Chapter 302: The Spy

Darion approached Vrethka's outer gate, disguised as one of its guards.

He was wearing the armor he had taken from the dead soldier, the heavy metal plates fitting snugly against his body. The mask covered his entire face, its dark surface cold against his skin. His sword hung at his side, and his movements were deliberately steady, each step confident.

From the outside, he probably looked like any other soldier returning to his post. Just another guard, finishing a patrol, heading back inside the walls. Nothing unusual. Nothing suspicious. Nothing worth a second glance.

But inside the mask, Darion's expression was anything but relaxed. His heart was beating faster than usual, a steady drumbeat against his ribs that he couldn't quite slow down.

His palms were sweating inside the gloves. His jaw was tight. Every instinct was telling him to turn around, to retreat into the forest, to find another way.

'Alright, Darion. Just act normal.'

He continued walking.

He didn't want to look around too much. That would draw attention. He didn't want to walk too quickly. That would look suspicious. And he definitely didn't want to look like someone who was afraid of being discovered. He had to look like he belonged here, like this was just another night, another patrol and another shift.

The closer he got to the gate, the more aware he became of the guards stationed there. Two soldiers stood near the entrance, their armor gleaming in the torchlight. Others patrolled the walls above them, their footsteps echoing against the stone. Their eyes scanned the darkness, looking for anything out of place.

Darion briefly considered what would happen if one of them recognized that something was wrong. What if they ask me something? He didn't know their passwords. He didn't know their ranks. He didn't know which post the dead guard had been assigned to.

And he certainly didn't know whether the soldiers here were supposed to be familiar with one another.

He had armor, a mask, and a weapon. That was it. No knowledge, credentials or connections.

Well, hopefully, nobody decides to have a conversation with me.

As Darion approached the entrance, his mind began running through the possibilities. What would happen if someone stopped him? If a guard asked him where he was coming from, he could probably make up an excuse. If they asked about his assignment, things might become more complicated. But if they discovered that he was an impostor...

Darion didn't even want to think about it. They would raise the alarm immediately. The gate would probably be sealed. Guards would swarm the area. Every soldier nearby would be alerted. And if the officers discovered that someone had infiltrated Vrethka while disguised as one of their own... Darion could easily imagine them ordering a complete search of the settlement.

He would have nowhere to hide. Even if he managed to summon his undead, he would still be inside an enemy stronghold. Vrethka had thousands of warriors, substantial defenses, and supplies prepared for a military campaign. Darion had powerful undead, but he couldn't simply ignore the difference in numbers.

'I can't fight an entire settlement.'

He thought about his knight undead. His available knights numbered only around fifty. Fifty powerful undead knights were certainly useful. But against thousands of armed warriors, the situation became very different. And that didn't even account for whatever unusual abilities Vrethka might possess.

Darion remembered the hybrid hunters he and Seren had encountered in the forest. If these people had more tricks like that, things could get ugly. He could potentially escape if he summoned enough undead to create an opening. But escaping wasn't the objective. He came here to gather information. Getting caught would mean losing that opportunity, possibly alerting Vrethka to his presence, and making his eventual return to Percvale much more dangerous.

So let's not get caught.

Darion reached the entrance. One of the guards glanced at him. Darion kept walking. For a brief moment, he expected the man to stop him. To ask him something. To demand identification.

The guard didn't. Instead, he simply nodded.

Darion nodded back. He didn't say anything. He didn't slow down. He just walked past the guards and through the entrance.

And then... he was inside.

Darion continued walking for several seconds before allowing himself to relax slightly. He made it through. Nobody questioned him. Nobody asked for identification. Nobody demanded to know where he'd been. His disguise worked.

'Okay. Maybe this won't be so difficult after all.'

Of course, he knew better than to become overconfident. Getting through the gate was only the first step. Now he needed to move through the settlement without attracting attention.

The settlement felt entirely different from inside. From the forest, Darion could see the walls, the towers, and the lights. And even with his undead bird's eyes, seeing this place didn't really hit like seeing it himself.

Now that he was walking through the streets, he could appreciate just how much activity was taking place.

Warriors moved between buildings, their armor clinking with each step. Workers transported supplies, their arms loaded with crates and barrels. Wagons carried goods through the streets, their wheels creaking against the cobblestones. Soldiers gathered in small groups, talking among themselves, their voices low and serious. Several prisoners passed nearby, carrying heavy materials under the watchful eyes of armed guards.

Darion recognized the signs of a settlement preparing for war. Everyone seemed busy. Even the people who weren't carrying supplies or training had something to do.

They're really going all out.

He kept his head down and continued walking. He didn't want to stare at everything like a tourist visiting a new city. Instead, he observed things naturally as he passed them. A group of soldiers carrying weapons toward a storage building. Several guards changing positions. A wagon loaded with supplies. Another building that appeared to serve as a barracks.

He memorized the locations as best he could. Every little detail might become useful later.

Darion continued deeper into Vrethka. He paid particular attention to the guards. Some patrolled in pairs. Others stood at entrances. Several watched over the prisoners working around the settlement. He noticed that certain buildings had significantly more guards than others. Those locations were worth remembering.

He also spotted several places where weapons were being stored. Crates of arrows were stacked near one building. Spears and other weapons were being distributed elsewhere. More supplies were being moved toward the settlement's interior.

Food, weapons, soldiers... Darion began putting the pieces together. Vrethka wasn't simply gathering supplies. They were organizing their forces. Everything appeared to have a purpose. He wondered how long they had been preparing. Days? Weeks? Perhaps even longer. Whatever the answer, their preparations seemed far too extensive for a minor conflict.

Darion's thoughts returned to Percvale.

'If they're planning to attack us with an army this organized, we have a serious problem.'

He needed to learn more before returning.

Darion remembered the building he had observed through the bird's eyes. It was the same large structure where he had seen several heavily armed warriors gathered around a table. They looked like officers or commanders. If anyone inside Vrethka knew what was happening, those men were likely among them.

Darion began moving in that direction. He didn't walk directly toward the building in an obvious manner. Instead, he continued along the streets, occasionally changing direction as though he was going about his normal duties.

Eventually, the building came into view. It was larger than the surrounding structures, its walls made of solid stone, its entrance guarded by several soldiers. Warriors entered and left the building, their armor more ornate than the ordinary soldiers. Definitely important.

Darion approached cautiously. He needed to get close enough to hear what they were saying without drawing attention to himself. He found a suitable position near the building, standing near one of the walls, keeping his posture relaxed. From the outside, he looked like a guard simply standing watch.

He didn't stare directly through the windows. Instead, he occasionally glanced toward them, pretending to monitor the surrounding area. Through one of the windows, he could see the officers gathered around a large table. Maps were spread across its surface, their edges weighted down with small stones. Several men stood around the table, discussing something.

One pointed toward a location on the map. Another shook his head. A third appeared to be explaining something to the others. Darion's attention sharpened. Finally. He had found the people he wanted to observe. Now he needed to hear what they were discussing.

Darion remained beside the building, pretending to keep watch. Through the window, he watched the officers. At first, their conversation seemed to revolve around the maps and their military preparations. Then he heard something that immediately caught his attention.

One of the warriors mentioned a Necromancer Lord.

Darion's body stiffened slightly.

He carefully shifted his attention toward the conversation. Two of the officers appeared to be discussing the upcoming conflict. One of them didn't seem particularly comfortable with the subject.

"I'm telling you, facing a Necromancer Lord isn't something we should take lightly."

The other warrior scoffed. "You're afraid of one man?"

The first man looked at him. "One man who commands the dead." He gestured toward the map. "What happens when his undead reach our soldiers? What happens if he has hundreds of them? Thousands?"

The second warrior laughed. "Then we kill him."