Chapter 158: Entering the ruin
The journey to Notresol was uneventful. The long journey forced many to nap or partake in games. Hex was the only one with eyes on the scenery.
The ruins of Notresol lay further down south. The landscape changed as the journey went on. The lush fields around Notrelune turned into hills with rocky, uneven grounds. The final stretch changed back into greenery. Bushes and trees were covering the path forward.
The Hawks were seated in the first coaches and carriages. This was the Commander’s order. As such, when the path became impassable, the soldiers got off and started clearing up. Hex joined them despite their protest.
Slowly but surely they got closer to the ruin. The first thing Hex noticed about the ruin was the wall. It was overgrown in places and in others, it was missing pieces.
’What is this feeling?’ As they neared the outer walls, Hex’s senses picked up more and more powerful energy fluctuations. Most came from inside the walls.
’Demons and Fiends. A lot of them.’ Hex couldn’t estimate how many creatures he sensed but he knew they weren’t few. If so many were near the wall, the core areas would be filled with more dangerous Heartless.
The area outside the gate was clear of bushes and trees. The Northern Hawks had a camp set up here for some time to monitor the ruin. The people here never ventured deep inside the city. Their main task was to check whether the Heartless left the ruins. According to Althea, the Heartless remained inside the city. They survived on rodents and other small animals that dared to enter the walls.
"Everyone, gather around. Don’t shout. Don’t wander around. And don’t be a dick." A stern-faced elder Hawk shouted at the top of his lungs.
Hex joined the young Hawks, who immediately followed the instructions. The area they had to gather was a large field with soft grass.