The trip toward the North had been as smooth as possible. While the unit didn't have the chance to stop at towns and villages. All the training and preparation of the last eighteen months granted each member the skills to set some pretty comfortable camps wherever Zaos decided to stop. Thanks to that, the unit had plenty of rest at night and kept a decent pace while marching.

Thanks to that, the unit reached the Northern base in just a week. Some of the soldiers seemed pretty troubled due to the cold and snow. At that time of the year, it was colder, and the snow was more profound as well.

"I don't know where this Vitalar fellow is, so I don't know if we will stay in the base… do you guys think I should let everyone rest inside the base for a day or two?" Zaos asked. "I am not sure because this mission is a bit weird, and this Vitalar might give us a hard time because of it."

"I think we should rest here, Captain," Cohnal said. "I doubt that he will need all of us and our horses at the same time."

"I guess you are right," Zaos nodded.

The guards in the base had received word that the Bloody Knights would arrive, so they didn't waste time and let them enter. While everyone was unpacking and leading the horses to the stables, Zaos looked for Commander Ruvyn. Despite the severity of the situation, he was in his office, and he looked bored out of his mind.

"It has been a while, Commander," Zaos said.

"Well, if it isn't Zaos," Ruvyn said with a smile on his face. "I barely recognized you, boy. You are as tall as me already."

"Well, I am almost seventeen now," Zaos smiled as well.

"I knew that you and Drannor had potential, but I didn't think you would accomplish so much at such a young age," Ruvyn said. "Commander of one thousand men… I am impressed."

"Rather than that, sir, let's talk about the situation," Zaos said after showing a worried expression. "I knew that the king had divided the command for two people, but I didn't think it would make things that easy for you."

"Well, Vitalar is keeping the followers of the demon god busy, so we don't have to defend anything," Ruvyn said. "He is an unpleasant fellow, but he knows what he is doing."

"Is that so? I assume that he is deep in the mountains," Zaos said. "In any case, commander. I feel like there is something weird with his mission. Did you notice anything weird since the attacks?"

"Aside from the fact that the followers of the demon god's magic got stronger in the last few months, I didn't notice anything," Ruvyn replied.

"Their magic grew stronger?" Zaos frowned.

"Yes, you know that they always show up when they have a few new tricks up their sleeve," Ruvyn said. "In any case, it is only a matter of time before we figure out their new trick. Vitalar is already working on that."

That was a bit worrisome, but that certainly wasn't the thing that was bothering Zaos. From Zaos' perspective, the whole mission smelled fishy, so why does someone like the commander feel the same way? Could it be that he was hiding something? Zaos thought that he couldn't trust his father, the king, and Drian, but perhaps he had to consider that those right below in the chain of command might not be trustworthy as well.

"I will send a message to him, so you and your unit can rest for the time being," Ruvyn said. "Elius is working with Vitalar now, and he is probably itching to return, so he will probably thank you if you take his place."

After that, Zaos left the office and then looked for his lieutenants. It seemed that he would have some free time, so he considered paying Tyra a visit, but he decided to postpone that for the time being since he was working.

"So, the commander doesn't think that anything seems weird," Cohnal said once Zaos explained to them what he heard. "Maybe you are just overthinking, Captain. You had a hard time when you were a recruit, right? Perhaps those memories are bothering you."

"I don't believe I am," Zaos said. "I think that I more or less understand why this mission bothers me. It is because five years ago, the king didn't send Reinforcements when the mercenaries and the followers of the demon god decided to work together. While their power grew, that wasn't enough to make this whole situation more dangerous than the other one."

"I also think that you are overreacting," Melisse said. "The situation five years ago was probably more difficult from your perspective because you were just a recruit. However, since the enemies grew stronger and each mage can cause more damage than ten soldiers in a single instant, it is only natural that this situation is more dangerous."

Zaos looked at Nyana, and it seemed that she shared the same feeling as the others. Zaos wasn't the type to let some difficult jobs get the better of him. Still, he was only a human, and his lieutenants could see why he was tenser than usual. Zaos nodded in order to show them that he understood the message. Still, deep down, he decided to pay attention to all details.

After he talked with his lieutenants, Zaos decided to unpack his things. Then after his room was ready, he headed toward the library. He had already read most things regarding the battles against the followers of the demon god. Still, he could learn new things or some things about the recent battles.

"I wonder how they suddenly got more powerful. If they didn't do anything shady for that, perhaps I can use their trick as well," Zaos thought while he was heading toward the library. "In any case, I don't remember reading about any operations regarding the kingdom attacking the followers of the demon god in their territory… this only makes things look even more suspicious here."