Gerald and Marysue exchanged a glance before Gerald looked at the trio. “How exactly did you find out?”
Karen answered, having been ready for that question, “I was invited to test. Fluffball is also invited I’m sure and Alburet, well, he’s already testing it seems.”
Alburet sighed, wishing she hadn't added that last part, “Those two both got the emails today.”
“You are already testing,” Marysue said, looking at him with wide eyes.
“Yeah, but that’s supposed to be on the down low,” Alburet said. “I’d appreciate you keeping it to yourselves. All of you.”
Gerald pursed his lips in thought, “How does one qualify for the testing phase?”
“You recall the surveys they sent out at the end of beta? That’s what they based their invitation lists on.” Fluffball added in her normal soft voice.
Marysue seemed to vibrate in place, “Umm, we should go, Gerald. I can ask dad to look into it for us.”
Gerald looked at Marysue with a fond smile then glanced at the trio before his lips firmed up. “We agreed to clear a dungeon first, Mary. It would be wrong of us to back out of our obligation now.”
“If you both want to dip, we understand, but I don't think an hour or two will make a huge difference,” Alburet added reasonably.
Gerald nodded, turning to Marysue, “He’s right. We can knock this out then log for the night. I'll come over and we can talk to your dad together. Okay?”
Marysue pouted, but nodded, “Fine.” She looked over at Stacia, both of whom were in full succubi form, a frown furrowing her brow, “Have we met?”
Stacia smiled broadly at her, “I am the succubus to me master, Alburet.”
Gerald was frowning at her now as well, “You look a lot like the maid he brought along last time. What’s your name?”
Karen laughed, “You read the patch notes on NPCs not being able to become minions, right? This is why.”
Marysue blinked as she looked at the two Stacias in succubus form. “Oh, so you are the person who grouped with us last time.”
Stacia looked away from her, “Please don't tell anyone. It would impact me family badly.”
Gerald stood up straight, “We would never wish to harm another or their family. I promise I will not divulge anything that will negatively impact your family.”
Marysue nodded vigorously, “I agree with Gerald. God knows we both have had enough of that in our own lives.”
Alburet gave them both a warm smile, “My thanks to you both. It worries her a great deal, and for good reason. Are we ready to go?”
With that the group set out for the dungeon at a run as Gerald and Marysue both seemed eager to get it over with quickly. They made short work of all the patrols between them and the village. Gerald was tanking, leaving Tiny a little disgruntled but didn't let it affect his killing of the mobs.
“Okay, same as last time except this time we have two daze effects from Stacia.” Alburet smiled at his love, “So it should be even easier this time. She’ll daze any casters or ranged by preference. If there aren't two or more casters or ranged, she’ll daze a melee. Tiny, any one that Gerald doesn't have or that Stacia hasn't locked down is yours to pick up.”
“Yes, master,” Tiny rumbled, his eyes gleaming.
“As ya wish, master,” Stacia purred from either side of him.
Gerald nodded, “Works. Maybe we can get this done even faster if Tiny is off tanking every fight. Though he might need to sit out a few fights so he can regen his health, since Mary can't heal him.”
“Sounds solid,” Alburet agreed. “Everyone ready?”
Once everyone gave their assent, they entered the portal into the village. Like last time they stuck to the wall and started looking for the two patrols that did circuits next to it. A minute later, as they were rounding one of the huts they encountered the first patrol. The two orcs both stopped dead as both versions of Stacia began to croon a wordless song. Tiny picked up the warg while Gerald waited for the orcs in the hut to come for them.
Alburet, Karen and Fluff jumped the warg with Tiny. Gerald was frowning when the warg died as the mobs inside the hut hadn't come out yet. “What the hell?”
Alburet chuckled, “I think Stacia stopped the patrol from yelling out, which means the alarm hasn't been sounded yet.”
“Ah, well as soon as we pick one of them up it's sure to yell. I guess a little less damage at the start is a good thing,” Gerald replied. “Okay, you all focus down the two orcs here while I pick up the adds as they come around. Whichever succubus isn't engaged with dazing an orc be prepared to pick up any caster or ranged damage dealer.”
Stacia nodded, not stopping her song, while the others all moved in closer to one of the orcs. Alburet pursed his lips, “Wait. If we all line up critical attacks against it maybe it will die before it can yell?”
Karen's eyes went a little wide, “I have a better idea.” She sheathed her blades as she got behind the orc. She then reached out, getting her arms around its neck and applying pressure.
The attack brought the orc out of its daze, but Karen had its air cut off and was applying a carotid artery choke. As the blood flow shut off to its brain, the orc went limp in her arms. Karen held the choke for a few seconds longer and dropped the now unconscious orc.
“And now we can brutalize it for a minute or so until it wakes,” she said, drawing her blades and plunged them both into the orc’s eyes repeatedly.
The others were taken off guard, standing there motionless as the health of the orc vanished under Karen's blades. She stood up, wiping some blood from her face as she looked back at them, “You could have helped.”
Marysue was pale as she turned away, obviously holding back her bile. Gerald shook his head, halfway between awe and fear. Fluffball just looked on in shock, glancing from the body then to Karen and back again. Alburet whistled softly, “Damn, you are vicious.”
Karen shrugged, “It's not like I killed a person. It’s just a mob, after all.”
Bob cackled, “I like her so much. She would make a perfect demon.”
Tiny rumbled, “She would fit in with the Demon Lords and Ladies.”
Finally getting his voice back Gerald spoke up, “So now we all do the next one then find the next patrol and repeat?”
Marysue kept her eyes averted as they did just as Gerald suggested, butchering the last orc. They were just about to move on when the second patrol came around the hut. This time Stacia wasn't prepared and one of the orcs got a warning out.
“I got the adds from the hut,” Gerald yelled.
They fell into the attack pattern they had agreed on before, with Tiny taking the patrol adds while the DPS helped kill them off before switching over to the ones Gerald had.
Once all the mobs were dead and looted Marysue spoke up. “I can't say I liked the whole slaughtering thing, with them being unconscious.”
“Life isn't always pretty, so why should this place be any different?” Karen asked, indifferent to Marysue’s revulsion.
“Mary has a point, that looked more like cold blooded murder than anything,” Gerald added.
Karen laughed, “Well, I am an assassin after all.”
“Come on guys. We have free run of the place now, let's go door to door and see about selling them thin mints,” Alburet said to stop the conversation from devolving more.
“What are these thin mints you keep talking about?” Bob asked, his head tilted slightly.
Fluffball replied to him, “They are a kind of cookie that are sold by young girls on the other world.”
“I don't get it,” Bob said, shaking his head.
Chuckling, Alburet shook his head, “Not everything is going to make sense when we speak of the other world, Bob. This is a culture gap is all, just like I’m sure we won't understand demon society.”
“We done trying to teach the minions irrelevant things?” Gerald asked in irritation, shaking his head, “Onward.”