The Keeper ✔

Chapter Three - Lamsat minna almaut

The scholars of the entire kingdom were brainless.

None of them had mapped anything beyond the mountains.

They had merely mapped all the valleys, the villages and the glaciers in the mountains as it was only these that any layman mountain person would seek.

It was the reason why Danton despised the nobles, the scholars and the mighty king. They were all narrow-minded, witless and visionless. He sought to make a kingdom so huge that the world would fear when it spoke his name.

He grunted in frustration as he threw a scroll from his desk. He had been at this for days now, he could not waste any more time. He stared at the map he had made for himself. It was one of his masterpieces, he had to admit. He felt the coarseness of the parchment, he trailed his finger alongside the inked line. There was nothing regarding the flatlands. He yearned to go back to the palace, only for its library. He could find books that could talk to him about flatlands. Whatever books he carried with him had no mention of it.

I need to go in blind, he thought to himself and his frustration grew. He was always a planner, he needed every step to be predictable, every outcome thought over.

He could hear his mentor's voice in his head and he wanted so badly to tune it off.

Not everything goes as planned my boy. He remembered the Advisor to the King's great words of wisdom. He grunted and rolled his eyes. The man was a fool!

He had decided to leave in the night. He liked traveling in the night because Beast would then prove to be a good asset. The creature was skilled in the night. It's senses heightened after the sunset. Danton needed everything to work in his favor.

He stared at his pocket watch and sighed. It was midnight, it was time! He was heading to an unpredictable journey, Danton despised unpredictability.

He set out to gather everything he needed in a small pack. He had asked the ugly tavern cook for some supplies, she had consented only if he gave her some coins. He wished to never look at her face again.

He neatly placed everything and set off from his room that he would never miss. He handed a generous amount of coins to the tavern owner who guffawed and asked him to come again anytime. Danton did not respond.

He untied Beast and mounted over its furry back. The creature grunted and with a small nudge, it set out. It was fed well and anything in the mountains could be food for a Rakh.

They traveled for three days, resting only when the sun came out. He did not want rumors to spread as they passed many villages. By the end of the third night, they had come across a brutal mountain pass. It was snowing and Danton shivered, his teeth clattering against each other. The Rakh seemed unaffected, but the mountain climb was so brutal that they had to rest.

On the fourth day, the sun decided to peek in and Danton welcomed the warmth with open arms. He fed himself and the creature using hunting skills as they had run out of supplies except for water.

There was one more mountain pass that he had to cross. It was right in the middle of the Tur mountain - the highest peak in the range of Ignor - and its twin brother Jebel. He had heard of strange creatures that lurked in the dark in these two mountains. It seemed they were formidable. He shrugged to himself, he will see what they can do to him.

He decided to travel in sunlight, they were too far away from civilization now. He could care less if he was seen. The Rakh did mind traveling in the sun but Danton could feel it. He was close. Maybe it was the increase in temperature, maybe because he knew that after these two mountains there was no other mountain. He could feel the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He was close.