Taking it easy we hop over the barrier quite easily. Passing a few rough looking branch huts that unluckily had no goblins or anything of value held within we continued. Of course, it is not long before a small bonfire appears in the middle of town along with fifty or so goblins surrounding it. Goblin’s talking to each other could be seen and heard. Thankfully goblins have brains of monkey’s. Their homes being placed wherever there was a space which allowed Owen and I easy hiding places. I can honestly say there is no way I can defeat so many goblins, hell, even Owen would have trouble facing more than ten alone. Giving Owen a glare I whisper my complaints.
“Ease up, I have some a plan.” This is Owens answer. If we don’t make it through this I’m dragging his sorry ass back to Tartarus.
“What is this amazing plan, then?” I whisper back to him. He gives me a sly smile while he takes out two spheres from his coin purse. Suddenly one begins to glow, then the second. He tosses each to opposite sides of the bonfire.
“Get down!” He whispers in a hiss. I watch like the newbie I am, ignoring his warnings. Suddenly I watch as the glow of the sphere begin to flow outward in quick slashes. In a three hundred sixty degree manner, I watched as more than half of the goblins are either killed or injured in matter of fifteen seconds. The goblins to shocked to move for at least ten caused even more deaths and wounded. The last five the goblins got the hint. I really want to ask Owen what he did but I have no chance as my head was spotted. The goblin shrill shriek draws the other goblins attention to myself. With no choice, I ready my spear as Owen holds his sword into hands with a heaving chest. The attack must have worn him out as I don’t see his common grin anywhere in sight. He stares at the goblins in unrivaled concentration.
Before I can do the same the first goblin strikes at me with his sword requiring him to use two hands. Dodging I thrust with my sharp cane which is considered a spear. The goblin having over swung loses balance which saved his life. Only for a second longer as the second thrust stabs into his chest about three inches deep. Now the whole horde of what’s left is beginning to circle around us. I’m not sure what to do next. Looking at Owen, he’s preparing himself by making his sword glow. Not knowing my own domain, I can only grab my spear tighter. The horde comes upon us. I’m terrified.
Like a roller-coaster I release a war shout filled with fear as I charge into the fifteen to thirty goblins left. At first all I did was thrust and dodge. But my breath was getting faster and more uneven. The spear became a stick. Or a whacking staff. I no longer thrust. I just slash and hit everything around me. I watch as one goblin got hit by the staff part of my spear instead of the blade but he still went down from the inertia. I slash left and right. I’m still hoping Owen is protecting my back, no spare time to look, only to slash. Back and forth. My body growing tired and I have only killed or incapacitated six. I just arrived in this world, if this was my old body I would have already died to exhaustion. Yet, I continue with my sweeping strikes. No rest for the wicked, or however the saying goes.
The goblins remain in a semi-circle around me. Ever so slowly the step closer as my strikes become slower and lose their strength. Owen shouts something in the background but I can’t comprehend. My mind is only doing one thing and that one thing is to keep my arms swinging the spear like a Warhammer. Three more go down before the last eight or ten goblins begin to gain on me. Stepping ever closer they then begin to charge. Not even capable of mustering the strength for a war cry full of fear I charge at them as if the air below my waist is honey. Yet I continue. Two of the remaining goblins thrust their own spears at me. The results sting but I hardly feel it with adrenaline running through my veins.
Going back to old habits I throw a spear at one of the goblin spear holders. It goes through his side and he shrieks as the light of life leaves his eyes. Twisting myself around a sword slash I punch the goblin where a normal person would be knocked out due to a shaking brain. The goblin only sprawls before trying to get up. As three swords begin to thrust at my side I jump back falling on my back. The goblin who I just punched is about to grab his sword that five yards away from him and only three from my position. Half rolling and half sliding I manage to grab the hilt before the downed goblin. Stabbing into the goblins stomach I quickly pull the sword back out.
‘Move! Don’t stop moving!’ The only thought in my mind. Legs dead tired, breath only rasps and the blood drenching my cheap medieval clothes are becoming dyed in crimson. Rolling away from the dying goblin I manage to get on my feet before I feel a thrust next to my head. It pierces my ear. The spear is pulled back as the remaining sword and dagger carrying goblins charge me, hate easily seen on their features as they snarl and growl.
Slashing with my sword as the first goblin reaches me were both surprised as my sword overpowers his slash. Feeling slight resistance as the sword slashes down the goblins chest, it goes down in agony. The spear thrusted once more hits my arm in nearly the same area as the other wound. Glad the goblin is poor with his aim I’m left with only two goblins. One holding a chipped and menacing looking dagger while the other holds his spear stained with blood. My blood.
Beginning to feel light headed as my left arm is barely accepting my commands I wait for the goblins to move as I circle around them. Still terrified and dead tired I can only see myself dying after I kill one more but yet for the first time in my life I don’t want to die, I want to accept my new reality. I don’t want to smoke chemicals, I wish to breathe the fresh air of this world, go on adventures, worry about finding a girlfriend and losing my virginity, not that my partner will ever know that but for the first time in my life I feel my will. My will to survive and live. Not go through life with a foggy mind and expectations weighing me down. Or hoping for Armageddon or zombie apocalypses to destroy the world so I can enjoy life my way. No, I finally understand my will to become something, not just to survive, but to thrive in my new environment.
The goblins charge as I muster up my own war cry full of my desires. Suddenly my body begins to feel less strained. I also watch as the goblins stop in confusion, staring at me with wide eyes. Then the charge forward once more. The goblin with the spear thrusts once close enough. Side stepping, I grab the goblin spear, at the blade. A hiss of pain forces me to let go. The dagger wielding goblin is about to stab my stomach. I jump to the side and fall on my ribs hard. My breath taken from the shock, I’m stunned. Gasping for air. When I finally feel the air enter my lungs, I watch as the spear wielding goblin begin to throw his spear. With little choice, I toss my sword before rolling away as fast as I can to my right to end up smashing through a branch made hut. Full of minor cuts and scrapes my body keeps on rolling. Smashing through the other side I slowly get up but my second wind is calming down and I feel the fatigue once more.
With no weapons on my person and the dagger wielding goblin charging my once more I send out a step behind side kick. A Tae kwon doe technique taught at the white belt stage. Beginners kick in other words but it still holds the potential energy before I release the kick into the goblins chest. Who knew goblins could make the best kicking bag for the less agile.
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The goblin goes flying as it drops its dagger in shock. Grabbing the letter opener sized dagger, I chase after the fallen goblin and stab it where it’s heart should be if it was human all the while keeping well aware of the spear throwing goblin. Seemingly the goblin found his spear and is now charging alone. Its own shrill war cry reaches my ears. Wincing slightly from the shrill cry I wait for the goblin to come closer. Believing that I can dodge faster than the goblin can thrust I wait for the thrust.
The Spear slashes my side mid twist (I should have stayed still…I’m an idiot). Crying out in pain as the momentum carries me into the unsuspecting goblin. Falling on top of him with the dagger held in hand I slash its throat as I roar in triumph and pain. The blood loss begins to catch up to me. The pain on my side burning me, the world goes black.
Owen
I watched as the remaining goblins from the spirit bomb attack circled us. The man next to me with the lazy god who didn’t give him a name was seen first. Most of the left-over goblins head his way. counting fourteen forming a half circle around him, I watch as the other ten surround me. Having experience with goblins I know I can kill these ten with maybe a few injuries but the two spirit bomb attacks took a lot out of me. I’ll consider getting out of this with a few scrapes as a miracle but I still send my spirit through my body and blade. The small skirmish begins.
Slashing and thrusting I quickly kill three, then four, five, six. All in quick succession. Allowing my spirit to extend further from my blade for the extra three kills. My spirit begins to falter and a fog begins to muddle my mind, slowing my reaction speed, and making me lose hand eye coordination. That doesn’t stop me from killing another leaving me with only three. My mind not so far gone I hear my companion behind me shout in pain but I can’t lose my own focus. The goblins charge as I draw my spirit back into me. We exchange blows. I parry and counter. Feeling that the fight might not end soon due to my weakened state I shout at the man behind, hopefully he is watching my back as I am his.
“Hold a bit longer!” Is what I said. After killing another goblin leaving me with two when I unexpectedly hear a war cry followed not soon after by snapping of branches behind me, followed no more than two seconds after by another snapping sound of wood. A little worried but yet preoccupied with my own opponents I don’t pay attention, I only care about killing my last two opponents.
Killing the last two within the next twenty seconds I then hear a shout full of pain and triumph. Leaning on my sword I wait to catch a breath before I shout for my companion.
“You alright!” Waiting for a few moments but yet I hear nothing. Slowly catching my breath, I stumble through the branch huts looking for the man who I travelled here with. Finally finding him passed out on top of a dead goblin in its own pool of blood I see the state of my companion. His shirt dyed red along with minor scrapes and scratches along his body. Taking out a small wine skin I pour a couple drops into his mouth before feeding the goblin bonfire since the forest gets very dangerous at night.
As the potion begins to work on the man and I’m rested enough I begin to loot the dead goblins. Beginning to loot I can’t help but be surprised with how well my companion did against the goblins. Even if they are the weakest, for a newbie not even two days old in this world to confront a group of goblins and win, this man can be very influential if he lives past the second continent.
Awaking with a minor headache I look around my surroundings. Seeing a bonfire which my body is next to along with a pile of goblin weapons and Owen sleeping next to them. Raising my left hand to cover I feel a slight stiffness but I could move it! Remembering the places where my injuries are, I find only slight scratches and stab wounds, as if I spent two weeks in bed healing. Not exactly sure how I could heal so fast especially when Owen mentioned there is no such thing as healing magic. Could it have been a potion? Like in the role playing online games I used to play?
I can always get answers later but for right now I’m starving even if my head feels like it’s suffocating in a thick fog. Searching around for any sort of meal I spot a small pot. Inside of the pot is some brownish looking slop but I’m so hungry I could eat vegetables with a smile. Using the ladle within the pot as a spoon I eat my fill. Of course, I squinted and almost barfed the nasty slop but it still went down and satiated my hunger. Beginning to feel tired I find my old spot and set in for the rest of the night.
Morning arrives in which Owen wakes me. Seeing what is around me in daylight I can now see the weapons are piled on a thick blanket with enough room to be wrapped within the blanket. There is also some human looking armor on the pile as well. Owen hands me a bowl of something yellow. Taking a small nibble, I find it to be quite pleasant and begin to eat in earnest, even asking for seconds. Luckily, we managed to finish what Owen made (I hate wasting food).
Owen then ties the four corners of the blanket together above the pile. Then tying two thick six foot ropes on the knot he hands me one rope and he takes another. No need to even ask what we’re doing. Even if Owen didn’t explain about the looting, it’s easy see what we’re doing.
Preparing for the long trek back to Wakers. I can only wish we had some sort of ride. Dragging around fifty pounds or more of metal and leather is not fun, its hard work…fingers blistering up while sweat is drenching my back while Owen looks fit as a fiddle holding his rope. It wouldn’t be till we got back to the village I learned he used his domain magic to strengthen his body. Life is and always will be unfair.