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Story Hour
Meepo's Story Hour [NEWS! 6-19-02]
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<blockquote data-quote="Samnell" data-source="post: 1211" data-attributes="member: 130"><p><strong>V-Goblins, Goblins, and More Goblins</strong></p><p></p><p>Wherein Meepo proves his worth.</p><p></p><p>Meepo pointed northward into the darkness beyond the limit of the humans' light as a chorus of harsh voices begin to yell and scrabble in the distance. "Goblins have wall!" Meepo cried out. He knew the fools couldn't see in the darkness. Humans had useless eyes, only good for staring at their stupid sun. Meepo heard they even had a god for the sun, but he didn't think even humans would be stupid enough worship something so dumb.</p><p></p><p>Burble laid a quick hand on Meepo's shoulder to hold him back "Do not charge Meepo, at least till there is light for the rest of us. Shoot at the biggest target and I will shoots as soon as I can see. I would hate to see you get killed before we can exact our revenge for the hit you already took. We still have to save Calcryx, so watch yourself." Meepo was beginning to be troubled by the halfling's manner. He was acting very strangely, as though if Meepo lived or died made a difference to him. Meepo made a mental note not to kill Burble unless he had to.</p><p></p><p>The Worthless Druid was yelling for light to be brought up while he tried to control his wolf mate. Meepo had to stop himself from smiling at the humans' predicament. He could see the goblins just fine over their little battlement, but all the mighty, powerful, and fearsome humans were blind and useless. The giants wouldn't last ten minutes in a kobold warren. Even goblins could manage that.</p><p></p><p>The race was on, though. If the humans could get light up before the goblins could hurl javelins, it was an even fight. If not, the humans were done for. Meepo didn't have much confidence in the goblins, but he started planning an escape anyway. Unlike human gods, Kurtulmak liked his kobolds smart and alive, not dumb and dead.</p><p></p><p>A javelin raced out of the darkness and just missed Rowland. Meepo's heart skipped a beat. That human had better live. Meepo wanted to kill him and drink his blood to get dragon magic. Worthless Druid made a fool of himself cowering against the wall like a hatchling while Rhea sat down her lantern and loaded her crossbow. She didn't fire, though. Worthless human, she must be waiting for the light. A javelin took her in the arm and Meepo nodded to himself. She deserved it, standing out where she could get killed like a typical human fool. Then another javelin narrowly missed Rowland and Meepo's mind seized once more on his fears of having to try to lick some blood off the floor before he ran for his life.</p><p></p><p>The stupidest human, Lorn, brought up his shield and tried to put it between Rhea and the goblins. Idiot. Meepo hoped he'd get a javelin stuck in him for his troubles. His shield wouldn't do him any good protecting someone else. The fool couldn't even manage that, though. He bumbled with the shield and ended up shielding more of the wall behind him than Rhea.</p><p></p><p>Yet another javelin flew and this one hit Rowland. Meepo was so shocked to see some of that precious blood, blood that should be his, slithering down his throat and carring the power of the dragons into him, spill out on the floor that he almost forgot to dodge a javelin himself. It missed his snout by less than an inch.</p><p></p><p>Worthless Druid's wolf mate went mad. Meepo thought it was mad all the time to take a Worthless Druid as a lover, but maybe it had human blood. That could excuse that sort of stupidity. Almost. It rushed off into the darkness, snarling and gnashing its teeth. It ran like the wind straight into the goblin's battlement. Meepo slammed his right foot down on his left to stifle the laughter building to near bursting within him. The wolf whimpered once before going back to its snarls.</p><p></p><p>Then another javelin hit Rowland, tearing into his leg! Meepo nearly fainted. All that precious blood was pouring out on the floor! The stones didn't need dragon magic, Meepo did. Then, it got worse. The wound finally knocked loose Rowland's wits enough for him to realize he should be doing something. He clumsily threw the lantern he was carrying towards the goblins and spoke a single word as he did. The lantern flitted suddenly upward in the air like a feather caught in a cave draft. For a moment Meepo appreciated the dragon magic the boy must have used to do that. Then the lantern tilted too far and burning oil came pouring out all over Rowland's leg.</p><p></p><p>Kurtulmak hated Meepo. That was the only explanation. This boy had the dragon blood. His thoughts were powered by dragon magic. Meepo could get that magic by drinking his blood. But all of the boy's blood was falling out on the floor and now the sun-besotted fool set himself on fire! Meepo almost threw down his crossbow right then and begged the goblins to kill him before the stupid humans did it accidentally. At least the goblins were trying to kill him.</p><p></p><p>Rowland came running for cover at the opening of the hallway, where Burble and Bryant already were, but Meepo was too dumbstruck by the boy's misadventure to notice. The light changed everything for the humans, though. Rowland's toss had landed the lantern just close enough that it lit up the goblins to the human's sun-blinded eyes.</p><p></p><p>Burble, Bryant, and Rhea all fired their weapons at the goblins...and each one missed. Maybe Meepo had heard wrong. Maybe humans couldn't see in the light any better than they could in the dark. They all waited for the light before trying, but with humans who knew what they were thinking?</p><p></p><p>Worthless Druid found his manhood and charged the goblin battlement and the dragon-stealers manning it. He brought his club down, shattering one of their skulls. He was still a Worthless Druid, though. Anyone could kill goblins with a club. One of the goblins pulled out a morning star and slammed the thing's business end into Riki's side. The druid's wolf howled in pain and Meepo heard ribs crack. Another goblin missed a swing at the Worthless Druid. What good were goblins if they couldn't even kill the druid?</p><p></p><p>Meepo's own shot at the goblins missed, but the humans were doing too many stupid things for him to dwell on it. Lorn was yelling and charging the goblins again. Once more the human gods rewarded stupidity and the man jumped the goblin's wall to come down amid them. The two goblins he landed between couldn't even have the decency to kill him before one of his rediculous stunts got Meepo killed.</p><p></p><p>The wolf was over the wall too, now. It mauled a goblin to death and started looking for others while Rowland slunk further under cover. One of the goblins moved up to block Lorn while another broke into a run out of the room. Meepo knew he must be going for reinforcements. It's what Meepo would have done. Soon there would be more goblins.</p><p></p><p>Then Burble lost his mind and ran up, leaping atop the goblins' wall and firing down at them with his bow. Meepo knew he was going to die here. All of these humans wanted to die and they were going to take him with them. Bryant might have just dropped a goblin with a bowshot, but the rest of them all wanted to die. That was the only way he could explain it. Worthless Druid was over the wall too, now. He dropped another goblin with his club.</p><p></p><p>At that moment, something snapped in Meepo's brain. Blood was rushing in his ears. He screamed out a battle cry and threw himself forward. The rage of battle was in him and he loved it. He bounded over the battlement in a smooth leap and tore after the goblin that had fled. He wasn't dying here. That goblin wasn't bringing reinforcements if he had anything to say about it. The goblins scored no more wounds while Meepo was charging past, but the wolf tore out the throat of another. Meepo's feet fell in already forming pools of goblin blood.</p><p></p><p>Meepo burst into a corridor on the trial of the runaway goblin. He drew up short as six tough looking goblins burst into the corridor in front of him. The first bowled past him, but Meepo took a piece of his hide before he and the others rushed clear, utterly ignoring him. The stupid goblins let Meepo get behind them.</p><p></p><p>The new goblins drew some more of the wolf's worthless blood. Meepo hoped the thing would die. Then maybe Worthless Druid would go into mourning and shut up for a moment or two.</p><p></p><p>Meepo came up behind a goblin fighting Lorn and shoved his spear through its side. The thing howled in pain and Meepo loved the feeling of the spear as it jostled against goblin ribs. Off to his side, the wolf dropped yet another goblin.</p><p></p><p>From far back in the room, a dwarf emerged. It was a huge dwarf. He must have been following the humans. He drew a sword and stalked purposefully towards Meepo for a few steps before he realized that the kobold was fighting the goblins. Then he shouted out as he rushed into the fighting, "What's with the killer kobold? Is he charmed or have we threatened to kill him if he doesn't help us out?"</p><p></p><p>So the dwarf was with the humans. Another pawn. He looked big and stupid enough to be easily manipulated. At least he wasn't brandishing some great flaming battle axe like some dwarves Meepo had heard stories about. A human boy, younger even than Rowland, followed behind the dwarf.</p><p></p><p>Burble answered the dwarf's question and named him, "Meepo is our Ally Sal, Just kill the fricken Goblins and I will explain later. Meepo, Sal is a friend, so let him through when he needs it."</p><p></p><p>Meepo calmly acknowledged Burble's words. "Meepo make nice with Sal!"</p><p></p><p>The boy, the new boy, Meepo amended, pegged a goblin with his sling as Sal charged up and clobbered a goblin. As that goblin fell Meepo's heart leaped. A goblin had just struck Worthless Druid. Maybe he'd die here and eliminate a threat. Burble dropped another with an arrow and Bryant fired an arrow of his own...straight into Sal's shoulder. Meepo was right. These humans would be the death of him.</p><p></p><p>All around the humans were being stupid. They didn't withdraw and attack the goblins with arrows or prepare an ambush. They stood their ground. Rhea ran up and leaped over the battlement. There were too many goblins. How long could they keep this up before everyone died? Meepo once again gave up on caring and let the wild rush of the battle roar through his veins. His spear tasted more goblin blood.</p><p></p><p>Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Goblins were dying, maybe the druid too. Meepo could get to like this. Lorn and Rowland both felled goblins and Meepo could feel the tide turning. But still another goblin struck the wolf. Things were looking up indeed. The goblins only needed to live long enough to kill Worthless Druid and his wolf mate. Bryant was chaging up too, now. He threw aside his bow and drew his sword while he ran, making a great leap high into the air and landing with one leg over the battlement, the other still behind it. Meepo chuckled quietly at the human's plight.</p><p></p><p>Kurtulmak's blood scream burst through Meepo's mind, a wild bestial howling that could only mean death was near. Be nearly fainted. But then Meepo felled a goblin of his own and all was well with his little world. Revenge was his at last. A goblin died for his suffering. The last two goblins broke and ran, but Meepo, Sal, Lorn, and Riki collectively took one down as it ran. The goblins were gone.</p><p></p><p>Meepo gleefully finished off the goblins still writhing on the floor while introductions were made. The dwarf, Sal, had been with the humans before. But he got sick and stayed behind to get well. He found the boy, Jaryth. The two of them returned when Sal was feeling better. Meepo lowered his opinion of human intelligence. Even their young begged to die. How did they survive with young like this? He shook his head and took up a fallen goblin's sword. He liked it more than his spear. The inch of blood and gore it was laying in didn't bother him. He just licked his fingers. The goblins were a bit overripe, but not at all unpleasant.</p><p></p><p>As Meepo looked up, he saw Bryant staring at his own arrow sticking out of Sal's shoulder. He seemed to grope for an apology, but finally settled on a simple shaking of his head and one word: "Damn"</p><p></p><p>The dwarf heard Bryant and turned around slowly. There was murder in his eyes, like those dwarfs Meepo had heard about. He wondered if Sal was about to find a burning axe somewhere. The burly dwarf hauled the arrow out of his shoulder with a single smooth motion and Meepo wondered if Kurtulmak's blood scream was for Bryant. Sal stalked towards the archer with arrow in one hand and sword in the other. He drew to within reach of the human and threw the arrow to the ground. "Clean this up and next time let's hope it hits one of them..." He told Bryant.</p><p></p><p>Meepo wasn't relieved at all. The blood scream didn't just come out of nowhere. Something was going to die. he looked nervously towards the door the last goblin had fled through and put a few quick strides between it and himself.</p><p></p><p>At least Rhea was bright enough to check the doors leading out of the room, seeing it they were locked, trapped, or if she could hear anything beyond them. Meepo scoffed at the notion of goblins making traps. "Goblins too stupid make traps. Meepo know how make traps. Kobolds have dragon blood. Kobolds know how make traps. Kobolds smart."</p><p></p><p>Rhea answered him without looking up from the door she was checking. "...if Kobolds are so smart why doesn't he know how to open the cold door?" She was referring to the door that Burble had tried to breathe fire on earlier to get opened. Meepo didn't have the damndest idea how to open the thing, but he thought up a simple-minded excuse that even Lorn should be able to understand.</p><p></p><p>"Meepo not know. Meepo think door elf magic, not powerful dragon magic. Kobolds too powerful to open door." That seemed to satisfy them.</p><p></p><p>When Burble suggested a withdrawal Meepo was eager to go along with it. The boy wanted to keep going, but Burble outright refused, pointing out how wounded much of the group was and how low Rowland was on dragon magic. Even Lorn wanted to retreat and rest. Meepo almost considered suggesting they press on on hearing the dumb human come out in favor of it. Anything someone that stupid wanted to do must have a dangerous flaw somewhere.</p><p></p><p>Lorn only wanted to fall back a single room, though. He thought the group should fortify there against the goblins. Burble wanted to go back to Yusdrayl or to his mule, wherever that was. Meepo'd rather not see Yusdrayl again, but he'd rather not sleep with the goblins only a few steps away either. They argued, and in the end it was decided that the better part of the humans would remain in the room Lorn wanted them in, using goblin caltrops to fortify the entrance. A smaller party would go up into the sunlight to get supplies from Burble's mule.</p><p></p><p>It was a stupid plan, but arguing with someone as stupid as Lorn would just be even stupider yet. He'd never see reason. How did a human that dumb live so long?</p><p></p><p>In the soon fortified room, more thorough introductions were made. Meepo didn't care how Sal came on the human boy any more than he did how Lorn managed to remember to breathe, but he nearly fell over in shock when the boy confessed that he had made the noise Meepo thought was Kurtulmak's blood screem. Once he recovered from the shock, though, he thought it was funny. He offered to share some goblin with the boy, but Jaryth refused him and climbed up a wall to get away from the dripping morsel of goblin flesh. Humans had no taste. The goblin was a little underripe, but not at all bad.</p><p></p><p>Discussion soon shifted to the party that would return to Burble's mule to get supplies. Meepo didn't want to be alone with the Worthless Druid, so he was happy to go with Burble. That is, until he learned that the mule was in the daylight world with the sun burning down on it. Meepo hated the sun. It was hot and burned his eyes. Why couldn't it be nice and comfortable like the dark? Finally he agreed to go, though. Better that than stay with Worthless Druid and his wolf mate or hang back in Calcryx's old chamber where his beloved clanmates could beat him again.</p><p></p><p>It was decided that Burble, Bryant, and Meepo would go and fetch supplies. Meepo braced himself for time in the too-hot, too-bright sun that the humans worshipped as though it would send down plagues and disaster on them like a proper, upstanding god would if they didn't fall into line.</p><p></p><p>Meepo saw the rats too late. He and Burble had just stepped into the hallway that would take them past the room with the cold door and fountain that spewed dragon water when he heard the telltale scrabbling on stone. He turned just as the rats, three of them fell on the trio.</p><p></p><p>These were not small rats like he fed Calcryx before the goblins stole her. These were huge rats as big as a kobold that lived out in the rubble beyond the citadel's walls. Their bites carried sickness and they'd had more than one foolish kobold for a meal. Meepo screamed a warning as the rats fell upon all three of them.</p><p></p><p>Bryant foolishly used his bow against them and got bitten badly in the leg while Meepo fell back and readied his crossbow. He rushed all the way into the fountain room and turned back to face the rats. But the rats stopped at Bryant and Burble, tearing and snarling at both and blood flowed. None of the three could get so much as a single hit in while the rats kept biting and pushing them back. They were now between Meepo's party and the rest of the group.</p><p></p><p>Burble screamed for help. "SAL! Help, I am being killed by rats!" Meepo would be glad for any help that came, even from the Worthless Druid...but he had a bad feeling about that scream. They were only fighting maybe thirty feet from where the rats could get into the citadel through a collapsed corridor.</p><p></p><p>Soon enough Sal screamed back, "I'm on my way, keep talking and see if you can head back our way..."</p><p></p><p>But Sal wouldn't arrive soon enough. Rats came pouring down the corridor, coming at the three in a wave of matted fur and filth-filled haws. Meepo could hear feet rushing from beyond them, but he wondered if the others would arrive in time. The rats pressed Bryant back even though he was using his sword now. Burble was bit again and tried to fall back. One rat lunged up at Burble and sank its disease-ridden teeth into the halfling's stomach.</p><p></p><p>Meepo saw blood gout out of the wound and Burble's hands flashed down as he dropped his dagger in shock. Burble reeled and desperately threw himself back and away from the melee, tossing caution to the rats with the rest of him they'd already eaten. He stumbled and staggered back with rats at his heels and finally collapsed, thick ropes of innards falling out from his grip and spilling to the floor.</p><p></p><p>Meepo fended off the rats pressing towards Burble and then immediately dropped to the halfling's aid. He ripped apart an old sack he'd been carrying and desperately piled Burble's insides back...inside. He was as delicate as he dared and then wrapped the halfling's wound in strips of sack.</p><p></p><p>Meepo worked desperately on Burble, doing all he could. He bitterly regretted not paying more attention to how old Ygridda bounds wounds as Burble's lifeblood oozed away and Meepo saw his innards still poking out. Frantically he tied bandage after bandage over Burble's gaping gut wound until finally he could do no more.</p><p></p><p>Genuine fear and desperation filling his voice, he screamed out "Meepo not let rats eat Burble! Burble make nice Meepo. Meepo make nice him! MEEPO GOOD LACKEY!"</p><p></p><p>Neepo stood and wheeled on the rats as they came past Bryant at him. "Meepo not make nice rats! Rats no eat Burble! Meepo kill! Come die, rats! Come die!" He slew the few that came for him and then fell to Burble's side again. He took Burble's head into his hands and cried out "Burble no! Burble come back! Meepo make nice! Meepo put insides back in! Meepo make blood stop! Burble come back! Meepo be good lackey!" Meepo checked the bandages again, all the while muttering to himself, "Burble come back. Burcle come back. Burble come back. Burble not die. Burble come back."</p><p></p><p>Finally, with nothing else to do, Meepo sat down and took Burble's head in his lap. He made sure the halfling could breathe as the battle raged on twenty paces away from him. Meepo whimpered while cradling Burble's head "Burble come back. Meepo make nice. Meepo be good lackey. Burble no leave Meepo with worthless druid and wolf he mates with. Worthless druid have wolf eat Meepo. Meepo be good lackey. Burble come back. Worthless druid not make nice Meepo if Burble die." He was hardly aware he was even speaking and his now-traditional name for Embrill came off his lips for once without a trace of scorn.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Samnell, post: 1211, member: 130"] [b]V-Goblins, Goblins, and More Goblins[/b] Wherein Meepo proves his worth. Meepo pointed northward into the darkness beyond the limit of the humans' light as a chorus of harsh voices begin to yell and scrabble in the distance. "Goblins have wall!" Meepo cried out. He knew the fools couldn't see in the darkness. Humans had useless eyes, only good for staring at their stupid sun. Meepo heard they even had a god for the sun, but he didn't think even humans would be stupid enough worship something so dumb. Burble laid a quick hand on Meepo's shoulder to hold him back "Do not charge Meepo, at least till there is light for the rest of us. Shoot at the biggest target and I will shoots as soon as I can see. I would hate to see you get killed before we can exact our revenge for the hit you already took. We still have to save Calcryx, so watch yourself." Meepo was beginning to be troubled by the halfling's manner. He was acting very strangely, as though if Meepo lived or died made a difference to him. Meepo made a mental note not to kill Burble unless he had to. The Worthless Druid was yelling for light to be brought up while he tried to control his wolf mate. Meepo had to stop himself from smiling at the humans' predicament. He could see the goblins just fine over their little battlement, but all the mighty, powerful, and fearsome humans were blind and useless. The giants wouldn't last ten minutes in a kobold warren. Even goblins could manage that. The race was on, though. If the humans could get light up before the goblins could hurl javelins, it was an even fight. If not, the humans were done for. Meepo didn't have much confidence in the goblins, but he started planning an escape anyway. Unlike human gods, Kurtulmak liked his kobolds smart and alive, not dumb and dead. A javelin raced out of the darkness and just missed Rowland. Meepo's heart skipped a beat. That human had better live. Meepo wanted to kill him and drink his blood to get dragon magic. Worthless Druid made a fool of himself cowering against the wall like a hatchling while Rhea sat down her lantern and loaded her crossbow. She didn't fire, though. Worthless human, she must be waiting for the light. A javelin took her in the arm and Meepo nodded to himself. She deserved it, standing out where she could get killed like a typical human fool. Then another javelin narrowly missed Rowland and Meepo's mind seized once more on his fears of having to try to lick some blood off the floor before he ran for his life. The stupidest human, Lorn, brought up his shield and tried to put it between Rhea and the goblins. Idiot. Meepo hoped he'd get a javelin stuck in him for his troubles. His shield wouldn't do him any good protecting someone else. The fool couldn't even manage that, though. He bumbled with the shield and ended up shielding more of the wall behind him than Rhea. Yet another javelin flew and this one hit Rowland. Meepo was so shocked to see some of that precious blood, blood that should be his, slithering down his throat and carring the power of the dragons into him, spill out on the floor that he almost forgot to dodge a javelin himself. It missed his snout by less than an inch. Worthless Druid's wolf mate went mad. Meepo thought it was mad all the time to take a Worthless Druid as a lover, but maybe it had human blood. That could excuse that sort of stupidity. Almost. It rushed off into the darkness, snarling and gnashing its teeth. It ran like the wind straight into the goblin's battlement. Meepo slammed his right foot down on his left to stifle the laughter building to near bursting within him. The wolf whimpered once before going back to its snarls. Then another javelin hit Rowland, tearing into his leg! Meepo nearly fainted. All that precious blood was pouring out on the floor! The stones didn't need dragon magic, Meepo did. Then, it got worse. The wound finally knocked loose Rowland's wits enough for him to realize he should be doing something. He clumsily threw the lantern he was carrying towards the goblins and spoke a single word as he did. The lantern flitted suddenly upward in the air like a feather caught in a cave draft. For a moment Meepo appreciated the dragon magic the boy must have used to do that. Then the lantern tilted too far and burning oil came pouring out all over Rowland's leg. Kurtulmak hated Meepo. That was the only explanation. This boy had the dragon blood. His thoughts were powered by dragon magic. Meepo could get that magic by drinking his blood. But all of the boy's blood was falling out on the floor and now the sun-besotted fool set himself on fire! Meepo almost threw down his crossbow right then and begged the goblins to kill him before the stupid humans did it accidentally. At least the goblins were trying to kill him. Rowland came running for cover at the opening of the hallway, where Burble and Bryant already were, but Meepo was too dumbstruck by the boy's misadventure to notice. The light changed everything for the humans, though. Rowland's toss had landed the lantern just close enough that it lit up the goblins to the human's sun-blinded eyes. Burble, Bryant, and Rhea all fired their weapons at the goblins...and each one missed. Maybe Meepo had heard wrong. Maybe humans couldn't see in the light any better than they could in the dark. They all waited for the light before trying, but with humans who knew what they were thinking? Worthless Druid found his manhood and charged the goblin battlement and the dragon-stealers manning it. He brought his club down, shattering one of their skulls. He was still a Worthless Druid, though. Anyone could kill goblins with a club. One of the goblins pulled out a morning star and slammed the thing's business end into Riki's side. The druid's wolf howled in pain and Meepo heard ribs crack. Another goblin missed a swing at the Worthless Druid. What good were goblins if they couldn't even kill the druid? Meepo's own shot at the goblins missed, but the humans were doing too many stupid things for him to dwell on it. Lorn was yelling and charging the goblins again. Once more the human gods rewarded stupidity and the man jumped the goblin's wall to come down amid them. The two goblins he landed between couldn't even have the decency to kill him before one of his rediculous stunts got Meepo killed. The wolf was over the wall too, now. It mauled a goblin to death and started looking for others while Rowland slunk further under cover. One of the goblins moved up to block Lorn while another broke into a run out of the room. Meepo knew he must be going for reinforcements. It's what Meepo would have done. Soon there would be more goblins. Then Burble lost his mind and ran up, leaping atop the goblins' wall and firing down at them with his bow. Meepo knew he was going to die here. All of these humans wanted to die and they were going to take him with them. Bryant might have just dropped a goblin with a bowshot, but the rest of them all wanted to die. That was the only way he could explain it. Worthless Druid was over the wall too, now. He dropped another goblin with his club. At that moment, something snapped in Meepo's brain. Blood was rushing in his ears. He screamed out a battle cry and threw himself forward. The rage of battle was in him and he loved it. He bounded over the battlement in a smooth leap and tore after the goblin that had fled. He wasn't dying here. That goblin wasn't bringing reinforcements if he had anything to say about it. The goblins scored no more wounds while Meepo was charging past, but the wolf tore out the throat of another. Meepo's feet fell in already forming pools of goblin blood. Meepo burst into a corridor on the trial of the runaway goblin. He drew up short as six tough looking goblins burst into the corridor in front of him. The first bowled past him, but Meepo took a piece of his hide before he and the others rushed clear, utterly ignoring him. The stupid goblins let Meepo get behind them. The new goblins drew some more of the wolf's worthless blood. Meepo hoped the thing would die. Then maybe Worthless Druid would go into mourning and shut up for a moment or two. Meepo came up behind a goblin fighting Lorn and shoved his spear through its side. The thing howled in pain and Meepo loved the feeling of the spear as it jostled against goblin ribs. Off to his side, the wolf dropped yet another goblin. From far back in the room, a dwarf emerged. It was a huge dwarf. He must have been following the humans. He drew a sword and stalked purposefully towards Meepo for a few steps before he realized that the kobold was fighting the goblins. Then he shouted out as he rushed into the fighting, "What's with the killer kobold? Is he charmed or have we threatened to kill him if he doesn't help us out?" So the dwarf was with the humans. Another pawn. He looked big and stupid enough to be easily manipulated. At least he wasn't brandishing some great flaming battle axe like some dwarves Meepo had heard stories about. A human boy, younger even than Rowland, followed behind the dwarf. Burble answered the dwarf's question and named him, "Meepo is our Ally Sal, Just kill the fricken Goblins and I will explain later. Meepo, Sal is a friend, so let him through when he needs it." Meepo calmly acknowledged Burble's words. "Meepo make nice with Sal!" The boy, the new boy, Meepo amended, pegged a goblin with his sling as Sal charged up and clobbered a goblin. As that goblin fell Meepo's heart leaped. A goblin had just struck Worthless Druid. Maybe he'd die here and eliminate a threat. Burble dropped another with an arrow and Bryant fired an arrow of his own...straight into Sal's shoulder. Meepo was right. These humans would be the death of him. All around the humans were being stupid. They didn't withdraw and attack the goblins with arrows or prepare an ambush. They stood their ground. Rhea ran up and leaped over the battlement. There were too many goblins. How long could they keep this up before everyone died? Meepo once again gave up on caring and let the wild rush of the battle roar through his veins. His spear tasted more goblin blood. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Goblins were dying, maybe the druid too. Meepo could get to like this. Lorn and Rowland both felled goblins and Meepo could feel the tide turning. But still another goblin struck the wolf. Things were looking up indeed. The goblins only needed to live long enough to kill Worthless Druid and his wolf mate. Bryant was chaging up too, now. He threw aside his bow and drew his sword while he ran, making a great leap high into the air and landing with one leg over the battlement, the other still behind it. Meepo chuckled quietly at the human's plight. Kurtulmak's blood scream burst through Meepo's mind, a wild bestial howling that could only mean death was near. Be nearly fainted. But then Meepo felled a goblin of his own and all was well with his little world. Revenge was his at last. A goblin died for his suffering. The last two goblins broke and ran, but Meepo, Sal, Lorn, and Riki collectively took one down as it ran. The goblins were gone. Meepo gleefully finished off the goblins still writhing on the floor while introductions were made. The dwarf, Sal, had been with the humans before. But he got sick and stayed behind to get well. He found the boy, Jaryth. The two of them returned when Sal was feeling better. Meepo lowered his opinion of human intelligence. Even their young begged to die. How did they survive with young like this? He shook his head and took up a fallen goblin's sword. He liked it more than his spear. The inch of blood and gore it was laying in didn't bother him. He just licked his fingers. The goblins were a bit overripe, but not at all unpleasant. As Meepo looked up, he saw Bryant staring at his own arrow sticking out of Sal's shoulder. He seemed to grope for an apology, but finally settled on a simple shaking of his head and one word: "Damn" The dwarf heard Bryant and turned around slowly. There was murder in his eyes, like those dwarfs Meepo had heard about. He wondered if Sal was about to find a burning axe somewhere. The burly dwarf hauled the arrow out of his shoulder with a single smooth motion and Meepo wondered if Kurtulmak's blood scream was for Bryant. Sal stalked towards the archer with arrow in one hand and sword in the other. He drew to within reach of the human and threw the arrow to the ground. "Clean this up and next time let's hope it hits one of them..." He told Bryant. Meepo wasn't relieved at all. The blood scream didn't just come out of nowhere. Something was going to die. he looked nervously towards the door the last goblin had fled through and put a few quick strides between it and himself. At least Rhea was bright enough to check the doors leading out of the room, seeing it they were locked, trapped, or if she could hear anything beyond them. Meepo scoffed at the notion of goblins making traps. "Goblins too stupid make traps. Meepo know how make traps. Kobolds have dragon blood. Kobolds know how make traps. Kobolds smart." Rhea answered him without looking up from the door she was checking. "...if Kobolds are so smart why doesn't he know how to open the cold door?" She was referring to the door that Burble had tried to breathe fire on earlier to get opened. Meepo didn't have the damndest idea how to open the thing, but he thought up a simple-minded excuse that even Lorn should be able to understand. "Meepo not know. Meepo think door elf magic, not powerful dragon magic. Kobolds too powerful to open door." That seemed to satisfy them. When Burble suggested a withdrawal Meepo was eager to go along with it. The boy wanted to keep going, but Burble outright refused, pointing out how wounded much of the group was and how low Rowland was on dragon magic. Even Lorn wanted to retreat and rest. Meepo almost considered suggesting they press on on hearing the dumb human come out in favor of it. Anything someone that stupid wanted to do must have a dangerous flaw somewhere. Lorn only wanted to fall back a single room, though. He thought the group should fortify there against the goblins. Burble wanted to go back to Yusdrayl or to his mule, wherever that was. Meepo'd rather not see Yusdrayl again, but he'd rather not sleep with the goblins only a few steps away either. They argued, and in the end it was decided that the better part of the humans would remain in the room Lorn wanted them in, using goblin caltrops to fortify the entrance. A smaller party would go up into the sunlight to get supplies from Burble's mule. It was a stupid plan, but arguing with someone as stupid as Lorn would just be even stupider yet. He'd never see reason. How did a human that dumb live so long? In the soon fortified room, more thorough introductions were made. Meepo didn't care how Sal came on the human boy any more than he did how Lorn managed to remember to breathe, but he nearly fell over in shock when the boy confessed that he had made the noise Meepo thought was Kurtulmak's blood screem. Once he recovered from the shock, though, he thought it was funny. He offered to share some goblin with the boy, but Jaryth refused him and climbed up a wall to get away from the dripping morsel of goblin flesh. Humans had no taste. The goblin was a little underripe, but not at all bad. Discussion soon shifted to the party that would return to Burble's mule to get supplies. Meepo didn't want to be alone with the Worthless Druid, so he was happy to go with Burble. That is, until he learned that the mule was in the daylight world with the sun burning down on it. Meepo hated the sun. It was hot and burned his eyes. Why couldn't it be nice and comfortable like the dark? Finally he agreed to go, though. Better that than stay with Worthless Druid and his wolf mate or hang back in Calcryx's old chamber where his beloved clanmates could beat him again. It was decided that Burble, Bryant, and Meepo would go and fetch supplies. Meepo braced himself for time in the too-hot, too-bright sun that the humans worshipped as though it would send down plagues and disaster on them like a proper, upstanding god would if they didn't fall into line. Meepo saw the rats too late. He and Burble had just stepped into the hallway that would take them past the room with the cold door and fountain that spewed dragon water when he heard the telltale scrabbling on stone. He turned just as the rats, three of them fell on the trio. These were not small rats like he fed Calcryx before the goblins stole her. These were huge rats as big as a kobold that lived out in the rubble beyond the citadel's walls. Their bites carried sickness and they'd had more than one foolish kobold for a meal. Meepo screamed a warning as the rats fell upon all three of them. Bryant foolishly used his bow against them and got bitten badly in the leg while Meepo fell back and readied his crossbow. He rushed all the way into the fountain room and turned back to face the rats. But the rats stopped at Bryant and Burble, tearing and snarling at both and blood flowed. None of the three could get so much as a single hit in while the rats kept biting and pushing them back. They were now between Meepo's party and the rest of the group. Burble screamed for help. "SAL! Help, I am being killed by rats!" Meepo would be glad for any help that came, even from the Worthless Druid...but he had a bad feeling about that scream. They were only fighting maybe thirty feet from where the rats could get into the citadel through a collapsed corridor. Soon enough Sal screamed back, "I'm on my way, keep talking and see if you can head back our way..." But Sal wouldn't arrive soon enough. Rats came pouring down the corridor, coming at the three in a wave of matted fur and filth-filled haws. Meepo could hear feet rushing from beyond them, but he wondered if the others would arrive in time. The rats pressed Bryant back even though he was using his sword now. Burble was bit again and tried to fall back. One rat lunged up at Burble and sank its disease-ridden teeth into the halfling's stomach. Meepo saw blood gout out of the wound and Burble's hands flashed down as he dropped his dagger in shock. Burble reeled and desperately threw himself back and away from the melee, tossing caution to the rats with the rest of him they'd already eaten. He stumbled and staggered back with rats at his heels and finally collapsed, thick ropes of innards falling out from his grip and spilling to the floor. Meepo fended off the rats pressing towards Burble and then immediately dropped to the halfling's aid. He ripped apart an old sack he'd been carrying and desperately piled Burble's insides back...inside. He was as delicate as he dared and then wrapped the halfling's wound in strips of sack. Meepo worked desperately on Burble, doing all he could. He bitterly regretted not paying more attention to how old Ygridda bounds wounds as Burble's lifeblood oozed away and Meepo saw his innards still poking out. Frantically he tied bandage after bandage over Burble's gaping gut wound until finally he could do no more. Genuine fear and desperation filling his voice, he screamed out "Meepo not let rats eat Burble! Burble make nice Meepo. Meepo make nice him! MEEPO GOOD LACKEY!" Neepo stood and wheeled on the rats as they came past Bryant at him. "Meepo not make nice rats! Rats no eat Burble! Meepo kill! Come die, rats! Come die!" He slew the few that came for him and then fell to Burble's side again. He took Burble's head into his hands and cried out "Burble no! Burble come back! Meepo make nice! Meepo put insides back in! Meepo make blood stop! Burble come back! Meepo be good lackey!" Meepo checked the bandages again, all the while muttering to himself, "Burble come back. Burcle come back. Burble come back. Burble not die. Burble come back." Finally, with nothing else to do, Meepo sat down and took Burble's head in his lap. He made sure the halfling could breathe as the battle raged on twenty paces away from him. Meepo whimpered while cradling Burble's head "Burble come back. Meepo make nice. Meepo be good lackey. Burble no leave Meepo with worthless druid and wolf he mates with. Worthless druid have wolf eat Meepo. Meepo be good lackey. Burble come back. Worthless druid not make nice Meepo if Burble die." He was hardly aware he was even speaking and his now-traditional name for Embrill came off his lips for once without a trace of scorn. [/QUOTE]
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Meepo's Story Hour [NEWS! 6-19-02]
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