Eliss then asked. "So, what's your plan?"
Amukelo glanced at her briefly. "We've got a couple of options," he began. "The first is doing exactly what the guard suggested: ranking you up. That means we'd need to take on more quests, and for that, we'd likely need to build a bigger group."
Eliss tilted her head, confused. "Why would we need more people? I mean, you're already quite strong."
Amukelo exhaled deeply, his gaze distant as memories stirred within him. "It's not the same," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "You're underestimating the strength of a group. It's not just about raw power—it's about teamwork. Covering weak spots, combining expertise, adapting to unpredictable situations. A group fills in the gaps that one person—or even two—just can't manage."
His words trailed off, and for a moment, a shadow of grief flickered across his face. He remembered the times he fought alongside Pao, Bao, Bral, and Idin, their synergy carrying them through challenges that would have been insurmountable alone. The pang of loss threatened to overwhelm him, but he pushed it down, masking his sadness with a neutral tone as he continued.
"Why do you think we won against that priest?" he asked. "It wasn't because of me. He was way stronger than I was—stronger than both of us, really. I barely managed to scratch him before he was about to kill me, and that's even after using a powerful tool. But together, we found a way."
Amukelo shook his head slightly, as if to dispel the thoughts. "That's why," he said, his tone steadier now. "If we go that route, it means we'd have to fully adopt an adventurer's lifestyle—taking on quests, finding people we trust to join us. It's a lot."
Eliss bit her lip, her mind racing. "And the other option?" she asked.
"The more dangerous option," Amukelo said, "is to try and find a narrower gap in the canyon. The canyon isn't as impossibly wide as I thought. If we can find a place where the gap is smaller, we might be able to cross it somehow. But," he added, "that's a serious risk. We don't know what's at the bottom of the canyon. It could be wild animals, unstable ground, or worse."
Amukelo turned to her. "So," he said, "do you want to stay back in Elandria, risk finding a narrow gap, or try the adventurer route? The choice is yours."
Eliss hesitated, looking down at the dirt path. "I…" she began uncertainly. She glanced at Amukelo, who was waiting for her response. "I can't really do that," she admitted finally. "Becoming an adventurer for life, I mean. I have family duties waiting for me someday, and I know I can't escape that forever. But…"
Her voice faltered, and she looked out at the distant horizon. "But I also want to explore the world."
Eliss let out a soft sigh eoth conflicted face. "I don't know what the right choice is," she said. But then, as if struck by inspiration, her expression brightened. "What if we try to find a narrow gap first? We can at least see if it's possible. And if it's not, we can figure things out from there."
Amukelo nodded. "Suprisingly that's… not a bad idea," he admitted.
Then Amukelo gave a short nod. "Alright," he said. "Let's do that. But don't get your hopes up—it might not be as simple as it sounds."
"I know," Eliss said. "But it's worth a try."
They decided to ride along the edge of the canyon. Amukelo kept his eyes on the horizon, his expression grim and distant. Eliss, on the other hand, seemed more focused on scanning the canyon's edge for potential crossing points.
As they continued, Amukelo's mind wandered. He remembered when he and his friends had similar option. They'd just earned their golden rank.
They'd been so confident, so sure of themselves. They chose a golden rank quest with the same approach: "If we don't find anything suitable, we can always not take the quest.". And in doing so, they walked directly into a trap that had shattered everything.
Amukelo clenched his fists tightly. He could still hear the screams, still see the blood pooling on the ground, and still feel the helplessness as his friends fell. His breath quickened, becoming shallow and uneven, and he shook his head as if trying to physically push the memories away.
"Amukelo," Eliss's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. "Look!"
She had already stopped and dismounted the horse, standing a few yards ahead of him. Amukelo then also climbed down the horse, walking over to where she was gesturing. Ahead of them was a narrow section of the canyon, where a natural stone outcrop extended far enough to make the gap appear much smaller. At its narrowest point, the gap was only about a yard wide—a significant improvement from the vast expanse they had seen earlier.
Eliss grinned as she turned to Amukelo. "This looks okay," she said. "With my magic, the horse should be able to jump over it easily. This is perfect!"
Amukelo didn't answer immediately. He stepped closer to the edge, peering down into the canyon. The shadows cast by the setting sun made it difficult to see the bottom, but the faint roar of the river below reminded him just how deep the fall would be. His chest tightened as the familiar panic began to creep in.
His breathing grew shallow as the memories surged again. He remembered the word's "This looks safe enough," Bao had said, examining the quest with Bral beside her. "Come on it will be fine."
Amukelo had trusted their judgment. He had agreed with them. And then, everything had gone wrong. He could still hear Pao's final words, feel the overwhelming guilt of being the only one left alive.
He took a step back, his face pale, and shook his head. "No," he said. "It doesn't look safe."
Eliss blinked, taken aback. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Nothing will happen. My horse is top quality."
Amukelo's hands trembled slightly, but he clenched them into fists to steady himself. "No," he said again. "We can't. We'll fall."
Eliss frowned, crossing her arms. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. "It's just a yard. My horse can jump way farther than that. Look, I'll—"
"WE'RE NOT TAKING THAT RISK!" Amukelo shouted. His eyes were wide, his expression filled with fear and anger.
Eliss froze, startled by the outburst. She opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes.
"Okay," she said softly, lowering her gaze.
Amukelo exhaled shakily, his shoulders slumping as some of the tension left him. Without another word, he turned away from the gap. Eliss followed silently, and they came on the horse again, and continued their search.
Despite their efforts, they didn't find another potential crossing point, and as it became dark, Amukelo finally stopped.
"We'll camp here for the night," he said, his voice flat and tired. "Can you sustain a fire through the night? It's going to get cold."
Eliss nodded. She cast a small fire in the center of their chosen campsite. Around the fire, she raised low stone walls to act as benches and windbreaks. As the fire grew steady, she began unpacking their supplies to prepare a simple meal.
Amukelo sat down heavily on one of the stone benches, staring into the fire. His thoughts were still with the past, the memories refusing to loosen their grip on him.