This sucks! My-re thought to herself as she fell through the air. She tried to grab onto something, anything, but the side of the grounded Unsinkable III flying ship’s hull was smooth. Instinct from her gladiator training and many falls on the sands took over, she relaxed her body, as best she could, and bent her knees. The ground came up fast. Covering her head and pulling her chin to her chest, there was a solid jolt as her feet hit the ground. She immediately fell onto her side. Stars blasted her vision. The ground was softer than expected, so she didn’t bounce. Knowing this was where the crew dumped their waste over the past two weeks, she didn’t dwell on the reason it was so forgiving. Her whole body ached, like a Shewish Giant had tenderized her figure with a maul.
The snarls and barks of numerous crag wolves surrounded the ship came into reality. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. My-re laid face up and looked to the sky. Her body didn’t want to move, as if she had just woken up too early in the morning. She saw one of the wolves charge her prone form. Her battle axe was strapped to her back. There was no time. She was defenseless. Closing her eyes, she accepted her fate.
The wolf crashed into her. My-re felt its coarse and bristly fur against her skin. Her hands grabbed its pelt defensively. The beast was massive. She would never win in a test of strength. However, it wasn’t moving. She noticed arrow shafts embedded in the wolf’s head and shoulders. Glancing, archers lined the ship’s railing above.
“Get up you idiot!’ yelled the voice of Vomarian Fae and captain of the Unsinkable III. “You’re a Lord Protector, fight!”
Ha, I’m alive! My-re rolled into a crouch and stood. She brought her battle axe to guard.
Three of the wolves’ countless numbers charged. They lead was immediately brought down by arrow fire. The other two clamored remorselessly over its body.
My-re brought her battle axe slicing across with tree-felling power! The wolf was struck on the side of its head. It was a devastating attack. The wolf immediately went limp, like a light turned off in its brain. The other charged. She threw a piston-like side kick at her opponent. It connected with its face. Cartilage sickly snapped and popped. It ‘yelped’, cowered, and retreated.
“Alright, who’s next?” My-re shouted and then quipped. “I can do this for another eight or nine more minutes!”
A deep growl emanated from within the horde. The front line parted and several crag wolves pushed their way thought. My-re recognized the lead wolf. Its brown and black fur bristled and the long, curved bone-like spikes traveling down its back were standing at attention. It was recently marred across its face and one eye by the mere dragon Koma’s claws. That eye had turned the color of a hard-boiled egg. Blind and useless. The other had a razor like focus. At seeing My-re, the creature’s lips parted, unsheathing yellow-stained fangs. The wolf’s gums receded from its teeth turning them into daggers.
My-re cursed in the Rirorni native language of Rathiri. The Rirorni swear roughly translated to a phrase meaning to ‘procreate with oneself’. She backed up until her head hit the ship’s hull. There was no retreat. She was on death’s ground.
“Any thoughts to get me out of here would be most welcomed!”
The crag wolves fanned into a semi-circle with Scar, at the pentacle. Snarling, growling, and scratching at the dirt, they were working themselves up in a frenzy to attack.
The two wolves on My-re’s left flank leapt. She whirled her battle axe from overhead with demonic fury!
There was a ‘whoosh’ of air as two enormous boulders landed solidly on the charging wolves. Their broken bodies, turned into pulp under their massive weight.
The adversaries paused at the spectacle.
The two sand-colored rocks began to transform and boulders fused together into Havelocks’ golems, Rock and Chip. Their only facial features were squinted slits for eyes, a sharp nose, and straight line for a mouth, all carved into the stone of a rough-hewn, oval-shaped head.
The horde of creatures, including Scar backed away.
“Now you’re in trouble, you mangy flea infested b—whoa!” My-re was interrupted, as the slightly smaller, but equally impressive golem Chip, grabbed her around her chest and lifted her off the ground to its shoulders.
A wolf charged the other golem, Rock, and bit into its boulder like leg. The attacked bounced off and was ineffective. Rock unleashed a bone-crushing kick of incredible power. The wolf sailed into the air and landed somewhere within the masses.
In the wolves’ hesitation, Rock turned and proceeded to the ship’s hull. It bent slightly at one knee, body at an angle, and stretched its arms upwards. Chip, with My-re on its shoulders, began to climb up its brother’s body towards the railing. Shagornan elves were already reaching downwards to take My-re’s hand.
Seeing their prey escape, the crag wolves descended on Rock. They bit, scratched, and clawed at the stone golem, turned ladder.
Chip stood on Rock’s shoulder, but there was still considerable distance to the railing. My-re climbed on Chip’s head and both she and the elves strained hands. She inverted her axe handle stretching, but there was still some gap.
The wolves, in an unorthodox fashion, were now using Rock’s body for footing and attempted to follow My-re.
“Start tying rope together!” Vomarian Fae ordered. “Hurry!”
The predators were ascending up the golems. They reached Chip’s body.
My-re kicked at them.
One fell. More took its place.
She tried to swing her axe. It put her off balance. She almost tumbled below.
A claw raked her leather boot.
Chip shook two crag wolves off its arm. The creatures fell into the masses. The golem reached up and grabbed My-re’s nether region.
“Hey pebbles! Watch the fingers!”
The stone golem cocked its arm and threw My-re upwards into the air. Her chest banged into the railing. Her simple clothing and endowments was the only thing helping absorb the blow. She bounced and fell. She frantically scrambled to catch onto the edge of the ship. Multiple hands slipped and grabbed at her.
“We got you!” Vomarian Fae shouted. “Pull her up!”
As My-re felt herself being lifted by the Shagornan elves like a child, she glanced back. Chip and Rock let go from the side of the ship. It cutoff the wolves’ only means to reach them. The stone golems were immediately engulfed.
Breathing out heavily, standing on the deck of the Unsinkable III never felt better.
“We thought we lost you,” Vomarian Fae said and stepped forward close, but paused as the crew looked on. He touched her upper arm lightly, nodded in respect and continued. “Besides, no one here speaks Rathiri.”
“Thanks, I wasn’t sure I’d make it myself,” My-re said and quipped. “Lucky for you then you got me back on-board.” She spotted the three mere dragons as they scampered down to the lower deck.
At the same time arch-mage Havelock emerged from below and dodged out of their way.
“Silly creatures.” Havelock clasped his hands together, and approached them. “Thank you for that diversion with the mere dragons. A little dangerous, entirely too risky, and completely unnecessary, but it worked. This hull is finally repaired. We can leave anytime now captain.” He then sniffed the air. Stepped towards My-re and turned up his nose. “However, you could use a proper bath.”
“I’ll get right on that,” My-re said sourly. Clearing her throat, she continued, “I’m so sorry about your golems. They saved my life, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay…”
Havelock walked away from her and looked over the railing to the frenzy of snarling and barking crag wolves below. Putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head, he bellowed, “Rock, Chip! Play time is over! I’ll lower the two anchors! Latch on! We are departing!”
Following Havelock, My-re said, “Wait, are you saying they’re okay?”
“Of course. A few teeth marks or scratches won’t cause them any bother. Their stone after all my dear.”
The goat Joey, rescued from the Rirorni plains came up to her and rubbed against her boot. My-re picked him up and hugged him close. ‘Bleat.’
“I agree with you, you little prairie snack, let’s get the nine hells out of here.”
“Prepare the ship for take-off!” Vomarian Fae bellowed returning to the massive steering wheel at the aft section of the Unsinkable III. “Be cautious. We’re heading into the Deep South. Set course for Rithakhar, the capital and very heart of the Rirorni Empire.”