From the actually only one planned week, is now, unfortunately, already nearly a whole moon become.
This morning Sanise burst into my room excitedly.
»I think I found him, « she shouted. »An older couple has seen a Drow that fits your description in company with a white-haired female knight.«
I immediately grabbed my things and ran towards Sanise.
»Where?«
»At the poor district of the city. They saw them disappear into an alley.«
»What alley?«
»Don't make a fuss. It's all on the map.«

There was a narrow, unprotected entrance to an underground cave between two orphaned buildings at the end of the alley, where we could find excellent cover between the barrels standing around and approaching unseen.
»Is that the Drow?« she asked me softly, and I only nodded
»He's hot,« it came very quietly but enthusiastically with a long o out of her. »But who is this strange woman?«
She pointed to a human woman who was rubbing against the Drow with her top open. Her white hair was a strong contrast to her black clothes and especially her black make-up. Not far away from her stood a two-handed man leaning against the wall, which obviously seemed to belong to her.
»His taste in women has diminished after you, though.« Sanise giggled, after which I gave her a nasty look, and it seemed her giggle drew attention to us.
»Did you hear that, Tarlyn?« the woman asked, reaching for her sword.
»That was probably just another rat.«
»I know what a rat sounds like.« she growled and slowly approached our cover.
»Now come back here and keep rubbing, darling.« Tarlyn demanded, and she turned around as ordered.
She stood with her back close to us, mumbling some words. I had to take my chance, sneaked up on her carefully with the dagger in my hand, tore her head back by her hair, and cut her throat before she could start screaming.
When her sword and body fell to the ground, Tarlyn noticed me too.
»Look at you. Couldn't live without me, could you?« he laughed. »Did you bring our child with you, at least?«
»You'll never get to see the child!« it came out irritable of me, and it seemed that the tips Miara gave me helped. I noticed the veiled vision, the visible auras, the rage that pervaded and strengthened my whole body, the ground beneath my feet scorched by lightning, and yet I could keep my thoughts almost clear.
»Seems to be my fate. Your successor was as fertile as a load of sand. Absolutely no comparison to you!« he laughed further.
»My fertility is not your subject!« I rumbled and stormed towards him with the whip in my hand.
He had drawn his daggers quickly and skillfully dodged my attack.
»Wow. You should have shown this fire at the lake!« he joked. Did he really want to provoke me even more? As I rushed past him, wrapped my whip around his legs, and he fell towards the ground, he threw one of his daggers at me and hit me in the shoulder. But I felt no pain. Not even when I pulled out the dagger with its barbs and threw it to the ground. The wound pulsated, and blood flowed into my suit, yet my thoughts were only about how to kill him most painfully. When he was standing again, I spurted the whip towards him and managed to wrap it around his body. I sprinted past him and used the run-up to throw him against a wall.

»Ahh. You would have made such a wonderful wife!« he brought out coughing blood
»Inconspicuous, beautiful, and really fiery.«
He wiped the blood from his face, straightened up again, and disappeared into the shadows.
»You should have killed me right then and there.« I heard from all directions. I looked around but could not perceive him when he suddenly rammed his dagger into my back and punched me with my head against the wall.
»Damn assassins. Cowards, all of you. Hide in the shadows and attack from behind.« I growled as the blood ran out of my mouth. After he disappeared into the shadows again, two words came to my mind ›Maral kor'inth¹‹. Words I read a few days ago in a book about elemental magic. They are said to summon a storm if the magician is strong enough, but should I really try it in this vault?
»Come on, little mage. Surely you can do better than that.« it mocked in the room, and before I could even think of it, I was already saying the words »Maral kor'inth.«
Black clouds settled on the room ceiling, and rain put out the candles. Strong wind gusts turned the small objects into dangerous projectiles, and the only thing that lit up the room was random lightning bolts from the clouds on the ceiling.
»Oh sweetie. You must have forgotten that we assassins live in darkness.«
»No, I didn't!« I growled and cracked my whip on the wet ground, causing lightning to rise from the water, catching Tarlyn and throwing him shakily to the ground.
Every step I took towards him brought lightning from the ground at my feet, fused with my body. Finally, I picked up one of his daggers, pulled him by his hair against a wall, and rammed the dagger through his shoulder into the wall with a force I had never felt before.

(c) Art by Amionna

»Great, you got me. And now?« he asked as he tried to free himself from the wall.
I didn't react any further and just put my hand flat on his chest.
»Nizzre'²« I murmured, and a flash of lightning went through my hand into his body and made his eyes light up briefly.
»Great trick!« he tried to joke.
»Nizzre'« I mentioned again, but with more determination, and he cried out painfully.
»Wow, you learn really fast. You can give me a bl…« – I shouted »Nizzre'« to him, and every nerve path in his body lit up in a bright blue. I couldn't believe it by myself, but his cries were a relief to my ears. After he spits blood at me, he became more serious
»I hope you won't treat our child like this.«
Angrily, I put both hands on his chest and just screamed »Nizzre'« loudly, and it seemed as if all the energy inside me was being discharged into him. I watched with frightening pleasure as his nerves glowed, his skin burst open, his clothes caught fire that even the rain didn't seem to extinguish, and his painful cries resounded in the room.
»El, dos fa'la zatoast³. Nizzre'« I cried out in rage before my energy waned, and I fell crying powerlessly to the ground. The storm and the rain subsided, and the clouds disappeared.
»Naldela« I heard Sanise, horrified, running through the water towards me, knelt down by me, and laid my head in her lap.
»It's over!« she whispered and stroked through my hair. »It's over.« while the burning cadaver of Tarlyn at the wall lit up the room mildly.