Damsel in Distress

A dense miasma of smoke and fire filled the air as Alex and the slayers arrived at the outskirts of the compound after their pyrrhic victory. They had suffered heavy losses during the fight with the hobgoblin. Many of them were injured; those who weren't were physically and mentally exhausted.

Even Alex had several minor injuries that needed to be taken care of. Nevertheless, they dreadfully marched back towards the safe zone to get some rest and lick their wounds. However, things were not so simple; upon their arrival to their compound, they noticed a great battle had occurred there during their absence.

Bodies of the sentries lay scattered across the area, with gunshot wounds spread across their corpses. It became apparent that this was not an attack by monsters but by humans instead. Captain Hunter immediately sent his team of officers to investigate the situation. After a short search, they came back with the conclusion that a group of brigands had laid siege to the compound.

The brigands had looted their supplies and took many prisoners; those who resisted or were too old to be of use were killed on the spot. They could only imagine the terrible fate that awaited those poor souls who had been taken alive.

Alex desperately searched among the ruins for any signs of Emily but could not a single clue as to her whereabouts. Tears began to fall from his azure eyes as he remembered the embarrassment on her face when she wished him a safe return. Rage began to swell in his heart and consume his reason.

However, before he truly went mad, a curious notification appeared in Alex's peripheral vision, one he had yet to see.

[New Quest!]

Damsel in Distress:

The goddess Soteria has answered the prayers of a damsel in distress who has been captured by brigands and needs a savior.

Quest Objective:

Rescue Emily Williams from the brigands who have taken her prisoner before it is too late.

Bonus Objective:

Eliminate the gang of brigands

Rewards:

1000 XP

100 Favor (Soteria)

Bonus Rewards:

Random Item

Alex stared at the screen in astonishment; he re-read the message over and over again in an attempt to verify the information. A series of questions ran rapidly throughout his mind as he tried desperately to comprehend the situation. If what this message said was true, then somehow Emily had been captured by brigands, and his time to save her was limited.

Captain Hunter was too occupied conversing with the investigators to notice Alex's unusual behavior. The man was made of steel and did not even flinch at the sight of the compound; rather, he resolved himself to fortify the area at all costs and reinforce their position. For now, the captives would have to wait until they could understand the full strength of the enemy.

Cassie, Brandon, and Derek were also notified of the quest since they were still within the party. Though Derek was new to the party and was not entirely sure who Emily was, the other two members had been with Alex a while. They were used to him flirting with the pretty young brunette who worked in the logistics department; thus, they had a good impression of the girl.

Brandon was the first to notice Alex's distraught expression and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. With Alex's disposition, he was bound to do something stupid in this situation, like storm the compound by himself. Though the kid was strong, he was not invincible, and such actions were the equivalent of suicide.

"You don't have to say anything; we're with you!"

The other two nodded with smiles on their faces as well. The party members knew Alex was thinking of breaking off from the group and rescuing Emily on his own, and they would not allow him to put himself in such a precarious situation.

Alex wiped the tears from his eyes and took a few deep breaths to recover his sanity. Afterward, he looked at his party with overwhelming gratitude.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

With that said, Alex and his party took off on their own in the direction in which the brigands had gone. The brigands were not the brightest bunch; as such, they left many clues to their trail; seeing as Cassie was secretly a member of the police and an investigator, she quickly caught onto it and led the party in the direction of the brigand's compound.

...

Meanwhile, Emily lay tied up on a bed in a locked room at the brigand's base of operations. In front of her was the long-haired man with tattoos who was identified as the boss. He had just tossed her onto the bed and was beginning to take off his trousers to have some fun with the girl whom he had taken a liking to.

However, when he approached her, she struggled fiercely, kicking and screaming as he tried to have his way with her. Before he could make a significant process, he heard a knock on his door. In his frustration, the man lashed out at the fool who dared to interrupt his fun.

"What the hell is it? Can't you see I'm fucking busy right now!?!"

A timid voice responded from the outside with a hint of hesitation

"Boss, we've got a problem. Several of our patrols went missing."

Having heard the news, a flash of surprise spread across the brigand boss's face before he stood up and put his pants back on. The man walked over to Emily and put a gag on her mouth so she couldn't cause any trouble. Then he proceeded to the door. He slammed it open in agitation as he stared the goon in the eyes with a look that could kill.

"This better be important!"

The goon looked pitifully at Emily for a moment before shift his gaze back to the boss.

"I think you're going to want to see this"

The boss exhaled deeply and kicked the door in frustration before violently closing it behind him. With that, Emily was left with some reprieve, though for how long, she did not know.

...

As the sun began to fade, Alex and his party arrived at the location in which the brigands called home. It was a fortified complex built out of an empty warehouse. There were makeshift guard towers and wired fences surrounding it. There were more than a dozen sentries on patrol; it would not be easy to break in.

Cassie, however, spotted a gap in the patrols after careful observation. She shadow stepped to the nearest guard tower and helped a knife to his throat from behind while covering his mouth with her palm. She whispered in the man's ear devilishly.

"Tell me where the prisoners are held, and I'll let you live. Make any sudden movements, or cry for help and I will cut your throat, do you understand?"

The man began sweating profusely as he nodded ever so slightly. Then Cassie released him, and he gave he obediently responded.

"The prisoners are within the center of the warehouse; they're bound and gagged so they can't cause any troubles."

Cassie held the knife in front of his pupil, mere centimeters away from contact.

"Is there anything else?" she exclaimed in an intimidating voice.

The man no longer dared to hide any information from her and quickly gave the whole truth.

"The captain took a liking to a pretty young brunette and brought her to the office. There's only one office in the warehouse it should not be hard to find"

A wicked smile spread across Cassie's lips as she knocked the man unconscious with a violent attack; afterward, she said to his sleeping body, "Thanks."

After taking care of the tower, she aided the others into getting past the fence and into the hideout. The party stealthily made their way throughout the compound. They did not have the workforce to rescue the remaining survivors, so their only objective was to complete the quest and rescue Emily.

After carefully searching the warehouse, they found the small office area in which the sentry had mentioned. Alex quickly opened its door, locked from the outside, and saw Emily lying bound and gagged on the bed, covered in tears.

As Emily noticed Alex was there, her eyes shined brightly, and the tears no longer cascaded from her eyes. Alex quickly removed the gag and pointed a finger to her lips while shushing her before she could speak. He whispered quietly

"Shhh... We're going to get you out of here; just hold on!"

With that said, Cassie came into the room and cut off the ropes that bound Emily's arms and legs. Once the girl was free from her bindings, she jumped over and hugged Alex in a tight embrace.

"I thought I'd never see you again!"

Alex pet her head gently while looking deeply into her eyes

"I came as soon as I found out. Did they do anything to you?" he asked, checking to see if you were unharmed.

Emily shook her head and spoke softly, "The boss wanted me for himself, but something happened, and he left before he could do anything. I haven't seen him since he tied me up and left me here."

Brandon walked over and cut into the conversation before the two could continue. "That's all well and dandy, but can we get going. In case you've forgotten, we're in the middle of an enemy base!"

Emily blushed and held onto Alex's hand while Alex responded to Brandon's chastisement.

"You're right, so let's get out of here!"

Afterward, the group quietly absconded into the night, going entirely unnoticed by the brigands who dwell within their base. Having abandoned Captain Hunter's team to rescue Emily, they knew they could no longer return to the old compound or else they would face serious consequences. As such, they fled into the darkness, looking for a safe place to hold up for the night.