Loki followed the screams through the village, his expression becoming increasingly strained with every step. The sounds were coming from the center of Ashmork, and as he moved through the streets with his fifteen warriors behind him, the sight of corpses littered across the ground made his chest tighten.
Some bodies belonged to warriors, while others were civilians who had been caught in the chaos. Blood stained the dirt beneath his feet, and the smoke from the burning southern wall drifted between the buildings, making the entire village smell of ash and death.
None of Loki's warriors spoke as they followed him. They could all feel the same growing dread. Whatever had happened while they were away, it had clearly been far worse than anything they had imagined.
