Karzak Skytalon's Arc

Chapter 4 of 10

Karzak left the mercenary lodge and flew east toward the borderlands where mountain villages clung to rocky slopes. These remote settlements traded with passing caravans and heard news from distant roads. He landed outside a supply post built into the mountainside. Inside, he found merchants sorting goods and repairing travel gear. He approached the counter and asked about unusual movements in the passes. The merchant shook his head but pointed to a route map on the wall. Karzak studied it, noting which paths connected to the lowland trade routes. Information gathered here could fill gaps in his hunt. He left the post and climbed higher into the mountain passes. The air grew thin and cold. As darkness fell, the path ahead began to glow. Thick moss covered the ground in layers, each sheet releasing a faint burgundy light. The glow gave enough light to see by without torches. Karzak's talons pressed into the soft carpet as he walked. The moss stretched for miles across the mountainside. Even in this remote place, Valgyr provided light for travelers who moved through the dark hours. The path narrowed between rock walls. Blooms with silver petals grew from cracks in the stone. Karzak's wing brushed against one as he passed. A cloud of burgundy and gold dust burst from the flower and filled the air. He pulled back, covering his beak with one arm. The dust stuck to his feathers and made his eyes water. He moved carefully around the remaining blooms, watching where his wings and tail might touch. The plants turned a simple passage into a test of attention. By dawn, he reached an overlook and spotted the ruins below. A bunker sat in the valley—its walls cracked, its roof sagging. Brownish burgundy stone marked it as lowlander construction. Rusted harpoon launchers still pointed skyward from the rooftop. Karzak descended and walked through the broken entrance. Inside, old weapons lay scattered across the floor. This place had fallen years ago, during wars between the lowland clans. Now it served as a landmark—a warning that even strong positions could fall. He marked its location on his map. The warlord might use ruins like this for shelter between raids. Every piece of the land mattered now. Karzak spread his wings and lifted back into the sky, carrying one more detail of Valgyr with him.