Of Warlords and Children (Trafalgar Law Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Vein

"Alright men! It's just up this mountain. Let's get up there and crucify this damn monster!" Kid yelled.

They had gone through town following the bit of metal that Kid had put in the harpy's leg. It was a long, twisty road through town. A few times it looked like Kid couldn't decide which way to go. Only a few minutes of waiting and the captain figured out the way pushing them back down the path. Now they stood before the base of the mountain.

Vein frowned, this was the most dangerous part of the island. "Whoa, this thing is steep." Wire whistled as he tried to see the top of the mountain."

"Yeah, Mount Kokuri is the steepest mountain on the island. It's got a lot of steep craigs, crumbling pathways, and is famous for rock-slides." Vein said.

They all gave him sideways glances, "How do you know that?" Heat asked while scratching at his head.

"General knowledge. Come on, let's go." Vein shouldered his way to the front. They needed to get out of this island alive and before the seasonal sickness came in or worse.

They picked their way through the beginning of the mountain paths. The lower portion wasn't the part of the mountain that people should be wary of, no it was when they got above the tree-line that the trouble started. The path became increasingly narrow to where they could file through only one at a time. 

Heat yelled as part of the pathway crumbled. He pitched off the side of the cliff. Vein's heart seized in fear because there was nothing he could do, he was too far to catch him in time. Wire reached out at the speed of light and snatched his nakama back onto the path. There was a terrifying moment where he thought they were going to both go over but Kid reached out and activated his powers. The metal on Heat's attire yanked him back and he and Wire tumbled back into the wall. 

"Be careful!" Killer yelled. 

"Sorry!" "Thanks captain!"

Vein shook his head, these idiots were going to get themselves killed. 

They continued on up the mountain considerably more careful after the near-death experience. The incline was becoming steeper as they hurried up the way. With each step Vein felt himself becoming more and more stiff. This was the last place he wanted to be. No matter how many times he came back to this damn island something bad always happened. He needed to get to Rayne and soon. 

Whatever that damn thing was that took her it was definitely on his list. How dare they take her. He should have never allowed her to be bait, this one was on him. He clenched his fist, idiot!

"C-captain, how m-much farther?" Beezus panted. The three of them were bent over with their hands on their knees panting. Killer put his masked face into a hand and Kid frowned. 

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" 

"It's the altitude. The air is already thin on this island and this makes it worse the higher we go." 

"W-we need to rest." Beezus wheezed. He looked paler than normal, like he wanted to keel over right there. Hell, he probably did. But they didn't have time. He needed to get to Rayne and stopping every hundred feet to wait for them was no good. She could be dead by the time they got there. 

"Are you men or pansies? We need to get up there now." Kid said. 

"For once I agree, "Vein added, "Time is of the essence! Do you want Rayne and Trice to die?"

"Oh please, you don't give a shit about Trice! You just care about Rayne." Beezus shot back as he sat down on a flat rock. "You're a doctor, you should be worried about all of our health, not just one person!"