Adventure to Anemore

Ch 1

The war had ended, rather anticlimatically. The Mighty Nein had negotiated peace between the two sides, with Caleb and Essek pleading with each of their regions, the Empire and the Dynasty. An alliance had been formed, badly titled as The Alliance, between the Dyansty and the Empire, and the mighty nein were tasked with bringing the other smaller nations into the alliance, or at least making them aware of it, and increasing contact between them. Some still despised the new way, most passive about their dislike as they went on with their lives across Wildemount.

Caleb and Essek set off towards Anemore, a city hidden beyond the mountains, cut off from the conflict. From their home, Caleb teleports them to a border town, and from there they start to climb a mountain. Their bags are heavy, packed with all manner of rations and climbing gear. As the wind starts to blow, they reach a balcony to rest. A creature screams, it's yell rattling through the mountain range. Essek glances ahead of the two of them, and spots it. It's at leat 7 feet tall, a distorted creature made of the body of a panther and the head of a lizard. It's tail flicks aggressively, and starts to stalk forward towards Essek. Caleb reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a bird feather, whispering in zemnian. Caleb grabs Essek's arm, and shoots upward, off the ground, far higher than the creature. It growls, jumping towards them. As it hurtles towards them, Caleb releases Essek, and as Essek starts falling, he casts Flaming Sphere, causing the creature to be burned in it's face by the ball of fire that impacted it's face. As it falls, Caleb swoops downward, catching Essek in his arms. Essek looks up at Caleb, and smiles. Caleb, very faintly, smiles back. The cat-creature squirms in the ground in pain, and Caleb shoots upward and forward, bringing them up the mountain a ways before the spell fades. As it does, Caleb gently lands on the ground, and doesn't let go of Essek.

"Why won't you let me go?"

"Because you're warm. It's getting cold now." Caleb says, glancing up at the sky. The sky is a dark near blue, mostly grey from the storm clouds rolling in. Snow starts to fall, landing on Essek's white hair, and his purple nose.

"Not for any other reason?" Essek asks, half jokingly. Caleb, oblivious, responds.

"No. We have to find a flat place to set down for the night, or at least until this storm passes." Essek stops complaining about being held long enough for Caleb to continue climbing upwards, scanning the area for the creature or shelter. Essek snuggled in closer to Caleb's shoulders, his warmth needed. Caleb spots a place, and starts climbing sideways. It's a place where the edge of the mountain overhangs the ground, with less slanted ground than other places. Walking to the middle of the area, protected from snowfall, Caleb puts Essek down, gently. Rubbing a piece of bat dung against his fingers, he gestures around Essek, muttering in Zemnian,

"I call you forward, Hut from the other world, join us here!" and a dome shapes itself around Essek, forming up from the ground. Caleb walks forward, passing through the dome and into the inside. A lantern, in the middle, swings. Essek sits, unpacking his sleeping bag.

A scream bounced through the mountain range. The tall peaks stood ominousely above our two heroes, a drow and a human, as they sleep peacefully. The human, Caleb Widogast, a ginger, awakes with a start, violently sitting upwards. As he looks around, reaquanticing himself, another scream echoes, bringing Caleb quickly to his feet.

"Essek," he whispers to the drow, still asleep under his covers. Essek Theyless, former Shadowhand to the Bright Queen, turns in his sleep, hair flopping over his eyes. Caleb crouches down next to Essek.

"Theyless, wake up, we need to get going." Essek blows the hair out of his mouth, eyes still squinted shut. Caleb rips the blankets off of the drow's form. His pajamas have little hand painted beacons scattered about both the shirt and the pants.

"Hnng, what is it?" Essek asks, slowly opening his eyes. Caleb frowns, his face inches away from Essek's. The beast screams again, pulling Essek out of his stupor as his eyes widen. Essek floats upwards, and in a snap of his fingers, folds his blanket and changes clothes. Caleb hoisted his pack onto his back, and waited patiently as Essek packed up the rest of his backpack. Caleb put his earplugs in. The weight pulled Essek down to the ground, tethering his feet to the rocky earth. Turning around, the both of them started climbing the mountain at a near frantic pace. Rocks scrabbed beneath their feet as they reached higher with each leg placement and hand hold. The mountain range, massive in scale, extended to the far left and right. The tops extended into the clouds, covered in fog that rolled around lazily. Caleb, with the help of Essek, had chosen their path, based on other successful expeditions. Charting on a map, he traced the easiest and quickest way around the range. One of the town residents was a part of one of the expeditions, so long ago, and told them of further pitfalls.

"Beware the creature of lion and dragon," she had warned, "it killed several of my own. You will know it is coming because of it's screams." The woman shuddered. Caleb fell behind, checking the map. They seemed to be going on the right path. Essek continued climbing, occasionally glancing behind him. Caleb was slowly catching up, panting as his hiked. A slight sound echoed behind, and Caleb warily glanced backwards, just seeing the large boulders they had just passed. Many small scurrying sounds pass through Caleb's deafened ears, and he glances upwards, as the cat-lizard leaps towards him from on top of the boulder.