The only thing Cordon Camillio could think about that day, was his beautiful Half-Elf classmate, Finnia Tenderleaf. The soft curves of her jaw and chin; her dainty, upturned nose; pale-moon skin; rose kissed cheeks; wide, Mana Potion blue eyes; short, Elven ears. She may have inherited her svelte body from her mother, but her breasts are definitely human, bigger than the average human girl's. Well, the other humans in the Academy anyway.

After a few amateurish attempts, she finally accepted a request for a date that weekend. He had the whole day planned from before the first time he was rejected. He would spring for a carriage ride to the Silver Estate Park, where he'd drop a few Gold on lunch at The Montresida, the best, and most expensive, restaurant in Kes Solomas. Afterwards, they would sip on coffee and chat till evening while strolling through the park. They would find a romantic, yet secluded area where coffee would switch to wine and then he'd turn the charm up to Pantheon Class.

Unfortunately, a blue hood and laughter from seemingly all around swept him away from life as he knew it. From the moment the hood touched his shoulders, his face was submerged under water and he began to thrash and choke. He could still see a figure approaching him, though the aggressively churning water made it somewhat difficult to make out any features.

Then, the only thing he could think about was air. Invisible, cool, refreshing air to take the place of the chilly, burning water rushing up his nose and down his throat to fill his lungs. Even the image of Finnia's ample bosom took a back seat to the much more primal desire for survival.

Strong arms and rope binded him from behind and dragged him to gods knew where. When the hood was lifted off, stars took over his vision and he relieved his stomach of that morning's breakfast. Oatmeal and jorsa berries tasted quite different on the way out, that's for sure.

When his bloodshot eyes were finally capable of observing his surroundings, several heavy kicks shaved his HP to dangerous levels. The shock and pain were unbearable, but a cold metal spike of fear drove itself into his heart when his eyes beheld his assaulter. A man in heavy plate, full helm, and a tower shield on his back stood before him. The man rested a long mace on his shoulder as he looked down at Cordon.

"This Feat works great. What's it called again? Sadistic?" The man said with a cruel smile, the words and tone not matching up with the accent that vaguely resembles the proper tone of the nobility. His malicious chuckle was echoed by several others that Cordon didn't see. Not that he couldn't see, but he just couldn't look away from his torturer's face.

The iron spike of fear spread freezing tendrils throughout his body. There was nothing he wouldn't do to never feel that way ever again.

[Debuff received! You are Frightened!]

No shit. But this wasn't just Fear, this was something else. Cordon wanted to tear out his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at the man, but he felt as if he were to even move a muscle more horrible things might happen. This cycle of wanting to run and freezing up repeated itself until his body shuddered involuntarily, which caused the laughter to grow in volume and mirth.

"Drag him over with the others, we gotta get going. If our source is right, there's a dungeon to be farmed." The man turned around, dusting his paldrons off as two men in leather armor picked Cordon up off the floor. His eyes stayed glued to the vicious man and his name above him.

Mordecai Corvid.

******************************

[Minor Quest Received: Found to be Missing

[Twenty two citizens of Kes Solomas were kidnapped by an unknown group. Safely return them to the city and subjugate their captors.

[Reward: 125XP/citizen rescued, 10Gold/citizen rescued, 200XP/captor, 4*Pawn Chest, 2*Bishop Chest]

[Citizens rescued: 0/22. Captors subjugated 0/10.]

In game time: 4am. Just like the previous nights, we found the same three casters, ranger, and wolf familiar keeping watch outside the outpost. Upon further Analysis, I found them to be NPC Lunar Elves and I understood why they were the sentries. The special features of this sub-race include Dark Vision and a reduction in MP and SP use at night. And, similarly to all Elves, they only need four hours of sleep to get a full rest, which means even two or three hours would be enough to get them through the night. That meant that at any one point during the night, there would at the very least be three of the four humanoid figures wide awake, if one of them were to take a quick nap.

This time, that meant the caster furthest away from the outpost's main door.

The outpost is a roughly cobbled together rectangular building of mainly stone, mud, and poorly cut wood. There was an attempt at building an outer fence, but there had either been a sudden lack of material or interest as only a corner spreading a few yards in two directions sits unfinished. The building itself looks to have four room, judging by how the thermal images moved about by avoiding walls invisible to me and walking into other rooms in specific ways.

The entry door was made in the center of the front most wall and leads to a large area that was probably the main living area. Directly to the left upon entry is the half-as-large sleeping area and to the right are two, smaller, box sized rooms. I'm not sure what's in there, but I see bodies go in for a moment or two before leaving, not really doing anything else. They seem to be stopping in front of something.

The roof had four small platforms at each of the four corners with chest high barriers made of fortified mud. The two left side posts, closest to the dungeon entrance, and the right front are where the casters stood. The back of the building sits as close to the bowl like wall that eventually shot straight up, leaving a small space for the Ranger and his companion enough room to walk in single file.

If all of them are in a party, then there might be a death notification. I didn't get one for Ramona because we weren't in a party when Dez attacked us. I don't know if the others got one when I died under Spindle, but most games would let you know if members of your party had bit the big one. So taking them out one-by-one would spoil the element of suprise. And, with just Richter and I facing a dozen of them, we need to take out as many spell casters as we can, as fast as we can. Then, keep everyone else's attention locked on us.

Dawn's plan is the most complex thing we've ever tried to orchestrate as a group. It consists of four seperate parts that needed to be performed in rapid, but timely succession.

Richter and I are the first part. Our job is mainly to distract the hostile party for as long as we can. That would included not only the sentries, but also the ones inside the building. We would need their simultaneous attention by any means necessary while the second part springs into action.

Part two actually consists of two things happening at once. A unit being led by Dawn and Victoria will lead a pincer attack, hopefully catching the hostiles unaware. I would probably have to eliminate the familiar so there isn't any advanced warning of their approach. While that happens, someone will drive the vardo up to the hostages. Our reserves will run along side it acting as escorts, assisting the hostages inside, and covering the escape in case any of the hostiles manages to break free from engagement. The more time we can create, the more time they have to close gaps and get the hostages to safety.

Part three will be the wild card. Depending on the severity of the response we get from the first attack, our "air force" will either assist in the distraction, provide support during the second attack, or attack anyone who targets the vardo. These include Kona on her broom, Rachel with her Mantle of the Raptor, and Sonny on her Meteora, who found that the flying speed of the blade is as fast as if not faster than Kona's broom.

As the appointed leaders of each unit: Dawn, Rachel, Gorm, and I wear the group's four only Whisper Ear Cuffs. Dawn grumbled to herself something about how we should've asked Lady Anne if she knew where to get more.

Having gotten an early night's rest, Richter and I find ourselves looking down at the outpost in the dark. We get the idea to use the Wyvern Poison that Mika concocted to paralyze a few people and coat some arrows.

I gesture to Richter that if he shoots the furthest ones from us, I'll Assassinate the one closest and we can take on the Ranger and his Red Wolf together. He smiles and nocks an arrow. He mouths a silent three count while I sign the word Blink Step. We activate our Abilities in near perfect synchronization, but I don't get the chance to see his what the poison can do when his arrows shatter on an invisible dome.

[You deal 154 slashing damage!]

[You drain 30MP!]

[You deal 77 slashing and 89 Arcane damage!]

[You drain 32MP!]

My follow up Echo Strike disrupts the caster's Reaction Spell and the mana fizzles out. He turns to face me but I use one hand to cover his mouth and the other to drain the last of his HP. I hear the clink of another arrow hitting what sounds like glass and see Richter's arrow falling to the side. Both casters turn in my direction and the sound of shouting erupts from downstairs. Shit. Looks like we didn't take magical barriers into account.

With the element of surpise completely spent, Ric sets aside subtlety and raises the volume on theatrics, literally, "This dungeon is ours, you goblin dicked, wand suckers!" He punctuates his proclamation with a shower of magical, exploding, lightning arrows, finally shattering whatever dome was put over the outpost. Well, if that doesn't catch every living thing's attention then I'll be a Rust Monster's--

"Who the fuck just volunteered to be my personal punching bag for the rest of their miserable life?" The voice was a hoarse growl, probably the Half-Giant's.

"Probably the same guy who killed Aaron," says another in the dulcet tones of a well-spoken British accent. The owner of the voice steps out of the outpost, mace and tower shield ready for action.

The shield glows yellow right before three arrows slam into it and burst into flames upon impact, obscuring the figure in a cloud of smoke. A fist sized ray of red energy flies out of the haze before it could settle and I watch as Ric barely dodges it by ducking to the side.

There's no time to think now. Unfortunately for us, the plan is working the way it should. Arrows are flying everywhere, choosing targets indiscriminately. Some head towards Ric and I realize the Ranger is still on the loose. That means his pup is also sniffing around somewhere.

"Mages first," I shout out loud, but my words aren't meant for me. Grey blurs zip through the air after my declaration. One of the mages is fast enough to summon a shield, the other is pincushioned with the Ghostfire arrows, most likely draining his MP since a panicked look washes over his face when he is unable to cast a Spell in return. The other man moves himself and his shield forward to protect his fellow party member.

My attention returns to the Fighter in front of me in time for me to duck under a large, double edge broadsword and get sent flying from a heavy boot to the chest.

[Unknown Berserker stomps you for 80 damage!]

A soft, furry body breaks my fall and I feel gratitude from the helpful hand.

[You deal 15 bludgeoning damage to Red Wolf Familiar!]

I roll off the Ranger's familiar as the man lets loose a string of furious words at the Berserker and arrows at me. I dodge three arrows and claw down two, before I Roundhouse Kick the pouncing red furred creature back at the Ranger.

[You deal 139 bludgeoning damage!]

[You defeated Red Wolf Familiar!]

More arrows fly past me from behind and one of them hits me in the back.

[Unknown Rogue pierces you for 52 damage!]

I roll behind a well placed rock, healing myself a total of three times with my Minor First Aid Ability, before I'm forced to vacate my hiding spot.

[You heal yourself for 10HP!]

[You heal yourself for 10HP!]

[You heal yourself for 10HP!]

It really wasn't a good one, since the Ranger is still plainly off to my left. Still, one Ranger isn't nearly as dangerous as five Rogues. I can see three stay behind and two approach on my mini-radar. Richter gives me some cover, firing down from the ledge and I use the opportunity to go back and Assassinate the already weakened caster and whittle the remaining one down to less than twenty percent, before having to evade more arrows.

"We need more time, Tiki Torch," Dawn's voice comes over the Earcuff and I sigh to myself.

I pull off my hood, revealing my flaming head and I can hear sounds of shock from our enemies. I use the opportunity to Assassinate the remaining caster. "Hand over your shit, and we promise to make your deaths quick," I say in my most menacing tone.

"Who are you?" The heavily armored fighter asks, peaking from behind the iron tower shield. Given the break in the battle, I glance at his name and make a note of it. "For some strange reason, I can't see your name. Not that it'll matter in the long run."

Two arrows fly at me in rapid succession, but I claw them out of the air. I could've easily dodged them, but I wanted to show force to these men.

"Why don't you come down here and we can talk like gentlemen?" He points his mace at me, voice as cool and calm as ever, "Wound."

[Mordecai Corvid magically slashes you for 67 damage!]

My high Willpower lessens the effect of magical damage, but the feeling of my guts being slashed from the inside doesn't get numbed in the slightest. I pull my mask to the side and retch blood before hitting the mud roof with my knees. My HP is flashing, warning that I have 26 points left before death. I scramble over to the spots where the casters stood, dodging arrows and drinking an Apprentice Health Potion and using First Aid on myself a couple more times.

[You heal yourself for 10HP!]

[You heal yourself for 10HP!]

[Health Potion heals you for 50HP!]

Shit, that's barely enough to survive another one of those wound Spells. I can hear the chipping of arrows slamming into the rock-like cover, but I know they're only laying cover fire as another red dot quickly makes its way on the roof towards me.

"Come on out, friend, so we can end this rather mundane skirmish." Mordecai says with an accompanying yawn. "Oh, and kill that Elf, would you, boys?"

The next thing I hear is the sound of malicious yelling, before I Blink Step out of the way of the Berserker's rampage. He easily breaks through the chest high mud wall and I send him off with a special gift.

[You deal 41 slashing damage!]

[You Poison Unknown Berserker!]

[You Blind Unknown Berserker!]

[You Deafen Unknown Berseker!]

[You Silence Unknown Berserker!]

Great! I don't think I could handle any more of his grunting and yelling. With no one else near me, I cast Healing Breeze and down my second and last Health Potion. I know we should keep more on us, but with pretty much only Mika churning them out, the high amount of Red Herbs needed, and our stock of Red Herbs quickly dwindling, I might have to start making it a priority over new gear for a while.

[You heal yourself for 33HP!]

[Health Potion heals you for 50HP!]

Neither Richter nor I are good matches for the Berseker or Mordecai, who appears to be some sort of Paladin, based on his equipment and Spell casting. What we really need are--

An angry bellow interrupts my train of thought and the roof/floor beneath me violently quakes. I'm not able to react in time and I fall through, landing on a pile of rubble.

[The ground bludgeons you for 27 damage!]

"Damn you, ground…" I moan, gritting my teeth and pulling myself out of the mess. I scan my radar and duck in time to avoid the Berseker's broadsword. It smashes through the wall where the front door is located in and I figure I'm in the living area.

"You can't Debuff a Giant, you stupid fuck!" He screams at me, swinging the hefty blade like an incompetant baseball player. Oh yeah. I do vaguely remember a fight where the Half-Giant I faced didn't have Poison stick around for long. So far, however, he's been dealing more damage to the building than to me as I out maneuver the raging mountain of muscle. I'm hesitant to attack him as he's most likely raging and most of a Berserker's benefits stem from losing HP at this time. That, and I probably wouldn't be able to kill him before his bonuses stack too high for me to handle.

Any and all furniture turns to useless, scattered splinters in his wake. Loosely wielding his katana, the Samurai attempts to join our little dance, but can't get closer to either of us without losing a hand at the very least. It's as if he's afraid of stepping in between a fight between an animate guillotine and an open blender.

"Inflict Wound." The phrase comes from the doorway and I use all of my focus to narrowly avoid one last swing of the broadsword as my insides split and burn.

[Mordecai Corvid magically slashes you for 62 damage!]

This time I activate Blink Step by itself, teleporting just behind Mordecai. It's not often I verbally chant my Spell words, but this moment seems to beg for it and I speak in a low and wry tone.

"Trinity Stream."

With my palms barely touching Mordecai's armor, three jets of magical energy burst out of my hands and open maw, dealing three seconds of misery to the three in the room, distance not being a real factor in the damage dealt.

[You deal 50 Water damage!]

[You deal 58 Lightning damage!]

[You deal 55 Fire damage!]

[You deal 65 Water damage!]

[You deal 65 Lightning damage!]

[You deal 64 Fire damage!]

[You deal 47 Water damage!]

[You deal 50 Lightning damage!]

[You deal 44 Fire damage!]

I get the same nine notifications after another second passes, noticing that Mordecai's Willpower is high enough to lessen my magical damage. The third second, however, is cut short when something gets draped over my pointy hat and face, hands grabbing my arms by my biceps. The rough treatment disperses my Spell. Right away I feel the effects of the magical waterboarding and I struggle against my captors.

[Piscine Evolution on/>OFF]

[Piscine Evolution >ON/off]

I activate the water breathing aspect of my Feat, but leave off the scales, not wanting to reveal too much of what I can do. I continue to kick my feet and reach for the hood as I take in the sounds of my surroundings.

"What the hell was that last Spell?" The Berserker's voice gets closer and sounds a squeezy bit more irritated than before. "It really did a number on Grubs." I hear something heavy hit the dirt next to me. A weak whisper of a voice comes up from my feet.

"…please…Mordecai…heal me…"

"Oh, alright. But I'm taking it out of your cut. I may be a Paladin, but I'm not THAT kind of Paladin."

That explains the gear and the Spells. I mask the signing in the hand closest to Grubs by convulsing my arm. I can hear a gasp from the crowd as the Spell forms in my palm and I blast Grubs with my Arcane Bolt, two hits ending his life.

[You deal 60 Arcane damage!]

[You deal 60 Arcane damage!]

[You defeated Gerber Emerson!]

A small fist punches my face through the hood, the puncher yelping after hitting the mask, and a kick to the back of my knee sends me to the ground.

[Unknown Rogue punches you for 9 damage!]

[Unknown Rogue kicks you for 8 damage!]

[Unknown Rogue kicks you for 7 damage!]

All these small hits are preventing my HP from regenerating, but I'm not worried just yet.

"Interesting," Mordecai says, "Anyone see how he did that?"

Another heavy thud lands on my right and I can hear Richter spluttering and gagging, his feet scraping at the dirt below him.

This goes on a bit longer than I thought it would and they finally release the hoods from over us. I turn off Piscine Evolution and pretend to breath heavily. I look over at Richter who isn't pretending, his shoulders heaving and his head hanging low and dripping. I can still hear the liquid in his lungs bubbling with each breath and ragged coughs try to expel it.

"So, gentlemen," Mordecai begins, his mace sitting on his shoulder as he looks over at Grubs's Life Crystal and loot sack, "Besides the balls it takes to attack the lot of us with only two of you…"

He takes a quick jab at Richter's head with the end of his mace. Richter raises his head and looks up at the Paladin. I watch as anger recedes and fear floods over the Half-Elf's face, his body beginning to tremble.

One of the Rogues laughs, "Boss's gonna use his Sadistic Feat to--"

"Quiet." Mordecai's tone is sharp, cutting him off before he revealsvvvģv too much. "Now, what made you think we were just going to give up our little farm?" He points the end of the mace under Richter's chin.

"We…We're…tryi--"

"We wanted to see what y'all were made of before trying to join you," I blurt out, interrupting my friend as well. I can sense that he was trying to push the truth down before it comes out like the water in his lungs.

"But seeing how half your people died before getting us under control--" A blow to the back of my head cuts me off.

[Unknown Rogue bludgeons you for 12 damage!]

"Shut up, you. We're talking to your friend," I swear I can smell this man's bad breath from behind me, as he shouts from over the top of my head. (54/195HP, 67/202MP, 74/113SP) At least my MP and SP are going back up.

"I wouldn't get too close to my hands, bro. Look what happened to your friend," I jerk my head over to the Life Crystal. I feel the grip on my arms slacken and I take adventage.

I break the grip on me and activate Distracting Footwork, catching everyone's attention. I cast Blink Step, hoping that I keep the aggro as I teleport a few dozen yards away. Im relieved and anxious that they all charge after me, leaving a groggy Richter behind. I shout for him to get back to the others, but it takes him a few seconds to regain focus. I activate the Reach of Tempest Fist and cast Shadow Toxin once more on myself and watch as Mordecai is the first to shake the Taunt Debuff out of his head.

"Crap," I mutter to myself. I need him to be a little bit closer so I jog towards the approaching horde. I save the first strike for him even though the others are closing in fast. I need to hit him first so that I can…

[You deal 37 slashing damage!]

[You Poison Mordecai Corvid!]

[You Paralyze Mordecai Corvid!]

Yes! "Come on, Richter!" He staggers to his feet as Mordecai drops to the ground, coughing up a spray of black blood. Richter shakes the stars out of his head and retrieves his confiscated bow.

After getting that out of the way, I start swatting at the others. The Berserkers Armor and natural constitution prevent me from dealing much damage, and the Rogues are too quick for me to pin down.

Two dark metal blurs fly past me, hitting two Rogues square in the chest, hammer first, and knocking them down. This repeats for the big guy and though both Thunderstrucks hit the Berserker in the chest, his charge doesn't slow.

[Dawn Nobel heals you for 68HP!]

[Dawn Nobel heals you for 68HP!]

The Berserker and I do our little dance, but this time I have a big grin on my bony face. The cavalry has finally arrived.