Isaac arrived half a bell later with a group of twenty Azure guards, finding David in the process of storing plants into one of his cargo cloths.

  The noble marched up to within a few paces of his older brother and loudly cleared his throat. “David, explain why you and your companions are here.”

  The courier looked up from the pile of plants, staring for a second. “We're harvesting plants.”

  “I can see that! Why are you doing this here and now?” Isaac demanded.

  “Because it's winter up there, and plants are hard to find, while down here...” David explained.

  His younger brother took a step forward. “You think yourself funny? I asked you a question. Why are you here? Answer, or I will have the answer beat out of you.”

  David sighed before getting up and dusting his hands on his pants, and meeting his brother's stare. “We're doing exactly what I said, I'm not trying to confuse or lie to you. We needed certain herbs, and we didn't know where to get them except for here.”

  His brother's eyes narrowed, looking at him with doubt so thick he could feel it dripping down his face.

  “If you won't believe me, ask Leandro, you know he can't lie.” David offered, waving a hand in the veteran's direction.

  Isaac looked at the ex-knight, a few dozen metres away, and then back at David, snorting in derision before departing for the large man.

  David finished packing up his herbs before catching up to his younger brother, just in time to hear Leandro give the same answer as he had.

  Isaac clearly did not appreciate it, though whether that was because he still thought he was being lied to or because it made him look like a fool, David couldn't tell.

  The young noble, encased in his impressive suit of powered armour, turned to face David, a scowl on his face.

  “It appears you are here in search of herbs, seemingly due to a period of insanity. Is this not where you claimed to have seen a Fel, David?”

  David nodded. “It is.”

  “And yet, you bring your woman with you here?”

  “I do, because she can take care of herself if need be, and because we have other strong companions.” David countered, his voice hard.

  Isaac observed him for a second before grimacing. “You would need strong companions, wouldn't you? A failure like you would probably simply attempt to run away at the first sign of trouble.”

  “I- !” David blurted, before clamping his mouth shut and squeezing his fists. Seeing the smallest of smirks grace his brother's mouth gave him the strength he needed to take a deep breath and let the jab pass.

  “What do you want, Isaac? We have to get done with our harvesting before the night falls, so, unless you need something, I'd like to get back to it.” He took a short pause before adding on. “And I strongly suggest you get back topside before night, as well.”

  “And why is that?”

  David motioned to the natives currently clinging to Jordo's sides. “Those people claim that demons come out after dark. Their description matches the Fels.”

  Isaac snorted. “Dirty savages with tall tales scare you? I assure you, David, that nothing of the like happens. Our scouting team have been crisscrossing the area with corrupted mana sensors, and they haven't picked up anything.”

  The young noble let his gaze roll over the natives and the lands surrounding them. “I'd doubt your report if we hadn't seen the dead and rotting corpse of one up in the observation deck.”

  David quirked an eyebrow. “Your sensors, how sensitive are they? Would they pick up traces from a season or two ago?”

  “Hmm? Yes, they would, why?”

  “Did you go to the highlands area? That's where we met the Fel the first time.” David asked, pointing in the old greenhouse's general direction, even though it wasn't visible from here.

  Isaac looked over that way, before glancing at one of his troop, who nodded and approached closer, unpacking and unfolding what looked to be a crude hand-drawn map.

  They conferred for a few moments before David's brother returned his attention to him.

  “I'm told that we have, and no signs were picked up.”

  “That can't be right... are you certain your sensors are working?” David asked.

  “Of course, they're working! Azure Guard gear is of the utmost quality and well-maintained. You would know this if you hadn't run away.” Isaac said with scorn.

  “Run away?!” David's temper slipped through his fingers. “I didn't run away! I was THROWN OUT, all because I dared to speak up for myself!”

  “You asked Father to dump all of your responsibilities on me!” Isaac barked back.

  David took a step forward, “The only thing I asked was to make you the heir! Isn't that what you wanted?! You would speak about it endlessly! How you'd be such a better heir than I would ever be! How you wished you had been born first!”

  Isaac mirrored David, his armour clinking as he moved closer. “That's right, I AM the better heir, if only because I didn't run away from the duty, leaving my brother to shoulder it all alone!” He yelled back.

  “I asked Father to let me stay so I could help you! I knew it was a heavy burden, I didn't want you to carry it alone! But I was thrown out!” David defended himself.

  Isaac threw his hands out, walking in a small circle, shaking his head. “Oooh, that is RICH! You wanted to stay and help me!” His tone went mocking. “Oh, come here, dear brother, let me hide behind you while you have to deal with all the two-faced, power-hungry backstabbers that think only of their own personal gains! And while you do that, I'll make sure your books are in order! Oh, I hope my back doesn't fail me under this heavy load!”

  David blinked. “Well... you always liked books much more than me.”

  “Of course I did! I had a brain, unlike you, who had muscles instead of neurons!”

  A burst of crystal-clear guffaw erupted from the side, dragging both men's attention to Niala, who was holding her sides while trying to point at David.

  Isaac scowled. “What's so funny, woman?!”

  David turned toward his girlfriend, “Yeah, what's funny, Niala?”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Mu-Muscle-brain!” She gasped out, doubling over from a second bout of laughter.

  Isaac blinked before looking back at David. “Isn't she your woman?”

  David sighed. “Girlfriend, but yes.”

  “And you let her ridicule you like this?”

  He shrugged. “If it makes her happy, and it keeps me grounded. Plus, you can't deny she has a nice laugh.”

  “I...” Isaac's brow knitted, eyeing David up and down. “What happened to you? As weak-willed as you are, you were still raised as a Wardenfel. The name still demands a minimum of respect, even if you do not.”

  David quirked an eyebrow at his brother. “Seriously? Can't you lay off with the insults already? I told you I wanted to stay and help. I even tried coming back to the estate, but the guards kept throwing me out! What was I supposed to do!?”

  “You... You!” Isaac stammered. “You should have insisted! Went to allied families and rallied support! Push back against your expulsion!”

  “You wanted me to push back against Father?!”

  David's question found no answer, Isaac silently glaring at him, before he spun around and took a few steps, then stopped.

  He spoke over his shoulder. “Hurry up and finish your harvesting, then leave this place. The Azure Guard will uncover any hiding Fel and take care of them, as is their duty. Civilians shouldn't linger.”

  The young noble then rejoined his droops and departed, leaving David to stare at his back.

  The courier flinched when he felt a hand brush against his arm, only to find a calmed-down Niala, ears low, standing close to him.

  She looked up at him. “Are you alright?”

  Davis gazed into her eyes before sighing and turning his head back toward his retreating brother. “Yeah.”

  “I'm sorry that I laughed. I shouldn't have.”

  He looked back at her, a warm smile on his face. “No, Kitten, it's fine. I needed that. I was getting a little too worked up.”

  She returned his smile before nestling her head on his chest. “It doesn't feel as if you hate him.”

  “Hate who? My brother? Of course I don't hate him! I just...”

  “Just what? Back at the town hall, when you saw him, I could feel your turmoil. It was a big mess of emotions.”

  “...it was.”

  “What did you really want to do?” She asked.

  He remained silent for a moment. “Honestly, I was just shocked to see him, after all those years, and then I wanted to smile and hug him, tell him how happy I was to see him in good health.”

  “Hmm, and why didn't you?”

  “It was... the way he looked at me.” He said, letting out a long breath. “And, you know, I wasn't there for him. Even if it was my parents' fault, I still wasn't there for him.”

  They remained silent for a while before Niala spoke up again, her ears wiggling. “I think you should have hugged him anyway.”

  David snorted. “He'd probably have punched me. Wardenfels do not hug.”

  “Hmm. At least tell him you're happy to see him?” She offered.

  “I think that ship has sailed.”

  She poked him, dragging his eyes back down to her, which she locked onto. “It's never too late to tell someone you're happy to see them.” She declared, ears erect.

  He blinked, his lips curling upward, and he squeezed his girlfriend, planting a small kiss on her head, prompting her to rub her face against him.

  As she did so, he looked back in the direction his brother had left.

  Something didn't sit right with him. The sensors not picking up a trace of Fel might be because it had been too long, but...

  Something was swimming at the edge of his consciousness that he just couldn't get a grasp on.

  Whatever it was, he hoped his brother listened to his warning and retreated somewhere safe for the night.

  They put the encounter behind them and continued collecting herbs for another bell before the natives started getting jittery.

  Jordo explained that it was getting close to the “dark” and that they wanted to return to the hidden maze soon.

  As they hadn't stocked enough herbs yet, the group debated on whether they should return top side or ask if there was space for them within the hidden maze in order to spend the night.

  In the end, Niala decided they were going to explore the maze, and the natives readily agreed to have the Protector's servants accompany him to their safe haven.

  The group of natives led them to the base of one of the light-collecting towers. There, one of them produced a small engraved silver lozenge, tapping it against a flat stone on the tower's base, and pushing some of their mana within it. The lozenge faintly glowed, and several of the large stones spun inward, revealing themselves to be decorative stone plates laid over a heavy metal door.

  The mechanism made surprisingly little noise for something that was several thousand years old.

  Beyond the door lay a half-lit corridor that ended on a set of large stairs going down. Everyone walked in, except for Anaakendi, who said she would observe the lands after dark, feeling safe while riding the winds. The concealed door closed behind them, with a small hiss at the end.

  The natives forged ahead, as the group eyed each other, before following down the stairs.

  The maze turned out to be many things. A maze of corridors and rooms, sure, but it was also much bigger than they had thought, and much more populated than they had imagined.

  Walking through the few corridors and larger rooms they did, they had probably met hundreds of people, most of whom regarded them with curiosity, and Jordo with reverence.

  They were eventually brought to what looked like a control room of some sort. It was a multi-tiered room, with a large viewing screen arrayed over the far wall. At each tiered step, several workstations were arrayed. At the top-most level, where they had entered the room from, was a negalite throne, much like the one that Gerat had occupied in his previous form.

  Upon it lay an inactive golem, slumped forward, made of a grey metal, marred by long streaks of corrosion all over its body. It was stockier and more crudely formed than their golem's smooth and streamlined body.

  Jordo approached his cousin, his lone eye flashing and zooming, before directing his attention toward the rest of his group. “It is a mass-produced maintenance golem, Opifex model. Being made of a sub-standard alloy, I believe its body gave out after a few thousand years of service. I might be able to interface with it and retrieve some of its memory?” He offered.

  David and Niala nodded, and Jordo rested a hand against the Opifex's torso. A few luminous lines flickered on the old golem's body, while Jordo's eye showed horizontal lines flashing. Some grinding noises later, he removed his hand, looking back to his masters.

  “Much of it was corrupted, but I managed to get some information. These people are apparently descendants of refugees, though I could not find out the cause. “ Jordo turned toward the rest of the room. “And this is one of the Living Vault's monitoring centres. From here, staff would have monitored the vault's well-being.”

  David stepped forward. “Do you think it still works?”

  Jordo looked around the room, his eye pinning and flashing, before turning to face David.

  “I believe so, Sir. What it is missing, is power.”

  “Hmm,” David hummed, looking around, before spotting the same kind of smooth stone on the wall as the one he'd used to light up the elevator room within the observation deck. He pointed it to Jordo. “Do you think...?”

  The golem inspected the stone, nodding at David after a few moments.

  Soon, David was pouring his mana into the system. Just as before, lines of mana revealed themselves within the walls, racing in various directions, each line connecting to a piece of machinery that sputtered to life. Half the displays on the wall remained dead, but the rest lit up, displaying various areas from the vault.

  The natives who had escorted them here hooted and pointed, with one of them running out of the room, shouting.

  David kept feeding mana into the system until he felt a vibration and a tortured whine. Looking at Jordo, the golem nodded. “Just a bit more, Sir. I believe the backup generator will engage soon.”

  And it did, with several gasps, the lights in the room flickering in response, before eventually stabilizing. David removed his hand and stepped toward the edge of the top-most level, next to Niala and Leandro, who were looking at the display.

  They could see that it was dusk, with maybe half a bell left to the day. If anything was going to happen, it would be soon.

  David asked Jordo if they could change the display, wanting to get a glimpse of his brother's forces.

  The golem nodded and walked up to the throne, carefully lifting his fallen cousin and taking its place. As he sat down, his eye flashed brightly, and his head tilted left and right, before returning to its normal position.

  The video feeds then began rapidly shifting, showing different points of view.

  Soon, a few of them showed Azure Guards.

  David cursed, while Leandro's stare hardened.

  Isaac hadn't recalled his troops at all. They were still out and about in small groups, most of them starting to set up small camps for the night.

  “Sir,” Jordo called. David looked back and followed the golem's eye to one of the top-left screens.

  A flat stretch of ground was displayed. It soon began to undulate, before a clawed hand burst out. From underground, a Fel emerged and began sniffing at the air.

  The event repeated on several other screens, as Jordo began cycling through different points of view, each one showing another Fel digging itself out of its hiding spot.

  There weren't “a few dozen,” as the natives had said. There were thousands.