“You don’t have to do it,” Pudge said. “We can –”

Sasha cut him off, saying, “I know that, but I’ve already decided to go through with it.”

Indeed, she had been working night and day for the past week in order to construct the appropriate spell for the task at hand, and she wasn’t going to be dissuaded by something so inconsequential as morality. They were fighting a war, and a just one at that, so rules simply didn’t apply. The only thing that mattered was killing the enemy as quickly and as efficiently as possible. That would minimize the casualties for her side, which was the ultimate goal.

Still, it was a difficult step to take because she, better than anyone else, knew the horror her spell would bring with it. However, Sasha’s commitment was driven by two things. First, she had seen the atrocities that had been visited upon her beastkin brethren, which had sparked a level of outrage and anger she’d never thought possible. Like most children in the Pale Moon Territory, she’d been warned of the dangers that were so common in the outside world. Beastkin were not widely accepted, and so, she – as well as all the other young ones – had been strongly advised to never stray far from their home. However, even in her wildest imaginings, she’d never anticipated the things she’d seen in Adontis.

That deserved retribution.

A secondary motivation was her desire to prove her worth. Everyone else contributed to the war effort. Thousands had fought, and hundreds had already died. Meanwhile, Sasha had remained on the backlines where she took advantage of the relative safety the collection of kobolds, centaurs, and beastkin provided. So, she felt obligated to do her part to justify her own position within the community.

That was exacerbated by the fact that everyone knew about her relationship with Pudge. It was still in the early, fumbling stages – neither was terribly experienced with romance – but they were committed to one another in a way that couldn’t be hidden. And given that Pudge was family to the man in charge of everything, that brought with it the weight of additional expectations and responsibilities, whether she wanted it or not.

So, as much as she disliked the idea of what she intended to do, she wouldn’t let that dissuade her from the realities of the situation.

War was difficult, and at the end of the day, if there was anything she could do that would prevent more of her chosen people from dying, then she had a responsibility to take that step, regardless of the morality involved.

She just hoped it wouldn’t result in too many nightmares.

Even though he clearly didn’t agree with her choice, Pudge didn’t argue. Instead, he just wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Like that, the couple remained in position atop a shallow rise that gave them an unfettered view of the camp in the distance.

Knights and other soldiers moved about the camp on various tasks as a train of wagons slowly circled the collection of tents and campfires. By her estimate, there were more than five thousand people present. The bulk were soldiers or Knights, but there were plenty of teamsters as well. More important were the contents of the wagons.

According to the scouts, they contained enough provisions to feed the main army, which was still a hundred miles away, for more than a month. Now that the system of airdocks had been broken – Zeke and the army of kobolds had taken three more since the first – the Knights of Adontis had no choice but to stretch their supply lines overland. And that made them vulnerable to attacks from monsters as well as the enemy army.

But Sasha knew they wouldn’t expect her contribution to the fight. Sorceresses were too rare for anyone to anticipate. That would soon change, so she needed to make the most of her initial salvo. Well, the second one. She’d collapsed the bridge in that first attack, though there were no survivors to report it.

She glanced back at the kobolds that were their guards. They were all hulking specimens of the best of the best, and they had the levels to back it up. However, she questioned whether or not they were even necessary. With Pudge around, an enemy would have to have a death wish to attack them.

The potential he’d shown back in the Pale Moon Territory had begun to blossom into something absolutely terrifying, and she knew that he had plenty more room to grow. She couldn’t help but wonder where he would end up, in terms of power. So, with his arm around her, she felt safe. Even with thousands of enemy warriors so close, she knew that Pudge would protect her.

Finally, once the wagons had been circled, she turned to the team of kobold rangers that would facilitate her spell. Each one was equipped with a large pack and could utilize powerful camouflaging skills to remain hidden. She told the leader, “It’s time. You have to place them perfectly, just like I told you.”

The comparatively small kobold nodded his head and said, “It will be done.”

Then, he motioned to his team before taking off into the surrounding forest. If there was one characteristic about the kobolds that impressed Sasha more than anything else, it was their ability to adapt to a wide variety of environments. The lizard people had evolved with a series of underground tunnels as their native environment, but since coming to the surface, they had shown the ability to acclimate to tundras, forests, and plains.

Armed with that capability, the kobolds swept out into the woods, disappearing into the shadows. Meanwhile, Sasha, Pudge, and the centurions who accompanied them waited. The evening wore on, eventually passing through dusk on its way to night. Still, they waited for the rangers to return after accomplishing their goal.

For more than three hours, Sasha maintained her vigil, watching, waiting, and more than anything else, dreading what was to come. Finally, a rustle in the nearby bushes alerted her that the kobold rangers’ return had come to pass, and she glanced over to see the first of them emerge from the brush. His pack was notably lighter, but he was none the worse for wear. The same could be said for his fellows who followed in his wake only a few moments later.

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“Were you seen?”

“No.”

“Good job,” she said, then stepped away from Pudge. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, steadying breath as her mind whirled with plans. She knew precisely what she needed to do. She had memorized the spell’s pattern, practicing it over and over until it was second nature. Still, uncertainty had gripped her mind, and as a result, she couldn’t help but hesitate, at least for a moment.

In that brief second, Pudge said, “You don’t need to do it. We can destroy the supply lines without your spell.”

That was blatantly untrue. There was a reason she’d been tasked with the mission. After countless raids, the Knights of Adontis had implemented a system of defense that made directly attacking their supply convoys far more difficult. It could still be done, but not without significant cost. Sasha’s participation was meant to save countless lives.

Pudge’s statement reminded her of that, which in turn, firmed her resolve and banished any doubts she might have felt. Her mission was important. Her actions were necessary. And the death of the enemy was just. She just needed to keep that at the forefront of her mind, lest cowardice and misplaced empathy begin to rear their ugly heads.

She looked back, then patted Pudge on the chest before saying, “I must.”

Without another word, she tuned back around and walked to the spot she had meticulously prepared the day before. It had taken some input from Ezekiel, who had incredible insight into runes, but in the end, the ritual circle was almost entirely her creation. She’d taken quite a bit of inspiration from conversations with the spiritweaver Kianma, but the design was different enough that Sasha considered it wholly unique.

Constructed of mana-infused silverite wire that had been arranged into intricate patterns inside a series of concentric circles, the pattern was designed to funnel mana in a very particular way. Even from outside, it practically hummed with energy, and when she stepped inside, it nearly took her breath away with the sheer breadth of mana. Still, she’d experienced it before, so even amidst the onslaught of energy, Sasha managed to keep her wits about her.

She did take a moment to acclimate to it before beginning her spell, though. First, she used [Spellsurge], giving her next spell added power. A wave of mana crashed into her, but she maintained control long enough to activate [Elemental Conversion]. That allowed her to transform the ambient mana – which was a tangled mess of attunements – into pure, unattuned energy. That, she funneled into [Spellform], which gave her the ability to write her spell.

The complex series of patterns, which flashed then dissipated each time she completed one, was the most daunting part of the process. However, Sasha had been casting spells for years, and she’d recently doubled down on her practice. So, it came far more easily than the spell’s complexity would have normally dictated.

Yet, it was not easy. In fact, with every flashing pattern, the strain became exponentially greater until Sasha could barely hold on. That was exacerbated by the ritual circle as well as the influx of mana that fueled [Spellsurge]. Even so, Sasha maintained control, deftly manipulating that mana into delicate threads.

The night wore on, but for her, the passage of time was a secondary concern. The whole of her mind was entirely focused on the task at hand. Any less, and the spell would slip out of her control. If that happened, the resultant explosion of energy would likely tear her to pieces. And even if it didn’t it would surely alert the Knights of Adontis and bring them running. That would be disastrous, and not just because of the failure of her mission.

So, Sasha refused to let herself become distracted.

And eventually, she managed to complete the last pattern. When it flashed, her shoulders sagged in relief as all that building mana rushed into the ritual pattern, then across the landscape and into the foci the kobold rangers had placed all around the camp. They’d been arranged in a very specific pattern, which would complete the spell’s final stage and envelop the camp in the effects.

In exhaustion, Sasha fell to her knees, her every muscle having gone numb. However, Pudge was there to catch her before she tipped over onto her face. Meanwhile, her eyes fluttered as she tried to keep herself from falling unconscious. That only lasted for a few more moments before her natural mana regeneration showed its worth. A trickle of energy flowed into her, and with every passing second, she felt a little bit better until, at last, her extremities started tingling. That spread – painfully but necessarily – until the feeling in her body was completely restored.

She took a deep breath, then looked up at Pudge’s concerned face. “I’m okay,” she said.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I…I’m sure. Help me up,” was her response.

With that, Pudge guided her to unsteady feet. As she leaned against him for support, she gazed out into the night. The camp looked no different than it had before she’d cast her spell, save that the flickering light of the campfires had died down a little as the cap’s occupants retired for the night.

“Did it work?” Pudge asked.

“I think so,” she said. “I did everything right, but…we won’t know until morning.”

With that, the kobold rangers once again disappeared into the woods. They knew their role, and they needed no instructions. Still, Sasha practically held her breath waiting for their return, which came only ten minutes later. Their packs were full. After that, the other kobolds began to dismantle the valuable silverite ritual circle, packing it away in a crate one of them would carry.

Once that was done, they only had to wait to make certain that the spell had done its job. Technically, Sasha and Pudge could have left that to the kobold rangers who would actually observe the camp, but neither was willing to leave before they were sure that the job had been done. So, they all waited, and when the sun rose, the team of rangers set off for the camp one last time.

“The wait is the worst part,” Sasha said, sitting next to Pudge and leaning into his embrace. “I just want to know it worked. Then, we can move on.”

Pudge nodded silently, and after thirty minutes, the kobold rangers returned.

“Report,” Sasha said.

“The sickness has begun,” the leader of the rangers said. His name was Kopik, and he was slightly larger than the others. He was also the highest-leveled ranger in the entire army, which meant that he could be quite deadly when he wanted to be. That was rarely his role, though. Instead, he was tasked with scouting, and in that endeavor, he was wildly successful.

Sasha let out a sigh of relief. On the surface, the intended effect of the spell was simple, and it was simply meant to infect the enemies with a sickness that would, without warning, kill them. Of course, killing them was only a means to an end. Instead, the intention was to kill them without any outward sign of struggle, which would terrify the enemy as well as disrupt their supply lines.

After all, it was one thing to lose an entire camp to an enemy raid, but it was something else altogether to come upon a well-defended camp where everyone had simply dropped dead for seemingly no reason.

“Okay. Let’s move on,” she said.

They had four more targets, and they would have to spend quite a few days racing through the wilderness in order to accomplish their goals on time. It would be a long and arduous week, but she hoped it would strike terror into the hearts of every Knight of Adontis.