16.3 ▌The Overseers of Elith

                                    

                                          
Year 3988, 9th Day of the 9th Moon
Continent of Humana


AT THE first splash of yellow on the horizon, Aricson and the rest set off. A few bandits had tried to attack but it was nothing compared to yesterday. At the very least, the new carriage was in one piece when they arrived at their destination.
"Let's go," he said, opening the door.
Light peeked its way but no warmth pierced the area. It should already be noon but the blue azures were nowhere in sight. He stepped out first and offered his hand to Elise and Isabella.
"Uh, are we there yet?" Elise asked while she wore her coat.
"Far from it," he said, glancing at the plain empty lands.
Several years had passed since he came to this place that had a lack of saturation. Patches of soil were washed with chalk as if winter had never melted and pallid mists danced around them in a perfect rhythm that cloaked their surroundings.
"The carriage stops here and we need to walk to reach the gate," he added.
"Oh, okay."
After taking a minute to mull over, he took her hand. Mundrans always had a rough time venturing into the mountains due to their weak dispositions.
"Let me carry you. It'll be harder once we go deeper," he suggested.
Elise did not respond but color bloomed in her cheeks. Her face had always been easy to read but sometimes he did not understand why she was quick to blush. The loud coughing fit of Exel did not help either.
"What's wrong?" he inquired, slightly befuddled.
"N-nothing."
"I just forgot I have a company of innocent people."
They answered simultaneously and his brow twitched. Exel was hinting at something but this friend of his had always been mischievous so he did not bother asking for clarification. His gaze solely focused on Elise instead.
"Anyway, I'll be fine," Elise continued. 
"Are you sure? Divine Peak may be hard for you."
"Don't worry. I'm not that weak, you know."
That was indeed true. For a Mundran, she was a daunting one and headstrong to the point of overestimating herself. He wanted to insist but from what he had conceived so far, talking to Elise was similar to conversing with a wall, especially if it was something she was adamant about.
A resigned sigh came. 
"Alright," he said but remained his hand enfolded in hers. 
Whatever the circumstance, it was better to have her within reach.


ONLY A couple of minutes in and heavy grunts were the only sound reverberating in the area. Aricson turned to Elise whose face had become sallow.
The high altitude could only be the reason affecting her. Divine Peak was renowned as the highest mountain in the whole Elith and the air had been less dense in this place.
"Try pursing your lips and breathing through your mouth," he whispered when he leaned at her.
There was no resistance and she obliged. It was only when she realized her mistakes that she became meek with him. He found it adorable but most of the time infuriating when he was the kind of person who sought control in any type of situation. Nevertheless, that did not stop him from cleaning up after her.