A Knight's Lilies

“There’s no shame in retreating from a hard fight. Okay a little lie, there is some shame. Regardless, there is no doubt that recovering first, then completing the job fully will take longer than just powering on through. But I would argue there is much more merit in being alive, done, if a little late, than dead, forgotten, and never adventuring again. ” - Emil Castimir, Senior Pathfinder/Historian, Arterian Exploration Guild, “Tips for the New Adventurer” Tip 18: Don’t Die, Run

It was an oasis of calm in the middle of the storm, the dark skies above pouring fury into the surrounding forest but not even a breeze touched the ruin. It was almost as if the immediate area of the crumbling Myndiri walls were covered by a barrier, leaving behind an eerie silence compared to the winds outside. Small critters and creatures huddled in the grass outside the ruin, sheltering from the storm just outside and staring curiously at the two new figures and seven horses that joined the already unruly crowd.

Signs of battle marred the ruined stone walls and scorch marks, arrows, and even dried blood dotted the area. Makeshift stakes and barricades protruded from the ground like an angry hedgehog fortifying its burrow. A series of torches and a large bonfire glowed orange in the mist as nervous soldiers paced back and forth on patrol, the light to their backs. Much to the duo’s relief, beyond the soldiers were a scattered handful of expeditionaries, now including Gil’s team, busy trying to excavate a boulder that seemed to be blocking something.

“Movement to the southeast! Riders!” A voice bellowed from the perimeter. At once the explorers, mercenaries and adventurers took up arms and rushed to meet the foe. Only for a collective sigh of relief to sweep over the group at the sight of horses and two girls approaching.

“Friendlies! Friendlies!” Gil’s voice carried through the din and as quickly as they had mobilised the crowd dispersed back to their tasks, leaving behind a few sentries and their friends to hastily move the barricade aside.

“Sophie! Riza!”

Came the surprised yet familiar and friendly greetings from behind the barricade.

The team quickly gathered them in a warm embrace. Even if Thulgrim stood further away from the elf, it felt comforting. But the mood quickly soured when Gil wore an expression of frustrated sorrow.

“My apologies for not getting you guys sooner, we ran into a little bit of a hick up.”

“Hey you lot, inside the barricade let’s go!” Yelled a sentry from a ruined tower.

The team quickly scrambled back behind the barricades and Sophie could tell the relief evident on the sentries face as they reassembled the wooden stakes into position.

“Sara, back to the infirmary. Arnold, Anna, get the horses sorted, Thulgrim, the cave in. I’ll catch them up.” Gil ordered.

“Yes, captain!” Echoed the adventurers and with a few cheeky glances and waves disappeared into the rest of the expeditionary team.

“Sorry for not remembering you two.” Gil said with a voice tinged with guilt.

Riza grunted a reply for the duo and Sophie just kept waiting. Seeing his moment, Gil’s business face returned and he pointed at the different areas of the ruin.

“The expedition team was making good progress when the undead started attacking them. The call for an extra adventurer contingent happened before that so we didn’t come prepared. Apparently a messenger was sent with an urgent update, but well…” He looked away and the message was understood, the poor rider probably got swallowed by the fog never to be seen again.

“Anyways, they’ve basically endured a week of siege and only when Eichafen became the one to fall under siege have they been able to resume progress. So I guess we have a better idea of what might be threatening the city.” Gil gloomily stated, the other two shuddered at the thought of encountering more of the dead.

“Unfortunately for all of us, the undead weren’t just outside the ruins. When we got here they had another incursion from below and lost contact with the main group that was still exploring underground. And well…some idiot threw a spell and blasted the entrance in. Fucking idiot.” Gil muttered the last words under his breath. “So our job has now evolved from just helping clear to locating and retrieving whatever’s left of the expedition from within.”

Sophie and Riza nodded quietly, the situation was definitely spiralling out of control for the expedition. Though as Sophie looked around, she could feel the hopelessness begin to pile on. Not only did they have what seemed like supplies and room for fifty odd people. But with only a dozen up here with them, and assuming half the team went down into the ruin, it meant that almost two thirds of the expedition had likely perished. It was a sobering thought and Sophie found herself zoning out before Riza quickly nudged her back to attention.

“Sophie, I know this sucks. But as both your current captain and under assignment from the guildmaster, I cannot let you enter the ruin with us.” Huh?! Wait, what did I miss? Sophie widened her eyes in shock as Gil continued, “It is simply too dangerous and there are too many risk factors involved.”

What about the Myndiri? The magic? My nightmares? Wasn’t the professor or head of this expedition supposed to help me? Her mind raced in a flurry as the other two simply looked at her for an eternity.

“But…” She began, but the look on Gil’s face made her falter before she could utter another syllable. Her train of thought shattered as reality sat front and center.

“I know you know Sophie. Annalise told me about how this is important and something that was actually eating away at you mentally on the inside. Believe me, I would help if I could. But as the situation currently stands, I cannot in good conscience allow an observer, hell a noncombatant, to enter the ruins in good faith. Astralis smite me if I’m lying.”

“But what about the researchers…the…the explorers and…” She fell silent again, they were noncombatants too, but she already knew the answer.

“They’ve had years of experience Sophie, you haven’t even started combat training. Your best performance might be just another meaningless day for them even if they aren’t dedicated fighters. Hell, the best efforts of both the mercenary guards, soldiers and even explorers have led to the sorry state you see around us. I think you have potential. But right now, you’ll be more of a burden, I’m sorry.”

Sophie remained silent and nodded numbly, I’ve come this far and this what happens? She wanted to shout at him, or even just make him understand her. But his eyes already showed the understanding, he knew, and he also knew what the right decision to make was.

“I know this is something important to you, hell even the guildmaster thought so. But I want…no need to know exactly who is capable of what when we get in there. Cramped corridors, old rooms, hidden traps, everyone needs to do their part and I don’t want someone who could be disarming or scouting to remain back and baby you. The most I can do is say that perhaps we could get you inside if the undead presence is thinned enough and we rescue the guys inside.” Gil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, the tiredness enveloping him. With a tip of his head Gil gave Sophie one last glance and headed towards the ruined entryway leaving the duo behind.

The duo watched as a few more of the mercenaries trickled down to the entryway, where the angry dwarf pointed and yelled at specific parts of the rubble. In silence they watched as a bear of a man heaved his hammer up, bringing it crashing down on one section of the rock and cracking it wide open, revealing the entryway once again. A small cheer erupted from the crowd and Gil and the large man began giving their orders, forming another team of six expeditionaries to assist the adventurers. Sophie spied Annalise flashing a small smile before the ranger yelled.

“We’ll be back soon, just enjoy your time in the fresh air, yeah?!” She bellowed uncaringly at Sophie and the elf couldn't help but grin ever so slightly back at her.

Moments after the two teams descended into the depths and she couldn’t help but feel a tingle run up her spine as they disappeared from view. An eerie feeling that she couldn’t quite get rid of.

The nine of them left on the surface mulled about quietly, in contemplation or anticipation as they kept a close eye on the fog surrounding them. The six mercenaries that remained topside were initially wary of the duo, but upon Riza mentioning their time with Wilfred, Sophie could feel the tense atmosphere palpably defused as they all shared their own experiences with the old man. It turns out, Wilfred wasn’t just a former mercenary, he also served his time as a frontier guardsmen in territories all over, many of Carrador’s companies have at some point or another, had shared training exercises with the man and remembered him fondly.

For a moment everyone spent a moment reminiscing of their pasts, the soldiers about their mentors, Riza about her comrades, and Sophie about her journey so far. The only one she noticed not really joining was the youngish explorer. He was well built if a little too rounded in the belly for an explorer, but overall what she expected. It was only when he sneered at her that she began to sense something was off. From then the man had always seemed to keep one eye on her throughout the rest of their time holding down the fort.

Still, she tried her best to pay him no mind as the rest of them seemed to as well. Trouble only started when they broke open some rations for mealtime and the explorer grumbled words that brought her mood plummeting back down.

“Fucking knifey.” He had cursed softly, but it was enough. The others stiffened at the accusation and reluctantly, under the intense scrutiny Sophie felt obligated to remove her hood as she pulled her legs closer to herself. It was as if someone had just smeared kobald feces on a dining table, or opened a book to find the pages ripped. A cold silence descended upon the company and one of the mercenaries quickly justified her presence as crucial to understanding the ruins, and that commander Wilfred surely had his reasons. Riza moved to defuse the situation with a few more pleas but the damage was already done.

Though they accepted her presence, now they merely tolerated her, though none would publicly voice their displeasure with her presence, Sophie could tell she was no longer welcome. War, it seemed, was hell. For the regular soldier or levy, it was a dirty, gritty business that was best done quickly and soon forgotten. For a mercenary, it was a way of life, a commitment to serve for a while for the sake of coin, to fight and plunder but to also be brutalized in combat where commanders hesitate to send the regular troops. For Carradorians, it meant a decades long skirmish, constant back and forths with little gained against the Minoran elves. Elves that likely took many lives from their comrades. To that extent Sophie understood their wariness, even she could glean that much from the lessons Eva received back at the household. Lessons on politics, warfare and the current conflict with the elves and why she should get rid of the servant. She understood.

But with the damage done, she did not wish to bring the opinion everyone had of Riza down with her and quickly removed herself to the far side. She clambered up onto the second story of a ruined watchtower and threw down her pack, sparing a nervous glance into the shadows only to find them unmoving.

With a soft sigh and one last look to make sure she could see the camp and they could see her, she threw a reassuring look at Riza and waited until the cat finally looked over before she pulled out the tattered remains of Gunmar and Aurelia. It had ‘survived’ dampness, being stabbed, and the horrifically rough treatment of her escapade through the woods with only major damage and more than a few ineligible or flat out torn pages to actually read. But holding it, she felt a brief sense of contentment and comfort rise out from inside of her. It was a brief item, only from less than a month ago, but until she saw Eva again, it would be a small part of her. A small reminder of more cheerful if not exactly easier days.

She smiled as she looked down at the book and closed her eyes, carefully resting her head against her pack. It was almost physically impossible to piece the words back together, but she could try to imagine herself in Aurelia’s shoes once again. Yes, it’d be a pleasant journey, she chuckled to herself. Taking one last look at the camp she huffed and settled in, becoming a heroine and wandering knight for a little.

Sophie woke up with a start. A sense of dread overwhelmed her senses as she quickly moved to wipe the streak of saliva running down her face. She huffed down a few stray breaths and quickly calmed her nerves, pulling the book off her face and putting it back into her backpack. Her ears were the first ones to notice something was amiss, it was the quiet that surrounded her, the lack of manly grunts or metallic clanks. Can’t believe I dozed off, she mumbled, a real knight and hero wouldn’t do that.

She pushed herself up and immediately froze. Faint rattling and groaning echoed from below and a strange sense of deja vu washed over her. Not again. Nervously she carefully inched over to the edge of the watchtower and looked over the camp. Fuck.

Where there once were tents, supplies, horses, fires, and soldiers. Now there remained only a sea of horrifically deformed monstrosities. Bones protruding out of mucus like skin at weird angles, gore covered furs draped over bodies of bone and flesh, necrotised tissues and wounds all decorated the colorful bunch throughout the ruins. Wretched creatures prowled around in huddled masses, as if cold and afraid of being alone. There, at the entrance to the underground stood it again.

An unusually large undead, rotting skin and nothing much of note, but Sophie recognised it. Half charred diagonally, it carried the halberd she remembered seeing before as well as missing a few extra bits and pieces from its body. But there was no mistaking it, it was the same skinwalker that Kelli had sacrificed herself pushing into the fire. Damn. Her fists clenched, hoping that Riza didn’t get a chance to see him. By the saints, Riza and the others!

Her eyes quickly darted around in a panic as she searched for the remnants of battle.On the far side the barricade was ajar with two corpses slumped against a wall nearby. Metal armour is about all I can see from here, probably the mercenaries. Other parts of the surrounding area seemed breached as well, walls, rubble and barricades all seemed to have been moved in rapid succession. She gritted her teeth at the thought of the camp being taken out by surprise, but remained optimistic as she noticed the proportionally larger crowd of undead by the underground entryway. Everyone could have barricaded themselves inside, assuming it's been cleared.

Her head swivelled around and she let out a small sigh of relief, Riza’s own supply bags seemed to be missing, so the cat had either fled or truly headed inside the ruin. A small comfort. Yet that just left Sophie with another question. The hells should I do now?

She could run, certainly with the amount of skinwalkers and other undead roaming about it was not just impossible for her to take on, but she suspected it would be too much even for the others. That meant getting help and getting to Eichafen. But the treacherous roads without horseback and the city likely under siege by now would be terrible obstacles. Alternatively, she could try to make a break for it, duck into the ruins and hopefully reunite with the others. Getting past the dead would be a problem but if she did then at least it would be a small comfort amidst the horror.

A guttural growl pierced through the din and she turned to one of the dead staring up at her with one blood filled eye, lifting a gnarled hand at the watchtower. Sophie held her breath and tried not to blink, I look like I belong, I look like I belong, I look like… a low roar shattered her mantra and she slowly turned her head to lock eyes with the large undead. Malice filled red and green eyes glared back at her, clear as a polished diamond amidst the chaos in the ruins. For a moment it felt as if the world had stilled, as if every skinwalker and undead simply ceased to be, and only the two of them remained.

Then, the world burst into a flurry of activity.