Two days passed before the pair of elves made their way out of The Sorrows. It was a place Callia was happy to leave behind. She did not find the feelings that the place stirred within her comfortable. She felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Although, it bothered her just as much that Jaz'rin seemed to be immune to the effects. Jaz'rin was certain it would take another two days to reach the ruins of the tower. Higher they climbed into the foothills of the Azure Mountains, heading towards their southernmost tip.
Comparing his map with Callia's, he noted a path that was on his, but not hers. It led close to the ruin, though it would be difficult to scale the crags that would lead them to the tower. Consulting with Callia on the matter, they both checked their packs for the climbing tools they would need.
Attaching the grappling hook to the rope, Callia gave it a mighty heave, throwing it upwards so it would catch on the jagged rocks. She tugged as soon as she was sure it had lodged itself in a secure spot.
Here goes nothing
, she murmured as she tied the rope around herself, braced her feet against the craggy rock face, and began her ascent.
The climb proved to be less difficult then she had originally thought it would be and after several minutes she had reached the top. She had discovered a few handholds and footholds on her way up and had made good use of them. She quickly untied the rope from around her body and tossed it back down to Jaz'rin, whom with her help made the trip look almost effortless.
With a smile, Callia embraced him and whispered something naughty in his ear. Her suggestion made him arch an eyebrow at her and produce a low moan. He nodded in agreement and set out to locate the path marked on his map that would lead them to their destination.
The track proved easy to locate after the pair cleared away a patch of rocky rubble and a swath of thorny bushes that stubbornly clung to the cracks in the rock. Jaz'rin bent to check for any footprints, but judging from the condition in the path, he quickly surmised it had not been trod upon in many a moon. He believed much of this particular area had been abandoned long ago.
Callia listened to the tale he told of what he knew of this world as she followed him down the rough-hewn trail. He practically skipped down the path, avoiding treacherous dips and rocky outcroppings that he could sprain an ankle on. The rocky ground gave under his boots as he loped along.
"It has been said that the folk who inhabit this land do not venture forth to these mountains. They are superstitious people who fear much that is unknown to them. They fear the monsters that dwell here, monsters who will drag them from their homes and boil them alive, using their bones for toothpicks." Jaz'rin scoffed. "They are also extremely wary of anything magical. Magic was banned as a whole after the conclusion of the Mage Wars several centuries ago. Those who possessed any magical abilities or even those who were accused of bearing such abilities were either stoned to death, or were sentenced to having their hands removed before entering a lifetime of slavery in the King's service. If we have to go anywhere near Azure City, we must not exhibit anything that can be misconstrued as magic."
Callia looked down at herself, counting the number of magic items she had equipped on her body. "I'll have to be very careful not to draw attention to myself then."
"We both will, sweetling." Jaz'rin extended his hand out to hers and slowed his gait to match hers. They walked hand-in-hand as he continued to fill her in on his knowledge of this world. "Most of the people live in Azure City, home of King Azure VIII and Castle Azure. There are a few smaller cities, Verde City, Crystal City, Ivory City, and Citrine City. Each of those cities are overseen by a large keep and an Overlord appointed by the king. From my research, I learned that a small group of Elves, known as the Elysian, inhabit Verde Forest and rarely venture beyond its borders. They seem to be fairly self-sufficient, which is typical of most surface elves."
Callia let out an 'hmpf', interrupting him. He smiled at her, his cerulean eyes sparkling. "Thou dost protest too much," he teased her.
She shook her head at him before reaching behind him to smack him on the butt.
"There are several clans of Dwarves, better known here as the Dwarthak, who inhabit the deep halls of the Azure Mountains. I don't believe any of those clans are this far south, though. The Dwarthak are far less reclusive than the Elysian. They openly trade with the humans for whatever it is that they can't produce themselves. There are a few lesser races, but this world is predominantly populated by humans, the Aezarians."
"Are there no such things as gnomes or halflings? Or dark elves?" Callia asked.
"There is a similar race called the Latroekas. They have similar characteristics of the fair halfling race, but no, there are no dark elves. I warn you now. If I am caught, it is likely they will kill me immediately. These folk tend to attack first and deal with the consequences later when it comes to things they've never seen." Jaz'rin warned her. "I do recall reading about a race of what we would call Giants. I believe they were called the Votharians. Most of them have been persecuted to the brink of near extinction. It is believed that small bands still roam free here in the mountains. There is another goblin-like race native to this world, but I could not find much information about them."
"Tell me,
ussta 'chev
, how is it you know so much about this world?" Callia asked.
"Research,
ussta ssinjin
. I had to know as much as I could about this place before I agreed to come here on this quest. I do not walk into dangerous situations blindly."
