Em led the way across the growing pool of water that filled the room, a mermaid’s arms wrapped around her neck, and a dagger in her right hand.

Water rushed from the final tank in a torrent, the room already past knee level and rising quickly.

Gunnar launched a pair of throwing blades, dealing moderate damage to one of the few guards poised to resist.

The dawn elf man finished the guard off, slitting his throat.

[You have defeated Brutish Thug - Level 12 with an assist from an Elf of the Night! Here’s 10 XP!]

Em and the orc took out the last guard still on his feet as they rushed past him. The brute’s blood filled the water. The remaining five guards were struggling in the torrent or wounded. Gunnar let two more blades fly. Despite his skill, having a mermaid on his back didn’t help his accuracy. One hit a man’s shoulder, and the other drilled a guard in the gut, rather than the neck.

But it was enough to hold the guards off while they made their escape.

They rushed out of the room and barreled toward the stairs, as struggling and wounded men hollered behind them.

“Split up at the top,” Gunnar ordered as they neared the surface. He was getting in pretty good shape, but by the time he and his mermaid reached the top, he was panting heavily.

The dawn elf and the freed wenches raced down the corridor toward the dining hall, and Gunnar could hear the shouts and chaos as they rushed the front doors.

Gunnar, Em, and the orc did not follow, choosing the back escape they had spotted on their way in. The bolt freed with the turn of an iron wheel that reminded Gunnar of something that might be found on a submarine hatch, and they emerged in an alley behind the Mermaid.

There were some large trash heaps and burning barrels scattered around, but otherwise the place was empty. Clamor echoed from the halls within. Gunnar hoped the chaos in the dining hall would distract the guards from checking this back entrance. He felt a small pang of guilt about sending those whores out as a diversion, but it was surely a better shot than they’d had before.

“Better get going,” Em said.

They hurried down the alley and were about to turn the corner when a shout rang out behind them.

“Some of ’em went this way!”

Gunnar glanced back to see three guards bolting from the back door.

“Shit,” Gunnar muttered. “Go! Go!”

Musket shots rang out somewhere behind them, and shouts filled the air. Gunnar’s lungs were burning as they emerged onto one of the main thoroughfares that led to the waterfront. But the thugs were predictably not great endurance runners, and they gained little ground, despite the loads Gunnar, Em, and the orc were carrying.

The streets themselves were empty save for a few staggering drunks and hobos. The mermaid was slippery, and now that they were in the open, Gunnar reached back, holding onto her fins piggyback style to steady her as best he could as he ran.

A man emerged from a doorstep up ahead.

“Hey, stop them!” shouted one of the Brutish Thugs from behind.

The man was middle-aged with an unkempt beard, and pointed at Gunnar.

“What the hell is—”

The mermaid released his shoulders with one hand and clothes-lined him, knocking him flat on the ground. Gunnar barreled past, turned a corner, tore down another smaller street, and emerged on the waterfront.

There were more people down here for such a late hour—or was it early by now?

Several sailors were already preparing cargo and fishermen were readying nets and cages and other gear. And there were Red Cloaks on patrol.

The Brutish Thugs shouted behind them, drawing the attention of several nearby.

The orc rushed ahead, knocking a Red Cloak off his feet before he knew what was happening, and all three of them tore along the docks.

Shots rang out behind them, splintering the wood at their feet. Gunnar’s mermaid whimpered, and a sharp sting pierced Gunnar’s shoulder. His head felt light, and he lost sight of Em and the orc ahead of him.

More shouts rang out.

Gunnar staggered forward, and at the first sight of water, he plunged over the side of the dock. The cold sea rushed over his head, and he lost his grip on the mermaid in the fall. His vision went dark and blurry, and his head throbbed.

A light blue bar indicating Breath appeared in his vision.

Breath Holding

Skill Type: Physical

Linked Attribute: Constitution (+60% Development)

Affinity Level: 9

Description: Allows you to traverse underwater or other environments in which breathing is impaired. But once you’re out of air… you go belly up like every other piece of sea scum.

Gunnar was never much of a swimmer, but he was able to steady himself enough to figure out which way was up and down based on the slight difference in light near the surface. His shoulder stung like hell, and his Health had dropped to 70%, but there was no Mortal Bleeding effect, so it was hardly his first priority.

Even underwater, he could hear the muted thuds of running footsteps on the docks. He let himself sink a little further, hoping that no one would be able to spot him in the darkness.

Water fizzled and hissed up ahead as the guards let off a volley of shots. They seemed to expect he had swum much farther than he had.

His Breath bar steadily depleted, quickly dipping close to 50%.

It took him a moment to think to try Dark Sight. He’d never used it underwater, but the spell worked just fine. The salt water stung his eyes and his vision was blurry, but he could make out general details of his surroundings.

The harbor was surprisingly shallow, maybe twenty feet. Though it was hard to tell for sure as the bottom was murky and filled with junk—bits of nets and rigging and jagged pieces of wood, mixed with the seaweed and algae that filled the water. He caught sight of a glimmer underneath an extending dock a short distance ahead, and he filled with relief.

The mermaid!

Gunnar swam toward it as quickly as he could with his injured shoulder. Footsteps hurried past him on the docks above after one more volley of musket fire, but he didn’t dare come up for air out in the open. When he reached the cover underneath the dock, he surfaced, and his Breath bar replenished in a few desperate, glorious gulps.

The mermaid floated nearby, facedown with her back just under the surface. She did not come up. Did not move at all.

A sick feeling filled Gunnar’s stomach as he took a deep breath and went underwater again.

Blood clouded the water all around him. He’d feared she was dead before he investigated closer, but the sight of her wide empty eyes and gaping mouth filled him with instant sorrow and regret.

This had happened because of him.

He’d known this was a bad idea all along. He could tell himself that it was the council’s decision. That they’d been trying to save her from a worse fate in Sykes’s hands.

But that was bullshit.

She was dead. In all likelihood, she had saved his life, taking the brunt of the gunshots.

There was a good chance some of those whores had died too. All serving as a shield, so they could make their escape.

He let out an underwater yell of frustration and just floated there, staring at her lifeless body. His Breath bar was nearly empty when the notification appeared, confirming that the orc must have gotten Lydenestra to safety.

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest, Mermaid’s Heist! You got Sykes a good one, and freed a merfolk princess while you were at it. Here’s 320 XP!]

[Congratulations! You’ve reached Level 15 in Stealth. You’ve reached Level 17 in Throwing Blade. You’ve reached Level 9 in Sheer Strength. You’ve reached Level 9 in Dark Sight. You’ve reached Level 12 in Dragon’s Breath.]

[Way to make a splash and leave your calling card. You’ve earned the Wet Bandit Badge! We haven’t seen this much water in a shitty break-in since the holidays of 1990: +1 to Agility, +1 to Strength, +1 to Wisdom, +1 to Creativity.]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 19 in Glory!]

Nymoria appeared and went through her spiel. Normally, Gunnar felt a sense of pride and triumph when he saw her, but he found little satisfaction with the dead mermaid floating beside him, despite the fact he’d just gained four levels in one shot.

He surfaced but remained under the dock for some time. Shivers wracked his body, but he just floated there, fearful of moving. The only sounds were distant sailors preparing for the day. He sent Em a DM. No reply, which did nothing to assuage his fears.

It was several minutes before footsteps came clip-clopping on the boards above.

Gunnar did not move.

The dock was just off the main boardwalk, but there was no boat or anything over here, so whoever it was ought to pass by easily.

Unless…

The footfalls were heavy, but Gunnar was pretty sure there was only one set of them. They passed by, and Gunnar was overcome with relief.

But then, all of the sudden, they paused.

And turned and strode straight back up Gunnar’s dock.