Darien sat on top of the lead wagon of a makeshift caravan. Hundreds of mages, knights, and soldiers were lined up near the main road leading to Ayes while preparing for the long march ahead.

The moment the darkness of morning left and the early morning sun rose was the signal for them to leave. Darien set his eyes on the coming Sun. He stood up and shouted, "It's time to move! Everyone get in positions!" He looked over at the first lineup of carriages and covered wagons and yelled, "Line One! Start moving! Line Two, keep your distance and follow when you've got the space! Everyone else, keep your distance!"

The troop of soldiers masquerading as a merchant caravan started moving. There were no expectations that the charade would last forever, but it was planned to add a surprise element to their mission.

Darien wore a tunic typically worn by wealthy merchants while most of the soldiers had long brown mantles draped covering them from head to toe. Their weapons were easier to hide that way.

The troop came to life as they slowly picked up speed on the road. The cover of one of the carriages in the back rows shook slightly as though there was a breeze. It went unnoticed by the caravan as they were more focused on the battles to come than a slight draft. Red hair poked out from one of the supply boxes before vanishing out of sight.

Joseph stood on top of the Red Tower's outlook watching from above the skyline as Darien, and the troop left. He didn't know what to say or even what to think as he watched them go; a feeling of anxiety couldn't help but creep into his heart and mind. He could only sigh and shake his head. "May God help them." He couldn't worry for long as he would be joining them soon. There was still plenty of paperwork to do, especially now. His desk seemed to taunt him with more work. Joseph returned to his desk and went through as many documents as he could before he'd have to leave. Hours went by causing a sort of mental fatigue. It brought to mind a particular child, a redheaded brat.

"I should check on the boy. Let him know his father will be fine and... make sure; he's watched over while I'm gone." Joseph stretched his bones. Darius was always a handful, but he was usually pretty good with the boy. He'd have to be careful; the brat was too observant. Darius probably even knew what was going on. His thoughts were interrupted by a few violent knocks on his door.

"Who is it?"

He heard Lindt's frantic voice, "Vice Tower Master! The Young Master is missing! I can't find Darius anywhere!"

A feeling of Deja vu came over Joseph. "Wasn't I just thinking about him?" Joseph sighed before opening the door and asking, "Did he hide somewhere? When did he go missing?" The brat was the type to run around and misbehave when his parents weren't around. That was even more apparent in the current situation.

In any case, he would have to punish the boy, this was not a good time for him to play games.

Lindt was on the verge of having a panic attack as he said, "It's been a few hours. He needed to go to the bathroom so I let him go, and I haven't been able to find him since then. He went in the bathroom and never came out!"

Nodding, Joseph asked, "Did he disappear around the time the Tower Master left?" Lindt thought for a moment before nodding his head in affirmation.

Joseph grit his teeth, "Next time don't wait four hours before telling me. The brat's probably stressed because his father left again and is hiding somewhere in the Tower." His palm came to rest on his face, "I can't go to Ayes with Darien's son missing under my watch! We have to find him." The few personnel that remained would have to look. This was the worst possible time for the boy to pull a stunt like this. With a new sense of urgency, Joseph started a local manhunt, in an attempt to quickly find the missing boy.

Jamie and his group had rushed through the darkness of night to get to Castle Faircone. The sun barely began to rise when they made it to the front doors. The Castle looked damaged as if there had recently been minor fighting. The guards, in particular, were very wary as they immediately drew their weapons; the moment they detected movement headed their way. "HALT!" The guards pointed spears at the small group that made up the Princess infiltration team.

Without a shred of hesitation, the Princess ran toward the front of the group and said, "I'm Princess Emily Ayer, I request an audience with Lord Faircone!"

Both guards were shaken at the declaration. They glanced at the Princess and recognized her features matching the description they had of her. Neither guard had seen her when she was last in the Lord's care so they couldn't tell for sure. "Please wait a moment for us to send word inside. We will have someone verify if you are indeed the Princess. Is that acceptable?"

The Princess nodded, and one of the guards yelled through a crack in the door, "We need a verification on one claiming to be Princess Emily Ayer!" The heavy metal front doors that made up the front entry point of the castle soon cracked just enough for a person to slide through. A messenger quickly came outside and looked at the Princess. He had seen her only hours before she was kidnapped, so he recognized her. "I recognize her! It's Princess Emily Ayer!" The messenger bowed his head before heading back inside the Castle, "I need to inform the Lord!"

Immediately, the guards fell to their knees and crossed their arms before shouting, "Princess!" The messenger closed the gap and ran as fast as his feet could carry him. The two guards said, "Please wait a little while longer while the messenger informs the Lord! I'm sure our Lord, will prepare satisfactory accommodation in the meantime!"

Princess Emily frowned, "We don't have the time for pleasantries! Please hurry!" The guards nodded but didn't leave their bowed positions. "Princess, our messengers move quickly. It shouldn't take long for Lord to come."

As the Princess and her group waited the silence grew awkward so she asked, "Can you two please stand up? Consider this an informal visit. There is no need for you to remain bowed down like that." The two guards stood up with bright expressions and said, "Thank you!"

It didn't take long for a winded Faircone to come rushing through the now-open front doors. "PRINCESS! You, LIVE!" He ran over to her while wheezing, sweat dripping from the top of his brow.

Emily took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the talk to come, "Lord Faircone, would it be alright if we talked inside?"

"Of course, Princess! Guards make some room for us!"

The small group led by Jamie walked through Castle Faircone earning a look of confusion on Lord Faircone's face. He chose to be silent until they reached his office.

"Princess, I'm thrilled that you've returned. After you were kidnapped, I feared for your life and health daily. However, I must ask, who are these people you've brought with you?" He glanced particularly hard at Ann who he recognized, and Jamie who he didn't.

The Princess walked side by side with Lord Faircone and said, "Lord Faircone, we have a lot to discuss, and not a lot of time to do it. This is Sir Jamie Vallas, he can inform you of what we are doing here, and also what needs to be done."

Lord Faircone looked at the group with a frown before nodding his head. "I'll listen to what you have to say, but please talk in my office. It's cold out, and you're bound to catch a cold."

They entered the Lord's office and gave him a brief overview of the situation. There was no time for hesitance or a waiting game they needed an answer now.

If the group had remained outside they may have noticed that the sky had a tinge of sickly green, and the shadows from the trees seemed to move a little more than they usually did. Even if they had noticed the strange signs it wouldn't have changed their mission.

Flames danced across an open field. The earth trembled under the force of spells landing every which way. As if held by a growling beast, smoke choked the battlefield, and blood hung in the air.

Cole opened his eyes atop the grassy knoll, "Let's finish this." Two 4th Circle mages prepared defenses by his side as he started chanting. A massive amount of mana started reverberating around him. The grass on the knoll turned yellow and then gray; as it wilted and died.

"Oh, spirit of Wailing and Dread!" Cole placed his hands together as if in prayer and began a different kind of chant. Something far older. Something darker.

"From the dead realms of the abyss, you lurk in shadows seeking whom you may devour!" The air around the Black Tower Master began to distort and twist, taking on a green tint.

Duke Shay felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked over at the top of the knoll where the Tower Master was chanting and noticed the quickly distorting space. Something unnatural, evil, and horrendously wicked lay in whatever spell the Tower Master was casting. His instincts honed from over 50 years of battle screamed to pay attention, "Everyone! We must stop the Tower Master's spell at any cost! Prepare yourselves!" Duke Shay used all of the mana he could muster to charge past the veritable army in front of him in a desperate attempt to stop Cole. He made it to the bottom of the grassy knoll when he heard the last line of the spell. To prevent an interruption, two 4th Circle mages created a barrier of darkness.

"Let rest all into your abyssal maw! Seeker of end, and devourer of souls! Breath of Lamashtu!"

Duke Shay barely made it past the inky black walls and was halfway up the knoll when the spell was finished. The atmosphere itself seemed to freeze. Shay felt as though time itself had stopped, if for a moment.

A green mist seemed to wash over him and everyone else. Horrifying screeches and cries leaked out from the mist as though souls had been trapped within the spell matrix itself.

Duke Shay froze. Everyone around him began to fall to their knees unable to move at all. The spell was indiscriminate as enemies and allies fell to the ground. It started with hundreds and quickly grew to thousands. All of the knights and soldiers on both sides had fallen to the ground. Weakness, unlike anything the Duke had ever felt plagued his body.

"I can't move!"

The strength had been sucked straight out of their bodies, and some of the weaker knights and soldiers lost more than just their power, they lost their lives.

"What wicked spell is this!" Duke Shay crumbled to his knees. He could only glare at the Black Tower Master while biting his lip.

Cole smiled, "It's an ancient spell. I found it long ago in a grimoire of old. The spell used to be multiple paragraphs long and required a blood sacrifice, but I've adapted it. It only needs to be in a place full of fresh blood now." Cole took a deep breath of air through his nostrils and said, "I love this smell, you know. It's refreshing."

The Duke looked at the Tower Master as though he were a monster. "You're insane!"

Cole looked across the battlefield with a satisfied expression. Uncaring for the damage he had caused on his side as he walked down the grassy knoll. He looked down at the shriveled Duke and said, "I can spare you." A sadistic smile blossomed on Cole's face, "If you're willing to grovel or beg, I may be partial to letting you live as a prisoner."

Duke Shay gathered every ounce of strength that remained in his body to stand on his feet. He tried to coalesce the mana in his body, but could only muster enough strength to stand. It felt as though something sinister was flowing through his veins preventing him from casting any spell. If only he had a little bit more time he thought he might be able to recover and make that smile disappear from the Tower Master's face.

"Eat shit!" The Duke managed to spit on the Tower Master's feet. "If you're going to end this just fucking do it already! Stop fucking around! This is a battlefield, not a play!"

Cole frowned at the spit on his feet. He would have loved to torture the Duke for hours, but he knew he didn't have the luxury. It would be dangerous if he left the enemy enough time to recover. They'd be able to use their mana eventually, and he didn't want to be the laughingstock of the Empire for being killed by a 2nd Circle apprentice.

"Fine." A blade of shifting darkness, ephemeral and snake-like formed on Cole's hand. He made a horizontal chopping motion, and the Duke's head flew up into the air before he caught it. The Duke's decapitated head simply snarled at him. His last act of defiance.

Cole looked back to the top of the grassy knoll at his mages. "What the hell are you two doing? How can you be on your knees when you were prepared? You have the same fucking attribute as I! Get the hell up and lead the charge; we don't have much time!"

The two 4th Circle mages on top of knoll had barely managed to remain on their feet after the spell. The spell hadn't even been directed at them, but the vestiges were enough to drain them. "Yes! Tower Master!"

Cole looked towards the forest and shouted, "Wave 2!" A battalion that had been deemed the second wave began to charge. They had stayed just out of range of Cole's spell. The charging army which traveled at a speed akin to a sprinting Heral quickly fell to a slow jog as the slightly greenish air weakened them.

Cole could only shake his head in disappointment, but an ember of pride and satisfaction couldn't help but take root in his heart. His smile betrayed his innermost thoughts. "It will be a shame when the spell disappears. I look forward to the next battle. The next meal."