Return to the tower. You will be reassigned.

Saphus was several hours into scouting at Nexion. The city had several valid targets, but it was also heavily guarded. After finding no openings in their daytime defense, she switched her focus to finding a decoy victim, someone who she wouldn't regret putting in a soul jar.

But, before night fell, the apprentices apparently changed their mind. Saphus quickly returned to them.

Hopefully they didn't want her to kill Julia or one of her closest allies. Not only would it be very difficult even for her, but it would also be a significant hit to the Resistance she was truly supporting.

She returned to the city late in the evening. Julia was nowhere to be seen, likely back in Dustreach planning for war. If she was her new target, Saphus would have a very good argument for not going through with that attack.

She reached the inner wall's gates, and immediately encountered one of the apprentices. The apprentice ordered the gates to be opened, but rather than bringing her into the tower, he simply brought her in to a hidden room next to the gatehouse stairwell.

"So, what's with the covert meeting?" Saphus asked innocently. "It's almost like-"

"The rest of the apprentices are convening to prepare for war. I was sent alone to give you your mission."

"Or they just wanted to discuss something without you."

The apprentice probably reacted to that, but Saphus couldn't tell because of his mask.

"Julia, High Priestess of Helios, stormed into our city and announced a number of demands, breaking their neutrality. We will not comply with their demands. Your new mission is to sabotage their portals to stall their assault."

The apprentice handed her another arcane device, a glass orb encircled by three concentric metal bands.

"Dustreach has a single central portal chamber, containing anchor points and receivers. This orb contains a focused enchantment that will disrupt the formation of those portals, rendering the system nonfunctional."

"How do I use it?" Saphus asked. "I know it has to be activated before it can take effect, since otherwise I wouldn't be able to get it through the portals to deploy it in time."

"An astute observation." The apprentice grabbed the orb and rotated the bands along their axes, aligning them until all three were adjacent. Then, he released the orb, and it hovered in the air. "The enchantment will only take effect when the rings are aligned."

He returned the rings to their original configuration, and the orb came under the effect of gravity. He returned it to Saphus.

"What is the effective range?" Saphus asked.

"If you place it anywhere on or next to the building, it will work. The more hidden its location, the better."

"And, I'm assuming you want this before dawn."

"Yes."

"In that case, I'll have to go." But before Saphus could leave the room, the apprentice brought up a good point.

"There are several reasons why you shouldn't use civilian portals," the apprentice explained. "Firstly, you will not be able to return through the portals after sabotaging them."

That would make it take longer to get back and receive her initiation, but it wouldn't be that much of a problem.

"Secondly, there are long lines at Fiora's portal room. Many are evacuating due to the threats of war made by Helios."

Even if the Resistance and the forces of Helios didn't go after civilians, there was still the chance of them getting caught in the crossfire, getting killed by the Black Legion or its apprentices, or even just slowing down the Resistance and limiting their options.

"And thirdly, there may be security at the Dustreach portal room. It's not a chance we can take."

Dustreach's security was normally quite lax. Even if they did upgrade it, they probably wouldn't be smart enough to figure out what a random magical device did. But, she had to admit it was still some sort of risk, even if being busted by their security would likely just allow her to explain her scheme and potentially work out an arrangement to pull one over on these bastards.

"Let me guess, you want me to use one of your military portal generators to arrive outside the city, and then jump over the walls?"

"…Yes, that was actually going to be my suggestion." The apprentice gave Saphus a validation code, and she left for the Black Legion's current headquarters, a small emplacement on the inside of the walls. A guard blocked her path until she gave the code she got from the apprentice.

It wasn't exactly a grand headquarters, but it did have a fancy magic table that generated an illusionary map. And, it had a few odd devices in the corner.

She met with the Legion's military commander, some 'Circe Fire-Spear'. Someone who may or may not have died in the fight in Arexia.

"Alright, this is an unusual request, but I'll open a portal for you."

"Unusual?"

"Our agents usually use civilian transportation methods to get into position."

"Normally, enemy security isn't on high alert due to an active war."

"Right."

"Also, what are those things in the corner?" Saphus pointed to the odd devices, which appeared to be some hollow metal rods with weird mechanical contraptions on one end of them.

"These are our secret weapons. I can't explain more."

Saphus made note of the 'secret weapons', and then walked over to the portal generator in the courtyard. After waiting several minutes for it to activate, she stepped through, and arrived a few kilometers away from Dustreach.

Of course, she had neglected to mention that such a scheme would ultimately be ineffective. After all, the Church of Helios and the Resistance would almost certainly be joining forces for any attack, and they could easily switch to the Resistance's portal network. But hey, it wasn't the assassin's job to question their master's strategic judgement.

She began her mission, flawed as it was.

**********

Raiks called to order another council, this time with Julia being a guest at the table. He wasn't quite in a condition to fight, but he had recovered enough that he was able to walk to the meeting under his own power.

Technically, there was still time for the apprentices to surrender and turn in one of their own for interrogation. But not only was that incredibly unlikely, their doing so would likely result in whatever secrets being held being found out. And, if they did do so, there were good odds of Julia changing her mind and committing to the assault anyways, at least if it was discovered that Daraken was nothing more than a hoax.

Raiks called the meeting to order. "Now that we have the aid of Helios, we just might have the assets necessary to win this battle. Julia, what forces will Dustreach be sending?"

"Every high-ranking member who can fight," Julia declared.

"That will leave Dustreach unprotected," Derrin warned. "It would be an easy target for one of the apprentices."

"Helios will protect it."

"I have doubts about that," Lunima said. "Faith is good, but it seems empty to just rely on our faith alone to protect our temple."

Julia seemed flummoxed. "I can't properly explain it. Not without giving up some secrets that shouldn't be revealed in this world. Just know that any large-scale attack against Dustreach would fail unless performed by something capable of taking on a god."

"In which case, I wonder why the last archmage sent us here, and not to the perfectly safe region around Dustreach," Raiks said.

"Small-scale attacks are still possible," Derrin countered. "As shown by the attack that nearly eliminated Annabelle."

"Julia, you said that as if Helios himself would materialize in physical form to protect Dustreach," Turb noted. "So I think that's exactly what would happen."

Julia sighed. "Yes, an Avatar of Helios's power would appear if anyone attempted to attack it. I doubt even Daraken would be able to defeat him."

"But it can't leave the immediate area," Raiks immediately guessed. "Otherwise Daraken would never have gotten as far as he did."

"Yes," Julia said. "The Avatar… draws its power from the temple. If it left the vicinity it would be impotent."

"So, the temple is protected. Now, what forces do you have?"

"I currently have twenty-three Crusaders and five battle-priests under my command. I could potentially also bring in a few dozen line soldiers, but I think your forces already suffice in that regard."

"Twenty-three Crusaders," Raiks muttered. If they were all just as strong as the Crusaders that Raiks had fought over a misunderstanding (or a power play from Annabelle, he wasn't sure which), then it would be a devastating force.

"Each one of them is a match for a dozen men," Julia claimed.

"Maybe your forces should spearhead the assault on the tower," Raiks proposed. "With the support from the mages and elites in my own ranks."

"One step at a time, Raiks," Derrin replied. "We should take the city first, then plan the assault on the tower. Especially since your agent hasn't returned with any intelligence."

"The agent that killed you to get into position," Lunima added. "The scheme's creative, but it likely isn't going to work."

"And we also have to delay the battle for another day until your former Legion members are off leave and ready to fight," Raiks countered. "Giving my agent more time to get the information."

"It's Julia's fault for forcing us into action so quickly."

"We do not have to launch the assault in full tomorrow," Julia cautioned.

"The sooner we launch the attack, the less time the enemy has to prepare."

"What about a siege? Firenze proposed. "Our mages could bombard the tower from outside the city walls."

"There would be a high risk of collateral damage," Julia said. "Many people have already evacuated Fiora, but not everyone. Even if we aimed solely at the tower, collapsing it would likely create enough debris to level the city. And even if everyone was evacuated, the loss of Garnoth's capital would be devastating to the entire region."

"That depends on how the tower's magic works," Turb commented. "It was assembled through the use of conjuration magic, and must rely on magic to support its mass. There's a chance that it would simply dematerialize if destroyed, if a small chance."

"That's if the tower falls. It is unlikely that we truly destroy the tower, not when it has been built up over a decade by an archmage who likely spent a significant amount of time and effort fortifying it. But our efforts may keep the apprentices too busy to do much to prepare for war. They may even draw out Daraken in whatever weakened state he is in right now."

"It would be better than doing nothing, at least."

"You have me worried, there," Derrin said. "What if Daraken makes his reappearance to destroy our entire assembled army?"

"We will have the entire combined strength of the Resistance and Helios to face him. If we fail to beat him with that much strength, we never stood a chance of winning in the first place."

"That isn't reassuring. But, it's the best chance we have."

*********

Saphus was able to easily plant the device on the roof of Dustreach's portal generator. There were a few guards, but none of them were looking at the rooftops as Saphus dashed across them, boosted by her own magic.

Given the shape of the portal generator's roof, she expected that few would even see the device in place. And, those that did would likely not think anything of it, not in a city dominated by a church that over-decorated their own temple. But, at the same time, it wouldn't be too hard for Julia to figure out what was wrong when her portals stopped working.

With her job done, Saphus left the city the same way she came in, and returned to the location of her entry portal. However, she had to wait until morning before the return portal was opened, likely because everyone with the authority to open such a portal was sleeping. At least she could use the time to have a quick rest.

Once the portal did open, she was immediately called into another meeting of the apprentices' council.

"Excellent work, Saphus. You have dealt a serious blow to the forces of Helios."

"At least, until they get the Resistance's support," Saphus remarked. "If they weren't already doing that."

"That would be the case, if it was a mere disabling measure. But it isn't. It's a trap."

Saphus suddenly realized the full extent of her actions, even before the apprentices explained it themselves.

"After all, why disable a portal when you can simply change the destination?"

"Do you know where they were sent?" Saphus asked.

"I don't know for sure. All Daraken said was that they wouldn't be coming back."

It was probably the same thing that happened to Annabelle, Daraken's original opponent. There was a chance they would be coming back, but it was unlikely at best. And wait a minute, that meant that Daraken-

She couldn't show any hint of her true motivations. She suppressed her horrified expression and returned to the mindset that a loyal assassin of Daraken would follow.

"How many of them did it get?"

"Luckily for them, it only caught five of their Crusaders before they realized what had happened. But even so, that's still a significant chunk of their ground forces that won't be threatening us anymore."

Saphus realized with a bit of horror that her hesitation on her original mission allowed her to be tricked into killing five more. Granted, it might not technically be death for them, but the tactical implication was practically the same.

"So, what happens next?"

"Well, now that you've proven yourself, it is time for your initiation."

In one side of the chamber, a door opened, revealing a large spiral staircase.

"Climb up to the top. Daraken will do the rest."

"I'm… not sure I can climb that many sets of stairs." Sure, she could probably do it with her magic, but why did the apprentices use stairs to navigate this titanic tower at all?

Also, this was her chance to get the information she was waiting for.

"The tower's not as tall on the inside as it is on the outside. The inside only has about a tenth of its real height."

That was still a lot of climbing, but Saphus obliged and began climbing. After climbing about a hundred flights of stairs, she finally reached the top, and saw a grand chamber. It wasn't a library like she expected Daraken's sanctum to be, but orbs, staffs, wands, and scrolls were scattered throughout the chamber. And in the center stood a large stone chamber, etched with runes.

"Hello, Saphus." It was Daraken, reborn in a new body. Either that, or one of his apprentices taking his form.

"I have… concerns about this initiation process," Saphus said, still exhausted from the climb.

"Of course you do. Let me guess, the Resistance tried to get you to defect by claiming that I killed off every one of my agents that they captured?"

"…Yes."

"Okay, I do kill my own agents to prevent their information from falling into the wrong hands. But that's half the story."

Daraken walked over to the chamber and tapped one of the runes, causing the door to slide open. "This is the Resurrection Chamber. It took almost a year for me to perfect its design."

So, that was their answer. That was how Daraken had returned.

"As you might guess, it is my version of the resurrection spells used by Helios. A superior version, in fact."

"Superior?"

"Their resurrection requires a body, but this chamber can regenerate a whole body from scratch. Their resurrection leaves the beneficiaries bed-ridden for several days, but mine regenerates an entire body to full health in a matter of minutes. The instant I died, my soul returned here, and my body was reconstructed."

"Wait, that chamber doesn't look large enough to fit a dragon in it." She had heard a few wild claims that Daraken's true form was that of a dragon. It was an unbelievable claim, but the evidence apparently supported.

Daraken laughed. "I'm not a dragon, even if I can turn into one. Although, that form has not regenerated as quickly as I expected it to."

"But why tell me about your weakness?" Saphus asked. "If they destroy this, you'll be vulnerable."

"Because it will also be your weakness," Daraken replied. "And, your strength."

"You mean-"

"Anyone can use the Resurrection Chamber," Daraken said. "My apprentices all use it, as do my agents, and my generals."

So that was why the genocidal bastard apprentice was apparently still there.

"So, I'm assuming that you're going to allow me to use its power as well."

"Yes." Daraken did a quick incantation, and the door to the chamber slid open. "Step into the chamber. The process will take several minutes to complete."

Saphus walked into the chamber, and the door closed behind her. Then, the process began.

As soon as the door closed, she felt some odd tingling. Almost as if her very soul was under attack.

She could barely feel it at the edge of her mind, but it was enough to drive her into a panic. She made a desperate attempt to stab her energy blades into the chamber walls, to force her way out, to no effect.

Slowly, the effect ramped up. It transitioned from tingling to pain, and for what seemed like an eternity, Saphus could do nothing other than scream.

Then, it stopped, and the door opened. Saphus's pain slowly subsided.

"Your soul is now linked here. You will return here on death."

"I-I will need time to recover. That-"

"I am sorry. It is somewhat… unnatural for a soul to be linked in this manner. I had to suffer the same thing to ensure that I survived a fatal event."

As if Daraken tested it himself first. He probably got someone else to test his resurrection first, to make sure it worked.

"So, we're immortal."

"Almost. I will not be truly immortal until my ascension is complete."

"What more will you need to do before that can be accomplished?"

"I need time," Daraken said.

"How much time?"

"In a few weeks, I will ascend. But this assault is a serious threat, one capable of defeating me at this moment. The more time I have to build up defenses, the better my odds of stopping them."

Now that was a crucial bit of information. Saphus had to get it to the Resistance, to tell them their enemy was vulnerable. But in order to do that, she would need to get out of this tower.

"What can I do to help?" Saphus asked.

"Our enemies are at our doorstep, massing for war. You have already disposed of some of them, but there are many more coming."

"Isn't this tower nearly impenetrable to attack? Just the climb alone would render them too exhausted to fight."

"The Crusaders are the greatest threat. Now that Helios has decided to enter this war directly, they actually stand a chance of defeating us. If they reach the tower, their coordinated assault could push through almost every defense I have against them."

"What would you have me do against them?"

Daraken walked over to a magic mirror, which immediately materialized an image of the gathering enemy forces. The Resistance was assembling outside the city walls, alongside the Crusaders.

"Can you survive a high-altitude fall?"

"A what?" With her powers, possibly. She could access the power of flight, even if only in short bursts. But it wasn't something she wanted to test.

"If I threw you off this tower, would you survive?"

"Yes. But I don't-"

"When I drop you, your goal is to kill as many of the Crusaders as possible. You'll die, and then you'll be brought back here."

"Intentional suicide. Such a great-" Before she could say "idea", space shifted around her.

In an instant, she was high in the air, falling straight towards the assembled Resistance forces.

"Very funny, Daraken. Now, time to end you."