The Vanguard returned to the tree line and set up their base at the edge of the forest, keeping the large hill between themselves and the occupied city. Davon and his two companions were put to work carrying whatever was needed to wherever it needed to be. For over an hour, they hurried back and forth, transporting tents and supply boxes and even the occasional large piece of metal or wood.

  While carrying the final round of supply boxes, the trio noticed a gathering of Vanguard mages around the edges of the encampment. Davon stopped, curious, as the mages chanted for a while. Then the mages raised their hands in unison, and a mass of trees sprang forth from the ground to form a living wall for the Vanguard camp.

  Well, isn’t that something, Davon thought, taking a moment to admire the solid barricade.

  After delivering the supply boxes to their intended location, the trio found a relatively quiet corner to take a breather.

  “Less glorious than I imagined, this,” Kai exclaimed, sitting gingerly on an empty crate as it creaked under his weight.

  “The siege hasn’t even started, Kai. You’re already disappointed?” Davon asked playfully.

  “No, no. I just thought we’d be given… I don’t know, scout duty?” Kai gestured with his arms as he spoke. “Or at least guard duty, instead of being… couriers.”

  Lyla already had her spellbook and quill out. “Have a little patience. We won’t be seeing any large-scale combat before the first wave of reinforcements arrives.”

  Kai groaned.

  “Enjoy the calm while it lasts, Kai,” Lyla insisted. “Who knows when we’ll get a chance to relax after the fighting starts?”

  “Or…” Kai sat up, his face brightening. “Hear me out. We could ask Emma for scout duty!”

  His enthusiasm withered quickly when faced with Lyla’s scornful frown. Then all three jumped at the sound of Emma’s voice.

  “It’s your lucky day, Kai.” The Green Tracker leader gave the group a grim smile. “You won’t have to ask. You’re being assigned to look for enemy patrols near our camp.”

  “Oh, perfect!” Kai leapt to his feet, ready to move.

  “But, please: do pick your fights carefully,” Emma added, more seriously. “We can’t risk losing anyone until the first reinforcements arrive.”

  “Understood. We’ll keep him in line.” Lyla glared pointedly at Kai. “Or at least make sure he learns his lesson.”

  Emma chuckled, shaking her head. “Good. Now gear up and get going. Report to me directly when you’re done. I’ll be at the command tent.”

  As Emma walked away, Davon found a bit of excitement stirring in his heart. He had been itching to get back into action for a while. Even if they were instructed to avoid danger, he was eager for the slightest chance of killing some more Crimson Reavers.

  He pushed himself to his feet. “Well, let’s get going then.”

  Without any further conversation, the trio made their way out of the camp. Crossing the mile of barren ground with care, they passed over the hill and into the fields around Heinburg.

  From a distance, the charred terrain around the city made Davon anxious. Up close, it brought back unpleasant memories from the Walden’s Hold siege.

  There was no ash on the ground here, but all plant life had been seared charcoal black: grass, bushes, even the occasional burned-out tree stump. It was as though the Crimson Reavers wanted to scour every sign of life from the city’s surroundings, and they seemed to have succeeded. The only real features that remained in the fields were massive rocks dotted around the landscape.

  Turning to the right, the trio started their trek around the Vanguard camp perimeter. Kai led the way, excitedly bounding ahead of the other two. Davon’s attention, however, was glued to the enemy encampments arranged around the city in the distance.

  While generally the same shape as the encampment the Crimson Reavers had made outside of Walden’s Hold, these camps felt more established. Each included at least two guard towers. Davon also glimpsed the tops of other buildings within the walls, instead of simple tents.

  More outposts than camps, at this point, he mused. I wonder if each of them has a captain in it?

  The thought both excited and terrified him. While the trio had managed to take down Aelius, Davon recognized it was entirely thanks to the captain’s own arrogance. Had Aelius not underestimated Kai and dropped his guard, there was no telling who would’ve won that fight. Especially considering the raw strength Aelius displayed, Davon wasn’t certain if he or Lyla could have survived a direct hit.

  Making a wide loop around the hill, they turned back towards the Vanguard camp, continuing their perimeter check. Davon felt some his unease lift as the hill blocked their view of the enemy encampments. Still, whatever forces those ‘outposts’ contained, the Vanguard would have to deal with them soon.

  “Hey, look over there,” Kai called out, grabbing Davon’s attention.

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  Davon looked where Kai was pointing and spotted a group of armored creatures cresting the hill, far away but shambling towards them.

  “Get down, don’t let them spot you!” Davon commanded as he ran to a nearby rock. His companions ducked behind the same rock, hunkering down as much as they could.

  The patrol drew closer, moving generally in their direction. Judging by the enemy’s attire, Davon counted four soldiers, two sergeants, and a creature he had never seen before.

  Standing roughly a head taller than the rest of the Crimson Reavers, this new creature wore armor decorated with many pieces of crimson cloth. The figure was vaguely feminine in shape, and their helmet was decorated with a long plume. On their back, Davon spotted a slender blade which was as about as long as a regular Crimson Reaver soldier was tall.

  “That thing looks like trouble,” Davon commented, trying to discern anything else about the creature. Even at a distance, he could see the figure moved with a grace he wasn’t used to seeing in other Crimson Reavers.

  “Looks like just another Crimson Reaver to me.” Kai’s hands were reaching subconsciously for his axe. “Taller, sure, but all the same.”

  “Yeah, Aelius looked like just another Crimson Reaver as well, save for the helmet,” Davon shot back. “And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you what he could do.”

  “Good point,” Kai admitted. “I still reckon we could take them.”

  Davon was about to reply when he noticed another figure crest the hill behind the patrol.

  “Wait, eyes up,” he warned. His companions joined him in peering around the edges of the rock to take in the latest threat.

  The new arrival was a massive thing, about the size of a standard cart, stalking forward on all fours. Each of its limbs ended with sharp claws. Black chainmail covered the long, slender torso and the head, ending with a veil over the face.

  The beast’s neck was long and moved in craning arches. A long, thick tail dragged behind the beast, remaining almost motionless as the beast lumbered forward.

  Lyla ducked back behind the rock with a sharp hiss. “Still feeling confident, Kai?”

  “No, no I’m not,” Kai replied, also falling back into cover. “Whatever that thing is, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

  Davon continued peering over the rock, watching the patrol as it stopped. The soldiers and sergeants spread out slightly and gazed at the landscape. The massive beast stalked in circles around the figure with the plumed helmet, almost like a needy cat circling its owner’s feet.

  The plumed figure seemed to keep its eyes on the horizon, giving their surroundings a lazy scan. After a few minutes, the patrol fell back into formation and turned back the way they had come.

  “They’re leaving,” Davon informed the other two, ducking back into cover himself. “Let’s wait until they’re on the other side of the hill.”

  Kai raised his eyebrows. “You’re not planning to head back already, are you?”

  “Emma sent us to look for enemy patrols. We found one.” Davon shrugged. “Besides, she’ll want to know about these new… things.”

  Lyla had been deep in thought. When she spoke, her voice was tinged with anxiety. “The Crimson Reavers seem to have put down roots in Heinburg, so it’s safe to assume these new units are more elite.”

  Davon thought for a second before adding to Lyla’s observation. “Yeah, and we can assume they will be included in all of their patrols around here.”

  Taking the chance to peek out again, Davon made sure the coast was clear before gesturing for the other two to follow him.

  The trio started moving carefully towards the Vanguard base camp, rushing as much as they could. Davon remained vigilant, keeping his eyes peeled for any other Crimson Reavers between them and their destination.

  Thankfully, their journey back was uninterrupted. As soon as they were within a few hundred feet of the encampment, the trio broke into a sprint. Running past the perimeter guards, they wove their way around tents and boxes, making their way to the center.

  When the group burst into the command tent, both Emma and Grant jumped to attention, drawing their weapons with practiced precision.

  “For brine’s sake, boy, what’s the rush?” Grant asked, leaning his sword against the table next to him with a scowl.

  “We found something,” Davon explained. “Something you’ll want to hear about.”

  The group described their encounter with the Crimson Patrol, detailing the new Crimson Reaver units and their distance from the Vanguard camp. Davon added in his observations about the enemy outposts. Emma and Grant listened to their report attentively, their faces carefully blank as they took in every piece of information.

  “Well, that is… concerning,” Grant admitted after the trio finished. “We were prepared for new units, but we didn’t expect anything quite so monstrous.”

  “Ah, it’s not like we haven’t dealt with worse monsters, Grant.” Emma gripped her bow, her eyes steely with resolve. “We’ll overcome this, as we have everything else.”

  “Aye, true enough. Whatever those things are, I doubt they will compare to dragons, ” Grant replied casually.

  Davon struggled to conceal his surprise. He knew Grant had been through a lot, but he never thought the old Revenant had slain dragons.

  “Regardless, well done,” Emma said, turning to the trio with a smile. “We have planning to do. You three get some rest in the meantime.”

  Unsure how to feel about their success, Davon led the trio out of the command tent. He was stuck between a sense of accomplishment and a distinct feeling of failure at not picking a fight with the Crimson Reavers.

  The group retired to their own tent and settled in for a rest. Placing their weapons on a rack, they relaxed into their seats, soaking in the relative peace.

  It was Kai who suddenly broke the silence.

  “Do you think we could’ve killed those things?” he asked, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair.

  Davon considered his companion for a moment before replying. “If we ambushed them, maybe. But it’s hard to guess when we have no information about their capabilities.”

  “I’m with Davon on this one,” Lyla piped up from her own seat as she wrapped herself more tightly in her cloak. “For all we know, that plumed thing could cast some powerful magic, and the massive beast could be stronger than the captains.”

  “Yeah, yeah, erring on the side of caution and all that, I get it,” Kai grumbled. “But… I don’t know. It feels wrong, walking away from a fight like that.”

  “Patience, Kai,” Lyla urged, staring the warrior down. “Remember what we agreed on after our resurrection?”

  “We must never underestimate our enemies or assume they can’t use magic too. I know.” Kai threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright, I concede.”

  “Don’t misunderstand, I don’t feel good about it either.” Davon couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice. “We had the perfect opportunity to ambush them. Any other situation, and I would’ve been all for it. But we were too far from any backup, and too close to an enemy outpost.”

  “And we were on a scouting mission,” Lyla pointed out. “The information was too valuable. We couldn’t take unnecessary risks.”

  Silence reclaimed the inside of the tent as they each retreated into their own thoughts. Tension and mixed feelings were palpable in the air, spiraling the group’s mood ever downwards.

  “Ah, it doesn’t matter now, what’s done is done,” Kai waved his hands as if swatting something away. “Let’s just get some rest. We’ll probably get called on again soon.”