you not to wave that thing around,” snapped Slobad. “You almost cut off my ear. Wait for the light, huh? I’m getting a light so you can see. Stupid eyes that can’t see in dark. Huh.”
A moment later, Glissa heard a click, and a bright red flame erupted from the darkness. Standing beside her was an odd-looking creature holding a metal tube. The short but intense flame came from the top of the tube with a faint hiss. As Glissa’s eyes adjusted to the light, she could see more of Slobad’s features. He was short but had arms that reached down to his knees. His arms ended not in hands but in something more like fangren claws. His nose and ears were long and sharply pointed. The ends gleamed in the flickering light. Slobad’s nose and ears were metallic like her own arms and legs. He was dressed in ragged scraps of leather that barely covered his rust-colored skin. A large leather bag that hung around his neck covered much more than his actual clothes.
“What … what are you?” asked Glissa. She had never been outside the Tangle. Until now she never really believed the stories told by infirm elders of other races in the world. Her father told her that those stories were flare-induced hallucinations.
“You’ve never seen a goblin, huh?” said Slobad. “I know you. You’re an elf, an elf who’s come from Tangle on the back of leveler. You are one crazy elf, huh?”
“What do you want?” asked Glissa. “Are you the master of these foul creatures?”
Slobad snorted. “You quick to accuse, huh?”
Glissa’s stomach turned over. Kane had always joked that she was paranoid, but now someone really was trying to kill her. Quick accusation or not, could the culprit be the goblin? He had her at a severe disadvantage. He knew what she was and where she was from, and seemed at ease here in the lair of the levelers.
“Slobad is only master of Slobad, huh? Not master of the levelers or any other being,” said the goblin. “Taking care of me is full-time job, but I can help one crazy elf in my spare time, huh? At least I’ll have somebody to talk to for a while.” Slobad moved to the front of the leveler.
“What are you doing?” asked Glissa.
“I’m going to get you free, huh?” said Slobad. “That’s what we’ve been talking about. You want to stay up there or come with me and hide?”
Slobad placed his fire tube on the ground and reached into the leather bag slung across his chest. He rooted around, almost plunging his whole head inside the pouch. Finally he brought out a copper-colored tool. Glissa could now see that the goblin did have fingers ending in long, thick claws. His hands were curved like hooks and his fingers were much shorter than the claws extending out from them.
He handled the tool nimbly with his short fingers. If he wasn’t the master of these creatures, he certainly knew more about them than she did. She decided she had to trust him. She couldn’t get free by herself. Besides, she still had her sword, which she continued to hold defensively in front of her, ready to strike. Slobad crawled under the blades and lay on his back, looking up at the leveler. Glissa leaned over and could just see the tip of the two-pronged tool moving back and forth underneath the row of broken blades. A moment later, the tool clankedto the floor of the chamber and Slobad grasped one of the blades with both hands.
“Don’t touch those,” said Glissa. “They’re sharp.”
“Don’t worry, huh?” said Slobad. “Goblins don’t cut easily. We’re thick and strong like the mountains. Have you seen mountains? I’ll show you when we get out of here.” The goblin pulled half the blade away, and Glissa’s foot was free. He tucked the broken blade into his pouch, then inched his way out from under the leveler.
Glissa slid off the back of the leveler, gasping when she landed. She nearly lost her balance as her ankle buckled under her. The elf shot her hand out and slammed it into the side of
A moment later, Glissa heard a click, and a bright red flame erupted from the darkness. Standing beside her was an odd-looking creature holding a metal tube. The short but intense flame came from the top of the tube with a faint hiss. As Glissa’s eyes adjusted to the light, she could see more of Slobad’s features. He was short but had arms that reached down to his knees. His arms ended not in hands but in something more like fangren claws. His nose and ears were long and sharply pointed. The ends gleamed in the flickering light. Slobad’s nose and ears were metallic like her own arms and legs. He was dressed in ragged scraps of leather that barely covered his rust-colored skin. A large leather bag that hung around his neck covered much more than his actual clothes.
“What … what are you?” asked Glissa. She had never been outside the Tangle. Until now she never really believed the stories told by infirm elders of other races in the world. Her father told her that those stories were flare-induced hallucinations.
“You’ve never seen a goblin, huh?” said Slobad. “I know you. You’re an elf, an elf who’s come from Tangle on the back of leveler. You are one crazy elf, huh?”
“What do you want?” asked Glissa. “Are you the master of these foul creatures?”
Slobad snorted. “You quick to accuse, huh?”
Glissa’s stomach turned over. Kane had always joked that she was paranoid, but now someone really was trying to kill her. Quick accusation or not, could the culprit be the goblin? He had her at a severe disadvantage. He knew what she was and where she was from, and seemed at ease here in the lair of the levelers.
“Slobad is only master of Slobad, huh? Not master of the levelers or any other being,” said the goblin. “Taking care of me is full-time job, but I can help one crazy elf in my spare time, huh? At least I’ll have somebody to talk to for a while.” Slobad moved to the front of the leveler.
“What are you doing?” asked Glissa.
“I’m going to get you free, huh?” said Slobad. “That’s what we’ve been talking about. You want to stay up there or come with me and hide?”
Slobad placed his fire tube on the ground and reached into the leather bag slung across his chest. He rooted around, almost plunging his whole head inside the pouch. Finally he brought out a copper-colored tool. Glissa could now see that the goblin did have fingers ending in long, thick claws. His hands were curved like hooks and his fingers were much shorter than the claws extending out from them.
He handled the tool nimbly with his short fingers. If he wasn’t the master of these creatures, he certainly knew more about them than she did. She decided she had to trust him. She couldn’t get free by herself. Besides, she still had her sword, which she continued to hold defensively in front of her, ready to strike. Slobad crawled under the blades and lay on his back, looking up at the leveler. Glissa leaned over and could just see the tip of the two-pronged tool moving back and forth underneath the row of broken blades. A moment later, the tool clankedto the floor of the chamber and Slobad grasped one of the blades with both hands.
“Don’t touch those,” said Glissa. “They’re sharp.”
“Don’t worry, huh?” said Slobad. “Goblins don’t cut easily. We’re thick and strong like the mountains. Have you seen mountains? I’ll show you when we get out of here.” The goblin pulled half the blade away, and Glissa’s foot was free. He tucked the broken blade into his pouch, then inched his way out from under the leveler.
Glissa slid off the back of the leveler, gasping when she landed. She nearly lost her balance as her ankle buckled under her. The elf shot her hand out and slammed it into the side of
Similar Books
