Amelia

Salthu and I spent the day learning the tracking spell, the fire before us crackling as we studied the transcript and committed the incantation to memory. I didn’t have the experience to cast the spell, but I could help Salthu memorize the words and gestures. It was intriguing to see the differences between our spell learning methods. He repeatedly mimicked the gestures, going through each step ten, twenty, thirty times before moving on. He explained that it helped him properly manipulate the mana when he wanted to cast the spell. He needed to practice if he wanted to properly build the ‘manatic construct’ as he called it. I nodded as I watched him practice the second to last gesture in the list. “You know how to concentrate,” I observed. “I’m surprised Oghash gave us so much trouble.”

Salthu nodded as he repeated the gesture and let out a sigh. “Unfortunately the world is not balanced. She would only perform the gestures a single time before casting a spell such as this. She was gifted with greater ease for the mystic arts. Thus is the difference between wizards and mages.”

I furrowed my brow as I gestured dismissively. “Don’t worry about what she can do. Just focus on what you’re able to accomplish. Besides, raw power is no match for refined skills and you have the skills for this practice.”

Salthu let out another sigh as he stepped back over and looked down at the open book again, his nose wrinkled in disgust. “It still enrages me that such imbalance exists. The strong should be kind and virtuous; not petty and cruel.”

I let out a sigh of my own as I glanced at the burning fire. Having her materialize beside us was not conducive to our expedition. If only I had learned a few more combat spells. I shook my head as I pulled myself away from the distraction and turned back to the book. “It’s kind of balanced, in a way,” I assured him.

He looked over at me skeptically, his brow furrowed in confusion. “How so?” He asked curiously.

I gestured towards the page as I explained. “What’s to say she’s not like that because she learns magic so easily? We have a lot of stories back home about magic powers like this. Just about all of them have an easy and hard way to gain power. The bad guys and good guys tend to make the same choices when it comes to achieving their power. If Oghash is anyone to go by, it seems like this trend is here as well.”

Salthu’s confusion turned into a scowl as he continued to stare at me. “This is not a reassuring tale.” He growled. “It had better have an uplifting outcome.”

I nodded as I let out a sigh and sat back in my chair. “What I’m trying to say is there’s humility in hard work. Oghash doesn’t appreciate the power she has, so she’s more likely to abuse said power. You, on the other hand, have to gain that power through effort so you’ll be far more appreciative of what you’re able to do.”

Salthu let out a sigh as he turned back to the book. “As I said,” He muttered. “Reassuring.” He fell silent as he continued to stare at the gestures, his scowl frozen in place as he reviewed the spell again.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I realized I hadn’t comforted him in the slightest. I sat forward again as I tried to structure my words more thoughtfully. “There’s also the sheer statistics of it all to consider.” I continued. “Not everyone with her level of power will develop into someone like her. If someone like her with her magic abilities exists, then there’s likely a foil to her wickedness, someone that uses their abilities for good instead of their own selfish means. You just haven't met them yet."

Salthu let out a sigh as he continued to gaze at the book in front of him, his eyes still carrying that expression of disgust. He finally growled as he looked down and scratched his head. "I pray that you are correct." He muttered. "It would bode ill if you were not."

I nodded again as I sat back in the chair once more. "I don't have proof, but it's what makes sense to me," I affirmed.

Salthu stood there quietly for another moment before gesturing at the book again. "We should continue. The blood will not last long once they obtain it. We will only have another day to prepare before the blood begins to spoil." I nodded as I turned back to the book again. Salthu and I began pouring through the spell again as the fire crackled in front of us, unaware of the events about to unfold.

Dexter

I let out a growl as we slowly trudged our way back to the city. The teleport had carried us quite a ways, but we were still an hour or two outside the city. I muttered a curse as I scratched my head annoyedly. I wracked my brain as I tried to come up with a new strategy for tracking Orthan. The essence was no longer an option so we'd need a new strategy. I turned to Gremach as an idea materialized. "What kind of transformation magic are capable of?" I asked. "Can it be localized to a body part? If we can get some kind of scent we might be able to follow his trail from the road he was repairing."

Gremach let out a sigh as he rubbed his head and considered the idea. "Perhaps," he mused. "However, it may take time to learn the spell and such methods are only effective for a short time. Enough time has passed that such a method would not bear fruit. I believe a downfall is expected in the future."

I muttered another curse as I glanced down the road. We were still a very long way from the city. Bruga suddenly let out her own sigh as she rubbed her head. "I feel as if I must apologize. Was I more attentive in my studies, I might have been able to practice my abilities in Extempore.”

I shook my head as I dismissed her worries. “You’re not at fault. Something like this can’t be anticipated. Besides, you heard what Dumag said; it takes years to practice the art to a useful point.”

Bruga sighed as she glanced behind us. “Still, I feel as if I would be able to fill the precise role you are describing; if only I had studied into my own affinity more.”

I furrowed my brow as I glanced at her. “How do you know your affinity anyway?” I asked. “I assumed you had to get to Dumag’s point before you could be certain.”

Bruga shook her head as she explained. “Not necessarily. You can be forgiven for not knowing this. Affiliation is not difficult to determine. It is merely usage that raises issue. Given time you would come to learn of extempore on your own. Dumag merely expedited the process. In another year or so you would have been given a test to determine where your abilities lie. Though if the rumors are true, you may not require this test.” I gave her a quizzical look as we continued walking. She quickly noticed my confusion and explained further. “Garahk is fairly certain of your natural affinity. Your memories of the event may be clouded, but you should know as well.”

I thought back and pondered what she was referring to. So many of my early memories of Snakhagr were clouded from the effects of the spell, particularly at the end. I could remember what happened, but it never felt like me reliving the events. It felt like someone completely different was controlling my body. …. It was kind of unsettling the more I thought about it. I was about to give up remembering and ask her when a bright flash of green shot across my mind. I had no context for the light, nor any reason to remember that color, but I felt a strange connection to the flash. I turned to Bruga curiously as my finger tapped thoughtfully on my temple. “It wouldn’t happen to involve anything green, would it?” I asked hesitantly.

Bruga nodded as she gestured along the road. “Indeed. It would appear your affinities lie with the magic of Natura. It makes sense, considering the feat you accomplished in the battle. Miraculously, your magic was able to interact with your psyche in such a way, but Garahk believes the art is more adaptable than previously thought. I believe she is presently researching the implications of such a notion. Natura is quite powerful alone; even more so once utilized with other fields. It is curious how you outsiders have such an understanding of nature without ever developing your arcane abilities.”

I chuckled as I palmed the hilt of my blade. “To be fair, there’s a lot of things we still don’t know.” I gestured about; at the fields of grass and budding flowers, the road with its olden cobblestone and missing pieces, and even the sky above with its strangely familiar sky. “All of this, for example. Nothing in our world would have told us another place like this existed. Let alone that it would be populated with mythical creatures and people. You have no idea how thoroughly my mind was blown when the evidence was staring me in the face. It took all of my strength just to remain composed. Then again, I think trying to protect Amelia was on the backburner at the time.”

Bruga gave me a curious look as a grin crept across her face. “You outsiders have strange phrases.” She chuckled. “It is unfortunate that none of them could convince Garthan to aid our efforts.”

I let out a sigh and nodded as I scratched my head annoyedly. “Yeah. Not the best outcome of today. Not the worst either, but not the best. Now we need to think of another way to track him. If we had gotten some sample we might have been able to fudge the rest. Just a few genetic markers might have been enough to know where he went, but we didn’t even see so much as a drop of-” I stopped as I suddenly realized something. I had seen blood on the farm; it just wasn’t what I was looking for, but it had been blood. It wouldn’t be exact, but if we made the right spell it could theoretically work. I lowered my hand as I felt a dry scab on my palm; a scab not at all of my makings. I felt my heart race as I saw a dime-sized spot of blood near the center of my hand, little more than a red stain on the pale field surrounding it. I instinctively stretched my fingers out to avoid touching the blood as I turned to Gremach. “How fresh does the blood have to be to work?” I asked. “And how much do we need?”

Gremach’s brows knitted together curiously as he glanced at me. “Not all that much.” He responded. “A mere drop would do. And the blood must be no older than a fortnight. The essence begins to degrade after then. Why do you ask.”

I held up my hand to him and I saw his face changed to an expression of shock. “Because I think we still might be able to use the essence tracker.”

Amelia

Salthu and I spent a few more hours studying the tracking spell. The sun was starting to sink low and dim the world outside. I closed the book with a sigh as I felt drained from the studying. Salthu rubbed his eyes as he stretched his neck. “That should be all for the day. We can begin our expedition the day after tomorrow. Gremach will be able to learn the spell as well once he and the others return.”

I nodded and stretched as I let out a yawn. “They should almost be back.” I groaned. “Dumag mentioned it was a ways away. Hopefully the road there wasn’t too rough.”

Salthu sighed as he closed the spellbook and began putting away his notes. “The roads surrounding Snakhagr are in general disrepair. The tribe’s coffers have been strained as of recent. The tributes to Nione have been an unfortunate drain on Gashur. … I am hopeful that you outsiders will be able to recover what was taken from us. I am uncertain if our tribe would persist otherwise.”

A shiver ran down my back as Salthu mentioned the elven city. My month of enslavement left a mark on my psyche and I felt myself shrinking in my seat as I crossed my arms. “Dexter will come up with something,” I muttered assuredly. “Bastards like Almar don’t deserve mercy. I’m hoping that he can get the tribes to work together. Adympia needs to be steamrolled into the dust.” I felt myself beginning to tremble in rage as I recalled my first month in Elardia; the confusion, the terror and uncertainty. Every part of my autonomy was robbed from me and given to an irresponsible and slovenly elf that saw me as nothing but a commodity. I could still feel the cold and uncaring bars that pressed into me as I tried to sleep. All I could do against it was curl up and hope that the nightmare would end soon.

Salthu suddenly interrupted my recollection with a question, pulling me out of my darkened state. “You do not intend to aid him?” He probed aloofly. I felt a jolt of unease as he asked the question. I had considered the idea, but I couldn’t bear to think about Almar or his city. I just wanted to move past it and forget what he’d done to me. I let out a shaky breath as I looked up at him, momentarily distracted from my past. Salthu’s brow was furrowed as he continued to carelessly prod the subject. “Certainly you could contribute to his efforts. You appear as knowledgeable as him and just as persistent in your efforts, if not more so. Perhaps you could give him your own insight he has not considered before.”

I nodded thoughtfully as I let out a sigh and glanced off. “Maybe.” I mused. “But I’d have to know what he’s planning. He’s been pretty quiet about it.” I let out a breath as I tilted my head back and rubbed it sleepily. “Besides, I don’t know enough about your cultures to make a judgment call like that. There could be aspects or behaviors between Gashur and the other tribes that just make them inherently incompatible. I won’t know until I get more info.”

Salthu let out an understanding hum as he began rubbing his chin. He glanced at the shelves upon shelves of books around us as he appeared to consider something. “I am no expert in the affairs of the other tribes.” He admitted as he turned back. “Of all the fields of study, tribal history is my weakest. I never saw a need to learn of their past. Then again, I never expected such a prospect to appear in my lifetime. If you require that knowledge, however, I believe the library has a handful of copies that you may find useful.”

I furrowed my brow as I looked at him curiously. “Really? Where?” I asked almost excitedly.

Salthu tapped a finger to his lips as he thought. “Give me a moment.” He said as he turned and disappeared into the maze of shelves. He returned shortly after carrying two new books and set them on the table beside the spellbook. He dusted his hands off as he gestured at the tomes. “These are copies of books recovered from a Wrukag shipwreck. One is a biography of an ancient chief while the other is a ledger of sorts from Bugrol. I am uncertain how they came across the ledger, but it is quite extensive in its detail. Do you believe this could help you?”

I turned to the books, intrigued. They were each as thick as the spellbook they sat beside, a layer of dust coating the spines of both. It had been a while since either of them were moved. I dusted off the cover of the top book and read the title. “Zurgha Yatur, Great Chief of Wrukag.” The head of a stag was embossed beneath the title, its antlers rising to just below the title itself. I nodded as I grinned up at Salthu. “It’s a start,” I said encouragingly, rising and stretching. “I can read this when I have time, for now, we should get going. I imagine Dexter is going to want a solid game plan for tracking Orthan.” Salthu nodded as he scooped the spellbook into his satchel. I put the others into my own bag and draped it over my shoulder as I glanced at the window again. The light dripping through was steadily fading. I estimated the city had about an hour of sunlight left. I turned and followed Salthu as he began leading me out of the library. “Any guesses on what happened to Orthan?” I asked as we made our way towards the door.

Salthu let out a curious hum as he considered. “Nothing certain,” He warned. “But it is possible that feral boars attacked him. The woods near the mountains have been known for their wild nature. There has also been word of hippogriffs attacking farmers. Perhaps such a beast is responsible for this.”

I shook my head as we entered the main hall. “Don’t jinx us here.” I sighed. “We promised that girl we’d find him. We can’t keep that promise if he’s dead.”

Salthu let out a grunt as he reached to open the door. “You outsiders have strange concepts. Even without magic, you could conceive of-” He stopped as he pulled open the door and came face to face with an orcish guard, clad in a thick leather tunic and wielding a long spear. He was accompanied by two others, wearing thinner leather armor and carrying short swords attached to their waists. Tired scowls were plastered on their face, their shoulders slumped as the lead or had his hand raised to knock upon the Institute door.

The orc holding the spear appeared to perk up as he saw me standing behind Salthu. “Ah, outsider. I am glad I found you.” He grinned, lowering his hand. “Where is your companion? White Rock Prison needs its elf returned .”

My heart skipped a beat as he mentioned the commander. The phrase itself made no sense to me. Return the elf? Why would we even have him in the first place? I felt my brow furrow as my hand gripped the strap of my satchel. “What are you talking about?” I questioned nervously. “Dexter doesn’t have the commander. He’s not even here right now, he’s off gathering samples for a spell. … What would we want with the commander?”

The orc’s face fell again as his eyes grew wide. He gripped his spear tightly as the orcs behind him shifted on their feet. “Your companion requested him.” He insisted in disbelief. “We were told you had outsider techniques to use upon him. He should be with you. … Where is your companion?” He muttered the final statement slowly as if he was uncertain if he should be asking it.

I felt my stomach drop, apprehension rising within me as I repeated myself. “He’s out gathering samples, and you need to tell me what the hell is going on.”

Dexter

Gremach delicately extracted the drop of dried blood on my palm and dropped it into the vial. The flakes barely stacked upon themselves before our meager sample was now gone. Gremach let out a sigh as he stood from his crouched position over my now clean palm. “That is all there is.” He muttered as he looked at the vial. He gestured towards it and the flakes dissolved, filling the glass with a clear red liquid. “This should allow us to use it for a spell, though it will shorten the viability of our sample. I only wish you had gotten more.”

I nodded as I stood and closed my hand, causing a series of quiets pops to emanate from my knuckles. “Be glad I got any at all.” I countered, using my other hand to pop the rest of my stiff joints. “The chances of me running into his kid out there are astronomical, especially considering the circumstances that allowed me to get that sample. …. How long do you have anyway? We might need to adjust our timeline.”

Gremach sighed as he looked down at the vial gripped in his fingers. “I estimate a handful of days.” He muttered. “This medium spell can prevent decay for the moment, but even this incantation has an expiration.”

I nodded as I gave some thought to our predicament. “We’ll go with the original plan then,” I said firmly. “Hopefully brotherly essence is similar enough to work. If we butcher the incantation a bit we might be able to track at least a few of the genetic markers.” I turned to Bruga as I noticed the sun sinking lower in the sky. She was sitting on a nearby rock and waiting patiently for me and Gremach to finish. “How far are we away from the city?” I asked her. “We can’t waste any time now.

Bruga glanced at the fields around us as she got her bearings. “I believe these fields reside a few miles from the edge of the city. I should be able to close that distance with a single teleport.”

I nodded as I gestured her over. “Let’s get going then. We need to inform Amelia and Salthu about the situation. Hopefully, they found out something useful.”

Bruga nodded as she stood and brushed herself off. I ran through the potential scenarios in my head once more. Our timeline was shortened, but it should still be possible, barring anything else unexpected happening. Bruga placed her hand in front of her and prepared the teleport. Gremach and I joined her outstretched hand and the world quickly morphed around us. The familiar feeling of discomfort and nausea came and went in a moment, leaving me clutching my stomach and Gremach and Bruga bent at the waist. We waited for the effects to pass before looking up. Snakhagr towered before us, the spiked walls nearly repaired from the battle. I could see the gate was finally repaired and the damaged spikes laying beside their original home. Untempered wood replaced the dark and rough material from before and I expected some kind of coat was being prepared to remedy that the notable difference.

I sighed and stretched as I glanced towards the gate, it’s fresh door presently closed to the outside. “Come on. We need to find Amelia and Salthu quickly. We should be able to squeeze in a few hours of preparations before hitting the hay. We should head out once the sun rises again. We don’t want to waste this opportunity.”

Bruga nodded as she finally straightened and glanced towards the gate. “I would normally be hesitant at acting so soon, but hard times call for hard measures. Come, the guards should allow us passage”

I nodded as Gremach and I began following her towards the massive wooden doors. “We should go through our artifacts once we get to the barn. We might find a handful of them useful for this.”

Gremach nodded as he slipped the vials into his shawl. “I believe we are close to determining the enchantment that allows spellstones to function. We may be laxer with our utilization of the ones we discovered. I must admit I am curious about the effects of a few of them.”

I nodded as we arrived at the gate and Bruga knocked roughly on the thick wood. “So am I. The symbols on them should make them easy to-” Bruga turned to me sharply and shushed me as we waited before the gate. I bit my cheek in mild annoyance before composing myself.

A moment of silence followed before a voice boomed over the ramparts, hidden behind the wall’s tall spikes. “Who Goes There?” It bellowed. “What Is Your Business With Snakhagr?”

Bruga tilted her head back to shout her response up at the guard; her voice droning and official as if she had said something similar many times before. “We Are Three Mages Of The Institute. We Return From A Short Expedition To Gather Ingredients For Our Studies.” Bruga continued to stare up at the gate as she waited for a response. She tilted her head concernedly as the gates before us remained silent. The only sound echoing over the field was the rush of grass and the muted murmur of the city beyond. A twinge of unease sparked through me as she glanced uncertainly at me and Gremach.

I was tempted to ask her what was wrong when the voice finally bellowed another question. “What Are The Names Among You?” It asked. The query was met with stunned and uncertain silence.

This was obviously not a usual question as Bruga hesitated before responding apprehensively. “Those Returning Go By The Names Of Bruga, Gremach, And Dexter!”

The response was immediately followed by one more question. “Are Any Amongst You Not Of Orcish Blood?” My heart began hammering in my chest as the question hummed down. Gremach and Bruga glanced at me in confusion as my head began racing. “The hell kind of questions are these? What’s going on? Is this normal? No, Gremach and Bruga are responding similarly. That must mean something is up. Then what happened? Are the others okay? Did something happen to the Institute?”

Bruga suddenly shook her head before looking up to shout a response at the gate. “Indeed.” She replied. “There is an outsider amongst our rank.” The field before the gate fell silent again. I felt my heart pounding with uncertainty as we waited on the worn dirt outside. I turned as I noticed a glimmer of movement near the top of the wall, but it disappeared before I could identify it. I glanced at Gremach and Bruga questioningly, but they kept their eyes fixed on the gate above. Another moment passed before a large clank sounded from behind the thick wood and the doors began to slowly turn inward. I moved to take a step forward, but Gremach placed his hand on my chest to stop me. I let out a nervous sigh and stood there as we waited for the doors to open.

I barely got a glimpse of the city beyond before a figure slipped through the opening and dashed towards us. I had only a moment to react to the auburn specter before it slammed into me and caused me to stagger back. My confusion only grew as it wrapped its arms around pressed its head against my chest. My confusion suddenly turned into relief as I looked down and saw that the figure was Amelia, her head bow as her arms gripped me tightly. “A-Amelia?” I stammered, suddenly confused again at the series of events. “What’s going on? What are-”

I stopped as Amelia suddenly muttered into my chest, her warm breath sending a shiver through my spine. “I missed you so much.” Her muffled voice responded, full of emotion and longing. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

I furrowed my brow as I glanced down again, her auburn hair, the only part of her I could see. “It hasn’t been that long.” I countered. “I left just this-”

“But it has been.” She suddenly insisted. She gripped me tighter as she continued. “You’ve been gone for a week. I was so worried about you.”

My brow furrowed at the obvious lie as I glanced at Gremach and Bruga. They gave me equally confused looks as they turned to Amelia nestling in my chest. “What the hell is going on?” I asked as I looked down at Amelia again. “Why the questions? Why the hug? What happened while we were gone?”

Amelia didn’t reply for a moment, only letting out a slow sigh into my chest. She eventually loosened her grip and brought herself up to whisper in my ear, sending another chill down my back. “It’s not safe to talk here.” She muttered quietly, her voice devoid of prior emotions. “Just follow my lead and don’t speak. We don’t know if anyone is listening in.” I swallowed nervously as Amelia pulled away and gaze up at me questioningly. I hesitated for a moment before giving her a silent nod. Amelia nodded in kind as she pulled away, grabbing my hand to pull me towards the gates. “Let’s go back home.” She continued, a little loudly. “The Institute will be able to protect us.” I nodded and followed along quietly as Amelia dragged me through the gate and into the city. Gremach and Bruga followed close behind. The gate within was flanked with several lines of guards, each eyeing us as we walked down a small stretch of clear road in front of the gate. I was immediately hit by the full wave of the noise within the walls. The streets before us were packed, filled to the brim with orcs as they rushed back and forth in preparation for …. something. It wasn’t the usual calm and collected hustle and bustle either. I could hear mayhem and panic in each utterance of conversation around me.

“Do we have enough supplies for this?”

“How long will they keep them closed?”

“Why is this happening now?”

I heard a thousand questions being asked as I was led through the crowd by Amelia and not one of them had an answer. I pressed my lips together to stop myself from asking any questions. Amelia had mentioned someone listening in and I didn’t dare let anything slip without knowing more. Amelia led me and the others down road after road as we traveled deeper into the city, each street just as packed as the first. My head swiveled back and forth as I tried to deduce what was going on. “Was there going to be an attack? Has an infection broken out? Who would be listening in? Why is all of this happening? Where are we going? Are the others going to be okay?” I shook my head as I focused on Amelia pulling me past orc after orc, her head fixed on the path ahead. Her soft hand squeezed mine gently as I was led into a familiar part of the city. “Wait, this is where the Institute is. Why are we going here? Did something happen to it?” Amelia remained silent as she dragged me around a corner and towards the familiar green and purple building in the distance. She quickly closed the gap, pushing past another dozen groups of meandering orcs before finally stepping past the gate and onto the front lawn. I glanced behind to make sure Bruga and Gremach had made it before letting Amelia pull me towards the front door. She let out a sigh as she grabbed the handle and pulled me and the others inside, closing the door behind us with a sharp click.

My apprehension and curiosity peaked as I looked around the entrance hall. The inside of the Institute was just as chaotic as the outside, if not more so. The tables of relics had been emptied of magical items. Instead, they were filled with maps of the city and stacked with near-empty boxes of inert gold and green flecked candles. Wizards and Mages stood over the tables and read the maps as they were issued orders and one of the candles. I noticed the ones giving orders had thick leather sashes tied across their torso, each with a unique addition, and four of them I recognized from before. They must have been the Magistrates, the highest authority of the Institute second only to Garahk. My observations were interrupted as Amelia walked past me and motioned for us to follow.

I nodded as she began leading me once more, this time through the Institute and past the tables of maps and silent candles. The Magistrates glanced our way as we passed, causing another twinge of apprehension to materialize as Amelia led me away. “Shit has gotten real if they’re involved.” I thought to myself. “Why do they need those candles? Why the maps? Are they looking for something?” I decided to hold my tongue for a little longer as Amelia led me past the library, the repository, and into a new room of the institute. A single sign was affixed above the door, using elegant letters to spell out the purpose of the room beneath it; the Arkanul Portath, whatever the hell that meant. I swallowed nervously as Amelia led me and the others in and closed the door behind us, allowing me to look around in astonishment.

The room was massive, larger than I thought possible inside the Institute. Then again, that was true for a lot of rooms here, but this one even more so. In front of me was a massive table, ingrained with another map; this one appearing to be one of all of Gashur. Six tiny gemstones were embedded into the table, appearing to mark spots around the state as they glowed faintly. Garahk sat at the far end of the table, gripping a new staff and surrounded by a dozen or so other mages as they argued amongst each other. What was most noticeable about the room, however, were the six massive stone obelisks on the far wall, each chiseled with an emblem that glowed alongside one another. Amelia gestured us over as she approached the table and stood opposite Garahk. I approached hesitantly as Garahk finally noticed our arrival and looked up. “Ah. At last.” She muttered as she straightened slightly. The surrounding orcs suddenly stopped their bickering and turned to glare at me and Amelia. I could feel the animosity materialize as I stood over the table. “I am glad of your timely arrival. It would appear the city has encountered a situation we did not anticipate.”

I nodded as I ignored the malicious stares and gazed at the table, only now noticing three of those gold and green speckled candles. “I noticed.” I voiced, causing the flames to glow green. “I had to be dragged through utter chaos to get here. I’m a little annoyed at having yet another issue pop up, but that’s for another time. For now, tell me what’s going on and why this is all happening.”

Garahk nodded as she gestured at the table, causing another light to appear near the center of the map. “The city has entered Radzul Raila, barring almost all movement in and out. The guild representatives have been summed to devise a tactic of finding the objects of our search.”

I nodded again as I looked at the light, noticing the S it created on the hill beneath it. “And what’s got your shawls all ruffled?” I asked, looking up at Garahk again. “I didn’t see something like this when the elves threatened to attack. What happened this time? What changed?”

Garahk let out a sigh as she leaned on her staff. “It would appear …” She said slowly. “That Snakhagr is harboring several traitors and the elven commander has escaped our custody.”

My fist clenched as I heard her explanation. “He what?” I asked, suppressing my mounting anger.

Garahk sighed again as she gestured at the table. “We have been betrayed. According to the guards, two orcs claimed you had some outsider techniques that you wished to try on him. They walked out of White Rock and have not been seen since.”

I let out an angered sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Stay calm. Deep breath.” I looked up at Garahk as I muffled the rage once more. “Do you know if he got out of the city?” I asked hesitantly.

Garahk nodded as she pointed at the light on the table once more. “His presence, we are certain of. No gate has reported anyone attempting to bring an elf through. He is certainly still in the city. It is only a matter of finding him and the traitors that are helping him.”

I nodded at her reasoning as I let out another annoyed sigh. The circumstances had definitely taken a turn for the worse, just when things were going better too. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone completely south. We could manage so long as he didn’t make it back to Almar. I looked up at Garahk as I felt my anger threaten to boil over. “What’s the plan then?” I asked sharply. “How long will the city be on lockdown? And what about my group? Is there anything you want us to do?”

Garahk shook her head at my last question. “Your skills are not needed in this endeavor. In truth, it would be wise to keep you close rather than let you wander off and risk abduction. The Institute is well aware of Almar’s desire for you and the lengths he will go to acquire you.” She gestured at the door behind me as the light on the table faded away. “We have commodities prepared for you in the dorms. We shall observe the situation until we can be certain you are not at risk of abduction.”

I let out a growl as I pressed my hand to my head. Not bad, but not quite what I wanted to hear either. “Really?” I muttered angrily, practically glaring at Garahk. My voice grew in volume as I struggled to maintain composure. “Do you expect me to just sit in a room and wait for this to be over? I Helped You Catch The Bastard And This Is How You-”

I was cut off as Garahk pointed her staff at me and uttered one word, causing the smooth gemstone to glow. “Mlac” A wave of tranquility washed over me as if a boiling pot had suddenly been taken off the stove.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh as I hung onto the feeling, cherishing it as I felt it gradually dripping away. I took a handful of deep breaths as the effects slowly faded before opening my eyes again. “Thank you for that.” I sighed. “I didn’t know how much I needed that.”

Garahk nodded as she lowered her staff again. “Do not expect the same effect again.” She warned. “The mind is quite an adaptive thing. Spells such as this never have the same effect twice. You cannot directly help in this endeavor, but I thought it prudent that you remain calm in this troubling time. You may be able to offer an outsider’s solution to this conundrum.”

I shook my head as I scratched thoughtfully, my mind clear for the moment. “Nothing that comes to mind,” I admitted. “Even then, anything like that would take time and a preemptive knowledge on that sort of thing, both of which I have neither of.” I looked up at Garahk as I let out a defeated sigh. “How long will it take for you to search the city?” I asked. “This is important, but my group was working on something time-sensitive before this came up.”

Garahk sighed as she leaned on her staff, her face drooping from exhaustion. “Of that, I am uncertain.” She admitted. “Ten thousand souls are a great number to interrogate, many times over to ensure we have searched thoroughly. A handful of days at the quickest, assuming the commander’s location does not change. It may be longer if we do not find him.”

I nodded as I tilted my head back and stared, unfocused, at the ceiling. “Two poor pieces of news” I thought defeatedly. “We might have to abandon the quest for the moment and hope that Orthan can last for a little while. In the meantime, we might be able to design a good spell to pick up a trail. We’ll have plenty of time now. That sounds like a good idea.”

I nodded as I looked back down at Garahk. “I’ll leave you guys to it then,” I said thankfully. “I’ll let you guys know if my group comes up with something.” I glanced at Amelia and the others as I gestured for them to follow me. “For now, we’ll go and revise our timeline.” Garahk nodded as I turned and led the others outside of the room.

I felt the last of Garahk’s spell fade as I closed the door behind us. The pot was placed back on the stove and we stood in the hall as we began discussing the events.

“This is most unnerving,” Gremach muttered apprehensively.

Bruga nodded in response. “To think that Snakhagr has traitors in our midst.”

Amelia hugged herself tightly as she looked at the floor. “I knew what she was going to say, but it’s just as horrible the second time around.”

I sighed and rubbed my head again as I recalled everything I knew. “This happened way too late in the day,” I muttered tiredly. “It couldn’t have happened a day later either. Just one day would have let us get out there and find him.”

Amelia looked up in surprise. “You got the sample?” She asked.

I nodded as I gestured towards Gremach. “A headache to get, but yeah we have it.” I suddenly began glancing around as I realized something. “What about you and Salthu? I asked curiously. “Did you guys find the spell?”

Amelia nodded as she gestured back towards the library. “Salthu is with the guards from White Rock. They’re the ones that told us what had happened.”

I nodded as I felt myself return to normal, my emotions bubbling up once more. “They’re just caught in the middle of this. They couldn’t have waited one day? They were only doing their job. They were from the prison? …. I wonder what they know.” I glanced down the hall as I tapped my chin thoughtfully. I turned back to Amelia as an idea bubbled to the surface. “Where are the guards right now?”

Amelia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she stared at me. “They’re being questioned in the repository.” She replied dismissively. “Why? Is there something you want to ask them?”

I nodded as I turned and began walking back down the hallway. “I want to hear their story for myself,” I replied over my shoulder. “If we want the sample to stay fresh enough, we need to find the commander as quickly as possible.”