Free The New Order by Sean Fay Wolfe Page B

knew this bold attack by the Noctem Alliance would ultimately be useless.
    Even as Stan thought this, arrows flew from the plain-dressed guards Stan had positioned throughout the crowd, an added security measure suggested by Gobbleguy. Stan saw with a painful glance that several of the Noctem troopers who had been holding the crowd at bay with potions had already been felled by arrows, and the rest had disappeared in bursts of fire.
    Stan felt the grip around his neck loosen, and he broke out of the Avery actor’s chokehold. Spinning around, Stan found him dead on the ground, an arrow protruding from his forehead. Stan lunged sideways and scooped up the dead actor’s sword.
    â€œPursue the attackers!” Stan bellowed at the guards in the crowd, who pocketed their bows and began chasing the remaining attackers, who were fleeing the scene. A small smile crossed Stan’s face as he turned his attention to the Noctem corporal named Emerick who, inexplicably, was returning the expression.
    This didn’t sit well with Stan, and his own smilevanished. “Why are you smiling?” Stan demanded. “Your troops are dead and your little hostile takeover lasted less than ten seconds. What part of this do you find amusing, exactly?”
    Emerick’s smile just grew, and in a matter of seconds a low, evil chuckle sounded from the Noctem corporal. Stan suddenly felt a surge of rage toward Emerick and the Noctem Alliance that he served. His attempt to seize power had failed, yet he still found something to be happy about? Was this some sort of trick?
    Stan lunged forward, sword in hand, ready to sink it deep into Corporal Emerick, but the corporal feinted backward faster than Stan had ever seen a player move before, and with one jump, he launched himself high over the crowd. A series of black orbs, barely visible against the black sky, flew from Corporal Emerick’s hand and hit the ground in a burst of fire. As he disappeared into the smoke from the fire charges, Stan barely made out the faint blue and orange smoke curling off his back.
    No!
Stan thought.
If he’s using Potions of Swiftness and Fire Resistant, how am I gonna catch him?
Corporal Emerick was clearly the head of the operation, and Stan knew that bringing him to trial was imperative. Stan then noticed the possessions of the Avery actor laying on the ground behind him. After a moment of rummaging, Stan found what he waslooking for. Wasting no time, he poured the two potions into his mouth, and leaped into the flames after the corporal.
    Stan, having never drank the Potion of Swiftness, or QPO, before, was amazed by how lighthearted and free he felt. It was as if he could do no wrong, and he instantly felt that regaining the huge lead Corporal Emerick had taken would be nothing short of easy. Stan recognized the pleasant tickling sensation that came from running through the flames the fire charges had left on the ground.
    As Stan burst from the smoke, he saw Corporal Emerick sprinting full speed down the main street, a trail of blue and orange fumes in his wake. Stan followed in pursuit, his own feet feeling like they weighed nothing under the effects of the potion. He soon realized he was not alone. Stan glanced behind him and saw DZ and Archie running alongside him, trailing blue wisps of smoke themselves.
    â€œHey, Stan!” said Archie, surprising Stan. He hadn’t realized the potion enabled them to talk easily while running.
    â€œHey, Archie,” said Stan with a grim smirk. “Sorry all your plans got ruined.”
    â€œHonestly, I’m just thankful we all got out alive,” Archie replied.
    â€œSo nobody got hurt in the attack, then?” asked Stan.
    â€œNah, our snipers took ’em all down,” said DZ. “I gotta say, if this is the Noctem Alliance’s idea of an attack, then wereally ain’t got too much to worry about.”
    â€œI’m still getting over the fact that the organization