A group of knights walked through a narrow trail between two tall mountains. The cold wind brushed past their armor as dust rose under their boots. They were the elite knights of Ruthiana, sent to the North Tableau to guard the hidden treasure that few even knew existed.
"How much farther?" asked Gareth, the commander, his voice calm but firm.
"Sir, it's a little ahead," one of the knights replied.
Gareth frowned. "Where are the scouts we sent earlier?"
"Sir, we haven't received any signal from them yet."
His expression hardened. "Where did they go without reporting?" he muttered under his breath.
One of the younger knights hesitated before speaking. "Sir, what if... they took the relics and ran away?"
The others went silent hearing this.
The thought alone made everyone uneasy. Greed could easily overtake any man when faced with the promise of power. The treasure hidden in the Dragon's Nest was said to hold enough wealth and power to raise a new empire.
