Inktober 2024 - 6 - Trek

Even spread flat out on the map on the table, the journey seemed daunting. Judging by her smirk, Alabala was pleased with herself, but Preth could not stop anxiously tracing certain lines on the parchment.

"You want me to go through there?" he asked, pointing to the first step of the itinerary.

"It's the shortest way."

He looked up at her under his brow, sceptical.

"If I'm reading this correctly, that's lava. I'd be walking above the crater of an active volcano."

"It's perfectly safe."

"Really? What's that bridge even made out of?"

Straightening himself up, Preth crossed his arms. It would take a little more than her word to convince him.

"Wood and rope, as far as I know."

"Wood and rope. A rope bridge. Above lava."

The sarcasm in his voice was palpable but Alabala seemed unimpressed by it, her gaze unchanging. When he had first come to her, she had assumed he was brave. Had she been wrong?

"Going around would take half a day longer," she reasoned calmly.

"So you're telling me I COULD go around?"

"Theoretically, you could walk on the edge of the crater. The ground should be stable, and the path wide enough."

"Should. Very comforting. What next?"

"After getting down from there, you get into the jungle, here."

She tapped her index finger next to the second of the four pins in the map, in the middle of a forested area.

"There's no path," he observed.

"Of course not: every time one is traced, the vegetation overgrows it too fast to chart it. But it IS practicable."

"With a machete, I'm  guessing. What's the fauna like?"

"The usual bugs and beetles, some reptiles, and the occasional big cat."

"At least I'll already have my machete in hand if I come across one of those."

"All species within this area are protected; you cannot hurt them. Fire and insect repellent will work fine."

"Sure… How long am I expected to take to cross?"

"Less than a day."

"So I won't have to spend the night, at least."

"You will if you go around the crater instead of over it," she pointed out.

"Unless I leave later."

"It's your choice, after all."

He sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have come to her for help with this?

"And the last legs are a swamp and mountainous terrain."

"I could have planned the whole trip through the mountains, but I figured that would be too monotonous."

"And we wouldn't want that…"

"Also the season is not favorable, and since you do not have a partner for this trip, I could not guarantee that you would be able to get through certain stretches anyway."

"But walking over lava on a bridge made of flammable material is fine?"

She rolled her eyes, visibly tired with his objections.

"What is your obsession with this volcano?"

"You know, Alabala, you should really reconsider advertising yourself as a travel agent. You're supposed to make travelling less tedious, and maybe even somewhat enjoyable, not perilous."

"And maybe you should reconsider your insistence on walking everywhere, Preth."