Smurfocalypse chapter 43: Monster Hunter Part 2

The morning sun shined bright in sky through the clouds waking our heroes with the morning light. It was especially cold today which made getting out from under the warm blankets and into their cold armor more than a chore for the knights. A cold winter morning was in store for them as they packed up camp silently and mounted their mounts with the Smurfs riding with Johan atop Bayard. By this time there was no sight of Wild Smurf and the squirrels he lived with. They had moved on, and perhaps they would never meet again. Hefty was concerned only for the well-being of the Smurfs that lived with him in the port harsh as that sounds he couldn't be bothered to try to find Wild and try to convince him to join them, but was relieved that the feral Smurf had survived the chaos and became stronger as a result.

An hour into their journey it began to snow again. They found themselves gradually going uphill the closer they got until it was apparent that they were climbing the first mountain. This terrain was rough especially under a few inches of snow and it was becoming more difficult for the mounts to navigate which was slowing them down considerably. This woodland had no man-made trail previously carved out which meant they were trying to find the easiest way through the woods. It was mid-afternoon by the time they had scaled the first mountain. The forest ended and a rocky plateau began which with its smoother surface was easier for the mounts to traverse. They were on the rocky plateau that overlooked the surrounding lands. Port Saint Smurf was just barely visible appearing only as a blur in the distance. In the meadow bellow, or what was left of it at least once stood the conjoined village of Uncle and Papa Smurf. Once a land where civilization thrived now a scar on the earth in the form of a massive scorch mark that was actually still smoking.

The mounts were hitched and everyone dismounted landing with the snowy ground crunching beneath their feet. The plateau had a few inches of snow covering it, but Jokey was able to remember where he had found the materials and began gathering them and got to work while the knights and Johan guarded him. This was still an uncertain land, and they had to keep an eye out for the dragon. Papa Smurf watched with fascination as Jokey very carefully handled the materials, grinding them down into a fine powder with a tool Handy made for him before mixing them together. It was a fragile process, and the slightest imbalance could cost Jokey and the others around him their lives and yet he worked with a smile on his face. He would even crack jokes every now and then and laugh as he worked as though it were nothing but a game to him. He had the first box made in only an hour. Johan and Peewit were in awe that such a small box could supposedly cause an explosion known to level a house.

"Alright! We have one!" Hefty said excitedly.

Hefty had at least a hundred ideas on how it could be used too. Jokey gave the finished bomb to Hefty and proceeded to make another one. Hefty held the red and black box in his hands and smirked with confidence. Surely there was nothing any opponent could do to overcome him now that he had this weapon.

"I'm thinking we set a trap, and trick the dragon into swallowing it. We could also bury it in the snow and lure it into stepping on it. That'd set it off wouldn't it Jokey?" Hefty said.

"mmm I dunno." Jokey said with a shrug.

"It could be worth testing, but we don't have time or resources to run tests." Hefty said.

"How does the explosive work exactly Jokey?" Johan asked.

"lifting the lid of the box triggers a mechanism that lights a fuse. I make them with a very short fuse causing it to blow up almost immediately if the lid is even lifted slightly." Jokey explained.

Hefty began to visibly sweat as he stared down at his hands. A couple fingers were touching the lid and he immediately took them off it and held the box from the bottom.

"How did you discover this thing?" Peewit asked.

"Gargemel had some of the materials I use laying around his house. We pretty much took the place over so I helped myself to his stuff. I was trying to make a new kind of surprise box." Jokey said.

Now that Hefty knew exactly how to trigger the explosive a lot of his plans for its use were thrown right out the window. In fact this complicated things considerably. How could they use such a chaotic invention in a combat situation? Hefty would find a way. Jokey finished another box so now they had two explosives at their disposal. Hefty stacked the boxes on top of each other, and was thinking about what to do next when Archer Smurf spotted a black figure flying in the area.

"Hefty! Somethings flying this way!" Archer reported.

Hefty turned to where Archer was pointing and indeed there was a black figure flying in their direction. As it got closer it was clear it was in fact a dragon. Once again it was flying way to close to Port Saint Smurf, and Hefty was going to make it regret that choice.

"Steel yourselves for combat! Our opponent is large and strong, but it's not as strong as us!" Hefty said.

Hefty drew his sword, and began to smack it against his shield as he prepared for the upcoming battle.