The moon hung near Aeloria, its silver light forcing its way through the clouds that roared like restless spirits. In the castle's highest tower, Elara stood with her back to the door, staring out at the darkened kingdom below. Fires burned in distant villages, signals of life, but to her, they felt like warnings—flares sent to gods who no longer listened.
Bael crept into the chamber soundlessly, his shoes silenced by them. "The nobles are leaving."
"Let them," Elara said, her voice a cold whisper. "I hope they carry the memory of tonight's blood with them. The next strike will find them just as unprepared."
He stepped closer, crossing his arms. "We searched the city. Every corner, every tavern, every alley. No leads. Whoever sent that assassin… they've disappeared."
"They haven't disappeared." Elara turned, her eyes sharp. "They're watching. Waiting."
Bael exhaled roughly, his frustration evident. "Elara, this can't continue. They have shown that they are bold enough to do something in your own student hall. The Lotus won't wait for another solstice. They'll strike when you least expect it."
Hence, we have to strike already, Elara said. She approached the heart of the room, where an enormous map of Aeloria lay spread on the war table. Markers of little size made of wood—badges for armies and towns—were laid with intention.
Bael followed her gaze, his brow furrowing. "What are you planning?"
Roots, Bael" whispered Elara, her finger traced the western border of the kingdom" [1]. "Fenrik was right. To extinguish the Jade Lotus, we have to discover the roots. The whispers point west. The Forgotten Marshes."
Bael's expression darkened. "That's beyond our lands. Near the old ruins of Azareth. No one goes there willingly."
"Which makes it the perfect place to hide."
Bael hesitated. "You're suggesting we venture into enemy territory with no proof? With you there as well?"
Elara looked up at him, her icy resolve unshaken. "I'm not suggesting it. I'm deciding it. Prepare a small escort—trusted men only. And Varik."
"Varik?" Bael's voice dropped, his distaste clear. "Why him?"
"Because he knows how to navigate shadows, she replied simply. "And I need his wolves."
The Silver Fang Clan's Camp
Varik Stormclaw's camp was a world away from the grand salons of the castle in Aeloria. Canvas tents enclosed a roaring fire, smoke hanging heavy and reeking of oiled steel. Real wolf packs roamed the borders of the clearing, empty eyes tracking Elara's small band of followers with eerie menace.
Varik stood near the fire, sharpening a blade with deliberate strokes. As Elara got closer, his silver hair shone sharp, as though argent itself, glowing in, mithril light.
"Princess," Varik drawled, not bothering to bow. "To what do I owe this honor?"
"You already know," Elara replied, stepping closer. "The Forgotten Marshes. The Jade Lotus."
Varik's hand rested upon the whetstone, and for a fleeting moment the woodstove hissed deafeningly between them. "The Marshes are cursed ground," he said. "Even my wolves won't go there."
Let them linger at the border," Elara countered. "But I'll go—with or without you."
Varik cackled and threw it down and looked her in the eye. "Brave words for someone so… mortal."
What are you, she whispered tilting her head. "A myth? A monster?"
Yes, both, he responded smoothly, his smile a false expression devoid of his gaze. "But I'll come with you, Princess. Not because I believe in you, but because I do not believe in them.
The Forgotten Marshes
3 days later the party arrived at the fringe of the Forgotten Marshes. The landscape was nothing like she had ever before seen—bent trees formed the ghostly guards, branches reaching up to a constant mist domed sky. Dispersado en la superficie en la forma de zarcillos sobre cuencas estanas, saturación de pulgas, con color muy nauseabundo.
As the men got off their horses, the horses' backs snorting and refusing to move. Bael barked orders to set up a small camp, but even he looked uneasy, his hand never far from the hilt of his sword.
Varik stood on the edge of the marsh and his wolves, restless, pawed behind him. "These lands are poisoned, Princess. The dead don't rest here."
Elara approached, her cloak fluttering in the unnatural wind. "Then let's not give them reason to wake."
Bael joined them, his expression grim. "Are you sure about this? However, if we're adventurous enough to venture in, we don't really know what we might find, or whether we'll ever be able to escape.
"That's what they want us to think," Elara replied. "Fear keeps the Lotus hidden. I refuse to give them that power."
Varik chuckled under his breath. "Bold words. Here's hoping they're true when the marsh starts talking back.
Elara ignored him and stepped forward, her boots sinking slightly into the soft ground. The others followed reluctantly, weapons at the ready. Lost in the fog, they continued to go deeper into the marsh.
Whispers in the Dark
It was not long before the whispers began.
At first they were passive—sounds muddled with wind—too far away to extract. But the deeper they traveled, the louder they became.
"Turn back… Turn back…"
The fellows stuttered and shifted with restless eyes fixed on the silhouetted gaps between the trees.
"Stay close," Bael ordered, his voice firm. "Don't listen to it."
Elara walked with her head held high, though her fingers clenched the hilt of her dagger. The whispers tugged at her awareness and shredded expectations as a thread is pulled through her thinking. She sensed the weight of every choice she had ever made and every life extinguished by her determination.
Varik moved alongside her, seemingly unfazed by the sounds. "The marsh remembers," he said quietly. "It knows your fears, Princess. Don't let it in."
"I won't, she replied, though the words felt heavier with each step.
The remains of an old templehalf-buried in the ground. Vine and rot had taken them, but the stone bore its own characters—characters of a black lotus, into the brick.
Bael swore under his breath. "We've found them."
Elara's pulse quickened. "Prepare yourselves."
As they approached the temple's entrance, the whispers ceased all at once, leaving only an unnatural silence.
Shortly (and just) out of the darkness, a figure in focus is an apparition.
Covered in black robes and holding a lotus mask with the head hidden, the body made a movement and lifted a hand.
Greetings, Princess," it spoke, its sound filling the mist. "We've been waiting for you."