The kobold trail wound through tangled thickets and moss-covered roots, a subtle path that only trained eyes could follow. Talmir crouched low, hand brushing over a fresh claw print in the dirt.

  "They passed through here earlier."

  Ulmak gave a sign to halt. "Once we cross this line from now on," he drew an imaginary line, "we only use hunter signs — otherwise, complete silence." he whispered.

  Talmir took out a tube from his spatial ring and flew up above the canopy, silently watching through the fog. It was an enchanted metallic tube with crystal lenses at both ends — something you could see great distances with.

  From his vantage point, he saw it — the cave mouth nestled in the ravine ahead. Ten kobolds lounged near the entrance, gnawing on bones or resting against spears carved from animal horn and sharpened bone.

  Smaller creatures and primitive, they have a wolf or dog like apereance with a small loincloth around their waits. Their pelts provided them with some protection but that was it.

  Then the scout pack they had tracked emerged from the forest and approached the cave. The entrance guards were alerted at first, but after a moment, the groups approached each other — and began sniffing? It seemed the greeting was doglike: short bursts of scent-testing, nudges, even throat clicks. Primitive, but clearly a method of identifying kin and confirming pack hierarchy.

  Talmir took out a book from his rucksack and described the behavior for study later. After finishing his notes, he descended toward the team and described what had happened, what the cave looked like, and how many kobolds there were.

  Ulmak narrowed his eyes. "There's too many for a frontal assault."

  Darnel chimed in, "That's only the entrance — it could be double inside."

  Talmir nodded and added, "We also have to watch out for escape tunnels since they appear to be cunning enough."

  Ulmak responded with a plan he had thought of. "Alright, I think I've got a plan. First off, we can't rush this — even with possible hostages. Safety first. I'm thinking of setting up traps all around the cave when they're sleeping to block off escape routes — early in the morning. Obin, you'll go underground, find anyone still alive, and rescue them to safety. After that, collapse the cave. I'll fly over the cave, and when I get your signal, Obin — I'll start bombarding it.

  Talmir, Sera, Darnel, and Tolk — you'll surround the cave, and when I stop bombarding it, you go in and kill the rest."

  Everyone nodded and retreated until nightfall for the operation to start.

  They made camp far enough away so the kobolds couldn't discover them, but close enough that they could still see through the crystal lens.

  Talmir was on first watch while the rest were huddled around the small temporary camp.

  Obin cursed under his breath. "There goes my sleep for tonight."

  "And we also have to fight right after that... wouldn't it be better to change the plan into shifts so we at least get some sleep?" Darnel continued.

  Sera rolled her eyes at those comments. "You know that's not possible. Who will set up all the traps if we have people sleeping, huh?"

  Ulmak said, "Guys, guys, don't argue — you have me on this mission." He made a cheeky smile and pointed to himself. "It's hard, yes, but it's doable, and we've got the element of surprise on our hands! What could go wrong? So just relax, we got this."

  After the sun went down, they started moving.

  Talmir and Tolk set up a spell as close to the cave as they could — a wind barrier masking their scent.

  Obin quietly raised a rock wall just past the wind barrier. If the kobolds were injured, it could stop them completely — otherwise, it would at least slow them down.

  Ulmak, Sera, and Darnel began building traps around the encirclement.

  The traps they prepared in such a short time were primitive but effective — spiked pitfalls, hanging tree-trunk traps, concealed sharp wires. Of course, it couldn't stop the kobolds completely, but it would wound and slow them down for later pursuit if any got through.

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  They surprisingly finished about two hours before dawn — as Kolma's finest hunters, they were raised for this.

  Obin and Talmir were tasked with scouting for alternate exits — any second tunnels or cave vents. They spent an hour circling the ridge, climbing rocky slopes, and checking crevices. Nothing. The cave had one entrance. Good. That meant they could seal them in.

  Ulmak then gave the signal to gather back at their temporary camp. Grinning, he said, "Just like old times, eh lads? Oh — and missy."

  Sera snorted. "You say that a lot. One day, I want to meet these 'old times' you keep talking about."

  "Yeah, I can't imagine you being a knight at all, Ulmak," Darnel scoffed.

  "What can I say? I was just that awesome back in the day," boasted Ulmak.

  One might forget that he was over forty with the way he acted sometimes — but he was indeed the oldest on this mission.

  "Alright, there's still about an hour left before we attack, so rest up a bit, everyone."

  There would be no escape. Not for the kobolds.

  Talmir didn't speak much. He sat with his back to a tree, eyes open but unfocused — listening. His breathing was slow, methodical. Meditating, preparing, and gathering mana.

  Ulmak broke the silence briefly as he loosened a strap on his arm guard. "By the way, do you ever wonder where Brahm got these rings? That armor, weapons, and gear inside? It's top-notch."

  Obin chuckled. "I've wondered that since I was young."

  "Smuggled it during the war, I say," Sera muttered. "Bet he was someone big once — like a commander."

  "Chief's got more scars than stories," Darnel added. "And he doesn't share either."

  "We can all just wonder about it, because we won't get the answers… at least we know now that our dear little Tolk isn't gonna get scratched up," Obin said laughingly.

  "Oh, shut up, I can fend for myself," said Tolk, shocked by the sudden jab.

  That drew a few quiet grins. Even in silence, humor always seeped through.

  Then the time came for the assault.

  The sky was still dark but slowly turning bright.

  Each hunter donned their gear fully — strapped pauldrons and cuirass in place, tightened vambraces, and pulled on gauntlets. As a finishing touch, they placed their helmets on, except Sera for some reason and were ready for war.

  "Alright," Ulmak said, adjusting the clasps on his vambrace, "now I know Brahm's hiding a fortress somewhere."

  Talmir checked his blade, ignored him, and said, "Positions."

  The six hunters split — each taking a route through the brush to circle the cave. Once outside the camp's protective barrier, every step was calculated. Leaves were avoided. Branches bent silently.

  From behind a boulder above the cave, Ulmak waited. Once he saw Obin in position, he gave the okay sign.

  Sinking into the ground, Obin burrowed beneath the cave and felt the vibrations on the surface, searching for survivors. The sheer number of kobolds startled him — there had to be more than forty. A minute or so later, luck finally turned around as he found signs of the hostages. Sadly, he could only sense five people alive — but still, better than nothing.

  Obin shot up from the earth and quickly encased the survivors in a sphere of stone, pulling them underground and escaping before any kobolds were alerted. He then tried collapsing the cave, but it was too big and his focus already split, so he only managed to partially collapse it — though that was enough to signal Ulmak.

  Immediately, two massive fireballs appeared in Ulmak's hands, each roughly six meters in diameter.

  "I'll show those rascals how a knight gets things done!" he roared, unleashing hell upon the still-groggy kobolds.

  The earth around the impact zone exploded, sending debris flying and fire spreading with it. The bombardment lasted five minutes, and when it was done, Ulmak gave the signal for the rest of the hunters to close in.

  Talmir moved first.

  He inhaled — deeply, efficiently — and the air around his feet twisted into a vortex. With a sharp exhale, he vanished from his spot, reappearing behind a panicking kobold near the cave opening.

  Steel flashed.

  The kobold's head fell cleanly to the dirt.

  Before the body hit the ground, Talmir spun and sent a curved wind blade toward a second one. The arc sliced through the air — too fast to see — but the kobold, startled by the death of its kin, twisted away at the last moment. The blow missed the heart, catching only its shoulder and slicing its hand off.

  The kobold howled.

  The forest exploded with noise.

  From the cliffs, Obin slammed both palms to the dirt. Earth surged upward — encasing him and forming a stone golem. The survivors were left behind in the sphere, holes in it for breathing.

  Ulmak then dropped from above, fire flaring in his palms as he hurled a pair of smaller fireballs into two scrambling kobolds near the back.

  Sera was already mid-run, flaming blade in hand, breathing fire like a dragon — burning every kobold in sight.

  Tolk drew his bow once — three arrows at the same time — laced with spiraling wind. The arrows zipped in bursts, maiming two and killing one.

  The stream below the ridge twisted unnaturally, flowing toward Darnel — encasing him in water and forming a giant water golem with octopus-like arms.

  The battle had begun — and Kolma's best had struck first and struck hard.

  That Same Evening — Back in Kolma

  The scent of crushed mint and bitterroot filled Saldia's apothecary hut. The stone mortar was smooth under Teclos's hand as he ground the mixture with careful, rhythmic turns. A soft green paste began to form beneath the pestle.

  "You're keeping a steady pace," Saldia noted, seated across from him with a bowl of dried leaves in her lap. She plucked a few apart as she spoke. "No need to rush, but it's good to see you're not drifting off with your thoughts again."

  Teclos gave a small nod. "I'm focusing on breathing while I'm grinding herbs. It helps me stay focused."

  She tilted her head, amused. "Breathing while working with herbs? Don't mess up the formula — things can go very wrong." She lectured lightly.

  "And how is your mana training going?"

  He kept grinding but didn't look up. "The third circle is coming along just fine — slow, but fine. The head is trickier than expected, so it'll take longer than the core or heart, I think."

  "Mm." Saldia's voice softened. "That's right. Don't rush. You're on the right track, so don't worry. Patience is needed here — and patience is something most boys struggle with, especially ones with... your temperament."

  Teclos smirked faintly. "I'm working on it."

  "And your friends?" she asked, brushing a pinch of herb dust from her lap. "How are Ralph and Gillard? Are you boys having fun?"

  "Ralph is a cheeky bugger — but honest and fun to be around. Gillard... Gillard's quite shy, I think, but I also think I can entrust my back to him. To be honest, Mom, after everyone found out that I have the darkness attribute, I thought I couldn't get any friends anymore. So I'm grateful to them."

  She smiled, happy with that, but then Saldia also asked about Loric.

  Teclos hesitated. "I don't like him. He always picks a fight and even insulted you — and I won't forget that. But I'm willing to tolerate him if he gives me space... that's something, right?"

  Saldia gave a knowing nod, then leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for protecting me, my brave hero. Now let's get back to the herbs, shall we?"

  She slid three small ceramic dishes toward him, each holding a differently colored powder — one pale yellow, one deep green, and one chalky red.

  Teclos examined them.

  "Hmmm... those are Aurelian Bloom powder, Thornleaf blend, and Iron Rose dust, I think."

  "Exactly." She reached forward and ruffled his hair — a rare gesture during lessons. "Well done. I'm proud of you, Teclos. Not just for memorizing them, of course. Although I wish you wouldn't treat knowledge about herbs like a weapon. You know that could get you into trouble, right?"

  Teclos looked down, his voice quieter. "Maybe. But I still plan to use it if — or when — the time comes."

  Saldia didn't scold him. She simply stood and began sweeping the herbs back into jars. "Then make sure you use it to protect others or yourself. That's all I ask of you."

  He nodded, grinding the last bit into the bowl.

  The scent lingered — sharp and clean, yet sweet.

  After cleaning everything up, he went outside to train a bit before heading to the smithy — oblivious to the battle raging beyond Kolma.