Snippet #1468349

Argile was pleased the group seemed to function together, at least in the majority aspect. While there may be personal issues that arise between anyone, considering there were four races present, he truly hoped they would meld together into something formidable. After a short while, he would mention that there were rounds to be made, and the journey itself was still calling. Having Teryvyl accompany him wasn't a bother, and it was interesting to see how curious the elf was over the status of the people. The general consensus was that the people felt safe in Hampton, but they all knew what loomed just over the horizon. Argile's duties seemed largely ceremonial, but at every turn, people waved and spoke to him about seemingly trivial things. How this aged human was able to keep up with so much at once was a wonder unto itself.
Once he had fulfilled his duty to the people, his ultimate goal was the main gate itself. A sense of lingering dread hung over the valley just outside town. Farmers had refused to go out this day, citing a bad feeling, and calling upon local lore and supersticions. Patiently he waited, then saw it down the road. It moved at a very slow pace, with buzzards circling over it slowly. Argile looked to the guardsmen, and nodded for them to ready their spears. Something certainly wasn't right. No advanced rider to bear news. The guard with the caravan seemed to be absent too.

"Steady yourselves, and sound the general alarm. I fear death walks towards us, brooding and certain in it's method."

The guards blared a trumpet, summoning forth archers to man the walls. A dozen soldiers piled out behind Argile. They stood ready, waiting for the wagons. They slowed as the approached the group. The teamsters on the wagons were bloodied, and missing large chunks of their flesh. Carrion seemed to have fed upon the corpses. With a low rumble, the wagon began to rattle, with the sound of bones snapping, and flesh tearing rising up. The archers upon the walls wasted little time in firing their first volley directly into the wagons. The unearthly howl that echoed out would chill even the most hardened soldier's heart, and it caused many of them to back up. Within moments, the first wagon of three blew apart, sending shards of wood and fabric in all directions. Laying on the earth, was a putrid heap of flesh and bone, a creature that even the most stout individual would be revolted by. Bodies had meshed together, flesh upon flesh, bone into bone. It was a blob of the most horrific kind, blood and pus oozing out of all of it's orafices. Even Argile took a few steps backwards at this creature, as it groaned and wailed in deathly tones.