Chapter 11: The Highland Mountains

Chapter 11

The Highland Mountains

Two figures came into view. One armoured lightly, with a bow. The other covered in plate mail, wielding a longsword. Basic. Her evaluation was changed, however, when she saw the bow wielding man take out what looked like some sort of device. He pulled a string coming out of it, and tossed it at the girl.

Tch. Two sounds rung out, followed by another. A hollow clank as the unfamiliar projectile collided with something in the air. The sound of tearing, followed by blood spray and a thud, as the archer collided with the ground.

The knight didn’t bear an expression, but she saw it in his eyes and the way his body moved, he was reevaluating her, taking no chances. She too did the same, and dashed at him. The sword quickly and deftly cleaved through the air, intercepting the girl, only to hit air. The vision of the swordsman went black.

She lamented that she had lost one of her throwing knives. She hadn’t found anything suitable as replacements in this world yet, so she didn’t like the idea of wasting them, but she had no choice. Instead, she collected nicely weighted and shaped rocks she came across, putting them inside her pack and robe. Her robe had convenient folds, and pockets in those folds, that were well-designed, allowing her to quickly reach them with no trouble. They were the perfect place to store her hidden weapons, much more accessible than the hidden compartment in her shoes that the group members had never found.

Satisfied with the kills, she quickly returned to the group. She was glad to see no enemies in sight. They were a capable bunch.

They looked at her with respect, once again seeing her in a new light. She didn’t bother returning the looks, instead maintaining her focus on the surroundings and its faint sounds.

No words needed to be exchanged. The group ran, exchanging only the sound of breathing and footsteps. With the exception of Suna, of course.

The land changed. The trees lessened. The dirt changed from a rich brown to a more gravelly greyish-brown. Hills appeared, their pace inevitably slowing when they had to traverse uphill. More and more rocks of varying sizes entered and left their view. Internally thankful to not come across anymore enemies, the group exited the forest, entering a mountainous region, still not daring to slow down their pace.

Suna was much more used to this terrain. Bare rock, slopes of silt, cliffs and overhangs, boulders, it all felt familiar to her. A part of her felt reunited with a long lost acquaintance.

Unable to use anything for cover, the group simply ascended up the mountain as fast as they could. There wasn’t a path, but they found another way to traverse the rough land: following Suna, the most simple and straightforward form of navigation.

As they gained elevation, Suna caught glimpses behind her of the land. The land was vast and open, like Yrma was, before she had become covered in ash. She could make out the lake she remembered, now seeing how large the river that ran through it truly was. She saw a mystical beam of color, likely some strange Magical phenomena. She saw a towering mountain range on the horizon, obscuring her view past it. She truly regretted not being able to stop and take in the view. She actually considered for a fraction of a moment to tell the others to go on whilst she sat and took in the sight. She could only imagine the incredulity on their faces if she were to actually suggest such a thing.

Swatting away her temptations, she regained her focus and clarity. The group needed to find a suitable place to hide.

“Are any of you familiar with these mountains?” The various group members exchanged glances.

“I don’t think any of us have been up here personally, but there’s a well-known cave system here. In an age before ours, it was used to mine up ferrum, it’s supposedly like a labyrinth inside. It should be difficult for them to find us in there.” James paused shortly to catch his breath. Even he was starting to feel fatigue. “There should be an old trail up on this ridge. If we head down it, it shouldn’t take us long to come up on one of the mine entrances.” He took the chance to look at the party members, gauging them. His vision lingered on Angie, who clutched at her chest, still being pulled along by Cyra. “We can rest there.” He redirected his attention back on the terrain and Suna, who was at the head of the group.

“Got it. I’m going to go scout up ahead. I need to clear the ridgeline. If no one is following behind you, until you see me come back, don’t go over it. If I take longer than 30 minutes, assume I’m dead.”

James absorbed the grim words, spoken plainly and succinctly.

“...Got it.”

Suna ascended the mountain at a blistering pace. She was thankful that the robe she was wearing was grey rather than some conspicuous color, but she felt it wasn’t enough. It had to match the color of the rock here. Surprising the others who still had her in their line of sight, she dove and rolled in the gravel and silt. Not an inch of her hair, face, and limbs were spared from her fierce, yet frankly silly-looking frollicking along the ground. She efficiently covered every inch of her body with the powdery, fine dirt and rock. Satisfied, she darted off. The members were left in the dust, Suna becoming a smaller and smaller dot that moved up the large, curved mountainous slope.

When she reached the top of the incline, she found a suitable boulder to walk up behind. Her gaze covered every inch of the mountain. In the distance, the tallest mountain of the range towered. It was truly massive, its total height obscured by a layer of clouds far up. The range was sprawling, plenty of smaller hills and larger mountains springing up from the ground she was standing on at the moment. She was satisfied with the smaller mountain that was relatively close by.

It didn’t take long for her to ascend it. Even at parts where the slope was nearly vertical, utilizing risky maneuvers that she executed to perfection with zero hesitation, she made quick work of the climb. Soon. she found her way to the peak of the small mountain.

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Here should do fine. Her eyes glazed over the surrounding area. She was determined to find even a hint of movement. Many times she thought she found enemies, only for it to be some critter or animal.

Unable to locate any Geth or human, she scanned the mountain again, this time searching for caves or these supposed mine entrances. She saw the path, how it wound up and down through the flat plateaus between peaks. Hm. That should do. Satisfied with her survey of the land, she quickly descended the peak. Almost like some kind of goat, she hopped down onto various rock holds that stuck out, descending at a rapid pace. She was very thankful for her small body and light weight – if she was born taller, she knew that she couldn’t perform much of the whole slew of athletic maneuvers she had come to rely on throughout her life.

She made it back down to the ridgeline and peaked over it. The others still had a ways to go. Making sure she caught their attention, she stuck her thumb up in front of her, one of the signs that the group taught her. As she waited, she continued surveying, carefully, the plateau and its surrounding elevated areas for any sign of movement. Eventually the others reached her.

They were out of breath, all except Cyra who was able to maintain some of her composure. She let Angie down onto the ground, whom she had been carrying over her shoulder up the steep incline. Angie was too exhausted and tired to bother expressing her embarrassment.

“I found one of those mine entrances. I didn’t see anyone, but I can’t guarantee anything, there’s too much cover.”

James was preoccupied, catching his breath. Suna looked at his armor and sword. She thought about offering to carry his sword, but she realized she wouldn’t like being without her weapon when there could still be enemies around.

As James was unable to catch his breath, Cyra took it upon herself to speak up.

“Let’s head over there. We’ll follow you. Thank you, Suna.” She gave Suna a thoughtful look, which Suna returned, before momentarily resuming her plain expression, like a mask she could take on and off. She nodded, looking at all of the group members, before taking off, albeit at a fittingly slow pace to accommodate the exhausted group.

Soon, thankfully without intervention, the entrance to the old mine came into view. They did not hesitate to delve into its dark embrace.

“La Viera!” With a softened bellow, Krax raised his hand into the air, with it, a manifestation of light. It’s light wasn’t particularly bright, but Suna noted the familiar, peculiar reality of being unable to look directly at it.

The magical light brightened the inside of the shaft. It was fairly wide, wide enough to allow the whole group to walk side-by-side if they wanted to, with room to share. This mine, it clearly wasn’t a small-scale project.

Dilapidated wooden beams, among them those that still, after untold years, continued to fulfill their duty. Remnants of fixtures that presumably carried torches. Deteriorated remnants of containers and devices, likely used to transport minerals and rock. Suna imagined what the mine must have looked like in the far past, if it would look similar to the brief images of mines that she knew of. Her dad had died working in a mine. She hated them.

This particular mine was spared from her loathing, though – she knew it was blameless. Chances are, it might have brought prosperity and happiness to the people here, rather than the suffering and death it brought in her world.

As her mind drifted, she thought of a relevant question, turning towards James. “Are there any threats in these mines you know of?”

The group walked at a slow pace through the mines. Angie was asleep in Cyra’s arms. Krax stumbled forward, using his staff as a walking stick. James wasn’t much better, but he at least continued to walk in a somewhat normal-looking fashion.

“There’s critters, there’s the occasional monster. As long as we avoid the territories of large groups of monsters, we’ll be fine. The Geth… well, to be completely honest, the Geth could be anywhere. Normally, the Geth just stick to their bases, like some sort of hive, but…” He raised up his hands in defeat, shrugging, “Clearly, I don’t know enough about their movements and habits to say anything for certain. At the very least, we’ve made it to this cave. Our chances of survival have shot up, far past what I thought they could be.” He was plain and honest with the delivery of his words. “Thank you, Suna. Without you, I… I don’t know. It wouldn’t be pretty.” He looked at his party members around him, still alive. His face was marred by the heavy weight of exhaustion, but Suna could still make out, faintly, a smile from it. She felt good. The kind of good you feel when you do the right thing. She hadn’t had too many opportunities to do such things, so the feeling was relatively unfamiliar to her. But she liked it.

Sooner rather than later, James tiredly beckoned for the group to stop in one of the branching tunnels of the shaft. Krax, still stumbling, moved slowly out of sight, Suna with a good guess for what he was doing. Cyra lay Angie down, spreading out her pack as a makeshift pillow for the girl. She got to work, managing a pack of dried food, and splitting it into small portions for each member.

“James.”

Her call was met with silence.

“James. I’m sorry. I was caught up in my emotions, and I put everyone’s lives at risk. I’m sorry.”

Silence. James interrupted it by cracking his neck and fingers. The silence was almost a bit painful, even just to listen to. Suna had little to distract herself, to distance herself from the uncomfortable atmosphere. She got out her knife and whetstones, and made herself busy.

Aside from the soft, rhythmic sound of the knife scraping against the stones, the two sat in silence. James sat against the wall, his hand propped up on his knee. His face was dimly lit by the faint magical light, little of his expression could be made out. Cyra simply sat still, in silence, brooding over her words and their lack of response. Krax eventually came back, with nothing to add or take away, simply laying down quietly against the ground in exhaustion.

“You know, Cyra, I’m…” The quiet, gruff sound of his voice filled the quiet hallway. Cyra’s ears twitched. “...I’m actually twice-married... You know that?”

Cyra sat in silence. Maybe she felt she didn’t even have the right to respond to the question.

“My previous wife and kids… I had two of them. Jacob and little Johnny… Haha.” A choked up laugh escaped his throat. “Oh, little Johnny, haha…” The words were choked, his voice cracking, as he struggled, yet with such care, to utter those creaking words.

Cyra was silent.

When enough time had passed for his breathing to somewhat steady, he continued. “They… I was out. On a hunt. Theeey…” he exhaled, “, they got to the town. As soon as I heard they were moving, I rushed back, as fast as I could.” He stared, blankly, at the stone ground. “...It wasn’t fast enough.”

He clenched his fist. “I was so… FUCKING, close. So, fucking, close.” James fist didn’t slam into the wall, instead stopping right in front of it. His voice had tapered to a whimper.

Cyra had no response. She couldn’t respond.

“I made it to the town just as the Knights reached it. They had to focus their numbers on a nearby city that was under siege, it was only after that that they actually sent anyone to my village. But by then, it was too fucking late.” James continued. “I got there, I slaughtered anyone and anything that stood in my way. But, as soon as I saw them, I, I… I lost it.” James’ voice was empty and hollow. Devoid of any energy. He tried. To come up with words, to force them out of his throat. But all that emerged was air. He put his palm on his forehead, simply unable to express the images that were coursing through his mind, the events that played themselves back, memories that he had pushed deep, far down.

Cyra was shaking. Her expression quivered, pained and sad.

“Look, Cyra, I’m hard on you guys because I want you guys to be safe, yeah? That’s all I want. That’s it. I’m sick, and tired, of people dying, I’m sick of it.” The words hung in the air. “And you know what? You guys… we’re safe now. I can’t ask for much more than that, can I? We’re all, actually, here. Right now. Safe.” That word was like a building in the storm; it brought a certain peace with it.

“I can’t ask for more than that. I have never wanted anything more than that.”

At some point, the rhythmic sound of scraping had already stopped. Angie’s soft, rhythmic breathing as well. There was just silence. They all sat. In silence.