<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Day 11: Palaugrim - Bastille (nearly dawn)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Guilford and the rest of his team just finished preparing for their journey ahead. The last to mount their steeds was Natalia who took painstaking efforts just to procure some supplies they would require. Urging her beast to walk forward, Natalia joined the rest of their team and gave a nod to her Captain. Guilford acknowledged and rode forth in haste followed by his team, they were headed to Bastille's north gate. He noticed Kavita looking at their group from the height of her office window. The Seraph raised his right hand and waved once just before their group slipped out of the gates. They were already delayed given what happened in Bastille so today, they have to make up for the lost time.<br/><br/>Speeding through the road north, the seven individuals were now braving enemy territory. They would have to get off the road soon. A few more minutes of travel and they reached the end of the road, there was a fork splitting it both ways. To the left was the long way to Zairyon, to the right will lead them to Palaugrim's infamous Eternal Forest, the path they were supposed to take. It was named as such since it was very easy to get lost in it. Guilford noted the first glimmer of sunlight and gritted his teeth, they were losing the cover of darkness fast. With a wave of his right hand, Guilford and his squad rode to the right with even greater haste, making their way towards the Eternal Forest, they have to make it before the sun lights up most of Palaugrim.<br/><br/>Upon nearing the edge of their destination, their horses bucked and neighed in protest, their animal instincts kicking in. The war horses could sense the danger within the woods, telling their riders not to continue. Could it be that there were enemy forces willing to risk traveling the woods? Still, the war horses wouldn't react this way if it was just Pure Sinners or Sinners. The Seraph willed his steed forward with caution, wrestling the reigns to keep the steed from straying the path. It would have been easy to keep it under control if he could just extend his holy presence to it, but that would make them a beacon for the enemies, it wasn't an option.<br/><br/>"Captain, if the war horses are this noisy, we won't get very far without us being detected. Should we release them and go on foot?" Alfrei suggested.<br/><br/>Guilford pondered for a moment. There was still a great distance to cover before they could reach Luciano. Losing their horses now would mean a grueling journey and will have them battling with exhaustion. Still, it didn't look like the horses wanted to go any further, releasing them would be the most rational thing to do if they wanted to stay undetected. Signaling his squad to stop with a closed fist, Guilford dismounted his steed. He took off all the accessories they had on the horse and set it free, the rest of his squad did the same.<br/><br/>"It's a good thing we were given these auxiliary armors by your friends Captain. It would have been difficult if we're wearing our standard gear, the weight would no doubt exhaust us rapidly." Georg said and grunted after hoisting their supply pack over his shoulders.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I didn't expect us to have to go on foot this early but we have no choice. We tread carefully from here on out. Stay close together, this forest can be quite tricky to navigate."</span>Guilford instructed and took the lead, the rest of his men falling in formation behind him.<br/><br/>The forest was dense, the trees were very tall, their leaves and branches easily blocking out the gleam of sunlight. The forest air was thick and heavy, making breathing a little difficult. There were no natural or man-made paths to be found, a clear indication that the tranquility of these woods mostly remained undisturbed. With his arms raised forward to guide his path, Guilford weaved through foliage pushing low-hanging vines to the side. His eyes slowly darted left and right to the numerous shrubs that lay scattered on the forest floor. He was looking for something, a red flower of sorts, their ticket to the other side of this intricate maze of woods.<br/><br/>It was silent. Contrary to common forests, this one wasn't teeming with animal life. Even with its rich plant life, it would seem that animals take an extra effort in steering clear of the Eternal Forest, a telling sign of this forest's dangers. Hours passed by as the group ventured deeper into the woods. It was after descending a mild slope that Guilford stopped in his tracks, eyes zeroing in on a single shrub a couple yards away from him. On it was a single red flower called Ixos, native only to Palaugrim's Eternal Forest, the one he was searching for. He took a step forward but immediately stopped, his senses telling him something was amiss.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Did you feel that?"</span>he asked his team. The others tensed when they heard the question. To them, there was nothing else to feel but the eerie ambiance of the forest and its uneasy silence.<span style="color: #0080FF">"We're being watched. It's hard to tell where but I can faintly feel its presence."</span><br/><br/>Alfrei and the others all moved their hands to grab hold of their weapons, forming a circle with their eyes spreading out to cover all angles. "I don't feel anything Captain, is it the enemy?" asked his Lieutenant. Guilford tried even harder to sense the presence but to no avail. It felt like the forest itself was shielding whoever was watching them.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I don't know but stay on your toes. Whoever or whatever it is, it doesn't seem like it will show itself soon. Let's keep moving."</span><br/><br/>"So, according to Knight Commander Heinrich, to get through this forest we'll just have to follow these Ixos flowers right?" Hyuga mused, wondering about the significance of the said flower. "It's hard to think that our lives in this forest depends on this flower." he added.<br/><br/>Joaquim walked over to the Ixos bush and examined the red flower together with the others. "It does have that mildly sweet scent. If we were to believe the stories about the scouts that got lost here once, this mildly sweet scent is evidence enough of the truth behind it."<br/><br/>Alfrei moved ahead of the team, stopping just behind his Captain. "Come on people, we don't have that much time. I don't need to remind you all that we're moving on foot now."<br/><br/>With his words, the rest of the squad focused on the task at hand, making it through the Eternal Forest. The group continued their way deeper into the woods, guided only by that flower and its faint scent. The farther they go, the darker the woods become, given the fact that there was already little to no light coming in. A yelp from the youngest knight in their squad stopped their trek to a dead halt. Guilford immediately jumped over to the sprawled lady on the forest floor with a hand on his sword hilt, only to find out that she got her foot tangled in some ground creeping vines. The fierceness in his eyes were met by an apologetic look from the blonde as she scratched her head in shame. The Seraph offered his hand and pulled his knight back up to her feet. "S-Sorry Captain, my mistake. We've been walking for several hours now, I might have lost my head in exhaustion."<br/><br/>Guilford looked around the woods and then to his squad. While most of them are used to exhaustion, they cannot push themselves too hard given the ordeal that lies in wait before them. With a sigh, the Seraph found himself a tree and rested his back on it.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Half an hour. Everybody ease up."</span>he ordered and took out his water canister for a drink.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Day 11: Palaugrim - Ranegras Plains (noon)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>The vast plains rumbled upon the arrival of Pristine Knights en masse. A force of twelve thousand strong marched steadily but carefully into the plains, maintaining a certain speed and a tight formation. Knights from all over light-controlled territories in Palaugrim, as well as forces from the main island were deployed for this joint effort. They were being led by the four appointed generals by Guilford who were riding at the front of their forces. Heinrich, Romuald, Krista, and Ziekiel followed closely by Lance as their advisor all maintained a steady pace, body and mind steeled for what lies ahead.<br/><br/>Given their massive numbers, the look of worry remained evident in the eyes of each knight marching towards Luciano. They have been given the details of this mission, the main objective, estimated enemy strength, operation strategies, backup plans, and even worst-case scenario orders. They have also been made aware of the repercussions should they fail. Despite a week-long preparation conducted continually between their general and the Seraph Guilford through constant communication, just the thought of how much enemy forces they would have to deal with made their operation nearly unbearable. They were most likely outnumbered six to one but still, they were here, marching against an opponent many of them spent their entire lives fighting. This is what they have vowed to do, their oath to the Divine Light, doubts had no place in the battlefield. Compared to their Seraph, they knew that they were indeed getting the easy part of the bargain.<br/><br/>Time is of the essence. A force as large as theirs moving will not go unnoticed. They have to establish control over the high ground at Luciano's front, seal all the side passes to effectively box in the city and the forces stationed there, and defend their ground. It was easier said than done but compared to infiltrating the Luciano itself with just seven knights, this is nothing. The knights marched the entirety of Ranegras plains in just under six hours, they were to stop and rest near the hills past the plains. If all goes well, they should reach Luciano's high grounds by nightfall.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Day 11: Palaugrim - Knight Controlled Borders (night)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Silver stared into the distance of the hostile parts of the land from the window of an outpost tower. They had spent the entire day bolstering their border defenses and tightening their patrol shifts. With just a little over ten thousand knights left to defend their territories, their work was surely cut out for them. Despite that, it was in scenarios like these that the retired knight thrived. Where most see hopelessness, he saw light at the end of the tunnel. By now the main forces should have reached Luciano's high ground. They should be in the process of securing the passes and containing the city. They on the other hand have much more work to be done. On top of keeping their territories safe, they were also tasked with neutralizing enemy controlled areas within their reach. These included several nearby villages and any enemy encampments the main force intentionally avoided. They were also to secure routes that the enemy might use to slip their forces through, as if the number of knights left to them weren't stretched thin enough.<br/><br/>Several knight commanders joined Silver in the room with reports detailing the success of Sigfried's strike forces that they mobilized. The retired knight read through the reports, humming occasionally in approval after noting several high value villages, location-wise, have been liberated to their control. Next was a report from the scout division supervised by Akira. It contained detailed information of nearby enemy concentration, their possible destination based off on their heading, and several notable changes within the land's geography. As expected of a renowned scout taking every detail into account. With this, it would be easier for them to form countermeasures for the enemy's every move. Last on the report was Alona's recapture operation. Silver's eyes leveled on the details and his brows knitted close, unconsciously putting his right hand beneath his chin.<br/><br/>"For Alona to have trouble recapturing port Rieds..." he though out loud, catching the attention of the other Knight Commanders with him.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Day 11: Palaugrim - Eternal Forest (night)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Guilford and his squad had formed a tight circle among themselves, swords drawn and eyes panning restlessly in the now darkness covered woods. Their only source of Light was the dim glow of Prayer surrounding their bodies. They had decided to camp for the night but it would seem that those who have been following them have grown bolder, making their presence felt in that specific part of the woods. Could they have traveled to some place sacred to whatever these things are?<br/><br/>"Captain, I don't like the look of this, we can barely see anything and we can't afford to light up the forest and expose ourselves to the enemy. I hate to say it but if we're going to be fighting, we're at a huge disadvantage." Alfrei voiced his worries.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I know, but everyone stand your ground. We cannot get lost in the woods."</span><br/><br/>The Lieutenant was right, there wasn't much they could do fighting unseen beings in the dark, let alone risk running away and getting themselves lost in the woods. They had no choice but to stand their ground. Should these beings that were rattling the woods make a move against them, they would have already done so instead of circling them for nearly fifteen minutes now. Guilford could only think that these people were not accustomed to fighting, that was the only thing he could bet on at the moment. Several minutes later and the movements died out, ushering in a dark calmness in the woods.<br/><br/>"What now?" Vlad asked, raising his shield a little higher in anticipation of an attack coming from his front. The rest of the squad tightened their circle, inching closer to everyone's backs until they could feel each others shoulders grazing their own.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Children of the Light, why have you come here?"</span><br/><br/>The voice echoed within the woods. By the sound of it, it was probably from an old woman. Guilford shifted his stance and lowered his weapon.<span style="color: #0080FF">"We mean you no harm, we're just passing through."</span><br/><br/>There was a long silence before the voice spoke again. When it did, it had a hint of frustration in its words.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"You misunderstand my inquiry child of Light. Why have you come to Palaugrim? What do you hope to accomplish in your war?"</span><br/><br/>Guilford and his knights tensed at the mention of Palaugrim's current events. The mere fact that there were people in this forest was shocking enough, but for them to hold considerable knowledge of outside affairs instigates they are some sort of third party watching closely at the sidelines.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"After years of leaving this island to fend for itself, why come here now?"</span><br/><br/>The questions were overly simple yet were riddled with profound substance. There were no right or wrong answers, the questions were merely a test of one's resolve in the path they have chosen to take. Guilford understood their weight the first time he heard them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"We came here... to do what we believe is right."</span><br/><br/>After a few moments of silence, a rustle of leaves and foliage sounded from Guilford's front. A woman, easily falling at the age of seventies walked forward, her form illuminated by the meager light from the small lamp she carried, leaving her face with just enough darkness to retain anonymity.<br/><br/>"I was expecting something along the lines of 'to do what must be done' from you." she murmured followed by an amused smile. She kept her distance from Guilford and stood comfortably a few paces away from the Seraph. "What is it that you believe is 'right'? Does that mean you will follow what your faith dictates and bring the entirety of Palaugrim under the Light's control? Or is it following your oath to rid the world of Sin? Which is it Seraph?"<br/><br/>Guilford took a moment before answering. The questions asked by the old woman were the exact same questions he had about his faith, about what the Light truly meant for the world. For some reason, Guilford began to recall the people of Gless and Lindela, then his thoughts wandered over to those in Palaugrim.<span style="color: #0080FF">"To rid this world of the twisted shackles of faith."</span>he finally answered.<br/><br/>The old woman simply smiled. "A splendid answer. Yes, I can see it in your eyes young one. The fire burning in your heart is fueled by your desire for truth. This path you chose to walk on is harder than you could ever imagine but seeing you now, I can't help but feel that there is hope yet for humanity."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Where there is Light, there will always be Darkness. The world I wish to realize is somewhere in between."</span><br/><br/>The smile in the old woman burst into a chortle. There was by no means anything funny about what he said but for this old woman, his words must have brought her great joy. "Do you understand the weight behind those words you just said young one?" she asked, musing over Guilford's person until she met purple eyes that held a resolute gaze. Satisfied, she brushed her doubts aside. "I remember Cornelius used to say that back when things used to be... different. I can see that side of him in you, the side he has long forgotten..." the old woman trailed but soon recollected herself. "However, with you being as you are now, I would say he has chosen well." she finished.<br/><br/>Guilford suddenly came to a realization about the woman's identity at the mention of High Councilor Cornelius' name. If his hunch was right, it would explain why and how she remained well-informed.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Wait... are you Councilor Eun--"</span><br/><br/>"I no longer go by that name." the old woman cut him short. "I am just a coward who chose to run instead of using the strength I once had. However, it was a time long past and best forgotten. I'm just glad to know that there is someone who sees this world the same as I do now before my time comes to pass. This way I can leave with a smile on my face when I do."<br/><br/>Guilford found himself at a loss for words but realized that there wasn't a need for any. Little information was cascaded about the missing councilor during the formation of the four islands, it was probably the time when this old woman chose to hang up the mantle. Whatever reason she had, he knew better than to pry open old wounds. The old woman caught purple eyes with the motioning of her arm deeper into the woods to the left of the Seraph.<br/><br/>"Keep heading in that direction and you should find yourself in a pass near the foot of the mountain. You should be close to Luciano's borders. From there, it should be relatively safe until you reach the actual border, not many of Palaugrim's denizens venture these parts of the island." she informed and looked at Guilford, showing her tired and wrinkled face just enough for the Seraph to see. "Be strong young one, not many will want to see the same world you are aiming for. There will be times when even a man such as yourself will find himself struggling like I did on this path. For that, I can only give you one piece of advice, do not falter no matter what." she finished and bowed before the Seraph.<br/><br/>Guilford and the rest of the team noticed several other people lurking in the shadows. They were most likely, the people loyal to this forgotten councilor and chose to stay in hiding here in the Eternal Forest, away from it all. Bowing in a show of gratitude, the group resumed their journey out of the woods.<br/><br/>_________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Day 12: Palaugrim - Luciano's High Grounds (morning)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>The knights were able to position themselves on the high grounds without much resistance. Everything was going as planned for now and all they had to do next is to defend their position until Guilford completes his task. Once again, it was easier said than done. The four appointed generals along with Lance looked in awe at the sheer amount of enemy forces camped around Luciano. Just the sight of it was enough to send chills down the spine of anyone about to cross blades with them.<br/><br/>"I sure hope Master Guilford knows what he's doing." Romuald thought aloud, eyes spanning the length of the enemy covered field. "Taking on a force this large with just twelve thousand knights under our command is reckless." he continued.<br/><br/>"Isn't that why he chose to have geographical advantage instead? Remember, our goal here is not to obliterate them but to save as much as we can. Just look at the amount of Sinners in there." Ziekiel contested. "If we can Absolve them, their numbers would easily dwindle to match ours or even lesser. The only real threat to us are those that we have no choice but to kill." He finished, eyes looking at the Pure Sinners lurking around the enemy encampment.<br/><br/>"Ziekiel, I like your optimism but saving an enemy from a force greater than ours easily makes the task three times as difficult. We cannot save all those Sinners, it's a sad truth we must accept now before the battle begins." Krista said with a hand falling to the hilt of her<span style="font-style: italic">Judgement</span>.<br/><br/>"Well now, that remains to be seen. Saving them or... killing them," he shuddered at the word. "would depend on how the enemy moves its forces against us. Should Master Guilford succeed in toppling the enemy command, we may get that chance. Still, it would be prudent to prepare for the worst. I agree with Krista that we may have to use deadly force should the tide of the upcoming battle swing that way. We have to make sure everyone understands that." Heinrich seconded. He then turned to Lance with an expectant look. "Any word from Master Guilford?" he asked.<br/><br/>Lance, with his cheerful demeanor, smiled at the four generals. Though there was absolutely nothing to smile about the predicament they were in right now, he couldn't help but feel amused at how these Pristine Knights mulled over the tiniest details they have no control over. It made him wonder if he'd turn out this way if he had stayed in service longer. In his mind it was simple, they have their orders and they should do what they do best and let the others take care of the rest. In this case, the others would be his dear friend charging into the heart of the enemy.<br/><br/>"A message from him came earlier saying they already made it out of the Eternal Forest. They should be somewhere near there." he pointed at the direction of a patch of woods near the mountain foot to the east of Luciano. "All we have to do is hold our ground probably for a day or two."<br/><br/>Ziekiel mulled over what he just heard. "We have the passes secured and we have control of the High Ground. The enemy forces aren't going anywhere. I still can't see the reason why Master Guilford would want them boxed in."<br/><br/>"It's fairly simple actually." Heinrich cut in, arms crossing over his chest. "He's trying to isolate this war in one place. He probably realized this chance given the limited movement of our enemy despite their massive force before us and took it. If not for the amount of troops he deployed for this, I would say this is a brilliant strategy."<br/><br/>"So even the strategist thinks this is near suicide. That helps." Romuald jested followed by a sharp scoff.<br/><br/>"No. I actually agree that this is brilliant. Keeping this war from spreading any farther than Luciano means keeping the majority of this island's small villages out of its wake. To think that he would come up with this plan is a testament of Master Guilford's intentions." Krista pointed out with solemn eyes lost in thought.<br/><br/>"Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact that we are at a disadvantage. I still can't see us winning with just toppling the enemy command. It would greatly put me at ease to know that we have at least Master Lethe by our side." Ziekiel countered.<br/><br/>"Speaking of which, where is Master Lethe?" Romuald questioned only to get contemplative responses from Ziekiel and Krista.<br/><br/>"Master Guilford said that Master Lethe took it upon herself to continue investigating the matter of the Sin Crystals. She's probably out there somewhere, looking for clues." Heinrich answered in an attempt to placate the others. Deep down, he was told by the male Seraph that the other was not involved in starting Liberation. What he told the others was half the truth.<br/><br/>"I get that the Sin Crystals are another important issue but I just can't help but feel more reassured knowing that one of the Seraphs are here with us you know?" Romuald continued.<br/><br/>Lance couldn't take their bickering anymore. He yawned loud enough to earn their attention and rubbed his eyes after meeting four pairs gazing sternly at him. "Are you done? If you are, can we get to what we're supposed to be doing?" he asked, rancor in his tone intended. "Guilford doesn't know when to quit. That's one thing I came to know about that man during our time in the academy. The other would be his kind heart. Why do you think he placed us all here? He knows we are at a disadvantage head on. Without your other Seraph here, this is his way of keeping most of us, if not all, safe to an extent. Sure the enemy greatly outnumbers us, but do you think they'd charge right at us knowing we have the advantage of terrain? No. Any sane commander would find a remedy for that advantage first before moving their troops, its a fact. It's not in my place to say this since I retired from service but don't just trust the Light, trust the man who wields it." he finished and turned his back against the other four.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Day 12: Palaugrim - Near Luciano (night)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Guilford and the rest of his team finally made it close to Luciano. They were in the cover of the woods to the east, observing movement of troops outside of the city. Each of them were under the cover of shrubs and foliage, trying to find a feasible way of getting inside the city. The most prominent problem would be dodging the thick patrols all around the city. This reaction might be due to his forces stationed in the high grounds and the passes. It wasn't easy getting here, they made contact with some travelers on break along the path and had to disguise themselves as mercenaries wanting to payback the knights for taking over their village. It took some coaxing the travelers before they actually got them to buy their story.<br/><br/>Nevertheless, the cloaked knights could now gaze upon Palaugrim's Jewel of the Night. Luciano's majestic structures sprouted within the city giving it a great sense of prosperity. From their vantage point in the nearby woods, the knights could see numerous enemy camps that riddled the plains outside the city. Just the sheer amount of forces gathered there was enough to press doubt into anyone attempting to sneak into the Luciano. Going in loud and obvious would be suicide even for a Seraph.<br/><br/>"Well now, this is quite the conundrum isn't it?" Hyuga mused beneath his thick bush cover.<br/><br/>"I thought getting as far as we have was the hard part." Natalia groaned, displeased at sight of the forces on patrol passing by.<br/><br/>"Heh! You really thought we could just walk into the city when we get here?" Alfrei rhetorically asked, succeeding in putting a cute fluster on Natalia's cheeks. Of course she didn't! But is it wrong to hope they actually could?<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Quiet! I'm thinking."</span>Guilford hushed his knights. His eyes were roaming the entire field and city back and forth. From the two entrances he could see, one was more lightly guarded. Logically thinking, that would be their ticket into the city. He was contemplating if they could just walk up to the guards and continue their claim of being mercenaries, but the words coming from the travelers they met reminded him of something.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Really? Mayor Victorie wouldn't need your swordsmanship given that she has such a large amount of forces at her disposal."</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"You would do well to just leave your vengeance to the hands of Mayor Victorie."</span><br/><br/>Well, they couldn't go in loud and obvious, it would be suicide. An hour later and they were still stuck in the woods. Guilford could now feel his muscles stiffening in the prolonged position of being prone to the ground. He shifted his weight to alleviate the discomfort. It was by the off chance that his gaze wandered to the far right that he noticed movement. Looking closer to the direction, he made out an incoming group of caravans headed into Luciano. They were still far off and this might be the chance they were looking for. Of course, with this amount of forces stationed outside, Luciano would no doubt need to import supplies to keep its army fed.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Over there."</span>he said, pointing to the location of the caravans.<span style="color: #0080FF">"We could sneak in with those."</span><br/><br/>"Great. So Captain, you're saying we should commandeer a caravan and waltz into the city right? I can see how that would turn out." Georg protested lightly.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Not really steal a caravan Georg. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of 'escorting' one."</span><br/><br/>"What? So you're saying we'll walk up to them and tell them we'll escort them into the city?" Joaquim asked in disbelief.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"No, we'll hide ourselves beneath the caravans and let them take us into the city. Come on, we don't have much time. We need to get in position for when the next group comes."</span><br/><br/>Guilford and his team repositioned themselves near the trail the caravans used to get to Luciano. Their cloaks helped conceal themselves every now and then from the patrols and after careful movement, they were able to make it to the trail. Now comes the hard part of waiting for another caravan group. It took several hours but luck proved to be on their side. Guilford and his team managed to latch themselves beneath another caravan group headed into the city. Their hearts pounded when the caravans stopped for inspection near the east gate. The tension passed when the caravan group resumed movement.<br/><br/>They made it into the city, all that's left now is to gather information and plan out their strike.