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.