AIN SOPH, Part 9

Episode 16

Morgoth lead Sita Moon down the path of the river to the sight of their battle with Duke and the dragon. Dead orcs littered the riverbank. Many had washed away with the current. Those that remained had been picked clean of their valuables. “Greens are always quick to a corpse,” said Morgoth. “They can talk to each other outside this world, and travel fast. They will know we are here.”

Morgoth walked reverently between the corpses of his warriors. “They come to these mountains in hordes. They take pleasure only in killing orcs. We smash them. We smash them all.”

He pointed. “These orcs died good deaths. The tribe will be proud.” Sita Moon gave Morgoth his silence until he looked up, staring down river. “Some boat people live this way, close to the city. If we don’t get across the river before dawn, we are likely to be seen.”

Gnarled roots twisted out of the bank forcing Sita Moon to climb. Some were so large Morgoth frequently had to help. The elf skated lightly across the mud, which frequently mired the orc. Any attempt to scale the riverbank resulted in dense underbrush. The orc whispered as he walked. “My guts were hanging out on the ground around me, but I kept fighting.” Morgoth shook his head, “Not like Throgdor, who sat out the fighting because he had only three limbs remaining! Some were still engaged in combat with less than that!”

The shouts of men echoed through the forest and the glint of firelight was hinted between trunks. “They will be able to sense us,” Morgoth said. “We must move faster.” Grabbing Sita Moon firmly about the waist, Morgoth lifted the elf over his head and punged waist-deep in the river. “I will swim you across!”

Downriver, torches and fire-spells reached the river. Only Morgoth’s head and shoulders remained above water, with his axe aloft I one hand and Sita Moon in the other. Shouting was becoming distinct. They may have been without vision, but the Greens knew where to search.

“Why would they want to kill you?” Sita Moon asked.

Morgoth shrugged. “I’ve killed a lot of people,” he said. “I probably deserve it.”

Torchlight glowed dimly on the bodies of Morgoth and Sita Moon, and the gleeful shouts were accompanied with laughter and splashing. “They are demons,” Morgoth repeated, water spilling in the corner of his mouth. He hurled Sita Moon away from their pursuers and launched into battle, propelling himself out of the water to the stomach, swinging the axe hard enough to smash first Green to break into the light. The body was crushed into the riverbed and did not resurface. Morgoth bounced down and spun up to sweep the next two. A group surrounded him before he could hit his third step, and were all attacking. At least two more fired arrows from the bank. Unseen in the darkness, Sita Moon recognized the archer.

“You’re dead, motherfucker!” shouted a voice.

Morgoth attacked with unrestrained rage, chopping and smashing and crushing any skull he could get in his hand. The Greens could suffer unbelievable damage and fight undiminished until Morgoth did score a kill. They seemed to love every moment, laughing and making jokes to the moment of their deaths.

Sita Moon swam to the shore and stayed low, creeping up on the archer.  She had no weapons and could not attack.

Morgoth weakened, but did not falter. The Green dwindled until Morgoth had slain all in melee combat. The two archers remained on the shore. Morgoth watched them a moment, growling and snorting. An arrow struck his chest. Morgoth stepped forward. Two more arrows whistled past. All the torches and light spells had been extinguished. The archers were shooting blind. Of the next three shots, only one got lucky. Morgoth ignored the wound in his arm, moving faster as he rose from the water.

She recognized the archer they already fought with as he escaped into the brush. Morgoth stopped at the edge of the water, listening to the sound fade. Sita Moon picked across the rocks to reach him, but Morgoth did not recognize her until she touched him. The orc tensed and jerked up his axe. He relaxed when he saw Sita Moon.

To ford the river, go to Episode 17

To go upstream, go to Episode 18