Golm

Golm - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I woke up in a bed. It was very bright, but soon I saw what was around me. I was in a small room that was beautifully furnished and I was in a feather bed, a luxury in this time. The room was unfamiliar to me. I sat up and I looked around. The room seemed to be a nursing room, sort of what I woke up in after my coma, but it was about noon this time. I heard the door open. The door was in front of my bed and someone walked through the door.
It was Elesia. She was startled to see me awake. She spoke to me, “You’re awake?” She paused. “I was getting worried, you’ve been asleep for about two days.”
I asked her, “Where am I?”
She answered nicely, “We’re in a small town south west of Runar’s castle. It’s called Yveefs. You’re safe here. Runar’s searching for you along the mountains.” I got out of the bed with some trouble. Elesia saw me and rushed over to stop me from getting up. “You are still hurt. You must rest more.” I sat down on the bed and asked her to sit next to me.
I thanked her, “Thank you for saving me. I probably would have been killed if it weren’t for you.”
Elesia put her hand on mine and complained, “How did you think you could beat him then? You had just got the sword and you didn’t know how to use it.”
I moaned, “And because of my carelessness, Channdis is dead.” Elesia was shocked. She asked, “I thought he was captured by Runar.”
I told her, “No. Runar thought that he didn’t need Channdis, if I was out of the way, so he killed him. He shot a fireball at him.” My eyes began to get a little watery.
I tried to get off topic, so I asked her, “Why were you gone so long?”
She explained, “Channdis beforehand had already told me that he thought Runar was looking for the Elements. I knew where the Wind Element was, hidden high above in the tallest tower of our Palace. I thought I could sabotage his plans by hiding it some where else, but after the days and days of research on finding how to retrieve it, it was already gone. Runar had taken it, so I flew to Solwashi, but they had said you left to Runar’s castle. Luckily I brought my bow and arrow with me. I met the others along the plains near this town and asked them where you were, they said that you were still at the castle, so I came to save you.”
I was satisfied with the answer. I got up and stretched. I noticed extra weight on my tail, so I looked at it. My Tail Blade was still on it. “Why is this still on? Didn’t you take it off?” I asked.
Elesia gave me a puzzled look as she explained, “It hurt to touch it. It was very hard to grab it and when we did, we couldn’t pull it off. It simply wouldn’t come off. It seems to be attached to you”
I swung it over to my face. I took a good long look at it. I thought to myself, “I don’t deserve this. I let everyone down. I let Channdis down. I had failed miserably. I didn’t even stand a chance. Why should I even bother? I’m no good. What’s the point? I’m not good enough. I don’t have any time to train and get better. Runar has taken over both worlds for all I know. It’s hopeless. I’m not a hero. I shouldn’t even be alive.” I looked to the floor, then I looked back up to the Blade. I grabbed it and I was able to pull it off. Elesia was a little surprised, but I wasn’t. I held it in my hand; looked at it while I rotated it. Then I put it down to my waist. I looked up. Then I dropped the sword. I grabbed the clothes that were set out for me on a counter and I walked out of the room. Elesia was fearful. She felt that I had lost hope. She bent down, picked up my Tail Blade and put it on my bed. She had confidence I’d be back. She thought I was going for a walk.
I was in the market of the town. I had changed on my way out of the house I was in, so I was in a tunic, rather than ripped up jeans and a T-shirt. The people at the market were disgusted at the sight of me, because I had a tail, but I cared less. A law enforcement officer came up to me as I was walking around. He said, “Tail man! Get back to your area.”
I asked him, “Where is it?”
He yelled, “You really are stupid. You don’t know where you came from.” I just stared blankly at him. He offered to escort me to the Tail men area, I accepted his offer.
After a few short minutes we were there. There was a big ugly gate connected to the high brick walls that enclosed the Tail man area. I walked through the gate and I thanked the officer, he didn’t anything to say I was welcome. The Tail man area was inside the brick walls, an area about half a hectare large. There were two fires going and I saw four “structures” in which were supposed to be homes. Collapsed piles of stone and about half a wall and a corner were still standing. There were a few tents or some sort of material used as shelters around, but most people were sleeping on the dirt around the fires. There was a tree in the center; a dead one, a small one, a sad one. There was no grass or plant life except for the most pitiful small garden in the far corner. There was a large puddle and a large pit. One was for drinking; one was for disposing of various wastes and bodies. It seemed like weather was completely different inside these walls. Cold winds and little rain and an eternal cloud overhead to block the sun. The place smelled of decomposing bodies and rotting human wastes. It was like a concentration camp; one race was to die slow and painful deaths, live pointless and unhappy lives and be punished for something that they themselves didn’t do. This was what I deserved; I deserved hell.
I walked to the tree in the center and I sat down against it. I hoped no one would notice me, but an older lady came up to me. She spoke English very badly, but she tried to ask, “Who’re you? I not see you here before.” I didn’t answer her. She sat down next to me and asked, “You is clean an’ have new clothes. Where you from?” I ignored her. She stood up again. She understood I didn’t want to talk. She asked a final question, “What do you call yourself?” I looked up at her. She was dressed in a one piece blanket with a hole for her head, a strap to keep it on her waist and a hole for her tail which was over half the size of mine. She had rough, split, greasy, pretty much ugly brown hair. She told me, “Well, I am called Ruby. I ‘ope you fee’ better soon.”
I told her before she walked away, “I’m… Herridan.” She nodded, smiled and walked away.
I really just sat there for most of the day, just staring at a small rock. For hours I just looked at it, but I really wasn’t looking at anything, I was really watching the horrific images that I had witnessed at Runar’s Castle. I watched and heard every scream and every death over and over again. I just wanted to stare at nothing for a long time. The sun had come down and it was time for me to find somewhere to sleep. I thought about moving and maybe changing positions, but I didn’t. I fell asleep right there against the tree. I was so blank; I didn’t even have a dream.
I woke up late the next morning. I smelled food. Where there was a fire last night, there was a revived fire there this morning. There was a huge pot and they dumped in a handful of their very poor vegetables and filled the rest of the pot with their dirty water. If what Elesia had said to me was right, then I hadn’t eaten any food for at least 3 days. I was probably as hungry as one of them. I paced up to the pot and took a big whiff of the soup or stew. It smelled pretty bad, but it was food and I was hungry. I looked at one of the women stirring the stew, I grinned at her and she grinned back.
Then a man came up to me and he looked a little mad. He yelled at me in better English, “Who do you think you are? You show up at our gates, come in and don’t say a word all day and all night. We try to be a family here and you won’t get any food until we can trust you.” I wasn’t afraid of him, but I was more concerned of what I’d have to do to gain their trust. He inspected me. A crowd encircled us to watch what was going on, there was nothing else to do. The man said to everyone what looked odd about me. “His skin is very white and his hair is golden and cut. His whole body is clean and he’s wearing a clean tunic, one that’s very valuable. He is strong; he seems to be in fights. And this tail of his, it’s huge! The longest one I’ve ever seen. His face says he’s rebellious, violent, but also nice and trusting. He is troubled, by something too.”
I smiled and said, “Very good. You know what I look like.” The crowd was a little frightened by my voice and how well I spoke English.
The man said to me, “Well you don’t seem like a threat to me, but I want you to prove a few things. You could be Runar’s servant disguised as one of us by using magic.” I just knew it. I was a foreigner to a place where I’ve never been and do not know anything about. He was going to test me. I’d have to do my best if I wanted some food.
He asked me my name and where I was really from. I told him I was Herridan and I said I didn’t know where I was from, I had lived in confusion all my life. He accepted the answers and he had told me his name was Granch. He asked me to swing my tail to my left and right. He pulled on it and he was convinced it was real. He asked where I had been before I came here. I told him that I had worked as a slave for a rich man. He didn’t buy it. So I told him, “I was captured by guards and I begged to do anything so he could spare my life. Then the rich man took me in.” Granch believed that and asked why I came here. I said, “I was replaced by a four armed man. He liked the four armed man more and he banished me to here.” I also said, “I was captured when I was very young and that I don’t remember the culture of the Tail man areas of town.” He understood my story, but he didn’t quite think I was a real tail man and, so he arranged a test for my tail.
He asked of two things. The first one was easy, I was to grab and pick up a rock with the middle of the tail and not wrapping around it. I simply half wrapped around the rock and pushed really hard at two points, so it was like another hand. Then the second test was used because I had such a long tail, almost 2.25 meters. They brought me to the tree and tied and wrapped and tangled my tail in a big painful mess around the tree’s trunk. I was to untangle it, without using my body at all, only my tail. They had tied it tight and the bone was being crushed and the blood wasn’t circulating very well. I pulled and slipped it around and as the pain went away I untangled it faster and eventually I was free.
I had done their tests and I had gained their trust. So we sat down to eat. The food tasted very bad and I felt like bringing it back up a few times, but what would they think of me? I would have to get used to it, if I wanted to stay with my own kind. I ate it and I didn’t say a word.
For most of that day I sat against the same tree and this time I watched the others while I day dreamed about the mistakes in my life. I saw two little boys have a tug of war with their tails, I saw a woman cry away some problems while she fiddled with her two dead flowers in her garden, a woman about my age was pale white, dying of a disease, a bunch of men were begging over top the wall for food, wood, clothes, anything, many people were sitting on the ground like me with nothing to do. I really didn’t know what to do, I was wasting my time here, but then again, I really couldn’t make a difference out there. I just watched and waited for a few days.
I was watching Ruby stir the stew one day. She looked at me, while I watched her stir, and she told me, “You really can be some one else ya know.”
She had awakened me from my daydream and I asked, “What did you say?”
She smiled and stirred, “I said, dat you shouldn’t be ‘ere at’all.” I gave her a confused look. She shook her head and gently hit me, “Oh don’t gimmie me dat. You and I both know you special. It’s not like da udda way around and you can hide it’all in, ya know, you show up like green in my garden.” I asked what she meant. She replied, “Don’t gimmie dat ider. You can see it your eyes, ya know. I had always been good at picken out da people, ya know. You can do much more outside deese walls. Maybe you can teach dat Runar a ting or two. You are strong in da tail and da arms. You should go out dere and make someone happy out here.”
I was surprised at what that lady could see about me. I’ve lived in Golm for only a few months and I’m just starting to get the hang of “judge the book by its cover.” But this woman read me like that book. She knew I was destined for more, but I didn’t know if I believed that anymore. I asked her, “Do you really mean that?”
She hit me again and shouted, “Of course I do ya low tail. You are special; I can see it. You like the sun on me, when dere’s snow on the ground.”
I got the push I needed. I knew that I was the only one who could save Golm, but I had failed once. I have a whole lifetime to keep trying and getting better. Why should I waste it and wallow in self-pity? This was probably the biggest mistake I’ve done yet. I wasted about four days of perfectly good training time, good planning time, time I could have used making a difference. How was I so weak? How did I simply collapse when a friend died? I was making Channdis death in vain. I had to avenge him; I had to save Golm. I had to be with Elesia. I loved her.
I stood up and I called out for everyone’s attention. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I announced to everyone, “I have something to tell you. I have to make it brief and save the details.” I paused. “I haven’t been honest with you all. I lied about a lot so I could fit in. I am Herridan and I don’t know where I’m from, but I wasn’t a slave all my life. I came into Golm from the other side of the Tolken door and I had lived with the Sage Channdis for a long time. I fell in love with the Princess Elesia and I went for her at the Golan Sword. From there my life has been messed up. I’m not a regular Tail man.” I made a fist and I looked at it. I dropped it and I yelled to everybody, “I am Herridan, an ancestor of Narr and Kridden. I have her sword and I failed to kill Runar just the other day.”
One Tail man shouted out to me, “So what are you trying to say?”
I bounced up and down. I told everyone, “Basically, I wasted my time with you guys and I need to leave and try to save both worlds from oblivion.”
The Tail man said to himself, “Oh. That’s good. Who’s Elesia?”
I took off like that and I ran to the gate. I heard all the children say goodbye and everyone else gave me faith. I ran as fast as I could. When I got to the gate, I gave it my hardest jumping kick I had ever done with all my momentum. I managed to break a chain link. I kicked it again and I broke it. I ran through the gate and down the street. The mother’s told their children to stay behind as I went out.
I ran through the streets as fast as I could trying to remember where I had come from. I tried to retrace my steps, but having a tail and sprinting across town attracted the attention of officers everywhere. I ran and ran; finally after at least ten minutes I found the house that Elesia was in. The problem was, was she still there? As well, by a stroke of luck, I had coincidentally gotten the police off my tail and they weren’t looking for me anymore. I stepped inside the house.
When I got in, I realized that it was an inn. I hadn’t noticed that hen I had left, but I noticed it now. That meant bad news for me, because it was an inn and Elesia would most likely have left. There was a clerk at the front counter. I stepped up to her and asked if the Princess was still here. She was insulted. She bickered, “What is this? A tail man barges into our inn and asks if the Princess was here? Who do you think I am? What business do you have with Princess Fiore?”
I told her, “No! Princess Elesia! I woke up here four days ago with the Princess and I sort of left and now I want to know if she’s still here waiting for me.” The clerk gave me a look that made me feel like some sort of retarded psychopath.
She just stared at me, and then she barked at me more, “Now I know you’re just a loony. Are you telling me a Tail man like yourself slept with the Princess Elesia four days ago, left her and now you want her back? I really am having a hard time believing this.”
I got frustrated and I tried to be more specific, “I was in a sword duel with Emperor Runar and I lost, but luckily Elesia came and saved my life and she brought me here and took care of my wounds. I need to find her so I can try and save both worlds from Armageddon.”
The clerk gave me that look again. Then she laughed, “Oh that was a joke wasn’t it? Oh I’ve never heard one as funny as that.”
I half laughed back and I asked her, “Ok. I was lying. I really meant to ask, was that if anyone who had wings was here recently?” She gave me the one second finger and she flipped through her pages in her guest book.
She pointed to a name. She told me, “Here we are. Yes she checked in four days ago and she checked out yesterday.” She looked up at me and asked, “Why would some one like you be looking for royalty?”
I interrupted her, “Just tell me, do you know where she went?”
She thought for a second and she explained, “My good ears served you well. When she left, a group of warriors talked to her right at the door. I think they were going to look for somebody in the next town south east of here.”
I asked her, “They’re looking for me. How far away is this next town?”
She smiled and pointed out the door. “It’s about three miles down. Take a right there and you should find the path to the town, just follow it.” I started running, but she interrupted me, “Oh, I think they said they’d be staying at a Grizzly Inn, I believe.” I thanked her and I ran out the door.
I jumped on a fast moving carriage, that was just leaving town, with out the driver knowing. I got a ride along the path. After about half an hour I had reached the town and I jumped off the carriage, again with out the driver knowing. I looked around for the Grizzly Inn, but I couldn’t find in right away. I hid my tail and asked a few people who were walking around. With luck, I eventually found it.
The Grizzly Inn was a very big place. This town must have had something special about it to get so many visitors. Inside there were tables of men drinking and eating. There was a giant bar and some dancers on a stage. Some very rich people were there too, because tobacco smoke was in the ceilings. It was a drunken party disaster zone, unfortunately reminded me of John and Fiona’s house. Though at least it seemed friendly and I had no problem with that.
I asked the clerk at this counter if he had seen a woman with wings and some warriors around here. The man said I was just in time, they were scheduled to leave in a few hours. I asked him what room they were in. He said room 12, at the end of the first floor. He warned me though, “They said very sternly to me, not to disturb them. You’re visiting at your own risk, my friend. I thanked him and I set off down the hall to room 12.
I got to the door of room 12 and noticed there were many bolts and locks attached to it, I figured they were planning something really good. So I knocked on the door. There was no answer. I had heard voices in the room as I was walking up to it, but now it was silent. I knocked again. This time a soft disguised voice answered my knock. The voice asked, “Who’s there?” I heard the voice and it didn’t sound like anyone I knew.
I said to the voice, “Oh I’m sorry, I must have the wrong room.”
I began to walk away, but then the voice replied, “Herridan?”
I went back to the door and answered, “Yes, I’m Herridan. Is that you Elesia?” There was no voice answering me, but even better the locks were being unlocked. The door swung open and I saw Maurna.
I was a little surprised to see Maurna, but I had found everyone. Elesia and the warriors were right behind her, planning something on a map in a further room. Elesia looked over her shoulder and she saw me. I smiled and I ran over to her. She was surprised to see me I could tell by her giant eyes. I went to go and hug her, but instead she slapped me right across the face!
She was angry with me. She yelled, “You left me; you left all of us! Do you have any idea what could have happened if you didn’t show up?”
I frantically tried to answer her, before she yelled more, “Yes I do know what would have happened. That’s why I rushed as fast as I could to find you guys again.”
Utof came up to me and asked me, “Where the hell were you?”
I hung my head and answered with shame, “I was so discouraged and I had no hope at all, that I thought I deserved far less than what I had. I was with my own kind in the Tail man section of Yveefs.” Rorden was angry with me.
Elesia slapped me again, “You know that you aren’t one of them. You aren’t anything less than a hero! You left me worried sick about you. I thought that they might have captured you or you were dead.”
I tried to calm her down, “I know, I know! All those reasons came to me this morning. I already regret going there. You don’t need to yell at me, I know what you’ll say and I am very sorry for it.”
Elesia was still a little upset with me, but I joined their discussion and learned what they were planning. From what they gathered in bits and pieces, they had a fairly good idea about where the last two Elements were. Maurna knew that the Water Element was at Solwashi and Pias had found the piece of paper that Channdis had placed in his pocket at Runar’s castle. The piece of paper gave a riddle of where each Element was and how to activate it. We only read Fire’s riddle, because Runar had already gotten Earth and Wind on his little trek a few weeks ago.
Our plan was basically to beat Runar to the Fire Element. We knew that Runar was searching for Solwashi and he somewhat knew where it was. We could only hope that Solwashi could stay hidden and that the Aquasians could defend themselves if he did find it. While he searches for Solwashi, we can use that time to search for the Fire Element. I asked them, “So where is the Fire Element?”
They answered with, “That’s what we were about to talk about before you came in.” They handed me the piece of paper with the clues on it. It read:

Whoever finds the four great Powers can either bring great peace or great war. The Wind Element is atop the highest shape amongst the highest order, to reveal the Element make the wind form a cone. The Earth Element is amongst the vastest amounts of its creatures in one spot, to activate this Element, simply uproot the earth. The Water Element is well hidden amongst what symbols life; you must make it feel like what it stands for to reveal its power. The Fire Element is hidden inside the tip of its opposite’s largest tail, for it to appear, remove its foe with out disturbing it. If you acquired all these, the fate of tomorrow depends on your soul.

When I finished reading, I asked them, “So what are you trying to find on that map?”
Pias told me, “We can’t figure out where the Fire Element could be.”
I stepped up to the table and looked at the map of Golm. I looked around and then I found it. I pointed southeast. There was a large river. At the center of the river another smaller river split off from it. The split off looked like a tail in a way. I pointed to the tip of it and said, “There is where it is.”
Elesia asked me, “How do you know?”
I answered, “The riddle said it was hidden inside it opposite’s largest tail. The opposite of fire seems to be water and this is water’s largest tail shaped split off on the map. So it would be in the tip of this river.”
Utof mentioned to me, “You said ‘in’ didn’t you?”
I answered, “Yes I did, according to the riddle, it must be underwater.”
Rorden asked, “How would we get it?”
Maurna stepped in and answered Rorden’s question, “He makes a point. Though it also read that you had to get rid off the water without disturbing the Element.” She stopped and looked at a glass of water that was on the table. She lifted one of her arms and the water lifted out of the glass. She finished, “I can control water with my magic, I can push the water away and some one else would have to get it, because I am water.” We all agreed to Maurna’s idea. Elesia circled the town nearest to the tip; it was called Ripple.
She told everybody, “Pack your gear, we leave for Ripple bright and early tomorrow.” We prepared.
We left bright and early like Elesia said. I had gotten both of my swords back, so I didn’t feel undefended. We headed southeast to Ripple. The walk was going to take about a day, but luckily the river and the split off we were going to was one of the most populated areas in Golm, so there would be many cities for us to rest or eat in. I had too high of hopes about the stops, because we didn’t stop. We passed by villages, by towns and by cities. We stopped once, because we had to sleep and we were at Ripple too. I was a little angry, because we didn’t stop once, but I ignored the thought when supper was served at our Inn. During my mean, however, I couldn’t help, but notice that something was watching me. Then we slept. We searched in the morning.
It was a long hike to the end of the river and it was early in the evening. The end was a peaceful looking swamp. There were cattails growing, beautiful untouched lily pads, giant fish swimming and perfect trees all around us. It was surely a great spot for a picnic or something, but we had work to do. Elesia did some math to get a good estimate where the center was, because the swamp was very big and Maurna could only hold so much. While these estimates were being done, I couldn’t help but feel like someone or something was watching us.
It was time for Maurna to do her thing. She got in perfect alignment with the center of the swamp and she began to concentrate. She closed her eyes and began to whisper some magic words. I began to feel very nervous, not so much about finding the Element, but to what about that feeling of another presence here. I heard a faint noise and I turned around to see what it was, but there was nothing. Pias asked me, “Are you all right Herridan? Did you hear anything.”
I answered, “No I’m fine. I thought I heard something, but it wasn’t anything. Keep your guard up ok?” Pias didn’t question me, he knew my abilities and maybe it was worth getting ready for something.
Pias took out his sword and shield. Utof shrugged and got out his hammer and Rorden got out his two swords. I took out my sword and put on my Tail Blade. Maurna was still gathering energy, but the water in the center was starting to bubble. I concentrated on only sound, I heard Maurna’s words and I also listened for other unfriendly noises.
Then the water started to split in two sides. That action made lots of noise. Then I should have seen it coming; there was something out there. It was making a few noises to get close and now it’s using the water’s noise to cover up its own. I turned around to Elesia and shouted, “Get down!” But I was too late; it had already come out.
Some sort of red raptor looking creature held a jagged blade and had it right across Elesia’s throat. It stood on two feet and those feet had three toes with giant claws at the end. It had huge, built leg muscles for quick running and high jumping. It had a tail, a long pointy one of a lizard’s, but stiffer and less mobile then mine, uses it more for balance. It had a tough, powerful chest and arms as well. It had a small reptilian head that had a few sharp teeth sticking out of its mouth. This thing meant business.
I took a few steps towards it, but it hissed at me, “Don’t come any closer or I’ll slice her throat open.”
Elesia kicked him and screamed while the creature held her with one arm over her chest. She warned it, “What do you want with me? Let me go.”
The lizard, being the sadistic thing he was, spoke softly to Elesia, “I just love it when you non-scaled things talk dirty to me. Your warm flesh has many uses to me.” Then the thing licked Elesia. Elesia didn’t like it very much.
I yelled at the creature, “Who are you? What do you want?”
The creature answered, “I am just a mere Reptican, the same specie as my Emperor Runar, but a devolved form of him though. If you must know my name is Flak and I’m here to collect something for my Emperor.”
I threatened him, “If you touch her, I’ll kill you.”
Flak disagreed, “You foolish being, I don’t care for the Princess. I come here for the Element. If I can get that to my Emperor I’ll be rewarded generously.”
I took a few steps and threatened him more, “You let her go. This is between you and me.”
He snapped his fingers. Five more of his Repticans came out from the trees and paced around the swamp. Pias, Utof and Rorden began to fight, but Flak twitched his finger, “I don’t think so. You heard what he said, this is between him and I.” They didn’t want to see the Princess hurt too, so they dropped their weapons. Maurna began to stop her magic and turn liquid, but again Flak stopped her. He ordered her, “Continue that spell! I want that open.” Maurna retaliated. Flak laughed and cut Elesia’s throat enough to get one drop of blood, “You better do as I say.” Elesia screamed, but Flak calmed her by licking up the blood that had dripped.
I shouted, “You’re sick Flak. She’s my girl, go rape your own froggie-type somewhere else.”
Flak got angry by that insult so he did it again. He yelled at me, “You’re right, It’s between me and you.” I got ready. I also noticed the water was split and I saw a bright red light coming from the bottom of the water. Flak noticed the Element too and smiled. He laid down my choices, “You only have one move boy. You can either take out my friends over there and get the Fire Element or you can be a hero and come and save your girlfriend. Remember you only got one choice. Element or the Princess.”
Rorden yelled, “That’s not fair!”
Flak yelled back, “Don’t you worry. His choices are in good claws no matter the choice.” When he finished he licked Elesia.
Elesia yelled and hit him, “Stop doing that you freak.”
I had only two choices; save Golm or save the girl I love. I only had one shot, one move, but what would I pick? It was obvious that I would have to get the Element and not let it get into the hands of Runar. If he got that and when he found Solwashi, this ancient War of the Elements I keep hearing about would rise again and he’d be able to go into my world too. But on the other hand, I couldn’t stand to see Elesia hurt, she’s not part of this, she’s innocent, and she doesn’t have to get hurt. If she were to die, I’d loose hope a million times more than when Channdis died, so Runar would probably would win anyway. I had to choose, Flak was growing impatient and plus I couldn’t bear the thought of Elesia with that thing.
Flak announced, “Your time is up. Make a choice! I’m on a tight schedule you know.”
I kneeled down and I picked up some dirt and I rubbed it around. I looked at Pias and I gave him a message with hand signals. I put my finger down as a signal, then I quickly pointed to him, then I made a fist and finally I quickly pointed to Flak. Pias got my message and luckily Flak didn’t pick it up. I stood up and talked a little as I paced towards him. “It’s genius how you got me into this mess really. I’ve gotten into many situations before and I’ve managed to get out of them all with minimal costs. I don’t intend to stop now.”
I gave Pias my signal. He made a loud war cry and charged at Flak. While Flak was distracted by the noise, I threw my sword. As soon as it left my hand, I broke out in a dash towards the Element. I had no time to look back, but I heard my sword directly hit my target, Flak’s face. The other Repticans realized my plan and dashed towards the Element too. The Element was a giant red glowing gem of some sort. It was in the shape of the red drip thing in that claw symbol I had seen in Solwashi’s Hieroglyphics. There was no time to think that, I had to run and get the gem first.
I was ahead of the Repticans, only by a little. Maurna closed the water around path as I ran down it, trying to kill the pursuing Repticans. I thought I was going to get it, but one of the Repticans used its awesome jumping ability to leap over my head. It grabbed the Element and it was going to jump right out of the swamp. I leaped for it and I grabbed on to the Reptican’s tail. It managed to jump out of the swamp carrying me along with him. It landed on dry land and it tried to shake me off.
I didn’t have my sword, so I jabbed it with my Tail Blade. The Reptican fell into pieces. I picked up the Element and I looked back to see if Elesia was all right. She was. She was a little dazed and Pias was helping her to her feet. Utof was shouting to me to run and Rorden was attacking a few Repticans. I did what Utof said, I ran. More Repticans came out of the trees, much more. Maurna knew I was going to be out run. As the other Repticans came after me, she made some giant tentacle out of the swamp’s water. She made the tentacle hit all the Repticans and they all went flying to their deaths.
I kept on running and I saw everyone else in the distance running after me, except for Elesia, she flew. I didn’t see anymore Repticans, I thought I was home free. Then one jumped out of nowhere and tackled me. The tackle knocked off my Tail Blade. It stood on me and pinned me down with its feet. It picked up the Element and it snickered. I yelled at it, “Hey ass face! Watch your back!” It looked back and it found my tail waiting for it. I wrapped it around its neck and I twisted with all my might. I broke its neck.
I pushed its corpse off me and I grabbed the Element. I saw another Reptican charging towards me. It leaped at me, but I gave it a snap kick while still in the air. It got up and I dropped the Element for at second. I ran up to it and I punched it in the face. It swiped at me with its claws, but I dodged it. I gave it a back kick to the chest, but it was still up. I dodged a couple foot slashes and then I did my best unarmed move. I turned my back to it, grabbed its neck with my tail and I brought its head down to the back of my kicking foot. The Reptican was down, so I picked up the Element again.
I continued to run. I saw Pias, Rorden, Utof and Maurna behind me, only a few seconds back. Overhead I heard Elesia, “Keep on running we’re almost home free.” I didn’t see anymore Repticans anywhere. I slowed down and I eventually stopped. I had done it. I got the Element and I saved Elesia. I fell down and caught my breath. Pias, Rorden, Utof and Maurna sat down with me when they got there and Elesia landed right next to me.
We all started laughing. I shouted, “We did it!”
Elesia disagreed, “No, you did it!” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Pias congratulated me on such a great plan, Utof commented on my accuracy with throwing my sword. Rorden exploited my bravery. I thanked Maurna a lot for what she did. We sat down for only a little, because the Repticans that were still alive could catch up to us. We headed back to another Inn in Ripple, so we’d have less chances of being found.
We tried to keep a low profile and we didn’t attract too much attention. We got a room and we ate a meal. We had hidden the Element inside one of our bags, so no one could see it. We slept well that night, we were all exhausted and we wanted to leave when it was still dark out, so we slept early. We slept soundly and no one woke up through the night.
The next morning we packed up quickly we were going to take a trip across Golm, form one end to the other end to Elesia’s Palace. We packed a lot of food and we had sharpened our weapons. The walk would take about three days, but we had enough motivation to do it. When we had all our gear, our last bit of cargo was the Element in the bag. We had hidden it underneath my bed. I went to go get it, but to my great horror, it wasn’t there.
I came screaming into the room with everyone else, “The Fire Element isn’t there.”
Elesia got worried and asked, “What do you mean, it isn’t there?”
I told her, “It’s gone. It’s not under my bed.” We all looked at each other and none of us knew where it was. So we all scrambled and looked all over the room for it. We searched absolutely everywhere and we could not find it. We began to think that it was stolen. We searched a little more and I found out who did it.
I found a scratch mark on the door. Three claws it was. I looked at the shape of it and then I looked at the shape of a Reptican scratch I got on my chest. They were the same. I stopped everybody and announced, “It was stolen! The Repticans stole it. Look at these marks on the door and look at the mark on my chest from a Reptican slash. They are the same.”
They saw the connection, but they asked me, “How did they know we were here?”
I looked around. Then I smelled my clothes. They reeked of slimy Reptican scales. I asked Elesia to smell her clothes. She said they smelled like Flak. I told everyone, “They followed their own scent. We were leaving behind an easy trail for them to follow! Now they have it and Runar will have it soon enough!”
I burst out in rage and I kicked the wall. I grunted and snarled, “Damn it! Those slimy lizard freaks! They stole it behind our backs! They had to scratch up the door to get it unlocked. They crept in very quietly and took it. Left without anyone suspecting a thing. Damn it!” We were all very angry with ourselves. Now the thought of Runar not getting all Elements was obsolete. Now the only thing we could do now was prepare for the worst.
I mentioned to everyone, “We can’t stop him when he’s weak.” They all hung their heads and agreed. I didn’t want them to feel bad; I got their attention again. “No, no, no! I mean we can’t fight him when he’s weak, not we lost! We have to stop him no matter what! Millions will die and billions more will suffer. We have to stop him even if it costs us our lives!”
Elesia looked up to me, “You certainly have a bright spirit!”
I stamped my foot and shouted, “I’ve seen too much misery in my life, I want it all to end and I want no one else to feel it. I say we fight. We fight whatever monsters, or demons he summons. I say we defy all that is expected of us and we make things right! You only have one life; let’s use it to its full capacity! We still have time, before Runar gets the Water Element, let’s head north to train and plan.”
Utof added, “We’ll need weapons.”
Pias added, “We’ll need an army.”
Rorden added, “We’ll need a plan.”
Maurna added, “We’ll need magic.”
Elesia finished, “We’ll need you.”
I slammed my Tail Blade into the floor and asked with enthusiasm, “Who’s with me!” I put my hand out and Elesia put her hand on mine, then Pias put his hand on Elesia’s, Maurna put her arm in and Utof followed. Rorden stalled a little, but put his hand down with an enthusiastic smile. We were going to fight. We were going to bring Runar down!