Dragon Hero II: Bounty of the Blood Witch

by C Woodward

  We took shifts through the night. I got the first watch, which was fine because I was too edgy to really relax yet. I couldn’t help but worry about Talestria even though she should still be safe. She is in pretty much the safest city, and in the safest section of that city. Forren might have suspected that I had traveled to Trawlast. He must have sent a party up there to see if I was seen in that area, which would explain why his druid came searching elsewhere. It seemed fairly scary that he was sending men out to look for me. Now, I felt even more paranoid.

  Bolam took over the watch. He could tell I was antsy. “Blake, don’t worry. If we can stop Xum’gol’s army, we can stop a rich idiot with some hired goons.” I smiled, “Yeah, You’re probably right.” I hopped into the wagon and removed some of my armor before going to bed. I laid awake and tried to think of a plan but came up with nothing productive. I wondered if we could slip inside a supply wagon and sneak in the city. That would be hard for our large group and Torkuhl was too bulky to successfully hide in anything. Maybe I’ll run through it with Bolam tomorrow.

  I think I overslept because I was up all night worrying. The wagon started to move which got to my attention. Bolam and Teltar were moving us to another location and skipped breakfast. I let out a big yawn and questioned Bolam, “Morning, um, where are we going now?”

  Bolam looked at me, “Not too sure; just heading in a random route to find another good spot to lay low.” By lunch time we found a quiet spot in a grove of trees. There wasn’t much rain cover but it didn’t look like we would get rain today.

  I grabbed one of Bolam’s spell books and began to read a bit. I had been able to read the language more easily since being here. Bolam looked at me, “Um, careful, those books could trigger... Oh, you’re fine.”

  I laughed, “What? Worried that I will cast a spell?”

  Bolam laughed with me, “It takes proper channeling and the ability to cast the spell to do it. But, right, you might try.”

  I smiled, “No worries. I often read some of my wife’s spell books. She only worried that I might crease the pages or something.” Bolam smiled, “I am so jealous. I would love to read those books!” I laughed, “Well, when this is over, we’ll make that happen.” I could tell he was really excited about that.

  I ate my lunch of cold meat and soup in the wagon. I only left when I needed to relieve myself. After our meal Teltar took a nap in the wagon. I went out to gather fire wood. We planned on hiding for three nights. I hated this. I wanted to go and beat the ever-loving crap out of Forren and then get to Trawlast and take Talestria home. Bolam would have rather been in a warm, dry inn than camping out here. Teltar? Well, I wasn’t sure what he felt, but he never complained. But, that could just be a dwarven thing.

  When I dropped some wood by the small fire that Bolam was building, he looked at me. “What do you suppose we do now?” he asked.

  I shook my head as I found a rock to sit on, “It would be stupid to just charge into an old dwarven fort.”

  Bolam shrugged, “That fort is very old, but anything dwarves make will pretty much last forever. There is no telling how much danger is there.” I sat there quietly for a while. I really couldn’t see how more information would make things any easier. I chuckled, and tried to force myself to understand, “It’s too bad Rejun couldn’t get a drawing of the fort.”

  Bolam smiled and shook his head, “That wouldn’t be too helpful because there could be changes and traps set up, now.”

  Teltar muttered from the wagon, “There is an old, back way in there.” I stood up, almost mad that he hadn’t mention a back way earlier. He poked his head out from the wagon while seated on the edge, and looked at us, “There is a supply road that leads through the mountains from Trawlast. I’m not sure who would know about that way anymore.”

  Bolam pointed out, “This would have been handy to know earlier.”

  Teltar shrugged, “It slipped my mind.”

  I held my forehead and took a deep breath, “How well guarded would that way be?” He stared upward as if in deep thought. He said, “Well, any fortification would have patrols for safety and sentry towers to warn of invaders. But, I doubt that these creeps would know about the back way.”

  “Why is that?” Bolam said as he scratched his forehead,

  Teltar replied, “I have never been to this fort. But, all of the old outposts have a secret passageway.”

  I felt hope filling up inside, “We should go in that way then!”

  Teltar shrugged, “I guess someone, somewhere might know the way in. But it would take days to travel there from here.”

  I paced back and forth. Bolam sighed, “That is our best bet.” I looked at him, waiting for him to finish.

  He continued, “If they know we are here, they might attack us if we head for Trawlast.”

  I stared at the dirt on my boots, “So, you mean maybe only a few of us should go the back way while the rest hang out and pretend we are staying here?” Bolam nodded, “A small group would be best to sneak in with no one knowing any better. However, we don’t know their numbers and it could be suicide.”

  Teltar cleared his throat, “Maybe I should get the other guys to come here tonight so we can plan all this out.”

  I thought for a moment, “Actually, that would be a good idea. Try to contact them all and get them over here tonight.”

  Bolam sighed, “Some of Forren’s men might follow us.” I laughed, “Let’s hope they do. Then we can thin out their numbers before facing them at the fort.” That even made Teltar chuckle a little. I was in a better mood. This plan will take a little longer than I wanted, but using the back way is the best idea. As the day wore on, a thought came to me, “Hey Bolam. Is there a way to protect myself from lightning?”

  Bolam placed his bookmark in the book he was reading, “You are already enchanted against dark magic, right?”

  I interrupted, “I know that. But, is there a magic spell or something that can protect me from lightning-type magic, long enough for a battle?” Bolam stared blankly and then got the hint, “Oh! You mean when you fight the Blood Witch! Oh, yes! I almost forgot!” he ran over to the wagon and dug through his things. He walked back, holding a folder with random pieces of paper sticking out. Bolam began thumbing through it, “When you mentioned lightning magic, I thought of making a scroll of protection.” He pulled out a paper, “Here!” I grab it and saw the writing on it. He smiled, “It isn’t perfect, but I increased the duration of the scroll but it won’t stop all damage.”

  I stared at him blankly, “I think I understood most of that but how does it work for me?”

  He laughs, “Oh, um, it should work the instant that element hits you. You need to expect some pain from it, but you should be fine!”

  I laughed, “So, it triggers as soon as I get hit with the magic?” Bolam nodded, “Just be sure to have it on you when it happens. It should last for maybe a minute. Scrolls are not as strong as full magic or enchants.” I shrugged and rolled it up.

  Teltar rode off a few minutes later. I decided to attach the scroll under the breast plate of my armor. I wish there was such thing as duct tape here. In theory, this should work. I just hoped it wouldn’t trigger until I get into that fight, though now I feel way more confidant that I could beat her. A minute for a battle is long enough, I hope.

  Evening came and Bolam finished the last of the bear meat for dinner. It was a little more flavorful than the soup. He helped me try to figure the number of days to Trawlast by bringing out a small map drawn in one of his books. “With a little effort it should take two days to reach Trawlast, but it’s debatable how long the mountain pass would take.” He looked at the route from Halatross to where the fort is, “For them, its half a day’s travel to reach the mountains. The fort would be here,” he said pointing to a spot on the map, “and even going the long, back way, I wouldn’t say it would take any more than a day and half to reach it. Now, I could be wrong.”

  Bolam and I discussed the plans a bit mor
e while waiting for the rest of the group. “What about those do who stay behind, what should they do?” I asked. Bolam rubbed his bearded chin, “It would be best to have them make-believe you are still in the area. I wouldn’t underestimate Forren here, so it is good to have a few fake moves to keep him guessing.”

  I stared at him, “Um, what would you do?” Bolam laughed, “Oh! We could keep one or two people in town to give the impression that you are somewhere around. Maybe act a little careless so they think you are hiding just outside of town which will keep them looking in this direction. Make some trips in this direction as if meeting up. It would be similar to what we are doing now. How are your relations with the dark elves?”

  I shrugged, “Fair, but I’m not sure they would help out.” Bolam shook his head and smiled, “We could send a mock message to the dark elves, which might get Forren’s attention. It could make him think the dark elves would aid you. Not sure of how to do it yet. Give me a while to think on it.” I smiled and sighed. Bolam is treating this like a mind game. He is the biggest nerd I know in this world and glad his mind is on my side.

  A few hours passed and Bolam was really getting into his scheme. He was taking notes and drawing plans on paper as he talked to himself. I was feeling antsy then happy when I heard the rest of the guys coming into the camp. The first thing I noticed was Rejun riding the horse. He had a bandage on his arm and a black eye. Jerak was walking next to him with a ticked-off expression on his face. I walked over, “What’s wrong?”

  Rejun sighed, “I can’t believe it. She caught me.” My eyes widened, “You mean?” Rejun nodded and took out a scroll that was sealed with wax. He handed it to me and sighed, “I saw them. They roughed me up, but let me live to bring this to you.” I closed my eyes. I realized that I had been holding my breath since he rode up to me. I let out a big sigh, glad that Rejun was alive and well. He didn’t look very hurt but I hated that now they knew that I was in the area. I broke the wax seal on the scroll, opened it and read it to myself.

  “You have eluded me too long, Blake! I am aware of your arrival in Halatross. You devised quite a clever plan to send out a scout to spy on my little establishment.

  I have a little game for you to find who has the stronger force. I underestimated you when you defeated my druid, but you will not succeed. I challenge you to face me in my establishment. Your forces are no match!”

  I hesitated before I looked at the last paragraph. It read, “To make sure you will come, I have acquired something of great importance to you. You would be surprised to find how easy it is to lure someone out of hiding with a fake letter. Talestria is here, waiting for you.” The message was signed, “Forren Grubska”.

  Chapter 13

  My heart stopped right there. I couldn’t believe it. I crushed the message and dropped it on the moist ground. I gritted my teeth in anger. How could he take her? “Blake? What is it?” Jerak asked as he walked up to me.

  I shoved him away and trudged to the nearest tree. I clenched my fist and pounded at the trunk. My anger grew as it flowed through me and I punched again and again. Tears of frustration and worry came down my cheeks and finally dripped from my chin. Leaning heavily on the tree with both hands, I took a deep breath and spoke in a frustrated tone, “That pig! I am going to kill him!”

  There was confusion in the group as they watched me. I just kept taking my anger out on the tree. I exploded with raw hatred. All I could think of was ripping Forren apart. The sensation grew stronger with each punch to the point where I couldn’t feel or hear anything else. My vision dimmed and narrowed and all I saw was that tree. I let out one loud yell and punched as hard as I could. My vision started to clear and feeling came back because I felt a surge of pain in my right hand. My nose was running and the pain in my heart was strong. I felt so overwhelmed with it all that I dropped to my knees and quietly cried.

  “Oh man, they’ve got Talestria.” Jerak said in a sad tone, reading the crumpled letter. I knelt by the tree which now was cracked in the middle. I wasn’t sure how I was able to do that, but right then, I didn’t care. I slowly stood up.

  Bolam spoke, “If he does have her…”

  I turned and looked at him, “I need to save her.” He stepped toward me, “Look. He is baiting you. It’s a trap.”

  I shook my head and glared at the ground, “I don’t care. I have to go.”

  Bolam came closer and said in a concerned tone, “But, going in the front way is suicide. We have to get in by the back way.”

  I interrupted, “We don’t have time!” I was starting to get frustrated. Jerak grabbed my arm. I pulled away and then Torkuhl grabbed me.

  Bolam continued, “We still have to go through with the original plan. Don’t let him lure you into charging in head first.”

  I closed my eyes and lowered my head, “You’re right. I got carried away.”

  Jerak let go of my arm, “So what is the plan now?” Bolam took out his folder and laid out his attack plans. We all crowded around him. He glanced at us, “We are going to be divided up. If we all go, Forren Grubska might catch on that we have left.”

  Teltar muttered, “We won’t have trouble finding the pass; someone in Trawlast will know of it. The hard part is a large group that would draw some attention.”

  Bolam agreed, “Alright, good to know. Now, who should go in as part of that team?”

  Teltar raised his hand, “I know the area well enough. I’ll go with Blake.”

  Bolam nodded, “We should get at least one more.”

  Rejun stepped in, “I’ll go. If we are planning a sneak attack, we need someone sneaky.”

  Jerak cautioned his brother, “Rejun, be careful.”

  Rejun grinned, “Forren and his forces should be the ones you should worry about!” For a moment, I thought it was Jerak who said that.

  Jerak looked around, “So, what about us?”

  Bolam pointed to his map, “We are going to stage a false attack and act as though Blake is with us.”

  Torkuhl grunted, “What do you mean?”

  Bolam smiled, “Forren won’t be trying anything as long he is hiding in his fort. We are going to buy Blake, Teltar, and Rejun some time.”

  Kalus raised a brow, “How are you going to do that?” Bolam grinned, “First, we need a decoy to pretend to be Blake. He will sneak into town and try to gather some forces. By nosing around and gathering supplies for an attack it should be enough to buy them at least two days.

  I sighed, “I hate to waste anymore time with Talestria being held there.”

  Bolam shrugged, “He won’t do a thing to her. He needs her to lure you.”

  I felt my heart stopping, “He better hope he doesn’t doing anything to her.” Kalus looked at me, “He obviously wants you alive, and killing Talestria would just cause you to snap and risk ending your own life. Far too risky. He most likely went to the trouble of getting Talestria to exchange her for you. Then he could use you for some kind of awful magic.”

  Bolam nodded, “He is right; she will be fine.” I sure hoped they were right. Bolam went through the plans with his group. Teltar, Rejun, and I stood away and talked. “How long will it take to reach there?” Rejun asked. He was already checking his crossbow.

  Teltar let out a yawn, “If we skimp on the brakes, two days to Trawlast.”

  I sighed, “So, how long will it take to reach the fortress?”

  Teltar shrugged, “If we know the route, it could take most of one day.” Rejun picked at his teeth, “So, we might reach there that night. Perfect.” Bolam looked over, “Blake, come here.” I walked over and he pointed at Kalus, “I think you three should take the horses and head north when you can.

  I looked over at the horses, “Alright, let’s pack things up.”

  Kalus walked over to me and handed me a few scrolls that Bolam had given him.

  Holding them, I asked, “What are these for?” Bolam answered for him, “These are a few fireball spells that I usually carry with me. They are onl
y good for one charge, but that should be enough. Each of you will carry one.”

  Teltar didn’t look too wild about the idea. Rejun looked at his, “How do they work?” Bolam smiled, “Just say the word written on the outside and it should do the rest.” He continued to Rejun, “When the battle gets heavy, I want one of you to shoot one into the air.”

  I interrupted, “Ah, like a flare.” He gave me a questioning look, but went on, “We will buy more time remaining on the outskirts of the fort, waiting for them to come to us. That likely won’t happen. When we see the fireball in the sky, it will tell us that you guys are starting the main damage.”

  Kalus frowned, “Wait! We are heading to the front?”

  Bolam laughed, “Oh, we are not that stupid. Torkuhl and Jerak will charge in when Forren’s forces are busy attending to the rear.”

  Torkuhl grinned, “This is going to be fun!”

  The three of us went back to our plotting. “We should ready the horses” Teltar said. Rejun looked at the horses, “We’re leaving tonight?” I looked at Teltar. He didn’t disagree with that idea. “Yes, the sooner the better. We should try to be as quick as we can.” Teltar walked over to his horse and Rejun walked over to Alpo. Looked like I would have the warhorse.

  Bolam spoke to us while the guys from the other group helped us pack. “Blake, try to reach the fort by nightfall on the third day. I will take care of everything on this end. Be very careful” he said to me.

  I smiled, “Forren should be careful.”

  Jerak was talking to his brother then walked over to me, “Don’t worry about fighting too much, Torkuhl and I got your back!”

  Torkuhl overheard it and raised his head, “Just don’t hog all the fighting!”

  I laughed, “I have a feeling you guys are going to cause the most damage in this battle.” Jerak and Torkuhl looked at each other and laughed.