“Ah for crying out loud!” I complained. “I’m not a bloody Demon. I’m getting sick of this shit,” I said to Sania as we both backed away from the deep voice.

“It has been rather annoying, but I guess we would never have met. We were hunting the demon we sensed, after all.”

“True,” I said grudgingly. Staring at the bushes. “I’m not a demon, so will you please come out of the damn bushes or we’re leaving, and you really don’t what to stay here with what’s coming.

The ground between us and the scrub suddenly swelled, then exploded as a goddamn Saleel jumped up. I recoiled instinctively. Images of Daz getting squeezed to death as his head shot off like a champagne cork played through my mind.

Ealmu: Level 53, Saleel.

My hackles rose and a ball of ethereal power sprung into my hand without conscious thought.

The Saleel also jumped back, hands held out wide as he noticed the energy I held. He was hardly any bigger than me. Perhaps twenty-five feet tall, which was a freaky experience that conflicted with my earliest memories.

“You said friend,” he said desperately.

“Clive, what's wrong with you?” Sania asked. I managed to turn my head from the giant rock creature to look at her.

“My friend. When I got here, a Saleel killed him.” I said through gritted teeth trying to stay calm. Knowing deep down that I couldn’t judge an entire race from my experience with only one of them who worked as a bounty hunter. Yet my instincts screamed at me to smash the ever-loving shit out of him.

With a real strength of will, helped in some part by my increased Intelligence, I absorbed the Ethereal energy back into me and took a long deep breath.

“Sorry Ealmu. You want to join with us and come south?” I asked. “There will be fighting. Justice and Destruction,” I clarified.

“You have more people?” he asked, still watching me uncertainly, but making no untoward moves.

“Yes,” Sania replied. “We’re scouting out the area for them. They should be passing by here in around five hours’ time.

“Then yes. We come. Not safe here. Always with the hiding now.”

“We understand,” I said. “This place is a shithole at the minute.”

“Do you have any issues with the dwarves of Darkness?” Sania asked.

“Rare for Saleel to deal with them. Not friends, not enemies. Why you ask?”

Sania shrugged. “Just because you travel underground, I thought it might cause issues between you.”

It was a valid point I hadn’t even considered.

Ealmu laughed. Saleel not travel underground. Saleel is ground. Travel through, as one. Not different.”

“That’s news to us,” I replied. “I bet it comes in handy, though.”

“Has not so good parts. But is good,” Ealmu replied.

“Is it just you who’s coming?” I asked.

Ealmu shook his massive rocky head. “All clump.”

“Clump?” I asked, momentarily confused, then it hit me. “Ah! Like a pack?”

He nodded, then produced a strange vibration with his legs. It looked almost like he was dancing, and suddenly the ground all around us burst into life, the first Saleel to appear was about five foot tall and as it giggled and rolled, intermittently forming its body into an oddly well shaped ball, I knew it was a kid Saleel. I was suddenly very relieved that I hadn’t just let the ethereal ball go without thinking.

In all, there was about thirty of them. Five, kids, the rest adults of varying levels. Ealmu was the highest at Level 53. The lowest among the adults was a level 31 named Jeamu, which wasn’t too shabby.

“Any of you any good in a fight?” I asked.

“All fight when needed.” He said, indicating everyone. “Survive, always.”

“Awesome. I’ll let my friends know your location. If you can make your presence known to them when they arrive,” I said, then quickly contacted Danivra.

“Hey, we found some new friends. Saleel. They’re coming with us, and they’re in my present location, if you can sense the direction.”

“I can, Clive. It is approximately on the path we are traveling. I assure you I will look out for them. Friendly Saleels will make an excellent accompaniment to our forces.”

“Yeah, I think they will,” “I replied somewhat grudgingly.

As we took off again, Sania spoke in my mind. “Are you alright?”

“Not really, but I know I’m being stupid. Just a bit of post traumatic Saleel disorder, I reckon.”

“I understand. But imagine if you judged all Wultr from the behavior of Chusk…. Or! All humans from Natom!”

“Yeah, good points. But it doesn’t really help. Seeing the kids did, though. Made me very glad I didn’t attack.”

“I’m glad for that at least,” She replied.

We flew in silence for most of the way back, keeping an eye out for our army and any opportunistic enemy troops as we went. We saw them after a short while of travel, the multi coloured hues of the different races and powers. I was proud as I looked over the eclectic mix. The purples of the Dokalfar, the grays of the Nystiobek, Wultr and Drengalfar, the green of the Fensalfar and the browns of the goblins and Krysan. They were some distance to the north, and I couldn’t see any signs of pursuit. I could see the massed troops of Justice on the horizon further west. It didn’t look as though they ,made a move yet, toward us or back south

As soon as we were in range, we dropped lower, taking cover behind a slight rise in the land.

“They will see everything we throw from here,” Sania said. “We should go closer. It’s not as if they dare risk portaling near you anymore.”

“We aren’t trying to fight here though are we? I’d rather give the impression to them that we’re trying to link up with those in the mountains. Keep their attention here on us.”

“Yes,” she replied. The sigh was clear even in her projected words. “I just see all of that useless XP walking around ready to be taken by me.”

I smiled over at her, “Soon enough, I think it’ll be rough on the other side if I’m honest and I’m gonna need you to cover me a lot as I dismiss portals.”

“Deal,” she replied happily. “Should we start yet?”

“Dunno. Maybe wait until they get restless waiting for us? Don’t want to go too early and they work out there’s only two of us.”

Sania agreed and we spent the next hour waiting. Justice’s troops barely moved in that time until I saw a couple of paladins flying way up in the sky. I only noticed them because of the faint silvery trail that led to the floor that propelled them through the air. Sania, relying on normal sight had missed them so far and nodded appreciatively as I pointed them out.

They were moving slowly, surveying the land with care, so we waited until they came closer to our position.

“As much as I want to fire, how small could you make ethereal bullets and could you take those two out without anyone noticing.”

“I dunno, they’re still quite bright. They’ll probably see them coming.”

“Try anyway. Go as small as you can.”

I nodded and made the first small projectile. It was about the size of a petit pois containing the maximum amount of power I could add without it expanding of its own accord. I kept my hand closed as best as I could without causing the ball to detonate, before casting it up at the closest Paladin.

I couldn’t make out any of their features or expressions, only the dim glowing hue of their power. I didn’t know if they had even seen the balls approach. But I sure as shit saw him drop from the sky like a rock.

I already had the second ball ready, and as the other paladin descended desperately to catch his falling friend, without a thought for their own safety, I hit them too. They were far enough away to barely be able to hear the sound of their bodies hitting the floor, and I was glad of that, at least.

Congratulations. You defeated a Level 48 Paladin of Justice, for 480 Experience Points.

Congratulations. You defeated a Level 51 Paladin of Justice, for 510 Experience Points.

Total Experience points Earned: 990.

I dismissed the notifications quickly. I was a ways off leveling, though I did appreciate the lack of point reduction for the kills with my Protector of the North Bonus.

The whole action was surprisingly quiet too, and it was clear that none of the army had seen what had happened.

“The fact that they don’t return will work in our favor,” Sania said. “They will know we must be here if their scouts don’t return.

I nodded my agreement. “Will it be enough? Should wait a bit longer to see their reaction? I figure we have another couple of hours before we need to make our way south.”

“Perhaps we should just go south now and be ready. If we wait here, you know something is likely to happen that stops us from helping the battle there, and if you are not dismantling portals, those attempting to escape the Palathi Peaks will be in real trouble.”

“You’re probably right, and I think those two going missing will be effective. Let’s move. It will be nice to not be rushed too.”

“We will probably see the others again as we loop around,” Sania said.

“Loop around? We’re going up and over,” I grinned.

She looked at me with curiosity, then smiled. “Sounds exciting!”

We took off from our positions, heading directly into the night sky, watching the mass of soldiers grow smaller in the darkness.

“Tell me when it is too high,” I said to Sania. “If your breathing becomes too difficult or you get too cold.”

“I will, but I am fine so far. Remember I have heavily invested in Constitution, too.”

“I do remember. I know you're as tough as they come, but you still need to tell me.”

Once those below were barely visible, we moved over the top of the mountains. The actual distance not including our altitude only took around twenty minutes to navigate. I kept expecting us to be seen or stopped, but it appeared this simplest of tricks worked well. We lowered down on the southern side of the mountain away from the troops that remained, but it was instantly apparent there were far fewer people to deal with.

Dropping silently into the edge of the lower mountains that was obscured from the main forces I felt a swell of pride at our work this evening. It was a long way from over, but it was a bloody good start.

We watched the mountains where we thought the Wultr would come down. So far, everything remained silent. The Wind of the Wild appeared beside us and I nearly took a Baatazu sized shit in my trousers of Darkness, ruining their Stealth attributes forever.

“You are ready?” he asked, and I could feel the tension radiating from him.

“Isn’t it early? Sania asked.

“The troops in the north have units moving out to find you. After the scouts you killed. This appears to me to be the best opportunity for us to depart, so are you ready to support our escape to freedom?”

“We’re ready Wind,” I said with conviction. I think, in part to help him with the overwhelming amount of stress he was clearly under.

“We will be depending on your abilities, Clive. You hold the key to our escape.”

“No pressure there then,” I said, offering the best attempt at a smile as I could.