Hero's Journey

Chapter 10

Delia has a slight limp to her walk as she strides alongside her friend, Kipdale. As they walk along a small deer path Delia notices the way the boy hunches his shoulders and stares at the ground as he walks. He is like some fearful animal, tense and ready to spring into a run at a moment's notice.

They did not have a moment.

An arrow whizzes in the space between Kipdale and Delia's heads, sticking into a sturdy oak only feet in front of them. Before Kipdale can so much as step forward a group of men descend from ropes and corral them in a human circle.

Delia clenches her fists, cursing Kagon's name. For he did not allow her to have any weapons on her. Weapons that could of been useful against this group.

"Good pickings." One of the men comment, searching the two with his eyes. "We didn't even need to stray too far from home to find some fresh meat."

"Who are you?" Delia demands, concealing the shaking in her voice with a gloss of faux courage.

The man that only just spoke grins. "Robbers, thieves, ruffians, handsome devils if you will."

"Well, we don't have anything on us so you should just let us pass peacefully."

He shakes his head. "That's not how it works." Then to the other men. "Search them both."

Two out of the eight men break from the circle while a couple others still within the circle aim their notched arrows at Delia and Kipdale. It is a silent threat to stay still or be shot through the breast.

Delia grabs Kipdale's hand and squeezes it, hoping to calm the frozen boy. His amber eyes are wide with fright and she can feel his hand tremble in hers. Kipdale's breathing is shallow and she can feel his quick pulse through his palms. Delia squeezes his hand again but the boy doesn't even seem to calm down in the slightest.

The two men saunter over to them and begin their thorough search. However, unlike the other man they are both professional and do not take any liberties from the search, in which Delia is relieved.

The men step back after their search and turn to the man who spoke --their boss-- shaking their head in unison. "The girl was truthful. They have nothing of value."

"There is always something of value." The leader says, eyes glinting. "I'll search them."

"Nandef that is enough." The man that searched Kipdale says. "If they don't have anything we can use we need to leave them alone. We are not here for anything else."

"Keep quiet Iglesias." Nandef snaps, eyes roaming over Delia's body.

Dread pools within the writer's stomach. Dread and panic.

Iglesias bravely moves in front of Nandef. "This is not necessary."

Delia suddenly realizes something as she assesses the situation and the strangeness of it all. If they are truly criminals as they say, then why do they care if they lower themselves further? Though she's glad Iglesias stops Nandef.

Without another thought it all seems to click into place in Delia's head.

"You rob to protect your people, don't you?"

She had read it in a book somewhere. It was an epic tale about a woman who dressed as a common male thief. She stole from travelers to support her only child because she was poor, a widow, and had a son with a weak constitution.

They all look at her in surprise but then one of the men speak, "Keep your nose out of our business, shrew."

However, Iglesias nods. "Yes. We are a group of survivors from a village raid in Lanthos."

Delia can feel Kipdale stiffen, his hand limo in Delia's own.

(A.N. Lanthos and Lithko are two different places. Lithko is at the other side of the Ta'ce and Lanthos is north of Pik)

"You are so far from Lanthos though." Delia says.

"We had to travel many miles because no one would accept us in their villiage. That is why we are so far from home. We ended up needing to resort to all of this."  He gestures.

"Iglesias, that is enough." Nandef hisses through his teeth. "You should not be so trusting, especially of a woman."

"It is you that none of us should trust, Nandef. We are doing this to save our village not for our pleasure. Taking advantage of an innocent girl is not something I will stand for." Iglesias says, jaw set in a hard line.

Nandef rolls his eyes. "She's probably a girl from one of the snobby villages that refused to help us, why should it matter?"

"We are not animals. Stealing is one thing but rape is another."

"Stop being so melodramatic. I am the boss here, so do not test me."

"I agree, it is not right." One of the men say.

"Our wives, sisters, and young were taken during the pillage. The women most likely raped and murdered. How dare we even consider sinking to that level." Iglesias says.

This must have plucked a heart string on many of the men because soon most are nodding in agreement to his words. Nandef is forced to back down. His being of the scarce minority.

Iglesias turns to Delia with a sad, ghost-like smile. "I truly apologize for how we have acted. We may be robbers but that does not give us any liberties a criminal has. Seeing that you are having trouble we'd like to assist you in any way we can because of our behavior."

Delia looks at Kipdale, he is still but a statue beside her and knowing it is for the best Delia accepts their apology and their offer.

Making sure she is holding tight to Kipdale's hand Delia follows the men to their makeshift camp, Kipdale rigidly stumbling after her.

〰〰〰

The first thing Delia notices about the village-camp is that it is small and there are barely any tents. The majority of the shelters are made from fabric stretched to make lean-to's. The next thing she notices is that the majority are male and at least a year older than Delia. There are only few exceptions to this. So far they are, two children and one young woman, once again older than Delia. The third thing she notices are that mostly all their faces are grim and smiles are few and far between.  Even the children do not frolic or show their dimples.

Delia's heart aches for these people despite what their leader almost did to her.

"This is what is left of our village." Iglesias says quietly. "But most don't have anything left in them."

"Who did this?" Delia whispers, looking sadly at the sight.

Iglesias runs a hand through his black hair. "Life in Lanthos has always been rough compared to that of other lands, such as Pik and Lithko. We are less developed and so we are a poor kingdom. Things have become worse of late. Somehow the bastards from the Shadowland are crossing over Oblivion Canyon and taking advantage of Lanthos's bad state. Whole villages have been taken captive by them."

Delia's hands become clammy. "By Shadowland to you mean Dusmet?"

"Yes." Iglesias nods his head grimly.

"W-why do you think?"

"Probably to make sacrifices to Oblivion Canyon. I heard they believe that it is the entrance to Gehenna."

Goosebumps run up and down Delia's arms. Gehenna, the abyss, the place where evil-doers go to suffer for their treachery against man-kind.

"Do they sacrifice to Darknae?"

"No, I've heard they believe that Gehenna is a hungry being that they must feed in order for it not to swallow all the lands."

Delia shudders, scared all the way to her bones.

"I'm so sorry this all happened to you."

"No, do not take pity on us. We'll get through this yet."

Delia hears a small throaty sound and turns to Kipdale, the source of the sound. Much to her surprise tears are falling down the boy's face. But these tears are streaks of crimson seeping from his amber eyes. An unmistakeable hue. The color of blood.