Guild Wars_ Edge of Destiny - J. Robert King [86]
“Yuck,” Snaff said.
“I know! Mud, mosquitoes, those bushes that stick seedpods to your pants—”
“Sticker bushes—”
“Thanks,” Tokk replied. “Yes, in such a horrid place is where a champion of Primordus is rising.”
“Just name him!” Snaff said, scowling now. “Imagine the cheek, rising near Rata Sum!”
“He is called the Destroyer of Life,” Tokk said, his eyebrows lifting as if his own words amazed him. “His master, Primordus, was the first of the Elder Dragons to rise, and he wreaked havoc on the dwarves. They slew his first champion, the Great Destroyer, and we allied with the dwarves to fight back the tide of minions that boiled up from the deep places. For centuries, we had them driven back. But the old wyrm found a new champion. The Destroyer of Life is forged of stone and magma. He is raising more armies of destroyers.”
Snaff now was shaking one small fist. “We’ll get you, Destroyer of Life! And why shouldn’t we? We’re the killers of dragon champions!”
Tokk grinned. “So you think you and your comrades could destroy the Destroyer of Life and his army?”
“Of course,” Snaff said resolutely.
The party lasted all night and stretched straight through till morning. As guests boarded boats and rowed back to the docks, the comrades found themselves lingering together around the council table and the ragged remains of the feast.
“You know,” Rytlock said as he hoisted a barrel and poured the dregs of the ale into a stein, “that’s two we’ve done for the norn.”
Eir glanced at him in annoyance. “What?”
“You know—the Dragonspawn was for Nut White-Face—”
“Knut Whitebear.”
“And we did this one for Morgan Bloodfist.”
“Magnus the Bloody Handed. How much ale have you had?” Eir asked.
Rytlock pointed a claw at her and sighted somewhat unsteadily down it. “Not enough to not be able to recognize that it—I mean, to not notice it’s been all norn favors so far.”
“Fine,” Eir said. “Noted.”
“All I mean is, maybe next time we do something for the charr,” Rytlock ventured, downing the stein in one gulp.
“Yeah,” Logan said with a laugh. “Let’s destroy Ebonhawke. But afterward, we have to help the humans by destroying the Black Citadel.”
Rytlock looked at his friend with surprised admiration, and then with shocked disgust, and then with a mixture of the two, which looked very much like a hangover.
Logan went on, “Instead of rushing into another fight, why don’t we do some—I don’t know—diplomatic missions. For instance, Queen Jennah has requested our presence in Divinity’s Reach—”
“That’s it!” Rytlock crowed. “We’ll conquer Divinity’s Reach!”
Everyone but Logan laughed at that.
Snaff shook his head. “It’s no good doing things for humans or charr, but there is an ancient threat rising beneath Rata Sum.”
“What threat?” Eir asked.
“Another dragon champion: the Destroyer of Life. He’s raising an army of destroyers to erupt from the ground and swarm the jungles and destroy Rata Sum.”
Eir arched an eyebrow. “How much have you been drinking?”
“It’s true. Captain Tokk told me,” Snaff said. “Rata Sum doesn’t have effective defenses. Sure they have the peacemaker golems, but they’re used mostly to prevent krewes from stealing each other’s secrets. I’ve tried to sell them true battle golems, but no one on the council listens to me. This is just the sort of threat I was imagining: there’s a volcano under the jungle, and its spewing out destroyers. Perfect!”
“You want us to fight a volcano?” Rytlock asked.
Snaff bubbled excitedly, “We could come up with a caldera plug or maybe caldera crème—or even a giant spear like people use to lance a boil.”
Eir smiled. “Excellent ideas, all. But first, we’ll find out what really is happening beneath Rata Sum. Then we’ll make our plans and our golems. If the Destroyer of Life is rising beneath the jungle, he’s just made seven deadly enemies.”
From Logan Thackeray
To Her Royal Majesty, Jennah,
Queen of Kryta,
Regent of Ascalon
Friend of all Humankind
Greetings,
As you have no doubt heard, Captain Magnus the Bloody Handed, his troops, my comrades, and