Hepatitis couldn't believe the ensuing pandemoniac activity upon hearing Typhus sound the alarm.

Normally, this was simply routine; however, there was one problem.

"An attack...at night?" Hepatitis muttered loudly, lowering the telescope upon eying the mild pitch black nighttime landscape. "Sounds like Germania all over again."

"Except, we don't know who's out there."

Other than a silent nod, Typhus and Hepatitis stared into the darkness.

"You told me these were the best speculators at our disposal." Typhus finally said.

"Of course!" Hepatitis turned and said. "They have done me and some of my associates well, not just the Germania expedition."

"Yet, it seems they have disobeyed orders at the expense of valuable intelligence. Perhaps they are too much of a risk than I thought."

"The enemy couldn't have possibly discerned our location this soon. If the details on our current map is true, we are nowhere near any strategic locations, such as encampments, outposts, or trade routes."

"Except for that dam...possibly."

"Typhus, I was listening the whole time." Hepatitis sighed. "As your friend, not just a fellow legatus, I am partly responsible for your secretarial duties sometimes."

"Still, that dam. It bothers me."

"But there are no garrisons there, never mind any serious defences."

"No, certainly not." Typhus sighed and looked around, the Cornicens and Centurions echoing through the darkness as his cohorts scrambled into defensive positions.

"Then, where could they possibly come from? Three centuries don't vanish into the night without a fast, organised, and clever adversary."

"Yet, nobody heard anything except for that poor legionary. None of this makes sense." The bearded legatus shook his head. "We can rule out the local fauna. If they wanted to attack, they would have announced their presence upon their first three kills."

"Ave, not to mention that our Volralden would have sensed them beforehand." The completely shaven legatus murmured loudly. "As a matter of fact, it seems you have sent them on a one-way trip."

"I don't punish, old friend. That's not how I do things. You know me; I give opportunities, not rewards or punishment."

"Well, whatever they'll find, they better not die for it."

"Oh? Why would you suddenly say that? I'm supposed to be worried here."

"You're not the one paying them out of your own pockets."

Typhus paused and slowly turned leftwards, facing Hepatitis again. "You didn't pay them in advanced, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

Before he could say anything else, a horse audibly galloped audibly stomped from Typhus's right, belonging to a dark-skinned tribunus laticlavius, who said. "Sire, the south quadrant has been cauterised. Nobody is getting in or out."

"Excellent." Typhus turned and curtly nodded. "And the tents?"

"Doused and ready to go."

"Very good. Take command of the south and wait for confirmation from the other tribunus. Once they're ready, light the tents and perimeter ablaze."

"Yes, sire." The black tribunus said before galloping away.

Hepatitis couldn't help but ask, however. "We're setting fire to our own encampment?"

"We have no choice. We need light and fast." Typhus said, a pair of soft mechanical clicks coming from Hepatitis.

Accordingly, Hepatitis had positioned himself next to a nearby firepit, the flame angled within the telescope's left peripherals as he looked upwards. Though Typhus could not see anything, he briefly glanced into the sky, the twinkling stars camouflaged against the Prussian Black background.

"This is strange. Crux is much too father away, almost like a dot. But Carina...? It's completely distorted and upside down." Typhus muttered, reverting his attention to the battlefield.

He vulgarly cleared his throat, but Hepatitis was unbothered, lowering his telescope moments later.

"Hmm..." The shaven legatus hummed with a light frown as he smacked the scope inward. "Damn..."

"Did you hear something?"

"Mmm-mmm." He shook his head. "Skies are clear, for now."

"A pity that wyverns are not blessed with your vision, old friend." Typhus sighed. "What would I do without you?"

"And what would I do without any anchor to keep me in place?" Hepatitis sniggered, patting the telescope in his left hand. "If you happened to be curious, I'm wondering why you're leaving our northern quadrant defenceless. You are not one to be rash."

"I'm counting on the enemy to funnel into that area. Don't you remember: the best way to gauge audacity is to make yourself appear weaker than you look."

"I'm familiar with your methods, Typhus. The only problem is that we don't even know who we're fighting."

"We'll find out soon." Typhus said as he scratched his beard. "And by the way..."

"Hmm?" The shaven legatus hummed sharply.

"I know you're right there, Talia." The bearded legatus said, his left hand resting upon his sheathed gladius. "You have no reason to hide from me, never mind my colleague."

Lo and behold...nothing happened.

"Talia?" Typhus asked more sternly, but there was still no response.

Meanwhile, Hepatitis eyed his peripherals, particularly his left, where he was closest to the right corner of the command tent. Thus, he ventured along the tent, peering around the corner to find nobody there. So, he continued walking around the tent and approached Typhus.

"Orientia..." Hepatitis exclaimed.

"I know." Typhus nodded. "As you can see, my hearing is still sharp. But yes, I noticed."

"Where could she've possibly gone? Very soon, our entire legions would be vanishing into thin air. I'm starting to not like this."

"So am I." Weizenegger said and emerged from the shadows, startling Hepatitis, but not Typhus. "Mein Heer, you need to leave while you still have a chance. Every tribunus has gone missing within the last several hours."

"That's impossible." Typhus said. "I seen one of them just moments ago."

"Ja, I know, he never returned. In fact, he was the last one. You are all what's left of the expedition."