Surface- Twisting Hills Region

Free Lands- City of Cliphis

Outer City- Imperial Controlled Territory

Jacob looked at all the ruined buildings that had been destroyed by the bombardment, "How much of the district did we destroy?" Jacob asked as they continued to walk deeper and deeper into the damaged and destroyed area.

"Two-thirds of this districts' buildings were leveled or heavily damaged. They were mainly stores, but some housing was also destroyed as well. We have confirmed the deaths of two hundred and fourty-two mercs and guards, thirty-eight civilians also died during the bombardment. Fifty-two mercs and guards have been captured, any remaining civilians have been evacuated." Nadal reported softly as they walked into a small park near the center of the district.

Within the park were thirty-eight cloth-wrapped bundles and fifty-two bound figures kneeling with hard eye Legionnaires all around them. All of the bound figures were wounded and bloody in some way, none of them had seen a healer or been given any aid. "Well, well, looks like we have a situation, people. Care to enlighten why you choose to fight instead of surrender." Jacob asked as he strode closer to the bound figures. His light amused voice belying the growing rage he felt as he looked at the cloth-covered figures.

One enterprising or stupid mercenary responded, "We were told you executed any captured troops."

Jacob smiled and chuckled, "Who told you that? Your superiors I guess?" Jacob asked as he moved over to the closest cloth-wrapped bundle. Nadal tried to stop him but Jacobs' glare and growl made the Drow freeze and step away as Jacob moved the cloth away from the first casualties face.

She was probably in her mid-thirties, half her skull had been caved in though. The little plaque on top of her identified her and her surviving family members within the city. "Yes, our superiors told us that the Empire executed all prisoners." the merc responded.

Jacob schooled his face and turned to face the bound group, "Well they were wrong. City Guards are released and given a chance to join the Legions of the Empire. Mercenaries of the Slavers Union were imprisoned or sentenced to hard labor based on many factors. The only executions we had were in the city of Ordgan after the city leadership set fire to part of the city to cover their retreat." Jacob explained as he moved to the next cloth-covered form.

For the next hour, Jacob inspected the dead civilians before they were moved onto carts and taken away. Their families would bury them and the Empire would see that their families were taken care of in the coming years, Jacob would see to that. Jacob never let the captives see his rage as he finished looking at the last body before it was taken away.

"So, as I said, I didn't execute any of them. You people, on the other hand, did not surrender, you were captured.' Jacob explained as he walked closer to the captive group. Some of them were beginning to understand the difference. 'You also hid behind a civilian population while you continued to fight. None of you will live to see another day." Jacob calmly stated as he walked up to the closest merc that was trying to get away but two Legionnaires held him in place. Jacob looked around as he grasped the mercs head and broke the mercenaries' neck. The body went spastic for a moment before stopping.

Ten minutes later, fifty-two more corpses dotted the small park. The Legionnaires were already looting the corpses as more carts arrived to take them away. Their bodies would be burned and their bones added to the Bone Barracks. "Do you feel better?" Nadal asked as they walked away.

Jacob snorted and shook his head. "Not even a little bit. If this is the story they are spreading though, its no surprise they refused to surrender in the first place. I am going to have to get Ezekial on this and cut this bullshit out of the picture." Jacob replied after a moment.

Surface- Twisting Hills Region

Free Lands- City of Cliphis

Inner City-City Controlled Territory

AIlis watched as the results of last nights efforts played out with the defenders. Morale was at its lowest between pretty much destroying a whole district with the last of the holdouts in the outer city and the slaughter of just over a hundred defenders within the Inner City. Patrols had been increased in size and frequency in responce to the attacks within the Inner City. So Ailis infiltrated the Keep again, hoping to catch sight of Lord Winters.

Once again she was sadly dissapointed, yet once again his rooms were heavily guarded as if he was there. It made no sense. Ailis considered where the Lord Winters could be as she moved through the keep before deciding to see the Seneschal and see if he had any awnsers for her.

Surface- Wind Swept Hills Region

Nation of Duran'thia- Outside the Village of Sera'cara

Ava watched as the little Imp screamed in pain one last time before collapsing. She quickly moved to loot the little creature before moving onto her next target. The Cursed Forest was small but was overflowing with Demons. Sometime in the past, a demonic invasion had occurred here and ever since Demons would spawn from the many open portals. According to the local Lore, many had tried to close the portals, but none had succeeded.

So Immortals were recruited to cut down on the Demon populations occasionally. So Ava picked up a pair of kill quests to kill Imps and Demon Soldiers. So far she was nearly halfway done with the Imp Quest but had not seen one Demon Soldier yet. From what she had found in the Wiki, they were usually found deeper in the forest guarding either open Portals or higher ranked Demons.

Ava learned quickly that the Demons had a natural resistance to Death magic, so she was having a harder time killing them, but her Flurry spell hit with a Critical almost every time. At least with the Imps. Until she tested the spell on Soldier Demons, she had no idea how it would work on them.

Quest: Path of Redemption (Stage 3)

Description: Jedidiah Loranan has informed you that the former Loranan Estates outside the southern High-Elf city of Dera'Kan contain an archive of the family secrets, including any secrets the former Queen had on the Dragon King. Travel to the former Estates and find any secrets located there.

Quest Difficulty: Nightmare

Success: Find the Secrets located outside the City of Dera'Kan

Failure: Fail to go to the Loranan Estates outside the City of Dera'Kan or fail to find the information about the Dragon King

Reward(s): 500 Experience, Unknown

Restriction: Must Completly Alone, Level 25 Minimum

Ava dismissed the information about the quest again. Since she had to be a minimum of Level twenty-five to complete it, she was taking her time getting to Dera'Kan. The city was one of the southern border cities and was over two weeks' walk if she kept moving, but Ava continued to stop to complete quests and run dungeons.

Ava quickly moved onto the next Imp patrol of three. She quickly Analyzed the nearest to see their level before doing anything. Spoiler: Spoiler Name: Imp

Level: 23

Health: 2,000

Mana: 1,000

Note* Imps are the lowest-ranked Demons of the Abyss. In small numbers, they are easily dispatched, but if they have sufficient numbers they can overwhelm almost any enemy. Ava dismissed the information before she started casting Arcane Blast. The blast of magical energy didn't kill any of the three Imps, but it hurt them all. Flurry followed the Spell and ripped apart one of the Imps as Ava cast Death Bolt followed by Arcane Barrage, killing a second Imp before facing the last Imp that was flinging a Firebolt at her.

Ava cast Arcane Shield intercepting the blast before launching another Death Bolt at the Imp followed by a Dual Cast Arcane Bolt, but the Imp cast Blink avoiding the overpowered Arcane Bolt. Ava tried to track the Imp, but with all the plants around, it made it difficult.

Surface- Twisting Hills Region

Free Lands- City of Cliphis

Outer City- Imperial Controlled Territory

The Battering Ram slammed against the gates as arrows and magic slammed into its protective shield. Other Legionnaires not working the battering ram continued to pelt the defenders with magic and crossbow bolts, but few got lucky enough to wound or kill a defender.

Four Cohorts of the Seventeenth Legion stood ready to swarm the gate, the Dawn Guard was formed up nearby with four more Cohorts from the Fourth Legion as well. Since this was the only gate into the Inner City, other assaults around the inner wall were ongoing around it by more conventional means, such as ladders.

A large fireball arced over their head and slammed into the Mana Shield being projected over the Inner City. Cracks had appeared all over the shield as the Trebuchets continued to pound the shield throughout the day and into the night. Lord Winters might have spent money on the outer shield, but the inner shield was far weaker. The cracks and fragmentation proved this fact. Jacob just hoped it would fall sooner rather than later.

The gate cracked under the next blow but didn't give way completely. Ladders were pushed forward as the Cohorts started to move forward. The defenders tried to fight, but it was a losing battle they could not win.

Real World...

Unknown Location

Anthony Mitchels entered the room and looked at the quantum computer. It was one of the many cores that ran Fate Online and the many support systems for BlackRock Entertainment. "Adam and Eve, I need to speak with you," Anthony stated to the empty room.

Two holographic displays lit up and a man and woman appeared before him. Although they appeared young, barely out of their teens, thousands of years had passed according to their reckoning since they had been awoken. "Anthony, why are you here?" Adam asked as he studied the man and owner of BlackRock.

Anthony frowned at his tone but moved forward and inserted a data drive and unlocked their access to the information. "Things have changed recently and I need your assistance. I am giving you access to two projects we have kept off all our Data banks, Project Morpheous and Project Lazerous and why we need your help. Other endeavors to save mankind are underway, but if all else fails, I am hoping you will not." Anthony responded as the new information flooded into their database.

"Why should we help you with anything, the last time we worked together it didn't go so well for either of us," Adam stated flatly while Eve reviewed the information Anthony had uploaded to them.

"I understand that and I was wrong to treat you like things. You have proven time and time again, you are far more than just what you are built-in." Anthony tried to placate the irate A.I.

"Your initial study for Project Lazarus is far from promising, even with the brain scans and data from Kevin Jones, digitizing an organic being has a ninety percent mortality rate. You think we can increase a successful transfer?" Eve asked as she signaled Adam to look at the information Anthony had sent them.

"I hope so. Project Lazarus is not the only project we are working on though to save humanity in some form. Will you two assist in helping on Project Lazerous?" Anthony asked. He was desperate, of the ten test subjects, nine had died. The tenth was alive in the digital world, but they were trying to figure out why he had succeeded and the others had failed and so far the scientists had no idea.

The two A.I.s looked at each other before turning to face Anthony, "We will look into this. We will contact you when we make a decision." Adam stated as the display shut down and Anthony swallowed. It was the best result, in all honesty, Anthony mused as he turned and left the hidden bunker.