The drawings were crude, but Phelicius could discern their meaning: a map of Thurii and its surrounding lands. There was the Crathis River, branching into its tributary, the Cosentia. At the rivers' confluence, a square symbol marked the city of Thurii. Another fine line led away from the Cosentia—was that the Tinatus River? Nearby, dots and circles clustered along the banks. What could they signify?
As Phelicius studied the patterns, a sudden cry broke the air. Juleios shouted something in a language foreign and strange, his voice rising with fervor. Startled, Phelicius looked up to find Juleios' face alight with a fervent, almost divine intensity.
Could he have spoken with Hades himself? Phelicius recalled whispered rumors of Juleios' uncanny insight, a chill coursing down his spine.
"Phelicius!" Juleios snapped, his voice brimming with authority. "Summon every unit leader and sub-leader to my tent at once. We have no time to waste!"
