Following their near-altercation, tension hung heavy in the air. Lys sighed deeply, composing herself.
"We… we should continue—I'll lead the way," she said, her voice still slightly trembling, though her smile was gentle.
Úlrey frowned, still irritated by their earlier disagreement, but unwilling to escalate the situation. "But what's the point? Why are we climbing this mountain?"
Though clearly irritated, Angga calmly adjusted his collar and held himself together.
"Vaingard must have a reason. He wouldn't send us here without a purpose, would he?"
"You're too trusting," Úlrey grumbled, though he eventually nodded.
"Fine, let's continue. But quickly, I don't like wasting time."
"Alright, let's go."
…
They began their ascent. The mountain slope wasn't overly steep, but the terrain was rocky and slippery. Lys led the way, as she was the only one familiar with the path.
Meanwhile, far above, Vaingard stood on a high plateau near the summit. His sharp eyes tracked the three tiny figures slowly moving below.
The high-altitude air bit at their skin, despite their thick clothing. A strong wind whipped around them, carrying the rustling of leaves and the grit of crushed rock. Lys proceeded cautiously, her eyes scanning the path ahead, searching for landmarks she remembered from her last visit.
Behind her, Úlrey still simmered with resentment. His hands clenched occasionally, but he fought to control himself. Angga, on the other hand, seemed restless. His gaze drifted towards the peak, as if trying to anticipate what awaited them.
"We're halfway there," Lys announced suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was nearly lost to the wind. "Not much further."
"I hope this is worth it," Úlrey replied flatly.
Angga said nothing. He simply sighed and continued to follow Lys.
…
Near the Summit
Vaingard remained at the cliff's edge, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was sharp, following the three young people's every move despite the vast distance. A thin smile played on his lips.
"Rather slow," he murmured.
From beneath his dark cloak, he produced a small object emitting a faint glow—an antique pocket watch, its hands moving backward slowly. He studied it for a moment before closing it.
"Time is almost upon us."
"It seems they will learn a great deal," he said, seemingly anticipating a surprise.
…
Below
Lys stopped abruptly. She raised both hands, signaling Úlrey and Angga to halt.
"Something's nearby?" she whispered.
Úlrey immediately went on alert, his hand instinctively reaching for his dagger. Angga swallowed hard, his eyes trying to pierce the thin fog that had begun to envelop them, while he reached for a meat cleaver in his bag as a weapon.
"This sound…" Lys said, her voice trembling.
"What is it?"
"We have to run!"
"What? Why?"
"Now!" Lys urged spontaneously.
"Come on, let's go! We mustn't meet it!"
…
Lys spun around, her face pale with terror. Without further explanation, she grabbed Úlrey's arm and pushed Angga to run.
"Lys, what—?!"
Úlrey almost protested, but a strange rustling sound from the nearby bushes stopped him.
The sound—like something large, moving swiftly among the trees—leaves hissed and branches snapped under immense pressure. Angga glanced back, and for a moment, he saw a flash of crimson through the fog.
"RUN!" Lys screamed, her voice nearly breaking.
They sprinted down the path, leaping over tree roots and slippery rocks. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their hearts pounding. Úlrey still gripped his dagger, ready to strike if necessary, but his instincts told him that whatever was pursuing them was not something that could be easily fought.
Angga, now visibly terrified, asked, "What was that?! Why are we running?!"
"It's him!" Lys replied, continuing to run.
"The creature guarding this path—because I, usually with Lord Vaingard when climbing this mountain, he usually handles all of this!"
"But now there are only three of us—running is our only option!"
Úlrey grumbled. "Why didn't you say so from the start?!"
"I forgot—I didn't expect him to be here so soon!"
Their hurried footsteps pounded the earth, mixed with increasingly panicked short breaths. As the ground rose, the fog grew thicker, shrouding the surrounding trees and limiting their vision.
From behind, the rustling grew closer—like something heavy moving erratically, sometimes accompanied by harsh, ragged breaths that raised the hairs on their necks.
Lys led with swift strides, but suddenly stumbled over a protruding tree root. She fell forward, and Angga reflexively caught her arm before she hit the ground.
"Lys!"
"I—I'm fine!" she gasped, rising quickly. But when she looked back, her face went white.
From behind the fog, a large, dark figure emerged.
The creature stood over two meters tall, its bulky body covered in coarse, grayish-black fur. Its eyes glowed crimson like embers, its gaze freezing their blood. Its mouth hung open, revealing a row of sharp teeth glistening with thick saliva. Its arms were long, with black claws that raked the earth with each step.
Úlrey cursed under his breath.
"I thought you said we couldn't fight this thing?!"
"Good heavens! That thing is revolting!"
"No!" Lys screamed, pulling them to continue running. "It's immune to blades or requires… powerful magic or—"
Before she finished, the creature leaped. Its massive body blotted out the sky, its shadow engulfing them briefly before it landed with a thunderous crash a few meters ahead. The ground trembled, sending them reeling.
Now, their path was blocked.
Angga bit his lower lip, his hand trembling as he held the meat cleaver. "Do… do we have to fight?"
The creature let out a low, resonant growl—like a giant hound from the depths. Saliva dripped from its mouth, emitting a pungent stench. Slowly, it stepped closer, its claws scratching the earth as if preparing to pounce.
Úlrey raised his dagger, though he knew it might be useless.
"Then we've got no choice."
The creature roared, its voice shaking the air like thunder. Úlrey tightened his grip on his dagger, his eyes narrowed, assessing the monster's movements.
"We have to attack together!"
He yelled.
"Lys, can you distract it?"
Lys nodded quickly, her hands already trembling, forming a small circle in the air.
"I… I'll try!"
Angga, though still breathless, positioned himself beside Úlrey.
"I'll attack from the side. You take the front."
Without waiting for a response, the creature lunged. It swung its claw toward Úlrey with terrifying speed. Úlrey ducked to the side, evading the blow just as the claw ripped into the stone where he'd been standing.
"Now, Angga!"
Angga leaped, his meat cleaver slashing toward the creature's belly—but a second claw awaited. Clang! The cleaver flew away, and Angga was thrown to the ground.
"Damn—!"
"AWAY FROM IT!" Lys slammed her hand to the ground, and a pale blue flash erupted from her palm. Small cracks spread across the earth, trapping the creature's feet.
The effect was minimal. The creature was only temporarily immobilized, but it was enough for Úlrey to slip behind it.
"Eyes or throat," Úlrey muttered, searching for a weak point.
"Ah!—either one!"
Úlrey immediately plunged his dagger into the creature's side repeatedly and brutally—though it still seemed insufficient.
The beast spun violently, flinging Úlrey like a ragdoll. One claw came inches from slicing his finger clean off.
"Lys, something stronger!"
Lys bit her lip, then closed her eyes.
"I'll try… But I need time!"
Angga, who had been lying down, saw his meat cleaver not far from him.
He immediately tried to throw it at the creature, gambling on what would happen… Luckily, the cleaver hit its mark, piercing the creature's eye.
"Now!!" Lys shrieked.
They didn't need to be told twice. Both of them immediately lunged at the creature, pushing it—until its neck was impaled by a large, sharp branch, spurting black blood.
The creature seemed to stop moving; the previously glowing red eyes began to fade.
"We… succeeded?"
Angga sat down, breathing heavily, wiping the blood from his body.
Lys collapsed, her hands trembling.
"I… I can't believe…"
Úlrey wiped the blood from his face, then looked upward.
"That damned Vaingard… truly."