Tabulae saw Raj's back pulling farther away, but it did not shake her. If anything, it sharpened her.
The man above was more capable than she was, so she stopped chasing with raw rage and climbed with something steadier.
Fast, yes. But stable. No wasted grabs. No frantic slips.
Above them, Eldric whistled once.
The fog and cloud that had been hugging Corpse Mountain shifted as if the sound had hands.
Mist peeled away from the rock face. Distance returned. Shapes became people.
And the moment everyone could finally see who was near them, the climb turned ugly.
Throwing knives flashed. Axes spun end over end. Preloaded crossbows snapped and spat bolts at close range. Dry lips licked wet for one last puff through blowpipes.
Men clung to stone with one hand and tried to kill with the other.
The air filled with sharp little impacts and panicked breathing. It was chaos with rules no one had agreed on out loud.
Most aimed at the strongest first.
