Exodus: The Assassin's Path 86 Companion Quest: Lara Sy

Quinn sat on a ridge overlooking the valley compound. It must have possessed some sort of magical barrier that prevented anyone from opening up unauthorized gates. He really didn't care, he had stepped into Southern Pern a few yards away from where he now crouched. The camp stood out like a beacon in the Arctic night.

System Message: One of your followers is in danger. You have fulfilled the following prerequisite Quests.

Quest: Stay thy hand...

Do not harm Nightingale or any of the Songbirds if they attack you. (Completed)

Quest: Nightingale's Day job...

Discover Nightingale's secret ident.i.ty. (Completed)

Quest: The Songbird perch

Enlist Nightingale as one of your followers. (Completed)

Quest: The Diva Unchained. (Completed)

Convince the best of the Songbirds to sing on your behalf.

Quest: Someone to Count on. (Completed)

Max out the affection rating for this companion.

System Message: A new quest is available.

Quest: Save Lara Sy

Companion Quest

Description: An important person

has been taken. Save her at all cost.

Reward: Nexus Ring

Do you accept the quest?

"Yes."

Quinn watched the camp for a few minutes, roving guards and spirit beasts patrolled the perimeter. "d.a.m.n, why does it have to be an Arctic zone?" He started stowing his gear away, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering.

*Ba'Avriel*

A sudden warmth flooded his body as he a.s.sumed the Winged a.s.sa.s.sin form. "d.a.m.n, the Birdman doesn't get cold. Makes sense I suppose, how else could you fly in cold weather?"

*Hunt*

*Stealth*

The cold winter night quickly lit up as Quinn continued to scout the facility. The bright red images were much clearer against the white background of Southern Pern. There were several mid-size Dome tents set in a circle. In the middle was a huge mansion. "Definitely an InstBuild, why would some fool put a camp out here?"

Quinn flapped his wings hard to gain more alt.i.tude and then glided quietly toward the center building. She would probably be there.

A few minutes later he landed quietly on the roof, looking down he could see a few heat signatures in the house below. The roving guards covered both entrances with their field of view, a doorway entry would be difficult.

Quinn knelt on the s.h.i.+ngled roof, using the sharp talons from his wing he slowly forced them into the wood, once they pushed through the outer layer he extended them fully, their natural curve would keep him anch.o.r.ed. He placed both palms together against the rough surface and slowly extended his palm spikes. He repeated the process several times until he had made a ragged hole about an inch in diameter. Quinn's thermal vision told him that no one was close as he used an old dagger to slowly make the hole bigger. "s.h.i.+t... A saw would have been perfect."

Ten minutes later Quinn dropped Ba'Avriel and squeezed through the hole he had made, he dropped lightly to the floor a few feet below. He took two kubrite pins from his inventory and carefully inserted them into his belt. A quick inspection of his surroundings told him he was in an attic of some sort. It was a wide-open s.p.a.ce with boxes stacked everywhere. He used his hud to bring up the hit list. "Might as well do some hunting here if I get the chance." He carefully scanned the names and then continued toward the stairway that went down.

It was a three-story building, Quinn slowly made his way toward the only signatures on the third floor. There were several empty rooms on the top floor, after a minute he had arrived outside the occupied room.

The door made a slight noise as he opened it, the small noise was drowned out, however, by the creaking of bedsprings and the moans of the bed's occupants. Quinn smiled in the darkness, he knew both of them. The man on top was Hades Shadetree, the woman beneath him was Mara Shadetree. Hades had been his second kill in Talon, while Mara was slain by one of the Songbirds during the train heist.

She was face down on the mattress, the slim rogue was laying on top of her, slamming into her as hard as he could.

Her moans covered the noises as Quinn stuck one of the kubrite pins into Hades's neck with one hand and grabbed the back of his head with the other.

*Impale*

Quinn's spike penetrated the base of the rogue's head and then extended upward through his skull.

Hades Shadetree has been slain.

"Oh G.o.d... that's so good Hades!" She continued to moan even after Quinn knelt over her dead husband, a painful poke at the back of her neck got her attention. "Hades? What the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

"That's a kubrite pin in your neck," he spoke softly in the darkness, pus.h.i.+ng slightly with his boned spike at the base of her skull. "Do I have your attention?"

"K-Kubrite?" Quinn could hear the panic in her voice, like her partner, her level was in the high sixties. Dieing would mean she would lose everything they possessed in-game and would start from zero with a new character.

"You have my friend here, a Wood Elf rogue from Fora." Quinn used his foot to push Hades onto the floor, and then fully straddled the naked woman's back. "You have one chance to survive this, where is Lara Sy?"

"Sy? She on the second floor, there's an area where we hold prisoners." Mara was panicked, as a rogue she was helpless without her gear.

"Hmm... Interesting, I checked the second floor already." Quinn pushed the spike a bit deeper, Mara groaned loudly into the pillow beneath her. Quinn had used his thermal vision to check the second floor on his way to this room, Lara Sy definitely wasn't there.

"O-Okay! She's in the bas.e.m.e.nt... you'll need me to get in." Mara had a pa.s.skey that only Covenant members possessed, her a.s.sailant wouldn't kill her without it.

*Impale*

Quinn placed both hands at the base of her head, and extended the spikes into her skull, holding her down while she spasmed.

Mara Shadetree has been slain.

"Well... I'd be boned if that was true. However, I noticed something when I killed your degenerate husband. Permanent kills don't follow the same no-loot rules, your characters are forfeit and all your loot is mine."

Quinn took everything from both corpses and then turned toward the door. The clock was ticking now, both of them would start contacting their friends in the real world.

Special Item: Key

Pa.s.skey: Grants access to restricted area.

Description: This item is given to Covenant

members only.

"Yep, that's what I need."

*Stealth*

Quinn headed down the stairs quickly, he bypa.s.sed the second floor and proceeded to the first. He waited on the stairs for a moment, a man and a woman were talking near the landing. After a minute one of them walked down the hall to another room.

Quinn crept quietly to the second stair then leaped, either instinct or the slightest noise warned his victim, he turned toward the airborne a.s.sa.s.sin. Quinn stabbed the kubrite pin into his neck and struck downward with his fist. They grappled on the floor in the darkness, Quinn had one hand clamped over his mouth while he looped his arm around his opponent's neck from above him and leaned back into a modified guillotine choke. He circled the man's waist with his legs for leverage and used all his strength, Quinn felt the man's neck creak.

Henri Stormcaller has been slain

System Message: You have Successfully a.s.sa.s.sinated a target on your Hit List.

Henri Stormcaller

Level 85

*Ding* Level 61

*Ding* Level 62

System Message: You have been awarded 255 thousand credits for a.s.sa.s.sinating a target 25 levels higher than you.

Quinn rolled the body off and looted him, "a Ranger... No wonder he sensed me."

"What the fu.." The other person had returned when she heard the noise from the scuffle.

*Blink*

Quinn appeared behind the female mage.

He locked her up in a rear naked choke, using his legs to pin her arms to her side.

*Return*

Quinn appeared at his original location, maintaining his hold as the mage collapsed to the floor. He loosened his top hand for a moment to jam a pin into her shoulder, then he placed his palm on the back of her head.

*Impale*

Quinn's boned spike was driven through her skull.

Vio Balefire has been slain.

System Message: You have Successfully a.s.sa.s.sinated a target on your Hit List.

Vio Balefire

Level 72

*Ding* Level 63

System Message: You have been awarded 105 thousand credits for a.s.sa.s.sinating a target 10 levels higher than you.

"s.h.i.+tb.a.l.l.s... so busy now." Quinn found the bas.e.m.e.nt door and used his pa.s.skey to enter.

Quinn smelled it the moment he pa.s.sed through the door, the coppery scent of blood hung in the warm musty air.

The thermal outline of her stood out like a brilliant sun in the dark bas.e.m.e.nt, she was bleeding from multiple wounds, the smell of charred flesh nearly made Quinn gag as he closed in. There was only one other person in the bas.e.m.e.nt beside Nightingale, Raging Flame.

The Covenant Wizard was leaning over Nightingale, a branding iron glowing brightly in one hand.

*Blink*

Quinn slammed the b.u.t.t of his dagger into the back of Raging Flames head and then grabbed him by the shoulders.

Raging Flame has been stunned.

*Return*

Quinn returned to his previous position, he placed his foot against the Wizard's back and pulled back on his arms.

*Click*

Simple Restraint

Rare Item

Description: Handcuffs designed to completely nullify

all abilities of the wearer for 30 minutes.

Additional effect: Wearer is mute for 30 minutes.

Quinn rushed to his operative, wrapped an arm around her waist and unfastened her restraints. Carefully he lowered her to the floor.

Lara Sy has died.

"NO!! No.. no.. no.." He quicked checked her wounds, there were daggers sticking out of each of her legs. He pulled them out quickly and placed them on the floor, he knew as soon as he touched them.

Ravager

Dagger: Engineered

Description: Steel bladed

weapon infused with trace amounts

of Kubrite.

He found two more Kubrite pins stuck into her feet. He turned to find Raging Flame had regained his feet and was running for the door.

*Blink*

Quinn grabbed the wizard by the back of the hair and yanked his head back.

*Return*

Quinn returned to Nightingale's side and slammed Raging Flame headfirst into the wall. The wizard crumpled to the floor.

Raging Flame has been stunned.

Quinn grabbed the Kubrite daggers and pushed a knee into the fallen wizard's chest. Raging Flame's Blonde hair and face were splattered with Lara's blood. His face was a mask of terror as his mouth soundlessly screamed.

"Die in silence... knowing that you will never return." Quinn thrust both daggers into the wide open blue eyes of the High Elf Wizard.

Raging Flame has been slain.

System Message: You have Successfully a.s.sa.s.sinated a target on your Hit List.

Raging Flame

TAP Cla.s.s: Pyromancer

Level 93

*Ding* Level 64

*Ding* Level 65

System Message: You have been awarded 205 thousand credits for a.s.sa.s.sinating a target 20 levels higher than you.

System Message: Your companion Lara Sy has perished and cannot be revived. You are in possession of a suitable container. Do you wish to store her soul?

Grand Soul Gem

Container: Legendary

Description: Can permanently

store the soul of Ordained

creatures. 1/1

"Yes." Quinn wiped some of the blood from her face.

System Message: Storing Lara Sy's soul in this container will overwrite the current soul. Do you wish to continue?

His voice was raspy and softer than a whisper as he smoothed back her bloodied hair, "yes."

System Message: Lara Sy's Soul has been successfully stored.

Quinn looted the Wizard's corpse and then gently picked up Lara Sy, he walked up the stairs carefully and exited through the front door.

System Message: You have a.s.sa.s.sinated a target with an undeclared TAP cla.s.s. This gives you the option of announcing their TAP cla.s.s and receiving part of their Pioneer Bounty. Do you wish to make a worldwide announcement?

"Yes."

World Wide Announcement: A new TAP cla.s.s has been uncovered by Q in Pern.

Base Cla.s.s: Mage

Sub Cla.s.s: Wizard

TAP Cla.s.s: Pyromancer

*********

The entirety of Raven Task Force arrived twenty minutes later. There was nothing left to do. The entire camp was in flames, bodies of both man and beast littered ground. The pristine white landscape was splattered with blood. They found him leaning against the front door, holding Lara Sy tightly in his arms. There were two kubrite daggers stuck into the b.l.o.o.d.y snow where they sat.

"Quinn!" Leah spotted him first and rushed to his side, his eyes were cold and dark. Leah brought up her hud, a moment later Yaya's face popped up. "Bring a cleric to the entrance of the center building."

Vera Silverleaf arrived moments later with Grace. Since Grace had declared the Paladin cla.s.s, she could no longer rezz NPCs. She cleansed and healed Quinn's wounds as Vera worked on Nightingale.

The Songbirds arrived right behind them, they stood silently watching.

Vera looked up from the rogue leader, "She can't be revived."

Grace placed a hand on Lara's head, and then glanced at Quinn. "What happened here?"

"She was killed with a Kubrite blade." Quinn handed her the object he had clutched tightly in his fist. "I have this."

"Quinn?" Grace took the Soul Gem from him, a moment later the image of Lara Sy floated above her hand. Without another word, she handed it to Vera.

Quinn felt the warm arms of Leah wrap around him and pull him close. Her wet tears fell on his cheeks as she kissed him and stroked his face.

System Message: Lara Sy has been revived.

System Message: You have completed the Companion Quest: Save Lara Sy.

System Message: The Nexus ring has been deposited into your inventory.