"Of course, I am human. Do you really think I'm a werewolf?" Alia replied, her tone calm but carrying a slight edge of amusement.
Talon, still wary, hesitated again as his sharp eyes studied her. He was quiet for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. "Your demeanor… it's different from an ordinary human. At first, I thought you might be a vampire, but then I saw how normal you were in the daylight. Still, something about you just feels… off. My instincts tell me you are more than what you seem."
Hearing the word "vampire," Alia's heart skipped a beat. She quickly recovered, though, realizing Talon had no concrete evidence of what she truly was. She let out a quiet sigh of relief and responded with a light-hearted smile. "I assure you, I'm just as human as anyone else. So, Talon, do you think I might harm you or Leona?"
She hoped her jest would ease the tension. Talon's face softened slightly, and he seemed to lower his guard. "I doubt you would do anything to harm Leona. For now, let's just hope this journey goes smoothly."
The tension that had clouded the air dissipated, and Alia settled down beside the crackling campfire. The warmth of the flames seemed to mirror the calm that now lingered between them. Her gaze drifted toward the dark horizon, where the Imperial soldiers had set up their own camp. The night passed in silence, but Alia's mind never truly rested.
At first light, the camp stirred. Leona emerged from her tent to find the campfire reduced to glowing embers, while Alia and Talon were already up and ready. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry, I overslept. I guess the night was quieter than expected."
Alia stood and dusted off her cloak. "Yes, no disturbances from the soldiers. It was a peaceful night, for now."
Leona quickly gathered her things, and the trio moved to where the carriage awaited them, the driver checking the horses. As the coachman made the final preparations, Alia glanced over to the group of Imperial soldiers not far from them. She approached the leader of the troop, who was adjusting his armor near his horse. "You could probably travel faster on horseback than by carriage. Why not ride ahead? We'll meet at the palace."
The soldier leader, a man with sharp eyes and a steady demeanor, shook his head. "There's no reason to separate now. Besides, I'm interested to hear what you have to say about the palace."
Alia shrugged, though inside, she wasn't thrilled about keeping close to Imperial soldiers. "As you wish. Let's get moving then."
They set off at a slow but steady pace. One carriage and four horses made their way down the road, the thick trees of the Dark Forest looming not far in the distance. The journey to the palace was just beginning, and unease gnawed at the edges of Alia's mind.
Breaking the silence, Alia turned toward the leader of the soldiers. "What's your name, Captain? And how did you come to know about this palace?"
The captain, still focused on the road ahead, replied, "My name is Mike. I'm a commander in the Empire, and these three soldiers are my team. We were patrolling the borderlands when we received word of an ancient palace discovered near the Dark Forest. The message mentioned that the palace might contain the legendary 'MoYe' Sword, said to have the power to balance all non-human forces."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "The location was also detailed in the letter. We immediately reported it to the Imperial Palace and set off to investigate. At first, I was concerned that our four-man team wouldn't be enough to explore the place. But now that you're with us, maybe we can pull it off. The Empire would owe you a great debt."
Alia's gaze shifted to Talon and Leona, silently asking for their input. They nodded in unison, leaving the decision to her. She took a breath and replied, "Even with all seven of us, I doubt we'd be able to secure the relic against other factions who might be vying for it."
Mike nodded gravely. "That's exactly my concern. Our main objective is to gather as much information as we can and wait for reinforcements. We can't risk rushing in. The place might already be crawling with other groups. We should focus on keeping ourselves safe."
Alia leaned back in her seat, her thoughts racing. "And there's something else bothering me," she added after a moment. "We received the letter the day before yesterday and started moving immediately. If our timing is right, we should reach the palace by today. But if you received the letter earlier, you must have made better time. The fact that we're both arriving around the same time makes me suspicious. It feels like someone orchestrated this, knowing how long it would take each group to reach the palace."
Mike looked sharply at Alia, his eyes narrowing in thought. "You think we've been led into a trap?"
"I don't know for sure," Alia said. "But it wouldn't surprise me if we found the palace already surrounded by people from other factions."
Mike cursed under his breath. "You might be right. We'll need to be extra careful. This situation could spiral out of control fast."
The tension in the carriage mounted. Talon and Leona exchanged uneasy glances as Mike's soldiers rode alongside, their faces mirroring the gravity of the moment. The path ahead led to the ancient palace, and with it, whatever dangers and secrets it might hold. The relic of the MoYe Sword wasn't the only thing to worry about now. There were shadows moving in the dark, and Alia had a growing sense that they were walking into a deadly game.
As they approached the location marked on the map for the palace, suddenly, Talon, who had been resting in the carriage, perked up. His ears twitched, and he opened his eyes, saying, "Stop."