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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7229078" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 86</p><p></p><p>The cavern was spacious, but it seemed smaller crowded with dozens of goblins and their <em>companions</em> squeezed close together within. The stench struck with the force of a physical blow, but Kurok had long since disciplined himself to ignore such things.</p><p></p><p>It was harder to ignore the eyes that watched his every move, or the look from the goblin seated on the broad stone seat in front of him. Usk Bloodrider was half Kurok’s size, but the goblin otherwise looked as tough as a wire-bristle brush. His bare torso was covered in a web work of old scars, but even more imposing was the massive worg that sat on the floor next to his seat. The creature lifted its head slightly so that Usk could scratch it, while its red eyes never shifted from Kurok’s as its master continued his account of why his forces had not reported in to Murgoth’s muster of armies.</p><p></p><p>“The beast arrived a few weeks ago,” Usk said. “At first we thought it just a wanderer, but it established itself in one of the crags that surround the Scar, high above the canyon floor. It clearly has laid claim to this place.”</p><p></p><p>“You have weapons,” Kurok said.</p><p></p><p>A slight rumble started in the crowd at that, but it quieted as soon as Usk held up a fist. “Yes. Slings, and bows, and sharp spears. As well as the teeth of our friends.” He rubbed behind one of the worg’s ears. The creature likely could have torn the goblin’s arm from his body with one sharp jerk, but it tilted its head slightly to give him better access. “The beast remains out of range of even our best archers. It breathes acid death or drops boulders. It has chased scouts for miles and miles, able to see even the slightest movement from its chosen heights. The Bloodriders are loyal to Murgoth, but what good would it do for us to set out, only to be destroyed before we can get to him?”</p><p></p><p>“I will deal with the creature,” Kurok said.</p><p></p><p>That comment created an even greater stir, and this time Usk did not attempt to cut it off. The goblin chief gave Kurok an evaluative look. “You are Blooded,” he finally said. The din quieted as those around the stone chair tried to listen. “But this creature is a great enemy.”</p><p></p><p>“Just show me where it dwells,” Kurok said. “If I fail, you have lost nothing. But if I succeed, then I ask that you honor your commitment to Warlord Murgoth.”</p><p></p><p>The room remained quiet as Usk considered, but the tension was almost palpable. “We will show you,” he finally said.</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>Kurok’s boots crunched on bits of loose stone as he trudged up the steep slope. It was clear that others had come this way before, likely goblin scouts taking advantage of the height to stand sentry, but none of those signs were recent. But there were other, fresher signs, deep gouges in the rock or discolored patches where the stone had been eaten away. At one point he saw a goblin skull sitting on a boulder as though watching him. He flicked it away, and it tumbled off a few rocks before vanishing into the depths of the canyon below. He could not hear the sound its impact over the soft rush of the wind in his ears.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately that constant blowing meant that he might not hear the sound of something approaching until it was too late. Kurok had to school himself to ignore the prickling feeling of being watched. He didn’t care to delude himself that his approach had gone unnoticed, but he wouldn’t betray anything other than determination.</p><p></p><p>The clouds in the sky above had parted and the late afternoon sunshine shone brightly on his shrouded form, making him sweat under his cloak. He had briefly considered waiting for nightfall to make his approach, but that idea had been quickly discarded. He was a creature of shadows, but the foe he hunted could see in the dark far better than he could, even with his gifts.</p><p></p><p>The trail he followed curved to the right before straightening into a sharp ascent that rose between two massive blocks of stone. The crevice seemed tiny from a distance, but he doubted that it would offer much protection. Kurok paused a moment to take a drink from his water flask then resumed his ascent, careful of the loose rocks that littered the route. A fall would undermine the effect he was trying to cultivate, but it could also prove fatal; the distance between the edge of the path and the drop into the canyon was one he could have covered in two strides.</p><p></p><p>He reached the shelter of the cleft without incident. It was cooler out of the direct sunlight, even cold as the wind froze the sweat on his face and neck. The opening was narrow at the bottom but widened to maybe ten paces across at the top. He could see where it ended maybe two hundred paces ahead. From Usk’s instructions he knew that the cleft opened onto another exposed ascent that rose another few hundred paces more before culminating in a spire of naked rock. There was an overhang there, a protected niche where the goblins used to keep a watch. Now, according to Usk’s scouts, it was where their tormentor had chosen to make its lair.</p><p></p><p>Kurok paused ten steps into the cleft to listen. The wind made a slight whistling sound as it traveled through the gap between the stones, but other than that there was nothing. But the feeling of being watched had redoubled, almost like an itch that crept slowly up his spine.</p><p></p><p>Kurok reached into his pouch and took out a small wooden case. It opened to reveal two rows of tiny vials in padded niches. He took one out and dropped it into a pocket of his cloak, then replaced the case. The walls felt like they were pressing slowly closer as he resumed his march.</p><p></p><p>He had only covered a fraction of the distance to the reassuring brightness at the end of the cleft when he heard something over the wind. At first it sounded like a sudden gust, a subtle shift in the breeze, but then it was accompanied by a sharper sound, like a massive bellows being worked. It grew louder quickly. At first it sounded as though it was coming from everywhere, but as the source approached he could tell it was coming from behind him.</p><p></p><p>He turned around. He took out the vial and drank its contents. He nearly tossed the empty container aside but finally tucked it back into his pocket. He folded his arms together under his cloak and waited.</p><p></p><p>He did not have to wait more than a second or two. The sounds of rushing air and the pulses of the giant bellows built to a crescendo before a dark form materialized above. It was just a shadow at first, but then a huge winged figure swept out over the slash of blue at the top of the cleft, pivoting smoothly in mid-air before it dropped into the gap at the entrance that Kurok had just passed under just moments ago. It easily filled the full breadth of the opening, its claws seizing hold of the surrounding stone and tearing out divots that rained shards of rock down onto the ground below. A few of those fist-sized bits of debris struck within five paces of where Kurok stood.</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin warlock stared up at the creature. It was a dragon, its hide the bright copper of freshly-minted coins. As it drew its wings closer around its body it lowered its neck to fix its eyes on the hobgoblin standing below it. It opened its jaws and let out an earth-shaking roar.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7229078, member: 143"] Chapter 86 The cavern was spacious, but it seemed smaller crowded with dozens of goblins and their [i]companions[/i] squeezed close together within. The stench struck with the force of a physical blow, but Kurok had long since disciplined himself to ignore such things. It was harder to ignore the eyes that watched his every move, or the look from the goblin seated on the broad stone seat in front of him. Usk Bloodrider was half Kurok’s size, but the goblin otherwise looked as tough as a wire-bristle brush. His bare torso was covered in a web work of old scars, but even more imposing was the massive worg that sat on the floor next to his seat. The creature lifted its head slightly so that Usk could scratch it, while its red eyes never shifted from Kurok’s as its master continued his account of why his forces had not reported in to Murgoth’s muster of armies. “The beast arrived a few weeks ago,” Usk said. “At first we thought it just a wanderer, but it established itself in one of the crags that surround the Scar, high above the canyon floor. It clearly has laid claim to this place.” “You have weapons,” Kurok said. A slight rumble started in the crowd at that, but it quieted as soon as Usk held up a fist. “Yes. Slings, and bows, and sharp spears. As well as the teeth of our friends.” He rubbed behind one of the worg’s ears. The creature likely could have torn the goblin’s arm from his body with one sharp jerk, but it tilted its head slightly to give him better access. “The beast remains out of range of even our best archers. It breathes acid death or drops boulders. It has chased scouts for miles and miles, able to see even the slightest movement from its chosen heights. The Bloodriders are loyal to Murgoth, but what good would it do for us to set out, only to be destroyed before we can get to him?” “I will deal with the creature,” Kurok said. That comment created an even greater stir, and this time Usk did not attempt to cut it off. The goblin chief gave Kurok an evaluative look. “You are Blooded,” he finally said. The din quieted as those around the stone chair tried to listen. “But this creature is a great enemy.” “Just show me where it dwells,” Kurok said. “If I fail, you have lost nothing. But if I succeed, then I ask that you honor your commitment to Warlord Murgoth.” The room remained quiet as Usk considered, but the tension was almost palpable. “We will show you,” he finally said. * * * Kurok’s boots crunched on bits of loose stone as he trudged up the steep slope. It was clear that others had come this way before, likely goblin scouts taking advantage of the height to stand sentry, but none of those signs were recent. But there were other, fresher signs, deep gouges in the rock or discolored patches where the stone had been eaten away. At one point he saw a goblin skull sitting on a boulder as though watching him. He flicked it away, and it tumbled off a few rocks before vanishing into the depths of the canyon below. He could not hear the sound its impact over the soft rush of the wind in his ears. Unfortunately that constant blowing meant that he might not hear the sound of something approaching until it was too late. Kurok had to school himself to ignore the prickling feeling of being watched. He didn’t care to delude himself that his approach had gone unnoticed, but he wouldn’t betray anything other than determination. The clouds in the sky above had parted and the late afternoon sunshine shone brightly on his shrouded form, making him sweat under his cloak. He had briefly considered waiting for nightfall to make his approach, but that idea had been quickly discarded. He was a creature of shadows, but the foe he hunted could see in the dark far better than he could, even with his gifts. The trail he followed curved to the right before straightening into a sharp ascent that rose between two massive blocks of stone. The crevice seemed tiny from a distance, but he doubted that it would offer much protection. Kurok paused a moment to take a drink from his water flask then resumed his ascent, careful of the loose rocks that littered the route. A fall would undermine the effect he was trying to cultivate, but it could also prove fatal; the distance between the edge of the path and the drop into the canyon was one he could have covered in two strides. He reached the shelter of the cleft without incident. It was cooler out of the direct sunlight, even cold as the wind froze the sweat on his face and neck. The opening was narrow at the bottom but widened to maybe ten paces across at the top. He could see where it ended maybe two hundred paces ahead. From Usk’s instructions he knew that the cleft opened onto another exposed ascent that rose another few hundred paces more before culminating in a spire of naked rock. There was an overhang there, a protected niche where the goblins used to keep a watch. Now, according to Usk’s scouts, it was where their tormentor had chosen to make its lair. Kurok paused ten steps into the cleft to listen. The wind made a slight whistling sound as it traveled through the gap between the stones, but other than that there was nothing. But the feeling of being watched had redoubled, almost like an itch that crept slowly up his spine. Kurok reached into his pouch and took out a small wooden case. It opened to reveal two rows of tiny vials in padded niches. He took one out and dropped it into a pocket of his cloak, then replaced the case. The walls felt like they were pressing slowly closer as he resumed his march. He had only covered a fraction of the distance to the reassuring brightness at the end of the cleft when he heard something over the wind. At first it sounded like a sudden gust, a subtle shift in the breeze, but then it was accompanied by a sharper sound, like a massive bellows being worked. It grew louder quickly. At first it sounded as though it was coming from everywhere, but as the source approached he could tell it was coming from behind him. He turned around. He took out the vial and drank its contents. He nearly tossed the empty container aside but finally tucked it back into his pocket. He folded his arms together under his cloak and waited. He did not have to wait more than a second or two. The sounds of rushing air and the pulses of the giant bellows built to a crescendo before a dark form materialized above. It was just a shadow at first, but then a huge winged figure swept out over the slash of blue at the top of the cleft, pivoting smoothly in mid-air before it dropped into the gap at the entrance that Kurok had just passed under just moments ago. It easily filled the full breadth of the opening, its claws seizing hold of the surrounding stone and tearing out divots that rained shards of rock down onto the ground below. A few of those fist-sized bits of debris struck within five paces of where Kurok stood. The hobgoblin warlock stared up at the creature. It was a dragon, its hide the bright copper of freshly-minted coins. As it drew its wings closer around its body it lowered its neck to fix its eyes on the hobgoblin standing below it. It opened its jaws and let out an earth-shaking roar. [/QUOTE]
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