Marbles: The Hawk Who Refused to Die a Virgin

Chapter 13. Into the Cave

Oh wow this was nightmare city for Opal. He could see his bully galloping towards him on a boar, riding in a shaft of sunlight across the field before Hawk Mountain. His friends, save Marbles, were all lying asleep with needles sticking out of their necks and/or chests. And behind him, having been robbed of the lamp, the greatest source of magic in the land, the storm giant opened his eyes.

"Oh fuuuuck," sighed the giant, the fuck cut off by the fact that he had turned over to vomit up pennants from the Sorcerer Wars onto the stony ground. He wiped away strings of zephyric drool from his mustache with the bright blue back of his hand. "Why am I not diamond?" asked the giant.

"Get close Opal," said Marbles, hopping over to Opal and glaring up at the giant, who was sitting up now and rubbing his temples. "If we stay close my protective spell might help you too."

"WHY AM I NOT DIAMOND?!" shouted the giant. "The lamp!" said the giant. He pointed at Opal. "You have it!" The giant rose unsteadily to his feet. Prime gnome stomping posture.

This was too much for Opal. His entire body started shaking with fear. Can you blame him?

1. A mad addict giant was standing in front of him with its fists clenched.

2. He was sheltering under the wing of his greatest natural predator. 

3. Brutus was on his way to beat the shit out of whatever was left after the giant pinched Opal and his crew into bone curry.

"I know what a hawk smells like," thought Opal. "No gnome should know this and live. This is what every gnome smells before he dies. A tea bag pressed in a big dusty book. That's what hawks smell like. This is terrible. This is insane. We're all going to be killed. I don't want to die. I just wish everyone in the party could just be somewhere safe."

And with that the lamp began to heat up and beat against Opal's chest like a huge, second metal heart.