Grant and Shara take off and bolt in what I think is the direction of town. Yea thanks guys, really good job you're doing of taking care of me here. I decide that my best course of action is to follow them and run off as fast as I can in the same direction they ran. Just one itty bitty teeny tiny problem, I've lost sight of them. I can hear the little shits screaming and yammering behind me, they are right on my ass. I don’t even spare a second to turn around, I just keep running. Then an arrow flies past my head with a whoosh, and embeds itself in a tree in front of me, well shit. I throw myself to the right, just in time to dodge two more arrows that flew through where my torso would have been. I tumble for a moment then manage to right myself and continue running just in time to evade a jab from one of the little buggers who had caught up to me.
As I keep running, weaving through the trees to try and keep the archers from getting a clean shot at me. My attempts seem to be working as arrows fly by and hit the trees next to me. Then I hear shouting up ahead, not the goblin ugly yammering and screaming, no this is people shouting. I burst through the trees into a clearing, only to find Shara and Grant surrounded by ten goblins. They look like they’re having a tough time keeping the goblins away, they're standing back to back and Shara has dropped her bow in favor of a small knife she pulled out. The goblins accosting Shara and Grant are too focused on their prey they don’t notice me running up behind them. As I run past the goblins I smash one in the back of the head, sending it tumbling to the floor. Its friends try to counter attack me, but I'm too quick running over to Shara and Grant. Now the three of us are standing in a triangle surrounded by about thirty goblins since the ones chasing me managed to catch up.
“So, any ideas?” I ask.
“I knew I should have told Alex to fuck off! This was a stupid Idea, now look where dragging her around got us!” Shara screams.
“Calm down Shara, it's not her fault. Nina, do you have any spells or skills that might help?” Grant asks.
“Um, I think I have a few buff spells, a skill that might get Shara to stop freaking out, oh and a shield spell that’s still level one.” I say.
“I am not freaking out!” Shara screams at me.
“Yes you are. Nina use the skill and calm her down.” Grant says.
Alright, how do I do this again? It should be just thinking about using the skill, so that's what I do. Immediately I feel something being projected from myself. The goblins all notice it to and take a step back. Shara immediately calms down some, going from near total panic to just being agitated. It ate two hundred of my mana, worth it to shut Shara’s panicked prattling up.
Mana: 2490/2958
“Does that help?” I ask.
“Yea, a lot. Cowardly little buggers are having second thoughts now that we have some confidence.” Grant says.
“You said you have a shield spell, why haven’t you used that yet!?” Shara yells at me.
“Calm down, I'm working on it.” I say.
I focus on the spell for shield, only to find I need to select a target. Well of course I do, be stupid if I didn’t. I first cast the spell on myself. I feel something crawling over my skin and clothes, like I’ve been enveloped by water, except for it offers no resistance and moves with me. As quickly as the feeling appears it seems to settle into nothingness, and a translucent barrier appears then disappears over my body with a chink sound. I noticed two things, first that it cost five hundred freaking mana to put that up. Second, that I have now have an additional section in my status page.
Mana: 1990/2958
******************************************************************************
Effects: Shield(50): 14:56
******************************************************************************
OK, so I have a status effect section. Where the hell has that been all this time? I’ll deal with it later. Next I try to cast shield on Grant and get blocked, he’s not in range. What do you mean he isn't in range, he’s literally right next to me. I wonder if I have to be touching him, it’s implying a range issue not a can’t target others issue. I reach over and put my hand on Grant, then cast the spell again. This time it takes with the same effect as before occurring on Grant as I pull my hand away.
“How’s that?” I ask.
“That might help a bit, so why didn’t you mention this before?” Grant asks
“No one ever asked.” I say.
“Hey, where is my shield!?” Shara yells at me.
Jesus what a needy primadonna, not like we’re about to be stabbed to death by a fuckton of goblins or anything.
“Hold on Shara. Here, now quit bitching.” I say as I cast a shield on her too.
“I’m not bitching.” Shara says.
“Yea, you kind of are. Nina, anything else up your sleeve?” Grant asks.
“Just the buffs, but everything I have is still level one.” I say.
The goblins seem to have recovered from their earlier shock and start to slowly creep their way towards us. But they still seem very hesitant to charge at us, Grant was right, they are cowardly.
“Hey Grant, you said Goblins are cowards right? How much so?” I ask.
“Uhhhh, hard to put into words. If you kill one or two the rest usually run away. The problem is with this many we will get killed ourselves before we can kill any.” Grant says.
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Great, nothing like getting shanked to death and god knows what else by these ugly little fucks in the middle of nowhere forest. Just the thought of being done in by these things, makes my blood boil. It’s not the dying that pisses me off, I should be scared out of my wits right now but again I’m fairly calm. No it’s dieing to these ugly fucks in particular that I can’t stand. The longer I stand here watching their smug ugly faces and listening to their cheering and jeering, the more pissed off I get. I finally decide to fuck it all and deal with the little shits myself.
I pick one that has stepped just a little closer than his friends, effectively over extending himself. I break away from Shara and Grant, much to their chagrin, and lunge for the little shit who got just a little too close. The goblins look gleeful for a split second, probably thinking I was going to try and run. Then I got close and grabbed the little shit by the neck, a turn of events they clearly were not expecting. It screamed and thrashed within my grip while its friends tried to get some hits in on me. With a twing and a twang the remaining two goblins closest to me try to stab me with their crappy stone shivs, only to find their weapons repelled. Then an arrow flew in from the back, hitting my shield with a thunk before falling harmlessly to the ground. I pull back to Shara and Grant with my new, thrashing prize in hand.
Effects: Shield(3): 14:39
It looks like my shield did its job and took a lot of damage in the process. Grant is looking at me like I’m crazy while the goblins look a mix of disturbed and fearful. I hold my prize up, keeping enough pressure on the neck of the thrashing goblin to keep it panicked. Once I’m sure all the goblins have their eyes on me I raise my mace and bring it down on the head of my captive. The first strike only seemed to daze the creature. Subsequent swings to the same spot started to slowly cave in its skull until every swing after the sixth was sending a splatter of blood all over myself and the remains of my victim. Finally the kill notification comes in after about ten hits.
Defeated: Goblin (Level 17 hunter)
+115 EXP
*Ding* You have leveled up!
I drop my dead prey, then after its body has crumpled to the floor, I step on its neck and keep pressing down until I hear a crunch. All the while I’m giving all the other goblins the most evil, tooth filled grin I can as I look between them. The goblins seem to have lost their previous mojo and are now slowly backpedaling away from our group, at least on my side. I look over my shoulder to see Grant has picked up on the tactic, and is currently in the process of singling out a goblin. He uses some kind of skill to taunt a single goblin into attacking him. When the goblin breaks away and charges at him, Grant steps forward and kicks the little bugger to the ground. Then he reaches down and picks it up, holding it aloft he jams his broadsword into its front and twists. All the while the goblin thrashes about and tries in vain to stab him, only for the sounds of his weapon bouncing off the shield spell to echo through the forest. With a final twist the goblin seizes in place then goes limp, and Grant almost casually lets it slide off his sword and onto the ground with a wet thunk.
The rest of the goblins are now practically pissing their pants, having seen two of their comrades brutally slaughtered in front of them without the enemy so much as taking a scratch.
“Alright, we got them scared now what?” Shara asks.
“We pick a side and charge together, hopefully we only need to kill one or two more before they run.” Grant says.
“Sounds like fun!” I say enthusiastically.
“Alright, just follow me. We only fight them until they start to run, then we book it out of here ourselves. On my mark. Now.” Grant says.
And with that Grant charges the now morale broken line of goblins. Initially they freeze for a moment as if unsure what to do, then one turns and runs away with the rest quickly following suit. Me and Shara follow behind him, but I'm not satisfied with only running. So I instead opt to chase down a goblin and start bashing its skull in.
Defeated: Goblin (Level 15 hunter)
+105 EXP
*Ding* You have leveled up!
*Ding* You have leveled up!
Oh yea, I’m enjoying this. I quickly jump on another nearby goblin who had stopped to try and help his friend, a mistake he would pay for with his life. The little bugger tries to run but can’t get speed quick enough to escape me. Once I get close enough I kick its knees, sending it tumbling to the ground. Once I’m on top of it I start to club it, except this time I’m not aiming for the head. No, I just smack wherever I can while the goblin screams and writhes underneath me, only stopping once I get the kill notification.
Defeated: Goblin (Level 14 hunter)
+100 EXP
*Ding* You have leveled up!
“Nina, what are you doing! Come on, we gotta go!” Grant yells from ahead of me.
“Wait, Grant, look. They are in total panic. Now is our chance! We can pick them off and get so much money. Besides, I don't think Nina is going to stop soon.” Shara says.
She is right on that, I’m already chasing down another goblin. Most of these fuckers are so panicked they are running over and pushing each other, making them easy to catch up to and easier pickings once I set myself upon them.
Defeated: Goblin (Level 14 hunter)
+100 EXP
And another one bites the dust. Grant and Shara seem to have finally joined in the fun as an arrow flies into the back of a goblin running away on my left. It stumbles from the hit and trips over a tree root, falling to the ground. Instantly I jump on it and start brutally clubbing it to death.
Defeated: Goblin (Level 18 hunter)
+120 EXP
Ding* You have leveled up!
Oh I am really enjoying this. I’m not normally a violent person, but this, the thrill of battle, of their blood spilling. I’m enjoying all of it, for some reason it makes me so happy. I see one more goblin who hasn’t made his escape and is trying to hide behind a tree from Shara and Grant. I run up to the bugger, he doesn’t realize I’m after him until I’m right on him and by then it’s too late. I body slam the ugly little fuck against the tree. Then grab him by the head and start slamming it into the tree repeatedly face first. Maybe this way it will look some semblance of decent before it dies, not like it can get any uglier.
Defeated: Goblin (Level 21 Tracker)
+135 EXP
I look around but don’t see or hear anymore goblins, little bastards ran off before I could finish them off. I take my latest kill and drag it to the clearing where I find Shara and Grant on high alert for any remaining goblins, but otherwise resting. Grant is leaning against his sword panting a little bit, while Shara is sprawled out on the ground with her eyes closed.
“Don’t tell me she’s dead.” I say while pointing to Shara.
“No, still alive, somehow…. Nina, what the fuck was that!?" Shara asks, sounding annoyed.
“Uhhhh I killed some goblins.” I say.
“I don’t think she means the goblins Nina, but on that note you seemed to be having fun.” Grant says.
“Yea well, they deserved it for trying to kill us. So I enjoyed getting rid of the ugly buggers.” I reply.
“Fair enough.” Grant says.
“Hey, answer my question! What the hell was that spell you used on us?” Shara asked.
“Uh, a shield spell. I don’t get what you're trying to ask Shara.” I say annoyed.
“I thought you meant a windshield or watershield, what element was that shield?” Shara asks.
“Um, light I’m pretty sure. It came out of my light magic spell list.” I say.
Shara just stares at me, long enough for me to start getting creeped out. Finally Grant breaks the awkwardness when he stands up and puts his sword on his back.
“I’m sure she has her reasons for not saying anything Shara so just drop it. Help me get the ears off these goblins. Nina, can you go collect all the corpses and bring them here so we can strip the ears, thanks.” Grant says.
And with that I set off to collect the corpses strewn about the clearing and a little ways into the woods, all the while wondering what the hell Shara’s problem is.