The group had been following a narrow dirt path for a few minutes now. Originally, it rose straight up the mountain, but now that they had reached a few hundred meters up in elevation, the path began to zig-zag sharply along the cliff face.
I bet a giant would find it impossible to get up this path… Unless it crab walked the way up.
Eleanor was panting heavily, clearly struggling. Today was the first time Ryan had seen her look truly vulnerable.
As the path finally levelled out, a massive human encampment came into view.
In each side of the path were watchtowers, barricaded and other defences. Carved into the rock face above the path were small slits seemingly to shoot arrows out of.
Twelve soldiers stood guard at the path. The soldiers warmly greeted the squad captain and the other members of the team before moving to support Eleanor, guiding her to what seemed to be an infirmary.
Most soldiers here seem to carry crossbows with daggers sheathed…
Ryan then moved his focus from the soldiers to the mountain range itself
God damn, this mountain range… unbelievable.
Finally Ryan began to understand its scale. Not only did the mountains stretch endlessly across the horizon, so far that he couldn't see an end, the mountains also rose up into the sky and into the heavens. He had thought they'd climbed high already—but this was merely the peak of the closest rise, barely deserving the name "mountain" compared to the towering giants looming behind it.
The human encampment itself sprawled across the plateau they had reached, a bustling hive of activity, It was obvious that the humans had terraformed the area. As Ryan and Eleanor were led through the camp, they marveled at the intricate network of fortifications - earthen bulwarks, wooden palisades, and cleverly disguised lookout posts. The air thrummed with purpose; soldiers drilled in formation while other scouts darted down the path they just came up. There were blacksmiths constantly at work, a couple of food halls scattered around and much, much more. This place was less of an outpost, and more of a bustling town.
Captain Lyra guided them to a large crude building near the center of the camp. "Wait here, Ryan." she instructed, disappearing inside. Ryan could hear muffled voices engaged in heated discussion.
Another soldier from the patrol turned to Ryan and reassured him, "You won't have to worry about your friend, she'll be in the care of some of the best healers the coalition can provide!" He grinned.
Before Ryan could thank the soldier, Lyra emerged from the building, accompanied by a tall, distinguished man with graying, dark black hair and a commanding presence. His piercing black eyes scanned Ryan assessing him rapidly.
"I'm General Aldric," he introduced himself, his voice deep and authoritative. "Captain Lyra has briefed me on your situation as well as who you claim to be."
"Walk with me," he commanded, setting off at a brisk pace.
Ryan fell into step beside him, acutely aware of the curious and sometimes suspicious glances from the soldiers they passed.
"So," Aldric began, "you and your injured friend are the heroes we've been hearing about. The ones who appeared in elven territory."
Ryan nodded, "Yes, sir. It's... it's been a difficult journey."
Aldric's expression softened very, very slightly. "I can imagine. We've received reports about your encounters, including..." he hesitated, "an incident with a rebel group. A man named Toris was mentioned."
Ryan felt his stomach drop. "I... that was an accident. I didn't mean to. I believe it was a spell that lets a relative of you control your body for-"
Aldric held up a hand, silencing him. "We've already held an investigation, Ryan. He was a traitor. You do not have to worry. What's important now is keeping you safe and determining how best to use your abilities in this war."
They reached a small, fortified house near the edge of the camp. "This is where you'll be staying temporarily," Aldric explained. "It's quite a secure location. You'll have a team of our best guards watching over you at all times."
I feel more like a liability than a hero.
Aldric could sense his wallowing. "You're too valuable to risk, Ryan. Two heroes are exactly what we need right now, the morale boost already is momentous. For the near future, your safety is our priority."
Before Ryan could respond, a group of six guards approached, led by a broad-shouldered man adorned in steel armour with the classic mountain insignia they all had.
The sun had finally set but the illumination of the surrounding buildings kept the camp alight.
"This is Sergeant Vance," Aldric introduced. "He and his team will be responsible for your protection."
Vance nodded curtly, his dark eyes scanning their surroundings constantly. "We'll keep him safe, sir," he assured the general.
As Aldric departed, Ryan was ushered into the building by Vance and his team. The interior was sparse but cosy, with a small bed, a table, and a few chairs.
"Make yourself comfortable," Vance grunted through the open door. "We'll be right outside if you need anything."
As the door slowly closed, Ryan observed the group of guards. Suddenly, an unsettling feeling crept up his back.
Ryan shook away the feeling of dread, hoping it was simply a lingered feeling from earlier with the shapeshifter.
Ryan turned away from the door, surveying the small room that would be his temporary sanctuary.
So what now? The thought echoed in his mind as he paced the confined space. His body felt drained, his mana depleted from the confrontation with the fake human thing.
Well, I guess there's only one thing to do.
Taking a deep breath, Ryan settled into a cross-legged position on the floor. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing as he had been taught. Gradually, he felt his racing thoughts slow, his awareness turning inward.
As he meditated, Ryan could sense his mana replenishing, flowing like a cool stream flowing through his body. He focused on this sensation, nurturing it, encouraging it.
In this state of deep concentration, a memory surfaced – Jake, the being he had encountered in that space between life and death. Ryan recalled the Lux spell Jake had wielded, so unlike his own raw bursts of energy.
Why is it that when I cast Lux, a burst of uneven energy spurts out of my hand. While Jake's Lux was a compact ball of light, much stronger than my own.
Inspired, Ryan began to experiment. He gathered his mana, shaping it not into the familiar burst of his Lux spell, but into a small compact, swirling orb. It was challenging, requiring intense focus to maintain the shape, but he could feel the power condensing, becoming more compact and efficient.
Opening his eyes, Ryan saw a small sphere of light hovering above his palm. Unlike his usual Lux spell, this felt much more potent, even though he was only a tier one apprentice, this spell could rival Eleanor's fireball in power and he was pretty sure she was tier 2 at least.
This was extremely expensive, nearly all of my mana is gone… or maybe that was due to me learning how to form the spell correctly?
As the glowing orb faded, Ryan closed his eyes once again, and continued meditating, hoping to replenish his mana completely.
Hours passed before Ryan opened his eyes.
It feels like my mana is at its capacity. Hmm but I haven't progressed much in increasing my mana capacity.
I wonder how Eleanor is. It seems like it's turning dawn soon and since we arrived here at dusk, it must have been around 12 hours since we last talked.