Aaron (Dodge) vs. Axeman – 5 vs. 3 Aaron succeeds.
In nearly the same instant the system message scrolled across the periphery of his vision, a hatchet flew past his head and impaled its bladed head in a nearby tree.
“That was close!” Aaron yelled as he continued to run through the park, dodging behind random trees. “I’m really starting to doubt this was a good idea.”
Tommy was a couple meters away, running and dodging alongside Aaron. “We have to keep their attention. If they stay focused on us, they won’t notice what’s missing.”
Roughly half a dozen yakuza axemen in black suits and white shirts were running across the park, chasing after Tommy and Aaron, yelling curses in a tongue that was foreign to Aaron. All ran with hatchets drawn and did not seem to care about the sight they were causing among the patrons of the city park. Some people would gasp or scream at the professionals chasing after Tommy and Aaron. However, most patrons simply tried to scurry out of the way, forcibly blinding themselves to the violence running by.
“We can’t keep this up, Tommy.” Aaron was breathing hard—he hated running.
“We don’t need to,” Tommy exclaimed as he pointed ahead.
Up ahead was a major road that lined the edge of the park. Along the roadside was a line of taxis waiting for people who needed a ride.
“Ah, fukalite,” Aaron groaned, short of breath. “This is going to be bad.”
The yakuza moved quick and nimbly through the park, approaching from different angles. They chased in dogged pursuit and were steadily gaining on Aaron despite his efforts to run fast. Tommy encouraged Aaron to run faster, then charged ahead to hail one of the taxis.
The yelling and foreign curses of the yakuza sounded like they were on the dwarf’s heels, and as he spared a glance to the side, he saw one of the axemen running next to him with a hatchet raised high, ready to strike.
Aaron (Dodge) vs. Axeman – 6 vs. 2 Aaron succeeds.
Rolling to the side, Aaron dodged the axeman’s attack. But the yakuza hitman pivoted quickly and charged for the rolling dwarf. Aaron finished his roll and lunged forward for a punch, but the system message scrolled failure as the axeman pivoted again, allowing Aaron to lunge through the air.
Aaron stumbled to the ground, rolled again, and looked up to see the axeman with hatchet raised. He attempted another dodge.
Aaron (Dodge) vs. Axeman – 3 vs. 4 Aaron fails.
The dwarf tripped and fell into the grass. He rolled over and raised his hands to block the attack, but there was a low thud, and then the axemen went limp and fell to the ground. Tommy was standing in place of the yakuza, smiling at Aaron.
“You got to pick up the pace, buddy.” Tommy extended a hand to help Aaron up.
Grunting, Aaron took his friend’s hand and got to his feet. “I don’t like running.”
“Come on.” Tommy motioned and ran back to the taxis. The other yakuza rushed in as Aaron chased after Tommy. The elf was already in the back of the cab, and the dwarf dove in through the open door.
“Go! Go!” Aaron yelled as he awkwardly tucked his legs into the cab.
Tommy reached over his friend and shut the door as the taxi sped away, leaving the yakuza cursing and shaking their axes and fists at the escaping taxi.
“Remember, not too fast,” Tommy told the driver.
The taxi driver laughed—it was a wicked, high-pitched guttural sound.
Aaron untumbled himself from the back seat and peered into the front of the cab to see the driver. “Pyrite and mica! Really Tommy?”
The goblin taxi driver barked another laugh. “Wordz in the cabbiez is a luckiez dwarf payz in gold coin.”
Frowning, Aaron looked at Tommy with narrow eyes. Tommy only grinned and shrugged at the dwarf’s leer.
“Big elf sayz youz the leperchaunz dwarf!” The goblin taxi driver continued, glancing at Aaron through his rearview mirror. “Sayz, I getz lucky goldz, too.”
“You’ll get coprolite if you don’t get us where we need to go,” Aaron responded curtly.
Another barking laugh came from the goblin. “Mez no like theze Aki-yazjulkaz—thiz doublez on luck. Ha! Mez sees theze shaat’maz iz following now, big elf.”
Tommy turned to look out the rear window and saw two taxis speeding up the road, quickly gaining on them. “You might want to speed up, goblin.”
“Mez no speedz. Mez no loze hakeasarg.”
“Friend, you’re going to lose more than that if you let these guys catch up to us.”
“You can understand what this goblin is saying?” Asked Aaron.
Tommy shrugged. “Yeah, you just need to listen closely. You’ll be able to figure it out.”
The taxi suddenly jolted forward as the yakuza-driven cab rammed into the back bumper of the goblin’s taxi. The goblin screamed and barked obscenities in his native tongue. “Youz loze hakeasarg, gaa’taat!”
A second yakuza-driven taxi pulled up alongside the goblin’s taxi, and the riders of the second taxi all stared hard at the goblin and his passengers.
The goblin spared a glance at the taxi, then did a doubletake, and his eyes widened with rage. “Youz Aki-yazjulkaz stole Rubber Spittle’s taxi! Shaat’maz chaat’oor!”
The cab in the rear rammed the goblin’s taxi, while the cab on the side plowed into the goblin’s side, causing the goblin’s taxi to veer into oncoming traffic and nearly lose control.
The goblin continued to scream curses as he switched gears and deftly spun the steering wheel, maintaining control of his taxi and swerving away from oncoming traffic. He hit the gas and sped through a narrow car space, cutting off the yakuza from another attempt at ramming. Aaron looked through the rear window and confirmed this was only a temporary reprieve—the yakuza were swerving hard and speeding to catch up with their cab.
“Dwarvz, uze bucklez.” The goblin demanded. “Mez no wantz bad luck if youz get thrown from mez taxi.”
“What did he say?” Asked Aaron.
Tommy was grinning. “He says you need to use your seatbelt and buckle up. He’s afraid he’ll get bad luck if you’re thrown out of his taxi.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“What in the blasted depths! Why does everyone suddenly think they’ll get bad luck if they throw a dwarf?”
“That’s how it’s always been, buddy. At least for as long as I’ve been here in the city, that’s always been the general belief.”
“Bucklez!” The goblin barked. “Unscrew the hakeasarg! Theze chaat’oor will seez what goblinz can do.”
Charily regarding what the goblin was saying, both Tommy and Aaron fastened their seatbelts as the goblin cabbie began to flip switches and turn knobs that were camouflaged into the dashboard. Gears could be heard turning somewhere within the car, and mechanical parts began whirring and grinding.
Aaron craned his head to see over the backseat and saw one of the yakuza cabs was speeding fast, nearly ready to ram them.
The goblin flipped another switch, pushed a button, and then the trunk of the cab folded back, revealing a sizeable, horizontal rip-blade launcher. The yakuza speeding, ready to ram the back of the goblin’s taxi, realized what was prepared to greet them a moment too late.
“Lok’tar!” The goblin pressed a button and fired the rip-blade.
The rip-blade was fired from the launcher, a whirling, circular blade of death. The yakuza hit their brakes and attempted to swerve, but the rip-blade sliced through the top of the taxi, shattering windows and blasting back the top half of the taxi’s roof. The rip-blade continued to fly through and past the yakuza taxi, causing the vehicles further back to desperately swerve out of the rip-blade’s trajectory. Several cars swerved into each other, creating a massive pile-up. The yakuza cab veered aimlessly into oncoming traffic, prompting more accidents and cars piling on cars.
The goblin laughed maniacly as he looked at the chaos in his rearview mirror. “Lok’tar! Lok’tar!”
“Ancestors!” Tommy exclaimed as he witnessed the chaos behind them. “You were supposed to let them follow us, not kill them.”
The goblin shrugged and then motioned to the side.
Looking to the side, Tommy and Aaron saw the second yakuza right as it slammed into the side of the goblin’s cab. The impact rocked them, but the goblin quickly responded and did not swerve into the opposing traffic. Metal screamed against metal as the two taxis pushed against each other, each fighting for dominance.
One of the yakuza in the back swung his hatchet and broke the rear passenger window next to Aaron. The dwarf leaned to the side, shielding his face from the shards of tempered glass, as the axeman attempted to climb through the window.
As the axeman attempted to climb through the window, the goblin quickly stomped on the brakes and turned hard to the side, sending the taxi spinning and the yakuza cab flying ahead in a squealing spin. The axeman was ripped from his vehicle and left, fearfully gripping onto Aaron's door.
The axeman buried part of his hatchet in the door and attempted to climb up, fighting to not be thrown away by the spinning taxi. He pulled himself up with great effort, his head pushing through the opening where the door window had been.
Aaron (Strength) vs. Axeman – 4 vs. 2 Aaron succeeds.
As soon as the axeman’s head appeared, Aaron made a fist and punched hard. The axeman lost his grip and flew off the spinning cab, bouncing and rolling across the pavement before being run over by a car, screeching to a halt.
The goblin’s taxi squealed to a halt, and the world was quiet for a moment, save for the sound of the goblin’s uncontrollable laughter and shouts of cheer.
Aaron and Tommy were in the back of the taxi, holding whatever was in reach with a pale-knuckled grip. Aaron looked at the axe still lodged in the door and, after a brief moment of consideration, yanked it out of the door and stuffed it in a pocket of his trenchcoat. The handle still stuck out of the pocket, but the dwarf was not concerned about that at the moment.
“That was, uh, some impressive driving, friend,” Tommy said, clearly unsure how to address what just happened.
The goblin barked a laugh and bounced to turn around and face his passengers in the back seat of his taxi. “Mez Tire Slashez. Youz, big elf?”
The goblin gestured to Tommy, who hesitated before realizing this was an introduction. “Me? Oh, I’m Tommy. Good to meet you, Tire… Slashez.”
The goblin laughed and then turned to the dwarf. “And youz, dwarvz?”
Aaron looked about their surroundings for danger but complied with the inquiry. “I’m Aaron.”
“Youz lucky, A’ronz.” The goblin hopped back into the driver seat and adjusted a few knobs on his dash while he sang, “Mez getting shiniez from the lucky dwarvz A’ronz.”
Ahead, Aaron spotted the yakuza cab pulling around and straightening itself out, preparing to charge for the goblin cab. “We need to move, Tire.”
Tire, the goblin, laughed. “Wez drive! Lok’tar!”
With that exclamation, Tire shifted into gear and slammed on the gas. The taxi peeled out and flew down the street. The yakuza turned to intercept, but the goblin drifted into a hard right, maneuvering past the yakuza and down a narrow road. The yakuza pulled around and sped after the goblin, speeding to catch up. The chase was back on, and the two vehicles drove madly through back alleys and major streets. Swerving and speeding through traffic, Aaron was baffled they did not have law enforcement on their tail.
Aaron’s body rocked and swung in different directions as the goblin drove, careened, and drifted through traffic and intersections. The yakuza were not as good as the goblin when it came to driving, but their driver’s skill was good enough to not lose the goblin. With all the erratic driving, it surprised Aaron when the car suddenly screeched to a halt.
Looking out the windows, the dwarf realized they had stopped in front of a gate. High brick walls lined the property behind the gate. The neighboring houses were far apart from each other; all of them were large. The community carried a miasma of affluence.
“Hey!” Tire yelled at an intercom outside the gate. “Youz letz uz in!”
Aaron shook his head at the goblin’s lack of couth.
Tommy rolled his window down and stuck his head out. “Hey, it’s Tommy. I need to see the boss.”
Everything was quiet as they waited for a response from the individual on the other side of the intercom.
An engine could be heard in the distance, revving hard and accelerating. Aaron looked out his window and saw the yakuza speeding through the community. “Feldspar! The yakuza are going to be on us.”
“Rugatz!” Tire exclaimed. “Why they no talk?”
Tommy waited silently, staring stone-faced at the intercom.
The yakuza were closer, the cab's engine echoing loudly across the neighborhood as they flew past a stop sign.
“Tommy, they’re almost here,” Aaron warned.
The large elf continued to lean out the window and stare at the intercom.
The yakuza taxi screeched to a halt behind the goblin’s taxi as a buzzer blared from the gate. As the gate buzzed, it rolled to the side, letting the goblin quickly drive past and into the walled property. The yakuza axemen stood just outside the property's driveway, staring menacingly at the back of the goblin’s taxi as the gate closed them off.
Aaron exhaled loudly and sank deep into his seat. “That was too close.”
“I’m just glad they didn’t try entering the gate,” Tommy said. “That would have been an act of war, which would have been really bad since the boss’ daughter has her quinceañera in a couple days.”
Despite the gate’s protection from the yakuza gangsters, their drive toward the mansion did not bring a sense of peace. Aaron looked in all directions as the goblin slowly drove up the long driveway. For such a large property, the dwarf expected to see more activity. What the dwarf found even more disturbing was not the lack of activity but the lack of anyone on the property. There was no one around. Aaron leaned over to Tommy, “Where is everyone?”
“I don’t know, buddy.” Tommy’s expression was grim. “This place should be bumping and moving with the party coming up so soon.”
They passed a few cars parked haphazardly on the grass beside the driveway. Tire whistled when they finally approached the mansion. He salivated as he eyed several high-end cars scattered in front of the boss’s mansion.
“No valet?” Aaron asked without levity.
When the goblin placed the taxi in park, Tommy opened his door and exited the vehicle. He quickly walked into the center location of the mansion’s spacious entrance and looked at his surroundings. “Something is very wrong here.”
“Agreed,” Aaron said as he walked to stand next to Tommy.
“Hey!” Tire called out from his taxi. “Youz no leave mez here!”
“No, you should probably stay there, friend,” Tommy cautioned the goblin.
“No!” Tire opened the glove box in his vehicle and pulled something out. “Youz no leave, because youz no payz.”
“You’ll get your monies, Tire. I just need to talk with my boss.”
“No!” Tire pulled something out from under the front passenger seat and affixed it to the thing he had taken from the glove box. “This place smellz. I stayz until you payz.”
Tommy sighed. “I don’t know.”
The goblin hopped out of the taxi and sauntered to the trunk, where he climbed in, rummaged around the empty rip-blade launcher, and procured another strange item. Tire attached the third piece with a twist and a click, then slung his fully assembled rifle over his shoulder. “I goez with youz.”
“Well, that was unexpected,” Aaron murmured. “The last goblin left without a second thought.”
“The last goblin we encountered was also paid,” Tommy replied under his breath. The elf then faced the goblin. “Okay, Tire, I guess you’re coming. But stay close, and be careful where you point that thing.”
Tire barked a laugh as he patted the assembled rifle.
Together, they approached the front entry of the mansion. The door was open, and blood smeared across the threshold was what greeted them. More blood spattered on the walls and floor could be seen, along with a few bullet holes. A long, wide trail of blood was painted down the entry hall and around the corner.
“Slag and feldspar, Tommy,” Aaron exclaimed while examining the scene. “It was a bloody massacre. Who in the blasted depths did the A1s piss off this badly?”
Tommy’s eyes darted over the blood and violent remnants scattered across the mansion. His eyes hardened as he turned to Aaron. “We need to find the boss and his daughter.”
“Tommy, brother, if they were here…”
“I know,” Tommy turned to face the mansion’s front door. “If they were here, they’re likely dead. But dead or alive, I need to find them. Once I find them, someone is going to pay.”