Eliona's War 2: Veiled Healer

Chapter 21

To get to the Ruins, they had to head west from Fort Valkyrie. The road took them through rocky hills, which soon flattened and became lush with vegetation. Before Severance knew it, he was in a forest. Again.

Words could not express the joy he did not feel.

Awesome Dude, who was leading the way, turned around. He walked backwards, maintaining the distance between them.

"Hey, hurry up, you guys! Our tank is waiting for us up ahead."

"Hm." That was the response from the stoic Knightglaive walking beside Severance. Valentin was, Severance had quickly discovered, as quiet as Awesome Dude was loud. The two couldn't have been more opposite.

Severance was grateful. Two Awesome Dudes would have given him a headache.

Their path curved through a dense cluster of trees. Their trunks were close and their overhead branches so intricately woven together that the path darkened considerably. Severance reached out as he passed through, brushing his fingertips against the rough bark.

When the path opened up again, there were two people sitting on a fallen tree, waiting for them. Awesome Dude bounded over, greeting them like an exuberant puppy.

"Dude! And other dude! We finally found you!"

The tank regarded Awesome Dude with what could only be described as profound resignation. "It hasn't even been a minute since I messaged you."

Awesome Dude wasn't listening. "Man, it took forever to get through the forest. Why did they have to make places so far away?"

Severance joined his friend, though he had already tuned out the Shade's complaints.

"Hey," he said to the tank. Out of all the players, he didn't expect to see this one again so soon.

"Hello again," Ironhide rose from the tree. He was a well-built man in his early thirties and his armor, scuffed and dented, had clearly been through a few battles. "I hope our mutual friend hasn't dragged you into any more trouble since we last met."

Severance could only shake his head. Trouble followed the Shade like a shadow. "Well, we haven't run into any more super powered guys with spears."

"Ooh! I remember that guy!" Awesome Dude exclaimed. "Sessh, right? He killed me good!"

Severance snorted. That was one way to put it. If Ironhide himself hadn't stepped in during that battle in Two Bridges, Severance would have faced the same fate.

"That's the one," Ironhide said. "He's appeared once more since, and an entire raid team of 12 players was wiped out."

"No way." Severance couldn't believe it. Actually, on second thought, he could. That guy had been absolutely terrifying.

"You didn't hear about that, Sev? It was all over the chat." Awesome Dude looked at him strangely.

"I didn't, no."

"Huh. You should pay more attention, Sev. That guy is really bad news. It's so not fair that the Chosen get a super strong NPC on their side."

"The Chosen are a broken clan," said the player that had come with Ironhide. He was a lanky fellow with a pair of mismatched eyes. One was silver and the other a pale gold, which lent him an unsettling gaze.

"Broken is right," Awesome Dude muttered.

Atrocity ignored him and went over to Severance. "Hey, I'm Atrocity. Wann Mi clan. You?"

"Severance, from the Veiled." Severance paused, waiting for the predicted reaction. Sure enough, it came right on cue.

"What kind of clan is the Veiled? Never heard of them."