When Zeke realized the group confronting them didn't belong to Snow's tribe, his mind started to race. He immediately cast [Bloodbound Clarity] to give himself time to think. A moment later, a familiar, cold rationality washed over him as the world ground to a halt. With all physical sensations stripped away, he could ponder the only question that mattered.
Who were these people?
While they might have been an unaffiliated group, his gut told him otherwise. If that were the case, it seemed improbable they would engage his group so openly.
No. They clearly weren't random passersby, and judging by Snow's reaction, they weren't allies either. That left only one possibility: they were from an opposing tribe. However, that realization painted a grim picture. After all, they had almost reached the mountain. If an enemy force was allowed to advance this close, the tribe was likely not in a good spot.
It didn't matter. He could figure out the exact situation later. The most important objective at the moment was to keep these three from escaping. With his mind made up, Zeke released the spell.
Only a moment had passed, and without missing a beat, he returned his attention to the Snake people. Now that he was looking closely, it wasn't hard to see that they were on edge, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.
He quickly raised his hands, showing them that he meant no harm. "We have no relationship with the Icefang tribe. We mean to trade."
While the Snake people exchanged glances, Zeke sent a quick mental message to his followers. "They are enemies. Attack on my signal. Don't let them escape."
The leader soon made up his mind. "Very well," he said, "we will escort you to the village."
Zeke noticed the gleeful expressions on the faces of the other two. Clearly, they were eager for what would happen next. They didn't even try to hide their malevolent expressions anymore.
He sneered inwardly. How did they expect to deceive anyone with such poor acting? Even without Snow's warning, he would have quickly realized that something was amiss. Weren't snakes supposed to be sneakier than this?
Yet, outwardly, he adopted a grateful expression. "Please lead the way."
The moment the trio averted their gazes, his hand cut through the air. Ash, Gravitas, and Vulcanos burst into action. At this point, their teamwork had advanced to a level where they could perform such a maneuver without any prior arrangements.
The enemies were immediately crushed under Gravitas's power, forcing them to their knees. They had dared to come too close. At the same time, Vulcanos's eyes had turned crimson, and the lines across his body shone with power. A wave of molten stone struck the trio, burning through flesh and scales.
Meanwhile, Ash had transformed into mist, circling their backs, prepared to intercept any escape attempts. However, the precaution proved unnecessary, as the three were easily dispatched by the combined attack.
The fight was over in an instant.
Nevertheless, Zeke didn't relax. These three were likely only part of a scouting force, hindering anyone from approaching the mountain. If his guess was right, their allies wouldn't be far.
He faced Snow, who had remained at his side. "Do you recognize them?"
Snow nodded, her eyes fixed on the spot where the three snakes had stood. "They are likely part of the Frostscale tribe." She bit her lips. "They have been after our mountain for a long time."
Zeke considered that. "Are they stronger than your tribe?"
Snow shook her head. "We are about the same in terms of strength, but their leader is no match for my father."
Zeke frowned. That wasn't good news. Either the Snakes had found allies, or something had happened to Snow's father. However, he kept his thoughts to himself and merely nodded.
"Now that we have been discovered, it is all the more important that we hurry. After all, it's only a matter of time before somebody notices that these three are missing. I want to be at the mountain by then."
Ash looked at him, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Are you certain, Master? If we get involved in this, it might not be easy for us to leave."
Zeke grimaced. He was aware of this as well. Depending on the condition of Snow's tribe, the situation might be hopeless. However, what else was he supposed to do? Abandon Snow and flee back to the empire? He couldn't do that, especially not with the goal right in front of his eyes. He refused to give up now!
Ash saw the determined look in his eyes and didn't try to argue anymore. With a sharp nod, he began to lead the way, with the other four following close on his heels. Now that they had killed the scouts, every moment counted.
Instead of traveling openly, he led them through bushes and trees, shielding them from view as much as possible. However, that didn't help for long. The closer they got the more members of the Frostscale tribe they encountered, deepening Zeke's frown. It seemed he had been right in his assumption. The mountain was likely already completely surrounded.
They managed to avoid several more scouting parties, some even consisting of over a dozen people, and ducked behind a large boulder surrounded by trees. Ash's gaze was solemn as he calculated their path. Fortunately, the Snake people didn't seem to have a good sense of smell or hearing; otherwise, they would have long since been discovered.
"There is no path," Ash mumbled after a while, turning to face Zeke. His face was incredibly serious. "There's no hole in their encirclement, Master. We can't pass them by."
Zeke furrowed his brows, peering into the forest as well. However, he couldn't even see the enemies from here. There was a huge difference to what a trained Chimeroi scout could do, compared to a human. Ash placed his hand on Zeke's shoulder, attracting Zeke's full attention.
"This is the point of no return. If we break through forcefully, there will be no way for us to escape anymore," Ash said. "You'll have to make a choice."
Zeke nodded slowly. They all understood the situation now. Snow's tribe was in trouble, and even if they broke through successfully, there was no guarantee of safety. The question was, should they risk it?
Zeke wanted to, but it wasn't just his life at stake. He glanced at Gravitas; her violet eyes were solemn but fearless. Next, he looked at Vulcanos, who met his gaze with a grin and a nod, clearly eager for a fight. Finally, his eyes rested on Snow. She was clearly nervous, her gaze shifting between him and the distant mountain. Her preference was obvious.
It was clear that they were prepared to charge if he gave the order. However, was that really enough? Zeke had to remind himself that it was ultimately his responsibility to ensure their safety. If he decided to do this, to lead them into peril, the least he could do is come up with a contingency plan.
Zeke lowered his head and closed his eyes. In that quiet moment, dozens of plans and scenarios raced through his mind. His goal was clear: if he couldn't devise a way to save his people if the worst happened, he wouldn't go. Akasha joined him a moment later, running different simulations and determining the likelihood of success.
Nobody spoke. They all watched, awaiting Zeke's decision, well aware of the fact that it might decide their life or death. Snow bit her bottom lip, watching him with pleading eyes. Out of everyone, she was clearly the most nervous. After all, this concerned her people, her family, her father.
After a long, drawn-out moment, Zeke's eyes shot open. There was a light in his gaze that had not been there before. It looked like the confidence of a man who was prepared to face the world.
The moment she saw his face, the tension left Snow's body. It was hard to say what she would have done if Zeke decided to flee. The relief she felt at this moment was so strong that her eyes grew misty.
"Thank you," she said before Zeke could even inform them of his decision.
Zeke smiled at her, gently ruffling her hair. "I promised to bring you home, didn't I?"
Snow nodded energetically, a wide smile on her face and her cheeks rosy. Her gaze lingered on Zeke, even after he had turned to face the others. Though her thoughts were unclear, her eyes held a glint.
"Are you with me?" Zeke asked. Even though he was confident, he wanted to hear it from their mouths. He had decided not to treat them as Slaves, and that meant leaving them a choice.
Vulcanos nodded without a moment's delay, quickly followed by Ash and Gravitas.
Zeke had expected as much, but seeing them agree so quickly warmed his heart. Even when given the choice to refuse, they were willing to trust him with their lives. He returned their nods with a strong one of his own.
I'll get you out alive, he vowed silently. Though he couldn't speak the words, this was the goal he strived for with all his heart. Their trust, while invigorating, felt like a mountain resting on his shoulders.
Was this what it meant to be a leader?
His gaze turned stern; it was time to live up to his role. "Ash, take the lead. Vulcanos, main offense. Gravitas, you bring up the rear," he commanded, each order clear and precise. "Our goal is not to eliminate the enemies but to break through. We move together, and no matter what… do not stop! Understood?"
"Yes." Three voices spoke quietly but firmly.
Zeke looked at each of them one last time before motioning for Ash to take the lead. Meanwhile, Akasha had finished casting [Telepathy], connecting them all mentally. In battle, the ability to communicate silently was a huge advantage.
"We move silently until we are discovered," Zeke commanded, following behind Vulcanos. "Until Ash gives the signal, we remain hidden."
They moved quicker than before, relying more on speed than finesse. Even so, they remained undetected all the way to the edge of the forest. However, with their cover coming to an end, there was no way to escape the eyes of the enemies.
Yet, just before they decided to make a run for it, the sound of a distant bell could be heard. It was clearly a signal.
"They've found the bodies…" Ash said telepathically.
"GO," Zeke ordered. This was likely their best chance. They might even benefit from the momentary chaos.
Without hesitation, he picked up Snow in a bridal carry and followed Ash and Vulcanos up the mountain. Gravitas was right behind, somehow keeping pace while walking backward.
"Enemies at the front," Ash sent. "I count four."
With these words, he turned into mist. Following his blurry silhouette, Zeke finally saw the enemies. They were entrenched behind a small boulder fort while looking towards the side. Zeke quickly realized that it was the direction the bell had come from. Likely, that was the location of their camp.
Zeke smiled. Despite their advantageous position, it took the enemies quite a while to notice his group—too long. By the time the first enemy spotted them, Ash had already arrived. His mist form allowed him to move at incredible speeds.
The first enemy's panicked scream turned into a wet gurgle as Ash's claws raked across his throat. A second one fell before he even noticed their approach. The last two were prepared for them, and one managed to parry the follow-up attack. Yet, they were unable to deal with Vulcanos's strike.
Their scales blackened as the ground beneath their feet turned into an abyss of molten stone. They screamed violently while trying to claw their way out of the pit. However, that only had the effect of burning their fleshy upper half.
Zeke clutched Snow closer to his chest, covering her ears with his hands. Without a backward glance, he ran past the fortified position. As ordered, no one stopped.
Their luck had clearly run out after the first sneak attack—there was no way their enemies were still unaware of their location after that scream.
That guess was verified as he heard the sound of wind from behind. It sounded like arrows slitting the air, but many times louder. His [Perfect Spatial Awareness] soon told him the identity of these objects.
They were javelins.
Each spear was longer than Zeke's body with a viciously barbed tip. On top of that, his keen perception noticed a peculiar glint. There seemed to be a liquid smeared on the blades.
"Careful! The spears are poisoned," he heard himself say over telepathy. Though, it wasn't him who had spoken, but Akasha speaking on his behalf.
Even without the warning, there was no way Gravitas would have let them reach their group. Her biggest weakness, the limited range of her ability, was fully negated when defending against projectiles. The javelins all veered off course and began to float around her like planets orbiting the sun.
Without pausing his steps, Zeke marveled at the scene. This was one of the key differences between her Gravitational Magic and telekinesis. Gravitas didn't control each projectile separately. It felt more like she was changing the natural laws, influencing everything in her surroundings.
However, the group's pursuers were relentless, their serpentine lower bodies able to traverse the rocky mountainside with frightening ease. From the volume of their shouting, Zeke could immediately tell that the enemies were gaining on them.
Yet, that didn't last for long.
Once Gravitas' javelin collection had grown large enough, she retaliated. With a shrill scream of parting air, she launched the javelins back to where they had come. Her attack turned the frenzied shouting into terrified screams, as if hell itself had been unleashed.
Zeke winced at the sound.
This was the other key aspect of Gravitational Magic; for as long as they remained in her sphere of influence, the spears accelerated as if they weighed as much as a mountain and were falling straight down. The result wasn't hard to imagine.
By the time she ran out of ammunition, there were no more screams. Zeke couldn't tell if their pursuers had all died or if they had just fallen back, but it didn't matter. Escape was all that counted.
For a while longer, they made good progress. The air was already getting colder, and the first village came into sight. Zeke could already make out the stone walls that seamlessly integrated with the mountain, as well as a couple of heads observing them from up ahead. They had made it!
However, just as Zeke had the thought, a loud bellow came from behind. "Halt!"
The shout was loud and domineering, and Zeke almost lost his footing when he heard it. There was some hidden quality to the voice that was hard to resist. He noticed that the others had completely stopped. Zeke's eyes grew wide. What were they doing?
"I order you to keep running," he called telepathically. Fortunately, they started moving again.
"What?!" the voice exclaimed, clearly in shock. Whatever else he wanted to say, it was already too late. Ash and Vulcanos had already reached the defensive wall that was blessedly open. Zeke entered next, still carrying Snow.
Just then, a loud bellow reached his ears. "STAY!"
The word was accompanied by the sound of splitting air. Zeke was halfway turned around and could now see what was happening. Yet, the sight before his eyes was something he wished he hadn't seen.