CHAPTER 16:
THE MOUNTAINS OF DEPRESSION
"We've got to get back to East Elencia," Feena announced. "We have to stop Gaia before it's too late. If we're lucky, we might be able to kill it before it gets a chance to evolve."
"Yeah, but how?" Justin asked. "Guido's boat was destroyed by that giant monster."
"You can use mine," Agron offered.
"Really?! Thanks!"
"However, it's quite a distance away. The shortest route to the boat is through the Mountains of Depression, but they're said to be extremely dangerous. The only way you can get to it is to walk clear around the mountains, but that will take at least a week...."
"But, we may not have a week!" Mullen interrupted.
"He's right," Justin thought to himself. "I say we head through the mountains. Since the world's in danger, the journey is worth the risk!"
"Actually," Agron began again, "it isn't the mountains themselves that's dangerous. There's said to be a curse upon them."
"Argh!!" Feena moaned. "Is there anyplace on this continent that isn't said to be cursed?!"
"So, you don't believe in curses, do you?"
"No, I don't! For the last time, curses are just a bunch of crap to make some places seem more interesting than others!"
"Obviously, my dear, you do not know of the legends. They say that, thousands of years ago, a Uolegnanian chief was murdered and robbed by a pair of bandits while on a hunting trip in the mountains. As the chief slowly and painfully died, however, he muttered a curse on the Mountains of Depression. That night, the entire village heard a frightful moaning sound from the mountains, like a cross between a scream and a howl, and later, the two bandits were found dead in the chief's sleeping quarters. Although the chief had gotten his revenge on the bandits, many hunters have claimed that they've faintly heard the chief's inhuman moaning while in the mountains, and there are some who say that they've actually seen the spirit of the murdered chief."
"And, how do you know that the legends are even true?"
"Because I am one of those who have seen him, and it's possible that you may spot him as well. However, if you do come across him, he will be unrecognizable as a human. His spirit has taken a new form...not human...but something else.... Something...entirely different!"
With these words said, Agron guided the travelers out of the city and to the beginning of the Mountains of Depression.
"I wish you all a safe journey," Agron bid the adventurers as they descended into the mountains.
Leaving Agron behind, Justin climbed up the first mountain. He was used to traveling through mountain ranges, so he didn't feel too uncomfortable. As they climbed higher and higher, the pine trees surrounding them were quickly replaced with snow and rock. The air was gradually becoming thinner and colder. Finally, they reached the top of the first mountain.
"Only...two...hundred...more...to...go," Justin panted, watching his breath form a large cloud in front of his face.
Before they knew it, night soon fell. A full moon gave the snow-covered mountains an eerie glow. The wind howled through the mountains' peaks, making it seem like the mountains were whispering to each other. Then, Justin heard it. A chilling scream, or howl, or a mixture of the two echoed softly across the mountains.
"You hear that?" Justin spoke up.
"Must be the wind," Feena suggested, but looking fearful.
The scream/howl steadily grew louder until it was almost deafening, forcing everyone to cover his or her ears in pain.
"That was no wind!" Justin exclaimed, as the chilling sound grew silent once again.
"Justin," Sue began, pointing to the sky. "Wh-what's...that...up...there?"
They all looked towards the sky to where Sue was pointing. A large, black shape could be seen flying in the sky. It had a sixteen-foot wingspan, dark fur covering its entire body, and long talons. Suddenly, the thing swooped down at the group.
"Get down!" Justin yelled as he pulled Feena and Sue down into the snow with him.
The creature barely missed them as it flew overhead. It landed about twenty feet from the group. In the darkness, they could barely see it, but the moonlight revealed some of its features. It looked like an eight-foot man covered from head to toe with either dark fur or dark feathers. A large pair of black wings spread out from behind its black body. The creature had a head with no face, except for two large, luminous, red eyes that lit up the scene like lanterns. Just the mere sight of those chilling eyes scared the hell out of the entire group.
Justin wanted to either reach for his sword or run away from this creature. However, he could do neither. He just continued to stare into those frightening eyes as if under hypnosis. After what seemed like an eternity, the creature finally spread its wings and took off into the night sky.
"What...was...that?!" Rapp exclaimed as the creature disappeared behind another mountain.
"I know as much as you do," Justin answered.
All of a sudden, a faint rumbling sound could be heard from the top of a nearby mountain, growing louder and louder. Justin looked up at the mountain, and his eyes opened wide in fear.
"Guys," he said. "Start running."
"Why?" Feena asked.
"Just do it!"
They all looked up at the mountain to see an avalanche speeding towards them, growing larger and larger in size as it gathered more and more snow. Unfortunately, it was far too late for the group to start running, and the wall of snow soon hit Justin with the force of a locomotive.
Justin slid down the slope at blinding speed. He had completely lost sight of the others. In fact, all he could see was white. The snow slowed down just enough for Justin to see. Looking up, he saw that he was headed straight for a cliff! He plunged his feet into the ground to stop himself, but he kept in motion. The cliff was getting nearer and nearer. He shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for the fall, and felt himself stop sliding. He opened his eyes slowly, and saw that only his feet were sticking out over the ledge. Justin sighed loudly, and collapsed his head against the ground.
"I hate mountains!" he said to himself. "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah, I think so," Feena called out, standing up.
"I've got snow in places that I didn't even know I had!" Sue complained.
"Mullen!" Leen shouted.
"What?"
"Where's Mullen?!!"
"Down here!" he shouted. They looked over the cliff and saw him clinging to the ledge with his bare hands.
"Mullen!!" Leen screamed, running up to him. "Hold on, I've got you!" She grabbed his arms and pulled him up onto the ledge. Leen wrapped her arms around him. "Don't...ever...do that to me again!" she said angrily into his ear.
By daylight, they found their way out of the mountains and onto a beach. The travelers quickly boarded Agron's boat, which they found tied to a dock, and they were soon headed for East Elencia to finish the job that they had started.
TO BE CONTINUED
THE MOUNTAINS OF DEPRESSION
"We've got to get back to East Elencia," Feena announced. "We have to stop Gaia before it's too late. If we're lucky, we might be able to kill it before it gets a chance to evolve."
"Yeah, but how?" Justin asked. "Guido's boat was destroyed by that giant monster."
"You can use mine," Agron offered.
"Really?! Thanks!"
"However, it's quite a distance away. The shortest route to the boat is through the Mountains of Depression, but they're said to be extremely dangerous. The only way you can get to it is to walk clear around the mountains, but that will take at least a week...."
"But, we may not have a week!" Mullen interrupted.
"He's right," Justin thought to himself. "I say we head through the mountains. Since the world's in danger, the journey is worth the risk!"
"Actually," Agron began again, "it isn't the mountains themselves that's dangerous. There's said to be a curse upon them."
"Argh!!" Feena moaned. "Is there anyplace on this continent that isn't said to be cursed?!"
"So, you don't believe in curses, do you?"
"No, I don't! For the last time, curses are just a bunch of crap to make some places seem more interesting than others!"
"Obviously, my dear, you do not know of the legends. They say that, thousands of years ago, a Uolegnanian chief was murdered and robbed by a pair of bandits while on a hunting trip in the mountains. As the chief slowly and painfully died, however, he muttered a curse on the Mountains of Depression. That night, the entire village heard a frightful moaning sound from the mountains, like a cross between a scream and a howl, and later, the two bandits were found dead in the chief's sleeping quarters. Although the chief had gotten his revenge on the bandits, many hunters have claimed that they've faintly heard the chief's inhuman moaning while in the mountains, and there are some who say that they've actually seen the spirit of the murdered chief."
"And, how do you know that the legends are even true?"
"Because I am one of those who have seen him, and it's possible that you may spot him as well. However, if you do come across him, he will be unrecognizable as a human. His spirit has taken a new form...not human...but something else.... Something...entirely different!"
With these words said, Agron guided the travelers out of the city and to the beginning of the Mountains of Depression.
"I wish you all a safe journey," Agron bid the adventurers as they descended into the mountains.
Leaving Agron behind, Justin climbed up the first mountain. He was used to traveling through mountain ranges, so he didn't feel too uncomfortable. As they climbed higher and higher, the pine trees surrounding them were quickly replaced with snow and rock. The air was gradually becoming thinner and colder. Finally, they reached the top of the first mountain.
"Only...two...hundred...more...to...go," Justin panted, watching his breath form a large cloud in front of his face.
Before they knew it, night soon fell. A full moon gave the snow-covered mountains an eerie glow. The wind howled through the mountains' peaks, making it seem like the mountains were whispering to each other. Then, Justin heard it. A chilling scream, or howl, or a mixture of the two echoed softly across the mountains.
"You hear that?" Justin spoke up.
"Must be the wind," Feena suggested, but looking fearful.
The scream/howl steadily grew louder until it was almost deafening, forcing everyone to cover his or her ears in pain.
"That was no wind!" Justin exclaimed, as the chilling sound grew silent once again.
"Justin," Sue began, pointing to the sky. "Wh-what's...that...up...there?"
They all looked towards the sky to where Sue was pointing. A large, black shape could be seen flying in the sky. It had a sixteen-foot wingspan, dark fur covering its entire body, and long talons. Suddenly, the thing swooped down at the group.
"Get down!" Justin yelled as he pulled Feena and Sue down into the snow with him.
The creature barely missed them as it flew overhead. It landed about twenty feet from the group. In the darkness, they could barely see it, but the moonlight revealed some of its features. It looked like an eight-foot man covered from head to toe with either dark fur or dark feathers. A large pair of black wings spread out from behind its black body. The creature had a head with no face, except for two large, luminous, red eyes that lit up the scene like lanterns. Just the mere sight of those chilling eyes scared the hell out of the entire group.
Justin wanted to either reach for his sword or run away from this creature. However, he could do neither. He just continued to stare into those frightening eyes as if under hypnosis. After what seemed like an eternity, the creature finally spread its wings and took off into the night sky.
"What...was...that?!" Rapp exclaimed as the creature disappeared behind another mountain.
"I know as much as you do," Justin answered.
All of a sudden, a faint rumbling sound could be heard from the top of a nearby mountain, growing louder and louder. Justin looked up at the mountain, and his eyes opened wide in fear.
"Guys," he said. "Start running."
"Why?" Feena asked.
"Just do it!"
They all looked up at the mountain to see an avalanche speeding towards them, growing larger and larger in size as it gathered more and more snow. Unfortunately, it was far too late for the group to start running, and the wall of snow soon hit Justin with the force of a locomotive.
Justin slid down the slope at blinding speed. He had completely lost sight of the others. In fact, all he could see was white. The snow slowed down just enough for Justin to see. Looking up, he saw that he was headed straight for a cliff! He plunged his feet into the ground to stop himself, but he kept in motion. The cliff was getting nearer and nearer. He shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for the fall, and felt himself stop sliding. He opened his eyes slowly, and saw that only his feet were sticking out over the ledge. Justin sighed loudly, and collapsed his head against the ground.
"I hate mountains!" he said to himself. "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah, I think so," Feena called out, standing up.
"I've got snow in places that I didn't even know I had!" Sue complained.
"Mullen!" Leen shouted.
"What?"
"Where's Mullen?!!"
"Down here!" he shouted. They looked over the cliff and saw him clinging to the ledge with his bare hands.
"Mullen!!" Leen screamed, running up to him. "Hold on, I've got you!" She grabbed his arms and pulled him up onto the ledge. Leen wrapped her arms around him. "Don't...ever...do that to me again!" she said angrily into his ear.
By daylight, they found their way out of the mountains and onto a beach. The travelers quickly boarded Agron's boat, which they found tied to a dock, and they were soon headed for East Elencia to finish the job that they had started.
TO BE CONTINUED
