“Who shall heed my call and fight!?”
The time to talk was over and Goliath’s call pierced through the army, his voice carrying to the players at the back. Grass and dirt, stone, water, stone, and then Goliath. That was the space separating them.
“What’s going on?” asked Ksenia.
“It’s Goliath,” William said. “We are supposed to fight him next.”
“Shit, the special objective already?” Ksenia’s perplexity transformed into excitement. “Count me in—”
“I will fight,” said Nikolai.
“The hell you will! I’m next!” Ksenia glared at him, and Nikolai glared right back. The fearless Nikolai ignored that he was a solid level below Ksenia. Kazi wasn’t here yet, so defusing the situation was above William’s paygrade. He stood there, listening to the adults argue it out.
“Do not forget the words of our boss—”
“You’re the leader, blah, blah!” Ksenia mocked. “Except in our case being a leader means giving out advice, not orders!”
“Hmph. You are allowing your desire for power to blur your vision.”
‘This is going nowhere,’ William thought. ‘Honestly, I have to agree with Ksenia. Nikolai doesn’t have a high enough level to compete with Goliath.’
The back-and-forth discussions and arguments about who would confront Goliath didn’t end until a sudden surge of commotion erupted among the soldiers at the front of the army. Voices rose in a crescendo, a flurry of whispers and urgent exchanges punctuated the air, drawing the attention of the players.
Ksenia quieted down and exchanged glances.
Like a crescendo, a cry echoed through the valley.
“Goliath! Goliath! Goliath! Goliath!”
The Philistine army was chanting his name. That means…
“Somebody has already volunteered! Come on!” William gestured at them to follow. Elbowing their way gently through the crowd, they maneuvered toward the forefront of the encampment. The almighty Goliath stood on one end of the stream of water, oozing bloodlust. Protecting the side of the Israelites was a man with a complexion several shades darker than the typical Israelite’s. His hair, a crown of curls and faded at the side, indicated a modern sensibility.
[ Name: Matty
Level: 16
Class: Amateur Shieldman ]
“That’s…” William blanked out. He remembered the name, just not the face. There was something missing as he stared at his back. A loose-fitting brown tunic and a belt cinched and dangling with pouches of easily accessible resources. Hooked to both arms were black round shields.
“Matty…the dude that was always with the chick,” Ksenia said. “What was her name…?”
“Jules.”
Everybody jolted at the new presence. William nearly whipped out his axe. Luckily, it wasn’t an enemy that surprised that but a lady with a gorgeous white smile.
Accompanying her remark was a soft meow from a black cat named Goldy. She wasn’t young, somewhere between her thirties or forties, her hair done in a braided updo. Jules greeted everyone with a soft smile. “Hello everyone! Good to see you again. Oh, and a new face. Nice to meet you two, Nikolai and Marta.”
Awkward Marta kicked in. “Um, hi.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Hello,” Nikolai said, glancing at Matty. “Is that your friend preparing to fight?”
“Mhm. Matty said he would taunt Goliath into tiring himself so that I can beat him.” Jules shook her head. “Sometimes, I think he does too much.”
“He’s fighting him for you?” Ksenia repeated. "Wait, he’s level 16, he might die!”
“He won’t. Matty won’t die. Trust me.”
“King Saul really let you guys fight?” Marta asked.
“Mhm. He said I must be another one of your friends, Marta." Jules' brightness dialled down to apologetic. "I hope you don’t mind.”
With a smile as kind as that, Marta couldn’t say anything.
Nikolai chuckled. “I like the confidence! Let us watch then.”
“Haha, let’s!”
‘...is it just me or are they cut from the same cloth?’ Super nice, super helpful, super smiley, and super…well, William wasn’t able to describe it but there was a shared element between them.
“Let us begin!” Goliath announced. He leaned back, sword down and spear pointed forward. “For Philistine!”
“Coral Defence. Mist Veil,” Matty said, steady and cool. His two round shields were corrupted by a pink coral reef material. In the next second, a heavy mist emitted from his shield. Goliath's gaze snapped to attention, not understanding the thick mist blurring his vision. The process was fast and before anyone knew it Matty was gone.
“Where are you, warrior of Israelite!? What manner of fighting is this!?”
No response, but there was a grunt of pain. Through the fog, though William was unable to see, Matty had landed a blow. Another grunt followed, then another—
“So this is your style of fighting! Ha!”
Hard footsteps plunged into the thin stream, causing splashes. Goliath’s form ran left and escaped the ball of mist that he had been absorbed in. His exposed thighs were bruised slightly. Not a major wound, yet a wound nonetheless. Matty walked out the mist, appearing like a prophet with his supernatural powers.
He went from walking to sprinting. The keen Goliath observed his feet, waiting for him to come close, then thrust his spear forward. Matty’s shields were light and allowed him to switch between agile evasion, offense, and defence. Despite that, he didn’t anticipate the giant’s careful planning and even with his shield was not only stopped in his tracks but sent tumbling back.
Goliath stepped forward. A second thrust quickly came Matty's way, weaker than previous due to the excess distance.
“Mist Veil!”
Smacking away the spear, the small area was once again enveloped in mist. This time, there were no grunts or unforeseeable actions. Goliath bounced back and left the mist once again, proclaiming, “That trick will not work twice!”
Matty must have not anticipated his quick feet and thinking. Goliath remained rooted to his spot, waiting for the next attack. Impatience did not overwhelm the brute. Thirty seconds passed and the mist eventually dissipated, exposing Matty once again.
“Have you conjured another trick yet? Or is this your limit?”
Matty had dealt no real damage to him. Only a small sliver of his health bar had been taken away. Goliath shifted closer, spear at the ready. Meanwhile, Matty didn’t seem to have any other moves.
“Relying on a cheap trick like that was bound to fail,” Nikolai commented. “Against mindless monsters and amateur fighters, it would be a huge source of panic. However, against a seasoned fighter like Goliath…”
“Yep, he can counter it pretty easily.”
William blinked and turned. “Oh, Kazi! You’re back!”
“Yep.” Kazi crossed his arms across his chest. “It’s hard to believe that Dawud beat him.”
“You mean David,” William said.
“Hm? That’s what I said.”
Back to the battle, Matty didn’t seem to move. His face in a scowl, frustrated, it was almost like Goliath’s shifting feet were a trap. If Matty moved backwards, the giant would spring forward. There was no space for his tricks or skills.
Cling! The tip of Goliath’s spear met Matty’s coral shield again, the thick pink material breaking from the force. Goliath took another step forward and another attempt at his life. Matty slammed both of his shields together and successfully blocked it. The water trembled underneath.
Matty muttered, “Kraken’s Tentacle.”
Emerging from the connected curve of Matty's shields, a thick water tentacle surged forward and struck Goliath across the cheek. The impact sent him hurtling across the slim body of water, his towering form rolling as he struggled to regain his footing. The soldiers, witnessing this astonishing display of a move they could scarcely comprehend, murmured in disbelief and awe.
“Haha…” Dazed, head swinging, the giant rose to his feet and cackled. “Is that all you can do, warrior of the Israelites!?”
“Kraken’s Tentacle! Kraken’s Tentacle!”
The first tentacle retreated, and thus the second and third emerged. A reckless show of otherworldly might that shocked Goliath into action. He sliced the water tentacle in half with his sword and promptly weaved the second.
Kraken’s Tentacle was but a short burst of magical prowess. Once a single action was used up, it was gone.
Goliath did not seem to catch on to that fact and waited. He waited for the next barrage of attacks, his spear and sword at the ready. A big grin took up half of his face, the thrill of battle pumping his veins.
Panting, circular shields together, sweat raining down his temple, Matty exhaled through his mouth and announced, “I give up.”
The declaration hung heavy in the air, shattering the tension that had gripped the battlefield. Goliath, taken aback by this unexpected turn of events, blinked twice in disbelief. The soldiers, Israelites and Philistines alike, stood in stunned silence.
“What?”