Chapter 55

The sun was just peaking over the top of the mountains by the time we arrived at the base of the Summit of the Ancients. We were debating which direction we should go around the mountain to find a path leading up when we were found.

“We should go east towards the village, I know of a path there.”

“Is that the one that Yallia and I came down? That’s too close to the village, if the Empire is there then it would definitely be under guard. We should head west, we might not know of any paths, but I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“And if we don’t...”

Whatever Talass was about to say was cut off when three Lamia literally slithered out of the underbrush. One moment we were arguing and the next we were surrounded by three Lamia who towered over us, and although the weapons they were holding were not being brandished at us their facial expressions told me that they were ready to kill at a moments notice. Before my experience with hunters told me that while they were able to fight and kill wild animals, a darkness in their expressions told me that this time the animals had fought back.

“It is good that you are back, Kallax and Renther were not certain if you were following.”

“They made it back alright then? We were following their trail but we hadn’t seen any sign of them in some time.”

“They made it back just before midnight with the plants.”

“Is the village alright? We saw the smoke.” I asked.

The hunters regarded me coolly for a moment before seeming to come to a decision.

“We were prepared so the village was evacuated, otherwise it could have been a lot worse. But still, they attacked for no reason and a lot of good hunters died. Esther was injured badly in the attack, your mother gave her a healing potion and her wounds have healed, but the strain of the potion rendered her unconscious. No one is certain if she will wake up.”

“Who is in charge?” Talass asked.

“I am not certain, we were ordered by Falleris to guard the back of the summit and watch for the outlanders. The elders were discussing who was to be in charge when we left.”

“Is there a path to the top of the mountain? We have more potion supplies with us.” I asked.

The Lamia looked at me before gesturing behind him. “There is a small path leading up the mountain back that way. It is difficult to see but it is marked by a small boulder under a tree. The path is treacherous so you may want to rest for a time.”

“No time, I need to get up there.” I said.

Talass nodded beside me.

The two of us wasted no time walking in the direction the hunter indicated and a few minutes later we found the path. It was a good thing the Lamia were here, otherwise we probably would have walked right past it.

Glad that the sun was still only rising and the heat not completely unbearable yet we started up the mountain. We didn’t speak as we ascended, I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other and trying to figure out where the ancient winding path was. After several hours of trudging up the mountain we finally pulled ourselves over the top of the plateau.

Falling onto the ground I barely noticed the ding as Talass collapsed beside me. Holding myself up on my hands and knees I was only roused by the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

DING

QUEST COMPLETE

Travel to the lost Temple of Gaia and protect Talass as she gathers what she was sent for!

REWARD FOR COMPLETION

Increased reputation with Lamia of the Veil of the Gods, increased resistance to TAINT. Purification from TAINT.

SUB QUEST

Gain an Air Affinity from the Air Jacks of this area!

REWARD FOR COMPLETION

Gain an Air Affinity

I smiled looking at the reward before my stomach heaved.

I’d thrown up a few times in my life. Either from the flu, some questionable food that I should not have eaten and from alcohol only twice. This was nothing like those times.

I had no control over my body, I simply held myself up as best I could as what felt like a fire hose ejected a disgusting black bile from my stomach.

After what felt like a solid minute of throwing up I finally stopped, whatever was coming out of me was finally finished. Falling onto my side I managed to avoid landing in the puddle of black bile that just exited my body.

Laying on the ground my stomach still churned, my back ached and even my legs were still screaming.

“See I told you you were dying.” Talass said as she hooked her hands under my armpits and pulled me away from the puddle of bile. “Even your tail fell of, and that can’t be a good sign.”

Mumbling I tried to wave her away but the surprisingly strong woman was having none of it. Only when I was several feet away did she let me drop to the ground, and by this time I became vaguely aware of a crowd of people surrounding me. I was actually starting to feel a little better when strong hands were once again under my arms and pulled me up and I heard a familiar voice talking.

“Don’t bring him to the infirmary, he may infect Esther, take him to an empty room.” Hallice said.

The hands lifted me and I felt myself being dragged over the ground, after a minute I tried to get my feet underneath me, but we were traveling too fast and I just kept stumbling over myself.

Fortunately before long I was placed on the ground and was able to get a good look at the two Lamia who had carried me to bed, Kallax and Renther.

“Hey guys, you made it back alright?” I rasped out, my throat still raw.

The two leaned down towards me and Renther spoke. “We almost didn’t make it out of the city, but after that it was easy travelling all the way back. Are you alright? Is it poison?”

Rather than answer his questions I asked for water. After rinsing out my mouth I drank until the skin was empty and fell back with a sigh.

Looking around I saw that I had been placed in one of the small stone alcoves on a small bedroll. Hallice entered before I could answer Renther’s question.

“Didn’t Falleris put you on guard duty? Get back to work before I tell him you're ignoring his orders.” The two Lamia looked at me, their expressions apologetic before they turned and left.

Hallice loomed over me looking down with the same inscrutable expression that I had seen on Talass’s face time and time again. I had never thought they looked very much alike but at this moment I saw the similarities.

After a moment of her looking at me like I was a bug and she wasn’t sure if she should squish me or not she lowered herself down until she held herself over me.

“My daughter mentioned you haven’t been feeling well, are you alright?”

I took a moment to consider the question. My back didn’t hurt for the first time in days, my legs felt better, and my stomach was rumbling, but aside from that... “I feel great actually. What happened?”

“You stepped onto the mountain, collapsed and threw up a vile smelling black liquid. Were you stung by anything?”

I shook my head.

“Did you eat anything that you shouldn’t have?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not wasting any more time with you, I have actual injuries to deal with.” She ascended to her full height and turned to leave, just as she reached the exit she paused however. After a moment she stopped and turned around.

“Talass told me about what happened, thank you for saving my daughter's life.” and with that she turned and left.

Taking a moment to stretch out I sat up and twisted to the left and the right feeling my back stretch and pop. Standing I stretched up smiling, that quickly turned into a frown when I touched my toes and realized that I must have thrown up on my shirt. Nothing can ruin a good mood like a face full of black demonic puke. Grimacing I took the shirt off and looked around for my pack or anything else I could put on, not finding my pack I swore softly to myself.

Leaving the small room I ran straight into Yallia her forehead striking me directly in the throat. I fell back grasping at my throat, coughing and bending over.

Yallia approached me and started slapping me on the back. “Neil are you ok? I heard you collapsed.”

After a moment I stopped coughing and looked up. Yallia had rings under her eyes, and part of her hair had been burnt off, and a smell of smoke was following her. “I’m fine, I feel great actually. How about you?” I said eyeing her burned hair.

“I’m fine, but I need to talk to you, somewhere quiet.”

“I might be able to find a spot, follow me, do you have my clothes? I need a new shirt.”

Yallia passed me my bag, she had apparently patched it up a with a piece of leather while I was away. Opening it I grabbed the first shirt I saw and placed it on. We left the small room and I had to duck around a Lamia coming from the other direction carrying a large woven basket filled with fruits.

I walked through the cramped corridor dodging around Lamia with every other step. Looking around I saw that I was just a short distance from the room I stayed in when I first arrived.

Turning the other direction I led Yallia up the stairs to the highest portion of the summit. Even here there were Lamia slithering back and forth, setting up temporary shelters, carrying supplies, and making themselves at home. We passed a young boy who couldn’t have been older than four who was helping his father make a basket out of some brown grass.

We walked to the back of the mountain before we finally found a corridor of empty rooms. Walking to the end we entered one and I sat down.

“What happened here? We saw the smoke from miles away.”

“We have some big problems Neil.” Yallia said leaning towards me. “The meeting between the Lamia and the Empire devolved into fighting almost immediately and the Lamia got their asses kicked. They lost at least a dozen hunters killed or captured, including their leader Esther. I saw her being dragged onto the ship by Gnomish Heavy Infantry. They also found something under Nialla and Gand’s home, it was in the corner near where you were sleeping. It looked like some sort of a leech and I think the Empire attacked because of it.”

My stomach sunk as Yallia talked. I had known that whatever had been happening to me had been getting worse, but I hadn’t thought that I was leaving behind hits of itself. Had I left a trail of these things behind me when I travelled to the temple?

“The attack was yesterday, this morning the prisoners were displayed in the ruins of the village, the Lamia sent someone to negotiate and then afterwards they sent people down with healing potions. I think the Lamia will be surrendering to the Empire to secure treatment for their people.”

“What why? Talass was saying they could just avoid the Empire if they needed to.”

“That was before they had two dozen people killed and captured. If the Lamia wants to get their people back they need to roll over for the Empire and they both know it, and that means we need to get the hell out of here.”

“What, why?”

Yallia looked at me with exasperation written on her features. “We’re bargaining chips, the Lamia know that I’m not friendly with the Empire and they would be interested in capturing me, and knows the value of the first Human to be spotted in hundreds of years. If they present us to the Empire they could get a slightly better deal and have a chance to save all of their captured hunters.”

“And I cornered us on top of a mountain.”

I was about to suggest we get the hell out of there when the elders streamed into the room.