POV Micah
I held my bow at the ready as my hands trembled around the grip. We could all hear the extreme seriousness in Raizen’s voice…It sent a chill up my spine that I couldn’t explain. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I knew why that was the case. I was still slightly scared of him. He always had the same calm expression on his face.
It wasn’t a cold or a distant or even an evil expression by any means, it was just normal. Too normal. No matter what happened or what we faced he always looked like that. Even when he smiled or joked with us, his expression never deviated too much. It was only when he fought that a true smile would make its way on his face, which was weird in and of itself...but that wasn’t the scary part. It was that day Jax confronted him outside the Outpost.
Everyone knew Jax was wrong. He was acting like a child, but the expression Raizen had on his face that day was one of the scariest things I had ever seen in my life…that was when the fear started. That cold, deadpan, look of utter disregard. Like the entire world was beneath his purview. Like he was simply murdering a rat for daring to enter his presence. Even as he dragged Jax away the look didn’t go way. I won’t forget it because that was when my fear began. I started to see him as someone invincible. It took some time for me to get used to being around him but watching him protect us in the Dungeon on the trips I joined, changed how I saw him. The fear was still there, but now it was mixed with awe, and dependence. I didn’t even seem to realize when that happened but it did
Yet now that same man, was yelling a warning so serious that I felt a chill run up my spine? What were we about to face? Is it something we could really survive until Raizen got here?
It was a question I didn’t dare to think about for too long. I hated the fact we even had to resort to just waiting like lambs for the slaughter until Raizen made it back, yet that was all we could do.
I watched on from the guard tower as everyone hurried inside the Outpost. Thankfully no one here was a reckless idiot, so people weren’t getting pushed or shoved to make it inside. It was rushed but still orderly enough.
Only after a minute or two after everyone finally made it inside the Outpost did I finally spot something in the forest.
“Richard come up here!”
Although everyone made it inside the Outpost, no one left the vicinity of the gate, so Richard was still in earshot, and he quickly climbed up into the guard tower.
“Look, something is coming.”
Both Richard and I focused on the forest as best as we could. We could see movement in the distance, but it took another second until we finally saw what it was. Goblins. A lot of them.
“Oh fuck…Ri-Richard…you’re seeing this too right…”
“I am…we have to hold…”
I wasn’t surprised that even the usually cool headed Richard was aghast with worry, as he stared at the thousands of monsters that were soon to be bearing down on us.
In fact, he was staring at them for far too long…
“Richard! Snap out of it! What are we going go to if you space out like that! What should we do man?”
“Ah...I...i’m sorry Micah…right. What should we do…”
He closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to use every bit of his brain power to think of something. He eventually started muttering…
“The gate…we need to barricade the gate… BRANDON! Go to the shop and buy all the defensive fences you can buy! Lance take a few people and gather all the nonfighters to the houses in the back of the Outpost!
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Trent go buy all the damn bow and arrows you can and equip as much people as possible!! Irene and Micah! The second they get in range start shooting!”
“Richard…there are thousands of them…me and Irene won’t be able to do much of anything…”
“I know Micah..I know, but we have to do something. Killing just a few of them is better than doing nothing. We just need to hold on. Raizen warned us to retreat because he knew this was coming. He is coming, I’m sure of it. We just need to hold on.”
“Alright..I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you, Micah.”
After saying that Richard descended the guard tower and went to help people out with different tasks. I took a look across for me into the tower that was on the other side of the gate. Irene looked nervous, but resolute at the same time. She was just staring at the forest with her bow griped tightly.
I was in a similar position as I refocused my gaze on the monsters before me. I think in just another minute or so they would break the tree line, enter the clearing and begin rushing towards us.
I was scared.
As the passing seconds seemed to slow to a crawl in my eyes, it dawned on me that I could die today. I thought of my mom, my dad, my big sister, my nieces, and nephews…I thought of everyone dear to me as I watched the Goblins approached.
I didn’t even know if they were still alive in this Tutorial, but if I died today, I’d never find out…Eventually my thoughts to me back to one person. Raizen. Whether I lived or died depended on one man.
Part of me hated the fact I was being a burden, the fact there was simply nothing I could do to save myself, let alone anyone here. At least not in a way that I’d be happy about doing. Though that was only one part of me…another part was happy. Happy that I had someone to depend on. I watched as the Goblins broke through the tree line as my simmered in my thoughts.
I was still scared but for some reason I felt strangely calm. It was most likely due to believing that Raizen will come save the day. That is not a healthy thought process to keep, but for now I’ll allow myself to drown in that faith.
Raizen will make it in time.
I raised my bow as the frontline of the hoard entered my range and let an arrow loose. I wasn’t aiming at anyone in particular as there as so much of them that if I aimed in the general area, I’d hit something. Not bothering to check the result of my first shot, I grabbed another arrow and prepared to let that one loose as I heard the whistle of an arrow to the left of me. Irene has begun firing.
I continued to release arrow after arrow, until the Goblins got close enough to shoot back and one of them flied past my head.
That seemed to wake me out of my trance as my hands started trembling and before I knew it my back was drenched in sweat…I almost died.
I think Richard saw it as he yelled out at me from below.
“Irene and Micah come down!! It’s too dangerous to stay up there!”
Despite my trembling hands, I didn’t waste any time and quickly climbed down from the guard tower as more and more arrows whistled above my head.
Once I got down, I saw that a small group of people were now wielding bows and were getting ready to just shoot arrows over the wall.
I didn’t need to be told to join them, and before I knew it a proper volley of arrows were flying over the wall.
We managed to get only two more volleys off before we heard a loud crash, and the Outpost walls shook.
They were at the damn walls.
Richard called out once more.
“Retreat further! Hurry up and move the fences to the front!”
People did their best to move the fences in front of the gate as the rest of us backed up further.
Crash
They bashed against the wall one more time, though this time I think it was focused on the gate.
Crash
Richard called out again.
“Stop firing! Point all bows at the gate and hold! Prepare to fight hand to hand if they break through! Keep holding on! Raizen is coming!”
Crash
My Anxiety kept increasing with each bash against the gate and I knew the moment they broke it was coming. The crashing stopped for a moment then a loud roar sounded.
RAAAH!!
BOOM
The gate absolutely shattered into pieces as one of the massive ones sauntered in with the regular Goblins rushing in behind him. Richard called out once more.
“Fire!!! Brandon come with me! We have to hold them back!”
BOOOOOM!!!!!
Right as we loosed our arrows, we heard another explosion, only this one was truly booming, and it literally rocked the entire Outpost.
Everyone from the Goblins to myself and all of us gathered paused as we dealt with the aftershock of the explosion.
It was then a feeling of absolute dread washed over my body. It reminded of me of that day I watched Raizen drag Jax away…wait...Raizen?
Ah he’s here.
The second I had thought, a massive wall of pitch black flames rose up outside of the Outpost walls. It towered over everything. Was that…screaming?