Dusk was approaching and the three hid amongst the trees and watched as hundreds of legionnaires mobilized in front of the city gates. All of this for two fugitives? Jeze wondered and glanced at her companions.


    "What did you two do?" She asked.


    The two Adventures looked at the teenager for a moment. Swordslayer was the one who broke the silence.


    "We didn''t do anything. It''s the Empire that is doing stuff."


    "Like what?" Jeze wondered.


    Her parents didn''t care for the Empire, even though her father had served in the Legion. They would grumble, especially Raynor, about the taxes and stupid laws. But for the most part the inhabitants of Narcadia had little contact with the Empire. Except when Drake showed up, Jeze darkly reflected.


    "Like what she asks," Snorted the sword fighter.


    "Tyranny and oppressing the people," Rainbow answered.


    "Something a country girl like you probably never experienced," Swordslayer observed.


    "Stop calling me that."


    "Make me."


    Jeze gripped her ax and knife. Rainbow stood between the two and cried, "Stand down, you two! We have enough problems and shouldn''t be at each other''s throats. We need to be united if we are ever going to make it to the Guild Office."


    The teenager relaxed and perked up. "Are you two like freedom fighters? Did you fight in the Rebellion?"


    Swordslayer laughed, "Do we look that old to you?"


    "Not us. Our parents did," Rainbow answered.


    "My father served in the Legion during that conflict. He does not talk about it," Jeze observed in a soft voice.


    "Because he was probably ashamed of what he and the empire had done to thousands of innocents," Swordslayer growled.


    Jeze couldn''t argue against that. She always sensed a deep sadness and regret from her father. She suspected it was why he left the service to live a life as an Adventurer. But why did he want me to enlist? She wondered but knew the answer. The loss of her brother was so much that her father preferred that she served safely in the military. Rune casters were rare and well-protected.


    "Enough about us! What are we waiting for?" Demanded Swordslayer.


    "We are waiting for more shadows," Rainbow answered for Jeze.


    The teenager was tired of explaining herself to the man and ignored him. Swordslayer growled and paced back and forth like a hungry tiger. Ziplocke perched himself on Jeze''s shoulder and accepted some of the recovery potions she made. The young Initiate ran out of paste and hoped that the city sold peppers and lemons. In the meantime, the Goblin slurped up her concoction and agreed to support her. Riders began to fan out and were followed by the footsoldiers, and soon, all of the hamlets and farmsteads would be occupied by the Legion.


    "How about now! They will be here any moment," Swordslayer cried.


    "We still have time. Rainbow had Shaped the forest behind us to cover our tracks. It could be hours, possibly days, for them to find us here," Jeze said.


    The multi-colored-haired Adventurer looked up and was impressed with the teenager. "You noticed?"


    Jeze nodded.


    "You know how to track?" Rainbow asked.


    Jeze nodded again. Swordslayer snorted. He wanted to scream but fumed in silence. The sword fighter was a man of action, and waiting as their enemy mobilized was incredibly difficult for him.


    "Where did you learn that?" Rainbow leaned against a tree. Unlike her companion, she knew how to kill time when they had to wait. Also, this young girl intrigued her.


    "An Old Hunter," Jeze said, her voice nearly choking at the memory of her friend and mentor.


    "Wait, the Old Hunter? Raynor?" Swordslayer stopped his pacing and faced Jeze.


    "You know him?" She asked.


    Rainbow nodded. "Raynor is a bit of a legend in the Guild. How is the old man?"


    Jeze looked away to wipe the tears from her eyes. Swordslayer''s thick jaw softened, and he tentatively patted the young girl''s shoulder.


    "Did he die with honor?" He asked after clearing his throat.


    "He would say that he would rather die happy," Jeze said with a weak laugh.


    "Aye, that is something he would say." Swordslayer gave a boastful laugh.


    Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "He was no fan of the Empire, but he also didn''t want to get involved with us. Is his death the reason why you believed the soldiers were looking for you?"


    Jeze hugged her arms to her chest and trembled. The memory and the experience were still too painful. Rainbow''s face softened.


    "It''s alright," she said and rubbed Jeze''s shoulders. "Tell us when you are ready."


    The teenager wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up. "Did you adventure with him?"


    Swordslayer gave a hardy laugh. "Yes, he trained us. He was still called the Old Hunter even then."


    "Come to think of it. We see some of his fighting style in you. The way you move in and out like a wolf," Rainbow observed.


    Jeze nodded with pride in her moist eyes.


    "I can see that. Your fighting is still meh, though." Swordslayer slapped his thigh.


    Jeze scowled at the man. The three returned to their own thoughts and waited as dusk approached. The shadows grew, and they could hear sounds as the legionnaires forced their way into the hamlets and houses below. Jeze began to see the tyranny that her companions talked about. The folks there were innocent, and they were treated as if they were criminals. The teenager felt bad that it was because of them that they were being abused by the soldiers.


    "Don''t blame yourself," Rainbow said as if reading her mind. "The Empire abuses its citizens regardless of us. We are just another excuse in a long line of excuses for them to treat people badly."


    Swordslayer nodded and then asked, "Should we go now?"


    Rainbow sighed and glanced at Jeze, and in turn, the teenager glanced at the Goblin. Ziplocke looked up at the setting sun as it bathed the land in shadows. He bobbed his head as if listening to music.


    "Now is a good time. Summon and Shape the Darkness aspect," Ziplocke whispered into Jeze''s ear.


    "Finally!" Exclaimed Swordslayer.


    The muscular man was elbowed in the ribs by his multi-colored-haired companion. It was time for stealth, and the two watched as their young companion summoned dark tendrils of shadows and shaped them.


    "Not too thick. That will draw attention. Easy, yes, like that. Many confuse the Darkness aspect for malevolence and aggression. Because it represents the unknown, the unseen, but in reality, it is gentle and subtle. My people have mastered this balance," Ziplocke explained.


    Under the Goblin''s instruction, Jeze Shaped shadows that hid the three as they moved across the wide field.


    "There by the barn. See how the shadows gather at its side? That is a good spot to make it darker for us to hide," Ziplocke instructed.


    Jeze gestured and shaped the final glyphs from her Darkness channeling ring. The three blended into the shadows and were out of sight. The soldiers had already searched the small hamlet, and most moved on to the forest. A few remained and patrolled the single road with torches and lamps. The light shone across their barn, but Jeze''s Darkness spell kept them out of view.


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    Swordslayer and Rainbow stood still as death, and the teenager was impressed with their skill. She didn''t think Swordslayer could be quiet, but the freedom fighter was stealthy. Rainbow moved as quietly as one that was a part of nature, and that was no surprise to Jeze.


    "Move now," Ziplocke instructor.


    Jeze led her companions through the Shadows she Summoned and Shaped around them like a gentle blanket. They passed several patrols unnoticed and eventually made it to the tall outer wall of the city of Angston. The wall was nearly double the height of the tower Jeze had climbed at the Old Crone''s school. The surface was marred with chips and cracks from poor maintenance. Swordslayer ran a hand along the rugged wall.


    "Ever since the Golden Empire took this city from the Iron Fist Kingdom, they didn''t need to maintain the wall on this side. That works in our favor," the lean, muscular man observed.


    The Ironfist Kingdom stood on the other side of the river.


    "The amount of legionnaires stationed here is not just for us and not just for the upcoming arrival of the Wandering Spire. The Immortal Emperor seeks more conquest," Rainbow added.


    Jeze nodded, but she did not fully understand what the two talked about. In Narcadia, she was distant from the politics of the nations. Until Drake showed up, she reflected with pangs of rage and grief.


    "Well, no time like the present. Let us climb this wall," Swordslayer said.


    The night sky was clear with sparkling stars and the moon in a waxing gibbous. Not quite full, but it provided faint illumination to make the climb less treacherous. Jeze gulped as she glanced up. This would be the highest wall she had ever scaled. Her companions adjusted the straps to their packs with the quickness of seasoned adventurers. They found purchases with their hands and feet and climbed up the wall.


    "You better hurry," Ziplocke urged.


    Jeze nodded and felt for holds.


    "Maybe adjust your pack," ZIplocke reminded her.


    Oh, right." Jeze had forgotten that she had left the pack open so that she could retrieve her tools with ease.


    It would have been a bad thing if some of the contents fell out mid-climb. The teenager tightened the straps and quickly followed her two companions.


    "Don''t look down," Ziplocke snickered.


    Jeze glanced down on reflex and froze in fear. This was the highest she had ever been, and the ground was blurry due to a mixture of dim lighting and vertigo. Ziplocke, the mischievous prankster, giggled with amusement from her shoulder.


    "If I fall, you fall too!" Jeze reminded the demon with a hiss.


    Ziplocke''s smile faded away as he clung tighter to Jeze''s shoulder. "Stay focused then!" He growled.


    Jeze looked up and saw Swordslayer and Rainbow making progress. She was not that far behind and continued with her effort. Her fear reminded her that her arms and legs were straining from the climb. But, she trained enough that she had plenty of strength left to continue. This was not out of her league, she noted. Confidence blossomed in her chest and pushed away the vertigo and fear like a burning fire. In moments, she caught up with the other two, only to realize that she had to climb down into the crumbling depths of Ratstown.


    "Oh, the look on your face is priceless!" Ziplocke couldn''t help himself and giggled with glee.


    Swordslayer and Rainbow took a breath as they straddled the top of the high wall. They nodded to Jeze.


    "Good job," Swordslayer quietly approved.


    That small complement fueled Jeze''s soul and removed her fear. Her companions swung their legs over and began their descent. Jeze followed, and she discovered that the climb down was quicker, and she was at the bottom in no time.


    Swordslayer was right. The stench was much worse inside the city, especially in Ratstown. The smell was a mixture of urine, mold, and wet dogs. The ground was littered with debris as if a great wooden tower had collapsed, sending its timbers and splinters all over. From the rubble, people had made makeshift homes and used rags for doorways. All around, there were faint flickering lights from candles and makeshift torches. People covered in filth and rats alike scurried away and disappeared among the shadows.


    "We made it," Rainbow commented.


    "Now, the hard part," Swordslayer added.


    "Hard part?" Jeze asked. She felt it would be easier once they made it inside the walls.


    "Aye, we have to move before we are spotted." Swordslayer scanned the area.


    "Move where?" Demanded Rainbow.


    "Hmm, I just need to get my bearings. Give me a moment," the man replied.


    "Spotted? Who will spot us?" Jeze asked.


    She didn''t like being here. It was filthy, it smelled, and there were things scuttering in the shadows that she felt were watching her. She was not afraid of the dark. Raynor had trained her to be comfortable in the shadows of the forest, but this was different. The forest had life, and this place was decaying.


    "Be silent and follow me," Swordslayer hissed.


    "Stay alert," Rainbow ordered.


    Jeze had so many questions, but the two ran off silently among the rubble through the flickering shadows made by the candles and the torches that unknown inhabitants used from within their crooked dwellings made of torn cloth and rotted wood.


    "Best hurry and follow them," Ziplocke advised from her shoulder.


    Jeze ran after her companions and was careful to avoid debris. She jumped over a pile of trash and discovered with a shock that the pile was an old lady covered in filthy rags.


    "Stranger!" The hag shrieked and pointed at Jeze with a claw-like hand covered in waste.


    Jeze stumbled back into a rickety fence cobbled together from random pieces of moldy wood. Through the gaps, filthy hands reached out and grabbed for her.


    "Get away from me!" Jeze cried and broke free and came face to face with the hideously pocked-marked face of the lady in rags.


    "She will get you!" The hag cackled and showed a mouth filled with putrid gums and teeth.


    A strong arm yanked Jeze away, and it took the teenager a moment to realize it was Swordslayer.


    "Stop riling up the locals," the man growled.


    "People are surrounding us," Rainbow whispered.


    "Great! See? This is why we can''t have a rookie. I was hoping to avoid this," Swordslayer complained.


    "Avoid what? Where are you taking us? What is going on?" Jeze demanded in a fury.


    "You need to stay calm," Rainbow ordered icily.


    The look in the multi-colored-haired lady''s eyes and the edge in her voice caused Jeze to quiet down.


    "Start explaining," Rainbow said to Swordslayer.


    The man scanned the area. In the flickering shadows, Jeze saw figures moving, and she thought she heard whispering. She placed one hand on her ax, and she readied her other to shape Glyphs from her Channeling tools.


    Swordslayer sighed and answered, "Years ago, I did a quest here. There are sewers under the city and something older."


    "Older?" Rainbow asked, her voice calm.


    It was the calmness that made her more terrifying, Jeze thought.


    "Yes, catacombs that were built before the city. Heck, probably before the IronFist kingdom," Swordslayer answered.


    Rainbow nodded in understanding. "They can lead us to the Adventurer Guild."


    "Exactly, but the rookie here got us noticed," Swordslayer replied with a glare aimed at Jeze.


    "Noticed by who?" Jeze growled with her hands balled into fists.


    Rainbow hushed her, and Swordslayer answered, "The Fleas."


    "The Fleas?" Jeze asked, fear creeping into her chest.


    Being in the woods and fighting Howlers was one thing. Being in the slums of Ratstown was another experience entirely, and she felt her neck and arms itch from imaginary bites. On instinct, Jeze Summoned and Shaped shadows to hide them.


    "That won''t work," Swordslayer said and turned to Rainbow. "When they come for us, ask that they take us to the Night Mistress."


    "Why me?" Rainbow demanded.


    "Because you are better at talking than me! If I talk, we will end up in a fight," the man responded.


    "I''m okay with fighting." Jeze scowled as she gripped her ax. She hated being afraid, and the best way to conquer one''s fears was to plant an ax in it.


    "Night Mistress? What will I be getting myself into if I mention that name?" Rainbow asked with concern in her voice.


    "Sounds like a kind person that won''t kill us," Ziplocke muttered.


    "She''s the supernatural being that lives underground and can allow us to pass through her realm to where we need to go," Swordslayer said.


    "Supernatural? I think I''m with Jeze on this. Let''s fight our way out of here," Rainbow responded and prepared her hands to shape Glyphs.


    "Sure, we can probably slaughter everyone here, but that won''t make what we need to do any easier. At some point, we will need to travel underground if we have any hope of getting past the Legion," Swordslayer stated.


    "I''d rather take my chances with the Legionnaires than this Night Mistress," Jeze stated.


    Ziplocke nodded in agreement from her shoulder.


    Rainbow''s face showed that she was calculating, and she sighed. "Swordslayer is right. There are too many blocks for us to travel through to get to the Guild Office."


    "Good, before they attack us. Tell them you want an audience with the Night Mistress," Swordslayer stated. His hands on his blades.


    The three stood back to back, with their hands within reach of their weapons and Channeling tools. Rainbow made the announcement into the filth-filled shadows. Howls and shrieks came from all around them. The wooden shanties rattled, and Jeze feared that a swarm of rats and people would engulf them at any moment.


    "I''m starting to regret your idea." Rainbow readied her hands before her to shape Glyphs.


    "Relax. Compared to what you and I have faced before, these people are harmless," Swordslayer responded.


    Ziplocke gripped Jeze''s shoulder even tighter. "I''m from hell, and this unnerves me," he said.


    Swordslayer snorted at the Goblin. "Coward."


    The rattling subsided, and a soft voice spoke from the shadows. "You dare invoke her name? We are her Fleas and we have killed for less."


    "You see us. You know us! We are the ones who delve into the dark places of this world. We are the ones who fight the monsters and face down nightmares. Do not believe you can kill us like a mere lost citizen that wanders into your realm. Out of courtesy, I will say this one last time. We seek an audience with the Night Mistress," Rainbow called out.


    The howls, shrieks, and rattling intensified. Even Swordslayer drew his weapons and anticipated an attack. Then, it stopped just as suddenly as it started. To Jeze, the silence was more ominous.


    "She welcomes you back, Swordslayer. She has allowed you to enter her realm where she awaits you," the shadowy voice said and then snickered.


    "I don''t think she is going to offer us milk and cookies," Ziplocke observed.