Chapter 4 - Part 1

Ermos

The forest seemed even harder to navigate on the way back. It was likely their fatigue that made it so. Ermos carried his feet heavily, looking back every once in a while to see the gigantic boulder hound looming gloomily behind them. It flattened down the trees as it went.

"I don't think she lied to us, master," Pash told him, guessing the reason for his quietness.

"She's meant to be magical, isn't she? She'll surely have known... It doesn't feel very good to be tricked. Makes a man feel like a fool," Ermos said.

"She seemed really nice though, master, I trust her. You're definitely not a fool. You wouldn't be tricked by her, would you? If she really was trying to fool us, you'd have been able to tell", Pash pointed out. He held absolute faith in his master's ability.

Ermos straightened his shoulders a little at that, standing taller. "I suppose you're right," he decided, "besides, a fool would never be able to get as rich as us. We're going to be swimming in gold soon enough! That hound is our ticket to a shiny future. A future of idleness and juicy fruits. No more walking. No more sore feet. We'll be on top of the world, young Pash, believe my words!"

"I can't wait," Pash said, almost as excited as his master. The two of them turned to look greedily at the hound. It stared back at them, its eyes nervous and watery. The creature seemed to fear Ermos. Every time Ermos moved a little too quickly, the hound would shrink back and whimper, as though afraid he might strike him.

When the hound whimpered for a third time, Ermos grew annoyed. He could not stand seeing such a powerful creature so afraid, and so he snapped at it. "What is wrong with you?" He asked. "You could eat both of us up right now. Why are you acting so afraid?"

The hound stood stock still as Ermos spoke to it. In his eyes, there seemed to flash a recognition as though he understood the human tongue.

"He understands what you're saying, master. He seems to be quite clever. That means he's worth more, doesn't it?" Pash asked.

"Of course it does!" Ermos said excitedly. "If he can do tricks, they'll have to pay more."

He thought for a moment, with his hand on his chin, trying to remember tricks that dogs were meant to perform. "Roll over!" He said with authority.

The hound's reaction was almost instantaneous. It dropped hard to the ground on its belly, causing tremors as it went, and then it rolled to the right, uprooting mature oak trees, flattening the ground in front of them.

Seeing that flattened forest, Ermos finally realized a better way forward for them. "You go first," he said to the dog, a smile on his face, pleased by his own cleverness.

"…As expected of master!" Pash shouted, realizing his master's reasoning. "He'll clear the way for us so we won't have to hack down the plants anymore!"

The dog rolled its way to its feet, casting off fully grown trees. It gave them an uncertain look before it tentatively passed them and began to walk further into the forest, flattening everything in its path. After it went a short distance, it paused and looked at them again, unsure if that was what they wanted.

Ermos was beaming as he looked at the destruction in front of him. Having to hack the branches out of the way made the going almost triply as hard, but with the help of the hound, they had a road of fallen trees to mark the way for them. It was sure to be easier from that point on.

"Good boy!" He praised. The dog seemed shocked by the praise, as though gratitude was foreign to it. It wagged its tail once, unable to contain itself. The massive black tendril went back and forth, sending trees flying in its wake. That soon passed though, and the tail once more fell between its legs, drooping and unhappy.

The boulder hound continued forward and Ermos and Pash went behind it, enjoying the ease with which they could now walk by.

As they went, a light breeze came rustling through the trees, casting Ermos' long hair up behind him. It was like a warm breath against the back of his neck.

"So this is where you've got to," a woman's voice called out to them, sweet and melodic.

Ermos traced the source of the sound to his shoulder, and he was surprised to find a tiny Queen of Flowers standing there in her pink dress, smiling shyly up at him. His surprise was soon replaced by a degree of coldness as he still harboured suspicions that the Queen had lied to him.

"You're small," he commented dryly.

Her smile faltered as she sensed the hostility in his voice. A blush tinted her cheeks and her voice lost its steadiness. She had not expected such a harsh reception after all they had gone through together. "…D-did you not find your treasure?"

"There were already people in there," Ermos said unhappily, "they didn't have to fight a bridge to get in either. They went by a tunnel."

It was then that the Queen seemed to understand. The news was as much of a shock to her as it was to Ermos as Pash. "Humans have managed their way inside?" She gasped. "I knew nothing of the sort, I swear to you! I did not intend to deceive you."