Autumn marched through the continent of the demons as it did in the mainland. Dense foliage that obscured the lands ahead now turned to naked branches.
Vera's feet crunched against a mix of snow and leaves. The distance to the domain of the Baize was only that of two weeks.
Rushed steps followed behind Vera as he walked.
"Dynamic motions are still hard for me to capture... I'm sorry, Sword Dog. Give me some more time to fix this."
Sword Dog stared at Vera, its golden eyes unclear as to what Vera was saying. A confused hum escaped its mouth.
"Well, at least the processing of reactions has become more natural." Vera spoke as he petted the 'dog' that had just caught up with him.
For the most part, Sword Dog was only a companion in his journey. But it turned out that the Sword in its name wasn't just for show.
A brief rustle echoed through the withered cover of trees. Vera's head swivelled in its direction. Sword Dog's ears perked up as it also turned to the source of the echo.
"Dinner time," Vera murmured under his breath.
"Sick 'em, Sword Dog!"
Rushed steps soon erupted through the snow, soon turning into confident leaps. As Sword Dog chased its prey, a golden trail of light followed along.
Vera stood in place. Not bothering to follow his companion.
"Well, he is a construct of my qi; no wonder he is at the level of a first-grade demon."
A violent roar resounded through the forest. Its owner was soon vanquished by a golden blade.
Vera followed the lingering trail of qi. Its ethereal gold wisps beckoning him to his dog.
"An Orc, huh... Seems like we don't need to hunt for a few days."
A tail wagged through the air, its force lifting snow off the ground.
Vera sat down near the body and started to butcher it. Separating pellet and bones from meat.
Sword Dog stood beside him expectantly. Its eyes latched onto Vera with blood dripping off its sword.
"I get it... calm down." His hands found their way to Sword Dog's head, lathering him with energetic pets.
The warmth of the qi that coated Sword Dog was staved off by its very source. Ecstatic whimpers followed Vera's petting.
At some level, Vera figured most of his construct's reactions were being controlled subconsciously.
Thanks to Vera's purposeful forgetfulness, Sword Dog had lived far longer than the 'one more day' Vera had agreed upon.
The qi it possessed slowly diminishing, its 'natural' life would last another month or so.
Vera spaced out as he butchered the orc; Sword Dog nuzzled up against his back.
Controlling you has allowed me to understand the requirements of the second rank far better.
Vera thought to himself, his construct's warmth permeating through his body.
But I'm already nearing completion in understanding the five senses...
While Vera understood what this meant. He didn't want to think it out yet.
***
Days passed as they usually did. The occasional hunt, eating, training, and travelling.
Vera soon stood beside the foot of the mountain where the Baize resided.
Small rocks hurtled down the steep edge of the mountain. The layers of snow that encased it were torn away by the wind.
Vera's neck stretched as he tried to glance at the peak of the mountain; his torso leaned back until he finally saw the peak.
"That's tall, isn't it, boy?"
Sword Dog barked, its enthusiasm drained at the sight of the peak.
"Do you think the Baize will come down here if I scream at it till the new year?"
The following barks told Vera that his plan probably wouldn't work out.
"Don't bark at me for being hopeful..."
Vera stood silently, fidgeting away.
"This may come as a surprise to you, boy. I'm afraid of heights..."
A sequence of eloquent barks comforted Vera. Sword Dog's eyes were latched onto Vera, his tail wagging forcefully.
"Even if you say that... you can't carry me up the mountain."
Sad whimpers escaped Sword Dog, its head turned to the ground.
"Well, don't feel too bad, boy; I'll take care of it. For now, why don't you climb onto my back?"
As Sword Dog climbed onto Vera's back, resting against his halberd, Vera pulled a pouch of dried powder from his rucksack.
His hands coated in the white powder from the pouch, Vera tied it onto his waist.
A firm grip clasped onto one of many crooked edges on the mountain wall. The wet snow was loosening his grip by the moment.
"Fuck... I just had to come here in winter..."
After his final whine for the day. Vera began scaling the mountain wall.
An unsuspecting white goat stared at him listlessly as he climbed.
***
Within the first few hours of climbing, Vera had covered a considerable distance of the ground.
Although the peak still eluded him, his confidence was growing.
From careful overthought palm placements to more intuited movements. Vera pushed off from one crooked edge to another.
An old robe wrapped Sword Dog and his halberd in place.
The climb had reached an easy pace, but as he reached higher, the weather worsened.
Brisk winds morphed into raucous waves. Layers that covered jagged edges grew in thickness.
To some extent, gripping at the holds with more force helped.
But, as caps of snow grew thicker, the required force surpassed the hold's integrity.
By the end of the first day, the weather had reached an extreme state. Thankfully, the steep edges halted into a strip of flat earth.
Vera's eyes latched onto it from beneath. For a moment he considered pushing through.
But the harsh winds loosening the cloth around his back told him it was time to rest.
After a few more minutes of climbing, Vera had reached the strip.
His baggage undone, Sword Dog ran around the strip.
"Don't fall," Vera spoke as he tried to set up camp.
At his words, Sword Dog returned to his side.
"Shit... The fire won't light up." Vera grimaced. The dried twigs he carried, long soaked in the cold winds of the mountain.
"I guess I'll have to roast it with the heat from my qi."
Vera's qi circulated over his palms. In its circulation a dry heat exuded from him, warming up the twigs.
Snow crunched under Sword Dog's paws.
Its soft, furry head nuzzled against the back of Vera's palm.
"Are you cold too?" Vera asked as he petted Sword Dog with his other hand.
"Don't worry. We will get out of this damned mountain soon..."
Furious winds coated in snow soon relented. A calm, cold breeze taking its place.
Vera's back rested against the mountain wall as Sword Dog rested its head on his lap.
A weak fire warmed them.
His eyes latched onto the night sky.
The silent beauty of the moon and stars felt as though it were within reach.
"Well, I guess there was something to gain from all this climbing."
"Woof!"