The descending night cast the temple of Philosophia Naturalis in warped shadows, giving it a gloomy, and almost frightening appearance. Fiery creatures darted around, illuminating areas of the partially constructed village in flashes of light. Gentle gusts of wind swept across the plateau, tugging playfully at my hair as I stood gazing upwards.

In the sky the two moons of Kaledon greeted each other after weeks apart. For this one night, Sela and Cynta would be reunited in the skies before the smaller of the two departed once more.

The sight of the sibling moons gave thought to my own sibling, fighting somewhere in the vast desert to the south. Markion, and I spoke regularly through the connection I shared with the guild as the high priestess of the guild's patron god, but it wasn’t the same as seeing him in person.

I never really thought I would miss him this much, yet here I stood wondering when I would be able to see the giant goofball of a Minotaur again. He’d promised to visit the temple once the Primordial brotherhood was dealt with, and I hoped it would be soon. I needed his skills as a smith for the golem project, and several other endeavors I wished to embark on.

So far, Eternia had successfully wiped out the Primordial brotherhood’s camp in Sēkrit, and even attacked a few groups encountered throughout the continent of Salvia. All that remained was a final stronghold.

Over the past few weeks, the two guilds had been engaged in a fierce battle at the Brotherhood's stronghold deep in the Sarin desert, with the Brotherhood clinging fiercely to the last fragments of their guild, but they could not do so forever. Soon the Primordial brotherhood would crumble, and once it did, Eternia would be victorious.

A soft chittering broke through my wandering thoughts. Perched on a low hanging branch of a nearby tree, a pair of piercing blue eyes darted from side to side observing the area with a cautionary air before settling somewhere to my left.

I did not turn to look in the direction Zaius focused on, nor did I pay any heed to the foggy mist which appeared around my body.

“Poisons do not work on me.” I murmured, lifting a hand in a fanning wave as though to blow away the poisonous wisp.

The lie rolled smoothly off my tongue, not a hint of deception or hesitation to be found. Perhaps it might even be the truth, for even without the enchanted jewelry Noctus crafted I was somewhat immune to the effects of many poisons thanks to my self experimentation with Leosaur blood.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” The voice came from the darkness to my left, a soft whisper carried on the wind. “You are the high priestess of the alchemy god after all.”

A Kitsune with a black stole draped loosely around her neck and lower face, slipped into view. Dressed in all black, the dark haired Kitsune almost blended into her surroundings as she stared at me with a penetrating gaze.

“I have been told you wished to meet me,” Lena said, her head tilting slightly to the side as she looked at me.

“There was a time when such may have been true, however it has long since passed.” I declared giving her a pitying smile. “Your usefulness where I am concerned waned some time ago, perhaps if you had been swifter to meet with me, our encounter could have been more advantageous for you.”

Lena’s silver eyes crinkled at the edges, and there was a slight crease to her brow. Unable to see her mouth I could not determine if it was an indication of a smile or a frown.

“What an astounding level of arrogance.” Lena waggled a finger at me, her voice carrying an undertone of mockery. “Have a care, little alchemist, for arrogance often begets death.”

“You speak with an unfounded degree of temerity.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “The only death tonight shall be yours if you continue to show a lack of respect for the high priestess of our race’s patron god.”

We stared at each other in silence, purple and gold eyes clashing with gleaming silver.

“You appear as a Kitsune of only two tails, yet you speak, and act as though you have the power of several.” Lena said, her gaze drifting to the tails swishing in slow arcs behind me. “I can see the glimmer of illusion around you. The strength is beyond that which a Kitsune with only two tails can cast, so it is obvious you have more hidden away.”

A slow smile crept across my face. It would seem the illusion Brodel placed on my tails to make them appear placid would bring even better results than I expected. “Perhaps.”

“I wish to test your strength.” The Silver Arrow assassin declared, holding up a hand with three slender fingers pointing upwards. “If you can kill me before I kill you, I will gift you three deaths delivered upon a person of your choice.”

I raised a brow at her. “Now it is you who speaks in arrogance.”

“Few can kill me, and I am curious if you can be counted among those few.” The co-leader of the Silver Arrows guild shrugged, a gesture intended to convey a level of ease that I could tell she did not truly feel.

Her ears were pricked, and attentive on her head, while her four dark tails curled around her legs. That was the folly of being a Fox demon, our animalistic features often gave away our true emotions. Then again, she may have cast an illusion on her vulpine features to give the appearance of apprehension in the same manner Brodel cast one upon me to conceal the vigorous wagging my tails were prone to.

“I shall leave your possessions with one of the guards for you to collect upon your revival.” I said, gesturing in the direction of the village gates, and the faint glow of the lanterns that illuminated the guard hut.

She stared at me for a long moment before shaking her head, a low, husky chuckle emanating from her throat. “You’re so confident.”

“And you’re dead.”

A gasp of pain punctuated my words, and I watched as her upper body arched, her lips parting on a silent cry before she slumped to the ground. Azure tears brimmed over her eyes, spilling down the rapidly paling flesh of her face. Lena’s silvery eyes stared up at me, a mixture of confusion and shock frozen within them.

Walking closer to the corpse, I stared down into the dead gaze of the Kitsune. “I’m a little disappointed.” I murmured, though I knew she would not hear it.

This woman was supposedly the strongest non-artificial Kitsune in Kaledon, yet all it took was a tiny spider golem filled with poison to defeat her. She hadn’t even noticed it creeping up the back of her clothing, and her long braid until it sat poised at the back of her head ready to sink needle-like fangs into the base of her skull.

Crouching down, I scooped up the black spider as it scrambled out from beneath the dead Kitsune. A crack ran down its abdomen, and two of its legs were missing. It must have been crushed when she fell- what a pity.

My fist closed around the golem, crushing the clay that formed its body into dust. I sighed as I opened my fist, letting the fragments of clay be blown away in the wind. I hadn’t planned on killing Lena, the spider had been a precaution, and if discovered would serve as a demonstration of the things I could offer the guild of assassins and mercenaries. Hopefully the woman would take her death with grace.

The sound of shuffling feet announced the arrival of two humanoid golems, their bulky forms towering over me.

“Bring the Kitsune to the lower chambers.” I ordered.

The two hulking golems stooped to pick up the corpse by her wrists, and ankles, carrying her towards the temple with slow trudging steps. Their bodies were those of Orcs, but the clay from which they were built lacked the power and strength of the race they once were.

Each new golem I created was an improvement over the previous, but regardless of the improvements, the fragility of the clay bodies could not be overcome. I needed to forge the golems from stronger materials, however to do so required components I currently lacked.

The need for resources continually blockaded my research, resulting in an ever growing pile of unfinished projects, and a rising level of frustration within me.

“Is- is that Lena?” Rainy’s gasp brought a prideful smile to my lips, though it fell away when I saw her expression was one of horror rather than pride, or happiness at my victorious return from the meeting with the assassin.

“She never actually introduced herself.” I hummed thoughtfully as I looked over at the corpse. “I mean, I assume it is Lena, as that is who I was to meet tonight.”

Truthfully, I half expected her not to show up after I sent that note requesting a change of location for our meeting. When I asked Noctus to pass on the message that I wouldn’t be traveling to the Kitsune village to meet with the Silver Arrows co-leader, he had warned me she might not come to the temple. According to the vampire, Lena liked to do things on her terms, rather than those set by others.

Glancing up at the wide, horrified eyes of Rainy I gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t look so worried, she is the one who challenged me to kill her, this death is of her own doing.”

The dryad didn’t look convinced. “You should report this to the guild leader, preferably before the Silver Arrows descend upon us looking to avenge their co-leader.”

My eyes narrowed, heat churning in my stomach at the woman’s words. “I do not report to anyone, I shall make him aware I have killed Lena as a courtesy, but do not mistake his position as above mine.”

Rainy’s lips parted, but I did not remain to listen to what it was she had to say. I didn’t have time to argue with her, I had a body that needed harvesting.