The Emperor Class

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. The concept behind teleport crystals was simple. The crystal, upon being crushed by hand, would teleport all living beings within a certain radius to a predetermined location. The teleport crystals lit up once within range of the location to indicate when they could be used, removing any guesswork. Due to them being single use, teleport crystals were very valuable and were generally owned either by the wealthy or higher ranking military personnel.

Baldwin and Isylte eventually decided upon Falcon Hill. The hill not only provided a high vantage point for them to view the siege but was also within the one kilometer range of York. The high vantage point was important as they would be foolish to teleport into the city blind, especially when a siege was likely taking place. 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. Given how the hill was to the west of York, the demons had no reason to leave behind forces on it as they swept in from the west after wiping out all humans along the way.

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 luxuries offered by civilization and often missed while being outdoors. For Dreu, he also 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 animal made his eyes widen with fascination. Whenever he got a chance, he would ask the others about the forest, its inhabitants and any history behind the location. No one knew much about the history and Isylte only recalled a brief mention of the forest in one of the books she read.

“The forest southwest 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. The new whereabouts of the elves remained unknown to this day. 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 a powerful curse was the main cause for human's reluctance to expand further into the forest. Many believed that any secrets left behind by the wood elves were already reclaimed by nature, leaving little to no trace of the wood elves' existence. Those who sought out those secrets were never seen again.”

When Dreu asked about the catastrophe mentioned, Isylte shook her head. She stated that the catastrophe coincided with the time period their historical records were lacking in. There were speculations but no one could find evidence to support or deny any of the theories. In an attempt to discover more about the catastrophe, the kingdom proactively funded expeditions into the forest. Despite the 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 seen by most as a tale told to scare children who ventured too close to the forest. The rumors were likely started following the disappearance of the members from two of the funded expeditions but the death of those members were later attributed to monsters that ventured the forest.

Dreu asked the two footmen if they knew more about the Emerald Forest or the wood elves. Zhao shared that he knew nothing while Bayard offered what little he knew. He stated that the wood elves largely kept to themselves and very little was known about them. They were devout followers of Xyheia so they became the target of Xemir who feared them for their powerful magic. Bayard speculated that the catastrophe might be referring to the Siege of Kadorei, though he knew little of the siege other than it being a bloodbath that took the lives of countless on both sides.

With no further information on the forest, Dreu decided that he would let his curiosity of the forest get the better of him on a different day. The group eventually reached the foot of the Falcon Hill. Baldwin advised everyone to take a break before scaling the hill. While the civilians welcomed the rest, the break was planned for the adventurers and others so they would be combat ready as soon as they got inside York. Depending on the casualties of the garrison, they might have to contribute to the defense as soon as they arrived to ensure York held against the demons. 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. He also noticed the teleport crystal glowing brighter in Isylte's hand with each step they scaled the hill, as if signaling the countdown to their destination.

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 assault 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.

Yet, Dreu wasn’t ready for what greeted him as soon as York came to view. He simply stood dumbfounded by what he saw.