Waiting in the carriage was a boring chore but Reece had no choice. He had gotten to the carriage at least three hours before everyone else. Sitting down inside the enclosed coach alone made him realize he should really get a time dial. He sighed, flicking the small golden button in his hand with his eyes closed.

  Meditation was the only way he could actually get through the moment, but he found himself unable to enter a meditative state. He had too many things troubling his mind as he usually did during the months of Gethsemane. Over the years, he’d realized trying to ignore those thoughts were useless.

  He opened his eyes, focusing on the button in his hand. It was a royal button — golden with a silver dragon insignia. According to Erous, this was the only thing buried in his palm when he found Reece standing in front of the bar looking lost. Reece however had no memory of it, or anything in his past.

  He had a few vague recollections of a burning town and a blue tree but they were just in his head like a framed painting, they had no links to any of his other memories. In fact the only thing from the past that he knew for sure was that he had a sister and he needed to find her.

  Although this was more of an instinct than a memory, he just knew this and it was like a tugging chain in his heart and sometimes if he wasn't too careful the thought affected his personality.

  He frowned when he sensed someone approaching the carriage but relaxed the moment he realized who it was. Shalliah had a very graceful aura and it was easily recognizable.

  “You came early,” the girl commented as soon as she entered the carriage.

  “Yeah,” Reece nodded. “I don't have a time dial, so I figured I would just try and get here as fast as possible,” he explained.

  Shalliah nodded. “Getting one would make your life easier though,” she advised. “The disciplined soldiers are not here yet?” she rolled her eyes in a sarcastic manner.

  “No,” he replied but as soon as he did, he sensed multiple footsteps approaching the carriage. “They are here now though.”

  Dale Hann and his cohort arrived at the carriage a few seconds later and so did Patelon who apparently was escorting the elderly Marshal.

  The team was finally complete so Reece and Shalliah alighted the carriage, it was time to know the full details of their mission and how they’d carry it out.

  Dale Hann saluted Marius, placing his palm on the chest and bowing completely, letting down his guard entirely. It was a sign of complete trust in one’s superior. The other three soldiers behind him did so too but the three acolytes didn't even budge.

  “Please boy, don't pander to me, you can't do this every time you see me,” the Marshal waved him off. “You are the one in charge of this team, technically I am your subordinate.”

  Dale Hann smiled. “Thank you for your trust sir,” he said before turning to everyone, he also made sure to give the three thaumaturges a scornful look before speaking. “It is great to see that we are all on time today and I am glad you all received my message to meet up here,” he smiled. “Our mission is a rather simple one like I said last time, all we need to do is investigate a certain area. However, the simplest missions are sometimes the most difficult, so let me explain in full details.”

  Reece focused all his attention the moment the man began to explain. “According to the report, the area of the forest we are heading to has already received multiple complaints from several townsfolk and herbalists combined. The reports however failed to reach any military outpost due to the vagueness of the situation. All they reported was plants not working like they should and some symbols carved to the trunk of trees, and honestly there hasn't been any real confirmation of anything harrowing going on. However, we have now received a report from the Credent of Iziah Jazzreh, which means we have to investigate and we have to find something.” He paused to make sure everyone was paying rapt attention.

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  “Well, I have split the mission into two parts, once one fails, we move to the other,” he folded his arms. “First we try to find anything unusual about this area and confirm the vitality of these plants and so on. If we can make any real confirmation of anything insidious going on, we can consider our mission over, all we have to do is report back and the authorities will send authorized agents to deal with it.” Reece nodded, considering how unlikely it is they actually encountered anything. This whole mission was a mere formality. “The second part commences if there is nothing to be found, we would need a scapegoat so we will probably need to find the person who has been drawing up the symbols and hand them over to the council in Jazzreh. So this could lead to a scouting mission but I reckon we would be able to return in a week or two,” he paused before adding. “Any questions?”

  Everyone shook their heads so he decided to move to the next topic. “For this mission, the bureau of thaumaturgy actually approved a talisman and insisted it be put to use. I am guessing they are running a test on it, but since it was given to us, I am guessing that means it is safe enough.”

  He stepped back and his constables revealed an item locked up in a fist sized hexagonal cage that had multiple equations inscribed on the cage. The artifact itself emitted a small blue glow, covered in mist. Its actual shape cannot be determined as it is covered in mist. “They called it Quiet. It is roughly on the level of a chalice,” Dale Hann explained.

  Reece frowned, a talisman on the level of a chalice? The only reason the bureau would have approved of that was probably because it was requested. However, none of them seem to know about the mission enough to request anything. The talismans were ranked the same way as thaumaturges. There was the unranked level, the lowest stage a thaumaturge can be, some call this stage the neophyte stage. They lack control of their abilities and naturally, there were no talismans in this stage.

  The second level was the acolyte, like Reece and his two friends. At this stage, they were more conversant with their abilities and their understanding of the symphony — the force behind their abilities increases and they are able to start developing themselves and understanding their abilities.

  The stage above that is the Chalice. There were about a hundred Chalices in all of Egrimorth, that was how rare it was for someone to graduate to such a level. One would need a thorough knowledge of themselves and the world. Thaumaturges on that level were extremely vital to the kingdom. Before the abolishment of slave markets, it was said that Chalices went as high as ten thousand gold minads. To put it to scale, the capital itself generated just seven thousand gold minads over the past three years. An artifact on that level was just daunting in might.

  The last stage of evolution was the Sage. There were only seven of them in Egrimorth and that was a record number. In fact only during king Alaroc’s time could the human kingdom boast of such numbers.

  “Quiet has the ability to suppress mental attacks, although once we let it out of its cage, our own thought process will be slowed down. So we need to always make sounds to counter the effect,” Dale stated. “And lastly, we will be heading to Jazzreh right away, and we will be meeting up with Al Sahim, the Credent that would be our guide.”

  Reece had to admit that Dale was quite eloquent and good at addressing people. The captain dismissed them and the eight of them boarded two different carriages. The thaumaturges and one of the soldiers whose name was Jalin Elnoir. A timid looking boy who Reece guessed was from the outer ring due to his red eye colour.

  Their journey to Jazzreh was not really a fascinating one, Shalliah spent the entire time trying to whisper to random birds and she managed to get two to come to her, but they all left immediately they discovered she had no food to give them. Patelon on the other hand was focused on a book he’d brought along and Reece sincerely didn't want to talk to anyone, he spent the entire time daydreaming of what kind of person his sister could be or how he would even begin to look for her.

  They only took three hours to arrive at Jazzreh. The town was an island and was attached to the capital itself by a thin stretch of land, although a bridge had to be constructed to fully connect it together. The bridge, called the Moving Wonder, was one of the marvels of the kingdom. It was made of metal and had the ability to actually disconnect itself from the other side. It also contained equations that would actually empower any thaumaturge standing on the bridge as it was seen as a line of defense.

  They arrived at Jazzreh around fourteen hours into the day, according to the time dials. They met the man named Al Sahim at the town hall. He was waiting for them patiently and he called to them the moment he spotted their carriage. “My friends!” He greeted them as they advanced towards him.

  The soldiers saluted him with a fist against their chest. The thaumaturges however didn't even acknowledge his existence until he acknowledged them first. “Acolytes, may you continue to light the path for us all,” the man stated.

  “Well met, your brilliance!” They chorused. Al Sahim was obviously from Isith, he was dressed in the official robe of a Credent but he had a shawl wrapped around his head and had no facial hair. A common type of dressing in the kingdom of Isith. He was light skinned and his eyes were brown. He was as tall as Dale in height and his fingers were adorned with different jewelries.

  He would have passed for a merchant with his dressing, but he looked way too thin to be one.

  “Well, there is no point in waiting around, let's head out now, I want to be done with this today if I can,” the man sighed. He picked up his backpack and then glanced at the group. “Is there a problem?”

  “No,” Dale spoke first. “I just didn't expect we wouldn't be discussing the details first,” he explained.

  “Oh,” the man made a dismissive gesture. “Honestly, there are no details to add. I am guessing you boys already have the way you do things, I am not here to pry or help you get the work done, I am just your guide,” he explained. “From me to you, this squad is a little too large for this errand. There is really nothing to see,” he smiled.

  Reece frowned. “You have been to the forest yourself?” he asked and that was the first time he’d spoken since he talked to Shalliah.

  “No,” the man said. “But we get stuff like this all the time. Most of the herbalists that made the claims were either ones that were dismissed from the council or have failed to heal someone, they are all just trying to cover up their failure.”

  Reece didn't say anything after that and they all followed him as they headed to the town's outskirts. They normally should have used the horses, but several areas in Jazzreh were sacred and many animals were banned from stepping in them, so they had to go by foot.