The Rise of Greg by Chris Rylander

Author:Chris Rylander [Rylander, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2020-06-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

John the Riddler with Tiny Feet

Your Rock Troll?” Edwin asked.

“No, he’s not my anything,” I said. “He’s not . . . wasn’t a pet.”

“I didn’t mean it that way . . .”

I sighed, fighting back tears. Though I’d only known Stoney for a short time, we’d gotten pretty close. It’s funny how being the only person someone trusts—at least for a while—can have that effect.

“Just because he lost an arm doesn’t mean he’s dead,” Lixi suggested.

“Let’s look for the rest of this beast before we write him off,” the older Elf suggested.

“He’s not a beast!” Glam shouted, stomping toward him as Lake and Ari held her back.

“Watch what you say about my friends!” I snapped at the guy.

“Yeah, cool it, Rhistel,” Edwin said, then turned and whispered to me: “Sorry, he’s a holdover adviser from my dad’s reign. Still a little rough around the edges.”

“He’s right, though, Greg,” Ari said. “We shouldn’t just write him off. I mean . . . he could still be alive.”

But even as she said this, Ari eyed the severed arm warily.

“But where is he?” I demanded, not meaning to come across so harshly. “He would never abandon us like this. If he was alive, he would have been here fighting alongside us until the end!”

“Aye!” Lake agreed.

“He may be incapacitated,” Froggy said. “Also, he is blind now . . .”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Edwin said. “Your supposed navigator is blind?”

“Yeah, well . . .” I started, but then I realized I didn’t really know how to explain how Stoney still knew where he’d been going, because I didn’t really get that part myself. “It just works somehow,” I finally finished with a shrug.

“Okay, well, either way, let’s start looking for him!” Edwin commanded with natural authority. “We’re wasting time—something we don’t exactly have ample quantities of to waste.”

Even though by now it was completely dark, we all agreed to team up to begin searching the area in spiraling concentric circles for any sign of Stoney. We tried to keep the Dwarves and the Elves separated, with the groupings as follows: Ari and Froggy; Lake, Glam, and Tiki; Edwin and Rhistel; Foxflame and Wrecking Ball; and finally me and Lixi. Everyone agreed we’d be the combination of Elf and Dwarf least likely to start fighting.

Blob’s role was to patrol the perimeter and watch out for any signs of more Forest Trolls or other possible dangers while the group was split up.*

The plan was to search for one hour, then meet back up at the “butcher block” tree stump to check in (and hopefully report news of finding Stoney). We knew we’d need to get some sleep before morning, but at the moment finding our navigator superseded that concern.

As Lixi and I worked our way toward the creek and the mountain beyond, the sky eerily lit with blue moonlight, I kept my eyes on the ground, looking for any sign of my lost Rock Troll friend: other body parts, his thick gray blood, anything.

Almost immediately, once we’d departed from the group, Lixi looped her arm casually through mine.

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