Chapter 135: Bad Guys!

Chapter 135: Bad Guys!

Two creatures moved through the dark, their many eyes making out most of the details of this place, but unable to pierce the darkest shadows. They were careful to stay on the main strands of the webway, and not dart too near to the edges of the tunnel. Some of the predators in this area could run up the walls quickly and snatch prey easily, retreating to the floor of the tunnel to feast. Neither of the messengers felt like risking their lives more than they already had. Becoming a meal for some hungry ten-legged lizard would be both messy, and depressing.

They observed the dark opening on the wall above them. In times past, some ancient race had carved the likeness of an orcish general. A scar ran down one side of the face and huge, broken tusks jutted up from his open mouth. Below them was the remains of an ancient city where feral goblins prowled. It was a forgotten place. A dead place. No one who counted lived here except for the exile they had come to talk to.

They had no intention of entering the exile's lair. Going inside would surely mean their deaths, and possibly failure to deliver their message. The first was just a fact of life. Messengers were expendable. Sometimes death took you and you waited to be reborn from the next egg, hoping for high-status in your bloodline. But failure? Failure meant being reborn as a spiderling and beginning the long fight to regain even modest status.

M'klixnick, the wiser of the two suggested an alternative plan to entering the exile's lair. A fresh silk line was stretched between two rock spikes and the webbing drawn back. G'nixclicknick was sent to procure several small mammals. They returned with web-wrapped bundles of immature digger-moles. The first small mammal launched at the opening went too high, hitting the ceiling and making it squeal in pain before it fell to its death. Far below a long-tailed landshark leaped and caught the smashed mole in its jaws.

The second was too low, and tumbled down a slope until it was grabbed by a cave lurker and eaten. The lurker took its time, torturing the digger-mole. The little prey made amusing sounds! Encouraged, they worked to aim the final one correctly. The last shot was just right, and sailed into the opening. Not wanting to waste the last small mammal, even if it wasn't moving anymore, they tossed it through the opening as well. And then they waited.

Time went by, the faint sounds of small bones snapping coming out of the entrance to the lair. Finally, a large form moved in the darkness. The messengers trembled. "That's it? Two squishy moles, one already dead, and that's it? Is the Matriarch breeding for pretty thorax stripes again instead of intelligence? I mean, really? You thought this was an offering? No books, no interesting food, no strange fungus?"

The two spiders looked at each other, confused. "We are sorry, great ancient one. We were told to make an offering to you and then deliver the message. Nothing was said of books or fungus."

The voice from the darkness sighed. "Tell me the message, and if I like the message, I will count to 8 before starting to hunt you."

M'klixnick said "Go on, tell him, the glory is yours!"

G'nixclicknick took a half step forward, and said, "Gilad has been found, we go to war." As soon as he did, M'klixnick struck, crippling his partners rear two legs before running away as fast as he could. From the opening came a moment of silence and then a roar. A large spider with noble markings leaped to the web in front of the crippled G'nixclicknick. Two of the nobles’ legs were whole. The six others were reinforced with metal parts. Armor replaced broken chitin, gears and pistons moved crippled legs. The abused mechanisms made noises that showed they were in need of maintenance and lubrication.

Everyone laughed at that. All it took was buying a scavenger three beers and you got told the whole 'secret plan' about raising up some huge ship from the ocean and using it to go after a massive treasure. Everyone wanted in on that event and was trying to get into either of the dwarf factions involved in the event.

Branigan shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? They'd already lost their gear a half-dozen times and started over. What was one more? "So, what are we fighting then, Mickey?"

Mickey leaned in close. "Ratkin, lots and lots of them. Most are going to be pretty low level. The raid needs to be done in a couple of parts. The Ratkin faction inside will take out certain people before hand, and poison others. Then our guild hits from the front, and a second guild, called 'The Spiders' hits from the rear. Once the ratkin surrender, we actually get to run the place until the next part of the quest starts, and then we get to go conquer another ratkin fortress."

Taryn leaned forward. "What sort of rewards? Sounds like a lot of experience, but is there any magic?"

Mickey nodded. "There's an old mage tower full of magic items, and a huge horde of treasure in the middle of the place, where most of them will make their last stand. Plus, we'll have the whole Hollow working for us. Free potions, armor, weapons, you name it."

After a quick talk, Branigan summed up the group's attitude. "Sure, looks like we're in. It sounds interesting at least, and rats are a lot easier to kill than lurkers. Let's give it a shot."

Gangrene was inspecting the caravan. If you were going to conquer another Hollow, you had to do it right the first time. Supply lines were long, and retreat meant a huge loss of respect and probably getting conquered yourself. He much preferred a more devious method. Merchant caravans were known to travel from Hollow to Hollow, bringing different cheeses and goods to new places. Caravans packed lots of food, needed guards, and were essentially an army on the move. You might even be invited into the Hollow you wanted to conquer, making things much easier.

His agent in Limburger thought he was bringing two dozen warriors to take over Limburger Hollow. Gangrene felt better with twice that number and two Fiends in battle armor. There was no reason not to go for overkill. There was also every reason to bring extra warriors. He didn't put it past 'Sneaky-Guy' trying to double-cross him. It was a small chance, but stranger things had happened. Gangrene had few friends, even inside his own Hollow. So 'Be suspicious and take extra troops' was his motto. Hopefully his lieutenants didn't get ideas while he was gone. He'd made sure that each had something to fear if he didn't return, and most of the cheese was locked up and guarded by his fiends. If Gangrene didn't return, they were never getting it. The fiends wouldn't leave the room, and no one sane opened a vault full of cheese around hungry fiends.

The colorful caravan started on its long journey. They would be traveling through two other Hollows along the way, scouting them out for later, and turning a profit along the way. But not much of a profit. He wanted news of the good deals he offered to travel ahead of him. Limburger was sure to hear of the traveling caravan on its way to them, and rather than be surprised and wary, they'd be welcomed with open arms.

He looked at his brave warriors and saluted them as they began to move out. They answered him with their traditional battle cry: "Time to cut the Cheese!"