Page 9

Story: Hard As Cake

I immediately sidled to the side, pressing myself up against the wall to stay out of the fight. I might not be running from these guys and my fate, but that didn’t mean I was going to help them fight the monsters in here.

The other four were already in a fight with the biggest goblin I’d ever seen. He was about twenty feet tall, and his legs looked like their only purpose was to move him from one seated position to another. He did just that, standing up and toddling forward before sitting back down with a heavy thump that shook the room, causing Thorn to stumble.

Uthred came over to join me.

“You’re so sick,” I said.

“How am I sick, Fiadh?” he asked.

Disgust welled in me. I knew I should keep my mouth shut to avoid triggering whatever mental illness these guys had. I should be meek, submissive, and non-confrontational. I couldn’t make them face themselves because they would just take it out on me.

But I couldn’t stay silent.

“You five keep bringing mundane women in here so that you can feed them to the fish hatchery,” I said, not looking at him. “Not everyone comes out of here after going in with you. The ones that do say that they just did everything you asked of them. I know what you are going to do to me. Please don’t make me say it.”

“Oh shit,” Uthred said, stepping back as his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“What is the fish hatchery?” Rian asked.

I didn’t listen to Uthred’s answer. I couldn’t stand to hear the horror of what I already knew.

“That isn’t in proper order,” Rian frowned. “That place must be destroyed.”

“Already did that,” Uthred gave him a thumbs up.

Again with that mundane gesture. Everyone knew that the fish hatchery had been destroyed. It was how Becky died. Everyone knew who was responsible, and it sure as heck wasn’t Uthred.

“You didn’t do that at all,” I snapped, anger rushing through me that this shithead would take credit for the work of someone else. “The God of Chaos did.”

Bram rushed around the back of the massive goblin and darted to cut its hamstrings. It let out a huge bellow and swung its arm backwards, catching him and sending him flying across the room.

“Get it together, Bram!” Rorik yelled. “This is a starter boss!”

“Do they do this a lot?” Uthred asked. “Attack women as a group?”

“You took my friend Abigale the first week she was here. She was in the fish hatchery when it…” I sucked in a sharp breath as I fought against my rising hatred. She had been there for a few months. “I don’t know where she is now.”

“I’m pretty sure she is in the dungeon then,” Uthred said. “I got them out before I smited that place.”

Uthred was insane.

“The God of Chaos did the smiting,” I frowned. “That is what everyone is saying.”

Uthred let out a sigh.

“Hey, Fiadh,” he said. “I just want to let you know that I’m going to kill all of them.”

“What?” I asked.

“Not your friend Abigale. Sorry, I really need to be more specific sometimes. Hey, nice to meet you again, I’m not Uthred,” Uthred said. “I’m… let's just say I’m not Uthred.”

“What?” I repeated.

“I mean, I know that is like crazy to hear, but why fight it at this point?” Uthred shrugged. “I’m not really good at making things better through kindness, I might as well destroy the things that deserve to be destroyed.”

“Are you actually… you’re messing with me?” I asked.

Of course, he was messing with me.