Ben drove down the trail, which soon joined the main cobbled road. Along the forest's boundary, various small huts near the treeline could be seen, where small chunks of the forest had been cleared.

  “What’s that all about?” Ben asked, motioning with his hand.

  “Dimiwood has been in the logging business since its inception. There used to be more trees around here, but as the village grew, they were cut down, making it harder for the hunters and trappers to do their work." Hauxwell explained.

  “Understandable. But I don't understand why half the village is made from stone and the other half wood." Ben shrugged.

  “You see, they transported too much stone from the quarries near the Hollow Keep to build the chateau here. They had transported too much, so what remained was used for the village. When it ran out, they started using the widely available wood." Hauxwell said.

  Jerry knocked on the roof, interrupting their chat. “Stop here. Let me see if the patrol's gone out.” His voice was a little muffled. He took a few moments, then added, “It’s clear. We have our five minutes.”

  Hauxwell turned to Ben and gave him a nod. “It’s now or never, kid.”

  Ben took a deep breath, clenching his fists on the steering wheel. He pressed the gas, careful not to topple Jerry from his position, and slowly gained momentum toward the guardhouse in the distance.

  The two soldiers by the gate were caught off guard as the van approached. They quickly turned and were about to head through the gate. Two arrows whistled from the top of the van, causing them to stumble to the ground.

  Shouting and yelling emerged in the distance before a horn was blasted. Several more men approached the gate and instantly hopped behind the wall for cover.

  Ben gently pressed the brakes and slowed down while aiming the van at the section of the wall that seemed the weakest. There wasn't even mortar holding the stones together there. He figured with both the bull bar and upgraded armor. It wouldn't take as much of a toll on the van. The thought of the airbags deploying and hitting both him and Hauxwell flashed through his mind. He doubted the old knight would be too happy about that.

  “Brace for impact!” Ben yelled, hitting the roof liner with the bottom of his hand.

  Jerry, who was shooting arrows across the other side, stopped.

  The van rocked with a loud thud as it impacted the wall. The bar took the brunt of the force as the stones crumbled, scattering across the grassy ground. A large section of the adjoining wall fell, causing small tremors in the ground. The suspension rocked side to side as the tires mounted the rubble. Some stones got lodged beneath the underbelly and started scraping the metal.

  “Enemy archer! Second floor!” Jerry shouted.

  Two arrows whooshed past the windscreen, missing it by mere inches.

  “Whoah! That was close,” Ben bellowed.

  The enemy archer peeked behind a wall with another arrow locked and loaded. The soldiers down below must have taken that as their opportunity to rush ahead with their weapons drawn. Jerry flung an arrow toward the second floor, leaving a glistening orange trail.

  “What an idiot!” Hauxwell yelled, knocking on the roof liner.

  The moment the arrow hit the enemy archer, his head exploded like a watermelon before raging flames shot out in all directions. The entire second floor was engulfed as bits of stone and rubble rained down upon the soldiers below, causing them to scatter for cover.

  Ben felt his breaths become heavy as he processed the man's head explode. His legs trembled as he knew there was more gruesome violence to come. He didn't like violence, nor did he feel comfortable being an accomplice to human death. These people didn't look like they were the kind to let them walk in and get Alfred out without a fight.

  Hauxwell hit the roof. “Oi! I know it’s a stone roof, and you want to show Ben what your fancy arrows can do. Don't forget we still have to get in there and rescue Alfred, so take it easy with those." He disapprovingly shook his head and then stepped outside. His helmet, a large heater shield, and a longsword appeared as he equipped them from his spatial storage. “I guess it’s time to see if this body of mine still works like it did many years ago."

  Ben noticed movement in the side mirror. "Hauxwell! Behind the van they're coming in."

  Hauxwell turned, raising his shield in a defensive position. “Don't worry, I'll take care of them. You two concentrate on taking care of the ones blocking the entrance." He used his elbow to shut the door before his armor radiated yellow energy speckles. They condensed around his armor as if to fortify it, and just before he started marching ahead, his shield started to pulse in a similar glow. "You boys want some?" he chuckled like some maniac.

  Looking ahead, Ben saw the enemy soldiers had huddled together and formed a shield wall.

  Jerry had started shooting regular arrows at them but was unable to hit them, apart from one guy who was shot in the foot, causing him to hop away and break from the wall.

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  The shield wall kept coming closer, and their weapons were pointed at the van. Ben knew they would soon start causing damage to the van if he didn't do anything. He hit the roof liner and yelled, “Hold on! I’m gonna run them over and break the shields apart.”

  When Jerry gave Ben the go ahead, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and hit the gas. The front of the van hit the shield with such force it shattered it into multiple pieces. The men were knocked back, most hitting the building's stone wall behind. Some were even squashed before they coughed up blood across the front of the van. Before their bodies were plopped to the ground, they were finished with some well-aimed arrows.

  [+90XP, +4MP]

  Raging shockwaves of energy erupted from behind the van. Ben looked through the mirror and noticed the body of one man flying through the air and spinning like a yo-yo.

  What the heck is that?

  Another man was splattered against the crumbled wall, his blood glazing the stones crimson. The remaining two tried to run away but were side-swiped by the bottom of the shield, causing deep gashes in their backs. Hauxwell charged his shield with more magic before finishing them off with a bash that shook the air around it. Blood showered the surrounding area, giving everything a red tinge.

  Ben's stomach clenched at the sight. He had just witnessed grown men be battered to death with a shield. Even if they did deserve it, it seemed over the top that they went out that way. And the way Hauxwell spun on his heels and started walking back to the van made it all the worse. The weight of all the death started to pile upon his shoulders like an avalanche. He wasn't a soldier like these men who had taken many lives and seen combat most of their lives and knew it would take him time to process all the deaths. Trying to keep it together, he let out a sorrowful sigh.

  Jerry's feet hit the ground near the driver's side door. He knocked on the window and said, "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you coming out or what?"

  Ben nodded without a word escaping his lips and stepped outside.

  Hauxwell inspected the bodies before taking a closer glance at the entrance. "The two of you work well together. At least that's over and done with now." He then pointed toward the reinforced door. "That door is reinforced, and I doubt we’ll be able to find the keys in that mess of bodies. Jerry, I need you to provide cover fire while I bash it open. If there are more lurking inside, they are probably waiting for us."

  Jerry removed another arrow from the quiver. “Don't worry, I’ve got you.” He positioned himself so the doorway was in clear sight and pulled the arrow back.

  Hauxwell charged more energy into his shield and hit the door, causing a shockwave that shook the entire building. Instantly, the lock snapped off, and what remained of the door crashed into the wall behind it, falling off its hinges. Hauxwell hopped sideways and raised his shield.

  Ben wasn’t sure how Jerry could see anything with all the dust floating about, but he figured it must have been some system skill or ability, as his eyes were glinting a little green.

  “It’s clear,” Jerry stated. Slowly taking the pressure off his bowstring, he added, “It’s pointless for all of us going in there. I’ll stay out here and watch out for any nasty surprises. Knowing Sudfield, he’s probably got more men in the area somewhere.

  “Fair enough.” Hauxwell nodded. He then turned to Ben. “You’re with me.”

  Ben held his hand up with a raised finger. “Hang on. Let me grab something.” He rushed inside the van to grab his flashlight and a health potion. Once he was ready, he followed the knight through the entrance.

  The guardhouse was dimly lit inside. The few candles that were lit provided just enough light to see where they were going. Ben aimed the flashlight ahead and hit the switch, illuminating the whole area. The entrance chamber looked old, frail, and damp. Cobwebs lined the edges of the walls and around the corners. Rubble filled the ground, and parts of the ceiling looked like it was about to collapse if it took another hit from another enchanted arrow. Ben noticed a few tables filled with stale bread, moldy cheese, and various tankards. It looked like a communal area where the guards would hang out when not on duty. He noticed a stone wall at the back with a rusty iron gate in the middle.

  Once he had looked around, Hauxwell turned. “What sorcery is this?”

  “We call it a flashlight. It’s like a lantern but stronger,” Ben explained, raising it.

  “It’s bright as daylight that.” Hauxwell then pointed across the room. “That’s where they keep the prisoners. Let’s see if our man is there.” When he got there, he rattled the gate to open it, but it was locked. Taking a step back, he charged his shield a little and used the bottom of it to break the lock. When he barged in, he stopped dead in his tracks.

  Speechless, Ben stopped before his jaw dropped. He was slapped in the face with the wholesale scene of torture and acts of violence which had befallen Alfred.

  The knight was lying on a table, his body bruised black and blue. Fresh scars filled most of his skin, and blood trickled from a wound on his shoulder where his arm appeared to be chopped off.

  Ben felt his knees wobble. He felt sick to his stomach and hoped the healing potion would be enough to heal Alfred back from his injuries.

  Hauxwell hurried, removing his helmet, and put his ear next to Alfred's battered face. “Hurry and force that potion down his throat. He’s still alive. We're not going to lose him on my watch."

  Ben snapped out of his trance. He ripped the cork off before pressing it between Alfred's lips. Some liquid escaped his mouth and ran down his cheeks, but Hauxwell pumped his chest a little to push it down before they silently waited.

  Alfred groaned some breaths and blinked his eyes. His scars started improving, and even the arm wound stopped leaking.

  "The arm." Ben shakily pointed.

  Hauxwell huffed a sigh. "I'm afraid the potions only heal wounds. I doubt even the mages of the Hollow Moon can fix that with all their magic."

  Alfred gargled some more breaths before clearing his throat. “You fools.” he croaked. “I’m as good as dead. It's an ambush."

  Hauxwell ignored the comment. “Come on, help me get him back to the caravan." He looked Alfred in the eyes and said, "Remember, the Hollow Moon doesn't leave any man behind."

  They dragged Alfred’s body across the guardhouse, almost tripping over a few things on the way to the door. Once they made it out, Jerry stood there with his bow ready as if something was wrong.

  “Hundreds of them are coming from the treeline. But that's not all. There's something wrong with the way they're moving." Jerry muttered, his eyes darting all over the place.

  Heavy clouds moved from the direction of the fortress with unnatural speed, blanketing everything below in a shroud of darkness. It took seconds for the entire area to look as if it were evening time.

  “Hurry up!" Hauxwell commanded. "There’s no use standing around like idiots. Get him in the caravan.” Once Alfred was safely placed in the back, he added. “The two of you need to get him to Robynhill with haste. I will create a distraction to allow your escape."

  Jerry twisted his head towards the knight. “Are you out of your mind? You’ll be overwhelmed.”

  "Just leave that to me." Hauxwell nodded.

  Discord.