Now I am in Shamot. There is nothing around me except forest and grass. There are no stone paths. But when I lift my head and look up, I can see a settlement above. The houses are connected by hanging bridges made of wood and rope.
Shamot is a place for winged elves aka Avariels, rare elves. Most of them are the guardians of Mount Duabonnir. That is why they choose to live inside the tree trunks. It helps them watch the surrounding area from above.
The trees in Shamot are very old. Their trunks are so old and hard that they feel like stone, perfect for building a base.
There is nothing very interesting here, so I decide to continue my journey. To hide my identity, I wear my oversized cloak. The hood covers half of my face.
Mount Duabonnir is actually not very difficult to climb. The climbing path has already been paved with concrete. Thanks to the slaves of Duabonnir in the past, elves in the future like me do not need to climb cliffs, cross swamps, or get lost. Now there are signs everywhere to show the way. An elf only needs good health and strong determination.
I can find hotels and restaurants along the path. But the higher you go, the colder the air becomes. Not every elf can finish the journey. That is why the higher areas have fewer facilities, replaced by natural landscapes.
You can imagine that no business owner wants to open a resting place at more than 4000 meters above sea level. That height is not even half of Mount Duabonnir.
It has already been many days since I left District 3. Now I am at a resting point. I only bring a small amount of supplies, so every night I rest under large trees. I eat fruits that I find along the way, and I clean my body whenever I find a river.
On the fifteenth day, I reach a crossroads. The path to the right leads to the tomb of Duabonnir. The path to the left leads to the peak of Duanne. I am still using the map that Louvel gave me.
Not far from there, I see a building. Who would build something in such an extreme place?
Well, It is a barracks for the guardians of Mount Duabonnir. Some of them stay there, while others travel back and forth.
Damn it. Several Avariel guards are nearby. That type of elf is very loyal to the mountain. I would never be forgiven if they caught me trying to go to the peak of Duanne.
I decide to rest there for a while. A sign shows that I am at 8002 meters above sea level. Very high.
From here I can see the peak of Duanne. Even from this distance, I can clearly see the summit piercing through the clouds and the atmosphere. The sunlight reflects from it, making the peak look golden. At this height I can also see The Sangu, the black moon, in the daytime sky.
While I am looking at the peak of Duanne a guard elf walks toward me, Fortunately it's ordinary elf like me and not an Avariel.
"The tomb of Duabonnir is just a little farther. Why did you stop here?" he says.
I look at him. Instead of answering his question, I change the topic.
"Do you like money?"
He stutters for a moment because I speak so directly. Very quickly he understands what I mean. He knows that I want to go to the peak of Duanne instead of the tomb of Duabonnir. This is probably not the first time he handles like this.
"Of course. Who doesn't like money? But you can't bribe me so I let you go to the peak of Duanne," he says calmly.
I take a pouch of coins from my backpack.
"What about this? It has 1000 gold coins and 500 silver coins."
The guard stays silent. He seems to be thinking.
"Think about it. This is not a bribe. This is a trade. I give you money and you give me permission to go to Mount Duanne. Just think of it as me buying an entrance ticket from you." I smirk at him
The guard is still silent. He looks even more uncertain. I use my final move. I put the pouch of money back into my backpack.
"If I am not allowed, that's fine. I will just go down and return to the city."
Just as I am about to close my backpack, he speaks.
"Wait! Damn it. Fine. You can go to the peak of Duanne. Not now. Tomorrow at dawn when the shifts change."
He steps closer and whispers. At dawn? That is still a long time away. But it is fine.
I smile. "Alright. Then I'll give you the money tomorrow." I close my backpack again.
...
The guard brings me to his office room. Some of his coworkers ask who I am. He tells them that I am just a visitor who will go down the mountain soon.
"So why do you want to go to the peak of Duanne?" the guard asks while placing a cup of warm tea on the table.
"To die." I answer casually. But my answer makes him choke and cough.
"Cough.. Cough..Die? Really? Why?"
I nod. "Can't you see this depressed face of mine?" I point to my own face.
He shakes his head. "No."
I snort. "I really am a failure. Even my face fails to show my depression."
The guard freezes. His lips twitch a little. He looks annoyed but also confused as he looks at me. For a moment he cannot say anything. After a while he speaks again.
"The peak of Duanne is very dangerous. The air is thin. Wild animals are everywhere. The natural terrain is unknown."
"Yes, I know. Perfect for my grave."
"It may not scare you, but you forgot one thing. The existence of a Centaur." He says it while turning on a flashlight under his chin, trying to scare me.
I respond without interest. "That's just a myth."
"Duabonnir himself said that to the elves," he insists.
I sigh in annoyance. "That creature doesn't exist. Duabonnir said that only to stop elves from entering the Duanne area."
The guard leans back in his chair.
"You will find out soon. I hope the Centaur eats you."