Seraph rubbed her head against my forearm grumpily but still opened her eyes and looked up at .
"What?"
She asked. I chuckled to myself and shook my head.
"Nothing, let’s get out of the carriage we’re almost near the hoard. We need to discuss contingency asures."
I whispered softly to her. She nodded and sat up stretching in the process.
"What do you think of the hoard?"
She asked while I helped her down the carriage. Her eyes glanced around at the other carriages before settling back on .
"I’m not really sure, right now my senses can occupy at least more than half of the hoard. I can’t assess the situation with so few results."
I said. She nodded and linked our hands together as we waited for Baros group to organise themselves before he ca to .
"Would you like so tea master?"
Luna asked . The morning wind had picked up and it was getting colder and colder.
"I would appreciate that. If you could make it for everybody that would be great and make so for yourself. "
I said to her. She nodded and went back to the supply carriage. I shifted my attention back to Baros who had finally walked up to .
"What should we do young master?"
We could hear the hoard’s footsteps and the ground would occasionally rumble with each step. It felt like the onset of an earthquake.
"We’ll be going east, there is a mountain on that side and it would be easier to avoid it. We might have to fight but only the outer-skirted beasts."
I explained. Seraph squeezed my hand. I turned to glance at her and she smiled up at . I smiled back and turned my attention back to Baros who seed to have swallowed sothing bad.
"Is sothing the matter?"
Seraph asked before I could.
"Yes, if we go through that route we’ll be entering the troll territory. "
I nodded.
"I know that but I’ve seen so of them in the hoard if I’m not wrong they must have been pulled into the hoard."
I said dismissing his worry. While trolls can be considered dangerous and intelligent. They were at the bottom of the rank.
The intelligence of a five-year-old inside a big body with a temper so bad that they would turn on each other at the smallest provocation.
"Master."
Luna passed both Seraph and a cup of tea before going back to the other girls and giving it to them. She ignored Baros as though he didn’t exist.
"But.."
The fear of death must have really given him courage.
"Isn’t that route shorter than this one. Since you’re with , you’ll be able to reach your kingdom much faster. "
"Yes, young master. "
He answered in resignation.
"You should prepare your n. The hoard will be upon us in half a day. We should be across the valley by the ti they pass."
I said waving him off. He hesitated but still went back to his group. I turned to find the others in my group all sitting around a fire drinking tea.
"You’ve all settled down much faster."
I said and pulled Seraph to join them. Donovan placed two seats from his storage ring next to him.
"We’re going into sothing so dangerous. I want to rest my mind well. "
Donovan said nonchalantly and poured himself a cup of tea.
I nodded.
From their expressions i was glad none of them seed scared more like resigned. I could fully understand it.
"I’ll give all of you a chance. Anyone who wants to go back?"
I felt kind for just a mont. They all shook their heads. That pleased .
We all fell into a comfortable silence as we drank tea with the wind blowing coldly and the roars from the hoard becoming louder and louder.
"This is the last thing I’m going to say, I’m not really sure what we’re going to get but I require you to be vigilant. I’ve already mapped the route the beast might take but they’re beasts after all they might change their route."
They nodded at my instructions. I was sure all of us could feel the tension in the air.
"I want to see whatever is commanding this hoard but it’s not a priority right now. Just getting past it should be a priority. "
I said and stood up. The tea had ward my body and I could see it had done the sa to the others.
I watched as everyone got in their carriage. My senses were still advancing into the hoard slowly by slowly.
I had just finished the weaker beasts at the front of the line and now the stronger ones had started to enter my range.
"Lucian, are you coming?"
Seraph called from the carriage. I nodded and entered the carriage which started to move the mont I settled down.
....
The mountain wind blew harder than usual as it echoed down the valley below.
The midday sun seed to hate us as well and shone it’s glares at our forms.
But the sound of the moving beasts down the valley and the falling rocks was much louder than anything.
"Look below."
Seraph said pointing down at the first group of beasts in the hoard.
The mountain hadn’t been that far away but what had made us lose ti was going up.
The horses had started to react to the approaching aura and the mountain had been too steep and quiet as we climbed up the winding road.
We had eventually been forced to stop our descent, not like we had even started it due to the missing bridge.
The valley below had started to flood with beasts.
What made matters worse sothing seed to have broken the stone bridge in the middle.
It connects the mountain and the next smaller hill that we needed to go down from.
"This is such an inconvenience, just how unlucky can one person be?"
Donovan said sarcastically while glancing at . I rolled my eyes. He was right, bad luck seed to be following everywhere from the mont I left ho.
It was as though the world itself was against . How coincidental would it be that a thousand-year-old bridge suddenly broke when I had to use it?
I did fully believe in fate and I knew it was against from the mont I walked out of my ho.
"We’ll have to go down the valley. Put the carriages in the storage rings and the horses can walk free."
I commanded, my voice echoing in the rocky mountains. Everything was hastily done and the horses reined in.
I looked down the deep valley again, the beasts had increased in numbers different species that would never coexist ran side by side with each other.
Horned at rabbits ran beside fire bears, prey and predator each set in one direction and they weren’t the only ones.
"Can’t we just use magic to jump across the valley?"
Seraph asked, confusion in her eyes as she turned to for answers. I shook my head.
"The truth is I’m curious, there is sothing about this mountain but I can’t seem to place a finger on it. That’s why I decided to co and see. Don’t you find it odd?"
I said to her my gaze still focused on the valley below. What I told her was the truth. There was sothing in this mountain, I could feel it the mont my detection magic passed over it.
"Really, but I don’t feel anything. It’s just a normal mountain to ."
Seraph said still looking at in confusion.
"We’ll go down on foot regardless. The barbarians can’t jump this whole valley by themselves, it’s too big and they don’t have a mage with them. Will you help them cross cause I’m not"
I said trying to convince her not to jump. Seraph was silent for a mont then sighed.
"Sure, I’ll treat this as a form of exercise. "
She muttered grumpily to herself and took the lead. Conveniently there was a small road that led down the valley and we all took it.
It couldn’t pass a carriage but we could comfortably walk down without the fear of falling.
As we moved forward, rocks would occasionally break from the mountain walls and roll down the valley and into the ever increasing hoard.
With every fall, I could feel the tension in the air increase but I pressed forward.
I knew we would eventually attract the hoard whether we liked it or not and I just had to be prepared.
Just halfway down, a guttering roar filled the valley. The loud shrill was enough to shake the ground and rocks started to roll down faster and faster.
"Its a griffin!"
Donovan shouted his voice echoing through the valley. We all looked up. A whole pack of those monstrosity about ten of them were staring down at us as though we were prey.
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