Far to the South he travelled, wandering through the thickly wooded forests. He had never actually intended to kill the woman, at least he didn't think so, but that's the way that things had turned out for him.
He brooded on how likely it was that more people would have to die in order for someone to conquer the world... To attempt such a thing would most likely put you in conflict with many different people, and conflict often led to someone's death.
He was thinking about the moral ramifications of total domination when he heard a deep and rumbling sound to his left. Glib looked up and went momentarily bug-eyed as he stared up at the heavily muscled torso of the kentaur, wearing on its upper body only the shining bow that was carried in the standard archer's fashion.
The kentaur cleared his throat again and spoke to Glibitikusree.
"Kobold, you are not welcome here. I would see you dead on the ground but I am honor-bound to offer you your life. However, I cannot allow you to leave with your ill-gotten goods. Hand over the rucksacks."
Glib could understand the kentaur's speech, as it was deemed prudent by certain kobolds to learn the language of the wild beasts in the event they got into just such a situation. However, Glib could not reproduce the sounds, and so started babbling his protest in his native tongue. Before he could blurt out much, the kentaur raised a hand to stop him.
"I will hear nothing against this from you. You will either let your taint be scoured from the forests or you will give up your stolen goods that we may return them to their rightful owners."
Glib clapped his mouth shut and stared at the kentaur, thinking things over. Finally, he narrowed his eyes and spoke a single word.
"GLIBITIKUSREE!"
He charged off, running as fast as he had ever run before in his life. The kentaur behind him started after him, taking the bow off his back and calling out a warcry into the woods.
From all around him, Glib could see more and more kentaurs joining in the pursuit. He scrambled, dodged, jumped and skittered to avoid them as they attempted to capture him. Pausing in his gallop for just a moment, the kentaur shot an arrow at Glib, plunging deep into Glib's left arm. Glib yelped but didn't slow down, couldn't slow down. He was no longer in control of his own movements, his instincts had taken over and were propelling his small frame at speeds that not even the kentaurs could fully match.
More kentaurs began coming out of the trees to join in the hunt, and Glibitikusree ran in zig-zags to keep them away from him. He was far faster and agile than most of them could manage, but the big archer was stronger than any of the rest. Glib could hear him pounding away at the ground behind him, so dangerously close he could swear he felt the kentaur's hot breath on his back. Glib ran around trees and through bushes, ran as fast as he could but the kentaur never fell far behind.
Glib took a weaving course through the trees and managed to get some time, as no matter how fast the big kentaur was, Glib was always going to be able to fit into smaller places. However, it was not enough time or enough distance for Glib to consider himself safe, as he could always glance over his shoulder and see him charging around another tree or jumping over a log.
Glib noticed that the trees were getting thinner, and before he could think through what that meant in his panicked mind the ground dropped away. Glib barely managed to skid to a stop before going over the edge of the cliff, and he sent a small amount of dirt out into the air in his place. At first, Glib could only stand there in consideration of how close he had come to simply falling off, when thunderous galloping behind him woke him up.
He turned around and saw him, the big kentaur, closing in. There was a look of sheer triumph on the kentaur's face as he slowed down somewhat, savoring the moment before the kill.
Glib looked at that smirking face, that look of complete assurance. That conqueror's smile.
Glib's face softened from the panicked look it had adopted during the chase, and fell into a visage of grim acceptance. That conqueror's smile had told him what the next step would be, the next strand to be plucked in fate's web.
The kentaur closed in on him, and he tensed his arms in anticipation of wringing the kobolds neck.
Glib pulled his lips back in a pointed smile, his amber eyes showing a look of both victory and regret. The kentaur was puzzled and then looked on in dawning rage as he realized the kobold's plan an instant before it was enacted.
Glibitikusree stepped backwards, his mouth opening not in a scream, but a chittering laugh as he watched the kentaur's face contort with frustration. Glib looked upwards at that leering face as he plummeted backwards down the cliff face.
With a great crash that sent brambles flying in all directions, Glibitikusree slammed into the ground below. There was a sickeningly wet crunch when he hit, and he felt fluids pooling up around him as he lay on the ground, still staring up at the kentaur above.
_____~*~_____
After a few moments, Glib realized that although he was certainly hurting, it wasn't as bad as one might expect from having taking a fall from such a great height. He tested his limbs experimentally. Everything worked, with the tolerable exception of his left arm with still had the arrow wedged in it.
Glib rocked himself forward, and pushed himself off the ground. A great oozing, smacking sound came from behind him and he saw a veritable pool of yellowish goo where he had landed. It took him a few moments to understand what had happened, but when it did his eyes lit up with joy and he began prancing around with glee.
The sacks. The sacks that he had been stuffing full of beetles and worms and centipedes and random articles of clothing, the sacks that he had been asked to give up. They were so full of padding from the clothes and the insect hordes that they had cushioned his fall.
Glib shouted in irrepressible happiness as he danced around at the bottom of the cliff, the bags still soggy with bug-guts slapping around him as he went.
He turned around and barked laughter up at the kentaur at the top, and began to make every offensive gesture he knew at the thing.
The kentaur pulled the bow from his back and began to take aim but Glib had already dashed off, a distant shape prancing along in the distance. The kentaur put down his bow and swore mightily, looking out at that dancing speck as it bounced farther and farther away from him.
[ May 16, 2008: Message edited by: Kagus ]
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Topic: Death and Glory! (Read 58250 times)