The mage's face curled in distaste. "Take him away," he ordered coldly.
Then, turning to the knights, he lifted the tether of presence still wrapped around his finger. "The rest of you—come with me. We're following this."
And with that, the hunt for Chief began.
As for Rattan, he remained in a daze—until the darkness gave way to a vast underground chamber. The moment his eyes adjusted, his breath caught in his throat.
Ratmen.
Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. All huddled in silence beneath the heavy gloom of flickering mana-lamps. Before he could process the sight, the ogre holding him gave a grunt and, with no care, hurled Rattan forward into the space like a sack of grain.
