Chapter 13: “Adventurers can has little a break?” or will the chapter number be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Ok so you’re probably sick of my complaining, but maps are liars. Everything looks so flat and aside from the little marks denoting mountains or the odd piece of terrain, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the land around mountains slopes up towards them. 

What I am trying to say is… We’ve been walking uphill ever since we left the thicket this morning and even now as we entered the Corugh highlands with mountains both ahead of us and rising up on either side of like the bones of some great monster, the capital was not yet in sight.

Demoralising right?

Physically the only thing that had been keeping me going was El’s potions, but more than that El was sounding a little more frustrated every time they had to deal with Roxi and I’s droning questions of ‘How much further?’.

I’d have sympathy for them, except for the fact that ‘Not much further now’ is not an adequate answer. Like the pass we were travelling through had been growing narrower and narrower as the terrain on either side of the road grew steeper and steeper until there were cliffs on either side with barely enough room for maybe six men marching abreast. 

If it wasn’t for El’s assurances we were going the right way, I might have thought we’d missed the capital, having taken a wrong turn somewhere and were now crossing the highlands instead.

A shadow raced across the ground and before I could follow where it came from, it climbed the wall of the pass and disappeared. My gaze shot upwards as I searched for whatever had made the shadow along the cliffs, ledges and sky above.

Whatever it was, it was fast and it wasn’t a cloud. My mind was racing at what it could be, this was a fantasy world could it be a dragon, a wyvern, some kind of giant vampiric bat or was it just a bird. A big bird.

Roxi and El hadn’t seen it and they didn’t know what had spooked me, but their reactions couldn’t have been more different. El, apparently entirely unphased, began to whistle a wistful tune, while Roxi couldn’t decide where to direct her worried looks, me or where I was looking.

Tense minutes passed as I watched anxiously, waiting for whatever that had made the shadow to return.

The pass began to widen again and only minutes later it opened up to an absolutely breathtaking sight. I even had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. That of course earned me an amused smirk from El and a mouthed ‘I told you so’.

The ground in front of us sloped down into a wide and open basin of a valley walled on all sides by more mountains, taller and greater than those we had already passed between. I can’t say it was a very green fertile valley, with limited daily sunlight, much of the basin was filled with a rich black soil and mountain gravel covered by grey lichen. 

At the middle of the basin where it was at its deepest and received the most sunlight, resided a small lake, its surface as still as glass, a beautiful cobalt blue at its edges and almost black at its middle suggesting light swallowing depths. The greenest region of the valley was around the lake where patchy green grass, hardy bushes and stunted trees made do with the precious few hours of direct sunlight, as they grew up between grey boulders.

I had almost missed it, the very vastness of the valley and the rugged splendor of nature on show had hidden it from my eyes, but following the road down into the valley and into the distance, past the lake and almost all the way to the vale’s mountainous rear wall was what had to be Santarriral. 

Mistaking it at first for one of the many mountains around us, the city’s size could only be described as immense and much of it was built from the very same stone as the mountains surrounding us. Each rock cut and hewn into various sized bricks and blocks and then piled up into great walls, houses, shops, mansions and like a sharp peak above the rest, capped by a great castle that put Brightspring’s fort to shame. 

Actually comparing it to a mountain fails to capture the sheer majesty of the city and its castle, where mountains are full of weathered and rugged lines shaped by the harshness of nature, here was beauty in the form of graceful smooth lines. Tall slender structures that seemed to defy gravity, the artifice of their construction creating an illusion of impossible delicateness that with its grace hid the enduring strength they must have.

Yeah given how awestruck I was by the jaw dropping vision before me, I guess I should have been thankful I didn’t have a mouth full of flies.

“Yeah… I thought you’d both enjoy the view. Convinced I know my way yet?” El teased totally ruining the moment.

No comment.

Like intellectually I know they were right, but umm this city kinda felt inconceivable, like sure you had the pass, the valley and presumably another pass leading deeper into and through the highlands, but this place felt not real. Like they can’t grow any food in this valley and any wood for construction, cooking or keeping houses warm in the cold nights would have to be carted in.

In a low tech setting like this my mind could sorta see a trading camp here on the road through the highlands, or maybe a mining town, but this city was entirely on a different scale, y’know? 

I guess there were plenty of farms on the west side of the highlands within a days walk of the city, more with a horse and cart and this was probably the main route for trade between the eastern and western halves of the Duchy, not to mention extremely defensible even without the city’s walls.

I guess magic might come into it?

“The locals say the city was founded in the arms of a giant. It refers to the valley, they call it the Giant's Cradle, apparently that mountain to the north east, the one that sticks out head and shoulders above the rest is known locally as the giant. Apparently it is like our Everest and still growing,” they continued, probably enjoying the chance to play tour guide. 

Holding a hand up, with her palm directed at them, Roxi threw El a quick look of irritation. “Shh, let me enjoy this for a minute, I’m saving this view to use as my one of my pod’s home environments.” 

Returning my attention to the valley and the city, I noticed something else I had missed. There was a second city. Sort of. So kinda like back at Fort Brightspring, a second city this time built from scavenged stone and sparse wood had grown around the older majestic stone city before us.

A slum.

It was understandable, this place was strong, it was stable, it was rich, it was safe. You could probably find work and enough food to almost feed your family. It was no wonder that many had fled here, considering the civil war in the surrounding lands. 

Enough to build a second city at least.

* * *

Eventually El got us moving again and to my relief it was mostly downhill, well at least until we got to the other side of the lake and then had to walk uphill to the city. The downhill walk helped and even going up the slope to the city, we at least had that cool crisp mountain air. 

It was the little details of full immersion that really sold it, like the feeling of cold air in your lungs. The little details that blurred the barriers of what was real and what was a simulation. Everything felt real and there was a strong sense of rightness. 

Sometimes I found myself forgetting that this wasn’t my body and that not only was my body different but it was locked down in that little pod I scrapped together back home. I’m sure almost anything could happen to me and my pod and if it wasn't for the fact I’d be pulled from the game, I probably wouldn’t know it.

I could almost imagine some other street rats breaking into my place and stealing the pod with me still inside.

That’s not a pleasant thing to think about. 

Right, so... 

Crisp cold mountain air.

It might burn slightly at the back of your throat, but it was refreshing and it helped keep me from overheating. If I haven’t mentioned it already, Cait Sifv and cat type Alrecs don’t just cool down via sweating, but also through our tongues. 

Ok that last bit is a lie, we don’t really cool down via our tongues, but apparently if we were to give ourselves a tongue bath, the salvia would act like sweat cooling us down. That said don’t get your hopes up, I’m not going to perform feline yoga like grooming with my tongue any time soon.

The shadow reappeared as we crossed the valley and it wasn’t just one shadow this time but a close cluster of five shadows that glided across the ground faster and far quieter than any petrol scrap bike.

I jerked my gaze up into the sky, seeking the source of the shadows urgently. Squinting, I was able to make out five specks silhouetted against the crystal blue sky. They weren’t birds or dragons, but something else entirely. It was hard to tell, but they looked almost like an elongated dog or cat with wings. Aerodynamic and elongated snouts pointed the way through the sky while a set of tails fanned out behind it, each one ending in a barbed spike.

Riding atop these creatures were figures, men in half-plate that carried bows, short lances strapped to their saddles. I was looking at aerial mounted knights! 

That was pretty damn cool.

Sadly, entering the outer city obscured my view of the knights and their fascinating mounts as they wheeled out of view behind the rough stone wall of a building.

I’d called the second city a slum earlier, but passing through it I could tell that despite the ‘improvised’ nature of the buildings’ construction, the second city was well ordered, tidy and the people for the most part seemed happy. 

Thin plumes of woodfire smelling smoke rose from many of the shops and dwellings where people cooked, accompanied by the smell of food. Shopkeepers loudly hawked their wares to potential customers milling about on the main street. The sounds of anvils and children’s laughter carried through the air and I couldn’t see any anger or resentment in the eyes of the townsfolk as a patrol of guardsmen passed by.

It’s hard to sometimes tell the difference between a relatively poor but happy district and a slum, but this place didn’t have the same heavy atmosphere of hopelessness or the scent of desperation that back home had. 

Despite being a city of refugees and the haphazard construction, the people here weren’t especially hungry, they weren’t fearful and they had hope.

I guess El’s crush was the one responsible for preserving their hope. Can I take this and hold out hope that she is a good person and we aren’t walking into another wolf’s lair?

Well when we arrived at the gates to the city proper, the guards seemed to know El. ‘Seemed to know’ meaning the guards pulled them aside and asked if they had any new tales of adventure, only letting them go when El promised to visit the barracks later on after they first meet with the Duchess.

I’m not sure the guards knew what we were seeing the Duchess for, going by their conspiratorial winks and the way they were wishing El good luck. Is it proper for guardsmen to wish an adventurer success in bedding their liege?

“Well, they really like her and she is under a lot of stress with this civil war, keeping the city running and receiving regular deliveries of food so they don’t eat through their siege stores. They like me and my stories and probably figure the Duchess does too,” El explained after noticing Roxi and I’s perplexed expressions. 

“I'm pretty sure those winks aren’t to do with you telling tales of adventure to the Duchess and the wishes of good luck are for that reason,” I piped up, as soon as we were out of earshot.

Scratching their head, El flashed me a guilty smile. “They are probably hoping I can also provide stress relief too, if you get my meaning. I do however think their idea of stress relief might be a little different to her Grace’s,” El responded with a sardonic grin.

“Sounds like you know her pretty well then?” Roxi replied with just the barest hint of amusement slipping into her voice.

“Well… Keeping a place like this running means there are a lot of jobs for someone like me and she pays pretty well. I’ve been dropping in and out of the palace for months taking the sort of jobs you don’t advertise for, but it's not what you think,” they answered cagedly. 

For a just a moment Roxi’s expression conveyed the same sense of disbelief I shared with her, before as quickly as it disappeared her eyes glinted with mischief. “Those guards seemed to think things were pretty friendly between you and the Duchess. You have more than your fair share of wit and charm,” Roxi teased.

“When you’re not using that wit to needle others!” I interjected, remembering the enjoyment they’d seemed to get from messing with us.

“You wound me,” El replied with mock hurt, clutching at their heart, “Sure a woman in that sort of position can get lonely and sure I’ve provided companionship and entertainment, but it's purely platonic.”

Dropping the performance for once, Elixatmael began to speak plainly. 

“She’s a widow with child and most of her problems are due to accusations of infidelity that can’t be proved and while I personally believe a widow has the right to move on and express interest in other suitors, she knows such actions would prove such infidelity in the eyes of her accusers. I’m not the kind of person to pursue or force the issue when she is so opposed. Short of abdicating the Duchy and the capital, the only suitors she’ll be able to pursue are noble leaders of the various factions in this civil war,” explained with their head hung low, “Life sucks y’know?”

Fuck that is heavy.

Well I guess that killed the conversation. Crap and the mood, I thought, catching the miserable expressions of my companions. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled as we trudged on up towards the castle.

Huh… 

Wait a minute, isn't she meant to be an npc?