Kasrjin curled the corner of his lip in contemplation. Coerthas. This was where the snow and mountains of the western continent was located. Apparently it was located further to the west, which was...the Au Ra spun his body around several times in an odd display of attempting to gain his bearings. He still couldn't tell which way was north inside this blasted forest, even within the settlement. The low elevation that the settlement afforded, being on top of a river, did not allow him to discern any visible mountain ranges either.
He had little choice, then, but to trust in the female. So far she was adhering to his request, and in exchange the Xaela would be expected to fight for her. This was a permissible arrangement, though the bartering of services was a concept that was still a little odd to him. So long as he managed to reach the region of this "Coerthas", he could narrow his search from there into something more. In addition, Kasrjin made a mental note to make a request for a compass when obtaining such an item became amenable.
As for Highlands...that must have been another region. He merely shook his head silently when the female asked for a specific heading. Truth be told, Kasrjin had not planned that far, but instinct had made the suggestion that he would know where to go when he reached the area he should search.
It was with some good fortune that the pair were not accosted by any other delays as they left the settlement, and the masked warriors left them unmolested. It was to be presumed that they had yet to find the trio of corpses that Kasrjin had left behind, and it was unlikely that the green-clad guardians would hear his appeal for arbitration. Though the Xaela felt confident in his ability to handle multiple combatants to a certain degree, fighting and violence in general was often a very inefficient course of action that took both time and energy, both of which Kasrjin wished to contribute towards his search.
As they left the settlement's gate, he took note of an enormous, broken piece of stone that hung high in the air. It was visible even from within the town, marked with elaborate lines and designs, and it was larger than any other structure the Xaela had seen. Though Kasrjin kept pace with his guide and her yellow bird, a part of him was terribly curious about it, though he'd refrained from asking questions that were irrelevant to what he'd asked before so as to avoid confusing the female. The terrain of this area was also marred and broken, like a battlefield. The towering trees and canopies that had so thoroughly covered the forest floor was gone, replaced by cliffs and rocks. Clearly, something had happened here to cause this area to differ so greatly from that infuriating forest he'd recently occupied.
The sun gradually sank beneath the horizon, giving way to the chilled veil of night. The terrain the pair trod upon began to slope upwards, signifying that they were closer to where they wished to reach, and the walls began to narrow into a mountain pass of bluffs and crags. Kasrjin noted the female pulling her garments closer to her and donning a pair of gloves; it was a reasonable assumption that her peoples were not as acclimated to the cold. On the other hand, this temperature was considerably more comfortable to Kasrjin. He'd always had a particular distaste for the heat, and the ventures that required travelling to the southern steppes always earned a measure of disdain from him. Even so, he would need to be cautious; it would be foolish to assume that the climate of the western continent would so readily match that of the Othardian glaciers and tundra, and though the Xaela was comfortable with frigid conditions, he was also acutely aware of the dangers. If the temperature dropped much lower, they would need fire, or at the least keep moving in order to maintain adequate warmth. The pair's travel was mostly silent. Though Kasrjin's request was to obtain information while they travelled, the Au Ra was content with examining the environment of the fabled western continent for now.
A shroud of smoky clouds covered the sky above them, and hard dirt soon gave way to patches of frozen soil. Kasrjin began idly flexing and unflexing his hands so as to keep the blood flowing in case he required rapid movement from them. The leather wrapped around the handle of his sword would prevent frost from building upon it, but it would be unwise to make the assumption that this route was completely safe.
"A camp is required soon," the Xaela spoke aloud to the slim female figure slightly ahead of him. He could not accurately gauge how far they had travelled, but the region had noticeably transitioned into one far more inhospitable than the idyllic forest. "And I would use the opportunity to ask you for information." He made a short trot to stand ahead of the female; though they had yet to reach the snowline, the drifts would inevitably prove to be a hazard. It would be more practical for the taller Au Ra to lead and thus carve a path, but to do so would require him to gain a sense of direction from the female. The wind was gentle and thus there was no present threat of a blizzard, but as the temperature dropped lower and the remaining light vanished over the horizon, Kasrjin's face twisted in consternation. The mountains at night were as deadly a foe as any number of black ones.
As if the mountains themselves heard Kasrjin's wish for convenience, a small, rocky outcropping, shielded on three sides by crags and boulders, presented itself some distance away. Instinctively, he reached his left arm out, the shoulder unguarded by the leathers and furs, and firmly grasped the female's shoulder, practically dragging her with sheer force and an inability to comprehend social conventions, to the outcropping.
Releasing her, Kasrjin exhaled. "Suitable," was the only word he said.
He had little choice, then, but to trust in the female. So far she was adhering to his request, and in exchange the Xaela would be expected to fight for her. This was a permissible arrangement, though the bartering of services was a concept that was still a little odd to him. So long as he managed to reach the region of this "Coerthas", he could narrow his search from there into something more. In addition, Kasrjin made a mental note to make a request for a compass when obtaining such an item became amenable.
As for Highlands...that must have been another region. He merely shook his head silently when the female asked for a specific heading. Truth be told, Kasrjin had not planned that far, but instinct had made the suggestion that he would know where to go when he reached the area he should search.
It was with some good fortune that the pair were not accosted by any other delays as they left the settlement, and the masked warriors left them unmolested. It was to be presumed that they had yet to find the trio of corpses that Kasrjin had left behind, and it was unlikely that the green-clad guardians would hear his appeal for arbitration. Though the Xaela felt confident in his ability to handle multiple combatants to a certain degree, fighting and violence in general was often a very inefficient course of action that took both time and energy, both of which Kasrjin wished to contribute towards his search.
As they left the settlement's gate, he took note of an enormous, broken piece of stone that hung high in the air. It was visible even from within the town, marked with elaborate lines and designs, and it was larger than any other structure the Xaela had seen. Though Kasrjin kept pace with his guide and her yellow bird, a part of him was terribly curious about it, though he'd refrained from asking questions that were irrelevant to what he'd asked before so as to avoid confusing the female. The terrain of this area was also marred and broken, like a battlefield. The towering trees and canopies that had so thoroughly covered the forest floor was gone, replaced by cliffs and rocks. Clearly, something had happened here to cause this area to differ so greatly from that infuriating forest he'd recently occupied.
The sun gradually sank beneath the horizon, giving way to the chilled veil of night. The terrain the pair trod upon began to slope upwards, signifying that they were closer to where they wished to reach, and the walls began to narrow into a mountain pass of bluffs and crags. Kasrjin noted the female pulling her garments closer to her and donning a pair of gloves; it was a reasonable assumption that her peoples were not as acclimated to the cold. On the other hand, this temperature was considerably more comfortable to Kasrjin. He'd always had a particular distaste for the heat, and the ventures that required travelling to the southern steppes always earned a measure of disdain from him. Even so, he would need to be cautious; it would be foolish to assume that the climate of the western continent would so readily match that of the Othardian glaciers and tundra, and though the Xaela was comfortable with frigid conditions, he was also acutely aware of the dangers. If the temperature dropped much lower, they would need fire, or at the least keep moving in order to maintain adequate warmth. The pair's travel was mostly silent. Though Kasrjin's request was to obtain information while they travelled, the Au Ra was content with examining the environment of the fabled western continent for now.
A shroud of smoky clouds covered the sky above them, and hard dirt soon gave way to patches of frozen soil. Kasrjin began idly flexing and unflexing his hands so as to keep the blood flowing in case he required rapid movement from them. The leather wrapped around the handle of his sword would prevent frost from building upon it, but it would be unwise to make the assumption that this route was completely safe.
"A camp is required soon," the Xaela spoke aloud to the slim female figure slightly ahead of him. He could not accurately gauge how far they had travelled, but the region had noticeably transitioned into one far more inhospitable than the idyllic forest. "And I would use the opportunity to ask you for information." He made a short trot to stand ahead of the female; though they had yet to reach the snowline, the drifts would inevitably prove to be a hazard. It would be more practical for the taller Au Ra to lead and thus carve a path, but to do so would require him to gain a sense of direction from the female. The wind was gentle and thus there was no present threat of a blizzard, but as the temperature dropped lower and the remaining light vanished over the horizon, Kasrjin's face twisted in consternation. The mountains at night were as deadly a foe as any number of black ones.
As if the mountains themselves heard Kasrjin's wish for convenience, a small, rocky outcropping, shielded on three sides by crags and boulders, presented itself some distance away. Instinctively, he reached his left arm out, the shoulder unguarded by the leathers and furs, and firmly grasped the female's shoulder, practically dragging her with sheer force and an inability to comprehend social conventions, to the outcropping.
Releasing her, Kasrjin exhaled. "Suitable," was the only word he said.