Book 2: Chapter 19: The Sherrif

Book 2: Chapter 19: The Sherrif

Heather looked up to see a small being about four feet tall with short dark hair. He had a set of curled rams horns on his head and hooves like Grettah. He wore shiny metal plates and held a crossbow in his hands.

Its one of those things Dixie is, Heather said.

You monsters are not welcome in Goatrah lands! the tiny voice cried.

Goatrah lands? Heather asked.

The armored man nodded. We are the Goatrah, and the crags and hills here are our lands.

We didnt know this was claimed land. We are just going to the dwarven area, Frank said.

Bah! the armored man said. Go back the way you came.

Heather stepped forward and pointed her scythe at the irritating creature.

My name is Heather. We came here for pizza, and were not leaving until we get some.

I am Kesivel, the sheriff of Craggarillion, the Goatrah kingdom, he said. Monster players are not allowed here.

Did you hear what I just said? Heather asked. We are here for pizza, not you. If you don't let us pass, I will make you regret it.

HA! he laughed. And what are you going to do with your grass cutter? You cant reach me up here with it.

Heather glared at him with angry eyes. He was out of her weapons range but not it's special power. With a word of command, she produced a red spray and doused him in a cloud of gas.

He sputtered and choked in the mist, waving his hands to clear the cloud.

Ack! he shouted, pointing his crossbow wildly. He fired, and the dart flew at the party as Heather blinked in alarm. Frank looked at his arm, where the bolt stuck as if it had hit a tree.

Hey! Heather cried. Dont hurt my friends!

Stop them! Kesivelcried.

A red light appeared from behind a rock and flew in striking Quinny and causing her to jump back, yelling ow.

Around them, small beings with rams horns appeared from behind rocks and over the lips of hills. They all looked down on them from above with weapons in hand.

This went bad quickly, Frank said.

It's about to, for them! Quinny cried and dropped the basked. She ran at the closest bunch of the little creatures with her sword in hand. She struggled up a slope as they fired down on her with spells and arrows, making her angry.

Frank went after Kesiveland, the three goatrah who appeared beside him but struggled to climb the steep slope. Grettah, however, quickly hopped up the slope surprising the little creatures by arriving quickly.

Stop her! the armored on yelled as he drew a short sword. Three of them ran at Grettah, and she planted her feet to meet their charge. All of them cried out in alarm as bony arms burst out of the ground with dead hands grasping at feet and legs.

Stop! Heather yelled. We didn't come here to fight! She looked around as Frank arrived beside Grettah. They held their ground and didn't attack since the three were incapacitated. The sheriff hacked at the bony arms trying to free his companions from her grasping dead spell.

Stop attacking us were friends with Dixie! she yelled, but the sheriff didn't respond. A cry of pain made her turn around to see that Quinny was in trouble.

Three more goatrah were standing in a line firing arrows and spells at Quinny. Already she had three arrows in her, and several whisps of smoke curled off her skin from the spells. Heather didn't want to cause any harm, but she also wanted to save Quinny. She realized the creatures were all clumped together as she began the chant of her grave blight spell.

Cries of alarm rang out as a sickly yellow cloud formed across the ground around them for twelve feet. They ceased trying to fill Quinny with arrows and ran for their lives, desperate to get out of the cloud. Heather raced to Quinnys side as she took cover behind a rock and began yanking arrows out.

These little buggers are good shots, Quinny said as she pulled the last arrow out.

Heather put her hands on Quinny and went into her mend the dead spell, closing the wounds.

There, Heather replied and peeked over the rock. An arrow bounced off the stone, scaring Heather to duck back down.

Why are they attacking us? she asked.It was only perfume.

Quinny shrugged. Experience probably.

Heather shook her head and struggled to think of some way to remedy the situation.

Quinny turned around and peeked over the rock. She made a strange gurgle, and her head recoiled slightly. She ducked back down and turned to Heather.

Do I have something in my eye? she asked.

Heather screamed to see the crossbow bolt buried in Quinnys left eye. She wanted to be sick when Quinny reached up and yanked out like it was a minor annoyance.

Your eye! Heather squeaked.

It will grow back, Quinny said. Or, you could heal me again.

Heather nodded and fell into her spell, healing Quinny and restoring the jet black eye.

He should have warned us about this group of savages, Quinny said as she poked at her eye.

Who should have? Heather asked.

That Harkinor guy. He must have known this group was here.

Harkinor! Heather said with excitement. She snatched the sunbonnet off Quinny's head and waved it in the air over the stone. Stop attacking us! We are friends of Harkinor!

Stop! a voice called from the ledge behind them where Frank and Quinny were fighting the four above.

How do you know, Harkinor? The sheriff asked.

Heather stood up slowly, afraid she would be riddled with arrows. When nothing happened, she stood tall and nodded her head.

I would rather know what a Meezle is, Quinny said.

Heather smiled and looked to the trees. Let's get walking. The longer we stand here, the longer we have to wait for pizza. We can figure out what a meezle is when we get there.

Maybe we should just go back, Frank suggested. We dont even know if we will get through the gate.

Heather turned on him with a shocked expression. We cant go back. There is pizza just over these hills.

But what about the gate? he asked.

Let's worry about the gate when we get there. Maybe they can be reasoned with. If I have to unleash an undead plague to get in, I will.

Heather is growing into her class well, Quinny laughed.

We could all be killed in this cave, Frank reminded her.

Isnt the risk worth it? she insisted. Harkinor said they used too much cheese! Just think of it hanging off the pieces in long strings that refuse to break.

And I thought I liked pizza, Grettah said with a smirk.

Fine, let's go find this cave so we can get back and get your pizza, Frank said with a shake of his head.

Heather jumped for joy and picked up her scythe. They collected her basket and headed out into the trees in search of the trail.

The trees here were pines, and the ground crunched with old needles as they passed. Heather felt excited to be doing something more interesting. This was her first quest, and for some reason, she was excited. She looked to the others who more or less shared her enthusiasm. Even Frank seemed to be in a better mood once they were on the move.

Quinny suggested that she and Frank take the lead in the caves. Grettah would be assigned to protecting Heather, who would support them all with spells and healing. Frank readily agreed to the plan and even suggested that Heather use her grasping limbs spell to deal with any large groups.

This is going to be fun, Heather said as she smiled. This is how real adventures work, right?

More or less, Frank said as they passed out of the trees onto a narrow trail.

This must be the trail, Quinny said.

Frank looked around the path a little and then up at the hills and tall rocks around them.

There is no telling what lives up here in these places. There could be more rock trolls.

Or griffons, Grettah added.

Whats a griffon? Heather asked.

Its half eagle and half lion, Grettah said.

Heather tried to imagine that and couldnt get the image right in her head. Thankfully Frank noticed her silence and explained it for her.

It has the body of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle. Its front two legs are birds legs as well.

Maybe thats what a crag lion is, Quinny offered.

Frank scratched at his head. I doubt it. They would have just called it a griffon.

Unless hey were lying, Quinny suggested.

Why do you think everybody is lying? Heather asked.

Quinny shrugged. Experience dealing with people. They will lie about anything they think they can get away with or won't be punished for.

Well, I think they were telling the truth. They need this backpack, and they can't get it themselves. So we do it for them, and everybody wins.

I still think we should have just killed them all, Frank said.

And then every time we came this way, they would be attacking us, Heather said. If this pizza is as good as Harkinor made it sound, I would like to eat it more than once.

I hope they have good drinks, Grettah said. I miss soda.

I miss booze, Quinny said.

There is sure to be plenty of that in a dwarven town, Frank said.

Maybe I should have been a dwarf. Quinny joked.

They headed off down the trail that snaked its way down the slope of a hill. They were apprehensive the entire way watching the ledges above for any lions that might leap down.

As the sun moved to its late afternoon position, they rounded a bend and came to a stop.

Thats a big cave, Quinny said.

Heather nodded as she surveyed the site. The cave was easily twenty feet high and forty wide. It had dark gray-blue stone for walls and the jagged spikes of stalagmites. The ground all around the opening was littered with bones and bloodstains.

Well, we found it, Heather said.

We're not going in there, are we? Grettah asked.

Sure, how dangerous could it be?

As if to answer her, a roar echoed out of the cave and made them all step back.

Heather steadied herself even as her heartbeat furiously in her chest.

Steady heather, she whispered. Youre doing this for pizza.