by TJ Reynolds
What faced it was far worse.
Pachi screamed in my head, Shestoni scum! Cave trolls are wicked beasts! Let us kill this one, sister.
The venom that dripped from Pachi’s mouth seemed justified. The monster that we faced was around eight feet tall, but only because its body was hunched over, curled around a massive, spiky spine. Its hind legs were long and almost froglike. Its arms were powerfully built, and it held a crude whip in its hand. As we approached it, the creature growled a few words in an evil tongue and lashed its victim again.
I inspected the smaller of the creatures first.
Sirrushi Wyvern
Level 16
HP: 1510/1510
Abilities: Bleed, Evade, Tail Lash
We’ve found one, I said to Pachi. The Sirrushi. We must save the poor thing.
Yes, we have, and just in time, by the look of it. I will kill this foul creature, even if I must taste its rotten blood to do so. Pachi began to slow down and sidle closer to the hulking troll.
Hoping to find some advantage to cling to as we fought the brute, I inspected the troll as well.
Blighted Cave Troll
Level 33
HP: 17388/28150
Abilities: Torment, Crushing Blow, Poisonous Bite
Pachi, slow down. We need to be careful. It’s poisonous! I tried to warn her, but the enfield was determined. I wasn’t even sure if she heard me. As I scrambled to nock an arrow, Pachi darted forward and used her Flamewalking ability twice to close the distance.
I watched as Pachi leapt at the troll, who had yet to see her approaching. She slashed it with her claws and clamped her mouth on the arm that was holding the whip.
She succeeded in forcing the monster to drop its weapon, but it was as fast as it was powerful. In a blink, it had grabbed onto Pachi by the scruff of her neck and pulled her to its massive head. Goosebumps ran over my body as the troll sunk black fangs into Pachi’s shoulder, causing her to shriek in pain.
Pachi had enough presence of mind to activate her Wing Storm ability. She broke free from the troll’s grip, buffeting the cave wildly. It backed away but resisted the Daze effect. Then it began stalking towards her again, so I drew and loosed an arrow. Distantly, I marveled at the fifteen percent increase in speed I’d been given from Ranger’s Reflex. As the arrow sunk into the creature’s neck, I had another on my string in record time.
The troll growled and turned to face me. I nearly dropped my arrow in shock. What I stared at was the ugliest thing I’d ever dreamed of. Its face was partially rotten, the huge fangs that lined its mouth visible through the limp shreds of its lips and cheek.
Two massive white eyes stared at me in outrage, and then it was running at me. I released my second arrow, but the beast barely flinched.
I activated Vital Aim and Lunar Flare at the same time, waiting for the ten-second countdown as the huge beast charged me with increasing speed.
I was about to dive out of the way and abandon the attack when Pachi bit its hind leg and slowed it down. Oddly, it didn’t seem to care about her attack. It continued dragging itself closer to me, rage twisting its features.
When it was only ten feet away, Vital Aim’s countdown finished, and I released the arrow. It sprang from my bow and sunk into one of the troll’s eyes. As it did so, a pale light flashed. A spark condensed, raced down the shaft of the arrow, and plunged into the troll’s skull.
It screamed in pain as the Lunar Flare filled its head. Its other eye emanated the same light, as if its head were filled with star fire.
I backpedaled and fired another arrow, this one to its chest, then I dropped my bow and drew my katana.
The troll tore at its face with its claws, gouging out its own eyes. Using both hands, it ripped into the architecture of its skull and pulled in opposite directions. And before I had the chance to activate another skill or swing my sword a single time, the monster ended its own life in an attempt to remove the holy light.
I stared at it, panting with fear, and whispered, “Scorching sands of the Endless Desert. That wasn’t pretty.”
I sheathed my sword and watched the troll fall slowly to the ground. It looked like a massive stone statue toppling.
Then I heard another whimper, one that was too familiar. Pachi was on the ground, her body twitching in pain. As I ran closer, I saw the two massive puncture wounds in her shoulder.
Her body managed to suppress the effects of the poison temporarily, allowing her to stand. Even so, the muscles of her shoulder continued to spasm and a dark blue fluid leaked from the wound. I ran to her, angry and scared at the same time.
She said, with shame coating her words, I am sorry. I was enraged. These beasts are vile, but I should have waited for you until I attacked.
I didn’t reply, only helped her limp over to the quivering wyvern in the corner.
And as we neared, the most shocking thing happened: It spoke.
In a grating voice, like granite crumbling in one’s hand, it said, “Thank you. The shestoni are strong but are not usually seen so high up in the caves. I was just exploring when it surprised me.”
Then it limbed forward and bowed its head. Compared to the troll, the wyvern had looked small, but up close, it was nearly as tall as Pachi, though it had a thicker and wider frame. Ribbons of muscle danced below its scales as it moved, and I noted that the red stripes I’d seen before were lacerations from the troll’s whip.
“No problem,” I said as I looked over at Pachi. “I am glad we could help. I’m afraid for my friend, though. She was poisoned, and I don’t have an antidote. Do you know how long the poison lasts?”
Pachi spoke to me mentally, but as the wyvern turned to look at her as well, it was apparent she was speaking to us both. The poison will run its course until I die, Hana. I am sorry.
Speaking up again, this time with more levity in its voice, the wyvern said, “My people have an antidote. I am not allowed to show anyone our home, but…” It seemed to struggle with its conscience a moment before beginning. “No, it must be. You have saved me when it would have been easy enough for you to walk away. Follow me. If you have any healing herbs, eat them now, and drink some of the water here. It will bolster your body and slow the poison, though it will not last long. We must hurry.”
I found the last of the herbs Judas had given me and fed them to Pachi. She chewed them thoroughly and swallowed. While she did so, I ran over to the nearest pool and filled the skin.
I winced as my fingers touched the water, but it was not as hot as I’d feared. The bubbles were not from boiling heat, but rather some gas that was escaping.
Pachi drank the whole waterskin and we all began descending into the mountainside again, following our limping friend.
“How were you injured?” I asked it. “And what is your name, for that matter?”
“You may call me Quelten,” the creature said aloud, the word coming out with a hard K sound. “To answer your first question, I was only caught in the troll’s whip. Normally, such shallow wounds would not hinder one of my kind, but it had covered the lashes with poison. We have some immunity, but already I feel my legs weakening.” As it spoke, the wyvern increased its pace, moving in the side-to-side fashion of a huge lizard.
“It is nice to meet you Quelten,” I answered, following closely behind. “I’m Hana, and my friend is Pachi. Thank you for helping us in return. It might be fortunate. We were tasked by the Sirrushi rangers to try to find your people. I need to speak with your leader. Do you know them?”
A rasping hiss escaped the wyvern’s mouth—laughter. “My mother. I am sure she will meet with you, though she will no doubt be angry with me. I was not supposed to venture so far without the company of guards.”
The notion of these dragonlike creatures having positions within their society like guards made me reorient my perspective somewhat. How else might I be underestimating them if this was surprising?
Rather than question Quelten further, I helped Pachi, taking some
of the weight off of her injured leg. The further we traveled, the slower her movements became. Whatever poison the troll had used had an inhibiting effect, like paralysis.
The tunnels became narrower, no longer running through larger caverns but burrowing lower into the mountain in long passageways. Occasionally, we would pass around some gaping hole in the ground, a fell wind blowing up from its depths.
At last, the tunnel we were following flattened out and began to open up. Far ahead, I thought I saw the red and orange flicker of firelight. Torches?
“We are close,” Quelten called back. “Just a little more.”
My heart began to lift. This had been a costly adventure so far, only worthwhile if Pachi could be healed. But before we’d gone another hundred feet, she tripped, her injured shoulder no longer able to hold her weight. She lay quivering on the cave floor, her breath labored.
I urged her on, trying to help her lift up some of her weight. You can’t stop now. I’m so sorry, but you have to get up!
She lay still for a few long moments, then answered, I don’t think I can. I’ll try once more when I catch my breath.
Quelten had stopped and turned back, and I noted that his own legs were wobbling more than before. “We cannot stop here. If we do, they will not know to help us.”
“I know, just give us a minute,” I explained. “She needs a rest, I think.”
Quelten shook his head from side to side, almost like he was tearing meat from a carcass. “No! That is how the poison works. As soon as you give in to stillness, you are lost!”
Pachi seemed to be listening. In one great effort, she managed to lift herself up once more.
The wyvern took off ahead of us, moving fast despite his growing clumsiness.
The chamber collapsed again into a small tunnel, this one carved from stone, and I glanced up to see intricate patterns etched there.
Then it opened up into a vast cavern. I could barely make out the ceiling, which was a hundred feet above us and glimmering. Torches burned in sconces that hung from numerous pillars as thick as the trunks of oak trees.
Hoping the distraction would help her continue our flight, I said, Pachi, isn’t it beautiful? Are you seeing any of this? But instead of answering, I felt the muscles along her shoulder go as rigid as the stone around us, and she crashed into the ground.
My heart twinged as I heard the yelp that escaped her.
I found myself on hands and knees, staring in horror at the sight of Pachi seizing on the cave floor.
Quelten turned around and said something to encourage us to keep moving, but I couldn’t focus on his words. I was too concerned by the approaching wyverns, covered in plates of steel armor and five times the size of young Quelten.
Then a voice as deep and cold as the mountain itself demanded, “What is the meaning of this, hatchling!?”
I lifted my body up and froze, the sight of the wyvern guards more terrifying than any cave troll a hundred times over.
The guard continued to admonish our wyvern guide. “You bring outsiders to our front door, then demand the service of our healers and an audience with our queen? Your boldness knows no bounds, Quelten!”
He lifted his head and replied, “They saved my life, Harnoth. I will not forsake them. I was attacked by a huge shestoni in the pools above. These two killed it. In the process, the vardeen warrior was bitten, which is why I led them here. If not, she would have certainly died.”
Harnoth lifted one of his front legs, the unmistakable glint of silver or steel reflecting from each talon, and pointed at me, “The vardeen is one thing, but to bring the elf here as well… None of the two-legged folk can be trusted.”
I sat there, feeling more than helpless as Pachi continued to spasm beneath my hands. Quelten was preparing to argue again when another wyvern came up to us and interrupted the exchange.
This one had softer features in the face, fewer horns around the eyes and jaw, and delicate threads of chain across its back. “Silence, Harnoth. We have guests whether we want them or not, and one needs healing. Send two of your warriors to bear her to Chiani at once.” The guard huffed in frustration but turned to do her bidding. The wyvern continued, “And as for you, Quelten, go to Chiani as well. You seem strong enough to do so on your own. When you are all recovered, the queen will want to speak with you.” This last was directed to me. I felt the gravity of the wyvern’s words land on me with the authority of law.
Soon, two of the armored wyverns came bearing a thick leather sling. They set it before Pachi and deftly wove a rope beneath her form, then pulled her onto the sling. It was like a stretcher but had no poles, only a tarp of leather that was bound at the head and foot with rope. The warriors dragged her away.
Thankfully, the floor was smooth here, and her body did not have to suffer many bumps or jolts.
I followed on foot but was keenly aware of the massive wyvern that stalked behind me, none other than the grumpy Harnoth. We wound our way through the subterranean architecture, all well lit but for an occasional passage. Eventually, Pachi was dragged into a small chamber that had the smell of herbs about it.
“Chiani! We have wounded,” Harnoth called, diligent in his duties despite his desire to have us gone.
An old wyvern crawled in from a rear chamber, eyes white and scales faded. “I smell an elf and one of the vardeen. In our halls? Not in centuries has such come to pass. And…” She paused, sniffing the air disdainfully. “Shestoni poison!”
“Quelten was injured as well,” Harnoth said gravely.
Quelten nudged Pachi with his scaled head. “My wounds can wait. The vardeen is close to death.”
The healer walked closer and laid her paw on Pachi’s shoulder. “Yes, she doesn’t have long. Thankfully, the vardeen are not weak creatures. If the elf had been bitten, we would be burying her in the deeps.”
Chiana ordered for herbs and boiling water. She steeped the herbs after grinding them in her palm. The dexterity of her clawed paws was impressive. These wyverns seemed capable of almost anything a human could do but for the finest of motor skills.
After a minute, the wyvern gestured to the bowl. “She must drink this. It will bolster her strength.”
Pachi was barely conscious, but I was able to pour the hot liquid down her tongue by tilting her head up.
The old wyvern set both of her paws on either side of Pachi’s shoulder. Closing her blind eyes, the creature chanted in a language I did not recognize, and a green aura surrounded her body. The light continued to grow stronger, and then it congealed into thick ropes of energy that wrapped around Pachi.
The healer left her cocooned in the energy, which continued to do its work. Pachi was taking long, deep breaths now. Soon she was asleep, and I ran my fingers through her fur as I watched the healer take care of Quelten.
I felt the fatigue of the day wash over me and closed my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, for soon enough I felt a muzzle nudge me awake.
Wake, Hana, Pachi said. These wyverns are kind. And their food is delicious. I told them to cook yours, so I am sure you will like it as well.
I opened my eyes and saw three thick filets of fish laying on a bronze platter, covered in a pinch of black and red herbs.
We ate and thanked Chiani kindly.
Then, as we prepared to leave, Chiani instructed us, “You must address our queen properly. She should be called Queen Matriarch by outsiders such as yourselves. Remember this, young ones.”
When she finished, she slithered away again, mumbling the chords of some nearly forgotten song.
The guards came again, and we followed them down more halls and through countless chambers. The realm of the Sirrushi wyverns was enormous. We passed a thriving market, and the countless domed structures that Quelten told me were homes.
We were led to a vast lake. A series of bright lamps made of crystal lit the wide road that led past the placid water. Rather than looking black and ominous, the blue-white lights reflected across the water, making i
t seem covered in ice. Everywhere fish darted in an endless progression, nipping at the insects that skittered across the surface.
In the middle of the chamber, a bridge turned and leapt over the lake itself, leading to a structure so grand it could only be a palace.
Needing some excuse to break the silence of our march, I remarked to Quelten, “It’s amazing how well your kind work with stone.”
Harnoth cut the young wyvern off before he could answer, saying, “The Sirrushi do not work stone. We have skill in mining and working the gems and ore we find, but not stone. All of this was built by the dwarves.”
Considering the grandeur of the city and the palace we strode toward, it also seemed like the Sirrushi were no longer as numerous as they had been. A settlement this large could house tens of thousands of them, maybe more.
The palace was not the tall, spired castle that I had grown used to seeing in movies and games. Rather, it was a broad and powerful thing. Each of the three main towers was perhaps fifty feet tall and a few hundred feet wide. The central tower was even larger still.
The stones that made up the structures looked to be as big as wagons, and dozens of arched windows lit the facade with lamps of various colors.
Inside, staircases stretched up to either side of the building, but we continued on and through the antechamber. In the heart of the palace, we came to a room that was so large it must have taken up most of the central tower.
No piles of gold and treasure greeted us, just a few terse guards. At the very end, lounging on a wide tablet of marble, lay a wyvern so grand and powerful it could only be the matriarch.
Harnoth urged us forward. “These are the invaders, Mother. They have been healed by Chiani and await your sentence.”
Pachi said to me mentally, He speaks lies. We did not invade but were invited. And we wish them no ill.
I looked over to her and walked forward at her side. I know. We are in their hands, though. Let’s just hope for the best, okay?
