They left before dawn, as planned. The cold was biting, the snow thick, and the wind howled through the passes with a dull violence. Kael walked ahead, his collar raised. Kira followed, pack on his back, eyes fixed on the white ridges.
The mountain trail was narrow, barely visible beneath the snow. They advanced in silence, conserving their breath. Each step was an effort. Each gust, a battle.
After several hours, they reached a rocky overlook offering a view of the valley. Kael stopped to catch his breath.
"How long before the pass?" he asked.
"Another ten days, if the weather holds. Maybe twelve."
"Too long."
"It's the shortest route."
"I know."
Kira set down his pack and crouched.
"You really want to get there quickly."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because every passing day gives Drakk time to prepare something."
"You think he's setting a trap?"
"I think he's a strategist. And a strategist leaves nothing to chance."
"Then why go?"
"Because it's my kingdom. And I'm not going to hide in the mountains while someone else decides my future."
Kira didn't answer. He took a dry flatbread from his pack and split it. Kael took a piece without complaint.
"Tell me more about them," he said after a moment.
"The generals?"
"Yes. Not what they've become. What they were. Before."
"Before the fall?"
"Before the dream. Before the defeat. When I still sat on the throne."
Kira chewed his flatbread slowly.
"Valdrek was always the first to enter a room. He'd slam the door, curse, laugh. He called you 'my lord' with a voice that echoed all the way to the kitchens."
"He made me laugh."
"Sometimes. He also made you sigh. He had simple ideas. Strike. Charge. Win. He didn't understand why you wasted time on diplomacy."
"And me?"
"You let him talk. Then you gave him an order. He obeyed. Always."
Kael almost smiled.
"He was a good soldier."
"Yes. A good soldier. But not a good strategist."
"Drakk, on the other hand, was the opposite."
"Drakk never smiled. He entered silently. He waited. He listened. Then he spoke with surgical precision. Every word counted."
"He annoyed me."
"He complemented you."
"It's the same thing."
Kira smiled in turn.
"Serya fascinated you. She could turn an entire room into a forest or a battlefield. She sometimes did it just to lighten the mood."
"I remember a dinner where she made fireflies appear."
"Yes. The other generals were amazed. Drakk found it pointless. Valdrek wanted to crush them."
"And Malrik?"
"Malrik watched it all with a calm smile. He said you were well surrounded."
Kael looked down.
"He was right."
"Yes."
They set off again after a short break. The climb was steep, snow accumulating in the hollows. The wind whistled between the rocks.
Suddenly, Kira stopped dead.
"What?" Kael asked.
"Up there."
Kael followed his gaze. On a nearby ridge, a silhouette stood motionless, half-hidden by the mist. A wolf, but larger than normal, with grey-white fur and pale blue eyes.
"A peak wolf," Kira murmured. "It's watching us."
"Is it alone?"
"No. The others are behind. They're waiting for us to enter the pass."
"Will they attack?"
"If they're hungry, yes."
Kael didn't take his eyes off the wolf. The animal didn't move, as if sizing up the situation.
"Do we keep going?"
"No. We wait."
"For what?"
"For them to make the first move."
The seconds stretched. The wind whistled. The peak wolf tilted its head slightly.
Then it disappeared behind the ridge.
Kira let out a breath.
"They're pulling back. We're lucky."
"It's not luck. They sensed something."
"What?"
"Me."
Kira looked at him.
"Your mana."
"I didn't deploy it. But it's there. Even dormant, it permeates the air. The beasts perceive it."
"That's why they didn't come sooner."
"Yes."
"So we can cross without fear."
"As long as they're not too hungry."
They resumed the road. The snow fell again, fine and dense. The trail snaked between the walls, growing narrower.
At dusk, they found shelter under a rocky overhang. The rock formed a natural vault, protected from the wind. Kira lit a tiny fire with twigs found in a crevice.
Kael sat near the fire, arms resting on his knees. He stared at the flames.
"Did you often encounter beasts like those?" he asked.
"Yes. During my travels."
"Did you fight them?"
"Sometimes. Especially when crossing the northern passes. But I avoided combat whenever possible."
"You preferred to flee?"
"I preferred to survive."
Kael nodded.
"Survival is a form of victory."
"That's what I told myself. But it wasn't always true."
"No. Sometimes survival is just retreating."
"And you, you never retreated?"
"Once."
"When?"
"The day I was defeated."
Kira said nothing. The fire crackled.
"I shouldn't have fought that day," Kael continued. "I was tired. Weakened. But I didn't want to show it."
"You wanted to protect the king's image."
"I wanted to protect the kingdom. The image was just a tool."
"And the tool turned against you."
"Yes."
Kael tossed a twig into the fire.
"I forgot what it was like to doubt. The dream taught me that."
"The dream taught you to be human."
"Maybe."
"That's not a weakness."
"No. But it's a change."
They were silent for a long while. The night thickened around them. Stars pierced through the clouds.
"Tomorrow, we continue," said Kael.
"Yes."
"And if we run into bandits, you let them come to me."
"Why?"
"Because I need to test myself."
"You already tested yourself against me."
"You're an ally. You don't strike to kill."
"The bandits will."
"That's exactly what I need."
Kira sighed.
"You really are impossible."
"I'm a Demon King."
"You've already said that."
"Because it's true."
Kira shook his head, but a smile flickered across his lips.
"Then get some sleep. Tomorrow, we leave again."
"And you?"
"I'll keep watch."
"We'll take turns."
"Fine."
Kael lay down on the rocky ground, his back against the wall. The cold was harsh, but he barely felt it anymore.
He closed his eyes.
The faces of his generals danced in his memory. Valdrek. Serya. Drakk. Nyssa. Thorgar. Vex. Malrik.
Seven pillars.
Six fates broken or scattered.
A kingdom to reclaim.
The mountain fell silent around him.