Season 2: Chapter 52:
“AMBUSH!” Lhikan yelled, racing forward, moving in unison to pull at Jesse with his leg stuck in a hole.
“AGH!!!” Jesse cried, two paladins moving to shield Lhikan as he stopped pulling at Jesse and inspected the trap.
A punji trap, a typical orthodoxy trap made of sharpened spikes attached to two rollers that spun the moment someone’s limb fell between the two, entrapping the victim and causing more damage if someone attempted to pull them out.
Lhikan frowned before his fist broke the large bones that held the trap together and freed Jesse.
“Goblins!” Marcus yelled, Lhikan picking Jesse out of the trap.
Lhikan raised his head, his eyes widening at the formation of armored goblins marching in his direction.
“Great.” Lhikan hissed, pulling Jesse who was bleeding profusely, the rogue attempting to stem the blood gushing from the various holes in his thigh.
“Artery! It nicked! Nicked my artery!” Jesse cried as Lhikan dragged the man while his knights guarded them.
“HEALER!” Lhikan barked, a stone bouncing off his helmet as he laid the rogue on the ground and attempted to put pressure on the injuries.
Two scribes quickly approached, one gasping as she laid her hands onto the gushing blood and began praying.
“We have to heal him here! You need to protect us!” Simone exclaimed, the church scribe wrapping a cloth above Jesse’s injury and tightening it to stem the loss of life force. “Keep pressure! This is going to hurt!”
“GAH! DAMN IT!” Jesse barked as the scribe tightened the tourniquet.
“Cover us!” Lhikan ordered, his gauntlets quickly soaking in blood.
Marcus and Tipsy led the vanguard, the latter brandishing her blunderbuss that punched a hole through the ranks of the enemy shield wall.
With a boom, Marcus shot forward, riding the momentum of Tipsy’s attack, the goblins peppered with iron balls and in a state of confusion as the paladin roared.
Cleaving through the enemy’s frontline, Marcus splattered blood, slashing through them, his eyes focusing on a taller goblin wearing a helmet and barking orders in the second wave.
A commander?! Marcus went wide-eyed, the revelation cementing his fears at the prospect of enemy tactical organization.
The goblins reinforcing the frontline tightened their formation, raising spears, the monsters shifting into a spear wall and marching as a war horn sounded and howls could be heard.
“GNOLLS!” Marcus barked, Titus and Marth joining him, the two knights raising their shields to ward off the claws of the four vicious attackers snarling at their flanks.
“SPIDERS!” Tipsy called out, firing at the ceiling with her flint locks, the skittering creatures traveling over the heads of the armored goblins to spit web at the adventurers.
“Buy us time!” Lhikan spat, Jesse’s pained cries momentarily overshadowing the sounds of clashing.
““YES SIR!”” Marcus, Titus, and Marth let out, the trio of knightly paladins holding the line.
Marcus leaned left, dodging a web bolt, his eyes focused on the commander as Tipsy produced a gadget that shot flames at the ceiling, driving away the bugs.
Ambush, multi-pronged attack, multiple monster types! There's definitely a demon here! Marcus affirmed, a sinking feeling in his gut.
“Oh Divinity, grant me strength!” Marcus roared, divine energy arcing across his blade, the weapon a beacon in the darkness.
With a swipe, his sword released a wave of holy energy, the arc of white mana slashing through the enemy’s decrepit shields with the goblins standing no chance against the divine attack.
Goblins, not much of a threat when it came down to it, however their numbers, the tight corridors, usage of armor and traps left Marcus on edge. If there were commanders, there was a possibility of spellcasters, or worst, evolved beings, meaning every second spent fighting was another second used to wear down their strength.
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The commander ducked the wave of mana, rushing forward, screaming in fury as its comrades fell.
Readying his blade, Marcus grinned and welcomed the attack, the commander devoid of any protection.
Saves me the trouble.
The goblin unsheathed its sword, rushing Marcus, the latter slashing at the goblin who deflected the attack.
Huh?
Marcus kicked off the ground, backing dodging to avoid the blade that scraped against his armor.
What?
Marcus clenched his jaw, eyeing the goblin. The monster striking a short guard sword stance that…
Wait. THAT'S THE IMPERIAL FORM ONE!
A typical sword guard. One that held the hilt near the user's waist with the blade facing at an angle towards the user's attacker. A form of weapon stance that was balanced for defense but used to chain into other sword forms.
Every swordsman worth their salt was taught this form, now the question on Marcus's mind was, who taught this disgusting goblin?
Titus and Marth dispatched of the four gnolls, joining Marcus, the trio staring down the goblin who was all alone save for the two spiders that survived being immolated.
The goblin quivered under the glare of the three paladins, the monster fighting against its instincts to run as Marcus calmly approached it.
“I commend your courage green thing,” Marcus said, bearing down on the goblin. “But the only good goblin, is a dead goblin.”
“ScREE!” The goblin cried, rushing Marcus.
“So let's make a good goblin.” Marcus said, cutting the monster down unceremoniously.
The creature hit the floor, its weapon clattering against the floor with a dull sound.
“We're clear!” Marcus turned and barked, moving to step away yet paused.
Looking down at his boot, there was a three-fingered hand latched onto his boot.
“Hmm?”
“ScreEk.” The goblin let out, the monster leaking copious amounts of green blood but still alive.
“Huh, guess I cut too shallow.” Marcus lifted his blade, the edge hovering over the monster’s neck before dropping it, ending the small creature. “Well, whatev-”
“SQUEAK!”
Marcus paused, the pulse of a faint magical sound wave rolling over him, one that was filled with... despair?
It caught him off guard, every human turning with Lhikan rising to his feet.
*CLANG*
Suddenly the sound of metal bashing against something echoed.
*CLANG*
“Did anyone else feel that?” Titus asked, looking around.
*CLANG*
“What's that sound?” Marth asked, readying his bloodied mace.
*CLANG*
“More goblins probably.” Marcus said, his anxiety rising.
*CLANG*
“How are we on the healing?!” Marcus called out.
*CLANG*
“Almost do-” Scribe Simone called out yet stopped, a scraping sound echoing through the tight corridor.
All eyes turned to the end of the tunnel, an ominous sensation emanating from the darkness.
“Shields!” Marcus called just as something massive flew out of the darkness.
“GAH!” Titus and Marth were sent flying, the two hitting ground with a loud thud with Marcus ducking beneath the massive spinning blade.
“FALL BACK!” Lhikan spat, picking up Jesse, the sound of armored footsteps, skittering, and bloodlust bouncing through the hallway.
"SQUEAK!!!"
Marcus went to help the two paladins, his eyes going wide at the body that was missing its head.
What? No!
Marth was gone, but Titus was still alive.
“Titus! On your feet!” Marcus barked, grabbing the injured paladin, the pair fleeing through the way they came.
“You ok?” Marcus asked, turning to Titus, the man clutching his shield arm with their shield bent.
“Think my arm is broken. What in six hells was that?” Titus huffed.
“Something's-”
Suddenly an influx of mana.
Marcus shifted, eyes wide, his blade scraping against a large green-scaled humanoid with a blue spider on its back soaring past.
“TITUS!” Marcus exclaimed, reaching out to save the man snatched up by the monster. Yet as he did so, he was greeted by a bolt of light mana that struck him in the shoulder. “GAH!”
What?
Marcus went wide-eyed, stunned, the man’s mind blank as he processed that he'd been hit with a bolt of holy energy.
“Marcus! Come on!” Lhikan said, grabbing him, pulling the paladin to safety as another shrill sounding SQUEAK echoed behind them.
Bloodlust.
They could feel it, that simple squeak, the sound carrying with it rage and hatred.
Something was coming. Something fueled by red hot anger. Something that sent a cold sweat down Marcus's back.
“Let's go! Keep moving!” Lhikan barked.
“What about Titus?!”
“He's gone! We'll come back for them!” Lhikan snapped, pulling the reluctant man away as a malevolent smile could be seen hanging in the shadows.