As the days bled into weeks, and return into months we watched the scenery change. We had gone from the rolling forest of Stoneroot to the rocky valleys. From there as the times would have it we wound up in the farmlands of the core worms.
During this time was endless training. Lucy was teaching me with my blade. During that while Snell schooled Shino on how to be a proper guide. In the afternoons when we need to find food for the next day or fresh water Snell would teach both of us tracking skills. Zoran would constantly test us. In the dusks light Zoran would give us lessons in anything that you might need from history to math to even things like loopholes in contracts. Lucy would then proceed in the night hours to teach me, and sometimes Shino, how to use the shadows no matter how small to our advantage. Shadow walking as he called it was a delicate and precise skill.
Snell and Lucy were constantly fighting. Zoran was breaking them apart. It almost seemed like their spats were how they showed they cared. As the trip went on I felt almost a brotherhood start growing between Shino and I. I knew that if anything ever happened I would protect him as best as I could.
“Today is a special day boys.” Snell let his joy overflow. “Today we have met the trail of a core worm. We are going to ask for a ride.”
“About time Snell. You’ve had these boys tracking her for a week.” Lucy took the upmost pride in rubbing it in.
“Not my fault you always return the boys tired. What do you do to them. Make them run two miles in the dark? Hah!” Snell clapped Lucy on the shoulder. “That’s why you always have those bruises.”
“If you two start this up one more time I’m going feed you to the core worm when we see her.” Zoran gave the ever familiar motherly look to them. She had almost perfected it.
“Shino remind me not to get on her bad side.” I gave a slight chuckle.
“Eye Zen. But she might not see you!” Shino broke down into laughter, and me right there with him.
“Glad to see you have acquired her humor Shino.” I felt her glare land on us. “We best not make a third joke Shino. She’s onto us.”
I could see the visible relief from Lucy and Snell. They knew they had barely escaped. We all knew that Zoran was worried about Heather. Today was a day you could tell she was more so than normal. Shino glanced down. I could feel the guilt coming from him.
“It’s okay Shino.” I threw my arm over his shoulder. “By any luck we will become just as amazing as Zoran. I mean she really is one of the best to be with us.”
“Flattery isn’t going to work boys.” Zoran couldn’t suppress a slight grin. “You always seem to be right though Zen. I’m just worried. Not just about Heather. But also about all of us. It would be a little easier on us all of those two didn’t bicker all the time. It makes me more sore than wearing that cursed fake eye.”
“Bah. You know it’s just how we care about each other Zoran.” Snell punched Lucy’s arm. I knew it would be painful for anyone. Well anyone except Lucy. After training with him I had watched him stich up a cut on his leg from a cut. That was when he finally said I had to train with a sheath on my blade.
“Hah. Snell we really should be a little more mindful of the others.” Lucy let his guilt show a little. “It has to be hard on them when we always bicker.”
“Maybe so but they know its just how we are.” Snell stood up a little straighter. “But for you Lucindious I will be a little more mindful about it.”
“Why don’t you two just wrestle. It would help ease all of that.” I started to think out loud. “The bear versus the praying mantis. Should be interesting to watch.”
“That’s a great idea Zen.” Zoran was chuckling. “In fact we should all wrestle. Hold matches every morning before lessons.”
“Should we run a mile before that too?” Lucy looked a little annoyed. “We don’t have time for that.”
“Actually Lucy we will once we find the core worm and hitch a ride. We will have about two extra weeks. Then we will depart into the ogres land.” Said Snell.
“Will we really be that close?” Shino and I looked at each other. We could sense the same uncomfort in each other.
“We will. It will be a two week trip to the area we want to cross. That is the safest route.” Snell looked at each of us in turn. “Be ready for anything. We will all start testing you now. We have to make sure your ready to cross.”
We kept on the trail for a couple more miles. Soon enough we found a small stream with the core worm slowly lifting its front over. The core worm looked more like a stone snake except it didn’t have any eyes. I noticed that it was actually stone colored scales that covered it. It’s mouth has three rows of teeth. Not sharp but you could tell that they were designed for digging and chewing through rocks and dirt.
Snell walked up to the side of the magnificent beast. As he placed his hand on the side of the core worm I heard him grumbling. Almost growling in different times to the core worm. In response the core worm made different pitches, someone how they all seemed like rocks shifting.
“Good news. She says she is heading the way we need to go. She will take us to the farm she wants to nourish. They apparently don’t till a part of their crops just for her.” Snell seemed a little overjoyed saying this. “I just love of hearing people being so kind. Even the most evil person can always be working on something to help others.”
We all walked over to Snell. “How do we ride her Snell?” I was confused.
“Not hard just climb up her. Here give me your foot.” I stepped into Snell’s hands. He boosted me up. As soon as I sat down on the worm’s back I felt her shift her scales until I was sitting on a squishy worm like flesh.
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“This is amazing Snell. She really is a worm. Just feel how soft she is under the scales!” I was almost shouting with excitement. Now I could see why Snell was so fond of these amazing beasts.
“Everyone on?” Snell looked back from his position at the front. “Boy is this going to be fun.”
Snell placed his hand on the worm and grumbled. Before he even finished I felt the worm shifting then start moving. I noticed she moved faster the more she ate. She chewed through the lands at speeds I could have never imagined. I doubted even a horse could be this fast.
As we rode on the core worm we all ate from our packs. We watched the sun set. I felt myself start drifting off to sleep. I felt myself start to slide. I woke up instantly. I glanced around still on the core worm, good. I looked down and noticed that her scales were covering my legs and lap. I was held tightly in place. The care that the core worm had given us was otherworldly.
As I started to drift off to sleep I had a feeling that the ride that core worms gives were few. I knew already that this was special. Maybe I would have a core worm as my familiar. This was one of the best parts of my life so far.
We rode on the core worm for almost another week. The days and nights almost started to blend together. Snell would periodically ask the core worm if we could stop. We would exercise and relieve our bodies. Zoran would pass us texts to study. Shino and I would wrestle to keep active.
Sooner than I wanted we saw a large field come into sight. The core worm started to slow without Snell asking this time. After a few minutes a farm came into view. The core worm stopped at the edge of the field by the barn and let us off. Snell grumbled to it one last time. The core worm moved it’s scales and rubbed up against us with her smooth wormy skin. She gave a rocky purr and started eating the fields.
“That’s my second ride ever on a core worm. I really wish she could have taken us all the way.” Snell was in a dreamy state. “She only agreed to help us because Lucy there and I had saved her father from worm hunters when we were younger.”
“You mean that worm no bigger than my hand was that worms daughter?” Lucy seemed shocked. “I’ve heard core worms never forget a face. But how did she get so big?”
“You know they grow larger the more they eat. It’s part of their magic. The bigger they get the more they make healthy soil. She loves this farm cause of the corn and rosemary they grow just for her.” Snell had an adoring look in his eyes. “Corn is best for their digestive system. And for some reason rosemary is her absolute favorite. Harbinger would be mad if they found out. You know how much rosemary they want.”
“Let’s go talk to the people at the farm. Snell we can discuss all of this later. Right now we have unknown hosts to talk to.” Lucy started towards the farmhouse. “You’re a guide but you can be so rude sometimes.”
As a group we all headed up to the farm house. It had one floor but from the look outside you could tell it had multiple bedrooms. Zoran lead the way to keep Snell and Lucy from arguing. Before she could knock on the door a girl no older than five swung it opened, squealed then slammed the door right in Zoran’s face.
“Mommy, Daddy!” We heard the girl yelling . “More strange people’s be here.”
Out of politeness Zoran knocked. A few minutes later a gruff looking man opened the door.
“Do we have more people running from the choosing?” The man gave us a sympathetic stare. “As I told the last group. I don’t care what your job had been best thing you can do is build your own farm. We have taken in enough hands as it is.”
“Sir we aren’t running from the choosing. We just came to say hi since the core worm dropped us off here.” Zoran offered the man her hand. He grabbed her forearm firmly and gave one firm shake.
“Well now then. We have an interesting group. Must be some suicidal loons here.” The man gave a chuckle. “Only people that aren’t running from the choosing that ever pass by go through the ogres lands.”
The little girl came up and hid behind her father. “Who is they daddy?”
“These are travelers baby. Like the ones I tell you about for your stories at night.” He gave her a smile. “They might even be heroes. Now go to your mama. I will talk to these people and help them if I can.”
The man stepped outside and led us over to a cellar. It almost looked like a hole dug by a core worm.
“She did this for us. That beautiful girl that cleans our fields. She dug it for us after the first time we planted rosemary and she found it. Now we always make sure she has some. Take care of nature and it will care for you in return.” The man winked in my direction.
“Why did you bring us this way dear sir?” Zoran looked at the cellar.
“Why not. You have traveled all this way and only find a humble farmer, his family, and runners. So to keep travelers safe and informed I always bring them here.” The man scanned the horizon. “This year is strange. It’s supposed to be an awakening year, but the only ogre I know that has awoken is Yarg.”
“So the ogres lands are relatively safe?” Snell looked at the farmer astonished. “Running into Yarg is safe enough. I hear he feasts on goblins that he tries to militarize.”
“From my understanding. Goblins are kind enough. They have informed me the one that might have risen other than Yarg is Ezog. Sadly even the goblins don’t seem to know.” The farmer glanced nervously around.
“Ezog would be a problem. She is as merciless as she is smart.” Lucy ground his teeth. “If she has awoken without a rival ogre other than Yarg then it will spell trouble. I’ve only heard of one person escaping from her. Even goblins don’t run from her armies. The fear she spreads is unrivaled by any other ogre.”
“So my fellow travelers I do have good news from a runner. Not far from here is a core worm cave. He says it goes half way through the ogres lands. That is probably the safest route. Lets go get him.” The farmer walked back to the house.
“Yarg is a safe travel. Let’s just hope the ogre queen herself didn’t wake up. Ezog is a harsh one to face.” Zoran was looking down. “Maybe luck will be with us. Ezog might not even be awake.”
“Or massen dem hordes.” A rough looking guy not to much older than Shino and I appeared with the farmer. “She’s the brutest of dem.”
“And who might this be?” Zoran asked the farmer.
“I be Dee. One syllabus. Is systemus or whatever that words be. Easy to remember see. Dee. Just one letter.” Dee seemed satisfied with his response.
“Nice to meet you Dee.” I stuck out my arm. “I’m Zen.”
“I’s not nobleman Zen.” Dee seemed a little infuriated by my gesture. “Me no shakes hands. Me no makes deals.”
“Well anyways it’s nice to meet you Dee.” Shino patted Dee on the back. “I’m Shino. I hope you will stay with us for a minute. Maybe show us some core worm holes.”
Dee looked Shino up and down. “I’s know of one such hole. Newerly made. I will shows yous but I won’t go past there’s.”
“Thank you Dee.” I glanced at him. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Me is happy here Zens. But maybes tells me stories one day. I loves travels stories. I just to scared after the holes.” Dee seemed to have a simple joy. I envied him, I could see why he ran away to become a farmer out here. It was perfect for him. His own dream.
“Hey Dee what did you choose at your choosing?” I might be getting to curious now.
“He didn’t choose Zen.” The farmer rubbed Dee’s back. “He ran away on his fourth moon. I found him passed out on the side of the road. I was coming back from the market in town.”
“Me no chooses. Not me’s. I always wanteds to farms.” Dee seemed pleased. “Me’s not needs chooses.”
“I understand Dee. It should really be everyone choice to choose.” I gave Dee a thumbs up. “We should get to choose who we are to become. Not some artifact.”
“Yes. That’s what me thinks toos.” Dee was beaming now. “Now be quites and lets’s go.”
“Seems like Dee is ready. He doesn’t have much concentration. His mind can go a million places if you talk to him. Let him focus and you will be at the hole in no time.” The farmer started shoeing us after Dee. “Safe travels and may the beyond guide you with light. May we meet again with tales of adventure.”