57 Chapter 13: Typho, Where Will You Go? (1/2)
It was a rather dispirited company that collected their belongings and struck off at a tangent to their previous path.
”This will bring us to the river,” SmithGuild said.”And if someone is looking for us between here an Asbolus's home, it will put us a little out of that way.”
”I think I am going to change my name,” Tyron said.
”Alwaysss laser focused on something irrelevant,” Phyllis muttered.
On this occasion, Nelda was inclined to agree.[He even invented the Porter in the midst of a project that was literally designed to fail. So in a way, he was doing the opposite of his boss's intent.]But Tyrone was the closest thing they had to a multiverse-and-inter-dimensional-travel expert.So she was inclined to keep him on side.
”What did you have in mind?” Nelda asked.
”I think… Typho.”
”Typho.That does sound… dragony.”
Phyllis snorted again.[Like she knows anything about dragon culture. Unless there's some kind of dragon race memory.Hell, anything's possible.]
Reg was carrying the remains of the basilisks in a makeshift bindle. ”It just seems like they must have some kind of value.Or at least prove that our story was true,” he said.
BugleHead was holding the unicorn horn tight against his chest and looking in all direction. He even scowled a bit at Jen. ”Centaurs tried to steal my treasure,” he muttered.
”Hey, not my beef,” Jen said.”I was the first one that got fossilized, remember?”
HoneyBeard looked quietly smug.
After what seemed like an hour or so of clambering uphill and down between the widely-spaced giant trees, the sound of flowing water percolated into their ears.
”Oh, thank god,” Nelda said, quickening her pace.
”Which one?” BugleHead asked.
”Whichever one will help me get this voodoo shit off my arms.”
She came out onto the pebbled shore of a broad, slow-flowing river.Trees overhung it in most places at either side, but this one small oasis seemed… suspicious.
Turning Neda sked SmithGuild, ”Is there any kind of monster that lies in wait in river beaches.
”I suppose there probably is,” SmithGuild replied unhelpfully. [But sincerely, as ever.]