As they watched chaos erupt around the city, a stream of notifications filled Gunnar’s vision.

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest, Chaos Theory (Phase One)! You successfully diverted the attention of the Red Cloaks from Guard Towers Five and Seven. Here’s 120 XP!]

[Congratulations! You’ve reached Level 13 in Dragon’s Breath. You’ve reached Level 13 in Endurance. You’ve reached Level 10 in Basic Word of Healing.]

[You came up with a… most unprecedented approach to that quest. Seriously, what the hell? You’ve earned the Red Runs Through It badge! And yes, we just made that up: +1 to Intelligence, +1 to Charisma, +1 to Wisdom, +1 to Creativity.]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 20 in Glory!]

Against the stormy skies, Nymoria shone with the radiance of the sun. She smiled as she appeared before him.

“Well done, faithful servant. You have reached a new level of achievement. Not all my servants reach such heights. As a bonus reward for reaching Level 20, you have earned double attribute points. Both points can be distributed at any time. But remember that every choice you make will echo into eternity. Choose wisely.”

Nymoria faded into the night like a vapor. All four members of the Beta Squad were grinning from their achievements, though Gunnar was a little disappointed in the significantly diminished return in comparison to his last quest. Azmar had told him as much, but it didn’t make it sting any less.

But there was little time for griping.

Another prompt appeared.

Quest Update - Chaos Theory (Phase Two)

Description: Since you didn’t botch that one up, here’s another shot for you. Chaos has been sown, now it’s time to wreak some havoc. Dispatch any guards remaining. Prevent any other Red Cloaks from returning to their tower, so that Black Heart and his scoundrels can enter the harbor.

Objective: Seize and defend Guard Tower Five!

Reward: Who knows, maybe there’s a Phase Three! Wouldn’t that be original?

Do you wish to accept? Yes/No

Gunnar accepted the prompt, then hastily applied his points. Considering the uses he’d already found for Dragon’s Breath, he used the first on Intelligence, raising it to Level 10, and threw all five stat points at the spell.

[You have surpassed what a Hatchling can do with the spell, Dragon’s Breath. You have reached the spell rank, Wyrmling. You can now generate your own weak flames, so long as you’re not just full of hot air.]

Gunnar continued to bank one of his attribute points, which left one other to use. With the scope of this quest coming into focus, he opted for Constitution, raising his Endurance by three and adding two to his Lesser Shield spell.

After a quick inspection of the map, they drew their hoods and started back down the ladder. All kept quiet as they hurried toward the waterfront, avoiding crowded areas, which was made easier by following the notes left on the map. At this time of night, certain areas were highlighted red or yellow, depending on a heavy or moderate amount of traffic.

Gunnar’s own MiniNav features marked Red Cloaks he’d encountered previously. Several red dots scurried around the Spawn’s Death Trap area, which was a good sign that they’d gotten very detained by that fire.

Sticking to clear pathways, mostly side streets, they passed the pub district and entered a largely empty and industrial section of the waterfront. Several large plumes of smoke now towered over the city, and the clamor of anxious crowds could be heard from anywhere they ran.

Guard Tower Five was situated south of the Death Trap, right along the edge of the waterfront. The Beta Squad paused behind some stacked lumber outside a nearby shipyard to plan their next move.

A timer for the quest appeared in his vision, counting down the time they had before Black Heart passed their section of the harbor—the amount of time they had to take the tower.

[9:59]

“Alright, we’ve got to move quick!”

Kid Killer was grinning unabashedly. “Finally, we get to kill something.”

Rorak was gripping the pommel of his blade as though he might be attacked at any moment.

Sauvage was cool and composed, but Gunnar guessed he had a few nervous jitters, just as he did himself.

There was a small fenced courtyard surrounding the place, with one visible guard posted outside the gate.

“I can take him easy,” Kid Killer said.

Gunnar shook his head. “We can’t drop a guard like that in the open.”

Two lampposts lit the gateway, along with another lamp by the entrance, and a couple more at the crest of the tower. Gunnar could see one guard up there at the very least.

“We don’t know how many we’re dealing with,” Sauvage said. “Don’t want to alert anyone.”

“Which means we’ll need to divide and conquer,” said Gunnar. “Kid Killer, Rorak, you’re taking care of that guard. I’d suggest luring him away from his post.”

“I en’t flashing my ass again,” Kid Killer declared with a grimace. “I want the kill.”

Rorak shrugged. “They’re probably on the lookout for me, anyway. I could feign being sick in an alley. Spread some more of Sauvage’s paste or something. Maybe you could be the good citizen giving the warning.”

“We don’t need all the details,” Gunnar said. “Keep close, make it quick. We’re jumping the fence as soon as one of you distracts him.”

“Those guards up top’ll spot you, easy!”

All four of them jumped and spun around.

Azmar landed with a rush of wings and a soft scrape of his claws on the gravel. Everyone but Gunnar drew weapons with a sharp ring.

“Hey, hey,” Gunnar hissed. “He’s with me.” He turned on the creature. “What the hell are you doing here, Azmar?”

The dark creature scowled. “Saving your scrawny ass? Preventing you from running in blind with guns blazing? Trying to ensure that—”

“I get it,” Gunnar said with a groan.

“Who the hell is this?” Sauvage asked, his teeth still a little bared.

“My… familiar,” Gunnar said.

“I am not a familiar.”

“My friend, then,” Gunnar amended.

“Alright, familiar is probably more accurate than that. Anyway, I’ve been keeping an eye on things. And those guards will see you coming easy from up there.”

“Well, we don’t have much choice,” Sauvage said.

“Maybe we can cause more commotion?” asked Rorak.

“We don’t want to sound the alarm,” said Gunnar.

“Well, why don’t you fly us up there, then?” Kid Killer asked.

Azmar huffed. “I am not a shuttle service. And I can advise, but I cannot get involved.”

“But they can see you, right?” Gunnar asked.

“Who?”

“The guards in the tower.”

“I was very careful,” Azmar declared indignantly.

“I mean, there’s not some sort of—I don’t know—cloaking around you, due to your role in this world or something?”

“If I lacked all manner of discretion and any degree of stealth, then, yes, those guards might possibly be able to detect—oh…”

Azmar did not look pleased.

“I’m not asking you to get involved,” Gunnar said. “I’m just asking you to fly really close, and maybe scrape your claws over the roof as you go.”

“They’re talons, thank you very much.”

“Does that mean you can do it?”

Azmar crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a bit of a gray area.”

“Who cares about the gray area?”

“The other gods, obviously. But considering my mistress wishes this mission to go without a hitch… I think it’s probably agreeable.”

“Wait, you’ve got a mistress?” Kid Killer raised his brows with sudden interest.

“He works for someone who wants the Nighthawks to succeed,” Gunnar clarified.

Kid Killer’s expression fell with a little disappointment.

Azmar just shrugged.

“We’ve got seven minutes,” Sauvage said.

“Make them count,” said Gunnar.

Rorak hurried toward a shack a short distance away, and Kid Killer threw back his hood and disappeared into the night.

“As soon as that guard follows the kid, you take flight,” Gunnar said to Azmar. “Be ready.”

“You know, I don’t think I like your tone.”

“What?”

“Are you worried I might lose focus in the two minutes of waiting we have right now?”

“Don’t like my tone? Well, you’re the one who didn’t want to be friends.”

“I’m sensing a very hate-to-love dynamic between the two of you,” Sauvage said irritably.

“No, it’s definitely love-to-hate,” said Azmar.

Kid Killer appeared on the street ahead, coming from an entirely different direction now. The guard went on high alert as he approached, hand on the pommel of his saber.

Gunnar said no more. He motioned to Sauvage, and the two of them left Azmar scowling at the edge of the shipyard.

They clung to the shadows of massive crates and loading equipment, circling around to the back side of the tower.

Hastily, Gunnar applied his last attribute point to Dexterity, and sent the stat points to Wall Climbing.

He could no longer see Kid Killer or the guard, but he couldn’t tell if it was just the angle, or if they’d left the gate already.

Azmar’s dark figure flapping laboriously upward was answer enough.

“Let’s go,” Gunnar whispered.

And he and Sauvage sprinted toward the tower.