40 Vhalar 721
Then there was the guide that they had hired to take them through the jungle. His name was Gaul Jundland and his services came highly recommended. They'd negotiated a fair price based on the supplies and manpower Balthazar was bringing into the jungle, including his knowledge of the map and additional assistance for Gaul from his own recruiting. Jundland said he'd consider it a mild danger trip unless something went wrong, and Balthazar paid upfront with the agreement that he'd be willing to pay more if the trip turned south.
And there was Robin- a hero in his own right with more skills than most of those who he'd brought into the fold. Balthazar was glad he was making the journey with a friend. He wished he could have gone with Elisabeth but he did not want to subject her to the potential danger. It was the same reason he wouldn't have taken her into the Badlands. Haven needed at least one of them. He thought that one of them was her. "Take a break. Drink a little water. I'm going to coordinate with Jundland and then we will start heading west- if we are where we think we are." The plan was a lose one because of the sheer number of unknowns involved. There were tribes in the Scaloth who could probably have been relied on as guides but they would have to make it through the Scaloth to reach the tribes first. Hopefully Jundland could start cutting down the unknowns.
Perhaps Ralgar would be among them if they found a tribe? Perhaps they wouldn't find a tribe at all. Either way, Balthazar has seen a marking to indicate one of the tribes near the ruined temple that they were looking for. He was hoping that by being dropped in the middle of the jungle, the group would not have to go through as much of it to get where they were trying to go. He discovered when he reached the guide and saw the looks on his face that he had been wrong. "What's the situation?" Balthazar asked with a level expression. If they were worried, he couldn't let them think he was.
It's the Scaloth. Fuego's voice chimed in Balthazar's head as the invisible diri waddled beside him. Crow, the diri of death, flew overhead in a constant watch for danger. There was death everywhere it could sense but danger, danger was when something was coming towards the marked. Balthazar ignored Fuego and awaited a report. Robin looked at the three survivalists and then cleared his throat.
"If we want to be safe, it'll take at least two- maybe three trials moving northwest. Apparently we aren't where we wanted to be." Robin said with a gesture towards the forest. "There should have been water here. We were going to follow it towards the tribe. Now we can either follow the edge of the jungle north and hope it is the right way until we find it or we can go due north west directly into the jungle. Both options have risks we didn't want to take." Robin looked to Jundland for confirmation that he relaying of information was accurate, Balthazar looked too, and Jundland nodded.
"It not the end, but it isn't ideal." Gaul said, "We should follow the water, it'll be safer for the group than moving through the jungle at an unclear point."
"I understand." Balthazar said with a small sigh. "We will follow your lead." Robin nodded in agreement and the three survivalists behind them seemed to let out relieved breaths. "One question though, which way is north?"
~ Several Breaks Into The Hike ~
Gaul Jundland was slowly becoming a name that Balthazar would ensure he never forgot. The guide was invaluable in ways that he had not expected. There had been three different points in the trek along the river where some of the less fit in the group wanted to stop for a break and Gaul's knowledge of the jungle- or perhaps his ability to make up frightening stories, persuaded the group to keep moving. The walking was not as bad as Balthazar had expected it would be. Being Fire Forged kept the weather from bothering him, even if humidity was irritating. He could tell the others were having a little more trouble with it but not Robin and certainly not Gaul. One of the fighters seemed to be fairing better than the others as well- the one who'd introduced himself as Mallory. He seemed a good man. Balthazar walked a little bit behind Gaul who trekked ahead of the group with the sort of familiarity that Balthazar walked around Almund and Scalvoris Town with. Robin trailed a little bit behind Balthazar but tried to maintain a conversation for the majority of the time. Balthazar humored him for a while but they didn't really end up talking about anything significant. They talked about family but Balthazar did not have much to say. He told Robin about the farmers who had raised him as a servant and his first mentor who had been the most real father figure that he ever had. Robin told him about his family back in Rynmere. He had a sister who was working as a seamstress and a father who worked as a blacksmith, but his mother had fallen ill when they were young and remained bedridden. He admit that he stopped hearing from them shortly after he left Rynmere and seemed a little disheartened.
The conversation died slowly after that. Balthazar had a bad feeling about what had happened in Rynmere but he did not have the evidence he needed to suggest anything and while he was trekking through the Scaloth jungle with a party he promised to protect, it was not what he wanted to focus on. The sun was low in the sky and Balthazar was beginning to grow concerned that they would never find the bend in the water they were looking for. He picked up his pace a little to reach Gaul while the rest of the group continued to trail behind at various different distances. "How far off do you think we are?" He asked the guide.
"From what?" Gaul asked as he came to a slow stop and looked towards the trees.
"From the turn in the lake that I saw on the map?" Balthazar asked. Gaul looked up at the sky for a few trills and then turned to Balthazar.
"We will reach it mid-trial tomorrow. We will reach the end of it mid-trial the next trial and if the jungle is kind, we will reach your temple a trial or two after that. Roughly." Gaul said, "But for now we must stop and set up camp. It is not safe to travel at night, even near the water. Have your people start setting up. Keep as much off the ground as you can and don't put your tents on grass."
"Why not?" Balthazar asked.
"There are rumors that the grass in the jungle feed on flesh and blood. I haven't seen it here, but do you want to risk it?" No, no Balthazar did not want to risk it. He passed Gaul's instructions along to Robin and the rest of the group who began setting up their camp. It took about a break and by the time they were done the sun had set completely. Balthazar did not do much more than watch and provide light when the natural source dipped below the trees. He conjured a ball of orange fire using his connection to Faldrass rather than his spark and held it to provide light as it was needed. Hammocks were set up between the trees and most of the other good they had were suspended from branches to follow the advice their guide had given them.
When most of the group settled into their hammocks, having not found a safe place to set the tents, Balthazar pulled out his small wooden mouse Ivlos and wound it's tail. He set it down on a rock that he pulled from the earth and it began to play a slow, sweet song that would deepen the sleep and comfort of the others. In only five breaks, they would all wake as rested as if they'd slept the whole night. They wouldn't be able to travel is Gaul decided they should not, but they'd be able to eat their morning meal and prepare for the hike ahead that trial.
Balthazar took the first watch with the fighter known as Mallory. Balthazar's mutations allowed him to see into the forest as clearly at night as Mallory saw in the light of the sun which became quickly apparent to the other fighter. The jungle was unsettling at night- even to Balthazar. He could hear the sound of creatures moving through the brush and greenery far away and nearby but he saw nothing. He felt almost like he was being watched, but nothing came during his watch and when it ended, he switched off with Robin.
They had a long journey ahead of them and this was only the beginning.
