Cortez woke up after drooling on the table. He look at Elisa, then at me, then back to Elisa and back to me before he realized.

“You are the alchemist?! Nice to meet you, Elisa!” Cortez seemed a little to eager, probably a little embarrassed himself. I could tell he wasn’t any ladies man, but neither was i, but having such a beautiful girl on our team was not a bad thing.

“Me and Cortez have been questing around together, but something made us stop. We noticed this woman called Nora, she was crying in the streets, her son have been captured by The Darkblood Brotherhood up in the hills and we want to save him, but it wont be easy. We are a really good team as I am sneaking around and Cortez is sniping. We coordinate our attacks to make the least amount of noise. We figured that if we could have an alchemist that could help us boost our stats that would help us tremendously, if you want to back out, you should go now.”

She didn’t seem to be afraid, she was listening in close.

“I am in” Elisa agreed just like that.

“What, really?” Cortez seemed surprised.

“We will go later tonight, we don’t know if Jason is dead or alive, but the quicker we move the more likely he is still alive.” Elise and Cortez nodded at the same time.

Tonight we strike!

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Elise had a map over the area, she told us that she has learned a profession which is called exploring, she can buy maps of every area and It shows where some hidden cave entrances are which can contain rare loot and a bunch of other stuff. We planned out our attack, there was a hill next to the bandit hideout, I was to sneak inside and see if Jason was still alive if I could find him. Elise said she could make me a flask that would improve my own poison making, I could poison drinks and food if i found the food storage.

Elise and Cortez was scouting the area from afar, they were to give me information if something happened while was inside. Elise made a potion for Cortez that would make him see better at night so he could aim better, even his sniper shot has a chance to miss and while fighting real players it is much harder to predict the motion patterns compared to some npc`s especially at night. Elise also had some flasks with goo inside that would lower the enemies movement speed, but not the party members, this will make it easier for me to escape while Cortez snipes them off.

Night falls.

We move upwards.

“This hill was much steeper then i thought it would be, sigh.” Cortez is breathing heavily.

“H-hang in th-there we are soon there” I could barely breath myself.

“What are you guys talking about, this is nothing haha!” Elise was moving ahead of us as she was sipping some kind of elixir she had made.

“Wouldn’t mind sharing some?” she is chugging it down.

“No can do, this is alchemist only elixir, sorry!” we both knew she wasn’t sorry, she was enjoying herself. Her eyes were smiling so to speak.

Sniff sniff. Cortez smelled something.

“Get down and be quite! Sniff sniff” Cortez is looking around in the dark forest we are currently in.

“With my tracking ability I can smell that something has recently been here, we should be wary of patrols. I will set up some traps around the area, hold on a few seconds, I already got some pre made trap sets in my inventory, and this will just take a moment.” Elise and I were looking at Cortez as he was planting all kinds of traps around here.

“If you see here there is footsteps” Cortez pointed at the ground, but we didn’t see anything.

“What? You can`t see it? Interesting. Guess I have underestimated my tracking ability, anyways lets keep moving!”

We started moving again and before we knew it we were at the spot.

“Look at all those torches and guards!” The whole base was glowing by torch flames and the guards was patrolling around the fortress. There was only one entrance and the whole base was made out of spiked wood.

“Cortez, here I give you some of my gooey flasks, if you strap them to your arrows you can make a big field of goo.” Elise hands them over.

“Nice! This will come in handy. Are you ready Sky?” I just realized I still have a smoke bomb at my disposal.

The fortress was heavily guarded, there was two guards in front of the door and on the right and left side there was 2 guards walking right next to eachother to cover more ground, If I were to CC both the guards at the entrance it would take at least a few seconds to get the door open, but I could easily sneak inside.

“Before you go take this with you Sky, these flasks contain hallucinating poison, if you apply it to your throwing stars it will render the enemy immobile for a few seconds, this only works if the target is unaware of you and if you were to attack him the effect would instantly ware off.” It was no end to how many potions or poisons she had.

“I’m going, stay sharp!” I skipped down the hill in stealth mode, there was 2 guards guarding the door and one patrol on each side, one coming closer and one checking the backside in an interval, there was about a 10 second window where I could sneak in.

I figured the door to be locked and the guards must have the key, I waited for the patrols to pass as I threw my venomous throwing stars at the neck of both the door guards, my stealth mode wore of by doing this,i had no time to waste so I quickly pickpocketed the key and made my way in, I reentered stealth mode as it only got a 8 second cooldown to restealth, although I cant be seen by an enemy to do so.

I then figured that I was still unseen, the guards had no clue that they had been poisoned. A sedative was also a part of the poison to not feel the wound. Once inside I could see several bandits talking, fighting and gambling. This was not a nice place. The fortress was roofless and it gave Cortez a chance to snipe and do some recon. I kept lurking around and eave scooping.

“You are cheating you bastard, take this!” a fight between two of the gamblers turned really violent. The table was flipped and blades were drawn, luckily for me they caught the attention of the other bandits, I decided to move deeper in the fortress during the distraction.

The path was really narrow and it went downwards underground, I thought this would be the most logical place to have a slave pen, as I made my way down I could hear someone approaching me from downstairs, he came closer, but I can pass him unnoticed!

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I could see him there was a little window where I could sneak past him, it was a close call but I made it, barely. The longer down I got the more I hear people talk, I could even hear some screams. As I entered the room I could see several slave cages and torture tools, the screams were deep inside the dungeon, I had to follow it. The dungeon was hot as hell from the big furnace; the room was filled with light from the furnace fire.

“Someone is coming to the entrance, seems like the chief, I think they just noticed that the door was open all along as he tried to unlock it, they might think it was a mistake, but the chief might be a bit more suspicious.”

I have to hurry up, I don’t want to do one mistake and get caught, I will die for sure. The deeper I come to more screams I hear, I don’t see Jason anywhere, but I could see other prisoners starving in cages, eyes empty like their soul had been ripped out of them, all hope lost. Tsk! There is nothing I can do, I cant save them all. I have to find Jason!

“Well well well, are you ready for round 9?Gigigihihihihi” What was that weird laugh? It was close.

“No! please don’t! I cant take it anymore! Nonono!” I could see a man pouring poison over a mans wounds!” It was Jason!

I ran to him and shoved both my daggers down his neck, he fell to the ground and died in an instant. That was not the first time I had taken a real life…I released Jason from the metal chair.

“Oh god it hurts!” Jason was severally injured and he could barely stand on his own, I had to help him walk.

“I got Jason, but I know of only one way out, I am deep down the fortress, I need you the get those arrows ready! They still don’t know that I am here, I will move with caution”

“I got several arrows ready to fire, give me the signal. Standby.” Cortez drank the elixir.

“You have to be quiet and stay here, I will try to make the way clear, ok Jason?. He seemed really dizzy as he sat down.

There were 3 people in the next room, one was busy with the furnace smelting some ores and there was two other guards patrolling around. I threw my throwing stars at the two guards to paralyses them for a few seconds, enough for me to silently move Jason to the stairs unnoticed, but we could here another guards footsteps coming down.

“Hey, what are you doing he--!?” the guard death was quick and probably painful.

“Jason, grab a hold of my shoulder, lets go.” We made our way to the top, but there was a bunch of people there, not enough people for me or Cortez together to take down, we had to plan this out just right and I have the perfect plan.

“Cortez, listen to me and pay close attention, we have to do this perfectly and I will be requesting a lot from your sniper skills, ok?” we really have to make this work.

“You can count on me, tell me the plan!” I really hope Cortez can do it the way I plan it, but I do not doubt his abilities.

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“The big chief is here and he is approaching the wine barrels, there is a weak spot you can snipe that will make the barrels fall over him and some of his troops, this will either kill or weaken him, I will use my clone to draw the attention, they will think that the clone is the real me and blame him for the barrels fall, the guards will probably chase the clone and that will leave me and Jason an opening. I will steal one of the horses, then me and Jason will make a run for it to the entrance, as we are riding to get out, you have to shot one of your gooey flasks behind us to slow down enemies if they are chasing us. I still got the key to the door, but after that shoot you have to double headshot the guards covering the door, at least that would make it easy for me to have a safe passage out. If only get one of the guards I can probably kill the other, but see what you can do. If some of the patrols see us, keep shooting those gooey arrows behind us to slow them down, I will enter the forest part where you laid your traps.”

“I will make every shot count! We have to make sure the patrols are not at the entrance when you open it, I will calculate their movement and once I shoot the barrels you go, I will tell you before I shoot, be ready!” Cortez started calculating their movements.

“Firing now!” The arrow hit the weak spot and the barrels started rolling!

“Wow, everyone watch out!” the barrels hit the chief and the other bandits, only the chief survived. I send my clone out to draw attention.

“Hahaha, that was easy! I can take all of you on my own, come here! Low lives!” The remaining bandits chased the clone down into another part of the fortress, down some spirally stairs.

I threw Jason onto the back of one of the horses close by, we made a run for the entrance, the bandit chief saw us and threw his big axe at the horse and killed it! We were both send flying as we hit the ground, but it was really close to the entrance.

Cortez shot the gooey flask behind us to slow down the chief. As I unlocked the door the first thing I saw was two guards fall to the ground.

“Double headshot, no problem! Keep going!” Cortez smirked.

“Wow, nice shot!” Elisa seemed amazed.

Jason latched on to my shoulder again as we made our way to the forest, but behind us was the chief on a horse, he was coming close and closer!

“Guards, come here! Intruders! “ the chief shouted and alerted the other guards, they were approaching fast.

Cortez hit the horse in one of its legs, it fell on the ground and the goo was spilled everywhere, but the chief keep going.

“tsk, they are getting closer, we need to go faster, ok Jason?” Jason took both his hands around my waist.

“Hold on!” Jason channeled his remaining strength to his legs and we leaped right in front of the forest.

“Holy shit Jason, you alright?” Jason was about to pass out, he could barley stand.

“Elisa come here! Take Jason with you!” Both Elisa and Cortez came running down the hill.

“I got him!” Elisa drank her stamina elixir as she could carry Jason with her hands without being fatigued

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.

“We will hold them off!” Cortez and I hid in the trapped forest, waiting for them to come.

The traps themselves were not lethal enough to kill them off, especially now that Cortez was subclassed sniper.

“Here they come!” Cortez drew his bow ready to shot.

One of his traps went of and trapped the feet with a rope and flinged him up in the air. Cortez shot the victim straight in the heart.

Another trap went of, but this was a bear trap, another easy shot for Cortez. Right through the head. The other enemies saw the traps and managed to avoid them.

A spellslinger equipped with a dagger suddenly teleported in front of Cortez and managed to cut a piece of his face as he stumbled backwards to the ground. I used my reappear ability behind her as she was about to use some kind of spell on Cortez. I had managed to restealth so she died instantly. We were left with 2 more enemies, the chief and one of his minions.

I suddenly felt severe pain in my left leg. There was some sort of pink dust emitting from it, I tumbled down but i fell.

“You think you can get away from me? No fucking way!” the chief`s guard left was also a spellslinger, the pain was not stopping at all, but there was no blood. Cortez tried to shoot him with regular arrows, but it was deflected by his mana shield.

“This is it you filthy assassin!” the dagger the mage had started glowing as it was pointed right at my stomach. I had no choice! Smoke bomb!

The whole area was a big and thick smokescreen, the spellslinger started coughing, but me and Cortez was immune to it, we could see and breath clearly. Since the smoke was so thick I could reenter stealth and sneak behind him.

“Its over” I whispered as I was about to strike him in his back, but then the chief came jumping in with the same kind of leap Jason used, it cleared the smoke. It distracted me and the mage managed to teleport a short distance forward away from me.

“You brats think you can just kill all of my men and leave?” both the chief and spellsinger had their eyes on me, I stumbled again from the shake of the leap as it quaked the ground. The mist was still latched to my leg and I couldn’t move it, I tried to crawl away, they came for me.

Suddenly an arrow was fired from the tree over the mage right through his neck and throat, it was attached to a thick rope.

“Forgot about me did you?” Cortez jumped from the tree with the rope tangled around his hand. The spellslinger was pulled up, Cortez then proceeded to bind the rope to one of the roots on the ground next to the tree, the mage was dangling back and forth, dead.

“You bastard!” the chief swung his axe at Cortez and it barely hit him, the ground was quaking as it connected, Cortez lost his balance and fell.

“You kill my friends? Then I kill yours!” The chief turned around and used all his strength to swing the axe on top of me, I managed to use reappear and clone at the same time and in that order.

“You sneaky fucker, think you can get away?” my decoy was left on the ground as I crawled invisible towards the tree. The split second I got behind him I managed to restealth, but I couldn’t go to far because of my leg.

Cortez loaded a sniper shot, but it missed!

“You think I forgot about you? I’m not like my stupid mongrels. Take this!” the chief swung his axe several times at Cortez, he got hit in his arm once as he rolled away, he was now unable to use his bow.

The mist disappeared from my leg, guess that spell doesn’t last forever, of course It couldn’t. I snuck behind the chief and hit him in his neck, but he didn’t die! He grabbed my throat and started chocking me!

“That hurt you fucker! Now you die!” He slammed me on the ground and the air in my lungs was forced out as I coughed up blood. I tried to grab my weapon, but it was just to far away fro my hand! His leg was crushing my stomach so couldn’t reach for my throwing stars.

Note: He didn’t die by one shot because his health and armor value is much greater then his bandit minions. His gear is really good.

“Don’t think I can`t fight if I can`t use a bow!” Cortez came running towards us with an arrow in his hand! He jumped and stabbed the arrow right into the back of the chief`s head. His corpse fell on top of me.

“Holy shit Sky! You alright! That was a close call for the both of us!” Cortez was bleeding heavily from his left hand. I tried to speak, but my throat was filled with blood and hurt like hell, I could barly catch my breath!

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“Let`s get out of here, before reinforcements arrive!” The best I could do was to nod as he held me on his shoulder. My legs where fine, but my whole body was shaken up by the slam. I really appreciated Cortez helping me even though he was injured himself.

We slowly got closer to the city, it had been a while since the attack and we guessed we were safe.

“Just a little more, the we can rest and heal up!” some torches appeared behind us, it was the bandits from the camp, they had tracked us!

“Holy shit, run! Run!” Cortez and I ran as fast as we could but they were catching up, I had no choice to pick up Cortez from his feet and use my heavenly agility.

My movement speed was increased immensely and I was not fatigued at all. Now we was on the same movement pace as the horses behind us, but my ability only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to reach the entrance. The bandits retreated.

“There you guys are! Come inn! I have been waiting for your return, glad to see you guys alive, but not well? What the hell happened up there?” Elisa was worried.

We got in and found a medical station and we got healed up.

“*Deep inhale* wow that felt good, I could barley breath for 30 minutes” I was literally gasping for air.

“I know you couldn’t talk and all, but if you plan on giving me another piggy back ride in the future let me know ok? How the hell did you even do that if you couldn’t even breath correctly? “ Cortez was curious as he was starching his now healed arm.

“The spell does not fatigue me at all, therefor I didn’t need to breath more than normal.” I was still inhaling furiously.

“Guys, I know someone who wants to see you, come!” Elisa smiled and left to the exit, we both followed her.

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