Jason Greakor

THE MORNING'S FRIGID wind, like a relentless tormentor, reopened old wounds. The ancient forest, cloaked in a thick, swirling fog, struggled to awaken to the dawn. The air was heavy with the scent of decay and the hushed rustle of unseen creatures. A chilling wind howled through the bare branches of gnarled trees, casting eerie shadows that danced in the dim, ethereal light. Accompanied by four others from Sa'liq's group, including a visibly troubled Gary, I ventured into the forest, each of us armed with a flame torch for visibility. Gary's face, etched with gloom and tension, was unlike anything I had seen before.

"Was it her?" I whispered, our voices barely audible in the foggy expanse.

He hesitated, his face a mask of gloom and uncertainty. "Yes... no... what? How did you know?" he stammered, his voice trembling.

A certain mage from the Commander's House was missing from the previous night. I suspected she was the one Gary often met. I guessed something unfortunate had happened after their meeting. The Captain had dispatched search parties into the misty, foggy forest to find her.

"Where did you two meet last night, Gary?" I asked.

"The graveyard. It offered some privacy," he replied, his voice low. "I even walked with her towards her residence as far as I could. There's no way she got lost. How could this happen?" His expression shifted, his face etched with sorrow and despair. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have met her. Do you think she..." He trailed off, unable to complete the thought.

"Don't lose hope, my friend," I said, trying to offer comfort. "We'll find her. We have to. Let's focus on the search, and hope for the best."

We followed Glovius, a line of torchlight cutting through the fog. As we delved deeper, the mist thickened, and the forest seemed to close in, a silent, watchful guardian. The flickering torchlight illuminated the grotesque faces of gnarled trees, their twisted roots clawing at the earth like skeletal fingers. Uncertain of our direction, I hoped we wouldn't encounter another dark wolf. The Captain had instructed us to search the lake area, a small body of water near the graveyard. Gary, walking ahead, unconsciously quickened his pace, his eyes darting frantically left and right.

"Do you think he's lost it?" Harven asked, his voice hushed as if sharing a secret. "I saw him with a girl mage once, I can't remember her name. Poor guy, he must be heartbroken." Apparently, Gary's secret wasn't much of a secret.

"I guess it was painful for him," I replied.

"But she last saw him. Doesn't that make him the prime suspect? I'm not saying anything, though," he said with a sinister smirk.

Oh, you're not saying anything, are you? I thought, rolling my eyes internally. You're making it very subtle. I knew the higher-ups wouldn't miss his pointed remark. I chose to remain silent, letting his words hang in the air.

"Dead knights a month back, now a mage vanished within Garrison's territory, with so much patrol day and night. I don't have a good feeling about this, guys. It gives me the creeps," Kane said, his voice laced with paranoia.

"Yeah, man, that poor guy Rudolph died so tragically. We've shared food and drinks countless times," Harven replied, feigning grief. His act was as transparent as glass.

The lake, shrouded in a veil of mist, emerged from the fog. Its still, reflective surface mirrored the somber sky, broken only by the occasional ripple. The surrounding trees, their skeletal branches reaching towards the heavens, cast eerie shadows on the water's surface.

"Split into two groups and search the lake area. Look in the water, but be careful not to fall in," Glovius announced. "Gary, come with me. The rest of you search the other side." Gary, subdued, followed Glovius like a lost puppy. We did as instructed, heading towards the eastern part of the lake.

Harven, a sly grin playing on his lips, nudged Kane. "Wanna bet?" he asked, his voice low.

Kane raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "On what?" he replied, curious.

Harven chuckled darkly. "We're going to find her dead or alive. Or maybe... raped or not," he said, his voice dripping with sinister implications.

Kane frowned, his expression turning serious. "Don't say such things, man. Raped? Who dares to rape a mage? Besides, she's not just any ordinary commoner," he retorted, his voice laced with a protective undertone.

Shirisha Henkelstone, the mage we're searching for, was the daughter of a baron from the renowned Henkelstone family of Frostburg County. This influential family was a major supplier to the garrison. Shirisha had come here to study arcane arts under our commander's tutelage. As both a member of the garrison and an important guest, her safety was paramount. Any harm befalling her would undoubtedly incur the wrath of her powerful father.

Harven grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Don't you think it's possible? Maybe someone close to her could have the chance to neutralize her magic?" he suggested.

I resisted the urge to strangle him. If we don't find a body, I might just have to make him the body, I thought, my frustration growing. But I kept my thoughts to myself. He would pay for his snide remarks, but not with his petie life.

"Harven, I know you hate Gary, but don't jump to conclusions without evidence. With a knight involved, assumptions can be deadly," Kane warned, his tone serious.

Harven scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, man," he muttered. Then, a sly grin spread across his face. "That weak, sickly wuss Gary, he can't touch me, you know. I would..."

Harven couldn't finish his sentence as a sword flashed, stopping mere inches from his throat. He froze, his eyes wide with shock. The sword, mine, was now bathed in the ethereal glow of my activated aura, shimmering through my leather vest and thick clothing.

My voice, cold and deliberate, echoed through the fog-laden air. "Gary could just hire me. And you know I'd do it for free, just to silence that ratty mouth of yours." Harven's face, once filled with arrogance, was now a mask of terror. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, a stark contrast to the frigid morning air.

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With a smooth, practiced motion, I withdrew my sword and sheathed it, the soft shink of metal echoing through the silent forest. I turned away, my back to Harven, and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Over my shoulder, I casually remarked, "Or do you think I can't kill you, Harven? Now move."

Harven, cowed by my threat, remained silent, his previous arrogance replaced by a cautious demeanor. Even his feigned search seemed half-hearted. Kane, on the other hand, continued his search diligently. The forest was silent, the only sounds the soft crunch of our footsteps and the distant rustle of unseen creatures. Hours passed, yet there was no sign of Shirisha. The dense fog and the uniformity of the northern air's mana signature made tracking her almost impossible.

There was also the possibility that she had been abducted. Such incidents, involving noble children, were not unheard of. A high ransom could be a lucrative motive, but it was a risky endeavor, often met with brutal punishment—a slow, agonizing death.

It was also possible that one of the Baron's enemies had orchestrated the entire plot, exploiting his weakness for his only daughter. Or perhaps, she had fled on her own accord, driven by reasons unknown.

Amidst all the speculation, there was Gary. As enigmatic as he was, I couldn't fathom him capable of such a heinous act. While the possibility couldn't be entirely dismissed, my heart refused to believe it. My instincts, honed over years of experience, had never led me astray.

"Let's split up to cover more ground. Don't slack off. Remember, a life is at stake," I said, my voice stern.

Searching blindly was a futile endeavor. I didn't know if I was looking for a living soul or a lifeless body. The optimistic hope of her being lost seemed increasingly unlikely. Even with my poor sense of direction, I would have found the garrison under the cover of night. As a mage, she was intrinsically tied to her home. The grim reality was clear: she was either dead or too gravely injured to move. Yet, Whitewoods held no beasts capable of such devastation.

I stared at the still lake, its surface mirroring the dawn's first light. The overgrown lake, nestled deep within the dense forest, was a serene retreat. I first discovered it during a routine patrol, thanks to Gary. The peaceful ambiance, reminiscent of Lake Shamara, though on a smaller scale, was quite soothing. However, the this area remained largely unvisited. The reason was the ancient graveyard, located a short distance away.

According to Gary, it was the site of a major battle during the era of a great empire. Low-ranking soldiers who perished in the conflict were buried here. The garrison, built around the same time, has since served as a burial ground for generations of soldiers.

The graveyard was shrouded in a veil of fear, thanks to the 'horror stories' circulated among the cadets. While I suspected these tales were intentionally propagated by higher-ups to deter young cadets, there was an undeniable eerie atmosphere surrounding the place. After all, it was a hallowed burial ground, deserving of respect.

When the captain ordered us to form search groups, no one volunteered to search the graveyard. It was Glovius who stepped forward, followed by his loyal companions, Harven and Kane. When Gary expressed interest, I felt compelled to join as well.

"Ahhhhhh!" a frantic shout pierced the air, echoing from the direction Harven had vanished. Without hesitation, I surged forward, my body enveloped in a protective aura as I navigated the dense undergrowth.

Did someone attacked him? So the culprit didn't leave the forest. Moments later, I found him slumped on the ground, his torch discarded nearby. Physically unharmed, his face was contorted in a mask of terror, his eyes wide with fear. What the hell scared him shitless?

"What happened?" I asked, standing beside him. He seemed oblivious to my presence until my voice broke the silence, causing him to flinch. After a moment of stunned recognition, he gestured towards the front, his face still etched with fear.

"A ghost?" he gasped, his breath still ragged. "A finger. A twitching finger. A ghost finger! I saw it, Jason, I swear! Please, believe me..."

"Yes, I believe you," I soothed, offering a hand to help him up. "Tell me where it was, Harven." He hesitated before accepting my help, his fear palpable. Pointing towards the ground, he indicated the source of his terror. Following his trembling finger, I saw it: a pale, glowing finger, presumably female, emerging from the earth. Harven recoiled in horror.

Ohh God's! With a sense of urgency, I began to dig around the finger with my bare hands. As I dug deeper, a female head emerged from the earth.

"Help me, damn it!" I shouted at Harven, but he remained a safe distance away. How insensitive could he be? Why the hell had that moron come to the garrison in the first place? "She's alive, you fool! Help me dig the ground." This time, without complaint, he activated his Aura and sat beside me, beginning to dig. His Earth-natured mana allowed him to dig effortlessly. As the finger transformed into a hand and then a head, I was astonished to see she was still alive. Her body was slowly rising, enveloped in a faint glow of mana. The injury behind her head was severe, and she wouldn't have survived much longer if we hadn't arrived in time. We pulled her out of the ground.

A presence appeared behind us. "Hey, what happened? I heard Harven scream," Kane said, then saw the girl in my arms. "Is that the girl we were looking for? My God, is she alive?"

"For now, at least. Her temperature is dropping fast. She needs a Healer. We need to hurry," I said, hoisting her onto my shoulder and running towards the garrison. I instructed Harven to inform the others about our discovery, while Kane and I took the route beside the graveyard towards the Commander's House. It was the best course of action, as she required immediate magical aid.

As I finally reached the castle's base, a daunting sight met my eyes: an endless staircase spiraling towards the heavens. Frustration gnawed at me. Why had they built this fortress so high? With a heavy sigh, I began the arduous climb. Kane, my silent companion, followed steadily. As we neared the summit, the imposing gatehouse loomed before us, its grandeur both awe-inspiring and intimidating. Two guards, their faces as cold as stone, approached us.

"What do you think you're doing here, boy? This is no place for a knight." He exhaled sharply, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"Can't you see? This girl needs help, now! Let us in!" Kane roared, his anger palpable. It was the first time he'd spoken in what felt like hours. The guard glared at him, his eyes bulging with hostility. Kane remained defiant. I gently took the girl from my shoulder, cradling her fragile form in my arms.

I held the girl close, my voice steady. "This is the missing girl we found in the forest, sir. Please notify whoever's in charge here."

"Wait here. I'll inform Madam Irza," he said, a sudden realization dawning on him. Then, he rushed inside.

A blur of bluish hair and frantic footsteps erupted from the castle's depths. A middle-aged woman, her face etched with worry, burst onto the scene. Her eyes, wide and fearful, scanned the group, finally settling on the injured girl. "Please, take her inside," she urged, her voice barely a whisper. "But just one of you."

Kane nodded at me, and I followed the woman inside. It was truly awe-inspiring how they’d carved an entire castle into the solid stone mountainside. The vast castle yard was surrounded by numerous smaller buildings. The outer wall, a sturdy brick structure, encircled the perimeter, while the main castle was nestled within the mountain itself. Numerous large, carved windows, likely the residences of mages, dotted the facade. Some were illuminated, while others were obscured by curtains.

She walked with purpose, and I matched her long strides. We entered not the imposing main keep, but a more modest building nearby. Inscriptions on the wall proclaimed it to be the Healer's Hall. Its design, unlike the grand architecture of the main castle and its surrounding structures, seemed to belong to a different era. The building was unremarkable, painted a subdued gray, with a simple wooden door and no ornate decorations.

"This way," she said, leading us inside. The Healer's Hall was filled with a few other women, each exuding an air of refined elegance. It was clear that this was an institution dedicated to the arcane studies of noble girls, a hidden facet of the Northern Garrison. Their amused glances, directed at a man carrying a young woman into their secluded haven, were palpable.

The Healer's Hall, much like its exterior, was dimly lit and somewhat somber. Mana healing was a rare gift, and traditional medical practices held little appeal for the noble women who resided here.

A young woman with curly hair approached, offering a stretcher. I gently placed the unconscious girl upon it, watching as they disappeared into one of the many rooms.