Chapter 05: Calming Nerves

As Rhashid made his way back to the training grounds, he sensed an unease in the air. The usually bustling halls of the Sanctum were eerily quiet, and the few people he saw hurried past him with worried looks on their faces.

He tried to shake off the feeling, but it lingered in the back of his mind.

As he passed a group of senior members, he overheard snippets of their conversation.

"The raids on The Chain are getting worse," one of them said.

"More caravans are being attacked, and the footprints left behind are bigger and deeper than usual. The Elders have sent out more Master Cultists to investigate, and they found traces of blood," another added.

Rhashid's heart sank. As a rare survivor of a caravan raid, he knew the trauma and fear that must be enveloping The Chain.

He approached a senior member, hoping to learn more. "Excuse me, what kind of blood?"

The senior member turned to him, surprise on his face. "You haven't heard?"

Rhashid shook his head.

"The blood doesn't belong to any of the bodies. It appears someone drew the blood of the attackers, and the blood left on the sand, it was moving like it's alive!"

Rhashid's mind raced. "Blood that's alive? How is that possible?"

As he made his way back to his training grounds, he heard whispers among the other warriors. Some speculated a dark mage might be behind the attacks, using them as a distraction for some nefarious purpose.

Rhashid felt a sense of dread. If a dark mage was involved, The Chain was in greater danger than he had thought.

But he couldn't let fear consume him. He had to stay focused on his training and be ready to defend the CaraCult at all costs.

As he went to bed that night, his stomach growls with a looming anxiety. The raids on The Chain were just the beginning, he could feel it. A storm was coming, and Rhashid was determined to be ready for whatever it might bring.