Chapter 24

Once the voice came through the trees, the 3 companions stopped dead in their tracks and stood there looking around the woods. The sound was terrifying and felt like it came from all directions at once. ‘What have you gotten us into?’ Rex said to Fafnir.

‘That is an old trick, spread fear in the camp, try to make their opponents less effective for fighting.’ Fafnir said.      

‘Yes, well look at us, seems to be working a little.’ Rex said gritting his teeth. To be honest even he was a little scared.

‘I told you we would come out victorious, trust me.’ Fafnir growled, ‘I am 100% confident at least we will survive.’

‘What about them? They followed willingly with me.’ Rex huffed.

‘Burden of leadership I am afraid.’ Was Fafnir’s reply.

“You’ve spaced out again Rex!! I really hope you don’t do that when we have to fight!” cried Lizz pulling him away from his conversation with Fafnir.

“Yes, I’m here, sorry.” He replied. Looking around, nothing was moving, there was no other sound beside a slight wind whistling through the trees.

“Me no think get attacked” Charr said breaking the silence and stowing his axe relaxing a little, it did not stop him scanning around though, they were still all on edge after hearing those words.

“Well we better keep moving” Rex said, he had quietly used Fafnir’s sight to scan the immediate surroundings and found nothing, which seemed a little odd, not 30 minutes back he had caught the deer, but this far in there was no signs of life at all. Nothing wanted to come in this far it seemed. Lizz had noticed the same thing it seemed, “Don’t you think it’s a little too convenient we haven’t seen any wildlife or even birds? Have we gone off track?”

“Me not see sun anymore, not be able tell” Charr said frowning and craning his neck trying to see over the trees without luck.

‘Fafnir, any ideas?’ Rex said.

“If memory serves me right, other side of these woods was a river that travelled all the way past Ragnar’s Mountains and through to a river town called Delta. See if you can hear running water or smell it. Same way before, slowly breath and force your ears to listen, your nose should follow suit.’

“Let’s stop for a quick second. I need to concentrate. There should be a river on the other side of these woods that leads to a river town called Delta. I need to get us a bearing.” Rex said, “Keep watch but please try not to make any sound, that is important.”

Seeing the serious look on his face, Lizz and Charr looked at each other again, and then at Rex, shrugged their shoulders, they had no better idea besides travel blindly, “Ok” they both chimed together and stood next to Rex at the ready.

Kneeling on the dirt, Rex closed his eyes and made his breaths in and out very slow and deliberate. He felt a little silly, but he frowned a little and tried his hardest just to listen. The frowning seemed to help, not 10 seconds later he could hear rushing liquid and feel ripples in the air. That had to be river! They had a heading.

“We need to head that way!” Rex called out before opening his eyes and standing.

“How did you…?” Lizz said flabbergasted.

“Trust me” Rex said putting his hand on her shoulder. Little did he know not a few hours away, someone was there preparing for their visitors smiling. As they started off in their new heading, Rex could not shrug off a little niggling feeling in the back of his head that something was not quite right, it was almost too easy.

“Father told me Balrog babies live here, we not seen any, why not attacked us yet. Me not like this, too quiet” Charr said, he had his axe ready the whole time. Rex had to admit, it had been 2 hours, no water, and not one sight of anything, it was way too convenient and way too quiet.

‘Something isn’t right Rex, be at the ready, remember, control your emotions.’ Fafnir boomed in his head suddenly, the sound breaking the quiet made Rex jump a little, which startled Lizz and Charr and they started scanning their surroundings.

“Sorry the quiet is making me jumpy” Rex said quickly, ‘Look the trees are thinning, we have to be getting close.”

“Yes, but close to what, I don’t think it’s the river” Lizz said, she started getting goosebumps.

As they reached the clearing, all 3 companions felt a change in the air temperature, it dropped like 10 degrees instantly. “Be ready, I don’t think we are at the river” Rex said.

*Smart boy* came the voice again.

“S**t” Rex said.

“Welcome morsels to my humble abode” came a silky voice from above them. With a crash she dropped in front of them.

Rex looked in total horror, he had led them straight to her, Balrog had somehow tricked him into coming straight to her doorstep. He did not feel good about the deception, Rex wanted to have their meeting on his own terms. He could not do anything but stand there and look at her. She was a sight to behold, crouched in front of them was a 10-foot-tall spider body, with a woman’s body from the waist up perched on what should have been the head.

“Thank you as well mysterious one, you brought them to us so easily” She said winking at Rex, “I do believe with guests who come into our home so graciously, it is only right we introduce ourselves before we serve dinner. You are first skinny girl.”

“No chance demon!” Lizz screamed, getting ready to tap into her mana for spells. When Rex looked at Lizz, she looked different from before, she had an odd rainbow coloured aura around her. ‘She is about to touch mana, Balrog will claim it before she can use it, stop her.’ Said Fafnir. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Rex gave Lizz a shake of her head telling her not to try. Seeing Rex’s warning she remembered about her mana disappearing when trying to start a fire. I’m going to be useless if we fight she thought.

“Since the skinny one wants to be rude, what about you mountain man?” Balrog added impatiently.

“Me no speak to demon woman” He said frowning at her, spinning the axe in his hand.

“Very well, insolent little meals, let me welcome you to dinner, and these are my children.” Balrog chimed putting her hands up to the treetops.

Looking up to where Balrog motioned, the 3 companions knew it wasn’t going to go well for them, there must have been 20 spiders, each 5-foot-tall, which dropped from the trees in a circle around them. Each one staring at the companions brushing their 2 large fangs, getting ready for the meal ahead.

“Bring them to me alive!” Balrog cried to her spiders pointing at Charr, Lizz and Rex. The instant the command was given, the spiders started closing the gap around them.

“Lizz get between us, you can’t use magic otherwise she will steal it and we have no other weapons.” Rex said pushing her behind him.

‘Any ideas now?’ Rex said to Fafnir.

‘Yes, fight like me, but remember, control it, not it control you’ he growled back.

Ok. Take charge. Got it Rex said to himself. Closing his eyes he let the image of Iris’s death come back and felt the familiar fire growing within him again, but this time he added in images of happy days with her to control the flow of rage that filled him. Feeling this new power, he opened his eyes, he lit his hand on fire and threw it at the nearest spider, hitting it in the face. It burst into flame and started jumping around screeching in pain. ‘Good young one, show them the power of dragon fire!’ Fafnir growled. Gladly he thought, lighting his hand and throwing it again, his accuracy needed work, but it was becoming easier to bring the fire back up again for his next attack.

Charr seemed to be holding his own behind him. Every time a spider would lunge for him, he would swing his axe, sometimes cutting air and sometimes cutting a piece of a spider. There were already 3 spiders around him limping away with missing body parts spilling green blood on the ground.

“You not get me alive!!” Charr cried every few seconds, as if reminding them he would fight until he had nothing left.

Just as it seemed they were gaining the upper hand, there was a huge *THUD* right into the middle of them and a shockwave came soon after sending them off their feet. Within seconds the remaining spiders jumped on the 3 companions and pinned them down.

“That is quite enough from you!!” Balrog screeched angrily, “You have killed and wounded some of my babies and that is unacceptable!! Bring the skinny one to me she will be first”

The 2 spiders that held Lizz started carrying her to Balrog. Rex knew what the outcome was going to be for her, Fafnir had promised survival, but it seemed they had lost. All 3 companions were now disabled and Lizz was already being carried to her ending. Seeing that she was being carried over to her death Lizz started desperately touching into her mana to use any spell she could muster to get free. The moment any mana was brought forward to turn into a spell, it was whisked away and into Balrog’s hand.

“Yes idiot girl, use it all, I will claim it all from you by force anyway, given freely is easier.” Balrog snarled smiling at Lizz’s act of desperation. The more Lizz struggled and dipped into her mana, the faster she seemed to weaken, soon she will not have any fight left in her at all Rex concluded. He did not want to witness the death of a friend, and he felt she had become a close friend at that, he had to do something. The spiders dropped the in front of Balrog, she was that weak from using up most her of mana, the only thing she could do was kneel there exhausted. Seeing the look of pure terror on her face was the last straw. This was life or death, he knew what he had to do!

‘Fafnir, I give you permission to kill that b**tch!!’ he yelled to him.

‘Gladly!!’ he roared.

The moment he felt Fafnir take full control over him he felt like he was numb, his limbs were still there, he could feel them, but he could not move, just be there and watch. The moment Fafnir took the reins he threw the spiders off him effortlessly and in one giant roar leaped at Balrog. While he was in the air Rex could see that his body was changing! He was being covered in red smoke and scales were appearing, his limbs started to elongate. He was becoming Fafnir himself!! Hearing the roar Balrog turned around before she could strike the killing bite on Lizz and screamed in terror, she knew that face!! Fafnir crashed into Balrog with a mighty *THUD* knocking her down and away from Lizz. Clamping one claw on her throat he turned to the spiders surrounding them and with one huge breath in, sent a massive spout of fire from his breath burning all the spiders alive on the spot. Rex noticed that somehow the flames killed the spiders but did not harm Charr even thought he was engulfed as well, that is curious, will find out how he did that later. Turning back to Balrog, Fafnir said, ‘Remember me witch? I told you that day, I would find you and exact revenge!’

“Please dragon lord forgive me! I was young and naive and did not know what I was doing!!” Balrog cried, even Rex thought it was pathetic. Laughing Fafnir simply glared at her, Rex knew what was next, he could feel the heat rising in his throat again, Fafnir was going to burn her alive! Just as he was breathing in, Fafnir felt a sharp pain in his belly. Looking down he noticed that Balrog had slipped a fang into his belly.

‘How dare you witch!!’ he roared in her face.

‘If I am going to die, I am taking you with me!!’ she cackled.

Expelling the intense heat he had in his throat, Fafnir roared and spewed intense fire, scorching Balrog alive. Once she was reduced to ashes Fafnir said to Rex, ‘It is done. Thank you for allowing me exact revenge on her, this kindness will not be forgotten Rex.’

As fast as he had morphed, within a few seconds his body was covered in the red smoke again and his normal form returned. Still feeling the intense pain in his stomach, Rex looked down and still saw the 2 giant fangs marks from where Balrog had stabbed Fafnir’s form. Between the weakness of Fafnir sapping so much of his strength and this wound, Rex collapsed onto the ground.

Rex felt like this was the end for him, at least his friends survived. He was happy to die knowing they survived.

‘Come to me Rex, you need to survive’ Fafnir called to him. With that command Rex could see the blurred outlines of his friends coming to him. Soon his eyes closed, and once they opened again Fafnir stood there in front of him.

‘You will be great one day’ He said bowing to Rex.