Eleven of the watchmen from Alexandria gathered before the teleportation platform. It had been months since Tucker had last used this location, but he remembered it like it was just the other day. They were deep in the Order’s keep, where faint traces of moonlight shone down upon the device resting in the center of the courtyard.

  Before them was an old oak tree Tucker had seen after his first mission in an area that wasn’t known by many. After their grueling mission in the abyss of the ocean. The warm radiance of the sun broke through the darkness, bathing their damaged armor in a golden light.

  Tucker felt the fatigue in his body vanish. Soft traces of spirit essence lingered in the air as the other injured watchmen stood on the platform. They adjusted their equipment, tending to what remained of their wounds. Around them, the shimmering leaves slowly drifted upwards.

  “You two aren’t coming with us?” Blaire asked.

  “Not yet, we still have one of our members back at the camp,” Alex replied. “He’s investigating some matters with the prisoners.”

  Blaire turned to Tucker. “It seems we keep running into each other.”

  “That seems to be the case,” Tucker agreed.

  “Well, if you ever need help, you can request our services.” Blaire held out his hand. “It’s the least we can do.”

  Tucker glanced at the outstretched hand without moving a muscle. The very same hand that demanded him to be punished for his actions and the one that extinguished his dreams of being a ranger. To say there wasn’t a bit of bitterness would be a lie. In the past, he would have struck the hand, but now it was different. They were fighting a war, and despite their differences, they needed all the help they could get.

  Tucker grabbed onto Blaire’s hand. “With how things are going, you’ll probably get that request a lot sooner than you think.”

  The corners of Blaire’s lips faintly curled up as they shook hands. “We’re looking forward to it.”

  Blaire returned to the platform as the other watchmen waited for him. He channeled his spirit essence into the fibers of the timber. The carved grooves in the bark glowed with a soft, tranquil light. Azure essence drifted to the sky with the roots shifting from one end to another, revealing the iron plate etched with a complex magic circle.

  The watchmen on the platform stood close to the center. Their bodies slightly hovered in the air as the engravings on the platform filled with light. Once Blaire took his medallion out, the runes instantly flared, releasing a blinding abundance of light that swallowed the area.

  Tucker covered his eyes as the light faded. “Do we know how long it’ll take for Ray to get here?”

  “Not a clue,” Alex replied, removing his helm. “It should be quick, but he said he needed to check something with the prisoners.”

  “The prisoners?” Tucker tilted his head. “Did the priests not heal them?”

  “From what I’ve heard, their physical injuries have been taken care of, but it’s the non-physical ones that are an issue.”

  “Non-physical ones?”

  Alex nodded, tying the helm to his belt. “The mental strain of being tormented for so long will impact their daily lives. It’s hard to say if they’ll ever live normal lives again… especially without support.”

  He slowly sighed while reaching into his leather pouch for his cigar. The paper had been slightly creased from the equipment pressing it close to the walls of the fabric. But after a long day of work, he didn’t care. Alex brought it to his lips as Sally climbed onto his shoulder, blowing a small flame to light the ends as the steady ember burned.

  “Well, from my experience, that is.” Smoke spilled from Alex’s mouth. “In our field… not much support is offered. The only ones we really have are each other, but if you’re a sole survivor, then it’s the loneliness that gets you.”

  Tucker took off his helm and held it under his arm. “Don’t worry, this time there won’t be a sole survivor.”

  “Saying stuff like that is what gets ya killed.”

  “I trust that we’ll pull through whatever situation we find ourselves in.” Tucker softly smiled. “Now, do you mind telling me why you brought Pyron’s severed arm?”

  Alex glanced at the severed arm strapped to his waist. Once they had reached the main camp of their army, the mages stared in horror as he walked up, wrapping the limb in a loose cloth before asking for preservation magic to be cast on the surface.

  The faint hum of the magic circle spinning several centimeters above the arm drew their gazes. Around the spell was a ring that was slowly ticking away. At most, it’ll last another hour or so, which was plenty of time for Charles to do his handiwork.

  “It’s our key to fighting back.” Alex lightly tapped the green fabric. “You see, that bastard may have escaped this time, but few know that there are methods of tracking individuals with pieces of them.”

  “So… you’re saying this arm will bring us to Pyron?”

  Alex nodded. “Have you ever wondered where aura is stored? For mages, mana circles are anchored within the mind—where the foundation of knowledge resides. For us spirit contractors, it’s in the heart because our emotions and bonds are what drive our growth. But for aura…” His gaze sharpened. “It’s the soul, and where does the soul reside?”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “In the body,” Tucker said slowly. His eyes slightly widened. “So you’re saying Charles has a way to track Pyron using his severed arm? How does that even make sense? Pyron’s a mage—he doesn’t use aura.”

  Alex shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose you’re right. But…” He pointed his cigar at Tucker as the ash fell to the ground. “Aura is a manifestation of the soul, and the soul inhabits the body. Even if Pyron doesn’t wield aura consciously, a fragment of his soul’s imprint should still exist within one’s body.”

  He tapped the arm strapped to his waist. “That includes this.”

  Tucker frowned, unable to fully believe his mentor. In all the books he read, there had never been a practical use case where such a thing was true. “Has this actually been tested?”

  A small smirk tugged at Alex’s lips. He released a slow stream of smoke from the cigar. “Trust me. It has, and it works.”

  Tucker’s eyes widened as he fell deep into thought. This was exactly what they needed. A way to track down the ones leading the Emerald Tower. If they could capture Pyron, then it would bring them one step closer to figuring out what the Empire was after once and for all.

  “Then we’ll need to assemble a team,” Tucker said. “How many watchmen do you think it’ll take?”

  “That all depends on where he’s hiding—and what we intend to do once we find him,” Alex said, watching the swirls of smoke curl in the air. “If we’re planning to wipe out an entire branch, we’re looking at twenty watchmen minimum. And a few rangers if they’re available.”

  “So… we won’t know what we’ll need until the trail starts moving.”

  “And we would still need time to examine that tome we recovered,” Alex added.

  They nodded in unison, agreeing on what needed to be done. Then, a faint thud echoed through the hall.

  Both of them turned their heads to see a man walking towards them. Yet that wasn’t what drew their attention; instead, it was the small child with violet hair and soft blue eyes. She clung to his side, half hidden behind his leg. Violet hair covered her pale face, and her soft blue eyes trembled at the sight of them.

  Tucker could see her nervous gaze sweep the courtyard. She wore a clean white tunic and trousers. The kind patients would wear, along with a pair of brown boots far too large for her feet. With each timid step, he could see the leather sway from side to side.

  Alex immediately frowned. “We’re not allowed to bring back civilians.”

  “I know…” Ray took off his helm and held it in his hands. He looked at it for a moment before giving it to the girl. “But sadly… I don’t think she’s a civilian. Not anymore.”

  Silence filled the courtyard.

  Alex and Tucker exchanged a worried glance.

  “What do you mean?” Tucker asked.

  Ray took a deep breath before continuing. “She knows Adira.”

  Tucker’s gaze drifted to the girl. That was when it clicked in his mind. The reason the Head Administrator allowed their mission was because of the girl before them. There wasn’t a need to put two and two together. The metal carriages transporting the prisoners to the depths of the tower. The mages who were forcefully kept alive. All of it was deliberately planned out for her. He slowly stepped closer to the girl. But with each step, the girl only hid further away.

  “It’s alright,” Ray whispered. “He’s the one who saved Adira and brought her back to the Order.”

  The girl slowly peeked out from behind Ray’s leg.

  “Hey there.” Tucker knelt on one knee a few steps away. “What’s your name?”

  She hesitated for a moment. Her fingers tightened around the black tabard around Ray’s side before pointing a finger at her hair.

  “Violet?”

  The girl nodded as Tucker smiled.

  “That’s a good name. It suits you.” He paused for a moment before continuing in a calm voice. “Do you remember Adira?”

  Violet nodded once more but this time it was just a bit faster.

  “Would you like to see her?”

  They watched as Violet softly nodded.

  “We’ll need to check if they…” Alex’s voice quietly trailed off, but Tucker knew what he meant.

  They needed to check if the magic circles were etched into her flesh. On her wrists and ankles—anywhere the Empire favoured. That was the only way for them to bring her to the Order safely. From where Tucker knelt, he could catch a glimpse of dull grey metal around her wrists.

  “Did the mages at the camp place that on her?” he asked.

  “They did,” Ray answered. “I didn’t understand much of what they were talking about, but they said it was a precaution.”

  “That means she’s one of the children used to power the golems,” Tucker mumbled. “But why? Why did Pyron let us take her then? Wouldn’t she be vital to their cause?”

  “I don’t know, but you can be damn sure we’ll figure it out,” Alex whispered. “For now, we’ll return to the Order and figure out what to do from there.”

  Tucker nodded while gesturing for Ray to follow. “Let’s head back for now. I’m sure Adira’s been waiting for you.”

  Violet hesitantly gazed at Tucker before giving a timid nod.

  “Great, then let’s get going,” Ray said, guiding her to the iron plate resting before the tree. “Huh, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this.”

  “Not many come to these parts to return,” Alex said. “So it’s not surprising if this is your first time seeing this.”

  Ray tilted his head. “What is it?”

  “Some say it’s a fragment of the world tree,” Tucker replied. “But these days no one really knows.”

  “The world tree? Like the one protected by the noble race?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Ray stood there in awe, taking in the sight as Violet gazed at the shimmering leaves. He gently lifted Violet before noticing that the young girl was clenching something in her hands. “Oh? What did you pick up here?”

  Violet held the small branch up, showing the few pale leaves still clinging to it, and kept it close to her chest.

  “She thinks you’re gonna steal it from her,” Tucker said with a faint grin.

  “Haha, very funny, Commander.” Ray rolled his eyes while releasing a tiny scoff. “But if this really is a fragment of the world tree, then I wonder if that story in my hometown has any meaning…”

  “Story?” Alex curiously raised a brow. “What’s it about?”

  “Back when I was a kid in my hometown, my grandfather used to tell me tales of watchmen like any other family. It wasn’t anything grand like the missions they’ve been through. Just some bits of lore and, I guess, folktales of who they were.” Ray shrugged his shoulders. “He would go on and on about how spirits and the world tree were connected. That spirit contractors could walk between realms with it or something. A bunch of nonsense if you ask me.”

  Tucker glanced at Alex. “Does this sound like something you’ve heard about?”

  Alex shook his head. “Not at all.”

  Tucker took a deep breath while staring at the ancient oak tree. They stood on the platform, and soon the soft humming melody entered their ears. Alex set his medallion in the carved-out groove, releasing a surge of fiery essence through the engravings on the iron platform.

  Folktale or not, Tucker buried the thought deep in the back of his mind. Now wasn’t the time for stories. With the four of them gathered around the platform. It slowly flared to life as a sense of weightlessness cradled their bodies.

  A bright light engulfed the courtyard once more. The terrain shifted, and before Tucker’s vision flickered. He felt a sense of determination fill his heart. They were finally closing in on the Emerald Tower, and whatever secrets the Empire held would soon be dragged into the light.

  We are approaching the holiday season. Should I do a Christmas POV side chapter?

  Just so we're clear, it's not an actual Christmas chapter, just a holiday chapter I would release for fun.

  It'll be more of a slice of life chapter ,and I'll throw it on an off day.

  If you guys like the idea, let me know, and I'll add a poll in the next chapter for which character you guys wanna see.

  Also, we got another rating after years, so the progress bar has moved LOL.

  Thanks for reading and I"ll see ya in the next one~

  120 Ratings Goal - Bonus Chapter (Owed Chapters -> 0)

  ?????????? 85%