Arcanum

"Do you think they are okay?.." Helen asked sounding worried.

"I"m sure everyone is okay. I let the Deputy Head know I"ve returned with you lot." He smiled leaving us with the school group.

Overhearing the students they all seemed totally confused why they were all pulled back early..... Totally unbeknownst to what"s going to happen or happening. "Umm the Head Mistress would like to talk to you all..." Seven came back after a few minutes trying to keep quiet and lead the way to her.

"Welcome children!!!...." Deputy Head Mistress greeted us with a giant smile.

"Deputy Head Mistress." Everyone else smiled bowing their head slightly causing me to do the same quickly.

"Thank you Sven.... Please if you don"t mind we need your string for reconnaissance..... We need you to watch the back and the flanks of the city." She ordered him politely.

"Yes M"am." He replied bowing his head giving us a wave and began jogging off.

"So I hear.... you five suspect the city had been infiltrated by Dark Elves?.." She asked.

"Yes... Deputy Head." Grace answered.

"Okay.... so what was your findings??" She asked Grace.

"Well we felt something off..... Like the city was on edge and things..... So we questioned the refugee"s as we helped them... They said that rumours have been spreading that there has been a number of attacks and disappearances outside the cities perimeter.... one in particular..... A Fox Lady Emilia and Daisy helped... said there has been kidnappings and merciless killing of refugees...." She answered.

"Ahhh I see.... So slavery and information gathering...." Deputy Headmistress concluded.

"Yes what we suspect too..... So using Helen and Daisy.... we persuaded the Guards, that we were told to help out in the infirmary so we could take a better look at the wounded..... Dark Elves have particular weapons that inflict maximum pain onto their victims while trying to keep them alive….. On the way the guard escorting us said that they and guard units have been under attack lately by weird creatures.... Rocks with tentacles... Large insectoid creatures..... Magical Darkness....." Grace carried on explaining.

"Hmmm sounds like Lashers and Beetle Hulks common Dark Elves tactics...." Deputy Head nodded.

"Yes.... so we proceeded to the infirmary.... Helena and I treated a few injuries.... some had Rope burns and bites from Lashers..... Others had limbs and broken body parts from large pincers and very large gashes from a rough weapons..... Nothing Dark Elf related which is strange…. So we a.s.sume they"ve infiltrated the city somehow." Grace explained.

"I see." The Deputy Head nodded.

"Some also muttered in broken speech Giant spiders and some horrible bipedal monsters with giant scythes for hands. Ohhh and also something like pitch darkness.... and now we are here." Grace concluded.

"Hmmm anything else?.." She asked Grace.

"Well I"m sure Sven has briefed you... but we did meet a set of guards that had Dark Elf ceremonial daggers." Grace mentioned.

"Ahh yes..... Sven did mention that." She smiled.

"Well.... thank you for your intuition and initiative.... I also come to the same conclusion you all have, we"ll begin evacuation the evacuation process quickly." She smiled.

"So are we getting sent back?.." I asked speaking out of place.

"Yes Miss Emilia.... all first years and support students will be sent back to Atlantis to ensure their safety." She smiled.

"How about the refugees?..." I asked.

"Well Miss Emilia..... The primary objective will be to safeguard the city and it"s inhabitant..." She answered me with a very stern tone.

"Ohhh... okay....." I replied a little scared deciding not to challenge her.

"If you would please keep your findings quiet to avoid panic and worry…. And return to the rest of the cla.s.s so we can get back in one piece." She smiled.

"Yes Miss." we all nodded bowing our head slightly and made it back to the group of students.

"Daisy I want to try and help the Fox family....." I whispered to her after making it back to the cla.s.s.

"So do I... but there"s nothing we can do Emilia.... and that would be going against the Deputy Head"s order....." Daisy replied frightened of breaking the rules.

"Yeah... it"s extremely dangerous as well... some of the refugees might very well be Dark Elves as well...." Helen added overhearing us.

"Scarlet are you here?..." I asked trying to contact her but to no avail. "Paul?..." I asked hoping that feeling earlier meant something but that message also fell to deaf ears.

"They not responded?..." Helen asked looking worried.

"Still nothing...." I replied.

"d.a.m.n...... They should have sent message to her to come back by now..." Grace said making me more worried.

"We all trained with her.....I"m sure she"s fine.... probably over indulging in an intense fight." Jay laughed.

"Are you not worried at all?.." Helen asked Jay as if sounding angry or at least annoyed.

"We"re completely safe... and we"re gonna be heading back to Atlantis soon." Jay replied to her.

"Yeah but you see that look on Emilia?.." She replied.

"I guess it means we"re gonna sneak off and help the refugee"s...." He sighed.

"I mean... I want to..... But I don"t even know what to do yet..... All I know is I want to help them and make sure they aren"t left out by the system…" I answered.

"Well first things first.... we need to sneak out of here..." Jay said looking around.

"Not to mention avoiding other Atlantis students....." Grace added.

"And somehow avoid Sven catching us... somehow....." Helen also replied.

"Then.... what?.. Find the Fox Family.... smuggle them into the city and put them somewhere safe in a city we"ve never been to?.." Jay sarcastically suggested as if this is almost impossible.

"We can decide later... Let"s get there first...." Grace suggested.

"But but.... that will be breaking the rules...." Daisy said looking worried.

"Come on Daisy.... Stop being such a stickler." Grace joked nudging her. "Anyways.... how would Serra react if..... I dunno.... you left a family when you know you could have helped." Grace shrugged quickly slipping into a pa.s.sing crowd.

"d.a.m.nit....." Jay said following her.

"Let"s go save some live." Helen said following closely.

With a giant smile I looked at Daisy edging her to follow before slipping into the crowd like the others.

As we followed the crowd nearing the main gate in and out the city, slipping into a nearby allay between two houses. "I hate you guys!" Daisy whispered angry at us.

"We"ll talk about it later." Grace chuckled. "So we need a lie to get past the guard"s checking people leaving the city.... lucky for us they seem to be less concerned then those entering the city." Grace said to us.

"Well we can just lie..." I suggested.

"Don"t think that will work..... They probably know most the inhabitants... so new faces will arise suspicion..." Jay replied.

"Ohhhh..... I"m sure a Paladin of Serra would grant us some immunity...." Grace suggested making us all turn to Daisy.

"What?...." she question in shock suddenly becoming the crux of our plan.

"Ahhhhh yes yes.... let"s head to the Church of Serra so we can borrow some robes....." Jay suggested with a smiled.

"No No No..... breaking school rules... then pretending to be a Paladin of Serra... I can"t..." She insisted.

"No No.... you"re already a Paladin of Serra..... We are just following you..... It"s not our fault it they think we are priests of Serra....." Grace implied.

"........... Fine let"s go....." Daisy begrudgingly agreed.

Quickly making our way to the Church of Serra, Lilli was still outside tending to the flowers. "Hey Lilli! We all shouted to greet her.

"Hi!" She greeted us back waving her arm.

"We need your help Lilli..." Grace asked her quickly.

"Sure what is it?.." She asked with a smile.

"We need to borrow some priest robes..." Grace politely requested.

"Ummmm......." She replied looking cautious and worried.

"It"s to save lives..." Daisy informed her with a smile.

"Ummm okay.... I"ll fetch them right away." She nodded running into the church.

"So that"s step one.... sorted.... Step two.... how are we gonna save all the refugees?.." Jay asked.

"We have to get them to move into the city.... it"s the only way...." I suggested.

"Hmmm... That could work." Jay agreed.

"Here they are..." Lilli announced coming back with a pile of plain robes.

"Thank you Lilly... Grace smiled taking them and throwing them to us to wear them.

"Thank you Lilly for your help." I smiled thanking her and began following the others making our way back to the Gates pulling over our hoods to shield our ident.i.ties.