Chapter 85: A Moonlit Infiltration (Patreon)

Damian laid out his plan for attacking the camp and then suggested that we wait until dark to make our move. We then split into two groups, ranged and melee, and waited until we were sure that most of Martin’s camp had gone to sleep. Damian would lead the ranged group while I led the melee.

Surprisingly Hemi had opted to join me, citing that his barriers had a limited range away from himself. The other spellcasters who stayed with Damian would face the same issue, but I thought it was brave of him to volunteer for the more dangerous part of the plan. I did warn him however to stay as far back as he could while still being able to fight.

Hugo had chosen to stay behind with Damian for reasons he wouldn’t explain, except to say that it was a surprise. That suggested something dangerous, but if he followed Damian’s leadership, then whatever it was might also be effective.

My group was based down below, close to the tree line, while Damian’s group had taken a high point on a hill that overlooked the camp in the distance. It gave him and Tim the perfect vantage point.

[Damian Sutter: Go now!]

That was the signal that the guards weren’t looking.

We broke out into a run towards the camp.

On open ground, this was the part where we were most vulnerable to the two archers on top of the battlement.

Naturally, Carina and Miller kept up with me, but I was surprised to see Yanis also do the same. I guess if he’s a rogue then he’d have a lot of points in dexterity. Hemi trailed behind with his book in one hand. Him keeping up had been a concern, but he’d assured me that he could throw up a small barrier quickly if discovered.

I reached the wall of the camp’s fortifications first and watched the others run in. Hemi was last and covered in sweat, but he refused to make a sound as he breathed heavily through his nose. I gave him a nod of approval before informing Damian that we were in position.

A moment later, there were two light thwack sounds above us, followed by two heavy thuds. The first came from an arrow and a crossbow bolt entering the two archers, and the second came from their bodies hitting the floor.

We waited and listened, but if there were more guards nearby who’d heard the bodies drop, then they were being awfully blasé about it.

I gave the signal for my group to proceed.

[Lucas Hudson: Climb!]

We scaled the battlements rapidly with our stat enhanced bodies. Only Hemi, knowing that this feat of physical strength was beyond him, opted to raise himself up with a small disc-like barrier under his feet.

I got up and over the fence first and scanned for more guards. There were two guards below with swords on their hips standing near the front gate. A lantern hung on a hook nearby, dimly illuminating the area, and they appeared to be speaking to one another in hushed tones. They’d been standing there for hours and were clearly bored.

Past them were twenty large tents in the center of the camp. All dark and likely containing all the sleeping members of the group. And finally, the cave, which strangely also had two guards stood outside of it with long lit torches shoved into the ground next to them. That pointed to Martin still being inside the cave.

Perfect.

We kill these four, and we might be able to sneak into the cave undetected to deal with Martin.

[Lucas Hudson: Damian, can you and Tim hit the guards covering the cave?]

There was a brief pause before he responded.

[Damian Sutter: Hit them? Yes. Guarantee kill shots? No, they’re too far away. We’d need to get closer first. You want us to move in?]

[Lucas Hudson: Not yet. There are two guards behind the front gate that I need to deal with first.]

The cave guards would have to wait. If they missed and only injured them, then their pained screams would wake up the whole camp and we’d be forced into a massively outnumbered fight. No, I’d deal with the front gate guards first.

I motioned for Yanis, Miller, and Hemi to wait while I asked Carina to come with me, since she was the best fighter in my group. We moved carefully along the battlement. Carina had remembered what I’d said before and her steps were silent this time. Thankfully, the solid wood beneath us was also new and didn’t creak under our weight.

Carina and I approached the edge of the platform. A hatchet in her hand and my goblin steel knife in mine. I motioned that I’d take the one on the left and we nodded to one another.

Simultaneously, we dropped over the edge of the battlement and threw our weapons at the guards in mid-air. My blade spun twice before catching one of them in the throat. He fell backwards, clutching his neck as he quietly choked on his own blood. Unable to make a sound without wasting precious oxygen. Meanwhile, Carina had buried her hatchet in the other man’s heart. Killing him instantly.

She gave me a look of condescension and sent me a message.

[Carina Johansson: Do you require assistance?]

Even through text, I could read her sarcastic tone as I finished off my guard and reclaimed my knife.

*Ding!* You have slain [Aaron Travis, Class: Squire, Level: 20]

Hmm, they’d posted a level 20 by the gate. If that was the strongest of them except for Martin and Anders, then that was another point in our favor.

I threw the experience I’d gained into dexterity and helped Carina lift up the drawbar that was keeping the gate locked.

[Lucas Hudson: The gate is open.]

[Damian Sutter: Understood.]

The ranged group would now start to quietly make their way down to the camp. The plan was for the spellcasters to join the back of my group while Tim and Damian took positions above the gate. Now, all I had to do was wait for them to arrive and hope nobody leaves their tent to pee in the next two minutes.

[Bruce Miller: We’re seeing some movement by the cave entrance.]

I looked, but the tents were blocking my view of the cave.

[Lucas Hudson: What is it?]

[Bruce Miller: A light. Could be somebody about to leave the cave.]

In party chat, I told Hemi to climb over the wall and hide on the other side. Then I pushed the front gate open and dragged the body outside and put it out of sight. Carina followed my lead and did the same with the other body before we went back in and closed the gate behind us.

It was very dark, and so even with a torch at a distance, my thinking was that anyone who glanced our way would see the shadows of two guards stationed above and two below by the front gate.

[Bruce Miller: Yeah, somebody just came out of the cave with a torch. It’s a man, but he doesn’t look like Martin. Average build and no sign of any weapons. Can’t make out anymore till he gets closer.]

[Lucas Hudson: Ranged group, keep coming to us. Everyone else, hold your position unless you think he’s about to attack.]

I could see the glow from his torch in the distance bouncing off the tents. If he had a night vision ability, then we were screwed. I just had to hope he was a spellcaster or a warrior type, since they were less likely to have enhanced senses.

[Bruce Miller: It looks like he’s patrolling the camp.]

[Lucas Hudson: Stay still. I’ll handle him once he’s past the tents.]

The man with the torch eventually moved around the tents and into view. His robes suggested spellcaster.

Good. That’ll make things easier.

He glanced in our direction and I resisted the urge to throw my knife then and there. Instead, I remained still. A moment later, the man moved on and I relaxed. He only saw two pairs of dark figures standing where they were supposed to. There was no sign of a wand or any other magical implement on his person, but it wouldn’t take much for him to pull one out of his inventory.

I had to be fast, quiet, and above all, lethal in one strike to avoid waking the whole camp.

Using the tents for cover, I silently moved towards him. I had to take him out before he got back within the cave guard's line of sight.

I tightened the grip on my knife as I drew closer.

He was only five feet away from me when he suddenly stopped and screamed. Confused, I rushed forward and clamped my hand over his mouth. He wrestled in vain against my grip until I shoved my knife into his chest and pierced his heart. The man fell still, and I waited with bated breath to see if his screams had woken anyone.

There was nothing but silence. I let out a sigh of relief and lowered the body to the ground.

“WARNING! WARNING!” Anders’s voice thundered around the camp. It sounded more robotic, like a recording for an alarm system. It must have been something that one of his spellcasters set up.

A light within every tent flickered to life, followed by the shadows of men and women rousing themselves out of sleep.

I looked down at the dead man’s body and I saw what had set him off. There was a small dagger stuck in his thigh. Somebody had thrown it just before I could get to him. Somebody who had wanted me to fail. It could have only come from one of us and so I looked back to the upper barricade to confirm my suspicion.

Miller and Yanis were both gone.