Mace

Mace walked through the tunnel avoiding the many goblins that came near. Mace’s dark fur and small size made him almost invisible in the cave light. Mace teleported from pillar to column between goblins and orc and even a few wild boar who were able to smell him but were unable to do anything but make loud grunting and squeaking noises.

“Shut up you fat pig” a goblin yelled at the two boars.

The goblin threw a piece of meat and bone at the pin holding the boars and laughed as they fought to devour it. Mace went by to the next room and followed another goblin who was making his rounds. There were large cages in the next room. All empty except for one. Two humans sat in the center of the cage. Mace recognized the scent of them and snuck over behind the cage. The blonde headed human Dayton was drawing on the ground while the dark headed Theo waited,

“Checkmate!” Dayton gasped and began pointing and laughing at Theo.

“No fair, you promised not to take my queen this time” Theo pouted.

“You two shut up now, before I cut off your ears and feed them to the pigs!” A goblin screened from the other room.

Mace walked up and made a low huffing noise to get their attention.

“Mace!” The two whispered in delight.

They both reached out and pet Mace on the head and behind his ears. Mace made a popping noise and teleported inside the cage. He lightly bit Dayton on his hand and teleported out. He did the same with Theo.

“We have to get out of here” Dayton said

“We can’t go that way though.” Theo whispered. “They will see us and kill us this time. We already got out once and they threw us back in the cage”

Mace walked over to the chest and sniffed it. Dayton opened it and found a set of weapons. The swords were too heavy but they were able to find small daggers and a belt with sheath. Mace led the way up and into the next room. Occasionally teleporting Dayton and Theo along the way. There was a large goblin up ahead and Dayton whispered into mace's ear. Mace jumped on top of Dayton's back and teleported. Dayton brought his knife down on thin air as he teleported and stabbed the goblin in the back of the neck, killing it instantly. This gave Theo more ideas and they each took turns teleporting or “warp striking” as they now called it in different ways to kill each of the goblins. They reached an opening in the earth and came out into a forested area a few hours later. Dayton’s eighteen kills to Theo’s seventeen.

“It should have been a tie. You can’t count one of them Dayton. You had to cut him twice before he died.”

Theo complained.

They walked through the trees and into a clearing where they sat with Mace and waited. Moments later Kim, Jackson, and Charles came running up to check on them. They couldn’t believe that they were alone and with Mace.

“Where is the lord?” Kim asked, checking to see if they were injured.

“We didn’t see him. Mace came and got us” Theo stated.

Jackson looked at Mace and asked the same question. Mace just looked at him.

“Mace doesn't talk silly,” Dayton told them.

They all looked at each other not knowing how to respond.

“The sun is about to rise. We need to get going. The lord gave us orders to return home at sunrise” Jackson said, packing up the gliders and dragging them to the road.

Just as the sun began to rise, a carriage and wagon came forward. They loaded up and spoke to the driver who was an adventurer named Pimm. After they helped load the kids and the gliders, Pimm got on his horse and set out back to the village. Mace watched them disappear before turning and trotting back into the tunnel.

Ray

Defeat the goblin king and activate the beacon.

Rewards: to be determined

Failure to complete: Death

Ray managed to climb up a pillar and get to the next level without anyone seeing. He made his way over to the pillar behind the goblin king and began examining the beacon. The many runes and gems ran up and down the beacon. There was a hole in the side between two runes. A key of some sort was supposed to go here. Ray looked around and at the king who was occupied with a piece of roasted boar leg. On a rope around that ugly bastard's neck was a diamond embroidered key. Hundreds of Goblins and the king sat down below. Multiple levels overlooked the room below and the ceiling rose nearly five hundred feet before reaching the stalagmite-like spikes protruding from the ceiling. Ray thought of shooting a fireball and blowing the ceiling but that might backfire on him.

He had no way to dodge the falling debris and could just as easily get as hurt as the goblin king. We need to get rid of the goblins and then we can focus on the king. He moved around the circle and hid behind another column. From this angle he could see the king's right side and all of the goblins before him. Focusing on his mana, Ray took a stand behind the pillar and closed his eyes. He summoned an orb of water in one hand and air in the other. Ray was a high tier elemental wielder and a medium tier sub elemental wielder. He could control wind, fire water and earth at the highest level known. He was almost as good at the sub elements which included lightning, ice, lava and plants. He hadn’t figured out sand which is the combination of wind and earth and no one knew what water and fire did other than cancel each other out with a large heap of steam.

Ray struggled with dark, void, holy, and light magic the most but he rarely ever needed to use it so it was ok. He knew plenty of other wielders who could pick up where he fell short. Ray slowly allowed the water orb to run down into the chamber. Underground areas such as caves and dungeons were notorious for leaking. In fact the area was already very wet to begin with. No one should have noticed until it’s too late that the cave had begun to flood. Ray focused on the water orb and continued to draw in the moisture. With the air orb he focused on making a slight cave breeze. His goal was to lower the temperature slowly until the right moment and then force the temp to drop to below freezing point. Water continued to flood into the chamber unnoticed. When it reached to about a foot of water a goblin began to yell and the others joined in sloshing and trying to reach the exit.

The goblin king was still eating away, thinking nothing of his subordinates getting wet. Ray released the air magic and the chamber suddenly dropped in temperature. Ice formed around the goblins before they were able to move. Ray summoned a fireball which instantly warmed his now frigid body and threw it at the goblin king's head. The flames hit the king square in the jaw. Dazed, the goblin king reached for his Morningstar and stood. Ray jumped down from the upper level and landed on one of the tables.

Ray drew his short sword with his left hand and began slashing and throwing fireballs at the frozen goblins making his way to the king. The goblin king grabbed his Morningstar and lunged forward bringing it down over his head. Ray raises his sword in an upward arch glancing the attack and sidestepping to the right. They exchanged blows one after another deflecting and dodging all while the remaining goblins struggled to free themselves from the ice. The goblin king brings the Morningstar across his body and follows the swing with his shoulder pushing Ray backwards against the table. A goblin pulls out a knife and stabs downward, barely missing Ray's neck as Ray twirls to the opposite side. Ray takes a knife from its holster and throws it at the sitting goblin. Pulling back with his mind the knife rushes back to his hand where he sheaths it. The goblin’s body lays limp in its place. Distracted, Ray is hit across the chest with the goblins morning star. The armor holds but Ray is knocked into the air. Ray flips backward and lands hard on the floor.

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“This isn’t working.” Ray said to himself “What is his weakness?”

Trying to remember what he was taught about monsters in school. Ray begins reciting an old textbook he had read.

“Goblins are some of the weakest creatures to roam the realm. By themselves they can be easily killed but be careful when facing a group as they thrive in numbers like a hive of killer bees. Each Goblin encampment is ruled by a king. The king is decided through battle. The king is usually the strongest and oldest of its group. Many goblins will combine forces and tend to have orcs in their ranks. The orc is much larger and sometimes can take the title of Goblin king. Known weaknesses include fire and being pierced by a blade or arrow. Goblins and Orcs are unable to wield mana and have low intellect.” Ray mumbled as he dodged and parried the incoming blows from the goblin king.

“They can’t use magic and fire should hurt them but I hit him in the face with a fireball and it barely marked him. Wait, are Orcs weak to fire?”

“Orcs come from a combination of fire and dirt. They are grown. An orc can sometimes become Uruk which is a much larger and meaner beast. This is done through magic but not from magic. This means that someone else causes the transformation but they are unable to do it to themselves. Orcs can be stabbed many times but will not die. It’s best to decapitate them to ensure they stay dead.” Ray continued

Ray sheathed his sword and jumped back to create some distance. Focusing his mana throughout his body he reinforced his inner core and enhanced his senses. The goblin king seemed offended that his challenger would disarm himself. He moved forward and brought his Morningstar down over his head. Ray dodged to the left and ran along the edge of the room throwing knives at each of the goblins while narrowly dodging chairs and tables being flung at him by the king. Ray bolted up a pillar using his air magic to push him forward and then back away from it. Leaning backwards, Ray flipped over the goblin king and brought a knife down his backside.

Unsheathing another dagger Ray leaped forward as the goblin king turned and swung his fist in his direction. Sidestepping to the right, Ray drove the knife in his left hand into the side of the goblins king's bicep. Ray pulled with his left hand and swung forward going under the arm with a twisting motion as his right dagger plunged up and in through what appeared to be the goblins fourth and fifth rib. The Goblin king screamed in agony and swung Ray to the side. Ray let go and flew into the nearest wall. Air immediately left his lungs. Ray looked up just in time to dodge the Morningstar as it came down on him. Manifesting one of his wooden mallets, Ray swung with all his might and hit the goblin king across the temple. The goblin king fell to the left and Ray followed up with a leap into the air. Bringing the mallet over his head, Ray summoned a fire and Earth Orb. The two orbs combined into his mallet as he swung it downward on to the goblins skull. There was an explosion as Molten hot lava lashed out all over the floor. Ray released the now melted mallet and leaped backward onto the table. The lava spit and flowed outward before subsiding and Hardening to rock. The goblin king lay trapped beneath the newly formed rock structure. His shoulders, head and neck just barely reached above the surface. Ray unsheathed his sword and walked up towards the king. He was just about to slice the head off when the chamber rang in a loud piercing noise. Ray looked up and moved just in time to miss a boulder that landed right where he stood. There was a loud thump and up stood another orc.

“There are two of them?” Ray said to himself, before backing up and taking a fighting stance.

The goblin king pulled himself up out of the ground shaking his head and grabbed his Morningstar. The second one carried a large wooden club. They both turned and faced Ray snarling and spitting in his direction.

“I don’t have the mana for this.” Ray said, tightening his grip on his sword.

Collin

Collin, Adam, and William sat dumbfounded at what they were seeing. The flag markers made it possible for them to see what was occurring real time. William arrived twenty minutes after the pledge was sent to retrieve them. By that point, the ogre to the east had turned and walked into a cave at the edge of the desert. The group of adventurers had managed to stay unseen and were now enroute to the village. The adventurers to the north managed to kill two of the wolves and chase the other away. They were also returning to the village now. The five goblins to the south had returned to the canyon and were making their way down to Ray's location. Theo and Dayton were safe. tw0 green dots came out of the mountain with Mace meeting up with the others before the yellow dot returned back into the cave.

“How is Lord Ray going to get out of there alive?” William asked. “Can we send him help?”

“They wouldn’t get there in time. Dayton and Theo are on the way back with the two teams we sent. Everyone else is also returning. We have no one on standby who could get there. ” Collin said. He was searching frantically through the system trying to determine what they had and what might help.

“What about his berserker power? What if he activates it?” Adam asked

“He’s only ever done it a few times and he was blacked out drunk when he did. We still haven’t been able to get him to do it sober but even if he did, he’s hundreds of feet underground. He might bring the whole canyon on him” Collin stated

“How is the Lord holding his own so well?” William asked “ I mean, I don’t think anyone else in this village including myself could manage this long”

“System, show Lord Rays stats and abilities” Collin stated

The system brought up an image of Ray and his many feats and weaponry. An orb of each element swirled around the image in an orbital fashion. An image of Mace sat next to him.

“It’s safe to assume everyone here knows that Ray is an elementalist. Not just one or two but all four elements.

“Yes, Jane’s father could control water and earth and my father was a fire and air user. We figured it skipped my generation and he got all four.” Adam stated. “His brother didn’t seem to acquire the gift.”

“It doesn’t exactly work like that but it’s a good assumption. I’ve only met three people in the entire continent who can do that and Ray killed one of them twelve years ago in the Quarterfinals of the Title Master’s Championship. The guy totally deserved it. He liked torturing younglings. The other is Major Stanley Stoneheart. He is part of the King’s Guard and one of the most powerful magic wielders of the century. Anyway, Ray was also an adventurer before he later became a soldier. Ray is proficient in swords, knives, and oddly enough blunt objects like hammers. He is also a decent archer and can go hand to hand with pretty much anyone. He has spent nearly his entire life working at this but it’s completely unfair at how easy he makes it look. When Ray became lord he gained a few more abilities. He can manifest any item that he owns and control it. He can borrow Mace’s abilities temporarily and he has the berserker power if we can ever figure out how to use it sober. The problem is that his mana, although of a large quantity, runs out very quickly when he is using his abilities. He has to watch it or he will get dangerously low and burn out.”

“When you say burn out, what do you mean?” Adam asked concern showing on his face

“His muscles stop working, his body will start trembling uncontrollably and he eventually loses consciousness.” Collin’s stated “ At which point he is a sitting duck.”

“What’s that little yellow dot doing?” William asked.

“It’s Mace, he’s heading back toward Ray, I don’t know how but he is able to sneak by them undetected. He got Theo and Dayton out” Collin answered.

“Maybe he can teleport the Lord out and we can regroup, two orcs and one of them is the goblin king. We need a full army to take them on” William said

The three continued to watch as the yellow dot moved towards the burgundy one. Ray moving and dodging what looked to be attacks from the 2 large red dots.

Collin rang for the pledge again. “Go get Thomas and tell him to get the 2-man glider ready. He and I will take off as soon as he is ready” Collin stated getting up and cleaning the desk off.

“Do you think you will make it in time? Adam asked.

“No but I can't sit here any longer.” Collin replied “System, please grant temporary observation control to Adam. The system made a squeaking noise and Adam began zooming in on different areas of the map to watch the fighting.

“William, send someone to meet with Jackson’s team. Have team one return with Theo and Dayton. The other team needs to return to the Canyon. I will meet them there for the recovery and rescue of the Lord.” Collin said, walking around the table and heading out the door.

Mace

Mace the puppy ran through the tunnel warping from shadow to shadow in an frantic effort to remain unseen and get to Ray. His King piece tattoo shining brighter than normal. Mace cleared the tunnels and entered into the opening. There was a large circular pit below him. Peering over the edge Mace saw Ray, his human, dodging and ducking and doing his best to avoid the incoming attacks from the two very large bulky non-humans. Mace heard a sound and quickly teleported behind a large rock. Goblins rushed out, exiting the tunnels and positioning themselves around the pit. Bows and Arrows at the ready to fire down at Ray.

“Don’t shoot the Masters!” a goblin screamed. “ Kill the human!”

“Kill the Human” the rest of them screamed in affirmation.

Mace whimpered at the sight of the goblins. He did not know what to do. He did not have any attacks other than biting and scratching and teleporting. The goblins, not noticing he was there, pulled back on their bows and started firing downward into the void. Mace jumped on to the Rock he was hiding and with the power flowing through him let out a loud bark. The sound echoed in the chamber and caused some of the loose rocks above to fall and hit some of the other goblins. With his position now compromised, Mace ran towards the closest goblin and jumped. The goblin swung its sword at the puppy and hit nothing. Mace teleported behind the goblin and bit his ankle. Holding on very tightly, Mace teleported and let the goblin go mid air causing him to fall to the ground below.. Mace quickly teleported to the next goblin and repeated the process, biting and teleporting to mid air before letting go, teleporting and grabbing another. Goblins fell downward onto the three fighters below. Mace finished with the last goblin who tried to shoot him with his arrow but missed. With the goblins gone, Mace looked over the edge, let out a triumphant bark and jumped into the large opening.