The forest encompassed the south-facing hillside. Even from the outside, it exuded a sinister spirit. The dense growth of trees kept out nearly all light from the outside world. An eerie fog settled within the secluded woods, and vision was reduced to mere feet. Lucullus and Aela traveled through at a gradual pace, never daring to take a hasty or unguarded step. Even the horse was apprehensive to step forward as Lucullus tugged on the lead rope.

Lucullus stopped to check his map. “It’s somewhere within this forest.”

Aela closed her eyes, took deep, controlled breaths, and put her hands together. “At first, I had my doubts. But I think you are right; Chaodites lurk in these woods.”

Lucullus looked up from his map. “How can you tell?”

“I can feel their dark presence. Their corrupt Mystiko is like a rotting animal corpse to the senses of my soul. Their spiritual stench is almost unbearable, and judging by how pungent it is, I can tell they are close.”

“Impressive.” Lucullus rolled the map, and tucked it away. “So, are you able to find their exact location? Like a compass?”

She chuckled nervously. “I’ve never tried that before. But I am willing to try it.”

Guided by Aela, they navigated the woods. Each step increased their anxiety and fear. Aela was especially fearful as she felt the overwhelming dark presence of the Chaodites loom over her spirit. The fog only seemed to intensify as they moved deeper into the dense forest. After some time spent creeping through the uncharted terrain, they came upon a large mound of dirt and rocks. At this point, continuing to concentrate on the Chaodites’ presence was too much for Aela. Their darkness had an overwhelming strength, and her head began to throb at any further attempt.

Lucullus looked at her with concern. “You alright?”

She clutched her head after her last attempt to concentrate on the Chaodites. “I’ll be fine… I think we’re as close as we’re going to get with this method; and I would say it’s close enough. The Chaodites must be within this clearing. Their darkness has become too strong for them not to be close.”

“Good work. I suspect they probably have some hideout underground or in a cave.” He scanned the surrounding area as best he could with the limited visibility. “What about that pile of rocks over there?”

Aela turned to where he pointed. “I suppose it’s worth a shot. Maybe try moving some of them, and see if a door is under it.”

Lucullus went over to the rocks, and tried lifting one. As he pulled on the rock, the veins on his arms and neck began to bulge out. His muscles shook, and he let out a grunt loud enough to wake every creature in the forest as it echoed through the mysterious woods. He tried again, but the rock wouldn’t budge an inch. “I’d sooner lift ten horses than this. Not even granite should be this heavy.”

Aela chuckled. “Surely you’re joking.” She walked over, and tried to lift one of the smaller rocks. As she pulled, she felt a shock surge through her; it wasn’t a normal shock, rather a shock sent to the spirit. She jumped back, gasping for air. “That’s no rock.”

Lucullus looked at her with a mix of concern and deep confusion. “I’ve never seen anyone have that kind of reaction to lifting a rock, but I saw and felt normal rock when I tried to lift it. The only difference was how unnaturally heavy it was.”

“These rocks are infused with Mystiko.”

“How can you be sure?”

She took another step back from the rocks. “I felt a great surge run through me as I touched it. It was as if my hands were pricked by a thousand needles; the shock ran through my whole body in an instant, and disappeared as soon as I let go.”

Lucullus took a moment to inspect the rocks, and touched the one Aela touched; no effect. “That is certainly going to complicate things. At least we know we’re on the right track.”

Aela steadied her breathing, and recomposed herself. “I hope so, but I fear what we may find inside, if this first hurdle is any indication.”

Lucullus circled around the rock pile, attempting to formulate a plan. “I suppose digging under it won’t work…” He stared intently at the rocks. “Do you have any spells that could counteract this? Maybe something to turn these back into normal rocks?”

“If this is spell-locked, I probably can’t break it like that… But what I could try is to destroy the rocks. Our element of surprise would be ruined, but we could at least get in.”

Lucullus shrugged. “I’m willing to try it if you are. Just give me a moment to say some prayers before you do. I feel a headache coming on.”

“Go ahead. I might do the same.” She knelt down in front of the rocks, and prayed silently while Lucullus said his prayers. She took slow and controlled breaths, and channeled as much focus as she could muster. As she heard him get up, she stood up. “I’m ready when you are.”

He stepped back. “Do it.”

She drew a sharp breath, lifted her hands to the sky, and brought them back down, and put them together. She released her breath, and extended her arms together. From her fingertips, a streak of lightning flashed in the direction of the rocks, instantly followed by an explosion powerful enough to knock both of them over. The horse panicked, but was unable to break the lead rope Lucullus had tied to a nearby tree. Aela quickly rebounded to her feet, while Lucullus struggled back to his feet.

“That’s quite the spell, Aela.”

She smirked. “Thanks.” As the smoke cleared, she saw an opening. “Ready your weapon. The way is open, and I think we may soon see trouble.”

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Lucullus drew his sword, and readied his shield. He followed behind Aela as she charged ahead.

The interior was mostly natural formations, with the occasional man-made tunnel or doorway. The entire place was crawling with Chaodites, and was a completely foreign maze of corridors and rooms; but unlike a castle, many of the corridors were natural caves, which left some chance of avoiding complete disorientation. Lucullus kept certain landmarks in mind as they progressed through. It wasn’t long before they encountered their first fight with the Chaodites. Aela cast several wards as she and Lucullus were bombarded by blasts of fire. The natural caves provided more space than a normal corridor, but still heavily restricted movement.

Seeing the futility of the fire, the Chaodites moved in with daggers and short swords. Though they appeared to be normal, at first, Lucullus quickly noticed their translucent properties as they passed in front of the torchlight for a swing. They behaved mostly like a regular blade, but Lucullus remained cautious, uncertain of the consequences of being cut by such a blade. Aela pulled a translucent weapon of her own, and closed in on a Chaodite. Despite the struggle, she was able to keep up with him, and delivered a decisive blow with a back stab. Lucullus noted Aela’s impressive agility and speed. He adopted a more defensive approach, mimicking some of what he observed from Tiberius. His larger shield kept him safe, but his opportunities to strike were limited. It wasn’t until Aela turned to help him when he finally killed the Chaodite.

Their rampage through the sparse Chaodite hideout saw many more encounters ending in a similar manner. By the end, Aela’s adrenaline was the only thing that kept her from faltering in the fight. Lucullus was winded, but steady; he was glad to have remembered Tiberius’s fighting style. His armor had several dings in it, and his shield was in rough shape, but he was thankful to have survived such a difficult encounter.

He began to search through the various rooms. “I wasn’t expecting to do so well against Chaodites. I thought they could kill a man without lifting a finger.”

Aela soon joined in the search. “The element of surprise, ever how flimsy it was, helped us more than you think. We could’ve done better, but that lightning blast was a necessary sacrifice. I also suspect that our opponents were mostly novices; very few seemed beyond that.”

“You mean those were just fodder?”

She nodded. “If a master were among them, we would’ve been killed; I have no doubt about it. I do applaud your ability to hold your own. Not many would dare face even the least of the Chaodites with a sword and shield.”

“I’ve had my share of encounters. But if those are the easy ones, then we may need more help in facing them. I wouldn’t want to encounter a master in our current state.”

They thoroughly searched each room of the hideout. Though Aela wasn’t entirely sure what they were looking for, she made sure to take detailed notes of anything she found interesting within the structure. After some time searching, they entered a large study, a cluttered room. The walls were lined with shelves full of books and scrolls. At the center of the room was a table with maps and documents strewn about. Lucullus went straight for the table, and looked over the various items.

Lucullus happened upon a letter which he noticed the names of several locations on. “Aela, would you mind translating this letter? I think I may have found what we’re after.”

She walked over, and scanned over the letter. The color drained from her face. “This details a trafficking operation.”

“Does it mention anyone specifically?”

She scanned over it again, and nodded. “There are a few names listed. I assume they must be the valuable ones.”

“The valuable ones?”

“Yes. The Mystics in the temples always warned us of the Chaodite trafficking rings. The Chaodites went quiet for so long, I always thought they were just legends from a bygone age. But now I see that they are as real as ever.”

“Do you see anything close to ‘Olivia’ on that list?”

She paused for a moment at the oddly specific request, but looked through anyway. “Yes. You might not have spotted it because of the older script, but that name is on there. Why do you ask?”

He looked up from the maps on the table. “That’s who I’m looking for.”

Aela started to piece it together. “How did the Chaodites kidnap the princess of Lucium?”

“How did you know she was a princess?”

She pointed at the letter. “It gives some important details about the special catches. Her details list that she is of Lucium’s royal family.”

“Then she must have passed through Emporikos at some point. Is there any indication that she was kept here?”

She nodded. “Part of the letter details certain orders for this hideout. The caravan with her must have passed through here recently.”

Lucullus held up another letter, and handed it to Aela.

She scanned over it. “This one is from Lucium. Must’ve been a notice sent about the next round of victims.”

“I was looking at the maps, and they seem to detail routes for the caravans to take. It notes several locations along the way. I take it those must be other hideouts, or something of that nature.” He rolled up the maps and letters, and stored them in his scrip. “If you find anything you want to take, by all means, take it.”

She grinned. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have extra research materials.” She tore through the shelves, taking anything that was related to her research. By the end, her bag was filled with scrolls and maps, as well as a few books. “I think we should take this straight to the Queen.”

Lucullus stopped at the door. “The Queen? Why her?”

“You said we needed help, and I agree. She will be the best one to go to. If we can convince her to help, we could have a whole army backing us.”

He sighed. “That’s not exactly keeping a low profile. We can talk to her, but I don’t think an army is what we need, at least, not one traveling with us.”

Pontius walked into Castle Avarus as a triumphant hero, holding up Draco’s head. He approached Sabina, knelt down, and presented it to her.

She smiled. “Good. We are one step closer to repairing the great damage Lucium has suffered. Those savages from the west, and all who support them, shall be brought to the sword. The Dracones were perhaps our greatest threat because of the power they possessed, but their spells did them no good against the might of Lucium’s finest men.”

“The northern houses publicly declare their submission to you, but some of them still seem too split in their loyalties.”

She approached Pontius, and picked up Draco’s head. “I’m glad we’re on the same page, son.” She handed the head to one of her servants. “There is one other loose end I need you to tie up.”

“What is it, mother?”

“Trajan, the Duri Family, must be destroyed. They are an obstacle to my diplomacy with House Cibus.”

“What problem could they possibly pose at this point? They have no allies, except whatever is left of the Furum Forum.”

“Trajan has too much influence in House Cibus for my liking. I expect to hear of their utter annihilation when I return.”

Pontius looked at her, confused. “Where are you going?”

“I need to pay a visit to the Count. It seems my letters aren’t enough for House Luctus. If it is a personal visit he wants, then it is a personal visit he shall get.” She finished with a devious grin.

“When will you return?”

“Probably before you do, but you never know with negotiations. Now, I suggest you depart as soon as you can.”

He stood up, and bowed. “Of course, mother.” He made haste, and departed from the castle to gather his men.

Sabina ordered her servants to prepare her carriage for travel, and consulted with her top advisors before departing.