Bloodsworn

Chapter 2.30 Goblins

30.

Goblinoid lvl. 27

The horrors of dark science mixed with Essence, these hardy creatures are loathsome and violent, raging out against their own creation and the world around them.

As they cleared the line of trees in the forest, Erak saw them fully for the first time. Of average height of a mortal man, with ashen skin, long pointed ears, and hairless bulbous scalps, they were foul beasts. They ran with vigor, legs pumping as they screamed, high pitch and filled with rage, as their yellow eyes never once showed fear.

They had wrapped themselves in bloody Imperial uniforms and brandished stolen weapons as they cut across the field. Caster fire lanced down and struck the leading edge of the charge, but failed to halt them. Erak watched as the furious bolts burnt skin and left weeping, crater like wounds, but the goblins didn’t die. They were hardy as the description suggested.

“Your science division is a nightmare,” Pomp said to him. The dragon was perched in his normal spot as the line of monsters grew closer and closer.

“We’ve spent more time fighting their monsters than the demons who invaded the planet,” Pomp continued as Erak hefted his warhammer.

“Not mine. The Empire’s,” Erak reminded him.

“Stand firm!” Nevia roared as the rest of the soldiers filled the line, firing instantly into the mass of monsters. Now they started to tumble and fall, the withering fields of scarlet energy overcoming their innate toughness. A meter long bolt slashed by, fired by one of Constance’s long distance casters, and a goblin promptly exploded into pieces.

The lead element came to them in a ragged, pitiful line. Erak stepped forward and crushed the first one he saw. It had staggered toward him, long knife clutched in its hand, with half its leg burnt away and its entrails trailing behind it. The wide hammer pulped its skull and dropped it with a single blow.

Nevia kept close to his side, her own sword strike decapitated the next of the beasts. She had her eyes fixed on the horizon now and the forest that was boiling over with the creatures. A grimace crossed her face as the horde of the monsters poured forth from the dense vegetation.

“Why is it that there’s never a facility that’s working on cute animals? It’s always…whatever these are,” Nevia groused.

“I don’t think the empire was in the business of cute animals,” Pomp said. Erak ignored the two and slammed his hammer into the ribs of one of the fast moving goblins. The blow picked it up and threw it to the side, ragdolled and limp as it cartwheeled away. No Essence flowed into him and he watched as the creature tried to get back to its feet. The hammerstrike had twisted its entire ribcage and left it misshapen and deformed.

It still clung to its cheap hatchet as it staggered toward one of the soldiers. Three caster bolts hit it in succession, each one blowing apart chunks of flesh until it collapsed. A trickle of Essence entered him and Erak growled as he didn’t get the majority of the kill. Hellish caster fire whittled away at the charge as the smoking corpses piled up. Erak noticed the blasts weren’t coming as furiously as earlier, more spaced out and deliberate as the soldiers wore through their Essence reserves.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Erak, there’s too many of them. I’m ordering the retreat. Can you hold for a few minutes?” Nevia asked. She wasn’t panicked, not yet, but simply analytical as she took in the mass of swarming gray-tinged bodies. Erak grunted and swatted another of them before it could close it, the massive upward swing picking up the dense goblin and tossing it ten feet backward.

Pomp lifted off his shoulder and flew above them, cutting through the air as his body undulated. Icy wind chilled Erak as Pomp cut a line straight across the charging mass. Bodies froze solid as Pomp rapidly faded away until he was back to his normal spirit form. He left a wall of frozen corpses in a straight line. This finally stopped the goblin charge as they skidded to a halt and began to bark at each other, looking at the rime crusted figures of their fallen.

Nevia was already issuing orders as Erak marched into the handful of trapped goblins. Five of them had been caught on the wrong side of Pomp’s attack and now couldn’t escape. White-blue frost ate at their bare feet as they tried to step over the demarcation line.

Erak hit the lead goblin while its back was turned. He crushed its skull with a single swing and kicked its corpse out of the way while the other four turned toward him. They were sturdy monsters but even they couldn’t withstand their skull being driven into their chests.

“Kill!” the closest of the goblins grunted at him, deep and guttural its voice was similar to that of a dwarf. It drew back its stolen knife and stabbed Erak in the kneecap. Sparks flew off and the common blade snapped like rotten wood while Erak felt the barest of pressure.

“It’s good to have armor again.” Erak rejoiced in the feeling of invulnerability he had once more as he swung the hammer. He let them stab at him, their poor weapons doing little more than irritate him as he carefully lined up every single blow. He had to strike with his full strength to kill them instantly, but the goblins never once tried to flee once battle was joined.

“They don’t lack courage, that’s for sure.” Pomp whispered into his mind. He had flown into Erak and rested in his chest once more. Erak killed the last of the five and started to backtrack slowly, keeping his eyes on the line of frozen bodies. Already the frost was retreating as the day's warmth ate at the magical ice.

“They’re dumb as rocks.” Erak thought he heard Pomp chortle at that but he was too busy heading back toward the line of trucks. Nevia had managed to pull back, even though he heard Rutledge arguing strenuously with her.

“We will be abandoning decades of research! Invaluable research!” Her old voice was full of indignant rage.

“Professor, if we don’t leave now the only thing we’ll be abandoning will be our lives. There’s an army of those things out there and Erak is the only one strong enough to fight them toe to toe. My soldier’s Essence reserves are running low and once they’re completely depleted we’ll be joining the first team.”

“You found the first team?” Julius asked. He stood in the shadow of the smaller woman and his face had just the briefest spark of hope.

“Can’t you smell them cooking?” Nevia asked. Julius paled and looked toward the forest and the thin tendrils of smoke rising in the distance. He spun on his heel and ran toward his and Rutledge’s truck, ignoring the glare the older professor shot at him.

“Erak. Will you not stay and fight?” Rutledge wasn’t pleading, but she as close as one could get without tripping over that invisible line.

He shook his head and threw his blood hammer over his shoulder as he waited for Nevia to give the final orders to evacuate. Their trucks were loaded up with supplies and Erak doubted that Rutledge would have left the research undefended. He had a feeling they’d be back.