The return to the Dracones’ hideout was a glorious and triumphant one. The guards posted on the outskirts of the old ruins recognized them as they came through, and greeted them. Walking through the decorated hallways of the old hideout reminded Lucullus of his supernatural experiences, especially the prayer which the ghost instructed him to say and study. The painted walls were a glimpse into a world he still didn’t understand. Both groups seemed to have dragon imagery, used magic, and were so secretive in their dealings, yet were somehow at odds with each other. He was unsure of which group was responsible for Decimus’s death. The Dracones sided with the western sorcerers that flooded Lucium, and claim some other sorcerers killed his friend. None of it made sense to him, but he remained quiet on the issue. They entered the large room with the altar from last time, which seemed to be where Draco spent most of his time.
Draco turned from his quiet prayer, and rose from his kneeling position as they entered. “I see you have returned from a long adventure. What is your report?”
Lucullus stepped forward with Agustina’s letter in his hand. “Your agent in the Count’s court gave us this letter to pass on. Our mission went well.”
Draco read over the letter, a smile creeping across his face as he read each line. “Very good.” He slipped the letter into his pocket. “You’ve held up your end of the bargain, and I shall do in like manner.” He motioned toward Lucullus. “Come now, Lucullus. Since you are the one Unus-Oculus is helping, I shall give the letter promising him my support. Follow me to my chamber.” He looked at the others. “You two wait here. We’ll be back.”
As Lucullus entered Draco’s chamber, he took notice of all the various foreign art and sculptures that littered the room. Centered above Draco’s desk was a large mural of five creatures that looked like dragons, but not quite how the village elders or the people of the Furca market described them. They didn’t look scaly, nor were their spines lined with bloodied spikes. To call the creatures on the wall ‘dragons’ would be, in Lucullus’s mind, inaccurate. But he had no other words to describe them, nothing else to compare them to.
Draco drafted the letter with amazing speed, and sealed it with a peculiar seal, one which was unmistakably from the Dracones. After handing Lucullus the letter, he noticed Lucullus spacing out. “Something on your mind?”
Lucullus turned his gaze to Draco. “Oh, nothing. I was just intrigued by the painting on your wall.”
Draco stood next to Lucullus and looked up at the mural. “It is a beauty, isn’t it?”
“I’ve certainly never seen art like that anywhere else in Lucium.”
“That’s because the people of this land haven’t made anything like this for centuries.”
Lucullus briefly broke his fixation on the mural. “You mean Lucium used to paint those dragons?”
He nodded. “To call them a ‘dragon’ isn’t the most fitting name, but yes.”
“I’m not sure what else to call them.”
“Among the peoples who venerate them, they are called Savra.”
“No wonder I’ve never heard of their real name. Sounds foreign.”
He shrugged. “It used to not be foreign to Lucium. The ruins we are standing in were part of the first city ever built by mortals.”
Lucullus looked at him with skepticism.
“It’s true. Most people in Lucium have forgotten about the veneration of the Savra, and all the temples built in their honor within Lucium’s borders. And they forgot that they were built by Lucium’s own citizens, not by foreign invaders.”
“Then why did we stop?”
“It all started with the death of the Mage-King, the last Savronite monarch of Lucium. Though Lucium wasn’t as big then as it is now, he was still the rightful ruler of Lucium. But the Chaodites spread their influence to Lucium’s eastern territories, and soon the Mage-King was slain in a bloody civil war which changed Lucium’s culture forever.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Probably six or seven hundred years ago.”
“And who are the ‘Chaodites’?”
“I may have mentioned them before, but they are a group who distort the ways of the Savronites. They practice a dark form of Mystiko, or magic, as you and others in Lucium have taken to calling it. They use their knowledge of the gift of Mystiko to twist it in abominable ways. A Savronite uses it for fighting among other things, yes, but a Chaodite uses its power to corrupt and possess souls, and lead them into the eternal abyss of desolation.”
“My friend was slain by a mysterious man. Everyone, myself included, believed magic, or Mystiko, was used to do it.”
“How did he die?”
Lucullus looked down and sighed. “From what the innkeeper said, he just stumbled out of his room and fell over. I examined his body, and nothing seemed to be wrong. No stab wounds, no signs of alcohol poisoning, or any poisoning for that matter. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find a sign of any physical problem. It’s like his body was just an empty shell.”
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Draco clenched his fists. “That’s a Chaodite assassination if I’ve ever heard one. This assassin must’ve been a high level Chaodite. Most of their members wouldn’t have the skill or experience to do that. Even their low ranking members are dangerous, more so than an experienced Savronite Mystic, but the master Chaodites are something that everyone except fools fear.”
“So you think this assassin was a master?”
He shook his head. “I doubt they would send a master. The only way they would dare send someone that highly ranked is if there was someone truly threatening to them. They operate exclusively in the shadows.”
“My friend was one letter away from exposing their plot, and pushing the king to action.”
Draco froze for a moment. “If that is the case, then I have no doubt. It had to be a master. If your friend was truly about to expose them, then they wouldn’t take a chance with anything less than a master.”
“He seemed to know a lot about them, and had proof of it, too.”
He nodded. “Then it confirms what I said. If what you say is true, then your village was visited by a Chaodite master. It’s a good thing you didn’t encounter him. He would’ve killed you before you could even draw your sword.”
As the two walked back to the altar room, Lucullus felt a great fear come over him as he thought about the immense power that assassin wielded, and how narrowly he avoided death. Draco said his farewell, as did the other three, as they departed. Their departure from the Dracones was a friendly one as the guards waved farewell to their new allies.
The two men, following Tiberius’s lead, took a ragged trail back to the Insidiators. The forests were covered in snow, but this snow showed no signs of being trampled by people. Only the occasional animal track appeared in the white landscape. The further south they went, the more sparse the snow became, though it still was enough to mask the roots of the trees which dotted the landscape around Lucium’s largest river.
“I never would’ve thought I’d become allies with people like the Dracones,” Lucullus remarked.
“What do you mean by that, lad?”
“I just never thought of those western sorcerers, nor their friends, as being honest or honorable.”
Cato gave him a side eye. “I thought you didn’t like sorcerers.”
“I don’t. But the Dracones seem to be different. Draco told me some things that may shed some light on who killed Decimus.”
“Like what?” Cato twirled his knife around.
“He told me about this group called the Chaodites. They’re supposed to be the powerful group of mages or something. He said they could kill a man without moving, or at least, the masters could. And Decimus didn’t seem to be killed by poison, normal curses, or anything that would leave a visible trace.”
“Did you ever examine the body on the inside?”
“No. It was only because I knew the captain of the guards that I was even allowed to investigate in the first place. But even the witnesses didn’t notice anything, aside from a man dropping dead, out of the ordinary, except for a man in a black cloak and hood leaving the scene.”
“Perhaps it would be worth coming back to Draco and asking him about that spirit that visited you,” Tiberius added.
“I agree. Though I’m not sure how much Draco could help with that, he’d know better than anyone. I’m not sure exactly who or what that spirit is, but it did seem to love giving me riddles to solve.”
Cato chuckled. “Maybe when this is all over, and you’re back on your farm, you can solve them while you plant your barley.”
Lucullus glanced over at him with a blank expression. “One thing is certain. Lucium is in the grip of a very powerful and dark force. And freeing it starts with taking back my village.”
The trek was made tough by all the debris and tree roots in the unused paths in the woods, but the three men felt a great relief as they entered the Insidiators’ camp. The men around the camp looked with surprise seeing the three walking through. Far from usual, Lucullus led the way to Unus-Oculus, feeling victory was at hand. They entered Unus-Oculus’s private chamber, this time without the need of a personal escort.
Unus-Oculus turned around, and broke from his quiet contemplation. “I see you three have returned. Lucullus, have you brought what I need?”
Lucullus nodded, and stretched out his hand, with the letter between his fingers. “I shall hope to find you honoring your end of the deal. I have helped you, so help me retake my home.”
Unus took the letter and read over it, barely able to contain his joy, and letting out a chuckle. “You have done well, young man. I shall ready my men, and send a representative to Draco to maintain relations. You three ought to get some rest, you deserve it.” He turned his gaze to Tiberius. “And I am proud that you didn’t abandon us this time, old friend.”
Tiberius gazed back, staying silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. “I did it in the name of our past friendship, but also because I feel a sense of duty toward these two young men, to guide them away from making the mistakes I did.”
Unus nodded, then turned his focus back to Lucullus. “You choosing to help us, despite barely knowing us, is something I can respect. Very few would give their trust like that.”
“Tiberius trusts you, and I trust him. And when I first met you, I could see why he trusted you the way he did. Even now, I have seen proof of your honor and trustworthiness.”
Unus smiled. “The feeling is mutual. Your help towards the Insidiators will never be forgotten.” He walked closer to Lucullus. “I know you won’t stay with us, and I don’t expect you to; you barely know us. But I just want you to know that you’ll always be welcome here in our camp. If you need a place to take refuge, I’ll tell my men to let you in. Perhaps you may one day help us again. But for now, we shall help you. Tomorrow, my men and I will march with you to your village, and help you retake it.”
Tiberius stepped forward. “I will warn you, Unus: Sabina’s men are likely still hunting. I have no doubt that Pontius will be looking for us. They haven’t been bearing down on us that much since we made our journey east, which concerns me. They should be throwing everything they have at us, yet they’ve practically left us alone. I’ve had more trouble avoiding the guards in the past, even when I took the most obscure paths. Just be prepared for great resistance. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ambush us on our way to the village.”
Unus shook his head. “Whatever they throw at us, we’ll be ready. My men and I haven’t got this far without having a few tricks up our sleeve, as I’m sure you should know well, Tiberius. Regardless, you three should get some rest, now. You’ll need it for the long journey tomorrow, and the battle.”
The three men slept soundly in their tents. Lucullus dreamed of his great triumphant return, and victory in taking back his home.