The Life After Death

  Chapter 11: The Divide Part 1

  The morning sun peeked over The Divide, casting a golden glow across the jagged cliffs and snow-dusted peaks. The chill of the early air bit at my exposed skin as we all stirred, preparing for the climb ahead. The embers of our campfire still smouldered faintly, offering the only hint of warmth against the brisk morning air.

  Brannick moved first, his broad shoulders hunched as he packed away the tents. From her early scout, Mira returned, her sharp features calm but alert. "The path ahead is clear," she said, her voice steady, though her gaze flickered warily toward the cliffs. "But we need to stay vigilant."

  I watched as Raiden lifted Elara gently into the carriage. Helena hovered nearby, carefully tucking the blanket around Elara’s fragile form, her movements precise and tender. "Thank you, my love," Elara whispered to her, her voice soft but filled with warmth. Helena nodded, her expression determined, before helping with the supplies.

  As we began the ascent, the carriage creaked and groaned against the steep, uneven path, its wheels protesting with every turn. Jagged cliffs rose to one side, their dark faces streaked with moss and weathered grooves carved by time. On the other, a sheer drop revealed a valley blanketed in mist, the treetops below barely visible. The crisp air smelled of damp earth and pine needles, mingled with the faint metallic tang of the stone beneath the wheels. Occasionally, a sharp gust carried the aroma of frost, biting against my cheeks and forcing me to pull my coat tighter.

  Inside the carriage, I sat beside Elara, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels a constant backdrop to my thoughts. The dim light filtering through the carriage windows cast a pale glow on her face, highlighting her exhaustion. The faint scent of lavender from the blanket Helena had tucked around her offered a comforting contrast to the rugged smells of The Divide.

  “You don’t have to hover, my sweet boy," Elara said softly, her voice weak but steady. She offered me a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I’ll be alright."

  “You always say that,” I murmured, lowering my gaze. "But it doesn’t stop me from worrying."

  Her chuckle was light but breathless as she reached for my hand. "That’s because you have a good heart, Emrys. Don’t let this world change that."

  The air outside seemed alive, every gust whispering secrets of The Divide. A distant bird call echoed sharply against the cliffs, carried away by the wind. Brannick steered the horses with a steady hand, his broad shoulders hunched against the cold.

  Raiden sat beside him, Mira and Kaelith walked ahead, their eyes scanning every shadow and crevice in the rugged terrain, their cloaks billowing in the sharp breeze.

  The path was treacherous, strewn with loose stones that crunched beneath the horses’ hooves. The scent of crushed rock mingled with the earthy musk of the forest below, grounding and foreboding at once. Each step forward felt like a small triumph against the untamed force of nature that surrounded us, reminding me how small we were against The Divide’s ancient strength.

  Helena leaned closer to me with a mischievous grin. "If we fall off this mountain, do you think the carriage will bounce?"

  I shot her a flat look. "Maybe you’ll bounce. The rest of us will just splatter."

  Raiden called back from the front, his voice carrying easily over the creak of the wheels. "Relax, kids. This road’s held for centuries. Besides, Brannick could wrestle the mountain if it tried to toss us."

  Brannick grunted. "Flatter me later. Eyes on the road."

  Helena giggled, but I caught the tension in her shoulders. She was as uneasy as I was, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat tightly. The narrow path seemed endless, each groan of the carriage wheels echoing ominously against the cliffs.

  Ahead of us, Mira suddenly crouched, her sharp eyes scanning the ground. Kaelith stopped beside her, her green eyes narrowing as she looked up toward the cliffs. Mira ran her fingers over the loose rocks scattered along the path, her movements deliberate and precise.

  "Something’s off," Kaelith said, her voice low and sharp.

  Mira nodded, her expression tense. "The ground’s different here."

  Then Kaelith’s steps faltered as her gaze locked on the massive pile of rocks ahead, completely blocking the path. "A rockslide?" she muttered, her tone uneasy.

  Mira, beside her, brushing the dust off one of the boulders. "It’s fresh—a week, maybe two at most. The dust hasn’t fully settled."

  Kaelith’s jaw tightened as her fingers instinctively brushed her bowstring. "You think it’s a trap for travellers?"

  Mira straightened, her sharp gaze lingering on faint scuff marks near the rocks. "It’s strange," she admitted, her voice steady but suspicious. "There’s been movement here recently. The timing, it’s almost too convenient."

  Kaelith scanned the cliffs, her expression hardening. "Let’s wait for the others before we decide how to proceed."

  The carriage halted abruptly, revealing a massive rockslide that completely blocked the main route. Boulders and debris choked the path, leaving no room for the carriage to pass.

  Brannick cursed under his breath, stepping down to inspect the damage. Raiden followed a few paces behind as he surveyed the scene.

  "What do you think, Brannick? Can you move this?" Raiden asked, his tone equal parts hopeful and urgent.

  Brannick exhaled sharply, crouching to examine the largest boulders. His gloved hand traced the jagged edges as he muttered under his breath. He stood, shaking his head. "Not at my current level," he admitted, his tone tinged with frustration. "This is too much mass for me to manipulate alone. Maybe if I had a few more years of refinement or more earth mages... but right now? No."

  Raiden glanced at Mira and raised an eyebrow. “Think you could blow these rocks away with that air magic of yours?” he asked, his tone half-serious.

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  Mira straightened, fixing him with an emotionless, blank stare. The silence stretched just long enough for Raiden to clear his throat awkwardly. “Guess not,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair and turning back toward the others.

  Raiden and Brannick exchanged a look. “The only other route is the edge path,” Raiden muttered. “Narrow, exposed, and risky with the carriage.”

  Mira, standing nearby, crossed her arms as she surveyed the blocked path and the alternative trail. “The edge path might be risky, but it’s manageable,” she said, her voice calm and emotionless. “The terrain narrows, but with proper control, the carriage can make it. However, Brannick will need to reinforce the weaker sections as we go.”

  Raiden raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure about this?”

  Mira gave him a blank stare before replying flatly, “If I wasn’t sure, I’d have already said so.”

  Brannick snorted softly, a hint of a grin on his face. “Well, that settles it. If Mira says we can manage, we’ll follow her lead.”

  From inside the carriage, Elara’s soft voice broke through the tension. “Follow Mira’s lead, Raiden. She’s gotten us this far.”

  Raiden nodded reluctantly. “Alright. Everyone stay sharp.”

  The new path clung precariously to the edge of the cliff, a narrow, winding trail that seemed to dare any who travelled it to misstep. The jagged wall of the mountain rose sharply on one side, streaked with veins of dark minerals, while on the other, the sheer drop plummeted into a mist-shrouded abyss. The air was thin and carried the sharp tang of cold stone, mingling with the faint scent of pine from the forest far below.

  Brannick worked methodically, reinforcing crumbling sections of the path with his earth magic. His hands glowed faintly as he progressed, drawing the loose rocks into a solid, stable surface. Sweat beaded on his brow despite the chill; his concentration unbroken even as the wind tugged at his cloak.

  Ahead, Mira and Kaelith moved with precision, their footsteps silent against the uneven ground. Mira’s sharp eyes darted across every shadow and crevice, her senses attuned to the faintest disturbances. The horses snorted nervously, their hooves clattering against the rocky trail, and their unease seemed to mirror the tension that hung in the air.

  Kaelith paused briefly to glance back at the group, her eyes flickering with a hint of concern. "Keep the carriage steady," she called to Brannick, her voice cutting through the howling wind. "This path won’t forgive a single mistake."

  Mira crouched suddenly, her gloved fingers brushing against the dirt. "There’s recent movement here," she said, her tone calm but edged with suspicion. "The ground’s been disturbed, not just by animals."

  The faint sound of stones shifting echoed above, and everyone froze. The path seemed to close in around us, the towering cliffs and yawning drop creating an oppressive silence that amplified every creak of the carriage wheels and snort of the horses. For a moment, I could feel The Divide watching us, ancient and unyielding, as if testing whether we were worthy to pass.

  Helena clutched my arm tightly as we swayed with each bump. “I hate this,” she whispered. “It feels like we’re being watched.”

  “Maybe we’re just jumpy,” I said, though my eyes kept drifting to the cliffs above. "Mira would’ve said something if there was real danger."

  But even as the words left my mouth, I couldn’t sense anything tangible, no flicker of mana or shift in the air, but the feeling of being watched clung to me like a shadow.

  Maybe it’s just The Divide playing tricks on us, but the explanation felt hollow. If even Helena felt it, then perhaps it wasn’t just in my head. It gnawed at me, the sense that we weren’t alone, that somewhere above, unseen eyes followed our every move.

  Then again, with another thought, Mira’s so stone-faced, she’d probably wait until the danger was breathing down our necks before saying a word. I mean, how much more tense can she make this?

  The thought brought no comfort, only a sharp edge of humor to mask my anxiety. If Mira stopped, it wasn’t for nothing. And that alone made the cliffs above feel all the more menacing.

  Suddenly, as if on cue, Mira stopped; her gaze fixed on a line of fresh dust trickling down the cliff’s edge.

  “Stop the carriage,” she said quietly.

  Raiden dismounted, his hand on his sword. "What do you see?"

  Mira pointed. “Something is above us. Stay sharp.”

  Kaelith’s hand immediately went to her bow, notching an arrow in one fluid motion. "Where?"

  Mira didn’t respond immediately, her fingers brushing against the rocks at her feet. "I can’t tell yet. Movement is light, but it’s deliberate. They’re watching us. Waiting."

  Raiden’s jaw tightened as he glanced up, "Everyone stay sharp."

  A trap revealed itself with a sinister grace. A voice boomed from above, dripping with mockery. “Ah, I guess you can see us now!” the voice sneered, its owner stepping forward with a swagger that matched the arrogance in his tone.

  “I am Kaelor. You’ve stumbled into my territory, which means everything you have is now mine.” His grin widened, his eyes scanning us like a predator sizing up its prey. "You see, my men and I don’t work for free, and travellers like you pay the toll—whether in goods or blood.”

  A towering figure wielding a dual axe, stepped into view atop the cliffs, his stance exuding arrogance. His face was a patchwork of scars, crisscrossing over his rugged features like a map of countless battles. A jagged scar ran from his temple down to his jawline, narrowly missing his right eye, which shone with a predatory gleam.

  His arms, thick and corded with muscle, were bare despite the cold, revealing more scars. His wild, unkempt black hair framed his face like a lion’s mane, streaked with grey that added to his hardened, weathered appearance.

  Kaelor’s outfit matched his persona, leather armor reinforced with steel plates, scratched and worn from use. A fur-lined cloak hung loosely from his broad shoulders, giving him the look of a savage king presiding over his domain.

  “You’ve been keeping us waiting,” he added, his eyes gleaming as more figures emerged from hidden crevices. Twenty of them in total; five archers positioned above, arrows nocked and aimed, and the rest were melee fighters spreading out to encircle us.

  His bandits were no less imposing, clad in mismatched gear cobbled together from raids, their expressions ranging from cruel amusement to deadly focus. Each carried weapons that looked as though they had seen as much carnage as their wielders—nicked swords, heavy clubs, and crude axes, all ready to spill blood at their leader’s command.

  Raiden stepped forward, “we don’t have to do this,” his voice firm but edged with desperation. “My wife is ill. We don’t want trouble. Just let us pass.”

  Kaelor laughed, the sound echoing off the cliffs. "Ill or not, that doesn’t change anything. You have what we want, and I have what you lack, control. Drop everything you’re carrying, or none of you leave this path alive."

  He hefted his one axe, slamming it into the ground, "Terra Viva, murum surgat et protegat omnes! Earthforge!"

  The impact sent jagged stone pillars shooting up around us, sealing off any escape route.

  I tensed, gripping my dagger as I instinctively analyzed the magic. "He’s an earth mage," I realized loudly, my eyes narrowing as I watched the jagged formations rise with unnatural precision.

  Looks like he’s at the Sunstone stage too, noting the sheer control he displayed. A chill crept down my spine, this was no ordinary opponent.

  Kaelith’s bow was already raised, her green eyes locked onto the leader with icy precision. “You talk too much for a man about to lose his head,” she said flatly, her fingers tightening on the bowstring.

  Mira’s daggers gleamed in her hands as she shifted slightly, her expression unreadable but her posture coiled like a spring. “You should've listened to him,” she said, her voice cold. “This won’t end the way you think.”

  The leader’s smirk faltered briefly, but he covered it with a barked command. “Tch! Enough! Take them!”

  And then the attack began.