Chronicles of Espriria Season 1
Episode 6 - The Dragonslayers and the Ferocious Beast
Written by CindyDaGreat
The fearless poison-wielding Durri, Vurk, sat as motionless as a cat on Numisu's table. He was watching a small beetle as it crawled across one of Numisu's totems. His eyes squinted, determined to win the staring contest that the beetle knew nothing about. Slowly, Vurk began to inch forward bit by bit, deliberate as if his life depended on it. When he was close enough, he raised his arms like a vampire ready to pounce, grinning in anticipation.
"Vurk!" Numisu shouted.
Startled, Vurk flailed his arms in circles before standing up straight, scaring the beetle off in the process. With a frown, he looked back at the shaman who had deprived him of his prey.
"My friend, Doc, Doctor N, bro, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!111!?"
Numisu's red eyes twinkled as he gestured to his totems. "My totems see all, Vurk; you were far too obvious. Now have you seen Saveas? I need all the Dragonslayers if we are to be successful today."
"Yes, our noble quest!"
Vurk stumbled and swerved before leaping off the table and landing on the ground with a loud thud.
"He's out to collect my dear brother Skreg and his giant horse. Based on my expert calculations," Vurk checked his wrist, which had a wristwatch drawn on it indicating 'skin-thirty', "he should be here in thirty seconds or so."
At that moment, the ground shook with a thunderous noise. Numisu tried to steady his hut, with one hand on his spice shelves and the other on Vurk, his mask bouncing uncontrollably on his face. Slowly, the shaking came to a halt. Another Durri soon scurried into the hut, followed by the head of a goat poking through the doorway.
"Vurk, you were a few seconds off." Numisu said. Turning to the newcomers, he said, "Welcome Skreg, Saveas. Am I to assume that our ride has arrived?"
Skreg nodded at Vurk as he responded, "My brother promised me 10 gold for lending my Iron-Jaw. Unfortunately, he couldn't fit through the door."
A faint rumble could be heard outside, followed by a distinct odor. Soon after, Saveas entered the hut, revealing that his goat head was attached to a tall, intimidating body, whose horns tickled the ceiling.
"My, that ride was...exhilarating." he said, visibly motion sick. He recovered in moments, then said, "Are we ready to go?"
Soon, Numisu, Vurk, Saveas and Skreg were mounted on the Iron-Jaw and riding away from the Steelthorn Peaks out into the open desert in the direction of the mines.
"My, this is an incredibly snug saddle for such a big horse." Vurk commented.
"It's an Iron-Jaw!" Skreg corrected, annoyed.
"Orion-Paw, of course."
The Iron-Jaw wagged its head. Vurk clutched the saddle for dear life. Being seated in the middle of the already-small saddle, he couldn't help but feel cramped.
"Say, where are we going anyway?" Skreg asked once they were out in the open desert,
"There is a mine a few hours ride from here that produces the healing stones I need to combat the demon plague." Numisu explained. "I expected to receive a supply of them by now, but the delivery is late. We must find out what the delay is; Mauler lives depend on it."
Saveas' imagination ran wild; the thought of beheading a powerful beast to save the miners made him all the more excited for the ordeal.
"Then let's waste no more time!" Vurk shouted as he prodded the Iron-Jaw to hurry up.
"HOLY DURA..." Saveas shouted as he nearly lost his grip and fell off.
As they approached the mine, Skreg reared the Iron-Jaw to a halt. Saveas fell off and kissed the ground while Numisu slid off the other side.
"My, so that's what defeats the great billy-goat?" Skreg asked in a sing-song voice.
"I thought I could handle it a second time." Saveas responded, breathing heavily. "Now shut that trap of yours before I shut it myself!"
Vurk bounced off the iron-jaw as if it had been a roller coaster.
"THAT WAS THE MOST EXHILARATING RIDE OF MY LIFE!" Vurk shouted enthusiastically.
"Come, there is no time to lose." Numisu urged.
The mines were truly a sight to behold. It appeared as a gaping cave that seemed to have no end. Glittering lanterns hung by the hundreds inside, with winding railroads in every direction. In a corner was a stump of rock weathered smooth over the years by the tired miners who relaxed there, accompanied by questionable stains that smelled suspiciously like alcohol. Mine carts filled mostly of dirt and rock sat in a row, a group of scrawny Maulers dragging the load outside. Another group of miners sat in a circle in the middle of it all, their usual lively energy dulled.
"What seems to be the trouble?" Vurk asked with a swagger.
A meerkat tilted up its head, its pupils wide.
"Th-th-there were these...sounds...c-coming from the tunnels..."
The Meerkat's arms trembled as he pointed to a less pleasant part of the mine: a slim, echoing tunnel with little lanterns, largely devoid of the usual energy of the mines. A strange liquid was seen leaking out of the tunnel, slowly pooling at the entrance.
"It's been like this for ages!" the Meerkat continued. "P-please, brave Dragonslayers, help us!"
Saveas stared at the tunnel. "Perhaps the beast is smaller than I thought," he said to himself.
A gagging noise echoed through the cave, followed by angry yelps. Then more gags, and a knocking sound. The meerkat leapt into the arms of his puma friend, and the other miners looked up in fear. Vurk sniffed the air, a curious look on his face.
"Is...is that uri..."
"No time, Vurk!" Saveas shouted, clenching his spear. "Let's bring this beast down!" Turning to the miners, he declared, "Don't worry, men; we'll take care of this for you!"
Numisu, Vurk, and Saveas squeezed into the tunnel; Numisu and Vurk were careful to avoid the strange liquid, while Saveas dutifully marched on, ignoring his now-wet feet.
The tunnel was permeated by a strange stench, which didn't help in the already cramped area. Numisu conjured a totem to scout ahead, emitting a faint green glow.
"The totem shows me...a four-legged creature with sharp fangs. Any thoughts?"
"It's totally a dragon." Vurk blurted out. "The description fits a dragon perfectly! Careful where you step, goat boy."
"Not everything has to be a dragon, rat." Saveas responded. "Many beasts have four legs. I reckon it's a bloodsucker. Small, likes dark caves, has four legs and sharp fangs."
Vurk scoffed at the idea. "I eat bloodsuckers for breakfast! Literally! It's gotta be something big!"
"More like they eat you..."
The tunnel cried in agony. The three stopped in their tracks. A red viscous fluid seeped through a rock.
"Aha!" Saveas cried. "Bloodsucker in the area! This blood looks fresh; it must be near! Stay behind me!"
Saveas readied his weapon, silently creeping forward. Numisu trudged along with his staff, while Vurk loaded his crossbow, dipping the tip of the bolt in a fresh coating of Arachin venom. The gagging and knocking sounds appeared again, growing louder and louder as they approached the source. Soon, they tracked the source of the sounds behind a boulder.
Saveas whispered to his allies, "On three. One, two..."
"Wait," Vurk interrupted, "on three or after..."
A spindly tail peeked out from behind the boulder.
"THREE!" Saveas shouted.
They all jumped behind the boulder to face their quarry; they were surprised to find a spasming house cat, choking on it's own fur and the bones of a smaller creature. Blood seeped out from a cut in the cat's mouth. The cat repeatedly bopped its head against the rock, trying to loosen the bones stuck in its throat. The three looked at each other with disdain and disappointment. Numisu knelt down and carefully removed the bones from the cat's throat.
When the three of them returned to the entrance to the mine, the Meerkat was waiting in wrapped anticipation.
"Did you kill it? Is the threat gone? Oh please, Dura, tell me it's gone!"
Vurk held up the tabby cat for all to see. "This was the thing you were afraid of? Seriously?"
The miners gaped at the cat as it meowed and leaped into the Meerkat's arms.
"Tiffany! Oh you found her! Thank you, Dragonslayers!"
"Of course we weren't afraid of Tiffany!" the puma responded, blushing from embarrassment. "We were just...um...nope, not afraid!"
"Well, that was an ordeal." Numisu said with a sigh. "I expect the first shipment of stones to arrive at the Steelthorn Peaks soon."
"Of course! Thank you, Dragonslayers!"
As Numisu and Saveas mounted Skreg's Iron-Jaw, Vurk sniffed the air carefully, then sniffed Tiffany. "Hey, I think I figured out what that weird liquid you stepped in was, Saveas!"
Saveas stared at his foot, then at Tiffany. "Oh, for ***"
Meanwhile, two cloaked figures stood atop a hill overlooking a port town in Lightbearer territory. Even in broad daylight, the streets seemed to be as dark as night.
"Is this it, Hogu?" Khramer asked his advisor.
"It is, my lord," Hogu answered. "Rustport. From what I've been told, you will be hard pressed to find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
"Woah," Khramer said, impressed by Hogu's wordplay, "that was a good line. Did you make that up yourself?"
"What?! Yes! Of course! Totally my original idea!"
As they walked through the squalid streets of Rustport, they noticed that, in some ways, it was not that different from life in the Scorched Expanse; in these streets, might made right, the ends justified the means, and the only rule that mattered was survival. What seemed to differ was the means of survival. In the desert, one had to be strong to survive; here in Rustport, survival seemed to belong to those who could be silent. Khramer presumed that the children who repeatedly picked his pockets were sufficiently quiet to escape the notice of humans, but they certainly did not escape the notice of his heightened Mauler senses, and he let them know when they were spotted with a swipe of his claws. After a time, Khramer and Hogu found themselves surrounded by other cloaked figures.
"Our boss would like a word with you." one of the figures said.
"If you're the Whispers I've heard about," Khramer responded, "then I would like a word with your boss."
They were taken to a structure that appeared at one time to have been made of brick and wood, but now was only made of brick. Inside was a candle lit desk with a girl no older than sixteen seated behind it, examining a small pile of gold and diamonds while making careful notes. Khramer and Hogu approached the desk, flanked by the Whispers, with the certainty that they could fight their way out anytime they wanted.
"We're here to see your boss." Khramer said.
"What do you want with her?" the girl asked with a wry smile.
"I do not wish to discuss this with her slave. Now fetch your boss or I'll..."
"Nah, ah, ah," the girl interrupted, "you hurt me and you'll never talk to Nara."
"My lord, perhaps we should try..."
"Bring her out or I'll tear this place apart!" Khramer shouted in his frustration.
"You say that like I couldn't do it myself." the girl responded, almost laughing. "These bricks are so rotted and brittle, I could knock a wall down by throwing you through it."
"That's not a bad idea." Khramer said as he reached across the desk.
This threat on her life was cut short, however; a loud bang was heard behind him at the same time that Hogu fell dead, a large piece of his head plastered against the wall. Khramer looked around the room and settled his gaze on the barrel of a rifle, which was now pointed at his own head.
"Dwarven steel." the girl said, almost in a sing song tone. "Not easy to get your hands on outside Maldan, but boy, is it good at solving problems."
Khramer realized that he was unlikely to escape from these children with his life, so he bared his claws and fangs and prepared to execute this impertinent slave girl.
"You know they'll shoot you too," the girl said as she stood, the taunting tone suppressed. "Nara holds me pretty near and dear to her heart."
"If I must die today, I will die a warrior!" Khramer declaired as his muscles tensed up.
The girl laughed again. "I like him! Sam, grab him a chair. Grant, take the corpse to the butcher. And make sure you save the pelt; I know a few guys who would pay good money for a Mauler skin."
"Yes, Nara."
"Wait, you're Nara?!" Khramer said, suddenly confused. "You couldn't have said something before you killed my adviser?!"
"I like playing with my victims. You understand that, right, cat?" Nara giggled again and resumed her seat. "Now I'll ask again, what do you want with me?"
Khramer took a moment to regain his composure, then responded, "I need your help in dealing with the Wilders of the Dark Forest."
"Go on." Nara said, her smile growing cruel.