22: Oliver

Liran woke up before dawn as she had struggled to sleep. So, she decided to walk the pier and regather her senses by staring out across the calm river.

"Since when were you an early riser?"

She frowned as she recognized the voice and turned to face Oliver, who came up beside her. "Have you been following me?"

Oliver chuckled. "Why would I do that? You're not my only fiancé."

She sighed. Her name was most definitely one among a list of other women he called his fiancé in his little black book. However, she was one of the few who knew about his womanizing ways and decided to keep their relationship strictly professional. Besides, he was never her type to begin with. Even him calling her his fiancé was more of a running joke between them.

She chuckled. "Figures." Her expression became earnest. "I was told I had you to thank for saving me. So, yeah, thanks."

"Well about that, you see..."

She slapped her hands over her ears. "Ask one of your other fiancés on page ten who has more coins to loan you money."

Oliver burst with laughter, stirring birds from their slumber.

"So noisy." She groaned.

"Fear not my maiden, I went to pay Grayman a visit." He heaved a deep sigh.

"So you decided you weren't greedy for life after all." She gulped. "But you're still alive!"

He stifled his laughter. "Well, I did owe him for the strings I stole and blamed on you."

"You told him. Why?"

Oliver nodded. "There are some serious things in life more important than me. After he chased me around the stone maze with his staff, shooting off lightning bolts for an nanturn, I paid him back and told him about you."

Liran listened to the rest of his explanation before he turned to walk away.

"Trust in Grayman. He's ready to listen to you, and he's your best shot at saving your life." He headed down the path out of the town.

She had a feeling of not seeing him again: something in the way his strides carried more uneven weight, like he was holding back pain and weakness. Her diagnosis insight saw the reason. It's likely he knew she'd see it too so didn't hide it, but wouldn't say anything. Maybe facing Grayman for her was one of his last, saving graces, before reaching the Ninth Shadows.

"Oliver..." Her heart ached with sorrow.

"Are you alright?" Aiden saw her wipe her eyes so didn't say anything more.

They stood on the pier, silently watching the sun swiftly rise above the river.

"Let's go check on the others," she finally turned and headed back to where everyone slept.

Nothing more was said about the moment. Everyone gathered what they needed for a cold trek up the mountains. 

Scot and Beserk stayed behind to establish their business.

Goodbyes were said. Liran and her party strolled across an arch stone bridge over the river to begin the long and arduous trek up the Wizard Mountain's path.

The way to the Library of Andor Sakratu and the Andor Scholar Wizard faction was more perilous than they thought.

The kijen sisters ended up climbing the edges in their fox forms for a while, when their human bodies were unable to handle the temperature change.

Liran was impressed at how they were able to fight off starving wolves, who had tried to ambush them from the snowy high ledges.

Clover's tail became hard and sharp like a sword when silverish magic was applied to it. Her whacks sent the beasts flying off the steep drop. Similarly, Bosnia's paw punches and kicks had the rest slamming into rock and running off with their tail between their legs.

Liran played her lute to heal their wounds and calm the flow of the oncoming blizzard, making their way forward slightly easier. Her playing also ensured snow didn't fall over their heads as an avalanche, especially when the path narrowed so they had to walk single file and hug the sides.

The blizzard increased intensity to the point Liran's playing couldn't contain it, but fortunately the way opened to a midpoint where a small glade of thin trees (covered in snow) indicated flat ground. They saw a rest point a few meters ahead, which was a small cave in the glade where the blizzard blew past the entrance.

Inside, they wasted no time in getting a fire going. Liran warmed up bottles of ale and cooked their meat skewers. After their bellies were full, Aiden and Annoying Imp took the first watch as they slept for the night. By dawn they continued climbing.

Fortunately the blizzard had eased and there were no signs of beasts, since the flora was sparse and so low growing most was buried in snow. But they felt their legs burning with aches from heavy, long, strides uphill in thick snow.

Finally, the way cleared again where they rested on the mountain's apex, looking down to a clear sky and thick clouds covering some of the below area.

"So this is what it feels like to be at the top." Bosnia did a whoop and raised her arms, but soon coughed from the icy air that chilled her lungs.

Clover chuckled.

"The sun from this high makes me think above and below are the same space."

"I hope you don't want to jump off to test that theory." Rat scoffed.

"Why would I even think that? Unless..." She poked his tiny cheeks. "For a small thing you sure are a daredevil."

Rat's brows twitched and he flicked his tail at her, then took light steps across the snow to climb up Annoying Imp's leg and snuggle into his warm pocket.

"The mucus is so lucky to be able to slip into a cozy pocket." Bosnia groaned, now regretting that whoop as her chest still felt cold despite wearing a fur coat and boots on her human body.

"Let's keep moving then."  Liran led the way up where they finally saw a large stairway to stone double doors: the surface was plain, but they shimmered with multicolored light to indicate strong magic.

At the doors, Liran played a simple melody that activated an intricate rune array across the surfaces. The doors stirred into motion, where they eventually stepped inside.