Divinity’s Spine was the world’s first, last, and only true barrier against the abominations of the Ebon Sands. The wall itself was forged of stone and metal colored white to act as a beacon and a counter against the boundless black of the desert beyond, the armor of the Iron Watch similarly dyed. Members of the watch patrolled the wall regularly, pacing back and forth across it with eyes on both sides. It had been decades since anything had been seen, but the brass would brook no slack in the patrols. It only took a single lax pair of eyes to allow something to slip across.
“We’re going to get caught, I’m telling you…”
“Shut up!”
And, fortunately for the two dark hooded figures that even now crouched beneath the shadow of the wall on the Exerian side, law eyes were what had crossed over their hiding place.
“This had better work, or we’re in such deep shit…”
“I told you to shut up!”
It could hardly be called the fault of the Watchmen in question; quite a bit had befallen the Spine in the following week. Disturbing sounds had begun to echo out of the sands in the night, sounds of great beasts baying and howling into the wind. A great influx of pedestrians had begun to try to cross into the desert, both by land and by sea. The naval wing of the Watch had already apprehended no less than three merchant-sized ships attempting to circumnavigate the Spine, all of them full of empty eyed citizens of the Empire. And, most of all, one of the Watch Officers had gone away without leave, and was presumed to have gone rogue.
“This isn’t worth the money, no amount of money would make this worth it, we should just-”
“How many times must I tell you shut up?! Any more words could well lead to our capture. Now be quiet and keep watch while I start the ritual.”
The shorter of the two hunched over in a small, almost imperceptible crevice at the Spine’s base where the stone had been chipped away. Soft light sprung from her hands as she muttered under her breath, setting the runes within the crevice aglow with the same light. Her taller compatriot stood with his back to the crevice, keeping an eye out for any patrolling Watchmen or wandering Oruukus. Every so often he would glance back at his partner warily, as if willing her to go faster.
“How much longer?”
“I said be quiet. And… there! Finished!”
“Good, now can we please-”
“OY! YOU THERE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!”
“Shit!”
A pair of Watchmen were quickly approaching the figures, their weapons brandished!
“I told you we were going to get caught!”
“For the last time, shut up and come close to me! Umbris Umburetta!”
With a chant and a swift motion of her hands, a puff of purple smoke erupted from the ground beneath the woman. When it cleared, the figures were gone! Baffled and concerned, the Watchmen hurried back to report their findings to the Watch Commander.
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“Hooded figures, you say?”
“Yes sir. We tried to apprehend them, but they were gone in an instant.”
“Do we know how they were able to slip so close to the wall?”
“That, I believe, was our fault sir. We had lax eyes and focused too much on the Sands side. We will accept any punishment you deem necessary.”
“Very well. My punishment is… for you both to go home for the day and get some rest. Then come back tomorrow and resume your posts.”
“You’re… you’re letting us off the hook so easily?”
“I am. You’re both tired and wary with all that’s been going on. Get some rest, then you can get back to work.”
“Th-thank you sir! We won’t let you down!”
“Oh, one more thing, Mr Briggs? Did these figures say anything as they departed?”
“Umm… yes, yes they did. It was something like… Umbar Umbrella, I think?”
“Umbris Umburetta?”
“That’s it!”
“And what color was the smoke?”
“Purple.”
“I see. Thank you. Dismissed.”
Alexander Levoix, the High Commander of the Iron Watch, was a tall and imposing man. Many Watchmen, when they first arrived, found themselves intimidated by his stature, only to be surprised by his friendly nature and smiling demeanor. Far from the hard, stern man that might be expected to lead the Iron Watch, he was, in fact quite amiable toward his subordinates. All the same, when business needed attending to, he wasted little time. As soon as the two Watchmen had left his office, he rose and traced out a series of runes on the wall. When he was finished, the rune lines began to rearrange themselves in a haphazard pattern for several moments. Finally, they stopped moving and then travelled in a much more organized pattern to form the outline and facial features of a woman from the shoulders up- Empress Ilyana herself.
“Commander Levoix.”
“Your Majesty.”
“How strange to hear from you like this. Is something the matter?”
“I’m afraid so. The Sands are growing more restless by the day. And I have reason to believe both our rogue Officer and the Umbris are involved with the recent attacks.”
“Umbris? Are you certain of this?”
“Earlier today we found a man and a woman doing some sort of ritual near the base of the wall. When we attempted to accost them, they used the Umbris escape spell. And it sounded like they went to their den in Berylius, which is where our man was last seen.”
“Do you think Officer Thorbeck is in league with them?”
“The part of the wall they were seen at was once his area of command, and they fled to where our spies last saw him.”
“Hmm. Troubling. Can you bring him in?”
“Not easily. He’ll recognize anybody we send. We can hire out some Hunters to chase down those two Umbris, their boss owes me a favor, but I’d rather Thorbeck himself be handled by more… trustworthy hands.”
“I see. Well, as it happens, we’ve narrowed down the candidates for the open Royal Guard post to two people. I have a favorite, but I’ve been in need of a chance for her to prove herself properly for the Senate. I think this will do perfectly.”
“Very well. I’ll get a hold of Alaric and get that favor cashed in. Take care of yourself, Your Majesty. I fear there are dark times ahead.”
“You as well, Alex.”
And with that, the conversation ended. As he began to write out the letter to Alaric Vastille, the man who led the Hunters, Alexander looked out over the darkening skyline. There was a storm brewing, and he only hoped the land would be able to weather it…
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In the city of Tarramuck, the second largest of the region next to Berylius itself, everything was progressing as normal. Farmers hawked their wares to passerbys, merchants ran back and forth to organize their merchandise, and people from all over came out to browse at the Farmer’s Market. Some were there to shop, others to do research, and still others to preach their personal philosophy to the masses. And here and there, strewn about the crowd, there were three individuals on the hunt, their quarries lying somewhere in the crowd…
OOC