Jason left the town without hurry. The road behind him still carried the faint scent of scorched earth and blood from the day before. He glanced once at the distant plain where the dark guild's army had fallen. Bodies had already been cleared by scavengers and council clean-up crews, yet the scars on the land remained. The sight did not bother him. He kept walking.
The Ant King had scouted earlier and marked a quiet lake a short distance from the settlement. Jason followed the path it had communicated to him, moving through sparse trees until the water came into view. The surface was calm, reflecting the late afternoon sky.
No paths led to it. No signs of regular use. The town had wells and a proper river closer to its walls. This place was simply isolated.
