Annan and the others set out at dawn.
Given the situation in the Serens Mountains, Blom led the team himself. It consisted of fifteen elite knights and three elite mages—far fewer than had gone to Metali Fief, but every one of them was elite.
Even if they encountered a Rat Tide or a Vampire squad, they could retreat in one piece.
The road into the mountains passed through Desolate Ox Town, a settlement at their foot. It had once been the only route for mercenaries and hunters heading into the mountains, but the war between the Ratfolk and the Vampire Clan had left it abandoned. It took them two days to reach it.
Desolate Ox Town had been looted and destroyed. Bones lay scattered along the roadside, whether human, Vampire, Orc, Ratfolk, or some mixture of them all.
Less than two hours remained before dusk, and entering the mountains at night was a bad idea... They found a house in town that was barely intact, though it was missing one wall. The knights picked bricks and timber from the ruins to reinforce it, then erected fences and makeshift chevaux de frise outside to stop a charge. Lemon cleared the rubbish from within.
At dusk, as the last trace of sunlight was about to vanish, the knights withdrew into their temporary camp. The mages placed Eyes of Surveillance around its perimeter.
Night fell. The sound of flapping bat wings came from everywhere outside.
Bonfires could drive off wild beasts, but here they were a liability. The light would attract unwelcome visitors, so they set only two Magic Lamps inside the Camp.
The first night passed without incident. At dawn, however, several bats landed outside the Camp.
"Humans, you aren't welcome here..."
Three gaunt Vampires issued the warning, wary of the powerful