ROLEPLAY

"For once, it's not because of my bullshit," Eeri gasped. "Were you able to save the cube?"
"ney" Azazor grumbled in a breath, slouching onto his back to catch his breath. "ramèch, let's hope there's no gallery leading to the plateau of the ridge."

Eeri stood up quickly and slowly started to pull up the rope.

"One more Tryker with us, and it would have broken, she laughed. We were lucky. But I don't think we'll be able to use it again."
"One less Fyrossa and I would have finished my trip here."
"Don't talk nonsense. We're just making a good team," replied Eeri. "When we're not smacking each other around,", she thought.

Eeri hurriedly climbed a small hill, and watched the surroundings, on the lookout.

"Don't delay, Aza. If the kitins have a way to get up here, they'll roll up any minute…"
"You're right. Let's not dawdle."

Azazor sit up quickly. They had to get away from the edge of the ridge and move carefully, on the lookout. The mountain probably had many tunnels, it could take only one access for a horde of kirostas to come after them.

"So that was it, Coriolis," announced Azazor, in a solemn manner.
"I guess so. I didn't really know what to expect…"
"There's nothing left but the little we could see."
"Otherwise, we'd have to find a way to get down further."
"Are you seriously thinking about it?"

Eeri stopped, and looked towards the horizon.

"geniyùch, talorùch, didraùch... dey, odraùch.*"
"Do you really think this is the time to declare poetry?" Azazor scoffed.
"Well… We've come this far, and even if it's not as glorious as we imagined, we should find the kind of quote that could remain in the legend, you understand…

Azazor shrugged his shoulders with an unconvinced look.

"The legend," Azazor laughed, resuming his walk. "What a beautiful legend you're."
"You're right, ney, that doesn't sound so good," she continued. "And there's nobody else but us, we'll be able to come up with something that's a little bit cooler later on."

Eeri followed Azazor's lead, sticking out her tongue toward him.

They found the perfect place to set up camp when it was already dark. It was a large piece of bark, luckily forming a small hut. Eeri took out what was left of the dried meat and put it between Azazor and herself. They had walked for hours. They had been right to stay on guard: a few kirostas did find their way to the plateau, and seemed to be patrolling the area in groups. The Fyros redoubled their caution. Two of them would not have been the match for several kirostas, but a group was easier to avoid than a few scattered, independent individuals. It took them several hours, however, to get around the area and far enough away.

Still panting, they pecked at the meat, piece by piece, chewing slowly. The less there is to eat, the more you have to make your body believe that you are eating. Eeri began to speak in in hushed tones, so as to stay on the lookout for the slightest noise in the surroundings.

"Any idea where we are, dey?"
"More or less east of Coriolis. We should have gone west, but those damn kirostas…"
"I think we did well to stay very far away. Some of the kirostas back home can spot us from a long way away… So here, who knows."
"I'm not saying we should have gone near them."

Eeri swallowed a bite and swallowed loudly.

"Anyway, the east is our road."
"What are you talking about?"

Eeri took another piece of meat and began to chew it. She went to spit out a piece of rind, but changed her mind and chewed harder. Food was scarce. Azazor continued.

"We go west, we find a way to get off that damn ridge into the desert of the Oflovak Road."
"dey. We continue east, towards Fyre."
"BUT YOU ARE COMPLETELY INSA…"
"But shhhh!! We said no noise!"

Azazor, resumed whispering in a strangled voice, his eyes exorbited:
"You're completely insane… It's at least three months away…"
"So, have you ever been that close to Fyre? Me dey."
"And then, we have nothing to eat!"
"We'll find some."
"Eeri… We found an amber cube that seems to speak about Coriolis! I can't risk losing it. And then, there is probably nothing left, like here."
"I am ready to run the risk. I will go alone, if you don't keep up with me."

Azazor answer nothing. He knew that if Eeri had an idea in mind, it would be difficult to convince her to change it.

"We'll talk about it when it's light," he grumbled.
"I'll keep watch for a few hours, get some sleep," Eeri replied.

Eeri, on the lookout for the slightest noise, got out of the bark nest in which the fyros was already snoring. In the darkness, his gaze wandered eastward, ever further from the New Lands. Fyre, the land of her ancestors, the city whose name made the dreams of Pyr's children vibrate, when she was a child. A city so big, so far away. Probably destroyed, in whole or in part, by now. She backed up against a small bush, balanced her pike on her lap and closed her eyes. It was decided, as soon as the light of day appeared, she would leave for Fyre. With or without Azazor.