Chapter 5 05

The green shade of the sky has cleared and the stars too. The breeze complet doely stilled, then gently started again. Sarzan scratched his hairy head in amazement. He was sure it was the sign of the rebirth he saw, but now its all gone. He knew instinctively that strong sorcery must be at work.

"Well... What do you make of this?" captain Haeler said, equally befuddled by the drama playing out above their heads.

"This is so confusing. Some strong sorcery may have repelled the rebirth." Sarzan had a worrying frown on his face.

Captain Haeler only rubbed his forehead, then found a fairly comfortable sitting position on an old barrel as the deck began to tilt to and fro in the building wind.

"Now, how do you expect us to believe in you people's rebirth story?" Haeler said with a chuckle in his voice. "I think the world should forget about this rebirth balderdash and let is just move on."

That was Haeler's opinion, but Sarzan knows better.

Shifting focus back to the job at hand, Sarzan encouraged Haeler and his men to guide the boat as close to the Underworlds as possible. The depressed landscape, rendered dark by the huge cliff to it's eastern side has been so typical of the Underworlds. Coupled with the fact some of the dwellers of this settlement -mostly the half-beasts, dwell in burrows and only roam in the open when the sun is down, has earned this isolated region it's name; The Underworlds.

The boat sailed by the jutting peninsula at the southern end of their destination. The peers of eyes staring at the foreign boat were unmissable. A few kids in tattered dresses threw stones at the boat, but the stones landed too faraway from the boat for concern. Haeler's men were a bit tensed. Many tales of attack has emanated from this region. Tales of death of strangers who dared to venture carelessly into this territory. Yet traders are known to visit the same region.

Negotiating beyond the peninsula, they soon found a safe place to berth the boat. After safely mooring, it was time for Sarzan to once again depart from his friend.

Sarzan operates alone, a trait that has increased the mystery about him and has made him more slippery than a live eel for his foes. Taking his small backpack in one hand, he carefully adjusted his leather belt. Haeler accompanied him down the ladder thrown from the boat.

"Well, this is it then." Haeler said with a wistful look on his face. Each time he has transported his strange friend to one dangerous place or the other, fearing he may never return each time. But somehow he has returned on each occasion. Not only returned, but often unscathed too. But few adventurers are forever lucky. A last trip must come some say.

"Yeah, this is it" responded Sarzan with a smirk that made his face seem to glow in the now fading late afternoon sun.

With a shrug Haeler extended his right hand to his friend in a grip "You are like a cat except you have more than nine lives. Return again my friend. I'll be on the look out."

Sarzan laughed out loudly, attracting a few stares of indigenes and traders at the harbor behind them. "You know I will return my man. I always do."

As Sarzan turned away to leave, his friend called out to him. "Sarzan! Your confidence bother on arogance at times you know."

Then he tossed a little wrapped parcel at Sarzan.

Sarzan caught the little parcel, unwrapped it yelling immediately. "Gosh I forgot! Thanks mate."

As he walked away into the harbor Haeler watched on with a frown on his brow. He wondered how he has survived so long with his seeming carelessness. That parcel could save his life. It contained the flashlight he will need to signal to the boat when he returns to the harbor -if he returns to the harbor.