Grym burst through the door, immediately pressing his back against the slab as if holding back an enemy force. The dwarf’s eyes were wide as he hissed.

  “They’re at the base of the stairs—hurry!”

  His two companions glanced up from the desk they were ransacking. Lunish, a gnomish druid, worked the lower drawers – ideally positioned for her diminutive size, while the wizard Glynfir hurriedly flipped through papers on the surface.

  “I think this is it!” he whispered excitedly, smoothing the curl of an official-looking document across the polished wooden desktop with a smile. The scent of parchment and ink, mixed with a sense of personal satisfaction, instantly reminded him of successfully casting his first spell. Lunish craned her neck, failing to see past his larger form from either side, finally hip-checking him out of the way to get a look. Grym started across the room towards them. As he approached the desk, a loud click sounded before a section of the bookcase on the back wall flew open. Five soldiers burst into the room on a current of cooler air.

  They were in the commander’s office, at the top of a three-story tower at the heart of the garrison town of Chagrothlond. The trio comprised one cell of an intelligence-gathering network called the Radiant Guardians. Their mission: confirm any change to the beneficiary within Commander Duval’s will and, oddly, the name of the barrister who signed it. Breaking into military offices wasn’t typically in their wheelhouse. Previous assignments involved gathering information more organically from less formidable adversaries.

  “Take them!” barked the lieutenant, stepping aside with a flourish, urging his soldiers towards the startled occupants.

  A terrified squeak was all Lunish could muster. She took a step back, positioning Glynfir between her and the guards. She felt her heart begin to race, panic rising in her chest. I told them we weren’t ready for this!

  “Of course, there’s a secret door!” she heard Grym mutter, his hand instinctively moving towards the axe on his belt. The dwarf rolled his eyes and shook his head, disappointed in himself. “What kind of military leader wouldn’t have another way out of his own office? Especially when it’s at the top of a Gonddamn tower!”

  “Let’s worry about it later—we’ve got to go!” Glynfir snapped. “You both know the plan—rally at the south gate!” He spoke this last part louder, ensuring the guards would hear.

  The wizard’s left hand began weaving patterns in the air as he reached into his satchel with the other, extracting a small block of resin encasing an eyelash. Lunish immediately regained her senses and summoned her magical essence. With a flash, she shifted form into a mouse and scrambled up the back of Glynfir’s robe and into his satchel.

  Muttering the incantation, the wizard shunted his reluctant dwarven companion towards their only available exit—the door he had just entered. Pulling it closed behind them to disrupt their pursuers’ line of sight, he touched Grym’s shoulder and released the spell. The two disappeared with a purple flash.

  The drum of heavy footsteps and the rustle of metal armor echoed up the open stairwell below them. Time was short. Grym hustled down the first half-flight of stairs towards the oncoming guards, one hand muffling his chain shirt, the other on his axe. As his feet hit the landing, six uniforms turned the corner from the level below. A well-armed caterpillar of synchronized movement, they ascended in single file, hugging the interior railing.

  The office door flew open, slamming against the stone wall, as their angry pursuers burst onto the landing above. From the courtyard, two iron bells began to peal in alarm—frantically urgent, but slightly off-beat. The dwarf felt the muscles in his neck constrict with each hollow, metallic clang. It was clear from the acoustic chaos that the entire fort knew they were here. Grym’s eyes frantically scanned the surroundings for any escape. His heart rate accelerated, and his shoulders tensed as he squeezed the axe. Better make the first shot count while I’m still invisible.

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  His hand still on Grym’s shoulder, Glynfir felt his friend’s muscles stiffen, coiling to strike. A sudden swell of panic threatened to immobilize him before his body responded. Adrenaline surged, the rising threat fueling his exhilaration—the familiar gambler’s rush. He paused only for a moment, letting it wash over him, sharpening his mind and senses. What a feeling! Maybe Lunish is right, I do seek it out. His thoughts raced. Fighting eleven of them is disastrous; we have to use our invisibility somehow.

  The tower’s split staircase landings were wide, designed to accommodate the flow of larger numbers. Maybe wide enough? Acting quickly, the wizard stretched one arm around his friend’s shoulders, covering his mouth with the other hand. From right behind Grym’s ear, he exhaled a whispered shushing sound and pulled the dwarf back. The two retreated into the corner, as far as the space would allow. He felt Lunish squirm nervously in his satchel, their backs pressed against the exterior wall. The stale, dusty air of the stairwell tickled the back of their throats as the trio collectively held their breath.

  The rising guards stayed tight to the interior railing, crossing the landing oblivious to their invisible prey. The caterpillar’s head stopped three stairs up, the others puddling around him as the two groups angrily discussed the situation. Worried they could hear his racing heartbeat, Glynfir clung tightly to his dwarven friend. Silently, they watched and waited, desperately hoping for escape.

  “Did you see them? It’s that halfie caster who took our silver playing dice last night!”

  “You mean that prick with the mustache? No one came past us.”

  “Yeah! He was with a dwarf and a grubby little boy.”

  While the confused soldiers traded questions and accusations regarding the intruders' whereabouts, the pair seized the moment.

  Releasing Grym’s shoulders, Glynfir nudged him toward the now-vacant descending staircase. The two tiptoed several feet across the landing before bolting down the stairs towards the open courtyard two and a half floors below.

  Abandoning any further attempt at stealth, the dwarf’s jingling chain shirt announced their position with every footfall. The race was on. The pair flew down the stone stairs with eleven shouting pursuers in tow. The courtyard bells continued to ring out in warning.

  The guards, firing at sounds, sent a bolt from a hand crossbow zipping past Grym’s ear, ricocheting off the nearby wall. The sound of a metallic clatter told Glynfir the invisible dwarf had tumbled down the last few stairs. I hope he’s not hurt! A muted groan followed.

  “You okay?” he hissed.

  “Yeah…” Grym’s hesitant tone suggested he was more embarrassed than injured.

  “Are you hit?”

  “No, I just tripped,” the dwarf admitted

  “Okay. We need to split up. You know where to meet. Be careful!”

  With that, Glynfir rounded the corner to his left, running headlong into chaos.

  The normally sedate courtyard was in complete disarray. Bells rang, and groups of soldiers rushed in multiple directions. All the shops and stalls on the south side of the quad were either shuttered or hurriedly packing up. Throwing himself flat against the tower wall, Glynfir drew a deep breath and froze.

  Eight guards poured into the courtyard behind him, searching for any hint of their whereabouts. Several raced towards the South Gate—the town’s fortified main entrance. He watched as foot soldiers began forming a phalanx in front of the closed metal and wooden barrier, and six wizards hurriedly splashed arcane glyphs and spells at the ground and air between his current position and the exit. So, they know we’re invisible. Word travels fast!

  Despite what he had said upstairs, the South Gate wasn’t part of their escape plan. It had been a piece of deliberate disinformation. Regardless of their inexperience, only a fool wouldn’t prepare another way out in case the original plan went sideways. Recalling Lunish in mouse form, the wizard checked in.

  “Can you hear me, Lulu? Give me a wiggle,” he whispered

  Feeling movement against his hip from within the bag, Glynfir waited for another group of guards to pass before continuing in a hushed tone.

  “Troops everywhere, but it looks like we’re still good. They’re all gathering by the south gate. Stay in form. I’ll pull you out when we’re clear.”

  Feeling another confirming wiggle, Glynfir shifted his gaze. On the north side of the courtyard, a series of catapults stood ready to defend the mountain pass known as Stonebreach. That was their way out.

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