Aaron walked briskly through the training grounds, taking in the sights of his siblings preparing for the long march back to Lightcastle. Spring had finally arrived, and they could barely contain their excitement. The forest had slowly changed as if waking from a deep slumber, its budding foliage springing back to life in its never-ending reach for the heavens.

The entire place was bustling with activity, the sounds of work, and excited chatter bringing life to their small settlement. Aaron walked by each group, admiring their new armor and traveling gear, ensuring that each one of them had received new equipment before they headed out. All of it was painstakingly crafted in fine detail, made of material gathered from their surroundings and the great tree itself.

Patterns of runes were intricately carved into almost everything, their brother’s runic magic empowering them even further. Though they were still few, it was a sight to behold, as they looked rather intimidating with their new equipment. Aaron noticed Cornelius standing at the head of a small group and hurried his steps, growling in frustration.

He insisted on going, but Aaron had refused, not wishing to leave the Mother Tree unprotected. The bastard didn’t want to listen to reason, and Aaron didn’t know how to beat it into him. He thought they had reached an agreement, yet here his brother stood, fully geared for travel, chatting excitedly with the others.

‘Stubborn little shit,’ Aaron cursed, charging through the crowd, to stand before his unruly brother. “I thought we agreed?” Aaron hissed, not even trying to hide his irritation.

“It will be fine,” Cornelius scoffed, waving his hands dismissively. “Nara is more than capable of protecting the Mother Tree, and most of our forces will remain here to support her.”

Ciel stepped forward, defending their brother's decision. “He’s right, Aaron. Sister Nara’s not to be taken lightly, especially when surrounded by her element.”

Aaron knew they were right, as the forest seemed to be Nara’s shield as much as her spear. He wasn’t that worried about her specifically; it was the thought of having most of their powerhouses traveling together. It just didn’t make sense to him, and all they were doing was acting like they were going on an adventure.

Aaron looked to the side, noticing one of Nara’s golems walking past, carrying heavy rocks and logs. Their sister had managed to cultivate the carnivorous vines that assaulted the great tree and was able to incorporate them into her golems. They were now hulking masses, almost appearing like real trees as they worked tirelessly moving various goods and materials around the settlement. Their appearance was even more daunting due to Nara carving sinister-looking faces into their trunks.

They were huge and gave Aaron the creeps.

Suppressing a shiver, he turned back to see Cornelius smiling smugly, with a look of victory dancing in his eyes. Aaron wanted to tackle him, but he gave up as it was pointless. They had made up their minds, and he didn’t really feel like fighting over it.

Cupping his face with his hands, he sighed at his stubborn siblings. “Gather everyone,” Aaron ordered, sending ripples through the bond to assist them.

After they were all gathered, Aaron addressed them, his tone commanding and firm, “We will return to the human city. But we are no longer the children they pulled from the labyrinth.”

Murmurs of agreement spread as they held their weapons high. They had endured great hardships to be where they were and it had hardened them to the ways of the world. They were far more prepared to deal with the backstabbing humans and would never again dance to their whims.

“Our contacts within the city should allow for communication,” Aaron explained. “We will attempt to barter with the humans for goods and knowledge. But remain alert! The humans are too violent for their own good, and not all of them can be trustworthy.”

Aaron sent a call through the bond as Damien and Roman stepped from the crowd.

“You two will be the last line of defense before anyone reaches Nara or the great tree. Don’t screw it up!” Aaron barked as they both smiled devilishly.

Summoning Jessie, he ordered her to keep the perimeter safe and keep the other two upstarts in check. He wasn’t too worried about the huntress, as this was her turf and the hunter group were trained well, possessing deadly coordination.

Aaron summoned Nara, flinching slightly when she stepped forward. She was always covered in various plants and flowers but was now wrapped in carnivorous vines. Resting on her left shoulder was a large bulb with an eye in its center, gazing ominously in Aaron's direction. He fought the urge to pull his blade, glaring back at the disgusting thing. Nara had taken the weird vine as some kind of familiar, but he thought it was one of the grossest things he had ever seen.

Trying to gain control of his stomach, he addressed Nara, as comfortingly as he could muster, “Let no one endanger the Mother Tree. Protect our home, as our very lives depend on it.”

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Nara smiled, bowing as she spoke softly, “For Mother.”

“For Mother,” Aaron replied, bowing back. “Use the others as you see fit. We will return as soon as possible.”

Nara nodded in agreement before eyeing Aaron worriedly. “Be careful,” she whispered.

“Always,” he assured her, smiling warmly.

Turning back to the others, he gave the final call, waiting as they finished preparing. They set off into the deeper forest with Aaron taking the lead. Their forces, over thirty strong, consisted mostly of scouts and rangers from the hunter's group, as the mission was to make contact, not go to war.

Traveling in the forest was far different than when they had first passed through the deeper woods. The local flora and fauna seemed to make way before them, none daring to bar their path. They were the new rulers of the forest, and all were the wiser for accepting it.

They traveled swiftly, only making camp when rest was needed. During the night, Aaron could feel eyes upon them from the various predators and horrors that lurked in the deeper forest. Although howls and calls of the wild surrounded them, not once were they harassed.

What took them months before barely took them a few weeks, and soon the edge of the forest welcomed them. Aaron sent out orders and started helping the others build a makeshift camp. He didn’t know how long they would be here, so they needed to prepare for a more extended stay.

Aaron left the small camp heading toward the labyrinth as he could feel something very troubling. He was bonded with all of his siblings, and although the great distance prevented him from sensing his bond with his rotten brother, he should now be able to feel it.

But it was gone.

Not cut or broken, simply erased as if it never existed. That shouldn't be possible without him feeling something, as it was explicitly tied to his soul. But here he was, standing before the labyrinth, without a single trace of the bond. A foreboding feeling set in his gut as he thought about the implications.

What had his foul brother done?

Aaron dismissed it, as there wasn’t much he could do. Turning back toward the camp, he paused, seeing Cornelius heading his way with Ciel trailing behind him. He could see that they knew something was wrong from the grim look on their faces.

“Brother is up to something, isn’t he?” Cornelius asked, his voice scathing and harsh.

Aaron chuckled, seeing the hatred in Cornelius’s eyes. “He... has absolved the bond,” he answered hesitantly, not quite sure how to word it.

“Absolved?” Cornelius scoffed.

“Are you sure he’s not dead?” Ciel asked. She didn’t wear the same look of hatred as Cornelius, but you could hear the disdain in her voice.

Aaron shook his head. “He’s alive. I would have felt his death no matter how far away,” he explained. “Our wretched brother has found a way to erase the bond and has left us entirely.”

“Fool,” Cornelius growled. “We should retrieve him. He should pay for his treachery.”

“We don’t have time to scour the tunnels,” Aaron replied. “It’ll have to wait.”

“The humans speak of the labyrinth as holding great treasures and relics,” Cornelius spoke, greed twinkling in his eyes. “They could be a great boon for any forces who are capable of claiming them.”

Aaron laughed as Cornelius was always hungry for new things to tinker with. He agreed that they would return when the time was right and scour the labyrinth for their traitorous brother and anything else they could find. Making their way back to camp, they completed their preparations before setting out from the edge of the forest.

Making it to the path toward Lightcastle, Aaron sent scouts forward and called for Garin. His brother rose from his shadow, wearing the biggest smile the gloomy bastard had ever shown. He knew his brother despised the forest, making him more sullen than usual, but what he saw now, was insane.

Garin practically danced on his feet with the most jubilant smile, addressing Aaron cheerfully, “Ready to go, sir!”

“Cut it out. Your acting like the other two,” Aaron scowled. His brother deflated, but he didn’t think anything could erase his glowing smile. “We want to know what’s happening in the city. Don’t get sidetracked and stick to the plan.”

Garin agreed, chuckling as he sank back into the shadows.

Aaron and the others continued their march for some distance before one of the scouts returned bearing news that they had spotted something odd. He listened to the scout's report, frowning as worry began to take hold. The scouts witnessed large hills in the center of the slums that hadn’t been there before. The others were still investigating and would have word shortly.

He didn’t know what to think of the report, so he waited patiently for more information as they continued marching. As they walked, he tried reaching through the vassal bond, calling out to Bently. Aaron could feel the bond growing stronger and sense that the big man was still alive, but his calls went unanswered.

He felt frantic ripples through the bond before he even saw the scout. Something was definitely wrong, and it had left the scouts rattled. Aaron hastened their march and rounded the last bend, coming to the outskirts of the city. His heart dropped, and his breath caught in his throat.

They stood frozen, gawking at the two large mounds piled in the center of the slums. Aaron's heart beat wildly as his mind raced. Where was Karla, or Bently? What the hell had happened? It looked as if some great culling had swept through the slums and left behind the fruit of its labor.

Bodies were piled high, forming two large mounds.

Their lifeless eyes pleading to the world for salvation.

Aaron frantically sent calls through the vassal bond, but it was still quiet. He felt the bond's strength and should be close enough, yet still, there was nothing. The sense of dread sunk further into his gut as he sent orders to fall back. They would wait for Garin’s report before going any further and possibly heading into danger.

He didn’t want to get involved in any of the human battles and would wait for more information before they made themselves known. The sight of the slums had them all rattled, and he felt it best to fall back. Turning from the dreadful sight, Ciel came to his side, pale and clearly in discomfort.

“Aaron, something is very wrong here. The humans, they… would never do such a thing! Would they?” She asked, almost pleading with Aaron to tell her she was wrong.

Aaron shook his head, at a loss for what to say. “We will wait for Garin,” he answered, not sure how to comfort her.

They fell to the side of the path, taking shelter in the thin tree line as they waited in silence. Aaron kept looking in the direction of the slums, deeply troubled by what they had seen. It wasn’t just the hills themselves but what he saw in his vision.

A dark miasmic cloud, streaming from the pile of dead, hovered in the air.

‘What the hell happened?’ Aaron fumed, nervously waiting for their brother's return.