There it was, the ruins of the Moonfang, what was once a sacred ritual site transformed into a fortress by civil wars was now nothing more than a collection of decayed fortifications and temples.
Alden, Dragos, my grandmother's guards, and I surveyed the area with his binoculars, hiding in the dark vegetation with an illusion serving as extra cover.
The mercenaries were no amateurs, of that we were certain. They were all well-equipped with standardized leather and metal armor and varied weaponry.
They never traveled alone, and had taken the remaining walls and towers for themselves, with crossbowmen, archers, and casters watching the surroundings.
Occasionally, we would spot the light of torches moving within the ruins, indicating that there was more on the other side of the walls.
"The Hand of the Earth, what are they doing here?"
We turned to Dragos when we heard him mention the name. He showed surprise for a moment before continuing.
"They are one of the most powerful mercenary bands in Kazdel, with numerous contractors around the land. So numerous that they have divisions led by officers, we are probably dealing with one of them."
"That doesn't explain why they kidnapped my siblings. If they are so famous, then why do they need to demand gold from my family?"
"Perhaps someone hired them for this? The gold might just be a ruse to create a crisis between someone and your family."
Alden's words made me think. There was no shortage of enemies in the mess that was Kazdel's politics. It would be easier to write a list of those who didn't hate us than the opposite.
That didn't change the fact that my siblings were still imprisoned in there somewhere, and now we needed to find an entrance. Alden maintained his illusion and we circled the ruins, searching for an entrance.
They were built around a hill, almost forming an octagon, with the main part of the fort and temple at its summit. Some of the towers and walls had collapsed, but that didn't mean the exposed areas were unprotected.
I had no doubt there was an underground section beneath everything, but there didn't seem to be any holes on the outside for us to sneak inside.
The collapsed section was our best chance of entry, but we would need a distraction. The longer we waited, the greater the chance my siblings would be used against us.
"Alden, can you create an illusion of gold?"
He raised a curious eyebrow, but did as I asked, swinging his staff, and the image of a mountain of gold coins appeared before him.
"Great, Dragos and you can approach through the front gate pretending to bring the ransom money. Meanwhile, my grandmother's Guards and I can infiltrate and rescue my siblings ."
Alden nodded in confirmation, swinging his staff again. The illusion shifted into a cloud of smoke, and the gold was arranged in bars inside a cart pulled by a pair of swift beasts.
I think I'm getting used to how casually he conjures his advanced Arts, but Dragos and the elite Guards failed to hide their surprise. The first let out an admiring sigh while the others murmured something muffled by their masks.
"My dear, I know you wish to help, but it would be better to wait here. This is too dangerous for a lady."
I felt a tremor in my eyes as Dragos opened his damned mouth, but before I could speak my mind, Alden placed a hand on his shoulder while tossing me a Silver Talisman and a Rusty Coin.
"The Talisman creates a weak but effective illusion that will blend you into the environment, hopefully enough to enter the ruins. As for the coin, you may not believe my words, but it will increase your luck when crushed in your hand."
I held the artifacts as if they were precious relics. Until now I had no reason to doubt, but this seemed too good to be true.
"And you, will you need something similar?"
"No, we have our own method, and although we would have preferred Lady Darya not to get involved, she made her intentions clear."
I didn't know what my grandmother had done with her Elite Guards, but as soon as one of them finished speaking, they all stepped back in perfect synchronicity, disappearing into the shadows.
Despite this, we could still hear their voices.
"We will wait for your distraction so that the rescue can proceed without interruptions; after all, the fewer enemies in our path, the less chance there is of an unfortunate event occurring."
For a moment, I thought there was amusement in his voice, but I preferred to think it was just my imagination.
With that done, we went in opposite directions, with Alden dragging a hesitant Dragos away while I headed towards the fallen walls, feeling my heart almost leaping out of my chest.
However, I stopped for a moment when I heard Alden speaking to me.
"Ruins often have treasure chests hidden inside. If you find one, hit it before opening; it might be a mimic."
I treated this as just another one of his strange stories. What does a Gaulish street clown have to do with treasure chests?
-XXXXXX-
I didn't have to wait long to see a change in the mercenary band. The torches moved toward the main gate, as did some of the wall defenders, but not all; the place was still protected.
I looked around for a moment, trying to find the Elite Guards. I knew they were there; their scent gave it away, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pinpoint their location.
The apprehension and nervousness were overwhelming, but I forced them inside, taking a deep breath and crushing the talisman. A cloud of smoke surrounded me, and as it dissipated, I didn't notice anything different.
"My lady looks like a piece of ruins."
I almost took flight in fright at the Guard's voice. I gave up trying to find them and approached the tree line, hesitating for a moment before stepping forward.
I let out a sigh I hadn't realized I was holding when I noticed the lack of screams and arrows flying in my direction. Slowly, I crept through the ruins, blending in with the stones and rocks, hiding behind walls and towers.
Every time a patrol approached, I stopped and held my breath. Sweat trickled down my face whenever someone got too close. I waited whenever a crossbowman, archer, or caster turned toward me, moving again when their eyes looked away.
Occasionally, I heard the footsteps, murmurs, and complaints of those present, but nothing that revealed the location of my siblings . Eventually, I reached the wall, standing just below the battlements, out of the mercenaries' sight.
There was a gap in the structure, large enough for me to squeeze through. I took a deep breath, sucking in my stomach before stepping through, stopping immediately upon reaching the other side.
There, I tried to figure out where I should go; I was at the base of the hill, spotting the fort at its summit. The answer came in the form of a rock tunnel on the side of the climb, its entrance illuminated by a pair of torches.
Fortunately, there weren't many mercenaries around, so I repeated my previous strategy.
Halfway up, I spotted Alden and Dragos being escorted uphill towards the fort, with Torrent and a swift beast pulling the gold cart, but I knew it was just an illusion.
As soon as I set foot in the tunnel, a cloud of smoke enveloped me again, and I saw my reflection in my staff, indicating that the illusion had dissipated.
Suddenly, the torches illuminating the tunnel were extinguished by a cold wind, and in the blink of an eye, two Elite Guards appeared beside me.
I stifled a scream, feeling a shiver run down my spine. Were they even human?
"Where are the other two?"
"On the upper levels, ready to offer assistance if needed."
"Now allow us to go ahead, we will ensure a safe path for you, my lady."
I let them both pass by me, but I stayed close, I didn't want them out of my sight. However, we stopped after a few minutes of walking when we came across something strange, a white wall that moved slightly.
We exchanged a glance, or at least I thought so, it was hard to tell with their white masks, and one of the Elite Guards stepped forward. The wall vanished as he crossed it, revealing the rest of the ruins, and this place was far larger than I had imagined.
The corridor widened, its walls adorned with religious images carved into the stone, some depicting Sarkaz, others the elder races, and finally, something large descending from the sky.
These mingled with scenes of joy, sorrow, war, and loss—images depicting legends I had heard as a child and which now escape my memory.
Our footsteps echoed off the walls, and our weapons were ready for decades. It was quiet, very quiet. Our advance led us to a massive, dome-shaped chamber, with a large hole at its top letting in the pale moonlight, illuminating the space.
Pillars adorned with spiral staircases supported the chamber, with images of Sarkaz climbing them, carrying treasures and offerings.
In the center of the chamber, below the hole, was a massive brazier, large enough to serve as a lake if someone filled it, and around it, several destroyed stone thrones.
I've never been religious, but I couldn't help but be amazed by what I saw. I had no words to describe what I felt; these abandoned, old, and dusty ruins—what did they hide?
I had to pinch myself to snap out of my stupor; the Guards seemed to feel the same. However, I thought I was daydreaming when I noticed several pulsating bloodstains and luminous messages scattered across the floor.
The smell almost made me salivate, and despite their discipline, I saw the Guards shudder slightly.
I touched one of the stains, and to my surprise, a ghostly image appeared before me: a Sarkaz Warrior swinging his sword before falling dead.
The second showed an Ursus man opening his arms, his face contorted in pain before collapsing forward.
The messages, however, didn't display such a surprising image; they merely shone brighter, and I couldn't understand what was written—the language was unknown to me.
"My lady, we are wasting time. You can investigate this place once our mission is complete."
The Guard was right; I mentally kicked myself for wasting time. I would never forgive myself if something happened to my siblings .
There were other corridors inside the chamber, some collapsed and others not. Fortunately, we didn't take long to find our way, as voices and cries were coming from one of them.
Following the noises, we turned a corner and descended a staircase, entering an ancient dungeon.
The air was heavy and foul-smelling, and the dust and cobwebs made my skin itch. Each step crushed a legion of insects, but as soon as we reached the end, we hid in the shadows upon seeing our objective ahead.
In a rusty cell guarded by a pair of mercenaries, a couple of children were tied up and gagged.
"Hey, how long are we going to have to watch them? The brat wet himself."
"Until the boss finishes the negotiations."
"And are we really going to return the children?"
"Are you keen on taking care of two brats forever? Either we kill tehem or we return them, but as soon as the negotiations are over, their parents will send an army here, so we need to leave as quickly as possible."
These words made the children cry even more; I, on the other hand, clenched my teeth in fury, squeezing the wall hard enough to crack the stone.
A hand on my shoulder stopped me from acting rashly.
The Elite Guards emerged from their hiding places, and before the mercenaries even noticed their presence, both fell to the ground with throwing knives in their heads.
My mouth dropped open at the sight, but I wasted no time and approached the cell, using the key found on one of the corpses to unlock it.
I untied and removed the gag from my siblings, Selina and Gerald. I hugged them both, feeling their arms encircle me and tears staining my clothes.
"It's alright, your older sister and her friends came to save you. Now let's get out of here."
I helped them both to their feet, trying to wipe away their teary eyes and runny noses. I held their hands, but before we could leave the dungeon, a tremor shook the ruins, throwing dust and fragments of stone onto our heads.
"Let's go, now!"
No further words were needed; I dragged them both away in a frantic run, with the Elite Guards leading the way.
We heard everything collapse behind us as soon as we left the tunnel, stepping aside to escape the cloud of dust and debris that came towards us.
The chaos didn't end there; a mercenary engulfed in flames fell into the hole, plunging towards the brazier. I turned my siblings away, shrinking back as his screams ceased and a crackling sounded as he hit the ground.
Against all logic, the brazier ignited even without enough fuel, spreading from the body until it consumed the entire vessel. It should have been impossible, but the heat and fire that followed were worthy of the most powerful Arts.
A pillar of flames rose, illuminating the chamber in a blinding light, the air distorted with heat, and sweat poured down my body in rivers. The fire rose until it burst through the hole in the ceiling, and I had no doubt it would spread further.
If terror hadn't already gripped me, what came next made me feel like a child listening to horror stories told by the castle servants.
Sarkaz Revenants, star-shaped clouds of smoke with a golden light shining at their center. They roared and flew around the fire, dancing and screaming in a deafening cacophony.
I don't know how long I stared at that infernal sight, but eventually I found the strength to grab my siblings and run through the nearest tunnel, our shadows resembling the monsters of legend as we fled, but I knew the real monsters were in that chamber.
I remembered the coin Alden had given me, took it from my pocket, and crushed it. Immediately, the corridor behind us collapsed, blocking the fire, but that was just a coincidence, wasn't it?
Anyway, the corridor led us to a treasure room filled with dusty gold, but a line of crossbowmen awaited us inside.
I pulled Selina and Gerald behind me, and the Elite Guards advanced. I heard the crossbows firing and braced myself for the pain, but opened my eyes when nothing happened.
I was confused for a second before looking back and seeing all the darts embedded in the wall, with the perfect outline of my body in the center.
The crossbowmen exchanged glances before one of them drew a sword and lunged forward, only for a piece of the ceiling to collapse and crush his head.
The second to act tripped over his own feet and bumped into a chest. I almost vomited when the same chest sprouted arms, legs, a mouth full of teeth, and began devouring him alive.
His screams would give me nightmares for the rest of my life.
"You two, take care of my siblings! I'll go ahead!"
I left Selina and Gerald with the Elite Guards and drew Reduvia, running towards the remaining mercenaries.
The third couldn't draw his sword and had his neck cut, while the fourth tried to escape and crashed into the wall, falling unconscious. Despite this, I heard more coming, entered the corridor on the opposite side, and cleared our way out of here.
-XXXXXX-
"Seriously?! This was part of the plan?!"
Dragos shouted, piercing a mercenary's chest.
"It was only a matter of time before they counted the gold! Illusions dissipate if you interact with them!"
I dodged a warhammer blow that nearly crushed my head, igniting my flame and conjuring Fire Whip.
A flaming spiral surged toward the Mercenary Officer, who slammed his weapon into the ground, the gleaming red jewel at the center of the hammer shining like a star before an earthquake shook the fort and a stone wall rose before him.
"I should be with my beloved! What if she's in danger?!"
The vampire raised his shield, blocking an axe blow before parrying the weapon aside and slicing his enemy's neck.
"Dragos, you don't give me the impression of a bad man, but you're clearly out of touch with the times! Warfarin isn't made of glass, and while there are ladies who prefer to be treated like princesses, she is not one!"
"Stranger, the earth cries out your name, and I will return you to it in the name of the men you killed!"
The Officer raised his weapon again, and a pair of bat wings and a dark tail emerged from the back of his heavy armor that concealed his entire body.
"You kidnapped two children, so you have no right to complain about the consequences!"
It was impressive how a person wearing heavy equipment could move so quickly.
The initial flapping of wings caused the Officer to quickly close the distance, dodging the Crystal Soul Masses I conjured in his direction. Rolling to the side, I dodged the swing that opened a hole in the floor, avoiding a tremor through the room.
Dragos took advantage of the opening and delivered a slash to the individual's side, causing him to groan as blood stained the floor. However, a large armored hand encircled his neck, lifting him into the air.
"I'll start with you, in the name of my fallen brothers!"
I didn't allow his neck to be broken, I conjured Dark Orbs repeatedly, sending a barrage of dark spheres towards the Officer. Each dark explosion tore pieces from his armor, allowing Dragos to plunge a dagger into his shoulder, freeing himself afterward.
The vampire returned to my side, and together we prepared to continue the fight. The Officer removed the dagger from his shoulder and turned towards us, taking off his partially destroyed helmet, revealing white hair and a pair of horns.
With a cry of fury, the jewel on his hammer gleamed, but before the attack could come, a pillar of flame burst through the hole in the center of the room, piercing the ceiling and heading towards the sky.
A fire immediately spread, the ancient decoration burned, and the stone began to melt. Any hostility that existed between us vanished instantly as shadowy figures emerged from this fire, roaring in anger and fury.
My reaction was one of surprise, but the Officer showed fear and reverence, speaking in ancient Kazdelian, almost kneeling. However, this didn't last long; the structure finally gave way before the beings could respond to his words.
Stone, wood, and fire covered his body, burying him in rubble, and the jewel from his hammer was all that remained, rolling out of the pile.
I would have liked to recover the artifact, but the Elite Guards, as if waiting the perfect moment to arrive, acted faster, keeping it for themselves. I frowned, not only at that, but at the lack of souls when the Officer was buried and the fog gate disappeared.
In the end, there was no more time; we left the fort behind, fleeing the flames that seemed alive.
The fire falling from the sky and tremors almost sent me tumbling down the hill. The destruction was so great that the mercenaries gave up trying to stop us and focused on escaping.
During the race to the main gate, I spotted Warfarin plunging one of the Reduvias into the neck of a fallen mercenary. She was charred and covered in cuts, as were the Elite Guards accompanying her, but to my relief, there were a couple of children hiding nearby.
"Alden, what the hell is going on?!"
"I don't know, now run!"
Warfarin and her group moved away from the tunnel on the side of the hill and together we ran to the main gate. It didn't take us long to reach where the swift beasts rested.
I called Torrent immediately and we prepared to leave, but for a moment, we stopped and watched in horror as everything burned. Night had turned to day and high in the sky, a flaming tornado consumed the clouds.
END OF CHAPTER