Yetis continued to pour through the portal. The brave and mighty Vanguard ran, the chase had begun. The yetis were fast and were at home in the snowy mountain environment. It was what they were built for. Expert natural climbers, strong upper body with long arms, able to run on two or four limbs depending on the terrain.
As the trio ran Benzhi asked Reyas what she knew.
"Only stories," she said, "and those stories be telling a mighty dire picture indeed."
"How do you know they are Yetis then?" Benzhi asked.
"Well look at them," she replied, "they have white fur, long arms, teeth and claws like razors what else could they be? Only," she paused, "I expected they would be bigger. These beasts are all our size, I expected, from the stories, they would be two heads taller."
The Yetis were not catching the trio, at least for now. If the yetis didn't need to sleep they would catch the trio eventually. Benzhi, Gisael and Reyas stopped to watch their pursuers, from atop the ridge, before they were out of the line of sight of the portal. Yetis continued to stream out of it. They were countless in number. However, only a couple of dozen chased the trio. The others started to spread out in different directions, or mill about around the portal.
"Well, that's something," Benzhi stated, "at least not all of them are after us."
The Vanguard ran from the portal, they were still heading south. They handled six yetis fairly easily, but eventually, Gisael would run out of arrows and if nine or more yetis were attacking them at melee range Benzhi speculated it would not necessarily go their way. Two yetis were about his limit at once, they attacked ferociously without restraint or fear.
"How many arrows left?" Benzhi asked as they picked up the pace down the slopes of the pass.
"Eighteen in my quiver, forty-two in the pack," Gisael replied. The arrows in the pack would take precious seconds to access, they were brought along as a backup in case they got into a protracted fight and lost arrows. With such a fine archer, as a companion, it did well to ensure she always had a good supply of arrows. Whatever it was feasible to carry in any case.
Benzhi no longer wanted to head straight for the nearest Loctis city. They knew that this was not the only portal, there were many lightning strikes that stretched to the horizon. What they didn't know was, did the strikes ever stop, did they occur across the whole continent including the Alpine Forest. And right now they were running the wrong way. Even if they turned back, they were a week from the Alpine Forest at least with gawd knows how many yetis between them and their goal.
"I want to find the Core in these mountains," Benzhi announced as they ran. "If we find the Core then I may be able to use it to communicate with the Seer or Mother as I did in the Seers cave. And we can find out sooner rather than later if they are in danger."
Gisael nodded. Reyas nodded. "Can you find it?" Reyas asked.
"Perhaps, but not running for our lives like this. We need to rid ourselves of these pursuers so I can meditate," Benzhi answered.
Gisael tilted her head towards an almost sheer rock face leading up to a platform. "We could go there. I could kill as many as possible before they make the top."
"Do you want Reyas to be bait as she climbs?" Benzhi asked not sensing Gisaels intentions.
"Either that or you carry her," Gisael answered.
"I like the idea," Benzhi said, "with one twist. I will fight on the rock face below Reyas."
The three turned and made for the sheer cliff. Gisael went straight to the top, retrieved all her arrows and prepared to slaughter the Yetis who pursued. Reyas climbed as fast as she could, which turned out wasn't much faster than the Yetis could climb despite her climbing and qi skills. Benzhi lurked next to Reyas.
Twenty yetis were chasing in the immediate vicinity, there didn't seem to be any others heading their way. They had remained at the portal or had wandered off in other directions thankfully.
Reyas and Benzhi were a little over a quarter of the way up the rock face when the yetis began to climb. The yetis had no tactics or strategy. They merely chased with one goal, kill or die. Nothing dissuaded them, they did not try and take an alternate route and cut you off. Once the yetis began the chase they mindlessly followed the trio. The yetis were unable to dodge the missiles hurtling down the rock face, it was hard enough to dodge with full movement when standing upright. In such a prone position it was impossible.
Benzhi and Reyas had climbed to halfway. Benzhi did not expect the yetis to be fooled by any subterfuge, but he kept his climbing looking like he needed to use both hands and feet in any case. Benzhi judged halfway was high enough for a fatal fall, if not a critical injury that would incapacitate the Yetis.
He held his shield, yet kept his sword sheathed and waited. The yetis frothed and slathered in anticipation upon finally catching their prey. Reyas kept climbing she was too vulnerable on the rock face when compared to the natural climbers despite her skill. She was extremely jealous of the tree-run ability it was a travesty that the Fae could run straight up a rock face where the mountain people could not.
Gisael kept peppering the foe with arrows, she had taken down half by the time they reached Benzhi. He stood, standing perpendicular to the rock face, parallel with the ground. It looked wrong to Reyas. Benzhi began to run and kick or bend down to smash the Yetis with his shield and they fell to the ground one after the other. He needed only to be careful and keep at least one foot on the surface at all times. He could not jump unless it was towards the face itself so he could reattach. Reyas was two-thirds up the rock face and she stopped. She needn't climb anymore. After a few minutes, all the Yetis were dead or dying at the base of the cliff.
The grisly work was done and no more Yetis were in sight. The Vanguard met at the base of the rock face where Gisael collected her arrows and kept watch, Benzhi meditated and Reyas climbed down.
Benzhi reached out with his senses searching for the calling trying to emulate what he had done previously with Mother. He could sense the Core, yet he couldn't pinpoint its location. He focused, trying to get a sense of the general direction at least, which he felt he did. It was somewhere down to the south and east. Near the base on the southern side of the range. Benzhi stood, facing the direction he was feeling and use qi sight. The Core was too far away to pinpoint, but he would be able to trace the streams towards it until he was close enough to sense it with qi sight.
"I can find it," he announced needlessly, they were still connected and his companions sensed his satisfaction.
They prepared to leave, Reyas arrived at the base not long ago while Benzhi was meditating. He turned to her, "you make juicy bait," he teased. He knew not to tease her about how slow she climbed compared to him and Gisael, that would earn him a scowl at least and possibly a pick through the skull.
"I'm pretty sure they all wanted ye," Reyas replied. "I was merely climbing to stay ahead of ye."
"Well, they learned their lesson didn't they," Benzhi replied but he was pretty sure these beasts would never learn their lesson. They had a one track mind.
The trio departed with Benzhi attempting to track the Core, Gisael and Reyas on the lookout for hostiles. They travelled without incident towards the southern base of the mountain range when Benzhi veered east.
"I can sense it," he stated, "and I am fairly sure it is underground."
They followed Benzhi until he stopped and announced, "It is below us." The three scanned the area looking for a cave entrance or the like. Benzhi when scanning with qi sight finally cried, "people, I think, down there." He pointed down the mountainside and further east.
Benzhi, Gisael and Reyas headed down the slopes towards the qi cores of what Benzhi thought were people of some description. "They have more talent than the men of Vaugend," he informed them based on the size of the qi cores he could sense.
As they arrived at the qi cores Benzhi had sensed they could see the people possessing them. They were not men, nor Gael, or Fae. They were short, stocky, well dressed, with intricately braided hair and beards. They were dwarves. There were mostly what looked like the elders, women and children wandering around in the snow. The Vanguard could see steps leading up to large arched entrance into the mountain and the dwarves were gathered at the base of those steps.
As Vanguard approached there were cries from the group. Benzhi held up his hands' palms outward to show they meant no harm. He was still wearing leathers and furs the Gaels had gifted him over the past few weeks his hair had been growing, he now sported a thick brown crew cut and a five-day shadow. Reyas was similarly garbed in her leathers and Gisael wore her bamboo fibre outfit which covered her lady parts, just, she had dispensed with her cloak for now. They must be quite a sight for a group of dwarves and these dwarves seemed nervous for some reason.
"We mean you no harm," Benzhi called as he walked slowly down.
"Why be ye here and now?" questioned an elder dwarf with a grey beard and hair.
"We were attacked in the pass and came to see if you needed aid as well," Benzhi gambled. There was little chance these people were milling around outside what seemed to be their stronghold for no reason.
"Why would we be needin ya help?" the elder dwarf asked gruffly.
Another dwarf cut him off, "Don't be daft Berger, they not look anything like the foul beasts." The speaker was a female and wearing a simple shirt, skirt and apron.
"What foul beasts?" Benzhi asked
"We been attacked this morning, no warning, by corrupted beasts from within the earth." the female dwarf answered.
"Can we help?" Benzhi asked. "I am the Protector from the Alpine Forest and it is no coincidence I am here now at this time."
"Nay, ye are not welcome in our home," the stubborn elder, named Berger, said loudly.
"Ye be daft. Shut thy mouth." the female dwarf cut him off again. "I don't know ye and we don't trust on words. But I sense ye are good and are right it is nay a coincidence ye are here now. Go and help my kin." She waved Benzhi up the steps.
The Vanguard sprinted into the dwarves underground home. Benzhi was going to save who he could, clear out the beasts if they could, and then find the Core when that was done. The Core was here.
Chapter end
Report
|
Donate
Oh o, this user has not set a donation button.
|