As Lavanya and Evrin pressed deeper into the enigmatic embrace of the forest, the canopy thickened, filtering the sunlight into mere whispers of its warm touch. The air grew denser, laden with the musky scent of moss and the sharp tang of impending rain. Evrin’s grip on his makeshift pack tightened, his senses heightened by the unknowns that lurked around every shadowed corner.
It was Lavanya who sensed it first—a shift in the air, a tremor of malevolence that whispered through the trees. Her fur stood on end, and she paused, her ears swiveling towards the subtle sounds of movement that were too deliberate to be just another creature of the forest.
Evrin noticed her change in posture and followed her gaze into the thick undergrowth. “What is it, Audrey?” he asked, his voice low, almost drowned out by the rustling of leaves.
Before Lavanya could attempt any form of warning, a massive figure emerged from the shadows—a goblin, but unlike any they had encountered before. This one was larger, its muscles bulging under its warty, green skin, and it wore a makeshift armor cobbled together from the bones of fallen forest creatures. In its hand, it clutched a large, jagged blade that gleamed with a sinister light.
Evrin instinctively stepped back, fumbling for the sword at his belt—the same sword that had snapped during a previous, less threatening encounter. Only half of the blade remained, a pitiful excuse for a weapon, but it was all he had.
With a clumsy, untrained grip, Evrin brandished his broken sword, trying to mimic the stance he’d seen the royal guards take back at the palace. The result was less than heroic, more likely to invoke laughter than fear.
Lavanya, however, knew that there was no room for hesitation. With her body tensed and her eyes focused, she stepped forward, placing herself between Evrin and the looming threat. She let out a fierce growl, surprising even herself with its ferocity.
The goblin boss roared in response, a sound that echoed through the forest, chilling the very air. It charged, swinging its massive blade in wide, sweeping arcs.
Lavanya reacted with agility born of her newfound magical prowess. She darted beneath the swing, her body glowing with a soft, ethereal light. She summoned her magic, focusing it into a blinding flash that erupted directly in the goblin’s face.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The goblin staggered, momentarily blinded, but it was not down. It shook its head, clearing the dazzle from its eyes, and focused anew on Lavanya, its gaze filled with renewed fury.
Evrin, seeing an opening, tried to move in with his broken sword, swinging it awkwardly. His lack of skill was painfully evident—he stumbled over a root, his attack more a danger to himself than to the goblin.
Lavanya glanced back, her concern for Evrin splitting her focus. She needed to end this quickly. With a graceful leap, she engaged the goblin boss again, this time using her speed to her advantage. She darted around it, swiping with claws enhanced by her light magic, leaving trails of luminous scratches across the goblin’s thick hide.
The goblin roared in pain and anger, swinging its blade in wild, furious arcs. Lavanya, nimble and light, managed to evade the deadly swings, but it was clear the goblin was learning, adapting its strategy with each missed hit.
The fight seemed to dance, a deadly ballet of attack and retreat, light against darkness. Lavanya used her agility to keep the goblin off balance, while Evrin, gradually overcoming his initial fear, began to find his rhythm, using his broken sword to distract and harry the goblin from the side.
Suddenly, the goblin adapted, feinting a swing at Lavanya before pivoting to bring its blade crashing down towards Evrin. Lavanya’s heart leapt into her throat. Time seemed to slow as she gathered her energy, her body glowing with an intense, almost blinding light.
With a forceful leap, she intercepted the attack, her body slamming into Evrin, knocking him out of the blade’s path just as she released a pulse of light magic directly into the goblin’s face.
The impact was explosive. The light engulfed the goblin, searing and disorienting it. The beast howled, staggering backward, clutching its face as smoke rose from its charred skin.
Evrin and Lavanya regrouped, both panting heavily. Evrin looked at Lavanya with a mix of awe and gratitude. “That was… incredible,” he gasped, his earlier doubts washed away in the flood of adrenaline and relief.
With the goblin boss temporarily incapacitated, they didn’t wait to see if it would recover. Lavanya led the way, her senses still on high alert, as they quickly left the clearing.
As they put distance between themselves and the goblin, the tension of the battle slowly began to ebb. Evrin glanced at Lavanya, his eyes reflecting a new understanding, a new respect. “I owe you my life, Audrey. I… I don’t even know how to thank you.”
Lavanya simply nudged his hand with her head, a gesture of companionship and forgiveness. Words were unnecessary; their actions had spoken deeply.
As they continued on their path, the forest seemed to watch, its ancient trees whispering of the bond that had been forged in the crucible of battle—a bond of trust, respect, and an unspoken promise to stand by each other, no matter what lay ahead.