Will, Maya and Roy raced atop the wood line and fields below, the mountains grew closer with every minute. From what looked like a pin p.r.i.c.k when closer to Ember, after getting closer, the walls of the mountains seemed to reach the heavens. "I read that Hawk Ridge is still three days travel by flight after getting to the top of these mountains." Roy said as he craned his head to try to see the top. "And I hear that getting to the top is no small task." "How so?" Will called back as he continued his way. "I thought we would just fly to the top."
"We would be able to do that," Roy said wryly. "But the path a hundred yards from the mountain is full of affinity traps to keep those who can fly from breaching their defenses."
"Affinity traps?" Will looked at the mountains with newfound curiosity.
"They react to certain affinities. The closer you get to the trap, the more likely you will set it off, resulting in a chain reaction of explosions. If you set off even one, we would most likely die."
"Then why don"t I just absorb the trap"s power before going up?" Will asked. "They were most likely made by one of my ancestors, so I should just be able to take the elemental power back within myself."
"That"s true," Maya began, "But then you would leave this mountain defenseless to invaders. That would be more of a disservice than a service, don"t you think?"
Will sighed. He knew she was right, he was only going to these kingdoms to ensure that they could put a face to his name and know that he would support them in the future as the Wandering Prince, and not the Crimson King.
The two companions took Will"s silence as understanding as they headed to the base of the mountain. Will saw a solitary figure at the foot and flew towards it. Landing, he was greeted by a man in brown leather who held up a hand to halt them.
"Who seeks pa.s.sage to the top of Hawk Mountain?" The man said formally. Will could tell that the man had to say the same thing many times per day and felt a little more comfortable with the current problem of the traps which lay ahead of them.
"I am William Ragnos, Wandering Prince of Crystallia." Will said with a fist to his heart. "This is Maya and Roy, my travelling companions." He waved his hand to his friends who also put a fist to their hearts.
The man gave a salute of his own, somewhat confused why a prince felt the need to salute to him first. Royalty which used the mountain pa.s.s usually expected the salute first, along with an apology for not knowing who they were. He already had a better opinion of Will due to the respect he had been given. "Ragnos.." The man studied the last name. "Isn"t that Ebonhart"s ruler"s name?"
"I claim no affiliation to the rulers of Ebonhart." Will said without falter. "I am disciple to the Wandering King Ragnos, who gifted the affinities to this world. I am he who shall have no home but the land I walk." Will recited what Ragnos had instructed him to use as an introduction. Before he could be given a raised eyebrow, Will unlocked the man"s aura. Instead of one eyebrow, he received both as well as a deep bow.
"Thank you, my prince!"
Will took the man"s hand and shook it. "I"d rather you not bow," He said with a friendly smile. "I"m not here to be anyone"s ruler, just to come say h.e.l.lo."
"Yes, prince." the man nodded as he took a step back.
"So tell me, what"s the trick with the traps?" Will"s eyes glittered with curiosity.
The man snapped out of his awe and became business once more. "This is the Eagle Mountain Pa.s.s." He raised a hand to the large wall behind him. "Each trap is marked with a small twig sticking out of the mountain. In order to avoid the traps, you must keep an eye out for these twigs. It will be impossible to predict where the path will curve, or where it might cut to one side or the other. You will have to take your time to find each twig."
"Is there any other way besides just looking for twigs?" Will asked with an arched eyebrow. It would take days of paranoia just to locate each area with a twig that they would have to avoid.
"Sorry to say, I don"t think so." The guard said as he scratched his head. "If you even use your aura to sense where they are, if you get to close, you"ll set off the explosions." He shrugged. "You"ll just have to navigate the old fashioned way."
Will looked up the mountain with distaste in his expression. If he wanted to get to Hawk Ridge by the local people"s standard, he would have to do things their way. Without wasting another breath, he left the man and made his way to the beginning slope of the mountain.
Roy and Maya shrugged as they followed Will. Roy knew better than to try for the front of the group. He knew that Will enjoyed testing himself, so he contented himself with staying back and keeping Maya company. She nodded to him, showing that he had made the right decision.
As Will made his way up, he began noticing small twigs standing up on either side. His aura fluctuated left and right after getting close enough to the markers until it condensed in on itself as he moved to the center of the markers. As he moved past, he breathed a sigh of relief. "First one down," He looked up at the peak of the mountain, going further than the clouds above. "Only twenty thousand or so left to the top." He sighed and kept going.
Maya smiled encouragingly at Roy as she began climbing after Will. They began to climb single file up the mountain.