How can it end this way???

Well dammit, I'm not quite that easy to kill. I can hit Escape key, I can quit out of this mess before they finish her off. What choice is there? Even though it means redoing ALL THAT WORK from the waypoint forward. Arrrgh, what a freakin mess!

I hit Escape.

I move the mouse pointer to "Quit and Save".

I hesitate.

Something inside me just screams out in protest. Is it Ember's heart and soul? Or my own subbornness? I don't know. I don't think it matters now.

The game is paused. This is single player and it pauses when you hit escape. I'm not of a mind to use or abuse this, both on ethical grounds and because it would be too easy to screw up, taking you out of the game when you only meant to pause it. But there it is, on the screen, that picture you see above. I hesitate a whole second, then another. Part of me is irate at the idea of these bloody freakin bastages forcing me out of Hell over such a little mistake and such terrible bad luck. Part of me is in Realms mode, where you do NOT hesitate when it comes time to quit n save. You do it, or you die. Another second ticks by.

It occurs to me that Ember is not cornered. I did not run her out onto a ledge like I did in the Outer Steppes. I did not take a wrong turn down a dead end. I did not end up surrounded in a corner. The only thing between her and that portal is one Storm Caster. And dammit he's going to DIE if it's the last thing Ember ever does!

Unpause.

Firebolts! Full rejuvs! DIE you bastard, DIE!

The Venom Lords are beating on Ember something dreadful. The Storm Caster is fighting for its miserable little life. I've only got four rejuvs left on that pathetic little two-row belt.

Click Here to see the death screen.