I mapped out my course of action for the night. It would be a long one. I had done some flying tests with Jam; she was wonderful at transportation. She could easily fly thirty miles in a matter of minutes with a grown adult on her back.

It was a plus that she was much more comfortable than a carriage, and her feathers were smooth and soft. If we had flown for about three hours straight, I would have been able to arrive at the Marquis' estate. It was perfect because no one would have an inkling that it was me.

Strapping the necessities of the journey to my body, my knife, some healing supplies, and treats for Jam. In the din of soldiers packing up for the next morning's leave, no one would be the wiser at my absence.

One thing that was in my favor was how predictable the Marquis was. The night I had leveled up to 20, my awareness had grown in leaps and bounds. Through the scratchy tree branches, I had felt eyes staring. I had been so mad I did not care at that point and had just run wild.

However, I would use this little snitch to my advantage. Usually, I felt the eyes watching me during my free time when I would be "up to something." What that something was, I had no idea.

I don't know what the Marquis expected me to do other than die. It was perfect because it was nearing the sleeping hour right now, and as soon as I stepped out of my tent, I could feel that prickling down my spine.

It was so uncomfortable being watched. I slid quietly into the forest, taking all the gear I needed for the night. I traversed deep into the foliage when I was sure I was being followed. Breaking through the brush, I found myself in the perfect clearing.

The grass gently swayed in the cool night air, and the moon had just peaked over the dark trees, casting pale light over the opening. The snitch was at level 15 at least, but because of my heightened stealth abilities, my hearing had gotten a lot better. He was like a blundering bear in the quiet of the forest; I deftly swung into a tree near where he would arrive.

I held my breath for 30 seconds, then 60. This guy was so slow... Finally, I saw shadows moving, and a cloaked figure jumped right onto the branch below me. His head swiveled around, searching in the darkness for any trace of me.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Well, he would find me alright. I silently grabbed the branch I was standing on and swung down, my feet meeting with the back of the figure, sending him flying into the spotlight the moon had created. Quickly, I pounced on him before he was able to stand and placed my dagger to his throat. I hissed out, "Answer yes or no to my questions. Understand?"

The man squeaked, "Yes."

"Did the Marquis send you?"

Silence ensued.

I grabbed a fist full of the man's scruffy hair and pulled his throat back almost to a breaking point. He started coughing and screaming as the pain ripped through his neck.

"Yes, cough* yes! he sen-cough* me."

Annoyed at his pleading tone, I shoved his head into the ground, letting him know how it felt to swing both ways. Perfect, I took a small round rock off the floor behind me and shoved it into his mouth.

"Swallow this, please." I held a hand over his scraggly beard until he swallowed with a whimper. "Now, this is an exploding pill I got from the Duke for a secret mission. If you do anything I don't like, I'll blow up that pill and make you burst like a firework!"

I am unsure if the man knew what a firework was, but I think he got the picture.

Shakily, the man got up and, with fear in his eyes, stood before me, obedient as a puppy. Nice! I wouldn't have to beat the daylight out of him for my plan to go forward. I called out to Jam, who was hiding nearby, and she swooped down, landing with a soft thud on the ground next to us.

It would take a few hours to get to our destination, so I explained my excellent plan to my new colleague on the way. My idea was to have him walk me past all the Marquis' bodyguards on the pretense of catching me trying to desert the army.

Thus, I would get a free audience with the Marquis without busting down the front door and alerting everyone to an intruder. I hoped the Marquis would be arrogant and underestimate me, which would be plausible because I had been very weak. My thoughts flew with the wind as it used strands of my hair to whip me across the face.

In all my eavesdropping in the inner corridors of his estate, I had learned that he himself was not a great swordsman, but he had a lot of magical artifacts. Coupled with his ever-present bodyguards, it was quite difficult to even be in his presence with a weapon.

The landscape passed quickly, but the beautiful village lights we occasionally crossed brought a small smile to my face. Seeing life flash by this way wasn't so bad. Jam was fast, and under cover of darkness, our traveling went completely unnoticed by the eyes of the peasants.