Send a spelling or grammar correction to: Tracy Johnson
Back to Empire on the HPe3000 Home Page
"The boss is dead." called Quickhand standing beside the body of Korm. The goblin spit into the gaping wound where the ogre's throat had been slashed open. "Always wanted to do that." it said with satisfaction.
"The other boss is dead under here." said Meatstealer, crawling out from beneath the wagon. "Along with some of the boys. Where is the other fat-belly?"
"Legged it." answered Quickhand. "Squealer, check on the bag-of-bones."
"That's no slave-flesh." Squealer took a long glance at Ragnar. "A warrior. He killed the bosses, both of them, and sent the other running."
"Slave-flesh, warrior, who cares. It's dead. Go see what it carries." Quickhand ordered.
"Leave it be." said Squealer. "You go if you want. Not me."
The sound of a knife scraping from a wooden sheath was clear and strangely loud. "I ain't saying again." Quickhand's voice was thick with menace.
Squealer was small for a goblin, much smaller than Quickhand, and skinny, while both Meatstealer and Quickhand showed wiry muscles beneath their skin. The small goblin was fast and nimble, and in a backwards leap that turned into a tumbling roll, it was at the edge of the road, ready to disappear into the marsh in a flash.
"You're good for nothing." shouted Quickhand. "Meat..."
"We'll both go." said Meatstealer. Of a size and temperament with Quickhand, Meatstealer wasn't about to take orders, but the goblin was a born scrounger and had a liking for human flesh. "Squealer, you get over here and climb up on the wagon. Keep a look-out."
"Alright." the little goblin replied, pleased. It had no liking for the marsh and preferred to stay with its two bigger cousins. "Cut off an ear for me."
"You'll get no treats." growled Quickhand. "Nothing tasty, not if you won't do your job."
"There's plenty here on this one." said Meatstealer. "No skin-n-bones slave, this one."
The two goblins approached the northman's body cautiously. Quickhand bent, caught up a stone and launched it at Ragnar's head. His thick hair muffled the sound, a solid thock as the stone struck and bounced away. Ragnar did not stir.
"The boss did for him." said Meatstealer. "Praise Khurgor."
"Open its throat." Quickhand said.
"I'm taking an ear first." Meatstealer reached. "You can have the second." The goblin reached down with one hand and grabbed Ragnar's ear. Its knife was in the other.
As the rusty blade touched his skin, Ragnar exploded into action. The goblin was on his left and it was with his left arm that he swatted Meatstealer aside, sending the goblin rolling and the knife flying from its hand. With his right hand he snatched up his axe, levered himself to his feet with the haft and found himself towering above a goblin, frozen in terror for a moment too long.
Squealer was true to its name. It had watched Meatstealer, paying no attention to the road, and when the human rose up, Squealer began to scream. High pitched, with an unpleasant pitch that made most creature's hackles rise, it reached through the throbbing pain in Ragnar's skull.
The topspike of the northman's axe stopped a hairsbreadth in front of Quickhand's heaving chest. The goblin looked at the blood-coated steel and its eyes rolled up showing a dirty-yellow. Quickhand fainted dead away.
"Bloody goblins." Ragnar cursed. He shook his head to clear away the fog which had seeped in behind his eyes, but the pain made him stop. He felt like he had the clapper of some great bell in his head, suspended in a congealed mush that he knew must be all that was left of his brain. "Ohh Vatun!" he moaned and put a hand to his temple. His blood pulsed like a drumbeat and even the briefest touch of his hand sent the pain shooting behind his eyes, white sparks amid the haze, and down through his teeth like a metal spike.
The screeching went on, and rose in volume when Squealer saw Quickhand fall. Ragnar stalked over to the wagon and pointed his axe at Squealer like the finger of death,
"Shut-up! Ohh my head." Ragnar lowered his voice. "Shut-up you stinking mite." he commanded.
Squealer's mouth hung open, its eyes wide, but the screech was cut off with a gasp.
"Better." said Ragnar. "Better."
* * *
(To Be Continued)