The Quest

“This isn't going to be easy,” Doc said, his torchlight striking the narrow ledge that arced the chasm in the middle of yet another cavern in this mountain.

“Every chamber you say that,” Delin said.

“Have I been wrong so far?” Doc demanded.

“Just run across, you'll be fine.”

“As advice goes that is only marginally better than don't look down,” Doc snapped, wishing again he'd picked heads so Delin would be going across first.

“Look down all you wish, it's a vast expanse of darkness, it's not like you can pick a landing spot.” Delin said, his grin widening.

Doc took a deep breath, mumbling he gripped the shaft of the torch in his mouth, hoping the flame wouldn't burn his hair. Banishing all remnants of dignity he retained he straddled the arch. He inched his way forward, knuckles white and thighs sore from the force of his grip. Logic told him if the arch collapsed grip would be the last of his worries, then again logic also told him he was a fool for starting out on this mission. Logic was hard to ignore at times, Doc thought, as he arrived safe, if not fully sound, on the far side of the chamber. Hopefully the last.

“Here I come, ready or not.” Delin bellowed, running full speed across, allowing the far wall to halt him. “That's what I call fun!”

The ledge began to crumble, then fall, drowning out Doc's reply. He settled for shoving David, bodily, through the door into the next chamber.

“We found it,” Delin said, looking at the book on the pedestal.

“Great,” Doc said, “one question, how do we get back?” He asked, the only visible exit being the one behind him.

“That's not going to be easy...” Delin admitted.

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