'Run!' Osias screamed inwardly. He crawled, scrambled, and did all he could to escape the destruction that unfolded behind his crippled legs.
He felt as though he was a rat caught between mountain lions. For the moment he was as safe as he could, away from battle.
But just a moment later…
A mighty roar resounded in the entire mountaintop.
And the very earth itself felt like it was to collapse and cascade.
His soul seemed to squirm under the earthshaking impact.
Feeling a cold dread grasp his heart, he took in a shaky breath and steeled himself for what was to come.
The trees on the spur below creaked and snapped.
The stones roared as it was upturned.
It was as if the very mountain itself was crying, howling in pain as it shook violently.
'That brother of mine… is he a fool? How fast does he think I can crawl?' Osias shouted in his head, forcing himself to avoid a creaking tree in case it toppled over him.
Usually, his temperament towards his elder brother was docile and calm, tolerating the alienated feeling he felt to him.
But now all he felt was indignation and ire.
Struggling to control his body, he tried to collect himself and stop himself from rolling downwards. Alas, the steepness of the summit's terrain won against this struggle and Osias rolled at the last moment with a yelp.
Using his abdomen along with what feeling was left in his lower half, Osias directed his numbed legs to endure the impact of his small descent… into a tree.
Crashing into a tree and colliding into the stone earth beneath him, Osias made sure to avoid any injuries to his head and neck. He quickly reasoned that his legs were already useless anyway, so what else should he use to brace the collision?
Osias endured the pain like always, even though his legs refused to move. Fortunately, his arms could still move as he pulled himself upright.
He didn't roll down far, and thankfully it wasn't a cliff. But… what replaced the sound of violence was an eerie silence:
'Is… is it over?'
The rumbling stopped and only meager vibrations could be felt throughout the summit. The dust thinned and no signs of battle sounded in the air.
'Is brother alive?' He thought with shock.
If Kiran was dead then… Osias was too. He couldn't do a thing alone. Let alone survive, he couldn't think he could descend the mountain alone.
Contemplating his actions with a slight grimace, Osias bent slightly and prepared to move to the now uncannily quiet battle site.
Traversing and weaving between giant stones and rubble, he can only relish how fortunate he was to not be in the direct vicinity. It felt as though he was crawling between the aftermath of titans fueding.
It was difficult to… understand that it was the product of a person fighting a beast. And that person was his elder brother.
Invigorated by the very reason his body was in such a state, he used his rudimentary level of essence manipulation to push his weak body to climb atop a steep but elevated pillar.
He forced himself up. The climb was something out of a nightmare; every clutch of his hand was a struggle as if he were pulling her hand out of elbow-deep mud.
It took a lengthy while… but he surmised that if the beast was still alive then it would've pounced on him the moment Kiran fell in battle.
So in the best-case scenario… Kiran died alongside the Path Beast.
As his hands reached atop the rugged stone, his forearms burned with scalding effort. Red and purple colored his hands, deep breaths escaped his mouth but all it led to a life-changing sight.
A great section of the summit's eastern face was fractured. Stone the size of a small manor was sundered and split. That was ignoring the many signs of conflict on the way here.
Osias could only think that something ungodly had taken place. A show of violent force was exacted upon the area.
Osias shuddered deeply…
'Brother shouldn't have any destructive technique… is he truly dead?'
But just as Osias wallowed in his fear, a gaunt lumbering figure descended to the small clearing he was atop, despite its elevation. And amidst the billowed dust, a deep and relieved sigh escaped from his lips:
"Brother… are you alright?"
The haggard figure of Kiran reached a hand out to him and replied with his usual indifference and calmness:
"Finally found you… It is dead. We're safe for now."
His elder brother ignored his question. But then again, it was almost amusing how indifferent his elder brother was when behind him tattered in ruins.
But… peering into the distance, Osias spotted an area where the rubble didn't reach. It was noteworthy despite its far distance.
Reaching past Kiran, he lifted a hand and pointed to it:
"Brother, there!"
Kiran turned in response and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Quickly he grabbed Osias, neglecting his little brother's wounded body as he dashed forward.
Amidst the rubble, there was a large crevice. The stone wreckage that surrounded it fortunately revealed such an opening.
'It's deep.' Kiran thought as his mind raced.
It was a great sign. The only sign they came upon.
Setting Osias aside, Kiran swiftly cleared the rubble covering the entrance to the mountain crevice. Each stone tumbled away, revealing more of the shadowy passage. A faint draft of cool air seeped through, carrying with it the smell of earth and stone
As immense amounts of stone were cleared, the opening was revealed.
Osias slowly crawled to the opening as his elder brother stood before it in shock and awe.
An impossibly deep, but stable-looking tunnel that leads within the mountain summit... No, even deeper.
"Brother… is this it?"
"...It has to. It is far too much of a coincidence for it not to be the Heron."
Unbeknownst to both brothers, they followed up thinking the same thing to themselves, too hesitant to say out loud:
'I can get healed!'
'Osias can get healed...'
—
"Ready?"
"As best as I can be, brother."
"Good."
Kiran and Osias stood at the edge of the crevice, peering into the dark maw of the tunnel that delved deep into the mountain.
The air was heavy with a sense of expectancy, and the glimmers of hope. Kiran tightened the latches that fastened Osias to his back and brandished his crimson spear, his eyes scanning the entrance with a practiced wariness.
His usual spear was unfit for the rest of the journey, yet, as the last of Kiran's sentiment from the Band other than Osias himself… he felt obliged to keep the remembrance.
After all, the crimson spear he made from True Extraction was modeled after it.
Yet it was a heavy thing, unsuited for Osias's frail body and modest size to wield. Hefty and strong, most Second Ordeals cannot wield such a spear unless they possess a grand essence reservoir — their body being seeped and strengthened by essence. It was ultimately made with a mighty Blood Path Finder in mind.
… And so Kiran threw it aside in the tunnel, hopeful that a stray Path Beast wouldn't treat it as a stick to throw.
Osias was armed with his short blade, retrieved by Kiran as promised.
"Let us start," Kiran instructed, his voice low but firm.
Osias nodded, his face set with determination, and tightened his blade's handle clutch.
Kiran began the descent, moving with cautious grace. He tested each foothold carefully before committing his weight, ensuring that the rocks were stable. His eyes constantly darted around, searching for any signs of danger or instability in the tunnel walls.
Although the crevice and following tunnel weren't exactly as mentioned in Garm's story, there wasn't any other choice. Besides, it must've been decades since Garm encountered the Gracious Heron in his youth - his memory along with the terrain must've been subject to the ravages of time.
However… the Ordeal level of this Path Beast was unknown. Even Garm couldn't ascertain it during his youth.
So Kiran needed to be closer to discern its strength. Although the dire need to heal Osias washed the brothers in promise, Kiran knew better than to expect an unknown Path Beast to be gracious and forbearing. It was beyond belief, but the brothers could only trust Garm's words.
Osias was in Kiran's shadow, so close to their immediate goal, but his heart pounded in his chest in anticipation.
As they descended deeper, the light from the crevice above faded, and the brothers turned blind in the darkness. But these didn't make them waver, it was all or nothing. Besides, Kiran could sense most approaching Path Beasts. Osias could only trust his elder brother like always.
The tunnel was narrow and uneven, carved by natural forces over countless years it seemed. The walls were jagged, and the ground was strewn with loose stones and debris.
Kiran's vigilance was unwavering, his senses attuned to every sound and movement. He knew the dangers of such places—hidden pitfalls, unstable rocks, the tunnel caving in…
The tunnel twisted and turned, descending deeper into the mountain's heart.
The air grew colder and more oppressive, and the distant sound of dripping water echoed through the passage.
Kiran paused occasionally, listening intently, and continued his pace.
Finally, at last, the tunnel opened up into a larger cavern.
The walls glistened with moisture, and the air was filled with the sound of water dripping into unseen pools.
And the sight before them… was ethereal.
A beautiful expanse covered by a vast and mesmerizing field of white flowers. Clusters of heavenly life grew here and there among the emerald-tinged grass. The walls of the expanse contrasted with velvety darkness, with a scattering of radiant star-like stones shining in between.
Osias turned and watched all around, taking in the enthralling view.
But most eye-catching… was the clear lake in the center of the expanse, with streams of water flowing into it from the walls.
Illuminated by countless of those beaming stones, it seemed as though the entire surface of the lake was shining with pure brilliant golden radiance. And the deep cerulean water itself… clear, clearer than any waters Osias has seen before. Nothing has ever been as ravishing as the need to sink into the water.
But as his eyes traced the body of water, his view slowly found in the center of the water was a titanic white figure.
Solitary, yet brilliant. As if it was cut from white stone, it was the Gracious Heron told by Garm…
To use words to describe the Heron was a disservice to its majesty. It looked ethereal as it lay still atop the luminous water wreathed in light. The feathers themselves glimmered, as they reflected the many colors of light made possible by the elegant gems that adorned the expanse. Its large white bill was sharp and menacing, bathed in the splendor reminiscent of a deity's blade
All alone… the Heron was so misplaced as the brothers recalled the land above. The pristine expanse and the Heron seemed so beautiful and pure, as though untouched by the imperfections of the mundane world above.
Like a solitary God, embraced by the heavens in bliss as the ugly world continued without them.
"Brother… that's it, right?"
"Not too fast, Osias. It's… strong. A Third Ordeal." Kiran replied, a little trace of doubt staining his words.
'It's strong. Stronger than the dark beast above…'
'Can I… defeat it?'
But just as Kiran wagered and measured his chances against such a… beast, it began to move.
Its wings began to slowly unravel, revealing the body within. Its neck began to slowly stretch fully, displaying its radiant figure.
With its head at full mast, they can finally see the black feather crest that adorned the back of its head. It was atop a similar darkly colored crown.
The brothers were motionless, uneager to provoke the Path Beast.
If there was any doubt that the mountain was without its lord, it was cleared full.
And then… Its eyes opened unhurried.
It leisurely scanned its surroundings, as if it had yet to awake in centuries, reveling in the visual accounts of lost time.
Then its large quizzical eyes laid upon the brothers…
Kiran's grip tightened greatly and his breath withheld.
Osias too clutched his blade with hesitancy.
Should a fight break out… Osias knew he was but an insignificant wounded ant.
But… the Gracious Heron did nothing.
Not a thing.
It simply acknowledged the pair and returned to its rest, curling its wings inward, its majestic figure returned to as it was.
As if it was unconcerned with… everything. Was this how it lived?
Slumbering with its own paradise, living deep within the confines of a mountain. Absent and liberated from the carnal world, it rested its remaining days in peace and solitude.
But Kiran's mind wandered to scornful disbelieve…
'Impossible. You cannot simply reach such a level of strength without taking the lives of others. I do not truly know if Path Beasts undergo the same Ordeals as man, but the lives of others fuel your Path.' He thought behind a hidden, but vicious snarl.
'Otherwise, for what reason did I…'
"Osias, we cannot trust the Heron so quickly. But because of our lack of choices, you must be healed. Let us go."
They cautiously walked towards the lake and its master.
He did not know the specifics of what was to occur to heal Osias. Garm's tale was brief and short, a fleeting memory of his youth that could've been a lifetime ago considering his age.
So how does the Heron heal others?
'Do I… ask it?'
Closer and closer to the edge of the luminous lake, Kiran sighed as he unlatched Osias and presented him:
"Great Beast, I implore you to heal my brother, I have heard of your capabilities from a respected senior of ours… you healed that man in his youth many years ago. Please grant this same request."
A long pause followed Kiran's earnest request to the Heron.
His breaths came in raved, as the anticipation gnawed at his mind.
It was bizarre, for a man to communicate to a beast, even placing himself below such a being arbitrarily.
But Kiran was aware that some beasts, enigmas of their kind, slowly gain intelligence through their Path.
Yet this intelligence has always been used to feed their carnal, cruel cunning. Tricking Path Finders into their schemes. Setting ruthless ambushes and banding together a pack of beasts all to destroy and kill, feeding their desires as beasts.
He had seen it before—unfavored villages upon the outskirts decimated by the brutal ploys of these monstrous minds. Corpses laid strewn, dismembered parts decorating the dwellings of such creatures, playing at the virtues of a Path Finder. Perhaps taking an Ordinary and keeping them as a lure for others to come… Be it Path Beast or Path Finder, the weak are played at the whims of powerful beings.
…Was the Heron the same?