Chapter 39: The Mountains Are Moving [ 2 ]
A brief silence followed.
Boris slowly turned toward Raymond, and the moment their eyes met, his expression changed slightly as though he had just realized something he had assumed was obvious was apparently not obvious at all.
Even the two hunters glanced toward one another before suddenly becoming very interested in checking their equipment.
Boris cleared his throat before answering carefully. "The Winter Migration, my Lord. Every year after the first major snowfall, large populations of Magic Beasts begin descending from the higher regions of Blackridge toward the southern lowlands. The temperatures deeper in the mountains become too severe, vegetation disappears beneath the snow, smaller water sources freeze, and food becomes increasingly difficult to find. The herbivorous species usually begin moving first, and many of the predatory species follow them afterward."
Raymond’s expression remained completely still for several seconds as his mind processed what he had just heard. "Let me make sure I understand this correctly. Every winter, large numbers of Magic Beasts descend from those mountains, travel through northern Zulor looking for food and warmer territory, and apparently one of their migration routes passes directly beside my barony. Is that what you’re telling me?"
"Yes, my Lord," Boris answered, although his voice had become noticeably more cautious. "The northern boundary of Althoff lies close to one of the older migration corridors. Most of the beasts continue southeast and don’t approach the settlement itself unless something forces them away from their normal path."
Raymond slowly closed his eyes and took a long breath through his nose before opening them again. "And nobody thought this information was worth mentioning before winter?"
Boris immediately stiffened while the hunters wisely took another step backward. "Forgive me, my Lord, but I genuinely believed you already knew. The Winter Migration is common knowledge throughout the northern territories. Every noble governing land near Blackridge is taught about it, and most villages begin preparing several weeks before the first snowfall. Since you were officially granted the Althoff Barony by the royal administration, I assumed you had already received all the relevant information before arriving."
Raymond’s left eye twitched. Of course he was supposed to know.
There was probably some unfortunate royal official back in the capital who had spent hours explaining the geography, climate and dangers of the Zulor Region to the original Raymond, only for that drunken bastard to forget every word before reaching the nearest tavern.
Raymond could practically imagine the scene inside his head: maps spread across a desk, some exhausted bureaucrat pointing toward Blackridge while carefully explaining the annual migration, and the original Raymond staring blankly at him while wondering how quickly he could leave and get drunk.
Fantastic.
Apparently that idiot skipped Geography 101 because he was too busy drinking himself unconscious.
Raymond rubbed his forehead in frustration before looking at Boris again. "Fine. There’s no point blaming anyone now. Explain everything properly before another piece of ’common knowledge’ decides to walk into my territory and eat somebody. You said this migration happens every year, so how dangerous is it actually?"
Boris visibly relaxed once he realized his lord wasn’t going to explode. "The migration itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, my Lord. Most of the creatures descending first are herbivores, and they generally avoid humans unless attacked or cornered. The Ironhorn Elk, Snowback Bison and several other species follow routes that have existed for generations. Settlements usually stay away from those paths and allow the herds to pass. The real danger begins when the predators descend after them. Winter Wolves, Frost Boars, mountain cats and other carnivorous Magic Beasts follow the herds because they provide easy prey. Those creatures are far more likely to attack livestock, hunters or poorly defended settlements, especially when food becomes scarce."
Raymond frowned as he absorbed the explanation. "So the migration itself isn’t a Beast Tide. It’s basically a seasonal movement of animals, except half the animals are magical and some of the things following them might decide that humans are easier to eat."
"That is a crude way of describing it, my Lord," Boris replied, scratching his beard, "but yes, that is essentially correct. A true Beast Tide is different. During a Beast Tide, large numbers of Magic Beasts abandon their normal territorial behavior and move violently in the same direction. They don’t simply follow migration routes. They trample fields, attack settlements and destroy almost everything standing in their path. The Winter Migration can cause isolated attacks, but under normal circumstances it isn’t considered a Beast Tide."
Raymond nodded slowly, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. If that was the situation, then it wasn’t nearly as catastrophic as he had initially imagined.
Althoff possessed eight Silver Rank Knights, twenty Bronze Rank Knights, Captain Boris’s guards and Raymond himself.
Compared to the starving, defenseless settlement he had inherited, the current town could handle several predatory Magic Beasts wandering too close to the walls.
As long as they monitored the northern boundary, strengthened patrols and prevented civilians from wandering outside unnecessarily, there was no reason to assume.....
The horse beside Raymond suddenly jerked its head upward.
Its ears stood rigid.
One of the hunters immediately grabbed the reins as the animal began shifting nervously beneath him.
Before Raymond could ask what was wrong, a faint vibration traveled through the soles of his boots.
It was subtle enough that he almost dismissed it as his imagination, but several seconds later another vibration followed, stronger than the first, causing loose snow to slide from the surface of a nearby boulder.
The conversation died instantly. Boris turned toward the northern ridge, the hunters reached for their bows, and all six Knights moved closer to Raymond without receiving a single command.
The trembling continued, growing steadily heavier until Raymond could feel the frozen ground pulsing beneath his feet.
It wasn’t random enough to be an earthquake. There was a rhythm to it, hundreds of separate impacts overlapping into a deep, rolling vibration that seemed to travel through the entire valley.
Somewhere beyond the low ridge ahead came the distant cracking of branches, followed by the dull thunder of countless hooves striking frozen ground.
Raymond’s expression hardened immediately as he stepped backward toward his horse and placed one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Defensive formation. Boris, keep the hunters behind us until we know what we’re dealing with."