Chapter 50
Location, Location, Location
The climb was brutal.
Loose scree tripped up tired burning legs.
The thin air tightened their chests, breaths coming in thin gasps.
Chris stumbled, Dan quickly grabbing his elbow, balancing him.
“Fucking leg,” he bitterly snapped out.
“At least you can't roll your ankle.”
Dan added helpfully, with a snort.
“Just let me fall to my death next time, please and thank you.”
Chris kept his face towards the trail.
His brother's laughter echoed off the mountainside.
George lagged a few steps behind, hand pressed to his lower back with every jolt of loose rock.
“Getting too old for this mountain goat crap,” he muttered loud enough for Dan to hear.
Dan glanced back.
“You said the same thing at home, and those were just stairs. Now look at you.”
George grunted.
Luna darted ahead, then back, ears pricked at every tumbling rock or whistle of wind.
She whined once, low, obviously on edge.
Jimmy didn’t notice.
The Qi lines in his vision were already pulling him forward like invisible ropes.
The raw data poured into his mind, leaving no room for something as mundane as exhaustion.
After most of the day, they crested the saddle and stopped dead.
Kim took cautious steps towards the ledge, letting off a small gasp.
“It's… beautiful..” her shoulders lowered, neck loosened.
She wasn't alone.
The entire green basin spread out beneath them.
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Virgin forests and mountains dominated the landscape.
Clearings and valleys were dotted here and there, the meadow holding Pie Fort clearly visible.
The picturesque river parted the landscape, sparkling silver in the distance.
Their new home was a shallow bowl ringed by jagged granite teeth.
A crack in the cliff wall opened up to a small shimmering cave.
Blue crystal grew here and there, covered in drops of moisture.
Inside, a basin of water so pure it looked like a trick.
At the bottom, a crystal formation larger than the rest, pulsing a steady blue.
Water trickled from a fissure, feeding the river far below.
Annette walked up, cupping a handful of water.
They watched her anxiously as she raised her hand, and cautiously took a sip.
Her head rocked back.
She quickly waved her hands, coughing, “It’s fine, it's fine, It's just so cold!”
“I did feel a little tingle from it,” she observed after an embarrassed chuckle.
Jaime knelt beside her, dipping two fingers.
“Tastes clean. Cleaner than anything since...” She trailed off.
Everyone knew since when.
Belle hovered at the edge, arms wrapped around herself.
“Are we really staying?” Her voice was small.
Her mom pulled her into a side-hug.
“We’re staying.”
George tapped a crystal with a rock—soft clink, the rock chipped.
“These ain’t quartz. Harder. And cold.”
He frowned, uneasy.
Dan’s beard blew majestically.
He stood, wiped the sweat off his brow, and placed hands on hips.
“This is it. This is the spot. Pie Fort can suck it.”
Chris dropped his pack with a groan, "I'm calling it Fort Glowpuddle.”
Dan chuckled, “Call it whatever you want as long as you get a fire going.”
“Is that all I am to you? A walking lighter?” Chris folded his arms, face tilted forward, eyeballing his brother.
Dan’s eyes shifted down for a moment, “Maybe a hobbling lighter?”
Chris didn't flinch.
“You have no hair to burn off.. But I could singe your beard.”
The powerlifter froze.
“You. Wouldn't. Dare.”
Chris chuckled loudly, unconvincingly,
“Yeah I wouldn't do that to you bro. But you never know…fire is unpredictable…”
Dan’s body turned slightly towards his little brother.
“That's enough boys.” George’s low bark cut through the camp.
“Get over here and help with these rocks Danny.”
Dan sidled over to his brother, glancing around, “You, uh, think you could burn off my back hair?”
Jaime and Annette shared stifled laughter.
Kim and Belle, Luna at their feet, stood beside the small reservoir.
All three, staring at the crystal below.
Luna’s head tilted as she watched the light shimmer.
“Its.. so beautiful.”
Belle looked lost as she stared into the tranquil water.
“Like a pool, all lit up at night.. I’ll miss that..”
She looked up at the taller Kim, “What do you think when you look at it?”
It took her a moment to respond, mist drifted on updrafts, swirling around her.
“..Potential..”
Belle nodded, looking thoughtful.
She turned to Jimmy, kneeling beside them, “What about you, what do you see?”
Jimmy didn't hear any of this.
He kneeled, narrowed eyes locked.
Some sort of resource node?
The hum was low, constant, tuning fork in the stone.
Too constant.
Too loud.
Jimmy’s breath caught.
The vibration wasn’t random—it synced with something far below, deeper in the mountain.
A second heartbeat answering the first.
His skin prickled.
Not alone.
Not safe.
Never safe…
His gaze tracked the invisible lines, flowing out, down the mountain.
Along the river.
His head snapped to Dan.
“I need to scout the area. Now.”
Dan turned, dropping a large stone, “Wait, what's going on?”
“This is a beacon. Anything could sense this, like I did.”
His eyes flickered white for a heartbeat, as they swept the surroundings.
“Worgs. Or Worse. Anything could be out here.”
Wind hissed through the rocky teeth.
Kim sat by the basin of water, face serene, fingers gliding along the surface.
Luna lay beside her, eyes shifting, ears twitching.
Dan scratched at his beard, “How bad?”
“I should be gone already.”
Jimmy slipped out like a ghost, bow in hand.
Dan watched him vanish.
Don’t die out there Jimbo.
He turned back to the group.
“Alright, Chris, get that damn fire going. Everyone else, grab some rock, let's fill in these gaps before dark.”
He noticed Kim, still lost in the water.
“You keep doing whatever you're doing. We’ll need it.”
Kim didn't answer.
The crystals pulsed, once, brighter.
All the response he needed.
