Day 1
Surprisingly uneventful day. We have gained more ground than I thought we would, but then again a group of careless mercenaries does not help with speed or discretion. Today may have been easier than planned, but I don't fool myself; we will confront these lands' creatures soon enough. I just hope that the 30 individuals I have hired with my remaining resources are sufficient to get me to this supposed city, or what is left of it, and back home. Too many of my siblings are counting on this for me to fail. I will not fail.
Day 2
I was right about the forest's ruthlessness. We were attacked barely an hour after starting our trek, then twice again before the end of the day. The mercenaries are tired, with reason, and I am growing about hesitant about this endeavor. What if there isn't anything? What if this was for nothing and I am just a dangerous fool about to get myself killed in the middle of the jungle? Our journey starts again tomorrow, and I have no way of knowing what awaits us down this path. I hate this jungle.
Day 3
Another day of tiring walk and endless fights. Almost got torn to shreds thrice today, yet I still live. Surprising. If my calculation are right, and Stars above know they might not be, we are halfway through our travel, which is good news, as it is difficult to tell how long we can hold off these murderous attacks, and by "we" I mean my mercenaries. I keep thinking about what I may or may not find at the end of this road, what settlement awaits me with its doors wide open. The more time I spend in this uncharted territory, the more unlikely I find it that these people could have survived more than a week in the same place. How did they resist these battles? Hopefully, answers are nearby.
Day 4
Words fail me to describe what I have witnessed today, what aberrations I have had the misfortune to lay eyes on. I wish I had known what this forest concealed. We were attacked soon after midday. I barely remember anything as everything seemed to move so quickly. Small creatures flooded the clearing we were resting in. Blood, guts and brains turned the creek red, and I struggle to describe the scene without feeling myself retch again, so I won't. Let me just say that our resources are rapidly dwindling and that we are now down to half of our fighters. We better be close to this promised oasis, otherwise I fear we may never return.
Day 5
According to my map we should be close, and I have never hoped for a piece of paper to be this right in my entire life. Motivation is dwindling, and even I struggle to reconcile my desire and excitement to find this place with the strange feeling that it will become my resting place. I hope for a short and uneventful trek, even though I an aware that this is probably foolish of me.
Day 6
I have found it. My hands are begun to stabilize enough for me to write these words. I have found the city. It was bigger than I expected, hidden behind a wall of lush jungle. It is more beautiful and intricate than I could ever have imagined. Labyrinthine networks of buildings leading up to it: a layered pyramid, dozens of feet tall, towering over this wonder of the Old World. Here, the creatures seem to leave us alone, at least for now, and I am tempted to start exploring this settlement and its mysteries. The answers we've been looking for are here, hidden under rubble and remnants of ancient languages. Hollow Gardens, or at least I think that's what the city's name translates too, is everything I could have hoped for and beyond.
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