~Chapter 5~
Ruben and Jirro waited quietly for a few minutes before Temp re-emerged from the small pond of lava. He rushed over to the two of them.
"Okay, so the wall on that side looks weak enough to destroy," Temp pointed to the wall to the left of them, near the pool of lava, "If you were to break that down, we'd be able to get back on the path we were on before and leave these caves. Think you can do it?"
Jirro looked at the wall, from this side it looked sturdy, "I can try."
Temp shook his head, "Alright, well don't hold back. As soon as you try, I'm pretty sure that Fire Ant will be after us. We'll have to run as soon as you break through."
Jirro stepped forward, eyes fixed on the massive fire ant, fortunately it couldn't see him yet. He took a deep breath, flexed his arm, and his fist was enveloped in a radiant blue light. He slammed his arms against the rocky wall, and cracks ran across its surface. Jirro struck it once more and the wall began to fall away. The blue light faded from Jirro's hand, and he was breathless.
Jirro looked back and saw the Fire ant charging towards them. The three jumped through the broken down wall of the cavern and ran as fast as they could, the fire ant rampaging close behind them.
The fire ant was surprisingly nimble and kept up with them. Jirro spotted a point where a stalagmite and stalactite met into a rock column, which appeared to be supporting part of the cavern. Jirro kicked clean through the column as they passed it, and he could hear the ground above shift as a result. Lava and rock spilled from above, forming an obstacle between them and their pursuer.
Jirro, Temp, and Ruben sprinted out of the cave as if their lives depended on it. Jirro and Temp were breathless. If Ruben had lungs to speak of, it would be breathless as well. They looked back and saw no sign of the fire ant. They had lost it.
"You guys okay?" Aero's voice came from nearby, sitting on the ground near the exit of the caverns.
"Now... We are." Jirro said, slowly catching his breath. "No sign of your gem though."
Aero smiled and pulled out a shining red object from his pocket, "I got it!"
The rest smiled as they saw the object they had risked their lives for, "You better pay me as soon as we get back kid," Temp remarked.
True to his word, Aero forked over a substantial amount of the money he earned in the tournament to Temp once they reached the wellspring's inn. With the gem in their possession, the kids had a single thing in mind. Home.
It had been months since the children had seen their families around the Platt Mountains. In their travels they had put a remarkable amount of distance between home. It wouldn't be a quick journey back. Temp saw an opportunity.
Temp laid out a map on a metal table, "Okay we're here, in the Weld Mountains." Temp pointed to the southeastern part of the map, "And Platt Mountain is waaaaay over here." Temp drew his finger across the map to the northwest.
"We're aware." Jirro replied.
"Now you could travel through the plains like you have been. For normal travelers it'd probably take a few months to get there. But knowing you kids, you could probably make it in a month. Or..."
Temp traced his finger along to map to the desert to the west of Weld Mountain, "Under my supervision, you could take a sand ship through the desert and make it home in a week or so."
Jirro's eyes lit up, "You know how to pilot a sand ship?"
Temp smirked, "Of course! I would just need some help in the acquisition of one..."
"You want more money, don't you?" Jirro asked with narrowed eyes.
"If you want to get through the desert in good time, you'll want a Mecarne with experience in the region. One like me."
The kids huddled together so Temp couldn't hear them. It was obvious this was just another scheme to get money, but what he was offering was promising. Nout was anxious to see his father. Ruben was excited to share stories of all the adventures it went on to it's people. Jirro, Aero, and Corri had questions for their fathers when they returned. None of them wanted to wait that long. Aero and Jirro still had a decent amount of their prize money from the tournament to use as well.
Temp negotiated with the kids for a while on a price until they came to something they could agree on. The payment was contingent on whether they passed through the desert in good time. If it took longer, the payment would be reduced or outright retracted.
Temp smiled and agreed, seeming confident. Jirro and Aero agreed to split the payment between the two of them. After spending the night in the wellspring of the Weld Mountains, Temp guided them out of the region to the west, towards the great desert.
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