Scruff clubbed a spider, sending it swinging on its cobweb round and round a tree trunk, until it slammed into the tree and groaned. Webs covered Scruff's back and clung to his mace.
"Hel—" Willow began to cry above, but her voice was farther away now.
The spiders are carrying her off, Scruff realized as he fought. More kept dipping from the trees. The sun was gone behind the horizon now, and endless spiders filled the darkness, their eyes glowing purple. Their teeth snapped and their legs filled the night, glittering and smooth.
"Oh bloody hell," Scruff said. "I ain't staying here to fight. These things guard the border? We're crashing through." He grabbed Cobweb's arm. "Come on!"
He began running forward, clubbing spiders aside. They swung from every direction on their cobwebs, biting and lashing their feet. One sliced his leg. Another bit his shoulder. Scruff kept running forward, pulling Cobweb behind him.
"I'm out of awwows!" she cried. She began lashing her knife at the attacking spiders.
"They're thinning out ahead!" Scruff cried. "We just need to get past the border."
He ran through the night, branches slapping against him, and saw glowing runes on boulders ahead. Spidersilk Forest. We're almost there. He clubbed two more spiders, leaped over a fallen log, and raced forward. Two more steps....
"SCWUFF!"
He turned his head and growled. A spiders, hanging from the treetops on spiderwebs, had wrapped its legs around Cobweb's shoulders. It began pulling her up into the shadows.
"Cobweb!"
Scruff leaped and grabbed the diddlywiggle. They swung on the spiderweb—overgrown spider, screaming spiderling, and a giant warrior with a belly full of pork and beer. They flew over the forest floor, up into the treetops, and back down again.
"Scwuff!"
"WhooooaAAA!"
They swung low over the ground, then flew up in the opposite direction, smashing through branches. The spider squealed and twisted. Scruff held on for dear life. Before they could fly back... the spiderweb snapped.
Scruff, Cobweb, and the spider flew. They crashed through branches and more spiders, over a stream, and down toward a grassy slope. They hit the ground, grunted and yelped, and rolled downhill.
"Cobweb, are you—ouch!—okay—damn it!"
Rocks covered the hill, jabbing Scruff as he rolled. Cobweb rolled beside him, wrapped in webs. The spider rolled too. Finally the three crashed into a fallen tree and were still. Scruff moaned. Scratches covered him. Cobweb moaned beside him, draped in spiderwebs.
"Cobweb!" he ran to her. The diddlywiggle attempted a half-hearted attack, limping toward him. Scruff kicked it, and it flew into the shadows.
"Oh, Scwuff." Cobweb embraced him.
"Are you all right?"
She nodded and looked back up the hill. Spiders still filled the trees there, swinging on branches and glaring with purple eyes.
"We have to save Wiwwow!" she said.
Scruff looked at the trees. Hundreds of spiders seemed to scurry between them. He shuddered.
"Cobweb, I dunno... I think Willow is...."
...dead already, he wanted to say, but couldn't. Cobweb's eyes filled with tears. Scruff wasn't sure why Cobweb felt bad; if the witch was spider food now, that was fine with him.
"...I think she's fine," he finished. "Willow is a witch, Cobweb. Or at least a witch in training. She can take care of herself."
Cobweb took two steps uphill, moving closer to the trees. "But Scwuff! What if she n-n-needs hewp?"
Scruff heaved the longest, deepest sigh of his life. "I'll go look for her. Stay here."
She nodded, trembling.
As he trudged uphill, Scruff cursed under his breath. Who cared about Willow? The girl worked for Madrila. Let the giant spiders eat her! And yet Cobweb's tears stung him. Whenever she cried, he would do anything for her. He stepped back into the trees, club swinging.
"Willow!" he shouted. "Do you hear me, girl?"
The overgrown spiders dipped and chattered around him. He couldn't hear Willow's screams anymore.
"Willow!" he cried.
He heard nothing but spiders. Eaten, he knew. He clubbed two aside, then ran back downhill to Cobweb. She stood in the grass by the fallen tree, hugging herself. The moon shone above, glittering on her silver hair, purple skin, and gossamer dress.
"She got away," Scruff said. "She ran back west into the forests of humans."
That was a lie, he knew, but a white lie. A possibility. Cobweb nodded and hugged him. Spiderwebs still draped across her shoulders, and Scruff picked them off.
"Okay, Scwuff. Wet's keep g-g-going. Now da dangewous pawt begins."
Scruff sighed. It gets worse? He took her hand, and they began walking through a clearing toward more trees.
"More dangerous than giant spiders?"
She nodded. "Much mowe. If da spidewwing ewdews catch us—me, a b-b-banished one, and you, a human... we'we in deep twoubwe." She took a deep breath and clutched her dagger. "Wet's find my fwiends quickwy... den get out of hewe."
Chapter Thirteen
Water and Stars
"So... Romy," Neev said. "How many demon friends do you have who can help us?"
They were walking down a dirt road, a field of wheat to their right, a vineyard to their left. In the distance, purple mountains rose from mist. Geese flew above, incurring screams from Romy whenever they honked too loudly.
"Oh, lots and lots and lots of friends," she said. "So many friends you couldn't count them! Oh, all those friends that I have!" She thought for a moment. "Two."
Neev groaned. "Two friends, Romy? When you said we should go to Hell for help, I imagined... I don't know, at least fifty fierce demons with flaming whips and pitchforks of dragonbone."
Romy waved her own pitchfork at the birds who flew above. When they had flown away, she looked back at Neev. "Oh, don't worry. My friends are just as tough, mean, and scary as I am."
Neev sighed. "That's what I'm worried about."
They walked down the road until the fields faded into wild country. Grass and trees swayed and a stream gurgled. When Romy saw the stream, she froze, shivered, and pointed.
"Ducks," she said and began sucking her thumb.
Neev smacked his lips.
That evening they sat by a campfire, eating roast duck (Romy was less afraid of them roasted) and drinking wild mint tea. The sunset flowed around them, orange and yellow like Romy's hair of fire. After eating, they lay on their backs and watched the first stars emerge.
"What do you think the stars are made of?" Romy asked, twirling her hair.
"Candy," he said. "Fly and get me some."
She patted his stomach. "You've eaten enough tonight. You're going to get fat!"
"Remind me, who ate ten birthday cakes recently?"
She pouted. "I was hungry!"
"Pigs get hungry. You—"
He froze and frowned. Something moved inside the stream—a large shape with staring eyes.
"Who's the pig?" Romy demanded and stamped her feet. "You're the one who grew a pig nose last time you cast a spell. All I did was—"
"Shh, Romy. Look, in the stream!"
She turned to stare and gasped. "It looks like... a swimmer?"
A figure seemed to swim underwater, transparent and glimmering. The water began to rise, raining droplets, forming the shape of a woman wearing robes and a pointy hat. The watery spirit seemed to smile. It spoke in a gurgling voice.
"Hello, Bullies."
Neev gasped. Madrila! Or at least, it was a watery version of her. The spirit reached out her arms, and tendrils of water shot forward. Neev growled and lashed his magic, severing a watery tendril with blasts of fire. Romy squealed. The second tendril wrapped around her and began pulling her toward the stream.
"Romy!"
Neev ran toward her, grabbed her, and began pulling her back. Water wrapped around her like ropes, pulling her toward the river spirit. Romy tried to scream, but water filled her mouth, and she c
oughed and sputtered. Her wings tried to flap, but were pinned to her body.
"I've got you, Romy!" Neev said, but a jet of water shot out and hit his face. More water wrapped around his feet and tugged him. He fell, and Romy slipped from his grasp.
"Romy!"
The water spirit pulled the demon into the stream. Romy gulped for air, gave a last scream, and then vanished underwater.
Neev cursed. His fingers trembled, but he managed to summon a fireball and toss it into the stream. Romy was fireproof; the watery Madrila might not be.
Steam rose from the water and droplets splashed. The fireball extinguished. He could see Romy struggling underwater, the watery Madrila pinning her down. Neev tossed a second fireball, and more water steamed and crashed, but the stream kept flowing.
Neev summoned a fireball into each hand and leaped into the water. He sank to the riverbed, eyes open and stinging. He saw Romy floundering, clutched in Madrila's grasp. Neev swam toward her and pressed both fireballs against the water spirit's head.
The creature screamed. Its head melted. Its arms opened. Neev grabbed Romy and swam with her to the surface. Their heads burst over the water, and they gasped for breath and coughed. His arms around Romy, Neev swam to the bank.
He pulled Romy out, dragged her several feet away, and lay her on the grass. Her hair smoldered, slick strands of guttering fire.
"Romy! Romy, can you breathe?"
She coughed and sputtered, but she breathed and nodded. "I—" She coughed. "I swallowed a fish!"
Neev turned back to the stream. The watery Madrila was rising again, headless. Her arms lashed out randomly, shooting streams of water, hitting trees and boulders.
"Where are you, Bullies?" Even without a head, she managed to cry in a gurgling voice. "I will find you. You cannot escape from me. I will summon the water, and the sky, and the earth itself to kill you. You cannot hide!"
"Maybe not," Neev said. "But we can fight."
He shot a fireball and hit the water spirit's chest. The creature shrieked and crashed into the stream. The water settled. Silence fell.
Neev let out a shaky breath. "She's gone."
Romy stood up, walked toward him, and hugged him.
"Oh Neev." She kissed him. "You saved me. But oh, your nose!"
He touched it and sighed. A pig's snout. Of course.
"Damn jinx," he said.
Romy giggled. "Piggy pig pig!" She laughed and danced around him, tail wagging. "Who's the piggy now, Sir Oinky?"
Neev grumbled. He'd cast another spell, trading this jinx for another, but felt too drained. Casting so many fireballs took a lot out of him; he would cast no more magic tonight.
"You still ate ten cakes," he said, lamely. His voice sounded miserable to him, which made Romy laugh even louder. She kept running in circles around him, poking his nose, wiggling her backside at him, and oinking.
Finally Neev had enough. He walked up to her, grabbed her, and glared.
"Romy," he said, "shut it."
When she opened her mouth to object, he kissed her, muffling her words. Her voice died, and she kissed him back. His arms wrapped around her and she clung to him. They kissed for long moments in the sunset, their wet bodies pressed together.
"Piggy," she said to him when their kiss ended. She kissed his snout. "My cute hero piglet. I love you, Neev. I love you very much."
He held her close. "Right back at you, Romster. I'm glad you're okay."
She yawned. "Now let's find a place to sleep—far away from the water! We have a volcano to climb tomorrow."
They sat by the fire to dry, then lay down to sleep, cuddled up in their cloaks. Crickets chirped around them. Soon Romy slept, her head against his shoulder and her arms around him. She snored and drooled so much, that she soaked his shirt. Neev sighed, kissed her head, and closed his eyes.
* * * * *
Jamie climbed the mountain, her sword rattling over her back. Cold winds blew, sneaking under her breastplate like icy fingers. She tightened her cloak around her, gritted her teeth, and kept climbing. When she looked behind her, she saw distant valleys cloaked in mist. Beyond them rolled autumn forests, red and gold and yellow.
She saw the elflings too; they climbed the mountain behind her in single file. Rowyn walked first, his green cloak fluttering, his wand in his hand. His goldencharm glowed on his forehead, a glittering star. Behind him walked Ellywyn, her silver dagger drawn. Fall leaves filled her red hair, her sun goldencharm glowed, and her green eyes were narrowed. Noelyn brought up the rear, an arrow in her bow, her dress fluttering in the wind. Her purple eyes glowed like the golden moon on her forehead.
I wish I were an elfling too, Jamie thought, not for the first time. She remembered turning into a ball of fluff, and wondered if any wizards knew spells that could turn her into an elfling. I'm already short enough. All I need are pointy ears and a goldencharm. Mine would be a roaring dragon.
"How much higher is the dragon's nest?" she asked and looked up the mountainside. The peak seemed miles away, cloaked in clouds.
"All the way on top," Rowyn said. "Grumbledook is watcher of the peak."
Jamie grumbled. "I should have known."
She kept climbing, feet aching, but paused when she heard howls behind her.
Jamie spun around and stared down the mountainside. The elflings too heard the sound; they raised their weapons and stared into the misty valleys below. Howls and barks sounded there, coming closer.
"Dogs," Jamie said. She drew her sword. "Big, angry ones."
The howls continued, echoing in the valley. They carried a strange, metallic twang, she thought. They were too deep, too cruel.
"No, not dogs," Noelyn said softly, the first words she had spoken all day. She pointed her arrow down the mountainside. "Not the kind you and I know, at least."
Jamie growled and swung her sword. She wished she could see the creatures, but the mist hid everything. The howls were getting closer, and soon she heard footfalls too, a dozen or more racing up the mountainside. The barking sounded almost like words.
"Bullies bark bark Bullies bark!"
Rowyn uttered a spell, and soon his wand sparkled with green lightning.
"These creatures are looking for us."
Jamie gritted her teeth. She raised her sword and shield. "They found us."
Ten creatures burst from the mist below, racing up the mountainside. Jamie grunted. They looked like dogs, but were larger—pony sized—and each had three heads. Their hides were black, and fire filled their maws. Their claws clanked against the mountainside.
"Devil dogs!" screamed Ellywyn. She swung her dagger before her. "Stay back!"
The three-headed creatures kept racing toward them. "Bullies! Bark bark, Bullies!"
Noelyn shot an arrow. It whistled and slammed into one devil dog. The creature howled, fell, but rose and kept running. Rowyn shot lightning from his wand. It hit another devil dog, and the creature screeched and fell.
"Ellywyn, with me!" Jamie shouted and charged down the mountainside. "We'll take them head on."
The redhead elfling shouted a wordless battle cry, and the two girls raced toward the dogs. More arrows and lightning flew. One dog blew fire from its maw. Jamie pushed Ellywyn aside, saving her from the flames, and raised her shield. The flames crashed against it. Sparks flew around the shield, nearly burning Jamie. She screamed and ran, shield held before her. She leaped, swung her sword, and cut the devil dog. It howled and bit. Its teeth slammed against her breastplate, denting the steel. Jamie screamed, shoved it back, and thrust her sword. Her blade drew blood, the beast fell, and she stabbed it again.
"Jamie, watch out!" Ellywyn cried.
A dog leaped onto Jamie's back. She hit the ground. Teeth bit her shoulder, denting her armor.
"Get off her!" Ellywyn cried. She leaped. Her silver dagger lashed. The devil dog yelped and fell. Jamie scurried to her feet, swinging her blade into the beast. Ellywyn's dagger lashed a second time, and the dog fell dead.
<
br /> Five more surrounded them, growling and bristling. Smoke rose from their nostrils.
The dogs blew fire. Ellywyn leaped, somersaulted, and lashed her blade at one. Jamie slid under a jet of fire and hacked at the dog's legs. It fell, and she leaped up and raised her shield. Fire blazed against it; a few tongues of flame passed around the shield and licked her arm. She screamed, leaped, and swung her blade. Devil dog blood spilled, orange and smoking.
From the corners of her eyes, she saw the elflings fighting, but had no time to look closely. A dog leaped onto her, all three heads barking. Its fangs slammed against her breastplate. The steel dented. Jamie grunted and slammed the pommel of her sword into one of the heads. The devil dog whimpered and leaped back, and she slashed her sword, cutting it down.
She panted, looking around. Devil dogs lay dead around her, bloody and smoking. Three other dogs were fleeing down the mountain.
"Noelyn, shoot them down!" Jamie said.
Noelyn was panting, her dress torn. Teeth marks bled on her leg. "I will not kill fleeing creatures."
Jamie groaned and watched the devil dogs flee into the mist. She considered chasing them, but doubted she'd catch them; they moved fast as horses.
"If those things work for Madrila, she'll know we're here," she said. She knelt by a dead dog. Its three necks bore collars and tags marked with red Ms. When she examined the other dogs, she saw that they all wore the same collars.
"M for Madrila," she said and sighed. "Expect more of these creatures on our trail."
She examined her wounds; her arm was singed, and bruises were probably spreading under her breastplate. The elflings suffered small lacerations and burns. Rowyn carried healing herbs and bandages in his pack; he spent a while tending to their wounds. When everyone was bandaged, they kept climbing the mountain.
"We better find that dragon soon," Jamie muttered. The mountain soared above them. She thought of Burrfield and ignored the pain.
Chapter Fourteen
Mount Doom
Madrila leaned back in her seat and patted Bramblebridge. Chained to the throne, the bulldog made soft, contented noises.
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