"So, what do you want them to write on your grave stone, eh varga I think, the unfortunate one would suit me best."
"Femi, this is not the time for your strange humor. Do you smell any strange goblin,?" varga asked him as she searched the bushes trying to get an estimate of their numbers.
"What?"Femi turned his head towards her, and gave her a questioning look.
" I said, do you smell strange goblins"
"My friend,I don't understand?" he answered, confused. "What's a goblin in the first place?"
The black haired, emerald eyed huntress gave him a surprised look back.
"You don't know what a goblin is?" she asked the ratling.
"Do you think, I was raised in the bush like you. How would I know." femi responded back.
Varga growled, in frustration, " forget it, just get up and prepare for a fight."
Femi frowned. How was he supposed to fight with barley any energy in is body ? Sometimes this girl says some stupid things.
Yet, he drew his remaining knife and kept it on his lap, he had unfortunately left his axe behind, with the armoured bear. Varga had drawn her own Short blade with her unbound arm, choosing to leave Ova's axe on her back.
Femi could smell the creatures or goblins as Vargas is calls them, better now. There seemed to be at least ten, no....twenty of them and they were definitely moving closer.
They probably smelled Varga's blood which had convinced them, they were easy meal.
Ah, wait look at me analyzing monsters behavior, it seems I have been in this forest for too long. Femi thought to himself, with a sigh.
Then...
They burst from the undergrowth like a pack of feral dogs, their jagged spears and rusted blades waving in the air, created a very terrifying, scene. Their screeches filled the air, high-pitched, guttural, sounds that promised violence.
"Ah, so this are goblins, no wonder they smelled familiar"
The goblin's long green, floppy ears were flat on it's head as it snarled viciously at femi. Its humanoid frame was covered in patchy, mottled skin and fur on its hand and legs, probably for the cold.The sharp, curved claws gripping a crude spear which it pointed at him.
It was the first monster, he had killed from that wicked dungeon. So it's called a goblin.
Femi counted at least a dozen, maybe the rest were hiding close, their wiry frames wrapped in ragged pelts and scavenged armor.
He didn't move. He just sat there, legs crossed, watching the goblins encircle them with a detached calm. Victim, the pup, pressed against his side, trembling but it kept yiping and growling at the goblins sensing the danger.
"Ah, life," Femi sighed, scratching behind the pup's ears. "First a bear, now this? My village people must truly want to conclude with me today."
One of the goblins, taller than the rest with a necklace of yellowed bones, and a long staff with a skull at the end, stepped forward. Its beady eyes flicked between them, lingering on Varga's injuries before settling on Femi with a sneer.
"Skinny rat-thing and Krag woman," it hissed in broken....well language , its voice like gravel. "Good eating."
Varga cursed under her breath, her grip tightening on her blade. "Of course. Just our luck a hobgoblin, a shaman no less."
Femi tilted his head towards her in panic. "Do you mean juju priest, like native doctor ? Wait.. wait I no follow again". Femi said as he got up with his knife held in front of him.
Femi cursed himself, why was he just sitting on the snow like a fool, when a juju priest was coming. He should have bolted long before even, if he was tired.
The goblin leader barked something in its own tongue, and the pack cackled, their laughter was unsettling to hear.
But Femi wasn't paying attention to them anymore. His ears twitched, and his instincts told him something bad was about to happen.
There was another sound beneath the goblins' jeers.
A low, rhythmic thumping.
Femi's blood ran cold.
Of course, there was no way you would be late to the party.
Then the trees shook.
The goblins froze mid-taunt, their grins slipping. One turned, just in time to see the massive, armored-clad form of a bear crash through the undergrowth like a living avalanche.
And It looked like it ate shit.
Blood streamed from its ruined eye, Femi's knife was gone, leaving a hole were it's eye used to be. Its remaining eye burned with primal fury, locking onto them with terrifying focus.
The goblin leader shrieked, "DEFEND!" but it was too late.
The bear moved.
One swipe of its paw sent two goblins flying, their bodies crumpling against a tree with a sickening crack. Another goblin tried to stab it with a spear, but the blade snapped against its armored hide. The bear didn't even flinch, it just bit down, and the goblin's screams were cut short.
Chaos erupted.
The hobgoblin tried to maintain order by yelling and hitting the surrounding goblins, but they scattered like leaves in a storm, their bravado shattered. Some fled into the woods, others turned on each other in their panic. The bear didn't care. It was a force of nature, a monster that ruled this part of the forest and to it the weak should just die screaming.
And it was coming for them.
The hobgoblin shaman trying to get back morale stepped forward and began to chant in a strange tongue.
" Kürõß- Måñïpúlåtïøñ-
A ball of fire the size of a beach ball formed in front of the shaman, and with the extension of his staff it flew towards the armoured bear, slamming into it's face.
ROOOOOAR!
The bear's rage turned towards the shaman, it's exposed fur slightly burnt by the fire. The shaman probably regretting it's life choices began to step back, but the bear focus was now on it.
Varga grabbed Femi's arm, yanking him up.
"Move!"
Femi didn't need telling twice. He scooped up Victim and ran, Varga limping beside him. Behind them, the sounds of slaughter echoed, goblins dying, the bear's roars shaking the trees.
But Femi knew.
It wouldn't stop with the goblins.
It wanted them.
------
They wove through the forest, lungs burning, legs screaming in protest. Every step sent agony shooting through Femi's body, but fear was a hell of a motivator.
Varga stumbled, her injured leg buckling. Femi caught her before she fell, hauling her forward with a grunt. "Keep moving!"
"I am!" she snarled, but her face was pale, she was losing blood. All this movement must have reopened her wounds. Femi knew they couldn't continue like this, but stopping meant death. They had to get away. But how co..?
He froze.
The soft crunch of footsteps on snow reached his ears. He spun, scanning the trees, but saw nothing.
Femi's grip tightened on his knife as his eyes darted between the shadows. his eyes narrowed warily as he scanned the surrounding bushes and trees for any signs of anything stalking them. He could feel them watching him. Every instinct he had was telling him there were hostile creatures around.
I knew they were hiding somewhere, those demons must have prepared this in case we escaped their main group.
Varga stopped close to femi, exhaustion shown clearly on her face. Her questioning eyes on him.
"Those goblins set up a ambush for us" Femi told her while his eyes continued to scan their surroundings.
Varga grunted and drew her short blade, her stance unsteady but determined. She whispered something under her breath, maybe a curse or prayer?, and for a fleeting moment, Femi could have sworn her eyes glowed. But maybe it was just the exhaustion playing tricks on him.
"Over there." She pointed toward a tangle of gnarled roots.
A blur of green shot from beneath them. Femi barely had time to react before the goblin was on him, its crude wooden club smashing into the ground where he'd stood moments before. The impact sent snow flying. The club was made from a large branch and looked like it would have really hurt had it hit.
The creature snarled viciously at him, baring yellowed fangs.
Femi bared his own teeth in return. "Close your dirty mouth, you unwanted pregnant goat."
Femi exhausted, knew he didn't have much time or option, wasted no time and launched himself at his opponent. He intended to strike before the other goblin could recover from missing with his club.
Just as Femi moved to strike, something slammed into his back. He cursed as he tumbled, rolling across the snow with another goblin tangled in his limbs.
"Shameless animals!" he spat as they grappled, claws and fists flying. The second goblin swung a sharpened rock at his skull, but Femi caught its wrist just in time. They crashed through a thorny bush, momentum carrying them straight into the trunk of a tree.
The impact knocked the breath from Femi's lungs. His grip loosened, just for a second, but it was enough. The goblin scrambled free, and got to it's feet raising its rock with a screech.
"Raargh!" the naked green demon yelled as he raised it above his head and charged.
"Your mama!" Femi shouted back as he ducked under the rock. He then tackled his opponent to the ground and bit him. His teeth sank into the flesh under the other goblin's arm, where he couldn't be hit by his opponent's rock. The taste of iron filled Femi's mouth as he drew blood.
Disgusting, but necessary.The goblin shrieked and thrashed but Femi didn't let go. With a snarl, he wrenched his blade up and buried it in the goblin's neck.
The creature collapsed, wailing, blood pooling from where he'd been bitten and the shoulder where he'd been stabbed. Femi spat crimson onto the snow and wiped his mouth, triumphant.
"I don win!"
Femi was now breathing hard and had several new scratches that burned painfully. The goblin's nails had been very sharp, his fur couldn't stop it.
He sucked down air,to clam himself when he was alarmed to hear the crackle of branches behind him.
Femi whirled, just in time to duck as the first goblin's club whistled past his head. Too close.His heart hammered as he scrambled back.
I saw my ancestors just now.
As he scrambled away from the club, he saw varga attempting to fight five other goblins. They circled around her wielding long wooden spears, but there was already two bodies in front of her.
But, she was obviously having trouble defending herself from all five of them. With only one useable arm which held a short sword. She looked exhausted, but determined, as she moved around avoiding the goblins' clumsy spear thrusts.
Victim the young pup also seemed to be assisting varga to distract some of her opponents and did a good job of weaving and dodging their attempts on its life.
But, femi had to focus on his own fight, though. The club wielder rushed him again.
This time, Femi didn't dodge. He met the charge head-on, slamming into the goblin with all his weight. They crashed to the ground, Femi on top. The creature flailed, but at this range, its club was useless.
Femi pinned it, putting his weight on the goblin's chest. Spit flew from the it's mouth as he screeched and tried to bite femi with its yellow teeth, but femi held it down, one hand crushing its throat, the other driving his knife up beneath its ribs.
Die by fire, you demonic spawn."
He stabbed again. And again.
The goblin twitched, gurgled, then went still.
Then he did it again several times just to be sure.
Blood poured out of the wound soaking the snow in crisom. Femi, choked as the overpowering sent of blood hit his nose.
"Truly, this life of kill or be killed wasn't for him."
As he rose to his feet he turned to face the five goblins attacking varga. However, they took one look at him standing over their two defeated allies and fled. They scampered off into the woods with a quick series of fearful yelps.
Yes they had won, now al...
"GROOOOWL"
A thunderous crash happened behind them. Femi risked a glance back.....
...just as the bear leaped over a fallen log, landing barely ten paces away.
"Oh, Lord," Femi whispered. "Na die we go die today so."
The bear charged.
Femi's mind went blank.