The signal came a few minutes later and the water mages started their work. Jets of water hit the ground breaking up the earth that other mages removed. This was a quick process but one they needed to do quietly. They were digging toward an abandoned building. The night sky helped cover some of their tracks and their camouflage worked better. Over time a tunnel started to take shape.
With the rogue scouts already past the walls, the bulk of the group huddled in the darkness, their faces lit only by the faint glow of light they dared to take out once they had put together enough of the tunnel. Archer pulled out a pocket-sized compass, his brows furrowed in concentration.
"We're moving towards the south-east edge of the city," he muttered, eyes shifting between the compass and the towering wall. "We need to hit right under the deserted building marked on our map. We don't have much time."
A group of water mages stepped forward; their hands raised in focused concentration. Ribbons of water streamed out from their fingertips, directed at the ground. The soil beneath them bubbled and frothed under the power of the water, turning it into mud. When they were done they stepped back.
A second group of mages stepped in then. Earth mages, their hands gritty with the essence of stone and dirt. They lifted the newly liquefied earth away, creating a hollow space. The process was quiet, discreet, the only sound being the soft patter of water on earth. Then they stepped back, and the process repeated itself. They worked as quietly as they could, and the group was tense with expectation. The rest of the caravan was long gone and was in no position to help them. They were on their own.
It was a delicate balance of the elements and those who wielded them - water loosening, earth removal, the process repeated over and over again. The tunnel grew wider, and deeper. Alex watched as the mages toiled, their faces etched with grim determination. The glow of their magic reflected off the tunnel walls, casting an eerie glow on their faces.
They worked in a rhythmic cycle, almost like clockwork. One group of mages would rest while another continued the work, their collective efforts slowly but surely burrowing into the earth. Every few moments, the tunnel would extend further, like a massive earthworm drilling into the ground.
Just as the tunnel reached its intended length, there was a flicker of green light from a small communication crystal. Alex looked at the stone wall they had hit. Archer quickly picked it up, his eyes scanning the message written in tiny, glowing letters. They heard the sound of two knocks on stone. The rogue were behind the wall and waiting for them.
With the green light from the scouts, they had to move quickly. The mages started to work at a faster pace, the sweat on their brows evident of their exertion. The tunnel was almost done now, but it was the final stretch that was the most perilous.
On the city side, the rogue team worked from the inside of the abandoned building, their tools chipping away at the basement floor, guiding the mages towards them. Their tools were quiet, designed to minimize the noise and vibrations that might alert anyone outside the building.
On the outside, the mages had to be careful not to collapse the tunnel. It was a precarious balance, and the mages had to simultaneously ensure that the tunnel remained stable and undetectable. The earth mages worked to reinforce the tunnel walls. In the meantime, the water mages used high pressure jets of water to attack the basement walls from the other side. Others joined in to assist the quiet efforts.
The final steps were a flurry of activity. With a final push, the mages managed to connect the tunnel to the basement of the building. The rogue team signaled their success with another green light, and for the first time that night, there was a collective sigh of relief. The stone fell apart revealing the basement of the abandoned building.
Archer gave the group a nod of approval. "Well done. Our path is clear. Let's move."
One by one, they entered the tunnel, disappearing into the earth. Alex was one of the last to go, taking one final look at the city wall before stepping into the dark abyss. Behind him two earth mages collapsed the tunnel covering it back up and sealing the path backward.
“Those who need to take your rests do so now. We have made it through one of the hardest parts, but we aren’t done yet and the night is still young,” said Archer in a calm voice. “Ash, what do we have to worry about as far as nearby Seeker’s goes?”
A young rogue stepped forward to report. “Two doors down there are a few of their members. We chose this one, however, because of its required connection to the wall and it was closer to your position in waiting. The area surrounding the building with the teleportation circle is some of the most crowded. They haven’t seemed to do much sweeping or checks since arriving. It is to our advantage that they stay with their assumption that an invading force will come at them directly. Our main concern at the moment is other earth mages. They did not notice our entry but if we try and push forward toward the main building then they may sense us. For now, it seems that our best course of action is to use illusions and careful steps to get everyone from our current location to the nearest building currently abandoned that is near the teleporter.”
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“That is good to hear. You heard the man. Let’s get these preparations in place. I want everyone to know the route we are taking and what to expect. Ash send out your best to map out the guard patrols so that we can incorporate them into our plan. Once that is notated I want you to use the poisons on those more aware in the nearby buildings. Remember we don’t want them to know we were even here.”
With the rogues setting out again the next phase of their plan was in motion.
The scouts left the building quickly and spread out throughout the largely abandoned building. They split up, merging into the shadows, watching, waiting. A couple of them found perches atop the buildings, offering them a wide view of the city streets below. There, they watched the guards patrolling in steady patterns, noting their timings, their routes, their numbers. Each detail, every slight variation was reported back to Archer.
Simultaneously, a few other scouts had a different task. They moved through the empty city, entering the targeted buildings. A cloak of invisibility and silence wrapped around them as they proceeded, careful to leave no trace of their intrusion. They were the assassins, specialized in the use of toxic poisons to incapacitate enemies. They moved with precision, applying the poison to guards' drinking water and food, a poison potent enough to knock a man unconscious but not lethal. It was essential to keep their presence unknown. The poisons were slow acting and unnoticeable as a result.
One by one, the guards began to fall. They drank and ate unknowingly. The poison slowly dulling their senses. They felt no spinning or blurring as their eyelids grew heavy. The weakness enveloping them. Gradually, they slumped over in their chairs, rendered unconscious by the poison. The timing was perfect, everyone within the building the rogues accessed were soon asleep. Each building was gradually silenced, leaving it vacant and ready for Archer's team's next steps.
All the while, the scouts watching from their perches observed the guards' movements, noting any changes in their patrols due to their falling comrades. They reported back regularly, ensuring Archer's team had an up-to-date view of the situation. This vigilance was their safeguard against unexpected surprises, a lifeline for the mission's success. They repeated their poisonings throughout several buildings with already tired guards.
Throughout the night, they continued their operations, infiltrating, poisoning, observing, and reporting. As dawn approached, a significant portion of the city's guard force was now asleep, and the remaining ones were clueless, none the wiser of the silent storm brewing in their city. The path to the teleporter was now clearer, less fraught with danger.
Back in their base, Archer nodded as he received the latest report from the scouts. The first part of their plan was complete, accomplished flawlessly. "It's time for the next phase. Let's move," he commanded, his voice cutting through the silence.
The remaining teams split up and hurried through the streets as quietly as they could. The scouts had opened up a path for them. Members of the caravan were guided by the scouts and informed of when the remaining guards were occupied. So far no one had noticed their deception. They were now two buildings down from the teleportation circle. Between them was one building with now sleeping guards and the other held some of the remaining more active guards protecting the circle.
“The guards have changed shift and should now be at their most exhausted. Their comrades are now sleeping, and we can move forward with our most vital steps,” said Archer. “Remember we cannot be seen, and we cannot be noticed. We will leave no trace and not cause harm to the guards. I am proud of what we have been able to do so far. Let’s keep it up.”
"Now let’s go over our next steps. We will split into two teams. Team Alpha, you will enter the building with the sleeping guards, move stealthily and ensure that no guard wakes up. You will collect their items and pose as guards during our next phase. Team Bravo, our task is a bit trickier. You'll move to the building with the active guards. Be careful. You have to be as silent as a shadow, as invisible as a whisper. I want no one alerted. Mages with silencing skills and backgrounds in illusions your time to help us escape is now. Focus your attention on those with armor. We need them to be blind to our presence."
Archer continued, detailing the specifics of their actions. "Alpha, your route is through the back alley, the one that the scouts marked. There's an unsecured window on the second floor. Enter through it. Bravo, your entry point is from the third-floor balcony. Both paths were cleared by our scouts. Timing is essential. Alpha team led by the rogues will go first. They will help distract the remaining guards and help cover up our tracks especially because some of our group is less stealthily inclined." That brought a laugh to some of the bigger fighters.
He paused, making sure his instructions were understood. "Our primary objective is the teleportation circle. We need to secure that for our extraction. Both teams will converge there. Alpha, once you have your disguises enter the main building. Be ready to remove your disguises and return them to the storage racks stationed on the second floor of the main building."
Emphasizing the need for utter secrecy, Archer continued, "Remember, we're ghosts. We are not there. If you must neutralize a guard, use the gas pellets. They cause temporary unconsciousness but won't harm the guards permanently. It will sadly be likely to blow our cover as a result but necessary."
"Once both teams reach the teleportation circle, we will secure the area and initiate our exit. Team Alpha, you will cover us while Team Bravo begins to exit through the portal. This operation has no room for error. So, check your equipment, make sure everything is in place. We leave in ten minutes. Team Alpha you start now.”
The rangers waiting around the room stood to attention and hurriedly got up. They had several things to take care of so that the rest of the climbers could escape as well. Alex sat waiting. He felt a nervous twitch go through him. Things had gone well up to this point but so far they had stayed away from most of the guards. Now though they would have to get inside the building and get through the most guarded areas. Alex looked in the direction of the main building. The portal was there and so was his access to the third floor.