The leather-covered wheels kicked up a plume of sand as they desperately pushed the vehicle forward. A tension spring sang a dissonant note as it unwound to power the wheels. Atop the crazy contraption going at uncontrollable speeds, the passengers fought for their lives.
“Load that godsdamned crossbow! By our Lord, you’re too slow!” One of the senior diminutive people onboard shouted.
“The blasted kobolds are splitting. They are to our left and right!” Another one shouted.
"We're being overtaken! Prepare to engage the secondary coil! We'll need to discard the main to lose mass!" Another one said.
"Nonsense! We cannot afford to lose another coil so soon!" The driver shouted. "You know how hard it is to make one of these! If you want to lose mass, start eating less or jump on the sand."
The engineer shivered and didn't dare to reply.
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“Crossbow loaded!” The one with the crank said as he passed the weapon. The bolt fell.
The senior one punched the crown of the loader’s head. “If we die here, I’m going to kill you! By our Lord I swear! Why are you staring at me, dumbass! Give me the godsdamned bolt!”
He placed the bolt on the crossbow and aimed. He saw only teeth.
“Raptor!” Someone shouted too late.
The kobold urged his raptor mount to chomp down on the wooden weapon, crushing the crossbow and causing the spring to go off, tearing most of the raptor’s teeth out. The senior man screamed in pain as his left hand went with the lizard, severed at the wrist. Blood squirted on his scratched goggles.
“Blasted kobolds!” Another shouted and leaped on the raptor’s head as the beast lowered it to spit the mess of teeth, wood, and a hand. With another leap, he drove his blade into the kobold rider’s chest. “Die! Die!”
The raptor jerked its neck, causing the little man to fall on the sand. Without the kobold rider, it broke off and fled. The man on the sand looked with despair at the vehicle rapidly moving away from him. He screamed and ate a mouthful of sand from the dust that fell on him. Then the most dreaded thing ever happened.
He started to sink. The little man screamed and cried for help but not even the hateful kobolds stopped to help or even finish him. After an hour of desperate and futile struggle, the sands claimed him and he was gone forever.