"You will be good at making deals, Azaroth but let’s talk about our deal." The man snapped his fingers.

Azaroth raised his brows. "You haven’t told me your name."

At least Azaroth should know the name of the spy even though he was sure to get a fake name.

"Oh, my bad. Where were my manners? You can call me Fallen Leaf that glows pink in the Evernight." He put his hand on his chest and pretended to swoon on the bed.

Azaroth sighed. He was getting tired of all this drama and he had an early training tomorrow. He needed his sleep.

"The short form?" He asked.

"Evernight. Call me Evetnight." The man named Evernight said.

Azaroth frowned. He knew that wasn’t his name but he didn’t have time to drag anything. "Evernight the spy. Fitting."

"Oh come on! That went out of fashion a long time ago during the dark times. We are called intelligence officers now." Evernight said.

Azaroth ignored him. "Which of the powerhouse in the continent do you spy for?"

"Oh! So direct! And what if I am a wandering Awakener?"

Azaroth tapped the floor with the butt of his sheathed sword. "You are not a wandering Awakener. I’ve heard none by the name Evernight and a wandering Awakener won’t have any business snooping around the Inferno Legion."

"This coming times might change all that. Interesting times ahead." Evernight whispered.

"You said what now?" Azaroth asked.

"Oh, just thinking aloud," Evernight swung his leg and sat at the edge of the bed then clasped his fingers together. "Now are you in for a deal or not?"

Azaroth thought about it. Whatever Evernight was planning didn’t concern him and killing of Hounds would make him happy and having an active hand in it? A blessing.

But the risk was also high. Getting caught meant a quick horrible death and all his plans wasted. He had a better chance of just waiting patiently and going along with his plan for revenge.

But he couldn’t help his curiosity, he was already feeling it. The feeling of causing chaos, unseen and invisible, just under his enemy’s nose. He wanted that, wanted to feel some satisfaction on seeing his enemies suffer.

But first. "What’s in for me?" Azaroth asked.

"Your freedom. And you can even negotiate your friend’s freedom too if you wish." Evernight said.

Azaroth narrowed his eyes. "First, I don’t have any friends here. Second, I don’t need any freedom here."

"Not now you mean? You don’t need freedom here because you meant to use the Inferno Legion but then they aren’t stupid either, are they?" Evernight asked.

Azaroth stilled. This man, Evernight knew too much but then again it wasn’t hard if you thought about it. A child’s parent and outpost was destroyed, what’s there for him? Of course, take revenge on the doers.

The question had bugged Azaroth since, how had the Hounds planned to control the weapons they were creating? Seems Evernight had the answer.

"Tell me." Azaroth demanded.

Evernight spread his hand and his voice was smug. "We never struck a deal, Azaroth."

Azaroth’s face hardened. This changed everything didn’t it? Now to proceed with his plan in the Inferno Legion he had to know how the Hounds were controlled. How they planned to control him.

"You have to promise that the information you provide is true and you have a solution or else the deal is off." Azaroth pointed at Evernight.

Evernight paused. "Very well, as you wish. And if the information and the solution are provided are true then you must hold up your end of the bargain."

Azaroth nodded. That is fair enough for him.

Evernight tapped his mask. "Here it is. Your answer."

Azaroth looked at him in confusion. "Where?"

"The mask, Azaroth. The answer lies in the mask the Hounds wore." Evernight said.

"How?" Azaroth demanded.

Evernight pointed to his mask. "These masks are enchanted. Once you put it on there’s no going back. You will obey every command given to you."

Azaroth stared at him, shocked. He hadn’t thought that far, all he was thinking about was how maybe the Hounds would control them with fear.

Vax smiled his wolf smile. It was brilliant of the Inferno Legion.

But..... how could he believe Evernight? The man was very smooth and twisty. He had a way of saying things that were true in a very untrue way and he’s good.

"Why should I believe this?"

Evernight nodded slowly. "You are right of course. I will show you later but for now, believe me and ask me the real questions."

"How did they do it? I’ve never seen any masked Hound take their mask off before. Is it stuck to their face?" Azaroth said, he was always curious about that. How the Hounds never seems to take it off.

"Not in the physical sense. One of the very first commands the mask carried is, do not take it off. Next, don’t run away. Don’t hurt yourself or other Hound unless you are told so." Evernight said.

That made sense to Azaroth. "And don’t these commands conflict with each other, what about eating?"

"Of course it does but high command can override any other commands. And there’s standing oder for eating I think, they have their own dinning room. Also the commands given can be override," Evernight said.

"Explain," Azaroth demanded. That bit about food must be true, he hadn’t ever seen any Hound eat before him.

Evernight sighed and murmured. "So demanding and yet so rude. The masks are rank-based. In the sense the higher you are in the command chain of the Hounds the more you can command those below you. Of course, every Hound no matter how high in rank has enactment that bound them to loyalty to the Inferno Legion."

"But Commander Apex did not wear any mask." Azaroth pointed out.

"Of course, he did not. He’s a Commander and he commands a lot of Hound. But be sure he had an enchanted object on his that bound him in obedience." Evernight said.

"So other Hound can command any Hound?" He asked.

"No. It starts from the captain rank and it’s a complex enchantment that makes it so that only the Commander of an outpost can command the outpost Hounds. Those higher than Commander rank can command based on region," Evernight sighed. "It’s even more complicated in their Capital."

"And the solution?" Azaroth asked.

"Kill the enchanter!"