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“Keep you head up and eyes open, Goblin! For the last time, it’s not that deep. Your dad didn’t fuss this much when I taught him how to swim. Now I got you, now start moving your legs like a showed you.” Earl instructed standing waist deep in his half filled above ground pool.
Goblin floated up to his neck in the pool with Earl’s arms underneath him, Nugget sat on the deck next to it in one of Odin’s old puppy life vests, trembling slightly. It took him a minute but soon he started paddling with Earl moving him around the pool’s edge and soon let go and watched Goblin make his way around.
-Speshew fwend am swimmies!- Shouted Nugget excitedly.
That’s when Goblin noticed Earl had let go and faltered for a moment but was soon back to swimming in a large circle around him. Now anyone who owns a husky knows they like snow, not water, but Odin’s shepherd side LOVED it and blew past Nugget and dove onto the pool splashing everyone.
“Damn it Odin! Who let you out the house?”
“Sorry, my bad.” Jake answered stepping out the back door. “Been trying to call but you weren’t picking up so I came to check on ya. Why is there a fluffy on the pool deck? Your not drowning a whole herd in the pool again are you?” He laughed walking to the pools edge. “The fuck?..”
in the pool Jake watched Odin and Goblin swim around and splash each other from paddling.
“That’s gotta be the biggest fluffy I’ve ever seen. Why does he look familiar?”
“I’ll explain later, now what are you callin about?”
“You wanted to know when we got another big job and the folks down at Glennville park want us to clear it out again before winter.”
“Awesome! I’ll get dressed. Alright boys out of the pool we’re going to work!”
-Gobwin go hunt wiff Boss?- Looking up curiously at Earl.
“Today’s your final test to see if you can cut it out there. You pass and you and Nugget can have a litter of foals.”
Both fluffies eyes lit up at the news and Goblin was now scrambling to get out jumping up on the deck while Earl tried to fish Odin out who stubbornly still wanted to swim. Goblin shook himself dry and started getting impatient and psychically dragged the dog through the water to the pool dock.
-Odin go to wowk now. Gobwin wan give aww da owwies.- He sternly glared at the dog.
Jake gave Goblin a weary gaze out of the corner of his eye, told Earl he talk to him at the park and left. Once Earl was changed he loaded up his van and took off to Glennville park with Odin and Goblin in tow. When they arrived Goblin slid open the side door and hopped out sporting a new camera/radio collar and some gripped hoof covers made to aid climbing and Odin looming over him ready for action. Odin carried himself like an experienced tracker while Goblin curiously sniffed at anything and everything having never left Earl’s property, the world was still vast and new to him.
“Odin, keep an eye on him.” Earl ordered stepping out the driver side.
Attaching his phone to the underside of his metal forearm the screen changed into a HUD remote system then he reached his left arm into his bag and pulled out a softball sized ball drone. The drone came to life and synced itself to the arm that held it the shot off into the air taking position high over Odin and Goblin’s heads.
“Alright boys this is how its going to work, the park is full of ferals but we can’t kill them all right away. First we need to catch and sort them, some may be lost pets that need to be saved and sent home.”
-Aawwwwwwwww…- He pouted looking down.
“Relax Goblin, you’ll have your fun. I need to see if you can follow orders out here because it can mean the difference between life and death. But I promise you’ll get your chance to cut loose. Alright, there’s a small herd just around the corner on the drone cam I want you two to herd them into the live trap by the swing sets. Now go!”
The two took off running following the drone overhead, Odin took a commanding lead with Goblin trailing just six feet behind him but still kept up. As they rounded a large bush just a few yards ahead a small herd of what looked like twenty fluffies were trying to make a communal nest of old dried leaves and garbage. Odin’s barks alerted the herd and the resident smarty and his tuffies bravely, foolishly, stood their ground in front of the herd.
“Odin! right and hold! Goblin! Kill the smarty and be quick about it!” Earl’s voice crackled over their radios.
Odin did as commanded, darting off to the right he stood just a few feet from the nest snarling at the mares and the tuffies next to him quickly starting to loose their resolve.
-M… Munstahs weve! D-d-dis am smawty’s wand!- Stammered a yellow and green maned earthy.
Goblin’s horn lit up and the smarty went flying forward, skidding to a halt on his belly in front of him, looking down at the smarty he raised a single hoof. TWACK! CRUNCH! SPLAT! The nervous yammering herd fell silent.
“Rush 'em.”
Goblin flourished his wing high over his head making himself look even bigger he charged the herd mimicking Odin’s barking and they promptly turned tail and ran. Now the pair chased them, running in parallel on each side nipping and swatting any stragglers or ones trying to split from the group back in line. Following Earl’s directions the two herded the ferals through the park and to the gates of the camo mesh pen live trap. The herd couldn’t get in fast enough thinking it a big bush they could hide in, some made it through the gate the rest smashed into the loose netted fence begging to be let in. The two stood on each side barking, nipping and shoving the herd through the gate the last few had to be pulled from the mesh and shoved through and the gate locked shut.
“Very good boys, that went pretty smoothly.” Earl said walking up to the trap.
As he walked he used a plastic claw headed pooper scooper to collect the many dropped foals that now littered the ground and deposited them in a wagon drone that always stayed within arms reach. they then collected the rest of the foals so was the dead smarty and soon Earl sent them off again to their next target.
Down by the tire tunnels, half buried tractor tires with boards bolted around them made a small pathway around the jungle gym and was now full of fluffies. They had stuffed old leaves and trash into the plank gaps trying to insulate the new nest and beds to protect them from the ice cold pea-gravel floor and wind, a rare success for a feral fluffy herd. The pair had chased a blue earthy in one end who had a large apple in his mouth and Earl had Goblin go in first. He had to squat down ever so slightly to keep his horn from hitting the tires rim and when his horn lit up to let him see in the dark. The small herd inside looked up at him in horror, his size alone was incredibly intimidating as the smell of scaredy poopies and pee-pee’s filled the air. Goblin cracked a little smirk as the air rippled around his horn then pulsed sending the collection of ferals flying through the back tire into the next segment with the others. Earl had taught him how to use fear to his advantage, either by words or actions, even let him watch scary movies to give him ideas on how to do it and a few nightmares of his own. Trash was blowing everywhere from the force of his psychic shove obscuring the herd’s view of him save for the odd glimpse of his horn’s glow. He suddenly burst through the tire barking and snarling at the herd, their collective shrieks were deafening as they ran through the last segment behind them and out the other end where Odin was waiting. And the chase was on again, Odin and Goblin trotted along both sides of the herd who ran with everything their little fear filled hearts had. They were easily steered towards the live trap and then headed back at Earl’s call to collect the foals left behind in the tunnels. That took Goblin and Odin a little while longer having to sniff and sort through all that trash in there but they couldn’t leave dead bodies for kids to find.
Taking a break to drink from the pet bottle Earl had brought along they paused and watched the remote tank drone roll by in the distance. It was pulling a small wagon of steaming hot canned fluffy sketties with a ravenously hungry herd of fluffies following it to the trap near the ball court. On the return trip it paused and turned its camera towards them for a moment then kept on rolling.
“That better not blow up in your face like last time.” Jr’s voice called out from the drone.
“Keep it up an I’ll revoke your drone privileges.” He called back.
-What funny toy mean, Boss?-
“Talking about your dad. Tried doing with him what I’m doing with you now.”
-Den daddeh went bad, wight?-
“Yep. Alight breaks over back to work.”
Before they could get started again his phone rang, it was Jake and he wanted to talk in person, without Goblin around. He sighed, told the two to stay put and left the ball drone hovering overhead, telling them he’d be watching then walked off. Odin sat obediently guarding the wagon full of foals but Goblin, still young and curious was sniffing around for anything he hadn’t seen before. Then he found himself in front of the giant wooden play castle with plank and chain bridges that lead to slides and the tops of the monkey bars and even a look out tower with a fire pole. He’d only ever seen something like this on TV, it’s height alone was enough to make him want to climb it. Then jump off. He was technically still by Odin and the wagon… One little jump couldn’t hurt, could it? He hurried up some steps and over one of the bridges jumping up onto the railing he jumped again flapping his wings hard to the lower rooftop segment. His rubber boot covers actually did help him climb and balance on the sheet steel roof, jumping again to the next level up he nearly didn’t make it but managed to land three of four hooves. The third jump got him to the largest over the slides but he couldn’t reach the watchtower but the view he had was still amazing then he spotted them, a small herd looking for a good nesting spot. He squatted down low and watched them from behind the rooftop, the smarty was easy to spot, a big purple earthy with red mane. He was yelling and giving sorry hoofies to a small brown and yellow maned alicorn mare, for some reason this made Goblin’s blood boil, maybe cause she looked kinda like Nugget.
“Goblin, what the hell are you doing?!” Earl shouted over the radio.
Giving out a startled “Eek!” Goblin ducked down behind the roof peak then looked up spotting the drone overhead.
-Gobwin find mowe fewaws.-
“I see that. Why are you on the jungle gym roof?”
-Wanna twy something.- Peeking over the rooftop edge again. -Can Gobwin have smarty again?-
“(Sigh) Sure fine I’ll humor you. What do you wanna try?”
Goblin stood back up looking down, they hadn’t noticed him yet, the smarty was still smacking around the mare and he felt his blood boil again.
-Cwiminaws awe a cowawdwy an supewstitious wot.- Raising his wings in a confrontational pose.
“What?.. (Ugh). Maybe the batman cartoons were a bad idea.”
With the sun to his back Goblin stood up to his full height then sent a small clump of pea-gravel flying at the smarty getting his attention. He looked left then right confused at to who could have thrown it the herd was to his back and the gravel hit him in the face.
-Up hewe dummehs.-
The entire herd looked up and saw a black silhouette of a giant fluffy with massive wings and a long glowing horn. Leaping from the rooftop Goblin spread out his wings he sailed over the herd so far he turned sharply mid air and dove for the smarty. Their eyes were locked on him in shock and awe and halfway down he swung his back legs forward kicking the smarty right in the face. the sickening crunch of the smarty’s face caving in was matched by the loud crack of the back of his head hitting the ground. Not a soul moved, not a soul spoke a word, they just looked at Goblin, too afraid to do anything but watch him slowly turn around to face them all.
-Boo.-
They all screamed, turned tail and fled for their lives but they were running in the wrong direction Goblin needed so he sent the dead smarty’s body flying. It cut them off landing with a heavy thud and the herd darted right and the body launched again flying along one side of the herd with Goblin on the other keeping the herd tight. It didn’t take him long to chase the entire herd to the live trap on the other side of the jungle gym with the little brown mare bringing up the rear. As the last few ferals crammed themselves through the gate the smarty’s body dropped and the little mare started to float just before she could run through the gate.
-SCREEEEEE! Pwease nu give owwies to fwuffy! Am good! hu hu huuuu! Nu wan foweva sweepies!- Pleaded the comparative tiny alicorn.
-Gobwin nu hewt ou, maybe Gobwin hewp… Boss?-
“What are you up to Goblin?” The drone flying lower to get a good view. “Why isn’t that feral in the trap?”
-Ca… Can Gobwin keep mawe? Fewaws am meanies to mawe. Maybe have fwend fow Nugget when Gobwin out huntin?-
“… You know what? I actually have something in the works and I could use her. Good catch. Bring her to me, I’m over by the van.”
Odin had been following the path Goblin had chased the herd with the wagon following him as he gathered the dropped foals in his mouth and dropped them in the wagon. Goblin walked on by with the sobbing mare floating next to him and Odin paused to watch the spectacle before Earl had to tell him to keep going. He carried her all the way back to the van were Earl seemed to be having a heated talk with his cousin.
"Look I’m just saying we have enough troubles with genetic freaks trying to kill you and you go and make one? I saw with he did with Odin in the pool, he’s a hundred pound dog and he dragged his ass through the pool like he was nothing. What are you gonna do when he turns on ya like the last one? " Jake tried to keep his voice down.
“Hold on now we’re talking water weight there, in the pool he’s closer to forty pounds and I’m using a totally different approach he’s not gonna end up like Cock Goblin. In fact here he comes now, he’s worked out far better than the last one, he’s even found me a new candidate for the expansion.”
“Expansion?! What fuckin-(Taking a deep breath). We’ll talk more about this later, let’s just get the catch sorted and processed for now.” Walking off.
-Why mistah Jake mad, Boss?-
“He’s just worried for no reason is all. Family can mean the best intentions but still be a pain in the ass sometimes. C’mon, let me show you something.” Putting the mare in a carrier and shutting her in the van.
Following Earl just as Odin caught up with the wagon full of foals they made it to the portable grinder/freezer trailer. Before each fluffy was dropped in they were checked for a collar or a microchip and if they didn’t in they went. Goblin watched as each fluffy was dropped into the chute onto the small conveyor behind a glass barrier as each was set on fire to burn off the fluff then dropped into the grinder. The resulting paste was extruded into a plastic bag lined box and stored in the freezer side of the trailer, the lucky chipped and collared ones were packed up and sent home.
“You wanna drop a few in, Goblin?” Earl asked.
He happily nodded and levitated a green unicorn stallion from the holding pen and stuffed him down the chute as he begged for his life. He helped sort the entire batch using his powers so much he got a headache but on the drive home he had the demented smile of someone who just had the greatest adrenaline rush of his life. The new mare was introduced to Nugget who was delighted to have some company while Goblin was out working. After a cursory exam the mare seemed healthy enough, somewhat malnourished but almost full grown, she claimed to be a nummy finder but was always sure to feed herself first. Good common sense and self preservation instincts, no loyalty to former herd but knew survival depended on one, she’d do nicely. After taking a blood sample and given a vitamin shot she was put in the corral where Goblin was making a stuffed toy dance around for Nugget like a little foal. Next was he first dose of Earl’s custom growth cocktail, she didn’t like it at all but the sugar cube made it better. After a minute of consideration Earl named her Lemon he left them to get to know one another after changing out the food trough with fresh birth-control free kibble.
-Boss? Am home safe now?- Asked Goblin just as Earl closed the gate.
“For now, but the hunt never truly ends. There will always be another hunt, another monster. There are very few good fluffies out there, you found one today. You did good today, keep it up. now go play.”
Returning to his workshop he got on his phone, ignoring the multiple missed calls and texts from Jake.
“Yeah this is Earl Coleson. I need those three units activated and I’ll pay the extra fee for advanced aging… No, these are working hunters, the sooner they can get to work the better. No the currant one isn’t dead that’s why you haven’t got the signal from the chip. Yes I know how to activate the manual update feature in the chip…Thanks.”