Chapter 8

Unlike the well-trodden path to Aslo from Svarten, the circuitous route they took through the wilderness was rough, with more than one river to cross. The group was weary, and tensions were already high as they reached the base of the Draukfer mountains. 

The trip hadn't been quite rough, made all the worse by poor supplies and lacking horses, and other equipment for the trek. Parcival was clearly at fault for their predicament, and over the weeks they traveled, refused to own up to it.

To make things worse, that snake seemed to despise Archivuald after he hadn't helped back at the tavern.

It was a sentiment Archivauld shared. Archivuald couldn't wait to reach the other side of the pass. Papers be damned, once they reached the other side he was leaving these three and never looking back.

All they had to do before freedom was pass through the Draukfer mountain range. Seems simple enough. Except, it wasn't. The Draukfer mountain range, also known as the great divide, separated the outer ring from the inner expanse, an area known for its incredible danger.

The mountain range was so vast that it could take years to ride a horse around it if the feat were even possible. Three great chasms that divided the outer band, each only accessible by entering the inner reaches.. 

Not only that, much of the outer band was uninhabited due to being infested by monsters and sporadic rifts. The church, and the cult only had so many personnel, and couldn't extinguish them all when uncleared rifts just kept dumping out more..

Even the well trodden paths to the inner reaches were incredibly dangerous.

Even with constant patrols to keep the monsters at bay on the passes, deaths were all too common. Avalanches, rockslides, and then of course the monsters.

Archivauld was more than a bit nervous as he looked up at the sprawling mountain range in front of them. It seemed endless, an endless wall of towering mountains that seemed to reach for the skies.

Standing at their base, he felt like a bug in the face of their majesty.

"I don't know about you, but there is no way i can climb hundreds of meters of sheer rock face," Parcival said, his voice making Archivauld snap from his revery.

Frowning, Yurlan unfurled the scroll Hesko gave them, glancing at the parchment before looking up at the steep scree slope that led to a sheer rock face.

"The scroll says the passage is right here. See that peak there, jutting up from the rest of the rock? The map says the pass starts there. It looks bad from down here, but we have come this far, and so far we haven't been ambushed by inquisitors. If that's not a good sign I don't know what is," Yurlan replied.

"Damn mountains.. Why do they have to be so tall, and steep? I hate hiking," Tanur grumbled.

Yurlan grunted, "This one is just the first obstacle of many. The Draukfer mountain range is at least four hundred miles wide in most sections. The original pass we were going to take is one of the narrowest corridors. Based on what the map says, this passage is nearly twice as wide. We will have to scale multiple mountains like this to reach the other side," Yurlan said.

Tanur shook his head. "Well, isn't that just fantastic. Good job Parcival, you did us all a service by murdering that girl back at the tavern," Tanur said, giving the man in question a glare.

"Go shove it up your ass Tanur. And you to Archie," Parcival spat.

"What did I do?" Archivuald asked. 

"Your ugly face is annoying to look at," Parcival said.

Archivuald raised an eyebrow. "Well, you are not much of a looker either, you flea ridden sleeze bag," Archivuald replied.

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face Archie… I have cut people's tongues out for less," Parcival growled, fingering a curved dagger at his belt.

Yurlan let out a long drawn out sigh. 

"I am going to start climbing now. When you two are done bickering like children, you can follow," Yurlan said, starting his ascent of the steep scree slope.

Archivuald shared a glance with Parcival, who was still glaring at him.

"Boss is right. You can ascend behind me if you want Parcival, that way if the scree shifts and I start a rockslide it will take you out," Archivauld said. 

Parcival gave him a distinctly rude gesture.

"Keep talking that way Archie and I'll slit your throat in your sleep," Parcival said.

"Not if I bury my axe in that thick skull of yours first," Archivuald said.

Tanur rolled his eyes.

"Well, I am going with the boss, if you two want to be left behind, that your own damn fault," Tanur said.

Parcival bumped into him as he walked past.

"Watch your back Archie. Coward's like you often find a dagger between their ribs when they least expect it," Parcival said.

Archivuald gripped the haft of his axe tighter, glaring at the man's back.

What a snake. How could someone be so rotten to their very core? Archivuald took a deep calming breath, letting it out slowly. He really couldn't wait to split ways with these assholes 

The four fanned out as they ascended the steep scree slope, wary of causing rockslides. The footing was treacherous, and the slope steep as they climbed. The scree only reached halfway up the mountain, taking a few hours of cautious climbing. 

It wasn't too long before they reached the sheer cliff face, following the base to a steep chute filled in gravel.

That was when the climbing got much harder. One step forward, and slide half a step back. It took hours of grueling sweaty effort.

By the time they reached the top, they were all exhausted, wrung out from the ascent. 

Archivuald collapsed on his ass as he stepped from the chute, his chest heaving as he stared out over the vast expanse below.

The view was stunning, the outer band stretching as far as he could see, with a few smaller hills visible on the horizon. He couldn't see any sign of civilization, just a blanket of trees, with the occasional meadow visible from above. The other side was just as breathtaking, with a sprawling range of ice capped mountains laid out before him.

The only word he could think of to perfectly describe it was, Majestic. His opinion of the Draukfer mountains' beauty, and grandeur lasted all of half a day. They hadn't even reached the valley floor on the other side before they were attacked.

Walking in single file, the group was attacked from a rock ledge.Archivuald, near the back of the group, almost had his head taken off as a boulder the size of his head whizzed past his face, cracking a tree as it struck.

"To our left, up in the rocks," Yurlan shouted. 

Archivauld whirled, his eyes darting about as he searched for threats on the rocky landscape. Movement almost immediately caught his eye.

His eyes widened with alarm as the monster revealed itself. Towering at least a head taller than most humans, it favored four legs but could just as easily stand on two, often using its thick arms to hurl rocks with bone shattering force. The monster was humanoid in stature but had a flat face, and was covered in thick grey fur that blended perfectly with the surrounding scree.

He recognized it almost immediately. "It's a mountain Vock. They are solitary hunters. Watch out, they love to throw things at intruders," Archivauld shouted.

Yurlan didn't hesitate.

"You heard him, spread out, and let's rush the thing" Yurlan ordered. 

Archivauld didn't need to be told twice as another rock smashed into the ground nearby, sending rock chips everywhere. 

Heart racing, he tried to keep one eye on the Vock and another on the scree slope. Seeming infuriated by them rushing it, the monster let out a loud hoot of challenge. It gave up on throwing rocks, and charged down at them. 

Rocks tumbled around it as the monsters barreled right for Archivauld, its speed belying its large frame.

Running on all fours, it let out a deafening hoot as it leapt at him. Not wanting to be bowled over, he dove to one side, his stomach lurching as the monster's sharp claws narrowly missing him as it shot over head. 

Gripping the shaft of his ax in one hand he scrambled back to his feet, ignoring his stinging palms as he frantically turned. The monster was quick, but the scree slope gave it poor traction as it tried to change direction. 

It took precious moments to turn, giving him a chance to bury his ax in its hairy back. 

Its hide was so thick that it felt like lodging his axe into wood. It staggered as blood gushed from the massive wound, but it wasn't dead yet.

The monster let out a loud hoot of pain, whirling, and slamming one of its large meaty fists into his ribs.

Archivauld was sent tumbling ass of teakettle, narrowly avoiding dropping his ax. Head swimming, agony spreading from his side, he quickly writed himself. 

He wasn't quick enough. A sense of dread washed over him as a ball of teeth, fur and claws rushed him, spittle flying from its maw as it descended on him. He weakly raised his ax to defend, catching its first blow on his weapon. Archivauld underestimated just how strong the monster was, his ax slammed from his numb fingers.

It raised both meaty fists high, ready to bring them down on him with bone crushing force.

Battered and beaten, he watched his approaching demise with surprising calm. Part of his mind wondered what was taking the others so long to come to his aid, but another was acceptance.

Perhaps this was for the best. Letting it happen would be so much easier than a life on the run from the order. Perhaps it was what he deserved for standing by while these bandits committed multiple murders of innocent people. 

The momentary bliss of a quick end was sadly wrenched away as a thick bearded ax lodged itself in the side of the monster's neck.

The blow must have damaged the monster's spinal cord, as it collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. A wall of pain hit him all at once, and Archivauld let out a pained groan as the monster fell on top of him.

"Get if off! Get it off," Archivauld shouted, hot blood soaking him. 

The others arrived shortly, and heaved, the monster rolling far enough he could wiggle out from under it.

Once free, Archivauld collapsed in a heap, his chest heaving as he gathered a golden holy orb in his palm. Hand shaking, he pressed the orb into his side, and let out a hiss of pain as soothing waves of essence flooded his body. 

The pain of damaged flesh mending was excruciating. He gritted his teeth. One holy orb didn't accomplish much, no doubt because his ribs were likely shattered.

Being only copper tier, his holy orb emblem wasn't strong enough to mend bone quickly.

Mending flesh, easy, mending bone, not so much. Thankfully, his reservoir was full, and he could unload at least a dozen before he ran dry. 

With one orb after another, he practically drained his reservoir, the pain in his ribs much less severe by the end. All the while, Yurlan harvested the mountain Vock, with Parcival and Tanur keeping watch. 

Hands covered in gore, Yurlan wrenched a fist sized essence from the creature's chest and walked over.

"I figure you did most of the work, so our first knight tier essence is yours," Yurlan said, giving Parcival a sidelong glance. 

He leaned in close as he handed Archivuald the valuable essence stone. 

"Watch your back kid.. If i hadn't intervened, they would have let that thing kill you," Yurlan said in a low voice. 

Archivauld took the large essence stone, smiling to mask his surprise. He had been too distracted by fighting for his life to see why no one was coming to his aide. 

As it turned out, Tanur and Parcival had just watched on while he fought the mountain Vock. He knew Parcival held a grudge for that time back at the tavern, but he hadn't expected this. 

At Least Yurlan had stepped in and saved his ass. The knight tier essence stone was also a happy surprise.

Clutching the blood covered stone, he pushed to his feet, staring down at the cooling corpse next to him. In the grand scheme of things, this creature was near the bottom of the food chain, unable to utilize essence in a meaningful way. 

And yet, it had almost killed him. The realization was sobering. Next time Yurlan might not be around to save his ass. So what if he had a divine curses to fall back on if he was too scared of revealing secrets to use them

Inwardly he firmed his resolve. 

What was the point in having six divine curses if he never dared use any of them. Only one was even awakened, and he hadn't even used it yet.

If he wanted to survive, to make it out alive, he needed to use every tool at his disposal. That didn't mean he would be an idiot about it, it just meant he wouldn't hold back the next time his life was in danger.

It was only the first day in the mountains, and that monster was likely just one of many.

Unfortunately, his thoughts seemed nye prophetic. They were two days in and had set up a watch for the night. Archivuald felt like his head had just hit the pillow after his turn on watch when Tanur shouted in alarm. By the time Archivauld and the others scrambled from their tents and threw open the flaps, the battle was already over. 

Tanur Blackwood was gone, his distant cries cut off abruptly somewhere in the forest. 

The three paused next to the cracking fire, staring out at the darkness. 

"Did anyone see what took him?" Yurlan asked.

Archivauld shook his head and so did Parcival. "Shit!!" Yurlan swore.

"Should we chase after him?" Parcival asked.

"No, he's gone. If it was able to carry him off like that, it's strong and quick too. Let's work under the assumption that it's some sort of ambush predator. From now on, we are on watch two at a time. Parcival, you can sleep first, Arch, you and I are on watch," Yurlan said.

The two sat with their backs to the fire, neither saying anything. Both shared grim faces as they heard the distant crunch of bone. As if to taunt them, the monster who took Tanur was eating him nearby.

Archuvauld might not have liked the man, but hearing him being eaten still made him queasy. The sound of bone crunching was audible for most of the night, the sound fading an hour or so before sunrise.

None of them slept a wink that night, jumping at shadows. Eventually the sun rose, and they packed up. With trepidation, they headed in the direction they heard the chewing.

The sight was even more gruesome than expected.

Blood and torn clothing were everywhere, with a severed head and a partially eaten arm remaining. The sight of Tanurs' horrified, wide open pained, and his severed head which was seeming presented to them on a stump made him want to wretch, a truly horrifying end. 

Tanur was a despicable human being, but even he didn't deserve an end like this. Without saying a word, they dug a hole, and buried the man's remains. Until now, Parcival hadn't shown anything resembling a normal person emotion, but for just a moment, Archivauld could swear he saw a flicker of grief in the man's eyes. 

Who knew, those two might have even been friends. The group didn't linger for long, leaving the area with all due haste once they buried Tanur in a shallow grave. None of them wanted to be in this area once night fell again. They had no idea if the monster that took Tanur was nocturnal or not, so didn't want to take any chances.

The group was on high alert as they trekked through the mountain range, ever wary of the monster that hid in the dark. It had them jumping at shadows, gripping their weapons when small birds or squirrels rustled the trees.

It was almost a relief when they were attacked by another mountain Vock on the fourth day. 

This one was much smaller and dumber than the previous one, and with all three of them working in unison, it was quickly brought down. 

Turns out, mountain Vock is surprisingly tasty when grilled over a fire. Much of the tensions from two nights ago was slowly fading as they increased their distance from where Tanur was killed. A thick slab of freshly grilled meat for each of them probably helped. 

They were quietly eating their food, the stars just coming out above, when the sound of crunching bone filled the air. The group paused, listening intently, as the familiar crunch echoed from where they left the corpse of the mountain Vock. 

Archivuald shared a worried glance with the others.

"It's still following us," Yurlan said darkly.

Parcival spat to the dirt, his eyes roving the dark tree line. 

"Sounds like it found the leftovers of our kill," Parcival said.

Yurlan frowned, his face grim in the firelight.

"Hopefully it isn't still hungry after eating the remains," Yurlan said. 

Archivuald shifted nervously where he sat on his long. "Maybe it doesn't have much preference? Just in case, we should try to kill at least one monster before nightfall, to make sure we are not the ones on the menu," Archivauld said.

"That's a good idea, it can't hurt. Maybe if we keep it well fed, we can make it to the other side with only one casualty," Yurlan said.

Parcival tossed his half eaten haunch of meat onto the fire, disturbing the coals.

"I think we should kill it. We can set up an ambush for the monster," Parcival said.

Yurlan sucked on a tooth thoughtfully. 

"That is also an option. If it keeps following us much longer, we might have to do so," Yurlan said.

Parcival didn't seem pleased, but didn't refute Yurlan's decision. 

With the distant crunch of bone continuing for hours, the night seemed to drag on. Only a couple more weeks and they should be clear of the pass. He let out a mirthless laugh.

Right… if they lived that long. 

As it turned out, the idea to kill a monster each day, and camp nearby was a smashing success. 

The monster only seemed to hunt every other night, following them as they navigated the mountain valleys and scaled steep scree slopes. Over a week had passed since they came up with the idea, and in all that time they hadn't seen the creature even once. 

Strangely, despite the face It only hunted at night, it had no trouble keeping up with them.

Archivauld had a few ideas about what type of monster it might be, but couldn't be sure. It was likely a shadow panther, a large nocturnal cat that often preyed on solitary travelers.

It could also be the extremely elusive nightingale known for toying with their prey, though that was unlikely. Those monsters were beyond rare to run into, usually living deep in the desolate wastelands of the inner reaches. 

It was much more likely that they were dealing with the much more common shadow panther, or some other nocturnal predator. 

Knowing it might be a shadow panther didn't make him feel comforted in the slightest. Silent, agile, and incredibly sneaky, they usually avoided humans.

Until they got a taste for human flesh, that is. Having been forced to memorize an encyclopedia of monsters from his time back in the order gave Archivuald a long list of potential threats.

There were so many monsters it could be pages worth of toothy beasties that occupied his thoughts.

On the bright side, if it was a shadow panther, at least his death would be swift. They usually went for the throat, ending it quickly. 

Better than being toyed with by a Nightingale.