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  A Bloody Road

  Scott Straughan

  Copyright © 2018 Scott Straughan

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-7750029-6-3

  This book is dedicated to my family. Although it must have vexed them, they put up with me and all my flaws. This story never would have gotten written without their patient support.

  Part 1: Rolling the Dice

  Chapter 1

  The creaking of the wagon’s wheels was somewhat muted by the frequent thud of footsteps on the dusty road. The only other sound to be heard was the rustling of leaves as the wind blew through the trees.

  Blacknail the hobgoblin looked up from where he’d been absentmindedly inspecting a set of tracks next to the road, near a thick clump of coned reeds. The footprints had caught his interest, but they were just from wolves. The forests of the North contained many things much more dangerous than wild dogs.

  On the road, a dozen men and women walked alongside a wagon piled high with goods. Their clothing was mostly tough-looking leather, and every one of them was armed. This wasn’t surprising, since they were bandits who had robbed a traveling merchant and were taking their spoils back to their base.

  “What’s the hobgoblin doing over there?” a nearby blond man nervously asked the scarred woman walking next to him.

  “He’s plotting to kill us in painful and humiliating ways,” the woman replied sarcastically. “Why are you bloody asking me? Why do you even care? He probably smelled a rabbit or something.”

  The outlaws had gotten some great loot. Blacknail knew this because he’d been happily robbing the merchant caravan alongside them. The bandits were his comrades, and together, they served under the outlaw chieftain Herad the Black Snake. You could tell she was important because she had a sweet nickname.

  Even though they were allies, not all the human bandits liked Blacknail. Some of them were jealous of his good looks and superior murder skills. Happily, a few demonstrations of those skills had silenced the hobgoblin’s most vocal critics. Permanently.

  Recently, Herad had ordered her minions to charge tolls instead of outright robbing people, which meant they didn’t do much looting anymore. However, the bandits’ last target had been trying to sneak through her territory without paying. That meant they had to be made an example of, and so the hobgoblin and his companions had gotten to murder them and take their stuff. That was Blacknail’s favorite part of being an outlaw.

  As soon as most of the merchants were dead, the hobgoblin had sniffed out the best loot and taken it for himself. After he’d done some hissing and snarling to scare away the other bandits, five wheels of cheese, a pretty red cloak, two plucked ducks, and a bag of shiny stones were all his. He couldn’t wait to get home and show Saeter. The old ranger was the one who had trained him and taken him in when he’d been just a little goblin.

  “What have you got there?” a cloaked man asked politely as he walked over.

  The man was one of two scouts on the mission. Blacknail was the other one. They were there to track down the target and to keep watch on the forest. Most of Herad’s scouts were friendly toward the hobgoblin and greatly respected his master, Saeter. The old ranger was the best scout in Herad’s band.

  “Nothing-ss, just wolf prints,” Blacknail replied happily.

  “Ah, there’s probably nothing to worry about then,” Wyre the scout said.

  “Dunno. Forest doggies aren’t that dangerous, but-ss a bunch of people are watching us from the trees behind-ss me,” the hobgoblin told him.

  “What? How do you know?” the man asked as he jerked in alarm.

  “I smell their trail all along the road. They were just on-ss it, but they ran off in that direction when we got close.”

  The hobgoblin’s master Saeter would have been able to detect the watchers by observing the flight of birds or something. Blacknail didn’t need to do that because most humans smelled like a pile of shit on legs. They were hard to miss.

  Wyre frowned thoughtfully and took a few seconds to process the hobgoblin’s words. “How many of them are there, and what can you tell me about them?”

  “There are three men-ss, all in good health, and they were waiting here for a while before we arrived,” Blacknail answered with a shrug.

  “Hells, they’re probably not friendly then. I can’t think of a good reason for a small group like that to be hanging out here in the middle of nowhere. I have the unpleasant suspicion that they were waiting for us.”

  Blacknail nodded. As a general rule, everything in the forest was dangerous and hostile. Humans were also a very violent race. They started fights over the weirdest things, instead of for all the right reasons like hobgoblins did.

  “What are they planning though? Three men aren’t a threat to us,” the scout mused.

  “Let’s go ask them. I like asking people questions!” Blacknail was good at it too, and rarely had to actually start cutting people.

  After a brief talk with the other bandits, Wyre agreed with the hobgoblin’s plan, and they slipped into the bushes at the side of the road. Together, they stalked into the shadowy woods that bordered the road. They moved slowly and approached their targets from the side to conceal themselves, but it soon became obvious their stealth was unnecessary.

  “They all left,” Blacknail mused as he examined a muddy boot print beside a bush. The forest was still damp from the spring melt. The mud made it easier to track their quarry, but it also meant a lot of annoying insects were flying around.

  “That way leads back to the road. They must have slipped ahead of us,” Wyre pointed out as he swatted at an insect. “That’s not something an innocent passerby would do. It would be much safer to hide and wait until we were gone.”

  “They were waiting-ss for us, and now they’ve gone to tell someone that they’ve found us,” Blacknail suggested as he slapped a bug that had landed on the tip of his nose.

  “Damn, I think you’re right. We’ve got an ambush waiting ahead of us. It’s the only thing that makes sense. They have to be out here for us.”

  Blacknail got up and moved back toward the road.

  “Where are you going?” his companion asked.

  “I’m going to follow them. You stay here. I’ll be right back,” the hobgoblin answered as he broke into a run.

  If those humans were going to meet up with their friends so they could all attack at once, the solution was simple. He would run them down and kill them before that happened. It would be easy. Humans were fat and slow, while he was not only a hobgoblin but a magic one.

  Blacknail’s cloak billowed behind him as he raced through the trees. He crushed broad-leaved plants beneath his boots and smashed through the slight branches that tried to block his path. The hobgoblin felt the Elixir in his blood simmer as he unconsciously tapped into it to boost his speed. The ability to use Elixir to strengthen himself was what made him a Vessel, and magic.

  A shallow woodland stream appeared in front of Blacknail. It was flooded with water from the spring melt. Without stopping, Blacknail jumped across and landed on the other side. Wyre was already out of sight behind him. The human scout couldn’t keep up with Blacknail.

  A second later, Blacknail burst out of the forest and came to halt in the middle of the dirt road. There, he took a second to sniff the air and listen. He could no longer hear the creak of the wagon his tribe had stolen. His companions were far behind him, but he could smell the men he was tracking. The scent was old enough that he knew they were ahead of him by a fair bit. With a gleeful hiss of anticipation, Blacknail kicked off the ground and ran down the road after his prey. At a full sprint, it didn’t take him long to catch up. The hobgoblin heard the pounding of their footsteps before he saw them. His long, pointy ears
weren’t just for show.

  A curve in the path ahead blocked Blacknail’s sight, so he slowed down and glanced around it. Three men were in front of him, running down the dirt road at a steady pace. For a second, Blacknail almost mistook them for members of his own tribe. Their clothes were the same worn-looking mix of leather and rugged cloth. They also carried themselves the same way, as though they were used to fighting for what was theirs.

  The hobgoblin didn’t recognize any of them or their scent though. They were strangers. Who were they? They were enemies, but of what kind? Blacknail licked his lips as the urge to hunt flowed through him. It didn’t really matter who they were, as long as they were acceptable prey, and Blacknail was certain they were. Also, the prey might soon reach their destination. It was time to strike.

  The hobgoblin dashed off the road and back into the forest, where he was harder to see. Blacknail moved quickly, and that meant he made a fair bit of noise as he trampled through the brush. Even puny, pink human ears would be able to hear him. Pink was a silly color…

  “What was that?” the smallest of the men asked as he glanced in Blacknail’s general direction.

  “It was probably a deer or something,” one of his companions replied dismissively.

  “Just keep moving. I want to put more distance between us and Herad’s men,” the last man added.

  With long strides, Blacknail passed the running men. When he had a fair lead on them, he turned and moved back toward the road. From the shadows, the hobgoblin watched the three unsuspecting men approach. As he waited, Blacknail reached into his coat and pulled out a vial of liquid. The Elixir in the vial tasted unpleasant as it hit his tongue, like dirty water with a hint of sour fruit, but soon, a familiar warmth spread throughout Blacknail’s body, from his toes to the top of his head. It was accompanied by a rush of energy that mingled with his desire to hunt and drove it to new heights. His teeth ached with need. It was time to attack.

  As the three men passed through an area where the forest encroached upon the road, Blacknail drew his sword and launched himself out of the bushes. There were only a few feet between him and the closest man.

  The rustling of leaves alerted Blacknail’s prey, but they didn’t have enough time to respond. The closest man’s eyes widened in horror as the hobgoblin charged straight at him. He fumbled for the blade at his hip, but before he could draw it, Blacknail’s sword sank into his chest. The hobgoblin didn’t even try to pull it free, but instead drew two long knives and whirled to the side.

  The man to the hobgoblin’s left raised a sword and stepped forward. Blacknail reacted faster. Before his enemy’s boot was firmly planted on the ground, the hobgoblin kicked his foot out from under him.

  “Arrh, fuck,” the man wheezed as he landed hard on his side.

  A silver sword sliced through the air toward the hobgoblin’s head as the third man attacked. Blacknail dove under the swing, and he slashed at the man’s arms as they went by. His dagger cut through the man’s sleeves and drew blood. The wounded man stepped back, but Blacknail stuck with him. The man’s slow block didn’t stop the hobgoblin from sliding to the side and slashing at his arms again. Blacknail sniggered as he kept up the pressure. He dodged the man’s increasingly frantic swings and attacked again and again. Soon, the man’s arms were covered in bleeding cuts. Blacknail was having fun.

  The second man climbed to his feet and charged the hobgoblin with his sword held high. Blacknail stepped back from his current opponent and spun out of the new attacker’s way. Combat stopped for a second as everyone faced each other. Blacknail gave his two playmates a wide grin that showed off his sharp teeth and long tongue.

  The wounded enemy’s face went white from terror. “What the fuck is that? It’s not human!”

  “I don’t know, just kill it!” the other responded as he raised his sword with shaking hands.

  Blacknail giggled merrily. That was so not going to happen. The scent of blood was thick in the air, and he had to suppress a shiver of excitement. Beneath the blood, he smelled the fear that was starting to undermine his prey. It would destroy their resolve and leave them weak.

  The hobgoblin dove forward. One of his opponents countered with wide defensive swing, but the other jumped back in fear. Blacknail’s move had been a feint though. He bounced backward out of the way of the sword, leaving the man overextended. With careful precision, the hobgoblin stepped forward and knocked the sword down with one dagger. There was a hollow gasp of pain as the other dagger sank into the man’s side. The short steel blade parted flesh and slipped in under ribs as it cut into vital organs.

  “You’re dead,” Blacknail whispered gleefully into his opponent’s ear as the man collapsed.

  The only remaining enemy’s eyes went wide with fear. He stuttered as he tried to raise his sword into a defensive stance. However, his cut up arms shook and quickly lost strength. With a moan of despair, the man dropped the sword. Blood flowed down his mangled arms and dripped from his fingertips. Defenseless, the whimpering man turned and ran. Blacknail laughed then hummed cheerfully to himself as he pursued at a leisurely pace. His prey had no chance of escaping now. He had been hobbled and was leaving a trail of blood.

  The terrified man was dashing madly away from the hobgoblin, but he didn’t get far. Soon enough, he tripped over his own feet. Blacknail laughed again when the man’s attempt to catch himself failed. His arms gave out a second time and the man’s face hit the dirt with a loud thud. He was whimpering as Blacknail walked over. It was a shame, but it seemed the hunt was already over. His quarry had been no match for his Elixir-powered speed and hobgoblin cunning. He was just too amazing!

  Blacknail crouched and poked the fallen fighter in the shoulder. “I think-ss I’m supposed to ask you questions now.”

  “Don’t kill me! Oh, gods. Please don’t kill me,” the man sobbed weakly.

  “No problem, just answer my questions. Who are you and why-ss are you waiting for me and my friends?” Blacknail replied cheerfully. The man’s request was a simple one and more than worth the reward. Now that the hunt was over, Blacknail’s bloodlust was waning. He felt no need to kill this man.

  “You have friends?” the man asked in disbelief.

  Blacknail scowled and poked the man again. This human was kind of rude. His long fingernail jabbed into an open wound and the man spasmed in pain.

  “The men from earlier. The ones you were watching,” the hobgoblin hissed.

  “Sorry, I’m sorry.” The man moaned. “We were sent to watch the road in case any of Herad’s men came by. We were headed back to tell the rest of our squad you were coming.”

  The hobgoblin took a second to think that over and to lick his finger clean. It sounded a lot like an ambush. Who would be stupid enough to fight Herad’s men in her own territory though? His chieftain had a lot of warriors and was a dangerous Vessel as well.

  “How many of you-ss are there, and who do you work for?” Blacknail asked.

  “Please, don’t eat me. There are thirty men at the camp. You can eat them! They’re just an hour down the road, and we work for Werrick,” the man quickly answered as the hobgoblin stared at him.

  Blacknail shifted in surprise. He knew that name. When he’d gone to the human city of Daggerpoint with Herad, it had been mentioned a lot. A lot of the groups of bandits and human warriors they had fought in the city had been working for him. Werrick was someone Herad really wanted dead, and the feeling was mutual. He was a bandit lord just like Herad, which explained why the men seemed somewhat familiar.

  “I’m not-ss going to eat you. I said I wouldn’t already. Now tell me, what does Werrick want?”

  “To kill Herad,” the captive replied nervously. “We’re just the tip of the spear. He’s coming here himself and bringing all his men with him, hundreds of them. He intends to destroy the Black Snake, and he has more than enough swords to do it.”

  The man tensed as if expecting to be poked again. Blacknail smiled instead. It sounded li
ke there was a war coming. What fun! The hobgoblin knew his chieftain. There was no way she would be taken down easily. Blacknail had watched her slaughter foes who outnumbered her before. This time would be no different.

  Although before he joined back up with her and his master, he had to escape the ambush waiting for him. He had almost forgotten about that…

  Chapter 2

  It took several minutes for Wyre to catch up, and a few more after that for the wagon to arrive. By then, Blacknail was seated on a rock at the edge of the forest. The hobgoblin hummed cheerfully as he watched them come down the road. When his slow human comrades were close enough, he hopped off the rock and walked over to them. Wyre and the others warily drew to a stop as Blacknail came toward them.

  “I see you’ve been busy,” Wyre remarked as he took in the bodies littering the ground. “Are any of them still alive?”

  “Yep, that one there,” Blacknail replied as he pointed. “I’m not stupid. I asked him a lot of important questions.”

  “Oh, what did you learn?”

  “They don’t-ss have any cheese,” Blacknail answered with a grunt of disappointment.

  Wyre gave Blacknail an annoyed glare. “Anything else?”

  “Yep, these guys brought-ss a lot of friends. They’re camped up ahead of us.”

  Scowls and various looks of displeasure appeared on everyone’s faces. A pair of bandits scanned the road up ahead as if they expected attackers to appear at any second.

  “Good thing you stopped them then,” one of the bandits remarked.

  “Yes, nice job, Blacknail. Did your captive happen to mention why they want us dead and who they are?” Wyre inquired.

  The hobgoblin smiled. He had done a good job! He was such an amazing scout and ranger! “Yep, I asked that! They’re all-ss part of the army Werrick sent to kill us all.”

  There was a shocked silence as everyone took that in. The hobgoblin gave the humans a few seconds so that their slow brains could catch up. Sometimes watching humans think was like waiting for someone to light a fire by striking two rocks together. It took a lot of time and effort to get a good spark.