Dragon Apocalypse (The Berserker and the Pedant Book 2) (13 page)

Two of the Pellonias on Arthur’s side leaned an elbow on the shoulders of the third Pellonia.
 
“Look, Pell,” the three said in unison, “you should come and join us.” The third Pellonia finished, “There will be plenty of room for us once the Phage come back. We’ll be treated as queens.”

“Heroes of exploration!” said the second Pellonia.

“Ambassadors to the rest of the world,” said the first Pellonia.

Rufus and the mysterious cloaked figure stood behind Arthur and the Pellonias and remained silent.

Pellonia and Gurken looked at each other, Gurken nodded, and Pellonia said, “Very well, what do you propose?
 
We can’t let you have the Sphere of Annihilation, and yet you insist that you must have it.
 
It seems to me that we are at an impasse.
 
How can this not end in violence?”

“If it comes to that,” Arthur said, “you’ll lose.
 
I outclass each of you on my own, and with the Pellonias, Rufus, and the man in the silken cloak, we’ll destroy you.
 
What I’m proposing is far more fair.
 
A game of luck!”

“Go on,” Maximina said.

“Well, here we are now at the chest containing the Sphere of Annihilation.
 
You valiantly fought your way here through the dungeon, and even defeated the — what did you call it? — ah, yes, the Bearowl.
 
We conveniently followed you through the dungeon, not needing to expend our resources as you used yours to defeat the underground denizens.”

“Clever,” Maximina said, nodding appreciatively.

“Now we find ourselves, unexpectedly, before two chests.
 
One of them likely a Mimic, as Maximina pointed out.
 
The other containing the Sphere of Annihilation.
 
Let us each choose a chest, open it, and contend with what comes.
 
What say you?”

Pellonia squinted at Arthur and pursed her lips.
 
Maximina walked over to Gurken and Pellonia and whispered, “We can succeed in this!”

Pellonia whispered back, “I don’t trust him.”

Gurken said, “He probably has magics that tell him which chest is the Mimic.
 
He wouldn’t propose a contest if he knew he might lose.”

Maximina said, “I’ve got a plan.
 
It will work if we get to choose first.”

“If Arthur does know which chest the Sphere is in, he’ll never agree to us going first.”

Maximina smiled. “I’ve got a plan for that as well.”

Pellonia looked at Gurken.
 
Gurken shrugged.
 
Pellonia sighed.
 
“Let’s do it,” she said.

They turned back towards Arthur and Maximina said, “Okay, we agree to your contest, on one condition.”

“Yes?”

“We get to pick the chest.”

Arthur laughed.
 
“I don’t think so.
 
We get to pick.”

Maximina smiled.
 
I’ve got you now, she thought.
 
“Fine, we’ll flip a coin for it.”

Arthur considered a moment.
 
“Very well, then, but we use my coin.”

“We use your coin, but I do the flipping.”

“You do the flipping, but I call it in the air,” said Arthur.

“Fine.”

“Fine.
 
We’re agreed,” said Arthur, pulling out a golden coin and handing it to Maximina.

Maximina flipped the coin high into the air, and stared at the coin with an intense look of concentration.
 
Arthur called out, “Heads!”

The coin tumbled back to the floor, bounced off the hard stone surface and spun on its side, coming to a rest sticking straight up.
 
Maximina concentrated for a moment and the coin fell over.
 
Tails.

Arthur stroked his chin.
 
“Very well.”

Maximina walked back over to Gurken and Pellonia, tapped herself on the side of the head, grinned widely, and whispered, “It pays to have a telekinetic on the team.”

“You cheated!” Pellonia growled in a low voice.

“Hush,” Maximina said.
 
“I did nothing of the sort.
 
No one said we couldn’t use any abilities during the flip.
 
Let’s just say I thought outside the box.”

“Do you normally do your thinking sitting inside of a box?” Gurken asked.
 
“Seems strange.”

Maximina gave Gurken an exasperated look. “Yes, I do all my best thinking sitting inside of boxes.”

“Never mind that now,” Pellonia said.
 
“What’s the rest of your plan?”

“Shall we fetch you a box, so that you might better consider our next move?”

Maximina ignored him.
 
“The Mimic will hide its true form until someone touches it.
 
We simply have someone stand next to each chest and simultaneously touch them.
 
The one that doesn’t try to bite us holds the Sphere!”

Pellonia smacked herself in the head.
 
“That’s your plan?
 
That’s what I get for listening to you.
 
We should have just attacked them. I think we could have taken them.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Pellonia.
 
They’re much stronger,” Maximina said.

“We’ve got a dragon on our side!” Gurken said.

“He’s just a hatchling.”

“I meant the other dragon.”

“Ohm?
 
She identifies as a bard now.”

“She’s not much good as a bard. She should dragon out and help us.”

“I heard that!” Ohm said, without interrupting the song.

“Good!” Gurken bellowed, loud enough for Ohm to hear.

“Alright,” Maximina said. “Here’s the plan.”

Maximina stood on the ceiling between the chests, holding an anvil.
 
Gurken stood on the ground between the chests with his axe raised, his eyes drawn toward Isa, the dwarfen rune of challenge and frustration, but which also, from time to time, meant treachery, illusion, and deceit.
 
Ohm stood in front of one chest, and Pellonia stood in front of the other.
 
Armageddon flapped his wings, hovering between the two, alert for any sign of movement from the chests.
 
Arthur stroked his chin while the rest of The Lightning Brigade observed from a respectful distance.

Pellonia said to Arthur, “We choose—“ and Ohm and Pellonia both set their hands on the chests.

Both chests opened, their lids covered in fangs dripping with venom and huge tentacled tongues.
 
The tentacles shot out, wrapping around Pellonia and Ohm’s arms, pulling their arms inside.
 
Gurken, Maximina, and Apocalypse froze, unsure which chest to attack.

Hoots and hollers came from behind. Arthur and the Pellonias were laughing hysterically.
 
Rufus and the man in the silken cloak moved their arms rhythmically and chanted.
 
A sphere of solid blackness rose behind them and they turned, gesturing at it.

The chests bit deeply into Pellonia and Ohm, venom seeping into their veins.
 
Maximina dropped an anvil on the Mimic biting into Pellonia, and Gurken swung his axe, shattering the chest into tiny wooden shards.
 
Apocalypse disgorged a white-hot ball of flame at the other chest, scorching it.
 
Flames licked as the Mimic screamed in pain, releasing Ohm from its wicked bite.

“They’re both Mimics!” Arthur laughed, wiping tears from his eyes.
 
He could hardly breathe.
 
In between gasps for breath, he said, “We… snuck… in here… earlier.
 
While… you were… resting last night.
 
And… took the Sphere. Hahahahaha.
 
It was the Pellonias’ idea… to put the Mimics here… Hahahaha.
 
Oooooooo.
 
That was good.
 
That was really good.
 
Anyway, good luck with the venom.
 
You’ll likely be dead in the next few minutes.”

The Lightning Brigade turned and walked from the room.
 
Arthur led the way, the Pellonias following behind, and Rufus and the man in the silken robe mystically controlling the Sphere and pulling it behind them.

C
HAPTER
T
WELVE

The Berserker and the Poison

MAXIMINA PULLED TWO potions out of her magical sack, a dark red potion with golden sparkles, and a slightly less dark red one without sparkles.
 
She poured the one with sparkles into Pellonia’s mouth and the one without into Ohm’s.

Pellonia’s eyes fluttered open.

“What… what happened?”

“Save your strength, Pellonia,” Gurken said.
 
“No need to talk now.”
 
He patted her on the head.

“I’m fine,” Pellonia said.
 
“Whatever Maximina gave me seems to have done the trick.”

“My poor brave, deluded Pellonia.
 
I’m afraid that Mimic poison is fatal.
 
You shall be missed.”
 
Gurken rubbed his nose.

Ohm, awake once more but frowning, perhaps because of a decided lack of attention from the rest, said, “I’m afraid Gurken is correct. Mimic poison is fatal to elves.”
 
Ohm began to strum a sad funeral song on his lute.

Maximina rolled her eyes.
 
“Pellonia will be fine. I gave her a universal antidote potion.”

Gurken and Pellonia looked relieved.

“You gave one to me as well?” asked Ohm, smiling.

“Sorry, Ohm.
 
I only had the one.
 
I gave you a potion that delays the onset of poison.”

Ohm’s eyes grew wide.

“If there are universal antidote potions available, why would you carry one that just delays the onset of the poison?” he asked.

Maximina shrugged.
 
“I can think of several scenarios where delaying the onset of a poison instead of curing it would be quite helpful.”

Ohm’s eyebrows scrunched together. “And is this one of those scenarios?” he hissed.

Maximina smiled.
 
“Sadly, no.
 
But it’s what I’ve got.”

“It’s fine,” said Ohm.
 
“Mimic poison affects dragons differently anyway.”

“It doesn’t kill you?” Maximina asked, hopefully.

Ohm shook his head.
 
“No.
 
It won’t kill me.”

“Well, that’s good.
 
What does it do?”

The frown on his face gave way to a lazy smile.
 
“The more immediate affet es entossedification… intossicadation… we geht dronk.”

“I thought the potion was supposed to delay the effects of the poison?” Pellonia asked.
 
“He seems drunk to me.”

“Mahgic pozzions geht dragooooons dronk too.
 
Look at the pretty lights!
 
Do you has any moh pozzions?”
 

“Great,” Gurken said.
 
“He’s hallucinating.
 
No more potions for the dragon.”

“No. Look,” Pellonia said, pointing down the hall.

A blue light whizzed through the air in the hallway, circling around, as if gesturing for them to follow.

“Ooooooo,” said Maximina, reaching into her magic sack and pulling out a big jar and a crossbow with a net attached to it.
 
“Will o’ the wisps!
 
I’ve been looking for some of those!”
 
She took off running down the hall.
 
Gurken, Pellonia, and Apocalypse followed, Ohm stumbling along in the same general direction.