Library15

Mission #43
Done by Tajon

“Missing? How could he be missing?” I shouted over the birch table. I pounded my fists on the smooth wood, knocking the candlestick to and fro like a ship in the waves. “I’m sorry, Tajon, but we do not know where he is. He went out questing for vermin and he never returned.” I felt Irongrip’s large paw on my shoulder. My pain was eased. “But…how…one of out best officers…but he wouldn’t…” “I know, I know! It isn’t like him to leave and not return. He is very independent and very strong. For all we know he has met up with some hare maid and…” “NO! That isn’t Larcoon’s way!” I pounded on the table once more, and the candlestick fell off the edge, sending the candle-flame sputtering out in an unseen puddle. Now the room was only lit by the dim torchlight. I sat with my head on my paws, thinking. Lacroon had left three days before, in search of vermin for the prison center. After two days we assumed he was going to come back soon, but now… I sat up. “I’m going after him.” Tammo was immediately at my side. “No, don’t. You need a break. You’ve been working hard and…” “With all due respect sir, I have been inactive in the Long Patrol for more then one month now. I consider that a break. I fear that my skills are getting rusty like the blade on my staff.” I lifted up my ash staff and looked over it fondly. Irongrip’s deep voice bellowed out behind me, “Tajon, we know that when you have your mind set to something you won’t give it up. You are right about leaving, you should.” A look of disgust from Tammo. Irongrip growled silently but Tammo held strong. “Irongrip, he needs a break.” “Will all due respect, commander, he has had a break.” Tammo sighed, and turned his back to us. There was a long silence before Tammo turned around. “You are free to go. Please come back safely. With any luck, you will find Lacroon within the next two or three days. I will order the cooks to prepare your meal. And I will assign some eager young privates to go along with…” “Sorry Tammo, but this mission I am going alone.” Tammo stared at me, sighed, and shrugged. “So be it. You will leave this evening. Dismissed.” I turned my back, and headed for the door when I heard Tammo’s voice. “Good luck, Tajon.” I smiled. Irongrip gave out a small chuckle and blurted out, “You are going to need it!”

I left that evening. The moon was bright in the sky, with stars twinkling overhead as I strode down the beach. The sand felt good on my paws, and the salty air boosted my spirits. It felt good to quest again. I trotted down the beach until the fire mountain was only a small speck in the distance. I had the basic idea where I was going. Larcoon had left down the beach and, though his footprints were long lost, I could still guess where he had headed. Darkness had fallen. I marched down the beach for a couple more yards, when something caught my eye. Two red eyes, glowing in the darkness. I blinked and they were gone. Was it my imagination? I turned towards where they had been and suddenly red hot pain sped up my footpaw and leg. I flinched, turned, pulled out my stick and swung, aimlessly around, but my blade cut through air. I grabbed a torch from my pack, and fumbled with some flint and timber. I took a step back, and the toe of footpaw stung again, suddenly, and the pain forced my hands to slam the flint and tinder together, lighting the torch. I looked down and saw…my bleeding footpaw, and surrounding it pieces of sharp glass. I looked forward, with my torch sending broad shadows of thing that didn’t seem to be there. I looked around nervously. I felt like…someone was watching me. I took a few steps forward, avoiding the broken glass, and looked forward again. The glass was next to some trees. Maybe that was where Lacroon went. Anyway, I had to give it a shot. I walked forward and soon was standing at the edge of the woods. I paused, and then suddenly the feeling came back, greater then ever. I spun quickly around, and found myself eyes to eyes with those blood-red eyes. I gasped, and backed up, dropping my torch into a pool of seawater where it went out. Everything was flung into a dark blackness. Except for one thing. Those eyes. I fumbled with my stick, and swung. The eyes backed up, avoiding my shot. I realized suddenly how dark it was, and looked up towards the sky. Rain clouds. Curses! I turned back down towards the eyes, but they were gone again. I reached down for my torch, but my hand grabbed sticky scales. I yelped and backed up, and then fell down what must have been a trap hole. When I regained my senses, I realized that I was in a very very deep hole, and there was no possible way I could jump out. I turned around, looking, when suddenly there were those eyes again, in the hole with me. I didn’t want them near, so I swung. Suddenly there was another pair of red eyes and another. The darkness lit up with red eyes, surrounding me, advancing. I swung with my stick, but it was yanked from my paws. I threw a punch, but I hit nothing, just air. Suddenly hundreds of paws, maybe thousand, grabbed me, and someone hit me with a rock. I was out like a light.

When I awoke, I had to rub my eyes to make sure I had. It was as dark as if my eyes were closed. I fumbled for my pack but it was gone, along with my staff. I stood up, and then realized I was on a bench. Hay lay on it, and the floor didn’t feel like dirt, it felt like hard stone. But the entire area had a damp, musty smell to it, so I assumed that I was underground. But where? I walked forwards, slowly. Suddenly my head bashed into a metal bar, which knocked me backwards onto something furry. It yelped, and I struggled to stand up. I had no breath; it had been replaced with cold fear, so I didn’t know what to say to this furry thing. It gave off a somewhat croaking sound, saying, “Salamandastron, are you from Salamandastron? Have you come to rescue me?” I suddenly realized who it was. “By the ghost of Martin’s spirit, is that you? Lacroon?” “Great seasons! Tajon! Thank heavens you are here!” We embraced, and then he let go. “Tajon, I have a torch.” “You do? Great! Oh, we are so lucky!” “But- I don’t have anything to light it with.” “Wait, here…” I fumbled in my pockets until I found what I wanted. “Flint and tinder!” “Yes!” Lacroon grabbed them from my hand and began to knock the flint together. The sparks lit up the darkness. “Lacroon, what are these things that captured us?” He looked up from his work. “I don’t know, but they sure don’t like light. I had my torch before they captured me, and they all stayed away. But when I threw it at them (which was a big mistake), they all ran away from it yelping. Do you have any idea.” I thought hard while Lacroon continued trying to light the torch. “Got it! Bats!” The torch blazed and I saw Lacroon’s smiling face. “I got it too.” Lacroon looked skinnier, but still very strong. I looked around our cell. Three was a small door on a wall to my left. I walked up to it slowly, and then threw myself against it, over and over. Lacroon caught on and he began to pound on it also. Finally, when my shoulder was so bruised that I couldn’t hit that door again, I noticed something. I laughed, very loud, causing Lacroon to stop ramming the door and instead he stared. When my laugh died down, I said, “It’s unlocked.” Lacroon managed a small smile, though I knew he found it funny also. I turned the handle, and opened the door.
Red eyes. Thousands. I felt like screaming, but my breath was gone again. Lacroon’s face turned white as a ghosts, and we stood, unmoving. Suddenly another idea hit me. “Give me the torch.” I whispered with all my remaining breath. He handed it over, slowly, still staring at the eyes. I suddenly grabbed his waist and pulled him towards the eyes. “What in the name of the Dark Forest are you doing?” Lacroon yelled as I dragged him towards the eyes. The eyes stared hard, but backed away from the torch light. I crossed the room and reached the door, where I found our weapons laying against a wall. Larcoon tried the door, but it was locked. “Hold on a moment, I’ll pick it.” He said, grabbing a nearby knife. He picked at the lock over and over. I suddenly realized with dread…that the torch was dying. “Oh my- Lacroon, go! Faster! The torch…it is dying!” “Hold it, I think I have it…” I heard a click. “Got it-“ The light died. The eyes advanced. I yelled, Lacroon stood, frozen. A pair of red eyes, at least one paw length each, was advancing on us. It came closer and closer. I suddenly extended the blade on my staff and threw it, full force, at the eyes. A shreak of pain echoed through the room, and I felt warm blood hit my paws. Larcoon suddenly moved and grabbed the door, throwing it open, and ran outside. I felt the chilly night air hit my skin, and I ran for dear life. It wasn’t until we had ran for a solid half hour, that we stopped, gasping for breath. I looked back at the cave, where the door now was out of sight, when reality hit me. My stick. My beautiful ash stick. It was now impaling some bat-lord’s head, back in that cave. I felt like going back, but I knew it was stupid. I turned to Larcoon and sighed. “Well old friend, let’s go home