on the top four floors, which were less overpopulated.

It amazed me that people complained about being shifted to make room for us, but I just had to laugh. People, peopling I supposed.

We set out an area for those closest to me to occupy. While there were only certain people within that area, it was no less crowded than anywhere else in the fort.

Once we were all settled, Loric and Melandrac came to speak with us again.

“So Lord Clive. We are curious to hear what plans you might have?”

“Kill all of Justice’s troops, run to the Palathi Peaks and once we are there we kill. all of Justice’s troops.”

Melandrac either grimaced, farted, or smiled. “As fantastic as that sounds, Lord Clive, none of our people here are fit enough to run to the Palathi Peaks, let alone kill the armies here and there.”

“Not yet,” I said pointing my finger at him with a smile. “It’s coming up to time for me to leave. My Protectorate power you saw yesterday is close to resetting and once it does, I am traveling to my home in the south. Now I can’t promise anything, but I’m hoping that I can bring things back. That will involve me staying there for a full day. So, right now, that is part one of our plans. If it works, I will be able to bring food for all and some weapons for my people first. I have Fensalfar here who need proper bows and they will be the most valuable to any assault we make from the walls. After them I want to get our weaponless goblins something to use. This is all in the air, though. If it doesn’t work, I’ll be back tonight and we’ll plan more. If it does, then I’m sure you will be happy to wait a day and get food in everyone.”

“Right now, most people would take a meal over salvation,” Melandrac said morosely.

“I can agree to this,” Grastad, who was very much not wasting away, said.

“What I would like to know is the shield, Danivra said. “I know of the Drengalfar Aegis power which you have covering the city, though I must confess I am surprised at the size and longevity of the shield.

“We have five higher-level Drengalfar including myself who can create the Aegis of adequate size to cover the entire fort. We work in shifts around the clock to keep continuous coverage though two of our number are unwell. All we can hope is that they recover, though that looks unlikely. Perhaps with sustenance they will pull around. Who knows.”

We talked for a while longer before I felt a slight tingling sensation at the base of my skull where it met my neck. I knew instinctively that my teleport skill had just reset.

“Time to go guys,” I announced, climbing to my feet. “I need some stuff to take back to check. We probably should have thought of this before it was time to go.”

“You should take the orange seeds back Lord Clive, the ones she had kept from her void pocket.

“You can take this,” Melandrac said pulling a broken dagger from his pouch. I looked at it in confusion.

“Standard issue when you join the Guard. I’ve had it since I was twenty-five. Two hundred and seventy years,” he said wistfully. “Only reason I still carry it about. Stupid really, but if it will help.

“Here”, Galota said, throwing a wide block at me that had come loose from the castle wall. It looked huge in his human hands, but he handled it like it was made of polystyrene. I was taken aback by how heavy it actually was as it landed in my arms.”

“Er, I think the wall needs this Galota,” I replied.

He waved my concerns off. “It was loose. Don’t worry.”

“It will be a good weight test,” Danivra said.

“Fair enough,” I replied unconvinced, before giving Sania an awkward kiss with the block in my arms and everyone watching us with rapt attention.

“Hopefully I’ll not see any of you for a full day,” I said, pulling my Protectorate map up as I spoke and focusing on the ground in front of the castle in Far Reach.