“That’s impossible,” Lorik said. “We walked here on solid ground.”
However, it was apparent they were indeed adrift with water swirling around their small hillock. Looking out over the terrain, the entire landscape transformed sometime during the night and their hill was now an island floating in a swirling, massive lake. No longer a landscape of eddies and pools, the entire region was covered in water, with small mounds adrift in the currents.
“Dalyn cautioned us that this place was a region of traps,” Aaron commented. “The question is where are we going?”
“Well, it seems that our general direction is southeast, perhaps toward the center of the Waste,” Braden said.
“At least that’s helpful.” Lorik didn’t convey any confidence in his tone. He turned to Aaron. “Captain, what do you suggest? Do we try and navigate the currents or just drift along with them?”
Aaron thought for a moment. “We drift,” he said. “I don’t see any other possibility, and it would appear that the current is taking us in the direction we wanted to travel anyhow. If this continues and our little island keeps floating, I don’t see as we have any choice in the matter. Besides, trying to swim in this septic water would be hazardous beyond belief.” The other two nodded their agreement.
The sun broke over the horizon, its brilliance illuminating the terrain. The day, in any other part of the world would have been delightful as the radiant streams of light filtered through the pale blue sky. However, Aaron found that drifting in the rank, festering pool of swirling water was a tedious task.
By midday, the sun shone high overhead, and though it was just beyond the trailing edge of winter, the stagnant air was exceptionally warm. Steam rose from the water as the sun shone on the surface of the earth. With the steam, the stench of decaying vegetation filled the air.
Without warning, their land-barge came to an abrupt stop. Aaron stumbled as their small island struck some unknown barrier beneath the surface. He looked around the edges, careful not to touch the water, and saw nothing that would indicate the nature of the obstruction. Aaron scratched his head in perplexity at their situation.
Braden cut a long branch from a bush on the peak of their earthen raft and used it in an attempt to push against the bottom of the pool. “Captain!” He shouted.
Aaron went to the back, where Braden stood. “Yes, what is it?” His voice hinted at his frustration.
“Captain, I think I have found the reason for the sudden stop… we’ve run aground.” Braden sounded just as frustrated as Aaron felt as he pointed out the depth of the water.
Aaron sighed, not knowing what to do, when Lorik called to him from the front of their little land mass. Aaron walked over the peak of the mound and saw Lorik staring out over the landscape. “Captain, you’ve got to see this!”
Aaron assessed the scene, unsure of what the sergeant was referring to, until the ripples slowed and tiny dots of land started emerging from below the surface. The water, for no apparent reason, was receding and brought their voyage to an unexpected halt. Within thirty minutes, the lake had so significantly decreased that they could walk again on dry ground, avoiding the small pools that remained.
“Well,” Aaron remarked, “what do we do now?”
Lorik examined the landscape. “I’ve not seen anything like it!” he exclaimed. “Do we try and continue on foot? Or will we be trapped on some spit of land that won’t float?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Aaron said. “I think I would rather take my chances on foot, though. I don’t like the idea that we simply drift and subject ourselves to the whims of the currents.”
“What of the warning from Dalyn?” Braden questioned. “Did he not say that this place is full of traps? Maybe we must stay aboard our land-raft in order to safely cross the Waste. It could be that we just got lucky to happen upon this floating platform and that the Waste normally swallows up those who stay too long.”
Aaron took in the entire situation. For all his experience, he couldn’t begin to fathom a solution for their dilemma. Stay or go—those were the only two choices but which one would prove to be right? Lorik and Braden peered at him with anxiousness in their eyes, waiting for their captain to make the final decision. Aaron was loathe to stay, dreading the idea of just passing time with no purpose other than to hope the waters will rise again and drift them casually to their destination. But leaving invited the possibility of disaster as the three of them could find themselves trapped by the rising waters.
Ultimately, Aaron’s need to act overrode his concern for what might come. “We go south,” he said, hoisting his pack onto his shoulders, and gazing at the terrain ahead. Lorik shrugged his shoulders and Braden, reluctantly, heaved his pack onto his back as both men followed the captain.
Their journey was no different than when they first set out. Often they found their passage blocked by pools of stagnant water, forcing them to backtrack and find more sure footing. They had drifted several miles into the Waste during the night, and were far closer to the center of the region than they first realized. They walked for hours as the warm sun shone through the brown, hazy mist that hung over the entire expanse. Vapors continually wafted up from the reeking pools, making the air dense with the noxious fumes. Braden and Lorik both looked weary and were relieved when Aaron called for a halt to their laborious march.
They took the opportunity to open some of the wrapped items that Dalyn had placed in the captain’s bag. Carefully stored in thin but strong cloth, were several large, flat leaves, looking as if they had come from an oak tree but thicker, with hardy stems. They were brilliantly green, easily reflecting the sunlight. Silver veins, like threads of the precious metal, ran like miniature streams from the main stem to the tips. Beneath the leaves, Aaron found an assortment of items useful to any traveler: a flint and striker, several bundles of dried fruit, bread, cheeses and a large flask of water.
Standing and stretching his tired, weary muscles, Aaron hoisted his pack and started south. The sun began its descent toward the western horizon, but still offered its warm, penetrating glow to the travelers. Braden and Lorik picked up their packs and followed the captain deeper into the Waste. Far in the distance, several miles ahead of them, a large mound rose up like a monolith compared to the small, undulating hills that dotted the landscape. From where they stood, the three companions noticed the shape of an ancient castle perched atop the hill.
Aaron pressed on, eager to reach higher ground and escape the constant rebuke of the myriad of pools and streams hindering their progress. As they traveled, he noticed that the ground slowly ascended and the way became easier. The pools of water receded and more grasses and stunted shrubs grew. They found better footing as they continued southward, and appreciated not having to backtrack to navigate the terrain. Even the air cleared of the vaporous fumes, and the stench of the pools dissipated.
“Captain, I’m glad you decided to continue on,” Lorik said. “If we had stayed on that floating island, I doubt that it would have brought us this far.”
Aaron, however, was not as ready to rejoice. He kept a steady eye on the castle looming larger and more ominous with each step. The hill upon which it stood posed a far greater challenge than he had originally thought. The walls of the cliffs were formidable and only a narrow access road appeared to meander up to the plateau. It stretched for miles across the horizon, and to go around it would take far longer than simply climbing over the top. But Aaron was wary of the castle. He dismissed it as his own imagination, but seemed certain that their passage was being forced toward the ancient citadel. He began to feel like the entire landscape was set to corral them like cattle into a pen.
“I don’t trust this,” Aaron said, whispering under his breath.
“What do you mean, Captain?” Braden asked.
“This area. It seems as if it is forcing us toward the rise and the castle perched there. When we keep our feet moving toward it we find the passage easy and the way unhindered. Yet, when we try to move in a different direction, the landscape itself seems to force our feet back toward the castle. It may be coincidence, but I find it peculiar that all other ways become too impassable when we venture west or east. Something or someone in that structure is bringing us to it.” Aaron’s tone was cautious. “Keep your eyes open and let me know if you see anything. Keep sharp… something’s not right.” Far ahead of them, several miles still to go, the castle waited in shadowed patience.
The sun rested low upon the horizon when the three companions finally stopped their arduous march in the Waste. They rested on a grassy knoll that supported a few stunted trees and thorn bushes. None of them found comfort with the brown, haggard foliage as they quickly made camp for the evening. Slowly the sun sank over the mountains, covering the world in a rich blanket of deep red and orange before fading into darkness. The warmth brought on by the day gave way to the crisp, chill air of night while overhead the clear sky was punctuated with stars beyond count.
Aaron couldn’t rest. Nightmarish dreams plagued his sleep and caused him to wake, restless and apprehensive. He was already moving about when Braden woke. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the dwarf rose and gathered enough wood scraps to ignite a small fire. He struck the flint once… twice and a spark leapt off the stone and ignited the pile.
The brush and wood gave off a hideous odor, like that of sulfur and burning flesh. Black, thick smoke billowed from the minuscule campfire and left an oily residue on all that it touched as it drifted along a slight breeze. Aaron and Braden stationed themselves on the opposite side of the fire, trying to stay out of the path of the putrid smoke.
“Well,” Braden grunted. “I had hoped to boil up some water for a spot of coffee and a hot meal. But I don’t want to let that smoke come near our food!” He paced around the small campfire, kicking dirt on it to extinguish the flames.
“Dalyn said there was nothing in this region possessing any good quality. Apparently that applies to things that burn as well.” Aaron let a quick smile cross his face as he watched the dwarf stomp and kick dirt upon the fire. “Come,” he continued, “let’s just have a brief, cold meal and press on toward that castle. We should reach it in less than a day if we direct our course straight toward it.”
Lorik had woke when Braden kicked dirt on the fire and sat up. He stretched and rubbed the stubble on his face. “For what reason, Captain?”
“Well,” Aaron spoke thoughtfully, “curiosity for one; for another, because all our efforts to navigate around it have proved insufficient. We are being guided there by this intolerable land, so I would rather go there directly and confront whatever it is that awaits us than be sucked in and caught off guard.”
Braden and Lorik nodded in agreement as they gathered their belongings and repacked their satchels. The night had not yet passed when they started in a direct line toward the castle, perched and waiting for them in the distance.
Fortunately the clear evening and brilliant moon gave the travelers ample light to navigate the terrain. Their journey started taking them more southwest than directly south as they were now almost in the heart of the Waste. Time meandered by as they plodded along the rough, rising landscape. With each difficult step the ascent became steeper, slowing them down and straining their already weary muscles. They ate on the move, walking and trying to expedite their travel to the large, looming castle. The sun peeked above the horizon when they arrived at the foot of the hill, on which stood the keep.
Looming above, the castle stood as an imposing fortification atop a seemingly insurmountable rise. High stone walls surrounded the entire central structure, protecting the inhabitants within. Aaron could not begin to imagine what must be on the inside. Large, square guard towers kept vigil at each corner with arrow slits evenly spaced along the parapet. An iron portcullis protected the main entrance which consisted of two large wooden doors rounded at the top and reinforced with mammoth crossbeams.
With uncounted laborious steps, the three travelers climbed the hill and finally stood at the main gate, exhausted. A chill wind blew across the summit. The hill was dotted with small, stunted trees and various other flora, none of which Braden could identify. However, in contrast to the surrounding Waste, the hill was alive with life. Birds fluttered and nested in the trees; the sound of chirping crickets and other noises filled the air as dawn caressed the land. Tall grasses surrounded the massive stone keep, making it appear that no foot had stepped on the premises for an eon.
Upon closer inspection, the gate was pitted and rotted with age. The iron bars of the portcullis showed tremendous signs of rust and decay but still barred their entrance quite effectively. The three men walked around the circumference of the stone castle, finding nothing more than what was seen at the front gate, tall grasses, overgrown shrubs and thorny vines. No other entrance presented itself, and no amount of pressing against the cold iron bars could budge the massive gate. Aaron felt a twinge of foolishness for coming to the top of the hill, except for the nagging thought that the entire region would have forced them to this place anyway.
“Captain,” said Braden, “this looks like as good a place to make camp as any. We are two days into the Waste and have at least three days left to cross the southern portion.”
“Of course, you’re right,” he said. “We all could use a day’s rest. Set a camp and build a fire. I don’t think that we will be troubled by the fumes of the wood that is located here. It seems that this tall mound has been spared, at least in part, from the ravages of the Waste below us.”
Braden did as he was instructed, and the wood lit with no difficulty and burned without excessive plumes of smoke. The crackling fire was a comforting reprieve from the distasteful experience of the Waste below them. From their vantage point on the hill, they could look down upon the entire expanse. The sight was deceptive. As far as the eye could see the shimmering pools reflected the rising sunlight and glistened in the cool morning air. The gentle breeze which blew along the heights gave a sense of a serene, almost tranquil environment possessing a deep beauty and peaceful atmosphere.