Goblin Force Five. What an odd name, but who cares about oddities right now? Time to move, move, move! Screw running. They were going to take the Alwin Express. He summoned his Spirit Hands and ordered them to line up. Lin, the other goblins, and Bion’s squad stood there, eyebrows raised with a perplexed look on their faces.
"Did I give him too many vigor pills?" Lin muttered under her breath.
"Nope! Nope! Nope!" Alwin had heard her. "Line up! Line up! Line up!" He shouted.
The goblins exchanged uncertain glances, their eyes shifting to Lin as they waited for her lead. She scratched her head with the top of her staff as she eyed the Spirit Hands who were signing for the goblins to line up. Finally, she turned to Alwin, who was bouncing up and down.
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's Go!" he shouted again.
Lin cast a quick glance over her shoulder at her group and nodded. They immediately formed a line in front of the Spirit Hands, who were giving them a thumbs up. Lin joined the back of the queue along with Alwin. Meanwhile, Bion and his squad had slipped into the queue. Lin's eyes narrowed as she spotted them. She gestured to one of the nearby goblin guards, muttering strict warnings not to follow and instructing the guard to keep a close watch on the interlopers.
"Go! Go! Go!"
The hands had heard him loud and clear. They beckoned the first goblin, the black armored one, to come forward. He hesitated at first, staring at the Spirit Hands as if wondering what they were going to do to him. The first pair of hands were growing frustrated, they snapped their fingers and using their index and middle fingers, gestured for the goblin to come forth.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a small step forward. The Spirit Hands, fed up with his hesitancy, decided to take matters into their own...hands. With Alwin's nod of approval, they floated over to the goblin. They grabbed him by the armpits and the goblin squirmed, clearly uncomfortable. Realizing the awkwardness of their approach, the hands shifted down to his waist, then back up, trying to find the right hold. It was a constant trial and error, they weren't sure about the best way to hold a goblin—they were used to carrying a round blob instead of a bipedal monster—but that wasn't going to stop them. They had to adapt, of course, with the help of Alwin giving them instructions.
Although they probably would've gone at it faster if Alwin's instructions were actually coherent or made sense. He was just telling them to “Make him go zoom! Make him go whoosh! Make him go swish!” The last bit of 'advice', that deviated from the random sound effects he made caused something to click inside of them. Alwin had told them to treat the goblins like a sack of potatoes.
From that point on, the hands had given up adjusting their grip on the goblins. They grabbed him by the head—the one part of their body that somewhat resembled Alwin's, although a lot less squishy.
"What are you doing ?" the black armored goblin asked. His fingers trembling, they were inching towards the pouches on his belt.
The other four pairs of Spirit Hands in front had noticed and gave him a thumbs-up of encouragement. It was enough to stop him from flipping open the clasp on his pouch, either because he was confused about why the hands gave him a thumbs up or because he was actually reassured by them. Alwin was pretty sure it was the former, but then again, right now Alwin was pretty sure that the next time he craved funnel cake, he'd convince the backer to bake the cake into the shape of a funnel.
The goblin screamed as the hands tossed him, every set that he passed through grabbed him by the head, sending him spiraling through the air as he finally flew through the last of his hands at high speeds. The remaining goblins stared at their comrade, flying through the air like a ragdoll until he was just a tiny dot in the forest. They turned around to look at Lin with pale faces and eyes wide with horror. The large goblin clutched his club tighter, while the half-naked goblin and bow goblin took a step back, their trembling legs betraying their fear.
Of course, since Alwin was standing behind Lin, he couldn't tell what she was doing with her face. But, when the other largest goblin took a step forward to the hands who were all snapping their fingers in impatience. Alwin figured Lin must have communicated with just a look that backing out wasn't an option. Speaking of deuce, he wondered how the young masters were doing. Curse all this extra energy! Focusing was hard!
The Spirit Hands didn't waste any time, hurling the rest of the goblins through the air along roughly the same trajectory as the first. Each goblin let out a terrified scream, their cries echoing through the forest Even the big goblin with the club screamed—more like shrieked because his high-pitched wail had outdone the two female goblins' screams. As long as they ended up in roughly the same place, it was good enough for Alwin.
Finally, it was his turn and the hands tossed him through the air. Once they had completed their goal they could disappear, but not before leaving a parting gift. All five pairs signaled out Bion specifically, then flipped him off. Bion's face twisted in shock, but before he could react, the hands disappeared. This was all conveyed to Alwin through that mental connection he had, and he couldn't help but let out a huge laugh.
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The feeling of wind rushing by and the branches, leaves, and tree trunks whizzing by was exhilarating. He had never felt more alive! Now he was going to make sure Uchronia and Gus were alive!
Alwin crashed into the ground, right next to the other goblins. They had landed in different places, but the first goblin had tracked down their positions and rallied them all together. They looked to Alwin hoping, no begging, with their eyes that this was the place where his friends were captured. All hopes were dashed the moment the Spirit Hands materialized in front of them. The goblins let out a groan while the hands simply waved at them. Meanwhile, Alwin was giggling like a little kid the whole time.
The goblins and Alwin were sent soaring through the air multiple times, much to the despair of the Goblin Force Five. Each launch they'd scream louder than the last. Re-summoning Spirit Hands was way easier than using that weird method when he made his way back to the camp. Well, he didn't have the luxury of mana at the time. All he could rely on was his failing brain, and, oh boy, did it deliver!
Alwin lost count after the tenth throw. But that was okay! Because his destination was close—he was practically there already! The scenery was beginning to become familiar. Transitioning from trees, bushes, and rocks to... more recognizable trees, bushes, and rocks. Give Alwin a break! It was a forest. There were pretty much only trees, bushes, and rocks around. Trying to describe the difference was like explaining why water was wet! Doable, but not by him.
The goblins let out a collective sigh of relief when they realized the airborne chaos was finally over. They no longer had to brace themselves for another round of screaming flights. Alwin, who had been giggling maniacally throughout the ordeal, had suddenly gone silent. His expression turned serious. He was focused on being as quiet as possible. The other goblins noticed the abrupt shift in his demeanor. The carefree atmosphere vanished, replaced by a tense, almost eerie silence. They understood the change in Alwin's behavior meant one thing: it was time to get serious.
They readied their weapons: the black armored goblin held his daggers, the lady archery goblin nocked her arrow, and Lin gripped her staff tighter. The large goblin with the club lifted his club, letting out a huff, ready to bash some brains, while the half-naked one cracked his knuckles.
They trailed behind Alwin, walking through the undergrowth. Their footsteps were soft, light, and silent—either that or Alwin had hearing problems. Right now, he wasn't concerned about something so inconsequential like the Goblin Force Five. He was keeping his eyes and ears out for Uchronia and Gus. The million thoughts bouncing around in his mind had been snuffed out, except for one. Was he too late?
The air was filled with the murmur of voices and the faint scent of smoke. He recognized those voices: the haughty young masters and Gary Stew. Alwin raced ahead, ready to jump out of the bushes to confront and save his friends.
But just as he was about to leap into action, something held him back. Alwin felt a sudden resistance, like something gripping him tightly. He glanced down in confusion, struggling to move. Alwin was flying. Someone or something really was grabbing onto him.
It was the large goblin, the one with the club. Why! They were right there! Uchronia and Gus were on the other side of the bushes! If they're too late, then Gary Stew would've turned them into mincemeat or whatever culinary abomination he could concoct.
Lin started writing into the ground with the base of her staff—what was with people writing things in the dirt? Just bring along a pencil and a piece of paper. She wrote down the words 'Wait' and 'Observe'. Why? Had she not heard his internal monologue about how time was running out? At least that proves she wasn't a mind reader. Alwin nodded, not because he was going to listen to her, but because he was going to trick them. The moment they weren't looking at him, he'd dash out and save Uchronia and Gus from the clutches of Gary Stew.
The large goblin let go of Alwin, it felt good to move about again. It felt even better knowing that he was going to save his friends. The other members of Goblin Force Five peered through the bushes, taking in the sight in front of them. Very soon, they'd be seeing him dash out into the fray and they'd have no choice but to join him in saving his friends.
The moment Lin took her eyes off him, he made a mad bounce towards the bushes. Uchronia! Gus! Alwin was here to save you! The bush was getting closer, he was bouncing faster, preparing his spells as he got ready for the final showdown.
He couldn't move. Again.
Someone had lifted him off the ground. It was the large goblin again. What was wrong with him? Let him free! If he wasn't going to then Alwin would take matters into his own hands. He twisted and turned, but to no avail, he couldn't wretch himself free. Next thing he tried was biting the hand that held him, he tried to stretch his slimy body towards the large green hand that held him, but Alwin wasn't flexible or stretchy enough. He ended up just gnawing at the air.
Let him go! Let Alwin save Uchronia and Gus!
As he was struggling he saw Lin looking at him, she shook her head and let out a silent sigh. Stupid sneaky Goblins! Let him go! Alwin wanted to scream and shout, but even he knew that was stupid. The element of surprise would be lost. What wasn't stupid was letting him free so that he could run off and attack those humans.
Lin gestured with her head towards the bush and the next thing Alwin knew, he was being escorted through the underbrush. The hand shoved him into the foliage, leaves and tiny insects brushed past him. Another hand swept aside the vegetation and bugs. With all of the tiny disturbances out of the way, there was only a big one left. THAT STUPID HAND GRABBING HIS HEAD!
Alwin flailed around in the grip of that Goblin. He was more rabid animal than monster now, biting, thrashing, and twisting in a futile effort to escape. His fury only intensified when a tiny worm found its way into his mouth. He bit down, the bitter taste of worm guts filling his mouth—a grim wake-up call. Alwin was about to start gagging when another hand—what's with all of the hands lately—clamped his mouth shut. This was the perfect opportunity to gnaw away at the hand, but it was too strong. No amount of thrashing or using all of the muscles in his jaw helped. He couldn’t open his mouth, he couldn't even spit out the worm if he wanted to. There was no other choice. Alwin swallowed the bug.
The half-chewed bits slid down his throat and he gagged—at least that's what he tried to do. Tears leaked out of his eyes as the grossness of what he had just done sunk in. It was enough to rip him out of his frenzy. With his mindless muddled, he finally realized what the goblin that was holding him up was doing. He was showing Alwin the scene on the opposite side of the bush.