They walked for a while through the alpine meadow in the mists, along the trail left behind by the snake, knowing that if they strayed from it they would be lost, if they were not already so, for their were no landmarks to navigate by and everything looked much the same to them.

Despite this, neither showed any particular concern about it, focused upon the mystery that had arisen, of what the valley was about and what secrets it was trying to hide.

Ivkarha hummed short snatches of tunes as she strode along, though ever was her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, ready to react at a moment to any perceived threat that might emerge out of the mists.

After a time the trail began to fade, the path left by the snake less obvious. It had, it appeared, slowed and been more cautious in its movements, though a creature of its size could not but leave behind some evidence. The trail led into a field of standing stones, each taller than the pair of them.

There were not discards as had previous ones been, for they appeared too regular, too upright for that, bar for a few that had toppled at some point. On a closer inspection, carvings could be made out on them, part covered over by the moss and lichens of a variety of colours that grew across them. Aedmorn began to clear the growth away, to get a closer look at them while Ivkarha kept a watchful eye on the surroundings.

“More of the same?” she asked.

“In some manner, yes,” Aedmorn told her. “They are of the same people, but not of the same images. They are involved in a number of activities; on some they are building what could be the tower, on others feasting or engaged in leisure activities. This one,” he added, touching the stone before him, “Shows them sacrificing what appears to be a goat upon an altar. There is more of their language carved on them as well. If only we could read it, it might explain much.”

“Anything that might give an indication of the nature of this valley?”

“It is hard to tell. I think this one here may show some them engaged in some kind of ritual under the stars at night while clouds move across. It may be that they shrouded the valley to hide from the sun.”

“There is an off feel to this place,” she noted, almost as an aside.

“The whole valley is like that.:”

She shook her head. “No, it is beyond that here, around these stones. There has been death here.”

He knew that if she could feel it then it was so, for she could sense death in a manner similar to how he could sense the presence of life. Not always in a manner that provided much in the way of information, but enough to know it existed.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“The sacrifices depicted here?” he asked.

“No, it is not that. There are always animals about dying, and it feels not like that. It would take sacrifices of an unimaginable dimension to imprint on the surroundings like this. This feels more like what you would get for the site of a great battle or a burial pit for many dead. And it is old too, seeped into the very bones of the world around us.”

“There is no indication of anything like that around here. For the land to recover so that it does not register would take some time to accomplish. This place is pristine wilderness.”

“I can say only what I feel.”

Aedmorn’s face took on a serious, contemplative look as he studied the region around with the standing stones. “This was obviously once a place of some importance. That the snake came through here I foresee was not by happenstance. It is no normal beast; there is an intelligence within it, linked to the valley and all that has happened here. Find it and we may find some of the answers we seek.”

Ivkarha nodded and once more they set out across the mist shrouded land, following the faint trail left behind by the snake in its flight.

Onwards they travelled, as the collected waters grew larger, the pools broader; brownish stained was the water and beneath its surface lay many stones, smooth worn. Here and there they spotted signs of fish, the first creatures beyond insects they had come across besides the giant snake. Pale silver flashed beneath the water and rings rippled on the surface as the fish came up to feed on the hordes of insects about.

“If we have the time,” Ivkarha noted as they walked along, following the trail alongside a gurgling stream, “We should try and catch a few; fish would make a welcome change.”

By the time they judged it towards the middle of the day, as best as they could tell, they noticed a change in the lands about them; they had not reached the rim of the valley were it climbed up again, but there was a noticeable lessening of the growth around them, of bare patches of ground standing out stark against the green.

Aedmorn halted at one, going down on a knee and resting his hand against the dry earth showing there. “Life has left this place,” he announced. “I fell we are close to some answers, at least.”

Ivkarha nodded slowly, her keen eyes on the alert, always sweeping the region around them, poised lightly on her feet, coiled for action. Her sword was now drawn, held steady before her, for the air hung heavy with dread an expectation. They knew not what was around, only that something had left them on edge, all expectant, certain that there was trouble at hand.

Aedmorn slowly rose back to his feet and the two pushed on, slower now, more cautious. The patches of dead earth grew ever more numerous until before them the ground began to rise into a hillock, and a cave entrance appeared within it.

The ground outside the cave entrance was littered with bones, both of animals and man, while among them were shed snake skins, large and rough.

“The lair of the one that attacked us,” Aedmorn said quietly.

“I am of no mind to enter in,” Ivkarha responded. “It w hard enough to drive it off n the first place; to challenge it in its own lair, where it will be cornered and wounded would be folly indeed.”

“Aye,” Aedmorn agreed, then looked up, towards the peak of the hillock. “Look, there is something else there as well.”

They could just make out a shadow in the mists above, too large to be the snake. Quietly they snuck forward, to avoid disturbing the serpent in its lair begin the climb up, and as they did the shadow began to coalesce, taking form before them, revealing unto them that which they had sort; the rainbow hued tower.