Chapter 161: Chapter 147 – Going Up the River

"The Korzas river in Elmaiya is one of the largest rivers in the continent of Ur-Teros. Originating from springs in the Hixas mountains to the north, the stream was joined by a couple other smaller streams from the mountain range and together they fed into Lake Sabaya, the largest freshwater lake in Ur-Teros.

 

It was on the lake's southeastern shores that Sabaya, the capital city of the Elmaiya Empire, was built. Named after the lake itself, it was the grandest city ever built, at least in the west of the continent. From the lake, a stream coursed further south before it fed into the southern oceans. This stream is the Korzas river." - Julep Voschei, Early Elmaiyan Cartographer.

Another two days after they departed from the atoll they had a quick vacation on, the military port of Danevos was in sight. The family's private galleon made good time, pushed as it was by wind from the back that their wind mages barely had any work to do.

 

The military port deserved its fame, as it was quite heavily fortified, with dozens of war galleys anchored at the piers. The city itself was similar in structure to Port Erbe in Ptolodecca, a fort by the shores, with a city that grew around it over time.

 

Aideen saw how the mouth of the river was quite heavily guarded, with sluice gates and barricades that would have stopped large ships from entering it. For what it's worth, their own arrival was informed before their departure, and their galleon docked in one of the empty piers without issue.

 

The family was greeted by a junior naval officer as they descended down the ramp. The man - or at least Aideen thought it was a man - resembled a great ape, with long arms and long coarse, orange-brown hair. A breed she had not seen before, which Artair informed her were mostly found in the southern regions of central Elmaiya. Their numbers were low since many of their tribes were lost during the first empire's expansions.

 

Together, the family followed the young officer as he led them towards the town, while their crew tidied up and maintained the galleon. They would have a month or so in which they could relax in town while they waited for the family's return after this.

 

Artair's family followed the young officer while they made polite conversation with him. As they had arrived quite early in the day, they had decided to just continue right away, rather than spend an extra day to rest in town.

 

Accordingly, the young officer led them through the town and towards the docks on the riverside. Aideen saw many ships docked there. Smaller river ships, ones far smaller than the galleon they rode into town with, but the staple for mercantile trade up and down the river.

 

The family thanked the young officer for his guidance, and they walked towards one of the larger ships, which looked noticeably more luxurious than the rest. The ship already had its ramps lowered to the deck, and seemed to just be waiting for them to arrive.

 

Sailors in fine livery bowed to welcome the family on board, which Artair's mothers took with fine aplomb, even if he looked somewhat discomforted by the gesture. They were led towards well decorated rooms at the highest deck of the ship by the first mate, who left after he politely told them that the ship was scheduled to depart in four hours.

 

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Everybody took the chance to rest and refresh themselves in those few hours. The ship actually had baths built into the more luxurious suites they stayed in, which Aideen thought must have cost a fortune in enchantments alone to accomodate all that.

 

When the time came for the ship to depart, Aideen went out with Artair to the upper deck, where they could observe the proceedings. Her mothers in-law and the children were not with them, as they rested in their respective rooms instead.

 

They watched as the line was cast and the ship was loosed from its moorings. Sails were unfurled diagonally, as during this season western winds were the most prevalent, while they were headed to the north, and a middle aged woman in robes seated cross-legged at the ship's bow, from whom Aideen felt noticeable magical emanations.

 

While normally sailing upstream took a lot of time, clearly the ship they were on had aid from magical means to smooth the passage. The water seemed to part before the ship's advance, as if steadily picked up speed from the winds. It had not parted as the ship passed by, but had parted before the ship arrived, which greatly lessened the resistance it encountered. Probably the work of the woman in front, she thought.

 

At times when the winds died down, a man would emerge from below the decks, and sit at the aft of the ship. Moments after he did so, the wind would pick right back up, and it would be southern winds at that, as the sails were turned to accommodate the gales.

 

After a few hours along the way, near the sunset, Aideen noticed the woman she saw step down from her post at the bow, and was replaced by another, an older man who looked like the stereotypical depiction of a mage. He took over her work seamlessly, and the ship's travels went onward without even a bump.

 

It was honestly one of the smoothest ship rides she had experienced in her life. Aideen was not prone to motion sickness, but she did feel how even the galleon had swayed with the waves during their trip. This river barge they're on was a smoother ride than carriages somehow, which she thought was likely the work of their water mage.

 

By the afternoon of their fourth day of travel by river, they saw the city of Sabaya in the distance. The ship entered into Lake Sabaya and glided smoothly over the surface, as it headed towards the docks to its east. There they disembarked from the ship, and found that the family carriage already awaited their arrival right by the docks, ready to transfer them over to the capital.

 

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