The Chronicles of Xaba: Part One (Take Two)

They planned accordingly with the War-Shaman before attacking the humans at dawn. Way before the long-haired human women woke their plump and juicy young ones. Ummmm, thought Xaba, me like the juicy young ones! The thought of a large feast after the attack had been on his mind since before the raid began; however, the idea dissipated like fog fading away from the sun when the Dominion arrived sooner than expected. The Dominion was filled with men wearing shiny shells, and some, more feared than normal shinnies, would fight on horses...like today!

Since his birth, Xaba was trained to run from these shiny shelled men, and he was trained to sprint like Ur from those riding horses! His tribe wasn’t strong enough to face the fierce horsemen yet! Lither, the Chieftain leading the raid, thought otherwise today. The Dominion had come and the tribe had stayed, or at least that is what Xaba had thought of the latter. Dumb Lither, he doesn't know what he is doing! thought an agitated and fearful Xaba. Shivering and soaked in sweat provoked by his fear, Xaba searched for a place to hide while this battle boiled over.

Xaba didn’t even get time to hide before the woman spotted him. “Over here,” cried the old dark haired human woman coming forth from the tarnished cloth used as a door to her hut, “I found the last one over here!” Jumping up and down frantically, She pointed at Xaba! “The goblins right-” Her voice was cut off by an arrow to the throat.

No! Xaba hadn’t realized he was left behind! However, when the now-dead-woman pointed at him, he glimpsed around and realized his comrades had disappeared…how?! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Xaba! Having silenced the old hag, Xaba notched another arrow and hastily hid behind several barrels of apples sitting between the passage of two human huts. He swore he had been with the rest of the tribe! Xaba didn’t remember hearing an order of retreat, maybe because he wasn’t there to hear it! “Stupid, stupid, stupid Xaba! Not again!” cried Xaba in Ganglish, goblin tongue. Lither knew what he was doing, Xaba didn’t! Xaba still didn’t!

“He got her good.” Xaba hunkered down and quivered behind the barrels at the sound of a human clanking in his shell. Xaba noticed, after he peered through spaces between the barrels, that four men had dismounted from their horses, a relief for Xaba because he didn’t have to worry about sprinting from a horseman…. One of the humans had caught his eye. He was tall, tan, and looked tasty! Why they never ate themselves puzzled Xaba, for they are so good! The only trouble with shiny-shelled humans was just that, their hard, shiny shell had to be pealed from their bodies. And…they were hard to make dead.

****

“Adam, John, and Michel, you three head back to Garshire with the report. Let them know we arrived just in time and will be settling here for the night. Goblins always think striking twice within a day is a smart idea.” said the man in his battle attire.

“Sir Garwald,” asked Adam as he took off his helmet letting let loose pitch black flocks of hair that flowed as if through water in the uncanny wind. “The rest of the horde had been spotted going West, out of the village and into the woods.”

“Understood. John, on second thought, I want you with your platoon. You and Sir Banihoe will be tracking these mongrels to their home. I don’t want these things attacking any more of our loyal peoples establishments.”

“And once we find their settlement, Sir?”

“Set up camp. Make sure no goblins leave. You will have enough men between the two of you to deal with any unfortunate attempts by the dimwits to attack your post. As for your horses, bring them to my squire, he’ll see to them in good care.

“No horses, Sir?”

“John, I didn’t take you as an idiot. Horses don’t belong in these woods. Without a beaten path, the only use they will be is food after they break all their legs. Now the three of you… GO!” Sir Garwald shooed them off to their respective missions. He crossed his arms and held his jaw thoughtfully with his gauntleted hand, thinking hard about this situation. What am I about to do? Garwald thought. His orders where to run the goblins out, and he was strictly forbidden the advancement of troops to the goblins tribe. However, to him this seemed illogical. No wonder the last commander was thrown from his post due to improper protection of the Yamdire region of the Dominion. The man was simply following orders from a stupid magistrate that didn’t understand anything about battles and war.

These goblins didn’t get war either. They attack, you defend, they leave, you leave, and they attack again without considering the possibility that the latter never really left! They’ve massacred entire claves for fun by simply ambushing them time and time again in the villages they repeatedly attack. However, they attack viscously, and each attack leaves a peasant dead. A peasant dead, is too much for himself. Garwald himself was raised a peasant, and it was by luck he ever managed to escape that life. He owed these lowly people something, and if it was anything, he owed them life. He wasn’t going to wait and let more die, he was going to take out the tribe here and now! The Dominican may have a rough disciplinary code, but he knew the risk he was about to take and he was willing to take it.

“GALOKAI KAGUMI GOOOWWW!” came the loud screechy cry from behind!

What the blazes!? Sir Garwald turned around. He saw the short, green, scaly, and big eyed menace burst through barrels between the sides of two huts! Oh, no!

****

The human that caught Xaba’s eye stood beside the still-dead-woman and looked really shiny to him. He had never seen a very-bright-shell human before, he only heard of them through tales of others. They wore shinier bodies than other shiny shells, and always lead the packs of lesser humans. The human looked fearless and experienced despite his young age. Unable to understand their dumb tongue, he assumed they were speaking dumb stuff together. Humans were dumb…dumb, dumb, and dumb!

I want one! Xaba thought excitedly. His fear turned to delight and all recollection of the past engagements here where gone. It didn’t take much for Xaba to have an idea…and it didn’t take much for Xaba to not hold that idea back. Unable to control the idea of a soul for a pet, he ravaged over the idea with glee! We could take him on walks, and we could have him pee on a tree! Just like a four-legged-howling-fang-tooth! Xaba still shook profusely, but the means for this had changed…Xaba was excited and ready to capture the very-shiny-shelled human. An arrow to the leg always brought normal shiny-shells down, why not this one.

Just as the idea had occurred to Xaba, the three less-shiny-shells turned back into shiny-horsemen, which scared Xaba, and then rode off. The lone, really shiny human was his! Screaming the war cry of a noble Undone, Xaba burst through the barrels, which sent apples and several barrels into the air, and then aimed his bow! The human turned in utter surprise. He’s mine! Cried out Xaba’s exceptionally wild thoughts as his arrow flew…and bounced off the human’s shell…Xaba had missed the legs…by a lot…. The arrow landed next to the man with a sorrowful thud. Xaba stood and stared into the man’s eyes for several seconds…dumbfounded by his shot. “Ahhhhhhhhh!” Xaba yelled in horror as he dropped his bow and ran down the dirt road with arms flailing behind him! Sheer dread had split open his skull and laid waste to his hopes of bringing home a live human trophy! Now Xaba ran for his life…correction, he sprinted! The human had turned back into a horseman! Xaba ran wailing, crying, and screeching, hoping that his fellow tribe had not been too far from the village. And he was hoping they would hear his cries.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Xaba!” Cried an exhausted and outmatched Xaba! “Not again!”