They were finally in the Unexplored, specifically the southern part of Alve, a marshland with an abundance of vegetation and few animals. It was overall an unimpressive environment, the skies and the tops of tall trees covered by thick fog and clouds, the wet, dense muddy ground pulling them into the earth with every step, and modest plants with drab colors. There was nothing distinctive about it, except that feeling of anticipation that consumed Traxler.

Traxler was walking near the front with Boss and Nickwell. Boss was complaining about the restriction against vehicles in the Unexplored and making bold accusations about the border guards wanting to steal his prized vans, and Nickwell was humming quietly, occasionally shooting at the trees for no apparent reason.

Well, it was a big deal that they couldn’t bring the vans into the Unexplored. Traxler thought it was an unnecessary restriction, but if one wanted to go into the Unexplored, abiding the rules was a necessity. Maybe one day I’ll have the power to change it, he thought, then laughed at himself after considering the absurdity of changing the government’s minds.

“Hey, Traxler.” Traxler spun his head around, looking for the owner of the voice. He felt his boots sink into the thick mud as he stopped walking.

“What’s up, Chad?”

“Can I ask you something?” Chad glanced around nervously at the group of explorers and mercenaries. “Somewhere else, maybe?”

“Oh, uh, sure,” said Traxler. He and Chad stepped to the side of the roughly defined mud pathway until the group was out of earshot.

“So, you know the thing we’re supposed to do after we reach the checkpoint? About the um, you know.” Chad was playing with his hands, not making eye contact with Traxler.

Traxler, unaware of anything they were supposed to after reaching the checkpoint, was about to ask him what he was talking about then suddenly decided against it. Perhaps it was because of the strange tone in Chad’s voice. “Of course,” said Traxler nonchalantly. “What about it?”

Chad’s face turned red. “Well, I was wondering, uh what you thought of it, because it’s kind of, you know, extreme.” He stopped, looking at Traxler as if trying to judge his reaction. “Not that-- Not that um, I’m thinking of chickening out or anything,” he added quickly.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” said Traxler. “It doesn’t mean much to me, I’ve had a lot of experience. Just try not to think about it too much.”

Chad looked at him as if he had just admitted to killing an army with his bare hands. “Really? Wow. Okay, I’ll try not to.” Traxler detected newfound respect, and maybe even a tinge of fear in his voice. He and Chad ran back to the group.

What was he talking about? I need to find out somehow. It seemed like even the explorers weren’t normal. Asking Chad what he was talking about probably wouldn’t help, considering that he had only confided in him because he lied. His stomach grumbled. I’m hungry. He took out one of his energy bars and began munching on it.

“So, Boss,” Traxler said casually, “Have any idea when we’ll start doing something mildly exciting?”

Boss grunted, checking his map. “I was told there wouldn’t be anything dangerous until the first checkpoint.” That’s where the real Red Ravine starts. “Damn, it’s hard to believe that our environment will go from this wet and muddy mess to a dry canyon in just a few miles of land.”

“Yeah. Well, it’s not like the climate actually changes. The fog just makes it seem like it’s colder than it is. The reason it’s so wet here is that the water comes from under the ground, actually. Some underground dam stops it from seeping into the canyon.”

“Who told you that?”

“Well, Groont.”

“Groont?! Who exactly is that?”

“Well, he was one of the first explorers. One of the first official ones, at least. Most of the notes he took are still in Qrooq’s archives.”

“I see,” said Boss. He almost tripped over a rock but regained his balance just in time. “Damnit, I could really use my van right now. The suspension was made for this, you know!”

Traxler chuckled. Boss wasn’t as tough of a person as he seemed to act. I wonder how the cargo’s doing. He made his way to the back of the pack of solemn mercenaries. Four of them were carrying the wooden coffin together… one-handed? They’re either extremely strong or the cargo is very light. It was probably the latter. Could Boss be right about the coffin being empty? But he still didn’t see any way it could make sense. Traxler was starting to get the slightest doubts as to whether this mission would go as expected. Things were starting to seem a little weird. and not just because the people were weird… the surprisingly light cargo they weren’t supposed to know about, Chad’s strange behavior, and their destination. He couldn’t make sense out of any of it. Hopefully all these minor mysteries would sort themselves out.

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It was nearing night. Everyone was longing for dinner, which apparently the mercenaries would prepare. They seemed to have an endless amount of useful skills. They had begun setting up camp in a conveniently large clearing. Without light, the surroundings looked a lot more intimidating, though not necessarily malevolent; it was just the size of everything that overwhelmed him. The seemingly infinitely tall trees were like massive spears a deity had thrust into the earth, trapping the explorers in a labyrinth of bark. The night was a lot quieter in Alve than in other forests of the world. There was a bland variety of flora and a distinctive lack of fauna.

Traxler itched to see the huge red canyons and the bright sun once again. Though it was named the Red Ravine, there were actually multiple crisscrossing ravines that cut through the wider canyons, formed by the water that used to pass through the area. Now, though, it was a dry, red maze of impressive size.

“Hey, Traxler,” a voice called amid the mercenaries’ scurry to set up the tents. Traxler looked up. Though he couldn’t make out his face in the night, Chad’s strong and square features revealed his identity. What is he here to ask me now? Something else about a secret mission?

“What’s up?” Traxler said casually.

“I thought we should get to know each other better, considering we’ll be spending a long time together. So, how is life like where you live?” Chad’s voice showed no hint of the same tension and apprehension from the morning.

“Not good, not bad either. You know, I never actually go outside my house too often. I’m sort of a ghost to my neighbors. Everything I buy is delivered to me, and when I do go outside, it’s early in the morning and I’m going to the Daphinde headquarters.”

Chad nodded, rapt with attention, his handsome blond hair flopping comically. “I see”. Traxler got the feeling Chad was trying to earn his respect somehow. But he had no idea why. Though he wasn’t especially fond of profiling people, Chad struck him as a kind of playboy who would probably only want to spend his time around people considerably more attractive than Traxler, like Anda.

After a brief pause, Chad said “I think that is an admirable kind of life, for an explorer at least. Not living in the city, but out here instead. I’d like to be like you, but I tend to spend more time in bars than in obscure forests. Lesser men like me can’t be bothered with such discipline!” He pulled out a bottle of wine from his backpack, the smooth glass glinting seductively as a flashlight’s beam from one of the mercenaries passed over it.

“What do you say we have a drink, to the success and eventual breaking of monotony in our mission?”

“Oh, I don’t drink, sorry,” said Traxler. When he saw Chad’s face go red as if hurt and embarrassed at his rejection, he quickly added, “But thanks for offering, really.”

I should probably ask him what he was talking to me about this morning. He had played along with Chad in the morning as a sort of weird joke that he thought would eventually end in laughter, but now he was very curious about what Chad’s mysterious task.

“So, what’s that task you talked about this morning? The one we were supposed to complete near the first checkpoint.”

Chad suddenly stopped moving, the fingers of his left hand gone white and clasped around the bottle tightly. He looked at Traxler, his mouth slightly open as if in shock. Then he suddenly regained his composure, chuckling.

“Did you really think I’d fall for that?” he asked, smiling, and clapped Traxler on the back as he walked off to the tent that he shared with Merk.

Fall for what? He shook his head. He was just confusing him more.

Well, I guess I’d better go to sleep now. Get rested for tomorrow. We’ll be reaching the next checkpoint tomorrow, the area where the terrain finally breaks into dry canyons. He entered his tent, yawning.