Greenways Goblins (Resurrection Quest Book 1)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “Like it’s missing a good portion of its teeth.”

  “Maybe it was the other vargr that ran off,” Harry suggested. “Where’s Tom?”

  “Here,” Tom grumbled as he finally got there. “Short fucking legs... gods I wish I was faster. What about a vargr that ran off?”

  “How many teeth did you bust out of the one vargr’s head?” Dick asked.

  “I don’t know, at least a handful,” Tom said. “Lower right more than anywhere else.”

  “It’s the same vargr, then,” Marie said as she tied the bandage off.

  “It circled around and met back up with its leader and was left here to see if we followed,” Dick said. “Okay, no more scouting ahead. Just off the sides is fine, but we need to be closer to react.”

  “They might set an ambush for us,” Michael said.

  “We’ll deal with it, kill them, and move on,” Tom said. “We’ll be killing as many of the fuckers as we can, anyway. I’ll lead; they’ll target me first, and I can take more than the rest of you.”

  “Everyone just be prepared. If they do ambush us, it’ll likely be at range with some vargrs to pin us down,” Harry said. “Michael and I will go with ranged to start with.”

  “I’ll be waiting for the vargrs to come rushing in,” Tom nodded.

  “We’ll strike back with spells, but be ready to use axe and sword if needed,” Dick added.

  “Okay, let’s move on and see what they do,” Tom said, walking back to the trail. “I hope I get to hit something today.”

  ~*~*~

  Tom grumbled as they set camp off the trail. The spot they picked had been used previously; the fire pit had ash in it and the ground was disturbed. Putting the tents up, he looked at Dick, John, and Marie getting the rest of camp ready.

  “Tom, knock it off,” Dick said after a few minutes of listening to his grumbling. “Look at it this way, the vargr is probably going to lead some hoblins back to us. They might even ambush us tonight.”

  “Great, so we won’t even get decent sleep,” Tom retorted.

  “Tom,” Marie said, “please try to calm down. Harry and Michael will bring something back and we’ll have a nice meal.”

  Exhaling deeply, Tom shrugged, “Sorry.”

  “I never understood how she gets everyone to listen to her so easily,” John chuckled. “I would say it’s magic, but she was like this before, too.”

  Marie shook her head, a small smile on her lips. “I’m not that persuasive.”

  Dick and Tom both snorted before exchanging a glance and laughing. “Marie, you never give yourself enough credit. How many times did you mediate between people at the table? You’ve stopped us from popping off at Kattie how many times?”

  Marie paused, thinking it over before shrugging. “That doesn’t mean anything. I can’t get her to listen to me now.”

  “Because she never listens to anyone when she gets fixated on something,” John said. “Remember when she decided they didn’t need a pool anymore?”

  “Oh gods,” Tom spat, “she damn near gave Carl a stroke.”

  “Making him handle all of it, even though he didn’t want to get rid of it,” Dick shook his head. “Then complaining about the contractors.”

  “The first two, you mean,” John added. “Six months and three contractors to get rid of the pool. Then she was mad that the grass got torn up in the process.”

  “Please, boys. She isn’t here and she is a good person,” Marie said, even though privately she agreed with them. “We all have our own issues, so let it go. Kattie needs our help more now than ever before.”

  Tom rolled his eyes and went back to setting up the tents. Dick averted his gaze and started looking for more small branches for the fire. John patted her shoulder, giving her a tight smile and shaking his head. Marie sighed and went back to cleaning the fire pit out so they could use it.

  Harry and Michael came back with a rabbit and an armful of plants. “We’ll need to use some of our water, but we can make a stew if we have a fire,” Michael said as they came into camp.

  “We can have a fire for a little bit,” Dick said. The kindling and wood was set up and ready to light, though they had held off lighting it until Harry and Michael returned.

  “How are we splitting watches tonight?” Tom asked.

  “An hour each, then Dick?” Harry asked.

  “I’m good with that,” Dick said. “Marie, John, Michael, Harry, then Tom?”

  Everyone agreed, and Michael moved aside to clean and cut up the rabbit. Marie asked him questions as she got the small pot out. Following his instructions with the herbs, she got the water ready for him. Tom watched him prepare the meat and helped Marie with the herbs, knowing he would be the one to handle that duty eventually.

  The stew was supplemented with some hard biscuits, which they crumbled and added to their bowls. It was a little chewy, but the flavor was good.

  “Haven’t had rabbit in years,” Harry said with a frown on his face.

  “Hunting with your dad and Kevin?” Marie asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “My first time with rabbit,” Tom said. “Not great, but better than some of the things I’ve tried.”

  “Worse than the honey crickets?” Dick smirked.

  Tom shuddered, “Gods, no. That fucker should have told me. Setting up at the local fair and not warning people…” Trailing off, Tom growled as he recalled the incident.

  “Never seen you run for a port-a-potty so fast,” Harry chuckled.

  “Oh, that was—” John began.

  “Drop it,” Tom said, shuddering again.

  “Sorry,” John said.

  “You really think we’ll be attacked tonight?” Marie asked Dick.

  “It’s possible,” Dick said. “Another good reason for the watches to be so short. It’ll mean you should be more intent on your surroundings.”

  “I’m off to bed,” Tom said, getting up. “Harry, don’t kick me.”

  “Never, not after Charlie,” Harry said.

  “Night, all,” Marie said as she put a few more pieces of wood on the fire. “Dick, did you set the watches so the last two could let the fire go out?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll douse it when I wake Harry,” Michael said.

  “Works,” Dick nodded. “Night.”

  Dick, Harry, and Tom shared a tent, while John and Michael took the other one for the night. Marie watched them go before she got the hourglass out of the bag. She waited for a bit and turned it over. When she started walking around the campsite, she kept her eyes facing out to keep what night vision she had.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Dick huddled next to a tree, making himself small as he watched the darkness around him. No one had heard or seen anything during their watches, but Dick felt a sense of foreboding. The sounds of the night continuing around them helped him feel a little better.

  The darkness was slowly pulling back as dawn crept closer. Dick smiled, thinking his anxiety had been misplaced, right up until the night sounds of insects and various birds suddenly dimmed.

  A snuffling sound from across the camp made him focus on the undergrowth. His friends were asleep in their tents, not ready for an attack. Not having any idea what was coming for them, he spoke the incantation softly as he began to cast a spell.

  A few words whispered in goblin confirmed his suspicions just before slip hit the area behind the tents. Surprised exclamations in goblin echoed through the still air, followed by the sound of bodies hitting the ground and thrashing to regain their feet.

  The noise caused his friends to stir, and Dick let out an ear-piercing whistle as he shifted backward into the brush around him. Again speaking quietly, Dick began to cast jinx ray.

  Tom was the first one out of the tents, only having to grab the shield he had left next to the tent flap. Looking around, he tried to find the disturbance. A vargr came running out of the undergrowth, giving him a target. Setting his feet, he laughed as the vargr cam
e in low and fast. Slamming his shield down caused the charging vargr to cut toward his right. His fist slammed right into the vargr’s nose, the sickening crunch joined by a high-pitched whine as it tried to back off. A ray of purple light shot off behind him and made Tom look back, letting him catch sight of the second vargr coming for his back.

  John stepped out of the tent he shared with Marie, sword drawn as he took in the combat. One vargr was shaking its head and backing away from Tom while another had latched onto Tom’s leg, savaging it. He rushed to help his friend, his sword digging into the hindquarters of the vargr attacking Tom, making it yip and let go of the dwarf’s leg.

  “There are more behind the tents,” Dick shouted. The brush rustled nearby just before the greater vargr lunged for him. “Fuck, help!” He used barrier and ducked, causing the beast to miss latching onto him as it rushed past.

  “I’ll help him,” Harry said, running toward Dick. “John, light up the area behind the tents.”

  Warily eyeing the vargr that had spun on him, John spat out some words and gestured to the spot he wanted illuminated. A light purple glow suffused a thirty-foot area, revealing a dozen hoblins. They were pulling themselves to their feet, using trees to steady themselves. “Done,” John said as he batted at the vargr, trying to keep it back.

  A ray of ice lanced out from inside the tent, striking the vargr attacking John. “Stay away from him, you filthy beast!” Marie shouted.

  An arrow hit it a moment later, and Michael nocked another arrow, spinning to face the hoblins. His breath caught when he saw how many there were. “Oh light, protect us.”

  Limping, with his leg not wanting to fully support him, Tom still managed to go after the first vargr that had circled back on him when the other attacked. He tried to bash it with his shield, but missed and left himself open to its attack. Body like iron stopped its teeth from tearing into his gut, leaving it standing right next to him. He drove a fist down on its head, the feeling of breaking bone and spurt of blood from its ears telling him the vargr was done.

  Harry reached Dick before the greater vargr had turned around. Facing the beast with blade in hand, Harry felt fear trying to grip his heart.

  “You got this. I’ll help,” Dick said, infusing Harry with hero maker.

  The impending fear melted away and Harry took a small step forward. “Come on, beasty, don’t you want to pay me back for the bolt to your shoulder?”

  The greater vargr growled, crouched, and then rushed forward. It darted to Harry’s left, trying to get around him to reach Dick. Harry was not letting that happen; his blade cut deeply into the side of the monster, forcing it away from Dick. Its growl deepened as it started to circle them, looking for a better angle.

  John screamed when the vargr grabbed his leg, dragging him down. He slashed reflexively, but missed. Marie shouted in anger and another beam of ice struck the beast, but it did not let go of him. Its teeth scraped against bone as it shook its head.

  Tom wanted to go help Harry, but John needed him first. He jumped forward, his leg buckling as he tackled the vargr, slamming his right arm into its head repeatedly. Marie rushed forward, bag clutched in her hand, wanting to heal John.

  “I need help,” Michael said as he fired another arrow into the hoblins. Some had been able to use the trees to hold themselves up, and were readying bows of their own.

  “Marie, help Michael,” Tom snapped, crushing the skull of the vargr chewing on John’s leg. “John, can you cast? We need to deal with them before they regroup.”

  “I can help,” John panted, his face twisted in pain.

  “Harry, do you have that thing?” Tom shouted.

  “We’ll manage. Help them,” Harry replied, not taking his eyes off the greater vargr.

  “We have this,” Dick said as he sent unerring orbs into the beast. “Michael, can you set the slip area on fire?”

  “I don’t have any more fire arrows.”

  “My flask is next to my bag,” Tom said as he pushed himself back to his feet. “Douse a rag, light it, and shoot it.”

  Marie set off another ice burst, hitting the closest hoblins. The one she had targeted was looking bloody and ready to run. Two arrows flew at her in response, one just missing but the other sinking into her arm. With a cry of pain, she grabbed the arrow and fell to her knees.

  “No!” John yelled. A string of words tumbled from his lips as a burst of discordant noise hit the hoblins, killing the most injured one and making the others slide and fall back into the slip. “Hang on, Marie, I’ll help you!”

  “Help her by killing them,” Tom snapped as he gritted his teeth and hobbled toward the hoblins. “Come on, fuckers, try me on for size.”

  Harry bit back his own agonized scream, slamming his blade into the side of the greater vargr as it clamped down on his hip. The vargr shook him and the blade slipped out his hand. He screamed again, weakly.

  “No, Harry!” Dick shouted as he charged the beast, axe pulled back to strike.

  The greater vargr backed away, making sure Harry was between Dick and it. It sawed its teeth and was widening the wounds it had caused. Dick began muttering under his breath, trying to find a way around Harry to the monster. Hearing Dick speaking, the greater vargr dropped Harry and tried to flee. Slip formed under it after one step and it lost traction, falling heavily.

  “Mother-fucking-bitch,” Harry hissed as he pulled his feet clear of the spell effect. “Can you kill it?”

  “Trying,” Dick said, casting another jinx ray. “Michael, any luck with that flame arrow?”

  A spark of light caught everyone’s attention as Michael stood up and fired the first flaming arrow into the hoblin area. The slip went up with a whoomph, followed by screams of pain and anger from the hoblins that were now on fire. A couple of them died quickly, having already taken damage from the previous spells.

  “Good, now give me another one over here,” Dick shouted.

  “Marie, are you okay?” John asked when he reached her.

  “I’ll be fine, daybreak isn’t far off,” Marie said through tears. “Come on, we need to finish them off.” Getting to her feet with the arrow still stuck in her left arm, she began to cast another ice burst.

  The hoblins were distracted by the fire engulfing them. A few had managed to crawl clear of the spell area and put themselves out. The flames were dying out now, slip burning away. A few hoblins threw themselves on the ground, rolling around to smother the flames that had caught in hair and clothes. The rest of the hoblins turned and ran.

  Marie’s ice burst shattered against a tree and the shrapnel from it killed two of the hoblins rolling on the ground. John’s cacophony killed the last few that weren’t fleeing.

  With the hoblins routed, Tom turned to help Dick and Harry, limping as he went toward them. “Hang on, guys,” Tom said. “Michael, get another arrow ready.”

  “I am,” Michael shouted as he tied a piece of cloth to the arrow. “Give me a few moments.”

  The greater vargr wobbled but made it up to all fours and slowly began to slink out of the affected area. Seeing that, Dick took off running, intending to cut the beast off.

  “Oh no you don’t, asshole,” Dick snapped as he ran.

  “Dick, don’t! It might kill you,” Harry called out faintly as he watched his friend go. He tried to stand, but fell back, overcome with dizziness.

  “I want this bitch dead,” Dick shouted back, getting around the area just as the greater vargr reached the edge of it. “Back you go.” Dick swung his axe, aiming it at the beast.

  Jerking away from the attack, the greater vargr scrambled when its feet failed to find purchase again. With a growl, it fell, and Dick slammed his axe down. It was able to jerk its head aside, so it only lost most of an ear.

  “We’re coming,” Marie shouted as she and John ran after Tom.

  “Fire coming in,” Michael warned them all as he lit the now soaked rag.

  The greater vargr looked at Michael, and with a panicked ba
rk, it lurched to get out of the way. Dick swung at it again, but missed; it fell forward and slid out of the area, going underneath the axe. Tom gritted his teeth and rushed forward as the arrow sailed past him, striking the slip area. The whoomph of the area catching fire was followed by an anguished howl. The fur on the greater vargr’s legs and belly had caught fire. Tom threw himself into the dirt, his wide body obliterating the bit of oily substance connecting Harry’s legs to the spell area.

  “Thanks,” Harry breathed out calmly, clearly unafraid about what had just happened. “That was damned close.”

  The greater vargr howled and ran into the woods, still burning. Dick used jinx ray, just missing the fleeing beast. Marie’s ice ray hit it, but it didn’t slow. It sped away, whining in pain the whole time.