The second hurdle

Now beyond the lava lakes. Gerand is unfamiliar with these lands, and so is everyone else. He leaves a trail behind that both Rey and Sharin can easily follow. With a long walk ahead of them, Carlos, curious about something, sparks a conversation with Gerand. 

"... so, Gerand, you seem pretty good with your hands." Gerand looks back at Carlos, confused. "Uh...yeah, I guess. Years of training and fighting will do that to you." 

Carlos: "Yeah...you know, when your daughter was helping me out the other day. She mentioned her talent making her more flexible, more agile, and so on."

Gerand says nothing back. "...I was wondering....If she was lying." Gerand slows down, then stops, and looks down to Carlos's floor. "...yes. She’s lying." 

Carlos: "...I had a feeling. Watching you work made me wonder." 

Gerand: "Do me a favor. Treat it as if she had a talent. She genuinely believes it and...I don’t have it in me to break her heart. She's gifted, but has no talent."

Carlos nods and pats Gerand on the shoulder. "I won't say anything, promise. But let’s be honest. One day you're going to have to tell her." 

Gerand: "...I know. As I've said before, I didn't believe we would come out of this crisis alive, but now....after all this, I'll break it to her." Carlos then pats Gerand on the back to reassure him.

"I promise we'll make it out alive! Now let’s keep going. We've got a damn good reason to fight and live!" They both nod simultaneously and with renewed vigor walk a little faster.

It’s midday now. They have been walking for hours. They don't feel any fatigue and keep their steady pace forward until Gerand suddenly tells Carlos to stop.

Carlos does as instructed and stops. Gerand then, still powered up with his talent, jumps up high into the air and lands on the top of a tree. With a better vantage point, he looks around and spots something almost as terrible as the lava lakes, a large, dense cloud of ether. He tries to find how far and wide it is. From his vantage point, he sees that it’s not possible to cross it, and going around it will take far too long. He jumps down and punches a tree. "Dammit!"

"What’s the problem this time?" Asked Carlos. "There's a thick etherium cloud. Those things are extremely poisonous to people. At best, you walk through it losing your talent; at worst, death." Carlos clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "I'll think of something, just give me a sec." Gerand nods, and Carlos leans against a tree and closes his eyes. He takes a quick catnap to go to John's office and see if he can give an answer. 

He arrives at his office, but everything is blurry. Sounds are very distant, and he sees double. Carlos spots John, and John notices Carlos. John understands Carlos can't be here for long, and seeing the world through Carlos's eyes, he sees his problem and already has a solution ready. He points to a crude image of runes in a circle and immediately understands what it’s supposed to do. How it'll play out, Carlos will just have to see for himself.

Carlos then wakes up slightly dazed. He takes a second to regain his posture. After taking a deep breath, he then gives Gerand an order. "I've got an idea. First, I need you to cut down a tree." Gerand nods and looks towards a tree. "Alright, get back." Carlos goes far away from Gerand, and Gerand cuts a tree down in one slash. The tree falls and hits the ground. Carlos then goes to the fallen tree and takes out his trusty stone chisel. He marks sections of the tree and asks Gerand to cut as close to the marked areas. Gerand nods and with great precision he cuts exactly where the tree was marked. The tree is now segmented into circular segments. Carlos then chisels at the wooden circle and makes the same image John showed him. He quickly finishes it and heads close to the ether cloud. Carlos then throws the wooden disk near the edge of the cloud. It then activates and sucks in the ether. It then makes a large beam shooting into the air. It goes farther and farther away and then stops. It’s so long that Rey and Sharin now on route, almost at the lava lake bridge. Can clearly see the beam of light.

Back to Gerand and Carlos. Carlos sees the cloud being sucked into the runed wood. Seeing it work, Carlos now wants to speed it up. He hands Gerand his second chisel, and Gerand gets to work alongside Carlos. It doesn't take them long, around less than an hour. Carlos then puts the wood on the opposite side of the original one to create a sort of pathway. He then holds one like a shield, clearing the ether cloud in front of him. Rinse and repeat, he eventually creates a safe pathway for Rey and Sharin when they get here.

Gerand and Carlos move forward, but Carlos is curious why John knew the answer so quickly. Not an issue now, he makes a mental note to ask John the next time they meet. From here on, the land is noticeably more dead and throughout small pockets of ether cloud that aren't in the way but need to be avoided, but that’s not all. With no forest blocking the view, both can see the challenge waiting ahead. Pests as far as the eye can see. From far away, the pest looks like the sea slowly moving forward. Though both Carlos and Gerand can see there destination where they plan on setting up their base of operations and where they plan on creating a wedge at the gap and then holding the line to give the military time to regain ground and get rid of the pest forces already through.

But all this is easier said than done.