Chapter twelve: The road to the Galleon
Fifteen miles to the west, around the same time Lina and the gang came across Wine Water Creek, Chris and Alexandria were on their way to the Linhir to seek a ship that will take them to the island of Cross. Chris was wearing a rusty green and brown outfit and carried with him a dagger, a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a small sack filled with enough food for one more day's traveling. Alexandria was wearing clothes that she designed herself: a shirt with no sleeves and didn't cover up her stomach, pants that had stripes of black and different shades of green and brown. "Cammies" is what she called them. Her weapons were a sword and a long knife. She carried with her a sack that contained a tent and a box of flint and tinder to start fires. They didn't speak for a while until Chris decided to break the silence.
"Why do we have to go to Cross?" asked Chris. Alexandria sighed. "It is a lot quicker if we go to Cross then to Orphen at this time of the year because of the wind." "I doubt the wind direction would take us faster to Orphan," said Chris. Alexandria said nothing, she just continued to walk down the road. Chris smiled. "This doesn't have anything to do with the Legendary Treasure of Cross that you couldn't find three years ago, does it?" he asked. Alexandria laughed. "Don't be silly," she said, "I've given up trying to find that junk a long time agold." "I think you have a gold problem, Alexandria," said Chris. "That was low," said Alexandria, picking up the pace even more, "I never knew you could be so gold hearted." Chris grew confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"What do you mean by that!?…gold."
"You keep saying gold this and gold that."
"I have no idea what you gold…I mean…uh…gold."
Chris sighed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to look for it again," he said, rubbing his head. Alexandria smiled. "That's the spirit," said Alexandria, "Now let's try to get to Linhir before nightfall. Both Chris and Alexandria picked up their pace to where they were practically jogging and kept it there for a while until an unexpected visitor decided to drop in…
It was nearly sundown and they were six miles from Linhir. Chris and Alexandria were still walking at a brisk pace down the Greenway Road and it was starting to live up to it's name. They entered a wooded area were practically everything was green. The tree bark was green, the bushes were green, green grass, green leaves, there were even green flowers which only grew in that area and could be made into a paste that has no use what-so-ever. Con artists from Linhir would often use that paste and trick people into thinking it has magical healing powers that could cure blindness, but con artists stopped when they conned Rezo the Red Priest into buying some. They con artists paid with their lives when Rezo recognized the smell to be that of the rare Green Taisen flower. Alexandria was walking by a patch of those flowers when there was noise coming from some bushes just down the road.
Chris and Alexandria halted and listened for anymore sounds. For nearly a two minutes they stood motionless in the scenery of green when Alexandria grew impatient. Slowly, bent over and picked up a rock from the ground. Chris knew what she was planing. He placed his hand on his dagger that he kept at his side and waited. Alexandria got into a pitcher's stance, nodded to Chris, and threw the rock as hard as she could into the bushes ahead. Chris gripped the hilt of his dagger and pulled it halfway out of its sheath.
At first, there was nothing, but soon the bush moved again and out came a very angry and very big ogre. The ogre rubbed its forehead where the rock hit him and then growled. Chris and Alexandria just stared at it. Then, just as Alexandria grabbed the hilt of her sword, the troll let out a loud wail and charged at the two. Alexandria tried to pull her sword out, but was too slow. The troll was already within an arms reach of her. Chris quickly pulled out his dagger, threw it at the ogre's head with great speed and struck it in between the eyes. The ogre didn't move for what seemed like forever, and when it finally fell it made a loud THUMP sound. "Nice shot," said Alexandria, putting the blade back into its sheath.
Chris walked over to the ogre and pulled the dagger from its head. "What would an ogre be doing in these parts?" said Chris as he wiped the blade off with a handkerchief. "I know what you mean," said Alexandria, "I thought that the smell of the Green Taisen is supposed to drive ogres away." A cold breeze blew through the forest, blowing leaves everywhere. "What the hell is this!?" shouted Alexandria. Through the howling of the wind they heard a small noise that was getting louder every second. Chris covered his eyes to keep out leaves and dirt. "What's that noise?" asked Chris. "Someone's laughing," replied Alexandria, "and I don't think whoever it belongs to is friendly."
The wind blew stronger and colder. Chris hasn't been this cold in a long time. Alexandria was practically a popsicle. I can't feel my body, she thought. Just then, the wind stopped. Alexandria quickly started rubbing her body, trying to get warm. "Looks like we've got more company, Alex," said Chris with a smirk on his face. Alexandria quit rubbing her body and noticed that standing in front of them was a man with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark armor. Alexandria grew angry. "Are you the one who caused that incident with the wind?" she asked, already knowing the answer. The man paid no attention to her. Instead, all he was doing was staring at Chris. Chris also stared back with unblinking eyes. "Hey!" shouted Alexandria, "are you listening to me!?" The man in armor shifted his eyes to her. They seemed to pierce right through her soul. She was afraid, but didn't know why. The man in armor smiled. "You must be Alexandria," said the man, "I've heard a great deal about you. For your name is almost as despised among our kind as Lina Inverse and your little friend here." Chris became furious. "What are you getting at?" asked Alexandria, her arms at on her hips. The man laughed. "I'm here to give you fair warning," said the man. "Stop your search for the Galleon of Gold, or you will be marked enemies of the monster race." The man in armor slowly began to rise from the ground. "I get it," said Alexandria, "you're some cheap messenger for the monster race, am I right?" Chris smiled, but the man in armor was insulted.
"A messenger!?" he shouted. "You dare to call me a messenger? I am Dynast Grausherra. Dark Lord of the North." Alexandria thought she was having a nightmare. Did he say he was Dynast Grausherra? she thought. Oh god! This is the end. Chris stepped forward. "Just leave us be, Dynast," he said. "The Galleon of Gold does not concern you." "And it doesn't concern you either, Lord Woodsmaster," said Dynast, "and yet you are headed in that direction as well." Chris gripped the hilt of his dagger tighter. "Now I'm only going to say this once," continued Dynast. "Stop your search, or both of you will die."
The wind picked up again and blew even harder than before and when it stopped, Dynast was gone. Chris just squeezed on the hilt of his dagger harder. I never thought I'd see him again, he thought, and put the dagger back in its sheath. Alexandria had no idea what they were talking about, but she knew there was more to Chris that she had thought.
Fifteen miles to the west, around the same time Lina and the gang came across Wine Water Creek, Chris and Alexandria were on their way to the Linhir to seek a ship that will take them to the island of Cross. Chris was wearing a rusty green and brown outfit and carried with him a dagger, a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a small sack filled with enough food for one more day's traveling. Alexandria was wearing clothes that she designed herself: a shirt with no sleeves and didn't cover up her stomach, pants that had stripes of black and different shades of green and brown. "Cammies" is what she called them. Her weapons were a sword and a long knife. She carried with her a sack that contained a tent and a box of flint and tinder to start fires. They didn't speak for a while until Chris decided to break the silence.
"Why do we have to go to Cross?" asked Chris. Alexandria sighed. "It is a lot quicker if we go to Cross then to Orphen at this time of the year because of the wind." "I doubt the wind direction would take us faster to Orphan," said Chris. Alexandria said nothing, she just continued to walk down the road. Chris smiled. "This doesn't have anything to do with the Legendary Treasure of Cross that you couldn't find three years ago, does it?" he asked. Alexandria laughed. "Don't be silly," she said, "I've given up trying to find that junk a long time agold." "I think you have a gold problem, Alexandria," said Chris. "That was low," said Alexandria, picking up the pace even more, "I never knew you could be so gold hearted." Chris grew confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"What do you mean by that!?…gold."
"You keep saying gold this and gold that."
"I have no idea what you gold…I mean…uh…gold."
Chris sighed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to look for it again," he said, rubbing his head. Alexandria smiled. "That's the spirit," said Alexandria, "Now let's try to get to Linhir before nightfall. Both Chris and Alexandria picked up their pace to where they were practically jogging and kept it there for a while until an unexpected visitor decided to drop in…
It was nearly sundown and they were six miles from Linhir. Chris and Alexandria were still walking at a brisk pace down the Greenway Road and it was starting to live up to it's name. They entered a wooded area were practically everything was green. The tree bark was green, the bushes were green, green grass, green leaves, there were even green flowers which only grew in that area and could be made into a paste that has no use what-so-ever. Con artists from Linhir would often use that paste and trick people into thinking it has magical healing powers that could cure blindness, but con artists stopped when they conned Rezo the Red Priest into buying some. They con artists paid with their lives when Rezo recognized the smell to be that of the rare Green Taisen flower. Alexandria was walking by a patch of those flowers when there was noise coming from some bushes just down the road.
Chris and Alexandria halted and listened for anymore sounds. For nearly a two minutes they stood motionless in the scenery of green when Alexandria grew impatient. Slowly, bent over and picked up a rock from the ground. Chris knew what she was planing. He placed his hand on his dagger that he kept at his side and waited. Alexandria got into a pitcher's stance, nodded to Chris, and threw the rock as hard as she could into the bushes ahead. Chris gripped the hilt of his dagger and pulled it halfway out of its sheath.
At first, there was nothing, but soon the bush moved again and out came a very angry and very big ogre. The ogre rubbed its forehead where the rock hit him and then growled. Chris and Alexandria just stared at it. Then, just as Alexandria grabbed the hilt of her sword, the troll let out a loud wail and charged at the two. Alexandria tried to pull her sword out, but was too slow. The troll was already within an arms reach of her. Chris quickly pulled out his dagger, threw it at the ogre's head with great speed and struck it in between the eyes. The ogre didn't move for what seemed like forever, and when it finally fell it made a loud THUMP sound. "Nice shot," said Alexandria, putting the blade back into its sheath.
Chris walked over to the ogre and pulled the dagger from its head. "What would an ogre be doing in these parts?" said Chris as he wiped the blade off with a handkerchief. "I know what you mean," said Alexandria, "I thought that the smell of the Green Taisen is supposed to drive ogres away." A cold breeze blew through the forest, blowing leaves everywhere. "What the hell is this!?" shouted Alexandria. Through the howling of the wind they heard a small noise that was getting louder every second. Chris covered his eyes to keep out leaves and dirt. "What's that noise?" asked Chris. "Someone's laughing," replied Alexandria, "and I don't think whoever it belongs to is friendly."
The wind blew stronger and colder. Chris hasn't been this cold in a long time. Alexandria was practically a popsicle. I can't feel my body, she thought. Just then, the wind stopped. Alexandria quickly started rubbing her body, trying to get warm. "Looks like we've got more company, Alex," said Chris with a smirk on his face. Alexandria quit rubbing her body and noticed that standing in front of them was a man with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark armor. Alexandria grew angry. "Are you the one who caused that incident with the wind?" she asked, already knowing the answer. The man paid no attention to her. Instead, all he was doing was staring at Chris. Chris also stared back with unblinking eyes. "Hey!" shouted Alexandria, "are you listening to me!?" The man in armor shifted his eyes to her. They seemed to pierce right through her soul. She was afraid, but didn't know why. The man in armor smiled. "You must be Alexandria," said the man, "I've heard a great deal about you. For your name is almost as despised among our kind as Lina Inverse and your little friend here." Chris became furious. "What are you getting at?" asked Alexandria, her arms at on her hips. The man laughed. "I'm here to give you fair warning," said the man. "Stop your search for the Galleon of Gold, or you will be marked enemies of the monster race." The man in armor slowly began to rise from the ground. "I get it," said Alexandria, "you're some cheap messenger for the monster race, am I right?" Chris smiled, but the man in armor was insulted.
"A messenger!?" he shouted. "You dare to call me a messenger? I am Dynast Grausherra. Dark Lord of the North." Alexandria thought she was having a nightmare. Did he say he was Dynast Grausherra? she thought. Oh god! This is the end. Chris stepped forward. "Just leave us be, Dynast," he said. "The Galleon of Gold does not concern you." "And it doesn't concern you either, Lord Woodsmaster," said Dynast, "and yet you are headed in that direction as well." Chris gripped the hilt of his dagger tighter. "Now I'm only going to say this once," continued Dynast. "Stop your search, or both of you will die."
The wind picked up again and blew even harder than before and when it stopped, Dynast was gone. Chris just squeezed on the hilt of his dagger harder. I never thought I'd see him again, he thought, and put the dagger back in its sheath. Alexandria had no idea what they were talking about, but she knew there was more to Chris that she had thought.