Chapter 12: Up Fool’s Mountain

Previously:

The group continues to move on at a walking pace, we don’t have a path now so we have to manoeuvre around natural obstacles. A happy mood was back, apparently, everyone is eager once more for a catch.

The mountain stretched tall above us, a few birds circling. It, most definitely, was going to be cold up there.

Now:

“Ok, listen up!” A woman shouts, standing up in the stirrups and waving an arm for attention. We all look at her. She, too, had removed her helmet, revealing a head of short blonde hair.

“The person who gets the biggest kill up at that mountain,” she points behind her—We are only a few minutes from the base now, “will get the honours of bringing up the rear for the rest of the trip! Do not question this decision: it is only to be fair to everyone else!”

“That being said, it has been a few months since we have travelled up fools mountain!” A man adds from nearby. “I am sure you are all aware of the recent sighting— the pair of dragons that have taken up residence!”

I wince. I should pay more attention to word on the streets. Thyra shoots me a sideways glare, obviously annoyed I failed to fill her in on this. I shrug at her, wincing again, and she rolls her eyes.

“The dragons are both FireWielders!” The woman shouts. Several groans ring out.

FireWielders: dragons that breathe and command fire. They are very powerful and can manipulate open flames as long as they make contact with it through some part of their body. They’re usually big and bulky and tend to have four legs. There are occasional two-legged ones—they’re a little quicker on their feet but can be thrown off-balanced relatively easily. They can fly, but they’re considerably slow and can’t fly for long. FireWielders are difficult to slay because their scales are tough. However they can’t handle the cold very well, so the fact that they are residing on this mountain surprises me. Another of their faults that is if they breathe too much fire, their energy will decrease until their body will turn to stone that won’t unfreeze until it has all its energy back—it usually takes a month or so.

“Do we know why they’re up there?” Someone asks.

“No, we don’t. That’s why we don’t know what to expect.” The woman answers.

“This is ridiculous! We’re going to die.” Thyra complains under her breath.

“We’ll be fine if we stick together and get this over with quickly!” The man announces, eyebrows furrowed as he looks across the crowd.

Aside from Firewielders, there are several other dragon species. The main ones we get on our island are WaterDwellers, the occasional Deathspawn, and of course the fireWielders. There are plenty more species, but they don’t live on our island so we don’t know much about them.

WaterDwellers are dragons that reside in water— anything from the ocean to a lake. They’re smaller than FireWielders but are shaped more smooth and flexible—with gills and fins to go along with it. Their scales are blue or green, they don’t all have wings, and they can’t be out of water for long because they will literally dry up and die. They don’t shoot fire, instead, they either breathe a combination of gas and liquid, or a combination of rocks and liquid. They’re able to mimic other water animal’s calls, such as a dolphin or a seal. It’s how they lure their prey in. Their scales are more easily penetrated than a FireWielders, but it doesn’t count for much because they’re so quick in the water and would have you dead before you could blink.

“Alright gang, let’s move it! Those dragons ain’t nothing against all us! The odds are like twenty to two!” Another man laughs. A fee murmurs ring out, but the group starts forward.

“Tore are you kidding me?!” Thyra whispers, scowling at me. We’re at the back of the group and haven’t moved yet.

“W-we’ll be fine!” I try to assure her, but the glare she gives me tells me she doesn’t believe me.

“I doubt you’d be able to outrun any dragons—not with your wound.” She protests, pointing at the gangs poking out. I move my shirt to cover it more—It hasn’t stopped aching and I’m suspicious it’s going to reopen. “Maybe we should head back.”

“Thyra, no. I’m doing this. I need this. If you want to go back, then fine!” I snap at her. She makes no move to leave, rolling her eyes again. I turn my horse to face the group who are a little ahead of us now. I nudge my horse into a trot so I can catch up.

“If we die, I will make you suffer!” Thyra grits her teeth as she threats me, glaring at me sideways before she urges her horse to go faster than mine and reach the group before me. By the time I get there, she’s melted into the crowd, deliberately ditching me. I huff and roll my eyes.

Soon we reach the base of the mountain and start up it. The track is pretty wide right now: four of us can walk our horses’ side by side. It’s not too steep yet, but I know it will be soon.

A quiet chatter runs across us, people set on edge by the mention of the dragons. I’m worried, not that I would admit it, but last nights events have not made it easy. The sting in my size is a constant reminder, and I am disappointed in myself for even letting it happen. A warrior wouldn’t have that happen to them. A warrior wouldn’t even let there be a chance. I need to try harder, train harder! Mistakes like that can cost a life: mine or someone else’s!

The terrain is slowly becoming rougher, and I can see over the top of some trees already. There are a few giant boulders over the track that we have to manoeuvre our horses around. I grab onto the front of the saddle briefly when the steepness of the track intensifies, my horse snorting under me as he pulls us up the trail with the others. I look to my left, gazing across the forest. We’re taller than most of the trees already. I guess I get lost in my thoughts easily. Another thing I’ll need to improve on…

***

Cold wind hitting my face is the first thing I take notice of once we reach the top, no longer shielded by trees. The harsh wind blows my hair around and into my face more often than not, as I slouch slightly in the saddle with a hand subtly on my side, over my wound. It hasn’t stopped aching, and all the jolting around in the saddle I’ve been doing hasn’t helped.

I’m gathered with the rest of the group while we look down at the treetops, silent. Technically we’re not at the top of the mountain, but this is as far as we can go up with our horses. This also happens to be the most habited part of the mountain.

I grab my bow and knock an arrow, peering around us warily. There is a lot less vegetation, but there is still enough for animals to hide in.

Silence fills the next few minutes until someone holds an arm up into the air. “Alright. This isn’t working, ” she whispers. “I say we split up and meet back here!”

“How long until we should come back?” A man inquires from next to me.

“How about half an hour?” I suggest, beginning to undo my bag from the saddle so I can take it with me.

“He’s right, half an hour sounds good!” a man nods.

“Alright, headcount?” The woman who suggested we split demands to the crowd.

“Fifteen.” Someone answers seconds later.

“Good. Be here in half an hour, if not… find your way, and meet up with us later.” The woman replies, swinging it of her saddle. Calls of agreement and acknowledgement ring out and people start to dismount. There are some old hitching posts, planted here year’s ago, which they tie their horses to.

I watch from the saddle as everyone moves off and out of sight. I sigh, clutching my side again. I didn’t want them to see me struggle out of the saddle. The last thing I need is questions.

“Hurry up, Grandpa!” Thyra calls from the tree line, smirking at me.

Huh, she waited for me. That was nice of her. I thought she was mad at me because I didn’t know about the dragons? Guess she got over it.

I roll my eyes at her and dismount quickly, the jolt sent through my body making me immediately wish I had gone slower and more careful.

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter at Thyra as I lead my horse up to the hitching post and quickly secure him. I turn around towards Thyra as I throw my bag over my shoulder, trying to mask the pain.

“Do you think we’ll even catch anything here?” Thyra asks as I join her side.

“I hope so!”

“Alright, which way?” She asks me. I shrug.

“How should I know?”

“I wanna be a leader, he says, I wanna lead my people in battle and win the love of my father!” She mocks me in a raspy voice, I scowl at her and punch her shoulder.

“I most definitely do not sound like that!” I insist, but she laughs at me and shoved me back.

“Oh, but you will!” Thyra laughs. “That is, if you live long enough.”

“Why thank you for your unwavering faith in me!” I snap at her, choosing a random direction and walking that way. She just laughs again and follows me.

Soon we fall silent as we move through the shrub, our bows drawn as we look around ourselves cautiously. Each step we take is calculated and quiet, we are on high alert. After a few minutes, Thyra taps my shoulder and I glance at her. She points to a small animal track. I give her a thumbs-up, and we head up it.

Chances are, we’ll see something. It’s on a steeper slope and looks to be heading further up the mountain. It might even take us right to a den!

We keep silent as we follow the small track, finding ourselves getting higher very quickly. I glance behind us, seeing the horses in the distance. I turn back around, keeping a mental note on our whereabouts. If we get carried away, knowing the way back will come in handy.

A rustling noise coming from close by makes me flinch, and I hold up a hand for Thyra to stop. I gesture with my head to a group of large, leafy bushes I believe the noise came from. Raising my bow and pulling the drawstring back, I eye the bush. Thyra follows my lead, clenching her jaw. I wonder what it is?

A few seconds slowly pass, and I start to wonder if I was hearing things. Then suddenly a twig snaps behind us, and something bursts out of the bush, small and furry. It scurries towards us, moving incredibly fast. Alarmed, I fire at it. I watch my arrow speed through the air and strike it.

I let out a yell when the arrow bounces off it, harmlessly. Thyra fires at it, but her arrow disintegrates into dust as soon as it touches the creature's side. I glance at Thyra, horrified, and feel my heartbeat thud against my chest. She swallows.

“We uh, we s-should probably…”

“Run? Y-yeah, I agree!” I finish for her and then find myself clutching her shoulder as I turn to look at the creature advancing for us. Through the brown fur, I catch sight of claws, wings, and, most notably: red eyes. Alarmingly, I realise it is getting too close, and I lash out at it with my leg, colliding with its side which throws it back. “GO!” I scream at Thyra and we take off without a second thought, fleeing up the path.