"Oh how I miss the mountains." I said as I stretched my arms out as I continued walking in the mountains, with nothing but a map and no trail or land marks to guide my way. I didn't know where I was going but I sure didn't care or at least didn't show it from my many bouts of silence and near constant thinking. I always wondered why when I'm in the high peaks of mountains away from people that I'm slightly more happy. It could be the cold air, the environment or simply because I liked the occasional snow fall that happened sometimes. Unfortunately it wasn't snowing but the chill in the air was ever present and the enclosed feeling I get in the mountains makes me feel safe oddly enough.
I woke up from my thinking and quickly began walking again as to not feel more like a happy five year old and start bouncing like a madman. I eventually ended up hitting a waterfall and I took out my canteen to collect water since I haven't found any water since I got here. The waterfall was in a small clearing that was on top of a cliff side which held a waterfall of its own, that led to a small river, that went to a lake nearby. After I kneeled next to the small waterfall, I began filling my near empty canteen as the near deafening patter of the waterfall continued unabated.
When my canteen was full I screwed the cap back on it and continued following the old trail I found from earlier. The trail was old because it was over grown with grass and trees to the point that it made it more like a wall of shrubs, but the fact that it looked like it led somewhere kept on making me think there use to be a trail, whether I'm right or not I just kept on following it. I walked around the bend of the mountain to see the trail open up into a road that could actually hope to fit a cart and a cliff on my left that was covered by trees and shrubs. I didn't have to go to the precarious edge to see that it was precarious, since the trees bended oddly and the shrubs were short, also it helps that when I saw a gap in the foliage that there was a gorgeous view... with a lack of floor.
I stopped looking at the cliff and began following the trail with more hustle as I saw the afternoon sun begin drifting down to the other side of the mountains making the shadows grow longer. I kept my eyes straight and focused on listening to make sure I didn't get stabbed or shot from an arrow. The trail continued to lead me deeper into the mountains and eventually I ended up entering an area with a bunch of over hangs above me. There was nothing man made on the overhangs but the trail suddenly grew a lot more interesting.
There was remnants of broken metallic equipment all over the trail, including what might have been a trebuchet except not made entirely of wood. "I guess I found the place but no armor just pieces of carts and other crap all over the place."I kept my eyes peeled on anything that looked like a weapon or piece of armor but from what I seen what remains of this equipment is the equivalent of ancient broken artifacts. The carts were barely visible from the near rotted away state the only thing that showed it was a cart was the rusted metal screws and the near gone wooden wheels that a companied them.
I kept an eye out as I continued to walk the path occasionally looking into a cart or examining the remains of objects but I didn't find anything in the small ravine. I eventually walked out of the ravine and found myself in a giant field that felt like it couldn't exist here, the mountains felt to cramped together to hold a field that previously sported an army. But I guess it still is since the field was covered in weapons and armor littering the battlefield in heaps like a junkyard. But it felt almost haunting looking at everything, I took a step forward and felt my paw hit something, smooth and solid along with it making a hollow wood noise. I looked down at the object to see a skull of what seemed to be a ferocious, snarling wolf, though it was twice as big and when I looked a helm laid next to it.
I said" What horrible creature died here?" I then began looking around more and saw skeletons of creatures that didn't look like some of the smaller skeletons. The smaller skeletons didn't look like an animal since they lacked the normal predatory features of claws and snouts and instead had a round skull with a flat face. After I stopped examining the corpses I picked up the helm from the wolf skull and spun it around multiple times to get a good feel for it.
I said" This helmets old" I pulled out my knife and struck it, it caved and now had a hole in it" And shitty of course it is its been in a open field for years gathering rust and being useless." I threw the helmet through the air and saw it sail for quite a distance towards a ruined tattered tent. I muttered" Well I guess its a good disk but that's useless anyways."
I looked at the faded blue and white tent and then at the desolate field before spotting a pole high in the air somewhere to the other side of the valley. I looked back at the tent and began moving toward it while keeping my distance from the bones of the long dead. After a few minutes of walking I was outside the tent and saw that not only the color was fading but the cloth was gathering uneven holes in it and rotting away like everything else in this place. I pushed the cloth out of my way to see one of the smaller skeletons in similar old rusted armor and a metal chest that looked oddly pristine in this decaying graveyard. I stepped around the skeleton and saw that it's chest armor had several holes in it like someone savagely attacked it.
When I stopped looking at the skeleton I turned around and went to the heavy iron chest that looked oddly pristine. It looked to be engraved with odd symbols and it looked to have specks of gold mixed in with the grey metal. "Huh these symbols are the same from that restaurant and probably somewhere else." I crouched as I traced a claw against the markings before standing up and grabbing the bars on the front lid. I expected it to be locked but instead it just flew open like it was light as a feather. Inside the ornate chest was a full head covering helmet and a piece of paper?
I picked up the paper and it read "To the brave fool who entered this eternal graveyard." I flipped it to the other side and it continued "Head to the other camp brave fool." I muttered under my breath "What the hell is this place, ancient paper shouldn't be legible." I sighed and put the paper back in the chest before picking up the helmet and examining it. The helmet felt odd in my claws, it was a light helm that completely covered the head except for the neck and the eyes, the eye's was just a hole for each, the helm completely covered the nose and mouth and the top curved to the back plate that was longer than the front. The helm could never fit one of those wolf like monsters but the inside of the helm was probably twice or three times as big as my claws. The helm was also about as thick as the length of my pinky.
I muttered "What type of person wore this slab of metal?" I held it out from me and stared into the eyeholes and I felt much punier and worthless than usual. I shook my feathery head and ruffled my light blue top feathers before putting the helmet to my side before heading to the other camp. I exited the tent to see the sky turning a light shade of yellow and the wind picking up slightly. I huffed and began marching the giant field of dead, avoiding the skeletons and weapons of the fallen with well done paw steps. After walking past a unholy amount of bodies I saw the red and black accented tent with a wooden pole pointing to the heavens.
I muttered" How the fuck are both these tents standing." The tent was bigger than the blue and white one but it also had the same rotting damage from the previous ones though some corners looked blacker than the rest. I entered the tent with little trepidation and was greeted with a similar chest and a much bigger skeleton in armor, the armor lacked damage other than its rusty and forgotten but the body was one of those huge wolf looking ones though it was different than those. It looked smaller than the others and its teeth was smaller though seemed much more numerous. I picked myself up and began walking to the metallic engraved chest, I opened it and I saw another piece of paper and instead of an helmet It contained a curved sword tucked within its sheath.
I picked up the paper and it read " You've found the treasure, so take it and avoid this futile dumb war." I looked at the sword for a few seconds and picked it up in both my claws. The sheath was wooden and it showed no signs of aging compared to this place, like the paper and the helmet. The string that's suppose to secure the weapon to your hip was replaced with a leather band and the hilt was designed with red and blue fabric. The wooden sheath was all black with no noticeable details, I unsheathed the sword slowly to see it was single edged and it lacked an ornate design.
I sheathed the blade and set it down to pick up the helmet before tying it to one of the loose strings of my pack, so now it would lazily hang on the back of my pack. I picked back up the sword and turned around to freeze up immediately, I saw a hulking blue ghostly creature clad in similar armor to the skeletal corpse at its feet. I stood there perfectly still as It turned around, not even noticing my presence as it put it's hulking blue transparent claws on a non existent object.
It grunted and said" Hmmm everything seems to be going as planned." It spoke in a deep voice similar to an old man though he lacked the wet fluid covered sound of most elderly men. I looked under where his claws was and saw old rotted wood pieces, I kept on looking at him not moving even after he looked from the unknown object at me for several moments it didn't react. The being looked vaguely like a lizard with scales on his face though all I could see was blue and no other color on him. I eventually unfroze and began creeping out of the tent giving me ample distance away from the ghostly entity.
"What was that?" I froze immediately and looked straight at him but he wasn't looking at me but instead the other side of the tent from me. I continued to creep out slowly but before I even put my next paw down, I saw something come from the entrance of the tent and jump on top of the spectral creature. I heard a very distinct yelp of surprise and then a horrifying gurgling noise as I stared as the other creature drove a knife right into the others neck. The assaulted specter was almost perfectly aligned to the bones and armor on the ground.
The assaulting specter stood up while wrenching the bade from the others neck, the being walked towards the exit of the tent while holding the knife behind his back. It stopped next to me as I was trying to get outside just before the folds and said in a male voice" One gone, two more to go." I couldn't see the beings face since it was hidden behind a metal mask that had a beak like structure toward the bottom. It walked out outside as I just stood there watching him and trying to figure out what the hell happened.
I exited the tent with my head down and muttered" The fuck is happening in this place." I looked up into the sky and saw dark clouds and heard thunder overhead, it also had a very vibrant dark orange in the sky. I also heard a very familiar howl from the other side of the field and I looked expecting shifting shadows but instead saw a blue glowing dog with white eyes. It stared at me and before I knew it the wolf began howling and the shadows began moving around the tree line on the other side.
I shouted" Oh fuck!" I began running the path behind me and kept on following the overgrown down hill path with little thought. "Why was there fucking blue specters and a glowing blue and white eyed dog that just looked at me and put a whole goddam pack on me, and its going to rain soon absolutely perfect."Then It down poured right on top of my god forsaken head.