Gazing out into the night sky from the comfort of Vine’s room, Lyvina contently watched and waited for the dawn. Both the largest moons were in full view tonight—Shiro and Aka, and there were even some of the smaller ones out too, the moons of the moons. She sometimes liked to think of Shiro and Aka as the mother and father of their close knit family, always together no matter how many years passed. It was a beautiful sight, the great white and red orbs in the sky, surrounded by a multitude of colours. There was Ao, the blue moon, Midori, the green moon, Ki, the yellow moon, and there was even Murasaki, the purple moon, all contributing to the breathtaking sky above. She recalled hearing once that the moons went by other names many, many years ago, and it was a summoned hero who had provided the current titles that everyone now used. It was quite the legacy to leave behind—the hero who named the moons. Even long after they returned to their world, long after everyone had forgotten their name, their actions still affected everyone today. It may have even been just an offhand comment that stuck in the minds of those who heard it and soon became official.
I wonder if I could ever do anything important like that, Lyvina pondered, entranced by the view.
Her mind was already conjuring up all the things she wanted to do after leaving the village, like exploring one of the big cities. She’d never even made it to Treda-Lake before, despite it being relatively close. That would be the first thing she’d do, for sure. See all the big crowds, and the buildings, and even ride on a boat in a place with so much water that you could actually swim. Then she could go to so many other places, like the palace in Kale or the great cathedral in Treda-Ton, she might even be able to sneak around the secret passageways she knew they must have, and she could do it all without being seen. She’d remembered when she heard about them, she looked all around the village church hoping to find a fake wall or a hidden room, but it was just a boring old building.
Oh, but I also want to see Demi-humans too, I’ve always wanted to see a person with cat ears. I wonder if they’ll look cute.
She felt so giddy that even were it possible for her to sleep, she wouldn’t be able to. She simply couldn’t stop smiling. Vine may have taken her arms, but she had given her something far more valuable in return. Tearing her gaze away from the window, she looked back towards the bed. Vine was under the covers, lying on her side, all curled up and fast asleep on a pillow she pulled from her bag. The one called Theo, however, was pretty much the opposite, spread out across the bed as much as she could.
I wonder how Vine’s going to introduce me? I hope her friends won’t think she’s crazy if she starts talking about the invisible friend she wants to travel with them… That sounds really bad, doesn’t it? Maybe we can come up with a way to prove that I’m real to them, like, erm, oh! Counting how many fingers are behind their back or, erm, hmmm… I don’t know. Maybe I should think of something before the morning. Oh, but then, how do I tell Vine about my idea? Spell it? Hmmm, but that would take forever, even if I did come up with something. Damn, this is harder than I thought. Maybe Vine has something planned already since she suggested it. I hope so.
Lyvina knelt next to Vine and gazed at her sleeping face.
She looks so peaceful and beautiful, Lyvina thought happily, so comfortable within her mere presence. Vine had done more for her in a day than anyone else had in a long, long time. She could act strange, sure; Lyvina had noticed it throughout the day. For example, just before going to sleep, she was stuck deciding whether to undress or not for minutes, just to crawl into bed fully clothed.
Maybe she’s shy about her body, Lyvina wondered, but didn’t care one bit. As far as she was concerned, it was all part of Vine’s charm.
“I’ll pay you back one day, I promise,” Lyvina whispered.
An unusual noise coming from the window caught her attention, like a scream dying in someone’s throat. She turned to look at the source and approached the window, wondering who could be making such a disturbance at this time of night. As she stuck her head through the glass and peered down, it became clear that it wasn’t just a local drunk causing a commotion, but something far worse. Scaling the exterior of the building with its bare hands and feet, was a goblin. He wasn’t alone either. All along the inn and across the village, goblins were scaling walls and climbing through people’s windows. Some of the villagers in the street, the village watch by the looks of them, were already in flight, their shouts alerting the village slowly as most struggled to awaken from their drunken slumber. In the distance, the sounds of clashing metal could be heard.
“W-What in Nith?!” Lyvina found herself screaming, Jolting backwards. She’d never seen a goblin, a race of creatures supposed to be more than a thousand miles away in the marooned mountains. For them to have travelled so far to be here should have been impossible.
What are they doing here? Why didn’t the lookouts see them sooner? Lyvina thought. It was likely the watch were being cut down at that very moment. Whatever the reason for their arrival, she had to do something before they reached the room.
“Vine!” she shouted, running over to the sleeping girl. Even now, she was fast asleep, completely unaware of the threat about to climb through the window. Lyvina frantically shook Vine with her stumps, but it was no use. “Come on, get up already!”
The window creaked open slowly and quietly as the goblin slivered in. It drew a rusty knife from a battered leather sheath, tiptoeing its way towards the occupants, clearly aiming to slit their throats in their sleep. The First was about to do it again to her, he was going to take it all away from her and leave her cold and alone in this place. Her eyes grew wide and desperate, turning between the approaching goblin and the girl who that was supposed to save her. She couldn’t let them take everything away from her again.
Never again.
“GET UP!!!”
Lyvina pulled her head back and, summoning all the strength she could muster, forcefully slammed it into Vine’s torso.
The bed shattered to pieces as a sudden force blasted Vine downwards, cracking the wooden floor beneath her, creating more than enough noise to rouse everyone in the next few rooms from their slumber. Theo became nothing more than collateral damage, screaming in immense panic and confusion as she was briefly launched into the air, before landing safely on top of Vine.
D-damn, I really am strong, aren’t I? W-well, If Vine can survive the Megabear, she should be fine—as long as she’s awake. Lyvina glanced back over to the goblin, who was standing in such befuddlement that he didn’t even try to take advantage of the situation. It made sense, she supposed; from his point of view the bed must have just abruptly and violently exploded without so much as a hint as to why, almost like magic.
“WHAT- WHAT- WHAT THE- WHAT?!” Theo panicked, clearly sobered up from the experience. “Vine!? What are you doing here!? Why did the bed just—BLOODFALLS! IS THAT A GOBLIN?!” Theo quickly pointed out the green figure casually standing in there with a knife drawn. Vine was slow to adjust to the situation, however, holding the area Lyvina had struck her, not quite up to speed.
“VINE, VINE, VINE, VINE! THERE’S A GOBLIN HERE, GET IT! PUNCH IT! KILL IT!” Theo screamed hysterically. At that moment, the goblin finally gathered its wits and charged the two with its blade, abandoning any pretence of stealth. The knife lunged for the loudest one first but missed its target as Theo was shoved to safety from atop Vine, who seized the creature’s knife arm while still seated in the wreckage of the bed.
Before Vine could even process this new turn of events, the goblin pulled out another, smaller knife—Some sort of crudely sharpened butter knife —and tried to stab at her. Vine, however, was still too fast for him and caught that arm too with her spare, immobilising him as her right and left arms crossed to hold the goblin’s right and left.
“… You’re green,” Vine remarked, finally getting to her feet.
“Vine, disarm the thing already!” Theo exclaimed, massaging the back of her head after being thrown to the floor.
“… What is it?” she asked, referencing the squirming and barking goblin in her arms.
“Please, Vine, do we have to do this every time? It’s a goblin!” Theo explained as the creature attempted to pull away from its captor by pushing its feet against her body, but to no avail; Vine’s arms not budging an inch. Observing the struggling creature, Vine thought for a moment, her attention divided between both weapons stabbing in her direction.
“… Okay.” Vine agreed, and just like she had done to Lyvina, she shattered the creature’s arms apart into tiny, meaty pieces. With nothing supporting him, the goblin collapsed to the ground, babbling frantically in its strange language, before Vine pinned him in place with her foot.
She did it! Lyvina cheered from the sidelines at the monster being thwarted. She felt a sense of pride and joy at being able to influence the world, even if her only means of doing that was through Vine. Perhaps, with her unique circumstances and Vine’s strength and power, they could accomplish so much more than they could ever do apart.
“V-Vine… What the hell was that?!” Theo asked, clearly shocked at what Vine had done to the goblin.
Did she not know that Vine could do that? How odd. Lyvina mentally shrugged.
“… I disarmed it.” Vine deadpanned, pointing to her handiwork.
“Did… did you just make a pun? No, forget that, what in Nith… is that what you did to the megabear too? That’s…” Theo paused for a second before continuing, “So freaking cool, Vine! You’re like, a total badass! You know, I’m actually looking for a second in command for a group I’m putting together, and I think you’d be just perfect for the role. What do ya say?”
Giving only a small head tilt, their interview was cut off as the inn became alive with the screams of the patrons, ruining any hope the goblins had of maintaining stealth. Despite her desire to do so, Lyvina didn’t dare leave Vine’s side to check the other rooms, even for a moment.
“… Stop moving, you’ll hurt yourself,” Vine impassively ordered, but the goblin paid no heed. Armless and thrashing, it attempted to escape from under her foot. While losing your arms would usually result in severe blood loss followed by death, Vine’s shattering ability seemed to seal up any wounds it left behind, keeping the monster from any immediate danger.
“The screams are coming from all around. I-I think there are more inside the building,” Theo’s voice quivered, her eyes scanning the walls as if expecting the goblins to break them down to reach them.
“… More green people?” Vine’s question went unanswered as Theo ran over to the window and witnessed the unfolding chaos. Dozens of goblins, at least, running through the street, killing everyone they found in their path. Grim didn’t begin to cover the magnitude of the situation, far more dire than even the megabear attack. This village, though on a primary route to the south, was deep into the resettlement region, too far for aid to arrive swiftly. With the watch overwhelmed and the knights either dead or incapacitated, they were essentially on their own.
“Oh, bloodfalls, they’re everywhere. They’re swarming the village. We’re trapped,” Theo backed away from the window, her face pale as a sheet. “What are we going to do?”
This is bad. Vine’s good, but even she can’t fight a goblin horde by herself, can she? Dright, I can’t do anything… Lyvina thought, biting her lip. The death rattle of the goblin under Vine’s foot caught her attention, as Vine’s silver sword impaled it through the chest. It was only then that Lyvina noticed a small drop of blood coming out of Vine’s left eye.
“Vine, your eye! Did that goblin hurt you? Please say you’re okay. Please!” Theo ran up, grabbed her shoulders, and began incessantly shaking her body for a response. “I can’t do this without you if you get hurt!” Vine however, remained unfazed.
“… Lyvina.” Vine glanced over to her, drawing the full attention of the ghostly girl.
“Erm, i-it’s Theo, remember?” Theo tried to correct Vine but was ignored.
“… Can you see, how many are outside?” Vine asked, garnering a face from Theo that was reserved for pure, unadulterated confusion. Lyvina quickly caught on to what she was suggesting, she had a very limited skill set in her current state, but the fact nobody else could see her made reconnaissance one of her greatest strengths. Moving quickly, she stuck her head through the wall to assess the situation in the corridor.
The scene that greeted her was horrifying, as the lifeless bodies of several patrons lay scattered on the ground. Many of the doors stood ajar, with many trails of blood staining the floor leading to a small group of goblins that were blocking the exit, five in total— No, a sixth one just joined their ranks, emerging from a room with its weapon coated in gore.
This can’t just be some random raid, it’s too organised and way too close to the bear attack to be a coincidence.
A door creaked open, though who it was, Lyvina couldn’t say. Whoever the unfortunate soul was however, found themselves set upon by goblins in an instant, forcing their way in and leaving only screams and her imagination to fill in the gruesome details. Once their butchers work was complete, the goblins emerged, their features now adorned with even more blood.
They really are killing everyone. No… no, no, no, why now? Why is this happening now? Lyvina agonised, pulling her head back into the room. I just needed one more day, just one more day.
“Vine, stay with me, who were you talking to?” Theo shook Vine even more. It seemed that Vine openly talking to Lyvina was causing some, for lack of a better word, concern.
“… Lyvina.” Vine didn’t seem to care though.
“We don’t have time for you to go insane on me too! Please, we need to think of something before they come for us,” Theo told her, trying her hardest not to break down into tears.
Without any other way to communicate the numbers to her, Lyvina used her stump to tap out the number of goblins she saw in the hallway, hoping Vine could interpret the meaning.
“… Six… Okay.” She nodded, before turning back to Theo “… Can you fight?”
“W-what?!” Theo exclaimed.
“… You’re… a bandit, right?” Vine tilted her head.
She’s a what? Lyvina was taken aback. She would never have guessed that in all the time she had left in this world.
“Well, I mean, I am. I’m Faithless Theo of the Black Surcoats. I’m just… really hung over right now, so yeah, I won’t be any good.” Theo answered, refusing to meet Vine’s gaze.
“… Okay,” with a nod, Vine unstrung her bag and reached inside, producing two vials. One translucent white and one red, alongside a silver dagger with similar etchings to her own sword. After confirming these were the items she was after, she handed them to Theo. “… Here.”
“O-okay…” Theo took them cautiously, “What am I supposed to do with these exactly?”
“… That one’s… for stabbing.” Vine made a stabbing gesture after pointing out the dagger.
“I know that much! But I just told you I can’t fight. Besides, I was talking about these white and red things, what are they?” Theo eyed the mysterious vials in her hand.
“… The white one, is a potion, of invisibility,” Vine replied.
“A potion of invis— A potion of what?!” Theo’s eyes bulged.
“… Drink it… It should last for a few minutes… I think?”
“You think? Vine, are you sure this is really a potion of invisibility? They can’t even make those anymore,” Theo could hardly believe what she was hearing, even as Vine returned a nod.
“… I’ve used them before, they taste… dry… I didn’t like them.” That statement earned another peculiar look, not that she was ever short of earning those.
“Then, if this is real… This is worth a fortune! Wait, you want me to just drink it?” Theo told her, her priorities clearly not set straight. Once more, Vine nodded in response.
“… You can sneak up on them, or run… it’s up to you… Oh, the red one, is a health potion. Drink it, and you won’t die… probably,” Vine delivered her passionless explanation.
“A health potion too?! Where in Nith did you get all this stuff?! How much of this stuff do you have?!”
“A lot… Lyric collected them… I’ll get Aksel… Stay here, I’ll be back, soon.” Vine began heading to the door before Theo could get in another word. Lyvina observed the extremely unsure “bandit” standing in the centre of their room, holding her newly gifted magical riches in her arms, before she turned to follow Vine.
Goblins were already racing down the corridor the moment they heard the door creak, with a wave of three surging ahead of the rest of their group. By the time Vine stepped into the open, a seventh goblin had joined their ranks. Lyvina cursed at the sight of the additional enemy among their ranks, biting at non-existent nails at leading Vine astray like this. Despite the echoing barks and bodies littering the floor, Vine remained as calm as ever, unaffected by the battle cries that would have unsettled lesser beings. Her silver sword withdrew into her pouch, and there she held it, allowing the monsters to advance without challenge. Just as the melee was about to begin, Vine drew her sword across the width of her body, in clear sight of the green invaders.
“… Flash.” Vine uttered a single word, and all darkness was banished from the world. Light erupted from her blade, too bright and pure to behold with the naked eye. The once confident barks of the goblins, so certain of their victory over the lone human girl, were now howling in agony. They abandoned their salvaged weapons, opting instead to claw at their eyes for relief. As a race accustomed to dwelling in the dark pits and caverns of this world, such a blinding attack was highly incapacitating, affecting not just the three goblins in the front, but even those in the rear as well. Vine certainly didn’t let this chance go to waste.
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Taking her blade in both hands, she swung her sword down on the first goblin standing before her, splitting it in two like an overly enthusiastic butcher. Its bisected body parted, with the blade embedding itself in the floor.
“… Too much,” Vine commented to herself as she changed her grip. In a single motion, the sword was ripped from the ground and raced towards the goblin to her right, which was still clawing at its eyes against the nearby wall. Flesh and bone posed little obstacle as its silver edge cleaved through the creature’s neck before embedding itself inside the very wall it was using for support. The freshly severed head flopped to the ground with eyes that would never open again.
“Grrraaa—” The last of the three managed to force open one of its red, watery eyes, though it was unlikely it perceived more than a blur, and it was in no fit state to avoid the incoming strike. Wrenching the sword from the wall and wielding it more like an axe or a Warhammer, she slammed the abused weapon into the creature’s head, cutting the top off as if cracking a very meaty egg. Her strike also jammed her enchanted instrument into the wall again for good measure.
It was a slaughter—that was the only way Lyvina could describe what had just happened. The three goblins were dead in just as many swings. The blood around them was thick, more than any creature so small had a right to hold. It was red like humans but with a tint of dark green mixed in. It soaked Vine’s boots, stained her shirt, and splattered across her cheeks. Yet, Vine made no attempt to wipe the gore so close to her eyes.
Lyvina was no swordplay connoisseur, but it didn’t take an expert eye to judge Vine’s sword style, because there was no style to speak of. There was no technique, no finesse, just raw power used to mow down her adversaries.
She’s like a barbarian, Lyvina concluded in her mind.
From behind them, A door opened gently, and another goblin stealthily emerged, moving on the tips of its toes with a spear tip held in its hands like an improvised dagger.
Sneaky little! Lyvina swiftly spotted the creature, though the creature could never dream of spotting her. Likely, it thought to use stealth to take down its larger, more powerful foe. A swift strike to the knee, a quick stab in the neck, and the fight would be over—common tactics employed among their kind in situations such as these, tactics rendered useless under the vigilant eyes of Vine’s undead guardian. With three taps on her back, the scarlet eye of the goblin slayer turned on the creature, who reeled back in shock at being discovered so suddenly. Acting less like a human and more like a force of nature, she dragged her buried sword through the wooden wall, shrapnel stabbing into the poor goblin’s body, before the enchanted silver arrived to cut the monster from shoulder to elbow across its body, filling the air with severed pieces once more, before coming to a rest in a newly installed air hole in another of David’s fine walls.
“… Still, too much,” Vine commented, presumably on her performance. It seemed she was finding it difficult to control the amount of power she was levying behind her attacks. Lyvina was ever the cheerleader for her superhuman saviour, however. She’d never seen goblins before, let alone seen one chopped to pieces like this, but she was loving every second of it. The guts, the gore, the violence, it was speaking to her on a fundamental level, and knowing even a small part of this carnage was her doing made her feel just a little giddy inside.
Why isn’t she using her powers though? The stray thoughts were never far from Lyvina’s mind. Though her efficiency in dispatching the monster was beyond question, the spectre couldn’t help but wonder. Wouldn’t using her far more potent abilities be of more help to her? Unless, is it because it causes that bleeding I saw?
The greenish-red blood seeped into the timber as Vine pivoted to confront the remaining few goblins, who were just recovering from their blindness. It was a strange experience to see horror dawn on the faces of the goblins, though seeing such sadists turn pale was a satisfying sight, to say the least.
“… Move.” Vine commanded the monster in a tone more like a statement than an order, as she advanced towards them. Wishing not to become a disorganised pile of body parts like their comrades, the remaining goblins fled down the stairs as fast as their bony legs could take them. Vine’s indifferent gaze followed them until they disappeared from view. With no obstacles remaining in her path, Vine broke into a light jog, following the route to Aksel’s room, with Lyvina never far behind, her eyes scanning for any signs of an ambush. Rounding the corner, they reached Aksel’s room, finding the door closed and undamaged, offering hope for his survival. With little hesitation, Vine opened the door.
“GAH!” The goblin barked in surprise at the sudden entrance, its hands caught in a dresser, mid-looting. The room had been ransacked—The mattress was half off from the bedframe, drawers hung limply or scattered across the floor, and their contents spilled out for all to see. There was, however, no Aksel to be seen, but his coin purse dangled from the goblin’s waist, one of its few valuable finds amid the junk of the room.
“… My pillow.” Vine however, seemed to miss that detail, her focus drawn to a luxurious-looking pillow tossed on the ground. “…The towel too,” her eyes then appeared to wander to a slightly torn, ragged blanket that Lyvina could only assume was some sort of goblin washcloth. “… Where is he?” the blood-covered woman rounded on the goblins, her blade dripping with gore. “… Where is he?... Tell me.” The creature backed up, fear plain on its face. “… Why aren’t you… telling me? Tell me… Where is Aksel?!” Lyvina was almost shocked to hear the typically stoic Vine raise her voice, not to the level of shouting, but definitely louder than usual, desperation underlying her words.
“Vine, the goblin—” was all she bothered to say, remembering the futility of the gesture. Their communication was still so incredibly basic, it would be near impossible to convey to Vine that goblins rarely speak anything outside their native tongue. The little green monster tried to flee, but his arm was swiftly grabbed, a grip that only the loss of the limb could sever as Vine once again demanded information on her friend. Lyvina turned away, opting to investigate herself to see what might have happened. Although the room had clearly been tossed for loot, there were no signs of blood or any sort of struggle. Did that mean Aksel wasn’t here when the raid started? She couldn’t be certain, but it seemed like a likely option. The window was open, a soft breeze stirring the curtains as the sounds of fire and death raged in an audible cacophony. The view revealed the empty alley behind the inn, where the back door to the kitchen was located. Though there were a few crates, there was nothing to indicate Aksel used this to make a quick escape.
He must have left his room before they arrived. But where could he be now? She pondered to herself.
The sound of metal slicing flesh drew her gaze back into the room, as another goblin’s head sailed through the air, blood gushing from the hole in its neck like a low-pressure fountain. Vine stared at it with raw intensity as the head landed with a loud thunk against the hard wooden floor, and the lifeless body slumped to the ground. She then picked up the coin purse.
“… This belongs to Aksel,” she held the item firmly in her hands “… Where are you?” After placing the coin purse inside her bag, she collected both the pillow and the blanket (For some reason) and left the room with a purpose-driven stride.
A few doors began opening around them, though Vine paid them no mind, causing Lyvina no end of concern. Fortunately, only human eyes peered out through the gaps, and soon, five people—four traders and one villager—emerged from four different rooms. Each looked worse for wear, though all were armed with basic weapons.
The looks on all their faces made it clear that they wanted to call out to the knight for assistance or instruction. However, none of the group had the courage to interrupt the gore-covered woman. Instead, they opted to slowly file out of their rooms and wait for their chance.
“Vine, you’re back!” The faithless bandit greeted Vine with enthusiasm, jumping out from behind the bed’s remains after they had entered the room. She almost hugged Vine but managed to stop short of tainting herself on the bloody mess. “You really need a bath… or five.”
“… Aksel’s gone,” Vine stated bluntly.
“Gone? Gone where?” Theo questioned.
“… I don’t know… We need to find him… Let’s go.”
“Go? You want me to go out there? Like outside?! Is it even safe?”
“… I’ll protect you.”
“That didn’t even answer my question,” Theo’s shoulders slumped in defeat. It was at that moment that Vine finally turned to notice the small cohort of people sheepishly following her around. She looked each of them over and offered a head tilt.
“… Not greens,” Vine acknowledged.
“G-greens?” the man who happened to be in front questioned. “We’re not goblins, if that’s what you mean,” Vine gave a nod.
“… Have you seen Aksel?”
“Is that the man who was talking for you during the celebrations? Well, I’ve been holed up in my room all night. I managed to wake when I heard loud noises coming from elsewhere in the inn, and it was by The First’s own grace I had the time to grab my wooden sword and bat the damn goblin’s head with it, the one that snuck in through my window, that is. I was convinced I was just dreaming until I started hearing the screams. Bloodfalls, I wish I hadn’t drunk so late into the night. As far as your companion however, I’m afraid I haven’t seen him,” he said, turning to the rest of the group. In each of their stories, however, none provided any further clue as to Aksel’s whereabouts.
“… Okay.” Vine gave a final nod, and swiftly made to move past them all.
“Wait, where are you going, Sir Knight?” The leading trader caught her as she was passing.
Wait, Vine’s a knight? Lyvina was surprised by the sudden revelation. Was she always a knight? She supposed that would explain a few things about her, but… it was difficult to say. The title just felt wrong on Vine. Was she truly a knight?
“… Downstairs… He might be there,” Vine answered the trader.
The creaking of the stairs cut the conversation short, as the sound of something large began ascending towards them, its weight pushing each step to its limit. Lyvina ran to scout the staircase and saw the creature, one so large it struggled to move through the space wide enough for two adults to pass by unhindered. It seemed goblinlike in nature, though it had many distinctions from its smaller kin. Its skin was darker, though still a visible green. Its teeth were overgrown, too sharp and too large to fit within its mouth. A patchwork of facial hair grew on its chin, shaggy and unkempt. Then there was its size; the monster was easily six, maybe even seven feet in length, and its girth was wider than even the fattest men the village could offer, barely contained by a few furs and leathers it strung across itself in what Lyvina had to assume was clothing of some form.
A Hobgoblin!
Its fat hands gripped the wall, a sight more than enough to make all but Vine retreat further into the hall, as it dragged itself into the hallway. Theo and the others gasped at the sight of the hulking creature that finally showed itself.
“… Big,” Vine mused aloud, her head barely reaching the hobgoblin’s chest. Though slow in conversation, she was more than capable of dodging the incoming swing from the hobgoblin’s crudely carved wooden club, allowing the floor to soak up the damage meant for her, a sizable dent left in its wake.
“Careful Vine!” Theo shouted, this foe was far too formidable for anyone but the heterochromic knight to contend with. Stepping forward, the hobgoblin prepared to swing its weapon again. Before its strike came, Vine thrust the point of her blade towards the crescent-eyed Hob.
“… Flash.” She spoke once more, and a nova of light consumed the hallway. However, the hobgoblin, it seemed, was prepared for this. As the blinding light faded, the Hob’s face curved into a cocky smile as it slowly removed the hand it had used to shield its eyes. It seemed the fleeing goblins had done more than simply soil themselves in fear, and though they were simple creatures, they were by no means dumb.
Cocky, however, was a word more than applicable, as Vine’s sword easily sliced across the hob’s stomach while it was gloating. Roaring in anger, it smashed its club down again, snapping yet more floorboards as his target skidded out of harm’s way. Not to be outdone in the strength department, Vine swung her sword down and separated its hand from its body before it could be retracted. It’s shouting became louder, roaring at Vine as if she were some beast to be intimidated. It was braver than its cowardly cousins, it seemed, still possessing the spirit to fight. However, such spirit was inconsequential when Vine’s silver sword found its sheath in the monster’s gullet before it could land an attack. With a gargle, the body went limp and collapsed to the ground. Seeing their much larger kinsman fall by the butcher’s hands, the smaller goblins, who had been watching the fight from the stairs, fled in terror.
“… Lyvina… can you see, how many are down there?” Vine turned to Lyvina, who was more than happy to accept her new mission. “… Oh, and if you see Aksel… kick me.” Without question, Lyvina accepted that task as well, despite the small gathering of survivors’ curious reactions. Theo kept a pained smile on her face, while the others shared looks between themselves.
“Must be what she calls her guides,” one trader whispered, trying to rationalise the situation.
“They must be tiny too; I couldn’t even see them,” another replied.
As she descended the stairs, she was greeted by a flurry of activity from the goblins. Each one rushed around the ground floor, pushing tables, dragging chairs, and maneuvring any and all materials not nailed down to add to the makeshift barricade forming at the stairwell to block the upper levels. Though reading goblin expressions wasn’t her strongest skill, it was clear all of them were panicking, hurrying to prepare defences against the monster upstairs.
Goblins are masters of improvised constructs, adept at taking any old material and household junk to produce decent, if unappealing, structures. Though still under construction, a few goblins wielding bows and spears were manning the top, eyes fixed on the staircase.
There was, of course, no reaction to her presence. For as long as she could remember, her curse had been just that—a curse. But for now, at least, it wasn’t just a means of torture, but an advantage she could truly exploit, if only because of her basic communications with Vine. In a sense, it felt like cheating—the way she could see but not be seen, but that was a problem for the goblins now, wasn’t it? Despite searching the entire ground floor, there was no sign of Aksel. With the barricade getting ever higher, Lyvina reported her findings back to Vine.
“… No Aksel, and twenty-two greens… That’s a lot…Thank you.” For her service, she was rewarded with a head pat, which was gratefully accepted. The onlookers just watched the mad woman rub her hand in what looked like mid-air after spouting off this information.
“You… You doing okay there, Vine?” Theo asked nervously.
“… The greens… I’ll take them out first,” Vine informed the group, reaching into her pouch of many mysteries, though in a manner that didn’t rouse suspicion from the uninitiated. Her short dive revealed yet another small vial, not one of red or white like before, but one of a faded light blue.
“You’re not just going to charge down there, are you? We don’t know how many of them are waiting for you,” Theo expressed her concern.
“… Twenty-two,” Vine repeated.
“How do you know that? Are you psychic too?”
“… I’m Vine.”
“I mean—! Look, what if they have bows or something, or there are more of those big guys? It’s too dangerous.” Theo questioned, getting rather animated.
“… Do they have bows?” Vine asked, holding out her hands to Lyvina, who quickly informed her they did. “… I see… and big greens?” Again, Lyvina answered, with Vine nodding knowingly. “… Humm Humm… they have bows, and no big greens,” Vine stared her answer into Theo, who slumped her shoulders in defeat.
“You know what, as long as you can still swing as sword, I think you’re fine. I’ll just let Aksel deal with this when we find him,” Vine nodded her approval at that.
Uncorking the potion, she downed the drink in one go. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath, in and out, in and out, continuing for more than a few seconds. Lyvina almost nudged her to get a response when her eyes opened at last. There was something different about her now—she was more focused than before. In fact, she looked much more focused now than she had ever been. There was almost a spark behind her eyes that wasn’t there before. Her eyes appeared brighter and shinier, as if there was some sort of… power there. It wasn’t golden, like the knights, but rather an enhancement of her existing eye colours.
Rather than descending the stairs to confront the goblins head-on, Vine strolled into one of the nearby rooms, followed shortly by the perpetually confused onlookers. Placing herself in the centre of the room, she nodded and tapped her foot against the ground.
The sound of cracking glass reached Lyvina’s ears, and the floor around Vine began to light up in a web of blue before it suddenly broke apart with a mighty crash. After a short fall, Vine landed in the tavern area behind the barricade, just behind a pair of goblins moving some of the last pieces of furniture into place. Before they even realised the danger, their heads parted from their bodies in a single swipe of her blade. The world seemed to stop then, as all eyes turned to her.
The room erupted in chaotic barks of bloody murder. Lyvina, being the only one that could, followed Vine down the hole and spotted the goblins on the barricade taking aim with their crude ranged weapons, most with bows, but a few trying their luck tossing their spears. Only one arrow managed to get close to her, the poor aim of the goblins compounded by their unsteady hands.
With ease, Vine picked up a nearby table, not yet used for the construction of the improvised wall, and wielded it as a shield to block the next volley of arrows, very few of which even managed to reach her once more. Before they got a third chance, Vine drew back her arm and hurled the circular table right into their structure before anyone could escape.
Tables, chairs, cups and cutlery were sent in all directions, carrying the defenders along with them. Some soared as high as the ceiling, while others crashed into the ground. A few pieces of furniture even managed to take out some of the goblins not manning the wall itself.
At that moment, the organisation collapsed as the goblins were caught and cut down without mercy. Some tried to flee up the very stairs they were guarding against, only to be swiftly cut down by the armed and ready merchants. The last survivor was discovered in the kitchen, desperately clawing at the locked back door to escape. Death was it’s only exit though, as Vine’s silver blade ran it through.
“Vine? Is that you?” The voice of the innkeeper reached them, surprising both Lyvina and Vine as David emerged from the basement with a one-handed crossbow clasped in his palm.
“… David?”
“Thank the heavens. I was reading in the next room when I heard the commotion outside, only to find goblins swarming over my inn. They opened the front door and chased me all the way back here. I had to lock myself in the basement just to survive, and even then, I think they only left me alone because of the commotion they heard upstairs.”
“… Ohhhh… that was me,” Vine pointed to herself.
“I could have guessed. Please, tell me, is there anyone else?” Vine nodded and led him to the rest. Soon, Vine, Theo, David, and the other inn survivors gathered near the remains of the barricade. Including Lyvina, but for the sake of a headcount, she was left out.
“Is this all that’s left?” David asked.
“We took a quick look in some of the other rooms… there isn’t anyone else,” one trader spoke grimly. After that announcement, the group’s eyes naturally drifted towards the remaining goblins cowering before them, all attempting to make themselves as small, cute, and innocent as possible. Three of them managed to survive within the wreckage without being caught by Vine. They were bloody, bruised, but alive.
“What should we do about them?” Theo was the one to ask the question—one David had a ready answer for.
“Kill them. They are worthless as prisoners, and they would likely turn on you the moment it presents itself.”
“… Okay,” Vine acknowledged and without hesitation, Vine swung her blade, dispatching all three goblins in one clean stroke. Blood sprayed, staining the broken furniture around them. Nobody mourned the loss or dwelled on it for longer than it took for their bodies to tumble to the ground. Turning to David, Vine continued to pursue her objective “… Where is Aksel?”
“Aksel? He said he was going for a walk. He was probably outside when they attacked. I’m sorry,” Vine nodded in acknowledgment and expressed her thanks before heading for the door. “Wait, where are you going now?” David questioned.
“… To find Aksel.”
“Please wait a moment. For all we know, Aksel might have perished out there. But, if he is alive, there is one place he might have ended up at: the church. It’s built like a divine fortress, and I have no doubt Hera has already activated the defences. It would be best if we all stick together and—”
The door to the inn burst open, the lock offering little resistance as the heavy, iron-clad boot forced its way through. An imposing figure stepped inside, though not a goblin, nor a Hobgoblin, but something both Vine and Lyvina had never seen before. A colossal green monster, its bulging muscles gripping a sword as black as darkness itself. The eye patched creature opened its massive, tusked jaw and spoke.
“So, which one of yous dat essence sucker dat’s making all dose flashy lights?”
“O-Orc.” A trader stammered, as Vine’s dispassionate gaze fell on the new creature.
“… Orc.” Vine repeated, as if committing it to memory.
“Ya know what, don’t matter. I’ll kill yous all right now n’ get dis bloody ritual done.”
Before the cocky creature could take another step forward, Vine appeared in front of him in less than a blink, planting her foot firmly between its lungs and colon, and promptly ejecting him from the building. Lyvina couldn’t help but snicker at such a comical display, as Vine calmly walked outside, facing a semi-circle of goblins and hobgoblins formed at the entrance. Though they numbered close to thirty strong, it seemed having their leader launched out of the door by a gore-covered girl left them feeling unsettled, to say the least. After realizing he had just been unceremoniously kicked out, the orc got back to his feet.
“Oh, you’s one of dem knights, ain’t ya? I bet you got tons of dose circley dings. Well, I’d love to play wich ya, but I dink I’ll just skip to da end,” he stated, bringing a hand up to his eyepatch. With one motion, he pulled it from his face, revealing an eye-like construct in the socket. It was made of a brass-coloured metal, with an empty, dark void where the pupil should have been. Without warning, the void was replaced by a bright green glow that emanated in a cone of light and disappeared.
What in the First’s name was that? Lyvina thought, bewildered.
It was at that moment when a merchant near the back of the inn collapsed, catching the attention of those around. Lyvina observed the green liquid oozing from their eyes and mouth, with their hands desperately clutching at their throat. Then, just as the merchant had before her, Vine too fell to her knees, spewing the dark green liquid onto the ground, where it hissed like acid.
“HAHAHAHA, I love dis little jigarit. One look and ya blood’ll turn ta poison,” the orc laughed, slipping his eyepatch back on. “Oh, I don’t get ta use it too much, can’t exactly charge it yet, but I do love when I get da chance.”
Whatever sinister magic was within the metallic eye continued its horrid work inside Vine’s system, her veins carrying the vile poison throughout her body.
No, no, no, no, NO! Lyvina did her best to support her only friend, who knelt in unbearable pain.