The Pearl Of Vynes - Chapter 36 Attacked From All Sides

They all hopped back in the cart and tracked up through the snow north.

“Oh by the way, I forget to mention this but the mountains have stories of Snowbeasts roaming the crests of those mountains” Miles said complacently.

“Snowbeasts” Tane sat up saying with worry.

“They’re only the size of men, plus the rare ones will be unlikely to attack us as they are prone to turning on each other” Miles said confidently. Alice felt the mountain was a lot more alive than it had first appeared, keeping an eye out for anything that moved. The quiet of the snowfall was the only thing that broke the silence as the crunching of snow underfoot of the horse gave Alice a chill.

Their breath was becoming more visible as they continued along their way, the warmth and steam of their breathing broke the chilly wind. The wind howled softly as they neared the start of the craggy mountains, a pass came into view standing in stark contrast with the bright snow stained brown.

“From here on out, expect to be attacked” Miles warned as they started to go up the pass. Alice kept watch along the Cliffside as the cart rolled up the hill. Alice’s ear strained to listen to anything, howls from a distance away could barely reach her ears. Suddenly Miles stopped the cart as they reached the crest of the hill.
for visiting.

“From here on we walk” Miles said as he jumped off the cart, Tane and Alice got off as well while Miles whispered to the horse and all three of them watched as the horse turned around and trotted off back into the distance towards the town that was a speck on the horizon.

“Ok, we’re off” Miles said. The three of them started their way down the pass as the howls of animals came closer from off in the distance.

The attack happened suddenly, a large creature Alice could only think of as a wolf except it was easily twice the size of Tane. A number of them had already surrounded the three of them snapping and howling. Alice already had her sword unsheathed but the wolves were definitely faster than she was expecting as the circled around. She watched as Tane unravelled a cloth he had been holding, showing off a pair of leather and metal gloves. Putting them on Tane took a stance expecting the attack front on. Miles waited behind Alice as they were circled. The first wolf launched itself at Alice but she had her sword at the ready. With blinding speed she sliced the creature in half, leaping into the air as she hit the ground after slaying the beast. The rest of the pack came crashing in, Tane gave a solid hit into the ground and the earth shot up around Miles and Tane as the wolves crashed into solid rock.

“Oi, that’s cheating” Alice shouted over the newly formed rock wall, slaying another beast with her sword as she grasped the throat of another snapping at her. Alice twisted the head with a substantial snap and dropped the body to ground.

“It’s not cheating, I’m just refusing to play” Tane shouted back. A piece of rock came flying out of the stone, crashing into the head of another wolf sending it into the snow and unable to get itself up again. The rest of the animals started to back off and run away as Alice threw another body into another wolf, as they uttered a whimper and ran off. Alice relaxed, wiping her sword on her furs and sheathed her sword. The rocks that surrounded Tane and Miles started to retreat into the ground.

“That was easy” Miles remarked, crossing his arms with a smug face. Alice and Tane looked at Miles with a concerned look and continued walking into the snowy plains. Miles hurried after them as they trekked through the slowly deepening snow.

“I bet we could take them easy” Tane boasted as the snow was now at his hips while they strode through. Alice and Miles were a little shorter and the snow was getting close to their chests as they strode through. Howls sounded as they were striding through and they all looked up. Creatures that would be similar to a man but cloaked in fur and showing defined muscle, let loosing roars that echoed across the mountain pass.

“Miles, what are those?” Tane said as they had stopped in their tracks, watching the creatures jumping up and down in rage.

“Yeti’s ,although they more closely related to trolls than anything else” Miles responded.

“Now’s not the time for an analysis” Tane said as the roars became more frequent and louder. Alice watched as they cascaded down from the mountain towards them.

“Run” Miles said. The trio started running as the sheer amount of monsters coming down from the mountains was kicking up a snowstorm. The roar that was getting closer behind them drove the team forward at a faster speed, despite still trodding through chest high snowfall. As the Yeits ran down the slopes, the hill itself began to rise towering over the whole area as Alice began to stop and look in awe as huge beast broke the surface of the snow. The creature was staggering in size, easily the size of half of the village back at home, with armoured scales that were iced over and glowing blue underneath. Opening its jaw it let loose a roar and shook off the snow covering its back. Spreading its wings the yetis fell off the top of it landing with a number of thuds into the snow below. The creatures ran off back into their holes as the creature rose to its full height.

“My word, a dragon lives” Miles spoke in a hush tone, all of the troop stood still and stared at the mighty creature in front of them. The dragon eye’s blinked and stared at the three people standing in front of it, taking in a deep breath it roared and breathed forth flames tinged blue and froze the ground before it. Tane created a stone barrier holding the ice breath back as the cold instantly was felt in Alice’s bones.

“We’re going to need someone to take care of that, I can’t hold the barrier for long” Tane said with a strained voice. The rock cracked under the sheer cold and bits visibly came off. Alice stared in terror at the creature, that could so easily swallow her whole. In panic Alice didn’t think and her body did the running, far away from the safety of Tane’s shield.

“Alice!” Miles shouted but the dragon had noticed Alice fleeing from safety and pursued. The thundering sound of its footsteps and shuddering of the earth underneath its weight drove Alice to run onwards. In mere steps the dragon had knocked over Tane’s rock wall and blowing Miles and Tane backwards as the creature closed in on Alice. Alice let out a short scream as the dragon swallowed her whole.