Tara pulls on the energy, channeling it through the siphon runes, reversing the flow. The tower's energy grid responds immediately—power surges through him, feeding into his massive energy reserves. He can feel it, the constant stream of energy flowing into his core. His shapeshift form remains active, his wolf body maintaining the transformation as the energy flows through him.

  A couple of minutes pass while charging the battery, then something happens.

  The power shuts down.

  The flow stops abruptly, cutting off mid-stream. The runes in the floor go dark, their glow fading. The magical bindings that hold him slacken, their energy source gone. Tara's shapeshifted form remains, his wolf body ready to move.

  Tara is surprised. "That was fast," he thinks. "I'm sure the tower's energy can't be drained that easily. It must have massive reserves. Unless..."

  He realizes what is happening. The mages noticed. They detected the energy drain and cut off the network. Smart move. But it means something else—they can't monitor him. The surveillance runes are inactive.

  Tara focuses his energy. He channels a precise blast—small, controlled, aimed directly at the lock mechanism on his gate. The energy blast hits with surgical precision, melting the lock's core without damaging the surrounding bars.

  The gate swings open.

  Tara moves quickly. He turns to Unolf's chamber, repeating the process—a precise energy blast.

  Unolf steps out and gives Tara a quick bark—ready to move.

  Then something happens. One of the chambers makes a sound. A deep thud, then another. The sound of stone grinding against metal. Then a crash—the reinforced gate shatters, torn from its hinges. A massive stone golem steps out, its body composed of dark granite and obsidian, standing nearly twice the height of a man. Its form is humanoid but blocky, with powerful limbs and glowing runes etched into its stone surface. It doesn't look at Tara or Unolf—it's focused on escape, on freedom.

  The golem charges down the corridor, its heavy footsteps shaking the floor, heading deeper into the tower.

  "What the..." Tara thinks. "A stone golem. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. If it causes chaos, that helps us. I think we found our vanguard."

  The wolves follow at a distance, watching, waiting.

  Tara activates his 360-degree perception, extending his vision through the tower's structure. He finds something interesting. Only a portion of the tower has been deprived of power—the lower levels, including the monster chambers. The upper levels still have power, still have active monitoring.

  They have no option but to get out in plain sight. There's no sneaking through the powered sections—they'll be detected immediately.

  The golem reaches a dead end, turns, then charges down another corridor. It's heading in the general direction of the outer wall, but it's taking a winding path, following the corridors instead of going straight.

  Tara makes a decision. He channels an energy blast, aiming at the wall directly ahead of the golem's path. The blast tears through stone and metal, creating a hole large enough for the creature to pass through. The golem doesn't hesitate—it charges through the new opening, continuing its escape.

  Tara follows, Unolf beside him, keeping pace with the golem. When the creature veers off course or hits another dead end, Tara blasts another hole, guiding it straight toward the outer wall. The golem adapts quickly, following the path of least resistance, charging through each new opening Tara creates.

  As they move, mages appear—guards, battle mages, all responding to the breach. Spells fly toward them, earth and stone and force.

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  The golem charges ahead, taking the brunt of the attacks. Stone spikes erupt from the ground, slamming into its stone chest—they shatter against its form, leaving cracks but barely slowing it down. Earth shards fly toward it—the sharp fragments bounce off its stone surface, the runes glowing brighter as it continues forward. Force spells barrel toward it—the magical energy crashes against its form, chipping away small fragments but failing to stop it.

  The mages try using binding spells, runes forming in the air around the golem. The creature doesn't slow—it simply smashes through the magical bindings, the runes shattering against its stone body. One mage tries to create a barrier, but the golem barrels through it, the magical wall breaking apart like glass.

  Tara fires energy blasts, intercepting spells that would hit him or Unolf. A volley of stone projectiles comes at them—his energy blast meets them mid-air, the projectiles shattering into dust.

  "Need to be precise," Tara thinks.

  Unolf runs faster, with Tara keeping pace beside him through the chaos, dodging spells, leaping over debris. Tara keeps firing, each blast intercepting incoming attacks, sometimes with more force than necessary—one tears through a spell and continues on to destroy a section of corridor wall behind the mages who watch in shock.

  They reach the outer wall. Tara blasts another hole, creating an exit.

  Mages appear at the hole—a group of them, staffs raised, spells already forming. They're blocking the exit, cutting off the escape route.

  The golem charges toward the opening, but the mages are ready. Multiple binding spells activate simultaneously—magical chains wrap around the golem's limbs, trying to hold it in place. The golem struggles, its stone form grinding against the magical restraints. Its runes glow brighter as it fights against the bindings, but for a moment, it's held.

  But Tara and Unolf make the most of this moment. They dart through the opening, slipping past the mages who are focused on containing the golem. Unolf leaps through first, Tara right behind him. They're falling now, the ground rushing up to meet them.

  Behind them, the golem breaks free—the magical chains shatter, the runes fade. The creature crashes through the mages, throwing them aside like ragdolls, and follows Tara and Unolf through the opening.

  But before they can land, something hits them—a powerful spell, something Tara hasn't seen coming. He fires an energy blast, but it's a bit hurried and weak. The residual energy from the spell strikes them directly, its force slamming into both Tara and Unolf.

  Unolf tumbles as he falls. They both hit the ground hard. Unolf lands on his side, then scrambles back to his feet. Tara lands on all fours, shaking off the impact.

  They both look up, and there she is.

  A mage, mounted on a magnificent flying creature. The beast hovers in the air, its body that of a great cat with the wings of an eagle. Its fur is the color of storm clouds, deep grey with silver streaks that catch the light like lightning. The wings span wide, feathers tipped with iridescent blue that shimmer with magical energy. Golden eyes pierce through the chaos, and obsidian claws gleam in the dim light.

  The mage herself is distinguished—her robes are more elaborate than the others, her staff more ornate. Her expression is calm, composed, but her eyes are sharp, calculating. This is no ordinary mage.

  Recognition hits Tara. "Wait," he thinks. "I know her."

  ********* Chapter end *********

  *This chapter was originally longer, so I've divided it into parts for better readability.*