The mage could not wait. He needed to act this very evening - and with any luck destroy the dark sage before she went on the offensive.

Of course, he was fully aware that the possibility existed of things being a little too difficult to handle on his own. He would have let the rogue in, but at the end of the day he didn't trust her. That meant he would have to do it by himself. [i]But do I need to go in the flesh?[/i] he asked himself as he looked into the lifeless eyes of a well crafted golem, shrouded in the darkness of the cave. If the plan failed, he would know that more extreme measures would be necessary, and he would be able to tell the Council of the threat. There were too many thing at stake to let the sage roam the world, attempting to undo the last pure order left.

He pulled the yellow talisman out of his pocket and clasped it into the golem's hands. The one valuable that could be at risk, but the mage was quite sure that even if the golem fell, the talisman would be safe from being used against him. After all, the sage could only be recruiting those of dark hearts - she wouldn't be able to touch it and neither could her cronies.

He stared into the lifeless eyes of the golem and began the procedure of possessing it...

[center][b][color=darkred]~~--o--~~--o--~~--o--~~--o--~~[/color][/b][/center]

The mage stood at the bottom of the hill, looking at the mansion with talisman in hand. Well warded against intrusion. Certainly, the sage had prepared herself well. But then, he was a Magi Ritari - and he knew every wall, magical or physical, could be broken.

The trick was, of course, to enter without being immediately detected. He issued a cloaking spell to begin; sufficient against most means of detection, though possibly vulnerable to direct magical probes. But then, there was little reason for him to be sought out.

As he climbed the hill, he noticed a strange feeling; a familiar presence. He identified it with a scowl. [i]The rogue.[/i] Whatever her reason for being there, she could damage the mission. If he felt her she could almost certainly detect him back. But it was too late to retreat.

The mage walked low and approached the exterior of the sage's home, talisman in hand. The first thing he would need to do is identify exactly where his target was. He began scanning the windows, straining to find the one he sought.