Other Plans

Cliff landed smoothly on the bastion's walkway, folding his wings with fluid precision. A few sentinels stationed along the ramparts turned their heads at his arrival, but no one dared to interrupt his advance. He walked with a determined stride, sweeping his gaze over the fortress's interior.

The bastion of the former Orleth village had become an imposing structure, built of black stone with sharp, angular architecture designed to intimidate as much as to protect. A heavy, almost suffocating atmosphere hung over the place, as if the very walls exuded silent hostility.

The soldiers patrolling the courtyard bore little resemblance to his own. They moved with mechanical precision, their absolute discipline betraying ruthless training. Their armor was dark and unadorned, marked with the emblem of a coiled serpent. Their gazes, though discreet, weighed on him like a silent evaluation.