This story is being rewritten! The new version, A Price in Memory, can be found here.

I highly suggest you read the new version as this one won't be completed. Also, there has been a lot of changes so you won't be able to continue with the other where this one left off.

Clove was built in an area between two low hills, around a stream that ran through the valley. Large fields were cleared and cultured on the sides of the hills that faced the city. Throughout the fields individual trees grew, though he couldn’t tell from this distance, Y’rid suspected they were covered in light-producing vines. Each tree was surrounded by some brownish stalk-like plant, with the trees themselves arranged in loose rows running along flattened ground on the sides of the hills. This created two odd ‘stepped’ hills, each step covered in a mixture of green and brown.

Y’rid’s attention pulled away from the fields and towards the flurry of activity surrounding the gates of the city as they came into view. He swallowed the last piece of dried meat he had been eating and looked at the commotion. Caravans were leaving in groups with people tagging along on foot carrying heavy packs on their backs. There was a team of guards at the gate itself, keeping order as the people left.

The group made their way over to the gate. One of the guards stationed there turned to them.

“Welcome to Clove travellers, though if you’re looking for refuge, you’d be better-“ He stopped as he got a better look at them. “My apologies, hunters. I did not recognise you.”

The guard said something to one of the others near him, causing the man to speed off into the city.

“Might I ask you to wait with me for a moment while the captain comes? He is still busy dealing with the aftermath of last night,” The guard said.

Looking around Y’rid could see the expressions of anxiety and worry lining the faces of the people making their way out of the gates.

“What happened here?” Rhone asked.

The guard’s face darkened. “Beast attacks.”

“Attacks? Plural?”

The guard nodded. “Been three weeks now. They just seem to keep on coming.”

Rhone frowned. “Three weeks? Hordes don’t last that long. If they do they should have moved on.”

This isn’t a horde. Or maybe it is.” – the guard shook his head as he looked at the line of people fleeing the city – “I’m not sure anymore. Certainly, if all the beasts we faced so far came at once it would have been, but thankfully their numbers were few enough at any one time for us to drive them off. Only to have them return a few days after. The last attack, last night, was the biggest so far.”

The guard turned back to them. “I don’t suppose you’ve faced a situation like this before?”

Rhone shook his head slightly. “Can’t say I have.”

“I figured as much, unnatural is what it is. Especially with the marked creatures leading them.” The guard turned his head and spat to one side before striking his chest with his fist. “Ward keep us strong.”

“If not for the southern lord’s expedition,” the man continued. “I fear you might have found us in dire straits. But that is why you are here, yes?”

Rhone glanced at the others, though his face revealed nothing.

“Tell us about these ‘marked creatures’,” Holin said.

The guard turned towards him. “I didn’t get a good look myself, hunter. Most of us were busy enough dealing with the ko'ari and rock apes. Though-“ the guard hesitated and looked around at the people leaving the gates. He turned back to them and gestured with his head to the side.

They followed the guard a bit away from the gates until the man was certain they were out of hearing. “One of the others was in the thick of it. Claims there were glowing patterns on the beast, like what those mages use. He said he saw a rock ape the size of an adolescent behemoth. It sounds insane but I’ve known the man for years, served with him for most of my time here. I’m not saying he’s never told a lie, if you believe him, then he’s bed half the women in the city. But he’d never lie about something such as this.”

The man looked back to the gate. “I asked Nai later about what he saw but he simply said he must have been mistaken and it was a ‘trick of the light’. Most of us assume the captain forbade him from talking about it, given the trouble rumours could cause. Gods know there are enough of those things floating around already. Might mean something to you though.”

The guard looked at them with an intensity, probably hoping to gain something from their expressions. If he found anything, he didn’t let it show.

“And these people are all fleeing the attacks?” Y’rid asked.

The guard laughed, though it sounded a bit strained to him. “Can you blame them? Many say that this is a prelude to a horde that’s forming. I might have taken my family and gone myself. But I reckon the road would be even more dangerous without the protection of the walls. And safe places seem to be in short supply.”

“And this southern lord you mentioned?” Rhone asked.

“Aye, about a week ago, they show up. A mage and a company of soldiers. Says they’re here for an expedition to some old ruin. I don’t know much about those things, but I’m grateful for whatever brought them here. The mage and soldiers do some fine work. They helped us more than a few times during the assaults.”

Y’rid looked towards the gate at the sound of approaching footsteps reached him. A man dressed in steel armour with a sword at his hip was walking towards them. The man’s face was and marred by a long scar that ran down from his grizzled hair to the short beard on his chin.

“Captain,” the guardsman said when he saw the man, saluting with his fist over his chest.

The captain nodded to him “You may go Warren.”

He turned to the group. “I am sorry I didn’t meet you sooner, but we did not expect you to be coming from the south. Or at all, if I’m to be honest. Please follow me and I’ll take you to the citylord. He can discuss the particulars of the matter.”

Rhone raised an eyebrow. “Lead on then captain.”

The man nodded and began walking towards the gate. “Please forgive me if I seem discourteous, hunters, it’s been a rough couple of days. We don’t know when the next attack will come. We have been forced to double the patrolling guard in the city, just to show the people that order still exists. Most of us haven’t had a half night’s sleep in three weeks.”

“It is understandable captain,” Rhone said falling into step alongside the man. “Your man told us you have been having some trouble with beasts that… aren’t quite normal?”

The captain gave a glance around, though most of the civilians stayed out of the way of the well-armed group. “Yes. We have been trying to keep it quiet for the sake of safety. People are already as high strung as they can get, with more leaving the city each day.”

The captain nodded to the side, where a man was busy boarding up the windows to his house, hammering large planks into the wooden frames.

“My guards are the only thing keeping the panic in check,” The captain said.

The streets were oddly quiet as the made their way to the centre of the city, at least when compared to the commotion at the gate. Here and there Y’rid saw people speaking in hushed tones or hurrying along the street on whatever business they had.

“The citylord has done his best to keep the peace. Whatever peace can be kept at a time like this,” the captain said. “We faced hordes before, but they all followed the same pattern. First, more beasts would be found daily and nearer to the city. Then would come the quiet, a day or two of stillness. Finally, the horde would show up. As terrifying as the build-up can be, it is predictable. This… this is different. And I don’t like different.”

The man fell silent as they continued, soon reaching a high wall surrounding a large estate that bordered the stream. In a city where space was limited, a plot like this could only belong to the most powerful, the citylord.

Two guards, decked out in full armour, stood at the gate. The saluted the captain as he walked up to them.

“Keep an eye on the cart will you, Gerrin,” The captain said with the man in question and the guard in question saluted once more and stepped forward to take the reins of the d’yar. “Your possessions will be safe with them, hunters.”

Rhone nodded as Hadi clambered down from the cart. The captain turned and led them through the gate and down a walkway lined with two rows of trees covered in red and orange vines. At the end of the walkway stood the double doors of the large building. A man dressed in fine clothing opened the doors even before they had reached them.

“Thank you, captain,” The man said. “I’ll inform the lord, you can return to your duties.”

The captain grunted and turned to Rhone. “You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t stay, hunters, but I’m sure you can understand.”

“Of course, guard captain. Thank you for the escort,” Rhone said.

The man nodded before turning and walking back the way he had come.

“If you will, hunters of the Order,” the finely dressed servant said. “Please wait inside a moment while I inform the lord of your arrival.”

Rhone nodded as the man left down the hallway after they had entered, leaving them alone in the room.

Y’rid glanced around, taking in the dark, polished stone floor and the woven tapestries that decorated the walls, showing scenes of heroes covered in shining armour and fighting with monsters he hadn’t seen before. Hadi was immediately drawn to the tapestries and started studying the beasts in detail.

“What is that?” The boy asked pointing at one of the depicted creatures. It stood on two legs with two long, oversized arms that were swinging towards a warrior with a large claymore. The warrior reached around the creature's chest in height but was beating back the monster if the wounds on it were any indication.

“That is a rock ape,” Rhone said as he strode up next to Hadi. “They are quite common in the area.”

“Have you fought one?” Hadi asked.

Rhone nodded. “A few times.”

“Really?”

“So,” Y’rid heard Holin say. “The citylord was expecting reinforcements from Stronghold.”

“I’ll tell you later,“ Rhone said with a smile and clapped Hadi lightly on the shoulder before he turned to Holin. “He probably sent word to Stronghold when the attacks started, though it would have taken the messenger at least two weeks to get there, and that’s with rotating d’yari. They must have assumed whoever they sent found us on the road.”

“The people here seem to have a lot more respect for you than the other cities we were at,” Y’rid said. “Or is that just because they are facing beasts?”

“No, not just that,” Kali replied. “The cities this close to Stronghold are used to having us around, we often buy supplies from them and help them out when they need it.”

“I see.”

“These beasts though,” Holin said. “’glowing patterns on the beast’ sound familiar, does it not?”

“It seems the ones we encountered were not the only ones,” Rhone said. He looked at them. “For now, don’t say anything about what we faced. Let’s see what we can find out first.”

“Agreed,” Holin said. “But, we are not actually going to stick around are we?”

“Our first priority is to get back to Stronghold,” Rhone said. “If the threat already spread this far, then we need to know what’s going on there. Gathering more information won’t hurt though.”

“I’m kind of interested in this-“ Holin cut off his sentence and soon the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.

The servant reappeared. “The citylord will see you now.”

Rhone nodded toward the man and they followed him as he turned down the hallway. The hallway was decorated with various paintings, some showing scenes of the surrounding Glowing Hills, others showing the city itself. Finally, they reached the end of the hallway. Two heavy, wooden double doors, carved with delicate patterns, stood blocking their path.

The servant knocked on the doors. A moment of silence followed after which one of the doors swung open. Standing in the doorway was a man dressed in heavy steel plate armour and a full-faced helm. On his left pauldron was an engraved image of a hill with a single tree on its point. The man had a shield on his back and a morning star hung on his belt, the spikes capped with some type of blue metal. The armour and weaponry gave off an intimidating appearance, made even more so by the man’s tall stature.

The man’s eyes, visible through the slit in the helm, scanned over them, lingering a moment on Red before he gave them a terse nod and stepped to the side.

Rhone took the lead and walked through the doorway, the others following with Y’rid and Hadi at the back. Y’rid saw Holin wink, or blink, at the man as he walked past with a grin. To his credit, the man didn’t show any reaction to Holin or the scar that marred his face.

Inside the room, at the far end, sat a middle-aged man behind a large wooden desk. The man was wearing a large fur coat that was unbuttoned and hung loosely over a red shirt with gold embroidery around the collar. His hair was beginning to grey and he sported a neatly trimmed short beard.

The man looked up as they entered and stood up from behind the desk that was littered with various stacks of papers. Y’rid could see the dark rings under his eyes as he moved around the desk to greet them.

“Ah, the hunters of Thal. I am Ashrin. Welcome to my city, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, citylord,” Rhone said.

The man nodded. “When I sent word to the Stronghold of Thal, I did not expect to get a response so soon, or at all, if I’m honest. I figured you’d be too busy further up north.”

The man looked them over, his eyes momentarily stopping on Y’rid and Hadi. “But you didn’t come from Stronghold, did you?”

“No,” Rhone answered. “We were actually on our way back there.”

“Then my messenger must have met you on the way? Thank you for delaying your return then. At this point I’ll take all the help I can get. Though I am unsure whether the few of you will make much of a difference. Even if you are hunters of the Order.”

“We are here, others are not,” Red said simply.

“While our reputation might be exaggerated,” Rhone said, “there is a reason we have it in the first place, citylord. Perhaps you can give us an overview of the situation? What we heard on our way here was quite disturbing.”

“Ah, I am being rude,” The citylord responded. “I assure you that I am not ungrateful for your arrival. But our current ‘predicament’ has taken its toll. Civility seems to be in increasingly short supply these days. Of course, I’ll give you whatever information we have at the moment, however sparse it may be. Perhaps you can shed some light on the situation.”

Rhone nodded. “Let’s start at the beginning.”

“Hmm. I believe this started three weeks ago,” Ashrin replied and sighed. “A beast attack ended in the death of a merchant convoy just outside of the city, in plain sight of the walls. The guards on duty said they never saw the beast approach, only heard the screams. They went to help but it was already too late. Only one of the merchant’s hired mercenaries were still alive at the time. They could get little from him before he succumbed to his wounds. He raved about rippling air and invisible monsters. Naturally, they took it as the pain-induced ravings of a dying man.”

Y’rid’s thoughts immediately went to the beast they killed in Blackflow. Kali and Red spoke of seeing something like that when they encountered the beast, could this have been something similar?

“And it was not,” Rhone said.

“Back then I certainly didn’t believe it. Now…” Ashrin paused, shaking his head. “The guards on duty were stripped of payment for negligence and the dead were buried. The matter was considered handled. Until two days later when there was another attack near the walls. A group of farmers tending the dosh fields on the slopes of the hill east of the city, all dead. That night we faced the first assault on the walls.

Beasts charged the walls at the dead of night. Not many. Not a true horde. Merely a large group, mostly consisting of rock apes. We faced attacks like that before, and much larger ones than that. Every few terms, one of the ape packs in the region would grow too big and try their luck at the walls. At first, this was no different. The beasts scattered after they lost a few of their number.

In the aftermath, the captain of the guard doubled watch on the east wall where the attack took place, in case of a second. And three days later there was another attack, but this time from the west. With most of the guards on the east wall, we suffered quite a few losses before reinforcements came and were able to drive them off. A few days later, another attack, from the north. And no longer were they just rock apes.”

Ashrin paused once again and rubbed his eyes before continuing. “By then even the blind could see that this was not a normal assault. Each time the beasts attacked, the diversity in their numbers grew. Each time, they would do so from a different angle, as if testing our defences. And each time they would retreat after reinforcements arrived.”

“Retreat?” Rhone asked, a frown creasing his face.

Y’rid found himself mirroring the expression. Even though he had been at Riversedge he had never actually seen a horde. But everyone knew at least a little of such things and the constant threat they posed, and he had picked up a few pieces of information from the others during their travel.

It was common knowledge that a horde would form when the beast population overexpanded, eventually decimating the local animal life and forcing the creatures to seek their food elsewhere.

There was, of course, hunting between beasts as well. But when the numbers grew above a certain point they would form into massive groups that rampaged through an area until their numbers had dwindled enough.

Why they didn’t just slaughter each other as soon as they came into contact or how they chose when to disband afterwards were still some of the great questions that had plagued many scholars of this world. Over the years there were some theories written down by the Order and stored in the library in Stronghold about these very questions, however, none had ever been proven.

“Well, perhaps retreat is the wrong word,” The citylord conceded. “They would scatter, running back into the hills. It would seem as though the group broke apart, only for it to come again a few days later.”

“Hordes don’t follow tactics,” Holin said, for some reason, the seriousness of his tone struck Y’rid just as much as the information Ashrin gave them. “They are driven by primal instincts.”

“That is what the guard captain and the rest of the hunters in the city said,” Ashrin said and nodded. “Like a mob, only driven by hunger instead of emotion. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case in this situation.

As their numbers grew there were sightings of strange creatures with glowing markings on their bodies, creatures unlike anything the hunters and guards in the city ever came across. A large rock ape so riddled with muscle that it seemed deformed, hurling rocks the size of a man’s chest at the city’s defenders. A nhilynx setting itself on fire somehow, and jumping to the top of the walls in a single leap.”

The citylord gained a far-off look as he spoke of the beasts revealing the disquiet he felt. He rubbed his chin and focused back on Rhone suddenly, as if he forgot they were still there for a moment. “I sent out messengers to all of the nearby settlements and to your Stronghold. I doubt any would be willing to send a part of their guard here though. The best I could do is to try and entice a few mercenary groups to join the defence.”

“You’ll have to excuse my ignorance, lord Ashrin,” Rhone said. “But isn’t Clove aligned with Hilt and Vhiren? Surely one of them would be sending reinforcements if you sent messengers.”

“Two months ago that would have been the case but now, with recent events, I’m not expecting help from them to arrive anytime soon.”

“Recent events?” Holin asked.

Ashrin gave Holin a strange look.

“We have only returned north a while ago and haven’t really had much chance to catch up on the happenings here,” Rhone explained.

“Truly?” The citylord seemed genuinely surprised. He looked to the rest of the group. When no one refuted the comment, he shook his head. “Then you picked a strange time to return. The beasts have begun stirring all over. Sightings of Kytin as far south as the Ribs. Herds of jaerdi migrating from the Frozen Plains.

Three days ago a mercenary band joined us from Hilt, brought with them tales of an entire swarm of khatri claiming Eron’s Peak nearly two months ago. Supposedly only the twin mages of Torn is keeping them away from the city itself. And those are some of the less outrageous tales.

New stories seem to arrive with each person coming to Clove. Most of them are undoubtedly pulled straight from the arse of some rumour-monger with a few bits added on for good measure, but even if only one in ten were true, that’d be enough for most cities to grow wary. Old alliances are starting to show cracks, and ours is no different.”

The man’s tone was bitter towards the end. “The only bit of luck we’ve had is the Therien mage that showed up here a week ago. Without him, losses would have been a lot higher.”

“Therien mage?” Holin asked incredulously. “One of the Golden Lord’s mages is here?”

“Indeed. Never thought I’d be grateful to a southern lord. The mage helped with the defence. With him acting as support, we were able to reduce further losses among the guard and mercenaries. Yet still, the attacks come every few days.”

A few moments of silence passed as everyone digested the information. Cities fell quicker than new ones could be built, Holin had told him a while ago. And that was under normal circumstances. One of the reasons cities could survive at all is due to the connections between them. Help could be requested if there was a specific problem a city couldn’t handle on its own.

Sometimes, Rhone had once told him, neighbouring cities would band together to attempt to cull beast number when they grew in order to prevent hordes from forming. Sometimes they were successful. If they all started focussing on weathering the storm themselves, then the situation was probably a lot worse than it first seemed.

That is even without factoring in the damage to trade that such a situation would cause. Not all cities had the means to actually provide enough food for all of its citizens. Like Lok, back in the Imorril Forest. At first, he hadn’t noticed the lack of fields and simply assumed there were enough hunters in the city to provide for the people. He later found out that the city itself was a sort of trading hub for those nearby and acquired much of its produce through trade. Some of the northern cities were probably in a similar situation.

Rhone finally broke the silence, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. “Any specifics you can give us about these ‘marked beasts’?”

“The mage took to calling them ‘rune-beasts’,” The citylord replied. “Said the markings are of the Old Tongue. I suppose that could account for some of the things we’ve seen.”

The man walked over to his desk and rummaged through the stacks of paper on it, before finally pulling out a few. “Here are the reports of the guards who engaged them. Though you might have more luck if you talk to the mage. He managed to kill one of these beasts and took the corpse. Wanted to study the runes, I believe. They are tough creatures to be sure. But they can be killed. I don’t suppose you know anything about these beasts?”

“We’ll first have to go over these reports,” Rhone said as he took the papers from Ashrin. “And we’ll probably need to talk to the mage.”

“I’ll send word to him that you are in the city, though he’d probably have heard by now. Perhaps you could make yourselves seen in the meantime. Most people grew up hearing stories of your Order. Just seeing you might help raise the men’s morale.”

Rhone nodded and Ashrin waved them to the door.

“As you were, hunters,” he said, turning back to the papers on his desk. “I still have to deal with the rest of this. Let me know if you find anything of import.”

On cue, the armoured guard opened the door and the servant reappeared. They walked in silence as the servant led them out of the estate. They had come here for information and while they had found it, it only seemed to raise more questions.