[b]Sand Vespa – Capture the Fort[/b] (Collab with Lucius Cypher)

Any vessel approaching the abandoned Outpost Jaeger by sea would have been treated to a sorry sight. Its walls were in various states of disrepair. While much of the front walls still held, the coastal walls had collapsed some time ago, giving the side of the building a jagged, naked appearance. 

Five towers stood around the building, dark spires looming dangerously over the structure. Winged figures fluttered and roosted among them, white, bone-like masks reflecting the light when the sun hit them at certain angles. Once, the towers had been fitted with solar panels meant to supply energy to the building, but most of those were likely broken or dirtied beyond use.  

Below, at sea level, one could see a ship entrance, staring forlornly out into the vast blue. Dark figures scuttled silently along the docks.

From such a vessel, should one strain their eyes, they might have been able to make out a small figure clinging to the side of the cliff, precariously settled on a small outcropping. A young woman, her skin a bronze hue, blonde hair picked up in a messy pony tail, scowled at the port with coffee colored eyes.

She tried counting the figures milling about, but quickly gave up. She was far enough away that whenever one of the Grimm moved, they mixed with other nearby monsters and she lost track of which ones she had counted.

[i]Still, a lot more than I expected[/i], Sand thought. [i]And here I hoped this would be an easy way in[/i]. Professor Gamboge had insinuated that the Grimm concentration in the area had dropped significantly from what it used to be, but so far, that only put into perspective the magnitude of the catastrophe that had befallen Outpost Jaeger.

Her eyes strayed to the lone ship moored on the docks, standing like a lone mourner praying long after the fortress fell. Part of her was curious about the small vessel, but she did not dare make an approach. Too many Grimm, and just over the sound of crashing waves, she thought she could hear another, clear sound. 

Singing. 

“Huh.” Sand paused. “Not dealing with that unless I absolutely have to,” she murmured as she turned around to climb. 

Wearing boots, blue, tactical pants, a dark, short sleeved shirt, a white vest, and a conspicuous pair of thick, black, metal gauntlets that covered her arms up to her elbows, few would say she was dressed for hiking. She was not particularly worried. As her hand contacted the wall small particles flared, as if picking up a small cloud of dust, and the gauntlet held steady against the rocky surface. She used it to pull herself up. Rinse, repeat.

Soon enough, she was back at the edge of the cliff, small beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She took a moment to rest before once again setting off back for the front of the Outpost. The structure’s builders, possibly in the event of an invasion by another nation, had built several defenses around the fort. Small watchtowers, walls, and cannons, all facing outwards. The cannons were useless for her purposes, as even if she found ammunition, she could not turn them back towards the Fort without damaging them.

However, the structures themselves provided valuable cover and hiding places. She had already cleared a small space in the outer perimeter which she was using as a temporary base of operations. A wall protected her from the eyes of avian Grimm, and she had a good view of the fort proper and what could be called the ‘roads’ leading up to it.

She planned to return there for the time being. Now that she had completed her survey of the area, she needed to plan her approach.