Alongside those who are sinful.

Chapter 26

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Riding.

Off and on. Day and night.

Dietrich had correctly estimated his ability to traverse the lands. The bold statement he had told himself that he could make the trip in seven days was true.

The last six days of the trip had been filled with more magnificent views and gorgeous landscape, traversing downwards along the Mississippi River for a good portion of the trip.

More Thrask had been observed, though Dietrich noted a distinct lack of bandits to brutalize. The only thing worth note that had been killed was a white tailed deer that Dietrich had sniper from 300 meters with Cynfael on one late evening.

Dietrich remembered the interaction, with him spotting the deer. It was a large, older buck, with a magnificently large rack with eight tines in total.

"The dried meats do not suffice for a meal anymore. Does venison suit your tastes, Cynfael?" He had asked. The bat had nodded and the rest was history.

Dietrich had a full selection of prime cuts, a beautiful deer skull with an eight point rack, and a well fed giant vampire bat who was his friend.

Life was good.

But Dietrich was not wanting to head inside the kingdom just yet. No, not yet.

He wanted to wait for the others to come, as safety was in numbers.

But most importantly, Cynfael had advised him against entry when they laid eyes upon it.

They had come up during the night and while the normal sight of the sprawling castle and surrounding village would have stupefied the man, it was the large, glowing green lights which streaked the sky over the entirety of the kingdom which mystified him.

"Those lights...what are they?" Asked Dietrich. Currently, he was sitting on a tree branch with Cynfael hanging from the same branch below him.

They set up camp off the path, making sure to keep well away from prying eyes. The kingdom was on high alert for reasons unknown to them, with an increased frequency of external patrols and mobilized guards for the interior.

Cynfael had scouted ahead when they first arrived and Dietrich truly began to feel impressed with how much help he had been granted by the powers above him.

"Cynfael...does not know. It brings great shame that I am unaware." Said the bat. Dietrich had watched one day as a strange cloudy vortex appeared over the city, swirling and filled with lightning.

Nothing strikes the city before them, however, and the citizens inside seem to carry on as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. Dietrich found such a consideration odd.

"Cynfael, have you any idea where we might start looking for answers in this city? Where we might find those who performed the summoning ritual?" He asked.

Dietrich looked down to see that Cynfael was shaking his head. The bat began to swing lightly from side to side, gently rocking the branch and himself.

"No. This one does not. No information has been overheard that can help us." Said Cynfael. Dietrich remembered how Cynfael had camped out at the palace for a night of espionage.

Before the man's very eyes, the bat had turned invisible in the blink of an eye and with nothing more than a snicker, flew off to sneak in.

But even with such advanced stealth and tactics, Cynfael had heard nothing of importance. The two surmised that Cynfael, in being a creature with such magical power, must have been sensed or detected. His invisibility, however, had ensured that no Thrask could see him.