Let's Climb a Mountain

My head spun from altitude sickness and I stumbled for the who-knows time. I wasn't used to the thin mountain air, or the biting wind. It was all I could do to keep warm despite Lucinda giving me a heavy leather jacket. Even burying my face in the fur lining and wrapping my cloak around me didn't help.

"kyomi… hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt. I just wish I was like you. It'd be nice not to be able to feel the cold."

She didn't answer. It was an issue we'd run into. I would complain and Yahime would worry because she fundamentally couldn't understand. Her sense of touch was muted —she couldn't feel temperature or pain— so my suffering was foreign and unexplainable. The closest I'd managed was comparing it to the emotions she was still learning to distinguish.

"Don't look so down. Appreciate that you don't have to suffer."

We'd been climbing the mountain since daybreak in search of any sign of the Essence Stones Richard was looking for. None of the villagers had a clue what I was talking about, and in the end the only lead I'd scrounged was the story that had led the drunk Hanabi into the mountains.

"Stories say that, before the Exiled were forced to the north, there was an ancient civilization that inhabited Purga. No one has ever seen them and the only evidence of their existence are old ruins. Lady Hanabi loved searching for the ruins, saying 'if they could survive here, so can we'. I think if they were so great at surviving, they'd still be here."

It was a bit jarring to hear Lucinda talk so callously, but I understood. It was terrifying to think that the life you built, that the generations that were supposed to come after you, would die off and fade into history. That said, rumors of the civilization were all I had.

How the hell are we supposed to find anything out here? The cliffs and boulders make it impossible to search for anything. I could use my earth magic, but who knows what might happen. The last thing I want is to cause a rock slide that destroys Stonewood.

"Have you found anything?"

"rock… more rock…"

I blinked in surprise. Had Yahime just tried to make a joke?

"The sun set soon. We should probably head back to the village."

"why not camp like forest?"

"We, I, can't. There's no trees to block the wind and I'd freeze to death once the temperature drops. Unless we can find somewhere to take shelter, we have to turn back."

I didn't like it either. Almost a week had passed since the attack and Richard had disappeared. Disappeared, but not given up. Aurelie's memories of him and his persona in Royal Hearts assured that. The man would never give up on a chance to elevate the Gredig Trading Co.'s reputation and make money. Greedy bastard.

"Maybe just a little further," I muttered to myself. I climbed around a jagged rock that jutted from the mountain and walked to its edge for a better view. Acquiring [PERFECT SIGHT] from Yahime had been a godsend, allowing me to see, well, perfectly, even in dim light. It also enhanced the distance I could see and I'd noticed I could see subtler movements around me. Sometimes it was disorienting, but I'd slowly been getting used to it.

What's that?

My eyes narrowed. A cave hidden between two giant rocks? I had to stop myself from dancing around like the children. With any luck it was what we were searching for; at the very least it would save us the time of venturing back to the village.

I had Yahime carry me over the obstacle course impeding our path. I'd been walking on my own because Yahime moved too quickly for me to fully take in my surroundings, but it didn't matter if we knew our destination.

The cave itself was average in every way. A little too average to be honest. It lacked all the features I'd expected: no bats, no stalagmites or stalactites, and thanks to [PERFECT SIGHT], no eerie darkness. The only oddity was how deep it went. Even with my improved vision I couldn't see the end of the tunnel that extended from it.

"Let's rest for a bit before exploring."

I drew out the wood Taro had given us on our departure and arranged it for a fire. I still wasn't great at lighting them and worst of all I realized I'd forgotten to bring any tinder.

"let Yahime… try…"

"Sure? But how are you—"

A blue-white flame ignited in Yahime's hand. She brought it the wood like she was holding a glass figurine before letting it fall from her hand. The wood ignited in a bright flash and a moment later there was a crackling fire.

How did she do that? It reminds of Bixey's fox flame, only whiter.

"Was that [VIDE'S FLAME]?"

"yes… learn after turning into monster…"

An unexpected consequence to Yahime's [BESTIAL TRANSFORMATION] was the sudden self-consciousness that followed. While I'd been unconscious, some of the villagers (the rabbitman Tapper in particular) who'd witnessed the form argued that she was too dangerous to be let back into the village. As the elder Lucinda had overruled them, but it had made an impression on Yahime.

"You're not a monster. Those villagers were just anxious because of the attack. If they really thought that, they would have never let the kids play with you."

A sense of relief bloomed inside of me from Yahime. I refused to let her think poorly of herself.

I had Yahime stand guard at the entrance once I settled and munched on the boxed lunch Derry and Rikki had sent with us. Food didn't spoil when it was stored in Yahime and while I found eating something that had been held in a mysterious void questionable, we'd never run into any problems. Besides, I was connected to Yahime more than ever. I doubted it would do anything.

There's just been so many changes. I'm still worried about the [MORTAL WOUND] debuff, too. What if [VIDE'S GRACE] stops counteracting it? Hell, what if a good hit from a monster brings my HP to zero? I can't be killed by normal means, but the tooltip doesn't elaborate what that means.

I sighed and sprawled out. My natural stats were halved. Equipment bonuses were calculated normally, not that they helped much. My cloak and jacket raised my resistance to the cold. That was it. And I had a sneaking suspicion that once we found the location of the Essence Stones, we'd be in for a fight.

"If only I could figure out my [YOZORA MAGIC]. Why does my magic always have to start off greyed out? Like, why give it to me if I can't use it? Not to mention taunting me by naming it after me…"

I grumbled to myself while I finished eating before resting my eyes.

"Wake me up in a bit," I mumbled to Yahime.

***

"What in Lumin's name am I supposed to do about a Dusk?!"

Richard stared at the papers on the table trying to make sense of the documents he could have normally finished in a few minutes. He hated it. The weather, the bandits, and most of all the woman he'd instantly recognized as Aurelie Scelerat.

"How is she even still alive? And how did she tame that Dusk? No one has ever been able to subjugate one. They normally kill the person trying to form a pact or die in captivity."

"It's because you underestimated her."

Richard jumped at the voice. At least reinforcements had arrived.

"Louis. What kept you?"

"The chaos that Aurelie left in her wake. Have you not heard what happened to Edgeton?"

"Of course not!" Richard glared at the swordsman. "I've been stuck in this frozen shit hole for months!"

Louis closed the tent flap behind him and leaned against the wooden post. His silver sword hung from his hip and the matching chest plate gleamed under the glow of the magic light stones. He was the youngest of Prince Stolz's entourage, with a baby face that didn't match his icy blue eyes and always present scowl. Only his shaggy permed hair fit his appearance.

"Tell me His Highness sent more than just you. Those idiot bandits fled the moment their oaf of a leader plunged head first to his death."

"A regiment of foot soldiers and a company of mages. More than enough to take down a demon village."

"Weren't you the one that said not to underestimate her? Aurelie and her Dusk are too much of a threat for a head on attack."

"Don't worry about the Dusk." Louis patted his sword with a rare grin. "I'll handle it."

Richard wanted to agree. If anyone could stop the monster, it would be Louis. The boy was from a long line of knights and already a swordmaster at sixteen. Even if he did struggle, Richard could buff him with magic. He would have done the same for Ajax if the fool hadn't rushed off without notice.

"Then I'll leave the camp in your hands while I take the men I brought to search the mountains. The stones are close. I can feel it."