He'd seen it before, in intelligence reports Sigora had shared, in descriptions of the forces hunting ancient bloodlines. And during his stay in the camp.
"That's a high-level deployment," Sik'ra said quietly, his eyes scanning the garrison's defenses. "Look at the gear they're carrying—those aren't standard infantry weapons. Those are specialist equipment. The kind you only see with killer teams or strategic response units."
"The Empire!" Sarhita breathed.
"What are they doing here?"
Jorghan's enhanced vision picked out details—guards in armor that was clearly enchanted with high-level protective wards, weapons that thrummed with contained power, and positioning that suggested professional military training rather than conscripted levies.
This was an elite force, not some random patrol.
And moving between the structures, inspecting equipment, or conferring with other soldiers were figures that commanded clear authority.
One in particular drew Jorghan's attention.
