It took a lot of time and Vukasin’s help to break the two archmages apart. Seeing what was going on, he ran outside and returned with some ropes. That finally fixed the problem.

“Have the two of you calmed down, or do I need to take you outside like that?” Heartwell asked.

“I’m calm now,” Mizette responded, while Hazelmere kept quiet.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me, but a demon is approaching. A huge bug! A bug bigger than any we’ve seen before. We need you outside, meaning you’ll come on your own, or I’ll drag you outside like that. You can go back to pulling each other’s hair as soon as the bug is gone, but not before. So, will you behave?”

Mizette fixed him with a frowning glare: “We appreciate the help Heartwell, but don’t patronize us like we’re some misbehaving children. We had plenty of reasons to fight. And, if what you’re saying is true, now we have a good reason not to.”

“Then let’s go, so you can see it yourselves.”

Heartwell removed the ropes, but he and Vukasin kept the girls as far away from each other as possible, just in case.

“Wait, we can’t go like this. Give me a few moments,” Hazelmere’s said.

“We don’t have the time!”

“And we can’t let the others see us like this! My subordinates shouldn’t see me fighting a fellow archmage.”

She got two combs from a stash, throwing one to Mizette.

“Here, take one. You need it too.”

Mizette opened her mouth instinctively but stopped herself before uttering a sound.

The two females combed their hair quickly. Their hair was still a mess, but at least it now looked like a sleepy mess instead of a thunder-struck mess it used to be.

Dealing with that quickly, all of them ran outside. By the time they got there, the demonic bug was already in front of the palisade.

This bug was much larger than the others, just like Heartwell said. However, Hazelmere didn’t expect it to be that big. It was much bigger than the talking bug they saw before and much, much fatter. While the talking bug was slim and thin, this one was as tall as half of the palisade. It looked like a giant caterpillar, with a boxy frame instead of a round one. Its thin, insectoid legs went in two rows, with the upper row sitting right at the middle of its body. Hazelmere couldn’t help but wonder: “what is that upper row of legs for? It’s certainly not for moving on the ground.”

“Oh, good, you are finally here,” Cybil said, “what took you so long?”

“We had a lot to discuss,” Hazelmere responded in a gloomy voice, “what is it doing?”

“Nothing so far. It is just standing there. But, then again, it reached the camp not so long ago. Look, this one even has a nose, like that ugly thing with antlers we saw on the other side.”

As soon as Cybil said that, the thing started turning in place while making loud, labored noises. It huffed and puffed a great deal as smoke started coming out from its sides.

“Is that smoke coming out of its nostrils?” Hazelmere asked.

“No way!” Cybil responded, “That’s where the ears are supposed to be! Creatures don’t have their nostrils separated like that! Besides, its nose is clearly on the front. Do you see that boxy bulge which takes almost its entire face?”

“What, you think it is fuming out of its ears?”

“It sounds strange, but why not? It wouldn’t be the strangest thing we have seen. Though, I have never heard of fuming constructs.”

“We still don’t know if those are the constructs or not. That is just a wild guess. Wait … it stopped moving. What is it doing now?”

“It has turned its back to us. Don’t you think that is a stupid thing to do?”

“I don’t know, maybe …”

As Hazelmere spoke, the caterpillar’s rear end slid off from its body completely, as if it was sliced off with a huge, sharp knife. With the body gone, a bony skeleton revealed itself. The only thing left of its fat body was a small portion at the front, with the boxy nose and numerous legs. That, and the skeleton which kept everything in place.

After losing most of its body, the caterpillar left in the same manner it came, completely unconcerned with what it has left behind.

Looking at the disposed body sitting in front of the palisade, Hazelmere noticed there were no legs on it. Her first assumption was that those were perhaps two creatures, or constructs, masquerading as one, but the retreating thing still had both rows of legs on it.

With the caterpillar running away, everyone focused their attention on what is has discarded.

“Don’t tell me it came all the way here just to take a massive dump on us,” One of the soldiers commented.

Which made Heartwell hit the soldier’s helmet with his palm: “Now’s not the time for lame jokes, jackass! Focus!”

A standoff ensued, with nobody willing to make a move.

“What is it waiting for?” Cybil asked nobody in particular.

Hazelmere’s ears twitched as she remembered something.

“Is that priestess here?”

“… yes … I’m here …”

Hazelmere didn’t see her in the crowd, but she didn’t have to.

“Can you sense anything?”

“… no … nothing …”

“But, of course, that doesn’t have to mean anything because the energy these demons emit isn’t detectible,” Cybil pointed out.

“Yes, but … it isn’t moving at all.”

“That’s because it’s a metal container,” Heartwell said.

Hazelmere turned her head to look at him: “What?”

“I’m confident it’s a metal container.”

“Container for what?”

“I have no idea, but I can recognize metal when I see it.”

“That is impossible! Look at the size of that thing!” Cybil protested, “If it were made out of metal, it would be too heavy to carry around! There is no way that frail skeleton could carry it all the way here!”

“I’m telling you, it’s a container! Look at the top of it! Can’t you see how something is neatly arranged there? And can’t you see there’s a frame around it, holding everything in place?”

“It does look like a huge cup,” Mizette agreed.

“Hmm … ok, it does look like a squarish cup when I take a better look. But what would it hold?”

“Gifts, maybe?”

Everyone turned to look at Mizette.

“I mean … they showed no hostility towards us, right? Not even when we shot an arrow at them.”

“That is way too naïve,” Cybil protested.

“Yes it is, but who knows?”

“There’s an easy way to find out. I’ll send two soldiers to inspect the thing. Then, we’ll know for sure.”

But, just as Heartwell opened his mouth to bark his orders, Hazelmere interrupted him.

“No!”

He looked at her with a confused look on his face: “What no?”

“No! We aren’t sending anyone! It’s a trap!”

“A trap?”

“Yes, a trap, you oaf!”

“Huh, didn’t hear that one for a long time.”

“Silence!” Hazelmere lashed out at him, “If that’s really a metal container, then it’s a perfect cover for the enemy, right?”

Heartwell kept quiet.

“What, you can’t hear what I’m saying?”

“You told me to keep …”

“Speak!”

“What’s your problem? Why are you so worked up?”

“That metal box provides a perfect cover for the invaders! The moment our soldiers come close, they’ll jump out of it and surprise us!”

“What, you’re a strategic mastermind now, huh?”

Saying that, Mizette got in Hazelmere’s face, looking quite irritated and being openly aggressive. Seeing what’s happening, Heartwell jumped between them before it’s too late.

“We don’t have time for this!” His voice had a hint of pleading in it.

“You’re right, we don’t!” Hazelmere continued, “I’m not waiting for our enemies to make the first move! Mages!” She started shouting,” Every mage who is capable of casting even the lowest fireball spell! Prepare it, and get ready to shoot it onto the invaders!”

“Wait Hazelmere, wait!” Heartwell tried reasoning with her.

“That’s ‘miss royal archmage’ for you!”

“Look, we have no idea what’s inside! Let me send two guys to investigate! Even if you’re right, and I admit you may be, sending two guys to investigate is a negligible loss! But, think what will happen if you’re wrong!”

“We’ll be the ones held responsible for starting the war if you’re wrong, you dumb whore!” Unlike Heartwell, Mizette didn’t hold back, surprising even Cybil with her venom.

“Spells at the ready!”

“Please, think of the possible …”

“Shoot the fireballs!”

Streaks of fireballs flew from the palisade towards the strange thing, with half of them missing it. However, the ones that did manage to hit also managed to set it on fire. Even so, more and more fireballs continued landing until the mages got tired from spending their mana.

The edgy container burned beautifully, with flames rising quite high. Whatever was inside of it made for some excellent fuel.

“I hear no screams yet,” Cybil pointed out while everyone else kept quiet.

The fire raged on and on, showing no sign of dwindling anytime soon. Even though it started in the morning, it lasted almost until the sunset.

And yet, no screams could be heard at all.

Finally, when the fire and the smoke have stopped, Heartwell went for the improvised gates.

“Where do you think you are going?” Hazelmere asked in a stern voice.

He continued as if he didn’t hear a thing. Reading the atmosphere, Hazelmere decided against saying anything more than that.

Crossing the gates, Heartwell went straight for the big, charred box. Placing his hand on it, he confirmed it wasn’t red hot anymore. Inspecting it from up close, he realized the box was designed in a way that made accessing it very easy. There were even carved up steps in it so that people could climb it.

He jumped in without hesitation as everyone else gawked from the safety of the palisade.

It didn’t take long for him to get out, holding something charred in his right hand. As he got back into the camp, everyone kept a fair distance away from whatever it was that he was carrying.

However, Hazelmere couldn’t escape him. He reached her from below, without climbing the palisade, dropping the charred object at her feet. As it fell, small, burnt flakes flew out of it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She screamed at him.

After giving her a scornful glare, he turned around and walked away without saying a word.

“What is that?” Cybil’s voice was so low, it was almost a whisper.

“It’s … whatever it was, it is charcoal now,” Hazelmere remarked.

Cybil kneeled, picking up the charred object.

“What are you doing? We have no idea if it’s safe!”

Paying no attention to Hazelmere’s words, Cybil examined the object. She twisted and rotated it, observing it from every direction. Then, she grabbed it with both hands, splitting it open. As she did so, big chunks of it started falling to the ground one after another.

“It is a book,” she finally said.

“Huh?”

“It is a burnt book. And I bet that big thing is full of them.”