Dexter

Preparations were extremely agitating for me; mostly because I was already tired. The extra effort of making a list and having Brokil head to the barn to pick up didn’t help in the slightest. He was most familiar with the barn though and Amelia and I couldn’t think of any other way to get the artifacts or bags we needed for the trip. In the meantime, our group had claimed a table in the library and were working on our plans for the morning. Gremach, Salthu, and Bruga studied the tracking spell while I, Amelia, and Dumag formulated tactics for an inevitable confrontation. “We should try out some of the spellstones in the morning,” I muttered, rubbing my face. “Test them before we head out and see what’s viable for combat. The same goes for any staves or amulets we have. If they have one mage they might have multiple.”

Dumag nodded as he tapped his enchanted satchel. “I can carry any sizable item we choose. It would be unwise to overburden ourselves against such foes.”

Amelia nodded as she flicked her wrist nervously, repeatedly creating and releasing a small black cube above her palm. “We don’t want to underestimate them.” She confirmed. “From what I’ve heard, they live and breathe devotion. They have the training to back that up too. There’s very little they won’t do for Almar.”

I let out a groan as I nodded. “I’m getting really sick of Almar,” I growled angrily. “You’d think someone with his power and influence would have better things to do than fuck with an entire Tribe of orcs. If he doesn’t get the memo this time, I’m going to raize whatever shithole of a castle he has to the ground.”

Amelia pursed her lips as she let out a low sigh. “He won’t stop.” She muttered. “He’s too stubborn for that. No, he’ll just get angry and come up with something else.”

I nodded as I let out an exhausted sigh, my eyes stinging as I rubbed them drowsily. “We’ll make him,” I assured her. “It’ll just take time. For now, we need to handle these elite guys. Anything else you know about them?”

Amelia shook her head as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in exhaustion. “I didn’t get much freedom,” she sighed. “I only heard whispers about them; bandits that they captured, beasts that they killed, orcs that they caught jumping the border.”

Dumag scoffed as he scowled at the parchment he was writing on. “Fanciful tales meant to swell their standing amongst the populous no doubt,” he growled. “No orc would dare approach the land between Gashur and Adympia. Stray too close and you will suddenly be whisked away to their land of servitude and slavery.”

Amelia shrugged as she shrunk into her seat. “That’s just what I heard,” she muttered sheepishly.

Dumag let out another growl as his scowl deepened, unaware of Amelia’s timid stance. “It is a falsehood,” he insisted. “They view us as nothing but creatures of burden, little more than animals to be rounded up and shackled. The lands deep within Adympia are tended by orcish slaves, brothers whose entire existence was spent on that land. Were they properly trained in our ways, they would not be confined by those knife-eared runts.” I leaned back slightly as Dumag began scribbling furiously, growling as he wrote. “Those pompous ingrates have the world before them. Yet, they choose to waste their resources pursuing their own decadence. Decadence at the cost of others; their companions, their colleagues, the very tribe they were stolen from, And The Family That Can Do Nothing To Oppose Their-” The quill he was using suddenly let out a sharp crack as his hands tightened around it. He blinked in surprise as he let go and let the pieces fall to the parchment, a streak of ink trailing the end of the broken feather as it rolled away. He let out a sigh as his shoulders slumped and he rubbed his head tiredly. “I apologize,” he muttered. “Pursuit of the commander should not be this personal. Yet, I have made it so.”

I continued to give Dumag a hesitant look as Amelia leaned forward, laying her hand on his understandingly. “You don’t have to apologize.” She said encouragingly. “We know this is a delicate situation for you. We’re here to talk if you need it.”

Dumag let out a sigh as he glanced at the other group, his eye drawing towards Bruga as she wrote something down on a piece of parchment. He suddenly growled and shook his head as he leaned back, pulling his hand from beneath Amelia’s. “This gripe is mine.” He muttered dismissively, crossing his arms. “I must control my own desires if I am to call myself a mage. … I appreciate the thought, but I alone must conquer these notions.”

Amelia nodded understandingly as she sunk in her seat again. “Talking can always help though.” She said encouragingly. “If not from us, I’m sure Bruga would be willing to open up with you.”

Dumag was silent for another moment before letting out a long sigh.”Perhaps.” He grumbled reluctantly. “However, we have more pressing matters to tend to at the moment.” He gestured at the parchment in front of him before brushing the broken quill away. “I only wish we were given more time. We had nearly discerned the incantation for creating spellstones. They would prove most valuable in combat for the inexperienced.”

I let out an exhausted sigh as I nodded and rubbed my head. The emotional strain of the situation had suddenly evaporated, much to my own relief. “We’ll just have to work with what we have,” I confirmed solemnly. “We haven’t seen what they can do, but that should be easy to sort out. We’ll just have to keep track of who has what when we find those elite guys.”

Amelia nodded as she pulled her chair forward, reading the pages we had already written. “I’m honestly kind of glad Garahk is sending us with other mages. We aren’t prepared for the elites. I have no idea what kind of traps they’d have set up for that camp of theirs.”

Dumag grumbled again as he shifted a few of the papers to the side. “It will not matter once we find them.” He countered. “Circumventing any countermeasures will be trivial with a simple teleport.”

Amelia let out a low sigh as she rubbed her face in exhaustion. “That’s yet to be seen.” She breathed.

I gestured dismissively as I heard a door open in the distance. Brokil was due back at any moment and I was anxious to get my hands on the supplies we needed. “We’ll figure it out once we learn more,” I assured her. “There’s too little information and too little energy to plan right now. At best we’re spitballing on how to handle them.” I gestured at the pages again as the scale of the endeavor started to tower before me. “These are all assuming they don’t have any combat spells. If they have a mage, they must have magical countermeasures.”

Dumag shook his head dismissively as he picked up a new quill and began writing again. “They would not have a battle-ready mage.” He dismissed plainly. “Very few mages in Adympia are allowed to learn of combat spells. They are mostly used for transport or transmutation. At best they would have combat enhancing potions, assuming they prepared for such a possibility.”

My brow furrowed in confusion as I turned to Dumag, his gaze focused intently on the page he was writing on. “Why wouldn’t they?” I asked. “If they have a mage he must know of a way to defend himself. Why else would he be in a group called the elites?”

Dumag shook his head again as he set his quill down. “Their mage is not part of their group. He would be a mere tool for them, a means to create potions and perform actions outside of their ability.”

I felt my rage bubble up again as my head tilted back and I realized what he was saying. “So their mage would be a slave?” I asked, feeling my annoyance rising,

Dumag let out a confirming hum and my teeth clenched in response. “Adympia is a land of slavery and servitude.” He repeated. “Even more so for any that find themselves in possession of arcane abilities. Their abilities make them rather valuable as slaves.”

I let out a low growl and my fist clenched in anger as I realized what he was saying. Another door in the distance sounded along the muffled shelves of the library. “Of-Fucking-Course,” I growled heatedly. “Of course Adympia does that to their own people. They’re just the epitome of despicable, aren’t they.”

I looked down as I heard a rapid clicking and saw Amelia nodding grimly, her thumbs pressed into her temple. She was tapping her heel on the floor of the library, her expression hardened against the turmoil beneath. “You have no idea.” She muttered quietly. “I encountered a lot of slaves before I made my escape. … One of them stuck out to me. … He looked so broken and out of it, little more than a walking zombie that followed their every command. … I can’t even imagine what he went through that made him like that.”

I grumbled angrily as my knuckles grew white. “They would have done the same to Amelia if they knew about her being a mage, if not worse.” I realized. “Jesus fuck that pisses me off. There are probably others too; others at the mercy of people like Almar and his elite. FUCK. Wait, calm down. We need to focus. I can worry about others later. For now, we need to think about saving just one.” I let out a forceful sigh as I quelled my anger and focused on the present. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” I said aloud. Amelia looked up at me questioning me as I rubbed my head heartedly. My hair was really starting to distract me. It was about time for a trim when I arrived in this world of elves and orcs, but after two and some odd months, it was starting to get unruly. Now it practically covered the top of my ears and scratched the back of my neck every time I turned my head. I suppressed that distracting thought and turned as a third door could be heard opening at the far end of the library. Brokil finally emerged from around one of the shelves, carrying my backpack and Amelia’s satchel. My spirits lifted as I pointed in his direction. “For now, we have an orc to rescue and very little time to prepare.”

The next morning we were standing inside the Arkanul Portath, our bags laden with a handful of Archive artifacts and spellstones. Dumag had his own arsenal as well as two Archive staves in his magic bag, one for manipulating earth and another for manipulating water, with the mysterious gauntlet on his arm. The stone on the back of the hand had shifted to pitch-black color, as it always did when he wore it. Bruga, meanwhile, wore the crown turned circlet, the gem on her forehead adopting a sky blue hue. I wasn’t sure if it would help her should a fight break out, but Dumag was insistent that it was unwise for him to wear both artifacts. This left Brokil, Gremach, and Salthu with their personal armaments. Brokil carried a short scepter that housed a small sapphire at the end. Gremach now wore a small necklace with a tiny topaz pendant. Salthu’s gear was the only one without a gemstone addition, opting instead for hide bracers covered in strange glyphs. He tightened the straps nervously as we waited for our escort to arrive.

I could understand how he felt. I felt really underprepared for this expedition. The only items Amelia and I had to work with were the ones we pulled from the archive. Our bags were filled with one of each spellstone, as well as some of the combat-oriented artifacts; a ring of thick skin, a bracelet of greater spellcasting, and some necklaces with manastones in them. They were untested of course, but we planned to do that as we made our way to where Orthan had disappeared. Amelia had also brought a pair of those owl-eyed necklaces, but I wasn’t sure why. We still didn’t know what they did and we didn’t have time for Brokil to try to determine that. We were still unfamiliar with how Vedug enchanted their artifacts.

I let out a tired sigh and stretched as I did one last mental check. My sword was at my side, my bag on my back, one set of quartz, and three of the topaz spellstones were sitting beside the ring and two of the manastone necklaces. The necklaces supposedly accounted for seven mana each, the pea-sized quartz crystals allowing for the item to be charged within a day. Amelia had taken her own set of quartz spellstones, minus the solitary earth spellstone that was in my bag and had the bracelet and two of her own necklaces in her satchel. She bit her nails nervously as she stared off. I tapped a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, causing her to look up at me. “We can handle this,” I said, giving her as much of a smile as I could muster. “We’re more than prepared for this. You heard what Dumag said, they don’t have any magic, save for whatever slave Almar gave them.”

Amelia let out a low sigh as she started staring off again, still chewing on her fingers. “I hope you’re right,” she muttered quietly. “They might be the last vestige Almar has to pursue me. If they’re really in Gashur … Well, I hope you’re wrong about that part. If nothing else, we might find Orthan on this trip. At the very least, we’ll be able to complete Uloth’s guest.”

I nodded as I glanced at the obelisks on the far wall. I could barely make out a soft blue glow coming from the one I saw Surbag use yesterday. I sighed as I turned and glanced at the others again. “That’ll depend on our theory. Hopefully, the sample we got will work well enough. If not, we’ll just have to try something else. How knows, maybe one of them knows enough about shapeshifting for my second idea.”

Amelia nodded as she tilted her head back and let out a sigh. “I hope so.” She muttered.

I nodded at her quiet statement just as Brokil suddenly appeared beside us. “You two are prepared for this expedition?” He asked curiously.

I instinctively tapped my bag and hip before nodding again. “As ready as we could be,” I confirmed. “You?”

Brokil nodded as he glanced at the obelisks. “I did not expect to return to such a spectacle.” He remarked, almost in disbelief. “Let alone that I would be sent for with such urgency.”

I rubbed my head guiltily as I glanced at Dumag. His normally stony expression had solidified further, his jaw gritted determinedly as he stared off thoughtfully. “Yeah,” I sighed as I turned back to Brokil. “Sorry we didn’t consult you about this quest. It came up on us just as quickly as this kidnapping business. Even quicker, considering the urgency of Uloth’s request.”

Brokil nodded as he rubbed his scepter thoughtfully. “Do not fret over such triviality. Such is the nature of tragedy,” he muttered wistfully. “Rarely can one predict their beginning or their end. It is fortunate these two events appear to coincide in their source, if your assumptions are correct.”

I nodded as I let out another sigh. “Amelia and I were just talking about that. This lockdown might have to continue if the elites aren’t behind all this. In any case, we’ll at least-”

I suddenly turned as the obelisk began to glow blue and let off a low hum. A moment later a loud pop deposited a small group of orcs into the room. They clutched their stomachs for a moment before straightening. I could see the sneer of contempt forming almost immediately, even through my half-cracked glasses. I gritted my teeth as I braced myself for whatever condescending monologue was about to leave his lips. They were five in total, all of them wearing deep blue shawls. Three of them wore additional hide bracers with sapphire embedded in the wrists. One of them carried a large satchel on his hip that was close to bursting from its contents. The last one had a bone necklace, similar to the one I saw Surbag wearing except made from fewer teeth. The one wearing the necklace let out a growl as he stepped forward, the others following close behind. “Your notion had better hold water, outside.” He grumbled. “I have very little patience for those that draw me from my work.”

I stifled my annoyance at him as I straightened and crossed my arms. “We’re not too thrilled that this happened either,” I replied, deliberately misinterpreting who he was referring to. “If we’re right, everyone can return to their tasks within the day. I’m sure your guild has their own quests to complete. Almar won’t be in the way of them for long.”

The mage’s frown deepened as he stopped in front of us. He turned and sized us up individually, his frown faltering briefly as he spotted Dumag within our group. He finally growled annoyedly as he turned to me. “Almar’s interference has yet to be seen, outsider,” he spat. “The Elder Mother appears to find reason in your words, but my leader does not. He believes you to be fools on a fool's errand, doomed to fail before you ever conceived this pitiful postulation."

I bit my cheek in anger as I shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess it's fortunate that your guild leader took such a vested interest in our safety then," I replied flatly. "I'm sure Garahk was just trying to ease his concerns by suggesting your guild for our escort. If our assumption is right, I'm sure you're more than capable if a fight breaks out."

The mage let out a grumble as I again deflected his blatant insults. He crossed his arms angrily as he finally decided to move on and get this whole thing over with. “You have a destination in mind, yes?” He asked angrily. “I am doubtful that this orc accompanied these rumored elites into Snakhagr.”

I nodded as I glanced at Dumag. His face was contorted into a sneer as he gazed at the offending mages. “You know where along that road he disappeared from?” I asked, pulling him out of his silent stupor.

Dumag nodded as he let out another grumble and glanced at the mages again. “I have repaired the road before.” He explained. “I can tell if there were recently any such attempts. That is where we may begin searching.”

I nodded as I turned to Brokil. “Let’s teleport out then,” I advised. “If any elites are in the city, they’re likely watching the Institute as closely as they can. We don’t want them to know we’ve left and warn whoever’s at their camp. We’ll make our own way out.”

Brokil nodded as he reached into his shawl. “A beacon will place us on the outskirts.” He affirmed. “We may journey the rest of the way.”

I nodded as I turned to the mages again. “Care to introduce yourselves before we leave?” I asked. “If we end up fighting side by side we might as well know what to call you.”

The mage’s nose crinkled in derision as he scoffed. “You have not yet earned the privilege, outsider.” He spat. “Even our lowest member would deny you such an honor.”

I bit my cheek again as I stifled my annoyance. He was really getting on my nerves. The term outsider was somehow more cutting coming from him. I would need him, however, if the elites were behind all of this. “Have it your way,” I grumbled as I turned to Brokil. “Just don’t complain about the nickname I choose for you. Now get over here. We can’t waste any more time arguing.”

I heard another grumble from the mage as Brokil extended his arm, signaling our group to reach out and take the beacon filled hand. The blue shawled orcs filled in the few gaps that existed between the seven of us. It was a tight fit, but it was just enough to bring everyone into contact with the focus of teleport. Brokil glanced around once to ensure that everyone was ready. He nodded as he turned to the beacon clutched in his hand. “Onward to adventure.” He said softly before beginning the incantation.

Orthan

My body trembled weakly as I lay on the cold hard cavern floor. The pain in my arms flowed constantly. The wounds were caked over with blood that stained my arms a deep black. The pale warmth of the distant fire was the only modicum of comfort afforded to me and I knew that would also be taken from me once these elves departed for the day. I could see them by the light of the fire, shuffling about as they assembled their supplies for their trip. The general, meanwhile, sat idly by as he waited for the others to finish preparations. His long pale hair was mangled, sticking to the scraps of cloth that still covered his form. He growled as he turned to the elf that was acting as organizer. “How much longer?” He muttered impatiently. “You and your measly men have been scrambling about forever. Surely you are prepared to depart by now.”

The elf let out a grunt in response as he tied a small bag closed. “Calm yourself.” He growled in response. “This journey should not be taken lightly. A solitary path stands between here and Adympia. Any other route would put us too close to orc settlements. In any regard, you did not appear so impatient as you slumbered in our generous accommodations.”

The general jumped to his feet, his eyes burning with rage. “My silence was a courtesy, knave.” He hissed. “I have trekked that path before. I do not need to be reminded of the danger, but my patience wears thin as we spend an inordinate amount of time waiting for soldiers that will clearly not return for this journ-”

The general stopped suddenly as the elf drew a dagger and leveled it at the general’s neck. “And you test mine, ingrate.” The elf growled in response. “Need I remind you that your freedom and safety rely on me and my soldiers? Certainly, you are not foolish enough to think you can make the journey without us.”

The general’s fist clenched as he muttered angrily. “Almar would not stand for this insubordination.” He warned. “Do not forget your loyalties, worm. I may be without my army, but Almar’s favor is still mine. Now lower your blade lest I have you flogged once we return to Nione.”

The cavern fell silent as the elf and general glared at each other, none daring to waver from their threats on each other. The pulsing in my limbs was the only indication that time was bassing at all. The painful throbbing gave me a rhythm with which to judge how long the two stood there, eyes locked. Finally, the elf wielding the blade sighed as he lowered his arm and sheathed the dagger. “It will not be long now.” He assured the general. “I must ensure all who escaped the city have returned. I will not abandon anyone for a simple case of impatience.”

The general grumbled in response as he took up his seated position again. “So long as we depart soon.” He growled. “I am anxious to return to my abode.”

The elf nodded in response as he turned to his satchel once more. “All in due time.” He assured him. “All in due time.” The cavern fell silent, save for the rustling of movement and my ragged breath. I felt my eyelids growing heavy, the pain in my arms preventing me from focusing. I was so tired.

Dexter

The teleport brought us out to the edge of the forest, Snakhagr barely visible in the distance. From there, Dumag began leading us towards the road that had started this whole scenario. The guild mages walked beside Dumag as the rest of us trailed behind. Amelia and I took the opportunity to test out the spellstones we’d brought. They would be necessary if we found ourselves near the end of our rope and in need of a quick spell. I still didn’t trust myself not to mess something up under times of stress. I pointed the earth stone behind us as I gave it a quick pulse of mana. A hunk of rock, about the size of a boulder, materialized and shot out of the quartz stone, tumbling into the road behind us before cracking and crumbling into dusk. A similarly sized fireball shot out of the other quartz stone, roaring through the air before it fell onto the road and dissipated into nothingness. “Surprisingly powerful,” I remarked as I examined the two spellstones. “I don’t think I ever managed a fireball that size.”

Amelia nodded as she directed the waterdrop spellstone behind us. A moment later a torrent the size of a firehose blasted from the stone and soaked the road. When the torrent died, the water remained briefly before quickly evaporating away. Next, she tried the lightning stone and shot a bolt of white energy that crackled with power as it sailed through the air. The energy dissipated as the bolt arched and shot onto the road, leaving a small blast mark where it had landed. “A lot more destructive than what we’re used to making.” She confirmed. “I just hope it won’t have to come to us using these. These seem like last resort kinds of items.”

I nodded as I put the two spellstones away and pulled out the shield stone. “Here’s to hoping these elite guys go down easy.” I agreed. I examined the spellstone for a moment before directing it behind us again. A quick pulse of mana caused the shield stone to glow briefly before a sky blue energy field materialized, bent into the curved shape of a kite shield. The field was a replica of the symbol carved into the surface of the gem. I waved the gem around and bit and found the shield followed the stone, clinging to it like an infant to its mother. A sharp knock on the field confirmed its rigidity and strength. It didn’t feel as strong as a real shield but seemed like it would hold up against most attacks. I nodded as I released my push on the spellstone and the field dissipated. I slipped the stone back into my bag as I turned to Amelia. “Are we sure the necklaces work?” I asked precautiously.

Amelia nodded as she tapped her satchel. “Brokil checked them before you woke up.” She replied. “Seven mana each. Fourteen total for each of us.”

I nodded as I pulled my arm across my chest and stretched, drawing a soft pop from my joints. “Too bad we can’t use all of that in one go,” I remarked. “We don’t want to draw this out. Better that we get them quickly before they can organize. Thankfully there are a dozen of us now.”

Amelia nodded as she played with her fingers nervously. “Not even a moment.” She confirmed. “That’s all they’d need.” She fell silent after her last remark, wringing her hands as we continued to walk in silence.

I tapped my hand comfortingly on her shoulder as I let out an uneasy sigh. “We won’t give it to them,” I assured her. “We’ll find them and take them out before they know what hit them. We’ll have Orthan and the general back before you know it.”

Amelia sighed as she stopped fiddling with her hands and pursed her lips. “I hope you’re right about that.” She remarked quietly. She then fell silent, her index finger tapping rapidly as we walked. I sighed to myself as I cycled through everything we’d gone over yesterday. We had our gear in order. We had an idea of how to go about attacking various iterations of their camp; using an ambush, setting traps, from the trees. All we had to do was find them.

It took us an hour to finally reach the road we were looking for. Dumag’s eyes swept the road as we traveled down it, looking for obvious signs of repair. It was another twenty minutes before his hand shot up, signaling us to stop. He crouched down and brushed her fingers along the dirt path, feeling the road as he searched for .. something. He finally nodded as he looked around. “He was taken here.” He muttered, pointing at a patch on the road. “That earth is new. It has barely been used. I would stake my honor on this.”

I nodded as I glanced at Salthu. “Get the spell ready. We have an orc to find.”

Salthu nodded as he reached into his shawl and pulled out the vial. He stepped forward and began the incantation. The guild mages watched annoyedly as Salthu delicately wove through the proper gestures. “This is truly your plan?” Their leader scoffed, obviously obfuscated by our idea. “Use a tracking spell without a proper sample? Surly you outsiders are not so daft as to believe for this to work. You truly trust this wizard to cast properly?”

I clenched my fist angrily as I let out an exasperated sigh. “He knows the most about the spell, blue.” I countered poignantly, crossing my arms to hide my annoyance. “He’s spent the most time reading up and practicing this spell. Besides that, we gave him some outsider knowledge that he can work with. If anyone in our group can find the orc, it’ll be him.” The mage gritted his teeth in anger. I was obviously lying about the knowledge bit, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. It wouldn’t really matter anyway. The principle of mixing samples was still the same. I then turned to Salthu, deliberately ignoring blue’s heated gaze. “Whenever you’re ready,” I said encouragingly.

Salthu nodded as he let out a slow sigh. He hadn’t broken concentration from the spell he was casting. He had clenched his eyes shut to focus his energy into the spell. The vial hovered a few inches in front of him as it glowed softly. I turned curiously as I noticed a select few glyphs on his bracers were glowing as well. He continued to mutter for another minute before finally casting the spell, snatching the bottle from the air and finally opening his eyes again. He scanned the road before him with a careful gaze as his eyes gave off a piercing aura. We stood there for a few moments, waiting for Salthu to finish his search. I felt my heart sink as I saw Salthu fiddle with the vial. Salthu’s face slowly contorted into one of disgust as he looked around. “I see no trail to follow.” He groaned, turning to us and releasing the spell. “Are we certain this is where Orthan disappeared?” He seemed nervous; about what I couldn’t tell.

Dumag growled as he stepped off the path and crouched in the grass. He dug around in the tall stalks for a bit before pulling out a long trowel. It was laughably tiny for a digging tool. The metal tip was barely bigger than my splayed hand. The handle it was attached to was by far the longest I’d seen on a trowel, but quite a bit shorter than my arm. In total, the tool barely rivaled the length of a regular umbrella, yet it was clearly a well worn one. The handle was aged and splintered; a panel about halfway along appeared to be nailed on, hiding what was surely a break in the tool. Dumag turned and showed the strange instrument to us as he knocked some wet soil off the tip. “This is my brother’s craftsmanship.” He explained, pointing at the tip of the tool. Another crescent moon was engraved on the back of the metal, rust gently caking the aged implement. “My brother would not abandon this easily. Nor would he do so so far from his home. My nephew was taken here. I am certain of it.”

I glanced at Salthu. His face was still contorted in despair. He was clearly unhappy about this development. I was about to tell him it was alright when I heard a chuckle from the guild mages. I turned sharply to see Blue’s beaming face. “So much for your outsider knowledge.” He remarked smugly. “I wonder what other notions you have blundered.”

I ignored his remark and focussed on resolving this issue. “It must be the sample then,” I suggested, turning to Salthu. “It’s only the blood from his brother. There must be a large enough difference for it to distinguish between the two. Is there any way you can introduce a margin or error?”

Salthu sighed and scratched his head as he thought. “I am uncertain.” He admitted. “This incantation has gone to great lengths to track a solitary sample. I am uncertain if it is possible to loosen this goal.”

I heard another chuckle from the guild mages, but I ignored it again as I scratched my head in annoyance. “We won’t know until we try then, will we,” I grumbled. I turned to Gremach and Amelia as I gestured at Salthu. “Gremach, brainstorm a bit with Salthu and Amelia. Amelia, fill him in on what we told Salthu. The two of them might be able to crack this together.” Gremach and Salthu gave me a look of concern as Amelia nodded, her face carrying a flat expression as she pulled the two of them away. I let out a sigh as I turned to the Dumag, Brokil, and Bruga, my heart hammering from nervousness. I trusted Amelia to know what I was trying to do. I couldn’t trust the mages to take this seriously, not without solid evidence of my theory. To them, we were just going after Orthan for personal reasons. That theory would probably be solidified if they knew Dumag was related to him, assuming they didn’t already know. Besides, Amelia was likely more well versed in anatomy and genetics than I was. She would be able to explain the idea of chromosomes to them without much effort. I sighed as I rubbed my face thoughtfully. “Any other ways someone could be tracked?” I asked them hopefully. “There’s got to be other ways besides using essence.”

Brokil shook his head as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Nothing that spring to mind.” He admitted. “Essence tracking is so all-encompassing that no other methods have truly been explored. I am uncertain any other methods are possible.”

Dumag audibly scoffed at the remark. “You call yourself a mage.” He grumbled, waving the trowel in his direction. “I remember spending days trailing a Chemisit through the Whispering Woods. Hours would be spent without spotting him. Yet I was still able to follow him, without the use of magic I might add. It is foolish to think there are no other methods of-”

I stopped Dumag as I put a hand on the tool and forced him to lower it. “Be that as it may, we need something that can track your nephew in the next half an hour. Considering how old his trail is, I doubt you can track his footsteps to where they took him. Besides, the elites probably covered their tracks. They wouldn’t let it be that easy to follow them.”

Dumag’s face contorted into a sneer as he grumbled annoyedly. “The possibility should have been considered.” He insisted. “Discarding alternative tactics because of others is a fool's game. Mages should know not to play this game.”

I nodded as I let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re right, but now isn’t the time for a lecture. “I countered. “We can make a list of possibilities once this is over. For now, we need to-” I stopped as I suddenly felt a sharp prick on my fingers. I looked down to see the tool digging into my skin. The wood was splintered worse than I thought. Very few places were free of the spine like protrusions. An idea suddenly sprang to mind as I saw a thin trail of red escaping my skin. I turned to Bruga as I loosened my grip slightly. “Your essence is blue, right?”

Bruga’s brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at me. “It is, but I fail to understand why you ask.”

I glanced at the guild mages as they watched us discussing. They all wore the same blue shawl, the same color as the sapphire in Bruga’s circlet. I turned to Dumag as I pulled the trowel up again. “Do you trust me on this?” I asked.

It was Dumag’s turn to look confused. He hesitated for a moment as he tried to piece together what I was thinking. He finally sighed as he released the tool from his grip. “So long as your notions bear fruit.” He grumbled.

I nodded as I let out a slow sigh, psyching myself up for a moment before turning to the guild mages. They gave me a wary look as I held up the tiny tool. “We’ve encountered an unforeseen snag.” I began explaining. “We have an idea on how to progress from here, but we, unfortunately, lack the incantations to do so. The only question is, how badly do you want to return to your own work?”

The lead mage’s confusion deepened as he stared at the tool. The others looked to him expectantly as his eyes moved between me and the tool. His face finally turned into a sneer as he crossed his arms angrily. “Nothing would bring me more joy than to depart from here and return to my home.” He growled. “If satisfying your curiosity will accomplish this then so be it. Now, what idiotic notion have you devised this time.”

I grinned to myself as I gestured at the tool. “I need one of you to turn into some kind of tracking animal and get a scent off this. Orthan likely held it last so there should be plenty of sweat to work with. Is that something you or your mages can do?”

The lead mage sneered as he glanced at one of the bracer wearing mages. “Of course. Humor the outsider, if you will. The sooner this is over the sooner we can return.” The mage nodded as he stepped forward and began gesturing. I expected him to turn into some kind of dog with this incantation, but it seemed he had other ideas. His face glowed as his mouth elongated and grew a thick coat of black fur. His tusks turned into fangs as his nose shrank and grew wet. With one last gesture, his entire mouth had changed, turning into the muzzle of a dog, complete with a prominent black nose. The dog-orc hybrid held out his hand expectantly as he turned to the stop Dumag had pointed out earlier. I complied and handed him the trowel as I watched him work. He held the item up to his face and took a big whiff of the tool, taking in the various scents that likely covered the implement. His nose searched up and down the tool for a moment, trying to find something as his eyes remained fixated on spot before him.

After a moment he finally stopped sniffing the tool and crouched to take several passes at the ground. I watched intriguingly as his sniffs grew quicker and he began to go further along the path. I suddenly saw a shiver run down his back as his head shot back up. A chill went down my own spine as he declared something unexpected. “Elves have been here.”

The lead mage did a double-take as he stared at the hybrid mage. “They what?” He asked in shock.

I was tempted to chuckle as I stepped forward and gestured at the path. “I believe he said there were elves here,” I replied smugly. “So much for my notion being idiotic.”

The lead mage sneered as he strode towards the hybrid mage. “How recent is the scent?” He asked.

The hybrid lowered to the path again before lifting back up. “Not longer than a week.” He replied. “They smell of Adympian leather and Primrose. … This does not bode well.”

The lead mage growled again as he rubbed his head angrily. “Change of plan, outsider. Your orc quest will have to wait. We must repel this elven invasion.”

I grinned as I stepped forward cockily. “You obviously haven’t paid attention,” I remarked confidently. “The elves took the orc we’re looking for. Finding the elves will find our orc and vice versa. So long as you lead us to these elves, we’ll help you out.” The lead mage growled again as he clenched his fist. This had become a happy surprise. Something I stupidly hadn’t considered before. We didn’t have to track a single orc, just an elven path in a land of orcs. I turned to Amelia’s group as I raised my voice. They were clustered close to each other as they discussed something quietly. “We’ve Got A Trail,” I said loudly. “We Should Get Moving. We Don’t Want To Give Them Any More Time.” They didn’t respond to my declaration. They didn’t even break from their discussion. I turned to Brokil. “Get their attention. We have an orc to find.” Brokil nodded as he walked over to get their attention. I turned back to the lead mage as I gestured at the rest of his group. “We’ll be just a minute. I want to fill my guild in on this development.”

The lead mage sneered again as he strode back over to his group. “Speak quickly.” He growled, leaving me beside the hybrid mage.

I nodded as I walked over to Amelia’s group. Brokil had failed to get their attention and instead seemed to have joined their discussion. They turned to me as I approached. Salthu stepped forward excitedly as he held up the vial. “We have found a solution.” He declared gleefully.

I looked at him skeptically. “You have?” I asked.

Salthu nodded as he looked towards Dumag. “We just need the-” He stopped as he noticed something about him. He then swiveled his head to look for something, then stopped as he spotted the hybrid mage, his nose still low to the ground as he gripped the trowel in his hands. I watched Salthu dash over and say something to him. The hybrid mage didn’t react to Salthu’s presence, just lifted the arm that held the short shovel and gave it to Salthu. Salthu then dashed back over and handed the tool to Gremach. Gremach took it and waved a hand over the wooden handle, muttering an incantation.

I turned to Amelia questioningly as the series of events answered none of my questions about this development. Amelia gave me a wry smirk as she saw my confusion. “We needed a better sample.” She explained. “Plus another familial donor, but I think Dumag will be more willing to share some blood. He doesn’t sound as stubborn as his brother.” I glanced at Gremach again to see him triumphantly pull a splinter from the handle. He carefully handed the shard to Salthu who placed it in the sample vial before shaking it thoroughly.

I gave Amelia another quizzical look as I turned back to her. “Are you sure that’ll work?” I asked skeptically.

Amelia grinned again and nodded as she grasped her hands gleefully. “If two samples will work to track children, mixes of the close family should have a similar result.”

I glanced over as I saw Salthu dash over to Dumag and hold up the vial. He then said something to him as he presumably explained what Amelia just told me. Dumag gave Bruga a hesitant look as she listened closely to Salthu’s explanation. She then met Dumag’s gaze and nodded encouragingly. Dumag hesitated for another moment before sighing and reaching into his satchel. He pulled out a small blade and pressed his thumb into the shiny metal. A quick slice drew a drop of blood from his pale green skin. Dumag then held out the weeping digit and deposited a drop of crimson into the near clear liquid, turning it into a deeper red than before. I turned to Amelia again as I glanced at the guild mages. Their body language had changed entirely. They were now on alert, their face hardened as they all glanced towards the forest to the north. I could understand why. They were now expecting a fight. They needed to be primed and ready for a conflict. … As did we.

I sighed as I juggled the possibilities for my next decision. If this theory worked, that would be outright positive. However, if Salthu spent the entire trip holding the spell it could drain his mana reserves, making him vulnerable in a fight. We had plenty of manastone to last for a bit, but it wasn’t indefinite. It would be wiser to save his strength for a confrontation. On the other hand, scent was different from essence. We are going after elves after all, but they were elves disguised as orcs. I drummed my fingers on the hilt of my sword thoughtfully, my mind juggling the two options. Let him try or tell him to save his strength. I muttered angrily as I scratched my head. I had too little information to make a decision. I didn’t know what kind of force we’d be facing. I didn’t know how effective the guild mages would be in a fight. I didn’t even know how useful I’d be in that situation. My luck in my first battle must have been monstrous if I survived as I did. My drumming was growing nervous as my head started looping the same set of information, indecisive as all hell over this one choice.

I was suddenly pulled from my stupor as I felt Amelia lightly touch my arm. “This is good, right?” She asked, her smile dropping slightly. “If it works, we’ll be able to find Orthan, even if they hid him away from their camp.”

I let out a slow sigh as I gave myself a few more seconds of thought. Above all else, our priority should be Orthan. He was the only reason I knew about the tilted tusks in the first place. After another moment, I sighed and nodded as I turned to Amelia. “Better to be safe than sorry,” I confirmed. I saw her smile as she turned to Salthu and the others as they joined our semi Isolated group. I could see Salthu’s hand trembling slightly. This time I knew what he was nervous about; about the idea not working. I tapped his shoulder encouragingly as I gave him a grin. “Give it a go,” I said as I gestured towards the path. “We want all our bases covered for this one.” Salthu let out another sigh and nodded as he stepped forward.

He hesitated for another moment before gesturing once more, weaving the mana into the proper construct. The guild mages turned and sneered as they noticed Salthu performing the spell once more. The lead mage gestured insistently as he stepped forward. “Leave your idiotic incantations. We cannot waste any more time.”

I felt my face twitch in annoyance as I crossed my arms challengingly. “We’re just trying something,” I said defensively. “We’ll just be another moment.” The lead mage sneered angrily as he turned back to his group. At least he listened that time. I turned back to Salthu as he finally finished the incantation. With one final gesture, the piercing aura returned to his retinas. He once again began sweeping the road for a trail to follow. This time, he almost immediately snapped his head to a spot on the side of the path, a smile spreading across his face as he gazed about.

My spirits soared as Salthu turned back and gave us an ecstatic expression. “The gods smile upon us today.” He sighed in relief.

I grinned in response as I gave him a thumbs up. “Perfect.” I sighed. “Go ahead and hold the incantation. We want to make sure the guild mages will lead us to where they stuck Orthan.” Salthu nodded in response as he turned back to the path. I gave a thumbs up to the guild mage to signal we were ready to move. The lead mage nodded in response and gestured for his group to follow, the hybrid keeping his face low to track the scent of the elite. We began to follow as Salthu swept the ground carefully, his eyes squinting as he mapped out where the elites had taken Orthan. I lifted my fist and held it out to Amelia. “Great work,” I whispered to her.

She returned the fist bump as she grinned. “Luckily Gremach was able to find a leftover sample.” She sighed. “Salthu said it might be a bit murky, but at least he can see the path.”

I nodded as I stretched nervously. I was still nervous about the inevitable fight, but I was relieved that the guild mages were taking it seriously this time. I watched Salthu swivel his head from side to side as we walked down the path, approaching the woods to the north. “Some path is better than nothing at all,” I affirmed. “Let’s just hope we can get the drop on them before they have time to organize.”