I had been traveling through Braeen for more than six months now. My daily routine consisted of going to work, connecting onto New Roads as soon as I got home and sleeping for no less than five hours. In the game, more than two years have passed since the game had launched. Normally, a player would go directly to the capital city, which would take approximately two weeks. However, I instead taken my time to explore the rest of the Kingdom and had purposely avoided the area surrounding the capital. 

I wanted my plan to be perfect.

I was now ready to create my own guild. All that was left to do was to go to the capital and register. But before I could do that, I had to capture Sendrix and find enough proof of his betrayal to allow the King to search his properties without raising too many questions. 

When I logged back into New Roads the next day, I set up my small booth and start selling my wares. I took the time to chat with as many people as  I could. I had found that it was the easiest and quickest way to make profits while raising familiarity with the locals and gathering information. After closing up shop for the day, I visited the town and talked to more people. 

I found the merchant Fred in Vendro's inn. He was already drinking with a few of his men. After a couple more drinks, I pulled him over and had a discussion with him. After an hour, I knew everything I could want to know about the conflict between Sendrix and the King. However, the most interesting thing was that a party of players had rented the rooms opposite to mine for a whole week as they went after Sendrix. As soon as I heard this, I thanked Fred for his time and bought him another drink. I left the bar and went up to my room. I "accidentally" entered the rooms across the hall from mine and used the Spirit of the Wolf skill to identify and memorize the players' smells. After doing so, I went into my room and removed everything from my inventory that I did not need for the night. 

I left the village as soon as the sun rose. Since Vendro only confided in me, I felt that I should not receive help tracking Sendrix. My contracts with Arnold and Patrick only included the safety of the cart, not of me. They were already tasked with helping defend the town. Once I lost sight of the walls, I transformed into a wolf. It took under half an hour to find the players' scents. The party had taken many detours while searching for Sendrix. I saw several places where they had stopped to fight mobs or stop for rest. I sent the entire day re-tracing their steps. 

By midnight, I had caught up to them. All seven members were elves. This was my first time seeing an elf player. Their ears were long and pointy and had armor made from various plants. They were armed with either swords or bows. One of them, a female elf in mage robes, had a wooden staff with a quartz stone embedded on top. A green orb floating above her indicated her as the party leader. 

They were watching a cave entrance from behind trees and bushes. It stood a little over 100 meters away, guarded by four men dressed in heavy red armor. They bore Sendrix's mark on their breastplates, confirming that this was Sendrix's hideout. The attackers of the village were around level 40, but these men had got to be at least level 70. It did not surprise me that the elves hadn't launched an attack yet. They were between the levels of 50 and 60. An attack from the front could mean suicide. 

Through listening to the party's conversations, I learned that they had seen Sendrix enter the cavern, accompanied by ten personal guards and approximately thirty private soldiers. The thief of the party, Dokil, had been able to sneak past the guards and scout the cavern to prepare a strategy. Apparently, the place was made of a long corridor with small individual rooms on its sides which ended at a spiral staircase. This led to a large underground room with a stone table and monolith. Very similar, I noted, to the bandit's hideout. Dokil, despite sneaking in many times, had been unable to find Sendrix. My guess was that, like in the bandit conclave, there was a passage under the monolith and Sendrix was there. 

The party of elves had been hesitating to attack since there did not know where to find Sendrix and that differences in levels between the soldiers and themselves. Tonight, they planned their second attempt. They confronted the soldiers head-on in their first attempt and had nearly died. This next attempt, they planned to stealthily attack soldiers one by one. 

As I listened to their plan, I knew that it was going to work. I devise a plan to get to Sendrix before them. Using the elves as a distraction, I planned to sneak past the majority of soldiers in my wolf form using the Cushioned Paw skill before reverting back to my human form to activate the monolith. If all went well, I could sneak in and out of the conclave without the elves knowing I was there. 

At midnight, the players attacked. They sneaked up to the soldiers guarding the entrance and slit their throats. Taking a page out of my book, they used burning herbs to render other guards unconscious. Unfortunately for them, other guards came and they engaged in combat. I sneaked past them and headed down the corridor, going to the spiral staircase. Much to my dismay, the stairs were guarded by three of Sendrix's elite soldiers. If I waited for the elves to kill them, I would not be able to reach Sendrix first. On the other hand, there was no guarantee that I could sneak past them. I sighed as I hid a corner and disabled Spirit of the Wolf and felt my body morph. I pulled out my bow and notched an arrow. Turning the corner, I shot at one of the soldiers, aiming for the joints in his armor. Five arrows later, he fell and his two companions charged at me. I threw my two hatchets at the closest one, bring him to his knees. I withdrew Kaden's sword as the third man leaped at me. Rolled to the side and I lunged at him. The sword pierced his hip. He grunted in pain as I withdrew the sword and stabbed in the chest. I turned to the second soldier, still struggling to get up with the two hatchets buried in his chest and cut off his head. 

I went down the staircase, killing the few soldiers stationed there. I poised by the door leading to the cavern, taking note of the several soldiers stationed there. Taking one of my bags of herbs, I lit it and threw it in the room. The herbs released a smoke, which allowed for me to move undetected. I used my bow to pick off the soldiers I could see and then moved in with my sword. As soon as the last of the soldiers was dead, I examined the cavern I was in. Similar to the last conclave, the cavern was large and had an open ceiling. However, this one was better taken care of and had its walls intact. I noticed the old stone floor had been painted with faded patterns. I followed them to one of the wall, which was covered in carvings and various other etchings. As I observed them, various windows popped up. 

By studying Druid carvings, you have learned the meaning of another Ancient Rune.
      Intelligence has risen by 10.
      Fame has risen by 2.
      Your understanding of Druid Culture has risen by 3%.

You have discovered the Spirit of the Horse.
      Fame has risen by 100.
      Knowledge of Ancient Runes has risen by 10.
      All stats have risen by 5. 

Spirit of the Horse (Beginner 1)
      Description: You can take the form of a horse.
            Familiarity with Horses has risen by 2%.
            Mana Consumption: 100

Through your decisions and your path as a Druid, it is decided that the property Dolmen of the Druids should be under your ownership. 

Dolmen of the Druids

      Value: 500 Gold
      Description: An old and abandoned Druid Temple dedicated to the Spirit of the Horse. Dug by Druids many years ago, this temple was a vital part of their civilizations, being the crossroads of many settlements.
      Size:
            - 15 private studies
            - 20 private bed rooms
            - 1 large hall
            - 1 large office

Dolmen of the Druids cannot be restored due to the presence of enemies within it.
      Enemies Remaining: 11

The Dolmen of the Druids cannot function as a temple due to the absence of Druids.
      Druids Needed:
            0/2 Druid Apprentices
            0/2 Druids
            0/1 Druid Priest 

I nodded, taking in all the information. This was the second time I had found a Druidic temple and had been given control over it. Like the last one, I had to restore it. I slowly realized that there must be other ruins such as this one that could be restored and re-opened. Maybe, I thought, if I were to open all the temples again, the Druids would gain more power. 

I thought of what I needed to do next. I knew that the party of elves were strong enough to take down the remaining guards. Walking to the monolith, I activated the Spirit of the Horse skill. Similar to the Spirt of the Wolf, I felt my body change as I transformed into a horse. 

You have used Spirit of the Horse.
      You have transformed into a horse.
      Your stats, skills and attributes have changed.
      Some equipment cannot be worn in this form and have returned to your backpack.

It took a minute to get accustomed to my new form. It was similar to the wolf form, but with longer legs. I fell many times before I was able to gain a sure footing and move confidently. I stumbled onto the mosaic floor surrounding the monolith. As I did, a spirit started forming above it. The spirit was in the shape an eagle. It flapped its wings as it cocked its head and stared at me.

You have called forth the Spirit of the Wind.
      Through your Spirit Understanding, you sense that the Spirit of the Wind is displeased by the presence of some of the people in the temple.

I immediately lowered my neck and attempted to knell, if a horse can imitate knelling. I probably lay there for several minutes as the spirit judged me. I feared that the elves would finish up and arrive in the courtyard before the spirit was done.

It has been too long since a follower of the Path of the Druid came within these walls. Yet, you spill blood and spread violence.

As the Spirit continued to condemn my usage of violence, I wondered how I could explain myself when I could not talk properly.

I will admit that all those slain men were tainting the sanctity of this temple. Furthermore, I will forgive you for those acts. As a matter of fact, if you were to rid the sanctuary of the rest of the intruders, I would reward you in the most suitable manner.

With that, the spirit dissipated into mist and the marble table raised and moved to reveal a passageway leading down into the earth. As I looked down, I saw torches placed at regular intervals illuminating the way. At the bottom, I could vaguely make out the shapes of Sendrix's private guards. As I entered the passageway, a window popped up.

You have discovered the secret underground level of the Dolmen of the Druids.
      Dolem of the Druids property information has been updated.
      Fame has risen by 100
      Ancient Rune Knowledge has risen by 15
      Intelligence has risen by 10

As I continued down the passage, I wondered how to get rid of the guards at the bottom. I remembered how angry the the spirit was when I had killed the guards. Maybe killing them was not the best idea.

I made my decision as I walked up to the first guard. The man looked at me with confusion, not understanding how a lone horse with a backpack, a satchel, a sword and a bow on its flank had been able to enter the secret passage. He reached for his sword an ordered the other men to search for the rider. As they went past me, I changed back to my human form and grabbed him. With a low kick, I kicked his knees out from under him and twisted his sword hand behind his back. This all took less than 5 seconds.

I covered his mouth as he struggled. I leaned in and whispered in his ear. 

"I am Ben Varand, a simple follower of the Path of the Druids. You and your companions are defiling the sanctuary with your presence.If you do not leave this place by the end of the next day, I will come back and will not hesitate to kill you."

With that, I hit the base of this skull with the pummel of my word. The guard's eyes rolled up as he fell unconscious. I grabbed some rope from my bags and tied him up. I realized that I won't have enough rope for the other guards, so I changed back to my horse form and continued descending down the passage. I met five more guards and used the same tactic on them. By the end, my Spirit of the Horse skill rose to Beginner 2 and I learned the skill Bind.

That'll be useful, I thought. I made a mental note to carry more rope from now on.

I used Spirit of the Horse again and trotted directly towards my next opponents. There were two of them guarding a large oak door similar to the one back in the Druid Conclave. Once again, I used their surprise to gain the upper hand and, after a momentary struggle, they were both unconscious and bound.

I drank a potion to recover my mana and eat some bread as one of the guards was able to make a shallow cut in my arm. I slipped my Noble Ring off my finger and put in my backpack. Once I was ready, I pushed the oak doors open and entered a stone room. The ceiling were so high I had to look up to see the top. Chandeliers hung from it, their candles sputtering. 

I saw the last two of Sendrix's men rise from a set of cushions on the floor and move towards me, large red claymores in hand. Further back, a man in full red and gold armor sat on a pile of furs and cushions, a large claymore lay next to him. 

I waited for the guards to get within 10 meters before raising my arms in surrender. As I did, the two guards slowed their approach. They held their blades pointed to my chest, dissuading me from doing anything fishy. 

The one on the left was the first to talk.

"How did you pass the others?" His voice was muffled by the helmet. 

I smiled. "They are sleeping on the job. You should send them back to training."

The guard who talked punched me in the stomach. I lost 21 health, about 2% of my total health, in that one hit. These guards were clearly superiors to the other ones I had encountered. It made me wonder how powerful Sendrix would be.

"Who are you?" The other guard asked.

"I am Ben Varrand, a man in search of inner peace and spiritual guidance. I came to this temple for self reflection and meditation."

I was about to receive another punch, but was spared by Sendrix's hand motion. Instead, my weapons and quiver were taken from me and I was dragged towards him. Sendrix motioned me to sit on a cushion. One of the guards left to check on his companions while the other one stayed. Sendrix lifted his helmet off of his head, revealing a handsome man with a mass of curly blond hair. However, his green eyes lacked any compassion and seemed to bore straight into your soul. 

"You should not have come here, druid." He spoke. "The temple has long been closed to the public."

I nodded. "One's spiritual journey can lead to strange places and will cause one to commit strange actions."

Sendrix barked out laughter. "Even transgression of laws?" He asked.

I smiled. "If you broke those laws, why couldn't I? More importantly, it is the understanding of those laws' effects that matters. With this, it throws the laws into question due to the point of view and interpretation."

"So you consider yourself above the law because of this spiritual journey? How amusing!"

As soon as he said that, the guard, who had left, returned. He hurriedly walked to Sendrix and reported what he had found.

"The others are unconscious and tied up. I cut their ropes and woke them." He said. "They are shaken up. They all seem to have seen a hallucination of a horse."

"A horse?" Sendrix asked. He looked at me, amused, believing I was some sort of an illusionist.

"I went all the way to Fredrick. He had woke up and started working on his binding. I also heard the sounds of a fight coming from towards the entrance. There seems to be more intruders."

Those damn elves.

"Friends of yours?" Sendrix asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know where they come from." It wasn't really a lie. The only things I knew about was what I learned by observing them.

Sendrix waved his hand. "It does not matter. You two go help the others. I don't believe that this druid is able to defeat me."

"Yes, my lord." The guards bowed before leaving. Inwardly, I smiled. This should give me plenty of time to deal with Sendrix. I just need to find proof that he was behind the attack on Millen, and I need to do it quickly.

Not wasting any more time, I stood up and walked over to where I gear lay on the floor. 

"What are you planning to do with that sword." Sendrix asked, rising from his pile of cushions.

I'm leaving." I responded while attaching the hatchets back to their respected sheathes. "It is now apparent to me that this place is no suited for meditation. Too much people and violence."

"Is that so?" Sendrix said with a raised eyebrow.

"I thank you for your hospitality, Lord...?"

"Sendrix."

I bowed in faked respect and, just as I had predicted, Sendrix tried to strike me. His claymore was whistling through the air at an astonishing speed. I rolled to the side to avoid it and drew my sword.

"May I ask for the reason for your attack?"

Sendrix nodded. "I do not like your behavior towards me."

"I see. That is unfortunate. Is there any way I could convince you forget my offense?"

"No."

"What about surrendering?"

Sendrix sighed. "I am not interested in sparing your pathetic life."

I grinned. "I wasn't talking about me." With that, I ran towards him. We exchanged blows for several minutes. I was able to cut his leg.  However, his health barely dropped due to his high defense. He back away and begun to keep me at bay with his longer sword. I was hit several times. 

He must be at least level 80. The only reason I could keep up with at my level 68 character was because of the extra stat points and the blessings, which made my character seem like it was level 85. 

I attempted to hit him by throwing one of my hatchets. Unfortunately, he blocked it with his shield. He, however, momentarily lost his balance and I lunged forward, stabbing his right shoulder twice and slashing his side. 

You have dealt a series of critical hits.
Your opponent can no longer use his right arm.
      Damage +30%

Sendrix struggled to hold his heavy claymore with his left hand. 

"Who the hell are you?"

I laughed. "I already told you. Ben Varrand."

I threw my hatchet. Sendrix attempted to dodge, but it hit him on the side, near the wound I opened with my sword. 

You have dealt a critical hit.
      Damage +40%

I was shocked at the damage. I noticed that the two hits were near each. Maybe, it was because of the location. To test the theory, I make a blow to his legs then switched my grip and slice his side between the two previous wounds.

You have dealt a critical hit.
      Damage