I had thrown my new attribute points into agility, figured it couldn't hurt and picked a new talent. 'Army of the Damned' seemed interesting enough and then I swept Frost up into a princess carry before galloping back to the village. The benefit of this game: no stamina to worry about. We reached the edge of the forest and I slowed down, Frost had tried to speak to me a few times but my thundering hooves and the rise of wind were not conducive to conversation. At the clearing Herald pointed out one of the commanders, they had stylized wings on their helmets. No idea why though…

I looked to Frost with grim determination, "I'm thinking you can hang on to my back while charge in, I'm a bit faster. Sound good?"

She stared at me with that look. Uh-oh…."What the fuck are you doing Zet?!"

"What so you mea-"

"I've been trying to tell you but you wouldn't stop and let me talk! What the fuck are we doing here? This isn't our fight. The elf told us to leave if we want to clear the game. Well, that's what we want!" I wasn't sure how to respond, how can I leave them to die? "Isn't it…?"

I sighed, "Of course. It is, I promise but...they'll die."

Her face softened a bit, "and so could we by going in there."

I'm so damned conflicted! I'm not choosing strangers over my family! But… "I can't turn a blind eye while they die. Not when I have the means to help. Stay here. Heal the ones who need it, if things get too hairy I'll pull out."

"W….Zet…." I gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you Frost." Before she could respond I was thundering across the plain. I took in the scene as I ran. More bodies than I could count were standing, shouting at the defenders in the city. The attackers had no uniform to blend in but I saw a cross painted on the back of their armor. I guess they needed to tell themselves apart from the ones they'd come to kill somehow. The attackers were lobbing fireballs and arrows over the wall. I couldn't see the defenders from here but every now and then a fireball or volley of arrows would answer the attack. Several battering rams on wheels burned across the battleground where a fireball had found them. It was at one of these I aimed my steps, shock and awe being my goal.

No one was looking backwards and that suited me just fine. I reached a fallen battering ram and nimbly leapt to the top of the structure before kicking off into a forward flip. My blades materialized in my hands and I struck out as I vaulted over an enemy, slicing them groin to head. Not stopping to witness the outcome I quickly Wraith Stepped further into the fray. I appeared with my blade held backwards in front of my targets throat and spun, slicing through their neck. I stepped again and slashed diagonally, stepping deeper into the battle I slashed horizontally. Step, a x-slash with others blades, step… I didn't go anywhere. I guess there is a cool down. I sent my Glacial Spikes out to either side and they erupted, slicing unprepared combatants apart.

Unwilling to lose my momentum I charged forward and slashed through the backs of several more players, I heard the ice shattering behind me, joined shortly after by the touching of their comrades. A group of 5 tanks stood before me with their shields locked into a wall. Several mages, rangers and soldiers with spears stood behind them preparing their strikes. Been wanting to try this out… I tried to Step but nothing happened. Without hesitation I charged the line and leapt over the wall, I activated my Blood Burst. The blood exploded from the bodies of everyone in a 10 foot radius, they cried out in anguish and their attacks went wide as they jerked from the assault. The blood poured over my skin and shimmered like liquid armor. My feet touched down behind the line and I spun attacking without pause. Some of them managed to land a blow but the blood armor slid the attacks away from my body, lessening in thickness each time. Within seconds the group was nothing but snow beneath my feet.

I did a quick check of my quarry and found them very close. Their ostentatious helmet made me think of some old tabletop models I once wanted but never bought, a helmet with enormous stylized wings spreading to a point about a foot and a half above his crown. Entirely ridiculous. I should be close enough. I sent my purple shadow to the leader I ripped his shadow to me. Time for some showmanship, they think were monsters? Then that's what I'll give them. I lowered my head and when his body snapped into place my horns were firmly embedded under his chin. I put my hands on his shoulders and with a quick jerk, ripped his head free of his body in a spray of gore and viscera. His troops stared wide eyed as their mouths opened to voice the horror of what they had witnessed.

"You face Zetsumei now little insects! I will….oh, pfft, bleach! I think it got in my mouth." I spit a few times but there was just this….this taste sticking to my tongue in a really thick way...It probably didn't ruin the moment, they were running anyways. I stumbled as something impacted my head from behind, I'd probably have lost my footing but suddenly it pulled me backwards too by my horns. Whatever it was seemed stuck.

"Fucking demon hellbitch! Just die!" Well at least he was validating my gender even if he did want me dead…."Stupid head…"

Stupid head? Thata an odd insul- oh….the commanders head must've blocked his blow. Nice. I prepared to attempt a backwards flip to get free but suddenly the tugging stopped. I stumbled free and spun, standing over an enormous minotaur dude, was Frost. Her eyes glowed with golden light and fire enveloped her hands. "What did I say about going without me? Idiot…"

I smiled at Frost, "Nice timing, love."

I looked around, that near success on my life had emboldened the others again and they were forming ranks. Even in the distance I could see troops being redirected towards us. I guess if one is fighting an army, one needs an army. "I don't want you to have to kill anyone but try to keep them at bay. I need a moment."

I began the lengthy cast time for my new spell. Frost ignored my plea and launched bolt after bolt into the approaching combatants. She racked up a pretty impressive count by the time my spell finally cast. I felt the building energy release from my body but instead of dissipating I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as the energy permeated the air around me. A fog rose and swept through the field causing the advancing soldiers to hesitate and press closer to each other as weapons and shields raised in defense. I felt a tension pass from me that I hadn’t realized I was carrying. Shadows flitted through the fog and I heard screams start and cut off in the distance. The fog became so thick I could barely see Frost, who made her way over to me with concern in her eyes. “This is you?”

I nodded but paused in my response as I felt claws scratching along my back and a weight settled on my right shoulder. The spell should only impact my enemies… I looked over slowly at what had climbed me, suppressing a shudder as the screaming came more frequently. Nearly nose to snout with me was a ghostly face of familiar vulpine features. The flesh was burnt and the right eye was foggy as though blind, an ear was missing but there was no doubt that it was Pyria. Or an avatar of her? There was a gasp next to me.

“Pyria? Are you…” Pyria’s mouth lolled open in fox like smile and she winked before jumping off my shoulder and charging into the fog. I heard a roar of flame followed by more screaming. “How was she here?”

I shook my head, “The spell says it summons the spirits stored within the Requiem… Whatever that is. I guess we should push on to the city.”

Frost nodded and suddenly the fog dissipated. Around us spirits ran down the enemy soldiers killing them in a myriad of ways. I recognized them all to one degree or another. The woman whose body I possessed chopped down a soldier with her twin blades. A minotaur with a caved in chest ripped a soldier in half and used those halves to beat another soldier into a pulp. Others that Frost or I had slain walked amongst the fallen soldiers and hacked their bodies apart. In the distance I watched our ghostly fox friend blast a fireball at her feet launching her into the air where she landed on what appeared to be a meteor. She rode it like a horse until it impacted the ground somewhere on the other side of the village. I grabbed frost to steady both of us as the earth shook. The spell also said it empowered one spirit with the power of the Summoner, I guess I know who got that power… I nodded at Frost and we charged into the fray, she launched bolts at distant targets who sought to take us down from range while I dispatched those who got too close. We were nearly to the gate, that lay in pieces, when suddenly all of our ghostly allies froze in place before falling apart like dust blown by an unfelt wind. I grabbed Frost and ran for the gate but the enemy recovered more quickly than I would have given them credit for and we found ourselves blocked by a squad of several dozen forming multiple lines of shield walls. All around us more were rushing in to trap us. “ Ideas Frost?”

“Can you use your icicle thing?”

“Not for this many in such an open space, if they charge at once we’re fucked.”

She growled, “I told you not to do this! Fuck, watch me while I prepare something.”

Some brave or foolish souls charged us and quickly discovered they were outmatched as they dissolved. One such idiot actually screamed an old meme warcry as he ran in. I gave him the death he desired and whispered in his ear as he dissolved, “You don’t feel so good…” I’m sure he appreciated it. BEfore long magic spells were being launched, I threw down an Anti-magic Barrier that blocked about a 10-foot radius around us. It was still holding when Frost looked at me her eyes aflame with golden energy. “Drop the shield and stay behind me.”

I did as directed and waved the Barrier away. She raised her hands skyward and sunlight flooded the field nearly blinding in its purity. The sunlight seemed to pool together above us, I looked around and all eyes were on the sky. The light turned into a golden river and poured down upon Frost and streamed around her. It flowed like a liquid gold, like a river of pure light and washed over the battlefield. Unlike with my spell, there were no screams, just silence as the river washed over all of our enemies. It struck the walls of the village and they shifted with each strike as though they too would be washed away. Not one soldier escaped the stream. When it finally settled into the ground and was gone not one soldier remained standing, they all lay where they had previously stood. “Frost...what the hell was that?”

“Holy Flood. I learned it earlier.”

I stared at the casualties of her spell, “I’m sorry Frost. I… I didn’t want you to have to kill anyone else…”

She scoffed. Scoffed! “I’ve been trying to talk to you Zet! I can’t kill them.”

I looked back at all of her kills, “Uh…”

“It’s a passive, I didn’t see it until just before we got to the village. My spells only put them to sleep…”

It was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders, I had my own burden of guilt to deal with but to keep her safe I’d kill anyone I needed to. HAving that guilt removed from her was almost euphoric. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what? That at the fight club I only put them to sleep? That you killed everyone? I should have burdened you with that earlier?”

“I woul-”

“No, you wouldn’t. And you sure as fuck wouldn’t have told me if our positions were reversed. We can tackle this later. Let’s finish this?”

I nodded, “Later then.”

We ran through the gate leaving the soldiers to sleep. We had neither the time nor will to slit every single throat on that field. Inside was a nightmare. Doors were busted open, windows shattered and not a soul in sight. Sharing a grim look we pressed further into the village. It was the same everywhere, we’d taken too long to get here. In the market we found dozens of bodies including the body of a brown haired bear 3 times my size, the head was missing…

If that’s the same Bear we’d met I really didn’t feel anything about it, frankly I thought he was a dick. But...I didn’t want him dead. I guess I’m getting numb to the death? Or I’m a psychopath. Whatever. We made our way to the Purple District and heard the sounds of combat. We ran towards it and found a group of soldiers surrounding the door to a yellow striped roofed house. Eire. The soldiers seemed hesitant and one was shoved towards the door, he raised his blade and began to rush inside but a viscous and thick red liquid flew from the door and clung to his body. There was a sizzling sound and a smell that I assume was burning flesh. He screamed as it ate its way through his body before collapsing inches from his mates with a hole through his body. Not interested in such a slow burn of a fight I ran forward and sent my Glacial Spikes under the groups feet. With the group disposed of and no other enemies in sight, I yelled to Eire it was us and to not kill me.

“Zet?”

“Yeah. Are we good?”

There was a pause, “Come in slowly, hands up.”

I sighed but went with it. I ducked into the building and found Eire standing before, about twenty people holding weapons in shaky hands. Some only hands pots, pans or brooms. “Easy Eire. No need to blast lava at me too… I came back to help.”

“How do I know it’s you and not another infiltrator?” Guess I wasn’t the only one duped…

“You kicked us out, unless we’d join you and give up on clearing the game. I’m still clearing this game, I don’t care what you want.”

She lowered her hands and seemed to relax a little ,kind of an easy sell but we didn’t have a deep history to pull from. “So why are you here?”

“Scout found us, Herald. Said yall were under attack so we came back. I won’t leave anyone to die if I can do something.” She nodded with a sigh, “speaking of, he said his husband was here and he wanted to make sure he was ok.”

“Fuck.” She kicked a chair, “No he’s not ok. No one is ok! Hundreds in my care Zet! This is who I could save! 2 dozen!”

Frost walked up next to me, “What happened to the rest?”

“Taken. The didn’t just teleport outside to attack, that was ruse. They teleported inside too, I don’t even know how it shouldn’t have been possible. They took them alive, probably to have The Three execute them.”

I gave her a confused look, “The Three…?”

Rubbing her temples she explained, “Their like you. Like me. Scroll bearers. I haven’t fought so I’m weak, barely stronger than a normal player. But them, they’ve used the church to feed them kills. Only they are allowed to execute the ‘sinners’. Worse, they killed the other scroll bearers, so they make you look like a child playing at soldier.”

“Well fuck!”

“Yeah. Give me a minute, I need a favor.” She spoke with the survivors and inquired to where Herald was hiding. I gave her the information and she provided instructions to her people to find Herald and go to their backup base. Once they were gone she turned to me, “It’s only a matter of time until they get someone to give up where the kids are hidden. I need your help rescuing them.”

“I’d love to Eire but.. We can’t fight all the battles…”

“We’ll do it.” Frost delivered her line with finality and shot me a look. “I won’t leave the kids to die.”

Eire nodded contemplatively, “Thank you Frost. It’s a difficult decision. All my people or the kids. I can’t save both. We’ll need to leave immediately. Are you ready?”

I knew it was right. I knew we needed to do this but something in the pit of my stomach recoiled and said not to. But I chose to back my wife in this. I forgot the important rule. Always follow your gut…

Eire pulled out a stone and crushed it in her hand before blowing the dust into the air, causing a portal to shimmer into existence. “Then let’s save some kids, my friends…”