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Chapter 5
It was the violent jostling that awakened Elias. His head hurt, his mouth was dry, and for some reason he could feel himself being bounced around like cargo in a broken wagon. He groaned, trying to force his eyes to open.
"Good. You're awake." The voice was right next to his ear, but he couldn't turn his head to look. "Can you walk?"
Groaning again, Elias twisted his body, trying to get his bearings. At first, he thought he couldn't see, slowly he realized that it was still dark.
"Alright, alright, settle down." It was Kole's voice next to him. Suddenly Elias felt himself falling. His head spun and his stomach lurched for a brief second before he was caught again and laid down. He moaned once more, lifting a hand to his head.
"Is that all you can do?" Kole asked sarcastically, now standing over him. Elias's eyes began to focus and adjust to the dim light.
"Where are we?" Elias gasped weakly, raising his other hand as well to massage his temples.
Kole looked around. "About a league and a half down the mountain from where we were camped. Couldn't afford to stay still."
Immediately Elias understood. Even though most of the treggans they had seen had been killed, the ones that had gotten away might come back, and they might bring more.
"Never thought I'd say it," Kole continued. "But the sooner we make it to the swamps the better. Even treggans know better than to hang around there."
Elias forced himself into a sitting position and Kole mercifully offered a waterskin.
"Fancy bit of spellwork you pulled off there." Kole remarked as Elias drank greedily. "I'd be impressed if it wasn't your fault, we got blindsided."
Elias looked up sharply. He could see the tint of dry humor on Kole's face but was decidedly not in the mood.
Suddenly, Avi's worried face appeared right in front of his own, forcing him to recoil in shock. "You awlright?" Don' listen to im El, we was proper worried for ya." The boy's face split into a grin. "An' fine as farthings ow ye done in them monsters!"
Despite the situation and his annoyance, Elias gave a half smile at Avi's sincerity. Kole offered a hand and Elias hesitated for a moment before accepting it and allowing the big man to help him to his feet. He was still exhausted to be sure, and he swayed unsteadily as he got his balance. Kole placed a powerful hand on his shoulder to make sure he wasn't going to topple over.
As tired as he was though, he was determined not to let his weakness show. He certainly wasn't going to allow himself to be carried like a sack of potatoes any further.
"Glad you're not dead." Kole added in a more serious tone. "Be more careful next time."
Elias's brow furrowed. He did not much like being spoken to like he was a child, especially by the likes of Kole. After all, it wasn't as if either of them could have set up barriers even if they had remembered to. How was it fair for the blame to fall on him? None of his usual sharp retorts came to mind, however. Elias told himself it was simply because he was too tired.
The group trudged on, making slow progress. Thankfully it was mostly downhill, but several times, Elias's feet almost gave out as the momentum got away from him. Once he nearly collided with Avi, sending Tibbs fluttering too the ground with an indignant squawk. Elias could tell that Kole was purposefully remaining close by to try and catch him if he fell. There were few things Elias hated more than being pitied, particularly by a man who spent most of his life lost in some tavern or other.
So distracted was he by his annoyance that he did not notice when the sounds around them began. Rustling in the trees and bushes could be heard some distance from the path, but with every noticeable bustle of movement it sounded closer.
"They're following us." Kole eventually told them, unable to deny it any longer. "At least three of them." He put his hand to his sword.
Elias groaned inwardly. He wasn't sure he could even conjure up a fireball in his current state. After all that, were they going to be treggan food anyway? Avi shrank in closer to the other two though he looked like he might bolt at any moment.
"It's nearly dawn." Kole pointed out. "They won't hunt after the sun is up."
They picked up their pace as best they could but the sounds in the brush continued to follow. Occasionally they could hear the high-pitched snuffling grunts that had so chilled them the night before. Elias was beyond being scared at this point. He was angry. If the treggans attacked he would fight them with his fists if he had to.
It quickly became clear that the sun was not going to save them before the creatures made their move. The sky was only just beginning to turn dark grey, suggesting that an actual dawn was still some time away.
The three came to this realization almost at the same time as they exchanged a look. Kole's face was set with determination, Avi's gaze held impressive bravery in spite of his fear, and Elias, though slumped and exhausted carried the spark of anger in his eyes.
Kole drew his sword, and Elias summoned the shreds of strength he still possessed.
A huge shadow passed over them suddenly, blocking out the stars for a moment before once again disappearing. A chilling cry split the night like the sound of a great bird of prey. Avi clamped his hands to his ears. This was followed by the sound of the treggans, still skulking just out of sight, giving off loud screams and squeals. The underbrush came alive with the sound of their scampering.
Kole took a ready stance, turning in a slow circle to try to watch all sides at once. The disturbance in the undergrowth however slowly faded, and the urgent animal-like shrieks of the treggans also grew fainter. Once more, the terrifying call echoed across the hills as it too slowly receded.
The silence that followed was in itself startling. After a long pause, the birds of the early morning began to take up their normal calls. Elias and Kole exchanged a tentative glance.
"The bleedin' `ell was zat?" Avi demanded eventually as the sense of impending doom was slowly relaxed.
Kole breathed in and out before responding. "The treggans hunt unwary travelers and injured game. Close to the swamps, something must hunt them as well."
A shiver ran down Elias's spine as Kole spoke. He had begun to suspect as much, but to imagine a creature of the air so large as to be feared by treggans... Certainly he had not heard of such a thing, at least not in Eradal or Falheim.
"Why did it go for them and not us?" Elias wondered aloud.
Kole shrugged. "Maybe we were too close together. Maybe treggans are its natural prey." He turned to Avi conspiratorially. "Maybe it saw El's pretty face and didn't want to ruin it."
Avi giggled as the tension gradually broke. Elias scowled but looked away to hide his slight blush. They had gotten very lucky and he meant to not let it happen again.
They traveled another slow mile or so before Kole deemed it light enough for them to rest for a while. Despite the daylight and the fact that they were only breaking for a few hours, Elias was sure to mark the nearby trees with a rune to ward off unwelcome guests. Most runes did not expend any energy in the moment, but even so, Elias was fast asleep by the time he hit the ground, using his pack as a pillow.
Early in the afternoon they roused themselves to keep moving. With fresh eyes and energy, Elias was able to think more clearly. He realized he still had the second dose of potion he had made the day before. If he had been in possession of his full faculties, he probably would have downed the elixir earlier when the treggans were chasing them. Now however, he was glad that he had not. The timely appearance of the large flying creature had saved them without needing to use it.
He thought about downing it right then to help keep him on his feet for the rest of the day but decided against it. Two near disasters in a row had shown him that he may well need every advantage he could get in the future.
Kole had wrapped a strip of cloth around his neck where he had been wounded and it was stained dark with blood. Elias thought maybe he should offer to look at it, but Kole had seemed adamant that he didn't need healing.
"What did they mean?" Kole abruptly asked when they had set out once more. Elias looked at him questioningly. "The treggans. It wasn't a random attack, was it?"
With a twinge of fear and uncertainty, Elias remembered the words the treggans had spoken before they attacked. He didn't respond as he calculated how much he wanted to share.
Kole spoke first though, lowering his voice so that Avi wouldn't hear. His words shocked Elias instantly. "You're going after him, aren't you?"
Elias's head whipped around to look at Kole. "...who?" He eventually whispered in surprise.
"The Dark Wizard of the swamps." Kole confirmed Elias's suspicions. "The reason people stay away from here."
After a long moment of hesitation, Elias nodded. Though it was not his ultimate goal, he decided that Kole should at least know that much. "He is not just a dark wizard." Elias informed him. "He is a sorcerer. Contracting with spirits of the dead, and maybe worse."
Kole nodded thoughtfully. Elias had been surprised that Kole had heard of the evil sorcerer, but then again it seemed that Kole was full of surprises and a seemingly random assortment of knowledge. Then something occurred to him.
"How is it that you have knowledge of the swamps? You say people avoid them and yet, you must have been here. You jumped at the chance to bring me here when we were back in Erania. What are you hiding?"
The last question came across a bit more accusatory than Elias had intended and Kole gave him a glare. "I have my own reasons for being here. Similar to yours but they do not concern you." Kole took two long strides to distance himself slightly from Elias, giving Avi a good-natured jostle in the process as the small boy was beginning to wander ahead.
It was nearly evening of that day when they finally reached the end of the foothill forests. As they descended further, the ground had become more and more waterlogged until every step they took made a soft squishing sound. The trees grew smaller and more bent before giving way altogether to a dank and misty expanse.
Elias stopped before taking his first steps into the thick fog. It felt impossibly humid for a place this far north, and yet here they were. The air stank of foul swamp gasses and the atmosphere hung thick with foreboding. There was no doubt that they had found the infamous haunted swamps.
"Stinks of shite!" Avi complained when they first broke from trees.
"It's the gasses released by the swamps." Kole told him before turning to Elias. "Better watch your fire-casting. The water here, hell even the air could go up like a tinderbox."
Elias had read of such things; fumes coming from the putrid waters that would ignite if given the chance. Inhaling the stench of decay and stagnant pools, he could certainly believe it.
"Stay out of the water." Kole warned. "There's not much living here that can't kill you."
"Fine place fer a dip..." Avi remarked sarcastically, peering out warily at the murky ponds ahead of them.
Elias felt a deep sense of foreboding as they entered the marsh. It was more than just an unfriendly landscape. There was some old darkness at work on this land that had seeped into the earth itself. He wondered just how long the sorcerer had ruled these swamps, tainting them with his vile magic.
"We'll travel only during full daylight." Kole informed them. "Even if you can put up some protection, we should still sleep in shifts." Kole told Elias. "Out here, there is no such thing as too careful."
At first, Elias was slightly annoyed that Kole doubted his ability to protect them. After considering though, he reasoned that Kole's plan was sensible. His magic would not fail them, of that he was confident, but having a watch at night would help the other two to feel safer, since they could not see the wards he placed.
"There is a path heading north and east." Kole continued. "It will be hard to see sometimes. Stay close to me, and don't wander off." He looked pointedly at Avi.
The three passed their first night on the boarder of the swamps and the woods. Almost as soon as the sun had set, the swamps came alive with strange sounds. Croaking, chirping, shrieking calls all echoed across the expanse of muck. Kole explained as he put together a small pile of firewood, that as long as they stuck to the path and away from the water, they should be able to safely build small fires without risking anything blowing up. The trouble of course would be finding usable fuel out in the fetid marshes.
Over the course of their travels, Elias had become more or less accustomed to sleeping on the ground. This however was different. Once he placed his wards around their camp, he settled into his bedroll and immediately felt his shoulder sink slightly into the soft ground. It was an uncomfortable feeling, lying in the swamp grasses, wondering what sort of creeping things might be crawling around him.
Poor Avi sat staring into the fire, gently petting the sleeping Tibbs and jumping at every unfamiliar sound, and Kole had grown silent, taking his turn on watch, looking out over the marsh with his face unreadable. A restless night was had by all, but when dawn broke again there was a palpable sense of relief even though none of them had slept much. Elias knew that the presence of evil magic could leave behind subtle traces that could be felt even by those without magic of their own. Knowing this however only set him more on-edge. He decided not to share that knowledge with his companions.
It was painfully slow traveling through the swamps. Kole picked his way carefully, sometimes instructing Elias and Avi to stay behind while he tracked the path forward for a time. Elias felt the ever-imposing sense of time running out, but he knew that caution was necessary. Getting lost out here would surely be the end of them.
"Wot's them big logs over there?" Avi pointed curiously across one of the many pools. Elias followed the boy's arm and saw what did look somewhat like long thick logs, resting in the tall grass very near the water's edge. They were dark grey in color and almost blended into the dead things around them. Strangely though, Elias could see that they had what almost looked like spines running along the top length. Had someone carved giant logs and left them in the swamp? That made little sense.
"They're not logs." Kole replied without looking. "Stay far away." He gave Avi a serious look. "And if you see one moving toward you, call out to me or Ell, right away."
Avi gulped and looked back at the grey things. Elias too frowned in curiosity. It was not long however before they got their first good look at the dangers of the swamps.
Not long after Avi first posed the question, the three were making their careful way through a narrow section of the path between two larger ponds. Kole stopped short, causing Elias to practically run into him. Before Elias could even ask, Kole held a finger to his lips.
"Back up, slowly." Kole informed them both, looking over his shoulder. "Don't turn around. Don't run."
Elias frowned but began to do as he was told. Avi grabbed Tibbs off his shoulder and held the bird to keep it from fluttering ahead. Kole reached a hand over his shoulder to take hold of his sword. A rustling began in the tall grasses to their left. The party continued its slow retreat. The noise moved closer to the path but did not seem to be following them.
Elias's eyes went wide and Avi gasped in shock as something terrifying lumbered out onto the path only a few feet ahead of Kole. Its long and pointed snout had sharp teeth protruding from the top. Cold reptilian eyes observed the three intruders with an almost lazy calculation. Short but powerful legs slid its massive body over the ground, covered all over in hard, greenish-grey scales. Short spiny ridges ran from the base of its skull all the way to the end of its long tail. The creature was over six feet long but stood only a little over a foot off the ground. The casual disinterest with which it eyed their group was chilling.
The monster paused in the middle of the path as Kole urged them backward slowly. It opened its huge jaws, revealing deadly sharp teeth for ripping and tearing. It gave a low-pitched hissing growl but then continued its slow plod across the path before sliding into the water on the other side and disappearing.
Kole let out a sigh and relaxed his grip on his sword. "Swamp drakes." He eventually explained to his shocked companions. "Supposedly the only living relative of the dragons. And at least as bad tempered."
"Why didn't it attack us?" Elias asked, still shaken. He had no doubt he could have worked some magic to destroy the creature if he had needed to, but the very sight of it had sent his mind blank for a few potentially vital seconds.
Kole shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't hungry. Maybe it didn't want to deal with all of us. They hunt better in the water but don't let them fool you, they can outrun you on land too if they want."
"Worse `an the bloody tregg'ns..." Avi spoke quietly as if afraid the creature might suddenly come back.
Again, Kole shrugged. "Maybe in some ways. Treggans are malicious though, the last of the real monsters. Swamp drakes are just animals."
Avi grunted skeptically. "Looked mean enuff to me." Tibbs honked quietly as if in agreement.
They spent the entire next day traversing the swamp with no sign of any real defining landmarks. Elias had no idea how Kole managed to keep his sense of direction. It was small wonder that no one ever travelled through here. Even without the impending and ever-growing sense of darkness that surrounded the marshy wetlands, the mosquitos and biting flies alone would be enough to keep most adventurers away. This combined with the many natural dangers and the seemingly endless unchanging landscape presented an all but impenetrable barrier. Elias knew that if he were to become lost out here, he would likely never find his way out.
Early on the third day, they found the first real tree they had seen since entering the marsh. Everything they had seen up to that point had been dead, whitened husks. While this tree was certainly not thriving, with most of its branches bare and rake-like, it was the closest thing to normal growth they had encountered in days.
Kole took in the sight with a quiet approval. He explained that the tree was an important landmark that confirmed they were on the right track.
"Won't be too much longer now." He spoke quietly to Elias.
There was a strong hint in Kole's voice that Elias understood. Kole was guiding him to wherever this sorcerer's lair might be. Just how Kole knew all this though, Elias could not figure. It had become increasingly obvious that there was more to his guide than the drunken and carefree mask he wore would have suggested.
Avi on the other hand, not party to the brief conversation or the dark implications it carried, took in the sight of the lone tree with a wide grin that he had not worn since before the treggan attack. To him, it no doubt represented a glimpse of the `normal world' before they had wandered into this dead grey land, seemingly an eternity ago.
With a soft shout of excitement, he immediately leapt up, caught onto one of the lowest branches, and quickly ascended the small tree. Tibbs, who had been waddling behind him, quacked in surprise at the sudden movement then fluttered up after him, landing awkwardly on one of the branches and almost slipping off.
"Avi, get down." Kole ordered strictly. "It's not safe."
"It's fine!" Avi insisted petulantly, continuing to climb. "B'sides I can see all round from up ere. I can tell ya which way ta go."
Almost as soon as he had called down to them, there was a dry crack and the branch Avi had been holding snapped off. Avi wavered for a moment and it almost looked like he was going to be able to keep his balance. With a cry, Avi tottered and fell forward. He was able to get his legs underneath him as he plummeted down. With a loud splash, he landed in the fetid pool next to the tree.
It all happened so quickly Elias had not had time to react, but Kole was already starting forward. Fortunately, Avi's head surfaced a moment later.
"Eyach!" He cried, sputtering, and shaking his head violently. "It's in me nose! An there's muck at the bottom!"
It appeared that the little pond was shallow enough that Avi could stand with his head just above the water.
"Avi. Come this way." Elias was surprised by the calm in Kole's voice. Normally, Avi's antics would earn the boy a proper scolding and maybe a joke at his expense, but Kole's directive had been simple, quiet, and serious.
Avi continued to spit and he flailed his arms in frustration, oblivious to Kole's tone. Taking a halting step forward he moaned.
"It's all mush!" A sudden splash and a flurry of white appeared next to him as Tibbs, sick of being alone in the tree, had decided to join Avi in the dirty water. The little duck paddled in circles around the unamused boy.
"Come on." Kole repeated, again calm and encouraging. "Keep moving."
It took Elias a moment to realize the reason for Kole's obviously restrained commands. He looked to the far shore and saw a large scaly grey-green shape slide into the water with scarcely a sound. His heart thudded.
Only now was Avi noticing the oddity in Kole's voice and he offered an uncertain smile as he tried another step. Then he looked up at Elias and saw what must have been a look of unmasked horror.
Avi's eyes went wide and he looked behind him. Only the swamp drake's eyes, and the tip of its snout could be seen as it swam slowly almost lazily in his direction, but there was no mistaking what it was. Avi whimpered in sudden fright.
"Avi, don't panic." Kole instructed, struggling to keep his voice even. "Look at me and keep moving."
Kole was now wading out into the water as well, but he looked over his shoulder at Elias. In his eyes was a wordless plea for help.
Heart hammering in his chest, Elias tried to focus his mind that was rapidly wheeling out of control. He tried to run through the spells he knew. What could he use to save Avi? He thought about trying to throw fire at the creature to scare it off, but he remembered Kole's words about the swamp gasses, especially near the water. That might end up doing more harm than good.
"Kole!" Avi whined in terror. "Please, Kole I don' wanna get ate!"
"Stay calm Avi. It's going to be... fine..." Kole tried to keep the rising panic out of his own voice. He turned his head in Elias's direction. "Any time, El..." There was an edge in his voice that cut deep.
Elias had never felt so helpless. With shaking fingers, he undid the clasp of his satchel and pulled out on of his books. No not that one. He dropped the valuable tome carelessly on the ground and pulled out another. There had to be something he was forgetting. He needed to be calm. He needed to focus. There was magic for this, he knew it, but every time he looked up he saw Avi struggling frantically against the thick mud at the bottom of the pond and the ominous shape of the creature drawing ever closer to its small flailing prey.
"El, please!" Avi begged in tears. The whites of his eyes were wide in full-blown panic. "Do some magic, please `elp!" His whimpering sobs echoed across the dead swamps as his fate drew nearer.
Even as a plan started to slowly form in his mind, Elias knew it was too late. The monster was only a few feet away from the boy now. It would drag him underwater with its massive jaws while he and Kole looked on helplessly.
"Damn it, El!" Kole roared, surging forward as fast as he could into the water, sword drawn. Too slowly. And Elias knew that a sword would hardly serve him against such a beast in the water.
It was too close now. Much too close. Sensing the danger, Tibbs squawked urgently while Avi cried uncontrollably, holding out his arms toward Kole.
With a sudden hissing roar, a massive set of jaws erupted from the dark waters before clamping shut with a loud snap. In the span of an instant, little Tibbs was gone.
Avi's piercing, heartbroken scream tore through Elias like a knife. But still, the giant lizard moved forward toward the struggling sobbing boy.