Lowly Ascent

Cain left the palace after turning the King into his puppet. He gave directives to begin the biggest war in history, explicitly ordering him to win by any means necessary and seek help from the church to deal with those opposing him.

With his commands surely to be followed, Cain had no reason to stay put and immediately left with his entourage for the city of Sholn.

It was a walled city located in the south of Netherane, next to it was a wide and deep river filled with monstrous creatures that defied explanation.

Massive reptilian beasts and fish the size of huts inhabited those waters, killing anyone who attempted to cross. Cain speculated that this river was originally part of the territory connected to the land mass on the other side.

Across the river stood a forest with towering trees, but it was difficult to discern any further details.

Unlike the short trips before, traveling to Sholn was long and vexing. Days turned into weeks due to setbacks such as clearing brush and encountering attacks from local wildlife. Disregarding his followers' pleas, Cain ordered the carriage to be abandoned in order to reach Sholn more quickly.

Sholn, although small, was still considered a city. It relied on trade, using stone on an offshore island and the fish that entered its strait. Apart from that, it had a predominantly rural character, with only a few people traveling to Sholn. Consequently, its population was the lowest it had ever been.

Due to the increasing prevalence of mutated diseases, many cities had become breeding grounds for outbreaks, causing people to flee to the wilderness. Those who remained gambled with their lives every day. According to a recent report in Puffrid's documents, over 10,000 people had died in Sholn in the past year alone.

The current population barely reached 100,000. The city has been in its most sorry state since its founding when people were frequently attacked by animals and dying of diseases.

However, back then, there were many plague doctors who helped heal the afflicted, resulting in only 4,982 deaths during the time of the city's establishment.

After another week of travel, the group finally arrived in Sholn.

It was a pitiful sight, to say the least, with crumbling walls and nature reclaiming the city. Overgrown weeds and plants adorned the dilapidated buildings and surroundings. The road leading into it was hardly recognizable, with missing stones and weeds growing in their absence. 

Cain and his group would have suspected the city to be abandoned if not for a makeshift wall down the road, with an open gate revealing townspeople walking inside.

As they approached the gate, a guard emerged, surprised and happy.

"Welcome to Sholn! Are you perhaps a caravan? We have been waiting for someone to bring goods forever!"

"No, we are from the Church of Pestilence. We have traveled here to find someone." One of Cain's worshippers replied.

The guard scratched his head. "I've never heard of an organization like that. Well, you're free to enter. Money doesn't really have value here anymore. It's been like that for a month now."

Cain rode forward on his horse, his curiosity piqued by the precarious state of what he saw.

"How did the city become like this? It's overgrown, and it seems more like a small town now."

Turning around, the guard looked disheartened and melancholy. "Heh. When news of Cardin reached here, almost everyone traveled there and left. Since then, to keep receiving support from the Kingdom, we've been lying, claiming that people have been dying of diseases. But since no one has come to help, they must know we're lying."

Cain chuckled to himself internally. 'The reason the Kingdom hasn't sent support is because it's normal right now for people to be dying of diseases. What a hilarious situation this place is in.'

"How many people still live here? I only see a few people walking the streets." Cain said.

"Barely 3,000 people still live here; the rest left. We're just a small community held together by the mayor.

"The nobles have already departed to seek wealth in Cardin, so we've started living in their mansions and closed off the perimeter of the city. That's why everything behind you is overgrown with plants and even wildlife making their homes."

Cain thanked him for the information and entered the "city" with his worshippers. They made their way to a bar to get food and drinks. Cain wanted to find Xavier quickly and leave afterward. This settlement would soon die out, and he didn't wish to stay any longer.

Entering the only bar in town, the group found an old man standing at the counter. The bar was empty, and there was no one else around.

"You have to pay to eat and drink here. But judging by your appearance, you must be outsiders with some silver to spend."

"Silver?!" One of the worshippers blurted out.

"It's the only valuable currency here. I still have preserved food and alcohol. Out here, it's worth its weight in silver." The old man replied.

Cain dropped a bag on the bar, and silver coins spilled out as the old man's face lit up. "Get them whatever they want. I don't need anything. What I do want to know is if Xavier Palmer still lives here."

The barmen's eyes didn't look up at Cain, he simply continued to stare at the silver coins, almost drooling. Still, he answered the question.

"Xavier? Oh, one of the nobles. No, he left. His mansion is now the mayor's. That young man left with the others to travel to Cardin, making a big fuss about how his family's work would be appreciated there."

"Thank you. Here's an extra 10 coins. Do you have any rooms available for us to sleep in?"

"Just choose an empty building. Although, there is an inn run by an old hag who thinks people would pay to sleep there."

After finishing their meal, the group found a decent manor and settled in. It was disheartening, but Cain knew he had to travel once more and go to Cardin.

Moreover, one of his men had died there long ago, and any spy who entered since had also perished.

From what little information his men gathered, there was already some sort of semi-religion established in Cardin, so when the Church of Pestilence attempted to enter, they were denied access.

This gave Cain even more reason to visit this mysterious place about which he had scarce information.

The next day, his group set out, heading east toward the vast deep swamp—an area that had given Netherane its title as a sickly swamp of decay.

...

A group of people stood on a wooden raft. As the raft hit the shore, the cloaked figures disembarked onto fertile soil.

Before them lay a massive city, with thousands of people bustling through its streets. However, that wasn't what captured their attention.

In front of the group stood a woman surrounded by knights in iron armor, bearing crests depicting an all-seeing eye encircled by a triangle and circle.

One of the cloaked figures approached the woman, they were the one who led the entourage.

They unveiled their hood, revealing their face. The figure was a man in his late twenties with brown hair and eyes. It was Anders.

"We need to talk, Lady of Truth."

The woman smiled, her golden eyes seeming to penetrate all deceptions and tricks.

"That we do. But call me Alex. After all, we used to know each other."