Dait, on the other hand, mentioned that it would probably take us a little longer. Even though he is young, he seems to have a good sense of the endurance and capabilities of his species. He avoided going into detail about his personal life, but commented that when he traveled with his nomadic family, it used to take them at least two months and a few days to cover similar distances. There were many factors involved in this delay, and he didn't explain them all, but it was clear that he knew what he was talking about.
Starko'gus, on the other hand, pointed out that regardless of the time references we had, we were moving fast. Fast enough that our journey would only take a few days, which was impressive.
“If we cross the forest, we'll reach the great River Gronn.” he explained, gesturing with his small hands. “We'll follow the bank up to the highest point and from there we'll reach the mountain range. After a while, we'll have a clear view of the dwarf kingdom.”
The way he spoke made it sound simple. But I knew it wasn't. Still, having Starko'gus as a guide was a great advantage. Or, to be more precise, a small advantage - but an essential one.
As I listened to the conversation, my eyes wandered to the path ahead. The lake, for example, wasn't that far from the village. In just a few minutes, we could see the stream above the giant ants. It got me thinking... Maybe we could use it in the future. A point of reference, a resource, an alternative in case something went wrong.
The Langri forest was not an isolated territory. Apart from the Zanath empire, it was surrounded by other lands, but without direct borders with any kingdom. If we continued along this path, we would reach the mountain range.
We had three possible routes for this trip:
- Crossing the forest, as we were doing. It was the shortest option and, ironically, the safest.
- Going through the mountains, an alternative that was ruled out from the start. The region was dominated by hostile monsters, and no one in their right mind would choose that route.
- The sea route, which existed, but not for us. Infeasible in every possible way.
The choice was obvious. The forest, despite the risks, was still the best option. But I couldn't avoid that strange feeling in the back of my mind.
Honestly, I didn't feel prepared to deal with any more monsters. Interacting with the orcs and ants had been difficult enough. I didn't want to imagine what else we might encounter. What if something got out of hand? What if a confrontation was inevitable?
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It was better not to even think about it.
The sea route was never a viable option. As well as being completely unfeasible for us, it made even less sense with the route we were taking. How would we get a boat? How would we even reach the ocean if it was on the opposite side of our journey?
This was more of a trade route, and we had no commercial relationship with the Empire. Even if we tried to follow it, we would still need to head east, cross unknown territory and eventually reach the mountains. The difference was that, instead of climbing to the top, we would pass through a more desolate region. But the final destination wouldn't change.
The kingdom of the dwarves stretched as far as the River Gronn.
According to Starko'gus, the kingdom had been built inside a gigantic cave that had collapsed in the past. The stalactites that once adorned its ceiling collapsed, making the place completely hollow. However, the limestone walls, despite their apparent fragility, had considerable strength. The dwarves, always resourceful, saw this as an opportunity. They took advantage of these natural walls to build a civilization within them. At first, it was just a small settlement. But over time, it grew, expanded and became something great.
If we followed the river, everything would be fine.
I couldn't help but admire the speed of the ants. They were incredibly fast and, it seemed, not at all tired. Anthalia had mentioned that these giant insects could travel for days on end, as long as they were well fed. Now I saw that this was no exaggeration. In fact, it made sense that they had eaten a bit more at lunch - they were probably already preparing for the endurance required by the journey.
To be honest, this trip was reminding me of the feeling of being in a new car on an empty highway. It was as if we were driving at least 80 km above the speed limit, with no obstacles in the way. The journey was comfortable and, from the looks of it, Dait and Starko'gus didn't feel seasick, even with the absurd speed. I myself didn't seem to be affected, perhaps because of my healing abilities.
At this rate, we would arrive in a few days.
I wanted to solve the problems that awaited us, but there was no reason to rush. Sometimes the journey itself was as valuable as the destination. The journey had a certain serenity to it, an almost relaxing atmosphere.
“Anthalia, you don't have to try so hard.” I said, noticing that the ants were keeping up a constant, fast pace.
She smiled slightly, without showing any apparent effort.
“Don't worry about us. For us, this is a quiet trip.”
Even after my suggestion, she didn't slow down. It was impressive how the ants maintained their speed without any signs of wear. However, as comfortable as I was, I knew that sooner or later we would have to take a break.
***
We didn't have many resources to set up camp, so, as always, we improvised.
With my [Silk Yarn], I wove a simple structure, securing it between the trees to form a makeshift tent. The night wasn't cold, but it was always good to have a cover in case of unexpected rain - you can never be too careful.
Then we gathered some dry branches and built a fire. The ants, excited by the task, brought more wood than necessary, but I appreciated their effort. I asked Dait to use his magic to light a spark, since my [Black Flames] would probably reduce the sticks to ashes instantly.
As soon as he cast his magic, I realized that it was much stronger than the last time he used it. The benefits of evolution were beginning to show. He still didn't have much experience, but with the right training, he could learn to control this power more precisely. The problem was that I didn't consider myself the best person to teach him, since even I didn't fully understand the extent of my own powers.
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