"What if the flower is not there? it will be waste of energy climbing this mountain and bruising my body!" Jane said while standing in front of the huge steep mountain.
It was a rocky mountain which was more than ten kilometers steep climb. Its top was not visible at all and flat, pointy and sharp edged rocks were jutting out like swords, making the climb almost impossible.
"We have to try! We'll be slamming our heads on the ground later if somebody really finds it here." Adriana said.
Jane covered her body in mana and four runic magic circles formed on her wrists and ankles. Winds started rotating around her as she started floating in the air. The wind started lifting her up, but after less than a meter above the ground, the winds vanished and she was pushed back to the ground.
"Flight spells really don't work here! How will I climb? I don't have physical powers like you two!"
"I can carry you on my shoulders!" Jordan said with an innocent smile.
"You…you think I'll sit on your shoulders? You dirty…muscle head…I won't!" Jane refused frantically as her cheeks got red.
"There's no other way Jane! If you're uncomfortable I can carry you on my back." Adriana said.
'This foolish and dense girl!' Jane sighed in disappointment. "It's alright! You'll need to preserve your energy for any uncertain circumstances. I'll go with that muscle head gorilla!"
"Cover your hands and feet with three layers of mana, or else the sharp edges will cut your skin!" Adriana warned Jordan and started condensing mana.
Jordan nodded and did the same. He then picked Jane from her waist and placed her on his shoulder. Jane's face was covered with the mask or else they would have seen her rosy cheeks and shyness.
"Let's go!" With her signal, both of them started climbing the sword mountain.
On the other end, Luke and the others reached the mountain too. They were covered in beast blood. They had to fight their way out through the forest to reach their destination.
"Damn! Do we really have to climb this steep mountain?" Shane asked, a bit scared seeing the mountain in front.
Ruby tried using the flight spell but failed as she was pushed back to the ground.
"Flight spells really don't work here!" she said.
"There's no other way than to climb then! Luke and I can manage but I think it will be quite difficult for you two." Noah said looking towards the brother sister pair.
"I'll carry them!" Luke said.
"Huh! But how? You can't carry two persons together!" Ruby asked in surprise.
"Form a mana rope and tie it around my waist and then tie the other end on your and Shane's waist. I'll bear the weight and you two cover yourself with a few layers of mana and just make sure you're not cut by the sharp edges."
"But I don't have mana! I'll be cut in that case!" Shane said.
"You have your mechanical arm and tie a cloth around your other hand. You don't have to apply much force for the ascend, you just need to avoid the edges!" Noah said.
"That's plausible! Let's do that." Ruby said after some contemplation.
"Alright! let's prepare." Luke said and then Ruby started waving her hand. A rope of mana started forming and moved towards Luke and wrapped itself around his waist.
She then tied the rope around Shane's and then her waist too. after everything was done, Luke nodded at Noah. Noah condensed layers of mana around his hands and feet and then they started their ascend.
*****
After a long wait in queue Ames finally reached the airship ticket counter.
"Where to?" the receptionist asked.
"Gemburn. Economy class."
"Five gold coins"
Ames pulled five gold coins from his pouch and put them on the table. She took the coins and passed a blue rectangular ticket to him.
He took the ticket and moved away from the counter. While walking towards the stairs to the lift, he felt a few eyes on him, keeping watch. He pulled the hood of his blue robe above his head and started whispering chants. His fingers moved as a small runic circle formed on the ground below his feet.
Waves of mana started moving out of the magic circle with a hum sound and some of the waves were reflecting back towards him. His eyes glowed and he got a view of his surrounding in his mind without looking around.
He saw three figures in merchant dresses but something felt off. They were in disguise as their faces and body were covered in mana which was continuously flowing.
Ames understood immediately that they were using a disguise spell and keeping a watch on him. He moved slowly towards the crowd on the stairs and just as he was among the people, suddenly he vanished from sight.
The three figures were perplexed. They were constantly keeping an eye out on him, but he vanished into thin air, not a trace of his could be found now.
"He's found us!" one of them whispered to the other two. "Move fast! Keep an eye out on all the lifts."
The three of them vanished from the spot. Their speed miles away from a common merchant they were pretending to be. Each one of them stood at the entrance of the lifts of the Economy class.
"Oh! Forgive me child! My age has got to me now." an old man in a black robe, with a hunched back and wrinkles all over, supporting himself with a cane apologised to one of the followers upon hitting him with his cane from the back.
"Its alright." the follower said and then ignored the old man outright and kept looking around for a trace of Ames.
The old man got up and the lift doors started closing up. Seeing Ames not present, the follower got up too.
The lift moved and reached the platform after a few minutes. The follower moved out with all the people.
The three of them met at the platform and gave questioning looks to each other. They shook their heads in helplessness. They had lost Ames.
The old man gave his ticket to the enforcer at the gate and went inside the ship.
After walking a few steps when there was no one around, the old man started straightening up as his hunched back got straight, his wrinkled vanished into the skin of a young man and the cane morphed into a golden staff.
'Morons! You people are miles away from catching my disguise!' a wide grin formed on Ames's face as he moved towards his cabin.