"Everything is fine. There is indeed a road that can pass through the dark forest and lead to the pass of the Crimson Principality. The distance is not far. The beginning of the rapids is about half a mile away from here, and the length is only more than a mile. After passing the rapids, it is not far away.
Farther away, the current begins to slow down, and now I'm afraid we must leave the river and head as far as possible to the portage trail."
This task was indeed very difficult, but it was finally completed.
Everyone first moved everything to the flat land on the shore, and then dragged the boat out of the water and brought it to the shore. The boat itself was much lighter than expected.
Even Ekaterina didn't know what kind of wood they were carved from in the Elf Kingdom, but they were tough and light, and a professional could easily carry them on the flat ground.
Of course, to cross the current rough terrain, they would have to be transported by two people.
The slope along the way is very steep, and there are many rock fragments blocking the way. There are many weeds and thorns on both sides forming dense shelters. There are steep valleys in the middle, and many potholes filled with smelly water.
At the end, everyone finally moved everything to the trail.
Then, except for some giant trees that fell on the road, the group did not encounter many obstacles.
There was still thick fog hanging between the nearby rock walls, and there was a lot of water vapor floating on the river.
Everyone could clearly hear the sound of the river water lapping against the rocks in the rapids, but they could not see anything in the water vapor. It took them two times to transport everything to an open space.
From there, the portage trail began to descend slowly, leading to an open space next to a small pond.
This pool seems to have been dug by the river due to the reaction force of the rapids in the Dark Jungle scouring the large rocks in the river.
From that point on, the trail encountered a tall rock wall and there was no way to continue walking.
It is already afternoon now, and dusk has begun to gradually cover the land.
Everyone sat by the water to rest, listening to the sound of waves cracking the banks like thousands of troops coming from the river.
Except for Eloise, they were all tired and sleepy, and their moods were as low as the sky.
Yekaterina said extremely tiredly: "Okay, we have arrived. It seems that we have to spend the night here. We need sleep. Even if you want to travel through the dark forest at night, we are already too tired.
, unlike you, a monster who doesn’t need to rest.”
Due to their status, everyone did not answer and just nodded continuously.
Elos said helplessly: "Let everyone rest as much as possible today. We must set off at dawn tomorrow. Unless the weather changes again, we should be able to avoid the enemies on the east bank and sneak into the river tonight. Tonight
I have two people keeping watch at the same time, changing shifts every three hours, while the other person continues to be on guard."
Apart from the predawn raindrops, nothing else happened that night.
As soon as it got light, everyone set off immediately.
The fog had begun to recede, and they sailed as close to the west coast as possible.
The terrain in front of us gradually changed, vague outlines began to rise in the fog, and a series of cliffs appeared.
After a while, the clouds became lower and lower, and finally it began to rain heavily. They pulled up the tarpaulin to prevent water from accumulating in the boat, and continued to drift downward.
In the heavy rain, which was like a gray curtain, almost nothing could be seen clearly.
However, the rain did not last long.
Slowly, the sky became brighter and brighter, and suddenly the clouds broke and the fog dispersed, and the raindrops also disappeared.
In front of everyone's eyes, a broad river appeared, with towering rock walls on both sides, with a few bare trees occasionally growing on them. The river then narrowed, and the water became much more rapid.
At this time, no matter what obstacles they encountered ahead, they could not turn or stop for a moment, they could only face them bravely.
They could only see a sliver of blue sky above their heads and the dark black river water around them. In front of them were tall crimson hills, blocking all the sky and unable to see any exits.
Yekaterina stared at the scene in front of her and saw two rock peaks approaching, like two isolated stone pillars.
They stood on both sides of the canyon with eager eyes, as if trying to stop any rash travelers who dared to break through.
A narrow opening appeared between the two, and the river pushed the boat forward quickly.
"These are Toril and his crown prince, the two legendary pillars of the emperor!" Iloth compared the elven map and said to Ekaterina: "We should pass through this canyon soon and reach the Keep the boats in a straight line and as far away from each other as possible! Stay in the middle of the river!”
As Elos and others got closer and closer, the two stone pillars gradually transformed into tall towers to welcome everyone.
Only then did everyone realize that these two stone pillars had indeed been carved by some kind of power in ancient times. Despite the baptism of the sun, moon, wind, frost, and years, they still maintained their general appearance.
On the huge pedestal under the deep water stood the statues of two emperors. They still looked at the north with their blurred eyes and firm eyebrows.
The left hand of each statue is making a warning gesture, and the right hand of the statue is holding an axe. On their heads are weather-beaten helmets and crowns that barely remain intact.
They still possess the authority and power of antiquity, watching over an empire long gone.
Catherine and others suddenly felt in awe and couldn't help but lower their heads, not daring to look directly into the eyes of these two statues.
Even Elos couldn't help but close his eyes when passing by the statue, and let the boat be pushed past the two emperor statues like fallen leaves.
Finally, the group finally managed to pass through the deep river safely.
On both sides of the river are steep cliffs that are difficult to reach, and the sky in the distance pales in comparison.
The black river water made a roaring sound, pushing the boat forward, and a strong wind swept through everyone.
Maid Jenny knelt down, and Brown and other druids from the War Eagle clan on the boat behind them couldn't help but murmur and wailed:
"This is so spectacular! It's so terrifying! As long as I have the chance to leave this boat, I will never dare to play in the water again, let alone in the river!"
"Don't be afraid!" A firm voice spread to everyone's ears.
I saw Iloth on the leading boat. He was confidently guiding the boat forward, his black hair flying in the wind, and his eyes shining with light - this was an expression of reverence and awe.
"Don't be afraid! These are the two greatest emperors of our human race, Toril and his son Ashize. I have long wanted to see the faces of these two great emperors. Their past existence was the result of human beings. The foundation for the survival of this continent!"
Then, the light in Elos's eyes disappeared: "Hey, it's a pity that there are no undefeated empires and immortal emperors."
The canyon is long and dark, filled with the sound of strong winds and rushing tides.
It turned towards the west, and everything suddenly became dark, but soon, everyone saw a ray of light coming in, and it continued to grow stronger.
Suddenly, the boat passed through the canyon of the dark forest and entered the bright sky.
The sun has passed the zenith and is shining on the gentle breeze.
The formerly raging river now flows into an oval-shaped lake, the pale Crystal Song Lake, which is surrounded by crimson hills.
There are many trees growing around the hill, but the top is bare and bathed in the sun.
There are three peaks rising in the extreme west. The middle peak is tilted forward and is some distance away from the other peaks. The river separates around this peak, and a loud rumbling sound is heard from a distant place, like thunder.
generally.
After comparing the map, Elos pointed to the tall mountain peaks in the west and said to everyone:
"This is the Crimson Mountains. We should be able to walk to the mountains before night falls. I can already hear the sound of the Honduras waterfall calling."
The group took a short rest and drifted westward along the current toward the center of the lake.
Everyone ate some food, quickly picked up the paddles, and continued to move towards the goal.
The hills in the west are gradually covered by shadows, the sun begins to set slowly, and the stars that are unwilling to be lonely jump out quietly.
The three peaks still stood proudly in the dusk, and the roar of the Honduras Falls did not stop. When everyone finally came to the bottom of the mountain, night had fallen.
Their tenth day of journey was over, and they had left the Jedi, Burning Steppes, and Mirkwood behind.
Now, they are about to enter the Crimson Mountains and enter the Crimson Principality.