Read Online The Familiars #4: Palace of Dreams by Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson - Free Book Online
Authors: Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson
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Gilbert set down their dishrags and sticks. They’d started back for the tree they planned to lie low beneath when they heard cheers and curses coming from a motley crew of ruffians gathered nearby. Curious, the Three stopped to look closer.
A bull’s-eye had been nailed to a tree, and each player stood about ten feet away, throwing their own uniquely striped slug at the target.
“Is that darts?” Gilbert asked.
“Those don’t look like darts to me,” Aldwyn replied.
Unlike the traditional version of the game, the slugs moved after they made contact, sometimes inching closer to the center, sometimes squirming farther away. If one of the slugs got too close to the other, they would fight until one was swallowed. Once everyone had taken their turn, the player with the slug nearest to the bull’s-eye was declared the victor.
“I win,” a long-armed sloth exclaimed.
She collected the pile of loot that had been wagered. The others appeared downright livid.
“Look,” Skylar said quietly to Aldwyn and Gilbert. “A pair of elvin pirates.”
“We’ll definitely want to steer clear of them,” Gilbert said.
“No,” Skylar replied. “They speak elvish. And they’ll be able to read elvish.”
“And you’re going where with this?” Gilbert asked.
“The clue on the dungeon floor,” Aldwyn said, jumping in.
“Ah. Yes. The clue.” Gilbert nodded.
Skylar and Aldwyn shared an exasperated look.
“Let’s see if we can’t ask for their help,” Skylar said.
The familiars approached the two elvin pirates, one of whom was covering a slug in his own spit.
“I said lightly drooled, Scoot. Too much saliva makes them wobble.”
“Brinn, if you don’t like the way I spittle your sluggot, do it yourself.”
“Excuse us,” Skylar said. “We were wondering if we might ask you a favor?”
“Pirates aren’t in the business of doing favors,” Brinn replied. “We do things for gold and cider.”
“Well, we have nothing to offer,” Skylar said.
“Then take your wings and beak and flap off,” he said.
“We’d be willing to make you a wager,” Aldwyn said.
The pirates’ eyes lit up. Now Aldwyn had their attention.
“You want to challenge us to a game of sluggots?” Scoot asked. “Did you hear that, Brinn? Sounds like a bet.”
“It sure does,” Brinn replied with a grin. “So, what exactly are we playing for?”
“If we win, information,” Aldwyn said.
“And if I win?” Brinn asked.
Aldwyn clearly hadn’t thought that far in advance. He looked over to the oak tree and spotted Skylar’s leather satchel.
“We’ve got a satchel filled with rare components from Horteus Ebekenezer’s lost Xylem garden,” Aldwyn said. “You can take your pick of one.”
“I want the whole bag,” Brinn said. “And the frog, too.”
Gilbert croaked. “Guess we’ll need a new plan—”
“Deal,” Aldwyn said.
Skylar seemed just as surprised as Gilbert.
“Who’s throwing for you?” Scoot asked.
Skylar held up her wings.
“I won’t be a very good shot with these feathers.”
“And my paws will fare no better,” Aldwyn said.
They both looked to Gilbert.
“Me?” he asked. “I’m nervous enough as it is.”
“Don’t worry, buddy,” Aldwyn said. “You’ll do fine.”
“Get yourself a sluggot out of the bucket,” Scoot said.
The rest of the ruffians had stepped aside to watch. Brinn was already standing by the line drawn in the dirt. Gilbert stuck a webbed hand into the slug pail and removed one of the slimy critters.
“I’ll go first,” Brinn said.
He took aim at the bull’s-eye, squeezing the sluggot between his fingers. He drew his hand back and fired. The slug tumbled through the air, making a hideous smacking sound as it hit the target. It was high and outside, but after a moment, the creature began to move, squirming its way toward the center. It stopped just short of the innermost ring.
Brinn’s toss did nothing to calm Gilbert’s nerves. The tree
A bull’s-eye had been nailed to a tree, and each player stood about ten feet away, throwing their own uniquely striped slug at the target.
“Is that darts?” Gilbert asked.
“Those don’t look like darts to me,” Aldwyn replied.
Unlike the traditional version of the game, the slugs moved after they made contact, sometimes inching closer to the center, sometimes squirming farther away. If one of the slugs got too close to the other, they would fight until one was swallowed. Once everyone had taken their turn, the player with the slug nearest to the bull’s-eye was declared the victor.
“I win,” a long-armed sloth exclaimed.
She collected the pile of loot that had been wagered. The others appeared downright livid.
“Look,” Skylar said quietly to Aldwyn and Gilbert. “A pair of elvin pirates.”
“We’ll definitely want to steer clear of them,” Gilbert said.
“No,” Skylar replied. “They speak elvish. And they’ll be able to read elvish.”
“And you’re going where with this?” Gilbert asked.
“The clue on the dungeon floor,” Aldwyn said, jumping in.
“Ah. Yes. The clue.” Gilbert nodded.
Skylar and Aldwyn shared an exasperated look.
“Let’s see if we can’t ask for their help,” Skylar said.
The familiars approached the two elvin pirates, one of whom was covering a slug in his own spit.
“I said lightly drooled, Scoot. Too much saliva makes them wobble.”
“Brinn, if you don’t like the way I spittle your sluggot, do it yourself.”
“Excuse us,” Skylar said. “We were wondering if we might ask you a favor?”
“Pirates aren’t in the business of doing favors,” Brinn replied. “We do things for gold and cider.”
“Well, we have nothing to offer,” Skylar said.
“Then take your wings and beak and flap off,” he said.
“We’d be willing to make you a wager,” Aldwyn said.
The pirates’ eyes lit up. Now Aldwyn had their attention.
“You want to challenge us to a game of sluggots?” Scoot asked. “Did you hear that, Brinn? Sounds like a bet.”
“It sure does,” Brinn replied with a grin. “So, what exactly are we playing for?”
“If we win, information,” Aldwyn said.
“And if I win?” Brinn asked.
Aldwyn clearly hadn’t thought that far in advance. He looked over to the oak tree and spotted Skylar’s leather satchel.
“We’ve got a satchel filled with rare components from Horteus Ebekenezer’s lost Xylem garden,” Aldwyn said. “You can take your pick of one.”
“I want the whole bag,” Brinn said. “And the frog, too.”
Gilbert croaked. “Guess we’ll need a new plan—”
“Deal,” Aldwyn said.
Skylar seemed just as surprised as Gilbert.
“Who’s throwing for you?” Scoot asked.
Skylar held up her wings.
“I won’t be a very good shot with these feathers.”
“And my paws will fare no better,” Aldwyn said.
They both looked to Gilbert.
“Me?” he asked. “I’m nervous enough as it is.”
“Don’t worry, buddy,” Aldwyn said. “You’ll do fine.”
“Get yourself a sluggot out of the bucket,” Scoot said.
The rest of the ruffians had stepped aside to watch. Brinn was already standing by the line drawn in the dirt. Gilbert stuck a webbed hand into the slug pail and removed one of the slimy critters.
“I’ll go first,” Brinn said.
He took aim at the bull’s-eye, squeezing the sluggot between his fingers. He drew his hand back and fired. The slug tumbled through the air, making a hideous smacking sound as it hit the target. It was high and outside, but after a moment, the creature began to move, squirming its way toward the center. It stopped just short of the innermost ring.
Brinn’s toss did nothing to calm Gilbert’s nerves. The tree
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