The area near the Stonefang quarters had stronger patrol presence for one simple reason.
Tension.
No matter how much ’unity’ the Authorities tried to promote, they understood one thing well. The hatred the two sides held for each other was deeply ingrained into their very beings.
While most could and were controlling it, there was always a chance that soone, on a bad day, might do sothing irreversible.
And to prevent that, stronger patrols were deployed.
Not only were there more patrol teams here—three teams even had communication crystals, a rare artifact the Velmourns had traded from the rchants that visited them throughout the years.
One crystal was with the Velmourn Patrol, the second with the Stonefang Patrol, and the last was with the only mixed patrol group. This last one was mostly given to report anything that happened—not in the area, but within the patrol party itself.
Right now, however, Gruumak had contacted the second main patrol, the Stonefang group.
"Hold?"
The Stonefang patrol leader tilted his head, confused, but from the other side—
[Fast.]
Gruumak’s strict voice was heard again and in an instant, not just the patrol leader, but all other mbers of the party stiffened.
"Yes."
The patrol leader nodded. Gruumak cut contact, and the patrol leader looked at the rest of his n. They all stared back at him.
There were only 500 Stonefangs in total, so basically, they all knew each other. The na Fraza wasn’t foreign to any one of them.
And while the n were confused as to why the Chief wanted them to capture him, none of them questioned it.
They just nodded at each other and rushed toward the Stonefang Quarter, without any questions, debates, or delays—just like their Chief had told them to.
Within a minute, the Stonefang Quarter was already within reach. The Stonefang Patrol did not stop; they hurried in.
More than half of the Stonefang population was currently at work. The rest that were here were children, the old, and those who worked at night.
Stonefang people looked up as the patrols ran in, confused.
A woman holding a bowl stepped back, a warrior lifted his chin, a child pointed at the elderly man he was with and whispered in his sharp, rough tone.
"What happen? Who die?"
"Not know. Sothing important."
The elderly answered, observing the patrols silently.
The patrol party did not stop either—
"Move! Out way!"
The patrol leader shouted in a rough voice.
People stepped aside.
A man growled, a woman pulled her child back, a few warriors glared dangerously, but no one did anything.
The patrols pushed deeper into the quarter and soon, they were there—
In front of Fraza’s house.
By now, a crowd had ford behind them.
It wasn’t a loud crowd.
Stonefangs didn’t gather like Velmourns did.
They gathered like wolves did—silent, watchful, and... ready in case sothing happened. Even children were no different.
Fraza’s gate was shut.
The house itself was simple, similar to all others in the quarter—stone walls, a roof weighed down with stone slabs, a narrow door that opened inward so the wind couldn’t rip it away.
There was no smoke coming out.
No firelight.
No... sound.
The patrol leader stared at the gate for one second and then looked at his n.
"Maybe he sleep,"
One muttered.
Fraza was chosen for night shift at the Wall. It shouldn’t be long since he returned from work, so it was a very likely possibility.
But despite that, nobody even thought of being gentle.
Their Chief had not said ask.
He had not said check.
He had said hold.
Hold fast.
That was all.
The patrol leader lifted his fist and slamd it into the gate.
BANG
"Fraza!"
He shouted in a rough voice.
"Open!"
No answer.
He slamd again.
BANG
Still nothing.
The patrol leader’s mouth twisted, then—
"Break,"
He ordered.
Two Stonefangs stepped forward and kicked the gate together.
CRACK
The wood snapped, the latch gave in an instant, and the gate swung inward with a hollow sound.
The crowd behind them leaned in, their eyes narrowed, bodies ready for anything that might happen.
After all, if they were confused before, now it was clear.
Sothing was definitely wrong.
The patrol leader entered first, moving carefully as if he was expecting an ambush.
The second Stonefang followed.
Then the third.
Then the last.
Four patrol mbers.
Broad shoulders, hard breaths, and hands already near weapons.
And the mont the patrol party walked in, they stiffened as their eyes fell on Fraza.
Because Fraza was not sleeping.
He stood near the far wall, half-turned, like he was about to leave through the back, and when he realized the patrol party was already in, his eyes went wide, his mouth opened as he froze.
The patrol mbers looked at him, then they looked at the thing in his hand.
A communication crystal.
A faint shine pulsed inside it, telling them it was active, and the mont the patrol leader realized it, his stomach tightened.
After all, only the Chief, Velmourn elders, and a selected set of people had communication crystals.
And if Fraza had one... that ant he had taken it, or been given it.
And if it was active... it ant he had been talking.
To soone—probably the one who gave the crystal to him.
The patrol leader thought of the worst possibility, and Fraza staring at them like a beast caught in a trap did not help his case.
Just then—
The crystal slipped from his fingers.
It hit the ground and—
Crack
It cracked. The glow inside it died instantly.
But the damage was already done.
The patrol leader’s face hardened.
"Hold him!"
He barked.
Fraza moved.
He obviously did not fight— even if he was strong, going against four alone was foolish—so he ran.
Or at least he tried to.
He threw himself sideways, toward the back door, but the second patrol mber was already there. The man slamd his shoulder into Fraza’s chest and drove him back.
"Rgghh!!"
Fraza snarled.
He swung his fist.
The patrol mber took it on the jaw, spat blood, and grinned like it ant nothing.
"Traitor hit like child."
He muttered with a bloodied mouth.
Fraza’s eyes darted.
He was surrounded.
He wouldn’t be able to run, not like this—
So,
"Rrraaggghhhhh!!"
He roared, and in an instant, the air around the house shifted as the space around him trembled and three shadows spilled out of his Sanctuary.
Three beasts.
Fraza’s Bonds.
The first was a rock-lizard, as long as a man and twice as thick. Its body was covered in layered stone plates, like armor made from a mountain. Its eyes were red and flat. When it moved, the floor trembled.
It opened its mouth and breathed out a low rumble.
"KRRAAAKKKKK!!!"
A heavy, crushing sound that made the bones feel tight.
The second was a white-fanged hawk-beast, but not a normal bird. Its wings were torn-looking, like blades of ice. Its feathers were not soft—they looked like sharp shards. Its beak was long. Its talons clacked against stone like tal.
"KRRIIIEEKKKK!!"
It scread.
The scream cut through the air like a knife, making whatever furniture there was inside the room tremble.
The third was a shadow-stag, tall and thin, with horns like black branches. Smoke rolled off its body as if it was made of night. Its hooves didn’t make a normal sound.
It made no sound.
That was what made it worse.
The patrol leader’s eyes narrowed.
"So you fight."
He growled.
But Fraza did not care. He shoved past the second patrol mber, using the rock-lizard’s rumble to make the man stagger.
Then he pointed toward the door.
"Go!"
He snapped at his beasts, voice shaking.
"Make way!"
The hawk-beast snapped its wings outward.
WHOOSH
A slice of cold wind burst through the house. It wasn’t just wind—it carried ice-dust, sharp enough to cut skin. It hit the patrol mbers’ faces, making them flinch.
The shadow-stag lunged forward, its horns lowered as it moved fast and... silently.
The rock-lizard, on the other hand, slamd its tail against the floor.
BOOM
The floor cracked, the entire house shook, and the crowd outside stumbled back, startled. Yes, they were ready for anything, but this still surprised them to so extent.
They did not think Bonds would be called out.
But in the end, Fraza’s actions left the patrol party no choice.
The space around them trembled as well and suddenly, the small house beca too small as more and more Bonds appeared.
The Patrol’s Bonds.
Ten in total, filling the space with heat, breath, claws, and power.
The first patrol mber pulled out a lava-hound, a black dog-beast with cracks of orange light running through its body like magma veins. Its mouth smoked. Its paws left faint burn marks on the stone.
The second patrol mber pulled out a bone-ape, tall and pale, with arms too long and ribs showing like armor. It moved in jerks, fast and... ugly. Its fists were like hamrs.
The third patrol mber pulled out a storm-goat, broad and thick, with horns wrapped in faint blue sparks. Its fur stood up as if the air itself was angry around it.
The fourth patrol mber—quietest of the four—pulled out sothing that made even the crowd gasp:
A glass serpent.
It was long and thin, its body see-through like frozen water. Inside it, faint light swam like trapped stars. Its eyes were calm. Too calm.
And that was just four.
More ca.
A spike-tortoise the size of a table, shell covered in long black spikes.
A fire-moth with wings like burning paper.
A steel boar with tusks that looked freshly sharpened.
A wind-cat, small but fast, with a tail that split into two streams of air.
A mud bear, thick and heavy, skin always wet, always shifting like clay.
A needle crow, a dark bird with feathers like thin darts.
Ten Bonds in total, ready to capture the traitor, no matter what it took.
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