Without hesitation, Vigil began making his way down towards the settlement while his familiar flew towards him, once again tucking himself in his master's left pocket. After they descended for a few minutes, a small dirt road started to form, slowly revealing a clear path towards the settlement.
Vigil remained vigilant, he briefly used blood sense to scan the terrain ahead. While it was his plan to visit the settlement, he didn't know how the people would welcome him, if at all.
"Master" his familiar called out; its voice uneasy. "Are you certain this is wise? The people there might not understand".
Vigil didn't slow his pace. His eyes remained fixated on the settlement ahead. "They don't need to understand" he replied, his voice tranquil.
The bat hesitated, its wings slightly trembling, "But what if they –"
"Enough" Vigil interrupted, though his voice wasn't unkind. "We will think about that when we get there".
The bat remained silent, though his worry remained. It looked towards the settlement, his eyes scouting the place while his mind travelled every possibility.
As they came closer, the details of the settlement came into sharper focus. Ahead of the wooden spikes was a single wooden tower linked to the palisade. It overlooked the entire settlement. Vigil could see a human form with his blood sense. The figure looked like it was armed with a small bow, looking in his direction.
'Have they seen me already?' He asked himself, his body tense with uncertainty.
After a few minutes, they finally reached the outer wall. The wooden fence had seen better days, small cracks started to form on its surface. Patches of moss clutched the bases of the fence, soft and green.
The sentinel's posture stiffened; it was clear he had finally noticed him. Vigil's eyes widen in disbelief, not because the sentinel was aiming directly at him but because the sentinel wasn't human. Its skin was grey and it was clad in worn leather armour that had clearly seen some battles. The sentinel's green eyes were sharp, locked into vigil as he approached, tracking his every move. He looked back towards the settlement and screamed a few words that Vigil wasn't able to perceive.
The wooden walls of the settlement opened up, revealing a small group of four soldiers armed with lances and shields walking towards him.
"Master this doesn't look good," said the bat, his voice trembling telepathically.
"Relax" he replied, his tone calm and composed "If they wanted us dead, we'd already be full of arrows. Let's see what they will do".
The soldiers stopped a few meters away. Their lances were lowered but still pointing in Vigil's direction. Their shields were raised, forming a small wooden shield wall between them and the stranger. The sentinel remained at the top of the tower. His hands unmoving, readied to launch an arrow at any moment's notice.
Out of caution, Vigil made a small cut on one of his fingers. A needed preparation to use blood weave in case things go wrong. The armed group remained silent for a while, looking directly at him.
He looked at each one of them and noticed the group had two things in common. Their grey-skinned bodies were thin and frail like they were malnourished. Some of the shields were trembling slightly. He didn't know if it was out of weakness or fear. And the last thing they had, made him remember of his knight days. Their eyes were brimming with loyalty like they were ready to throw their lives away for their home.
One of the soldiers, a tall figure with a deep scar running down the side of his face stepped forward. His voice was strict and hoarse, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath his tone.
"Who are you and what business do you have here elf?".
Vigil frowned his eyebrows with surprise, he wasn't expecting to understand their language and was counting on his familiar to interpret.
He kept his posture calm while his eyes remained unyielding. "My name is Vigil. I've come to speak with whoever leads this settlement. I mean no harm unless you force my hand" he said, his voice firm.
The soldiers' eyes narrowed at the subtle threat, but they didn't react. Instead, they glanced back towards the scarred soldier, it looked like he was their captain. Then the group exchanged a few murmurs, Vigil couldn't exactly understand what they were saying.
"Master" the bat whispered, forgetting they were communicating telepathically, his voice marked with anxiety "They don't look like they're in a mood for conversation".
"Quiet" Vigil replied, his voice firm, "Let me handle this".
The scarred soldier turned back to Vigil, his eyes scanning him down. His tattered half-naked state seemed to grab his attention.
"Why do you look like… that?"
Vigil's expression remained unreadable; his tone serious "I came across misfortune during my travels".
The soldier gestured vaguely at him with his lance. "Half-naked, looking like you crawled out of some forgotten pit, and your kind doesn't belong here either."
Vigil's familiar, still hidden in his pocket, reacted to the insult. "They don't know who they're dealing with" his voice beaming with indignation.
Ignoring what the bat said, he stepped forward, his eyes locked on the scarred soldier. "I didn't come here to discuss my appearance" without caring to hide the annoyance in his voice. "I came to speak with your leader. If you're so eager to judge me by how I look go ahead".
The soldiers switched uneasy glances with each other. The captain opened his mouth to retort back, but before he could speak, a voice lashed out from behind the group.
"Enough!" The voice was old and raspy but it still carried a will that demanded respect.
The soldiers parted and a figure stepped forward, coming from the middle of the group. Unlike the others, this one wasn't armed. He was smaller and walked slowly, supporting himself with a cane while his long worn-out robe reached his feet.
"Let him speak," the figure said, his voice was now calm, but commanding. "If he's come this far, he must have a reason. And if he's foolish enough to try something, we'll deal with him then".
Vigil replied back, a small but cold smile forming on his lips "Finally." He said, his tone dry. "Someone with sense".
The robed figure studied Vigil for a few moments longer and then nodded "Very well, come inside".
The scarred soldier stepped forward, staying right between them, his face twisted in disbelief "Elder, you can't be serious! Just Look at him"
The elder turned towards the soldier, his voice was commanding but not unkind "That's enough Troba. If he meant us harm, he would have acted by now. We will hear what he has to say"
Troba tried to open his mouth to argue further, but a cold sharp look from the elder silenced him. With a frustrated grunt, he stepped back, though his eyes remained on Vigil, sharper than the lance he was holding.
Vigil inclined his head slightly towards the elder. "Thank you," he said, his tone respectful but not submissive.
The elder gestured him to follow and the group began to move towards the settlement. The bat still hiding, leaned in closer to his master's body like he was confiding with him "Are you sure this is wise? They don't trust us".
"They don't need to trust us" Vigil replied. "They just need to listen."