Knock.
Knock.
"Are you ready, venner (friends)?" Erik shouted from outside the room.
"Coming, coming…" I replied while glancing back at Anthony, who was still hopping around the room while struggling to pull his pants up.
William leaned against the wall with folded arms, watching the chaos unfold.
"Who told you to bring air-conditioned clothes with you?" he said while looking at Anthony, who was wrestling with the tight pants like they had personally offended him.
"Just—just give me a minute… almost done," Anthony muttered while finally forcing the zipper up.
I walked over and opened the door for Erik, who was standing outside looking unusually enthusiastic for someone who had been waiting for us.
"How do I look?" Erik asked proudly while adjusting his hat and lifting his camera slightly so we could see it. His new shirt and pants looked oddly familiar, once again resembling Anthony's questionable fashion sense.
"Excellent," I said, trying not to laugh. "But our friend Anthony here has the best dressing sense in the world, so beating him is nearly impossible."
Erik nodded seriously, as if I had just complimented him on something very important.
A few minutes later we boarded a mag-train and began moving through the city, the vehicle floating silently a few centimeters above the road while the mountains of Norway slowly appeared beyond the glass windows.
Anthony leaned forward in his seat and looked toward Erik.
"So… tell us about Norway," he said curiously while resting his elbow on the seat.
Erik straightened slightly and rubbed his hands together as if preparing for a lecture.
"Yeah, yeah… sorry… just give me a moment to think where to begin," he said while staring out the window briefly.
He looked nervous, but the moment he started speaking it was as if someone had switched on a machine.
"So Norway…" he began.
At first it was interesting. He explained the major tourist locations, the reason travelers loved visiting the country, and how Norway had been one of the least affected regions during the catastrophe of 2072.
"The earthquake tilted some of the land here," Erik continued enthusiastically, "but unlike many other regions of the world, Norway did not completely merge into the new continental structure."
"That's interesting," Anthony said, nodding.
"There's more," Erik replied immediately.
"Oh."
And there definitely was more.
Erik continued talking for almost twenty straight minutes, jumping from one historical event to another while our brains slowly stopped processing the information.
William and I exchanged looks.
At some point we silently prayed for the man to stop speaking, but Erik seemed physically incapable of ending a sentence.
*Ahem-ahem*
Finally William and I looked at Anthony, our eyes conveying the obvious message.
"You had to ask him…?"
"Now it's your job to stop this."
Anthony understood the assignment, he suddenly leaned toward the window and pointed dramatically outside.
"Oh look there! A waterfall!"
For a brief moment we felt relief as Erik finally paused.
But then—
"Oh, this waterfall!" Erik said instantly while leaning forward with excitement. "Do you know the history behind this one?"
William slowly closed his eyes.
"This is part of the Vøringsfossen region," Erik continued enthusiastically. "Centuries ago travelers believed the sound of the falling water echoed across the valley like thunder, and during the early tourist era of the 19th century it became one of the most visited natural wonders in the country…"
Anthony stared blankly out the window.
At that moment we realized exactly what we were dealing with for the rest of the trip.
But none of us could have imagined that later…
we would actually beg for Erik to start speaking again.
Erik continued talking the entire ride, but eventually we reached our destination.
We had planned a three-day trip: two days camping in the mountains and the third day exploring the city.
Now we stood at the bottom entrance of the Norwegian fjords, facing the famous cliffs that tourists from all over the world came to see.
Cold wind swept across the valley while the cliffs rose dramatically above us, their grey walls disappearing into clouds drifting slowly across the peaks.
"Let me tell you about these cliffs before we move on," Erik said while turning toward us enthusiastically.
"No—" William replied immediately.
He paused and forced a small laugh.
"I mean… you've already told us about this… hehehe," William said while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Oh, did I?" Erik asked, thinking for a moment. "Fine then, I will tell you more when we get up there."
Those words felt like a gift from heaven.
We collected the necessary equipment for the climb: a shovel, a small gas stove, an axe, tents, and a compact robotic assistant that came free with the hiking kit.
Before we began the climb, Erik raised a finger and stopped us.
"There are many routes to reach the top," he explained. "The shortest one begins on the extreme right, while the longest route is on the extreme left."
"Is that the only difference?" Anthony asked casually.
William immediately pinched him from behind and whispered in his ear.
"You dumbass. Now he'll start explaining the entire history of the mountains right here."
"Oh no…"
"There are actually many differences," Erik began enthusiastically. "You see, in the eighteenth century when—"
"Erik," I interrupted quickly, raising my hand before the lecture could begin.
"We'll take the shortest and safest route. Let's just start walking."
"As you say, sir!" Erik replied happily as he began walking toward the right-side trail.
"No!" Anthony suddenly shouted from behind us.
"We're taking the longest route."
All of us stopped.
We slowly turned and stared at Anthony, waiting for him to explain himself.
"Come on, guys," he said while spreading his arms. "We paid so much for this trip and you want it to end sooner?"
Erik scratched the back of his head.
"Sir… I have never personally taken that route," he admitted carefully. "It is completely safe, but it is a rough climb and there is no assistance on the way. Only at the top will you find facilities."
William and I exchanged a look.
"Guys, we shouldn't take the risk," William said while adjusting his glasses.
"It's not a risk, William," Anthony replied immediately. "It's literally a route made for tourists."
"But Erik just said he hasn't been there before."
"Doesn't matter," Anthony said confidently. "You'll do fine, right Erik?"
Erik straightened slightly and nodded.
"Ja, ja, venner( yes, yes, friends )… we can explore that route."
William and I both felt a small sense of unease, but at the same time the idea of a little adventure excited us.
After all, it was an official route.
Even when we searched it quickly online, the information said it was completely safe and filled with beautiful natural scenery, with no danger from wild animals—except a few harmless squirrels and monkeys.
Still…
something felt strangely quiet about the trail.
Not a single person walked that path while we stood there.
Yet despite that feeling, we chose the longer route.
And just as we had quietly feared…
the climb turned out to be far tougher than any of us had imagined.