Dragon Hero

by C. L. Woodward

  Jerak looked at me and felt pleased at my request. “Oh, sure! Um…” He swung at the air, “Watch the posture.”

  I lifted a brow, “Watch the posture?”

  Jerak nodded, “Yeah, you can tell sometimes when and how someone is going to move by the way they stand. You can also check their balance.”

  I sighed, “Sounds good. I just hope I have a chance t time to see that.”

  Jerak laughed, “You might eventually.”

  After a while, Jerak looked at me, “You know, I just realized that I am using my buckler, too, when I spar with you.”

  I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe that he was just noticing that.

  Jerak laughed, “I’ve decided to make things a little more air… I will let you use two sticks.” I only sighed. He smiled, “You use two knives in battle so you might as well learn how to fight that way!” I thought about correcting him that they were short swords. Then I recalled Jerak’s hatred of swords and decided it might be best if he thinks they are just knives. I wondered why he hated swords so much.

  “So Jerak, um… I’m curious… why don’t you like swords?” I asked.

  Jerak turned to me with serious eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, “When I was small… I saw my parents die…” He swatted at the air with his stick, “They were killed by thieves. I tried to protect them and received this scar on the side of my face.” He turns his head to display the scar as if I had never seen it before. He continued, “I never saw their faces. I could only see their swords… dripping with blood…” There was a moment of silence. I had never seen him so serious before. He shrugged, “And I think they are useless weapons anyway!”

  I didn’t know what to say after hearing all of that. After a few moments of silence, I decided to say something that he might cheer him up. I patted him on the back, “At least now you are a hero that hunts such scum, right?” Jerak grinned. He now looked as though he had never told me his sad story,

  “You bet!” He slapped me on the back, “Keep up with me and you might make a name for yourself, as well!”

  Our food supply was getting low. After eating a modest lunch of dried fruit and some stale bread, I only had a piece of dried meat left which I would save for dinner. I missed eating normal food and would kill for a good candy bar. Jerak’s food supplies seemed low as well. He dug around his pack and shrugged, “Well, it’s a good thing we will reach Golashe tonight!” That was good news. I checked my coin pouch. There wasn’t much, but it might be enough for some food. If we found work, we might get some money in advance. Jerak tossed me two sticks. One would have nailed me in the face if I hadn’t ducked. I just groaned and prepared for another in a series of defeats.

  I hoped I was making some progress, but I didn’t really see it. Having two sticks to spar with may have increased my chances, but I still lost. He frequently just slapped away my stick with his buckler, but when I used the other one I barely had time to parry with it. I was mindful of the balance crap but not really reacting well enough to do anything about it. At least I had been able to beat choguls.

  We reached Golashe just before the sun was completely hidden away behind the western mountains. I saw several stout-looking guards that appeared to be covered in steel with nothing of their faces showing but their beards. They watched the road bearing halberds that looked twice as tall as they were. They didn’t seem to care about us walking into their town.

  Even though it was now dark out, everyone was still busy. The streets were well lit with large lanterns and congested with wagons moving through the streets. The majority of the people were dwarves but I soon saw my first lizard men. They stood taller than normal humans and towered over the dwarves who only averaged about five feet in height. Most of the lizard people wore simple pants or dresses. I assumed the ones in the dresses were female but I had trouble telling the difference between the genders at the time. Jerak poked me, “Let’s go find a place for the night. We can start our jobs tomorrow!”

  The buildings in the town were mostly made of stone with wood trimand support. Most of the buildings were two stories tall. A few shops were closed, but the second stories in most had lights in their windows. I gathered that the second stories of the shops the owners’ homes. I saw a few humans wandering the streets but most looked like travelers in town for business or work.

  Jerak led me to an active inn/tavern. It was fairly loud inside with dwarves and humans enjoying a break after a long day of work. Most everyone was sitting or standing around drinking and laughing. The only thing that seemed out of place was a dwarf sleeping on a bench next to the entrance. Jerak smiled, “I am going to get myself a pint. You want one?”

  I shook my head, “No thanks. I’m more hungry than anything.”

  Jerak shrugged, “This place serves good food, too.” He then sat at the bar and ordered a drink.

  I quietly sat next to him and watched all the activity in the inn. The bar keeper looked at me, “What do you want?”

  I was at a loss and just shrugged. “Uh, what kind of food do you serve?” The barkeep pointed at some writing at the wall which I assumed was the menu. I stared at the menu and felt like a total idiot for not understanding it better. If I’d had my little study guide, I might have figured it out. Jerak tapped me and smiled, “Get us two stews! And I’ll have a pint!” The barkeep nodded and looked back to me expectantly.

  I smiled, “Just water for me, thank you.” The bar keeper snorted and went back to his work.

  We enjoyed our first hot meal in days and Jerak ordered a second drink. He was already feeling hyper and looked at me, “Hey, you should order one!”

  I chuckled, “Nah, one of us should keep a clear head.” Jerak didn’t care to argue and just laughed. There were a few other people in the bar who’d had a few too many. This place was pretty lively.

  Two men started arguing and quickly escalated to shoving, knocking over a table. The barkeep sighed and immediately tugged on a rope. The rope went along the wall toward a pulley leading the rope along the ceiling and then back down at another pulley tied to a bell right next to the dwarf sleeping by the front door.

  The bell rang loudly and the dwarf opened his eyes. He didn’t look very old. He had light brown hair and an unkempt beard. He wore nice chain mail and held a large wooden sword that looked like something used for combat training. The sleepy dwarf let out a yawn and scanned the room. The two men were now getting out of control and dragging others into the fight. The young dwarf pulled out his wooden sword.

  It all happened too fast. The dwarf handily smacked each of the two brawling men and knocked them flat to the floor. As soon as the two men who had started the whole fight fell, everyone sober up enough to reason withdrew from the fight. A few dwarves clapped and cheered, “Well done, Teltar! Way to knock them flat!” The young dwarf took a few moments to check the situation and escorted to two beaten men out of the inn. He popped his neck, went back to his bench and closed his eyes.

  I finished my dinner and kept glancing at that strange young dwarf. It seemed a bit peculiar that he guy could just sleep and then jump to action like some sort of robot. A small group of dwarves walked entered the inn. The bartender waved and signaled them to sit at the bar. “Ah… nothing like a stiff drink after a long day of work!” one of them cheered as they took seats next to me. The bar keep automatically poured them each a drink.

  “So, how is the situation up there?” the barkeep asked them casually.

  The older dwarf in the group swallowed some of his drink and grumbled, “It is still pretty chaotic up there with the attacks.”

  I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation. “I hate to drag out the patrols to camp in the woods all night,” the older dwarf lamented.

  The barkeep shrugged, “Didn’t you post for help with that?”

  The old dwarf burped and wiped his beard, “Yeah, we even sent a thing down to Halatross.”

  The bartender nodded, “I would offer Teltar’s blade, but
it seems a bit too much for him alone.”

  The old dwarf agreed, “Yes, he is a talented fighter… a bit strange, but talented.”

  I cleared my throat, “Excuse me, um you wouldn’t be happen to be talking about a job with the lumber company?” The dwarves stared at me oddly.

  “Oh, you applied for the job?” the old dwarf asked. I nodded and reached for the form but remembered Jerak had it. Jerak was already far too drunk to be much use. The form was rolled up and sticking out of the side of his belt. I grabbed it, checked to make sure it was what I thought it was and handed it to the old dwarf. He read through it, smiled and extended his hand, “Good! Glad to see some humans willing to roll up their sleeves!”

  I shook his hand and smiled, “So when do we start the job?”

  The old dwarf thought a moment then spoke, “Early in the morning would be best; it is a fair trek to the lumber camp. I assume it is you and your friend over there, right?” I looked back and Jerak was laying his head on the bar.

  I sighed, “Yeah… he is a good fighter…”

  They laughed, “That is fine. Three experienced fighters will be handy!” I realized we would be working with the sleeping dwarf by the front door. It made me feel better having that guy on our side. He seemed to be a much more experienced fighter than me… maybe Jerak even.

  I talked with the old dwarf some more. He told me that food and transportation would be provided and the job might require us to stay at the lumber camp at night. The old dwarf also explained that there Had been many chogul attacks in the camp lately, and they seemed more organized than usual. The old dwarf finished his drink and shook my hand, “I will see you at sun up. Don’t be late!” I nodded and wished we had an alarm clock. Jerak was already sleeping at the bar. I shook my head and asked the bar keep, “Would it be possible to get a wake-up call a little before sun up?”

  The bar keep shook his head, “That won’t be a problem; I’ll have Teltar knock when it is time for you two to go.”

  It took a while to get Jerak up and into the room. I was so looking forward to sleeping somewhere other than on the ground, but not so much to waking up so early. Jerak fell face flat on his bed and started to snore. It might be a hassle when he gets up but not my problem. I climbed into my bed and fell right sleep, exhausted from all the traveling and sparring.

  The sound of knocking interrupted a good dream. I opened my eyes and slowly got up. For a moment, I thought I was back at home but realized that wasn’t ever going to happen. I opened the door and saw the young dwarf. He looked just as sleepy as I was. The dwarf scratched the side of his head and looked at me. He spoke in a monotone, “Are you guys ready to go?”

  I quickly got dressed and Teltar prodded Jerak with one of Jerak’s boots. Jerak woke up grouchy and confused. “Huh? Who are you? Hey, that’s my boot!” he fussed. The sleepy dwarf didn’t seem fazed by the yelling.

  He pointed at the door, “You should get ready. I will show you two the way.” Jerak stared at him for the longest time. Teltar stared back without uttering a word.

  Jerak finally asked, “Hey… who are you?”

  Teltar walked out of the room while I explained to Jerak. “Oh! He is tagging along too, eh?” Jerak nodded as I explained how Teltar was going with us to help the lumber company deal with the chogul problem. Jerak stuck his pinky in his ear and dug deep, “Is he a good fighter, you think?”

  I shrugged, “I think so, but we’ll see.” Jerak took out a small bit of wax which had a tiny strand of hair on it. He grinned at his find and then wiped it on his pants.

  The sun wasn’t even up; apparently to dwarves early means still night time. I couldn’t help feeling a little cranky but kept my mouth shut. Jerak wasn’t feeling his best with a killer headache earned from drinking too much last night. Teltar let out a big yawn and looked just as tired as the rest of us. It probably wasn’t ideal to have three very tired people showing up for their first day on a job like this.

  Even though it was ultra-early for me, the town was bustling with dwarves starting their work for the day. The sounds of horses and some strange oxen towing wagons full of goods filled the air. Each sound seemed to aggravate Jerak’s hangover, but he just cringed and moved on. After a while, Teltar led us to a very large building. Outside stood a few large, empty wagons and several dwarves standing right beside. They turned to look at us and nodded politely. I nodded back then tried to stifle a yawn.

  “Oh, good. Right on time!” one of the dwarves greeted us.

  Teltar gave a quick wave, “Yeah…” The dwarf signaled us inside the large building. There was a huge door that could fit three wagons through, side by side. One of the large wooden doors was open.

  An old dwarf walked over with a smile on his face. “This is the first time I’ve seen you out so early, Teltar. It is a rare sight,” the old dwarf joked. Teltar looked at him but didn’t utter a word in response.

  “We should be departing for the lumber yard soon. Just hop on the back and enjoy the ride. Um, you should be informed of the current situation once you get there,” the old dwarf explained. Jerak climbed on and nearly fell asleep as he leaned his back on the side of the wagon. Teltar nodded at the old dwarf and climbed on, too. I looked around and felt awkward just standing there. The old dwarf smiled, “Good luck!”

  I took my place and relaxed as the wagon moved along the western border of town. Teltar sat across from us with his arms folded, already asleep with his great sword next to him. Jerak stared at Teltar, “Hey! How come you use a sword?” Teltar opened an eye and looked at Jerak.

  Jerak continued, “Yeah! I never really see dwarves using swords. I thought they had more sense than to use such an impractical weapon.”

  Teltar shrugged, “It works for me.”

  Jerak rolled his eyes, “Swords are worthless! Other weapons are much more effective than swords!” Teltar closed his eyes showing no interest in this conversation.

  Jerak continued, “If you want a good weapon for thrusting, you should use a spear which is much better. Or if you want something small, you can use a dagger. All better than a sword. Now if you want hacking and slashing, an axe is far better than a stupid sword. Then, if you wish to bash and crush, a sword is just laughable!” I turned away, not sure what to make of Jerak’s rant.

  Teltar mumbled, “A sword can slash and stab…”

  Jerak snapped back, “But not crush! That is why the sword sucks!” Teltar opened his eyes and stared at Jerak like he was some sort of freak and then looked at me. I just shrugged. Teltar went back to his nap.

  “So, Blake, will you be using your helmet?” Jerak asked.

  I opened my pack and stared at the strange helmet, “I don’t know, should I?”

  Jerak laughed, “Don’t worry about what Bolam said. No one will even know what it is.” I pulled out the helmet and inspected it.

  Teltar opened an eye, “What is special about it?”

  Jerak smiled, “It is the legendary dragon armor.”

  I punched Jerak’s arm, “Dude! You don’t need to tell him!”

  Jerak leaned away and moved his hands in front of him, “Oh sorry man! It slipped out.” Teltar glanced at the helmet and then closed his eyes. It didn’t seem that Teltar even cared. I shrugged and put the helmet on.

  It was a long trip but I was thankful that we weren’t walking it. We were even provided something to eat during the ride. By late afternoon we passed through a large series of trees. The trees were all lined up perfectly in a row. It was clear we were getting really close to the lumber camp. Jerak peeked over and stared at the trees, “Hey how did they get the trees to grow like that?”

  I sighed, “They must have planted them in row long ago.” Jerak understood, and he might have figured out how stupid his question was. Maybe.

  We reached the lumber mill on the north side of all the trees. There were a few larger buildings. One looked like a stable. I thought the other might be for storage or a place for the workers to rest. Between the two b
uildings stood rows of tree trunks that were having their branches hacked off by busy dwarves with axes. The dwarves stopped what they were doing and walked over toward us.

  The wagons stopped in front of the lumber camp. Most of the dwarves just gave us a friendly nod and quickly ran off to get their limbless tree trunks loaded onto the wagons. Teltar, Jerak and I hopped off and stood watching them work. “So these are the fighters hired to take care of our chogul problem?” one of the dwarves asked as a small group walked over to us.

  The faces of the four dwarves were covered with dirt and sweat from working hard most of the day. Each of their beards had bits of leaves and twigs in them but they didn’t seem to care. Jerak smiled, “Yes. We are here to take care of your problem.”

  One of the dwarves grunted, “If it were just a few choguls, it wouldn’t be an issue.”

  Another added, “They are far too organized for choguls.”

  Teltar sighed, “That is odd.”

  One of the dwarves nodded, “Very much so. We are not even sure why they have any interest in lumber.” That definitely brought an interesting point.

  I spoke from under my helmet, “Why would choguls want to attack a lumber camp?”

  One of the dwarves nodded, “That is the question. They are primitive pests that wouldn’t have any interest. Even if an ogre were controlling them, an ogre wouldn’t have any need for our lumber, either.”

  Jerak shrugged, “Maybe they want the woods for themselves.”

  One of the dwarves shook his head, “We planted these trees long ago. When they are grown, we cut them down and grow new ones. Dwarves have been doing this since long before I was born.”

  Teltar rubbed his beard, “It doesn’t matter why they are causing trouble. We just need to stop them.”

  We sat our packs outside one of the buildings. Next to it stood several benches and chairs and a large brick stove. I figured that must be where they go to eat. “I’ll show you where we spotted them. Dinner won’t be ready till sunset anyway” one of the dwarves instructed. He walked down back onto the road and headed south. We followed.