Every four hours, we take a small break. We eat and I urge Moe to take a short nap. When the area looks to be a bit more tranquil, I also close my eyes for a brief moment to recharge.
Although the weather is rather fickle in this region, with a couple wind storms hindering our way, we manage to cross the canyon unscathed.
Soon, we reach the Oleyan River. The Gaigo mountains loom in the distance, their high peaks blurring into the clouds.
“Wow!” Both Moe and I whisper as we stare at the scenery in front of us.
“The books don’t do it justice,” Moe adds, turning in a slow circle as she takes everything in.
“We should cross the river and find a spot to camp for the night. We’re not too far off the edge of the forest.” I point into the distance where tall trees are gathered into the horizon.
“How long will it take us to reach the destination?”
“Not long. According to the map, some three hours from the edge to the heart of the forest. But that’s where the real danger begins. Once we reach Feiyin Grove”—I point to the area marked with red on the map—“we’re effectively entering the mythical beasts’ domain.”
“We’ll need to be fully rested,” Moe says, her voice full of determination.
My lips flatten into a thin line as I think of all the dangers ahead. Once again, my instinct is to ask Moe to wait for me at the edge of the forest, but I know she won’t accept that. If anything, she’ll just follow me anyway. At least while she’s with me I can keep her in my line of sight and ensure nothing happens to her—and ifanythingshould happen, then I can protect her with my body.
I give her a tight smile and turn to scan the riverbank. The current isn’t too strong, but the water runs deep enough at some portions of the river to make the crossing a risk.
We start walking along the riverbank, searching for a safer passage.
After a few minutes, I spot a stretch where the river narrows, its current broken by a scatter of stones jutting above the surface.
“There,” I say, angling toward it.
The rocks form a crude path across, uneven but manageable. I step onto the first one, testing it before shifting my weight. It holds.
“Careful,” I murmur, glancing back at Moe. She nods and raises her fist up—a gesture to signal she’s doing fine.
One by one, we cross, the rush of water loud beneath us, until we reach the other side.
On the other side, the air feels cooler, the ground softer beneath our feet. I move along the edge of the forest, searching for higher ground—somewhere sheltered, but not too enclosed. We don’t want to venture inside too much yet. Even though the most dangerous area lies deeper into the forest, I can’t ignore the fact that other animals might roam around here.
“There,” I say at last, pointing to a small rise tucked between a cluster of roots and low-hanging branches. “We’ll be less exposed, and we’ll hear anything approaching.”
Moe nods and helps me set up our tent and sleeping bags.
We push the tent right under the branches, carefully fitting some of them on top of the roof and over the main entrance to disguise it. Then, a small distance away from it, we gather some branches and start a fire to cook dinner.
The moons are already converging in the distance, the light dimming by the minute. Loud screeches echo from the forest, followed by a low chorus of guttural growls that seem to vibrate through the ground.
Across the sky, a large-bodied bird flies high over the tree crowns, letting out successive bouts of high-pitched shrieks.
“What was that?” Moe asks, startled.
“It must be a prey bird. We should hurry and put out the fire to not attract attention.”
Her attention is fixed above as she absentmindedly gathers all the food. I quickly put out the fire and disperse the smoke before I join her back at the tent.
We nestle inside, closing the entrance and adding a few more branches around for camouflage.
Moe seems a little distracted as she eats, flinching every time another loud noise rings out.
“We need to be more careful from now on. We were lucky we didn’t encounter any wild animals on the way, but it seems this forest is teeming with them.”
She nods and finishes her food. “You said you have some books on the mythical beasts you’re searching for?”
