"Explain,” I demanded of Jansen, my eyes flashing with tension. My disdain for the church was clearly evident in my voice. 

It was no secret that the church held immense power in Lumicrestia. It was impossible not to notice the way they basked in the King’s favor, all thanks to Silas, the Head Priest. In his youth, Silas had saved the prince who would become king, and that single act bound the throne to a lifelong debt. And cunning as he was, Silas made sure to benefit from it every single day.

Whispers circulated throughout the Kingdom, both among the nobles and the peasants, suggesting that Silas might have endangered the King in the first place just so he could step in as the savior. Most knew that if the church caught wind of anyone tarnishing its name, that unfortunate soul could expect exile to the bitter cold of the farthest northern border.

Eliot stepped into the dim light and spoke, “Upon our arrival at the forest’s edge, the Holy Knights confronted us. They claimed it was a simple patrol, yet they wore full battle armor.”

Jansen picked up the tale, his voice edged with frustration. “We informed them of our intent to visit the new temple to offer prayers to the Goddess. They granted us passage, but a knight insisted on accompanying us, thwarting our search of the forest.”

Henry furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled. “It’s odd to see knights in full armor during times of peace unless they’re bracing for conflict.”

“That’s the exact conclusion Eliot and I reached,” Jansen added, his gaze unwavering.

Trying to piece together the mystery, Belmont asked, “So, what makes you think they discovered something?”

Jansen continued, recounting their unsettling experience. “Inside the temple, the reception was oddly tense. We felt unwelcome as they hurriedly ushered us into the prayer room and locked the door behind us. While we were confined, Eliot managed to distract the knight guarding our door by pretending he needed the lavatory. Seizing the opportunity, I slipped out and wandered the halls. That is when I overheard a chilling conversation between Silas and some holy knights.” He paused, making sure we were all listening. “Silas gave strict orders to safeguard certain items retrieved from Zandel Forest.”

My impatience bubbled over. “And where might they be securing these items?”

Swallowing hard, Jansen replied, “That remains a mystery, your Grace. He didn’t specify.”

“Zandel Forest,” Henry murmured thoughtfully, brushing his fingers along his chin before swiftly moving to the large wooden desk and sifting through the many maps.

Intrigued, Belmont queried, “What’s on your mind?”

Henry’s fingers paused on a map. “I’m trying to see if there’s a connection to our current situation. None of these maps have markers in Zandel Forest.”

Belmont, Jansen, and Eliot joined him, scrutinizing the scattered sheets. After a moment, Belmont conceded, “You’re right. However, knowing that the church has unearthed something from our territory is unsettling.”

I nodded my head in agreement. It was one thing for the church to flaunt its power within the capital and another to do it within the Grand Duchy. Though I had no doubt that the King suddenly gifting them land near our borders must have given them some audacity to venture within, the thought of Silas discovering something related to her caused my anger to flare, and I could feel that heat in my hands as they began to glow with a faint blue light. 

Attempting to distract myself, I turned to look at Aldric. The lodestone hanging from his hand swayed slowly, its movement gradually ceasing until it hung motionless. Suddenly, with a jolt, it swung toward the western region of the map. The stone emitted a brief, intense white glow before leaving a dark imprint on that exact spot. Then, it resumed its gentle oscillations.

I rushed toward the altar, my expression darkening as I stared at the map. 

“Damn,” I hissed. 

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Eliot probed, “What is it, your grace?”

“Aldric pinpointed a new location—Zandel Forest."

A heavy silence filled the room, the weight of the church’s discoveries with the energy pulse pressing down on us all.

The atmosphere thickened further when a loud thud emanated from the altar as Aldric hunched over, his face pale with exhaustion, his hand grasping the edges of the altar. 

“Forgive me, your Grace." he rasped, lifting a weary gaze to meet ours. “I have not been able to pinpoint the exact location..." he trailed off, wheezing as exhaustion paled his features. 

"There is no need for apologies, Aldric." I reassured him, "You have done your best." I then turned to Ras and commanded, "Send a Raven to Theo and have him dispatch some knights to Zandel forest."

As Ras hurried to a different hidden door behind a bookshelf, Eliot and Jansen helped Aldric into a chair. The older man’s legs wobbled, revealing the toll the night’s efforts had taken.

Trying to pierce the oppressive mood, Eliot asked, “Is there any chance this is a coincidence?”

Henry seemed to weigh the odds before answering. “It might be. But why would the church send the Holy Knights to our territory? Anything they found should have been reported to his grace.”

Belmont spoke up. “Even if it’s unrelated to the energy pulse, they’ve found something valuable enough to risk  our wrath.”

When Ras reentered, his face was troubled. Eliot, noticing his expression, joked, “Did the raven give you another love bite?” His playful tone caused Jansen to chuckle heartily.

"It was the Xoltecas," Ras answered in a serious tone, his gaze fixed on something far beyond the chamber. 

Eliot, ever the curious one, leaned forward. “Xoltecas? At the pub? Rumors buzzed in the town market about them arriving from a shipwreck, but I didn’t think they were true. Tell me, what were they like?”

With a dreamy, almost dazed look in his eyes, Belmont murmured, “Beautiful.”

A chorus of raised eyebrows and exchanged glances traveled through the room. Belmont had been around several beautiful women all his life, but I had never seen that look cross his face when speaking of one before. 

Rushing to correct himself, Belmont added, “The Xoltecan woman we encountered was simply... unforgettable. We didn’t catch a look at her companions since they remained concealed. Why mention them now, Ras?”

Ras hesitated before revealing, “The Xoltecan woman was watching me as I released the raven.”

Eliot scoffed. “So? It’s under a cloaking spell, invisible to those who aren’t guild members.”

Ras’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I believe she saw the bird.”

A heavy silence ensnared the room as we grappled with the weight of Ras’s revelation, caught between skepticism and anxiety about the unknown.

The silver veins on Aldric’s hands pulsed as he emphasized, “I bound that spell with the bird. She couldn’t possibly have seen it.” His heated gaze, a tumultuous storm of indigo, fixed upon Ras, the weight of his disbelief evident.

Jansen jested, “Perhaps you ought to revisit the healer about that bump on your head, Ras. You might be hallucinating.”

Eliot, always the provocateur, added, “But consider this, Jan. Aren’t Xoltecas reputed to be unparalleled mystics? Maybe, just maybe, their powers outshine even Aldric’s.”

Aldric’s eyes flared as he retorted, “That’s sheer lunacy!” But Eliot flashed a nonchalant shrug, unfazed by the old mage's outburst.

Ras, drawing himself up, his eyes fierce and determined, countered, “This was different.” His voice shook slightly as he recalled the intense gaze of the Xoltecan woman. “She wasn’t focused on me but on my hands.” His gaze drew toward his hands as if they still held the bird. “And I watched as her eyes followed the raven’s flight until it disappeared into the horizon.”

I observed Ras as he now stood silently in front of us. Everyone else also seemed perplexed by his words. Though Ras was not the brightest in the guild, he was not one to lie just for the sake of lying. And as he looked at us with an unwavering gaze, I knew he was telling the truth. 

The image of the Xoltecan woman, her gaze sharp and unerring, sent a shiver down my spine. I imagined her standing there, her eyes tracking the raven with an intensity that pierced through the layers of enchantment Aldric had woven as if she could see beyond the veil of our reality into something deeper, more profound. The thought gnawed at me, a creeping dread that what we were dealing with was far more dangerous than we had anticipated.

Aldric’s face contorted with disbelief, but even he couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility. I could see it in the way his fingers tightened around the edge of the table, the way his eyes narrowed as he processed Ras’s words. He believed him, too.