In the early morning, a sleepy Leylin woke up from the red carpet. Arcanist Janeda gave Leylin the first smile of the morning.
The beautiful arcanist finally put away the magical energy lingering in her hands. She completely stored the teleportation array in front of her in the magic scroll.
The Grand Magister and the two mages spent one night to complete the teleportation array they carried with them and the teleportation array fixed in Sanctum of the Sun, and also placed a magic sensing device in the central array of the temple.
When the teleportation array they carried with them was activated, the teleportation array of the temple would react. Arcanist Janeda and Magister Idonis began to prepare for the teleportation.
This time the mission was to capture Ral'jin, and every link was well planned and no mistakes could be made.
Tranquillien's scouts arrived as expected. As sunlight still streamed down the lawns surrounding the temple, Halduron Brightwing and his lightly clad rangers arrived.
Belo'vir, having remained awake all night, remained alert. He asked, "What were the results?"
Halduron waved, and the scout behind him handed him a sheepskin map. It covered the entire Ghostlands north of Zeb'Nowa (the collective name for the troll encampments surrounding Zul'Aman) and southwest of Tranquillien.
The elven and troll encampments, key features, and unique geographical features were clearly marked. The scouts had done meticulous work.
"Using the crystals provided by the Grand Magister, we've successfully located voodoo traces that perfectly matches the crystals. Based on the wind direction that day, we can accurately deduce that the source of the voodoo traces is in the Amani Catacombs." Halduron said, pointing to the mountains not far from the Sanctum of the Sun.
The Grand Magister expressed some concern, wondering why the trolls would hide their most secret voodoo there.
Based on the layout of the former Ghostlands camp, the Amani Catacombs weren't particularly densely populated. Most trolls lingered in areas near Zul'Aman, such as Zeb'Nowa.
"It's quite bizarre, even our entire tranquillien scout unit found it unbelievable. But last night, we scouted all of Zeb'Nowa and found no traces of the voodoo that resembled these crystals. Just as we were about to give up, several scouts retreating to the Farstrider Enclave detected a similar trace of voodoo. After these findings, we came to our conclusion," Halduron said.
"How many times has the traces of voodoo been verified?" Belo'vir demanded.
Halduron replied, "Ten times, a perfect match."
Grand Magister Belo'vir signaled to Leylin to begin preparations, and told Halduron, "Return immediately to the Farstrider Enclave and begin defenses. There may be some errors in our next actions, so take precautions."
Halduron nodded, accepting the command. To ensure the mission's success, Halduron offered, "Among the Tranquillien Scouts are our Farstriders' elite rangers. Do you require their assistance?"
Belo'vir declined, "No, the fewer people involved in this mission, the better. I'm concerned about how many troll soldiers and shadow casters are currently lurking within the Amani Catacombs."
Halduron was frustrated. The Amani Catacombs, which the scouts couldn't enter, couldn't provide the magisters with accurate data.
"The scouts can't enter the catacombs, and the recent raids have disrupted our intelligence efforts for several days. We can't get a precise count of how many trolls are hiding there," Halduron said.
Belo'vir didn't seem to mind. He nodded, acquiescing to Halduron's words, saying, "Return to the Farstriders' Enclave as quickly as possible. It's the closest elven camp to the Amani Catacombs."
After completing all necessary preparations, Leylin towed the dragonhawk to the temple's perimeter. The Grand Magister and his student used the dragonhawk to fly directly to the mountains where the Amani Catacombs were located.
They found a spot in a ravine between two peaks, with numerous blind spots, making it less likely to be spotted by the trolls.
Looking down from this spot, they could see a flat area amidst the mountainous Sungraze Peak. A path paved with bluestone slabs marked the entrance to the Amani Catacombs.
Casting [Slow Fall] on themselves, Leylin and the grand magister slowly descended, taking extreme caution to avoid making any loud noises.
Trolls have very sensitive ears and eyes.
Close to the entrance, Belo'vir and Leylin paused. Belo'vir cast [Eagle Vision] scanning the area for trolls.
"Two shadowpine casters and a catlord should be safe."
"Cast [Levitate] and [Greater Invisibility] on yourself, and prepare to enter stealthily," Grand Magister Belo'vir whispered.
[Levitate] is used to float few feet above ground, making their steps silent. [Greater Invisibility], on the other hand, is simply to avoid the trolls' sight.
These are common spells, and Leylin was very proficient in their use.
Maintaining his composure, Leylin stood in front of the grand magister and calmly walked past the trolls into the catacombs.
After entering the catacombs, a damp, cold air lingered around Leylin. Aided by the light of torches mounted on the bluestone walls, Leylin continued forward.
A wide avenue, devoid of other paths, made Leylin walk quickly.
Within the wide space, numerous trolls lay sprawling, their spears scattered on the ground, their weapons arranged in a chaotic manner. Leylin controlled his steps, dodging the weapons on the ground as much as possible.
Nearly a hundred troll soldiers and headhunters filled this passage, a staggering number.
Further inside, he came upon a bonfire. Atop it, a human skeleton burned, and beside it lay elven clothing; the trolls had taken the elves for food.
The stench of blood penetrated Leylin's nostrils, suppressing the churning in his stomach. Leylin tried to avert his gaze from the bonfire.
Ten minutes later, Leylin turned into a corner and entered another empty space. Within this space, numerous large cauldrons were stored, boiling green liquid.
Mist rose from the edge of the black cauldron, the same mist as the one in the bottle that Thalorien brought to the Mage Tower. It was certain that Ral'jin's voodoo was made here.
In this spacious crypt, there were no troll soldiers or headhunters, only a few scattered shadow casters.
The grand magister, standing beside Leylin, said, "We should really thank this cunning troll for placing the voodoo rituals place right under our noses."
"The most dangerous place is the safest place, Ral'jin might think so," Leylin said.
"Trolls always like to be clever. Look for Ral'jin, but be careful, our [Greater Invisibility] will be neutralized by more powerful spell." Belo'vir and Leylin began to search for Ral'jin.
After a few steps, Leylin saw a cage woven with vines in the corner of the tomb, near a huge stone eagle head. Inside the cage, a female elf lay quietly.
"Vereesa!"