“The need for more power to protect the Empire is resisted by the Aristocracy’s desire to stay in control. It’s a fine balance. The necessity of a strong and capable population to resist the monsters, demons and enemies of Illyria, but keep them in subservience to a small group of wealthy Elite.”

Chapter 47

Wil struggled to walk forward, even with others breaking a trail through the snow in front of him. The path was icy and uneven. Every step he took felt like he could barely grip the ground through his thick leather boots.

The snow had risen to above his waist in places, and the high winds was constantly stinging their faces and refilling the broken path with snow. In several area, Wil saw snow drifts larger than a single-story house, forcing the group to walk around the piles.

The line had taken a twisting and turning shape, as they attempted to find the easiest path forward. Their party stretched for hundreds of feet in length, but the blowing snow ensured they could only see a couple people in front of them before the others were lost from sight in the storm.

Wil was walking near the rear of the group of adventurers, nearly one hundred of the most powerful and highest ranked in Grand Falls. They ranged from rank 1 rookies to some of the most veteran rank 5 warriors and hunters in the north.

The expedition was being led by Archibald Anwir, who was accompanied by Mayor Allard. The Northern Bear had come out of retirement to assist with ending the storm.

Archibald was still dressed as flamboyantly as ever. He had personally led the column out of the city, breaking through the waist deep snow. His bright garb made it easy for the others to spot him. His golden armor still glinted brightly, even in the dim light of the storm.

Wil found himself impressed with the Bard. He had managed to convince everyone to follow him out into the mountains. They had left the safety and warmth of their homes to follow a bard on an adventure into the unknown, to stop the snowstorm before it buried the entire north.

It would make a great story, if any of them lived to tell it.

Archibald had attempted to use his authority, given to him by the Lady Anjou, to order them all to follow him. When that hadn’t worked, he tried to appeal to their sense of adventure, or duty, even their curiosity about what was waiting for them in the mountains.

The Bard had been jeered and heckled out of the great hall.

Finally, after a long day of wheedling, pleading and outright threatening, the Merchants came forward and announced large financial incentives to anyone willing to march with Mayor Allard and Archibald into the mountains.

They were quickly overwhelmed with support. The coin offered was so good that they were forced to turn away many of the lower ranks.

Wil focused back on the present. The snow was getting steadily deeper, and the storm seemed to be raging even fiercer the closer to the mountains they came.

‘Maybe Archibald was right.’ Wil thought, looking upwards from his Ursine fur hood at the clouds above them. The Bard had reasoned that whatever was causing this storm, it was coming from the mountain nearby.

Archibald suspected that the Bugbear Shamans, known for conducting rituals to control the weather in the past, were behind this new threat. They would search the nearest mountain peak and put a stop to the creatures.

Wil could not see the mountain, but the land in front of him was gradually becoming steeper. The trees were thinning the more the group traveled, becoming a smattering of trees as the large forests gave way to rocky mountainside.

The storm clouds, already a dark grey, had started to turn black. It was as if Night were approaching early, and it was becoming harder to see in the dim light.

When they had set out, Wil could see at least a dozen people walking in front of him. The visibility had been reduced until he could barely make out a vague shape walking ahead, the blowing snow and dim light drastically reducing his sight.

If it wasn’t for the trail made by others through the snow, Wil could almost believe he was out here alone.

He lowered his hood deeper over his head, silently thanking Annabelle again for the gift. He could not imagine being out in this weather without the fur cloak, its magic made the fiercest storm bearably.

Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, he was surprised when the trail in front of him split abruptly.

One path led to his left, the other to his right, through a small group of trees. Both trails seemed equally worn, leaving him confused on which to take.

The one on the left continued around a large rock and a snow drift, while the right seemed sheltered by the trees. He couldn’t see any of his group walking either path, it was as if he were alone. Not being able to see the mountain for directions, he could only go by his judgment.

Both seemed to continue climbing upwards, but he chose to take the forested path. It seemed to offer some relief from the wind.

He followed the path, walking between the widely spaced trees. The snow, that had previously been up to his waist, seemed much lower as the trees protected the path.

The howling wind was also muted. Wil could finally raise his hood slightly, no longer fearing the stinging wind on his face. He continued to trudge through the snow, as the trees stretched into the distance, and he lost all sense of direction.

He kept following the path in front of him as the storm clouds overhead continued to darken and the hours passed. He was exhausted from the hike and deep snow, and he could barely make out the trees in the darkness around him.

Holding up his hand, he summoned his magic to create a small floating light. The harsh white light shone on his surroundings. He could see that he was surrounded by forest, the path leading forward, out into the darkness ahead.

He turned to look behind him but couldn’t see the trail he had taken to get here. The forest floor was unbroken. No sign of his footsteps remained, save for several behind him. It was as if they were scrubbed clean or seamlessly covered.

Concerned, Wil turned to the path ahead, but it had disappeared as well. He stood alone, in a deep forest. The darkness around him so thick that he could only see a few feet in any direction and the snow lay unbroken in every direction.

“Twin’s Light! What’s going on here?” He cursed, his words carrying in the eerily quiet and windless surroundings. His concentration was broken by his plight, causing the light floating above his hand to sputter and dim, before finally dissipating.

He stood alone in the darkness, taking deep breathes of the frigid air to remain calm. He slowly turned to look in all directions, hoping to spot a landmark or light in the blackness around him. The storm clouds roiled and moved swiftly across the sky.

As he turned, he spotted a dim light out of the corner of his eye. Slowly turning his head, he found it. A fire was flickering in the distance, he could make it out through the trees. He started walking in the light’s direction through dark forest.

Shortly, he came to the source of the light. It was a small church, made of stone and nestled in amongst the trees. He could see that the snow, so thick everywhere else he had traveled, was only a light dusting in the clearing where the church had been built.

The light he had been following came from the large windows in the front of the church. He walked closer, noticing that the symbol of the Twin Sun gods was prominent on the front of the building.

The church looked ancient and well cared for. The stone steps leading up to it were worn and cracked, but stable.

The entrance to the church was a set of double doors, one half painted a bright yellow, the other a vibrant blue. He tried the door and was surprised to find that it was unlocked.

Wil entered the building, finding that it was warm and well lit, with rows of pews leading to a large altar at the front. The altar held another symbol of the Twin Suns, a golden seven-pointed sun containing a smaller blue circle.

“Hello?” Wil called out, his voice echoing in the large room.

With no answer, he walked to the front of the room, where a large fireplace had been built next to the altar. A fire burned merrily, with a small pile of wood next to it.

Wil looked around the building, but aside from the altar and the fireplace, the room was empty. He was completely alone here.

As strange as it was, he felt safe in the abandoned church. Even without knowing who lit the fire or where exactly he was, he felt that he was welcome to spend the evening here.

Eating some rations from his pack, Wil stretched out in front of the fire. Saying a quick prayer to the Sun gods, he quickly fell asleep, exhausted by the trip through the storm.

When he awoke the next morning, he was shocked by the changes around him.