Part 11

4.8K 165 2
                                    

Nesreen led Ace and others from the crew to a part of the  forest where there was a narrow path free of burning trees.  Two members of the crew stayed back as a result of being to large to traverse the small path without receiving dangerously severe burns; leaving Nesreen to lead Ace, Mihar who was tall but lanky enough to fit, and Cornelia another loyal member that joined from the Spade pirates.

     While walking along the path, weaving in and out to avoid being burned from overgrown branches at some points, Nesreen checked back on the pirates to see how they were keeping up.  She was surprised they could keep pace with her.

     "We have a short way to go before we reach a mountain we'll have to climb.  There is a path continuing there, but it's hardly ever used so it's probably in rougher shape than this one."

     Ace replied to the girl "That's fine.  We're used to that kind of thing".

Nodding Nesreen continued forward. Once the group arrived at the base of a mountain they were quick to get started going up. Nesreen was right when she said the path would be tougher to walk on; there was barely a path at all. What was left of the former path was about a foot of flat rock to walk on, but the good thing was that there was no longer fire all around them. There was a noticeable lack of everything except rock as the four reached higher elevations.

     Nesreen began to slow her pace until coming to a stop at a large flat opening.  The only thing standing out in the area was a thick line of boulders acting as a short wall.  "This is as far up as we can go.  You might be able to continue if what Yusra told me about you being a fire-man is true, but they" she gestured to Cornelia and Mihar "can't go farther since it's too hot. The same goes for me. After this point the heat is excruciating, and from what I've been told it gets to a point where people combust as they move through. No one in the village has ever made it farther than this so I can't tell you much more than to go up".

Ace was ready to move on while his two crew mates looked worried about their chances of suddenly combusting. "Nesreen, thanks for taking us this far. I'll go up on my own you two stay back guys. Go back to the ship if you want I'll come back with Sak if he's up there".

Flaming WingsWhere stories live. Discover now