Ludo, Althea and Poghos marched through the treacherous overgrowth on the forest floor as they hurried back to Balessia. They had gotten their proof of kill by taking one of the giant’s rings, which to a normal person looked more like a necklace or a piece of armor rather than jewelry. With little setbacks up until that point, the group arrived at the familiar sight of the empty river, which was not as empty anymore.

Volatile waters roared as they flowed furiously through the river’s basin. The current ripped pieces off the cliff and the forest which grew on its side and dragged them down below. Large waves bounced off the cliff, sprinkling water up to where the three of them where.

“Looks like a flash flood.” Poghos peeked down at the hostile waters. “Only thing we can do is wait.”

“How long!?” Althea said.

Poghos shrugged. “These floods usually last a week, maybe more.”

“We don’t have that long!”

Althea looked down at the rapids, she was restless as she traveled back and forth parallel to the cliff. To Ludo it was obvious she was trying to justify and find a way to pass through. At that point, Poghos stepped forward with an unfriendly expression.

“Look, if you two are mad enough to go through that, and I take it you are for going after a giant by yourselves, then you can go. I don’t plan to die so soon after escaping from being eaten alive.” Poghos then walked back and sat on a nearby rock.

“Ludo, how much will it take us if we go around the empty river?” Althea said.

“Go around it!?” Poghos laughed. “Girl, there is no way to go around it, its a gorge that goes on for days.”

“But there must be another way!”

“I think Poghos is right, Althea, we shouldn’t risk it, I don’t think Walter would mind if we arrived a few days past the deadline.” Ludo said.

“You don’t know him. He is a horrible person and won’t hesitate to destroy us if it means he would get his money earlier.”

“You two seem to be troubled by him. What’s your business with that man?” Poghos said.

Althea began to tell Poghos the same story she told Ludo. Poghos took great care to listen to it, not interrupting her as she went on. She explained in great detail how her father had gotten into a debt he owed to Walter and how she had promised her father to work for him until the debt was settled.

“What a lazy father you have.” Poghos said. “I wouldn’t be able to face my daughter if I was in his situation.”

Althea jumped from her place, her face red with rage and she cursed Poghos in such a way that left Ludo both men speechless.

“Don’t you dare!” She roared. “I’m here in my father’s stead because he’s old and not because he threw his responsibilities at me! He worked himself to death in his earlier years and now he is frail and old and treated unfairly. I will not stand by and let my father suffer.”

Ludo felt as though the air around the three of them tensed up. Poghos gritted his teeth and growled at Althea’s insults and Ludo jumped between the two before things got worse.

“Alright, calm down both of you! We are in the same page that we need to return to Balessia soon.”

Poghos spat on the ground and settled down on his rock again while Althea muttered something and stomped off on her own. Ludo waited a few minutes, expecting her to come back once she had cooled off. Yet the minutes went by and she was nowhere to be seen. Afraid that something might have happened to her, he turned back to look at Poghos.

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“You stay here!”

Ludo then ran towards the direction Althea went off and began to yell her name but she never appeared. In desperation, attempted to activate his magical eyes, but his mind was scrambling and panicking and it proved difficult to focus, yet after much struggle to do so, he was finally able to use it. With his ability, he searched around frantically, hoping to find her. After much searching, his eyes would catch a glimpse of her, sitting on a stump by a small lake. Ludo ran up to her but stopped close behind.

“Althea! Are you alright?”

Althea sat still, not responding to Ludo’s question and her face glued to the ground. Ludo walked and sat beside her, not saying a word. His mind raced thinking on what to say to cheer her up. After much thought, he finally spoke.

“Althea, you don’t have to worry, we will make it in time.”

Althea raised her head a little bit and looked at him.

“You think so?” After she said this, something inside her broke and she began to sob. Ludo moved to face her, grabbed her hands and looked her dead in the eye.

“We will reach Balessia in time, Althea. Don’t lose hope, we will get Walter off your family’s back.”

“Thanks…” Althea said, her cyan eyes seem to shine brightly again. “I’m sorry for acting like that. You have helped me all the way and I’m here, throwing tantrums.”

“Don’t worry. I understand that you’ve been under a lot of pressure.”

Althea nodded and thanked Ludo again. “But we really need to get back to Balessia, Ludo. Or else…”

“Or else what?”

“He threatened my father that… that he would hire tritons to go after us.”

Althea looked he was about to burst into tears again. Not wanting to see her like that, Ludo tried to get her attention and stated clearly.

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen, I don’t care who this ‘tritons’ are, but I’ll make sure they don’t come close to you or your family.”

Althea let out a meek smile and the two returned soon after to where Poghos was and saw the setting sun as a sign that they needed to set up camp soon. After they had done just that, Ludo had Poghos and Althea sit down and talk while he tried to keep things civil between them.

“Look, I’m sorry for insulting your father.” Poghos said. “Now that I know the full tale, I actually pity you. I wish I could help you.”

“Thanks, but I overreacted first, I shouldn’t have behaved that way.” Althea said.

With things settled between the two, Ludo lit a fire and began to prepare a rabbit he had caught earlier and the heavy atmosphere of the group faded away as they ate and drank, Poghos began to tell them stories about the journeys he had been part of with other adventurers and ended the tale with a Lobid folk tale in their original tongue with Althea joining along. The night went by in a breeze and by midnight Althea excused herself and disappeared into her tent, leaving Poghos and Ludo alone.

“Is there any other route we can take?” Ludo asked all of a sudden.

Poghos went deep into thought and with a deep sigh replied. “There might be, but we were able to cross thanks to Otar’s magic the first time. I’m afraid that with him dead, it would be impossible to ford the river that way.”

“How far away are we from that place?”

“Around eight days. That is if we don’t stop.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Hey wait a moment kid.” Poghos pointed at his leg. “I’m weak, wounded and with no way of defending myself properly.”

Hearing this, Ludo dove to the tent he and Poghos were using and retrieved his bag. He pulled out a random assortment of items until he found what he was looking for. He took out Otar’s staff and dangled it in front of Poghos, whose eyes opened wide and ears shot upright at the sight of such a thing. His reaction was enough to tell Ludo what he held on his hands but he had to confirm it with Poghos’ own words. He only needed to push the old Lobid with the right question.

“So this is important to you?”

“Indeed it is.” Poghos said. “A grand staff that’s invaluable for any wizard that wants to mend magic to their will. A grand staff that belonged to my dear friend Otar, I assume.”

“Yeah. I’ll give it to you only if you agree to be our guide and lead us to that crossing and Balessia in time.”

Poghos backed away and became silent. Ludo looked back at Althea’s tent and silently prayed that Poghos would accept the deal for her sake. The standoff was short lived as Poghos chuckled and scratched his head.

“Alright, boy. You win.”

Ludo handed the staff to Poghos and the two of them shook hands and a familiar message appeared on Ludo’s vision.

POGHOS HAS JOINED YOUR PARTY

“Just so you are aware, Ludo. I’m still wounded and if there is any moment where I feel like my life is in danger, I will put myself first and leave you and Althea to the monsters if I must.” Poghos quickly added.

“That won’t happen.”

With their issues settled and an agreement reached. Ludo could finally rest easy for the night, there was still the question of how they would cross but that could wait until tomorrow. Ludo would soon be able to fall asleep with the sound of the roaring waves of the river a fair distance away, a grim reminder of the obstacle they would have to overcome in the following days.