Chapter 299: The Watchful Eye

Darion and Seren remained in the same concealed position overlooking Vrethka. They hadn't moved, their bodies pressed low against the elevated patch of forest floor, their eyes fixed on the distant settlement. The forest around them was dark and quiet, but Vrethka was anything but quiet.

Even at night, the settlement remained active. Torches flickered along the walls, their flames casting dancing shadows across the stone. Guards patrolled the battlements in regular patterns, their armor catching the light with each step.

Watchtowers remained occupied, dark figures visible against the glow of lanterns. Every so often, Darion could hear distant voices carried through the night air, low murmurs, sharp commands, the occasional laugh.

The sounds of weapons striking during training occasionally reached them, the ring of steel against steel echoing through the darkness. Wagons continued moving through certain sections of the settlement, their wheels creaking, their cargo shifting. Workers were still carrying supplies, their backs bent under the weight of crates and barrels.

The more he observed Vrethka, the more organized it appeared. This wasn't a settlement that simply happened to have a lot of people awake at night. Everyone seemed to have something to do. There was purpose in every movement, direction in every task. This was a place that knew what it was doing.

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Darion shifted slightly behind the vegetation, checking their surroundings. Their current position was actually quite good. They were far enough from Vrethka that the guards shouldn't be able to spot them easily. .

The surrounding trees and undergrowth provided excellent cover, their branches and leaves forming a natural screen. They had a clear enough sightline toward the settlement, close enough to observe the details but far enough to avoid detection. If someone did somehow approach their position, Darion and Seren would have enough warning to react.

Darion looked toward the nearest visible patrol route. We're safe. Then he corrected himself. Mostly.

There was always a chance someone could wander into the forest. There could be scouts, hunters, animals, monsters, or something else entirely. Darion wasn't willing to assume the forest was harmless.

He had already learned that lesson the hard way with the hybrid hunters. He glanced toward Seren. She was sitting quietly beside him, her bow nearby, her eyes watching Vrethka. She looked calm, but he knew she was alert. She always was.

Darion considered their options. They could probably remain here without trouble. Probably. Darion didn't particularly like that word.

Darion decided that if they were going to remain here for a while, there was no reason not to make their position safer. He quietly opened his undead inventory. His attention settled on one particular creature. Slitherer.

Darion summoned it.

Necromantic energy gathered quietly among the roots, a faint green glow flickering in the darkness. A long, armored body began materializing from the shadows. The Slitherer slowly coiled onto the forest floor, its movements smooth and silent.

Its body was covered in hard, unnatural armor, plates of chitin that gleamed faintly in the moonlight. Its movements were smooth and almost completely silent.

It didn't make the ordinary sounds a living creature would: no hissing, no rustling, no breathing. It simply moved through the darkness, its body sliding between roots and fallen leaves.

Seren noticed it. She didn't say anything. But Darion noticed the slight change in her expression. She was still not entirely comfortable around the thing.

Darion glanced at Seren. Then at the Slitherer. Then back at Seren. "You don't like it, I see."

Seren looked at him. "It's a giant undead snake."

Darion paused. "Actually different from a snake. Slitherer."

"Still a snake. Just upgraded."

Darion smiled at that. She had a point.

She looked at the creature again. The Slitherer moved between two roots without making a sound, its body disappearing into the shadows. Seren watched it, and she visibly shuddered. "It's the way it moves."

Darion smiled. Trying to be quiet with the Slitherer behind you could be disturbing, he understood.

Seren explained that living snakes were already uncomfortable enough. But the Slitherer didn't move like a normal snake. It was too quiet, too deliberate. Its armored body made its movements look unnatural. Its undead nature made it even worse.

Darion looked at the Slitherer. Honestly... he could kind of understand her point. Yeah. It is a little creepy. But that was also exactly why it was useful.

Seren eventually asked, "Why did you summon it?"

Darion pointed vaguely toward the surrounding forest. "Protection."

Seren looked toward Vrethka. "Against them?"

Darion shook his head. "No." He gestured around them. "We're too far away. If Vrethka's soldiers somehow make it this far, we've got bigger problems."

Seren waited for him to explain.

Darion continued. "I'm thinking about everything else."

Seren looked confused. "Everything else?"

Darion nodded. "Snakes. Scorpions. Bugs."

Seren stared at him.

Darion continued completely seriously. "I don't know what exactly could be around us." He gestured toward the forest. "We've already run into those hybrid hunters. Who knows what else lives out here?" He looked toward the Slitherer. "If something small and venomous tries getting close to us, it'll notice."

Darion explained that they were going to be sitting here for a while. They were watching Vrethka. Their attention would naturally be focused toward the settlement. They couldn't constantly stare at the ground around them. Something like a snake could potentially get close without them noticing. Same with scorpions or other venomous creatures.

Darion wasn't interested in finding out whether the wildlife around Vrethka was dangerous the hard way. "The Slitherer can deal with anything small that gets too close."

Seren considered that. She looked at the Slitherer again. The creature remained motionless in the darkness.

Eventually, she nodded. "Great point."

Darion smiled slightly. "Exactly."

Seren pointed toward the creature. "Still creepy."

Darion shrugged. "Useful, though."

"Unfortunately." Seren said.

Darion didn't simply leave the Slitherer beside them. He gave it a simple command. Spread out.

The Slitherer moved away from their position. Its long body disappeared into the undergrowth. It began moving around the area in a loose perimeter.

Darion positioned it so that it covered several directions around their hiding place. One section near the roots. Another beneath thick bushes. Another closer to the trees behind them. It didn't need to create a perfect circle. Darion simply wanted an additional warning system. If something approached, the Slitherer's senses should detect it.

Seren watched as the undead creature disappeared into the darkness. A few seconds later, it was almost impossible to tell where it went.

Darion nodded approvingly. Perfect.

With the immediate surroundings secured, Darion settled back into his concealed position. He looked toward Vrethka again. The settlement was still active. Guards continued their patrols. Warriors continued training. Supplies continued being moved.

Darion's mind returned to what he saw earlier. They're preparing for something. He didn't yet know what. He also didn't know how large their army was. He needed more information. The previous scouting run had given him a general picture. Now he wanted details.

Which areas contained soldiers? Where were the weapons stored? Where were the prisoners kept? Who appeared to be in charge? How many people were actually mobilized? And most importantly... what were they planning to attack?

Darion's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly how to get some of those answers.

Darion remained hidden in the forest with Seren. The Slitherer was somewhere around them, quietly maintaining the loose perimeter Darion had ordered it to create.

Every few minutes, he would catch a faint glimpse of its armored body sliding through the undergrowth, a silent shadow that never made a sound. It was unsettling, but it was also reassuring. Nothing was going to sneak up on them tonight.

Vrethka continued glowing in the distance under the night sky. The torches along the walls flickered and danced, their light casting long shadows across the ground. The guards on the battlements moved in their regular patterns, their armor catching the firelight with each step. The settlement was alive, even at this hour, its people working through the darkness with a purpose that Darion still didn't fully understand.

Darion prepared to scout again. He had already unsummoned the undead bird after the previous scouting attempt, so he summoned it once more. Necromantic energy gathered beside him, a faint green glow that flickered for just a moment before fading. A small, ordinary-looking bird appeared on his arm.

At first glance, there was almost nothing unusual about it. It was small, its feathers ordinary, its body neither large nor intimidating. It looked like the sort of bird that could naturally live around the forest, the kind that nested in trees, ate insects, and flew from branch to branch without anyone paying attention.

The only real indication that something was wrong was the faint green glow in its eyes, a subtle green shimmer that could only be seen up close.

Darion looked at it. Perfect.

He gave it a basic command. "Fly into the settlement. Observe. Don't get caught."

That was all the instruction it needed. He didn't need to give it every individual order before sending it out. Once it was inside, he could adjust its movements and guide it as needed. The bird was a tool, and it responded to his will through the binding.