Ambush

The Traders’ caravan left the meeting place without a hitch. Me and the six refugees followed behind the sleds. The pace of the Traders was much faster than that of the Rust Shapers, most likely due to the current terrain. The water was much shallower in the southern parts of the swamp, so the sleds could glide over the surface much easier. It also made walking smoother as we weren’t trudging through waist-high pools anymore.

Broken Horn estimated our trip to Wayfaire would take four days if we kept up this pace. Frankly, I couldn’t wait to get back to civilization. Real civilization, not the mud huts and grass beds in Drikoi. A nice warm bed and a bottle of brandy would do me real good. Oh! And a bath would be great; I can finally wash this marsh stink off of me.

After six hours of moving through the swamp, Broken Horn called out and said we would set up camp for the night. I found this strange, since there was still plenty of daylight out. Whatever, this caravan was his show. If he wanted to waste sunlight then it was his call.

We had stopped to settle down at a river bank next to a large, wide river. Various plants and fronds were covering the ground and it was difficult to pull the sleds across them. Eventually, the Traders managed to secure the sleds to the ground with rope and a fire was set to cook dinner. It looked like it would be a peaceful few hours, so I set my pack down and got ready to settle down for the night. As I was reaching into my pack for some dried fish, I felt a sharp sting on my neck.

Damn bugs.

I went to swat at the insect, but as soon as my hand hit my neck, I knew it was no bug. I grabbed the object embedded in my skin and pulled it out. It was a thorn, about three inches long. What the hell was this?

I looked up and saw several of the refugees falling off their feet. They, too, had the thorns stuck in their skins. I was beginning to feel dull, slow. I glanced over to the Traders and saw that they had long, wooden tubes held up to their lips. Blowdarts. Fantastic.

I tried to get to my feet, but I slipped and fell to my knees. I tried to grab my pistol, which was tucked into my belt, but my fingers wouldn’t obey my commands. I felt dull, tired. I felt like I would pass out at any moment.

I looked up and saw Broken Horn standing over me with a sad smile on his face.

“Sorry, friend,” he told me. “But they will pay a LOT for you. Just sit back and relax.”

“I’ll kill you,” I told him, but I don’t think he understood me. Oh well, so much for the humans being the liars and the scoundrels.

I believe I may have passed out, cause the next thing I remember was seeing Broken Horn (I really should learn his real name) shaking hands with a group of humans. Humans! Finally. They were a rough looking bunch, shirtless and dirty. I saw one human, a tall one with a thin mustache and beard, pass Broken Horn a small bag. The lizard opened it up and began counting. Gold coins! I thought lizards didn’t bother with gold as it was useless in the swamps!

The next thing I recall was one of the humans searching through my pockets.

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“Hey, look at this big one. All fancy in his traveling gear,” the smug little bastard laughed. I wanted to bite his face off, but I was still woozy. He pulled out my short sword and looked it over, whistling at its quality. Then I saw him grab my pistol and hold it up by the barrel. “What’s this thing, a club? Eh.” He shrugged and tucked the weapon into his own belt.

Next thing I remember was being on the bottom of a boat, with my hands and feet tied together. I tried to cough, but I found that they had muzzled me. Great, the indignities continued.

Thankfully, I could feel the grogginess slowly vanishing. If I was right, then pretty soon I should be right as rain. I lifted my head up and looked around. From what I could see, I was on a boat that was rowing through the river. The other six lizards who were drugged were still passed out and on the floor of the boat with me. I counted four men in control of the boat, with two rowing and two keeping watch. I began to strain my hands, trying to break the ropes. I felt them loosening.

I noticed that we were rowing towards a larger ship in the distance, which was moored out in the middle of the river. As we got closer, one of the men in the boat waved to the ship and hollered something. Once we were alongside the ship, the men on the vessel tossed us a rope ladder.

I watched as the men painstakingly hauled the mostly unconscious lizards onto the ship. Two men had to lift each one up and heave them aboard, which was a slow and arduous process. When they were done with the last one and I was next, I set my head down, closed my eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

“Last one!” said the man with the mustache. “He’s a big one though!”

I felt him try to lift me up by the armpits, but I was just too heavy. Another man got in front of him and lifted my legs. Together they began to haul me onto the ship. As they struggled with my weight, I was working on the binds securing my hands.

Soon, I was tossed aboard like a sack of potatoes. What’s more was that I managed to free my hands! I quickly opened my eyes and moved, reaching down with a hand to the ropes binding my legs. I tore them up with my claws, then ripped the muzzle from my face. I shot to my feet and punched the nearest man, who gasped and fell onto his face.

“Shit! It’s loose!” Someone shouted.

I was about to attack, but then the wooziness came back. Looks like my body wasn’t fully rid of the drug yet. I shook my head, trying to get my mind to focus when I felt something fierce strike the side of my face. I snarled in pain and looked up, seeing one of the men with a whip. He lashed out again, but I managed to catch the tip in my hand. I yanked the weapon out of his and tossed it overboard.

One man tried to tackle me by grabbing me by my middle, but I picked him up with one hand and tossed him across the deck.

“Men, get back!” shouted a loud, gruff voice.

I turned to look and saw perhaps the biggest man I have ever seen. He was just as tall as my lizard body and just as wide. He was wearing a forbidding black greatcoat along with a black wide-brimmed hat. What the hell was this monster doing on this ship?

The big man stepped forward with his dukes up.

One on one, huh? So be it.

I stepped forward to intercept the giant, but a sudden wave of dizziness assaulted me. He took advantage of this and sent a powerful right hook, his big beefy fist slamming into the side of my head. The dizziness intensified along with the pain. I reeled back, then lashed out with a clumsy punch from my right hand. He blocked it with his left, then sent a straight punch right into my snout. Over and over he rained blows all over me, and while I tried to return the favor, my body was not cooperating.

He finished me off with a potent uppercut that knocked me to the ground with some missing teeth. I coughed, blood pooling in my mouth. I tried to get up, but the pain in my chest refused to let me. I think he may have broken a few of my ribs.

Eventually, the pain became too much and I left consciousness. The last thing I heard was the big bastard boasting to his men.

“That is how you stop a rampaging animal!” He said.

His sailors cheered.