Chapter 19

Filled With Goblins.

Thrush

Ships often had metals. By the piece. By the ore.

Though it snowed, the elements meant nothing to me. They did not affect me. I was cold, but the cold meant nothing to me. I’ve been frozen over before and it was merely an inconvenience. Should I freeze in the coming winter, I’d simply break the ice and chew my way free.

I was getting quite hungry. I was looking forward to two things on my journey. Eating and metal.

The sea was cold and windy. The coast was a bit frozen, but the ice cracked beneath my paws as I walked over it. I broke through and fell into the water. My hide sack was weighed down from the water. I checked to make sure the gourd of beer that Hawkin had given me was sealed tight. It was. I filled my lungs with air and dove.

I swam for days on end, searching far for ships. Orc ships. On my fifth day out to sea, I spotted shapes upon the horizon. Shapes that grew in detail, the closer I got. They weren’t orc ships. The sails were tattered and made of many different textiles. The ships themselves were constructed from a mix of junk. There were wood panels, metal panels, and whole trees mixed in to form the ship. Little green figures constantly bailed out water that the poor construction let in.

Goblin freebooters. Tasty treats.

The ships were fairly large, though still smaller than orc ships. Goblin freebooters were crammed on deck. Most of them were bailing water. I got close enough to count several dozens of freebooter ships.

“Fish!” One of the goblins atop a crow’s nest said. His finger pointed straight at me. He leapt up and down, repeating his sighting. “Fish! Fish! Prepare the harpoon!”

“Prepare the harpoon!” Another goblin said. A larger one, wearing a riddled torso of scars instead of a shirt. His pants were baggy and his boots were twice too big for him. He had a black cloth tied at the back instead of a hat. In place of some teeth were blades of ivory and iron. Clearly the captain.

The harpoon was prepared. I heard the rust grinding on its turret as they turned the weapon my way.

“Fire!” The captain shouted.

A torch was pressed against the back of the harpoon canon. Sparks fountained from a fuse. The whole ship trembled when the canon exploded. The harpoon sailed into the water, piercing me through my stomach and back.

Hahahahaha…

I held onto the harpoon as the goblins chanted “Heave,” and hauled me up the side of their ship.

“Got him good!” The captain said, hopping up and down in glee.

They pulled me on board. I broke the harpoon and pulled out both ends. Wide blades struck my neck and head. Some scored across my arms. I reached through the fence of blades and grabbed a goblin by his face. I opened my mouth wide, breaking the bones in my jaw, stretching my cheeks until they tore in some places. My tongue wrapped around another goblin and I sucked him in. Then I threw the first one in my mouth and chewed them until their screams became mangled, then their bodies became mangled, and their blood and parts ran into my belly.

Yes! I feel the change!

I felt my ears lengthening, toughening. My eyes pulsed wildly like two hearts beating ferociously out of sync. The goblins panicked. Fear bloomed in their veins. I could smell it. Their fear drove the yoke of a frenzy within me and rage planted its roots in my heart. I felt the life force of my meal flush into my eyes. I felt colors fill my eyes.

“Careful! Cut him down! Kill him!” Goblins shouted.

The harpoon had not stopped me. Losing blood did not stop me. Their wide swords did not stop me. Lassos could not hold me. Goblin teeth could not score me. For every goblin I ate, a number of my bones mended. Small scrapes that I received healed over.

There had been enough commotion that another freebooter ship crashed into ours and goblins poured over onto ours. I ate somewhere around fifty goblins by the time I had driven enough fear into their hearts that they hesitated and gave me space.

“Stop! Stop!” The captain shouted.

The fighting slowed down. I waited with wide pulsing eyes. I could keep eating, but I was beyond full.

Satiation 315%

Composition

23% dreambon

44% goblin

15% fish

02% squash

02% bird

01% ale

13% world mix

When I next fell asleep, it would be for a few days at least. For now, I had to get what I came for.

By the time the fighting reached a full stop, my eyes had grown a bit smaller and more angular. My fur had shortened and there was a green tint to it now. My paws had elongated into goblin-ish fingers.

“Who are you?” the captain said, stepping toward me.

The crew dripped with the scent of fear. The captain was the only one without fear. There was another smell about him. One I couldn’t quite place.

“I am Thrush.”

“Why are you out at sea? What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for metal and food. I found food, so all I want now is metal.”

“Get off my ship!”

The goblins hooted and shook their swords with menace. I could smell their fears abate quite a bit. There was still a fury of motion on deck as hundreds of goblins continued to bail out water seeping in through a myriad of holes in the poor architecture.

“This is my ship,” I said. “Sail with me to the coast. I’ll let you live.” In a sprint, I consumed twelve more goblins. Then I broke another dozen, leaving them writhing on the deck as sharp broken bones threatened to break from their skins if they moved too much.

“Stop! Stop!” The captain said. “Get off my ship!”

Goblins were watching from the other ship that had smashed into us. I heard rust grind as a harpoon turret turned my way. A fuse was lit and the harpoon was fired. I stepped aside, letting the harpoon plunk into the ship’s deck. This caused the two captains to bicker back and forth.

I looked over each one of the nearby goblins and they all ducked and retreated, everytime I made eye contact.

When whatever squabble was set aside between the captains, the one on my ship addressed me once more.

“Get off!”

I sprinted to him and not a single goblin jumped to block me. I was too full to eat another one, so I simply bit him in half. I shook his lower half from the upper half and stood between the two halves after they hit the deck.

“My… ship…” the captain said as he died.

Pandemonium broke out. It was every goblin for themselves. They bolted for the other ship as fast as they could. The other ship could obviously take no more so many were thrown overboard. Others chopped at the chain tethered to the harpoon stuck on the deck of my new ship. They were eventually successful and pushed off from my ship, desperately sailing away.

I let them leave. The further they got, the more courageous they became. Insults were hurled my way. Torches were hurled into the sea. They laughed as my ship began sinking.

I gave a mighty burp. It was long and organ shaking. My belly was nearly ten times what it was and I waddled over to a long coil of rope. I tied one end to the harpoon deeply embedded into the deck of the ship, and the other around my waist.

I better make it to the coast before I fall asleep. I wouldn’t want to lose my new treasure.

The ship sank beneath the waves of the sea and I kicked off and started swimming. The rope became taut and I felt the weight of the ship drag underwater. I was stronger. Much stronger, so I pulled the sunken ship behind me as I swam for the coast.