Astra tugged at the hem of Kalia's nightgown. "Lia, please come to bed..."
"Maybe I should give her a call on the Thought Bridge... See if she's alright."
"She's fine. It's only been a few days." Astra gave her a reassuring smile. "Besides, she would let us know if she needed anything."
"I know, but..."
Astra slipped an arm around Kalia's waist. "Let her grow."
Kalia glanced at the pin on her nightstand and sighed. "Okay..."
"Let's get some sleep. We need to be ready for our promotion quest."
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"Morning, Master Lia!"
Kalia stretched her arms above her head. "Good morning, girls."
"Heading out today, Lady Kalia?"
"Yeah, we're heading to the guild to find out what our promotion quest is."
"Everyone going with you?"
"All except Sarah." Kalia watched the little girl play with Imay for a moment. "She's still too young for adventures."
"I'll keep an eye on her while you're gone."
"Thanks."
"Of course. Any idea how long you'll be away?"
"No. The guild did say promotion quests typically last a few days, though."
"Understood." Lora gave a slight bow and returned to her work.
"Astra, is the carriage loaded up yet?"
Astra nodded. "Mhmm. Fio got the girls' stuff packed last night."
Kalia turned to the group. "Ready to head out?"
"Yup!" They all nodded.
Sarah trotted over to Kalia. "Are you leaving?"
Kalia knelt. "Yeah, we are going on a quest."
"Can I come?"
"Not this time, Sarah. You get to stay home and play with Lora while we're gone."
"Yay! Playing with Lora is fun!"
Kalia tousled the girl's hair. "Be good while I'm gone."
"I will!"
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The guild clerk smiled as Kalia and Astra approached the counter. "Nice to see you again, Lady Kalia. How can I help you today?"
"I'm here to see the rank-up quest for The Founders."
"Certainly." The clerk placed a small stack of papers on the counter. "We have two quests available right now."
Kalia flipped through the quest details.
Horde Elimination: Eliminate a horde of monsters attacking villages along the Kel'asa and Kerradan border.
Ruins Investigation: Map a newly discovered set of ruins near Gauche Village.
"What do you think, Astra?"
"Mmm, exploring new ruins is always fun. But with a group our size, the logistics would be a nightmare. That's a lot of gear and supplies to haul around."
Kalia nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
She turned back to the clerk. "We'll take the horde."
"All right." The clerk stamped the forms. "As proof of completion, you'll need to return the horns of the Malefang leading the horde."
Astra tilted her head. "A Malefang, leading a horde?"
"As unbelievable as it may sound, yes. The reports are all the same. A horde of monsters led by a Malefang is raiding villages and farms."
Kalia turned to Astra. "Why is that strange?"
"Malefangs are lone hunters. Seeing them in groups is rare. But leading other monsters?" Astra shook her head. "Impossible."
"Well, we'll find out more once we get there."
Astra's eyes sparkled. "Mhmm! If the reports are true, this could be a fascinating discovery!"
The clerk slid the stamped forms back across the counter. "The most recent attack was reported in Caldra."
Kalia tucked the papers into her breast pocket and turned to leave. "We'll start there, then."
The clerk waved after them. "Be safe, and good luck!"
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"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but..." Kalia took a deep breath. "How far is Caldra?"
"Not far. About half a day's ride," Astra replied.
"So, three days?"
"No..." Astra frowned. "It really is only half a day."
Kalia nudged Astra's shoulder. "I'm kidding."
Astra stuck out her tongue.
To Kalia's surprise, Astra was right. They arrived in Caldra as the sun began to set.
"Halt!" The guard at the gate stopped their carriage.
"Reason for visit?"
Kalia hopped down from the carriage. "We were sent by the guild to eliminate the horde that has been raiding the countryside."
"Finally! They've hit at least a dozen villages in the last couple of months."
Kalia raised an eyebrow. "A dozen?"
"Not just villages. Farms, too. I've never seen anything like it. They strike out of nowhere, raid the food stores, and then disappear."
"They're raiding for food?" Astra interjected.
"Yeah, crazy, right?"
"Hmm..." Astra scratched her head. "This is making less and less sense."
"Just head straight down this road to the chief's house." The guard waved them through the gate.
"Thanks."
As Astra guided the carriage toward the chief's house, they spotted an elderly man standing by the front gate.
"What brings such fine nobles to our humble little village?"
Kalia tilted her head. "Nobles?"
"Don't see carriages as fancy as yours around these parts."
"Oh, no, we're with the guild. Is the chief available? We want to speak with him about the monster horde."
"Ah, my apologies." The man smiled. "Please, follow me."
"C'mon, girls." Kalia waved to the rest of the party.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable." The man gestured toward several cushions arranged around a central fire pit, then took a seat himself.
"I'm Temn, Chief of Caldra."
"Kalia Waywrenn, leader of The Founders. Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise. I'll cut right to the point. For the last two months, a horde of monsters has wreaked havoc across the countryside. It's always the same. They come in the dead of night, break through the walls, and steal whatever food they can carry."
"Is this the same pattern across every single village?"
"Yes. I've never seen anything like it."
"And it's being led by a Malefang?" Astra interjected.
Temn nodded. "Indeed."
"Are you sure it's not just part of the horde?"
"No. According to the witnesses, the Malefang finds the storehouses and directs the other monsters toward them."
Astra tapped her chin. "There is definitely something going on here."
Eliane raised her hand slightly. "Um, have any homes been raided?"
Temn shook his head. "No, only communal storehouses and farms."
"What about injuries or deaths?" Eron added.
"A few guards were injured, but nothing serious. Thankfully, no one's been killed."
Astra raised an eyebrow. "Not a single death or serious injury?"
"None, thank the gods."
"This can't be an ordinary horde," Astra said.
Kalia glanced at her. "How do you know?"
"I highly doubt these monsters are acting on instinct. A Malefang directing other species is strange enough. But deliberately targeting food stores while avoiding casualties? Someone is coordinating these attacks."
Temn's eyes widened. "You mean someone is using a horde of monsters to rob us?"
Astra nodded. "It would appear so."
"Why would anyone do that? Winter is hard enough as it is. If this continues, people will starve."
"That's the strange part. Bandits couldn't possibly pull something like this off. But someone powerful enough to control a horde shouldn't have any trouble getting food."
Kalia stretched her arms. "I think our best option is to visit some of the other raided villages tomorrow. See if we can get more information."
Astra nodded. "I think so too. Hopefully someone saw which direction the horde went. We might be able to track down their hideout."
Kalia glanced out the window. "It's getting late. We should set up camp for the night and get some rest."
Temn smiled. "It's not much, but you are welcome to stay at the inn for the night."
"That'd be great."
Temn scribbled a short note and passed it to Kalia. "Just show this to Heeya at the inn. She'll get you all set up."
"Much appreciated."
Kalia started toward the door, then paused. "Oh, one more thing. Could I get a list of the villages that were attacked and when?"
Temn tapped the note in her hand. "Already done."
"Perfect. Thanks, Temn." Kalia waved.
"Good luck!" Temn smiled as he shut the door behind them.
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Morning sunlight filtered through the inn's curtains.
Astra yawned. "Morning."
"Morning." Kalia stretched her arms. "I'll round up the girls. Can you get the carriage ready?"
"Okies."
Kalia pushed open the girls' room door. All but Eron were already awake and getting dressed.
"C'mon, Eron..." Milena nudged Eron's shoulder. "Get up already."
"I'm..." Eron rolled over immediately, pulling the covers over her head. "Up."
Kalia strode across the room and pulled the blankets off of Eron's head. "Let's go, Eron. We have a long day ahead of us."
Eron shot upright. "Yes, Master Lia!"
Milena rolled her eyes. "Of course you get right up when she says something..."
Kalia turned to the rest of the group. "Meet downstairs when you're ready. We'll grab breakfast and figure out where to start."
"Okay!" They all replied together.
"Mornin', Lady Kalia!" Heeya smiled as Kalia descended the stairs. "You all are up early. Care for some breakfast?"
"Please." Kalia nodded as she sat down.
"Right away." Heeya gave a slight bow before heading into the kitchen.
Kalia spread out a map on the table and compared it against Temn's list. She marked each village and drew lines between them, hoping to find a pattern.
Kalia traced a finger between the marked villages, frowning.
Astra peered over Kalia's shoulder. "Find anything?"
"Not really. These attacks are all over the place. I'm not seeing a pattern. You?"
"Mmm." Astra examined the map. "Maybe."
"What do you see?"
"The farther away the village is from the border of Kerradan, the more recent the raid."
Astra tapped the map near the border. "I can't be sure, but it looks like these raids are coming from there."
Kalia studied the map again. "So you think they started in Kerradan?"
"Possibly. Meroo was the first village they attacked, so I'd start there. With any luck, someone saw where they came from."
Kalia looked up at Astra and smiled. "It's cute when you get all serious."
Astra's cheeks flushed. "Hehe."
Heeya emerged from the kitchen carrying several platters of food and set them on the table.
Astra's eyes lit up as she piled her plate with food. "Ooh! Food!"
"Mmm, something smells good!" Milena said, rounding the corner into the dining room.
"You said it! I'm starving!" Eron added, following behind Milena.
Heeya smiled. "Please help yourselves. I made plenty."
"Thanks for the food, Heeya!" Astra beamed.
Kalia cleared a space on the table and unfurled the map. "Now that everyone is here, let's go over the plan for today."
Kalia traced a finger along the map, explaining Astra's theory about where the horde originated and why the attacks seemed coordinated.
Fio squinted in disbelief. "Are you saying that someone is actually directing the monsters?"
"That's the theory, at least." Astra gave a small nod.
"Could they be summoned creatures?" Fio asked.
"No, none of the monsters mentioned in the reports are from the spirit realm."
"I didn't know it was even possible to control magical beasts."
Astra shook her head. "There are a few methods I know about, but normally, no."
"I don't like it. This reeks of enslavement... even if they are just monsters," Fio grumbled.
"It is certainly possible." Astra frowned. "If so, then whoever's behind this could be quite dangerous."
Kalia slid her chair back. "If everyone's finished eating, let's get on the road. Hopefully, we'll know more once we get to Meroo."
"Okies!" Astra skipped out the door.
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Eron peered out the window. "It's so quiet out here in the country."
"It really is." Eliane gazed across the horizon.
The carriage rolled along a narrow dirt road, passing endless rows of golden crops swaying in the breeze.
"No kidding. I thought Orton was out in the sticks, but this is something else," Milena added. "It's just fields of... wait, what is all this stuff?"
"It's wheatmeal," Fio chimed in. "It's the plant that flour comes from."
Milena tilted her head. "That's the stuff that makes bread?"
Eron snorted. "Where did you think flour comes from?"
"I don't know... I never really thought about it."
The sun hung high above the carriage as Meroo came into view. The cool morning breeze had long since given way to the midday heat.
"Almost there, Lia!" Astra called from the driver's seat.
"Finally!" Kalia stretched her back, peering out of the window.
Meroo was scarcely more than a collection of small wooden buildings surrounding a central fire pit. As they entered the village, Kalia noticed that the largest building had been hastily patched, with makeshift barricades erected around it.
Must be their granary.