Goblin Shaman--Steem Monsters writing contest entry

For the past several months I've been running my own writing contest.

But for once I am entering a writing contest.  This one for Steemmonsters.  They are building stories for each of the cards.  This story is for the Goblin Shamen card.

Even if it doesn't do anything in the contest, it was fun to write.

Click here to see the contest.

(images source)

Goblin Shaman

I don’t normally kill people with my bare hands.

Now, when I have killed people with  my bare hands it is by choking, by squeezing the air out of their throats and out through their mouths and nose.

But I made a special exemption for Bilbin. 

He made me a special kind of angry, and I just ripped his head off.  It was easier than I expected.  But it was a lot bloodier than a normal choking. 

Normally I kill people by shooting them from a distance with an arrow or by using an ax.  Very clean.

But Bilbin made my blood boil.  He made fun of my name.

And I killed him.

Bilbin is the King’s son.

That was the problem.  If he had just been a nobody, then nobody would have cared.  But he was King Theodrian’s first born.

“Kill the goblin!” the King shouted from his throne.  His voice echoed throughout the land.

I did not wait for his knights to find me.  I ran.  I could have easily killed a knight.  But thirty knights are a different story.  

I bolted down the mountain side of Harik’s Tooth.  Finding easy hiding places among the trees.  But there was no time for rest as I heard the thundering footsteps of the knight’s horses behind me.  Once at Geodian’s River, I was able to break down a tree, swing it and kill a couple of knights before being shot in my shoulder.  I turned ran through the river, which brought me to the rocks of Earlston’s Edge.  Harder to get through, but easier to hide.  And maybe I could find some boulders to launch at the remaining knights and their horses.  

Easrlston’s Edge is a quarter of large rocks that slid down to the bottom of Harik’s Tooth.  Past the Edge is the Valley of Red Dirt.  And beyond the valley is Mount Ganger, the volcano and the center of our land.  And that was where I was headed.  It offered protection.  As a goblin I could withstand the heat of the volcano.  I knew those pathetic knights could not.  And consequently, there were more goblins there, I could find assistance there at the foot of Mount Ganger.

The rocks at Earlston’s Edge with their ragged edges are easy to climb.  But when you are on top off them, that makes you an easy target. 

“There he is!” shouted the knight at the front of the pack, they reached the Edge.

I reached down, grabbed a rock that was sixty pounds, and tossed it.  It easily knocked a knight off of its horse, I could see the dent on the knights armor at his chest.  He was slow in getting up.

But the archers had a clear shot at me.  Arrows zoomed past me.  A few scrapped my shoulders. I turned a slid amongest the rocks.  I heard the horses climb on top of the rocks.  I needed to make to the Valley of Red Dirt.  Once there I thought I could out run their horses.  My broader feet would not sink so much into the red dirt.  I needed to get to the Valley.  I slid the best I could between the boulders, the hoof beats grew closer.

“Steady!  I smell his hideous stench!” shouted a knight, who was no further than thirty feet from me.  I crouched down, there it was the red dirt.  The Valley was empty, it didn’t offer any coverage.  But I could out run their horses on the dirt.

“I see you goblin!” The knight pointed his sword at me. I grabbed some gravel into my right hand and flung it at him.  I crawled on my stomach and made it to the valley.  I stood up and bolted toward Mount Ganger.  The Valley was two miles long.  

“Archers!  Fire!” I heard the order behind me.  Arrows landed all around me.  One even struck my right shoulder.  It didn’t sink very far into me, my right shoulder is thick with muscle.  I reached around and pulled it out.  

I ran has hard as I could.  My feet sinking slightly into the red dirt.  I looked behind me.  My thought was correct, the horses struggled with the red dirt.  They kept coming, but their feet sank deeper into the dirt.  That would buy me time, as long as I could avoid anymore arrows.  Twenty-seven knights on horse back chased me across the two mile plain.  Arrows landed all around me.  

I reached the bottom of Mount Ganger.  The knights still in pursuit.  I began climbing.  After climbing several hundred feet, I turned and saw the knights coming down off their horses and chasing me.  They would struggle to get me if they were off their horses.

“Golbin!  Get in here!” shouted a voice from behind me.  It was another goblin, he appeared from a cave.  He was old, his hair was white and in tuffs around his head.  “Get in here!”  His gravely voice firm.

I followed him into the cave.  “Why are you bringing Men here to Mount Ganger?”

I looked around, “I didn’t bring them!” I replied.  “I am running from them, they are trying to kill me.”

“Clearly they are.  But why are they here, and why are they trying to kill you my young one.”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I don’t know.”

The old goblin growled, and chanted “Ta-some, ta-some, ta-some…”

Suddenly I found it difficult to breath.  A chocking feeling overtook my throat.  I stumbled backwards.

“Ta-some. Ta-some.”  It felt like my neck was going to break.

“Stop!” I squeezed out of my chocking throat.

The old goblin stopped chanting.  I collapsed on the ground, and inhaled deeply.  I breathed normally again.

“Now, tell me.  Why are Men here.”

“I killed the king’s son.”

“Why did you kill the king’s son?”

I looked at the old goblin.  “He made fun of my name.”

The old goblin smacked me across the face.

“You killed a Man because he made fun of your name?  You have brought Men here, because you fear for your obviously pathetic life.  Maybe we should hand you over to the Men.”  And out of the shadows of the cave appeared several more goblins.

I heard the knights climbing the mountain.  I looked at the goblins in front of me.  “Are you going to help me or send me back out there?” I asked.

“Send him out,” replied one Goblin.

“Make him stay, make him earn his keep,” replied another.

I didn’t like either of those options.  I heard the knights’ voices as they climbed higher and higher.

The old goblin stepped forward.  “If you stay you will learn the old ways.  If you have been on Harik’s Tooth near the castle of Men, I can only assume that you do not know our ways.  The ways of your very own people.”

He was right.  I didn’t know the ways of my people, I had been alone for 18 years.  But he didn’t need to know that.

“I’ll stay.  Now, can we get away from the mouth of this cave before they see us?” I asked.

And they led me down further into the cave.

“You killed the King’s son because he made fun of your name?” asked a goblin as they led me down into the cave.

“Yes,” I replied.

“What is your name?” another asked.

I told him.

“You must learn to control your anger.  It can be very useful.  But to kill someone in the heat of the moment over an insult, dilutes your power.  Here you will learn the true power of being a goblin.  You will control your anger.  Your passion.  You will use it for good.  And use it for destruction when needed.”  And the old Goblin led us to the center of Mount Ganger.  The room glowed bright yellow-red.  Scores of other goblins worked through out the room.

The old goblin looked at me.  “Now follow me young one, and you will learn the ways of the Goblin.”

For the next seven years, I learned.  I learned that my anger at the King’s son, was a Goblin trait.  But it was raw and untrained.

I learned spells.  I learned healing.  I learned combat.

Seven years later I emerged from the cave..

I looked around Mount Granger.  There were no knights pursuing me anymore.

“Help!” came a cry from below me.  I turned to look, a young Goblin ran up the from the tree line.  “Can you help me?”

I looked down at the young one.

“What is the matter young one?” I asked.

“The King’s men are after me!”

I looked and just like it was for me seven years previous, nearly thirty knights and horses were pursuing this Goblin.

I took the hand of the young Goblin, “Follow me.  We will end this.”

I placed my staff in front of me and I knelt down to pray.

“Kay-too.  Kay-too. Kay-too” I repeated quietly to myself.  After a few moments I look up.  I see thirty knights on top of thirty horses.  They stood in a line in front of me.  They were all silent.

“What is it you want?” I asked.

“We ask the questions here Goblin,” replied the oldest knight in the middle of the line.

“This is our mountain.  Why is it I cannot ask a question?” I replied.

“We have come for the Goblin behind you.  And if necessary, for you as well.”

I looked up and down the line of men on horseback.  I looked up the sky and prayed.  After a moment, looked back to oldest man in the middle.

“Then as you wish.  Come for me.”

I kneeled down and prayed.  My eyes were closed but I felt the heat and wind of Mount Ganger.  I opened my eyes.  And there were no longer men or horses in front of us.  I looked behind me to see the young Goblin looking at me.

“Follow me, young one to Harik’s Tooth.  It is time, Men learn of the Goblin ways.”

And we marched back to the castle of Men.