The late morning sun hung in the clear spring sky, the warm light shining down. Zenrom watched the last dust clouds of the Golden Caravan vanish, leaving only the wagon tracks as proof that the caravan had departed that day. Feeling a strange sense of anxiety and nerves, he reminded himself that he would secretly chase after them in a couple of days. Taking a deep breath, he started towards the training field, a light breeze moving his dark brown hair.

  It had been a couple of months since he started training the two Princesses how to fight. Shockingly, Princess Milina had improved at an astounding rate, already to a point where she could hold her own against a soldier who had been training for a full year. On the other hand, Princess Elina did not show much skill with the saber, but her archery skills were more than adequate for someone her age. She was still required to train with the saber, but Zenrom was more lenient with her, allowing her to practice archery after running through the basic saber drills.

  Walking to the training field, Zenrom found himself unexpectedly thinking of Ashely. He had to admit—he enjoyed her company.

  At first, he had assumed she would stop coming to sword practice once she realized the difference between someone with a Crest and someone without. Even without actively drawing Aether, the physical difference that was provided was significant. Although the majority of any kingdom’s army consisted of ordinary soldiers, for them to kill an Arcane Warrior required coordinated military formations composed of multiple men. Only by fighting in unison could they overcome the difference in power.

  Yet, Zenrom had underestimated Ashely’s determination. She continued to train diligently, showing up to every training session without fail. I like her grit, he thought. And she does have nice eyes.

  Shaking his head, he reminded himself that she was the daughter of his boss. Entertaining any thoughts of courtship was inappropriate. I’m much too old. She needs to find someone—someone closer to her age, he told himself, pushing aside his idle thoughts. Turning his head to observe his surroundings, he noticed Shina and June escorting the two Princesses to the training fields. I should catch up to them. Picking up speed, he quickly closed the distance.

  “Hey, Boss!” Shina called out, noticing him and slowing her steps.

  “Shina,” Zenrom nodded his head at her.

  “Captain, I heard a strange rumor at the market before we met up.” June had also slowed his pace and was walking next to him.

  “Rumor?” Zenrom questioned, his brows furrowed. June was not someone who gossiped—if he had found it strange, it was worth listening to.

  “Rumor is saying that the Golden Caravan is transporting one of the Twelve Weapons.”

  “What?”

  Zenrom was startled. He had not expected to hear something like this. The Caravan was definitely not transporting one of the Twelve Weapons. Furthermore, he was certain that only a select few even knew of the sudden request to transport any weapon. Stopping dead in his tracks, he demanded. “Tell me everything you heard at the market. Don't leave anything out.”

  As the group paused and gathered around June, he went over everything he had heard at the market, his voice clear yet quiet.

  “The whole town’s talking about it. I heard it secondhand from the tanner’s son, Edwin. I tried to find out where he heard it from, but he said that everyone in the market was talking about it. Everyone swears that they heard it from someone else. No one knows where the rumor came from.”

  As June relayed what he knew, Zenrom felt the blood slowly drain from his face. This was not natural. Rumors did not spread that fast in town.

  “This rumor is a scheme meant to cause trouble with the Caravan.” Princess Milina confidently spoke up, her eyes wide, narrowing in thought. “We must warn Mr. Maliri.”

  “Wait, Milina, how do you know this is a scheme?” Elina was looking at her sister’s serious face, her eyes were wide.

  Looking over at her sister, Milina explained. “The rumors of the Golden Caravan transporting one of the Twelve Weapons hold no water. If it were true, it would be the most guarded secret for both Mr. Maliri and the client. It is unfathomable that either one of them would release this information. The fact that there is a rumor spreading in the market is proof that it is fake. Someone is deliberately trying to cause trouble for Mr. Maliri. With this rumor, bandits and desperate men looking for an opportunity to seize power will attack, trying to acquire the weapon. Having such a weapon would change their lives forever.”

  Glancing at Zenrom frantically, Elina demanded. “You must take the Diamond Guard and go help Ashely.”

  “It's not that easy, Elina,” Milina explained, her voice laced with a bit of frustration and anger. “We are preventing Mr. Maliri from sending the Diamond Guard out. Leaving us without an adequate guard may be the actual plan. At most, Sir Zenrom can take half of the Diamond Guard with him. If he takes any more than that, we will be targeted. Forcing Mr. Maliri to choose between Ashely and our safety might be the goal of the opposition. If only we had more strength…” Her words trailed off.

  Zenrom could hear the helplessness in her voice. Turning to the group, he spoke. “I need to go tell Master Maliri about the rumors. I think we should suspend training for the moment. Shina and June, I want both of you to always stay with the princesses. Make sure nothing happens to them.”

  “We understand.”

  Turning around, he started to run to the manor, his mind buzzing with worry.

  Running as fast as he could, the scenery rushed past him: streaks of greens, browns, and gold, a blur of mixed colors. Without realizing it, he started to circulate Aether throughout his body, blue Arcane Light surrounding his sprinting body. By the time most warriors would have reached a third of the way to the manor, he was already running up its steps.

  Running past startled guards and maids alike, Zenrom made his way to Master Maliri’s study. Taking a moment to steady his breath, he knocked on the door and flung it open the moment he heard Master Maliri’s voice.

  “Master Maliri!”

  Inside Master Maliri sat at his desk, his mouth opened wide as Zenrom flew into the room. A piece of cake fell from his fork, which was halfway to his mouth.

  “What’s wrong?” Maliri managed to blurt out before Zenrom cut him off.

  “Ashely may be in danger! There is a rumor that the Golden Caravan is transporting one of the Twelve Legendary Weapons. Everyone in town is talking about it.”

  Fitting the title of Merchant King, Master Maliri instantly grasped the situation. Moving faster than Zenrom had ever seen, he stood up, knocking his chair to the ground.

  “I want you to take the men we talked about and set off now. Try to keep your departure as inconspicuous as possible. The longer it looks like you are here, the better it is for us. When you catch up to the caravan, don't announce yourself yet. Try to figure out which party is responsible for the rumors and try to secure them.”

  “Yes, Sir!”

  Zenrom stood atop a cliff overlooking the narrow path that wound around large boulders at the base of a steep mountain. A thick ancient forest carpeted both sides of the path. Struggling along the path was the Golden Caravan. The carefully packed wagons were stopped as the guards fought off a group of bandits, the sounds of fighting carrying over to him.

  Frowning at Hagan and Ashely’s progress, Zenrom could not help but wonder if he should reveal himself. He and his men had been secretly following the Golden Caravan for a couple of days, always watching from a distance. As the days passed by, the constant attacks from the bandits had put him on edge. Behind him, San, Cam, and Winks sat around a smokeless fire, talking leisurely.

  “Hey Boss,” San called over to him as he took a mouthful of the stew they had made out of pemmican—a kind of dried meat bar held together by tallow.

  “Your food’s getting cold. You should eat it.”

  Sighing in frustration, Zenrom begrudgingly came over, reaching for his bowl.

  “I don't like it,” he said, looking down at his lunch. Nothing about the caravan being constantly targeted sat right with him.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “If you don't like it, give it to me,” San said, reaching over to him.

  “Not the food,” Zenrom said, lifting his bowl away from San’s hand. “Hagan’s decision to move in a defensive formation. They should have prioritized speed and made a run for a more defensible position.”

  Angrily, he spooned the stew into his mouth.

  “Defense is good, though,” stated Cam, throwing more sticks into the fire.

  “Normally, that would be the correct decision. But I can feel the rain coming. If they slow down now, the road will turn to mud when it rains, and the caravan will slow down. And once that happens…” Zenrom did not finish his thought, hoping he was wrong.

  Taking another spoonful of the stew, he slowly started to eat, his mind racing. Silence fell amongst the men as Cam, San, and Winks looked up at the cloudless sky, trying to judge when it would rain.

  “What are the chances of rain in the next couple of days?” asked San, knowing the answer. Every one of them had spent enough time traveling to know how to read the weather to some extent.

  “My guess is that it will start to rain tonight and not stop for three days,” Zenrom said, swallowing.

  “For a week,” corrected Cam, standing up to get himself more stew.

  Nodding at Cam’s words, Zenrom changed his prediction of what would happen to the caravan. Cam had never been wrong about the weather.

  “If it rains for a week, the whole caravan will get stuck. Then we will have a real problem. The rain would make it hard for us to keep an eye on them as well as slow us down if they needed our help. They will be ripe pickings for the bandits.”

  Clearing his throat, Winks joined in on the conversation, his hand on his axe.

  “So, what's the plan? Can we stop with all the sneaking and get to the killing part? It's been days, and it feels like we are the only ones in the area that hasn't fought.”

  “We have orders from Master Maliri to stay hidden unless absolutely necessary,” Zenrom reminded him. But he had to admit that it had become harder to keep his promise. Why do I feel like this?

  “But we can’t just sit here doing nothing,” Winks grunted, his fingers testing the edge of his axe.

  Knowing Winks was right, Zenrom made up his mind. “We need to get closer to the main caravan. This way, we will be able to react if something happens.”

  “Your word, Boss,” Winks said. “But if you and Cam are correct about the weather, we need to find shelter for the night. How about we circle in front of the caravan? That way, we can set up a dry shelter that we can use for a couple of days.”

  As he considered it, Zenrom nodding at Winks, it would be good to have a dry place they could call home base. “Winks brings up a good suggestion. We will travel in front of the caravan to set up camp. From there, we will scout the area and judge our next action based on the weather and the condition of the caravan. Although the bandit attacks are worrisome, as long as Arcane Knights or someone stronger does not attack, Hagan will be able to handle it. Any questions?”

  “No, Boss.”

  After lunch was over, Zenrom and his men set forth, traveling a fair distance from the caravan, heading deep into the forest. The four men did not ride horses but ran on foot, climbing over the large rocks and boulders nestled amongst the coniferous trees. For normal people, not relying on horses for distance travel was unthinkable, but with the ability to draw Aether, Zenrom and his men were able to set a pace much faster than what a horse could do on such uneven terrain.

  Feeling the humidity that came with the start of summer press down on him like an oppressive force, he slowly drew Aether into his body, alleviating his overheated body and replenishing his strength. As his senses sharpened, he noticed the soft pine needles under his feet. Slowing down, he carefully made his way past the section. The thick layer of pine needles was known to cover hazardous holes and rocks, and he did not want to break his legs.

  Once past the section, he limited the amount of Aether he drew, keeping his crest from emitting light. By drawing only small bits of Aether at a time, Zenrom and his men made good distance, soon overtaking the caravan and emerging into a small clearing.

  “Let’s rest here,” Zenrom said, taking his cloak off and scanning the area. Hearing his words, the other three heaved sighs of relief, flopping down onto the ground. Wiping the sweat off their bodies, they started to stretch carefully, recovering their strength.

  “We pushed ourselves harder than we should have,” Cam grunted. “We need to slow down our pace.”

  “I know,” Zenrom admitted. “We’ll take it slow now. I’ll scout the area while you three catch your breath.”

  “Make sure you don’t wander too far.”

  “I know.”

  Using his heightened senses from the residual Aether still in his body, Zenrom walked the perimeter of the clearing, making sure they were safe. Taking a deep breath, he had to admit he really did press his men too hard. If even he was this tired, his men would be exhausted. I was careless. If we had met any bandits along the way, we would have been in trouble. I need to not let my emotions get the better of me.

  Returning to his men, he sat down on a rock, stretching his legs and body. “I’m sorry I pushed you so hard, but we don’t have that much time. We need to look for a place to set up camp before it gets dark.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Boss,” San grinned, pushing his hair out of his face. “We’re stronger than we look.”

  Nodding in appreciation, Zenrom took out his waterskin and took a sip. “After we are finished resting, let’s split up and look for a good place to bunker down. We will meet up in one hour and set up camp at the best location we find. Any questions?”

  Seeing his men shake their heads, he put his waterskin away, waiting for them to finish resting.

  Fifteen minutes later, each member of the group set off in a different direction, searching for a good place to call camp. Zenrom headed up the mountain, hoping to find a good location at a higher elevation. Not only would it provide a clear view of the caravan’s approach, but it would also help prevent rainwater from flooding their temporary camp.

  The evening sunlight streamed through the trees, casting shifting rays of light. When a cool breeze made the branches sway, it sent the beams of light dancing across the forest floor. Walking through the beams of light, Zenrom knew that under different circumstances, he would have felt at peace, but now, he could not stop worrying about the caravan and Ashely.

  Having walked for thirty minutes, he felt irritated; so far, he had not seen any suitable location for a camp. Taking a moment to survey the surroundings, he noticed an odd mound covered by pine needles and dirt. Curiously making his way to the protruding bump, he carefully studied the ground, noticing month-old markings left by someone. Did someone try to cover something up? he wondered. Here and there, the colors of the pine needles were slightly different, signs that they had been disturbed some time ago. Reaching the mound, he carefully brushed the needles and dirt aside, revealing an all-too-small human skull. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he gritted his teeth and stepped back, his hand reaching for his sword.

  Studying the small skull he had exposed, Zenrom noticed that the skull had a fracture caused by a blunt force. Breathing heavily, he started to draw on the Aether, allowing the power to amplify his senses. Drawing just enough for the blue jay crest on his shoulder to look brighter, he stood still, not daring to breathe. No signs of a struggle, he thought, his head slowly turning. No traces of someone coming back to the area either. From what I can see, there’s nothing else.

  As the seconds ticked by, Zenrom fully concentrated on observation, trying to find anything else. But all he could see was the corpse of a dead child. Taking a slow, controlled breath, he let the air out of his body before putting his fingers in his mouth and whistling.

  The loud, piercing sound cut through the evening, silencing the insects and birds of the forest as it echoed down the mountain.

  Quickly hiding himself behind a tree, Zenrom waited for his men to respond to the whistle. In less than fifteen minutes, Zenrom caught the dim shimmer of his men quickly moving towards him, each of them drawing power to speed up their progress. Stepping out from behind the tree, Zenrom mimicked the call of a blue jay, helping his men locate his position.

  The three men quickly ran to him. Winks already had his axe out in preparation, while San’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword. As for Cam, he did not touch his weapon, but his face looked like someone willing to do violence.

  “We heard the whistle! What’s wrong!”

  “I found the skull of a child over there, Zenrom said, pointing to the mound. “San and I will look for evidence. Winks and Cam, I want you two to keep watch. The whistle might have attracted unwanted attention.”

  “A child's skull!?” echoed Winks, an ice-cold glint entering his eyes. Out of all the Diamond Guards, he was known for having a soft spot for children.

  “Yes,” Zenrom answered, waving San to the skull's location. “I fear it may be one of the missing children.”

  Seeing the anger and grief appear on Winks’s face, Zenrom reminded him of his task.

  “I need you to keep watch while San and I figure out what happened. We don't have that much time until dark, and once it rains, it will make the investigation even harder.”

  Grunting in frustration, Winks walked away, followed by Cam. Sighing, Zenrom made his way to San, helping him with the investigation.

  The two started where Zenrom had found the skull, moving outward in a circle that grew with each pass. “Don’t get sloppy, San, but the sun is setting; we need to hurry.”

  “I know, Boss.”

  Sometime later, the four men stood around in a circle, discussing the situation. “From what San and I were able to find out. This child was killed here,” Zenrom said, looking over at Winks. “We found traces of a lot of blood and a shriveled heart. This child was sacrificed using Chaos magic.”

  “Chaos magic?” asked Cam, his eyebrows lifting.

  Clenching his hands together until his knuckles turned white, Winks spoke. “There is a horrifying method of advancing Arcane levels quickly. By taking the heart of a child, you can infuse yourself with it and get stronger. With enough children, you can become an Arcane Master.”

  “Goddess, reject me!” Cam’s words fell from his opened mouth. “That doesn’t make any sense. Are you sure? If it makes you stronger, why don't more people know of this? Why have I never heard of it?”

  “There are drawbacks to this method,” Winks explained, kicking at a stump. “First, the number of children you need is quite large. Most Chaos users are found and killed before they become too strong. Second, once you consume the energy from one child's heart, you cannot draw power into yourself for a full day, leaving you vulnerable. In the past, when this was more common, Arcane Warriors would target the Chaos user during this time. Considering the number of children you need to advance one stage, the Chaos user would be vulnerable every other day for months, if not years. It is very risky. Judging by the number of children that have gone missing, I do not think he is that strong yet.”

  “Are all the missing children killed by the Chaos user?” Cam asked.

  “We don’t know,” Zenrom uttered, wishing he knew more. “We only found this one skull.”

  Silence fell upon the group, each man lost in his thoughts. Breaking the silence, Zenrom cleared his throat. “From what we know, this child was killed at least a month ago. Since then, there have been five reported kidnappings. We must find the culprit before they become any stronger.”

  Nodding in agreement, the three men looked at their leader, waiting for his instructions.

  “What do we do now, Boss?”

  “Currently, finding a shelter and protecting the caravan is a priority. After that, we find and kill this monster.”