Page 41

“There’s no need for all that,” a familiar booming voice called through the fog.

The grip on my staff slackened slightly as I caught a flash of sunlight reflected back at us, the bright gold illuminating the mist. A second later a figure appeared, the mist swirling around his feet as he strode forward, golden armor clanking.

It was Captain Boromia.

“Captain?” I gasped, relief and confusion washing over me in equal measure.

Sky tensed beside me, his tail bristling as he remained in a protective stance. I could feel his distrust radiating from him like heat.

“Ah! Found you at last!” Captain Boromia’s smile was almost blindingly bright as he approached, his perfectly quaffed blond hair somehow immaculate despite the fog and wilderness.

Behind him, a squad of RSB scouts materialized from the mist, their armor less ostentatious but still gleaming.

“When we found your party wandering without you, we mounted a search immediately!”

“My party returned to Selas?” I asked, confusion plain on my face. “How did they get through the Whispering Woods? And so fast? We’ve only been gone a little over half a day.”

“We found them here,” he smiled. “In the ruins.”

“I… I don’t understand,” I said, taking a step forward. “I thought you gave us this mission to scout the area because it was too dangerous. ”

“Too dangerous?” the captain laughed. “The woods are tough for newbies like yourselves, but for seasoned RSB scouts, it poses little challenge.”

“But you told us you didn’t want to sacrifice your men for the mission!”

“I don’t think I said that.” The captain turned to his men, more than a few of their faces familiar. “Did I say that?”

“Of course not, sir,” one of them replied. “You always speak the truth.”

“See?” the captain smiled, turning back to me. “There you have it. This was just a test to see what you could do. Clearly, I was right to send you here because you’ve succeeded where many…” he glanced knowingly at Sky, “have failed.”

Sky tensed beside me, but kept his mouth shut.

As for me, I was utterly confused. I clearly remembered the captain saying that he didn’t want to lose men to the woods.

It was obvious the RSB saw us as a sacrifice, a gamble that they were willing to make.

But now that we’d survived, his story had changed.

“So,” he continued. “What of the skill book hoard? Did you find it?”

I froze, my eyes flicking to Sky for a split second. The skill stone I’d found was gone, broken the moment I absorbed it’s necromantic magic. And I definitely didn’t want the captain to know about that. But with the captain’s story changing so much, I didn’t want him to know about the books either.

“We... found some interesting ruins,” I said carefully. “But no skill book hoard. The dungeon was crawling with monsters and we barely escaped with our lives. There was little time to look for anything else.”

Captain Boromia’s perfect smile faltered just slightly. “No skill books? Nothing at all?”

“Just monsters,” Sky growled, stepping slightly closer to me. His tail was still bristling, and I could feel the tension radiating from him. “A minotaur nearly killed us both.”

“A minotaur?” The captain’s amber eyes widened with what looked like genuine surprise. “That’s... unusual for these parts.”

“As is a captain leading a rescue mission personally,” Sky replied, his voice low and challenging. “Especially for new recruits.”

The captain’s smile returned, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“The Royal Scouting Brigade values all its members, no matter how new. And when your friends were found without you, well...” He spread his hands wide.

“We had to do something.” His gaze returned to me, more intense this time.

“Are you sure you didn’t find anything?”

I tried not to tremble. “Nothing.”

“Pity,” he said softly, his smile growing wider than ever.

He lifted a hand, magic suddenly coalescing around his fingertips into a spear like chunk of ice.

Before I even knew what was happening, he flung it forward, the spear traveling faster than seemed possible.

I braced myself for impact, sucking in a sharp breath before the pain exploded through me.

There was a dull thud as the shard struck…

but no pain. Only a wheezing sound that wasn’t coming from me.

Slowly I turned, my gaze falling on Sky’s blue eyes that were wide with pain. We both glanced down at the same time, the spear of ice sticking out of his abdomen.

“No!” I screamed, catching him as he collapsed to his knees. His weight was too much, and we both tumbled to the ground. “Sky, no, no, no!”

The ice had already begun to melt, blood seeping around the wound and staining his clothes. Sky’s breathing came in short, pained gasps, his ears flat against his head, his eyes wide with shock and pain.

“Such a shame,” Captain Boromia sighed, shaking his head as if he’d just witnessed a minor inconvenience rather than attempted murder. “I was hoping you’d be reasonable.”

“You—” I looked up at him, rage burning through my veins. “You’re insane! Why would you do this?!”

“The books,” he said simply, his amber eyes cold despite his ever-present smile.

“You found them. I know you did. And now you’re lying to me about it.

” He tilted his head, studying me like I was a curious insect.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t be able to sense their magic on you?

It’s practically radiating off your skin. ”

The RSB scouts circled around us, weapons drawn. I cradled Sky’s head in my lap, fury and fear warring within me as I frantically tried to call upon my healing magic. The wound was too deep, too severe for my basic spells, but I had to try.

“Let me help him!” I screamed at the captain, my hands glowing with faint healing light as I pressed them against Sky’s wound. “He’s dying!”

“That’s rather the point,” Captain Boromia replied, his voice eerily cheerful.

“Lone wolves are so troublesome, especially ones who think they’re above the rules.

” He tilted his head as he stepped closer, like a bird of prey ready to strike.

“Now, do you want to tell us where the books are, or should I bring some of your other friends out here and start killing them too?”

“I… I’ll tell you everything,” I choked, tears streaming down my face. “I’ll show you where they are… just please, let me heal him!”

“Don’t be an idiot,” he laughed. “A cleric of your skill level can barely heal a scratch much less a fatal wound.” He stepped forward, pulling a small bottle out of his side pouch.

It was filled with a gleaming red liquid.

“This healing potion will save him,” he said, his voice low and threatening.

“If you take us down even one wrong path in there… I’ll rip his heart out in front of you and make you eat it. ”

I stared at the potion, my mind racing. It was my only chance to save Sky, but was the captain telling the truth?

Nothing about this felt right. The RSB’s sudden appearance, the captain’s changing story, the ruthless attack on Sky–it all pointed to something far more sinister than a simple rescue mission.

“Why?” I managed to say, my voice breaking as I pressed harder against Sky’s wound. “Why do you want the books so badly?”

“Knowledge is power,” Captain Boromia replied, his smile never wavering. “And in Cindersea, power means survival. The guilds and the king need that power to drive back the monsters. That is our charge. Now stop stalling.”

Sky’s breathing was becoming more labored, his blue eyes clouding with pain as he looked up at me. “Don’t...” he whispered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “Don’t trust...”

“Shut up, wolf,” one of the RSB scouts snarled, kicking Sky in the side. He cried out, the sound making my blood boil.

“Stop it!” I screamed, throwing my body over Sky’s to shield him from further attacks. “I’ll take you to the books! Just give me the potion!”

Captain Boromia smiled, uncorking the potion.

He held it over Sky’s wound, pouring out only a few small drops.

The liquid hissed and sputtered like acid as it struck the open wound.

But the bleeding stopped, and Sky’s breathing became less strained.

The captain pulled the bottle back, recorking it and putting it away.

The potion had bought Sky time, but it hadn’t been nearly enough to save his life.

“What are you doing?” I demanded, panic rising in my throat. “He needs that now!”

“Insurance,” Boromia replied smoothly. “Once we have the books, your wolf gets the potion. Not before.” He stood up, grabbing me by the cloak and hauling me to my feet. “So, if I were you, I wouldn’t waste anymore of my time.”

Sky’s hand weakly reached for mine, his blue eyes struggling to focus. “Don’t...” he rasped, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t trust him...”

“I have to,” I whispered, reaching down and squeezing his hand. “I can’t let you die. ”

With tears still running down my face, I let Sky’s hand go and headed for the dungeon.

Behind me I heard the clanking of armor as the RSB scouts and the captain followed.

Orders were shouted and a pair of scouts stayed back with Sky, standing on either side of his body.

I glanced back only once, blinking through the tears.

“Hold on,” I whispered, my gaze fixed on Sky.

And then I stepped back into the dungeon.