by L. EE
“Sounds like the horn cured Abaddon,” Alden surmised.
“Yeah, time to bring on our friends and rescue everyone.”
Andy and Alden advanced to within several feet of the clearing and crouched in the thick undergrowth. The trolls burst into the glade, bellowing.
“Stop them!” Abaddon commanded as Hannah dove for cover to his left.
Where’s Father? Andy worried, scanning the scene. Then his eyes opened wide. Through the darkness he saw the seven-headed dragon as it had appeared the first time they battled. The beast flapped its four wings then ripped the eye patches from its seven heads and flung them to the ground.
Andy raised Methuselah, and Alden followed his lead.
Captain Ladilas, Sergeant Albin, and Sergeant Gavin ran to the King and Mermin. Even though they had no weapons, they began working to break the bonds.
Whew…he’s okay. Andy sighed with relief at seeing the man he so deeply loved alive. Dirty and a bit worse for wear, but alive.
In the commotion, vulture-men materialized out of thin air and the trolls began batting practice with their clubs, clearing the space. No sooner had one round of bird-men been decimated than another wave appeared.
Hannah darted across the chaos toward the King and Mermin, her arms filled with their confiscated weapons. She quickly distributed them to the officers who cut the King and Mermin loose.
While he desperately wanted to go hug Father and Mermin to reassure himself the world he loved remained intact, he knew someone needed to deal with Abaddon. If the dragon retained its newfound power, no good could come to Oomaldee.
“I’m going after Abaddon,” Andy informed Alden.
“I’ve got your back.”
The instant Andy stepped into the clearing, Imogenia spotted him and shouted, “Grab the boy!”
Andy locked eyes with his father, and the King gave him a reassuring smile, mouthing simply, “Son!”
“Father!” Andy silently replied, relieved.
With everything going on, Imogenia’s demand went ignored. Several seconds later she repeated herself with the same outcome.
Andy refocused on the task at hand and slashed at a zolt that unwisely chose to engage him. Alden made quick work of its comrade, felling it where it stood. Andy jumped over several bodies and his blade connected with two more of the enemy. He ducked quickly to avoid meeting the business end of Lumpy’s club, and Alden bobbed to avoid contact with yet another zolt as it materialized. Alden sliced the bird’s wing before it had fully transformed, impairing it.
Crossing the glade proved slow and taxing, and Andy briefly worried that Abaddon might escape before he reached him. Just as the thought crossed his mind, however, he sensed time slow. He slew five more zolt, leaped over three bodies, and ducked to avoid two more clubs.
Six trolls can create a lot of damage…to both sides, Andy thought as he and Alden worked their way through the middle. Captain Ladilas, Sergeant Gavin, and Sergeant Albin fought on the left side of the clearing. Hannah, Mermin, and Father worked in coordinated movements to the right of the fracas.
At last Andy neared his nemesis at full speed, whirling and twisting Methuselah about. It took the dragon a minute to register his presence, but as soon as he did, Abaddon let loose three blasts of fire, incinerating several of his own troops in the process. Andy deflected the flames with his blade, shielding both he and Alden from injury. Alden felled two more zolt preparing to assault Andy’s back.
The dragon roared its displeasure at failing to stop the boys and shifted its shape. But just before Abaddon fully materialized in his new form, Alden yelled, “Get off me!”
Andy whipped around to see a vulture-man on Alden’s back, its arm in a choke hold around his friend’s neck. Andy grabbed the dagger from his belt and plunged the knife into the unwanted guest’s back. It slumped to the ground.
“Thanks!”
“No problem,” Andy called as he turned back to see a gray-haired, wolflike beast. Its shoulders came halfway up Andy’s chest, and it growled as it slunk back and forth on oversized paws, its eyes locked on him.
“Andy, it’s a herewolf! Don’t let it bite or scratch you or you could start transforming!”
Alden’s words came just in time, for the beast launched itself straight at Andy, teeth bared and saliva spraying. Andy held his ready position until the last second, then faked left. Abaddon flew past, snarling.
Andy did a pirouette, and Alden ran to again defend his back.
The herewolf’s momentum landed it fifteen feet away. It sprang up and whirled around, undeterred.
“Surrender now or I will finish you,” Abaddon growled in a low voice.
Andy didn’t respond. He focused his attention, looking for a vulnerability to exploit, but nothing presented itself.
Abaddon readied another charge and came barreling at Andy a second time. Again Andy evaded, to the right this time. But as he did so, his foot landed on the corpse of a vulture-man and he sprawled to the ground. He scrambled to right himself, but the herewolf proved faster, landing easily and rounding on its prey. It towered over Andy. Andy scuttled back, eyes locked with the creature, Methuselah still clutched in his right hand. The beast took a step forward, then another, advancing slowly, menacingly with its mouth open. Andy could feel heat and smell bad breath.
“Get away from my friend!” yelled Alden, charging.
The unexpected distraction granted Andy an opportunity. He sat up and brought his blade toward the enemy’s head. But Abaddon moved and Andy came up empty.
Abaddon swatted at Alden, driving him off.
Andy scrambled to his feet and put three yards between himself and his adversary before the beast looked his way again. Abaddon resumed pacing, considering Andy.
“Kill him!” Imogenia screamed.
Andy took his ready position. I need to get above him. I only need to maim him; I don’t need to kill. If I can just nick his ear… Oh, where’s Daisy? She’d be able to take him in herewolf form.
No sooner had the thought entered his brain than his mind heard, “I’m getting there. I’m flying as fast as I can.”
Andy chanced a quick look around the glade. The fog was lighter than usual tonight, and in the moonlight he saw Slumpy connect his club with a thinning congregation of zolt, adding to the growing pile of corpses littering the ground. Bumpy and Lumpy battled more bird-men. Hannah, Father, and Mermin fought Thumpy, and Father’s officers engaged Thing One and several vulture-men. Thing Two ambled toward Abaddon. With the din of the chaos around them, the herewolf didn’t notice the threat. Andy watched as the troll raised its club in Abaddon’s blind spot and connected with his hindquarters.
The beast yelped and its legs buckled, landing its behind on the ground. Abaddon hurriedly regained his footing and rounded on the troll, dragging one leg. Without hesitation, Andy ran, launching himself onto his adversary’s back. He landed near the middle and grabbed hold of a thick clump of gray fur. Abaddon brought his head back and nearly caught Andy’s leg in his bared teeth, but Andy moved forward just in time. As Andy brought Methuselah up, he felt the body beneath him shift. The long fur vanished but Andy remained focused, slicing the sword downward and removing an ear before the herewolf completed its change. He felt himself take flight as Abaddon writhed in pain. Andy landed with a thud next to a monstrous rhino with a jet black corkscrew horn, which immediately changed into a gigantic bird. Thunder clapped above the glade, halting all action except Abaddon’s transformation into his dragon form.
Andy jumped up and distanced himself from his enemy. He needn’t have worried though, for as soon as its red scales materialized, the dragon vanished.
“No!” Imogenia screamed.
“Andy, look out!” Alden yelled.
Thing Two smashed its club too close to Andy, jolting him back to reality. Andy turned to face the troll and took his fighting stance as Alden rejoined him.
And then it happened. As the zolt realized their leader had fled, a deaf
ening cawing sound arose as they took flight, abandoning their fallen comrades. Humans and trolls alike stopped fighting and watched the horde disappear into the night sky.
The peace didn’t last long. For as soon as the bird-men left, Lumpy whammed his club on the ground, breaking the spell.
“There’s no point in fighting these brutes,” Andy yelled across the clearing. “Troll wounds heal immediately.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Captain Ladilas called from across the glade.
“We’ll have to keep them occupied until sunup,” Hannah advised.
“Why? What happens then?” Sergeant Gavin queried, distancing himself from Thumpy.
“They’ll turn to stone,” Mermin confirmed as he, the King, and Hannah walked around several mounds of dead zolt to where Andy and Alden were. Andy watched with surprise as Thumpy did not pursue. Instead, the troll looked around, scratched its bald head, and seemed to contemplate its situation. Lumpy, Slumpy, and the other trolls looked at each other, then sat down in silent agreement, each where it was.
Please no, Andy thought, horrified.
Bumpy grabbed a dead zolt in its huge hand and brought it up to its mouth.
Hannah shrieked and turned away.
“Bon appetit!” Andy managed, wearing a pained expression.
“What’s that mean?” Alden questioned.
“I believe it means ‘good eating,’” Mermin interpreted.
“You’re disgusting!” Hannah cried.
Andy watched Captain Ladilas, Sergeant Gavin, and Sergeant Albin share a chuckle.
“While it may disgust you, Hannah, trolls eating the zolt is not much different than us eating cows and goats,” the King encouraged. “And they’ll clean it up before they start to stink.”
Hannah grimaced.
Alden clearly didn’t know what to say to comfort Hannah. He stood stone-faced as the sound of bones being crunched by large teeth echoed across the clearing.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” Hannah announced, waving her hands.
“We should all get out of here. Best to distance ourselves before more trolls investigate,” suggested Captain Ladilas.
No sooner had the words left the captain’s lips than everyone felt the ground shake with a heavy footfall, then another and another.
“That way,” Captain Ladilas whispered, pointing in a direction across from their current position and leading the way. Everyone holstered their weapons and hurried to find their backpacks. Andy realized he hadn’t retrieved his dagger. Oh well, no time to find it now. I hope I don’t need it.
Several minutes later Andy walked next to his father and engaged in hushed conversation.
“I’m very proud of you, Son. Defeating Abaddon for a third time is nothing short of amazing.”
Andy grinned. “Thanks.”
“When you left to find the unicorn horns, I didn’t know whether that might be the last time I saw you. Abaddon didn’t need to keep me or the others alive,” Father remarked.
“Why do you suppose he did?”
The King raised an eyebrow before responding.
“No, don’t take it the wrong way,” Andy apologized.
Father chuckled then added, “It may be he has power over Imogenia if I’m alive.”
“But what good would that do him? It’s not like she can do anything for him.”
“She may know some things he needs, or it may be he’s that arrogant. He may have kept us around to show off his newfound might and instill fear once the horn cured him. I have to say, I became concerned when he was restored.”
Sergeant Gavin alerted the group to the presence of another troll and everyone took cover in the thick underbrush until it passed. It headed in the direction of the glade, no doubt smelling an easy meal on the breeze.
They had not gone far when Captain Ladilas again interrupted with a whispered, “Everyone take cover!”
The continual warnings to hide put everyone on edge. While waiting in shrubbery for yet another troll to pass, Andy glanced up and saw a monstrous winged creature fly across the foggy predawn sky, casting an ominous shadow across their path.
Not another monster!
The rest of the company noticed and all drew their weapons.
Andy, why are you hiding? came a voice in his head.
Daisy? He sighed. It’s you.
Yes, good to catch up with you. I got here as quickly as I could.
“Hey everyone, it’s okay. It’s Daisy,” Andy announced.
“Daisy!” Alden exclaimed.
The dragon landed gracefully in a small clearing just ahead. She ruffled her wings and folded them against her body as the group joined her.
“Thanks so much for coming on short notice,” Andy began.
I promised you I would come if you ever needed my help, Daisy spoke to everyone’s thoughts.
The soldiers, who had never experienced telepathic communication, looked about nervously, wondering where the voice came from. The rest of the group shared a laugh.
“Do you know what happened?” Alden queried.
Yes. I monitored Andy’s thoughts. I’m sorry I didn’t arrive in time to help defeat Abaddon, but it appears you had things well in hand without me.
“I hate to break up this reunion, but I think we’ve reached the end of troll territory judging by the terrain. I believe the realm of the dwarfs begins not far off,” Sergeant Albin reported.
“Let’s grab a bite to eat and get some sleep,” Captain Ladilas suggested. “I don’t anticipate any more trolls.”
“Even if one stumbles on our camp, I have to believe they’d think twice with our dragon friend here,” Alden added, patting Daisy’s neck.
Daisy gave a snort of approval.
Everyone agreed no watch needed to be set with Daisy around, and a short time later, with the sky nearing dawn, silence reigned across the campsite. Eight slumbering humans and their reptilian friend sprawled around a glowing bonfire, lit courtesy of Daisy.
Several hours later, Andy opened one eyelid a slit, trying to remember where he was. He heard Mermin let out a snore nearby. Daisy shifted in her sleep, smoke rings wafting from her nostrils with each breath. Everything and everyone else lay still. Then he heard Mom’s voice, gentle and soft, ask once more, “Did you get a unicorn horn for me?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Weight of Evil
Andy glanced around the camp. He spotted the translucent sphere slowly revolving above the tip of Daisy’s tail in the hazy morning light. Sitting up, he rubbed sleep from his eyes. His brain wrestled against the slough of slumber. As it finished assembling the jumbled pieces of reality, he sprang up, suddenly clear. He glanced down at his backpack that he’d used for a pillow, considering whether to extract Jada’s horn. He decided to wait, confused by his own hesitation.
He tiptoed through the maze of arms and legs cluttering his path until he stood an arm’s length away from the sphere.
“Did you get a unicorn’s horn for me?” it repeated.
“Sorry, but first I need to make sure you’re really my mom,” he whispered.
“Andy,” Mom’s voice interrupted, “what do I mean to you?”
“Huh?” Over the last several days he had rehearsed a dozen questions he wanted to ask the sphere, but it trumped them all with the inquiry.
“What do I mean to you?” it repeated.
As he collected his thoughts, Andy heard Alden roll over behind him.
“Well, you’re my mom.”
“But what does that mean to you?”
Andy fidgeted as his mind tried to overcome its aversion to expressing his feelings. Finally he spoke, “You take us to the library and treat us to ice cream.” He looked down and nudged a twig with his foot. “And you make me laugh when you play jokes on me and Madison. And you listen and cheer me up and, I don’t know… You make me feel loved.” Andy’s cheeks reddened.
With no further questions, Andy stepped back through the labyrinth of appendage
s and bent down, opening his backpack. As he pulled out the unicorn horn, Alden asked, “What are you doing?”
Andy looked up. “You know the sphere I told you about?”
Alden nodded.
“It’s my mom’s spirit. It’s back. It’s over there.”
Alden looked to where Andy pointed. “I don’t see anything,” he declared.
“If I give her Jada’s horn, she’ll live even after the curse is broken. She said so.”
“But how will you break the curse? That’s your primary objective.” Alden’s voice grew louder.
“Shhh,” Andy cautioned.
“No, I won’t be quiet. You can’t give Jada’s horn to whatever or whoever you think that is.”
“You don’t understand.” Horn in hand, Andy moved back toward the swirling sphere. “I have to save my mom!”
“This is a bad idea, Andy,” his inneru objected.
Andy ignored it.
“Your mom wouldn’t ask you to save her if it meant not breaking the curse,” Alden argued.
Reason raised its head briefly in Andy’s brain, causing him to pause. He glanced back at his friend.
“She doesn’t know there’s only one horn left.”
“Don’t do this, Andy!”
The noise of their conversation roused the rest of the party.
“I have to,” Andy insisted, resuming his previous course. “We’ll have to find another horn. I can’t let her die!”
“What’s going on?” the King asked sleepily.
Alden quickly filled him in, and he stood.
“Andy!” Father called.
“Andy,” Mom’s voice beckoned.
“I have to do this!” Andy insisted, reaching the swirling sphere.
“Son!” Father insisted.
“Here!” Andy exclaimed holding up the unicorn’s horn. “I love you, Mom!”
A zolt swooped down through the foliage canopy. It appeared so suddenly Andy didn’t have time to react. It grabbed the horn in its talons, drawing blood, then flew away.