by C Woodward
The strange robed man stood a fair distance behind the large plant. My best bet was to get to him and maybe try to cease the attacks. I gritted my teeth and charged the plant. I jumped, slashed, and severed and avoided any vines I could. A few got through and wrapped around me but I kept moving. The man grinned, “Brave thing to do, but foolish.” The bulb in the center opened and discharged more green venom.
The smell was overpowering and I nearly gagged. I blocked a few vines with my left hand until it became bound by vines. “In seconds you will be paralyzed and I will gift wrap you for Grubska” the strange man taunted. I severed the vines that held my left arm and grinned at him. His smile faded, so I kept moving.
With both hands, I swung hard at the base of the opened bulb. The sword cut halfway through, and it was enough to cause the vines to loosen their hold on me. The plant spewed more of the green stuff and every vine wiggled wildly in the air. I tilted my blade to pry the bulb open. I reached in and pulled it apart.
“No! How?!” the strange man cried. I sliced off the bulb and walked through the thick mist toward him. He staggered back with fear and surprise in his eyes, “I am not your prey! I will hunt you again!” The flock of birds soon surrounded him. Before I could reach him, the birds dispersed and he was gone.
I wandered around for a long time trying to find him again. I couldn’t find even a footprint. I had no clue where he was or who he was, but I didn’t think he will come after me anymore tonight. Now I knew for sure that Forren Grubska was behind all this. I coughed up more of that nasty mist and walked back to the inn. Grubska must not know of my immunities. I hope I can still use that to my advantage, although the robed man might have guessed now that poison doesn’t really work on me. I just felt frustrated that he escaped. My blade was soaked in that strange venom. It might it be handy to keep it coated in the stuff.
My body grew weary by the time I reached the inn. The place was much quieter now. I saw a few drunks still nursing their drinks. “You look like you got into a mean fight,” the barkeep said. I guess my head was bleeding from the birds.
I just chuckled, “You should see the other guy.”
He raised his eyebrows, “I hope it wasn’t someone I know.”
I shrugged, “Do you know any crazy-looking hermits wearing a brown robe with green markings on it?” He shook his head, “Nope, never seen anyone like that. Anyway, your room is the second room down the hall.” He seemed a bit uneasy and I couldn’t blame him. I smiled, bid him goodnight and walked down the hall. There were three cots in the room; two were filled with Teltar and Kalus. My helmet was placed in front of the empty cot. I looked around the room and saw a tiny window. I latched the window and locked the door; even closed the curtains and then went to sleep.
Kalus woke me up. He kept prodding me, “Shouldn’t you get up and talk with your friend? He should be sober now.” I mumbled something and picked myself up.
“You have gunk on your armor and your forehead is covered with dried blood. What happened?” I looked at my armor which was caked in dried venom, now dried into a greenish brown mess. The cuts on my head were healed but there was still dried blood around. Teltar was not in the room; Kalus was sitting on his cot, sipping tea. He found it too hot so he put it on a small table for the moment. There was paper cluttered on the table. I sat on a tiny stool near the table.
Kalus made a gesture toward the teapot, but I declined. I let out a big sigh, “You know that elkvian? Well, I found the owner of it.”
Kalus stared at me in shock, “What?!”
I stared at the mound of paper, “Some strange guy in a brown robe with green runes on it went after me but, he disappeared.”
Kalus spoke loudly, “Did he fight you using animals?”
I nodded, “He summoned birds to attack me and used some giant vine plant.”
Kalus put his hands on the table, “You must have faced a druid!”
I stared at him, “A druid? I never saw one before.” He went on, “Druids are a cult, bent on nature and balance. But, the only ones in these lands are elves. Wait.” He paused and thought a moment and then perked up, “So, that means the elves are after you or seeking revenge and hmm.”
I interrupted, “No, this guy was human and he mentioned Grubska as his employer.” Kalus frowned, “A human druid? There is no such thing in these lands. So, he must have come from the other lands, which would explain the elkvian.” Kalus sighed in relief, “I am glad it wasn’t an elf. I would be afraid to mingle with you if there is a bounty set by the elf consul.” I sighed and couldn’t help but laugh at what he said. Kalus picked up his cup of tea and smiled, “Well, at least we know who it is now and we can go and stop him.”
I nodded, “True, but we have to find him first.” I put on my armor and went outside. There was a robust fog which helped cool the air. I saw Grum and Dhurm outside at a marketplace trying to sell their tools; Grum standing on a stool making his sale pitches and Dhurm busy hauling a crate of his tools out of the wagon.
I walked over to Jerak’s house. His brother was sitting out front, leaning back in an old wooden chair eating something. I waved to him and he simply nodded his head.
I knocked on the door. A moment later, Jerak came out wearing a very tired expression. He perked up once he saw me, “Hey! How are things?”
I laughed, “Oh, you know, the usual trouble.” Jerak laughed, “Well, come inside!” I followed him inside. His place was quite simple. He had a small kitchen with a stove and a side room with a bunk bed. The main room held a large bench covered in thick blankets and odds and ends. The table was cluttered with armor, weapons and other stuff. Jerak pushed a pile of stuff off the bench and sat down. I found an empty chair and sat across from him. He leaned back and relaxed, “So, how come you came all this way without your wife? Already have a fight?”
I laughed, “No, she and I are just fine. There is a good reason why I am all the way over here.” I took a deep breath and told him my story. “What?! No way! So, you encountered some strange druid last night?” Jerak exclaimed at that point of the story. He jumped to his feet, “We have to get that guy! And that Grubska fellow, too!”
I laughed, “I don’t really want to burden you but knowing you…” He laughed, “I’d be upset if you don’t permit me to aid you!” He ran over and put on his armor, “I could always use some more adventure, anyway!” He stopped after getting his armor on and started looking around. He ran over to the front door, “Rejun! Do you know where my pack is?” I looked around. I ended up staring at a wooden toy horse siting up high on a shelf. Jerak came back in and darted into the other room. His brother, Rejun, walked in and stared at me, “Looks like you have my brother eager about another quest.”
I laughed, “Yeah, he seems very excited.”
I heard something metal fall in the other room, followed by loud crashing sounds. A moment later, Jerak’s called from the other room, “I’m fine!” While Jerak was busy packing and running around, Rejun and I chatted. Rejun stared at his brother as if he was a fool. “So, did you really defeated Xum’gol?” he asked. I nodded. “And you married the witch, Talestria, as well?” he questioned.
I chuckled, “Yes, I did.” That still feels a bit weird. Rejun looked surprised and let out a big sigh, “My brother tends to make up a lot of crap, and so, I am surprised such things are true.” He displayed a smile, “Do you guys ever get hold of treasure?”
I shrugged, “Most of the things I found are cursed, but I guess they could be valuable.”
He scratched his forehead and glanced at his brother who was digging through a pile of clothes. Rejun stared at the table, “Um, you think I can tag along?”
I studied him; he appeared like he really wanted to go. “It could be very dangerous,” I told him. Rejun shrugged, “I can take care of myself. I am handy in a fight and much more aware of things than my idiot brother.” He paused and glanced at his brother.
I laughed, “Well, it is fine by me. We can use all the help we
can get.” Rejun waited for Jerak to leave the room and then leaned over and whispered, “To be honest, I’ve been kind of envious of the fame my brother has been getting. But, could you make it sound like it was your suggestion?” I smiled, “Sure, I will see what I can do.” I stood up and walked over to Jerak. He was trying to find a belt. I cleared my throat, “Jerak, do you think your brother would be a good addition to our team?”
Jerak poked his head from behind a pile of junk and answered, “Rejun? I don’t think he is the type who would enjoy such a thing. You can go ask him but, I bet you he will refuse.”
I tried to hide my smile and shrugged, “Doesn’t hurt to ask.” I yelled loud enough for Jerak to hear, “Hey, Rejun!”
Rejun answered back, “Yeah?”
I yelled again, “Would you like to come with us?” Rejun answered again, “Yeah!” I stared at Jerak. He raised a brow and seemed to figure out what was going on. He just shrugged and went back to his belt hunting.
I walked outside and let the brothers pack. There was quite a crowd by the wagon. Grum had a big grin as he passed out tools and grabbed coins while standing on the back of the wagon. Dhurm was inside the wagon, handing out tools. I guess dwarven tools are popular here. It didn’t surprise me. There was a great deal of farmland here, along with fishing, and there was always a need for shovels, hammers, and other tools for hard-working people.
I spotted Kalus strumming his lute for a few ladies. They were charmed by his charisma and musical ability. He gave me a quick nod. I nodded and rolled my eyes. Teltar was nowhere to be found. He could be taking a nap. I debated if I should ask Grum about our departure time but he looked too busy to disturb him. I stared at the crowd and wondered if it would break up soon. No dice. I decided to check the inn to see if Teltar was there.
The inn was quiet today. I saw a few guys I thought were dockworkers because of their strong scent of the sea and they were already downing a drink before going back to work. Some of them were sitting at a table, talking loudly. I did not thing they were really a trouble-making bunch. The dockworkers stared at me as I walked in but continued their conversation. “So, ‘ere I was trying to lay my waste and I saw this huge dead plant up on the coast. Never seen any thing like it!” One of them added. “Ya! It wasn’t there yesterday! Where the blazes did it come from?!”
The innkeeper was quietly listening and then asked, “A giant, dead plant?” He looked over at me, “Oh! I think he might know of it!” They stared at me, I just grinned which shocked them since I forgot about my sharp, side teeth.
I ended up telling them about the battle and then the innkeeper told of other battles with monsters and the like. They hung on my every word and I enjoyed all the attention. I felt like a true celebrity now and had found my fan club. I waved them goodbye and went to my room. Teltar was sound asleep with his mouth gaping open and snoring up a storm. I debated and ended up waking him. He looked at me and surprisingly was angry with me. “What is it?” he yelled.
I shrugged, “I got Jerak and his brother to join us.”
He zoned out for a moment while his brain processed the information and then looked back at me, “Well, that is good, since we got fired.”
I stared at him, disbelieving, “What do you mean, fired?”
He sat up, stretched and spoke in a mellow tone, “Well, they just thought it too dangerous to have you around right now.” I just laughed. I really couldn’t argue with that since it was true. Still, it would be a bit of a bummer without Grum and Dhurm around. Maybe it would be for the best. At least, now we have money to fund our trip. “I am going to take the meat and talk Kalus into letting us pack the meat and other supplies on Alpo.” I laughed, “Alpo is my horse.”
Teltar thought about that, “Oh, yeah, that is right. So you approve?”
I nodded, “I’ll let you be in charge of it.” Teltar nodded and laid back on his cot, “Fine by me.” I had no desire to take on that job right now anyway. I waved goodnight to Teltar who was already starting back to sleep. Outside, there were guys who cheered and waved at me as I left the inn.
I found Jerak, who was already rushing toward the inn carrying a large pack. “Alright! I’m ready!” he cheered.
I laughed, “I don’t think we are going to leave today.”
Jerak let out a big sigh, “Oh.” He perked up and grinned, “I knew that. I was just showing how prepared I was!”
I tried not to laugh, “Is your brother getting ready?”
Jerak looked back, “I think so. It’s the first time I’ve seen him excited to leave the house in a long time.”
Kalus walked up to us, “Looks like Blake recruited you as well.” I knew he was joking from his tone but Jerak didn’t seem to get it, “No! I am always game for adventure and getting to help a good friend just makes it even better!”
Kalus rolled his eyes, “Good to have you with us.”
Jerak stared at Kalus, “You don’t look like much of a fighter; have you seen any combat?”
Kalus shook his head, “I am not one that enjoys combat.” Jerak looked at him strangely, “Then, why are you tagging along? Oh! You’re a mage! Good! We can use one of them.” Jerak’s perked up and looked at me, “We should try to find Bolam!
I laughed, “Well, we are going to Vunash anyway, so it couldn’t hurt to see how he is.”
Jerak shrugged, “We are far from Vunash. Are you sure that weird guy is in Vunash?”
I shrugged, “Well, no.” Kalus thought about that, “Logically, he could be in either Torclyn or Vunash.”
I pondered for a bit. The druid found me here so they knew I was here now. So, their base of operation might be in Torclyn. I let out a long sigh, “I guess we’ll go check out Torclyn first.”
We stayed in town the rest of the day. Jerak and Teltar had a brief conversation and caught up. Kalus and I did some last minute packing. Actually, I ended up packing after his female visitor left. We hung out in the inn, and had a bit of a party with my fan club while Kalus played music. Jerak was telling his part of the stories. Even Rejun was there, but he seemed to feel a little left out.
The next morning, we all rose early and made sure everything was prepared. Grum and Dhurm’s wagon was still in town. They might be trying to milk another day sales since it went well yesterday. Teltar helped Kalus put the packs on Alpo, including all the dried meat. Jerak and Rejun came by, packed and ready. Rejun had a good-sized crossbow strapped to his back and kept a dagger at his side.
I greeted them, “You guys all set?”
Jerak grinned and seemed about to bust from excitement, “Always!”
Rejun rolled his eyes and yawned. I stared at his crossbow, “So, are you any good with that?” He looked at me and then figured out what I meant, “Of course! I wouldn’t be lugging this huge thing if I wasn’t.” I turned and saw Teltar, sitting on his dwarven pony and Kalus leading Alpo toward us. It looked like we were ready to go.
The sky was overcast and with the ocean air, everything stayed nice and cool. Kalus started our march with music. Jerak tried to singing along but was so tone deaf that Kalus stopped playing.
“Oh sorry! Um, my lute needs to be tuned. Yeah, it is really out of tune.” Kalus lied while pretending to fiddle with his lute. Rejun chimed in, “That’s not the only thing that is out of tune!” Jerak glared at his brother. Rejun stared back with a mocking expression.
I decided to not let this evolve into an argument and interrupted, “So how far is Torclyn?”
Rejun answered, “Should take us two days as long we don’t get into any trouble.”
Jerak muttered in a proud tone, “Ha! We always find trouble!”
We stared at him and Rejun asked his brother, “Why, are you proud of that?”
Jerak grinned, “Someday, brother! You will thirst for it! You get stronger from every hardship and struggle!”
Kalus sighed, “Hey, it is too early for a pep talk.” We reached a canyon by noon and it was familiar to me. The weather was still cloud
y and cool. We decided to rest before venturing further to the other side of the canyon. Alpo and the other horse ate some tall grass and weeds while the rest of us sat around and ate dried meat. Kalus was quietly strumming on his lute and Jerak was climbing a tree. Rejun sighed, “I swear he is nothing but energy.”
I found that funny because Rejun acts much older than Jerak, but then Jerak often acts like a hyperactive kid. After lunch, Rejun grabbed a small rock and threw it at his brother. The rock hit the metal part of his armor and caused Jerak to lose balance and he fell to the grass below. “Come on! Stop goofing off!” Rejun lectured as he put his pack on and turned to the road. Kalus and I looked at each other and grinned with a shrug.
The five of us marched through the winding dirt road of the canyon. The road wasn’t bad for the horses but was a bit tricky for a wagon. I saw some mountain goats resembling the ones back home. They saw us and hopped further into the rough areas of the canyon. Kalus spoke out, “You think we should keep an eye out for that Dragon?”
Jerak laughed, “I don’t fear the dragon!”
Rejun rolled his eyes, “You idiot. If you faced the dragon, he would see you as a snack!”
Jerak raised his fist as his brother, “No way! I have fought worse!”
Teltar interrupted the argument, “Enough! Let’s stop making a racket so every beast can track us.” I nodded, “I agree. Pipe down.” Kalus’ question about the dragon brought up a good point and it made me paranoid. I doubt I’ll have the same luck as the first dragon I faced. There was also the fact that there was a druid out there who used animals to do his bidding and likely was on our trail. I was glad we had a good-size group to take him on or at least keep him at bay. I stared at the cloudy sky and realized that it might sprinkle a little before the sun goes down.
I was right. By the time evening hit, it started to rain lightly. It wasn’t enough rain to be a problem but it might rain harder. Rejun knew of a good, natural cover a couple miles away where we could be protected. We saw no objection to that idea. The way was a little rougher and slowed the horses a bit but when we reached the spot, we were grateful. A steep rock ledge towered over us. The angle of it made it a good area to provide good shelter from the rain.
