Hex lay on the ground, motionless and silent. Dahlia stood over him, her arms crossed as she glanced back at Perus. "I don't think he's going to be cooperative, so you'll have to carry him," she said with an air of irritation.
Perus sighed deeply, clearly not thrilled about the task. "Lovely," he muttered under his breath.
He crouched down and carefully lifted Hex, hoisting him onto his shoulders like a sack of grain. Hex hung limply, his body stiff from the magic that had bound him.
Hex tried to speak, but his jaw wouldn't move. His words came out as muffled, garbled sounds, barely comprehensible. "I can't understand a word you're saying. Hold on," Perus said, stopping mid-step.
He raised his hand and touched the glowing tattoo on his ring finger. The faint light shimmered and pulsed, spreading warmth through the air. Hex grunted, his jaw loosening as the spell took effect. He worked his mouth open and closed a few times to test it before finally speaking. "I can talk again!" Hex said, his voice filled with relief. He immediately tried moving his arms, but they remained stiff and unresponsive. He looked at Dahlia. "What's wrong with me?"
"Don't bother," Dahlia said flatly. "You still can't move."
Hex glared at her, frustration building. "Are you insane?"
Dahlia didn't even glance his way. Her cold expression remained unchanged, as if his words meant nothing to her.
Hex shifted his attention to Perus, desperate for some kind of reason. "How are you okay with this? It's practically suicide! If I go on another rampage, I could kill you and these soldiers!"
Dahlia turned her head slightly and snapped, "Could you be any louder!?" Without waiting for a response, she kept walking down the hall, her boots echoing softly against the stone floor.
Perus sighed, adjusting Hex on his back. "Despite how unhinged she may seem, she's not mad. Those bracelets you're wearing aren't ordinary—they're blessed items. Strong enough to hold down a fourth-tier mage. Even if you transform, we'll be safe."
Hex didn't feel reassured in the slightest. It wasn't that he cared about their safety, but the entire situation made him uneasy. "What makes you think my beast form is fourth-tier? It might be higher!" he said, trying to sound confident.
The truth was, Hex had no idea what "tiers" even meant. He was bluffing, grasping at straws to get out of this mess.
Perus chuckled, a knowing smile crossing his face. "I doubt that. From what I saw during your fight with the captain—who's sixth-tier—you didn't even look like a fifth-tier. You'd have put up a better fight if you were. But you did handle the other mages easily, so you're definitely above third-tier, at least in that form." Hex scowled, irritation flickering in his eyes. "A better fight? I had him cornered!"
Perus burst out laughing. "Cornered? He beat you twice with no effort—literally buried you six feet under."
Dahlia's sharp voice cut through their banter. "What are you two doing back there?"
Perus sighed heavily. "Would it kill you to be more polite?"
Dahlia stopped in her tracks, turned around, and narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you say?"
Perus hesitated, then shook his head. "Never mind." He adjusted Hex again and trudged forward, deciding it wasn't worth continuing the argument.
---
The hallway stretched on, cold and foreboding. Every step they took toward the chamber made Hex's heart pound faster. His chest felt tight, like it might burst from the pressure. There was no way out of this, no clever excuse that could save him.
Finally, the broken wall leading to the chamber came into view. The opening was jagged and rough, evidence of the battle that had occurred there before. Two guards stood in front of it, their expressions stoic and unyielding.
Dahlia approached with her usual confidence, but as she tried to step past them, the guards crossed their spears, blocking her path.
"You're not authorized to go in," one of the guards said, his tone firm.
"And who decided that?" Dahlia snapped, her voice sharp with irritation.
The guard held her glare but said nothing. His silence only seemed to fuel her anger.
"Answer me!" she demanded, her voice rising.
The guard sighed heavily. "Let me rephrase that: we don't want you in here." Dahlia's fists clenched tightly at her sides. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her anger under control. "Get out of my way, or else," she said, her tone icy.
The air grew colder, frost forming on her hand as her magic responded to her emotions. The guards shifted uneasily, raising their spears in a defensive stance.
Hex, still on Perus's back, whispered urgently, "You should really stop her before she does something we'll all regret!"
Perus sighed again, clearly tired of the tension. He set Hex down gently on the ground and stepped forward. He grabbed Dahlia's arm firmly. "Dahlia, let's go!"
She yanked her arm free and glared at him, her voice shaking with emotion. "Get your hand off me! Everyone says I'm rude and disrespectful, but no one respects me! These are my juniors, and you expect me to just let this slide?"
The guard stepped forward, his voice steady and calm. "Respect is earned, not forced," he said.
The temperature dropped again, this time sharply. Frost climbed up the walls, and Hex, lying on the cold stone floor, felt the chill biting into his skin.
"Damn," he thought. "At this rate, I'm going to get frostbite. She must be really pissed now."
Snow began to fall in the hallway, a light flurry that quickly built up on the walls and floor. As the snow collected, Hex noticed something strange. A faint outline began to form on one of the frost-covered walls. It wasn't natural.
Squinting, he focused on the shape. Cold air seemed to puff from one spot, almost like shallow breaths. His eyes widened as realization struck.
"Something's in here with us! On the wall!" he shouted, his voice echoing.
The others turned quickly, scanning the frost-covered walls. Dahlia spotted it first. Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her hand. A flurry of sharp icicles shot forward, piercing the air with a whistle.
The creature leapt from the wall, dodging the attack just in time. It landed on all fours, shedding its camouflage as it crouched low. Its true form was revealed—it was the lizardman, Tal'oul.
Tal'oul growled, he's claws glinting in the dim light. He's yellow eyes darted between the group, calculating he's s next move.
"Shit," Tal'oul thought. "I've really done it this time. I've compromised the mission. Calm down—it's not over yet. If I eliminate the witnesses, I can still cover this up."
With a sharp snarl, he lunged at Dahlia, moving faster than anyone could react.
"Dahlia!" Perus shouted. He summoned a powerful gust of wind, pushing her out of the creature's path just in time.
Dahlia stumbled back, but the guard behind her wasn't as lucky. Tal'oul's claws plunged straight into his chest, killing him instantly. The guard collapsed in a lifeless heap.
Hex, still lying on the ground, could only watch in horror. His thoughts raced. "This is really bad," he thought grimly.