Prompt: You’ve come upon one of the most famous bridges in the dungeon, long and swinging over a river of lava and seeming to be a mile long. It shows its wear and tear: missing planks and fraying cables make this bridge more treacherous than it once was. Can you make it across?

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Logue guided Jin through the Earthen Furnace. Passing lava rivers and monsters of blazing fire. They avoided the worst of it, mainly dealing with the heat and smoke. Both had covered their mouths with dampened scarves to keep the worst of the smoke at bay, tying them around their muzzles. The two kept to well traveled paths through the dungeon since Jin was new to this level. The idea of this trip was to get an idea of what the level was like and what kinds of creatures or challenges Jin would be faced with. Luckily the young dungeoneer was able to secure a contract with the more experienced dungeoneer.

Eventually they approached a chasm. At the bottom flowed a molten river that created a glow up towards the ceiling and created a silhouette of the bridge that crossed it. Jin felt an anxious fluttering as they approached the bridge and got a better look. It was an old swinging type bridge with broken wooden planks and fraying cable. The planks remaining intact did not look to be in the best of shape and appeared like they could give way at even the slightest pressure.

“Well, this bridge has seen better days,” Logue commented.

“Is there another way across?” Jin asked.

“Unfortunately not for quite a ways. We’d be walking for quite a while and that’s only if the next one down is in better shape. Seeing as they have been there just as long, I doubt it.”

“That is unfortunate.”

“This was once a magnificent and famous bridge. Sad to see it in such bad shape.”

“Did we want to attempt to cross?”

“I mean, I think we can, but you are the one who hired me so I’d rather leave the decision to you.”

“If you think we can make it, then I trust your decision.”

Logue nodded. The more experienced courser took the lead, carefully testing each plank before putting his full weight on any of them. Jin followed closely behind, matching Logue step for step. Slowly and carefully the two made their way across. Each creak made them freeze. The bridge swung lightly with each movement. A sort of zipping sound caught their attention and at first they debated if they needed to run for it before realizing it was the sound of the cables due to the swinging.

Jin froze as one of the planks behind them gave way. They had lifted their hoof from the plank and heard the snap as it broke. Luckily their weight had been mainly on the other three planks for the plank was bordered by a larger gap in the bridge in which Jin could have fit had he been on the plank more fully.

Reaching the other side was a relief for both coursers. Sitting on solid ground, they tried to let their tense muscles relax and their beating hearts calm. Between the heat, the scarves over their mouths, and the anxiety of their crossing both found it hard to regain their breaths.

“Well, that went better than expected,” Logue managed to chuckle.

“Did you think we’d fall to our dooms?” Jin answered jokingly.

“Only a tad. Couldn’t rule it out as a possibility.”

“I see, so I would have been the scapegoat for any missteps.”

“Oh, goodnes no!”

Jin chuckled and winked.

“I was only kidding,” they chimed at the more experienced courser.

It was some time before they lifted themselves from the warm stone. Each taking a look back to the bridge they had just crossed they continued on their way, leaving the treacherous crossing behind and discussing a potentially safer route back out of the dungeon later.