"So there is one road in with the trees cut back about a hundred yards." Tarril scratches a pair of long lines in the dirt. On either side of the road, he scratches out a pair of rectangles. He then makes a line across the road.

When the night elves returned to camp, they were shocked to see the others without their collars. Before they could ask what happened, I already removed theirs as well. This led to a small celebration and burning of the offending items. After, we all sat down to eat a quick meal together. Tarril began explaining what they found at the border.

"So four buildings, two on either side and this?" I shift around on my seat to examine the drawing better. I toss the bone on my plate to Sarge who happily starts to gnaw on it.

"It's a barricade and a pretty sturdy one at that. They dug the post into the ground pretty deep, and there are sharpened stakes pointing to this side. My guess is they are planning on using it to keep your truck on this side." I shake my head as I'm trying to picture what he described in my mind. I have to admit, it's a good plan. Probably what I would do to stop a truck if I was closing a border.

"Any chance we can squeeze around it on the side?" Tarril shakes his head as he starts to explain.

"There is maybe two feet on either edge of the barricade. Even if you could get the truck, there are close to seventy combatants that we saw. Plus, another ten or so civilians." Tarril points to the largest of the rectangles.

"From what I could tell, this was the stables for the outpost. Now, they have most of the soldiers bunks in there." He shifts his finger to the rectangle on the same side of the road.

"This was the soldier's barracks, but the Knights Brethren have taken it over. The ones who don't fit in there are also banking in the stables." I nod my head as I'm following along, trying to keep the picture as clear as I can in my head.

"These two buildings on this side, what are they?" Tarril shifts to the side to let En'Las move closer.

"This one is a basic supplies store. There is a family of four living there." She tilts her head to the side as she pauses. "Well there was. Now it's more like two families, ten people living there." She shifts her finger to the other building.

"From what I gathered and overheard, the Sergeant of the border guards kicked the residents out. Right about the time the Knights Brethren arrived and kicked him out of his barracks." She pauses and looks at me closely.

"I overheard that he has the owner's daughter in there with him." I stop and look up at En'Las, searching her face for the hidden meaning in her tone.

"She in there because she wants to be, or?" When I trail off, En'Las shakes her head slowly. I let out a long exhale as I lean back against Sarge's side.

"Then that fucker needs to die." En'Las and Mynas share a look then En'Las starts to talk again.

"Aside from the Sergeant, there is a Corporal sleeping there too. That's all that we could tell with the quick look we got." She stares at me after she finishes speaking. I get the feeling she is waiting on me to say something. I lean back as my mind is trying to devise a plan. Everyone seems to be waiting on me to come up with a plan.

"Forgive me if I sound stupid, but is there anything keeping us from just avoiding the road and driving around it? You know, other than killing the fucking Sergeant. Couldn't we cut a path through the trees and skirt around the whole road?" The whole group trades a glance, and I know I just asked a stupid question.

"You can't really see it from here, but there is a mountain range along the border. We have been moving steadily uphill for a while now. The border is a different beast. The foothills we are in now turn into sheer cliffs." Shiva leans against me as she starts to sketch in the dirt beside the map Tarril drew.

"The road out of Dolus was cut generations ago." She scratches two high rectangles beside the road on the drawing. "The cliffs are sheer, and almost a hundred feet high. If you did climb them, you would see that the top is full of cracks and chasms. Then the other side is a longer drop than the Dolus side. Lower elevation or something like that. It's close to a two hundred foot drop." Shiva starts to scratch a winding road in the dirt.

"The road just past the border descends rapidly. There are lots of curves and switchbacks all the way down. This means there is very little line of sight, but that works in our favor." I'm nodding my head as I'm trying to picture what they are telling me. Before I can ask another question, Mynas starts to speak while she scratches

in the dirt.

"There is a spot a person can climb over here, about a half mile from the crossing." She marks an x in the ground a little off to the right of the drawing.

"How did you find that?" She shrugs as she sits back down beside En'Las.

"While they checked out the crossing, I was tasked to make sure there are no other surprises. Aside from the people at the border, there are no other people around. I was checking and found the path. It looks like someone was using it to sneak over the border. There is even a rough ladder carved into the stone at the top." I'm nodding my head as I listen to what she is saying. My mind is racing as several plans fly through my mind.

"How long would it take to dismantle the barricade if you were rushing?" Tarril tilts his head as he thinks, finally speaking after a long moment.

"Four minutes give or take, assuming that you mean just wide enough to get your truck through. Also, that assumes we are working fast and loud not quietly."

"I can buy four minutes." I didn't realize that I spoke out loud until Thea speaks.

"What was that, Jim?" I shake my head as I turn to face Thea.

"I was talking to myself." When I don't continue, Shiva elbows me roughly.

"Maybe fill the rest of us in?" I rub my side and let out a long exhale.

"I was thinking that I can buy four minutes. I'm basically thinking of drawing the men off the border, then slipping over once you all are gone. Take one or two people with me, then meet the rest of you in Rathenk." Tarril is nodding his head as I speak.

"You would be better off with just one. No need to risk more people than necessary. The two of us could do it, and I can keep up with you." Shiva opens her mouth to speak, but Mynas beats her to it.

"It should be me not you. I know where the trail is, and I can guide him back to it easier than you could. That way we don't have to worry about you trying to find it when you have never seen it before. Besides, I'm faster than you and have almost as much stamina." Tarril looks to En'Las who is silent for a second before she nods. When she does, Tarril turns back to Mynas and nods.

"Fine, but you need to make sure you are careful." Mynas nods her head and starts to smile.

"Jim, who all are you planning on taking in this plan of yours?" Thea's voice is calm, but I can feel her getting angry through the bridge. Shiva shifts in her seat and I know she is feeling it too.

"Right now, probably just Mynas and Alexis. There is no reason to risk anyone we don't have to. We can push the truck close, then I'll draw the people off. There shouldn't be too many left at the border. So when the majority of them chase me, the rest of you can take the remaining men out and clear the barricade. After you all cross the border, Mynas and I can slip over the top. If anyone tries to climb up after us, I can pick them off easily." I shrug my shoulders as I finish speaking, not seeing any big holes in my plan.

Thea stands up suddenly and crosses the distance between us in two long strides. Before I can ask what is bothering her, she grabs me by the beard and drags me to my feet. I don't have a chance to ask what the hell is going on before she drags me away from the fire.

"Shiva, you're involved in this too, so come on!" I can hear Shiva scrambling to her feet as Thea pulls me to the other side of the truck. We don't stop there, and she keeps dragging me into the treeline. All of my complaints don't do any good as she keeps pulling me by my beard.

"Thea, where are you dragging him to anyway?" When Shiva speaks, Thea stops and turns back to face me. I can see that tears are starting to form in her eyes as she looks at me. When I start to open my mouth, she cuts me off.

"No! No! No! No! Just keep your fucking mouth shut!" Her hands are shaking as she screams at me. She opens her mouth again before slamming it closed. I start to open my mouth, when she slaps me and cuts me off. When I start to speak again, her hand slaps me across the face again.

"Don't say a fucking word! I'll tell you when you can speak again!" When she doesn't speak, I turn my head to look at Shiva.

"Don't look at me, you are the one who made her mad." Shiva is leaning against a tree with her arms crossed. She may look calm, but the anger I feel coming through the bridge isn't just from Thea.

"You are not leaving us behind." Thea's voice is shaking as she starts to speak. When I turn back to her, her hands are clenched into tight fists.

"I wasn't leaving anyone, Thea. I was talking about being a distraction to let the rest of you escape. When you all were gone I'd slip over the border and meet back up with you." Thea's fist connects with my face, making my head snap to the side.

"And what if something went wrong!? What if you ended up getting hurt and couldn't get over the border!?" I try to pull Thea into my arms, but she pushes me away and continues to yell. "You didn't fucking think! You don't fucking care about what could happen! What do you think would happen to us if you were captured or killed!? Did you even think about how we would feel being left behind!? Well, did you!?" When I start to open my mouth, her fist connects with my jaw again.

"Fuck, Thea! I'm sorry, you are right. I didn't think about that. I'm sorry, will you please calm down!" When she swings at me again, I grab her hand and pull her into my chest. I'm opening my mouth to speak again, but something slaps the back of my head. When I turn to look, Shiva is glaring at me.

"You too?" Shiva shrugs her shoulders and leans back against the tree behind her again.

"You never think, you just do. I can't lose you now, Jim. This isn't one of those 'it will all work out and everything will be ok'. You could die, or be captured." Thea's voice is turning into a sob the longer she talks. I hold her close to me and stroke her back gently. When she finally starts to calm down, I loosen my grip just a little bit.

"I'm sorry that I didn't think. It was just a thought I had. Whatever happens, I'll make sure we cross the border together." Thea tilts her head to look up at me, her eyes searching my face as I speak.

"Promise me that you aren't going to try and do something stupid." I nod my head as I lean in to kiss her forehead gently.

"I promise I'm not going to do something stupid." When she starts to pull away from me, I turn to Shiva. "Anything you want to add?" Shiva shakes her head so I take a second to think.

"So me being a distraction is out. What if we ditch the truck and go over the top? Or have Alexis absorb it or something. Then we can all cross together and no one is left behind." Thea seems to consider the idea, and starts to open her mouth when she is cut off.

"That won't work." When we turn around, Mynas is leaning against the tree next to Shiva. Shiva jumps in surprise and quickly moves to stand beside Thea and me.

"Why won't it work?" Mynas starts to answer when Thea interrupts her.

"Better question is what are you doing here? This is a private conversation!" Mynas shrugs her shoulders at Thea.

"If it's private then you should be speaking lower. I was just making sure everyone was ok. If I'm not wanted, then I'll just leave." She starts to turn around when I call out to her.

"Wait! Why won't it work?" I motion to Thea to calm down. I'm more than a little annoyed at being followed too, but Mynas seems to have information we need.

"The climb up is treacherous. I actually went all the way up scouting. There are several places that are a tight squeeze. Even if you figured out how to pack Sarge up the cliff, there are places your Goliath couldn't squeeze through. To go that way, you would have to leave two of your group behind." Mynas turns around again and starts walking through the trees. She seems to disappear after only a few steps again.

"Fuck, I wish I knew how they keep doing that." Shiva laughs at my words, shoving me gently.

"So would everyone else. Night elves won't tell anyone how they do it. Even slave collars can't make them give up that secret. So if you ever find out, make sure you let me know too." Shiva shifts against me as she speaks, then leans against my side. "So, what's the plan now that your original is out?"

"Fuck if I know!" My hand comes up to scratch my beard. I end up wincing as my fingers reach a snag and pulls through it. "First thing I need to get rid of this beard."

"Aw, I was starting to like it." Shiva reaches up to rub my beard as she speaks. I gently pull my head away as I wrap my arms around Thea and Shiva.

"For now, let's head back to camp. I'll shave, and try to figure out a better plan." Thea is stiff in my grip, but follows along.

Yeah, she is going to be mad for awhile. I try not to let that bother me too much as we walk. As we are getting close to camp, I turn my head to look at Shiva.

"You think Jacob would mind sharing his razor?" Shiva tries to smother a laugh with her hand and fails.

"Jacob doesn't shave. His beard is thin even when it grows out. So he just has it shaved when he reaches a town." Her response causes me to stop in my tracks. Thea pulls free of my arm and continues on towards the fire, sitting down beside Sarge.

"Well there goes that plan then. I guess I'll just have to see if Alexis can make me a razor." I take a second to watch Thea as she ignores me. "So how long do you think Thea is going to stay mad at me?" Shiva shrugs as she leans against me.

"Probably as long as I'm going to be. Difference is I would still sleep with you, but now I can't." Shiva slips out of my arm and walks towards Thea. She sits down beside her and whispers in her ear.

Great, this is going to be a long night. Instead of joining the rest of the group, I head over to the truck instead.

"Alexis, any chance you can make me a razor?" While I tilt the passenger side mirror up, I take a look at my face. "Possibly some scissors too, this is kinda raggedy."

"Depends, can you use a straight razor? Because I don't think I can make a disposable very well." I tilt my head back to check the growth around my neck.

"My grandpa taught me to use a straight razor, so that's fine. He always said, 'Don't trust that plastic shit. You will end up cut to hell. What gives you the best shave is having to pay attention.'" Alexis's core glows for a second, and I hear a gentle clink behind me. I turn around to a razor, scissors, and a metal cup sitting on the edge of the truck's toolbox.

"Thanks." When I pick up the cup, I can see there is a stiff brush and lather inside. Yay, at least I have shaving cream. It would have sucked to try and shave with just water.

"Jim, why would you think I would forget the shaving cream?" I nearly drop the cup when Alexis speaks. I know that I was only thinking to myself, but somehow she heard me.

"Alexis, how did you hear me?" I set the cup down on the toolbox again, picking up the scissors. While I wait on Alexis's answer, I start to trim my beard down as close to the skin as I can.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You do realize you haven't said anything any time you activate one of your skills, right?" I think back for a second as I continue to trim my hair down.

"I mean, I guess so. What's that have to do with anything?" When my beard is trimmed as close as I can get, I lay the scissors aside and grab the cup. I stir the lather before I start to brush it over my chin. When the mirror starts to slip down, I reach up to correct the angle and rip it off the mount.

"Fuck!" The mirror disappears from my hand, and reappears on the truck.

"I got it, and look behind you again." When I turn around, there is another mirror sitting on the toolbox angled to my height. A shallow basin of steaming water is hanging off the side of the bed, supported by a wire frame.

"Thanks. Now what does me activating my skills have to do with you hearing my thoughts?" As I focus on the mirror, I make quick work of finishing with the lather. The razor feels good in my hand. It's a little lighter than I'm used to. The color of the metal makes me think it's mithril. I briefly wonder what a razor like this would cost in a shop in this world.

"Most people have to say their skills out-loud when they use them. The only exceptions are people who have mastered silent casting, or people with a telepathy skill. Since you can communicate with Sarge and vice versa, I think you both have a telepathy related skill. So I tried to test it by….listening in telepathically." I pause in my shaving as she speaks, the razor rests against the line of my jaw. I rinse it in the basin as I start to speak.

"So what, I'm psychic?" I can hear Alexis and Vixi both laughing.

"Not hardly, just able to communicate without speaking. You would need to practice a lot to manage it on someone without a similar skill. For now if I was guessing, I'd say Sarge and I are the only ones who can hear you." I finish half of my face as I listen to Alexis speak. Part of me knows that I should be paying attention because this information could come in handy later. My mind is just too crowded with everything else right now.

"By the way, a razor like that would cost ten or twelve gold in a shop. Since you were wondering." I chuckle as I rinse the razor again.

Should have realized you were listening to that question too.

"Yeah, you should have. Now how are you planning on getting out of Dolus?" I take a second to check my shaving before I answer Alexis. Most of my face is clear now, but I missed a few small patches. I start to lather up again, better to get it now before it starts irritating me.

I don't know. I was hoping I'd get an idea while shaving. There's something almost therapeutic about shaving. It helps me clear my mind and think. While I'm distracted, I feel the sting of the lather on an exposed cut.

"Shit!" Leave it to me to get too distracted and cut myself. It takes just a few seconds to staunch the flow of blood, so I continue shaving. When I finish, I turn to look at the mirror Alexis replaced on my truck.

"So can you only replace parts that I break, or can you make new add ons?" The wheel in my head is turning as I feel the start of a plan forming.

"Depends, what do you want to make?" I can feel myself start to grin as I splash my face with the still warm water. Closing the razor, I slide it into my pocket as I start to tidy up my mess. Before I get too far, the mess disappears.

"You ever seen a picture of those old steam engines? The ones with the big cow catchers on the front of them?" As I walk around to the front of the truck, I can hear Alexis chuckling.

"I might have seen one or two of them. So is this the new plan then?" I nod my head as the bumper of the truck disappears before my eyes.

"Half the plan." A dull glow forms around the front end of the truck, and I feel my mana being pulled on. When Alexis finishes, I give her work a once over. I feel myself start to smile as I straighten back up.

Yeah, this just might work. Turning away from the truck, I quickly explain the rest of my rapidly forming plan to Alexis. When I'm sure she understands what I need, I head back to the fire to fill in the rest.

Now we just have to wait till it's closer to dark. Don't want to make a move too soon.

*A half-hour after sunset.*

The night air is warmer than I was expecting. I take one last look through the trees at the open ground between us and the border. Some point after Tarril and his grove had checked the border, someone moved several wagons into the road. They are set pointed inward about ten yards from the barricade.

"You sure the Sergeant is already inside the house there?" Even though we are just over a hundred yards from the barricade, I keep my voice low. There is no way to tell just how far a voice can travel in this still air.

"Yes, we just confirmed it. He has the store owner's daughter in there with him too. The Corporal is on night duty, so it's just the two in there." I nod as En'Las speaks, doing my best to focus on what I need to do.

"We give them ten more minutes to get settled in, then we move." En'Las nods her head and seems to disappear in the same movement. Shaking my head, I slip back through the thin brush to the truck. We pushed the truck three miles to the border. It actually ended up being closer to five following the road. It's nestled in-between a pair of giant fir trees.

"You still mad at me?" Thea ignores my question. Instead, she focuses on brushing out Sarge's fur. I let out a long sigh as I kneel down beside her. "You know this isn't going to work, right? You have to talk to me, not just ice me out when you're mad." Thea shifts around to put Sarge in-between her and me. I'm about to stand when she starts to speak.

"I'm more hurt than mad " When I turn my head back to her, she continues. "My whole life was always someone else doing what they thought was best. My father always did what was best for the grove. My mother and her grove mates, they did the same. It was never about what I wanted, or what I needed. If they decided something, that was it. No input from me. Just, 'Thea we know what's best, do as we say.'" She pauses and turns to look at me for the first time since she started speaking.

"When you came up with your plan to leave me behind, it reminded me of them. Of what they did. You didn't even ask anyone else, you already decided what you were going to do. I won't live like that, Jim. It's your grove, and you are the core of it. I just want to be heard, not just shoved to the side and expected to fall in line." I shoo Sarge out of the way and pull Thea into my arms.

"That wasn't what I meant to do." I can feel her relaxing in my arms as I start to speak. "It was just the first idea I had. If you had said something, I would have listened." I feel her nod against my chest.

"I know, I just was worried that you wouldn't." Tarril walks up to us while Thea is talking, keeping his distance so as not to disturb us. "Please be careful, Jim." I kiss the top of her head gently as I stand up.

"Like a virgin on her wedding night." When Thea gives me a confused look, I start to chuckle. "I'll explain it to you later. Just be ready to go on my signal." As I turn back to Tarril, I nod at him. "You all ready?"

"Yes." Tarril turns and disappears into the trees, leaving me standing with Thea and Sarge. I help Thea to her feet and open the drivers door for her.

"I need to get moving." Thea nods her head to me as she slides in the driver's seat. "Hey." When she turns to look at me, I lean in for a kiss. "I'll be back soon, or actually you will be coming to me." When I grin at her, she breaks down and smiles at me.

"I'll be there." I smile as Thea nods to me seriously.

"I know you will." As I shut the door of the truck, I turn towards Sarge who is sitting and watching me. "Watch her for me, ok?" Sarge nods his head one time as I turn and start to walk back through the trees.

"You know I will, boss." I feel better leaving Thea alone with Sarge. I'll feel better when Jacob and Vaunea are heading back to the truck. Thea still doesn't like the plan, but there are only three of us that can drive the truck. Since Shiva is coming with me, that leaves Thea to drive. When I reach the edge of the treeline, I nod to Jacob and Vaunea.

"Any change?" Both of them shake their heads. "I got it from here. You all can head back to the truck." Jacob nods his head and starts to turn before stopping and looking at me.

"Be careful, ok." I nod my head to him as Vaunea walks back to the truck. "Keep an eye on Shiva too." I grin at Jacob as I hear Shiva walking up behind me.

"Don't you think you should tell her to watch me?" Jacob shakes his head.

"I already know she is going to do that." Jacob nods to Shiva as he walks off, and I take a moment to examine the ground ahead of us. My original plan was to use the cover of night to sneak into the border crossing. Of course, I forgot that anyone with a basic grasp of mana control essentially has night vision. So now I'm relying on Shiva to get me in.

"You sure you don't want to just leave this to me, or even Jacob?" I shake my head at Shiva's question. It's not in me to sit back and wait while my friends take a risk. I need to do this, or at least to be a part of it.

"I need to be a part of this. If something happened and I wasn't there, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself." Shiva shifts beside me, letting out a quiet rattle. Part of the new plan is making sure it's known that I was actually here. I want the king to know I slipped through his fingers. I'm wanting it to make him angry because the angrier your opponent is, the dumber he gets. So Alexis made a copy of the armor I arrived here in. Shiva is wearing it right now, even though she was complaining about the weight.

"Well then let's get moving, follow me." I chuckle at Shiva's words, remembering the use of them in my old world. Shiva ignores me and starts to guide me across the open ground.

We chose a section as close to the cliffs as we could. When Shiva tells me to freeze, I freeze. When she says hide, we hide. In my mind, we are moving way too fast if we are trying to keep quiet. I trust Shiva's judgment though, so I keep pace with her.

"There's the building." For the first time since we started, I take notice of the surroundings. I was staying close to Shiva and focusing on moving the exact way she did.

We are roughly right behind the two buildings on our side of the road. The store is a two story building made of heavy looking logs. While the house beside it separated by a narrow alley is a squat shanty looking building. My view of the barracks and stable is blocked by the store. The barricade is a nasty looking affair. It looks like they sunk telephone poles for the post with long sharpened stakes pointing outward.

Yeah, no way my truck could crash through that. If we tried to ram through it, we would end up beat to shit and probably impaled. I guess I should consider myself lucky that my plan doesn't hinge on that.

"Someone's coming!" Shiva's voice is a hiss that pulls my attention to the three men walking slowly our way.

Fuck fuck fuck! What now, were we seen? I level my rifle at the three men, feeling a pit settle in my stomach. If we were spotted, the whole plan is blown. I'm not sure how we are going to get through. The voice of one of the men reaches me as I'm starting to take up the slack on the trigger. This makes me pause.

"Sargent Vixar, what are we doing out here?" The voice is familiar, but I can't quite place it. The three get closer as I strain my ears to listen to what they are saying. The burly man in the lead lets out a sigh as he turns to look at the smaller man.

"Liam, you know the Knight's Brethren is the kingdom's guard; not the kings, correct?" Liam nods his head slowly as the Sargent continues. "We have been infiltrated by men who are loyal to the king, not the kingdom. Commander Tivar assures me your loyalty is to the kingdom. We are saving your life."

Liam, the name rings a bell, and I realize with a shock it's the knight from the ambush on the road. The one I let live that swore he wouldn't follow me. The only reason I haven't started shooting already is curiosity. What the fuck is going on right now?

"What do you mean, sir?" I'm glad he asked because I'm wondering the same thing.

"We received word from one of our spies. The hero is going to hit the border tonight. So we aren't going to be there. Instead, we are going to be off…." Vixar pauses and looks at the third man. "Educating you on loyalty. Or at least that's what we are going to tell everyone afterwards." When I see a break in the conversation, I decide to take a chance. Shiva tries to stop me as I straighten up and walk out towards the three. The men all freeze as I approach, but remain silent.

"Nice night for a walk ain't it?" I can clearly see the shock on Liam's face as he recognizes me. I keep my rifle lowered, but I'm ready to snap it to my shoulder in an instant.

"Who might you be?" Vixar is staying calm, but I can see he is nervous. Sweat is starting to form on his brow and trail down his face.

"Sir, he's the hero." Vixar freezes, his eyes staring into mine.

"Don't suppose you would forget you saw us and let us pass?" I raise an eyebrow as I pretend to think about it.

"Why would three knights be willing to let a hero pass against the king's orders?" Vixar glances at the third man before he looks back at me.

"Because we are loyal to the kingdom, not the king. So we can't just stand by and let the king continue like he has. The best chance we have of foiling his plans is you escaping." I nod my head towards the buildings behind them.

"What about the men you left back there?" Vixar winces before shrugging his shoulders.

"They are the king's men. Commander Tivar made sure that aside from Liam here, all the others were loyal to the king and not the Brethren." I stare into Vixar's eyes as he's speaking. I don't think he is lying.

"As much as I'd like to believe you, why should I risk letting you walk away? My lie detector isn't with me, so you could just be buying time." Vixar looks to the third man again. When he nods, Vixar turns back to me.

"If you can't believe us, then cut us down now. As long as it's for the good of the kingdom, then we are ready to die. Our oaths demand no less from us." I stare at the three men for a long moment, Liam starts to shift uncomfortably.

"How about you three step over this way instead? A lot of people are going to die tonight, and I don't want to add three more if I don't have too." I motion towards the rocks behind me with the barrel of my rifle. The three men move quickly past me, each of them eyeing me as they pass.

Alexis, I need some rope. While I'm walking behind the three, I let my rifle drop on its sling. My hands curl around the rope that materializes in them. When we reach the rocks, I hand Shiva one of the coils of rope and motion for the three to sit. It takes less than five minutes for us to secure all three of the men. I was expecting them to try and get away, or to yell out. However, they surprised me, sitting calmly and quietly as they are bound.

"Not sure I get your willingness to die. Especially, when you don't know if it would do any good or not." Shiva gagged Liam and the third man. Vixar is trying to watch her as she steps around behind him.

"Dolus's best shot is you not fighting for the king. If you are fighting for him, the rest of the world will rise up against us. We may win, we might lose. Either way, thousands will die. It's not that I'm overly willing to die. It's that I want to do what's best for my people." I nod my head at the end of his little speech. He still seems over eager to me, but I do understand putting your people first.

"For what it's worth, I hope your king falls quickly. That way at least your country can start to heal sooner rather than later." Vixar nods his head to me, shifting his head to keep Shiva from putting a gag on him.

"If you ever meet commander Tiver, you can trust him. He's the reason the army marching north was delayed. He's also the reason they were looking for you east of the capitol for so long." When he finishes speaking, he opens his mouth to accept the gag. Shiva ties it off then straightens, cracking her neck as she walks over to me.

"You ready for this, Jim?" I shake my head as she pulls off the copy of my old armor.

"Not in the least, but let's get going before I lose my nerve." Shiva hands me the armor she just took off, and I toss it over my left shoulder. We nod to each other before moving to the two buildings quietly. Shiva heads to the store as I make my way to the house beside it.

As I reach the house, I can hear muffled crying from inside. When I glance over, Shiva is slipping in the back door of the store. I leave my rifle hanging on its sling as I ease the back door of the house open. En'Las told me it's not just a one room structure, and I'm glad to see she is right. The main room has an empty cot against one wall, and is filled with random bits of trash.

The sound of crying and a bed frame creaking is coming from the room off to the right. I pull the plate carrier off my shoulder and lay it gently on the floor by the doorway. The handle of my bowie knife feels warm as I pull it from its sheath. The room is separated from the main living area by a simple blanket instead of a door. My boots are nearly silent as I creep through the doorway, easing the curtain aside with the tip of the bowie knife.

On the bed, a naked fat man is rocking back and forth violently. Sweat is dripping off him as he does. The bed frame creaks each time he shifts his bulk. For a second, I think he is alone. Even though I can hear crying inside the room. Then, I see the woman under him struggling against his bulk. Her hands are tied to the bed frame, and the ropes are cutting off her circulation. Her eyes meet mine, and I raise my free hand to my lips in a shushing motion. She nods her head once before she turns her head away and stares back at the wall.

"Fuck, at least act like you want it. Or do I have to bring your mother in here to show you how it's done." I'm almost to the bed when the man starts to speak. His words make me freeze in place. When I realize he is talking to the woman under him, I feel myself getting even more angry.

I know that this needs to be handled quickly and quietly. When I'm as close to the bed as I can get, I take one last silent breath. Before he realizes I'm there, I cover his mouth with my left hand. My right comes around, tracing the edge of my blade around his throat. With a savage pull, I drag the blade back across his throat.

His body spasms as my hand becomes drenched in warm sticky blood. Underneath him I hear the woman whimper, but she remains quiet. Not wasting any time, I let the bowie knife drop from my hand as I shift the dead man off the bed. As his body hits the floor, I collect my bowie and turn my attention to the woman on the bed.

"Just keep quiet and I'll get you out of here." She nods her head at my whisper, biting her lower lip to keep her mouth shut. The ropes holding her to the bed are sliced cleanly by my knife. As soon as her hands are free, she slides off the opposite side of the bed, rubbing her wrists. While she is staying quiet and taking a second, I clean my knife and start to look for her clothes. When I find a simple one piece dress, I offer it to her slowly.

"Thank you." She takes the dress from me, but just covers her body with it, not putting it on. "Do you have any water? I'd like to clean this blood off me if I can." I nod my head as I hand her one of the bottles tucked into the bag at my waist.

"We don't have a lot of time, so please hurry. I'll step out of here to give you some privacy." I think I hear a muffled thank you, but I'm out of the room and can't be sure. When I reach the main room, I kill the lights and plunge it into darkness. As my eyes adjust to the gloom, I make my way to the window at the front of the house. Outside, I can see four men standing guard at the barricade.

Well, so far so good. I hate that saying, but it's accurate right now.

"What do I do now?" When I hear the woman's voice, I turn my head. She is standing in the doorway to the bedroom in the simple green dress. The light from the bedroom is spilling out into the main room, casting her shadow over the floor. I quietly make my way over to her, picking up the plate carrier off the floor. She doesn't say anything as I pull it over her head and secure the velcro.

"Here is the story you need to remember. The hero saved you. I said I was giving you this armor because it was going to get dangerous. Then I told you to hide. After that, I disappeared while you and your family hid. Can you remember that?" She nods her head as I gently guide her to the back door. When I open the back door, there is a small group of people outside. My hand is reaching for my rifle when the woman behind me charges through the door.

"Mom!" Her voice is just above a whisper as she slams into the older woman. I force myself to relax as Shiva steps into the room with me.

"I thought you were telling them to hide in the store?" Shiva shrugs as she starts to guide me out the backdoor.

"I was, but they said they had a root cellar behind the store. I thought that might be a better place for them. Since we were coming outside anyway, they wanted to wait on Mare." The group is already moving as Shiva and I step outside. By the time we reach the far edge of the store, they already closed the door on the root cellar.

I'm staring at the cellar as I walk past, wondering how the hell I missed it. It's not much to look at, just a small mound of dirt with a wooden door. If I was guessing, I would say it's pretty deep. All ten of the people from inside the store have apparently gone inside, and managed to shut the door.

"Easy part is over now." Shiva's voice pulls me back to the present, and I shake my head to get myself to focus.

"You know what they say, only easy day was yesterday." Shiva chuckles quietly as I start to ease my head around the side of the store.

Battle tempo! Four guards on the barricade, three at the wagons. None of them appear to have long range weapons. Two of them are dressed in the blue robes of mages. At least that's what was explained to me by Tarril. I really should get a breakdown of what each colored robe means. That's a problem for another day, so I push it down. As I lift my rifle and take sight on the closest mage, I whisper to Shiva.

"Fifteen seconds." Shiva rests her hand on my shoulder as I speak, letting me know she is ready. The seconds tick down in my head as I follow the mage with my rifle. When I get to five, I take the slack up in the trigger. I take a deep breath and let out half of it. My finger takes up the last of the slack, and the trigger break feels crisp. My first shot hits six inches below the mage's collarbone. My second catches him in the hollow of his throat.

Before the other guards have a chance to react, I'm tracking my next target. The second mage goes down in one shot. My shot enters through the side of his skull. Shiva's hand comes off my shoulder as I shift to the third guard. I empty half of my magazine into him before I drop my rifle. My hands clasp together as I feel my mana channeling in the familiar way.

Barrier! When I use the name of the skill I'm casting, I can feel it's taking less mana to activate. When I mentioned to Alexis that I didn't need to say its name, she told me to try. That I might get a surprise when I did. The shimmering green field of light doesn't even feel like it is drawing on my mana.

Wonder if this is because I used its name, or am I just that much stronger? I can see people starting to scramble from the barracks and stable in ones and twos. A bead of sweat forms on my forehead as I start to wonder if my plan went wrong.

"Here."

"Here."

"Here." Tarril, En'Las, and Mynas's voices seem to overlap as they speak. I smile as I crouch down, slowly walking out into the street still crouched. The hand on my shoulder tells me that my group is still behind me, protected by my barrier.

"It's the fucking hero!" The yell makes me smile as more and more men try to push through the doors of the stable and barrack. They are pulling on their armor and tripping over each other.

"Five." Alexis's voice is shakey, but still calm at the same time.

"Cover!" At the sound of my yell, the hand lifts from my shoulder. I drop from my crouch onto one knee, bracing myself. I bring both my hands up to cover my ears, opening my mouth as I do.

One of the men coming out of the barracks starts to yell something. Before he can finish, the whole world seems to explode. The flash of light nearly blinds me as I slam my eyes shut. The shockwave slams into my barrier, causing me to wince at the drain on my mana. The barrier costs less to use it, but it was still a huge drain. My ears are still ringing when I force my eyes open.

The barracks are completely gone, just a hole in the ground remains. Most of the stables are gone as well. What's left looks like it's about to fall in on itself at any moment. Clumps of dirt, broken bits of wood, and some chunks of bloody bodies rain down among us. The few that come close seem to slide down the wall of my barrier. The bits of flesh leave trails of blood suspended in the air as they fall.

"Get to the barricade!" I turn my head as I yell to check on my group. Shiva is forcing herself to her feet, a dazed look in her eyes. I had been worrying about that with how sensitive her hearing is. The blast seems to have stunned her. I cut the mana to my barrier, pulling Tarril to his feet.

"Set the second charge!" When he looks at me confused, I take note of the blood leaking from his ears.

Fuck, he can't hear me! He opens his mouth, but I can't hear whatever he is saying. I grab the pack strapped to his chest, pulling it up in front of his face.

"The barricade! We have to blow the barricade!" I can tell that he still can't hear me, but he nods when I shove him towards the road. En'Las and Mynas follow close behind him, both whipping their heads around wildly. They may not be able to hear, but they don't look like they are going to be caught unaware.

Shiva grabs my hand and starts to pull me towards the wagons that block the road. The closest is on fire as we reach it, so we start with it. We lean our shoulders into the wagon and dig in to push it off the road. Even with me strengthening my muscles with mana, we can barely shift it. The flames are almost burning me by the time it's out of the way.

"We need to move the second one!" Shiva looks confused until I point to the second cart. She nods her head as we both run towards it. As we start to move, I glance down the road. The headlights of my truck are just lighting up inside the trees. While we are pushing the wagon, Tarril runs up and takes a position next to me. I glance back towards the barricade, not seeing anyone near it.

"Fuck, shit, ass, cocksucker!" As soon as the wagon is far enough off the road, I grab Shiva and Tarril by the collar and toss them behind the wagon. En'Las and Mynas are already there as I spin around to face the barricade.

"Barrier!" My hands are barely un-clasped and the barrier spreads out when the barricade explodes. I feel my mana take a smaller hit as the shockwave hits my barrier. Pieces of wood and dirt slams into the barrier then the ground. As soon as the worst of it's gone, I drop the barrier.

The center of the barricade is gone, just jagged stumps from the post remain. I'll have to remember to thank Alexis again when I can hear. Thanks to her explosives and the night elves stealth, the plan went off without a hitch. Tarril and his grove lined explosives all along the barracks and stable, arming them when my rifle shot the first time.

Well, without a hitch minus losing my hearing again. I should have thought about the noise when I came up with this. I can't exactly blame anyone else for that.

Shiva spins me around, pointing towards the truck stopped beside us. I nod my head as I realize everyone else is already loaded up. I'm about to swing up into the bed when Sarge yells in my head.

"Boss! Behind you!" I'm moving before I register his words, spinning and raising my rifle. There behind the far edge of what used to be the store is a man with his hands pointed at us. His lips are moving, and I can see a bright light forming around them. I fire three shots into his chest, making his body jerk with each hit.

It doesn't do any good because whatever he started, he finished. The world seems to tilt as I'm thrown into the air. I'm scrambling to my feet as my head whips around rapidly. The truck is laying on the drivers side, a giant spear of ice jutting up from where it had been sitting.

"FUCK!" I pull my sword from its sheath as I race back towards the truck. When I reach the ice, I start to hack at it, channeling my mana into my blade. Shiva, and Tarril join me, hacking away at the ice. Jacob comes rushing around the truck, screaming something I can't hear.

"Sarge, what is he saying!?" Jacob looks confused and turns around to look behind him.

"He says Thea is still in the truck. She's ok, but the truck is leaking something. I think it's gas and oil, boss. The motor quit when the ice hit." I nod my head as we finish clearing the last of the ice, or at least enough so we can right the truck.

"I can't hear shit right now, Jacob! We have to get the truck back on its wheels! They seem like they still have air in them. After that, we can push it over the border if we have to!" Jacob nods his head as he runs around the side of the truck. By the time I sheath my sword and get around the truck, Jacob and Vaunea are already pushing on the truck.

Tarril, Shiva, and I are beside them and start to push. When the truck is right-side up, it bounces for a second before settling. When I reach the driver's door, I yank on it as hard as I can to get it open. The whole door rips free, and I wince as I toss it away.

"Thea! Are you ok!?" She looks confused as I try to check her over. When she grabs my head, I feel a warmth spreading over my skin.

"Jim, I'm ok. Just calm down!" The shock of hearing Thea's voice causes me to stop.

"Thea?" She smiles at me, pulling me in for a kiss.

"I'm fine, I promise." I can see she is shook up, but she is smiling which I take as a good sign. When she jumps out of the truck, I drop to the ground and slide under the truck.

"What are you doing?" I ignore her as I pull myself farther under.

"Fuck a duck! Shit!" I grab the edge of the truck to slide out from under it as quick as I can. "The truck's fucked! Big ass hole in the oil pan, and looks like the fucking block is cracked!" Thea looks at me worriedly.

"So what do we do." I whip my head around to see everyone staring at me. Shaking my head, I start pointing and yelling orders.

"Everyone except Vaunea in the bed, now!" When they start to climb in, I grab Thea's arm. "Shiva and the night elves are deaf as I was. Help them while I handle this." She nods at me so I turn to face Vaunea.

"Trucks dead, so we need to push it for now. As soon as we get rolling down hill, jump in. I'm not stopping till I have to, so make sure you get in." She nods her head and leans against the rear of the truck. When I reach into the truck, I pull the truck out of gear. I grab the edge of the cab as I start to push, cutting the wheel towards the hole in the barricade. I hear Sarge's bark behind me right before he jumps in the missing door.

"Boss, the truck looks fucked?" I start to laugh despite what is going on.

"Yeah, it's fucked. I'm just hoping Alexis can fix it. If she can't, then it's just fucked for good!" The plow on the front of the truck slams into something, kicking it out the side. I can feel that we are starting to head down hill, so I yell at Vaunea.

"Get in the bed, I've got it from here!" I feel the truck lurch as Vaunea climbs into the bed. I give it another couple of seconds of pushing before I jump into the cab.

"Fucking always my Goddamed truck!" My fist slams into the dash as the truck rolls down the road. When I pull the lever for the lights, nothing happens. I have to fight the wheel to turn as I steer through the curves. It feels like I've got at least one broken strut, and I don't know how many ball joints.

"Just don't blow a fucking tire." I know I'm talking to myself, but I can't stop. "Fucking truck's fucked, always my fucking truck. Never Mark's truck, has to be mine!" The truck nearly slides off the road in the next curve, and I feel the rear wheels sliding wildly. The road seems to be straightening up ahead, the steep incline evening out.

"How far can we make it?" Shiva's voice is barely registering to me over the sound of the wind. I keep my eyes on the road ahead as I yell back to her.

"I don't know, maybe five miles after it flattens out. The more downhill the better, but the truck isn't going anywhere once it stops." When I glance down, the speedometer tells me we are going almost forty. "Maybe ten, I don't know. I'm going to take it as far as I can."

"Jim, I can fix it, but it's going to take a while. This is not going to be simple like your sunglasses." I exhale slowly as Alexis speaks. The fact that she can fix it is good, but I know it's going to take a long time. I didn't need her to warn me of that.

When I look in the rearview mirror, I see Thea and Shiva watching me. I can't help but smile at the two of them. My hand reaches over to ruffle Sarge's hair as I look back to the road. A weight seems to be lifting off my chest the further we roll into Rathenk. My truck may be busted all to shit, but we are out of Dolus. That's no small feat in my mind.