“What the . . .” Olanna was shouting as she grabbed Connor’s arm and dragged him to one side of the street that was now filled with screaming, terrified people. Dargan hurried after them.

Connor had received healing for his calf during their journey, but the ministrations of the crew of the (now defunct) Pettigrew Express were nothing compared to Hebspeth’s potions. His calf still ached as he stumbled gasping against the stone walls of the nearest building—the guard house, it appeared.

Already, there were red-cloaked Union City guards pouring out of the building, shouting at the crowd and blowing whistles to try and calm them as they raced for the stairs, trying to get up to the burning pier and the inferno that had been the Pettigrew Express.

“Everyone back! Get back!” the guard captains and sergeants shouted, and the crowd needed no further encouragement. They were only too eager to flee the sounds and sight of destruction.

“What—what happened? Why would anyone . . . ?” Dargan was sputtering as Olanna pushed the dwarf into the crowd before the guards decided to physically move the gawkers and onlookers.

Above them, Connor looked up to see that the entire top of the Express was now a burning pyre of crimson-and-orange flames. It looked as though the entire boat had gone up. Charred cinders, ash, and burnt wood was scattered across the cobbled streets at the base of the wall.

“Someone blew her up. She was sabotaged . . .” Dargan was still muttering, panicked—as the Union City wall guards approached.

“I said get back! Clear the area, now!” one guard shouted, raising his wooden baton menacingly.

“We’re going, we’re going!” Olanna stepped forward, her arms pleading.

Oh no, Connor saw the look of fear, then suspicion and hatred, cross the guard’s features before Olanna did.

“Elf!” the Union City guard shouted. “There’s an elf here—and a half-elf too! They must have had something—”

Connor didn’t wait for the guard to finish the accusation. He grabbed Olanna’s outstretched arm and turning for the crowd. “Dargan, run!” he shouted, and he did his stumbling, lurching best to get them clear.

“Elves!” he heard the guard shouting behind him. “It was an elvish attack!”

Dammit! Connor swore as he pushed through and around the crowd, dodging the sudden glances and terrified exclamations from the other fleeing Union City citizens who turned to see what the commotion was all about.

The cries of “Elf! ELVES!” followed them as they ran, barging into people and almost tripping over merchants and terrified citizens.

“We have to get off the street!” Connor snapped, his pained legs skidding to a halt just in time for him to see what he was looking for—an alleyway between two shops.

“This way!” he hissed.

“Connor—we don’t know where . . .” Olanna gasped, but Connor yanked on her wrist, giving her no choice but to follow. He dragged her behind him as he bounded between empty rain barrels and down alleyways that were clogged with bags of garbage, old wood pallets, and all manner of refuse.

Behind them, the whistles of the guards were getting closer as they came to the end of the alley. There was a small yard in front of them, edged by a brick wall.

“Up! Over the wall!” Connor hissed, hitting the edge of the stone wall before lifting Olanna up to snatch and grab at the top of the wall. He heaved her up as fast as he could and she scrabbled up and disappeared over the edge, then turned to do the same for Dargan.

The dwarf, for all that he lacked in height, was far heavier than the elf, and it took a lot more grunting and cursing.

“Get up there, damn you!” Connor resorted to swearing, shoving, and pushing the dwarf until he scrambled and scratched and finally got his hands onto the top of the stone wall and heaved himself up.

“Watch out below!” Connor heard the dwarf cry out just before he disappeared over the top.

There was a shout as a guard, a young human guard, appeared at the entrance to the brick yard, batton in his hand but sword still strapped to his side. “Halt right there!”

Connor was cornered at the base of the wall as the young human guard advancing on him.

“You’ve got the wrong man.” Connor held up his hands. He had a dagger, but he hadn’t even replaced his hand ax after dropping it when he had escaped SkyBridge. He had nothing in his hands apart from his fists.

He saw the human’s face twist savagely. “That was an act of sabotage. And you ain’t no man . . . half-elf!” The guard snarled, raising his wooden baton and lunging forward.

Connor saw the attack coming easily, and countless hours of playing games, fighting monsters far more dangerous than a young, green soldier, kicked in. Even if his character was only a Level 4 in this game, he was in a fully-immersive environment where his brain knew far more than his character skills did—and his body reacted accordingly.

He stepped forward, forcing himself to step inside the reach of the guard, and threw a blocking arm up.

Union City Soldier attacks Connor with Baton. Attack dodged; no damage done.

His hand hit the forearm of the soldier, knocking it to one side and up, so that the wooden baton didn’t even reach his head.

“Ahhh!!” And then, with a roar, he pushed outwards—his hands slapping the soldier hard in the chest, pushing him away as far and as strong as he could manage.

Connor attacks Union City Soldier with Hands for Health points damage.

The human soldier stumbled back from the savage strike—his arms pinwheeling as his feet slid back . . .

And tripped over one of the bits of wood that was piled there.

Connor saw the younger man let out a surprised grunt as he lost balance, falling backward, all his weight sending him tumbling back.

Wham!

His head to hit the dirty cobblestones on the ground with a sickening crack.

Union City Soldier falls and hits head causing 10 Health points of damage. Fall causes critical hit to head increasing damage by 200%. Total damage: 30 Health points.

The poor, stupid human guard didn’t even have his metal helmet on. The thought flashed through Connor’s mind that maybe he had been too stupid or too rushed to wear it. Perhaps, given the sudden explosion of the Pettigrew Express, the young man didn’t have time to grab the equipment he needed. Maybe their guard captain had sent the guards out unprepared, untrained . . .

All of these thoughts flashed through Connor’s mind as he realized that whatever the answer was—he was now looking at a very dead human guard, and he had been the cause.

Union City Soldier has been killed.

You have been awarded 200 Experience Points for slaying Union City Soldier.

No! Connor looked down in horror at the lifeless form of the guard.

“I killed him. A guard of Union City,” Connor thought as he looked at the young man. “I . . . I didn’t mean to . . .” he whispered—just as he heard the approaching sound of guard whistles and shouting voices.

“They must’ve gone down there! The elves!”

“Hells!” Connor swore, taking one more look at the figure on the ground, then turned toward the brick wall. He took two hobbling steps then leaping up, his hands grabbing the top of the bricks. He quickly hauled himself up and over to the other side.

They might not have been responsible for the destruction of the Pettigrew Express, but who was going to believe them now?