by Jeff Inlo
"I'll know that when I see it for myself!"
"And if the rogue follows you to the gate and finds it closed, what's it going to do? It's trying to escape! It'll try to break through and then you really will have a problem."
During the argument, the other squad of soldiers came back into view and had cutoff the beast. They clearly knew of the conflict to the south, but their squad leader kept his attention on the pressing issue of the rogue.
"See?" Ryson asserted. "They're not running off to the east gate. The rogue is inside the wall. That's your immediate problem. Deal with it!"
Seeing the dark creature cutoff and between two groups of forces, the corporal could hardly argue the contention. He had the rogue where he wanted it. He just had to finish the job.
Speaking as if he had made the decision himself, he called to the guards under his command.
"Pull the net across the street and get that thing under wraps."
Believing the soldiers would handle the third rogue, Ryson was just about to leave to make a quick scout of the town. Turning his attention back to the towers, he read the signals to determine if any other issues warranted his immediate attention. The disturbance to the south appeared to be the only other concern , but a final look back at the corporal gave him pause... and alarm.
The corporal took a position in the middle of the street, holding the net at its center. He broke into a full sprint as he demanded the soldiers charge toward the rogue as quickly as possible. In essence, the corporal became the head of the wedge, the tip of the spear flying at the panicked rogue.
The squad further down the road also stretched its iron net across the street. They barred any path of escape for the rogue, but they wisely left the center of the net empty. There was no one in the middle of the road, just the iron mesh that blocked all passage. They also did not race toward the rogue, but moved steadily, and carefully forward, allowing the corporal the opportunity to ensnare the monster first.
With one quick look into the rogue's eyes, Ryson saw the folly in the corporal's maneuver. The monster panicked. The barking dogs continued their harangue all about the creature, heightening its distress. Previously, it only wanted one thing... to escape from the town, but its intentions quickly altered. It realized in an instant that it was trapped and in danger. Both its focus and rage centered upon the main threat, the corporal that charged toward it.
Even with all his speed, Ryson could not reach the rogue before it was too late. The soldiers were just too close to the river rogue. By the time the delver understood the looming catastrophe, he was too far away from the point of conflict. Still, he rushed forward even in a futile attempt.
The rogue, with no other choice, moved to attack. With an inherent quickness that clearly surprised the corporal, the creature leapt forward with its arms extended. The claws flashed outward but without any slashing motion that would have entangled the iron mesh.
The corporal saw the danger too late. He tried to stop in time, but he was running with all his fury and could not completely halt his progress. In one desperate action, he tried to toss the iron net forward as he released his hold of the chains. The act succeeded in catching one of the rogue's extended arms and bending it out of harm's way, but the creature's other arm slipped between one of the holes of the mesh. The corporal could not dodge the claws and found his left wrist in the grip of the beast.
The strength of a rogue rivaled that of a full grown mountain shag. Once it gained hold of a victim, it almost never let go. Its claws dug deep into the corporals flesh, even as it pulled the corporal closer. The iron netting fell upon it, weighing it down and tangling its arms and legs, but it would not release its violent grasp on the human it viewed as the source of its predicament.
Pain erupted up the corporal's arm. He shrieked in agony as the claws ripped through the skin and sunk deep into flesh and muscle. Pulling away from the monster only increased the torment—and worsened the injury—but the corporal instinctively tried to escape the rogue's grasp. His eyes widened in absolute terror as the monster grappled and twisted against the iron net to draw him nearer to its razor sharp fangs.
As the soldiers worked to wrap the net around the beast and pulled against the strands to hopefully knock the fiend off balance, Ryson reached the side of the corporal. With one careful jab of his sword, the delver found an open space between the netting and slightly pierced the scaled hide of the rogue.
The Sword of Decree held many enchantments, and it would burn the spirit essence of any creature the blade cut. It might have been the only thing that would force the rogue to release its hold on the corporal.
The creature would not relent so easily. It screeched in pain, a shriek that matched the horrible cries of the corporal. As the rogue tried to pull away from the blazing sword that caused it incredible suffering, it made one last swift yank at the wrist still in its grasp. With a sudden twist, a deeper slice into tendons, and a final heave of fury, the rogue separated the corporal's hand from his arm, and the monster fell backward onto the ground. The beast hissed and growled as it thrashed violently against the iron chains that further entangled it with every angry thrust of its arms and legs.
The corporal also dropped to the ground, but he ceased all sound and movement. An expanding pool of blood spilled across deepening puddles as a deluge of raindrops splattered the dark red liquid in every direction.
"Get a tourniquet around his arm and stop the bleeding!" Ryson yelled. He turned to the eastern squad of soldiers that still held their net across the street. "Drop your net over the rogue! Make sure it's secure and then get it out of here!"
Not one guard hesitated as the delver's commanding tone echoed with authority. Ryson motioned to the guards that had been under the corporal's command.
"Get him medical attention as quickly as possible."
One of the soldiers didn't question the directive but wondered aloud about a rather macabre detail.
"What about his hand?"
Ryson gave one last look to the rogue that was being secured with the second iron net. It clasped the bloody hand with desperation, as if holding some sacred religious artifact. Ryson knew it was absurd to try and wrestle the dismembered body part from the creature.
"Nothing we can do about it," Ryson advised. He encouraged all the soldiers to move with greater speed. "Get them both out of here now!"
Just as the guards moved out, Ryson took off at near top speed. It wasn't the most efficient way to scout the town, but he was growing more concerned with the spreading turmoil. Sprinting might cause him to miss small traces of another rogue, but time was running short.
He took several glimpses at the surrounding towers to glean additional information regarding the conflict to the south. He realized the southwestern wall remained under fire. Though no confirmed identification of the source had been made, the tower guards were raising the alert. It appeared the soldiers in the area also believed goblins were behind the attack, and they warned the entire town of a possible horde assault.
As Ryson closed upon the eastern gate, he paused to call out to the gatekeepers and the nearest watch.
"Signal that the three rogues are all secured! I'm going to do a fast scout of the town to see if anything else is inside. Then I'll head to the south."
Once a guard nodded in acknowledgment, Ryson raced off and returned to his previous pace. He breathed deeply and quickly through his nose as he sprinted from one street to the next. He also concentrated on catching every sound that escaped each alley. The heavy rain and the growing winds made his every motion that much more difficult, but at least the residents of the town were all in shelters.
At the pace he set, he couldn't be absolutely certain, but he was relatively sure that no other river rogues had found their way inside the town walls. The scents he caught matched those of the other three creatures that had already been secured. It was possible he might have missed a small trail, but not probable.
Believing the rogue proble
m handled, Ryson sped off to the southern edge of Burbon. He could hear the conflict growing in the distance. It wasn't just arrows falling upon the southern wall. The delver caught the sound of shouts and clanging metal. Something other than a river rogue was already inside Burbon's walls.
Chapter 4
After Okyiq gave the signal to fire, he led over a hundred goblins away from those that rained bolts and arrows down upon the town's wall. With his hulking frame visible even in the pouring rain, he brought the small horde around the base of a hill to Burbon's south. Near the border of the clearing that they would have to cross, he bid the pack to stop. Indiscriminately, he separated the group further, pulling a small contingent from the entire force that followed. About a dozen goblins surrounded him.
"You come with me. We get gate open."
He then turned to the remainder of the raiding party.
"You stay behind hill until gate is open. When gate opens, run inside! Anyone that stays here..." he paused to add emphasis, "...dies when I get back."
There was no "if" in the statement regarding his return. Okyiq didn't think there was any chance he would fall during the raid, and he would see to it that there would be dire consequences for any that didn't follow his orders. By sheer will alone, he would avoid death... cheat it, spit in its face.
The clarity of the order had its desired effect. Any goblin hoping Okyiq's probable demise would allow it to avoid retribution for misjudgments during battle quickly reassessed such convictions.
Peering around the edge of the hill, the huge goblin spied the wall. He could make out only a dim outline. The darkness conceived of the cloudy night sky and driving rain seemed to cover everything like a heavy wool drape that wavered only slightly against a fierce wind. Though Okyiq could not be certain of the guards' positions, he could see their signal torches. The fires remained lit despite the pounding rain, protected by canopies strung across the tops of the towers. The presence of humans remained apparent as shouts and screams from the wall followed the twang of bowstrings from the goblin ranged assault.
"We go now!" he shouted and took off in a furious sprint.
A dozen goblins followed Okyiq as they rushed toward the nearest gate. The goblin leader urged them forward through the clearing. The hail of arrows and bolts from goblins in the hills filled the air and continued to come down alongside the raindrops, falling hard upon the wall and guard towers. The projectiles were well off to the raiding party's left flank, creating no risk of the raiders falling to friendly fire. The same could not be said for arrows that might come from the human archers.
The driving rain, however, grew even harder, fell like glistening sheets across the clearing between the hills and Burbon's wall. The goblins' gray skin and dark metallic armor allowed them to blend in with the night storm. Even as they raced across open ground, not a single arrow flew in their direction. They reached the base of the wall slightly to the side of Burbon's southern gate without a single casualty.
"Up wall!" Okyiq whispered, but it still held the growl of authority and not a single goblin delayed in beginning the ascent.
They climbed over each other like excited ants on a pile of sugar. They were far from graceful or silent. During a clear and quiet night, several tower guards would have spotted them immediately, but the soldiers were not looking for goblins on that particular evening. If anything, a small goblin raiding party was the least of the guards' worries. What goblin would be foolish enough to call for a raid when a number of river rogues hunted for prey both inside and outside Burbon's wall?
The hail of bolts and arrows that came from the hills confused the human sentries, and held their attention. As the guards dropped low for cover, they tried to ascertain the source of fire. They struggled against the elements and risked injury as they peered over the edges of the wall. Unfortunately, they could not identify the threat.
Even at the top of the hill, the goblins' short stature worked to their advantage. The surrounding tall grass bent and buckled with the wind and rain, but it swirled about and masked the silhouettes of their forms. They fired over and over again, unable to target their foes, but knowing they were expected to continue.
The most experienced soldiers of Burbon recognized the bolts that fell from the sky and quickly associated them with goblin crossbows, but even they failed to look to the base of the wall for an initial raiding party. The tactics didn't fit with usual goblin activity. Never before had the little cretins unleashed a continuous hail of fire for a simple raid. Why would they offer a warning?
Worried far more about a full scale attack from an overwhelming force, they looked to the hills for signs of a great horde. They listened for the thunderous rumble of a great host that could not possibly hide their numbers, even in the darkness and heavy rains. To their confusion, no such goblin army stood in sight, and beyond the pounding of the rain, no riotous commotion could be heard.
Struggling with the darkness and the volleys from the goblin archers, the human soldiers battled uncertainty. A goblin horde would rush its prey with near disregard, and yet the hills offered little more than shadows in the grass. The prospect of a major goblin assault seemed to dwindle, but the soldiers could not totally dismiss the possibility. The southern tower guards sent warning signals, revealing the ranged assault and placing the town into a stage of higher alert.
Okyiq's ploy worked far better than he could have imagined, but if he knew the facts, even the boastful goblin would have had to admit that fortune played a greater role than his simple strategy. He did not know about the river rogues incursion into the town, had no idea that soldiers were placed at crossroads to deal with a breach that had already occurred. The soldiers on the walls were looking for rogues, not a mere dozen goblins brazen enough to cross the open ground to the south. The rain and the rogues—even the delver's trek through the town with his sword blazing a trail—forced the soldiers' attention away from the southern gate, but it was there that Okyiq broke through Burbon's defenses.
At the very edge of the gate, the goblins crossed over the top of the wall and slid down the inner wall planks like snow ogres gliding down an ice covered mountainside. They hit the ground hard, but seemed to bounce, almost as if their bodies were made of some rubbery substance. They drew their short swords and immediately attacked the gatekeepers before any of the guards could call out for help.
Okyiq moved with unfettered determination to the center of the gate. A heavy wooden post crossed through iron brackets and held both doors locked in place. With far more strength than an average goblin, he took hold of the bar handle and wrestled against the weight of the post. The crossbeam fought against the pressure, and at first refused to budge. Eventually, Okyiq's own determination surpassed the stubborn shaft. The beam creaked and crunched, but began moving in its track. Struggling and snarling, ignoring the pain in his back and hands, the fierce goblin lunged forward and slid the post beyond one of the brackets.
Three goblins ran to the freed gate section and yanked at the handles. They struggled against the weight as the iron hinges seemed to fight against their desires. When Okyiq joined them, they were able to force the gate open enough for the goblins still under the protection of the hills to see a clear passage into town.
Nearly a hundred goblins rushed across the clearing. They moved in one great mass, like a patch of filthy oil rushing forward upon the surface of an otherwise pure river. They did not try to hide their presence from the towers, did not try to mask their numbers. They simply drove toward the opportunity the open gate presented.
The racing pack did not go unnoticed. The tower guards, desperately searching for an answer to the odd assault, spotted the raiding goblins as they broke out from behind the hillside. Signals were sent of the attack, and several of the human soldiers fired their arrows, placing themselves in jeopardy from goblin archers who continued their bombardment.
Several goblins dropped from the counterattack, but the vast majority made it to the wall and threw themse
lves against the partially opened gate. The force shoved the door open wider and the full raiding force poured through the entrance. They were not surprised to see their commander alive and ready to order them into battle.
"Breakup! Swarm area and find cover! Force humans to come off the wall and then attack! When they are dead, take everything you can!"
As the goblins rushed passed him, Okyiq took the time to raise his pudgy distorted nose to the air. He sniffed several times and then gauged the wind. With a clear direction set in his mind, he took hold of one goblin after another and threw them to the side of the gate. Once he had another dozen goblins, he pointed to a building at a nearby corner. He could not read the sign that held the establishment's name of the Spruce View Tavern, but he knew it was a place that held the food he craved.
"You will come with me!" Okyiq demanded of the goblins he pressed aside.
The dozen creatures agreed without hesitation, their goblin blood flowing briskly from the excitement of the raid and the initial success of their endeavor. They hissed and snorted, chuckled in glee as they bounded after their leader.
In near unison, the small pack sprang across the road and toward a large wooden door at the front of the establishment. An even larger picture window stood to the side of the entrance, but the inside of the building was dark—all lanterns and candles within had been extinguished.
Despite the darkened interior, the goblins noticed movement inside the building. Humans appeared to be clamoring in all directions, but the apparent mayhem did not for one moment melt the goblins' desire to get at the food within.
Okyiq pushed at the entrance, but it held against his weight and his will. He pounded and kicked at the door, but it held firm. He cursed, but wasted no more time or effort on the futile attempt. He knew he was fighting more than a simple lock, and he decided to take a different approach. Grabbing hold of one of the goblins waiting impatiently at his side, he lifted the smaller monster off its feet and flung it violently through the center of the front window.