139 The Search Continues and Lord Thrain's Anger

The other knights nodded grimly. They had infiltrated the city under the cloak of a moonless night, ghosts slipping through cobbled streets slick with rain. But even in the pre-dawn light, the undercurrents of unease were palpable. 

The Elder Dragon grunted, the sound was low and dangerous. "Splitting up increase's vulnerability, but information is like tinder in the right hands. We need a spark, a whisper, anything to light the pyre." 

A tense silence descended. Each knight weighed the risk against the potential reward. They were sixteen blades, honed to razor-sharpness, but in this labyrinthine city, anonymity was a fragile shield. 

The Elder Dragon, his gaze steady as a hawk's, nodded, "Good. Remember, shadows can hide both allies and vipers. Trust no one but watch everyone."