Glogtober '24 - 1: The Currents Between

Glogtober '24 begins, and I'd like to thank Glass Candles for inviting me to write a set of prompts this year! To begin: 'A connection between disparate worlds'

 

THE CURRENTS BETWEEN

My father always told me of the lands beyond the black horizon, a world of flame so bright it would burn away the vision of a lowlander such as ourselves. The way he put it, the journey was so simple. Just take out any old dingy and a paddle, and head down stream.

Now I know the truth, how naive, how lucky he must have been to pass along the deep waters unscathed, unchanged. The other worlds are not so far away, but the danger to the rider can be treacherous. As a ferryman I know the bends and forks and tributaries like the veins on the back of my hand, and in time you will too if you choose to pick up the oar.

The lands of death have no true geography to them, despite what the royal cartographers and imperial surveyors might have you believe. No, here we can pass along the very fabric the world is sewn onto, following disparate threads across the tapestry. Find the right river here beneath Hanodri, and you may be carried along to distant world of consuming verdant vines or searing metallic heat.

For centuries I am told that scholars have debated the number of rivers, but anyone bearing proper wisdom knows there are but seven currents that sweep across these shadowed lands. You may be familiar with them, but know that where their waves and tides concentrate, so do their curses. Recognize these portents, and you may sail with ease to the shores of other worlds.

 

The first river, the River of Iron, is known for the dull sheen to it, with many particles swirling about. The waters here are strong but always straightforward. To fall in is to slowly have one’s flesh solidify into metal, and many who pass along this way regularly bear a touch of the Iron God.

The second river, the River of Loss, is often described as having unparalleled depths, a dark void that one simply wants to lean down and peer into until they can make out the bottom. Exposure to the water fogs the mind, and beware for I have seen many a case of total amnesia.

The third and fourth rivers are often mistaken for one another but are simply the Twin Rivers. They flow sluggishly, but when they meet one another or The River of Growth they form dangerous and violent rapids. Some ferrymen tell tales that the two twins were once great companions, but after one betrayed the other they cannot forgive each other and clash despite forgetting which one was the thief. While there is little danger from exposure to the water beneath you, drinking even filtered water brings about a terrible sickness.

The fifth river, the River of Veils, ripples and shifts, catching the light in odd reflections with waves appearing and vanishing as if you were mad. Sailing the waters require a great vigilance, lest you be consumed, your soul cleaved from your body into a wraith current.

The sixth river, the River of Growth, loves to change courses and you will never sail the same route twice. Move carefully for often victims of this river lie below the surface and threaten to damage the hull. Those that fall in have their forms quickly sprout and grow like great trees of bone and flesh. Some say that careful application of the waters can regrow limbs and wash away scars but I have never seen such miracles myself.

The final river, the River of Death, is a cruel but fair tide. Black as midnight, all know what dire portents it bears forth. Do not sail this current unless you are ready to meet a Death that day.

 

Know these rivers and you too will sail to see the other worlds. I know two such places well, and make my coin ferrying others who can pay the price. It is not easy work, but I prefer it to toil under the golden gauntlets of empires.