Hero's Journey

Chapter 25

A shiver runs up and down Delia's spine and her breath catches in her throat, for a moment it's difficult for her to breath as she focuses onto the sight in front of her.

The camp of the Shadowlanders, but it's only a quarter of the reason for her quick pulse.  The camp is nearly on the precipice of a great awning canyon so wide that Delia can't spot the other side from where she and her group are hidden from sight.  The massive width itself is terrifying, but it's the intelligent blackness that spills out of the canyon that really strikes fear into every heart and soul. 

If I stand with my toes at the edge I would be able to feel the freezing-hot darkness...And if I fell...

Delia can feel it now, the pit calls to her.  Suddenly her limbs are useless as she sways side to side, eyelids fluttering.

"Oblivion Canyon or as the Shadowlanders believe, the entrance to Gahenna."

These words that pierce through the silence send an electrifying shock wave through the writer, knocking her out of her trance. From the looks of it Delia can see that she wasn't the only one, most everyone else has a haunted look in their eyes.

Rissa clears her throat, now gaining everyone's attention. Only Rissa and Maya appear to be unaffected by the influences of the canyon.

It's probably because they're used to the pit's power from when they were here. Delia thinks.

"Are we all ready?" Rissa inquires with a wary brow.

"Wait, where's Xelin?" Delia asks, noticing Xelin's tardiness in meeting them.

"I'm here!" Xelin calls quietly, appearing from the other side of the large brush their group is hiding behind.

"You arrived just in time. What did you see?" Iglesias asks.

"Not as much as I'd like to, I admit. I was...distracted by everything when I first came here. But when I was able to gain my bearings I searched the perimeter of the camp the best I could without getting caught. The prisoners are held in sturdy cages at the far side of camp closest to Gahen- I mean Oblivion Canyon."

"You saw the prisoners?" Maya interrupts, her eyes alight with hope. It is the most hope Delia has ever seen her have. The sight causes a smile to play on the scribe's lips.

"Um, not really." Xelin says. "I was too far away to actually see them, but I saw the cages and I could tell people were within them."

"What else?" Delia asks at the same time Rissa urges for him to "go on."

"There's a fair amount of Shadowlanders, I saw that much. And unfortunately, their guarding was heavy. However --and I know this is strange-- I didn't  see them carrying any weapons."

"What!?" One of the men exclaim.

"It's hard to explain." Xelin says. "I didn't see  them with anything, but that doesn't mean that they don't have any. I could of just not seen any weapons.".

"That's not good." Delia says. "If they're concealing weapons somehow then it will be hard to estimate their strength."

"Does it matter?" Rissa interjects. "There's no way to find out so we should just go in and fight." Her eyes flash." We need to free those people."

"But we shouldn't be rash either." Delia argues lightly.

"No, but we don't really have a choice, do we? There's no way to learn any more information about them without getting up close and if we do that, we'll get caught." Rissa says.

"Surely you saw what kind of weapons they used before you escaped?" Delia inquires.

Rissa looks irritated. "No, I didn't. They isolated us."

"What about you, Maya?" Iglesias asks. "Did you happen to see anything?"

Maya shakes her head. "No."

"Then I suppose Rissa's right." Iglesias hesitantly agrees. "There's nothing we can do to find out any more without running a risk of getting caught. All we can do is set our strategy to work.  Does everyone know which group they're in?"

"I don't." Xelin says. "I wasn't there when you put everyone into groups."

"No you wouldn't have been, we did just before we arrived.  Xelin you can go with Maya's group.  Her group are the ones that will set the captives free while myself and everyone in Rissa's group will fight as a distraction."

Xelin bobs his head in response, going to stand where Maya's group has already branched off from Rissa's.  Maya's group consists of  Maya, Delia, Xelin, and another older man that goes by the name of Vilh. Their group is smaller as not to attract attention during the fight. They have to be swift in order to set the captives free before the Shadowlanders catch wind of their plan.

"May the gods be with us."

〰〰〰

As soon as the prow of Kagon's rowboat knocks against the wood of the deck he's out of the boat, supplies already in hand. A quick tie and the dingy is secured safely to the deck.

With a grin as wide as the river itself Kagon steps off of the deck and on to the rich soil of land.

It's good to feel solid land under my boots. Kagon thinks happily as he walks forward towards the trading camp he spent his first night at.

The elf, Sydoni had said to meet an elf named Buryou to escort him to the high court where he would give them the sword and collect his reward.  With any luck Lelk and the others haven't set off yet. Lelk said he'd planned to set off in a week and it's been eight days. Hopefully, he was able to delay leaving. If not then Kagon has no way back to the shores of Lithko and eventually Pik. Thankfully the journey to the trading camp is a short one and Kagon makes good time, arriving in only thirty minutes since he set off.

As soon as he steps a foot into camp he spots a head of familiar greying hair, directing men in packing up their belongings.

"Lelk!" Kagon calls.

The man turns around and sighs in relief upon seeing the hero. "Kagon, my boy. You've arrived just in time, I held back leaving as long as I could, but we have to leave now while the tide is good." Lelk says approaching him.

Kagon's smile shrinks slightly. "I still have to deliver this to the high court." He gestures to the wooden sword wrapped protectively.

"Couldn't you just have that elf escort Sydoni told you to meet here take it?"

Kaon doesn't even think before shaking his head. "No, I can't. I started this journey and I plan to finish it."

"I respect that, my boy, but how will you manage to get back?"

"I'll find a way, I always do." Kagon reassures with a renewed grin.

Lelk laughs mirthfully. "That you do. Good luck, Kagon. If the Fates are kind I hope to see you again soon." Lelk claps him affectionately on the back.

"Thank you, good luck to you too."

At that the two men part, their paths separating once again.

Now to find Buryou...

"Any elves named Buryou!" Kagon shouts, unconcerned about being discreet.

A tall elf suddenly stands in front of him. "I am the one they call Buryou and you must be Kagon of Pik, correct?"

"Yes, I'm him." The hero grins, the elf unsurprisingly doesn't return the smile.

"And the sword?"

"It's the one wrapped in sackcloth strapped to my back." Kagon says.

"Good."

"And how long is our journey to the council?"

It will take us a two days on foot, but it will take us nearly a day traveling the river on boats."

Damn the Fates.

Buryou continues. "Let us set off immediately. The council has been expecting you and they've waited long enough for the sword's return."