Chương 25: Yureg the Whirlwind

"Oh man. The fake camp seemed like such a good idea." Chuck winced as Vlad positioned his wolf riders to surround Bobbert and Cinnabinathi. The miniatures were pinned against a model tree made of twisted wire and lichen.

"I can try to parlay. Maybe they'll take us prisoner," Robin suggested. He was worried. If Bobbert and Cinnabinathi died here it would mess up his entire storyline for the Heartbroken Brigade.

"Imprisoned by Goblins? I'd rather die fighting," Chuck grimaced.

"Seems likely," Duncan observed. After Bobbert's spell failed, there wasn't much Robin could do. His might stat was two and all he had was a dagger. Cinnabinathi had been amazing in combat so far, but Chuck couldn't roll sixes forever. Chuck shook his head and sighed.

"It's my fault for pushing our luck an extra turn. Sorry guys."

"That's a whole lot of wolves, Vlad," Duncan jabbed.

"I warned you guys. Splitting up the party is always risky. This isn't even the worst result on the random encounter table. If you want to hoodwink the Gorelord Horde, you can't roll a one," Vlad shrugged.

"Wait, is this our darkest hour? Does all hope seem lost?" Sandy asked.

"I'd say so," Chuck agreed. With a wide smile, Sandy slapped Yureg the Whirlwind down on the table, right behind the Boarlord model. The Windsworn Lord figurine had his cape thrown back and a giant silver sword in each hand.

"I've been waiting for this all night. Let's go!" * The boar charged and Fafhlets sang in an arc of blinding blue. The Skymetal Scimitar cleaved through the Boarlord's oaken shield and bit deep into his arm. It wasn't enough to stop the charge. The boar reared up and batted her aside like a doll. Cinnabinathi crashed against the trunk of an alder tree and slid into the wet moss with stars in her eyes. Don't get taken alive! Her mind shouted, but her limbs would not listen.

Somehow, she forced herself to her feet as the world spun around her. At any second, she expected to be run through with a spear. Silver flashed in the fog and a shriek followed. The Goblins forgot her and wheeled to the north. A living cyclone crashed into the riders in a whirl of crushing strikes and severed limbs. What seemed like three different warriors was just one giant with a silver zweihander in either fist. His arms were painted to the elbow in Goblin blood.

His shoulders and bare chest were covered by interlocking lines of blue-green tattooed. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Cinnabinathi recognized the dervish. Here was Yureg the Whirlwind, the enemy general from the Battle of Aravitrimore. The same fool who'd rallied his troops and charged into the bladed breath of the Diamond Drake. Where was his army now? Half of them had evaporated in a gout of shards. He fought alone.

Perhaps he was the only survivor. Yureg's whirling charge had caught the Goblins by surprise, but now he was surrounded by stabbing spearpoints and snapping fangs. Blood streamed down his broad chest. The Boarlord raised his axe. His boar pawed the dirt and launched into a charge. Cinnabinathi made up her mind. The dervish was a foe for sure, but she hated the Goblins more. As the boar's hooves thundered past, she darted in and struck. Neat as a cleaver, the Skymetal Scimitar chopped through the boar's foreleg.

The beast tumbled forward in a squealing roll and the Boarlord was thrown. Yureg barely leapt away from the crash. Before he could recover, the Boarlord flung his shield. Yureg was struck in the stomach and doubled over. Cinnabinathi advanced, sure the Boarlord would press his advantage. Instead, the canny Goblin spun back and sliced at her with his axe. Cinnabinathi danced away from the swing, ducked under a thrown spear, and then tripped over a slain wolf.

The Boarlord loomed over Cinnabinathi like an executioner and raised his axe high. Before it fell, a chant completed and a brilliant white light bloomed between them. The Boarlord held up his axe to block. It was a thunderstorm the size of a watermelon. A tiny bolt of lightning licked from the nimbus, struck his axe, and did little more than stand his hair up. Bobbert the Bungler! Cinnabinathi scooted backwards. With a laugh, the Boarlord moved in to finish her. Steel sang and he lurched in place.

His yellow eyes rolled up and the axe dropped from his hands. Yureg's backstab had punched through his armor and pierced his heart. The Boarlord was no more. With a shriek of steel, Yureg wrenched his blade free. Covered in blood, he turned in search of more enemies. There were none. Feet flapped and brush crashed as the surviving riders fled on foot. Cinnabinathi found her feet.

"Are you all right?" Bobbert asked.

"Never cast another spell," Cinnabinathi hissed.

"But I—," Bobbert blubbered.

"Ever." Above, the red moon peered through the clouds. Outlined in crimson, Yureg moved among the fallen Goblins, ensuring they were dead. He found one playing possum and stepped on its neck with a crunch.

"Look out!" Bobbert warned. A wounded wolf hid in the brush. With a last burst of strength, it lunged. Yureg was bowled over. He scrambled in the dirt with the wolf as fangs snapped at his neck. With a huge hand, Yureg clamped the wolf's muzzle shut and cinched a tattooed arm around its neck. The wolf snarled and thrashed, Yureg squeezed, and at last, it was finished. Yureg let the broken wolf go and looked up to see Fahflets pointed at his throat.

"Why are you here?" Cinnabinathi demanded.

"I am not your foe–," Yureg began. Quick as a cat, he tried to slap the blade aside. Cinnabinthi was faster. Fahflets cut a hot line along the side of his neck, hairs away from his jugular.

"Don't do that again," she warned.

"No," Yureg agreed. His face paled and he began to shiver.

"Stay still."

"I can't." Yureg seemed to shrink as the rage bled from his body. All the pains of battle flooded in at once. Cinnabinathi could sympathize. Her head pounded terribly and she worried she might have cracked some ribs. There was a long night ahead. They had leagues to make up, and more Goblins would surely come.

"Why are you here?" Cinnabinathi demanded.

"I came to find you. I need your help," Yureg said.

"Get up. You can explain later."