The researcher adjusted the glasses on his face and brought his notes closer. "Let's see here. Where was I?"

"You were talking about how the Insectus prefers damp locations," Tamma said.

"Right. And they need food. If I were a gambling man, I'd say that they're residing somewhere in the forest."

"No offense, but we could have figured that out for ourselves, sir," Tamma said.

"There are still a few more details I want to go over. However, there isn't as much evidence as to whether or not these are accurate conclusions. They seem to be coincidences rather than observable facts."

"Not like we got much of a choice. Any hint is a good hint."

"For one, of the few records I could find detailing anything about the Insectus, both have claimed that they took nest deep within a cave or underground. I surmise that the offspring prefer the dark as well, much like normal insects."

All eyes turned to the hunter. "You know the forest better than anyone else, Tamma. Is there a place out there that fits the description?" Miwah asked.

Tamma a finger to her chin. "There's a couple caverns that I know of on the side of the plateau. Never took the time to explore them though. They're dangerous. Like Chaston said, they're dark, jagged and they could be ready to start crumbling at any moment for all I know."

"Right. If that is the case, we could use that to our advantage," Chaston said while raising an eyebrow. "Alson. Do you know if the Farrowport Guard has anything... explosive in their armory?"

"Of course we do."

Aurrie grinned. She bent bounced up and down on her heels as she clenched her fists. "You're tellin' me we get to blow somethin' up?"

Chaston looked at the housekeeper while carrying an expression of worry on his face. "It's just a possibility. I'm only thinking out loud here. But... you seem quite eager to try out a more destructive method."

"Sounds like fun. That's all."

"I see. I suppose it's a good thing that you're on our side."

"Anything else, Chaston?" Miwah asked.

"The other detail that I could gather from my reading material is that the Insectus queen most likely has an incredibly short growth span. Within a week if I had to make a rough estimate. But it definitely could be shorter."

"And you said that those creatures fell out of the boat that you arrived on, right Miwah?" Tamma asked.

The seamstress nodded.

"That means we might have some time before the queen is fully formed! Miwah hasn't even been here for a week."

"That's why I said it could be shorter. I like to err on the side of caution when it comes to such dangerous matters. I don't want you going in thinking you're safe only for you to face the queen. If you do decide to go to one of those caverns that you mentioned earlier, I implore that you go fully equipped. Weapons. Armor. Anything to dress wounds and injuries."

"Wouldn't have thought of going without thaem."

"However, I do want to say that I have a bit of good news as well." The others in the room perked up at the statement. Chaston flipped through his pages again and examined a separate page of notes. "Now. We are going up against insect-like creatures. That means it's possible for them to have a weakness much like regular 'bugs.'" The researcher made a pair of air quotations with his fingers. "Are you aware of Spell Stones?"

"Of course," Tamma said. "There's a couple of merchants that sell them down at the market."

"Making them was quite the popular pastime back in Xiwao," Miwah said. All remaining eyes then turned to Aurrie.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"What? Why are y'all lookin' at me?"

"We just want to know if you know what a Spell Stone is," Tamma said.

The housekeeper shied her eyes away. "Of course I do."

"What do they do then?" Tamma said with her arms crossed.

"They're... stones..."

"You got part of it right," Tamma replied.

"And they got somethin' to do with magic!"

"I suppose it's in the name," Chaston replied. "Don't feel embarrassed about not knowing what exactly Spell Stones are. With how common magic has become in the modern era, they have lost their usefulness. Not to mention the amount of skill and resources that goes into making one. It's often more practical to just practice a specific spell instead of paying the exuberant prices needed to get a single Spell Stone. But time isn’t something that we have at the moment."

"I knew that," Aurrie said.

"Of course. But back to what they actually are. They're used to cast spells. Very simple. Just break one and the magic comes out. The reason why I bring Spell Stones up is that there is one that might could prove to be useful. An anti-insect magic that irradicates them in a small radius."

"That's perfect!" Tamma said. "Never saw one by the market, though. Whenever I go by there, they got nothing but frivolous stuff there. Like for scents and aura shows. And maybe a couple for offense."

"There is one person I know that can help us out. A very talented witch that lives down in the swamp."

"Oh... great." Tamma groaned.

"Yes. It will be quite the journey. But I assure you it will be worth it." Chaston turned around and looked at his desk. "She's a recluse. Lives with her daughter in a small hut. We have a bit of history together. We researched all manner of spells together. She helped to inspire my love of research when I was in my youth." He picked up a small envelope and handed it to Tamma. "If you find her, hand her this. That letter should be enough to convince her to lend you a helping hand."

Tamma held the envelope and brought it close to her eyes. She looked at the inscription scribbled on the back. "Gertrude?"

"Hopefully she's still..." Chaston lingered on the last word. "Alive."

Aurrie stepped between Tamma and Chaston and pointed at the researcher's chest. "You're tellin' me you want us to go marchin' through a swamp and you don't even know if the person that we're supposed to meet is still breathin’?"

"I'm sure she is," Chaston said. "Gertrude is one of the most talented people I have ever known in my life. Her mastery of spellcraft is surpassed by none. But she's not immortal, either. Anything could have happened since the last time I saw. I just sincerely doubt it."

"If she is so talented with magic, why does she live so far from the rest of Farrowport?" Miwah asked. "Someone with her abilities could easily make a living anywhere in the world."

"And that's exactly why she decided to retire. I only managed to come across her during my more inquisitive years. I was hungry for knowledge, so naturally I went searching for the best magician on the island. Took me a month of investigation just to figure out a rough idea of where she even was. The search for the hut itself took even longer. About a week of failed searches."

"I thought you said we only have a few days before this queen is fully ready?" Aurrie asked. "You're tellin' us we gotta waste time lookin' for someone that might be dead. For a Spell Stone that might not work. To go against an enemy that we don’t where it is."

"It's a risk that must be taken. Of course, if you'd rather deal with thousands of maggot-like insects crawling into your flesh and controlling you from the inside, you're more than welcome to do so."

"I think we should bring the added security of the Spell Stone, Aurrie," Miwah said. "Besides, we should be able to get there in no time seeing as how Chaston knows how to get there."

"About that," Chaston said with some hesitation. "Gertrude prefers to live in private. Out of respect, I never recorded the exact location of her home. The best I can do is give you a rough path from memory. Go northeast from the gate down at the edge of the docks, as if you were heading towards the island in the horizon."

"The one with three peaks?" Tamma said.

The researcher nodded. "Yes. That one exactly."

"I can lead the others there. Shouldn't be too hard. Anything else we should know?"

Chaston looked up and contemplated an answer. "No, I don't believe so. Her daughter might still live there. She was just a child when I last saw her, so she must be an adult now. Even if she's just half the witch that her mother is, she could prove to be a powerful ally."

Tamma and Miwah faced each other. "Are you ready to head out, lass?"

"I am ready for anything," the seamstress replied.

"And what about you, Aurrie?"

"Not like I got a choice."

"Anything else we need should know, Chaston?" Tamma asked.

The researcher wagged his head. "No. I can't think of anything right now."

"Well lasses, we've got some daytime left. Sounds like we need to head out now."

"Need me to come along?" Alson said. He put his hand on his holstered sword.

Aurrie gestured towards Daego with her thumb. He was fast asleep with his head tilted against the back of the chair. "Think ya could give him some trainin' when he wakes up? He's more a swindler than a fighter."

"But he's out cold! Who knows how long he'll be sleeping for?"

"Aurrie's right, lad." She put a hand on his shoulder. "The three of us can handle meeting an old hermit. Just stay here and make sure Daego what you know about combat. Oh, and make sure Lug doesn't get into too much trouble."

The guard slumped his shoulders. "All right. I'll see what I can do."

The trio headed to the door with Tamma turning around as she opened it. "We'll be back soon, Chaston."

"Stay safe out there," the researcher said.