‘This is stupid’ Glob grumbled as it followed Snarl. ‘You will never be able to defeat that monster.’

Snarl wasn’t sure it could either, but a Warren Lord did not hide inside a giant’s cave just to drink MILK all day long. That sounded extremely good, though. Snarl wanted to go back and have some cookies and MILK, with some porridge, and a meat stew. A cake, too!

No, no. Snarl had to focus. There was little time left, and the goblins did not finish preparing the ambush, yet.

‘We need more over there,’ Stick shouted, and more goblins responded with enthusiasm.

‘This will never work,’ Glob added.

‘We will need someone with a glorious round body,’ Snarl nodded. ‘Someone with a body unlike any other to help me add some weight.’

‘Of course you do,’ Glob snorted.

‘Someone round and magnificent,’ Snarl continued.

‘Naturally,’ The round goblin nodded.

‘Someone like you,’ Snarl grinned.

‘Yeah,’ Glob continued to nod. ‘Exact-’

Glob looked up to Snarl, eyes wide in terror. It didn’t manage to run away fast enough before Snarl dragged it, kicking and screaming, into the clearing.

-

Snarl stood in the middle of the snow as Silent Death returned. The bird was furious, probably at the lack of prey. Snarl squeaked and Silent Death’s eyes immediately found its nemesis. Standing deliciously in the emptiness.

The bird dove straight for Snarl.

‘Now!’ Snarl said as it dove into the snow.

The goblins pulled the strings with all their combined strength, pulling out the ropes Snarl borrowed from Nana. Curtain ropes, threads for tying herbs, every cord and piece of string the goblins managed to gather. A great web made out of different materials that was now standing in the way of the angry beast.

Snarl did not see, while inside the snow, it had to move to its position and help, but it could hear the panicking of the other goblins.

‘Pull!’ Glob screamed, holding to his own side of the curtain’s cord.

Snarl popped out and grabbed the cord with it, pulling hard against the strength that nearly sent them all flying into the air. Silent death was struggling against hundreds of tiny goblins. Goblins so weak that most of them didn’t even have the strength to stay on the ground during a windy day. But now, they added their strength to one another, an army of goblins pulling with the strength of one, and they succeeded in making the bird stuck.

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Snarl pulled with a loud shout, using all its strength, and the others responded to its shout. They all pulled, bringing the mighty bird into the snow. Silent Death screeched horribly before it was muffled by the snow.

‘Now!’ Stick, Mud, and pebble nodded and gave orders for the other goblins to run around. Snarl grabbed his end, and watched Glob bounce around into the opposite direction. Threads and cords interrupted his path, but he avoided them with ease. Most of the other goblins did too, as they spun the net around the fallen Silent Death.

The bird thrashed and made a bunch of goblins fly into the air.

It began screeching again, standing up against the tide of constricting, swirling fibers.

Snarl saw two goblins get crushed by the claws of the demon bird. Five tossed away by a wave of its wings. The goblins were too weak, their continued starvation made their strength wane after they spent the last of their power on this effort.

‘This is doomed,’ Glob screamed, but was still running.

Snarl didn’t have time to agree, it continued to run as hard as it could, dodging whatever it could.

Silent Death spun, sent more goblins away. Bit, cut more threads. More and more goblins were out, fleeing, abandoning the futile mission.

Snarl stopped as it saw the trio leave as well. Only him and Glob were left near the death bird, and only because Glob was too tired to move. Silent death turned, stares full of hate, promising a painful death to Snarl.

It screeched horribly before it lunged, sharp beak aiming for its prey.

Snarl pulled one last time.

Silent Death crashed into the snow with a loud thud as its feet were stuck in a snare. The bird stopped struggling afterwards.

Snarl turned around and raised its hands in victory.

Goblins cheered, eyes wide in disbelief as the death that was promised them was now at their mercy. Snarl went to check on Glob, it was a cowardly fake goblin, but it was its minion now. And it was still gloriously round.

‘You did it,’ Glob huffed out. ‘You actually pulled this off. You crazy goblinite.’

‘You helped,’ Snarl noted, the cord was swirled around Glob’s body, and it helped anchor the bird’s legs, even if a little.

‘I lost half my weight today-’ Glob said before its eyes widened in horror.

A large shadow rose behind Snarl, and it feared turning to see Silent Death above it.

The bird stood, pale eyes glaring madness. It screeched one last time.

Snarl gulped, there was no escaping Silent Death. It was now here for it. Snarl watched and waited. It would be all over, soon.

“What is this infernal screeching!”

Heads turned over as Door opened the path to the cave, and Nanan came out armed with her straw stick. “Snarl?”

The bird panicked, and the other goblins hid as she approached. “Leave my Snarl alone you bad, bad bird.” she began swinging the weapon mightly.

Silent Death struggled to fly, but managed to do so after the broom struck it on its feathery behind.

Unfortunately, Glob was stuck to the cord, and was being dragged, screaming, into the air. So Snarl had to jump and rescue the minion.

Snarl held on tight and climbed the cord as they crashed through branches, and were in the sky. Glob screams drowned by the frigid winds. Snarl made its way into the bird’s body, and pulled the cord tying fat goblin up, the bird was panicking too much to notice them, it seemed.

They looked down, seeing the forest becoming smaller, even Nana looked like goblin sized now.

‘The lake!’ Glob screamed.

Snarl squinted, looking where Glob pointed. The lake was no longer frozen. And Oracle told him to stop its flight, that Silent Death could not swim.

Snarl grabbed the cord, and handed it to its fat minion. ‘We will jump!’ Snarl squeaked.

The fat goblin gulped, hesitant. Snarl took the choice out of its hands by jumping and dragging it along. ‘Hold on tight!’

The two goblins swayed and swung around the bird, catching one of its wings and constricting it.

The bird’s eyes widened in surprise, as they all fell to their watery doom.