Sally immediately summoned her weapon. She usually kept it on her back and drew it the old-fashioned way, I had no idea why but it certainly looked threatening.

This was the first time I’d seen her summon it instead.

She jumped from the bed, like it was a springboard, and I followed her lead, summoning my bow.

“You guys are too jumpy. It’s a god damned safe zone, what do you think is gonna happen?” Panda laughed sauntering towards the door.

To Sally’s horror he opened the door casually and stood in front of our visitor. It was a skinny and tall goblin wearing priest-like robes and a pair of glasses that were too narrow for its large head.

“Pardon the intrusion.” The goblin began, holding both hands together in front of its chest like a grovelling peasant. “But I thought it would be prudent of me to introduce myself. My name is Gobtta and I belong to the order of priests in service to the goblin king coronation ball committee.

“I just wanted to welcome you to the celebration. If you need anything during your time here please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Sally and I both stared dumbfoundedly at Gobtta, she lowered her sword and I my bow. This goblin seemed about as threatening as a kitten – if that kitten had no fur and wore ill-fitting spectacles.

I focused on him and saw that he was a higher goblin, so perhaps he was more dangerous than his demeanour would suggest.

“Thanks for that Gobtta, nice to meet you.” Panda said, offering out his paw to shake.

Gobtta jumped back in fright as he looked down at Panda, standing by the doorway. He hadn’t seemed to realise that the daemon was standing there.

A goblin with a nervous disposition? He must get bullied. I thought as I felt my lips twitch as I stifled laughter.

“Do you have an itinerary for tomorrow?” I asked suddenly.

It had occurred to me that this was a great opportunity to get some much-needed information out of him. We were currently stumbling around in the dark with this quest and gaining some insight into how this whole coronation actually worked could be useful.

“Of course sir, it’s a verbal itinerary though if that pleases you. Most of our guests can’t read.” He said, bowing slightly.

I told him that would be fine and he began reciting the day’s events. Starting with morning socialising and ending with the crowning ceremony. We talked late into the night until we’d squeezed every droplet of information out of Gobtta.

Then a few hours after he’d arrived Panda filled out a form, passed it back to the nervous goblin and we bade him goodnight.

I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow in the safe zone bedroom. I wasn’t too physically tired but it turned out that mentally I was exhausted.

It had been a long day. I’d levelled up a bunch, killed some goblins, nearly been trampled to death by said goblins, been thrown through a tree by a giant goblin and received a new bow and skills – not necessarily in that order. If things continued it wouldn’t be long before I could say that it was just another Tuesday.

That night I had an oddly lucid dream.

I was back in my hometown, walking home after a few beers with the boys. It wasn’t late, barely half past ten in the evening.

We tended to have a lads meet every month or two. We saw each other all the time because our wives were friends too, but sometimes it was good to have a catch up without them.

I walked up my street in the typical English drizzle and shakily put the key in the lock to my front door. I lived with my wife in a small semi-detached house in some no name town on the outskirts of the city.

It was pretty peaceful there most of the time and managing to get on the property ladder by the age of 28 was quite a feat these days. Not that I hadn’t worked my ass off for it.

When I opened the door all the lights were out. Layla must have gone to bed already. That was odd, she was usually a bit of a night owl.

I walked inside and stepped in something that splashed up my legs.

What in the…

Had there been a water leak or something? I reached for the light switch and as the hallway light flickered into illumination, I found myself ankle deep in blood. The entire downstairs seemed to be flooded.

I let out a gasp and dashed into the living room. What on earth had happened? Was she ok? Was the baby ok? I reached the living room door, which was barely a few steps away, and burst in.

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There she was, laying on the ground with a spear through her stomach.

I felt my eyes begin to tear up, but not as fast as an infernal rage coursed through me.

A cultist stood over her with a malicious grin on his face and a piece of tattooed skin in his hand. He grinned maliciously and his eyes twinkled with an evil satisfaction.

I pulled my dagger out of my inventory and before I even knew what I was doing, charged like a snarling boar. I tackled him to the ground, driving my knees into his chest as I stabbed the dagger into his face over and over until it was nothing more than bloody pulp and crushed bone.

After a while of stabbing, my arms began to feel weak and the tears caught up to the rage. I began sobbing uncontrollably and breathing heavily.

I looked back towards my wife as she lay half submerged in the blood. Her face was so pale, she looked… peaceful.

Eventually I dragged myself off the cultist’s corpse and moved towards her. Her eyes were still open. The spark of life that once illuminated them, extinguished like a candle flame in the wind.

I went to close them. It was respectful. She was at rest now and most people don’t sleep with their eyes open.

“Layla.” I whispered as my fingers brushed over her eyelids. “I’m so sorry.”

I sat like that for a while. Staring down at her face and crying. Until something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.

Her stomach moved; the skin looked like it was alive as something poked at it from the inside.

Oh no. Please don’t.

Two tiny, clawed hands poked out through the spear wound and began tearing at her skin. I was horrified as I watched it happen, like a deer in headlights.

A blood covered; monstrosity began to climb out of her. It had an umbilical cord wrapped around its neck, its face was purple and bruised and its lips were peeled back revealing pointed, shark-like teeth.

Eventually, to my horror, it made its way out and stood up on stumpy legs with too much skin for the size of its bones. It picked up the spear, wrenching it out of Layla’s gut and stared at me with venom in its sunken eyes.

It lifted the spear and I was frozen. I sat there, tears dripping down my face as I let the monstrosity stab me through the heart.

“I’m so sorry.” I whispered.

If you want to save them you need power. A familiar voice said as I laid dying next to my wife. I can help you.

***

I woke up with a start, gasping as I sat up straight like a man possessed. I must have looked like something from a horror movie.

I was drenched in sweat and shaking. What was that? That dream… it was so vivid. Whose voice was that at the end?

My face felt wet and I lifted my hand to my cheek and realised I had been crying. Sleep crying, now that was a new experience.

For the first time since I’d arrived in Celestia I didn’t feel refreshed after waking up. I felt awful, just like I used to do on a morning back on Earth but without caffeine to perk me up.

I looked around the room and saw Sally fast asleep in her bed next to mine. Panda was laid at my side, sprawled out on his back with his arms and legs splayed as he snored like a chainsaw.

I focused on my breathing and began to calm down. It was just a nightmare. Probably the result of refusing to think about Layla and the baby for so long.

In through the nose, out through the mouth. I chanted to myself in my head. If I just focused on my breathing I’d be ok.

I knew it had been gnawing at the back of my mind but I was so busy trying to survive that I’d pushed it away.

Still, I felt guilty. I could explain it away as much as I liked, this world was hard, dangerous and every day was a fight to survive. But at the same time I felt more alive here than I ever did back home.

I was enjoying it and I felt so terribly guilty about that.

I hunkered down under the covers and laid awake for the rest of night. I didn’t want to risk sleeping. What if it happened again?

I stayed like that for a few hours, hugging myself under the duvet, until morning finally came and I pretended to wake up with the others.

I needed to put my game face on. Today was the day we finished this quest and I needed to be at my best. So I forced a smile, said good morning and the three of us headed out with Sally and Panda none the wiser.

Still, I wondered whose voice that was. Just before I woke up I heard it like someone was talking into my mind. It felt so familiar to me but I just couldn’t place it.

I tried to push the thought away as we got dressed and left our room.

“Right guys, is everyone clear on the plan?” Sally asked as we exited.

Panda and I both nodded and we walked past the goblin bellhop who was still stood pointing at our door. He must have been like that all night.

It was kind of creepy. If he wasn’t a vicious, unintelligent monster I’d have felt sorry for him. As it was, it was kind of funny. Like we had our own, living signpost just in case we forgot where our beds were.

“You look awful.” Panda said quietly to me. “Did you sleep ok?”

“Just worried about the quest.” I replied. I couldn’t allow the nightmare to distract me, not today.

He grumbled quietly to himself. I wasn’t sure he believed me, but at least he was smart enough to leave it alone.

We began walking back down the spiral staircase. Sally had her sword on her back. I didn’t summon my bow this time, there was no point.

After our conversation with Gobtta, we were certain that no one would attack us until after the king was crowned.

We walked past the entrance on the second floor we’d used the day before and continued heading down.

“I wonder if the food will be any good.” Panda mused. “I’m starving.”

“The hosts are goblins, just chew on some bamboo like you normally do.” I replied.

“I’d love to but I ran out.”

At that both Sally and I stopped and stared at him.

“How? It’s only been a day since we left the ship!” I said and Sally said something almost identical at the same time.

“The only thing to eat on the ship was meat and I’m a Panda. I’ve been using my own supplies since we left Havar.” He replied indignantly.

“That’s still only two days,” I replied in disbelief. “You packed enough of the stuff to last a week; we all did.”

“Well I got hungry… and I ate it all already.”

“What are you gonna do if the goblins only serve meat?” Sally asked.

“Then I’ll have to do as the goblins do I guess, well it’s that or starve.”

“I thought you said you were a vegetarian?” Sally asked in a suspicious tone.

“And I thought Pandas were herbivores.” I added.

“I am and we are. But we’re also a very hungry people and desperate times call for desperate measures. Hopefully they’ll serve salad though, it is a ball.”

“A goblin ball.” I pointed out.

We continued walking in silence and eventually made it to the bottom of the spiral staircase.

It led to a short hallway with a grand archway at the end. I walked towards it and entered the ball.

The final boss battle awaits.