Chapter 193 - Sanctum
A palpable weight hung over Crowcairn today, a tension Raimond had observed as he interacted with the villagers and pursued his investigations. It hadn’t been immediately apparent in the morning, but like an ominous wave spreading through the settlement, it had steadily become more pronounced as the day progressed.
Currently, he stood on the outskirts of the village, seeking momentary shelter from the watchful gazes of its residents as he contemplated the implications of it all. Perched on a low stone wall that encircled a small plot of land, likely used for livestock during the warmer seasons, he gazed across the rolling hills surrounding Crowcairn.
Despite his observations of their odd behaviour, his other interactions with the people here today had been as unproductive as those of the previous day. Perhaps even more so, as he would dare say they were more distrustful of him now than they had been earlier. That, or they had simply become less adept at concealing their suspicion under the prevailing atmosphere.
Regardless of the reason, with the way things were unfolding, it seemed only a matter of time before events escalated in one direction or another. Where that direction might lead and whether he would be involved in it remained uncertain, but the signs of something brewing beneath the surface were unmistakable.
Though he wasn’t fond of the methods themselves and considered them somewhat louche, he had considered employing alternative means to advance his investigations from this point forward. If his concerns were valid—which they often were—continuing his current approach was unlikely to yield results in time.
His attention was drawn to a figure appearing on the horizon, passing over one of the hills and approaching the village at a speed that would have been impressive for a normal person. Raimond also noted that the figure wasn’t following the road; instead, they were running across the open terrain as if their very life depended on it. Not that there was anything visibly pursuing them.
Raimond’s brows furrowed as he observed the individual, and after a moment’s thought, he motioned with his hands in the air in front of him.
Luminous Gaze.
A faint pulse of light followed the path traced by his hand, invisible to all but those positioned directly behind it. A second later, that light sharpened, becoming more defined and revealing a magnified image of the figure.
It was a man in his twenties, his bearded face hard-set and his clothes drenched in sweat. He wasn’t someone Raimond recognized, but he certainly seemed in a hurry.
For a fleeting moment, Raimond contemplated signaling to the man to inquire about the cause of his distress. However, he decided against it, opting instead to continue observing from a distance. He watched as the man reached Crowcairn, coming to an exhausted halt and leaning against a house while catching his breath.
A middle-aged woman with her hair bundled behind her approached the man, saying something. Raimond lamented that he had no aeromancy spell to decipher their conversation from his vantage point, but there was not much to be done about that. The bearded man shook his head, his demeanor clearly laced with urgency, his words causing the woman’s eyes to widen. She pointed deeper into the village, and with a nod of acknowledgment, the man resumed his journey, entering Crowcairn and soon disappearing from Raimon’s view.