Deathless

Deathless Chapter Eight: Ragnor

Chapter Eight: Ragnor

Sunlight reflected off the water’s surface as the clear, calm current swept slowly southwards into the horizon. The Iamanus River, the longest river in all of Arlenia, seemed to stretch towards the very edges of Infinity, watering the crops of thousands of farms across the land. The Iamanus River, apart from serving as crucial irrigation for the farmers of the empire, also served as a guide for travelers that traveled upstream, towards Ninquelen, the capital, or downstream, towards the southern regions of the empire.

For this intrepid foursome, they traveled downwards, with the current of water, towards the Lacus Forest and the port of Seapoint. Risselyn led them along, like a wall of bulk leading a phalanx of soldiers onward into the fray. He held a map of Arlenia in his hands, provided for them by Rowlec.

“Okay, we turn west here, and turn from the river for about half a day,” he said after three hours’ journey from Ninquelen.

“Shouldn’t we keep to the river?” Lindale inquired. “Seapoint lies across it, due south of the Lacus Forest, which is right next to the Iamanus.”

“We head west now, and turn back east after half a day. It’s more direct a route if we take a pass through the Ragnor Hills rather than following the river straight.”

“If you say so.” Lindale had never heard of such a shortcut, but then again, he didn’t know the lands surrounding the City of Roses very well either. And even so, perhaps it was some sort of shortcut only the military knew about.

So they left the guide that the Iamanus River provided for them and followed the route that Risselyn supposedly showed them through the Ragnor Hills due west of Ninquelen, unaware that the path along the river ran straight downwards towards the banks of the Lacus Forest.

Hills.

--------------------------------------------------------

Five hours later, they still hadn’t found this supposed path through the Ragnor Hills.

“Do you have any idea where we’re going?” Vanya asked once more.“Damn it, shut up. You’re distracting me,” Risselyn snapped. “The path should reveal itself soon enough.”

“You said those exact words about three hours ago.”

“And like twenty minutes ago,” Sirya chimed in.

“Shut up!” Risselyn raised his voice this time. “Let me concentrate.”

Vanya gave a long sigh. “If you say so.”

“So it looks like we’re lost,” Lindale whispered to Sirya as they walked together behind the group.

“Look- he’s turning back again,” Sirya whispered as Risselyn stopped in his tracks, pulled out the map. looked about himself, and spun around.

“Go back that way,” he said, pointing. “That’s the right way.”

“Just like what you said ten minutes ago?” Sirya asked.

Vanya chuckled. Risselyn, however, was not amused. Instead of snapping this time, however, he seemed genuinely worried.

“J-j-just follow my lead,” he stammered. “We’ll get to the Lacus Forest in no time.”

They wandered through the Ragnor Hills for three more hours before Risselyn collapsed onto a rock, sweating terribly. He bowed his head, and looked absolutely dejected.

“Why hasn’t the path shown itself yet? I know I followed the directions right.” He sighed, exhausted.

The sun beat down on them stronger than ever in the mid afternoon, and the small, sloping hills that surrounded them offered no respite from the merciless rays of the fire that burned in the heavens.

“Let me see the map,” Sirya said after they had rested for some time.

Up until then, Risselyn had refused to show them the map, citing instead that he did not need any help. This time, however, he wordlessly extended his arm, handing it over.

Sirya studied the map, tracing her finger over to the northern edge of the island. She traced the path that had been drawn through the Ragnor Hills, the one Risselyn was supposedly following. Then she saw it.

She placed her hand on her forehead, exasperated. “You idiot,” she said simply. “What?” he asked, looking up, confused. “There is no path through the Ragnor Hills,” Sirya explained.

“Wait,” Risselyn said. He walked over to her and pointed at a traced line through the Hills of Ragnor and back to the River. “Then what’s this then? Surely it’s a path Rowlec meant for us to follow?”

“It’s the outline of one of the hills, imbecile!” Sirya snapped, now angry. “Of all the commanders and captains in the Battalion, we just had to get the one that can’t read a goddamn map!”

“I didn’t ask to be teamed up with lowlifes like you!” Risselyn said, his face reddening. “I am an Imperial Captain!”

“An Imperial Captain with no sense whatsoever!” Sirya retorted, raising her voice now downright furious.

Risselyn made a move to strike her, but Sirya dodged the strike and lashed out at him in turn. Her kick struck him in the groin. Hard.

“Ooof! Why, you little-” Risselyn shouted, barely able to gasp out words.

Before Sirya could render Risselyn unable to reproduce, however, Lindale came in between them.

“You done?” Lindale asked, coming up behind Sirya.

“Maybe another kick,” Sirya muttered irritably. And she kicked him a second time between the legs. Even harder this time. Risselyn fell to the ground, gasping in pain.

“Okay then,” Lindale said simply. “Now that we’ve got that over with, Sirya, go climb that hill and check out our surroundings. Gods only know why we didn’t do that sooner. Risselyn, try to stay conscious. I don’t find carrying your sorry hide for another four hours particularly appealing.”

“This isn’t over,” Risselyn managed to gasp.

“Sure it isn’t,” Sirya muttered, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Sirya climbed the hill nearest to them, which seemed to tower over the rest, while Risselyn sat up finally, still seething, nursing his sore groin area.

“I think she may have done permanent damage,” he said bitterly. “Oh don’t be such a crybaby,” Lindale murmured, clapping him on the back. “Don’t do that,” Risselyn muttered in reply. “It makes it worse.”

It took Sirya less than a minute to reach the top. Her body was well-suited for such tasks, and she had vast experience in such matters, owing to her past of questionable morals.

“I see something!” she called after surveying the area around them. “We’re surrounded on all sides by the Hills, but I think I see something over that way.” She pointed somewhere to their right.

“Is it the Iamanus River you see?” Vanya called back.

“Could be,” she answered. “Could also be the northern coastline. Either way, it’s our way out of here.”

“Good job,” Lindale said. “Now get back down here.” “Wait, I see something,” she said in a voice that was nearly a whisper.

“What was that?” Lindale asked.

“I said I see something!” Sirya shouted back, louder this time. “It looks a bit like...”

Then her eyes grew wide. “Bandits!”