Exodus: Guns And Gore 50 World Leader Summi

QJ stopped outside his parent's driveway and took a seat on the curb to catch his breath. It was 1800, he had logged off for a quick run.

"Everything okay hun?" Tal was standing in the doorway, her face showing concern.

"Yep, just finished my run here by habit." He stood up and walked toward her, "I'm not above a quick visit if you'll feed me!"

Tal laughed at the face he made, "come in, we are having some pasta."

QJ walked into a familiar setting. His dad and Anna were sitting at the island. Lara Sy was sitting on the couch holding Cale. "Is that my little bro?"

Anna stood up and hugged QJ before he could sit down. "He's doing so well, he eats all the time."

"Oi... we didn't make enough for you, freeloader. Go back to your own place." Quinn frowned at his son while eyeing the pasta Tal was dis.h.i.+ng out.

"Mom invited me." QJ made a face at his dad and sat down anyway. "I'll just take a bit of your portion."

"Be nice Quinn." Tal smiled at her two men, they loved to antagonize each other, but the reality was they were very close.

"You sure look nice holding a baby Lara." QJ deliberately jumped into the deep water.

Lara smiled sweetly, "I do?"

Anna and Tal both nodded, Quinn carefully kept his face expressionless.

They sat down together and joined hands. "Thank you for the food."

"And G.o.d Bless Quinn." Tal squeezed her husband's hand.

"So, I hear we have an a.s.sa.s.sin waiting for us in TAP." Quinn had heard the general situation from Serli.

QJ nodded his head. "Yes, a Legends NPC coming to the Phoenix Server."

Lara looked up from little Cale, who was chewing on her finger. "He was very strong and skilled."

"These big guilds try to establish powerbases on every Server. They've been unable to do so on the Phoenix Server because of OP." QJ didn't hide the pride he felt in OP.

Tal frowned while she ate her food, she had already contacted Naomi regarding the server jumping. "Righteous Hand went out of their way to send an a.s.sa.s.sin across servers, in order to do that, they would have to kill the a.s.sa.s.sin on the other servers first."

"I'm not letting him go QJ." Quinn talked between mouthfuls of pasta as he wolfed down his food.

"It's not as simple as that anymore Quinn. Since he's the only version of himself, he could develop into an LAI." Tal picked up the pasta dish and split the remaining between QJ and her husband.

Quinn shrugged, "he came after us, I don't care what he is."

A few minutes later QJ walked back to his house through his parent's backyard. The house was mostly quiet when he entered, Wu was sitting on the couch with his hud open.

"Heya Wu." QJ walked through the living room, he smelled the distinct aroma of take-out. "You guys already eat?"

Wu nodded and closed his hud. "Your roomies are hardcore, they logged off just long enough to eat and then they were back at it."

QJ grinned and grabbed a beer before sitting down at the island. "I don't blame them, they are trying to keep up. I'll slow things down a bit."

"So... I went through your event and quest logs. Very interesting stuff. Let's talk a bit about Dunjai."

"Dunjai? Sure, that's an interesting place. A Raja oversees the Eleven Tribes of the Basara Continent. Lots of things going on there."

Wu nodded, "Let's start there first of all." He got up and took a seat at the island so he could use its hud. "Burning Horse joins the Raja faction and eventually betrays them to try and take over all of the Basara Continent. This civil war is still going on in the other GnG servers."

QJ studied the graph line comparing the first nine servers with Phoenix. "Hmm, Sandhealer Faction joined the Raja on Phoenix."

"Yes, a peaceful faction that is capable of strengthening the Raja. They were eliminated early on the other servers. You've changed everything once again." Wu shook his head, everything QJ touched was instantly turned inside out and upside down.

"Does this mean there won't be a civil war?" QJ thought suddenly of Dara, the Ghost who he taught to sign. She would definitely have a better life as part of the Sandhealer Faction.

"Most likely there won't be a war. Although peaceful, the Sandhealer Faction is well respected with very strong roots. We should also touch base on your t.i.tles."

QJ pursed his lips as he brought up a 3D map of the Basara continent. "It's a huge landma.s.s, too bad it's so barren."

"You're the Water King. Do you know what that means?"

QJ shook his head. "I received it after finis.h.i.+ng the Quest for Ra."

"I can find no reference for it on any of the other servers. It must be something you did during the quest."

"We activated an old Water Station, my guess would be they are related." QJ couldn't find any stat changes or benefits a.s.sociated with the t.i.tle, so he hadn't given it much thought.

A smile crossed Wu's face. "You know what the friends.h.i.+p ceremony is among the Dunjai?"

"No clue. I was only there for a day."

Wu held out his hand as if cupping water. "It's really simple, you place your hands against each other and say 'let's hold the water together.' "

"Right, I did that. Simple and direct." QJ hadn't really given Ra much thought since he had left the Dunjai. She was a remarkable woman.

"It bears a remarkable resemblance to the Sandhealer marriage ceremony. In that instance, the two people actually hold water in their hands and then combine them. Care to guess what's next?" Wu loved moments like this, he could see QJ's high powered brain sifting through the information.

"Oh G.o.d... don't tell me they drink it" QJ felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.

"Gold star for QJ. There's the last part, of course, the actual vow. 'I will share my water with you until it is all gone.' "

"Holy c.r.a.p..."

Wu finally couldn't hold it any longer and he laughed at QJ. "Dude... Doesn't that sound like til death do us part?"

QJ put his head down on the counter. "I'm so boned," he mumbled.

"I'm not sure why she made you Sandhealer Faction Leader. There is no precedent there. Perhaps it has something to do with your Water King t.i.tle."

"Stop talking Wu." QJ sat up, holding his head in his hands. "My parents are going to freak out."

Wu laughed again, "yeah... don't forget about your girlfriend."

"....." QJ.

***********

An hour later QJ was sitting next to a campfire in the deep woods of Northern Ravenwood. He had his whip out and would flick it at sparks that escaped into the air. Every few minutes the skill would increase. He looked down at the whip in his hand, he had borrowed it from the teamster station at the Stable. He flicked it again, smiling as it snapped loudly in the darkness.

"Hmm... deep in thought QJ?" A familiar voice carried from the darkness. He lifted his head as Robin walked slowly toward him.

QJ smiled when he saw her. "Any trouble finding me?"

Robin shook her head, "it's the only fire for miles around." She noticed his hair was damp and the slight noise of running water from a nearby stream. "You take a swim?"

"Yep."

She took a seat next to him and slid a hand through his arm. "Whatever is bothering you, we can figure it out."

QJ nodded and spilled everything. First, he told her everything that happened during his time in the Dunjai. Then he explained the facts as Wu had presented them. The orange-haired songbird listened intently, her dark eyes never leaving his.

She didn't frown or even look the slightest bit upset. "Any consummation?"

"Consummation? Do you mean did we? Of course not."

"How binding would it be then? She more than likely knew that you stumbled into it by accident, instead of telling you, she went through with it." Robin smiled at him, "I probably would have done the same thing if I met you in those circ.u.mstances."

QJ didn't feel like smiling. "Really?"

Robin nodded, "Gotta say though. I didn't think some foreign woman would get her claws in you when I wasn't around."

"I'm not my dad, it isn't my intent to settle down when I'm twenty." QJ kissed the top of her head, listening to the night sounds of Ravenwood. "A nice cabin back here in the woods, far away from everyone would be nice though."

"With me?"

QJ nodded. "Yep."

QJ's hud blinked at him, he answered it and found himself looking at an old man with long white hair. Both his hair and beard were braided, a black eye patch made him look like an old pirate.

"You are Sandhealer Faction Leader QJ?" The old man's voice sounded smooth and deep, like an old lounge singer. "I am Minotauro Velez of the Velez Affiliate."

"I'm QJ, Vice Commander of OP. I've never heard of the Velez Affiliate. What can I do for you, sir?"

"In two weeks our Capitol city of Vavri is hosting a Leaders.h.i.+p Summit. As someone whose reputation has grown quite impressive, we would like to extend to you our invitation to join us."

QJ brought up his map. It took him a moment to find the city. It was located far to the North, on the continent of Fraezi, just inside the arctic zone. "How many others have you invited?"

The old man's ice-blue eyes stared at him, "Two dozen in all. Will you attend?"

QJ glanced and Robin who nodded at him. "Yes."

"Very well, I will send you the information you will need." The old man closed comm without saying anything further.

System Message: You have received an invitation to the World Leader Summit.

QJ used a bucket near his seat to put out the fire. "Shall we head back?"

Robin shook her head, a smile on her face as she started disrobing. "Perhaps a swim first?"

QJ nodded, "sure."

Robin grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "We can share the water together."

QJ frowned at her, "very funny."

Robin's laughter was cut off when she dived cleanly into the stream. She surfaced and slicked back her hair. "Don't be shy QJ."

***********

An hour later QJ and Robin approached the Keep. There had been a general message saying that the changes to the OP Keep would take place at 11 pm. Ringo and Lotte rode up just as they approached. Robin gave him a quick kiss and excused herself.

QJ waved at them. "You guys feel like a trip?"

"I've been invited to a Summit of sorts. I'm thinking about bringing all of OP with me."

"A Summit? Where?" Ringo's eyes lit up with interest.

"On the Fraezi Continent."

Lotte made a face at him, she knew where Fraezi was. "d.a.m.n, first the desert and now the arctic? Don't you feel like visiting someplace nicer?"

"Hey... we can make snowmen and stuff." QJ grinned at Ringo, he pictured hitting her with a s...o...b..ll.

"Guild trip? Sounds like a great idea QJ." Ringo narrowed her eyes at him, "what's with that evil smile?"

"Oh.. nothing really."