“The Others exist outside of our world, held at bay by the Gods.”

Chapter 59

The road south to Aachen was wide and well paved, but completely deserted. Weeds and grass had started to break through the gaps in the paving stones from the lack of use. This was once one of the most well-traveled routes in the empire.

Goods would flow from the ports of Aachen to every part of the Realm. A steady stream of merchants and traders coming and going, connecting every province via their trade routes.

In the few years since Aachen had fallen, the west had suffered greatly. Trade had shifted to smaller ports to the north and south, but the loss of the largest port on the Azure Coast had been a major blow, one that the west had still not recovered from.

To compound the problems, Aachen was also home to some of the finest artificers and craftspeople in the Empire. The west had always been known for its fine quality of steel, but they had also been building a reputation for magical items and jewelry.

The traders brought exotic materials and resources from around the world, and Aachen was becoming a manufacturing hub for creating enchanted weapons, armor and items.

Expensive tools and equipment, libraries full of hoarded knowledge of enchantment and artifact creation and warehouses full of priceless materials were lost with Aachen.

The sudden destruction also killed many of the citizens, Wil had heard that less than 10% of the population escaped.

As he traveled south, he thought about what he would be facing soon. It was not surprising the Mercantile Association was providing a massive amount of funding to hire him and the other auxiliaries, they were desperate to liberate Aachen. Both the port and the assets in the town were priceless and irreplaceable.

It was a tragedy that in the years that had followed the disaster, the Legion had made no progress. They had even fallen back, sealing the entire city and the surrounding area rather than risk more lives.

Wil continued to ride southwest towards Aachen, and as the yellow sun began to set low on the horizon and hints of blue were rising to the east, the landscape around him gradually changed.

The lush green grasslands wilted and yellowed. The vibrant wildflowers became sickly and sparse, before disappearing completely. The trees, towering oaks and elms that dotted the landscape, lost their leaves and became barren and twisted.

The air lost the fresh vitality of spring growth, replaced with the sweetness of decay and rot. Even the Azure Sea that shimmered a deep blue in the bright sunlight, grew flat and ugly the closer to Aachen he traveled. It faded to a washed out grey that even the seabirds avoided as if it were a poison.

Even the sunlight, ever present in the clear skies above, lost its luster. It as if a faint haze of miasma covered the land, seeking to suck the very life out of the world around Aachen.

Wil endured through the desolate and dying landscape around him as he passed several ruined and abandoned villages. Burned and blackened buildings were all that remained of the once thriving communities. Even the surrounding pastures and farms had been scorched.

He despaired, thinking that he would not see another living being, when he spotted a structure in the distance. A tall stone wall rose from the skyline, a dull grey against the muted blue sky.

It was enormous, even from miles away he could see that the wall was a hundred feet or more in height. As he approached, the land nearby was barren. Only stumps remained of the trees, and the grass was burned black.

The road continued directly to the wall in the distance, and Wil was thankful that it appeared to still be maintained this close to Aachen. On both sides of the lane, muddy ditches had been dug. They had filled with fetid and stagnant water, with a thin rainbow sheen of oil on top.

The road rose to a small hill ahead and when Wil crested the top of the incline, he was afforded his first view of Aachen.

Over a stretch of muddy and bleak landscape, not a single thing grew from where Wil sat on his horse, to the tall, stone walls. The paved road twisted and turned before arriving a massive metal gate in the wall. The gate was closed, and he could see several guards posted at the entrance.

The walls themselves so high, the men and women walking below them were like ants in comparison. The grey stones stretched for miles in all directions, blocking Wil’s sight of the town beyond them. From his vantage, he could see that the walls even entered the water, completely encircling the town below.

The road split through the middle of a large row of wooden and stone buildings, and he saw wooden walkways constructed to connect their entrances, a necessity due to the muddy ground.

It appeared that the legion had built a small town for those stationed here. He spotted several tents and temporary structures, but it was obvious that the Legion expected to be here awhile longer and had built permanent housing.

In the center of the newly constructed town, a tall, round tower rose. Made of a similar stone as the wall, it was nearly as high. Wil could see balconies and large windows in the structure, but it was the feeling that the structure gave him that was surprising.

The tower radiated Mana, it was clear that it was constructed by Mages, ripping the stone from the ground and molding it into a graceful Magical Spire.

“The Mage Guild has built a Spire here?” Wil whispered, surprised. He had only thought the Legion was guarding the walls, with the auxiliaries hired by the Mercantile Association. Things become much more complicated if the Mages had representatives here.

He was hopeful that he could purchase spells from the Spire, since technically, as an Academy student he was a potential recruit for the Mage Guild. But he was currently contracted to the auxiliaries, his status would be complicated.

He thought of the large pouch of money Quentin had handed to him before he left Elbing. She had thrown in a bonus for his help, and he was flush with coin.

Unfortunately, the Mage Guild in Elbing refused to serve him, since he wasn’t a member. But things may be different here, the Mages were obligated to help the Legion and Auxiliaries.

Wil urged Snowflake forward. The horse had been uneasy since they had left Elbing, and its nervousness had grown worse the closer the Aachen they rode. It took a considerable amount of effort for Wil to control her, practically forcing the mare to approach the legion garrison.

After the constant howling of the northern wind, Wil found the complete silence surrounding Aachen to be unnerving. Aside for the sound of his horse’s hooves, nothing broke the quiet, save for the cawing of the occasional crow flying overhead. The black birds would wheel and turn in the air above, before flying back towards the town.

Wil slowly rode through the not so temporary town, spotting legion soldiers everywhere. There was a surprising number of civilians present as well. Merchants, adventurers, other auxiliaries. He could spot a variety of professions by their attire and equipment.

It was not just legion buildings present. He spotted a large Inn and bustling tavern. Multiple shops had been opened, selling weapons, armor and general goods. He even spotted a clothing shop, with silks on display!

What had started as a place for the legion guards to rest had become a bustling and thriving town, an oddity of life in the surrounding desolation.

Wil could see signs on most of the buildings, and a large signboard as he rode into town marking this place as the “Aachen Legion Garrison.”

Another surprise was a large stone cathedral, with the symbol prominent on the roof, a perfect circle of blue. It was rare to see a church dedicated to only one of the Twins. Wil recalled hearing that the Goddess had sent her paladins and clerics to help with cleansing Aachen, but he had thought it only a token show of support, the large house of worship said otherwise.

He pushed snowflake forward slowly down the road, weaving around the heavy foot traffic moving between the buildings.

Seeing a sign that said “Auxiliaries” on a two-story wooden building. Wil dismounted from his horse and tied it to a post outside next to several other horses tied there. He climbed the worn wooden steps and pushed open the door.

Inside was a hub of activity. Dozens of well-armed and armored men and women were standing in long lines before counters.

Quickly scanning the room, he saw that most were Rank 1 or Rank 2, while a few Ranks 3 and 4 formed small groups, each being attended to by a man or woman in a legion uniform.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Wil stood in one of the shorter lines, waiting his turn to speak with someone.