Another three days after his near-death encounter with the toad, Kaiden finally reached the border of the Human Empire. To his mild surprise, the crossing was marked only by a watchtower, a guardhouse, and a toll booth on the Human side – far less formidable than he had envisioned. He had half-expected a grand wall or similar fortification, but perhaps heavily fortifying a border against allies during wartime with a common enemy, was considered unnecessary and a waste of resources.
On the Elven side, the setup was even more minimalistic, featuring merely a tent on the ground to serve as shelter for guards checking identifications and collecting tolls from those crossing into Elven territory. A quick glance into the trees, however, revealed a few of their iconic tree-top buildings, almost blending into the natural surroundings.
As Kaiden approached, he observed the Empire’s soldiers more closely. They were clad in predominantly white armour accented with splashes of red, complimented by bronze open-faced helmets with cheek guards along with a small strengthening ridge on the top. Each soldier was armed with a simple spear and round shield. It wasn’t until he drew closer that he realized that their white armour was not metallic but seemed to be crafted from a hardened fabric, possibly linen.
Out of curiosity, he analysed the guard.
Analyse
Class: Guard
Level: 32
Interesting that there appeared to be a specific class for guards. Unfortunately, his analysis skill was low-ranked and didn’t provide any more information.
“Papers.” The guard requested in a monotone voice, clearly bored.
Kaiden retrieved his citizenship papers from his pack and handed them to the guard, who scanned them with a perfunctory glance before handing them back with a nonchalant wave.
“That’ll be two copper,” the guard declared, his hand outstretched for the payment.
“Cheaper than I expected,” Kaiden remarked as he fumbled through his coin purse, the soft jingle of coins echoing slightly in the quiet morning air. He pulled out two copper coins, their dull sheen catching the light, and placed them into the guard's waiting palm.
“It’s the standard rate for solo travellers without goods. Would be more if you were a merchant,” the guard explained, pocketing the coins with a nod that signalled Kaiden could pass.
As he crossed the border, Kaiden couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast between the lush, dense forest he had left behind and the expansive rolling hills that lay ahead. The landscape opened up, offering a view of grassy fields that stretched under a wide, open sky, along with a fresh breeze carrying the fresh scent of earth and grass. It was a refreshing change from the cloistered, damp greens of the Elven Forest.
Judging from his map, Tibesa was about three weeks from the border. As Kaiden continued his travels, he noticed a decrease in fellow travellers. Instead, he came across goblins – nasty, green-skinned humanoids with beady yellow eyes, and crooked, sharp teeth. Initially, these goblins were merely a nuisance – small weak groups that were easily dispatched. Only clad in tattered rags, that hung loosely on their wiry frames, they wielded crudely fashioned weapons. Being quite short they barely reached Kaiden’s chest and lacked the reach and strength to pose any significant threat on their own. A common class they seemed to possess was the Grunt class, something he hadn’t seen in other races, and he wondered if it was perhaps the goblins race-specific class.
However, as his journey progressed, the frequency and size of these goblin packs increased. They swarmed him with a primitive, chaotic strategy that, despite their individual weakness, allowed them to land blows through sheer numbers. Then relentless assaults were becoming more than just bothersome – they were turning into a genuine hazard, forcing Kaiden to stay vigilant and ready at all times.
Three days shy of Tibesa, a rising column of smoke ahead caught Kaiden’s attention. Approaching cautiously, he discovered the smouldering remains of a caravan. It had been thoroughly pillaged and set ablaze. Bodies, both goblin and human, were strewn about haphazardly, stripped of any valuable equipment. The scene indicated a fierce struggle; it must have taken a substantial goblin force to overwhelm them – a force larger than Kaiden could handle alone.
Trying to gather more information, Kaiden attempted to use his Analyse skill on the bodies, but frustratingly, nothing came up. Either it didn’t work on the deceased, or his skill was too low-ranked to work.
With heightened vigilance, Kaiden pressed onward. That evening, opting against a campfire to avoid drawing attention, he settled in for a restless night, the gruesome scene he had stumbled upon earlier haunting his thoughts. Alone, he was acutely aware of the vulnerability of his situation. Despite his exhaustion, something roused him in the dead of night, he lay still, listening. The subtle rustling of leaves and a sudden snap of a twig nearby signalled an approaching threat. Springing from his makeshift bed, Kaiden found himself encircled by roughly ten goblins, their beady yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight. How had they known he was here, had they tracked him by scent? Caught off guard by his sudden movement, the goblins screeched in surprise. Seizing the moment, Kaiden drew his sword and shield and charged towards the goblin closest to him. He quickly Analysed it.
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Analyse
Class: Grunt
Level: 17
Relieved to find his opponent lower-levelled, Kaiden continued his charge, ramming his shield into the goblin's face. The creature crumpled under the force, falling back to the ground. Without pausing, Kaiden stepped over the stunned goblin, twisting his sword in a downward thrust through its heart. A weak, gurgling screech escaped the goblin as it clawed at the blade impaling its chest, its eyes flickering with fading life. Pushing forward to break free of their encirclement, Kaiden yanked his sword free, eyes scanning for his next target. One down, nine to go. He spotted another goblin lunging towards him with a rusted dagger raised. With practised precision, he angled his shield to intercept the attack, blocking the clumsy strike. The impact resonated through the shield, sending a dull thud into the night air. Simultaneously, Kaiden’s sword arced through the darkness, its edge reflecting in the moonlight before finding its mark. The blade sliced through the goblin’s stomach with lethal precision, and the creature let out a pained shriek as it stumbled backward, clutching at its entrails that fell to the floor.
Suddenly, Kaiden felt a sharp jolt as a goblin leapt onto his back, furiously stabbing him with a small dagger. Fortunately, due to Kaiden’s high vitality, the dagger barely penetrated his skin. Wincing from the pain, Kaiden thrust his sword over his shoulder, impaling the goblin through the face. The creature’s weight vanished from his back as it slid to the ground lifeless.
His leg nearly gave way when another goblin struck him in the thigh with a club. Simultaneously, two more goblins lunged at him. With a swift movement, Kaiden manoeuvred his shield between himself and the attackers, deflecting their blows. He then counter-attacked the goblin with the club, slicing through its arm. He activated his Dragon Talons skill on impact, siphoning the creature’s life force to heal the wounds on his back.
As the two goblins lunged once more, Kaiden pressed forward, thwarting the efforts of the others attempting to surround him. He drove his sword through one of the attackers, causing it to stagger backward, while its companion shrieked in rage. A sudden, sharp pain in his back made him glance over his shoulder just in time to see a goblin slinger preparing to launch another stone. While he was distracted, the closest goblin launched at his shield, desperately clinging to it, nearly toppling him. Kaiden knew a fall would be fatal. Summoning all his strength, he swung the shield, slamming the clinging goblin into its ally. A flash of pain crossed his vision as a stone stuck his head, momentarily blinding him, the remaining goblins saw their chance and converged on him. Their weapons flailing wildly. In that vulnerable instant, he failed to see a goblin thrusting with a sharpened stick, which pierced his stomach, sending a wave of agony through his body. The suddenness and severity of the attack forced a gasp of pain from his lips, as he teetered dangerously close to collapse.
Anger and adrenaline surged through him and with a guttural roar, Kaiden smashed the hilt of his sword upon the head of the creature that had stabbed him, knocking it to the ground. Without hesitation, he stomped down hard, the grim crunch of the goblin skull under his boot echoing in the night. Five down, five more to go, among them, one wailed pitifully, clutching the bloody stump where its arm had been. Kaiden’s chest heaved with heavy breaths as he scanned the remaining foes.
Kaiden barely managed to block, as another stone hurtled towards him, the stone hitting his shield with a dull thud. Three goblins surged forward, forcing him to focus on his defence. One goblin managed to stab his leg, as he parried the attacks from the other two with his sword and shield. Grunting in pain, he swiftly retaliated against the goblin on the right, slashing it from shoulder to hip, while activating his Dragon Talons skill. With a forceful kick, he dislodged the goblin at his leg and lunged at the one dazed by his shield, driving his sword through its chest. As the goblin slumped, his sword became lodged in its dying body, forcing him to release his sword to intercept another attack from the previously kicked goblin. Stones continued to pelt him, stinging his body, but he shrugged off the pain, focusing only on ensuring none struck his head.
Kaiden grappled with the frenzied goblin, seizing it by the scuff as it jabbed wildly at him. A sharp pain flared in his arm, from one of its strikes, causing him to release his grip. The goblin landed on its feet, snarling up at him with feral intensity. Reacting swiftly, Kaiden punched it in the face, followed by a brutal hit with the edge of his shield. He continued to hammer the goblin, each blow landing with a sickening crunch until the creature crumpled to the ground, its face a bloodied mess.
Kaiden watched the remaining goblin – the slinger – stare at him with wide, fearful eyes before it turned and fled with a shrill yelp. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaiden walked over to retrieve his sword, still wedged in the corpse of one of the goblins. Planting his foot for leverage, he pulled it free with grim determination.
He then approached the last goblin, still wailing in pain over its severed arm. Without hesitation, Kaiden ended its misery, tapping into its life force to mend some of his wounds. Methodically, he made sure each goblin was indeed lifeless, extracting whatever life force he could with his Dragon Talons, to speed his recovery.
Despite his efforts, the scant life force he’d absorbed from the goblins was not enough to fully heal his injuries. Each step was a grimace of pain, and his progress was slower due to his wounds. The road to Tibesa seemed longer and more daunting as he continued, ignoring his body’s cry for rest.
As he crested another hill, his breath caught in his throat. Below, a massive hoard of goblins swarmed the countryside, their chaotic movements highlighted by the flicker of countless torches. The relentless tide of creatures spilled over the plains, their numbers dwarfing all the groups he’d faced before combined. Despite his wounds, Kaiden knew he couldn’t just turn back or hide, he wouldn’t survive another three weeks travelling back the way he came, and while hiding out here he could be ambushed again, somehow, they found him tonight. No, rest and reinforcement at the town was his only option.
Clenching his teeth against the pain, he steadied his breathing and weighed his options. He needed to ward the town – if it wasn’t too late. His eyes scanned the landscape for any possible route that might allow him to circumvent the hoard and reach Tibesa more quickly
Suddenly he remembered the river that wound towards town. If he could reach the valley, he might remain hidden from the goblins. As a lone traveller, he would move faster than the hoard. The urgency of the situation fuelled a surge of adrenaline that spurred him forward despite his aching body. Kaiden adjusts his path towards the river, hoping he might still be able to make a difference.