A headcount was conducted before the crew proceeded into the mysterious landmark. Their population totaled only 33, a solemn contrast to the hundred-plus at the beginning of the journey.
While the population had dwindled drastically, the crew did not lose sight of their mission. Hope still blossomed amongst them in the fight against the dark side.
A tense hush settled over the crew, broken only by the soft rustle of cloth and the distant ominous sound emerging from the cavity of the bridge.
The morning sun was still fresh and bright.
At the moment, the crew could be seen strolling towards the bridge, only a few minutes away. They all had their makeshift nose masks wrapped around their nose and mouth, revealing only their determined eyes, which stared at the path ahead with varying glints.
At the front, the hero, the captain and the wizard strolled together, bravely. The king followed right behind them, escorted by the remainder of the crew.
Three minutes later, the crew were now standing in front of the feared Bridge of the South.
At their current proximity, they could see the everlasting crimson fog even clearer. It was much denser than it appeared from far away. Even seeing their next five steps was impossible.
GULP
The soldiers gulped nervously — There was no turning back now. In a few seconds, they would proceed into a place where their death is more likely to happen than them surviving. What would be their fate?
"May the ancestors of Muzez watch our path and protect us."
King Julian prayed loudly. The soldiers repeated his prayers three times in a thunderous chant.
Alister simply stood and stared ahead calmly, praying inwardly that they would survive.
"Proceed."
Theobald issued the final instruction. He took the first step onto the bridge alongside Alister and Osborne. The others followed.
CREAK!
A low wooden creak sounded as they stepped onto the bridge.
Alister felt a change the moment he took the first step into the crimson fog. He first noticed the unnatural warmth, it was as though a fireplace was burning at each corner of the bridge. There was also a subtle dampness.
As for the smell, it was as pure as natural oxygen when inhaled, although there were traces of an unfamiliar smell, but it was in little concentration, not strong enough to cause immediate hallucination upon inhaling.
As expected, once inside the crimson fog, the path ahead was partially blocked. If one looked up—just as they naturally would—they'd be blinded by the crimson fog.
However, if one looked down, they could see no more than five steps ahead.
The first step into the mysterious bridge was the beginning of a dangerous journey that everyone was willing to take for the greater cause. Even the least brave soldiers did not dare to step out of the bridge after taking the first step.
They simply proceeded forward cautiously but slowly until they were completely immersed in the everlasting crimson fog.
While immersed, even seeing their own teammates became almost impossible despite their close proximity. It was a scary situation—sometimes they even felt as though they were the only one in this scary place.
If they hadn't trained to maintain composure in such a situation, they would've freaked out.
The steady footsteps of the crew and the creaking sound of the wooden bridge structure, as well as the constant wind bellowing over the bridge, became the only sound in a long distance.
Members of the crew stepped on skeletal remains of past victims of the crimson fog. They found some with their skulls missing, others missed a limb or two and a few were without their lower torso.
It was a terrifying scene for the weak minded. Even Alister felt weirded out, staring at the corpses.
Just like that, one hour went by.
There had been no casualty so far—everyone proceeded forward with care and silence, walking closely beside each other and maintaining a straight path ahead.
Constantly, the captain and the wizard called on the king's name to confirm if he was still following them.
'If it continues like this, we'll cross the bridge before evening,' Alister noted.
According to prior calculations, it would take at least eight hours to cross the bridge if no dangers or abnormalities lay ahead. With one hour behind them, they had at least seven more to go, provided the bridge remained this peaceful.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans!
"Ahhhh"
The silence prevailing over the crew was shattered by the horrified screams of a nearby comrade. The sudden scream sent shivers through the bodies of the entire crew as they halted on their steps.
"Who was that?"
Beside Alister, the voice of the old wizard questioned loudly. It was a little muffled, though, as he had his nose mask wrapped around his nose and mouth.
Following his questions, there was no response.
'What the heck is happening right now?'
Alister wondered.
Cautious and alert, he opened his inventory and equipped his sword right away while his eyes scanned his surroundings vigilantly.
He also heard the noise of nearby soldiers unsheathing their swords.
"Everyone remain still! Stay close to the King!" Osborne announced in a worried tone.
Beside him, he heard the movement of the huge captain rushing boldly towards the direction of the scream.
Alister contemplated for a few seconds and decided to accompany the captain to see what was happening in the back and also to check if the king was alive. Part of his mission was protecting the king, thus he couldn't joke with his safety.
Due to the blinding crimson fog, the captain and the hero had to be very cautious with their movement. Despite being cautious, they still bumped into some of their comrades.
As both of them were cautiously moving in the direction of the first scream, another one sounded closely beside him, causing both of them to transfer their attention in the new direction.
This scream sounded too close—it should be at most seven steps away from their current location.
"I'll check out the cause of this one. You go check out the other one."
Alister whispered to the captain. It would be more effective if both of them focused on the two voices rather than placing all their attention on a single one.
Theobald nodded his head and proceeded towards the direction of the first scream while Alister easily found the source of the other one.
However, reaching his destination, he was greeted with a shocking scene. A deep frown appeared on his face.
"What the heck!"