is actually really good
[Raid][Heurodis]: you just like it because its about a soppy love story
[Raid][Heurodis]: that ends in a bloody massacre
[Raid][Heurodis]: actually
[Raid][Heurodis]: having put it like that
[Raid][Heurodis]: I agree it is pretty awesome
They carried on bickering as the three of them descended through the ruined halls of what Jacob explained used to be the kingdom of Karad-az-Karaz. There were about twelve bosses in the whole instance, most of which were, in fact, guys with swords or—this being a dwarf-themed dungeon—axes. The closest they got to a highlight was the confrontation with the ghosts of Imhear and Iriel, the doomed lovers who had apparently somehow got this place destroyed by dragons and gone mad with grief and guilt in the intervening centuries. Magmarion himself was basically a pushover. He was a huge red dragon who they found sprawled upon an enormous pile of gemstones and duly pwned.
Heurodis jumped onto the top of the treasure pile and activated the [Bejewelled Music Box] which caused a secret door to slide open at the back of the chamber. Inside was a grumpy dwarf called Cormag the Gemcrafter who summoned large sparkly golems, each of which spread what in the day would have been a devastating raid-wide debuff. As it was, they just obliterated him, and Drew picked through his corpse for [Recipe: Diminutive Ruby Golem].
[Raid][Orcarella]: thanks guys
[Raid][Ialdir]: no problem
[Raid][Heurodis]: id say any time but
[Raid][Heurodis]: NEVER BRING ME BACK HERE AGAIN
[Guild][Morag]: Raid starting in fifteen
[Guild][Morag]: Get your arses where they should be
[Raid][Ialdir]: Good luck :)
The raid has been disbanded.
Drew had been in no state to sign up for that week’s jaunt to CoT, and a quick check of the guild calendar showed Kit hadn’t either. And, in fact, Solace wasn’t even online. Hadn’t been for a couple of days. Which made Drew feel sad and slightly achey.
He thought about texting him and suggesting they meet in HoL, but that just seemed pushy. And sort of like cheating.
So instead he wandered the corridors of Magmarion’s Caverns, picking up the crafting mats he needed. And then, when he’d gathered two [Shard of Living Flame]s, six [Flawless Ruby]s, and a [Vial of Magmarion’s Blood], he stood by a bit of crumbled pillar and made a [Diminutive Ruby Golem].
He activated his bindstone, but halfway through the cast, he realised he was actually closer to Alarion here than he would be in the City of Stars. So he walked out of the instance the old-fashioned way, hopped on the closest thing he had to a white steed, which unfortunately turned out to be a [Malodorous Mountain Goat], and rode north.
Kit still hadn’t logged in by the time he got to Alarion, so he changed into his tux, swapped [The Inexorable Axe] for a [Delightful Red Bouquet], got back on his goat, and waited.
He waited for three hours.
He drank an unwise amount of Dr Pepper and sent the occasional encouraging message to the raid.
Finally . . .
Solace has come online.
An elf in a pretty dress and a battered hat faded slowly into existence in front of Ella.
To [Solace]: please don’t /ignore me
To [Solace]: im really really sorry
[Guild][Ialdir]: hey Kit :)
[Guild][Morag]: hi raiding
[Guild][Prospero]: hi
[Guild][Caius]: hello
[Guild][Solace]: Hi guys :)
[Guild][Solace]: How’s CoT?
[Guild][Dave]: were on vilicus
To [Solace]: I get it now
To [Solace]: I honestly get it
[Guild][Dave]: im ded
[Guild][Dave]: nobody stacked on me :(
To [Solace]: I want to be with you
To [Solace]: In HoL
To [Solace]: And in your room
To [Solace]: And in Pizza Express
To [Solace]: And like everywhere
Drew was getting kind of desperate, so he opened up his inventory and clicked the quest reward he’d got from Sir Yips-a-Lot. Ella’s goat vanished and she lifted an oblong clockwork . . . thing over her head. Tinny, obnoxious music started playing, and two tiny kobolds spawned next to her, twitching and gyrating in time to the beat.
Honestly, it was less romantic than Drew had hoped it would be.
It was more sort of . . . stupid.
[Solace] whispers: Is that a [Kobold-Together Boombox]?
To [Solace]: yeah
To [Solace]: its from a movie or something
To [Solace]: like not the kobolds
To [Solace]: just the i’m really sorry here’s me with a boombox thing
To [Solace]: i’ve also got
Hoping it would be slightly less rubbish, Drew clicked on the [Enchanted Picnic Basket]. A sweet little tartan blanket appeared, with a stripy umbrella, a rainbow over the top, and a bemused-looking bear sitting slightly to one side.
[Solace] whispers: Drew this is all really
[Solace] whispers: something
[Solace] whispers: really sweet
[Solace] whispers: But I’m still kind of messed up
To [Solace]: I know
To [Solace]: I didnt think i’d do