My Servant System

Just like with Emor, Leraie and I stuck close to the ground as we crept up the mountainside, using the long grasses and various boulders and clefts to sneak our way up towards the city's walls, which were just as broken and ridden with gaps as those back at Emor, giving us ample entrances into the city proper.

Our plan was similar to the one back in Emor as well, with a swift infiltration and look around being the priority before making our way back to the others to inform them of what was lying ahead; that, or shoot off a flare if the infiltration went south and we felt like we were in need of aid.

And considering that we now knew that the Cult was at least showing an interest in the cities of Tragon, there was a good chance that the Cult was inside Nogart as well, and if they were... we could expect a few higher level enemies meandering around inside these walls.

Even from afar, we could see movement atop the crumbling walls of Nogart, and Leraie stopped for a moment and signed something to me, the Demoness bringing her hands to her eye and making her message clear.

Creating another telescope, I brought it to my eye and looked at the walls, which were nearly a hundred feet away and still just a little bit above us as well, the slop having begun to even out these last couple hundred feet for something bearable.

I gave the walls a good look over before handing it to Leraie, setting up a small, unnoticeable dome of wind around us as I asked "See anything special?"

The vial of 'quickness' that Ammit had given us was coursing through our veins, and I had to take deep breaths to calm myself down, the sudden rush of mana and what felt like adrenaline flooding my system giving me the shakes, while my senses seemed a little strained; I could hear more, smell more, and see further than normal, whilst the wind brushing against my hand, neck and face felt sharper and colder than before.

Leraie looked much the same, the Demoness giving me a few nods as she answered "Not special, just noteworthy; they're kitted out in proper armor this time, and the weapons seem to have some basic enchantments on them. Not the greatest armor or weapons, but still pretty decent; practically an entire new league compared to the Cultists back in Emor."

"So we need to be a bit more careful with this. They had to 'earn' that gear, which makes them a little more dangerous thanks to their experience. But..."

"But they aren't really impressive, no... If I remember correctly, there's a clocktower or something near the far eastern corner of the city. We could use that to scout the damage and see if we can find their 'camp'?"

I gave Leraie a nod and accepted the telescope back, dissolving it and dropping the wind dome, letting my actions speak for me as I began to creep forwards once again, approaching a dark, thin slice of the wall that was missing; something that wouldn't be the 'main priority' of a defender.

Going through the larger holes and entryways would be a bad idea if there was actually a sizable contingent of Cultists here, so we needed to continue playing it safe.

With the suns rays giving way to the inky darkness of night, both of us welcomed the embrace of the shadows and slithered forwards, the rubble of the walls not hindering us at all as we moved atop the various stones and splinters of wood, entering the city without much issue.

Above us, the few Cultists patrolling the walls chatted amongst themselves, lazily walking and looking without much urgency or care for their 'job', so assured that this empty Kingdom would remain just that; empty.

The streets of Nogart were desolate and littered with skeletons, the dead left to lay where they had been slain and - thankfully - devoid of mana, leaving them as merely reminders of what had happened to this once populated human city; a reminder to those still alive that something larger and stronger had come in and laid waste to an entire city without much trouble.

Storefronts were completely empty, the glass littering the cobblestone and reflecting the little light inside the city's walls, while the bricks from the walls and wood from the doors lay haphazardly about, the destruction of the city done in such a primal way that left little standing untouched.

The bodies and the rubble were made even more eery during the night, but Leraie and I were unbothered by the creepy display around us, slinking forwards over it all silently as we made our way deeper into the city, our hands lingering near our daggers in case we came across any Cultists.

Our target was the looming structure dead ahead of us, standing over the city and facing the city proper, its twin faces that once displayed the time now left unmoving, the gears and large clock faces now untended to and allowed to fall into disarray.

It was still standing, its structure surprisingly untouched compared to the rest of the city, though the sheer amount of boulders and rubble resting nearby made it clear that the tower was just a recipient of luck, the cliff face that had been cleaved away destroying everything near the tower, whilst the plaza that it was in was relatively clear.

Looking this way and that, Leraie and I continued going from street to street, the tower getting ever closer whilst the sounds of the Cultists remained in the distance, though...

Rounding a corner, we found a small group of three lounging at a ruined cafe, dozing comfortably and enjoying the comforts of a dwindling fire, a pile of gear and valuables resting behind them.

Leraie nodded as I unsheathed a dagger, both of us moving around the group and positioning ourselves outside of their line of sight for the moment, watching them closely before pouncing forwards, making our attack swiftly and silently.