Dexter

I glanced back at Amelia as we made our way to the repository. “Any word on Brokil?” I asked curiously. “We might need his input on these events.”

Amelia nodded as she pointed back towards the Arkanul Porath. “Garahk sent some mages to get him from the wisp fields. He should be back in a little while.”

I nodded as I pushed open the doors and strode into the repository. It too had changed since I was last here. The desks running along the central path were cleared of their contents. A crowd of mages lined up at various windows at the front, each set on extracting their teef or artifact from their respective accounts. I glanced around for a few seconds, trying to find the ones not wearing a fluffy shawl, but none of the orcs present fit that criteria. I glanced at Amelia as she and the others joined me. “Where are they keeping the guards?” I asked. “I can’t see them from here.”

Amelia nodded and jogged ahead as she began leading us deeper into the repository. She guided us down a familiar hallway near the front desk, the mutter of the crowd outside dying as she took us past the many doors that ran along the walls. I glanced up as I noticed the opaque quartz crystals seated on the doorframe of each one. My pondering of their purpose was almost immediately answered as Amelia finally stopped and pointed to one door, the only one with a softly glowing crystal. “They should still be in there.” She supplied. “All things considered, they might have wanted to talk to you anyway. They seemed pretty distraught when they learned about their mistake.”

I nodded as I glanced up at the crystal before pushing open the door. Five sets of eyes turned to the door as I and the others stepped into the room. Three orcish guards were sitting on the far side of the table in the center of the room, Salthu and an unnamed mage occupying the other side of the table near the door. A look of relief washed over Salthu’s face as he saw me look around the room. “Ah, outsider. I am glad you are home safe. I grew concerned for your safety when Vulen’s escape was revealed. I can only imagine what the traitors would have done had they found you first.”

I nodded as I turned my attention to the guards opposite. The one that was clearly in charge palmed his weapon nervously as he met my gaze. I did a quick inventory of anything I’d want to know as I glanced at the mage sitting beside Salthu. “What have they told you so far?” I asked directly. “Anything that could help us find them?”

The mage shook his head as he glanced down at the roll of parchment before him. “Nothing useful.” He admitted. “A group of mages was sent to question the other guards at White Rock. They may have more information, but I doubt any could be as useful as the ones before us today.”

My brow furrowed in confusion as I turned to the mage. “Why’s that?” I asked.

The mage gestured nonchalantly at the guards, pointing specifically towards the lead guard. “Because Derthag there spoke to the traitors before they left the prison. It would appear they claimed to be following your orders.”

I let out an annoyed growl as I pinched my temple. “Of course they did,” I muttered under my breath. I turned to the guards as I felt my rage begin to simmer again. “You didn’t think to head up to the barn to make sure they were telling the truth?” I spat angrily. “If I needed to interrogate him, I would have done it there. He wouldn’t have even left his cell.”

The guard in the center let out a groan as he cradled his head in his hands. “The thought had not crossed my mind, unfortunately.” He muttered guiltily. “To think my negligence allowed him to escape captivity.”

I nodded as I crossed my arms and glared at him. “For any other prisoner, I’d understand, but the fucking commander of an elven army would have some valuable information and he needed to be watched really fucking ca-hrr-” I suddenly felt an elbow jam into my side and I turned sharply to the source. Amelia was glaring at me as she pursed her lips angrily. I gave her an annoyed questioning look that caused her to roll her eyes in exasperation. She gestured towards the guards insistently as she cleared her throat. I turned in response and felt my shoulders slump as I understood what she was pointing to. The central guard’s head was bowed, his thumbs pressed to his temple as his elbows rested on the table before him. I could see the muscles in his forearm as his fists clenched tightly.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I scratched my head annoyedly. I needed to remain calm. I could lecture the guard for his mistake for as long as I wanted to, or move past it and just solve the problem. I let out another sigh as I tilted my head back and stretched my neck, causing my spine to pop. “Remember the mediations. Remember the mediations. Just detach yourself and move forward.” I let out one last calming breath as I looked down at the guards again. Their leader had not moved from his ponderous and grieving state. I rubbed my head in defeat as I finally collected myself. “Look,” I began carefully. “There’s still a way to fix this. We don’t think he’s left the city yet so there’s a chance we’ll be able to catch him.”

The guard looked up at me, hopefully. “Truly?” He asked.

I nodded as I gestured to the door behind me. “The Institute is investigating as we speak. It’s only a matter of time before we find him. You can help us try and shorten that time if you want. We just need to know everything you noticed about the guards that escorted the commander away.”

The guard nodded as he smiled and rubbed his head in relief. “How fortunate.” He chuckled. “Here I sit, thinking I will be reprimanded for my inattention when all that is asked of me are details of the new hires.”

I nodded as I gestured towards him. “Start with them then,” I encouraged. “It sounds pretty fishy when new guards escort a high-value prisoner away.”

The guard nodded as he rubbed his neck guiltily. “I assume they were new hires,” He admitted. “They were no guard I had ever seen before. The warden has been strung up as of recent, considering the guards stationed to watch the destroyed gate. He has been understaffed for the last two months. I would not blame him for bringing in unknown guards from the eastern district.”

I let out an intrigued hum as the mage wrote something down on the parchment. “Did the prison think to verify who the guards were before letting them wander around on their own?” I asked curiously.” The guard shook his head as his face fell. I sighed again as I scratched my head. “We’ll just have to see if the mages turn up with anything then,” I grumbled. “What about their appearance? Did you notice anything distinctive we could use to track them down?”

The guard shook his head again as he let out a sigh. “Nothing stuck out to me.” He admitted. “Their appearance was rather mundane, all things considered. Their dress appeared to be in poor shape and their stature was neither short nor tall. Their lineage could have been from any of the districts, even outside of the city. Although, their complexion rather muddied now that I consider it. Nothing too drastic, mind you, but I have doubts that they spent their youth among the streets of Snakhagr.”

I nodded as I felt my spirits lift slightly. “Then we just have to ask around for people from out of town.” I reasoned. “That’ll narrow the search down.”

Amelia turned and looked at me curiously. “We’d still have to ask just about everyone in the city about the commander. It doesn’t exactly tell us where they might have taken him.”

I let out a grumble as I nodded and rubbed my head. “That’s a good point,” I muttered. “It’ll still take a while to weed out the culprits and find out where they took him. … Is there anything else you remember about them?” I asked as I turned back to the guards. “Any small detail might be helpful. We just need some way to distinguish them.”

The center guard let out a hum as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes narrowed in concentration. After a moment, he looked up and shook his head. “Nothing distinctive, sadly.” He sighed remorsefully. “Their tusks were mildly crooked, but you could say the same for any number of orcs.”

I let out another sigh as I rubbed my head and ran through the known variables. “The commander is gone; likely taken by someone in the city. Fortunately, we don’t have reason to believe they escaped the city. Unfortunately, ten thousand is a lot of people to question, even if everyone in the Institute is working to find them. Overlapping is practically guaranteed during something like this. There’s no way to separate those we’ve already questioned from those that haven’t, especially considering the size of the city. Two hundred acres leaves a lot of room for traitors to hide, especially considering the number of buildings and homes that are in that area. That’s not even considering one of our assumptions is wrong and they did-” I shook my head as I banished the thought from my mind. I could feel my mind wandering back to the beginning again. If I allowed it, my mind would loop through my thoughts repeatedly until something new was introduced to the situation. I couldn’t afford to waste any time though. The commander had to be found and we had to get back to our task. I glanced towards Amelia and the others and motioned my head towards the door. “We’ll need to come up with a new plan,” I told them. “Something that’ll expedite the search and let us move back over to Orthan. We should head to the library to start brainstorming.” They nodded as they started shuffling towards the door. I turned back to the guards and gave them a wave as I began to follow them. “Thanks for the info. I’ll talk to Dubak about keeping extra guards in the city for situations like this.” I saw a flicker of a grin on the center guard’s face as I closed the door behind me and followed the others back towards the library.

We began discussing the situation as we walked, as well as possible solutions. “Fortune has not befallen us this day,” groaned Bruga. “First Garthan and now the city itself. I only hope we can resolve this obstacle before our sample expires.”

I nodded as I gestured towards Gremach. “We’ll have a few days,” I assured her. “If we work through the night, we might be able to come up with something to help the wizards and mages in the city.” I felt a yawn creep up my chest and I lifted my hand to my mouth as I let it leave my lips. “Haa-ah I only hope I can stay awake for that long.” I turned to Slathu and Amelia as I stretched my arms, trying to distract myself from the fatigue. “How went the spell hunting?” I asked them. “You found what you were looking for?”

Salthu nodded as he mimicked a gesture. “We spent the day studying the spell for use on your sample. Speaking of, were you able to obtain it?”

I nodded as I held my hand out to Gremach. He reached into his shawl and handed me the vial of blood as I replied. “Technically it’s not the one we were looking for, but it might work regardless. Were you able to learn anything about the limits of the spell?”

Salthu nodded as I passed the bottle to him and he examined it closely. “It would appear your theory holds. Those that created the spell mixed the blood from several donors and found that donors who bore a child together could function as a single sample for any of their offspring.”

I felt a twinge of relief before it was quickly overrun by annoyance again. “This couldn’t have happened a day later, could it,” I growled, emerging into the repository proper. We began walking down the long hall to the entrance as I rubbed my head drowsily. “Then again, the sample we got might not have worked in the first place. We got it from his brother, not from either of his parents.”

Salthu and Amelia turned to me in confusion. Salthu gripped the flask gingerly as he examined the contents again. “Is this the reason for the medium?” He asked curiously. “I had thought the contents appeared thin.”

I nodded as I rubbed the back of my head exhaustedly. “Thank Gremach for getting what we could, and whatever god of luck you believe in for finding it in the first place. Cause he did not help us at all in getting the blood we wanted.”

Salthu nodded as he held the vial up higher, using a wayward orb to examine the contents once more. “We will have to tread cautiously.” He confirmed. “This medium is only a temporary solution. The volume of the sample is most worrying. This is hardly enough for a single transformation potion, let alone a tracking spell.”

I nodded as I lifted a hand to push open a door, but stopped as Salthu’s last words rang in my head. The others bumped into me as I froze in place, but I didn’t notice as I latched onto a single detail. “Transformation potion. Transformation Potion. Transformation POTION.” I felt a surge of adrenaline as an explosion of possibilities dissipated my drowsiness. I cursed myself as I spun on my heel and stared apprehensively at Salthu. He gave me a look of confusion as he gripped the bottle close to his chest. “We can make what, from that sample?” I asked in disbelief. “Just what can you do with that bottle of essence?”

Salthu looked taken aback at the question he glanced at the others hesitantly before stuttering a response. “Th-There is a great number of uses for essence.” He replied defensively. “The most common and u-useful method is to track them with a variety of i-incantations and ob-”

I dismissed the idea with a swift gesture. “Not that, the other thing you mentioned.” I insisted quickly. “You said you could transform with essence?”

Salthu’s brows furrowed curiously at my notion. “Not permanently.” He clarified. “The potion will only work for a time and only so long as you-” I didn’t wait for him to finish. I turned and dashed past them, running back to the room we had just left, causing the orcs crowded in front of the bars to turn in confusion as I ran by. I could hear the others following me as I burst into the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of the still glowing gemstone ordained doorway.

Amelia barely had time for a “What are you-” before I shoved the door open, causing it to slam into the wall and for the four orcs inside to turn to me in surprise.

I pointed squarely at the central guard as one detail he mentioned ate away at my attention. “What did you say about their tusks?” I practically bellowed. The guard stared at me in disbelief as he gripped his weapon tightly, not responding to my sudden query. I growled annoyedly as I stepped in and slammed my palm onto the table. “Just say it again.” I insisted. “What did their tusks look like?”

The guard glanced towards the mage opposite as if I had suddenly grown a second head and didn’t dare mention it, before turning back and repeating his prior description in a more apprehensive tone. “Their … Their tusks were bent.” He replied finally. “Inward, as if they wished to point at their noses instead of skyward. … Peculiar noses now that I consider it. I have never had such ease gazing into one’s-” I didn’t let him finish the addition. If my fear was right, we wouldn’t have any time to spare. I turned and ran out the door again, past the others and dashing towards the door of the repository once more.

This time Amelia was able to shout a question at me as I ran by. “Where Are You Going?” She asked angrily.

I shouted an answer over my shoulder as my mind began racing again. “To Find Garahk.” I bellowed. “I Need To Know What Assumptions She’s Making For Her Decisions.” My legs groaned in exhausted protest as I bolted towards the large doors at the end of the repository. My heart began pounding in my chest as my feet thundered across the hectic hallway.

I was nearing the door when the heavy oaken panels swung in of their own accord, revealing Brokil accompanied by another mage as he gestured inside. “Your associates should be-”

I dashed past the two, throwing a quick wave in Brokil’s direction before gesturing for him to follow. “Nice To See You Again,” I shouted quickly, causing the mage and Brokil to jump as I ran by. “No Time To Explain, Things Might Be Worse Than We Thought.” My feet hammered against the floor of the institute, echoing along the spacious hallway as they carried me back to Garahk.

I could hear the others following close behind as they threw question after question in my direction. “What Has Come Over You?” Bruga bellowed.

“What Was So Important About Their Tusks?” Gremach asked loudly.

“How Can This Situation Possibly Be Worse?” Shouted Salthu.

I panted heavily as I skidded around the corner, bolting for the door into the Arkanul Portath. I slammed into the heavy barriers and threw them open as I shouted wildly into the room. “GARAHK!” The name bounced wildly off the walls as the entire room turned to me in surprise. I rushed forward as I pointed squarely at Garahk, hardly noticing Dumag standing beside the table. The roll of parchment he was holding was wound back up as he watched the scene unfold before him. I panted and kept a finger trained Garahk as I stood above the table. She gave me an uncertain look as I began my barrage of questions. “How long have we known about his disappearance?” I began earnestly. “How long have they had to coordinate? What kind of options did they have? Who have you already eliminated as suspects? How certain are you that you can trust them?” I finally lowered my hand and placed it firmly on the table as I leaned forward to deliberately meet Garahk’s gaze. “How do you know the traitor isn’t in the Institute?”

Garahk’s brow knitted together in shock at my last query. She scoffed as she lowered her staff and rubbed her head in annoyance. “Is your trust in us so easily broken?” She growled. She gestured about at the orcs that surrounded the table as she began berating me. “It was unanimous that outsiders were not to be taught at the Institute. The guilds collectively protested your presence within these walls. Yet here you stand, accusing one of our own that they had-”

“It’s not about who I trust.” I injected quickly. Garahk was taken aback. She eyed me once more. I felt my body trembling from the possibilities of my next question. I let out a calming breath as I forced my mind to focus and string another set of words together. “Is there even a remote possibility that one of the mages would help the commander escape?” I asked calmly. “I’m not accusing anyone. I wouldn’t even have any idea who to name if I did, but you might.” I pointed my finger at Garahk again as I explained. “You would know if one of your mages had an inkling of betrayal. Why else would you mobilize the entire Institute to track him down? Anyone of them could delay or misdirect the search to allow him to escape. Hell, even a basic teleport spell would have allowed them to flee the city the instant they got him out of the prison. Yet they’re running around out there right now, searching the city for that elf.” I lowered my hand again as I felt it begin to tremble, my attention solely focused on what Garahk would say to my final question. “I just need to know one thing, one thing only you could know.” The room silently stared at me, the eyes of seven collective guilds and the Elder Mother. I pressed my palm to the table to stop it from trembling, focussing only on Garahk as she met my gaze. “Do you trust the mages of this Institute? The wizards of Snakhagr? The guilds of Gashur? Are you certain, that none of them would ever help a commander of Adympia?”

The room remained silent at my final query. The guilds on either side of Garahk eyed her curiously as she stood there silently. She tilted her head as she stared at me, taking in my expression. “That is all you wish to know?” She asked. The room turned to me again as Garahk countered my question with her own. I nodded solemnly as I pressed my palm down harder, dreading her response. Garahk let out a sigh as she stood there for a moment, pondering quietly. She finally nodded as she straightened and gripped her staff sternly. “No charge of mine, orc or otherwise, would have aided in Vulen’s escape.”

My heart raced as I leaned forward again. “You’re certain of that?” I challenged. Garahk nodded as her grip tightened on her staff. I let out a solemn sigh as my shoulders slumped. “That’s unfortunate,” I muttered. The room immediately filled with murmurs at my remark.

In an instant Amelia was beside me, yanking on my shoulder to berate me face to face. “That’s it. You need to start telling us what the hell you’re thinking; cause I sure as hell didn’t expect you to respond with That.”

I nodded as I began rubbing my head thoughtfully, the options eliminating themselves one by one as I factored in Garahk’s certainty. “Because I don’t think those were orcs that took the commander away,” I said slowly. Amelia’s expression shifted to one of confusion. I let out a sigh as I was left with one option, the only one that made sense. “I don’t think Nione has forgotten about us.”

Amelia’s face dropped in shock, her hand flying to cover her mouth. “You don’t mean, she gasped.”

I nodded as I looked around the room. The guilds were glaring at me with curious contempt, awaiting my next words. Garahk held the same look of confusion as she had before, just as unaware of my conclusion as I had been a few moments ago. I let out a sigh and forced my hand to stop shaking as I chose my next words carefully. “I don’t think the commander is in the city,” I muttered regretfully. A murmur of confusion rippled through the room. I quickly continued to avoid the imminent barrage of questions. “I’ve considered what I know about the situation and it seems like a very real possibility.” The questions came all the same.

“What could you possibly know that we do not?” One of the guild members spat.

“These accusations are unprecedented.” Another muttered.

“It was a mistake to allow you into the Institute.” Yet another groaned.

More voices joined theirs, filling the room with noise. I gestured calmingly as I tried to get a word in, but it was no use; they already began conversing amongst themselves. “The notion is preposterous. The commander is still out there. We must turn our attention to finding him.”

“Here I thought the outsider had something productive to contribute.” One said, almost in disbelief.

“Just ignore him.” Another muttered dismissively. “We have work to accomplish."

I slammed a fist onto the table as I bellowed angrily, finally cutting through the ruckus. "You'll be wasting your time." I insisted. "He's probably long gone by now, on his way to Nione with whoever helped him escape."

One of the guild members shook his head as he crossed his arms defiantly. "No gate has reported an elf attempting to leave the city." He growled in response. "Thusly, the commander must still be in the city. Now begone with you. We have no time to waste.”

I growled in annoyance as I rubbed my temple exhaustedly. “If they have a mage, they wouldn’t need to deal with the gate.” I countered. “They could just teleport away if they so desired. I’m assuming that’s what those massive obelisks behind you are for.” I finished as I pointed squarely at one of the six stone behemoths.

Many of the guild members glanced at the stones behind them, leaving a handful to glare annoyedly back at me. One of them let out a sigh of her own as she mimicked my aggravated gesture. “Is that not what your line of questioning sought to resolve?” She spat. She turned to Garahk as she gestured towards me condescendingly. “Can we not remove him?” She asked angrily. “He contributes nothing to this discussion and is an outright hindrance to our efforts.”

I lifted my finger to yell a response when Garahk slammed the butt of her staff into the floor, slicing through the bickering in an instant. “ENOUGH!” She barked. The room fell silent once more, Garahks staff glowing softly, before fading. Garahk let out a sigh as she turned to me, her piercing eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. “How can you be certain of your claim?” She challenged skeptically. “Such a scenario is a direst prospect to consider. The commander has been our only impactful counter to Almar’s outsider weapons. His escape would mean the loss of our only bargaining token to regain what was stolen from us. What has made you consider the series of events?”

The room turned their attention to me once more. I felt a twinge of apprehension as I saw their stares of contempt. The logic made sense to me, but I was finding it difficult to convey the idea into words. My apprehension gradually mounted as the room continued to stare at me. I let out a sigh as I clenched my eyes shut and ran through my thought process again. “Explain, God damn it. If you’re right, you need to get after him immediately. You can’t let them waste time if he’s not here.” It was no use though. I could follow through the steps, but not formulate the explanation properly. I clenched my fist angrily as I silently berated myself “Useless fucking bitch. Open your damn mouth and start talking before I bite your tongue off.“ Though my self deprecating condemnations I suddenly felt a hand on my arm and I turned to see Amelia looking up at me assuredly. She nodded silently as she gave my arm a gentle squeeze. “Take your time.” She whispered encouragingly. “Just explain your idea. … You can do this.”

I let out a breath as my shoulders relaxed. My apprehension softened and melted away as I turned to the table in front of me once more. The seven embedded Gemstones sat inert as I let my mind go through the thought process once more. “It’s a solid theory.” I assured myself. “You just have to convey it.” I looked up as I finally strung together a basis for my idea. “There are two possible scenarios for this event.” I began. “The commander has been given access to a mage, or it’s just a ragtag group of traitors. In the latter scenario, we don’t have much to worry about. Like you all said, he can’t get out of the city without being noticed by the guards. The former scenario is what I want to focus on though.” I gestured to the obelisks again. “If he has access to a mage then he would have easily slipped out of the city without anyone noticing. If he escaped this morning, he could already be on his way back to Nione. In which case, you’ll only be wasting your time searching the city.”

One of the guild members let out a sigh as she leaned on the table. “I do not suppose you have any other thoughts?” She asked condescendingly. “You did ask the Elder mother herself if she thought any of us would betray Gashur. Yet, you still came to this outlandish conclusion. … Why is that?”

I nodded as I rubbed my jaw thoughtfully. “No orcish mage, no,” I replied. “But orcs aren’t the only ones that can use magic. Nor are they the only ones with a vested interest in the commander.”

Her eyes narrowed as the others slowly realized what I was getting at. “How can you be certain of this notion?” She asked skeptically. “What aspect of this escape indicates elven intervention?”

I gestured over my shoulder as I tapped my jaw. “It’s what the guards said about the orcs that took the commander,” I replied. “They had tusks that tilted inwards.” A clatter to my left indicated Dumag had dropped the scroll in his hands. A confused murmur rippled along the table.

“What significance is that?” One of them barked. “What do their tusks have to do with any of this?”

I gestured to the door behind me as I elaborated. “Because their appearance happens to coincide with the disappearance of someone else, someone that is noted to have that exact dental alignment. Considering how the guards described the pair, and a piece of information I really wish I had earlier, I’m fairly certain those weren’t orcs that took the commander; not really.”

“You do not believe-” One of them questioned.

I nodded grimly. “Those were elves,” I confirmed.

“IMPOSSIBLE!” Another bellowed, slamming his fist into the table. “They Were Orcs! Traitors To Their Tribe! They Are In The City And They Will Be Hunted Down.”

I shook my head as I felt my anger rise again, fueled by the mage’s display of emotion. “Not if they had a transformation potion.” I countered. “Any transformation magic really, but I think they used some kind of potion. Why else would they need an orc?”

I was suddenly spun around as a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled. Dumag glared down at me as his hands pressed into my shoulders. “Tell Me This Is Your Notion Of A Joke!” He roared, shaking me angrily. “They Cannot Have Taken Orthan!”

I pried his finger off of me as I matched his angered expression. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.” I retorted. “Why else would they risk an escape? They would have known about a potential lockdown and how hard it would be to just get him out of the city. If they were smart, they would have had a plan to escape the walls before getting the commander out of prison. Since none of the gates reported any attempts for him to leave, they must have had some other way to escape the city.” I pointed at the six stone obelisks on the far side of the room. “Mages are hardly one to take a slow way out. Hell, we used beacons of our own in the mountain city. Two is all they would have needed to escape. That only leaves proper disguises to get in and out of the city without drawing attention and I guarantee that they found that way using the essence of an orc. ” Duamg’s expression fell as he heard my explanation. He looked away as he covered his face and let out a low sigh. I felt a twinge of regret as I saw his fist gently trembling. I had thrust an idea on him that he was desperately trying to keep at bay; the idea that Orthan was in danger. I let out a sigh of my own as I turned back around and leaned heavily on the table, my expression hardened as I stared at the gemstones. “Orthan has probably been there all this time, likely nothing more than an ingredient to them. He has to be there. Nothing else makes sense. If the potions are temporary. I can only imagine how much blood they’re using, how many others they might have. We can’t waste any more time.”

Garahk’s soothing voice interrupted my brooding. “What action are you considering?” She asked. “If your theory is true, our chances of recovering him are slim. Our search area grows with each passing moment, incredibly so if they truly have a mage on their side.”

“Hang on.” One of the guild members protested. “How can we be certain this is what has occurred? There are uncountable other events that could have created this outcome. Are we going to abandon the search over this half-formed notion?”

Garahk shook her head as she gripped her staff thoughtfully. “No, we must not abandon our search of the city.” She replied. “However, if this is a potential outcome, we must consider a way to eliminate that possibility.” She turned to me again. “Outsider,” she repeated. “Has your guild been exploring a method of searching for this missing orc?”

I nodded as I turned to Salthu, holding out a hand. He gave me the vial still in his hands and I held it out to Garahk and the others as I explained. “We were planning to use this to extract an analogous of his essence. It might not have been exact, but all we needed was a hint at where he was taken. Anything else would have been on us.”

Garahk nodded thoughtfully. “Prudent. Are you certain that this sample would have led you to your missing target?”

I glanced back at Salthu questioningly. He hesitated before stepping forward and nodding. “We have a cursory understanding of the spell,” he prefaced. “However, we believe it is possible to create facsimiles of one’s essence, given that we have obtained a sample from a family member. The theory is as yet unproven, but a portion of time should be adequate to verify the notion.”

Garahk nodded as she gestured her staff in our direction. “Then it is decided,” she declared. “You shall complete your work and depart from the city to search for this missing orc.”

“Just A Moment.” One of the guild members said angrily. “You are not about to trust these outsiders, are you? He has blatantly and rudely intruded on our tasks with these wild accusations. Did you not wish to confine him to the Institute for his safety? What of the traitors in the city? Will they not attempt to capture them as soon as they depart?”

Garahk nodded in agreement as she gestured dismissively. “Such a threat would be possible, but if his notion is correct then there is only one reason he was named. They did not yet know where he resided and extracting the commander was the only way to draw attention to the outsider.”

My eyes grew wide with realization as another murmur rippled along the table. “This is definitely Almar’s work,” I growled. “He’s the only one with a reason to get the commander and us. His team must be on his way to Nione as we speak.”

Garahk shook her head as she gestured at the map. “They would have a camp somewhere,” she responded. “The Barron has likely sent his most trusted to infiltrate the city. Your missing orc would be held there to provide essence for their incantations. They may depart in the morning, however, so time is of the essence.”

I nodded as I looked over the table again. If Bulak was truthful about Gashur’s territory, there are a lot of places a camp of elves could hide. We couldn’t let them get away with them. I glanced back at as I handed the vial back to Salthu. “We’ll head out at dawn to find Orthan. Get everything we need for the trip. Anything you think could be useful, take it. Bring the Archive artifacts if you have to. Those elves won’t know what hit them.”

“This is not a wise plan.” One of the guild members warned. “If they truly possess a place of operations, they likely have guards watching over it. A small and frankly inexperienced group is hardly adequate. We are also lending too much credence to this notion of elves dressed as orcs. We have not yet eliminated our most viable theory of events.”

I let out an exasperated growl at his condescending tone. “We’ve gone over how long that’ll take.” I protested. “By the time we search the city, the commander may be long gone.”

“We must also consider the reason for your presence here.” He continued. “You are being generously sheltered to prevent your capture. Initially, we only considered unprepared and foolish traitors, but there is only one group that Almar would trust with such a delicate operation.”

“Almar’s elite,” Amelia confirmed grimly. She rubbed her chin nervously as she got a far off look in her eyes. “Only a handful of soldiers match the training and skill that that team possesses. … Even then, they are supposedly unstoppable.” Amelia grew silent at the last remark.

My face fell as I remembered what she had gone through when she first got here. I placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to,” I said soothingly. “Inexperienced or not, we’ve faced worse than a few elves. You don’t have to put yourself at risk.”

Amelia hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and pulling herself out of her stupor. “This is something I have to do,” she stated. “I don’t want to hide from this. … I refuse to let my past control me.”

I felt her trembling as I gently held her shoulder. I have her another moment to collect herself before nodding assuredly. “No hiding then,” I confirmed as I turned back to the guilds. “You have our answer. We accept the job. The six of us will move out in the morning. Dumag will stay behind. I’m sure you have tasks for-”

“The guild has seven members,” Dumag suddenly said, finally turning back. His expression had changed to one of determination. “And seven members shall depart on this task. Any less would be inadequate.”

I raised an eyebrow at Dumag’s sudden change in demeanor. “I thought you didn’t want to join us. Didn’t your brother say-”

“This is not about my nephew.” Dumag insisted loudly, avoiding my gaze. His hand was clenched at his side, trembling. “I was tasked with finding the commander and that will be our goal for this expedition. Any other discoveries during this will be coincidental.”

I hesitated for a moment before nodding and turning back to the table. The guild members gazed at me skeptically. “Suit yourself. … So seven mages. We can make the preparations and leave in the morning. … Are there any objections?”

A murmur of conversation rippled over the table again, each guild clustering together to whisper to each other about this sudden turn of events. Surprisingly, Garahk was the one to voice concerns. “Your guild has shown promise,” she encouraged gently. “However, such a mounting task would be dangerous for a novice group such as your own.” A smirk spread across her face as she gestured towards one of the guilds, the ones clad in mostly blue shawls. “Since you have expressed such concern for their safety, Surbag, perhaps your guild will be generous enough to escort the outsiders and assist them in their task.”

One of the guild members that had spoken before growled as he turned to me. Among the orcs around him, he wore the deepest blue shawl with a necklace made of animal teeth. His deceptively brown eyes carried a contempt I was slowly getting used to again. He gritted his teeth for a moment as he continued to stare. He finally scoffed as he shook his head and looked away. “If the Elder Mother wishes it, my guild will provide.”

Garahk smiled and nodded as she gestured at us with her staff. “A handful of mages will do. Your most formidable if you could spare.”

Surbag bowed in response. “It will be done,” he replied. He then turned and strode towards one of the six obelisks in the back of the room. It towered over him as he placed a hand on its surface. A blue glowing symbol appeared on the stone before a loud pop caused the mage to vanish from the spot.

Garahk nodded as she turned back to my group. “Gather what you require, and pray that your method is viable. You depart at dawn.”