Night Creature – Ask the Gecko for Help
Welcome to the third post in the Night Creature Adventure!
You can read Part One and Part Two, or here’s a quick recap:
You’re standing watch on the keep wall during a terrible snow storm when you see a figure slip over the parapet. When you investigate, you finally find a gecko-like creature clinging to the inside of the keep wall, melting the snow around it.
You helped the creature off the wall and gave him a blanket. He informed you then that he’s running away from a frost troll that’s headed for the keep. Readers voted to ask the gecko for help against the frost troll.
Night Creature – Ask the Gecko for HelpWhere the gecko clutches your arm, you feel the print of its fingers starting to heat your skin. With a frost troll on its way, this tiny creature might be your best bet for survival anyway.
“Can you help us?” you ask him.
It shrinks back, hunching its shoulders inward until it looks even smaller. “Just tiny flame,” it protests. “What is that against troll?”
You admit, he doesn’t look like much, but many of the strongest creatures you’ve met don’t look all that impressive.
“You’ve blue eyes,” you say, “last I heard, that indicates a very hot tiny flame.”
Like this sparks something within him, his eyes become almost molten looking like you can see the flame he’s harboring inside.
He leans toward you. “Need fuel.”
“Wood?”
He nods. “Dry is best.”
Your mind immediately goes to the small stack of wood within the base of the tower that’s used for the fireplace that heats the guard station.
“How much wood?”
“Much, much wood.”
“All dry?”
“Some dry.”
“Stay here.” You hesitate briefly, afraid he’ll disappear if you let him out of you sight, but he holds your wool blanket tight around his slender frame and simply watches you through those crazy eyes.
Then you race down the tower steps. Usually Richard, the guard who’s supposed to replace you in another hour, sleeps on a bunk in the guard station, but he’s no where to be seen. You would have enlisted his help but now you don’t have the time to waste searching for him.
Instead, you flop the carry bag on the floor for the wood, toss chunks onto the bag, and then grunt as you lift it over your shoulder.
Once you get the night creature this load of dry wood, you’ll head out into the courtyard where the main pile is stacked. It’ll take a while, but he’ll get his much wood.
The tower steps never seemed so long until now, but finally you make it to the top to find the gecko has left the tower.
The door hangs open and through it, you see him standing on the wall beyond in a small circle of melted ice. He’s looking out into the blowing snow while still clutching the blanket around his shoulders.
“Hey,” you call, but he doesn’t turn to look. As you pass out the door, you grab your bow from where you set it against the tower wall. It’s awkward carrying it with the wood, but your training instilled in you to never be on the wall without it.
You’re half way to the gecko when you feel something looming in the blizzard. Its dark shape seems to push the swirling snow outward with greater fury. Then, as it steps closer, you see the round face of a troll that stands as tall as the wall. Its face is even with your new friend and when it spots the gecko, it grins, showing square, blocky teeth in a beard of frozen ice. Then a hand the size of a shield swings up like the troll’s going to pick up the gecko…or squash him. As he does, the gecko bursts into flame. In comparison, he’s toe sized, but the wall gives a splintering crack with the sudden change in temperature.
Your mind races. Would it be better to shoot an arrow at that descending hand or would it be better to toss the gecko chunks of wood so he has more fuel? You don’t have time to do both.
Do you…
Shoot Arrows?
or
Throw Fuel to Gecko
Thank you for joining this week’s adventure post. Leave your vote in the comments below and we’ll return to see how this adventure ends next Thursday.
Blessings,
Jennifer
(If you enjoy these adventures, check out my newest adventure book, Discarded Dragons!)
