Guarding The River
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
The river was a little more than ten miles from the city, and it would take them about three hours to reach its banks. As they walked along in silence, I could see that my companions were all deep in thought. Even though we had been through so much together over these past few days, there seemed to be no easy way for us to talk about what happened at the palace of King Gaius Octavian.
We didn’t know where he’d gone or if his army still existed; even worse, we couldn’t say with any certainty whether our friends who remained behind might have survived. It wasn’t just me either: everyone else felt similarly lost without their comrades-in-arms by their sides.
“I’m sorry,” said Tanya after some time passed. “We should’ve done something.” She looked up at the sky as she spoke, her eyes glistening with tears. Her words made me feel like an utter failure. If only I hadn’t let myself get distracted…
Hadn’t taken my eye off the ball because things weren’t going exactly according to plan! But then again, how many times has this sort of thing already happened? And yet here we are now—we’re alive, but not unscathed. What’s important is that we can keep moving forward.
That’s why you need to stay calm and think clearly. You don’t want to make decisions based on your emotions when everything around you seems uncertain.
Trying desperately to shake away those dark thoughts, I took a step toward Tanya before stopping abruptly. My foot sank into soft mud beneath the surface, causing me to stumble slightly. When I lifted my gaze, I saw that the ground ahead was covered in thick vegetation.
There must have been a small stream nearby. This area probably used to be part of the forest surrounding the capital until long ago, but it had since become overrun with weeds and other plants. In fact, judging by the number of trees growing out of the water, I guessed this place was actually quite close to the river itself.
As I stood rooted to the spot, I heard someone call out to me from behind. Turning back, I found Liscia looking down at me. She smiled gently, saying, “It looks like we’ll have to go around…”
Lisciasaid as she pointed upstream. Judging by the direction of the current, I figured we needed to follow the riverbank downstream for another five hundred yards or so before reaching solid land once more. With that decided, I turned my attention back to the task at hand.
After walking several dozen paces further, I noticed a large tree trunk sticking out of the earth. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing special, but upon closer inspection, I realized that it was hollowed out inside. Aha! So this is one of those old ruins left over from ancient times.
There were plenty of such structures scattered throughout the region near the capital. Some of them dated back thousands of years, while others had been built during the reigns of various kings. They served as reminders of the glory days of the kingdom.
Most people simply ignored them, however, seeing them merely as vestiges of history rather than anything worth preserving. Still, it never hurt to check every nook and cranny. Just in case.
After climbing onto the log, I peered into the darkness within. Sure enough, there was a tunnel leading deeper underground. While I knew that most of these places wouldn’t necessarily lead anywhere useful, I also suspected that some might contain hidden treasures.
For example, I recalled hearing stories about an abandoned mine somewhere north of the capital which contained gold bars and coins dating back hundreds of years. Of course, none of us really believed the rumors, but it did give us hope nonetheless.
In addition to the treasure hunters’ tales, I remembered reading an article written by a scholar who claimed to have discovered an entrance to the underworld located underneath the royal castle. He wrote that he’d seen strange lights coming from below, suggesting that there was indeed something down there.
Unfortunately, he died shortly thereafter, leaving his research unfinished. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember the name of the author. However, I’d read the piece right after I started working for the military, so maybe I could find it among the documents stored in the archives.
With renewed determination, I began to search the interior of the tree trunk. To begin with, I checked the floorboards carefully, hoping to discover any clues as to what lay beyond. Then I moved on to examining the walls, searching for cracks or holes. Finally, I went straight to the ceiling, checking each beam individually.
Just as I reached the end of my rope, I suddenly spotted something shining faintly against the wall. Carefully removing a thin layer of dirt using my knife, I revealed a tiny hole. It seemed to be just big enough to fit through.
The light source came from a narrow slit cut into the opposite side of the opening. As far as I could tell, it wasn’t very deep, either. Perhaps it led directly to the ground outside.
Cautiously placing my hands on the edge of the hole, I slowly lowered myself downward. Once I got past the halfway point, I felt resistance underfoot. Apparently, whatever was blocking the way was still present. Reaching out with my fingers, I touched the object. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel particularly heavy. Maybe it’s made up mostly of air? Or perhaps it has no weight whatsoever…
I continued descending until finally touching the bottom. What awaited me was a stone staircase carved into the earth. From above, they looked like steps, but when I examined them closely, I realized that they formed a spiral pattern. That meant that if I kept going down, eventually I would reach the center of the world. If only I had a map!
“This must be where the stairs continue,” said Liscia, having followed along silently since the start. “But why are you here?”
The question caught me off guard. In truth, I hadn’t planned to come all this way. But then again, I suppose it makes sense. This place is probably connected to the underground labyrinth beneath the palace. And given the fact that we’re both adventurers, it stands to reason that we should investigate together.
Besides, even though this area seems deserted, there’s always the possibility that monsters will appear. We need to stay vigilant.
At least, that’s what I told myself. Truth be told, I wanted to see what else this mysterious stairway had to offer. Who knows, maybe it leads to the legendary treasure room mentioned in the legends. Even if it doesn’t, I’m sure we can make use of the space somehow.
And so, I decided to explore further without telling anyone about our discovery. After all, it wasn’t exactly safe to leave the path unguarded. Not unless one of us was willing to risk being attacked by wild animals.
***
We proceeded down the spiraling staircase for quite a long time before reaching a dead-end. There, I found another door set flush against the rock face. Unlike the other doors, however, this one was locked tight. A simple lock, at that. Probably not much more than a few pieces of iron held in place by a wooden frame.
It took me less than five minutes to pick the thing open. Just as I expected, the keyhole was covered with a small metal plate. When I inserted the tip of my dagger between the two plates, the entire mechanism popped loose.
Now that I thought about it, I guess this isn’t actually a proper dungeon. More likely, it’s some sort of secret passage used to move things around inside the mountain.
Once I removed the locking device, I opened the door and stepped inside. Immediately, I noticed several large crates stacked neatly against the wall. They were clearly filled with foodstuffs, judging from their size. Judging from the smell wafting from within, these weren’t ordinary supplies; rather, they smelled like fresh meat.
As I peered deeper into the darkness, I saw that the crates extended farther back into the cave. At first glance, everything appeared normal, except for the faint glow emanating from behind them. Curious, I approached the nearest crate.
When I did, a pair of glowing eyes suddenly shot toward me from the shadows. Instinctively, I raised my hand to shield my face. Before I knew it, I’d been knocked flat onto my butt.
A moment later, an enormous beast leaped over my head. Its body was easily three times larger than mine, its legs longer than my torso. With every step it took, the ground shook violently.
Fortunately, I managed to roll away in time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid getting trampled. My clothes tore apart as the creature stomped across my chest. Blood gushed forth, soaking my shirt.
Before I blacked out, I heard someone shouting my name.
“Liscia!”
My vision went dark, and I lost consciousness.
***
After regaining my senses, I discovered that I was lying on top of a pile of straw. I tried sitting up, but immediately regretted doing so. Pain stabbed through my abdomen, making it difficult to breathe. Fortunately, I soon regained control of my breathing once more.
Still groggy, I pushed myself upright. Looking around, I quickly deduced that I was in a stable somewhere. However, unlike most stables, this one lacked any stalls or animal pens. Instead, it seemed to have been built solely for storage purposes.
The walls were made of wood planks nailed tightly together. It also didn’t look very sturdy. Given how close I came to dying just now, I wouldn’t want to spend too much time here.
Then again…if I left right away, who would save Liscia? She could be injured, unconscious, or worse.
With those thoughts running through my mind, I slowly stood up. As I did, pain ran throughout my body. Every movement caused intense agony. If only I had something to dull the pain. Then again, I doubt anything short of magic potions would do the trick.
I glanced over at the stack of hay next to me. Maybe I’ll try using that instead.
Just then, a voice called out from nearby. “Are you okay?!”
Turning towards the source of the sound, I spotted a young girl standing near the entrance. Her hair was tied back with a ribbon, and she wore a white dress similar to the one I was wearing. In fact, her outfit looked almost identical. Wasn’t there a boy with her earlier…? No matter. This must be the daughter of whoever owns this place.
The girl rushed over to me. “Oh no! Are you hurt?! Please don’t push yourself.”
She gently placed a hand on my forehead. I felt warm blood trickle down my neck. Apparently, I’d cut myself while fighting off the monster.
“What happened?”
Her question caught me completely off guard. I hadn’t even realized I’d fallen unconscious until after the attack ended. By the time I woke up, I already knew what had transpired. That said, I still wasn’t sure why the girl was asking me.
“Um…”
Why is she looking at me like that? What should I say? Should I tell her the truth? Or maybe I shouldn’t mention that I’m a nobleman’s son?
In the end, I decided to keep quiet. After all, if word got out that I was attacked by monsters, people might start thinking I was crazy. And besides, I really didn’t feel like explaining the details to anyone else. Not yet, anyway.
Instead, I simply replied, “…it looks bad, but I think I can manage somehow,” before turning away.
For some reason, the girl frowned. “You’re not going anywhere. You need rest. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed hold of my arm. Once we reached the exit, she led us outside. A few moments later, I found myself seated under a tree beside the road leading to town.
It was nighttime, which meant everyone had gone home. There weren’t many passersby either. Still, the girl kept talking nonstop.
“…and then he started bleeding everywhere. He collapsed right where he stood, and when I touched him, his skin turned blue. But I guess I overdid it because he passed out. Oh dear, oh, dear. Is there nothing I can do?”
At first, I thought she was worried about me. Yet as I listened to her ramble on, I began to realize that she was actually concerned for herself.
“If only I had brought along some healing potions. I’ve never seen such injuries before. They aren’t serious enough to require immediate attention, though. So long as they stay clean, the wounds will heal naturally within two days’ time. At least, that’s what I learned during training.”
Apparently, she was a member of the royal family. I wondered whether she was related to the king. Judging by her appearance, she probably wasn’t royalty, but perhaps she served in another capacity.
As I pondered these things, the girl continued speaking.
“But I know better than to leave an injury untreated. Especially since I couldn’t find any bandages. All I could do was wrap them with a cloth soaked in water. I hope it works…”
While she spoke, she used her hands to demonstrate various techniques. While I watched, she applied pressure directly onto the wound itself several times. Then she wrapped gauze around my stomach. Finally, she poured some kind of liquid into a cup and held it against my lips. It tasted awful, so I quickly spat it out.
“Sorry. I forgot to ask your name. Mine is Roroa. Now then, please drink this. The potion will help reduce the swelling.”
After giving me the medicine, the girl sat down next to me. She seemed very nervous. For whatever reason, she wouldn’t stop staring at me.
“Do you have somewhere safe to sleep tonight?”
“Huh? Um, well, I suppose I could take shelter here for now.”
“That won’t work. If you stay inside someone else’s house, you’ll put their lives at risk too. Besides, I doubt the owner would want strangers sleeping in his barn. We should go somewhere safer.”
Roroa offered to escort me back to the castle. However, I declined. I told her I wanted to return to the capital alone.
“Hmph… Well, fine. Just remember: don’t cause trouble or make enemies.”
With those parting words, the girl left. As soon as she did, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. When I looked over, I saw a man wearing armor walking toward me.
He must be one of the knights who were dispatched to investigate the incident. His face was covered by a helmet, so I couldn’t see anything beyond his eyes.
I tried to stand up, but pain shot through my body. My head throbbed terribly, and I fell flat on the ground again.
When I finally managed to sit upright, the knight stopped just short of me.
“What happened to you?!”
The moment he shouted, the other soldiers drew closer. Their voices echoed across the forest.
“Sir! Sir!”
“Who are you?! Where’s the person responsible for attacking our comrade?!”
One of the men rushed forward, grabbing hold of my arms. Another followed suit, while the third took position nearby.
“Don’t touch him! Let me handle this.”
A familiar voice cut through the commotion. In front of us stood a woman dressed in black leather. Her hair was tied back tightly, making her look like a warrior.
She wore a sword on her hip, and her expression was stern. Despite being surrounded by armed guardsmen, she didn’t seem intimidated in the slightest.
“Lady Roroa, thank goodness you came. This man attacked Lord Gaius without provocation. What do you intend to do with him?”
“We’re taking him to the palace immediately. No matter how much blood flows, no harm shall come to him.”
Her tone made it clear that she intended to protect me. Even if she hadn’t said anything, I knew she’d keep watch over me until I returned safely to the capital.
“Thank you,” I replied. “Please let me repay you somehow.”
“You needn’t worry about that. You saved my life today, after all.”
“No—that isn’t true. Your servant risked his own safety to save mine. And yet you still treated me kindly.”
“It’s not necessary. Please rest assured that we’ll bring justice to whoever is responsible for this attack. Rest easy.”
Despite her assurances, I felt uneasy. I doubted anyone would ever pay for what they had done to me. But even so, I decided to trust Lady Roroa. After all, she was a noblewoman. She might be able to get results where others failed.
***
After leaving the woods, I headed straight home. There weren’t many people outside; most likely everyone was indoors because of the cold weather.
My father greeted me when I arrived. He asked me why I was late, and I explained everything to him.
“So you got caught up in something dangerous, huh?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Well, I’m glad nothing serious happened to you. I guess it can happen to anybody though, eh?”
“Yeah. It really does feel bad to think there aren’t any heroes anymore.”
Dad chuckled at my remark, which made me smile.
“By the way, Father…”
“Hmm?”
“Did you know that the king has been kidnapped?”
“Kidnapped? By whom?!”
His reaction surprised me.
“Why haven’t you informed the authorities?!”
“Because I don’t believe it myself. I mean, I’ve never seen such an outrageous story before. Why would the king run away from his own country? How could he possibly escape the entire royal guard?”
“But—”
“Besides, I don’t care enough to report it. The kingdom will survive without its ruler. Plus, I doubt the kidnappers’ demands are reasonable anyway.”
Father seemed completely unconcerned by the situation. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
“Anyway, I hope you’re feeling better. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Thanks, Dad. I promise I’ll be careful next time.”
As I watched him leave, I wondered what I should do. Should I tell the truth to my parents, or pretend I was sick and skip school tomorrow?
I decided against telling them the whole story. If I told Mom about the kidnapping, she’d probably panic. Besides, I wanted to avoid getting involved in whatever mess was going down. So instead, I lied and said I was unwell.
That night, I went to bed early. While lying in my room, I thought about the events of the day.
First, I met the mysterious girl. Then I ran into some bandits, only to have the leader turn out to be someone else entirely. Next, I fought off several knights who were trying to capture me. Finally, I ended up in the middle of a battle between two rival families. All in all, it was quite an eventful afternoon.
And now…
Now I was alone in my bedroom, thinking about the future.
In fact, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was I destined to become a hero? Or perhaps I was simply born under unlucky circumstances. Either way, things kept happening around me. Maybe one day, fate would lead me to fulfill my destiny as the Hero.
Or maybe I’d just end up dead.
Either way, I needed to find a solution. As long as I remained alive, I wouldn’t give up.
The following morning, I woke up earlier than usual. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten breakfast.
Since I planned to go to school later, I ate quickly. When I finished eating, I looked at the clock. Ten o’clock already?!
What am I doing awake this early? I must be crazy!
I hurriedly threw on clothes and left the house. On the street below, I saw a group of children playing with sticks. They appeared to be having fun.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around, I found myself face-to-face with the same young woman from yesterday.
She smiled cheerfully. “Good morning!”
“Oh, uhm… Good mornin’.”
“Are you heading to school today?”
“… Yeah.”
“Then let me accompany you. We may need to hurry if we want to make it in time.”
“Huh…? Uh, okay then.”
We walked together toward the city gates. A few minutes later, we reached the entrance to the academy grounds.
“Thank you very much,” I said.
“You’re welcome.”
When I entered the building, I noticed how quiet it was compared to normal. Everyone seemed subdued like they didn’t know what to say.
Once inside the classroom, I took my seat near the back corner of the class. After greeting the teacher, I waited for her to begin the lesson.
It felt strange being here after everything that had happened. But I tried not to dwell on it. Instead, I focused my attention on the book in front of me.
Soon, the bell rang. Time to get ready for the lunch break.
The End