“Something like that,” he said after a moment. “Be the next Dred Wyrm, you know? The best dungeoneer around,” he said, almost defensively, and glanced over at Kaylin as if afraid she’d laugh. Instead, she just looked over thoughtfully.
“That’s a good ambition. I wish you the best of luck.”
Vexx grinned. She might be a bit stupid and naive, but at least she’s nice. There could be worse people to go into battle with.
Kaylin scrambled up a ridge, raising her hand to her eyes, and Vexx found his gaze locking onto her. Not a bad-looking sort either.
“Vexx!” The elf glanced over, her bright eyes iridescent in the light, and she grinned widely when she got his attention. “I found the sheep!”
11
Setting the Trap
Kaylin worked intently with her cords, muttering under her breath as she tied one end of a rope to a branch. Vexx peered over, looking past the dead sheep and towards the nearest cave. They’d poked around the entrance and found several other caves nearby before Kaylin had eagerly suggested setting up a trap. Vexx found he preferred the idea of setting up an ambush here over going down below and so he stood there, scouting around, as Kaylin finished setting up her snare trap.
“And then…there! Once he steps beside the sheep, we’ll get him for sure.”
“You’re sure about this?” Vexx asked, trying to keep the skepticism out of his voice.
“Of course,” she said, completely focused on tying a knot. Vexx shrugged and wandered over to a hollow with an overhang where he’d made the most basic of shelters. A fire would be easy for him to start, of course, but they had to keep a low profile here. Vexx gathered up some dried grass, wedged himself into concealment, and resolved to have himself a pleasant nap.
Crack!
Vexx’s eyes snapped open. Kaylin was beside him, softly snoring into his ear, and he quickly shook her awake. “I hear something,” he hissed as the elf shook off her sleepiness. It was just past dawn, the first faint glimmers of light appearing above the nearby ridge.
Did I really sleep that long? Vexx wondered as he scrubbed wetness off his cheek. Elf slobber. Gross.
The same grunting and shuffling that he’d heard earlier were growing louder now. He squinted to make out shapes in the darkness, but as usual, Kaylin spotted it first.
“The goblin,” she whispered beside him, hurriedly rummaging for her bow, and quietly stringing it. “He’s by the trap! He’s got the sheep…and…he’s dragging it,” she said, readying a shot. Vexx had kept his clothes on over the night, needing little else, but waited to summon a flame.
Ice bolts are alright if I’m putting out a fire, and I’ve been taught quite a few other tricks. But fireballs? There’s no beating it.
“What? He’s gone right past the…agh, why didn’t it work!”
The shuffling stopped at this. Then it grew louder, more panicked, and now Vexx could dimly make out the goblin dragging the sheep to one of the cave entrances.
“Great going, Kaylin,” Vexx said, visibly annoyed that the element of surprise had gone. “You spooked him!”
Fire flamed into life below his hands, illuminating the elf as she huffed beside him. “Well, I’m going to get him! Follow me!”
Kaylin bounded off, heedless of the rocks in the darkness around her, while Vexx followed along at a slower pace, scanning the ground as he walked forward. Soon, a shriek tore through his thoughts and he glanced up as Kaylin soared into the air.
12
Into the Cave
The flames pouring from his palms illuminated the twisted, struggling elf trapped in her net, bouncing up and down between the limbs of two sturdy pine trees. It came to a rest and she was well and truly stuck, her arms and legs jutted out of the nets as she desperately tried to struggle free.
“Nice job, elf!” Vexx whistled.
“Don’t just stand there!” she called down.
“Never fear, Kaylin, I have a goblin to catch.”
“At least cut me down!”
“No time for that,” Vexx snapped as he hurried ahead.
“Vexx!”
The goblin had disappeared into one of the cave entrances, the deceptively strong creature holding the sheep over one shoulder, but Vexx followed close behind, sprinting through the winding tunnel.
I have to catch up soon, before the corridor splits in two or three. Then there’d be no way we’d catch him in time!
Vexx was close enough that he saw rocks still rolling from where the goblin and his captured sheep had dislodged them, and even a few bloodstains along stalactites where the dead sheep had brushed across them. He strained forward, leaping ahead as the path twisted and went deeper into the mountain, a faint emerald glow emerging around them. The chamber opened up now, and even in his hurry, Vexx faltered at the sight.
He slowed, choosing his steps carefully. The dim glow fell on the carcass of the sheep, abandoned in the middle of the passage. The glow seemed to give the white wool a peculiar greenish tinge, but Vexx thought he saw something crouching behind it.
“Come out, you filthy creature!” Vexx shouted as he peered over the sheep’s carcass. Goblins were short and cunning creatures, but it was little use hiding behind the dead sheep. He leaned over, a flame readied. The goblin wasn’t there.
“What the—”
Vexx glanced up just as a snarling goblin leaped at him from atop a massive stalactite. He reeled to the side, the goblin’s axe missing, but the creature had already sunk its teeth into Vexx’s shoulder. Vexx screamed in pain, instinctively grabbing the goblin with both his hands and tearing it off before throwing it to the side.
He raised both hands now, just as the goblin spun around. It approached menacingly with an axe in its hand and a twisted scowl on its misshapen face. Flames burst forward, a powerful spray of fire that burned the goblin to a crisp. Vexx couldn’t suppress his yell of pain and agony as the fire tore into the goblin.
Then he ended the spell.
In a flash, the fire dimmed, and smoke rose from a few smoldering fires around the blackened corpse of the goblin. Vexx sagged down to one knee and stared at the fire-blackened body for a long moment.
“Shit.”
Now that he had a second to think, Vexx realized that the ruined figure in front of him would be hard to explain as a goblin. He scanned from left to right, exhaustion slowing his motions, and rocked back on his heels in dismay.
“Shit,” Vexx repeated.
I need a drink.
He patted at his robe, smiling as he felt the potion still in his pocket. It was good thinking to keep this here instead of in my pack. Vexx raised it up, the blue liquid looking almost teal in the glow of the emerald crystals that dotted the ceiling, and popped open the cork. Vexx took a few greedy swigs before corking it and placing it back in his robes.
Better save some of that for later.
“Ah, that’s the stuff,” Vexx said to himself, his voice echoing in the massive chamber, then burped as he felt his stomach rumble. He certainly felt more energetic, at least. A band of a dozen goblins could have rounded the corner just then and Vexx knew he’d be able to send fireballs flying at every one of them if he needed to.