Landslides were a constant danger in the Tail Mountains, as were avalanches when the snows grew deeper. More than a handful of the Kalak were injured or killed in such events every year, and that was with the precautions the clan took to avoid them.
This one, though, had occurred far from where the clan was currently camped. It was merely an inconvenience as it meant a detour to the clan's migration path. This pass, now blocked, had been their most direct route down onto the steppe. Finding a new route would take time, and the clan would not be able to arrive in time for the Naadam.
Ilirra, when she learned of this, was not having it.
So, here she was, returned to her home after so long away, heavy furs draped over a nearby rock as the work provided its own sort of heat. Sweat glistened on her bare arms as she heaved rocks bigger than her torso aside, a path through the rubble slowly but surely appearing. But it was a lot for one person alone.
After a particularly stubborn rock, Illira slumped against the side of the pass, taking a drink from her waterskin. She had been pushing herself all morning after an aetherial jaunt from the other side of the Three Great Continents, and it was starting to show as she slowed. Her bondmate would probably tell her to take a break, and she smiled at the thought, but she had a deadline. At least, that's what she told herself.
And so she pushed off the wall, wiping sweat from hers eyes, as she got back to work.
The smaller rocks were tedious but manageable. Because of this, she cleared much of the detritus by hand alone. But as the day wore on, she was left with larger and larger problems she could no longer ignore. She had hoped the large rocks would be easy enough to weave around, but several weaved across the pass with no room to maneuver. Ilirra stood, studying the boulders with hands on hips, unsure of the best plan of attack.
Tools would have been ideal, but she had jumped to action without preparation, so had only come with the clothes on her back and weapon on her hip. Fingers drummed against the hilt of her aetherblade, the other hand reaching out to knock on the stone in front of her. Had it been something more porous perhaps she could have simply smashed it, but it was solid, dense, heavy.
"Nothing for it, I suppose," Illira exhaled, taking her focus on hand as it ignited into a shimmering blade of aetherial energy.
The blade hummed through the air as Illira made several swift cuts, the blade leaving behind deep furrows in the stone. That accomplished, Illira stowed her weapon, placing clawed and calloused hands inside the openings, scratching their insides to widen them. Finally, she wedged her toes into two lower cracks, hands in higher ones, and strained against the bonds that kept the boulder together with her full body.
It started with creaking, crackling, rising into a crescendo of rumbling, chthonic thunder as the stone gave away, breaking into several smaller pieces.
Ilirra flopped to the ground panting, pointed bits of gravel digging into the bare skin of her back. The narrow slit of sky above, the brilliant blue of midday, stared down at her. It would be so easy to simply give in and enjoy the warmth of the sunbaked stones and the breeze.
The Au Ra sat up, eyes scanning the remains of the landslide. No time to rest, there was work to do.
jacobvanloon
snowghoul
kaledo-art
2087
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