Cain wiped the sweat from his forehead as he and Roc made their way back toward the settlent. The work in Sentry’s shrine had been more draining than he’d anticipated, even with Roc providing the mana. His head still throbbed with the lingering effects of channeling so much spatial energy through the runic inscriptions.
’At least that’s done. One anchor down.’
The evening air carried a bite that hadn’t been there when they’d first set out. Redscale’s weather patterns were as unpredictable as everything else on this cursed island. What had started as a relatively mild day was rapidly turning into sothing that would require everyone to huddle around their fires for warmth.
"The temperature drops quickly here once the sun starts to set," Roc observed, his breath already visible in small puffs.
"Makes sense. No real sunlight gets through those clouds anyway." Cain glanced up at the perpetually grey sky. "Sotis I wonder if this island ever sees proper daylight."
They were approaching the outskirts of the settlent when Cain noticed the change in atmosphere. The usual evening sounds - conversations around cooking fires, the playful growls of cubs, the thodical activities of pack mbers preparing for the night - had taken on a different quality. Not silent, but... cautious.
"Sothing’s got your people on edge," Cain muttered.
Roc’s enhanced senses were already picking up on whatever had caused the shift. His posture straightened, and Cain could see his nostrils flaring as he tested the air for unfamiliar scents.
"We have company," Roc said with obvious resignation. "Blood-Curse Bats."
A high-pitched laugh echoed from sowhere ahead of them, musical and bright but with an edge that made it clear the laughter wasn’t entirely friendly.
"Well, well! Look who finally decided to erge from their little secret hideaway!"
The voice ca from directly in front of them, though Cain couldn’t see anyone there. Then a small figure dropped from what must have been one of the higher tent poles, landing with impossible grace just a few ters away.
Ambrosia, Empress of the Night, looked exactly as Cain rembered her from their previous encounters. Child-like in stature, with pale skin and delicate features that would have appeared innocent if not for the predatory gleam in her dark eyes and the mbranous wings folded against her back.
"Ambrosia," Cain acknowledged with a cautious nod.
"Oh, don’t sound so formal, darling!" She practically bounced as she spoke, her enthusiasm seeming genuine despite the calculating look she was giving him. "I’ve been waiting ages for you to finish whatever mysterious project you’ve been working on. The spatial distortions were quite impressive, by the way."
Behind her, more figures began to erge from various hiding spots around the settlent’s periter. Cain counted at least four other Blood-Curse Bats, including one that was notably larger and more heavily built than the others - Shadow, if he rembered correctly, Ambrosia’s second-in-command.
"Shadow, dear, co say hello," Ambrosia called without turning around, as if she’d noticed Cain’s gaze.
The larger bat stepped forward with a respectful nod toward Cain, then took position slightly behind and to the right of Ambrosia. A bodyguard’s position.
"Lord Roc," Ambrosia continued, finally acknowledging the Direwolf with a smile that was anything but friendly. "How absolutely wonderful to see you again. Still playing the dutiful lapdog, I see?"
Roc’s jaw tightened, but his response was asured. "The pack prospers under strong leadership, Ambrosia. A concept you might want to consider."
"Oh, my children follow just fine, thank you very much," she shot back with obvious irritation. "The difference is that they do it out of love and respect, not because they’re afraid of getting their ears boxed if they step out of line."
’Here we go,’ Cain thought to himself. The tension between these two was going to make negotiations considerably more complicated.
"Perhaps we could discuss this sowhere more comfortable," he suggested, hoping to defuse the situation before it escalated further. "The evening air is getting rather cold."
"Actually," Ambrosia said, turning her attention back to him with renewed brightness, "I was hoping we might take a little trip instead. Back to my territory, specifically."
Cain raised an eyebrow. This was moving faster than he’d anticipated, though not necessarily in a bad direction. "Your territory?"
"The caves, darling. Where my children and I make our ho." She spread her wings slightly, the motion catching what little light remained in the sky. "I have sothing I think you’d find quite interesting. Sothing that relates directly to your spatial magic work."
"What kind of sothing?" Roc asked, his tone suspicious.
Ambrosia’s grin widened, showing the elongated canine teeth that marked her as a predator despite her youthful appearance. "Oh, nothing that would concern a simple pack leader. This is business for people who actually understand the complexities of magical engineering."
The insult was delivered with such cheerful malice that Cain had to suppress a wince. Roc’s growl was low and barely audible, but unmistakably threatening.
"What I have to show you," Ambrosia continued, addressing Cain directly while completely ignoring Roc’s reaction, "will make your second spatial anchor much more effective than it would be otherwise. Trust , I wouldn’t waste your ti with trivialities."
The emphasis she placed on ’second anchor’ made it clear she knew exactly what he was planning. Her intelligence network was apparently more extensive than he’d given her credit for.
"How do you know about the second anchor?" Cain asked.
"Oh, please. You think I can’t put two and two together?" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You create one spatial connection point, you’re obviously planning to create more. And since my territory is the most strategically valuable location on this island after the wolf pack’s little lakeside resort, it’s rather obvious where you’d want to place the next one."
She had a point. The Blood-Curse Bat caves were positioned to control access to a significant portion of Redscale’s interior, and their stockpiles of Blood Crystals made them valuable allies for any long-term strategic planning.
"Very well," Cain decided. "Lead the way."
Ambrosia clapped her hands together in obvious delight. "Wonderful! This is going to be such an educational experience."
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