As we walked out of my room, bringing Iris with me, a figure dressed in total blackness jumped out from behind a door. He made a motion, then created a greenish dome around us. “Freeze. If you cooperate, I will allow you to go. Otherwise, we have other ways of torturing the information out of you. Where is the high-powered mage/wizard named Subject 2413768?”

“Who is that?” Both of us chimed in at the same time, acting like we had no idea what was going on. I mentally told Iris to freeze like a statue, as we would have to provide the look that we knew nothing, although we all knew the assassin(?) was talking about me.

“You, in the black and blue armor.” The assassin pointed at me. “You look like Subject 2413768. He also has a dragon. You have a dragon.”

“Sir, that is the statue I built. I named it Jilop. Doesn’t it look and feel realistic?”

“Then explain why I saw it moving a few moments ago.”

“It wasn’t moving, I was just making it move with my friend.” I pointed to Khel. “I’m Lensam Dunderbirl and my friend is Helk Yuanag.”

“Ah, but I identify you from where I was looking at you, sitting on the back of that mighty black beast.”

Aha! So I wasn’t hallucinating!

“What’s so important about this… Subject 2413768?”Khel interrupted.

“Oh… he is a danger to our community, and I will assassinate him.”

“OK… gee, you didn’t have to be so open! But if you want us to discuss matters, please let us out.” I remarked.”

“Fine.” The assassin made the dome disappear; then I put my plan into action. I used some magic to give us Speed, Spell, and Physical Combat boosts. Iris spat some acid balls to keep him hemmed, then I struck him with Lightning Discharge and Fireball. My magic was running low, but I pulled enough to destroy his shield with a Hurricane. It seems he was weak inside, as Khel’s 3 Electric Shocks and 2 Gales took him down.

With his last breaths, the assassin croaked, “I knew there was something fishy about you two.” Then, he pressed a button on his gauntlet, blowing himself up.