The humans made rapid progress towards York. One of the knights under Baldwin used to hunt regularly with his brothers in the forest so he served as an excellent guide. Meanwhile, Gaenor, the ranger, served as the lookout for any demons. There were none resulting in them covering a lot of ground in a few days. Moving through the forest wasn’t the most direct nor the fastest route but it did allow the humans to remain concealed while they traveled. Avoiding any engagements was vital for the group as their survival depended on remaining undetected and reaching York.
Initially, Dreu was worried his footman would slow the group down. His footman was built for the front line and seemed very bulky. He equated the bulk to less agility but the footman had proved him wrong. The footman kept up easily and, due to not having the same stamina issue as others, easily kept pace by Dreu's side. Rather, it was the civilians who required multiple breaks a day and thus slowing everyone down. While it wasn’t the fault of the civilians for being unfit and struggling to keep up, the others would rather reach the city than spend more time than necessary in the forest.
Once the group was about a day's travel from York, Baldwin and Isylte discussed between themselves on the best location to use the teleport crystal. They eventually decided upon Falcon Hill. The hill not only provided a high vantage point for them to view the siege but was also a kilometer away from York. While there was a chance for the demons to use that hill for the siege, the two veterans agreed that it seemed unlikely as the demons were reportedly lacking any siege weapons that could operate beyond 700 meters. With the new destination decided, the group moved with renewed vigor. Many were looking forward to having an actual roof over their heads and the other benefits of returning to civilization.
For Dreu, he enjoyed the journey through the forest. Prior to living in Berkton, he traveled between towns on the plains where trees were very scarce. The sight of so many trees and the occasional animals made his eyes widen with fascination. Whenever he got a chance, he would ask the others about the forest and any history behind it. No one knew much and Isylte only recalled a brief mention of the forest in one of the books she read.
“The forest south of York was once known as the Emerald Forest. It was said to be the home to millions of wood elves before a catastrophe forced the wood elves to abandon the region altogether. Following their departure, the forest was integrated into human territory but, except for some hunting and small-scale woodcutting operations, the forest remained untouched. Some rumors claimed that the powerful curse of the forest was the main cause for human's reluctance to interact with the forest.”
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When Dreu asked about the catastrophe mentioned, Isylte shook her head. She stated that the catastrophe coincided with many other disasters but, for whatever reason, their historical records of the time were lacking. There were speculations but no one could find evidence to support or deny any of the theories. Despite numerous expeditions sent into the forest to uncover clues, the secrets of the forest remained hidden to this day. She also emphasized that the rumor of the curse was more likely a tale told to scare children who ventured too close to the forest.
Dreu would let his curiosity of the forest get the better of him on a different day. They finally reached the foot of the Falcon Hill. Baldwin advised everyone to take a break before scaling the hill. This might not be relevant to the civilians but the adventurers and others would have to contribute to the York's defenses. During the break, every non-civilian was given a more generous ration of bread to ensure they had the strength for combat. Once rested, everyone scaled the hill. Dreu shook with excitement as he was about to set his eyes on York, a city he heard so much about in stories.
As the group reached the top of the hill, Dreu froze on the spot. He was envisioning a grand city surrounded by demon forces. He even imagined the defenders fending off assault after assaults on the walls while demon siege weapons pounded the walls to create cracks or even breaches. York, with a garrison of powerful knights, was supposed to be a mighty city that could hold out against the demons for months, if not years. He wanted to see the kingdom banners raised high to show the defiance of the humans against the overwhelming demon forces. To him, York served as a symbol of the human’s resilience against hostile demons.
Instead, the scene before him indicated the opposite. Thick smoke hovered above the city while a large blaze had engulfed much of the city. The scene reminded Dreu of what happened to Berkton, only the scene wasn’t as spectacular in the day compared to night and he was luckily only watching from afar. There were large breaches throughout the walls and demons were pouring into them, though the smoke made it impossible to see how far the demon advanced into the city. Any kingdom banners that were atop the walls and towers had long been burned to ashes.
From where they stood, it was clear the outer walls had fallen and the demons were heading towards the inner walls, assuming the demons hadn’t already broken through that defensive line as well. Dreu turned to study the others and their faces matched what he felt. It was clear that he wasn’t imagining any of this and York had fallen to the demons. Their plan of finding sanctuary at York was no longer feasible.
The symbol of human’s resilience against overwhelming forces fell so easily. Dreu thought York could hold out for at least months or at least until reinforcements arrived from the capital. On the hill, he felt the hope within him burning away like the city. Following the fall of York, he knew the capital would be next. Would that city fare any better?