Hero's Journey

Chapter 39

Kip kick at his attacker. Whatever thing that grabbed him makes a sound of pain and releases his leg from its hold.

"Are you alright, lad?" Kagon asks, hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yes." He whispers.

"Good." Kagon pats him on the back. "I think it's time for you to do whatever you need to do to shine the light on this situation. Staying in the darkness with this foe --though it is a thrill-- is not safe."

"Okay." Kip says, his voice a sigh that echoed throughout the whole cave. "Stand back."

Kagon arches a questioning brow, but does as he says, taking a couple steps back.

"Farther."

Kagon takes a couple more steps back.

"Alright, that's good."

Kip inhales deeply. Kagon in mid-breath touches his throat, eyes boggling. It is as if all the oxygen is being sucked out of the air and into Kip's lungs.

Kip holds his breath and touches a shadowy wall of the cave. From where his fingertips brush against the moist wall, the shadows there scurry away from his touch, making the whole wall completely visible.

The hero hurriedly places his hands over his ears as the sound of millions of high-pitch screams fill the air in place of the oxygen. The screams of shadows.

In a blur Kipdale moves from wall to wall, touching anything he can get his hands on and leaving visible patches everywhere.

Finally, just when Kagon feels he is about to turn blue from lack of air, Kip stands in the center of the cavern. Kagon can't see it, but the energy waves flooding from Kip is tangible, like a tsunami crashing everywhere at once. Kagon falls to his knees at the crippling force and nearly blacks out from both the pressure and lack of air.

Every shadow in all of the cave retreats. Sucked into Kipdale.

He exhales.

And collapses on the hard ground.

Kagon can breath once more. He can see too. See the ten short, black, whispy creatures staring at him with terrified, beady eyes.

"Pygmies?! Cousins of the dwarves bested me?!" Kagon's voice fills and echoes throughout the cave.

Kip doesn't even twitch at the loud noise, he is completely motionless from his slumped position.

Then, a huge hoard of terrified pygmies all rush towards the nearest exit only to find it blocked by bigger people, holding big weapons.

Kagon's grasp on his golden longsword tightens and he goes for the nearest pygmy, slicing through the creature. It makes a sound between a growl and a squeal and dissipates into blackness.

Kagon cuts through them two at a time. "Go back to Gahenna you cowards!"

The hero, in an angry rage spears two of them and moves on. The pygmies don't even attempt to fight back in their panic to leave.
He chops through them until there is only one left.

The pygmy looks around rapidly to see all of his comrades completely gone, sunk back into Gahenna, the hell in which they originated from in the first place. Kagon jumps the creature and grabs on to it before it can escape.

"Explain your mischief." Kagon demands.

The pygmy blinks at him with its black sparkling eyes. "The worshippers of the sacred mouth, Gahenna, they use us to fulfill..." As it speaks Kagon feels the creature slipping into shadow. A dark puddle on the floor.

"Stop!" The hero shouts, trying to stop it, but it is too late. The pygmy is gone, melded into the shadows like the rest.

When the last foe has vanished the brightness in the cave is once again enveloped in complete soupy darkness.

Kagon lets out a loud audible breath and gathers himself in the silence.

After a few moments the hero picks up Kip from the cold ground and walks him back outside and into the light.

The villagers guarding Kagon allow him to pass through. Delia is waiting for him there, a look of worry strewn across her comely face.

"Are you alright?!" Then she notices Kipdale. "Is he okay?!"

Kagon swallows. "Yes, we are both fine. He needs medical attention, though. He fell and I'm not sure if it was as bad as mine or not."

Immediately two of the villagers come over and offer to assist him. They even had a small medical area set up just for this occasion. Kagon sets the boy down and allows them to treat him.

"What happened?" Delia asks, seeing Kagon's grim features.

"We'll talk about this later." Kagon responds, motioning to all the people listening in.

Delia looks slightly frustrated, but nods nonetheless. "Alright."

"The lad is fine." One of the villagers helping Kip announces. "No sign of head injury, so he didn't clank his head on the stone when he fell, thankfully. He should come to soon."

"Good, bring him to Deon's house."

"Will do."

At that everyone heads down to Deon's house cheering for their victory, for the return of their mines.

Why then does Kagon only feel dread?