by Tony Johnson
“I want to leave as soon as possible, but I also want you to rest and regain some strength. We need you with us. I already made the mistake of underestimating this monster and lost good men because of it. The more people we have, the better our chances will be.”
“I can go now if you need me to,” Steve offered, not wanting to waste any more time.
Griegan sighed and stared out the window. After a minute, he said, “I’ll tell you what we’ll do; storm clouds are heading this way and the wind is already picking up. You could still benefit from sleep. When you wake, we’ll leave. Hopefully the weather will have let up by then.”
I guess that’s the fairest compromise I can get. “Fine,” Steve agreed.
“Okay,” nodded the captain, happy they could reach an agreement. He walked over to the fire, but stopped and turned to the warrior. “Brightflame, remember, at least one of the six of us has to make it to Serendale, no matter what.”
“No matter what,” Steve agreed, before going upstairs for some much-needed rest.
Chapter 48
Grizz and Willis sat on the porch of Hunters’ Den listening to the heavy rain hit the crudely-made wooden fixture above them. In their hands were Steve’s red armor and the silver armor pieces Ty and Kari had been wearing. Next to them were suds-filled buckets that the two men were using to clean the armor with. They had taken it upon themselves to wash the companions’ equipment.
“What are we going to do about this monster?” Willis asked the Dwarf.
“One monster we may not even encounter is the last thing on my mind when Almiria will probably find itself under attack before the sun goes down tonight,” Grizz replied with disdain.
The somewhat pessimistic turn in the conversation led to a brief silence where only the scrubbing of the metal could be heard.
“This is a nice weapon,” Willis picked up the sword with the red ruby pommel and wiped the blade off with a wet rag to get a better look at it. “I think that Brightflame warrior was the one carrying this.”
“Do you think it’s the same Brightflame who was Celestial’s jouster?” Grizz asked.
“I would put money on it,” Willis answered. He pointed over to the red armor plate they had just cleaned. “He’s too young to have earned that many colors. It must’ve been given to him as a ceremonial suit.”
Small world, Grizz said to himself. “I’ve got a blacksmithing apprentice and two sons and Brightflame was all they’ve been talking about the last few weeks. I’ll have to ask Steve to take the time to say hello to them. That’d make them happy.” Dart especially could use some cheering up.
After the blade was finished being cleaned, Willis handed it to Grizz.
“Very nice,” the Dwarf agreed, lightly swinging the sword through the air from his seated position.
“Would you rather have it over Skullcrusher?”
“No. I don’t doubt this sword’s craftsmanship, but I would never trust any other weapon in battle than this,” Grizz stated, picking up the giant halberd propped against the wall next to him. “Some weapons have personalities that reflect their wielder.”
“What does Skullcrusher say about you?” Willis asked, eager to hear the answer.
“It says, don’t make me angry,” Grizz wagged his weapon in front of Willis’s face, making the warrior laugh.
Grizz perked up from his hunched-over cleaning posture when he heard a rustle in the bushes at the edge of the forest. He put his finger to his mouth, warning Willis to be quiet, and then pointed to the spot from where he heard the noise.
Willis nodded, letting Grizz know he too was aware of the movement. He squinted to try and make out what it was. “It’s big!” the warrior whispered, his voice shaking. “Do you think it could be the Monster?”
“I don’t know,” Grizz answered, stroking his beard. Slowly, he grabbed Skullcrusher and took a couple steps forward. With his eyes never leaving the large, four-legged shadow pacing back and forth at the edge of the forest, he cautioned, “It hasn’t been known to attack during the day, but it’s definitely a monster of some sort.”
Stealthily descending the steps of the porch, the Dwarven blacksmith crept across the muddy lawn and onto the road. Halfway across it, the monster broke through the brush. For a moment Grizz raised his weapon to strike, but he immediately lowered it when he saw who it was.
“Copper!” he said. “What on earth? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he laid Skullcleaver on the ground and petted the orange direfox, noticing how sad the friendly monster looked.
His fur is wet and matted and he’s sulking when he walks. “He misses Callan,” Grizz told Willis.
“I’m sorry for your loss, buddy,” the red-haired warrior sympathized, petting the back of the neck of Serendale’s mascot.
The direfox didn’t respond with his friendly, playful attitude. He acknowledged someone was petting him, but didn’t lick their hand as usual.
“He must’ve not been with the six warriors when they were attacked,” Willis reasoned. “He would’ve fought alongside them and gotten killed too.”
“Maybe he was hunting for food.”
“Yeah, maybe. Poor guy must’ve come back and found Callan dead. Come on, let’s try and get him inside so he can get dried off. Callan and Copper would visit here all the time. The Seps have no problem with him coming into the Den. We’ll get him by the fire and give him something to eat.”
With the weapons and armor clean, the two brought them in and set them by the fire to dry next to where Copper quickly laid down and fell asleep. They then went back outside to sit on the porch. Griegan joined their company.
He mysteriously disappeared to his room while we were scrubbing the armor, but now that the work is done he’s magically around.
Smoking his pipe, Grizz was only half listening to the captain and Willis talk about their experiences as warriors. All the Dwarf could think about was going home. The sooner we head out, the sooner I get to see my family. I know the Human, the Elf, and the Halfling need their rest before we can leave, but I really want to get home.
Finally, Mrs. Sep opened the door to the Den. “Dinner is ready,” she called. “Mr. Sep is waking the others. It’s buffet style, so come get whatever you want before you journey home,” she held the door open as they entered.
A feast awaited them on the long table: lobster chowder soup, salad, freshly baked bread, steak, and lemonade. The three men joined Steve, Ty, Kari, and Mr. Sep, all of whom had already loaded their plates. Instead of sitting at one of the many tables, everyone took seats in the chairs and benches around the fire since the consistent cold rain and rising wind had lowered the temperature considerably.
“Don’t worry, he’s friendly,” Willis explained to the three from Celestial after seeing their hesitance around Copper as the vicious-looking monster sniffed each of them. “His name is Copper. He was raised from the time he was a pup by a warrior named Callan. Callan had had epilepsy, and he found that Copper was able to warn him of seizures before they happened.” Then, with a grim demeanor, Willis admitted, “Callan was one of the six you stumbled upon yesterday morning.”
“He’s huge,” Kari said, daring to gently pet Copper’s back. “Nearly the size of a direwolf.”
“I know, and he’s quite the fighter,” Willis said. “Copper can be quite ferocious in battle. I’ve seen him in action a couple times.”
“I can imagine,” mused Steve, looking the direfox over. Since Copper was a monster, he was much more savage-looking than simply an overgrown fox. He had pointy fangs, sharp claws, and the muscular stature of a horse.
“He seems to have taken a liking to you three,” Mrs. Sep observed, watching the direfox lick Ty’s hand. “Then again, he’s always been friendly. Callan was often on patrol in this part of the Evergreen and would lodge here.
Mrs. Sep turned away from the group to hide her emotions at the idea of Callan’s death. As her husband put his arm arou
nd her, the Human, Elf, and Halfling realized how hard the past couple of days must have been for the elderly couple.
First, a child is killed on their property while walking to the outhouse at night, and then they hear that eight Serendale warriors were killed searching for the Monster, most of whom they must’ve known, or at least seen around their Den from time to time. Yet, with everything they’re dealing with they cared for us so well and made sure every provision was made for us.
“Thank you for this meal you’ve prepared,” Steve acknowledged their hosts.
“You’re very welcome,” Mr. Sep responded, throwing two large steaks in front of the fire for Copper. “Why don’t we say a quick prayer before we dig in?”
The eight closed their eyes, except for Griegan, who didn’t consider himself a strong follower of Alazar, but still bowed his head respectfully.
“Alazar, we can’t ignore how helpless we all feel here. With word of Celestial being taken by the enemy and losing Serendale warriors in the forest the other night, we are troubled by what has transpired in these past couple days. Please comfort the families and friends of the lost. Our thoughts are also with the people of Almiria, and I ask that somehow, someway, they would receive warning of the coming attack so they can at least have some form of defense. Help us not to lose faith that everything works together for good. We thank you for providing this food and for the people here eating it with us. Give them safety as they travel to Serendale. Amen.”
Even though they had each eaten a huge breakfast, Steve, Ty, and Kari’s appetites had returned. Each ate two full plates, making their stomachs happy, but the entire meal was shadowed in sadness. Almiria was about to be attacked, and none of them had any way to warn the city.
How can we sit here comfortably and eat when we know what’s about to happen? Steve asked himself. The more he thought about it, the more his stomach twisted and his appetite disappeared. He couldn’t finish his third plate.
Kari was the first to stand up after they finished eating, but it wasn’t because she was ready to leave. Her eyes had caught a name on the wall, underneath the bust of a black bear’s head.
“No way! No way!” she repeated, rubbing her fingers over the plaque to make sure it was real.
“Quintis Quinn. My father killed this bear?!” she asked the Den owners excitedly. “Do you remember this? Did you talk to him?”
“Ha! Yes, that’s a funny one,” Mr. Sep recalled, looking at his wife who also remembered and nodded in agreement. “This young Celestial warrior came to the Den to spend the night. He was traveling north. He was socializing with three other warriors down here in the lobby. One was from Misengard, one was from Triland, and the other I think was from Stonegate. Some way or another they started bragging and arguing about whose city was better, as most warriors from opposing cities do. So, I told them they should go out hunting that night and I’d buy the meat and hide off whatever they killed for use at the Den. Whoever came back with the heaviest animal would win and the other three would have to admit that the winning warrior’s city was the best. Your father won, and the black bear he brought back was also big enough to replace the one that had been on the wall.”
“And he brought it down with a bow,” Mrs. Sep added. She turned to her husband. “What did he say? It took ten arrows to kill it?”
“Something like that,” Mr. Sep nodded.
“Was this the bow he used?” Kari asked holding hers up for inspection.
Mr. Sep was scratching the stubble on his chin, trying to remember. “It might be! I do remember his bow had a sapphire embedded in it like yours does!”
“How is your father these days?” Mrs. Sep asked. “He used to always stop in when he came through this way.”
“We haven’t seen him for many years,” Mr. Sep added.
When he saw Kari’s face, he and his wife knew the reason why that was. The Halfling didn’t have to verbally tell them he was no longer alive.
“I’m sorry, dear,” Mrs. Sep apologized, before Kari responded.
Through teary eyes and a lump in her throat, Kari muttered, “Thank you,” and quickly left the lobby and went outside onto the porch.
Everyone sat silently in a half circle in front of the Den’s fireplace with their heads bowed. Steve peered over his shoulder, looking through the dirty windows, trying to see if Kari was okay. When Ty nodded to him and then towards the door, Steve was encouraged to walk outside and console her.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
“Oh, hi Steve,” she mumbled, having not heard him come outside. She tried hiding the fact she had been crying. “Yes, I’m fine.” She proved she was lying when she started crying even harder. Steve tenderly rubbed her back, which led to Kari engulfing him in a much-needed hug.
“It’s just so hard. I was young when he died. I have very few memories of him. I’m sure there are tons of stories like the one Mr. Sep told, but I’ll never hear them. I shouldn’t be complaining though. At least I got to know my father. You never even got to meet your parents.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Steve said, surprised that in her emotional state it was he she was feeling sorry for. “You have a right to be sad. It’s understandable.”
“I wish he was still around.”
“You never know, maybe you’ll come across more stories about your father like that one. Memories are how we keep people alive.”
“I hope so. It would be nice to get a fuller picture of what he was like.”
A clap of thunder sounded above them and the heavy rain became an even fiercer downpour. The whipping winds caused the entire tent canopy above them to become unhinged, leaving the two standing unprotected in the rainstorm. Kari started laughing through her tears. Together, the two headed back inside to prevent getting soaked any further.
Griegan complained, “Just our luck, the rain gets harder as soon as we’re ready to leave. Now we’re going to have to wait around until this lets up.”
“I’m not waiting.” Grizz stood up from his seat, finishing a piece of warm, buttered bread. He picked up his brown and black armor from the ground and began putting it on.
“Me neither,” said Steve. “Our stomachs are full, our weapons and armor are clean, and we got some rest. I’m ready to go now. I still think we should get to Serendale as soon as we can. As it is, I feel like we wasted valuable time here. I mean no offense,” he said politely to Mr. and Mrs. Sep, who brushed the comment off with a wave of their hands.
“You still don’t look anywhere near one-hundred percent,” Willis told Steve, who noticed the warrior was still sporting a swollen eye and multiple cuts and bruises. “Even still, I agree with you. Let’s not give up hope that Almiria might have been able to fortify itself somehow.”
“Don’t forget who’s in command here,” Griegan barked, annoyed. “I am a captain. I outrank you all. The Monster is still out there. This rain is going to compromise our hearing and our sight. I want to get to Serendale as quickly as possible as much as the rest of you, but not when the weather is this bad. Whatever this beast is, it took out six warriors on a clear night. What do you think will happen if it finds us in this rainstorm?”
“I don’t care what title you put before your name,” Grizz snarled, walking towards Griegan. “A captain puts the safety of others before himself. I’m not a warrior and I know that, and these three warriors,” Grizz pointed to Steve, Ty, and Willis, “all seem to understand that better than you do.”
“Almiria is gone! There’s no reason to rush,” Griegan loudly argued. “I don’t know why you can’t accept it. If we get killed out in this forest and none of us make it to Serendale, who is going to send word to Casanovia and the rest of the kingdom?”
“When do you propose we leave then?” asked Grizz. “Should we wait around until this monster dies of old age? No one is coming through these parts. Whether we leave now or a week from now, the beast is still going to be out there.”
“Exactly, my point. We’re going to be the only ones out there. It’ll be pretty easy for this monster to track us and kill us in this storm.”
“If you want to be a coward and stay here, then by all means stay!” Grizz yelled. “The rest of us are leaving.”
His face red with anger, Griegan bent down to pick up a sword out of the pile of weapons and armor Grizz and Willis had brought in earlier. He picked up Brightflame and held its point against Grizz’s throat. “I am not a coward, Dwarf, and you would be wise never to call me that again!”
Grizz stood unwavering, not scared of the captain or his idle threats. “Get that weapon out of my face or you’ll regret it. A black eye like my son gave to yours is nothing compared to what I’ll do to you. You have no idea who I am or what I’m capable of.”
Griegan stepped back, seeing a darkness in Grizz’s eyes and realized the Dwarf wasn’t bluffing.
“Easy guys, easy,” coaxed Steve, stepping between them with his hands outstretched. He turned to Griegan and said, “Don’t ever touch my sword without my permission,” before forcefully ripping Brightflame from his grasp. Then, he stood with Willis, Ty, Kari, and Grizz, and spoke to the captain. “The five of us are leaving. You are free to come with us if you want, but we are not yours to command.”
The five strapped on their armor and collected their weapons. Kari helped Steve attach his freshly washed blue cape to his backplate. Now that he had a sheath to carry Brightflame in, he didn’t need to keep it tied around his waist.
In turn, Steve helped Kari put the silver armor on over the blue tunic Mrs. Sep had given to her.
“Do you need help with that, Captain?” Willis kindly offered Griegan his assistance, who was putting on his armor and had apparently decided he was going to travel with the group.
“No, I can manage on my own,” Griegan muttered in frustration.
Willis shrugged his shoulders and walked away, only to hear Griegan swearing behind him, unable to fasten two of the belts on his armor.
