Yes, it was to be expected as they trekked through the night and kept the disturbance to their surroundings to a minimal. But it was not just so, but more the atmosphere under which they walked.

Lars had done wisely to remain silent the entire time since he was captured, except to answer with his name when asked and that he was lost, injured and far from his home base, which was technically true.

However, he couldn't help but feel something... *Other* about the atmosphere right now... But he also couldn't open his mouth to speak due the foreboding sense of heaviness surrounding them.

Different from the sense of quiet of a troop traveling discreetly, it felt like there were a tension in the air that prevented anyone from making the slightest sound. In fact, if he sensed it right, the others were even breathing exceptionally lightly despite the vigorous pace they were keeping!

Lars was glad, though, that due to the bad footing and the need for discretion, the pace was still within the bounds of what he could manage and still maintain a reserve of strength for any surprises later...

They traveled for quite hours, taking twists and turns here and there, then stopping every now and then while Katya scouted ahead for any dangers.

Of the five times this happened, four times she came back signalling that all was clear and they could proceed, while only once she came back hurriedly and urged them towards another direction.

Finally after an arduous journey where he felt stifled and weary from fatigue and lack of sleep, the brush began to clear and the trees thin. And then as they crested a final hill, the greenery parted as if though by sorcery, revealing a large but humble settlement of probably more than 250 buildings surrounded by solid wood and iron reinforced walls.

Lars couldn't help but let out a breath of relief upon seeing human civilisation as he could tell that it was already near the break of day, which meant that he had been on the move for nearly 10 hours non-stop, and his entire was sore to show for it!

And yet, there was deep apprehension as well. Despite knowing that these people - his captors - were human just like he with hearts, emotions and rational minds, he could not tell just how they would deal with him once they arrived.

He could only hope that he could find favour with the leaders.h.i.+p of the settlement they called homestead... Or breakthrough with a path of escape.

As the first rays of dawn began to pierce through the skies and the sun peeked a corner of it's sphere above the edges of the horizon, they descended a narrow trail down the side of the hill that looked man-made. During the descent, Lars from the corner of his eye managed to make out trails of smoke and flickers of dozens, perhaps hundreds of fires.

'Goblins camps...? The camps look very large and well organised... And earlier the goblin bowman was skillful and used a respectable weapon... The level of sophistication seems too high... Could there be a goblin lord or goblin king leading them...?' Lars mused as he carefully followed his hosts.

The descent was tricky, made more so by the team's obvious weariness and the fact that they still had to handle a captive whose hands were bound, but they quickly made their way down and reached a heavily guarded back entrance that was barred from the inside and manned by 4 hunters - guards who had seen them long ago and were now opening the way for them.

"Make way, make way! The lady has returned with her squad! Open up the east gate! Make way!" Their quick activity was accompanied by muted shouts alerting the rest of the guards on duty that their "lady" had come back, accompanied also by the clanking and rumbling sound of the 12 foot high gates gradually opening, the mechanism behind it's operation sounding like metal grating against metal with the occasional sound of the creaking and bending of hard woods.

The leader of his group of captors walked ahead with the grey-haired pony-tail man while Katya and Gatyon walked on either side of Lars and escorted him into the gates, keeping a close eye and a firm hand to prevent any sudden moves by their captive.

As they approached the 4 middle-aged guardsmen dressed in flexible boiled leather armour, they bowed about 30 degrees from the waist and placed their hands on their hips, a gesture that Lars felt looked like a peculiar dance - a thought he kept to himself.

He quickly glanced at their attire and saw that they were similarly dressed with the group he was with - brown, grey or dark green dyed clothes, long sleeves and long pants with solid boots suitable for traveling in the wild and through the forest.

Then Lars realised he didn't know the names of the two apparent leaders of the group he was part of - but at least as he watched the resplendent and valiant "milady" and her dignified companion merely nod in acknowledgement to the guards, he realised that they were probably pretty big names in this settlement.

"Milady!" "Milady!" "Sir Kenneth!" The four guardsmen echoed each other and greeted the two, even as their watchful gazes flitted to the relatively oddly dressed Lars. But though they were wary about this stranger, they remained still as he followed his captors through the gates and into a bailey that served as a buffer of defence in case the gates were breached, then through that too to the village interior proper.

However, upon pa.s.sing through the bailey, the sounds of heavy footsteps sprinting and hitting the ground hard were heard, before a handsome and gallant man rounded a corner, headed straight for their group.

He had nearly shoulder-length brown hair and a skin complexion somewhere between brown and beige, looking like a sun-kissed G.o.d of war with his square jaw, domineering eyes and tall body rippling with muscles.

And as he sprinted towards them, Lars felt as if the man were bearing down on their group like a bowling ball about to scatter some stray pins.

He tensed up initially, but when he saw that the members of the group merely smiled and looked happy to see him, and that the man quickly slowed down and flashed a bright smile (obviously at the lady at the head of the group), he relaxed.

As he neared and came within hearing distance, he called out with a strong voice, one that sounded to Lars like an unbearable self-a.s.sured obnoxious one.

"Zera! Thank the G.o.ds you are safe!"

'Ah, so her name is Zera...?' Lars thought.

However, he was taken aback as the earlier smiling expression on Zera's face was instantly erased, turning into one that was stern and disciplarian.

"Captain Xiloth! Regardless of the situation or how well we know each other, you are aware that you need to refer to me as Milady now! I have told you many times, and I won't remind you again! The rules of the homestead must be upheld and honoured!"

The man's eyes flickered as he stiffened and looked clearly miffed at being reprimanded in public by someone who was clearly more than just an acquaintance to him, but he merely took in one sharp, deep breath before exhaling, not giving rise to his obviously soured emotions.

But the s.h.i.+ning silver-haired Zera did not seem to catch the hint of his blackened face and hardened her stance further, barking out the question, "Captain! Do you understand!? If you do, please acknowledge an order of your leader in this settlement!"

Hearing this, the man trembled slightly, barely containing the shame and anger bubbling up within him. However, he showed impressive self-control, gaining his Lars' acknowledgement as more than just a body of muscles as he slowly but firmly nodded, saying, "Yes, Milady. I acknowledge my wrong and will not repeat such an act."

He kept his head lowered with a stoic, emotionless expression after he spoke, awaiting her approval before he moved again.

Satisfied that he responded, Zera's stern expression melted away into a soft smile once again as she reached out a hand to pat him on the arm. Despite seeing and feeling him stiffen up even more at her touch, she persisted and explained to him softly in a hushed tone, "Xiloth, I hope you understand our situation... We're in a state of constant alarm, just before conflict and... The other men and women have questioned our closeness before. We... We can't do away with decorum... All the more with the goblins raid ahead of us... We need to observe the rules..."

Xiloth nodded emotionlessly, then drew back slightly, causing her hand to fall to her side. He then raised his hands to his waist and bowed similar to how the other guards had then drew himself back upright.

"Milady, Sir Kenneth. I see that you have a prisoner. Shall we...?" He looked askance at Zera for her intent regarding Lars, to which she nodded.

"Yes, we found him in the open wild lands, injured by what appears to be a bite mark and an arrow wound. He has no weapons or equipment with him except the clothes on his back and has not shown aggression. He speaks our language but does not look like anyone from a 100 kilometres around..."

Captain Xiloth's eyes narrowed, thinking as he heard this. He sent a momentary glance at Lars to observe him for a moment before turning back to Zera.

"He does look able bodied and fit to fight. Do you intend for him to bolster our fighting forces...? You must remember what happened the last time we did--"

"Yes... I... I'm aware..." The silver-haired leader raised a hand to stop him mid-sentence, interjecting even as her eyelids drooped and she looked aside.

"...And so, I have decided that I will bring him before the elder and the Truth Stone to determine the truth of his story..."

This raised the brows of the powerful juggernaut of a man who shot her a look of surprise.

"But the cost of that--"

"Yes. I-I know the cost. But we need every soldier and hunter we can get at this time. And--" She looked back at Lars as she added this, "--There's something about him that tells me that he'll be able to make a big difference in this war... Just... Something..."

She sighed as she spoke, lowering her gaze again before shrugging and smiling wistfully.

"Maybe you could call it wishful thinking, but... Even until today, I'm hoping that we'll find the destined one and end the struggle with the Taint once and for all!" She looked up to meet Xiloth's eyes as she smiled, yet her gaze too had no mirth in it at all.

And Xiloth slowly nodded, adding, "And if he does not pa.s.s the test...?"

Her already cold eyes hardened as she heard that and she slowly turned, bearing her 2 metre long wooden-shafted metal-tipped spear in her hand and bringing it to bear, pointed direct at Lars.

He gulped subconsciously, feeling his pace quicken at the sudden turn of events and heard her words.

"...Then I will end his tainted existence with my own spear...!"