Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm
by Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 58: Shadows in the Night
The campfire burned low, its embers casting faint glimmers across the tense faces of Rae and her team. Krenz sat bound and scowling against a tree, his wrists tied with sturdy rope. His defiance hadn’t waned, though the weight of his failure was evident in his narrowed eyes and clenched jaw.
“Start talking,” Rae demanded, her blade resting casually in her hand. She stood over him, her stance relaxed but dangerous. “Why target us? Why Celestine?”
Krenz sneered, though his voice wavered slightly. “You think this is about her? About you? This is bigger than any of you. You don’t belong here—you’re the Inquisition’s favorites, and everyone knows it.”
Marcus stepped forward, his towering frame casting a long shadow over Krenz. “That’s not a reason. That’s jealousy. Try again.”
Krenz flinched but quickly recovered. “I wasn’t working alone,” he admitted, his voice low. “There are others—novices who see through your act. They know you’re not here to protect anyone. You’re here to prove you’re better than us. To control us.”
Rae knelt, her blade gleaming faintly in the firelight. “And what about the threats? The letters? The arrow? Who wrote those?”
Krenz hesitated, his eyes flicking toward the darkness beyond the camp. “I didn’t,” he said finally. “But I know who did. They wanted to make a point—to show you that you’re not untouchable.”
Celestine crouched beside Rae, her expression unreadable. “And who are they, Krenz? Who’s hiding in the shadows?”
He swallowed hard, his confidence faltering. “I can’t. They’ll—”
Rae’s blade glinted as she shifted it slightly, the edge coming close to his arm. “They’ll what? Hurt you? Looks like you’re already in deep enough trouble.”
The Escape
Before Krenz could respond, a faint sound cut through the night—a distant whistle, low and haunting. Tyren’s cogitator beeped, signaling movement in the forest.
“We’ve got company,” Tyren said, his voice tight. “Multiple signatures, closing in fast.”
Rae’s head snapped up, her instincts kicking in. “Defensive positions. Now.”
Marcus and Soren moved quickly, flanking Krenz and scanning the treeline. Celestine drew her knives, her sharp eyes darting between the shifting shadows. Tyren stayed close to the fire, his cogitator feeding him real-time updates.
But before they could react further, a sharp crack echoed through the air. The arrow struck the rope binding Krenz, severing it cleanly. He was on his feet in an instant, sprinting toward the forest.
“Stop him!” Rae shouted.
Soren fired his crossbow, the bolt narrowly missing Krenz as he disappeared into the trees. Marcus cursed under his breath, his hammer gripped tightly.
“They’re pulling him out,” Tyren said, his tone grim. “Whoever they are, they don’t want him talking.”
Pursuit
Rae didn’t hesitate. “We’re going after him.”
“Are you sure that’s smart?” Marcus asked, his voice wary. “This could be a trap.”
“It’s definitely a trap,” Rae said, her blade already drawn. “But we’re not letting him disappear without answers.”
The team moved swiftly, their movements silent as they entered the dense forest. The faint trail of Krenz’s footprints guided them, though it was clear he was moving quickly, trying to lose them.
The forest seemed alive with whispers, the rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs amplifying their unease. Every shadow felt like a threat, every sound a potential ambush.
“Stay close,” Rae said, her voice low but firm. “Watch each other’s backs.”
The Encounter
After what felt like an eternity, the team reached a small clearing. Krenz stood in the center, his hands raised as if in surrender. Around him were three other figures, their faces obscured by dark hoods. Each held a weapon—blades, bows, and crude clubs.
“You were warned,” one of the hooded figures said, their voice distorted. “You should’ve stayed in your camp.”
Rae stepped forward, her blade glinting in the moonlight. “And you should’ve stayed in hiding. Drop your weapons, or this ends badly for you.”
The figures laughed, their voices echoing eerily. “You’re outnumbered. You can’t win.”
Celestine smirked, stepping up beside Rae. “Want to bet?”
The tension snapped like a taut wire as the hooded figures lunged forward. Marcus’s hammer struck first, his swing sending one attacker sprawling. Celestine moved like a shadow, her knives a blur as she parried and countered. Soren fired his crossbow with deadly precision, each bolt finding its mark.
Rae engaged the leader, their blades clashing in a flurry of sparks. The hooded figure was skilled, but Rae’s precision and speed were unmatched. She disarmed them with a sharp twist of her wrist, her blade pressing against their throat.
“Who are you?” she demanded. “Why target us?”
The figure spat blood, their defiance unbroken. “You’re just pawns. You don’t even see the bigger game.”
Krenz’s Fate
As the fight ended, Krenz tried to slip away, but Marcus caught him, hoisting him off the ground effortlessly. “You’re not going anywhere.”
The remaining hooded figures were subdued, their weapons confiscated. Rae turned to Krenz, her expression hard. “Talk. Now.”
Krenz looked at the defeated figures around him, his resolve finally cracking. “It’s not just us,” he said, his voice shaking. “There’s more. A group—novices, staff… even some from outside the Scola. They’re planning something.”
“Planning what?” Rae pressed.
He hesitated, his fear palpable. “An attack. During the final phase of the Field Weeks. They want to send a message—to show the Scola isn’t as strong as it thinks.”
A Warning to the Shadows
Rae exchanged a glance with her team, the weight of the revelation sinking in. “We take them back,” she said. “All of them. The Commissar needs to know.”
As they marched their prisoners back to camp, Rae couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The shadows around the Scola were deeper than they’d imagined, and the fight was far from over.
But Rae and her team were ready. For the Scola. For each other. For the Emperor.
