System Break

Chapter 56: The Southern Mountains

Demon bird flew higher and higher and swooped east. The mountains were a mix of peaks, hills, and deep ravines. There were blind alleys, if you followed the valley you would suddenly come across a sheer face and have to double back.

We Reyas and enough rope we may be able to attempt these cliff faces, but with demon bird we could find an easier way. There was an obvious path to the south through the mountains and there was a road marking parts of the way. But we didn't want to enter the southern lands. We wanted to find the Dokkalfar.

While the twins and their friends were away the demon bird searched. Reyas and Gisael scouted our local surroundings and I kept an ear to the ground. My vision was focused on the demon bird view. He had sharp eyes bout wouldn't know a Dokkalfar structure from a stack of rocks.

We searched the mountains for most of the day, thankfully the demon bird was tireless. After a feast he slept for a day or two, but otherwise he was good. 

The twins woke early afternoon. 

Ailen stretched like he got up from a sleep. "Miss me?"

"Nope. Still searching for this mountain fort." I whistled loudly.

"Redmond will be awhile longer," Ailen said.

"Oh." I sat back down.

Sakaala sat in front of me, but I barely saw her I was focused on the mountains.

"I'm going to try and get you out again," she said. "Father is going to purchase more shares and it will give us leverage."

Ailen looked doubtful. "He's an asset, they won't let him go lightly."

Sakaala sighed loudly. "How can they want to pull the plug on him on one hand and then want to keep him as a precious asset on the other? It makes no sense."

Ailen chuckled. "That's corporate mentality for you. We don't want it, but wait, you can't have it. But you're right, more shares will give us leverage."

I waved my hand. "I'm grateful, but I don't want to know the details. I'm a simple man."

Sakaala laughed. "You're anything but."

Gisael and Reyas returned shortly and Redmond woke a few minutes later.

"That was quick," Ailen said.

Redmond stretched. "Sore still."

I stood. "You can have a massage when it's dark, let's make use of the last of the light."

Sakaala punched my shoulder. "Stop ordering me to massage him."

She couldn't see my grin thanks to my mask. "I never said you, but since you're the only available female, and you hit me, you're it.

She scoffed and mumbled something about chauvinist.

I grabbed her in a headlock. "We're tree-folk. This is the way."

When I released her, she protested. "You're making this up!"

"Shh," I said in a hushed tone, and everyone was quiet.

We walked for another half hour.

"There's nothing out there is there?" Ailen asked me quietly.

I nodded and he laughed.

And then demon bird spotted it, smoke in the mountains. Trails of it reaching for the sky.

"Got something," I said and laughed. "I hope it's them."

I knelt down and began to draw in the dirt. Mountains, hills, and what I thought was passable terrain. It was a demon bird's eye view. Then I marked where the smoke was coming from. We had to keep going south and east through the mountains. 

Our packs were bulging and there was some climbing, but we were used to it.

"Sakaala, hand me your pack," I said. "Redmond, you too." Ailen adjusted his and gave me a determined stare. Sakaala gladly handed hers over.

Reyas asked, "Monsters?"

I nodded. "Some white things which climb like demons and the usual."

Reyas spat. "Yetis, they're dangerous. They eat men," she looked around, "And Svartalfar. They are not picky. Their climbing is unmatched; they hide, bite and claw."

I asked demon bird to come back to our location, we could investigate the plumes of smoke later.

The hills were steep, but nothing compared to the sheer cliffs which surrounded them. Rocks, tufts of grass and the odd clumps of trees decorated them. We crossed a stream which fed into the main river system and skipped showering in the waterfall. No one wanted to freeze to death.

It wasn't long before the sun began to set.

"Will a fire attract yetis?" 

Reyas nodded. "Things that they eat make fire."

"Huh?" Redmond said.

Reyas said, "Men make fire. They eat men," she looked at him, "And lumps."

I sighed. We went without a fire and I snuggled up with my two favourite women. Leaving the friends to form their own warmth circle. I ignored their protests.

Demon bird perched above us; he wouldn't sleep. Each time he feasted and hibernated he grew. Last time was no exception, but the rate was subdued. He was the size of an eagle now and I wondered when he would stop growing, if ever.

I lay on my back with two beautiful women lying across me and our legs were intertwined. We dispensed with the leathers and threw over two large furs. We were a mess of abs, breasts, and legs. Sleeping rough was never meant to be this good.

Demon bird woke me before the first rays of light. His beak tapped on the rock and my ears heard the rhythm. As soon as the fog of sleep lifted his warning became clear. He took to the skies and showed me the shadows climbing across the rocks.

White fur, fangs, and claws. They were like large evil monkeys, half the size of a man. The group was unaware of us, demon bird had spotted them first.

I woke everyone with a finger to their lips and slipped into my leathers and helmet. 

I whispered into Reyas' ear. "Yetis. They haven't seen us. Do we fight?"

She shook her head and stood on tip toes to reach my ear. "Watch. Can we go another way?"

I nodded,  picked up the packs and led the group up the ravine in the moonlight. It was slow going, but the sound we made was lost in the wind. 

The yetis moved quickly and the distance between us grew by the minute. When the sun rose, they were a few mountain peaks between us.

I pointed. "They're ten few miles away now. But speak softly and try not to kick any rocks off cliffs." Rocks fell all the time, but the natural order of wind and gravity was not the same as a group of six stumbling through the mountains.

We climbed and Reyas took the lead with a rope tied around her waist. On the sheer climbs she would reach a ledge and attach it with her climbing gear and then we would follow.

The blows of her hammer and pitons echoed through the mountains. But it couldn't be helped, there was no way half the group could make the climb without a rope.

Redmond would come last and we'd haul him up as he held on for his life.

We spent the day closing in on the plumes of smoke. Demon bird flew ahead so we could scout the area.

They were nestled between three tall mountains with a half a fort facing the ravine. It was a defensive masterpiece. They had some small farms of what looked like vegetables and animals on the hills below. And we saw dark shapes working the land and feeding the animals.

When demon bird circled the peaks, we spied what looked like a rear entrance. A small structure was on the other side of the mountain.

I turned to the others. "Do you think it's possible they tunnelled through an entire mountain?"

Ailen and Redmond nodded. "With dwarves and rock - anything is possible."

Ailen chuckled, "They'd rather build a tunnel than climb."

Redmond asked, "Did you see what do they look like?"

I shook my head. "Demon bird keeps his height in the sky, if he gets too low, they will grow curious."

Reyas peered towards the plumes of smoke. "Do we take the rear entrance?"

"No that will scare them. Let's approach their main gate and introduce ourselves."

Sakaala asked. "What about appearing different and not being received?"

I shrugged. "What can we do?" And I thought about the lizardmen. They could talk but were in no mood to.

Sakaala looked me up and down. "Will you approach them?"

I laughed and patted her on the head. "If your appearance scares them, it's best to scare the shit out of them."

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