Chase wasn’t really sure about what just happened. Jumping in front of the water like that was nothing but sheer idiocy, as far as he was concerned. He was lucky to be alive right now, let alone feeling as good as he was. Chase felt GREAT, which was weird, considering he had just been knocked through a wall and into what appeared to be berry reserves. There was mild bruising on his side, but it wasn’t hurting much. He felt like he could run up a mountain without breaking a sweat. Maybe it was just the adrenaline running through him, but this felt different somehow, there’s no way that his body would come out of that unscathed. It appeared as if his other brothers were quickly developing strange new skills as they arrived, so maybe this was his. It was triggered by what exactly? Berries? That fit in line with what triggered Bryce’s and Aden’s powers, but it was hard to be sure.

Chase assessed the situation around him. He was currently dealing with a water user, while Joshua was facing off against the fire user and seemed to be doing fine on his own. He’d have to ask him about it after, why his body was fine when his hair and clothes were burnt. Chase still doubted Joshua’s ability to take on two magic users at once. After all, they were trained military, and despite their size and strength advantage, they were still just kids, or at least he was. The best thing to do right now would be to draw his opponent away from Joshua. The goblins seemed to have no hesitation about taking a kid on one-on-one, so if Chase could just delay for long enough, they might have a shot assuming they could start teaming up on the goblins. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few more magic in powers at their disposal though. Chase still had his sword from Aden, but Devin still hadn’t manifested any abilities. Chase still wasn’t sure what his ability was yet. Chase bolted for the edge of the square, and sure enough, the water goblin followed. Chase moved much faster than he anticipated, his feet bolting over the broken earth with surprising ease. The goblin threw another wave of water at him, strong enough to partially topple a building in-between them. Chase dodged, using his now expected superhuman speed to aid him. However, the goblin didn’t let up, and quickly followed the wave with another wave, carrying the goblin with it this time. As Chase tried to run, the goblin let out another burst of water, this one much smaller and more focused, and hit Chase mid-stride. The rate Chase was moving this was no small feat. Chase was blasted back, performing a reverse somersault, and eventually stopping by hitting a building. Chase knew that he should’ve broken bones, but he felt fine.

The skill difference between the two was huge. Chase had never really been in a fight before, and this goblin was clearly a skilled mage. Chase’s only hope of success came from the abilities that he seemed to have just gotten. It seemed as if he had super speed and invulnerability. No, it didn’t feel quite like invulnerability. He still felt the hits, it’s just that his body was strong enough to take it.

“The names Ebs.” The goblin said.

“We’re not monsters. In most ways, we’re just like you. Humans tend to think of us as monsters just because we look different. They lock us up, enslave us. You have no idea what conflict you’re getting into.”

Chase thought about how much he didn’t care and would settle at the moment for just getting away with his life. The goblins here seemed pretty determined not to let any of them go. Each one of the brothers had been chased. Maybe he could use that to find an environment that would give him an advantage. Chase was used to forests growing up, and there was a patch of trees off to the edge of the village. They weren’t huge trees, more suited to the marshy-like environment they had found themselves in. The village was slightly elevated, and one of the dryer spots around. That didn’t seem to bode well for fighting a water mage. An open field covered in water was probably the worst possible environment, slowing him down, but not the mage. Chase didn’t want to stay in the village either, where one of the other goblins could come and assist, really putting a damper on Chase’s chances of coming out of this alive and free. Chase darted for the trees, and sure enough, the water mage followed him. A wall of water emerged in front of Chase, double his height, and several feet thick. The goblin clearly wanted him to stay close to his backup. Chase leaped over the wall, which still amazed him. What he wouldn’t give to do this in a football game. Chase imagined jumping over a defensive back to catch a pass. That sounded much more fun than running for his life from a murderous, magical goblin far away from home. Chase landed on two feet, grateful that his body could withstand the impact of the landing. The jump seemed to take a little bit out of him though. Whatever was giving him this enhanced physical ability was not infinite. Chase’s best guess was that it was tied to the berries somehow. Chase would have to win this fight before he ran out of energy, or it would not go well for him. Chase drew closer to the trees at the edge of the village. A water ball exploded next to him, narrowly missing. Chase leaped over the final hut and landed in the wrangled branches of a tree. Chase had no time to stop, as the goblin was quick behind him. Chase bounded to another tree, hoping to get lost in the foliage. A few leaps later, Chase’s strategy seemed to have worked, and the goblin behind him stopped and looked for him. The goblin couldn’t move as fast as he could without riding on a wave of water, which the trees here impeded. The goblin stood, water coming to his mid-shin. Chase realized that with his current strength, he could end this fight in a single blow if he could get close enough. Chase tried to circle around behind the goblin, moving as quietly as he could through the undergrowth. Chase got close enough th hear the goblin again.

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“If you have any decency, you should just give up. Bartok will use your lives for a noble purpose. You can bring the world to its rightful order and correct all the injustices that have been thrown upon our race by the humans. This is a noble cause that you would be serving.” Chase dropped down from his tree as quietly as he could and inched close enough to the goblin to be able to make a final leap. Confident that the goblin didn’t notice him, Chase lunged. At the last possible second, the goblin dodged, raising his staff and slamming a massive wall of water into Chase. Chase flew backwards, flying through the air until colliding with a tree. This one hurt a lot more that the others, his energy must be wearing off. The goblin smiled. “All will serve Bartok in one way or another. There is no resistance. You never had a chance of escape.”

Chase was desperate, he was almost out of magic, his sides ached and he had no current plan for dealing with the water mage in front of him. In an attempt that he would’ve considered ludicrous just minutes ago, Chase, attempted to wrench the tree that he ahd hit from the ground. He felt the roots begin to groan under the strain. The goblin summoned a ball of water to encircle Chase, but desperate, Chase punched through, and with his dwindling strength wrenched the smaller tree from the ground, picked up at his side, and threw it towards the goblin. The branches of the tree scraped the ground, but the tree was moving fast enough, that it didn’t significantly alter its course. The goblin summoned a wall of water to protect him, but the tree burst through anyway, and the goblin was unable to move entirely out of the way in time, getting clipped in the head, by some of the branches and fell back, unconscious.

Chase hunched over, panting. His entire body ached like it rarely had before. It was like he had just finished the most intense workout of his life. Now that his energy was up, he was starting to feel some of the effects that his superhuman feats had had on him. In short, he was exhausted. The walk back over to the village did not all appealing. “I hate this world.” Chase said.