The Kings Son

Chapter 16

Coming to with a throbbing in his head and a ringing in his ears, Oliver groaned as he rolled over to his hands and knee. He waited for the pounding in his temples to subside, when it didn't he decided to stand up slowly and look around. It was dark, but if it was the same night or the next he couldn't tell.

Remembering the man he had been fighting he spun in every direction his hands upraised ready to fight. He could tell he was no longer in the clearing the blurred shapes of trees loomed nearby, their trunks and branches revealed by thready moonlight.

"You're finally awake?" The voice was deep like the sound of crumbling mountain rock. Reaching for the sword on his back he spun around, his hand grasped nothing but air, cursing his luck he pulled out his hunting knife and slowly began to turn in a small circle. "You won't be needing that," The voice sounded out from the darkness. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Unable to see the owner of the voice Oliver squinted, looking for any sign of movement, two red glowing eyes appeared several yards away, he could feel the ground vibrate as the eyes moved, he watched as they climbed above him, the trees groaned as whatever it was moved between them. "Are you the killer tree?"

There was a deep chuckle, and a sudden flare of light above him. "That's a new one Stonehammer, never figured you for a walking talking tree."

Floating above Oliver, was what Oliver could only guess to be a fairy, moving to float in front of the Prince's face was a man no more than six inches tall. He wore black boots, green pants, a grey shirt and a long brown coat, a green cap rested on his brow, a small thin sword hung at his side.

"Rexseal either cast a fire or quit moving, you're hurting my eyes."

A fire sprang to life on the ground in front of Oliver making him step back in fright; the fire cast the area in a light glow. Across from him stood no man or killer tree but a giant, in the giant's hand rested Oliver's sword.

Following Oliver's gaze, the giant brought the weapon up examining it, he saw the young man stiffen slightly, but hold his ground. "This..." The giant moved his arm back and forth letting the blade cut through the air. "Is a good weapon, for a human anyway, if you promise not to attack me, I'll give it back to you?"

Doubting he could do much damage with it anyway Oliver nodded, putting his hunting knife away, he was on edge but hopeful that he might get out of this alive. 

"My name as you heard my friend say earlier is Stonehammer" flicking his wrist Stonehammer brought the weapon up and caught it by the blade, there was the sound of metal against metal, Oliver could see metal gauntlets completely covered the giants hands. "What's your name young one?"

Reaching out Oliver retrieved his weapon, taking a quick breath he sheathed his sword before saying. "Oliver, I am the third son of the Great Bear King Samson and his wife Queen Isabel."

Stonehammer stepped further into the light his features no longer completely hidden in shadow, fiery red hair and a beard covered his head, his eyes burned bright green, his nose slightly bent at the bridge suggested it had been broken at least once. An ox hide vest covered his chest, his arms corded with muscle were left bare, and the knuckles on his gauntlets each carried a diamond. Heavy cloth pants encased in plates of metal covered his legs; leather boots with a metal plate on the toes held several thick spikes.

Oliver could see no weapon that Stonehammer might carry; a sense of raw power encircled the giant. "What's a prince doing all the way out here?" Hearing but not seeing the little man named Rexseal, Oliver looked around "Down here." Oliver looked towards the fire; his eyes went wide as he saw the man standing in the flames, panicking the Prince searched for a source of water to put the fire out.

"He's okay one of the perks of being able to control fire, he's literally fire proof."

Smiling Rexseal danced among the embers causing sparks to shoot up into the night sky. "It took a while to master, but I can also cloak people in flames without actually burning them, anyway back to my original question, what is a Prince doing all the way out here?"

Taking a moment to find his voice Oliver looked around. "My father sent my brother and I out to retrieve someone, we are now on our way back home," A sudden thought occurred to him "What's a giant and a fairy doing here?"

Rexseal smiled politely but his voice dripped with acid. "I am not a fairy, if you must call me anything call me by my name or little man, call me a fairy again and I'll light you on fire."

Stonehammer moved closer to the fire his steps shaking the ground. "Easy Rexseal, you know he meant no disrespect" looking up from Rexseal to Oliver, he shrugged "Word of advice if you ever meet another person like Rexseal don't call'em a fairy, they really hate that."

Shaking his head despite his headache Oliver tried to orient himself. "Okay, we're wasting time here, first where are we, second what happened to the man I was fighting, third what are you doing here, fourth and final how do I get back to my men?"

Rexseal flew to a low hanging branch where he perched on a twig. "Alright to answer your third question first, we are simply passing through, or at least we were until we stopped by a lake to do some hunting. Stonehammer here carries a large two-headed axe with a ball and chain attached to the handle, he went off to hunt leaving it with me" Looking at his large companion Rexseal smiled sheepishly "He was gone forever and I got tired, so I decided to take a nap, when I woke up his weapon was gone."

Stonehammer reached up and flicked the branch Rexseal was standing on causing it to break and fall into the fire, Oliver reached out to catch the little man before he hit the ground only to see a ten inch dragon hover above his hands, mouth agape Oliver could only stare.

Letting out his breath in a loud huff Stonehammer grumbled. "He can also turn into anything he wants, stinking show off," snapping his fingers together the giant added. "Also that reminds me, If you don't want him to say anything embarrassing about you try not to think it, he can read minds."

The dragons head turned and looked at the giant its eyes squeezing to slits, opening its mouth it let out a breath of flame a foot long before it glided to the ground where Rexseal once again appeared.

"Duhhhhh" Was the only sound Oliver could make as he tried to register what he had seen.

"Not a very intelligent look for a Prince, what are you trying to do swallow a bird?" Rexseals comment caused Oliver to snap his jaw shut with a click. "To answer your second question secondly, Stonehammer meant to capture the man you were dueling, but accidentally dropped a tree on him. Which in any event answers your first question; you were kinda hit in the head by one of the branches and it knocked you unconscious. We weren't sure if dead by tree guy had any friends in the area and we knew that if Stonehammer showed up with you hanging from his arm your men would most likely attack him so we brought you here and waited for you to wake up, so uh yea here we are. Also finally last but surely not least your fourth question, we'll lead you back to your men if you want."

Oliver looked from one to other, they were an odd pair and he wasn't sure he could trust them but as far as he could tell and from what he had seen they meant him no harm. "Time is of the essence, take me back to my men."

Rexseal smiled just before the fire went out. "And away we go."