The goblin lay collapsed on the floor in a small pool of its own blood, I stood enthralled for a moment before managing to snap myself out of it shaking my head.
Not one to stand on ceremony I turned towards the mouth of the cave opening, it was an odd thing seemingly half caved out of the large tree and half dug out of the ground, the hole itself is quite large being around 2m tall and twice that wide. Taking a deep breath I step into the dark.
Now I said dark but supprisingly the cave isn’t actually all that dark, this is due to a moss of some kind growning on the walls of the cave after a couple meters in which glows with a fair luminescence. The gentle blue glow it emits is quite beautiful however, it doesn’t distract enough to allow me to be calm as I slowly advance.
I can hear more noises from ahead, the disturbing grunting hiss and cackles of the goblin language sending shivers up my spine. The tunnel has thus far remained straight with a mild downwards angle but not far ahead I can see a sharp bend the path, approaching this corner I hold my breath and leak around to get a look at what lies beyond.
The cave opens up past the corner into a football pitch sized space with a few sporadic and ramshackle huts, although calling them huts is being very generous when they look more like a large stick has been draped in some hides to give the illusion of a roof. I digress there appear to be 4 of these ’huts’ surrounding what could actually be described as a hut, it actually has walls! Albeit only 2 of them but still its leagues ahead of the other poor excuses for architecture that these goblins have produced.
Within this village I can spot 7 goblins, all of them look to be gathered outside of the central hut, I’m guessing they have just watched the woman be brought into that hut. Gritting my teeth I try to think of a plan. How am I supposed to deal with at minimum 7 creatures by myself!? Before today the largest thing iv killed is a snail I accidental stood on! And yet here I am 3 kills under my belt already and looking to bring that number up into the double digits.
Taking deep breaths I cleared my mind and start planning.
——
Kana slowly opened her eyes to the feeling of something poking her. The last thing she can remember is running away after her party was wiped out by that Moss Bear that managed to ambush them, she remembered that she had been running away and managed to slip down a hill and then the next thing she knows she woke up here. Wherever here is, finally opening her eyes to look around she immediately notices the goblin standing in front of her prone and now bound body. Kana’s mind freezes why is she bound? Why is there a goblin standing in front of her? How are their any goblins in this Forrest, they should have been whipped out not even 5 years ago.
But apparently some must have survived given that one is standing in front of her right now. Grimacing Kana tries to flex her arms or gather any of the mana to free herself but she is unable to feel her mana and no matter how hard she pushes there is no way to break out of these bindings by herself.
Seeing her struggle the goblin seems to be enjoying the view, then it steps forward and strikes me across the face causing me to stop briefly and glare up at the disgusting creature. "What do you want, filth!" I growl out at the foul green creature but revive no reply other than a crooked broken smile.
I’m really not feeling all to great about my current situation and try to wrack my brain about anything I can do let help me escape, I look down at myself only to grimace as I notice the state of the clothing I am in, or lack thereof my tunic is shredded from the fight with the bear and the escape through the Forrest, my leggings aren’t in much better condition but at least my boots seem in decent condition. I then notice that my belt and pouch are missing, glancing around I spot a pipe of discarded items in one corner and hope that my things are there.
Before I can think of what else I can do my thoughts are interrupted by a whistling sound quickly followed by a sharp crack, immediately followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. There is an immortal moment of silence as all creatures in the cave process what just happened before 2 more snaps can be heard quickly followed by the thuds.
———
~Lilliana’s POV~
Putting my plan into action I carefully slip into the cave making sure to stay in the shadows as best as I can. I had noticed that one of the goblins was not within the central group and was standing by its lonesome at the outer edge of the circle of huts. It was crouched down and seemed to be working on a hide of some kind.
I managed to sneak up right behind the creature and gripping my sword tightly in one hand I reached out and grabbed the face of the goblin pulling it towards me whilst sliding the blade across its neck. It let out a strangled gurgle and struggled for a moment before becoming still and limp in my arms. Carefully lowering the now dead creature I draged it behind one of the nearby huts and took a moment to clear my head.
Peaking back around the decrepit hut I look around and see that I managed to get away with not alerting anyone to my actions. Making sure I can still see the remaining 6 goblins I look for the largest one and ready my mana.
When I’m sure it won’t be moving more I cast vine whip aiming for its head. A vine quickly grown out of the low hanging ceiling and whips down to strike the creature a sickening snap echoes out quickly followed by the formerly alive body collapsing in a heap. All other sounds seem to stop in that instance as the rest of the gathered go line look on in shock as their largest brethren is instantly killed in front of their eyes.
But they don’t have much time to process this before I quickly cast vine whip twice more aiming for another 2 goblins they don’t have time to react before they too have their necks snapped like a twig and their join their compatriot in the afterlife.
This time the remaining 3 goblins do t stay still and a collective howl is heard as they all look around for the source of the attacks. Unluckily for me one of them spots me quite quickly and calls out to the gathered goblins, resulting in me being stared down by 3 pairs of beady yellow eyes. Taking a calming breath I step out into the open with my sword held in my slightly shaking hand. There is a brief pause as we seem to size each other up before a scream erupts from the central creature and it charges towards me.
I dont waste a moment and quickly cast vine whip aiming for its head but it ducks out of the way only getting a light cut across its shoulder. This is thankfully enough to put it off ballence at least but it quickly rights itself and continues its charge. I quickly cast my spell again managing to catch it right across its chest this time, knocking it back into the goblin on the left, this just leaves the one on the right still charging at me. Not wasting any more time and with space running out I again cast vine whip trying to base the vine to appear from its side. This works and before the goblin can get within mele distance from me its neck is snapped sending it tumbling to the ground before me.
At this point I can feel a strange hollowness as my mana is starting to run low. So instead of casting again I decide to close the gap on the last 2 goblins as they work to untangle themselves from each other.
Before the injured one can fully get up I swing my blade at its head, my blade swiftly cutting a deep gash across its face causing it to howl in pain and stagger back. The uninjured goblin however took this time to swing its club towards me, I only have time to bring my arms in close and try to get the blade in the way only to have the breath knocked out of me as I’m sent sprawling back my arms and body ringing from the sharp pain of reviving the blow. Not letting that opportunity go to waste the goblin rushes at me once more only to be met with a vine lashing out towards its side, it too tried to get its arms up in the way only for the vine to slip past its guard and strike it in the ribs causing the wind to be knocked out of it. Not loosing this chance myself I stab forward with a shout and impale the goblin through the chest with a wet squelch.
Pulling back the goblin collapses to the ground and I turn my head to the last goblin that is only now managing to pull itself to its feet with its earie green blood dripping down its face from our previous exchange. Not wasting a moment I charge at it with my sword raised. But before I can reach it I see a flash of red light in my periphery, glancing that way I watch in horror as a giant ball of flames streaks towards me, I hardly have a moment to spare but in that moment I think of how to protect myself and feel the roots of my flower dress spreading out and encasing my limbs the moment before it hits sending me flying several metres back and crashing through one of the huts.
Coughing and cursing I manage to free myself from the detritus that covers me only to wince in pain as my left side feel slightly raw from where I took the fire ball. Looking in the direction that it came from I see one more goblin standing at the door of the central hut a look of rage shading its previously yellow eyes the colour of blood. To its side another orb of flames is slowly building. Not eating to give it time to do anything else I quickly cast vine whip with every last ounce of mana I have left and watch in awe as not one but 3 vines sprout from around the goblin boss and all whip out at once. The first strikes the arm that is building the fire ball, the second strikes from behind and land across its back sending it jerking forwards and right into the third vine which sprouted right below and slams into its chin resulting in a final sharp snap as the goblin shudders and then collapses the fire at its side winking out a moment later.
———
Anticlimactic boss fight? Maybe but these are only goblins that have been show to be pretty damn weak so a triple whip can do the job!