The ranger met Jamie's gaze, his eyes steady beneath the shadow of his hood. 'Simple,' he replied. 'Sneak into the castle.'

For a moment, the five stood in silence. The castle loomed in the distance, its stone battlements and towering spires bathed in the setting sun.

Four of them were still thinking about entering such a fortified stronghold. Meanwhile, Jamie's mind was dissecting the challenge and breaking it into manageable parts.

"We need a distraction," he began, pacing a few steps as he spoke. "And we must avoid being seen by the locals. If anyone spots us, they'll alert the guards. Even if we pose no threat, strangers will raise suspicions in a place like this."

"In that case," Thomas suggested, glancing toward the village, "it's best if we stay off the road."

"Agreed," Jamie nodded, his gaze sweeping over the others. "Let's hide and find cover."

He led them away from the open terrain. They retraced their steps toward the meadow where they had concealed their carriage.

Upon reaching their spot, the group paused. The sun was dipping below the horizon.

"I have something that might help us," Thyra announced suddenly.

She climbed back into the carriage. Rummaging through the supplies, they had hastily gathered before leaving Hafenstadt. She said, "I wasn't sure how long we'd be out here."

Emerging moments later, she held several cloaks draped over her arm. They were made of coarse, dark fabric. "I thought it might rain," she said with a faint smile. "But they'll also help us hide."

"Excellent," Jamie replied, accepting one of the cloaks and swinging it over his shoulders. "We'll wait until it's dark. The shadows will help us avoid getting noticed."

Holz was restless, his gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the castle. The thought of waiting, of standing idle while his wife remained in peril, gnawed at him. He paced along the edge of the clearing.

"What can we do to create a distraction?" Jamie pondered aloud.

The group fell into a thoughtful silence, each contemplating possible solutions.

Finally, Alonzo broke the silence. He raised a tentative hand, clearing his throat. "What if we started a fire?" he suggested cautiously.

Thyra spun to face him, her eyes flashing with incredulity. "Are you out of your mind?" she exclaimed, her voice sharp. "Do you have any idea of the devastation that would cause if their crops burned? The livelihoods lost? The famine that would follow the whole empire?"

Alonzo held up his hands. "I know, I know," he responded. "But think about it. A fire would draw everyone's attention. If the suggestion alarms us this much, imagine how the guards would react. It could be the distraction we need."

"It makes sense, but even so, the damage is too great," Jamie explained.

"But we don't have to actually burn the crops," Alonzo interjected, his eyes bright with a spark of mischief. "We need them to think the fields are on fire."

[The God of Mischief says, "I like him."]

Jamie considered this, tapping a finger against his chin. "That makes sense," he conceded. "We could set a fire in this clearing. The smoke and sparks would rise high enough to be seen from the castle."

"We can surround the fire with stones to keep it from spreading," Thomas added. "People will call us pyromaniacs after setting things ablaze a second time."

Jamie smiled at the thought.

"I can spread ice and dampen the ground to help prevent any stray embers," Thyra offered. She brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear, her gaze thoughtful.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Jamie nodded but raised a hand in caution. "Yet, if the fire starts out of nowhere, they'll suspect it's a trap," he pointed out. "We're not dealing with trolls this time."

Alonzo's face lit up with an idea. "My magic isn't limited to lightning and thunder," he said. "Before lightning comes the rain." He paused, gauging their reactions. "Altering the weather isn't my specialty, but I can nudge it. I could summon a light rain. Enough to make it seem natural. Then conjure lightning to ignite the flames."

A slow smile spread across Jamie's face. "That could work," he mused. "We can also use the lightning as the signal to start the operation."

"I think we're close to a solid plan," Holz chimed in, speaking up for the first time. "But if the flames only come from the direction of the forest, they'll realize the fire isn't threatening the fields."

Jamie snapped his fingers. "Good point. I can handle that part. After resting on the journey here, I've got my spells back. I can make some lights in the fields. Make it seem like the fire is spreading toward the crops."

Thomas grinned. "We can also wait a few moments after the fire starts and then rush into the village, shouting about a blaze. That should stir up enough commotion."

Finally, with a solid plan, they could begin. To start, they gathered as many stones as possible before the last light rays disappeared.

Yet, soon, darkness enveloped the landscape. Stars emerged one by one, along with the moon.

Thomas and Holz positioned themselves near the village, ready to raise the alarm about the fire. Meanwhile, Thyra and Alonzo were preparing for the fire. They arranged firewood and moistened the surrounding area to ensure the flames wouldn't spread.

Deep within the fields of tall, whispering grain, Jamie crouched low, his hood drawn over his face to conceal his features. He fixed his gaze toward the horizon, muscles tense, waiting for the signal.

Although he should have been focused solely on what was happening around him, his mind couldn't ignore what was missing. "Where is Jay?" he kept wondering.

In the distance, a lone wolf's howl pierced the silence.

Soon, a light drizzle began to fall, the raindrops falling softly against the leaves and earth. It wasn't a storm by any means, but enough to dampen the ground and justify the thunder. The air grew cooler, and the scent of wet earth rose around him.

Moments after the rain started, a brilliant flash of lightning split the sky.

"Now!" Jamie whispered to himself. He extended his hands outward, channeling his mana.

[Dancing Lights]

Instantly, ethereal wisps of luminescent light blossomed into existence. They floated and wove among the stalks of grain. From a distance, the lights resembled the erratic flicker of flames. It created the illusion of multiple fires igniting amidst the crops.

As the false fires started, Jamie began moving toward the village. His footsteps were silent on the damp soil, and his dark cloak rendered him nearly invisible in the night.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"The fields are burning!"

The urgent cries of alarm rang out, growing louder and more frantic as the villagers stepped out of their homes. Panic rippled through as people saw what they believed to be their crops consumed by fire. Mothers clutched their children; men shouted orders, and desperation filled the air.

Weaving his way between cottages, Jamie ran toward the castle's entrance. Near the gate, he spotted two tall figures cloaked and hooded like him, standing in the shadows.

"Where are Thyra and Alonzo?" Jamie whispered as he approached Thomas and Holz.

"We haven't seen them yet," Thomas replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "But we have another issue."

"What is it?" Jamie asked.

"Earlier, we only saw soldiers patrolling," Thomas said before nodding toward the castle. "But look over there."

Peering into the courtyard, Jamie's gaze followed Thomas's. Amid the commotion, he noticed a group of armored soldiers. Their armor carried distinctive symbols. Symbols he recognized.

"Inquisitors?" Jamie muttered.

"It seems so," Thomas confirmed grimly.

"Before, it was just a hypothesis, but now it is clear," Jamie pondered aloud, his mind racing. "But why would inquisitors be involved with someone like Lucius? Someone who's doing things like dark summoning?" No one had an answer.

"What's worse is if you count the Templars here and the ones we encountered in Hafenstadt. There are over thirty of them," Thomas explained.

"What does that mean?" Jamie asked, struggling to grasp the meaning.

"If their numbers work like other armies, this means there are two squads," Thomas said, his expression serious. "If I remember correctly, back at the Academy, they used to say that inquisitor squads never operated more than one at a time. The only exception was in cases involving enemies that not even a nation could handle."

Jamie felt a chill run down his spine. "What could they want with Hafenstadt?" he wondered, the question hanging in the air.

Before they could speculate further, the sound of soft footsteps approached from behind. Jamie turned to see Alonzo and Thyra emerging from the shadows, their cloaks damp from the light rain.

"We're here," Alonzo announced.

Thyra glanced between them, sensing the tension. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

"We got company. Inquisitors," Jamie explained. "But our goal remains the same."

He took a deep breath. "Let's move."

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