Rocky knew that the most dangerous part of their journey was the region called ''Dragon Valley''.


    It was an area which was a hotspot for wyverns and dragons, since smaller prey was abundant in this valley.


    The area had be a hotspot for predators, because it was the spot where centipedesid their eggs and their hatchlings were born.


    However, bypassing this valley was not possible for Rocky, since going around it meant spending 30 hours more in their journey, which was otherwise a two hour walk.


    Rocky knew that if they sessfully crossed this valley. Their mission would be as good asplete, as the remaining part was not as dangerous and not that long either, however, crossing the Dragon Valley itself was going to be their toughest challenge yet.


    Even from afar, one could see how dozens of dragons circled over the valley eyeing their prey, and how with every swoop they came out with either a wyvern carcass in their grasp, or an adult centipede, as they flew away with the prey to eat at their own leisure.


    Below the dragons flew the wyverns, very close to the surface as they mainly hunted the centipede hatchlings and other smaller prey that the dragons were not interested in, while simultaneously dodging any lunges from the dragons above.


    It was like a den of predators and prey, and the team was supposed to walk through this madness somehow.


    *ROARR*


    As one of the ck dragon''s in the sky roared domineeringly, Erin trembled in his tracks and looked questionably towards Rocky.


    "Sir Rocky…. Are we sure we want to walk through there? That doesn''t seem like a very smart decision. If we start running we can perhaps cover the 30 hour walk around in just 17-19 hours? We can still make it on time if we do" Erin said, as the initial n that he had drafted did not take the team through Dragon Valley, however, the only change that Rocky proposed was that the team go through it.


    "No…. We have to go through it. The other route is not reliable and even if we run, the margin of error it leaves is too close forfort.


    I know the path ahead looks terrifying, however, it''s an insted walkway for most parts, where the aerial beasts can''t attack us since we haverge rock''s just over our heads.


    There are openings, but as long as we cover each other''s tracks we can make our way through.


    And although it''s a den of monsters, I don''t think many of them have the motive to attack us–" Rocky said, as he stuck firm to his decision of walking through the deadly valley, much to the dismay of Erin, who bit his lip, clearly still uneasy, but he nodded, trusting Rocky''s judgment.


    Buhara, who had been silently observing the valley, let out a low grunt. "Buhara thinks we should move now before the dragons finish their hunt and start looking for more prey."


    Rocky nced at the sky, where the dragons were circlingzily, their wings casting massive shadows over the valley. He knew Buhara was right—the sooner they moved, the better their chances of crossing undetected.


    "Let''s go," Rocky ordered, his voice calm and steady as he led the way.


    The entrance to Dragon Valley was marked by a narrow pass between two jagged cliffs, with the rocks on either side towering above them like silent sentinels; as they entered the insted walkway Rocky had mentioned, Erin let out a small sigh of relief, as he noticed how the rocky overhang provided some measure of safety from the creatures above and how it made detecting them difficult.


    "Stay close," Rocky whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant roars and screeches echoing through the valley as he instructed the team to be on their toes here and not linger around.


    For a while, the team moved in tense silence, with the only sound being that of  their cautious footsteps and the asional shift of rocks underfoot. Then, as they reached the first opening in the rocks above, the situation changed abruptly.


    A sudden gust of wind swept through the pass, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of dragon breath, as the group froze, their eyes instinctively drawn upward to where a massive green dragon hovered, its wings ppingzily as it sniffed the air.


    "Don''t move," Rocky hissed, his hand slowly moving to the hilt of his sword, as he prepared to attack in case the dragon found them out.


    The dragon''s eyes narrowed, its gaze sweeping over the valley floor, searching for the source of the unfamiliar scent.


    The moment seemed to stretch into eternity as the team waited, hearts pounding, for the dragon to make its decision.


    Finally, with a snort of disinterest, the dragon turned away, flying off in search of more substantial prey, as Rocky let out a breath he hadn''t realized he was holding, and the group quickly moved forward, taking advantage of the dragon''s departure.


    They navigated several more openings in the walkway, each time facing the tense possibility of detection, but luck was on their side, and the dragons above remained focused on their hunts.


    For the first thirty minutes or so, all seemed to work out in their favor, with the team making decent progress, until everything took a turn for the worse when a wyvern seemed to pick up the scent of the package that they were carrying.


    Just like before when the group of wyverns seemed to undergo a frenzy, this time as well the wyverns that did pick up the scent of the package seemed to have lost their minds as they stuck their beaks inside the narrow walkway that Rocky and team were walking on,pletely disregarding their own personal safety, as they became easy prey for the dragons flying overhead.


    *SCREECH*


    One after another, a dozen wyverns poked their heads into the narrow walkway, with Rocky being forced to defend against a few, and almost as soon as they did so, blood sttered all across the hallways, as a dragon bit them off in half, in what seemed like a scene straight out of a horror movie.