"Terrin, are ya sure ya know what yer doin'?” Rowan asked critically as he watched Terrin press his palms against the rough subterranean wall.

“I’m the one with the map of the tunnels in my head, so just trust me.”

Rowan and Terrin had spent the day sneaking around the city and exploring Rhai Cudd hideouts to determine where the closest dungeon tunnel was. Tristen and Plague were sent to recruit as many Magic users as possible for the raid, while Snore and the rest of the dwarfs went over the invasion plan with the Rhai Cudd leaders to iron out all the details. They’d been working on their individual assignments for two days. Tristen and Plague seemed to be securing notable results. Although the main body of the Rhai Cudd was already in support of overthrowing Nitiri, not everyone was ready to launch a full-scale assault on the castle. However, recruitment was going well. Some were willing to help solely to get their hands on a legendary Guardian weapon, even though all of them would need basic training.

Snore, Blade, and Herb, the leader of the Rhai Cudd, were a surprisingly good team. When Terrin last checked in, they were working to equip and train soldiers while simultaneously creating battle strategies that would eliminate or disable Nitiri’s troops. If everything went according to plan, they’d be ready to start their invasion the following night. All they needed was a way in, and Terrin thought he had located it. Although Rowan couldn’t see it, the closest dungeon passage about a hundred feet forward and a few feet to the right.

“How did’ja get fancy magic to see tha tunnels?”

Terrin sighed and turned to face the inquisitive redhead.

“Remember my chat with Anchor? Among other things, she told me about a few ways we could break into the castle and what Guardian technology to take along.”

He was only partially telling the truth. Anchor had uploaded detailed maps of the castle and surrounding area—complete with information on the structure’s weaknesses, defenses, and specifications—directly into his mind. As soon as he spotted an underground system beneath the town not too far from the dungeon tunnels, he came up with a plan of his own.

According to Anchor, Nitiri had heavily protected the fortress from the Magic bunkers by instating an anti-teleport zone, which explained their long walk from the woods instead of teleporting directly into the city both times he'd materialized in Lur Alava's capital. While there were a few ways to get around this, said options were limited and couldn't teleport an entire army inside the castle. It was also pointless to consider assaulting the outer walls with their minuscule force. The dungeon was a different story. It was theoretically inaccessible from the outside. It would be impossible to tunnel in with conventional tools in less than a month, but with advanced tools, it could be done in less than a day. As a bonus, Nitiri had been imprisoning innocent people for months. The dungeon would be full of potential recruits harboring resentment against her. Their army was bound to double at minimum.

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“Rowan, we’re going to need one of those metal boxes we brought from Anchor’s base. Where are they?” Terrin asked.

“I think it’s in Plague’s pack. Ya want me to get it?” Rowan asked, a little annoyed.

Terrin couldn’t blame him. To avoid attention, they had left their heavy travel packs at the inn, which was a twenty-minute journey both ways. Retrieving one would take close to an hour. Terrin cursed himself for leaving the device behind.

“Don’t worry, Rowan. I have it under control. I will teleport to get what I need and come back,” Terrin said breezily.

Rowan’s eyebrows drew together.

“Didn’t ya say we couldn’t transport here? Isn’t that why we walked ta get here instead of usin’ yer fancy teleportation thingy?”

“I can teleport short distances using my internal energy, as long as I'm not using the bunker or trying to get inside the castle's defenses. If I tried to take both of us, I would probably knock myself out, but I should just get drowsy if it’s only me. While I’m gone, find the guy in charge and tell him we’re going to dig a tunnel though this wall. He probably won’t be happy about it, but I’m sure you’ll be able to talk him into it,” he added with a sly grin.

Before Rowan could protest, Terrin closed his eyes, pictured their room at the inn, and said, “Ťo nobi miş.”

He felt the familiar energy loss as he materialized in his room. He couldn’t call the drab accommodations a luxury suite, but considering the appearance of the inn, it was shockingly acceptable. He planned to grab the travel bag and leave, but raised voices stopped him. He opened the door and crept toward the staircase, his curiosity winning over his sensibility. One of the voices belonged to the innkeeper. Terrin didn’t have a good vantage point, but he saw two men in armor at the counter.

“Officer, I assure ya none ah that magic scum is ’ere. We woulda kicked ’em out or turned ’em over ta ya. There must be some kinda mistake,” the innkeeper insisted.

“That isn’t what we heard about this place. We think you’re hidin’ one of their bases. If ya don’t mind, we’re gonna take a look around,” one of the soldiers insisted as he pushed past the bar.

Blade, Snore, and the Rhai Cudd members were beneath them, planning an invasion. If the soldiers figured out where the entrance was, they would ruin everything.