Magnum and Garza’s team waited on the edge of the wall at the southern gate. Earlier in the day, the mercs feared that the horde that came would overrun their beloved city but thanks to everyone’s efforts they lived to fight another day.

“Hey, kid! You did great fighting those dragons! Why don’t you become a Talon? We need someone like you!” an old merc with a long black beard said behind him. The man looked like he was in his fifties but still looked strong.

Another merc joined them, “Yeah! You’re a monster on the battlefield! Now, we have three of you!”

The mercs then started talking about Magnum’s exploits earlier; his fight with the Master, the time when he cooperated with him and Tanna, and when he held his own in the fight with the giant snake.

But Magnum wasn’t hearing what everyone around him was saying. He wasn’t seeing the dim but beautiful horizon in front. He doesn’t even feel Cerberus in his puppy form, sitting on his left shoulder. Hate, it was all he could feel and see at that moment.

“You will pay for everything you did witch! The lives you took! The towns you destroyed! You won’t be able to run this time! Askel, Bunta, Carzi; help me kill this witch!”

“Yes, yes! We feel how you hate this witch but don’t get too carried away. This witch, whoever she is just a small fry,” Askel said.

“Small fry huh? This witch can control a horde of demons and has been fooling the knights for a long time. I disagree but It doesn’t matter!”

The merc with the long black beard tapped his shoulder and said, “Hey Magnum! Why are you spacing out? Become a Talon, okay?”

“T-They are talking to you,” Bunta said.

“Ah? Join the Talon? I don’t think so. I’m just here for the witch,” Magnum said.

“Yes, that witch! We’ll get her tonight!” the merc said and then double-tapped Magnum’s right shoulder.

Two beetles were fetched from the stables. A few mercs guided them along the walls and equipped it bags and then parked them in parallel to where Magnum and the others were waiting. Everyone jumped down to the beetles except for Magnum.

“Huh? So they can jump from here too?” Magnum said.

“This is the elite squad,” Carzi said.

“Yes, most likely. Normal people won’t be able to jump at this height.”

“Hey, Magnum! You’ll ride with me!” Garza shouted from below as the beetles started to walk.

Five mercs were riding each of the beetles. A pilot sitting near the head and four passengers sitting on its back. One merc from Garza’s team stood up and jumped inside the wing compartment giving room for Magnum to sit on.

The half-moon shone with a soft light surfing on the sky. Still on the south wall, Magnum looked at the two beetles under him, marching on the sand. He jumped and landed on the leading beetle. Cerberus followed him.

“It's a good good night! I bet you there are many plagued animals to where we’re going!” Bunta said.

“Hungry again?” Askel said.

“I’m always hungry!”

“This is Askara,” Garza introduced the lady merc driving the beetle.

“Sit down,” she said.

Magnum sat down behind her alongside Garza.

“This is Jazon, Venvi, and Dal was the one in the compartment,” Garza pointed to the mercs with them from his left to right of him. Venvi nodded at Magnum, it was the guy who talked to him earlier the one with the long and black beard.

“Thank you for allowing me to join,” Magnum said.

“You’d go anyway even if I declined so it's better if we just help each other. Plus, I saw you fight. Everyone here saw you fight. We might need your skills.”

“Just like that?” Magnum said.

“We’re mercenaries, not knights. We’re prideful but not stupid. We need your battle prowess,” he said.

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“But tell me, what does this witch look like? The one you’re looking for. It could be a different witch!” Garza said.

Magnum’s face turned serious, “There is only one witch going around this country. I am sure we’re talking about the same witch!”

“Hmm… The one that were following, her looks changes. The one thing for sure we know is everywhere she was sighted, a heavy concentration of infected rise from that place.”

“She can control the infected. I met her face to face twice,” Magum said.

“So it's true. We’ve speculated that but we’ve never seen her actually do it.”

“Leave her to me. I’ll fight her on my own,” Magnum said.

“Will you kill her?” Garza said.

“Yes…”

“We need information from her. So please, if you can spare her. It will be a big help. We want to know who is behind of all of this.”

“Get it from her dead body,” Magnum turned around and faced the other way.

“Hmmm…”

Askara side eyed Garza. No one said a word after.

An hour passed by and Garza was looking at the sky using a lens. A bird can be seen flying above.

“I got it,” he said then he signaled the other beetle following them.

“We're close. Heading to the cave,” the pilot said.

Passing a few dunes, something moved on the next one. A metal sheet peeped out and the sand fell revealing a rock formation with an opening.

“A cave covered by sand. Impressive,” Magnum said as the beetles went inside the dark cave.

The opening closed and a small fire lit up in front high above them. It was the only thing they could see inside. It moved left, back to the center and right and then back to the center. Askara lit up a torch. She moved her torch right, left, up and then down. The fire above them moved again, To the right, back to the center and then left and then back to the center again. Askara responded with the same four directions. The fire above snuff out. Askara also snuffed out her torch. There was silence and it started to get louder in their ears.

“We are surrounded by people. They are armed,” Carzi said.

“Yes, I kind of felt that,” Magnum said.

The whole cave lit up showing rock walls towering above and around them. Standing on the walls were armed mercenaries who dropped several rope ladders for them to climb on.

“Let’s go,” Garza said jumping on several protruding rocks on the wall to arrive at the top.

“What are we doing? The witch isn't here!” Magnum said.

Garza looked down at Magnum, “Calm down. We’ll be quick. There were some not-good developments that we need to know.”

Magnum and Cerberus jumped on the same rocks Garza stepped on. The others used the ladders. The cavern was huge enough for twenty people. There were instruments stuck on walls and there were tubes on the ceiling for ventilation.

“Garza! We’ve got bad news!” A man in desert-colored merc armor ran to meet them, “The Don has not come back yet! We think he’s been captured!”

“The Don? That’s impossible Vido! How?”

“She’s not alone this time! She has companions.” Vido showed a square instrument to Garza and Magnum. It shows two masks and cloaked individuals on a huge merchant boat arriving from the sea and then a woman standing on a rough-looking pier made of stone.

“That’s her!” Magnum’s anger swelled out through an intense dark aura.

“So this is her? One of those you want to finish?” Askel said.

“A duwendi! Interesting!”

“Why?”

“Nothing in particular. They are like us. With black spirits! And they are hard to kill!”

“What? I thought humans are white spirits?”

“You think all people are white spirits? Despicable!” Askel said.

“First of all, They are not human. They are their own race and they not white spirits, like you.” Carzi said.

“White or Black Whatever! I will end her!” Magnum said.

“Change of plans. Rescuing the Don is our priority!” Garza said.

“You can all go rescue the Don. Leave the witch to me,” Magnum said.

“I know. Another good judgment of mine to bring you!” Garza said.

“Here is the map of the pier,” Vido showed it to everyone, “And take your own desert cloaks there on the right side,” he said pointing to the other side of the cave where several shelves stood. Garza’s team split into two, some went to get their cloaks and then the others checked out the map.

Magnum walked to the shelves. It has about twenty of the sheets folded nicely on display. “It's a camouflage sheet. Can cover one whole person,” he said.

“Can you eat this Bunta? And then conjure when I need it just like what you did with my armor?”

“Yes, this is simple enough.” the dog replied.

“Okay, do it. We might need this again after this mission,” he said.

Cerberus went back to his original size and then ate one whole sheet. Magnum went back to the map to check it. After a few minutes, Garza’s team changed places. The others who were now wearing their cloaks went to check the map and then the others who went to check the map first took their cloaks.

“Let's go!” Askara now wearing full armour under the camouflage cloak shouted down from the beetles.

Garza and the mercs started loading on the beetles. He looked at each of the members he got, “We have to be quick and decisive. Don’t overthink! Strike True!”

“Strike True!” the squads answered.

Magnum jumped down to another beetle, a third one. He was now going separately from Garza’s squad.

“Strike T-True!” Bunta said.

“Bahaha! Strike True! Some of them will probably die tonight,” Askel said.

“Shut up!” Magnum said.

The cave opened and the moon’s faint glow shined upon them.