2026-09-21 00:09:07
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Journey to Frosthold
The expedition's preparations took three additional days to properly organize, Diablo insisting on thorough readiness despite his own growing impatience to pursue this newly discovered lead before the organization had any opportunity to relocate their operations in response to the captured cultists' extended detention. Vherrow volunteered to join the core investigative party alongside Natsu's group, his considerable experience navigating the northern territories proving genuinely valuable for planning the journey's practical logistics."Frosthold sits roughly a week's travel north," Vherrow explained, spreading detailed maps across the manor's study table during their final planning session before departure. "The terrain grows considerably harsher the further we travel, genuine winter conditions regardless of the season, given the region's peculiar, persistent climate.""Any settlements along the route?" Leo asked, studying the map's sparse markings with his usual practical attention.
A Thread to Pull
Nearly two weeks passed following the task force's formal establishment, the coordinated structure gradually proving its worth as scattered reports of unusual terrain distortions began filtering in from military scouts stationed across the kingdom's more remote territories. Most proved false alarms, ordinary natural phenomena misidentified by understandably nervous patrols now specifically briefed to watch for exactly the kind of subtle, unnatural distortion Diablo's own investigation had first documented.It was the royal academy scholar, Professor Elenna Vashti, who finally produced the breakthrough that shifted their entire approach, arriving at one of their regular coordination meetings with genuine excitement evident beneath her usual measured, academic composure."I've made progress with the captured prisoners," she announced, spreading a collection of carefully annotated documents across the planning chamber's central table. "Not through coercion, exactly as you insisted, Lord
Building the Task Force
The following week passed in a flurry of organizational activity considerably different from anything Diablo had previously experienced navigating Velmoor's more informal guild structure. The crown's resources proved substantial once properly mobilized, military scouts assigned to monitor the kingdom's borders for any sign of similar crystalline construction, magical scholars from the royal academy brought in to study the captured cultists' methodology more thoroughly, and a dedicated headquarters established within a converted section of the palace grounds specifically for the task force's ongoing operations.Diablo found himself adjusting to this considerably more formal structure with the same careful, deliberate attention he'd applied to every previous challenge Velmoor had presented, though the transition from independent adventuring to formal crown coordination carried its own particular complexities he hadn't fully anticipated."This is considerably more paperwork than I expect
Formal Custody
The journey back to Velmoor with three restrained prisoners in tow proceeded considerably more cautiously than their outbound trip had allowed, the group maintaining careful watch throughout the two day return in case the cultists' organization attempted any rescue effort along the route. None materialized, though the continued vigilance left everyone properly exhausted by the time Velmoor's familiar walls finally came into view. Vasryn met them at the guild the moment word of their return reached him, his expression shifting through genuine concern and careful calculation as Diablo explained the full scope of what their investigation had actually uncovered, the crystalline spires, the boundary breaches, the captured cultists and their unsettling justification for such dangerous, reckless experimentation. "An organized group, deliberately breaching boundaries between worlds," Vasryn said, absorbing the implications with the same measured seriousness he'd brought to every previous cr
Answers Under Pressure
They made camp a safe distance from the dismantled spire's remains, the three captured cultists secured separately to prevent any coordinated attempt at escape or communication between them. Diablo had spent the better part of an hour carefully unworking the incomplete construction's dangerous foundation, ensuring no residual energy remained that might allow the structure to somehow reform or destabilize further once left unattended. "Which one do you want to question first?" Vherrow asked, studying the three restrained prisoners with the same careful, professional assessment he'd brought to every aspect of their shared investigation. Diablo considered the question, weighing the cultists' earlier behavior during the fight against whatever practical value each might actually provide. "The one who spoke during the confrontation," he decided. "They seemed to carry more genuine conviction behind their words than simple hired muscle typically would." They approached the indicated cultis
The Cultists
The dark energy gathered around the three robed figures' hands erupted outward in near perfect unison, three separate bolts of corrupted magic lancing toward the group with considerable speed and precision. Diablo moved immediately, driving his sword through the nearest bolt's trajectory in a motion that scattered its cohesion entirely, while Vherrow and Akeno dodged their own incoming strikes with practiced, coordinated agility. "Spread out," Diablo called, already tracking the three cultists' positioning. "Same approach as before. Don't let them coordinate their attacks against a single target." The group moved instantly into the formation they'd practiced extensively since Aldermoor Pass, Natsu and Mari circling wide to flank the cultists' position while Leo dropped back to a more advantageous ranged position, arrows already nocked and ready. Vherrow matched Diablo's own advance toward the group's center, both of them absorbing the brunt of the cultists' continued magical assault
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