Silence.
"WHO IS THERE?"
The orc shouts in our direction again but this time starts to move towards us. He grasps the club tightly and slowly moves close to the bush. Edging closer and closer, the goblin behind the orc nonchalantly held its knife with a cheeky expression. Stupid me forgot to take any weapons with us and now we are faced with a dangerous situation. How do we get out? Simply hit the orc first figure it out later.
The round pig head emerges around the corner slowly but luckily for us, we could see its stout-like nose first before the eyes. I pick up a nearby rock smash it into the orc's nose. David follows up quickly by jumping around the side and pulling the club out of its unsuspecting hands. The goblin blinks a few times registering the turn of events before slicing forward with its knife. I pull David back allowing him to dodge the knife but by that time the orc had recovered and looks angrily at us.
"Stupid humans, give me back my club and I'll let you leave."
I look at the orc dumbfounded. Does he think we are stupid? But I guess I had too much expectation in David.
"Will you really let us go?"
"David? Are you really believe that orc?"
"Umm, no…?"
I felt like facepalming myself. I guess David isn't the sharpest tool in the shed but all well.
"Hrmp, then die."
The orc grunts loudly before charging at David. His fat jiggles with each step but at the same time, each step creates a deeper impression on the ground the closer it gets to David. David hesitantly steps back bracing for impact and as I was about to tell him to dodge the attack the goblin leaps at me slashing at my face. Without much time to react, I awkwardly dodge to the side, resulting in me falling to the ground. I grab a hand full of dirt and toss it at the goblin's face blinding it temporarily before grabbing another rock and getting back onto my feet.
Off to my side, I see the orc slamming his fat body into David pushing David into the river. Unfortunately for David, there was something protruding out of the ground causing him to fall backward and since the orc was mindlessly pushing forward without David resisting its push it also falls into the river. It was like watching two children wrestling in the water. David desperately swinging the club in front of him after getting up and the orc swinging its arms around splashing water everywhere.
But there was not enough time to watch them flail about, the goblin had recovered from my dirt attack and it was poised to strike. It runs towards me slashing the knife near my leg which I easily dodge by walking back. I toss the rock I was holding in my hand at the goblin hitting it in the eye and quickly leaped forward wrestling the knife out of its hand. Before stabbing the goblin multiple times in its chest. Lots of green blood splash onto me and I could hear the goblin's screaming each time I stab into it, its long green fingers desperately scratch at my legs trying to push me off but to little effect. I get off the bloody corpse and look towards David who had just swung the club hitting the orc on the side of its head. Concussing the orc and giving time to David to smash the club into the top of its head. Collapsing from the hit the orc falls into the water.
A very surprised David remains standing with the club in his hands staring at the floating orc. I wade into the river and stab the knife into the orc's head making sure to finish the job but asking David if he was ok.
"I'm fine. This is just a bit much. I always thought orcs were stronger. They beat down so many of us back in the encampment before and they always seemed to get their way. It's...It's just unthinkable that he just died."
"David, before you were scared. Scared to do anything but look at you now. You took away its weapon and used it against it. Be proud, plus you were fighting goblins before during their attack. Anyways, what do we do now? "
As I was talking the two monsters we had just killed burst into purple smoke revealing the loot.
[ Goblin Knife
Attack: 1
A short stick tied to a sharp stone]
Disappointingly, it was just another goblin knife but I guess that in itself is still lucky as we had no weapons.
"Ian, do we go back to HavenFall, or do we keep going?"
"We should move on right? It seems like the three monsters were at a far lookout. There was so much noise from the goblin and when you two were splashing about in the river but even then there has been no response. No other monster had been attracted which means that their encampment is still quite far from here. "
"Okay, whatever you say."
I hold onto both knives while David held onto the orc's club. I was able to inspect it after the battle and I was surprised that it was even better than the average weapon. I was regretting not bringing the Hobgoblin's Club of Rage since it would have helped with any fighting but I had left it in the house next to old man Hus forgetting about it since there was no need to fight anything for a while.
[ Orc Club
Attack: 3
A thick stick with animal skin wrapped at the bottom to make it easier to hold ]
We carefully moved onwards, sticking close to the walls and moving as silently as possible. It was mainly a straight line before another bend where the river curves to the right. I signal David to cross the river with me so we were both in a position to fight if needed. As we get closer to the bend I start to hear some sounds.
Shuffling of feet, clanks of stones and the occasional cry. Curiosity got the better of me and I look around the corner with David close to me.
There were 10 humans, both male and female, children and adults, half were on the ground with their back facing the sky and their hands on top of their heads. Dirt covered their body and I can see the tears rolling down their faces. The other half had a small stone pickaxe and they were mining into the wall. It was too far away for me to see what they were digging. They were each accompanied by either an orc holding onto a club or two scarf goblins.
Suddenly, one of the orcs slammed his club into one of the male adults on the ground. Splattering his brains and blood all over the ground and onto the female adult next to him. Unable to bear the horror she lets out a high-pitched scream and gets up to run away from the orc. She could not even take two steps before getting hit by another orc on her waist. Sending her flying into the wall and breathing her last breath. Now enters a new orc, clad in some sort of leather chest piece and pants and holding onto a large stone ax.
"You maggots, don't deserve to live. You tried to run. Escape. But you got caught. HAHAHA! IDIOTS! DO YOU THINK YOU COULD RUN?"
The ax-wielding orc walks around the adult stomping on the adults on the ground and kicking the children. It was painful watching. Tears stream down their faces and I could see the children holding onto their screams and biting down on their lips. The adult closes their eyes to the violence and look away.
"So Ian...Retreat? Or-"
"We stay and we find a way to help them."
"Child, are you scared?"
I look away from David and see the ax-orc crouching down, lifting the head of a girl by their hair. He sets the knob of the ax on the ground next to the girl and holds the ax by the shoulder. The girl looks at the orc and trembles at the sight. She slowly opens her mouth and in a low squeaky voice she replies.
"N-n-no, I am not s-s-scared."
"GOOD! Child, who am I?"
"Y-y-you are, Balta the M-Mighty."
"GOOD! You have learned well during the past two days. BUT not well enough. Tell me why you and everyone else tried to run and tell me who's plan it was. If you tell me I will let you go to the other humans over there and mine for me. IF you lie. I. Will. Kill. You. So? Speak child."
Her eyes dart around looking at different adults one after the other, trembling as Balta stares at her.
"I-I do not know."
"You don't know. You don't know? YOU DO NOT KNOW HUH?"
Balta releases the girl, stands up and kicks the ax with his foot making it swing upward before grabbing the handle of the ax with both hands above his head. He stops ax raised and looks at the girl in contempt.
"Then die."
Balta grips the ax tighter and goes to swing his ax down.
"WAIT!"
The blade of the ax stops right on the girl's forehead and a slight cut appears. A trickle of blood flows down her blank face and her eyes roll back before she collapses on the ground. A man that was holding a pickax had knocked out two goblins and had yelled at Balta to get his attention.
"Balta. I made the plan to escape. Please stop hurting them."
"So, you are the human who thinks he is smarter than me. Who thinks he can make a ruckus in my territory. Kill him. Whoever kills him I will give them a human toy."
"Ah shit."
The man runs past the goblins near him pushing them away. The only option of escape was towards the bend near David and me.
"Ian, what do we do? We can't fight that Balta orc."
"We don't need to. David follow me."
The man was fiercely pushing and swinging his pickax at nearby monsters desperately weaving and dodging any attacks from them. Balta smiled at the scene and moved away from the people lying on the ground, slowly walking over a rock bridge towards a cave on the other side of the river. Once Balta entered the cave, there were only two monsters guarding the people while the rest of the monsters were running around trying to catch the slippery man. He had climbed up onto a ledge and was busy hitting any hands that tried to get on top of the ledge.
David and I had snuck around two orc guards. They were holding stone spears and had a very lazy expression as they watch the horde of monsters pushing on top of each other to get to the man. Slowly and quietly we approached the orcs and positioned ourselves to kill them with one strike. I stab both goblin knives into the orc's neck one on each side before slicing through the neck as deep as I can. Unable to even squeal the orc bends around, his wide-eyed expression tells it all. At the same time, David smashes the club onto the orc's head knocking the orc out. I went over and finished the orc by stabbing a knife through the head.
I look up and see the supposed faces of 3 people, 2 adults and a child. The other child was still unconscious. I spoke softly while keeping an eye on the monsters that were trying to kill the man.
"Are you okay?"
A girl with brunette hair and a curvaceous body spoke up for the rest of the people.
"W-Who are you two?"
"Umm...Just your friendly neighborhood...Orc and goblin killer? We were walking along the river we found this place. I'm sorry I was not able to save the man that got his head uhh smashed. My name is Ian and the big guy is called David."
"I am Melody, this is Frank and Celine and the girl that is passed out is Lime. Please help Noah, he is the man that's being attacked by all the monsters. He tried to help us escape but we ended up being found out by Balta's left and right-hand men, Tog and Kog."
"Melody, it will be difficult. Do you see the number of monsters there? Plus the only other people with weapons were already ushered away before Balta commanded the monsters to attack Noah. For now, I want you guys to escape, I'm sure Noah would want it too."
"I..But..Okay…"
"Thank you, David lead the way for Melody and the others. Go fast and then prepare in case we need to attack them."
"What about you Ian?"
"I got something I need to do."
David kneels down and pulls Lime over his shoulder holding onto her waist and legs. He nods at me and starts to move back towards HavenFall.
"Everyone we need to fast but please be careful. The ground along the way is slippery."
After warning everyone David moves quickly. Celine and Frank follow David but Melody stays behind.
"Let me help you. I can tell you are going to help Noah somehow."
"Are you sure Melody? It might be dangerous."
"I've been through worse and I need to pay back my debt to Noah for at least trying to help."
"Okay then, the plan is to attack the outliers first, any monster that is hanging in the back and kind of isolated we kill if we get noticed though we run. Simple as that, if we end up killing enough we can save Noah but if they notice us and there are too many of them I am running. Whether you can follow me is entirely up to your own fitness. Okay?"
"Okay...Give me that knife."
Anda mungkin juga menyukai
Komentar Paragraf
Fitur komentar paragraf sekarang ada di Web! Arahkan kursor ke atas paragraf apa pun dan klik ikon untuk menambahkan komentar Anda.
Selain itu, Anda selalu dapat menonaktifkannya atau mengaktifkannya di Pengaturan.
MENGERTI