Greenways Goblins (Resurrection Quest Book 1)

by Daniel Schinhofen

“Not exactly,” Marie said. “Carl is going to stay here with Kattie. I’ll be going with you instead.”

  Dick and Harry exchanged a look. “Don’t bother trying,” John said from behind her. “I already did, and you know she can be stubborn.”

  “I have to be when it involves you,” Marie said lightly.

  “Well, that makes this trip even more serious,” Dick sighed.

  “I agree,” John said, joining them at the table.

  “Breakfast will be out shortly,” Wilma said, poking her head into the room.

  “I’ll go wake Tom,” Marie said.

  “I’m here,” Tom said. “Maybe you should wake Carl, instead.”

  “I’m going instead,” Marie explained.

  “No,” Tom said simply. “Nope, not going to happen.”

  “I already tried, Tom,” John said. “She’s set on it.”

  “Then we’ll tie her up and leave her here,” Tom said evenly.

  “She’d just follow. Remember the Dark Temple episode?” John reminded him of another game.

  Tom stared at Marie, “Why?”

  “I don’t want to lose him. If he has to face danger, then I will, too,” Marie said simply. “Besides, I have faith in you, Tom.”

  Closing his eyes, Tom took a deep breath. Not many people had ever honestly believed in him. “If… if you go, you have to listen. I’m not sure I have the same faith in me that you do.”

  “I’ll be as safe as I can be, for John’s sake and yours.”

  “Fuck us,” Tom muttered under his breath but Dick nodded when he overheard him. “Fine.”

  “Breakfast will be here in a moment, then we’re going,” Dick said.

  “Dick, you’re the last line for her,” Tom mumbled as he sat down, keeping his voice barely at a whisper so no one else would hear.

  Dick nodded once and got to his feet. “I’ll go grab some drinks. Make sure your gear is ready because we won’t be staying after food.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Harry scouted ahead with Michael on the way back to the ruined farm where they had killed the goblins. Dick led the rest of the party, with Marie and John right behind him. Tom brought up the rear, watching the trees carefully for any signs of an ambush. Before they had set out, Marie cast spirit warning on Harry and energy armor on herself. She performed both spells as rituals, so that she could cast them without using any spell energy.

  During the trek, John kept one hand on the hilt of the blade Harry had given him and held Marie’s hand with the other. Marie spoke quietly, relaying to Dick and Tom various bits of gossip she had picked up from the village to help pass the time.

  “You know what the stories never mention?” Marie suddenly asked. “The tedium of traveling. I mean, the classic fantasy trilogy was basically a travel story, but most of the traveling was glossed over.”

  “Of course. Who wants to read about the guy traveling from town to town?” Dick laughed. “That would be a boring ass book.”

  “Depends,” Tom countered. “If those moments were focused on character interactions, then I don’t think they’d be horrible. It would depend on how the teller told it.”

  “Yeah, but in any oral story, it would be glossed over,” John chimed in. “For instance, this whole day is going to be summarized with, ‘and the brave adventurers set forth on their quest to find and slay the hoblins.’”

  “Unless something happens,” Marie said firmly.

  All three men winced and looked around, waiting for the inevitable challenge. After a moment, John sighed, “Come on, hun, you can’t say those kinds of things.”

  Marie giggled, “It was so much fun to watch you all tense up. This is a real world. Real world doesn’t just have some creature leap out of the bushes at you when you’re trying to pick a flower.”

  “That would be fucking annoying,” Tom mumbled.

  “Agreed,” Dick nodded. “I remember that happening in some video games. There was a random chance of being attacked when farming.”

  “Ah, the good old days,” John chuckled as he recalled something similar. “Be glad this isn’t like some of the other game systems we used to play. Remember first edition when the fisticuffs and naturalist had to find and defeat their superiors to level?”

  “Oh my, I remember that,” Marie smiled. “We had so much difficulty for my naturalist.”

  “Yeah, it took us a month to get you to level twelve. Let’s not talk about getting you to thirteen.”

  “It was in second edition when I started to play, but man, the stories the older gamers used to tell.” Dick chuckled, “What was the other one... skald? Where you had to take multiple levels of four other classes?”

  “Three other classes,” Tom said. “Warrior, wizard, and rogue first, then you could become a skald. I did that once.”

  “So did I,” John smiled. “Same campaign as her naturalist.”

  “How often did we chase after rumors of old lore long forgotten for you, hmm dear?” Marie asked, staring at John.

  “Less often than we did getting you to level fourteen,” John rebuffed her with a grin, “though a lot. Between my character, yours, and attacks on our keep, our game master had plenty of hooks to use.”

  “And now we’ll be living that, but hopefully without as much betrayal and death,” Marie said softly.

  “Amen,” Dick said. “I’m all for living this life just like those games, but with less charging headlong into death, and more thinking and planning.”

  “I can get behind that, and I’m playing the one who should be charging,” Tom nodded. “We’ll get Kevin back for Harry, see about sending him and Kattie back to Earth if possible, and enjoy our lives here.”

  “I don’t want to go back,” John said softly, squeezing Marie’s hand. “I know the girls will be sad, but I can find my dream here.”

  “I know,” Marie whispered. “I’m not opposed to staying, John, not at all. I would like to send a message back with the others, though, so they know we’re fine and won’t be coming home.”

  “That we can do,” Dick nodded. “We’ll be happy to have you both here with us, but hopefully not with us.”

  “You really don’t want me to go with you, do you?”

  “No,” Tom said firmly. “We’d rather you stay safe.”

  “Why?” Marie asked. “I know why John would, but why do you think that way?”

  “You’re the mom we always wished we had,” Dick said with a shrug. “Who would want to see their mom facing down shark-toothed ravenous beasts?”

  Marie smiled, “Aw, you’re so sweet.”

  “Besides, if you don’t keep John in line, he might go all rockstar on this world,” Tom added.

  John rolled his eyes, “I am not that kind of guy. Marie is the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

  “All the more reason for her to stay with you safely in town,” Dick nodded.

  “Won’t it be difficult for you three to fight without help?” Marie asked.

  “Yes,” Tom said, not wanting to lie to her. “It’ll be difficult and dangerous, but we’ll do it. Losing Kevin was hard enough.”

  “He’s haunted by that. I heard him through the walls last night,” Dick told them. “We’ll keep him focused and moving forward, but that might be impossible if something happens to you. You helped him through his mother’s death, after all.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” Marie said, her smile gone. “Maybe I should have a talk with him alone.”

  “Mother confessor back in the saddle,” Dick said. “Remember your cleric that got extra bonuses when you got one of our characters to tell you secrets?”

  “Of course,” Marie said. “I doubt it works the same here, but I might be able to help him again.”

  “It’s a good idea,” John agreed with her. “We’ll put you both on the same watch tonight so you get the chance.”

  “That hour glass will come in damned handy for watches,” Tom said. “Glad Greg had one of those in his stuff.” />
  “Better than counting,” Dick agreed with a grin.

  “You heard us?” Tom raised an eyebrow.

  “A few times when I rolled over, but I didn’t get it until I was on watch.”

  “No watches or easy timekeeping measure,” John mused. “I can see where trying to divide up the watches equally would be a pain.”

  “Oh gods, is it ever,” Tom muttered. “I wonder if there’s a jinx for that?”

  “There is a jinx that will wake up a fifteen-foot circle if it’s broken by a hostile entity… I don’t recall what it was called, though,” Marie said.

  “I get another jinx after a few levels, I think. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s what we need at the time,” Dick shrugged.

  “Point. That’s going to be a while, considering we have no idea what it takes to level, advance, or whatever the fuck it’s called here,” Tom agreed.

  The group lapsed back into silence, then more trivial talk as they continued moving. Dick kept his eyes open for the small signs that Harry was leaving them, making sure they stayed on the path.

  ~*~*~

  The sun was sinking when Harry and Michael reappeared close to the others. “Hold up,” Harry said softly, before anyone spoke. “We’ve found some troubling prints, and the cabin is just a mile ahead.” He gestured for them to come closer.

  “Ok, what did you guys find?” Dick asked.

  “Wolf prints, but larger than any wolf I’ve seen,” Michael said.

  “Dire?” Tom asked Harry.

  “Possibly,” Harry replied. “I think it’s big enough for you to ride.”

  “Fuck,” Dick hissed. “Michael, do hoblins ride wolves into combat?”

  Michael’s face scrunched up before he nodded slowly, “There is a rumor to that effect, but I don’t know anyone who’s seen it. Vargrs are what they’re called.”

  “Vargr?” John asked. “I’ve heard that name before from Norse mythology. Fenrir and a couple of others are called that.”

  “Okay, so big, badass wolves,” Tom said. “How tall do they stand? How massive are they?”

  “From the prints, they might be the same size as a bear, or twice the size of a large wolf.”

  “That’s a very large wolf,” Marie swallowed hard.

  “You think they came to check on the goblins?” Dick asked.

  “The goblins had been chased off once before. Maybe the hoblins decided they needed labor,” John said. “Hoblins are bigger than goblins. It would make sense for the goblins to be forced into slavery under them.”

  “Fair enough,” Dick sighed. “How old are the prints?”

  “A day or less,” Michael said. “They might be at the cabin.”

  “That’s going to be a problem for our friends and you,” Harry said as the sunlight was fading. “If there are wolf-like things out here, then waiting isn’t an option.”

  “We’ll have to keep them close to you, Dick,” Tom said. “Marie, can you cast light?”

  “I have floating lights,” Marie said. “It summons three globes of candle light that last an hour.”

  “Okay, hold off on using that until combat has started, then cast them above and away from you,” Dick said. “We want to light them up, not you.”

  Marie looked a little pale, but nodded, “I can do that.”

  “John, use what magic you have to help, but you’re her sword,” Tom said. “I’ll be in the open trying to get them to focus on me.”

  “I’ll use slip where I can. If I can get the vargrs to fall, we can light the fuckers on fire,” Dick said. “Animals normally fear fire.”

  “I can get a few fire arrows into them, but I only have a handful of them,” Michael said. “They are expensive.”

  “Orbin can reimburse you when we get back,” Dick said. “This and the fights coming up are all or nothing. If you hold back, we might not survive.”

  Michael nodded, “I understand that.”

  “You stay back here with them,” Harry said. “I’ll go try and get a look at the cabin.”

  “I’m better at—”

  “You’re going to be blind in a few minutes,” Harry cut Michael off. “You are better than me at stealth, but without being able to see, you’ll be a liability.”

  Michael grimaced. “Fine.”

  “Set up here in case I’m chased back,” Harry said. “I really hope I’m not chased, because I doubt I can outpace one of them.”

  “We’ll be waiting,” Dick said, holding out a fist.

  “Don’t keep us waiting or I’ll come looking,” Tom said, holding out his, too.

  “Deal,” Harry said, fist bumping both of them.

  “Harry…” Marie said, taking a deep breath before continuing, “don’t make me sad.”

  Face going blank, Harry gave her a tight smile. “Low, but okay.”

  “Sorry,” Marie whispered, looking away from him.

  “Be back,” Harry said, slipping away.

  Michael watched him go and shook his head, “He is a very brave person.”

  “We’re adventurers, it’s our job,” Tom said bluntly. “This is his battle. Ours comes once he gets back. Make sure your courage is ready to face them.”

  Michael stiffened, “I can’t dishonor his bravery by not facing what comes.”

  “Damned right,” Dick said, patting Michael on the shoulder. “Now spread out a little. If he does come running back, we don’t want to be bunched up.”

  ~*~*~

  Slipping through the brush, Harry held tight to the thought of his friends waiting for him. It was one thing to play a character doing what he was doing, but this was himself. Knowing that his life was riding on his ability to be quiet was drastically different than any game. Breathing out as silently as he could, Harry paused and focused on his goal.

  I got this for you, brother. Hands clenching, he let the feeling of impending failure fade.

  Taking his time and placing his feet carefully, he crept closer and closer to the cabin. As he got closer, the sounds of snarling and snapping caught his attention. Pausing, he checked the wind; it was blowing into his face, the best possible direction for him. Pushing himself, he crept closer, getting to a spot where he could see the cabin clearing.

  A pair of vargrs were snarling at each other as they each ate a goblin corpse. Beyond them, a handful of hoblins were setting up camp right next to the cabin. The hoblins were a darker green than the goblins, but their skin had the same warty texture that the goblins did. One of the biggest hoblins was easily the same size as Dick. What worried Harry the most was the fact that the hoblins were wearing hide armor. Harry slipped away, doing his best to make no sound. A couple of minutes passed before a commanding voice came from behind him. Not knowing the language, Harry couldn’t begin to guess what was happening, but the tone sounded displeased.

  Harry was shaky when he made it back to his friends. He kept expecting an attack from behind, but nothing happened. “Two vargrs and at least five hoblins,” he told them, taking the flask from Tom and taking a slug from it. Coughing, he handed it back to Tom. “The leader sounded upset. I think he was chiding them for the vargrs fighting over the goblin corpses.”

  “Okay, we should figure on twice that number,” Dick said. “That way we aren’t surprised if there are more. If they have a camp set, I can use slip on that and Michael can light it up. That should create confusion and give us the element of surprise.”

  “I’ll be the chew toy, but if anyone can help stop that, I’d be grateful,” Tom added.

  “I’ll try to help,” Marie said.

  “I’ll throw a second slip on at least one of them to buy you some time,” Dick said. “John, focus on helping Tom. Harry, you’ll be waiting for the leader to show up. Put a crossbow bolt in him. With your bonus from being hidden, it’ll help level the field against him. In fact, just focus on him. At a distance, though.”

  “Got it,” Harry said.

  “I’ll be on the hoblins?” Michael asked.


  “Yes. This way, your limited vision won’t accidentally hurt Tom,” Dick said.

  “When should I cast the lights?” Marie asked.

  “Once the fire is burning, cast them right above the cabin,” Harry said. “Hopefully, it’ll pull their attention to it and away from the brush.”

  “Solid,” Tom nodded. “The hard part will be all of us getting into position undetected.”