Amanda stepped out of the portal, touching a hand to her stomach and holding back a surge of bile that rose up in her throat. She'd never used a portal before--it had been a strange experience. Not something she was looking forward to doing again. But it was over for now.
She looked around the blackened landscape. The heat in the air made sweat immediately break out on her brow. A sharp change from the unseasonable cold back in Torchline. And she was only going to get hotter as she climbed up closer to the lava pits, not to mention the possibility of overheating from exertion.
She took a drink from the waterskin tied to her belt. She had expected it to be hot, just not this hot. Maybe she should have brought a second waterskin. Shaking her head, she started moving forward. No sense in making this take any longer than it had to.
Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the rough map. Trading for the map had been dubious at best, but the contact who had brought it to her was usually pretty reliable. She'd have his ears for wall decorations if he'd conned her. But, she told herself, there was sure to be value to be found out here, one way or the other. Volcanic glass, like obsidian, or any number of other minerals could potentially be found. A pack full of loose volcanic rocks would yield her something at least, once she had the glass and stones polished for trade to a jeweler or craftsman. It wasn't the sort of thing that would make this trip truly worthwhile, however.
She studied the map as she headed up the sharp slope. It was hard to follow, but she was able to pick out some of the major landmarks: sheer cliffs rising to the west, a jutting rock shaped like a knife's blade to the east. Once she got her bearings, it wasn't too hard to navigate. The hard part was not losing her footing on the rubble-strewn ground.
Her contact had claimed that there was some kind of treasure to be found. He had claimed that it would be something that would make Amanda richer than she had ever dreamed. She'd told him that it would have to be something, because she dreamed big. He'd made assurances, though, and despite her doubts, she'd bought the map anyway.
After a couple of hours of hiking through the blasted lands, she leaned over, hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. The heat usually didn't bother her this much; the unusual cold back home had made her soft, apparently.
"I'm just going to kill him," she said aloud, looking over the map again. Her contact must have been ripping her off. "I'm going to kill him, and I'm going to sell his bones for bone meal. I even know a buyer who won't ask too many questions."
She looked around the blackened landscape. The heat in the air made sweat immediately break out on her brow. A sharp change from the unseasonable cold back in Torchline. And she was only going to get hotter as she climbed up closer to the lava pits, not to mention the possibility of overheating from exertion.
She took a drink from the waterskin tied to her belt. She had expected it to be hot, just not this hot. Maybe she should have brought a second waterskin. Shaking her head, she started moving forward. No sense in making this take any longer than it had to.
Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the rough map. Trading for the map had been dubious at best, but the contact who had brought it to her was usually pretty reliable. She'd have his ears for wall decorations if he'd conned her. But, she told herself, there was sure to be value to be found out here, one way or the other. Volcanic glass, like obsidian, or any number of other minerals could potentially be found. A pack full of loose volcanic rocks would yield her something at least, once she had the glass and stones polished for trade to a jeweler or craftsman. It wasn't the sort of thing that would make this trip truly worthwhile, however.
She studied the map as she headed up the sharp slope. It was hard to follow, but she was able to pick out some of the major landmarks: sheer cliffs rising to the west, a jutting rock shaped like a knife's blade to the east. Once she got her bearings, it wasn't too hard to navigate. The hard part was not losing her footing on the rubble-strewn ground.
Her contact had claimed that there was some kind of treasure to be found. He had claimed that it would be something that would make Amanda richer than she had ever dreamed. She'd told him that it would have to be something, because she dreamed big. He'd made assurances, though, and despite her doubts, she'd bought the map anyway.
After a couple of hours of hiking through the blasted lands, she leaned over, hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. The heat usually didn't bother her this much; the unusual cold back home had made her soft, apparently.
"I'm just going to kill him," she said aloud, looking over the map again. Her contact must have been ripping her off. "I'm going to kill him, and I'm going to sell his bones for bone meal. I even know a buyer who won't ask too many questions."
