Hiya, I hope that original fiction is ok to post here. If not, then oops, message me and I will get rid of it. But this is the first chapter of a story I have written. If anyone likes it i will get my butt moving and finish the second chapter.
Chapter One
The heat… The heat came directly from hell. It was suffocating. The heat came from no literal hell, but it was damn close. The vast Furnace generated enough heat for a small sun, which warmed much of the rest of the entire cave system. Not only was there a massive amount of heat, there was no forgetting the Demonic red light it cast, adding to its infernal image. It was impossible to look directly at the opening of the Furnace. The light cast massive shadows around the cavern the Furnace was held in. The smallest of objects cast shadows 10 feet tall often, making those not used to it jump often. Oh and the sound, the roaring of the constant fire. Because of the cavern’s shape and size, it echoed and exploded the sound. It was absolutely deafening anywhere near the torturous machine. The sound traveled for miles, beating the heat and escaping the caves polluting the nature outside.
In the cavern racketed with sound and thick with fiery heat, there were creatures. Scores had burns covering their body from having to approach the Furnace. But in all truth, all that even visited the cavern scarcely escaped without a blister or two. The several hundred in the room bore heat induced marks from the oppressive heat. Most of the beings were a strange species, small with big, pointed ears coming out of the oval heads. Their lamp like eyes never looked in the direction of the Furnace. They all looked a dull red in the light of the hellish heat. The goblins all looked beaten and tired. Most trudged along doing one menial task after another. Some were pulling large bins of melted metal, some pulling metal to be smelted. Yet more pulled fuels to the furnace, depositing the combustibles into the endless pit of a tank to feed the fires. The goblins were not the only species in the room. Much larger creatures, also bipeds, bellowed and cracked whips. The orcs yelled at the goblins not working hard enough and because of the sound, they whipped each offender just in case. Any goblin too close to one of these overseers was cuffed over the head.
The room was littered with many assorted tables machines and piles of debris. Focusing on the side of the cavern, away from any entrances and too close to Furnace for comfort; (as if any place in the same room as the furnace was comfortable) there were several lines of low tables. These tables were all covered in scrap metal, assorted gadgets, and plenty of weird and interesting things. Several goblins worked at each table fiddling with the cornucopia of objects. Several orcs patrolled the tables, watching what they were doing carefully.
Away from these tables to the side was a small row of tables by itself. It was covered with even more fantastic things than the others were. But at this row of tables was one lone goblin, walking back and forth looking at the different things on the line of counters. This goblin worked alone, with only the occasional overseer checking on him. This particular goblin -Friru, as he likes to be called- was the Master Tinkerer for the Ironfire Orc clan. It sounds like a prestigious title, but it does not free Friru or give him more power, any more than breakfast does. The Ironfire clan was one of the most powerful orc clans in continent with no little thanks to Friru himself.
Friru adored inventing things. Fast things, strong things, explody things, powerful things. He used to love his job, despite the whole slavery drawback. He felt he was limited by slavery now, even if he had pretty much unlimited supplies given by the clan. He was forced day in and day out to make war toys. And as much as he loved war toys, he wanted to expand into other fields. Like electromagic storage. Friru had already packed his stuff, so to speak, and was preparing to leave. Friru picked up a thin flat strip of flexible metal that had a strange greased paper attached to one of the surfaces. Friru carefully pealed away the paper and wrapped the metal around the chain that transfixed him from neck to table. Friru finished the apparently delicately work and looked down on the table nearby, taking inventory.
In front of him was his favorite tool, a thermal fuser, along with a set of spring loaded knives, and a backpack shield generator. There were also several grenades, the size of coconuts, with no apparent way of setting them off. There was also a grenade launcher for the grenades and a clip for easy reloading. Friru pulled the back pack and made a few final adjustments to the pack shield as he watched an overseer approach. This one was definitely an overseer; he was the overseer of the overseers. His name was Kal’gen.
“Friru!” He yelled over the lessened din of the table. Friru invented and installed an aural damper for his area, to increase his focus. “Where in the hell are the clan artillery designs I ordered to be finished?!?” he demanded in the guttural tongue of orcish.
Friru languidly glanced at the artillery blueprints he was given to work on. He had set them to the side. Friru stepped away from the table and his work to look at Kal’gen. “Sir, I ordered to work on bang hurler and shielder. Not cannons.” Friru said to the orc. “I follows yous orders, Kal’gen.”
Smack! The overseer struck Friru sharply with his fist. Friru’s head was turned to the side from the blow, his eyes blazed, not unlike the Furnace. Another reason he wanted out. “NO Backtalk! And I ordered you; you little shit, to call me Master. Got it?” Friru nodded vehemently, mostly angry, showing no subservience. “Good. Now… What have you finished?”
The goblin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth slowly, trying to contain his anger. He picked up the backpack and showed it to Kal’gen. “Back shield is working… but it only protects back. Me not figured out how to make it cover front and not mess up fighting. It cover from ground to seven feet up, two feet to sides. No good for ogre but of for orcs. Me still trying to make it work in front but me having problems. Maybe Merkan power bender…” He trailed off but then continued. “It easy to cover back but me not sure of uses. You can show ass to enemies. Or have tactical retreat. My unsure…”he shrugs. “You can turn on by pressing red button an’…”
Whap. Kal’gen thwapped Friru on the head again. “It is useless if it only protects the back! Fix it! By tomorrow. Now what else have you done?”
Friru glared to the side but sighed disappointedly. He thought the idea to taunt the enemy was creative. The goblin put the back shield on. He also glanced quickly at the metal strip on the chain and blinked his satisfaction. He picked up some of the knives and attached all but one to his belt. He held out the one to show it off. “I perfect the knives. The boing knives shot knife very fast, very strong. The can pierce heavy battle armor at ten my paces. Ironfire heavy armor.” Ironfire has amazingly tough metal armors, made out of alloys, yes, created by Friru. “They accurate with practice, but they not battle reusable. You have to get blade from target and reload knife. Takes few minutes.”
Kal’gen took the knife from his hands and examined it. He handed the “boing knife” back. Friru attached it next to the others on his belt. “Better than expected. Good job. We will have to rename them though. No one will use them being called “boing knives.”” He motioned to the table. “What about the launcher? What was wrong with it?”
The goblin picked up his fuser and attached it to his belt, then Friru picked up the launcher to show it off. “Boom shooter works fine. I made it lighter, more powerful, jams less.” He put it on the table and picked up a grenade and the clip. “ The problem is grenades. “The,” Shhhaaa-kich he slide one grenade in the clip, grabbing another, “impact trigger set fuse off, but fuse too cool to set off bomb." Shaaa-Kich He designed it to not be able to detonate. “I not sure bit me thinks makers of bombs messed up materials.” Shaa-kich “I can redesign the bomb and improve it with more time.” sha-kich The clip full, Friru placed it into the launcher and picked it up.
Kal’gen was less worried about the workings of the “boom shooter” than why Friru was holding it loaded. The inklings of a fear began to seep in. “Put the launcher down, Friru. I command you.” He said soothingly, trying to assuage Friru’s might be thoughts.
Friru grinned crookedly, and cocked the launcher, putting a “boom” into the barrel. “No, but thanks Kal’Gen. I quit.” Friru pulled sharply on the chain and it broke at the malleable metal strip. He crawled under the table. Kal’gen stood dumbstruck for the moment, as Friru popped up on the other side. He had the chance to shoot once, aiming for the maw of an entrance into the furnace. Fwoomp went the launcher. Kal’gen yelled and Friru started to run sideways to the exits. As the bomb flew gracefully through the air, Friru thought about his scheme. He hoped that he calculated correctly. He planned to have the grenade insulated enough so that it would take at least several seconds to explode in the Furnace. The bomb landed in the furnace as he shot again. He was trying to aim and dodge as he went. Goblins and their loads got in the way. The overseers were still confused. He shot again but tripped, missing the opening and instead the grenade landed to the right side of the opening. Friru got up again and looked around. Feeling in the clear for the moment he stood and aimed. He pulled the trigger. Seeing his aim was true, he dropped the launcher and broke into a flat out run to the cave opening he was trying to reach, dodging the overseers who caught on to what Friru was doing. The last bomb arched and almost reached the gapping cavity in the furnace went KRAAAAAAAAAHHHHCKKKKAAAAAROOOOOOOOOO!!!
Fire, smoke, ash, molten metal, rock….
They all rocketed through the air hitting walls, supplies and creatures. Screams and shrieks rose up everywhere, almost completely drowned out by the thunderous roars of the dying Furnace. The ground jerked and shuddered and wobbled. Everything not bolted down, and some things that were bolted down, fell over. Friru himself, in his mad dash, tripped and flew into an overseer, who fell to the ground with him. The goblin crawled away, shaking his head and pressed the red button on his back pack. Friru stood on the trembling ground, and doubled his former speed as he dodged a group of wailing goblins. There were rocks and metals shooting out hitting everything. Secondary explosions shook the ground even more, launching bodies and molten metal through the air. One of the grenades fired by Friru hit a wall and, as if that was the cue it was looking for, unleashed its explosive innards. The screaming was increased as orcs and goblins were wounded or killed. Things ricochet off of Friru’s shield time and time again.
The fleeing goblin dove into the passage he was running for and sat for several minutes watching as the roof began to collapse and immense rocks fell down, crushing anything below. He breathed one small sigh of relief and stood. He looked into his fissure of an exit. It was filled with lucky and fleeing goblins and orcs. The chaos in here however was somewhat more contained than the chaos started by Friru in the cavern. Friru smiled, his escape going as he planned. Still cautious however, the goblin waded into the undulating river of creatures, avoiding the eyes of the overseer.
Well… I hope ya enjoy. I will always like it regardless of your opinions. But i would love to hear them, and your criticisms and your questions as well. Have a nice day! ^^