Jason stood over the corpse of the four-armed creature, ichor still dripping from his hands. The watching adventurers remained frozen at the edge of the ruined street, their earlier fear now mixed with something closer to fragile hope. He understood the shift. In their eyes he was no longer only one of the three most wanted mages. He had become the only force currently standing between the town and complete annihilation. If they were to have any fighting chance at all, he could not walk away.
The invasion was only beginning.
Jason continued deeper into the smoke-filled streets, senses spread wide as he tracked the remaining eleven signatures. He had not gone far when a familiar voice cut through the distant crackle of fire.
"Jason? Is that you?"
He stopped and turned at once. The voice belonged to someone he had not expected to see in this place, least of all now.
