CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Armco had a tribe of orcs to serve him and thousands of orc souls empowering his divinity. He looked at the tribe that Bolnarg had offered him. The orcs all glared at the devil god.

"You are all special! You are all going to become more powerful than any orc before you. Serving me promises you eternal life, eternal war, and honor." Armco shouted to them. The orcs were unsure of the devil's claims. He stood before them in nothing but a loin cloth that barely covered him. He looked weak to them for a god-like figure. Armco sensed their doubt and channeled his divine energies to alter them. Their skin toughened. Their muscles grew. They also became more subservient to his commands. Their hands grew claws and half-plate armor appeared on them with the markings of their new lord.

"Your only duties are to guard this ice palace form intruders. I will reward you all for your diligence accordingly." Armco assured them. The hellish orcs cheered for their new god and master. Armco understood that he was underdressed. It was time to change that. He began conjuring himself powerful magical gear and clothing right in front of the hellish orcs. They saw his power and watched in awe as magical flames and smoke danced around his body forming into robes, rings and the like.

*****

Eleanor and the others heard what transpired the night before as they slept. Sir Sendrick and Annalisa passed everything on after the rest of them had awakened from their sleep. Annalisa even found some deep tracks that belonged to something akin to a giant from what she could tell.

"What is the plan now? Are we to continue on the road?" Sir Fellis asked.

"I think we should begin clearing this area out and prepare it for the construction of a ranger station." Eleanor replied.

"That sounds amazing! I look forward to returning home to my wife." Sir Fellis admitted. They all began working hard to clear underbrush from the area. The Vile also helped. He was happy to help and have somewhere he could belong without fear of being eaten. Dog's ears went up. He heard something. Eleanor did not notice her pet because she was staring at her beloved, Annalisa across the way working beside Sir Sendrick instead of her. Dog barred his teeth and began barking. Eleanor and the others stopped what they were doing and listened. They all heard the heavy footsteps of something large coming their way. The elves and the Vile drew their weapons just as the massive mutated Minotaur came into view. The insectile Minotaur stopped abruptly and eyed the group that stood before him. He licked his lips between his mandibles threateningly.

"If any unicorns ask for your help be sure to tell them no. If any of you come after me then I will feast upon your flesh." The insectile Minotaur warned. He saw the Vile among the elves and it all became clear to him. One of the Vile had turned on the others.

"Who are you and why do you threaten us?" Eleanor asked.

"I am Durge! I am servant to the Spider God. Head my warning!" Durge said before turning and tromping off into the forest.

"What was that about?" Sir Fellis gasped.

"I might know," the Vile replied. "I killed my brethren to save the unicorn so in our absence the Spider God may have sent a new servant to discover what happened to us. Being a proud Minotaur, it seems to be going after the unicorns to prove itself."

"Now I really want to go home!" Sir Fellis complained.

"Now we need to help the unicorns!" Eleanor said. Moments later the sounds of horses approaching was heard. Two mares came into view. They were unicorns.

"Fortuna," the Vile gasped. He recognized her scent. She was beautiful to him.

"The mutated Minotaur, did it come through here?" Fortuna asked.

"Yes," the Vile answered before anyone else could.

"He wants me and our alpha in trade for the younglings he kidnapped. They do not have the protective magic that we do at their age." Fortuna said. The elves looked at one another. The Vile could not take his eyes off the unicorn.

"I will help you," the Vile vowed.

"We will all help you," Eleanor interjected. Sir Fellis sighed with distaste.

"That mutated Minotaur could gore us all into shreds," Sir Fellis warned.

"We all have to die from something," Fauna replied.

"I've got nothing better to do," Annalisa said.

"Well, you know I'm in!" Valenor coughed.

"I'll help," Sir Sendrick said.

"Here's the deal then. After we do this, no matter what I get to go home to my wife." Sir Fellis bartered.

"Deal," Eleanor replied.

"Are you scared?" Sir Sendrick asked.

"Not at all! I just miss my wife. I am not away from her like this and I know she will be missing me as well." Sir Fellis replied.

"Where is your alpha?" Sir Sendrick asked noting that the two unicorns were mares and not stallions.

"He is ready to cut his losses to save the rest of the herd," Rose answered.

"Rose and I have been banished from the herd for leaving and trying to save the younglings." Fortuna explained.

"That's terrible!" The Vile said sadly.

"If you save the younglings I will be forever in your debt and gladly give myself to your king's service." Fortuna said sincerely.

"Me as well," Rose added.

"I guess we better get to tracking. That behemoth really moves!" Annalisa noted. The elves packed up their camp and saddled their horses. The mutated Minotaur had a decent head-start on them, but they had horses and unicorns to aid them in their chase. Annalisa took the lead and found the trail which was still fresh. The chase was on. Annalisa tracked as fast as she could without making any mistakes which meant that the Minotaur was gaining a greater lead.

"He will have rest soon enough. He has been running for hours now." Fortuna offered hope to the elves as they moved through the forest. Fortuna was right! Annalisa noticed a change in the stride of the Minotaur after a while. He was slowing which meant he was getting tired.

"He must be getting tired. He is slowing his pace." Annalisa informed the group. As the elves continued their pursuit they heard a noise ahead of them. It was the tromping of a Minotaur and the shrieks of kobolds. Annalisa dismounted from her horse and tied it to a tree. Her friends all did the same thing.

"You two stay with our horses and Dog," Sir Fellis instructed the unicorns.

"Wait! He is leading us into a trap." The Vile warned. "My hunting group was killed by a juvenile green dragon that protected a group of kobolds we were hunting just ahead." The elves halted.

"What do you suggest?" Eleanor asked.

"We should avoid the dragon. It breathes an acidic cloud that will melt the flesh from your bones in an instant." The Vile replied.

"We might lose his trail if we go around," Annalisa warned.

"That bastard!" The Vile griped.

"Be on your guards," Sir Fellis instructed as he drew his sword. The others drew their weapons and they closed in following Annalisa's lead. They saw the footprints cross the clearing in front of a large cave where the green dragon was already peering out from. It was sniffing the air. Annalisa ducked low and her companions did the same. The dragon took to the sky. It smelled something.

"It will surely spot us from above if we move," Annalisa warned.

"Run," Sir Fellis instructed. The elves and the Vile stood to their feet and ran as fast as they could across the clearing after the trail of the mutated Minotaur. The green dragon slammed down behind them and roared. They all ran faster as a billow of acidic vapor plumed from the maw of the dragon towards them. They hit the tree line and were gone but the forest behind them sizzled from the acidic vapor. They ran as fast as they could, forgetting about the tracks as they tried to get away from the green dragon behind them. Annalisa was struck hard in her face by a massive club that sent her flying backwards. Her face was instantly black and blue and blood ran from her mouth, nose and eyes. The mutated Minotaur stood in front of them brandishing his massive great club. Valenor charged in but the Minotaur stepped aside from the feeble attack. Everyone charged at the mutated Minotaur except for Rustan. He set his magic loose on the monster. The mutated Minotaur was quick on his feet. He swiped his massive club in an arc to keep the elves back. Annalisa wiped her face so she could see what was happening. Her nose was broken and her lips were fattened. Her head ached as well but she was alive for the moment. She opened her eyes in time to see Valenor get struck as hard as she did by the massive club and fly backwards into a tree. His body hit hard and went limp before falling to the ground motionless. Sir Sendrick was struck by the backswing of the club but managed to hold his sword up to absorb the brunt of the impact. Fauna jumped back just in time to avoid the horns of Durge. Sir Fellis came in hard cutting at the calves of Durge.

Sir Fellis could not reach farther than the Minotaur could step with his stride. Eleanor cut wildly with her enchanted scimitar but hit nothing but air. Fauna came in from the side of the Minotaur to try and interrupt his steps. Rustan continued to cast spells and send them at Durge hoping they would at least slow the Minotaur's momentum. It worked! Sir Sendrick managed to catch a leg with his enchanted bastard sword. Blood ran down the left leg of the Minotaur. The Vile went into an angry rage and slammed his own club hard into the chest of Durge. The air was blasted from his lungs from the hit. Durge was surprised that a small band of elves and one Vile could do this to him. He swung his club wildly The Vile felt a hard hit as did Sir Sendrick. Sir Sendrick fell to the ground.

Fauna was struck by the horns and she was flung to the ground clutching her side. Sir Fellis swung his enchanted blade and severed the head clean from the Minotaur's neck. It hit the ground with a thud and rolled five feet to a stop before the body collapsed. Annalisa stood up and ran over to Valenor. He was hurt badly. She saw bones protruding from his flesh. Sir Fellis knelt beside Sir Sendrick and tended to him. They were all pretty banged up from the encounter. Two of their own were near death.

"Rustan, go get the unicorns quickly." Eleanor shouted. Rustan turned to run back the way he had come from only to see the head of a green dragon staring right at him through the tree-line. The dragon grabbed Rustan with a claw and took flight into the sky. The Vile could only watch in horror. Bows were drawn and arrows notched.

"What if we hit Rustan?" Fauna asked.

"He's already dead," Eleanor said as she let loose her arrow. Fauna let loose an arrow as well. Rustan felt the tight grip around him and knew what was coming next as the wind whipped past his face during the climb in the sky. Arrows bounced off the dragon's hide. Rustan drew his enchanted elven dagger and drove it into the toe of the dragon on the claw that held him. The dragon let him fall. He fell nearly a hundred feet and slammed into the ground below. The green dragon dove at the elves below. Fauna let loose another arrow that found its way into the right eye of Keltorilax. The green dragon squinted in pain and slammed to the ground hard breaking its neck on impact.

"Watch for kobolds," Sir Fellis barked. Eleanor ran to retrieve the unicorns with no regard for her own safety. Sir Fellis followed her. Kobolds met them in the clearing but Eleanor and Sir Fellis cut through any that tried to block their paths. The remaining kobolds panicked and fled into the forest. Eleanor and Sir Fellis didn't stop until they came upon the horses, Dog and he unicorns.

"Quickly, they need you two," Eleanor said to the unicorns as she and Sir Fellis untied the horses. Sir Fellis took all the reins of the horses while Dog and Eleanor led the unicorns to the others. Sir Fellis was satisfied that he had managed to keep Eleanor alive but upset that Rustan was probably dead and Sir Sendrick and Valenor were gravely injured. This was the risk of any gate guard or soldier of the king.

By the time Sir Fellis had got back to his companions with the horses, the unicorns had already used their mystical powers to help heal Sir Sendrick and Valenor. Rustan's body was being wrapped for its return home by Eleanor. How had they survived? Sir Fellis wondered. That dragon had a dagger in its toe and an arrow in its eye. The gods are watching over us, he thought. Between everyone's healing spells in the group, nearly all wounds could be healed on the spot for those that survived. The Vile helped Eleanor put Rustan's body over the saddle of his horse and tied it in place so it would not slip off.

"Your father can resurrect him," Sir Fellis said to give them hope. He didn't want them distracted on their three-day journey home.

"Where are the kidnapped unicorns?" Sir Sendrick asked.

"They are inside a magical belt pouch on the Minotaur's hip," Fortuna answered. Sir Sendrick walked over to inspect the dead carcass of the mutated Minotaur. He cut loose a single pouch and opened it. Several youngling unicorns spilled out and galloped over to the safety of Fortuna and Rose.

"We will return the younglings to the herd and then catch up with you on the road," Fortuna assured the elves.

"Good speed," Eleanor said to the unicorns not expecting to see them again.

"I like this pouch!" Sir Sendrick said.

"Keep it. You've more than earned it!" Sir Fellis replied. Sir Sendrick looked to his friend s to see if they objected.

"Keep it," Eleanor said. He tied the magical pouch to his belt and strolled off with a smile on his face. Eleanor walked over to the body of Durge and chanted a basic spell. Another item lit up and radiated a magical aura.

"I figured as much! Sir Fellis, why don't you take these? You lopped its head off after all." Eleanor suggested pointing to the gauntlets on the Minotaur's hands that glowed. Sir Fellis walked over to inspect the gauntlets. He removed them carefully and then tried them on. They seemed to shrink down to fit as he donned them. He felt stronger. Magic seemed to add to his natural strength.

"Wow! Thank you." Sir Fellis said.

"Don't dragons have treasure hoards?" Fauna asked. Everyone looked at each other and then excitement lit up on their faces. Not only could King Solaris resurrect Rustan but they might have riches beyond their dreams already. With the unicorns long gone the elves and the Vile approached the cave. The Vile rode on the horse with Fauna. Sir Fellis had Rustan's horse tide to his saddle to guide it along safely. They tied their horses up outside and tried to see into the cave but it was dark only ten or so feet inside.

"What if there is another dragon in there?" Sir Fellis asked playfully.

"Not funny!" Eleanor said with a playful smack on the back of his head. Sir Fellis waited outside the cave with the horses while the others investigated the cave. He didn't want the kobolds coming back and stealing their horses and Rustan's body. Valenor came running out of the cave.

"Our poor horses!" He said with wide eyes.

"There's a lot of treasure for real?" Sir Fellis asked in disbelief. Valenor bobbed his head up and down. The others had started bagging it all and carrying it out to tie to their saddles. Sir Fellis smiled. Perhaps this trip was worth it after all, Sir Fellis thought.