God of Discovery [high fantasy, slow build, mlm]

The pillar, part 5

After Thar's little adventure to the pillar a few days ago and the fact that nobody noticed he was gone, D'Argen decided it was his job to keep an eye out for the others. Not that he was in a much better state than most of them.

"I wonder how high it goes," Lilian voiced the question right beside him.

D'Argen had to grit his teeth to stop himself from snapping at them. Lilian had not spoken much but every time they did, the pillar was somehow involved.

"We have to get out of here," D'Argen muttered under his breath.

Haur giggled from his other side and D'Argen could only groan in annoyance. Abbot's herbs did not look like they would end soon and Haur, as the leader of their expedition, was definitely unable to give them orders to continue. Next in rank were Nocipel and D'Argen. Unfortunately, the two could not agree.

"I need a few more days," Nocipel argued, as he had done the last few days since D'Argen returned with Thar in tow and demanded that they break camp.

D'Argen groaned in annoyance.

"Do you think we can climb it?" Lilian asked.

Haur giggled.

Abbot snorted before bursting into laughter that startled a few of the mortals not too far from them. Yaling tried to silence him with a glare and failed.

"How many more days?" D'Argen asked, ignoring the others and focusing on Nocipel instead.

"A few."

"A few means...?"

"A few means a few, what are you in such a hurry for?" Nocipel snapped.

"Di-did you really just ask me that?"

Nocipel gave him a look that clearly called him an idiot.

D'Argen could barely keep his mouth from dropping open. "Okay. No. Whatever the fuck is going on here, we have to go. Now."

"I said I need—"

"He is right," Thar interrupted Nocipel's rising voice.

D'Argen was so glad to hear agreement that it took him too long to realize who he said it. His smile faded away and he looked warily at Thar. What was he playing at? The way the man had sat still and only stared at the pillar, his eyes never wavering, made him seem more unhinged than Lilian and their obsessive babble. Agreeing with D'Argen to leave the pillar be?

Nocipel grumbled but did not raise his head to meet Thar's eyes.

Thar may have been a lower rank than both of them, but he still inspired respect. Especially in those that once followed him into battle.

Haur giggled once more and rolled over. D'Argen reached out with a foot and kicked the man's leg, stopping him from rolling all the way into the fire. Haur did not thank him and instead started rolling in the other direction. D'Argen felt the tension from his jaw as it vibrated down to his shoulders. He was wound so tight that everything was hurting. He had not stopped grinding his teeth in days.

"One day!" Nocipel tried to bargain.

"Is that today or tomorrow?" D'Argen gritted out.

"Today," Thar answered for them both.

Nocipel glared at Thar, grumbled a swear under his breath, and then nodded. He stood up quickly, gathering a wooden box filled with jars, and made his way down the hill. Toward the pillar. Some of those jars already had water in them, some of them had snow, some of them were empty, and some had dirt and rock. They were the specimens Nocipel had been gathering since they left the ship and had stopped the moment they made camp.