Chapter 55: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (4)

Chapter 55: Burn, Gabriel, Burn. (4)

The Jaws of Barong. The mountain range that served as the northern border of the Earhart empire, the very extreme of the Barong territory. The continent continued on beyond them, but it was untamed and wild, with no human settlements for the next 1800 kilometres. Naturally, such a stretch of land wasn’t entirely lifeless. No, it was just devoid of humans. The extreme north belonged to the beasts and demons, and it wasn’t rare for them to make their way south.

The Jaws of Barong would always be the first place they stopped, be it to get some shelter from the elements, to get some rest, or to make it their new territory. Thus, over the years, while the mountain range was technically the land of the Barong duchy, it had slowly become part of the beasts’ lands.

"Leave the incense."

Arioch’s voice was low, heavier than ever before. They were still at least two or three hours ride away from the first mountain in the range but the air around the knights had already grown heavy and tense. The front line put out the incense and buried the burners in the snow, using a different patch of snow to scrub their armour.

The Jaws of Barong. They had to enter the mountain range, they couldn’t allow the beasts to settle in it as they pleased, otherwise they would just keep encroaching on the rest of the north. But they couldn’t handle the mountain range the same way they treated the path here, using the incense within or around the mountains was tantamount to suicide. Even without it, the mountains was where most of the past casualties appeared.

"Knights, steel yourself! Protect the one to your left and trust the one to your right to protect you. I still have hopes that we can all return home together."

Arioch addressed his knights to prepare them for what lay ahead, but Gabriel found his gaze drifting sideways, a pair of somewhat murky and uncertain eyes landing on two people. Alice was riding a bit away from him, chatting and occasionally with the old knight Almanar. Three days had passed since they celebrated his first fight with a demon, and in those three days he found his eyes wandering more often than he liked.

Alice also spent a bit more time with Almanar whenever they rode out, he could occasionally hear them chuckle almost knowingly as they spoke. He recognized their expressions, the subtle tone of their laughs. Almanar was amused by something and Alice was grateful so she entertained him. As for exactly what they were amused by and grateful for... He couldn’t quite tell.

He could understand it if she wanted to use Almanar to spy on Arioch and the Barong duchy and was grateful for what he could be used for, but she wasn’t gathering things to blackmail him, she didn’t study his family and their habits, didn’t find what else he treasured so that she could use it against him. No, she simply chatted with him, there were even times where their expressions looked as if she was asking him for advice.

"Prepare your weapons! From here on out, anyone who relaxes risks the life of the man to their left!"

Arioch’s voice cut through the silent snowfall and tugged at Gabriel’s mind. He hadn’t even noticed the passage of time because he was looking at Alice and Almanar, but they had actually reached the edge of the mountain range. Hours had flown by just like that, it was as if someone had messed with his perception of time.

Pheeew

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, emptying his lungs before he filled them again with the icy northern wind. When he opened his eyes again they had become perfectly clear, as placid as a windless lake. Getting distracted during idle time and letting his thoughts wander was one thing, doing so during a ‘mission’ was something else entirely.

The mountain range was dangerous, deadly even. To go in there and come out alive with Alice and Teresa was his mission so he wouldn’t let his thoughts drift because of other matters. Thus, he focused. Thus, his mind grew sharp.

"I’ll come back for you later, boy, so stay silent until then."

He hopped off his steed and gave its thick neck a few pats, the rest of the knights also dismounting. There was more than enough space for the horses within the mountain range, but bursting into action while riding them would take at least one or two seconds longer than they could afford so they would be left behind.

The knights-in-training were left behind outside the mountains to take care of the steeds, only the sired knights would be entering the mountains. Well, now Caine and his entourage were added, as was Alice and her two attendants.

It didn’t seem like Alice spoke with Arioch about it as the steeds were led away. No, she simply brought along Gabriel and Teresa and followed after Arioch’s group, who naturally formed a circle around them. A deal, he could tell. Somewhere earlier, probably prior to the expedition, back when he was still forced to rest, she struck another deal with Arioch without his knowledge.

There was a slight pang on his ribs, like the soft knocking of someone trying to have their sibling open the door at night without alerting their parents. His mind drift for a moment thanks to it, but he quickly crushed it to retain his cold mind.

The mountains around them were tall. Some looked like bent and jagged cliffs, others like tall and almost perfectly straight pillars, while others still looked more normal. But still, everything here was white, a barely discernible tinge of blue hidden beneath.

Snow fell from the grey sky without pause and settled on the land, slid down the slopes and piled up beneath the mountains. Occasionally too much snow would gather on a mountain and the next bit of snow that slid down its side would cause an avalanche large enough to block up valleys and swallow the smaller mountains. As a result, the only maps you could use within the mountain range were the kind that relied on the major landmarks.

"We have a base camp by Sawtooth Cliff, the smaller mountains around it are rather hollow so they’re a good target for new beasts looking to settle or get some rest. Our goal today is to reach that camp and clear out at least one or two of the mountains."

Arioch brought out exactly one such map as he spoke, one hand pointing towards a not-so-distant mountain that looked like a jagged and bent tooth that had several sections gouged out. Camps were basically a necessity here within the mountains, defensible locations they could retreat to where they would have a modicum of safety. Without them they would get attacked at night, their perimeter guards murdered before they got the chance to utter a final grunt.

For a while, the sound of their feet trudging through snow was the only thing that could be heard, a soft crunch that somehow managed to feel far too loud. Gabriel felt the back of his neck prick with each step. He couldn’t see them, but his instincts were telling him that there were living beings in the area. He could feel their gazes brush past him from time to time, predators observing what they thought of as prey. Looking at the occasionally jumping shoulders of the knights around him he could guess that they were also feeling it.

"Gabriel. I’ll be taking care of Teresa while we’re in here, I’ll also be looking and preparing for something. You can just do what you want or feel that you need."

Alice whispered to him as they got closer to the looming mountain, a certain warmth tinging her breath. Excitement, desire. She craved the thing she was looking for in these frozen mountains. But she hadn’t told him, so what was it?

Another knock on his ribs, another errant train of thought quickly crushed before it could take hold. The base camp Arioch spoke of, they could see it now.

As for the charging lizards, they were met with a coordinated chain of attacks that cycled through the various elements in a harmonious tune. Those that managed to survive the almost relentless barrage and actually reach the knights... Well they were already mostly dead so finishing them was easy.

With the first charge of the lizard’s taken care of, some of the knights turned their attention to the ranged ones that had yet to move, altering their spells. From the look of things, all the knights Arioch had brought along were capable of using magic. But still, it didn’t seem as if Gabriel and Caine would get to just sit back and do nothing.

"Beneath us. More than a few too. They probably used their control over ice to expand the tunnels, must have been looking to build a territory here."

Caine’s gaze was slightly lowered, his eyes seemingly piercing through the snow and ice beneath them. His hand moved and a thin gash appeared in front of him, a dull and pained growl coming from below.

Gabriel felt the ground tremble for a moment before new holes opened in it, the lizard-men popping up like moles. Their expressions, if they could even be called that, looked a bit twisted and vicious, they probably weren’t expecting to get attacked while still below their target.

Well, they still looked as if they felt good about their odds. Alice and Caine’s groups were at the centre of the formation, so popping out here was the same as arriving at the back of their enemies. Well, at first glance at least. Some would say that they hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Swish

Caine swung his hand again and three of the lizard-men lost their heads, a small cut forming on the barrel-shaped mountain beyond them. The ‘sword’ part of his Unique magic, which always came as both a ‘sword’ and a ‘shield’. In essence, it was the ability to cut what he wanted. In this world, he was the sharpest blade.

"Hmm, humanoids..."

Gabriel didn’t launch an immediate attack despite the two lizard-men that were aiming at him. He was studying their bodies, their scales, their muscles. Study, observe, examine. Find the weakness to strike and then abuse it as much as you could.

"Let’s start with a knight."

He spoke to himself, or perhaps the enemy, as the first lizard-man struck at him. His sword rose and blocked the chunk of ice that fell towards him, a tilt of his wrist deflecting it to the side. He allowed his tilt to morph into a diagonal downwards slash until it struck the lizard’s arm, where he tilted it again.

He allowed his weapon to slide along the scales, which felt a bit harder than steel at first glance, until he reached its elbow. He pulled back his blade slightly and then stabbed it to the side, piercing through the elbow with a quick move.

As expected, just like with a knight, the scales on the elbow were a bit softer to allow for smooth movements. The lizard let out a growled pain, Gabriel drawing his sword back so that it cut open the forearm of the lizard. He spun slightly as he cut, the blade that eventually left the lizard’s arm meeting an ice-covered fist that tried to strike him from behind.

The sword cut through both ice, scales, and knuckles in a smooth movement and cut open another forearm. Their scales were thick and strong, but it couldn’t resist Gabriel’s blade after he cast strengthening magic.

No, he didn’t need to aim for weak spots, he only did it so that he could know more about this race for the future. And he kept doing just that. He finished his spin and grabbed the arm he just cut, pulling the beast forward while angling his blade.

The tip found its way to the back of its knee, and as expected, the scales there were weaker than the rest so it easily pierced through. Well, it would have gone through easily anyway, he was just basing his observation on the slight sensation that came back to his hand through his tool.

The lizard fell to its knee after its leg was taken out, its pained growl cut short by Gabriel’s hand grabbing its mouth. Its teeth shattered when they met his armour, a pair of placid violet eyes becoming its final sight in life.

He put strength in his arm and gave it a tug, twisting the head of the lizard-man until he heard a nice and familiar crack. The beast spasmed and then fell to the ground lifeless, a bit of light pink foam bubbling out of its open mouth.

Necks were still a weakness, and cracking it would result in a fate similar to that of a human. Good to know.

He turned his gaze slightly, the lizard-man that had gotten its forearm cut open was already turned and fleeing for its hole. Intelligent enough to know when to flee, also good to know.

"Katush, Veras Motak Hui Vara." (Water, Harden Heat and Move)

The formation was formed and a bit of water formed in front of him, hardening into a ball that was launched forward. It smashed into the lizard-man’s spine at full speed, a crack sounding before the beast fell forward. It twitched on the ground, but it seemed incapable of moving its body as it pleased. Spine still very much integral to movement, good.

He strode over and finished the job with a quick stab. Despite the strange appearance, they were very much like armoured knights when it came to how to handle them.

He peered into the hole that they came from and saw quite a few more rushing about down below, the tunnels quickly expanding. Fleeing? Or setting up new traps from which they could burst? Alice also came over to take a look while Gabriel was musing to himself, but her gaze grew sharp for a moment, a brilliant light surfacing in her pupils as she looked down. A sweet smile formed on her lips as she maintained her lowered gaze. She made a simple request, and was swiftly met by an equally simple answer.

"Gabriel, can you bury them?"

"As you wish, my Lady."