Karzak Skytalon's Arc

Chapter 5 of 10

Karzak returned to the mercenary lodge three days later. A scout waited by the contract board with news. A supply caravan had been raided near the eastern valleys. The attackers matched the warlord's crew—trolls using stolen lowlander weapons. Karzak's crest feathers lifted. This was real progress, not just rumors. He followed the scout to the Ekek Garrison, a towering structure built into the hillside north of the lodge. High platforms jutted from its walls, designed for avian soldiers to land and take off. The brownish burgundy spire rose above the surrounding trees. Inside, Karzak spread his findings across a long table. The scout had brought a torn banner from the raid site—marked with the warlord's symbol. Karzak pinned it to the wall beside his map. He added the location of the attack with a red marker. Three incidents now formed a pattern pointing northwest. The warlord was moving through specific valleys, avoiding main roads. Each piece of evidence brought Karzak closer. He stepped back and studied the wall. Commander Thrace would have recognized this approach—patient tracking, building a picture one detail at a time. The hunt was working. The warlord's path was becoming clear. Two scouts arrived at dawn with a bound prisoner. Karzak met them at the garrison's lower entrance. The orc looked disheveled, his clothes torn and muddy. They moved him into a holding cell with thick reinforced glass walls. Glowing alien minerals framed the glass, casting light across the prisoner's face. The orc had traveled with the warlord's crew for three months before deserting. He knew supply routes, camp locations, and the names of the troll's lieutenants. Karzak stood outside the cell and asked about the northwestern valleys. The orc confirmed the pattern—the warlord was heading toward the border settlements. He gave specific landmarks and described the crew's numbers. Karzak marked each detail on his map. The network was paying off. What started as scattered rumors had become solid intelligence. The warlord's movements were no longer a mystery. Karzak had his direction, his timeline, and his targets. Commander Thrace had fallen to this enemy, but the hunt would end differently. The trail led forward now, and Karzak would follow it until the end. That evening, Karzak gathered the scouts who had helped him. They met outside the garrison near a circular basin built into the stone courtyard. Water filled the basin, heated by the minerals below. Mist rose from the surface through an intricate geometric metal framework. The framework caught the mist and held it in patterns that shifted with the breeze. Karzak stood at the basin's edge and thanked each scout by name. This was their victory as much as his. The warlord had stayed hidden for months, but now his route was mapped. His crew was identified. His next targets were known. Karzak dipped his talons into the warm water and let the heat soak through his feathers. The hunt had turned in his favor. The network he built was stronger than any single warrior could be. Commander Thrace had taught him to trust his allies, and that lesson was proving true. The warlord's days of hiding were ending.