121 AC
The rugged mountains of the Vale.
How long has Alex been gone from the tourney, a month? Anybody else other than Alex and it would've taken them nearly half a year to reach the snowy peaks of the Vale. Alex now climbing, his backpack filled with all the essentials, food, sword, more food and his waterskin, his tent was here but Alex didn't mind sleeping in a tree whenever he could. His superhuman running covering vast swaths of land in weeks, his mind returned back to the present where he cursed his current situation. Each part of this outrageously huge mountain was boring him. He needed to make it to the top and soon. The quest was running out.
Sword of the PeafowlEvery peafowl needs a trusty sword. This trusty sword ain't playing around.Quest fulfillment:Defeat the Cannibal and retrieve the sword from his lair.Rewards:A dragon-slaying sword plus 10 stat points increase.5 DAYS LEFT
Ever since he won the bloody archery contest, he got the notification. His mind was set. He needed the sword. It slayed dragons, who doesn't want it. Alex would humbly accept.
Alex grit his teeth as he was reaching a clearing in the mountains, Alex was surprised, there was a wide enough part of the mountain where people could obviously squeeze through and walk down. 'Why did I climb then?' Alex bellowed.
Alex didn't mind, he could relax for a few days, and then climb once more. He knew that fucking dragon was on this mountain. Alex had been hunting it ever since he reached the edges of the Vale.
Alex managing to annoy it once by throwing fucking pebbles at it from a vast distance, Alex had insane throwing. The Cannibal spotted Alex and what came about it was a Tom and Jerry chase of biblical proportions. The Cannibal burning vast mountain ranges, just to catch the incessant human.
Alex could've thrown spear after spear from a distance and just picked it off easily but where would be the fun in that? It's a bloody dragon. He wanted to at least put hands on it even if it is outrageously huge.
Alex was a mad man but in a fun way, he liked to remark to himself. Alex now swaying to the present, sat cross-legged and enjoyed the view of the mountain, sure it was far colder than the Westerlands but Alex didn't mind. The breeze was nice. Alex and his lion pelts were just funny. Alex likened this to the Scottish mountains he visited most of the time when he got on vacation.
Scotland was vastly pretty, but the Vale blew it a thousand times over. It was stunning. Alex took a big breath, then his hair twitched. Why? Why are there humans up here?
Alex looked to his side and he saw two rugged individuals wearing fur clothing with war paint all over themselves. Alex was just wondering how they got up here when he was climbing most of the day.
The first guy charged him, Alex leaned back, evaded the hit and while sitting slapped the man on the ass hard, he flew off the mountain.
The next screamed and hollered before charging. 'No singing voice on this one,' Alex chuckled.
The mountain man threw a dagger, Alex caught it. Analysed it and then, did what he did to his partner. One slap and another man down the mountain. Alex laughed aloud.
Alex knew these guys were fuckers, remembering the time he came across destruction in the form of a caravan on a road close to the mountain. It was utterly vile. Guts, shit, blood everywhere, what they did to the children made his skin crawl. Alex didn't want to see those images again so he pushed the memory on. His rage was boundless, he traced the people down to some mountain clans in the area. Alex showed no mercy to any man he found culpable of doing such an action.
Alex was utterly merciless when it came to evildoers. There were so many around here. Victims of their world. Alex would give them a chance to atone in a different world, not this one. They had to answer for their atrocities. Many clans were wiped out in days. There were many situations where Alex found ravaged lands, dead smallfolk, atrocities beyond comprehension. Alex made a decision after seeing repeated actions.
Many didn't know what they did to evoke such wrath. Some clans were untouched due to their peaceful and affable nature. Alex made sure not to destroy those cultures but the others couldn't survive. Alex cut down many men like a farmer would with wheat. It was apocalyptic levels for the violent clans. They couldn't survive. One man brought hell to their huts, their caves and their very lives.
Alex now refreshed after resting a little bit got back to work in the present, he climbed and climbed again. The Cannibal was sleeping, he knew this, so his master plan was a quick smash and grab. A literal smash on the dragon's snout and then find the sword and leave promptly.
Alex had a devilish grin at that. No need to be overly complex, Alex didn't like that for simple affairs like this, maybe for other humans but a dragon was more simple, it was a creature that knew no equal. All the stories he heard about the Cannibal were something out of a horror story. It infused Alex with a childlike eagerness to see it brought to heel. He wasn't about to become a dragon rider, no Alex, he wanted to make sure the dragon knew there was another predator in the world.
Alex now entered the vast cave at the very tip of the mountain. The Cannibal was shrouded in darkness, its breath only visible as the air was visibly warmer as Alex got closer. Tiptoeing. He crept and crept. The Cannibal looked like a dog to him. It was outstretched on its back. Its legs kicking up to the sky. 'What a cutie pie,' Alex thought.
Alex saw the sword in the heap of other stuff such as skulls, coins, a dead dragon body and eggs. Alex knew it was the sword because what other sword had a fucking peafowl pommel. Alex was inches, literal inches away from grabbing the sword, dimly lit by the light coming from the outside. Until the fucker awoke.
Alex turned slowly as the Cannibal roused himself awake. The heat in the air rising sharply. Emerald eyes shining at him with a hatred so vast it would cover the world.
"Alright, we can tal—" Alex ducked as blistering fire forced him to dodge.
Alex ducked and weaved as the fire was going everywhere filling the whole cave. He rushed to the sword, grabbed it and ran for the exit. The Cannibal was blocking his path. The Cannibal's tail then flung Alex hard into the back of the cave. 'Motherfucker, that actually hurt,' Alex groaned.
Anybody else would be dead, Alex knew this. Alex grit his teeth as the Cannibal was charging up for a massive blast. Alex then sprinted with inhuman-level speed. Like an arrow, his fist crashed into the eye of the Cannibal halting it. The Cannibal, losing its balance, fell on its back.
Alex roared, he then swiveled out and escaped the hole, the Cannibal hot onto his tail. Alex seeing nothing but a drop that would kill even the hardest beings. Grit his teeth and said 'fuck it.'
Alex flew, the clouds showering him with rain. He then was plummeting fast. Until the Cannibal grabbed him. Alex was under its claws, his armour protecting him from the sharp claws digging into him. Alex then, using his otherworldly strength, grabbed onto its claws and flung himself to the belly of the Cannibal. He was climbing on its rock-solid scales. The Cannibal flying and darting about trying to shake him.
Alex was living his best life. Alex was getting closer to the saddle side of the Cannibal. The Cannibal thought to be smart and fly hard above, until it reached a point where it couldn't go further, it then twisted and fell, traveling to the ground at speeds unheard of. Alex only holding it because he had his trusty knife lodged into the scales. And lord was he holding on for his life.
Alex was then progressing towards the head of the Cannibal. Inch by inch. Until he reached his goal and with a roar, he threw a stiff elbow into the sweet skull of the Cannibal. The Cannibal rolled back its eyes and started falling. In one moment, they crashed through trees and then fell beside a river. The dragon wasn't too damaged and Alex had a big cushion.
The Cannibal was sleeping. Alex had his sword. Alex slid down the Cannibal and walked away from the sleeping giant.
Alex now thought to himself, nursing more bruises than he did ever.
'Hometime?'