The guards got up, only to see Frederick’s worried face over them. Beside him were several elite guards but they had swords instead of spears. Frederick helped the guards up and gazed at the open gate.
“What happened dear chap?” Frederick asked with worriedly.
The guards tried to maintain their posture. Given their injuries, they could barely stand. One of them, who had bloodshot eyes replied, “Two, no three people, about the age of 20, left the compounds sire. I think that they’re contestants. I recognize one of them, a tall big guy. He was in one of the first matches this morning.”
“They overpowered you?” asked Frederick again.
“No, we could hold them off. Only until… *cough*” the guard choked.
“Only until that blasted alchemist threw that vial containing the blood of trolls. Burned me it did.” The other guard interrupted.
Frederick stood up to examine the place. He saw some scratches on the walls and floors that were most probably made by a sword. He then examined the liquid that burned one of his guards. Indeed, it was blood that belonged to the trolls. The dark blue liquid which could heal the injuries of goblins, orcs and even dragons would burn everything else. He rose and saw Samuel walking briskly towards him.
“Oh, Frederick, I am so glad I found you. Have you seen Michael? I have not seen him anywhere.” Samuel asked with much anxiety.
“Well, I only saw that chap at the wards…” Something struck Frederick at that moment, “You don’t suppose… Samuel old friend, have you seen that alchemist, what was his name?”
“Thomas” Samuel answered.
“Yes, that. Have you by any chance seen him as well? Oh yes, and Triton too. Have you seen both of them?”
Samuel rubbed his head and thought hard. After a few moments, he replied, “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that group at all after we left them at the ward.”
Frederick’s face suddenly turned pale. After glancing and the guards and Frederick’s pale impression, Samuel spoke, “What happened here? It looks as though someone had a fight here.”
“Someone broke out shortly before we came. Well I … I believe… How should I put this…?” Frederick hesitated for a while and said, “I believe that those three young chaps of yours are involved.”
***********************************************
“Are you sure you know where you’re going, we’ve been walking for hours!” complained Triton as his foot got stuck again in the swampy grounds of the wilderness. It is already dawn and yet, the swamps are still as dark as the night. The trees there were mostly dead. Those that are still living only live to watch worms eating into their barks. The only vegetation that managed to bear these harsh conditions was the blackbushes, which were not found anywhere else. The ground was hardly solid. Usually, it will squelch and purple bubbles would pop out of the ground. The stench there was putrid, but the trio had to persevere on these harsh conditions. They had already exhausted most of their supplies to the wild creatures which attacked them for food. For hours now, all of them have been walking but had not caught even a glimpse of their destination.
“Stop complaining, you big oaf. Just keep walking.” replied Michael whose only possession now was his sword.
“I bet I could find a way out of this dump better than that mad scientist.” commented Triton in a harsh voice.
“I’d like to see you try. I bet you will get yourself lost even if you had the map right in your face.” mocked Michael who gave Triton a cheeky grin.
“Hush it you guys, there are still many wild creatures around here. You don’t want to attract their attention do you?” interrupted Thomas.
Suddenly, a purple haired monkey shot out from the trees and snatched Thomas’s map. Thomas barely even caught sight of it and tumbled to the ground. Triton and Michael already gave chase but were blocked by a pack of lizardmen and several giant balisks who normally dominated this swamps. The purple monkey looked back and laughed at the trios’ effort, slapping his bottom at the same time.
Triton burst with anger, “YOU STUPID MONKEY!!! YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT HERE SO THAT I CAN INTRODUCE IT TO MY GOOD HAMMER!!!”
The monkey gave a giggle at Triton, pulled a funny face and disappeared into the swamps. Triton tried to give chase but was knocked back by the scaly tail of a balisk. He rose, unsheathed his hammer and gave a loud battlecry before charging towards the creatures.
“Pretty primitive for a warrior of cybertron.” commented Thomas who had just imbued Michael’s sword with some sort of chemical.
Michael laughed briefly on Thomas’s comment and received back his sword. He then charged towards the lizardmen who already had bows drawn and aiming at the screaming Triton who was swinging his hammer around apparently with some skill. Michael caught the lizardmen by surprise and struck the first one down with ease. He swung his sword over to the second only to be knocked over by a charging balisk. Michael fell to the ground as fear took over him. His looked up to see the balisk’s dragon-like face and just as the balisk was going to dive his head into Michael’s flesh, a shockwave sent the scaly creature flying.
“That was for blocking my way.” shouted Triton who had already activated his cybertron seal. He continued to charge towards the lizardmen and threw his hammer which hit directly on a lizardman’s face. The poor creature screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground.
“You alright?” Triton asked Michael who nodded in return, “Then pick up your sword and fight!”
Michael paused in astonishment of Triton’s fighting spirit before grabbed Triton’s hand and got up. Triton handed Michael his sword and continued his onslaught amongst the lizardmen. Michael followed closely behind Triton, and now he felt a new found strength within him.
The pair fought the lizardmen fiercely. But with the help of the balisk, their foes proved formidable. Thomas, behind a cluster of trees finally found enough courage to draw his wand and aid his friends.
But just as he was to cast a spell, triton shouted, “Leave this to us, go and find your map from that bloody monkey!”
Thomas nodded and started to cast a tracking spell on immediately to locate the purple monkey’s location. The seal in which he summoned morphed its pattern repeatedly until it came to a stop. He located the monkey and headed in its direction, leaving his friends to hold off the lizardmen.
Meanwhile, Triton had just smashed the skull of one lizardman with his giant hammer, sending the creature flying into the bushes. Michael, on the other hand had to parry off four attacks at a time. No longer able to call upon his seal’s power, Michael felt helpless. Now, it all depended on his own physical strength whether he will be able to get out of this ordeal alive. Michael had hardly battled any foe without his seal other than his trainers who held back during his training. This was his first time in a battle where he had to rely on himself and use all that he had learnt in normal combat training.
Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip onto his sword before decapitating one of the lizardman and thrusting his sword into another.
In the meantime, Thomas was busy chasing the purple monkey in the swamps. Once, he almost caught it, but fell into a pool of mud that was so deep he thought he was stuck. In frustration, he took out his wand to blast himself out and wanted to immobilize the purple monkey for good. But he hesitated and his conscience got the better of him. Before he knew it, he had lost the purple monkey. He sighed under his breath and casted another tracking spell.
At the same time, Triton had just silenced the balisk while Michael handled the remaining lizardmen. Victory was soon theirs but one of the lizardman took out a horn and blew into it, releasing a low and mellow sound.
“Stop him! He’s calling for help!” hollered Triton who threw his hammer at that particular lizardman in anticipation. The lizardman dodged the attack but he met with Michael’s blade which left the lizardman in pieces.
But it was too late. A high pitched screech was heard and almost immediately, a large green, scaly, flying lizard with eyes painted dark red burst through the bushes and seized Triton by his shoulders.
“A wyren!” exclaimed Michael who recovered from the force created by this mighty beast.
“You don’t think I know that? GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!” screamed Triton who was now thirty feet in the air.
Meanwhile, Thomas was still hunting the purple monkey. Thomas spotted the monkey eating berries from some purple bushes. It seemed to be their natural habitat as there were more purple monkeys there. This time, Thomas wasted no time and blasted an immobilization spell from his wand. As he drawed the map towards him using his wand, the other monkeys spotted him and started to attack. Thomas let out a cry for help and started to run as fast as he could. He was so frantic that he did not notice the giant beast atop of him.
“Let me go you overgrown iguana!” insulted Triton as he punched the beast at its talons. The wyren’s skinned seemed too thick and even after numerous punches, the wyren hardly seem to notice it.
“Playing tough eh?” said Triton as he tried to reached for his dagger in his pocket. “Darn this confounded beast.”
As the wyren performed a horizontal spin towards the right to avoid some once high growing trees, the dagger flew out of Triton’s pocket and he almost lost it to the depths below.
Grabbing it tightly with both hands, he forced the dagger into the flesh of the beast.
“Take that! Ugly Mongrel!” screamed Triton as he pushed the dagger in deeper. Fresh red blood spurted from the wound sending the massive beast falling in pain.
The beast collapsed onto the ground just in front of Thomas, who fell in shock. After releasing Triton, the great beast took off and fled into the wilderness, screaming at the deep wound in it’s talons that would probably take months to heal. Triton slowly got up and stared at Thomas’s hand with the map and gave him a thumbs-up before falling back to the ground.
“Triton, are you alright?” asked Thomas worriedly.
“Just tell me we’ve reached where that pipsqueak wants to go…” replied Triton in exhaustion.
Just then Michael ran in from the bushes and asked, “Triton is he ok?”
“He’s fine, and according to the map, our destination is not too far away. It should be just behind us…” answered Thomas, trying to make sense of the map.
“You boys looking for me?” a high-pitched cackle filled the silence of the swamps. The trio turned and somehow, behind the bushes of the purple monkeys hid a small hill, about several meters high. There atop of it, was a hut and in it was something Michael couldn’t make out but was sure it was a person with a tattered robe.
Then, the person stood into the light. There stood an old woman, whose wrinkles covered her entire face. She had a crooked nose with warts all over her skin and hands which were so skinny, they were like bone. A purple monkey came to rest upon her right shoulder. She examined the trio and paid close attention to Thomas. Then she opened her mouth and spoke, “I believe so…”
