Elder Blood Witcher 491 *Boom!*

A group of Guide holy warriors are sitting around some makes.h.i.+ft chairs and tables while playing cards that look suspiciously like a certain "game", one throws his cards on the table after he loses for the third time in a row.

Already dead Guide "Man, why are we even here! We almost captured those masked freaks leader a few times already, why can't we just march our army over and do it again?"

Already dead Guide 2 "Are you stupid? Just to almost capture that one woman cost us one hundred men!"

Already dead Guide 3 "Whatever, just deal with it, I mean what's so bad about sitting around all day and getting paid?..." They sniff the air for a moment, "Are one of you guys cooking something?" he asks.

The others shake their heads...

Already dead Guide "Now that you mention it, it's getting quite hot isn't it?"

....

The Guides ignore the signs and keep talking, however they all start to panic the moment a sound not too dissimilar from a leaky gas pipe makes itself known... For all but three seconds before :

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Reima and the group watch from the hill as a huge sound signals the explosion, though from the outside it doesn't look like anything. A few seconds after the initial explosion the cement holding the fort together starts to glow red, before eventually melting and shooting lava out like a high pressure hose. Everything inside the fort is either a charred corpse or lava now, it streams from the wound like cracks in the fort and slowly solidifies, basically filling the fort with rock and preventing the Guides from trying to use it again.

Kuretz throws his fist in the air and laughs, "Hahahaha! That's payback!" he shouts.

Talem tries to walk beside Reima but finds the ground he's standing on too hot to tread, "You seem to have improved with those unique abilities Reima." he states.

Reima shrugs, "Well, yeah. I've had a lot of practise.... Alright, we should probably get going, I'm on a time limit see. Oh, yeah you guys should grab everything you want to bring as we probably won't be returning here."

They nod and all separate to go collect their things will Snuffles hops back into his arms, Reima glances back at the fort and wonders what treasures would have been inside had he not destroyed it... "Hmm, too late now I guess." he says noncommittally.

Reima walks back to the village centre and looks at the huge group of people gathered, they number around a thousand as they had before he'd left, obviously their numbers would remain the same as they are all immortal. Most who recognise him due to his unique eyes, hair and scar across his face come and greet him with an almost desperate excitement. He didn't fault them on this as they'd seen him disappear from this world entirely ten years ago and probably hoped he was here to help them escape the wrath of the Guides.

Of course there were a few gathered who occasionally reached to remove their masks to no avail, they seemed erratic and twitchy. The same kinds of thing he'd seen before he removed their masks all that time ago.

Eventually Kuretz, Talem and Risryn comes back to him with huge sacks in their hands. When they're near his Medallion starts to shudder which already lets him know what's inside.

Reima "Why have you got so much Essence?" he asks, hoping they hadn't been stupid enough to try and dig up more... After all that had been the cause of the last Cataclysm.

Kuretz "Well, the Guides use it with the help of their "G.o.d" to create more Prospects... We decided it was best to go collect all of it before they tried... Obviously we didn't dare try and mine it though."

Talem "With the readily available Essence gone the Guides will try to mine it, and lead to another Cataclysm... I spoke with Innara while you were gone and she only reaffirmed what I believed would happen. Should the Guides cause another Cataclysm it won't just be Arcell coming through, it may be ten, twenty or even one hundred of malicious ephemeral beings seeking to destroy the world... Without us present they may very well succeed."

Risryn "Then let them, they reap what they sow." she states with crossed arms.

Reima "I'm with Risryn on this one, you guys can't be responsible for everything that happens in the world, nor is it your responsibility to help people who actively work against you... So yeah, f.u.c.k em."

Kalini "Guys, everyone is here and ready." she says.

Reima grabs the bags of essence and stores them away into his Folded s.p.a.ce, "I'd suggest destroying the altars that help you resp.a.w.n but I doubt they work interdimensionally."

Risryn "We can just create another in your world, it will probably be required if we are to fight." she says.

Reima "You can create altars?"

Risryn nods, "I was once the Guides best Absolver, I know many of their secrets... All I require is a large amount of Essence."

Reima "Ahhh, I understand... Okay, let's go address everyone and prepare to leave." he says, jumping atop a raise platform to look upon the thousand masked warriors.

Reima "Yo everyone! You guys may remember me as much as I do you but I'm not here to chat. Instead, I offer you all salvation in another world! Those of you that wish to follow me, Talem, Risryn, Kuretz and Kalini can do so... Those of you that would like to stay behind can also do what you wish. However! There is one thing I wish to ask from you, my home is under attack and I'd like your a.s.sistance in defending it as it could very well become your home aswell! You do not have to fight if you don't want to but please bear in mind that there will be conflict!"