The Innkeeper

The ride from the camp to Deadfall cliff was long and monotonous. It was difficult to talk to those around you unless you were in a carriage or sharing the lizard with another person, for you would end up having to yell over the blowing wind.

For most, this was a boring part of the trip that was necessary, but for Lex it gave him much needed time to catch up on what was happening at the Inn. After he was done distributing tasks and making important decisions, he spent some time just catching up. Unfortunately, Mary could not spy on guests' conversations the way Lex could when he was at the Inn, so he had no idea how Earth was doing these days.

Had the political instability finally calmed down or were there new issues now? Had the Jotun Empire finally reclaimed all of the Vegus planets or was the war still ongoing? How was the harvest back on X-142 doing? How was Nibiru progressing?

Lex quite enjoyed knowing about his guests, but it seemed all of that would have to wait till later.

Eventually, when he ran out of things to check up on even at the Inn, Lex decided to use the time to continue reading the book in his ring on arrays. He would have preferred to cultivate, but that wasn't something you could easily do while riding a traveling lizard.

They traveled continuously much longer than a day, but fortunately, the physique of everyone on the trip could handle such exertion without issue.

When they finally arrived at their destination, it was abruptly made clear by the drastic change in scenery. A steep and sudden cliff appeared, marking the end of the forest, as well as the border of human exploration. Hundreds of feet down below was a forest of orangish yellow maple trees, the leaves moving gently in the wind as if welcoming everyone down below.

Even the weather across the cliff was different, as there seemed to be an invisible dividing line that prevented the snowstorm from extending past the cliff, instead replaced by the warm breeze of early summer.

Yet, as welcoming and picturesque as it seemed, no one was fooled. There was a reason this was called Deadfall cliff. As cheesy as the name was, the name was naturally picked up when few, if any, ever returned after venturing past the invisible border. It was the exact place they were going, and was the place where Lex's true trial would finally begin.

Ptolemy did not waste time on any needless ceremony. After ensuring everyone was arranged into proper formation, with the 30 student-soldiers making up the outermost layer of their expedition while the rest formed a close circle within. Then, after ensuring everyone was seated securely on their lizards, they ventured forth into the warm abyss, their lizards climbing down the cliffside as easily as they walked through Karom forest.

Despite the confident demeanor of Ptolemy and their protectors, Lex could not help but tighten his grip on his lizard's leash as he felt a silent tension fill the air. As the temperature around him changed, going from cold to suddenly warm, the array character on his right hand stopped glowing though it did not disappear.

Karom forest had been frigid cold, yet safe and secure. Goli forest was warm and inviting, but his instincts warned him of a sinister evil. It was not fear that filled him, but wariness. None in this expedition were untested and unaware, for beneath their casual banter and smiling faces, each and every person here was born in times of chaos. It was not just the external threat of an unbeatable enemy that tempered them, but the knowledge that they would be abandoned by their own race if they did not prove to be useful. It wasn't that there were none in this realm that procrastinated, or were lazy. It was that those who did were already dead.

Still, while they had skill and strength, making light of the danger ahead was a mistake none made. It was their experienced caution that created a mood Lex mistook for tension. Instead, what he would soon come to realize was, it was their anticipation for whoever dared to bar their way.

After all that build up, their descent was uneventful. As soon as they reached the bottom, Ptolemy sent out scouts to check for nearby threats, as well as to locate a place to establish their new camp. Before wading into danger, they needed to create a secure base of operations.

In a way, staying beside the cliff was both very dangerous and the most secure. This was because, if they built their camp in the forest, they would have to deal with a hostile Trelop. Lex did not fully understand how dangerous Trelops were, but he was not looking forward to fighting a forest. But, if they stayed by the cliff, then they would literally have their backs against a wall should they come under attack.

The situation was bad either way, so it depended more on how they responded.

A short, tension filled wait later, the scouts returned, stating that there were no signs of any dangerous predators nearby. But, at the same time, there was no source of running water in the vicinity either.

Even though they were cultivators, a source of fresh water would be important for any long term base, not only for their consumption but for other uses as well. Of course, they could use water affinity spiritual techniques to artificially create water for themselves, but this was not a good solution as it would exhaust their cultivators energy.

So, as much as Ptolemy wanted to build a base near the cliff, the party eventually moved into the forest. Their speed was much slower now since the trees had not cleared a path for them and the carriages with their luggage needed to maneuver around them.

Initially, everything seemed to be going fine. But, after a certain amount of time, unknowingly, Lex started to feel a certain anxiety growing in his chest. Moving the carriages was taking too long. The expedition party, while trying to stay close, somehow still ended up being divided into clumps. The weather had gone from warm to hot, humid and sticky. The sound of the lizards walking through the grass was too loud.

Suddenly, it struck Lex. The sound of the walking lizards was too loud. The forest, as warm and welcoming as it seemed, was instead too quiet. The bright orange leaves were too prominent.

Immediately, without even realizing what he was doing, Lex lifted his hand from the Heavy Harley attached to his waist and put it on his sword, before prompting his lizard to move up to Ptolemy.

The man was not happy to see him, but the seriousness in Lex's eyes caused him to hesitate from insulting him. But, at the end of the day, no matter how strong Lex's instincts were and how accurate his premonition, his level was just too low. By the time his instincts had warned him, it was already too late.

Before Lex could even speak, chaos erupted.