Speech = ``…... ´´
Thoughts = … ….
Inner voices = "….."
ºº
...For who the bells are tolls...
ºº
Vereesa point of view:
Kingdom of Loradaeron: Lordaeron Countryside.
760….
785….
She huffed loudly, her breath becoming rather ragged and harsher as she sprinted through the forest. The clacking sound of metal of her armour following behind like a delayed echo alongside the specks of dust and soil flying with each step she took.
The orange hue peering through the myriad of branches over them giving a warning that the sun was slowly setting down.., moving away from its place on the skies as it was been drag away before darkness claimed the realm once more. And she really had no intentions to pass the night in this wilderness..
This really had become a desolate wasteland, hadn't it? That fact had just continued to hammer its way into her brains with each meter taken into the north-west side of the human kingdom.
What she had seen before was bad, little did she know that it was not gonna get better the more they walked deeper into the cancer. What had once been dry and sickly ground and flora had given way to sterile mess.
The earth was cracking under their feet, becoming more and more a mess of dust than actual soil. The trees looked bitter and feeble, losing most if not all of their leafs into the ground. Giving off an appearance of a sea of skeletal husks. In a lesser note they had yet to find any trace of wildlife as they strode forth, though doubted they would find any…
The forest critters more likely knew that something was wrong with their homes and decided to try their luck somewhere else, those that had not moved away to a better location were probably killed off or poisoned by the necrotic energies surging from the ground and contaminating their food sources.
For the humans that had lived over this lands for some time it may look like merely a strange sight, but for people like them it was a disheartening experience, not because it was merely a prelude of what they would find in actually populated areas if the forest and countryside showed this signs of sickness…, but also because of the way her people had tuned to nature.
How they could sense the slow, yet ever developing rot taken hold of its roots. How it extinguished the life out of it, from whiting and without. How they could no longer hear the whispers and murmurs of the wisps or spirits of the forest.
She could try touch the trees and rub her fingers against their rough surface... but she would not sense anything, not even the slightest spark of life and normalcy that there should have been there.
It felt...empty.
This was wrong in so many levels.
It wasn't like the skies were any better, with their sickly yellowish hue…, but as far as they knew it would not kill them. It did not stop it from being a rather harsh inconvenience though. No wonder Necromancy was banned from any magical institution worth their salt, it was both a metaphorical and literal eye sore...
795….
805….
Sweat trailed down her forehead into her collarbone, glistening her skin under the light of day….but she did not care much., her mind focused on the passing seconds echoing in her head, eyes daring from left to right for any shadow or shade that did not belong to the dead remains of nature.
Their forms moved gracefully and fast through the forest, yet as fast as she would have liked, having to make stops or detours when it was needed.
The roads and more open paths forgotten and avoided as much as they could from more than unsavoury individuals that were lurking around. Choosing the more concealed way up north, even if the lack of proper cover like one would and should have find was not present at the moment.
``Vere, permission to share my opinion on one matter?
A rather cheerful voice rang from her left between short breaths and huffs, hiding quite well the strain hiding beneath under such distortion but not well enough given the distance between the two.
Kalira had decided to stick around her pace now that Velo was no where in sight and Lia was busy keeping the middle of the column under her protection, though she had the vague idea that she only wanted to chat with one of her priest colleagues.
At first she had not minded much…
If only she could just keep quiet for five minutes….
815….
820….
She gave the blond a sideways glance before looking back to the front, twisting her neck to the side softly as they avoided a branch from clipping her face.
Her eyes narrowing to a half lid, trying to peer through the husk of trees that covered most of her surroundings. Even without the thick foliage they still blocked most of their sight, it probably had to do with the smaller size of their trees that allowed for a greater number of them. Elven trees were a lot more taller...allowing for more open space in between.
And because of that, there could be more undead a hundred feet away and she would not know.
She then rose her head a bit, blue eyes glancing at the bleeding skies above her head in search of something a miss than its eerily hue..., but there was nothing. Neither sound or sight of a flare at work from the other teams or any other signal.
The silence didn't made her feel better though.
830…
She stopped, her breath hitching as her feet dug deep groves on the ground. The loosen ground proving rather poorly to halt the speed she had been carrying while she rose her left arm, a clenched fist in place. A wordless signal communicating the rest of the group to stop, a task they followed through with ease and apparently grateful as they tried to catch their breath.
With one ear waiting for the end of the countdown she finally turned to face her friend who against all odds had kept quiet, waiting for her...
``You would have done it anyway so yes..., go on..´´
``Oi...! What little faith you have in me..captain.´´
Vereesa released a breath of exasperation. Her shoulders slumping down as she finally started turning around.
Better to get things over with...
``What is it...?´´
``I may not know much about this place before this wrench of plague took hold, but this place sucks, like really much..´´
Vereesa sighed, eyes rolling on her skull. Not even bothering to look back at her friend as she inspected the sharp end of one of her daggers. Humming with a small sense of satisfaction knowing that the edge was still there.
If Kalira was annoyed by it she did not show it or appeared not to care.
``Tell me about it..´´
She grumbled as she put them back into their holster. It was not meant to be taken literally…., but her first mistake was not remembering who she was talking with.
The next one was not walking away...
``The dust is getting in my ears and the smell is making my eyes tear up as if I had been whipping myself for only the pain contributor and we are still in the countryside…!´´
All too true, though as far as she was aware she had not heard the rest cry about it.
``So..?´´
``Do we really have to scavenge a city to get the almighty who must not be named her results?´´
She wondered what her sister would do if she were to hear about what she was calling her.
Probably laugh before forget it in the next second, after all..there was nothing else to do.
If one where to prohibit things to the mischievous little minx of a ranger that Kali was...that would only embolden them her further. And her sister already had a shrine made to her, no need to refer to her as a force of nature.
``Quitting already..?´´
She poked with a half hearted grunt, earning a baffled and annoyed exclamations of outrage. Though most of them were nothing than just an act…
``Ha! Never in your dreams… dear. I would be damn if I were to allow that grumpy thing to where an elf would not-...´´
As amusing as to hear the end of it would have been she cut her off, raising a hand in a placating manner while she cocked her head to the side. Focusing on what laid outside, away from their position.
890…
And 900….
As the countdown reached the last imaginary number in her head she held her breath. She rose her head, hearing the soft echoes of the fabric of her hood shift slowly to accommodate the different changes in position as if she had become an elven sized sonar. Slender, sharp ears twitching at the smallest of sounds...
Trying to bear a calm countenance as she awaited, but the small tremors at the edge of her finger tips betrayed her.
…..
…..
Nothing.
She started chewing her lips, the pressure of her fangs against the soft flesh building up as the seconds passed by without incident. Never before the nothingness of a moment of utter peace had bothered her so much. Like the ticking sound of an invisible clock, its gears rotating inside her skull as another countdown started on its own.
A minute passed, then another...until she could no longer bear it, but just as she was about to order the remaining rangers behind her to follow her to investigate the fate of their fellows was when she heard it...
``RRRRRrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnn…..´
It was a sharp, and though the distanced had softened it slightly the way it reverberated in her ears spoke of its nature as a high pitched sound.
It was a whistle...
The sound came to an end, but not before another took its place..this one coming from their right, and then another one from where they were moving towards.
….Those bloody idiots, my heart is not gonna age well with all of these stress...
She huffed internally, lowering her gaze as she felt the tension that had built within crumble like a house of cards. Perhaps a bit too fast as she almost stumble backwards.
She released a breath she had not known she had been holding. Her fingers for some reason becoming rather clumpy and dis-coordinated as they tried to pull out a small, silvery and slender cylinder from one of her bags attached to her hips and replying in kind.
The sound searing and piercing through the silence of the forest like a knife through butter, though before long only the echoes behind were the last thing that could be heard.
``It seems that everyone is still fine…, not that I was worried for a second´´
Commented Kalira as she lowered her hands from her ears, clearly having been plucking them with her fingers to shield them form the noise. The tone of her voice for once devoid of any shred of humour as she too was feeling relief about their confirmed safety.
She nodded, silently agreeing with her friends assessment.
Having to check out every 15 minutes whether they were still there was a rather good idea, but no less stressful. It was good that at least it had ended in only making her worry out thrice by now.. It was also true that they would have done it anyway if they had been forced to confront the enemy, but one never knew if they could have been taken by surprise before they could even do that…
Thanks Beloore that had not bee the case.
Perhaps as she felt her mood recover that a part of her decided to humour the girl once more.
``So...about what you were you saying…?´´
Her friend looked at her a bit lost, eyebrows rose until she pick up on what she was going about.
``Talking abou-...? Ah yes...that! How clumsy of me to forget´´
She nodded, though at which one she did not know….
``Yes, that... what are you whining about?´´
``Whining!? I am not whining...´´
The way Kalira exclaimed at that statement defeated the very meaning of her words faster than anything she could have come up with. Taking that into account Vereesa merely pointed a metal digit at the girls lips.
``Your lips are moving and mumbling without end…, that is whining´´
Kali huffed with fake hurt, placing a hand over her chest as she leaned backwards. Showing off a fanged smirk in the process...
``Sharp little one aren't you? Fine, I will grant you the victory of this round..but hear me out that I will be back!´´
``I am overjoyed…´´
A frown started to appear on jokester face.
``You..really are not fun today. Aren't you..?´´
Could she blame her? The day had not been shining rainbows to her exactly. Vereesa merely choose to shrug
``Yes, such a tragedy… ´´
``Of the biggest kind..´´
She shook her head, scoffing at the way this was going nowhere.
``Look, against popular belief I can not divide my brain in two...so it should be understandable that it leaves quite the strain trying to focus on whatever foul creatures may crawl out of their holes at any given moment and not die while also having you sharing your...material...´´
``The boss can manage…´´
...In your dreams perhaps…. ``I am not my sister..and I remind you that we are in the middle of a war zone plagued with undead...´´
``I am sure they will take your grievances to the grave..they will be very quiet.´´
``Beloore be good…, can we leave the jokes at the back seat after we are done here?´´
She said, her voice seething with annoyance while it broke down into a low growl as she spoke.
Breach or not of the perimeter…, that could change in a whim and she would be damn if she was not ready for it when the enemy came to meet them once more.
Or at least that was what she wanted to believe, to give her an excuse….
``Tough crowd I have tonight, fine... I will try but no promises are made…´´
``You just did…´´
The blonde merely winked at her, her eyes sparkling with youthful energy while she raise thumb at her
``Details, captain...details...´´
Vereesa could do little but sigh loudly at the girls antics…., pinching the bridge of her nose as she turned around. Searching for any sign of empathy from the other members of the squad but she found none. Clearly not wishing to be at the end of the little minx tirades...
...Brave enough to wander into this wasteland against the royal commands, but not willing to stick around her friends terrible sense of humour? Traitors, the lot of them….
She ignored the pang of shame that came and went. She knew that she was been a bit unfair with the girl, but since they had crossed that pond her mood had gone from bad to worse...a matter that had not improved with the passing minutes.
It would not change anytime soon however as by the time she turned around she realized she was glancing at her.
Something must have warped around her features as she did because Kali cocked her head to the side, a playful expression warping around.
``What…?´´
``What what...? You are looking at me...´´
``I was..?´´
``Yes, you were...´´
``Are you really sure?´´
….
``You know…, this is a golden opportunity for a very inappropriate joke.., but I will show restraint since we are in the presence of children´´
She said, giving a quick side-glance to the men and woman behind them. Who in return stabbed in a metaphorical and almost literal way Kalis back in response.
``Kali, do you have something to speak that has to do with the mission?´´
Much to her chagrin the blonde girl raised a hand like the child she was, portraying an innocent expression even though she knew she was making a rather poor attempt to hide the amusement from her eyes.
``That is not another joke, jab or about how much you dislike the weather...or anything in particular..´´
She added quickly when she saw the glint over the blondes eyes shine a little brighter.
Robbed of the opportunity to mess around any more her friend pouted., lowering her arm and crossing it below her chest-plate as she spoke out with fake hurt.
``Spoil sort…´´
Vereesa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she lowered her head. Hoping to avoid the warmth crawling its way up, that rising desire to chuckle at her friends antics that were already tickling her throat softly with the touch of a feather.
The last thing she wanted was to send a positive reinforce. Though she had to admit…, that if her goals were to lit up the mood then she had succeeded. Even if it was at the cost of her patience.
``One of this days you are gonna be the death of me Kal…´´
And by the looks of it, it was coming sooner rather than later.
``That makes two of us, Captain..´´
A different voice cut in their conversation almost as if from nowhere. Cold and collected, yet with the feeling that they were not really that interested about it she switched her attention towards Velonara who stood a meter away from them, arms behind her back.
The brunette having arrived just a few seconds earlier than the rest of her small squadron as they came into view of her senses through the ruined tree line. Why had she decided to rush without them she did not know, nor she believed that she would answer about it either.
At least they appeared to be save and sound, dividing her already small group to cover a little more ground and stablish a warning system in advance had not felt well to her, even if it was the more sensible choice. But perhaps it was because Marris had agreed with her idea...
``Velo...how nice of you to join us. I take that you already finished the scouting task I gave you..´´
Her friend nodded her head weakly, the brunettes features never changing an ounce from a stoic mask as she glanced at her wife for a moment... who in turn pulled out a thumbs up before switching her attention back to her.
``Yes, we are almost there…, five miles, all straight up.. The cost is clear...´´
She blinked as she digested the information. Well, that was vague…, but it at least meant that there was nothing else standing between them and their destination but distance. Velo was not one to spare one the details in her reports after all...
But after all this years it surely wouldn't kill her to add a few more words
``I guess the natives didn't want you to stop and chat about the weather...eh?´´
She tapped the handle of her blade.
``They didn't had much to say….´´
She nodded, Kalira merely chuckled, patting the brunettes back a few times with a broad smile over her lips.
Seeing the two of them busy, she decided to split up and walk in the direction that the brunette and her team had come from. It did not took her long to reach a clearing where most of the trees dissipated, allowing for her eyes to see what laid beyond with greater clarity.
…..
…..
``Well shit...´´
She had been right, the forest ended just a few meters forward, giving way to small slope that ended in a large field of what once was grass. It was tactically unsound to the eyes of anyone with half a brain, devoid of any sort of cover or protection of any kind or shade to cover their tracks. But that was not what had startled her...
No, not at all...it was the fact that she could also see the city walls right before her eyes.
And what a sorry sight it was…..
Burned out, broken down down and in severe disrepair their destination stood before them..no different from the husk they had just left behind. The banner of Lordaeron with its blue shades and gold trims standing over one of the parapets in all its glory. Completely ignoring the devastation that the rest of the city had suffered…like a bitter irony
She closed her eyes...
``Is that the place...?
She did need to turn around to face the arrival of the red haired priestess. She heard her walk right beside her, eyes looking at what laid before them. Her face a stoic mask that led no way to infer what thoughts laid beneath the skin.
But the way her hands clenched was too much of a give away...
``It is...´´
``It doesn't look good...´´
``It does not….´´
She replied softly.
The damage on the structure was...palpable to say the least. She kneeled, her fingers started fidgeting with her bags again, this time pulling out a more blocky contraction, two lenses glinting as the rays of the sun bathed them before she put them before her eyes..
``What is that?´´
``A binocular...´´
``A bi..-what again?´´
She sighed, right...she probably had never heard of it. She too would have said the same had she not received her handgun that day.
``A gnomish invention, think of it as two monoculars tied together. Instead of looking through one eye, you can look through the two of them.., they are more sturdy and can see further.´´
``For a species who dwells most of the time underground they surely make gadgets for looking far away.., but as elves cant we see a lot further than the restrictions of their species..?´´
``Yeah, but can you see deep into the city? ´´
The priestess turned paladin cocked her head in deep thought.
``Eh.., no..?´´
``Neither do I, but I can see a few streets from here with these...´´
As if to add more weight to her words she started spinning the wheels that moved the dual lenses up and down. Satisfied with her answer Liadrin crouched right next to her. Her hair moving around as the cool winds brushed against them. Tugging hem, playing with them...
``What can you see..?´´ She muttered softly.
``The walls surely need a new repair job in earnest, some buildings have burnt out, the blacken spots of impact speaking of either spells or artillery used by the Scourge to bring them down. The door is busted.., scratches all over the place, ghouls more likely. A lot of them...´´
``Yes…?´´
``The battlements have taken a pounding of their own, the manhole covers that probably lead down to the city sewers are broken... and the door looks as it was….bended inwards?´´
She could not help but comment with some level of shock as her eyes took in the sight of the latter object of her attention. It was big ass door, the force needed to pull that feat should be too much for mere ghouls. A battering ram would have been needed..and a big one at that.
...What on earth broke through?...
``Are we too late?´´
With four simple words Lia voiced her very own thoughts with great clarity.
She lowered the binoculars, stealing a quick side-glance to her friend who had her sights stuck on the smouldering ruins before them.
Even if her friend had tried to sound as calm as she could, she knew the underlying tones of disappointment and regret coursing beneath. If there was someone here to lament such losses more than anyone else it would be Lia.
A pang of regret coursed through her heart. She was only here for the belief that they would rescue the people. A lie she had been fed and had yet to realize….
She bit her tongue, the sting of pain displacing those thoughts away so that they would not slip through her lips.
``I don't know…, I have seem many things in my service, but as far as I know it appears to be ´´
Lia broke out from her stupor, glancing at her with a rose eyebrow.
``Appears? I don't think I follow Vere….´´
``What I mean is that I don't see anything but merely structural damage, just desolation…but no sight of bodies or blood..´´
``Bodies..? Wait, you mean that there are no signs of hostiles?´´
She could denote that Lia was rather sceptic about that, no matter how she word it. She would too if she heard that too.
``Nor friendlies...´´
She added to that with a bit of haste, though she did not know whether to be happy about that or not. Lia glanced at her, a pained smile over her lips as she slowly rose from her position. Her head hanging low for a few seconds before she leaned it backwards.
She looked like she had gained a few years...
``I thought that small city or big town like that would at least stand tall for a while longer..´´
...Me too old friend, me too... ``Guess we were wrong to assume…´´
A deep silence stretched between the two for a few seconds.
``Leaving aside the possible breach of undead into the populace…, you said that there was no sign of hostiles? That is—´´
Her friend halts, the words stumbling as she looked at her. A troubled expression under those eyes.
``How do I put it…?´´.
``Good.?´´ She ventured, though she knew that was not it.
``More like strange…, given what we have seen so far´´
Now it was her time to look confused at the priestess
``Why..?´´
`` Lurking and roaming around within and outside the villages we have walked by already. Grunting and growling and the worst cases gasping through their rotten throats, only springing to action when they see anything that is not them..isn't it strange to not see even one?´´
Her eyes narrowed, a thoughtful expression slowly sipping in. She was not wrong...
``Where are you going with this? They may be hiding…´´
``We don't know if they can do that...´´
``We don't know much of them to discard such idea either..and there is so much we can see from outside those walls…., there could be anything inside. Living or dead..your guess is as good as mine..´´
Lia took a step back, biting her lip annoyed...before a candle was lit over her head.
``Perhaps we don't need to...´´ Lia replied.
Her eyes widened. She could only look confused at the red head.
``Come on again?´´
``Perhaps we don't need to wander in blind if I use the Light...´´
``….´´
``Excuse me?´´
``What?´´
``How is an astral entity that none of us pray to or understand gonna help us now in military planning..?
``When you say it like that it sounds like a bad joke, but I promise that I am serious. Not many Light practitioners can do it.., but if I concentrate enough I could try search for the life-force of anyone inside the city´´
``And how...the Light does that? It sounds more like a druid thing rather than the common priest..´´
``Well, no matter how fickle and dim..the light is all beings….at least not dead ones´´
It was not the best of explanations, but it was not a matter of her expertize, so who knew?
``Fine, you look too emboldened to be discourage any further. Do your thing...though I have no idea what you are really going to do in the first place….´´
``Thanks for the vote of confidence, Vere…
``Don't push it...´´
She said, rolling her eyes though a smirk warped around her lips.
Lia chuckled, but said nothing. The mirth remaining over those sweet and caring eyes as she held one hand forward, beginning to focus, reaching deep within to call out to the Light. She would not have to wait long though, as her golden talons slowly were been wrapped with a golden stream of light.
Its shade granting her no small amount of comfort, nothing like the sickly palette of colours that had taken the sky by storm.
But as she observed that she noticed something...was amiss.
Her friend started narrowing her eyes, grinding her teeth, face crunching under the tension. Her extended fingers turned into a claw..yet that did not alleviate the strain she appeared to be suffering from. A few seconds later she lowered her arm, breathing in and out as she looked at her hand baffled.
``Something wrong..?´´ She asked, placing a hand over her friends shoulder she flinched at her touch before she came to her senses and relented. Sweat sliding down her forehead into the ground..
``How strange..´´ She paused, chest still heaving before she caught her breath `` It normally works, but...´´
``You find yourself blocked?
``More than blocked, like stumped in a tide of death…or a heavy curtain that doesn't want me to move it out of the way. It was so..horrible, I was almost crushed by its own presence alone. I have never seen anything like that.., at least before it wasn't that bad..´´
``There is no way for you to see a glimpse of...not death there? I am not asking for a lot bunch of people, just one….just one soul. Can you sense that?´´
Lia shook her head, disappointment clear in her eyes.
``I am afraid not..., though I thought I saw something..´´
``Lia?´´
``No, forget that... it must have been my imagination. The curtain is too thick, I cannot give you a clear answer, not from here at least..´´
She sighed. Well, that was a disappointing end for their experiment.
``There are no guaranties that it will change if we get closer..
``I know, but there is nothing else I can do to verify any sentient presence if I don't get closer to the source. I am sorry I couldn't be of more help´´
``You have done more than enough….´´
….
``So, what now?´´
``We go forward, only forward...´´
``Are you sure? Nathanos is not gonna like this...´´
``He doest like me, or anything I do...so what is new?´´
``Fair enough…, whatever you say we do. I will inform the others of your plan..´´
Her friend said before she started walking away, only for her to call her out when she was about to disappear into the line of trees. The red head not noticing from her standing point that she was now holding a strange device between her fingers.
Its appearance similar to a hearthstone..and yet its purpose could not have been more different. She flinched a bit in pain when she pressed a finger against, igniting something inside. The blue glow of her eyes flickering for a few seconds before they readjusted themselves to the new wave-line...
``Lia…´´
``Yes.?´´
``Are you with me?´´
…..
``Always...´´
º
A few moments later
º
They had crossed the distance between them and the walls with great caution in the case that arrows and foul spells could start raining down on them from the high walls, no matter how improbable that had been.
But nothing happened….
They ventured inside the broken remains of the door, their backs pressed against the interior walls of the outer defences, eyes darting from left to rights in search of targets.
But no ambush was waiting for them…only the silence of empty streets and improvised barricades.
They walked and entered different houses on their way up to the town centre, silently and with caution…venturing where the windows had not been boarded with wooden planks and their doors had been trashed away.
But apart from the usual sight of vandalism there was little to no blood on the floor and walls.
It was strange...
It was wrong...
And yet, she had nothing else than her gut feeling to warn her about it as her senses detected nothing at all, she had seem warehouses filled with more live than this desolated ruins...even if it was only of mice.
If she were to ignore those details bothering her at the back of her head then by all means it appeared that things were going to end in a high though dull note. There were only three problems nagging her at the moment though..
The first being the fact that for some reason her heart was beating faster against her chest with each step she took in this ghost town, a cold shudder that refused to release her from its grip.
Then there was the smell..., Kal had been right that it was gonna worse...the stench seemed to dig deeply into anything it came across. Armour, cloths and flesh...
And the last one being-...
``Remind me why did we decide to go through the front door, girl? Surely even the likes of you understand the unnecessary danger we are putting ourselves through?´´
Yes…., him...but it was to be expected.
``I already did..if only one had been paying attention.´´
``Oh by I insist, because I have yet to compute the absurdity of this...decision´´
One of her eyes started to twitch at the never ending tirade that the human Ranger lord was spilling at her direction. She knew he would object to it to the very last breath, but why couldn't Marris just keep it to himself? If there were enemies hidden as he claimed, then he was given away their position with his nagging.
Too bad that she could not just deck him across the face like before…, she was too tired for that.
``Look, if there are no one living or unliving here then no harm is done, meaning that we would have to stroll to the next pocket of civilization or call it a day because I have the feeling that none of you would be thrilled to sleep in a ghost town. Not good..but not horrible´´
Her attention then switched from the small sized human to the other side of the street, her eyes trying to peer through the broken windows and busted doors for any trace of movement. Depending on the angle she was, she could mostly see most of the interior.
The damage of the inner perimeter of the city was as damaged as the outer walls, but like before..there were no bodies to find.
Everyone was walking in three different rows, putting a distance of ten feet from each other as they walked through the cracked cobble stones towards the centre of the city. Weapons at the ready as they searched for any shadows.
The five of them were at the front of the formation, the first three she understood..why had he decided to follow suit she did not know.
Still, taking away the sound of their voices it was too quiet...
``If there are survivors hiding within we could rescue and interrogate them for valued information of what they know, no matter how little it is and we can save precious lives that would be otherwise taken away when the dead return to mop them up...´´.
With the whistle she had call the other squads to regroup again. Crossing the open field and slipping through the open cracks on the walls they set to investigate the apparent ruins.
But if she thought that the open field was bad from a strategic point, then it paled with the myriad of streets and sharp corners that they found. She had forgotten that humans did not made with the same style than her kin.
And so, instead of making everyone go in different groups to cover their flanks she pulled them on one big ball. Bringing forth their full strength in one position instead of being pick off one by one…
The biggest downside to that was that the enemy only needed to close the street they had already traversed to get them trapped in a bottleneck.
The idea to climb to the roofs had crossed her mind at first, the human infrastructure gave way too many places for their hands to grasp and pull up.., but their poor state had dissuaded her for carrying that order.
They were nimble, not cats who always landed on their feet...still, nothing had happened. Yet...
`` Worse case scenario, we come across a completely dead town where the undead are waiting within the houses their next meal, though at least we would see the presence and commands of a commander of sorts in the vicinity. Taking them out of the equation would be a must in the long run..´´
That and the need to actually know if their leaders had brains or was just a massive wave of bodies that trample any defensive strategy the humans had attempted by the sheer weight of their mass..
``If they don't take us out first...´´
He added grimly, yet with a cruel grimace of humour.
``Then we better make sure that doesn't come to pass…eh? Unless you have gone soft Marris..´´
That seemed to alleviate some of the mood around, her ears picking up the soft whispers and giggles of the men and women under her command, though none were louder than the joker of the group.
Marris scoffed, his scowl growing deeper... , but just as he was about to reply with another one of his own a strong, metallic sound echoed through the empty streets. Rattling them a bit by its...suddenness.
Ding…..Dong….Ding….Dong….Ding….Dong….Din g...Dong...Ding...Dong...
``A bell..? Maybe this city is not so dead after all...´´
Someone said of their merry band...
``Survivors..?´´
Lia inquired softly, though her voice could barely contain the excitement and hope brewing inside. To be honest, it was a bit hard not to feel the same...even if she felt some reluctance about it.
``More likely, I mean…have you seen a corpse have the brains to do that?´´
Came in Kali, the girl hanging from one of the red head's shoulders..fingers squishing her plated arms though her eyes were looking somewhere where they should not... be. Luckily for her, Lia was too busy taking in what had been said before giving her a shy smile.
The church was not far away from them, perhaps a hundred or so meters deeper in what appeared to be the city centre. The tower easily topping even the largest structures in their vicinity with its white polished walls and blue shaded spike like rooftop. Its form now companied with the echo of the bells moving back and forth from the distance standing with an ethereal solemnity.
As if crying over the loss that had taken hold over the rest of the city...
The look in her eyes softened. She was not a very religious individual, she believed...but she also trusted her weapons and they did not need any prayers. It was hard to explain, but it felt there was something right for once in this sea of wrongness..
But that could be because it would be rather hard for mere corpses to damage the upper sections of the structure that they could see...
``You think they saw us and tried to call for help? It would be at least the...and a church does have thick walls, no..?´´
Everyone started to move forward towards the church, perhaps enticed by the thought of another breathing, living being behind the sound or by the way the bell chimed over and over again...
Vereesa could not avoid but ponder about that, her eyes narrowing with suspicion as she started to gnawing at it.
Liadrins enquiry answered a few questions on its own, and yet let way to many others to pop up, each one of them leaving a more bitter sense to dawn on her at their hidden implications.
Knuckles taking a deadly shade of white under her gauntlets, armoured fingers holding her bow even more tightly, the wood creaking under the pressure. Eyes starting to ache as blood pumped louder and louder beneath the skin.
It didn't make sense…
Why allow such an easy entry to the enemy-..to anyone willing to wander if they had..survived? She corrected herself. Why not block their entry? Make better barricades? Why there had not been men, even one or two to monitor the outside in case anyone came by? If the Silver Hand still remained... they could ask for their aid in a heartbeat…
Could they have spotted them and believed them undead?
Most of them were wearing their hoods, covering their heads…, obscuring their features...but they would appear far too human to be..misunderstood with the undead. So that could not be, for Beloores sake, neither Lia or her where wearing any hoods for that matter! No…, even the dumbest of human would not do such mistake, it had to be something else.
And why ring the bells with such ferocity? It felt as if they were about to rip them from their hinges...
``Thick walls? As if they did much to protect the rest of the town...´´
With bark in hand Marris bashed his way into her already scrambled line of thoughts. Taking a step forward, where her eyes involuntarily flinched by the interruption.
`` A bit pessimistic aren't you?´´
Chimed Liadrin as courteously as she could…. but the previous revelations leaving a rather sour undertone.
Marris scowled, spiting at the ground...but before he continued he covered half of his face with his gauntlet.
``No, I live in the real world and I know that there is no one here to rescue in the first place...´´
A shadow passed before the priestess glowing azures, eyes narrowing.
``And why may that be...?´´
``Don't be silly, no one is ringing that bell. The enemy wants bodies, and the churches would be the best place to find and surround unarmed civilians...´´
``That doesn't explain why is ringing, though no?´´
This time was Kalira who intervened in her own fashion.
``It must be just automatic...a gnomish metal hammer hitting the contraction with a timer every hour..´´
The Ranger Lord sneered through clenched teeth as he made his through them, bumping and pushing anyone on his way until he stood just a meter or two from her. His gruelling like voice catching their attention the only way he could.
Surprisingly, it was not her or Lia who stepped up but rather
``I don't know about automatic or not…, but what kind of church bell goes off in twenty past the hour?´´
A voice of reason came from their group as they appeared to hold a clock in their arms, eliciting a few nods of agreement from everyone, clearly finding that no matter how inefficient and crude humans were in their thoughts..they were not that inefficient. And then they too started to realize that something was amiss in here and it was not just the foul scent lingering in the air.
Speaking of which….
….Oh Beloree...
She cursed internally, fighting down the urge to throw up as a wave of filthy flared up and down her throat.
It felt…she chewed her lips to the point to draw blood, tears already sliding down her face as her eyes and throat became more and more bothered by the stench which kiss stung like the kiss of the flames.
A fate that was quickly mirrored by those around her as they coughed and covered their eyes.
Clearly, none were spared…
And yet, between the coughs and the curses she could hear it with sickly clarity. Not the rustling, muffled sound of something dragging itself through the ground..or the gasps the wind carried with it as it started to howl above their heads.
But a voice..
``No…´´
She rose her head, looking at Velonaraa as best as she could given the blurriness threatening to overtake her. The brunette seemed to be holding just fine...with a hand covering her lips.
``No... what?´´
``Ask not for whom the bell tolls…captain..´´
``Whom the bell t-... Velo..what are you yammering all about-...´´
She started sputtering and then the realization struck like a blow to the face and her eyes widened in sudden dismay and panic as she noticed that her friend was not looking at her..but rather something further away in the distance.
It was such that she did not need the end of the brunettes sentence to realize what was happening.
``It tolls for them...´´
She heard them before they appeared into view…, walking, dragging themselves over the ground and into the streets a few more blocks ahead. Their flesh pale lie cinders, their clothes and armour in tatters, showing where death had come through while they growled and moaned at their direction.
Then the ground around them started to shake, even going as far as make some of them lose their footing as cracks tore through the cobblestones…, breaking them before the cracks grew larger and deeper.
Then the ground behind them as-well as the houses to either side of their position crumbled...swallowed underground in an instant, leaving behind nothing but a large puff of smoke and dust to coat their lungs like poison. When it dissipated it was not any better for now they could get a glimpse of what laid below
At least now she understood where the god dammit stench was coming from.
``By all that is holy...´´
``Well shit...´´
``Just my luck that I did not brought ammunition for all these fuckers...´´
Were some of the things she heard her friends mutter in astonishment of what they smelled, heard and now could see a few feet below their feet.
A living tide of corpses, flesh or bone…, rotten or fresh, their bodies were bumping against one another as if they were trapped in a drunk stupor. Men, women, children, the elderly...and then ghouls and skeletons. Each and everyone of them raising their heads at the same time, blind and useless eyes glaring at her...
Dozens, no...hundreds of them! Perhaps even more as though the ground that covered some of the underground sewers over them had collapsed...most of the street and blocks remained standing. Hiding more of the black tide that was more likely remaining beneath.
And yet someone, no…, something else caught her sight…
Another monster of this circus of madness, another aberration that should not exist…, but this one was not another mindless spawn. Its over prideful bearing that its fleshless body carried betraying such idea.
Floating above the ground by arcane might that exuded from every pore of its body, arms stretched out to the sides as if they were embracing them before pointing a bony digit at them..its empty sockets filled with dark and cold blue flames that almost freeze her blood.
``Welcome strangers to your graveees…, stay with ussss...now and foreverrr...´´