With Vorde and Patrick leading the way, their path never once aligned with the obvious.
They avoided the main roads entirely, steering clear of trade routes, patrol lines, and any path that would naturally draw attention. Instead, they moved through forgotten trails, narrow passes carved between rocky ridges, and concealed routes once used by smugglers and deserters. So paths were barely visible, overgrown and abandoned, while others wound through terrain that seed intentionally hostile, as though it existed to discourage passage altogether.
Vorde moved with quiet certainty, his experience across multiple kingdoms evident in the way he navigated without hesitation. Patrick, on the other hand, guided them through the subtler dangers, pointing out patterns of patrol movent, warning them of areas that seed empty but were anything but.
"This way," Patrick would say at tis, lowering his voice as he adjusted their direction. "They rotate guards here every few hours. We pass now, or we wait too long."
Lucas listened, allowing them to lead where their knowledge was stronger. He did not interrupt, only observed and adapted, ensuring the group maintained cohesion without unnecessary noise or movent.
The two Blackmare celestials followed without complaint, their earlier pride now replaced with a sharper awareness of the environnt they had stepped into. Even they understood that this was not a place where strength alone could carry them through.
Five days passed like that.
By the ti they reached the borders of Rus, the difference was imdiate.
Even the outskirts were not neglected.
From a concealed vantage point overlooking the outer province, they could see it clearly. Patrols moved in strict patterns, not loosely or lazily as in most regions. Watchtowers had been reinforced, guards stationed not just at entrances but along seemingly random stretches of land, creating overlapping zones of observation.
Nothing about it was careless.
Everything about it was controlled.
"They tightened security," one of the celestials muttered under his breath.
Patrick nodded slightly. "More than usual."
Lucas said nothing at first, his eyes scanning the area, taking in every detail, every movent, every gap that might exist.
Even the outer regions were under heavy scrutiny.
Which ant the inner regions would be worse.
Much worse.
He turned to his group, his expression calm but firm.
"This is where it changes," he said.
All eyes were on him now.
"We are no longer moving through unnoticed ground," he continued. "From here on, every step matters. Every mistake will be seen, we are in for a difficult task."
There was no fear in his voice.
Only truth.
And everyone there understood exactly what that ant.
Vorde remained crouched beside the rocky incline, his eyes fixed on the distant patrol patterns as he traced invisible paths in his mind. After a while, he spoke, his voice low but certain.
"There is a way in."
Lucas turned slightly toward him. "Speak."
Vorde pointed subtly toward a stretch of terrain that looked no different from the rest at first glance. "There is a smuggling route beneath the outer defenses. It is not known to many. If it is still intact, it should take us past the outer provinces and closer to the inner regions without passing through their main checkpoints."
Before Lucas could respond, Patrick spoke.
"I know it."
Vorde’s head snapped toward him imdiately, his eyes narrowing. "You do."
Patrick nodded. "I was thinking the sa route."
For a brief mont, Vorde simply stared at him, clearly caught off guard. "That path is not common knowledge," he said. "Even among smugglers, it is restricted."
Patrick t his gaze without hesitation. "I worked under one."
That alone explained part of it.
But there was more behind his words.
Patrick’s expression shifted slightly, sothing heavier settling beneath the surface. "When Rus fell," he continued, "I planned to use that route."
Lucas’s attention sharpened.
"To leave," Patrick added quietly. "With my mother and my sister."
A brief silence followed.
"What happened," Damian asked.
Patrick’s jaw tightened slightly. "We never made it."
The answer was simple.
But it carried everything.
"They were taken before we even reached the entrance," he said.
No one spoke after that.
There was nothing to add.
Vorde studied him for a mont longer, then gave a slow nod. "Then you know where it begins."
Patrick nodded once. "I do."
Lucas looked between the two of them, then spoke.
"Lead."
There was no hesitation.
Vorde and Patrick moved ahead, guiding the group away from open ground and into a more concealed stretch of terrain where the land dipped slightly and rock formations rose unevenly, providing natural cover. The entrance was not obvious, not unless one knew exactly where to look.
At first, it appeared to be nothing more than a narrow break between stones, partially hidden by overgrowth and shadow.
But as they moved closer, the shape revealed itself.
A small cave.
Unremarkable.
Easy to miss.
Perfect for what it was ant for.
"This is it," Patrick said.
Vorde gave a faint nod. "Still untouched."
Lucas glanced once behind them, ensuring their trail remained clean, then gestured forward.
"Move."
They entered one by one, the space narrowing quickly as the light from outside faded behind them. The air inside was damp and cool, the ground uneven beneath their steps. The path sloped gently downward, then stretched forward into darkness, winding deeper beneath the earth.
No one spoke.
The only noise was the soft echo of their movent and the faint drip of water sowhere in the distance.
The passage was tight in so areas, forcing them to move carefully, while in others it widened just enough to allow them to breathe a little easier. It was clear this route had been used before, but not recently.
That was a good sign.
It ant it had not been discovered.
After so ti, the tunnel began to rise again.
The air changed slightly.
Less enclosed.
Less stale.
Patrick slowed as they approached the end, raising a hand to signal caution.
"There should be an exit just ahead," he whispered.
Vorde moved beside him, already alert.
Lucas remained just behind them, his senses fully engaged.
Then they saw it.
A faint opening.
Light filtering in from above.
Carefully, they moved closer, erging one after the other into a concealed section within the inner provinces, shielded by terrain and positioned far from the obvious points of entry.
They had made it through.
Past the outer defenses.
Into the heart of Rus.
Lucas stepped forward, his eyes scanning their new surroundings.
No alarms.
No imdiate movent.
But the tension in the air was undeniable.
They were inside.
And now, the real part of the mission began.
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