Gazen awoke to the sound of rushing water and it was immediately apparent he was moving. His eyes jolted open, and he shot up, only to be deflected by something slimy that felt like leather on his face. As he propped himself up on an elbow, the ground beneath him gave way and he pulled back in surprise only to fall flat on his face.

“What the hell is happening?” As Gazen wiped away at his face, the slimy wall turned around and it was Tika.

“Are you unwell?" Finally waking up the rest of the way, Gazen realized the situation he was in. His torso was now coated in toad slime, and they were gently floating down a river on a lily pad. “Make sure it does not get in your mouth. Ribbit, I hear it makes the tallwalkers see things.”

“Right…” I think I can taste it… Gazen reached out over the edge to splash water into his face and the moment he saw his reflection he was ripped away.

“Don’t do that, no.” Tika pulled him back by the collar right as a pair of jaws the size of his head closed right above the surface, belonging to some kind of slick orange creature.

“What even was that?!” Gazen was horrified. The stalwart frog woman had saved his life, and he was utterly oblivious to the threat. Come on, what are you doing? This isn’t your first adventure… “Some kind of scaleless fish?”

“We call them mudslinks. They are larval terrajaw, but still vicious. You can’t see under the water, but they still walk on four legs.”

I may not be the most studied among my peers, but I’m pretty sure reptiles don’t have larva. So, their babies come out as something like a newt or a salamander then. I really hope we don’t have to face the parents. Still… Gazen looked down at the lily pad supporting him, Tika, and three of the spawnlings. I don’t like having to wonder how many are down there. There was a whole chain of these lily pads, slowly floating behind and ahead.

“How did we get on the water anyway?” It was the natural question, as the last thing he remembered was fleeing from some kind of giant reptilian herd on Tika’s shoulder. “I was expecting to be stomping through more mud.”

“Luck of the land. The great serpent must have passed through here and opened a path to the spring on its way to the eastern march. It should bring us most of the way to Sundered Peak.” Tika gazed into the distance and Gazen followed to see a tall mountain peak through breaks in the canopy. It was split straight down the middle like a log split by an axe. Tika let out a low croak, “To the place where our people wept.”

Gazen looked around and noticed a slight curve in the lazy river they floated down—serpentine in nature, much to his dismay. The path it carved into the mud had naturally begun to wash away around the edges but was easily ten feet across. The great white serpent was another reptile he didn’t want to meet no matter how he looked at it.

The river flows at a crawl, yet it shows no sign of rising. Are we filling up a lake, or…? “You think this river is draining out the bottom of the island?”

Tika nodded solemnly, “Indeed. This river is reborn only once every few moons only to wash away. One should expect heavy rains to follow when the serpent travels east. Let us hope we make it out of the marsh by the time they come.”

Looking at the sky, there wasn’t a cloud in sight, but Gazen knew better than to doubt the native residents’ advice. They must not care about the rain, else they would have told me to prepare for it. The mud was bad enough on the way here, and I’d hate to see it even wetter going uphill if even the Toah avoid it.

Still, what would the serpent have to do with the rain? They seemed reverent about the beast, like it was some deity of the land and that’s just how things were, but there must be more to it.

“Hey, Tika.” Gazen drew her attention from the rustling jungle surrounding them. There wasn’t much grass or low-growing foliage to speak of, but the trees didn’t seem to care that they were in a deep marsh. “Do you ever travel to the Eastern Reaches?”

“Never. It is where the terrajaws nest.” Her large eyes betrayed a troubled past involving these giant enigmatic reptiles, “The serpent is the only creature they fear. It could be related to the stampede, ribbit. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious… I was wondering if it was rockier there.”

“It is indeed. With many caves, yes. Great strength you have, Tallwalker of Clouds, yet your mind is sharp.” Tika leaned in now and Gazen noticed a strangely pungent odor rising in the air, “We should mate until the end of time. Our spawn would become the strongest in the sky.”

Take that, Dad. I told you I could find a woman. “Er, how do I say this? I am currently not looking for a… mate. But I appreciate the offer.” Well said, Gazen.

There was something of a chuckle hidden within her next croak and she slapped a slimy webbed palm on his shoulder, “Oho, you will come around, tallwalker, yes you will. Eternity lies ahead of us.”

“…” Well, who can say how I’ll feel in a thousand years. A man’s heart is sure to turn in that time… to dust. The younger three passengers on their lily pad croaked among themselves suddenly like gossiping school spawnlings. “The kids don’t say much, do they?”

Not mentioning the swift change in subject, Tika explained, “Not in words you know. Until they are matured, they cannot make the sounds that we do. They believe that tallwalker must not be wise to turn down my offer.”

“Quiet, spawnlings!” Crota startled the slimy artificer from behind with a hushed shout, “We are entering Doah territory. This part of the marsh is full of hidden dangers.”

“Like the mudslinks?” Looking down, Gazen shuddered.

“Above,” he croaked quietly, “The branches and leaves come to life, and flame will be our only protection if they decide to come for us. Prepare to defend yourself at any moment but stay quiet. Try not to move unless you must.”

“Great…” Above were canopies full of life that he hadn’t noticed before. Green birds with large beaks nestled into the foliage, with strange lizards stuck on the trunks like statues, almost blending in with the bark. There was always one branch or another moving, but it made him uncomfortable that he could rarely tell what caused it while looking straight at it. Other places were lush with hanging vines, but a few turned out to be snakes. Sometimes there was a glimpse of fur in Gazen’s peripheral, which disappeared as soon as he looked. Is everything here dangerous? Or do those ones not even count as hidden? “Come to think of it, how long have we been floating here?”

At this point they were going at the pace he could normally walk on solid ground, so it was a great, consistent pace. “The middle of the day has passed, and we have been following this river most of the time since you succumbed to slumber.”

“That’s what I was worried about…” The sun looked roughly the same, but evidently on the other side. Gazen had been asleep for a solid five or six hours by his estimate. “So, are these hidden creatures the ‘Doah’? And does that mean we’re nearing the end of the line?”

“Oh no, the ones we must watch out for are the trees themselves.” He peered into the sprawling canopies, “The Doah are the other people of this island, and they rule the skies. Our people were once close with them after the Great Drain, it is said.”

The leaves shuffled above their heads, and everyone fell quiet. It seemed like something was moving until he looked at it, just like earlier. Could this section of the jungle be made up of dryads or ents? Luckily, Gazen had been asleep long enough to regain most of his mana and they spread a salve on him that was supposed to help.

Gazen stood waiting with a fire knife in one hand and his crossbow in the other, watching above nervously and now fully awake. The entire group had fallen silent and the only sound was the surrounding jungle and trickling water. A fireball rose from a lily pad up ahead and what looked like burning paper fell from the canopy.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“You fool!” The third warlord at the front was enraged. One of the spawnlings with him shot a fireball of his own accord, ribbiting triumphantly. The child was getting berated, but Gazen couldn’t hear it over the cacophony of scuttling which started above them. The entire canopy had come to life and now he could see clearly what the Toah had been worried about.

What is wrong with this island? I’ve seen insects mimic nature before, but why do they have to be so large? “Crota, how long until we get to where we’re going?”

“It will take time… Prepare yourself. Croak.”

Of course. They don’t use hours. But I likely don’t have the mana to defend the whole time. Definitely not enough to protect everyone… “Dammit.” There’s no way I meet my end eaten by stick bucks and their leafy cousins.

They were slow in descending from the canopy and Gazen took this opportunity to start sending iron bolts into them, but his crossbow had another limitation that really hurt in situations like these. It could only fire the next bolt once the first had dissipated. Some of the mana came back and helped charge the next shot, otherwise it would have to be weaker or use his own mana. Gazen dispersed each bolt as soon as it disappeared through their bodies to quicken the mana’s return unless he could line a few up.

Luckily, these bugs were slow and not strong enough to repel his shots. A couple glanced off their carapaces from near-misses before disappearing, but most went right through. The sticks were hard to hit, but the leaf bugs were huge targets now that he could see them. With their many leaves, a million questions about their anatomy popped into his head, but for now Gazen was happy they died with each shot. Meanwhile, the Toah were conservatively launching fireballs while burning insects rained from above. Any that got too low would be swiftly targeted.

Each one that fell would be replaced by two more, though. Gazen didn’t want to use his magic yet because it was impossible to tell when this would end.

“Tallwalker, this is not looking good.” Bright orange reflected on Crota’s face as he called Gazen.

“Any ancient secrets to get out of this one?” He mused, “Or do we try to run away?”

“No ancient secrets, croak, but one idea. Can you send a great flame into the sky?”

Is he casually asking me if I can burn all of them, or is he asking for a flare? But why? We’re far from the Grove. “I can. Does it have to be big or just high and bright?”

“The latter. Now hurry! They are almost upon us!” As he spoke, one fell from a branch above the lily pad behind Crota’s. The stick bug wriggled about in the air and twisted around, latching straight onto one of the spawnling’s arms. He started screeching like Gazen never knew frogs could and the artificer reflexively threw a fire knife from his waist.

It whizzed past Crota’s face and between the kids before flying straight through the insect and beyond. The young Toah was flailing around so Gazen missed the head, but there was still a smoldering hole through its body. The mandibles spanned a full-grown man’s grip and could easily cut its arm in half if it wanted. It was smart enough to stay latched on without slicing right through, but the wound was too great, and it detached before disappearing into the murky waters.

Without wasting another second, Gazen threw his other hand into the air and the crystal sphere burned crimson. A fireball no larger than the orb itself rose, burning a hole through the canopy and growing larger as it reached the open air. It left a red trail behind and was soon high enough to see from any mountain peak before exploding with a pop.

There was a bright flash and a sound like a whip that echoed back to them.

“Is this enough?” He asked, “I only got one more of those in me.”

“Croak, this will certainly draw their attention.” He threw arcing fireballs into the canopy, taking out multiple at a time, while there was a spawnling on every lily pad focused on deflecting bugs as they fell with rocks, flaming or otherwise. “It should not take long.”

The mob fell through the branches like molasses but now they now blanketed the canopy as if their brothers who failed up the lazy river had relayed the message of approaching food. Now that they weren’t behind any real foliage Gazen could see all of their gruesome pincers and little waving antennae on their heads.

Ahead, they were periodically dropping down for a snack. Some got through the barrage of rocks and there were more than a couple wounded Toah. Even Tika wasn’t safe, as Gazen watched her rip a latched bug off her back without being phased and burn it in her hands. She threw flaming pebbles and killed them the fastest by far, even deflecting bugs that go for the spawnlings as well when need be.

“This is too much! Why would we go this way?” Gazen felt like they floated right into a trap.

“There should have been no trouble if we stayed quiet and still.” The elder glared to the front at the kid that had already run out of mana. “That child will not drink from the spring.”

We have seconds if it goes on like this. He swung his crossbow like a club at a stick that tried to drop on him and it got snatched up by a mudslink before even touching the water. Better not fall in, I guess. I need to buy us time. He left himself some mana for emergencies this time, but the orb in his offhand again glowed bright red, “Flash Flare!”

A wisp of flame gently curled upward until it reached a single leaf bug and then the canopy burst into flames like a dust explosion. Key difference here is it wasn’t nearly as dangerous and disappeared in an instant. A few handfuls of the insects curled up and dropped while some others retreated, but the best it did was thin their numbers.

I hope that does it, “How much longer?! That’s all I got!”

“It is enough, Tallwalker.” He drew a croak out as he gazed upward and Gazen could hear the heavy flapping of wings. Not quite a wyvern, and not feathery like a rak. Much faster, too. What the hell did he make me do? That sounds like we’ve only invited another swarm of bugs.

Suddenly the entire canopy burst into flames and after a croaked command from the elders, the branches started rustling in the wind. The trees were rooted in deeply saturated soil, and they were lush as could be. While some leaves curled up, they didn’t burn much. It was only the encroaching bugs that burned to a crisp, dropping down in droves like flaming hail. Each lily pad was working together now to make something of a wind barrier, blasting air outward to keep the bugs from dropping on them.

“You guys sure have good teamwork,” Gazen commented, “But what’s saving us?”

“The Doah… I do not want to rely on them, but it is better than all of our spawn dying today.” Gazen pictured himself on the banks getting chomped down by salamanders the size of small wolf on one end while a hundred insects meticulously tore apart his other half one pinch at a time.

This could have been really bad. Why did I stop on this island again? “What even are the Doah?”

“You will soon see.” They were practically shrouded in fire as dead bugs kept falling on them only to furl as they were repelled.

Soon the hail storm started to slow, and after another couple minutes there were no more bugs falling on them. Taking a breath of fresh air, Gazen finally stretched out and found himself face to face with a set of compound eyes the size of his head.

“Toah, what is your purpose bringing this primate to our lands.” The bug spoke with a surprisingly clear voice and Gazen noticed more around them. With wings that stuck out far to the side and fluttered faster than the naked eye could see, their long, narrow bodies billowed flames like they themselves were on fire. All of their eyes were a bright, bulbous crimson. “Should we take this as an invasion?”

Dragonflies. A little too big if you ask me. They varied in color, but all clearly had an affinity for flame. Many creatures have one to any given element, but it was always fascinating how the fiery ones didn’t burn themselves.

“This one is known as Tallwalker of Clouds, croak. He is helping us reach the Spring of Endless Moons. If you had not arrived when you did, we all would have perished. I thank you.”

The Doah speaker fluttered closer to Crota, inspecting him, “Your mighty tallwalker could not help you? I assume it was him that drew us in.” Now it looked at Gazen up close and he could see himself reflected a hundred times over in its eyes. “If you’re asking for help, why hold your trials in the first place? You should just lead your whole people there already.”

“Ribbit! Your greed will dry up the spring before a thousand moons are through. For a deathless people, you should think further ahead.”

“What’s going on here?” Gazen asked.

“Silence, primate. You will speak when spoken to.” The dragonfly commanded.

“There’s no need to be rude. Here I was under the impression you were a civilized race.” The artificer smiled and held out a hand to shake, “Call me Gazen.”

Dragonflies don’t blink or change their face, so there was no way to know what it was thinking. Eventually it held out one of its buggy hands and closed three fuzzy appendages over Gazen’s. Then the primate shook it, “Thanks for saving us back there.”

“Apes have such strange customs. Most would fear my flames at such close distance.” They flared up on his back and gazen shrugged, “You may call me Lord Tondo.”

“Okay… Crota, what’s going on here?”

“Ribbit, the Doah know not the dangers of the swamp. When their children are born they are flown straight to the spring to feast upon eternal life. They know not death but only through battle.”

“And this is also why we are far wiser.” Tondo added, “Our knowledge and power only grow as the moons pass. Eventually, the Doah will rule the skies near and far with unmatched power until the end of time.”

“You sound like my dad.” Gazen wasn’t impressed, “How long do the Doah normally live?”

“Before they coveted the spring, ribbit, they would live for hardly three moons.”

That sounds about right for a dragonfly, but these guys are huge. It’s a cruel world up here. “You guys don’t exactly sound like allies.”

“We are not,” Tondo answered, “But it is the Toah that first showed our people the Spring of Endless Moons. We must honor the pact my father made with their people so long ago.”

Gazen waited for a moment to see if he would continue, “And that would be…?”

“To never harm the other and help when they are in need. Not that the Toah have been any position to help as of late.” Tondo’s wings fluttered quickly as he insulted the frog man.

“We are grateful.” Crota bowed his head lightly.

“Of course, you are.” Tondo flew a few feet back, “Now come. We are already here, so I shall escort you as far as the ruins of High Grotto. I’m interested to see more of this flame-wielding primate.”