The Golem Adventurer - Chapter 18 The Sowmother

Out on the highway outside of Haldin sped several wagons filled to the brim with city militia and the guild’s adventurers, Guildmaster Kurtz included. The old man sat in the front of the leading wagon, dressed for battle with his magic weapon strapped to his belt. The garrison’s Commander Redall sat beside him.

It was only half an hour ago when one of the city’s guards came barreling into the guildhall, demanding to see him. He was given news that a rider had come to the garrison requesting help for the farming village in the southeast. They had just been attacked by orcs and goblins. The village was partially razed and the children kidnapped. The only saving grace was that Arlan had been reported as the one who stopped the attack and is on the missing children’s trail.

The tension in the air was cut when the Commander spoke up, “It’s been decades but it’s happening again, Kurtz.”

“Do you remember what happened last time?” Kurtz asked.

“Aye, I was just a lowly recruit back then. It was just like back then. We kept getting reports of missing travelers, almost all of them families with small children.” Redall replied.

“Do you think this one is related to the same Sowmother?”

“It just might… it’s the same ritual as before. But to kidnap this many in such a short time…”

The Guildmaster became grim, “It must be ready to birth more orcs. Many, many more.”

“Did you ever go to the last sty? The reports of kidnappings had been going on for over a month. The previous Region Lord didn’t care much for the grievances of the common folk. He ignored it until it was too late. After we narrowly defeated the warband that attacked the city, we found it…”

Kurtz looked up. They had finally hit the crossroad and turned. It won’t be long until they reached the village. The moonless, cloudy night lit only by their lamps and the occasional streak of lightning was not helping his mood. Neither was his memories.

Memories of him, a rising star within the guild, when they marched triumphantly into the sty and subjugated the Sowmother… and finding the piles of tiny white bones, picked clean of their meat next to it.

An orc wouldn’t bother with a child. It’s appetite was humongous. A few grown adult humans would be satisfying for an orc. But a Sowmother is something else. A creature of mild intelligence and superstition. It would feast not only for nourishment but as a ritual.

Some Sowmothers demand the blood of warriors because they believe it would let them birth stronger orcs. Some would devour the bodies of women in hopes they would birth another Sowmother.

This Sowmother is just like the last one, Kurtz thought, it’ll feast on children until it’s ready to give birth. It must be close now if they’ve captured so many at once. This next litter will be a horde.

The village will soon be in sight. A downpour of rain has started.

***

I sprinted through the forest with wild abandon. The rain was coming in heavily as the occasional thunderclap rang through the woodlands. The goblins that had kidnapped the children did so in a rush. They didn’t even bother to cover their tracks but the rain was making things difficult. I kept checking my radar in hopes I could find a pip but no luck. Without hostile intent, it was useless. It couldn’t detect living beings. All I could do was keep going forward.

“Erraaah! Let me go, you ugly piece of crap!!”

I heard yelling from in front of me. It must be one of the kids from the village! Rushing as fast as I could I found Niklas lying on the ground bound by his hands and feet with a sole goblin at his side, catching it’s breath. The boy’s size in comparison to the other children must have taken a toll on the creature’s body. They both turned their head the moment I entered into view.

“Ah! Arlan!” Niklas cried.

The goblin screeched in fear, “Giiiiiiiiiiiii!!”

An idea flashed to life in my head. I drew my sword and walked towards it as menacingly as possible. It started to stumble backwards at the sight.

“Giigiiiigiiiii!”

In a panic, the cowardly green creature ran back into the forest thicket. This was my chance!

I hurriedly pulled out my knife and let Niklas free, “You hurt?”

“No, I’m alright but…,” Niklas looked like he wanted to cry but was holding back his tears, “They still have Lily and the other kids, Arlan! The other goblins took them deeper into the forest!”

“I know. That’s why I let that one go. It’s going to lead me straight to the sty.”

“If you’re going, please let me come with you! We need to save them!”

“You need to go back to the village! Everyone is worried about you and besides, it’s too dangerous where I’m going!”

“But-”

“NO!” I screamed, “If you can’t follow simple fucking instructions from an adult, what makes you think you could become an adventurer, huh!?”

Niklas stood there silent. I had to be harsh to drill my intentions home. This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. I’m going into an enemy encampment. With Lily there too, who knows what he’ll do.

“I have to leave before I lose that goblin…. Go home Niklas. I’ll save your little sister.”

He sniffs and nods his head as I turn away and rush towards the goblin’s direction. Without a trail to follow, this is my only shot. I wanted to promise Niklas I would bring back everyone but I couldn’t. I don’t know how orcs treat their prisoners or why they just wanted the children. The only thing I did know was that they ate human flesh. I can only hope the worst possible scenario doesn’t come to pass.

I continued on, keeping a good distance behind the goblin until I noticed the forest was starting to get significantly brighter. In the distance, I could see the ruins of what was once a village long ago, encircled with crude wooden fortifications lit up by torches. The sounds of orcs squealing started to fill the air. This must be the sty!

I slowed down and crept closer. From a good distance, I saw the goblin I was chasing head over towards two orcs who were guarding the entrance into the camp. It started to wave it’s arms and screamed at them in it’s guttural language.

“Giiigigigigigggigi!!”

“Bibibib!? Bii! Biibibibi!”

One of the orcs grabs the goblin by the neck and squeezed until an audible crack rang out. Green liquid oozed from each of it’s orifices as the orc brought it to it’s mouth and started feasting on the corpse like it just plucked an apple. The other orc squealed at it in jealously. The goblin must have told the orc it lost one of the children and was punished.

First things first however. I don’t know how many orcs are inside the camp. I’ll need to find a vantage point and scout the interior, along with where they’re keeping the prisoners. I may have found the sty but the moment I shoot a [Fireball] into the air, my cover’s blown. I’ll be the first one in to hold them off while reinforcements hopefully arrive.

Circling around I find the dilapidated remains of a windmill. If I got on top of that thing, I could see everything inside the camp. Hurrying over, I point my arm towards the top and fire off a [Rocket Punch] to grapple up. The storm was luckily covering up the sounds of my abilities as I pulled myself with it to the top. The windmill’s sturdiness was questionable but I only needed to be up here for a little bit. Once I mapped the camp’s interior I’ll be ready to launch my attack. The need for subtlety will end.

Using my camera-like eyes I was able to see the encampment had almost two dozen orcs. In the far corner of a broken stone fence that was once a home were the village children, tied and bound along with a couple others. Several more adults and children. Why so many children?

It was then I found the reason. In the center of the camp stood an orc a good head taller than the rest covered in crude but elaborate metal armor and a giant axe strapped to his back. Next to it was a monstrous, grotesque pig. The Sowmother. It was twenty times the normal size of a swine with skin colored a sickly dark phlegm. Warts and blisters littered it’s epidermis as it sat in a pit of muck and grime. In front of them were numerous other orcs. Some more stood nearby, gluttonously consuming two fresh corpses of humans I didn’t recognize.

Wait, that’s Lily there! I could see her tiny terrified figure encircled by the pig men along with two other kids. But why are they in the center of camp? I could see the Sowmother chewing and gnawing with it’s jaw as it’s numerous swollen nipples swayed in motion. Zooming in, I discovered the horrible truth. The Sowmother was chewing on a body. A tiny leg peeked out from the corner of it’s wide mouth…

It’s feasting on children. They took all the village children to feed it to this monstrosity.

Looking over to the prisoners, I could see one of the captured woman sobbing hysterically at the sight, struggling to break free from her bonds with all her might. I could only guess that she is the mother of the child being greedily devoured. All of this was like a scene from hell.

I looked back to notice the Sowmother had finished her meal, turning it’s attention towards the children in front of it. Towards Lily…

It’s slathering jaws snapped hungrily at the meal before it. Even at this distance, I could hear the children’s cries as this horror inched closer to them. Lily tried with every fiber of her being to inch away as the Sowmother sniffed her with it’s gaping nostrils. It leaned back as it darted it’s mouth towards it’s prize.

“[Fireball]!”

My hand immediately shot into the air. A burst of flame erupted from my hands, darting into the sky and exploding in a brilliant conflagration as it illuminated the forest. I put almost everything I had into it in hopes that it could be seen as far and wide as possible.

The whole encampment squealed and shouted, looking towards the sudden explosion in the sky. Looking at me.

“Biiiiiiiibibibibiiiiiiiiiiii!”

[Initiating combat processes. Directing all system resources to hostile engagement.]

I launched myself from the roof of the windmill into the sty as I channeled the last ounce of mana I could into my fist. My mana pool was too shallow to use Tier 2 magic consistently. I have to make this count.

“[Tremor]!”

Slamming into the ground, my fist sent numerous crevices and fissures towards the nearest orcs. With my sword drawn, I darted quickly between each one caught unbalanced and cleanly cut through their swollen unprotected bodies. Unprepared for a sudden attack, most of the orcs didn’t even bother to wear their armor for this supposed feast but now the dozen outside my range of attack were running out and grabbing their equipment. I need to cut through as many orcs as possible before I lose my advantage. Even the goblins were now running towards me as their orc handlers were screaming at them with guttural threats of violence.

Only a handful of orcs were cut down. I still have a small horde to deal with. But this wasn’t a fight I plan on losing. You all can toss as many bodies at me as you like. Nothing was leaving this camp alive.
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