Private Tales The Bones Glow As They Break

[Silas Artesto]

Silas didn't say anything back to match Rhidian's confidence, but he did knit his brow a bit as he turned back towards the winding evening road ahead of them. It was good that Rhid was sure of himself, but this was his first mission. Silas had seen their own get killed by far less than Lycans, and that wasn't limited to Initiates... Still, the last thing he wanted to do was unnerve his friend.

Some might have said the remainder of the trip to Vel Cirak was pleasant and relaxing, but to the pair who'd spent the first leg setting off explosions and breaking boulders, it erred more on the side of boring. The wind in his hair was always nice, but he rarely got to travel with somebody he clicked with like Rhid.

By the time they could see the city ahead of them, glowing amongst the dark moonlit horizon, Artesto felt like he might doze off and fall from his mount. Rhidian's word of approval brought him to shake his head free of exhaustion and tilt his gaze towards the voice calling them to halt.

"Yeah, it's a damned sight alright, ain't it?" Sliding from his horse, Silas hit the ground boots first and tossed the mount a sugar cube from its saddle bag as he pressed on towards the waiting Guards on foot. "Shame it's all the way out in the Falwood. Doesn't make it very viable for a vacation."

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian didn't see the apprehension in the company's faces, standing before the gates that were shut to the new arrivals.

The Dreadlord ahead of them, standing off against the unseen guards controlling the gates, cleared his throat and muttered something incoherent before raising his voice. "We are here on the orders of Dreadlord Avery."

A face appeared on the ramparts, Rhidian's head moving to catch the new face, and many other faces of guards appearing. The man stood tall, young too in comparison to a lot. Possibly even a few years older than himself and Silas.

"You got here in one piece then. We are gonna open the gates only a margin, enough for you each to enter one by one. If an attack is to happen, you better hope to be within the city by then..." Avery shrugged, lifting a hand to signal the gates to begin opening.

Rhidian moved forward, patting Silas on the back to get him going too as they lead their horses towards the gates.

"We rushed all the way here ahead of schedule, I thought we would at least hear any weres out here." He murmured.

 

[Silas Artesto]

"They're smarter than they look." Silas replied in a hushed voice, straining to hear what was being said up ahead of them."They still have the reasoning of a human. At least, the mature ones do. They arent' going to telegraph their position if they're expecting company."

He couldn't make out the man standing on the ramparts in the dim light of night, but the voice couldn't be much older than them. It was odd, to think that somebody so young could be a Dreadlord, but then they were only a year and change from graduation themselves.

Still, even with the presence of a Dreadlord, There was a wary tension in everything around them; the expressions on the faces of those they'd ridden with now bore the unease of entering a city they were told was a death-trap. That even Avery seemed unwilling to open the gates more than was absolutely necessary spoke to the severity of whatever the hell was happening within these walls.

Slowly they approached the gate, their group entering the city two or three people at a time. They would open the gates a bit wider to permit access to the wagon, only to quickly narrow the gap again once it was through.

They were scared, and it showed.

"I don't like this." He nudged Rhid as they slid through the opening in the gate. "They didn't rush us here because they were being attacked, they rushed us because they expect to be attacked soon. How do they know?"

Rhidian

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian gave a good look around as they entered past the gates, his eyes falling on the weaponry and defenses, then the men and women manning them. He let out a low whistle.

"They are kitted up. Must be hell being stationed here." But the longer each Initiate took to watch, the Guard and Dreadlords knew where to move, where to be when they time came. The constant attacks had seasoned them, and it seemed their efforts and training kept the walls around Vel Cirak safe for those that called it home.

"The highest count of werewolves in the Falwood. Some packs are wild enough to forget themselves, testing the defense of this fortress... some slip past the cracks, but not all. If you ever hear sirens sound, find the closest guardsmen or Dreadlord. It means a werewolf is inside the perimeter. Protect the people first." The woman who spoke to them at camp fell back to talk to them again. "Just do as Avery says. This is his show now."

Rhidian glanced at Silas and shrugged. Perhaps there was more to it that just blasting at the creatures.

Silas Artesto