The decision to move was made quickly.

Too quickly for comfort perhaps, but that was the reality of the north. Hesitation usually created bigger funerals later.

By late afternoon the interception group had assembled inside the fortress courtyard while snow continued falling heavily from the darkening skies above Elarion.

Torches flickered against the storm winds.

Horses stamped restlessly against the frozen stone.

Knights adjusted armor straps while checking blades and crossbows one final time before departure.

The mood felt tense, though not fearful.

More like people preparing for another problem in a land filled with endless problems.

Lucas stood near the gates wrapped in a thick winter cloak while reviewing routes with several scouts.

"These trails become unstable after midnight," he warned while pointing toward the western ridges on the map. "Especially near the frozen ravines."

One scout grimaced.

"So we either freeze or fall to death."

"The north believes in balanced experiences," Lucas answered dryly.

Nearby, Seraphin Vale adjusted the fur lining around his gloves while quietly observing the preparations around him.

Everything here still felt strange.

Not the military organization itself.

That part made sense.

What didn’t make sense was how naturally everyone worked together despite the chaos constantly surrounding the territory.

Workers passed heated supplies toward the patrols.

Guards joked with blacksmiths.

Even the knights spoke to ordinary laborers without the usual noble distance.

Messy.

Unrefined.

Human.

The younger investigator finally walked beside Seraphin and lowered his voice slightly.

"This has officially gone beyond normal investigation duties."

"You realized that after the dragon or before it?"

"...Fair point."

Malen approached shortly afterward already fully armed.

Even beneath heavy winter gear, the Peak Knight carried an oppressive presence difficult to ignore. Nearby soldiers unconsciously moved aside whenever he walked past.

"My Lord," he greeted Lucien as the latter descended the fortress stairs.

The courtyard quieted slightly afterward.

Lucien wasn’t joining the expedition personally.

Not because he lacked ability.

But because rulers sometimes protected territories better by remaining behind.

Still, his arrival alone steadied the atmosphere noticeably.

Seraphin noticed that immediately.

Lucien looked toward Malen calmly.

"Capture if possible."

The knight sighed heavily.

"You always ruin the enjoyable solutions first."

"Try behaving like civilization exists."

"The north rejected civilization years ago."

A few nearby guards laughed quietly.

Lucien ignored them and shifted his attention toward Seraphin afterward.

"You don’t need to go personally."

The investigator shrugged lightly.

"If armed southern infiltrators entered this territory during an active royal investigation, I’d rather witness events directly."

Reasonable answer.

Lucien nodded once.

"Then return safely."

Simple words.

Yet strangely sincere.

Seraphin found himself staring at Lucien for a second longer than intended afterward.

Because the more he interacted with the so-called "worthless exile"—

The less he resembled the man described in noble records.

The fortress gates eventually opened as evening darkness settled fully across the valley.

Cold wind swept inward immediately.

The patrol departed.

Snow crunched beneath horses while torchlight slowly faded behind them as they rode westward into the frozen forests beyond Elarion.

The world became quieter away from the settlement.

Not peaceful.

Just empty.

Towering black pines surrounded the narrow mountain paths while snow-covered branches creaked softly overhead. Visibility worsened constantly as the storm thickened deeper within the forest.

For long stretches, nobody spoke.

Only the sounds of horses, armor, and wind remained.

Then the younger investigator finally muttered from beneath his cloak:

"I hate this place."

Malen glanced toward him.

"You’ve been here two days."

"That’s enough."

One of the knights ahead barked a laugh.

The investigator looked mildly offended.

"You people actually enjoy this weather?"

"No," the knight answered honestly. "We just stopped complaining because the snow ignores us anyway."

That somehow sounded deeply northern.

Hours passed slowly.

The patrol advanced deeper into the western forests while scouts moved ahead searching for tracks through the storm.

Eventually one rider returned from the front.

"Fresh movement."

Malen straightened slightly.

"How recent?"

"Less than an hour."

That sharpened the atmosphere instantly.

Seraphin studied the surrounding trees carefully afterward.

Snow hid most traces quickly, yet the scouts still managed to follow disturbed branches and partially buried footprints with impressive precision.

"These men know how to hide," Seraphin observed.

"Not well enough," Malen answered calmly.

The younger investigator suddenly looked upward nervously.

"...Is the dragon following us?"

High above the clouds, a massive golden silhouette briefly crossed the moonlight.

"Yes," Malen replied.

"That should not feel normal."

"It doesn’t."

The patrol continued another half hour before Aurethar’s voice suddenly echoed faintly from somewhere overhead.

"Stop."

Every rider froze immediately.

The dragon descended somewhere deeper within the forest moments later with enough force that snow fell from nearby trees in heavy waves.

Horses panicked briefly before the knights calmed them again.

Aurethar emerged through the pines afterward, golden scales glowing faintly beneath moonlight and storm shadow.

Even now, Seraphin still struggled slightly with the sheer absurdity of speaking casually beside a dragon.

Aurethar lowered his massive head toward the forest path.

"They were here."

Malen dismounted immediately.

"How many?"

"Still twenty-three."

Seraphin frowned slightly.

"They stayed together?"

"That is what concerns me," Malen answered.

Because trained infiltrators normally scattered under pursuit.

Unless they expected confrontation.

Or planned it.

Aurethar’s eyes narrowed toward the western trees.

"They know we follow."

The forest suddenly felt much colder after hearing that.

Malen crouched near disturbed snow while examining several partially hidden marks beneath the pines.

Then his expression hardened slightly.

"Camp remains."

"Recent?" Seraphin asked.

"Very."

One knight nearby pointed toward a nearby tree trunk.

Fresh cuts.

Arrow testing.

The younger investigator swallowed nervously.

"This is an ambush."

"Yes," Malen answered while rising slowly.

"Good."

Seraphin looked toward him.

"...Good?"

The Peak Knight rested one hand against his sword.

"If they stop hiding, things become simpler."

That was not the response of a normal man.

The patrol formation tightened immediately afterward as they advanced deeper between the frozen trees.

No more casual conversation.

No more relaxed movement.

Only silence.

Snowstorms swallowed visibility until the world narrowed to torchlight and dark forest shapes.

Then—

A sharp whistle cut through the storm.

Malen moved instantly.

"DOWN!"

Arrows exploded from the darkness. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

One knight was thrown violently from his horse while another barely raised his shield before steel slammed against it hard enough to spark.

The younger investigator stumbled backward into the snow.

Shapes emerged between the trees immediately afterward.

Black-cloaked figures.

Disciplined.

Fast.

Southern steel flashed beneath moonlight.

The ambush had begun.

And at the center of the storm—

Malen smiled faintly for the first time that night.