"Dame Tyaethe?" Fanilly questioned, tilting her head. Just why did she think the shard was already gone? What had changed? Was there any reason to suspect as much? There were so many moving parts to this situation. From the dead soldiers, the two bands of mercenaries, their mysterious employers, it was all adding up to just about nothing. Just where could this shard have gone?

"... If it truly is gone, then we shall have to find it as swiftly as possible," the petite knight-captain said, after a pause, "If only we had any idea of where to begin."

It was frustrating. Such a dangerous relic, and yet it was seemingly lost with no way to track it? They could not simply give up. They had to at the very least extract a lead from the fortress. All these soldiers had died in vain, she could not simply let it end here. For their sake. For Thaln's sake.

"... Not here? How can you tell?" the incredulous Alette asked, "That would explain why we couldn't find it, but what makes you think it's gone?!"

"Perhaps a sign from one of the goddesses?" mused Bors, one massive hand placed to his chin.

[hr]

"Mmmm... this man..." Abigail leaned close to the corpse in the doorway, examining the wounds closely, "... He was struck unawares. My my, neater then the captain~"

She pressed a finger lightly to each wound in turn, cocking her head to one side as she did.

"Swift and concise, practically in a single motion. He didn't see it coming, and yet it was from the front?" She commented, "Curious~ The killer was perhaps someone he knew then? Hmmm..."

If the body was examined further, another note would be discovered on it.

[i]The Silver Stone[/i]

The Silver Stone was the oldest shrine to Mayon in the entire country of Thaln, located within the Brennan forest, at its edge. Opposite, to the east, was the Golden Stone. It was the oldest shrine to Reon.

Regardless, the note had to have meant something. What was impossible to know, but it was the only clear lead in the entire fort at the moment.

[@HereComesTheSnow][@TheFake][@Crimson Paladin][@PaulHaynek][@FlappyTheSpybot][@Raineh Daze][@ghastlyinc][@Krayzikk]