Theurgy: Forsaken Oaths (Book Two)

Chapter 30 The King of Skis

Dagmyre looked out over the barren, frozen wasteland he was to traverse. He never wanted to be a monster hunter, a ranger. The job seemed too dull and tedious, a lot of sitting around in trees and musty caves out in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't understand how many knights could lower themselves to that role.

It is another reason why the other Opal brother further becomes a baffling enigma to him. Undoubtedly one of his prowess would join the likes of Edlund on the battlefield, where his ability not only as a knight but as a brilliant leader and skilled tactician would shine through. And he was not alone in that assumption, and it seemed that Gray and Elena had also assumed such when they first met the farmer. So when he heard that he was on diplomatic missions to the outlands, he saw it as a waste of talent that would be used further to strengthen the Empire's hold of the Frostlands. Edlund, in his eyes, was a pale comparison. Even if he had received special training in Valoria, the birthplace of the most famous knights in the kingdom, his showings in the Frozen Forest were not impressive. And his attitude and dismissiveness towards him were beginning to wear on Dagmyre at least a little bit.

Still, he holds a small hope that Edlund proves him wrong, somehow. He could see what the likes of Elena and many others see within the brother. He looked to Gray, who seemed not to have fully recovered from the briefing just the day before.

"So, how does it feel being the worm on the string?" Dagmyre asked him.

"I'd rather it be you if I'm being honest," Gray said under his breath.

"Come now; you are a knight, are you not?" he asked. "You should be thrilled at the prospect of snagging a beast such as a basilisk."

"Sure," Gray said. "I so do look forward to being petrified by a fifty-foot-long basilisk."

"You'll be fine," Dagmyre jeste. "Just keep both eyes open, get a good look around-"

"By the start, you aren't going to be paralyzed," Elena said. "As soon as the thing appears, Edlund opens up for Dagmyre and me to follow up and incapacitate it. After that, it's a standard carrot and sticks routine."

"Then why don't we give the job to Dagmyre?" Gray complained, jutting his finger at Dagmyre.

Edlund sighed. "On any other day, I would agree. Seeing dagmyre chased down by a basilisk would be a daydream. But we aren't here for personal attacks, now are we?"

"Could have fooled me," Gray once again mumbled. "Anyway, where is this stinking Basilisk anyway. We're over five miles out of the city by now."

"Just a little further up, we should be hitting its territory," he said, observing the small map he clutched in his hand-drawn by Thyra. And just as it indicated, the rolling hills of light snow slowly gave way to rocky formations and boulders that began to populate the landscape. The Silondras mountains to the south poked just over the horizon like a passing beast. The stiff cold air stung their lungs and bit at their flesh, but the weather was manageable. Dagmyre faintly remembers such places as being ideal locations for the Basilisk. But, of course, such idealistic areas should be in lowlands, moderate climates, and so on, not in the middle of the Frostlands. He hopes this experience could be over as quickly as possible so they can return to hot tea and fires in their private tents.

Edlund finally stopped at the peak of a few surrounding hills. It was a good vantage point for the surrounding area, with many open clearings. Leading to the foot of the hill was rather steep, with lots of opportunities to punish whatever prey they may catch.

"Alright, Gray, hike down there," he said.

"Here?" Gray asked, looking at the saddle below them before sighing and dismounting. "I swear those Boreans better cure blindness or else."