Swords of Gilded Crimson

Chapter 60 | The Precedence of a Promise |

The camp was composed of three, clean-cut tents, sparse in the space of their breadth given the limited range of the forest allocated. But conducive to how adeptly streamlined and ridged they were in their shape- resembling the concept of the Tenebrian war camps, I could tell a great vastness awaited in each interior.

They encircled a mounting of a few lodges of wood, alit only with a few sparking embers of the smouldering remains of some, earlier fire.

The flaps of the foremost tent were cleaved apart hurriedly, from which appeared the last of the Intelligence party Kymil had deployed for this mission in Endisvale. With her nimble build, and tufts of mousy brown hair befalling her face, I recognised her to be Leandra, another of the Level 19 Intelligence agents. The highest level. Once again, only emphasising the gravity of the mission.

First joined by Emrick, she beckoned Kymil and Wilek into the same tent, for the requisite briefing of their duration in the maritime forest, thus far. I saw the glimpse of a makeshift, yet sturdy table in its centre, crammed with maps, blueprints, and a whole flurry of sheets ridden with calculations.

Just before heading in, Kymil stopped to offer me a place within the same meeting. Despite my curiosity, I shook my head. 'You wouldn't impose on any of the meetings held amongst the Chiefs of the legion.'

He frowned at the objection, but I added with a half-grin, hinting at the memories of the times where we were neither Spymaster nor General. 'Besides, our ideas were never really compatible, anyway.' Where he'd always preferred the approach of stealth, I favoured the more, candid attacks. Upfront, and blunt.

A lustre of amusement lit up his face, denouncing that ever-stern composure for a matter of seconds, before he gave a simple, ascertained nod.

As they withdrew into the tent to converse, I made a slow amble towards the other end of the campsite. Upon reaching, I couldn't help but awkwardly shift my footing, staring up ahead at the almost emerald foliage of the so-called enchanted trees. If only because Nikolai's presence behind me- now that we were alone for the first time, in quite a while- was becoming too conspicuous to feign an indifference to, any longer.

Other than the light chatter from within the occupied tent, and the crackling embers of the campfire, there was utter silence.

A silence that was given the power to linger so arduously, from the sole source of the events undergone in that tunnel. Or rather, his adherence to such, ridiculous morals.

If they could even be called that.

Behind me, Nikolai heaved a sigh. But I heard the patter of footsteps, drawing closer over the plush grass. He came to a stop when arriving to my right.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw him brace the toned muscles of his arms over his chest and peer into the looming canopies I'd been trying to divert my attention to.

'Well. They seem like an interesting bunch. Of course, you can't really see the magic on the leaves, so really, it just looks like another ordinary forest.' He muttered absently.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't care to speak on the farcical subject of conversation he'd chosen.

He let out an irked groan. 'Is this what the plan is, then? To just ignore me until the end of all of-' Nikolai threw a vehement hand up towards the forest enshrouding the camp. '...this.'

'Sounds like it.' I spoke bluntly, my eyes unwavering from ahead.

Out of sheer impulse, Nikolai made a swift swerve round to my front.

With hands both tender, and firm, he leant to lightly cup my face so as to tilt my gaze back to him. 'Fine. But first, you'll have to listen to what I have to say.' There was an audacious simmer in his dark eyes; a veil of obstinacy masking the ache within them.