Part 46

You get an orb and a bland melee axe from the statue. Try taking anything more than that and throggi will give you the clap

And that's sage advice about the squids, much quicker than doing the retreat-around-the-square-dance. But also dangerously dizzying, so as in all things here to there are concessions

Word travels fast here in the dwarf stronghold. It is to be expected when you number in the dozen of soldiers. Dozen, I say

Did you and I just share words not 30 seconds ago? No one told you the corpse from the west is dead , you dislike your leadership and your deeds are insufficient to earn you a real name. The central theme in the colossal failure that is your life is you

Take heed Jillian of Valentine, there is a new Master of Unlocking!

Sure I did the finding, carrying, and bargaining to have the key repaired, but Karzac deserves some accolades as well. For just being there and shutting the hell up when the shutting the hell up was good

Way ahead of you. I've been unlocking locks since before you even knew I was here half an hour ago, that's how much expertise I have.

Fringers crossed she doesn't flip out and swallow us whole like a wolf against a newborn. That made for some icy relations between Olaf the Wolf Raiser and Helga the Child Rearer let me tell you

I'd prefer payment in the form of a war crime if I could. Preferably one committed against those that I am currently warring against. Also if you could throw an trocitya-ay at the warf-day trongholds-ay, that'd be appreciated

And if you don't like my grammar you're welcome to eat my ass. Not you dragon, I meant the midget.

This onslaught of talk has given rise to my ire. Give me a solid reason as to why I should not strike you down where you stand, or prepare to taste cold steel followed by the coppery tang of your own blood and the even more coppery taste of Karzac's blood

If you can convince me not to remove those wings with the surgical precision of a shakily thrown magick ace, that is

Right, the fire breathing. That'll do.

Fare thee well Vermatrix. You talked too damn much and had heavier breathing than Pitstains Woodchopperington did after chasing Elizabeth ten feet, but you will always have a place in my heart next to all the other creatures who could have easily killed me but didn't

With Vermatrix gone, new paths have opened. First to rally her remaining treasures to my cause, and then to get back to the crushing of my enemies, both in body and spirit and whatever else they have that can be crushed.