Chapter 14

Insurmountable odds rise above him. Danger lurks all about him. Death flaunts its grotesque mask at him. The mountain scoffs at his pitiful efforts to go where few humans have ever dared. This, the daunting wild! This, the home of the wolveris! Guardians of the evil lands of Drearson do they stand ready.

As Tracer climbs one step forward and slides three back, he does not waver in his efforts, for it is more than his stubbornness that pushes him on. For the love of the world and for the love of a girl does he continue onward. His physical body is strengthened by his honor. The mental strain is eased by the memory of what he has waiting for him.

A mission of unknown tragedies lies before him. If he succeeds, he gets to keep that which he has finally found. If he fails, his memory will be lost with the rest of the world.

His fingers bloody from sharp rocks that defy him. A chilling wind blows as if it can darken his soul. The Wolveris are already on his trail, hunting him from the depths of hell. A prayer from his lips now would be comical. To even think that the divine would shine their light for him, or to think that the corporeal would care if the physical world fell into despair, is hoping for that which was lost long ago.

"It is I, just a man, who will live or die by my own hand."

Tracer pushes on, not through hatred or despair, but from the love of just a girl. Brunette hair almost to her waist, emerald eyes that reflect a better life, no more than a hundred stonelings does she weigh, but she is his anchor, just the same. His sanity, his soul, does she hold in her delicate pale hand. With Katiely in his heart and in his mind's eye, the pain fades to be replaced by a super strength desire for life. Tracer will not falter in his steps. He will not fear if the end is near. He will fight to save that which he has finally found.

"Come forth peace and harmony, and guide me through the abyss by my love's light."

It is not easy to get Ram to stay behind. In fact he will not hear of it until even he realizes he cannot make the climb. Tracer tries and tries to get him to run back towards the cottage, but he will not move. He just stands there and watches his master and friend disappear. Tracer knows with certainty that even if this journey takes him a thousand years, Ram will still be waiting right there.

The last part of the trek to the mountains is rough, even though from a distance it looks like the ground is level. It isn't until you reach the mountains and see it first hand that you truly begin to realize that it is not. It is very steep. Just a sign of how huge these mountains truly are. Before he even reaches the mountains prime a wolveris attacks him. Not a good sign.

Tracer came to believe that wolveris roamed in packs, but this one seems alone. At least that is what he is thinking, until he climbs no more than a thousand paces into the mountains and sees red eyes staring out all around him. The ground is too steep and treacherous for an attack, so they just follow. Tracer isn't about to wait for them to pick a good place so they can attack in pack formation. He heads towards an area where he sees the nearest pair of red eyes.

The Wolveris springs out at him, and Tracer lets himself slip so the Wolveris dives right over him and falls down the sheer side of the mountain cliff. Tracer is climbing almost at a ninety-degree angle. His arms are tired and his hands sore, but he starts heading for the next Wolveris that he sees.

True to their nature, the wolveris jumps out onto the cliff face with him without fear. Tracer doesn't give him time to get near, he pulls out his dagger and throws it at him. It only hits him in the shoulder, but it is enough to make him lose his grip and fall.

Tracer finds a crevice and crawls into it. It isn't as steep, but it is hard to maneuver in. First one wolveris appears in front of him blocking the crevice, and then two appear above him looking down from ten paces above.

They start throwing stones down on Tracer. Tracer strings his bow and notches an arrow and lets it fly. It hits the wolveris in the face and he falls down in the crevice almost right on top of him. The wolveris in front of Tracer becomes enraged and charges him. He doesn't take two steps before his foot slips and gets caught in a crack. He is swinging his sword wildly at Tracer, but he is out of reach.

A rock just hits Tracer a glancing blow on the shoulder and he winces from the pain. The wolveris in front of him laughs his cackle of a laugh. Tracer draws back his bow and points it at the wolveris in front of him. At the last minute Tracer changes aim and hits the last remaining one above him. He howls in pain and disappears over the side. The Wolveris in front of Tracer seems to be trying to rip his own foot off so he can get at him. Tracer slowly pulls his bow back and smiles.

Tracer is sure he had seen more pairs of red eyes than the five he had just killed, but he can't see or hear any others nearby. Tracer figures he'll see how far this crevice goes. With any luck it will get him out beyond the cliff face he was climbing.

Tracer follows the crevice for an hour before it finally comes out on an open area behind the rock face he had been climbing. His coat is torn and he is bleeding from several scrapes on his arms, legs and face.

Tracer sits down on a boulder to rest when five more wolveris rush out of hiding and attack him. The first one impales himself on Tracer's sword. While Tracer is dislodging his sword a second one runs by and puts a deep gash in his leg with a sword.

Tracer barely gets to his feet in time to stop the third one. The second one comes back at him and a sword fight begins. The fourth one jumps on Tracer's back and takes a bite out of his ear. Tracer flips him over into the other one and kills them both as they are trying to get up.

Tracer turns to face the last one, and the wolveris throws his spear at Tracer and it lodges in his side. Tracer drops his sword and starts pulling the spear out of his side when the wolveris pulls his sword and charges.

Tracer doesn't have time to get either weapon in position so he hits him in the face with his own spear. He thrusts it aside with his sword and jumps at Tracer. Tracer rolls over and grabs his sword and cuts the wolveris' stomach open as he goes by.

Tracer falls to the ground and tries to steady his vision, which is quickly beginning to blur. Tracer pulls his coat off and cuts it up with his sword, making bandages for his many and some serious wounds. After he gets the blood flow stopped, he leans back against a boulder to catch his breath.