Gopal Sathe (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} gopal_sathe) wrote,@ 2006-02-10 13:40:00 |
|
Hunting of the Hogger, 2
Thog the barbarian looked around thoughtfully. After taking a few cautious sniffs in the air, he motioned for the leader of the merchant party, and whispered, "Hogger's that way. Through that pass. You can see the trail of dung going there. It's close too, you can still smell it in the air."
Azim nodded urgently, then turned to his cohorts and explained the situation to them. It was now a week since they'd left the city behind them, and they were deep in the trackless mountains. After some initial squabbling with the barbarian, they'd stopped when they realised how completely their lives depended on him, and how easy it would be for him to leave them behind.
They were now deep in the mountain passes, and each night they had to find secure hideaways, which were occupied by hoggers. They got in before sunset to avoid any early rising giant, and spent their nights fearfully quiet.
They hadn't seen any giants but once they had heard a strange, swishing noise go overhead. When Berber the butcher looked like he was going to ask, Thog held up his hand, and very quietly said, "Dragon." Even he'd seemed scared then.
The party walked through the pass cautiously, and Azim suddenly stopped, causing Aziz to bump into him. Behind him the others were able to stop without much more confusion, and Thog ducked off to one gully in the pass, frantically beckoning to the merchants.
Then Berber saw what had made Azim stop, and he blanched. In front of them, as tall as a house and grayer than a mouse, and certainly a lot filthier, was a hogger, bloodshot eyes focused on the merchants. It's tusks were covered in gore, with blood and with mud, and drool puddled beneath its sagging jowls. It gave an evil snort and trundled towards them, farting loudly in its excitement.
As one man the merchants ran to Thog, but then the butcher tripped, and screamed. The others halted for only a second then kept running, and then Berber's screams changed.
From where he was standing Thog got a particularly good view of the hogger impaling Berber and then stomping on him. It looked up at the fleeing merchants and started the pursuit again.
"This way," Thog yelled, and the merchants followed. They ran into the gully but to their horror it closed off just a few hundred yards in. Behind them they could hear the hogger, the sound of its hooves echoing terribly. The watched, terrified as Thog pulled out a rope from his pack, and almost casually, tossed it upwards and quickly started climbing, pulling the rope up behind him. That's when they noticed the huge number of bones underfoot.
With a shrill stomping the hogger was upon them, and soon set to work. After a few moments, Thog pulled out a blowpipe, and a dart coated with a sleeping powder that worked beautifully on hoggers. The hogger asleep, he climbed down gracefully and started stripping the corpses of their valuables.
"Used to be a barbarian lord," he muttered, "Now this!" He spat, then said, "Well, there's money to be made, anyway," as he levered Aziz's gold tooth out. It had been a profitable week.
Thog the barbarian looked around thoughtfully. After taking a few cautious sniffs in the air, he motioned for the leader of the merchant party, and whispered, "Hogger's that way. Through that pass. You can see the trail of dung going there. It's close too, you can still smell it in the air."
Azim nodded urgently, then turned to his cohorts and explained the situation to them. It was now a week since they'd left the city behind them, and they were deep in the trackless mountains. After some initial squabbling with the barbarian, they'd stopped when they realised how completely their lives depended on him, and how easy it would be for him to leave them behind.
They were now deep in the mountain passes, and each night they had to find secure hideaways, which were occupied by hoggers. They got in before sunset to avoid any early rising giant, and spent their nights fearfully quiet.
They hadn't seen any giants but once they had heard a strange, swishing noise go overhead. When Berber the butcher looked like he was going to ask, Thog held up his hand, and very quietly said, "Dragon." Even he'd seemed scared then.
The party walked through the pass cautiously, and Azim suddenly stopped, causing Aziz to bump into him. Behind him the others were able to stop without much more confusion, and Thog ducked off to one gully in the pass, frantically beckoning to the merchants.
Then Berber saw what had made Azim stop, and he blanched. In front of them, as tall as a house and grayer than a mouse, and certainly a lot filthier, was a hogger, bloodshot eyes focused on the merchants. It's tusks were covered in gore, with blood and with mud, and drool puddled beneath its sagging jowls. It gave an evil snort and trundled towards them, farting loudly in its excitement.
As one man the merchants ran to Thog, but then the butcher tripped, and screamed. The others halted for only a second then kept running, and then Berber's screams changed.
From where he was standing Thog got a particularly good view of the hogger impaling Berber and then stomping on him. It looked up at the fleeing merchants and started the pursuit again.
"This way," Thog yelled, and the merchants followed. They ran into the gully but to their horror it closed off just a few hundred yards in. Behind them they could hear the hogger, the sound of its hooves echoing terribly. The watched, terrified as Thog pulled out a rope from his pack, and almost casually, tossed it upwards and quickly started climbing, pulling the rope up behind him. That's when they noticed the huge number of bones underfoot.
With a shrill stomping the hogger was upon them, and soon set to work. After a few moments, Thog pulled out a blowpipe, and a dart coated with a sleeping powder that worked beautifully on hoggers. The hogger asleep, he climbed down gracefully and started stripping the corpses of their valuables.
"Used to be a barbarian lord," he muttered, "Now this!" He spat, then said, "Well, there's money to be made, anyway," as he levered Aziz's gold tooth out. It had been a profitable week.
