Pestilence: Rise Of The Pure Undead

Chapter 478 Something In The Air...

A congress of shadows manifested upon the two opposing surfaces of a cliff, various sorts of shapes and sizes counted amongst them, the dark silhouettes casted seemed far from being as defined and deep as they should be, even as a bright sun casted heavy light from far above, their obscure shades remained somewhat hazy, seeming to be slowly fading away of their own volition.

The largest of them, flanked by a lanky shape on one side, by a tiny shape on the other- Seemed to stir, all others paying attention, close attention.

"Can you sense it as well?" asked Tilmiel, her words of death tongue ushered so low that they were barely more audible than the steps of an ant on cushion, but the whole flock understood clearly.

Although not all of them felt it as quickly as their leader did, there was something odd in the air, even if not even of consequence, somewhere close-by... The heat was greater than it should be, warmth was always rather high in the Western Cliffs, today, the sun was being especially crue in that regard, with no clouds standing in the way, its rays battered the surface of the small plateaus. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

The ravines were typically much cooler as they were scoured by cold breezes, but currently, at least for the one all nightbirds surrounded, the sun was perfectly placed to cast its incandescent light directly within.

Tilmiel and group had encountered many false alarms as they moved through the region, simultaneously searching for the hiding livings, but also taking samples, observing the local fauna and flora, especially the bottom-prowlers and the deep sludge, there was no reason to be in a hurry, anyways, the nightbirds were first gatherers of intelligence, assassinations came closely after.

"Greater temperature can be a sign of a group of livings..." the lanky nightbird next to Tilmiel said, leaning to the side as she spoke, sporting a linear bowl cut decorated with a few brown feathers, hair completely covering the upper portion of her face whilst the lower was wrapped in bloody bandages.

Back covered in the same brown feathers, the upper portion lined with white feathers instead.

"Liotra, would you traverse the gap over there? Make sure to do so in a single leap, without changing direction at all" the vulture nodded and did as he was asked, the corvid raising her blade as she told all the others to get into position.

'Mmh...' focusing on shaping a battle art, Tilmiel took a few steps closer to the edge, the sword becoming enshrouded with mana, pulling in death force alongside its flow, a minuscule amount that would quickly come undone, launching it through the air, somewhat at a downward angle, aimed at absolutely nothing in particular, yet, the blade dissipated as though it struck something.

'That was lucky' she remarked to herself, sensing a life being extinguished, and as the death force created from this chance kill travelled to her, the near perfect illusion collapsed into nothingness, like a curtain being pulled.

The suspended village of the west appearing out of nowhere, alongside its people and a decapitated corpse, a shocked expression etched on their visage, a group of four livings falling to their knees toward the center of the area, each of them having limbs that definitely did not belong to them, that of what appeared to be bottom-prowlers of a kind the nightbirds had yet to encounter.

'So they transplanted limbs to gain this illusion ability?' that was the most logical explanation, transplantation was the way they had discovered to increase their strength, and as one might expect, the replacement of one of their eyes was but the tip of the iceberg.

The illusion was shaped like a sheet thrown over a piece of furniture, more-so being a somewhat physical firmament casting an image of what was behind rather than something that directly affected the onlooker.

The small suspended village of the westerners was exposed, quickly counting the numbers of different life forces, Tilmiel realised that there were very few livings.

All nightbirds remained still, their enemies confused, unaware that Loimos had rendered all agreements null.