“Rats..” thought the ogre as he chewed. “I like rats better than these-“ he paused and shook the jar in his hand roughly “these faerys.” “Sprytes.” corrected the ogre to his left. “Whatever they is, I like rats better. Sweeter insides. Furrier. Less moving bits.” He stopped munching and pried a wing from his fangs with a ragged fingernail. “ ‘ow long we gotta sit out here?” asked the ogre to his right. “Orders are to watch for 3 city-men.” he answered, uncorking the jar and pinching an angry spryte between his thumb and foreclaw. The spryte struggled, it’s iridescent wings throwing rainbows in the afternoon sun.
“But, why though?” said the ogre on the right. “City-men don’t get past the gate. City-men ain’t ’llowed through the gate of dawn. ‘S like a rule or something.” The middle ogre, already irritated, bellowed “Because Master says so! 3 of us Wait out past the gate for 3 city-men, stop ‘em, kill ‘em, eat ‘em!” On the last step he pounded his fist into his leg for emphasis. Even for an ogre, this new guy was thick-headed. “Now look what you made me do.” He squinched his face at the mashed remnants of the spryte stuck to his hand. He held up his hand to the left hand ogre. “Look what he made me do.”
As he lowered his massive hand, the ogre to his right exhaled sharply and toppled backward as a blue frost spread from his head to his feet, his head shattering when it connected with a sharp boulder behind him.
Startled, he scrambled to his feet, not noticing the portal opening in the stone behind him, nor the caped human stepping through it. He did however notice the mighty sledge of the war hammer the figure swung, as it caved in his skull.
The figure put a foot on the beefy grey shoulder and wrenched the hammer head free with a satisfyingly wet sploosh. “Bog’s balls, it took you long enough..” started the remaining ogre. “Ughh it’s all over me!” He wiped the stinking matter from his face. “Quit complaining, it’s not like you have to keep it on” the caped one said. “Right, I forgot.” the orc’s mouth didn’t move that time and it sagged forward, slumping to the rocky ground.
A second, smaller, hairy caped figure emerged from the path. “I don’t even want to tell you what that thing thinks about. They really are stupid.” he stooped to pick up the jar, and freed the last spryte, who cursed and spit in a tiny adorable voice, it’s iridescent wings flittering. The human leaned on his hammer. “So is the sniper coming or..?” the human stopped and spun as gravel scraped behind him.
A hooded figure in pale blue robes nodded almost imperceptibly, lowering the cowl to reveal pale blonde hair, wide grey eyes and twitchy, pointed ears. “We have much work ahead of us. Let us dawdle no longer.”
The sun dipped further, casting long shadows around them as they marched towards their next hurdle, The Gates of Dawn.
Next chapter, Part 3: Wight on Wight Violence