Chapter 8

Nachtak Gonna Squoosh You

Petrov stared at Lynn. He was shaking and red faced but no words came. Lynn felt his eyes upon her and saw how tenderly he was holding Eliza’s other hand. Now she understood. He loved Eliza too, but he could never bring himself to show her that he did.

Cujia sniffed the air and growled, looking towards the stairs. Weamar listened closely and heard what sounded like high pitched dogs yapping. The gibbering became loud enough for all to hear. It was coming down the stairs. Lynn put her blindfold back on and pulled her hood down. Her hand reached for her katana again. This time she didn’t pull it away.

Petrov stood up weakly. He lifted his mace and shield, straining under their weight. On the base of the stairs there appeared an odd little creature, about three feet tall, with green scaly skin and a dog-like snout. It carried a half-spear. Upon seeing the crowd gathered on the dais it shouted and three others ran down the stairs. They all bumped into him, making him fall face first on the ground. The first one stood up and whacked one of his companions with the butt of his spear. Then he turned to the humans. Weamar readied himself to defend against them. Lynn drew her katana and got into her fighting stance. Marinae sighed, dragged herself upright, and got her hands up into a threatening position.

The lead dog-like creature thumped his chest and said in a high pitched voice, "This is Kobo kingdom. You trespassing. You our prisoners."

"Can any of you heal our friend?", Lynn asked desperately.

"I don't think so.", Marinae replied as the leader snickered.

"I'll do anything to save her.", Lynn pleaded. She spoke the truth.

One of the three creatures in the back was talking to himself, "Me don't remember this place? Wasn't on the tour.", Then looked at Weamar. "How you find place."

The leader whacked the upstart for speaking. Then turned back his foes. "You our prisoners. We take you to mines. You work, you live. You no work, you die.", Then he brandished his spear and attempted to look menacing.

"Please.", Lynn pleaded. She lowered her blindfold and pulled back her hood revealing her beautiful but guilt ridden face.

Petrov had had enough.  He stepped forward and without a word smashed the lead creature's head in. The other three shrieked and turned to run. The two at the back tripped the third one up and hurried up the stairs. Petrov stood over the remaining creature. It cowered, shaking and looking generally pitiful. He picked it up by the collar and slammed it against the wall.

Lynn hurried over to the little creature and tried to stop Petrov from killing it. Petrov shoved Lynn away, still holding the little one up. He pointed his mace at her. "Don't."

Petrov turned back to the creature, "You will answer my questions."

It nodded quickly. Petrov continued, "Do you have a healer."

"Yes, yes.”, the kobold said nodding rapidly, “Ancient makes special water takes hurts away. She has big magic."

"You will help us retrieve this 'special water' and you will show us a way back to the surface. Or I will kill you.”, Petrov said through clenched teeth, “Do you understand?"

The kobold nodded pathetically and Petrov set him down. Petrov pushed the kobold towards Lynn.

"This is all your fault.”, he said admonishing her, “You may yet have a chance to redeem yourself. Watch this, thing."

Lynn put her katana away and covered herself up again.

Marinae stood between Petrov and Lynn, "Get off her back before you’ll have to deal with me."

Petrov ignored Marinae and moved past her to help Weamar tend to Eliza.

The kobold muttered to himself, “Big ugly will get his.”

"He's right. It is my fault.", Lynn said softly.

"That doesn't matter.”, Marinae answered Lynn, “We're together on this, and I won't tolerate a man treating a woman in such a boorish manner."

The kobold continued muttering to himself, “Nachtak will him into goo”.

"Shut up.", Marinae yelled at the little creature.

“Eep!”, it cried out and ran to hide behind Lynn's robe. He peeking around it at Marinae.

Weamar walked over to check on Eliza. Her breathing was even as was her pulse but she was still lying at an unnatural angle. It was bad. She was dying. Petrov knelt beside her. "If those things have healing potions we may be able to save her."

“We need to get her on a stretcher.”, Weamar declared. “Then we can carry her up the stairs.”

“Use my cloak.”, Marinae offered, “And the staves.”

Soon the three were hard at work rigging together a stretcher from whatever materials they could find.

Lynn felt herself falling off the edge of the world. Her awful feelings were growing and the guilt was making it worse. But she knew that she couldn’t give in. She knew that she had to fight the feelings long enough to help Eliza. She needed something to take her mind off of them. She felt the kobold tugging on her robe. It felt like he was pulling her back to reality.

Lynn got an idea. She reached into her backpack and broke off a piece of the chocolate bar. Then she put the piece in front of the kobold's node and pulled it back quickly. He sniffed at the chocolate and then looked up at her.

"What that?", he said.

"If you help us, you can have it.", Lynn offered.

He thought for a moment, then said, "You give now. I help. You give more later."

Lynn put the chocolate under her nose and breathed in deeply, "Mmmm."

The kobold narrowed its eyes, and sighed, "Ok, you win."

Weamar sent Cujia over to make sure the kobold didn’t try to run away. Cujia sniffed at the kobold. It cried out and ran around behind Lynn’s robe again.

Petrov and Weamar looked down at the stretcher they’d made.

“We can’t move her quickly with this, and we’ll be going into hostile territory.”, Weamar reasoned. “We’ll have to leave her with a guard.”

"Yes, but not down here." Petrov shivered. “The door to the chapel upstairs had a lock. We can take her there and lock the door. I’ll stay with her.”

“Agreed.”, Weamar said.

Carefully they carried Eliza’s unconscious body up the stairs and placed her suspended between two pews in the chapel.

“What happen to her?”, the kobold asked, “I bet big ugly do it.”

Lynn’s head dropped.

"She tried to break through a mage-barrier.", Marinae began to explain.

Petrov interrupted, "You don't ask questions. You follow orders."

The kobold went silent.

"Take us to the special water.", Lynn said.

The kobold nodded and started going towards the stairs.

Lynn listened for his footsteps and followed him. Weamar and Marinae followed her. The kobold led them back to the first hallway, past the door, and then took a right turn. Heading north they entered what once was a barracks. The tattered remains of beds lined each wall. There were three doors. The kobold pointed to the north wall.

"That was where they had lots of treasure. Big nasties took it all for themselves. Not leave any for Kobo."

He pointed to the east wall, "That go up into tower. There a door to surface there."

He turned to the west wall, "This where we live. Be quiet. If big nasties find you they squoosh us all."

He opened the door and started down a spiral staircase, followed by his three captors. He stopped at the bottom and peered out into the hall. It was a dungeon. Cells lined the wall. They were empty but they gave off an uneasy sense. Suddenly there was a chorus of gibbering up ahead. The kobold squeaked and grabbed Lynn's hand.

"Quick quick! Hide! Hide under stuff in cell.", he called out to them.

"This had better not be a trick, lizard.", Marinae warned.

"Promise, promise. Hide!"

"You hide with us, right next to me.", Marinae said sternly.

Lynn and Marinae followed the little guy while Weamar ducked into the nearest cell. The cells were filled with discarded furniture and old straw. The kobold dove under a pile of rotting straw. The other three hesitated for a moment and then hid under the straw as well. A cadre of thirteen kobolds came trotting along the line of cells and ran up the stairs, gibbering all the way. After a minute or so the kobold climbed out from the straw and motioned for the others to follow. They dusted themselves off and did so.

The kobold attempted to look stealthy as he stalked down the hallway. He led them through the twists and turns of the dungeon. Several more times they had to stop and hide. Finally they came to a small wooden door.

"You hide around corner. When I call, you come in.", he said. Then he looked at Marinae’s face and added, “Promise!"

"Remember, Squeeky, if we're trapped, I'll come through the walls after you.", Marinae warned him again.

The kobold nodded quickly and ducked inside the door. The others hid around the corner.

From inside they heard the kobold’s voice, "Nachtak want to see you. He look pissed. Better hurry."

An old kobold waddled out of the small door muttering to herself. After she left Squeeky gave the all clear sign and soon they were all in the old kobold’s laboratory. They had to stoop to get inside and once they were in they wished that they weren’t. The place reeked of things that they would rather not imagine. On a table near the wall there was a rack of noxious looking liquids in clay jars.

"Special water. Make hurt stop.", Squeeky said.

"All of them?", Weamar asked.

Squeeky scratched his chin, "Uh."

"Use your nose.", Lynn suggested.

The kobold sniffed several of them. Finally he picked up a greenish-gray sludge. "This one."

Marinae wrinkled her nose. "It looks like a chamber pot...”

Lynn held out a piece of chocolate. Squeeky hopped over to Lynn and extended a hand to take the chocolate.

“...for someone with dysentery.", Marinae concluded.

"And another piece when you get us back.", Lynn promised.

The kobold stuffed the candy into his mouth and in a blink it was gone. While he licked his fingers they heard a voice out in the hall.

"Traka stupid. Nachtak not want to see me. He asleep. You been drinkin the brown water again."

The old kobold came through the door and stood stock still, her eyes were wide at finding humans in her lab. Marinae leaped at the old kobold, clamping a hand around her snout. A little squeak escaped but she was subdued. Marinae pushed the door closed with one foot and tightened her grip.

Squeeky came up to the old kobold, "You no scream or they squooosh us."

"We won't hurt you as long as you do as we say. Okay?", Marinae added.

"Mmhmay", answered the old kobold.

Marinae kept a hand on the elder kobold’s shoulder and slowly released her snout. The old kobold took a deep breath and promptly released an ear piercing scream. Marinae sighed and popped her in the side of the head.

"When will I ever learn not to trust anyone?", she lamented.

The old woman glared at her, "Nachtak gonna squoosh you."

Seconds later they could hear shouts and the pitter patter of angry little feet.

"I really ought to kill you, you know.", Marinae hissed, "But I was raised to respect Elders."

"So I'll just do this.", Marinae held up her hand and magical lights started glowing around it. Then she put her hand up to the old kobold’s eyes and the dazzling lights starting flashing brightly. Soon the old kobold was standing there looking confused and disoriented.

Lynn turned to Squeeky, "Natchak will squoosh you too. Get us out."

Squeeky started hopping from one foot to the other, "Gotta run, gotta run!", he exclaimed.

He ran to the door with Lynn and the other two following in his footsteps. They rushed through corridors, dodging this way and that, and finally managed to make it to the final hall of the dungeon before they were spotted.

"Stupid, stupid Elf.”, Marinae admonished herself as they ran, “Can't trust a man to keep his hands to himself, can't trust a prisoner with nothing to lose to be quiet. Stupid, stupid elf!!"

They ran up the hall into a group of a dozen more kobolds. Each of the small warriors was carrying a spear. Lynn moved in front of Squeeky and drew her katana. Weamar joined her on the front line. Marinae pulled out her crossbow, and inexplicably broke into verse.

“Marinae her staff not lax, gave a kobold 40 whacks, when she saw another run, she gave that bugger forty-one.”

Weamar turned his head back towards Marinae, wondering what she was doing. All he saw was her crossbow pointed at him. He ducked and felt a bolt zing past his ear and crash into wall. He turned back to the kobolds just in time to parry a spear. He kicked at the kobold who tried to stab him, but the kobold just ducked and laughed at him. Then the kobold raised his spear to stab at Weamar once again.

Lynn gracefully sidestepped a spear aimed at her. In her mind she could see the hallway. She could hear the kobolds’ feet slide as they moved. She could hear their spears whistle as they moved through the air. Her blindfold didn’t make her any less dangerous in a fight, but today she couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t help thinking that she was about to kill again and that was bringing back bad memories. She tried to think about Eliza, but it hurt when she did. It was her fault that Eliza was dying, and now she was going to kill to cover up for her mistakes.

“No.”, she said to herself, “I’m not going to do it.”

Lynn waved her katana in front of the kobold and it backed away. She hoped that it wouldn’t come any closer.

"Gotta go! Nachtak gonna come!”, Squeeky shouted, “Quick, we block door with beds upstairs!"

“Down in front.”, Marinae yelled.

Lynn and Weamar swiftly moved to the side as Marinae leveled her crossbow at one of the kobolds and fired. The bolt slammed home into one of the scaly creatures, piercing its neck. It fell to the floor.

"I'm going to make a belt out of that one!", Marinae hollered, trying to scare off the remaining creatures,  "Don't hit him below the neck. I don't want a hole in my belt!"

The kobold in front of Lynn stabbed at her once again. His spear tore through her robe but was deflected by the rivets in her leather armor. She managed to trap the shaft beneath her arm and brought her katana down on the spear. It broke in half. The kobold yelled out and backed off.

Weamar swept his blade downward at the kobold next to him and tore through its armor and flesh. It collapsed in a heap atop his fallen companion. Out of the corner of his eye Weamar noticed a large figure filling the far end of the hall. A huge form had moved up behind the kobolds. It towered over them and Weamar as well. Its skin was dark and mottled, and its cold eyes gleamed with a barely restrained bloodlust.

Squeeky screamed and pulled on Marinae's leathers, "He's coming! Gotta run!!!"

"I don't like this.", Marinae said nervously.

The large creature’s lips drew back revealing jagged yellow teeth as it stalked towards Weamar. Weamar stood fast, and readied himself for a hard fight. Behind him, Squeeky had turned and was running up the stairs. Lynn followed fast on his heels.

“Uh, I think the little guy has a great idea!”, Marinae shouted out to Weamar, “Bye!”

Weamar stood alone against the kobold hoard for only a moment, then he too bolted up the stairs. They raced up to the top of the stairs and into the barracks. When they reached the top they found the little kobold trying vainly to pull one of the heavy beds towards the door. With their help the door was quickly barricaded and not long after they heard a massive crash as the door shook and cracked. There was another crash, and another. The door wasn’t going to last long.

“To the chapel? Now? Please?”, Marinae pleaded.

Squeeky ran off down the hall, the others once again running after. Soon he skidded to a halt. In front of the door to the chapel there were five kobolds trying to break it down. Lynn stepped in front of Squeeky again, and drew her katana. One of the kobolds turned and screamed when he saw the hooded figure standing in the hall with her sword drawn. The kobolds grabbed for their weapons. Lynn stood waiting for them to attack. She was hoping that they’d run away, but they didn’t.

Weamar and Marinae ran past Lynn and attacked the kobolds. Weamar's blade sliced through the air, the tip catching his target's throat. Marinae's powerful swing sent one kobold reeling into a wall. Both kobolds fell to the ground unmoving. With their backs to the wall, the remaining three kobolds charged, letting out squeaky battle cries as they attacked. Two of them stumbled over each other, swinging wildly and hitting nothing but air. The third brought his pick down and pierced Marinae's boot, catching the side of her foot.

"Ow, you little shit!", she cried out as she yanked her foot away.

Hearing her friend in trouble moved something within Lynn. She swallowed hard and tried not to think about what she was about to do. She pushed forward and deftly swept her sword across the bare belly of the lizard-thing that clipped Marinae's foot. In the same motion she cut down another kobold. Both dropped to the floor. Lynn heard their dying squeals and was glad that she couldn't see their faces. She tried to tell herself that she had no choice, that she had to get the potion inside the chapel to save Eliza. But she knew that that was all her fault in the first place. She knew that she was only making things worse.

Only one kobold remained. It charged at Marinae but Marinae reacted quicker. Her staff impacted solidly against the kobold’s skull, dropping it like a sack of flour.

“Oh, if the Proper Ladies of the Court could see me now.", Marinae said amusedly. She gave the one who had picked her a swift kick.

As they stood there in the hall they heard a huge crash coming from the barracks.

"Open the door! open the door!", Squeeky shouted as Lynn quickly took off her glove and pushed her ring into the depression.

Weamar pushed the door open and stepped inside. He saw a mace move through the air towards him and ducked, but Petrov stopped himself in the nick of time.

"Do you have it?" Petrov asked, dropping his mace and breathing hard.

Lynn turned to Squeeky. Squeeky waddled forward and handed the foul smelling liquid to Petrov. Lynn took out the last piece of the chocolate bar and gave it to him. She had only one bar left.

Petrov wrinkled his nose at the stuff and stared at the kobold, "If this doesn't work, I'll see to it that it takes you a week to die."

"For once we agree.", Marinae added.

Squeeky ran away from Petrov and accepted Lynn's chocolate, hiding behind her robe while he happily chewed on the soft morsel. Lynn pulled and old rag out of her backpack and cleaned off her katana. Then she dropped the rag onto the floor, not wanting to have anything more to do with it. Now that the crisis was over the awful feelings were building inside of her once again. She knew that this time they would be bad, very bad. As the first pangs came over her she walked over to the far corner of the chapel and curled up into a ball on the floor.

With a tenderness that neither Marinae or Weamar though him capable of, Petrov administered the potion. They all breathed a sigh of relief as Eliza’s eyes opened. Their mission had been a success.