The interrogation proved less informative than hoped. The scarred man, who identified himself only as Vex, maintained that he had been hired to capture specific individuals from the outlying settlements, with healers commanding the highest bounty.
But he claimed ignorance of the ultimate purpose, insisting that he merely delivered captives to a contact at the trading post and collected payment.
"The Sandblight doesn't share his plans with the likes of me," Vex said with a shrug that belied his bound hands. "I follow orders, collect my coin, and ask no questions. Safer that way."
"And these orders," Kael pressed. "They came directly from the Sandblight?"
"Through his lieutenant, a northerner named Silas." Vex's expression darkened at the name. "Cold one, that. Eyes like a dead fish. Always watching, measuring. Not a true bandit; too clean, too educated. Speaks like you nobles do."
This was valuable information, suggesting that the Sandblight's organization might include elements from beyond the March, perhaps connected to the northern interests that had been pressuring the region politically.
"And where would I find this Silas?" Kael asked.
Vex laughed, a harsh sound in the small room. "You don't find Silas. He finds you when it suits his purpose." His eyes narrowed shrewdly. "But if you're that eager for a meeting, you won't have long to wait. The Sandblight's been gathering his forces for weeks. Today was just a taste of what's coming."
The warning aligned with the system's countdown, which had been tracking the buildup to a major bandit assault. But the additional details about Silas and the specific targeting of healers added new dimensions to the threats that might connect to the deeper mysteries of the ritual anchors and the Wastes' expansion.
As Kael left the makeshift jail, he found Mira waiting outside, her small form nearly invisible in the shadows of the courtyard.
"You should be resting," he told her, surprised by her presence.
"I heard you questioning the prisoner," she admitted without apology. "About Silas and the healers."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Eavesdropping is a useful skill for a scout, but not when practiced on your own commander."
"I wasn't eavesdropping on you," Mira corrected with the literal precision of youth. "I was gathering information about the enemy."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kael found himself fighting a smile. "And what did you learn?"
"That there's more happening than just bandit raids." Her expression grew solemn beyond her years. "The man who took my sister Vex, he's just a tool. Someone else is pulling the strings. Someone who wants healers for some specific purpose."
"That's my assessment as well," Kael acknowledged, impressed by her insight.
"I want to help stop them," Mira said firmly. "Not just by scouting. I want to learn to fight, to defend our people properly."
Kael studied her for a moment, seeing not just a child seeking revenge, but a potential asset to the March's defense. Young, yes, but with a determination and intelligence that couldn't be taught.
"Find me when you're ready to learn how to stop them," he said, echoing his words from their first meeting. "Training begins at dawn."
Mira's answering smile was fierce with purpose. "I'll be there."
The following days saw significant changes at Fort Marrow. The successful rescue had elevated morale throughout the March, with more outlying settlers seeking the fort's protection or offering their labor in exchange for security. The population swelled, straining resources but providing welcome additional hands for the ongoing projects.
Kael established a formal militia training program, teaching basic combat techniques to any who wished to learn. To his surprise, nearly half the volunteers were women, including Lina and several other former captives. They trained alongside the men, many showing aptitude that rivaled or exceeded their male counterparts.
Mira proved an exceptional student, her small size becoming an advantage in the defensive techniques Kael taught. She lacked raw strength, but her speed and precision more than compensated. Within days, she was assisting with the training of other young recruits, her fierce determination inspiring those around her.
The fields showed the first signs of growth, delicate green shoots pushing through the soil in neat rows that followed the irrigation channels. Elara organized regular inspections, particularly around the ritual marker they had discovered, monitoring for any signs of interference or contamination.
Seven days after the rescue mission, as Kael was overseeing wall repairs on the western section, a sentry called out from the watchtower.
"Rider approaching from the north! Single horseman, moving fast!"
Kael climbed to the tower, taking the spyglass to observe the approaching figure. The rider was pushing their mount hard, suggesting urgency rather than hostility. As they drew closer, Kael recognized one of the scouts he had sent to monitor the northern borders.
"Open the gates," he ordered, descending to the courtyard to meet the arrival.
The scout, a wiry man named Dorn, practically fell from his exhausted horse, his face streaked with dust and what looked like dried blood.
"Sir Kael," he gasped, accepting water from a concerned bystander. "The northern settlement, Oakridge it's gone. Completely destroyed."
"Bandits?" Kael asked, though something in Dorn's expression suggested a different answer.
"No, sir. Something else." Dorn's voice dropped, as though afraid to give full voice to what he had witnessed. "The buildings were intact, but the people... they were just... empty. Like husks. No wounds, no signs of struggle. Just... drained."
A chill ran through Kael at the description, so similar to the accounts of Stonehollow's fate generations earlier. "How many?"
"The entire settlement. Forty-three souls." Dorn's hands trembled as he drank more water. "I found them this morning. Must have happened during the night. No survivors, no witnesses."
"And you saw no one else in the area? No signs of who might be responsible?"
"Nothing human," Dorn replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "But there were tracks in the soil around the settlement. Not footprints. More like... scorching. Patterns burned into the ground, forming a circle around the entire village."
Elara, who had joined them during Dorn's report, exchanged a significant glance with Kael. "Like ritual markings," she murmured. "Similar to what we found at Stonehollow, but on a larger scale."
Kael made his decision quickly. "Sergeant Garek, assemble a team. Twenty of our best, fully armed. We leave for Oakridge within the hour."
"Sir," Dorn interjected, his expression haunted. "There's something else. Before I left, I saw movement at the edge of the Wastes. Shadows, moving against the wind. Heading north."
The system activated briefly, a pulse of warning rather than assessment.
***
[Critical Threat Detected: Waste Expansion Accelerating]
[Ritual Activity: Confirmed (Major)]
[Countdown to Bandit Attack: Recalculating...]
***
The update confirmed Kael's growing suspicion that the bandit activities and the ritual sites were connected, part of a coordinated effort with the Wastes' expansion as its ultimate goal. And now that effort had escalated from subtle sabotage to direct, devastating action.
As they prepared for the journey to Oakridge, Kael found himself approached by Mira, her expression resolute.
"I'm coming with you," she stated, not a request but a declaration.
"This isn't a training exercise," Kael warned her. "What happened at Oakridge is beyond anything we've faced before."
"All the more reason you need eyes that see what others miss," Mira countered. "I can spot tracks others overlook, find paths through terrain that seems impassable."
She was right, Kael realized. In the short time since joining them, Mira had demonstrated an uncanny ability to read the land and its signs. And if they were truly facing a threat connected to the ancient rituals, every advantage would be needed.
"Stay close to me or Sergeant Garek at all times," he instructed. "And if I give an order to retreat, you follow it without question."
Mira nodded, her solemn expression belying her youth. "Understood."
As they rode out from Fort Marrow, Kael felt the weight of leadership more keenly than ever before. The March faced threats on multiple fronts: bandits gathering for a major assault, political pressure from the north, and now this new, more mystical danger emerging from the Wastes. The challenges seemed overwhelming, the resources at his disposal woefully inadequate.
Yet as he glanced back at the fort, seeing the newly repaired walls and the green shoots emerging in the fields beyond, he felt a surge of determination. In the short time since his arrival, real progress had been made.
The land was responding to their care, the people to his leadership. Whatever darkness threatened from the Wastes, it would not find the Southern March defenseless or unprepared.
The system activated once more as they rode north, a brief assessment that seemed to echo his resolve.
***
[Territory Defense: Mobilizing]
[Leadership: Tested (Responding)]
[Quest Updated: The Sundering's Legacy]
[New Objective: Investigate Ritual Escalation]
***
The journey to Oakridge would take most of the day, giving Kael time to prepare mentally for whatever awaited them. But one thing was already clear the quiet period of building and preparation was over. The real test of his leadership, and of the March's resilience, had begun.