I took a step to the right, narrowly dodging the dagger aimed at one of my eyes. I used the time this gave me to strike my opponent's outstretched arm. A shriek of pain escaped the monster's throat moments as his severed arm struck the ground, followed by the metallic clang of his weapon. The Bhor'Malt was crawling for its life. I followed him till he was leaning against the wall. He clutched his severed arm and had a defiant gleam in his eyes. I delivered the final blow, bringing his jerky respiration to a standstill.

Another scream echoed through the shadows behind me. Something was coming. I spun around and clutched my shield tightly.

“That smell!”

The breath of a malt! A shiver ran through me. I carefully backed out, keeping the shield in front of me. Panic swept over me. I didn't stand a chance against a malt. I’d been reading stories about these fights since I was a child. Many experienced men and women died to those beasts forty years ago.

It wasn’t long until my legs collapsed, and my breathing got difficult. I had to get myself together. I took a deep breath and uttered a few words in Old Crystalline. An arrow of light shot out in the direction of the scream. Seconds later, an arrow hit my shield, and another grazed my left ear. But the arrow of light gave me what I needed. This Malt appeared youthful, unlike the ones mentioned in the books. There was a gap in the wall to my left, taking cover for a moment to incant discreetly.

“Frhei'Larn.”

I came out, almost instantly, a first and second arrow dropped to the ground just before striking me directly. Meanwhile, I’d closed the gap between my opponent and myself.

“Laksha'Rnas!” I shouted.

A powerful light shone through the darkness. I swung my sword at the blind creature. My target collapsed and took my sword with him.

Dozens of screams broke the calm of the cave. The smell of the Malt I had slain was strong. The combined scent of all the approaching beasts nearly choked me. As time passed, it became more difficult to resist my urge to flee. I missed the connecting galleries. My head was getting heavy. If I stayed any longer, I'd be dead by sunset. The cave outlet wasn’t not far behind me. I ran. Once outside, the brightness briefly blinded me, but it became immediately easier to breathe and think.

“Phar'Fin!”

New words in old Crystallois. The cave entrance collapsed. I almost fell backwards as the energy left my body. It had to be done, but the cost was immense. Far more than a single shaft of light. With any luck, the trapped beasts would perish. If not, it would give me the time I needed to explain what had happened before returning with reinforcements.

 

“I fought them!” Rhob pleaded.

“That is absurd! We haven't seen a Malt for nearly half a century.” Rhilnaam responded.

“I killed him with my own hands,” Rhob insisted, pointing to his gloves stained with dried blood.

“Grotesque. Each of us was present when the last one died.” Rhilnaam spat.

Silence filled the room for a moment.

“If you did indeed kill him and yet remain unscathed, then it must have been only a Bhor. That's what Rhilnaam is trying to say,” Theresa explained, trying to calm everyone down.

“I still haven't rid myself of the scent. I can still hear their screams. And the horror... I didn't feel it while fighting. Now it all floods back,” Rhob replied, his hands visibly trembling.

“You are merely quoting what you have learned from our written records,” Rhilnaam said again.

Again, silence fell upon the room. I hesitated. Rhilnaam was correct; Rhob’s argument lacked logic, but his conviction was unwavering. He was one of our most experienced and skilled apprentices, soon to ascend to our ranks. That's why we had entrusted him this seemingly straightforward task from the White Plains. Had it proven too much for him? He wasn't one to fabricate stories.

“The discussion is concluded! Rhob, assemble a small team to exterminate everyone of these creatures. Now leave us. Go get some rest. We have more urgent matters to attend to.”

“What could possibly be more pressing than confirming the presence of a malt in those lands?” Miadiel inquired.

Rhilnaam appeared bored with the futile debate. I glanced at Mherlk, who returned my look with clear disapproval of Rhilnaam’s directives. senseless argument.

“I will go alone. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of my brothers and sisters,” Rhob declared vehemently. “But you will all be for mine, and this day it may be too late.”

Rhob’s outburst crossed a line, yet a lingering unease persisted within me. He had never shown cowardice or disrespect before. We need to hear all the information he had. Stepping forward, I interjected to halt Rhilnaam’s dismissive attitude.

"Rhilnaam." I commanded, fixing him with a stern gaze.

"What a pointless waste of our time, " He muttered.

"And what if it isn’t pointless? Will you bear responsibility for the consequences?" I retorted. "We need substantial evidence of your claims. Do you understand, Rhob?

"Yes, Lady Zenalyan." Rhob replied.

"Great," I said, positioning myself in front of him.

He took a deep breath before speaking.

"I wasn't there when the last Malt was slain. But I have devoured the tales."

"Everyone is acquainted with those stories."

"Not everyone read them as I did. My copy bears the markets of countless readings. Theresa can vouch for that."

Theresa nodded in agreement.

“What's written is brimming with details, but I sensed concealed emotions; I couldn't pinpoint them,” He said. “I found those missing answers yesterday when fighting. You are the one who wrote this book, didn't you?” He finished, staring at me.

I nodded, concealing a proud smile.

“The one I faced was youthful; his aura... It was immense and it almost overwhelmed me.”

Unfortunately, what he described might not have been a malt, they were not the only ones using an oppressing aura. Yet it was unsettling enough to require further investigation.

“Enough!” Kharnil interjected. “Surely, our gathering wasn’t convened to debate bhor’s proportions.”

“That's not for you to decide.” I responded, gesturing towards the door for those disinterested. “I shall.”

“We need you to provide us with more information to accurately identify what you encountered. Miadiel explained. “You do realize the consequences if there were indeed malts, don’t you?”

The room became silent again. There were horrors I had omitted from this volume.

“A horn!” he exclaimed. “And disembodied voices plaguing my mind! Faint echoes striving to ensnare me.”

My heart skipped a beat. Unsure of what to do, I stared at Miadiel.

 

“A horn? Voices in his head? What could that mean?” Rhilnaam’s question echoed in the room, mingling with the murmurs of others.

Many voices could be heard in the room.

“It means he speaks the truth,” Miadiel replied.

She weighed her words carefully. There were things she wanted to say but knew she couldn't. The gravity of the situation demanded serious consideration. Thankfully, our ranks swelled with warriors today.

“Then tomorrow we depart for Tur, gather all the volunteers you can find,” I ordered.

As my command settled in, the room emptied.

“Lyan,” Miadiel’s gaze held mine, a silent plea for consideration.

“I won't seek his counsel,” I stubbornly asserted. “We are more than capable of handling a few malts without him.”

"Then I will," Miadiel replied, disappointed.

Except for Rhob and the both of us, the room was empty. He sat, waiting for the storm to pass. Miadiel rose and stood in front of me.

"You know I like you...but sometimes I'd throttle you," She confessed, clenching her fist.

"This concludes our discussion." I maintained.

"Fine..." She replied, giving up. "Then Rhob will come with me."

"Sure, take him," I replied, relieved. "You'll need compelling arguments to convince that lazy drunk.

“If only you weren't so stubborn," she vowed. Rhob!”

"Lady Miadiel! He responded promptly.

"No lady, just Miadiel. We will be riding for days. Could you find us some sturdy horses?"

"When do we depart?"

"Before the sun sets."

"It was already past noon when I arrived."

"I knew you'd catch on quickly," she laughed.

Despite appearing weary, he swiftly left the room to prepare for their lengthy journey.

"You do know he'll make you apologize."Miadiel said to me.

"For calling him a lazy drunk? There is nothing inaccurate with that statement. He won't know unless someone tells him." I replied, attempting to appear confident.

"He may not be a prophet, but he's more knowledgeable than you think," she said, her eyes betraying a moment of fear. "Believe me when I say you'll be grateful to see him someday.

"Let's hope we never need to borrow his knowledge."

This man was remarkable, both outwardly and inwardly. His aura was always magnificent, drawing you in with its awe-inspiring and terrifying presence, a darkness that refused to release its hold. It was a facet he'd always attempted to conceal but couldn’t.

"We've discussed this countless times," I said. "I have no desire for that knowledge. He seems to have lived many lives and witnessed events straight out of nightmares."