A man smoothly glided between the trees, barely disturbing a leaf as he hovered from crown to crown. His green-tinted uniform seamlessly blended with the foliage, rendering him almost invisible. Every inch of skin was covered, making his camouflage nearly flawless.
For all intents and purposes, it was a very sneaky approach, and he would normally have gotten away with it. However, on this particular day, his efforts were not enough.
A concentrated beam of light emerged from a nearby hill. It moved too fast to dodge or otherwise react to, and the man's chest was punctured before he even noticed the attack. He only had the strength to look at the gaping hole in his chest before his lifeless body plummeted to the ground.
Lara watched the man's final struggle through the crystal scope of her Focus before she retracted the weapon and turned to her attendant. "Secure his corpse and erase the traces," she instructed before descending the far side of the hill.
After a few minutes of walking, the sounds of nature gave way to the noise of people. When she rounded a large boulder, the origin of the racket came into view. Hundreds of people, men and women alike, hustled about their duties. Lara sighed. Despite their efforts to blend in, the sheer number made total concealment nearly impossible.
They had set up their encampment between two enormous boulders that largely managed to shield them from view. However, it was a flimsy cover at best, and their activities wouldn't stay hidden for long if they allowed any scouts anywhere near this location.
Lara strode through the camp, inspecting the work of her troops as she passed by. Fortunately, there was little to correct. Her officers had been with her for long enough to know how to get the new recruits up to speed, and the war had yet to last long enough for military discipline to slip.
Minutes later, she entered her tent in the middle of the camp and was unsurprised to find a dark silhouette present. A man was standing in front of the conference table, standing over the map that was sprawled out atop it. He was tall, but his narrow shoulders and streamlined build separated his physique from those of a typical warrior.
"What's the news?" she asked as she joined him at the table.
Arlon Finsternis glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before pointing at a spot on the map and explaining what he knew. "We won some ground during the last battle on the plains, and they lost control over three more villages."
Lara frowned. "Again?"
Arlon nodded, his brows furrowing. "If the next two battles go as expected, we'll have pushed them all the way back to the wall."
"I don't like this." Despite the good news, Lara had a bad feeling. Even though she hated the Empire more than anybody else, she was not going to underestimate them. Their recent string of victories had come far too easily. It was just too good to be true…
Lara slumped down on the chair and let herself fall on the table, covering the lower part of the map with her chest and stomach. With a tired sigh, she observed the pins that demarcated enemy troops. They had all moved a good bit further north, toward the border wall.
Lara looked up at the spymaster. "What do you think they are playing at?"
Arlon didn't avert his gaze from the map but still answered her question after a moment of thought. "I can't be sure, but they don't seem to be giving it their all."
Lara nodded in agreement. This matched her own observations. Despite occasional reconnaissance flyers, Earth Mages constructing defenses, and distant sightings of Empire ships on the horizon, the overall war effort seemed lackluster.
For the past couple of weeks, the war had become a back-and-forth in which the empire pushed aggressively, only to give ground just as fast. It was almost as if their enemy was testing if they were still paying attention. Neither side suffered many casualties, but the constant tension still drained the troops.
"What do you think they are playing at?"
Arlon shook his head. "Can't say. The only thing I know for certain is that they are keeping their elites in reserve, and we should do the same." He focused on her with a serious gaze. "It is in our best interest not to escalate the war prematurely."
Lara's frown deepened. While she acknowledged the truth in the statement, as one of those elite soldiers, it grated on her to be relegated to the backlines while her fellow countrymen engaged in active combat. Yet, there was little she could do until the situation changed. It wouldn't do for her to be visible while none of the Empires ' elites were accounted for.
She let out a deep breath, expelling her negative thoughts along with it. Venting her frustrations on Arlon would do her little good. Despite his high position, he was merely the messenger in this case and didn't decide her course of action.
"Any other news?" she asked, hoping to hear something to distract her from her boring assignment. Arlon was about to shake his head when he stopped. Apparently, he had remembered something of interest.
"Have you heard about the troop Tristan Bloodsword is forming?" He asked.
Lara nodded, recalling the rumors circulating. It was said that Tristan was assembling a group of talented young Mages under the guidance of seasoned commanders. The aim was to acclimate the new generation to the harsh realities of war in a relatively safe manner. It was a good idea, in her opinion.
Over the span of her career, Lara had seen far too many reckless youngsters get themselves killed on the battlefield, drunk on an inflated sense of self-worth. If this new program managed to save even a few of them from similar mistakes, she would count it as a success.
"What about them?" she asked.
Arlon smirked, an expression she didn't often see on the taciturn man. "Recently, a strange group joined their ranks."
She raised one of her brows. "Somebody I know?"
Arlon nodded. "Your friend Ezekiel…" he began, causing Lara to bolt up from her slumped position and focus on his next words. "…Has sent his adopted brother."
Lara gave him a dirty look before settling back down. "Leo, was it?" she questioned, to which Arlon gave her a quick nod. "What about him?"
"He is doing quite well, for one," Arlon explained. "However, far more interesting are the people he arrived with..."
"Come on, out with it," Lara demanded.
"He came with a half dozen beast people."
Lara perked up. "Could they be…"
Arlon shook his head. "No, my informants tell me that they are former Slaves."
"Shame," Lara said, disappointed. Yet, after a moment of thought, something occurred to her. "Didn't the reports say Zeke and his brother were both in Tradespire? Where did he get the Slaves?"
Arlon's grin widened. "As it turns out, those reports were false. Ezekiel and his brother turned out to be decoys, while the real ones must have left Tradespire months ago."
Lara chuckled, slightly impressed by the boy's ability to fool their information network for so long. "Is that where he went? Korrovan?"
"Most likely," Arlon said with a nod. "However, if he is smart, he would have already left that place by now."
Lara had to agree. If even she could guess his location, there was no way the Empire's spies couldn't do the same. Still, she was curious to know what he was doing all the way out there. Hopefully, he hadn't been wasting his time trying to appeal to the Slaver's sense of righteousness. She knew very well that they would never move without proper incentives.
"Do we know his purpose for going there?"
Arlon hesitated before shrugging. "We can't be sure, but since we roughly know the timetable now, we were able to link his disappearance from Tradespire with the arrival of a suspicious character..."
Instead of words, Arlon pulled a piece of parchment from his robes and placed it in front of her. Lara took a good look. It was a colored drawing of a young man. Even though his hair color had changed and he seemed a little more mature, Lara was certain that it was the boy she knew. Her eyes traced the name written below the painting.
"Blood Dragon," she mumbled, a smile coming to her lips. "Real subtle."
Arlon chuckled softly, causing her to look up. Rather than explaining, he motioned for her to turn the page. Lara did so and found a densely written profile on the person called Blood Dragon, detailing his actions and known associates.
Lara began to read, eager to find out what the boy had been up to. However, her smile turned rigid as she continued. At a particular line, she jerked her head up, staring at Arlon with wide eyes. "He killed two Archmages?"
Arlon shrugged. "The details are hazy."
Lara quickly read the rest of the dossier. By the end, she was less confident that the young man really was the person she knew. Then again, who else would be able to achieve so much while still at the True Mage level?
A chuckle escaped her lips as she handed the paper back. "This makes me feel even more useless."
Arlon shrugged. "I don't see it that way."
Lara focused on her colleague, silently urging him to go on.
"The more monstrous his achievements, the better," Arlon said.
Lara considered those words. Even though she liked Ezekiel as a person, she had not considered that he might be of any help in the coming war—not for decades. Aside from his ability to collect a vast amount of wealth, there was very little a True Mage could do on the battlefield.
Now, however?
If even half the achievements accredited to Blood Dragon were factual, the boy had turned into a menace. Most impressively, he was confirmed to have defeated an experienced Grand Mage in one-on-one combat. As a seasoned warrior herself, Lara knew very well how difficult it was to defeat a Mage of a higher tier.
Such a thing was still possible with a sneak attack or by abusing the terrain. But in a fair fight? In an arena? The list of people who could pull that off was very short, containing not more than a handful of names.
No. She was certain that if Ezekiel were allowed to grow up, he would become a true threat to the Empire. Maybe more so than any other person she knew. Unbeknownst to her, a broad smile had emerged on her face.
"Takes the pressure off, doesn't it?" Arlon asked with a glint in his eyes.
Lara nodded, her expression turning thoughtful. "Do you know where he went from there?"
Arlon shook his head. "Blood Dragon disappeared a few days after his victory, and nobody has seen him since."
Lara squinted at the spymaster. "But you have a guess, right? You always do."
The corners of Arlon's lips rose ever so slightly. "I do have a guess."
"Out with it, then."
"I think he is heading south," he stated.
Lara pondered this for a moment, thinking of possible destinations. "Is he heading for Irroch?"
Arlon shook his head. "Further."
Lara's eyes opened wide. The only thing waiting beyond the jungle of Irroch were the Deadlands and the vast Wilderness after that. Both of these places were so dangerous that not even she could guarantee her safety.
"That's not somewhere to go on a whim. What is he thinking?" Lara muttered.
Arlon shrugged as he turned to leave. "I don't know. Yet, the boy didn't strike me as a fool. Maybe he has some greater objective?"
Lara's mind churned as she absentmindedly watched Arlon disappear through a shadow in the corner of her tent. Her mind, however, remained on the news she had just heard. She didn't know what Ezekiel was planning, but the boy was definitely a schemer. Whatever he was aiming for, she hoped it was worth the risk.
Her thoughts were interrupted when an aide entered the tent a moment later, his expression urgent. "We've spotted another flyer to the northeast."
Lara got up with a sigh, grabbing her Focus on the way to the door. "Lead the way," she ordered. All distractions were washed from her mind as she refocused on her current situation. Lives depended on her, and she couldn't afford to let her attention slip.