Reunion

Only a few short years had passed since human activity vanished from Andorhal, yet the once-level country roads had already changed beyond recognition. Weeds covered the ground, enough to swallow a warrior's ankles. Waves of nauseating stench drifted from the lakeside by the road, making Abbendis instinctively cover her nose and mouth.

The Gnome aircraft circled ceaselessly in the sky ahead, guiding the crimson procession onward.

The main force continued along the difficult road. Freshly grown weeds stretched toward Andorhal, while the Scarlet Crusade's vanguard, guided by the aircraft, halted beneath a steep slope.

Dozens of strong soldiers immediately set to work clearing the nearby weeds and brush. They leveled the slope and reinforced it simply with felled trees, making it passable for wagons.

With the obstacle removed, the supply wagons could cross through. They had now reached the outskirts of Darrowmere Lake. Fish and shrimp killed by the plague lay everywhere, washed ashore by the lake water. They had rotted for who knew how many years, their stench enough to turn the place into a living hell. Even the well-trained human soldiers found it hard to advance with ease.

At Abbendis's command, the few mages cast Create Wind. The swiftly circulating air finally brought some relief to the soldiers trapped in that reeking hell.

Darrowmere Lake extended in the direction of Andorhal, becoming the well-watered yet exceptionally gentle Darrowmere River. Through the Shell Crusher Flight Squadron's continuous scouting, supplemented by the field reconnaissance of Antoine, Adrian, and the others, Roderick found the route best suited for the main force.

The Darrowmere River's surface flow had nearly vanished, but its riverbed was spacious enough for the troops to assemble and pass through. Beyond the nearly dry Darrowmere River lay a natural passage leading directly to the cemetery at Sorrow Hill