Monster Hunter: Chew Toy by Moose42

[moose42]

***Disclaimer the Monster Hunter series is the intellectual property of Larry Corriea and Baen books.***

So I was thinking about short stories that could be put into an MHI anthology when I remembered a colorful character I created way back in Monster Hunter: Millers Blood. Has it really been a year since I first posted MH:MB?

Anyway here's the first installment of Chew Toy's story. Enjoy.


----------------------------------------------------


It was getting harder and harder to remember what home was like. In the early days it was easy for me to see the faces of my family and friends. They were all but gone now; all I held onto were faded memories. Warm and happy feelings from when I wasn’t a vampires slave.

“Chew Toy!” The monster yelled. My real name was just a shadow in the back of my mind.

I ran toward Her inner chamber, if I was too slow she would hurt me. I came into the room; decorated with spoils, gold coins, antique furniture, and lava lamps. Scarlet Mara lay on her velvet couch in her red silk dress. Some victims said she was beautiful before she killed them. I knew better, she was a horrible monster. Beneath the perfect pale skin, lay a hideous murderer.

“Yes warship.” I said cowering at her feet.

“Chew Toy, I am… unhappy.”

I cringed, when she was mad she hurt me. I stared at the smooth rocks at my feet.

“Do you know why I am unhappy?” She asked.

“No warship, Choo Toi no under sand.”

She slid off the couch and stood in front of me. I cowered lower wishing the rocks would swallow me.

“Filthy Monster Hunters are on their way here.”

“Mon stair ‘unters?

“Yes… humans who are too stupid to keep their noses out of our world.”

“These ‘unters same ones kill master?”

She crouched down her sharp fangs bared. I hunched my skinny shoulders and waited for the pain she would inflict on me. She nipped pain shot through my long green ear and I cried out. I covered my lips with a hand trying to keep the noise from escaping. She seemed to feed on my screams almost as much as my blood.

Her tongue licked a few drops of fresh blood from the bite in my ear. Sandpaper would have felt better. She slapped me, I fell back and stared up at my owner, would she finally finish what she had started? How much of my blood had she tasted? She usually complained that it was foul maybe that’s why she kept me alive.

I covered my eyes and cried, I prayed to my ancestors to deliver me. The floor was cold against my green skin, always cold. Sometime later I risked a peek; she was sitting back on her ornate couch.

“Chew Toy, worthless little piss blood Goblin, I have a job for you.”

I stood and bowed before her again, trying to avoid her wrath. “Yes warship?”

“I need you to take this Rune to the mass grave out back.” She picked up a black fist sized rock off a table next to her. “I’d like to have a present ready for the Hunters.” She whispered a few words to it in a language I didn’t understand. She pushed the stone and it floated in the air toward me. I shrank back, it was filled with evil. Whoever made the Rune was even more evil than Scarlet Mara.

“Pick it up!”

“Yer warship… but it be evil.”

“Of course it’s evil, pathetic goblin, all necromancy is evil.” She made the Obsidian rock float closer. I didn’t want it. I didn’t want to be in the same room with it. “Take it!”

I gingerly reached out a hand, my three fingers and thumb wrapped around the rock. It felt warm to the touch, a wave of revulsion passed over me. The rock was full of trapped souls. I could feel them moaning and moving inside it. She stopped levitating the Rune and I almost dropped it.

“Now go, place it on the burial pile and cover it with dirt. Then run.”

“Run?”

“Unless you’d rather become friendly with the zombies.”

“No yer warship.” I bowed and slipped out of her chambers.

Her voice echoed after me. “Hurry, they’ll be here soon.”

I ran through the caverns holding the black rock as far away from me as possible. I could feel something rolling under the surface wanting desperately to get out. The dim light of the tunnel made it hard to see, but I rushed onward wanting to get rid of the evil artifact as soon as possible.

Strange ancient characters I hadn’t seen before began to glow a deep red. I squealed as the rock grew hot. I dropped the rock, it rolled and bounced down into a crevice. My mistress would slow roast me over a fire if I lost her artifact. I scrambled down, the rocks grabbed at me tearing shallow gashes through my green skin.

The obsidian soul stone lay wedged in-between two rocks just out of reach. I pulled off my dirty Hello Kitty backpack and unzipped it. Inside I pulled out a little aluminum flashlight stolen from one of her victims.

Somehow I managed to wedge the light beneath the stone and pop it out. It burned my hands again, but this time I stuffed it inside my pack and slipped it on. I could feel its sick warmth at my back. I put the light in my mouth and twisted it on. I climbed up a rock face until I could see the slightest sliver of sunlight up above.

Mara’s caverns were a honey comb of tunnels; it was easy to get lost inside. There were places I hadn’t been even though I’d been here a long time. I chased the sunlight until it became blinding. I stood waiting for my eyes to adjust. The evil rock burned and I dropped my backpack.

I stared out at the desert longing for freedom but where would I go? The desert might kill me, and I couldn’t ask for help from the tourists that came to visit Carlsbad Caverns. Who were these Hunters? Would they try and kill me too? I’m no monster, just a little goblin slave, I wouldn’t hurt anyone.

I picked up the formerly pink and white backpack and held it at arm’s length. I strode out into the daylight squinting as I ran. Nothing was out here yet. In the distance I heard some people talking. I double timed it to the burial mound. This was one of the places where my mistress disposed of the dried up bodies of the victims she killed.

Wild animals didn’t come anywhere near here; they didn’t dare dig up the bodies that had Her taint in them. I found the top of the mound and dug a shallow hole. I unzipped my bag and dropped the evil artifact in. Shoving the dirt back in the hole I tamped it down.

A multitude of evil voices began whispering in unison, “Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum mundus vincendarum.”

I scooped up my bag and dashed for the caverns hoping to escape the zombies that would soon arise. I tripped and rolled halfway down the burial mound, something in my leg popped. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. The humans were getting closer. I could hear them talking and climbing over the rough terrain.

If they saw me I knew they would dash my brains out on the rocks. I had to get inside the cave. My leg didn’t want to work. I crawled up toward the cavern, pain shooting through my leg every time it bumped into a rock. I looked back at the burial mound, the voices were almost imperceptible but they repeated the same chant. “…magnarum mundus vincenfarum… interdum feror…”

I blocked out their wicked noises and scrambled to the mouth of the cave. Safely cloaked in darkness I caught a glimpse of the hunters. They were wearing strange heavy clothes, nothing like the dead tourists, and carried large boom sticks.

I limped as fast as I could into the cave until I heard one of them say. “Miller snap out of it! We need you in this fight!”

I froze and became best friends with a stalagmite. I began chanting the mantra of protection my mother taught me before she died. I repeated it silently in my head as the men entered the cave. Heavy booted feet walked by. I waited for them to shoot me but they didn’t.

Their voices disappeared into the distance echoing off the cavern walls as they made their way toward the vampires nest. I waited as long as I dared and was about to crawl away when I heard others talking outside the cave.

I listened to them talk about monsters for a while. Was I a monster to them? Did they collect bounties on my kind? I lay behind the stalagmite trying to figure out how to stay alive one more day when one of them yelled.

“Zombies!”

The evil obsidian artifact had done its vile work. I shuddered, I could feel the inky black ghosts trapped inside had gotten out. They fired their boom sticks and ran into the cave. They made horribly loud noises, I covered my ears and chanted the mantra of protection “Duck and cover!”

Something fell next to me; I opened my eyes and stared at the lifeless body of a zombie with a hole in its head. I scrambled back, the hunters didn’t see me I crawled further into the cave away from the horde of undead I had unwillingly summoned.

One of the men yelled, “Fire in the hole!”

That was a bad thing; I had heard those words in movies before… before I lived in the caves. I tried to run, stumbling and scrapping my knees. I cowered behind rocks, covered my head and cried out “Duck and cover!”

The bomb made a deep thump I felt in my chest and the sunlight was snuffed out.

[moose42]

Chapter 2

A while later I could smell the smoke from the burned explosives mixed with dirt and rotting zombies. I took another sniff, the humans had survived. I was happy yet frightened; would they shoot me with their boom sticks?

One of the hunters spoke, “Is everyone ok?”

A female responded “I think so.”

An older male groaned, “Oh, my head.”

I found myself chiming in before I could stop myself, “Me okay too.”

After I had spoken I realized how stupid I had been, I covered my lips and cowered down. Maybe they hadn’t noticed, maybe they would move on.

My world exploded in a burst of bright light. I covered my eyes and squealed, “No shoots! No shoots!” I didn’t dare move even though I wanted to run.

“What the heck is that thing?” the older voice asked, as I heard him manipulate a part of his boom stick.

The female spoke next, “Well whatever it is, it doesn’t look dangerous.”

Maybe I wouldn’t get shot. “Me no dang er uss.” I said as meekly as I could.

The blinding light was lowered out of my face, so I uncovered my eyes and blinked, the owner of the younger male voice was examining me. I looked back at him, he was a tall brown haired human wearing strange dirty green clothing covered in little pouches, every inch of their skin was covered except for the faces, but even those had heavy hats perched on top. In their hands they held large scary boom sticks that looked strong enough to turn me into a puddle of goo.

“Who are you?” The younger male asked.

My head itched badly, I scratched through my thin hair, “Me name Choo Toi.”

“Chew Toy?” He asked, he didn’t sound like he believed me. I nodded and peered at his face hoping that he wouldn’t change his mind and squish me.

The female dropped her weapon letting it hang on a strap. I looked at her, she had kindness in her brown eyes. Her olive skin was darker than my Mistress’s unnatural paleness.

“Hey Chew Toy are you hungry?” She asked me nicely. I smiled and perked up my ears. My left one still hurt from where Mara had bitten me.

“Choo Toi, no eats in tree day.” I said while rubbing my stomach.

She pulled something out of a pocket and peeled back the outer covering, she tore off a chunk and handed it to me I reached out slowly so I wouldn’t scare her, humans startled easily. The strange food was sticky and brown, it smelled odd, like something I’d eaten before all this. I looked at the human female again, she didn’t seem to be the type to offer poison, so I took a bite. Manna from heaven! I had no idea food could taste so good! In moments I finished the whole thing.

The older male had been fiddling with a black box with pokey things sticking out of the top that made strange noises. He turned to look at me and said, “What is that thing?”

I tried to make myself as small as possible scrunching my head under my arms.

The nice female who gave me the food stepped in front of him, “Sarge, be nice to the poor little guy!”

She turned back my way after scolding him and bent down to my level, “It’s okay little guy, what kind of creature are you?” She held out another piece of the strange but wonderful food.

I took the food and shoved it down, after finishing I looked up at the nice girl and squeaked, “Choo Toi, is Gob Inn.”

The younger man looked at the girl, I could tell he liked her, “A goblin? Is this your home?”

No this pit of horrors was not my home… my home was long gone. Tears welled up in my eyes, “No Gob Inn, home far.” The memories were painful, “Me taken by Vamp Ear, home in Kal if Horn Eee ah.”

The girl gave me the last chunk of wonderful food. “Aww, the poor little guy was kidnapped from his home and abused by Vampires for fun. That’s horrible.”

“So Chew Toy, why didn’t you run away when we came in the cave.” The young male asked me.

I pointed at my leg, and showed them it wasn’t feeling good. “Me egg ‘urt.”

The female knelt down and held out her arms to me, “Well I guess that means I’ll have to carry you.” I figured she couldn’t be bad giving me good food and all, so I climbed up into her arms.

The Sarge man looked angry, “No, no way! As senior Hunter I say we leave it here to…” he stopped in mid sentence and I realized she was staring him down, maybe she was a sorceress?

He muttered something and moved away.

It was good to have someone giving me good food and treating me nice. I had almost forgotten what it had felt like. I climbed up her strange clothing and found a large loop on her back that I could grab onto.

“Poor little guy, he can’t weigh more than fifteen pounds.” She said to her companions.

“What you called?” I asked her.

“Oh how rude of us, My name is Katrina, but you can call me Kat. This one,” she pointed to the younger man, “is Marty, and the grumpy one over there we call Sarge. Don’t worry he’s a bit stressed.”

They began making their way into the interior of the caves, I felt sad as I realized they would all die in here. No human who ventured inside these walls ever returned. Scarlet Mara would suck them dry and dump their carcasses in the burial mound with countless others.

After a while we came to a place where the caves split into three different areas. The humans argued among each other until Kat asked me, “Hey Chewie, do you know where the Vamp Ears go?”

I did, but I didn’t want to take these nice people to their deaths. I pointed at the drop-off that lead into a lower cavern. It was the longest way to my mistress’s chambers. A tiny stream of water drizzled down the hole. “No far. Please no wet old one hurts me.”

“Old one?” Kat asked.

“She hairy mean, hurts Choo Toi.” I shivered and buried my head into her shoulder.

“We won’t let anything hurt you.” Marty said, but I knew he would be the one hurting soon.

They played with ropes and hooks and things and prepared to climb down into the darkness. The one called Marty went first, hanging from ropes; he made it halfway down when they started yelling. Moments later the shooting started and then more screaming. They had found her worship’s guardians, the undead Wights.

I steered clear of those monsters, they never hurt me because she controlled them, but they scared the pants off me. If I had any pants to lose.

The shooting stopped and I heard a voice say “Welcome brother.” It was Michael one of Scarlet Mara’s latest creations. A victim who she had picked up not that long ago. He was still a baby vampire, but Mara was a master, the stronger the creator the stronger the creation. He had been nice to me the few moments I talked to him before she turned him. He was afraid but resigned to his horrible fate. Somehow he knew he wasn’t going to make it out alive.

After she turned him, he changed; he looked down on me as something not worth wasting time on.

Marty and the vampire argued back and forth for a bit. I felt sad for the man called Marty, his brother was now a vampire and soon he’d be joining them.

Kat fired her boom stick at the vampire hitting him in the head. He fell but I knew it wouldn’t be enough to stop him. “Run Kat run!” I urged her.

The Sarge pulled on her arm and they ran. I clung to her as hard as I could over the broken rocky floor. I glanced behind us, two of the undead minions had made it out of the hole and would be upon them they couldn’t get away.

“Shoots dem!” I yelled, they turned and fired their boom sticks. I covered my ears to keep out the noise, they ran again and I fell off bouncing on my head. Thankfully I have a hard head.

“Chewie!” Kat yelled but was forced to retreat when two more wights climbed out of the hole and charged her.

Darkness closed around my vision, I must have hit my head harder than I thought.

Something in my Hello Kitty backpack was trying to push through my back. I was cold and alone. How long had I been out? I sat up and fished my light out of my pack again. I turned it on and squealed. The vampire Michael was sitting next to me.

“Oh shut up already.” He said as he adjusted his glasses. Being undead he didn’t need to wear them; it was probably a left over habit from when he was alive.

“Sorry, what ‘appen Ma Tee?”

“I took him to Mara, she’ll turn him soon enough.”

“But ‘e be you brother. Why do dat?”

He shook his head, “I cannot disobey my creator.”

“What do you now?”

He shrugged, “I’m supposed to find the other hunters, but I don’t feel like getting shot, staked and decapitated.”

“I go ‘elps Ma Tee.”

“Why? He’ll be a vamp by the time you get there, plus she’ll kill you for meddling.”

“Maybe I gos ‘n finds other ‘unters.”

The young vampire got up and started walking off, “Good luck, just hope they don’t shoot you.”
That made me pause, would the others shoot me on sight? I scanned the cave, something brown caught my eye not far away. I limped over to it and grabbed it. It was some kind of equipment bag the hunters carried. I opened it and shined my light inside. Three heavy wooden stakes lay inside. How many times had I imagined staking Mara through the heart? I put two of them into my backpack and carried the third. Today I might use that to my advantage. I cleared my mind of any thought of stakes, and kept limping toward Her chambers.

“Chew Toy where are you?” One of her thoughts came to me.

Her direct communication startled me, she normally stayed out of my head, “Near fallin’ waters, dem ‘unters try ‘n shoot me.”

“Come to me my pet.”

“Yes warship.” I thought as I grabbed a hold of one of the ropes left by the hunters.

I slid down the climbing rope they made earlier, it had a knot every couple of feet. In a few minutes I stood outside her chambers.

I had something in my hand. I didn’t dare look at it, I dropped it outside she wouldn’t like it.

“What wouldn’t I like my pet?” She asked as I entered her chambers.

I bowed before her and stared at the floor. “Uhh, you no like dem ‘unters.”

“No I don’t. Except for this one.” She said pointing across the room. In the darkness lay a lumpy shape.

Candles ignited revealing an unconscious Marty. I pushed down any emotion, “Oh I see ‘im before. Try ‘n shoot me.”

She leaned back on her couch; I was surprised she hadn’t hit me yet. I looked at his neck, it was still intact, “You gonna make ‘im Vamp Ear?”

She smiled, I’d never get used to her smile, it looked like that of a cat toying with a mouse. “Soon enough my pet, but I never kill someone while they sleep. Bad form you know.”

I nodded and stared back at my familiar spot on the floor.

“Chew Toy, I have another task for you.”

“Yes yer warship?”

“I need you to find the hunter called Harbinger.” She levitated a wicked looking beetle toward me.

“What be dat?” I asked.

“It’s an Egyptian scarab, an ancient artifact of Set.”

I let it fall into my hands as it came close, I could feel the malevolence inside it. “Warship, where gets dis ‘tuff?”

She laughed, not a friendly one though, no it was the kind of maniacal laugh that made one feel uneasy. “I’ve been collecting this ‘stuff’ for just a few centuries. Now go, attach it to him. It won’t be easy he’s not… normal.”

[moose42]

Chew Toy Chapter 3 is now available.

We get to see the climactic battle between the vampires and Hunters, from the perspective of a pitiful little creature.

Lemme know what you think.

Thanks.

[moose42]

Chew Toy Chapter 4 is now up.

If you want some more background info on the "new" character click here after you read chapter 4.

[AZMARK]

Poor Chewie,
poked, prodded, and dunked in smelly stuff. At least he got to get some Hoppe's on himself.

[Jered]

very nice.

[moose42]

Chew Toy Chapter 5 is up, so take a gnaw at it.

Chewie gets sneaky in this one.

[Aaron]

It's kinda weird seeing everything through the perspective of the little Goblin. Makes it an entirely different story. Good job!

[moose42]

Chew Toy Chapter 6 is now up.

We get to learn our little green buddies real name.

[moose42]

And now the final chapter of Chew Toy, Chapter 7

How does one end a story about a Goblin who happens to be a monster hunter? With ACTION! That's how!