The road out of Olorun was a ribbon of dirt winding through fields of tall grass that swayed gently in the breeze. Zara walked beside the mercenaries, her satchel slung over one shoulder and her quill tucked safely inside. The weight of her decision pressed heavily on her chest, but she kept her gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look back at the city she might never see again.
Scarface whose real name, she learned, was Ade led the way, his steps confident and unhurried. He carried a curved blade at his side and seemed perpetually alert, scanning the horizon for threats. Behind him trudged the taller man, Emeka, who had introduced himself only briefly before falling silent. Unlike Ade, Emeka moved with a quiet grace, his gray eyes constantly darting toward Zara as though gauging her every move.
Zara tried to ignore their scrutiny, focusing instead on the task ahead. She'd been given a blank parchment and instructed to begin mapping their route. At first, it felt like any other map she'd drawn a simple outline of landmarks, rivers, and paths. But as they ventured farther from the city, the visions crept back in.
It started subtly: a faint shimmer along the edge of the parchment, like heat rising off sunbaked earth. Then came the whispers soft, indistinct murmurs that seemed to emanate from the ink itself. Zara clenched her jaw, forcing herself to keep drawing despite the growing pressure in her temples. She knew better than to stop now; Ade and Emeka wouldn't tolerate delays.
By midday, the group stopped to rest beneath the shade of a sprawling baobab tree. While Ade busied himself inspecting their supplies, Emeka approached Zara, crouching beside her as she worked.
"You're struggling," he observed, his tone neutral.
She didn't respond immediately, too focused on sketching a jagged ridge in the distance. When the lines shifted slightly under her hand, revealing a narrow pass hidden behind the rocks, she exhaled sharply. "Your powers are unpredictable," Emeka continued. "But they're also precise. How do you control them?"
"I don't," Zara admitted, setting the quill aside. Her fingers trembled as she massaged her temples. "They control me."
Emeka studied her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "There must be a trigger. Something that awakens the visions."
"It's not that simple." She hesitated, debating whether to share more. These men were dangerous, after all but part of her wanted to believe they might understand. "When I draw, it's like… opening a door. Sometimes I see glimpses of places I've never been. Other times, the maps change on their own. It's as if they're alive."
A flicker of interest crossed Emeka's face, but before he could respond, Ade called out from across the clearing. "Enough chit-chat. We need to keep moving."
Reluctantly, Zara gathered her things and rejoined the group. As they resumed their trek, the landscape grew increasingly desolate. The rolling hills gave way to barren plains dotted with twisted trees whose gnarled branches clawed at the sky. The air grew colder, carrying with it an eerie stillness that made Zara's skin crawl.
That night, they camped near a dried-up riverbed. Ade built a small fire while Emeka took watch, leaving Zara alone with her thoughts and her map. Sitting cross-legged on her bedroll, she stared at the parchment, tracing the trail they'd followed so far. It ended abruptly at the edge of the page, dissolving into a swirl of ink that pulsed faintly in the firelight.
"What are you hiding?" she whispered, picking up the quill once more.
As soon as the tip touched the paper, the vision hit her a torrent of images flooding her mind. She saw towering cliffs shrouded in mist, a labyrinthine cave system carved into the rock, and a golden artifact gleaming in the darkness. And then, just as suddenly, the vision shifted, showing her something else entirely: a shadowy figure standing at the mouth of the cave, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Zara gasped, jerking awake as the vision faded. Her heart raced, and her hands shook uncontrollably. Across the fire, Ade glanced up, his expression unreadable. "Another episode?"
She nodded mutely, clutching the map to her chest. "We're close," she managed to say. "But there's something guarding the entrance. Something unnatural."
Ade exchanged a glance with Emeka, who stood and joined them by the fire. "Tell us everything you saw."
Zara recounted the vision as best she could, describing the cliffs, the caves, and the ominous figure. When she finished, Emeka frowned. "Sounds like a guardian spirit. Ancient magic designed to protect whatever lies within."
"And we're supposed to fight it?" Ade asked skeptically.
"No," Zara interjected, surprising even herself. "We can't fight it. Not directly. If my maps are right and they always are we'll need to find another way around."
Emeka raised an eyebrow. "You're suggesting we sneak past a centuries-old magical construct?"
"It's our best chance," Zara replied firmly. "Trust me, I know how these visions work. They show possibilities, not certainties. If we play our cards right, we might slip through unnoticed."
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Ade shrugged, leaning back against a rock. "Fine. But if your plan fails, don't expect us to save you."
Zara swallowed hard, nodding. She didn't expect anything less.