I rode leisurely on my black horse to Baron Thor's castle, 'Raven's Abode.' He and two hundred of his soldiers remained to coordinate the raid on the fat man.
My captive moved ahead of me in a special prison carriage under the supervision of Elmayr.
As for the last one...
Fortunately, our brief exchange was lost to the baron and the mage due to the magical protection, and to the half-breeds due to the distance. But personally, I was inclined to think that this whole game of trying to hide my identity would soon be useless. I'd left too many traces.
And Elmayr has clearly gone a bit crazy because of my appearance. She's almost constantly chewing the leaves of the 'krahetor' bush, the sap from which 'berserker' powder is made.
The point is that chewing the leaves releases significantly less of the drug into the bloodstream at one time than when ingesting pure powder. As a result, the effect is weaker, but the amount is almost constant, and with practice, it can be controlled by the speed of chewing and swallowing. A single piece of such gum can maintain a weakened "berserk" effect for up to half a day.
This has its advantages. For example, a crowd of soldiers under pure berserk is difficult to control and stupid. The actual order to attack is reduced to a shout like "aaah," and direction is a gesture of a sword or spear with a flag somewhere in the enemy's direction.
When the dose is small, the downsides of this red powder practically disappear. Soldiers remain completely sane, while still being free of fear and receiving, albeit in smaller quantities, the necessary physical benefits.
Furthermore, the gum itself can be diluted with other herbs, for example, medicinal, tonic, mind-clearing, etc.
But in general, this all applies to combat cocktails that are used before or during a fight. The fact that Elmayr is now constantly on this nasty stuff upsets me a little.
Incidentally, Elmayr is quite famous in the city, so when the mages and half-breeds realized who was now impersonating my shadow, they became seriously interested in my identity. I even had to don a dark elven black mask and wrap my cloak tighter around me.
The baron's castle was large and impressive.
In general, Istra itself could boast of two rings of walls and the castle itself, the 'Abode of Ravens'.
The castle itself was built first. Its purpose was to protect local farmers and trade routes from attacks by cave orcs. A solitary low rock was chosen for this purpose. Initially, the orcs attempted to storm it, and to intimidate them, soldiers impaled their heads and bodies on stakes under the walls. All this attracted crows, which began nesting on the roof of the keep. Thus, while the castle was initially named after the nearby stream, it eventually acquired its proper name, "Raven's Abode," which remained unofficial for a long time until the castle's successive owners simply legitimized it.
I know this because I saw it with my own eyes. The very founding of Istra occurred a hundred years before the Twilight War. And it was only by a miracle that the city was not destroyed during it.
Let's see if he survives the war with Zarzan...
I hope I don't end up getting involved in all this more than I'd like.
Initially, I thought I'd just run around within the borders of this barony, or maybe even the kingdom at most. But now...
Maybe we should strike at the Archmages of Zarzan? Kill at least one and retreat before the rest arrive...
The war will then end before it has really begun.
Afterwards you can devote time to other matters.
For example...
Contract with Atesh.
By the way, my memory is still silent on this matter. But it's absolutely crucial!
After all, apparently, she brought me back for some purpose.
I need to think logically. So, who am I? Ilthariel, the last of the Autwy. Without exaggeration, the first, not even just a 'swordsman,' 'archer,' or 'mage,' but a killer of my time. I fought through the entire Twilight War and never sat back, always being at the forefront, at the forefront. And especially at the very end, I launched suicidal attacks.
What did my master say?
If you want something done well, do it yourself. This applies even more so to all aspects of the art of war, including the destruction of enemies.
I even managed to kill my mother, the four-thousand-year-old Autwy, despite being vastly inferior to her in magical power. Yes, I had to use certain powers that only I can, but that doesn't change the fact. And no one can say my mother held back or simply allowed herself to be killed... She had clearly completely lost her mind and was living in her own world, one that barely connected with reality...
What happened there, two thousand years ago, in the Ancient Forest, which for hundreds of thousands of years absorbed the magic of this world and remembers ancient battles?
I then placed my sister's body at the roots of the Silluri Tree. And...? They killed me?
Be that as it may, Atesh had a hand in my return. After all, who else but the Goddess of the Dead could do it? Apparently, I made a pact with her, the details of which I don't remember. And that's bad.
But judging by my biography, this is something special.
The gods love to speak in riddles and omissions. Why not simply say, "This, this, and that." But what does Ertan, God of the Path, say? "The path to truth is far more enlightening than the truth itself." Well, that's what he's called the God of the Path...
And memory returns only at certain moments.
Looking at the carriage, I even smiled. Well, if my memory never returns, I have something to appeal to Atesh with. Of course, she'll be angry, and an angry Goddess of Death isn't something I want to see, but I want to stumble around among burning coals like a blind puppy even less. And besides, I don't even have to kill the captive.
While I was lost in thought, we passed through the wide-open, high gates of the second ring of walls. Generously bound in iron, they emitted a rather strong magical odor.
The defense is formidable, but it's important to understand that it's much easier to destroy than to create. And if the Archmage strikes this city, no amount of walls will help.
Looking at the gate guards, who were watching us with interest, I noted their good physical condition and weapons.
The houses located here were considerably wealthier, and the road here was better. However, the inner city was quite small, and just three hundred paces from the gates of the second fortress wall began a fairly wide stone bridge leading to the baron's castle.
At this hour of the evening, there were quite a lot of passersby. This was facilitated by the street lighting, not by anything special, but by magical lanterns. I noticed that there were even more civilian patrols of city guards and detachments of heavily armed soldiers here than in the previous part of the city.
Many turned around and watched the prison carriage moving along, surrounded by two dozen horsemen.
The castle itself was impressive. Battlements at least sixty meters high rose immediately beyond the moat. Mighty, tall gate towers and barbicans jutting out from the walls, located practically in the middle of the moat, were connected to the wall by protected passageways covered with heavy tiles.
The open castle gates were cast from thick, blued steel. Their entire surface was covered in tiny, engraved runes. I winced at the thought of the titanic effort that must have been. And I didn't see much point in it. Sure, the gates couldn't be knocked down now, but you could hit them from above, from below... I would have done that. Besides, there were still the walls.
Although, of course, if you put a water elemental in the moat, then a direct assault will be very funny for the enemy.
The castle was very large. It easily accommodated large barracks, with a large adjoining parade ground. Furthermore, here, beyond the wall, rose three towers, rivaling the central keep of the keep in height and solidity.
These are obviously the abodes of mages. A strong magical tension can be felt within them. Mmm... Mana accumulators? Well, that might hamper the Archmage a bit, and he won't destroy the castle with a single blow. But nothing more.
What if two Archmages attack? What if three?
We drove across the square and stopped near a large, squat building.
Haalen, who was nearby, said:
- Castle prison...
I nodded and said:
- Let someone look after my things.
Jumping off my horse, I walked up to the carriage and opened the door.
Elmayr emerged from inside, chewing her gum.
She quickly looked around and said:
"Your captive came to and tried to kick. I knocked her out again."
I snorted derisively and said:
- That's right. The main thing is not to die. Okay. I'll carry the body, and you carry her. - I turn to Haalen, who has frozen behind me: - Show me the way to the torture chamber.
He nodded respectfully, even bowing slightly.
I climbed inside the carriage and, after checking the prisoner's pulse, habitually threw the dark elf's dead body over my shoulder.
Having gotten out of the carriage with difficulty, I waited for Elmayr, who simply took the captive in her arms.
Following the half-breed, we entered the prison building and immediately began to descend the narrow spiral staircase.
It was gloomy, dirty, and reeked of shit and vomit. The lighting was rather poor, with only a few weak magical lamps emitting a deathly pale light.
After descending two levels, we walked along a long corridor lined with rows of cells separated only by thick steel bars. None of them contained prisoners.
Haalen said:
- This level is completely empty now. No one will disturb you.
I was about to stop and even start looking for a more decent cell, but then the half-breed approached one of the half-open iron-bound doors and pushed it. It swung open with a shrill creak, revealing a large, dark room with a row of tables.
"It's not exactly a torture chamber, but an interrogation room." He touched the lone magical lamp on the wall, and it obediently lit up.
A thick layer of dust covered the tables. Several cabinets, poorly constructed from planks, stood along the walls, some of which were clearly starting to rot. Experimentally, I shook the nearest table and placed the body on it.
Glancing at Elmayr, I say:
"Carefully search and undress our guest. After that, nail her to the wall here. And I'll take care of this piece of meat..." I nod at the dead man in front of me.
Elmayr removed her cloak and, after a moment's hesitation, grew a thin tree from the floor and carefully hung it on it. She also began hanging her weapon on it.
I followed her example, taking off my bloody jacket and mask.
When I found myself half-naked in front of Elmayr, I noticed that she noticed the rings hanging on the chain and clearly began chewing her gum more often.
This dark elf seemed to have more scars. Some of them were clearly inflicted by either claws or a special multi-bladed weapon. Or perhaps they were marks from a whip. After all, dark ones are mercilessly flogged for misdeeds...
And opposite the heart, the dead man had a large, elaborate tattoo: eerie bone claws clutching a large red eye with a black vertical pupil.
Realizing what I was seeing, I felt my lips stretch into a thin smile. I know this sign.
House Altraun. Marked by Death. During the Twilight War, it was the representatives of this House who posed the greatest danger. Necromancers with a special connection to Atesh. It was they who reached into the very depths of Death and drew from there the knowledge of how to create vampires.
O-o-very interesting. Did I kill a guard of this damned House? Worth noting.
Although it would have been something. He wasn't a vampire. He was young, even by the standards of the Twilight War.
Ah, I wish I could ask him a couple of questions...
I wonder what he was doing in the company of an ordinary soldier and an incompetent sorceress, who is being looked after by Atesh herself?
Suddenly Elmayr said:
- Sir! You will find this interesting.
I tore my gaze away from the dead man's face and turned to her:
- What's there?
It turned out Elmayr had untied the captive and was just beginning to strip and search her. Her jacket was currently unbuttoned and open, revealing a breast stained with streaks of drying blood. But it wasn't the sight itself that caught my attention: I'd long since lost any sentimentality toward captives and simply didn't mentally perceive them as potential sexual partners. To me, they were more like pieces of meat to be carefully cut and pounded for soup. Yes, that's bad. Very bad. But it's easier this way.
My gaze caught the same tattoo on the dead soldier's left chest. Only the claws were green and even glowed faintly.
Your mother... I've seen this before. The highest initiation.
And I laughed. Quietly at first, and then louder and louder.
It all came together. For whom would Atesh have come, if not for the last of the Altrauns? One of those who had heard her voice since the dawn of time? In whose House was Kehiranar the Mad born?
Now I will end their line! In one movement...
I had already begun to form the 'black arrow', but from the deep shadow cast by the table on which it lay, something whispered at the edge of hearing:
- The last of...
My laughter died down.
I stopped. The long, sharp thorns that had been growing from my fingers stopped just a palm's length from her tattoo.
Scum. Creature. And I can't kill her!
How many of my acquaintances did the vampires they created kill? And how many of those who died did I call friends?
I froze, wavering between my insane desire and the will of the Goddess of Death.
I don't know how long I stood there, but a slight movement in the shadows caught my attention. Reacting, I looked over and saw the nightmarish, ghostly form of the lurking Hound.
A fanged, eyeless creature, seemingly created from a terrible alloy of bones and a strange, flexible material.
Realizing that I saw her, she tilted her head to the side in displeasure and disappeared.
I took a deep breath through my teeth and the wooden spikes, obeying my will, retracted back into my fingers.
I can hardly catch my breath. I don't care about the Hound. I'm not afraid of her. I've seen worse monsters.
- Go on... - my lips, numb from the tension, say with difficulty.
"Master..." Elmayr nodded obediently and, coming closer, bent over the captive.
Feeling incredibly empty, I stepped back and watched as Elmayr began a thorough search.
She found something sewn into her jacket and, ripping open the seam, pulled out another Altraun symbol and placed it on the table: a pendant with an intricate emerald depicting an eye. The chain was missing.
There was also a massive ring of black metal (apparently adamant) with an engraving depicting the same symbol. A signet ring, like mine?
I came closer and began to look at these two things, from time to time throwing short glances at the battered face of the unconscious dark one.
Five more gold coins were recovered from the sole of the boot.
I've already seen everything else.
Altraun...
This word, the name of the ancient Dark Elven House, sounded in my head, drowning out all thoughts.
And only after watching Elmayr finally undress the captive and begin to nail her limp body to the wall with ordinary wooden spikes, which were created according to the principle of similarity from seeds, I was able to concentrate.
She finished and, still looking at the dark one, took two steps to the side. There, the light one froze in anticipation, barely moving.
I approached the crucified body on the wall and, with sharp movements, began to pluck the sprouting pieces of 'black' wood from the captive's arms and legs. Each one resembled a large, slowly moving spider, or even an octopus, generously smeared with blood. Having collected all four, I performed the reverse transformation, drawing the wood back into the hand that had created them.
Blood flowed from the open wounds.
Without taking my eyes off the captive's battered face, I flexed my fingers and created a narrow strip of wood, which I wrapped around the dark one's neck. Obeying my will, the wood immediately sent roots under her skin. Not very deeply, but enough to drain every last bit of mana from her magical gift.
And right after that, I created a 'heal' and pressed the resulting lump of bright green glowing mana into the center of the dark elf's stomach.
A wave of renewal slowly coursed through her battered body, removing bruises and contusions, healing wounds and cuts. I made sure her body didn't reject the collar's roots too much.
The Dark One took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She looked at me blankly for a second, then began to twitch, trying to somehow free herself.
Hissing in pain, she said:
- Let me go, firefly. Otherwise I...
I smiled cruelly and interrupted her:
"Otherwise what, priestess Altraun? Will you try to kill me?" Without giving her a chance to answer, I struck her in the solar plexus with my left fist. The hatred seething within me made the blow come out very quickly and powerfully. She noticed the movement, but she simply didn't have time to tense her muscles, and my fist sank into her flesh almost to the wrist. A violent spasm caused her crucified body to writhe and thrash against the wall. A couple of seconds later, the dark one vomited onto the dusty floor. I managed to step aside, and only a few splashes of gastric juice landed on my boots. Grabbing the captive by the hair at the back of her head with my left hand, I lifted her head and said in a mocking tone: "You are still too young to frighten me." The dark elf glanced at me sideways and tried to spit. At that moment, I lightly hit her with my palm from below on the jaw, and she bit her tongue. Blood flowed profusely. With a smile, I applied a weak healing potion to her mouth and continued: "I have questions for you. If you answer them well, I will spare your life and health. If not..." I let go of her head and laughed softly: "I am much more than two thousand years old. I went through the Twilight War from beginning to end. You will still tell me what I need. And believe me, it will be very painful." But she remained silent, looking defiantly into my eyes. I did not wait long and unceremoniously hit her in the cheekbone and, when her head shook, added another one to her stomach. Only this time I did not remove my fist, but continued to push it deeper. The captive screamed. A few seconds later, I pulled out my hand and, having allowed the captive to suffer enough, healed her again. I turn my head to Elmair and see her mad smile. I say: "As if the war had never ended. Really?"
"Yes, sir. There is such a thing," she whispers in response.
I look behind her, at the gloomy half-breed standing in the doorway.
Snorting derisively, I turn back to the crucified captive. Her gaze darts around the room.
"It was just a warm-up," I tell her, walking over to the table with her confiscated weapon laid out on it.
Breathing heavily, the dark one spoke:
"I'm blessed by Atesh herself. If anything happens to me, she'll personally drag you to the Underworld..."
I laughed again and said:
"You're not the only one so special." Her eyes widened in surprise. I continued: "Yes, yes. But I'm not simply chosen. Once, a long, long time ago, my squad clashed with the battle priestesses of your particular house in your caves. We managed to win. Though the price was too great. That squad was led by the Matriarch of your House himself..."
"You're lying! Vreltael took Atesh!" the captive screamed.
My smile faded:
"Oh, if only it were that simple. After the interrogation, I personally killed Vreltael, Matriarch of the Great House Altraun. As she lay dying, Atesh really did come for her soul. Vreltael asked her to take me, too. But the Goddess of Death had other plans for me..."
"I know who you are..." the elf whispered fearfully.
Grabbing her by the face, I speak angrily right into her long ear:
- I know that too. But who are you? What is your name? What are you doing here in the city of Istra? Atesh said you were the Last. Why? What happened? Answer me! Or do you think you can last longer than Vreltael? Huh?
Then I saw tears streaming from her eyes. Have she broken down yet? Well, I don't play like that...
"I'll tell you everything, just please kill me quickly," she said in a breaking voice when I let her go. Looking at me, the dark one added, "I ask for this favor..."
Still young, inexperienced. I had to struggle with Vrëltael, and now it's all over. And you can't say I pushed that hard.
I glance at her. Almost no blood flows from her thorn-pierced arms and legs—the 'healing' has caused her flesh to collapse around the tree. Every now and then, she tries to rise to her feet, leaning on the thorns that have pierced her limbs.
The pain must be intense. But quite bearable. Priestesses are taught to endure even more. At first, they despise pain. Then, they even love it.
The image of Vrëltael's disfigured body appeared before my eyes. And her choking, insane laughter...
Emerging from my memories, I shrug:
- Speak. And then we'll see.
She looked down and began to whisper:
"My name is Athel. Yes, I am from House Altraun. After Vrelthael's death, our House began to lose power, strength, and wealth. It got to the point that a hundred years ago, we weren't even invited to the Council of Matriarchs anymore. I was born in difficult times..."
I couldn't resist and interrupted her:
"Wait, wait! What do you mean 'stopped inviting'? It's like Autwy was suddenly asked to leave the Throne! You have a direct line to Atesh!" I even threw up my hands. "Your House is one of the most ancient! In fact, only Autwy is older, since, according to legend, Autwy ruled both the light and the dark. Salliel was the ruler of all the Eldar. It was only later, after the War of the Gods, that other Houses began to form... After all, you have the Force and Atesh..."
"They did too," she whispered back. "After the Twilight, they also began searching for sources of power. And House Mirestat found... probed... something in the Darkness and Gloom..." I thought I heard Atesh whisper, two short words, as if taken out of context, "...kill them..." I quickly glanced around, but saw nothing. The Dark One continued whispering. "Last year, Mirestat attacked us unexpectedly. I survived only by chance—I was on a long raid with a handful of soldiers. When we were returning, we simply ran into the Mirestat troop positions. When I saw the House's blazing column, I... lost myself. We began to hack them down like mad. But then they came to their senses, and only Etiru and I managed to escape. We had no peace anywhere. We were forced to retreat to the surface. Then Irnil joined us, and we took the first contract we came across. We sat there for four months without even showing our faces outside...
The dark one fell silent.
I commented thoughtfully:
"What news. Well, well. Mirestat. A Small House staged a coup, deposing none other than Altraun. Who would have thought?" My thoughts turned to my past. My sister's murder. The situation was similar: someone from our own clearly took advantage of the situation. I turned to Elmayr: "Did you know about this?"
She shook her head uncertainly:
"Rumors. Nothing definitive, sir. I heard someone say that the dark ones have begun to focus more on Darkness in their spells than Death."
"It's true..." said the dark elf and continued: "Even I have begun to be taught in a new way..."
I shrug slightly:
- Quite interesting. But nothing more. Our society has begun to contact the Force of Light and the Gods who dwell within it, hasn't it? The same Irvull or Khaves. - I turned my attention back to the captive: - So, your House is destroyed and you are the last one. That explains a lot. - The next moment, without any transition, I rushed towards her and, grabbing her face with my left hand, barely whispered: - Atesh personally asked me to spare your life and I will fulfill her will. But even if you realized who I am, it's better for you to keep your guess silent. After all, I can override the wishes of the Goddess of Death. - I let her go and added louder: - Besides that... If you try to attack or go against me, I will do such things to you that you will beg Atesh to take you to her kingdom. Is everything clear?
"Yes," she whispered quietly.
Chuckling, I nodded to Elmayr:
- Okay. Free her and heal her.
Haalen, who had been silent the whole time, protested:
- But she...
I glanced at him:
- She is my captive.
Meanwhile, Elmayr quickly ripped the wooden spikes from the dark one's arms and legs and cast a powerful 'healing' spell. Her body immediately healed and rejected the weakly rooted wooden collar. It eagerly tried to root itself back in, but the dark one tore it from her neck in disgust and tossed it aside. Shifting instantly, I caught it and, reversing the transformation, returned it to my hand.
The slight tingling sensation that arose immediately passed.
The now former captive looked warily at my hand and went to her clothes.
I turned my gaze to the dozen gold coins tied with wire and said:
"By the way, Athel..." I savored her name a bit and continued, "... Do you know where your employer might be hiding? He's a very cunning rat. I don't like it when my prey gets away from me."
She sighed and looked at me:
"This merchant owned three stores in this city and a large warehouse on the outskirts. He also had relatives here and was an honorary member of the local Thieves' Guild. That's why I took so little money: he promised to help with further hiring. And I'm in no position to choose contracts."
"The Thieves' Guild?" Echoing the phrase, I suddenly felt a twinge of joy. I turned to the half-breed: "Haalen, my friend, what will the Baron say if I wipe out the local Thieves' Guild? After all, it looks like they'll be on Zarzan's side in the coming war."
He turned his head to the right and swallowed:
"This is a complex matter, and you need to speak with the Baron face to face. Besides, even if you receive approval, the Baron won't be able to officially assist you: the Guild's fingers and ears are everywhere. Information will leak, and everyone will scatter. And not just to other cities, but even beyond our kingdom's borders. The Baron has already tried. After his last attempt, he even began organizing the half-breeds as not just hunters, but a force capable of one day, if not destroying, then at least bringing the Guild to heel."
I looked at Elmayr in surprise and she nodded:
"That's true. Even I interact with them. But while they're a bit afraid to touch the elves, for example, Len, the guy who looks after the horses of my shop's customers, gives them half his earnings to avoid any problems."
"And yet, we'll have to deal with them," I said.
Elmayr bowed her head:
"There are opportunities to strike at this organization. I can already see their vulnerabilities. However, sir, forgive my impertinence, but I want to ask you a question about the future." I nodded, and she asked, "Are you planning to return home, and how deeply do you want to get bogged down in this war?"
Looking first at Atel, who was slowly getting dressed, and then at the half-breed, who had clearly pricked up his ears, I quietly said:
"Initially, I was just planning on fighting on the Baron's side. Now... I'm increasingly inclined to think I'll have to go on a raid to eliminate enemy Archmages. It promises to be quite amusing. As for home... I don't know yet. Apparently, Atesh brought me back for some purpose. My memory hasn't fully returned yet, and I don't remember the agreement itself, or its purpose, but..." I closed my eyes and recalled the words '...kill them...'. Nothing else has surfaced yet. Looking at the light one again, I continue: "There's hope that my memory will be restored soon."
Elmayr bowed low and, straightening up, said:
"Thank you, sir. However, I hope you know that the Prince of House Vieren wishes to take the Throne..." She paused, glancing at the half-breed.
The sound of my teeth grinding reaches my ears. With difficulty, I control myself and say:
"I heard that a contender for the Throne had appeared in the Great Forest... But I didn't think that... Lady Irulel's lover would be so brazen. In any case..."
Then my attention was drawn to the sound of approaching heavy footsteps, accompanied by a clanking sound. The unknown creature was accompanied by a pair of other creatures, each with a much quieter and softer gait.
I walked to the exit of the room and, looking out, saw Baron Tour walking with a couple of half-breeds behind him.
- Greetings, Mr. Baron, - I said.
He nodded thoughtfully and, stopping next to me, peered into the interrogation room. After gazing at the half-dressed, dark, and motionless Elmayr, the baron asked in surprise:
- Are you letting her go?
I snorted:
"She's from the Dark Elven Great House of Altraun, the necromancers. They're called Death's Chosen. Atesh personally pleaded for her. In fact, of all the living, I'm the only one who could kill her without serious consequences." Looking at her, I continued, "But even I wouldn't do it without a good reason."
Tour raised his eyebrows in surprise:
- Did she say something valuable?
I smirk:
"Yes. This fat man, Heer Pollus, owns several properties and relatives in the city. He's also a member of the Thieves' Guild. I'm beginning to suspect this organization will side with Zarzan during the coming war. Therefore, I propose a preemptive strike against them."
He glanced at me sullenly.
I know I make a dangerous impression.
A light elf mage, clad only in dark elven black leather trousers with numerous straps and low black boots. He held twin curved dark elven swords in their sheaths. All of this was stained with drying blood, clearly not his own.
And on my chest hang two rings on a mithril chain.
- Hmm... Are you going to kill everyone you find? - says Tur.
My lips stretch into a thin smile:
"I don't think now is the time for mercy. And they killed your son. We will destroy them."
He glanced at the dark one again, his gaze clearly lingering on her bare chest:
- Will you need help?
I shrug:
- Cordon off the area. Perhaps some support. But only those you trust implicitly.
The Baron looked at Haalen:
- There are few of them. Only half-breeds, and that's only three dozen.
I nod:
- This will be more than enough.
- When will you start acting?
- That same night.
"I will give the order," said the baron and looked at the half-breed: "Haalen, I need to talk to you."
Without another word, he walked back toward the stairs. Haalen quickly joined the two half-breeds behind him.