By Richard LeBlanc
Chapter Eight
Three more days had passed since Thortan had witnessed the power of the Golden Heart. Toymaker had recovered from the battle and had resumed constructing new and weird looking artifacts to aid him down the road.
"So what is our next move? We picked up supplies - you made some odd looking things - what now?" Thortan asked. Toymaker looked up from what he was working on.
"Not sure. I can't explain it - but there is something here - in this town - that i need." he replied.
"Another piece of that puzzle?" Thoratan asked.
"I believe so. Until the thing turns up - i figured that i should work on some means of finding my good friend Tmelan. I mean - after all the trouble he's gone through to get my attention - it seems only fitting and proper that i at least meet the boy." he replied coolly.
"Sounds reasonable enough. hey, i was going to head out and get us some food. You need anything?" Thortan replied and asked. Toymaker sighed and waved a hand over the device he was working on. all of the components on the table before him vanished.
"Wait up. I'll go with you. If i work on that thing any longer - i'll go cross-eyed." the wizard replied.
"Well, we wouldn't want that." Thortan added. the two made their way out from the small hut that they managed to rent from one of the locals. They were going to head towards the local market when the two heard a deafening roar. It startled Thortan at first - but when he looked over and saw the worried look on Toymaker's face - he himself began to worry.
"What - was that?" he asked hesitantly. Toymaker slowly looked over his shoulder. In the valley where the three armies had perished - a giant of a green dragon was standing. Thortan looked from the dragon to Toymaker and saw that the wizard was almost in shock at seeing the monster.
"Toymaker?" he asked.
"The Jade Dragon. I met the beast in my earlier travels. The beast is not a natural creature. It was created - it is an artifact - yet it has evolved into a powerful green dragon." Toymaker muttered.
"You - met this thing before?" he asked.
"You could say that. I tried to master it - but i only made it more powerful." he replied.
"What? How?" he asked.
"The thing is an artifact - i thought that i could gain power over it through my usual means - but none of my weapons or devices worked against it. To make matters worse - it can't be targeted by most of my spells. To make things even more worse - it knows me - and it doesn't like me." he replied seriously.
"So - just take it down like you did those armies." he suggested.
"That was how it got as powerful as it did. I barely escaped last time. How this Tmelan managed to get this beast to do his bidding - seriously concerns me." he stated.
"You think he is behind that thing being here?" he asked.
"How else? Come on. If i don't go to it - it will come to me." he replied seriously. the two made their way towards the valley. Within moments the two were there. Thortan then saw just how huge this monstrous dragon really was.
"Looks like your friend has decided on quality instead of quantity." Thortan stated.
"So it would seem." he replied.
"Toymaker! You coward! I told you - you could not hide from me!" the dragon roared.
"Who said i was hiding? i ws just biding my time. I wasn't ready for you before - but i am now." Toymaker stated confidently. Thortan could hear what could only be described as the dragon laughing.
"Foolish human. You will never be ready for me! Your puny powers can not harm me ! I will kill you and add your precious power to my own!" the dragon boasted. it leaped up and took to the air. Near hurricane force winds blew against Toymaker and Thortan.
"Can you really stop him?" Thortan whispered.
"I don't have a choice. If i fail - it will kill me and all of the power i possess will become one with him." he replied.
"What if you used those chimeras again?" he asked.
"I tried that before. It didn't work." he replied.
"You probably used twenty of those giants - just like you did that other day - what if you just made - one?" he asked. Toymaker was going to reply when he realized that his guide was correct. in his earlier confrontation - he did use twenty giants.
"It would be risky - but i don't have much choice. Chimeras!" he called out. All of the chimeras that he used before. The dragon hovered in the sky high above and began to laugh. That was the same fool tactic that he had used before.
"I will grant you a quick death!" the dragon roared. It dived up and then soared towards the waiting wizard.
To be continued...
