Exodus: Guns & Gore

Two hours later they trio entered the Magna Forest. The canyons and foothills that bordered Laredo finally giving way to dense woods as they moved steadily onward.

Ringo kept an eye on their backtrail, they turned north and slowed to a walk. "Can you handle that shotgun, Lilly?"

Lilly nodded, "it's not my preferred weapon, a rifle would be nice."

"This is an amazing horse." Lilly patted Scorch on the neck, curiosity evident on her pretty face. "Where did you get him?"

QJ smiled pleasantly, he was riding one of the horses from the coach. Although it was a fine animal, it wouldn't hold up to Scorch. He put together a makeshift hackamore to control the horse. "My dad gave him to me."

Ringo looked over at him in surprise, "that was Q's horse?"

QJ nodded, "Why so surprised? The truth is he doesn't really need a horse." Wings, jetpacks and Gryphons, his dad definitely had faster options.

********

Quinn did his best to listen to the technical description that Tal was giving him. He bit his lip to keep from smiling and he leaned back on their bed. "If you wanted me to remember any of this, you probably shouldn't have started undressing while you were still talking."

She turned her pretty blue eyes on him and quietly slipped one of his t-shirts over her head. "Sorry hun, I'm really excited about our work."

"Will you be able to remove Lark from the crystal?" Quinn had stayed up late waiting for Tal to log-off. She and Naomi had been keeping long hours since they had retrieved the crystal.

Tal propped her head up with one hand, the other one caressing her husband's face. "Very soon I think. Ren is taking it very hard, I knew they were dating but I hadn't realized how close they were."

"Lark is special, they are very good together." Quinn pulled her in closer, letting her head rest against his chest.

"Hey, Quinn..." Tal sounded tentative. "Did Mojo and Leah talk with you about Lara?"

"Are you pushing this also?" Quinn had been subjected to pressure from Mojo, Leah and his mom. "Isn't three wives enough?"

Tal shook her head, "no hun. I'm not pushing, whatever you decide will be fine." She kissed his neck softly.

"You are a very understanding woman." He inhaled deeply, the scent of her hair making him smile.

"That being said," Tal propped her head up again. "Lara has stood by you for twenty years and she was instrumental in saving both Ren and Ella. Doesn't someone like that deserve a happy ending?"

Quinn frowned at the pretty blonde, "is this you not pushing?"

Tal nodded at lay her head back down. "I won't say anything else hun."

"Hmm... tell you what. I will put aside some time for Lara. I know this Lark thing is really worrying her. "Best I can do for now."

Tal smiled gently, "Of course, whatever you think is best."


*************

QJ kept to the game trail, it moved north in a fairly straight direction and managed to avoid most of the major obstacles. They found respite at a clear stream and stopped to let the horses drink.

Ringo was looking quite pale, although she was keeping her vampirism under wraps, the mid-afternoon sun was causing her discomfort. She splashed some cool water on her face.

"Is QJ your man?" Lilly waited until QJ was busy with the horses before she asked. Her two escorts seemed close and would often make each other laugh.

Ringo shook her head, "I'm his Guild Leader, we have a good relationship."

"Oh, I see," Lilly blushed slightly. "Sorry to ask such an embarrassing thing."

"Hey, Ringo!" QJ was staring at the far bank of the stream.

Ringo walked over to where he was standing, "you see something?"

QJ nodded, "see that dark spot in front of the bank?"

"Could be a rock or..." Ringo stopped speaking, her ace student had removed most of his clothes and jumped into the water. He swam easily to the far bank and then submerged. She could tell right away it was an entrance since he completely disappeared from view.

Lilly walked over, bending down she splashed her face with cold water. "He does things so suddenly."

A few minutes later he resurfaced, he trod water for a moment as if considering different possibilities. "Stow the horses and follow me."

"It can't hurt," Ringo agreed. "I've been feeling exposed.

A few minutes later, the three companions were standing in a vast underground cavern. The hidden cave entrance lead to a small room. From the small room, there were several flights of stairs leading down.

"These steps are carved from solid rock. Who could have done such a thing?" Lilly trailed the two heroes while carefully maintaining her balance on the steep, moss-covered stairs.

Finally, after several minutes of descent, they stopped abruptly at a cobblestone road. "I've spent a lot of time studying this area, there's no mention of such a place." QJ studied his surroundings. The road was lined with fluorescent stones that cast an eerie light on the travelers.

*Group: Ringo* This could be undiscovered content. Do you know how awesome that would be?

*Group: QJ* I have a feeling that river entrance only exists if you have the quest from Annabelle and manage to get Lilly away from the caravan.

*Group: Ringo* I bet you're right. We could be uncovering a lost story arc.

"Everything okay?" Lilly stared at the two heroes who seemed to be muttering under their breath. "What's our plan now?"

QJ summoned Scorch and handed his reins to Lilly. "We stay on that path that we've taken."

The road was perfectly level and straight as an engineer could make it. QJ starting streaming the ride to show Remmy and his mom later, they would definitely be interested.

Without warning, something slammed hard into his shoulder knocking him off his horse.

[QJ has been stunned.]

Ringo pulled her pistols and slid out of the saddle to duck behind some rocks. She grabbed Lilly and pulled the princess behind her.

Lilly raised the shotgun and sprayed the area around QJ, on the fourth shot a scream was heard as a figure dressed in black appeared a few yards away.

*Quick Blast* [A Freeborn scout has been stunned]

Lilly has hit a Freeborn scout for 8,499 damage.

*Quick Shot*

Ringo has hit target for 2,500 damage.

QJ rolled slowly to his feet, gasping for breath. "Hold your fire, stop shooting!"

He dived at the assailant and knocked it to the ground, quickly pinning the small figure beneath him. "Stop attacking, we don't wish to fight you."

As soon as he spoke the person beneath him stopped struggling. QJ carefully stood up and moved a step away. The figure sat up and stared at him.

The scout was the palest person QJ had ever seen. His albino skin and hair was offset by eyes that were as black as night. His features were finely chiseled, when he finally got to his feet it was discovered he was only about five feet tall.

"No fight?" The scout had fangs that made QJ immediately think of Ringo's vampirism.

*Group: QJ* Please don't be a nest of vampires...

Ringo laughed and approached the scout with her hands open. "I'm Ringo, we are explorers from the surface."

The scout seemed to study them carefully, "explorers from the surface? I apologize for attacking without cause. I'm Dagmae."

QJ bowed slightly, "nice to meet you Dagmae, I'm QJ and this is Lilly."

Lilly forward, "I would be interested in meeting your leaders."

Dagmae shook his head, "our leaders are all dead. You must leave at once."

QJ glanced at Ringo who shrugged at him. "We have enemies behind us, our safest path is forward."

"You sick aren't you, I can sense it." Lilly stepped closer to the scout and pressed a hand to his forehead.

*Lilly has cast Purify*

Dagmae had been cured of his disease.

Dagmae's dark eyes widened in surprise as his hands touched his skin. "Blessings of the Goddess?"

"Take me to your people immediately Dagmae." Lilly's entire demeanor changed instantly as her aura took on a regal feeling."

QJ and Ringo followed Dagmae as he lead Lilly down the cobblestone road.

*Group: Ringo* Did you feel that?

*Group: QJ* yep, her royal blood is influencing him.

*Group: Ringo* Why did you stop us from attacking him?

*Group: QJ* I had a feeling we were making a mistake.

*Group: Ringo* I like your feelings.

After traveling down the road for a few minutes, they branched off on a well-worn path. Another half hour of walking and the group finally stopped.

"Holy shit." QJ stared in amazement. An entire city seemed to be carved into the side of the cavern walls. Women and children were gathered around dozens of cook fires, "it's an entire civilization."

Ringo whistled softly, "thousands... just hidden away."

Dagmae took them to the largest fire that was located in the center of the others. By this time the other Freeborn had taken notice of them and were crowding around. The scout stopped in front of a young woman who was breastfeeding an infant. "Bane... I bring guests." He bowed slightly toward the young woman.

"Dagmae? Why have you endangered these people? Please take them away from here at once." Bane's dark eyes glanced at each of the guests before resting on the scout.

Lilly shook her head. "I've come here on a mission of great importance. I'm Princess Lilianna Strom, my father rules above this domain."

*Princess Lilianna has cast Purify* [Area of Effect]

QJ felt the power of the cleric spell push him back a step, his hud was scrolling the names of the people who were healed.

Bane looked down at the child she held in her arms, "y-you healed my child also?"

A golden light seemed to envelop the Princess as she walked through the settlement casting. The sickly would approach and when there was enough, she would heal them.

*Group: QJ* Isn't that just a standard purify? Why is so effective?

*Group: Ringo* Good question.

Finally, Lilly stopped her journey. QJ quickly stepped forward and caught her as she collapsed from fatigue. He picked her up, she was surprisingly light.

"Is the Princess alright?" Bane and Dagmae had been following them the entire time. The reverence they were showing Lilly had both QJ and Ringo scratching their heads.

"Yes, she's exhausted herself by healing so many. She'll be fine." QJ glanced at his teacher, "we need to finish this quest soon."

Ringo nodded and then addressed Bane. "We will be continuing on our journey. We are being pursued by the enemies of the Princess, it is imperative that we arrive safely in Maelstrom."

"Someone is trying to hurt our Princess?" Bane's black eyes turned cold.

*Group: QJ* Um... since when was she their princess?

*Group: Ringo* Just go with it.

"Yes, QJ and I are tasked with protecting her and delivering her safely to her father the King." Ringo wasn't above laying in on thick. "It is a mission fraught with danger."

*Group: QJ* Damn... you actually used fraught in a sentence.

*Group: Ringo* Jealous right?

QJ nodded at her with a straight face, then turned to Bane. "We cannot be delayed, if the Freeborn wishes to aid us, then, by all means, lend us your strength."

"Where does the road we were on lead?" Ringo brought up her hud map, it showed that they had traveled far to the north.

Dagmae studied the map for a moment, "here, this lake must be the North exit."

Bane was peering over QJ's shoulder, her soft breasts pushed against his back. "I believe you are right."

His hud blinked at him and QJ quickly answered it to see Anna's pretty face. "Right on time Nan."

Anna grinned at him, she was in her bedroom, the lights were turned down. "I wanted to check in on you."

"Hey, there's a lake at the far north of Magna Forest, it looks quite large on our map. Is there anything nearby?" QJ noticed that she looked tired and promised himself that he'd treat her to something nice.

Anna studied her hud while they spoke, "that would be Barli Lake. It's only twenty miles from Maelstrom."

QJ smiled at her, "seems like our luck is holding."

Anna shook her head, "it's also the stronghold of Prince Morbin. In the past when this quest failed, that's where the crown would be delivered to."

"Shit... It comes back to Morbin." QJ glanced at Ringo who had a slight smile on her face.

*Group: Ringo* I am so glad I tagged along for this.

*Guild Speak Ringo* All Guild Members report at once to Barli Lake east of Maelstrom, this is a Guild event. Two hundred academy points for all participants.

*Whisper Ringo: Dessi* I'm calling a Guild Event at Barli Lake east of Maelstrom. Any back-up you could provide will be appreciated.

*Whisper Dessi: Ringo* Awesome!! I can muster about twenty.

*Whisper Ringo: Dessi* I'll have QJ start forming the raid, cya soon.

Anna watched her hud with interest. "Going to take the stronghold?"

QJ nodded, "yep, thanks for the help Nan."