It was the first time that he ascended the mountain with another human, Noah realized with a chuckle. So far, they had made good time, making it to the old orc village in just over a week. Despite his numerous warnings and blunt explanations, none of his new companions had expected the pace and had made their complaints known. This, of course, brought only a smile to Noah’s face as he sped up further, until they either caught on or couldn’t speak through their heaving breathing. After the first two weeks had passed, they finally learned to accept their lot, if grudgingly. They had yet to encounter a single beast on their journey, and Noah couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding that grew with each passing day. To him, it was like the hairs that stand on end when a storm is brewing. There was a tangible anticipation in the air as if even the mountain knew of the coming chaos. The others seemed oblivious to this, however, and he had been content to allow them their ignorance. When black rock turned to snow-laden ground and the third week passed, his attitude shifted. Somehow, he knew that once they crossed that invisible threshold, there would be hell to pay if they went in unaware.
In an unusual event, he called them to stop before the sun had set, and they set up camp in the snow. Noah built a fire and used the last bit of salted meat to make a stew. It was the first time they would have a hot meal on their journey. Jergin, Kyle, and Gerald watched Noah with growing anxiety as they wondered over the sudden change in his demeanor. The three, especially Gerald, had taken time to fall into line and acknowledge Noah as their leader, but his stoic consistency and relentless pace had left little room for argument. Thus, seeing the visible concern in his expression planted seeds of doubt even in the heart of the veteran elf. They started as Noah suddenly cleared his throat.
“Ahem. The meal is ready; dish up,” he instructed. They complied, their rumbling stomachs winning out over their concern. Once Noah had settled in with a steaming bowl, he sighed deeply, looking up into the stars.
“I fear something—unpleasant lies ahead. The fact that we have seen no signs of beasts or swarms is alarming enough, but there is also a strange impetus in the air. If my predictions are correct, then we will encounter true danger in the next leg of our journey. We have yet to fight together, and I wish we had the opportunity to wet our blades in less dire circumstances, but that will not be the case. To remedy this, we will spend the evening sparring and readying our bodies and reflexes for the fights ahead. I have been lax in discipline to this point, but from here on, I expect immediate obedience if I give an order. A second of hesitation may lead to one or more of our deaths.” Noah stated. Kyle gulped, Jergin inhaled sharply, and Gerald’s eyes grew determined.
“When do we start?” Gerald asked. Noah smiled and held up a hand.
“Take your time and eat. We will begin after that,” he replied. There were several nods of acknowledgement before they dug into the meal. Noah tried to savor the warm and salty stew, but the twisting in his gut held his attention. This was the first time he had felt this level of wariness. Is it my domain? Or a vision of sorts? He looked over at the others who were entrusted to his care, at Kyle—still a teenager. He knew that they had already seen battle, but they weren’t prepared for whatever would come next.
They finished the meal and readied themselves, each opting to start with melee weapons. Noah was grateful that he didn’t have to explain the importance of being prepared for the eventuality of close-quarters combat, even when starting with bows. Jergin wielded a spear while the two archers held short swords. They began in pairs, and Noah opted to use his knives to spare his partner from real injury from his hammer. He was pleasantly surprised at Jergin’s skill level, pushing Noah to use his superior stats to keep up with his movement. He figured that Jergin was near Recter in raw skill, an impressive feat by all standards. Next, he sparred with Kyle and was not nearly as impressed. His openings had openings, and there was little nuance to his striking patterns. Noah made sure to strike often and hard with the pommel of his knife or the edge of his boot to alert Kyle to just how vulnerable his defenses were. Kyle cried out as he was knocked to the ground for the third time, no doubt with sore ribs from the latest blow. Soon they rotated again for the final match up.
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Gerald had a unique fighting style, moving far more gracefully than the others could hope to. He focused on strange footwork patterns and avoiding blows rather than deflecting them. It took Noah a minute to work out his weak points and another to land blows to emphasize them. This was encouraging to Noah, until he saw the surprise in Gerald’s eyes.
“How did you manage to hit me? This should be an impenetrable defense!” the elf huffed in frustration. Noah frowned, knowing there was no way the elf was so naive.
“I am going to pretend you didn’t say that. Your fancy footwork is decent, but the blind spots became apparent after just a couple minutes of sparring.” Noah replied. The elf sighed in exasperation.
“Again,” Gerald demanded, settling back into a fighting stance. Noah obliged, and they returned to their match. This time, he made sure to thoroughly trounce the elf, not wanting to leave any illusion of invulnerability in the elf’s mind. Gerald proved to be persistent as he climbed to his feet time and time again, having passed from fury to cold determination after the first several bouts. Noah was impressed with his endurance and his stubborn streak, though he wanted to be sure that it wouldn’t get them killed. Gerald was talented for sure, likely one of the best, if not the best, fighters in the settlement. This, however, amounted to little when facing opponents like Noah, who had fought countless life-and-death battles in a never-ending struggle over nearly two years.
After a particularly powerful strike to his thigh, Gerald stayed on the ground. Noah sheathed the knives at his belt and helped the man to his feet.
“Done already?” he jeered. The elf met his eyes, and Noah saw that the pride and stupidity had faded.
“I am. I seem to have picked up some dangerous ideas in my time below. Thank you for setting me straight.” Gerald said, with a serious expression. Content with his evaluations he whistled to get the others’ attention and waved them over.
“Next the three of you will fight me simultaneously. I will use my hammer, which I assure you could very well kill you if you let it strike the wrong spot.” He said. When he saw the hand that shot up in protest he continued, “The beasts you are about to face will likely be able to kill you in a single blow. If you can’t keep your wits in a fight against me, then you should return to the settlement.” he cut in. That was the end of the questions and Kyle steeled himself appropriately for the coming fight.
The three huddled several paces from Noah and the result was Kyle stowing his sword in exchange for his bow. He took several more steps back and nodded to the others. Noah couldn’t help but smile at the tactical choice, at least Kyle could acknowledge his his strengths and weaknesses.
Noah signaled the start of the bout and Jergin moved straight toward him. Kyle maneuvered to a clear line of sight and Gerald began circling in the opposite direction. Noah observed all of this in a moment as his domain spread over the field. He returned Jergin’s charge and swung his hammer in a wide arc. Jergin jumped back and Noah made use of the momentum to close the distance and drive a shoulder into the drakon’s side. Before he could follow it up, he dropped into a sprawl as an arrow passed through his previous location. He perceived the approaching steps of Gerald and rolled to the side and up to his feet before sprinting toward the archer. Surprised by his actions, Kyle was left undefended and barely managed to draw his sword before Noah gently stopped his hammer beside his head.
“Loss!” he shouted. Kyle’s eyes were wide as he panted heavily, the sparring proving real enough to bring an awareness of death. The others drew up to them, several moments too late to have made a difference.
“Again!” Noah shouted. The others scrambled to get back into position before Noah sprinted toward Gerald for the first exchange. The matches continued well into the night, most ending quickly as the trio discovered their tactical misconceptions. Noah allowed them a long night of rest after that, knowing that they would need every advantage they could get in the coming days.
