Chapter 214 - Screaming Bird!

Deciding that the Ghost Tree shouldn't be tampered with, their next target of travel became the Kingdom of Maleemia, formally known as the Capital of Septemtrionis Ignis which became reoccupied.

Travelling to Maleemia can be indeed troublesome, it is no place for an Ignite. You might be confused, so let me shed light on your questions. See, once heading east for nearly 200 Kilometers from the Ghost Tree, one would see snow covering the mountains. You can find snow on these mountains all year around, each season without discrimination. Terrible for Farming, but it has other advantages, literal upper advantages.

The Kingdom of Maleemia is located up in the rocky mountains. Is is also worth pointing out that these are the only high rocky mountains on the entire Continent and they stretch all the way to Orientis Ignis below. And this everlasting snow (But without the rocky mountains.), stretches all the way to the ill.u.s.tratian motherland to. A.k.a Meridionali Ignis. But only a small portion, it covers less than 10% of the Country to be exact.

To specify in the best detail described by word, these Mountains take 65% of Septemtrionis Ignis and 85% of Orientis Ignis. These entire mountains along with the everlasting snow around it, occupies 40% of the whole Continent of Ignis. They are large indeed, this entire mountain used to be Snow Ignite territory, and now the Capital sure belongs to the Snow Ignites and remains indomitable thanks to the recent revolution, with the use of Demonite as a theorized reason.

Putting specifics out of the way, let's get back to their travelling. Once reaching this everlasting snow 200 Kilometers east from the Ghost Tree, they have to travel another full 200 Kilometers to the East South in order to reach Maleemia up in the high mountains with an elevation of an unspecified few Kilometers high. There really is no way to measure it with the technology of this Era.

The problem with such travel is, an Ignite is not naturally prepared to handle such altitude and low temperatures, it is a deadly combination even though they have Fire to their advantage, so they need to be heavily equipped for this portion of the travel. The coldest day in Occidentis Ignis is a temperature considered as the warmest here in Septemtrionis Ignis.

They are not like Snow Ignites who can go barefoot through this blistering cold over the snow and face no casualties like frostbite or slipping, how much useful can a body part get than that? It is even odder once remembering that Snow Ignites evolved to face this environment, they used to be normal Ignites before.

Even their Hands are more like actual claws, proper for mountain climbing and a crutal off the land survival tool. Living scattered in caves and ruins after the ill.u.s.tratios invaded about 200 years ago, enhances these amazing attributes even more.

To face the freezing cold Septemtrions and Orientis Ignis has to offer, their average body temperature is what a normal Human would feel in spring. For them, it would feel like the temperature around them is 20°C. Of course such measures aren't even invented yet, but it is a good way to describe. Hell, they can even swim a Kilometer through freezing cold waters without dying or even gaining Hypothermia. Even Nature tells us that they belong in these two Countries of rocky mountains.

Mogranius was told of these terribly dangerous environmental conditions, even experienced it for a bit himself in past adventures. Which is why he prepared a couple of big heavy backpacks for it, this is another reason why they were and still are travelling slowly. They can't wear themselves out. In those backpacks, they have thick fur clothing to at least help provide survivable heat. They are for sure that they can't completely block out this cold and are even using their Fire Controlling abilities to stay warm. 

As for food, two weeks of it couldn't possibly fit in these backpacks especially with a tent and sleeping bags packed as well. But it isn't a big issue, they don't plan to be hungry though. Need I remind you that Ignis has more Wildboars than people, other animals too so they have options. They don't even need to eat raw meat either.

Travelling under these circ.u.mstances became tough indeed, but they figured how to cope with it. Day after day of survival helped them figure out new ways, flying less became the best tip of survival for these two. The wind blasting against the mountain became a wild enemy, it could easily disorientate them. 

A couple of days after, as if being dead tired wasn't enough to demotivate them from this entire journey, they ran in to an even bigger problem. Well nothing can be as bad as freezing to death or being slammed against the mountain side, the cold of which would make it even more freezing, but this is still a great problem! No one wants to die whatever the sort of death might be or whatever the circ.u.mstances might fall upon any victim.

They ran in to what seems to be a big nasty Eagle. And when I say big, I mean Big! It is standing as tall as an average Human and a bit wider than a Human as well, double the width actually. To make it more bizarre, this Eagle is covered in dark blue feathers. Only it's head and the edges of its Wings seemed to be covered in a completely dark shade, beautifully dangerous. But you couldn't Imagine how big the Eagle became when it spread its wings and took off from the rocky mountains, towards the sky. Its wingspan reached at least 6 meters! That's as big as half a House.

The Eagle is indeed a big and beautiful but it wasn't exactly friendly nor it planned to be tamed. As it flew towards the sky, it stopped on one spot and released an ear shattering sound, the two Ignites couldn't help but cover their ears and hope this madness meets an end. The Blue Eagle surely felt threatened seeing Humans that aren't Snow Ignites or ill.u.s.tratios in these Harsh terrains, Ignites rarely encounter these magnificent beasts!

So as many of us, they feel threatened by the unknown and they are kind of jerks as well. The Big beautiful Blue Eagle released that terrible sound again, still not comfortable for a Human to hear but this Time It was more like a call for help. Like rats, these Eagles seem to hunt in packs or protect each other in packs too. Not a typical behaviour you would find on other stereotypical Eagles who quite the opposite are territorial even towards other eagles, but it proves how dangerous they are.

Quite unsure what these birds are, and even not knowing that they actually existed in the first place, Eric asked Mogranius in order to be absolutely sure even though he felt certain already. "Are they dangerous?"

Rubbing his hands to gain some warmth, ready to attack he shouted. "They definitely aren't our friends. Shoot!" Once finishing his sentence, he was of course about to shoot. But one of the Blue Eagles charged towards the two Ignites and the three others were just waiting their turn incase this one fails, Mogranius had no option to shoot.

Luckily, they were swift enough to fly out of danger even after considering the impactful wind. They reached the solid rocks shortly after though, it was partially by choice. Standing on his feet, Mogranius started blasting Fire towards the Blue Eagle that charged on them. But this Fire wasn't just a normal Fireball for example, he didn't blast it out of his bare fists. He blasted Fire out of his mouth, its reach wasn't long but the Blue Eagle was sure damaged.

He torched the Eagle while it was charging towards the two Ignites for the second time, burning its wing to the point of its bone flashing, forced to be shot down from the sky and meet a terrible death tumbling down the rocky mountains.

Another big Blue Eagle approached right after with an instinctive aim to handle this situation better, to kill his enemies. He seemed to be the Leader of the Pack, and what the Leader did was fascinating and unexpected. Well at least Eric didn't expect it.

The Blue Eagle blasted Snow out of its beak, it wasn't as deadly as snow but once Mogranius and Eric dodged the shot, they saw the rocks around the aftermath starting to be covered in ice, as if he froze the rocks. Getting hit from this snow is definitely not an option, it would make survival even more difficult and even cause Hypothermia if they manage to survive this after.

The two Ignites can't fly for a long period of time, and there are four enemies in the sky who don't see flying as a problem, as if they are immune to this terribly strong wind. "What do we do now?" Asked Eric in concern once he acknowledged how troublesome this situation really is. This Leader even seems to yell that ear pounding sound each time he notices that any of these two is about to shoot.

"Keep Shooting!"