《World of Dominion》 I.R.L (In Real Life) After being expelled from school Deven was home sitting on his couch, scrolling through Hulu for something to watch. He already tried Amazon Prime and Netflick, so this was his last option. He wanted something to distract him from his real world problems, but he could not find anything to watch. He heard the lock in the door turn, and his mom walked into the apartment, causing his stomach to drop. He sat up and cleared his throat. His mom jumped letting out a small yelp as she grasped her breast. She squinted at him confused, the bags under her eyes dark and her hair dishevelled. She wore a black long coat over her hospital scrubs. ¡°Devan? You scared me half to death,¡± She said, taking off her coat and pocket book, placing them on the table. ¡°Is everything alright, it¡¯s almost 10 A.M., why are you home so early?¡± ¡°Mom, I got something to tell you,¡± He said, feeling nervous, though he was not sure why. ¡°I got expelled today.¡± His mom frowned. ¡°What do you mean you were expelled, what happened?¡± ¡°I got into a fight with a couple of kids.¡± Devan replied. ¡°Was this about your father again?¡± She sighed. ¡°They were calling him a crack-head!¡± Devan exclaimed. ¡°Devan, you can¡¯t keep doing this,¡± His mother said, sitting down to remove her shoes. ¡°Your father left over a month ago, he doesn''t care about us. You think he¡¯s out there fighting people for you?¡± Devan rolled his eyes. ¡°He is not gone, you just act like he is, because you never cared about him. People see him around the neighborhood all the time.¡± ¡°Yeah and he is out there stealing shit to get high,¡± She snapped. ¡°He is a drug addict, Devan. It is what it is. Your father is hopeless.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°He is not hopeless,¡± Devan replied, louder than he expected. ¡°You never gave him a chance or ever tried to help him.¡± ¡°I did, Devan, I did give him a chance,¡± She said glaring at him. ¡°He¡¯s a fucking loser.¡± Devan felt the heat rise in his face as he lost control. ¡°He¡¯s not a loser, he¡¯s sick!¡± His mother looked shocked that he would take that tone of voice with her. She looked at him slack jawed and speechless. After a moment she shook her head; looking at him sideways she reached into her pocket for a small white bottle. Devan knew what it was. It was Oxy and she would spend the rest of the night as a zombie before she had to shower and go on another shift. ¡°I know your father my whole life, Devan, he is never going to change,¡± She said as he got a glass of water to wash down her pill. ¡°You not doing yourself any favors thinking about him. He will disappoint you everytime. Now I need a drink and I need to relax, because I have been on my feet all day. You want to watch Shameless with me?¡± Devan shook his head and sighed. ¡°No Ma, I¡¯m going to my room.¡± ¡°Ok, sweetie,¡± She said as she yawned. ¡°Make sure you eat something.¡± Devan walked into his room and swung the door shut behind him. He did not even know why he was nervous to tell her what happened. She did not care about him or his education, she never did. He sat on his bed and popped open his surface pro to browse his favorite website. Deviant Art. He hoped he would find some inspiration to draw and he quickly did. After viewing some interesting looking dragons, he put on his beats, fired up his twitch account, and began working on a Naruto piece he started last week. He had been streaming his art for two years now, and just recently started gaining a following. He would average one hundred viewers, with his record being three hundred after another artist hosted his stream five months ago. He took a screenshot of that night and kept it on his desktop as motivation. He wondered why he did not go straight to his stream instead of watching television. It was a much better distraction and he had a chance to chat with people who complimented him and found his advise on drawing useful. Many of his viewers were good artist as well and that was his favorite aspect of streaming. He enjoyed seeing the art that he inspired his viewers to create. He cranked up Sunflower by Post Malone and leaned in over his surface pro, working late into the early morning, before he fell asleep at 3am. A special offer Devan woke up late the next day at about noon. His mom was working, so he had the house to himself. He made breakfast, took a shower and decided to spend the rest of the day streaming. He gained a handful of new followers and he was happy for that. Knowing how difficult it was to build his following, he tried his best to maintain consistency. Today he had a high of one hundred and ten viewers and he started a new piece that the followers voted on. As he was sketching and chatting, he received a direct message from a viewer named DomOnline112. ¡°Hello, I have been following you for sometime and I really like your art style, reminds of the style we use in our game.¡± A game designer, Deven thought to himself. Designing games was something he was mildly interested in, but he never looked into doing it as a real career, he figured no one would take him seriously as a high school student with mediocre grades. He sent back a message. ¡°Thanks man, I appreciate the support. What game do you work on, would I know it?¡± DomOnline112 replied. ¡°We just released, only been out for about a month, but our player base is growing. Its called, Dominion Online. You might have seen us advertising all over recently. You into MMO¡¯s?¡± Deven knew of the genre but he never tried it, not having much interest in role playing games. He did not want to say that to a potential follower who was involved in game development and ruin the potential friendship. Who knows what else it could lead too. Devan replied. ¡°Yes I seen it around, was curious what it was about. I spend all my time doing art so I don¡¯t really have much time for games, but I might check this one out.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. DomOnline112 replied. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear, because that''s why I messaged you. You have a lot of followers, which is really great. I was wondering if you would be interested in streaming our game?¡± Devan did not think that was a good idea. He had a specific niche and he feared such a drastic switch would cost him the following he worked so hard to obtain. He felt reluctant saying no, but he had to do what was right for his followers. He sent a reply. ¡°That sounds interesting but I stream art, I don¡¯t know if my viewers would be interested in watching me play an MMO.¡± DomOnline112 sent a reply. ¡°Hey totally understand. We would make it worth your while with a stipend if you can hit certain goals. Think about it. I will send you an email with a sign up for free access so you can try the game out. Thanks for your time.¡± Devan sent his email address, thinking it would not hurt to at least try the game out. He personally knew of some big time streamers who did MMO games and having a following like that would be amazing. He never played an MMO and he was sure people would not be interested in seeing him play like a noob. He decided he would try it off stream and make his decision then. He wished his viewers a good night and logged off to have dinner. When he returned to his computer, he saw that he received an email from Super Game productions with access to sign up and play Dominion Online. He read the email and signed up on the website. The game had a monthly subscription of $10.00, but since he was getting special access his fee was being waived with a code included in his email. Once he was done filling out the account information he began downloading the game to his desktop computer. It was a powerful rig he built himself to create art and edit videos. He had a few Dota style games, and some first person shooters, but he hardly played them. He could run everything easily on max settings so he was not worried about reading the minimum requirements before installing. He set it and forget it, heading to watch some videos on his surface pro while it downloaded and installed. Dominion Online As Devan scrolled through spotify to find something new to listen to, he looked up and saw that Dominion Online was ready to be played. He put down is surface pro and headed to the kitchen to drop off his used utensils. As he was walking out of the kitchen he got a text message from his friend Kenny. ¡°Hey bitch! Answer your fucking phone.¡± The message read. Devan typed back, even though he did not feel like talking. ¡°I¡¯m really busy, sorry. What¡¯s up?¡± Kenny shot back a quick text. ¡°You ain¡¯t doing shit. Come to Bound Park, we chilling right now. Yanny got that shit, we bout to burn one.¡± As appealing as a blunt sounded at the time, Devan did not want to leave the house. The thought of showering and getting dressed felt like a two hour bootcamp course. ¡°Nah, man go ahead, I¡¯m good,¡± Devan replied and put his phone away. He knew Kenny would protest, but he did not feel like dealing with that right now. He did not want to speak to anyone. He walked back into his room, which was dark. He sat in his comfy computer chair and the screen beamed is glaring brightness upon his face. It was the only source of light in the room and it shone like a portal leading into another dimension. He quickly read the message from the Dominion game launcher that the game was playable and clicked to log in. The screen went dark. Then a bluish light began to materialize, showing the name of the company that created the game. Super Game Productions. The screen went black again, but then a light like the entrance to a tunnel appeared. There were chains hanging from the ceiling of a wall, lined with torches. It was a cutscene. Devan quickly threw on his headset and turned up the volume. ***** The Darklord walked down the long, gloomy corridor of the ancient temple. Besides the echoing of his steps, there was also heavy boots of his two escorts before him. They were demons in black plate armor summoned from the realms of the Void. Behind him was his assistant, the warlock, Dorma, who always moved in silence. ¡°I hope you are satisfied with our progress, Lord,¡± Dorma said in his low raspy voice. He wore a large dark cloak and a hood that kept his aged face in shadow. The Darklord as well kept his face obscured, hidden under his purple hood, hiding his wise eyes, but showing a deceitful smile of pearly white teeth upon his smooth, youthful face. The bounty of the Void was endless and he secretly reaped those benefits for himself, keeping his magic a secret to the world at large. ¡°Everything goes as It was written, Droma,¡± The Darklord replied with a smile. They went up a narrow stone staircase that lead to a wide hall, with high vaulted ceilings, held up by massive ancient columns. Black chains hung silently from the surrounding darkness as a stale air blew through hallowed hall. ¡°It has been over a century since any living being has walked through the halls of the Demon Hold,¡± The Darklord said, as they stopped before a set of massive iron doors. ¡°But here I am, walking on the path of the Gods. It is only a matter of time before men reclaim what is rightfully their own. I will be the one to bring an end to the age of Dwarves and Elves. Man will reign over Dominion once more.¡± The large demon¡¯s stood at the doors and looked down at their lord with pitiless black eyes, awaiting his command. He nodded at them. The demons, each standing as tall as seven feet and built like mountains, grabbed the iron handles and began pulling the doors open. A gust of hot air greeted them, and bright orange, red and whilte light from the many fires burning within the Dologmond Mines.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The roar of demon slave drivers overwhelmed them. The slave drivers had red skin and their faces looked like lions with golden manes, and they stood on hairy goat legs swinging whips upon the backs of the dwarf and elf slaves digging out the remains of the ancient Demon Hold temple. Elves and Dwarves in chains worked at massive anvils and pits of fire, making armor and weapons for the Darklords army. They were being watched by his allies, the Insectoids, giant humanoid insects, with mandibles and multiple arms, holding jagged weapons. They were covered in hard carapace armor, that reflected the burning light from the blacksmith fires. Screams of suffering raged throughout the chasm, followed by harsh shouts for order, as the insectoids and demons forced the captured dwarves and elves to continue working. The Darklord stood on the brink of the upper Demon Hold temple, as the fires burned brightly behind him and the iron echoed throughout the cavern like the tolling of a thousand bells. He turned to face the warlock Dorma. ¡°The Dwarf King of the East and the Elf Queen of the West are doomed,¡± The Darklord shouted over the raging noise of the mine. ¡°By the time they figure out what horror lies beneath them it will be too late. I will unleash the secret weapons of the ancients and when I ascend, the world of Dominion will be mine!¡± ¡°As you will, Lord,¡± Dorma bowed. The Darklord turned to survey the mine and raised his hands in the air releasing a demonic laugh. His voice carried throughout the dark shafts, pass the massive demon warriors, over the heads of the imp patrols with fiery spears and bows, past the insectoid soldiers marching with their giant War-beetles decked in spiked armor and massive sharp mandibles, out of the depths of the mine and out into the chasm that was being dug out by slaves and built with fortified towers and walls, all manned by a massive army of insectoids marching in orderly lines, buzzing with spears held high, and above them the flying insectoid skirmishers flew over the entire chasm guarding the gorge from any intruders. And the Darklord¡¯s laugh faded into the drums of war above all the land of Dominion. A land burning with war and blood where elf and dwarf clashed in lines of battle, across hundreds of miles of untouched forest filled with mythical beast, lakes, rivers and seas teeming with humanoid fish monsters. Higher and higher into the sky across the great mysterious waste of red sand where the Orc and Goblins ruled the lush green oasis, through the storms on the mountains topped in white snow where massive giants slept, back down into green valleys filled with Halflings fighting Ratmen who marched in an endless horde out of dark, rancid swamps and humid jungles where giant spiders would spin their webs of nightmare. The rumor of the Darklords plans echoed through every part of the land, calling out to the thieving pirates of the violent bays and the twisted Boarmen that roamed the countryside in search of plunder. On and on the drums of war beat, sending the tribal call of honor through the veins of all beings. Men, a race on the decline, struggled to hold on to the small land they had in the northern reaches of Dominion. They hid in their stone white fortresses and behind their tall gray walls sealed in by mortar. Upon their vast towers they flew the banner of houses long diminished in valor, yet among them heroes sat in silence waiting for an opportunity to show their worth. A new generation of men and women felt the plight of their people and as the drums reached their minds and hearts, they answered the call to venture into the vast wilderness of Dominion to once again defend their brothers and sisters. On and on the drums beat calling out to these new adventurers offering them troves of treasure and giving them the chance to write their own stories of legendary deeds. The moon shone bright in a blackened sky as giant vampire bats fly through the clouds and the night gives way to the dawn, and the sun burst forth over the earth, over the cliffs of the highest hills and it sparkles upon the ocean like so many diamonds lit with fire, like the hope that still burned in the hearts of the people. And as the drums beat faster, and the horns of war blow; as the voices of a hundred heroes chant in unison like a choir in a temple, as the cymbals crash sending chills through the flesh; one hero can suddenly see his destiny set plainly before him as Dominion Online calls. A hero is born The Dominion Online title hovered in the center of the screen, etched in steel blue and encircled in gold and silver. The border was enclosed in the sharp edges of a dragon symbol, also in a muted golden hue. The background was a birds eye view of a lovely green land, surrounded by massive white mountains beneath a clear blue sky. Dark birds flew by dotting the distant horizon, as they floated by the sparkling ocean in the backdrop. It was a lovely image. Devan hit the mouse and a box popped up asking him to select a shard. There was a list of about twenty different shards, all with different names and the population varying from full in red script to new in green script. Assuming a new shard was for beginners, Devan selected the Broken Light shard and hit the enter world button. The next screen asked him to select his race, but there was only one option. Male or female human. He went back and forth through both options, exploring the available customizations. He had a choice of twelve different body types like small and skinny, tall and fat, or squat and muscular, with a scale allowing various looks in between. The overall art style was anime and cartoon-like, but realistic enough and Devan liked it. Between the two sexes he had a choice of forty different hairstyles, twenty skin tones, and twenty hair and eye colors. Some other additional changes included tattoos, scars and piercings. He eventually settled on a female figure that was short and cute, with green long hair and oval eyes, sporting a cream complexion. The next screen asked him to select a class and he had a total of five roles with each having two choices. He went through each role and class. Tank. SOLDIER: A frontline fighter, with high armor and health. The soldiers weapon of choice is the spear and shield; she can wear mail and plate armor. The soldier excels at blocking damage, and slowing and knocking down enemies; she is strongest when focusing her damage into one foe. WARRIOR: A frontline fighter, with high armor and health. The warriors weapon of choice is the one-handed axe and spiked shield; she can wear mail and plate armor. Warriors are experts at combat; parrying, dodging and instantly returning enemy damage. They are skilled at rooting and stunning enemies, and perform best when outnumbered. Healer. PRIEST: This mid-range healer has medium armor and medium health. The priest utilizes one-handed maces and carries tomes of power to cast a variety of holy spells. The priest can heal multiple allies, but is strongest when focusing her power into a single target. She is also adept at shutting down enemy spell-casters and curing her allies of diseases and bleeding wounds. WITCH-DOCTOR: This long-range healer has light armor and medium health. The witch-doctor uses two-handed staves to control the elements and ancestral spirits. As the spiritual beacon of her tribe, the witch-doctor is strongest at removing poison and supporting her entire party with heals, and by tapping into the power of the spirit she can control her enemies actions with various spells. Melee DPS/support. PALADIN: This close quarter skirmisher has medium armor and health. The paladin weapon of choice is the two-handed warhammer. This warrior of light uses massive blows to crush her enemies, while simultaneously creating protective barriers to reduce her parties damage taken. Though the paladin is an aggressive fighter, she excels at knocking back enemies to control the battlefield and keep her allies safe. BLOOD-KNIGHT: This close quarter skirmisher has medium armor and health. Blood-knights are experts with the two-handed sword. Tapping into the use of blood magic, these gruesome fighters slash and hack their way through enemies, while incrementally healing their party from the blood she sacrifices. She controls the flow of battle by pulling enemies toward her and placing them in precarious positions. Range DPS/assassin. RANGER: This versatile combatant has light armor and health. The ranger prefers the two-handed crossbow and daggers to do her work. This agile killer can expertly maneuver the battlefield to scout out enemy weaknesses and setup traps, eradicating her foes from range or up close with sudden burst of damage. By utilizing camouflage the ranger ensures that her party always has the upper hand. DRUID: This versatile combatant has light armor and medium health. The druid is an expert marksman with the longbow and a deadly skirmisher with fist weapons. Using their powerful connection to nature, the druid infuses her arrows with elemental power to destroy her enemies from range. Being one with the earth allows her to utilize animal companions and even combine with them to transform into a more powerful adversary. Spell casters/support. WIZARD: This scholar of the arcane arts has light armor and health. She empowers herself with wands and magical artifacts like globes and gems. The wizards powerful abilities are designed to obliterate as many enemies as possible. Being an expert in all things magic, she is also capable of defending her party against magical attacks and removing negative spell effects.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. WARLOCK: This master of the dark arts has light armor and health. She uses one-handed swords and fetishes to control the power of the void. The warlock cripples her opponent with powerful curses, while blasting them with shadow magic. She is also reckless enough to call upon nightmarish creatures of the void to assist her in battle. No foe can maintain magical enhancements once the warlock enters the battle, because she is an expert at negating such spells. Selecting a class produced a 3D image of the character in a fighting stance above the description. Using his mouse, Devan could turn the model around and view it¡¯s armor. After reading about the first class and highlighting the model a small box at the bottom read. ¡°Soldier in full tier-0 dungeon set.¡± Devan was not sure what that meant, but the armor looked nice on the character model he created. He went through each class reviewing the various tier-0 sets and then hit the back button to remake some different body types to see how the armor changed. Some looked better than others, between the female and male choices. Learning more about the classes and roles made Devan rethink his original model. He went back to the creation section and changed to male. He then picked a ranger, soldier, warlock, druid, blood-knight and then went back and changed to a female. He selected a wizard, priest, warrior, and paladin. He went back and changed back to a male, selecting witch-doctor, warrior, soldier, druid, warlock and wizard. Devan went back and forth several more times, getting more and more confused and unsure of what he really wanted to play. The many options were dazzling and felt unlimited in scope. A skinny female druid, turned into a short male priest, into a muscular tall wizard. When he glanced at his phone, he had several missed messages, but he was not interested in that, he was interested in the fact that he had been reviewing character customization for nearly forty-five minutes. Devan sighed, feeling annoyed that he could not make a decision. He hunkered down and started over, determined to finalize his character. He went with a male, that was medium in build with tan skin and short, dark hair. His character had blue eyes but then changed them to brown and sat back in his chair to review it. He liked the youthful determined look of this one, so he went forward to select his role and class. He went through the different classes, analyzing his character model in the tier-0 set. Warrior, priest, witch-doctor, druid, and warlock. He decided witch-doctor and druid did not look right for his guy. Warrior, priest, warlock, paladin, and ranger. The warlock and ranger felt too fragile to him, so he eliminated those options. Warrior, priest, paladin, blood-knight, wizard. He had the same reaction to the wizard as he did with the warlock and ranger. He decided that class would not work. Warrior, priest, paladin, blood-knight, soldier. He really liked the look of the paladin and blood-knight, and decided that the warrior and soldier were a bit much for his youthful looking character, he was not sold that a man with a face like that would be in the frontline of a battle in heavy plate armor. He decided against those two and was now down to his three favorite looks. Priest, paladin and blood-knight. These three seemed to perfectly fit his characters body type and look. Determination always came to mind, it was the look in the eyes. After looking closely at all three, he removed the blood-knight as a class he would play. The blood-knight seemed too dark for his characters taste. He had a serious, determined expression, and that did not jive with the blood-knights emo, gothic aura. Determination. This word perfectly fit his characters eyes and the feel of both the priest and paladin. Devan noticed that both of these classes had lighter colored armor; a mix of white and silver, with gold trim. They both used hammers, which he liked. The hammer reminded him of justice and solidarity; of strength. The paladin was essentially a warrior of the light, taking the fight to the forces of evil. His priority was the destruction of his enemies, and protecting his allies seemed important but secondary. The priest was a healer who would heal and cure his allies illnesses. His priority was his party, dedicating his power to keeping them safe, keeping them clean of all the foul things in the world. This suddenly resonated with Devan. He was not an aggressive person, he thought as he swung idly in his chair from side to side. If he felt anything at all, it was a profound hopelessness and sadness. He felt abandoned. As he stared at the priest on the screen before him, glowing in yellow light, it reminded him of the sun. Everyone gravitated toward the light and they were better for it when they did. What if he could be that beacon, like the priest on the screen. What if he could cleanse his family of their diseases. If for one moment he could truly be a hero would he be the paladin or priest? He realized then that he would not want to fight, he never did. He realized that he was not an angry person, but a person who just wanted everyone around him to be happy and healthy, even though most times he felt a profound sadness in his heart. Shyly he raised his eyes, unsure why he suddenly felt awkward and he stared at the priest. He looked deeply at the character before him and everything around him receded into nothing and all he could see was that face, lightly shadowed beneath a pure white hood, trimmed in golden runes. That was who he was. He was always the priest. Devan blinked and looked away, snorting audibly. ¡°The fuck are you doing,¡± he muttered to himself with a forced smile. Without looking or thinking about it, he quickly grabbed his mouse and clicked ¡°next¡±. His character reverted to its normal state without the tier-0 armor. He wore a simple off white smock over linen pants and black sandals. He had a brown rope tied around his waist with several small pouches and a smooth, wooden club in his right hand. There was a highlighted box at the bottom of the screen requesting a name. That should be easy Devan thought as he typed his name in and got an error message that it was already taken. He tried another name going with, Holydiver. Rejected. He tried, Holyrider. Rejected. Holydriver? Rejected. Hammertime. Rejected. Goldenangel. Rejected. Gofuckyourself. Approved. He deleted that last one out of frustration. He leaned back thinking. He truly wanted to embody this character he created because he put a lot of thought into it. He looked at his phone again and it was coming up on an hour since he pressed play, and yet he was not playing yet. ¡°This shit is cray,¡± Devan whispered. He leaned forward and tried a different take on his name. Dehvan. Rejected. He tried changing a single letter. Dehven. Accepted. ¡°Yes!¡± he exclaimed feeling a jolt of excitement like he overcame a momentus challenge. The next selection was ¡°Enter World¡±. Devan nodded his head, satisfied with what he had accomplished and decided to grab a snack and a drink before he started playing. He went into the kitchen for a pop-tart and a glass of pepsi. He returned to his room lit by the lights of the game and took a bite and sip of his drink. He tucked his right leg up beneath him in his chair and pressed, ¡°Enter World.¡± The adventure begins Rumors spread throughout the northern kingdom of Langley, that the war between the Dwarves and Elves is bleeding beyond the borders of the Wilderland. Langley, believed to be safely insulated from the dangers of the outside world, is now a target for bandits from far away realms. There is chatter in every village and every inn that the woodlands are no longer safe, and one cannot travel through their own homeland alone without fear of being attacked. In a world where a man could leave his door unlocked through the night, the very idea of such a thing is stated to be suicidal. ¡°One can never know what creeps in the night,¡± The elders now say. The spirit of the people slowly dwindles as the years go by and a shadow falls over the land, like a soft veil resting upon the body of one lost to the spirit lands, preparing to be sent down the river to meet their ancestors. Dehven, a young man from a small village cannot standby any longer as he sees the world he once knew, diminish in happiness and security. Like so many women and men his age, he feels helpless, yet he cannot wait for answers and he refuses to fall victim to a nameless fear. There are many questions that need to be answered, and he will not find the answer remaining in his quiet little village on the edge of a sparkling lake in the woods. With a heavy heart he must leave the home he loves and venture to the Whitehall Abby to seek answers and most importantly, direction. What can one person in such a big world do to return happiness to his people? Where must he go to learn of what is happening in the world to ensure that his kin are safe? As Dehven prepares for his journey to the Abby, there was no way that he could know this decision would ultimately change the fate of his life and the entire world. ***** Dehven stood among the pews in the church surveying his surroundings. He was not sure, but it seemed that something big was happening since there were so many people running through the small hall. The seats were made of polished wood and the walls of a clean white stone. The ceiling was high, with wooden cross-beams and it was all lit by several large candles placed throughout the chamber. It was an overwhelming scene to say the least. Dehven was not sure what he should be doing. He looked out of the tall windows along the walls and saw that it was twilight outside. All the people running past him were dressed in various distinct clothing. Their were dark red robes, off white cloaks and some wore brown woolen shirts tucked into dark leather pants. His wooden club hung from the slender rope tied around his waist, along with the various small pouches at his sides. He reached down to one of the pouches, a little red one, when he was distracted by a shout. ¡°Hello there, adventurer. Have you just arrived? What luck, I could use your help, hurry over.¡± It was a tall black man in a white robe, tied about his waist with a golden rope. He had a bald head and clean shaved face, with bright welcoming eyes. He motioned Dehven to come over. The man was surrounded by several other people, but Dehven made his way through and stood before him. The man placed a hand upon the large book he was holding and smiled down at Dehven. ¡°Excellent, you are just in time! My name is, Brother Modane, I am the master of this Chapel. Everything in the last few days has been happening so fast it is hard to keep track of it all. I assume you are here for the same reason as everyone else. You are seeking answers to all the things happening around our little realm. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I may not have the answers you seek. However, I am in need of able bodied folk. If you could be a good lad, take this list to Brother Marcellus in the garden. A request for goods was made from the village of, Haylane. They have not received their usual trade goods from the city in a few days, and we believe some devilry is at play. In any case we must do our best to help them. I would take it myself, but as you can see I am kept very busy here greeting all the newcomers from the surrounding villages. Hurry back will you?¡± Brother Modane turned away from him to address another person. Dehven walked down the aisle not sure of where he should go. He saw that there was a large double door leading to the outside so he headed that way and stood on the steps looking about. There had to be hundreds of people running about outside all occupied with different tasks. He had no clue what was going on. He reached down to that red pouch that first get his attention and opened it to find a scroll. When he opened it he saw a sheet with various runes of information. It had his name and a list of attributes below them that did not make much sense to him. ¡°What is this like my I.D?¡± Dehven said as he tried to make sense of the sheet. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± A voice said and Dehven spun around to find a woman with short black hair, freckles and a bright white smile looking at him. She wore a light blue dress with soft brown slippers. She had one hand on her hip and the other idly swung a crooked little twig at her side. ¡°I...I am not sure,¡± Dehven said. ¡°I just got here and this guy asked me to take a note to this other dude¨C¡± ¡°Oh you just got here,¡± She said interrupting him. ¡°You are on the Marcellus quest, ok come on me too, let''s do it.¡± She ran past him and made her way toward the back of the chapel. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s this way.¡± She called back and Dehven took off after her. ¡°He is right here,¡± She said as she ran up to a frantic looking man surrounded by nearly thirty different people. Dehven could relate. If he was surrounded by that many people he would freak out as well. ¡°Hello you! Help me!¡± Marcellus shouted at Dehven, sending a jolt of urgency through him. He dashed forward. ¡°Oh thank you for coming, there are Ratmen about and the sniveling little thieves are plundering my stores. Stop them before they take everything! They are in the shed!¡± Dehven ran forward and looked inside the shed and it was nothing but chaos. People were chasing these little humanoid rat looking things all over the place and clubbing them over their heads then grabbing items off the fallen bodies. ¡°It¡¯s nuts in there,¡± The strange woman said to him. ¡°Come on, follow me around this way.¡± ¡°But what about helping this guy?¡± Dehven said confused. ¡°We need to get in the shed or whatever.¡± ¡°No way, it¡¯s crazy in there,¡± She replied. ¡°People don¡¯t know that you can complete the quest out back as well. There are a ton of Ratmen in the garden plundering as well. Come I¡¯ll show you, I¡¯ve done this a thousand times already.¡± A thousand times, Dehven thought to himself. That was insane, but he listened and followed because she obviously knew what she was doing. In the back of the shed the little Ratmen were grabbing vegetables out of the garden. They were small and round in body, wearing what looked like dirt little vest, which might have been red at one point. They would have been cut if not for their sniveling and evil beady eyes. They had point tall ears and messy whiskers protruded from their faces. As Dehven watched, the strange woman raised her hand and started waving her twig around, only it was not a twig but a magical wand and a little purple orb appeared and in a matter of seconds it went flying at the first Ratman standing a few yards in front of them. The orb struck the Ratman in a burst of light and sparks. The ugly little creature yelled and charged at her with claws drawn. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± The woman said laughing, warming up another strike. ¡°Get in there, lets get¡¯em.¡± ¡°Oh ok, yeah going in,¡± Dehven said and he rushed forward pulling out his club. He stood between the woman and the Ratman as the creature was blasted with another orb of magic. Dehven swung his club and clocked the monster over its head knocking it dead to the ground. The woman ran up and grabbed a carrot from the Ratman and stuffed it in a brown pouch at her waist. ¡°Come on, loot him and keep going,¡± she said. ¡°Have you never done this before?¡± ¡°No, this is actually my first time,¡± Dehven said. ¡°Oh, ok well just kill them and loot them for the vegetables, once we have enough, about ten pieces each we can return to Marcellus.¡± Dehven nodded and continued, following the woman as she sent magic flying at the Ratmen. He ran in and swung his club, which missed most times, but would connect with a satisfying clunk noise. ¡°It would go faster if you used smite,¡± The woman said. ¡°Smite? What¡¯s that?¡± He asked confused. ¡°Smite, your first spell silly check your inventory,¡± She replied and seeing Dehven fumble around at his belt she rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the brown pouch.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Dehven said and reached inside. He had a carrot, a smooth black stone and a single parchment. He pulled out the paper written with strange runes that he found he could read clearly. Smite: strike your enemies with a shot of holy power. 10-14 damage. 1.5sec cast. Cost 10 mana. Dehven held the parchment in his hand and focused on a Ratman. His club glowed in a soft yellow hue, like the soft light of his cell phone screen and he swung the weapon in a small circular motion, causing the club to burn brighter. He pointed his club at the Ratman who was struck with a white light upon its head. The little monster yelped and turned to charge, baring its fangs and claws, but a few more smites and a magical orb quickly took it down. ¡°There you go, much more damage!¡± The woman shouted and she looted the Ratman and kept going. Dehven stood next to her shooting off his smite ability. With each of them casting spells they killed the Ratmen in two hits. Before long they were done collecting enough vegetables. They ran back side by side to Marcellus. ¡°Thanks for helping me out,¡± Dehven said to the woman. ¡°No problem, man, my names Nevaeh by the way,¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s heaven spelled backwards, I always use that name.¡± ¡°What did you mean earlier when you said you done this a 1000 times?¡± Dehven asked. ¡°Well before I pick what class I want to be, I try them all first,¡± She said. ¡°I think Wizard is the one for me to be honest.¡± Dehven realized that was the obvious answer to his earlier problem when he was trying to pick which class to play. So far he was happy with his decision to be a priest, it had a nice feel and flow to it. They came to Marcellus and he looked genuinely grateful for receiving the goods from them. Marcellus clapped his hands together and smiled. ¡°Thank you so much for getting these back! I don¡¯t know what I would have done without your help. Here you can take it back to Brother Modane, and a gift for your troubles!¡± Dehven received a pair of soft gloves and upon them in runes written in white ink it said, ¡°Garden Gloves¡±. He saw that Nevaeh put on her pair, so he threw on the little linen gloves and followed her back toward the front. On the way back they bumped into a woman they did not see before. She waved Dehven down. ¡°Greetings, you are a new arrival? Did you come from Haylane? I was expecting Brother Sinclaire some days ago but he never showed. He was returning with books from the capital. I pray he is ok, but with all that is going on, one can never be too sure. If I could get any rumor of what has become of him I would be most grateful. Let me know if you hear anything.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°This one is on the way to the next quest we get from Modane,¡± Nevaeh said as she went back into the chapel. Dehven noticed that the crowd of people had become a little less and he was happy for it. He assumed they were all off doing some quest like he and Naveah were just doing. Before stepping into the chapel he looked surveyed the area a little closer. They were surrounded by thick green forest, and a single dirt road led from the front yard of the chapel and disappeared into the darkness of the trees some yards away. The sky was clear and Dehven admired the bright stars shining above, but there was no moon to be seen. Just outside the edge of the woods he spotted a stone wall, but most of it was shrouded by the trees and shadows. He ran into the chapel and it looked like Modane was expecting his return. ¡°The news regarding the Ratmen is disturbing. We are warded against such beings entering this place. They must have found a breach in the walls. Investigate the outer walls and make sure everything is secure, once done report back to me. Here, take this as a reward for helping the order, we greatly appreciate your service and are proud to name you a priest of the brotherhood.¡± Dehven received a robe that was similar in fashion to what Modane was wearing. He put it on over his current shirt and pants, tying the brown belt over his robe, along with his little bags. He looked over and saw that Nevaeh had changed her robe as well. The one she was now wearing was dark purple and sleeveless, revealing a large colorful tattoo on her right arm. ¡°We just need to check three areas and we will eventually find the missing guy as well,¡± Nevaeh said. ¡°Come this way.¡± They ran out of the chapel into the night, heading around to the left past the trees. They came across some more Ratmen and blasted them quickly with their magic spells. They moved to the second location and met the same resistance, several Ratmen gathering round, looting and hiding. As Dehven began shooting off his smite, he was suddenly overwhelmed and unable to fire his ability. He was completely drained. He went forward and attacked with his club as he felt his energy slowly replenish. With rest he would be able to cast again. He made a note to be mindful not to over do it. He decided a mix of a couple cast and then a strike with his mace would be sufficient to take out the pesky Ratmen. ¡°We are here,¡± Nevaeh said, as they came to the third section of wall. There was a hole in the wall and several books were scattered on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s clear these little rodents out and then go into the breach. The man delivering the books is on the other side.¡± Dehven went forward and blasted a Ratmen before him with two consecutive smites, burning the squat little creature down. Nevaeh ran past him throwing orbs of magic at the others. When they had cleared the way, they ducked and entered into the hole. They found themselves on the other side of the wall in the woods. They followed a narrow dirt path that led them to a fallen cart. A man lay upon it breathing softly, blood running down his face. They knelt next to him. He looked up at Dehven and sighed. ¡°I was ambushed on my way to the chapel. They came out of nowhere. You must warn the others. They are everywhere, the Ratmen are invading our forest! Haylane must be prepared for an attack, now go before its too¡­¡± His head slumped and he did not move anymore. Dehven realized that the stakes were very real for the people in this world. He spent the last few minutes dispatching monsters, but this was the first human he had seen die. He wanted to find some more of the little bastards before they did anymore damage. He assumed Haylane village was their next destination. ¡°Grab a book,¡± Nevaeh instructed. ¡°We need to return evidence to the woman and then talk to Modane.¡± Dehven nodded and picked up a leather bound book laying in the man''s lap. He nodded farewell to the man and returned to the chapel. They approached the woman and gave her the news of her friend. ¡°Oh no! What a terrible tragedy, he never hurt anyone! We must do something about these filthy little creatures, I pray you can help. Please take this, I made it for him, but he would want someone brave like yourself to have it.¡± Dehven received a small brown cloak and the inside had magical rune words that glowed in green ink. Traveler''s Cloak 5 armor +1 spirit ¡°May the light guide you, where ever you go.¡± Dehven put on the cloak, holding and flaring it out around him. It was his first magical item and he felt a great feeling of accomplishment for having it. Naveah stood next to him with a similar cloak. She reached into her red pouch and pulled out a small book and began reading. Dehven looked down at his own pouch and also found a little book with runes inside that he could read. He found spirit was listed and reviewed the information before him. Spirit increased the potency of healing spells for priest and witch-doctors, and it helped with mana regeneration. Interesting he thought, as he read through the book. There was another statistic referring to Intellect. This particular power increased the damage of magical abilities and critical chance of all spells. Evidently these magical properties were good for priest and he made a note to look a little further into it when he had a chance. Navaeh put her book away and continued on to Modane. When Dehven approached Brother Modane he had a grave look on his face. ¡°This is disturbing news indeed. Ratmen invading our lands, who would think such a thing possible. The creatures have always been devious little rascals, but they have never been organized in such a fashion. I suspect there is more to this that we do not know. We cannot keep this information to ourselves, Haylane must be warned immediately. If they are caught unprepared the results could be devastating! Hurry to Haylane and report to Marshall Thiar, he will know what to do. I suspect trying times are ahead and you might be needed more than ever. Take this tome and spell, I am confident it will come into use in the following days.¡± Mordane handed Dehven a white tome, about the size of a small diary. Dehven opened it and found that only one page out of the many inside had any runes upon it. He read the first page. Healing Touch: The priest uses holy power to heal allies for 50-75. 2sec cast. Cost 20 mana. ¡°Oh I got my first off-hand item,¡± Navaeh exclaimed. She held up a small purple gem about the size of a fist in her hand. It glowed with an inner light and had sharp edges like it was just plucked out of the ground and uncut by a professional. ¡°Me too, but it''s a book,¡± Dehven replied. ¡°I can heal people now.¡± ¡°Very cool, try it on me,¡± Navaeh said. Dehven faced her and held the book open to the heal spell. He held his club forward and as he felt the runes on the page coming to life through him, he raised the club directly into the air and a quick burst of yellow light went over Navaeh. ¡°Very nice,¡± she said. ¡°No better person to party with than a priest!¡± ¡°Does your gem come with a new spell?¡± Dehven asked. ¡°Oh does it? Come on, check this out,¡± Navaeh said and she ran out of the chapel down the dirt path leading to the front gate. They ran outside and not too far down the road, they came across several small wolves stalking in the dark. ¡°Run in and tag those three wolves out there,¡± She said to Dehven. He turned and looked at the pack of wolves stalking in the shadows. The beast had scraggly black coats and red eyes. They did not look like the kind of beast he wanted to mess with, especially three at a time. ¡°Not sure that¡¯s such a good idea,¡± Dehven said. ¡°It will be fine, you can heal now remember!¡± She said excitedly and raised her wand sending a white bolt at one of the wolves. The animal yelped and charged, she proceeded to strike each of the other beast. Dehven saw the monsters running at her and he warmed up his smite attack. As he shot at the first wolf his spell failed in a flash of orange light and the wolf began biting him. Nevaeh ran around him, leading the other two into the first. ¡°Ok watch this!¡± she shouted and pointed her wand at the first wolf. A blue light, like a laser pointer connected to the wolf and its fur began glow. A few seconds later the wolf began erupting in small bursts of magic, hitting the other two wolves next to it. They all turned and charged Navaeh as she continued channeling the laser into them. They bit and snapped at her, knocking her back, but she kept up her spell. ¡°Quick heal me!¡± she shouted. ¡°Oh right!¡± Dehven reached out and cast his heal spell. The red bruises all over Navaeh instantly vanished and she stood refreshed as she continued to cast into the wolves. The three beast all cried out as they fell dead at her feet. She reached down and took items off of each of them and put it into her bag. ¡°That was pretty amazing, but what are you doing to them?¡± Dehven asked, disgusted at the sight of her grabbing small pieces of the bodies. ¡°Some of this stuff is valuable, we can sell it in Haylane,¡± She replied. ¡°Thanks for the heal by the way, they almost had me. That will come in handy.¡± ¡°So will that laser thing,¡± Dehven said genuinely impressed. ¡°Were you attacking all of them at once?¡± ¡°Yeah I was,¡± She replied. ¡°It¡¯s called arcane strike! I channel the ability into an enemy and it does area damage to all enemies within range, pretty neat right?¡± ¡°Yeah it is,¡± Dehven replied. ¡°It will be good for AoE grinding later on I think, unless I get something stronger,¡± Dehven had idea what she was talking about, but he simply agreed. There were many things he needed to catch up on and he was already thinking of doing some more research into his priest powers and the world at large. ¡°Ok so we are off to Haylane,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°What do you think so far?¡± ¡°I like it so far,¡± Dehven said. ¡°I really like this cloak, looks pretty cool on me, and these spells are cool too. I want to see what else I can do.¡± Navaeh laughed and jumped up. ¡°Great! So let¡¯s keep going then toward Haylane. We can kill some stuff on the way their to get more combat experience. That''s how you get stronger and gain access to new skills. Come on you¡¯ll see.¡± They continued through the dark forest, with sounds of insects and night birds echoing through the night. Navaeh lead them off the path into the forest and they did battle with some more wolves. With Navaeh¡¯s new skills they were making quick work of the beast. Dehven would run in and gather them all up, and Navaeh would burn them down with her arcane strike ability. Dehven picked up what he could from the bodies. He mainly collected scraps of singed fur, tales, paws, and sharp fangs. As they were cleaning up another set of wolves, Dehven reached down and picked up a twisted twig. As he inspected it, he saw green runes flash on the side. Imp finger Arcane damage wand (7-12 dmg) 1.50 attack speed. ¡°What''s that?¡± Navaeh asked. ¡°It¡¯s called Imp finger, a wand,¡± Dehven said as he showed it to her. ¡°Oh man, that is pretty good,¡± She exclaimed. ¡°I bet you can get a lot of money for that in town.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Dehven said as he looked at the weapon. He remembered that wizards use wands, and turned to Navaeh. ¡°Hey, you want this? Can you use it?¡± ¡°Oh man really, are you sure?¡± She asked excitedly. ¡°Of course, go for it,¡± Dehven handed the wand over and Navaeh tossed her old one into her pouch. ¡°Come on, let''s find a wolf, I want to try this out,¡± She said as she continued on. Dehven followed behind her and they quickly found two wolves. Navaeh attacked with her wand, and a purple ball of light floated swiftly toward the creature and blasted it with a small puff of dazzling magic. The wolves snarled and attacked. ¡°Oh that did good damage,¡± Navaeh said and continued to finish off the wolves. Dehven felt really good giving her the wand, it was something that she could use and she seemed extremely happy about it. He began to think of what other possible things he could do in this world for others, besides giving items and healing them. Both of those seemed pretty good, but as a priest he had to strive to do more for people. He suddenly felt awkward thinking in those terms, but he resisted that feeling and decided to enjoy the immersion he was experiencing. The world was truly large and inspiring. He was tramping through the woods in the middle of the night battling wild wolves and collecting weird little items that he was going to sell in a new village he was about to discover. He wondered about this village, Haylane and what he would find there. He could not remember when he had felt this curious about anything. They left the forest and went back to the road. As they were walking they came across two guards in plate armor, carrying round shields and swords in their belts. Dehven felt reluctant at first, coming upon these intimidating warriors in the dark of the woods, but Navaeh simply ran past them waving. As Dehven walked past they hailed him. ¡°Evening priest, the Blackwood Inn is just down the road,¡± the female guard said with a smile as he walked by. Dehven nodded and kept going. She had referred to him as a priest. That felt good, he was a real priest in Dominion. He could heal and smite enemies, and he carried a club with a magical cape. He smiled to himself, satisfied with his journey so far. They came around a bend and saw a stone bridge with torches burning brightly over the road. Dehven saw several buildings with lights and people walking about. They had arrived outside of the village of Haylane. The soldier and other quest Haylane village glowed with a golden hue of warm light from the windows of several buildings. The main buildings were situated around a fairly large town center made of cobblestones, with a lovely tree that was overgrown with wide green and purple leaves. It grew within a pool of dark water enclosed by red bricks, decorated with pretty flowers of various colors. As Dehven and Navaeh crossed the short stone bridge, they paused in the town center to get their bearings. To the left was the Haylane Inn and across from it a little ways down was the stables; and straight ahead was the blacksmith. Haylane served as a halfway point for soldiers being stationed throughout the region to defend the kings borders. It was a small, peaceful village where folk made a living farming and fishing from the nearby river deeper within the forest. ¡°We are in Haylane,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°What do you want to do first?¡± ¡°I suppose continue to Marshall Thiar,¡± Dehven said. ¡°We need to inform them of the impending attack.¡± ¡°Ok sounds good,¡± Navaeh replied. ¡°We can report to him first and then visit with some of the other town folk, they should have tasks that need doing.¡± Dehven followed Naveah toward the Inn. Inside they found Marshall Thiar standing at the bar in his military uniform. He was a handsome young man, with short brown hair and a clean shaved face. He wore a form fitting linen shirt with an emblem of the crown upon his right breast. He wore his necklace with his pendent indicating he was a marshall, and he wore black riding trousers tucked into tall leather boots. Dehven walked up to him and the marshall turned to him. ¡°Greetings priest, I hear that the Ratmen have attacked Whitehall. You did well defending the Chapel and it¡¯s resources, it seems the Ratmen are after our goods. Typical rats. I am uncertain of the numbers we are dealing with, but with all the reports coming from all corners of the region I believe it must be a concentrated attack. I sent out some scouts to investigate sightings near the river but I have not heard back from them. If it''s not too much trouble, could you search for them near the rivers edge? It is important that I receive that scouting report as soon as possible, the throne is expecting an answer from me regarding these matters.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Dehven said. ¡°Navaeh are you ready to go?¡± ¡°Nope, not yet,¡± She replied. ¡°Follow me to the blacksmith and then the stables.¡± They ran out the Inn and hurried over to the blacksmith. A tall, burly woman with a soot covered face and a red scarf around her neck stood out front with her powerful arms folded across her chest. She wore a heavy leather apron and thick black boots. She unfolded her arms as Dehven approached and addressed him directly. ¡°Greetings priest, it is good to see someone from the order showing face. I was never one to believe in the mysteries of the spirit world, but with the way things are going these days we might need all the prayers we can get. Speaking of prayers, I just may need one myself. My brother went off some time ago to the Durgen mines south of here, to check on our supplies and men, only he should have been back already. I fear the worse. With all the rumors of these filthy Ratmen running around plundering our lands, I am sure they might also try to get their nasty little fingers on our precious metals as well. I just hope that hard headed buffoon is alright. I would give anything just to know my brother was safe.¡± ¡°This is on our way to the guards,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°We can check in on the mines and locate her brother. Let¡¯s visit the stables.¡± On the way to the stables they were hailed by an old man standing in the town center. He flagged Dehven down and he ran over. ¡°Hello, fancy seeing a priest here. I assume you are on and about trying to keep the folks spirits up, good on you and the order. I was wondering if you are not too busy you could maybe check in on my good friend, Orlana and her girls, they have a farm over to the east of Haylane. I worry because they are alone and the man of the house, Mr. Duddin is off on the Wilderland borders. Someone should look out for them in these dark times.¡± ¡°Good catch,¡± Navaeh said as she stood next to Dehven. ¡°I never noticed him before.¡± They continued on toward the stables where they found a young boy and two men standing about speaking with one another. One man, with overalls and a balding head stepped forward to speak with Dehven. ¡°Oy, priest you come bringing prayers? Then you best pray for the one that spawned those oversized rats. I was minding my own business down by the river you see, just fishing up some dinner when out of nowhere them stinking rat bastards jumped me. I just made it out with my life! As I run off cursing them back to hell, I saw them fiddling with my fishing gear, getting their dirty little paws all over my bait. I tell you what, if I did not have this busted knee I would head back out there with my spade, clobber them and then bury¡¯em so deep not even the worms would find them! That fishing pole and bait is mighty precious to me, pray I find a way to get them back from those dirty Ratmen.¡± ¡°It looks like we have a lot of things to do,¡± Dehven commented. ¡°Yeah we do, so let''s get started,¡± Navaeh replied. ¡°We can sell our junk on the way out of town, follow me.¡± They headed south and stopped at a merchant who had a small cart. He had a little lamp hanging from the top with bright insects like fireflies buzzing around inside to give light. He took all the wolf parts and other random scraps from them in exchange for a little bit of copper. Dehven wondered what he could possibly use money for in this world and it was yet another subject he made a point to research. They jogged through the forest, beneath the shadow of the trees and the light of the stars. They came across several wolves, but easily dispatched them. Dehven began to hear the sound of water as they continued forward and they soon saw the stream. On the bank were small groups of Ratmen and they looked different from the ones they faced at the chapel. These Ratmen wore leather armor in black and brown, in a patchwork of stitches. They carried little bows and daggers on their hips. Among the Ratmen archers were large ones with broad bodies, also wearing the same worn looking gear, but they carried large axes, and wore leather caps over their flat, wide heads. ¡°They look to be patrolling the banks of the river,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°They also look meaner than the first Ratmen,¡± Dehven added. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we can simply just blew through these.¡± ¡°No we can¡¯t,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°We need to pull them back carefully to avoid getting overwhelmed. I will attack first and then lets fall back and let them come at us. We can use the trees for cover from the arrows. That should draw them in.¡± Dehven nodded and stood back as Naveah charge up her spell at the nearest Ratman. She struck one of the large brutes carrying an ax and then fled back. The Ratman growled and the two little archers at is side aimed and started to fire. Their shorts fell short, but the brute rumbled forward with his jagged ax at the ready. Dehven shot it with smite, and though the Ratman felt the impact he keep his forward momentum. Throwing another attack, Dehven raised his club to fight as the Ratman closed the gap. The first hit sent Dehven rocking backwards. He countered with a strike of his own and kepting attacking until the Ratman brute was overcome by his strikes and Navaehs magic. Arrows struck him several times and he felt himself getting weak. He quickly healed and charged one last smite before closing the gap again. The little Ratmen archers shot and ran away, stopping to shoot every few steps. Using her wand, Navaeh finished off one of the archers and Dehven popped another over the head with his club. He took a lot more damage than before and had to heal up again. ¡°I can¡¯t cast anything,¡± Dehven said. ¡°My energy is drained.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Give it time, it will regenerate,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°But we should have purchased some Mana potions before leaving town.¡± ¡°Is that what the money is good for?¡± Dehven asked. ¡°What else can we buy?¡± ¡°You can get all sorts of things,¡± Navaeh said. ¡°You can buy gear, potions, materials for crafting, trinkets.¡± It was so strange to be learning, but feeling dumber each time. New words were coming up, like crafting and it only increased his curiosity more and more. He almost wanted to stop playing and read up on the game before going forward. Yet, there were many tasks that still needed doing, he could not stop now. They pushed on down the bank of the river, battling small scouting groups of Ratmen along the way. He came across a fishing rod from one of the bodies and Naveah collected some bait. After defeating some more Ratmen, they eventually found all the fishermans items. By this time, they could see the mine off beyond the trees across the river. They forded the river and pushed onward. As they came toward the mine, they saw a group of men hiding behind some bags and barrels. One was a tall man with broad shoulders and a head of blonde hair, wearing black overalls. He had two smaller men with him, hiding and holding bows aimed at the pit in front of them. As Dehven walked up the blond man turned to address him. ¡°Greetings priest, I am Ornin. My sister sent me to collect whatever we dug up for the day. When I arrived, these thieving Ratmen had already overrun the mine. Even now they plunder our hard earn ore. Do me a favor, will you? Help us clear out this Ratman menace and I promise I will make it worth your while. I am sure the order is always looking for donations, yes?¡± Dehven looked over the barrels at the pit below. There were several of the archers and brutes already dead on the ground. As he watched, a Ratman came running out of the mine entrance with a bag over his shoulder. Suddenly there was a roar and what sounded like a rush of air and a figure dashed out of the mine in a blur of speed, knocking into the fleeing Ratman archer. Dehven heard a resounding crunch sound as the Ratman was struck down with a large spear. A man stood above the body with a long wooden spear and a shield that looked like a missing piece of a wide wooden fence. He had long black hair in a pony tail, and pale white skin. He picked up an item from the corpse and turned raising his shield and spear as a gang of Ratmen came flooding out of the mine. ¡°Quick lets help him!¡± Dehven shouted at Navaeh. She nodded and they both sprung into action as the man with the spear was getting overrun. Dehven heard him crying out as the Ratmen pressed him, striking him with blow after blow. The man spun about to run but when he saw Dehven and Naveah he grinned brightly and turned back to fight. ¡°Toss me a heal priest!¡± The man shouted and he stood his ground with his shield up, stabbing with his wooden spear. Dehven tossed him a heal and the man stood tall as he confidently took on the Ratmen that were chasing him. Besides the arrows flowing at them, the brutes swing large axes as well, striking the wooden shield with a resounding boom. Navaeh charge up her Arcane strike as the Ratmen brutes piled on the man. Dehven closed in and began striking them from behind with his club. Several arrows struck Dehven and the adventurer with the shield. ¡°Get those archers,¡± The man ordered. ¡°They have lower HP and armor, they will go down fast!¡± The man dashed forward again like the flash and ended up in the midst of the archers, as if he teleported to them. He instantly struck with his spear and it was booming sound like nothing Dehven had heard before. There was a quick flash, the Ratman cried out and fell dead. Dehven was impressed by the attack and he assumed he must be some sort of special attack. The man stood among the Ratmen and leaped up and spun in the air with a sweeping attack that struck all of them. The Ratmen tried running away from him, but they were limping so slowly that they gave up trying to escape and began to attack with their daggers. The man blocked several attacks, but he was still taking significant damage as they stabbed at him. There were nearly seven of the little Ratmen surrounding him. Dehven thought twice about attacking and quickly deduced he needed to keep the man up. He charged up a heal on the man, but it was not enough. He had to cast it two more times back to back before it was safe for him to help with the fight. In the meantime Naveah let her area of effect spell loose as the Ratmen were slow and clumped together. After a few seconds they all fell dead. The man jumped into the air and let out a loud whoop. ¡°Yes! That''s what I''m talking about, get at me bitches! I love this class!¡± Dehven realized that he was looking at a soldier. The man had a sleeveless leather vest and tough looking leather shorts, with black shin high boots. He was tall and lean with a bald head and neat blond beard. ¡°What was the flash you did after you teleported?¡± Dehven asked. ¡°You killed that Ratman in one hit.¡± ¡°It was just a regular attack, man,¡± He replied. ¡°But I crit that bitch. You see how he popped? I thought I was dead bro, I was so scared. I did not want to lose this shield, I just got it.¡± ¡°Dead? What do you mean lose your shield?¡± Dehven asked confused. ¡°You know, they were going to send me to the spirit lands man,¡± He replied. ¡°When you die you lose items, monsters and players can loot your corpse. Are you a noob?¡± ¡°Yeah he is new,¡± Navaeh said as she stepped up. ¡°I have been helping him, its his first time in Dominion.¡± ¡°Very cool! I¡¯m Rohard by the way, you can call me Hard,¡± He said with a salute. ¡°I¡¯m not calling you Hard,¡± Naveah scoffed. ¡°I think Ro is the right shortening of that handle.¡± ¡°Yeah sure, that works,¡± Ro said excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m Dehven, i¡¯m a priest,¡± Dehven said. ¡°Yeah I figured,¡± Ro laughed. ¡°The robes and mace are a dead give away my man. Hey you guys doing the miner quest? Let¡¯s do it together.¡± Dehven nodded and looked to Navaeh, but she walked off. He ran up to her as Ro leaped after another Ratman brute that showed up at the mine. ¡°Navaeh, you want to finish this part up?¡± ¡°You want to party with that guy?¡± She said. ¡°He seems annoying, we can finish by ourselves.¡± ¡°He seems cool,¡± Dehven said, curious to play alongside some other classes. ¡°He can help us, he is a frontline, a tank. These tougher Ratmen will be easier to take out with him around.¡± ¡°Come on fuckers!¡± Ro shouted at them. ¡°They are coming out of the mine, help me!¡± Navaeh rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine let¡¯s get it over with. I guess since he is here we might as well finish this.¡± They ran up to support Ro as he was fighting another group of four Ratmen all by himself. ¡°Hey what''s that teleport move?¡± Dehven asked as he tossed a heal on Ro. ¡°What this?¡± Ro did a little jump and flew forward at a Ratman archer inside the cave entrance, his shouts of joy echoing behind him. ¡°It¡¯s called charge and its fucking amazing!¡± Dehven began to think that maybe he made a poor choice in being a priest, the soldier charge ability did look fun. ¡°Hey you guys want to find the scouting party of this?¡± Ro shouted at them. ¡°Yeah we have to do that as well,¡± Dehven said as he ran into the mine to follow Ro. He heard Navaeh groan behind him, completely forgetting that she only wanted to do only one quest with the over zealous soldier. ¡°Why did you tell him we were doing other quest?¡± she asked annoyed. ¡°My bad, I forgot,¡± Dehven said. ¡°I like his energy, I think we can get through this stuff really quickly with him.¡± Navaeh did not seem pleased, but she followed behind the soldier. Ro was deep in the mine, picking fights with every Ratman in his line of sight. Dehven did not have much time to do anything else but heal, but he was really enjoying himself; he got a strange statisfaction from healing the wild soldier. Navaeh was like flash bomb of purple light as she let her magic loose to devastating effect. The Ratmen did not stand a chance against the three of them, as they fell in smoking ruins around their feet. They ran through looting the bodies for scraps of armor and grizzly trophies like rat tails and paws. When they were done the soldier zoomed out of the mine. As Dehven ran to keep up, Navaeh addressed him when he pulled up beside her. ¡°That was actually pretty good! I guess that¡¯s what a dungeon group must feel like.¡± ¡°Yeah that was amazing,¡± Dehven said. ¡°We kicked so much ass back there. What¡¯s a dungeon group?¡± Navaeh laughed. ¡°If you enjoyed that, then you are going to absolutely love dungeons. Not sure what the first one is, but I am sure it will come up eventually as we continue helping everyone in this region.¡± Dehven was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He ran up to Ornin and the miner turned to him with a bright smile. ¡°You did well, priest, I thank you. Here take this coin for your trouble. Me and my boys are going back to Haylane, come see in town when you are done out here.¡± Dehven received fifty copper coins. ¡°Ok guys, let¡¯s do this!¡± Ro shouted, and Dehven wondered if he had any other tone besides yelling and shouting. ¡°Let¡¯s find these scouts, maybe they give new weapons or something. I got a green shield but I could really use a weapon.¡± They left the mine and ran through the dark woods in search of the scouting party.