The villagers were thankful for the supplies; they’d been hunting less than usual to avoid the bear, so their reserves of food were running low. The volume of supplies they could leave with them wasn’t enough to make up for that, but the people of Willowbrook welcomed it nonetheless.

With their wounds cleaned and rebound, the remnants of the expedition looked better as they set off back to Hobson’s Point. Three people could ride comfortably in the cart at a time, but those spaces were reserved for those who struggled the most with travelling.

It was slow going, and they ended up having to take a few breaks to swap the people in the cart, but as the sun dwindled down in the sky, they saw Hobson’s Point.

The guards on duty greeted their returning comrades happily, congratulating them on their victory. Despite their losses, it was a historic moment and a proof of concept for Verdan’s weapons.

“We’ll escort you back first,” Silver said, directing them toward the Crea estate as they entered the city.

“Thank you, I wouldn’t want Tom to be walking much further in his state,” Kai said softly, eyeing the earth sorcerer with concern. Tom had recovered somewhat, but he was struggling to breathe at times and was currently riding in the cart.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to push back on the problems in the area with any real success, and we owe that to the two of you. I won’t forget that,” Silver said, inclining his head respectfully.

Kai turned his attention to the city as they moved toward the estate. He'd felt a little odd since they entered, but now the hair on the back of his neck had stood up, and he was feeling an itch on his back. Kai had long since learned to trust his instincts, and they told him they were being watched.

That was to be expected when a group like them went through the city, but Kai was sensing something beyond that. There was malicious intent involved here.

Kai had been slowly drawing in Aether and converting it to Essence from the moment they finished the fight with the bears, but he hadn’t recovered all that he had expended. He had enough for a few short fights if needed, but another big or intensive one might be a problem.

A few minutes later, the first sign of something amiss came when an oncoming wagon suffered a broken wheel and its cargo scattered around it. There was room for people to walk through, but not for their cart.

Conscious of watching eyes, Kai kept his expression distant as Silver took them down an alternative path. The alternate path toward the estate led them onto a disused street which ran through an abandoned neighbourhood.

To Kai’s utter lack of surprise, two figures stepped out to block their way when they were halfway through the new street.

“Weeping Death,” Silver growled as the two figures revealed themselves. Both were wearing black and green robes and moved with the confidence of someone who knew they were the most powerful person present.

The two sorcerers moved a little closer, and Kai studied them in more detail. Both of them were short and lithe, wearing close-cut robes that eschewed the traditional flowing style. The woman on the left bore a long blade which was partially coated in something dark in one hand and a flask of some sort in the other. Her companion, however, carried only a wand, leaving his other hand free.

The coated weapon wasn’t a surprise, given the sect name that Silver had announced. Kai had heard of the Weeping Death in the past; it was one of the smaller sects that specialised in poisons and assassinating other sorcerers. What members of such a sect were doing here was beyond him, but that was a question for later.

Kai was confident he could take one of them in his current state, but he had no chance against both of them. All they would need to do would be for one of them to keep him engaged while the other dealt with Silver and his guards. Then, when he had no allies left, they could overpower him.

Kai knew he could kill one of them and escape if he abandoned the guards, but that wasn't going to happen.

“Oh no, what a shame, we seem to have come upon the city’s valiant heroes as they return,” the male sorcerer said in a sneering tone.

“And with their ‘wizard’ friend out of the city as well, what a dire coincidence,” the woman added with a tone of exaggerated sadness.

“Well, best we put them out of their misery,” the man said with a shrug as he spread his hands and shrugged. The two of them were walking steadily closer as they spoke. They would attack soon.

“Attack us, and you’re crossing a line. The sect will be barred from Hobson’s Point, and the pair of you will be arrested.” Silver barked out, readying his weapon as his guards formed up around him.

Kai felt Tom move to his side, but he knew this kind of fight was well outside of Tom’s league; he lacked the experience for it even if he were completely healthy.

“Oh my, how adorable,” the woman exclaimed with a high-pitched giggle. “As though you mortals could do more than annoy us.”

As much as Kai would like to disagree, the wand and flask the other sorcerers were carrying meant he was dealing with a projector and a manipulator, respectively. That gave both of them some ranged capability and synergy with each other. Depending on their strength, they could even take Kai down before he could reach them. He doubted that, though, or they wouldn't be closing in like this.

“We have more capability than you know. Another step forwards will be taken as intent to attack,” Silver said firmly, motioning for the crossbow-wielding guards to ready themselves.

“Oh, please, do show me,” the man said, stepping forward and raising his empty hand to conjure a half-dome shield of roiling green liquid that seemed to coalesce out of the air.

“Fire!” Silver barked, the two remaining arbalests, Peters and Auger, shooting on his command. Both bolts struck the liquid shield and immediately began to shrivel and fall apart, all but disintegrating by the time the bolts crossed through the shield.

“My turn,” the man said with an evil smile, flicking his wand out as he unleashed a trio of green liquid projectiles toward them.

“Stay back,” Kai barked as he leapt forward, igniting his essence and channelled it into his spear as he moved. The spear's tip ignited into bright yellow flames as Kai spun it in a circle, intercepting each of the missiles with the burning spearhead.

The liquid in the missiles splashed and sizzled on impact with Kai’s spear, but the flames devoured most of it as the two opposing Essences clashed. The liquid that survived the flames splashed around the spear, some hitting Kai and burning his skin where it landed, making him hiss in pain.

As the caustic liquid was created from Essence, Kai’s own cycling fire Essence protected him somewhat. Thankfully, the projectiles had little Essence infused into them, making them easy to resist. For Silver and the others, however, they would have been much worse.

“Auger, use it,” Silver all but growled from behind Kai, but the sorcerer dared not take his eyes off his two opponents.

"I thought he was an enhancer?" The woman questioned, looking somewhat concerned about Kai's presence for the first time since they arrived.

"He's definitely an enhancer; it must be the spear. We'll be well rewarded for claiming it!"

"You can try," Kai said, settling into a defensive stance and giving them both a challenging look.

The two Weeping Death sorcerers sneered in response and blurred into action, racing straight toward Kai and the others. Despite their words, the woman kept slightly behind the man so that she could take advantage of his shield.

Kai readied himself to try and engage the man first and try to split them up. A sorcerer would die to a crossbow bolt like any other. He just needed to get the guards an opportunity.

“Block this, you bastard.” Auger’s voice barely registered for Kai, but he heard the thrum of a crossbow firing and felt the air shift as another bolt flew past him toward the shielded sorcerer.

“Pathetic,” the male sorcerer sneered, lifting his wand to fire another wave of projectiles back at them.

The bolt struck the outer edge of the liquid shield, but instead of disintegrating, it seemed to glow slightly as it slipped straight through. The sorcerer barely even had time to realise that his protection had failed him before the bolt sunk into his upper chest, right below his throat. Whatever power had allowed the bolt to pass through the shield gave it enough force to penetrate down to its fletchings into the sorcerer.

“No!” The woman screamed out as a spray of blood hit her, and her companion hit the ground. “You bastards, you’ll pay for this!” Clenching her fist and shattering the flask in her hand, the surviving sorcerer raced at Kai as a dark liquid coated her hand.

Kai knew she was a manipulator, and the chances were that her element was poison based. Being cut by her blade or getting touched by her other hand would be painful for him and lethal for the others.

“Stay back. I’ll deal with her,” Kai said calmly, moving forward to meet the other sorcerer as he expended more Essence to speed himself up. As a sorcerer, she was faster than the average person, but she wasn’t an enhancer like Kai.

With the advantage of strength, speed and reach, the fight against her was one-sided from the start. The poison sorcerer would throw portions of the liquid she held to try and catch him unawares, but Kai dodged the attacks with ease.

Her solo fighting style was rudimentary at best, and she’d brought only a single flask of poison. Arrogance would be her downfall.

His first attack to slip by her guard took her in the left shoulder, the burning blade of his spear slicing through the flesh and muscle with ease. The second took her right hand, sending it to the floor with the blade still in hand.

In a panic, she threw all the remaining poison she had at him in a loose spray, stopping him from dodging it all. Droplets struck his bare skin and warred with his Essence, but in such a low concentration, the attack did little more than inconvenience him.

In return, Kai’s third strike landed square in her chest, piercing through to her heart and cremating it in a flash of Essence. While she’d been a poor duelist, Kai knew better than to leave an enemy alive.

Kicking the body free to withdraw his spear, Kai looked around the street for any other attackers. From what he had seen of these two, he doubted there would be, but it was wise to be thorough in these situations.

“Are we clear?” Kai called out, keeping his eyes open as he moved back to the rest of the group.

“Looks that way. Jenkins, get those bodies in the cart and cover them,” Silver ordered.

“What is the Weeping Death doing here, and why did they mention Verdan?” Kai asked as he came over to the Lieutenant.

“They’ve been trying to take over the city recently, but I don’t know how Wizard Verdan is involved. Perhaps something happened after we left?”

“Let’s get moving. I want to check in on the estate,” Kai said, a knot forming in his gut as he worried if the others were in danger. This felt like an impromptu ambush, but if this sect was trying to work against them, people like Gwen and Tim were valid targets as well. Gwen was growing in power, but she was no match for a trained sorcerer, not yet.

Hurrying onward, they joined the more populated streets of Hobson’s Point once more and reached the estate within a few minutes. One of the guards that Kai had helped get a job was standing watch in a relaxed pose, which was a good sign.

From the guard, they were able to get the summary of the rescue force that Tobias Brock had put together. That at least explained the comment on Verdan being out of the city.

Silver and the guards went back to their headquarters with the bodies, Kai doubted there was a second ambush waiting, but he warned them to stick to the busy streets anyway.

A quick check around the estate reassured Kai that everything was in order, which wasn’t surprising. Like most sorcerers, the Weeping Death would likely focus on what they believed were the threats, chief of which would be Kai and Verdan, with Tom a distant third.

Kai considered heading out after Verdan and the others, but it had been long enough that one way or another, the matter was resolved. All Kai could do now was watch the estate and ensure that everything remained safe and secure until Verdan came back.