My New Life As A Kid Goddess: Book 3 - Kingdom Goddess Arc 2

Arc 2: Kingdom Goddess - Chapter 77

While the morning waned so too did the rain clouds disperse across the sky. In their wake was left a clear yet gray horizon that reminded one of the depressing lifelessness of winter. The ground was still mostly mud and only the stones or patches or thick grass allowed easy walking. Out in the depths of the forest there was the added frost that helped make the earth more bearable to walk upon. However even here the traveling was not easy and one had to be careful of both pits and tree roots that threatened to trip one up and give them a painful tumble into the cold ground.

Both Jagger and Markku traveled through the tall trees of the forest at the base of the Henjuk Mountains. They were still in search of a possible origin or home base of the undead menace as the monsters were clearly acting with some kind of guiding intelligence. It was obvious that on an individual level the skeletons had no higher thought but their otherwise strategic placements in the village were proof that someone was instructing them. Finding that leader was part of their mission from the Goddess Jenna.

Shortly after leaving the village the two would be holy warriors had gone to the field where the werewolves had originally found the undead wandering about and found it mostly deserted. There had been however large amounts of tracks preserved in the ground by the coming frost, the great numbers clearly proving a large army had walked through the area quite recently. This was obviously an army of undead and it was towards the mountains proper that this large army had walked.

Neither of the warriors were altogether excited at the prospect of fighting hundreds of skeletons and zombies. They didn't believe their goddess had tasked them with such a thing either. She had instructed them to locate the source of the undead not take on an entire army by themselves. Another thing they wondered about is if they should contact her immediately upon finding this possible horde by prayer or simply return and make their report. These questions they knew they would have to answer soon.

Onward the two men trekked through the wilderness, their warm winter clothing preparation in plenty for dealing with the harsh environment. Both of them had a growing sense of unease in their chest as the trail of their quarry led them up the side of the mountain and into the alpine forests of pine. This type of weather would bother the undead not, their very nature making them immune to the pitfalls of normal life.

Here the environment started to become very rocky with cliffs cropping up sometimes to either side of the large path they were taking. It seemed to be some kind of ancient road that had stood the passage of time due its stone material and remote local. Though the tracks of the army had stopped due to the stone there was still evidence of their passing in the form of random bones scattered about like a grisly breadcrumb trail.

Eventually the two men crested a small hill and cave upon the entrance of a large canyon, the treacherous cliffs appearing as an open wound in the very mountain itself. Here they stopped and looked upon the stone passage with the wind whistling around them like the voices of the dammed.

Jagger clutched his heavy cloak closer to himself and squinted into the canyon.

"Don't tell me we have to walk through that terrible thing."

Markku was frowning and shook his head.

"We will if we want to obey our goddess." He replied with a sigh. "She wants us to find out where these abominations are coming from and going to. It's clear that through this mountain pass lies their destination."

"Yes but we won't have to clear them out right?" Jagger asked nervously.

Markku shrugged. "The goddess never said anything about that did she? Nay I think she plans on doing that herself. All we needs do is confirm their location and get out of here with our skins." He placed his right hand on his sword. "I have a terrible feeling all about me just standing here. Like my fur is standing on end even without it upon me."