The March

At the edge of the Silent Forest, the villagers of Serendale had gathered as a temporary refuge. Father Edgar, his face etched with determination, had just finished discussing the plan with Captain Willem, a seasoned knight whose eyes spoke volumes of the battles he had weathered.

The night was clear with the young moon providing her light and the burning village bright up the sky.

As the weary, tired, and injured people huddled around the campfire, their faces illuminated by the warm glow of the flames, Father Edgar stepped forward, his voice resonating with a sense of urgency. "Listen up, people of Serendale," he began, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Whatever happened, don't get separated. We have only one chance."

His eyes fell upon the children clinging to their mother's skirts, their faces filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity. "Strap your children to your arms," he instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Don't let them fall behind."

Father Edgar's words echoed through the silent forest, each syllable carrying the weight of their dire situation. "Tread in a single file. Don't rush. The imperial knights will protect you. Listen exactly to what the knights command!"

Captain Willem stepped forward, his armor gleaming in the firelight. "No matter what happens," he said, his voice firm and resolute, "always remember to stay together. In the worst-case scenario, if anything should happen to us, make your way to the fish farm down the Monterei port. You won't be able to miss it – it's the only large building with a stone wall running over the crate stacks on the dockyard."

As the captain's words sank in, a flurry of activity erupted around the campfire. Mothers hastily tied their children to their bodies, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and determination. Men brandished makeshift staffs, long branches, or any long objects they could find, ready to defend their loved ones from the threat of the dreaded harpies.

Captain Willem surveyed his fellow knights and volunteers – Ser Cedric, Ser Gareth, Oliver, Kazama, Father Edgar, Gilbert, and even Martin the Mute. Their eyes burned with a fierce resolve, ready to march across the villagers for their survival. The captain's gaze fell upon Ser Gareth, who had taken it upon himself to carry the unconscious form of old man Jedd, the weight of the elder's body posing no challenge to the knight's strong build.

As the group gathered at the tree line of the Song Forest, facing the village, they stood ready, their hearts pounding in anticipation. Sir Cedric raised his monocular, his eye fixed on the courthouse ruin, waiting for the signal from the volunteers. The moonlight and clear sky provided a clear vision of the burning structures on both sides of Seren street, their flames painting the sky in hues of orange and red. It was as if God himself had favored their endeavor, for the storm and rain had ceased, allowing the fires to burn steadily until morning.

Suddenly, a flash of white cloth billowed atop a pole near the closest point of the village to their temporary retreat. "That's our cue, captain," Ser Cedric said, turning to Captain Willem.

"Harpies?" the captain asked, his voice laced with concern.

Ser Cedric scanned the sky, his trained eye searching for any signs of the dreaded creatures. "It's a go, sir," he affirmed.

Captain Willem met the eyes of every villager, their lives hanging in the balance of his command. "Everybody follow us!" he cried, his voice ringing with determination.

"Move, move, move!" echoed the voices of Ser Cedric, Ser Gareth, and Captain Willem, their rallying cries spurring the villagers into action.

"Keep your pace, but don't rush," the captain instructed from the rear of the line, ensuring that no one was left behind.

With bated breath and pounding hearts, the villagers began their march through the Silent Forest, their footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night. They moved from tree to tree, traversing the open field dotted with scattered trees until they reached the Seren street in the heart of the village.

The journey had begun, each step a testament to their unwavering determination to survive, to persevere against the odds, and to reclaim the sanctuary they once called home.

⁕⁕⁕

The second group of villagers, volunteers, and imperial knights emerged from the Silent Forest, their footsteps echoing like a drumbeat in the stillness of the night. Ethan, his face glistening with sweat, clutched the boltcasters he had scavenged from the courthouse ruin, carefully handing them over to Ser Cedric and Ser Gareth. The knights nodded their appreciation, their eyes burning with a fierce determination.

Ahead, the first group of villagers huddled together on the Seren street, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames that danced around them. They had been tasked with keeping the fires ablaze, creating a wall of heat that would deter the dreaded harpies from drawing too close. As the second group approached, the defenders waved their torches wildly, their movements frantic and urgent.

Kazama, his quiver nearly empty, let loose another volley of arrows, his aim true as he felled several of the winged creatures that circled overhead, their screeches piercing the night sky. The harpies' cries echoed all around, but they dared not linger too close to the fiery barrier that separated them from their prey. The heat was unbearable, and their feathers, so perfectly designed for flight, were also their greatest vulnerability – flammable and susceptible to the licking flames.

Corporal Knightly, his face etched with concentration, oversaw the escort alongside Sir Parcival, Father Edgar, Old man Jed, Oliver, and Gilbert. Their watchful eyes scanned the skies, ever vigilant for any sign of danger. Aden, Kazama, Murdoc, Sir Cedric, and Captain Willem brought up the rear, their weapons at the ready. They were the last line of defense, tasked with keeping the harpies at bay and defending the stragglers.

As the two groups merged, the villagers marched through the burning village, the glow of the flames illuminating their weary faces. They were already halfway to their destination – the road that would lead them down the mountain and to the safety of the seaport.

Aden's gaze lifted skyward, and his heart sank. Gloomy clouds were gathering, their ominous presence a foreboding sign. The train of people began to slow, their pace faltering under the weight of exhaustion. "Captain," Aden called out, quickening his steps to close the distance between them. "I think we need to keep up the pace."

Captain Willem turned, his brow furrowing as he regarded Aden. "What is it?" he asked, his tone sharp.

Aden wordlessly pointed to the sky, and the captain followed his gaze, his eyes widening as he, too, saw the impending storm. "We can't rush them," the captain said, his voice heavy with reluctance. "There are women and children among them."

It was true – the villagers had already been pushed to their limits, running for what seemed like an eternity. It was a miracle that no one had succumbed to the physical demands of their flight. The captain knew they were exhausted, scared, afraid, tired, and injured. There was no place to hide, no respite from the relentless march towards their destination.

The weight of their situation bore down upon them like a heavy cloak, but still, they pressed on, driven by the indomitable will to survive and the hope of reclaiming the sanctuary they had once called home. The harpies' screeches faded into the distance, drowned out by the rhythmic cadence of their footsteps and the crackling of the flames that guided their path.

The march through the burning village was relentless, the villagers' footsteps echoing like a drumbeat against the backdrop of crackling flames and distant screeches. The moving column of people treaded on the part of the street where the fire wasn't so intense. Aden's gaze was fixed ahead, his eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of trouble when he caught sight of a woman stumbling in front of him. It was Laura, her face etched with fear and exhaustion.

The harpies, ever opportunistic, didn't waste a moment. With terrifying shrieks, they swooped down from the sky, their talons outstretched and gleaming in the firelight, aiming straight for the defenseless Laura.

Without hesitation, Father Edgar leaped into action, his figure a blur as he moved to shield his granddaughter from the winged creatures' attack. Aden, spurred by the urgency of the situation, surged forward from the rear, determined to lend his aid.

Father Edgar wielded a spear fashioned from a tree branch, its shape far from straight, bent and asymmetrical like the twisted limbs of an ancient oak. The villagers had gathered the straightest branches they could find, but even the most promising of these crude weapons bore the natural curves and knots inherent to their wooden origins.

Yet, in Father Edgar's capable hands, the imperfect spear became a deadly instrument. With a single hand gripping the end of the pommel, he followed the flow of the branch's contours, his movements fluid and graceful, guiding the sharpened tip towards its targets with uncanny precision. The harpies swooped and darted, their movements erratic and unpredictable, but Father Edgar's spear seemed to snake through the air, striking with a randomness that defied the creatures' ability to anticipate its trajectory.

Aden watched in awe, his jaw hanging slack as he witnessed the display of mastery unfolding before him. "Snapping snake?" he murmured, his disbelief palpable in his voice.

The snapping snake technique was a rare and revered art, rumored to have originated in the distant lands of the Essen mainland. It was a method of spear combat that allowed the wielder to strike with fluidity and unpredictability that left even the most skilled adversaries struggling to anticipate the weapon's path.

A novice practitioner might land their strikes within a tight cluster, their aim true but their movements are still bound by the constraints of conventional spearmanship. An expert, however, could wield the snapping snake with a level of precision that belied the apparent randomness of their strikes, landing their blows with surgical accuracy despite the serpentine trajectory of their thrusts.

But what Aden witnessed was beyond mere expertise. Father Edgar was a master of the highest caliber, his command of the snapping snake technique so complete that he could guide the bent and twisted branch with the same level of control as one would expect from a perfectly straight and balanced spear, all while gripping the end of the pommel with a single hand. Each strike found its mark with unerring accuracy, yet the path of the weapon remained as unpredictable as the movements of a viper, confounding the harpies' attempts to evade or counter the deadly thrusts.

"I can't be wrong," Aden breathed, his voice tinged with reverence. "It is a snapping snake spear technique." He had witnessed the fabled windcutter technique of the Far East warriors, but to bear witness to this mythic art of spearmanship was beyond his wildest imaginings.

Amidst the chaos, Father Edgar's voice cut through the din, his command urgent. "Get Laura to the group, quick!"

Laura wrapped her arms around Aden's shoulders, leaning on him for support as he helped her to her feet. "Where is Eugene?" Aden asked, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of the missing companion.

"I don't know," Laura replied, her voice trembling. "We got separated."

Aden met her gaze, his expression equal parts reassurance and determination. "It's all right," he said, his tone firm. "Can you walk?"

Laura glanced down at her feet, testing her weight against the ground. "Yes, I think so," she answered, her voice steadier now.

With a nod, Aden steered her towards the safety of the group, his senses heightened and alert for any further threats that might emerge from the shadows or the skies above. The journey was far from over, and danger lurked around every corner, but they would press on, driven by the indomitable will to survive and the hope of finding sanctuary beyond the reach of the winged terrors that plagued their once-peaceful village.