Donte and most of the mercenaries fell to their knees as the ground began to rumble and shake. I had to lean up against a nearby crate to remain standing, but I noticed the mercenary Esben did not even sway as rocks and rubble fell around him.

“Friends of yours?” Esben asked curiously.

I nodded silently as my mind connected with the giant snake Naga as she attempted to tunnel through the tough stone underground. Even with her size and strength, it was a difficult and time-consuming task. Only after working for more than a day did she manage to make a short tunnel stretching from the other side of the cliffs to her current location under the fortress.

Behind the snake, the twenty thousand troops of General Hull’s army worked to clear out the busted ruble left in Naga’s wake and support the tunnel with wooden beams so that it would not collapse.

As the rumbling got worse, I commanded the undead to begin their next set of orders. Most of the soldiers in the fortress had started panicking as more than half their forces were starting to show signs of the poison I spread through their food and water. Even more chaos ensued when the ground started shaking. Hardly anyone had time to care as my undead moved through the enemy forces. One by one, my undead moved towards the few commanders attempting to regain order and organize a defense. With a quick stab of their daggers, most of the commanders were dealt a fatal blow before they even realized the undead knight had betrayed them. A few of my undead failed in their assassination attempts, and all of them were quickly torn apart by nearby soldiers after they attacked, but they had served their purpose. I no longer had any use for them.

I kept an eye on the chaos above ground with Sylvie while waiting for Naga to finish carving out the tunnel. The moment the ground started shaking, General Arthur had begun his attack on the fortress walls. Glyphs and arrows slammed into stone and steel and the defenders fired back, creating casualties on both sides. The attack on the walls further delayed the defending army’s response to the shaking underground.

A few minutes later, the floor of the storage room we were hiding in lit up with a giant glyph. The stones under our feet began to disintegrate as a long dark tunnel was revealed.

I pulled Donte out of the way of the disintegrating hole in the floor as General Hull, surrounded by his elite guards, stepped into the small storage room.

The General had a huge grin on his face as he took a deep breath. “Inside Bastya Fortress. With the merits I will get from this I might be made a Duke. I will finally get the respect I deserve.” General Hull motioned to his troops, and they charged past him. with their weapons raised, the soldiers were prepared for a fight.

My plans had to be implemented a bit faster than I had originally hoped due to how I dealt with the Advisor and General Izmos, so it would still be some time before all the poisoned soldiers began to feel the effects. My guess was that at least half were still able to put up a fight, leaving nearly ten thousand troops still in the fortress. However, as the battle progressed, I knew more and more of them would begin to succumb to the poison it was only a matter of time now before the fortress fell.

General Hull turned to me as more and more soldiers poured out of the hole in the ground. “Good work kid. I did not think we would actually be able to infiltrate the fortress so easily. I am starting to see why Irene wants you dead. That monster you control is terrifying. That kind of Innate Talent could be incredibly useful on the battlefield. If you ever get tired of working for General Arthur, I can give you a good offer. All the comforts in the world and more money than you could possibly ever spend could all be yours if you are willing to obey my command.”

I shook my head with a disinterested wave. “If I wanted luxuries, I would simply take them. I have no intention of obeying anyone.”

I noticed a glint in General Hull’s eye as he spoke, “Just keep my offer in mind. You are still young. There will come a day when you understand the value of wealth.”

“Just give us our weapons,” I replied curtly.

General Hull shrugged and motioned towards one of his bodyguards. The armored soldier walked over, holding both my dagger and Donte’s sword. I took both the weapons from the guard and handed the sword to Donte.

“Try not to lose it again,” I said.

Donte nodded firmly and he gripped the hilt of the blade. He was quiet for a while as he looked down at his reflection in the steel. “Aurie…” Donte paused as he glanced at General Hull. “All this because I was captured… How many people will die today because of me? Was there really no other way?”

“The Avari started this war, not you,” I replied dismissively, “What happens next is their fault.”

“But I…”

“If you really feel responsible, get stronger so that nothing like this can happen again. If we were stronger, you would not have been captured and this war would have never started. Only through absolute strength can a person dictate their own path in this world and live freely.”

Donte’s grip on his sword tightened. “I understand…”

The Mercenary, Esben, slapped Donte on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. “Relax kid. All that fall will return for the Great Demise. You are doing the world a service by spilling their blood here.”

Donte pulled away from the mercenary with a scowl. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Ignore him,” I replied shaking my head, “Let’s go find General Izmos and put an end to this farce of a battle.”

Esben had a big smile on his face as he ignored Donte’s discomfort. “The girl gets it. Glorious combat is its own reward. The general's head will be a fine trophy to add to my list.”

General Hull frowned at the mercenary, then at me. “Why Find General Izmos? My soldiers will deal with him eventually. All we have to do is sit back and wait for the results.”

“Where is the fun in that?” I replied as I hooked my dagger back onto my belt and followed the stream of soldiers out of the room.

I heard Donte mumble under his breath as he followed me. “Only politicians shout orders from the back. Heroes are the ones at the front.”

Esben and his mercenaries followed behind us as we entered the hallway out of the storage rooms. I could already hear fighting on the stairways up ahead as the thick scent of blood filled the halls. General Izmos was not a fool. The moment the ground started shaking, he had assigned part of his army to the defense of the lower levels. The chaos I had caused slowed their response allowing General Hull’s soldiers to gain a decent foothold at the staircase, but with how narrow the hallways were, it would be a long battle of attrition before either side managed to gain any headway. With only a single stairway up, General Hull would not be able to show the advantage of his numbers any time soon.

I ignored the battle up ahead and darted into another storage room I had spotted when we were passing through this area the first time. This storage room was packed with large crates that went all the way to the ceiling. Not wasting any time, I climbed up the crates and drew my dagger. Activating the purple crystal on the hilt, my dagger sunk into the stone ceiling overhead without any resistance. It took a bit of cutting, but within a couple minutes, I had cut a hole in the stone large enough for us to pass through.

Esben eyed my dagger as he climbed up the pile of crates. “Now that would be a fine blade to have. Any chance you are willing to sell it?”

“None at all,” I replied as I sheathed the dagger. I noticed Esben’s eyes follow my movements carefully and his gaze never once left the dagger. I ignored his obvious show of greed as I climbed through the hole in the floor. I helped pull Donte up and did not bother helping the mercenary. He could pull himself through the hole.

Looking around, I saw we were in an empty barracks room filled with lines of bunk beds. Outside the door, I could still hear the fighting. Not willing to risk trying to sneak past hundreds of fighting soldiers, I decided to climb on top of one of the bunk beds so that I could cut another hole to the next floor.

I stretched up my arm, but no matter how much I tried standing on my tiptoes, I was just barely too short to reach the ceiling. I scowled, but before I could figure out something to stack on the bunk bed, a pair of hands reached under my arms and effortlessly picked me up.

“Need some help?” Esben asked with an annoying grin on his face as he lifted me up to the ceiling without waiting for a reply.

I suppressed the sudden urge to stab the mercenary as I was once again reminded of how much I hated being short. I did my best to ignore the humiliating situation as I cut another hole in the ceiling. Esben’s arms began to stretch as he helped me through the hole and set me down gently on the other side.

This time, I was in an empty kitchen. I held my ear to the door, the sounds of fighting had faded, but the shouts and screams could still be heard in the distance. I unconsciously held my breath as the sounds of marching footsteps belonging to at least a hundred armored soldiers raced past the door.

Only once I heard no other sounds nearby did I crack the door open and peer outside. The familiar hallway of the fortress was empty now, but I knew another group of soldiers would likely march by soon.

I silently motioned for Donte and the mercenaries to move quickly as I dashed out of the room and followed the hallway towards a big set of wooden double doors towards the rear of the fortress. As I ran a small bird landed on my shoulder and whistled happily. I gave Sylvie a cursory glance as I looked at the giant doors in front of us.

“Sylvie says General Izmos went in here when the battle started and has not left since,” I said with a frown.

“Smells like a trap,” Esben replied with a hand signal towards his mercenaries, “I am willing to bet my second favorite axe there are a hundred elite soldiers waiting inside to ambush anyone that enters.”

“I will take that bet.” I said with a grin, “You boasted that any one of your men is worth more than ten normal soldiers. It is time to put that to the test.”

“And what do I get if I win the bet?” Esben asked with a smile, his eyes glancing down at the dagger on my waist.

“My second favorite dagger.”

“Any chance that one can also cut through stone like butter?” Esben asked.

“Nope, but it is very good at hiding in a boot.”

Esben sighed as he scratched his head. “I brought that one on myself. I should have bet my favorite… You have a deal. Men, get ready for a blood bath!”

The surrounding mercenaries held the weapons they stole from the storage rooms with a wicked grin as I reached towards the door. The large wooden doors creaked open to reveal a circular chamber made from the same brown stone as the rest of the fortress. Only a few glowing orange stones lit the chamber, casting long shadows across the lone figure that stood in the center of the room.

General Izmos still looked as young as when he destroyed my puppet as he stood alone in the center of the large, empty chamber. His eyes glowed with a dangerous light as he watched us enter through the door.

General Izmos cracked his neck as he took a step forward. “I knew the empress would send someone after me, but honestly I did not expect two children and a disgraced bunch of mercenaries. No, no, no, you are just escaped prisoners. Why are you here? Where is her army?”

“I do not need an army to kill you,” I replied as I drew my dagger and pointed it at him.

General Izmos started laughing as he took another step forward. The stone floor around his foot began to crack and shatter as his foot touched the ground. Another step, and more shattered stone, but this time his foot did not touch the ground. It was as if the man had stepped onto an invisible platform in the air as he slowly walked forward, floating higher and higher with each step. “She sent a little messenger to kill me?” The empress thinks too highly of herself.”

I cursed under my breath as I realized this general was far more powerful than I thought. He was not using a talent to fly. That was a domain. It was a pinnacle of power far beyond anything a normal man was capable of. If I had known he had this kind of power, I would never have come here alone.

I quickly connected my mind with Naga, calling for her aid. A loud screech filled the air as the entire fortress began to shake. There was an explosion of stone as the floor of the chamber burst open. The massive form of Naga’s head filled the entire room.

Naga glared at General Izmos as she opened her mouth to bite. Her jaw snapped closed with enough force to shake the air. General Izmos did not even try to move as the enormous mouth closed around him. He simply raised a single hand, catching one of the fangs. Naga’s bite instantly came to a stop as the General stood perfectly unharmed. He was like a small toothpick, holding Naga’s mouth open effortlessly.

Just the one fang was easily four or five times larger than the man, but to him, it might as well have been made of cotton. With a simple twist of his wrist, General Izmos snapped the fang free of Naga’s mouth. Then, without even batting an eye, he used the fang as a bat. A deafening shockwave filled the room. The fang slammed into Naga’s head with enough force to shatter it into a thousand pieces and sent the snake flying back down the hole she came from.

General Izmos dropped the fragmented remains of the fang down the hole as he turned back towards us. “Was that the best the empress sent?” An invisible force pressed down on us with every word he spoke. Donte, Esben, and the mercenaries were instantly forced to their knees without any ability to resist. It was only thanks to my own understanding of domains that I could remain standing, even if I did not currently possess the power to bring one out. General Izmos was surprised as he examined me. “How are you still standing? Only other domains can resist a domain.”

“I will admit, I am impressed,” I said, sheathing my dagger. It would be no use against someone with this much power. I looked down at Donte and the mercenaries. Donte and Esben were struggling under the weight of the invisible pressure as they were forced to lay flat on the floor. The other mercenaries though had all passed out, completely overwhelmed by the pressure. “You are far stronger than expected, but you are not invincible. Your domain is unstable and your skin has turned pale. You had breakfast this morning, didn’t you? Not even a domain can resist poison for long. I would guess you only have a few hours left.”

General Izmos glared at me from up above as he floated closer. “You are the messenger of the empress. Do you know the cure to this poison?”

“I do. The question is, what are you willing to sacrifice to get it?”

General Izmos narrowed his eyes as he pointed towards Donte. “You came for the boy, right? Give me the antidote or I will kill him.”

“You know as well as I do, the empress does not care about some boy. He was just a convenient excuse to attack,” I said with my best poker face, praying he did not see through my messenger lie. If he knew how weak I was right now, I had no doubt he would kill all of us on the spot. Only the threat of the empress made him hesitate.

“No, no, no, this fortress holds nothing of importance for the empress. If not the boy, then what does she want?” General Izmos said as he floated closer.

“You,” I said slowly, “You and all your men.”

“Me?”

“You should know by now that Envy is returning. Last time the empress barely managed to fight him back and close the doors to the realms. Back then she had more than a million undead and hundreds of thousands of troops at her command, now she does not. She needs the strong and talented to fight by her side to protect this realm. Surrender this fortress and agree to help us fight Envy. Do so, and all your men will be spared and you all will be allowed to return to Avari”

General Izmos chuckled as he shook his head. “Even now, she demands my surrender and my fortress? I should kill you all just to make her watch…” General Izmos fell quiet as he floated down to the ground. The invisible pressure disappeared as the youthful man transformed back into the wrinkled, white-haired general. He seemed even older than before as he spoke with a cracked voice. “I know I have lost this battle. There is nothing I can do to prevent it now that I am poisoned… I surrender… I am willing to fight Envy alongside the empress if she spares me and my men, but I ask one thing of the empress in return.”

“What is it?”

“When the war is over, I wish to return to this fortress, even if it is not as the general in command. Basya is not just a building to me. This mountain pass is where I was born, where I was raised, and where I wish to be laid to rest when I die.”

I nodded as I looked over at Donte who was struggling to stand now that the invisible pressure of the domain was gone. “I can guarantee the empress will agree if you do something for me as well… I want you to kill each and every person that tortured my friend. Not a single one is to be spared.”

“I… Don’t want that!” Donte shouted as he forced himself to his feet.

I raised my eyebrow as I looked at him curiously. “Then what do you want?”

“Revenge will not save anyone. Enough people have died here today because of me. No more! Instead, I want a promise that no one else under your command will ever torture anyone again, and I want that prison torn down. No one else will ever suffer for the amusement of others.”

“I can do that,” General Izmos replied solemnly.

“See that you do,” I growled, crossing my arms, “Or I will make sure the empress visits this place again, and next time we will not leave anyone alive.”