“Season’s Greetings For The New Year

  Arteria has recently declared the commencement of another year’s ‘Week Of Renewal’ to have begun. The Affairs have seen vendors and merchants from all across the continent converge upon our beautiful city to try their hands at festival markets across the city. According to administrative officials at the city’s Chamber Of Stalwart Justice’s Office Of Census, Tolls, And Tourism, we have also received a 17% increase in tourists and visitors from nearby nations despite tension within the region… ”

  - Arterian Affairs, Renewal Week Edition, “Last Economic Report Of The Year - Second Page”

  Rotted timber frames snapped beneath their boots. Fallen pieces of stonework hastily thrown aside to clear a path.

  As her boots stepped onto the soiled cobblestone paths of the city, she felt a disquieting tingle run up the back of her spine. There was a lingering silence that nipped at the soul. One that felt so unnatural that she was certain that something was watching them, something which kept the undead at bay, but not away. And yet, when she looked around, Sophie could see no sign of anything. Only empty rubble strewn streets and the violent aftermath that brought the city to its knees.

  While the bodies were no longer present. The stains of the past did not get so easily erased. Scuff marks on the walls, weapons embedded into nearby walls as their wielders got swarmed. And the unmistakable splotches of dried blood that decorated almost every building like grim patchwork patterns on the stone.

  They were in. The city of the dead.

  Echoes of the craftsmen and traders that once sought this place out for respite still lingered within its quiet streets. Market stalls dashed and collapsed, goods lying on floors or from broken crates, simply wasting away in the open air.

  Buildings remained burnt husks from when fires spread with no one to fight them. Half the block they were on simply nothing more than charred ruins and ashes. The timbers of the forests that built the houses being the very thing that allowed the inferno to creep across the town.

  “Fucking hells.” Someone cursed out loud.

  Sophie immediately glanced over to find one of the knights retracting his foot from a desiccated skeleton. The rigors of the MIstveil had turned the bones so brittle and weak that they were little more than papier mache. Guess not all the bodies were gone.

  Sophia nudged her and she quickly returned her focus to the streets in front of them.

  Her nose was the first thing to wrinkle in disgust upon paying attention to the city. The ever pervasive humidity and fog of the Mistveil had left the dead city covered in a certain dampness that did little to help its current state. The scent of general decay was tightly intertwined with a more intrusive one that resembled rotting produce. Faint enough that it didn’t simply overwhelm her. But certainly still potent enough to be unpleasant.

  “Sophie. Your team sweeps the left. Lady Rosegart, Sir Janos, the right.” Taurox barked.

  Sophie gave the minotaur a nod. The others gave her their own affirming glances that would be behind her.

  “Brother knights, stay with the saints. The rest of you, on me.” The minotaur commanded the templar.

  “Understood.” One of the templars boomed.

  A mass of clanking armor followed his words as the templars dispersed into their respective positions. Only the Lily Knights were left without any official church escorts, though if their current formations spoke of anything, the knights of the Red Hawk would not be too far behind. A small consolation given how guarded they were in regards to her and her companions. But they would be there nonetheless, and she supposed that would have to be enough.

  Maintaining a more staggered formation than the other groups, Sophie led the way forwards. Keeping her feet soft to the ground in case she needed to run, she found herself brushing past the hollowed homes that dotted the streets. Cobwebs and the occasional vine seemed to have found their way into the more dilapidated houses. Protected from the environment by whatever was left of the collapsed roofs and thin walls, sustained by whatever the thick mists outside brought within. But whether they were flukes of nature amidst dying ruins or the forest itself trying to reclaim this ground, Sophie could not tell. Only amongst them, a strange purplish gloom seemed to permeate. The eerie color occasionally being reflected off of them by torch, a barely noticeable remnant of the magicks that once washed over this city.

  She shuffled around another pile of rubble, her eyes briefly darting over the rotted remains to ensure nothing was still crawling about. Satisfied, she bade the party forward. Mila was by her side, the inquisitor likely seeing this expedition as partly her responsibility. For Sophie, it just meant a reassuring presence beside her to know that her flank was covered. Behind them, Sophia, Elaria, and Raylani kept up a decent pace, though made sure to stay at least an arm’s length apart in case of traps or simply when avoiding obstacles. With the dark elf in the rear to help mark down the path that they took.

  Though there were no longer people here. Sophie still found the city’s deserted streets to be a challenge to navigate. Twisting winding pathways interspersed themselves through cramped suffocating alleyways. The outsides of the city beyond the main roads were almost like a maze. A mess of streets and paths that one could not hope to traverse without intimate knowledge of the place. Knowledge that none of them possessed.

  From each corner too, Sophie swore she could see shadows that darted about. Figures and flickers that only heightened her alertness. After all, she saw first hand the devastation that ghouls, ghasts, and the dead could inflict upon people if merely given a chance. The destruction that befell the castle of Melisgrad still etched deeply in her mind. The violence that she had unwittingly unleashed upon the last of the survivors

  Perhaps the one creature that she prayed they would not meet was another lemurach. She had seen how it easily dispatched an entire contingent of royal guardsmen. Trained soldiers driven into madness by mental manipulation. Veterans who simply had life vanish from their eyes without so much as a struggle. The power of a creature born of regret, anger, and sheer hatred, tossed around and created by the maelstrom of energy that had been the vortex above Melisgrad. A chaotic cacophony that she hoped had not been replicated above Eichafen during its own fall. For while Lady Lillian Rutley had proved a rather hospitable lemurach when they managed to find common ground. She also couldn’t avoid the knowledge that she only survived because of her innate connection to the void. The nothingness that made her a less than desirable target for most magic creatures. Her sister Elaria was one such being. But everyone else, Mila, Eva, and the others had no such crutch against the supernatural and undead. She would have to be careful, so that they wouldn’t be put at risk.

  They continued their advance in silence. Even Elaria kept mostly quiet. Though once or twice, the girl couldn’t help herself to point out something or another that she found fascinating. Including what looked to be a set of almost perfectly preserved barricades. Untouched by the rigors of war beyond the gradual decay from exposure to the elements of the Mistveil.

  “Almost like they just gave up this position.” Mila muttered.

  “Probably.” Elaria shrugged, “Maybe they could hear the screams of the dying and lost hope. Wouldn’t be the first time you hear of something like that.”

  “Ela…” Sophie grumbled.

  “Just saying.” Elaria softened her tone.

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  “Focus. Once we find the path we’ll take to the center of town and leave, we can chatter all we want.” Mila scowled.

  The bard held up her hands in surrender. And though she wore a carefree grin, Sophie could tell she was just as alert as the rest of them. For her gaze remained sharp and ever vigilant, much like Raylani’s.

  The dark elf for her part, seemed to be keeping a close watch on their flanks and rear alongside Sophia. Both walked with a lightness that Sophie couldn’t hope to replicate. Their bootsteps sounded more like barely perceptible taps on the cobbles, while Sophie’s was a deep thud that she winced whenever she snapped anything underneath them. More than aware of how the noise would travel and be heard across the dead city.

  The party cut through another clustered alleyway. This one contained the leftover remnants of a merchant who once tried to flee. His cart of pottery wares lay smashed against the side, the bones of its owner resting lazily underneath. Scattered shards of ceramics and clay pots still sat where they fell. Sophie used her foot to gently shove some of the shards out of the way, making sure that the alley would be mostly clear of anything that could hinder foot traffic. A pointless, if somewhat calming task given that if they ever had to use this path to flee from danger, the shattering of bits of pots and crafts would be the last thing on their mind.

  A sense of relief slowly flowed over her as she reached the end of the alley and found herself at one of the larger roads. Poking her head out from the alley, she scanned to her left and right. Beyond more destroyed stalls and collapsed buildings, she partially recognized the road as one on which craftsmen often took. Fallen logs and planks told her as much, but it also meant that it was one of the roads that led directly to the center of town, or at least the markets. It meant that they had a plausible path that the others could also take.

  She quickly signalled for Mila to take the flank and the two burst out onto the street, weapons at the ready.

  Much like the rest of the dead city however, the only thing that greeted them was silence and shadows. The groan of their own armor joints as they maneuvered into a more defensive position was the only other thing that gave them any sign that there was any life at all within the city. Although it spelled out peace and the lack of threats for the moment, she didn’t like it.

  Everything about the dead city screamed danger, telling her that darker things were more than likely lurking deeper within the ruins that they had yet to explore, potentially even deep within the Golden Quarter. Without being exposed to a visible enemy however, she found herself getting antsy. Eldritch, abomination, undead or otherwise, Sophie preferred knowing where exactly her foes would be. Her own experiences at being ambushed and surprised by hostiles having left a far more sour taste in her mouth than she had originally expected.

  She let out a low disgruntled growl to signal her displeasure but kept the bulk of her concern to herself. After all, there was no use for them to be jumping at shadows if the danger wasn’t there. Still, she couldn’t help but be concerned at how quiet everything was. It felt like the city was watching them, waiting, like a predator hunting its prey, simply waiting for it to stumble into the right trap. A trap which they would have no control over.

  “Eyes up.” Raylani’s deeper voice startled the other three besides Elaria.

  They followed her gaze to find her staring further down the street towards the town center. But not just down the road directly, but rather to a set of objects tied above what once were sign posts. Squinting, she noticed a few spikes protruding from a wooden beam that was crudely tied to the posts. A trap.

  Past that though, was something more concerning altogether. Protruding out from between the stonework like a set of crooked teeth were a few stakes. Impaled upon them, the corpses of what looked to be humanoid figures. Possibly undead but dead carcasses left up on display.

  She exchanged a glance with the others. Mila quickly shook her head, disavowing the Inquisition from such actions, or at least that she had no knowledge of such things. But they did speak of another problem that sent another chill down Sophie’s spine.

  The others tensed up as well, even Elaria.

  “If they aren’t yours. And the city fell before they could root out the traitors. That means someone else did that.” Sophia voiced the thought they all shared.

  “We might not be alone here.” Mila hissed.

  “Would anyone have even survived this long? Wouldn’t they have left?” Elaria casually suggested.

  That gave the others a moment of pause. But it was Mila who shook her head.

  “Unlikely, though I won’t discount the possibility.” The Inquisitor hummed, “Otherwise you’ve seen the forest now. We got here with an armed convoy and everyone had more than expected trouble. Templars don’t get worried for no reason. Besides, if there were survivors, someone would’ve heard about it.”

  “But there have been survivors.” Sophie chimed in.

  “Sure.” Mila glanced at her, “But those were the lucky ones who fled during the assault and broke through undead lines. Or those who got rescued when Sir Taurox and Lord von Krantz swung by. After that, nothing.”

  “They could just be keeping quiet.”

  “Aye, maybe, Sophie. Myabe.” The girl scoffed, “Think of it this way. You were in a city filled to the brim with undead, potentially suffering from whatever the Mistveil decides to inflict on you. Wouldn’t the first place you go to be a healer? Or better yet, a church? One that maybe could help with any lingering necromantic curses?”

  “That’s…”

  “It’s a worthy question. Undoubtedly. Though as far as I know, we’ve no new news about this area. I suppose it might be worth prodding Janos about it. He'd likely be kept abreast of the situation better than I would be. Or any of the local parishes.”

  “Then there’s nothing we can learn for now.” Elaria picked up.

  “Exactly. Nothing we can do for now.” Mila grimly affirmed.

  The group held their position in the street, the others looking towards Sophie for direction while her own mind was conflicted. She desperately wished to investigate the bodies and trap some more, to try and determine anything more than just the simplistic conclusion of frayed ropes holding up rotting corpses down the street. Perhaps even trying to see how recently they had been put there. But the other part of her told her that the discovery alone needed to be shared. That the others had to know they might face more threats than purely the undead.

  Raylani let out another tut. The rarity of the dark elf’s contributions drew everyone’s attention back towards her once more. She glanced over at them, her hand holding a small piece of chalk that she had crudely scrawled on the walls with. Her dark red eyes seemed to pierce Sophie’s very soul, picking apart her thoughts without even intruding her mind.

  “We should report back.” The elf suggested, though she wielded her voice in a more commanding than suggestive manner, “I’ve already marked the way. We'll come back easily enough. Memorized the path too.”

  With a possibility now laid out before her, Sophie discarded her own doubts and grasped onto the free lifeline that was laid before her.

  “Alright. That makes sense. We need to let the others know. Potentially unknown survivors. And based on how they had the bodies on stakes, possibly hostile. The dead don’t fear symbols, after all.” She announced before dropping to a lower murmur.

  The dead don’t fear symbols, she repeated the phrase in her mind. So it’s a warning for people. Maybe even people like us.

  “A wise enough course of action.” Mila affirmed.

  Sophia just grunted. Elaria gave off a classic shrug, though her eyes seemed to indicate that she was more than happy to follow Raylani’s lead for once.

  Course decided, Sophie turned to try and spot the Red Hawk knights. Their comically ornate looking pauldrons were easy enough to spot alongside the plume of feathers atop Sir Hermann’s conical helmet. She quickly beckoned for the knight, much to his annoyance judging by how his stance dropped a little. But sensing no jest or prank, the man hurried along all the same.

  “What is it?” He growled as she emerged from the alleyway.

  Sophie pointed down the road.

  “Traps and bodies. Doesn’t seem like it’s just for the dead.” She relayed what she needed to.

  The knight paused, as if disbelieving her and spending a few extra seconds to examine the situation for himself. She couldn’t see his eyes clearly but could almost feel them narrowing in his helmet.

  “I see.” He finally muttered.

  “We need to warn the others.” She informed him.

  He paused, pondering the statement before giving her a professional but curt nod.

  “Follow us.” He stated matter-of-factly.

  Before Sophie could acknowledge that she had heard him or even question the command, he had already begun moving back to the alley, barking out some commands through gestures towards the other knights. As one, they turned on their heel and assumed a tighter formation as they cut through the very same alley that the group had emerged from.

  “Alrgiht. They volunteered, let’s get moving.” Mila hissed upon noticing Sophie’s pause.

  She shot the inquisitor a thankful look before taking up the front once more, though this time hotly on the trail of the knights instead of forging their own. She shivered. I just hope we're being too careful and that everyone's already gone. Hells... she cast one last look down the street, why would survivors even need warnings?