so the blue flames in his eyes just flickered for a moment as they dimmed.
so the purple flames in his eyes just flickered for a moment as they dimmed.
What should he do next?
HE couldn’t just lie here forever.
He couldn’t just lie here forever.
Well,
Toren heard a voice and didn’t move.
He heard crunching footsteps as someone—two someone’s—walked towards him in the snow.
He heard crunching footsteps as someone—two someones—walked towards him in the snow.
Still,
If his bones were separated,
they come back together.
they came back together.
And even if they were crushed or disintegrated—as they had been once by Corusdeer horns—they would eventually recreate themselves.
Someday he’d go back to that inn with a sword.
And then he’d left Erin yell and him and boss him around.
And then he’d let Erin yell at him and boss him around.
And then he’d—
He stared at the Bronze-rank team silently.
Then he grabbed the sword as his side and ran at them.
Then he grabbed the sword at his side and ran at them.
But the adventures,
But the adventurers,
for all their poor choice of weaponry,
A stone the size of Toren’s palm smacked him in the head.
He rocked backwards on his feet and took a step back to stead himself.
He rocked backwards on his feet and took a step back to steady himself.
and it intrigued Toren.
That was a good a place to start as any.
That was as good a place to start as any.
So the skeleton quickly unearthed the battered bronze armor he’d hid in the snow and put it on.
the famous Garen Redfang himself,
it had all seemed to easy.
it had all seemed too easy.
They’d immediately set out after being dropped off by Carn Wolves close to where the Human had last been spotted,
for the Goblins,
this current moment was the most politically fraught time any of them had even experienced.
this current moment was the most politically fraught time any of them had ever experienced.
Normally,
and because it made the Goblins’ heads hurt,
they’d just gone alone with what Garen had said.
they’d just gone along with what Garen had said.
But now,
It wasn’t a bad meal for a normal Goblin,
but the Redfang warriors were used to meat meals and lots of it.
but the Redfang warriors were used to meat meals and lots of them.
Goblins lived in close-knit quarters,
so their ability to read each other almost bordered on the telepathic,
at least for those who knew each other well.
so their ability to read each other almost bordered on the telepathic.
but those who had no such ambitions were always rock-steady behind their Chieftain.
So Grunter’s interjection was not so much response so much as an opening statement warning the other Goblins that they were still largely indebted to Garen Redfang,
So Grunter’s interjection was not a response so much as an opening statement warning the other Goblins that they were still largely indebted to Garen Redfang,
despite their current predicament.
If Rags was their Chieftain,
than disobeying her by following Garen hurt the entire tribe.
then disobeying her by following Garen hurt the entire tribe.
but clearly only obeyed her instructions at his whim,
preferring to work behind her back where it suited him.
preferring to work behind her back when it suited him.
Would she protect them,
or despise their cowardice in abandoning her own tribe?
or despise their cowardice in abandoning their own tribe?
After all,
Especially if there really was a Goblin Lord about to attack them.
Neither Rags nor Garen were as good as true Goblin Lord,
Neither Rags nor Garen were as good as a true Goblin Lord,
despite their Skills.
But if the worked together…
But if they worked together…
But they’d heard dark rumors about this so-called Lord,
and Garen Redfang had told them that any Goblin who joined the Goblin Lordhe,
and Garen Redfang had told them that any Goblin who joined the Goblin Lord,
he,
Garen,
She was so hungry.
It wasn’t even words anymore just an overpowering desire to eat something.
It wasn’t even words anymore.
Just an overpowering desire to eat something.
Anything.
The young woman’s clean hair was gone.
Her features were gaunt;
her stomach eating away at the rest of her body.
Her features were gaunt.
Her stomach was eating away at the rest of her body.
She was so hungry.
The noise attacked the shambling things.
The noise attracted the shambling things.
They came for her,
and all carried weapons.
And they marked with death among them and on their blades.
And they marched with death among them and on their blades.
Blackarrow snarled as he pointed to the front ranks of Goblins.
Badarrow snarled as he pointed to the front ranks of Goblins.
Headscratcher,
This was clearly a war band sent out to pillage and kill.
And for such a huge one to be sent—how terrible vast was the host of the Goblin Lord?
And for such a huge one to be sent—how terribly vast was the host of the Goblin Lord?
The band of Goblins ran furiously,
outdistancing even their mounted pursuers by the expedient of shooting down any stragglers who got too close.
outdistancing even their mounted pursuers by the expedient of shooting down any who got too close.
The pursuing Goblins halted when they saw they’d lose their quarry,
It was a natural process,
and Toren understood it although instinctively.
and Toren understood it almost instinctively.
He gestured at Toren,
and spoke a word that was audibly even across the vast distance between them.
and spoke a word that was audible even across the vast distance between them.
Come here.
The words burned in Torne’s mind.
The words burned in Toren’s mind.
He faltered—and then realized the words were like one of Erin’s orders!
The [Shaman]’s body was stripped of all valuable,
The [Shaman]’s body was stripped of all valuables,
and his body tossed into a pile of corpses towed by two half-dead horses.