by Philip Read
We trudge behind him with a moderate pace, the magical mist somehow clearing any trail we leave behind us on top of its primary use of confusing anyone that doesn’t live or have authority to be at the compound. I don’t know how claimed territory works but depending on the person or a group claimed lands seem to have varying benefits.
*
It takes us nearly an hour to finally break through the mist as we walk mostly in silence, not that the mist itself affects us much. But it symbolizes Conclave claimed land and it takes us an hour of walking to get into the wilder unclaimed forest and we are all vigilant even as we increase our pace.
And of course our course takes us through territory claimed by an Ancient beast.
When traveling through the territory of another beast its important to not have a threatening aura or hunt the beast of prey within said territory, and its best not to linger more than is necessary. The Igurian forest is home to many preditory beasts and some of the forest is claimed by territorial beasts that are strong enough to defend that claim.
Everyone besides the kid can feel, sense, taste, touch or see aura so we all know when our route takes us into claimed territories but the beasts aren’t an immediate threat to us from the compound. Negotiations with them for construction and relatively safe passage were done decades ago and of course the conclave leaders demonstrated their strength for all would be challengers to feel.
But we don’t linger as we pass through Eldredgingred’s territory at a respectable jog. We are all individually capable of mostly silent forest travel but at varying degrees of proficiency, and we’ve spread out enough not to get in each others way but be able to defend each other at a moments notice.
It’s a travel formation that is ideal for silent travel of a large group but it isn’t very fast as everyone has to make their own path through the foliage.
The way becomes slightly steeper as we start climbing the forested ridge, a small mountain that isn’t just rock but grass, trees and rocks. Going gets tough here for many of the less trained individuals and I notice Gaia has the kid on his shoulders now, the kid has a solid grip on his locks of hair and is whispering to Gaia quietly by incessantly.
The climb takes us nearly 2 hours to reach the top of the nameless ridge, its not a very difficult ridge to climb with lots of animal trails for us to follow but it’s high and steep at places. The smart animals mostly ignore us during the climb, we are using our aura’s to convey our power levels and keep some of the pack hunters at bay. And the more powerful individual beasts are mostly kept at bay by our numbers even though we aren’t particularly strong individually against them.
At the peak we stop to make sure everyone is still well and accounted for before heading down to the Academy side of the mountain to collect the rest of our group, from this side it truly becomes a mountain and the descent takes longer than the climb did from the Den’s side.
There could be as many as a hundred or more of us heading home once we include the Academy guys/girls. I’m sure Teà isn’t the only one that wants to see her kids and still lives at the Academy.
*
We hardly stop at the Academy grounds since the traveling group is already packed and ready to go. We meet them at the new fields that have been cleared and developed for voluptates, war games and other competitions. The has been two different influxes of large groups of strange people at the Den since I’ve been there.
People who apparently come from another world with less mana and no Awakenings, a world that has lost most of it’s magic and is slowly losing all of it’s ether. The world that was born during the War With The South whose appearance saved Sachi’s life if you hear him tell it.
They are a strange and innovative people with a pass time they developed to help stem the human need for conflict so they could survive longer and replenish their numbers after every war. They call this past time ‘sports’ and introducing it to the Conclave seems to be actually helping a lot of people release their aggression out on the fields without fear of going too far and cutting someone’s arm or head off, a mistake that has been known to happen during spars.
We meet at the fields and are immediately off at a quick jog as we now have open dirt roads that charts, trolleys and other vehicles use to move to and from the Academy to the rest of Iguria and Pangaea. The going is much easier here and we make good time as we travel, making salutations as we move.
The Academy grounds are vast as well and the structure of the buildings is one of a series of palaces instead of homes, stores, training halls and administrative buildings like the Den compound is made to be. The grounds are warded in a different way to the Den done by a different group of ritualists, warded so people that have never been here don’t find the place on their own.
Our group has swelled to a little over 80 people, a lot of them people that were apparently unsuited for the Compound stage of Conclave recruitment for whatever reason. I know Teà isn’t suited for Conclave life because she wants to be home with her child and mate, the rest I’m not sure about. It makes me wonder about their trustworthiness since I know the is some sort of test of trust needed to qualify.
We keep running until dusk, not a very difficult thing to do since we’ve been moving at the slowest person’s pace. A woman I’m not familiar with who is sticking close to Astrid, Ava’s friend. Everyone at the compound has to have a minimum level of training, its mandatory so I know everyone is at least fit enough to keep up or they should be.
Gerard signals a stop eventually after nearly 40 hours of straight hiking and jogging for most of us. We’ve covered a lot of ground and we need to get rested and setup for the Underworld creatures that will definitely try to stalk us as night falls, unlike other weaker creatures they aren’t intimidated by aura.
* *
After resting for nearly the whole 10 hours of dusk we are off again but at a much slower pace because of the defensive formation even as night falls around us. Its a beautiful night with a soothing cool breeze that rustles the leaves and brings the scents and sounds of nature.
I’m at the back with some of the other warriors discouraging the scavenger beasts that roam the periphery of our route instinctively looking to finish off the weak or wounded. For some reason some of the natural beasts of the forest are not directly affected by the underworld invaders, being almost completely ignored as they pursue humanoid prey to stalk.
And it isn’t long into the night in our light jog before our defensive formation is tested by the shadowy black skinned humanoid nuggets with their razor sharp claws and teeth.
They mostly stand at 3 to 4 feet tall with no fur or natural armour but there are always hundreds of them like they sporn from flowers or something. The little buggers seem to melt into shadows becoming almost invisible in the narrowest of dark corners without needing to move for hours at a time making them perfect ambush hunters.
On top of that they have a very sophisticated hive mind that let’s them co-ordinate their movements flawlessly, they don’t mind suicide attacks either when they are really pissed or desperate.
We keep them at bay for hours while still traveling at a walk, night time travel is not to be wasted. It takes about a dozen hours but eventually they get the picture and leave us alone as we travel across the Pangaea continent towards the coast.
* *
We make good time traveling day and night, keeping most predictors at bay with just our aura’s or numbers but still running afoul of a pack of dog-wolves desperate or crazy enough to try their luck with us. I collect some of their pelts to be cured and gifted to my mate back home.
We encounter several more nightmare attacks but we notice other Underworld creatures around but don’t pursue. Enjoying the journey even as we stop at beautiful places to take in the sights or have little picnics.
*
From Iguria we move into the unclaimed unnamed lands of Pangaea, places vaguely referred to as transitory. Where the trees, hills, boulders and everything in nature
moves positions from time to time without anyone ever being able to see how. Even animals don’t make their homes there, usually only going for visits and if animals avoid a place all smart people do as well.
Past the transitory we move through Uber, a small town that is quickly growing with agents of the Conclave building homes and opening businesses here. Slowly portanting the future importance of the sleepy town to the Academy and maybe the continent.
We resupply our depleted travel rations and get news of the goings on in the rest of Pangaea from some of the Conclave safe houses and the local taverns. We only stay a day in Uber enjoying hot baths before moving on the the next town Hermis, smaller than Uber but still peripherally benefiting from Conclave patronage.
*
Sachihiro
I take a step left as my foot shoots forward like a whip already turning my hips into the shot and using the momentum to spin myself around curving my nodachi under and up. My foot connects with something soft with a grunt from my opponent and my blade cuts through empty air with a woosh that parts the raindrops as they fall.
I duck under a blade and twist around with my nodachi cutting through the leg of the idiot that tried to embush me. He cries out pitifully with shock as he tumbles dropping his weapons seemingly in despair. If I was facing a true warrior I’d finish him off but this sorry excuse of a man doesn’t deserve the honour of my blade.
I step over him and deflect a blade left and deflect a blade right as I pull a reverse swing and take a head off at the shoulders.
I stab left through the kidney and out the back then shred the organ as I pull the blade out by cutting diagonally. The is ringing of sword on sword everywhere as the people that have attacked us aren’t messing around.
There are close to 200 of them, probably even 300 and they just keep falling from the tall, straight, widely spaced trees that blotch most of the sun from reaching the floor making it soggy and moist. They have well made steel swords and daggers with flaxible shoes made of clothe like ninjas.
Everything considered they are reasonably good swordsmen, good enough such that they would have killed a normal party of unawakened warriors by now. Good such that even we with all our hours of training, multitudes of experience and unleashed powers be they spirit or aura we are being hard pressed.
I swing and duck and roll and come up in and undercut slash that rips another one of them from groin to chin in a stpray of guts and blood.
I reverse sweep my blade in a circle around me catching an axe to the back with a little flare of my enhance aura, and yes I can use aura. I duck down and turn with a sweep of my legs taking out the ‘fucken’ coward that nearly backstabbed me from below.
*
It takes nearly 20 minutes of constant battle before they retreat like smoke, disappearing behind trees and shadows. These people are definitely well trained I think to myself as I look around for any of our dead or injured even as I keep an eye on our opponents with soul detect.
“Anyone know what that was about?” Wagner asks loudly with sword and shield still in hand bringing us fully out of our respective battle mindsets with his question.
No one responds though, ‘cause we don’t know why the Espara, the assassin’s based in the Wales monarchy would be attacking us.
Chapter 65
Sachi
Sometimes people die and there is nothing to do but praise them for the life they lived even as you mourn their lose from your own life. Sometimes people you know peripherally but other times it’s people you know personally, for us at the Tundra a lot of the times its people we know personally so we’ve learnt to be efficient with our grief.
A warrior needs not be ashamed of tears of grief shed for a brother, mother, father, sister, son or daughter. He need not be ashamed of openly being filled with joy and pride that their loved one died in battle instead of by sickness or in a meaningless death. That is the real reason we fight so hard and so frequently, death should have a meaning for it to be honoured.
I look around at our dead and nod my head in acknowledgement of them, yes they died a meaningful honourable death in battle. We will all be together in the ever-after soon enough and be brothers that have shared the battlefield.
I walk to one of the fallen and place a hand on his chest as it rises and falls slowly, foam bubbles out of his mouth like wet soap as he tries to speak. I sit him up and I place my waterskin to his lips and let him swallow a few times, I don’t personally know him but he looks familiar and this ‘fucken’ scene is reminding me of the War With The South not too long ago, lost a lot of good people there.
“How many dead?” Gerard asks no one in particular getting back from following the retreating creatures.
“We have 7 dead and 14 on the brisk of joining them if we don’t get them treated soon.” Haiga says doing triage and checking on everyone as the dedicated healer on this trip, though he has no mana.
Magic healers are few and far between for very few people Awaken primary as healers making them a scarce resource. We have not been spoilt into disregarding injuries in battle because of the resources of the Conclave or even Paradisum and as such we all know the basic battlefield wound treatment methods.
I don’t know the young man trying to inflate his lung before me personally but I plug the bleeding in his chest with a battle dressing and hold his hand tight keeping him awake. He tries to reach for something a few times and I get the idea and bring his two headed axe to his grasp were he holds it tight.
I understand, I really do and I sit with him as everyone gets the fallen ready to travel to the nearest town or city. We shouldn’t be more than 800km from the border to the Eldritch Foothills were the dark skinned Aldermen people make their homes, but they are a simple arcadian people and may not be able to help.
At the same time the next closest humanoid settlement is Nexus some 3000km away and they would sooner rob us there than help us. A cesspool of human and half-eleven innovation that is a conglomerate of six cities working together to fight off would be invaders and bandits. Six cities dedicated to trade, luxury, neutrality and wealth.
Yea, the merchants might be on our way but going towards them will prove a sure death for some of our injured. Haiga isn’t an Awakened healer even with his vast healing training he can only stabilize some of these injuries and the Eldritch will definitely have a medicine man though I’m not sure how he/she could prevent dark affinity caused wounds from festering, or whether they will even help us at all.
“Lets head towards the hills.” I say to Haiga as he kneels next to me and helps stabilize the man I’ve been watching. He just nods but mostly ignores me taking care of his primary duty.
I get up and go looking for Teà even though I have little doubt she is safe at Ava’s side. I won’t lie, Ava has become a terrifying opponent even though we haven’t spared together since before we left the Tundra I’m not sure how well I’d do against her. A testament to her dedication and discipline because I’ve improved in all facets of my life by leaps and bounds, it’s just that I’m not alone in my improvements.
“You guys alright?” I ask Teà giving her the once over even as she leans over the wood she has chopped in preparation or making splints, Dustin isn’t far off and he gives me a nod.
“I’m good Sachi, you need to stop worrying about me so much.” She says with a sigh, I shrug and let it go at that heading towards Gerard, Om, Victor and Wagnar the leader of this expedition.
“We need to head towards the Foothills.” I say as I get to their little huddle, already being joined by the silent Gaia and the competent Astrid.
“Why?” Wagner asks immediately.
That’s what I like about the practical tribesman, he is about 50 years old and one of the tribesmen without a berserker that came to Pangaea for the distant possibility that they may learn other skills or even manage to Awaken. He has a brilliant mind and takes all suggestions seriously and considers then before making a decision.
“The Merchants ar
e too far away for some of the worst affected by the festering and of course they will want money, they always want money.”
“Yes but the Aldermen are an unknown, they may not be able to heal the poison while the Six Cities have access to elven medicines and have healers living in the city. We have more than enough money amongst us.” He responds to my statement looking at me directly in the eye.
Another thing I like about the man, he is very good at digging words out of people forcing them to think about things.
“This black blood festering is an unknown even to the elves I sure. According to the travel briefing there shouldn’t be dark mimics out here so I’m guessing it’s a recent development, and though the Aldermen are an unknown they are sure to have some sort of medicine man.” I nod towards Gerard who nods taking my queue.
“They do have a witch doctors that deal with most physical and spiritual ailments, and their society isn’t very aggressive to outside most of the time though they are known for attacking everyone that tries to build permanent structures there.” Gerard says helpfully.
“We need to rest anyways, they have ambushed us twice now in two nights and stole one body away for spirits know what. They seem to be able to retain the skills of the people they take from what I’ve seen and almost everyone here is a competent warrior, imagine what they would do to our numbers if they stole another body.” Astrid says in her sweet low voice, who said being a none combatant meant not being a great analyst?
“Alright then, legs head towards the Aldermen and hope they can help us. Sachi, you and Gaia will go on ahead to speak to them if you can. Warn them of our coming and none aggressive intentions, Algara will follow behind you silently in case something happens to and you can’t return. You both know the signals for when things aren’t going well, Gerard will head towards the Nexus and see what he can learn about these mimics and if are treatment has been found.