My hands started to shake shortly after laying down in the bed. Of course, Shiva started to freak out almost immediately, trying to hold me still as my body quaked. Thea tried to calm her down but it was no use. Shiva continued to try and hold me still.

Evain explained what was going to happen before I left the ethereal plane. The surge in mana and skills would cause my body to be out of sync with my soul temporarily. She called it mana sickness. What she didn't explain was how it would feel like my insides are trying to crawl out by clawing through my skin.

"Fu.. fu.. fu.. fuck!" Shiva pins my left arm to my side as it tries to jerk away from me.

"It's ok. I got you, Jim." She looks so concerned that I can't help but smile at her.

"I'm fine, Shiva. I promise." Thea shakes her head as she goes back to channeling her mana through my limbs. The sensation of her mana flowing in my body is almost as weird as the mana sickness I'm suffering. The biggest difference is that when her mana moves on, the feeling fades. Mana sickness just continues feeling oogey.

Great, now I'm thinking in terms like oogey. I'm losing my damn mind. Sarge gave up on staying in bed when I started to shake. He disappeared through the tent flap and took a position up beside Vaunea.

"Jim, you need to relax. I'm helping you as best as I can, but it's going to take a while." I try to shake my head, but my whole body is shaking too hard.

"Just give me a fu.. fucking second and I'll be fine." Thea raises an eyebrow, silently doubting my words as she continues to channel her mana. The fine motor skill for my mana that I formed on the ethereal plane is all out of whack. Every time I try and grasp it, the threads of mana slip away. However, I get closer each time.

You're thinking too hard on this, Jim. Just calm down and let it happen naturally. You need to distract yourself so you can do this. I try to force my body to relax, but it's not doing any good. I can't seem to distract myself enough to quit thinking about my inability to control my mana properly.

"What the fuck is going on with Mynas?" My best bet is trying to distract myself with conversation. The memory of Mynas serving me food has been sticking in my head for a while now. When I bring it up, Thea and Shiva both share a look, but neither says anything.

"Ok seriously, what the fuck is going on? You went from ready to kill her to almost acting like you are ok with her in one day. So tell me, what is going on?" My body shivers uncontrollably for a long minute while Thea and Shiva continue to stare at each other.

"Ok, I'll tell you, but remember this was your idea." I turn my head to look at Thea who seems to be preparing herself.

"What do you mean it was my idea?" Shiva pulls herself in tighter against me to keep me from shaking as Thea starts to speak.

"The biggest issue that we had with Mynas was her approach to trying to join our grove. We both knew she wanted you. We just didn't expect her to act the way she did. I was explaining the finer points of grove to grove relations with Shiva when Mynas pulled her stunt." When Thea pauses for a second, Shiva chimes in from where her face is pressed against my chest.

"I wouldn't have wanted to hurt her as much if she had done things the right way." Shiva leans her head up to look into my eyes. "I'm never going to be ok with just adding people into our grove. I need you to know that. I'm also not stupid because as powerful as you are, we will not be a small grove long. People are going to want you for what you can provide them, or they will want you dead." Her fingers trace over my chest as she lays her head back on my shoulder. The shaking has slowed down a little bit, and I can feel that my control is getting better.

"I figured Mynas was going to try and set herself up to join our grove. It's a smart play for her, and it gives us a connection to the elven nation and the night elves. Which would allow us to not have to worry about assassins in the night most of the time." I tilt my head as I turn to look from Shiva to Thea.

"Was that an actual possibility?" Thea shrugs her shoulders as she rubs her hands over my legs.

"I didn't think so at first, then you became super charged in the dungeon. So yes, it was a possibility." When I continue to stare at her, she continues the explanation. "Having you bound to the elven nation and not the night elves would eventually cause problems. It would be like having an army sitting on the border all the time. You are too powerful not to be seen as dangerous or a potential weapon." Shiva is nodding her head as Thea explains.

"That's why if Mynas was to join us, it would make it easier. You would have a connection to both factions, so you couldn't be used against one or the other." I can feel Shiva's irritation as she speaks. Her fingers are starting to scratch instead of trace. "Then the stupid bitch has to try and just push her way in instead of following the rules."

"Fuck, Shiva! Nails, nails!" Shiva pulls her hands away from my chest like she just burned her fingers. When I look down, I can see blood seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt.

"Seriously Shiva, I told you that you needed to stay calm." Thea pushes Shiva aside as a dim glow starts covering my chest. "She is right. Mynas tried to take a shortcut and now she's paying for it." The glow fades as Thea pulls the collar of my shirt back to check my skin.

"So what is Mynas doing now? Since you said she did it to herself." Thea sighs as she lets go of my shirt.

"She is basically under our grove's protection as a potential mate. If things flow smoothly, she will be added in. If not, she will be returned to her mother." Shiva lets out a low growl as Thea explains, making me turn to look at her.

"Won't that put a strain on Tarril and En'Las?" Thea shakes her head as she nudges Shiva, who has started smiling.

"No, thanks to your gift of a shitload of mana, they have become quite popular. There was a pair of groveless night elves in camp. They have become quite close the last few hours. I wouldn't be surprised if their grove already has four members instead of two now." I shake my head as I try and wrap my mind around what I just heard.

"That seems kind of quick to me. Is that a typical speed for a grove to add in more mates?" Shiva tries unsuccessfully to cover a laugh as Thea gives her a dirty look.

"In a larger grove, probably not. However, their grove was decimated so it wouldn't be unheard of." Thea starts to shift off of me as she gives Shiva another dirty look, pointing to where she started straddling my hips. Shiva smirks back at Thea, grinding her center into my crotch.

While she is doing that, I feel my mana finally responding the way it should. It takes a few seconds for my mana to channel its way completely through my body. I gently push Shiva off of me as my skin feels like it's crawling, I stand and stretch my arms above my head.

"Fuuuuck!" There is a loud pop from my lower back as I feel everything settle into place. My hands flex as I feel the muscles in my body stretch. Thea and Shiva are watching me as my body gives one last shudder.

"Jim?" Shiva's eyes are staring at me as her tail swishes back and forth.

"Down, Shiva." Thea pushes her over on the bed as she looks up at me. "Seriously, what the fuck was that?" I start to smile as I pivot at the waist, feeling my muscles start to relax.

"My body finally caught up to the increased mana output. It would have happened sooner, but I couldn't focus on it properly." Shiva pushes herself back upright on the bed, her eyes following my movements.

"So is that why you're all?" She makes a motion in the air like she is reaching for me. For a second I'm confused, then I look down at my body.

"Well, that was unexpected." Before I was summoned, I was in pretty decent shape. The last couple weeks have cut what little bit of excess weight I had. There must be something about almost dying every other day that encourages muscle growth and weight loss. When I look down now, it's like I've spent the last year in a gym, not the ethereal plane.

Maybe something about the ethereal plane transfers over. Or maybe it's just the mana reinforcing my body.

"So you didn't just manipulate your body to make yourself look hotter for us?" Thea is raising her eyebrow as I raise my head to look at both women on the bed. I can't help but smile as I start to pull up the hem of my shirt.

"That wasn't the main plan, but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth." I pause in lifting my shirt as Thea and Shiva's eyes are glued to me.

"Before we start anything, any idea when the King is supposed to be back? The last thing I want is him walking in when we are all naked." Thea shakes her head for a second before tilting her head to look into my eyes.

"It's about half an hour till dark. The King said he wouldn't be back till tomorrow morning. The tent just blocks out a lot of light." I tilt my head as I look over the heavy cloth walls of the tent.

"It feels like it should be later than that. Did I sleep through a day or something?" Thea shakes her head as she slides off the bed to start lifting my shirt again.

"That's because you spent time unconscious. Your body will readjust soon. Now, how about we see what other changes you have gone through?" Her eyes are shining with an almost evil glint, and I can see her chest rising faster. I may be dense as hell on some things, but even I can tell what she is thinking. When I glance over at Shiva on the bed, I can see she is thinking the same thing.

"One sec, before we start that." Thea looks confused as I walk over to my pile of gear. The Beretta feels at home in my hand when I pull it from its holster. I check the chamber to make sure a round is seated before pointing it at an empty corner of the tent.

"Nothing I have said so far was a secret, but I'm not about to let anyone watch what's coming next. I don't doubt you were ordered to stand watch, but you better leave now." Thea and Shiva look confused until a male night elf steps away from the wall with his hands raised.

"I don't want any trouble. I was ordered to observe you and your grovemates." I nod my head as he walks slowly to the flap of the tent.

"Like I said, I don't care about that. I'm sure you can understand why I'm kicking you out now. If you need to go report, fine, but you are leaving." He nods his head as he slips quietly out of the tent. When I holster my pistol and turn around, Thea and Shiva look shocked.

"How did you know he was there?" Shiva is kneeling on the edge of the bed as she stares at me. I shrug my shoulders as I close the distance between us.

"The skill that was telling me we were being followed in Dolus let me know someone else was here. When I focused on it, I figured out where he was." Shiva is almost bouncing on the bed with what I can only assume is excitement while Thea stares at me.

"You could sense a camouflaged night elf, and pinpoint where he was?" I smile at her as I gently push her back on the bed.

"Yes, now enough talking. I know it doesn't seem like long for you, but I was in the ethereal plane for a long time. I've been waiting to get my hands on you two again." Thea's shocked look turns back to excitement as I unfasten my jeans and slip them off. Before either of them can move, I'm pushing them back on the bed. Shiva looks up at me excitedly as I peel Thea's pants off before turning to her.

"Now the question is, who do I start with first?" Thea smiles up at me as she pulls her shirt over her head, releasing her breast which sway gently with her movements.

"Me, me, me!" Shiva is practically bouncing on the bed as she struggles to get her own shirt off.

"I think Shiva needs you the most right now. Why don't you start with her while I give her a hand." Thea has an evil look in her eye as she starts helping Shiva remove her shirt. I chuckle quietly as I kneel down beside the bed, pulling Shiva roughly to the edge.

"You asked for it, but I'm coming for you next." Thea laughs as I part Shiva's strong legs, kissing my way up from her knees.

"You had better 'cause I'm going to hold you to that." Then the world gets muffled as Shiva clamps her thighs around my head. My tongue starts to trace over her lips.

Sarge, don't let anyone in for a while. I pass along a quick message to Sarge as Shiva begins to let out a soft sound. As soaked as she is, I know it's not going to take long to push her over the edge.

"You got it, boss. I'd say have fun, but I think that's your plan already." I smile as I continue to tease Shiva, but it fades as I remember why I'm doing this. I would never pass up a chance to be with my beautiful grovemates, but this isn't about just sex right now.

Fuck! Increased mana pool, increased stamina. I should have realized it would apply to both of them too. I couldn't tell you how long we have been fucking. Hell, I couldn't even tell you how many positions we have gone through. As usual, Shiva was the first to fall out. Her increased stamina let her hold on a lot longer. It just wasn't enough to overcome my own, or Thea's.

"Fuck! Right there, Jim. Don't stop!" My fingers are biting into Thea's waist as I drive myself into her from behind. I can feel that she is starting to get tired, but she is showing no sign of it from where I am.

I shake my head as I force myself to focus, letting go of her hips to grab her hands. Her face is pressed into the bed as I pull her arms behind her back, forcing her to arch her hips at me. I can feel inside her that I'm hitting a new angle, one that's causing her to race to her own orgasm. I'm starting to worry that she is going to outlast me when her body stiffens under me.

"Fuuuuccccckkkkkkk!" Her inner walls clamp down almost painfully tight on me as I keep slamming into her. I keep thrusting, pushing down my own rising orgasm. Her scream devolves into a wordless yell as I feel her cum again, and again. When I can't take anymore, I drive myself inside her completely, letting out my own hell as I cum. Thea's body collapses on the bed as I struggle to stay on my feet.

Fuck! I think sexual stamina might have increased a level from that one. I can't help but smile as I make a mental note to check that later. Thea squirms on the bed, rolling over to look up at me.

"Come to bed Jim, it's cold." She is smiling up at me as she reaches her arms out towards me. I can tell she is barely awake, her eyes are almost closed as she looks upwards. I lean in and give her a gentle kiss as I push her arms away.

"I will in a second, just need to hit the head and maybe grab a bite to eat." Thea pouts up at me as I straighten myself back up. "Don't give me that look, I'll be right back. Until then, just cuddle up with Shiva. I'm sure she's cold too." Thea keeps pouting, but starts to squirm up to where Shiva is passed out. She wraps her arms around the sleeping cat girl as Shiva nuzzles into her chest.

"Don't be too long, or I might not let you back in." I smile as Thea starts to nod off, unable to keep her eyes open any longer. When I step away from the bed, I clamp down on my emotions. The last thing I need is Thea feeling my unease and waking up.

Alexis, we need to talk. While I wait on her response, I place both my palms on my chest. Cleanse! In an instant the sweat and bodily fluids are removed from my skin as if I just stepped out of the shower.

"What do you need to talk about, Jim? Wait, where did you learn that?" I can't help but grin as I start to pull my clothes on, sparing a quick glance back to the bed to make sure my grovemates are asleep.

I picked it up in the ethereal plane, but that's not important. How close are you to finishing my truck? There is a pause as I pull my socks and boots on.

"I'm done now, but why do you need your truck?" I shake my head as I slip my armor over my head.

I'm going after the King tonight, and I'm not taking Thea or Shiva. I can feel Alexis's shock through the bridge between us. Before she can say anything, I continue speaking. Evain showed me what would most likely happen if I marched with King Ekon. It's a long, bloody battle with thousands of innocent people dying. I can't stand aside and let that play out, not if I can do something.

"Jim, there has to be another way." I shake my head as I finish fastening my blades and pistol back to my armor.

There's not, not if I want to end this quick and clean. If I take Thea and Shiva, then odds are one of them will die. If I go alone, my odds are fifty-fifty of me surviving.

"Those aren't good odds, Jim!" I wince as her shriek echoes in my head.

I know, but I can't risk one of them dying. I don't think I would ever recover from that. I have to clamp down on my emotions again as a wave of terror washes over me. This way I at least know they are safe. Alexis is silent for a long minute as I take a last look around the tent.

I switched out the AR-15 magazines for the M1a's. The bigger round will most likely do me better in the coming fight. Plus, there is the fact that it's my baby, and by far my favorite. The rifle is hanging on my back as my sword slaps against my thigh.

I told you that you might have to build your dungeon sooner than we thought. This is what I was talking about. If you want, you can establish it here. I'm pretty sure King Ekon would protect you. There would probably be a town built around you pretty quickly too. Or I can hand you off to Thea or Shiva and they could take you somewhere else. If I bridge you in with them, they could power you for a long time. So the question is, what do you want to do? Alexis is silent for a long time while I go over my last minute prep.

"What if I went with you?" I take a second to try to figure out what she means.

Ok, I'll bite. What does that mean? I can hear Alexis and Vixi arguing for a second before she answers.

"Jim, when we learned how many people were following you, Vixi and I made a plan. If it looked like you were about to be captured, I was going to drain your mana, all of it. Then when you were weakened, I was going to kill you. With that boost to my power, I was going to build the deadliest dungeon I possibly could. It would have been death for anyone weaker than you to even walk inside." I'm surprised by her answer, but I have to admit it was a decent plan.

Not sure how I feel about you plotting to kill me, but I understand. So what does that have to do with you going with me?

"If I go with you, I can use the mana I've siphoned off of you to build a dungeon in the capital of Dolus. It will let me help you fight by spawning monsters inside the palace, and keep anyone from escaping. If you die, then I'll stay there. I'll continue killing anyone who enters. If you live, I can absorb everything and start over somewhere else." I take a second to think about what she said. It sounds like a decent plan at first glance.

What about innocent people in the palace? I know there is no way I can go through with her plan if she is planning on killing them too. The whole point of going alone is to save as many innocent people as I can.

"Anyone not in the guard or the military I'd let leave. I would just be going after the King's men, and providing you with a distraction." I look back over to my sleeping grovemates while I think.

If you come along, you know it could easily end up being a one way trip. Are you sure you want to go with me? I hear Vixi screaming at Alexis, but Alexis quietes her somehow.

"I'm sure, so are you ready?" I take one last look at Thea and Shiva and know I can't leave just yet.

Almost, I need to say goodbye. Just in case it's a real goodbye. I start to dig through Shiva's bag when Alexis's voice echoes in my head.

"I thought the whole point of leaving like this was not to let them know?" I shake my head as I find a leather bound book and quill in the bag.

It is, I was thinking I would leave them a note. I pause as I lay the book on the table in front of me, not sure what to say. I never was any good at writing. My thoughts just never want to go onto the page.

"There is the whole, they can't read your language thing." I shake my head as I start to open the ink.

No, I figured out how to read and write with Evain. My Alltounges leveled up to include reading. So if I write it to them, they will be able to read it. I just stuck at writing. Alexis is quiet for a second before a plain black object materializes on the table beside me.

My phone? Where the hell did you get this?

"It was tucked in between your seats. I guess you forgot about it." I shrug my shoulders as I pick it up.

Kinda, no point worrying about it in a different world. I was pretty sure it wouldn't be able to connect a call here.

"Maybe not, but this one is a little different. It's basically just a recording device now. So you can record a message to them and they just have to hit play. I even made a set of instructions in elvish for Thea. Now, you can record a message and don't have to worry about writing it out. I thought that it might be a little easier for you." The phone almost feels heavy in my hand when I stare down at it.

Thank you. I just need a few minutes then we can go. I end up staring at the phone longer than I mean to before I start recording. How do you say goodbye to the people that mean the most to you? Especially when you know you lied to them just a few hours before. Eventually, I finish my message and lay the phone down beside Alexis's instructions. Then it's time for me to get moving.

Conceal Presence! When I slip out of the tent, no one seems to notice me. Not even Sarge who is sleeping beside the flap. I want to wake him up to say goodbye, but I know he would try to follow me. Right now, I need him watching my grovemates. I need to know they are safe. Vaunea is standing on the opposite side of the opening, her head almost bobbing from her need to sleep.

She really takes her oath to protect me seriously. Hopefully, she will keep watch over my grove if I don't make it back.

"Don't think like that, Jim. Keep it in your head that you are making it back to them. Otherwise, you are just doodling yourself from the start." I nod my head at Alexis's words as I start to move. I've almost cleared the camp when I run into trouble. King Ekon is walking towards me, a pair of night elves flanking him on either side. When I move out of his way, he stops and stares at where I am.

"You may be able to spot a night elf when they are concealed, but you can't hide from them? How about you tell me where you are going, Jim." King Ekon crosses his arms as he waits on me to reveal myself.

Well fuck. I cancel my skill as I step forward to meet him.

"You can't stop me from going." The King stares into my eyes as I ready myself for a confrontation.

"I just want to know where you are going, and why you're leaving your grovemates in my tent." I wince at his words, but start to relax.

"Evain and I came up with a plan. I'm going to kill the King of Dolus, and as many of his higher ups as I can. I'm leaving my grovemates behind because it's the only way to keep them safe." He stares into my eyes for a long moment before motioning to the elf on his right. Without a word, the elf reaches into a bag on his hip and hands a rolled up piece of parchment to the King.

"This might come in handy. It's a map of Dolus." I take the map with a nod of my head, stowing it inside my armor.

"Not going to try and talk me out of it then?" The King shakes his head slowly.

"No, in all honesty, Evain warned me this might happen. I have another bit of information that you might find helpful." When I tilt my head to the side, he continues. "Inside the palace, there is a magic artifact. It is what lets the slave collars function. It's a state secret that it exists, but every country has one. It gives the nobility a way to ensure slaves won't be used to overthrow them."

"Any idea where it might be?" The King shakes his head slowly.

"No, but before I destroyed the one in my castle, I kept it close to me at all times. I doubt that coward Marcel is any different."

"What's this thing look like?" The news that I could free every slave at once is an opportunity I don't think I can pass up.

"I don't know. Every kingdom's artifact is different, it depends on who constructed it and out of what materials. Whatever it looks like, it will be drawing in huge amounts of mana. Look for that if you can. If not, then ask Marcel before you kill him." I nod my head as I start to step around King Ekon.

"Not wanting to be rude, but I have a long way to go tonight." As I'm walking away, King Ekon calls after me.

"Good luck hero, try not to die." I don't bother responding, or concealing myself again. Instead, I just focus on covering as much ground as I can as fast as I can. My run covers the distance of the camp in no time. Soon, I'm entering the canyon Vaunea and I traversed earlier. I know there is a chance that Dolus's army can be at the border on this road. I just can't afford to waste time looking for another road into Dolus. I'm out of the camp and halfway through the canyon before I stop running. I take a long look up at the sky as I continue walking.

"So when do you want me to give you your truck back?" I nearly jump at the sound of Alexis's voice.

"Otherside of the canyon. I'm pretty sure that the path is a little too narrow in a few places. If we are on the other side, there is less chance of anyone hearing it start." If I'm remembering right, it's only a few more turns in the canyon until we are through it.

"Jim, you realize that you're being followed, right?" It takes all my self control not to turn and look behind me. I realized someone was following me, but I didn't realize Alexis could sense them too.

Yeah, I realized as soon as we hit the edge of the camp. I'll deal with them after you make my truck. When I reach the mouth of the canyon, I pause to make sure the other side is clear. There doesn't seem to be anyone, but I reach out with my other senses to be sure.

Hmm, looks like King Ekon placed a sentry on this side. On the top of the wall of the canyon, someone is concealing their presence. If my skills hadn't leveled up as much as they have, I would have never realized they were there. I'm assuming they are from Rathenk because they are focused on the direction of the border and ignoring me.

"Should I wait to make your truck then?" I shake my head as I step out of the canyon.

No, I don't give a fuck if a sentry sees us. Besides, this is the best spot to do it, unless I wanted to run for awhile. I feel Alexis pull on my mana as my truck starts to materialize in front of me. Huh, it's not as big of a draw as I was expecting.

Not counting the triangular plow in place of my front bumper, my truck looks like when I was summoned here. I run my hand over the hood as I walk around the truck. It looks like my truck, and feels like my truck, but I can't help to wonder if it still counts as my truck. Technically, Alexis absorbed mine and made this one. Is it the same as my old one? Hell, is my rifle really mine? I don't know, and I push the thought down because it's not helping.

About time they decided to come out. The person that was following me is finally stepping out of the canyon. I let them get in almost arms reach before I speak up.

"So, why are you following me?" I feel the concealment they were using drop as I turn around. Mynas is looking confused as she eyes me and my truck.

"You knew I was following you?" I lean back against the door of my truck and set the flat of my boot on the door.

"Yes I did, and you shouldn't answer a question with a question. So, I'll ask again, why are you following me?" Mynas's face stiffens before she seems to relax.

"I saw you leaving the camp, so I decided to follow you. I didn't realize you were just getting your truck back." She smiles at me as she starts to walk around the truck. "Come on, I'll ride back to camp with you. I've wanted to ride in the front of this thing ever since the first time I rode in it." I shake my head as Mynas stops and looks back at me.

"I'm not headed back to camp, Mynas." She tilts her head to the side as she turns to face me again.

"Then where are you going? Why are you leaving your grovemates behind?" I unsling my rifle and ease it through the open window of the truck. When it's settled in position next to the gearshift, I undo my belt and toss it and the sword inside as well.

"I'm headed back to Dolus. I'm going to kill the King." When I turn back toward Mynas, I can see she is shocked, but she is staying silent. "I'm leaving Thea and Shiva here because I'm not going to risk their lives. Right now, I figure my odds are a little better than fifty-fifty of making it back alive."

"Then I'm going with you." Mynas starts to step towards me when I cut her off.

"No." She stops moving and I can see her body stiffen in anger.

"Yes I am! You are going to need someone to watch your back! I can follow you silently, and I can keep you safe! So I am going with you!" I know that arguing is just going to waste more time. I let out a sigh as I start to open the door to the truck. Mynas stalks forward angrily, as she starts to grab for my shoulder.

"Did you hear me? I said I'm coming with you!?" When her hand touches my shoulder, I step back as quickly as I can. My right boot comes down on Mynas's foot, pinning it to the ground. Before she can move, I drive my elbow into her stomach as hard as I can.

"Ugck!" Her body pitches forward, doubling over at the waist. I catch her body before she falls completely, wrapping my right arm around her neck. She struggles against me as my arm tightens, cutting off her air supply.

"Shhh, shhhh, don't struggle. It will only take longer." I don't want to hurt her, but I can't let her follow me either. Mynas's legs are kicking out wildly, but they start to slow before stopping completely. When her body goes limp in my arms, I lay her gently on the ground. I take a second to check her pulse to make sure she is ok. When I know she is ok, I let out a sharp whistle as I turn toward the canyon.

"You, on the canyon wall, get down here." When there isn't any sign of them moving I yell again. "If you make me come up there, I won't be as gentle as I was with her!" I hear a quiet rustling before a dark shape slips over the wall of the canyon and lands on the ground.

I'm surprised to see the man is human. The way he was concealed I was expecting another night elf. He is dressed in well made leather armor, dyed a dark green and brown. It doesn't look that much different from the camouflage patterns from my world.

"How did you know I was there?" I shake my head as I tie Mynas's hands behind her.

"Don't worry about that right now." Mynas is still out when I roll her over and lift her into my arms. Fuck, she doesn't weigh hardly anything. "You are going to take her back to the King's camp. I have places to be."

"I'm supposed to be standing watch. If I leave, it will be abandoning my post." I stare at the man for a long second which causes him to squirm.

"Tell your superiors that the hero ordered you to carry her back. That I said if you didn't, I was going to break your fucking legs." He starts to shake his head again when I speak. "I'm not making that last part up. Carry her back or I will break your legs." He looks scared as he takes Mynas from me with a small grunt.

"I'll get her back safe." I nod to him as he starts to back away. He quickly turns and starts heading towards the camp at a quick walk.

"See that you do." Just one last thing before I leave. I take a second to center myself, taking a deep breath to settle my nerves as I close my eyes.

Mana Manipulator! When I open my eyes, I can see the strands of mana connected to me. They seem to glow as they stretch back to my grove from me. A pulsing light races along the length of the strands, mana racing back and forth between us.

I don't know how much of a backlash Thea, Shiva, and Sarge would suffer if I die. I do know that whatever mana is still in my body would rush back towards them. The damage it would inflict could possibly kill Thea or Shiva. It was the reason I wove the bridge the way I did when I looped Shiva in. Even then, I knew there was a chance I might have to sever it quickly one day. I just didn't think it would be like this, or that it would be so soon.

I'm sorry, Thea. I'm sorry, Shiva. Please watch over them for me, Sarge. Then the bridge is severed, and for the first time since I came here, I'm alone. My body feels the slightest bit weaker than it did before. Without the bridge between my grovemates and me, my mana pool is slightly smaller. It's not enough to cause a problem, but I will need to adjust.

I jump into the truck and slam the door behind me. The keys are hanging in the ignition as I push in the clutch. The engine roars to life, breaking the silence of the night. I don't bother turning on the headlights as I head back towards Dolus. The speedometer creeps upwards steadily as I work my way through the gears.

I work the map King Ekon gave me out of my armor. It takes me a second to get in unrolled on the seat beside me. Of course, I nearly slide off the road when I'm distracted.

"Fuck!" I jerk the wheel hard to get me back onto the hard packed dirt road. I don't know why I bothered with the map right now. I know for a fact there is only one road past this point.

"I'll be the navigator, you just drive." When I glance over at the seat, the map is gone.

"Did you just steal my map?" Alexis laughs quietly as I continue to drive.

"I didn't steal it, just borrowed it for a little while. I'll tell you when to turn. You just concentrate on staying on the road." I nod my head as we pass the outpost we stayed in our first night here.

"Just try and find the quickest route to the capital. Don't worry about being seen. We are going for speed not stealth now." I have to drop a gear as we start up the incline headed towards the border. I'm not sure what is going to be waiting on us at the top of the slope. Whatever it is, I'm not going to be stopping. We are almost to the top of the incline when I see the glow of several fires.

"I'd say hold on, but I don't know how you would do that. This is liable to be a bumpy ride." I feel a slight drain on my mana which makes me look down. The necklace Alexis's core is on has sprouted spider like legs and latched onto my armor. "Smart-ass." I drop a gear and gun it as I see a line of soldiers standing guard at the border.

"Jim, don't worry about the truck. If anything breaks, I'll fix it as it happens. Just go!" I clamp my jaw shut as the plow on the truck meets the body of the first soldier. The line never moved, and they stood there braced against their shields. It was as if they actually thought their wall of shields would stop my truck. Or maybe they didn't have a choice. I try not to think of that.

Alexis clears the blood from my windshield as I continue driving through the camp. Most of the men try to dive out of the way, a few try to stop me. At some point, I feel a tire blow and straighten out in the next instant. A grinding sound starts under the truck before it goes silent too. Something slams into the side of us, nearly tilting the truck over.

We are balanced on two wheels as I cut the wheel hard. Then we slam back into the ground, bouncing me into the roof of the cab. The engine starts to stall before roaring to life again. I curse as I drop into third, knowing I've lost too much speed.

As quick as the carnage started, it's over, and we break free of the camp. The road opens up ahead of me as screams of pain and anger come from behind us. The blood on my truck slowly disappears as my mana takes a small hit. I can feel fatigue setting in on how much Alexis has drawn from me in the last hour.

"Fuck! Thank you for keeping my truck going." I know that if it wasn't for Alexis, my truck would have stalled several times over. In the movies, vehicles can just plow through crowds, but the real world isn't like that. Even with the plow on the front of my truck, the armor and bodies had decimated my truck.

"No problem. Well, there's actually a big problem, but it's done now. I think if you're going to keep doing shit like that, I need to upgrade your truck. Seriously, I didn't realize how much shit you could fuck up like that." I nod my head as the truck once again starts to gain speed.

"Honestly, I was expecting the plow to handle a lot of that. What the hell knocked us around and put us on two wheels?"

"Some kind of magical attack. I should have absorbed it, but I was busy. The plow caused more problems than it was worth. I'll need to redesign it before you do something like that again. Anything that gets caught under it ends up fucking up the underside of the truck." I nod my head in understanding as I picture what all can be torn up under the truck. Alexis is quiet for a second before she speaks again.

"So are we driving straight through and going after the King tonight?" I shake my head as I focus on the road ahead of me.

"No, we need to get close then hole up somewhere." My mind is making plans on its own as my body drives. "I need some time to recover, and some sleep. I'm fucking tired, and my mana has taken a hard hit today. I'll take a little bit and observe the capital, then we will hit it hard." We are coming up to the first real fork in the road when Alexis speaks again.

"Make a left here. We will have to skirt around Shevel, but it's the quickest way." I nod my head as the truck takes the curve. The rear wheels slide on the hard packed earth. I know that I need to start making a plan, but my mind won't quiet down. I keep thinking about how I left Thea and Shiva behind. I know it was to keep them safe, but it still feels like a betrayal.

Thea's point of view

It's as if I can't breathe when I sit up in the bed. My eyes are scanning the room, trying to figure out what woke me up. My chest feels heavy, like it's harder to breathe than usual. Beside me, Shiva is sitting up too, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She is turning her head to look around the tent the same as me. I can't figure out what is wrong, my mind doesn't want to focus.

"Where's Jim?" Shiva wraps her arms around me as she speaks, her warm skin pressing against me. It's then that it hits me, the bridge to Jim is gone.

"I think, I think he's gone. Sarge! Sarge, where is Jim!?" Sarge runs into the tent, dropping his nose to the ground to sniff.

"I don't know. He just broke the bridge between us. I thought he was still in here." Sarge is starting to panic too. He starts to search the tent while Shiva and I get dressed.

"Thea, what's this?" Shiva sounds confused, and I'm turning to look at her when Vaunea sticks her head in the tent.

"What's wrong?" Shiva answers before I can.

"Jim's gone. Did you see him leave?" Vaunea shakes his head as she steps into the tent, her eyes looking around.

"I didn't see him leave, and I've been in front of the tent all night." Vaunea looks confused as she stands just inside the door.

"I was out there too. I didn't see him either." When I turn back to Shiva, she is holding a black rectangle that looks familiar. I know I've seen it before, but I don't know where. In her other hand is a piece of parchment, with words writing in the swooping loops of elvish.

Did Jim learn to write in elvish, or did someone else leave this? Shiva hands me the piece of parchment as she continues to turn the rectangle over in her hand.

"That was boss's. What's it doing here?" Shiva turns to Sarge, holding the thing out to him.

"Are you sure?" Sarge nods his head as he presses his head against my leg.

"Yeah, he used to talk into it in our old world, and watch things on the screen." Shiva turns it over in her hands again until the glass-like side is facing upward. While she is doing that, I look down at the parchment and quickly read it.

Press your finger against the glass to turn on. Then press the square with a sideways triangle in it to play.

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I'm starting to turn back towards Shiva when I see her touch the glass. A light comes on underneath the glass and Shiva gasps.

"Jim!" I cross the distance between us in an instant. There under the glass is a frozen image of Jim. There is an almost see thru square and triangle over top of him.

"I think we need to touch that." I point at the square on the screen, Shiva glances over to me, then presses it gently. The image of Jim on the screen starts to move, and his voice comes out of the thing.

"Hello Thea and Shiva, I guess I should start by saying I'm sorry." Jim shakes his head and looks down before looking back up at us through the glass.

"I don't know how to say this gently, so I'm just going to say it. I'm going after the King by myself. I can't risk either of you. Sarge didn't know. If he did, I know he would have told you both. So don't be mad at him, please." Jim pauses as he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand.

"If I can, I'll be back to you as quick as I can. I'd be lying if I said I promise I'll be back. The truth is, even with everything I learned, my odds aren't great. I know I can kill the king, and cripple Dolus's military. I just don't know if I will make it out alive when I do."

"I know that if I told you what I was planning you wouldn't let me go. Or you would try and come along with me. I couldn't risk that, so I just didn't tell you." He has to wipe his eyes again, and I realize he is crying.

"There is no way I could have gone in with either of you. It's cowardly on my part I know, but it would kill me if anything happened to either of you. There is no way I could live with myself if you were hurt, or if you died." He pauses and looks behind him, in the glass I can see Shiva and I sleeping in the bed.

"I don't know what will happen to the bridge if I die, so I'm severing it before I go. It's the best way I know to keep all of you safe." He wipes his eyes again as he stands up and takes another look around.

"I know I've never said this to you before, but I love both of you. If I make it back, then I'll have the chance to tell you in person. If I don't, then I wanted you both to know. I love you, Thea and I love you, Shiva. Please, for me, don't follow me. I will do everything I can to get back to you. I just need to know that you are safe. I love you both so much."

Jim reaches forward and touches something on the glass and then the glass goes dark. After a second, he shows back up under the glass in the same position that he was before. The square and triangle are back again too. Shiva presses the square again, and Jim starts to speak again. He repeats the same message again before the screen goes dark.

"Shiva, no." I have to stop her before she presses the square again. She is crying as I take the device out of her hands.

"He fucking left us!" I drop the thing on the table as I wrap my arms around Shiva. She starts to sob into my shoulders as I stroke her hair gently. I can feel my own tears falling as I try to comfort her.

"I'm going to fucking kill him when I get ahold of him." Shiva is shaking, but her tears have stopped. I nod my head as she starts to pull away from me.

"I'm going to hold him for you." Shiva starts to quickly strap on her weapons. It only takes me a second to realize she means to leave now. As soon as I realize what she's planning, I'm pulling my own gear on.

"Are we going after, boss?" I tilt my head to look down at Sarge. His ears are drooping and his tail is tucked between his legs. I kneel down beside him and ruffle his ears roughly like I've seen Jim do.

"Yes, we are going after Jim. When we catch up with him, you are going to hold him while Shiva and I hit him. Do you understand?" Sarge's head perks up as I speak and his tail starts to wag gently.

"I understand. When are we leaving?" Shiva pulls me to my feet as she speaks to Sarge.

"Just as soon as we find Mynas." I raise an eyebrow at her which causes her to growl at me. "I might not like it, but she is a part of our grove now. So it's not like we can just leave her behind." I nod my head to her as we start heading towards the tent flap.

Hopefully, Mynas won't be too hard to find. Goddess knows where she went to after we booted her out of here. A part of me wonders if she didn't follow Jim to protect him. I hope that she did, and that she is keeping him safe right now. I also know that it's unlikely, especially since Jim knew that one night elf was in the tent with us.

We haven't even cleared the first ring of tents when King Ekon stops us. The guard on his right side is carrying an unconscious Mynas. Tarril is walking behind him, and his eyes following their every move. I get the feeling that he has been following them for a little bit. The king crosses his arms while looking at Shiva and I.

"I think we need to talk before you take off into the night."

Oh fuck, what now?