Jake and Xul walked together in silence until they reached the Scout Association building. There, Xul tapped Jake on the back with his spear. The light thud caused the boy to stop and turn. Xul was already pivoting to walk away.

“Good luck, brother.” He gave Jake a forced smile and nodded lightly.

Jake returned the smile with one of his own. “You too.”

They split into their respective teams. Jake walked the distance to the stairs and up to the Red Scout rooms, while Xul remained on the lower floor. His team was nearby, sorting their formation and equipment in a small space they had wrestled away from the other teams competing for real estate. Jake was lucky and returned to the relative quiet of his own team room. Inside, the members of Pharos Squad were quietly preparing their equipment and packs for the fight.

When Jake opened the door, a few of the others glanced up to see who it was. Spotting Jake, they only nodded before returning to their preparations. Jake didn’t see Nuro so he assumed that was who they were actually waiting for. With that in mind, Jake set down his pack near the couch and took a seat on one of the cushions. He had already done his checks and sorted his gear before leaving home. With Yae on his tail the entire time, he probably packed a tad heavy for what they were about to do. Still, he didn’t mind the excess. If he found himself cut off and without a way to resupply, the additional food rations would keep him in the fight.

Instead of sitting in a daze, Jake began checking his weapons. He pulled his extra pair of swords from his pack and removed all of the sharp objects from his person. He had five blades in total and two sets of knives. A small collection was being made, it seemed. Little by little he was finding more things to poke his eyes out with on his person. A natural thing, he assumed. Especially with his profession now.

“Profession, huh?” An odd choice of title but something he found alluring. Jake figured he would consider himself an adventurer by now, or at least a mage, but he found it difficult to accept either title. He could cast spells, so he had no problem with the latter title. However, Jake had only been to two places thus far in his life. The current place was directly next to the first, so he hadn’t really wandered far. Plus, this wasn’t exactly an adventure by any means. He wasn't sure what to call what he was doing but it definitely wasn’t as fun or grandiose as an adventure. Maybe one day he’d change his mind about that and see it differently. For now, all he was worried about was being able to tell the tale of his time within the Ravine.

Surviving until tomorrow seemed to be a constant goal. Something Jake never felt he had to worry about before he made his decision those few months ago. Before he met Chul and before he stared down into the Ravine’s maw, Jake had a few worries. Now, those worries had names attached to them. That amazed him the most. In such a short time, so much had changed. So much had happened. He had learned more in these past few months than in the prior years of his life. Aside from being utterly terrifying most of the time, it was exhilarating to think about. Jake was excited about the prospect of this being his future, so long as he avoided near-death experiences.

The boy let his thoughts roll as he performed standard maintenance on his blades. He checked their sharpness, inspected them for blemishes, and gently rubbed them over his whetstone to ensure they remained in peak condition. He even took a cloth to the handles, wiping away the grime where his hands had rubbed and gripped. His new blades didn’t need any help but he made sure to tend to the older ones.

Once he sorted through the routine work, Jake pulled out a sharp metal pick from his cleaning kit and began to imbue it with mana. Collecting mana into its razor sharp point, Jake began to etch into the pommels of his elven blades pairs of enchantments. Strengthening Enchantments to make the blades tougher and more resistant and Sharpening Enchantments to keep the edges from dulling too quickly. He considered adding additional enchantments to the blades themselves but the weapons were already capable of channeling his mana. Anything extra would have been unnecessary.

He then detached his gauntlets and his chest plate. With time to spare, he began to modify them as well. For all of them, he placed Hardening Enchantments to increase their toughness and durability. He then imbued them with Weight Reduction Enchantments, reducing their overall burden of use. Finally, Jake added Shatter Resistance, Quickening, and Mana Conductivity to all of them. Maedra fought by utilizing powerful bludgeoning attacks so ensuring his armor didn't break would prove useful. Adding a physical enhancement sigil to them would also help him move faster while wearing the items. Conductivity of Mana would help if he used certain magic while in a fight.

Jake took his time putting the gear back on once he was finished. Much like when he first adorned it all, Jake ensured the straps were snug and neatly tucked them all away. Then, he collected his blades and slid them all into their respective sheaths. He placed his extra weapons in his rucksack and cinched it closed.

An hour or so had passed by the time he’d finished and there was still no sign of Nuro, so he decided to just relax. The others were largely finishing up their own preparations and were silently loitering around the team room. The air was tense and everyone's expressions were the same. The only words spoken were done so in low whispers and mumbles, as if disturbing the air might make them deaf to the sound of Nuro’s return. Jake found it suffocating. Yet he wasn’t brave enough to break that ice himself. He simply remained quiet, twiddled his thumbs, and eventually slouched into the cushions as he tried to force himself to take a nap.

He didn’t know when it happened, but he actually fell asleep at some point. He only noticed because the sound of the door being kicked open jarred him back to his senses. Nuro strode into the office carrying an array of paperwork and maps and he shouted for everyone to gather in the meeting area. Jake, now in a grog, forced himself to his feet as he trailed behind Nuro. The others gathered around the small area, sitting on the couch or pulling around chairs as they organized themselves in a horseshoe around the table and map board. Jake sat down off to the side. The same seat he’d taken during his first brief.

“Here we go,” Nuro announced, as if he knew they had all either fallen asleep or were on the brink of it. “Operation Trident.” Nuro placed two maps into view. The first was a highly detailed map of the operation area within the tunnel. He laid that one on the table. The other was a broader view map of Ewana, the surrounding tunnels, and the objective area with a circle around Ewana and the objective. That map he placed on the wall.

On the objective map, the three tunnels were outlined and detailed up to a point that Jake assumed the scouts were told to stop. Beyond those points was black. Prior to those points, though, the winding tunnels were expertly marked out and drawn. The caravan area was labeled along with the locations of the abandoned carts, the dead corpse of the Oryx that the Maedra had left behind, any markings or details the Maedra had left behind, as well as marked locations where Guards were loitering.

Along with the background map information, markings and details of the operation were drawn all over it. From where the teams would be located to how they would proceed down the tunnels. Phase lines were drawn out and time intervals noted to give teams estimations of how fast they were expected to advance between checkpoints. Provisional supplies were listed on attached papers and a supply point was marked on the map where a depot was expected to be placed. The locations of additional forces were also marked on the map so teams knew where they could retreat in a pinch.

It was a lot to look at but Jake forced himself to focus entirely on the center tunnel. Tunnel Balron. It was starred and had the most secondary forces assigned to it. The center tunnel was the expected main tunnel and contained the most signs of Maedra activity within it. It was also the most foul-smelling. Thus, the Council agreed to assign not just Pharos but also Taur and Lynx teams and two support Guard teams should they encounter Maedra early. Warrior teams would be on standby at the tunnel entrance should they enter a fight.

Yet with the first phase being to scout the tunnels, direct action wasn’t authorized and teams were instructed to disengage rather than fight. Something Jake didn’t like the sound of but he would comply so long as they actually had a way out. Knowing the Maedra, that might not always be possible. Especially if they were learning to set up ambushes and traps in the tunnels.

“Pharos will lead the center prong. Formation is going to be Jake up front with Wyicks supporting. Then Mora, Tau, and Pari. Fien and I will be at the rear. Other teams will be ten meters behind us.”

From the formation, Nuro wanted to capitalize on Jake’s speed, magic, and his ability to see the Maedra over long distances and wide areas. Doing so would help them move quickly without overextending. Having Wyicks up front instead of Tau would give them flexibility in the event of an ambush, as Wyicks and Jake could return to the team much quicker. Keeping Fien near the back wouldn’t have as many issues this time around due to the support of an entire other team not far off. Therefore, Nuro felt comfortable keeping her further away from the frontline than she normally would be in such operations. The others were expected to remain on alert for Maedra.

Unlike Operation Nest, no one had any questions or doubts. Operation Trident was fairly straight forward; go into the tunnel, find the Maedra, get out. There was nothing fancy, nothing scary. Nothing surprising. The team was simply expected to do its part and then turn things over to the Warriors. They would be forced to wait near the nest if they found it to observe the Maedra. However, with fighting being prohibited, the team felt more comfortable with such a simple task. As soon as the Warriors began their assault, the Scouts would just be back up.

Thus, the briefing was quick and everyone understood their roles. Once they were comfortable, Nuro gave a brief spiel about why they were fighting. A spiel Jake largely tuned out of, as his eyes were instead glued to the map. He memorized the layout of the operation area. He searched for weaknesses in the tunnels and even tried to think of places where he might place an ambush if he were the Maedra. There wasn’t a whole lot of hiding that could be done. The tunnels were relatively fresh from what the initial scouts had said but Jake never let the Maedra off so easily. They would pull any tricks they could to get ahead.

“Grab your gear. We leave in ten.” Nuro clapped his hands to dismiss the briefing and everyone rose to their feet. Tension returned and they quietly returned to their respective areas. Jake checked over his pack one final time and adjusted the gear he was wearing to be more snug. Jake grabbed the straps of his bag, unsatisfied and still nervous, but confident in his preparation. He cinched down the straps to snug it up to his back and then waited for the others.

Nuro did a quick headcount with his eyes before leading them out of the room. Tau was next, followed by Wyicks, Pari, Fien, and Mora. Lao remained beside the door. He wouldn’t be joining them, as usual. Instead he smiled at Jake and lowered his head.

“May fortune be with you.”

“Thanks, Lao. We’ll be back.” Jake returned the bow before stepping out and falling in behind his team. Their heavy boots echoed through the hall. Their equipment rattled and their backs jostled against them. Loud noises that would be muffled and silenced once they reached the tunnels.

Lao watched from the doorway, his smile flattening as he watched his fellows leave him behind.

Nuro led the team out of the Scout Association and through the horde of other scout teams that had been gathered for both Operation Trident, Cinder, and supporting operations. Upon seeing Pharos Squad emerge, dozens of eyes fell on the team. A Red Team was leaving for war. Every member was present, every member was armed and packed to the teeth. Every member had a steely expression. Just their presence put a chill in the air. Pharos wasn’t the only team in sight, though. A few others were also leaving, having made their preparations.

The staring continued in the village as well. While the Council had called the majority of the villagers back into service, there were still dozens left behind to manage the daily needs of the village. The old and sick, the injured, the young, the skilled and specialized. Those whose duty was to the village as a whole remained in their homes and stores. They were forced to watch as everyone else marched off into the tunnels to face the threat on their doorstep.

Unlike Operation Nest, there was no fanfare.

At the edge of the village and before the ramps leading up to the tunnels themselves, Nuro called for the team to stop. One last time within the safety of the village, he performed his own check of each member. He looked over their gear, their weapons, checked their packs. Then, he called for them to take their positions and organized the team into formation. Jake moved to the front with Wyicks at his hip. They exchanged a brief look before Nuro gave them the order to go.

Jake stepped off first, leading them up to the designated tunnel. No guards were posted. Instead, warrior teams were loitering and sitting around the exit archway. Seeing Pharos Squad spurred one of the Warriors into motion and he stepped over to meet Nuro. They exchanged some paperwork before Jake was signaled to continue. He did as told and marched into the tunnel, leaving Ewana behind. Much like how there were no guards at the entrance, there were no guards within the tunnel or at the far end. Only Warriors were waiting for Jake when he popped out into the larger space.

An odd sight but one he had been expecting. Guard teams were highly trained and properly equipped. With the Maedra being so close to Ewana, they would be needed as a force multiplier in the coming fights. If Ewana held its punches now, it would be too late in the long run.

Following the planned route and the guidance of Warrior teams spaced out through the tunnels along the way, Jake marched along towards the objective zone. They eventually walked into the backs of two other Red Scout teams who were headed in the same direction. The team had slowed down to take a brief break before reaching the objective area but continued on once Pharos arrived.

The target area wasn’t much further ahead from that point and Jake noticed a slight uptick in background noise. He could hear voices, the rustling of bodies, and the clanging of equipment. The closer they got to the objective zone, the louder the people's voices became. Before he knew it, Jake was walking past dozens of warriors sitting along the walls and various Scout teams that had been called up to participate. Jake passed the first objective tunnel shortly after. Continuing on, Jake passed one of the caravan’s carts and found himself walking through where the caravan had been ambushed.

Naturally, Jake’s stomach began to tense up. He found himself scanning the area and his pace slowed. The carts were torn to pieces, ripped and the wood splintered after being ravaged by the Maedra. But he wasn’t admiring the destruction. No, Jake was looking for something else. He was looking for Tul.

“You won’t find him,” Wyicks muttered at Jake’s hip. “They carried him back yesterday.”

Jake grimaced but didn’t answer. He had wanted to give his friend, his brother, one last goodbye before the mission. But it seemed that the recovery team had done their work properly instead. He wasn’t upset. Just a tad disappointed.

“Here,” Nuro called from the rear.

The team approached the second tunnel after passing the caravan and found an additional number of Guards and Scouts hovering around it. Four warrior teams sat nearby as potential support and a dozen healers were also sitting close by. Nuro called out where he wanted the team to wait and then stepped away to meet with the other team captains. Jake led the team to their designated waiting area before dumping his pack. Once free of his burden of weight, Jake sat atop the large sack and made himself comfortable. The others sat against the wall close to one another, each seeking some form of comfort. To fend off the chill, Jake extended a hand and lit three fire runes on the floor to warm up their immediate area.

“It’s moments like these that I’m glad you’re a mage,” Wyicks huffed as he extended his hands towards the rune, letting the hot air warm his fingers. All twenty of them.

Jake chuckled as he shrugged. “Minor comforts make this place more tolerable.” Jake applied more mana to the runes, increasing their heat output and helping to warm everyone up some more.

Yet, while Jake hoped to thaw their bodies, their minds and emotions remained thoroughly iced. Everyone may have leaned towards the heat, but their focus was elsewhere. Each person dealt with the stress differently, but remained quiet while doing so. Jake found comfort in that, oddly enough. While he didn’t quite fear the Maedra, he feared the unpredictability of battle. He feared for his allies due to unknown outcomes that might come their way. A lack of control over the variables in battle made his stomach twist.

If only there was more time to train.

“We’re up.” After what felt like too short of a rest, Nuro returned to the team and called for them. Jake snuffed out the fire runes and each member took a moment to collect their gear. “Remember, no fighting. Jake, eyes long. Once you find the beasts, raise your hand. If it’s the nest, we’ll settle in and rotate through watching while the Warriors move up to meet us.”

“Roger.” The team responded in unison. And once they were ready, their eyes settled on Jake.

The boy drew in a long, deep breath. He shut his eyes for a moment, settled his heart and calmed the raging flow of mana within him. Steadying the fire, Jake gathered his mana into his chest and then began to collect it behind his eyes. He inhaled once more and stabilized the pool. When his eyes opened, his normally brown eyes now had an additional ring of purple outlining his pupils and his irises.

“Set.” He could see the outlines of mana within the area, well beyond the lights and beyond the walls themselves. He didn’t trigger his night vision, however. Doing so would have blinded him in the well-lit space.

“Move out.” Nuro gave his final order and with it, Operation Trident commenced.

Jake stepped through the line of his comrades, adjusted his pack, and then stepped into the objective tunnel. He was greeted by the black maw beyond. Yet as he stepped through the pitch black, his fear washed away. The boy controlled his breathing, calmed his mind, and activated his Night Vision to extend his sight line. His allies lined themselves up at his back and followed the dark silhouette of their guide into the pit.

Other teams would have needed lights. But for Pharos, all they needed were the confident strides of their Battle Mage. On the back of his pack, Jake had conjured a tiny rune that would glow faintly in the dark. A tiny symbol to show those behind him the way forward. While they were resting, he had come up with the quick idea and made an adjustment. It proved useful almost immediately as once Jake entered the tunnel, the lack of light and his choice of clothes made him nearly impossible to see. It didn’t help that his boots were mostly silent against the rock floor. Only the subtle rustling of his cloak and his weapons gave away his existence.

Such was required when fighting an enemy like the Maedra. Silent steps. Quiet breathing. No injuries and no excess smells. Camouflage wasn’t necessary but anything that glinted or shimmered needed to be dulled and covered. The Maedra's senses were keen. Thus, a hunter would need to be much like a ghost in order to sneak up on them.

Thus, with time and experience against the creatures, Jake learned his tricks. His clothes were black. His weapons remained sheathed at all times. Everything was tightly strapped to reduce any jingling or rustling. He used magic to lighten his steps and utilized magic to reduce his fatigue as he walked. His strides were consistent, planned, and conveniently avoided loose rocks and stones. He breathed through slightly split lips and partially through his nose to prevent any faint whistling or secondary suction. Each exhale was controlled and paced to avoid gasping or unnatural coughs. The only thing he did quickly was blink. All to minimize the fractions of seconds he may spend blind.

Step by step, Jake led his team into the depths of the tunnel. They advanced quickly at first for the initial portion of the tunnel that had been mapped. In his mind, Jake used a pace count to measure their distance. He knew how far the scouts had travelled before the operation, so once he hit that final point the boy slowed his pace. He briefly made a hand gesture to denote the change and as a whole, the units behind him followed suit. Jake adjusted his stride and increased the strength of his Sensory and Night Vision spells. Doing so extended his sight for another fifty meters, further opening up the tunnel ahead of him. To his delight, it was generally straight. The Maedra seemed to have dug directly into the White Tunnel.

But that was also what scared him and made him uneasy. The tunnel was too straight. It was a direct connection from one spot to another, as though the location of the White Tunnel was already known in advance. No bends, turns, or slopes in its construction told Jake that the Maedra knew exactly where they were digging. From the direction to the distance. It had all been planned. The ambush wasn’t random.

Further in, the smell of decay tickled his nose. During their briefing, Nuro had said that the scouts smelled rot early on in their mission. Jake found it odd that he hadn’t. At first, he thought it was a coincidence. Maybe the smell was just lingering remnants of the ambush. He now believed that to be false.

The fresh smell wasn't due to the Maedra using the tunnel prior. It was fresh because the Maedra had been there the entire time, watching the scouts. The scouts had been able to advance without being attacked because the Maedra sentries likely had instructions to remain out of view until a certain point. Thus, the Maedra simply stayed close enough to keep an eye on the nosy Oryx. Their presence was the cause of that stench in the report. Thankfully the scouts listened to their instincts and bailed. If they hadn't, those sentries would have torn them apart.

At the present moment, Jake was smelling the rot not because of him being watched but because of what they were creeping up on. This was the tunnel they were looking for. This was their goal. The Maedra nest was at the far end. That is why they set up sentries to look for any Oryx scouts. That was why the tunnel was so straight and so long. That was why it was ahead of the caravan, not behind it, not splitting it. The third tunnel further along was a fake. The first tunnel earlier on was likely a secondary one the Maedra had used to execute their pincer attack.

Which meant they were getting close.

Jake gritted his teeth and once more enhanced the strength of his sight spells. His eyes strained and mana burned at the edges of his eyelids. He forced himself to push his limits just a tad and extended his stride. After opening up, the boy accelerated his pace and sniffed the air. There was no doubt now. After another hundred meters, the strength of the smell intensified. Jake began scanning for ambush points, for hidden mana crystals in the walls that might have been Maedra hiding. He looked for pitfalls, for fake walls with tunnels behind the layer of rock. He looked for traces of scratch marks on the walls and traces of leakage. Anything that might give away the position of a lurking foe and signs that told him he was headed in the right direction.

Eventually, Jake found one of those signs. A tunnel branching off to his left and curling away into the distance. The boy halted their advance and motioned for them all to lower to a knee. He kept his hand up, asking for silence as he listened and watched. Several minutes ticked by before finally a light appeared far, far off within the veil. A very faint light along with the faint clicking of heels.

“Wyicks,” Jake whispered and turned. The Daemon was at his hip before Jake finished with his name. “That’s the other team. Go tell them to stop. We’ll continue forward.”

The Daemon nodded as he hurried off into the tunnel. As he moved, Jake fired off a light ball that glued itself to Wyick’s shoulder, illuminating the path and the Daemon to keep the other group from attacking him. Nuro moved up to Jake’s side and looked down the tunnel. The dark elf didn’t say anything. Once he saw the other group and where Wyicks was walking, he simply gave Jake a pat on the arm before returning to his position at the rear.

Wyicks spooked the other team even with the light ball, but no friendly attacks were exchanged. Jake watched as the two sides merged and after far too long of Wyicks likely berating them, the Daemon finally turned and began sprinting back towards Jake. The boy placed his finger on the ground and created a faint light rune. When Wyicks was halfway through, Jake cut off the light ball on the Daemon’s shoulder but kept the rune lit on the floor. Wyicks emerged from the black moments later.

“Good to go,” Wyicks patted Jake’s shoulder and then moved behind the boy. Once he was in place, he gave Jake’s ruck a faint tap. Jake waited for the tap before cutting off the light rune and smothering the light. And just like that, the group vanished back into the dark, out of sight of the other team that had been staring down at them.

Following the smell of rot, Jake led the team through the tunnel for what felt like forever. No matter how far Jake looked, there was almost no end. The dark veil just kept going. He tried to keep a running count in his head, but it proved useless. He wasn’t quite sure if he could trust it so he inevitably stopped counting as a whole. Following his nose, Jake led his team to the very end of the tunnel.

The smell was nearly overpowering. It filled his nostrils, clogged his throat, and overwhelmed his mind. Unlike the nest before, the smell that assaulted his senses was revolting. Truly thick with bile. He choked with every breath and nearly threw up. Knowing he wasn’t alone, Jake paused to check in on his team. He noticed that they too were struggling to control themselves but they continued to stare at him, following closely in his footsteps.

Another fifty meters passed before Jake noticed an anomaly. A faint silhouette lingered in the shadows ahead. It swayed slightly from side to side and was positioned directly in the center of the tunnel. Jake held up a hand and slowed his pace. Easing closer, Jake slowly brought the figure into view. A single Maedra all by itself stood in the way. It faced Jake’s direction and gurgled as it stood guard. A sentry.

Yet there was nothing beyond the Maedra. No secondary line, no other sentries, no nest. It was entirely alone. Jake couldn’t see too far beyond it but the closer he inched, the more he began to trust that it was alone. Likely, the Maedra was looking for signs of a typical Oryx squad. Jake’s team was far more unconventional, and that worked to their advantage. No lights. No noise. Discipline had kept them from being discovered.

Wanting to capitalize, Jake halted his team and slowly took his rucksack off his back. He positioned the rune on the flap to face his team and signaled to Wyicks for them all to wait. The Daemon nodded and passed the message along. Pharos squad lowered to a knee and Jake slinked off into the tunnel ahead, slipping away without his burden and towards the sentry. The boy muffled the sounds of his steps with his mana and reached for his lower back. Keeping quiet was the key. Drawing his shortswords risked the potential for an odd sound to echo out. Thus, pulling out his knives was the safest bet. Jake just needed to be quick and accurate.

In order to focus on his target, Jake reduced the strength of his Sensory magic and increased the visual strength at a close distance. The mana within the walls around him glowed more brightly and the mana flowing within the Maedra’s body came into view. Like a beacon, its crystal heart pulsed in its chest for Jake to see. The boy clutched his knives and funneled mana into his feet. Step by step, inch by inch, Jake closed the distance.

Unaware, the Maedra continued to sway and gurgle. Its lips popped and its teeth clicked as it tapped them together. A sign of boredom. An emotion Jake didn’t think Maedra could have. Though, he hadn’t thought they could feel fear either. He certainly hated the Maedra but they were always so full of surprises.

Jake edged closer and closer until he was mere meters away from the beast. Still just out of sight and low to the ground. The boy moved until he was within lunging distance. The Maedra hadn't noticed, but its clicking and popping had stopped. It swayed more slowly and its head twisted slightly as it grew attentive to its surroundings. It hadn’t sounded the alarm but it probably could feel that it wasn’t alone anymore. Satisfied with his distance, Jake lowered into a deep crouch and his legs tensed up.

He only had one shot.

NarrowiNg his eyes and taking in a slow breath, Jake focused on the crystal heart of the beast. His hands squeezed around his blade handles and his body coiled tightly. Mana filled his lower body, the muscles hardening as he prepared for his strike.

He took a deep inhale, then moved. Like a snake snapping at its prey, Jake pushed off the ground and launched himself at the Maedra. The gap was nothing. A mere twitch away. Certainly not enough distance for the Maedra to react. Jake buried his knives into the Maedra’s chest before pouring mana into its body. Its mouth opened wide, the massive, tooth filled maw spreading. Yet before it could even gasp, Jake’s blades split its mana crystal in half. To ensure not a sound was made, Jake created a wind vortex at the base of its throat, sucking the air down into its body. The corpse released a faint wheeze before collapsing with a dull thud.

Jake retracted his blades and knelt down next to the body. Empowering his Sensory magic again, he scanned ahead and waited. He counted slowly in his head to thirty, watching and waiting for any signs of another sentry or a patrol coming to check on their friend. When none came, Jake hurried back to his pack and his team.

“We’re clear,” he muttered to Wyicks. Jake shouldered his ruck and waved for the team to continue.

Wyicks shadowed the motion and the team rose back to their feet to continue.

Jake led the team past the decaying body and further into the tunnel. Another hundred meters passed before finally, the tunnel began to change. It dipped downwards and began to curve slightly to the right. Unlike the straight line it had been before, the tunnel now began to twist and weave. Up and down. Left and right. Jake eased around the turns and crept along the inclines until finally, they approached a pair of sentries and a large opening. The end of the tunnel.

Jake stopped them once more and set down his pack. Following the signal to wait, Pharos hunkered down as Jake slipped away to check ahead of them. Using his sensory magic, he didn’t need to get close to spot the outlines of the other Maedra. They were elevated again, in a sort of watchful position above the nest itself. Fifty meters from the entrance, Jake could see that the area beyond was infested.

The Maedra numbered at least one hundred strong. Among them, he could point out at least five Arachkin-types, multiple Guardian-types, dozens of Maudraga, plenty of regular Maedra, juveniles, babies, eggs waiting to hatch. Multiple pools of mana to feed the forces. A nest at least three times the size of the one he had conquered alone.

Yet, missing from the nest was Jake’s own target. There was no sign of the Black Knight. Whether it was due to Jake not being able to see him or some other spell blocking his view, Jake wasn’t sure. With no way to get a direct and physical view of the nest, Jake had to assume the Knight might still be there. However, Jake had to assume the Knight had a way to shield himself from the sensory spell. The Knight had evaded detection thus far so Jake wasn’t willing to let himself be caught off guard.

With the task complete, Jake pulled away from the sentries and retreated into the darkness. He returned to his team and placed a hand on his ruck. The light rune changed from pale white to dull red.

Target acquired. Beast numbers exceed original estimates. Nuro immediately turned to his rear and hurried to the second Scout team behind them. The message was passed along and the runner was sent for reinforcements.

The easy work was finished. Now, they simply needed to hope that the Maedra didn’t come flooding out of the nest.