“Which way, then?” asked Esperanza as she looked over a large map of the far eastern end of what was currently the frontlines of the war between the demons and the humans. The map had been one of their more useful loot from the supply center they had eradicated just two nights ago, and it even included some details of the closer regions of the human kingdom across the border.
“The closest hideout of our brethren that Agur-Bas had notes of used to be located here,” said Ani as she pointed her finger towards a mountain range on the far eastern side of the map. Esperanza noticed that the place was close to the current border, though the mountain range itself was flanked by fortifications on both sides.
Likely meant to stop the demons from pushing into the human lands from that side, she guessed.
“That said, it was a small community, barely a couple hundred, and that was over a couple centuries ago, so I am not certain whether they would still be around or not,” admitted Ani openly. She then shifted her finger to trace along the mountain range until she pointed at a large mountain that capped the range’s northern end, deeper in the human lands. “On the other hand, there used to be a larger hideout situated in this mountain. We used to have direct contact with them as there were some water routes we could take directly to the underground shelter, and the last time we contacted them was closer to fifty years ago.”
Esperanza nodded as she noticed how the mountain was located right next to a gulf that sliced through the land and basically turned the land to the east of the mountain range into an area mostly cut off from the rest of the continent other than to the south. Of course, she also guessed that the human kingdom likely built a bridge or something to traverse the gulf, since they bothered to build a fort at the southern end of that strip of land.
If the visitors were of Gour-ug’rech heritage like Ani, it would be easy enough for them to enter the hideout directly from the gulf, where underground rivers led straight to a cavern complex deep within the mountain itself. For Esperanza’s group, though, they would have to take the more difficult land route, and likely scour the mountain for an entrance to the hideout.
“If the map is accurate, the humans didn’t seem to develop that area too much, so the chances of at least the larger settlement being safe should be decent,” noted Dai’Vasy. The young mage girl was always rather studious, and she had been learning from Ani’s scouts on how to read maps and the likes, in case such skills would be needed and they happen to be separated from each other. “Which route would we take to get there, though?”
“There are several options to take,” outlined Egalus, a Ma’Varok-Gour-ug’rech hybrid and one of the more senior warriors from Ani’s group. He was a veteran fourth-tier scout, one who was highly skilled in reconnaissance and pathfinding. Dai’Vasy had been taking lessons from him as well. “The safest path if we prioritize stealth would be to directly climb the mountain range itself. The range is uninhabited, so neither the humans nor the demons would have much presence there.”
“Of course, the terrain would be difficult, and finding our way would be challenging. There are likely many wild animals and monsters inhabiting the region as well, but the chances of us being discovered should we take this route is nearly non-existent,” elaborated the old scout as he traced a path through the range with his finger. “Of course, it would likely take the longest, due to the terrain involved, and we’d be camping out in the open all the way until we reach a shelter.”
“What about the other routes?” asked Tiesya. Val-Kas’j usually acted as a leader of sorts for the [Progenies of Yore], but when he wasn’t around – he was standing guard outside to make sure they were safe at the moment – the youngsters usually listened to Tiesya. Perhaps it had to do with how they were the oldest of the children, or how they were the first two to reach the second tier back then.
“This route here would be easier to traverse, but we would have to pass quite close to the eastern fort, and there’s no cover to be had around that area,” pointed out the veteran scout as he traced a route that hugged the mountain range’s east side with one finger. “Besides, the settlements were both on the western side of the mountains, so we would have to cross over the mountain range itself if we take this route.”
The members of the group that were gathered nodded in agreement at the old scout’s analysis. While saving time was good, it was probably not worth the risk to potentially expose themselves as they enter the human lands, and that route would force them to cross the mountain range anyway in the end, so there weren't as much benefits as expected.
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“This one has similar issues,” said Egalus as he traced another route, this time near the mountain range’s western side. “The humans kept the area between the mountain range and their fort clear of obstacles, so they would likely notice if we crossed through that area. On the other hand, this is probably the most expedient of the routes available to us, all considered.”
“There’s another then?” asked Legisvula from the side.
“We could take a detour this way,” stated the old scout as this time he traced a route that started on the vast plains further west from the fort, then made a curve that cut east towards the mountain range. “This entire plain is a dungeon of pretty high level, so the humans had been using it as a natural barrier of sorts. We will still risk meeting some people if we take this route, but they are likely in small enough groups for us to deal with in this case, while the dungeon itself should not be as dangerous as the arachnoid one we had gone through.”
“On the other hand, this detour would cost us quite a bit of time as well, and we’d be crossing larger areas of the human kingdom in the process, so it has its own risks as well. It is likely the most comfortable route to take, but I’m not sure whether it’d be worth taking it due to those issues,” he admitted after some thought. “Those would be the best routes we could take to our destination, I believe.”
“I concur with senior Egalus’ suggestion,” stated the younger scout from Ani’s group with a nod. The younger woman deferred quite a bit to the older Egalus, since she was one of his students as well. “The routes he outlined should be the most efficient ones we could take, at least, if we assume that the map is accurate enough.”
“The demons should have their own spies inside the human kingdom,” noted Ani thoughtfully. “They might not be able to find much in terms of military secrets, but things like terrain and location of fortifications should be something they could find out reasonably, I think,” she added. “Therefore I think we could rely at least somewhat on this map we have, though we should be prepared to adjust if it turns out to be inaccurate.”
“Fair enough,” said Esperanza in approval of the suggestion. “Any preference to which route we’ll take then?”
“I favor going through the mountain range,” said Ani after some thought. “The mountain range itself started within the demon territories, so we would be able to use it to avoid any potential pursuers as well. It would also be the path where we’re least likely to be noticed. The humans likely paid close attention to the areas closer to the foot of the mountain, but not the higher regions.”
Esperanza nodded as what Ani said made sense. The mountain range in question was tall enough that its higher regions were covered in snow and ice all year round, which made crossing through them difficult, and that was before considering the local wildlife. Still, though, their group was small and each of them had high personal power, so that should allow them to go through that route without too much trouble.
“We have been keeping our identity hidden during our activities in the demon territories, so I guess it makes sense to do the same in the human kingdom,” noted Esperanza. “Even if we won’t act against them until the demons start failing badly, keeping our existence a secret seems to be the wiser course of action to take here, so I understand where you’re coming from.”
“It’s just more nights sleeping in the open and having to deal with wildlife,” said Resitia with a shrug. The young human girl was colder and more detached than the rest of the children. Then again, she also had the misfortune to witness her parents and older sister being slaughtered before she was brought to flee Navef back then. While she had attained some sense of closure after she talked with their souls, the girl was still changed by the tragedy.
Esperanza remembered how the girl used to be more bright and cheerful during the early days of her stay in and near Navef, and how she sometimes visited her little hut to play with Dali and Gordy back then. These days, the girl was more taciturn and closed, and Esperanza also noticed how Resitia was often rather reckless when fighting.
Almost as if she no longer had much of a care in the world.
So far her higher stats from the high quality classes she possessed along with her powerful skills as well as friends who watched over her back while she fought had kept her safe, but Esperanza had noticed Resitia’s tendency for recklessness and kept note of it. The other children were likely too young to understand why she behaved that way, but Esperanza had a good guess why.
Trauma and its lingering effects were not too different, whether it was on Earth or Ephemera after all.
It was why Esperanza often paired Resitia with Mel-Ivas when she could, as well as a couple of the older veterans from Ani’s group. They were there in case the girl’s reckless fighting caught up to her. Mel-Ivas’ healing skills could mitigate any injury Resitia took, while the veterans would be more likely to notice when she got in over her head and would be able to interfere accordingly.
She had informed Belug-ur’ani herself about it as well, and Ani had agreed that trying to quietly take care of the girl until she eventually came to peace with herself might be the best they could do at the moment. None of the group were licensed therapists, while Esperanza herself, for all the worship that the others gave her, was just a teenager herself, and barely knew much more compared to them.
Likely less compared to the veterans, she felt.
It was one reason she often acquiesced to suggestions from Ani or her older warriors, as they were far more familiar with Ephemera compared to her and likely knew better on what to do and what not to do. It was not a case of submission on her part, but more of accepting the wisdom of the locals who had lived there all their lives, instead of foolishly trying to do everything herself.
Even if she might not be sane anymore – was anyone of them still sane with all their sanity values well in the negatives? It was something she had often wondered, and honestly felt that the explanation could make sense, or could just as easily be a convenient lie – Esperanza still knew better not to be a fool whose ego would just end up getting others killed.