The presence of the Orb relaxed him, bringing a sense of peace, more so than he had expected, especially while waiting at the doorstep of the scariest place he had ever heard of. Bridazak’s eyes dwindled and he tried to fight exhaustion, but sleep captured his mind.
“I wonder if I’ll get to see one of these creatures,” he tried to speak, but the words faded like a dream and he wasn’t sure if he was talking at all.
The night was calm and soon the sun broke the eastern horizon, shedding its magnificence across the realm.
Dulgin kicked Bridazak awake, “Did you get enough sleep, guard?” he mocked.
“What happened?”
“Good question. Abawken, did this Daky ever wake you for your shift?”
“I’m sorry Dulgin, I don’t normally do that. When have I ever fallen asleep on watch? The last thing I remember was feeling nervous about going into Everwood, and asking the Orb to tell me about it. I’m sorry.”
“Well, that explains everything. Maybe we should have the Orb keep watch for us next time!”
Abawken stepped in, “Come, we need to keep our wits about us. Nothing happened to us Master Dulgin, so now, let us focus on that,” he pointed below their vantage point, to the edge of Everwood. They remained quiet while gathering their few belongings, and mentally preparing for the trek into the vast green sea of trees.
They entered Everwood with caution. The sounds that emanated from within grew increasingly louder the further in they went, resonating like an orchestra without a conductor. Exotic birds, animals, and insects were bountiful. They remained alert as they trudged forward, trying to keep near the river’s edge, though it wasn’t long before the foliage thickened and made it impossible to stay along the bank. The sound of the river was now their guide in this foreign place, and they treaded uneasily deeper and deeper. Bridazak found himself lost in the beauty of the ancient forest. He gazed up into the dense tree limbs to find a minuscule amount of light being allowed inside this old domain. He wondered if he was the first Ordakian to set foot in any part of the Everwood.
The sounds of the day faded and morphed into something that chilled them to their very bones. Whirring, creaking, rustling, and frightening squeals echoed throughout the area beyond. What little light penetrated the thick overhang slowly waned. A distant rumble of thunder announced a storm, and moments later droplets of water descended upon them. A musty smell encapsulated them as the rain awakened the decaying layers of foliage underfoot.
“What a wonderful place we have discovered. I could have been in a nice tavern enjoying a good Dwarven remedy to warm my body,” Dulgin scoffed.
“And miss all the fun? Well, at least your armor is getting washed.”
“Listen, Stubby—” Dulgin stopped in his tracks. Bridazak gave him an understanding look. The playful title that for so many years had belonged to their now lost friend, had slipped.
“It’s okay, Dulgin.”
“No it’s not, dammit! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”
“I consider it an honor, my friend.” Their eyes locked, rain water cascaded down their faces as they silently remembered Spilf.
Abawken gingerly interrupted, “I found a place up ahead where we can rest, fill our water skins, and get cover from the rain.” The two felt more settled, finally having taken a quiet moment to grieve together. “My apologies Master Bridazak, I didn’t realize you were in a private moment with Master Dulgin.”
“Lead on. We could use the rest.”
The human brought them to a large, hollowed tree. It was a massive timber that had toppled over and now rested on the ground. Its days of reaching toward the sky had ended centuries ago; moss and thick vegetation now overtook it. They clamored inside and placed their weary bodies against the moist internal casing. The roaring river fought to be heard through the rain pelting their damp haven.
Dulgin settled in and took his pack off while Abawken climbed through another opening to the top of the fallen tree. Bridazak took the opportunity to refill his water skin. The biting cold of the rushing river caused him to slow as he made his way further in to gather the clean water. He stopped when he was shin-deep; the river bed dropped off to a much deeper level just a step away from where he stood. The water skin swelled to capacity. He capped it off and turned around.
“Hey Dulgin, you want to pass me yours so I can fill it up for you?”
The Dwarf produced his half full leather pouch and caught his friend’s at the same time as he tossed his own to Bridazak, who turned to fill it up, hunching over once again, but something caught his eye under the water in the deeper area. He focused, lowering his head to get a better look. A claw suddenly stretched up towards his face and grabbed him. It had greenish skin and sharp, three-inch long fingernails. Another clawed hand reached out from the depths and took hold of his torso. He was yanked into the deep blue water with a splash.
“Abawken!” Dulgin yelled, scrambling up.
The human quickly looked behind him and saw the Ordakian was no longer there. Without thinking, he dove from above into the river. Dulgin readied his axe, but was unable to pursue the creature. He couldn’t swim, but didn’t have to, as a second leathery, green-skinned beast suddenly burst out of the water and towered over him. The water troll opened its mouth to let out a territorial roar, displaying sharp yellow teeth behind the long, pointed, wart-covered nose.
Dulgin responded, “C’mon ugly! It’s gonna take more than bad breath to put me down.”
Meanwhile, Bridazak was pulled deeper and deeper toward a cave entrance directly below the surface. His lungs were already beginning to burn, and his ears felt like they were about to explode from the pressure. The monster moved quickly, but just before it passed safely into its lair, Abawken penetrated the surface above them and moved even more swiftly through the water, as if it didn’t exist at all. He was unimpeded by the fluid—his scimitar in hand led the charge.
Abawken soared toward Bridazak with lightning speed, thanks to the magical power of his weapon. He could breathe underwater and move through it with no effort. Ordakian blood began to flow from Bridazak’s ears. The water troll noticed the human as he glided through the red, inky cloud, and let go of Bridazak to engage him. As soon as he was free, Bridazak reached out toward the surface and began to swim for his life. Abawken grabbed the Dak’s tunic and pulled him hard, launching him toward the air above that he so desperately needed. The gangly creature attacked, but Abawken moved so easily that the monster was unable to grab him.
Meanwhile, Dulgin rolled away from a flurry of clawed weaponry. He had sliced the troll with his axe, giving it a deep wound in its left thigh, and puncturing several of the puss-filled cysts that covered his body. He had no time to think about what was happening below the surface, as this beast attacked relentlessly. It turned and began another assault on the Dwarf. Dulgin instinctively parried with his axe and then countered toward its midsection. It lurched backward, avoiding the killing blow. Dulgin went with the momentum of his axe and turned quickly for another swing. The second one took a chunk from the troll’s forearm. Green blood shot out and it yelped a horrible cry of pain.
Below, Abawken battle danced around the troll, and inflicted several wounds with his magical blade. The life essence of the creature quickly began to ooze, engulfing them both in a cloud. Again, it lunged for the human with reckless abandon. Its eyes glowed brighter in rage and it gave a high-pitched scream. Abawken darted aside to avoid its deadly claws, easily dragging his scimitar through the belly of the creature. Guts streamed out like tentacles waving in the water and the red glowing eyes faded. The monster floated away, swallowed up by the current.
The water troll above backhanded the Dwarf, and he sailed through the air like a rag doll into the berm. Dirt and debris crumbled and fell on top of him. The troll was standing over the defenseless Dwarf when Bridazak suddenly emerged behind it and made a loud sound of splashing water and gasped for air. It only took a second for the green beast to be dis
tracted long enough for Dulgin to regain himself and swing his axe from where he was lying. Bone cracked and shattered as the mighty weapon severed its leg just below the knee. It fell to the ground clutching the stump, whimpering a horrible, gurgled sound. The Dwarf buried his father’s axe blade into its head, killing it instantly.
“That’ll teach ya.” He turned from his attack posture just in time to notice his friend swept away by the current, as the Ordakian had no strength left to try to swim to shore.
Abawken shot up out of the water and then ran on top of the flowing river to retrieve Bridazak. He circumvented the granite rocks and then soon lifted the little-one up and into his arms. The human quickly assessed— Bridazak’s chattering teeth told him he needed to get him next to a fire to return his color. He ran back, still on top of the fast moving river, to where Dulgin waited in anticipation and awe once he saw Abawken walking on water.
“What magic is this, Human?”
“No time to explain, Master Dwarf. Quickly, gather some wood so we can start a fire.”
“Everything’s wet, Huey! It won’t ignite,” Dulgin responded.
“Trust me. I will be able to start the fire.”
Dulgin did as instructed. Bridazak was exhausted and barely awake. He had instinctively curled himself into a ball on the ground where he had been set down, trying to gather any warmth he could. Abawken was setting small river rocks around in a circle to contain the heat that would be generated from the fire. Once the Dwarf set the wood inside the stones, Abawken pulled out his scimitar once again and touched its tip to the wet wood, uttering a simple command word, “Esh”. It ignited into a brilliant fire as the magic of the blade was unleashed. He moved Bridazak closer to the flames and the rocks; the chills soon retreated and the rosy coloring returned to his cheeks. Bridazak heard little beyond the crackling snaps of the blaze next to him as he tried to rest. His fragmented thoughts dominated, “I almost died today. If I did, would I be with Spilf? The Orb sent Abawken, and if he wasn’t here on this very day then I would surely be dead. I will have to thank the Orb. I will have to thank Abawken. I will have to thank Dulgin, or he will get upset for being left out of the thank-yous. Maybe I should apologize after the thank-yous for dragging them into all of this. I don’t know. I’m just so tired.” He drifted off and fell asleep.
“Damn trolls,” Dulgin said under his breath. He addressed the human, who was staring into the fire, “You mind explaining what happened out there?”
“The water trolls have a home below the surface, and they grabbed our leader to have a snack later.”
“I’m not talking about that, ya blundering fool. How does someone walk on water and then start fires from thin air is what I’m after!”
“Oh, my apologies, Master Dwarf. This is called The Sword of the Elements.” He drew his blade and held it out for inspection, “It has been imbued with magical properties that revolve around fire, water, earth, and air.”
“And where does one find a blade such as that, might I ask?”
“Well, it was a gift.”
“Mighty fine gift. What did you have to do to get it?”
“Another time perhaps, Master Dwarf. It is a grand story and one I would like to tell, but let us be vigilant while we watch for our fearless leader here to come back to reality.”
“Ahhh, whatever Huey,” Dulgin relinquished the conversation and then dug inside his pack for some food.
“Why do you call me this name, Master Dulgin? I don’t understand,” the human questioned.
“That’s right, you wouldn’t understand so I ain’t bothering.”
Abawken smiled and then returned his attention back to Bridazak. “His life is strong. It is still unbelievable that I found him. I had searched for so long, for what I’d thought was a ghost.”
Dulgin poked a stick at the fire, “The Orb led you.”
“This is true, but there was a faith inside of me that drove me on each day.”
“I have faith in my axe.”
“As do I now, Master Dulgin. You are indeed skilled, but faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
“Speaking riddles to a Dwarf is not wise, but I get where you’re going with it.”
Abawken smiled again, “Excuse me, Master Dulgin, I will gather more wood and fresh water for Master Bridazak.”
The human lightly shook the Ordakian awake. He instantly sat up, startled and shouting. Bridazak’s eyes darted about, until he realized he had been dreaming. He was inside the fallen tree and the fire was now embers. The rain had ended, and rays of light broke through the upper canopy high above. Smells of wet leaves mingled with the musty mildew and the campfire inside their hollowed home. “How long was I out?”
“Several hours. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Let’s get moving.” He tried to get up on his own, but his legs wobbled. Abawken assisted him to his feet.
“Here, eat some of this, and make sure you get your fill of water.”
“I’m fine. I can eat along the way. Where is Dulgin?”
“He’s outside waiting, let’s say, eager to get started—to put it nicely.”
“You will get used to it. C’mon, the longer he waits the grumpier he gets.” Bridazak grabbed his pack and climbed out the opening. Abawken followed.
“Finally! I was starting to grow leaves hanging around here. Let’s find this temple and get out.”
“Glad you asked, my friend, I’m feeling better.”
Dulgin broadened his shoulders in true Dwarf fashion, and responded, “Good, cause I was going to leave your Daky-ass behind. Well, Abawken, you waiting for someone to hold your hand or are you going to lead?”
“My apologies, Master Dulgin.” The human quickly took the reigns and scouted ahead as always. They followed in tow, continuing their trek along the river.
Hours passed as they navigated the brush and woodland debris. Dulgin complained most of the time as the humidity increased and pesky skets were swatted with occasional slaps on arms and necks.
Bridazak heard it first—a new sound—a strange guttural clucking in the distance. “Do you hear that?”
“What now, ya blundering fool? I don’t hear nothin’.”
“It is coming from that way,” Abawken pointed a slight direction off from where they needed to go. “It sounds birdlike.”
“Mmmm, bird. That sounds good right about now. I could use a hot meal,” Dulgin rubbed his armored belly.
“Let’s check it out, then,” Bridazak said, feeling the hunger pangs also.
As they made their way through the thick green overgrowth, they heard the clucking turn into a clicking bravado which transformed slowly into a melodic whistle of soft tones. A wall of shrubs separated them from the mysterious prize that they tracked. Abawken pushed through slowly. The rustling of the branches caused the creature to cease its chime as the human broke free of the grasping leafy twigs. They emerged into an umbrella of the largest tree they had ever seen. It was impossible to see the top as the tree-sized trunks extended from the thirty-foot gargantuan base in all directions. They were completely shaded from any light, and fallen leaves were firmly matted down from something walking over them. The deep, earthy aroma of the environment mixed with the smell of a hen-house filled their nostrils. There was no sign of their prey as they entered its domain.
“Here birdy, birdy, birdy,” Dulgin whispered.
“I will look for a nest. Perhaps we can gather some eggs,” Abawken suggested.
“I don’t eat anything that comes out of a creature’s butt,” the Dwarf scoffed. “I’ll be getting the birdy while you forage for ass-droppings.”
They spread out. Bridazak spotted something at the base of the immense tree. He cautiously approached the odd, twig-like piece nestled amongst the leaves. He reached down and unearthed it from the colorful leafed layers and quickly realized it was a feather—a bright yellow plume covered in beige spo
ts. A worried expression of realization hit him, “It’s a Varouche! We need to get out of here!”
“A what?” Dulgin questioned.
Suddenly, materializing behind the Dwarf was the legendary avian creature. Its chameleon power relinquished as it fanned out its glorious extended feathers behind its body.
“Dulgin, look out!”
The Dwarf turned to the see the eight-foot-tall beast. It’s long neck was a metallic, blue and green hue. Smaller decorative purple strands of frizzy fur topped its crown. The eyes were a prismatic display of beauty and the bone-white beak snapped a couple times in preparation of its meal.
“Nice birdy,” Dulgin backed away slowly.
The Varouche spun instantly and its colorful fan of feathers with whirling colors of the rainbow became a sharp blade-like weapon. Dulgin was slashed across his chest, straight through his armor. He winced from the pain of the deep gash, kneeling on the ground.
Bridazak pulled out an arrow and notched it quickly. He let it loose, but the Varouche brought up its plumed fan, blocking the arrow like a shield. The long-necked legend turned toward him and stomped with its clawed talons. It let out an ear-splitting cackle that caused Bridazak to drop his weapon and cover his ears.
Abawken curled around the base of the tree and slid to a stop, surveying the situation. He pointed his scimitar at the Varouche, uttering the simple command word, “Avir!” A funnel of air ten feet tall instantly shot forth and swallowed up the beast. Debris and leaves were gobbled up, spinning out of control inside the twister. A scream from the distressed bird bellowed from within. Abawken backed away to allow his magical entity to rip it to shreds. Electrical discharges sporadically sizzled around the whirling cyclone. The squawk of the Varouche finally dissipated, and the fighter waved his sword, dismissing the summoned elemental. The large bird fell to the ground and feathers shot out in all directions. Shredded patches of skin with strands of tuft was all that remained on its body. A silver colored tongue hung out of its beak.
Bridazak rushed to help Dulgin up. He was bleeding profusely and grimaced with clenched teeth as he stood.