Noah grinned at the changed landscape, embracing the fierce cold with glee as he marched ever forward through the snow. They had traveled for three weeks already and had encountered the snowy terrain earlier than expected, over a week ago. The white accumulation was much deeper than it had been on their previous visit to the higher altitude, resulting in their current predicament. Noah led the charge, plowing through the several-foot-deep snow ahead of the rest of his tribe. He could scarcely hear the grumbling of his fellow warriors over the howling wind and had long since transitioned to a single file line, making use of Noah’s trail. This method of travel had certain benefits that were far outweighed by its downfalls. While they did have shelter from the wind in their snow trenches, and an easy shelter at the end of the day, they had no food and no way to even attempt hunting. They were hungry, aching, uncomfortable, and exhausted as they scrambled to follow their relentless leader. Near the four-week mark, they crossed that invisible boundary into the essence-rich zone and Noah felt a great weight lift off him. He wasn’t the only one to benefit, as just breathing in the air seemed to restore their strength, but he did feel it the most profoundly. It made him briefly worry about the consequences of reaching Bronze. Would I have to leave the planet? He shook away the distracting thought and turned to his tribe, who had pushed their way forward to form a small clearing around Noah.
“Everyone listen closely!” Noah shouted, drawing their attention. “We have entered what I call the ‘Essence-Rich Zone’. While it feels amazing to be here, it is also home to incredibly dangerous monsters, the least of which have nearly killed me.” He paused and watched the expressions of shock and fear on their faces. Some looked around them, suddenly aware of the lurking dangers.
“If we stay together and keep our wits about us, we should be just fine. That being said, no one is to wander until we make camp. Have your weapons at the ready.” He announced before drawing his hammer from his back. Metal dragged on leather as the nearly 100 warriors readied their weapons. Many were equipped with axes or hammers, interspersed by the occasional spear or sword. There were a total of two warriors who carried bows and only one magic user in their healer. Together they moved forward like a pack of wolves, scanning the horizon for their next meal. The snow had a different quality to it, feeling heavier despite it being dry. Before long the surface of the snow became hard, packed solid enough for them to walk upon. Noah was intent on finding a fitting place for them to call home, but didn’t know where to start. They continued further up the slope, and after only an hour of travel came upon their first foe.
Noah grinned as he saw the large tree that stood over a hundred yards from them. Firewood. He raised his hand, calling for a stop. The orcs became wary as they glanced in the direction he pointed in.
“The tree ahead is a monster.” He whispered to the nearest orcs, who relayed his message further. Even as he said it, he realized that he wasn’t actually certain that it was a tree monster, he had just assumed it must be. He groaned at the potential embarrassment but decided to move forward with his plans. He pointed to twenty orcs including Ro’kar and Ta’ku.
“All of you will join me in attacking the tree. Everyone else is to circle around and secure the perimeter.” He explained, once again allowing time for his orders to be passed along. They nodded in agreement, and he noted with a smile that over half the twenty he nominated carried axes. At their level, they would have a much easier time with the sharp edge than with the blunt or piercing sides of a warhammer. He readied himself and began moving toward the target, his adrenaline beginning to make his heart race. He picked up his speed, and closed the distance, sighing in relief as the tree came to life moments before his hammer made contact. He must have caught it sleeping though, because his first attack landed without interruption, smashing a crater into the trunk. All at once, dozens of roots shot out of the ground, all aiming to pierce Noah through. His companions roared their battle cry and began striking the offending roots within moments of their appearance. Noah still had to dodge and deflect several offenders but did so without breaking a sweat.
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“The roots are its weak point! Focus on them!” He commanded, before turning his attention back to the trunk. He began to hammer on the tree monster's bark, splintering the wood and sending chips flying with every blow. The tree tried desperately to rid itself of the assaulting pest but found all of its efforts cut short by other interlopers. Before long the tree stilled, losing whatever force animated its limbs. Noah shouted in victory, which was quickly joined by the orcs.
“Chop and gather the wood, we will need it!” He instructed as he moved to the orcs at the perimeter. “See anything?” He asked them. One of them waved for his attention and he moved closer.
“Chief, there was no movement, but we spotted what looks like a natural rock formation in that direction.” She said, gesturing toward it. Noah squinted as he scanned the direction she pointed in, eventually making out a dark grey blur some ways away. It was roughly north-northeast of their position but it was impossible to know just how far away it was. He made his rounds, chatting with the other orcs but found no further leads. With his mind made up, he pointed out their new target and they set out, now encumbered by a living tree’s worth of wood. The group was lively after the fight, especially those that received their part of the XP amounting to 500 apiece. For the orcs that had spent their time in the new world near the base of the mountain, these were astronomical numbers.
With a potential end point in sight, the tribe moved quickly, dashing over the snow with predatorial grins plastered across their faces. They were cold, hungry, and tired but their spirits soared from their victory. Time passed and Noah squinted again at the dark grey blur in the distance. It was as if they had barely moved, the shape appearing no closer than it had hours ago. With little desire to run through the night in the hostile environment, he changed plans, directing his tribe to dig out a temporary shelter. The packed snow was hard to move, but their Iron bodies won out, awarding them with a circular pit several feet into the packed snow. They quickly started fires and split into groups to gather around them. Unlike their relatively safe nights at lower altitudes, Noah elected to set up a watch, consisting of eight orcs at a time, a pair for every cardinal direction. He took the first shift, already appreciating the perks of leadership. The night passed uneventfully, and the group set off again at first light, eager to reach their destination. By mid-day they had made only minimal visible progress, causing Noah to question what it was they were running toward. They were on a mountain, what could possibly be so large? Then the realization struck him and he stopped running. Could it be? Is that another peak? He had been living on the eternal mountain for so long that the concept of another mountain had long since left his mind. But with this altitude… The rest of the tribe caught up to him, giving him confused looks as they were well aware this wouldn’t be a rest break. Noah turned and looked at them, scratching at the back of his head.
“I am starting to question if what we are looking at is actually on this mountain. Perhaps it is another peak.” He said, sharing his thoughts. Several blank faces looked back at him along with some questioning ones.
“Do you think that’s possible?” Ta’Ku asked. “I was starting to wonder if the entirety of this world was a mountain.” He said with a chuckle. Noah smiled, appreciating his humor.
“What does that mean for us?” Ro’Kar asked from the side. Noah took a deep breath.
“We will keep moving up. If we are near the peak then we will see what’s on the other side. If not, then we will find a suitable place to settle down.” He declared. He knew they were starting to wear down, and were in desperate need of food so he didn’t let them linger long. They spent the rest of the day running, a few orcs, like Un’Dal needing to be carried by the end. Once again they slept in a dugout, and once again they started early. In the afternoon of that next day, they saw a glorious sight that brought more than a few orcs to tears. In front of them was a group of massive boars nestled around a large rocky outcropping. Noah could barely restrain the warriors long enough to share a plan, and within moments all 98 of them were sprinting toward the prey like feral beasts.
