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NW D9

“Maybe they were fleeing to reach the city walls?” Erek suggested as they rode along the road to the city of Florens. The group could finally move faster and now that the weather had cleared they could see the wreckage of burnt out wagons, scorched horses and oxs still hitched to them that had been pushed to the side likely to ensure they were kept them out of the way. Flacidious led the pack and appeared to take a parsing interest in anything they passed by.

“Maybe, that could explain the willingness to just push things to the side and burn them.”

“But It’s strange.” Gilnar said looking into the forest that lined the left side of the road.

“What in particular is strange?” Long hissed.

“Normally when a land is abandonned like this there are bandits and refugees everywhere but so far we’ve seen nothing.”

“Great, another thing to add to the list.” Primela scowled. Meredith who was sharing with her also frowned at the thought.

“Also if there is a siege then where are the forragers and skirmishers?” Gilnar said again analysing the situation they found themselves in.

“Then maybe it isn’t an army they’re running from.” Long hissed again.

“A plague?” Meredith asked.

“That would make more sense, could explain all the burning as well.” Feng said from the the rear of the troop he seemed to be considering the situation.

“We’ve talked about this all before, let’s just get to Florens and see what is going on.” Sial complained.

The group seemed to come to a quick agreement that Sial was likely right and continued to Florens, soon they left the forest and found themselves amongst large open fields that had become overgrown, in the distance they could make out the walls of the city of Florens. They could make out the tall watch towers and the gate house and the long streigh road that led to the city. The closer they got the more details they could see as the suns slowly worked their way across the sky, the tall watch towers began to reveal their elegant design, more tall buildings and keeps came into view behind the walls the many roofs of town houses a large lake was off to the right side of the city and boats dotted the shore.

Flacidious raised his hand and pulled his horse to a stop. They all had a slight look of concern on their faces.

“What is it?”

“Do you notice it?”

They all took a longer look at the city a gentle wind blew and the long crops swayed as though they were doing a seductive dance.

“There’s no smoke” Said Charles.

“Nor any boats on the lake” Gilnar was looking towards the water hand held above his eyes.

“Shall we keep going?” Sial asked looking as though he knew full well what the answer would be. Flacidious looked at Charles.

“Send a bird, tell them that it looks like Florens has been abandonded as well. Bedros and Long you stay with him, the rest of you were going to the city. Once you’re done catch up.” Flacidious turned his horse and the group of seven continued while the other three sent the bird.

As Flacidious and his party got closer they could see that the main gate was open and there were scratches all over the large wooden doors along with a black colouring and piles of rubbish collected all around. The wind changed direction and a foul stench wafted over them that they had not noticed until that point had been hidden.

“By the gods that stench.” Erek covered his face and the others began to cough and look quite ill, Flacidious pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth and nose, Feng looked like he was going to wretch for a moment. The others quickly followed him and pulled theirs up. The horses also neighed and stalled for a moment forcing the troop to steady them.

“Smells like a week old battlefield” Gilnar said riding up along side Flacidious a grave look on his face. Flacidious nodded and looked towards the rubbish piled against the walls.

“Or a monsters warren.” Erek added with a horse voice and a nod of the head.

“You don’t think?”

“Let’s hurry.” The group picked up the pace and arrived at the gates, it was then that it became quite clear the mounds of rubbish were a tangle of people. Flacidious reached out to a wall and touched the dark stain and pulled away rubbing his fingers together as the thick ooze smeared across them. “Blood.”

Feng and Erek dismounted and headed over to the pile and started to look closely at the corpses, men, women, children and animals, a fetid stench rising from them. Feng reached down to inspect one touching an arm it looked soft to the touch and suddenly it flinched. Feng lept back and Erek looked at him confused.

“What’s up” Erek asked Feng

“That arm, it just moved.” Feng said drawing his spear.

“Funny guy, the travel must be going to your head.” Erek laughed and Feng looked across at him a dire look on his face. The horses started at the moment to go insane, Flacidious was almost thrown from his mount and the others despserately tried to hang on, Meredith had already got with Erek and she lept out of the way of the horses flailing hooves and let go of the reigns.

“Wooah, wooah fuck!” Flacidious shouted, Gilnar also fought to keep control, Primela was thrown from her horse and rolled out of the way to keep from being trampled. Gilnar ended up having to leap from his ride and moments later Flacidious followed as the horses fled into the fields.

“Shiting fuck! What in hte hells!” Gilnar shouted as Flacidious draw his spear.

“We have to get somewhere secure, now!” Feng shouted as he and Erek were running back to the group, the piles of corpses were begining to rithe and convulce.

“By the gods!” Meredith exclaimed and turned to look at the piles of corpses the other side. The same motion as one body toppled from the top of the pile, seemed to get on all fours all in a single moment and then its head snapped up to look at them, glowing red eyes looking at them.

Without saying a word Meredith bolted towards the gate the others paid only a cursery glance at the red eyed mangled figures that were tumbling and crawling towards them. They couldn’t see as they shambling corspes chased with an explosive burst of speed. The group followed Meredith as she ran not looking back for a moment, the others chased after her, no noises but the heavy impact of their boots on gore covered cobblestones, their breathing getting heavier and heavier and the sounds of hundreds of corpses chasing them with inhuman motions, some on all fours, some just using their hands others stood upright.

More corpses climbed up and over buildings as though they were spiders, Meredith’s eyes seemed to scan over every building as they came into view, doors, windows, floors. Her fingers twitched and her eyes had changed to a bright blue Gilnar came up along side her he slowed his pace and looked down then lifted her up with ease. She didn’t protest she kept scanning the buildings.

Feng slipped on a pile of entrails a look of abject horror on his face as he hit the ground and bounced he strugggled to get to his feet and screamed, begged for the others to stop as he tried to pick up speed again but even if the others heard him they made no sign that they would stop, as he ran tears streaming from his face a corpse leapt from a building landing on Fengs shoulders flinging him back to the ground with a another terrified scream as a swarm of the undead decended on him his shrill cries rang out as they tore the flesh from his body and threw it to the side a few moments left him a shredded unreconisable pile of gore spread across the road.

“That one!” She pointed and hollared at Gilnar who somehow managed to respond a four story building isolated from the others the surrounding buildings had seemingly been burnt to the ground. Gilnar smashed through the door and a moment past and Flacidious leapt through followed by Erek, Primela and Sial. Gilnar Slammed the door.

“Now What!” He shouted. Meredith was stood her eyes closed and palms together, she was chanting. “I hope you’re not preying girl.” He said as he pulled out an axe.

Sounds of crashing against the door and the window shutters. Primela and Sial drew their spears and stood to squewer anything that came throught the right window. Flacidious and Erek did the same for the left window splinters of wood were sent flying and a smashing sound rang out upstairs.

“They’ve got in!” Flacidious yelled and headed to hold the stairs. Meredith contiuned to chant, indeceipherable words and utterances her fingers moved so fast that they could hardly be seen. The small sounds of clawing and smashing could be heard all around the shutter on the right window came away and Primela thrust her spear into the face of the first corpse she saw and Sial joined her, he reached for his hatchet. The door came away from its hinges and Gilnar blocked the way, bringing his first axe down hacking the corposes head in half, his second axe slicing an arm clear off. Erek too was contending with a monstrous figure a rat tumbled out of its eye hole and he stamped on it while thrusting the spear into the beasts throat.

Flacidious on the stairs was hacking away at corpses as they came down the stairs. Primela stabbed another corpse as it tried to enter the window. Erek too, but the thing grabbed his spear and tried to pull him in, he let go and pulled out his short sword and hacked the things limbs off. Gilnar’s arms moved at a horrifying rate, bodies pilled up as the sound of smashing against the walls got louder.

“They’re gonna make it through the walls” Sial sneared.

Suddenly a hex exploded across the floor from where Meredith was stood and the shambling corpses at the doors and windows were flung back the ones on the stairs were smashed against the wall where Flacidious finished them. Gilanr and the others looked at Meredith who stood silently hands together.

“I guess she’s had another trick up her sleave after all.” Primela said and looked out of the window, the corpses stood there bouncing off the invisible field.

“So what the fuck is going on?” Sial shouted a mix of anger and exhaustion as he stumbled back and leant against the wall.

Flacidious sat down on the stairs for a moment and took off his gloves and looked at them as they turned to him for an answer.

“It seems clear to me, it’s either gods or wizards.”

“Fuck me.”

“Get some rest, we don’t know how long Meredith can keep this up.”

“What is it she’s even doing?” Primela asked.

“Some kind of warding magic. I saw it used during the war by the armies arch mages” Gilnar said.

“Our little Mere really is just full of suprises.” Primela sat in a chair and fell asleep almost immediately.

“Where’s Feng?” Sial asked looking around. The others shrugged. “Shit.”