“How you know humans come this way?” The one called Drugnuk asked, stopping just in front of the tree Rone hid in.
“Big lizards say they come this way.” The smaller one answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Bah dumb lizards say anything to get Hobspawn to leave. They no like us no way.” Drugnuk replied with a scowl.
“Maybe, but they no like humans more.” The smaller one said with a grin.
“They like when Hobspawn eats humans. Then they not have to kill them themselves. And big lizard says they reward us if we eat humans in the marsh.”
“Bah! they no reward us, they just not kill us if we do what they want.”
“That pretty good rewards to me,” the smaller one replied with another shrug of his shoulders.
The small party resumed their search and continued down the path towards the river. The Drakelings must not have been too worried about Shanty and his pal, or they would have gone after them themselves.
Rone breathed a small sigh of relief when they goblins had made it out of sight. As he climbed from between the branches, Fang came loping up to him with this curious look in his eyes.
He sat down at Rones' feet and whined as he turned his head from side to side, looking up at Rone.
“We can’t go attacking every spawn we see Fang,” Rone said, shaking his head. A short bark in the tone of why? Came from the big wolf as he looked down the trail in the direction the goblins went.
“Because we are in a hurry, and I can’t risk an injury yet. Not until I talk to the mages at the tower, that’s why.”
Fang took one more look in the direction of the goblins and huffed. Then lopped back off into the brush as Rone adjusted his bow on his back and continued down the trail.
After traveling a good two hours before he decided to stop for a bite to eat. Rone was proud to see Fang had caught hungry a brush bunny and was now bringing it to Rone to share.
“Good boy,” Rone said as he held the bunny up for a good look at its size.
“This will make a fine lunch,” He added, pulling the dagger from his belt and going to work preparing it to cook. Fang made quick work of the innards as Rone tossed them to the side, and eagerly waited for the rest to be cooked.
“You know Fang; the other blink wolves would laugh at you for how accustomed to human food you’ve gotten.”
Fang just huffed and laid down on a rock to watch Rone cook. Rone just laughed at him and jabbed a sharpened stick into the rabbit to use as a skewering rod.
“It’ll be done in a minute,” He told the big wolf with another grin and shake of his head.
They were still eating when a sudden explosion of wings beating in the sky above him, followed by the alarmed calls of the crows that made them brought Rone to his feet. Something had upset the flock, not thirty yards from where they had stopped to eat.
Rone pulled his bow into a ready position, with an arrow already sitting in the guide groove. Whatever had startled those crows, was now moving in his direction.
Fang sensed this too and immediately blinked out of sight to somewhere in the nearby brush.
Long moments passed as Rone stood ready for whatever was coming. He could hear something substantial barreling through the brush towards him, but the undergrowth was too thick to see it yet. He raised his bow pulling back slightly on the string for quick firing if it was deemed necessary.
Finally, what was causing the noises came bursting into the clearing where he stood. Two large antlered deer was now running hard towards him. There was no time to think he could only react, as he dove out of the way to keep from being trampled. His more significant concern was what was chasing them.
Out of the brush, some twenty paces behind the deer were two Drakeling hunters — both with spears poised to throw at the fleeing deer. Before they sent them flying, though, they spotted Rone and turned their charge to intercept him instead.
“Oh, Hell!” Rone exclaimed before releasing his first arrow at the charging lizard men. It struck the first one in the left shoulder, only to be pulled out and tossed to the side. Knowing the arrows from a bow designed for hunting would never get deep through the Drakelings' thick skin. He threw it to the side and reached for his swords.
Upon them sliding from their sheaths on his back, LightVein flared to life. It’s bright light scattering the shadows of the forest around him.
The Drakelings, being surprised by this, suddenly stopped and looked at him cautiously. Their moment of hesitation quickly fading into a desire to claim the magic sword for themselves.
With a roar, the closest one flung his spear at Rone, who managed to deflect it at the last minute. The lizardman growled in anger and drew the short sword he carried from his belt. The other Drakeling was just about to launch his own spear when a monstrous howl came from the woods just behind him.
As he turned around, he was met with Fang’s full body weight, as the big wolf barreled into its chest. Wolf and Drakeling tumbled to the ground in a flurry of teeth and claws, as each struggled to get the advantage on the other.
Rone was now locked into combat, as well. His dual swords flicking outward in an attempt to open the lizard's defenses. He could not help but marvel at how easy the blades responded to his movements.
There was no adjustment to be made, no allowing for the balance or weight of the blades. Just move, and the swords would react. Rone couldn’t help wondering if they were enchanted to do that as well, or if it was merely a testament to Decker's prowess as a master crafter.
Either way, he felt unbeatable with these swords in his hands. Weaving and slashing at the Drakeling, making over a dozen deep cuts in the lizardman’s torso before he could parry or deflect them away.
These cuts only enraged the Drakeling, causing it to get careless in its pursuit of revenge. It rushed forward with sword extended out in front of it as if it were a spear. Only to be brushed aside by one hand, as Rone buried the sword called Shadow Foil up to the hilt in the Drakelings chest.
The lizardman gurgled once as black oozing blood spewed from its mouth in a desperate attempt to draw a breath. Then he fell to the ground as Rone pulled his sword free from its lifeless body.
To his right, the other Drakeling was also making a sickening gurgle sound as its blood stained the fur around Fang's jaws. Fang had won the contest of might between him and the lizardman, gaining the upper hand as they tumbled on the ground.
He now stood with the full weight of his body on the lizardman’s chest, as his teeth held its throat in a deadly grip. When the last flinches of life were gone, Fang released the Drakeling's throat and raised his head to howl in triumph.
Turning to blink over to Rone, Fang looked up for assurance he was ok. Rone stroked his head and said,
“Let’s go, boy, before more of them show up.” With that, he wiped his blades off on the tattered leather loincloth the lizardman wore. Grabbed his bow and pack, and the two of them set off for Crag Moor once again. Determined to reach the city by morning.
7
It was late in the day, and the moon had already started to rise into the night sky. The Thorn Caller rangers were beginning to return to Briarthorn village after their daily patrols, and Tobias Longbranch was the last to arrive. As he had been almost every day since Max’s attack.
He was determined that if indeed there was a threat looming in Agnar, it would not catch them off guard again. Which is what made the sudden appearance of someone screaming for help outside the bramble wall, such a surprise. He was the first to hear the pleas for help and was quickly joined by Master Decker.
“I recognize that voice; it’s Sheriff Kender from Thrushwall village.” Thrushwall was a small farming village to the west of Briarthorn. It was mainly populated by Mortalis, but the sheriff was a half-elf named Kender Reeds. A wiry man, with little if any combat training.