Arise the Dragonslayer (The Flash warrior Book 1)

Chapter twenty-five: Flash warriors, assemble!

On the letter Giuseppe sent us, there were five words written: Go to the western swamp. "Western swamp? Why would he send us there?" Sean looked at Claes, but he didn't look back.

"He probably didn't find any information about the location. I think someone told him about this place." Claes is good at making theories.

"Perhaps that someone could be a member who went to the volcanic island," Sean guessed.

"Maybe, just maybe. Quickly, Sean, adjust the sails. We're speeding up." We hung on tight on an object we saw first in the battleship. "Wait, what's going on? Why are we holding?" Lenard asked.

"We're having a sea coaster ride." Victor cackled.

"Stop it." Chloriette glared.

Have you ever ridden a ship that goes crazy fast before? I had. I watched Claes as he turned the helm every time the ship rose and sank along the tidal waves. "Don't tell me this is one of those shortcuts." Sean couldn't focus on his balance on the cargo, even when he had the railing to hold on to.

Claes barked from the sound of the waves, "No, it's not. This is the long cut."

"You have got to be kidding!"

And there it was, trees with creepy green vines wrapped around the branches. Tiny nymphs ran around hiding the moment they saw us coming. "Claes, are we going to slow down or what?" Sean asked, his curly bangs were all around his face from the speed.

"Please slow down, please slow down, please slow down." I heard Lenard mutter, fear prominent in his voice.

"Sean, I need you to stop the sails on my mark," Claes instructed. Without hesitation, Sean was ready to wait for Claes' signal. After a moment, he finally said it. "Now, Sean!" Sean snapped his fingers and the sails rolled up as quick as the bird striking towards the sky. The acceleration of the sailboat slowed to a normal pace just like a couple of days ago. As we finally let go of the railing, Lenard wrapped his arms around his stomach. "Okay . . . does anybody have a bucket?"

The water carried the Flash warrior sailboat straight into the swamp river (The river was wide enough for the boat, that's a relief). I scanned the place. The western swamp wasn't so bad when you got closer, unlike when you're farther. This looked like a foggy place where every swamp people would go. l remembered the creatures living in this swamp, thanks to the education I had in the academy.

The tiny nymphs that I mentioned earlier were called Ukumao, think of them also as nymphs but smaller and elf-dwarf-like. They lived in small trees or on top of it. Sometimes, they build houses near the river, carving through the log and making it their home.

The creepy ones, which I didn't like, were Cernoche, flying furry creatures with bat wings that glide from branches to branches. The habitat was still unknown, but some researchers believed that they lived on top of these swamp trees to hunt prey from below, as well as suddenly snatching your underwear which happened to Lenard a few minutes ago.

The reptilian fish that slithers through the river was Nerlinks, they may look like mermaids, but the difference was their skin was mostly layered with hard, smooth, scales. Their hair served as their fishing tool and also a whip to protect themselves. I know, right? Oh, and the ladies were not the type to fall in love unlike the mermaid princess in Atlantis. Red hair, shiny blue eyes, whatever.

Another thing that I found astonishing was the Ogreweathere, they were nature-type beings, allowing themselves to blend in any kind of environment. Like, they can change into tall water figures while they're a fish swimming in their stomach (Don't worry, they won't digest it. How? Not a big fan of science). They can morph into rocky golems, humanoid trees, tornadoes with arms that travel to the sky, and a flaming, volcanic figure. Despite all that, they were friendly and had no reason to harm other living beings unless they were attacked.