Brewing Battle
The city bustled with life. Light fell past the shadows of buildings of varying and strange exotic styles. Some took on strange shapes like bottles, boats , and spheres. Others were made of peculiar stones of dizzying colors that shined when the sun hit their surface.
On the feet of the buildings vendors and peddlers run amok. Quick feet carry bounds of fake gold, funky spices and strange dangerous weapons on long pouches tied on their back and slung over their chest.
Wrapped around this city of splendor is a wall of drastic proportions. It rises high in the sky and rounds the city in it's entirety. It's only entrances, old rusty gates placed strategically around the city and manned by the faction in which it falls.
The system has proven it's worth and is far from being abolished, but over the years new results have fallen from it being in place.
"PLACE YOUR BETS. WERE TAKING BETS. THE DEADLY DREAMS ENTRANCE EXAM IS GOING ON AT THE WEST END GATE. TAKE YOUR BETS LADIES AND GENTS YOU DON'T SEE THIS OFTEN." The words were forced into the air by a small hollow wooden tube that amplified the voice.
It's user, a man with the demeanor of an intelligent mouse and a long cloak that his arms disappeared into, began to collect bets furiously as he was rushed by a crowd.
From peasant to merchant many gathered in abundance and before an hour's time had ticked away the gate was crowded. All eyes looking through a small boxed viewing glass to get track on what was occuring on the on the other side of the city walls.
One young boy in particular whose clothes were mere rags draped across his body, trapezed his way to a roof above. From step to pole to crack to window he jumped and catapulted himself to a ledge.
Just out of view from sight.
With excitement boiling in his heart to see the action he leaned low and his eyes fell to the viewing screen.
Widening from what they saw.
:-:
"So that's the gist. Our priorities have changed."
Spider wrapped up his story of those after their lives quickly and threw out the next move.
"It's two days' travel, from now on we will avoid fights and focus on speed."
His squad didn't press too much for information. Hearing he had an informant satisfying and slightly surprising them into agreement.
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Instead, they closed up camp and began pushing ahead. Sliding through the forest with decent speed.
When Vienna finally encountered the smell of another team through the brush. Spider lifted up a hand for a stop and dashed to them himself.
A group of five stood ready for him as he swiped open the leaves, a spear quickly pointed at his head. He stopped inches in front of it and looked its wielder in the eye.
"Have you heard?" He said softly.
The lithe figure was white knuckled from the grip on his spear, but his eyes remained searching. Slowly he nodded.
"I have." A deep timbre rose out from the spearman's chest.
"My team is headed this way. You should go another way. " Spider said simply, then met the boys eyes as they stared In a stalemate.
Spider had thoughts about breaking his word to snake mouth, when the spear lowered.
With a nod, the boy turned and his team followed, together they dashed through the brush, leaves crackling at the stampede.
Spider yawned.
When he returned through the brush, Vienna tapped her nose and winked, and inwardly Spider once again nodded at his choice of picking this team.
Then they were off.
Their feet pounded the dirt for hours before they would see their next waypoint, but eventually they stumble out of the forestry and unto a new scene entirely.
A Beach.
Surrounded by a large mountain of pale stone, its dark sand that sloshed beneath the dark water was an alluring sight, but it was disturbed.
There was a woman in the middle of the lake.
Spider frowned.
"Vienna, you can't smell her? " When he heard nothing he turned into confusion.
Vienna was shivering. Her nose ran with snot and her body trembled like she was attacked by the cold.
"She's doing something with that." She said between shivering breaths.
Spider turned back to the woman.
She wore the loose garb of a samurai, but adorned on both ankles and wrist were ringlets of green rubies that flickered in the light of day. On her neck a larger jewels sat. A jewel of black that emitted an ominous smoke as she stood there watching them.
"Spider. " He heard Nella say to his left. "We should run."
He didn't nod though. Instead he took the measure of his enemy and drew his sword.
"Run." He said, turning to Nella.
He turned his head behind him at Vienna shaking on the floor and watched Roger shift below her so she could lean on his shoulder.
"It won't work like this. " He said looking at the situation. His eyes flickered to hers.
She met his stare and didn't hesitate.
"I'll be waiting at the next spot, Spider. " She said, turning on her heel. She shifted under Vienna's free arm and with a last glance, they dashed away.
Spider turned toward the swordswoman who had watched them in silence.
She however , was ignoring him, instead looking in the direction the others had dashed off in.
"Five." She said, still looking in their direction.
"Wait, no. Six... Six steps outa do it. "
Then a sword fell upon him.