Chapter 3: A Deadly Chase

The swamp gremlins were truly hideous beasts. Each one was at least half as large again as a human or lizardman, with sickly pale green skin. They walked upright on two legs but had hugely humped backs, so that their heads hung down in front of their torsos. Each had two massive rows of teeth and sunken pink eyes, all set in a huge and ridged snake-like face. Their arms were long, warty and thick with sinew, as strong-looking as the limbs of trees, and terminated in four enormous gray claws. Stringy tentacles hung sporadically from their face and arms, and their their lower bodies were snakelike and coated with green slime from the marsh.

As Alcar looked on, the gathering of swamp gremlins scattered for a moment as Warlik rode into them upon the korapta lizard, swinging his sword and narrowly missing one of them. But the beasts moved rapidly despite the marshy conditions, and although they had fled from the warrior, the group had soon reformed. As Warlik rode on past them towards the center of the swamp upon the powerful korapta lizard, the gang of gremlins reformed and began to move towards the swamp’s edge.

The swamp gremlins now turned to look at the three youths, and the leading individual – the largest of the group – let out a low, baleful screech, pointing its clawed hand towards them.

“Run!” Alcar shouted.

He didn’t need to say it twice. Almost before he had reacted himself, Olynka and Sprigg had ducked under the wooden fence and begun sprinting towards the hay bales.

Alcar didn’t know how intelligent swamp gremlins were; he suspected that they were no smarter than snakes, if not less so. But all the same, they were known for their ferocity. Everyone in Katresburg had heard the tales, sometimes told by parents to scare their children. Tales of swamp gremlins emerging at night to drag farm workers from their beds and devour them, or of groups of travellers and their doomed attempts to cross the Great Swamp by boat. It was even said that some brave wizards and warriors had been overcome by ravenous packs of the gremlins, too.

Sprinting hard towards the distant farm houses, Alcar passed by the nearest of the hay bales and then glanced over his shoulder, panting as he moved. For a moment, he couldn’t see the creatures any more, and his heart leapt – was it possible that the beasts didn’t like to leave the water?

But a second glance confirmed his worst fears – the monsters had only been delayed by the task of climbing out of the edge of the swamp. They were now at the wooden fence. Moments later, they had moved into the field and were running directly across the marshy grass after the three youths. Alcar could see seven of them, at least.

A farm house was up ahead, but Alcar didn’t hold out much hope that the he and his companions would get any help or shelter there. The most likely response of any farmer that lived so close to the swamp would surely be to close and bar their doors when evil monsters came close.

And why would the local people care about a group of youngsters from Katresburg that they had never even met?

Olynka was just ahead of him now, running hard with her bow still in her hand. Sprigg was beginning to fall behind, however; the big youth was strong but also heavy. Alcar knew all too well that his childhood friend excelled more in strength than in endurance.

“Keep going, Sprigg! We can’t slow up.”

“I’ll try,” gasped his friend.

Olynka continued to forge ahead, and soon she was running past a wagon that was piled high with sacks of grain. Just then, Alcar noticed a figure streaking out from the nearest barn – a muscular-looking woman with olive skin and short black hair, perhaps five years their elder. “Get onto the wagon!” the stranger cried, and then leaped on board herself, grabbing the reins. Alcar now saw that the vehicle already had horses tethered, and was all set up as if it was just about to set out for the city markets.

He ran closer; the swamp gremlins were surely now only half a minute behind them, at most.

“You’re going to help us, Miss?” he said to the woman.

“My family are friends of old with the lizard folk from the swamp,” she said, looking back from her seat on the vehicle, “and I’ve faced worse than swamp gremlins in my life. But you need to get on, and fast. No time for chatting.”

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Olynka had now clambered on board beside the woman from the farm, and as Alcar was talking, Sprigg bounded on in a single leap and then collapsed onto the sacks of grain, panting so hard it sounded like his sides would break. The woman shook the reins firmly and the horses began to move away, both neighing loudly and tossing their heads, clearly already all too aware of the approaching predators.

But the woman looked calm as Alcar, too, hurried to the edge of the wagon and clambered clumsily on.

Grabbing hold of a sack of grain to steady himself, he turned. he was now sitting near the back of the vehicle, still also panting hard, if not so much as Sprigg. And soon the horses were cantering quickly.

They were underway.

But all the time, the swamp gremlins had been closing in on them, and the distance between the wagons and the group of gremlins was growing smaller by the second. The creatures’ claws thrashed the air as they ran, and their enormous slavering mouths hung open.

“They are going to catch up,” called Alcar anxiously. “We need to go faster!”

“I am on it, kid,” said the woman. “Yaa!”

She flicked at the reins again. Turning to look ahead, Alcar now perceived that they had been travelling across grass, which no doubt made for slower going. Now, as the horses built up speed, they had reached a long earthy road. It was unpaved, but smooth and straight all the same.

Now the horses could really begin to show their speed, and soon they were galloping hard, with the swamp goblins falling further and further behind...

***

“Thank you so much!” cried Sprigg as the wagon pulled further away from the threat, and began to approach a broad open gateway that marked the north end of the farm.

“Ha. You’re welcome,” said the woman, as she steered the wagon out onto the small country road beyond. She appeared to Alcar to be very calm under the circumstances, her muscular arms guiding the reins without any hesitancy. “I could hardly leave you to be meat for the swamp gremlins. They’re small in number, but they are nasty. They act on instinct, and would have pulled you below the surface of the water and left your bodies to rot.”

Alcar shuddered.

Soon the wagon had slowed slightly. All of them were looking back periodically, but there was no further sign of the swamp goblins. “They won’t follow us this far,” said the woman. “They are creatures of the water. The one advantage we have is that they don’t like to dry out. They return to the swamp pretty soon if they don’t catch their prey.”

“Good to know, thanks,” said Alcar.

“Really, thank you,” said Olynka.

This time the woman just nodded, and looked around at the three young adventurers. “As I said, no problem. I had to head to Katresburg anyway – this just hastening my trip. My name is Kora, by the way.”

“I’m Alcar,” said Alcar. “This is my adventuring party. Olynka the Archer and Sprigg, the, uh... Sprigg the Staff.”

She smiled, raising an eyebrow as she looked around at them. “What are you lot doing here, anyway? Shouldn’t you have lessons or something?”

“We have a day off,” said Alcar, rapidly regretting having given the woman their names. “Besides, we’re all getting a bit old for lessons.”

“I know that feeling,” she replied. “As for me, I have to work on the farm. But one day, in better times, I hope to train as a soldier. To fight for my nation, for freedom, and for glory!” The young woman’s dark eyes gleamed as she spoke.

“Oh – then you know how to use a spear?” asked Olynka. “And a bow?”

Kora smiled at the younger woman. “Well. To an extent, yes, although I’m not a very skilled archer. My preference is for a sword – the larger the better.”

Alcar raised his eyebrows at the innuendo in Kora’s comment but thought it better not to poke fun, given that the young woman had gone to the trouble of saving their asses. Olynka, meanwhile, looked slightly disappointed.

Even trotting at a more moderate pace, the horses covered the ground much faster than the three young adventurers had done when they had travelled the opposite direction on foot. Soon, the city walls were up ahead.

“Well, I’m gonna have to get these goods checked by the city guards,” said Kora. “It’s a slow and tedious business. I’ve enjoyed your company, but it’s probably best if you get out and make your way to the gates on foot now.”

“Of course,” said Sprigg, preparing to jump down.

“Why do they want to check your wagon?” asked Olynka, also beginning to dismount.

Kora frowned for a moment. “They believe – rightly – that some folks in the countryside harbor hopes of overthrowing the chief asshole, Duke Frage.”

“Yeah. Well, that guy is the worst,” agreed Olynka. “Everyone says so.”

“Then let’s hope the revolution comes soon,” said Kora with a wave.

The three youngsters jumped down, and hurried towards the gate, feeling excitement at their adventure. Granted, Alcar reflected, they hadn’t fought and killed any monsters. But they had seen monsters, and a genuine lizardman warrior in armor, too. And they were even returning with a little bit of treasure in their pockets. As they reached the city gates, Alcar patted his tunic pocket with a smile, feeling the four copper coins clink together.

It had been a successful first quest as the leader of his party.

Just then, Alcar felt an arm clamp down heavily upon his shoulder, and he turned to see a bearded and armored member of the city guard glaring at him. “I’ve been told that three youngsters meeting your description skipped out of their classes today,” he said.

“Uh... really?” said Alcar, as several more guards closed in. “Well, man – if I see them, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

One of the other soldiers chuckled, but it was a hollow laugh.

“So, the choice is yours,” said the bearded guard. “We can take you fugitives back to your parents, or chuck you into the prison by the gates here. What’s it to be?”