Jeremy looked at Ulrok and began to laugh as a shower of arrows crashed into the gate behind him, “Just when I thought today couldn’t get any worse, they sent a giant boar for us to roast. I will never look at bacon the same again.” A mad, fearful laugh seemed to come from deep within the boy as he laughed at his own joke.

Ulrok could not help but laugh with his newfound companion, “Boy, I was thinking the same thing. Remind me,” Ulrok proclaimed, “that if we live through this, I am taking you to my family halls to tell that same joke because,” with a snort, “I am afraid they will think it was just another one of my drunken stories.”

The young archer smile’s back, “If I were not here myself, I would think you had battled with dinner, you got pig grease on yourself, and that is how you got that scar.” Both friends laughed as a thunderous force crashed into the gate behind them. Archers continued to fire from the top of the building at the grotesque creature and goblin forces beyond. Thankfully for the would-be ranger and the drunken dwarf, this seemingly unstoppable creature at present was happily crushing structures as if looking for a lost toy.

Five little goblins wearing rusted-out pots and pans came flying over the walls, screaming and arms flapping as if they were little green birds. They landed with a crash and bang as their pots felt the effects of the earth’s warm embrace. Jeremy wasted no time, letting loose an arrow into the nearest foe. The rest of the flying goblins regained their composure and charged for Ulrok. They had smiles of pure joy.

It was clear to Jeremy that landing on their heads did little to affect their train of thought, goblins hate dwarfs, and they wanted to rip Ulrok apart. Ulrok just laughed and smiled because stupid goblins did not look behind them, and four arrows punched through the feeble armour of these would-be champions. “Stupid goblins missed the archers behind them. If only our enemies were so easy to defeat,” Ulrok’s laugh was a deep laugh that only a proud dwarf could muster.

Just as the goblin’s warm bodies fell to the ground lifeless, the massive club of the giant boar man crashed into a gate. Jeremy and Ulrok were barely holding the fear back as it took every ounce of strength that the young archer had to keep his wits about him. This unremarkable creature, a simple country boy, chose at that moment. He sprang to his feet and climbed the nearest rooftop like a child playing nothing more complicated than a game of tag in the village square.

As the little archer sprang over from the building to building, he fired arrow after arrow. His arms were burning as if calling out no more, but he did not listen. He had to do this. No one else could. Jeremy continued to whisper, “I must stop them, I must. If I do not, we are all dead.” Another arrow fired, slamming into the flesh of the giant boar. That is when Jeremy saw the rain chains that farmer Walker set up to run water off the roof. Jeremy made a dive across the roof; with fingers that felt like stone, he picked up one end of the chain and clipped it through the shaft of one of his arrows.

Jeremy took a deep breath into himself. He was slowing his heart rate. Feeling the air around Jeremy settled, he slowed his breathing. He felt the string of his bow in his bloodied fingers. Rebecca’s face appeared in his mind’s eye, and he let loose the arrow. The arrow hit the chain and slammed into the neck of the deformed creature. They were digging deep into its wide neck.

Ulrok, not wanting to be bested by this young boy, began to charge at the enormous beast. Being a dwarf, Ulrok was used to fighting with creatures more significant than himself, so he found it easier to dodge the massive creatures’ bulk. He knew that a tiny slip would end him. The beast might be easier to escape, but one wrong step and Ulrok would be seeing his ancestors sooner than he would like.

He smashed his weapon into the massive creature’s lower leg and heard a slight snapping sound as he placed every space sliver of strength he had into the blow. The beast looked down with an angry scream as the pain came racing into his mind. He swung his massive club towards Ulrok as fast as the lumbering creature could muster. Ulrok noticed that more and more arrowheads were appearing and called out to the boy to keep going. As the club slammed into the ground, Ulrok made a roll behind the creature’s foot. Ulrok noticed the metal chain hanging down from the creature’s neck. The silver of the farmer’s chain was hanging between the creature’s legs. Ulrok rolled again, this time between the creature’s massive legs, and grabbed the chain. He held it and pulled with all his might.

Jeremy looked down after seeing his arrow hit the monster’s neck. Jeremy could see that Ulrok was doing his best to damage the creature from the ground even though it was a massive struggle to get near the best without getting stepped on. Jeremy witnessed Ulrok’s roll and how he had managed to grab the chain with both hands. Jeremy thought Ulrok must have dropped his weapon to dodge the monster’s last few attacks. That is when he saw red. Jeremy was used to killing beasts such as deer or bears for food, but this was different. He had been a hunter his whole life, and today he saw his fair share of bloodshed, but he was not prepared for the sight he witnessed from the rooftops.

Ulrok had just hoped to pull the creature off balance. He had hoped that pulling on the chain, combined with the dozens of arrows and other damage that this creature had taken, would hopefully knock it off balance, but what happened was nothing Ulrok could have imagined. Jeremy’s arrow, for whatever reason, had hit true. The arrow had sunk deeper into the creature than either of the warriors had thought.

Then Ulrok pulled. He had pulled with a fury of a thousand dwarfs. As if his ancestors were beside him, passing him all his strength. The chain pulled the arrow free from the giant boar monster. He was taking with it a massive part of the creature’s airway. What felt like a sea of red to Jeremy and Ulrok came pouring out of the animal’s now open throat.

The monster began to fall, trying to breathe. It is a grotesque face gulping for air that its lungs would never receive. Seeing this was the time to attack, Ulrok sprang into action like a seasoned warrior with the chain still in his hands. The beast fell to its knees, ripping at its throat, trying to breathe. Over the creature’s head, Ulrok flipped the chain, and as the monster fought to live, the chain became tighter. The chains began to tighten from the lack of slack, and the Ulrok snapped the monstrous beast’s neck with a tiny little plop.

Jeremy was watching from the roof, unable to move. He felt as if he was used up. His muscles burned, and he began to cry because he thought seeing this monster shattered the gate. There was nothing that could stop it.

The goblins behind the beast tried to rally to attack Ulrok. He felt an unstoppable rage fill him as if nothing could touch him. He went into action, dropping the chain and picking up his weapon. He called up to the budding ranger, “the south gate.” With that, it flew open from the pressure of the other side. Jeremy quickly checked how many arrows he had left; he had a clear line of sight from farmer Walker’s house. Jeremy thought he saw a smile on Ulrok’s old, weathered face. The gates opened. The front row of goblins meets a swift death from arrows, perfect and clean, and the arrows deal with the front line of attacks. He took a moment to keep his breathing sound and counted the enemies. There were far fewer than he had thought.

The beast smelled worse than it looked, especially now that it was dead at Ulrok’s feet. What felt like hours for Jeremy as he watched it smash his town into bits. The terror and fear he felt. Another arrow he let loose found a victim, an enemy. In the beast’s eyes, he must have been an enemy. Why else attack him? With the beast dead, that was when Jeremy saw them from his vantage point, and Ulrok soon heard them as he cracked another goblin’s skull with his boot. It was the villagers from the east. They had rallied when he saw the monster fall. Now the villagers pressed the advantage. The few intelligent Goblins knew they were done for, broke rank and fled, and the rest of the globins joined. They seemed to streamline the woods.

Jeremy and Ulrok realized they were still alive and survived the massive attack. Jeremy climbed off the roof and seemed to collapse against the farmhouse wall, just laughing to himself. Ulrok ambled towards his new battle brother. They giggled and fell into each other’s arms in the bliss that only two brothers in arms can share. Ulrok stated in a simple tone of voice, “We looked death in the face and were allowed to live once more.” Thanks to this rare and unlikely friend.