Chapter 8: Chapter 6: The snow

“The free lands are an interesting topic indeed. They lie just west of the many small beast nations like the Federation of Ashanti or the Theocracy of Thal. The earliest mention of these lands was in the chronicles kept by Alfedorei describing the downfall of the nation of Kathal around 95.000 years ago. These days the lands are occupied by gargantuan dragons blocking the path west, and we do not know what lies beyond these lands” - Keeper of history.

“hah” as always she was ever astounded by the way the cold interacted with the breaths she released. A coloring of white given to something you normally would never be able to see, no matter how good your eyesight was. Ever since she came to these snowy wastes, this was the one thing that she never lost her admiration for. 

Oh how her subordinates would make fun of her behind her back if they found out how she was fascinated by such a simple and daily occurrence, but she had never let anyone catch on to it, well anyone besides her husband, he knew her too well. She was far north of their camp on top of a hill looking over the gargantuan sea that stretched ever further north into the lands of ice she could barely make out. She had heard tales of these lands from her master, the one she knew by the name of The Whore. Tales she would rather not think about…

What the name The Whore means she did not know, nor did she care, for her master had ever been hands off with their way of life ever since she found them in their home forest nearly 100.000 years ago. Or so the story goes….. if she were to believe her elders and the stories their elders passed onto them from the remnants of their tribe that are still at home. 

The whore had given her predecessors a single objective nearly 2000 years ago and that was to find a way west. Why the whore was interested in what lay beyond these mountains and the massive fortresses south she did not know, but she was eager to explore them herself. All she knew is that the lands beyond are where the humans, vampires, beastkin and elves came from that defended the large fortresses that barred their path west. 

The mere imagination of the lands west set her heart aflame with passion and joy, joy at exploring uncharted territories, meeting new people and ways of life. New food, new sights, new forms of combat, but, most importantly, a new future for her daughter. And it would not be long before she could journey west, for she and her tribe had found a way past the mountains. And she was soon meeting her saviors….

A rustle of the bushes to her west caused her to break out of her musings and look for what she hoped would be their saviors, and found them she did. A small version of the humans she was more familiar with, they called themselves dwarves, and they were masters of the mountain range they called Gen Torum.

Around 150 years ago they approached her and her tribe to make a Lord’s deal. In exchange for providing safe passage west, her tribe was to deliver unto them the fresh carcass of a 4th step, something they called a narwhal. A fish-like creature with a tusk that allowed it to kill its prey and defend itself from attackers. And recently, they finally succeeded in finding and killing one, these elusive creatures that managed to evade them for 150 years. It had been a gigantic undertaking as her tribe had never before hunted in the waters of their home, but her tribe is resilient and resourceful and they made it work. 

“So you finally managed to kill a 4th step narwhal if the message you had your husband sent to us is to be believed.” An all too familiar rough voice caused her to focus on a specific individual, someone she knew all too well. He was known by the name of Brunded Goldbeard and how he looked she couldn't care less about. All she cared about was finding the way west for her tribe. Next to him was someone she cared far more, her husband. 

He, just like her, had grayish/blue skin and a pair of pure black horns that went up for a bit before they curved to the backend of their head. His hair was a blackish gray that was shared by almost everyone of their tribe alongside the selfsame red eyes. His powerful 2 meter 70 frame covered by black plate armor, interwoven with a tabard displaying the tribe's emblem alongside several spikes at his shoulderpads. He was the love of her life and together they had a child who shared much of the same features, with the sole exception of her white eyes. 

As she was drinking in the sights of her husband, the dwarf walked past her and looked down the hill, hoping to find their end of the deal and that he did. “That is indeed a 4th step Narwhal and a proper one at that. It has to be at least 60 meters, how in the name of the best ale did you guys manage to kill it?” He asked as he kept looking down the hill where her tribe was dragging the “narwhal” onto the coastline. 

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“None of your concern, just hold up your end of the bargain and we will deliver the creature’s flesh into your mountain” she snarled at him and went on to stand behind the dwarf with her 3 meter frame, towering over the poor dwarf that barely crossed the 1.20 meter mark. 

“Yes yes, we made a lord’s deal. I cannot escape it” he answered in kind with a seemingly relaxed voice despite being surrounded by a full tribe of people at the 3rd step of their path, alongside those at the 4th. To not even mention the leader and her husband who were towering figures well into the 5th step, and thus one of the few in the world who made it that far. 

“Break up the carcass and your camp and place everything you own on those large boats. After, you will push them out to sea and the waves will carry them towards the lands forever frozen. We don’t want any of the other tribes down south to figure out there is a way west up here in the north after all” the dwarf continued as he walked past the tribe leader and her husband back to his mountain, a smile forming on his face at having attained a 4th step narwhal’s flesh. 

“Let’s just get this over with” her husband spoke in his ever low voice and she could do nothing but agree, for their future lay west. Together they made their way down the hill and started to help their tribe break up the carcass.

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A month has passed since he awoke from his long slumber, he did not care for how many years went by, for the passage of time has long since lost its meaning to him. Currently he was swimming northwest, far past the kingdom of selene and the Urel Khaganate, past the domains of countless 6th step animals, but he did not care. They were far beneath his notice. Eventually he arrived at an island alone in the sea, barely 10 meters wide across, but somehow it has not been swallowed by the sea. As he reared his head above the waves, he shrunk down the rest of his body and transformed into a humanoid figure as he landed on the island. As he walked into the center of the island, he found seven lanterns hanging over a stone slab that had the word “deliverance” engraved into it. Two of the seven lanterns were burning, indicating the activity of two of the seven celestial hunters. He would have to visit these old friends of his, for it has been far too long since he last saw them…

“We’re all tired… if only the sleeper…., he could’ve released us from this suffering” his hoarse unnatural voice sounded out as he turned to look south-east, into the free lands and heaved a tired sigh. 

“But we shall have to wait for the seventh celestial hunter, for they would have the strength” he turned towards the sea again and got into a position to jump high into the air to eventually fall down into the sea where it would once again transform. Transform into the sea serpent Aguna. 

 

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