Thalric Deepcurrent's Arc

Chapter 7 of 11

Thalric moved closer, staying low against the trench wall. The agents didn't see him yet. One of them pulled something from a pouch at his side — a worn journal with strange stains on the cover that glowed faintly in the dark water. The agent flipped through pages, comparing notes to the document in his other hand. His voice carried through the current: "The altar was empty. If the blood marks are accurate, they moved it through here within the last month." The second agent swept debris aside with growing frustration. "We've been searching these trenches for weeks. The council wants results, not excuses." Thalric's grip tightened on the blood-stained map. They were following old information. He was following blood. He pushed off the wall and swam directly toward them, all four arms visible in his own glow. The agents turned fast, hands dropping to weapons. Thalric held up the map, letting them see the red markings. "You're looking in the wrong place," he said. The lead agent's eyes narrowed. "Deepcurrent. The sentinels reported your breach." Thalric unrolled the map enough to show the freshest blood line — one that cut past this passage and curved deeper east. "Whoever made this map knew the pattern. They bled for it. Your journal and your documents are already outdated." The agent stared at the map, then at Thalric. A long moment passed. Then he stepped aside. "One hour," he said quietly. "After that, we follow you." Thalric swam past them without looking back. He'd just turned the council's own hunters into a timer on his back, but he'd gained something they didn't have — proof that he was closer to the Tidecrown than anyone else alive.