At the Northern Fort V5C1: A Scary Spirit
The season was autumn. In the region where I lived, even the flatlands had started to show signs of snow.
“It’s almost winter, Mother! Aren’t you looking forward to it!”
I rolled onto my back in the cave that served as our home, rocking myself left and right as I talked to Mother, who was in her vixen form sitting next to me.
Mother gazed at me as I rolled around and responded.
“Well, I suppose if you’re asking me, I am looking forward to it……but since I make it snow on Snowlea Mountain all year round, I do not think much changes from the arrival of winter.”
It was true that around the summit of Snowlea Mountain where our domicile was, there was always snow. However, my range of activity wasn’t limited to Snowlea Mountain. I go to the Northern Fort everyday, and sometimes I go to play at places like the lake where Father lives, so I do experience the heat of summer. And as expected, that makes me long for the season of snow.
Soon, winter will come, and when I think about how the flatlands would be blanketed in snow, it excites me.
“I hope lots of snow falls this year~ ah, but if too much falls, then all the humans will get sick of it.”
I thought of the knights at the fort and the people who lived in Colby Village that was located at the base of Snowlea Mountain.
“Then, just a little snow would be nice…….though I really do want lots to fall…hmm…….”
I groaned while rocking back and forth, causing Mother to say in an exasperated manner.
“There’s is no need to worry, I shall have mountains of snow fall this year.”
“But, it’ll be sad if everyone at the fort and Colby Village get sick of the snow.”
“To be concerned over such matters, you truly are peculiar.”
After saying that to me, Mother murmured, “Now then” as she stood up.
“It is about time to go on patrol. If you are free, then come with me, Milfiria.”
“Okay!”
Mother’s daily routine consisted of patrolling Snowlea Mountain and the mountain range connected to it. She made sure that humans did not selfishly lay waste to the mountain, and that the animals were getting along harmoniously, and that there weren’t any abnormalities occurring in the Snowlea Mountain range.
I followed after Mother as she exited the cave, panting as I dashed across the snow. In this area—the summit of Snowlea Mountain—there was snow falling again today.
“Where are you patrolling today?”
“Let’s see. Let us head into the depths.”
By the ‘depths’, she meant the opposite direction from the fort and Colby Village. I often went down towards the fort and Colby Village, but I haven’t gone to the opposite side all that much. I think that Mother is familiar with every inch of Snowlea Mountain, but there were still plenty of places that I hadn’t gone to yet.
And then, heading for the depths of Snowlea Mountain, Mother and I began to steadily descend the mountain.
“The slope will suddenly get much steeper from here on, so be careful. Once you trip and begin to roll, you will not be able to stop of your own—”
“Wa-, pu-!?”
Just as Mother was in the middle of warning me, I tripped over the snow and fell forward. Then, unable to stop my fall of my own accord, I began to roll down the snowy slope.
Today’s really a rolling day……-I did not have the composure to even say that as my eyes began to spin. On top of that, the freshly fallen snow began to accumulate on my fur, turning me into the heart of an increasingly growing snowball.
“M-MOTHERRRR!”
I screamed while going round and round inside the snowball.
Mother ran like the wind to pass me, apparently intending to use her body to bring me to a stop. After colliding into Mother, I stopped, and the snow encasing my body crumbled away.
“I-I thought I was going to die.”
Breathing heavily as I feebly crawled out of the crumbling snowball, I clung to Mother’s leg.
“That surprised me. So scary……”
Even though I only tripped a little, something like this happened. My tail bristled as I shrunk my body and trembled.
Seeing that, Mother licked my head gently and began to remove the remaining snow that clung to my fur as she spoke.
“The other side leading to the human’s settlements has a gentler slope, but this side is far more rugged. It will probably be best if Milfiria does not come down this route alone.”
“Yeah, I won’t.”
And then, I rode on Mother’s back, patrolling in safety.
“We’ve come pretty far down.”
As our patrols continued, Mother and I eventually arrived near the bottom of the mountain. The base of the mountain near the fort had an altar, while this side of the mountain simply had a coniferous forest decorating it.
“Now then. Shall we return?”
Just as Mother was about to begin climbing up the mountain again, I suddenly noticed something in my field of vision.
“What’s that?”
Deep within the conifer forest was a fallen tree that had been cleanly cut in two.
“How did it get like that?”
It didn’t look to be the doings of a human, and Mother also wouldn’t do something like that. It also didn’t seem like it collapsed due to the weight of the snow either.
“Hm? That’s……”
Mother walked towards it as she dug through her memories, and then seemed to recall something as she said,
“Ohh, that. That was done by Raizard.”
“Raizard?”
“All the trees in this area are like that.”
When I joined Mother in looking around, I found that other than this tree that had been split in half, there was one with a section of the trunk missing, and another that was completely bare of branches. There were tons of trees that had been destroyed.
However, judging from how there were vines climbing up some of the destroyed trees, and how newer, thin branches had started to grow from the broken ones, it appeared that quite some time had passed since these trees had been destroyed.
Mother quietly spoke.
“Raizard is a young lightning spirit.”
“A lightning spirit?”
My ears perked up at the introduction of a new spirit as I continued to sit on Mother’s back.
The only spirits remaining among those I hadn’t met yet were the Spirit of Lightning and the Spirit of Flowers.
Although strictly speaking, I still haven’t met Woodbaum’s father yet. Plus Hilg-papa and Daphine-san’s parents might still be alive too.
Speaking of which, could it be that Mother’s mother – or my grandmother – is still alive……?
However, it was then that Mother began to explain the past incident with the Lightning Spirit, so for the time being I focussed on her story.
“It happened about 30 years ago. Like today, I was patrolling this area. Raizard suddenly appeared here, and despite it being the first time we had ever met, he began to attack me.”
“Ehh!?”
My tail trembled in fear. Mother tilted her head a little and continued.
“……no, it was a bit different from an ‘attack’. Raizard did not want to defeat me, but instead wanted to flaunt his power to me. Several lightning bolts fell on this area, and upon seeing my astonished expression at the sudden happenings, he seemed to be satisfied and left.”
Perhaps none of the lightning spirit’s attacks hit Mother, as she did not seem to have been injured from the incident.
“So that’s what happened……”
What a violent spirit to have suddenly started throwing lightning bolts like that.
I pressed my ears down and said,
“That spirit sounds a bit scary.”
“The next time he comes, I shall turn the tables on him…….no, now that I think of it, I still have not returned his ‘favour’ from thirty years ago. Shall I go now to avenge this grudge?”
“No, don’t! Fighting is no good! To begin with, what ‘grudge’ is there? Didn’t you forget about Raizard until now, Mother!?”
You definitely didn’t care at all! -I said to stop her, at which Mother responded, “Well, that’s true” and laughed. Then, we returned to our cave like nothing had happened at all. Mother was usually rather quick to start fights, but it seemed that she didn’t see the still-young Raizard as an opponent.
Now that I think of it, when she fought Hyllis, who was around the same young age, Mother was oddly calm as well.
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