With the sun setting and exhaustion from the day’s events mounting the heroes decide to make camp for the night and resume travel in the morning.
“We should get a wagon,” Larxene suggested in the light of dawn as the group strolled down the big sloping hills towards the shore where the Port city of Wincam and their next big adventure awaited.
“A capital idea, perhaps after our next venture we might have the funds to secure one,” Radais replied. “Oh… we must also budget for a beast of burden to haul it. That’s going to be expensive. Also, feed and medical care…” He began making calculations in his head.
“A ‘beast of burden’? Why would we need another when we already have Zhanatos.” She directed the comment at her friend with a sly grin.
The crimson-clad berserk chuckled the notion away, but in the back of his mind he wondered if that just might work… in theory, he could metal shift his sword into a sort of spinning wheel shape that could be used to push the wagon forward, but how would he steer?
“Look!” Xion directed the other’s attention ahead of them, where just at the horizon the first outline of the port city of Wincam was visible. “We’re nearly there.” She noted with a tone of relief. She was looking forward to having a real bed to sleep in. While she was willing to venture wherever her friends needed to in pursuit of their goals she very much preferred civilization of any form over the wilds.
Unfortunately… as they drew closer and were better able to grasp the state of the town those promises of a clean bed slipped away like sand through an hourglass. Even at a fair distance, it was easy to see, Wincam was a city that had been thoroughly besieged.
The central spire of the town hall, which would have been a clock tower, had been toppled. Radais judged from the scorch marks that had been the work of cannon fire. Large sections of the dock were scorched as if someone had spread oil and put it to the torch. Most of the buildings were likewise damaged, with collapsed roofs knocked-down walls, etc. The amount of damage was more in line with a city that was being destroyed rather than raided.
The citizenry of the town… or rather what was left of it was out and about. Most were packing wagons likely intending to head the way the party had just come from. The Prince wondered why so many looked to be ready to depart but had yet to do so. The answer soon came to him and he turned to look back the way they came. There was an immense column of smoke from the forest fire earlier. No doubt the people had seen that and were debating if the road was safe to travel. Radais frowned as he realized those woods had likely been the primary source of lumber for the town, without it there would be nothing to rebuild with.
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As the team entered the town proper they could sense the hopelessness and depression all around them. Normally the arrival of a band of adventures would be an occasion of note in a town like this. Innkeepers would offer greetings and cheap accommodations, merchants would bring out their finest wares to show, beggars and grifters would seek to ply their own trades in the maelstrom of activity. However, here in Wincam, the arrival went unacknowledged save for one caravan leader asking about the fire.
Radais explained the fires had burned out and the path should be safe. He left out any details about his team's part in the fire instead opting to let the caravan leader believe it was some sort of natural occurrence. In exchange for information about the road ahead, the caravanner explained where to find Wincam’s elderman.
“He’ll be in the ‘Heavenly Sire’ at the other end of town. Look for the one tavern that’s still standing. Word to wise though friend, he ain’t gonna be the Elderman much longer. This town is done for, anyone with any sense is movin’ on.”
As the team made their way across town they were able to examine the damage to the city up close.
“All of this was done by pirates with cannons?” Xion asked in disbelief as she examined a brick wall with a hole large enough to drive a wagon through. The way the fallen bricks lay it looked more like an army had run a battering ram through the wall.
“Must have been some really big cannons…” Zhanatos noted with a frown as he exclaimed what looked to be the foundation of a building, with the rest of the building toppled over a few feet away. As if the entire building had been lifted up and then tossed aside.
Radais shook his head, “I suspect that this was more than just the work of mere mortal weapons.”
“This level of destruction doesn’t even make sense for raiders,” Larxene noted. Being a corsair the practices of pirate raiders were within her purview of knowledge. “Wrecking a city doesn’t make sense! Pirates want the money the people have; driving them off completely just means the money goes with them. A particularly bold pirate group might take over a city outright, but still, they’d want the buildings intact for their own use. This looks more like a monster attack.”
Radais nodded in agreement. “I suspect the situation has changed dramatically since we were first given this mission. Still, our first priority is to speak to Elderman Willian White, and I believe I see him over yonder.”
The man matching the description of Elderman Willam White was outside the Heavenly Siren tavern helping to load up a wagon. A sign nailed to the door announced the establishment was abandoned. Willam as befitting the term ‘Elderman’ was a human of advanced age probably in his mid to late 60s. He had the build of an old sailor with square shoulders and a long white beard. He bore the marks of recent combat including freshly bandaged wounds.