Enri and Markus broke camp early the following morning, packing everything into their rucksacks before the sun had fully risen over the horizon. As they worked, they spoke very little but stole intermittent glances at the massive mountain ahead of them. Without the usual quiet chatter, they normally enjoyed while striking camp, the work went surprisingly quickly, and in under ten minutes, they were ready to set off once more.

They reached the foot of the mountain in about another hour’s travel. They paused then, an unspoken agreement passing between them as they stared up the thin track, winding its way higher and higher until it finally disappeared behind a curve in the trees. As before, they were in silent awe of the sheer size, marveling at the ancient sense of the place, wondering how it was formed. The difficult and time-consuming task they had taken on seemed even more daunting now that they were actually here. The sheer weight of this thought seemed to keep them locked in place until, in another unspoken agreement, they both started forward down the path at the same time.

Near the bottom, as they were, the path was easily wide enough for them to walk comfortably side by side. All around them were dark trees, tall thick pines that looked as though they had stood for centuries. The dirt track of the path continued its winding pattern back and forth, slowly gaining altitude up the mountain, slowly making its way up the steep mountainside. It wasn’t much of a hard climb, but after the first half-hour, the constant uphill angle began to take its toll. They breathed heavier as they continued, forced to take breaks more often than if they were marching across flat land.

After two hours of hiking, the trees around them thinned considerably. Ahead of them, the path leveled out for another twenty feet or so, creating a small, flat space for them to rest at. Without the thick covering of pine needle laden branches to block the sky above, they were offered a rare view of the mountainside below, including the base of the mountain and the plains leading to it. From this height, it was even possible to discern Draco in the distance. He spotted what he thought was dragons flying above the city, though the distance reduced them to the size of gnats.

As they continued up the track, Enri and Markus kept their guards up, constantly on the lookout for threats. Samuel and Shigeru’s warnings stayed in the forefront of Enri’s mind as he scanned the trees. They had remarked that the mountain was home to ancient forces and beasts. Tread with caution, they had said. Well, thought Enri, that was only to be expected. The trees around them held a similar sense to that of the Dagorra forest, the home to the God of Nature and his most loyal followers. The Dagorra Forest, while normally a peaceful place, was home to its fair share of dangerous beasts and terrain. Enri saw no reason why this forest should be any different.

Enri’s expectation had been for the path to remain relatively shallow as it wound its way up the mountain but was surprised to find that nothing could be farther from the truth. Though there were plenty of points at which the path leveled out, allowing for a short rest, the majority of the dirt track led them through steep, treacherous uphill climbs. Some of these were so sheer that they were forced to use their hands to stay upright. Though Enri and Markus were in excellent physical condition from their training, even they were strained by the trek. The long and difficult climb, combined with the heavy weight of their packs, made for a very draining experience, and it wasn’t long before they were both breathing heavily, laboring as they continued on.

It wasn’t until the sun was nearly overhead that they encountered their first real challenge. The path had leveled out unexpectedly at the end of one of the steepest inclines so far, forming more of a sheer cliff than a steep footpath. Markus, in the lead, had clambered over the lip first and was standing guard above. As Enri pulled himself up after, puffing explosively with the effort, he heard his companion utter a low curse. Curious, Enri hurried up the last few feet, rolling onto the flat section. As the stretch of path came into proper view, and he saw exactly what had drawn the quiet expletive from Markus.

The flat path ended abruptly twenty feet away, marking the beginning of a ravine. While it was small as far as ravines went, it still measured nearly fifteen feet across, and it ran out of their sight to either end. This was the kind of spot where a narrow foot or rope bridge would stand, but the ground was bare. Walking to the very edge of the ravine and looking down, Enri was slightly concerned to see that the bottom was hidden from sight. He supposed that at mid-day when the sun was directly overhead, that might change. But as it was late morning, there was really no hope.

“Too far to jump, even if we weren’t laden down by the packs,” Enri said thoughtfully, his head once again turning to either side to survey the split in the earth.

Markus nodded in agreement. “Maybe there was a bridge before, but it’s gone now.”

Enri’s eyes scoured the ground along the stretch that he could see, and shook his head in slight frustration. If there had been a bridge before, he couldn’t see any sign that it’d been there.

“What if we cut down one of the trees and used it as a bridge?” The suggestion, which hadn’t occurred to Enri, came from Markus.

He sighed inwardly in relief. Thankfully, Markus’ simple and straightforward mindset had, as usual, had seen the most direct and obvious choice. He nodded. “Worth a shot.”

Markus set his heavy pack down, pulled a hatchet from it, and stretched. As Enri kept an eye on the path, he went to work, chopping into one of the trees closest to the ravine. He cut a sharp angle into the bark, working so that when the tree did fall, it would lean towards the ravine, and hopefully come to rest between the two sides. It took him longer than usual due to the width of the trees, but finally, with a seemingly ear-splitting series of cracks, the tree fell.

The massive pine slammed down almost perfectly, it’s great height allowing it to reach both sides of the ravine, with nearly eight feet extending over either edge. There was a great rustling and creaking sound as the tree settled, then finally lay still. Enri glanced at Markus out of the corner of his eye, mildly surprised that the plan had worked so well.

“That worked well,” Markus commented, obviously sharing Enri’s train of thought.

Enri snorted in faint amusement. “You’d think they’d build an actual bridge here.”

Markus appeared to consider that for several moments, then shrugged. “Not really. Not that many people come here, right?”

Enri had to admit that was true. They stood still for a few minutes, staring at the tree that now stretched across the wide ravine. After their silent consideration, Markus walked over to the fallen trunk and gave it an experimental shove with his foot. It didn’t budge an inch.

“Should be solid enough,” He muttered, almost to himself. “Don’t want it rolling suddenly when we’re halfway across.”

Enri snorted again, then picked Markus’ bag off the ground, handing it to him. Crossing the log would prove to be difficult, they both knew, but it was better than having no way across.

“You go first,” Enri said. When Markus looked at him in confusion and suspicion, he elaborated. “Normally, I’d go first, I know. But if you cross first, then you can tie a rope down on the other side. That way, if I fall while crossing with the pack, I’ll have a chance.”

Comprehension dawned in his large friend’s eyes as he saw the sense in the plan. Slowly, he placed one foot on the massive log, almost as if testing to make sure it didn’t move under his weight. But as before, the log stood solid and immobile. Taking a deep breath as if to steady himself, Markus climbed onto the trunk properly, staying in a low crouch to maintain his balance.

Enri watched, his nerves tensed, as Markus made his way slowly across the seemingly bottomless ravine. At the halfway point, he was forced to slow down considerably, in order to navigate through the thick branches of the tree. Enri began to breathe a little easier as the tree continued to hold steady, then suddenly, out of nowhere, he let out a cry of warning.

About three-quarters of the way across, the tree had started smoldering suddenly. At first, Enri thought that, for some unknown reason, Markus had started a fire on the log, but then he noticed that the flames that burst into life were bright blue in color, not the typical red-orange that Markus usually breathed.

“Hurry!” He shouted across the drop at Markus, the panic of the moment making his voice higher than intended. Markus needed no second bidding.

He began to shove his way through the tangle of branches, scattering needles far to the sides in his haste. Somehow, Enri didn’t think that his companion’s natural fire resistance would help him much against these flames. They had a fickle, even slightly arcane nature to them, and they began to consume the log with the power of a long-standing, roaring forest fire. Markus kept throwing slightly panicked glances at the fire rushing behind him, pushing through the last few feet of tangling branches, diving onto the far side of the ravine just in time.

The massive pine, thick from centuries of growth, shattered near the middle with the heat of the sudden blaze. Just as suddenly as the blue fire had appeared, the two burning halves of the ancient tree simply gave way, falling inward with another loud series of cracks. Enri watched in horror as the previously solid and sturdy bridge disappeared into the unseen depths of the ravine, where not even the slightest wisp of smoke escaped from.

From opposite ends of a now impassible barrier, Enri and Markus stared at each other. They looked down to where the tree had fallen, and to either side as if seeking some escape or alternate path. Enri began to feel overwhelmed, sure that there was no way he could pass without some kind of magical help.

“Hold on!” Markus shouted, the tension of the moment also making his voice come a bit higher.

Enri looked on in confusion as Markus dropped his pack, and fished a long coil of rope out. It looked to be about fifty feet long, a fresh bundle he’d most likely purchased in the weekly market.

“Are you mad?” Enri shouted back. “You saw what happened to that tree, and you barely made it in time! That rope will be gone in an instant!”

Markus shook his head, calling back. “I don’t plan on hanging it out across the ravine. Just trust me.”

Enri took a step back, preparing to immediately shout his dissent, but he held his tongue for the time being. He instead watched as Markus untangled the coil of rope. He became even more confused as he saw him tie one end of the rope to the hatchet he’d used on the tree, but he understood the plan very quickly as Markus drew his arm back.

“Catch it!” Markus called as he hurled the hatchet with all his strength. It hurtled across the ravine in seconds, and he quickly stepped on the end of the rope to stop it from flying away.

Enri had no intention of trying to catch the hatchet and made sure to stay clear of it as it landed on his side of the drop. He pounced on the rope in an instant, however, and looked across to see what Markus had in mind next. He saw that Markus was winding the rope once around the trunk of a thick tree near him, and then Enri finally fully understood the plan. They wouldn’t have to be faster than the fire, because Enri wouldn’t need the rope to hang over for more than a second or two.

As soon as he saw Markus come to a stop and plant his feet, he slipped off his own pack, stuffed the hatchet into it, and tied the rope quickly around its straps. Then he tossed it out into the ravine, watching as it fell out of sight, the rope pulling tight. Though he couldn’t hear it, Markus grunted slightly as he hauled it up and untied the rope, reattached it to the hatchet, and threw it back, once more trailing the rope across.

This time, Enri moved instantly. The second he caught onto the rope, he quickly wound it around his forearm several times, then, gripping the thick cord with both hands, he jumped off the edge. He plummeted into the massive split into the earth. The wind rushed in his ears as he swung towards the opposite cliff, hoping desperately that there were no jagged rocks for him to slam into.

As he swung, he tried his best to curl into a defensive ball, in order to protect himself from the shock of hitting the rock wall. He’d expected to swing in a shallow arc like a pendulum until he hit the opposite wall. What he felt instead, was a smooth gradual drop downward, instead of the sharp change of direction as the rope went taut. The rope was tight but yielding, and he felt himself slowing down even as he descended. Then he understood. Markus was allowing the rope to give as he swung down, giving him slack constantly to take the edge off his speed.

Later he would remember that it was one of the first tricks they’d learned in survival training while scaling cliffs and the like, but somehow he’d forgotten all about it. Thankfully, Markus had thought of it, or Enri would have most likely broken a bone or two as he slammed into the far side. Instead, feeling himself slowing down, he did his best to hit feet first, to absorb the remaining shock. He was somewhat successful. He didn’t come to a smooth stop, and he was sure that he bruised his shoulder as it collided with the hard rock face, but he knew it could have been much worse.

Markus began hauling him up slowly, grunting with the effort. Enri had managed to go almost thirty feet down into the ravine, and though he fended off the rock with his feet to help speed up the process, it still took almost two whole minutes. When Enri finally reached the surface, he didn’t bother to stand or sit up, but rolled several feet away from the sheer drop, just to be sure he was safe.

Markus dropped into a seating position beside him, both of them breathing heavily. Glancing down the path on this side, he noted that it appeared to be empty, and relaxed. They remained like that for several minutes, until they had both recovered enough, Markus from the effort, and Enri from the shock.

Finally, they gathered themselves enough to stand once more, and sling their packs over their shoulders once more. Glancing up at the rare sighting of the sky, Enri guessed that they had about four more hours of travel before it became truly dark. Were they traveling on flat land, he would have given them just over six hours, but that would not be the case here. The sun would set on the far side of the mountain, which meant that it would become dark for them much quicker. He’d noticed this phenomenon the previous night while eating in Draco, spotting how the mountain cast a looming shadow over the city, draping it in an early night as well.

They continued along the winding path for the rest of the time they had available, with no more detours, challenges, or threats that they could notice. In fact, remembering the warnings of Samuel and Shigeru, Enri was more than a little surprised that their trip had been so peaceful thus far. Though he reasoned silently to himself that the worst of the threats would most likely appear higher on the mountain when he and Markus were exhausted from the long, seemingly endless hike.

Markus was thinking along similar lines, though his unease wasn’t as great as Enri’s. He knew of course that there were many beings, beasts, and forces in the world stronger than him, but, as he saw it, there was no point in losing sleep worrying about it. He’d been trained in a hard school, and he was a capable fighter. Though he didn’t know it, his instructors had viewed him as an exceptionally gifted recruit. Even though his strategic skills weren’t as good as most of his peers. His combat and survivability grades had been best, save for Enri shading him slightly in sparring bouts.

They set up their night camp relatively quickly, too exhausted to talk. They chose not to build a fire, wishing to keep their presence hidden, and limited themselves to a few strips of smoked meat, with stale bread and some water that had spent too long in a leather pouch to wash it all down. As they ate this pitiful meal, Enri found himself idly dreaming of coffee, then, even more so, of the hot, delicious meals that Mandra would make him while growing up.

“What do you think this monk will have to say?” Markus asked Enri, as they lay underneath the canopy of dark pine trees.

Enri considered his response for a while before answering, trying to put the words in a way that was less jumbled. “I’m not sure. Shigeru said that he knows the true nature of magic, so maybe he’ll be able to tell me why I can’t use it.”

Markus did not reply at once, but lay still, wondering, not for the first time since meeting him, how Enri couldn’t use any magicks or powers. It was by no means a common occurrence. In fact, as far as he knew, it had never happened before. Magic, no matter how strong or weak, was a common feature throughout the world. Everyone could use it to some degree. Some used it to accomplish everyday tasks like cooking or cleaning, and some studied it endlessly, researching and creating rare and powerful spells. Even within the armies of Tyrman, there were militia mages, who used their great firepower to fight and support the other troops.

Markus himself had never had much interest or aptitude in magic, but even he commanded some basic control. Apart from the draconic blood that flowed through his veins, Markus knew a few spells to heal wounds and repair equipment. These weren’t very powerful, but they were still useful. Yet he knew that, no matter how much he tried, Enri could not pull off even the most elementary spells.

“Well, one thing is for certain,” Markus said after an especially long pause. “This monk must be really important if even Shigeru refers him.”

There was another pause before Enri replied, just as long. Markus actually thought that Enri had drifted off to sleep before his voice came quietly.

“Yes.” Enri sighed heavily. “And he must be very well connected.”

“Look on the bright side,” Markus told him, trying to add a positive edge to the moody recollection. “Shigeru must think you’re worth the effort, or he wouldn’t bother with you. He must think you have real potential.”

This had already occurred to Enri, of course. It was a thought that had run through his mind like a quiet stream, ignored and unacknowledged except for hours of quiet and his dreams. If there was anything he’d learned about mixing with gods, it was that the mortal’s life never remained the same, and they were robbed of the chance to live a normal, peaceful life.

“Yes,” Enri said again, with another heavy sigh. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”