Evan exhaled sharply, the cold air form outside was burning his lungs and he was glad to have finally made it to the minotaur's lair without dying. The lair was surprisingly much warmer than the freezing blizzard just outside of the cave. Evan knew there were likely numerous potential targets in this lair, but Evan was contracted and tasked to kill only one - Khad the minotaur lord. Khad was notorious for capturing humans in nearby villages, subjecting them to unknown torments as none of the captured humans has ever been found alive or dead. Khad was also known as an extremely virile minotaur compared to most others, amassing a large harem of minotaur women to breed an army for Khad. Rumors had it that minotaur attacks by Khad's gang were on the rise and were beginning to show signs of a potential military strike on the villages. Fearing for the safety of the capital city, the king had begun to hire mercenaries to attempt to bring the king down. So far, all the squads had never been seen again, only making the situation that much more dire.
Evan was part of an elite group of rogues, specializing in assassination and silent kills. Fearing the existence of an heir to Khad's throne, the capital needed to ensure Khad's death would mean the death of the minotaur colony as well. The plan was simple, Evan would assassinate Khad and hide the evidence until morning. Come morning, Evan was instructed to set off an explosive device which could cripple minotaur forced and signal the royal guard to invade and slaughter all minotaurs within. This plan would prevent an heir to claim the throne in time, leaving the minotaurs without a leader for the assault. Evan was warned about the strength and cunning of the minotaurs in the lair, being told that unlike most minotaurs, Khad's forces exhibited a human-like thought process and much higher intelligence than normal. Noone was sure exactly why these minotaurs were smarter and more cunning, but some argued that there was another power at work which gave these minotaurs an advantage.
Evan couldn't care much for rumors, and began to sneak through the caverns, searching for any sort of indication where Khad would be. Just like humans, the minotaurs were asleep at this hour - Evan could make out the snoring echoing from the cavern walls. While there were a few guards patrolling the tunnels, the dim lighting made it easy for Evan to sneak by them with ease. As much as Evan wanted to dispatch them, he didn't want to jeopardize the mission. Evan noted the armor and weaponry of the guards he passed - mostly a few pieces of plate armor but plenty of vulnerable spots for executions. As Evan ventured deeper into the cave, he saw a gold-adorned doorway off in the distance. Perhaps this doorway would lead to the royal halls or better yet - Khad's bedroom. Evan made his way to the door, stopping when he realized the door seemed very heavy and dilapidated. Opening this door would be quite risky as it could attract guards with its noise. However, Evan wasn't sure if there was any alternative route in the cave like this. The only possible alternate would be to try the room located right beside the door - which appeared to be a child-care room for raising minotaur infants. Evan could see one of such infants sleeping peacefully and theorized that maybe he could use the infant as a diversion or something.