I stared in shock as I watched Tara take her last breath while Prajio casually stood over her.

  "If you won't come out, then I guess we'll just have to come in," Prajio shouted. "Surely someone in there knows where you are, John."

  With those final words, Prajio and his friends walked to the heavy front door but found it locked. Someone must have barred it from the inside. Prajio stepped back and made a gesture to one of his friends. The Kurskin made a pushing motion with both of his hands, and some unknown force blasted the door off its hinges. The three lizards strolled into the building like they owned it.

  Everyone inside was as good as dead.

  I considered going to Tara, but there was no point. If I were Prajio, I'd use her body as a trap. For all I knew, he could be watching from the inside while his minions decimated the last of the Hunters.

  Tara was dead, and there was nothing I could do to bring her back.

  For all her faults, she had ended up a friend, one of the few I had gained in my journey so far. Next to Ersabet, the only other 'friend' I had was Harl, but he was more of a follower than a friend, and I had no idea where he was. There was also Kitz and Delen, but they were more passing acquaintances than friends, especially Delen. Hell, Prajio knew Delen just as well as I did.

  Adrenaline spiked through me at that last thought, knocking me out of the frozen state of shock I had been in since witnessing Prajio cut Tara's throat.

  If Prajio was targeting people I knew, then he would likely question Delen next, if he hadn't already, and if Delen didn't provide the answers Prajio wanted, then he would have no further use of the man.

  And what would he do to Kitz?

  "We can't leave yet," I said.

  "Yes, we can," Ersabet said. "It is time to put this place behind us, John."

  "I'm going into the city to save Kitz and Delen before Prajio kills them too. You can wait for me here if you want."

  'Ethan, be reasonable,' Val said in my mind. 'Their lives are not worth the risk to yours.'

  "Are you coming or not?" I asked Ersabet. She appeared to be weighing her options.

  'If she had any sense, she would knock you unconscious and drag you away from your own stupidity,' Val said.

  I placed both my hands on the sides of my head and pulled on my hair like a man going insane. I probably was…

  Val continued to speak, 'Don't be a fool and listen to me for once before…'

  "Shut up, Val!" I yelled. "For the love of God, I can't take it anymore! You're not in charge here! I am!"

  Val huffed but apparently knew better than to speak.

  I groaned, feeling defeated. I put my face in my hands and tried to block everything out, searching for a happy memory of my wife to escape into.

  A strong, slender hand touched my shoulder. I sighed and opened my eyes to see Ersabet next to me.

  "I will go with you, John. I may not understand what you are going through, but I have committed myself to walk in your path for better or worse."

  My chin quivered at the words, and I gave her a nod. "Follow me," I said as I turned away from her so that she wouldn't see the tears wetting my eyes.

  We slunk around the edges of the property until we were safely out of sight of the building and any lizards that may be peeking out from it.

  This part of the city was in a state of chaos, but I could tell most people remained in their homes, hunkering down until it was safe. Plenty of others, however, decided it was best to flee to the edges of the city, putting as much distance between themselves and the terrifying dragon as they could. We passed one group of men transporting a tall ladder, presumably so they could climb over the wall and escape the destruction within.

  Despite the madness and panic surrounding us, there were no Kurskins wreaking havoc nearby. That na?ve and hopeful part of me wanted to gather everyone together to fight back against the invaders. Together, had been able to defeat far more Kurskins than were here now, but I knew that victory was an illusion. Those Players had been low-level adventurers, and most were reluctant to engage in a real fight. The ones currently attacking the city were war-hardened veterans, and God only knew how powerful they truly were.

  We were about half a mile from Delen's house when I saw my first example of what a high-level Player was capable of.

  I turned a corner and was forced to stop. The entire block before me was utterly destroyed. Buildings on both sides of the road were in various stages of collapse, and a massive crack, like a shifting fault line after an earthquake, splintered the middle of the road. A dozen mangled bodies were scattered about the area.

  'Any enemies nearby?' I asked Val.

  'Too close for my taste, but the path to Delen's is clear for now. The Kurskins have dispersed into smaller groups, and some have even gone solo. They are becoming difficult for me to track.'

  Ersabet and I raced up the ruined street, dodging upturned rocks and debris as we went. The wind shifted, bringing a hazy cloud of smoke with it.

  We passed the destroyed block only to be met by another horror when I nearly tripped over a leg – not my leg, someone else's, only their body was no longer attached to it.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  I found the rest of their body a few yards ahead, but they hadn't died alone. It was hard to tell how many had fallen here, as none of their bodies were whole. One severed hand still clutched a sword, and I saw an axe on the ground nearby. It looked like some people had tried to fight back, but their opponent had cut through them like they were wheat ripe for reaping.

  My stomach churned from the grisly scene, and I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and hide. But that sort of peace wasn't in the cards for me anymore.

  Thankfully, that was the last of the morbid destruction on our route to Delen's, and I was flooded with relief when his undisturbed block came into view.

  Out of nowhere, a quest notification popped up on my interface. It surprised me, so I opened it as I jogged the last leg to Delen's home.

  QUEST COMPLETE!

  Hunt or Be Hunted

  XP: 1000 points

  Congratulations! You saved little Kitz from those horrible Hunters. Only a scant few still live, and their order has now been destroyed. If they ever reform, they might have to change their name to the Cleaners since they'll be cleaning up the blood in their headquarters for the next month. Great job! You get lots of experience for this one.

  My experience bar filled enough for me to level up, but there was no pleasure to be gained from it. Prajio had finished the quest for me, and the submind was mocking me for it. The irony that Kitz was now in more danger than ever wasn't lost on me, and I wondered if the timing of the notification was intentional. I decided it had to be. The casual cruelty built into the system infuriated me, but I had more immediate concerns.

  I ran to the door and pounded on it, shouting for Delen to open up. This went on for some time. I stepped back to kick in the door, but stopped when I heard the sound of metal on metal as Delen began to unlatch it from the inside. This also went on for some time.

  The door finally cracked open, and a familiar green eye peeked through. "John?"

  Delen stepped back as I pushed the door open the rest of the way and forced my way in. There wasn't time for pleasantries.

  "Where's Kitz?" I asked as we entered.

  "He's in the basement," Delen said, his heterochromatic eyes darting between me and Ersabet. "What's happening out there? I thought I saw…" He frowned. "Never mind, just tell me what's going on."

  "The Kurskins are attacking," I said. "I'm taking you and Kitz out of the city."

  He shook his head. "I'm sure Kitz will be thrilled to leave, but I think I'll stay in my home."

  "I'm sorry, Delen. You're not safe here."

  "Why? I've done nothing to offend the Kurskins, and I'm safer in here than I am out there."

  "No one in Danver is safe," I snarled. "Especially not you."

  "I don't understand."

  "Prajio's back, and he will stop at nothing to get to me. He's already killed one of my friends, and he'll come for you too. I'm not asking you to leave with me, Delen. I'm telling you."

  "John?" The voice was soft but unmistakable.

  I turned to see Kitz emerge from the hallway. "Hey, Kitz. It's time to pack up. We're leaving."

  Kitz shrugged. "I don't have anything to pack. I'm ready…but Delen said it's not safe outside."

  "It's not. But it's safer than staying here." I turned back to Delen. "Get packing. You have three minutes."

  His eyes were distant and haunted as he scanned the room filled with his life's work. I understood his resistance to leave, but we didn't have time for him to mope around.

  "We'll come back when things settle down," I lied. "Now hurry."

  Delen bought my lie and rushed into another room. For once, I didn't feel bad about lying. It was for his own good. Once we were safe, I'd tell him the truth. There was no coming back for him, not when Prajio knew where he lived. Plus, I had my doubts that Delen's home would still be standing tomorrow.

  "Does this mean I can be free?" Kitz asked.

  "The Hunters are dead," I said. "They'll never bother you again."

  "Thank you," he said quietly.

  If he knew what it truly cost to complete his quest, he might not be so thankful.

  I paced anxiously as Delen ran about, filling a bag with his necessities.

  'Time to leave,' Val said. 'I've just detected Prajio. He's easier to detect when streaming, and I can identify him through the feed. He's on his way and moving fast.'

  "Delen, we're leaving," I said.

  "I need a few more minutes," he said as he rifled through a box of junk.

  "There's no time."

  "Please. I can't just leave everything!"

  "Ersabet, get his bag."

  In a flash, she was by his side. When he didn't look up at her, she yanked the bag from his hand. "Allow me to carry this for you."

  He looked up to her with wide eyes but nodded his agreement. Ersabet had a knack for getting people to do what she wanted.

  'What's the fastest way out of here?' I asked Val.

  'If Ersabet can get you all over the wall, then south.'

  "Ersabet, can you get us all over the wall?"

  "Yes."

  "Okay then, we go south."

  I opened the door, checked both ways to be safe, and then led everyone away from Delen's home.

  From the looks on their faces, it seemed like Delen and Kitz had underestimated just how bad things were outside.

  Kitz's eyes widened with wonder when he saw the dragon flying in the distance. He punched Delen's side. "You didn't tell me it was a dragon!"

  "I didn't want to frighten you," Delen said. "And I worried I might be seeing things. It wouldn't be the first time."

  "Talk about it later," I said. "Be quiet and stay close."

  The streets were empty in this part of the city. Most people here had either fled or were locked behind their doors. It was quiet, but in the distance, I heard a deep boom accompanied by screams of horror.

  I took a right to put us another block away from the chaos.

  Val stopped me immediately. 'Not that way,' she said. 'I think…yes, at least two Players are patrolling in that direction.'

  "Wrong way," I said, turning around and continuing down our original path. "Stay close."

  A crash of purple lightning twisted downward from the smoky sky and struck a tall building a few blocks away. Part of the roof rained down out of sight while the rest ignited in flames.

  "That strike was not natural," Ersabet said. "It must have been a Player."

  "Good thing we're not going that way," I said as I picked up the pace.

  'Prajio has reached Delen's home,' Val said. 'You should hurry in case he or his peers have a tracking ability.'

  'I am hurrying!'

  "Faster," I told the group as I began to jog.

  'Wait!' Val said. 'Shit, shit…'

  Did Val just swear? 'Talk to me Val.'

  'There's a Player not far ahead. I'm sorry, there are too many to track with my current capabilities.'

  'Try harder.'

  'I'm doing everything I can. Its position keeps…wait, it's gone now.'

  'Gone? Did it die?'

  'I don't think so.'

  'Which way should we go?'

  'I don't… it's back! And close, too close!'

  It was difficult to tell through the haze of smoke, but I thought I could make out a figure on the road a few hundred yards ahead.

  "We have to turn around." I tried to say it calmly, but even I could hear the fear in my voice.

  They peppered me with anxious questions as we changed directions, but I ignored them and instructed them to shut the hell up by putting a finger on my lips.

  There was a loud crack, like the sound of a bullwhip, accompanied by a blink of light, and then all hope of escape left me. A large, male Kurskin stood in the road only a few yards ahead of us.

  He had teleported. That explained why Val was having such a hard time keeping track of him. I had seen Prajio do something similar when we had taken down Deek together, but Prajio's ability seemed crude compared to this.

  The Kurskin cocked his head to the side. "What do we have here? A Dalari this far from the coast is a rare sight, especially one that keeps the company of humans. I wonder then if that means one of you is Mr. John McClane."

  He looked me in the eyes and smiled.