Project Second Shadow, the Forest Dweller Chapter X: The Northern Crossing From the first plank laid there across the breadth the group could tell this bridge had seen many years of travelers pass by, perhaps a few too many. The wood of the path was rotting, fractured, and chipping in many different places. There was a guard rail held up by thin curvy pillars on either side of the bridge, but many parts of it were broken off or missing completely. As the bridge extended further into the tall stone corridor, more and more supports branched out from its body into the rock walls on both of its flanks. Even these supports, however, offered little reassurance as many of them had chunks broken off or were completely split. This was the only way forward, the raised decaying walkway reached over the whole of the mountain passage, touching down on the grassy earth past another bend in the River on the other side. Still though, four pairs of shoes stood firmly planted inches from that first discolored plank, reluctant to venture further. “Well at least we know it’s reliable or it wouldn’t look so old.” Vanessa commented, trying to lighten the situation and encouraging herself at the same time. Vander and Conrad released a quick breath of a chuckle, grinning through their own fear; Dart merely stared ahead blankly. Then, without so much as a whisper, Conrad took a step forward, onto a creaking board of wood. “Hey, wait,” Vanessa called after her ally, reaching for him instinctively, but the enormous man was already out of reach, stepping further out onto the bridge one plank at a time. “I am the heaviest of us. If the bridge can sustain me, it will hold each of us.” Conrad explained briefly, turning his head over his shoulder to address his worried companions for but a moment before turning back forward. With each press of his foot the boards beneath Conrad gave a wail and his comrades winced, but the bridge seemed to hold him with relative ease. “Okay…” Dart was speaking to himself under his breath again, “If it can hold Conrad it can- But Dart’s monologue was cut short by a thunderous crack of timber. Stopping immediately and wheeling around, the large man on the bridge spread his legs apart and reached his arms out at his sides, trying to regain his balance as the wood shifted beneath him. Anticipation made the quiet heavy as Conrad sand the rest of the party stared at one another, only the sound of rushing water and splintering timber could be heard. Everyone was on edge, ready to launch into action but too apprehensive to actually do so; one faulty movement from Conrad or his comrades and the whole bridge could give. Lifting an extremely cautious foot gradually into the air, the large man dared to move a mere few inches, another crack rang out, and several of the boards beneath him shattered into shambles. His eyes widening, Vander, Vanessa, and Dart saw fear in Conrad’s eyes for the first time as his body dropped down into the gap forming beneath him and he reached out, grasping the air. There was no question in their action now, Vander and Vanessa flew forward driven by instinct rather than rational thought, rushing to their ally’s aid. “Conrad!” Vanessa shouted, reaching behind her and gripping the neck of her staff. Whipping her arm out in front of her, the young woman nimbly drew the pole from her back and thrust it forward, extending it down into the pit where her companion had plummeted. Immediately Vanessa felt a tug the other end of her staff and stumbled forward several feet as Conrad gripped the end of it, dangling over a furious current of water. Holding the pole out before her, the young woman thrust her feet into the wood, crouching low and pulling hard with both of her arms. But regardless of Vanessa’s gallant effort, Conrad greatly outweighed her, and so she slid forward a treacherous measure of inches at a time. While, under normal circumstances, he might have felt incredible uncomfortable, Vander was completely fueled by an overpowering spring of adrenaline and leapt forward, grasping Vanessa’s sides just above her waist. By the might of the young hunter’s arms, both of his companions were held still, but pulling them back up was proving a challenge. “Dart, help!” Vander shouted back over his shoulder, his voice harsh under the influence of the intense effort it took to hold up both Vanessa and Conrad. Dart was still for only another second, suddenly he was jarred into life from whatever it was keeping him so weighed down, and scrambled out onto the bridge. The cloaked man reached out to grab Vander’s sides as he had done to Vanessa, but three steps into his journey a sound disrupted his approach. A monstrous snap sounded out and echoed throughout the stone walls of the Crossing as a massive portion of the bridge gave way; support beams crumbled, plants splintered into pieces, and about half of the wooden walkway collapsed into the River. Vander, Vanessa, and Dart felt the platform vanish beneath their shoes, and each of them opened their mouths to scream, but the fall was too quick. The group descended through a space of about ten feet amidst a rain of rotten timber and plunged into the current of the Paratach.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:20:11 +0000
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