Chapter 45: Strange
As soon as Seraphina stepped out of the grand hall, she nearly bumped into Andrius, who was walking briskly alongside Vivienne and the physician. They exchanged nods, a silent acknowledgment of the chaos they had all just faced. Seraphina gave them a slight smile before continuing down the hallway, her footsteps fading away.
Vivienne, Andrius, and the physician entered the hall, making their way to the center with the physician move to the side leaving vivienne and andrius to the middle.
Duke’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied their expressions. "Any reports from the capital?" the Duke asked,
"Yes, Father " Vivienne began, "The situation at the castle has been managed. No one is harmed, and their Majesties, along with the prince and princess, are unharmed thanks to the swift action of the knights."
The Duke’s shoulders seemed to relax slightly, "Good... and the damages?"
"There were some damages, Your Grace," Vivienne replied. "The goblins seemed to be attracted to something within the castle grounds. They targeted specific areas, as if searching for something."
The Duke’s eyes darkened with suspicion, his fingers tapping thoughtfully against his arm. "Attracted? To what?"
"We are still investigating what exactly attracted them, Father," she replied carefully, "There was something that drew them in, but we haven’t identified it yet."
"And what of the wyverns and goblins? How did they die like that?"
Andrius straightened his posture and cleared his throat. "When we examined their bodies earlier..." he began, choosing his words carefully, "it seemed as if their mana had been completely sucked out."
The Duke’s frown deepened, lines creasing his forehead. "Mana... sucked out?"