"Our human compassion binds us to one another - not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future."

-Nelson Mandela

Ella leaving the guild was something I had never expected and more so wasn't ready for. She left control with me, her second in command and I wasn't sure how I felt about that or the whole situation for that matter. A heads up would have been nice, however, her showing up late to raid should have been warning enough.

I guess I'm still in shock at her departure because I know what is going on in her personal life now and hardly blame her for retreating back into her iron fortress. I'm just confused as to what brought these actions on though. Was it how she opened up to me and the expectations that she assumed followed? Or maybe she took my advice and didn't like what she was told.

I now sit at my desk, the light from my monitor the only illumination in the room while my roommate snores loudly in the background as I try not to worry.

It isn't a question of what now, I know exactly how things will go, how they need to go. It took Ella years to build this guild into what it currently is and I have no intention of dragging it through the mud just because I'm not excited about running the show. As for our friendship? That will have to wait until she's ready to face me, but that doesn't mean I can't initiate the first contact.

Discord isn't functioning up due to password complications leaving it rather difficult to communicate with everyone in the guild about what has transpired only hours before. Currently, the guild chat was going bonkers as everyone continued to voice their opinions and concerns about the management change.

[G]Biebs: I can't believe that El ditched us like that.
[G]Biebs: What kind of leader does that???
[G]Mcqueen: Good riddance, she was a slave driver. Arkies is going to be dope.
[G]Kittykat: Give her a break ass hats. If I were her I wouldn't want to be your leader anymore either.
[G]Biebs: Down kitty. All I said was it was shitty
[G]Kittykat: Maybe it is, but that doesn't mean we all have to hate on her. You need to grow up.

[Lolitz] whispers: Hey man, what are you going to do? The guild is tearing each other apart.
To [Lolitz]: Dude, just give me a second to process...

I don't mean to snap at him, but after the fifth whisper about what happens now, I'm at my wit's end. Helping Ella run the guild every now and then is something entirely different than being at the top of the totem pole. Things would stay the same, they had to for Ella to ever come back. Truth is, even if she doesn't want to talk about it, I need to talk about it and see if this is a temporary thing or more permanent.

[G]Arkies: Listen up crew. Nothing is changing until I talk to Ella okay? Raid times are the same and we will have to come up with a substitute healer. I don't want to hear anymore bitching, it is what it is.

Silence overtakes the guild chat as my fellow players read my message and all it's meaning before a new kind of chaos ensues.

[G] Roase: Spoken like a born leader.
[G] Popadot: Hell yeah! Long live the king!!
[G] Biebs: Hail king Arkies!!!
[G] Mcqueen: *bows before his master*

I let my head fall back in defeat, staring up at the ceiling I silently ask myself why. Why did she leave? Why did she feel that was her only option? Why did she hand over Nerd Brigade to me?

I already know the answer to the last question, she trusts me. Nerd Brigade was her most prized possession in the game, besides her main character of course. The fact that she handed it over to me, without even asking, was proof there's some kind of bond between us.

Unfortunately knowing that somehow made the whole situation okay, even though it is far from it. Ever since we met she's had this way of convincing me to do things I normally wouldn't do or even have a desire to do. I now know that she's a world class manipulator, though I'm almost certain she doesn't realize it.

Bringing myself back to the game I realize that the conversation has taken a turn for the undesirable. Biebs and Kat are now arguing as to who is the rightful ruler of the guild with Mcqueen throwing support behind Biebs as if his life depends on it. Meanwhile, I have several more whispers from Lolitz and one from our hunter Kiel.

[Kiel] whispers: Ark, if you need help with these hooligans let me know. I don't want to listen to the I hate Ella train either.
To [Kiel]: Go for it man

At least there is someone here willing to help out. It bugs me that most of the crew's turned on her the second our screens read, Ellara has left the guild. After almost three years of raiding with the same group, I would have figured they would have been upset by her departure. Maybe they were acting out, hell it beat what I currently thought. This needed a few days to settle before a clear judgment could be passed. It would also take me that long to pin Ella down and have a genuine talk with her.