/n/jackal-among-snakes-1520/c-161
chapter-162

The verdant, sheltered grove atop the mountains between the Burnt Desert and Vasquer was not an especially large place, but it was teeming with creatures thought long dead or shrouded in myth. It was like a little microcosm atop the mountains. Though the winds were harsh and the air cold outside, a pleasant, temperate atmosphere persisted here.

In ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ this place was a hotspot for players seeking out rarer herbs for potent alchemical potions. Its only superior was Princess Elenore’s greenhouse, but getting there involved a fairly long questline.

Argrave was hit with a wave of nostalgia as they stepped towards the pavilion of jade stone. He had come here so many times, and now he was back again, physically present. The brightly colored, beautiful flowers, belying their poisonous nature… the animals cries, some of which he recognized…

And flashes of gold, flying through the air and disappearing so quickly they appeared to be an illusion. They were far too fast to track with the eyes. At a point, one of the flashes ceased just above the jade pavilion. It was a small bird no larger than a tennis ball seemingly crafted of gold, wings fluttering so fast as to be nigh invisible. The moment it moved again, it vanished like an illusion.

“I saw it!” Anneliese said excitedly, pointing a finger at where it once was. Once she processed it had already vanished, she amended, “It was just there, I swear it.”

“Sounds like crazy talk to me,” Argrave acted ignorant, but he couldn’t fool Anneliese, who gave a small huff of amused annoyance and kept looking around.

“Fastest thing I’ve seen,” Galamon adjusted his helmet. “Can’t track it.”

Durran placed his glaive upon a rock and hefted himself up a bit. “A Starsparrow… Closer kin to a hummingbird, no?”

Argrave made it to the pavilion and put his hand on one of the jade pillars holding the roof up. “Just what they called it,” he said idly.

“Who’s ‘they?’” Durran followed up.

“The subterranean mountain tribes that conquered this place,” Argrave answered at once, only to frown upon further introspection. In the past, his first thought would have been ‘the game’s developers.’ His way of thinking was changing. It was paradoxically comforting and unsettling. He was integrating with his new life.

Shaking it off, Argrave continued, “Most people that leave behind a treasure, we’re talking gemstones, gold. For the people that lived underground, they preserved the beauty of the surface, and the tools they used to conquer. In this case, the golems…” Argrave stepped away from the pavilion, eyes wandering. “And these sanctuaries. Those are the things they hold precious.”

Everyone drank in the rich atmosphere of the place. Argrave could swear that even the air tasted better. Steam rose from the pools which the waterfalls fed, marking them as heated springs. It was an intoxicatingly peaceful place.

“You have any notion on how you plan to catch light?” Durran was the first to bring them back. “These birds… unless we’ve got steel-wired nets and hands quicker than lightning, I can’t imagine we’ll have much luck.”

Argrave took a deep breath and nodded, steeling himself to keep going. “It could be quite simple, provided we get lucky. Otherwise, we’ll be shepherding a bird into a trap for some hours.” Argrave pointed to the waterfall. “There’s a small cave behind that thing that shelters some pools. Some birds might be drinking from it, or there might be a nest in there. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

Durran frowned but gave an acquiescent nod. “Considering we had to cave in the place to get here… I imagine you haven’t been here before. Yet you know all of this.”

“All things with time,” Argrave assured Durran, patting his shoulder. The golden-eyed tribal followed him as he walked away, lost in thought. Eventually, he shook his head and proceeded.