Chapter 330: Chapter 296 – Mountainous Ascent

“The eponymous Highmountain of Highmountain Isle holds the title of the tallest mountain in the known world, with its peak a full seven and a half kilometers above the sea level. Other than the avian tribes of therians who called the frozen hellscape of those peaks home, very few others have climbed the summit.

 

Still, a few daredevils tried from time to time, and some even made it to the summit successfully. Others failed only for their frozen corpses to be found by a passing local, or else consigned to eternal obscurity down one of the many crevasses. Either way, it was not a path to be taken by those light of will or courage.” - Giuseppe Enmundo, Geographist from Dvergarder, circa 662 FP.

“Brr… Getting cold up here,” complained Dan as he climbed up the mountain. Out of the group, he was the one who had the most difficulties climbing the steep sloped of Highmountain, although with his life attribute, he could simply wipe out his own fatigue and muscle strain and kept going to catch up with the rest regardless.

 

“Just keep climbing! The workout will keep you warm and toasty!” said Willa from above him with a laugh. Cal and her three blood mage students scaled the wall almost as easily as they walked on flat ground, their reinforced fingers gouging holes into the rocks of the mountains with ease, and their powerful muscles easily pulling their bodies onwards. Even Fheeri had little difficulty and seemed to enjoy the climb, the brutal training regime Cal placed all her students on had conditioned her physique to handle such a climb without much issue.

 

The rest of the group handled the climb in their own ways. Elaina and Sidonie, being trained hunters and rangers, notwithstanding Cal’s tender ministrations over the past few years, were far more fit than Dan was. They cleverly climbed behind Willa and Ognar’s wake, using the handholds made by the two ahead of them to ease their own ascent.

 

Kyara and Ashani climbed up the mountain as if it was an oversized tree, nimbly and using their claws for grip when needed, at times leaping from one protrusion to another without hesitation or doubt. The graceful way with which they climbed was a stark contrast to the brute force method Cal and her students went with.

 

Kino used a similar method as Cal and her students, as her void magic gouged out perfect handholds and footholds for her to use in the ascent. She did so relaxedly and kept pace with the others, although it was clear she could have climbed even faster if she wanted to. Most of them kept their pace slow and steady to account for their slower members, though.

 

Tal kept up with them surprisingly well, despite his bookish looks. The young man was a wind affinity mage, and while he was not powerful enough to outright fly to the top of the mountain, he had enough skill to make himself half-float, using the wind to push him from below and thus greatly reduce the weight he had to bear during the climb.

 

Vark had a relaxed climb as well, as he simply transmuted stairs out of the stones of the mountain as they climbed, while guiding Krystal up by her hand. When the temperature got colder higher up the mountain, Krystal in turn kept them covered by a small ring of fire, mostly there to keep them warm.

 

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Both Leila and Ilena effortlessly enjoyed the climb from the back of their respective mounts. Lumi found it easy to ascend into the cold upper regions of the mountain, the Ice Drake at home with the cold, while Ida was simply unbothered about it as she climbed the mountain almost as gracefully as Kyara and Ashani did.

 

The girls on their backs kept themselves warm easily, given their magma affinity. Little Ilena had already awakened hers, and was juggling a few orbs of molten rocks near her to keep the cold away, while Leila did the same a bit lower down since she was guarding in case someone lost their grip and fell.

 

“Ahoy-hoy, travelers! Been a while since I’ve seen a bunch daring enough to challenge the slopes!” interjected a voice as they climbed. Cal turned around and saw that it came from an old-looking therian whose features strongly resembled a great bird of prey, one mostly old and graying, and with a pair of eyeglasses perched on his beak. “Most that visited our fine city just chartered a ride by net to the top.”

 

Cal saw what the old bird pointed at, as a group of other avian therians were flying up in the distance, with a large net full of goods clutched in their talons. Some in the trading post had told her that they also took passengers from time to time, though the ride could not be called a comfortable one. Her group had near-unanimously chosen to challenge the slopes since it sounded more fun, however.

 

“Oh, we know, but where’s the fun in getting up there while being hauled like cargo?” retorted Cal back. Her whole group continued their climb while they spoke, the old therian easily keeping up with the increasing height, though he also gave some curious looks at Ilena and Leila, and their mounts. “It’s more fun this way, you know?”

 

“Can’t say I really get it,” replied the old bird as he meaningfully glanced towards his flapping wings. His kind probably never tried to climb anything the hard way, given how they were gifted with flight after all. “But then again, to each their own. Hope to see you up top, stranger! Look for the Old Hawk’s Roost if you’re up for some fine dining and room! Best in town, on my balding tailfeathers!”

 

“We’ll keep that in mind!” yelled Cal back as the old hawk flew away to rejoin his group. Since they climbed up the hard way, they wouldn’t reach the city until another day at the very least, which meant spending a night on the mountain slopes. Yesterday they had been lucky and found a flat enough area where they could set up tents, but they were not as lucky that day.

 

Instead, Vark formed platforms out of the mountainside, on which they then lay their bedding on, the whole package was set up on a large net, which was tied to several jutting stakes Vark helped create for anchors. They slept tied into those harnesses, right by the cliffside. It was a rather novel experience to sleep so high up with nothing but a small platform scarcely wider than their shoulders and a net for support, if less comfortable than what they were used to.

 

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