THE EAR ARCHER Part 1 (Completed) #wattys2022

WHEN DREAMS ARE HIDDEN IN MOUNTAINS

Dalian led Gob to an obscure part of the military headquarters. Among the hundreds of abandoned rooms was one fairly furnished.
Gob took a look around. A bed, a reading table, a little shelf, nothing much.
"what do you think" Dalian enquired
" it's an amazing place".
" you know just what to say to a girl"Dalian giggled.
"This is where I stay, when I want to a alone".
Gob nodded in understanding.
"i understand solitude".
Dalian dragged him unto the bed, then laid her head on his chest.
Gob smelt her hair. Slowly, he grabbed her arm and gently caressed it.
It was then he knew, he was in love.
"so are u going?" Dalian cooed
"where"
"well I heard the commander has called for a hunt"
"a hunt?. After yesterday's massacre? "
"beats me too"
"well it can't be worse than yesterday's "
"it's actually much worse "
"I really doubt that"
"just come back from mount syline alive "
"mount syline?, never heard of that"
" Well, worry about that tomorrow, stay with Me today".

Sefth was a mere palace guard before the Prince left with the Central army to quell the situation in the north.
As time went by, the Prince kept demanding for more and more men leading to scantiness in the headquarters. There were positions to be filled, ranks to be occupied and so forth. So sefth and others like him were promoted inattentively.

He was presently two ranks superior to Gob and four years older. So far, luck had been smiling on him. Sefth suited up with the others in the traditional hunting attire. He didn't understand why why were ordered to go hunting when they should be planning a counter attack.

He decided against his usual curved synthian Blade: a family heirloom. Instead, he picked a broad sword.
An average swordsman he was, and in a small pond like the almost empty military headquarters, he was a big fish.

Mount syline, an eighteen thousand foot tall natural creation. It's tip was crusted with snow.
The mountain was believed to be mythical. It was infested with wild animals, animals so wild, predators like cobras and lions were prey.
It was at the foot of this mountain that Sefth, Rutherford and the surviving remnants assembled for a hunt.
The rule of the hunt was simple, whoever came back with the carcass of the most dangerous animal wins.

Everyone had a plan, some decided to go in pairs some went solitarily. Sefth went alone, he wanted to cement the fact that he was the finest swordsman in the headquarters, perhaps even better than commander Paul.
Of course every accomplishment always came with a sacrifice. Sefth knew the possibility of a nasty death. But , supremacy conquered all.

While everyone tried to climb the mountain, Rutherford knowing he had mouths to feed clung to Gob.

Sefth gracefully climbed up the mountain, six years of climbing olive branches at home had paid off. His broad sword firmly glued to his side dangled a bit as he strenuously climbed the dangerous mountain.

Gob was annoyed the climb was strenuous, too strenuous. Every move to the next steep took pains. Life away from home had been unpleasant and that was putting it nicely. He was tired. Maybe being a failure wasn't that bad a thing. He had readjusted to climb down when he saw Rutherford still teetering on the ground. A smile broke on his face. Well atleast he had friends to go through the pain with. With the encouragement, he swung his arm back up.

Sefth reached it finally, it wasn't the tip of the mountain it wasn't even half the height of the mountain. It was just a flat land, two thousand feet above the ground.

It was in this flat land that animals who couldn't survive the severity of the tip of the mountain took as habitat, but that didn't make them any dangerous. He was scared,he knew if he stumbled across a pack,he would stand no chance.

After grueling six hours, Gob and Rutherford arrived on the flat land, Rutherford was scared it was getting dark
"Gob" he called softly
"yes" Gob whispered back
"Gob I think there are crocodiles here"
Gob sighed in annoyance
"only large bodies of water hold crocodiles, stop whining "
Rutherford had a protest ready but when he heard whatever he heard, he automatically Jammed his lips together.
Slithering from a massive hole close to them was a boa, the largest known snake and it was heading towards them.

Sefth hid when he noticed a pack of wolves coming his way. He was certain they caught his scent. Killing a wolf single handedly would bring instant fame but there was no way he could single one out.
Cautiously he crept out of his hiding place, there was no use hiding when they had caught his scent. He found the real reason the wolves were running. Standing in front of him was an entire fraternity of menacing tigers.
Sefth knew it was the end. He didn't didn't even try to put up a fight, it would only be more painful. He considered falling on his own Blade.
All the tigers walked away save one. Their way of saying "too easy"

"Gob " Rutherford whimpered, "wasn't large bodies of water supposed to hold big snakes"
"run" Gob yelled
Both men Ran with more vigour than both thought they had. The boa was relentless using it's slimy body and it's familiarity of the area to effortlessly glide through the ground.