“They tried to attack me while I was unarmed. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t bring enough of their cultists to attack me. Whether that is because there are few cultists left in the city or because they weren’t expecting this opportunity. I guess the lesson is that I won’t be leaving without my sword again,” he said to the guard.
Alice approached him. They and a dozen others now stood in the alleyway where Elias had fought. “Cultists? Who are they?”
“Oh, right. You probably are too young to remember. The corruption cultists are a radical end-times group. They believe that letting the world be consumed is the right thing. It will bring about a cleansing of the world of some sort. Years ago, I helped fight against them. The war now long ended was largely to root out and fight their forces and stop the creatures they helped bring about. They helped speed up the growth of corruption and helped many of the early villages and cities get destroyed by corruption before being noticed. The people who follow their ideals are a stain on this world and need to be eradicated. Too much has been lost already.”
More people had started to gather around as guards attended to the cleanup of the scene. They would look for clues now that they had taken Elias’s statements. He looked at the people around the street.
“Sorry, I got carried away. Let’s get back to the castle. If there is anything you or the king want to know then we can discuss it there. By the look of things, I may have missed dinner as well.”
“That you have.”
Elias and Alice made their way back to the grand castle. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the city as the streets came alive with the soft glow of lanterns and torches.
Inside the castle, they were greeted by the vigilant guards and servants who had been anxiously awaiting their return. The news of the cultists' attack had spread like wildfire, and the atmosphere was charged with a mix of fear and determination. The king had already been informed and was waiting for them in his chambers. Alongside the king, Lord Cedric and Sir Thompson had joined them.
"Elias, Alice," King Zachariah spoke, his voice calm but tinged with concern. "Tell me you have emerged unscathed from this ordeal?"
"We are, Your Majesty," Elias replied with a respectful nod. "But the cultists have resurfaced, and their numbers may be growing. They attacked me while I was unarmed, likely hoping to eliminate a threat. Fortunately, they were not numerous enough to succeed."
Alice stepped forward; her determination evident in her eyes. "We need to act swiftly, Your Majesty. Elias has valuable knowledge of the cultists from the previous war. I am sure that you do as well. With your support, we can hunt down the remaining cultists and put an end to their twisted plans once and for all. We are here to help. I am chosen to fight and defend against the corruption that grows. Those cultists are part of the forces that I am meant to fight."
King Edward listened attentively, his fingers steepled in front of him. He knew the dangers the cultists posed and the devastation they could unleash. "You have my support, Elias and Alice. We cannot allow these cultists to bring more suffering to our kingdom. I will mobilize our best soldiers and resources to aid you in this endeavor. Having you here and assisting will rally the people and show them who you are beyond the initial parade and presentations. I had thought that we cleared out the cultists from the city. Clearly, some parts of our defenses have become lax. We will make sure that they are removed for good."
“Are we just supposed to search every house, every shop, and building?” asked Thompson.
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“Ah, clearly your father's teachings on our past wars have eluded you, young Thompson,” interrupted Lord Cedric. “The need to identify the amount of corruption and how quickly it spreads was crucial to preventing and ultimately saving people and their homes. In cooperation with the witches who were active at the time, we built a device to sense the evil in monsters and people. They called it aura sensing. It is a skill few even among the witches know. The stories say that with a glance they can tell the nature of a person and weigh the scales of their heart. In short, the device will help point you in the right direction in the city.”
“I assume that you still have it somewhere stored in the castle?” asked Elias to the king.
“This relic has slumbered for over a decade, its purpose unneeded until now. But tonight, it shall awaken to aid us in our quest to cleanse the city. Lord Cedric if you will go collect it from its safe then perhaps we can deal with this issue tonight. The cultists that remain in the city cannot be left alone to find new hiding places or leave the city. We must attack now. Take the aura reader to the place of the cultists’ death and follow the trail back with my soldiers. While Lord Cedric is collecting what is required I hope you will do the same.”
“We will be ready to leave in only a few minutes,” said Alice. Elias nodded affirmatively and took a step back. He needed to collect his sword and change out of his party dress.
Elias hurried to his room. The need to be quick was starting to set in. Opening the chest in his room he grabbed his sword. He fastened it to his side with a practiced hand, feeling the familiar weight against his hip. He changed out of his ceremonial attire and into his battle-worn clothing.
Elias rejoined Alice and the others, the determination in his eyes matching hers. King Zachariah and Thompson had gathered in the room, and the atmosphere was charged with urgency. A dozen soldiers stood in waiting by the doors.
Lord Cedric emerged from the shadows, a small ornate box in his hands. He carefully opened it to reveal the aura-sensing device. It was an intricate, silver-etched contraption with a crystal at its center. The device had been designed by the witches in collaboration with the kingdom's scholars, a potent tool to detect the malevolent energies that the cultists left behind.
King Edward nodded approvingly. "This instrument shall be our bulwark in unmasking the cultists' lair and purging their blight from our city. Our actions must be swift and unyielding. Once we locate their lair, there will be no room for hesitation."
Alice, Elias, and the others gathered around the aura-sensing device, watching as Lord Cedric activated it. The crystal began to emit a soft, pulsating light, and the device hummed with energy. It was ready to lead them on their quest. He handed the crystal over to Alice.
"Let's go," she said, her voice steady and resolute. "We will follow the trail of darkness and put an end to the cultists' twisted plans.”
The trio led by Alice left the king’s chambers. Behind them, the soldiers marched. They were ready to fight in armor that gleaned in the light. The group hurried back to the same alleyway. Alice didn’t check on the device and kept it held under her arm. When they reached their destination she took it out.
“How does this thing work exactly? What am I supposed to do?”
“I have seen it used once before by my military commander,” said Elias. “If I remember correctly we need to wait until it orients itself now that we have moved around. While in the castle it created a constant light. Out here the light will change. Around the radius of the device, darker spots will grow. We will want to be further from the cliff walls initially due to possible interference. After a minute we should be able to easily follow the direction of the darkest spot on the orb.”
“Would you like us to lead along with Master Elias?” asked one of the guards.
“That is unnecessary. I will stay as the leader of this group. Elias, you will take charge of the aura sensor. I want my hands free and ready to fight,” she said handing over the crystal orb to Elias. “Tell us where we need to go, and we will fight all the cultists we find.”
Elias nodded as he took the aura-sensing device from Alice. He held it up, and as Lord Cedric had described, the crystal began to emit a soft, pulsating light that cast an eerie glow on their faces. The device hummed with energy, and they all watched intently as the light shifted and swirled. The light grew brighter and then suddenly dimmed in a corner. He spun the crystal slowly and the dimming edge stayed in the same spot.
“This way,” he pointed, and they followed. “We need to follow that trail but stay vigilant. The cultists are dangerous, and they won't hesitate to attack if they sense our presence."