The underground mines, long abandoned, for reasons relating to sundered texts holding word about a civilization that did not see the sun. The Turantala mountains and their mines, they were one of the furthest points of entry to that kingdom, while remaining highly volatile through pure circumstance and luck, but it held value in the ore it still kept within itself.
"A small group of hellworms could do the work of a mining crew, then we would only need a few more units to carry the load." Markus waved towards a board brought to the royal chamber that had recently begun to buzz with proper discussion. The road paved with Markus' conjured workers had shown great initial benefit to the empire, with merchants finding themselves with good tidings for once. The talk of hellish creatures, supposedly summoned as imitations, clones or whatnot had hardly been a heated point these days as the church and other institutes had found themselves benefiting from the road as well. There were even talks of several commissioning Markus to help in the construction of a new temple near the wall of the capital to bring in more travelers.
"A tollgate can be arranged at the foot of the Turantala mountains with the camp already there, the larger stones and the wood form the nearby forest should do well as construction material." Markus began to work with the guards and military to plan for them the construction project that would allow for the management of the region. Though the range of guarding would grow, it was said that the guards had been patrolling on horseback and camping in the woods until now. Temporary bases would be transitioned to work on the permanent guard post at a new major choke-point in preparation for the increase in traffic that farther towns began to tell news of. All in the name of acting before issues arrived, of course, it would 'serve well that the guards had a proper stronghold there' as the queen said.
Finally, after the long meeting was over, Markus returned to bathe before going out for an 'expedition'. "To where", Lexios asked.
"To take a look at the marshland in the further territories, I can't leave that place without my attention."
"... while that place is quite rich in land for expansion of the farmlands, why would you need to personally see to it?"
"Didn't you hear? There's been talks about a ginormous snake the size of ten men stalking that place recently."
"Rumors, 'old-wive's-tales', what else would that be?"
"Maybe, but that's what everyone says until they run into one."
"... fine. I will trust your instincts on this."
"Thank you, I they are rare, but I can't take chances with this project, every step has had something go horribly wrong in the past or something impeding it to complete halt."
"Really? I thought the prince had only... well, only a handful of attempts at the most on this."
Markus told Lexios about the signs of years of trial and error by the hands of others tasked with a similar project. Julius eventually found himself in the talks as well as Markus and Lexios made their way down towards the gate.
"... well that makes sense, I remember there beings lots of talk about new roads when I was a kid... never thought it was all the same big family project..."
"But why would the prince try so hard to complete it, he has nothing to prove."
"Yeah, maybe something about earning his keep with royalty? I heard some pretty nasty rumors about him and the queen."
"No", Markus sighed as he thought back to the day he graduated from the cadet academy and the years he endured there. "He's too proud for that, too stupid even... he might be trying to prove it to himself, though he might not know it."
"How'd you know about something like that?" Julius, once jovial, found himself staring inquisitively towards the unnamed mage.
"Just take it as a mage's intuition."
"Fine then..."
Lexios did not leave the topic at silence, he continued to observe Markus and his deductions, though nothing much came from it in the following days as he, Julius and Hephaestion with his crew followed along the mage's tracks. While they camped or stayed at lodges, Markus would talk with them about lore and various topics as the group had quietly realised they were otherwise squandering their opportunity of traveling with an esteemed mage. The topic varied from simple insight into common knowledge, to pure nonsense about art. In the end, at each stop along the journey, the troupe found themselves entertained and frustrated each night.
Lexios would keep observing these discussions, sometimes finding himself chuckling to the way the other guards questioned some things or even picking up topics to debate on. Though he found himself on the backfoot on some topics, he still continued arguing over more subjective matters.
"You're quite read, aren't you, Lexios."
"So what if I am, Julius?"
"I mean nothing by it... just feels like a young guy like wasted some time before realising you'd be stuck with this kind of work!"
"Hah! As if..." Lexios caught himself. "... there is nothing wrong with studying. I would expect someone as... weathered as you to understand."
"Careful now." Hephaestion tucked himself in-between the two scowling guards who outranked him. "There ain't no need for hostility, we should all be getting to bed soon, we don't want the other guests getting the best spots."
"... we should've just gone outside, I'm telling you that would have been so much better..." The other guards looked over at Julius in horror.
"No offense, Julius, but today would have been your turn to prepare the food..."
...
The wetlands were wast, almost reaching from one side of the province to the other, patches of farmland planted in-between - once attempts at turning the entirety of the land into a field for food, grain. Markus watched over it as he slowly drew out a circle into the air that flared to life in moments. The guards and the mage were now "blessed by water" to walk atop the land without issue, their feet gently pressed against by the surface to stop them from sinking too deep into the muddy ground. They would soon be greeted by a villager, from a nearby larger communal farm, as they had walking for almost an hour.
After being invited to eat some simple porridge, Markus spoke for the team, telling the man in-charge of the farm. His name was David, his matted brown hair had not a sign of age, his eyes were a soft green that showed hope or naivety. He explained to them how the snake moved deeper within the wetland forest, moving just beneath the deep pools of water that it had formed over the years. When questioned by Lexios, David refuted his claims of simple tales, explaining how he had seen the beast with his own eyes.
"Terrible fangs, dripping with venom from a mouth pouring with flames..."
"... flames?"
Markus and Lexios further questioned the features of the beast, Markus had never heard of such a thing. From what David had told, the beast had killed his own father once when David was still quite younger. Admitting that he may have been too frightened back then, David still holds firm on what he did see. And so beast was at least a serpentine of great size that moved swiftly through muddy pools, devouring any who wandered into the forest. In the end, while Markus did urge the others to remain while he alone went to hunt the beast, Lexios would not relent in himself coming with him. Lexios would "show the people that it was not as frightening as they believed", his words carrying determination to comfort the people.
So, while Julius and Hephaestion remained with the people, acting to help around the farms, Lexios and Markus moved to the increasingly muddy wetlands until they began to see the edge of the swampy forest that held a horror. "... I didn't take you for a gloryhound."
"I am not, I simply do not wish to listen to the worries of someone my age..."
"Well... I guess as long as you understand just how young you still are."
"And what of it?"
"Nothing, it's just that most people our age in your line of work should be taking on lighter work."
"... maybe so, but that is exactly why I must do this."
Markus watched how Lexios gripped his spear, the mage's eyes drifting to look down towards the 'boy's' sidearm, a longsword. He did not comment further than a soft audible note, Lexios even questioning if there was something to be said. Markus denied all allegations, focused on the march ahead as the trees grew larger and darker. Then, with a step, the two young men were within the realm of a local legend, the trees stretching to almost cover the sky with their emerald canopy drenched in shadow. While the wetland certainly had a unique aroma, it became apparent in this place of rot and death. After even more time, as the sky began to turn to yolk, the signs of ancient death appeared in bones half-melted in the mud or crushed rotting trees. The pools of water became elongated, slithering and at times winding through the gaps in the trees.
Markus could not burn the forest down, even if he had the power to do so, as much as he felt compulsed to do so. He fingers traced soft lines in the air as he whispered for shimmers to form lines in the air, "Trace the Night - Tine et Ekart." Soft air formed around him and Lexios, guarding their breaths from toxins, whether there were any at all.
"Must you be so loud?"
"I'm sorry for trying to keep us alive."
"You mages are a lot more kiddish than I expected", Lexios swung forward his spear in a moment of fright, or something else.
"Do you see it--?"
"No, just shut up for now."
The two looked around themselves, their backs almost guarding the other's from the twisting vines and branches in the dark. The shadows grew longer as the sun finally set, a low writhing emanating from all around them, circling them, predating around in the water. Soft waves began to appear along the murky water's surface. Lexios spoke softly, "what are the chances it has grown since it was last properly seen?" Markus' mind flashed with images of a castle-swallowing serpent, long grown since the time David was a young boy.
"How about we both shut up, I don't want to think about that... are you sure you want to still be here?"
"... yes." The sound of hands tightening around the wood and metal of a spear crackled in the air, Markus nearly emptying his bowls from the sudden sound of human hands almost breaking a spear made for guarding royalty. "... I know I can take it on."
"Are you quite sure?"
"Yes."
From the treeline emerged a scaly silhouette, breaching the surface of the water without a sound as the sound of dripping mud echoed. The smell of long-rotted food and meat filling the senses of taste and smell as the mage and guard felt the slow paralysing gaze of a giant. Markus turned his eyes to the trees, barely matching Lexios' instincts, leaving now both of them to watch out to see a pair of shimmering eyes in the dark.
From there, the dark, a torrent of red gushed forward.