The Jungle's Treasures

"What do you have in mind, Kane?" Asael asked, his voice sharp as he glared at the three soldiers who had been chattering too much.

"We need plenty of vines. There's an abundance of them over there," Lara said, pointing toward the dense jungle that clung to the steep slopes of Hainai like an emerald wall. "And we'll need branches or bamboo poles—if we can't find planks."

Asael nodded, already forming a plan. His men could scale down the ravine's sheer walls and climb the other side to construct a bridge. It was risky but necessary.

Without hesitation, the group retraced their steps toward Hainai, weaving through tangled undergrowth and towering trees. The journey took twenty minutes, but when they emerged into a clearing, they found what they needed—bamboo—a whole forest of it.

Slender green stalks rose high into the sky, swaying rhythmically with the wind. Lara and Asael exchanged a glance; they had the same idea.