Chapter 25: Goblin Everywhere! (IV)
"What's setting them all of?" Phil spoke, confused. He knocked his arrow one after the other, firing them in seconds. The sound of the Squealing Rats was finally silenced even though it took a few arrows to kill every single one of them. "I do not like this at all."
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
The sound of drums echoed through the forest. Birds and insects that were silent burst into life as they flew away in panic. Even the wind stopped moving and became silent.
I glanced around, confused. The bright lights were making it hard to see in the darkness. We could only see what was in front of us and nothing in the distance.
"I hear the drums." A woman with children spoke out loud. She clutched her children closer to her body in fear. "It's coming from behind us."
"Is it the goblins? Are we too late?" An old man was hyperventilating. A young girl came over to help him calm down.
"How much further?" Phil asked with a strained voice.
I looked up and noticed that his face was filled with worry. Turning towards Coco, I asked. "Coco, are we almost there?"
Coco neighed in an up and down motion and stomped on the ground with her foot. I was relieved that we were closer than I thought.
"That's good, though we need to get there now."
I completely agreed with him there, but I was not sure how close. Damn, this was a problem for someone who doesn't know their way home. I honestly lived too long as a shut in not even to know how to get back home.
Coco pulled towards the direction that we needed to go. I was glad that Coco knew the way.
"Quickly! This way!" Phil yelled and motioned everyone to follow.
We rushed through the forest nonstop. The sound of the drums got louder until it felt like it was all around us.
"Neeeeeighhh!" Coco yelled, and she suddenly halted in a dead stop.
"What's wrong?" Phil asked as he pulled up next to me.
Looking around, I noticed a giant stone gate in the middle of the forest. Large walls menacingly tower over us. Thick vines and vegetation grew all over it, making it look like it was part of the forest if one did not stop to take the time. I wondered how high the walls were, but such thought was quickly thrown away.
"How are we supposed to get inside?"
The metal gates were tightly closed, not allowing a single person to go through. Even I did not know a single way in. Looking from left to right, the walls seem to endlessly disappear into the night.
Sliding off of Coco, I walked up towards the gate. Was there some kind of mechanism that I needed to pull or something? I curiously went over and placed my hands against the wall. Nothing. All I could feel was the harsh cold metal that blocked our path.
"Young mistress," Coco walked over. She finished her transformation, startling everyone around her, for they have never seen a horse turn into a human maid.
"Coco, how are we supposed to get in?" I asked, feeling the wall for some kind of answer that I hoped to find, but nothing budged in my favor.
"There is a mechanism in the back. Allow me to get it for you."
"Please do," I asked with urgency.
"Yes, young mistress." Coco darted off into the darkness.
"What now?" Phil asked. He got off his horse and tried his best to calm it down.
"We wait." I pulled back my hand. I was still feeling the leftover tingling from the wall.
"Waiting is not something the villagers will want to do."
"I know, but I don't know how to open the gate, and Coco is going to open the gates for us."
"I see."
People had begun to stream towards us like water and surrounded us.
"Duke? Why have we stopped?" A man yelled out in worry. "Don't you see that the enemy is upon us? Have you given up?"
"No!" Phil shouted, trying to keep everyone's nerves from spilling over. "We need to wait until the gates open. Someone has already gone over to the other side to open the gates for us."
"But the enemy is right behind us!"
The citizens were in a panic; they wanted a solution to this predicament now. As the second crawled by, it brought impatience to their heart.
"We can't stay here!"
"Lion of Dragonia, please save us!" They cried out to Phil's grandmother.
"We should've gone to the nearest city." A woman cried out desperately. "We are going to die now." Her hysteria had caused everyone around her to glance around nervously.
"Calm down. Stick close to the gate and enter when it is opened. Gather an able body that is willing to fight with me. We will keep these unknown monsters at bay until the gates open," said Grandma Mary.
"There is no one here who can fight!" A desperate woman called out in panic. "You're just trying to stall time and kill us all!"
"We shouldn't have followed this brat!" An old man shouted and threw a rock at him.
Phil caught it in midair and glared at the old man. Don was ready to pounce on the old man when Phil stopped him."You should be glad that you have made it this far." His voice turned ice cold.
"Unless you want to use yourself as a shield and be fed off to the monsters. Something like that could help stall time without having to fight."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. The demon king mode has arrived. It has been a while since I heard such cold words.
"But-"
"No buts, aren't you a man? Berry here can even fight off a pack of goblins in her small body and fight for her dear life. Why can't you, you senile old fool. Your sons are off to war in trying to protect your ungrateful hide."
I uncomfortably shifted back and forth. I could feel a large number of eyes boring down on me with scrutiny.
"She's just a child. How is it possible for a child to fight?"
"Even though she is a child, she still strives to live. Compare all of you who bicker and complain for someone to save you. This kid is worth saving more than anyone of you selfish brats. That is what you are, a spoiled child that whipped from fear."
Uh, Phil. This isn't the time to get everyone agitated. I stared at him with gaping jaws. Why is he doing this now when the enemies are just around the corners? I even look at Don, asking him what was going on. He shrugged it off as if it was nothing.
"Have you no shame? A child that has killed a goblin stood up without fear. If she can do it, why can't you?"
The people were silent and ashamed. Their eyes averted away from Phil, and fidgeted hoping to be invisible, but failed. Phil's unrelenting eyes found them all without giving them a sense of kindness and instead a deep hatred that I had never seen before. A red aura softly glowed around him.
I gulped.
Was what this called an awakening of a demon lord?
No. No. No. No. This was not the time to go all Demon Lord on me. I quickly rushed over and grabbed his hands, jolting him awake. The hatred, the red aura, and his emotions rapidly settled down when he saw me looking up at him with worry.
Once again, I squeezed his hands, telling him it's alright.
"I'll go and fight." A young woman raised her hands. "I know basic combat. I know I can be of use."
"Me too!" A young boy that looked at the age of thirteen raised his.
"Me!"
"I am as well!"
One after the other, more and more people raised their hands in the hope of helping out. The rest
that did not look away in shame.
Looking up, I stared shocked. I swear I saw a hidden smirk plastered on Phil's face. It quickly disappeared, and a stern gaze was looking over his people. I couldn't believe it. I was fooled.
Why this crazy emotionally twisted ass wipe! I continually cursed in my head. Instead, I tried to pull away from him but was stopped short by his firm grasp.
What-a-at? Was I going to get the brunt of the Demon Lord fury or something? I shook my head, trying my best to kick out the negative thoughts in my head.
"Well, what do we have here?" Phil turned towards me with a hint of mischief.
I swear I turned into a frightened little bunny, while Phil was the wolf in disguise. I was dead. Yep. I had concluded my life would be over today.
"The little bunny had snuck her way into my hand."
I gulped.
"It's alright. I'll take excellent care of you."
Take good care of me? Was this a declaration of my death flag?
"I uh...wait...you know...I was just helping you out. Do you know? I..you." I continued to stutter useless chatter, trying to formulate words, but everything failed miserably.
"I know." He snickered. Bending over towards me, he whispered. "It went all according to plan."
I couldn't move. Crap. This is so not a dragon-like at all. This was Berry, the human that was frozen like ice. It wasn't until the sound of beating drums broke my concentration. It was becoming so loud that I wondered whatever it was not already on top of us.
Phil lets go and gets up. "Everyone willing to fight will follow me." He stepped forward. People who were busily talking among themselves stopped and trailed behind him. They were equipped with simple farmer tools. Only a few had a couple of knives and swords with them.
I power walked after him. Just standing there daze would not cut out for me as well. I wanted to help.
Half of the citizens moved towards the closed gate. The wagons, animals, and people were all crammed together. It was challenging to move around in the tight circle, while the other half brandished whatever they had out in front of the people who they wanted to protect.
Boom! Crunch! Boom! Bang! Boom!
The sound of drums became louder, and the forest floor shook. Even the sound of the trees breaking could be heard endlessly in the Forgotten Forest.
I stared out into the open darkness. Icicles were forming thickly onto my right hand and swiftly turning into a glittering blue ice sword. Crouching forward, I waited for whatever was coming at us.
Crash! Crunch! The trees shook and broke apart, revealing three giant ogres that were three times the size of a normal man. Following close behind them was a large group of goblins. Some were in battered-looking armor, while some of them were playing a drum in a rhythmical beat.
"Ogres!" Gasped a woman in fear.
"What are they doing with the goblins?"
"This is crazy, and we are supposed to fight that as well!?" An old man stammered and dropped his
weapons.
"Do not be afraid," Phil called out. He pulled out his sword in front of him.
Don was also ready, but afraid."This is too wild." He spoke in a gasp.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone