[Ridge]
Unfortunately, our journey doesn't begin in the beautiful, lush forest of the western territory. Our tale begins in a much darker place.
The Sangre River is the second of the three major rivers in the Empire. It also has the best known legend. If you haven't heard it's great story, then you've never even set foot on Imperial grounds. I'm not even joking. All citizens hear of this early on in their lives.
Originally, people thought its name came from its murky red waters. The red comes from the minerals in the evy rocks lining the entire river. Over the years it seeped into the water supply, making it famous for being undrinkable. Within the last fifty years though, tablets from a ruined village near the end of the river were found buried under rubble.
In those writings, the people referred to it as the Cut of Dim. Dim is the name of our continent, and in the story, their gods became mad that they could not fit all the other lands in the ocean together. They wanted to make one, united land mass.
All of the islands and other international territories came together beautifully like pieces of a single puzzle. All except for Dim, which broke while they were trying to put it in place. The broken pieces rained down on the oceans and became more islands that wouldn't fit on the god's puzzle.
So, the god's tried to cut Dim to their desired shape. To their discouragement though, it only crumbled the land and produced more islands. In the end, they discarded Dim, slicing a long gash through it's heart to sink it. However, the gash didn't connect one side of the continent to the other, so the land did not break, nor did it sink. Instead, it bleeds for all eternity.
I believe it's just a tale made up by people who didn't understand that evy rocks, when wet, release red toxins, but it's still beautiful. Not only is it a part of the Empire's history, it also unites the current people of our country. People often tell the river's story around the campfire, some even consider it a horror tale, or that it has rings of truth.
Personally I think it's nothing more than a story made by people who wanted answers to things they couldn't explain, but who am I to judge? Even now, there are things that I believe are true, that in fifty more years someone will look at and think 'what a fool'. It's nothing to dwell on.
Unlike the vertical Solar River, which divided the Empire into east and west, the Sangre River- splits the north from the south. Although it doesn't quite reach the ocean on either side, it's still considered a major river for how long it is. It's also one of the most important trade routes within the Empire.
Sileena says that if we travel by boat we'll reach Eldmiss within the week. I love that. I think it's great. A wonderful idea, really.
I also hate boats.
To be fair, it's not the actual boats that I hate. It's not even the water. The rocking motion of the boats is what I absolutely can't handle.
Every year since my father died in battle, Kadeeth has snuck out on the day of his death and taken me on a canoe ride on Lake Walter. It's entirely against my will, you could even call it kidnapping, but that's what happens. He would show up at the Academy in the middle of the night and wrap me up in blankets till I couldn't move or punch him. Then he'd throw me over his shoulder and take off for the small lake behind the school.
Both the Walter Dozen Swordsmanship Academy and Lake Walter were named after Sir Anthon Walter, the Knight who founded the majority of the Empire's Knighthood Academies. After spending his entire inheritance from his business man father on education facilities, he disappeared. Now that's my kind of legend. Epic.
The lake was in the shape of a sword, ironically enough, and Kadeeth would steal one of the Academy's canoes and paddle us along the length of it until we reached the end. Then he would beach us and we would walk back to the dorms, both huddled under the blankets to escape the cold nights.
It took the Professors several years to realize that their boats always misplaced themselves on the same day. I thought that once they finally noticed what was going on they would shut us and our little night adventure down, but they never did. Maybe they knew what that day meant, or it could've had something to do with Kadeeth. That rich weasel di- does whatever he wants.
During those short canoe trips Kadeeth always described me as green. A far cry from how I felt. I felt red. Red is a much more intense color. It may not symbolize disgust, but it does encompass chaos, which is what my stomach was always trying to create with the rocking of the boat on the waves.
If even a small raft like a mini canoe could upset me that much, I really don't want to know how I'll look on an actual river boat. I mean once we get to the coast, don't expect me to be on any trade ships, or intense shit like that.
The GW's are unloading the supplies from our precious, land-loving wagons onto the boats. For a river with such an intense history, it sure looks calm. That makes me feel a bit better... mentally. Physically I already feel queasy.
"Will you be alright?" Kadeeth comes up next to me, he bumps my shoulder with his arm, due to our height difference, to emphasize his question.
"I can't believe we have to get on those death traps." I mutter.
Kadeeth chuckles, "Death trap seems harsh, you like boats." He points out, "Remember the diagrams in your classroom? Cause I do. You could've poured over those for hours and still have been interested in every intricate detail of water transport."
I sigh, my stomach settling a bit at the fond memories, "Too bad someone crushed that hobby with all their Academy shenanigans." He gasps in fake hurt.
"What?? Are you saying this is my fault?" He produces my crutch out of nowhere and puts my hand on it.
"Entirely. Everything is always your fault." I can't help but crack a small smile, taking the crutch from him. He holds up his forearm, and I don't hesitate to bump mine against it.
"Well then, you'll have to stick with me. Someone has to clean up my messes." He laughs maniacally, walking backwards towards the now loaded boat. He grins ear to ear, shouting, "Go down humble!"
"Or stay standing." I respond quietly, smiling back at him.