Page 36 of Savage Throne
Song, Leo, and their men headed that way.
Reluctantly, I followed.
Song took out his own flashlight and turned it on too.
Where are we going and why?
I tried to gather some clues as to what would be happening soon.
All I got was nature's nocturnal symphony—the rustling of leaves, the distant hoot of an owl probably on its hunt, and the soft murmur of the mountain wind.
After five minutes of walking, we reached a grove hidden amongst tall pines.
A clear brook flowed gently through it, reflecting countless stars on its shimmering surface.
Soon we journeyed through the grove.
God, I just hope whatever is going to happen won’t be. . .fucking horrific.
I gazed up.
The sky was so clear that I could see every twinkling star.
I put my focus back on Leo’s back as I did my best to keep the group’s pace.
The scent of pine and clean mountain air filled my nostrils.
However, each breath I took seemed to fill my lungs with a strange kind of energy, as if the mountain itself were breathing with me.
But there was something else on the mountain too.
This threatening tension that crackled like electricity making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Mount Utopia might have been stunning under the stars but being on here with Leo made the beauty feel sharp, like a blade hidden in a velvet sheath.
There was always more to Leo than met the eye, just as there was more to this mountain.
Its beauty was just the surface, but beneath that, I knew it held untold dangers—steep cliffs, hidden caverns, and secrets long buried.
Probably a bunch of skeletons. We could be walking right over them.
A cold shiver ran through me.
His dark coat flapped lightly around me in the breeze.
Finally, the ground began to elevate slightly and we trudged upwards on a narrow trail that twisted like a snake coiling around the mountain's bosom.
The light from the flashlights waned against the overwhelming darkness but it was enough to guide us along the path without fault.
The air started to turn colder as we climbed higher, taking on a biting edge that sent chills through my bones.
Crisp and refreshing, yet tinged with an underlying danger, a concealed threat that came with the territory of untouched wild beauty. Up here, where man was a visitor, not the owner; anything could happen.
Suddenly, Song held up his hand and signaled for us to stop.
Alright.
Leo turned to his men. “You all stay here. We will return when the training is done.”
