Within their hut, Al wept before the fire.
Emptiness took his stomach, same as it did when he watched Eris bleed out. For as long as they'd been dragging themselves from the swamp, all through the fields, trying to get stronger. Maybe even as far back as stalking Marryvia's halls, Eris had been on that mountain.
"I don't think we should let him go back up there," Al muttered, wiping her eyes.
"There's no stopping him," he said, holding up his hammer. "Battle lusts' got him."
She shook her head. "He's suffering, can't you see it?"
"Of course," he said, leaning his hammer against the doorway. "Madness, they call it. What we soulless get after dying so many times."
It consumed him as well.
Why he wasn't as far gone as Eris he couldn't figure. Then again, maybe he already was, and it was just something he'd gotten used to. A man with no memory had little to lose, versus a man who'd known a lifetime worth living.
"What was it like?" He asked, sitting beside the fire with her. "Tell me, about this world we died in."
She leaned into his chest, taking a deep breath.
"It wasn't perfect. Far form it, in fact, I'd say some of this world has something right it didn't. At least here, you know who your enemies are, for the most part. No monsters, demons, angels, or any creature of the night, but, people were still people. Some good, some bad, and a handful who controlled everything."
"What would ya' do if someone went insane?"
She sighed, "The closest thing to any form of medicine for someone's mind here is prayer. The gods, meditation, and, maybe wine to numb the pain?"
"Then we'll drink," he said, ruffling her shoulders. "A few dozen pints ought to ease the lad's nerves."
"I don't think…fine," Al said.
"What?"
"I would recommend something healthier, but I was never one for believing in anything."
Drinks it was then, and they made for the hall, fighting against blizzard winds.
There was no end to storms in sight, and even Eris had sense enough to keep himself warm. At a table alone, the lad was already several pints in, empty mugs all around him.
"Gods be praised," he whispered to Al as they approached.
She nudged him with an elbow before they sat with the head sulking lad.
"You," Eris said, looking at him with bloodshot eyes, "were mad. I'm starting to see why."
"Not mad," he said, pouring himself a mug, pitchers up and down the table, "never mad. Just pissed."
Eris gave him a blank stare.
An awkward silence, Al holding her breath, then they laughed.
They drank until noon, rolling a barrel over for themselves. Not much one for singing, he played along with some tune from the old world Eris sang, the lad pretending to string some sort of instrument. Thirty, forty, maybe fifty pints in or more, and they drank so much Paul recommended they stop.
"At this rate there won't be much left for the rest of the week!" The old man complained.
He and Eris exchanged a look.
"Now, now! Gentlemen, violence has nev-."
Eris went high, he went low, and they kidnapped the Elder Bearer.
Paul groaned, Eris' hand over the geezers mouth, as they dipped his head in an open barrel.
"There plenty left now?" Eris slurred. "Have your fill for the week's end chief!"
Al scowled them, demanding they stop.
Yet upon seeing the old man's eyes roll, head soaked in brown bitter ale, she tried holding in laughter. They dried him off by a fire, shoving a pipe full of weed in his mouth, then went back to finishing another barrel.
"Any ideas?" He asked. "How close have you gotten?"
Fingers tightened round a mug, Eris muttered, "Took off one of his toes. Then when I returned back up a day later it was good as new."
"What about his armor? Any dents, cracks, or something of sorts?"
"It's Ironite," Eris snarled, the battle lust growing. "Fit for a dragon. It's one thing on an elf, even one as powerful as Alrieon, but for a fireborne beast already able to level entire kingdoms on its own, we'd be lucky to make a scratch after a century."
"Not necessarily," Leon said, joining them.
He and Al were surprised, though Eris was so drunk beyond care.
"Dragon armor's easiest to strip from behind, the tail end in particular," Leon explained, pouring himself wine. "If one of us, maybe two, distracts him long enough, the rest should be able to chip something off."
Al's eyes widened. "Even better, we could use some ironite!"
Everyone smiled, yet in spite of it being her idea, Al laid a gentle hand on Eris' shoulder.
"Let us do this for you," she suggested, Eris giving her a blank stare. "Take the time to think on a strategy while we strip what we can from Hardok. You've the most experience dealing with him than any of us, let us get a feel for him ourselves."
While tightening his fists, Eris muttered, "I…I see. Alright, I'll think of something. Don't linger, he's a smart one, and doesn't allow too much of the same movement twice."
She nodded, pouring a fresh mug of ale for the former Elfstone, then everyone, including Paul, made their way outside.
He gave the jolly looking crone a side eye. "Mountain's no place for smokin' weed old one. Unless you've got a wish to kiss our favorite god's hand."
"I mean to help you, my lord," Paul said, rolling his eyes, readying a pipe. "Any time bought to keep Hardok off your ass means more Ironite for the taking."
"We may not get too many chances at this," Leon said, the party arriving at the mountain trails. "Eric's last words were true, that dragon's got keen eyes. Even in our brief encounter, he looked to be calculating something."
Bellows rang down.
Fiery eyes gazed at them from above, hisses howled throughout the wind, and there was a surge of warmth as the party started walking up.
The mountain was alive, more so as the sun started setting.
Unlike anything he'd ever seen, winds, snow, ice, and darkness, there was deep red light. From one end of the horizon to another, they saw what was a dusk amongst the storm, fire far as the eyes could see within the sky. Hardok did more than just spew fire upon the summit; there was a tense hold over all the kingdom's atmosphere.
It was difficult to breathe.
Though not for Paul.
The old smoke obsessed bastard was having a merry time, pipe still hot even with endless bands of sleet.
"Suppose I should've mentioned this earlier," Paul said, smiling wide with eyes so thin it was a wonder the old bird knew where to step. "One of our birds arrived the other day, what little news I request from the nearest kingdoms; there's talk of blood starved creatures lurking in the mainlands."
He and Al exchanged a look.
Onward, the two stomped harder, leaving Leon to stay with the sky-high crone several paces back.
They said nothing to one another, but he knew her thoughts well as hers.
'We have to hurry.'
For the sake of the kingdom.
And, whatever may have been left of the Embers.