Chapter 18 - The Mountain Path I

Somewhere on the Killers mountain range, Nespia, Therian Continent

"This sucks." Surprisingly it was Julie who mouthed the first words of complaint. Ulfric was pleasantly surprised that they'd even managed to get as far as a day into the journey without a complaint though, and even more surprised that it was the only uninjured one who started it. Still, he agreed of course. It had been a tough day walking and a tough night sleeping. Julie, having to constantly upkeep heating magic, had drawn the short end of the stick.

"Mhm," Ulfric said. While Julie used her staff to navigate, Ulfric and Ingram used staffs fashioned out of earth magic. It wasn't ideal to traverse the mountain unless you were guaranteed something to lean on with every step. The ground was icy and the terrain was deadly. Even the beaten path which they worked hard to follow was hardly safe, with frequent spells of ice near ledges and pits to jump across.

There were two campsites on the route, one of which they'd used the night before. According to the adventurers in town, these were the only safe places to stay on the eastern path. It seemed to be the truth. If the second campsite was anything like the first, it would be inside of yet another cave, caves being likely the only truly safe spaces on the trail. Indeed, even at such a low level, this mountain was deadly.

Another thing was the constant risk of avalanche or falling icicles. One glance up above, and one could see the towering heights, eventually disappearing over the clouds. It made Ulfric feel like an insignificant ant standing beside a giant, except the giant just so happened to want him dead. This scenario was unideal in more ways than just this. Bandits, too, were apparently common on these trails. The group grew uneasy the further they'd gone.

Julie, who'd come from Eisendrach, led the pack. Being a naturally cold country almost all year around, she was accustomed to such things as traversing ice and cold weather. The very spell she used was in fact one she'd been taught long ago. It was common in Eisendrach to use such a spell, rather than wear a coat. She had a singular fond memory of both of her parents teaching the spell to her; now that Julie thought about it, it was likely the first time she'd put it to practical use. Perhaps somewhere her parents were smiling at this wondrous moment.

Julie was the only one who saw the wonder in such a thing. Ulfric and Ingram grew increasingly miserable with each passing moment. Neither of them had traversed a mountain before. When Ingram departed for the academy, he'd taken extra care to not traverse the mountain, and the same went for his way back. Ulfric, on the other hand, had never had a reason to go closer to the mountains until now. From their perspective, the mountains presented nothing but misery.

One cold sleep and another day of walking later, they reached the next campsite. Shimmying along ledges and slipping through crevices, they carefully avoided what had quickly become a hundred meter drop into the spruce forests below. They hadn't noticed it, but the path had moved on an ever so slight incline so as to not indicate any incline at all. As such, each step grew deadlier than the last until they finally reached the cave.

Some wood was left over from the last party to pass through, and the cave was relatively dry. They lit the fire and dumped their bags around it, desperate to relax. It was a small divot, permitting just about enough space to stand up. Surprisingly, a spider was thriving in the corner. Ulfric insisted on leaving it alone, but Julie swatted it dead with her staff, not wanting to touch the creature. They took their places, Ulfric on one wall and the lovebirds on the other. He'd curled into a fetal position, rocking himself back and forth like an anxious child.

"Look at little Ulfy, he's terrified," Ingram said.

"Don't call me that, prick," Ulfric snarled. "Just cold. This fire isn't as good as the spell."

Julie tapped her staff like a judge with a gavel. "Let's try to avoid bickering at each other if at all possible. Kay?"

"Yes ma'am," Ingram gave a mock salute. In the background, Ulfric scoffed.

They each had their hands raised to the flame, and silence once again set in upon the group after such a brief exchange. In reality, Ingram was just as agitated as Ulfric, only he was better at hiding it. It couldn't be helped if they would grow a little bit restless experiencing their first time traveling a mountain known for killing adventurers way above their rank.

Ulfric wasn't thinking about that, though. He was stressed out about the premonition, constantly on edge and ready to thrust his blade into the nearest body. Trouble was coming, but how or when he did not know. Telling Ingram and Julie about it would only make him look like he needed a mental asylum, rather than help the cause. He was frustrated, but had to remain vigilant at all costs. He decided then in the silence that he'd take the first night watch.

Ingram wasn't thinking about much, and this was the usual for him. His head was full of clouds and the odd complaint about his hands which threatened to freeze off despite proximity to a flame. Then again, the warmth of Julie was leaning against his shoulder, her golden locks caressing down off of it like a waterfall. He stroked her hair and felt a jolt from the girl from the sudden impact of cold; in this action, he was at peace.

Julie was not at peace, though. Mana signatures all around. Caves below them, and caves above. Danger, no doubt. Whether it was danger targeting them specifically, well that was a different question. Somewhere in her head, she knew that Ulfric was having a similar feeling. Clinging to Ingram's arm for protection was the only thing preventing her from joining Ulfric and curling into a ball. In this way, her unnatural mana sense was more of a curse than it was a blessing.

There was one thing on the back of all of their minds though. This yelling… Am I imagining it? Yelling, screaming, something like whispers, seemingly in the distance. None of them mentioned it, simply because they thought they were going crazy. After all, why would hundreds of people be yelling in the mountains? Or so they thought, until the moment when the entire cave shook in unison with a crackling explosion. They each braced to retain their position on the floor.

"No…" Ingram started. He knew exactly what was going on.

"It can't be!" Julie stood up, clinging to her staff as the floor shook once more.

In the span of four days, Nespia had managed to mobilize their troops. Now it seemed that, while the group had been fumbling through the mountainside, the war had begun. They were too late, and now they'd be caught in the middle of an active warzone. With the killers as the main stage, it would likely be impossible to cross the border, at least legally.

"The war's begun. How exciting," Ulfric murmured. Was this what his premonition was about?

"Don't tell me. Those Rion and Larue guys back in Koska Village." Ingram paused. "Was it just a pre-war party?" He grew angrier, as if he wanted to turn around and march back.

"More than likely, if we were to turn back now, we'd find that there is no village," Ulfric replied. "You're right. Can't trust a merc."

"I hate when you do that," Ingram said.

"Hm?"

"When you act so damn cool. People's lives are on the line! We should help them!" Ingram stood up, and Julie grabbed his arm.

"I hate when you do that," Ulfric countered. "Always so rash, as if a couple of nobodies interfering against world powers does anything. So quick to throw your life away!"

"I–" He retreated against the wall, defeated. "Don't give me that, Ulfric," he said finally. "I know you. I see that look in your eyes. You want to go back too, don't you?"

Ulfric looked away. If his eyes were being read, he'd hide them. "It doesn't matter. There's some things we can't do. We've got to keep moving. That's all."

"Ulfric…"

"We've got more pressing issues," Julie said casually. "Don't go thinking you can stop this war. We can't do that, but we might be able to slip past it."

"Might?" Ulfric asked.

"Well," she said. "Your pitch for strategy is just as good as mine, if I'm honest."

The mountain shook again. Outside, just kilometers away, catapults and magic were hurled back and forth. Bits of the mountain exploded into nothingness and avalanches buried the troops. Just moments from the beginning of the war, the battle had grown into a brutal no holds barred match of attrition. It became not about who could gain more ground, but who could kill more of the enemy. Neither side showed any signs of stopping.

"We've got student badges," Ingram said. "I'd assume they'll let us through at the main gate. I don't suppose any of us are particularly worried about being killed in battle with a bunch of regs. No offense Ulfric."

"None taken."

"That's true. Only means the mountain grows more dangerous from here," Julie said.

"You lunatics would insist we march through a warzone? I mean, you're right that I can't really see any of us being hurt… But… Really?" Ulfric wore a look of genuine concern.

"I don't see any alternative," she said. "The nearest gates are the one on the other side of the Northern Tunnel, and the one about a day's walk from Koska. Unless we plan on backtracking or scaling the wall, there isn't much to do."

"Well. Why can't we scale the wall again?"

"Seriously, Ulfric? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," Ingram said. "You'd rather enter the country illegally?"

"Like I care." Ulfric scoffed. This utter disregard for the law was common in the types that had too much confidence for their own good. Ulfric was not one of these types. He fought logically, not underestimating his opponent for a single moment. For him to say this meant that, without a doubt in his head, he knew he could scale the border wall undetected. It was the kind of idea that made you scared of a person's ideals.

And so, the two ideas clashed. One was much slower than the other, and one was far more dangerous. Ulfric, being someone who'd never seen a large scale conflict before, was apprehensive to the idea of traversing a warzone. Ingram and Julie were different. Large scale conflicts were common at the academy for training. As well, Julie had lost her parents in the warzone that was the Wintervale incident.

"I'm thinking you're outnumbered here, brother," Ingram said.

"Mhm," Julie agreed.

"Well, whatever." Ulfric sighed. "Fine then. Through the warzone it is."

"Right. Try to sleep if you can."

"Yeah, right."

Ulfric leaned back into the wall, and passed out in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.

* * *

"No way…" Ulfric expressed his disbelief as he awoke. He felt, first of all, as if he'd been beaten over the head with a rock while he slept. He was in the same position where he was when he'd been awake, leaned against the wall. Surely, if he was asleep for long, he would've at least slumped over. "How long was I out?" He asked.

Julie and Ingram were against the other wall still, leaning against each other and sleeping peacefully. The fire had long since gone out, and the cave was freezing cold. They'd wake up soon. First, it was Ulfric's turn to check around and make sure the area was secure. Assuming it had been a few hours since he'd fallen asleep, the situation could've changed quite drastically. For example, the sounds of war in the distance were no longer quite as loud, seeming to have stagnated in the night.

He stepped outside of the cave and conjured a flame in his hand to keep himself warm. Leaning against the wall and peering down the cliff, he surveyed the area. Luckily it appeared to be just as clear as when they'd arrived. The premonition itching at the back of his head had vanished, and the night had grown peaceful. After all, even soldiers needed to sleep. He nodded, satisfied, and turned around to return to the cave and catch a few more winks.

Something stood in his way though, a blade nearly pressed against his neck. Another person was on the path that provided not more than two meters out before plunging off of the cliff. Ulfric's mind was immediately active. The sounds of the ongoing blizzard and heavy winds meant that he didn't detect the enemy before this moment. He cursed himself, and in a few seconds figured out the optics of every move he could possibly take. The likeliness of being able to parry the blade before it took his head off, or how many steps back he could take before plunging to his death.

What happened was less calculated and more instinctual. His hand only twitched, but just like that the blades collided and sent sparks showering into the snowstorm. Ulfric stumbled back and redistributed his weight to not fall off the ledge. A quick movement and slamming his body weight into the wall counteracted the momentum. He commanded his blade to expand then, taking a step back and assuming a defensive pose.

The man laughed. He wore a much more deadly look on his face compared to when they'd first met. A thick fur jacket was over his body, though his head was just as bald as ever. With the Rion Mercenary Company emblem on his chest, and a face riddled with scars, the mercenary called Brick beckoned Ulfric forward. Some way or another, they'd been followed from Koska Village. Ingram's one fatal mistake had been telling them the truth about where they intended to go.

"That mercenary…" Ulfric said. "Rick?"

"Funny." His eyes grew darker and more murderous. Truthfully, Ulfric didn't remember the name of some nobody merc he'd met briefly.

"What's your deal? Here in the red dead of night to kidnap some students?" Ulfric rolled his eyes. "Don't you have bigger fish to fry? Like the war happening over yonder?"

"Make this easy for me and just surrender before I have to rough you up." Brick brandished a well kept longsword with runes etched into the blade.

"You're such a bully. What's with this confidence? Do you have your buddies hiding around?" Ulfric inspected his surroundings and saw nothing. Brick's face grew uneasy. Bingo. "Listen. With just me here, you've already got a problem. I recommend you turn tail before I wake the two beasts inside."

Ulfric started bluffing. He knew better than anyone that a tactic like this wouldn't work on a mercenary. Not to mention, in order to be in or around a mountain range such as the Killers would warrant at least second grade skill. Assuming Brick and his five companions were at least second grade, this was a losing battle for Ulfric. Judging by the growing confidence on Brick's face, the man knew that. Ulfric grew stressed.

Brick had deliberately placed flaws in his stance, as if baiting Ulfric to approach. The boy had seen this all too many times in training. This fight would come down to who decided to make the first move. Their sword styles appeared to be incredibly different, so there was no telling how it would come together. This situation was anything but ideal. With the howling of the wind, calling out to Julie and Ingram wouldn't be enough to wake them; he needed a proper opening to dash into the cave. Sizing up his opponent, his foot slid forward ever so slightly, ready to lunge.

Ulfric grew too focused on his stance, tunnel visioning in on the probabilities. His eyes grew narrow, and his forehead beaded with cold sweat. Eventually, he came to a decision. His original sword style, not well practiced. If he could pull off such a feat as opening the fight with what he'd dubbed juggler's style, he could instantly turn the fight in his favor. In order to win against a seasoned mercenary such as Brick, it would be necessary to show him something he hadn't seen before.

His foot slid forward again, and Brick mimicked the change in posture. They sized each other up for a bit longer. Brick was much bigger than Ulfric, and so this was his immediate advantage. Still, prepared to potentially sacrifice himself, Ulfric was ready to make the first move. His foot slid forward for the final time, this time getting traction with the ground. He bent his leg so as to pull his body forward. In an instant, he lunged.

Ulfric's sword moved back, his hand flicking underneath his waist. In a blink, the sword was no longer in his hand; he'd thrown it. Brick's eyes widened, but, detecting this movement, he deflected the sword and sent it spinning away with a clang. He went on the backfoot as the momentum of Ulfric's sword flying sent him backward. Brick wore a confused look on his face, unaware of what kind of strategy this was. Ulfric smiled.

He'd continued dashing forward, snatching the spinning sword out of the air as it was sent away. This was the essence of the juggler's style, to be comfortable in losing your sword and regaining it for the sake of breaking the opponent's guard. He'd succeeded. In deflecting the blade, Brick not only sent the sword directly back into Ulfric's hands, but sent himself off balance. The incoming strike was quick and utterly decisive.

The vision in Brick's left eye vanished as a strike ran from the top of his forehead to his armpit. Shallow, but effective. He raged, catching himself on the backfoot and lunging forward, clumsy. Ulfric blocked the lunging strike effortlessly with the guard on his blade, countering with a kick to the gut that sent Brick to the ground. He growled again, attempting to get back up. Meanwhile, Ulfric dashed into the cave to wake his comrades.

"Attack!" Brick cried.

Behind Ulfric, at the cave's entrance, shadows sprung to life in the form of Brick's teammates. They'd been waiting patiently for their cue, hungry for blood. Four enemies, all with Rion insignias and completely black outfits. A man with two daggers lunged at Ulfric's back, his bloodthirst easily detectable to the boy. Ulfric made no attempt to wake his friends, to him his next move was clear. Time slowed to a standstill as the blades approached his neck.

His hand was quick. He drew something he had yet to use. The hammer pressed down and ready to fire. A six shooter, the so-called uncivilized weapon for regs. At this range, his enemy could do nothing to dodge. A devilish smile was across his face as he practically pressed the barrel against the man's head, seeing the terror barely had enough time to spread across his face. He pulled the trigger. Bang.

Brain matter painted the ceiling. The body clattered to the floor. One of the mercenaries screamed. Ulfric's ears rang. Behind him, Julie and Ingram's clothes ruffled as they rushed to their feet. Ulfric's breathing increased in pace. His body was covered in blood now, his boots wading in the pool growing at his feet. He didn't panic, in fact, his smile grew. His team joined him at his back as the battle was reduced to three versus five.

"Sleep well?" Ulfric asked.

Ingram cracked his neck, drawing his sword. "Oh yeah. Lovely."

Julie spun her staff around and pointed it forward. "Never better."