The Rise of The Immortals

Chapter V : The Golden River

The sun shone brightly overhead. Deep within a forest, a strange group was struggling to make their way out of a mess of their own creation. Hanging upside down from a massive tree was a mare with a white mane, caught in a large net. Stuck with the panic-stricken animal were two little girls, an elf woman and a haggard man. The man was busy with cutting the net with his dagger as the elf, utterly fed up with the man, was in a state of intense fury.

"Two days..... I've been stuck with you for just TWO DAYS and I had almost died around three times already." Shir'lene spat at him. "Ate poisonous mushroom, almost drowned in a pond, crashed into a boulder, burned down my sash, fought off a damn bear, rolled down a short cliff and now this. All in TWO DAYS!! How did you live through all these years?"

"A question I ask myself every damn dawn, milady." Digatros answered struggling with the ropes. "And the bear was'nt quite my fault."

"YOU THREW A STONE DIRECTLY IN HIS CAVE!"

"A cave which I t'out was empty."

"Could you not hear its breathing!?"

"Well I ain't got dem damn long ears like ya now do I."

Veins popped out of Shir'lene's forehead and the option of gouging out his eyeballs appeared quite reasonable.

Finally the ropes snapped and the group fell with a thud. Most of them landed on the bandit, and a slight crack could be heard from his back followed by a loud, "AHhhOww!"

As they stood up and dusted themselves, a bunch of burly men emerged from the woods, laughing.

"Looks like we had a fine catch after a very long time" one of them said with a wild grin.

"I dunno about you but the lady looks pretty nice. Once we get done with the man she's all ours" said another while licking his lips.

Cracking his back Digatros approached the men. "Look ere fine fellers. We mean nay but ta pass through unharmed. Any oder day I would've loved ta play with ya, but taday I ave deez lil brats with us. So maybe another day, what say ya mates?"

A bearded man with a long scar across his eye came forward. "You think this is a joke donthcha. I'd really like to personally skin you alive." He said as he pulled out an iron mace.

"I tink dat brute means it. Say we carry a brat each and make a run far it." Digatros whispered to Shir'lene.

"See those two at the back with crossbows. We turn our backs and we will be pierced immediately." She whispered back.

"Aye den. Play it is. Yar wounds ain't fully healed yet. Guard the lassies. I'll andle deez mutts." Digatros declared as he wielded his twisted daggers.

There were ten of the men in total, each clad in leather armor and wielding axes, hammers, clubs, maces and crossbows. They were slowly coming closer in an intimidating manner. Shir'lene looked at Digatros like he was a madman. But the scene that followed made her believe that she severely underestimated his combat prowess.

Within a moment Digatros jumped in between the first two guys and dropkicked the third one right across his jaw as one of his daggers cleaved across the belly of a man right beside him. A man swung his club at his which he easily dodged and jammed his other dagger right in his lower jaw. All the men jumped him together. With a mastered set of moves he parried their blows and kept on slashing them at the joints and face. Two hammers came from opposite directions as he ducked and those hit the hitters themselves. Suddenly he flung a dagger which flew right between the faces and hit a man with a loaded crossbow right in the eye. He then held a man by the collar as he flipped over his head and landed right behind him and sunk his other dagger in his shoulder. The brutes started to fall one by one.

As he engaged them, two men with axes lunged towards Shir'lene. Using her bow she blocked their blows and slipped between their legs. She jerked the leg of one man and as he fell, grabbed his arm and twisted it a full 180 degrees. As he screamed in pain, the other swung his axe towards her. She rolled over as the axe struck the ground. Taking hold of the axe she kicked him right in the shins, thus freeing the axe from his grip. As he charged at her, she shoved the blade right in his head. Freeing it from the lifeless skull, she swung it towards the man with the broken arm, finally ending his suffering.

She turned to see Digatros charging at the last two men. He climbed on top of the man with the scar, barely missing a crossbow bolt and flung his remaining dagger towards the last wielder of the crossbow. Then he struggled a bit on the man's shoulders before grabbing his jaws and, with an aggressive shout, pulled them wide apart. Blood flowed freely from his mouth as both of them fell down. Digatros stood up and started panting, forehead glistening with sweat. Slowly he trudged towards the crossbow wielders and freed his blood-dripping daggers from their carcasses.

"We make a fine team, whaddya say milady?" He boasted while wiping the daggers in his trousers.

The elf kept silent, yet her eyes gave away the fact that she was quite impressed. Her hand went to her waist as a faint pain arose from the semi-healed injury. As the pain died down again, her eyes fell on his right shoulder. "You are wounded."

"Eh?" he asked as he looked at the blood tricking down his shoulder where one of the brutes got a lucky hit. " 'Tis nothin milady. I've lived through worse." He grinned.

The girls had stopped trembling by now and took into the bloodbath that lay in front of them. Reena closed her eyes as Nadia stood up to tend to Snowflake, who had injured her front left hoof as they fell.

They trekked for a few hours downhill in silence, until they reached the banks of the great river. The riverbed was glistening brightly in the light of the dying sun. As soon as they reached, Digatros undressed and dived into the cold waters, much to the annoyance of Shir'lene. She set up fire right on the bank as the bandit concluded his swim and went to hunt. They had picked up a couple of axes from the mercenaries which came very handy in his hunt, as they received a fully grown elk for dinner. As night fell, the river took a very different aura.

In the very dim light of the cloud covered moon, the river shone brightly in the hue of polished gold. It seemed like liquid gold flowed calmly beside them, with an occasional splash and burbling. The girls looked with awe, mouths agape at the sight. Digatros just sat there looking at them, a gentle smile creeping its way to the corner of his lips.

This was the speciality of the river Warlow. It emerged from the Ivory peaks, which was rich in a particular mineral. This mineral happens to absorb the light in the day, and shines in the bright golden hue at the night. The river carries this mineral from the peaks and sediments them in these lowlands thus making the riverbeds in these regions look like flowing gold.

"What does that symbol signify?" Shir'lene asked out of nowhere, pointing towards the bandit's right bicep.

"I dunno milady. It as been dere as long as I remember livin." Digatros sighed thoughtfully.

With a brief nod Shir'lene recommenced the cooking of the meat as the girls ran around the banks of the glowing river.

"You seem to be quite skilled with those daggers of yours." Shir'lene commented nonchalantly.

"Aye, my old man taught me imself. Deez lil darlins are known as the Fangs of Jormugandr. Handed down through generations." He spoke enthusiastically, spinning a dagger in two of his fingers.

"You father was a warrior?"

"My birth-fatha and motha were dead before I remember anythin. A thief picked up a five ear ol Digatros, and he's the one I came ta know as fatha. He taught me ta steal, ta run, ta fight. He made me an my lil sissy what took to be survivors. Then one day, he suddenly left us alone an walked away ta maker-knows-were....." He said looking dreamily towards the stars.

"Your sister?" asked the elf curiously.

"Pretty fine a lady. Was not my sis by blood. My old man picked er up like jus like me. Could bake as good as could she rake. We both were given a dagger each. Alas, she fell victim ta the sharp knife of a short life." Digatros looked down wearily.

Deciding not to push it any further, Shir'lene put the cooked meat out of the fire and called the girls for supper. That night they slept by the banks and recommenced their journey upstream first light next morning.