The early morning light spread from the edge of the wall and spilled into the city. Alex’s packs were in hand and his battery was strapped to his back. Other climbers were milling about and preparing things for the long day ahead. Among the group, Alex found Archer preparing as well.
“I see you have finally made it and just in time too. Throw you bags over there in that cart and then start helping others load up the carts,” said the Archer. “I’ve considered where you will go and have made a decision. You will join the mages as back up. You will be part of their protection force. The mages will rotate through as they use their mana. Your job will be to make sure nothing can get too close to them during the trip.”
“Ok. How are formations going to work and the traveling in general? I have never been part of a group this big,” asked Alex.
“You will just stick with a group of five or so mages. We will be marching and carrying all of our supplies in the center while fighters and mages circle the outside and clear larger threats. The plan is to travel an average of five or so miles a day on average. I expect that we will slow down toward the middle as we hit the more empty lands filled with nothing but undead. We will camp at night and scouts will be tracking the undead and human trails. Because other people have travelled these paths before and recently at that leadership hopes the path will be easier and there will be fewer undead.”
"Alright, I understand," Alex said, his voice steady. "I'll do my best to protect the mages."
Archer gave him a nod of approval. "Good. Remember, your main job is to keep them safe. They are our main source of firepower. Without them, we won't be able to clear the path ahead."
Alex nodded again. He threw his bags into the cart as instructed and began helping others load up their supplies. Angela took her own bags and brought them to the carts designated for the crafters. There she was introduced to some of the other crafters and told what she was to do. The air was filled with a sense of urgency, but also a strange kind of camaraderie. Despite the danger that lay ahead, there was a sense of unity among the group. They were all in this together.
As the sun began to rise higher in the sky, the group started to move. The carts, loaded with supplies, were pulled by a mix of the blacksmith crafters and the fighters; they had the strength required and stamina to pull everything. The mages, fighters, and other members of the group formed a protective circle around the carts, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. Alex found his spot in the second line of climbers and followed in step with them.
The city gates opened, and the group began their journey. The area around them was already clear and their excited steps moved quickly out the gate until a proper pace had started to develop.
Explosions could be heard at the front of the caravan. Alex was situated toward the middle side of the group. Magic was flying in pretty regular intervals and the undead were cut down with swords. They had slowed down slightly but not by much. With the size of the group the only current worry was whether everyone could keep pace. To speed things up only a few items were picked up and looted. Only if the items were in the direct path of the caravan or very close to it were items picked up and thrown into the crafter’s carts by specific rangers.
There was no slowing for lunch. Instead, as people rotated through the outside line and inner lines they brought out food packs on their sides and started to eat while the fighters on the outside worked. As Alex got hungry he got food from his bag as well. Due to the day’s whether Alex left the battery pack under the cover of his assigned cart. He watched the mages carefully and occasionally had to step in and use his magic. The lightning was fast acting by nature and destroyed the offending undead. As the caravan moved he and the others found their rhythm in movement and combat.
The ground was firm and brown. The grass has long since left the landscape. Hills of rock surrounded them at times and hid undead forces they were forced to stop for and defend against. As they had travelled further from the city the easier enemies had been culled at the walls leaving higher level enemies travelling far from the city. The undead creatures that used to be level 16 and 17 were now consistently level 20 and 21. Still due to their numbers and higher average levels the caravan continued with few stops.
As they distanced themselves from the city undead mages made themselves known. Necrotic vampires skulked between other undead and used a mix of blood magic and curses to assist the other undead in the fighting. Shields formed around the undead blocking some of the rain of arrows and spells. Their group slowed further to hammer the shields and make their way through the groups. Cracks formed on the shields slowly until they shattered completely.
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The caravan's progress was further hindered by the appearance of undead beasts, monstrous creatures that towered over the rest of the undead horde. Their thick, rotting hides were resistant to most physical attacks, and their sheer size made them a formidable obstacle. They were an amalgamation of many animals and had the ferocity to match their living counterparts. The mages had to concentrate their magic to bring these beasts down, their spells leaving scorch marks on the beasts' hides. The fighters cut into the giant’s hide and slowly chipped away at the beasts.
Fighters quickly reorganized to deal with the new threat. The caravan as a whole adjusted and climbers moved to where they were needed in response to the threat. Alex found himself pushed more toward the front and entered the fight head-on. Other mages around him created shields and he matched their tempo as he unleashed his attack spells and mixed in the occasional dagger strike. With his free hand, he also unleashed his disruption spell while he was protected by his fellow mages. The undead beast’s hides could not protect them from the chaotic lighting leaving their systems and sapping them of energy.
Alex found himself using his lightning magic more frequently, the electric energy crackling and arcing off the beasts, leaving them twitching and convulsing. He started to use his battery pack to reinforce the natural lightning in the air. Though he was taking a more active role in the fight he still watched over his fellow mages. Beyond his eyesight, his echolocation brought the fighting into perspective and a better understanding of their journey.
Alex had noted that he had to be more weary of his energy. The electricity in the battery fluctuated regularly. He was able to watch it change through his senses and tried to fill it up when the opportunity arose.
The terrain became more treacherous as they ventured further from the city. The rocky hills gave way to jagged cliffs and deep ravines, making the caravan's progress even slower. The undead seemed to have an easier time navigating the difficult terrain, their unnatural agility allowing them to scale the cliffs and leap across the ravines with ease. The caravan had to rely on the mages to move rocks and create ramps and bridges to traverse the terrain, further draining their energy.
Despite the increasing difficulty, the caravan pressed on. The fighters tirelessly cut down the undead, their swords slick with ichor. The mages continued to weave their spells, their hands glowing with arcane energy. The rangers kept a vigilant watch, their arrows finding their mark in the undead horde. Alex and the others continued to find their rhythm in the chaos, their movements becoming more synchronized and efficient.
As night fell, the caravan set up a temporary camp. They used earth mages to build up barricades and rangers cleared the space of undead. While they could never completely get rid of the undead in the area they did clear it of the higher level and more problematic enemies. It was insecure at best, but they estimated that it would work for the few hours they needed to rest.
The fighters took turns standing guard while the others rested. The mages used their magic to create signals to warn of the undead approaching the camp. Alex was thrown in with the first watch of the night in expectation of coming undead.
Alex circled the camp getting a feel for the place and everything in it. Fires were lit around the camp providing some light though his echolocation allowed for an overlapping sense of the area. He had walked the camp twice when he noticed a man sitting on a rock with his eyes closed.
“Come sit with me. You have been wandering around the camp looking quite bored. The other night watchers seem to be doing just fine without you,” said the man.
“I’m Alex. I remember seeing you with the mages earlier, but I did not get a chance to see you fight. What is your name?”
“It is David, and I am not much of a fighter. And I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to keep my eyes closed for the current spells I have active.”
“Uh-huh. And what do you do for this traveling caravan?”
“Scout and direct the caravan but most would never notice that I do so. I am a druid and animal whisperer. My raven is in the sky above us now. It directed us to this campsite and informed me of the trail we have walked so far. With its eyes, it has seen where the undead are more sparse and where climbers have recently traveled through. It is why we travel now. We are following their trails to the nearest city or until we find where they were wiped out.”
Alex looked up to the sky and saw the raven circling above them. He looked back to David who now had his eyes open.
“That is an interesting power. I’m glad that you have joined this caravan.”
“You seem to have some interesting powers yourself. You may have not seen me throughout the day, but I saw some of you. I wouldn’t have thought to assemble a battery pack to draw power from.”
“It wasn’t my idea originally,” said Alex. “but I am glad I now have it. I am more effective with it.”
David looked at Alex with a soft smile on his face. "It's all about being effective, isn't it? Using what we've got in the best way possible. You've got an unusual way to power your abilities, and that's innovative. I admire that. The Tower also rewards that."
Alex nodded, feeling David's words. He was starting to feel a bit less lost in this group of fighters and mages.
"Are you expecting any undead tonight, David?" Alex asked, keen on shifting the conversation to more practical matters.
David closed his eyes again, his magic returning him to the sky. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked at Alex with an intense gaze. "My raven sensed some unusual movements, but it's not clear if they're undead. We're prepared, but let's hope for a peaceful night."
“I hope so too,” Alex responded. With the conversation dwindling he returned to making his rounds. As he circled the camp he watched archers and mages taking pot shots at distant undead. The scattered enemies wandered without a purpose. On occasion, they grouped up to something more. It was still for now and Alex was called to rest while others took his place.