“Let’s start with the basics,” Moira began as they both received their mugs of hot spiced wine. “If my theory is correct—that putting in all the effort to enchant this spell just to create a single crystal would be an unlikely move—then someone is either in the process of distributing similar items or has already placed them in other locations.”

Ashan nodded and took a sip of his mulled wine. “Yes, that makes sense. So what do you suggest?” he asked, waiting for her input.

“Let’s identify nearby places where similar enchanted crystals would be most effective: old battlefields, sieges, mass burial sites—anywhere close enough to the trade routes,” she explained, adding, “I’d like to secure the area around Kardum first, to prevent any further disturbances with the dead.”

“That’ll definitely help. We might also pick up more clues, and in a few days, news from the road guards in other cities should start coming in since Darva just sent word.”

They spent the rest of the day in the city’s library, studying old chronicles and marking potential sites on a map. There were more than they’d expected. With the first ten locations plotted within a day’s ride of the city, they mapped out a route that should take three, maybe four days. Ashan promised to inform Captain Darva that their first meeting would be postponed as they’d both be out in the field, and he arranged for horses. Moira requested the same mare. With preparations complete, they set out early the next morning.

They began at the site of an old battle with heavy losses on the northern side. They knew what to look for, and with Ashan’s seer gift—even with his relatively short training—small magical anomalies were plain as day to him. They found three crystals there, all about the same size as the one near the fort and made from the same material. Fortunately, due to their slow, weak activation, they had only managed to raise a few ghostly apparitions, still too feeble to reach the trade route and cause harm. As with the first crystal, Moira destroyed them and helped the spirits pass on.

In two more locations, the situation was similar. By then, they’d identified some patterns: where multiple crystals were used, they were spaced roughly fifty paces apart. As she’d previously assessed, the activation process was slow but persistent. Night fell as they made their way to the fourth site, so they set up camp, both still uneasy from their discoveries.

“I didn’t expect this scale—these damn crystals are at every site we’ve checked!” Moira vented her frustration.

“And besides the crystals, there’s nothing else—no signs of camping or anything suspicious,” Ashan agreed, frowning.

She sighed angrily and added, “We need to check all the remaining sites as planned before we return to the city. I can’t risk any incidents.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Agreed. Let’s get some rest and set off at dawn,” he replied, and they ate a quick dinner before turning in.

Morning came quickly, and with it, rain, making their work more difficult. Despite this, they managed to clear three more sites. Their fears from the first day were confirmed—the operation was massive. Moira felt weighed down by the situation, and the rain did nothing to lift her spirits. Ashan kept his resolve, though it was clear that the scale of the problem troubled him.

It was only on the third day, at the remains of an old defensive wall—a place remembered in history as the site of a particularly bloody failed defense—that they made a breakthrough. When Moira finished guiding to rest only a few seemingly recently awakened spirits, Ashan suddenly called out, “I found something!”

She hurried over to where he was pointing at a muddy patch of ground. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. “And that is…?” she asked, drawing out the question as she tilted her head.

“That, Moira, is a heel print—someone my size, maybe even heavier.” He sounded pleased, crouching low to the ground and brushing aside grass. “Here’s another one—almost a full footprint—and another!” Moving excitedly around the area, he soon shared his theory: someone had walked there, and he was nearly certain the footprints lined up with one of the crystal locations, allowing him to determine the direction this person had headed next. They checked their map; the trail pointed directly to the second-to-last site they’d marked. Though dusk was approaching, they decided to follow the trail.

Ashan, using both his tracking skills and his seer’s sight, picked up the trail and refused to let it go. Every so often during the first hour of their pursuit, he used his magically enhanced vision to scan the surroundings. Finally, he spotted their target. While Moira couldn’t see anyone yet, Ashan adjusted their course slightly and pressed on.

“There’s a man on foot a few minutes ahead. We’ll keep our distance until we’re sure he’s our target,” he said, sounding satisfied and determined. “Let’s gather as much information as we can.”

“I don’t see anyone, but I trust you. Let’s do it,” she agreed, then added, “Good work.”

He nodded, and they continued the pursuit until they reached the ninth location: a large, unmarked mass grave. Dismounting quietly, they took cover, allowing Ashan to observe the man closely and relay his observations to Moira.

The man was on foot. He entered the area and dropped something from his bag onto the ground, then started pacing toward the far end as though he were counting his steps. It was clear he was involved in this operation.

“Help me get close enough to see him clearly. I’ll set up the right atmosphere for an interrogation,” Moira said coldly, a glint of anger in her gaze. Ashan wordlessly secured the horses with three stakes, just in case. Then he took her arm and led her closer. Finally, as the man stood clearly illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the clouds, she extended her magical senses and began to weave a spell. It took a few moments, and by the time she finished, the man had already reached his destination and dropped another crystal onto the ground.

Suddenly, in an eruption of sand and grass, countless spectral hands burst from the ground, grabbing him and dragging him to his knees. Long, unnatural, some skeletal and others ghostly, the hands held him with unbreakable strength as he screamed in terror. Then, two dark silhouettes approached him from the shadows.

“Now we’ll have a little chat,” Ashan promised, his voice laced with menace, as they both stepped forward to face the captive.