The grey forest was gloomy and the weather didn’t help lift the party’s mood either. It was cold and humid.
“It is going to rain.” Declared Harvick. “I know a cave not so far from here where we can wait for it to pass. We can take our rest and eat in peace.”
Nobody said anything, but somehow they all agreed to Harvick's idea. They were weary, they walked for nearly three hours without any breaks. The Hamu forest was known for its density and its uninviting mood, the wildlife wasn’t much diverse either. It seemed like they were the only breathing creatures until some lonely bird breaks their silent and heavy march. Undisturbed, the forest floors looked like a giant snow blanket, but as light as feathers. The cloudy grounds were covered in leaves as grey as smoke.
“This forest feels out of this world.” Commented Haruth.
“It does" Agreed Krog.
“I don’t like it. I always feel like I am being watched.” Added Olum.
“You are.” Said Poli undaunted.
Olum looked at her in suspicion. Then looked over her shoulders, left and right, searching for whoever was spying on them.
“Don’t mind her. She’s traumatized.” Helain reassured his wife by holding her hand.
Haruth was suspicious as well, for he knew where her soul was and he was certain she wasn’t the Poli they all used to know anymore. He needed to keep an eye on her.
They reached the foothills where the cave awaited them in the shadows. Rains started to fall and there was no other sound to be heard but the flickering of the fire they lit inside of the cave. Harvick's Mar slept at the entrance of the cave, chewing the cud.
“I like the smell of petrichor.” Olum took a deep breath. She was standing at the entrance of the cavern. Her hands rubbing against her belly.
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” Asked Poli who joined her with a drink.
“I don’t have a preference, although Helain is hoping for a girl.” She answered smiling.
“A girl would be nice. Did you think of a name?” Inquired Poli once again.
“Helain wants to name ‘her' Rqia. I am thinking Illy.” Olum felt uneasy. “But nothing is sure, for all we know it might be a boy.” She smiled nervously. Poli smiled back, warmly.
“Either ways, they’re both adorable.” Poli snapped her fingers, calling her dog. The hound stood up from his spot and went to her. “I’ll be scouting.” She added before leaving.
“I’m coming with you!” Exclaimed Krog who was scared for Poli.
Helain used his boots as a pillow and laid on the ground next to the fire, with his eyes closed he started humming. Haruth was sitting next to Harvick and facing the sleeping man. Soon Harvick started humming the same song as well.
“A step in the wild and another home.
I wander far and travel more!
A shield and a sword!
And stories to unfold!
I square and recount, fight and sing!
For I am on my way
Oh on my way!
On my way to slay the dragon king!
Arrow and bow, pint and wine!
I’ll draw and drink! Shoot and cheer!
Fooooor I am on myyy waaaay...
Oooh on my waaaay!
To slay! To slay!
To slay the dragon king!”
Haruth watched and listened, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the melody. Harvick sang with great passion while Rudolph and Manyar hummed along while smoking their pipes. Helain was still laying on the ground, rocking his head left and right. The man opened his eyes and looked at the wizard who didn’t seem to notice.
“What is it you really want?” He asked Haruth, interrupting Harvick’s performance.
“Huh?” The wizard was confused. “Me? You’re talking to me?”
Rudolph and Manyar looked at each other.
“Who else?” Added Silverfang.
“Forgive me but I don’t really understand your inquiry.” Replied Haruth.
Helain stood up and sat, resting his back on the cold cave rocky wall.
“What’s in this for you? This. The quest. What do you want? What do you think you’ll get from ‘helping' us? Oh and please spare me the I’m a good doer talk. We all have motives, at least be honest.”
Haruth felt nervous for a moment. He looked at Harvick, then at Olum who just joined them.
Should I tell them? He thought. Can I trust them? And where in doomed hells is Krog? Haruth felt pressured. They are expecting an answer, and I very much doubt they would buy any lie. The warlock looked at Manyar and then Rudolph, expecting some support he didn’t get. “I...” He said. He took a deep breath. “I am trying to save the world form my father’s wrath and ethics.”
Silverfang chuckled. “I told you. Don’t give me that ‘I am here to save the world' talk. It’s not convincing at all.” He added with a serious voice.
“Convincing or not, it’s the truth. And frankly, I couldn’t care less if you believed me or not.” The wizard replied firmly.
“It started to rain.” Said Poli who came back jogging with her dog trotting by her side and shaking off the few drops on its fur. Krog followed her behind.
“Oh.” He grunted out. “What’s going on with you lot?”
“I don’t know what happened between you two, how you saved Poli and why you, of all people, can be so friendly with this warlock.” Answered Silverfang. “Don’t get me wrong. I have no grudge against wizards, I just want answers to ease my worried mind.”
“Tell them Haruth.” Krog said, with a comforting tone.
“Well, if you insist my friend.” Haruth then, unfolded his story to his party. He told them of the Jewels and their powers, of how the one they’re looking for is no mere magical stone. And what happened in the doomed realm with Krog confirming his every words. “Poli's story is linked to all this mess. You see, my father knows that I’m looking for it to prevent him from getting his hands on it. Luckily, he isn’t sure about its whereabouts. There are numerous strong Jewels scattered around the world.”
“Then how can you be sure that Ankros owns Grigori’s?” Inquired Poli.
“Because we’ve already inspected the others.” Declared Haruth.
“We? Who’s we?” Asked Silverfang in confusion.
“My sister and some of our friends.” He answered.
“Well, your father could’ve done the same, no? He probably has his eye on Gulgoloth as well.” Added Silverfang.
“That is very unlikely. You see, when you gain power with mischief you tend to lose trust. Now, my father have betrayed many to reach where he is, and while he gained power, he can no longer trust anyone to do his work for him.” Asserted the wizard.
“Where I had the help of my twin sister and our friends to look around the world for it, he was and still is searching for it on his own. I am positive that we’re many steps ahead. And the fact that I am here and my sister somewhere else, he can never be sure where the stone is.”
“Wicked.” Said Rudolph. Haruth smiled at him.
“Umm and how is all of this linked to me?” Asked Poli.
“I am very sorry. I believe my father wanted to threaten me or at least to let me know that he is watching me. So he did that to you. He also knows that what I did to get you back was forbidden by our ministry of magic. He knew I would get in trouble for it. He is trying to slow us down.” Confessed Haruth.
“Oh well. I am fine now. Nothing to worry about. I barely remember how it felt. It was like a nightmare and nothing more.” Poli reassured the wizard.
“But it was more than just a nightmare. The things I’ve seen there...” Said Krog shivering. “Nothing seems the same to me anymore.”
“I am sorry.” Haruth apologised once again.
“Don’t worry. Now I have another story to tell, although this one might be hard to believe, and I won’t blame them.” He said laughing.
“Do you have any more question Silverfang?” Demanded Haruth.
“No more.” Replied Helain Silverfang. “Maybe one last... why? Why is your father doing all of this?”
Haruth hesitated a bit. Looked around him. They’re not ready to know. Not now. He thought “I don’t know...” He simply said.
“Rain has stopped. We can carry on.” Declared Poli.
“How can you tell?” Asked Manyar. He stood up and went outside to inspect the weather. “She is right.” He said suspiciously.
“How did you know?” Olum asked the young woman.
“An intuition I guess.” Poli answered smiling.
Even her smile feels out of place. Thought Olum. She felt uneasy and nauseous.
“Well, let’s not slack off shall we?” Haruth tried to deflect the conversation. She is not the same. He thought.
They all packed up once again, put out the fire and left the cave to its silent and darkness. Silverfang was walking in front of the party with his wife on one side and Harvick on the other, dragging the Mar next to him. Followed by Rudolph and Poli, walking close behind them, her dog close to her, whilst Manyar and Krog walked with the wizard at the back.
“Krog, I need to talk to you about Poli.” The wizard said.
“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” Inquired the man.
“It would be better if we talked in private.” Haruth added looking at Manyar.
“Really?” Asked Manyar rhetorically. “Alright, I’ll leave you two to your confessions.” He then walked faster to join Rudolph and Poli.
The young woman looked over her shoulder, and smiled at Haruth who smiled back at her warmly.
“Well? What’s with Poli?” Inquired Krog again.
“Do you think she is weird?” Asked Haruth.
“Honestly, she has always been a bit odd. A solitary person who prefers the company of her dog over people…”
“That’s not what I meant. Do you think she has changed after what happened?” Insisted Haruth while interrupting Krog.
“Now that you say it, yes. I think so. When we went for a walk she kept talking nonsense but I didn’t pay much attention to it, because as I said, I always found her special.” Declared Krog while frowning in confusion at Poli's back.
“What kind of nonsense?” Asked again the wizard.
“She talked about some sort of burning sensations in her fingers, she kept mumbling about white ashes, fire within the rock, and doom.” He stopped from walking. “Doom. Was she talking about that place? How could she? She was unconscious?”
“Her soul wasn’t. Everything that happened there must feel like a nightmare to her although she lived every second of it. I was afraid that this might happen.” The wizard scratched his head in discomfort. “Aaah what are the odds of it happening to her, good heavens!” He spat.
“Alright I don’t like it when you talk as if I would understand. Explain! What is going on? You know I have questions! Save yourself my whys and talk, with more details!!” Grunted Krog.
“Going there, to the doomed realm, is never safe. But the chances of you getting affected by its energy are very small if not rare. You were protected by the silver coin I gave you. Poli was stripped of her shell, her soul was revealed to all the power residing there. But she isn’t the first to be casted in that dimension, some of them come back unaffected…” Explained Haruth.
“But she is…” Said Krog. “Is it bad?”
“It is when you don't know what is happening to your body and soul. She needs to learn how to live with her powers.”
“POWERS???” Krog yelled. Everyone turned around to look at them.
“Great, unwanted attention.” Haruth waved his hand to reassure the others.
“What powers? What do you mean?” Asked Krog.
“Powers greater than a wizard’s. Her body is trying to adjust to it, that’s where the burning sensations in her fingers come from. It won’t stop there… she will go through hell before her body embraces it.” Added Haruth.
“So you’re saying she’s going to suffer?” Krog's mind was rushing, many thoughts crossed his mind. His confusion was beyond belief.
“I will make sure to ease the pain. But I need to talk to her before. Sometimes when the power wakes up inside them, it can backlash very badly, all because of panics.” Haruth tightened his fists. “I feel sorry for her. She shouldn’t be going through this. She seems like a good person.”
Krog didn’t say a word for his bafflement tied his throat. He just looked at the wizard in sympathy and gave him a nudge on the soulder.
“WE’RE ONE STEP FROM ENTERING GULGOLOTH TERRITORY!” Yelled Harvick who was ahead of them, standing next to a huge mossy rock.
They all stopped, aligned at the fault scarp, the trees were bigger at that point, the leaves thicker and the weather heavier. The skies cleared up and the afternoon sun pierced through the forest gently.
“You better keep a careful eye to your surroundings now. We are stepping into a dragon’s nest.” Announced Harvick. “And the skies!” He pointed up.
“These woods are filled with all type of dragons.” Said Olum. “And according to legends, beyond this rock lives dragons that men has never seen.” She added, fascinated by her own knowledge.
“That does not sound as exciting as you might think.” Replied Rudolph. “Dragons men has never seen? We don’t even know what to expect huh? Great, I hate it.”
“Oh sweetheart are you sweating?” Manyar chuckled.
“No it’s piss.” Answered back Rudolph who was annoyed by Manyar’s teasing.
“Isn’t it odd that we haven’t me any dragon so far? Wasn’t the forest their home?” Haruth asked Poli who was standing next to him.
“Oh they have fled from this part of the forest.” Replied Poli with a sad tone. “People used to kill them for sports. They are peaceful creatures…”
“Tell that to our forefathers who were besieged and killed by those winged monsters. They’re dangerous. We hunt them to survive.” Exclaimed Olum. Who stood at Silverfang’s right and Haruth’s left.
“It wasn’t the dragons who besieged us. We claimed their land and settled in it. Wouldn’t you fight for what is yours?” Objected Poli. “Ah but forget it, our kin feels superior to creatures we don’t understand.”
Olum was about to speak back when Helain held her hand.
“Drop it.” He whispered in her ear. His wife bit her lip staring at the young woman.
She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She thought.
“We must go on.” Added Silverfang louder this time. They carried on their stride, with Harvick still at the head of the party and followed by Silverfang and Olum. Behind them walked Krog, Rudolph and Manyar. Poli and the wizard walked next to each other.
“Are you alright?” Haruth asked Poli who was rubbing her hands against each other.
“My fingers were burning earlier, now my entire hands feel ablaze… Do you think if has something to do with what happened to me?” She inquired.
“Poli… I am sorry.” Apologized the wizard. “I was hoping you’ll be unharmed… but I guess my prayers weren’t answered… there’s something you need to know…” When the wizard was about to tell Poli what was going on with her body, Harvick's whistling interrupted them. He was waving at them to get down.
“What is going on?” The warlock asked Krog in a low voice.
“A greencub and its offspring.” Whispered Krog back.
“I have never seen one!” Declared Poli happily.
The wingless dragon was in front of them, it walked with very slow steps, it was forty-four feet tall, its cub wasn’t bigger than a sheep. It had emerald green scales with a faint purple hue, and whenever the creature made a step, it left a pale shining green spoor.
The party were crouching and whispering to each other.
“It must be at least eight hundred years old.” Said Olum. “Females are more dangerous, they’re faster.” She drew her sword slowly and as silently as possible.
Helain briskly grabbed her hand. “What do you think you’re doing??” He murmured angrily.
“We have to kill it! If it sees us it’s going to alert the others!” She answered.
“We don’t have to.” Proclaimed Poli.
“I am sorry Poli, this is not rabbit. It won’t run away at the sound of your arrow.” Protested Olum bitterly.
Poli looked at her in confusion. “I am not planning on using my arrows, Olum the Cursed.” Poli stood up and started walking towards the dragon. “Sven, stay.” She ordered her dog. The hound obeyed and sat down.
“What is she doing??? She is going to get killed!” Burst out Harvick.
“And worse! She will get us all killed!” Said Olum.
Haruth stood up and followed her. The dragon haven’t noticed their presence.
“Where are you going you fool?!” Whispered Krog.
“Poli… what are you doing?” Haruth walked slowly, he grabbed her gently on her shoulders.
“Can’t you hear them?” She replied calmly.
Haruth leaned slightly, focusing, trying to listen to whatever she was referring to. “I can’t hear a thing Poli…”
“Stay here.” She turned around, grabbed the wizard’s hand gently and smiled. “Please. Something inside me is telling me to do this. Trust me.” She let go of his hand, and walked away. She got closer to the greencub.
“I found a beetle!” Poli heard the small one say.
“Good, good, child. Eat, we need to leave soon. The sun is setting.” Replied the older one.
A leaf cracked beneath Poli's feet and the bigger dragon turned briskly. Its nostrils widened and its cub ran behind it.
“Leave us she-man!” Hissed the dragon.
“You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid my eyes on.” Answered Poli. Who stopped, staring in bafflement at the green creature.
“You speak our tongue. Who are you?” The greencub leaned carefully towards the young woman. Its cub was still hiding behind it.
“My name is Poli, and I am as surprised as you are. I don’t know how, but I heard you and couldn’t help myself but come and talk to you.” Poli replied.
“What do you want?” Asked the dragon.
“Nothing, my friends and I are on our way to meet someone who lives with you.” She turned and pointed at Haruth, who was frozen in his spot.
“That is Haruth, the others are hiding in the bushes. They are scared of you, as much as you are of us.”
“Who are you talking about?” Inquired the dragon, it was still alarmed, snarling from time to time.
“A certain Ankros.” Said Poli.
“Are you friends with Lord Ankros?” Asked the dragon.
“No, but we are willing to be if Lord Ankros will have us.” Confessed Poli. She made one step ahead and the dragon flinched. “I promise not to bring you or your child any harm.” Poli stretched her arm so as to approach the dragon.
Haruth was watching what was happening, with two of his stones in both hands, ready to strike at any sign of danger. Until he saw a light shining out of Poli's hands.
The dragon closed its eyes gently, embracing the gentle glimmering and lowered its head near Poli. When her hands touched its cold scaled skin on its muzzle, red markings appeared on the creatures scars.
“They have hurt you… many times.” Poli whispered sadly. “I am sorry.” She then grabbed its muzzle with both hands and put her head against it. A brighter light shone from Poli's entire body. The scars began to disappear from the greencub. When Poli let go of it, it opened its eyes as gently as it closed them.
“Little one. Come here. Let her touch you.” Its mother said.
The cub came stumbling, still intimidated by the strange she-man. Its mother gave it a little nudge on the back, pushing him closer to Poli. “He has a poor eyesight.” Said its mother.
“Come little one. I will help with that if I can. You can hunt all the beetles you want.” Comforted it Poli. She grabbed its muzzle the same way and put her head against it. She kissed it and then let go.
The tiny cub blinked fast, and lost its balance, its mother grabbed it on its fall.
“Umma! You are not blurred! Umma I can see!” The cub jumped and stotted.
“Thank you… young soul. Come with me. I will take you to a friend who knows where Lord Ankros dwells.” Declared the dragon.
“Thank you. I will tell the others.” Poli bowed and turned back.
“Haruth, we should follow her. She will lead us to a friend who can then take us to Ankros.” She told the wizard who was still baffled by what happened.
“A-alright…” He stuttered. “Alright I will tell them."
Poli whistled and her dog came trotting to her side.
When Haruth called the rest of their party, they stood up, unsure about what happened.
“We can follow it. I'll explain to you later when we will get the chance.” Reassured them the wizard. The party followed Poli and the greencub.
