Mark of the Fool

Chapter 775: The Theft

So that's why Aenflynn wanted those children! Alex cried, pausing the recording.

Whyd you stop? Theresa demanded. It sounded like we were about to learn something really important!

We just did, the young wizard said. Remember, what Cedric, Destra, and Hart told us? About when they first went to Aenflynnremember he said he wanted children for his armies? I thought it was just a fae thing, but he was trying to work the same deal he had with Uldar.

That scum was giving children away to become soldiers! Theresa said.

It's not uncommon, Birger said. Lots of realms send their orphans to the military.

We don't do that here, Theresas tone was hard. Most of our orphans end up with the church.

You mean the same people that kept trying to kill us? Bjorgrund asked. The same ones with an army of maniacs?

I don't know about the hidden church, Alex said. But what I do know, is that Aenflynn had some sort of military problem back when Uldar was alive: he needed fast-growing soldiers. I guess, maybe hes still having those same problems: and that's why he accepted Ravener-spawn when Drestra suggested it. They grow even faster than human children and, in the end, I guess it wouldn't matter to him as long as he got enough bodies to fight for him.

The young wizard looked at the others. When we finish here, we should go right to the Heroes, and find out as much as we can about their conversation with him. We should also see if Drestra knows anything about what he's done with those Ravener-spawn she gave him.

Do you think he's involved with these cycles? Theresa asked.

Alex frowned. He strongly hinted that he knew Uldar was dead. He had a deal with Uldar when he was alive. Im sure he knows more than he's let on. A lot more.

You're probably right, Theresa said. We should talk to the Heroes for sure. Hopefully, they'll have time for us. When you were in the sanctum, the Raveners attacks started ramping up and becoming more vicious. Our friends hardly have time to do anything but fight.

We'll have to get them some help soon, then, Alex said. Alright, in that case, let's stop wasting time and see what happened to Uldar. Let's see what demon lord hes talking abo

A sudden cry reached them from outside the room.

Hello! a deep voice called. Is anyone there? Ms. Lu? Grimloch? Are you alright? AnswerOh, by the gods!

Footsteps rapidly approached Uldars viewing room.

Huh, Grimloch said. Must be a Watcher. Thought you found a patrol and told them what happened?

Alex was already leaping from the chair, leaving the image of Uldar frozen on the windows before them. He snatched up his staff. I did. They should know where we are. Somethings wrong.

The group looked at each other, then leapt to their feet, grabbing their weapons. Theresa drew the Twinblade, a pair of phantom swords appearing on either side of her, floating in mid-air.

Bjorgrund helped Birger to his feet. Stay here, father. The giant rushed for the door with the others.

Alex threw open the door to Uldars viewing room, nearly crashing into three Watchers on the other side. They looked tense.

The young wizard frowned; none were from the patrol hed brought to the gate.

Alex Roth? one cried, his eyes widening in shock. He was an older man, with a long, jagged scar running along his cheek. The other two Watchers looked like they were at a loss for words, their eyes were wide. I thought you were away! Are Ms. Lu and

Were alright. Theresa came up behind Alex, with Grimloch, Brutus and Bjorgrund close behind. Is something wrong?

Did you talk to the patrol outside the gate? Alex asked, his heart sinking. Had they been attacked? Were there more members of the hidden church around there?

Everyone outside the gates dead! the scarred Watcher said. Both the gate guards and Vincenzos patrol group! What happened in the throne room? Was there a battle?

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Alex had seen Watchers in crisis before; they were some of the most disciplined people, no matter how dangerous the circumstance. Hed never seen any of them looking outrightpanicked before.

He grew suspicious. Were they imposters? He began channelling mana from his aeld staff.

The First Apostle was killed in the throne room, Theresa explained cautiously. And so was his fae ally. The hidden churchs leadership is destroyed.

The scarred Watcher shook his head. We found the First Apostles head, the bottom half of another body, but wheres Uldars body?

Alexs thoughts stopped. What do you mean?

Uldars body and throne, the scarred Watcher continued. Theyre gone!

Gone? Theresa cried.

Alex was already teleporting to the throne room.

He choked at what he saw.

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The Watcher was right. While the First Apostles head was still therealong with the rest of the Guide

both the stained throne and the body of the god of Thameland were nowhere in sight. All that remained of Uldar was his white shroud, lying on the floor, stained with what looked like the same muddy tracks that were throughout the white floors of the throne room.

Ravener-spawn tracks.

Shit! Alex cursed as Theresa and the others rushed into the room.

By the Traveller! she cried.

Wha Bjorgrund started.

Thats bad. Grimloch gripped his maul.

We need to move! Alex said, his mind racing. He extended his hand to the others. If we hurry, we might find whoever took them! Come on!

His companions and the Watchers placed their hands on his arms, and he teleported everyone downstairs. With every jump, Alex kept hoping theyd find the Ravener-spawn.

But, all they found were more tracks leading down the stairs.

Cursing to himself, he teleported outside to look around.

Oh no, Theresa murmured.

The Watchers that had been killed by the First Apostle were laid out in a row a little ways from the gate, their bodies covered by their cloaks. Theirs were not the only bodies outside the gate.

Scattered in front of the glowing portal were the mutilated corpses of Vincenzos patrol. When Alex had last seen them, theyd been tending to their fallen and guarding the entrance to Uldars sanctum.

Now, theyd been ripped limb from limb.

He could barely recognise them as humanbut he did recognize the muddy Ravener-spawn tracks all around them. The young wizard looked around frantically. There was no sign of the monsters.

Nothing but their footprints.

Shit. He cursed again, turning to Theresa. Can you track these prints?

She fell to one knee beside the tracks, while Grimloch and Brutus sniffed the air.

The sharkman and huntress said the same words at the same time. They scattered.

What? Alex demanded.

The cerberus was turning in all directions, his snouts pointing this way, and that. His three heads lifted as he began to howl.

What do we do? Bjorgrund asked.

We start searching, Alex said.

The young wizard began conjuring monsters that were adept at tracking. First, he summoned a flock of celestial rocs, instructing them to fly above Uldars Rise and search for Ravener-spawn going through the woods.

Next, he conjured packs of hellhounds, sending them racing through the woods. He summoned celestial dire tigers, with their strong sense of smell and stronger sense of hearing, they could accompany the hellhounds.

After considering which other entities he could call on that had a well developed sense of smell; he summoned small herds of hellboars to join in the search. He also conjured two pairs of astral engeli, sending them out in four different directions; they could sense divine energy and might be able to track the throne and Uldars body.

Lasty, he summoned elder elementals, sending them boring through the earth below Uldars Rise in search of any tunnels the Ravener-spawn might've used.

Once he was finished summoning his army, he turned to Theresa, she was gaping at how hed so easily conjured so many different monsters for the search. Come on, we should look for them too, he said. Let's see if we can find them fastwe have no idea how long its been since they took the body and throne.

What would they even want with it? Bjorgrund asked.

All we know for sure is that the Ravener serves Uldar, Alex said. There's a connection there, but beyond that? I have no idea. Let's just make sure that it doesn't get its hands on either of them. Take my hand.

The companions teleported away from the stone tower, into the woods around Uldars Rise. Joining the summoned armies, they searched high and low for their quarry; wherever they went, the scent of Ravener-spawn was strong, and the creatures tracks were sunk deep in the earthyet there was no sight of them.

There were a lot of them, Bjorgrund commented, looking at the tracks as they teleported through the trees. How did they sneak up on this place?

And how did they get the drop on the Watchers? Theresa asked a second later, falling to one knee and checking tracks in a clearing theyd teleported to. And what about the other patrols?

I have a bad feeling about them, Alex said, his lips a flat line. This feels organisedlike the Ravener-spawn were waiting. But how did the Ravener know to strike now?Anger boiled inside him. And where did that damned army of monsters disappear to?

They continued teleporting, hopeful, then disappointed, searching among the trees, their canopy, and the forest floor, but there wasnt a trace of the beasts anywhere. Even Alexs summoned army came up empty. They found no tunnels, no Ravener-spawn, no blood-draks soaring away through the skiesor no sign of Uldars body or his throne.

All that they had were cold tracks in the earth.

Until, even those were gone.

The prints suddenly stop! Bjorgrund cried.

They were in a clearing, following the Ravener-spawn trackswhen the trail abruptly ended. There were signs of the beasts climbing trees, and signs of them burrowing into the earth. But the earth elementals found no sign of deep tunnels, and the celestial rocs encountered nothing clambering through the trees, or flying above the canopy.

They teleported through the woods, circling them, and finding no trail.

Even the monsters scent had vanished.

The young wizard teleported them beyond the boundaries of the forest around Uldars Rise, but even in the fields beyond, they could find nothing.

What in all the hells is even happening? Alex said, pausing on a hill, surrounded by slushy fields. A road leading to a crossroads went off to the south. How did that many creatures just disappear?

Can't even smell them now, Grimloch confirmed, sounding disappointed.

Alex. Theresa turned to him. Maybe they were dungeons under Uldars Rise. We know dungeon cores can move the earth around them, maybe there were dungeons below us, and the cores just moved the dungeons.?

I don't know, Alex admitted. We haven't seen that behaviour from dungeons before, they just seem to stay put once they're established. But this cycle has been strangeand come to think of it He paused. No one really knows how dungeon cores get from the Ravener to wherever they're going to make dungeons. We don't even know where the damn Ravener is!

And now that they've taken a gods body and his throne Theresa said grimly. How bad do you think this is, Alex?

I he paused. I don't know. I don't know why the Ravener would want those things, what it wants to do with them, or what it could even do with them! I meanin a powerful alchemists hands, a god's body would be worth half the gold in the world, especially if they knew their way around divinity. But the Ravener? Maybe it's about loyaltyor somethingoh, by the Traveller, I really cant even begin to guess!

Well have to assume the worst, Birger said.

We don't even know what the worst is! Alex said.

No, but I could guess one thing, Birgers voice was dark. If the Ravener has Uldars bodythen that means it will know its creator is dead.

Couldn't that be a good thing? Bjorgrund asked. I mean this whole cycle thing was for Uldar, right? Maybe it'll juststop. Shutdown, or something.

Birger shook his head. I don't think we'll be that lucky, son. Alex, tell me something. If you got killed, what would Claygon do?

The young wizard shuddered. Just thinking about that sends a chill down my spine. He's grown a lot, maybe he could handle it now like I handle the death of my parentsbut there was a time when he tried to kill anyone that even looked at me funny.

Exactly, Birger said. This could be apocalyptic.

We need more information, Alex shuddered. And we need to bring more people into this. Well have to try and figure out what could be done with Uldars bodythrough divinity. And we need to tell those we trust, that someone, and probably someone not too friendly, has his corpse and throne. Let's go find the Heroes and Professor Jules.

He looked across the countryside, his eyes falling on the crossroads.

I think youre right Birger, I think things are gonna get real bad.

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