Chapter 186: Karl
The cliffs that rose from the land were jagged and crumbling, their edges sharp and unforgiving with sharp, long, frozen ice, stronger than any human or werewolf bond.
On a road carved from the cliff, a large group of people pulling large carts moved slowly, their figures barely visible against the vast white wasteland. The carts, weighed down with supplies and gear, creaked with every lurching movement, their wheels grinding against the rough, frozen ground. The people themselves were bundled tightly, their faces obscured by scarves and hoods, leaving only their eyes visible, which glinted with a mix of exhaustion and determination.
At the front of the group, a tall figure walked with purposeful strides, his boots crunching on the snow with each step. His posture was rigid, as though the harshness of the landscape could not touch him, though his breath came in sharp, visible puffs. His fur-lined cloak fluttered behind him like the wings of a dark bird, an almost unnatural presence amid the desolation.
Behind him, several others kept their pace, some of them glancing around with unease, their eyes constantly scanning the distant mountains. An eerie silence had settled over the group, broken only by the howl of the wind and the occasional creak of the carts.
Yet there was an unspoken tension in the air, a sense of something lurking just beyond the horizon, a presence that made even the bravest shiver.
A distant rumble broke the stillness of the snow-filled horizon. It was the last cart. The horse, or the person pulling the horse seemed to have caused the unrest. The long line of merchants halted and looked back at the lone cart behind.
"What is it now, Karl?!"
A gruff voice tore through the wind, cracked with irritation and cold. The speaker, a burly man with a frost-rimmed beard, turned his head just enough to shout, his breath crystallizing in the air.
"Shut up! It’s the horse, damn it!" Yelled yelled, thick frustration lacing his voice. "Move, you idiot!" he barked at the horse, driving his heels into its sides.
But the horse snorted nervously, refusing to move. Its hooves stamped at the frozen earth as if something unseen pressed against it. The cart creaked again, but this time the sound wasn’t mechanical. It groaned.
No one moved at first.