The Northern Lands had thus far proven to be brutal terrain to navigate. Its mountainous base consisted mostly of solid rock which, over the course of miles, rose steeply through a misty atmosphere. Kelm and Maebus found themselves climbing more than walking most of the time.
The air was noticeably thinner at this altitude, amplifying Maebus’ headache as he constantly strained for breath. However, he was unsure if it was due to the low oxygen level, or the fatigue settling within his chest and body. He’d scolded himself for not eating much during the trip. But he’d had no appetite for a number of days. Even the thought of eating sickened him almost as much as not eating.
“You’ve got to keep up!” Kelm yelled back towards him.
Maebus hadn’t noticed that he’d fallen several yards behind Kelm, whose pace was annoyingly brisk. Since leaving their first encampment, they’d made significant progress traveling northeast. However, Kelm disappointedly stated earlier that it would take them significantly longer to reach the Ancient Lands than he initially anticipated.
Maebus tried to remained stoic at hearing the news of a longer journey. He simply didn’t have the energy to refute it. The northern wilderness had certainly taken a physical toll upon him. For most of the hike, he remained silent; at times, scanning their surroundings for bandits; at other times, walking while lost in his own head.
In the early afternoon, they arrived at a high region of the northern mountains known as the Gatel. This area proved to be extremely steep. Maebus’ legs wobbled as he and Kelm struggled against its incline, carefully finding their footing while rising higher upon the rock ledges, which became steeper still.
Both men were forced upon their hands and knees, pulling themselves across the jagged surface. At the topmost portion of the plateau, the ground leveled. Kelm reached the pinnacle first. Then Maebus extended his hand for assistance. With a long groan, Maebus was pulled up. He could barely catch his breath as Kelm walked to the edge of the overlook.
“Amazing!” Kelm declared, gazing upon the horizon. He seemed stunned by the miles they’d traveled. “Maebus, look at this.”
Begrudgingly, Maebus walked over. His legs felt like rubber, and he just wanted to sit for a moment. Yet together, they stood several thousand feet above the valley, impressed by the view.
Maebus felt as if he stood atop the world, gazing into the distance. The entire Realm sprawled before him in one picturesque collection of valleys, rivers, and forests below. The sun hovered gently in the crystal firmament above them, and the refreshing mountain breeze seemed to ease his weariness.
“Such beauty on its surface. Such terror in its heart,” Maebus whispered. He’d uttered those very words at least a thousand times before.
Kelm squeezed his sore legs. “No wonder our journey has been so difficult. We’ve basically scaled a mountain.”
“Indeed,” Maebus replied.
The Wizard reached in his robe pouch and pulled out his canteen of water. He took a long sip.
Maebus turned to survey his new surroundings. His attention was stolen by a large structure looming before him. “What on earth,” he exclaimed in shock.
Connecting the sides of two mountains, a massive triangular entrance had been erected. Its design looked ancient, filled with cracks and eroded carvings, and its original color had long faded into a blend Maebus couldn’t identify. The structure towered above them at least fifty feet into the air. Beneath it, however, lied a cobblestone road that appeared to stretch into the mountain chain.
“Where are we?” Maebus asked.
Kelm took another sip of his water before speaking. “What you see is called the Tricist. This gigantic triangular opening was carved straight from the mountain countless centuries ago. It’s commonly referred to as the Gateway to the North.”
“Ah, so here officially begins the historic Pumice Path,” Maebus said.
“Correct. This cobblestone road currently extends east to west, stretching the entire length of the mountain range, passing through a number of small towns. Also, long ago, a southern road used to connect here at this point, hence the name Tricist.”
“I admit to not being too familiar with history,” Maebus began, “but wasn’t this a trade route of sorts?”
“Somewhat,” Kelm replied, analyzing the Tricist. “In the earliest construction of Centre Pointe, the northern people erected Pumice Path and used it to transport building materials from the mountains to the kingdom. The production of resources spawned many of the towns. And for a time, they were very prosperous. But constant war diminished the demand for construction, and many of those same towns suffered greatly.”
Maebus scanned the cobblestones that composed the road. It appeared to be over a thousand years old. Kneeling down, he rubbed his hands against its surface, imagining the burden it must have been to lay each stone side by side for thousands of miles.
“Magnificent,” he said, “but interesting, as I’ve always thought that the northern people opposed the kingdom.”
Kelm nodded. “Well, they did actually. But you have to consider that a land as old as the Realm has had a number of histories. Think of it this way: If you lived in the Ancient Lands before the Western Nations existed, these mountains were considered west!
“Ah,” Maebus replied.
“The Conference of Amity brought in an unprecedented era of hope where Magicals and Laymen aligned to form the kingdom. The northern people wanted to assist in the construction of Centre Pointe, as an act of good faith. Perhaps none worked physically harder than the north to build the infrastructure of Centre Pointe.”
Maebus nodded in acknowledgement.
“It’s easy to see how they could feel betrayed when the wars continued despite the agreement.”
“Precisely,” Kelm replied. “Constant destruction eliminated the need for production. Therefore, the north dried up. Laymen migrated even further west to what is now the Western Nations, and the few who stayed behind maintained a deep grievance toward the kingdom, so much that they destroyed the southern part of the Pumice Path leading into Centre Pointe. That’s why, other than the secret passageway, there are no roads leading north and south … to this day.”
Kelm took another long sip of his water.
“Speaking of the path,” Kelm continued while wiping his mouth and putting his canteen away, “we should get going.” He patted Maebus on the shoulder then turned to walk away. Maebus followed him through the gateway.
At its entrance, the Pumice Path was extremely wide. But centuries of neglect had drastically narrowed its surface after a couple of miles down. Beyond the Tricist, the path was surprisingly steeper than Maebus expected.
Together, he and Kelm resumed walking in silence. Maebus studied the path in front of him, carefully avoiding loose cobblestones that jutted up at strange angles. Despite Kelm’s presence, the journey thus far had been extremely lonely. His body was wracked with feelings of uncertainty and guilt. He felt that their entire situation was his fault alone, and he was not optimistic regarding how helpful Fable the Archivist would be. He feared the entire journey to the Ancient Lands would result in a great waste of time ... and within that time, his people would continue to die.
The midday sun scorched his neck as he fought against the headache that had been building for most of the day. It became hard for Maebus to concentrate. After a few miles, as they negotiated the high cliffs, the path before them narrowed to a size slightly larger than their own two feet.
“We’ll have to traverse this sideways,” Kelm said. He pressed his back against the stone and inched carefully along.
“Why must the simplest things be difficult?” Maebus asked, emulating Kelm’s movements along the narrow ledge.
Maebus estimated that inches from their feet was a three-thousand-foot drop. A quick glance over the side made him dizzy. Before he knew what was happening, he’d lost his grip. His weight shifted and he began falling forward. His mind instantly became aware of the danger as he desperately gras
ped for anything his hands could reach. But there was nothing to hold onto.
Maebus was going to die.
His body scraped the mountain’s jagged, jutting rocks, ripping his robes as he descended into a free fall. His eyes widened with terror as the ledge that once supported him sailed farther and farther from him.
“Maebus!” Kelm shouted.
Instantly, Maebus saw the flash of Kelm’s extractor shooting towards him. Its magical current sliced through the air at lightning speed. He barely had time to reach for his own extractor. With the force of gravity tugging his body, Maebus struggled to steady the device in his hands. Falling backwards, he pressed the extractor button. A streaming current sprang forth and connected with Kelm’s. From above, the Wizard anchored himself to the ledge to support his weight. Maebus held on with all of his strength as the connection slowed his fall. He jerked to a stop. Kelm then swung him back toward the mountain’s surface. Maebus yelled in agony as he smacked his left leg into the rocks. He screamed in pain, gripping the limb.
“Are you okay?” Kelm shouted from above.
Dangled on the streaming current, Maebus struggled for breath and couldn’t respond. The pain in his leg was excruciating.
“Try not to move, I’ll pull you up!”
Kelm inched over a few meters toward a wider surface area of the cliff. Controlling the stream from his device, Kelm cranked Maebus back over the ledge and laid him flat on the ground. He immediately saw in Kelm’s eyes that something was wrong.
“Where does it hurt most?”
“My leg,” Maebus replied through clenched teeth.
“Are you able to move it?”
He attempted to flex his leg. “No, It hurts too much.”
Kelm hovered his hand above the hurt limb, being careful not to touch it. “Your left leg is broken,” he said sympathetically. “Hold still, I’m going to try to stabilize it.”
The Wizard bent down to his knees and placed both of his hands lightly on the fracture. His hands began to glow red. Maebus closed his eyes, wincing with pain. After a few minutes, he opened them again. The grimace on Kelm’s face instantly told him that the situation was dire.
“How bad is it?” Maebus asked.
Kelm’s expression softened somewhat. “Your leg could be better,” he replied.
Maebus smirked. “You don’t say, Kelm?”
“Ha, ha, ha.” The Wizard rose to his feet. “Fortunately, I’ve stabilized it enough for you to travel without too much discomfort. But even with magic, it’ll take several days to heal.”
“I guess we better start looking for shelter,” Maebus grunted, trying to support himself.
Kelm shook his head, “No, being outside in the elements will not help the healing process. We’ll have to find a place to stay. As I mentioned before, there are a number of small towns along Pumice Path. If we maintain a steady pace, it shouldn’t be too long before we find one.”
Maebus nodded in agreement.
“In a moment, I’m going to stand you up. Wrap one arm around my neck and use your uninjured leg for support. Don’t put any pressure on the broken leg.”
As Maebus carefully sat up. Kelm squatted down so he could lean his weight into Kelm’s shoulder. After wrapping an arm around him, they both lifted upwards. With a deep grunt, Maebus shifted the weight into his good foot.
“Ready?’ Kelm asked.
Maebus hopped two steps forward. “As I’ll ever be.”
Chapter Twenty-Two