Hero's Journey

Chapter 16

"Land Ho!"

Kagon grins wildly as it comes into sight. Afflon.

From where he stands Kagon can make out the many trees covering the continent. The green is a welcome sight, especially because all Kagon has been seeing is the blue of the sky and sea.

"Ah, we're here my boy." Lelk says from his place beside the hero.

"Aye, and what a beautiful sight it is." Kagon says appreciative of the scene in front of him. "How long will we be staying before we head back to Lithko?"

"A good week at least. Hopefully that will give you the time to finish your venture for that sword you were talking about."

Kagon smiles. "It will give me perfectly enough time. Maybe it will take me even shorter a time than that!"

Lelk smiles. "Maybe, just be careful boy. The elves are a tricky folk."

Kagon nods his head, barely listening. Excitement pumps through him causing the hero to be jittery. How long it has been since his feet touched solid earth! Or breathed in air uncorrupted by the salty sea air.

As soon as the ship docks at the lone wooden pier Kagon is off the boat, relishing the feeling of soil beneath his shoes.

His fingers lightly touch against the rough bark of a tree. How good it feels!

"Calm down, boy." Lelk chuckles, rolling his eyes. "Keep yourself contained. The elves don't enjoy humans in their forest. It is a wonder they allow us to trade with them."

Kagon nods. "I'll calm myself." He smiles broadly, unconvincingly.

Lelk rolls his eyes but smiles nonetheless.

"Lelk of Pik? You have come to trade, correct?"

Kagon startles at the sound. The feeling is something he isn't used to, it is nearly impossible to sneak up on the hero. But what startles him more is that the elf is a stunning woman dressed in warrior clothes.

"Yes." Lelk says, matching the seriousness in the elf woman's tone. "We have come to trade."

She nods for a second, seeming to assess the group of humans. "Good, follow me. Let's try to get to one of the trader's camps before nightfall. As you probably know humans are not permitted within any of our villages or cities."

"Yes, we know."

"Then follow me."

At that the elven woman sashays into the woods, hips and long dark locks swinging gracefully. Every man watches her leave, captivated by her easy elegance. And after a moment they follow after her.

As the elf hoped they reach the trader's camp by nightfall.

The dark in the forest seems consuming in the dead of night. The air is brittle and cold, causing goosebumps to trail up Kagon's arms, but he doesn't mind.

Everything in Afflon is new and exciting to the hero. Being an explorer of sorts he can properly identify the beauty of the elf's land. And is it beautiful.

The trees and foliage are thick and there is scarce space to move at times and yet everything seems so open and fresh, untouched by man's grubby fingers.
This is something completely new to the hero. New and beautiful.

"Kagon, help us pitch up the tents." Lelk hollers from where he puts up his own tent.

Kagon nods distractedly and goes to put up his tent and anyone that need help's.

Once everything is settled most people head for the safety of their tents for a rest. Kagon on the other hand is too awake and sits on one of the logs near the fire with some other night owl stragglers.

"Drink?" One of the men asks, nudging Kagon and holding out a bottle of alcohol. Some sort of amber liquid churns in the bottle.

Kagon thanks the man and takes a swig before handing it to the man beside him. This goes on for a little while as the men pass around the bottle in silence. No one speaks or laughs, quite the opposite from the scene in a tavern, still the quiet seems nice to Kagon. It's peaceful in the otherwise bustling of his and everyone else's daily lives.

Once the bottle is finished most of the men get up from their sitting positions and retreat to their tents. Soon Kagon is the only one remaining at the dying light of the fire.

But not for long

"Kagon of Pik, is it?" The dark haired elf woman from earlier asks, taking a seat on the log beside him.

Kagon flashes the strange beauty a grin. "Yes, that is me. What can I do for you?"

The elf ignores the hidden meaning and speaks in her usual cool voice, unaffected by the hero's charms. "Not what you can do for me but what I can do for you."

Kagon's smile widen, taking this the wrong way. He scoots nearer to the elf only to find his butt on the ground. He looks up at the elf in disbelief. She had pushed him away so fast he hardly saw it. He wipes away his surprise, frowning. "I don't like teases."

"I wasn't doing anything of the sort." The woman states, completely emotionless and uncaring. "Lelk has been peaceful to the elves ever since he started up trade with us. He is one of the few that we allow trade with. So, when he told us you were searching for the sword I decided to give you some guidance on the matter."

Kagon dusts himself off and sits back down on his log. "I don't need any help." He says arrogantly. "I'll find it easily enough."

The elf snorts, somehow managing to appear indifferent. "You are a stereotypical human man, Kagon. Even so, I will still help you."

Before Kagon can say anything the elf woman continues. "The sword is one of the best made, made by a male elf named Azuel. He did not forge this sword with metal, but instead used the ancient magic. He made the sword from the sturdiness of the oldest redwood in the forest and the softer wood of a birch. It is the sharpest and most agile sword known, extremely powerful, extremely dangerous. All wished to have this sword and some tried to steal it, so Azuel hid the sword deep in the forest. None have been able to find it.".

Her silver eyes flash. "But it needs to be found and retrieved before it falls into the wrong hands and is destroyed. Because if this sword is touched by any it will crumble. Not even the elves can use this sword because we no longer harbor as much of the old magic as we used to. That is why I hand you these special gloves, woven from magic and the hairs of a white rabbit. They will prevent the sword from falling apart when you handle it."

The elf sets a wooden box beside the hero, of what he assumes to be the gloves. "Wear these when you bring the sword back to us."

"Bring the sword back to you? Why do you think I won't keep it?"

She smiles wanly. "There are rewards, Kagon. We will give you one of our best swords and we will owe you three favors of which you can ask us of anything and you will receive it. Not to mention," she adds, "a longstanding friendship between yourself and the elves. We are as good of an ally to have as we are the worst of enemies to have."

Kagon ignores the subtle threat. "And why can you not get the sword for yourself?"

A sadness suddenly haunts the elf's silver eyes. "The old magic is almost gone, our species is dwindling. We cannot spare anyone to search. And we believe this sword just might help us."

Kagon nods slowly in understanding. "I will do it. However, I ask why you would trust a "stereotypical human man" for the job."

"There is a spark of good in that human heart of yours. Besides," she smiles sorrowfully, "desperate people will try anything."

"Desperate? Then I will definitely find your sword and return it to you. Heroes are meant to save desperate people."