The Iron Mage

Part 10: The Corpus Arcanum

Elín crept through the undergrowth, considering each step carefully. Her movements were as silent as ever, though in this case, it didn't really matter. The noise emanating from the camp they were circling made sure that noticing anyone approaching by sound was almost impossible. Elín soon spotted a tall tree with branches dense in leaves – ideal for surveying the camp without being seen. Having scaled the tree, she scanned the area. The camp was littered with tents of varying sizes. It was clear that this was not a small operation; someone really wanted to get into the hidden lair that lay beyond the rubble. The workers had made good progress, as well: a large opening had been dug into the mountain. Remains of old, well-crafted pillars were sticking out from the debris that still blocked some parts of the entrance. There was no telling exactly how far into the mountain the workers had progressed, as the constant stream of labourers disappeared inside the breach. At the very least, the wagons that emerged from there were still filled to the brim with rocks. Regardless, it was clear that Dane and his group couldn't afford to tarry. Elín quietly pointed at one of the tents at the very edge of the site. It was much larger than most others, and made from colourful, and most likely expensive, cloth. Notably, a large, lizard-like skull had been affixed above its entrance. "Perhaps you should check that one out? We might find out who's responsible for this dig," Elín whispered. "Yeah. Let's hope that it is empty," Dane responded as Elín quietly slid back down to the ground and started approaching the tent. Some guards had been posted around the perimeter, but none of them managed to spot Elín. Of course, these men didn't seem to be too alert. After all, who would bother approaching an archaeological dig?

Judging by the fact that the men guarding the camp looked more like mercenaries than soldiers, it was likely that this was a private endeavour. That is to say that it wasn't the White Order, which did raise a question. How had they managed to discern the lair's location? Hopefully, the tent would offer some answers. Two guards were posted at the tent's entrance, but that wasn't an issue. As Dane was noncorporeal, he could just float inside it, while Elín stayed outside. The inside of the tent was furnished like a mansion. Expensive pelts covered the ground, and all of the furniture had been expertly crafted of the finest wood. Dane quickly examined the tent and noticed a pile of parchments resting on the table. He floated over to them and started to skim through their contents. Much to his dismay, they consisted only of reports concerning the finances of the excavation. Unless Dane was interested in the wage rates of the dig's workers, he would find nothing of importance among the documents. Still, he noted that the seal that had been stamped onto them featured a prominent black snake. Dane was sure that he recognized the symbol from somewhere, but before he could come up with anything, he heard noises approaching the tent's entrance. Two men entered the tent. The other was the very image of a wealthy merchant, dressed in fancy garments and sporting a grand moustache. The other man was the polar opposite of the mildly obese merchant: he was very tall, very muscular and sported a bald head with scars running down his face. He wore heavy plate armour and carried a longsword. Judging by the man's posture, it was very clear that he also knew how to use the weapon.

"I swear, these workers are just so lazy! We should have cleared the entrance almost a week ago, yet they tell me it's going to take another day!" the merchant-looking man bellowed, waving his hands. The warrior seemed to be fairly fed up with the man's words but opted to stay quiet. Suddenly, an amulet that had been attached to his belt started vibrating. The merchant was about to continue his tirade, but the warrior raised his hand. "Hang on. We might not be alone in here," he said, laying his hand on the handle of his mace and scanning the tent. "Hogwash. Who'd come here and why? You don't need to be so on edge, Maximus," the merchant said, sitting down in his plush chair. Still, the warrior, or Maximus, kept looking around. Seeing this as his cue to leave, Dane floated back to Elín's side. Though he had been invisible, it was quite possible that the warrior's amulet had somehow sensed his presence. "We need to leave," he whispered as he reached her. Immediately, she started her retreat to the forest. The warrior had exited the tent and was now talking with the guards posted outside it. His words seemed to motivate them, as they drew their swords and started surveying the area. Had Elín and Dane left ten seconds later, they would've been found out. Thankfully, they were able to elude all of the guards and after a brief trek, they reached the rest of their group.