Charles’ words lingered in his thoughts when he went to sleep that night. Restless, he lay awake on the soft sheets. He raised his hand, looking at the mark. It had been beyond useful, but what Charles said was exactly what he feared. The only reason he kept it covered with a glove whenever he was out and about was to avoid accidentally using it on someone.

  He couldn’t even imagine how horrible that would be. He clenched his fist, then sat upright. His sudden movement startled Luna, who was napping at the foot of the bed. She lifted her head slightly, looking at him with a questioning gaze.

  “It’s fine, I just need a walk,” he quietly whispered, hopped down the bed and approached the windows. He peered out for a moment, then opened the balcony door and stepped out.

  The cold night wind sent a shiver down his spine. Slightly regretting not grabbing a cloak, he leaned on the handrails and beathed the evening air. It was cold and refreshing.

  A thick layer of fog covered most of the lands, leaning against the castle walls. Howls occasionally sounded, and silhouettes of beasts appeared from time to time, fading before he could make out what exactly they were.

  They’re out there, like hungry wolves.

  The castle felt safer than the camp. They were protected by thick, tall walls, and they closed the metal gate at night. But in reality, there was little difference. They owed their safety to sunlight. He looked up. The skies were dark with storm clouds. Strong rains and storms would only delay all the work needed to get the waterway finished and a food and water supply secured before winter.

  “We’re really here, huh?” he whispered. “For how long, I wonder...”

  How long before the system throws yet another challenge at us?

  His gaze turned forward, beyond the cliff. Since his room was above the castle wall, he was above the top layer of the fog. Looking at the fog-covered lands stretching towards the distant mountains, he shuddered. He was about to turn around and head inside when he caught a small, green glint with the corner of his eye.

  It appeared only for a split second and vanished, somewhere near the eastern mountains. It was impossible to tell where exactly it was under this thick, dark blanket of fog. He watched for a few more seconds, hoping it appeared again.

  Eventually, the cold forced him back inside. Shivering, he went back under the blankets. Luna glanced at him again, this time not even bothering to lift her head. He lay down and closed his eyes, but sleep came much later.

  ***

  “We found it!” Clara exclaimed, out of breath as the small group of five dashed into the courtyard. They were panting and exhausted as if they had dashed all the way here. “The herbs! We found them!” She wheezed, gasping for air.

  Ava dropped the armful of firewood she was carrying. “What? Are you sure?”

  She and Sarah had been helping him cut and stack the firewood Sarah’s team had brought in the day before. “Where? Why didn’t you bring it back?”

  “Because” Victoria paused to take a deep breath. “They’re in a cave. And it’s protected by some sort of spell. It nearly burned Avery’s hand off!”

  Avery nodded. He and Lochlan weren’t as exhausted as the three young women, but they still sat down to rest. “A sort of sigil in the cave entrance, completely blocking it. I touched it, then Clara had to heal the burns.” He waved his left hand – it seemed perfectly fine, if not just a tiny bit pink. “Victoria tried a few things, but her spells didn’t quite work.”

  The young woman looked down in disappointment. “I don’t know what kind of spell it even is. I couldn’t break it.”

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Sarah placed her axe on the log they used as a cutting block. “Wait,” she furrowed her brows with some confusion. “The plants we need to heal our people are in a cave, which is protected by some spell we don’t know how to break? It’s the bloody Witch’s doing, isn’t it?”

  “Likely so.” Alaric spoke up. “The Witch needed those plants for her own wounds, remember? She probably only found them in the cave and decided to put some sort of protective spell to keep wildlife from getting in and eating them.”

  Sarah glanced at him. “That’s reasonable. Do you think you can break the spell?”

  Alaric raised his eyebrows and pointed at his own chest. “Me? No, how should I? But I can probably find the spell in the book so Victoria can break it.”

  “I thought you were trying to learn magic too.” Sarah shrugged.

  “Yeah,” Alaric put his axe down and gestured the others to follow him as he headed inside. “Try being the key word there. I’ll let you know when I figure out how to light a candle.”

  Even Lochlan and Avery were left out of breath by the time they arrived at the Witch’s study. They threw themselves on the chairs and couches. “I hate these stairs…” Avery complained.

  “That makes two of us.” Alaric said with a chuckle as he stood by the bookshelves. “Thankfully she was extremely well organised.” He added as he pulled out three books. “Right, can someone tell me what it looked like?”

  “It was a sigil floating mid-air,” Elizabeth started to explain, “Bright blue, but it turned crimson for a second when Avery touched it…”

  He turned the pages as she continued explaining it. The Witch had come up with many protective spells and sigils. Three books worth of them, to be exact.

  “Are all these meant to protect?” Clara asked, watching the pages over his shoulder.

  “Most of them. There are some that do other things,” He tapped on one. “This makes light when you etch it on a crystal and fill it with mana. She probably thought it was a better alternative to torches.”

  Sarah pursed her lips. “I still prefer good old lightbulbs.” Her remark brought on some chuckles. “Jokes aside,” she folded her arms. “I wish we had someone capable of doing all this – there’s got to be even more useful things in those books. Things we need.”

  Alaric nodded. “Oh there are,” he turned the page, then showed it to Elizabeth and the others. They shook their heads after a few moments, prompting him to keep looking. “She even had some spells that make crops grow faster.” He was planning on figuring out how that one worked after he succeeded in lighting that candle. “This one?” he asked, tapping on a sigil drawn on the page with red ink.

  “Yes!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Right?” She glanced at her twin, who also nodded after a few seconds. “It was blue though.” She added.

  He turned the book around to read the writing on the other page.

  “A sigil of burning. Won’t do much against the Profaned Legion but should keep the wildlife out. A drop of blood mixed with water and ash will allow passage. I used bones of a bird, the leaves of ignotum flowers, some of my own hair and blood to allow myself passage, and wet clay to mix the paste for the sigil.” He stopped reading. “Well, we need some ash and water, I guess.”

  “That… was easier than expected.” Elizabeth mumbled. “I was almost sure it’d be something like… blood of a virgin and a sacrificial animal… or something.” Her words prompted her sister to look at her with a horrified expression. “What? You thought it’d be difficult too!”

  “Not like that!” Victoria shook her head in disbelief. “I’ll get the ash from the fireplace in the main hall. Let’s go!”

  Alaric took the book and handed it over to Ava. “Hold onto this for me?”

  She nodded with reignited hope in her eyes. The book vanished into thin air.

  Taking a cup of water and a small, covered bowl of ash with them, they headed out. It was barely noon, and the cave was apparently less than half an hour of walking away. With Luna and Sol accompanying them, they walked with a brisk pace.

  “Hey,” Sarah hastened her steps till she caught up with him, then matched her pace with his. “Did you find out anything more about how she made the mana core work like Hallowed Ground?”

  Alaric nodded. “I did, actually. The mana core isn’t working like a Hallowed Ground. It’s an offering to the Chthonian. The etchings on the silver rings isn’t a spell – it’s a prayer to the god. We’re essentially asking for his protection and offering the mana core as a sacrifice. Usually, Hallowed Grounds are just… church ground, you know?” He shrugged. “So the statue – altar – works like a church in that regard. But only the Altar. So… that room. But remember the silver lines going all over the castle? Those are extending the Hallowed Ground.”

  Sarah raised her eyebrows. “So… if they stretched farther, then the Hallowed Ground would be bigger. Am I understanding you correctly?”

  Alaric nodded. “Theoretically. She didn’t get the chance to test it. Apparently, at some point, the people vanished. She blames a rogue god – someone who decided to hide them from the Empyrean. Without any people, she couldn’t find enough blood to sustain herself, so went into a deep slumber for however many centuries.”

  “She couldn’t sustain herself?” Sarah’s eyes widened. “Wait, was she a vampire?”

  “A vampire witch.” Alaric chuckled. “No wonder she had something like the Mark of Command.”