by J. J. Egosi
Michael and the girls looked at one another with smiles as the sun set on them and the frozen lizardmen statues. They’d done it together. They ensnared the lizardmen. Now, it was time to collect their bounty.
Chapter 5
A Change Of Terrain
T
he sun finally vanished into the night as Alexa and the others worked diligently to collect the frozen lizardman statues. They had stuck around for much longer than they had planned. The presence of the frozen lizardmen had even begun to mystified her while Michael and the rest of the girls stood aside, watching.
“Hey, any idea how much longer we’re gonna be out here?” Isabella whispered to Ursula.
“Beats the hell out of me. Alexa gets really fixated on her work sometimes,” Ursula whispered back, shivering as she took out her coat from her infinity bag.
“Hopefully, not much longer. I’m surprised how cold it is here in such a tropical region.” Julianna said.
“That’s not unusual here,” Ursula said. “Temperatures are high during the day and low at night.”
“I just don’t know what she’s waiting for. The lizardmen have already been encased,” Michael said, emphatically.
“Every assassin would find this sort of hesitation dangerous and embarrassing,” Julianna said. “Just what is this woman doing?”
“I think the steam’s gone to her head,” Isabella said with a snicker.
“Well, I’m sure she has a good explanation,” Ursula said.
“You’re closest to her. Why don’t you go and ask her what’s up?”
Ursula nodded. She walked up to her with the same curiosity the others had. Getting a closer look at the expression Alexa wore, she realized just how intensely she was staring at the statues. It was as if she was calculating every inch and second around her, and any possible scenario that could arise within this place and time.
“Hey, Alexa. How much longer? Everyone’s getting cold.”
“Calculating.”
“What?”
“I’m calculating,” Alexa coldly replied.
“Well, can you calculate by a warm fire or after we capture these lizards?” Ursula asked. “We got what we came here for, didn’t we?”
Alexa sighed. “Done calculating.”
She took her hammer from her side and cast an enchantment on it. The hammer expanded at least a hundredfold.
“Wait, what are you about to do?”
Ursula and the rest of the group watched in awe as Alexa flew over the statues with her hammer in hand. Without a shred of hesitation, she proceeded to smash each one into tiny pieces, leaving piles of shards in their wake.
“What the fuck was that?!” Isabella shouted. “That was our bounty!”
The others were just as mortified by her ferocious act when they noticed something glimmering a bright gold in each pile.
“There, they are.”
Alexa went on her knee and dug her hands through the shards; shifting the especially jagged pieces away with her shadows to keep from getting cut. After sorting through the debris, she located the golden marbles in each pile.
“The cores of the lizardmen.”
“Wait, that’s why you crushed them?” Michael’s eyes widened.
“That makes a lot of sense, now that I think of it. These lizards are basically sitting ducks under the ice,” Isabella said.
“So long as you’re swift, you can extract the cores without any issue,” Julianna said.
“I just sort of wish you’d tell us first,” Ursula said, catching her breath.
“Sorry about that. These decisions take time and I couldn’t have you get in my way.”
“But, why would we”—
Before Michael could finish, Alexa sifted through the largest pile of the remains of the omegasaur. Inside its skull, she found its core.
“Thirteen cores, it seems. That should exchange for plenty of money,” said Alexa.
“Wait, I thought we were going to use the cores as familiars to fend against Lucifer.” Michael’s eyes widened.
All eyes turned toward Alexa. She nodded and smiled. “We’ll keep the cores, yes. The bones will be what we use to collect.”
“I don’t know if anyone would spend any money on bones,” Julianna said with a nervous smile.
“You’d be surprised. There are many dimensions interested in science eager to get their hands on a specimen,” Alexa said, “and if we show them our cores for proof we slayed them, we’ll get even more money since they’ll no there’s no chance of them reviving.”
“Can lizardmen revive with just bones?” Michael looked at the ivory and flesh tattered mounds and nervously gulp, wondering if the slightest movement would have them shaking with a thirst for rebirth.
“Not without their cores, they can’t.” Alexa smiled. “And it’s those lifeless fossils that’ll help make us our money back.”
“Is that was listed on the quest?” Isabella asked.
“Yeah, how exactly does it work? Do we have to exterminate all the lizardmen or just a certain amount that was requested?” Michael asked.
“Good questions,” Alexa replied. “There’s no specific number in mind, but this amount will do.”
“Are you sure?” Julianna asked with a puzzled look.
“Yes, please don’t skimp on the details,” Isabella said.
“That’s everything.” Alexa began with a sigh. “Now, come on.”
She proceeded to shovel the remnants of her adversaries into her bag. Assuming she was doing so as proof of the lizardmen’s defeat, the others assisted in collecting the fossils and joined her in filling their bags with the pieces.
“This goal of the quest is to send a message to the lizardmen that are still alive. To let the survivors know that there’s competition out there. That way, they’ll cease their attacks on their wildlife.”
“That makes sense,” Michael said. “And we didn’t have to take too many out to do it.”
“Also, with magic returned, people should be able to visit this dimension without any worry at all.” Julianna smiled. “Sounds like a successful quest to me.”
“I’m glad you see things my way.” Alexa smiled.
Their bags were full now with the remains. There was no trace of the lizardmen left across the ground.
“So, where to next?” Michael asked.
“The merchant is located down that way,” Alexa said, pointing west.
“That way? Isn’t there mostly just water?”
Ursula looked toward the ocean in the distance. She knew there was only a sliver of shore that separated the island from the crashing tides.
“True, but I’m sure there’s a small island off the coast of this one. That must be where our merchant is hiding.”
“Fair enough. Someone involved in the kind of business will definitely want to keep their distance from others,” Julianna replied as she recalled her previous experience with merchants—specifically, running into Hecate in the rancid cellar of the light realm.
“So, do you suppose this merchant is far?” Michael asked.
“That’s what my coordinates are telling me,” Alexa opened the screen of her steamdroid; honing in on the red dot on the radar. “Possibly several miles off the coast of where we are right now. Given the drop in temperature, I think our best bet is to fly back to where we left the steamcraft and drive it the rest of the way.”
“That’s what my coordinates are telling me.” Alexa opened the screen of her steamdroid; honing in on the red down on the radar. “Possibly several miles off the coast of where we are right now. Given the drop in temperature, I think our best bet is to fly back to where we left the steamcraft and drive it the rest of the way.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Michael said, shivering under the assault of the punishing cold.
“Good. Then, let’s go!”
The group nodded. They released their wings and took to the skies, making their way back to the jungle.
The squeaki
ng of large birds filled the misty air. Michael looked around and realized just how far they’d traveled from the jungle where they arrived.
The notion of spreading across over a dozen miles began to wear him out. His mind began to wander, taking in the foreign surroundings. It was all so strange, yet there was a sense of familiarity that came with being there on a quest.
I wonder what kind of merchant lives out here. Is it a human? Or a lizardman? Maybe something else, entirely? And who would pay so much money to have a pack of them killed?
Michael’s expressions of deep thought caught the attention of Ursula.
“Hey, are you alright? You seem to have something on your mind,” she asked.
He snapped out of his thoughts and quickly responded without much thought to his answer. “Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine. Just can’t wait to get back into that nicely heated steamcraft.”
Her suspicions that something must have been bothering him did not fade. She smiled at him. “I’m sure. We could all use a little more heat right now after being around all that ice.”
“I bet you’re hungry, too. And really exhausted,” Isabella said.
“Well, I’m sure we all are,” Michael said.
“How about we make dinner when we get back as a thank you for making breakfast earlier?” Julianna asked.
“I’d really appreciate that if it’s not too much trouble. Thank you.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Julianna nodded with assurance.
Michael smiled and nodded. He soon was reeled back into his previous line of thought.
Something about this quest just seems fishy to me. I don’t know what, but I have a bad feeling about all this.
“There it is.” Alexa pointed downward.
“You found the ship?” Isabella asked.
“No, just the jungle where we landed. The ship should be close by.”
“Damn it,” Isabella said. Her desperation to be in the comfort of the heated vehicle kept growing.
They flew to the jungle ground and landed in an open patch of mud and leaves. The branches in their way were thick as they excavated the area for the elusive steamcraft.
As Michael looked around at the trees, drifting into his thoughts at the sight of their ancient appearance, he heard a scream from the distance. He and the girls turned around to see what it was.
“Isabella!” Michael screamed as the four of them ran to see what happened.
When they found her, she was face to face with a centipede that easily measured over ten feet long. Its fangs were only matched in its menacing appearance by the endless stream of legs.
“What in fresh hell is that?!” Julianna shouted.
“It’s so gross,” Isabella added.
“A goliath centipede,” Ursula said. “A baby, by the looks of it.”
“Did you say a baby?”
Isabella gulped nervously at the thought, as the hundred-legged creatures slithered toward her with ticking legs and winding fangs.
“The adults tend to spend most of their lives in water, so you shouldn’t have to worry about the venomous ones like that,” Ursula replied.
“Are you saying they’re venomous?!”
Isabella’s heart raced. All she could look at were its many horizontal teeth salivating in her direction.
Julianna took out her blade and rammed it through the centipede’s head, killing it on impact.
“Not anymore.”
“That seemed a bit unnecessary.” Michael looked down at the squirming beast laid dead before them. “I mean, it didn’t look very fast. Did you need to kill it?”
Julianna groaned. “Always so soft, aren’t you?”
“The jungle doesn’t know sympathy. It’s kill or be killed,” Alexa said.
“If you say so.” Michael gulped as the legs twitched for a moment before coming to a temporary halt.
“Thank you for that,” Isabella said, catching her breath. “Bugs really freak me out.”
“Even after our run-ins with the lizardmen, there’s something here that scares you?” Alexa said, both surprised and confused.
“You don’t get it. I hate bugs. So slimy. So many legs. And when they’re that big, they’re all the more horrifying,” Isabella said, shaking as the corpse still twitched.
Julianna grinned. “Big mistake to reveal such a weakness in the open like that.”
“This isn’t one of your hit missions, so get off my fucking case!” Isabella said, angrily.
“As you wish,” Julianna said, with a smirk on her face.
“Cut the shit. Both of you. We still have work to do,” Alexa said, tearing through the vines in search of her ship.
“She’s right. Come on,” Michael said.
As he and Ursula began following her lead, they heard Isabella scream again. This time, they turned to see a two-foot-long stag beetle on her back. Julianna fell onto the grass, pointing and laughing at her misfortune.
“If only you could see the look on your face. It’s more valuable than any bounty I’ve ever caught.”
“That sounds like it’s saying a lot,” Ursula muttered.
With twitching eyebrows and a face turning red with frustration, Alexa grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts.
“Enough fucking around, already. In case you’ve forgotten, we have work to do.”
She grabbed the stag beetle off Isabella’s back and hurled it far into the jungle and dusted her hands clean.
“What’s up your ass?” Julianna broke from her grip with her hands. “I just thought it’d be a little funny and it was.”
“It wasn’t for me,” Isabella said with a whimpering sob.
Michael wasn’t impressed. He rolled his eyes with immense disappointment when something caught his eye. Something flashing gold.
“Hey, I think I found the ship!”
Alexa quickly turned toward the sliver of gold in the distance. Relieved of her anger, she followed Michael down a trail that led to a ditch where she found the steamcraft laying beneath many layers of jungle debris.
It was tattered from the elements and covered with dents. The windows were shattered and the windshield was covered in dirt.
“Seems the lizardmen did a number on your ship. Sorry,” Michael said.
“Whatever. As long as it can drive, I’m fine. Now, help me pull it out.” Alexa into the ditch and grabbed the ship by the rear.
Michael nodded. He and the rest of them proceeded to help her extract the steamcraft out of the ditch and back onto level land.
“Come on, Michael.” Alexa gritted her teeth. “Use that godly strength of yours.”
“I’m tired and I haven’t eaten all day,” he said, amid groaning. His arms trembled under the weight.
“Seriously? Are you four years old?” Alexa said.
“Am I supposed to grow out of sleep and food?” Michael’s eyes widened. “Besides, why are you just asking me?”
“He’s right,” Ursula said. “Pull!”
“Fine, then. At the very least, balance out the muscle a bit by helping me down here,” Alexa said.
“That works,” Michael said.
He nodded and hopped down into the ditch to help Alexa push the steamcraft out. The others pulled from the other side. Panting with every painstaking push and pull, they finally brought it onto level ground and gave it a better look.
“Wow, it’s seriously seen some better days,” Ursula said, noticing all the dents more closely now.
“Oh, like when you ran into it?” Alexa asked sarcastically.
“I said I was sorry.”
“That’s beside the point. Let’s get in. The merchant is far away and I don’t want to spend another waking second in this hell pit of a jungle.”
“Right.”
Alexa hopped in the driver’s seat and ignited the engine. The syncopated clanking of gears was rough, but the vehicle started up.
Everyone else proceeded to enter the ship. They wiped the seats down to clear them of any d
irt that might have made its way in before sitting down. Michael was the last to enter, as he took one good look at the jungle before saying a relieved goodbye.
The door closed behind him. With everyone buckled up, they proceeded to take their leave.
Michael looked outside of the broken window of the ship as it drove through the thick grassy fields, still mesmerized by the incredible ecosystem around him. As he gazed at the fields, he became absorbed by the glow of the full moon beating upon it.
“Quite beautiful, isn’t it?” said Julianna.
“Indeed.”
“You’ve seemed pretty bothered ever since we left the temple. Is everything alright?” she asked.
Michael still couldn’t shake off the uneasiness. He looked over at Alexa.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
Alexa looked up into her rearview mirror, curiously.
“What can you tell us about this merchant?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what race does the merchant belong to?”
“Can’t say, for sure. Why?”
“Well, I just remember my last encounter with a merchant not going too well. I’m hoping we have better luck this time is all,” he said.
“Is that really all?” Alexa looked back with a suspicious look now.
He noticed that all eyes were on him, and he took a deep breath. “None of this feels right, I guess you could say. Maybe it’s because we’re in a land so foreign to me, but the idea of something willing to pay such an extravagant amount of gold just to kill off some lizardmen seems a bit weird? Who would even have that kind of money to spare? And why would they be residing in this dimension, of all places?”
“That’s a valid point,” Alexa replied. “However, the lack of competition could be driving the rates sky-high. Very few people travel here so not much is known about its people, so that’s another factor.”
“So, you think the merchant’s a human?” he asked.
“I doubt it. The environment is inhospitable for humans since they weren’t around during the age of this dimension.”
“Also, don’t forget gold is very plentiful in this dimension. The value isn’t the same as it is back home,” Isabella added.
“That’s true.” Michael nodded. “Still. Capturing those lizardmen was a pretty big job for a low-level demon, not to mention a vindictive one.”
