IMPETITUS, TEMPLAR OF THE BLUE FLAME

Impetitus Caseo the Third, Templar of the Blue Flame, was not in a good mood. The tall human with long blonde hair scowled at the goblins fleeing before him. The few that remained to fight them were pitiful. There was no honor or glory in fighting such miscreants. Zaverick the Ravager had no such qualms. The massive bear of a man swung his axe and cleaved through the goblin defenders as a farmer would to a field of wheat.

“Cirdan, where have you led us?” Impetitus said in a voice that was used to being obeyed.

The elf was dressed in green armor, and the metal scales were in the shape of leaves. Cirdan was thin and slender and came just to Impetitus’s chest when fully standing.

“I have followed the tracks as you ordered, sir,” she said in a quiet voice.

“To this wretched goblin village?”

“I can not track where the Chalice went. I can just follow who came and went from the temple. Ask the mage if these pathetic creatures have it,” the elf scowled.

Impetitus nodded and turned his head to his left toward Viridal the Mystic. The mage glared daggers at the elf and then looked slowly toward Impetitus.

“As I have said numerous times before. I can not detect the Chalice. But if I were to guess. I would say that the particularly large and official-looking creature over there may have answers to our queries,” the mage responded and motioned toward the Goblin Chieftain standing before a hut larger than the rest.

“AHA!” Zaverick roared when he saw the more challenging-looking goblin chieftain. The Ravager charged ahead of the group roaring the entire way.

There was another scream as Zaverick fell to his knees. His giant hands grasped his head as an evil glowing purple fog hovered around it.

“There appears to be a Shaman in this village,” Viridal observed. A goblin carrying a staff with a skull at the top was waving his hands toward Zaverick. The staff was glowing purple and caused the Ravager to scream in pain.

“Do you think this board is like a welcome sign?” Brutus asked from behind the group.

If it was possible for a scowl to be magnified, Impetitus just achieved it. He was surrounded by idiots, he thought to himself. Stupid Zaverick had charged recklessly ahead of them and was taken out. Now Brutus, wearing the red tabard that marked him a supposed legionnaire in the Imperial army, is site-seeing in the middle of a pitched battle!

“Brutus, can you please come and aid us?” The Templar asked through gritted teeth.

“Oh, right away, sir,” Brutus replied and hefted his halberd and prepared to charge ahead.

Thinking of the Shaman and Brutus’s dull mind being susceptible to mind attacks, Impetitus had second thoughts.

“Hold Brutus. Stay and guard the mage and the elf,” he said. The legionnaire stopped and saluted.

The Templar of The Blue Flame drew his longsword with his gauntleted hand and made to advance forward when suddenly he had to duck as an arrow flew by.

“Cirdan, if it is not too much trouble,” Impetitus growled.

The elf raised her longbow and fired three shots in rapid succession. Each arrow struck its mark with deadly precision. Brutus moved in front of the mage and elf, holding his halberd with a look of complete focus. Zaverick continued to scream in mental agony. The goblin chieftain was advancing on the Ravager.

“Viridal, can you do something about that?” Impetitus asked as he made his way to engage in combat.

“Yes, of course,” The mage said and looked to have snapped out of daydreaming.

With a twirl of his fingers and a mumbled incantation, the glowing purple fog dissipated from Zaverick’s head. The Ravager rose to fight the chieftain. The shaman shot a purple glowing spell at Viridal, and the mage countered it lazily. The magic dissipated into mist around the mage.

VIRIDAL THE MYSTIC

“This is beneath us,” the mage said, stifling a yawn.

Cirdan let out a yelp before falling flat on her face. Two arrows sticking out of her back. The elf’s body disappeared, leaving her armor and gear behind. Viridal turned and saw behind him another goblin with braided hair and blue eyes. They were loading their bow.

Oh no, you don’t! The mage thought and took a deep breath. Completing in fast succession a series of intricate hand gestures, Viridal exhaled while extending the two fingers of his right hand out toward the goblin archer. A bolt of lightning lashed out, followed by a thunderclap. The archer looked to have dived out of the way, but Viridal could not have been certain if his spell hit or not because of the explosion and dust that it kicked up, obstructing all vision.

Brutus moved closer to the mage. His eyes were alert, and his halberd held out at the ready. Bursting from the ground was a sharp-edged wall of ice. The legionnaire yelped as he was knocked to the ground. The wall separated him from the mage he was supposed to guard.

“Hmm, appears to be another spellcaster on the field,” Viridal observed before letting out a gasp as a sharp, piercing pain stung him from his side.

The mage looked down and saw that he was bleeding as a small pale-eyed goblin stabbed him repeatedly. Brutus swung his halberd with all his might and shattered the ice wall, but he was too late. The mage cursed at losing all his loot and gold and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

IMPETITUS, TEMPLAR OF THE BLUE FLAME

Impetitus advanced steadily on the shaman. The goblin spellcaster shot the bright purple spells at the Templar but to little effect. His will was like an iron door. Unbreakable. A wall of ice sprang up in between him and the shaman. With annoyance, Impetitus raised his hand and called upon his god. Called upon the Lord of the Blue Flame. The ice melted away. Rushing through the ice was a larger goblin warrior wielding a round shield and a battle axe. Just wonderful, Impetitus thought to himself as he knocked away the goblin’s axe and sidestepped the follow-up shield bash.

ZAVERICK THE RAVAGER

Near the Templar and the Goblin warrior, Zaverick roared and swung his axe at the goblin chieftain. The large goblin stepped out of the way and returned an attack of their own with their own two-handed axe. But the Ravager was powerfully fast and knocked the goblin’s attack aside. The human was taller, had more reach, and soon caught the chieftain with a bone-crushing blow. The goblin leader was knocked several feet back and landed soundly on the ground.

BRUTUS THE LEGIONNAIRE

Brutus was shocked to see a small pale-eyed goblin with an evil grin standing over the fallen remains of Viridal the Mystic. The legionnaire lunged to impale the goblin but missed as it quickly dodged out of the way. Brutus cursed and charged again, swinging his halberd in powerful strokes. On one attack, he overcommitted himself, and the goblin ducked and deflected his halberd further away with their sword. The goblin rushed in fast, and Brutus released one grip to catch it by the throat.

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“Now you die,” the legionnaire growled as he squeezed it’s neck with his metal-gloved hand.

Brutus had forgotten the spellcaster. A flaming dart struck him soundly in the middle of his back. It burned through his armor and seared his flesh. The legionnaire let out a yelp of pain and dropped the pale-eyed goblin. In a blink of an eye, the little devil slashed his throat. Brutus’s halberd and metal armor fell to the floor as his body disappeared.

IMPETITUS, TEMPLAR OF THE BLUE FLAME

This is a surprisingly worthy opponent, Impetitus thought to himself as he battled the smaller shield and axe-fighting goblin. The warrior was fast and used his shield well, deflecting Impetitus’s attacks and countering them immediately. The Templar, an excellent swordsman in his own right, was beginning to sweat a little as he deflected an attack and rotated his own wrists to deliver a counterattack. It was caught on the shield and moved to the side and was immediately followed by a hacking attack with the axe. The Templar disengaged and held his sword in two hands before him. In a surprise move, the goblin threw his axe at Impetitus. The templar swatted the axe aside as the warrior punched at him with their shield. Impetitus was struck soundly in the chest, and he stumbled back as the goblin slashed at his legs with a curved sword. The blade struck heavily on his metal greaves, nearly knocking him off balance. The Templar delivered a kick, hitting the shield and pushing the goblin back. An arrow thudded painfully into his side. That made Impetitus angry.

ZAVERICK THE RAVAGER

Zaverick was in a blood rage. He roared and went to finish off the chieftain when the shaman struck him with dark purple magic. The Ravager howled in pain as the spell wracked his mind, but he shook it off this time and whirled to face the spellcaster. Bloodthirsty, Zaverick charged. Their attack was stalled as a smaller diminutive goblin stabbed him in the side with their sword. That was nothing, a pinprick. Zaverick swung their axe to smash the little creature, but they were gone. A blast of fire struck him in the face. Burning hot. The Ravager roared, and the fire subsided, leaving burns, but Zaverick’s rage would not be quenched. Another slashing attack struck him, this time in the back of his knee. The Ravager fell to the ground as two more fire bolts struck him.

IMPETITUS, TEMPLAR OF THE BLUE FLAME

Impetitus yanked the arrow out of his side. He gave a prayer to his god, and his wounds healed. As a Templar of the Blue Flame, he was granted gifts. He touched his gauntleted hand to his chest, and a shimmering field surrounded him. This stopped the next incoming arrows. He raised his head just in time as the goblin warrior rushed in with a sword attack. The Templar barely dodged out of the way and received a glancing blow across his forehead. Impetitus countered with a chopping attack. When his sword connected with the goblin’s shield, Impetitus had anticipated the goblin’s defensive move and in response, the Templar raised his arms high and forced a thrust toward the goblin’s chest. His attack pushed past the shield and caught the goblin with a glancing blow on its chest, and they stumbled backward.

The Templar pressed the offense. Twisting his wrists and moving in perfect harmony with his hips, Impetitus was able to lash out his blade at different angles. The goblin warrior was good and defended against the attacks.

The goblin warrior deflected an attack with his shield and pivoted to slash with his sword. The Templar switched to a single grip of their blade and caught the goblin’s sword in a gauntleted hand. Using his size advantage, Impetitus yanked the goblin to one side and completed a one-handed thrust of his sword, catching his opponent in the shoulder. The goblin screeched in pain. Impetitus gripped his own blade in two hands. He was ready to deliver the killing blow when an arrow struck him soundly on his shoulder pauldron. This threw the Templar off balance and gave the goblin warrior the moment to scramble away.

The archer was persistent with their barrage of arrows and found a way around his holy barrier. Impetitus looked up for the first time and saw that he was alone. He saw the remains of his comrades. They were useless anyway! He snarled to himself. Blood from the cut to his forehead dripped into his eyes, obstructing his vision. As he blinked it away, the Templar’s sharp ears caught the slightest sound of movement behind him and reacted just in time as a demonic-looking goblin attempted to slash the back of his neck. The Templar deflected the attack as the small pale-eyed goblin collided with him. The creature was stabbing rapidly with a dagger in its other hand. The attacks thudded uselessly against his armor. The Templar slammed the foul creature on their back. It kicked up with such ferocity that the Templar needed to pin it with his heavy boot. Gripping his sword in two hands, he was about to impale the creature. The goblin warrior slammed into him with their shield knocking Impetitus off the pale-eyed goblin. The Templar spun with the tackle and flipped the goblin warrior off him. The warrior landed like a cat on their feet and circled away.

Impetitus’s holy barrier lit up as a barrage of flame darts splashed against it. The archer was also shooting at him, and some attacks slipped past, smacking painfully against his armor. The Templar raised his armored forearm to protect his face as he stumbled against the assault. The pale-eyed goblin crept up behind him and stabbed him in between his armored plates with her sword. He gritted his teeth in pain and swung his own blade, but the demonic-looking goblin flipped out of range. He saw the shield warrior rush in. As he deflected their attack, the other goblin would sneak in to attack him again. Cowardly tactics! He growled to himself.

The Templar was furious, but he refused to be defeated by goblins. Goblins! Of all creatures. True, he was impressed with their skill level. Never before had he faced goblins such as these. He knew goblins to be cowardly, but they were often crude and unskilled. These were different. He saw the archer and the mage about 10 meters away from him attack his holy barrier. He knew that the archer would run out of arrows and the mage would run out of mental energy for their spells. His barrier should hold, and what attacks got through, his armor could handle. He needed to worry about the two melee combatants. They worked well in tandem. One would stay back, the other would attack, and when he was distracted, the other would engage him. When they moved in to attack him in that pattern, the Templar spun his sword so that his blade faced the ground.

“Enough!!!” Impetitus roared and channeled his holy energy into his blade. It began to shine with a bluish light.

The templar thrust the sword into the ground, which caused the earth around him to rumble and shake. A shockwave of pure blue fiery energy shot outwards from him, knocking all his attackers to the ground in a twenty-meter radius around him. The energy seared and burned all it touched. The goblins were writhing in pain, and Impetitus was breathing heavily. Much of his power expended. The Templar rose slowly to his feet and limped to enter the chieftain’s hut. The godforsaken Chalice better be here, he thought darkly to himself. Or all would have been for naught.

The chieftain’s hut was much larger than the other huts. It was circular and about 15 meters in diameter. A single wooden pole held up the center of the hut, and the floor was covered with various animal skins. It was dimly lit and surprisingly clean, the Templar thought as he strode inside. In the back behind the pole was a heavy wooden chest. On the floor in the center were the groaning bodies of the chieftain and the shaman. Impetitus wondered who had injured them.

Moving to look behind the center pole, he saw a hooded figure in a dark cloak. The stranger just completed picking the lock to the heavy chest. The figure spun to face him while quickly drawing a long thin blade in their right hand. The double-edged sword was 28 centimeters in length with a small golden crossguard. Impetitus saw that she was holding a large golden Chalice studded with jewels in her left hand. He recognized her immediately.

“Verene!” The templar gasped.

The cloaked figure removed her hood to reveal lush black hair that fell just above her shoulders. Her face was smooth and angular, with narrow almond-shaped eyes. Black pupilless eyes. She gave a slight bow to Impetitus.

“Hand it over,” he growled at her.

“Why?” She asked, blinking her eyes.

“I was here first,” the Templar answered, standing straight with his hands on his hips.

“If that was true, why am I holding the Chalice?” She asked innocently.

This caused Impetitus to become flustered. “How did you know to come here?” He demanded.

“I followed you,” she answered.

“There! By rights, it is mine.”

She winked at him, and then with a mumbled incantation, she raised her sword and touched her forehead with her fingers. Verene vanished. More accurately, she blended in with the shadows around her. Impetitus slouched with frustration. He held up his palm and made a command. There was a flare of blue light, and the shadows melted away from Verene as she attempted to sneak past him. Fast, despite his injuries, the Templar grabbed the wrist holding the Chalice. Verene slashed with her sword, which he parried easily.

“You’ve used your Nova ability. You are weak. You do not want to fight me,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

“I’ve been ordered by the Church to bring back the Chalice. I will not fail in my duty,” Impetitus snarled and yanked the Chalice out of her hands. It fell to the floor.

Verene attacked again with her sword, and in the following moments, the two were fighting furiously. They were very skilled and were so focused on each other that they failed to notice the wounded shaman crawl out of the hut with the Golden Chalice clutched to their bleeding chest.