In The Meantime (4)

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On Fallon’s northern end, at the very tip of its “V” shaped fissure, were two forts, or at least, what remained of them. They were made from a collection of bricks and resembled a small manor surrounded by battlements. Though that grandeur had long since faded from it given that said wall was now crumbling away at an astonishing rate.

The huge hole on its back end had rendered it completely useless seeing as anyone could just waltz right past its last means of defense.

The path leading here was barely fifty feet wide and the only method of support for any would-be crossers was an aged wooden railing adorned with dimly lit torches at fixed intervals.

The lack of human presence on the other side of the Brimwell spoke for itself, there usually wasn’t much of a reason for anyone to come all the way out here, especially since there was no longer a pressing need to scan elven territory.

However, tonight was different.

The old fort on the right was hosting a bright orange glow that seemed to roar even at ground level. It was a bonfire, one that was being kept alive by charred human remains.

“My..... that tasted awful....” muttered Nephthys as she wiped away some unseen delicacy from the corner of her mouth.

“What a waste, we specifically told them to come at midnight!” She grumbled bitterly, before tossing a severed arm into the burning pile.

“A few of them were bound to break the rules, just make sure you clean up properly so it's not too obvious when the others get here.” Vidar muttered as he leisurely strolled around the fort's courtyard.

There was something resembling a bloodied blade in his hand, and although it clearly wasn’t the object’s intended purpose, he was using it to flawlessly trace some sort of cryptic pattern onto the ground. “There were only two of them this time so it should be fine. By the looks of it they must’ve come to steal our supplies. What a bunch of fools, we hardly even need that stuff.”

“I agree with Nephthys on that. This is getting out of hand Vidar; it’s our third time getting attacked in a week.” Demir said, his voice low but stern. He looked rather pompous in that sitting position atop the roofless fort, but that small detail didn’t seem to bother him very much.

“Should I go out there?” Broin replied, rising up from before the raging fire.

“Now, Now, let’s wait until-Ah! There he is!” Vidar cheerfully announced as he pointed to the sky.

An abrupt gust of wind sent the raging bonfire into a frenzy as a large reptilian looking creature slowly descended from the skies.

“My lord, I have returned.” Muttered Aryan, who’d already dropped to one knee with flawless precision.

“So....do you have anything to report?”

“Well, nothing of note. But I did come across this strange party that didn’t seem to be from the capital. It had a few humans, a beastfolk girl, a Faerie, and even a druid.”

“A druid you say!?” Demir snapped

“Yes....it was a woman that seemed to be accompanying a mage wearing glasses. They had a child with them too but I personally didn’t see the resemblance so I’m not sure if was theirs or not.”

“A mage wearing glasses huh? What was his level?” Vidar asked with a subtle lean to his posture.

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“My apologies, I didn’t get the chance to confirm it. We had a bit of a skirmish you see, and they took out two of the wyverns as a result of that. I avoided the conflict since you mentioned needing a large number of these raiders alive.”

“Well done, Aryan. That was a smart move, if you’re describing who I think it is then had you confronted him, you would probably be dead right now.”

Aryan’s face mustered a shock, one that even made Vidar croak out a laugh.

“B-But how!? I’m at-”

“Level three, right? I know that, but you’ve only just leveled up, and you did it with the help of an elixir to boot. If it’s really him then the difference in experience between you is way too large.”

“Isn’t that interesting.” Nephthys quipped sarcastically. “Say Vidar, just who exactly did he run into?”

“I’m not sure if it’s him but I think it's the royal family’s court mage. I’ve never met him myself but he was the one that actually killed the very first Irregular I summoned. It happened right here in this city too. Lady luck must be laughing at me right now. He left the capital a while back and word has it, he’s been around these parts in recent years so the probability of it actually being him isn’t exactly zero.”

“It’s him.” Demir replied sourly

“Hm? Hey Demir what’s with that look? Ah! Wait! Is that guy the human you hate!?” The question was rhetorical but it still sent him into a maddening fit of laughter nonetheless.

“This is unpleasant. Why are they here?” Questioned the elf as he leaped off the high-rise construct.

“Ah.....Well, it looks like we’ve got a bit of a problem on our hands. Someone just found and destroyed the last magic circle we had in the city.”

“Oh? So there were interesting people here after all.” Mumbled Nephthys as she casually strode around the courtyard, patting her stomach in a rhythmic motion.

“This isn’t good at all.” Vidar sighed dejectedly

“Nephthys, I need you to go check on that last magic circle for me; it's at the basin in the old town square. That took quite a bit of effort to set up but with any luck we might be able to fix the spell formula.” Vidar urged in a stern voice

“Will do! I just suddenly felt like taking a walk around the city. I’m still kind of hungry too, maybe I should snack on something while I'm there.” She said before greedily licking the drool off her lips.

After hearing that, he tsked in frustration. Her real intentions were all to obvious.

“Now’s not the time to get careless. If that last circle really got destroyed then we might as well speed things up. Change of plans, everyone; we’re moving forward with this tonight. Aryan has been spreading the word about the irregular around the capital for weeks now, and a lot of low-level raiders have gathered here looking for an easy payday. Honestly, I would have liked to gather a few more of them, but if those Ember Fang guys are really here, then I’m not taking any chances—not if they’re still as capable as they were last time.”

His gaze hardened as he surveyed the group, determination sparking in the air like static.

“Nephthys, you can eat a few of the small fry while you’re out, but don’t draw too much attention to yourself. If anyone spots you, kill them. Broin, I’ll take you up on your offer. Go guard the entrance; I’ll need to concentrate if I want to get this done in time.”

Vidar’s voice was low, laced with urgency. He was hurling a flurry of rather cruel orders without the slightest hint of mercy in his tone.

“I won’t be long~” said Nephthys as she gave a subtle bow that doubled as her graceful exit. “Oh by the way Vidar, is it okay if I pay a visit to that inn? You know the one that’s been sheltering all those people.”

“Fine by me.” He responded with a shrug. “I was saving it as a last resort just in case we were short on raiders but it doesn’t look like that’s the case. You can have them.”

“You have my thanks~” She replied cynically

“You stay here Demir, they’re about to waltz right into this place anyway. There’s no point in chasing after anyone now.”

Vidar’s tone was rather casual, but his companion didn’t seem to take those orders very well. His teeth were being clenched with a simmering frustration.

“Very well.” He uttered in a voice edged with tension.

Vidar simply smiled at his plight; with eyes glowing like molten embers. It was almost as if he was amused by a child throwing a tantrum.

After doing a few stretching motions, the dull creaking of his bones ceased. A smile returned in place of his earlier frustration.

“Now then, let’s get to work, shall we?”