Skix's Tale Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The large group huddled close to each other as they entered the unexplored mine tunnel. The floor rough and strewn with loose rock. Everywhere cobwebs gathered and waved with the airflow from above tugging at them.

Skix was practically shoulder to shoulder with Salik, the three in front of him having to be prodded forward frequently. They could sense danger in these caves, not a single glow bug hung to the walls here, only faintly glowing unhealthy looking lichens.

After only a few dozen yards they could see why, the narrow passageway was clogged thickly with webs, even from where they stood they could see movement. Fist sized spiders hung in webs or skittered along the floor.

The few kobolds in the lead didn't have to be told what to do. Soon everyone was spearing or smacking the spiders and after biting or cutting off the head and fore section they were stuffed in bags or hungry mouths!

Skix herself was spearing them as carefully as she could, she didn't want to foul her nice flint point on the stone floors. After near starvation rations for weeks she had greedily eaten two whole in a few bites before stuffing her kills in her bag as they went. She really preferred them spitted and crisped over hot coals but wasn't about to turn down quick and easy food.

She nearly bit her tongue when the first giant shadow dropped down from above and onto one of the kobolds in the lead.

She had not even noticed the air shafts above them before.

The frantic female in front of her gave a high pitched scream and tried to claw at the eight legged horror nearly twice as big as herself. Not even the quick Salik had time to react before it sank its fangs into her side.

Then more dropped, behind them and among them chaos erupted!

Skix stared in horror at the massive hairy bulk that pinned a kobold underneath who screamed in agony no more then a few arms lengths ahead of her. Zin yelled a call to arms trying to direct those around him to very little effect.

Salik swung his sharp bladed club onto the head of the spider just as Skix was knocked into from behind...the only way was forward so she lunged at the spider with her spear.

The smack from the club made it turn. Skix was not very good at reading spider expressions but to her it looked pretty pissed off. She had not aimed at anything in particular and stabbed right into its mandibles. She felt a moment of hope and pride...right before the thing lunged forward swinging her into the air, dangling from her spear shaft for dear life.

She could see little of what was actually happening as she hung on. She could hear Yip and his pathetic howling as he tried to run away in either direction finding both ways blocked by danger. She saw a flash below her and was briefly pinned to the ground when the spider abruptly fell.

Skix gave a battle cry...well more a scream of fear mixed with adrenaline as she managed to pull her spear loose and get her footing back. The spider was still coming for her but minus one of its rear legs, cut free by Zin's dagger. He held onto one of the remaining lead kobolds shoulder with one claw and held his dagger in the other ready to strike again.

She and the spider lunged at the same time, this time her spear found flesh...and kept sliding through into the abdomen of the thing. She found her face only inches from snapping jaws. “Yip! Hit it! Help me you coward!” She yelled out in panic.

Moments later she saw him. Running past her closely perused by another spider, even as close to the foul smelling spider as she was she could still smell the fear urine on him.

She still was pinned nearly to the floor any second now she knew she would feel the blinding agony of poison enter her body.

She felt a sharp blow reverberate through her upper body and warm wet liquid splash over her. Claws club and dagger overwhelmed the spider on top of her. The weight of it sagging as it slid down her spear and settled on top of her, she was pinned.

She tried to move, only managing to budge the spider a few inches off her. There was carnage all around. A few feet from her the female who she saw bit had curled into the fetal position her muscles twitching like there were snakes under her skin.

She could smell fear, blood, the oily sweet ichor of spider innards spilling onto her and the sharp foul reek of bowls voided in death.

She might die here, but the hell if she was going to do it pinned to the floor by a corpse! She managed to push the thing off her just far enough to get her other arm free. And with it she thrust the spear through the dead spider till its tip erupted from the other side of it with a sickening gush of spider innards. With a monumental effort she managed to use her tail and legs to inch by inch pry herself out from under the foul leaking body.

Once she was out she quickly ran around the fallen spider and yanked her spear free from the body, it was thoroughly coated in slick greenish black gunk but at least she was armed.

Zin had been backed against a wall. He still held onto the shoulder of an unarmed male who he had put on point but he was not doing well. The hapless male had been bitten several times already and blood trailed down his shoulders and back, each move the spider made he had to stumble to avoid, it would only be moments before he collapsed.

“Salik! To me! Reinforce the front!” He yelled. He looked around frantically swinging his tail around trying to come into contact with someone...anyone to help.

The spider loomed over him, he could feel it and even see its shadow now. He swung his dagger over the head of his meat shield in a vain attempt to fend it of. The thing went stiff in front of him issuing a horrid screech, its legs twitching.

Zin Squinted and saw the thing was pierced through with the shaft of a spear! It spun giving him precious seconds to get his back off the wall. He had to push the worn out meat shield hard to get out into the open, but managed it.

Astride the wounded spider was Skix, struggling not to be thrown off while at the same time trying to pull her slick spear from its back.

The spider was being harried by the tiny red Bina who would lunge and strike with a bit of a cracked femur sharpened into a wicked shiv then quickly dodge away. She was not doing much damage but it was keeping the spider from focusing on any one target.

All around them this scene and more like it showed kobolds saving grace, numbers. The spiders were overwhelmed by many targets, even if alone the little lizards were a tasty snack for the fast arachnids.

Skix had her claws full. She could tell others were hitting the spider she was astride from below, but all she could do was hold on tightly and try to pull her spear free. She in frustration gave a mighty yank just as the spider reared back.

Her claws slipped from the slick shaft of the bone spear and she was flung violently into the tunnel wall, her head thumping against the hard stone. She saw a blinding flash and briefly felt a sharp pain before darkness took her. She didn't even feel it when she hit the floor of the cave.
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Salik surveyed the aftermath of the spider ambush as Zin barked orders, “Strip the dead, get what you can. Leave nothing behind!”

He massaged his still healing wrist stump as he watched the wounded. Things could have been a lot worse. They had managed to kill seven of the beasts and for very respectable losses. Some of the wounded would definitely survive.

Perhaps they would survive a few more days after all.

He knelt beside the male who had been his leaders shield and his eyes in the fight. Red foam collected in the corners of his mouth, every quick breath agony for him. His eyes were already dull and gray.

Salik put his hand over the stricken bold's forehead feeling the fever burning inside him. He smiled wanly to him. “You did well, because of you our leader is alive. You have served the city well...drink.”

The dying kobold tried his best to take a sip of the gray water trickling from Salik's flask, eyes going to the one handed kobolds lap where Zin's dagger lay giving a pleading look followed by a weak whimper.

Salik nodded, picking up the dagger and propping up the shivering male with his hand-less arm, cradling him. Putting his forehead against the males he thrust quickly into his heart under the ribs and gave a twist to hold the wound open.

He yipped once, and his breathing slowed...and with one last hiss of relief the tortured body sagged, free from pain at last.

Salik sighed and closed the dead males eyes before laying him out with his claws folded over his chest. The next crew to come past would take him back home. His service to the city would not end with his death. His skin would be taken to be tanned into armor to protect another. Bones and claws made into weapons and tools. Flesh to feed the bug farm. From death there was life.

He noted the small red female...Bina, she was a fast looter. Already she had stripped others for equipment and removed poison glands from spiders to coat weapons later. Still more she had rubbed her claws over the spiders to coat them in their natural oils to begun cutting and restringing spider silk, with the oils it would not stick to her hands. She was quick, quiet, and smart and she managed to get through the thick of the fight without a scratch, definitely valuable. He wondered how she had ended up in this batch.

His eyes cast over the others, he had been surprised how quickly the rabble had fought back. That didn't usually happen, he had half expected them to run at the first sight of trouble. Yet when they had struck back at the front they had taken up the fight.

Well...most of them had, his lip curled as he hissed at the sniveling rust colored male named Yip who was shifting from claw to claw over the body of the big blue and black female that had had the spear. That coward had run around frantically the entire battle.

Salik expected some cowards in the face of danger but that one made him want to dump it down a mine shaft.

Yip watched the soldier approach him and Skix after killing that other kobold. He took a step back over her body but hovered close. “You don't gotta kill her! Honest! Look shes fine!” He yapped out, kneeling down and holding her up by the shoulders limply. A big reddish black lump rising just behind her horn sickeningly. She was completely covered in spider guts, scratches, and cuts.

He shook her lightly and patted her on the back. “Really she is tough!” he started to tear up a bit. “Shes gonna wake up and be all like...Yip! You asshole...*sniff* where were you! And...*sniffle* You stinking...pathetic *whimper*....pleeeease wake up Skix.” He whined pathetically.

Salik knelt next to her giving her a closer look, Her horns were thicker and longer then almost any other female he had ever seen. Her head a bit broader and longer, the blue black scales were just alien to him. She was huge, bigger then most males in the guard. Her chest thinner then a males, but strong wiry arms, and even malnourished she had wide hips a thick tail and powerful muscular legs.

If only she had not been an aberration she would have surely been trained in the guard from birth. Minimal scars, some fresh scratches. Necklace made of claws and teeth showed care and skill, as did the weapon. She was not lazy, and even more so in the face of danger she had been brave...that was rare indeed.

The head wound was the problem, he knew she could die from it at any moment. She could wake up in an hour or never, until she did she would have to be carried. As big as she was it would take two able bodied members to haul her. It would be a shame to end a good fighter. He put his good hand to his mouth thinking. “Stay here.”

He went quickly to consult with Zin putting his claw on his shoulder to make sure the nearly blind old soldier knew it was him.

“Reports done, We lost five, eleven wounded. A few might not make it, we will see. I suggest moving forward till we can find a good camp for the day.”

Zin turned, the milky film over his eyes made them look pink he squinted and tilted his head nodding in acknowledgment. With a low hiss and a flick of his tail he leaned forward sniffing.
“You have something else you would like to say?”

Salik bobbed his head slightly back, “Yes. That female, the big one. Skix is her name, so says the piss smelling coward. Concussed, been out for an hour now. What's your opinion on her? Haul her along and hope for the best, or end her here?”

Zin shifted his weight from side to side making his makeshift armor clank around, he sniffed toward the direction of the injured female in question.
“She is the one with the spear, yes?”

Salik started to nod, forgetting for the moment that Zin couldn't see him for shit.
“Yes sir, was right behind me on the first. Nearly brought a second down herself I heard.”

Zin smiled. “Saved my old ass...hmmm, yes. Make the annoying one carry her, get another to help. If she wakes up by the time we leave the next camp it will be well worth it. Make sure she gets that spear back.”

Salik saluted briefly and headed over to Yip who was still shifting from foot to foot whimpering.
“You carry her, carry her stuff. I'll send another to help, do not drop her if we run into trouble...Or I kill you.”

Yip looked shocked then smiled bobbing his head so fast his teeth clacked together. “OH yes sir! I promise to carry her good! Just you wait, You'll see, Shes gonna be fine...and uh...so will everything!”

Salik sneered and hissed at him. “Good, shut up and don't speak to me...or around me unless she wakes up or dies.” he shook his head. ~fuck he is annoying. Just hearing him speak makes me want to punch his teeth in!~ he thought as he strode off.

He stopped long enough to corral three of the walking injured to walk point then stopped in front of the small red female, who had come into possession of Skix's spear.
“Bina, correct?”

she nodded slowly.

“You take the big blue females spot next to me, if she lives you give her that spear back. If not you keep it.” he thought for a moment. “You know how to take spider poison out with the sac intact...I saw you fight. Think you could do me a personal favor?”

She tilted her head, her short thin tail raising in question. “Yeah? What you need me to do boss?” her voice was somewhat high pitched and sing songy, she sounded to young to be of the age of maturity yet the way she spoke was slow and measured. It was...oddly disconcerting.

He tilted his head toward Yip who was trying to pour a sip of water down Skix's throat.
“If he drops her and tries to run, kill him.”

Bina didn't even blink. “I get his stuff yeah?”

Salik nodded.

She smiled slowly showing her sharp little teeth.