The Dwarves, Ondi-Ne riders, and other people like my group were hiding within view of the campsite and the shoreline. There was a large pit trap right under the place Laylen, Ilsa, Rea, Dale and I slept the night before. It hadn’t been dug with shovels, but by the three dwarves with earth magic. If I hadn’t felt the rumbling underfoot while they did it, I wouldn’t believe that there was a broad, deep hollowed out space beneath the camping spot. Even the little hole they made to pour several barrels of lamp oil - all they had for their holdfast - into it was perfectly concealed. The ground on top was undisturbed and only well supported enough for a couple people to walk across. If too much weight was put on it, whoever was there would fall through the dirt then get impaled on the stone spikes below.
As the afternoon crept on, the sky became gray and before long a light drizzle that started slowly soaking everyone through. The tension of the wait, which had started to feel long by then, was starting to ease, and misery was creeping in amongst the less patient. I was lulled into a watchful calm, so when Rea pulled on my sleeve, quietly beckoning for me to follow her, Ilsa and I did so. Mist was crouching low to the ground, his top half had shifted colour to a darker green, something I didn’t think drakes his age did. Big, wary eyes looked to Ilsa and I. I could see the fear in them. “Is everything okay?” That always felt like a stupid question when I already knew there was trouble, but I didn’t know what else to ask.
“The Five have him spooked. I keep trying to tell them that black dragons especially aren’t unfriendly to drakes by nature, that fights usually only happen over food, but he’s going to be uneasy in the sky,” Rea explained as she ran her hand over his smooth chin.
“He’s much bigger than any one of them.” I actually wasn’t sure of that. The Five were far away when I saw them, but I was guessing that Rea wanted us to reassure Mist. “I don’t think the Five want to confront something that can wrap its claws around their chests. That’s death for any dragon.”
“He’s right: a brood like that wouldn’t risk the death of a brother for one drake,” Ilsa said as Mist edged out from under tree cover to be closer to us.
“That’s what I was telling him. He’s strong enough to be more of a risk than a meal. It’s time we start looking for Vismag, and that won’t work on foot, will it?” she looked to Mist, who stared at her as though in contemplation. “We have a job to do.”
When Rea put her back to Mist, she relaxed her brave front just enough for us to see that she was afraid as well. “Vismag should be easy to spot, so I’ll keep a more watchful eye out for those dragons. You’re right: they shouldn’t take an interest, nothing I have is terribly magical or valuable and they should have plenty of bears, deer, even moose to feed on between the Twins and this part of the river. They shouldn’t be hungry enough to go after Mist. If they do come after us, we’ll lead them west, where the buffalo herds should give them something nicer to eat.”
At the mention of buffalo, Mist edged forward a little more, excitement finally breaking through the fear. His mouth parted slightly, and I almost expected him to start drooling.
Rea didn’t notice, she was busy working to convince herself as much as us that she and Mist would be all right, and I was relieved when Ilsa bent down and gave her a hug. “Good plan, and if you’re not fast enough to outrun the dragons, lead them back here. Half the dwarves would love the chance to take them down, and the rest don’t have any love for them.”
“The riders are crazy for glory,” I added, watching Mist turn his head as though to scratch his side, but take the tether from his saddle instead and drop it on the ground. “Looks like someone wants to get up there,” I told Rea. I never got used to seeing that drake, especially up close. I was always amazed. He was a majestic creature with more personality than some people I’d known for years. “You might owe him a buffalo, though.”
“I promise; after we help kill Vismag, we’ll go west for an afternoon and you can chase the buffalo. Eat as many as you want.”
Mist’s hind quarters shifted, and he licked his lips, staring at her eagerly.
“Let’s go take a look around,” Rea said as she buckled the tether around her ankle and climbed into the saddle.
With a couple steps that were anything but tentative, Mist was out from under the trees and leaping into the air, where he took wing and began flying upriver. I returned to my spot, which was across the clearing from Maydo. My sword seemed to have the same effect as her Eilwun blade, at least where Vismag was concerned. In my vision, he was still missing the hand I’d cut from his wrist.
When the drizzle stopped, I opened the notebook and started writing the first volume of my tale. It was something I wanted to do since I left Kaima. By the end of the second page, a calmness fell over me. The sky was still dull, and the sun was getting closer to the horizon.
I was running through the plan everyone had contributed to when Uden moved to my side with his shield on his arm and asked; “So, how’d you earn your spot as Champion?”
“I was killed fighting the Cultists in Red, then Kaiyuma named me as her champion and sent me back,” I replied flatly.
“You became champion by dying?” Goler asked in a shocked whisper, his monocle falling from his eye.
“He defeated nearly a dozen cultists, saving me before he was overwhelmed,” Laylen explained defensively. “I’ve never seen such bravery or skill with a sword.”
“Ah, fighting in the defence of an innocent even when the odds are poor, that’s the kind of thing a Champion of that Lady would do,” Uden said. “I should leave something at her shrine next time I see one. My prime God measures honour against the difficulty of one’s quest, or the strength of their enemies. I’ll draw his eye today if this beastie will come out.”
“Inrir,” I guessed. It was the only God who matched that description.
“You know of him?” he asked.
“There’s a shrine to him in the Temple of Grace,” I replied, not interested in telling him that I had an encyclopedic knowledge of the world. Even if I took the time to tell him about all the blind spots I had, it was clear to me that he’d hound me for information about hidden treasures.
“It’s a nice statue of a strong, kingly looking dwarf holding a great two handed hammer,” Laylen described. “It must have been built by a stone master like you, because it doesn’t match most of the other shrines, but I like it.”
“Oh, I’ll have to see it if I’m ever allowed back in the city,” Uden said. “I wonder; aren’t you a little young to be so far away from there?”
“They needed an enchanter.” Laylen made his point by putting his hand on Uden’s hammer and silently casting an accuracy spell on it.
“Oh, thank you. It’s already blessed, but every little bit helps.”
Several of the other dwarves quietly came forward to receive enchantments from Laylen, who did so solemnly, but I could tell he felt good about being useful.
“Someone’s breaking the treeline by the shore,” Kird said from beside his crouching dog. Everyone went quiet and settled in behind trees, thick bushes and stones. “It’s not the demon, but goblins.” He pointed to a spot in the clearing twenty feet away.
They were wearing rough, but treated leathers, carrying long spears hooks on rope lines. I broke cover, Ilsa at my side, and waved. “I’m Grant.”
“Man who tie my cousin to tree?” one of the goblins asked. He smiled, pointed teeth making the friendly gesture look a little dangerous, then raised a hand. His small group of half a dozen grew to over twenty as the rest of his party left the cover of the trees. “Kinbin is big trouble boy. I may try what you did.”
“I didn’t want him to get into trouble while we were fighting Vismag,” I replied with a shrug, happy that I wasn’t in trouble for roping his little cousin up.
“That is Kaiyuma’s Champion,” another goblin said, pointing, speaking in his own language. “I saw him in visions. The new Goddess is represented.” He reached into his bag and threw a handful of feather cuttings in the air that drifted away on the breeze. “Blessing of the long day.” I recognized it as a spell that was to increase luck with his tribe, but it was also a kind of prayer that was meant to thank the God or Goddess of his choice. I supposed it was Kaiyuma.
“My lands, did you bring every hunter you had?” Uden asked as he caught up with Ilsa and me.
“Not all, but many,” the leader of the Goblins said. He had a short sword at his side that looked old, but well maintained and of high quality. The leaders always got first pick at everything, and it showed. He continued in the common tongue, some of the words twisting awkwardly. “Zinj am I. The Great Hunter for Yonbik. Vismag is hidden. He made meal of two boats in attack. Gone now.”
“The demon ate two boats?” asked one of the younger dwarves.
“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” I said before turning to Zinj, asking him what happened in his own language, then translated; “They were tracking behind Vismag, following his kill trail when he came from below and overturned two of their boats. There were three hunters in each. He ate them while they tried to swim to shore, then he got away. The goblins landed their boats and continued on foot, since the water seems to be where Vismag fights best.”
“You speak Garv?” Goler asked, surprised. A few of the younger dwarves were regarding me warily.
“I speak several languages,” I replied. “It helps when you have to do a lot of travelling.”
“You’re more well educated than any warrior I’ve seen, Champion,” Goler said, writing something in his notebook before putting that and his monocle away.
“So, these goblins really are smooth-skins after all,” Kird said. “And not a child among you. I’ve heard that you bring your children to battle.”
“Not this battle,” Zinj said through his teeth. “Someone must do hunting if we fall.”
“We’re just glad you’re here,” I said, stepping between the pair. “When was the last time you saw Vismag?”
The shadow of a drake crossed over us and I was struck by a small rock in the shoulder. Ilsa picked it up and saw that a rune had been scratched onto it. “He’s close, that way.” She pointed upriver.
The water erupted next, and a nightmare surged forth. It was just as I’d seen when Vismag went for the carriage, only this time he caught Kird’s mount in both his hands, knocking him out of the saddle as the demon bit the riding dog’s neck through.
The corpse was thrown towards the goblins next, crushing a few, scattering the rest. Before I had my sword out, Uden was in front of me with his shield, blocking Vismag’s attempt to run me through with the blade I’d discarded when I was on the barge. In a practiced counter strike, the dwarf swung his hammer, catching the demon’s hand with the blunt side, knocking the weapon out of his hand. “Fight me! Corrupted beast!”
“My pleasure, paladin,” Vismag said as he snatched for him while he shouted magical words with three voices that sounded like high pitched scraping.
That was a spell, and it was directed at Uden, but I could feel the edges of the fear magic. Several of the goblins who were just getting back on their feet broke and ran. Two riders who were on their way with spears turned, frantic to be away. Goler and three of his fellow dwarves scurried away. “Retreat! Run for your lives!”
“You’ll have to try harder than that!” Uden said as he hurled his hammer at Vismag, striking him superficially in the chest. The Dwarf drew his spear from where it was lashed to his back and started walking towards the demon with it pointing past his shield.
Vismag had grown to over twenty feet, and he had five tails that were longer. His skin was still sickly white, but it looked harder. Two of his eyes were empty sockets, and I stared into the remaining four white-blue orbs.
“Remember me?” Ilsa asked as she threw a fire bomb onto his tails. She was already trying to drive him towards the pit trap.
I got around to his left side and tossed a fire bomb of my own, missing his tails but adding to the flames on the ground. A low whistle in the air above me preceded a javelin as it came down from above, striking Vismag in the back, sticking between his ribs. It was followed by another that narrowly missed his head. I caught a glance at Rea drawing a third javelin as Mist began a turn that would give her a clear path to throw again.
“You’re all meat,” Vismag screeched, magical fear emanating from him. “A long overdue feast.” He smashed Uden with his fist, sending him several feet back.
“He’s reached a phase of his life… a phase where he’s more like a God. Twenty-eight feet tall, able to cast spells, he’s a hunger demon unlike any this part of the world has seen in centuries,” I said as I hesitated to draw my sword.
A spiral of golden light passed from Dale, who emerged from the treeline opposite the shore, to Uden, who was healed in the space of a single breath. Then he raised the Creator’s Staff and shouted; “I cleanse you all of unnatural fear! Be brave, and fight!”
“Priest! You have my trinket!” Vismag screamed as he surged forward. “The Creator’s Staff is mine!”
My head cleared, and I realized that the same magic that sent people running had immobilized me. I don’t know how much of this was thanks to Dale’s spell, but there was no fear, only anger in my heart as I drew my sword and charged.
Several goblins threw spears at him only moments ahead of the dwarves, who followed Goler in a charge with long bladed pikes. Before they could close with Vismag, every rider but Kird rode past at speed with Maydo in the middle, jabbing at their enemy with sharp spears. One was knocked out of the saddle, and before he finished rolling across the ground, Dale sent a small golden ball of healing energy to him.
Uden was staring at me and Ilsa, and I realized that, according to our plan, we were both on the wrong side of him - between Vismag and the shore, at his rear. We weren’t supposed to drive him to the trap, but to lure him there. The second of those two options was safer because Dale would be able to heal us if we got into trouble.
A flaming javelin came down from Rea and stuck firmly in the demon’s back, where it continued to burn and hiss in his flesh. Ilsa and I slashed at his tails. They were tougher than before, and I barely made him bleed. Ilsa stabbed one and was flicked away by another, sent bouncing then rolling across the ground to the water’s edge.
Dale was too far away to heal her. The hex map in my head made it perfectly clear that I had to get her much closer to him and fast. She wasn’t moving. “Go help her!” Laylen shouted as he ran towards the centre of our camp and the trap. “I’ll distract him!”
Instead of shouting; ‘Don’t! You’ll get yourself killed!’ I rushed to Ilsa’s side. That flick of a tail did more damage than I thought, but she was still alive. I tried to ignore her groans and raspy breathing as I picked her up. “Sorry, I know this hurts, but I have to get you to Dale.”
The dwarves stabbed at Vismag, driving him in the right direction. The demon was still quick, his hand grasping a spear that had been left in his belly, turning it around then stabbing at two dwarves. One blocked it with his shield, but the second was run through and had to get help to remove the spear before Dale could heal him completely.
Uden used earth magic to summon a sudden surge of sharp stalagmites to catch all three of the demon’s rear tails. “How’s that feel?” he taunted as the demon was forced forward, even closer to the trap.
Vismag screeched and wheeled, backhanding a trio of dwarves and punching another to the ground with his fist. Dale healed them all, bathing them in a shaft of golden light so they could get back on their feet and scramble away. Riders gave them a chance to regroup as four of them charged, throwing spears at the demon. Two of the spears stuck in the demon’s belly, driving deep, and he retaliated by catching Maydo’s riding dog with two hands then hurling him through the air into the woods behind.
To everyone’s surprise, a translucent bubble appeared around Maydo and her mount. I was halfway to Dale, taking the long way around Vismag, when I spotted Laylen, who regarded his stump with surprise. Until then, he’d only been able to cast the simplest of one handed or meditation driven spells. He’d always needed both hands to cast that protection spell, and then only on himself. Maydo and her dog clashed with the trees, but came up unhurt. “Thank you, wizard!” she called out as she got back in the saddle.
Filled with a new rush of bravery, standing near the middle of the pit trap where we’d hung Vismag’s disembodied hand, Laylen turned to the demon and called; “Worm! Yes! You! Filthy worm-thing! Remember me? You got my hand! But I still feel it! I feel it as though it’s there and can still cast whatever I like! I am even more powerful!” he waved his hand and stump in the air, creating a nearly completely transparent bubble of protection around himself then continued. “See! See? Can you do that? Can you still feel your hand?”
“No, Laylen,” I said under my breath, at the same time hoping that he somehow knew what he was doing.
“Boy! Come here, boy! I’ll finish what I started!” Vismag shouted as he leapt.
Laylen was already running when the demon’s five tails sent him up in a leap that shook the ground, but there was no way he’d get away in time. Mist swept down, catching Laylen in his grasp. Vismag landed in the middle of the delicate ground covering the pit trap and broke through, crashing fifteen feet down onto jagged stone spikes. As he did so, one of his hands caught Mist’s tail.
Rea leapt out of the saddle as Mist struggled to stay in the air, dropping Laylen. “Run! Run Laylen!” she said as she grabbed a javelin. The young wizard cast a spell on his way down, slowing his fall drastically, then he escaped the instant his feet touched the ground.
Maydo charged from the treeline, her Eilwun blade in one hand, a long hook from one of the goblins in the other. Rea struggled to stay on Mist’s back near the base of his tail. The lance in her hand burst into flame and Vismag shrieked, turned his head to keep its point from his eyes, but he refused to let go of Mist’s tail even after Rea drove the lance into his neck where it continued to burn. One of the demon’s hands reached to brace himself so he could get out of the pit while the other reached for one of the drake’s wings.
I was finally in range of Dale’s healing power, partially thanks to him taking a few running steps in our direction once he spotted us. He sent a spiral of golden light at her and I heard the bones moving back into place, saw her mend before my eyes.
Ilsa practically leapt out of my arms. “Did you leave my swords back there?” she asked as she realized that I did.
I was already turning, running towards Vismag with my sword in both hands. There was no time for apologies. Vismag had a hand firmly around Mist’s tail, and another was closing around the drake’s wing. Rea was desperately trying to stab at the demon with another javelin, but he was keeping the drake and her at arm’s length. Mists cries were the loudest thing in the failing daylight, and I could see that Rea was near panic too. “No! No! Stop!”
“I’ll eat drake for days!” Vismag laughed as he got a good grasp of Mist’s wing and jerked sideways, filling the air with the sound of a large bone snapping. The Drake screamed in agony.
Maydo reached the edge of the pit atop her dog and she leapt from the saddle. She touched down on Vismag’s shoulder with light feet, hooked him in the corner of his mouth, and drove her Eilwun blade into the base of his neck. He dropped Mist, who rolled away from the demon, flinging Rea, who was surrounded by a protective bubble before her tether reached its end.. Thanks to Laylen’s quick casting, she was able to get to her feet and attend to her drake.
The plan was to set the pit on fire once Vismag was in it, but that was getting less likely by the second as people rushed to the edge with spears. I was there too. Vismag noticed and forgot all else as he reached for me with all three of his hands as well as his stump. Fighting a person or people who have weapons is a completely different thing from fighting beasts, especially giants. I don’t think it clicked for me until then, when I saw those hands coming for me with a deadly bite coming behind them.
My reaction time was instinctive, with no time for thought between the hazards and action. I slashed a hand to my left, stabbed to my right, then swung left again in time to cut a join of Vimag’s thumb off. It was a mistake for him to try to bite me, as Uden, Goler, and Kird stabbed his mouth with spears, I slashed at his eyes, opening a gash in his face that narrowly missed them, and Ilsa threw two knives that stuck between his pale orbs.
Maydo held onto the hook in Vismag’s mouth and used one of the javelins sticking out of the side of his head as a handle while he reeled back. The moment he was still enough, she drew her long knife - a short sword to her - and stabbed at the base of his skull repeatedly, savagely. He screamed and shook his head, trying to grab at her with his hands. “I can’t keep this up long!”
“Let go,” Laylen said with new confidence.
Maydo, with an expression surprisingly devoid of fear, looked down where dwarves, goblins, and Ondi-Ne alike were all getting good stabs at Vismag, frantic to keep him in his hole and to draw more of his sickly white-blue blood. She narrowly avoided one of his hands, braced herself, then pushed off. I barely saw it, but I’m glad I caught a glimpse of her slowing down before landing on her feet well behind the pit, her momentum reduced by Laylen’s Gentle Fall spell. It’s one of those spells that come early with practice, but save your butt over and over again.
I was at the ready with the hilt of my sword in both hands, waiting for him to lean in my direction, when his head came around and he said; “Remember my promise, worm.”
With all three of his hands, he grabbed Ilsa, and I saw a line of golden light, probably from Dale, pass through the air to her as he drew her towards his mouth. “Back away!” Ilsa shouted as she drew a pair of explosive potions from her pockets and tossed one into Vismag’s mouth, then threw the other down. I was frozen in place as they both went off. The first set Vismag’s maw on fire, the other lit the lamp oil we’d poured into the pit hours before. The ground was saturated, and I stepped forward, towards Ilsa as Vismag let her go. In retrospect, I know there was no way I could have gotten to her without falling in myself, but I’m glad reason didn’t factor into my thinking as I leaned too far and started to topple.
I was lucky to catch the collar of Ilsa’s jacket, and I felt a hand firmly grasp the back of my belt. “Dwarven chain, boys!” shouted Uden as several other dwarves grabbed him before he was pulled in too. “Heave!”
At his command, his men pulled firmly, and I almost lost my grip as I was drawn away from the edge of the hole. Ilsa and Maydo came out with a few minor burns, and we got away from the flaming pit, where Vismag screamed and struggled to find a way out. He couldn’t jump because his tails were impaled on long stone spikes. Every time he gripped for the edge, there were spears ready to stab his fingers.
“In the name of Kaiyuma, I consecrate this fire! In the name of the Dawner, I call for his justice!” Dale said, holding the Creator’s Staff up over his head.
The flames turned white, and their heat increased, sending everyone back away from the pit. We watched as the screams finally came to a stop, and the flames faltered until there was only smoke.
“Oh, no,” Ilsa said from beside me. I followed her gaze and saw the shapes of five dragons flying towards us.