Kapitel 54: Two sides of a battle

Soon the two sides clashed, yet the adventurers did not have the same vigor, as they had just finished one fight, before being tossed into another.

The two warriors this time both charged into the enemy in the first encounter; taking advantage of the close proximity of the foes.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP

CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH

The weak goblins were tossed to left and right, screaming in pain, cursing the cause of it. The two human warriors did not stop, pushing their limits and knocking over as many as possible. They knew deep down, that if this opportunity was not fully utilized, tragedy would follow. With their armors creaking, legs throbbing, drops of sweat falling and blood-shut eyes the dynamic duo ran. Similar to a herd of rhinos trampling any obstacle, proudly showing their might.

Eventually, they reached the core, where the main culprit was located, the grey hobgoblin. In any army, leaders are well protected, due to their function of being the brain to the army as a body. Thus, since the beginning of the art of war, removing this target had become a favorite strategy for all. By cutting down the grey monster victory would come at a much lower cost and the group could hope for getting out of this mess in one piece.

WACK, CRASH, BAM

The two were getting close with each passing second.

At last, they arrived in front of their target, determined to slash this obstacle down with all their might. Alvin used his skill to inflict the maximum damage possible, eyes filled with determination he yelled aloud: "DIE YOU UGLY MONSTER"

Beside him, Beryl was even more strong wielded, as all she needed was a picture in her mind, a face that had turned into the center of her entire universe. One that she was unwilling and unable to forget; holding onto this portrait through every step of the way. She quietly raised her sword, yet none could underestimate the force and murderous intent exuding from her.

The other team members diverted their attention to this majestic scene, it was akin to a pair of lions striking a charging bull. However, contrary to everyone's expectation the fierce lions did not come out triumphant, rather the bull continued on its path with less vigor coupled with some fresh cuts.

Goblins were not too concerned with modesty, covering the essentials were enough to get by. After all, with a shortage of food as well as constant dangers from internal and external sources, other necessities were often neglected. Yet, as the adventurer group climbed higher, they would find the villages becoming wealthier, as even their guards or simple gatherers wore better clothing. Not all were hides and leathers, but leaves, bones, and pieces of wood were used; until they saw this hobgoblin, who was to their surprise wearing fabric!

The grey monster had leather boots, fabric for clothing, a sharp steel sword, and a wooden shield. Which were the initial reason behind the failed attempt by the charging duo. They did not think the hobgoblin would possess enough power to deflect their combined strength. Yet, an expert in martial arts would argue, that the technique of the monster was better, using the opponent's force against them. However, if the humans were told of such truth, only mocking would follow, in their minds, the chances of such an event being an accident were much higher than monsters with fighting technique.

Even though the attempt did not yield the desired outcome, some wounds were inflicted on both parties. With blood pouring around, the monster ran fiercely to the vanguard of the party; if she was successful in her attempt, only death awaited, the defenseless supports. Yet, a battle was chaotic in its nature, no one would be able to guarantee their survival.

The clothing the monster wore was torn on the side; upon closer inspection, one could see the curvaceous outline of a female goblin. It was a shame as her beauty was not appreciated by the humans, but within her tribe, this female chief was dubbed the most exquisite jewel of the dungeon. She was a fierce warrior, incomparable elegant and wise leader, yet none made any difference in the eyes of humans, who had barged into her territory, killing the patrol members. This fact made her angry, it was similar to a burning fire eating her from within; she hated humans to their core. The greedy bunch would come by time after time, killing and looting their communities; not sparing the old or young, slaughtering every member of the village without any honor. The horror did not end there, as they would proceed to mutilate the remains, taking the most outrageous parts, shocking the reinforcements of the extent in savagery. Some would argue that these unwanted guests were as bad as goblin's lower social echelon, a bunch of savage beasts.

Kol was the female hobgoblin leading this village, she had been assigned to this location; in order to support her sworn brother Sep, take over the position of the goblin king. It had already been few years since that time, Sep succeeded in taking over the throne, but their prideful liege did not stop there, as he aimed higher, defeated the other kings to take the position of the floor boss. This post became vacant after the previous boss, Kobold king, One-Eyed Wolf, died mysteriously.

Kol, against the advice of her acquired family, stayed at the small village, which was considered the outskirt of the circle of power. She had not told this to them but a few years prior she had given birth to a daughter, remembering the cruel costume of their ancestors, she had stayed in a place that was under her absolute control. This mother did not want her young child to experience the loss, she herself had felt growing up. She vowed, her little flower would not be raised as an orphan, rather be loved every step of the way.

This had been the dream of their group, one that their king had transpired within them, love for one's family. Alas, it was difficult to change the customs of a race; even with the position of the ruler, Sep was unable to make an immediate change. The hierarchy of their communities also fought against such decisions heavily, as they did not wish to see their powers diminish. Once the important responsibility of raising children was taken from the temple, their respect and value in the community would be greatly reduced. Thus, after many small battles amongst the higher echelon of their race, a compromise was reached; the newborns will be raised by the temple, but the parents can claim them upon graduation. This was essentially no different from their previous customs, as no parents would go against the teachings of their culture, so no child was collected in the end. Sep eventually dropped his pursuit, aiming at more power, as he believed that method to be the answer to his inability in controlling his people.

Yet, the small spark lit in the heart of his companions was grown to become a raging fire; they had been through many hardships together, forming an unbreakable bond. Each one became a pillar, supporting their race and beloved brother and commander Sep. Len the tallest of them was the first warrior of the 4th most powerful tribe; Jar the overweight one had turned into the head priest of 5th tribe, Rev was the chief of the 2nd clan also the official lover of Sep and Kol became the chief of the 10th community.

Amongst the stronger villages, hobgoblins were not a rare sight, rather the important posts such as the chief, first warrior or head priests were occupied by them. Which made governance much more complicated, as their support was a prerequisite in gathering their resources. This had been the initial cause for Kol to be relocated to such a far community, in order to overwhelm the entire village, gathering their full support.