Part Three:
"The Forest of Alger"

The Further Adventures of Array
The contusing times and troubles of a fun loving mage and thief, with a hard curse to bear.

It was a strange thing for Array, he was board. It had been only a few weeks sence he had left Crossroads, the braclite had granted him little, more of a trinket with a few cantrips on it. Useful for impressing a few of the rubes he meet, but for little else. He had managed not to get into any real trouble, there had been that problem with the kabolds a week ago, but otherwise, nothing.

The road west lead to a small village. Little more than a few farming familys and a town hall. His first impression was not a pleasnt one.

“Halt Stranger!” the tall man said. “You are under arrest!”

“Not again...” Array mumbled.

**********

“I know you had something to do with Argoths disaperence stranger, now where is he!” The village police chief yelled.

From what Array had managed to pick up, there had been a disaprence the day before. The locals where all terafied, and wanted blood, and it seemed they didnt care whoese it was.

“I told you already, I just came into the area today, how could I make anyone disapeare? For that matter, Who is Argoths?” he said.

The conversation did not imporve for atleast a hour. It finally came out that the local mage, a highly respected man by the name of Argoths had disaperaed the night before. Array spent almost the whole time talking between there acusations and anger. Finally, they calmed down enough to hear him out.

“Well look, I know I didnt do anything, and you know I didnt do anything eather. So why dont we try and find out who or what really happned. I happen to have some exprence solving mysteries, perhapes I could give you a hand?”

******

“So this was his place hu, not much for a lab is it.” Array comented.

The police chief, a plesantly intense man names Brines, had finally acepted Arrays offer to help, and shown him to Argoths lab.

“What would you know of a mage lab you little fool.” He said.

“ I have been in a lab from time to time, well look at this, a mage notebook, looks farly standard, probally in the usual criptic styles, lets see if I can get a look at it.” Array said, holding out a set pages.

“Wait stranger, these pages are empty, there arnt any notes on them.” said Brines.

“Do you think a good mage would leave his notes around just for anyone to read. Lets see, should be standared type concelment. This should work.” Array said as he sprinkled a bit of dust and chanted in an old language. The page glowed briefly and the words showed clear on the page.

“Ahhh, lets see, yah, its in elven, was Argoths an elf? Or half-elf maybe?”

“No.. he was human, what does it say?”

“Looks like he wanted to keep this info quite. Luckly, I have had a good eduation over the last year or so. Now this is curious, are there lots of stories about strange things in the forest to the north of here?” Array asked.

The look on Brines face told him a lot more than anything else.

********

They called the forest Alger, and the stories he had collected over the next two days did not paint a pretty picture. Creatures that steal babys from there cribes, monsters that devore all who enter. Trees that move and take the axes away from thouse who would chop them down. Frankly, nothing Array liked to hear. But from the readings in the lab, and a few other pieces of information, it was clear that Argoths was looking into it. And it seemed that Argoths belived that the forest had a faimly of Trolls living in it.

“Trolls, By Ratri, I hate Trolls. I was hopeing to avoide meetting one if I could.” Said Array. He was standing in the Town hall, the part reserved for the police of the town.

“So what do we do?” asked Brine.

“We do nothing, your not set up to handle this kind of problem. I have to go into that forest and try to track Alger, find out where he went off to. Maybe get him back, or atleast find out if he is dead or not. Hand me that flask of oil will you? From his notes, Trolls are subseptable to fire.”

*********

It was night, Array knew that he he hads a better chance in the dark than in the light. The trail was days old by now, nothing to mark where the old fool had wandred. So Array didnt bother to try to find him. But to find whatever it was that had found Argoths. While everyone who saw thouse notes figured it had to be a troll, after all thats what Argoths had belived, but the old fool had dissaperared. So Array took no chance.

After about 4 hours of searching, Array came across his first sign of something strange. A large cunk of the forest had been torn down. Not the work of a troll. More like the work of something big, and probally very angry from the look of it. The place seemed as if something had pushed the trees down from above. And it lead to a small cave that pused into the ground. Not trolls Array thought. Evey feeling Array had told him to go back, get the rest of the villagers, and do this right. All but one of them. He had to know.

Array walked slowly down the cave, and saw something that really confused him. Bones, lots of them. And from the looks of it, several of them where Ogre and troll. There Had been a family of them, maybe several living in the forest. But not anymore. Something had eaten them. Array heard a noise coming from deeper in the cave. He blended into the shadows and held his breath.

An old man, Array assumed it was Argoths, walked into view. He looked tired, worn out, and very scared. He droped something to the ground, and it clatered with a sound Array couldnt identify at first. Then he realized what it was. Bones. Whatever was in that cave, and Array had a theory as to what it was, one he didnt like, Argoths was helping to take care of it, And from the looks of it, not willingly.

Array followed him back into the cave, moving without a sound, he had no problem following Argoths without the old fool realizing it. When the passage way opened up again, Array hung back, lestiong, He didnt like what he heard.

“What took you so long, You know I dont like it when you leave. And you will have to go out again tommorow, I need more food to eat.” A deep load voice said. Array pulled a small mirrior from the folds of his cloths and used it to look around the corner.

What he saw filled his bones with fear. Half of him wanted to run in abject horror, the other half just wanted to know more. He saw a Dragon, Large and powerful looking. But injured, badly so from the look. Its left wing was missing, and it had but one eye. Its flesh looked burnt along one side.Whatever it had foght, it hadnt won.

“Please” Argoths said, “I havnt slept in almost 2 days. And there isnt that much food out there. I can only get so much. And the villagers are going to look for me sooner or later. You wount be safe if they find you like this. Let me go ..”

“NO!!!! You cant leave me, not yet. I just need a bit more time thats all. Time to rest. “ The dragon actually seamed more afraid of being alone than anything else. As if its injures had made it aware for the first time that it could die.

What the hell Array thought, the thing might kill me, but it will be an intresting death. Array took his pipe from his pocket, filled it then walked boadly into the light of the cavern.

“Excuse me, but do you have a light I could borrow?” he said.

“Who are you! What do you want! Argoths, Protect me or the Villagers will die!” The dragon screamed. Almost in a state of panic.

Argoths bolted upright and grabed for a staff to his left. Array ever so comely sat down on a rock and waited.

Argoths was confused, he didt know what to do, and after a few moments of panic, the Dragon calmed down and got a good look at Array.

“Who are you?” she asked, anger tinged with fear in the deep voice.

“My name is Array, Im a wander. The local village asked me to find there missing mage. I assume you are Argoths. They are worried about you. “ Array said calmly.

*******

Over the next day, Array sat in that cave and talked to the Dragon, its name as it turned out was Roman, and had lost her cave, and faimly to another dragon. She had flown into he area with her wings letterally falling apart. She had crashed into the forest almost ontop of Argoths, and forced him to help care for her.

Array spent several hours a day helping Argoths. Even taking his place for a few hours at a time as he went back to the village. After almost 3 days, Children started to come to help as well. They where less fearful of the great creature, and sparked memories within her of her own lost children.

*********

“Im sorry I cant stay longer Roman, but as you know, I live under a curse.” He said.

“Its alright Array, you have already done more than many would have. Thats why I was so afraid at first. So many would simply kill me. Take what they could find from my hide, and never look back. But with Argoths and you, I almost feel that I can go on. And besides, the villagers have acepted me as part of there life. And the children make it worth living again. Ill be alright.” She said.

Array patted her hide, careful to avoide the places covered with healing salves. She had lost so much. But now, she would live on. And the Village, in about a years time, would have one hell of a protecter.

“Well, im headed west again, no reasion no to chance my course yet.” He said as he walked towards the cave exect.

“There is a growing danger in the west my friend, be careful , please?” Roman said.

“Thats what I do Roman, thats what I do.”

To be contiued.

To be continued