Hero's Journey

Chapter 74

Kagon's stomach grumbles, reminding him of the measly meals he has been eating. Nearly a week has passed since Kagon and his friends have been thrown into the brig and each day they all receive only one small portion of stale bread and water. Kagon looks at the gaunt and thin forms of the prisoners around him, fearing that soon he will look as hungry and dead inside as them.

Kagon turns his head tiredly and looks at Delia. Beads of sweat dot her brow from the oppressive heat that all the bodies make. She looks terrible with her eyes sullen and her body limp where it is propped up. Maude and Tavius don't look any better.

Kagon opens his mouth to say something to her, but is interrupted by the clunking noise of feet descending down the stairs. Two crew mates enter the brig with baskets of stale loafs. Kagon's stomach growls and he's surprised at how good that an old piece of bread sounds to him.

The two crewmates toss the food in the direction of each chained person whilst talking to each other and laughing. "These filthy dogs won't last much longer." One with a scraggly beard sniggers.

"No, they won't." The other, a woman, with a tattoo stretching across her face replies with an amused grin. "Good thing we'll be stopping at a port come nightfall. When we fix up the ship, we'll also gather more supplies so we can feed the cargo more. The Shadowlanders do prefer their sacrifices healthy, so we'll be sure to fatten them up." She smirks, looking at the skinny, malnourished people.

Right before the tattooed woman's gaze falls on him, Kagon closes his eyes and feigns sleep. In reality, his mind is on high alert in an attempt to gather any details he can.

Maybe we can go through with our escape after all. We now know the time in which we'll be docking. The only thing holding us back are the chains on our ankles.

"That's true." Kagon hears the scraggly bearded man agree. "I can hardly wait until we get our next pay. I'm going straight to the bar and brothels of Duzbuzz!"

"Of course you are." The woman says, sarcasm practically dripping from her words. Kagon can imagine the woman rolling her eyes.

The man laughs. "But in the meantime you and I have to work late tonight along with a couple others. It's important to keep watch over the cargo so they don't try anything funny once we dock."

"Agreed." She says.

Kagon feels a piece of bread land into his lap and then he hears the crew mates footsteps as they ascend the stairs. Keeping his eyes closed for a moment longer, Kagon makes sure that they are gone before reopening them.

His hope of escaping had become squashed within the time that his eyes were closed. As the crew mates said, there would be a heavy guard posted near the brig in order to prevent any "funny business."

That includes halting any escape myself and the prisoners might attempt.

Kagon knows that he could defeat the guards, especially with Maude, Tavius, and Delia by his side. However, getting all of the injured and unhealthy prisoners safely out is an impossibility if there are a lot of guards keeping watch.

Not to mention, they'll expect an escape. Kagon adds inwardly, shoulders slumping as he succumbs to the inevitable negativity that has been pressing on him for awhile.

My first defeat in awhile. Kagon muses bitterly. A defeat to an imaginary beast that prowls in the corner of one's mind. Negativity, hopelessness, darkness.

Like the other half-dead people --nearly dead in body an soul-- Kagon curls up on the dirt-ridden floor and goes to sleep.

Even nightmares are better than this.

〰〰〰

Kipdale of Lanthos wades through the green mist alone. A phantom version of Kagon and Delia walk beside him, but he knows that it really isn't them, it's just an image that has been put up to represent their journey together.

He is not comforted by their expressionless faces nor their stiff movements. Sometimes, Kip wonders if the phantoms were sent to mock him, to let him know that his friends are not with him and that there is nothing that he can do to save them from where he is.

Kip's heart still hurts from seeing Delia in the distress she was in when she had explained that they had all been thrown in The Dogfish's brig. He can still hear Delia's sobs and feel the wetness of her tears when he held her close. Kip hasn't seen her since that night and he's begun to worry if she's hurt or that Daqua is cutting their connection. Either way, it is not good.

"And I can't do anything!" Kip suddenly shouts, agitation flaring like a lightning strike across a stormy sky.

This anger builds up his strength and he whips around to fully face the pair of red-violet eyes that stalk his every movement.

The eyes narrow when they see that he has stopped walking the eternity that he has been. Kagon and Delia's phantom's, however, do not stop. Kip watches as their forms fade and eventually disappear into the dark. Kip then turns back to the eyes, rebellion sparking within him and melding with his fear.

"Daqua of the Shadowlands, High Priest of Gahenna, I will not stay within this trance any longer!" Kip feels the power of the darkness of Gahenna shift beneath his skin. He feels it's strength.  The chasm calls to him, telling him that he's close. This terrifies Kip, but now that he is near to the pit, he knows that his power has been regained.

Kip smiles, lips taut like a gash on a person's skin. "Through Gahenna's chaos I gain strength  as my position as primary sacrifice. I have more power than you, High Priest! Enough power that I will force my awakening and save my friends." Kip feels a build up in his chest, it is nearly to hard for him to bare. "Be terrified, High Priest! For when my friend's and I come to the Shadowlands, Yours and Gahenna's power will be diminished!"

The eyes flash with rage and a booming voice reverberates throughout the misty green nothingness. "You will either die as a sacrifice to the Great goddess or you will die in the attempt to remove the holy mark she has bestowed upon you!"

"So be it!" Kip screams.

Then, it all turns to complete and utter black.

Until...

Kipdale opens his eyes, but what he sees is not a foggy oblivion, but the scratchy, wooden floor of a ship's floor. Kip tries to sit up, but bumps his head on something. Panic seizes his chest and he shoves himself out from underneath the bed he had been hidden under and out into the open floor of the cabin.

Moonlight, silvery and pure washes over his form from the porthole above the bed. Kip takes a deep breath, inhaling the brine and salt of the Lividia ocean. He lays still for a moment before pushing himself up and to his feet.

It feels so strange to be back...

Kip goes to the window and looks out. A smile makes its way on to his face when he sees what lies outside. Waves of the ocean bash against the docks of some port and he can hear the clatter of people below.

They're repairing damages to the ship. He realizes, grin growing. Delia and Kagon may not be able to follow through with their original plans from where they are in the brig, but I can do it for them.

Kip feels a surge of strength from the shadow stain on his back at the thought of a fight. He hates to use Gahenna's power but...I will if I have to.