NPCs

Read NPCs for Free Online Page B

Book: Read NPCs for Free Online
Authors: Drew Hayes
head of a malformed rat, upper jaw stretched out inches further than its lower. Instead of hands, it had claws like that of scorpion, the clacking sound suddenly making a sickly amount of sense to all in attendance. The legs were birdish, long and lean with feet that spread into four individual claws. Despite all of this, it was the eyes that were most disconcerting, black orbs like midnight dipped in ink. Looking into one, a person couldn’t help but feel like they were being sucked into that abyss.
    “Demons,” Thistle said, his voice scarcely above a whisper.
    * * *
    Grumph had put the book down when the celebration began, and he’d stood up in the cage after the explosion rocked the camp. However, since he was closer to the lines of warriors than the others, Grumph was less impetuous about getting free from his mobile prison. As they began advancing toward the building, Grumph shuffled his position slightly. The goblins had their back to him, and the explosion had dropped his importance in their list of immediate priorities, yet he was patient. Grumph did not move until he saw something that compelled him to. It was not seeing the demon emerge from the smoking ruins, nor was it observing a few of the goblins near the rear drop their weapons and flee. No, the signal that told Grumph things were getting dangerous was when he caught sight of the terror on Thistle’s face. He’d known the gnome for many years, and anything that spooked him in such a manner was not to be taken lightly.
    The goblin cages were sturdy, well-designed, and built to last. Grumph was impressed by their construction. Had he been a mere mindless brute, the cage would have proved more than a match for his strength. By contrast, had he possessed the knowledge to assess such a contraption, but not the power to act on such information, he would also have been stuck. Thankfully, Grumph was an experienced craftsman with muscles cultivated by centuries of half-orc breeding. In a controlled motion, he seized one of the areas in the corner where a bar had been improperly bound. With a grunt of effort that would have been noticeable in any other situation (demons do tend to steal focus), Grumph tore the bars apart. From there, it was a simple matter to disassemble a few exposed binding cords and knock away a section large enough for him to emerge from.
    He landed softly, choosing stealth over speed, the whole process having taken less than a minute. In that time, three more of the creatures had stepped forth from the fire. In the chaos, Grumph couldn’t quite make out whether his friends were free from their cage yet. A quick survey of the ground at his feet netted Grumph an abandoned goblin polearm. It felt more akin to a dagger on a stick in his considerable hands, but he would take it over nothing.
    With careful steps, Grumph began edging his way around the bulk of the goblin troops and toward his friends’ cage. He might have made it unnoticed, too, if the demons hadn’t chosen that moment to leap.
    The first landed dead center in the mass of the goblin warriors, letting out a horrendous shriek as it seized one in each claw. Another came down on the side of camp where the largest exit was, clacking its claws excitedly. The initial demon to emerge stayed put; evidently it felt no need for relocation. The final demon leapt the furthest, soaring through the air and landing with a muffled thump.
    It was less than four sword lengths away from Grumph.

6.
    When the demon emerged, the humans had needed very little in terms of convincing to leave the cage. Eric slid out with relative ease, his narrow, lean frame no longer encumbered by the heavy metal burden that had weighed him down. Gabrielle had found the task a bit tougher. Though brought up a proper lady, her love of horse riding and self-defense courses (in a vain attempt to stem her kidnappings) had left her strong and somewhat more muscular than one might imagine. After two unsuccessful tries to

Similar Books

Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2

Lynette Eason, Lisa Harris, Rachel Dylan

Eastland

Marian Cheatham

Citizen of the Galaxy

Robert A. Heinlein

Trial Run

Thomas Locke

New Title 3

Michael Poeltl