Hero's Journey

Chapter 19

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I'm so sorry this is a shorter chapter than usual, but I felt like it would be wrong if I tried to extend it. Despite that I hope you enjoy!

~Ashlee💕

〰〰〰

Rocks and other small stones dig into Delia's worn boots, stabbing painfully at her feet. She ignores this, continuing to walk with their group in silence.

"For those of you who didn't know. We've entered Lanthos." Iglesias announces.

This is a surprise to Delia. "We have?" She blurts out without thinking.

"Yes, I can tell because of the barren rocky ground and the mountains looming up ahead."

"Mount Te." Maya mutters from under her breath.

Delia remembers what Maya had told her one or two weeks before about her father being a miner. If Delia remembers correctly being a miner in Lanthos is actually very common, so it's no surprise that many of Lanthos' people have connections to the mountains.

"And how long until we get to our destination?" Delia questions.

This time Rissa is the one who answers. "We need to travel to Lanthos's side of Oblivion Canyon, or as they call it Gehenna. So, we need to go South from here and we entered into Lanthos in the more southern area."

She calculates, walking easily among the rocky obstacles scattered across the ground. "If we make haste without any beasts or big obstacles blocking our way and only stop for sleep then we'll make it tomorrow in the late afternoon."

Delia takes in a quick breath of surprise.  All this traveling and it's hard to believe that this adventure will come to an end soon. Delia just hopes the Fates will have it end in their favor.

Seeing Delia's surprise Maya nudges her lightly. "It seems quick, I know, would you believe we've been traveling for more than a month?"

The writer's eyes widen.  That means it's been more than a month since she got --literally-- dragged away from Kagon. 

But maybe it's for the best. She thinks. There were things I'd rather him not of known...

"Delia?" Maya asks, looking at her friend's vacant expression with concern.

"Yes, it is hard to believe." Delia answers quickly.

"Is everything okay? You don't seem tethered to the ground."

"Yes, everything is fine." Delia manages a smile. "I'm just thoughtful is all."

"Oh, okay..." Maya trails off.

After that the two return to walking in silence. The quiet is needed though for Delia to keep herself from tripping.  The ground just gets rockier as they venture further into Lanthos, it requires all of her undivided attention.

"Delia?" Maya asks after awhile.

"Hmm?"

"You're not from Lanthos are you?"

Delia hops over a rock only to nearly stumble on another. "H-How'd you guess?" She asks, a little breathless.

Maya laughs a bit. "It isn't that hard to tell."

Like Rissa and the others from Lanthos she strolls through the rocks with an easy grace only someone familiar to the terrain would have.

Delia chuckles at this and promptly falls on her face.

It took her only a split second to trip after loosing her focus. And it isn't the last time, by the end of the night she's both scratched up and bruised.

Perfect, I may have to fight tomorrow.  I suppose I'll just have to go into battle stumbling.

Delia suddenly remembers Kagon's opinions on women and fighting. A sword is not for a lady.

I'll just use my wits then, Kagon.

〰〰〰

For the past couple days all Kagon has done is search for the sword. Search to no avail. There are no clues leading to the sword's location, it's as if it really is just legend. Still, he's not going to give up until he finds it.

After a quick lunch the hero goes back to looking. At this rate he's afraid he'll run out of land to search.

Kagon lets out a loud sigh of exasperation, slumping against a gigantic redwood. But where his back should hit bark he only meets empty air.

The daylight from outside fades to blackness and Kagon feels like he's falling. Falling, down, down, down.

It feels like an eternity until he finally lands.  The fall should have killed him and yet the hero feels no pain, just bewildered and angry.

"Who dares surprise attack me?!" He bellows to empty air.

Nothing answers back and yet Kagon doesn't feel like he's alone.

"Who's there? Come out and don't be a coward!"

Once again there is only silence.

Chills run up and down Kagon's back. The hero stands up, his feet sinking into some kind of much. Reaching down Kagon touches the ground, it feels like moss but he can't tell because of the darkness that surrounds him.

"Who's there?" He tries again.

Quiet.

"A-Anyone?" The loneliness and fear grip at him like a vice.

Fear, something else I haven't felt in awhile... Kagon shakes his head quickly. No! I don't feel fear now either!

Not true.

Someone answered him, but it's not like he was expecting. That voice, it sounds like his.

Not true, Kagon.

Images of waves bashing against a ship's hull comes to mind.

I was not scared then and I'm not scared now!

Lies....

And then he feels as if the waves are rolling beneath him. Suddenly he feels seasick.

I'm not scared!

As if in answer Kagon begins to sink under the rolling waves.

This isn't real!

Salt water fills his mouth and nose.  That's when it becomes real. The hero gasps for breath, struggling to break the water's surface. His fingers touch the cold air.
Then he's submerged again. The icy waters take him hostage. The ocean takes any last warmth from him, it takes that and his life.

And then all Kagon of Pik is, is an corpse. He has no breath, no heartbeat, no bodily feeling . The only part of him that's not completely dead is his mind, but that's even worse then complete death.

He feels his body finally sink all the way to the bottom of the Ocean. It's dark down here, there is no light. At that moment Kagon is completely and utterly alone. Only then does he admit the blinding truth.

Deep down there's a small voice, a child's voice, his voice.

I'm scared...