Goblin News
Tom and Azroc arrived back at the Vanguard building and entered the lobby. There, they paused and Azroc spoke to Tom again.
"You're doing just about everything you can. Remember that preparation is about looking at all the options available to you. Don't sit on any points that could give you an edge and take every opportunity to get better." Azroc said with a grin.
"Taking a break from your usual self I see," Tom chuckled.
"Actually, the other is mostly who I have to be with most people. They expect some big fuck off deity like creature who's ready to smite the unworthy. Some dumbass picture of what a being of such power should look like. We aren't really like that. Well, most of us aren't anyway. We were once like you. So don't take any shit from any other powerful being you meet. That just makes them an asshole." Azroc replied, his grin widening at Tom's assessment.
"Got it, big fuck off deity creatures are really just big fuck off teddy bears," Tom fully laughed at this.
"That's not what I meant, and you fucking know it. Never piss off a being like myself. That's a fast track to an ass whooping at the very least." Azroc rolled his eyes as he said this.
"I know what you're getting at. Thanks again Azroc for your help." Tom said extending a hand to shake.
"And thanks for not being a waste of fucking space," Azroc replied taking his hand and shaking it.
Waving a single hand through the air, a copy of the summoning circle Tom had to create appeared on the floor and a portal opened. Moving to step inside, Azroc turned back one more time to Tom.
"I'll be here when you need me. Until next time, asshat." Azroc said with a wink.
And with that, he lowered into the portal, the edges closing in behind him until it disappeared completely. Tom noticed the drawing did not go away when he left.
"Just fucking great. We have to clean this up now."
An hour later, Tom had finished scrubbing the floors and the sigils were removed. Standing up from where he had been kneeling to clean the floors, he walked over to the security office to sit and rest.
"Oh, good, you're here. I was just going to search for you, Tom." TJ spoke as he entered.
"You weren't just going to call for me?" Tom asked.
"I didn't know if you were still out. But it doesn't matter. We have been getting reports from the teams roaming the city that a large group of Goblins has been seen outside town. We think we need to send a team to go investigate." TJ explained.
"And you want that to be my team?" Tom asked flopping down into an empty desk chair.
"Not necessarily. But I wanted to give you the offer." TJ replied smiling at knowing Tom would be itching to get out.
"I have been looking for another reason to escape for a while. That drive with Azroc was refreshing. Alright, we'll do it. Have my team meet me in the parking garage." Tom decided and rose to make his way to the GS2. "Oh, and send Kedron's team as well."
Thirty minutes later the members of both teams were assembled in the parking garage. Michael was now with them as he had integrated into Tom's team when they needed other members for other tasks. Everyone hopped into the two vehicles and took off toward the east, where the goblin issue had been spotted.
Along the way, the teams kept watch for anything unusual in the city. Driving past Reunion Tower brought back memories of the fight they had with Stormcrusher. Tom remained silent as he took a look at the abandoned guild and then returned to staring at the road, never slowing in his drive.
When they reached the edge of the city, Jay recommended that they go on foot so as not to attract too much attention. Leaving the GS2 and the Hummer in a parking lot, they exited the vehicles as Jay led the way, watching for signs of groups of monsters. They walked together down the road as they kept watch on either side. There were several roads out of town, but most wound around different areas before leaving. This would be the most direct route.
As they left town, they could see a large, abandoned warehouse standing above the other scattered buildings. Jay motioned to it in the distance as he tried not to speak. He also made a motion for everyone to arm themselves and everyone equipped some form of weapon. Making a formation motion that they had all been briefed on for their regular outings, the team moved to have the tanks on the outside and the mages in the middle.
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Moving quickly, they stepped off the main road and began to cross through parking lots and between businesses to make their way more directly to the warehouse. As they came around the back of a nearly torn down KFC, Jay motioned for everyone to stop as he edged closer to the corner of the building. Peering around cautiously, Jay saw a group of goblins heading toward the warehouse. Pulling back, he went to talk to Tom and the others.
"Saw a group of about eight gobos in a group heading back toward the warehouse. They seem to be taking the main street rather than a straight line for the building, so I bet they're a scouting party making sure everything is clear. These are more clever goblins than we are used to." Jay said softly.
"Yeah, most of them haven't had scouting parties. They seem almost organized." Derek replied, putting a hand to his chin in thought.
"Does it matter? We know this, now we still have to see what's happening. We need to get to that warehouse." Tom said, cutting through the conversation.
"Right, it's just odd, that's all," Jay said moving back to the corner of the building and signaling to move out when the coast was clear.
As the party continued in formation, keeping watch from all angles as they moved as a group, they got closer and closer to the warehouse. When they were about a football field's length from the building, they heard the sound of drums beating in a rhythmic pattern. The sound got louder and louder until it stopped suddenly.
Jay motioned for them to move closer quickly. The silence was too much after that beating. They needed to see what was happening. As they got closer and closer, a voice could be heard echoing through the area. Quiet at first but increasing in volume as they neared. When they were right against the outside of the warehouse, Tom noticed a window about ten feet up from where they were. Jay motioned for everyone to step back and equipped a grappling hook on a rope.
Tossing the three-pronged hook up to the window, it caught with almost no noise as it had been covered in rubber to muffle metallic clanging. Pulling himself up by his hands so as not to make noise against the metal siding, Jay carefully got up to the window and looked inside. His eyes went wide when he took in the view.
"There are so many of them," Jay said, unable to take his eyes off the sight of the gathered goblins.
"What are they doing?" Tom whispered loudly up to him.
"There's like a stage of sorts at one end of the room. Most of the goblins are gathered together like some kind of truly horrible-smelling hippie concert. Now some others are coming out of a back room. Holy shit that's the biggest goblin I've ever seen." Jay dictated down to them what he was seeing in real-time.
"What?! How big?" Tom asked.
"About as big as you," Jay replied. "There are a couple of others bigger than normal goblins with him. And it looks like a mage goblin as well, based on the robes and staff. They are all walking onto the stage. I think they are going to give some kind of speech."
After Jay said this, the noise from the chatting goblins inside stopped and the drums began again. Chanting could be heard beginning low and rising in volume until it was almost shaking the walls of the warehouse. Jay continued to relay what was happening down to the others as the big goblin raised its hands to call for quiet.
It began to speak to the others in the strange goblin language that they couldn't understand. Every so often it would say something that would make the crowd of goblins cheer. The team of adventurers began to get nervous at the cheering of the goblin crowd. They sounded bloodthirsty in their cries at the words of the lead goblin.
"I think we've seen enough. We need to get the hell outta Dodge." Tom said indicating that Jay climbed down now.
Jay grabbed the hook from the window and stored it in his inventory with a thought. Dropping down, he turned just in time to see a group of goblin scouts round the corner of the building and stare in shock at the group of humans. Their hesitation was the saving grace of the team as they did not share the shock and pounced.
One goblin reached for something on his belt and died to a shuriken to the neck from Jay. Another was shot in the forehead by Kiera who was using a silenced pistol. The last one managed to grab a horn from his belt pouch and raised it to his lips. No sound came from it though as it was suddenly encased in a bubble that glowed a faint blue.
Everyone turned to see Briana with her hand raised blue light glowing in an aura around her extended hand. She smiled at them and then began to close her fist. Turning back to the goblin, they saw a look of confusion on its face as it stared at the horn in its hand before realizing that the bubble was getting smaller around it.
Placing its hands and feet against the bubble, it tried in vain to keep the walls from closing in on it. Briana quickly closed her fist tight with a small grunt and the bubble condensed even further causing the goblin to be crushed inside. Blood filled the outer walls, obscuring most of the view of what happened, but the bubble was now half the size the goblin had been before.
"Ooo...that had to hurt," Kedron winced slightly as he smiled at the carnage of the goblin.
Releasing her hand, Briana let the spell go and the mushed parts of the goblin along with its greenish-black blood fell to the ground in a small splash.
"We move out now. I don't need us getting caught up in a fucking goblin fight we can't win." Derek said with finality, leaving no room for argument as he began to head back away from the building.
Everyone followed Derek back until Jay took over, watching for incoming scouts. They moved even faster than before, not worrying about the formation. As soon as the other goblins found the bodies this area would be swarming with the smelly bastards. Fortunately, they managed to put some distance between themselves and the warehouse before the first horn sounded.
Cries of outrage and anger could be heard even from where they were when the goblins began to hunt for whoever had killed their companions. Soon the sound of some kind of dog or wolf could be heard baying as well as they began the search.
"Get to the vehicles now!" Tom called to the others as fear began to grip him.