“What is it?” Esha called after us in concern as Kalli and I raced for the exit. “Where are you two going? It is time to celebrate.”

There was no time to properly explain, so I shouted back. “My friend needs help. We’ll be back soon.”

The trolls cleared out of the way as the two of us frantically raced through town. Kalli started to fall behind as I infused my body with mana. Because of our new Intertwined connection, she could feel what I was doing. It didn’t take long for the redhead to get the hang of it. With a burst of speed that made me a little jealous, she was right by my side once again.

The gate was just in sight when Wendy spoke again. Guys, don’t come. It’s a trap. Someone told them we were here. You need to run away. They sent an…

WENDY MAYUKO HAS LEFT THE GROUP

WENDY MAYUKO HAS LEFT THE GUILD

We skidded to a halt as the message that Wendy had left the group appeared. Joe’s uncharacteristically high-pitched voice screeched in our ears. What the hell just happened? Why did Wendy leave the group? Do something, Melvin!

Working on it!

Of course, I didn’t know how I was going to do that. If she was forced from the group, it was obvious that someone had captured the aeromancer. An awakened someone at that.

The newly reinforced gates opened easily, responding to my touch. What I saw in the dark tunnel horrified me. Several hundred yards away, hundreds of soldiers wearing plate armor similar to Alariel’s marched steadily toward Wrotor. The sound of their plated boots falling on the stone floor was deafening even from a distance.

I quickly pulled the gate shut and secured it. The lock engaged when I applied mana to it with a satisfying CLINK.

Grabbing Kalli’s hand, I raced back into the city proper, joining a group of concerned trolls.

ENTERING WORLD EDITOR MODE

The closest part of Wrotor that I could target was the storage room. I edited the open space and filled it with solid stone from the mountain, cutting off all access from the tunnel.

When we returned from World Editor Mode, we found Esha and the trolls from the throne room waiting for us. I could smell her newly awakened odor as the empress pressed through the other trolls to get at us. “What is happening? Why did you seal us off?”

“Someone sent an army down the tunnel,” Kalli answered for me. “Melvin just bought us some time.’

“We’re doomed.” One of the trolls from the market wailed.

Esha was much calmer than the other trolls, though she was still concerned. “If the humans have decided to invade Wrotor, there might not be much we can do other than fleeing deeper into Gaia. I am afraid humans likely will not fare too well in the depths.”

I could tell by the tone in her voice that Esha was saying the other humans would die down there. At least the unawakened ones. I wondered how many of the humans in that army that approached were awakened.

Deciding on a plan, I shouted, “Everyone, fall back to the castle. Esha, gather everyone together. Humans included.”

She was already in motion, barking orders to the trolls around her as she raced back to the castle. Kalli and I followed closely behind, still trying to soothe a frantic Joe in group chat.

The castle was teeming with anxious-looking trolls and humans, all sitting quietly on the floor while we worked out a plan to save them. Esha began, “Many trolls have fled into the depths already, including our most able-bodied warriors. Do you have a plan?”

I nodded, doing a silent headcount. “I do have a plan but you are going to have to trust me and tell your subjects not to panic. It will be a little scary at first but I promise I’ll fix it.”

Esha nodded wearily. With a gleam of conviction in her eyes, she said, “Do it. We are strong. All that matters is that you save my people.”

Calling out to the room, I took Esha’s hand in mine. “Everyone hold your breath. I am going to try to get us out of here.”

After giving them a few seconds to comply, I did my best to wrap my mana around everyone. I managed to cover around twenty or so trolls and humans before I reached the extent of my ability. From there, I folded us into the mana.

Several seconds later and we appeared in Run Dale, once again surprising the villagers. I dropped to my knees, my mana completely spent, gasping for breath.

“Trolls!” Someone shrieked as I watched pitchfork-wielding villagers move to surround the refugees.

Kalli stood in front of them, cutting them off. “Wait. These trolls are our friends.”

Joe ran over, screaming at me. “Why are you back here? You need to be saving Wendy!”

Barely giving myself a moment to recover, I teleported back to Wrotor.

It took thirty trips to transport all of the citizens from Wrotor to the dark lands. I needed several minutes between each trip to recover my mana. While I was preparing for the final batch, an explosion followed by a loud crash could be heard from the entrance of the castle.

Just before we vanished, the door burst open and I locked eyes with a woman with wavy purple hair draped over her shoulder. She stood out from the other soldiers, wearing violet armor with a billowing purple cape. Across her chest was a crest featuring two lions back to back.

The interesting part about her was that she wielded a wand, which she pointed at me and muttered a spell I couldn’t hear. The wand flashed just as I folded the mana over our group and vanished.

Then we were in a very crowded Run Dale. Joe ran up to me and spoke in group chat. Is that the last of them?

When I nodded, he grabbed my collar, trying to lift me off of the ground. Underestimating my weight, he huffed for a while before letting go. Where is she? Why are you back here without here? Take me there right now!

I sighed, wanting to console my friend while I felt every bit as frantic as he did.

We can’t go back. Wrotor has been invaded. We would just be captured if we went.

Joe turned his back. At least she wouldn’t be alone. She is all alone.

My heart stung at the rebuke but I didn’t have the time to sit back and process at the moment.

Joe. Everybody we just saved has the plague now. I have to cure them all before anything else. I’m sorry.

Without replying, Joe stormed off, leaving me with a heavy heart as I called out, “Everybody line up. You all have the plague.”

Even though each edit took relatively small amounts of mana, doing the same thing over three hundred times to all of the refugees took a toll on me. I was becoming more and more troll approved as my sweat-soaked clothes began to reek, including my mana armor which did little to protect me from my own filth.

While Run Dale had been pretty impressive when we modified it for the villagers, it was way too small to house the three hundred plus refugees that I had brought in.

I hopped into the World Editor and created two large tents just outside of the village walls. One of them was for the trolls and the smaller of the two for the humans.

Once everyone was temporarily settled, I made my way over to where our little group was huddled. By loosely monitoring group chat, I was aware of the heated debate that was going on.

Joe sat next to Run, hunched over a fire. We are going to rescue Wendy, I don’t care about anything else.

Kalli sat across from him with Stefanie and Kiki, replying just as heatedly as Joe was. I know you want to save her. We all do. However, if we don’t go to the other villages as quickly as possible, a lot of innocent people will die. They are dying as we speak.

Looking up, Joe saw me and said, Melvin, you have to agree with me. If Kalli was in danger you’d drop everything to go save her, right? I mean I feel for the villagers just as much as you all do but not at the expense of Wendy.

We can do both. Kalli pleaded desperately. She isn’t going to die. We can hurry to the rest of the villages and then…

Joe stood abruptly, taking a step toward Kalli. I positioned myself between the two of them, looking Joe in the eyes.

Joe? Buddy?

He stepped back defensively. Dude. I wasn’t going to hurt her. But I’m also not going to listen. Even if I have to go it alone, I am going to go rescue Wendy. You can’t stop me. We will have a problem if you try to. I…

He trailed off. For the first time since I’d met him, Joe had tears in his eyes. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I made a decision.

You won’t have to.

Kalli stood up behind me. Mel, you can’t…

I sent her waves of reassurance, explaining in mate chat.

We are going to split up the group.

She reached out, touching my back gently. Melvin, that’s a terrible idea.

I braced myself as I told her the rest of my plan.

…and I want you to go with them.

Kalli shuddered, sending a vibration through her hand into my back. What? Why? Are you sending me away?

It was the last thing I wanted to do. I hoped she could feel my sadness as I continued.

It’s the only way. You are the only person I can teleport to. Also, if they get captured, they can break group chat. So far, nobody has been able to do anything about mate chat. I have to stay behind to save all of the people in the dark lands but thanks to you, I can help save Wendy once I’m done. If there was any other way, I would never let you go.

At that moment Rundell was talking in group chat. I’ll go with you, Joe.

Kalli took a deep breath and stepped around me. I’m going with you too. Melvin is going to save the villagers while we rescue Wendy.

Joe gave me an incredulous look, his mouth falling open in the process. Are you really okay with this?

I started to answer but Kalli touched a finger to my lips. It was his idea. He’s worried about Wendy too, Joe. Try to remember that.

With a frown on his face, Joe refused to make eye contact with me. I know.

We stayed up half the night debating how to rescue Wendy. Joe sighed, “She can be literally anywhere on Gaia. I suppose we need to go to this Hudholm Summit and backtrack from there.”

Alariel shook her head, saying, “No, they wouldn’t keep a prisoner there. Hudholm is a hick town that only exists to monitor the trolls. Actually, since the trolls all escaped, I doubt that city will have a reason to continue existing.”

“Are you saying they are going to kill all of those humans?” I asked, shocked by the idea.

The purple-haired girl laughed. “No. No way. They will be repurposed and put to work. I couldn’t tell you where. The alliance has a committee for that.”

“How do you know all of this?” Joe asked excitedly.

Alariel poked at the embers with a stick. “I grew up in the northern city-states. Where the alliance rules. It’s common knowledge how the world works.”

Joe leaned forward. “Why are you out here in the dark lands?”

Kiki, who was sitting very close to Alariel also leaned forward, right in Joe’s face. “Why is this starting to sound like an interrogation? Alariel didn’t kidnap Wendy.”

When Joe started to rise, Alariel suddenly waved Kiki off. “It’s alright, Ki. As I told you when I met you, I was tracking the prophet. I suspected that he knew something about this plague that is making the people suffer needlessly.”

Joe sat back down, looking deflated. “Okay, fine. Do you have any idea where they might have taken Wendy?”

She nodded. “If that area is still under the control of who I think it is, then my…um, Lady Mardella is involved. That means that they are taking her back to Dabia. With enough luck, I should be able to help you sneak in there. Or better yet, we might even catch them before they get back.”

Since Joe wanted to leave right away, we had to decide who was going with him. I wanted to give him a regiment of trolls to use as bodyguards, but Alariel assured us that any group traveling with trolls would instantly arouse suspicion of any guards they encountered outside of the dark lands.

When Kiki offered to go, Joe threw a fit. “Absolutely not. I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did back on Earth.”

Alariel placed a hand in Kiki’s arm and announced, “If she doesn’t go, then neither do I.”

I stared at Kiki, who blushed. It was very uncharacteristic of my sister. After a moment, she stuck her tongue out at me and whispered, “Shut up.”

Since trolls couldn’t go, I gave their group the six guards that had been accompanying our caravan from the first three villages, including Honora and Palmer. They had leveled up the most out of the fighters from the villages.

I looked over the group that was leaving to rescue Wendy. It consisted of Joe, Run, Kalli, Kiki, and Alariel along with the six guards. The only person from Earth that was left to accompany me was Stefanie.

I grinned at her and said, “It looks like you’re stuck with me.”

She rolled her eyes at me and said, “Whatever.”

Worrying that she wanted to go but was only staying so that I wouldn’t be alone, I said, “You can go with them if you want. I’ll be fine. Honest.”

Realizing I’d called her bluff, Stefanie quickly shook her head and said, “No. I don’t like fighting. I’ll stay here and help with the villages.”

As I made food which Joe packed into the Mecharriage, he looked down at me from the cabin of the vehicle. “I’m sorry that I’m taking your wheels.”

When he said that I realized that I had a skill I hadn’t tried to use yet. Touching the Mecharriage for inspiration, I edited up some materials and willed my mana into the little nano-bots that I had seen in Joe’s mana. In a few short minutes, I had a working clone of Joe’s creation.

He staggered back into his chair and asked, “What? How?”

I laughed and climbed aboard my own Mecharriage. “It’s magic.”