(On the day of my grand plan...)

I woke up the next day with a start. Sylvia was still snoozing away between me and Luna, who was staring at me with a nervous light in her eyes.

"You okay?" She asked me in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up from a weird dream..." I replied slowly.

Luna facepalmed, "Oh boy..."

"No, no, no! Not that kind of weird!" I replied irritably, "Not that kind of weird. I could've sworn Thaleous was trying to get into my mind."

Luna grew serious now: "What do you mean?"

I looked at her with a hopeless expression on my face. "I...I don't know how to describe it. All I know is that I heard his voice in my subconscious mind. He was trying to find out what I was playing at. He kept saying that he knew something was going to happen today, but the irritation and fear in his voice told me that he had no idea what we've planned." I chuckled, "The bastard learned nothing thanks to you, Luna. Your presence in my mind kept Thaleous out."

She chuckled, "I felt a strange feeling past over me in the middle of the night. I didn't know what it was, but it now makes sense to me. Thankfully our wills are strong enough to resist Thaleous."

I nodded as I thought about my old mentor Saul and his lessons on interrogations-and how to get out of them alive: "It always does you well to have a tolerance to pain-Both physical and psychological. You think that your interrogators will only use physical torture to get you to talk? Sorry to break it to you kid, but your captors will use psychological torture to break you down on the mental level so they can easily extract information from you. You can torture someone by cutting off fingers and setting them on fire as much as you want, and you'll get nothing outta them. However, mentally crack them like a walnut, and they'll babble like a fool as they tell you everything. It takes more than a few years to build up a tolerance to psychological torture, so it's better to start now than later. I'm sorry Helix, but I want you to keep living while your enemies are the ones that die in horrible ways. I hope you'll forgive me for this."

I shivered, then decided to try something: "Hey Saul. Guess who?"

Silence, then: "Eh? Who's this, and why are you in my mind?"

I grinned: "Think, old man: who could possibly enter your mind and not go mad the instant they see the fucked up things you do to your marks?"

"Helix?" He began in disbelief, "Holy shit kid...I thought you were dead!"

I snorted, "I thought you died as well. Glad to see we were both wrong, old man."

"Oh you fuck," Saul replied irritably, "Cut that shit out."

"Nope," I chortled, "Not gonna happen."

"Well, anyway," He continued, "What are you up to, kid?"

I chuckled, "Oh, you know: I'm just about to assassinate a demonlord in Mareth. What about you?"

He was silent for a time before he spoke again, "A demonlord huh? I always knew you loved the high-stakes mission."

"I was taught by the best," I replied, "Never mind the fact that you're an old bastard, you taught me how to survive things most people would die instantly from."

"Save the flattery for after you kill the demonlord," He shot back, "How are you going to get at this thing anyway? Demonlords are extremely paranoid. Quite frankly, I'd rather go after a rogue dragon that's rampaging through a city than deal with a demonlord: They're so irritating."

"I'm going to get myself captured, then break out of my cell and wreak havoc from within the demonlord's stronghold."

"And how are you going to do that, Fairy Princess?" He demanded, voice dripping with sarcasm: "Magic?"

I grinned, "Yes and no. You see: I'm not only an imagist, but I'm also a huntsman. As far as I know, I have the ability to shift into a bestial form."

Saul was silent again. Only, this period of silence seemed to drag on for an eternity.

Finally, Saul spoke: "So you are. Helix, here's a little tip for you before you go and kill this demonlord: be careful with that ability of yours. While being able to shift into a more bestial form sounds cool, shifting in general is very risky. Make sure you hold onto what makes you, well, you. Please, don't lose yourself to the spirit within you."

I was more than a little  confused: "What do you mean by that?" I asked incredulously.

"I-fuck, I don't have time to explain what I mean right now. You see, I'm on my own mission. I'm in the middle of trying to eliminate a dwarven crime lord in the southern reaches of Alysia, so I gotta go right now. Take care of yourself, kid."

I nodded, "Make sure you take care of yourself as well, Saul. Thank you, for everything. Honestly, I don't how I'd still be alive if it weren't for all of the things you taught me."

He chuckled, "No problem Helix. See ya later."

After I finished talking to my old mentor, I filled Luna in on the conversation I had with him.

She rose an eyebrow, "He's still alive?"

"I know right?" I replied jokingly, "I'm amazed myself."

We got up from our nest of blankets and pillows and left our tent. Everyone else was already up, and I could tell the mood this morning was grim: chatter wasn't as prevalent-even Sasha and Analise only talked sparingly. I also saw many grim, resigned, and sad faces amongst the people who sat around the camp. I could taste the apprehension in the air, and I could tell that today's events were on everybody's minds.

The phrase Saul told me still echoed in my mind: "Please, don't lose yourself to the spirit within you." Why would he say that? The spirit within me? I guess that there's a bestial spirit in me, but again, I'm not sure. Now's honestly not the time to think about this.

I caught sight of Sylvia running around with Tanis and Simon as I began to whip up a simple breakfast. When I was done, I made myself a plate and set it off to the side as I made plates for anyone that walked up to get food.

"Oh, thanks," Grigori began as I handed him a plate, only to cough up smoke.

I rose an eyebrow, "Let me guess: another potion blew up?"

He sighed, "Yep. It happens. For every successfully-created potion, there are usually three others that have blown up in my face."

I chuckled, "Well, don't blow your face off."

He snorted, "I try my best."

I grinned, then made a plate for Luna. She smiled and took the plate from me.

"You don't have to do this, Helix," She began, "I don't think we don't mind making our own plates."

I shrugged, "I want to do something nice before we have to go to Thaleous' stronghold. I'd rather put a smile on everyone's face before we go take care of public asshole number one."

She nodded, chuckling to herself, "You make a good argument. Thank you Helix."

I smiled, then made a plate for Soren.

"Oh, thanks Helix," He began in surprise.

I nodded, "No problem."

It took about fifteen minutes to serve everyone, but it was worth it. I could tell that the atmosphere around the fort was brightened slightly. You can't  remove the air of nervousness just by handing someone a plate of food, but it still did the trick. I heard Dorrian cracking jokes, soon followed by Simon groaning and telling him to stop. I grinned, grabbing the plate of food I had set aside and sat beside Luna.

"The magic of warm food does wonders," She mused as she watched Stanford converse with Evelyn and Isaac.

I nodded, "It's truly amazing, isn't it?"

She chuckled, "Aye, it is."

When I finished eating, I walked over to Soren and asked him who he wanted to tag along with us today.

He shrugged, "It's your call Helix. You're the one in charge of this mission today, so bring whoever you want to bring along."

"I hope I'm not too late," Gwyneth began as she appeared beside us, "Forgive me again for my absence. The council meeting has been adjourned. The council has caught wind of Kybris being freed from her prison. We know this because we felt an explosion of magic come forth from the heart of this realm-Kybris' island. I knew you and Helix broke her out, so I told the council what you two did."

"How did Malcolm react?" Soren asked with a faint grin on his face.

"He was overjoyed. I never thought I'd see the old man so happy," Gwyneth replied humorously.

I rose my hand slightly.

"Yes Helix?" Gwyn began.

"Who's Malcolm, and what's this council you're talking about?" I asked curiously.

"The council Gwyn is talking about is the Council of the Fallen Leaf," Soren explained, "While the imperial inquisitors protect Mareth from demons, the Council of the Fallen Leaf makes certain that the magic in this realm doesn't fade away. As you'd guess, the council has been panicking recently due to the fact that Thaleous was trying his damnedest to strip the realm of magic. The council is comprised exclusively of kitsunes that have gained enlightenment by earning all nine of their tails, so we all know a thing or two about how magic works, and how it can be removed from an area. To answer your other question, Malcolm is the leader of the council. He is the oldest kitsune in this realm, so everyone listens when he speaks."

I nodded, "Huh, wow," I mused, looking at Gwyn, "No, you're not too late. We're just figuring out who's tagging along for this initial assault."

She nodded, "Very well. Do you have an idea of who will be coming along?"

"I do," I began, "Here are the people that are tagging along: my entire team, Soren, Gwyn, Simon, and Stefan."

"Why do you wish to bring me along?" She asked curiously.

"I want you to sense the wards that surround Thaleous' stronghold and tell me how strong they are," I replied, "While they're going to be disabled for today and tomorrow, they'll still be around the stronghold though, and there's no guarantee that they'll stay down when I get myself captured."

Gwyn rose an eyebrow, "I can tell I missed some very important information, but I understand that you don't have the time to explain the nitty gritty, as Soren calls it. Alright, I understand. Luckily for you, I excel at reading the qualities of wards, and knowing how to dismantle them. I've also been studying the wards surrounding Thaleous' personal abode for a few years, so you're in luck, my friend."

"Why do you wish for me to come along?" Stefan asked.

"You know Thaleous' stronghold like the back of your hand, I presume?" I replied with a question.

"Of course," He began, "I was locked up there for...too long. I know where all the traps are and-oh, I see why you'd want to bring me along now."

I chuckled, "We don't want to get blown up before we even get to the stupid stronghold. If you don't mind tagging along, I'll really need your knowledge of Thaleous' stronghold so we don't all...you know, die."

Stefan nodded, "I don't mind coming along." He looked at Tanis, "Just let me take care of some things before we leave."

I nodded, "We're not leaving yet, so no rush."

He nodded, then walked over to Tanis.

I caught sight of Isaac standing a few feet away from the main group. I walked over to him and smiled: "Wanna tag along for the secondary assault?"

His smile was chilling, "You know it. This is the first time I've ever had the chance to strike back against Thaleous, and I am not passing that up."

"Alright," I replied cheerfully, "So that's settled then."

"Besides, I have to make up for my previous failure," He continued, "I should've known that the scheming rat would try to lure us into a trap."

I placed a hand on his shoulder, "I've told you this before: no one knew that Thaleous was playing us. We couldn't find that little fact out until we already had a mini-hoard of demons breathing down out backs."

He nodded. We both then froze as we heard Soren calling for everyone's attention: "We leave in the hour. The second attack will take place at midnight. We will move with the shadows, and end this bloody war with only the moon to witness our actions." His face hardened, "Whatever happens tonight, whatever horrors we may experience, Thaleous' reign of terror will end tonight."

Everyone nodded solemnly, understanding the magnitude of our situation.

"You're all dismissed," Soren began, a tired, weary light displacing the defiant flame that usually burns in his eyes, "Hang out with friends, say goodbye to loved ones, or get a quick drink to nullify any frayed nerves you're feeling right now."

Everyone nodded, and Luna and I left to find our child.

"You're leaving again?" Sylvia asked quietly.

Luna and I looked at each other, both trying not to cry in front of our daughter.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so lass," I replied, putting a smile on my face, "Your mother will be back soon, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"Why won't you be coming back with mama?" She asked, a stab of fear arcing through her voice.

I chose my words carefully, "My job is extra special for this mission, Sylvia. I have to go behind enemy lines and ensure that everyone else can enter the stronghold we're going to attack. Don't you worry lass: I'll take good care of myself."

She smiled, then hugged my leg, "Good."

For the time we had left, Luna and I sat with our child, talking to her and keeping her company until Soren called for everyone that was leaving for Thaleous' stronghold to get ready to go.

Once again, Luna and I looked at each other. This time, the tears couldn't be stopped.

"We'll be back soon, Sylvia," Luna whispered as she embraced our child, "You have our word."

"Aye," I chimed in, "We'll be back."

She nodded, "Go. You have a job to do."

I felt my heart shatter, but I nodded anyway, "Come on Luna. It's time to go."

She nodded and stood up, still holding her daughter's small hand.

"We'll be back," She whispered. As Luna let go of Sylvia's hand, I felt the grief emanate from her aura: it was overwhelming, and I had to close my eyes to stop the deluge of tears.

Opening my eyes again, I saw Stefan and Tanis embracing for one last time before Stefan stepped away from her.

Once again, an hour was too short a time to say goodbye.