Two days had passed since the meeting. In that time, Alex had been constantly on the move, inspecting everything. The attack was imminent, and everyone could feel it in the air.
The goblins, for their part, were truly agitated. The preparation for their grand ritual had come to a complete halt. They didn't know how or why, but lately moving through the forest had become extraordinarily difficult, even with the blessing of their god.
"We must hurry the ritual. The great serpent must be hungry; that's why its blessing has weakened," urged a goblin chieftain.
"No, it's something else. Its blessing is strong, even stronger than before. Whatever is interfering with us, our god is fighting against it. The forces obstructing our plan are mortal, not divine," replied an old, scarred Kesha.
"The designs of the Great Serpent cannot be obstructed by those hairy apes. We must ensure the ritual is completed," another Kesha insisted.
"If we really want the ritual to have the maximum effect, we should wait even longer. There's another large shipment en route that should bring the necessary mages to reach the required number," responded another Kesha.
"I'm not sure we have the time. The spirits have been very restless for days. We might need to accelerate our plans," the first Kesha replied.
Everyone present looked at him when he spoke. Although the Kesha had no formal leader, the old one was an important figure. He had not only participated in many important campaigns but also demonstrated the greatest connection with the ancestor spirits, along with the burden it placed on his body.
None of those present really wanted to perform a rushed ritual since no one wanted to be responsible for not giving their god what was required. Although it could be rationalized that what they had was enough, gods had their own rationalizations that mortals could not understand. Therefore, it was much easier to follow orders exactly as given. After all, they couldn't afford to lose the blessing of the Great Serpent God; its mantle of scales was the only reason the goblins could move freely throughout the world of Glamoria and why this race could be found in all kinds of biomes and spaces.
The old goblin tried his best to convince the others to perform a rushed ritual, but the 30% chance of failure made everyone disagree. No one wanted to risk that much, especially since the cause of the disturbances was not near them. Most of their problems came from increased activity of certain beast species in the forest. This gave them confidence that their plan could still be carried out. They didn't suspect the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
In the nearby caves.
"Everyone is in position, sir," said Kragash.
"Are you ready?" Alex asked.
"Always, sir," Kragash replied.
"We could die here," Alex said.
"The plan is solid, sir. It's our best way to deal with this problem. If we still die, at least I'll go knowing there was nothing else that could be done," the young Gnoll replied.
"You value your life too little, my young friend. Don't you long to grow up, have a family, raise your children, build your own house, and yell at other people's kids for playing in your yard?" Alex asked.
"I'm not human, sir. You mustn't forget that your subjects are mostly Gnolls and Resh," Kragash responded, thinking for a few seconds before adding, "Even humans don't have the luxury of desiring such things, sir. You must remember that life in Glamoria is much cheaper than that."
Alex's expression tightened. "I don't like that. We're here to change that. The curse won't rob us of our dreams forever."
"I eagerly await that day, my lord," Kragash replied with a smile.
Finally, the moment arrived, and according to the information Alex had gathered, four large patrols left the enemy barracks.
"The time has come."
The goblin patrols moved along their usual routes. They had done these routes hundreds of times and had never encountered any problems. No forest beast had their homes nearby, nor was there any valuable resource worth fighting for control over. Moreover, the ancient abandoned temple emanated an ominous aura that made them actively avoid the place, so there was never anything to worry about.
"Stupid patrol, no one ever comes through here."
"Every day you complain about patrols, you lazy bum. If we get paid well for doing it, what's your problem?"
"We haven't faced any problems. I actually like patrolling here; it's better than the settlements with the mangy dogs attacking us."
"Nah, with the power of the Great Serpent, we'll soon crush those mangy dogs. They'll come begging for our forgiveness."
The patrol members chatted animatedly. Though they each had different opinions, they all agreed that patrolling paid well and, as there were never any problems, it was a safe way to meet their work goals.
Today, however, would be different.
Abruptly and without warning, one of the goblins fell to the ground. His fall was so sudden that the conversation didn't stop until three steps later when the goblin he had been speaking to heard a faint thud. As he turned to look, several more goblins found arrows in their throats. Before anyone could scream, dozens of Gnolls burst out of the nearby bushes, spears in hand.
Soon, a close-quarters battle ensued. Although the patrol was large, with at least 50 goblins, the initial volley of arrows and charge drastically reduced their numbers. The ensuing battle was relatively short. Though noise was made and some managed to scream, it wasn't enough to surpass the forest's ambient sounds and alert their distant allies.
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Four patrols had left the temple, and all four met similar fates. After completing their ambush, each group hid the bodies and signs of the struggle as best they could, as another patrol was expected to leave once the first was halfway through its route. The idea was to ambush both patrols before entering the temple and confronting the remaining garrison.
The four groups were tense, having drawn too much attention. It was possible someone had noticed their presence and reported it. They were completely exposed here; if discovered, the goblins could quickly surround them. The groups were positioned relatively far from each other, making it difficult to offer assistance. It was likely they wouldn't help at all and instead use the other group as bait. Thus, each group did their best to make the scene appear as clean as possible, though hiding the smell of blood was difficult.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly for all the groups, and the idea of being discovered began to take its toll on their minds. What if a random goblin decided to go for a walk? What if a patrol hurried its pace? What if reinforcements arrived from other places today? There were so many unpredictable things that could happen, and they couldn't prepare for all of them.
As time continued to pass, soon the second patrol was visible in the distance.
Unfortunately, the goblins knew little about punctuality, so each group had to face their second wave out of sync, leading to an unfortunate event.
Alex's group was the first to face its second wave. They didn't even bother to hide the signs of the fight, as according to their observations, the first ambushed group should have returned long before another left. For this reason, they moved instantly to the temple perimeter to prepare for the attack.
Grant's and Elaya's groups were next to ambush, the latter standing in for Anya, who had stayed at the base preparing a large-scale spell.
Just as Grant's and Elaya's groups were positioning themselves to wait for the assault signal, a group of badly injured goblins entered the temple's vicinity, bleeding and shouting.
"Ambush!" the goblins screamed at the top of their lungs.
Immediately after shouting, an arrow pierced the heart of one, and the group of Moon Elves charged after them.
The other groups had very little time to react.
"Charge!" Alex immediately shouted.
The human instantly unleashed all his power, and his tribal tattoos ignited. A full-face tattoo of intricate lines appeared, and his eyes glowed with a crimson hue, as did the eyes of all the Gnolls and Resh present, including those with the other groups.
Each soldier felt a great surge of strength and ferocity awaken within them and threw themselves into battle.
With a powerful initial volley, each soldier hurled the pair of javelins they'd been working on—better called sharpened wooden stakes. Many found their mark, reaping the lives of many goblins.
The assault was brutal and effective. The wooden stakes flew through the air with deadly precision, piercing the goblins' flesh and dropping them like rag dolls. The alarm cry echoed through the temple, but it was too late. Alex and his group were already upon them, a wave of fury and determination.
Kragash, spear held high, led the Gnolls and Resh, each with eyes blazing with the power of Alex's tattoo. Their ferocious attack forced the goblins to retreat, ill-prepared for such a direct and violent confrontation. The Moon Elves, with their agility and precision, complemented the brutality of the Gnolls and Resh, flanking the goblins and attacking from unexpected angles.
The temple, which had recently been a place of rituals and preparations, now transformed into a battlefield. The walls echoed with the clash of weapons and the cries of the wounded. Alex, at the center of it all, moved with lethal grace, his sword cutting through enemies as he issued clear and concise orders to his troops.
As the battle raged on, Grant moved into position with his heavily armored soldiers, charging at the goblins like a speeding train. They managed to secure one of the entrances, cutting off reinforcements from the barracks. Meanwhile, Elaya led the swiftest elves and the designated gnolls into the cells to free the prisoners.
With Grant blocking the main entrance to the large courtyard where Alex and Kragash were fighting, they split up to cover the auxiliary entrances. Soon, the prisoners began to be moved out one by one. It was at this moment that the goblin leaders realized what was happening.
"They're here to rescue our tributes! Stop them!" a Kesha shouted.
The goblin leaders looked at each other, hesitant to act, but finally, three stepped forward, conjuring their magical powers to cast hurried spells. Three different curses struck the battlefield, making the defenders feel heavier, slowing their reactions, and draining their internal energy faster.
The curses were devastating, especially for the dwarves, whose combat abilities were severely reduced. The gnolls and resh were also affected, but only about 80% as much, thanks to the protective energy from Alex's ashes. Everyone could feel the presence of the Kesha's magic, and a sense of danger began to creep up their spines.
"Hold your positions!" Alex shouted.
Though they couldn't see for sure, they knew there were more than a dozen Keshas, and the three casting spells were just the beginning. The next assault from the goblins was much stronger, pushing the leaders' lines slightly. But their bravery wasn't just for show.
Grant swung his massive axe side to side, mowing down goblins as his men advanced behind him. The stubborn dwarves embraced the challenge of the green-skinned foes, pushing forward rather than retreating.
Kragash successfully held his line, blocking attacks and defending his comrades, who in turn did the same, forming an almost impenetrable wall of spears that the goblins struggled to breach with their short weapons.
Alex himself was hardly affected by the Keshas' curses, cutting through the battlefield like a killing machine, decapitating goblins left and right. His troops finished off anyone who slipped past their leader.
As more goblins fell to Alex's blade, the Keshas' patience wore thin. Finally, three more advanced to cast additional curses. Despite the increasing debuffs, Alex's resistance remained high, though his abilities were now reduced by 50%.
"Alex, we need to retreat," Grant yelled.
Alex glanced back, seeing that the number of rescued prisoners didn't match the report he had received. He refused to fall back.
"We can still hold out. You go support the main gate," Alex commanded, sending some of his troops to aid Grant. He then pushed his ability to the limit, causing the crimson glow in his eyes to intensify and the tattoos on his face to grow more aggressive.
The sudden surge of power had the expected effect, but it also brought unexpected consequences. The gnolls and resh entered a blood frenzy, their increased power countering part of the curses, making them more ferocious than anyone had anticipated.
Grant, unsure of what was happening, had never seen such magic before and knew Alex wasn't a mage. Despite his confusion, he didn't let others do all the work and activated his own enhancement ability.
The tide of battle momentarily turned in their favor, with the goblins being pushed back. Despite their overwhelming numbers, the intelligent use of narrow passages allowed Alex's forces to keep the enemy at bay long enough.
"Ready!" Elaya's voice finally echoed.
"Fall back," Alex ordered.
The groups began an orderly retreat, with several teams taking turns defending their comrades' withdrawal. This tactic worked for a short while.
"Stop focusing on the front-line soldiers. Send the warg riders after the prisoners," the old Kesha commanded.
The other goblins hesitated before obeying, realizing they'd been too focused on the strange human leading the attack. Though he was causing significant losses, he wasn't their primary target. The real vulnerability was the prisoners. The Keshas could see that their enemies were doing everything to take them, a weakness that needed exploiting.
As Alex and the others began hearing the sound of galloping beasts, they collectively muttered,
"Oh crap."