"Faster, faster!" The generals mercilessly drove the small group on. This time Ghost had taken the lead, Genny at his side, otherwise the escape resembled that memorable hasty departure from the former clan castle of the 656 when the 652 had attacked them in the night.


    Now, too, the attack had come quickly and unexpectedly. Behind the fleeing group, the entire 656 hive was ablaze. The fire burned meters high from the houses and the night sky was illuminated by flying sparks.


    Genny gasped beside her husband and needed his helping hand more often. He turned around from time to time to fire at potential pursuers.


    "This is such a fucking deja vu experience. This is such unbelievable shit. This can''t be happening!" Shqiperi cursed and ran, ran, ran. Zax had mutated back into a dwarf and stared back at the burning hive. "If those orcs think they can follow up again, I''ll show them what a dwarf can do! Let them come!"


    Impel buckled several times in her high heels, but bravely ran on.


    It had been such a nice evening. Together they had celebrated the merger with the newly arrived players from the 649. The eve of the last day of GW! There had been a big party at the CC with gold and presents, everyone had been relaxed and cheerful. They had even thought about how to congratulate the 652 in a nice way. And now this!


    "They''re crazy!" scolded SGH, "Just look who''s on fire! They''re all just sleeping players. It''s 2:00 am here. That''s so mean, showing up at this hour and burning our hive."


    Genny turned around with tears in her eyes. She had just been so happy to welcome her secretly beloved philosopher Vind Tr?uble Turf to her city as a new member and embrace him. And now this! Her heart was heavy. What had happened to the fun and light-hearted game at the beginning? Was this really the end?


    "It''s like back then. When we had to leave the first castle. Do you remember? It was exactly the same. Only we had the donkey with us then. Now we don''t even have the donkey," growled Big JC. "They even took it away from us! And I feel like I''m in a time warp!"


    "Is everyone there? Has anyone counted?" The group had arrived at a small hill from which they had a good view of the burning hive.


    Genny stared at the burning houses. Suddenly she began to scream. "Where is Evelyne? Where''s our lady?"


    "She must have gone to sleep," Zax said quietly, "the time... this is bedtime..."


    "You mean she''s down there in a burning house?" Genny''s voice almost cracked. "I have to go back. Let me go back. Let me fucking go!" And she tried to struggle against Ghost, who had to hold her down.


    "Can we save Evelyne with the commander skills?" asked Ghost quickly.


    "It''s no use," Barrel Seven cursed, "it won''t work on invalid faction territory. We''re cut off from the Stronghold."


    "They''re all on fire. Lady''s about to burn too. And on the last day!" shouted Genny.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    There was a crash in the bushes next to her. And then, just like a hundred years before, the Lady stumbled out of the bushes and joined the group. "I''m right here. Everything''s fine."


    Genny threw herself into her friend''s arms and would have loved to cry. But she couldn''t - no one wanted to have to hear the shout of "Cry!" at that moment. So Genny remembered to be a strong woman and refrained from crying.


    "Oh my God, I''m so incredibly happy that you''re here! You look - a bit exhausted. How did you make it out? Have you woken up?"


    The lady did indeed look quite adventurous. Her dress was partially torn at the hem, the cake bowl on her head was askew and her hands were scuffed.


    "It was a damn close call. I''m afraid it''s never been this close," she sighed, "I was still writing the latest edition of Legends. I''d just finished the chapter when it was just before 2:00 am. It was supposed to come out today. Well, it''s a chapter they''ll never get to read... Luckily I didn''t translate it as well. Otherwise I would have been late. I wanted to go to bed and put on a cake bowl first, just in case... so I opened the door and everything outside and the whole corridor was on fire."


    Zax gritted his teeth and cursed quietly.


    The lady continued: "So I quickly went back into the room and then out through the window. Unfortunately, it was on the top floor. So I let myself down on a rope... well, you can see it on my hands. It wasn''t enough to put on the combat suit. I would have needed the gloves. Never mind. Anyway, I''m abseiling down through the window and there''s some *** from the 652 down there looking up my skirt and taking photos and sending them to me cheekily! Upskirting is forbidden! What a scumbag. Really."


    The lady snorted with anger. "As soon as I got downstairs, I put the cake bowl on and then, of course, the guy was gone. As always! But I can assure you, he''ll regret it bitterly. I''m sure he''ll show these damn upskirting photos to all his buddies now and and they''ll have a great time, just like they did with the photos of Genny.. Well, it is what it is. At least I''m not on fire and I''m not significantly injured."


    She cast a thoughtful glance down into the burning hive. "But honestly, what''s happening down there, none of the people who''ve made it this far deserve it."


    "Those bastards don''t dare come after us this time," Zax grumbled, "otherwise there''d be a dwarf here to teach them respect and decency!"


    "We have to keep going," Ghost urged, taking the lead again, "Come on now, further north. There''s another safe spot there."


    Genny stayed a little behind with the others.


    Impel mourned: "Now not even my little donkey is with us. It''s worse than the first time."


    "You''re so gay if you think I''m not here," it sounded from the bushes, and the next moment the donkey broke through the branches and stood next to them. "My little donkey!" Impel cried happily and wrapped her arms around his neck as if she never wanted to let him go. "Did you really think I would leave you alone? - You can sit on my back," said the donkey graciously, "otherwise you won''t get far in these shoes."


    "Come on now!" urged the lady, "we have to get out of here!"


    "This all sucks," SGH grumbled, "the whole game sucks. Just everything."


    "It''s a rich man''s game, dear, I''ve said that before. You''re either their entourage or their victim. Why do you think we''re their preferred front? - At this point, the game is really damn close to reality."


    One by one, the first of the burned joined the group, deranged, angry and unnerved, but otherwise neither resigned nor depressed.


    "I''m not rich," Liliana intervened, "and I''m playing this anyway."


    "I''m not rich either," Uncle Dumpy grinned, "so what? I''ve been burned for the third or fourth time. Then you just rebuild. It''s just a game."


    "I''m rich," smiled Gladyus, "because I have you as a faction."


    Genny and the Lady bit their lips and looked at each other for a moment.


    "That''s the nicest thing I''ve heard all day, Gladyus. I thank you for it," the Lady then said quietly.


    "I have no more troops and no more diamonds," sang Knight Silver, "but yo - ho - ho, a bottle of rum!"


    "Good cue. We should have a beer. Or vodka. By the way, there''s a hotel further north to conquer. I''m terribly tired, but I''m going to get it," roared Zax, "who''s coming with me?"


    "Me, colleague," smiled Lady Evelyne. "I''m right behind you."


    "As always, huh?"


    "Yes. As always."


    _______________________________________________


    Genny alone formed the end of the group, which was now making slower progress. She tried to sort out her thoughts. How incredibly much had happened in this GW!


    There was a rustling in the bushes next to her and she automatically reached for her weapon. A slender figure stumbled clumsily onto the path. It was the philosopher.


    "Genny! My Genny! Has something happened to you?"


    Genny stared at Vind. "You came all this way to check on me? In the middle of the night and through the fire?"


    "Yes! I''ll go to the ends of the earth for you, you know that! And I brought the others from the 649 with me too... if you have room, we''ll join right in and help you... oh Genny..."


    He stared at her.


    In the background, the flames leapt higher than the houses had ever stood, and the farmers tried to imitate the Thunder brothers, shouting along with them, "Burn them all!"


    "Genny... I''ve only ever loved you. And I don''t give a fuck that you''re married. I don''t give a fuck who makes fun of your photos. You''re the most amazing woman on this server. You''re the most beautiful, the bravest, the most gorgeous. You''re the only one I want and have ever wanted."


    And then Vind grabbed his Genny, pulled her into his arms and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.