We agreed to send her to the front door, along with five other men. Raiya and I took the rest and headed for the back door. We had to make sure Bodrick didn't escape when the alarm went off. With some luck, we'd be able to trap him in his own house and get the location of the helm out of him.

We also had to time our approach perfectly. If anybody saw us coming up the hill, we'd lose all chances of ambus.h.i.+ng Bodrick. We'd end up chasing him through the dark cave tunnels, and I didn't fancy our chances then. One wrong turn and we'd lose track of him. Hartwell would be alerted then, and all our efforts would be for naught.

Needless to say, this mission was paramount. One misstep and we'd end up on a losing war against my grandfather and his army. Bodrick was our only way out of this. So we had to make the best of this opportunity.

Among the men Elsa chose to follow us, there was a veteran from the previous wars between Aslanor and Biarkh. He had joined the army at an early age and climbed the ranks to become a general. He grew up in war, knew everything about tactics and troop management. He'd known nothing but war ever since he was a twelve year old kid.

Now that he had crossed his fiftieth moon, he didn't know any other craft other than manslaughter. He was known as the b.l.o.o.d.y baron during his primetime. He was famous for his ability to train his troops to become killing machines. His tactics usually involved swooping in on the enemy unawares, slaughtering everyone before they could regroup, then moving on. He wouldn't allow any prisoner to be taken.

Stalwart, my dear grandfather, had intervened in the long war between Biarkh and Aslanor and brought the fight to an end. The b.l.o.o.d.y baron had found himself out of a job then. Elsa's father recruited him to manage his most covert operations.

He was the one now in charge of the men that accompanied us. He was also very familiar with the terrain between Rolar and Merinsk. Bodrick's estate, according to him, had one flaw in its defenses. It was built atop a steep hill, but it didn't have a clear visibility over its left flank. Moreover, by sending Beatrix first to knock at the front door, we'd be able to sneak past the guards while they focused all their attention on the surprise visitor.

Everything tied up nicely. Guards were changing their rounds as we made our way up. Beatrix was making her way to the illuminated front door. As soon as the guards would see her, they'd sound their horns. That was our signal to commence the wall's ascension.

We reached the eastern wall before Beatrix reached the front door. We leaned against the walls then, waiting for the signal. We had our ropes ready. My heart pounded against my chest. To tell you the truth, the thrill before the beginning of a fight was the best part.

You'd feel the adrenaline spike. You know your life would be in danger in the next minutes or hours. You know you're about to stare death in the eye and raise your middle finger to it. Whether you get out of it or not is entirely up to you, and to luck to some extent too.

"Don't stray too far from the group," the b.l.o.o.d.y baron whispered to us. "Our strength is in our group. We need to intimidate the enemy and strike swiftly."

Everyone nodded, including me and Raiya. The witch had changed from her usual robes to her fighting attire, brown leather trousers with studded armor on her torso. She had also replaced her staff with a blasting rod. After she lost her link to Sisha, she was limited in terms of spells she could use. Nevertheless, n.o.body in his right mind should underestimate her.

She had this ferocious look in her face. One that said she wouldn't hesitate a second to blow a man's head off if he got close to her. I felt gentle tingles running up my spine as she let her essence flow all around her body. She was readier than all of us.

"Once we're over the walls," she whispered. "I'll create an opening for us through the garden. Make sure you head straight for the house."

I nodded. "Bodrick won't escape," I said. "Make sure these people don't die because of us."

"They won't die in vain," the b.l.o.o.d.y baron said. "We all know what we signed up for. But if it helps us stick one to the almighty Stalwart, we'd be glad to give our lives for it."

The other men eagerly nodded.

"Stalwart's taken everything away from me," a scrawny man in his forties said.

"I want nothing but see him fall," another one commented.

"Shut your traps," the b.l.o.o.d.y baron hissed. "Do you hear that?"

Somebody had just blown the horn. It was our signal. We threw the grappling hooks over the walls then started our escalation. The walls were roughly twenty feet tall. While we climbed over them using our ropes, we could hear the guards' voices, carried toward us by the wind.

"Who goes there?" a guard asked.

"It's me, Lady Bodrick," Beatrix answered.

We heard swords being drawn out of their scabbards then.

"My lady," the same guard went on. "We have orders to take you in if you showed up. Please don't resist."

We were over the walls when we heard the same guard scream in agony. More shrill screams followed after that. Swords clashed, and confused grunts followed by agonizing shrieks filled the air. The horn was blown again, two consecutive blows to announce the arrival of enemies.

More guards rushed from their barracks and toward the main door. I looked toward the back door. There was some slight movement over there. By the house, lights were ignited. There was definitely some movement in there. Bodrick would try to escape at any given moment.

"It's our turn to divert their attention here," Raiya said.

She took her rod and directed it at some statues in the garden below us. A strong gale left the rod and landed on the statues, obliterating them into small pieces. We heard confused murmurs below us. Then the b.l.o.o.d.y baron gave his orders to two archers beside him. They took their bows and shot the guards below us, those who were about to finish their rounds for the night.

"Let's go," he said then rushed toward a solid wooden ladder a few paces away from us.

After we all got down, I headed for the back door with two men, while Raiya and the rest headed for the house. Beatrix was still wreaking havoc at the front door. More men joined the fight, and more men fell to her dark powers. She didn't need the backup we sent with her after all, but we couldn't risk our chances.

I reached the back door in no time. There were five heavily armored guards, bearing the bear crest on their chests and s.h.i.+elds. They looked confused. We didn't give them enough time to recollect their thoughts though. The men with me took the ones closest to the door, while I took care of the other three that had just joined them.

I saved one for last though, just to get Bodrick's location out of him. I put a knife through his armpit and twisted it.

"Where's your master?" I yelled.

"In… the… house…" he said, struggling to breathe. "Please… Don't kill me…"

"Does he have access to the caves from the house?" I asked.

The guard, realizing I had no intention of letting him live, bit on his lips. I twisted the knife once more, and the guard bellowed.

"P-p-please," he said. "I don't know anything. I just guard the door."

"Does Bodrick have access to the caves from the house?" I asked once more.

The guard didn't answer. He was in agony, but he endured the pain.

"I know you don't want to die," I said. "But there's worse than death."

It was time for me to try something I've been willing to test ever since I traveled through time. I activated my third eye and scrutinized the guard from head to toe. I concentrated on his right arm, and saw the time energy it emitted as it twitched. I willed my essence toward it and activated the time rewind spell. His arm guard fell off, revealing his transformed limb. His arm had shrunk until it became a baby's arm.

I stopped the spell then. The guard screamed his lungs out upon witnessing what had just happened to him.

"Next, I'll shrink your legs," I said. "Imagine living like this for the rest of your life. How about I just shrink your head instead? A grown man with a small face and the intellect of a newborn, that would be a sight to behold."

"Please," the guard screamed. "I don't want to die."

"Then answer his f.u.c.king question!" one of the men I took with me screamed. He was dressed in Bodrick's armor. Those two were to guard the back door while we took on Bodrick. If he ever decided to flee, they'd immediately notify us.

"He doesn't have any access to the caves," the guard answered. "He won't leave the house either. He's prepared to fight anyone, even Stalwart."

My eye narrowed. "What do you mean by that?" I asked. "No one in their right mind would dare challenge that crazy old man."

"Master can," the guard said with a grin that kept widening. "He's surrounded the house with Aetherbane. Your cheap tricks won't work on him."