Fucking hell! So that's what using a soulstone felt like. Like burning from the inside out but in reverse!
That was worse than getting fucking stabbed!
Gasping as I reformed I stumbled before I spotted Sheila, slumped over next to where I had been, "Sheila!"
Rushing over, I got down on my knees, checking her pulse. It was weak. Very, very weak.
Ren gave the back of my right shoulder a nuzzle, "How is she? She has been lifetapping... and already used her soulstone."
Lifetapping. Fuck... converting her own life energy to more magical power. Too much could... it could kill her.
Swallowing I nodded, "Okay. Yeah."
"Your armor and stuff is over there." Ren said, "Now get her loaded into my saddle and then get dressed. Then we are leaving."
Reaching out, I gently brushed Sheilas hair from where it was sticking to her forehead. Yeah. Okay.
Please. Please be okay.
A harder bump on my shoulder broke my line of thought.
"Atregos. Armor. Now!" Ren ordered, "Help her onto my back."
Yeah. Okay.
Swallowing, I gently lifted Sheila up as Ren laid down, allowing me to strap her into the saddle.
"I'll keep her safe." Ren said and stood up, "The way outside is straight, left, left, right, straight. We think we took out most defenders on the way, but there were some people following us inside."
Nodding, I stepped over a dead asura, he looked like he had been chopped in half at the waist. Did I do that?
I must have. The fight just... kind of blended together. I didn't remember exactly. But I used some Fury illusions... make the target go berserk for a little while, maybe ten seconds and attack everything around them.
That might have done it.
Shaking my head, I quickly put my armor on, ignoring the shirt I usually wore under my chest armor, I pulled it on and tightened the straps.
Most of my stuff was here.
Sliding the language ring on my finger, I then swept the rest into my satchel. Most of it was here, the books were missing though.
Walking over to pick up my glaive I hesitated with a frown, "Do we have a couple of minutes?" I asked as I looked back and up at Ren.
"The longer we wait, the longer we risk getting visitors." She answered, but she still nodded, "I wouldn't mind a minute or two to catch my breath. Let my mana recharge."
Nodding, I kept a eye on the door while leaning against the spear.
I should have enough mana for this. Just enough I think. I would have during the fight if I had the time... and after I just tried to hang on long enough to get the mana for it. Luckily my girls arrived before.
Half closing my eyes, I started to channel my mana into a summoning pattern. White... followed by the red from the mountain we were inside.
By the time I finished, there had still not been any sounds coming from outside. Good.
Raising my hand I finished casting the spell, letting it resolve.
There was a flash of bright light and then she was standing there. A redhead blood elf paladin in shiny armor, carrying a thick shield and a mace that glowed of holy power.
The paladin glanced back at me, her helmet covering most of her face, showing only her eyes and mouth but she nodded at my mental command before crossing the distance to Ren.
Her hand flashed a bright white and Ren's wounds just kind of... faded away as the light moved past them.
The paladin turned to me and waved her hand, a blue and white symbol floating above my forehead for a second before fading away.
I felt stronger than ever.
"Paladin. Sheila." I ordered.
The summon nodded and reached up to cast a healing spell on Sheila as well, "There is not much I can do, but it should help." she said.
Looking back at Ren I then nodded and started towards the entrance, my paladin quickly rushing up, drawing her mace as she fell in step on my left.
Let's fuck some shit up and get out of here.
As it turned out, there was a lot less shit to fuck up than I expected. Sheila and Ren had done a great job of fucking shit up on the way inside, there was almost none left for us on the way out.
Paladin ran forward and jumped, smashing her hammer into the chest of a half functioning golem as it shambled towards us, causing it to fall back before she turned towards me, "I'm not hearing anyone else."
Nodding, I followed her, Ren taking up the rear with Sheila, "Neither do I. But we still need to get out of here."
Rounding the corner, we ran into something I had not expected to see. A group of five people, two humans, an asura, one of those Charr as well as what could only be a 'Nord' from the way he was almost a half meter taller than the other two humans.
We rounded the corner just in time to see one of the human, a woman with black hair, wearing red robes dispatch their last Inquest attacker.
We just stopped and stared at each other for a long moment before the Asuran with the tank on his back, connected to some kind of gun, spoke up "You are the ones that raided the Inquest base?" he asked.
I shook my head, "I was the one that was being raided for. The Inquest captured me, my friends were attempting to free me. From your disagreement with some of them when we came around the corner, I'll take it you're not their friends?"
They all shook their heads and the Asuran spoke up again, "I'm Keltan, we work for the Durmand Priory. When we noticed the Inquest was having trouble, we figured we would check it out. Trouble for the Inquest is usually good for us."
"Enough of that. What's that!?" The Charr asked and pointed behind me towards Ren.
I glanced back before turning back to him, "My girlfriend."
"I meant the beast, not the rider!"
"So did I. Now, if you wouldn't mind getting out of our way?"
Sheila. Please... be okay.
AN// A bucket of thanks to Firethorn for betaing this section.
We're following along behind Atregos, not Targos.
