Beats Entropy

(Continued from PART 1 , which was continued from PART 2, To be Continued in PART 4 )

The blue had been beaten from sky by the time I found the ogre; the low fade sucked enough cruel and color from him the brute could’ve passed for a very ugly rock formation. He was sitting in the dirt like an abandoned child who’d yet to weigh his options. I got within a few dozen feet before his bumblebees of stone growl burled out.

“I was about to come looking for you. Where are your friends”.

He actually sounded a little disappointed in me. I’m not a real sensitive soul but there was something about disillusioning an eight foot slaughterhouse that tweaked my delicate nature.

 

“They got old. And I only run from good decisions.”

I fought back competing urges: explain the situation further, or, kick him repeatedly in his fat head stoney head until a less conflicting situation arose. He saved us both the trouble by rumbling to his feet and moving out without further comment. I was a little grateful.

…………………….

 

I could smell that swamp an hour before we reached it: the reek of shit, decay and slime coated the back of my throat while the ground was still dry enough to not suck at my boots. By the time we hit the muck I was sure we’d marched straight up gods asshole. If the Ogre was put off by our surroundings he didn’t mention it anymore than I did. He did speak, though.

 

“You want to know where we are going?”

I shrugged and kept marching.

 

“To the end of it, I imagine.”

 

I could have been less obtuse, but the muck was making my balls ache and thoughts cryptic. Besides, we were going all the way and nowhere else; how we got where didn’t change a damn thing from where I was standing. The Ogre offered up a few details independent of my interest. Chatty fucker.

 

“Once we get through the swamp it’s just matter of finding the Uthgar hills. The cave is somewhere in there.”

 

I stopped and immediately sunk down to mid thigh.

“You don’t know where your own cave is?”

 

The murderous hump blushed and stammered like a virgin in a hay loft.

“I…I never actually left my cave before this. The dream led me to you…but it…uh didn’t really give directions back.”

………………………………………………………………

 

Great. I was going to spend my twilight years wandering a crap swamp with a shut in ogre. Also, there was leech in my boot that had acquired at least a half share of my blood and seemed disinclined to writhe away a winner. I lay a blade across the leech, and a muddy glare over the ogre, then moved with purpose in a new direction.

 

“Uthgar hills are this way, Jackass. Don’t talk to me until we get there”

 

The ogre had the good sense to keep his trap shut and feet moving. We made the hills by sundown two days later.