Eventually, they all gathered round right in the center of the place. There was still faint hints of blood and other grim stuff scattered around the campsite grounds, though it'd been scrubbed clean well enough by now so they could finally sit down and talk proper.
"Jyle, why do you even have my sword anyways? I don't remember letting you take it"
Jyle's eyes shot straight to the weapon hanging at his hip, then shifted quick to look at him face to face.
"Oh right yeah, sorry about that. I uh – I borrowed it to go fight that guy I was tangled up with during the night. Got into it pretty deep, here – take it back now"
He unstrapped the sword from around his waist, fumbling a little with the leather belt before holding it out. Maximus reached out and grabbed hold of the scabbard firm, sliding it back onto his own waist where it belonged. The familiar weight settled there, and he could almost feel that sense of invincibility wrapping around him like a cloak.
"Alright then – we need to talk through everything that went down here while the rest of us were asleep. Jyle, how come you didn't wake any of us up? We could've helped you out there"
Jyle let out a slow breath before he spoke up clear and straight.
"I tried everything I could think of, but you guys were out cold – couldn't rouse even one of you no matter how hard I shook you or called out. So I had to go in and fight him all on my own. That enemy I was up against… he was exceptionally strong, way more than I expected. He had the same kind of invincibility as what this sword gives off, but I couldn't tell for sure if there's some kind of limit to it or not. Maybe his power doesn't have any bounds at all – honestly, it was all just a gamble trying to figure out how he worked"
Maximus leaned forward a little, pressing him further with his question.
"And did you get any specific details on who exactly this guy was? Anything that might tell us what we're dealing with here"
Jyle paused for a brief moment, his gaze drifting off to the side like he was trying to piece the memory together sharp in his head, before he finally spoke out.
"He's part of a cult. I know it for sure"
The king, the princess, and every single one of the dark elves tensed up right away – you could see it in how their shoulders went stiff and their faces went tight.
"Cult?! What kind of cult are we talking about here"
Maximus just looked confused at all the sudden shock and panic that burst out from everyone around him, but Jyle kept his voice steady and composed the whole time.
"Yeah, I could tell from the symbols he had marked on his armor and the way he fought – the guy I went up against was from the Eviest Cult. They're known to be one of the most vicious and destructive groups out of all the eight major cults that exist in this world"
Maximus just couldn't wrap his head around all this new information hitting him at once, and he held up his hands to try and slow things down a little, speaking out as he went.
"Wait wait – hold on a second, slow down will you! Now there's cults involved and all this other stuff? What in the hell is actually going on in your guys' world? I thought we were just dealing with a war, not all these secret groups"
"Let's just put it this way… it's damn near impossible to survive living in this world if you don't have at least some kind of protection to your name. Whether that's a mana core, a protective orb, or even just an ally strong enough to keep you on your feet long enough to make it through each day"
Maximus still couldn't fully get his head around everything being said, so he took a moment to steady himself, gesturing calmly as he tried to sort through all the pieces fitting together inside his mind one by one.
"Alright alright… I guess I can get that much – this 'Eviest Cult' must be behind a lot of the war and chaos we've been seeing then. If one of their members has access to something like a cursing spell or maybe even a manipulation spell, we might actually stand a chance at turning things around in our favor. But we've gotta be real clear here – it'll probably mean some of us won't make it through, so we all need to be ready to bear with that weight"
The king gave a slow nod at his words, his face serious as he took in every bit of what was being said – he knew full well what kind of consequences would come along with the plans they were starting to build up.
"Alright then – we'll keep moving forward like we planned. Our path takes us to the flaming forest of the fire elves, where we'll stand and fight alongside the forest elves if we can find them. I just hope that when we get there, we'll find the forest elves either holding their ground and protecting their home, or already gearing up to stand with us against the enemy"
"I'd say that's what'll happen – at least if they've got any sense about them and know what's good for their people"
The princess spoke up then, her voice firm as she looked out toward the path ahead. The king just let a warm smile touch his lips for a second before he straightened up tall, his expression shifting back to the hard, serious look of a leader ready for battle.
"Alright dark elves – get yourselves ready! We're going to defeat our enemies once and for all! We will emerge victorious from this fight if you stay true to both this man's plan and my own orders! You all need to stay obedient, keep your heads clear, and know exactly what your role is in all this – do I make myself clear"
All of the dark elves let out a loud, booming shout in response – their spirits and pride lifted high once again, ready for whatever was coming next. Then the princess stepped forward and came clinging right onto Maximus's wrist, wrapping her hand around it tight.
"I'm not going to leave your side even for a second until you finally accept me! I mean it this time"
Maximus just let out a soft chuckle, not making any move to push her away even as she held onto him tight, hugging his arm close to her.
"Alright alright – I get it. Now come on then, let's get moving out of here"