gift. I hope to see you well tomorrow night, Prince Elgorn.”
“You shall, Alex. I must go. Your replacement is arriving.”
Alex accepted his replacement and returned to the camp. He swore to return to Glendor someday and learn to walk like the elves.
Alex had the men up before daybreak and marched them eastward at a leisurely pace. Every half hour he paused to use the telescope that Galdan had given him. The goblins were not moving as fast as Alex would have thought. He reasoned that lack of sleep the last few nights was beginning to take its toll. An hour before sunset, a detachment of Alex’s men started campfires burning well north of his position. The goblins would not be able to miss the rising smoke. They would have time to get down from the mountains, but not enough time to get to where they thought the Rangers were. Alex watched them descend from his position behind a small ridge. As the goblins marched north, Alex began to fear that they would not stop for the night. He no longer needed the scope to watch them. If they kept up their march, they would reach his position in less than half an hour.
Twenty minutes later the goblin column halted and started setting up camp. Alex had been ready to wake his men, but now he let them sleep. Alex turned in to grab what hours he could.
Five hours later, the sentry woke him. “We’ve seen the signal, Captain. One long flash, two short, just like you described.”
Alex jumped up and ordered the men assembled. The attack tonight was going to be similar to the one last night with a few exceptions. Alex’s Rangers would have to cover only the northern half of the goblin encampment as the elves would cover the southern half. And there would be no retreat. When the attack was discovered the other two hundred Rangers and the elves would rain Fire Glue upon the enemy.
Alex expected the goblin sentries to be more alert this night because of what had happened last night, but they were not. They believed the Rangers were far away. The attack went very well. By the time it came to the Fire Glue arrows, there were only a couple of hundred goblins left. They charged straight for Alex’s lines and those that made it through the flames were met with steel. The fighting was fierce but the Rangers were prepared and the elves were chasing after the goblins.
Alex spotted one goblin that was huge and shouting orders to the others. It must be the leader. Alex fought his way through the charging goblins with his magical sword swinging back and forth. The sword, while feeling light in Alex’s hands, cut through shields and armor as well as flesh and bone. When he finally reached the giant he was unprepared for the force of his blow. The goblin hit Alex’s shield so hard it sent him sprawling. Alex jumped up just soon enough to meet the giant’s advancing sword with his own. Alex’s sword cut cleanly through the goblin’s sword and the goblin giant bellowed, “Tork, the goblin killer! Prepare to die!” Alex was close enough to smell the giant’s fetid breath.
The giant pulled a battle-ax off his belt and swung at Alex. Alex sidestepped the stroke and brought his sword down on the leader’s arm. The titan’s arm fell to the ground still clutching the ax. The goblin reached into his belt and produced a large knife and prepared to throw it. Alex threw himself to the ground and rolled past the huge goblin, his sword slicing through the goblin’s legs. Alex brought himself to his knees and thrust his sword through the creature’s heart.
The two elf princes appeared and Rigal said, “I wanted him for my own, but my congratulations are warmly given to you, Alexander Tork, for you shall be known as the Killer of the Goblin King. Good riddance, King Guldar.”
Chapter 7
Turmoil
The shrill echo of the servant’s scream reverberated through the halls. The General dropped his book and raced through the door. His Door Sergeant was already thirty feet ahead of him. Every passing
“You shall, Alex. I must go. Your replacement is arriving.”
Alex accepted his replacement and returned to the camp. He swore to return to Glendor someday and learn to walk like the elves.
Alex had the men up before daybreak and marched them eastward at a leisurely pace. Every half hour he paused to use the telescope that Galdan had given him. The goblins were not moving as fast as Alex would have thought. He reasoned that lack of sleep the last few nights was beginning to take its toll. An hour before sunset, a detachment of Alex’s men started campfires burning well north of his position. The goblins would not be able to miss the rising smoke. They would have time to get down from the mountains, but not enough time to get to where they thought the Rangers were. Alex watched them descend from his position behind a small ridge. As the goblins marched north, Alex began to fear that they would not stop for the night. He no longer needed the scope to watch them. If they kept up their march, they would reach his position in less than half an hour.
Twenty minutes later the goblin column halted and started setting up camp. Alex had been ready to wake his men, but now he let them sleep. Alex turned in to grab what hours he could.
Five hours later, the sentry woke him. “We’ve seen the signal, Captain. One long flash, two short, just like you described.”
Alex jumped up and ordered the men assembled. The attack tonight was going to be similar to the one last night with a few exceptions. Alex’s Rangers would have to cover only the northern half of the goblin encampment as the elves would cover the southern half. And there would be no retreat. When the attack was discovered the other two hundred Rangers and the elves would rain Fire Glue upon the enemy.
Alex expected the goblin sentries to be more alert this night because of what had happened last night, but they were not. They believed the Rangers were far away. The attack went very well. By the time it came to the Fire Glue arrows, there were only a couple of hundred goblins left. They charged straight for Alex’s lines and those that made it through the flames were met with steel. The fighting was fierce but the Rangers were prepared and the elves were chasing after the goblins.
Alex spotted one goblin that was huge and shouting orders to the others. It must be the leader. Alex fought his way through the charging goblins with his magical sword swinging back and forth. The sword, while feeling light in Alex’s hands, cut through shields and armor as well as flesh and bone. When he finally reached the giant he was unprepared for the force of his blow. The goblin hit Alex’s shield so hard it sent him sprawling. Alex jumped up just soon enough to meet the giant’s advancing sword with his own. Alex’s sword cut cleanly through the goblin’s sword and the goblin giant bellowed, “Tork, the goblin killer! Prepare to die!” Alex was close enough to smell the giant’s fetid breath.
The giant pulled a battle-ax off his belt and swung at Alex. Alex sidestepped the stroke and brought his sword down on the leader’s arm. The titan’s arm fell to the ground still clutching the ax. The goblin reached into his belt and produced a large knife and prepared to throw it. Alex threw himself to the ground and rolled past the huge goblin, his sword slicing through the goblin’s legs. Alex brought himself to his knees and thrust his sword through the creature’s heart.
The two elf princes appeared and Rigal said, “I wanted him for my own, but my congratulations are warmly given to you, Alexander Tork, for you shall be known as the Killer of the Goblin King. Good riddance, King Guldar.”
Chapter 7
Turmoil
The shrill echo of the servant’s scream reverberated through the halls. The General dropped his book and raced through the door. His Door Sergeant was already thirty feet ahead of him. Every passing
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