At the ninth hole, Brandon was in the lead at two under, Todd moved to even, and Lollipop sat at one over. They were all par on the eighth hole, meaning Lollipop was up and he had his mulligan. He moved the hammer on his back to the left side and threw backhand. The disc went wide right and faded to the left, landing neatly near the basket.

“The holy light provides,” Lollipop said.

“Yeah, yeah, ain’t no body caring. I got this, never mess this hole up.” Brandon said.

Brandon stepped onto the concrete platform, but Lollipop stepped in front.

“Might as well throw my mulligan.” Lollipop set his second throw on the same arc as the first, but this time, they heard it strike the metal pole. “The light is good indeed.”

Brandon shoved him, but only managed to knock himself into the dirt.

“Big fella, watch this!” Brandon launched his disc, and it went down the middle and hooked hard left. It landed in the water hazard next to a crab resting in the sand. “There goes my lead, I’ll have to play well on the back nine to keep old blondie from winning.”

Todd stepped onto the box and stabbed one of the spikes on his club through his disc. With a smile, Todd threw his club and struck a passing stitched abomination walking near the basket.

“Todd hit silly Aiden with club. Todd no like undead.” Todd said.

Brandon led the way toward the beach and eyed the crab resting near his disc.

“Shouldn’t be too bad, I mean, are you hungry, Todd?” Brandon stepped onto the sand. “Might taste alright to you.”

The crab moved scuttling backward and on top of Brandon’s disc. It turned and revealed a knife in its pincer. It glared at Brandon as though it wanted to fight. Each step he took toward the disc was met with an equal movement from the crab.

“Hey, Todd, maybe help me out with this little fella?” Brandon asked.

“Nope, Todd friend with crab,” Todd said.

Lollipop sat down and grinned at Brandon. “Don’t even ask, that little guy looks serious.”

“What a big help you guys are, maybe next time I’m going to find a new group to play with.” Brandon took a grim-covered dagger from his bag. The jagged blade sported cracks and dried blood, with a bit of zombie mucus on the hilt. “If you want something done, use a dagger.”

The crab moved the knife to its other pincer and jabbed at Brandon.

“Wow, let’s not be hasty. I’m not even ready.” Brandon leaped at the crab and missed, but took the tip of the crab’s blade to his backside. “Ouch, why is that thing so sharp?”

Brandon folded over and rubbed his buttcheek. “And another thing, who gives a crab a knife?”

A disheveled man stepped out of the woods and collected the crab. “Sorry about that, we get a bit drunk off whiskey, and I pass out, the crab likes to find a fight.”

“And who the hell are you?” Brandon asked.

The man plopped down on a rock and opened a bottle of whiskey. “Barrett, and this is my crab named Peter, we’ve been buddies for a long time.”

The crab stared at Brandon and motioned toward him with the tip of his knife.

“Well, maybe get that unsightly thing off the course,” Brandon said.

Lollipop stepped forward, “I think he is rather nice, anyone that stabs this silly goblin is okay in my book.”

“Be good, friends. Peter and I are off to find a bar.” Barrett stuck the bottle to his lips and plopped into the water hazard. He floated off, chugging the whiskey as he kicked toward the tavern on the other side of the lake.

Brandon rolled his eyes and tossed his disc; it landed near the basket and rolled behind a tree.

Lollipop stood near the basket and said a prayer over Aiden’s remains. Stitched together by a foul creature in a place where hope is afraid to tread. Aiden once stood against a tyrant and saw the liberation of kingdoms. Of late, he is a stitched abomination that wanders the land looking for purpose.

Brandon kicked the corpse, and Aiden hopped up, with Todd’s spiked club stuck to the side of his head.

“Mmmm,” Aiden rolled his milky eyes and staggered toward a few elves preparing tacos at the concession stand. “Tacos.”

“That poor soul, whatever could have drained him of life?” Lollipop said.

Brandon ignored the question and lobbed his disc into the basket. He saved par, and both Lollipop and Todd birdied the hole.

They looked over the tenth hole. It would be an easy par for the group, but eleven and the dunes across the left side of the hole were enough to cause Brandon’s stomach to turn.

“Todd needs bathroom,” Todd said.

Brandon pointed to the hut near the ball fields. He organized the discs in his bag and listened to the screams as Todd tore a hole in the wall on his way to the bathroom. Brandon ignored the commotion and finished his task.

When Brandon looked up, Lollipop sat writing messages to a friend from his years of training.

“Hey, holiness, why don’t you see if that friend of yours will join us and we can play teams?” Brandon asked.

Lollipop smiled and tucked the letter into the lining of his chest piece. “Not sure my friend likes it. Anyway, I thought you were tired of playing alongside me?”

“You know I’m joking, wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t plot your death and make a few attempts on your life.” Brandon licked his palm and ran it across the top of his head. “Anyway, Mrs. Goblin said I couldn’t be a part of any more killings this year. Tough sell, but I’ve got to keep the wife happy.”

Todd returned from the bathroom, he wiped his face with an unusually hairy gnome before tossing the poor creature into the water hazard.

Brandon shied away from the sight of a kracken making an easy meal of the gnome.

“Alright, fellas, let’s go to the next hole,” Brandon said.