Chapter 21: Poison water

Givontair: 

We bypass Iuegova entirely. Not that we could have entered, even if we wanted to. The gray flags are still on the gates. I guess that even though I got rid of the Lich, the people are still afraid. Speaking of the Lich, I wonder how Nate is holding up. 

So far, I haven't seen any difference in his behavior. Yet, what if I am missing something? I should be more attentive to him. The water keeps on carrying us downstream. Yet, my attention is split between him and Erik.

 About two days into our travel, I notice something wrong in the water. There are too many algae in the river. Almost like it is choking the life out of the body of water. Honestly, how could people let it become this dirty?  

"Do you want to help out?" Gorax asks. I nod at him. "Then you should go and speak with the local wizard." 

"Is that man responsible for the cleaning of the river?" Nathaniel asks. 

"No, but he can clean it. For a price," Gorax says. I look at Erik. The boy needs to be reunited with his mother. Yet, this dirty water is going to cause a famine on the families who used the river to feed themselves. 

"We can't just walk away," Erik is brave. I am not related to him, but I am already proud of him.

"Gorax, do you mind looking after Erik while we go and meet the wizard?" I ask the older dragon shifter. 

"You can leave him with me. Just go and bribe that wizard," Gorax says. 

"Is there something we need to do, before meeting him?" Nathaniel asks. Wizards are notorious for making deals. Normally, they are as bad as a crossroads demon. 

"Well, this particular wizard has a taste for rubies. He crushes them into dust, and strengthen runes with them," I grimace at that. Yet, one look at the swampy river makes me reconsider. If I let sicknesses breed in this water, it will be a disaster. 

"I have some rubies. This shouldn't be a problem," Gorax shakes his head, then. 

"The rubies he wants are found only in the sulfur pits. He won't accept any other rubies," I don't like this. Not at all. Just what is so special about the ruby geode in those sulfur pits?

"What is so special about those rubies?" Erik asks. Gorax huffs. 

"Hell, if I know. This is some sort of wizard secret. Anyway, I can get you as close to the sulfur pits as the river allows. But after that, you will be on your own," Gorax doesn't look like he wants to brave these sulfur pits. 

"Does something live in them?" I ask. Why else would Gorax have held himself back from doing the deal with the wizard?

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"There are shades in there," Gorax pauses then, and adds. "There is even a giant skeleton in the pits. But Givontair is a dragon. It shouldn't be a problem for him." 

"My tail is damaged," I say, to not rise the hopes of the rest. 

"You can still trample on the skeleton. Besides, you are not going to go there alone, right? The necromancer is coming with you?" Nathaniel stiffens, when he is referred as a necromancer.

When we told the half-truth about who Nate was to Gorax, he was very understanding.  I wonder, though, if he will be just as understanding, once we tell him that Nate is a dragon slayer. 

Gorax does as he said, and got us to the sulfur pits. Together with Nate, we make our way into the forest. We smell the stench of rotten eggs, before we even leave the forest. The shadows of the trees seem to move. I look at Nate. 

"Don't get in the way of my light magic," I tell him. The last thing I want, is for him to burn to a crisp. 

"And you should stay away from my necromantic mana. Anyway, what is the plan?" Nathaniel asks. I stop in my tracks. Plan? I don't have a plan. Setting the sulfur pits on fire might kill us all. 

"I trample the skeleton with my feet, and you deal with the shadows," the plan is very general, but it is all I can think of. Then, I take out two masks. "Put this on, before the fumes get to you."

Nathaniel takes out his sword, and takes a step before me. I roll my eyes at him. Just why is it that he is the one to risk being the first to charge? I let my mana envelop me, and turn into a dragon. 

Since my tail is damaged, I can't fly. Yet, with each lumbering step that I take, I leave Nate further and further behind. The trees look poisoned, when I reach the pits. I wonder, just when were they uncovered. And for what purpose. 

An arrow flies towards me. It is the size of a scorpion bolt. I catch it with my teeth, and look around. There is a big skeleton with a bow in his hands. The eyes of the creature, if you can call two glowing blue fires in empty sockets eyes, seem to issue me a challenge. 

I run up to the creature, which is not all that big, compared to me. With a swipe of my leg, I topple the skeleton to the ground. Just as I am about to bite its head off, I feel a prickle in my foot. Soon, my foot grows numb. 

I take in a couple of breaths, and spew out water from my maw. It pushes the skeleton away, and now I can finally see the damage it has done to my foot. There is a jutting bone from the wound. One that has purple liquid dripping from it. 

I snarl, and then shoot another burst of water at the skeleton. I can see how its lower half gets carried away from the rest of its body. With a vicious smile, I take a large stone from the ground, and use it to hammer the skeleton.

Those blue orbs don't stop shining, until I crush the skull. I transform back into a human. Only to see that Nathaniel has made short work of the shadows. Now, I need to get the poison out. 

 

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