Drow combatants try to overwhelm me by using sophisticated striking maneuvers. They are extremely agile. Flashy moves might win against someone who can''t counter them, but not me. I can anticipate when they want to strike. They have a nasty habit of pulling their shoulder back before committing to a swing. My sword makes deadly work on their faults. I continue slaying until the sun falls behind the horizon.


    During the night, Zadione''s forces retreat through barrages of reversed lightning strikes. The light from it lights up the sky in a purple color. It thunders in all directions. Sometimes in the middle of the night, a few men speak about a ghostly woman''s face appearing as a gigantic cloud. They describe it as having a sinister smile, long hair, and red, dimly lit eyes. Ulrika and I think Zadione is the cause behind the aberration. She summons a westward wind to keep the face from haunting them. It comes back the next day after a long day of fighting. Lyra summons Rhyndac to find a solution.


    Rhyndac conducts an investigation all through the night. After the daylight battle, she comes to my makeshift bathroom while I''m cleaning blood off my skin to tell me the news she found.


    "Have you told Lyra?" I say.


    "Not yet," she says. "I thought you wanted to know first. It''s Zadione."


    "I had a feeling."


    "There is more."


    "Oh, great." Ulrika walks in on us and demands Rhyndac to get out.


    "She''s here," she says, ignoring Ulrika. "She''s somewhere in the city, toying with us."


    "What do you plan to do?"


    "I," she says and sits on the edge of the tub, "will create a negating spell to disrupt it." She sticks her finger in the water and twirls it. The dirt floating around her finger disintegrates. "What is the one thing you want but you have to wait for it?" I don''t answer immediately because I''m watching her finger slowly cleanse the water. She suddenly dunks half of her hand under the water and squeezes her hand. Water squirts from her palm. It hits my face.


    "H—hey!?" Ulrika says.


    "Sorry, Ulrika. I couldn''t resist. Kaioson," she says and playfully sings my name.


    "There are a lot of things I want," I say. "You''ll need to be specific." A breeze passes through us. It gives me an idea of something I''m looking for. "Seeing snow." She grins, nods, and then walks into the street. Ulrika walks to me while taking a glance over her shoulder.


    "That woman has no respect for privacy," Ulrika says and then looks in the tube. "Did you just get in?"


    "No," I say, standing up. "She cleaned the water."


    Ulrika takes her bath using the clean water. I tidy our bed and organize our equipment in the meantime. She likes to keep her sword at arm''s reach. Her side of the bed is on the right side since I''m left-handed. We have to sleep partly clothed and geared so we can quickly attack the enemy when they teleport. Our daggers are fastened around our waist. Just in case our enemies try attacking us in our sleep, I use Perfect Geometry for protection.


    I finish prepping everything just in time for bed. Ulrika fastens her dagger around her waist. I cast PG once she sits on the bed. She lies on her back, crosses her arms over her lap, and lets out a long-winded sigh.


    "What''s wrong?" I say.


    "I''m bleeding."


    "Do you need a massage?"


    "No," she says, smiling. "I''m good, my love." She wafts the air over the candles to blow them out. The air directs the smoke out of the room until it''s all gone.


    "Goodnight."


    "Goodnight," she whispers. Five minutes into my sleep, she pokes my arm and says, keeping her voice soft, "Do you like the cold?" I hum to let her know that I do. "What''s so fascinating about it?"


    "Lots of things."


    "Like what?" She chuckles. "Frozen roads? Dead trees? Feezing your ass off?"


    "The Kromagian festivities," I say, and open one eye to look at her. She leans on her elbow to lean over me. "You would love them."


    "Take me to one."


    "Which ones?"


    "All of them."


    Come morning, I wake up to the sound of stillness. I look around the room to get a sense of what''s going on. Nothing is out of place. I send my sword outside to check if anyone is out there. Something stops it at the doorway. I slowly take out my dagger and nudge my knuckle into Ulrika''s hip. She gets her dagger and opens one eye to see me. Whoever is at the door tries to take a step inside. She flips her dagger upside down with the tip of it pinched between her fingers.


    "Kaioson, wake up," Rhyndac says. "Can you move your sword? It won''t let me through!" My sword floats in view of the bedroom door. She peeks her head around the corner and then stands in the doorway. She''s covered in sprinkles of something white. "Get up, both of you. Lyra wants to have a meeting with everyone." Since Ulrika and I are already dressed, all we do is put on our boots.


    "Are we being attacked?" Ulrika says.


    "Oddly no. Put on your gear just in case."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    We do just that. Rhyndac walks across the chatty street, drizzling with snow, and into a house with a huge gathering of Thomas''s Knights.


    "Are you seeing this?" Ulrika says, holding her hands out to feel the snow. It''s warm outside. There''s not a cloud in sight. The snow is cold and doesn''t immediately melt in my hands.


    "Rhyndac''s magic seems to have no limits," I say.


    Every one of the knights has their helmets off. Lyra is standing with Coretha and Ayborn in the center of the living room. I don''t see any of Ulrika''s brothers.


    "Quiet down, boys!" Rhyndac says. "Lyra, we''re all here." Coretha looks at me and smiles as if she''s relieved to see me. She sighs and grins with her lips pressed into her face, making her cheeks puffy.


    "Do you have the connection?" Lyra says.


    "We can hear you," Hayden says in my head. "Glysith is giving two thumbs up."


    "Any updates on the whereabouts of Haleema and Zadock?"


    "No." Lyra closes her eyes and lets out a sigh of disappointment. I feel the worst has happened. It has been many days since they left to go fight the Echo Ripper.


    "Keep an eye out for them." She looks at me and does a double-take. "Kaioson, do you remember Haleema''s plan for the counterattack?" It takes a second for me to remember. Before I can open my mouth to acknowledge, she puts her finger over her mouth. "Nod if you do." I nod. "I think it''s time we make our move."


    "What about Thubet?" I say.


    "Don''t worry about her. Elred has given us authority to operate."


    "I find that hard to believe," Ulrika whispers in my ear.


    "What are you talking about?" A knight says to my right. "Is there another fight happening?"


    "This subject matter doesn''t concern you. It''s a Paladin matter."


    "So, what are we here for?" Another knight says.


    "A new purpose," Rhyndac says and manifests a black stone from her hand. "This is my latch stone." She raises it high for everyone to get a look at it. "Your job is to secure me a prisoner once Zadione''s forces attack us. This will stop them from popping."


    "Popping?" The first knight says.


    "Mhmm." Her latch stone suddenly appears, floating in front of all the knights. "Take it and press it on your armor." The knights place it on different parts of their armor. Most of them stick it on their chest. As she''s explaining what to do with the stone once they capture some of Zadione''s forces, the knight to my far right groans.


    "What the hell?" He says. The stone melts into black goo. On his chest piece, a red-hot symbol burns. The knights around him step away, singling him out. "What magic is this? I can''t move!"


    "Rhyndac?" Lyra says.


    "Knights," Rhyndac says, pointing at a house. "Stand outside and guard this building." Six knights calmly don their helmets and form a line outside the house. "That''s blood magic," she says softly, clenching her teeth. "Nite likes to bathe in that foul magic."


    "Is he a spy?" Ulrika says. Rhyndac doesn''t deny the idea. "You son of a bitch!" Ulrika punches the knight in the face so hard it cuts his lip open. "You made a solemn swear to defend our home!" Two of the knights standing closest to the door outside look inside. She punches the knight again and goes for a third punch.


    "Ulrika, please!" I say. I pull Ulrika to the other side of the room.


    "Traitor!" She shoves me away. "How could you betray your people?!" I bend my arms to get ready to grab her. She stays where she is with her hands in a fist. Her right hand has blood on it. "Answer me, dammit!"


    "I''m not saying shit," the knight says.


    "Do you want to do that?" Rhyndc says. "You will suffer greatly if you don''t open your fucking mouth."


    "Fuck... you—"


    Rhyndac subjects the spy to a painful mind extraction magic. She demands answers to her questions. Each answer amplifies the input. Through her interrogation, we learn that Zadione intends to wear us out with her nearly endless army. If the humans can''t overwhelm us, she''ll send in the drows. If the drows fail, the orcs will take their shot. And if we can defend ourselves against them, she will combine the forces of her fairies to attack us.


    "Is that all?" Rhyndac says. The spy strains as if he''s trying to force his words out. He starts drooling as the blood on his face boils. "There''s more, isn''t there? Tell me, now!"


    "We... have... your leader!" He says.


    "Haleema?"


    "Yes!"


    "What about Zadock?" Lyra says. "Where is he? Is he alive? Did they kill Echo Ripper?"


    "Lyra! One question at a time," Rhyndac says.


    "Where are they?!"


    The spy answers Lyra''s questions in one single breath. Zadock and Haleema are alive. They''re being held somewhere west in the Orcs'' territory. The Echo Ripper''s status is confirmed deceased.


    "Gods, keep her safe," Lyra says, stretching her palms to the sky before placing her attention back on the spy. "Tell me the name of the place they have them."


    "I don''t know!" He says.


    "Bullshit! Where are they?"


    "I have no idea!"


    "Where is my friend?!" She takes out her sword and puts it against his neck.


    "Calm yourself," Rhyndac says. "The spell has compelled him to be truthful. He doesn''t have a clue."


    "Fuck!" She weeps and walks near Ulrika and me with her face in her hand. "We gotta go get them."


    "We will eventually."


    "Eventually?"


    "Stay focused, Lyra. Haleema had a plan." I can see the hard realization set in. Lyra frowns and shakes her head as if she knows Rhyndac is right. "We will get them when the time is right." Lyra shakes her head again. She blinks hard and wipes the tears from her eyes.


    "Kaioson, a word?"


    "What is it?" I say. She points at a space in the room away from everyone. I meet her there.


    "Mute us," whispers.


    "What?"


    "Silence our voices," she whispers softly. I grab her shoulder to cast a boundary around our bodies. No one will hear us as long as I am touching her. "Is it working?"


    "Yes. Why the secrecy?"


    "I don''t want to get yelled at," she says and looks to her right to point at Rhyndac behind her. "I need a favor."


    "You can''t be serious."


    "You haven''t heard what I was going to say." The tears came back.


    "It''s suicidal."


    "You don''t have to go alone. Take Glysith with you."


    "I''m not doing this."


    "Why not?" One reason is standing six feet to my left.


    "Because," I say and glance at Ulrika, who is watching me closely.


    "Take her too."


    "Lyra..."


    An abrupt quake rocks the house. The shake is enough to make everyone in the room fall over.


    "What was that?" I say. Ulrika rushes outside. She comes back seconds later with eyes wide open.


    "Smoke," Ulrika says, pointing to her right. "In the distance."


    "How far?" Rhyndac says.


    "Miles away."


    "Hmm," Rhyndac says, slowing her head to look at the spy. "Do you know what that was?" When she puts her hand near his face, he begs her not to use magic. "Was that Nite?"


    "Zadione is going to kill me," he says.


    "Oh?" She snickers. "She''s been trying to do that since you opened your mouth."


    "What?!"


    "I felt demonic magic trying to bleed into your body. The only thing keeping you alive is that mark." She touches his forehead and says, "Do you know what was?"


    "Our second front."


    Rhyndac gasps when she hears the spy say the new front will be at the agency building. Lyra runs into the street and yells for ten knights to follow her. Rhyndac opens a portal somewhere in the agency. I can hear swords clashing, men yelling, and explosions going off.


    "Kaioson, Ulrika, get in!" Rhyndac says.


    "What about the spy?" Ulrika says.


    "I''ll let the boys deal with that. I''ll join you momentarily."


    Ulrika and I jump through the portal. We rush to frantic fighting and come to a railing overlooking the main hallway. It is an all-out fight. There''s a giant smoking hole in the front entrance. Directly in the center of the room, chaos surrounds Penny and Theo. They watch men battle it out as if they''re overseeing a spectacle. Penny looks up and sees me observing them. She nudges the other Paragons to focus their attention on the second floor.


    "Kaioson!" Penny says with her arms out. "There you are!"


    "Shit," I say through my teeth.