Ava's lavender eyes flashed to mine, wide with worry. I growled, anger flooding my chest as the roar reverberated in my skull. I stood quickly, the pain in my body washing away as adrenaline kicked in.
"I don't know." I said. "But it seems like the quest came to us this time." I looked to the kid. He looked terrified, and to be fair, I was as well. That roar was loud as fuck. His face was white and he shook as I grabbed his arm and forced him to stand. "I'm gonna need a weapon."
"Micheal, here!" I turned and barely managed to catch the scabbard Ava had thrown my way. I stared at it. Since when did we have a sword?
"Where the fuck did you get a sword?" I asked the elf as I strapped the blade onto my left side. It felt a little awkward, but I got used to it pretty quickly. She smiled and pulled two daggers from her portal.
"Magic!" The kid said, pointing at Ava. "S-stay where you are!"
"Oh, fuck off." Ava said, glaring at the kid. She twirled her daggers and started towards him.
"Easy." I chided softly. "No need to bite to poor kid's head off. He's just doing his job. But what he's actually going to do is take us to see this Captain Yenulf, right?"
"Yeful." The kid corrected.
"Whatever. What's your name?" I asked as the three of us started rushing towards the door he had come out of.
"Tarsham, sir."
"Nice to meet you, Tarsham. I'm Micheal. That's Ava. Now, let's go save this city." I pulled up my sheet as we ran, giving it the old once over. It was surprinsingly easy to read my sheet while running. Even though I was moving and paying attention to the world around me, everything I wanted to know seemed to come to me.
Micheal Level 5 Height: 6’5” Weight: 225
Race: Neathonian Specialization: None
Health: 54/54
Stamina: N/A
Mana: 300/300
ATRIBUTES
Strength: 47
Constitution: 46
Agility: 15
Dexterity: 13
Charisma: 15
Wisdom: 13
Intelligence: 13 Points remaining: 4
GIFTS
Big Man:
Your muscles contain a gargantuan strength. Your size is considered one class size larger for all strength checks. Aren’t you the Big Man on campus?
Tis but a Flesh Wound!:
While not in combat, regeneration is greatly increased. You laugh at mortal wounds and scoff at dismemberment.
ACTIVE EFFECTS
TITLES
Unbroken:
Stamina no longer applies to you. The prayers of a little girl and the machinations of a god have resulted in this unique quest reward.
Skills
Hiking Level 4
Swords Level 1
Spells
Change Clothes:
By expending mana, you can change your personal set of clothes to look like anything you want. The more pronounced and intricate the outfit, the more mana it takes. Any protective based clothing, such as armor, does not take effect.
I frowned. Those numbers seemed high. I'd been on Sehal for about a week and a half now, and sure, I spent most days lugging a big fuck off cart, but 47 Strength seemed a bit much, even for me. Plus, it seemed to give me experience as well. I had gained three levels just from hauling shit. I also hadn't received any Level Up notifications. Aren't those the most important ones? I sighed. This world was fuckin' weird. Oh, well. If the world wants to make me overpowered, I'm not going to complain. I threw two points into Agility and Dexterity, bringing them to 17 and 15 respectively, and dismissed the menu. We charged into the door the kid had come out of and almost ran into a crowd of people coming out.
"Whoa!" I said as a shield bounced off my chest and the person holding it clattered to the ground. A cacophony sounded as the hallway filled with falling people. "Wow. That's an introduction." I heard someone roar from down the hall.
"What the fuck is going on?!"
"That's the Captain." Tresham whispered. I think it was Tresham, anyway, A me-sized man came tearing around the corner, face red as a tomato. He started wading through his men, making a beeline for us.
"Recruit Valkenbit!!!!!" The Captain roared as he reached us. His face got even redder when he saw me and Ava. "By the gods, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll whip you until I see bone!" Jesus. This guy was almost as bad as the Drill Sergeants in boot camp. I smiled at the kid's terror.
"We're here to help, sir." I said, extending my hand. "I'm Michael." The Captain stared at me for a while, his head cocked to the side and eyes narrowed. He finally reached out and took my hand, grasping it firmly.
"Captain Kilandrik Yeful, the leader of this sorry bunch of miscreants." I kept on smiling, even as I wanted to punch the man in the face. "Can you fight, Micheal?" I nodded.
"A little." The Captain nodded as well.
"Good. And you, miss?" he said to Ava. A look of recognition flashed across his face when he saw her, but he quickly schooled it back into a polite smile.
"I'm a healer and can hold my own in a fair fight."
"A healer, eh?" The Captain responded. "Must be my lucky day. Alright Ava and Micheal, follow me. We go to the walls to prepare our defenses." He marched past us without a second word. I turned to Ava and shrugged.
"Welp, let's go fight some goblins." I said. She nodded and followed the Captain outside.
It didn't take long for us to get to the walls. It was really just go outside and climb a ladder onto the top of the wall. Out in the delta though, a scene from a really bad movie was taking place. Tiny people dressed in what seemed like wooden armor were running around, trying to get into a battle line. They were decently close, maybe five, six hundred yards from us, with more spilling out from the tree line behind them. If I had my bolt action with me, I could hit them easily from this distance. Knock 'em down like bowling pins 'fore they even get close. Each of them had lime green skin and were about half the size of a normal man from my world. It was honestly so surreal that I didn't really struggle to accept it. Defending a town from a goblin army? Just par for the course in Sehal. Now that I thought about it, it seemed like everything on Sehal was a little smaller than back home. Or maybe I was just bigger. Food for thought.
There were dozens of the little bastards, all of them armed with some sort of weapon. I saw sticks, shovels, daggers, swords, bows, trowels, staves, everything. Ava sucked in a sharp breath next to me, and Tristan, I think his name was? Whatever, he was, Tristan now. Tristan started muttering something under his breath. I sighed and leaned against the ramparts, Ava right beside me.
"What can you tell me about goblins?" I asked her quietly as we looked up and down the wall. All along it, soldiers were getting ready for battle, taking up bows and setting arrows nearby or sharpening blades.
"They are vile monsters. Not very bright and tend to win through sheer numbers more than anything, but are savage beyond belief. They will tear a newborn's arms off just to listen it scream."
"But what about that goblin tribe you mentioned to the North?" She shot me a dirty look and I held up my hands.
"The monster variety is savage, like I said. They are the ones we face currently. The civilized goblin societies are, indeed, part of the Empire. They live peacefully with us in the North."
"And, how strong are goblins on average?"
"Physically and magically weak, but they make up for it with tenacity and viciousness. A horde like this one will have maybe fifteen or so magic wielders. They're the ones you want to target first."
"The Lady is right." Captain Yeful said as he came up to us. "Lack of magic is what has saved us so far, but I fear that is about to change. Not only have so many goblins gathered at once, more than any night before this, but that roar earlier was quite the shock. I fear this night will be a long one." I sighed, already feeling my body groan from lack of proper sleep. I shoved the feelings down, ignoring them as I had so often before.
"What can we expect from them? Any sort of surprises?" I knew it was a mistake as soon as I said it. I felt the wind shift and the ground shake as something massive lumbered through the woods. Birds screamed and departed in great flocks as trees snapped and bent. Another one of those terrible roars cut through the night as a massive cyclops with arms that hung down to his knees stepped from the trees. The thing was almost as tall as the trees themselves and it turned, grabbed a tree by the trunk and lifted it clear from the ground in one go, dirt and roots flying from the bottom as the creature hefted it into its arms.
"Well, shit. I just had to go and say something, didn't I?" Ava scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"I was wondering we hadn't run into any monsters before this. Now it makes sense. They're all either dead or avoiding the horde. I'm glad we made it here before they found us. You were right to keep going, Micheal."
"Don't hear that very often." I muttered as I gazed out at the mass of monsters. "This is gonna suck, isn't it?"
"Most likely, yes." Yeful answered. "Can you use a bow, Micheal?"
"Not in a few years." I answered honestly. The last time I had fired a bow was on the farm and that was at a stationary target. I missed.
"How about a sword?"
"A little bit."
"You fill me with confidence. I'll send you out with the infantry, then. Get down the ladder and form up on the gate. Do you need armor?" I leaned over to Ava.
"Do I need armor?" I asked her. She rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you dumbass, you need armor."
"Ok." I turned back to Yeful. "I'll take some armor, then." I looked at me like I was crazy, then shook his head.
"Go tell the quartermaster to get you sorted. Lady Ava, if you would head to the healer's tent, that would be greatly appreciated." Ava nodded and walked off, heading down the wall. I turned to go as well, starting to climb down the ladder, but Yeful called my name. I looked up at him, the reds and yellows of his uniform muted by the moons' sea glow.
"Be careful, son. This world is cruel to all of us. It might be easy now, but do not let that fool you. I have seen men better than you die for less." A snarl started to form on my face. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? What does he know about me or the shit I've seen? I opened my mouth to respond but he cuts me off. "I mean no insult. Simply a reminder that this world has a way of knocking us down. Good luck out there. Find me when you're finished. If you survive, I'll have a reward for you."
No quest popped up at his words. I was a little confused and tried not to let it show on my face. I nodded curtly.
"Yes, sir. Where's the quartermaster?"
"Inside and down the hall to the left. Follow the banging, you'll find it easy enough." I nodded again and slid down the ladder, opened the door, and stepped into the wall. Torches lined the hallway, no smoke coming from them. They must have been magic as the entire hallway was evenly lit on both ends. I turned left and walked down the hall until I heard some banging, just like Yeful had said. I rounded a corner and came to an abrupt stop as a woman crashed into me, spilling spears every where. One of them just so happened to stick into my bicep, spraying us with a fountain of blood when her weight ripped it free. I bit my tongue, drawing blood, and held back a curse. I smiled down at the woman, who was clearly terrified at just having skewered someone, and held out a hand to her.
"Are you alright, miss?" I asked. She stammered over her words and I sighed. I didn't have time for this. I bent down and picked up the spear that had stabbed me with, testing its weight. It felt good in my hands, a little better than the sword had. I'd never held a spear in the old world, so why did holding this one feel so... natural? "Thanks for the spear." I said to the girl, gesturing with it. I walked off down the hall, testing the spear as I went. I put my hand on my sword and frowned. It felt just as good and natural as the spear. What the hell was going on? Why was I feeling comfortable with weapons I had never held?
Help Menu: Racial Trait: Natural Warrior. Neathonian are natural warriors and have a predilection toward bladed weapons. Plus ten (10) to all bladed weapons. To acquire a bladed weapon skill, simply pick up the weapon. Skill level not replace actual combat experience.
I frowned at the message. Did that mean that just because my body knew what to do, I still had to learn? Maybe it was like a video game where the character knew the combo, but I still had to learn the buttons and timing and shit. I flicked over to my sheet, scrolling down to my skills, just to be sure.
Skills
Hiking Level 4
Swords Level 11
Spears Level 10
I smiled. John Boy really had come up clutch for me. Not only did I have a fantastic body capable of extreme feats of strength, it could also see in the dark and had a natural tendency to use blades.
"You really outdid yourself, John Boy. Thank you." I whispered as I closed the tabs. I continued down the hall, asking my cloak to turn from brown to black. Minor detail, I know, but it made me feel cooler and it only cost fifteen mana, so why not. I continued down the hall towards the banging, coming to a hole in the wall that had been turned into an armory. It was cut into the rock, like somebody had said, 'hey, we need an armory, but we don't have enough space so just put it in a hallway or something'. There was a throng of people, all clambering to get something from one blue haired man who was frantically chucking shit at people.
"There, you fucking savages!" I heard him scream. "Take it all and go away!" The throng of soldiers fell upon the pile of armor and weapons and fled down the hall within seconds, leaving the two of us in a suddenly empty hallway.
"Wow." I said, stunned by the flurry of action and how surprisingly few people got hurt in the melee. "Are they always like that?" The man sighed and turned to me.
"No, but the prospect of battle has them all rilled up." He wiped his brow with the back of one hand and offered me his other. "Ingrad Morrinson, quartermaster to this shit show of a Legion." So the Empire's army is called the Legion. I can work with that.
"Micheal." I said, shaking the man's proffered hand. "I heard I could get some armor from you, but maybe not."
"Bah." Ingrad threw his hand up and walked away, calling to me over his shoulder as I leaned on the counter. "The only thing I have that would fit you is leather, anyway. Not much good against arrows or spells, but it'll stop a blade pretty well." I slapped the counter and stood upright.
"That's fine by me. I'll take it." He came back holding a leather jerkin that seemed a little small. "Are you sure that'll fit?" He nodded.
"A little tight in the stomach, but you'll be fine." I sighed and accepted the armor, pulling it over my shirt and protecting my vitals. "Got any pants back there? Something to cover my legs?" Ingrad shook his head. "Nope. Only one near your size is the Captain, and he gets his own armor. Be glad I had that lying around." I nodded.
"Alright. Well, thank you for the armor, anyway." I shook the man's hand and started to move down the hallway the direction the others had gone. Ingrad called out behind me.
"Be safe out there!" I waved and ran down the hall, spear in hand and sword on my belt.
The hallway opened into the field. It was gated, of course, but the gate was open with people filling through it. Each one seemed to know where to go and what to do, so I just followed the person in front of me. Someone thrust a shield into my arms as I went out of the gate. We walked to the left about a hundred yards and wound up directly under Captain Yeful.
"Awesome." I mumbled to myself, resting the butt of my spear on the ground and trying to get my shield on. I looked out at the forrest and felt my heart begin to thunder in my chest. This was not the combat I was used too. I was used to little firefights here and there, a few hours of intense, bloody action followed by days of waiting for something else to happen. This was entirely different. Everything would be decided in the next few hours. There was no retreat to fight another day, it was do or die. I felt the blood in my veins heat up and move a little faster. A smile formed on my lips and I tightened my hold on my spear. The goblins were advancing.
There were dozens of them, call it a solid hundred, laid out in a line two to three goblins deep. Thankfully, we had a solid fifty well trained warriors. At least, I hoped they were well trained. And me. We also had me. Another roar sounded from the tree line, Big Barry throwing his head back and screaming at the sky. That seemed to be the starting horn, as the goblins charged when he roared. I roared back. It certainly wasn't as loud, but I did hear some of the other troops as well, roaring our defiance at the beast. My heart was pounding and adrenaline was pumping. I felt alive. Three sharp whistle blasts sounded from above us, and the troops began to march forward. I lurched to keep up and keep the line, shield held in front of me.
Hooray! You've learned a new skill: Shield. Shield is now Level 1.
I dismissed the message. Two hundred yards. The wind turned down on us and I could smell them. I forced myself not to gag, but some of the others weren't so lucky. A few of us lost our lunches as the stench washed over us. It smelt like fifteen day old sweaty middle school boy gym clothes that had been soaked in AXE body spray that went bad a decade ago. It was thick, sour, and rotten and it landed on my tongue in waves. I hated it immediately. These things were fucking gross.
We got within a hundred yards, and I saw my first monster clearly. It was small, maybe two and half feet tall, with chalk green skin that had orange veins visible beneath it. They stuck out obviously against the odd looking skin, and as we got closer, I could see finer details. The eyes were a light blue that glowed with malice. Fingers tipped with claws gipped crude wooden and stone weapons or nothing at all. Thirty yards away, all hell broke loose. The goblins screamed in tiny, high voices and charges us. I heard the Captain yell at us to hold, but someone ignored him and charged, running out in front of the line.
"Fuck it." I said, grinning as I gripped my spear and shield. I roared and charged with the man. The two of us met the goblin force first. They were small, coming up to my thigh at best and slashing at my legs with their crude weapons. It hurt, several knives, daggers, swords, and whathaveyou, but not as much as I hurt them. My charge was uninterrupted, my strength plowing the tiny creatures out of the way like a bull in a china shop. I roared with laughter as three of the goblin bastards were skewered on my spear, killed upon impact.
Wowza! You've killed a level 2 Goblin. You earn two (2) exp. You go, Hero!
The message populated twice more as my knee struck a goblin in the face, shattering his teeth. A new message popped up as I wound up on the other side of the goblin line.
Triple Kill! Plus ten( 10) percent exp for these kills.
I grinned. Oh, fuck yes. I looked at the spear in my hands, goblin corpses dripping orange blood onto the grass, and howled with laughter. I reared back and launched the spear with the corpses on it into a clump of goblins. They stared at the spear in their midst and I pulled my sword, charging the group, screaming at them. They didn't react, too focused on the macabre [scene before them. I swang for the fences, and grinned as two wholes become four halves. I slaughtered the group, laughing madly all the while. The last goblin looked up at me, fear in his bright blue eyes. I don't know how I saw fear in pure blue orbs, but I did. I smiled, hauled off, and kicked the little guy. A nasty crunch! sounded as bones broke and he went flying, arcing beautifully into the night air. But, in that fraction of a second when I was off balance, a goblin got a hold of my cloak and pulled, jerking my head back. I was stronger than him, but I hadn't been expecting it. I lost my balance and went down. Goblins fell upon me, their fetid breath clogging my nose and their screams ringing in my ears. I held my hands up to protect my face as at least seven of them stabbed me multiple times. I cursed and raged, lashing out with a fist. I felt a goblin's skull crunch as my fist made contact.
"Oh yeah!" I shouted, pushing off the ground and standing up. "That's right!" A goblin sliced my thigh open and I grabbed the little fucker. I grinned, took him by the head and one leg, and pulled. They both came off, spattering me in a shower of orange. "I'm strong!" I grabbed my sword from the ground and sliced a goblin in half at the waist. I don't know why, but I expected there to be nothing inside the goblin other than blood, but, nope! The universe had other ideas. My shoes were spattered with the remains of the goblins last meal as his guts splattered onto the earth. And me. Mostly me. It was disgusting.
I pushed down the urge to vomit and moved on to the next green little shit. My sword slashed one way and stabbed another, each one finding some mark. Not every wound was fatal, but I was doing enough to distract that the other soldiers could finish them off. The goblins also sucked at swordplay. They were even worse than me, and that's saying something. The only real strategy they had was throw themselves at something until they overcame it with sheer numbers. Faced with a thing a dozen times stronger than them that never tired, their fates were sealed from the start. Three minutes into the melee and I got a notification.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Quest Update: Martinlos Massacre.
You have successfully killed twenty-five (25) goblins. You have drawn out the boss, The Cycloptic Goblin. Good Luck.
I swore as the message blinked out of existence. The ground rumbled as the big fucker who ripped a tree out of the ground to use as a weapon came lumbering towards me. I looked around me, the majority of the goblins lying about in pieces around me. Many of the soldiers I'd been fighting with had backed off, forming into little circles and keeping the goblins at bay. We seemed to be winning for now, if only because humanoids are bigger than goblinoids. Speaking of bigger things, Big Barry was picking up speed, starting to run towards us. The ground was shaking worse as he thundered closer. I looked around me, and, seeing that I was between the tree sized goblin and the town, I sighed. And then, in a moment of complete stupidity, I charged back.
I didn't scream, not this time. I just gritted my teeth and raced for his ankle. Sure, it was the only thing I could reach, but it was also unprotected, which meant his Achilles tendon was ripe for the slicing. I cringed internally as I pictured what I was about to do. When Big Barry and I get close, I'm going to have the speed advantage. If I time it right and avoid being crushed, I can sever his why am I flying?
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Axel was having a very bad day. Not only had his performance been so rudely interrupted by those bastard guards, he had then been arrested for trying to make his case. He hadn't even been taking any money. A little girl had asked him to play something, and one song had turned into five, into ten, but the guards were having none of it. They took his favorite lute and smashed it, saying he was lucky not to loose his hands for an illegal performance. Not to mention they took his clothes and dressed him in this garish red shirt with a gold eagle sitting atop a globe and an anchor positioned behind it with equally gold lettering that he couldn't read emblazoned below it. As he looked at the lettering, something twinged at the back of his mind, like he should be able to read it, but he pushed it aside. He sighed, settling in for another long night of boredom. When daybreak came, he would try to make his case to the Mayor again. So far, all attempts at contacting the Mayor had ended with verbal threats from the guards and the occasional slam against the cell bars, but Axel refused to give up. He was innocent of any crime, and by the gods, he would prove it. He had been in the city for a few months now and was in good standing, so it should be a simple matter to clear things up.
If I ever get to meet with the Mayor. He thought gloomily, sighing as he rolled over on his cot. At least they still feed me. He had just started to doze off after a supper of slightly moldy bread and soup that tasted like day old ham when a massive roar shook the prison. Axel sat up, his thoughts racing and adrenaline surging into his body. Several other prisoners called out, some asked what was going on, and others prayed, but Axel's old instincts kicked in. He hadn't heard a roar like that since he left the Legion, and it drove fear into his heart. He blinked the visions of slaughter from his mind; he had to focus.
Another roar sounded, closer this time. Some people began to cry, and Axel felt rage swell up in his chest. He may be a retired Legionnaire, but he would be dead and gone before he let the people of this town come to harm. He looked towards the cell door, as rusted and dingy as the rest of the town. He got an idea and moved to the door, steadying himself and bending his knees slightly, then took a deep breath. He focused on his target and kicked the cell door at the lowest hinge. It was rusted and pocked, but the metal held. He tried again, and again, nothing. Axel swore and slammed his hand against the door. It rattled, but held. A solid minute had passed as he thought about what to do, how to get out, when the stone wall next to him exploded open, letting in the cool night air and leaving a man in a leather jerkin, a black cape, and tan pants just like Axel's lying amongst the rubble. He looked ridiculous. His right arm was bent the wrong way and blood flowed from a wound to his head, matting his hair to his head, and his left foot was twisted fully around and hung limply in its socket. Axel forced down his gag reflex as he knelt to check on the man. He would make sure that the man was still alive, and then he would address the worst of the wounds. As soon as he got close, though, the man's neon green eyes shot open and they locked onto Axel, pinning him in place. The man inhaled sharply as he sat straight up, rigid as a corpse. Axel shuffled back a little, base fear getting the better of him. He scowled and stood, brushing himself off. The man did the same, his arm and foot back in their proper places.
Axel looked on in shock as the man stood, groaned and stumbled, but remained standing. He looked around him, vibrant green eyes scanning the room. The wounds on his face and side finished healing over as the man stood there, seemingly uncaring. Those intensely green eyes locked onto Axel, and he felt a shudder of fear pass through him as the man stepped closer. Those eyes held the promise of violence should any body dare cross him. A series of emotions flashed across the mans face as he looked Axel up and down, until he finally settled on a natural grin.
"Have you see a sword around here?" He asked in a deep, light hearted voice. It contained traces of anger and violence, yet it held a joyfulness that felt familiar to Axel. It was not the voice Axel had been expecting. "I gotta get back to fighting Big Barry over there." The strange man hooked a thumb out of the hole in the wall towards where Axel could hear the sounds of fighting. Axel shook his head no and the man sighed.
"Shame." His terrifying green eyes snapped onto Axel again. They seemed to glow as he spoke. "Question." Axel nodded his head, his voice refusing to work. "You wanna help take this guy down?"
"Wha-What?" Axel finally found his voice, though it was rough and gravelly from the dust and stress, not its usual high baritone.
"You're a Marine." The man said simply, gesturing at his shirt. "We'll talk about that later. For right now, though, I need you to snap back into soldier mode. We got a goblin the size of a tree trying to bust down the walls and I need somebody to distract him while I slice his Achilles." The man gave the smile of a snake that had just cornered a fat mouse. "And I just found my guy." He walked over to the hole and looked out into the night. "So, what can you do?"
"Do?" Axel gasped, still trying to process everything. "What do you mean, 'do'?"
"Any special powers? Anything that'll help us win the fight?" Axel scoffed.
"I can't do shit 'cept fight. Legion for ten years. No special powers, though." The man looked curious but brushed it off, gesturing Axel over to the hole. Axel moved next to him and looked out onto a vision from one of his nightmares. A massive goblin, maybe sixty feet tall, swung a literal tree at the stone walls of the city. A silver barrier flashed around the entire city, turning the night into a silver day, and the tree shattered into thousands of splinters. The monster roared in anger and smashed his fist into the barrier. It flashed back and held, but the subsequent strikes shook the city more and more. A building to their right crumbled.
"Ok, that's not good." The man said, his eyes searching the surrounding area. Then he nodded to himself and looked over at Axel. A pit of fear grew in his stomach as the man's face split into a mischievous grin. He lunged and Axel tried to dodge, but the man caught his wrist. It was like a vice had closed around his wrist, the man's grip was that strong. Axel felt himself get pulled into the big man who picked him up in the way soldiers were trained, tossing the man over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "Please let me have enough Agility for this." He heard the man mumble as he ran towards the hole in the wall, and leapt out.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I tried to put events in their proper place as I hopped across the rooftops, the Marine over my shoulder. I was planning my attack as I charged Big Barry, and then I was flying, and then pain, and then blackness. He must have blindsided me with the tree and sent my flying. Well, the tree was gone now, so that left us both weaponless. But I had a major concussion and he was fine.
"What's your name, bro?" I asked the man in English. He responded instantly in kind.
"Axel." He grunted as I leapt off a rooftop and landed heavily on another, my foot almost going through the wood. I took a moment to get my bearings. It wasn't that hard to follow the massive fuckin' goblin as he looked for ways into the city, but I wasn't looking for him, I was looking for Yeful. I caught sight of him standing on the wall and lit by torches. He had his hand in the air and lowered it, a hail of arrows pinging into the monster. It roared, the arrows seeming to do nothing more than piss it off. I started moving again.
"Well, Axel, it looks like shit has officially hit the fan, and I'm going to need your help to stop it. Now, admittedly, I am not the smartest man, but my idea is this." I grunted as I made a particularly large leap across a main street. We were maybe two blocks from the wall now. "You and the others distract him, I get in there and cut his Achilles. He goes down, and we swarm the head and neck, doing all we can to kill him. Does that sound good?"
"Why are you asking me?" Axel grunted. "I'm just a grunt. I don't make the plans."
"Me fuckin' neither." I shot back. "I'm way outta my element here. I don't know shit about goblins, but it stands to reason that if he can't walk, he can't fight." Axel was quiet for a moment as he considered my words. When he spoke, none of the fear he had shown earlier was present.
"Then let's go fuck this asshole up." I grinned as we reached the wall. I looked up at it, a solid twenty feet above me, and took a deep breath. I crouched and felt a self-indulging smile form on my face. I jumped, sending the two of us soaring up. Wood cracked under my feet as they left the roof and I laughed as we went above the wall, then landed with a soft omph! I set Axel down and strode over to the Captain, Axel right behind me. He seemed to be doing fine for having been carried halfway across the city in under three minutes.
"Captain!" I called, walking up to the man. He turned, saw us, and had to do a double take.
"Micheal?" He asked.
"Yes sir. And I found a friend." I gestured to Axel who nodded to the man.
"Captain. Axel Plontim, Retired Legionnaire." He saluted the Captain, who gave him an appraising look. Another bang shook the wall as Big Barry hit the barrier two hundred feet to our left.
"Can you use a bow, Mr. Plontim?" Yeful asked as he stared at the monster resting his hands on the thin barrier.
"Yes sir." Axel answered with confidence. He turned to me, a mad grin on his face. "You ready for Operation Giant's Fall?"
Quest Update: Martinlos Massacre has been changed to Operation: Giant's Fall.
I sighed, blinked the message away, and looked over at Axel, who looked back at me, frowning. He raised a finger and took a breath, but I interrupted him. I patted his shoulder and leaned in to whisper into his ear. "Best to go along with it, yeah? Find me after the fight and we'll swap pointers." I was pretty sure the man was a Traveler, based off of his clothes, but I wasn't certain. He didn't seem to have any memories of home, or he'd had his memories messed with. Maybe he'd been here longer? I shook my head, pushing my thoughts aside. The dude's vibes felt good, and I had an instinct to trust him. I turned back to the Captain.
"Captain, it seems I've lost my sword. Do you know where I could get another?" He gave me a nonplussed look, then gestured over the side of the wall, saying nothing. I got his meaning, though, and nodded. I'd have to find my own. "Yeah, I thought so. Oh, well. Axel, I'm gonna trust you with the distraction. Go for the eyes." I gave the man a thumbs up and flung myself over the edge.
It was an awesome feeling, free fall. I loved the way my stomach rose into my throat as I went weightless in the air and the wind blowing through my hair. Paratrooper training was my favorite part of boot camp. The landing, however, left something to be desired. I crashed into the ground, trying to turn my momentum into a roll, but misjudged my landing. Rather than epicly turning my fall into a roll and ending up on my feet, my ankles shattered and my hips dislocated from the impact and I flopped over like a dead fish. I groaned in pain, but since I wasn't yet in combat, they started to heal. As I lay there, cussing myself for being a dumbass and thanking John Boy for such a dope ass power, I heard someone laughing at me. I looked up and saw Axel's black hair bouncing up and down as he cackled, pointing at me. I grumbled as my ankles finished healing, and I stood. The ground was... not great. Dozens of corpses littered the blood soaked field. Most of them were goblins, but I did see the occasional Legionnaire scattered here and there. I went to the nearest one, a woman, and apologized as I took her sword.
"I'll protect your city." I whispered to her as I stood. The sword felt good in my hand, and I gripped it firmly as I looked down at the woman surrounded by goblin bodies. I felt a flicker of rage bloom within my chest, and grabbed onto it. Hadn't John Boy said something about Rage being a weapon here? My vision tinged red as my arms began to shake and the anger flooded into every part of my body. My muscles tightened and relaxed, seeming to feel my intent to harm, and excited for it. I heard a tiny scream from my left, and turned on the little green shit. He was charging me, a prehistoric axe held above his head. It was just a rock strapped to a stick with dried vines. He wasn't worth my effort. I stalked towards the goblin, the rage growing with each step. We met, his axe trying to get me, but I kicked him. His little chest folded in on itself, and he went flying.
Wowza! You've killed a Level 3 Goblin. You earn three (3) exp. You go, Hero!
A vicious grin spread across my face. A few more tried to stop me, but my sword slashed through one, chest to sternum, then another at the waist, splitting him in half and earning me two more exp. A third fell to my left fist crushing his face into his skull. Three exp. My rampage continued as I made my way towards Big Barry. I killed five more goblins, none of them any challenge and none of them above three experience points.
Big Barry was still leaning on the barrier and had yet to notice me approach. I was about twenty yards away when the smell hit me. It smelled like shit had been mixed with a dead skunk, eaten by a cow, and then shat out again. I gagged as the smell landed on my tongue, my feet stumbling and the noise alerting the massive goblin to me. He looked down and roared, flecks of spittle the size of basketballs raining down around me. He bent, his hand reaching out to grab me, when a boom like that of an artillery cannon going off sounded right above my head. I felt the shockwave ruffle my hair as my eardrums burst. It hurt like a bitch and my balance was a little wonky, but not as wonky as Big Barry. I couldn't hear anything, but I could see that he was stumbling around, feet going every which way. I focused in on my target, the place right above his heel where the tendon separated from the bone. The skin was stretched tight over the skeleton, and my target was clear. The only problem was that it was about a foot above my head. I broke into a run, my arms pumping and seeming to know how to run with a sword without stabbing myself despite me never having done it before, which was pretty clutch because my head was pounding and it was hard to focus and I probably would have stabbed myself by accident by this point. Big Barry stopped moving, his weight heavy on his right foot. I was three feet away. It was now or never.
I took two more steps, then leapt, bringing my sword up and into both hands. I roared as my sword dug into the soft skin of his ankle. I couldn't hear it, but my chest vibrated with rage as I screamed. My body continued on past Big Barry's ankle, and I yanked my sword with me. It stuck for a moment in the think tendon, and I thought for a moment that it would remain there, that the tendon was too thick and I too weak, when the resistance disappeared and I went tumbling to the ground. I felt the air vibrate as Big Barry roared in agony and orange blood spurted from the wound. It didn't take long for Big Barry to start toppling. I watched in awe as the knee buckled and his leg gave out. I scrambled to my feet and dashed to the side, trying to get clear of the falling giant. The ground shook as he crashed into it, throwing me from my own feet. I scrambled back up, getting used to my new balance, and raced over to Big Barry's head. I dashed to Big Barry's upper body and leapt onto his chest, clearing the five feet easily. I felt his chest vibrate as his voice box moved, but I couldn't hear anything. I jumped from his chest to his large nose as his fist thudded onto his chest where I had just been, breathing heavily. I moved from his nose to his forehead as his other fist broke his nose for me. He screamed, I could tell because I saw his mouth open and the orange blood spill free. I smiled evilly.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." I panted. I knelt and raised my sword, taking a deep breath. The goblin stench entered my mouth. and filled my heart with hate as I drove my sword into his brain with all my strength. The point shattered his skull like pottery, driving into his brain down to the hilt. I moved the sword around like I was stirring the worlds biggest pot of chili. Big Barry's hands fell limply by his side, crashing into the ground and causing minor earthquakes, then laid still. His lungs let out a huge death rattle, then lay silent, refusing to inflate further. I pulled the sword free, orange blood and blue brains coming with it. I gagged as some of the brains got on my boots and pants, and I felt my clothes recoil as well. I was breathing heavily as I stood, wavering a little. A message popped up as the rage in my veins began to fade.
Wowza! You've killed Big Barry, a Level 15 Cycloptic Goblin. You earn one hundred and fifty (150) exp.
I dismissed it, my breathing ragged as I stood. Another populated as my feet settled under me.
Look at you go, you've level up! You are now Level 6.
Awesome. Finally, a level up message. I dismissed it and another immediately took his place. My vision started to clear, the blue-green light of the moons coming back into color.
Congratulations, you have completed the quest: Operation: Giant's Fall.
You and Axel have successfully defended the city of Martinlos. You both earn one hundred (100) exp, as well as fifteen (15) additional points in any skill you possess. Please select from this list:
Swords
Spears
Hiking
I instantly chose swords and the message blinked a confirmation. I took a moment to admire the animation of the green check mark drawing itself onto the screen before it blinked out of existence. Sometimes you gotta admire the finer things in life. The sounds of people cheering returned as another message popped up.
Hooray! You've leveled the skill Swords. It is now level 11.
The message popped four more times, bringing me to fifteen before the quest bonus. With the fifteen on top of that, I was now at Swords Level 30. I frowned as that seemed high, but fuck it, it was a quest reward and it seemed to follow the pattern of me skyrocketing certain stats. The sword felt like an extension of my arm, like my rifle did back when I was on Earth. I knew just how far it could reach and how to properly use it to kill a man. One more message popped.
Hooray! You've leveled the skill Shield. It is now level 2.
I dismissed it andhopped down from Big Barry's skull, pulling up my sheet as I landed.
Micheal Level 7 Height: 6’5” Weight: 225
Race: Neathonian Specialization: None
Health: 70/70
Stamina: N/A
Mana: 425/425
ATRIBUTES
Strength: 47
Constitution: 46
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 15
Charisma: 15
Wisdom: 13
Intelligence: 13 Points remaining: 4
GIFTS
Big Man:
Your muscles contain a gargantuan strength. Your size is considered one class size larger for all strength checks. Aren’t you the Big Man on campus?
Tis but a Flesh Wound!:
While not in combat, regeneration is greatly increased. You laugh at mortal wounds and scoff at dismemberment.
ACTIVE EFFECTS
TITLES
Unbroken:
Stamina no longer applies to you. The prayers of a little girl and the machinations of a god have resulted in this unique quest reward.
Skills
Hiking Level 4
Swords Level 30
Spears Level 10
Shield Level 2
Spells
Change Clothes:
By expending mana, you can change your personal set of clothes to look like anything you want. The more pronounced and intricate the outfit, the more mana it takes. Any protective based clothing like armor does not take effect.
I sighed and focused on my available four points. I did tell Ava that I wanted to put more into Agility and Dexterity, so that's what I did. I put two into Agility and two into Dexterity, bringing me to 19 and 17 respectively. I closed my sheet as people started coming up to me. They were all Legionnaire's wearing the red and yellow that I now associated with the Legion. They all clapped me on the shoulder and congratulated me, but I didn't hear it. I was too numb, too tired. Adrenaline had been keeping me going so far, but I was rockin' on like four hours of sleep after hauling the cart all day yesterday and getting us to town today. I growled and forced the exhaustion down. This town and the Captain gave me bad vibes, and I wanted to get on the road, so we had a little bit more work ahead of us.
Pushing through the crowd of cheering people, I walked to the base of the walls and jumped, landing on the wall easily. Axel walked over to me, a bow in his hand and a massive grin on his face. My own face split into a grin as we embraced.
"No special powers, huh?" I teased in English as I patted his back.
"Fuck you, dude." He laughed and slapped mine hard. It only stung a little, but I laughed it off. "I coulda done that blindfolded and a raccoon chewin' my foot." I frowned. That was one of Mark's favorite sayings, and he and his grandpa were the only ones I'd ever heard use it. We separated as Yeful came over.
"That was impressive, both of you." He said, nodding to us. Something didn't feel right. Yeful was shifty, sweat on his brow and his feet unable to settle. "Would you please follow me? I have a reward for the both of you." Axel started to answer, but I put a hand on his shoulder.
"We're honored, sir, but a little hungry. Would you allow us to eat and bathe before we meet? Poor Axel here was locked up for gods know how long." Right on time, my stomach let out a massive roar that rivaled one of the Legionnaire's shouts. Yeful nodded, his face a little pale.
"Of course. Please don't take too long, though. I wish to reward you quickly." Even Axel frowned at that. I nodded to Yeful, smiling thinly, then turned and marched away. Axel called after me, rushing to catch up.
"Yo, the fuck, dude?" He said in English. I grinned. It seemed like he remembered the language well enough.
"I don't trust the Captain." I said as we headed in the direction Ava had walked. "He offered a reward before I found you, and I didn't get a quest. I ain't been here long, been typically when someone asks for help, I get a quest. The fact that I didn't get one when he asked gives me bad vibes. I'm not meeting with him." We arrived at a white tent with a strange red symbol on it. It looked like the Swiss Army Cross, but stylized to be pointed at all ends. There was some kind of vine growing up the cross's stem and a bird on either of the cross' arms. I threw the tent flap aside and walked in. I spotted Ava instantly as she was the only green haired person in the tent. I swore, a long string of curses spilling out of my mouth that forced all work in the tent to stop. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as the women looked back at me. Ava sighed as she stood from the person she was helping.
"Micheal, if you're going to use that kind of language, I'm going to have to wash your mouth out with soap. And what in all the gods' name's are you covered in?" She asked with exasperation.
"Sixty foot tall goblin brains. We're leaving." I said simply, not having the energy for this shit. I stalked forward and grabbed Ava, picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder. She squeaked in surprise, but allowed herself to be carried nonetheless. I turned on my heel and marched out of the tent.
"But the beds." Ava complained. I ignored her, walking over to Axel and continuing on as he fell into step beside me. I set Ava down and she walked with us. "Will you at least tell me what's going on?" She asked.
"When we're clear of the city." I said, grabbing her hand. We continued to walk through the dark streets, only the moons' light to guide us. "Axel?" I asked the man. He jumped at my voice, but hid it well.
"What's up?"
"Is there somewhere we can buy food? We're running a little low." He thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure. The Delomin's had a huge harvest, and they've offered to help any who needed it. Their farm is about half an hour's walk out of town." I grinned.
"Awesome. Then that's our next stop, The Delomin's farm to replenish our rations. Let's go find the cart and get under way." Ava groaned, her shoulders slumping.
"But I wanted to sleep in an actual bed again." She complained. I squeezed her hand softly.
"I know, but this town gives me bad vibes, and I want to get out of here before that Captain comes looking for us. Also, you forgot your glamor." Ava reached up to her hair and swore almost as badly as I had. I laughed as she calmed down. "Now you see why I swore so much at the tent." She nodded, her face contorted into a snarl. It relaxed as she sighed.
"Fine, we'll leave tonight. But you owe me." Ava stuck her finger in my face and I smiled.
"Of course. I'll do any one thing that you ask of me, without complaint." Ava's lavender clouds took on a malicious gleam as she looked at me.
"Anything?" She asked, her voice low.
"Anything within reason." I said. Ava turned back to the street, her hand still in mine. She gave it a squeeze.
"I'll remember that." She said. We were quiet for a few minutes as we walked. The streets were narrow and winding, and I got lost pretty quickly. Thankfully, Ava seemed to know where we were going as we arrived at the place where we had left the cart pretty quickly. I turned to Axel as Ava climbed into the cart and settled on the bench.
"You could come with us." I said, surprising even myself. I couldn't tell you why I offered to let him come, something just felt right about the man. He felt like a man that I could trust with my life. He actually seemed to consider the offer for a moment, then shook his head no.
"I appreciate the offer, but I have a wife here in the city. I can't leave her." I nodded in understanding.
"I get it, dude." I said, holding my hands up. "Gotta look out for the family." I gave him an American salute and he snapped one off in return, his body seeming to move before his brain. His face creased in confusion as he lowered his arm. I grinned at the man and pulled him into a hug. "Good luck out there, brother." I said. He nodded.
"You too, brother." The words felt natural, like we had said them a thousand times before. We patted each other's back twice, then separated.
"Don't let me be the reason you don't go with your brother." A magical, high voice that pierced the night said from the cart. I heard Ava scream as I whirled and leapt, sword in hand in a flash. I landed on the back of the cart, sword pointed at a beautiful woman dressed in a white dress in the Grecian style from back home. It was loose and flow-y and even I had to admit that she looked pretty good. Her magenta hair hung down in waves to the middle of her back, and her porcelain skin shone like a sea gem in the moons' light. She gave off a calming presence, like the small waves the beach has in the middle of the night, or that feeling you get when you come home after a long trip and that comforting smell hits you.
"Who the fuck are you?" I snarled, ignoring the woman's beauty and putting myself between her and Ava.
"Maria?" Axel asked, his face a mask of wonder. "How did you get here?" The woman, apparently named Maria, turned a winning smile on Axel.
"Of course it's me, sweetie." She hopped down from the cart with way more grace than I had expected and walked over to Axel. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "You know, when he first showed up on my doorstep, the first thing he said was how beautiful I was. He got down on his knees and proclaimed his love for me, so I decided to come down here and live with him." I stared at the odd woman, tring to get her measure. I leaned down and whispered into Ava's ear.
"Do you trust her? I get a good vibe from Axel and peaceful vibe from her." Ava nodded.
"Me, too. I say that we trust them for now. Until we get to that farm and get some more food. I will admit that the woman intrigues me."
"Axel intrigues me as well." I said. "He's like me, that's for sure, but doesn't remember home. I want to ask him some questions." Ava nodded, covering a yawn with her hand. She leaned into me for a moment and I fought down my own yawn.
"Let's take them." Ava mumbled. I nodded and patted her shoulder.
"Alright, y'all." I said as I hopped down. "Climb on and let's get going. I wanna put some good milage between us and that sus ass Captain." Maria nodded her agreement.
"You are correct in your assessment of the Captain, young Micheal. He is indeed corrupt. Had you taken him up on his 'reward'..." she put the word 'reward' in quotation marks with her fingers as she floated onto the cart, her dress not moving an inch. Ava and I both stared in wonder as the woman settled herself next to Ava. Axel climbed into the back of the cart, settling between some boxes in such a way that he could still see the women.
"How the fuck did you just do that?" I asked awe. Ava nodded dumbly as I spoke, her mouth hanging open and her lavender eyes wide. The woman laughed politely, hiding her mouth behind one of her dainty hands.
"Didn't I tell you?" She giggled, her rainbow colored eyes glinting with mirth. "I'm a goddess."