Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 169  "Dwarves?"

The captain led the way up the mountain, his steps slow as the climb became steeper with each minute. The scouts followed closely, their breaths visible in the freezing air, tucking their furry coats up, protecting their necks. Leier glanced upward, noting that the peak of the mountain was drawing nearer, yet the valley still couldn't be seen, remaining hidden.

"We're almost there" - the captain said, his voice strained from the effort, his throat dry thanks to the lack of air humidity. "Just a bit further." He couldn't feel his nose or fingers anymore, and the same was true for all the scouts behind him, except for Leier. As they ascended, the path grew narrower and more dangerous. Loose rocks, covered by ice, crumbled under them, and the wind howled through the peaks, caressing their ears. Yet, they kept going.

"It's going to be difficult to climb with the soldiers using this path" - Leier thought, her eyes looking down at the dangerous path they had traversed. The trail was difficult and filled with obstacles, like fissures in the rocks and thin ice that could shatter with more weight. It would be difficult, but not impossible to ascend using this path.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, the captain finally stopped and pointed ahead, his fingers trembling nonstop - "There" - he said, his breath visible in the cold air - "That's the Screaming Valley."

Leier squinted her eyes through the mist, barely making out a narrow pass winding through the mountains. It was dark and ominous. The wind rushed through the valley, pulling the clouds down like tentacles trying to drag them into the abyss. It was seemed like an abode to a mythic monster that wished to swallow the world.

"Is there any safe way down?" - Leier asked, carefully walking towards the edge of the mountain, trying to see if she could find any spot to safely descend the mountain and reach the valley.

However, when she took her second step, she felt the sound of something breaking underneath her. It was a human hand, its owner seemingly with hands and feet tied with a rope, frozen to death on top of the mountain. His expression one that seemed to say that he had accepted his fate and died a peaceful death, but contrary to his expression, his contorted figure was one of pain and desperation.

The captain approached her - "He was a farmer who cursed the previous lord behind his back. He was sent here for a punishment of seven days" - He explained, recognizing the man's face. The extreme cold had preserved the body, keeping it away from being eaten away by nature.

Leier nodded in understanding - "Basically, it was a death sentence. There's no way a normal human being can survive in these conditions for even two days, much less seven," she said.

The captain nodded, responding - "Yes, we have never seen anyone with a punishment of more than a day survive and return to Rusra. Even those who survived had to amputate a limb or two. Their spirits are corroded by the spirits of the mountains."

Leier uninterestingly took her eyes off the body, not bothering with that, since if someone cursed her liege she would do the same, no, even worse than this. She would be sure to tie him there together with their whole family, without his hands and legs, only able to watch them die slowly.

"So, Is there any way down?" - She asked again, her eyes searching for a path that could lead them to the valley below. The captain embarrassedly scratched his nose, hiding a smile - "People have only gone down this abyss in one way, and it sure wasn't by feet… sorry, miss." "Then, we need to scout the area" - Leier said, turning to the scouts, who were looking somewhat afraid of the height - "Check the terrain and look for a way down. Be fast; we have only until nightfall. We can't fail the king's mission." - she commanded. At her orders, the scouts spread out, taking careful steps as they mapped out the mountain. There were paths where the mountain suddenly stopped and an abyss opened under them; other places had only a layer of ice that separated them from free falling towards the valley, making it impossible for large numbers of people to tread on it. And, as the sun began to set, a scout returned, his fingers trembling and without their natural colors. It was normal since the scouts looking for a way had to use their bare hands to sustain their bodies from falling or even to walk in a more dangerous place.

"I found it, leader!"- The scout said in a rush, letting out a dry cough, as he tried to take a deep breath, trying to control his rapid and short breaths. It was as if he had been running a whole marathon without a single second to rest.

Without wasting a single second, Leier jumped to her orders, commanding - "Guide me there!" - She didn't even take a moment to properly congratulate and compliment the soldiers, who had no other option but to immediately guide her. Despite being on the verge of passing out, he kept going.

The path indicated by the scout was narrow, but it wasn't so steep, making it quite easy to descend. The only problem was a big fissure that could be solved with a trunk or something solid - "You can go rest! I will keep going" - Leier commanded, kicking the ground and easily jumping over the large fissure, reaching the other side in a single breath.

She descended the steep mountain with the grace of a wolf, her movements precise and fluid. The way down was smooth until she reached a point where the clouds draped over the valley like a gray cloak. The pressure difference and the contours of the mountain seemed to transform the clouds and the wind into a rushing river, with the currents tugging at her and threatening to pull her down.

Leier firmly planted her feet in the snow, using her dagger to steady herself as she descended. After nearly two hours, she stood in the valley, embraced by towering mountains on both sides. However, heavy mist covered her vision of the valley, making it difficult to see far ahead.

She looked up, estimating - "It's going to take us a whole day to get down here…" - the river of clouds didn't allow her to see the peak she had just descended.

 It had taken her a good two to three hours to make the journey, and with the entire army coming along, it would likely take even longer, perhaps a day or more. Not everyone among them could use Mana to strengthen their bodies and support their bodies against the wind, which would further slow down their progress.

"I need to go back and tell my liege…" - Leier whispered, ready to climb back up the mountain. But just as she was about to jump to grab onto a boulder, something came flying at her, propelled by the strong wind. With her dagger still in hand, Leier deflected it hastily, but the force behind the projectile sent her tumbling towards the rocky outcrop, drawing a trickle of blood on her back. Looking around, she spotted a war-hammer stuck into the mountain's wall, its size as big as one of her legs.

Then, a voice pierced broke through the silence of the valley - "Tch, I missed!"- it grumbled, followed by another voice scolding - "You fool! I told you to attack when she was in the air. She wouldn't have been able to block it then."

"Shut your mouth, you hideous wench without a beard!" - the first voice spat, only to be met with a retort - "Look who's talking! The dwarf who can't even start his own fire! You are a shame to the dwarf race!" Upon hearing those words, Leier immediately took a defensive stance, pulling out another dagger and crouching low, like a leopard ready to pounce - "Where are you?"- she whispered, unable to see the origin of the voices. She began to channel her Mana, activating her Tribal Tattoo, blending her presence with the wind until she vanished from sight. "Damn it, where did the big and ugly human go?" - the male voice muttered in confusion. Leier, who had moved slightly and held her breath, finally caught sight of her attackers. Two stunted people, a man and what appeared to be a woman, emerged from the mist, clad in fur garments and horned helmets. Both had long mustaches and appeared quite hairy, even their hands had hair all over it.

Observing them, Leier couldn't help but compare their size to Luke, the dwarf who served the king and handled a most of administrative tasks. The midget that was always saying he would hunt down a dragon.

The pair approached where Leier had disappeared, their puzzled gazes scanning the area - "There are no footprints. Where the hell did she go?" - the man pondered, scratching his long beard - "Should we alert the village and the elders?" - he turned to the woman, seeking help. "Of course, you fool!" - the woman snapped, smacking the man's helmet as hard as she could - "It's all because of you! Remember what happened last time a human stumbled upon our village? They robbed our precious stones and even kidnapped some of our kin." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Remembering those days, the dwarf shivered - "R-Right" - he stammered, rubbing his throbbing head, too intimidated to argue with the woman. It was his fault for not killing the woman as soon as he spotted her going down the mountain - "I only wanted to have fun…It's always boring inside the village" - he muttered, but the small woman seemed to catch wind of his words.

"What did you say?" - She angrily asked, clenching her fists, ready to smack him again. However, the man rapidly shook his head - "Nothing, nothing, let's go back!" - he sheepishly said, leading the way.

As the duo departed and Leier finally exhaled, muttering to herself, "Dwarves?"