A sharp pain exploded from Stephen’s right shoulder as an arrow buried itself almost to the fletching, partially protruding out the back. The Hob Goblin had fired a quick shot while jumping back into the tent. Blood gushed from Stephen, and the force of the arrow caused him to spin. Stephen looked up just in time to see two more arrows flying at him with deadly accuracy. He was too slow to fully avoid them—one sliced his arm, and the other ripped through the flesh of his leg. He screamed in agony as the pain clouded his vision.
The sound of metal clanging was barely audible. As Stephen’s vision cleared, pain still pulsing in his shoulder and arm, he saw Elizabeth standing before him, shield up, blocking arrows.
“Get up! We must stay mobile!” she screamed without turning her gaze from the Hob Goblin attacker.
Stephen growled and slowly rose. Blood dripped from his wounds, pooling on the ground. He had never experienced pain like this before. He had fought countless times in the past, especially when his wife Abigail insisted he try LARPing. He found he enjoyed the combat aspect and dedicated a tremendous amount of effort to learn all he could. But those were foam-padded weapons and arrows, and death was never on the line.
Blood ran down his arm to his knuckles, which were white as he gripped his axe with all his strength. An arrow whizzed by his head, and he barely managed to lean left to avoid it. He then felt the impact of steel as Elizabeth was kicked into him. The Hob Goblin had rushed in, jumping up. It planted a foot on Elizabeth’s shield and used its momentum to launch her backward and itself up and over the duo. Arrows rained down as the Hob Goblin twisted its body midair and fired down.
Stephen’s eyes widened, and he instinctively rolled, forgetting about the arrow protruding from his shoulder. He managed to avoid the rain of arrows but felt flesh tear as he rolled on top of the arrow, widening the hole in his shoulder. His vision exploded with pain again, and he dropped his axe, his face contorting and turning red.
“Shit! Fuck!” he blurted out, grabbing as much of the arrow as possible and pulling it free from his body. He could hear the meat of his shoulder rip and tear as blood spurted from his arm. He knew he should keep it in to control the bleeding, but if he needed to keep moving and rolling, he couldn’t risk snagging it and making the wound even worse than it already was.
Elizabeth screamed as an arrow pierced her leg. She was heavily armored in the front, but from behind, she might as well have been unarmored. The plates on her armor overlapped and covered vulnerabilities, but from behind, those gaps might as well have been canyons. Her silver steel armor turned crimson as blood oozed down over her plates. Stephen caught a glimpse of her eyes through her helmet, and the once-happy-go-lucky Paladin now looked focused and dangerous. Her eyes were like daggers as she turned her head to the Hob Goblin. The air around her even seemed to shift. Stephen felt a bit intimidated by the display and took a slight step back.
“Stand your ground,” Elizabeth growled, and he felt compelled to obey. Her voice was deeper, almost gravelly. She rose to her feet, showing no sign of pain, and turned to face the attacker, now knocking another arrow. The Hob Goblin laughed, its toothy grin turning into a vicious smile.
“I eat good tonight,” it said, its eyes scanning the duo. “And I have entertainment.” Its gaze locked onto Elizabeth as it licked its lips.
With a roar, Elizabeth charged. Her action caught Stephen off guard, and he found himself a step behind her as he snapped out of his pain-induced trance. An arrow whizzed forward, and Elizabeth smashed it from the air with her shield. Using the movement of her shield, she turned the momentum into a punch, slamming her gauntleted hand and pommel into the side of Ul'thrak’s head.
Ul'thrak stumbled back, only to have the air knocked out of him by Stephen's shoulder. This attack was not without its own risks, as Stephen growled in pain as his injured shoulder impacted Ul'thrak. It was enough to create an opening. Elizabeth came down with her sword, and Ul'thrak blocked with his bow, snapping it but deflecting the blow. Ul'thrak slid backward, brandishing two daggers. The daggers radiated a sickly green aura and seemed to drip a viscous green liquid.
Then came the clash of steel as Elizabeth launched herself forward with her good leg. Sparks flew as steel met steel, and the two clashed. When they separated, Stephen didn’t let up, swinging wildly with his axe to keep up the pressure.
“Don’t let him cut you! Those are poisoned!” Elizabeth warned, but Stephen heard the warning a second too late. He felt a sting in his arm as a blade sliced him.
Blackened veins erupted up his arm. Stephen pushed forward, even though his arm felt like it was on fire. With a dash, Ul'thrak separated, only to be caught by a flanking Elizabeth who re-engaged. The pain in Stephen's arm felt like his veins were filled with lava.
System Message: Status Afflicted – Poisoned for 3 seconds.
He shook his head clear of the message, looking up just in time to see Elizabeth take a blow in the opening of her armor. Blood spurted from the wound, and she yelled, managing to break away, panting, the dagger still lodged in her side. Ul'thrak seemed to be enjoying this as he focused on Elizabeth.
“You make good breeding stock, need new army.” The foul creature chuckled as it slowly approached Elizabeth. It lazily tossed its dagger into the air and caught it, bringing it down toward Elizabeth. A flash of steel, and the attack was stopped by the sudden appearance of an axe. Stephen grunted, using all his strength to hold back Ul'thrak’s attack. His muscles screamed, his body wracked with pain, his vision growing blurry. Yet he held on. The dagger moved lower, inch by inch, closer to the downed Elizabeth. Stephen roared and gripped the axe with his injured arm, muscling the creature away.
“Oh, is my dinner not done yet?” Ul'thrak sneered as he moved back quickly. Stephen took up position in front of Elizabeth. Ul'thrak licked his blade, then dashed forward.
The two were locked in now, Ul'thrak attacking with speed, Stephen doing all he could to defend. His axe flashed and snapped to intercept the attacks. Messages and alerts flooded his vision.
System Message: Damage Critical
System Message: Damage Critical
Stephen couldn’t stop. He ignored the messages. He needed to survive; his story did not end here. It could not end here. Visions of Abigail and Luke passed through his mind. He roared out, his body moving faster than he thought possible, as he began to block and parry, mounting some form of offense.
Elizabeth looked up from her downed state, her eyes widening as she saw Ul'thrak dodging and moving around Stephen. He was actually pushing back the Hob Goblin. Then there was blood, and Ul'thrak roared in pain as his arm was ravaged by a devastating blow. Stephen pushed through, determined to capitalize on this attack. With a pained howl, he powered his attack until he felt bone. A dagger attack came up at his ribs, and Stephen jerked as it punched through. Blood spurted from his mouth. Stephen's face twisted into a sickening grin as he roared and slammed another attack into Ul'thrak.
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Elizabeth slowly began to work her way up to her feet. Something strange was happening to Stephen. With every blow he landed and each wound he received, his body seemed to flicker and distort, as if he were caught between frames of reality. The edges of his form blurred, like a glitch in a broken screen, his image stuttering with each movement. It was as if his body was struggling to stay in one piece, phasing in and out of sync with the world around him. She could see it clearly now—each time Stephen took a hit, his figure would warp momentarily, pixels shimmering around him like static. The more damage he took, the more frequent and intense the distortions became. And yet, he didn’t relent.
"Oh gods, the compulsion." She moved forward, recognizing the signs. This was his Barbarian job’s compulsion—to stay fighting even after being mortally wounded. The distortion, however, was an unknown, but she knew she needed to intervene before it was too late, and it just might already be too late. She could see the black veins running up his arms, up his neck.
Stephen continued hacking at Ul'thrak, each swing of his axe growing more ferocious, his movements fueled by rage and the thrill of battle. The Hob Goblin parried desperately, each blow pushing him closer to the edge. Blood sprayed as Stephen's axe found flesh again, and Ul'thrak howled in agony, clutching his wounded arm.
Suddenly, Stephen felt a sharp, metallic impact slam into his side, sending him stumbling to the ground. Instinctively, he lashed out with his free hand, ready to attack this new threat. His vision was blurred, red with fury, and he barely registered the familiar outline of armor before him. The attacker’s sword flashed, catching the dim light, and with a deft motion, knocked his axe out of his grasp, sending it spiraling away.
System Message: You are injured! HP critical!
Stephen roared in defiance, scrambling to his feet. He lunged at the new figure, throwing wild punches and kicks, his body moving on primal instinct. He didn't see Elizabeth; he saw only another enemy. She raised her shield just in time, absorbing the brunt of his assault, her arm buckling under the sheer force of his blows.
“Stephen! It’s me!” she cried, her voice barely cutting through the haze clouding his mind.
But Stephen didn’t hear her. He only saw the glint of a blade, the shine of armor—threats to be eliminated. He swung a fist toward Elizabeth’s helmet, his knuckles cracking against steel. Elizabeth staggered back, bracing herself against the renewed onslaught. She blocked with her shield, slashing out with her sword, forcing Stephen to backpedal, but his eyes burned with a feral intensity, undeterred.
System Message: Adrenaline Surge Activated!
Ul'thrak, seizing the opportunity, lunged at Elizabeth's exposed side, aiming to drive his remaining dagger into her back. Stephen's instincts kicked in, and without conscious thought, he swung at Ul'thrak, landing a brutal punch to the goblin's jaw. The Hob Goblin reeled, dagger falling from his grasp as he was knocked off balance.
System Message: Warning! Poison effect spreading!
The three of them were now locked in a vicious triangle of violence. Stephen’s mind was a whirl of survival instincts, unable to distinguish friend from foe. He grabbed Elizabeth’s shield, yanking it away, but she twisted her arm, slamming the edge into his side. Stephen grunted, releasing his grip, and staggered back.
Ul'thrak snarled, recovering from the blow, and darted in with a series of rapid slashes aimed at both Stephen and Elizabeth. His blades were a blur, striking out with lethal precision. Elizabeth deflected one with her shield, sparks flying, while Stephen took a hit to his shoulder, barely feeling the pain through the adrenaline.
System Message: Severe Blood Loss! HP critical!
Elizabeth pivoted, her sword flashing as she parried Ul'thrak’s next strike, then turned and aimed a kick at Stephen’s knee, trying to break him from his berserker trance. He stumbled, momentarily thrown off balance, and she swung her sword around, holding it threateningly between him and the Hob Goblin.
“Stephen, snap out of it!” she yelled, her voice a mix of frustration and concern.
System Message: Critical Condition! Health falling rapidly!
Stephen growled, his eyes wild, and charged again, fists raised. Elizabeth braced herself, ready to meet his assault. She knew she had to hold him off, to keep both him and herself alive until the compulsion passed, or until she could find a way to end this fight for good.
With a roar, Stephen closed the distance. He swung a wild punch, aiming for Elizabeth’s head, but she ducked, feeling the air rush past her. Ul'thrak took advantage of Stephen’s overextension and slashed at his back, drawing a line of red across his skin.
System Message: You are poisoned! Immediate action required!
Stephen’s vision blurred again, the pain in his body threatening to overwhelm him. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus, but all he could see was red, his enemies closing in from all sides.
Ul'thrak lunged forward with malice, his eyes glinting with the promise of a final, deadly strike. His blade gleamed, aiming for Stephen's heart. But in that split second, a flash of steel sliced through the air. Elizabeth’s sword arced gracefully, severing Ul'thrak's arm with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed, and the Hob Goblin's eyes went wide with shock, his triumphant snarl turning into a howl of agony. The severed limb fell to the ground with a wet thud, the dagger still clutched in its twitching fingers.
Stephen, seeing his opportunity, growled deep in his throat, his voice raw and primal. Ignoring the pain that coursed through his body, he launched himself from the ground, every muscle straining as he aimed to finish Ul'thrak off. His axe, dripping with blood, rose high above his head, ready to bring it down in a devastating blow.
But just as Stephen closed the distance, a shadow loomed over him, and he felt the cold, unyielding impact of metal strike the side of his head. Elizabeth's shield connected with his temple with a bone-jarring force. Stars exploded in his vision, and the world seemed to slow, everything doubling and blurring. He staggered, his body losing its momentum, and he dropped to his knees, the axe slipping from his grasp.
System Message: Critical Hit! Severe Head Trauma!
His ears rang, and his vision pulsed with light and darkness. He tried to focus, to hold on to the last threads of consciousness, but the pain was too much, the fatigue overwhelming. His head pounded like a drum, each beat sending waves of dizziness through him.
System Message: You are stunned! Movement impaired!
Stephen struggled to keep his eyes open, to understand what was happening around him. He could make out Elizabeth’s form, moving with a swift, deadly grace, keeping Ul'thrak at bay. Her shield flashed, deflecting a desperate slash from the Hob Goblin, her sword a blur as she countered. He could hear her shouting something, her voice distant, as if coming through a fog.
“Stay down, Stephen!” Elizabeth’s voice cut through the haze, a command laced with both authority and concern. “You’ve done enough!”
Stephen’s body refused to respond. He felt his strength draining, the fight leaving him. His arms were heavy, his vision tunneling. The world tilted, and he felt himself falling, his knees giving out as he slumped forward. He tried to lift his head, to say something, but his lips wouldn't move, his tongue felt like lead.
System Message: You are exhausted! Vital signs critical!
His cheek hit the ground, the taste of dirt filling his mouth. The pain was fading now, replaced by a cold numbness that spread through his limbs. The last thing he saw before his vision went dark was Elizabeth stepping over him, her sword raised high, her face a mask of determination. Her silhouette blurred and then faded completely.
System Message: You have been knocked unconscious.
The final thought that flickered through Stephen’s mind was not of victory or defeat, but of Abigail and Luke, their faces smiling at him, a memory so vivid it felt real. Then, there was nothing but darkness, the world slipping away as consciousness left him.
The last sound that reached his ears was Elizabeth’s voice, strong and unyielding, as she faced Ul'thrak alone. “Stay down, you did well. I’ve got it from here.”