Chasing the Dragon (26 page)

"The mines closest to the mountains," Mordrim said, lowering his voice. The driver of the wagon was a dwarf but they all knew better than to advertise their true intentions. The dwarves longed to mine the mountains but they'd agreed with the Shazamir to leave them be.

Carson turned away from the others and called up to the driver of the wagon,
"Good dwarf, what sort of problems do you see in the jungle?"

"
Problems?" the dwarf turned and asked. His eyes went to Mordrim and his bushy brows furrowed.

"
Animals," Carson said. "Any crawlers or packs of hungry cats?"

"
Crawlers? Cats? Only cats in the jungle stick to themselves. Years back there might be swamp trolls raiding, but they been all but wiped out for years now."

"
What’s that?" Alto asked. "Swamp trolls?"

The dwarf nodded.
"Used to be a big tribe of them southwest of here. They drove all the froggers out and started coming after people coming through the jungle so the dwarves and Shazamir army put an end to that."

"
Froggers?" Alto repeated the word as he remembered the few times Thork had mentioned them in passing. He’d assumed the troll was talking about regular frogs.

"
Aye, overgrown frogs that eat anything they can get in their mouths," the dwarf said. "Heard they been making a comeback, what with the trolls being gone for so long. Not hard to believe. They breed so fast they’d be overrunning things without something to keep them in check."

"
I want to go there," Alto said.

"
What? Where? To see the froggers? Are you daft? They may only come to your waist but they’re vicious little things. A handful of them is easy enough to deal with, but where there’s one, there’s a hundred and that’s not so easy."

"
No, the swamp trolls," Alto said.

The dwarf snorted.
"You are daft!" He turned and looked at Mordrim. "This is the kind of people you spend time with?"

Mordrim chuckled.
"Not a nugget of sense among them. That’s why I keep them out of trouble."

The wagon driver studied Alto and asked,
"You’re serious? I seen that look in a man’s eye before. What kind of death wish you got, son?"

"
It’s not a death wish. I have a friend that I think I can find there."

"
Swamp trolls are no friend of anyone, not even themselves!"

"
I thought you said they were gone?" Alto asked.

"
Thought they was, but if I’m wrong, I don’t want to be finding out firsthand! This wagon can’t go through the jungle anyhow. It’s headed northwest, to the mines of Canid Serna."

"
Then stop the wagon. I’ll walk."

"
Too right you will," the dwarf said. "The rest of you, too, if you put up with a madman among you."

"
He’s not just a madman," Karthor spoke up to say. "He’s our leader."

The dwarf pulled on the reins and grabbed the lever to the brakes on the trailer. It slid to a halt and he turned to fume at them.
"Off with you then, and don’t be thinking to ask any more favors from me!"

They hopped out of the wagon and offered their thanks to the surly driver. He ignored them and snapped his reins, driving his team of horses on as fast as he dared to get away from them. In moments
, the wagon slipped around a bend and was gone.

"
Well, that was nice," Kar muttered. "Bumpy or not, it was better than walking."

"
Not just walking," Mordrim complained, "but walking through swamp."

"
Bah, this isn’t a swamp," Carson said with a grin. "It’s lush! It’s vibrant! It’s alive!"

Kar fixed the ranger with a baleful stare.
"Keep that up and you won’t have that in common much longer."

Carson raised an eyebrow and turned to Alto.
"Is he ever happy?"

"
If a tree falls in the woods and you don’t hear it, does it make any noise?" the wizard answered.

Carson opened his mouth and then shut it. He glanced at the others and saw them all watching him with amused interest.
"Of course it does!"

"
Does it?" Kar asked with a hint of a smirk.

Carson scowled.
"Well yeah, why wouldn’t it?"

Alto cleared his throat.
"Come on, let’s get moving."

"
It’s kind of late now, but are you sure of this?" Patrina asked him.

Alto nodded.
"I know, but we can use Thork’s help."

"
But we don’t know that he’s there," she reminded him.

Alto stared into the jungle and nodded.
"He is. I can feel it."

"
You can feel it?" she asked. "How?"

"
Fear," he told her. "Things always seem the worst when he’s near."

"
Well, that’s promising," Kar offered.

Alto glanced at the wizard and then looked away. Arguing with the old man would do him no good. He drew his sword and stepped over some undergrowth at the edge of the road. Unlike the jungle on the Isle of Britanley
, the jungle had little undergrowth the farther they went from the road. Carson moved up beside Alto and drew his bow so he’d have it ready at a moment’s notice if needed.

"
Still can’t believe the cats aren’t hunting together," Carson whispered after they’d walked almost two hours and he’d noticed a black panther resting high on a tree limb overhead.

Alto shrugged and
pushed ahead. The vines hung lower from the trees, obscuring the sunlight that tried to pierce the jungle. Large beetles and other insects scurried across the ground and on tree trunks, anxious to escape. The dull rustle of a branch falling to the ground nearby startled and made them turn. A flicker of movement above them drew their eyes up to where a dark shape disappeared through some trees.

"
What was that?" Patrina hissed.

Several eyes went to Carson but all he could do was shrug.
"This isn’t my jungle!" he protested.

"
Come on," Alto urged. He moved forward, holding his sword at the ready and managing to slip his shield off his back with his other hand. The jungle kept the sunlight off him but the lack of wind and high humidity left his skin slick with sweat.

The forest was still and silent
; even the buzzing insects had left them to their fate. They turned in circles as they walked, searching the trees for the creature that stalked them. Only Mordrim kept his eyes on the ground.

A roar split the silence like an axe cleaving butter. Birds cried out and leapt from the trees above them, some so colorful they were amazed to not have seen them moments before.

"Bucky?" Carson breathed, stunned by the fading echoes.

"Come on!" Alto rushed ahead and chopped through the hanging vines with his sword. They emerged at the top of a hillock above a swamp thick with mosquitoes, rats, and other creatures that took their breath away.

"Froggers," Mordrim said.

"Baby ones," Kar added as he studied them. "Many tadpoles, but some changing."

The pools teemed with the muddy-colored creatures swimming back and forth. Some, as Kar said, had both a long thick tail to swim with and arms and legs that allowed them to crawl or walk, depending on their age. Others were walking fully, though they were less than three feet tall.

"There!" Alto pointed to where dozens of the creatures were swarming over something. As they watched
, a dark shape shot out of the trees to their right. It raced down the hillock and into the marsh, defying comprehension for a moment. Finally, a figure that looked little bigger than a child rose up and brandished a sword overhead.

"Bonky!" Patrina and Alto both cried at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Bonky?" Carson repeated.

"The goblin," Kar muttered with evident distaste.

"He's riding that panther I saw earlier!"

"And he's headed towards that group of froggers," Alto said. "Come on, I bet Thork's in there somewhere."

They slid and ran down the steep hill and splashed into the fen. Baby froggers swam, crawled, or hopped away from them. Those that didn't were cut down. Carson slipped his bow over his shoulder in favor of his swords and set them to work along with the others as they charged through the shallow pools.

They were slowed by a mighty roar. The mound of froggers surged up and many were sent flying as a massive figure rose and shook itself. A brilliant green glow surged from a spear the troll held in his hand and before their eyes
, the froggers closest to the troll decomposed into withered clumps of flesh.

The troll turned, swinging his sword and skewering more of the amphibian creatures. As soon as they were touched
, they croaked out a shriek and fell away, rotting like the others. The troll continued to turn until his eyes fell on Alto and the others. He stopped and grinned before waving the spear overhead and shouting, "Ey dere!"

The froggers rallied when they saw the troll was distracted. They leapt back onto him, clawing with their hands and biting with sharp teeth. Thork howled and staggered,
and then swung about him again.

Bonky was thrown from his mount as he swung at
the green and brown creatures, becoming stuck in the mud before he pulled himself free and stood. The panther the goblin had been riding twisted and snapped at the froggers surrounding it but he couldn't move fast enough. The weight of the creatures bore it down, and they clawed and bit into it until the panther disappeared. A moment later, it was little more than bones sinking into the marsh.

Bonky backed up a few steps, shock showing on his face. He turned to look at Thork and then frowned. The froggers turned on him and charged but he met them with his sword and danced among them with a skill and ferocity unknown among his simple and savage race.

"Come on!" Alto urged. He ran ahead, swiping his sword and scattering the froggers that had spotted them and started to run their way. In minutes, he joined the battle and gathered his friends to him to help clear the froggers away from the unlikely pair they'd come to find.

"Dere's lots more of dem," Thork warned them. "Yous shouldn't have come here."

"I need your help," Alto said between breaths. He turned and saw the troll was right; there were countless froggers coming from every direction through the marsh.

"Half a moment," Kar snapped. He nodded to himself and began to dig through his pockets. "Stand together. Quickly!"

They crowded together near the troll and the goblin. Bonky growled at them but Thork's heavy fist landed on the top of his head and silenced him. "Dat's why Thork call him Bonky. ’Cause him gets bonked all da time!"

Kar chanted and held up his hands. A short and thin steel rod was clutched in one of them, reaching for the sky. He spread his fingers on his other hand and turned towards the largest concentration of froggers rushing towards them.

Lightning leapt down from the clear skies and struck the rod for a prolonged moment. The energy burst through Kar, making him glow even as the wizard channeled it out through his fingers to strike into the charging throng. The electricity arced between the froggers and was transferred by the water they ran through, conducting itself into dozens of them. The froggers contorted and burned, some even bursting into flames.

In a matter of seconds it was over, one entire section of the swamps nearest them cleared of the creatures. Kar lowered his hands and grinned, looking none the worse for wear after treating himself as a human lightning rod.

"Not bad," Thork admitted. He turned in the other direction at the froggers and said, "Now watch dis!"

The shaman lifted his spear overhead and called on the power of Jarook in his own crude tongue. He swirled the spear overhead and then thrust it towards them. At first
, nothing happened but within seconds a shadow seemed to fall around them. They realized the air wasn't getting darker; it was growing thicker. A buzzing noise grew until it was all they could hear. Insects from the swamp had responded, some flying and some swimming.

The horde converged on the froggers that had stopped and stared, chewing into them with one tiny bite at a time. The creatures howled and tried to flee but the swarm of insects chased them, eating them alive as they tried to escape.

It took a few minutes longer than Kar's pyrotechnic display, but the end result was an army of froggers that was every bit as dead. The insects dispersed back into the swamp and jungle, their tiny bellies full.

Thork's chuckle turned to a laugh when he saw the expressions of horror on the faces of his would-be rescuers. "Dat's how ya do it!"
he said and clapped Kar on the shoulder hard enough to knock the wizard into the muck.

Chapter 25

"Why are you here?" Patrina asked the troll as he led them through the corpse
-ridden swamp.

Thork rubbed his belly as he answered, "Froggers is deliscious!"

"You were buried in them!"

Thork shrugged. "Yous saw Thork. Dat was just to get more of dem close for bashin."

"You used yourself as bait?" Carson asked.

The troll grinned. "And yous even cooked a bunch of dem!"

They turned to glance at Kar and saw the wizard shake his head and let out a sigh.

"Thork, where are we going?" Alto asked.

"Swamp troll village," he said. "Not far."

"We heard the trolls were gone from the jungle?" Mordrim asked.

"Dem was," Thork said. "But some of dem is back. Thork was helping dem out."

The dwarf scowled. "Soon they'll be raiding the roads again?"

The shaman lifted his massive green shoulders. "Dem's not planning on doing dat, but who knows?"

"That would be stupid," Kar muttered. "It was raiding that got them driven out of the jungle in the past."

Thork laughed. "Dese are trolls! Dem's not da sharpest spear in da castle!"

Alto saw the others looking at
one another with confused expressions. "Thork's special," the warrior said.

"Yous got dat right!" the troll agreed.

"And Bonky?" Patrina asked.

Bonky snarled while Thork nodded his head. "Troof!"

They fell silent for a moment, confused by the conversation's twist. Thork led the way, oblivious or uncaring of their concerns. He pointed ahead as they walked until they noticed in the gaps between trees, they could see primitive huts and tall figures moving between them.

The trolls cried out in alarm when Thork emerged with the humans and dwarf following him. They relaxed after a moment,
and then showed their sharp teeth as they grinned. Several of them called out to the shaman in their harsh language but he shook his head and responded in kind.

After a moment
, he turned to the companions. "Dem thought you was dinner."

Alto studied the trolls and then Thork. They were taller than even Garrick but not as tall as the shaman. They had more of a hunched appearance, complete with pinched faces and almost scrawny builds. Thork was filled out, almost fat, and he carried himself tall and proud. "Where are you from, Thork?"

The shaman grinned. "Dese aren't Thork's trolls, but dem's close enough."

"And Bonky's not like any goblin we've ever seen either," Patrina said.

Thork turned to look at her and noticed her armor for the first time. "Yous's rockin' dat armor."

Patrina blushed. "Thank you, Thork
. Your gifts have saved me many times."

The troll waved it away and opened up a large
pack that he'd been carrying over one shoulder. He upended it and dumped the contents out on the ground. Frogger after frogger fell out, proving the bag served as an extra-dimensional portal. He barked out a few words in the trollish tongue and then backed away as the trolls of the village rushed towards the bounty.

Thork guffawed at the looks of shock and disgust on everyone's face. He waved with his spear once he'd stopped laughing and said, "Come dis way, dem's be busy."

The troll led them into a large hut with walls made of mud packed between thick wooden poles. The roof consisted of tree limbs laid across each other. On the inside, it reminded Alto of the many lodgings Thork had set up, complete with a green glowing fire pit and tables filled with his alchemical nightmares.

"Now den, what yous need?" Thork asked after they'd walked into the hut behind him.

"My sister and one of our friends have been taken by the Order," Alto said. Before Thork could respond, he continued, "And Patrina has been poisoned."

Thork turned to look at Patrina. "Yous isn't bashed."

Patrina blushed. "It's a sleeping poison," she said.

Thork's heavy brow knitted together.

"I've given her a cure that's not a cure," Kar explained to the troll. "It keeps the poison at bay for days at a time, but without it, she will fall asleep and languish away."

"Duz you got some?" Thork asked.

Kar nodded and pulled out a sheathed assassin's dagger from his pack. "It's not fresh," he cautioned.

Thork drew it and studied the blade. He sniffed it,
and then turned to Bonky. "Ey, Bonky, is dis sharp?"

The goblin caught the dagger and eyed it carefully,
and then he ran it along his forearm, drawing a line of blood a moment later. The blood pooled up and ran down his arm to drip onto the floor before the wound closed and healed on its own after several seconds.

"Yep, dat's sharp," Thork said while he watched the goblin.

Patrina opened her mouth but Alto put a hand on her arm to stop her. After a few moments, Bonky staggered and looked at them all, and then he crumpled to the ground and began snoring.

"You've poisoned him!" Patrina whispered.

"Him's taking a nap."

"No, that's what the poison does!" she hissed.

Thork turned and rummaged around on a shelf. He pulled out a vial and walked over to Bonky. He grabbed the goblin by the back of his neck and picked him up with one hand, and then poured some of the potion into his mouth. Bonky coughed and sputtered a moment, and then shook himself in Thork's hand. The troll let him down and nodded.

"Not dat nasty," he said. "Yous try dis
." He capped the vial and tossed it to Patrina.

She opened it and sniffed it,
and then looked at Thork. "You want me to drink this?"

"Bonky did!"

"He's a goblin!"

Thork grinned and nudged Alto with his elbow. "Sometimes yous ladies need to
acquire da taste."

Alto blinked and looked at Thork. The troll saw his confusion. "Yous know, because—"

"I'll drink it," Patrina interrupted the troll. She drank two swallows before she yanked it away from her mouth and shoved the stopper in. She bent over, breathing hard, and then shuddered.

Alto ran to her side as she fell to her knees. She trembled in his hands and looked up at him with a frightened and blank look in her eyes. A moment later
, she squeezed them shut and let out a sob. When she opened them again, she blinked away tears and threw her arms around Alto. He hugged her back, wishing he hadn't worn his armor so he could feel her skin against him.

Patrina let go of him and smiled,
and then stood up slowly. "Is that it?" she asked.

Karthor frowned and stepped up to her. He passed his holy symbol over her and chanted before resting his hand against the bare flesh over her heart. He shook his head and looked at Alto. "The poison's still there."

"What?" Thork stepped closer to her until he was towering over the warrior princess. He leaned down and sniffed, his large nose coming close to her face and making her gasp. Thork scowled and looked at Kar. "What's da potion yous got?"

Patrina dug out the flask and handed it to him. Thork unscrewed it and sniffed it,
and then shook his head. "Dat was stupid. Dis locked da poison in. Yous's gonna need somefing new and special. Somefing Thork doesn't got."

Alto glanced around
, frightened by the sudden lump in his throat. His eyes met Kar's. The wizard nodded to him and asked Thork, "Is there a cure?"

"Sure dere is," the troll said. "Thork doesn't got it. Its gonna need some wizard mojo to make it, cause dat ijjit potion yous gived her has wizard mojo."

"Do you know the recipe?"

Thork snorted. "Thork doesn't screw wif wizard potions."

"Therion's books then," Kar acknowledged.

"Thork's heard of him. Yep yep, dat's da one."

"So we've wasted our time and lost a day," Alto muttered.

"Worse," Mordrim said, "we lost our ride too."

Thork shook his head. "Yous guys is stupids."

"This is hardly the time to—"

Alto stopped as Thork gathered up several potions from a shelf and put them on a table. "One for each of yous," the troll said.

"What's this?"

"Speedy feets!" Thork said.

"What?"

"Dese make yous run fast! Fastest yous ever runned, or your money back."

"We didn't pay for them," Mordrim cautioned.

"Den dere's noffin to lose!"

"What about the Order
—can you help us with them?" Patrina asked.

Thork frowned. "Dem is dumdums, but der's noffin Thork can help yous wif dat yous don't already gots."

"Myskakroth!" Kar blurted out.

Thork turned to him and nodded. "What about him?"

"Him?" Alto asked.

Before the word had left Alto's mouth
, Kar asked, "You know what it is?"

"Misky is one bad mother of a dragon."

Alto swore while Kar asked, "In the Havara Mountains?"

"Yeppers!"

It was Kar's turn to swear.

"Then we will kill another dragon," Alto vowed.

Thork laughed. "Misky isn't like Sarya. Him's bigger, younger, and tougher. Misky's young by dragon standards, but dat makes him dangerous."

"Sarya wasn't dangerous?" Patrina asked.

Thork shrugged. "Mabbe, but not like Misky. Sarya couldn't fly and her flames wasn't much."

Alto frowned. He remembered the flames Sarya had breathed after nearly roasting him alive, had it not been for Kar's spell protecting him. "We'll find a way."

Thork turned and grabbed a few more potions. He loaded them onto the table and then kicked open a chest. Bright light burst out of it, causing the troll to stagger. "Balls!" he cried out before he managed to swat the chest shut again. He shook his head and blinked. "Wrong chest."

Alto and Patrina looked at each other and shook their heads. When they looked back
, Thork had another chest open and he was pushing things around in it. He pulled out a massive sword and cried out, "Thork forgot about dis!" He grinned and then shook his head and tossed it on the ground. "Dat's not what Thork's after."

Garrick moved over to study the sword while Thork pawed through the chest some more. It was a great sword with a claw holding a
milky white pearl in the pommel. The cross guard was simple but held a winged snake carved into it. The blade was thick and sturdy and free of any notches or imperfections that he could see without holding it close.