We left early the following morning. Zaxl tried his first ale and claimed he hated it. (he then proceeded to drink four straight pints of it)
"Still hate ale, Zaxl?" I jested.
"It's alright," he said with a sheepish smile.
"What do Draulters drink, anyway?" Jethro asked curiously.
"We drink a lot of different teas. My favorites are beetroot and crystal melon."
"Crystal melon?" Jethro choked out. He thought it was the most disgusting drink on earth and said he'd rather die of dehydration than have it again.
"Yes, do you not like it?" he asked puzzledly.
"Nope, it's the worst thing I've ever tried!" he replied with a sickly green hue on his face.
"Can't please everyone," Zaxl jested.
We reached a signpost, and it listed two different paths to Jokkam. We could take a shortcut through the wildlands and save us a couple of days, or go through the mountains and risk getting eaten by trolls.
"Take the first option," Jethro whined.
"We can't walk through the mountains, anyway. I'm cold-blooded; I need the sun for my strength," Zaxl spoke with a sigh.
"We'll take the shortcut," I affirmed.
We went on the shortcut with Zaxl as our guide. He knew the wildlife better than anyone and knew every wort and bane.
"DO NOT eat anything unless I say you can," he eyed Jethro.
"I know my flora quite well, thank you very much," he scoffed.
"Is that so? What berry is that?" Zaxl pointed at a dark blue, almost black berry.
"That's a blueberry..."
"WRONG! That is a deadly nightshade berry. Do you know what happens to those who eat it?" he asked with a peeved expression.
"What?" Jethro asked in a bored tone.
"Vomiting, paralysis, and hallucinations. Does that sound fun to you?"
"Err... not especially..."
As we walked through the wildlands, the ground quaked. Pebbles would bounce around like grain kernels, and the shaking only worsened.
"What is the-" I began to ask before noticing a giant jet-black figure coming down the hill. It wasn't human and was even taller than Zaxl. I'd estimate it to have been around twenty feet in height.
My heart nearly stopped when I realized what I was looking at.
"Is that...?" Jethro asked in disbelief.
We were face to face with a giant scorpion.
YOU ARE READING
The Amethyst Flame
FantasíaThe village of Colmer is devastated by a plague. Its only hope is two brothers divided by their beliefs in magic. When Jethro ventures into the depths of the forest to find a wizard who can heal the village, Arthur is forced to find his brother befo...
