The Rebellion by Jean Rabe

Author:Jean Rabe [Rabe, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7869-5645-6
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2010-01-25T16:00:00+00:00

19

FREEDOM FROM DEATH

No! Direfang, do not listen to the skull man!” Mudwort jabbed her fingers at the sides of the hobgoblin’s head. “No!”

“There is peace in Steel Town,” the Skull Knight continued, staring hard at Mudwort.

Many of the goblins trailing Direfang had stopped, and the soft thuds that followed were their knives and daggers hitting the ground. But the spell didn’t reach all of the goblins, and some swarmed past the ensorcelled ones and headed straight for the trio of knights near the well.

“No, Direfang!” Mudwort clawed at his face, jarring the hobgoblin back to reality. “No muddled mind, Direfang! No time for a muddled mind!” She thumped her heels against his chest for good measure. “Move, Direfang! Kill the skull man!”

A heartbeat more, and the haze in his mind lifted. Mudwort hammered at his shoulders to spur him on. With a deep breath and a shake of his head, he started racing forward again, his mind clearing, bent on throttling the life out of the priest. But Direfang was not able to reach the man because he was surrounded by a deep press of enthralled goblins.

The two knights at the priest’s side were still alive and fighting, slashing away at as many goblins as they could reach. Those two were clearly elite warriors, Direfang could see. Their moves were precise, and they flaunted many medals on their tabards. And though they were killing one goblin after the next, they couldn’t hold off the mob forever. Again he tried to push forward, gaining a little ground.

Bleeding, snarling goblins who had shrugged off the magic scampered up the men’s legs. Some were bashed aside by the knights’ shields, but others climbed up their tabards and scratched at their faces. More goblins swarmed the knights until it looked as if a leathery goblin hill had grown by the new well. The Skull Knight was swallowed up too.

Direfang watched all the trio fall before he could get close enough to join in the killing. He tried to call out to Spikehollow, but his throat was still too dry. The young goblin was tearing at the priest and oblivious to anything else.

Instead Direfang turned and lumbered toward the benches with the skins and jars on them. He desperately needed water.

“The blasted wizard!” Direfang cursed in a low voice, as much for his own ears as Mudwort’s. He’d found a jar filled with water and drained all of it in one long gulp, regaining his voice. “Not spotted the Gray Robe among the dead, Mudwort. The wizard is the commander now, and must be found and killed in order for goblins to be safe.”

The fight continued behind him, and as his right hand closed on a clay jug, he looked around for the man called Grallik.

“Should have been watching for the wizard. Forgot all about the wizard, Mudwort. In all the blood frenzy and with all the noise, forgot. The most dangerous man is still in camp.”

Direfang knew it was the wizard who had birthed

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