Egan’s Quest

I exhaled deeply at the foot of Mt. Doom, staring up at the massive hunk of rock before me. Everyone back home said I was crazy to even try, that I was essentially signing my own death certificate. But what was I supposed to do? Just sit around on my ass and allow Aithne to die? The village sage swore on the Gods there was only one way to cure her illness. He wasn’t exaggerating when he said it was dangerous either. Only magma from the deepest cracks of Mt. Doom would cure Aithne, and I was the only one brave enough to step forward. Well, maybe brave isn’t the best choice of words in this particular scenario. Perhaps foolish is a better fit. I was the only one foolish enough to take up the cause, and it was time to show my mettle. I patted the pouch at my waist that contained a flask hewn from obsidian, the only material sturdy enough to collect the precious magma. Oh well, I’d better start climbing sooner rather than later. The magma wasn’t going to collect itself, exactly, and time was of the essence.

The better part of the morning passed by as I climbed higher up the rocks of Mt. Doom. There were still thousands of feet to go before reaching the top. Further, I didn’t know how much longer that would take, or how much longer Aithne could cling to life. Suddenly, I realized the ground beneath me was beginning to rumble slightly, and before long, the vibrations grew stronger and stronger. In the distance, I could see a steady plume of smoke funneling from the top of the volcano. Instantly, my blood ran cold, for I knew what this sequence of events meant for me. Mt. Doom was mere minutes away from erupting, and escaping the volcano before the burning lava flowed, and hot ash rained down upon my head, would prove impossible.