28

Goblin King’s Foretelling

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A bleeding monster stood in the middle of the cave. Rage erupted from its voice as it gathered its strength.

“Midgard - swallowing void”

The trembling of its voice echoed loudly through the dark cave. Now even the light of the luminescent roots started fading. Following this voice of the Goblin King was a darkness that gathered in the palm of its hand. A darkness that wanted to burn the light that surrounded them.

Alduin, who had stepped back, almost lost his balance through the shaking of his legs. This last attack had cost him his spear, but unlike the time he faced the Goblin Captain, every cell in his body told him to escape. But even that proved to be impossible.

KHRAKHRAKHAR

Heavy breaths were taken with a punctured lung, yet the Goblin King didn’t hold back from laughing. The laughter of such hatred dominated the area that they couldn’t help but freeze in their place.

‘I can’t dodge.’ Alduin knew this for certain. The target was already marked, and the gunman, no, his family, was next.

A ball of raging darkness, almost invisible to his eyes, catapulted forward. Only the surrounding light gave an inkling of where this attack was going.

Alduin couldn’t dodge, even if he did, it would come at a price he couldn’t afford. But there was one thing he could do, something he had been doing instinctively the moment he entered this cave, and that was imitating his opponent.

“Midgard -“

Alduin had one vision in his mind, the moment that shook him most. He stood in front of the spear of darkness that aimed for his family. Having moved purely on instinct, an action that mimicked the Goblin finally erupted. His voice roared through the blood that flowed up.

“THUNDER-“

Sparks of lightning gathered on his hand, unlike the previous attacks where the lightning coursed over the spear, this attack was completely manifested on his body.

“CLAP“

Lightning flashed through the darkness of the cave. Thunder roared through the approaching void of silence. Every single sound was washed away as vibrations assaulted their hearing.

Just like the Goblin King, who disinterestedly swatted Alduin’s spear to the side only a moment before, so did Alduin congeal his energy on his palm. A bright palm mimicked a palm of darkness. The energy of life that was coursing through Alduin’s veins reinforced his body, the attribute he acquired was released on his hands.

A gigantic explosion sounded out as two forces of opposite energies collided. Crackling currents were swallowed by a dark void, as the dark void showed cracks of light. Finally, just like the Goblin King had demonstrated, Alduin deflected the impact of the spear.

Crackling currents rolled over Alduin’s body as his knees gave way. The shock waves still vibrated through his hands.

“——“ Edward yelled at him.

‘I can’t-‘ The tinnitus in his ears had worsened, he couldn’t even construct a thought.

‘My legs.’ the shaking increased as all energy had escaped from his body. Kneeling on the ground he vomited blood out of his mouth, even his eyes had turned a blood-red colour.

With every spark of thunder that escaped from his hands, his fingers cramped more and more. But he was certain, he didn’t need to look back, the spear that was thrown at them was deflected completely. The only thing left was-

“———“ A clicking voice. He didn’t understand, but it was a clicking voice.

Alduin moved his head slightly higher as he saw a bloodied figure approach.

‘How?’ Alduin thought, ‘How does it have the energy?’ His mind echoed, ‘Why?’

He couldn’t understand, his body felt drained after this single attack, let alone the combat that preceded it. His legs tried pushing underneath him but couldn’t find the balance, his strength hadn’t returned yet but the bloody figure was faster with its approach.

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Three bony fingers and one thumb, completed with nails as sharp as a dagger, reached for his stomach. The soulless eyes of the Goblin King locked onto him completely.

BANG

“Get back!” Bob, the shield bearer, had reached his side as he pulled Alduin behind him.

“DESPICABLE!” The chilling voice erupted through a fountain of blood. “THIS ONE SHALL KILL YOU ALL!”

The tinnitus had disappeared from the bullet his father had fired. It was a perfect hit, from a distance that couldn’t be missed.

“Right.” Alduin laughed maniacally as Edward pulled him up. “This time I’m not alone.”

The hatred he felt. The pure despise. Memories of his home in ruins, corpses stuck inside flaming houses, the sight of seeing someone get pierced by an arrow. The pain he had to endure. With pure spite, Alduin pushed his legs underneath him.

“My life.” Alduin picked up a wooden pike that lay beside him. “My life was just getting started!”

The future he envisioned with Veleda. All of his dreams were traded for a living nightmare, one where people he loved had died, people he had known since he was a child. The sight of the dead eyes of a man he admired.

His hatred and sorrow overwhelmed him as he pushed forward. His staggering legs anchored down and a perfect thrust was performed with a pike that lay near him. The human used his last strength against an exhausted predator.

And a final shriek rang out.

“You creatures,” the Goblin yelled, “Weak, pathetic beings that rely on such a thing!”

The Goblin had been hit by multiple bullets. It had not anticipated the damage one could do. Everything would have been different if only Alduin didn’t hold back its merciless assault. But now, the end was near.

The pike pierced deeper with every step the King took forward.

“You talk… about a future...” Mad laughter rang out. “You think you had a choice… in this matter? Fine… This one would rather die here… than once more… face…”

KHRAKHRAKHRA mocking laughter sounded from the Goblin King.

“You shall wish… you perished… here.”

Alduin pushed back with the last of his strength as the Goblin King tried once more to rip his stomach open.

BANG

A final shot rang out, and the monster with several holes in it fell. The bony white creature, one whose age was difficult to determine, kneeled down in front of Alduin. The blood that clogged its throat was coughed up. The eyes of this enemy had almost faded.

“This is only… the beginning…” with a cruel smile this creature spoke its last words. “The moon… I wish…”

The clicking voice of this creature faded as it tried looking at the sky. Even at the moment of its death did it mock these survivors, yet a longing could be seen as the creature slumped forward with its last breath. With a final struggle, the last of their assailants had perished.

“It’s over.” Alduin sat in disbelief. “Is it over?” his body became completely numb.

“Cut its head!” Edward said quickly.

“R-Right.” Bob, the person least affected in this entire fight ran. An axe landed even faster, almost as if the entire ending had been an illusion.

But the head that rolled showed their reality. The Dungeon King had perished, and among a mountain of corpses, they had survived.

Blood painted the grounds as the hazy light became ever so slightly clearer. The luminescent roots which were suppressed by darkness now glowed as bright as the entrance.

“Alduin.” Lucas kneeled in front of him. “Are you alright?”

Alduin stared at his father. The man in front of him had aged considerably over the last two weeks, yet his eyes still shone with the same affection. An affection that ignored the strength his body had shown and only cared about his health. Seeing his father before him eased his worries significantly.

“I’m fine.” Alduin held his father as he tried standing up. “I’m just… Tired.”

His heartbeat had returned to normal, his cramping had largely faded. But his mind was still overwhelmed by what happened.

“Right!” Alduin started moving, it wasn’t over yet.

‘Leon!’ The young man had crashed into a wall, blood had marked his fate. But this time Alduin had found a way to fight back, a possibility that was all too familiar to him.

‘He’s still breathing.’ Alduin inspected his friend. The shape of his body was twisted in a slightly unnatural way and his arm had completely folded into itself. However, there was still a chance.

After he pulled his friend to the side and laid him in a stable position, a sword cut down. The sword that Leon had held tightly now pierced into his palm, and the blood that flowed out started covering a sky-blue gemstone that was tied with a piece of cloth.

‘Was it like this?’ Alduin followed his intuition, but his heart eased significantly the moment he felt the energy react to the flowing blood.

"Alduin,” Edward spoke up from behind him.

“Gramps!” An exhausted smile showed how happy he was, and with a quick movement Alduin stood up and hugged the old man.

“I’m glad you’re alive!”

Edward stood in momentary silence before smiling and hugging this kid tight, “Yeah, me too.”

The old man and the boy both resembled who they were only two weeks ago, but they had undoubtedly changed.

Inside this silent cave, six people had survived. Of these six, only three came out unscathed. Edward had lost his fingers, Alfred, Leon’s father, had burned his face and lay unconscious, and Leon’s life was in danger. Only Bob, Lucas, and Alduin had passed this ordeal unscathed.

But before they started observing their surroundings the cave started glowing in a flashing light. A pulsation of light escaped from the roots as if its anchor was being pulled up.

Bob was the first to speak up, “What should we do?”

The heavy-set set man with dark curly hair still held his shield tightly.

“It’s alright,” Alduin answered, “It’s time for us to leave.”

“Bob, help me carry Leon.” Lucas picked up the rapidly made stretcher.

Six men, two of whom were unconscious, now walked outside down the pulsating roots of light.

“The moon-“

But what awaited them there was a world that had changed once more. The fracture in the sky had been completed. A spiderweb of bright lines, some thicker than others, overlaid the entire dome of heaven. But the red sky had settled, and now, in their vision of the night sky, a full moon shone as bright as they could remember.

This was the first battle against fate, Alduin had unknowingly changed the course of his life.

The first twist of fate had occurred.