Page 82 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

“Me too,” Grayden said.

“Then I'll go as well,” Phillippe added.

Phillippe could see Sion open his mouth, but he was quickly cut off by Renya.

“We'll take groups of three at a time. Leaving behind someone in each group that can actually row a boat.”

Phillippe grumbled a bit, but he knew she was right. He stayed back while Triston, Julietta, and Grayden crawled down to the rowboat and made their way onshore. Once Triston, Julietta, and Renya were on the beach, Grayden started back with the boat.

A swoosh of air ruffled Phillippe's hair, and he saw Cressida pass by in a blur on Brutus's back, followed by Agatha on Beauty.

Finally, the rowboat returned to the ladder hanging down from the ship, and Phillippe climbed down, making sure to help Esmeralda as she joined him. Once she got a few feet above the rowboat, he grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her down with him.

“I could have gotten down myself,” she said.

“But then I couldn't have touched you. I'm going to use every single excuse I can find to put my hands on your body.”

She blushed, a deep scarlet tinting her cheeks.

Sion and Selenia came next, and Phillippe and Sion grabbed the oars, rowing across the still surface of the bay. Phillippe could see the others walking along the beach, pointing at things on the sand and then looking up at the mountains. As they got closer, he could see that he had been correct; ancient runes seemed to be carved into different peaks, almost shimmering under the dull light of the partially-clouded sky.

Phillippe finally made it to the shore, and excitement buzzed within him, his nerves hyper-aware for any danger lurking unseen. He missed this; he missed the adrenaline rush of battle, the feeling of exploring new lands, the knowledge that absolutely anything could happen at a moment's notice and that his life could be held in the balance.

But as he turned back to the boat and saw the look of uncertainty on Esmeralda's face, his heart lurched. As exciting as adventuring was, he knew in his heart that his galivanting days would soon come to an end. His heart might be beating faster, prepared for danger, but it was nothing compared to the way that it beat for her. Once this journey was over, he would go back to the Snow Lands, take over his brother's duties, and marry Esmeralda.

“What are you thinking?” Esmeralda asked, squinting up at him.

“Nothing,” he said, then picked her up and hoisted her out of the boat. Before he set her down on the dark sand, he placed another kiss on her throat, and she gasped quietly. He looked back at the boat, and saw Sion roll his eyes before he headed back to the ship for Cyrus.

Phillippe took in the scene before him. The beach wasn't anything like the soft sands of the Tidal Kingdom. It was coarse and grainy, filled with tiny rocks and bits of broken shells. Seaweed in dark, dirty colors littered the beach, and bits of tree branches and logs made it difficult to traverse.

“Look at this, Phillippe!” Triston shouted from farther down the shore.

Phillippe jogged over to him, Esmeralda following.

Julietta, Triston, Grayden and Renya were circled around some type of skeletal remains. Phillippe peered down, trying to make sense of what he was looking at.

“Is that...a griffin?” Selenia joined the group, a bit winded from chasing the others up the beach.

Phillippe looked at the skull, and identified the beak immediately, slightly agape. The enormous ribcage seemed to open up towards the sky, and the large wingspan had the barest traces of mottled feathers clinging to it. The hollow eye sockets in the skull seemed to haunt Phillippe, and he felt a shiver go down his spine as he took in the remains of what he thought, up until now, was a mythical creature.

“I think it is,” Renya whispered, and Phillippe could tell she was just as much in awe as he was.

Brutus roared from a few yards away, and the group turned to see Cressida approaching. Beauty was still gliding around above them, eager to explore the new terrain. Phillippe watched her for a second, feeling a certain fondness for the dragon, before turning his eyes back towards the beach.

“Beauty doesn't seem to be able to fly over the mountains,” Renya said, pointing. Sure enough, the dragon skirted right next to them, but couldn't, or wouldn't, cross the peaks.

Cressida dismounted, her high-heeled boots sinking into the sand. While they were all dressed practically for the journey ahead, Cressida continued to dress extravagantly. Phillippe had no clue where she still managed to find her skin-tight leathers, but decided he didn't care.

“Hmmm...” she purred, looking at the remains. “A griffin. The chosen mount of the Sun God. We're in the right place.”

Phillippe looked back down, trying to envision the creature as it must have been before it met its demise, graceful and flying through the air.

“Well, should we move forward?” Grayden asked, nodding farther inland. Phillippe followed his gaze, seeing a large outcropping of rocks that seemed to create a short tunnel past the huge slabs of rock that formed a wall around the island—or, what they assumed was an island. Phillippe suddenly realized that they had no clue how big this landmass was. It could be bigger than their entire world. He always assumed that there was nothing outside of their continental lands...but he'd been so short-sighted in his thinking.

Finally the last few stragglers joined them on the beach. Grayden led the way towards the cave, slightly weighed down with supplies and equipment. Most of it was tied up on Beauty, but now that they weren't sure if she could cross over the mountains, they'd have to take some of it with them.

The cave was lined with sand and larger rocks that had been washed in from the tide. Although the beach was overcast, but still light, the other side of the cave was dark.

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