Episode 29
Goblin Sneaks
Gerhardt’s scimitar bit deeply into the ogre, nearly severing its left arm. The giant humanoid reeled just slightly, but maintained its stance. Before Gerhardt could savor the success of his attack, twin daggers were shoved deeply into his back.
Gerhardt cried out in pain. He could feel his shirt growing warm and wet with his own blood.
Gjord charged the goblin attacker’s flank and brought his blade down with a vengeance. The weapon drew blood, but the goblin did not collapse as Gjord assumed he would.
Gerhardt knew the back stabbing little git was still behind him,
”no way am I turning my back on this big boy,” he thought
I have to hope for help. What a horrible predicament! Gerhardt’s next attack hit home and cut the ogre’s belly wide open. Entrails spilled forth and the giant humanoid fell to one side. As he turned to face the goblin, he knew he was too late. The goblin’s blades flashed and Gerhardt lost consciousness.
Gjord laid another punishing blow on the goblin, and yet, it stood.
Inga and Hilde rushed into the fray. Inga attacked one of the lesser goblins and Hilde braved attacks while she stabilized Gerhardt. The roguish goblin had slipped away from Gjord and stabbed Inga in the back. Only the she-barbarian’s rage kept her upright.
Hilde’s healing power allowed Gerhardt to return to the fray. There was no question where the fighter’s attentions would be concentrated. He attacked the goblin rogue with a vengeance.
Gerhardt hit the goblin, Inga hit the goblin, Hilde hit the goblin, and yet it stood. “What is this green rock!” Inga exclaimed.
Finally, a blow from Inga put the goblin rogue down. The remaining two lesser goblins were slain with words of surrender in their mouths.
Gerhardt walked up to the rogue’s corpse and kicked it in the side of the head, making a deep impression from his efforts. “By the gods that lil’ git was a rough one!”
Hilde began administering to Inga’s wounds. She soon ran out of curative meditations, as did Inga, and the party was still in bad shape. “We need to rest,” Hilde announced.
No one objected and the group tracked their way back to the former torture chamber.
E’lissar, who had not been injured suggested, “I would like to work my way forward and scout the unexplored area.”
Quickly others volunteered to go with him.
“This is a case where numbers work for us my friends,” E’lissar explained. “I will not confront any dangers, only sneak through the shadows to see what awaits.”
“I say let him go,” Gerhardt piped up. “Worst case scenario is the elf is captured by the enemy and tortured. All in all that’s not a bad worst case scenario.”
“Your good wishes are noted as always,” E’lissar retorted. “Undoubtedly, you would prefer to blunder ahead subjecting yourself to attacks from every quarter, but the rest of us…” E’lissar motioned his hand around to the rest of the group, “we prefer a more subtle approach.”
“Hey, I said I was all for it,” Gerhardt replied. “Go sneak off in the shadows like your rat kin.”
E’lissar left.
Gerhardt chuckled, “’rat kin’, I kill myself.”
“Now that’s a best case scenario,” Ranin blurted. Everyone but Gerhardt chuckled.
…..
Silently, through the deep shadows the elf crept. Light was so faint in areas of the complex he moved ahead by tactile feel. He passed the areas where the party had slaughtered the goblins and then the chamber of the ogre. He detected no disturbances in the area, and the corpses appeared unmolested. Slowly, he inched down the unexplored dark passage and noticed there was light ahead.
The passage ended in an iron portcullis, and beyond several torches and oil pots lit a chamber. A man dressed in red robes was looking in an immense tome and he was speaking to someone else. The language was foreign to E’lissar. The tone was dark and the tongue was guttural with harsh enunciations. E’lissar crept to the other side to gain a view of the man’s conversation partner.
What horrible visage was this? E’lissar’s mind screamed at him. His muscles tensed and ached to flee in the fear that was overcoming him. It was a demon of immense proportions – a misshapen head perched atop a 12-foot tall frame. Grotesque flaps of flesh cascaded down its torso supported by staunch leg quarters ending in cloven hooves. Its eyes were worst of all, glowing orbs of hatred full of eternal damnation.
E’lissar contained his flight instincts and slowly backed down the corridor. He moved quickly back through the passages to return to the former torture chamber. He emerged into the room where Ranin and Quarion were holding watch.
“Did you see anything interesting?” Quarion asked.
To be continued…
