Jacob had originally been looking forward to his first weekend in Sentinel Village. He couldn’t wait to explore all the odd attractions, but that had all changed with the prospect of finding the Galeeky Stone Seal. Now his weekend was to be fraught with real adventures and treacherous perils. At least that’s what he anticipated, given the fact that he really didn’t know what an ogre was. And since he couldn’t conceive what they might be facing, he couldn’t come up with any well-rehearsed plan. The not knowing made it more exciting and scary at the same time.
After finishing off their breakfast they gathered up their packs and eagerly headed out the door towards the Frosty Mug Tavern. With the phoenix perched on his shoulder, Jacob marched next to Emalynn, while the Lynex trailed behind.
“What about Trarekeal,” asked the Lynex, “don’t we want to bring him along with us for protection?”
“Nope,” replied Jacob, “a dragon would most likely scare off the ogres and then we would never be able to find anything.”
“Then don’t you worry, please no one worry,” said the Lynex, seizing the opportunity to boast. “I the greatest lynex of all will protect everyone and save all your lives. Danger is what I live for!”
Next door they could see Hobble standing on the walkway directly in front of the Frosty Mug Tavern. As they approached he waved and called out, “Good eh morning, eh pleasant day for eh trip ta Ogre Island.”
“I can’t wait to meet an ogre,” replied Emalynn eagerly.
“Humph! Doon’t expect much,” bluntly responded Hobble.
Jacob dropped his pack onto the ground and bent over to remove his orb. The group crowded around him, and when he had properly readied himself, they placed their hands on his shoulders. Having memorized earlier the orb coordinates for Ogre’s Island, he held up his orb and effortlessly punched the symbols with his index finger. Within a split-second they found themselves standing on a strange black rocky beach, staring up at seagulls that were nosily circling overhead.
“I’ll fly ahead and scout out a path to the Ogre Village,” exchanged the phoenix in thought. He sprang off Jacob’s shoulder and with several quick beats of his outstretched wings climbed into the sky, heading straight towards a tall rocky sea cliff.
Jacob watched until the phoenix disappeared out of sight, and then turned to face the others. “We might as well get comfortable while the phoenix is out surveying the island for us,” he said, trying his best to look as if he knew what he was doing. “This will take awhile.”
He turned and led the group towards a cluster of rocks that looked just right for sitting. After comfortably settling down, they collectively stared out over the ocean’s surf. To their rear, far off in the distance, a monstrous mountain resting in the heart of the island streamed black smoke out its pinnacle.
Emalynn looked back towards the volcano and curiously studied it. “That volcano really does make this island look like it’s inhabited by ogres,” she said, nodding her head smartly.
“Hobble, are ogre’s friendly and can they talk?” asked Jacob, curious as to what they may be up against.
“You mean you don’t know!” exclaimed Emalynn, looking surprised. “I thought you had this trip planned out!”
“Well no,” admitted Jacob embarrassingly. “I just thought we’d just figure it out as we go along.”
“We come all this way with you and you don’t even have a plan or know what we’ll be up against! Don’t you think it would have been better to have come here prepared?”
“I suppose so,” said Jacob, hating to admit that she may be right. But at the same time he couldn’t help but feel that her complaining was more motivated by the certainty that she was about to lose their bet, rather than a genuine concern for their safety. “After all,” he confidently thought, “Her nitpicking is only a sign of nervous humiliation, because she knows if things go well today I’ll be the victor.”
“Well I guess it’s too late now to do anything about it,” muttered Emalynn. The ocean breeze blew her hair to the side and she brushed it out of her face. “But, I’ll help you make a good plan Jacob, I’m really talented at that sort of thing.”
Still not knowing if ogres could talk, Jacob thought to ask Hobble again when suddenly he heard the phoenix’s voice in his head. Gazing upward he shaded his eyes with his hand and searched the sky for his friend.
“I found the path, follow me,” announced the phoenix.
“Let’s go,” said Jacob, quickly jumping down from his rock. He began to follow the small speck moving overhead as the rest of the group alighted off their rocky perches, and together trudged through the black sand after him. It didn’t take long for their shoes to fill with uncomfortable granules as they clomped onward through the dunes towards an opening of a narrow valley wedged between rock-strewn sea cliffs. Upon reaching the chasm Jacob stared up at tall stone walls that stretch skyward like rough sheets of sandpaper. Having left the sandy beach behind they each removed their shoes, and with the anticipation of a long hike ahead they emptied out all the uncomfortable grit. Determined to find the seal and return home before sunset, Jacob pushed them on without delay. He led them forward, weaving back and forth through the ravine to drive them toward the phoenix, gradually traveling deeper inland. The parched topography soon distorted to a smooth wrinkled surface that curved around half buried black stones.
“This looks like a dried streambed that you’d find diamonds in,” said Emalynn. Her eyes filled with anticipation as she scanned up and down the strange landscape.
“Possibly,” said Hobble, “boot not likely.”
They continued on their course without seeing any changes, until coming upon a thin trickle of water soaking into the thirsty sand. Ahead the slender flow widened and disappeared behind a broad bend. As they drew near, they heard an unexpected rustling droning out from behind the tall walls. Curios, Jacob quickened his step, moving well in front of the others.
“There’s definitely something up ahead,” he said, causing Emalynn to run forward to catch up.
“Sounds like applause to me,” said the Lynex with his eyes wide as he also scurried ahead. “The phoenix must have told them that I was coming!”
“If he had it twould be much louder, more like eh angry mob!” commented Hobble, while quickening his short strides.
Unexpectedly the Lynex whirled about, bringing Hobble to an abrupt stop, while Jacob and Emalynn anxiously continued ahead. Narrowing his eyes the Lynex glared at Hobble giving him a firm-reprimanding scowl by sticking out his tongue. Appearing mollified, he then turned and stomped onward, while mumbling under his breath, “No one should ever have to pay attention to that dwarf; we all know how admired I am!”
Jacob was first to round the tall rock walls, and before him the valley came to an abrupt end. A narrow waterfall cascaded down from off a jagged cliff loudly splashing into a perfectly oval pool. Behind the thin glistening veil of water he could make out a dark cave.
“Oh, isn’t this beautiful!” exclaimed Emalynn, as she stepped up beside him and they both stared at the spectacular sight.
Seeming to appear out of nowhere, the phoenix gently landed on Jacob’s shoulder and began to exchange thoughts. “That cave leads up to a path that will take you to the ogres’ village.”
“Good work,” replied Jacob, grateful for the phoenix’s help.
As the Lynex and Hobble approached, Jacob began to inform the group of the phoenix’s report.
“Just like I suspected,” replied the Lynex smugly, “a secret entrance designed to fool stupid dwarfs. We should tell Hobble to turn around and then leave through the cave so he will be left behind wondering where we went!”
“Ha!” laughed Hobble, “I twould neber wonder where a lynex went. I stand ready now to celebrate your disappearance!”
“Come on boys, let’s not start up again,” said Emalynn, shaking her head.
Without comment Jacob walked ahead, leading the squabbling group towards the cave’s opening. They passed over a series of narrow flat stones that bordered the water’s edge until reaching the end of the pool. There they looped around the cascading torrent and entered the backside of the falls. Jacob glanced up at the glistening black wall wondering what the topography was like up above.
“This reminds me of a recent trip I took over Galgithia Falls in a barrel when I was performing as a daredevil,” proclaimed the Lynex, suddenly launching into another one of his bizarre overblown stories.
As they edged their way through shallow puddles created by small rippling waves lapping over the stone walkway, the crashing roar of the water providentially drowned out the Lynex’s niggling tale, offering them a short loll from his bravado. From behind the thin stream they stepped into the mysterious dark cave. High above them rose a lofty and jagged rock chimney with a single narrow beam of light pouring down from an opening in the chamber’s roof. The dim light was scarcely bright enough to illuminate the grotto, revealing crude uneven stone stairs that spiraled back up the moss-covered walls to the opening.
One by one they started up the disproportional steps, winding their way upwards as they circled around the cavern. Upon reaching the top they cautiously exited into the light to find themselves standing under a stone egress at the edge of a grass-covered knoll. There they were positioned just beyond the crest of the falls. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they progressively made out the beginnings of a well-beaten path that stretched through tall green grass along the edge of a wide stream.
“This way everyone,” shouted the Lynex with the voice of authority, motioning with his hand for them to tag along behind him.
With the Lynex now taking the lead, they followed the trail for a good half mile until veering off from the river and ascending up a tall hill. Upon reaching the hill’s crest they gazed down, surprised to find a small village sandwiched between three mountains. Tall makeshift houses built from black volcanic rock and roofed with dried palm leaves crowded the settlement, and in between in the homes in the shadows mysterious monstrous black shapes were lurking.
“Just tas I expected,” said Hobble, warily looking over the village. He slipped his axe from off his back and gripped it tight in his hand. “They tar just tas dangerous and primitive tas I remember. Hide anything that ye hab that twould attract attention. Otherwise they twill force it from ye at the peril of yer life.”
Immediately Jacob pictured a huge black hairy beast with flashing red eyes and colossal claws similar to an eagle’s talons, violently stuffing his beautiful phoenix into its gaping saber-tooth mouth. Not being one to take such premonitions lightly, he pointed to a nearby tree and exchanged thoughts with the phoenix, “Like Hobble said, the ogres may want to force you from us phoenix. It will be safer for you if you wait here for us.”
Without comment the phoenix spread his wings and shot off Jacob’s shoulder, flying directly to the top of the tree where he perched himself on an upper most limb.
The anxious adventurers then began to descend down the steep path, cautiously approaching the primitive village. Straight away the Lynex dropped to the rear, and Jacob now bravely led the group. As they drew closer Jacob observed his very first ogre family. The father ogre stood a good ten feet tall, bald, shoeless, and shirtless. Stomping around the shade of his hovel he showed off a huge potbelly over hanging a tightly drawn frayed rope belt that supported his brown soiled and tattered pants. Unsightly purple skin blemished by speckles of lumpy white pimples, along with a flat out stretched forehead aggravated the ogre’s unpleasant look. The mother appeared even less appealing with over half her head showing bald, and the remaining portion matted in black scraggly hair. She wore a brown ragged dress that looked similar to a scruffy burlap potato sack, held in place by a frayed rope that squeezed tight against her portly waist. However in stark contrast, their daughter was thin and petite, dressed in an outfit similar to her mother’s she looked to be complete with a full crop of long black hair covering the top of her head.
Across the village the ogre women could be seen working hard preparing their afternoon meals, each busily cooking over open fires pits while the ogre men, along with the children, lazily loitered in the shade. Nearing the bottom of the path Jacob could hear the lethargic family’s conversation. The father had now stopped his prancing about and stood towering over the squatting mother, while she worked at stirring the contents of a black iron pot. The daughter sat off to the side in puddle, totally absorbed in making unrecognizable sculptures out of mud.
“WOMAN! WHERE YOU PUT ME CLUB?” hollered the father with an angry scowl.
“Me don’t have club,” responded the mother, focusing only on her cooking.
“WHERE ME CLUB!” demanded the father again furiously, and with an abrupt turn he stared down at his daughter.
“ME DON’T KNOW!” shouted back the annoyed daughter, refusing to look up from her play.
In a passionate fury the dad swung his arms wildly about, immediately noticing his club tightly gripped in his left hand. “OH, ME FOUND IT!” he happily cried with a relieved sigh.
The mother and daughter simultaneously looked up at Dad, and at the same moment they spotted the visiting strangers standing ten yards behind him. Their eyebrows suddenly rose to the middle of their foreheads and Dad stared back down at his family, curiously puzzling over their dumbfounded expressions. Slowly he turned, and to his surprise he suddenly saw Jacob and his group. The huge ogre’s eyebrows arched upwards and he began to bellow, “AAAHHHHHH, AAAHHHHHH, AAAHHHHHH,” as he backed away holding his club up high with both hands.
The rest of the family immediately joined in with the father, and together the family screamed a harmonic shriek that sounded like a tone-deaf choral group, “AAAAHHHHH, AAAAHHHHH….”
The echoing screech pierced through the entire village, and upon hearing the cry all the adult males jumped to their feet, immediately grabbing their clubs. They rushed into the center of the village and gathered together forming one large excited mob. Upon determining the direction of the alarm, the mob swarmed towards the unwanted visitors like a horde of angry bees. In a loping run they each extended their thick arms over their heads, savagely swinging their huge clubs in wide circles.
One massive ogre missing half his front teeth led the wild rabble. Strings of drool dripped from off his chin, while he excitedly shouted, “OGERS GOTS SQUASHIMS!”
The remaining mob joined in the screaming.
“SQUASHIMS GOOD!”
“ME LIKE SMASH SQUASHIMS!”
“SQUASHIM GO CRUNCH!”
In preparation for battle Hobble raised his axe and Jacob crossed his arms, hoping to be able to pop off a fuddazelment. Emalynn gravely clutched several netters, while the terrified Lynex wrapped his arms tightly around Emalynn’s waist, hugging her rear and crying out, “THEY ARE GOING TO SQUASHIM ME!”
“LET GO LYNEX!” screamed Emalynn. “I CAN’T THROW MY NETTERS WITH YOU HANGING ONTO ME!”
If there ever was a time Jacob needed to do a fudazzlement, it was now. Tensely he stared at the approaching monsters, attempting to arouse from within the same power that he had once used to clobber Derrick Striker. Knowing that only real traumatic panic could release a fudazzlement, he tried his best to imagine an ogre’s club pummeling him to death, and as he did he noticed a faint sensation tingling in his chest. His hands were also oddly beginning to grow wet with perspiration. “Come on now, keep it coming, I can do this, I can do this,” he thought to himself, concentrating with all his might. He readied himself by lifting his arms higher and pointing his palms toward the onslaught of ogres. “If only I can recreate the same doomed mind-set I felt when Derrick thrashed me, for sure it will trigger my power again,” he assured himself, noticing his palms now growing hotter. “By golly this just has to work, or else we’re all dead!”
Without warning or understanding, an unexpected tidal wave of darkness emerged from nowhere, hitting him head on like an oncoming locomotive. He suddenly stumbled backwards and more of the sickening sensation shot through his entire body, feeling as if the blackest gloom from purgatory were penetrating his every cell. He recognized it instantly as the same dark feeling he had experienced in the dark realm, pulling him into a deep mournful depression. His ring was now brightly glowing, as the darkness continued to capture complete control of his entire being. Without thought or effort, a black force shot out of his palms hitting the lead ogre straight on. The dark ray abruptly hurled the giant into the air, spinning the monster into a high performing back flip, and with a loud thump the ogre landed flat on his stomach, bringing the rest of the ogres to an abrupt halt.
“JACOB, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT!” screamed Emalynn elated.
At that moment, as if a red-hot boiler had burst open spewing out all its steam, the ring’s glow died and the horrible pressure of the darkness dissipated, leaving Jacob unshackled from the binding blackness. He staggered to the side, and did his best to remain standing by bending over and resting his hand on his knees. After taking several long deep breaths he felt some strength return and he stood up straight, pondering the evil that had befallen him. His fudazzle power had somehow managed to go awry again, and now he hated his curse even more. “Golly it wasn’t this bad the first two times I fudazzled,” he worried. “By gum this is the worst!” Having to undergo such hideous agony every time he fudazzled was beyond any imaginable torture he could think of, and he decided that he would never call upon his power again.
The frozen mob was still standing dead in their tracks, staring at their downed leader in disbelief. Slowly they turned their heads and looked at Jacob with gaping mouths. And then, as if performing a well-rehearsed dance, they spun around in unison and dashed towards the hills, leaving their village, their wives, and their children totally defenseless.
Without delay the Lynex leapt out from behind Emalynn. Not missing a beat he repeatedly flexed his arms. “FEAR THE MUSCLES OF THE GREATEST LYNEX THAT EVER LIVED COWARDS!” He cried stridently, “AS MY STRENGTH IS AWESOME I TOSSED YOU ABOUT LIKE A FEATHER TO THE WIND! BUT MY FRIENDS HERE ALL VERY MUCH KNOW THAT I HAVE A BENEVOLENT SIDE TOO, BECAUSE MY HEART IS AS PURE AS FRESH FALLEN SNOW!”
From the largest stone hut in the center of the village a solitary ogre vaulted out the door and stood motionless, glaring at the intruders with his arms folded. He then with a confident but stubborn look, fearlessly stomped towards them. Unlike the other ogres he was fully clothed, wearing a pink short sleeve shirt, long yellow pants, and a tarnished silver crown on the crest of his head. A silver chain hung around his thick neck, and tied to the chain was a collection of items, including a pair of red ruby slippers. Grimacing as he approached, he came to an abrupt halt in front of the group and loomed over them like a tall tree. With melodramatic confidence the massive ogre moved his arms about in a persuasive performance. “ME KING GALLUP. LEAVE NOW OR WE EAT YOU!” he shouted, and then pointed with his huge hand at the path running back up the hill.
“We mean you no harm,” replied Jacob, meekly peering up at the large giant. “We’ve come here to learn about ogres and their customs.”
“YOU LEARN, NOW GO!” again hollered King Gallup, now waving his hands as if he were shooing off a pesky fly.
Turning towards the others, Jacob whispered softly, “These ogres seem stupid enough to hide a sugar cube in a bucket of water, so maybe we can use that to our advantage.”
“Why don’t we try offering them a gift?” suggested Emalynn in a low voice.
“Great idea,” agreed Jacob. Breaking from their huddle he faced the ogre once again, “If you don’t mind great King Gallup sir, we can give you a present if you let us stay.”
“Ooooooooh, present. Me like presents, show me what is present,” ordered the king, now wide-eyed and curious, as if he had completely forgotten his previous demand.
Caught off guard by King Gallup’s enthusiastic reaction, Jacob took a quick mental inventory of everything he had on him. He knew that he couldn’t offer any of his sentinel tools, and he had nothing else on him that would be of any interest to an ogre. Before he could ask the others, Emalynn stepped forward volunteering. “I have something,” she said, and reaching into her pack she pulled out her remaining bag of Cranium Changers. She then bowed before the king. “Magic candy! Go ahead and try some.”
“Good idea,” whispered Jacob, grateful for her quick intervention.
The king took one look at the candy and suspiciously screamed, “POISON! YOU POISON OGRES!”
“Nooo!” insisted Emalynn, as she timidly shook her head. “It’s—it’s only candy. Go ah—ah—head and try it.”
The king opened wide one of his big bloodshot yellow eyes, and then suspiciously stared at her. After a tense moment that seemed like an eternity, he motioned toward a young ogre that had curiously drawn close enough to peek at the strange humans. The brave youth stepped towards them, happy to be summoned by his king.
“Yoglutt, you like candy?” questioned the king, as he widened his eye even larger and barbarously continued staring at Emalynn.
The young boy eagerly nodded his head. “Yoglutt eat candy and if like, you can stay one day,” offered the king,
Timidly Emalynn nodded as the massive King Gallup stretched out his huge hairy hand and swiftly pinched the bag of enchanted confection between his colossal fingers, lifting it off Emalynn’s quivering palm. Nonchalantly King Gallup then took a piece of candy and lobbed it towards Yoglutt’s open mouth. In a flash the boy jumped at the confection snapping it down like a starving crocodile.
“MMMMNNNHHH, me like!” Yoglutt happily moaned, as he swallowed the wrapped sweet. It took only a minute for his head to billow up and begin the transformation into a huge pineapple. While Youglutt was busy reconstructing into a faceless ogre with green leafy hair and big round yellow eyes, King Gallup and Emalynn were locked in a staring contest. Tensely Jacob watched the battle, as Hobble waited with his axe raised and prepared for a skirmish.
“This—er—uh— is magic candy,” said Emalynn, at last breaking the silence and pointing at Yoglutt. “It will—er—uh—mm—make you powerful before all other ogres.”
King Gallup turned and looked at Yoglutt’s huge pineapple head. Instantaneously his countenance changed and a smile streamed onto his face. “Me like magic!” he exclaimed. He held up his bag of Cranium Changers and in a most unexpected move he started to dance and prance around the group, while happily singing,
“Gallup smart, he got heart;
No leave village, tear apart;
Me be king, like to sing;
Magic candy they did bring;
Let them stay more they pay;
Me get magic everyday!”
“Look,” whispered Hobble, pointing up at the prancing king. “Tied ta thee king’s necklace tis eh pair of red ruby slippers, eh locket, enn’ thee stone seal fastened in between them.”
“We did it!” exclaimed Jacob triumphantly. “We found the Galeeky Stone Seal!”
The opportunity to win his bet was at last before him, and instantly his mood changed from anxious to delighted anticipation. He could return the Book of Galeeky to the sentinels and accomplish a task that no other sentinel had been able to do. But still he would have to figure out a way to take the seal from the king. And more than ever he wished that he had come better prepared. If only he had brought some valuable merchandise to offer in trade. It was obvious he couldn’t chance stealing the seal from the giant, otherwise he would risk injury to himself and his friends, and that was something he was determined not to do. There had to be a way to get at it, and all he needed was the ideal plan. But what was it?
In time the king finished his singing and Youglutt’s head changed back to normal. As the adult males warily returned back to the village, Jacob’s group was allowed to freely wander unsupervised. Without delay Emalynn approached the ogre family and started a conversation with the mother, while Jacob and the others stood quietly to the side listening in.
“My name is Emalynn. What’s yours?”
“Me called Prubtew,” replied the hesitant mother, squatting next to an open fire and a blackened cast iron pot full of green lumpy soup.
“Oh what a lovely name, and this is such a nice place,” complimented Emalynn, “how long have you lived here Prubtew?”
“Me, oh me from baby,” answered Prubtew timidly with a huge finger pressed to her lip, still acting uncertain of Emalynn’s intentions.
“So how did you get such a nice pot?” questioned Emalynn.
The giant held a thick twig in an immense hand contently stirring her soup back and forth. “Me man big, me man strong, me man win fight,” she proudly replied, followed by licking dribbles of soup off of her stick. “Slurpy too much water.”
“You mean you fight each other for things?” asked Emalynn astonished.
“Ogre challenge not be say no, all fight. I challenge, me man fight, me man win pot,” boasted Prubtew with a proud grin. She then placed her slobbery stick back into the soup and merrily scooped up a huge handful of dirt, tossing it into the pot.
As she stirred her broth thickened up like mud and Emalynn again questioned, “Why does the king have such a nice house then? Why doesn’t any one challenge him for it?”
“Gots magic, win fights, that why king.”
Appearing satisfied at last, Emalynn said good-bye to the friendly ogre and eagerly turned to rejoin with the group. “Okay, I’ve got it now Jacob,” she said eagerly. “This is our plan; you challenge the king for the stone seal. And as an ogre challenge can’t be refused he will have to fight. Then when the fight begins, you blast away sending him for a loop like you did with that other ogre. He’ll have to give you the seal then!”
“What about his magic,” questioned Jacob, unwilling to use his fudazzle power again. “If he’s got dangerous magic than maybe we should think of another way.”
“There is no other plan better than this,” replied Emalynn sharply, “and besides look at these ogres Jacob, do you think they really have any magic that could be any good?”
Emalynn had made a good point, if you put King Gallup’s brains into a thimble they would rattle around like road apples in a bushel basket. But there was something about her scheme that still made him feel uncomfortable, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It wasn’t because he disliked getting help from Emalynnn, nor was it his not wanting to ever use his fudazzle power again. There was definitely something else wrong about her plan that made him very nervous.
“Do you have a better plan?” questioned Emalynn, challenging him.
“Er-a-nope,” he replied reluctantly. “What do you think Hobble?” he questioned, hopeful that Hobble would say nor or come up with a better solution.
“Ogres tar moore dangerous than ye think, but soo tar we dwarfs. I twill be there twith me axe if needed.”
Disappointed with Hobble’s reply, and not liking having to concede to Emalynn, Jacob thought about stalling, but he had no other options to put forth. He would eventually have no choice but to agree.
“Uh— er—a—well okay, I guess maybe it’s a Jim-dandy plan,” he said in an unenthusiastic tone.
“Good, then let’s get started,” replied Emalynn snootily.
Within minutes of searching the village they found King Gallup in back of his home trying out his new Cranium Changers on his wife. Throughout the village most of the female ogres had broken from their cooking and were now crowded around King Gallup’s wife, eyeing her new appearance as if jealous. The king of course was grinning from ear to ear over the wonderful attention his new magic had given him. He seemed especially pleased to be able to delight his wife in front of the village’s women.
Holding up a half-broken mirror she danced a hula, and carefully examined her round brown pineapple head. “Me skin beautiful,” she said, with a content smile.
Halfheartedly Jacob approached the king and gazed up at his unsightly face. “King,” he said boldly, “I like your necklace and I challenge you to fight for it!”
In abrupt shock, the crowd of ogre women dropped open their large mouths and stared at Jacob in disbelief. With unanimity they then vocalized a loud, “OOOOOOOH, OGRE CHALLENGE NOT BE SAY NO!”
Round eyed the king clutched his necklace tight, and after a few minutes of heavy panting, he gathered his composure and bellowed in a heated rage, “THIS ALL ME MAGIC THINGS! IF FIGHT FOR ME NECKLACE, THEN YOU FIGHT FOR FRIENDS!”
The challenge offered could not be taken back, and Jacob instantly knew that he had made a terrible mistake. He had stupidly put his friends’ lives on the line, the exact thing he had wanted to avoid. Somehow he had felt that Emalynn’s plan was wrong from the beginning! “Why didn’t I listen to myself, why didn’t I see it, I could’ve avoided all this,” he woefully thought.
Word spread quickly throughout the entire village like a wild fire, and all the ogres from young to old gleefully skipped towards a large rectangular hole set outside the village in black volcanic rock. The great fissure was approximately fifteen feet deep and twenty-five by one hundred feet in measure. It lay perfectly centered between the wide surrounding hills with room enough to seat the entire village on the grassy slopes, offering them excellent views from any where on the neighboring hillsides. Contritely Jacob and his friends followed behind the king as he angrily marched them on toward their ogre stadium.
By the time they arrived the hills were already crowded with ogres. King Gallup turned and sharply addressed Jacob, “Ogre way must choose fighting companion. Me choose Nurplud you choose little monkey!”
Before Jacob could protest the unfair decision, two ogres lifted their clubs and dangerously held them over Emalynn and Hobble’s heads, while two other ogres stepped forward and bound their hands and feet with thick leather straps. With his friends now taken as hostages, Jacob was powerless to do anything but meekly comply. He peered over the side of the black hole not knowing if they would survive the battle. The trembling Lynex stood by his side holding both hands over his eyes.
“It’s up to us now Lynex, we have to win this!” exclaimed Jacob, determined to do his best and bring it to a quick end.
“B-b-but ma-master Prince,” stuttered the Lynex, as he peeked through his fingers. “Wh-what does your great enchanter blood t-tell you? Will we wi-wi-win?”
“It tells me nothing. And if we lose, it’ll be the end of us all.”
With a long loud screeching bray the Lynex began to whimper up a storm of tears. A guard stepped to the edge of the arena and dropped a grotty woven rope into the pit. Holding the other end firmly in his hand, he commanded, “Go down whiney pigs!”
Uncertain of himself and simply too scared to say anything, Jacob grabbed the rope and descended into the black arena. Next the sobbing Lynex climbed down, while King Gallup with an enormous brutal looking ogre jumped effortlessly into the pit.
“Me stand by wall, Nurplud do fight!” commanded the king.
Nurplud was anything but a normal ogre. He stood a good twelve feet tall and was all muscle with broad shoulders that supported a huge daunting head and a face that exteriorized true savagery. Thick blue scars were laced across both cheeks, and a smashed nose folded down diagonally over his lips. With blood shot eyes Nurplud stared down at them, corruptly scowling.
“Oooh golly! He could scare even the bravest sentinel,” muttered Jacob, as his fear elevated to a new level of panic. But even with Nurplud’s massive and frightening proportions, Jacob still knew that the size of an ogre’s head had no bearing on intelligence. If they were going to survive this encounter their only chance may rest solely on their ability to outsmart the giant.
As the Lynex cowered in a corner, the two gladiators squared off in the arena, and without any warning or sign Nurplud rapidly swung his huge club, catching Jacob by surprise. As quick as possible Jacob tried to leap out of the way, but stupidly his feet slid out from under him and he quickly fell making a thud as he landed flat on his back. “Dad-gumm my cursed luck,” he painfully muttered, as “WHOOSH” a blur of fleeting timber shot over his face, missing his nose by only inches.
Emalynn and Hobble laid stretched out at the top edge of the arena, peering down over the side. “GOOD DODGE JACOB!” shouted Emalynn, helplessly cheering him on.
Jacob looked up at the ogre’s colossal tense muscles and noticed Nurplud’s eyes locked on him in a state of fierce fiery concentration. He felt his heart suddenly pound hard, and in desperation he jumped to his feet just as the giant took another mighty swing with his club. Jacob lunged to the side, barely dodging out from under it. “WHAM!” the ogre’s club slammed down hard against the black rock, knocking chunks of dislodged stone to the side. And similar to a long tail cat set loose in a room full of rocking chairs, Jacob took off running, doing his best to separate himself from the oversized monster’s wild bashing. But Nurplud was quick to react, and he speedily tramped after him, swinging his club as if it were a mere a flyswatter. “WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!” Again and again Nurplud’s club slammed the black floor while Jacob continued to dodge, barely escaping each crushing blow.
“YOU’RE LEAKING,” shouted Emalynn.
Glancing over his shoulder, Jacob saw two netters rolling on the stone floor. He had felt a slight wrench from the last powerful wallop, and now realized that his pack had been torn open. His plan to fuddazzle Nurplud was hopeless. With Nurplud’s constant hammering all he was able to manage was a pathetic defense of run and dodge. And even if he could hold his concentration for a fudazzle, he would never be able to hold still long enough to take aim and blast Nurplud. “WHAM!” he felt another breeze from Nurplud’s club, as he again leapt to the side, scarcely escaping being crushed. With the last near miss he realized that Nurplud was closing in, it was getting too close, and it was all he could do to just stay a step ahead. He was quickly tiring; there was no way he could keep up this pace much longer. If they were going to survive, he had to do something different, and he had to do it now!