The Skyhaven Warrior Guild was a swirling hub of activity, but Kai and Chiron—now Kael and Darius—were careful to remain in the background. They deliberately chose the most mundane assignment available: a Copper rank quest to clear wolves from a merchant road leading south toward the border.
It was a simple job offering minimal coin, but its very simplicity was the goal. Two mid-level warriors—a father with a splinted arm and a surprisingly quick teenage son—taking a low-risk quest was entirely plausible. Both were vastly overqualified, making failure impossible and exposure minimal.
The forest outside Skyhaven, however, quickly proved that the Eastern Empire held its own secrets.
They tracked the reported location easily. The scent of blood and fear led them to a stretch of path where
