My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 25: Er-Gol

Having released Kace and Gyn from their confinement they now sat around the fire beside Grugda. Kharja's complexion had taken a turn for the better and he seemed more settled in his sleep. Kace felt uneasy as he sat before Grugda's intense gaze.

"Not. As expected. You. Are weak still. This. Won't do." Grugda set with disappointment shaking his head lightly.

"Ehm, what are you talking about?" Kace replied perplexed.

"You. Are her messenger. Correct? Yes. Must be. No other. Has arrived." Grugda replied in slow contemplative tones.

"I apologise but I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you take us to your village? We have an urgent request for the chief of the trolls living here?"

"Hm. Ignorant. Grugda. Not troll. Grugda. Eljein. Trolls. Eljeen no more. Trolls. Forget who. They are."

Kace contemplated over the broken speech of Grugda. It was like Grugda was trying to say that trolls were some kind of mutated descendant of his own race. It seemed to Kace that there was still so much information about this world still shrouded from him. He would have to make a point of finding somewhere he could get his hands on it.

"You. Will come. Follow Grugda." Grugda said as he pointed at Kace.

"Ah, Kharja needs to recover first. Also we don't have time to waste. We have to meet with the trolls." he replied as looked at Kharja's sleeping form.

"No. Trolls. There task." Grugda responded as he swept his hand indicating Gyn and Kharja, "You. Need truth. You. Must understand. Follow Grugda. You must."

Kace was taken aback by this. They had come this far to achieve an objective that was critical to the survival of their friends back on the mountain. Now he was being told by a creature he had never met to just blindly follow him.

"What if I refuse?" Kace asked testily.

"Hm. All. Will die. No matter. What. You do. Unless. You follow." Grugda responded in his same broken speech.

Kace carefully weighed his options. Grugda had not actually posed and threat to them so far. You could even say that he had only acted to protect himself while aiming to save Kharja's life. However they did not know him and so could not just blindly believe what he said. On the other hand if he refused and it provoked a conflict with Grugda. Could they win?

At the least Kharja would most likely perish considering the state he was in. Gyn had already proved himself useless in the previous confrontation. So that left himself. Even if he could come out victorious which was not certain then the cost would be too high.

At least if he went with Grugda for now then there was a good chance that the others could still complete their task. He could always attempt an escape if things looked shady later. Biting his lip, he came to a decision.

"Ok Grugda. I'll come with you. However you had better not be deceiving me." he said as he fixed the Eljein with his sharp golden eyes.

"Hmm. No trick. Too much. At stake. Come. We go. Now." Grugda replied with a somewhat serious expression.

Grugda calmly stood up and walked to the waters edge. Glancing behind him to make sure Kace would follow. Kace sighed, no longer having any other viable choices he moved to follow.

"Gyn. Kharja and yourself have to go on without me. Make sure you don't fail." he said in parting as he followed the Eljein.

When he came beside Grugda he nodded in approval then, waving his bony hand, the branches above them began to move. They slithered down through the air, tieing themselves around each other. All this to form a type of bridge over the waters surface.

With a heavy step Grugda without hesitation walked out onto it. Kace could not help to test if it were stable before he did the same. As the pair moved swift across it Kace observed as the branches continued to form new sections for them walk on as the parts behind them returned to their original positions.

"Grugda. How far do we have to go?" he finally asked after they had been walking for awhile.

"Hm. Soon. You see. There." Grugda replied as he pointed ahead.

Looking ahead Kace could see what appeared to be a giant thick root that was worming it's way through the water ahead. It was like giant archways.

"Is where we're going on the other side?"

"No. Inside. We use. Great tree. To travel."

Kace was confused as to how they could possibly travel using the roots of a tree. 'It's not going to climb out of the water and start walking is it?' he thought feeling slightly amused. It would truly be fitting for this fantasy type world.

As they reached the root archways Kace could finally, truly appreciate the size. The root itself had to be almost twelve foot thick and around eighteen foot at the height of its arch. Grugda casually placed both hands upon the root and began mumbling something in a language Kace could not understand. 'Come to think of it. I've never had any problems with language barriers since I got here." Kace thought as his curiosity rose.

As Grugda continued with whatever it was he was saying, the root began to make a split in itself. It slowly peeled back inside of itself to create an opening large enough for the pair to step inside. To Kace's surprise he discovered that the inside of the root was completely hollow!

'I guess I should be grateful that he chose a section that was flat to do this.' Kace though as he looked at the yellowish walls that now surrounded him.

The opening that they had just passed through began to close. Sealing them inside with total darkness.

"Prepare. Yourself." Grugda announced.

Before Kace could ask what he meant he suddenly felt himself become swept away by some kind of liquid as it engulfed him. He felt himself being tossed around. Rising upwards only to suddenly be dropped down. Around bends and fast flowing straights. All the while he could feel his own body being spun around in random directions. He felt like he was on a violent roller coaster.

He felt himself losing his ability to hold his breath. Not wanting to drown in whatever he was caught up in. Eventually he could hold it in no longer. Letting it out he reflexively gasped for breath.

As the liquid filled his lungs he felt no pain. As a matter of fact he even felt like he could breath normally. Only he was expelling the liquid and taking in more in it's place.

The sensation was surprisingly soothing. He now felt like the ride had become increasingly smooth. As if the liquid inside his lungs counterbalanced the force of the liquid on the outside. It was like a gentle car ride on a smooth road now.

As he felt fascinated with it he became aware that his speed was slowly decreasing. He had no idea just how long or how far he had travelled. He felt himself take a sharp turn as though the path ahead had branched off. He went through a spiral before he felt like he had unceremoniously been spat out.

He realised that he had been dropped from an opening in the ceiling of the room he now found himself in after light finally returned to his vision. He noticed green and blue fluorescent flowers and mushrooms coating the walls of the room as he fell. He landed heavily on a floor made of tree bark, knocking the wind out of him. This triggered him to begin coughing up the liquid that was still invading his lungs. The liquid itself turned out to be a thick, green like slime. 'Why do I always have to suffer crap like this.'

When his coughing fit finally ended he noticed he was laying a short distance from two Drugda's. 'Wait? Two?' he thought as he shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating. As he looked again there were still two. Although now he realised there were a number of differences. Mainly the new one had white hair and a beard reaching its naval. He had been too surprised to take note that they weren't the same before.

"So, you've finally arrived?" the white haired Eljein said clearly.

"Wait!? You can speak clearly?" Kace exclaimed in shock eliciting laughter from the Eljein.

"Hmm, I guess you would be surprised after only meeting Drugda. I am Ghursh, Drugda's master." He replied after calming down, "It was at my behest that Drugda sought you out. I'm sure you have many questions and I will answer them. Before that you may want to rest."

Ghursh waved his hand at the wall behind him. In response it parted gracefully. Revealing a gorgeous village beyond.

"Welcome to Er-Gol, the last bastion of our race." Ghursh smiled welcomingly.

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