by C Woodward
"You're right, both of you. She still cares, always will care. Even if, well, I should just worry about the troubles ahead. Thank you, guys." I said with new hope in me.
Hours passed and it was relatively quiet. The smell of trees and wild flowers filled our nostrils and we heard the wind rustling the branches and birds singing. It was quite an ideal setting to clear out one's head. We started to see large red trees that stood taller and wider than the other trees.
"Oh, I have read about these!" Amgati said in excitement. He moved close to one to inspect the bark. "Such a magnificent sight," he complimented.
Jerak shrugged, "They are just big trees."
"They are not just big trees; these are sage trees. They are much larger and resistant than normal trees!" Amgati corrected. I was not surprised at an elvin ranger taking an interest in unique trees.
"In my old world these are called Redwoods," I remarked.
Jerak laughed, "See that name makes more sense than sage trees."
Amgati groaned, "Not sure how they compare to your world but these are rumored to be as wide as a home."
I nod, "Yes, there are some like that in my old world."
Amgati let out an annoyed sigh, "Sage trees are rumored to contain strong natural magic in them."
I gave him a big shrug, "Okay, you win on that one."
Amgati laughed, "It wasn't a contest."
Jerak laughed, "Sounded like it was. But hey! You won, right?"
Amgati shook his head and groaned.
I looked to the east and saw what were called the Iron Mountains. "I suppose they call those the Iron Mountains because of large deposits of iron."
Amgati nodded, "Yes. The dwarves there are famous for their iron and steel."
"And these large redwood or sage trees here span far out, right?" I asked.
Jerak chuckled, "Stating the obvious?"
I chuckled again, "No, I am just trying to understand it. It must be that the source rune is north of the mountains. It must be strong in earth magic because of the high amount of resources there."
Amgati turned to me, "Yes, I was thinking that too. The source rune must be making the land rich and fertile as well giving much ore to the mountain. I dread to think of the power Xum'gol would have if he could harness it."
That was something I didn't want to imagine. We must stop him somehow. I put my hand in my pouch to feel the small scroll Milunus gave me. I hope this thing worked.
As we hiked further north, the trees grew larger. They were different than the ones back home. I was so glad that Amgati was with us. He had a knack for knowing his way. He displayed his vast experience as he led us. The farther we traveled, it became harder to see the sky above. Time moved pretty quickly as we traveled.
It was easy to lose track of time. We rested when it became too dark and got up when it was light. As the days passed, I missed Talestria. I was beginning to accept things a bit more. I shouldn't beat myself up over this. I just needed to worry about reaching Dragon's Back and finding the means to stop Xum'gol for good.
The three of us traveled along a stream. We hoped to find some fish to catch. Amgati took the lead with his spear in hand, staring into the water as we walked.
"You sure you can catch a fish with that?" I asked.
Amgati spoke quietly without losing his concentration, "I have been doing this far longer than the two of you been alive." He suddenly threw his spear into the water. He jogged over and pulled out his spear with a good size fish flapping on it.
Jerak grinned, "That is going to taste so good. Tired of eating dried things."
Amgati lift his hand and looked elsewhere. His expression changed into concern. Jerak and I kept quiet and lowered our stance. Birds were moving away from the direction where he was staring.
"Something big is close." Amgati whispered. "We should quietly cross over to the other side of the stream to make sure."
A large, hairy creature dashed into view. At first I thought it was a big bear until I saw its antlers. The creature looked like a cross between an elk and bear and was twice as mean looking. It was an elkvian!
The three of us jumped back and readied our weapons. The huge beast jumped in the middle of us. He snarled loudly with a spray of foam coming out of its mouth. It quickly surveyed the three of us as an ideal meal. It decided that Amgati would be first.
Amgati jumped and rolled away to avoid the lunge of the beasts’ attack. Jerak and I charged in to counter. The beast made a backhand swipe at Jerak. He blocked it with his buckler but was thrown back. I moved in to get behind it and made a quick slash with Clagmir's sword. The hide of the beast was thicker than I expected. At least the flames of the sword were enough to cause it some pain.
The creature roared in pain and rage as it turned toward me. I saw the rage in its eyes. It barred its huge, sharp teeth with strands of saliva dripping. It readied itself for a lunge at me. As soon as it lifted its hind legs, it curled its back and let out a cry of pain. Amgati had thrust in his spear.
The elkvian snapped its body away from us with Amgati's spear stuck in its back. Amgati staggered back, unable to grip his spear. He stared as the elkvian went back to its target. I charged the beast to stab it. Even though my blade clearly hurt it, the hide was too thick to do any considerable damage. The burning blade didn't detract from its rage. The beast knocked Amgati down, pinning him to the ground.
Jerak jumped out from nowhere and onto the shoulder of the beast. He cringed a little as he cut his arm on one of the antlers. Jerak grabbed the base of the creature’s head to get a good grip on him. The Elkvian leaned back, moving wildly trying to shake Jerak off.
"Oh, man!" Jerak cried in surprise at the frantic movements of the beast.
I ran over to try to pull Amgati out from under the beast. One of Amgati's legs was held down. I lowered my shoulder to push the elkvian enough to free Amgati's shoulder. I had no effect. The beast swung its head into me. I was knocked flat on my back. If it wasn't for my armor, the horns would have gored me.
"Eat mace, you ugly horned bear!" Jerak screamed as he got in position to swing his mace into the face of the beast. Fueled by adrenaline and pain from his left arm, Jerak bashed away at the face of the monster. The elkvian was big and hearty but it couldn't withstand several blows to the face by a steel mace. The beast fell back onto the ground. Jerak rolled out and quickly scampered closer to continue to strike. It took a few more heavy strikes into the skull and soon the beast was no longer among the living.
Jerak slowly stood up and wiped his brow. He took several deep breaths, "At least we got ourselves a feast!"
Amgati retrieved his spear. He limped a little but appeared to be alright. He put his hand on Jerak's shoulder, "Glad you are on our side."
Jerak laughed, "Go warm up a fire. I am hungry for some bear."
Amgati laughed, "That's not a bear, it is an elkvian, if I recall."
Jerak shrugged, "Close enough for me. All I know, it will be tasty when roasted."
I found large rocks to make a good sized fire ring and collected fallen logs. Jerak was skinning the beast while Amgati was treating Jerak's wound. Earlier we were excited to have a fish for the three of us. Now we have enough meat to fill our bellies for days.
As we sat around the spit, Jerak prodded our meal occasionally.
Jerak looked at me, "Hey, what happened to the one you killed a few years ago, Blake?"
I scratched my head, "I recall those two old dwarves having the horns. Not sure if I kept the hide of it or not."
Amgati lifted a brow, "You faced one of these before?"
I smiled, "Yeah, back when Teltar and Kalus were heading to your area. It was a beast that was sent over to get me."
Amgati frowned at the mention of Kalus, "Didn't know you traveled with that lecher."
Jerak chimed in, "Oh, he is a nice guy. He was really good with the lute."
Amgati folded his arms and almost appeared to be pouting.
Jerak laughed, "I ca
n understand you hating him for what he did. I would have broken his nose if he mingled with my sister, if I had a sister."
"By the way, what did you do to Kalus?" I asked.
Amgati grumbled, "Broke his nose."
Jerak and I started to laugh. Amgati lightened up a bit and joined us. It felt good to relax. Part of me still wanted to be miserable but I needed to forget my troubles right now.
We started to feast like wild, hungry animals ourselves. We took any piece out of the beast that was cooked enough to just easily pull apart. Amgati hung strips to smoke for future use. I wasn’t sure how one prepares meat like that, but Amgati appeared to know what to do and he didn't want to waste any meat. It will have to last. I’ve had a real craving for meat for a while now. Maybe it was the dragon part of me craving it so much. Although, it could also be eating no provisions for days as well.
"Whatever happened to Teltar?" Jerak spoke with his mouth full.
I swallowed a piece of meat. "Well, you know he got married about two years ago."
Jerak tilted his head, "Really? Shame I wasn't invited to their wedding."
I shrugged, "Dwarves don't seem to throw big weddings, besides he was a bit anti-social."
Jerak laughed, "I am surprised he even spoke to a woman, let alone got married."
Amgati smiled, "Dwarves have an odd method of courtship."
Jerak took another bite of meat, "Well, what are the elvin way?"
"When a man and woman fall in love, the woman suggests marriage. Then the man must perform service for her for several weeks to prove dedication," Amgati explained.
Jerak frowned, "That seems weird. Hey Blake. Did you have to do that for....?" he stopped himself.
I looked away, staring at the fire. I didn't need to be reminded of all that.
Amgati smacked the back of Jerak's head, "Careful with your words."
"Sorry, Blake, I didn't mean anything," Jerak apologized.
"It is quite alright. You didn't mean to," I replied. I stared down at my meal, trying my best to not dwell on my situation. I wished it was easy to forget.
Amgati tried to change the topic, "So, you fought an elkvian before? How did it get in the Farlands?"
I explained, "Oh, from what I could tell, it was when this weird, wealthy guy from Lyonus hired some guys to come after me and..."
We heard a rustling in the bushes. The three of us turned to look. Out came several hooded figures in brown and green robes. An older man in a brown robe with a crown of leaves on his head, opened his hood. He had a very calm expression on his face as he looked at the three of us.
The hooded man spoke, "I was almost concerned about your camp fire but I spotted an elf within your pack."
Amgati lowered his spear, "You must be the druids that reside this forest."
The old druid gave a polite nod, "You are most correct, elf. May I ask why the three of you have ventured this far?"
I answered, "We are making our way to Dragon's Back."
The old druid gave me a surprised look, "Judging from your armor, you must be one of those Drake Guard poachers." He frowned, "I didn't expect an elf to side with the likes of these on a fool's hunt for dragons."
I shook my head, "I am not part of those people, and I am not a hunter."
Amgati added, "Blake here is trying to consult with the Dragon Spirit."
The other druids whispered among each other. The old druid gestured for them to calm down. He turned back to me with a perplexed look, "Are you telling me you are the outworlder that the dragon folk revered?"
Amgati lifted a brow, "Dragon folk?"
I answered, "It’s how the Dragon Spirit referred to his kind."
The old druid smiled and nodded, "Yes, the draykens mention that as their other name."
"You met them?" I asked.
The old druid replied cheerfully, "Met them? We often get some visiting here in the forest. There is one in our village at the moment." He gestured to the other druids and signaled for them to head back. The old druid went on, "We will set markers for you to follow. You are most welcome to visit after you have rested." He started to walk back into the shadows. His voice boomed out, "Be sure to put your fire out before leaving your camp."
There was an odd silence between the three of us. We looked at each other dumbfounded.
Amgati spoke in an eager tone, "I always wanted to meet their kind. The things I could learn!"
Jerak took a big bite of roasted meat, "What's the big fuss with forest mages."
Amgati laughed, "They are no forest mages. They're part of an ancient order. Their knowledge of the natural land is vast."
Jerak rolled his eyes, "What's so vast about it? So they can know which twig they can or cannot eat? Don't see the big deal."
Amgati sighed, "Sometimes you humans...."
Jerak raised his arms, "Humans? They look like humans to me, but you are idolizing them!"
"That is different! Their kind is respected no matter what race they are," Amgati protested.
I stood up, "Take it easy guys. Let's enjoy our meal and get some rest and in the morning we can check out their village. Besides, I want to speak to the drayken there."
The three of us continued relaxing and enjoyed our dinner. Tomorrow we will check out the druid village.
Chapter 8
Amgati woke Jerak and me early. He was excited to see the druid village. He had several long strips of smoked meat all lined up a long smoothed-out branch. It looked like our meal plans were filled for a long while.
"I think I ate too much," Jerak grumbled. He took one look at all the smoked meat and almost looked sick.
I laughed, "You did eat quite a bit."
Jerak dashed behind the bushes, "So did you!"
Amgati shook his head, "Eating too much meat in one setting is enough to make anyone sick."
I shrugged, "I feel fine." I glanced at the smoked strips hanging and was almost tempted to take one for breakfast.
Jerak spoke out from the bushes, "That is because you're part dragon or something."
Amgati waved his hand, "Speaking of sick. Couldn't you move further away, Jerak?"
I laughed, "Well, I guess that is more than enough motivation to leave camp."
Jerak and I carried the branch with the smoked meat as Amgati took the lead. It was rather difficult to maneuver in some spots.
Amgati stopped us, "I found a marker!"
"Do you know which way to go?" Jerak asked.
Amgati laughed, "Well, I have to say they cover their trail remarkably well, but the marker is quite obvious."
I leaned over and saw a simple arrow made of small stones. Yeah, that's pretty obvious. Amgati signaled us to keep moving. Now that he knew what to look for, he quickened his pace. That made it harder for us to keep up while carrying the food.
"How much further do you think?" Jerak complained. We had been out for a while.
I replied, "I have no idea. We have been hiking for maybe an hour. I don't think it could be too much further."
Amgati butted in, "We're here."
I turned to Jerak, "See? I told you."
Jerak rolled his eyes at me but quickly turned his attention ahead of us. I turned to see what was up ahead and was taken by surprise.
The village had trees that were even bigger than the redwoods back at home! Among the trees were large tree houses with rope bridges linking each one. The tree houses on the ground level appeared to be still alive with the plants themselves forming the shapes needed to build a suitable home. There were a few homes that looked to be built into the ground itself with just a door protruding out.
The community was almost as interesting. I spotted humans and a few elves walking around in simple but elegant clothing adorned with natural decorations of leaves and branches. I even saw a young girl riding a deer across our path. She gave us a curious look but kept moving onward.
The three of us stared in awe at the lush life. Everything was so green except for the occasional p
urple and yellow flowers that grew in the ivy that draped the branches. There was one thing that stood out; a large red figure standing at a distance. The character appeared to have red scales and large horns. As the figure turned toward us it was revealed to be a drayken!
"Glad to see you three made it," the old druid welcomed us. We hadn’t even noticed him until he spoke.
"Oh! Um, thank you. It is quite a beautiful place," Amgati said in surprise.