Jen counted fifteen pairs of eyes shining in the darkness all around them. That many goblins could definitely pose a problem for a single old man, but for a warlord and two sorcerers it shouldn’t take more than a minute to wipe them out. That was assuming Kat and Amanda had at least average skills.

“Can I blast them?” Amanda’s hands crackled with soul force and she bounced from foot to foot like a kid that needed the outhouse.

“We can’t even see them yet,” Kat said. “Don’t attack until you have a clear target. Maybe they just want to check us out. If we can avoid a fight that would be best.”

Amanda groaned and Jen silently agreed with her. Goblins that weren’t looking for a fight didn’t exist, at least not in Jen’s experience.

“If you could avoid damaging the ruins I would very much appreciate it,” Dorius said. “This place is a treasure trove for a scholar.”

“More like a death trap,” Jen muttered.

A twisted, hunched over, gray-skinned creature stepped into the light. It didn’t look like any goblin Jen had ever seen. The ones she was used to tended to be green and shorter. If this one straightened up it would be near six feet tall. The goblin wore only a loincloth made from the uncured hide of some small animal and carried no weapons. It hissed and raised a misshapen hand sporting three-inch claws to shade its eyes. Jen didn’t wait for it to get used to the light or decide to attack.

She lunged and slashed, not bothering with acceleration. The light-dazzled goblin twisted away, avoiding her attack.

Jen spun, expecting to take its head off with a backhand slash.

It ducked the blow and darted toward her, taloned hands leading.

She pumped soul force through her body and sprinted clear, inches ahead of the monster’s talons. She skidded to a halt, reversed course, and drove her blade through the goblin’s chest. It let out a gurgling hiss and grabbed her blade with surprising strength.

An explosion behind her indicated the sorcerers had engaged the other monsters. A second goblin lunged at her out of the dark.

Jen gave a harder yank and her sword came free along with all the dying goblin’s fingers. She met the new threat at warlord speed.

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It ducked her high slash and leapt over a back cut that should have taken its legs off at the knee. How could it keep up with her? She was moving at least three times as fast as a normal person and her opponent didn’t appear to be using any physical enhancements.

She drew deeper from her core. If it could keep up with warlord speed she would see if it could match lightning speed. Using the technique that made her father a legend Jen went to double warlord speed.

In an instant it appeared that the goblin simply fell apart. Legs went one way, arms another, and its head a third.

Jen’s heart raced and her body trembled. Lightning speed took a lot out of her. No new enemies immediately appeared so she took a moment to study the battle. Kat and Amanda stood on either side of Dorius, golden light shimmering around them.

A dozen goblins surrounded their little group. Two of the goblins rushed in and clawed at the barrier. Jen’s eyebrows shot up when scratch marks appeared in the smooth energy field.

A small hole opened in the barrier and Amanda fired an arrow of golden energy through it. The goblin she’d aimed at dropped flat and the blast flew over its head without causing any damage.

The arrow changed direction and plunged down at the prone goblin. This time it struck the creature square in the chest. It shrieked and leapt to its feet, pained but clearly not seriously injured.

Jen’s gaze darted around. There should be one more around here somewhere. She spotted its eyes in the dark, watching the battle. Since when did goblins watch anything? All Jen had ever seen the stupid things do was charge into battle, counting on numbers to carry the day. Everything about this felt wrong.

“Hey!” Jen shouted. When Kat looked her way she pointed toward the hiding goblin. “Light!”

Kat obliged, sending a golden sphere streaking toward the watching goblin. Jen followed it at warlord speed.

The waiting monster was a head taller than the others. It met her charge and struck her blow aside with the back of its hand. Hard, dark scales covered it from knuckles to shoulder and ankles to groin. Its chest was broad and deep with massive muscles that rippled when it moved. It smiled, revealing a mouthful of needle-sharp fangs.

Jen attacked with a flurry of blows at warlord speed. It met every attack with an arm or raised leg. Despite her strength, speed, and razor-edged steel, Jen couldn’t draw so much as a drop of blood. She narrowly dodged a counter that might have disemboweled her.

Another explosion rocked the cavern. She hated to use lightning speed again, but there was little choice. She drew deep once more. The instant she did the goblin leapt away. It clung to the side of a tower, clambering up it like a spider. Had it known what she was about to do?

It let out a shrill, high-pitched whistle. The surviving goblins faded away into the darkness. When Kat and Amanda sent out spheres of light there was no sign of them.

Jen walked over to the others, but didn’t sheathe her sword. “What the hell were those things? No way were they goblins.”

All eyes turned to Professor Dorius. He cleared his throat. “I have a theory. In all honesty I have no idea exactly what they are, but at one point they were goblins. Perhaps talking about this out in the open isn’t the best idea.”

He looked over Jen’s shoulder prompting her to glance back. Golden eyes flashed in the darkness. Suddenly getting somewhere with sturdy walls struck her as an excellent idea.