Chapter 73 – Capture
By the time Varren returned with his new mission and crossed the barrier of the Hollow Song Sect, the clouds had thickened above them all once again, and the muddy paths had turned even worse with rain beginning to fall in a continuous, thick curtain. Thanks to it, every step produced a wet sucking sound beneath his boots as he climbed the slope and then descended another, heading directly towards the place where his old 'friend' was living... The one who was now his handler, Chalvert.
He kept his pace steady, forcing himself not to hurry, thinking about what Siu had told him at the end. If there were a chance to hit him in the face... really hit him...
"Haaah..." He sighed, which was drowned out by the thunder rumbling within the dark clouds.
He knew that Chalvert most likely wouldn't take part in that sabotage; he was a higher-ranking lieutenant in the Stone Ward group... Not high enough to be in Bren Tarr's inner circle, but... he was well known. Still, just imagining him having his revenge... It already felt good. To think he once believed him to be a friend, only to then get duped into a loan when he was down, and turn him from a friend to a handler... Previously, it made Varren depressed, but now? Somehow, he felt more alive than ever in the past few years, rekindling the spirit he once had when joining the Hollow Song.
Still, the moment he reached his private home, close to the mines, his stomach tightened, all the nervousness he showcased the first time he signed up for the Wardens' announcement, returning in full. Not that he tried to fight it, knowing full well that it was one thing that Chalvert would pick up on... If he arrived brave, he would already become suspicious.
Standing before the place, Varren took a deep breath and knocked on the front door, which was directly built into the walls on the top of the mining site, right at the start of it, half of the building being in the stone, the other half at the top, like a weird hybrid.
"Huh?" Chalvert opened the door, squinting, noticing him standing there, looking sorry and soggy thanks to the rain. He almost laughed out before finally stepping aside, "Come on in, you sorry idiot. I hope you came to tell me something nice, but... if not? Seeing you like this is already funny enough for me to not smack you back to your home."
Varren suppressed the urge to grimace after hearing his voice, following him into the well-lit room, where the stone floor was covered with multiple pelts of beasts. As he scanned the room, he saw a table on the right side of the bottom floor that looked like a kitchen and a living room mashed together, with a half-eaten plate of food and an open bottle of wine on it.
"Watch your steps, Varren!" Chalvert warned him, "These pelts are worth as much as a week of your interest. We don't want to rack up more now, do we?"
"No... we don't," Varren muttered, standing at the door, showing actual hesitation about how to continue, deciding it was best if he just stood there, doing his best to get off his muddy boots and wring out the water from his robes, making Chalvert chortle.
“You’re late,” He added casually, "I was expecting you to come and report early."
“There wasn't much to report,” Varren replied, bowing slightly.
“That’s unfortunate.” He sat down, continuing to eat a massive piece of meat, spraying gravy everywhere as he bit into it. "Come on, sit," he gestured toward the empty chair.
"I..."
“Sit.” He ordered, his face turning dark
"..." Varren shuddered at the strength of his voice and then obeyed, apparently pleasing his old friend with his reaction. Watching him keep eating, Varren finally reached into the inner pocket of his robe and placed a folded parchment on the table. “I have something important.”
"Bloody time," he grunted, wiping his hand on a rag and then opening the letter, as his eyes began scanning the text. "..." This time around, even his face went serious, and for several seconds, the only sound inside the room was the rain and the rumble of thunder coming in from the outside. "Well, well, well! Finally... This is something that will help you pay back your debt, my old buddy!" He smiled, giving Varren a slow, predatory grin.
"I... hope..." Varren nodded, gulping, not looking at his face or into his eyes, mostly because he didn't want him to notice the hatred he was harboring inside him.
“Where did you get this?”
“Spirit Wardens had a meeting... As one of the most active members, I was invited. I memorized everything, and came to you the first chance."
"Good, good, good!" He repeated three times in quick succession, "Good boy."
The praise made Varren’s stomach twist, but he forced himself to keep his expression... appropriate, not that it bothered Chalvert as he returned his attention to the parchment.
“They’re idiots.” He spoke after about five minutes of silence, "Kae'Lin is no fool, I admit, but you and the rest...? Hah. Amateurs. Is the location fixed already?"
“I think it is," Varren nodded, "They mentioned some... Western ridge, as I wrote it down, but... I will keep refreshing if it's changed. I don't really know where that is, though...”
“I do, and we can do something about it... Still, the moment this changes, you come and report... Got it?"
"Y-yes..."
"I asked... Do you... Understand?" He sneered, forcing Varren to look into his eyes as he leaned forward, watching him over the top of the parchment.
“Yes.”
"Better. Fucking stuttering idiot... It drives me up the wall! Be honest with me... How reliable is this?”
"..." Varren swallowed. "It came directly from their preparation meeting... But the Ember Circle is the one in charge!"
"Go back." Chalvert said in the end, "I will forward this at once, and of course, don't worry. We will make your debt shrink..." He smiled, watching Varren stand up, like he was pardoned or something. "But Varren! You report to me after every meeting. Understood? Whatever happens or changes... You come and report to me... I don't care when or how! You. Come. And. Report. Understood?"
"Y-yes..." He nodded, leaving, disappearing into the rain, his heart pounding, wanting to skip every day until the hunt began, and finally get back at them.
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By the next morning, Stone Ward had already begun moving. Bren Tarr stood in the center of the office, listening to all the reports and confirmations because just one spy's statement wasn't enough for him. But the moment his people began watching and then paying the Golden Scroll for more information to reinforce their findings, it all came out as true.
“This is a real hunt, and they are not bluffing." His lieutenant confirmed, and this time, Chalvert was also there, feeling this was his big chance to become a core member of the association.
"I agree, especially after seeing how Cal'Fia is doing her best to keep it under wraps," Bren leaned back slightly while his thick fingers drummed against the table, wearing a smile, “What about the boy? Will he stay useful for us after this is done?”
“He is terrified as always.” Chalvert answered after every eye looked at him, "But I think we can keep using him; they won't suspect someone like that idiot, and he is an obedient asset."
“Don't overuse him.” Bren snorted, warning him, “We have the other three in, so don't gamble with his secure position... Turns out, he is the only one who is making progress; the other three are... Oh well. We need sacrificial lambs anyway, people who can take the fall if our main spy gets suspected of something." He said, his eyes returning to the map. “So... They’re trying to herd Ironcrown Stags.”
“Looks like it.”
“The kitchens do need meat, because spring always is and was about everyone resuming their cultivation like a bear waking up from hibernation.”
"Any instructions, Boss?"
“Prepare three teams.” Bren said, after thinking about it, "We will sabotage them."
“Same approach as before?”
"Don't modify something that works," Their leader nodded. “I will leave the team composition to you all, but keep shadowing them. When their hunt begins, wait until the chase is on, and coordinate together! Then scatter the herd, just when they least expect it..."
“What about Kae'Lin?” Chalvert suddenly asked.
"Deal with her if you can..." Bren muttered, steepling his fingers, "That girl is good and could be an issue, especially if Cal'Fia becomes an Inner Disciple and she gets to take over. The forest is dangerous, so..." He looked at the others, "Nobody can say anything if they get injured in there."
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Meanwhile, their supposed 'prey' was also having a meeting inside the Spirit Wardens’ tower, and the preparations looked exactly as chaotic as Stone Ward expected. Most of the people who had been chosen to attend didn't know anything about traps or dangers and thought that it was a big chance opening up before them... Finally! Another excursion into the forest! Even if it is with the Ember Circle, by now, everyone thought that if a Warden goes to hunt, there is a high chance they will come out with a Spirit Beast. What else needed to be known besides that, to fire up everyone? Nothing.
It was why, when the day of the hunt had arrived, they were more than ready, oblivious to their actual role, led into the forest by Kae'Lin and Varren, cutting through the low-hanging morning mist. But they were not the only ones, as another group, with none other but Chalvert in their midst, also entered the forest, splitting up into three units.
Both sides' formations were pretty confident, ready for a great job and a great hunt, especially the Wardens' side, following Kae'Lin's lead.
“Remember,” she said casually, “we’re hunting, so be on your toes! Let my people handle the killing part of it, while you Wardens, make sure the stags don't stray from the course we outlined. Agreed?”
Her companions nodded without hesitation, unaware that a pair of eyes watched from a tree branch above them, gliding from one to the other, spying on them with glee for being such a good companion to her Master.
“They’re heading exactly where the plan has said they should.”
“Of course they are.” Arya joined in, reinforcing Marly's assessment, as she was tracking the Stone Ward members, without any of them ever noticing. "The Dung Ward members are also on track... Master, your prediction is on point. Marvelous!"
"Just keep watching and make sure everything is in order. Do not interfere, and don't give yourself away." Siu answered, his voice echoing in their head.
"Relax, Master!" Arya said with a chortle, "We are super good at this!"
"Super good!" Marly agreed.
Siu couldn't help but smile because the connection between him and his beasts now showed their real advantages, as they were hundreds of meters away, on the opposite side of the whole thing. The core of the Wardens waited patiently, having to do nothing until their plan entered its final phase. They all stood beside a rough outcrop of a stone wall, overlooking the narrow choke point he had marked on the map, hoping to trap Tian's marked stag.
"Hopefully, Kae'Lin will spot the one you chose," Rinmei muttered, making Tian smile. "And then break it off towards the right direction."
"She will... She is a great hunter."
"Are you two fucking?" The Twins suddenly asked, silencing everyone, and Tian's head, like something on a slowly rotating skewer, turned towards the two.
"What...?" He asked, his face unable to properly express the emotions he was feeling at that moment, making it look... blank.
"Are you two," Milli began, "fucking?" Nilli finished, even using her fingers to illustrate.
"N-no...?" Tian answered, almost falling over, while Neya was hiding behind everyone, trying to disappear, unlike Rinmei, who looked... interested.
"Can't you tell..." Siu asked, also somewhat curious, as the Twins just shrugged, snapping their heads at him.
"Look, the boy is not a virgin, okay?" Milli said with slanted eyes.
"He has a different smell than you." Nilli nodded, and now every head snapped towards Siu, and Tian also began choking on a laugh he was trying to suppress, only because he didn't want anyone to hear them and give their position away.
"There is nothing wrong with that!" Neya suddenly spoke up, already defending Siu with a scarlet face of her own, while Siu just reached up, running his hand through his hair.
"I never in my life would have imagined..." He mumbled, ignoring the others, "That girls are worse than boys when it comes to this thing... Focus... just please... focus on the hunt, okay? Haaaah..."