Joe grabbed another box next to the now empty space and prepared to pull it out, but the woman here was exhausted and asleep and Joe simply slipped a foot under her head before yanking her box out. The jostling movement woke her, but to be honest, Joe’s only thought was to get inside and protect everyone. But as he began to pull her out, a goblin came through the hole left behind, screeching in rage. Joe growled and slammed a foot into it, crushing it badly under his foot, but not killing it. Its howl of pain seemed to agitate the room and Joe didn’t have time to wait much longer. He kicked the brutalized goblin back into the inner room and ripped the box out, sliding it into the wall before dropping to his knees with his spear in hand.
The double wide slot made it barely enough for Joe to be able to scramble through, and he began doing exactly that, keeping his spear in front of him and thrusting out at any goblin that came too close. Most of the other goblins didn’t seem to notice the removal of the two boxes, but the screech of the goblin Joe had killed roused the others. Several of the larger turned towards him and immediately charged. They had no weapons, so Joe remained crouched in the narrow confines of the slots as he had no way to make it into the central room in time.
Two of the three goblins came and Joe swiped at the feet of one. It proved dexterous enough to leap backwards and Joe let it go, content in seeing it flee. The other kept charging him and Joe quickly yanked the spear back until he had the base of the spearhead in his grip and almost just let the goblin impale itself. Joe did end up thrusting hard, making sure to guide the spear through the belly and off center so as not to strike the spine. Two more… need the spear!
His thrust put the spear head fully out through the goblin’s back and he looked over to see the third goblin that had waited charging at him hard from the side. Joe pretended to ignore it but kept his focus on it in his peripheral vision. His eyes stayed on the first goblin he’d swiped at. It was still not a true threat as the leap back had caused it to land badly, its foot landing on refuse in the room which caused it to stumble.
Joe kept his ruse until the third goblin had committed and he immediately yanked his spear over, lifting it enough to pull the goblin off its feet and allow him to move it quickly. The weight of the goblin was still significant despite its small size and Joe had to slip his hand forward almost to the gut of the goblin to lift the spear and swipe it over into the path of the third goblin.
The goblin reached out to slice his arms with its claws, and it did so for a moment but when Joe lifted the spear, the goblin screeched in pain and alarm as its entire body weight fell on the spear and it began to spin to the side, its upper body and off center thrust enough to cause it to start spinning upside down. It immediately stopped trying to harm Joe’s arm and instead clamped onto the spear with both hands to hold itself in place.
Joe ignored it all. The initial scratches of the goblin had already disappeared; the work of his HP returning him to health. With his arm closer, it was enough for him to lift the spear easily, and he held the weight up with his forward hand and used the rearmost hand to direct the spear into the path of the charging goblin. Joe quickly dropped the goblin and spear back to the floor, thumping it down on its own head and the howling paused, interrupted by the shock. Joe let go of the spear with his front hand and grabbed one of its arms harshly before slamming his spear forward while holding the impaled goblin in place.
This thrust proved less effective, the spear still impaling the second goblin, but quite off center. Joe grimaced but took what good he could and shoved the goblin he’d been holding onto backwards. Should still be deadly… if they’re like the goblins in the dungeon.
With both goblins shoved back to the end of his spear, he violently swung it in the opposite direction. The newest impaled goblin had the unfortunate opportunity to have the spear ripped out of its side, disemboweled by the spear piercing into it. The first goblin, while not disemboweled, did not have much of a better experience. The spear tore into it, ripping open the wound further before slamming into the spine. The spine wrapped itself around the spear as the spear flew to the other side where Joe instantaneously stopped the spear. The rapid stop allowed the goblin to straighten but also ripped its wound open even more when its entire momentum was arrested by the spear in its gut.
The violent movement sprayed goblin blood across the room and immediately brought caution to the last goblin, already standing. Several of the other goblins had, by now, joined this one, the last of the big ones. Scattered around the room, were obviously younger goblins and, piled in the corner in a nest like construction, dozens and dozens of mewling yellowish pups, squabbling, biting, and screeching at one another. Joe frowned, a mixture of disgust, concern, and worry coiling in his gut. He turned his eyes back to the obviously aggressive adults.
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He made it into the inner room and swung his spear as he stood. The swing was enough to slide the impaled goblin from his spear and it tumbled to the side, still alive, but rapidly losing life and blood. He stayed and stared, unmoving, now trapped between the violence of rape and the extermination. His uncertainty proved moot as all of the adult goblins screeched in unison, a wild manic cry. All the goblins charged at him recklessly with no concern, and even the pups seemed to jerk at hearing this. Joe felt no hesitancy to defend himself and immediately began swiping his spear at the charging goblins.
He found himself a bit hampered as dozens of legs from the girls lining the walls stuck out into the room, propped up by a bar that held them in place. The goblins proved small enough to run under the legs with a bit of crouching, but Joe found himself pushed to the center of the room by the legs. He couldn’t swing easily with the innocent girls’ legs around, but Joe found himself lost, his mind and conscious fading to nothing as he only heard, saw, and felt.
Left. His spear stabbed forward, controlled, and took a goblin in the leg. He frowned but said nothing, immediately ripping the spear back to him while making sure to cruelly twist it for maximum damage before swiping it to the right hard, the blade of his spear slamming into another goblin firmly, just at the bicep. He pulled the spear back...
Behind, right! His right calf spasmed when he felt the swipe of claws. Joe glanced back, lifted his right foot, and slammed it down hard on the goblin’s foot. He then looked back to his front, bringing his spear in line for the next strike while also kicking up his right foot violently straight up. He felt his heel crunch, hitting something hard and vital. Whatever it was proved enough as he felt the goblin fall away from him.
Joe soon found himself lost in the fight, the creatures rabidly throwing themselves at him without concern at all. His strikes rose and fell, reaping lives, and soon he found himself not alone, another at his side, their sword strikes rising and falling with as lethal efficiency as his. The second was joined by a third, then more, and soon the room proved positively crowded before becoming empty of threat in the way of almost all battles, immediately, rapidly, and surprisingly abrupt.
Joe stepped back and began gasping slightly. The run, then forcing his party locate skill to work harder then he thought possible, followed by the fight, left him a bit tired, but it was the sudden relief that ultimately left him jittery and fighting to remain standing, his adrenaline draining from him. It’s done. Where’s Kilniara!
Joe ignored all else and quickly ducked down to crawl back out and back to where Kilniara stood. Around him, the violence of combat had died out and a strange silence filled the room in contrast to the wailing of the women and girls who had been rescued. Joe didn’t notice, and simply pushed through the crowd to get to Kilniara’s side in the small alcove room separating the outer room and the monster room. Joe found profound gratefulness in what Gwenvair had done, sighing with relief.
Kilniara remained in Gwenvair’s arms, tears running down her face while she held her head down, covering her face with her hands. Gwenvair made sure of her decency by holding the cloak closed around Kilniara. Joe saw Kilniara’s tears and immediately wrapped her in his arms.
“Shh. Shh… it’s ok now. You’re safe. We got you.”
Kilniara only sobbed harder and Joe sighed, frowning. Whoever did this… they’re… Joe growled softly in anger and Kilniara flinched from him and Joe immediately withdrew his anger.
“Kilniara. Don’t worry. It’s all good. You’re safe now. It’s ok.”
Joe spoke softly to her while holding her tightly to himself with one hand and delicately caressing her face with another. As he did so, he suddenly noticed the soldiers still crowding the room and Joe frowned. Right… gotta get some women in here to help. They’re not going to want anyone seeing them like this.
“Right! All men out. Now! Get any women in here and help dress and save these women,” Joe cried out while waving all of them back out of the room while he held Kilniara in his arms and pulled her out into the other room.
Gwenvair came up beside, laying a hand on his arm, “Joe. These women… this is a breeder…”
Joe nodded and cut her off, “Yeah. I can see that, but we can give the women comfort of other women. Get the men out. I’m sure they don’t want to be seen naked by men. Here… take my cloaks and use them to help cover the women.”
Joe began pulling out the cloaks from his bag, handing them to one of the woman guards there. She took them, but seemed to stare at him in confusion. Joe didn’t notice and continued pulling out cloaks. He looked up to see everyone still standing around and Joe finally noticed the unusual mood of despair and disgust. He glanced at Gwenvair and saw her looking on with pity. Joe glanced around at everyone.
“Look. I’m obviously missing something, but the least we can do is offer dignity to the women in there. Men, out! Leave your cloaks to cover the women. Any women, go help them get out of their cages.”
Joe glanced at Gwenvair and she stared at him with piteous reluctance before nodding and waving a hand, “Listen to the eccentric.”
Everyone immediately began moving and men filed out of the monster den room and the next room where Joe remained with Kilniara, left alone for Kilniara. Women guards and Seekers began streaming into the room and Gwenvair came to stand beside Joe and Kilniara. Kilniara remained pressed against him while Gwenvair came to his side. Zilnek and Garnedell hovered off to the side in uncertainty and Joe looked over at them, taking pity on them.