by Tao Wong
Head turning, Daniel kept looking for trouble. Sooner or later, the Orcs or more monsters would turn up.
The cliff faces of the gorge began to loom up before the group as they ran, the once magnificent river having shrunk in size leaving an undergrowth-strewn passage. On the bare cliff faces, stubborn trees and shrubs grew on any available space, only pushed aside by the brown nests of the raptors. In the very centre of the gorge, a small river trickled along, carrying the latest rainfall away.
As the group closed in on the gorge, Tula gathered everyone around and started handing out small pouches. From the pouches, a rancid, decomposing odour emitted, one so powerful that it choked the recipients even as the drawstrings of the pouches were drawn close.
“What is that?”
“Copper King Monkey feces,” Tula said. Daniel gulped, dread filling his stomach when Tula mentioned the contents. He had an inkling of what this could be, but he was desperate for his guess to be wrong. Sadly, his expectations were to bear fruit and his hopes crushed. “Rub this on your clothing. Not your skin! The fermented feces will irritate your skin if.”
“What? No!” Hjalmar protested.
“The Copper King Monkeys travel through the gorge in packs, stealing and feeding on the Nizhnye raptor’s eggs and chicks. On scenting the monkeys, the Nizhnye will move aside. But because the raptors have a low sense of smell, the fermented feces is a must,” Tula said. “Now quickly. Before the Orcs find us.”
To the mass grumbling of the group, drawstrings were pulled apart and their malodorous contents applied over clothing and shoes.
“These are enchanted robes. My best pair too…” Rob said, even as he spread the feces over the formerly dark-blue material. “I’ll have to pay extra to have this cleaned.”
“Just be glad you have an Inventory to store it away in later,” a nearby Merchant said. “I’m just going to toss mine.”
“Less whining, more spreading,” Daniel ordered the pair.
“You don’t seem to be as affected,” Vivian said, her face scrunched up as she dipped another finger into the pouch and carefully added the contents to her clothing. “You’re nearly as unbothered as the Ranger.”
“I’m a healer. This is not the worst thing I’ve dealt with,” Daniel said. In particular, being a healer in an Adventuring town was the worse. Flesh that continued to slowly rot and dissolve because of a curse, and torn open abdomens which pulsed and writhed as parasites from the seventh Level ate and grew within. No. Fermented feces was the least of the things he had dealt with.
Once the group was ready, Tula brought them forwards at a much slower pace, the Ranger occasionally eyeing the sky. Bunched up together, the entire group focused on moving forwards into the dangerous gorge and, hopefully, allowing their pursuers to take the attacks of the inhabitants.
The gorge, on closer inspection, was a mixture of brown, orange and grey walls mixed with vivid greens of the flora and the occasional – and dangerous – splash of colour. After so many weeks in the Great Forest, Daniel knew that most plants that were vividly coloured were poisonous or just attempting to attract a monster. Only a very small number were not dangerous, using the camouflage of the dangerous flora to survive.
The group snuck closer, moving through the undergrowth and attempting to avoid the keen eyesight of the raptors. Of course, it was mostly a failure, since most of the creatures could easily pick the cultivators out. Even at a glance, Daniel could see how many of the raptors were watching them as they moved along on the floor. Yet, somehow, they chose not to attack.
As the group finally entered the gorge, first one, then a flock of the raptors took to wing. Without requiring a signal, the group froze, crouching lower as the expedition members awaited the attack. But, to their surprise, the raptors instead flew away, heading past the group.
Only when the last of the raptors had passed over them did the expedition begin moving. Yet, curiosity kept driving Daniel to look behind, curious to see why and where the flock of raptors had gone. In short order, the group of raptors began to dive, their target hidden in the foliage.
“What…?” Daniel muttered. Could it be the Orcs? If so, they were a lot closer than he had expected.
For a time, Daniel watched the birds fly in and out as they snuck deeper into the gorge, catching glimpses of the swooping avians before they were blocked by foliage and the curve of the land again.
“Are they still in the same place?” Daniel said to Elisa who was squatting on the slope a little farther up from him, watching the commotion behind them.
“Looks to be it. But there are fewer raptors… Ah!” Elisa said and breathed the last word out.
“What?” Daniel said, craning his neck back.
“The raptors have left.”
“Damn.” Daniel pressed his lips together in thought but then sighed. It seemed that relying on the raptors—at least this flock—to keep the Orcs back would be futile. “Do you think they’ll still keep coming?”
“Why not?” Elisa said. “Nizhnye raptors might not taste that good, but if you’re starving, it’s good eating.”
“You sound… experienced,” Daniel said.
“Monster meat is quite edible, even if it does taste strange at times,” Elisa said. “My parents were Questors, so I followed them on their missions as we grew up. A lot of time, the only thing we had to eat was monster meat.”
“Huh,” Daniel said, looking at Elisa with renewed interest. Adventuring families were not uncommon—just like some people might grow up to be Healers or Merchants or Farmers because of their family background, some Adventurers grew into the profession because of their parents. They were more uncommon, of course, the sheer number of deaths from Adventuring put a damper on long dynasties. But, in general, Adventuring families were better trained and better equipped to start with, reducing their losses.
“Surprised?” Elisa said.
“No. Well, sort of?” Daniel shrugged. “Never really thought about it. Must be nice, having Adventuring parents.”
“There are good points. They’re very proud I’m already Advanced,” Elisa said, then she narrowed her eyes at the still Adventurer. “And they would really like it if I made it home. So get moving.”
Daniel ducked his head in acknowledgement before he went and rejoined the Merchants. If he recalled the map, the gorge ran for miles before they exited the gap between the mountains and it became much wider. In the widened gorge, there were a number of exits that they could use to return to the village. Of course, to get there, they would need quite a few hours.
A hand came up and the group slowed as they moved to hide themselves beneath a hand overhang. The expedition members flopped down against the cliff walls while a few Adventurers took station around the perimeter. As Daniel jogged in among the group, he could not help but exhale in gratitude as his weak legs finally stopped moving.
“Eat. Refill water bottles. Rest for half-hour,” Tula said.
Sava made a face as he walked over to the Ranger, dropping his voice as he spoke. “You are pushing us too hard.”
“One hour left,” Tula said. “We are not safe so long as we stay in the gorge.”
“Why?” Daniel asked, letting his gaze fall on the opposite cliff face. “Your… solution for the raptors worked.”
“There’s something else,” Tula said, touching a piece of dried feces on her clothes. “The monkeys would keep the raptor numbers in check normally, but they are none present at all. Something else must have driven them away.”
“Oh…” Daniel said, rubbing his temples. Of course, there was something else. And with their luck, they were bound to encounter it. That’s just the way it worked. Never simple. Daniel drew a deep breath, then slowly let it out, eyeing his mostly recovered Mana. Best to get fixing everyone else then.
After rest, food, and a reapplication of the feces, the group stood as they got ready to begin the last portion of their journey. As Daniel checke
d his armor and weapons, he let his gaze run over his weary, road-worn companions. Even the hardy Omrak and Uppulu were looking tired, their weapons drooping in their hands. Asin flashed Daniel a weary smile, her fur matted with sweat and other unmentionables as she crouched in one corner, watching. And Tula, the Ranger, was perhaps the most exhausted of them all. Frowning, Daniel walked over to Tula and reached out to grab her hand.
“What?” Tula said, flushing as Daniel raised her hand and took it in both of his.
“Spell,” Daniel said. The Healer focused deep within, pulling on his Gift and sending it through her. First was the blood, a simple cleansing and refreshing to give her more oxygen and removing the majority of the impurity buildups. Then, her muscles, following the flow of blood to touch upon the lactic acid buildup in her muscles, washing away a portion of it. It was a similar action to what he did for himself and his team before, a simple cleansing that kept them in tiptop condition in the Dungeons.
And with it, he felt another memory, another piece of himself slide away. Nothing much, a few seconds, a few minutes. Nothing at all… Unless it was a hug, a smile, a lesson.
Tula shuddered before she straightened unconsciously, eyes narrowing as she looked at Daniel. “What was that?”
“Spell,” Daniel said and then released her hand. And no matter how suspiciously the Ranger looked at Daniel, he refused to elaborate.
“If you two are done, we should get moving,” Craig said. “You can play lovebirds later.”
Daniel snorted at Craig’s words while Tula flushed again. But she waved the group on more energetically, her body refreshed. Yet, the hints of exhaustion could still be seen, if you knew where to look. Daniel could heal her body, but her mind was another thing.
Chapter 15
A short couple of miles from their turnoff, a silence extended across the Esman Gorge such that even the low-level chitter of animals and the occasional cry of the raptors had disappeared. Except for the rustle of wind in the day, an unnatural silence permeated the forest.
“What is it?” Daniel muttered to himself softly, but no one had an answer for him. The group instinctively gathered together, Elisa and Asin both moving up the slope to get a better view while the mages gathered their spells for quick dispersal. Tula turned her head from side to side, searching for the problem, for the cause until a finger rose from one of the Merchants.
“There!” he cried.
All eyes shifted, taking in the new sight and more than one jaw dropped as they realised what they were seeing. At first, it was just a single bird, brown and white against the cloudy grey-white skies that threatened rain. But then, other, smaller shadows in the sky resolved, shadows that were twice, three times as small.
“A mutated Nizhnye raptor,” Tula breathed. “That’s what happened to the monkeys.”
Daniel knew of these mutants. Creatures that underwent evolution due to the consumption of other monsters or an encounter with some supernatural opportunity or disaster. The mutation was never controlled and could just as easily kill or injure the mutant monsters. But, if a mutant survived, it was often bigger, stronger and more dangerous than its un-mutated brethren. It was not uncommon for mutants to increase in threat level by two, three levels, sometimes more.
“Everyone! Wash the feces off. Quickly!” Tula said, the Ranger already suiting actions to words. There was a hesitation in the group, the order all too sudden.
“The mutant is what drove the monkeys away. It’s hunting them!” Tula said, washing and splashing her fingers across dirty armor. “Damn it. We need Cleansing spells.”
“Will this work?” Craig asked, the older Adventurer with a flask of alcoholic wine in his hand that he used to wash himself rather than water. It was a strange choice in Daniel’s view, but he ignored it as he hastily washed himself clean.
“A bit,” Tula said. “If we replace the scent with ours…”
“Can we not beat it?” Omrak rumbled, the big Adventurer eyeing the fast-approaching raptor and the flock that flew with it. “There are so many of us.”
“It’s not a question of if we can beat it,” Craig said in reply. “But more about the Orcs that are coming behind.”
“How close are they?” Daniel said, turning his gaze to their back trail. To keep their people together, they had withdrawn their rearguard so that there was no good way to tell how far back the Orcs were. Oh, there were a couple of occasions when a flock of raptors had been disturbed and launched themselves at the Orcs, but it seemed that even the raptors could learn. The last attack had been an hour ago, and at that time, the Orcs were an estimated mile behind.
“Who knows? But we’ll have to guess it’s close,” Craig said.
Daniel nodded, drawing a deep breath before finishing his wash. Tula quickly waved the group to move on ahead, having given directions to Sumuhan and Bjarne who were leading the column in the front while she extracted a series of all too familiar pouches from her storage location.
“What are you doing?” Daniel said.
“Setting up a distraction,” Tula said. “Go. I’ll catch up.”
Daniel hesitated but the Ranger shook her head, waving him on. Reluctantly, Daniel took off, knowing that he could do little to help her. This, the wilderness, was more her place than his. Still, he could only hope that what she planned was sufficient. And if not. Well. They’d work out later.
The group had made it only a few hundred meters before Tula appeared next to the group, running beside them as the group hurried forwards. Behind, the heavy flap of wings broke out behind them, the screech of the enormous mutant raptor sounding out behind. The group flinched at the screech, instinctively crouching lower as they ran. A couple of the Merchants froze up, only to be grabbed by the hardy Adventurers who dragged them forwards.
“What did you do?” Daniel said as he dropped back a little to speak with Tula.
“Set up bait,” Tula said, looking back. “The raptors will be there for a bit, eating.”
Daniel nodded, grateful that at least that seemed to be working. Rather than continue talking, the pair ran, Tula occasionally slowing down or diverting in direction to catch a glimpse of what was happening behind. Eventually, she made her way back, waving the group to pick up speed, gesturing for Daniel to follow her as she caught up with Craig and Sava.
“Problem?” Craig said the moment she caught up.
“Orcs. There’s a hunting party coming,” Tula said. “At least thirty.”
“Damn it. And the bird?”
“Still distracted.”
“How far away are we?” Sava asked.
“Too far. But there’s another exit,” Tula said. “It’s closer but harder to get to. More exposed to the raptors.”
“Then we better move fast,” Sava said, eyes narrowing in thought. A group of thirty Orcs catching them out in the open was dangerous, especially if they ended up fighting the raptors as well. In either case, there would be too many of them to block off entirely, forcing the Merchants to take part in the fight. If that happened, it was certain that there were going to be losses.
Tula nodded and sped up, taking the lead. At first, they ran in the same direction, but soon the group angled towards the cliff face, breaking through dense foliage. In short order, they came across a steep shale cliff. Nearly out of sight at the top of the shale cliff, they could see a small opening cut into the cliff face that was barely big enough for a single person.
Tula scrambled up the shale cliff, the broken rocks slipping and sliding beneath her feet. After ascending ten meters, she turned around, reaching for her bow as she waved the rest of the group onwards. The group had not waited for her, of course, and had started the ascent. But the treacherous shale rocks that threatened to dislodge under the slightest pressure made the entire journey harrowing.
As Daniel reached the bottom of the cliff, he frowned. The Healer looked up, eyeing the long ascent to the top and then at the slow, scrambling group. Afte
r a brief moment, he conjured his rope from his inventory and waved Asin over.
“Get the rest of the rope and tie it off at the top, as fast as you can,” Daniel said. The Catkin’s greater Agility and light bone structure meant she would be able to ascend with the least amount of trouble.
Asin nodded, waving down a couple of the other Adventurers and waving the rope in front of them as she jogged over. In short order, the Catkin had the rope from four other Adventurers stowed away in her inventory before she jogged to the side and then began her rapid ascent. The struggling Merchants and Adventurers could only glare at the young Catkin who scrambled up the unstable slope like it was firm earth beneath her.
“Good call,” Craig said. “Daniel, we’ll want you at the bottom if you don’t mind. You, Omrak, Uppulu, Bjarne and I will hold the bottom. Hjalmar, Elisa, and Vivian will ascend with the Merchants and find suitable fighting positions. Rob, do you have any other of your traps?” Rob shook his head, and Craig sighed. “Then you need to go up too.”
In short order, the team shook themselves out, getting ready for the Orcs. A tense ten minutes continued before Daniel heard the first signs of the incoming Orcs, the not subtle tramp of booted feet on the ground resounding through the gorge. As the Orcs finally made an appearance, their green skin and bulky tusked figures were more tattered and bedraggled than the Adventurers themselves. Not a single Orc was missing an injury—tears and still-bleeding wounds a testament of the kind of journey that they had. But, upon seeing the gathered expedition group, they roared in excitement, making those who were behind excited enough to join those ahead. At the sight, Daniel could only gulp and hold his weapon up, praying that the rest of his team could make their way up and provide some support.
The Orcs spread out before Daniel, snorting and growling as they worked up the nerve to attack. Daniel forcibly made himself relax, intent on catching the change in temperament, in mood just before the monsters would throw themselves forwards. He should not have bothered, for the signal to charge was not subtle at all. The leading Orc War Leader roared and swung his hand down before he threw himself forwards, intent on narrowing the gap between the pair. The Adventurers in turn crouched low, trying to work out the timing of rushing back to ensure they had sufficient momentum while not leaving the wall too far either.