6th Ashan, 718
Southguard.
Ryder had only stepped foot in Southguard a few times in the time he'd spent in Etzos. Travelling was never the mercenaries thing, he was a creature of habit that much preferred the comfort of a familiar city than travelling between towns and other various locations. Something about it felt wrong, gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Ryder liked to know his surroundings, and being somewhere he wasn't able to do that made him feel vulnerable to some sort of attack.
Some sort of attack, however, seemed to be the least of Ryder's worries - or perhaps the biggest. "What the fuck..." he muttered, dismounting his horse as he saw the scene in front of him. Whatever had happened here was beyond anything the mercenary had seen as of yet, and that was saying something. Ryder had seen it all, but the chaos and destruction here was unnatural.
After taking a few trills to take it in, the mercenary got back on his horse and glanced around, spotting a hill where he could view what had happened and try and see if the culprit was still around, or if there was any hints as to who it was. Could A'A have done this without him being informed? It wasn't as if he was important enough to be told everything, but this seemed beyond something Al'Angyryl would do. Even if it wasn't, Ryder would have been told, surely?
As he made his way up to the hill, it didn't take long to see that the mercenary wasn't alone. In front of him was a woman, though Ryder couldn't make out any of her features. He hesitated for a trill, before shaking his head and dismounting the horse again, making his way towards the woman and the mound of earth she was sat on.
Looking out to the town below, Ryder tried to ignore that the woman was there. Looking at the sight of this chaos didn't make Ryder feel remorse, or sympathy, or anything of the sort. It made Ryder feel confused, that such a destructive force existed so close by. Perhaps it was one of those mages that were said to be flaying people wildly, or perhaps it was some creature that they hadn't seen in the surrounding area yet. Truth be told, it could be anything. Anyone.
Ryder then took a glance to the woman beside him, taking any details of her he could in to account. He was here to look at the chaos and work out what it was, but what was she doing here?
Southguard.
Ryder had only stepped foot in Southguard a few times in the time he'd spent in Etzos. Travelling was never the mercenaries thing, he was a creature of habit that much preferred the comfort of a familiar city than travelling between towns and other various locations. Something about it felt wrong, gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Ryder liked to know his surroundings, and being somewhere he wasn't able to do that made him feel vulnerable to some sort of attack.
Some sort of attack, however, seemed to be the least of Ryder's worries - or perhaps the biggest. "What the fuck..." he muttered, dismounting his horse as he saw the scene in front of him. Whatever had happened here was beyond anything the mercenary had seen as of yet, and that was saying something. Ryder had seen it all, but the chaos and destruction here was unnatural.
After taking a few trills to take it in, the mercenary got back on his horse and glanced around, spotting a hill where he could view what had happened and try and see if the culprit was still around, or if there was any hints as to who it was. Could A'A have done this without him being informed? It wasn't as if he was important enough to be told everything, but this seemed beyond something Al'Angyryl would do. Even if it wasn't, Ryder would have been told, surely?
As he made his way up to the hill, it didn't take long to see that the mercenary wasn't alone. In front of him was a woman, though Ryder couldn't make out any of her features. He hesitated for a trill, before shaking his head and dismounting the horse again, making his way towards the woman and the mound of earth she was sat on.
Looking out to the town below, Ryder tried to ignore that the woman was there. Looking at the sight of this chaos didn't make Ryder feel remorse, or sympathy, or anything of the sort. It made Ryder feel confused, that such a destructive force existed so close by. Perhaps it was one of those mages that were said to be flaying people wildly, or perhaps it was some creature that they hadn't seen in the surrounding area yet. Truth be told, it could be anything. Anyone.
Ryder then took a glance to the woman beside him, taking any details of her he could in to account. He was here to look at the chaos and work out what it was, but what was she doing here?