Chapter 42: The Hero Reborn

Durri raised his hands. "Hold on a moment!" he called, as much to Hudson and Shudon as to the townsfolk. "Ladies and gentlemen, you're aware the person who convinced you to kill me was a witch, right? She cursed me and wants to make me suffer for eternity. She'll do and say anything to anyone in order to hurt me!"

One elder creaked back in her chair, chuckling. "She told us you'd try to escape with honeyed words. Said we should murder you before you could utter a single word."

Durri glanced around, keeping his motions slow and calm. "Well, you haven't."

"No," said the oldest elder. "Because we're not monsters. But we 'do' take warnings seriously. Especially when they're as believable as a band of idiot heroes trying to kill our draconic overlord. We've just recovered a few years ago from the last fool who thought he could do it. The stream's water used to be pure. Their so-called battle broke open some underground reservoir and poisoned the stream."