For The Guild (Emerilia Book 2)

by Michael Chatfield

  “What is the decision of your guild with the task of clearing out the homes of the Aleph?” Shard waved his hand, understanding that Dave would like to leave the altar and the surrounding testing equipment.

  “They are mobilizing to be here shortly. We believe that people we saved will send their guards after us to make sure that we are leaving and ambush us if we do not leave their lands. Since the Aleph substation is nearby, would it be ok if we used that to escape from them?” Dave asked.

  “You are now trying to escape the people you helped. I do not understand.” Shard looked confused as they stepped onto a tram platform, waiting for one to arrive.

  Dave explained what had happened in Selhi and how the Stone Raiders had been met with hostilities because they were different and similar in some slight way to the people who had caused so much destruction.

  Shard listened as they rode the tram, coming to the central spires of Alephir.

  The central spires met in the middle of Alephir, connecting into an X. Dave and the others had been transported to one of the four towers when they arrived. There were a dozen similar towers that held Alephir together. None of them were as large or magnificent as those in the center.

  “I find that when dealing with emotions, such as anger and greed, that organics are unable to make proper decisions. I know that in those cases, I must suspend my emotional complex in order to deal with it on an information level,” Shard said.

  “As such, I understand the need for your forces to move quickly. If they do not, then they will lack the resources they need to aid themselves in the tasks that I have set for you. I will allow for the possibility of the substation to be found out. Only if two criteria are met. Malsour is a strong Dark Dragon and there must be similarly skilled Earth Affinity people within your guild. I ask that they seal off the way that leads to the substation. I will send automatons to fix the substation’s wall, once again returning its stealth coating and allowing the substation to be hidden. I, also, ask that you help me with more of your lessons on maintenance,” Shard said.

  “I’d be more than happy to help. All you need to do is ask next time. This is a big job for anyone. I don’t know how you’ve been keeping it active for as long as you have. So, what do you need help with?” Dave asked.

  “The larger teleport pads have an issue with their runic transistors.” Shard sounded frustrated.

  “Lead the way!” Dave smiled. What the fuck are runic transistors?

  ***

  The Dark Lord’s hall started to disintegrate around him. Black flames raged around his body as he watched the dome in the floor.

  The first scene showed Hevard being cut down. The second made his flames rage higher as his suppressor Champion got his head beaten to a pulp by a dying man with batons.

  It took decades to train him up and then he went and got himself killed just because he wanted to see the strength of these Players!

  A pillar of black flames tore the hall apart. The servants in the room whimpered and cried in the face of the Dark Lord’s anger. The chained souls had given up on all attempts to make it out of the prison he called his home. He could revive them again and again to take their punishments.

  Javal was a magic suppressor, a rare outcast in Emerilia. They were usually cast out of societies early on in their lives, without the strength and mental fortitude to control their ability. They were a one-in-a-few billion rarity.

  The Dark Lord had found Javal out in a forest, a child abandoned by his family and village as he stopped any magical device from working around him.

  Magical suppressors stopped Mana from working, but it also meant they couldn’t use it. If they were wounded, they had to be patched back together with methods similar to that used on Earth. There were few people who dealt with sewing wounds up or setting bones in anything but the poorest groups in Emerilia. Spells and potions of healing were useless, as well as revival spells. They couldn’t use magically enchanted gear unless they got a high level of control over their ability.

  Javal had just reached that stage. Instead of heeding his lord’s words, he had followed Hevard and his people to fight against the Stone Raiders and prove his strength. What he’d proved was his idiocy and taken a powerful pawn away from the Dark Lord.

  “Find me Scourge. I want him to destroy everything and anything that Javal cared for or cared about him,” the Dark Lord snapped. He couldn’t take out his anger on the Champion, but he could make an example for his other Champions.

  If they do not obey, I will tear their very souls from their bodies and torment them for eternity.

  ***

  Loot had been passed off to the Exdar’s Traders; people checked out their new weapons and gear. Stats were king here; few—if any—held an attachment with their old gear, always looking for better and more powerful items.

  Some guilds looked pretty, with all of their items colored a certain way.

  The Stone Raiders looked like eccentric mutts, with all manner of clothing, from rough steel armor plate to Mithril bracers. No matter an item’s material; if it was better, it was used. Damn the looks.

  “Don’t worry—we’ll get some food into us before we start raiding,” Josh said to the group of two hundred and fifteen.

  Hearing that the guild had been attacked, a number of the members had teleported into Selhi Capital. Kim was dealing with the different groups that were hunting down the PKP. A few more deaths had already been recorded. Those who had respawned in Selhi had been quickly cut down, dying again and again before the game pushed them to a different random town to be spawned at.

  The guards had secretly promised to make sure that they didn’t let any of the PKP make it out of the Altar of Rebirth alive, to show their support for the Stone Raiders. Their magistrate might hate them and try to fleece them, but the guards had fought with them and a number of their people had been healed even if it meant that one of the Players would die.

  Looks like they will be getting their coin back soon enough, Deia thought. The Stone Raiders weren’t the only Players leaving Selhi. A few were off and hunting, but others, after hearing how the Stone Raiders were on their way out, were trying to take their place.

  Three other guilds were on their way to take over the hunt at Selhi, to show that they were better than the Stone Raiders. However, most of the E-head guilds had talked to Josh and were also on their way out.

  “Let’s go!” Josh said.

  The Stone Raiders made one hell of a sight as they moved off. There were no whoops and cheers today. Instead, they moved in formation, a scary sight to behold. Stealthy Agility types raced ahead with Deia, not bothering with the gates but leaping onto roofs to watch over the Stone Raiders, and then over the walls and into the forest.

  Those who were in the army or the guards who didn’t like them made their anger clear. A few even tried to attack them.

  The collective force of the Stone Raiders’ aura was like an oppressive force. Their killing intent was clear as people cleared out of their path and paled at their eyes. They were no longer the joking and carefree people who had entered the city. They had been made pariahs and the enemy of the nation.

  Golems and elementals moved around the Stone Raiders, with the support in the center of their formation; attack mages and tanks surrounded them. They moved quick and fast, faster than most would believe.

  “We’re clear. The force behind us is moving to follow but they will be some time,” Anna reported through voice chat. She was to the rear; Deia was ahead, leading them toward the cave that would get them access to the substation.

  “Come on, Stone Raiders. Let’s make them work for it!” Dwayne barked.

  The Stone Raiders started to sprint, eating up their distance quickly. Those of too low of a level to keep up were carried by those with extra Strength. No one was left behind.

  “Malsour?” Josh asked.

  “We’re ready,” Malsour said.

  Malsour and a party had snuck out of Selhi Capital for t
he next part of their plan.

  “We’re out of their sight,” Anna said, her voice tight with nerves.

  Deia altered her direction and took them off the main path. The Stone Raiders threaded through the trees. Earth mages started their work, healing the damage as they passed, leaving no indication of their passing as they ran through the forest.

  People filled the trees as they headed for what looked like a massive ramp into the ground. Deia stood in front of it. The trees and vegetation in the area looked as though it had been scraped back for this massive hole that the Stone Raiders rushed down. Deia circled around, looking for signs that they had been followed.

  Anna rushed past her and then Deia followed. The two of them jumped and slid down the ramp.

  Malsour and a group of Earth mages glowed as power surged around them.

  The forest that had been scraped back now moved back into position. Dirt and materials from the surrounding area filled the ramp, closing up behind Anna and Deia as they regained their feet. The rest of the Stone Raiders made their way through the small opening into the substation in quick and orderly parties.

  “So long, Selhi.” Deia followed the Stone Raiders as more dirt and rocks moved to fill in the ramp area. Deia stepped through the hole into the substation. Two worker automatons, spiders with working limbs on their top, waited like statues.

  Malsour was the last out of the ramp.

  Rock, metals, and Earth covered what had been a cave system. The Aleph automatons moved into action, putting bricks into place over the hole that remained.

  Deia moved with the Stone Raiders, who looked around in interest.

  “All right, get into order. First we’ve got a kobold camp to clear out! We might have just escaped Selhi, but now the real fight starts!”

  ***

  “What do you mean, they disappeared?” the magistrate demanded of the major who had been commanded to follow the Stone Raiders when they left and kill them if they still were within Selhi in a day.

  “We mounted up as we got word that the Stone Raiders were leaving. By the time we got to the gate, they were well in the distance. None of our scouts were fast enough to follow them. We made it out of the city, riding as hard as possible, but we could not find any sign of them. We scoured the paths and found some signs that they might have diverted. We checked it even though it was just an errant thought. No army that size could move so easily through a forest like that. The paths were well worn so we couldn’t tell that they had or hadn’t used the roads.” The major’s head bowed to the floor.

  “What about the outposts?” the magistrate asked.

  “They have been placed on alert, though having their forces following might be a better course of action. It will take us too long to catch up with them.”

  “What kind of beasts are they to run faster than a horse?” one of the advisers hissed.

  “Where the hell could they have gone?” another asked aloud.

  “There was a rumor that they had found a raid location somewhere nearby. There was supposed to be a party that had been scouting the area. They returned to the adventurer’s guild, not willing to give up the location of a possible kobold infestation as they didn’t want anyone but their guild knowing about it,” one of the advisers said, his voice grave.

  “What are you saying, Al’keem?” the magistrate asked.

  Al’keem was not a man to waste his breath on useless words. “A group of six went off and were killing level 170 kobolds. Instead of telling the adventurer’s guild, they were banned from the chapter, them and their entire guild. They have done tasks from all manner of kingdoms, and other tasks that armies would be wasted on. Their people are loyal and steadfast. They wholly risk to challenge the adventurer’s guild over a single find. The Stone Raiders are not dumb; they are people who have forsaken their home in order to live in Emerilia. They are strong and they plan ahead. They have more keys to different kingdoms, attained through hard work, than any other guild. If they allowed themselves to be banned from the adventurer’s guild, whatever they found is something impressive.”

  The magistrate felt a headache brewing as she pinched the top of her nose. “Find them, kill them and bring me their gear.” She tilted her head toward the major.

  “Yes, Magistrate!” He saluted and left the room quickly.

  Chapter 18: Time to Raid

  The Stone Raiders were tired from gaming so long. They just needed to clear out this one substation and they could rest, gather strength and prepare themselves for the challenges ahead. More than one person needed to log off afterward to go to jobs and other such Earth-related things.

  Josh rubbed his face and looked down at the kobold village. They had killed a few of the kobold scouting groups but the village was still there. They had been spending time on making defenses as their people stopped coming back from venturing into the rest of the substation.

  Large columns supported the large roof of the open area. Stairs made their way down to the teleport pads.

  The situation hadn’t changed much since the last time Josh had been there.

  “Okay, let’s head back,” Josh said.

  Deia nodded, following him. Since Dave had “died,” she’d been quiet. After some people had checked on the Stone Raiders’ “home,” she’d relaxed some. She said that she had been in contact with Dave, but Josh could tell that not seeing him in the flesh was wearing on her, as if she was running on a thin line of knowing that he was safe or dealing with the grief of his loss.

  They moved back silently. Josh and Deia headed toward Dwayne, Lucy, and Kim to come up with a battle plan. They had each gone up with a different scout so that they could get a view of what would be their battlefield.

  ***

  “Remember, if you need anything, just let me know. There’s a lot of complicated machines around this place and I don’t even know how half of them work, but I would be happy to help you in any way I can if you’re in need of it,” Dave said.

  “Thank you, Dave. Your assistance has helped me immensely. Having someone I can trust and rely on is nice. If I have any issues, I will contact you. I wish you good luck on your hunt and hope that you do not need to be respawned again,” Shard said.

  “Me too.” Dave shook his head and rubbed the back of his head.

  The teleport pad flared to life behind Dave.

  He could have used the teleport-to-party feature, but it cost a lot of gold, at one gold per mile. It would have cost Dave nearly four thousand gold to reach his party without the free teleport pads.

  “See you in a bit!” Dave walked onto the teleport pad from the large waystation on Alephir to the hidden teleport pad at the substation.

  He walked out to be greeted by a number of Stone Raiders who had been watching the teleport pad.

  “Hey! So, what did I miss?” Dave asked.

  They filled him in on the Stone Raiders’ escape from Selhi Capital and how the leaders were working out a plan to kill the kobolds in the lower levels. One of the scouts was tasked with taking Dave to meet with them.

  They talked the entire time, mostly Dave listening to get up to date on events.

  “Dave!” Deia yelled upon seeing him.

  Dave smiled as she rushed him, almost tackling him to the ground. He hugged Deia, stroking her head; he felt tears on his neck as she cried.

  “I was so scared. I know that you talked to me and all that, but I still wasn’t sure,” Deia said, her voice quiet and relieved as tension seemed to bleed off her.

  “I’m sorry, babe.” Dave felt bad about having to respawn and put Deia through all of that worry.

  “You’re going to have to get better at fighting. Dying from someone who can counteract your runes!” She hit his chest, the soft admonishment about her fear for his well-being clear.

  “I’ll do my best, teacher.” Dave smiled and kissed the side of her head.

  “Yes, you will! What skills did you work on? What were your advances in the fight? We can go from there
and use this raid to work on your other fighting styles. No more getting thrown like some kind of over-sized dart.” She looked up, clearly not happy with that maneuver.

  Dave scratched his head awkwardly. Steve waved in hello, though silently trying to get out of the room as he side-shuffled away.

  It was all Dave could do to stop himself from laughing. The walking mass of metal was growing on him. He forgot Steve and thought on Deia’s words.

  “I haven’t looked at my notifications yet. I’ll try them out.” Dave opened his notifications bar.

  “The heck were you doing all this time?” she admonished.

  “Uhh, helping Shard out.” Dave fiddled with his fingers.

  “So, you got stuck talking about different projects?”

  “Something like that.”

  Deia rolled her eyes and hugged him tight. Dave wrapped his arms around her, smiling at her happy expression.

  “Notifications.” She broke the embrace and poked him in the chest.

  “Yes, ma’am!” He smiled and opened the tab.

  Active Skill: Archery

  Level: Expert Level 3

  Effect: Critical Hit chance increases by 33%. Ranged targets take 15% increased damage

  Cost: 10 Stamina

  Active Skill: Sneak Attack

  Level: Expert Level 5

  Effect: When you are undetected in stealth, attacks will hit with 340% increased damage (Massive increased when hitting Critical area). May your aim be true.

  Cost: (Attack 50 Stamina)

  Active Skill: Stealth

  Level: Expert Level 9

  Effect: 83% chance to remain undetected (reduced in direct light).

  Cost: 5 Stamina/second

  Passive Skill: Dodge

  Level: Expert Level 6

  Effect: 75% chance to evade objects.