by Dante King
The other mountain ogres wore no jewelry. Aside from a couple who carried scimitars, they had no weapons. Ben figured there mustn’t have been enough weapons to go around for everyone—a small bit of good news among lots of bad.
As they conversed, Ben observed that two of the comparatively skinnier mountain ogres were speaking more often than the others, and with higher pitched tones. Without understanding them, it was hard to be sure, but Ben got the distinct impression that they were irritated about something. Their heavy-set faces glared in the direction of the big man in the middle periodically. One or the other would snap out a sharp exclamation, only to cringe defensively as the alpha would thunder back a single syllable response.
That seemed like a situation ripe for exploitation. A smile came to Ben’s lips as he wondered if he could take advantage of it.
Something else Ben had noticed as he looked around the clearing was that the nymphs were no longer to be seen. He cast a glance at the bones on the table and wondered if they had once belonged to the nymphs.
“The bones are too old,” Melody whispered, and she must have caught his gaze and read his mind. “And look—the meat on them is rotting. They cannot belong to the nymphs.”
Ben nodded in agreement. Melody was right. That had been his first suspicion, but she confirmed it. Whoever those bones had belonged to had been killed days before, if not longer, and it had only been a few hours ago that he had seen the three nymphs alive.
They must have been moved into one of the huts. Rage filled Ben at the idea of them being fondled by some drunken mountain ogre. He didn’t have much time to lose.
The next course of action for him was simple—create enough of a ruckus in the clearing that any ogres hiding in the huts were forced to emerge. After that, hope that he could cause enough confusion for them to turn on each other through his use of Drain.
Ben turned to face Melody, crouched beside him, her face faintly illuminated by the glow coming through the window.
“Ready?” he whispered.
She nodded, clutching her wand in her right hand.
He didn’t want Melody to attack with lightning straight away, that would be impossible to miss. If he was careful while using his Drain spell, the ogres wouldn’t notice them until it was too late.
But he trusted that Melody wouldn’t do anything rash either.
“Wait for my signal.”
She nodded in response.
He dropped into a comfortable position on one knee, his head high enough to see out the window, his hands raised above the sill. Then he focused on the magic inside him and directed it toward his hands.
This time, he didn’t pick a single target. He allowed his magic to disperse, revealing the strands of each mountain ogre in the circle. The green of physical strength predominated. Emotional energy was only to be seen in small amounts, and mental energy, or intelligence, was in very limited supply indeed.
Even so, the number of intersecting strands quickly became overwhelming. The interconnecting web was confusing to follow, like trying to understand network traffic. A drop of sweat ran down his brow and onto his eyelid, forcing him to blink it away. He felt a dull ache forming in his stomach. This was consuming a lot of power.
“Mana,” he whispered with a groan. He needed more mana.
Melody didn’t hesitate. He heard her rustle in the satchel at her belt, and a moment later, felt her press a chunk of mana crystal to his lips.
Ben opened his mouth and took the whole chunk between his teeth. It was a little too large to chew properly, but he managed nevertheless, breaking it down and swallowing small pieces, that faint toffee flavor filling his mouth, until he felt his mana levels begin to rise.
Then he got to work. He pulled on various strands, absorbing energy from each of the mountain ogres in turn, taking enough to weaken them, but not enough for them to notice. He quickly started to fill up. His torso began to feel like a balloon, as the energy inside him bounced around, threatening to make him burst.
Ben was learning quickly that his capacity for absorption was not yet very high. He realized he needed to use his body more like a vector, holding the energy for a short time before passing it on to others.
But the mountain ogres at the other side of the fire were too far to reach with his spell. Holding in all the energy he had absorbed, he quickly dashed to the other room of this hut. The sensation was like holding his breath while trying to run with a tray of fine china balanced on his head. With every step, the magical energy threatened to burst out of him.
Ben crouched down in front of the window, gazing out onto the campfire again. Perfect—he was less than eight feet away from the leader of the mountain ogres now.
He pushed the energy he’d absorbed back out into the network, taking from some mountain ogres and giving to others. He redistributed their strength and emotions, until he had the levels just right. If his observations of their interactions had been correct, all he needed to do now was wait.
Ben closed his fists, cutting off the flow of his Drain spell, and relaxed back on his haunches. He took a deep breath, waiting for his plan to unfurl, hoping that it would work.
There was still a chunk of mana crystal remaining unchewed in his mouth. He broke it up and swallowed it, topping off his mana level. His stomach felt a little queasy, but that was a price he had to pay for the time being. He needed his full strength for the coming conflict.
He crept quietly back to the other window and knelt beside Melody again.
“Is it done?” she whispered, her eyes wide and eager.
Ben nodded. “I took a shitload of physical strength from the others and gave it to the big motherfucker in the middle.”
Melody appeared puzzled at the word “motherfucker,” but she followed his meaning. He suspected he would have some difficulty explaining slang like that from his world, but that was a problem for another time.
“Then I took the anger and frustration from the others,” Ben continued, making sure to keep his voice low, “and gave it to the two smaller assholes on this side of the fire.”
Melody smiled slyly. “That was devious. Now they will start a mutiny against their leader.”
He was impressed at how quickly she picked up on his plan. He would have to thank this Archmage Kamila later for choosing such a good guide.
It wasn’t long before his efforts paid off.
Ben heard the two high-pitched voices from before, complaining even more loudly. Then he saw them gesticulating, their faces angry, their arms flailing around as if they were mad, but didn’t quite know why.
This time, the burly alpha ogre in the middle responded with more than one syllable. A vigorous argument broke out. The alpha jutted his thick finger toward the smaller ogres in an accusing way, his ruddy features knotted with rage. A couple of other ogres attempted to intervene, but quickly saw sense and stayed quiet.
Then the burly ogre got to his feet. Ben had thought he was big, but he was wrong. He was colossal. He was at least eight feet tall. His shoulders were six feet across, and his arms were the size of tree trunks. Ben was grateful as hell to have a spell that he could use to fight from a distance—no way in hell he’d be able to take on a beast like the alpha one-on-one.
The skinny ogres got to their feet as well. They were tall, sure, but the leader of the group towered at least a foot over both of them.
If he’d been them at this point, Ben would have been keeping his mouth shut—probably running the hell out of there. But the dose of anger and frustration he’d given the mountain ogres was enough to override whatever pea-sized frontal lobes they possessed.
They stood side by side, their tones rising to the breaking point, hollering and pointing. One of them began thrusting his hips and making obscene gestures. Perhaps he was insulting the leader’s mother.
Whatever he was doing, it had the desired effect. With a roar of rage, the burly leader stepped forward and picked the offending ogre up in both hands. The extra physic
al strength Ben had given the alpha allowed him to hold his victim lightly above his head.
With a loud angry grunt, the alpha pulled the other ogre in half. There was a loud pop as bones and tissue were torn asunder. Blood poured out and hissed on the fire. Entrails spilled out on the ground with a plopping noise.
Ben heard Melody gasp beside him. He almost gasped himself—not having been prepared for violence that insane and sudden.
But it was impressive—he had to admit. He might have to learn that trick one day.
Just as he’d hoped, pandemonium broke out. The other skinny ogre began howling with rage. He ran up to the leader and began ineffectively pummeling him with his fists. Several of his comrades got to their feet to join in, their voices booming, the tension between the barbarians near a breaking point.
They all let out cries of astonishment as they staggered on their weakened limbs, like they’d all gotten tired as hell suddenly. Ben smiled to himself, pleased to see his plan working. He’d taken most of their strength and given it to their leader without them noticing. And their leader didn’t appear to be in a good mood.
Several ogres took faltering steps toward their leader. Their expressions appeared aggressive, and Ben assumed they wanted to attack. But their limbs hardly had the strength to support them. Their expressions turned from rage to dismay as they seemed to realize they’d been robbed of their strength.
The alpha glanced down and locked his murderous gaze on the angry ogre who was attacking him. He raised his fist and smashed it down on the mountain ogre’s head. The man’s skull caved in with a sickening crack-splat, gray matter spurting out and showering the others in goo. His spine crumpled, and he fell to the ground, lifeless.
“Daaamn,” Ben said quietly to himself, impressed at the display.
As the commotion increased, the doors of the huts banged open and several more mountain ogres rushed out from either side of the campfire, shouting like madmen. Ben hadn’t had a chance to sap them of their strength of course, but if his analysis of the temper of these ogres was correct, he wouldn’t need to. They would turn on each other.
In all, a dozen mountain ogres were now in the clearing. Their shouts increased in volume, wild and frantic. As far as Ben could tell, they were all trying to desperately explain the situation to one another, all hoping to win the majority over to their side.
The “diplomacy” lasted all of half a minute. The bigger men quickly figured out that the simpler solution was simply to start cracking heads. And once the first punch was thrown, they launched into a ferocious melee.
Total chaos reigned as the giant men ripped limbs, smashed skulls, hurled stones, and crushed spines. Those that had weapons used them to brutal effect, hacking off limbs or heads.
One of the ogres grabbed a scimitar from the still-twitching hand of one of his slain buddies. Feeling bold, he went for the alpha. With a wild yell, he ran toward his former boss with bloodlust in his eyes and fury in his scream.
The alpha regarded him with something like amusement. And when the smaller ogre was close, the alpha deftly reached down, grabbed his shoulder and arm, then yanked the blade from his hand. With a motion surprisingly smooth for a beast his size, the alpha cleanly sliced off the sword arm of the attacker.
The now one-armed ogre stood still for a moment, his arm jetting blood in pulses. Then, when he realized what had happened, he let out a wild scream of pure pain. But the alpha wasn’t done with him yet. The huge ogre calmly squatted, plucking the severed arm from the ground.
He’s not really going to—
Ben didn’t have a chance to finish the thought before the alpha swung the arm like a club, the bicep connecting with the smaller ogre’s jaw and sending blood and teeth spraying out of his mouth. He tumbled backward and fell on his ass, the alpha pouncing with the arm raised above his head. The alpha brought it down again and again, smashing the face of the ogre to a bloody mess.
Beaten to death with your own damn arm. Hell of a way to go.
More scenes of total carnage like this followed, until five ogres remained—only then did they finally stop attacking each other. They stood in a circle, panting, eying each other warily, their faces covered with blood and gore, most missing teeth.
Ben and Melody didn’t have a moment to lose. Five was still too many to deal with if they were to come to their senses and band together. He glanced at Melody, but the look of determination on her face let him know she was already on top of it.
She nodded and raised her wand. “I can take care of these,” she stated. She quickly stepped onto the table and leaped out the window. Then she landed on her feet, facing the five giant ogres.
They stared at her in surprise. Before they could make a move, she flicked her wand. A tendril of bright blue lightning zapped across the clearing, striking the nearest ogre with a loud boom. The giant’s head popped, and a trail of smoke drifted up from his charred neck, before his body slumped to the ground, blood spurting from the smoking stump.
Then Melody struck again, and again. Before the mountain ogres could react, she had fired off four spells, though the interval between each successive strike was longer than the last.
Ben didn’t know how much mana she had, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Based on what she’d said earlier, she had most likely just exhausted her supply. Ben was on his feet already. Snatching up the scimitar from the floor in front of him, he leapt onto the table and climbed through the window behind her.
Melody’s tail was flared out and bushy, flicking back and forth. She was clearly agitated, and her knees seemed weak. Ben had eaten the last of the mana crystal, so she wouldn’t be able to replenish her supply for this fight. The rest was on him.
“Get behind the hut,” he shouted as he got to his feet beside Melody.
The giant’s hairy face registered surprise at seeing a second intruder emerge from the hut. With a snort, he began to stomp forward.
“I can still help you,” Melody said, stowing her wand in her belt.
The mountain ogre raised his fist high in the air.
“Alright, do it. But don’t get yourself hurt in the process.” Ben rushed to the side after he spoke.
Melody nodded then leaped to the other side as the giant’s fist crashed down on the ground where they’d been standing, the ground cracking into a small crater.
Ben had never wielded a sword before, but now was as good a time as any to learn. As the huge ogre was straightening after his first attack, Ben lifted the scimitar and darted behind him. Ben was quicker on his feet than usual. The strength he’d taken from the sentry not long previously hadn’t yet worn off.
The giant moved slowly, allowing Ben time to raise the scimitar high. The ogre started to turn, looking all around him to see where Ben and Melody gone. Melody ducked behind one of the stones, evading his notice. Ben thrust the weapon forward and stabbed it into the ogre’s side. The tip of the blade jammed into the monster’s bones, and Ben had to let go. He couldn’t pull it out, and he didn’t want to be in range when the giant saw where he was.
The mountain ogre bellowed with rage. He turned around to face Ben, face contorted with rage. He grabbed the scimitar by the flat of the blade, keeping his hand free of the sharp edge, and yanked the scimitar out of his side.
Ben heard the disgusting, sucking squelch as the point pulled free of the giant’s skin. Blood poured down his side, but the mountain ogre simply hurled the blade against one of the huts and roared. It looked like Ben had done more to piss him off than do any real damage.
Well, shit.
All of this took place in an instant. Ben began to back away, desperately trying to think of a plan B. But he didn’t get the chance. The giant lurched forward, faster than Ben could retreat. With a flex of his shoulder, the ogre threw a haymaker with a fist the size of a car door.
The giant’s punch bulldozed into Ben’s ribs with the force of a wrecking ball at full speed. Ben was launched into the air, flying backward sever
al yards, until he crashed into the wall of a hut.
Ben felt the sensation of flying and the dull ache of both impacts as if they were happening to someone else. The strength he had taken was still saving him from the full force of the pain, though he knew he would have to deal with that later.
Ben struggled to his feet, his whole body throbbing like he’d just been put through a full cycle in an industrial-sized washing machine. Through the pain, he didn’t know if he still had enough mana to use Drain again, but he’d have to try.
The giant, seeing that Ben was still alive, thundered forward and snatched up his spear. The weapon was taller than he was, and as thick as one of his legs. The mountain ogre wielded it with ease.
Ben began gathering his magic to cast Drain on the giant, but he was too slow. The mountain ogre thrust his spear, and Ben was forced to break the spell and drop to the ground, the earth rushing up to his face. There was a splintering crash as the tip of the spear tore a chunk out of the wooden wall above his head.
The giant thrust his spear again, straight down, but Ben sprang to his feet and leapt clear, as the weapon gouged a hole into the ground where his chest had been only a split second before.
Ben stood on the balls of his feet, ready to leap away again, preparing the Drain spell. He could see a huge green strand of physical energy in the giant’s body. Ben had infused him with so much strength. Now he’d have to somehow suck it from the superpowered giant.
But Ben was too far away. At a few yards distance, he couldn’t cast Drain.
He had to get closer.
The giant swung his spear at Ben again, forcing Ben to spring back, then again, and again. At this rate, Ben would run out of stamina before he could attack the giant.
“Over here!” Melody yelled.
Ben’s heart skipped a beat as she yelled. What was she thinking?
The mountain ogre turned slowly to see what the noise was, and spotted Melody holding a heavy stone. It wasn’t as big as the other stones the mountain ogres had been sitting on, but still heavier than she should normally have been able to carry. It looked like her stolen physical strength hadn’t yet run out either.
