Stolen Lives: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel (The Underhill Chronicles Book 1) Keith Ahrens (best e reader for epub txt) 📖

careening off into the crowd. Though it missed my intended target, it manages to take out an enemy swordsman just behind him.

In our condition, I don't think we're much of a match for these two, much less whatever allies they have in the crowd. This could be it for us. Wiping rain and mud from my eyes, I notice something that sends a jolt of hope coursing through me. My leather band must have shifted during the fighting. Underneath the bracer’s lacing, I can clearly see the throbbing red of my tattoo and the little blue arrow in the center. As I reach for it, I make a decision that I’ve been mulling over since my last level up. Pressing it firmly, I go multi-class. A sharp burning sensation begins on my inner right wrist as a small blue circle sears itself into my skin. I stop before the sheet is displayed. I already know it worked, why advertise?

Linda and her over-grown tabby with the knives are moving closer to us in a threatening manner.

Now's the best time to fix that. I take a deep breath, knowing that this will leave me so weak that I won't be able to run and fight for the next few minutes. I also know they can't afford to be bogged down carrying my ass, so this could very well be the end of my trip right here. But sometimes, the greater good means for others, not ourselves.

Using my new class to reinforce and channel the healing stones. I reach up and slap my hand against Haynes' leg next to his armor; at the same time, I slam a green stone down on Thirax's shoulder, shouting, “HEAL!” I concentrate on channeling all my energy from my hand and into them through the healing stone.

A brilliant flash of green light and a feeling of intense heat surges through the stone, down my arm, and then back across my chest and into Haynes. My calf burns, and I'm knocked backward, as if I've been hit with a live wire. The stone crumbles to fine black dust and washes away in the rain. It works better than I thought it would. Adrenaline surges through me, burning off some of the fatigue. Yet, I know I won’t be throwing around any more magic for a while.

Haynes blinks once, then twice, and smiles, rain rolling down his face. He drops his sword to the mud and with a flick of his hand, pulls the .45 from his belt pouch and aims from the hip. He narrows his sharp brown eyes before two shots split the air with a local thunderclap. Two neat holes appear dead center in the feline's chest. Natural 20, critical hit confirmed! It drops its blades and falls over backward, like a tree toppling in a forest. Its body lands flat and splashes a wave of muddy water to either side.

Jesse steps up next to Haynes, sword and dagger both clutched in his left hand and his black powder revolver in his right. He smiles a bit as he aims at Linda's head.

“I've never shot a woman before, but this will not haunt me in the least, devil woman!”

Linda lets out an incoherent scream and charges at Jesse. He calmly tracks her movement with the barrel of the gun and pulls the trigger…‘click’…nothing happens. Misfire, either from the rain or the age of the powder.

At the last second, Jesse smacks her sword aside with the gun barrel, but her bulk slams into him, taking them both down to the muck. She loses her sword and begins to pummel Jesse with her fists, still screaming in rage.

I spring to my feet, take a big step, and plant a solid kick right into her ribs. Right about the time she flips over onto her back, I notice my calf no longer hurts.

Jesse rolls with her and jams the gun under her chin and pulls the trigger once more, and again nothing happens. He keeps pulling the trigger, twice more in rapid succession. Finally, on the sixth pull, the powder ignites with a loud boom. The top of her head blows off, leaving brain and bone to furrow into the mud.

Thirax gets to his feet. Blood-caked fur surrounds a nasty puckered scar on his shoulder. “Your nasty human weapons have made me deaf!” he roars.

“It’s only temporary! Now make for the wall while we have a chance!” Haynes shouts.

We all form up in a loose square and move double-time toward the sundered wall. To our right, a group of four are running our way. I recognize Olivia's blonde hair as she pulls a sawed-off shotgun from underneath the spear sheath on her back.

“Good to see you, boys, but I really can't stay. Any of y'all care to escort a lady home?” she says with a broad smile.

“You seen Colt or the Berserkers?” Haynes asks in lieu of an answer.

“Not recently, too much confusion after the grid fell. Last I saw, Colt and his crew made a break for the wall while the Berserkers began killing anything not wearing a blade of grass,” she says, not missing a step.

The conversation cuts short as we all save our breath, running the last few yards to the east wall. No more opposition stands in our way as we scamper and scramble over the large chunks of granite.

The wall is almost eight feet thick, now with huge oak trees growing through the middle. I stop before jumping down and look out both ways. To the north seems empty and devoid of activity or means of escape, but the south holds a lot of promise. I discover multiple enclosed wagons with teams of horses already hitched up. Several saddled horses are tethered to makeshift posts next to the road. I smile and turn my head to tell the others as I narrowly miss catching an arrow to the face, it's sharp tip ricocheting off the stone next to my head.

“Take cover!" Colt yells from