Chương 98: Chapter 97- Too Quiet

The Baron's words bore true, the trail leading off from the caravan path was wide for a game trail but narrow for what all intents and purposes was a small battalion. While starting off with a four man wide column, the trail would often narrow resulting in the men needing to break formation into a slimmer two man column.

The need to leave any carts and carriages behind was even more apparent as they left the first section of forest to cross a wide sandy stretch of river bank that would have easily bogged down the large sturdy but narrow wheels that were preferred in this region. The soldiers were in good humor despite the smoldering anger that Eli could read in the tightness of their eyes, and the tension in the slightly hunched shoulders.

They moved with impressive discipline, jogging to the call and response of an increasingly bawdy series of marching cadences. Elias watched on with amusement, the scene bringing back fond memories of his time in military service back in his previous life, Life really does come full circle sometimes. Not many wild beasts would approach such a large group moving through the back country, and those few that did were quickly drawn off and dispatched by the screening elements flanking through the trees.

The troops on loan from the Town Watch and those drawn from the Garrison seemed to see it as their duty to distract those who were unfamiliar with the boredom and exhaustion of long distance coordinated movement. They struck up an impromptu competition to see who could make the small group of mercenaries who joined them from the League laugh or groan the loudest, as they belted out tunes of improbable misadventures and soldiers with little luck in love.

Swap the spears for rifles and they would fit right in back on Earth. The sun had begun setting as they entered the last stretch of forest on the approach to the town of Whittenburg, and the cadences fell silent as the long column slowed, the commanders urging the men to travel as quietly as such a large group of armored men and women could.

As the last rays of sun sank below the horizon, word was passed from the front of the formation the edge of the treeline had been spotted, and formation broke apart as the units detached and began spreading through the trees to assume a ragged battle line while Elias joined Astra in racing ahead. Approaching the treeline, they joined the small huddle of officers who had ducked just inside the last stretch of brush, Eli and Tia joining Astra and her guards as they dismounted before creeping forward.

The Baron turned and nodded at Astra as Captain Winterbrook waved her forward with finger to his lips. The Watch commander had been left behind to oversee the defense of Emerald Grove in case their mission failed, and Baron Grunveldt had ceded command to the Captain in deference to his battlefield experience. Low slung oak trees shadowed the group's position under their canopies, blocking the growing light of the ring from giving away their presence, at least what was poking through the low cloud cover.

From their location the town could be glimpsed through a break in the brush ahead, and Eli took a moment to compare the town of Whittenburg to Emerald Grove, the only sizable settlement he had visited so far in this world. The difference in the threat level of the surrounding area was readily apparent as the town walls were lower than even the backside of Emerald Grove.

The forty to fifty foot tall curtain walls that faced the dangers of the Reach were missing here, with most of the wall being only twenty feet tall, and almost half as thick. Eli arched a brow at the buildings inside being visible in places, a glaring security defect in his eyes, but the more peaceful nature of land surrounding the town coupled with the wide stretch of farm and pasture land surrounding the walls hinted that the Watch would be able to easily mount a defense in time.

The only place where the fortifications were similar to Emerald Grove was a familiar exclave that protruded from the town's walls surrounding a fracture on the outskirts of the town. Astra had informed him earlier with a grimace, that it was one of a handful of towns containing one in this region, and played no small part in her anxiety about the cult's plans. The area around where the fracture touched down was surrounded by a similar bulwark of tall walls capped with an array of ballistae pointed inwards.

Eli grew uneasy, the town itself was much larger at least twice the size of Emerald Grove if not more, and despite being larger and more populous was oddly quiet and dim. The prevalence of artificial light in this world was a little less than what he was used to, but so far every settlement was well lit at night, even the small village of Springdale had public lanterns that were lit every night on the major thoroughfares and the village green.

This world was dangerous, and things waited in the dark, but you wouldn't know it from the appearance of Whittenburg. Winterbrook spoke in a low voice, " Initial reports say the town is quiet, no men on the ramparts or outside the gates, some watchfires are lit, but nowhere near enough. The scouts are sweeping closer to verify the placement of forces as we speak." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Astra nodded silent as she observed the town, Elias triggered [Eagle's Eye] and swept his gaze over the walls, his unease rising, as the silence of the cloudy night air dampened the ambient sound and the quiet began to weigh heavily upon him. Panning over to the nearest gatehouse Eli gasped at the sliver of dim ring light peeking through the massive wooden slabs, he elbowed Astra as he spoke in a low whisper." Astra, the gates are open! Not wide open, but I can see light between doors and nobody standing watch."

Astra grimaced, " That is a very bad sign, the whole town feels off, it is too quiet, where are the patrols?" Pulling his focus back, Eli swept his vision across the town looking for a sign, a clue as to why the town would be left undefended. If there was an attack there would be more damage right? A faint low red glow caught his notice, low and just barely rising above the walls near the exclave.

The cloud cover broke and a wide swath of ring light poured over the town from above allowing the group to see the streams of oily smoke drifting skyward, from over the the eastern section of the town. Eli felt a spike of anxiety from Astra as she swore under her breath and Winterbrook grunted while glaring towards the smoke. Eli spoke up, " So it looks like there is a fairly large fire just outside the fracture, small but possibly spreading through town. Could that be what was calling the guard away?"

Winterbrook grunted, " Every single one? The gates left open, not likely. Why are there no alarm bells?" Baron Grunveldt answered first, " The only reason there are no alarms is if they are dead or missing from their post, sure some of the Watch may be in league with the cult, but all of them?" He shook his head, " No, there is something very wrong here." Astra spoke, " Aye, thoughts?

My heart tells me to rush into the city and put out the blaze, but my mind tells me that an empty guardhouse and an open gate is a trap." After a quick exchange, a consensus was reached to wait for an answer from the scouts, rest the men and wait for news. Orders were relayed to rest, but be ready for movement, and the minutes ticked by, Astra cutting a track in the brush as she paced back and forth as Eli crouched nearby watching the town, tracking the slow spread of the red glow.

Eli glanced over at Tia as she cocked her head and lifted one ear to the sky, " What's up?" I hear something Brother. Eli waved to get Astra's attention as he spoke, " What do you hear?" A small noise, like the one the bugs made, the ones that slip between your scales and bite. Elias relayed this to the group, and as they all paused to listen it became audible, a low whine filling the air. The guards drew blades, but after a quick glance no one could discern the source.

Everyone in the group tensed as the sound built to a loud hum that filled the air, the low whine steadily growing, until Sasha pointed skyward with a gasp. Trickles of energy could be seen pouring down from the ring above into the fracture, a soft glow from minute threads that was steadily growing brighter until a river of rainbow hued light poured through the fractured panes, the humming growing to match the intensity of the flow.

A round of sharp breaths and muttered curses rounded the clearing as the whine grew louder and louder. The display which in other circumstances would be beautiful was horrifying in context as the river grew into a torrent, the hum growing to a fever pitch, only to be halted by a loud thrumming sound punctuated by a boom. A plume of dust washed outwards from the fracture as a pressure wave swept out over the land before them, and the river of light rebounded upwards, dispersing in a brilliant white flash.

The explosion was powerful enough that the panes of the fracture shivered slightly but settled back into position. The wind stirred and as the breeze blew across the meadows before them it brought the sound of an otherworldly wailing howl rising from the exclave, the faint sound of chaotic shouts and clashing steel joining the howl in a disturbing melange. The group stood stock still as Sasha spoke for all of them with a single word, " Fuck."

Eli's hackles rose as goose flesh swept over his body, and he could feel the song in his chest roar to life, the beating of a drum line calling him to action as a wash of adrenaline flooded his veins. Along the tether from Astra, a wordless vocal line rippled, a disembodied chanting rising in pitch to match his own. Astra drew her blade as she barked out her orders as she strode to her mount, " We make haste for the town, if this is a trap so be it. I will not leave our people to be slaughtered by a monster tide.

The cavalry will lead the vanguard in a charge for fracture, tell the rest of the force to follow in double time." Her face settled into a grim line, " Mount up Gentlemen, duty calls and we will answer."