The Eye of Tanglewood Forest (Haymaker Adventures Book 3)

by Sam Ferguson

  The Eye of Tanglewood Forest

  By

  Sam Ferguson

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Dragon Scale Publishing, 212 E Crossroads Blvd. #119, Saratoga Springs UT 84045

  THE EYE OF TANGLEWOOD FOREST

  Text copyright © 2017 by Sam Ferguson

  Illustration copyright © 2017 Dragon Scale Publishing

  All Rights Reserved

  Front cover art by Bob Kehl

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  Flight of the Krilo

  About the Author

  About Terramyr

  Other Books by Sam Ferguson

  The Sorceress of Aspenwood Series

  The Dragon’s Champion Series

  The Wealth of Kings

  The Netherworld Gate Series

  The Dragons of Kendualdern series

  The Fur Trader

  The Haymaker Adventures

  Flight of the Krilo

  Winter’s Ghost (Novella)

  The Moon Dragon

  The Beast of Blue Mountain

  The Dwarves of Roegudok Hall comic Episode 1

  Other Books by Dragon Scale Publishing

  The Lost City of Alfarin by Keaton James and Sam Ferguson

  The Protector of Esparia by Lisa M. Wilson

  Codex of Light by E.P. Stein

  Kingdom of Denall Series by Eric Buffington:

  The Troven

  Secrets at the Keep

  The Changing

  Tales of the NoWhere and NeverWhen by Jason Hauser

  Wisp the Wayfinder

  Puck the Pathwinder

  Nobb the Nightbinder

  The Cacklin’ Glakin

  The Glowmo Knows

  Also available exclusively on the

  Dragon Scale website:

  Tharzule’s Tome of Wishes by Malinda Smiley

  Orcs and Elves by Bethan Owen

  For the latest updates, follow Sam’s Author Page, Blog, Twitter @Author_SamFerg and Facebook

  This book is for all those special teachers who work hard and make a good impact on their students.

  CHAPTER 1

  Captain Ziegler finished filling the last waterskin from the well and looked around the underground city. The braziers and torches that had been burning when they arrived two days prior had all burned out. Jason had asked to relight them, as the bioluminescent mushrooms and plants did not provide as much light to the area, but Ziegler had forbidden it, worried that if any trolls or elves had managed to survive Miranda’s final spell, they would be attracted to the fires to investigate who had relit them.

  As it was, neither Ziegler nor Jason had found any enemy survivors over the last two days. They had checked most of the city, carefully inspecting each street and house. The only quarter they hadn’t searched yet was the area furthest up the tunnel, closest to the entrance to Sierryn, but that would be saved for later today.

  They had spent the morning backtracking their way to the cave-in where Brykith had intended to release a demon from its prison. Fortunately, the cave-in had been so complete that Ziegler was certain no amount of elves or trolls would be able to excavate the area again for many months, and Brykith didn’t have that kind of time to waste, not with Jonathan, Ziegler, and Jason on his trail. Unfortunately, the cave-in also made it impossible to retrieve Ruben’s body.

  The wizard who was betrothed to Miranda had given his life to save theirs, holding the collapsing ceiling of the lower chamber up until the others had escaped. His sacrifice had not only ensured their safety, but had slain many of the remaining trolls and elves down in the chamber where the demon’s prison could be unlocked and the beast summoned. If only the cave-in had gotten Brykith before the wicked elf had teleported away, then they would be nearly done with their quest, save for finding and rescuing Raven.

  In addition to Ruben, the body of Deltys, the elf who had befriended the group and brought them to Sierryn, was also down inside the lower chamber. Ziegler wished he could give Deltys and Ruben the burials they so richly deserved, but there was no way he could spend more time in this underground city. They had already used two full days waiting for Miranda to wake from her coma. They had to move now, for Brykith was on his way to Shuldern, or had surely sent servants there. If Ziegler hoped to find Raven, he would need to catch and interrogate them. If he wasted another day here waiting for Miranda, he might lose any hope of catching them again.

  Captain Ziegler took a drink from his waterskin just as Jason arrived.

  “It looks clear up ahead,” Jason said. “I haven’t searched the front quarter yet, but I did manage to find several lengths of rope and a few medical supplies we can add to our backpacks.”

  “Medical supplies?” Ziegler asked.

  “Just some clean bandages and a suture kit, nothing fancy.”

  Ziegler grunted. “How about food?”

  Jason shook his head. “Not yet. I found a couple loaves of stale bread, probably left here by the elves that were here to manage the trolls, but nothing else.”

  “We ate everything I found already,” Ziegler said, recalling the block of cheese and basket of fruit he had found in the house they were currently using. “I don’t suppose any of the trolls left us any meat?”

  “Nothing I would dare touch,” Jason said with a shake of his head. “I found a half-eaten deer leg, but it was covered with flies and smelled of rot.”

  Ziegler nodded. “Then that only confirms my decision to leave today. We’ll search the front quarter, and then we’ll pack up and go.”

  “What about Miranda?” Jason asked. “She hasn’t woken yet, and she’ll slow us down quite a bit.”

  “Better to move slowly than not at all,” Ziegler replied. “We’ll make a litter and do the best we can.”

  Jason nodded and lifted the water bucket to his mouth. Little water made it into his mouth compared to the amount of liquid that splashed down his front. Jason smiled and wiped the water across his face. “It will be good to see the sunlight and smell the fresh air again,” Jason said.

  Ziegler smiled. “Yeah, it will. Could you imagine living here and spending most of your lifetime underground?”

  Jason shook his head. “No. That would drive me mad. Give me trees and open air. I’ll even take the sea, but not a cave in the dark. I don’t care how many glowing mushrooms or plants there are.”

  “Come on, let’s go. We’ll check the front quarter of the city and see if we can’t find a bit of food or something else to use, then we’ll go back for Jonathan and Miranda.”

  *****

  Jonathan stood next to the bed and looked down at Miranda. She had collapsed after having cast a spell unlike any he had ever seen or heard of. It had incinerated all of the trolls blocking their escape from the demon’s cavern. She had been incredible, devouring the scores of trolls and reducing them to ash in seconds. There wasn’t
anything left of their clothes or weapons either. The inferno had ravaged everything about them. The spell’s repercussions were beyond any of the three companions’ ability to explain. Given the fact that the spell had come right after Ruben’s death, Jonathan had to wonder if perhaps Miranda had had feelings for him beyond what she had previously told him. Surely, there had to be more there than a simple arranged marriage set up by her father in order to elicit such rage. Either way, the spell had not only obliterated the enemy forces, but it had changed Miranda as well, and Jonathan was starting to lose hope that she would wake up anytime soon.

  In addition to her now white hair, there were other changes around her. A strange, shiny film was covering her skin. It seemed to shimmer and move, like the surface of a pond in a light breeze. It was warm to the touch, but none of them had any idea what it was. There hadn’t been anything in the book that the scholar of The Order of Anorit had given Jonathan about this kind of thing. Even Captain Ziegler, as experienced as he was, couldn’t guess what was happening to her now.

  “We’ll wait, won’t we? I mean, we’ll wait until she wakes up?” Jonathan had asked that morning before the other two had left to get fresh water and inspect the cave-in.

  Ziegler had nodded. “We’ll wait. We never leave anyone behind,” he had said. “And I am not about to add yet another tattoo.”

  “How long will she be like this?” Jason had asked.

  Ziegler shrugged. “No way of knowing. We had best go out and scavenge for supplies.” He turned to Jonathan. “You stay here and guard the door. I am fairly certain there aren’t any trolls in the area, but better to be cautious.”

  Ziegler had then motioned to Jason. “You and me, let’s go.” Ziegler, the old war captain who had been the final commanding officer of the fabled Ghosts of the Quags led Jason, Jonathan’s older brother, out in search of supplies as they had done the two previous days. They had yet to find any real food beyond some cheese and other bits that kept them alive, but wouldn’t sustain them fully for long. Jonathan knew they would need to leave soon, whether or not Miranda was ready to be moved.

  Jonathan remained behind, watching Miranda as she lay sleeping upon the bed. Or, at least he hoped she was sleeping. He chose to believe that the strange, shiny film covering her body was preserving her, restoring her energy and keeping her strong. He couldn’t allow himself to believe anything else.

  Jonathan stepped toward Miranda now and reached out to pat her hand. He started to speak, assuring her that all would be well, but as his fingers touched her hand, he received a great shock to his body. His muscles went stiff and he fell over backward, thumping on the wooden floor and staring up at the ceiling. He blinked a few times before his wits came back to him. Slowly, he sat up and looked back to Miranda. The magical covering was now glowing a bright yellow. He held up his hand and frowned at the red marks on his fingers. He had been shocked and burned, but not badly enough to cause lasting damage.

  “All right then, I’ll just be downstairs if you need me.” He got up and exited the room, shaking his hand and sucking on his index finger to take away some of the sting. He walked down the steps to the main floor, coming into a sort of sitting room near the back of the house. Making his way forward, he went through a narrow hallway and into the dining room, which was little more than a space with a table in the same area of the house as the kitchen. He went straight for the front door and locked it, then he decided he would put on some tea.

  A short while later, Jonathan sat on a small, wooden chair and sipped from a cup of pathetically weak mint tea that tasted more like lukewarm dishwater. There hadn’t been enough mint leaves in the cupboard to make a proper batch.

  He waited there in the kitchen, watching the door.

  As he watched the door, he thought how strange it was that he was unable to even touch Miranda’s hand. It was as if her magic was transforming into something new. In all honesty, she had scared him a bit when she had slain all the trolls. Her power was far more than he had ever imagined. And now, seeing how her powers could even protect her while she lay unconscious, he had to acknowledge the fact that perhaps Raven had had more reason to arrange the marriage between Miranda and Ruben than simply trying to produce a baby who could wield more than one type of magic, as Miranda had explained the arrangement to him. Perhaps it had something to do with her specific abilities matched with Ruben’s that were meant to become something even more.

  Thinking back on the wizard, Jonathan had to acknowledge that Ruben was no whelp either. Though that was exactly what Jonathan had thought of him that night in his home when Ruben had introduced himself. A bookish whelp with no ability to handle himself. If the rest of the journey up to this point hadn’t already proved otherwise, Ruben’s heroic sacrifice sure had, but there was more to it than Ruben’s final moments. Throughout the entire journey through Tanglewood Forest, Ruben had displayed great abilities, and Jonathan soon realized that he mistook Ruben’s humility for inability. He now realized just how poorly he had judged the man. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything to be done about it now, what with Ruben’s body crushed beneath hundreds of tons of rock, but Jonathan had to hope that at least by acknowledging his mistake, and trying not to judge so quickly in the future, he might begin to make amends.

  He took another sip, and tried to come up with another subject to focus his thoughts on. It wouldn’t do any good to dwell on all of his friends who had lost their lives on this quest so far. He wished he still had the book that Miken, the scholar from the Order of Anorit, had given him. It pained him even now to think of the volume lost in the depths of an underground pool. He smiled as he recalled a few passages that he could still remember clearly. He couldn’t read it anew, but he could go over the information in his mind. That was enough to distract him from his current situation. He thought of the Wyrebins, recalling the magical creature reserve that he and Miranda had seen during the first leg of their journey just before they found Nebenuk.

  Jonathan sighed and shook his head. He had had so many expectations for this journey, but the Wyrebins were about the only thing that had been as he had pictured them. Nothing else was working out the way he had wanted his first foray into Tanglewood Forest to play out. He then thought about several passages before finally landing on his reading about the Vinnies, a strange creature that was essentially made of thick vines stacked and arranged in such a way as to impersonate a humanoid. According to the text, they were the result of an elf wizard’s experimentation. Apparently the wizard had meant them to be a means of defense for his stronghold, but the Vinnies proved too docile, and were not physically strong.

  The only thing Jonathan had seen that were even remotely similar to the Vinnies were the wood sprites that had attacked them on the road. Large creatures made of wood that walked upon two legs, but they had neither been docile, nor weak.

  Sitting at this table, Jonathan had to wonder just how accurate the book was with any of its information. The passage about Vinnies had also mentioned how the Old Gods had shunned the Vinnies as abominations, creatures classified as soulless machinations of magic, and ordered destroyed.

  Perhaps they had been, long ago. Or, on the other hand, perhaps Vinnies had become wood sprites, evolving over time to defend themselves from predators. There was no way he could know for sure. As he thought about it now, he recalled that there was another race created by Shimeran, the same elf wizard who had created the Vinnies. Jonathan couldn’t remember the name of the second kind of creatures though. He only remembered that they were also classified as abominations, but were supposedly much more savage than Shimeran had expected, turning on him and then escaping into the forest.

  If Vinnies had possibly become wood sprites, then how fierce would another race of abominations be that had already started out savage to begin with?

  Jonathan shook his head. He was supposed to be thinking of something to take his mind off of the dangers of Tanglewood Forest, but now he had circled back.

  Jo
nathan gave up the mental exercise and pulled his tea up to his mouth and took another drink. He grimaced and set the cup down when the tepid liquid touched his tongue. He couldn’t take it anymore. There had to be something else to drink in this house. He stood from the table and went to the opposite end of the room. There was a stove made of exquisitely carved stone, the kind where you built a fire down below the oven, and vents allowed the heat up to the surface for cooking in pots and pans. To the right of that was a cupboard. It wasn’t made of wood like they were back home, though. This one was made of stone, and had a heavy fabric curtain covering it instead of a door. He pulled the green velvet back and stared at the shelves. The first compartment was dishes and cups. He closed it and moved on to the second. There he found a store of strange roots and a mound of multi-colored mold that may have once started as a loaf of bread. Just opening the curtain filled the air with the smell of mold. Jonathan closed it and continued searching the rest of the cupboards until he found a single bottle.

  The glass was a very dark green, almost black actually. The top was stopped up with a cork and sealed with wax. Jonathan put it up to his ear and sloshed it about a bit. He tried to read the faded label, but it was elvish, and he couldn’t read that. He set his teeth to the cork and pulled it out.

  An acrid odor slapped him in the face so hard that it made tears well in his eyes.

  “Whoa!” Jonathan exclaimed.

  “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” a voice called from behind him. “Unless you are prepared to suffer stomach cramps and can stay near to a chamber pot for a day or so.”

  Jonathan froze. The voice did not belong to Jason or Ziegler. The pitch was high, and slightly nasal. The young man turned around to see another figure sitting at the table. Jonathan’s adrenaline surged and his muscles tensed, but he relaxed slightly when he saw the stranger sitting peacefully at the table. He did have a long spear, but it was propped up against the wall, and the man’s hands were resting on the table.