Chapter 18 : Next Time

• Blackridge smiled as he gazed upon the astonished faces of his colleagues. 'And now the performance turns to me.'
• Zephyr lunged forward. "Is that-"
• "Blood," Blackridge proclaimed with a triumphant grin. "You see, Master Kallida, the arrow which hit the man wounded him severely. The shard which pierced him was covered in blood, and the man lost a lot of it. Had we pursued him, we would have run the risk of him dying, and he is far more valuable to us alive. Additionally, this blood sample can be scanned and referenced against our databanks so as to avail us to the identity of our mysterious visitor. This way, they won't know that we know who he is. We will be able to track and capture them all, rather than merely apprehending one of them. This is much bigger than an Armorial in a tree, Inquisitor. This is a matter of the future of this kingdom and its people, and that is why I prevented the advance."