GLINT's Arc

Chapter 5 of 10

The kobolds pressed closer, spears level. Glint raised his hands, the letter crushed to his chest. Then the nearest kobold stopped. It looked past Glint, at the huge split body under the fallen slab. Its mouth stretched into a grin. It turned to the others and shouted, "Rot-grabber's dead! We's feastin' good tonight, boys!" The circle broke into noise. Spears dropped. Kobolds swarmed the dead horror and started cutting up the remains. Glint stood frozen, waiting for a crossbow bolt that did not come. One kobold slapped his shoulder like they were old friends. A scrape of metal cut through the chatter. The crowd parted. A kobold limped forward, leaning on a heavy wrench he used like a crutch. One of his legs was gone. Bits of wire and cogs hung from his belt and clinked with each swing step. He stopped in front of Glint and looked him up and down with dark, clever eyes. "You led it onto the wire," the kobold said. He pointed the wrench at the swinging chains above. "That trap's older than my grandsire. We never could spring it. You dropped the rot-grabber in one go." He thumped his chest. "Wrencher. These are my tunnels."