by L. R. W. Lee
Yara winked as Andy looked her way.
Maerwynn delivered their food and everyone’s attention was on their meal. But as Andy raised a fork to bite into his meat pie, the sight of a zolt landing and transforming outside the window diverted his focus. It was not just any zolt. It was Razen. The bulging-eyed, beak-nosed man scanned the square, his gaze moving back and forth at the speed of windshield wipers on high.
Andy pushed back his chair. At Yara’s questioning look, he remarked, “I need to pee.” He scurried toward the back of the establishment, past both tables of officers, and out the door. He popped his head around the corner of the building in time to watch the bird-man disappear into Gallipot’s Apothecary two doors down. He followed.
Peering through a multitude of bottles displayed in the front window, Andy spied Razen talking to the proprietor at the counter in back. He slipped through the door and the noxious scent of rotten eggs instantly assaulted his nose. Bile threatened to lurch from his stomach, but he swallowed hard, refusing to let it betray his presence. He wheezed as he scuttled between a putrid barrel of dragon dung and an equally profane container of wriggling roaches.
I don’t even want to know what they use these for.
Andy crouched behind a tall stack of dragon bones, close enough to listen in.
“…and three ounces of weather root, five thunderbird feathers, the freshest you’ve got please. I also need two ounces of belladonna in liquid form.” Razen read his list.
Belladonna! Memories of Hans’s test at the Giant’s Ring rampaged through his head. But that’s poisonous. Does he intend to kill Father while we’re gone?
Andy felt his heart speed up. If I confront him he’ll just deny it. I need proof. How can I get proof?
Inspiration struck as Razen drummed his bony fingers on the counter, waiting for the woman to complete his order. Andy crawled around the obstacle course of displays, the hard floor digging into his tender knees. As soon as the woman reappeared and engaged the bird-man, Andy squeezed out the front door and inhaled deeply. The fresh air cleared his head as he raced to the Pigeon Post office where he scribbled a note to Hans before remembering he had no money.
Unwilling to risk Father’s life further, he put on his best puppy eyes and hunched forward before peering up at the maiden who tended the establishment. “Excuse me, but I really need to send this message and I just realized I don’t have any money.”
The lass furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes. “If I had a spanning for everyone who told me that, I’d be rich.”
“Please, miss.” Andy lowered himself further and the girl’s frown deepened.
“Look, I’m Prince Andrew and I really need to get this message to my father’s healer. It could be a matter of life and death.”
The maiden jolted her head back and her eyes grew large. “Prince Andrew? I knew you looked familiar. You look like his Majesty, but younger.” Her pitch rose and her cheeks flushed. “I’m so sorry,” she stuttered, fumbling to bow.
“It’s okay, no offense taken. But could you—”
“I’ll send it right away,” the girl cut Andy off, grabbed the folded note, and scrambled out back to retrieve a bird.
“Thank you!” Andy called, not waiting for the girl to return. He hurried out the door, down the windy street, and through the back door of the tavern. Feverishly hand-combing his ruffled hair, he strode past the officers and reseated himself.
“You were gone awhile. Are you feeling okay?” Mom questioned.
“I am now.”
Lunch finished, the company made their way through the city’s center. A chill went up Andy’s back the further they walked, for what few citizens he saw had turned decidedly fowl. But when they reached the edge of town, Yara and Hannah loosed a duet of shrieks.
Shiiiiing sounded in the wind as the officers drew swords and prepared for conflict. But they quickly realized there would be no confrontation, for there stood a host of statuesque citizens, fists raised in unmoving protest. The soldiers did their best to maintain fighting stances although their faces contorted in horror.
Yara buried her face in Andy’s shoulder, Alden held Hannah tight, and Mom’s jaw dropped. Andy did a quick count—twenty seven!—before growling, “This is Abaddon’s work. My dreams are haunted by sights like this.”
Mom drew her hand from her mouth. “Oh, Andy…”
“This is why we must succeed in our quest and defeat that monster before it gets worse!” Andy declared.
Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. A zolt shook its head as it stepped from behind two of the larger statues. “You don’t like our handiwork?” its mocking tone rose. “Perhaps we’ll have to give you an art appreciation lesson.”
Seconds later another dozen of its companions revealed themselves and waddled forward.
Yara and Hannah turned toward the foe and drew their swords. The officers fanned out to form a defensive wall on either side of their five charges as the zolt slunk forward.
Andy paired up with Alden. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Sergeants Albin and Rosser each nocking an arrow. Sergeant Hammond followed suit on the opposite side. Sergeant Gavin held that funny looking slotted knife in readiness, and Sergeant Terric began whirling his spiked flail.
When the enemy had closed half the gap, it was as if a starter’s gun went off. They accelerated their pace and raced forward.
Clang. Clank. Swords clashed. Schhwaff. Schhwaff. Schhwaff. A trio of arrows flew and the scene around Andy slowed. He whirled and slashed through the first three zolt in his path, parting the horde. To his right, Mom downed two more.
Schhwaff. Schhwaff. Schhwaff.
Sergeant Gavin hooked the sword of an attacker in a groove of his knife and wrenched the enemy’s arm downward. The weapon fell harmlessly to the ground and the sergeant’s dagger found purchase in the foe’s chest.
Yara and Hannah relieved two zolt of their heads to Andy’s left.
“Arrrhhhh!” Sergeant Terric bellowed, nailing the head of a zolt with his flail.
Another pair of attackers wheeled around and swung swords at Alden, who ducked, then pivoted, planting his dagger in one of them. Andy incapacitated the other as his surroundings resumed their normal pace.
Panting, Andy surveyed the area when the zolt he had just downed wheezed, “I’m sorry.”
Red poured from the opening in the enemy’s chest and across its clenched fist. Alden raised his sword, but Andy held up a hand.
“I didn’t want to fight you.” The adversary gasped for breath. “I don’t know what happened.” His chest heaved. “Everything’s been different since Abaddon changed me…my wife, my neighbors. I’ve never felt so angry…” The bird-man’s eyes took on a vacant stare and his arm went limp.
“What did he mean?” Alden met Andy’s eyes.
“I’m not sure, but it sounds like Abaddon controlled him and somehow forced him to fight us, forced all these folks to fight us. These were not true zolt but citizens who were changed.” Andy’s stomach clenched as he considered this new horror. But he didn’t have long to ponder.
“Everyone look alive!” Captain Baldric cautioned from behind Andy.
Scattered among fallen adversaries, the company followed the captain’s gaze and took hurried steps to converge.
A group of three dozen zolt strode toward them, weapons drawn. Unlike the all-male vulture-men they had just stopped, half of this group wore aprons.
“They’re turned citizens, not true zolt! I don’t want to have to kill them. Yara, can you do something?”
The company took ready positions, fingers twitching around hilts and bow grips. The princess moved beside Andy, then closed her eyes. Several seconds passed before the townsfolk slowed their march and lowered their swords, pitchforks, and all manner of farming implements.
“Moooo!”
“Baaa.”
“Cluck. Cluck. Cluck.”
“Eee-aaaah. Eee-aaaah.”
“Hoot. Hoot.”
The barnyard to
ok shape as their attackers began singing the tune of their favorite animal.
Captain Baldric and those who had seen Hannah behave like a chicken last year when Yara planted the idea laughed while the newcomers just scratched their heads.
“Their minds fought my first suggestion, so I took a more subtle approach and they accepted.” Curious looks met her explanation.
“Cluck. Cluck. Cluck.”
“Baaa.”
“I first suggested they attack Abaddon and his goons, but they ignored me. So I tried something fun.”
The captain grinned. “Good thinking. It seems jocularity is not in our adversary’s repertoire.”
“Moooo!”
“Eee-aaaah. Eee-aaaah.”
“How long will they stay this way?” Andy questioned.
“I don’t know for sure, but I think until I tell them to stop.”
“Can you tell them to go home and stay there?” Hannah inquired.
“Moooo!”
“Baaa.”
“Cluck. Cluck. Cluck.”
“I think suggesting they no longer listen to Abaddon or his thugs might serve them better, if they’ll accept,” Mom offered.
“Is that what you want me to tell them?”
Mom nodded.
Yara closed her eyes again and implanted the idea.
“Moooo!”
“Baaa.”
“Cluck. Cluck. Cluck.”
“Eee-aaaah. Eee-aaaah.”
“Hoot. Hoot.”
“Well, that didn’t work,” Hannah observed when the chorus continued.
“How about this!” Andy thought aloud. “Every time Abaddon or his goons give them an instruction, have them think it’s a joke and laugh.”
Yara nodded and closed her eyes.
Sounds of the barnyard ceased, replaced by grimaces, chin-rubbing, and quizzical expressions. Yara continued concentrating and the turned citizens set to work removing the corpses of their fallen comrades.
“I wish I’d known,” Andy regretted.
“How could you have?” Yara took his hand.
“Not to break up this party,” Captain Baldric interrupted, “but I suggest we move out before Abaddon sends us more company.”
The sun cast long shadows by the time they neared the Forest of Giants. Its mammoth trees were as Andy remembered from his previous encounter. The stillness caused a hush to fall on the group, and the damp, musty smell of rotting leaves replaced conversation. Knowledge of the forest’s legends birthed an edgy tension among company members.
“What’s going on?” Yara whispered.
“Legend has it that many an unwary traveler who has gotten too close to the forest has turned up missing. People believe they were grabbed by giant plants and carried to their deaths. Other tales tell of vicious giants eating people,” Andy explained.
“That’s horrible!”
“Alden and I had to navigate through this forest four years ago.” As Andy said this, he felt every eye bore into him, so he added in a louder voice, “And as you can see, we made it out alive.”
“What’d you find?” Hannah questioned.
“The plants are nasty if you try to eat them or their fruit, but if you leave them be, they’ll leave you be,” Alden replied.
“And the giants?” Mom posed the question in a detached, academic tone, but Andy knew better.
“There are giants. And they tried to eat us.”
Gasps whispered through the group.
“But they’re pretty stupid,” Andy added. “It wasn’t hard to escape.” Then remembering the porridge he and Alden had eaten on their way to freedom he added, “I do not recommend their cooking. Tastes like glue.”
Quizzical looks met his comment. “What? It’s true.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Sergeant Hammond remarked.
“Well, I’ll take your word for it. I don’t want to find out for myself,” Hannah offered. Nods among group members seconded the motion.
Thick foliage obscured sight among the dense trees not far ahead. “Captain, how close do you want to get before we make camp?” Sergeant Fulk inquired from up front.
Andy glanced skyward. “I vote to take cover inside!” he whispered as loudly as advisable.
Through orange-colored fog, the outlines of no less than six zolt appeared, circled, grew closer.
Andy waved an arm wildly, coaxing all to follow as he and Alden bolted for the forest. While no fog could penetrate the thick plant cover, the dense canopy made it hard to see more than a few steps ahead. They ducked behind two enormous tree trunks and waited in silence.
“Did we lose them?” Yara questioned after several minutes.
To hand signals from the captain, Sergeant Ector slid from hiding and disappeared from sight. He returned several minutes later to report, “The zolt are making camp on the edge of the forest. It’s just a patrol, but unless we want to fight them, we’re stuck here for the night.”
“Abaddon’s probably found our handiwork in Oops,” Captain Baldric reasoned. “If these guys turn up missing, he will know something’s up and send more. While I know most of us don’t want to camp here, it seems the best option.”
“As long as no one picks any of the fruit we should be okay.” Despite Alden’s reassurance, Yara hugged herself and Hannah bit her lip. Mom lifted her chin in an attempt to look confident, but Andy knew that posture and it did not convey ease. For their part, the officers ricocheted glances.
“Okay then, let’s move in a bit farther, then make camp. No campfire tonight,” the captain instructed.
Andy pulled Methuselah from its holster. The blade extended and he held it up to light their way.
Dry leaves crunched under their feet as they stumbled through the dense underbrush. Andy did his best to weave a wide berth around pricker bushes with leaves the size of Frisbees and thorns the length of his hand. He also avoided three-leafed plants bearing golf-ball-sized white berries that had caused unbearable itching on his first visit. As he led, he began to have the familiar but uncomfortable feeling that someone—or, more specifically, something—watched in the recesses of the wood.
“Hannah?” his voice quaked.
Yara, who followed to his left, sent a questioning look.
“I’ve been thinking the same thing, but no,” Hannah whispered three steps behind.
After walking for several minutes he came upon a clearing that looked big enough for everyone to bed down. “How about here, Captain?”
“Here it is. Well done, Andy.”
Andy retracted Methuselah’s blade, plunging them into a protective darkness. The thick canopy forbid moonlight from assisting their endeavors, so everyone ate a meager dinner from their stores, did their best to not step on each other as they rolled out blankets, and soon submitted to slumber’s allures. Just before Andy drifted off, he spotted a shimmering, translucent form moving about the depths of the forest, confirming they were not alone. At least it’s not the bellicose.
“Wake up, my queen! They’re coming!”Imogenia’s shrill voice jolted Andy to consciousness and he followed her arm to where she pointed.
CHAPTER TEN
Giant Problems
Dim light illuminated the campsite, which began quaking. Sergeant Albin, who had been standing watch, raced into the clearing and announced in hushed tones, “Giants have discovered our camp!”
As one, the company scrambled from bedrolls, grabbed weapons, and assumed ready positions as the ground’s shaking intensified. A minute later seven brutes lumbered into view.
“Good work, Dank,” one of them bellowed, stopping next to his companion.
A toothless smile sprouted on the scout’s round face. He pushed back his shoulders and puffed out his chest. “Thanks, Tank.”
Tank stepped forward and scanned the company. With a long, fat finger, he pointed first at Andy then Alden. His gazed moved slowly, studying the faces of company members. He recognized Sergeants Albin and Gavin as well. Completing his invento
ry, he growled his judgment. “You four robbed us of our dragon dinner. Now you will pay.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” Captain Baldric stepped forward.
“And why would that be?” A giant with deep-set eyes and a receding hairline moved into the clearing. Andy immediately recognized him and groaned. Zank.
Daisy! A little help!
The dragon immediately responded: Goodness, you must be in quite a state. I’ve heard from Alden, then Hannah, and now you. What’s going on?
Andy explained their predicament.
I’m not far off. Hold tight. I’ll be there as quickly as I can.
As he tuned back in to the situation, Mom posited, “Emmadank would not approve of your brutish ways.”
“You’re trying to use big words to make us feel stupid,” Zank accused.
“Emmadank’s a traitor!” Tank protested. The other giants roared their agreement.
Another brute stepped from the treeline. “I don’t care who this lady is, let’s take ’em!”
“Not much meat on ’em,” quipped another.
“They look like scared rats to me,” chimed a companion, sending a ripple of laughter through giant ranks.
Andy scanned the company. Captain Baldric motioned to his men a silent plan of attack, receiving nods in response. The three officers with bows readied their weapons while the others held anxious fingers on sword hilts, eyes fixed on their targets. Alden, Yara, and Hannah stared ahead, swords at the ready.
Andy mouthed to Mom, “Keep them talking.”
Mom nodded then asked, “Emmadank’s nice enough. Why do you say she’s a traitor?”
“Nice enough?” Tank harrumphed. “Worthless more like it! Always complaining we treated her badly, bellyaching about how Blank made her do all the cooking. Ran off when she found out she’d been promised to me in marriage!”
And what a wonderful husband you would have been… Andy bit back the remark.
The giants shifted, growing weary of the dialogue.
“Enough talk!” Zank howled, taking three steps forward.
