Book 1 | Agent 34 and the Desert of Beasts

Chapter 23 | Veroms

"You can keep it," Agent 34 said, handing his sword back to Ismara. "Plus, it matches your new gem."

"I can't, you need at least some sort of weapon!" Ismara argued.

"Already have one. I can use your old sword, or I can spellweave," Agent 34 said. "Just give up, I'm not letting you win this argument. You are keeping the sword."

"But nothing is as sharp as this blade!" Ismara continued arguing.

"I can find another one." Agent 34 said.

"I do know of where some more of that material is hidden. It's in an old dragon mine, but I don't think we have enough time to stop there." Wímad said.

"It's fine, I'll just use Ismara's sword in battle against Braunick's army." Agent 34 said, and glanced at Arenia who had fallen asleep on Wímad's back as they flew.

Agent 34 had been in a gloomy mood because of Arenia. She had stated she was going to leave their little team of heroes they had assembled when they reached the Zena, and would only come again if Thad, the Zena's leader, told them to.

"What will happen when we reach the Zena now that an army is coming for them?" Agent 34 asked Wímad and Ismara.

"Well," Wímad was answering the question. "You will try to be trained as quickly as possible. Someone will teach you as much as they can before the army attacks, and then we will go into battle against them. But It's unlikely that they will have enough time to train you because they will all be busy preparing for war."

Suddenly, there was a battle-cry, and arrows and spears were being shot at the group.

"It's verom!" Wímad announced, and veered to the left to dodge a spear.

Agent 34 and Ismara ran to Arenia, Ismara's armor clanging against her body, and they woke her.

"What? Why must you wake me!" She demanded.

"Veroms are attacking us," Ismara explained. "Wímad, land and we will slay them! Agent 34, you know what they are, right?"

"I think, but could you explain it again?" Agent 34 asked Ismara.

"Veroms are a race that is working for Braunick. They are purple, buff-like trolls. They are stronger than the average elf or human, but me and you could probably match them because of the gems." Ismara explained.

Suddenly, Wímad fell out of the air and hit the ground hard. The three elves flew off his back, and Wímad tumbled along the sand.

Rolling to a stop, Wímad saw a spear had been shoved deep in his belly, and his wings had been torn.

Agent 34 looked over to see Ismara lying in the sand, and he quickly ran to help her up. Once she was up again, he looked for Arenia but saw no sign of her.

"Agent 34, watch out!" Arenia shouted from wherever she was, because Agent 34 could not find her.

Agent 34 felt something heavy being jump onto his shoulders and pound on his head with it's fists. Agent 34 quickly drew his sword and shoved it right through the attackers's skull, killing it instantly.

The body dropped off of Agent 34 and he turned around to see a verom lying dead in front of him. It wielded no weapon, and has only damp cloth to use as clothing. It's ears were sticking out, long and far. It's head was more of an oval shape, and blood covered where Agent 34 had stabbed it.

Somehow, Arenia was behind Ismara and Agent 34 when she shouted, "They are surrounding us!" and she was right. The veroms were slowly surrounding the elves.

The veroms laughed devilishly as they circled the elves. "Braunick will be pleased!" One said.

"Can't wait to shove my spear through your eyes!"

"I want to rip off their toenails!"

"Silence!" a verom announced, and every single one of the purple creatures went silent.

"No one is ripping off toenails or stabbing their eyes. Braunick wants them alive, dimwits!" The verom said, and walked past the veroms surrounding the elves and dragon. It walked towards them, and stood face-to-face with Ismara.

"So you have a gem?" It asked.

"Why should I tell you?" Ismara demanded, shouting at the verom.

"Paòminar already told Braunick. He sent us here to capture you. Braunick is going to go attack the Zena soon, while riding Paòminar! You should've killed that dragon when you had the chance. Now, come on. We are going to his castle now," 

The verom started walking the opposite direction of the Zena, but the three elves didn't dare follow him.

"Well?" The verom asked from over its shoulder. "Must we forcefully make you come or will you willingly come?"

"We are going nowhere with you," Agent 34 said.

"Very well," the lead verom turned around towards them again. "Get them."

All the veroms that surrounded the elves charged at them all, and tackled them to the ground. Agent 34 fell to his knees as several jumped on his back, other jumped on his chest. He was slowly pulled to the ground, and the sky disappeared from view as the more veroms cluttered over him and crowded his vision.

"They aren't going anywhere," someone said, and it sounded familiar to Agent 34. "Back off of them." The voice commanded, and the veroms jumped off of Agent 34 and the other elves.

"No,you idiots! Don't listen to his commands!" The verom leader shouted, and all the veroms groaned.

Agent 34 looked up to see Fáolar on a horse before them, with most of the citizens of Ilrenia behind him. "You gonna surrender or are we going to have to make you surrender?" Faòlar asked.

The verom leader groaned frustratedly and ordered his little army to attack Fáolar's.

The two groups went into battle instantly, slashing at each other with whatever weapons they had.

"What is the entire village of Ilrenia doing here!" Arenia shouted to Ismara over the commotion of weapons colliding.

"I have no idea!" Ismara replied. "Just try to get Wímad back up and he can clear the whole lot of veroms out!"

The elves ran to the golden dragon and quickly awoke him from his short slumber. "Can you fly?" Ismara asked the dazed dragon.

"I don't think so, not in this condition. I could if I was still young, but my wings have been torn to an extent where I cannot fly anymore until I've rested some and they have had time to heal. I can try if you really need me to," Wímad explained. "How long have I been out of it?"

"Not long," Agent 34 replied. "Probably five minutes at most. Can you help us kill them veroms?"

"Yeah, sure." Wímad grunted, and rolled onto his belly and pushed himself up from the ground. He roared massively, which startled the battle.

"Veroms, back away now or I'll eat you all for lunch!" Wímad roared. "Everyone on our side, get behind me."

The villagers of Ilrenia got behind the golden dragon, and Ismara, Arenia, and Agent 34 climbed onto Wímad's back. The veroms trembled in front of Wímad, and if they tried to flee Wímad would flick them back into the lot of veroms.

Quickly, Wímad snapped his jaws down on the veroms in front of them, and swallowed them whole.

The villagers behind Wímad cheered, and the golden dragon turned around to get his full glory.

"Fáolar, what are you all doing here?" Arenia shouted to the horse rider below them.

"I'll explain later," he replied. "Let's just quickly go to the Zena before Braunick sends more veroms. I'll explain everything on the way, only a couple more dozen miles until we finally get to the Zena."