Brakenus of the Degormanus stood, still and impermeable as a statue, as he stared down into the gaping maw of darkness. He didn't fear it, even if the likelihood of surviving, at least for a Human, was slim. Barely a tangible fate for most. And yet…

And yet the thought of simply letting go, of falling down into that unknown space, it… tugged at him. Called to him in a way that was familiar, and yet similarly unknown.

And that's what worries me.

He shook his head and broke his staring competition with the pit, where his quarry may or may not yet draw breath. He'd had his mages conjure orbs of fire or Light and send them in the hopes that they might be able to glean something else. But all that had come of it was the confirmation of their original assessment that there was something down there. Ruins were the most likely, but how vast their extent might be was unknown, and no doubt being debated at that very moment.

There weren't any records of it in Tathlani, and none that even their brightest could remember reading of, so how old it could be was anyone's guess. He'd passed men wagering a thousand years, at least, and one even declaring it was a relic from before the Collapse. That they wagered a gold coin on it spoke to either their certainty or their stupidity, for a Demon Hunter's wages weren't anything to be proud of.

He turned away from the hole entirely now and began to walk back to their camp. His inspection had been brief; he had men tying rope to nearby trees, already tested for their stability, as well as driving spokes of iron into the ground as alternative supports.

Tomorrow, he would order their descent, and the first thing they would do was look for the bodies.

And if we find them, it will end this fool's charade.

Chasing a single Demon? That was well worth the effort; it always was. But sometimes, and this was a fact he didn't often tell those who followed him, you had to consider the practicality of your expedition.

He'd left Fordain in a state of chaos, searching for Demons in each and every one of their alleys, with dozens of Company-Men scouring the place like rabid dogs. They'd practically swarmed parts of the town, and that was before the pitiful excuse they had for a Watch had been dispersed across town to keep the peace. What those men did for coin…

He shook his head.

That I would call a better outcome than this, though.

He parted his way through the trees and shrubbery and out onto the forest's edge. They'd established a camp of sorts along the hill and beside the treeline here, hundreds of tents of every shade and shape, basking in the light of Murlan and Cerelain. That part was normal, with as many present as there were, they could neither afford to take beds at what few inns or taverns Tathlani had, nor would he have ever permitted them to.

The problem, and the reason more grumbles or spiteful looks were thrown at the Dragonslayer Baile, was that this time they had been, in no uncertain terms, barred from most services in Tathlani.

The Arglwyden, a well-composed and aged man named Lithiman, had been none too pleased by their arrival, on account of the damage done to several buildings, injuries sustained by civilians, and, as he put it, 'the active disregard and recklessness of the present Hunters in regard to the way they chased their quarry.' For a village man, he was remarkably well-spoken.

He'd heard these sorts of complaints before; local rulers would often feel threatened by a large military presence when his entire company was passing through or chasing down a group of Demons. When they trailed into southern portions of Moren, it was a coin toss on whether they'd be respectfully asked to camp elsewhere or not-

And I would rather not relive another expedition into Floraine, for so long as I draw breath.

-and in general, he understood that his people often… unsettled some-

A hand slowly trailed up to touch his cheek.

Rather have them fear you than pity you.

-but when it came to actively restricting them, despite their goals, he had to say it didn't happen often. The Carathiliar feared Demons almost more than they hated them, so they'd be none too pleased to have Demon Hunters come and clear them out for them. But in Tathlani… maybe they were simply an odd sort.

The Arglwyden had presented testimonies from several concerned citizens, even the healer of the town itself, who were loath with his company, at least those that he'd sent ahead of him, and had seen their actions as nothing more than unwarranted violence.

If I were a younger man, I might have raged against the decision and against those who stood between me and my quarry. Against those who see anything but the monsters that Demons are.

He entered their camp, getting nods of respect and even a few bows from the men and women he passed, to which he responded in kind.

As it was, he had raged the day the Arglwyden had given him his response. But not against the Carathiliar, and certainly not aloud.

No, his ire, as it always was, was set on the niece at fault.

Keleieva wasn't anywhere he could see her at the moment, which was best for both of them. Their arguments, or lectures for the most part, tended to keep everyone nearby up late. And respected as they both were, that was the sort of thing that even the lowest amongst them would openly complain about, sometimes to their faces.

He pulled aside the tarp and stepped into his tent, where a wooden table had been erected and a map of the Domain set upon it. He'd never asked how they were able to carry some of the stuff they did whilst moving around so much, and by the sounds of it, it was becoming somewhat of a running joke amongst them.

He set his helmet down in a corner before leaning over the map. There were several pieces of carved wood placed all around it, representing Talradian forces and portions of their companies as either foot soldiers, horsemen, or cloaked mages. His, a silver and gold painted armoured figure, was set in the vague location of Tathlani.

The tent flap opened, and two men entered, each armoured in a similar fashion to him. Both were only a few years younger than him, which meant their hair was beginning to grey and the wrinkles were starting to show on their pale-white faces. He nodded as they clasped their hands to their chests and bowed their heads.

"General Brakenus."

"General."

"Good evening, Alatanus, Oredeith. Tell me, either of you has good news?"

Alatanus stepped forward and placed a scroll on the table. "This was delivered to me via raven earlier today. Lieutenant Annaleth crossed the Keloweyne a few days ago and plans to scour the Crynmon from Gelandwr to Fordain before rejoining us."

He nodded. "She can take her time, we've no need for her entire band as of now. Make sure she is informed of everything that has occurred here."

"Of course, General. Though when she hears of this Demon chase paired with these ruins we've discovered, I might not be able to stop her from running here without rest. Maybe even on foot."

He smiled slightly. "You know your sister better than I. Try your best to soften her intrigue a little." He turned away from him. "And Oredeith? What news do you bring me?"

The taller man pulled out his own scroll, this one noticeably worse for wear than the former. "Word from the north, from…" he hesitated, "From Talradius, sir. Lieutenant Ildras has made it to the Redwinen Lake and is set to conclude his expedition within the month, if not by week's end, given how long this took to arrive."

"And his forces?"

"Casualties are minimal, most due to dehydration or accidents well out of their control. As with his last missive, he says they've encountered none of the Demon scum north of the mountains."

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"So it's true then, even they dare not venture there…"

He reached down and moved the two corresponding figures on his map. That made four bands of the company within this general area.

One crossing far to the north, another across the Keloweyne, and the last just beyond the Sirelene Pass, in Moren. He'd have to take time out of his day to pacify some of the more… nervous opinions in Tandrias City that would no doubt arise. It was not often the bands of the Degormanus were in such close proximity, at least on Carathiliarian land.

"Lieutenant Oredeith, I mean to have you and your men across the river before the next full moon rises. You'll move south, checking the same spots and usual suspects we always have. You have a year."

He nodded. "And Lieutenant Carys?"

"If you encounter them, pay them my best wishes and ride together if you so desire. The choice is yours."

He nodded, though a tad stiffly, he noticed. He knew all too well the rivalry between his new Lieutenants, perhaps working in the same area might finally let them bury the hatchet.

"And the Demon you hunt, and the uncovered ruins?"

He inclined his head to the other man in the room. "Alatanus will stick with me for the time being. We will ensure this Demon and her companion are swiftly dealt with before moving on. I don't intend to stay in the Tandrian Domain much longer."

He bowed his head. "Of course, General. With your leave."

Once he'd left, closing the cloth curtain behind him, Alatanus turned back to him. "How did your inspection of the entrance go, sir?"

"We should be ready for a descent by the early morn. You handpick your finest, and I shall do the same. I didn't lie when I said I intend for this to be over with quickly." He picked the two scrolls he'd been presented with up and placed them in one of the pockets of the belt below his armour. "I will lead them."

He coughed. "Is that wise, sir? There's no knowing what could be down there, even the mages are uncertain. And if there is even the slimmest chance the Demon survived-"

"Then I intend to make sure that the job is done properly. On the off chance that it survived the fall, it will no doubt be injured, and I see no chance that her companion could have done the same."

Unless he is what he claims to be. An Angelica of that Light-blinded goddess.

"And her highness, Princess-"

"Talradius is gone, Alatanus," he cut him off, "she is now more a princess than I am."

He looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat. "My apologies. But what of the Lady Keleiva? As I understand it, she is most insistent on joining."

"She will return to Fordain-"

"I most certainly will not!" The tent flap flew open, and there she was, striding as if she owned the very ground she walked on, face held high and filled with that petulant look of a child who'd been wronged. And she was most certainly not a child anymore, more of an adult than most, even. He'd caught a few wisps of grey in her hair.

"That Demon is my quarry, and it is my hunt that I would see completed."

He tried breathing to keep his mind clear. It was hard. "Alatanus, please leave us."

The Lieutenant bowed his head and left quickly, having the respect not to look relieved when he did so.

"The Demon is likely dead, and when I go down there, I intend to confirm it. Nothing more. You, on the other hand, will return to Fordain before I actually lose my patience with you."

"Her death will be by my hands, old man. As is my right, as a Talradian-"

"As would be your right as a Talradian Demon Hunter." His voice had gone down to almost a whisper. "Which you are not, as the record stands. You are an information-broker of Fordain and a permanent Talradian resident there, and in Tandrias City, under the Clthenweith-Restoration Pact."

"I followed her here-"

"You following her was not a decision I would have otherwise allowed. Tathlani lies within the sphere of Fordain, and if this matter had stayed in Fordain, I would have no qualms with your pursuit. But this has become more than that, and you have proven to me you have neither the wit nor the understanding of the ramifications your actions carry."

It was a testament to how finished he was with this argument that he barely needed to raise his voice. He stated the facts as they were and stared into her glass, uncaring gaze until it too began to wilt beneath his own.

"Return to Fordain. That is an order. Dismissed."

For a second, it looked like she might fire back and send their argument down the same path it had been going down for days. Then she spun her head around and left without another word, not even bothering to close the tent properly as she did so.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "And how much would I be willing to bet she goes quietly?" He chuckled, though there was no humour in it, "Nary more than a copper."

"You are not a gambling man."

The voice spoke again. The- he refused to admit what it was. It also wasn't a question.

"Does that surprise you?'

"Nothing does." "But for those who dabble where you have, to bet has often been a by-product."

"Perhaps, if I were a younger man in this position." His hand drifted to his pocket, but he refused to draw the mirror out again. Not now. Not if he could help it. "Now, some peace and quiet would be appreciated."

The voice went silent once more, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It also allowed him a reprieve if he asked for it, and that was the only solace he could find. The moment it didn't would no doubt be a day he remembered.

. . .

He awoke with a start as someone's hand shook him, perhaps rougher than intended. His hand had gone straight to his sword, but as his eyes focused, he saw Lieutenant Alatanus standing over him, face riddled with worry and concern.

"General-"

"What happened?"

Ten minutes later and he was storming across their camp, the sun barely risen above the treeline. Those who were awake nodded or bowed to him, but he didn't have time to respond in kind. Not this time.

"When did you find them?"

"An hour ago, at the change of the watch. The men thought they'd fallen asleep on the job."

"Does that happen often?"

"More than is appropriate."

He led him through the forest along a now-well-trodden path that he was familiar with. There were already several of his Hunters standing near the entrance to the ruins, as well as Lieutenant Oredeith and his 'advisors' as he'd taken to calling them. They all turned when he arrived and bowed their heads.

"General, sir."

"General-"

"Save me the pleasantries. Where are they?"

They parted for him, revealing two bodies lying on the open grass. Their eyes had been closed, out of respect, but there was no doubt in his mind that they'd been found wide open, the death lingering in their gazes.

No noticeable wounds, no sign of struggle, except…

He ran his hand over a thin, barely noticeable protrusion on each of their napes. Deeper than a papercut, maybe.

"Soul Steel. There can be no doubt about it," Alatanus grumbled.

He nodded. "No doubt about it…" he muttered. "But the question is, how?"

Oredeith looked up sharply. "How? It's simple, isn't it? By your own admission, that Demon wielded a Soul Steel blade. Why wouldn't it take a chance to kill one of our own? It is just like the Demon scum to do so."

He rose from the dirt, dusting his legs off. "These were your men?"

The taller man nodded.

"Then you are overwrought, Oredeith. That the Demon possessed the blade capable of this is true, but this is the same Demon that fell dozens of feet into the earth itself." He pointed at the hole. "There is nothing to say it is even alive."

"We finished securing the rope last night. It could have scaled them, murdered the guards and fled into the wilderness. We should be sending out search parties immediately."

He shook his head. "If it managed to scale those ropes, these men would have been watching the entrance, correct? How then would they have been cut along the back of their necks?"

Oredeith went silent.

He sighed. "It would be better for us all if I agreed with you, and if the facts did as well. Because the alternative we are faced with is all too troubling."

"A second Demon. And one who also bears a cursed blade."

"Who has entered the ruins ahead of us, no doubt in service to the Demon that came before." He gritted his teeth, "Alatanus, we will now need double when I descend."

Both Lieutenants suddenly looked guilty, and for a split second avoided meeting his gaze.

"What is it?" His eyes narrowed. "If there is more to this, then spit it out."

"Last night, or perhaps in the early morn, the Lady Keleiva-"

His hand snapped up. Chains whirled. Mana burst. A tree at the edge of the crater met metal and exploded, the trunk toppling down as his chains sheared through it.

In that instant, he had seen red.

"You let her leave-"

"She told no one, and took only those loyal to her from Fordain," Alatanus spoke quickly. "If there were any to report here, well… they are lying right there."

She no doubt used her position, what may have been her position, to either frighten or coerce her. Or they simply allowed it to happen.

She left before the Demon entered; she's putting herself at even more risk than before.

I need to go down there, now more than ever. Two Soul Steel blades, two Demons, and the Angelica.

Would he kill her? He resisted in Fordain, but what do I know of him? Of his order?

Fallen-

"All will be as it should be, in the grandest scheme of Andwelm."

"Be silent," he said aloud.

His lieutenants, his soldiers, they were all looking at him now. He steeled his face and pulled the chains back, wrapping them around his arm. Then he marched past them all and back out of the forest. After a second, they scrambled to follow.

"Take those men's bodies to their families, and ensure the proper rites are followed." One man ran off.

"Alatanus, three dozen of your best. Mostly armsmen, close-quarters warriors. We can forgo archers, and mages would be useless against them both now."

He bowed his head.

"Oredeith, your orders still stand. Find, hire, or acquire vessels to ferry you and yours across the river. Find one in Tandrias if you must, but I want you on that side of the river with as much haste as you can muster."

He turned to leave as he raised his voice.

"If I do not return within 6 days, Alatanus will lead my band and his to the city to await further instructions."

"You don't mean-"

"You will do as ordered, and if word of my death should reach you, or if I do not make contact within two months, you will follow the words of my will, kept in confidence by Lord Asteron in Tandrias City, to the letter. Am I clear?"

"Yes, General."

"Good." They threw the flap of his tent open. "We leave in one hour."

He would descend into that maw, find Keleiva, and execute both Demons. The Angelica if he had to. No, finding Keleiva was the priority, he would make that clear to the men. If their zealous desire for blue blood clouded their judgement, he would deal with them in whatever way he deemed necessary.

He only needed to kill them if they got in his way. Words echoed through his skull as he lifted his armour up, adjusted his chains, and drew his swords.

Put aside the Demon Hunter, if only for these coming days. Your family needs you.

And if they, if anyone, so much as laid a hand on her?

Let them pray to their gods for salvation.

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