The cross shaped sun began its slow descent towards the horizon.
The breeze grew stronger as the day went on. They swept down peaks of unimaginable heights—stone spires erupting from the ground to support their weight. Or, perhaps they melted downwards from those overhangs of dark stone instead. Their peaks were barely visible from the forest below—the canopies of the trees above barely discernable.
This was the peak of Upper Erisia—the highest point of the drifting island.
But it was not where Quies planned to go.
A little bit lower—but still far above the tides—a hand grasped the rough, granite lip of a cliff edge. A worn, tired hand. A hand which had climbed distances much too great. Distances which it was not accustomed to.
It was worth it.
Another hand grasped the ledge.
And soon, a young, lean man crested the edge of the rock face. He hoisted himself up with one final effort—laying down and resting on the warm, sunbathed stone.
'Even with blood enhancement… that was tough.'
Without his blood manipulating ability, though, Queis wasn't even sure he would be able to reach this place. In terms of his physicality, he was still the same person he was a week, maybe even two weeks ago considering how much time had passed. Though, it was surprising how much of an effect—and how much of an improvement—he had made with blood enhancement.
A cool breeze of frigid air wafted the heat off of his skin. He had left the coat back at Valerie's schooner, since he knew it would be a hassle to wear and bring considering what he had to do.
He gathered himself for a moment before tilting his head upwards to take in the scene.
It was truly glorious.
What had been hidden by tall cliffs and the impenetrable stone walls of nature. What the trees below covered with canopies outstretched like hands.
Stone towers stood steadfast in front of him. They were practically a part of the land they were built on—having the same hue as the stone cliffs surrounding them. They were as tall as the cliffs that surrounded them; they were constructs which challenged the harmonious nature of the island.
It seemed that, in the end, the latter had won. Greenery crawled across their stone-brick walls, nestling within gaps and crevices. Leaves on vines spiraled downwards from the hollow windows of the buildings.
Time had also taken its toll on the Towerstruck Lands. Even from afar, Quies could notice cracks and blemishes which spread across the walls of these steadfast buildings. Piles of rubble grew large at the base of the buildings—having once been bricks which had tumbled downwards and shattered into fragments. Even large portions of once standing towers were laid to rest on the grounds below.
The towers stood on what seemed to be a narrow gorge. Though, the river below had already dried—leaving behind a barren trail of coarse dirt and sand. Despite that, small patches of grass and greenery grew here and there. There were even trees which grew out the sides of the wall of the gorge or on small areas of flat grass.
Connecting each spire—far above the dried stream below—were stone bridges, though only a few now stood. Most of them had crumbled from the friction of time, just as some of the towers here had. The broken structures toppled and settled at the bottom of the gorge—leaving behind traces of their existence hanging on the sides of some of the towers.
At the mouth of the dried river… or perhaps its source, the dark stone of the cliffs parted. There, a broad cave sat ajar like the mouth of a great creature. Its maw emanated a shallow and dull lime glow. From where Quies was looking, he couldn't see very deep inside.
His gaze flicked upwards—above the cave.
Mahogany hued roots grasped and pierced the cracked stone of the rock face. From them, great trunks stood firm—offshoot branches reached like grasping fingers into the sky. The leaves here, unlike the forest below, were of an eternal jade, never wavering in their colors. Together with the mountaintop winds, they rustled pleasantly in the breeze. The faint sound of a flowing stream could be heard, even from this distance.
It was a jarring separation from the seemingly abandoned Towerstruck Lands. It was as if the garden sapped all of life—the song—from the land around and below it. Usually, it was humanity which would enact these calamities upon nature, but here, it looked the opposite—as if nature stole from humanity instead.
He laid a palm down and pushed against the rough stone landing. Sun rays battered his face and eyes—previously having been covered by a nearby structure. He shielded his eyes with one hand as he continued to walk forward. Time was against him.
It would have been a much more sensible choice to stay at Valerie's schooner. There, he could go fishing and stockpile a fair amount of rations that would, most likely, last him a couple days. He could take his time with this mission if he had done that—leaving in the morning, returning in the late afternoon, and resting through the evening and night.
Except… he couldn't.
He was being watched, after all. He didn't know if he was still being observed right now, but he was absolutely sure his actions were being monitored ever since he stepped foot on Erisia.
Someone was watching him through the eyes of that fake bird.
He knew the bird was a fake, since—throughout the whole interaction—he didn't even hear a trace of a heartbeat. He had activated his mantra out of instinct, giving him the ability to sense the blood of other living beings.
Living being was the key word.
Still, even if it had been real…
'Just a bit further.'
Focusing on his legs, he leaped upwards and grabbed another ledge.
Almost there…