Chapter 101
We left for the mountains shortly after having food.
Within half an overarching hour, the sounds of civilization faded behind us. The well-worn road gradually narrowed into a rugged trail that wound its way toward the Ashen Crown, with towering pines lining either side of the path, their branches whispering softly in the afternoon breeze.
Ahead, the mountains seemed even more imposing than they had from the village. Their dark slopes rose sharply into the sky, streaked with veins of black stone that caught the sunlight with a dull metallic sheen.
For a while, neither of us spoke. The only sounds were our footsteps and the occasional call of a distant bird.
Eventually, I adjusted the satchel on my shoulder. "We should probably make sure we're still heading in the right direction."
Rhaevan nodded.
I unslung the satchel and carefully withdrew the living map. Fearing it was far too valuable to risk damaging, I unrolled it across a broad, flat boulder beside the trail and placed the compass at its centre. The familiar silver glow rippled faintly through the parchment.
I smiled. "So far, so good."
Then, I frowned. "...Rhaevan."
He stepped closer. "What is it?"
I pointed at the map. "I don't remember... this."
His eyes narrowed. For several long moments, he said nothing. When he finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper. "Neither do I."
I looked again. The lone silver marker still rested within the Ashen Crown, but the surrounding landscape had changed subtly.
Contours that hadn't existed before now curved around the mountain slopes.
Thin silver lines marked narrow streams weaving through the valleys, a ruined structure had appeared near the western ridge, and even sections of the cliff face were now illustrated with remarkable precision.
Yesterday, the region had been little more than an outline. Today, it was beginning to resemble a real landscape.
I slowly looked up. "...Did the map just... change?"
Rhaevan's gaze remained fixed on the parchment. "It did."
He reached into his robes and withdrew the ancient map we'd borrowed from Benedict, laying it beside the original. The difference was unmistakable: the ancient map ended abruptly where the mountain range began, while the living map continued, adding detail layer by layer.
His expression grew thoughtful. "When we first awakened it..."
"...it showed only enough to lead us here."
His finger traced one of the newly revealed paths. "Now that we've approached the Ashen Crown... it has revealed more."
He studied the newly revealed terrain for another moment before rolling the copy back up. "That settles it." He looked toward the mountains. "We camp near the search area."
I raised an eyebrow. "You've already convinced me of that."
"I had practical reasons." He looked back at the map. "Now we have another."
He carefully rolled the parchment and handed it back to me. "The closer we are... the more it will reveal."
I slipped the map safely back into its case. "So... we're not just following the map anymore."
A faint smile crossed Rhaevan's face. "No. It's leading us."
Together, we turned our attention toward the Ashen Crown. For the first time, it felt as though the mountains knew we were coming.
By late afternoon, the road had all but disappeared. The narrow trail gradually dissolved into uneven volcanic stone, forcing us to pick our way carefully across the mountainside.
The air had changed. It was cooler here-sharper-and every gust carried the faint scent of sulphur and damp rock.
Vegetation had become increasingly sparse; twisted shrubs clung stubbornly to cracks in the black stone, while the occasional stunted pine seemed to have survived more through sheer determination than favourable conditions.
I looked around. "...I don't think I've seen another traveller in hours."
Rhaevan scanned the surrounding slopes as we walked. "Few people have reason to come here. And the ones who do? They rarely stay long."
Comforting. Very comforting.
A few minutes later, Rhaevan slowed. His eyes swept across the terrain before settling on a narrow ledge overlooking a shallow valley. "There. It'll do."
I followed his gaze. It looked like rocks. Lots of rocks.
"...For what?"
"Our camp."
I stared at the uneven ground. "You're joking."
He stepped onto the ledge, surveying it with the practiced eye of someone who had clearly done this many times before.
"Natural shelter on three sides." He pointed toward the cliff behind us.
"The rock will break most of the wind." Then he pointed toward a small stream weaving between the stones below.
"Fresh water." Finally, he looked uphill.
"And we have a clear view of the surrounding approach."
I blinked. "You saw all that in five seconds?"
He looked mildly puzzled. "...Yes."
I looked at the ledge again, pointing vaguely. "I saw... rocks."
He ignored that entirely. "This will also save us nearly two hours tomorrow."
That caught my attention. "How?"
He unrolled the living map on a flat slab of stone. "The search area begins here." His finger rested near the newly revealed contours. "If we'd remained in the village..." He traced an imaginary route. "...we would have spent most of the morning simply reaching this point."
He looked up. "Now... we can begin searching at first light."
I nodded slowly. "When you put it that way... camping suddenly sounds much less terrible."
"I'm glad."
"Don't get used to it."
The Ashen Crown stretched endlessly before us, dark ridges rising one behind another, disappearing into drifting mist. Somewhere within those mountains, the First Fragment waited-hidden for centuries, waiting for someone to find it.
I tightened the strap of my satchel. "Well."
Rhaevan looked at me.
"I suppose this is home for the night."
He glanced around the ledge once more before giving a small nod. Well, this was it: just two travellers, an ancient map, and a mountain that had guarded its secrets for ages.
The expedition had truly begun.