Cyterius dismounted from his horse as did the others when they were told they were nearing their target destination, and approached the edge of the treeline as Ardur ordered them to. Cyterius followed with his other fellow Inquisitors while leaving behind his scouting team composed of his friends in the Luna Falcons. Nischa Ariteni, an energetic girl with Raven-black hair tied into a ponytail, came with him. Like Cyterius she also had tanned skin, but her eyes were piercing blue as opposed to his green, and her demeanor was almost a polar-opposite to his.

She insisted on tagging along for the initial reconnaissance with an almost childlike curiosity, which Cyterius would have scoffed at had he not known her for years, and knew just how accustomed this girl was to danger. [color=Peru]"Stay close and don't poke too far out the treeline. We don't know if whatever besieged the place is still there and we shouldn't give up our element of surprise."[/color] He said as he gestured for her to follow behind him. Nischa rolled her eyes at that before responding. [color=khaki]"I thought you knew me better than that, Cy. My marks never spot me til I want them to,"[/color] She replied casually as she jogged along behind him...

The Inquisitors spent a good 30 minutes surveying the area, and had gleamed as much information as they could from watching from a distance. The grisly display of bodies on the walls and ground level were the results of a battle, but Cyterius knew it was more than that. The way they were skewered to hold them high, and those bodies that were kept in a praying position as the weapons were driven through them, it wasn't simply the aftermath of an execution. Whoever did this was trying to send a message. [color=Peru][i]And what better way to send a message than dead bodies...[/i][/color] He thought, thinking back to the times the Luna Falcons had employed similar tactics during their mission of revenge to scare their marks into going on the defensive.

A shift in the winds brought the smell of death and decay from the city to where the Inquisitors stood. Most would have backed away from the smell or made attempts to cover their noses, but Cyterius and Nischa merely winced as they had become used to the smell of long dead bodies in their escapades through the criminal underworld of Artuvia. Cyterius sniffed the air to make out details in the scent. The smell was rancid, that of decay instead of smoky like burnt meat. That meant a majority of the people were killed by other means, not from the flames that ravaged the place. The fire was either a distraction, or an after-effect of whatever attack took place there. In any case it wasn't a prolonged siege, as fires and structural damage would have killed more people and left a more noticeable burnt smell in the air. Whatever attacked struck quickly and slaughtered the people quickly.

The portcullis' wrecked debris outside implied that the main attack came from within, not from outside, further supporting his theory that it was a quick and brutal surprise attack that the defenders barely had time to react to. The fires then were likely started after the fighting erupted, as people wouldve fled their homes to escape the danger instead of being trapped and burnt to death. However that still left the question of what was so powerful that the portcullis was blown completely outwards. Cyterius considered explosives or magic as potential causes, as a battering ram was unlikely since it would have had to come in from the outside. [color=Peru][i]If explosives were used then there should be noticeable scorches and blast marks around the gate area, if they're absent then the cause was likely magic, though I only know of it through secondhand knowledge from books. In either case, I would need a closer look to confirm or deny it[/i][/color]

A loud whistle drew the duo's attention and they turned towards Ardur's position, walking silently to them in response to his signal.

[color=yellow]"The Blight did not befoul this city nor did her terrible monsters breach her walls... Something monstrous attacked this city, and I have yet to figure out who it was.  We will wait here for two hours before we advance towards the city. Any questions?"[/color] Ardur addressed the gathered Inquisitors.

[color=00aeef]"And what pray tell do you wish to have us do in these hours we waste? And why, if i am to be so bold, two hours? I can spy your curiosity for the portcullis is as much as mine and i would very much like to examine it,"[/color] The short Lalafellen Elf asked their leader. Cyterius nodded in agreement to the elf as he turned to Ardur. [color=Peru]"The sooner we move on the city the better, but we must not go in blindly if we can help it. Something tells me the display of bodies was meant to get some sort of rise out of us..."[/color] He said as he glanced towards gory scene on the walls. [color=Peru]"If you will let Inquisitor Fontaine conduct his examination, then my team and I would be willing to accompany him. There are a few details I should like to see for myself, given the opportunity. We can remain silent and we will not venture further than you will allow us, Inquisitor Ardur"[/color] he added, using Ardur Skor's first name to differentiate him from his sister Anora.