Through vibrant green foliage you can see Mount Vulcan rise high before you. Your hands brush aside leafy vines as you step out onto a rocky precipice. Your assistant Gogo follows after. The majestic mountain is a fascinating sight to behold. Bulky gray rock gives shape to impressive crags with small valleys as the huge mountain ascends skyward. Mid-morning sunlight shines powerfully upon the island. The heat is energizing, empowering you and your companion as you trek up the mountainside. The broad, somewhat rectangular shaping of the rock has allowed for easy navigation. Trees and vegetation grow in patches where conditions are favorable, but most of Mount Vulcan is solid gray stone.
You have climbed about a third of the way toward the massive peak. Mount Vulcan is in fact a volcano, with a large crater at the very top. Ages ago, geologic activity of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge formed the island from molten rock and created the huge mountain. Over the years, life flourished on the island, and eventually an ancient human culture came to dwell here. The descendants of that culture remain to this very day, in contact with the world but largely unaffected. The people live simply on their vibrant island, making excellent use of its bountiful resources.
You and Gogo came here as part of a humanitarian mission for the Utopia Foundation. The native people, the Vulcans, had become stricken with illness, and lacked the ability to treat it effectively. Bringing medicine and an excellent medical team, you were able to cure them of their affliction. Thankfully they did not suffer a single casualty. Once the people were healthy again, you seized the opportunity to discover more about their culture and this exotic island. You spoke with many interesting people, consulted writings, and explored ancient ruins. Truly sparking your curiosity were the apprehensive beliefs about the mysterious mountain and the one who is said to live there. Most of the island's legends prominently feature one compelling figure: the mythical "barbarian king" of Mount Vulcan.
He is King Rodan, a brave Herculean warrior possessing incredible strength and skill. Legend suggests he is immortal, or even a god. Tales of his exploits were passed down over generations. He is something of an ambivalent character—sometimes portrayed as a hero, and sometimes not. The native people both fear and praise him as they celebrate him in the their culture. There are various rituals to appease him and to ask for his favor. Someone on your team suggested Rodan may metaphorically represent the active volcano the islanders live beneath, and he has been conflated with fictional and non-fictional stories from the people's history. As you discovered more about him, however, it seemed there was more truth to the stories than that. There must have been some basis for the great barbarian king.
Hungry to learn more, you set off for Mount Vulcan with Gogo in tow. The native people strongly cautioned you against venturing onto the mountain, citing both their superstitious beliefs and very real dangers such as the ferocious wildlife. The Vulcans rarely—if ever—trespass into the mythical king's land, honoring a centuries-old mandate It was not forbidden, however, and beyond their concern for your well-being they weren't opposed to it. You are confident in Gogo's ability to protect you from any dangers you may face. The lure of adventure and discovery is too great to ignore.
Now you travel an old path up the bulky ridge, finding sets of stairs carved from the stone. Looking down here is dizzying. Further up the rock face is a wooded area, where the path takes you. A bird can be heard chirping up in the leaves as you enter the greenery. The path leads you through the trees and around a bend, and soon you hear the rushing of water. It grows louder as you emerge from the wood and find a large ravine. Far off to the left is a wide waterfall. It crashes down into the ravine where the river continues until reaching another fall. You view the beautiful surroundings and comment to Gogo. Then you spot the bridge crossing the chasm. It's very long and narrow, and made of rope and wood. Your heart pounds with both worry and excitement at the prospect of crossing the deep gorge on this old bridge.
"I do not like this," Gogo says, standing beside you and looking down at the river far below. "Miss Damsel, I suggest that we turn back. Maybe there is another way."
After weighing it in your mind, you decide you want to try the bridge. Gogo is not obligated to follow if she doesn't wish to. It seems sturdy enough to your eyes, as you inspect the wooden boards and rope handrails.
"Then I will go first," Gogo says sternly. "You stay here until I say it's okay."
You stand aside and watch Gogo as she cautiously steps onto the bridge. She moves slowly and determinedly, and the bridge bends ever so slightly as she crosses further into the middle. Gogo stops to inspect things, and finally waves for you to follow.
"It's okay!" she calls.
You feel relieved, and walk onto the bridge yourself. The first few steps are pulse-pounding as you feel the light wood replace solid rock underfoot, while the shaded chasm stretches far below. The rushing of the waterfall is ceaseless in the background, and you feel the cool, moist air on your skin. The bridge feels more wobbly than it appeared to be, and seems to stretch on much longer. Butterflies flutter in your stomach, and you walk quickly to catch up with Gogo. She continues at her slow, steady pace. The bridge bends under your weight as you cross over the middle.
The bridge unexpectedly bounces underneath you as you take the next step, making you catch your foot and trip. You step hard as you try to regain balance, and the wooden boards break apart with a gut-wrenching crack. You drop, grasping around yourself for any hold. The world flies up until you grab the edge of the board in front of you and you're jerked as you catch yourself. The wood creaks with strain, and you quickly reach up for the rope with all your strength. The wood breaks just as your fingers wrap around the rope, and you're left swinging by one hand, holding on for dear life.
You get a better grip with both hands and try to pull yourself back up. Gogo has heard you and hurries back to help. As you pull on the rope, you feel it loosening somehow, as if something is unraveling. You reach for the handrail and Gogo helps you back onto the bridge.
"Miss Damsel—!" she says with worry and relief.
The bridge is slowly and continuously lowering under your weight. You turn back to look at the rope. Parts of it are indeed stretching and pulling apart, threads snapping and unraveling.
"Hurry!" Gogo says. She helps you to your feet and pushes you in front of her as you both rush across the bridge. You're careful to step lightly and cling to the handrail for support. You hear a crack behind you and swing around to see Gogo pull herself back from the empty space in front of her. She steps over the gap and urges you forward. The bridge sways and twists and it becomes necessary to move along the rope hand over hand, one of you on each side for some balance. As you near safety, the bridge finally falls underneath you.
You cling to the rope, air blowing past you as the whole bridge swings down through the chasm. You hit against the rock wall with unexpected force. Your body vibrates painfully from the impact, the wind is knocked from you, and you lose your grip. You fall helplessly, the rush of air filling your ears. Gogo reaches to catch your hand. She holds you tightly as you're once again swung into the rock. Turned around, you see the other half of the bridge hanging against the opposite wall. The way back is lost. Below, falling wood and rope disappear from sight. You're twisted back to the broken bridge and get a good grip on the rope. Gogo helps you climb up closer to her.
"Climb, Miss Damsel," she says urgently, with an encouraging tone. "We must hurry!"
Focused by adrenaline and the instinct to survive, you make your way up the steep cliff using the remnants of the bridge. You are cautious to avoid weak areas. A board breaks in your hand, but you and Gogo are quick to react before you fall. Time seems to slow down as you climb the few meters to the top. A constant sense of peril looms heavily. Your lives rely on fraying circumstances. Finally, with a last powerful effort you reach safety and pull yourself up onto solid ground, then turn to help Gogo as she quickly follows.
The two of you move away from the edge and hug each other with excited relief. Your nerves start to calm as you hold your friend, and you apologize for what happened.
"I'm only thankful you're all right," she says, looking into your eyes.
Quite shaken, you consider abandoning your journey. Going back the way you came, however, is no longer an option. Maybe you could find another way down, but you've already come this far. The legend of the barbarian still draws your passionate curiosity, and you convince Gogo to continue forward. Gogo solemnly looks at the wide ravine, and exhales with disappointment.
"Let us keep moving then," she says.
You follow the path through more sparse woodland. Becoming a bit steeper, the old trail leads you around the side of the mountain. Higher up the mountainside you can now see a large cavern entrance. There is no doubt it is the same cave the Vulcans had told you about, where King Rodan is said to live. Even after hours of hiking, your adventurous spirit feels renewed.
Climbing one more rise you begin to approach the gaping maw of the cave. There are fissures that allow some sunlight to shine inside. Within is a remarkable sight. You can see the facade of an ancient castle built from the rock. Its strong walls rise to the cave's ceiling, as much of the structure is carved from the mountain itself. This feat of ancient architecture was clearly built to last. While crudely constructed in some areas and not having much in the way of artistry, it is still a wonder to behold.
Moving further in, you see the huge cavern extends into darkness on either side. Shadow begins to surround you, but enough sunlight enters through the openings in the rock to light the way to the fortress. You can't take your eyes off the facade as more and more details come into view. This remnant of ancient history imposes a feeling of awe. It feels like you've been transported to the past, treading into the memories of long lost souls.
Gogo suddenly moves close and puts her hand on your shoulder. You stop and turn to her, and she raises a finger over her plump lips to request quiet. Her serious expression is worrying. She looks off to the side, her eyes searching the darkness. In the absolute silence of the cave, you can hear a shuffling of movement. There's a powerful, breathy snort, like that of a large animal. Chills run down your spine and you try to make out its source.
A big snout moves into the hazy light. You and Gogo stand frozen as a huge, brown bear lumbers into view from the darkness. The giant animal stalks right toward you, a predator moving in on its quarry. Gogo pulls you behind her and stands tall before the big, muscular creature.
