Chapter 11

Jungle Fever

Stefan coughed, and like the infinite number of times that afternoon, felt his throat burn in response. Something in Un'Goro Crater did not agree with him, and he was a little reluctant to find out what. If he had caught some rare disease that ate him from the inside out, he would rather not know about it. He coughed again. There was a staccato of hacks and nasal honks as Guro'jintal, in a very uncouth manner, spat a wad of congealed spittle out the side of the bouncing vehicle.

"S'it getting to you, too, Guro?" inquired Stefan.

"Aye mon. Dis' jungle be deh' worst on me nostrils," replied the Troll. It seemed he couldn't breath through his nose. He leaned forward, resting his forehead tiredly on the butt of his large sword.

Stefan turned his attention away from his troubled friend, and looked around at the others. Koramosh seemed unhindered by the climate change, his eyes darting about at the road ahead and steering the machine in turn. Gordreck was resting on his back, the large battle-axe close by. Iyana sat cross-legged, and would have appeared to be in a state of monumental peace had the irregular bumps and jolts of the journey not threatened to topple her each time. Satisfied with the group's condition, Stefan assumed the position once again, resting his head on the edge of the vehicle and crossing his outstretched legs relaxedly. When they hit a hard bump in the road, he remembered why that position hadn't worked quite so well.

Rubbing the growing lump on the back of his head, Stefan rose to a sitting position and grumbled. "Koramosh, can you at least dodge the rocks and shrubs instead of going right over them?"

"That wasn't a rock, Stefan. It was 'Saur dung!" replied The Orc, over his shoulder.

"Don't get technical with me you oversized--did you say that was Devilsaur manure?" Stefan's tone of voice suddenly grew very serious. He started scanning the pungent jungle around them.

"No, I said it was the living reincarnation of the King of Sh--"

"Shh!" Stefan cut off Koramosh's sarcastic remark. He climbed over to sit next to the Orc, his eyes continuously searching the the hazy air.

They travelled on for a few seconds in silence, save for the gurgling engine. Stefan's eyes settled on something at the side of the road, and he motioned for Koramosh to stop.

"Cut the engine."

Koramosh obeyed. With the engine silent, the eerie quiet was almost defeaning. In the passenger compartment, the others were stirring.

"Why did we stop?" yawned Gordreck. Guro'jintal seconded his question with a guttural hacking.

"Stefan, what's going on?" asked Iyana, looking at him behind a pair of tired eyelids.

"Quiet, all of you!" he spat, quietly. "You hear that?"

They waited. Gordreck was the first to speak.

"Aye, I can hear the beer back at Gadgetzan callin' me name!"

"Enough, Gordreck," said Iyana, throwing a glare at him. "What is it, Stefan? I hear nothing."

"Exactly," said Stefan. His eyes had never left the large creature that was lying at the side of the road. It could have been a basilisk, but something had torn its side to shreds, revealing bone and innards. That something had to be very big.

"Koramosh, start the engine."

"Stefan, you just asked me a moment ago to stop it."

"Just do it, Koramosh!" Stefan gave up whispering.

"Stefan what the hell is--"

That's when it emerged from the jungle in front of them. Through the haze, a large, bipedal creature trundled forth. It was like an oversize raptor, with all the right attributes accentuated; a set of large, razor-sharp fangs, powerful legs, and an insatiable hunger for meat. Stefan and the others stared in disbelief. Guro'jintal had frozen in place, one of his fingers still buried in his left nostril.

"Dear god, I think I've shat my britches."

"START THE BLOODY ENGINE!" Stefan would have unloaded a hail of curses, but the Devilsaur had opened its mouth and let out a shriek that drove him to a fear-induced silence.

It took a step forward. Koramosh turned the ignition. The engine sputtered and died. The strange sound must have taken the Devilsaur by surprise, because it paused in its advance, looking sideways at them. Stefan wanted to laugh at the comical confusion in its pair of burning eyes. But then it took another step forward, and his attention was brought back to holding his water.

"What's wrong, Koramosh?"

"Give me a damn second!"

"Here, I'll keep him busy!" said Gordreck, coming to the front. Gripped in his right hand was a throwing axe.

"Wait, Gordreck, don't, don't..."

Too late. The Dwarf winded up, and expertly launched the projectile at the Devilsaur. And what a throw it was. The tiny weapon buried itself in the behemoth's snout, the force of the blow causing the Devilsaur to flinch instinctively. But that was it. It converged its fiery gaze back on the contraption, the axe harmlessly embedded in the monster's thick skin.

"I think you made him mad, Dwarf," said Iyana. Gordreck's only reply was a hearty gulp.

Then the Devilsaur opened its mouth once again. But this time, it was no shriek. The giant lizard let forth an enormous roar that shook the machine and reverberated in the air around the small group. Koramosh tried the engine again, and it still sputtered and died.

It took another step forward. And another. And another. Stefan gripped the maces at his waist instinctively, even though he knew such weapons would be of no use. He looked over to the Orc, his expression blank but his eyes thoroughly terrified.

"Koramosh, if you don't get this thing started I will personally help you into that thing's belly, headfirst."

As if in reply, the engine sputtered and died for the third time. Meanwhile, the Devilsaur was slowly advancing. Step by step, it drew nearer to the stranded travelers, who stood their ground in utter bravery. Or stupidity.

Twenty-five meters. The engine choked, then was silent once more. Twenty meters. Gordreck grabbed another axe, but was stopped by Iyana's firm grip. Fifteen meters. The ground began to shake as the Devilsaur neared them. Ten meters.

"Koramosh," said Stefan, weakly. "I wasn't joking."

The Orc turned the nozzle, and the engine roared to life. The Devilsaur was barely five meters away. They caught the scent of its foul, rotting meat-choked breath. Behind Stefan, there was an unrecognizable sigh, and then a bodily thud as someone fainted. As the Devilsaur's mouth widened to take a chunk from the metal contraption, the tires squeeled and Koramosh burned out, sliding left and off the path while barely missing the giant creature's fangs by a few feet. The Devilsaur followed them in hot pursuit.

As they raced through the jungle, Stefan turned to look at their assailant. Despite its large size, the Devilsaur could move fast. To his dismay, the giant creature was slowly gaining on them, inch by inch. In a matter of minutes, it would overtake them. Despite this obvious fact, the others refused to give up. Gordreck had begun to unload with his throwing axes once again, and no one was stopping him this time. Iyana had procured a compact crossbow from her a traveling pack, and was loading another bolt into place. Guro'jintal, on the other hand, gripped the edges of the rear end of the vehicle and was biting his lower lip. He held his gaze at the sky, staring down some invisible object. Stefan didn't blame him.

He turned back to Koramosh, throwing a hand on the Orc's shoulder for comfort.

"Glad you got this thing running again, Koramosh! But we aren't out of the woods yet!" shouted Stefan to overcome the din of the engine.

"Ah you think you're funny, don't you?" yelled Koramosh back.

"Kora, that thing is going to catch up with us soon if we don't speed up! Can this contraption of yours go any faster?"

The Orc paused for a moment. Stefan could tell he was thinking. This time, he gave Koramosh ample time. A moment later, the Orc was tilting to one side, his hand rummaging beneath the seat. When it re-emerged, a rocket-like device was clutched in his fingers. He handed it to Stefan. Dumbfounded, the Human accepted it.

"What the hell is this?!"

"It's a Goblin Rocket Boost! Plug the exhaust pipe with it, then yank the cord, and we'll go zooming! I think," he said, adding the last part under his breath.

Stefan gave the device some thought, throwing it from hand to hand. "Are you sure this thing will work?"

"You want the truth?"

"Yes!"

"No, not really!"

Stefan grumbled, rolling out of the driver's nest and coming abreast of Iyana and Gordreck, who were still laying down a hail of fire at the giant Devilsaur. Though several bolts and axes were lodged in its body, the behemoth was unperturbed.

"Can we bring this thing down?" asked Stefan.

"Doubt it! That beast's a glutton for punishment!" roared Gordreck.

Stefan searched the jungle around them for an advantage. Ahead of them, a low, thick tree branch loomed.

"Koramosh! Take us under that branch!" shouted Stefan. He was asnwered by the Orc's immediate veering of the vehicle. The Devilsaur followed.

"Let's hope this will slow the filthy bugger down," said Iyana, taking a moment of respite to cradle the crossbow in her hands.

They passed under the branch, and watched anxiously as the Devilsaur continued its rampant pursuit. Either it didn't see the branch, or it didn't care. When it met the giant stretch of wood, it simply plowed through it. The branch splintered apart, falling away in shards. Stefan's shoulders sagged.

"Scratch that notion," said Gordreck.

"There's still a chance," started Stefan, climbing to the back. He pushed Guro'jintal aside, who gave no protest. "Gordreck, Iyana! Grab my feet!"

They obliged, and Stefan leaned over the edge of the vehicle. The ground was whizzing past at break-neck speed. The Human gulped, but continued nonetheless. It was either he end up as roadkill or the Devilsaur's lunch. The former would be quicker.

"Whatever you do, don't let go!" he hastily added. With the rocket in hand, he began to slide it into the exhaust.

They hit a bump. Stefan lurched, almost losing the rocket. He grabbed it with both hands, whiplashing and smacking the rear of the metal vehicle with the majority of his face. But Gordreck and Iyana still held on. For a moment he dangled about, smarting at the pain running along his nose and forehead. Then he noticed how close he was to the speeding ground, and quickly regained himself. The Devilsaur roared again, but Stefan shook off the terrible sound as he slid the rocket firmly into place. He grabbed the cord daintily in his hand.

"On three, pull me up! One, two, THREE!"

He yanked on the cord, closing his eyes at the same time. He felt a sudden lurch as the entire vehicle shook, then he was thrown back as Iyana and Gordreck's combined effort hoisted him back onto the machine. He felt the air rushing past his ears, and opened his eyes in anticipation. He smiled as he watched the Devilsaur slowly recede into the hazy jungle behind them. Gordreck gave the creature an obscene gesture before it disappeared entirely.

"Whooooooo!" yelled Koramosh.

They cheered. The rocket had worked. Stefan leaned back, exasperated. Godreck and Iyana did likewise, still shaking off the moment with laughter. Stefan joined in. The near death experience had shook him up quite a bit. No matter how many times he went through it, the rush was still the same. It was a damn good feeling, cheating death.

He remembered Guro'jintal. The Troll had been silent the entire time. He was where Stefan had left him, leaning off the side of the vehicle. Stefan came over to his old friend, helping the Troll to a proper sitting position. He looked terrible.

"Guro, are you alright?" Gordreck and Iyana came close as well, concerned. Guro'jintal looked like he would faint at any moment. He stared blearly eyed at them, his head lolling about in a state of permanent dizziness.

"Tink I got jungle fever, mon."

Stefan laughed.