Torment and Terror Read Online Free PDF Page B

sides, he recollected some spells in his mind. Yet he was still a bit drained from the portal they’d come through hours ago. “Let’s try a little diplomacy.”
    “Diplomacy!” Jubliee said, backing into Brak. “Those aren’t men coming.”
    “What’s diplomacy?” Brak said, resting his heavy hand on Jubilee’s shoulder. “A spell?”
    “No, dummy. It’s talk. Useless talk that usually leads to someone getting killed.” She scowled at Fogle. “Shoot them with lightning or something!”
    Fogle made a count. There were twenty riders. The closer they came, the more troubling they looked. Hard faced and ugly. Less than a minute later, Fogle and company were surrounded.
    This probably wasn’t my best idea, but I don’t know what direction to go.
    A dog-faced gnoll leaned forward in his saddle. His shoulders were wider than the horse’s breath and a bastard sword hung from the saddle. He scanned the three of them with cunning yellow eyes.
    “Fogle,” Jubilee whispered. “Do something!”
    “Eh,” Fogle started, rubbing his chest. “Hello?”
    The gritty group of riders burst out in ruthless chuckles.
    Fogle eased over toward Brak and Jubilee.
    Finally, the gruff-talking gnoll leader spoke. “That’s not how we greet one another in the outland.” He withdrew his long piece of steel. He raised the sword over his head. The others followed suit. “No, this is how we greet trespassers.” He urged his horse forward. “Instead of saying hello, we just say ‘Goodbye’ and run you through.”
    “Trespassers?” Fogle piped in. “Just to clarify, whose land are we trespassing on?”
    Delay. Delay. Delay. That’s what Melegal would always say.
    “How can I be trespassing when I was invited here?”
    “Ha ha ha,” the gnoll laughed. “You think to fool me with a clever tongue. Many tongues such as yours have spoken no more after a mouthful of my steel.”
    He speaks surprisingly well for a gnoll, but he’s a gnoll. Be smarter than him. “Look, brazen one. We are survivors. An envoy sent to bring weapons to your leader. We were sacked by underlings. Over a league back.” He turned and pointed. “You’ll see the bodies. The wagon.”
    “You take me for a fool!”
    Yes. Yes I do. You’re a gnoll, aren’t you?
    “No. Certainly not, but I’d check my story out first if I were you. Your leader would be most disappointed if they were to find out that you killed their envoy.”
    The gnoll snarled. “Underlings don’t allow for survivors.”
    “The underlings are dead. We killed them down to the last.” He eyed Brak. “He’s not much of a talker, but he’s quite the brute. That’s underling gore on that club. Plenty of skulls smashed with that.”
    The gnoll sneered at Brak. “Then I shall kill him first.” He let out a commanding bark. A squad of horse and riders closed in on the three of them. Two orcs had long spears pointed right at them.
    Great. Remember, Fogle, if they don’t understand something, they’ll probably slay it.
    “This one will fight among you,” Fogle pleaded. “It was part of the agreement. We bring the supplies and some men fighters to join your cause.”
    “You bluff. You don’t know who the leader is.” The gnoll beat his chest. “I am the leader.”
    “If you were, you wouldn’t have ridden up here. You’d still be down in that tent.” Fogle held a finger up. “And to be clear, I am the envoy. The deliverer. And there are still goods that can be delivered. As a matter of fact, the sooner you send your men to secure the wagon, the more likely it won’t be raided by more scavengers. Or found by more underlings, for that matter. You, I’m certain, know full well how particular they are about their dead. When their hunters don’t return, there will be a search. Time is pressing.” He gazed up into the cloudless sky. “We’ve been on foot for hours. For your sake, I’d save what’s left. Or, you could lend me some horses.”
    The gnoll leaned back with