Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Chapter 131: Adrift

The dark stone of the cliffs rose up impossibly high around the rafts, so much so that one would have to crane their heads to even catch the merest glimpse of the top. Small waterfalls trickled down the stone walls, having carved channels into the stone after years and years of trickling down the walls. 

Though the stone appeared as though it had been cleaved apart by a mighty slash, it was a rarity on the Isle, in that this was one natural formation that had truly been formed by nature's slow and steady hand, throughout the ages. 

The walls of the cliffs had faint traces of ores within, criss-crossing veins of iron and silver, laid out like a mesh through the stone. But no one bothered to mine the stone, few wanted to brave the steep slick rock that would surely send them plunging to their deaths into the deep waters of the river below, and there would be no climbing out, since the walls of the cliffs rose so steeply upwards.

Now that the first rays of the sun's light were filtering through the thick clouds at the horizon, many of the soldiers gazed around in admiration, few of them had left their homes, and it was rare for a soldier on campaign to have a chance to think of something other than blood, guts and death.

Even some of the more experienced men stared about in wonder, but Tam did not. He sat serious, cross-legged at the head of the many rafts, a worried expression on his face. The distance between the cliffs was growing wider, and in the distance the ocean was visible, but there was no sign of the Anteris' ships. Had Anteris failed, or had he betrayed Ursten.

While Tam worried about Anteris, Kothar stared about in amazement, true, he had seen far more fantastical and bizarre sights, when travelling from planet to planet or more recently, form one plane to another.

But the raw, familiar beauty of the surrounding cliffs reminded him of the Garden, and he felt very slightly homesick.

[We'll make it back, Kothar. To whatever remains.] Silane comforted him, she had been mostly silent since he had pledged to help Tam in his war, preferring to stay silent than to spark an argument with Kothar, but she could sense the complex whirlwind of emotions that Kothar was experiencing, the wonder at the cliffs, the longing for his home and the all too familiar uneasiness at benign able to feel all of these things.

[Thank you, Silane.] Kothar replied, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the Garden.

The calm waters of the river grew more and more choppy, and the salty scent of the ocean grew ever stronger, a strong wind blew into the funnel that the opening of the cliffs formed. A few yells of surprise echoed out, as the wind sent a few careless soldiers toppling into the warm waters below.

"Fools." The hawk masked man who Kothar had met before they had left the camp spat.

"A soldier is always prepared. Only a foolish enemy would strike when you are prepared and waiting for him." The hawk masked man continued, and the other unitless soldiers around him nodded sagely in agreement, Kothar mimicking them. 

"They won't be laughing and giggling like that for long." Kothar commented, he knew that the waters would become freezing cold soon enough, as they approached nearer and nearer to the ocean.

As if on cue, the happily swimming soldiers yelped, and scrambled to get out of the now freezing and rough water, the enormous bulk of the freezing cold ocean counteracting any warmth carried by the Nerid river. 

The rafts now floated into the open ocean, leaving the cliffs behind, and the rafts gently rocked to and fro. Kothar cast a worried expression to the low cloud in the distance, that were visibly rolling towards the gathered rafts, floating precariously amongst the ocean.

The waves grew higher and higher, and the winds grew stronger, blowing flecks of ocean spray onto the rafts. Those of the soldiers who had some experience of the ocean shared the worried expression that was hidden under Kothar's helmet, and the face that Tam would be making right now, but as a commander, he could not cast all his soldiers into disarray by acting worried.

They floated further and further into the ocean, and some soldiers began to fashion rough oars from the poles they had used on their journey down to the ocean, but they wouldn't do much good in the open ocean.

Waves began to splash up on to the sides of the rafts, and an air of anxiety began to spread amongst the Tribes people, many of them had scarcely dreamt of ever approaching the ocean. Now, they floated precarious amidst the great expanse of water surrounding them, as the majestic cliffs that flanked the Nerid River grew further and further away, growing ever smaller by the minute.

"Boss! Where's our man?" Boson called out to Tam, even he was growing worried, he knew he would be fine in the freezing cold waters surrounding them, but many of the young soldiers that made up the bulk of their forces would struggle to swim, and scaling the cliff behind them would be even more of a hurdle.

"Don't worry, Boson, he'll be here soon enough!" Tam yelled out confidently, he knew that sounding even the slightest bit anxious now would crush the morale of the many of the soldiers, some of which were already sweating a little, though the air was cold.

Tam thought back to his discussion with Anteris, they had both agreed that the message would only be sent if his ships were completely ready, just out of view of the Kanul coast, ready to swoop in. But where were they now. Tam could easily return to the mainland, just as Kothar and his Lieutenants and personal guard could, but the precious gems that were the soldiers who had grown so much during the war, they would struggle. The real war effort would be over before it began. 

Had they truly been betrayed?