The night air was warm, and the stars shone brightly overhead. A gentle breeze ruffled the leaves, and the sounds of the city were distant and muted.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting my tension ease away. We were going into battle soon, and I needed to be focused.

Flint and Miko had parked the wagon a short way down the street, we'd need it for the kids. The only question now was whether or not we should go inside. I was sure that the guards would have drunk the dragon’s breath spiked wine by now, and the temple would be a lot less guarded. Still, it didn't sit right with me.

I looked over at Eliaria, she was staring at the temple, her face unreadable. She hadn't said much the whole time we’d been waiting. I thought that she’d tell me what was bothering her, but it seemed she’d made up her mind to only speak about it when this mission was over.

She glanced at me, noticing that I was watching her, "What is it?"

"I don't like sitting here doing nothing," I said, frowning, "every moment we wait is another chance for something bad to happen to those children."

"I know," Eliaria said, sighing, "should we go inside?"

"Yeah," I said, taking a deep breath. "We can't wait any longer. Let's do this."

Two guards patrolled the front of the temple. We crouched behind a tree, watching them. They seemed relaxed, but alert, their heads moving slightly as they scanned the area. It was clear that they had not drunk the wine. From what I’d been told, the dragon’s breath that we’d spiked the wine with had psychedelic properties as well as euphoria.

As I watched them, I wondered if I could get close enough to use my magic without being noticed. I was fairly confident in my ability to take them both out with a single spell, but I needed to be within thirty feet. The problem was that it went against the no killing policy we'd agreed upon.

If we attacked, and they managed to sound the alarm, we'd lose the element of surprise. But if we didn't attack and kept waiting, we'd lose the kids. What we needed was a distraction, but Flint and Miko were still waiting for us by the wagon, keeping an eye out in case the Black Briar had reinforcements.

While we’d been waiting, I'd circled the building twice, checking for another way in, but the only other entrance was a window on the second floor.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and the guards turned to look at the source of the noise. One of the temple doors had burst open and several men and men ran out, screaming and yelling. It seemed they had drunk the wine after all.

As the guards watched the men run past, we took our chance. We sprinted across the lawn towards the temple. But not towards the front door. Instead, we headed to the back wall, where the window was located.

Eliaria followed closely behind me, keeping up with ease. We snuck around the side of the building, our backs pressed against the stone.

Finally, we reached the window, but it was higher than I'd thought.

"Lift me up," Elia said.

"What?"

"You heard me. Lift me up."

"Fine," I said, crouching down. I cupped my hands together and Elia stepped into them.

She was light, and I was easily able to lift her. She cast [Sky Shield] a few feet above her head and then grabbed the edge of the shimmering shield and pulled herself up.

That’s clever, I thought.

Once she was on top, she leaned down and stuck out her hand. "Come on, hurry!"

"What's that light!" One of the guards yelled.

I heard boots crunching the gravel, heading toward us.

"Shit," I said.

"It's coming from over here," the other guard shouted.

I looked up, seeing Eliaria's eyes wide in fear and her hand stretched out to me. I leapt, grabbing her hand. Her eyes widened even further, but her grip tightened.

"Come on," she said, pulling me up.

I scrambled onto the shield and then climbed up behind her. Together we pushed off and landed on the windowsill. Eliaria dismissed the shield and the light faded, plunging the courtyard into darkness.

"Did you see what it was?" One of the guards asked.

"No, just a flash of light," the other replied.

We hid, Eliaria's body pressed against mine as the two guards searched the area below us.

"Should we report it? The boss is already pissed off at the men for drinking on the job."

"Nah, we'll handle it."

As I watched them walk away, I let out a sigh of relief. It had been close.

"You can let go now," Eliaria whispered.

I realized my hands were on her hips, and I quickly let go.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"Do you see anyone inside?" I asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

I pushed open the window, slowly, so as not to make any noise. The hinges creaked, and I cringed, but no one seemed to hear us. We climbed into the room and closed the window behind us.

It was dark, but we could still make out the outlines of the furniture. There was a bed, a table, and some chairs. It must have been a priest's bedroom. I walked over to the door and listened. The hallway was silent.

"I think we're alone," I said.

Eliaria nodded, her eyes darting around the room, "Where do you think the stairs are?"

"On the far side of the hall," I said, remembering Miko's description of the temple.

"Alright, let's go," Eliaria said, walking towards the door.

We crept along the corridor, our backs against the wall, until we heard the muffled sound of laughter coming from down the hallway. We moved closer, keeping to the shadows. Eliaria breathed deeply, and I could feel her nerves.

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"It's okay," I whispered, putting my hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, but her breathing was still fast and shallow.

A rat scurried along the wall.

What if one of the guards has a spell card that lets them see through the eyes of rats?

Suddenly, the rat veered towards us, its nose twitching, its beady eyes fixed on mine.

My hand shot out, grabbing the rodent by the throat. Its tiny claws scratched at my arm as it struggled to escape.

"Shhhh," I said, snapping its neck with my thumb and forefinger. It was a small movement, almost instinctive, but it sent a chill down my spine. I was used to killing monsters, not animals.

Eliaria was staring at me, her eyes wide with shock. Blood dripped from the dead rodent's mouth.

"Sorry," I said, dropping the lifeless body to the ground. "I panicked."

"It's fine," she whispered, swallowing hard, but I could tell that she was disturbed by my actions. I wasn't exactly thrilled with myself, but I knew it was necessary.

I was just about to keep walking when an idea struck me. I could use this rat. Memories of a comic book hero instilling fear into his enemies flashed in my mind.

I picked up the rat, careful not to get blood on my hands.

"What are you doing?" Eliaria whispered.

"Trust me," I said, holding the rat by its tail.

I put my free hand on the door handle and pulled it open, just a crack. I peered inside.

Far down the hall was a wine barrel and a pile of mugs. Several people were gathered around, drinking and laughing. Some were sitting against the wall, and a few others were swaying back and forth and staring off into space. There were no sliven priests, just a dozen or so men in leather armor and cloaks.

I waited for a moment, watching, but no one noticed the door opening.

"What now?" Eliaria whispered.

"If we plan on keeping them alive," I replied, "then I need to disable them all at once."

"How are you going to do that?" Eliaria asked.

"By getting into their heads," I said, showing her the dead rat.

"What's the plan?"

I leaned in close and whispered it into her ear.

"That's not going to work," she said, shaking her head.

I smiled. "Don't worry, I've got this."

"Okay," she said, sounding doubtful.

I took a deep breath, opened the door a little wider and slipped into the hall.

My plan wasn't fully formed, and the details were still sketchy, but it was worth a shot. If things really went bad, I could always kill everyone. It wasn't like they were innocent.

Flint was right, if we were going to make it to the top of the Tower, we were going to have to get our hands dirty eventually.

I moved along the wall, careful to avoid the pool of light from the torches and strained my eyes, taking in as many details as possible. There was a large window at the far end of the hall, but the moon was hidden behind clouds and it was dark. The men were talking and laughing, oblivious to the danger that was approaching.

A few lamps hung from the walls, giving off an eerie, flickering light. There were tapestries hanging between them, depicting the Mother Dragon and scenes of her flying above an erupting volcano, bathing in its glow.

Why would anyone worship a dragon? I thought, as I approached the group.

One of the men stood up and walked towards the door, his steps unsteady. He was big, with broad shoulders and a thick beard. I ducked into the shadow of a tapestry and waited for him to pass.

The man stumbled, catching himself against the wall and knocking a lamp from its hook.

"Oi!" one of the men shouted, "watch what you're doing!"

The big man cursed and staggered towards the door, mumbling something about needing a piss.

I crept behind him, the rat still dangling from my fingers. As he passed through the door, I reached out and touched him on the back of the head.

He froze, his body stiffening. Then he let out a loud grunt and spun around, but I was already gone.

"Who touched me?" He shouted, his voice slurred.

"What are you talking about?" A voice answered.

The men continued talking, and the big man staggered back towards the group, apparently forgetting that he needed to use the bathroom.

When I was sure that I was hidden, I activated a spell card and [Candlewick Sprite] appeared, floating in front of me. Its pale glow illuminating the dead rat in my hand.

"You see those lamps along the wall," I whispered, "When I give you the signal I need you to extinguish them. Can you do that?"

Through our mental link, the tiny fire elemental sent me a reassuring wave of emotions. It would do what I asked, even if it did not understand the reason why.

I waited for the big man to turn away, and then I sent the sprite forward. It floated under a table and came to rest between the legs of two men who were drinking from wooden mugs.

One of the men glanced at the sprite, he frowned, and I was sure he was trying to figure out if it was the drugs or if he really did see a tiny flame fairy floating above his foot.

"Hey, did you see that?" He said, slurring his words.

The other man shook his head, "See what?"

I felt the magic inside the creature strain, and the lamps in the room flared up, illuminating shocked faces.

The second man looked down and saw the sprite. His eyes widened, and he reached for his sword.

"What the hell is that thing?"

Before he could draw his weapon, the lights went out.

"What's going on," a voice cried out.

"Get some light," someone shouted.

The sound of shuffling feet and stumbling bodies filled the room. I took the opportunity and moved deeper into the room. I jumped onto the table above the wine barrel and, using the dead rat’s blood as ink, I scrawled the word 'Doom' on the wall in big letters. I had planned on writing 'judgment' but there were just too many letters, and I was out of time.

I dropped, tossed the mangled rat onto the wine barrel, and slipped into a shadowy corner. The sprite was still nearby, waiting for its next command.

I returned to my spot by the door. Eliaria came up beside me, "You ready?" I asked.

She nodded.

I turned my attention to the sprite and sent a mental image of the lantern and a wave of urgency. I saw the sprite nod in my mind, and it darted across the room.

A moment later, a single lantern flared to life, illuminating the bloodied word.

"Blessed mother..." One of the men stammered.

Someone screamed, and a wave of panic rippled through the drug induced haze of the group. Men were shouting and cursing.

"It's a monster!" A voice roared.

"It's the souls of the children!" someone else shouted.

"Death has come for us!" a man screamed, bolting toward me.

I waited until the big man was almost on me, and then I cast [Shroud Form] absorbing the shadows in the room and jumped out in front of him.

"Holy shit," the man yelled, coming to a halt.

The sprite flashed overhead, lighting the way, as I stalked the room, shadows twisting around me like some grotesque spawn of the darkest depths of the abyss.

The reaction was not what I was expecting. I'd expected people to pass out or scream or something. Instead, the group of drug-addled mercenaries had gone insane.

Eliaria blocked the door with [Sky Shield] leaving the men no choice. They could either stay in here with the shadow monster or jump out the second floor window.

They chose the latter.

Glass smashed as men flew out the window and hit the courtyard below. Some of them managed to land on their feet, which snapped their legs like twigs. Others were not so lucky.

"What's happening?" Eliaria shouted.

Men drew swords, hacking away at each other trying to get out the sealed door. The big man who had first spotted the bloodied word was swinging wildly. A few others were whimpering and crying. One was lying on the floor, curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth.

One brave man came at me screaming Teon's name as if to ward away evil, foam dripping from his mouth. His sword swung through the shadows, causing my form to ripple and warp.

I released my shadow form and the man swung again, but I was faster, I knocked the blade aside and kicked him in the chest. He fell back, and I followed up with another kick to the face.

The man went limp, his eyes rolling back in his head.

I looked around the room, the remaining men were either unconscious or wounded. The only sound was the moans of the injured and the sobbing of the drugged and delirious.

"What in the Maker's name was that?" Eliaria asked.

I smiled. "That was the non-lethal approach," I said, dusting off my hands.

She looked around at the carnage. "I thought you were going to disable them, not scare them to death."

"It sounded good in my head," I said, shrugging.

"Well, I guess it worked," Eliaria said, clearly shaken, "even if it was a bit brutal and dramatic."

"You know what they say," I said, grinning, "go big or go home."

***