Excerpt, "Crucible"

Linvin could not stand the sight. “Leave him alone, Gutter-Rat,” Linvin cried angrily.

Hugon removed his foot from Anvar and turned his attention to Linvin. With two fists full of Linvin’s shirt, Hugon lifted him into the air and drew his face close. The great elf was weak and sick but still stubborn. He stared straight back at the monstrous creature.

“So you’re the little half-breed that has everyone so upset. You look pretty harmless to me. Kind of like a bug. I guess maybe them Humans is afraid of bugs?” The other goblins started laughing.

Linvin replied. “You must be the pathetic Goblin Pet your Human Masters chose to guard the mean, nasty little Elves. What a sad commentary on you. So scared of us are you that you need to keep us shackled. I do not blame you though. Slaughtering all those goblins in the Territory was quite easy and actually a good deal of fun for us. I would be scared of us too.”

Hugon threw Linvin against the wall and turned to the goblins who traveled with the prison wagon. “They killed goblins?”

“At least an entire patrol,” the shivering voice of one of them said.

Hugon was furious and quickly showed his displeasure by uncoiling his whip. Without a thought he began to lash Linvin with vigor. “You want to play games with me, Boy?” Hugon shouted as the thick leather tore through Linvin’s clothes. The victim curled into a ball to protect his face. Unrestrained, the leather sliced through his skin with ease and did not stop until it struck bone.

“How do you like that?” Hugon screamed as the other goblins cheered his torture of Linvin. “I think I’ll give you one lash for every goblin you’ve killed. If there’s anything left of you after that, I’ll show you the lower levels where we can really have some fun.”

Linvin watched his tormentor closely. When the whip headed his way again Linvin held up his shackles and let it wrap itself around the chain. Then he grabbed the weapon and pulled it from the goblin’s hand. “I am Linvin Grithinshield,” he said from his knees. “No one puts leather to me and lives.”

The goblins were speechless. They withdrew to the corners as Hugon howled with fury. “So you want to die quickly,” Hugon barked. “I can oblige you with that. This is my jail. No one defies me here.”

Linvin struggled to his feet as blood poured from his wounds and pooled on the floor. “If you are so confident of your superiority then remove my restraints and I will give you a real fight.”

“Why would I do that?” yelled Hugon as he drew his club high. “It is much more enjoyable to fight you as you are. Now, come and get some, Boy.”

He struck down with the club. Linvin blocked the blow again with the chain between his wrists. This time, however, he twisted and wrapped the chain around the weapon, dislodging it from Hugon’s hand. In normal circumstances Linvin would have followed up immediately with a blow of his own. With his injured condition, however, he could do little more than fall to the ground.

One of the goblins guarding the elves on the journey stepped over to Hugon. “Sergeant, I mean no disrespect but we were given strict orders not to mistreat the prisoners.”