Hero's Journey

Chapter 50

It appears that I'm alone then.

"Fine." Delia says, frustrated about the whole ordeal.

Heswyn digs in her bag and extracts a map hand-written on yellow-green papyrus. "My teacher gave me this map to assist us." She points to a small craggy outline with wavy slopes cascading down the middle. "This is Mivv's Tresses. It shouldn't be too very far from here considering the waterfall feeds the lake just off of the Paridian encampment."

"At least it's not far." Delia says, raw nerves eating away at her.

〰〰〰

An insidious smirk carves its way on to a certain hero's face as the sailor guarding his cell begins to nod off.

This is my chance.

Kagon slips his hand underneath his yellow-stained mattress and pulls out the butter knife he had stolen from his guard's plate while he ate breakfast. On silent feet, Kagon pads over to the bars of his cell and quietly looks out. His smirk turns into a full-blown grin that stretches from cheek to cheek as he sees his guard dead asleep.

At last.

The hero sticks a muscled arm through the bars and works the knife into the lock. After awhile of jiggling and silent curses....click.

"Haha!"

The guard shifts at the loud noise. Kagon quickly pulls his hand from the bars and does his best to look innocent.

But looking innocent when you're this devilishly handsome does pose as a problem. Kagon thinks with a smile.

When the guard doesn't move or shift any further, Kagon gently pushes open the prison door. He winces at the dreadful squeaking sound it makes, but the guard doesn't even crack open a droopy eye.

Carefully, Kagon treads towards the guard where his weapons and gear lay idly. Swiftly, the hero straps on his things and climbs up the creaky stairs until he reaches the deck of the ship. Blinking away the harsh sunlight, he assesses all that surrounds him.

The captain stands with perfect posture overlooking the ship. Kagon is sure to hide behind a stack of crates as not to be seen by his hawk-eyes. Besides that, some of the crew check up on the ship while the more unlucky ones swab the deck. A single watchman looks through a telescope from the crow's nest above.
None of them have much to do considering the ship is anchored as they await Heswyn and Delia's return.

It's been too long. They need me to come to their rescue. Kagon thinks as he slowly creeps closer and closer to one of the ship's last dinghies.

After making sure no one is glancing his way, Kagon hauls himself into the small boat and immediately ducks down. Slowly, he lifts his head up over the rim and peers out on to the deck. No one had noticed him scramble into the boat.

Kagon lets out a small sound of relief before he begins sawing away at the ropes that keep the dinghy suspended over the sparkling blue of Lividia Ocean.

Snap!

Kagon lets out a shout of surprise --and partly fear-- as the last piece of rope is cut free, allowing the dinghy to free fall into the white-crested waves below.