Emerald Mountain
"Gotta say, I saw you miss quite a few shots," Blake remarked while me casually marching on, letting his sword rest on his shoulder.
Emma huffed, following behind as she stepped over a tree root, "—Listen! When an archer gets a new bow, it takes some time to adjust. That's a known fact!"
"Is it? Guess I'll trust your word," Blake playfully said before coming to a stop.
The foot of Emerald Mountain was reached at last, finding a rocky trail with trees sprouting from its base welcoming the pair.
An upward walk hardly sounded fun, though the new strength in his body put him at ease as he started the hike.
At first glance, the colorful rocks that grew on it naturally looked valuable, though that was clearly not the case by their abundance. The air was noticeably more cold and thin, even just after a half hour of climbing its upward trail.
"This place really is something, isn't it?" He remarked, looking at the abundance of emerald minerals that covered the mountain.
"We're not even in the thick of it yet. The real part of this mountain begins when we find the entrance," Emma explained.
"Entrance?" He repeated.
Emma took careful steps, avoiding the loose pebbles, "Yeah, you didn't know? There's supposedly an ancient dungeon built inside the mountain. A lot of adventurers have come and gone, but I'm sure there's still plenty of treasure."
There was some excitement and avarice in the youthful girl's words as she spoke of valuables, performing a small skip.
"Careful there," Blake said, watching the redhead walk along the emerald edge of the trail that looked over a lethal descent.
"Heh, don't worry! My coordination is perf—woah!" Emma let out as a powerful gust came in.
Before the girl could stumble, he reached over and grabbed her hand, pulling her over as the source of the wind swept by.
"Squaaa—!"
The sharp call came from a bird large enough to swallow a grown man in its beak, flying by with feathers darker than night.
"Gah!" Emma let out, looking back as the giant avian flew off.
Blake let go of the girl's hand, watching as well as the creature disappeared into the distance, "The hell is that thing? It's huge."
"I don't know, but I sure hope it doesn't come back this way. It could've snatched me away…" Emma said with a shudder.
"Yeah, probably," Blake casually remarked before continuing on his way.
"Hey, you shouldn't agree with that!" Emma said, following behind.
Up the trail for an entire hour, the air grew colder and a unique mist walled in the edges of the mountainside. As he looked up, the azure sky looked different now; the verdant light of the emerald eminence produced a green tint to the skies.
"Pretty, isn't it? I've heard some people come here just for this sight," Emma said.
"Can't argue there," He responded.
At last, the entrance into the mystical mountain was found; the entrance was undoubtedly not natural, as a pair of massive doors of old, dust-laden stone stood open. The gravel outside of the entry led into a path of cracked cobblestone, leaving the pair gazing in.
As they looked on into the dark, unwelcoming entrance, a wail echoed from the unknown depths of the dungeon beyond.
"It got a bit more chilly, didn't it?" Emma remarked with a nervous laugh, rubbing her own arms.
"How about a small break before heading in? Going in with an empty stomach seems like a bad idea," he suggested, feeling a bit uneasy about venturing in as well.
A sigh of relief left the archer's mouth as she finally set the pack she carried down, plopping down on the small, even plateau in front of the dungeon's entrance.
The Elder Mather and Freja spared no expense in making sure that he had all of the necessities, making for a not-so-light bag, much to the dismay of Emma.
"...I'm done being the pack mule. An archer needs to stay light on her feet, ya know…" Emma complained while lounging back, catching her breath.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll carry it next if you're that tired," Blake said while sifting through the supplies.
It was a simple, but effective breakfast: a serving of smoked sausage, a partial loaf of white bread, and an apple split between them.
Compared to the food of the world he lived in, which had innovated cuisine to an absurd standard, it was definitely an adjustment. Still, the simplicity of it had its own merit.
"You know, I've been wondering," Emma said after swallowing a bite of the protein. "Why exactly did you want to come here? And why'd you want someone like me to accompany you? From what I can tell, you're plenty capable and well off."
"Yeah?" He said, still chewing.
"Mm," Emma nodded. "I think you'd manage by yourself. You could find someone leagues better than me, if you didn't want to go alone anyway."
He thought about the question for a moment as he swallowed his food, looking up at the emerald lights as he leaned back on his hands.
"I came here to look for a Dragon Insignia," he admitted.
"A Dragon Insignia—? Wait, really? There's one in the mountain? If that's true, then that makes sense…you can sell that for a lot—" Emma considered.
He shook his head, "Not gonna sell it. I plan to use it—to enter the tournament."
"Seriously? That's crazy…I mean, the strongest people across the world will be participating. But, if you're that set on it, then good luck," Emma supported him, though certainly showed some doubt.
There was some silence between them as they finished up the much needed meal.
He took notice of the way she sat, with her legs crossed over in such a way that he was able to catch a glimpse of her panties.
At least, he expected to see underwear, but saw nothing was worn beneath, leading to a brief viewing of her vulva.
'Going commando, eh?' He thought.
As if sensing she was being looked at in a less-than-pure way, the scarlet-haired girl moved her legs and adjusted her shorts, "I know we've only known each other a day, but when we go in there, we're going to have to trust each other completely, you know?"
"Yeah, you don't have to worry. Just shoot that bow, and I won't let the uglies get ya," Blake assured her.
There was no more delaying the inevitable, as the pair of inexperienced adventurers brought themselves before the ominous entrance into the mountain's heart.
"Alright, let's do this," he said, leading the way as he kept his sword drawn and ready.
Emma nodded her head, "Here goes nothing." She mumbled.