Gwin climbed the surface of the hill in large leaps and bounds. In just a few seconds he reached the road again as it wrapped back around the hill. He repeated this process under the cover of night and unbeknownst to the watchmen in their posts. A thought occurred to Gwin.
'How do they even see?'
He wasn't going to risk being spotted though so he steered clear of their sight lines. After all if they were out in this darkness it was likely they may have a way of seeing in the dark whether through an aspect or memory. Gwin finally reached the end of the road and gazed at the daunting sight before him. The road ended with a large stone platform, the same platform that Gwin had seen the hundreds of small huts and hovels on. He could see the main gate of the castle. In the middle of the stone platform was a tall staircase that led to a large and imposing tower cast from white marble. In that tower was the main gate. On either side of the main tower where two more towers stood forth like bastions. They were connected to the main one by arched aerial bridges and accompanied by small towers of their own.
Behind them was the main keep. It shot far into the air. Its many wings and towers were formed in a strangely harmonious pattern. It radiated a sense of unassailable firmness. Gwin doubted a nightmare creature would even be able to breach such a building but one could never be too sure. The main gate was open with a duo of guards posted with light creating memories to keep watch. It seemed that opening and closing it was either impossible or not worth the effort to close every night. Gwin pulled his gaze from the castle that seemed fit for a god to live in and looked for the huts and hovels that lined the stone platform. Gwin was currently on the leftmost edge of the platform with the majority of the huts being on the right side. He began moving in that direction while searching for a particular scent.
'There you are…'
Gwin honed in on the familiar scent of the guide he had traveled with for only a day. On his way there he got a good look at the less fortunate of those who dwelled outside the castle. There were hundreds of makeshift hovels made of rotten wood or any other resource they could get their hands on from the ruined city. Some had residents living in them while others were eerily empty, their previous inhabitants most likely having succumbed to a roaming nightmare creature. It put a deep feeling of pity in his chest. His heart hurt for these people, these supremely attractive people who had been reduced to hopeless and frail beggars. It seemed like a lot of wasted potential…
'How long have these people been here?'
Gwin had dismissed his cloak and watched as several sleepers recoiled at the light and struggled to huddle further in their pathetic huts. The heavy clang of Gwin's boots was the only sound in the stone platform with the occasional gasp from a sleeper in their hut. After all it was pitch darkness right now, what lunatic would walk around at this time of night?! Umo's scent led him to a large cabin made from stacked pieces of rubble. It almost seemed like a real house. He took a heavy step forward and knocked. The sound of groggy movement came from behind the piece of wooden debris that served as their door. A warm glow emitted from under the door as an annoyed voice asked.
"I told you to stop bothering us about nightmare creatures that get too close! Just shut up and keep to your hole Davi-"
A sleeper slightly older than Gwin pulled aside the wooden debris and illuminated Gwin in the light of her floating lantern memory. Her face paled as she looked up at him.
"Oh shit!"
She cursed loudly while summoning a sword memory and dashing back from the entry way. The sounds of several more voices came from within the cabin as he heard the girl explain something quickly. He stood there confused for a moment. Just before he could try and explain himself an arrow flew through the doorway and connected with his shoulder sending him flying back. His shoulder throbbed as the arrow had pierced his armor but been stopped by his tough skin.
{WAIT WAIT}
He signed hurriedly but to no avail. He saw the figures of five sleepers piling out of the door with the girl who had answered the door.
"Someone wake up Umo! We need to drive this thing away!"
One of the other sleepers nodded, a tan guy with a shaved head, and rushed back into the hut leaving the other four with Gwin. They assumed a defensive formation without even trading words and prepared to attack.
{WAIT}
Gwin hurriedly signed again but they ignored him. His flaw made communication impossible for him if they didn't know sign language. He was just now truly tasting the bitter pill his flaw was.
'WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING ME?! CAN'T THEY SEE THAT I'M HUMAN??'
Gwin backed away hoping that it would make them less on edge. However instead of relaxing at his retreat they pushed forward with the intent to drive him off. An enchanted arrow flew by his face narrowly missing his eye. After dodging the arrow again was forced to deflect a halberd from one of the sleepers. While he struck with his longer ranged halberd the girl with the short sword closed the gap to cut off Gwin's escape. At the same time her sword began to glow with an eerie blue light. The man's blow felt like a bettering ram. Gwin barely managed to deflect it with his vambraces after enhancing himself with his aspect. His strength was incredible. The eerie blue glow from the girl's sword seemed to trail after her sword as she struck at Gwin's exposed leg. He braced himself for the attack and as her sword collided with the joint of his knee a burning hot pain enveloped his entire leg as the eerie glow began to seep into his leg through his armor. It was clear that he couldn't go on like this much longer. Fighting humans was another thing entirely compared to nightmare creatures, especially a group like this with ample experience working together to take down abominations stronger than them. It was like fighting a demon with a hundred arms and a hundred heads. His every move was under strict watch and was met with a decisive counter. His only hope of winning would be to crush one of them in an unexpected attack and maybe snowball that into a victory. The problem was that that wasn't an option for him either.
He growled in pain before dodging yet another arrow and lunging towards the girl to make some room for himself. As he did, the fourth member of their party darted forward with his spear to stop Gwin's attack.
'Screw this!'
Gwin quickly shifted his throat and mouth into the [sanguine gardeners] and unleashed an invisible shockwave from his mouth. The group reeled as they saw the grotesque process of shifting his face and neck and as the shockwave rolled over them rattling their brains. Gwin was careful not to make it too rough since these were Umo's friends. Speaking of which…
Just as moment later figure clad in white splint mail armor emerged from the cabin and walked toward Gwin with chilling calmness. Umo's topaz eyes narrowed on Gwin as he approached completely unaffected by his sonic blast. His face did not betray any hint of recognition.
'CRAP!'
Gwin belatedly realized he could summon a memory to prove his humanity and did just that as Umo raised his spiked maul. A small whirlwind of sparks illuminated Gwin from behind before forming into a purple paper lantern that emitted a sphere of mauve light. Gwin stopped his sonic assault and regained his normal features. He gazed at Umo expectantly. How could he have forgotten the guy who saved his life?! Umo's solemn face shifted only slightly as he looked Gwin in the eyes.
"You…were in that group I led to the castle? You're alive?"
Umo asked cautiously. His deep and reverberating voice was wary and tense.
{Yes it's me and yes I'm alive! A little gratefulness to the guy who saved your life would be nice!}
Gwin signed indignantly. Umo watched his hands with great interest before turning his topaz gaze back to Gwin.
"Dismiss that lantern and come inside."
He ordered. Gwin listened and dismissed the lantern. Umo's cohort seemed wary of him but more wary of the impenetrable darkness around them. Gwin limped towards the doorway and the lantern lighting the place up. After entering the shack the girl who had attacked his leg hurriedly closed up their shack again before leading him further inside. There Gwin saw a large room with multiple hammocks hanging around a large slab of stone that served as a table with several antique chairs around it. Umo and the rest of his cohort stood on the opposite side of the table and watched him with a wary expression as if he might attack at any moment.
"First things first…how have you survived the past month and a half on your own?"
Umo called out with a suspicious glare.