The Hidden Mountain Pass

Clucking? At least that's what it sounded like. They wouldn't have chickens here....would they?

Apparently they did! It didn't notice you approach, much more interested in the little crystal on a string it was swinging back and forth. Or rather, it was interested in the flashes of light as the crystal reflected the sun onto a rock in front of him. You however were much more interested in the long feathered tufts on its head. They flopped about as the chicken swung his head, and fluttered whenever the light breeze caught them. They kind of looked like antennae...

Nah, this was a fantasy world, not a science fiction one.

From behind you came the sounds of frantic rustlings followed by a soft "Thud!". Turning around you find another of these strange chicken creatues. It was competely tangled up in a grapevine and looked kind of miserable trapped there.

Feeling sorry for the poor thing, you try to untangle it. Getting all excited about its approaching freedom, the chicken starts to struggle, wrapping itself up in one part of the vine as you unwrap it from another. Just when you were about to give up in frustration, you manage to get the last loop off its leg. The chicken then promptly ignores you and begins eating the grapes. The first chicken, not wanting to be left out, comes over to investigate the vine, picking at it, pulling off leaves.

Suddenly you noticed that there were more beaks and more than twice as many feet as there were chickens...a third fuzzy avian had appeared to help.

This one apparently wasn't a manual laborer, it was a supervisor. It hopped around making sure everything was done "right", making soft clucking sounds to itself as it contemplated the efficiency of its subordinates. You almost had to laugh at it as it tipped its head from one side to the other as it analyzed the situtation.

Finally having gotten the second chicken free, you decide to leave the area before you have to untangle them *all* again.

You didn't get far before you hear frantic chicken sounds. You rush over, thinking there was another one in dire need of help, only to find one sitting on the ground trying to pull out its long head feathers....

You realized then that they weren't frantic chicken sounds, but annoyed, frustrated chicken sounds. You look about for the cause of its frustration, but couldn't see anything that would cause it to act like that.

It seemed to agree, and decided that you would do as the cause, so took out its frustration on you. Quickly you escape its sharp little beak. Wow, strange little critters. As you make your retreat, you find that there are two possible paths, the first went up a steep rise, the second was straight.

PATH 1PATH 2