-I knew that it was not going to be that easy…

-Did something keep him from coming back…?

We did check her room and the few vacant ones as well, but he was nowhere to be found, so we directed ourselves to the library.

He was not there either. But a bunch of anchors were missing.

-I guess he is still in the process of transferring kids…? - I said, not convinced by my own words.

-I don’t think so. Didn’t they say that it was most of them…? If not all? I doubt it would’ve taken him that long to transfer all of them here…

-He was pretty weakened though - I pointed out. - Maybe he didn’t have enough mana and had to take a break.

-Right! You’re right! He probably went with Eise to restore his mana.

So we made our way to the furthest end, to the tower where not so long ago I was trapped under some broken shelves.

We were, of course, accompanied by the lund noise of Goldie and his golden shoes.

I swear, he was not even trying to be stealthy.

-Do we really have to do this with him on our ass…? - I complained.

-That’s your fault. We could’ve just locked him in a cell and called it a day, but you decided to let him follow us.

-Me? I did not see you even try to get him to stay put.

-I am not some brute who’s going to solve everything with violence or magic. I sometimes prefer more peaceful solutions… Unlike you. Tossing magic or fists towards everything that is against you.

-I have neither right now, I'd like to remind you.

-Both your fault, I’d like to remind you - she said in turn.

-Very funny. And excuse me, I also prefer peaceful solutions, it’s just that those have been less than useful recently…

-Hah.

-Whatever. We are here. But I feel like we’re still not where we supposed to be…

Yeah, there was no one there.

-Where are they?!

For started sounding more panicked by the minute.

-Something had to happen…

-Look here! - she yelped, pointing towards the corner of the room. - They had to be attacked!

-Calm down, you already know that’s just the rubble that was left after me… - I sighed, gazing towards the direction she was pointing. - But I agree that something had to happen… I have not felt anyone on our way here…

Thinking about it, I actually have not felt anyone.

Not even the kids, just us three.

-Er, For, where were the kids supposed to be taken to…? - I asked, now worried, myself.

-We have plenty of rooms, it doesn’t really matter right… Wait, are they missing too?! - she realized.

-I have not noticed anyone besides us. And we walked basically through the whole castle. If you have some hidden places…

-I don’t… I mean there are some, but you already know about those - she cleared up. - I mean the crystal chamber…

-But that’s not the place where you’d accommodate them.

-Nor the place that I’d show to anyone - she nodded. - But I am pretty sure if we were to give them a place to live here, Jacob would just lead them to one of the towers, be it mine or here. There are plenty of rooms nearby, so…

-Right. And those were definitely empty… - I announced with a painful expression. - Fuck…

-What the hell is going on?! Why is everyone missing!? What’s…

-Like I have an idea - I said, irritated. - This is very worrying…

-Worrying?! That’s a bit of an understatement. Okay. Let’s first clear this place. I mean, look through this place. Can you check it with your “sight” or whatever? Any signs of magic…?

-Way ahead of you… - I mumbled, already looking around the room.

But, sadly, besides the bits of mana that were floating around from my accident or just plainly from various potions and other salves, there were no signs of any other magic usage.

-Nothing.

-Damn it. We need to find them!

-We need to go to the library.

-You think that they teleported?

-Possibly. And that is the last place we’ve seen them, right?

-Good enough for me. Let’s move.

Just to be sure, while walking I was paying more attention to mana signatures than just to the way ahead, letting her lead me. But, there was nothing to find, besides the walls of the castle and occasional small sparks of mana from different items, be it light crystals or doors, I noticed nothing.

-We’re here.

In the library, there were of course a lot more signatures to find, but none were blindingly obvious and yelling “that’s the culprit”.

-Anything?

-Give me a minute.

I started inspecting all the stronger ones, but found only what I’d expect from the library. Bunch of anchors, still in working condition, or seemingly so at least, and definitely signs of recent magic use.

-Well, someone did use mana here - I said. - But it’s hard to tell if that’s just from when the kids were getting brought here or…

-Show me the anchors.

I stepped back, letting her inspect them herself. I couldn’t really do that, I just had to rely on my sight, so I carefully observed what she was doing.

She quickly grabbed a bunch of books that I already have recognized as anchors, and started wildly browsing through each of them. There were about five of them in total, but the first four didn’t even keep her attention for more than ten seconds.

The last one, however, was the thinnest one, yet it took her the longest. And she apparently found what she was looking for.

-That’s the one - she announced.

I looked closer. Sure, as every other one, it was full of anchors. That was not really my area of expertise so I couldn’t tell what exactly she was inspecting.

-Someone used that recently.

-And how can you tell? - I asked, a bit puzzled. - I can see that this thing’s magic is chaotic, but…

-Chaotic? Well, that’s one way to describe it. No, I just remember.

-Remember? What?

-This is the book we use as a temporary anchor - she explained. - Whenever we have some place we need to be fast at, we use this one as the material. And to use it you have to get my permission.

-Even Jacob?

-Even him - she nodded. - So I very intimately know what is supposed to be in here. And I can tell what’s missing.

-So, where did they go?

-That’s what’s worrying… They went to the capital.

-We can’t be certain for sure. I can’t really tell the difference on who used it if I was not informed…

-Why in the hell would they want to go to the capital in the first place…? - I muttered, half to myself, thinking.

-Yeah, that makes absolutely no sense… Jacob is definitely not on the king’s side, even without your revelations. If he’s in his right mind that is.

-I know what you are trying to say, and I already can tell you that I have no idea - I said to her.

-You and your methods…

-i warned you that all I could do was just try and experiment. I never said I was sure that everything was going to work.

-It definitely did not work. Now better start thinking on how. And how exactly to fix this.

-”Fix this”? I still don’t know for sure what happened, not to mention how to fix shit? - I replied, annoyed.

-Pff. Right. You don’t need to be a genius to figure that one out.

-So fucking enlighten me.

-It’s obvious that whatever you did to Caleb did not work like you wanted and the thing that was controlling him took over Jacob.

-I already told you that it’s not possible. She is still with us, remember?

-So what, you think that Jacob decided to do this on his own? - she scoffed at me. - Don’t be ridiculous.

-I never said so. I just am saying that whatever happened, that’s something entirely different from her. She is harmless.

-We already had this discussion before.

-So you know better not to repeat it.

She just rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything.

-I know I don’t have answers, but let’s focus for a second. Why in the hell would he want to go to the capital?

-Why would anyone? - she shrugged. - Let’s say that you are right and she’s not at fault. As much as I don't like the idea, it definitely smells like the king is somehow involved in this.

-And why sudden change, hm? Wasn’t that you who told me to not try and blame everything on him?

-I did. But still, if you have any idea who else would be powerful enough to control him from that far away, be my guest. Or you are going to tell me that it’s not someone far and we’ve been infiltrated by… something?

-That is a possibility, but I doubt it - I said, shaking my head in denial. - I would’ve sensed something.

-I think we are already past the point of you depending on your stupid abilities. It’s clear that they are as full of holes as is the whole blood magic - she said, not convinced.

She did have a valid point.

I’ve been a bit too attached to those and too trusting, but what else could I do? If not that, what I was supposed to rely on?

Iloa? The one who disappeared?

Or maybe ILMA? The main question mark in the whole ordeal.

-Okay. I am going to humor you. Let’s say that I was mistaken and there is someone who was controlling him, and they are nearby. Who was it then?

-Fuck if I know. But whoever they were, they are already gone, as the anchor’s were used…

-Anchors? Multiple?

-Yeah - she nodded. - Whoever did escape, used at least two of them.

-And both to the capital.

-Yeah. Why are you asking?

-Just collecting information.

-I don’t think that one matters, we still have no way of tracking them. Nor following them.

-About tracking… We might have a way…

She looked at me, curious.

-Isn’t Jacob one of your servants?

-You think I can track him that way? - she asked, scratching her head. - Okay, sure, but that doesn’t help us much. It still doesn’t help us figure out how to get out of here.

-But it’s a step forward. Care to try?

-I guess why not…

She quickly found the necessary ingredients to do the ritual and in a matter of minutes the spell was done.

Just to be sure, as she started focusing, I stepped back to not interrupt or somehow disturb it. I don’t think it was necessary though.

The results were instant.

Just like a long time ago I did it with Melle along with Axelrod, the small flame has appeared on the map that she placed right in front of us, on the desk.

But the area it was pointing to was far from what we expected.

-That can’t be right…

-Where the hell is this? - I asked, looking closer at the flame.

It was in the middle of nowhere.

Not in the capital, where we expected to see it, nor even remotely close to any of the marked cities or locations.

It was in the middle of the ocean, or to be precise, near to the edge of the map.

-Sea? He’s sailing somewhere? - I asked, not sure myself.

-That’s impossible… Axelrod does not have a vessel that is capable of something like that… No one has, as a matter of fact.

-I think that is a bit far-fetched… - I muttered.

-Far fetched? - she laughed. - You kidding me? Can you even imagine how much power you’d need to have to counteract the massive pull of the falls? To not get pulled off the edge of the word?

-You forgot how powerful he is? It’s possible, isn’t it?

-Doesn’t matter! You think that he SWAM all that way? That would be the only way his power would have anything to say in that.

-You’d rather think he was swimming instead of having a boat that is running on mana? You kidding me?

-I mean, there is a possibility that he managed to use some kind of spell to travel… - she said, thinking. - But…

-Why not both? I think that’s the most probable scenario…

-What, you know more about boats available to the kingdom than me? - she laughed. - I had two people that had direct contact with him tell me about their innovations and haven’t heard about it. Now four.

-Three. Goldie doesn’t count - I reminded her.

-Okay, sure - she agreed with me. - You’re right, his info is more of a distraction than anything, but still. You think you know more?

-I don’t think I know, I DO know. I used one of those.

-Excuse me?!

-I told you I used a boat to get to Jack’s island, right? That thing was exactly like you just said is impossible: was running on mana, MY mana, and had more power than I thought it should.

-Are you kidding me?! That was from the kingdom?!

-I think so. Back then I thought it was just some old artifact, and was more inclined that it had to do something with your magic, I mean elven magic, since it was tapping into someone else’s resources…

-Damn… when you describe it like that it is a possibility… - she mumbled. - But where the hell did he get that kind of information from…?

-Don’t know. But I am sure that he also had some info from my world.

-That doesn’t sound good.

-Yeah. What that boat had was very similar to things that were used pretty commonly back at the MIRE and, to be honest, everywhere else.

-The more you tell me about that place, the more fantastic it sounds…

-Funny. That’s the exact thoughts I have about your world.

-Let’s put that aside though. The main question is, what in the hell is he doing in the middle of the ocean?

-I wish I could tell you, but how the fuck should I know? - she sighed. - I am more worried about the fact that everyone seems to be missing from here. Like what, did he manage to convert everyone? Kidnap them?

-If we are talking about Jacob himself, I find it hard to believe.

-You really think he was that weak? That it was not an act?

-Definitely not - I shook my head in denial. - Remember, I can see mana. And I could tell that he was weak, still. Besides, even if it sounds absolutely insane, I do think that he somehow did get controlled. But the fact that I have no idea by what is the problem…

-While I do agree that it would be nice to know, I don’t think that would’ve helped us in any way…

-Who knows. At least it would’ve been something. Lately I have been lacking more than information…