The group followed Idril through the winding city. The streets were still crowded even at that late hour. Groups of soldiers patrol the busy streets. 

“Pull up your hoods. Magical beings will be remembered easier. Not much we can do about the lizard’s tail.” 

Slicks hissed. Idril thought for a second and unwound his cloak from himself and offered it to Slicks. Slicks accepted it after a scolding look from Arilee. 

Looking over Slicks, the tip of his scaly grey tail just poking out. “It’s not much, but it’ll do,” said Idril. “Why don’t you tell me what kind of trouble you are all in. Those men stole those uniforms, so I can guess it’s not the Overlord you are in trouble with.”

“It’s a long story, and you might not believe us,” said Arilee.

“Tell me as we walk to the exit. We’ll have to go out the bottom of the city.” 

“I guess I’ll begin on the island?” Arilee said questioningly to the rest of her group.

“That seems like as good a place as any,” said Leela.

Arilee began the story with the shipwreck and waking up on the island. When she got to the Corrupted Forest and the purple river, a concerned look came over Idris’s face. 

“We eventually learned that the Goblins’ were working with a Dark Elf named Maleth, who had taught them Dark Magic to complete a Corruption Ritual.”

Idris’s eyes shot wide. “A Dark Elf? Are you sure?”

Arilee nodded. “We met him.”

“They were supposed to be defeated. Erased in the Flood. Did he say anything to you? Is he the only one? Are there more? Where is he now?”  

“After the battle in the Goblin Cave, we stopped the final ritual but he escaped.” Arilee took a breath before the next bit. “Maleth said the Dark Elves are back. Corruption Rituals like have been occurring across the continent for the past weeks. He said we were too late.” 

 Idril’s face drained of color. “This is grave news, but it does not explain why those men were after you.”

Chip answered, “We recovered the spellbook that the Dark Elf gave to the Goblins. We brought it here to the Capitol hoping the Overlord could find a way to counter the Corruption in it.”

“Where is it now?” Idril said in a worry.

Leela responded this time, hesitantly. “The Scout Marshall had it…”

Arilee finished, “He was under escort to bring it directly to the Overlord.”

Idril stopped and looked back. Arilee could almost read his thoughts. He was thinking of going back to talk to the Scout Marshall, but they already covered half the city.

Idril continued, “Did you trust the people who escorted the Scout Marshall?”

“We weren’t allowed to go with him. The Harbor Admiral arranged it, he seemed to be official at least.” said Arilee. 

“Helga told me of the man who you came into the tavern with. “Jacques, I believe she called him. I suspect he was involved with those men who were looking for the Scout Marshall. We can only hope that he was able to get the Spellbook to the Overlord. Not the hands I’d prefer it to be in, but better than the Dark Elves.” 

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“You think Captain Jacques was with the Dark Elves?” asked Arilee.

“I can’t be sure, but trust no one,” said Idril. “Their eyes and ears are everywhere. Even those among the caravan I am bringing you too. If there is anything to be learned from the old stories, it’s that the Dark Elves are crafty. They will lie and manipulate the lesser races. Humans are weak and easily fall prey to the schemes of the Dark.

“Jacques seemed so nice,” said Leela. “He offered to show us to our inn.”

“Probably sssssso he could report back to his friendsss where we were,” said Slicks.

“You are most likely correct… What was your name again?”

Slicks glared at Idril, “How can we be sssure we can trust you? For all we know you are leading ussss to them now.” 

Idril shrugged and smiled. “You can’t trust me. You shouldn’t.”  

As the group neared the bottom of the city, the mighty Imperial Gates lay in front of them. Its white arches stretch high above them. The street was eerily devoid of people.  

Idril held up his hand for the group to stop.

“Odd, it’s late but the streets shouldn’t be this empty. Even the gate guard is missing,” said Idril. He drew two long slender swords from his side. “Ready yourselves.”

 Arilee pulled her bow, as the rest of her friends drew their own weapons. They tensely walked down the remainder of the street, until a blockade of tables and chairs blocked the road in front of them.

A familiar voice called out to them from a nearby alleyway. 

“So close to escape, eh?” 

“Ooo that devil,” said Leela.

Captain Jacques stepped out into the light of the street. A group of 5 men followed behind him, weapons drawn. Arilee recognized a few of them as the ‘guards’ who came to the tavern earlier. She knocked an arrow to her bow, her body tense. Their levels floated in her vision. Captain Jacques was the highest at 15, much higher than her or her friends. Idril’s level was hidden from her.

“I will be the one to deliver you to Lord Maleth.” said Jacques, drawing a curved blade from his belt. A ruby glittered on it’s hilt. “The bounty is dead or alive.”

Idril looked at the group and sighed. “We need to finish this fast before it gets out of control.”

“What’s your plan?” asked Arilee.

“Leela, cast Protect on me. Everyone else stay back.” 

Idril tenderly ran his fingers over the strings of his lute as he set it onto the ground. A melody of three notes played on loop, causing the air around him to vibrate. The air around him seemed to shake.

“What are you gonna do all by yourself Bard? Sing us to death?” mocked Jacques. 

Idril smiled and readied himself on the tips of his toes. “Sing for me,” he whispered to his blade. A blue light grew from his blade, and in a flash he was gone.

Red mist exploded from the first bandit. An afterimage of Idril lingered as the next bandit fell to the ground. Like the wind, he was everywhere and nowhere. His blades whirled, hissing through the air. A cyclone assaulting the remaining four men. In another blink of an eye, they had fallen too. 6 dead men lay on the ground, with the elf standing over them.

Arilee stared in disbelief. “I don’t understand.” 

“I’ve heard stories, but I never imagined…” said Leela

“What just happened?” asked Chip.

Slicks hissed.

Idril barely paused. “Check their pockets and then let’s get out of here. See if they have anything that could give us some clues about who hired them. Take what coin they have.”

Arilee bent over Jacques’s body and grimaced, searching him for loot. There was a small scroll sticking out of his jacket pocket. Withdrawing it, she called the group.

“I found something!” she said while unrolling it. She read it aloud.

> “Attention: 

>

> Be on the lookout for a group of four coming into the city. They are of high priority to the Dark Cult. Two elf females, one human male, one lizardman. 

> Wanted Alive. 

>

> X” 

Chip spoke up first. “That does sound like u us. Does it say who it is from?”

“It  just says ‘The Dark Cult’ and is marked with an X.” replied Arilee, handing over the note for Chip to see.”

“We better keep our guard up,” said Idril. “I’m sure there will be more where they came. We better keep going.”

The gate stood open before them. The night awaiting. 

“The caravan should be camped just a few miles outside the city. I think there’s much more information we still have to share with each other.”