Only four days remained before Arriel, Lira, and Kell would have to leave Theodor and return to Mirdia. The relief mission was winding down, but the real objective that had pulled them into this foreign land remained unfinished. The truth about the masked man Iskiel, the mysterious griffin ring, and the abducted elf girls weighed heavily on their minds.
That morning, they sat huddled inside their tent, surrounded by maps, magical scrolls, and empty tea cups. The worn parchment on the table was a floorplan of Iskiel's mansion, hastily drawn by one of Bakke's informants.
"The maid said two generals visit the mansion frequently," Kell said, tapping the parchment. "Names are Murien and Kovan. She's seen them at least twice this week."
Arriel leaned forward, brows furrowed. "They're not just turning a blind eye, then. They're involved."
Lira, who sat cross-legged with a small rune-etched sphere in her lap, nodded. "I finished it. The Barrier Pulse Key. It will pierce the mansion's magical barrier, just long enough to get the listening crystal inside."
"How long does it last?" Kell asked.
"Five minutes, no more. We get one shot per night. We'll have to be precise."
Later that evening, the trio left the relief center under the pretense of resupplying. With Bakke's help, they had acquired a rare listening crystal shaped like a tiny bird. Arriel carried it carefully in a padded pouch. When activated, the enchanted bird could fly to a target location, perch unnoticed, and record all sound within several meters.
They settled into their hidden perch—an abandoned watchtower nestled between the hills northeast of the mansion. Below, Iskiel's estate glowed with opulent lights, guards strolling lazily around the perimeter.
Lira glanced at Arriel. "Ready the bird. I'm activating the Barrier Pulse."
She pressed her palm to the sphere. A soft hum rippled outward, unseen but powerful. The mansion shimmered briefly, a pulse distorting the magical defenses.
Arriel whispered, "Now."
He released the crystal bird. It fluttered silently into the air, invisible in the dark. A minute later, Lira whispered, "It's perched. I'm sensing it just outside the upper study window."
Inside the mansion, the crystal bird recorded a conversation thick with venomous intent.
"I'll send twenty girls next moon cycle," Iskiel said, his voice smooth and self-satisfied. "The noble house in the capital wants them trained, docile."
"Make sure they're clean and branded," grunted a rough voice. Murien, the older general.
"We'll move them after the next shipment arrives," Kovan added. "Don't forget our share. I've got two cousins who'll pay handsomely for girls with bright eyes."
"Of course, gentlemen," Iskiel chuckled. "The Royal Gathering will be a profitable one."
Arriel's jaw tightened. He looked to Lira, whose expression had turned to steel.
Suddenly, the bird pulsed.
"Something's off," Bardos said. The bodyguard.
Footsteps.
Lira's eyes widened. "He's searching. I'm pulling it out!"
She snapped her fingers. The bird detached from the windowsill and zipped into the night sky just as Bardos opened the shutters. A second later, it returned to Arriel's hand. They ducked and waited in tense silence. No alarm sounded.
"Close," Kell muttered. "Too close."
Back at the tent, the trio sat in silence, playing back the recording. The sound of those men's voices, casually discussing the sale and branding of elf girls, made Lira tremble with rage.
She opened her storage satchel and took out two crystalline orbs.
"These will store the memory recordings," she explained. "One for you, Arriel. I'll keep the second. If anything happens, one of us has to bring this back to Klein."
Arriel took the orb and tucked it inside the lining of his cloak.
Kell leaned back, arms behind his head. "We've got names. Faces. Voices. This is enough to start something."
Arriel glanced outside the tent, where the torches of the relief center flickered in the night wind.
"Not yet," he said. "We need to leave Theodor safely first. Then we act."
Lira nodded. "We're not just fighting monsters anymore. We're fighting rot hiding behind titles."
"And we're running out of time," Kell added. "Three days left."
As the wind howled gently outside, they sat in grim silence. Their path forward was dangerous—but now, they had proof. And that changed everything.