A wild goose chase

[Archival]

The dwarf leaned closer to hear Mar’s answers, but her shrug indicated she knew nothing about Blaurg. Such delicate shoulders in soft soar and sink. A frail fragile flower. Every woman was, juxtaposed to the rough boulder that was Mr. Sardonyx. But the Healer knew nothing about his hometown! How insufferable. The city who suffered the most in the Arcantian War. The metropolis rebuilt from ground up with the architectural and engineering savvy of dwarven and other folk. The brash and brilliant Blaurg! Drum himself spent a few years in the underground crucible called The Unterholm. Oh, the horrific conditions! Suffocating heat, molten kilns, sooty air. How could Ms. Iria not know?

But he let the lady's ignorance go.

Why let Mar's insolence mar the serene state of flying free, unhindered, upon the back of the Great Dragon Eldra? With the healer's soft hair flapping against his bearded face? She now had the reins, saddling up front. An altogether better position than sitting behind the foul dwarf. That is, if she could tolerate having the brusque brute’s body against her back, his coarse hands holding on to her dainty hips. Oh how curative the proximity of a Healer's body was to the soul. Brrrr.

The trip from Blaurg to Coconino Marsh was the briefest so far, with the new location activating at altitude 19 KM. From ground's view, the sun had set, but from high up, it still dazzlingly glowed, casting magnificent albeit dying colours across the landscape. A vast desert wasteland vivified by dying solar rays.

Altitude: 19 KM
Coordinates: Coconino Marsh

But that was an hour ago. Dusk had fallen. Now the two dragons with three passengers hovered over The Wastelands. It was becoming rote, figuring out the height. This time, 8 KM altitude triggered the new hot spot: Shawnee Glacier.

Altitude: 8 KM
Coordinates: The Wastelands

[Malaysia NightReaver]

They continued to follow, her hair slowly drying by the brisk chill of the wind. It would have left her with a shiver but the consistency of it all really didn’t give her a whole lot of time to think about being cold. Her hands continuously gripped a hold of the dragon, a part of her now wishing she had some sort of saddle to make her ride so much easier. They soared effortlessly, Kaeda’s powerful wings drawing them ever so close to Eldra and the rest of the crew. So far, it may have appeared she was just along for the ride.

Kaeda had noticed the other dragon admiring his scales, and it was off for him as he had truly been a lonesome dove for quite some time. He took a moment, the return the thoughtful gaze. Her sun kissed hide was indeed quite brilliant in the shimmering sunlight, how they captured even the slightest ray and turned it to liquid gold. He didn’t think much more of it, she probably has a mate anyway, he thought.

[Redemption]

Mar never spoke much. Not that she needed to. Shrugging was the only answer she gave to the rather jovial dwarf for the time being, handling the reins with a delicacy that was fluid. Just from how he was shifting behind her she knew he was agitated at her insolence. Well, that was his own assumptions. She did now of much of the cities they had been chasing, it was just...she was a healer, not a tour-guide. So if he wished to eke out more verbal sparring from her, there would have to be more done than just shuffling about discontent behind her.

Even his rather brick-like hands upon her waist didn't deter her. Her focus had been on the air surrounding the dragon, keeping a thin mist about them in case she would need to snap it into some other form.

[Archival]

Nine hours after their journey's start at noon, Drum and Eldra now found themselves hovering over frozen Shawnee Glacier in the darkness of evening. With the map gauge indicating the new altitude must be lower than the previous 8 KM, Drum patted Dragon Eldra on the side to get her attention.

“How ye be feeling, Magnificent Eldra?” Drum began, aware that the dragon was doing most of the work. All the work, actually, so the commendation was much deserved. “Feel free to freefall, ya? Nuthin’ like dat tight feeling on da gut, ya? I know ye be tired, so lemme know if ye wanna divvy up da load. Miss Mar, maybe we can drop off onto da other dragon, whad’ya say?” the dwarf snorted, tapping his paunch. At 260 pounds, he was worth two dainty lassies.

Freefalling, they overshot the 1 KM altitude mark, but that’s alright, as long as it was passed through. It triggered the next destination, a land where magic fizzled: Dead Peaks. Great, so Mar’s magical shield of mist would dissipate, leaving them at the mercy of the cold elements? "Shiver me timbrrrre!" Drum held onto the Healer more tightly.

Altitude: 1 KM
Coordinates: Shawnee Glacier

[Modulation]

Truthfully, Eldra WAS beginning to get a little tired. Going into another freefall, she leveled out at 1 KM, a little past the mark. She had been concentrating on her flying for a while, and hadn't really been paying attention to the activity of the others on her back. But the other reason for her silence had been this feeling, nagging at her. "Win or die"...she had no idea what that could imply for her, at this rate. Was there a ward on the map which would explode if they didn't get there in time? Was there something they didn't know? It didn't matter, for the moment. "I'm fine. Just worry about staying warm for now." She was pretty warm, since her scales and skin insulated her pretty well against the elements. Then the nagging feeling came up again - different.

She was close enough to the ground to see the lightest fleck of snow. In her eyes, it was plain as day - a benefit to being a dragon was the keen sight. Calling it up, she blew out some warm steam for the others behind her while she scanned the snow. It was growing...the feeling that something was wrong. Eldra was dreading what it meant. And then...she saw it. A body, in the snow. It wasn't just anyone, though, and her heart stopped as she realized something. Her hunt had come to an end. "...Kaeda. Take these two and keep going. I'll catch up soon." And as the passengers switched onto the other dragon, she kept up a brave face.

Afterwards, though...she landed by her husband, not daring to change from dragon form lest she be unable to transform again. It was, indeed, him. And from the smell of it, he'd been poisoned with silver. The werewolf was dead, and left here in the frozen wasteland. If she were but a week earlier, he would still be alive. Her cry of anguish echoed for miles and miles, knowing that she had wasted two years. Two precious years to find him, only to discover that he was dead before she got the chance to see him one last time. This was the anguish of loving someone so short-lived...the ultimate folly of elves. For that matter, even half-elves, or half-dragons.

Nearby, a ghostly wolf watched in silence. And turned away, running through the cold tundra.

[Malaysia NightReaver]

Flying along, Raena did her best to cuddle up next to the body of Kaeda. His neck and head seemed to give her a small break from the consistent chilled wind as they continued to climb through the sky. She trusted that he knew where he was going, thus following the elegant golden dragon and her fellow shipmates.

Kaeda. Take these two, I’ll catch up..

He heard her voice, and immediately shifted towards her thus almost throwing Raena out of her very unstable positioning. She groaned with displeasure and looked up to see what was happening, only to see Drum and the others falling onto Kaeda’s back. She practically squealed as she forced her feet up under and shifted into a sitting position in order to make the proper room. Mar would land behind her, followed by Drum. Now, she was in front, being the main leader, and she struggled to find good positioning again.

“How do you guys do this?!” She screamed at them. She had never ridden a dragon before and for any of the books she had read, they had lied! It was nothing like riding a horse! Yet now that she had two others behind her, one that she put her trust in, her stomach didn’t sink as hard. She tried to remind herself to breath and not hyperventilate, this was all a lot to take in for a girl to take in.. having never seen any of this before.

“Trust.” She whispered to herself. “You have to have trust..” She wasn’t talking about Mar or Drum, she was talking about the beast that she was on. There was always an important bond needed between an animal and their rider in order for them to be successful.. and as always, she wanted to be a success to those around her. Slowly Raena closed her golden eyes for a second or two, and silently she continued to whisper. “You have to trust him.. he- he won’t drop you.”

Please don't drop me..

“Where to?” Kaeda asked.

[Archival]

“Wait, wha-what ye mean ye gonna stay behind? I not be abandoning ship! Ye be coming wid us! Der be no stopover, I told ye alreedy!”

Before Drum could utter another word, Eldra suddenly swerved out of her flight formation. The gold dragon arced for higher skies instead of for Dead Peaks. It seemed that dragons were as dense as their scales when it comes to hearing a loud dwarf’s pleas. Did Shawnee’s glacial landscape reveal something shocking after Eldra swept the snow off its surface with a searing breath? Drum would have loved to accompany his faithful dragon, but, what of the treasure map?!

The angered dwarf could only oblige. Time was indeed of the essence. He loosened the contraption holding the stone map against Eldra’s low neck and tucked it in his cowhide bag. At least Eldra understood there was a time constraint; why else the suggestion to mount the other dragon? The map’s golden sun had already dimmed about halfway. Were they running out of time? With time as enemy, the passenger transfer had to be quick. But how?

When Eldra flipped over, then Drum understood: the two dragons would perform an aerial dance, their trajectories intercepting when they would be facing each other back to back.

“Ye crazy. Ye all nuts!” Drum hung on to Eldra for dear life as he released his grip on Mar’s forearm, dropping her gently like a feather onto Kaeda’s back so that she would fall already in a sitting pose. As for Drum, awkward as any airborne landlubber, he landed on his head before adjusting to a saddled position.

Once secured, Sardonyx could only widen his eyes as Raena at the reins shouted for instructions. How to train your dragon? Huh? Just be one wid da wind, woman! No sooner than the thought projected out of Mr. Foul Wind's numb skull that Kaeda’s flight started to become more stable.

“Where to?” With eagerness, Drum fumbled for the stone map. “Uh, Dead Peaks! And I be suspectin’ dat, since der be only one landmark on da map north east of ‘ere, da next target would be Hell’s Gate or sumthin’. Can ye tell yer dragon to inform Eldra to rendezvous south of ‘ere, Raena? Dat elfin dragon better be showin' up, and not be abandonin’ us, ‘cause dat’d be just a drag!”

And so the motley trio aboard Kaeda Express flew over Dead Peaks, soaring higher to a chilling 18 KM altitude to trigger the next destination: High Desert. While listening to Kaeda’s powerful wings flap during the arduous ascent, Drum was struck with an afterthought. Two dragons in one day. What a good time to go on a wild goose chase! The greedy dwarf was oblivious to the fact that there were two delicious women on board and also to the fortunate circumstance that they would be crossing the High Desert at night. If it were day, the five-mile wide disc of reflected heat would be impossible to cross as it would vapourize anything and everything above it out of the northern sky.

Altitude: 18 KM
Coordinates: Dead Peaks

[Archival]

This wild goose chase was starting to get ridiculous. Ten hours since blast off, and where has it led them? Hovering over the most desolated places of Terrenus, from The Badlands, The Wastelands, the Dead Peaks, and now the mercurial High Desert. Its circular formation of hardened silica a solar-powered ray gun by day, and a peculiar unnatural-looking spectacle by night. The target altitude over the High Desert was mercifully lower than the previous 18 KM, but not by much: 16 KM. It meant that Kaeda didn’t need to further exhaust himself in clambering for higher skies. Even then, the ascent needed to be in an upward spiral formation and not straight up, in order to keep passengers from sliding off his draconian back. Upon floating down to the target height, a new objective appeared on the map: Langley Keep.

Before dissension and frustration could possibly set in amongst the crew, the hunt’s brain trust opted for the preventative route. He wasn’t even sure if they were getting excited at all, trying to figure out what the map meant, or if they were getting bored out of their skulls. One thing was certain: Drum's stomach was grumbling.

“Hey, hey! Did ye tell Eldra to pick up some munchies along da way? I know ye all be hungry, and, and, dis party may be ongoing past midnight and into da wee hours of da mornin’, so, if dat be messin’ wid yer bedtime, den speak up now!”

Drum had already decided to divvy up the load equally upon reuniting with Eldra. All 260 pounds of him would return to the gold dragon, while the 260 pounds or more combined between Mar and Raena would remain on the black dragon.

As they set the long course to Langley Keep, Drum’s emeralds narrowed to the western horizon for any sign of the elven dragoness; he felt more in harmony with her, out of the three women. Mar Iria was too quiet for his liking, like some scheming conniver too careful to say something incriminating, biding her time to steal whatever treasures waited for them in the end. And then there was Raena Kamikaze, who showed herself a formidable ally when thrown together into danger's claws. But wasn’t she supposed to be with the Gunner in some masquerade ball? What were her real intentions seeking him? Was it for gold, glory, or... good ale? Where was her dragon, anyway, during their battle with the bird freaks on Metzger Island?

Ah no matter. Kamikaze Blade and Sardonyx Rock still rocked those Rocs.

Altitude: 16 KM
Coordinates: High Desert

[Malaysia NightReaver]

She seemed to lean back a little bit into the bodies that now were behind her, as if trying to absorb some of their warmth. However, that was short lived as she heard Drum in the background. Squeezing her thighs onto the shoulders of Kaeda, like that she would her steed, she turned her ear towards him so that she could hear him more clearly. With a quick nod of understanding, she then took an even tighter grip on Kaeda as she slightly leaned forward. “Kaeda, tell Eldra to head south! We will meet her there!”

Her voice seemed lost with the wind, but the ebony dragon seemed to offer a small nod and before speaking to Eldra. “Head south, Eldra. The dwarf was saying something along the lines of Dead Peaks or Hell’s Gate. I hope you find your way safely.”

Raena’s fear seemed to be subsiding, but it was only momentary she was sure. Once again Kaeda had shifted, gliding onto a new rift in the air current. His massive body carried the trio smoothly through the cool air, and as the sun was setting and the night was beginning to fall, she took another glance to the ground that they had covered. It was quite amazing, actually. Who would of thought that she would come so far in the short amount of time she had been here?

The fact that a dragon had chose her to be its mistress, really was something else. If only the others were able to understand and share her enthusiasm. Where she came from, these animals and creatures.. mages, dwarves, pirates.. all of these were written in fairytales. It was all so surreal.. and if only she could have gotten into Drum’s head. Sure, he was a pirate and pirate’s also seem to think a way where other’s are always after something they had. If only she knew those questions were running through his head.

What would she say?

Clearly that she was not after anything, except for a place to belong. Why would she abandon that of Rodrigo? Honestly because the masque was a bore. There was no action, and the simple fact that she seemed to have an unmistakable connection with Drum(or at least in her mind she did, she could be mistaken).. lured her to this very spot. Perhaps he wouldn’t understand that, or perhaps he would? There was no telling.

Cocking her head to the side once more, a bright smile was brought to her soft crimson lips before nodding again. “And food, Kaeda. Tell her to bring food..”

Yet then she had an idea, yelling back at drum she made a suggestion. “What about Kaeda, he can hunt! Or I can hunt? I am quite handy with my bow, as you have already seen. Is there any game around here, or do we not have time?”

[Modulation]

Eldra had made double-speed to catch up, flying with renewed vigor after a short hunt. It didn't take her long - by far, she was the faster of the two dragons, and she followed the messages that she was sent. High above the desert, she flew up and up to meet them. In her front claws were two bull elk - large bucks, with deadly-looking antlers. One roar had scared them, quite literally, to death. A couple of doe had gotten involved, too, but those were taking up temporary residence in her stomach. Hopefully, the weight wouldn't be too much. Shouldn't be, rather - she would be taking Drum on her back, that was certain. Though the dwarf was abrasive to some...she felt she had a connection to him. A friendship. A partnership. Was this how dragons felt when they chose a rider? Perhaps she'd stick with this sky pirate for a while.

Swooping up, she called out. "Mr. Drum! Come on down. There's a package for you too, Kaeda. Watch the horns!" Tossing the elks into the air, one of them would land in Drum's place as he jumped down with the map. The other would land on her back along with Drum, due to how she had done a barrel roll in the air to toss them. And when he landed with the elk, she'd dip a bit with the new weight - really, however, she was strong in her dragon form. Perhaps more so, as a female, since they were always the agressive sex in the species. Eldra herself wasn't very agressive, but she certainly knew how to be a dragon. Especially when it came to utility tasks, like catching food or evenly roasting it. There was a reason why the elk seemed a bit blackened.

She wondered if they'd mind their elk done medium-well.

[Archival]

Do we have time? The words of Raena echoed in Drum’s eardrums, reverberating through the cavernous catacombs of his cranium. Time. The word had been ordinary, not as important as ‘ale’ or ‘treasure’ or ‘women’. But today, time weighed on Drum more heavily than any other, as if reminding him for the first time the fleeting nature of one’s existence. At thirty-two years of age, the prime of dwarven manhood, it was hardly a time to worry about time. Why fret now like the elderly or those at the twilight of their lives?

Twilight, the hour seemed like, but it was really closer to midnight. Being high up in the air had allowed them to peer over horizon’s fence and catch the retreating sun, stealing an hour or two of daylight, buying back precious time.

Time is money. Time is of the essence. Time is precious. People spend fortunes trying to buy back time. Was this the secret to the treasure map? It dared readers to pierce the sky, to win or die, but there was no mention of treasure. Was time itself the treasure, or at least, the realization that time was just as precious as any tangible wealth?

Drum’s emerald eyes stared into the distance, mesmerized by a beacon brighter than the metropolis glimmer of Hell’s Gate on the horizon. Past the great city was their next destination: the mysterious Langley Keep.

But the greater beacon was the sun symbol on the map he clutched to his chest. He didn’t need to glance at it to know that their guiding light was dimmer than before, indicating that time was running out.

Time to make the most of what was left.

“Methinks we be havin’ no time to dilly dally. Maybe Mar da Water Healer can just be grabbin’ us some cloud water to drink, aye? We can survive a day wid’out food, but water, now dat’s indispensable. If Eldra be not show—” Drum paused. What was he thinking! Of course Eldra would show up. She had to.

And when she did, Drum tucked the map into his pack, standing up from his saddle with a grin. Eldra did a barrel roll, displaying her aerial manoeuvrability, but Drum opted for a straight drop and not a drum roll, showcasing his lacklustre airborne skill. He trusted that Eldra would either slow down or speed up to catch him.

“Yo, dis be too much!” Drum yelled at Eldra after feasting on a whole leg and thigh, wiping slobber from his golden beard; the stocky dwarf was full already. But there was something eerie about having a three-legged and well-cooked elk as fellow passenger. He couldn’t shake the feeling, as if someone was looking over his shoulder. “I hate food going to waste, so... maybe we can donate dis to, eh, how ‘bout da slums? Wanna swoop down low enough so we drop it easy on a tree or sumthin’? But den again, dun wanna dip down too low in case da next altitude is way up der. Or maybe Mar can ease da drop somehow wid her water magic? If we drop it on a body of water or sumthin’.”

For a greedy pirate, Drum sure had a soft heart for... food going to waste.

Whatever the decision, they would pass Hell’s Gate and reach Langley Keep, where the map—now restored and harnessed upon Eldra’s lower neck—activated the next location at altitude 5 KM: Ponkapoag Lake.

Altitude: 5 KM
Coordinates: Langley Keep

[Malaysia NightReaver]

Just as they were talking about eating, Kaeda’s head perked up at the thought of hunting. It seemed to liven him up a bit, and he was almost ready to descend before Eldra popped into view. Clutching a pair of bull elk's, one within each claw, Raena had merely tapped the shoulder of Kaeda. "Look!" She pointed towards Eldra and was soon greeted by a mighty thump the bull had made, landing on the back of the ebony dragon. "Thanks!" She merely offered appreciation to Eldra, before making her way back to the smoked elk.

Taking a knife from her side, she started to cut into it. The charred flesh smelled extremely appetizing, and after cutting the hindquarters of the large beast, she dove in, but not before tossing the other to Kaeda. With a snap of his head he snatched it right up in his massive jaws, the sickening crunch of the bones seemed to echo through the nights sky, and it didn't take long for him to swallow it whole.

Not only beautiful, but diligent I see. Thank you for the food... Said Kaeda, his words calmly directed towards Eldra.

While filling her stomach, she took what Drum said into consideration. With Kaeda following Eldra’s lead, Raena flung large chunks of meat into the pits of Hells Gate. Whether or not those who inhabited there would be most gracious, she would never know. She ate quietly, savoring every bite. After passing Hells Gate, she quietly admired the neon beauty of Langley’s keep. There was so much to this world that she would have never imagined. The bright moonlit glow made her curious; perhaps she would visit there one day. Of course not now, time was far too pressing.

Soon after devouring what she could, offering the rest to Kaeda and disposing of the perishables, she crept back up to her sitting spot. After passing Hells Gate, the breeze seemed to shimmer down a bit, the cool air whisked through her hair as they were approaching the Lake. If only the daylight were shining upon it, she would have been taken back by its pure majesty and frozen slopes. However, as they fast approached it.. even the glowing moon and the nights sky, seemed to kiss its crystal surface just right.


OOC: Edited to add some things and re-correct my grammar! Wrote it this morning.. was a little incoherent XD lol

[Archival]

Concern and curiosity coloured Drum’s face. He wanted to ask Eldra why she stopped over the Shawnee Glacier, but thought the better of it. For someone abrasive and sarcastic, his mode of silence was unusual, uncharacteristic. Also, his mind was elsewhere: to the end of their journey, this wild goose chase. Something about the map gnawed at him: it was starting to take shape... The time being past midnight--when heavy eyelids ruled the day--factored into his silence as well, but inside Mr. Sardonyx was wide awake. He had to, for the sake of his fellow travellers who deserved a good night's sleep. Except for the dragons.

Fall asleep at the pilot wheel with wings of, not exactly steel, and they would plummet to certain demise. And with the Ponkapoag's fathomless depths, there was no telling how deep into the earth would their final watery resting place be. Fortunately, the required altitude over Ponkapoag Lake was 14 KM, high enough to give a comrade ample time to wake up the other in cases of sleep-induced emergencies.

"Sacre Blaurg," Drum cursed aloud, tugging at Eldra's reins, to slow down a bit. He glanced back to see if Raena and Mar on Kaeda were still on their tail, and if so, waited for them to catch up. "Eldra, da next destination, I be no likin' it. Da Black Range, it be where wyrms and wyverns and o'der dragons be rumoured hidin'. Blast! Ye be best not be communicatin' or somethin'. I notice ye be able to talk wid Kaeda across big distances, so dun be sayin' nuthin'. Lest o'der less friendlier fiery-breathers hear us and make late-night snack outta us."

Altitude: 14 KM
Coordinates: Ponkapoag Lake

[Malaysia NightReaver]

Her soft palms ran calmly across the rough scales of Kaeda, her sunkissed gaze peeking over his shoulder. She looked down upon at the lake, the beaming moon reflecting off of its glassy surface. Even in the darkness of the night she would be able to admire it as if it were mid day. Her eyes were specially formulated to dilate even in the dimmest of places, much like many of the nocturnal animals of the world. It made her an efficient hunter, and even more effective assassin.

After taking the time to appreciate the natural scenery, dropping her weight low she slowly crept back to her spot. She offered a light stroke to Kaeda’s neck, as if he were her steed. The massive creature seemed to groan in response, as if telling he wasn’t some pet that she could cuddle with. She grinned feverishly, the elk that she had consumed surely brought her spirits up. Taking a glance towards Eldra and Drum, the trio was actually keeping up pretty well. Despite the evanescent speed of the gold dragon, Kaeda’s massive wings devoured the air currents and kept them following relatively close.

Who would’ve thought? Raena giggled to herself. This life is so much better than any dream I could’ve conjured up..

Catching Drum’s words, she heard something about dragons, wyrms and wyrverns. Suddenly her youthful curiosity got the best of her, “Real wyrverns, no way! I used to read about them, in books! Beautiful creatures they are.. well, in my books at least.” She then leaned closer to Kaeda, “Should we be worried?”

Silence my dear, you heard the drawf.

He didn’t answer her question, but really he didn’t need to. Her golden hues became quite wide, she didn’t know whether or not to try and sink as low as she could or grasp hold of her weapons. She had severe doubt that here swords would do much damage, the best weapons they had were surely the creatures they were riding on. She had noticed the wind chill had gotten a little stronger as they were leaving the lake, the Black Range was coming upon them. From the long distance, she could see the fluffy snow that nestled against the mountain range. Little moonlight peeked through the heavy clouds, thus creating a beautiful silver lining at the peak of the mountains.

[Archival]

One could only talk about so many things and for so long. An hour-long ferry ride was bearable, a four-hour caravan journey, agitation-inciting, but a fourteen-hour long non-stop flight? Restlessness had settled in long ago, and now impatience. The venison meal helped a little, but the silence was getting to Corundum Sardonyx, leader of this mysterious, curious expedition.

The goggled dwarf with the golden hair and beard glanced back over a broad shoulder, squinted at the nocturnal blanket of darkness. He knew that Kaeda the black dragon was somewhere in there, camouflaged perfectly. Kaeda was silent, just as Eldra was, both dragons’ wings folded in silent soar over the Black Range—home to the dangerous wild wyrms and wyverns.

The map called for ascension, and at the current altitude of 14 KM, it was far enough to cause some noise without disturbing whatever creatures slumbered below. Thus, Eldra flapped her powerful wings once more in search of new heights; at 19 KM, the new destination was unlocked: Forbidding Hills.

Kaeda, however, needed not exert energy in ascending pursuit, for the all-important map was with Eldra.

— — – – - - *

Drum had already discovered that it was always best to remain at the current altitude, in case the new destination’s trigger elevation was higher; it wasalways easier going down than going up. But he was getting lonely, flustered, needing to talk someone. He thus ordered Eldra to meet Kaeda halfway at 17 KM altitude as they continued on their way to the Forbidding Hills, an eerie graveyard of some fifteen thousand soldiers from the days of yore.

“Raena,” the Dangles’ carpenter addressed his fellow mate. “I be havin’, uh,” Drum hesitated, not wanting to show weakness. “I actually dun know wat be waitin’ for us at da end of our journey.” He lifted the stone map to show Raena the glowing crimson lines—their trail. It was forming a shape.

“Nuthin’ expliceetly says nuthin’ ‘bout treasures, no? I be not likin’ it. Wat if... dis be a trap. Wat if somethin’ is waitin’ for us at da end? Da words inscribed be soundin’ like a challenge. Da map be genuine, ain’t it? I hope it be. ‘Cause, dayum! If it be not, I be smashin’ me some drago.. er, I mean, some ugly ogres faces! Garr! But seriously, wat if it be some crazy curse, or sumthin’ dat threaten not only us, but da world?”

Drum, a pirate, lowly in the Dangles’ hierarchy, was badly longing for his captain. He knew that Long John Silver would make the right call. Besides, the Bumbling Fool was better equipped to face.. the unknown.

Curses! Sardonyx thought to himself. Making decisions of dis magnitude be tuffer than I thought! Maybe I be letting me matey, Raena, decide. Der be no guarantee of treasure, anyway!

“Wat do ye think? Does da trail lead back to da X, to complete a.. shape? It be havin’ wings, no? Uh, do ye think we oughtta wait ‘til da Cap’n be around before continuin’?”

Drum secretly hoped Raena would say to put the quest on hold. It wasn’t exactly quitting! If the map’s glowing sun dimmed and the red glow fizzled out, they could always restart. Which wouldn’t be too bad, for they would be aboard the more luxurious Bumbling Fool—catching up on sleep. Among other things. He smiled at his fellow matey even more clandestinely.

What exactly awaited these bumbling fools at the end of the journey? A challenge? A treasure? A ship? An ancient evil? A curse upon the world? Maybe some things were indeed best left... undiscovered, unknown.

Altitude: 19 KM
Coordinates: Black Range

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