by Pirateaba
Just as the half-Elf was frowning, Ksmvr stood up and followed Erin over to their table. Ceria looked up at him, unsure.
“Ksmvr?”
“Greetings.”
He nodded politely at Yvlon and Pisces. The mage just grunted and Yvlon inclined her head stiffly. The Antinium’s early unsteadiness was gone; he seemed stable on his feet again, despite the blood loss and missing arm.
“Erin?”
The young woman smiled nervously at the three.
“Um, well Ceria, I just had a thought. You’re looking for an adventurer, and Ksmvr sort of got kicked out of his Hive for a while, so I thought…y’know, why not? He’s a fighter, and he’s pretty good.”
All three adventurers sitting at the table exchanged a long look. Pisces coughed and shrugged. Ceria fiddled with a fork, and Yvlon frowned. It was the blonde-haired woman who spoke.
“No offense Erin, but your friend Ksmvr is injured. And we’re looking for a capable fourth member, not—”
“I am considered to be a Silver-rank adventurer’s equal within my Hive.”
Ksmvr looked at Yvlon. He indicated his missing arm.
“This will not slow me down. I am capable of using many weapons.”
“Like a bow?”
Ceria was still frowning, but she stared at Erin and then at Ksmvr, thinking hard. The Antinium nodded.
“Archery is among the skills I have acquired. I have no Skills, but I am competent with every common bow type.”
“But you got kicked out of your Hive because you weren’t good enough.”
Again, Pisces was as blunt as a mace. Ksmvr hesitated, and Erin jumped in.
“Yeah, but he says it was because he’s not good as Klbkch. And that’s not exactly fair, right? I mean, Klbkch is Relc’s partner, and Relc—”
“The Drake is at least the equal of any Gold-rank adventurer.”
Pisces frowned and nodded.
“I saw him dueling one of those adventurers before. He managed to force him back without any magical equipment. If that is the standard—”
He eyed Ceria. She could tell what he was thinking, but she wasn’t entirely sold. Yvlon was still frowning too. She sighed. Just when they needed something, Erin came up with it, albeit in the oddest way possible. She usually had good ideas, but—
An Antinium? Really? Ceria had journeyed with Calruz, and that had been fine, but the memory of the Antinium Wars still sent shivers down her spine. She hadn’t been on the continent, but she’d heard the stories.
Freaks. Monsters. But wasn’t that what people said about half-Elves? Ceria was still frowning when she heard the shouting from outside.
“Tree rot, what is it now?”
She stood up as a Drake burst into the room. He was panting, and wild-eyed. He wasn’t wearing armor; in fact, he wore what looked like farming clothes. He stared around the room.
“Please, is there any adventurer here? There’s a Goblin army attacking our village!”
Halrac was on his feet at once. Ceria blinked—she’d nearly forgotten he was here, but now the adventurer was a focused arrow. He strode towards the Drake.
“I’m a Gold-rank adventurer. Lead me to your village.”
The Drake nodded gasping with relief.
“Please, hurry! One of my friends is gathering the Watch, but there’s hundreds of them!”
He ran out the door. Erin wavered, staring at it. Ceria grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Don’t even think about it. Close up your inn. Get upstairs and have your skeleton guard the door. Pisces, Yvlon—”
“You can’t be serious!”
Yvlon scowled and grabbed Pisces by one arm, lifting him up.
“This is our job. We defend people from monsters, even without a request. Come on!”
He grunted, but yanked her arm free and moved towards the door with surprising haste. Ceria was going with them when Ksmvr spoke.
“Please, let me help. I am bound to defend Liscor in any case.”
She hesitated.
“You have no weapon—”
“Here! Here, take this!”
Erin burst out of her kitchen, juggling several bottles and a knife. She handed the knife to Ksmvr.
“It’s sharp. And these are the potions I have. Two healing potions—”
“You might need them.”
“Take one, at least!”
Ignoring Ceria’s objections, Erin thrust the bottle into the half-Elf’s hands. Ceria hesitated for only one more second and then nodded. They might need it.
“Thanks, Erin. Stay safe.”
She looked at the others. Yvlon was already at the door, her eyes following the Drake and Halrac as they sped across the snowy landscape. Pieces was waiting too. For all he groused, the mage wasn’t evil, and he was serious for once. And Ksmvr—
The Antinium held the knife, looking as poised as an arrow. So different from when he’d come in. What had Erin said to him? There was no time for thought. Someone was in trouble. Goblins. An army?
Ceria took a deep breath. She opened the door.
“Let’s go.”
—-
Everything an adventuring party was dependent on their group composition. You had to move as a team; Ceria knew that. The Horns of Hammerad had been built for close-range engagements and rapid movement; Calruz had formed the group out of warriors and mages who could keep up. This new group was different.
Yvlon was quick and fast, and Ceria had known that she would be an excellent member of any party. It was one of the reasons why she had decided not to join the Halfseekers; she had the makings of a strong team already. Pisces was another powerful mage, possibly better than she was, but he was out of shape and gasping as he ran through the snow. But Ksmvr—
The Antinium plowed through the deep snow like a horse, relentless and tireless. Ceria eyed him warily as she ran. He was an unknown quantity, but they needed every hand they could get. Halrac was already far ahead of them, but if this was a Goblin army, all they’d be doing was getting their attention and running for their lives.
The village appeared in the distance as the four crested a hill. Ceria shaded her eyes and Pisces muttered a spell as both mages surveyed the scene.
“That’s no army.”
Yvlon couldn’t see the details, but she nodded.
“It’s just a raiding party. Two hundred, possibly three hundred Goblins.”
“Oh, wonderful. Nothing to worry about, then.”
Pisces snapped as he stared at the mass of Goblins fighting in a large village. From this distance, Ceria could see some defenders trying to hold them back, but they were woefully outnumbered, and the Goblins were trying to break into the houses.
“What are we supposed to do about that, pray?”
“Help as best we can. We’re not alone; look. There’s the Watch.”
Ceria pointed left, towards Liscor. The Watch had deployed fast and in serious numbers. She saw at least a eighty guardsmen approaching the small army of Goblins, led by a familiar female Drake. Something—someone shot out of the group as the Goblins turned, and a huge Hob in the center raised his sword and pointed at the guardsmen.
A blur of green motion sped through the snow. Relc crashed into the warband and then leapt away, and two Goblins fell down with holes on their torsos. Ceria saw him dodge away as arrows flew.
“Damn. There’s even a Goblin [Shaman] down there. Look at the lightning!”
“Let’s get into it as well. Those people still need help!”
The Goblin raiding party had split up. The vast majority was charging the Watch, who’d taken up a stationary position while Relc dashed back towards them. Arrows and magic were already beginning to fly, but a large number of Goblins were still trying to kill everyone in the village.
“Come on!”
Ceria ran towards the village, aiming for one of the houses. Pisces, huffing and puffing, caught up to her and shouted in her ear.
“There’s too many! Are you insane,
Springwalker!?”
“We have to do something! And Halrac’s nearby! Look!”
She pointed. Across the open expanse of land, nearly three hundred meters out, she could see the [Scout] and the Drake who’d led him here. The Human was kneeling, but he had a bow in his hands. Even as she looked at him, he raised it and fired.
Ahead of her, a Goblin breaking through a closed window spun around and fell down, an arrow in his chest. His fellows looked up and around, screeching, and saw Ceria and her group. But another arrow caught a Goblin in the eye, and they turned and saw the lone [Scout] in the distance.
Again, the Goblins divided. A group went charging towards Halrac, but started collapsing, arrows sprouting from their bodies like magic. Halrac had to have a Skill, because Goblins were falling left and right.
For a moment Ceria thought he could take care of all the Goblins himself. Halrac had taken a distant position and he was downing Goblins fast. But then something odd happened.
One of the Goblins shouted, and the warriors suddenly bunched together and raised shields. Ceria blinked. Shields?
But yes, these Goblins had shields, and even armor! It wasn’t high-quality; some was rusted and a lot of it was iron or bronze, but they were all armed. They looked like an actual army, not just a raiding party.
The Goblins started advancing on Halrac, using their shields to block his incoming arrows. He still found gaps in their armor, and Goblins stumbled back and fell as he caught them on the arms, legs, and pierced through weak spots, but they were still moving towards him.
And the rest were looking at Ceria. They weren’t all Goblins; she saw a Hob among them, a huge Goblin as strong as most Silver-rank adventurers. But Ceria also heard the Drakes screaming inside their homes. So she raised her skeletal hand.
“[Ice Spike]!”
The shard of ice caught a Goblin in the chest and he fell down, his last breath emerging as a scream. Yvlon stopped next to Ceria and raised both sword and shield. Ksmvr did likewise, as Pisces tried to raise himself, still panting.
“Here they come.”
Yvlon’s face was grim. Ceria counted. Nearly…sixty Goblins. Some were still fighting the villagers, but there were far too many to take on.
“We’ve got to slow them down. Buy time. Pisces stop gasping and help!”
“Oh…of…course…let me…”
The [Mage] gasped for air, and then stood up. He inhaled deeply as the Hob leading the remaining Goblins pointed at Ceria and shouted. Another group peeled off and marched towards them, leaving the defenders behind, pressed further and further back.
“[Ice Spike]! Pisces!”
“Just a moment, Springwalker. I’m looking for the best place to—ah, there.”
Pisces pointed and Ceria saw a place where several Goblins had fallen from Halrac’s arrows. The tip of Pisces’ finger glowed purple, and his voice became deeper, resonant.
“Oh fallen Goblins. Rise from your graves and seek my enemies!”
Eight of the Goblin warriors that had fallen jerked and slowly rose upwards, eyes glowing blue, not red. They immediately fell upon their friends, who turned and screeched as they saw the undead.
Ceria felt a chill as she saw the undead getting up, and felt Yvlon shudder beside her. Pisces hadn’t used to be able to do that. When they’d parted, he hadn’t been able to reanimate more than a single corpse, much less—
The undead slowed the Goblins coming at the group. That was enough time for Ceria to continue firing [Ice Spike], heedless of the mana it was burning up. She didn’t have many other long-range spells, and while [Ice Shard] might kill a few, it would only work at close range…
The undead were hacking at the Goblins, heedless of the vicious wounds they were taking as their former comrades hacked them apart. The armor they were wearing was suddenly a disadvantage for the Goblins fighting them.
But there were many Goblins and the undead were a crumbling wall. Ceria gritted her teeth and cast [Ice Spike] again, but this time the shard lodged in one of the Goblin’s shields. Now the Goblins came at the group, running in a staggered formation, shields up, weapons at the ready.
“Formations? What the hell…”
“Get back! Ceria, cover me!”
Ceria saw Yvlon charge, and then Ksmvr was right on her heels. The two warriors slashed at the front ranks and then fell back as Ceria hit the the front rank with ice spells. Pisces raised a hand.
“[Frozen Wind].”
The air froze around his hand, making the first few Goblins slow and shout in agony as Yvlon and Ksmvr dodged out of the way. Pisces grinned and threw a fireball, and the Goblins had to slow and raise their shields or be caught by the two mage’s crossfire.
“Aw hell. Another Hob!”
Yvlon slashed left and then right, and then fell back, dueling a Hob that had joined the Goblins. Pisces looked at her and raised a hand.
“Back.”
She tumbled away and the jet of flame seared the Hob, making him roar in agony. But he charged through the flames at Pisces.
“Now would be—”
Ksmvr launched into the Hob from the side, stabbing fast and quick with the knife Erin had given him. The Hob threw him to one side, and Pisces shook his head.
“Springwalker?”
“[Icy Floor].”
Ceria pointed at the ground and then the snow crystallized. The Hob’s foot slipped, and Pisces raised a hand again.
“[Shock Volt]!”
It was another Tier 3 spell. This one was a shock of electricity that burst from Pisces’ hands, arcing towards the Hobs’ metal armor. The big warrior screamed as he fought to get up. He raised his mace, and a shard of ice burst out of one eye like a red flower.
Ceria lowered her hand and exhaled hard.
“Damn it, I hate Hobs.”
“Get back, they’re forming up!”
Yvlon pointed, and Ceria saw the Goblins were charging towards them, a group of thirty this time. The half-Elf immediately pointed at the ground.
“[Icy Floor]!”
It was hard to cover a wide stretch, even in the winter. But Ceria saw the area in front of them freeze up, and the Goblins immediately split their group to circle around the frozen patch of ice.
“I’m nearly out of mana. Pisces?”
The other mage nodded, wiping at his brow.
“I have enough for more spells or undead. Should I?”
“Do it!”
Yvlon took a position as the group moved back. Ceria unsheathed a dagger; she was acceptable with it, and her robes would help, but she didn’t want to fight if she could help it. Yvlon pointed towards the other edge of the ice patch.
“Ksmvr, I need you to take one side.”
“Affirmative.”
“Pisces, if you can slow them down—”
The mage was focusing, his eyes narrowed. He spoke slowly.
“I can do a bit better than that.”
He pointed.
“[Animate Dead].”
Across the distance, the Hob sat up. Ceria gasped, but the massive undead was suddenly on his feet, and turning towards the Goblins. They screamed as he charged towards them, mace raised.
After that, it was more watching than anything else. Ceria and Pisces stood behind Ksmvr and Yvlon, a last line of defense, mana exhausted. But it didn’t come to a melee; the Hob that Pisces had reanimated ended the battle by himself. Immune to injury now, he smashed Goblins left and right until they brought him down by weight of sheer numbers. And in the meantime, Yvlon and Ksmvr harassed them from the flanks.
Yvlon killed two more Goblins, slashing off limbs and inflicting deep wounds without ever letting them get close. She had no activatable skills, but she more than made up for it with competent swordplay. No blade even touched her armor; she turned away every cut with her shield and used it to ram Goblins, knocking them off balance and keeping the rest at bay.
Ksmvr had abandoned Erin’s knife and seized two swords. He hacked Goblins while his th
ird arm held a shield which he used to defend himself. He took wounds, but they were only light ones that didn’t penetrate his carapace.
And then it was really over. The last Goblins fled, and Ceria turned and saw a trail of dead Goblins leading up to a pile of them where Halrac had been. The [Scout] was advancing towards the village, bow raised, picking off fleeing Goblins with careful shots.
And the Watch—
A group of them came running into the village, led by Zevara. She halted when she saw the other Goblins had fallen, and eyed Ceria and the other adventurers oddly.
“You took care of them all?”
“Mostly. Halrac got the majority.”
Ceria pointed, and the [Scout] shrugged and grunted. It was true; over half of the dead Goblins in the village had been killed by arrow, and the leader of the Goblins was slumped in the snow, three arrows protruding from the eye slits in his helmet.
“Good work.”
Zevara said it oddly, as if she wasn’t used to having adventurers assist the Watch. From what Ceria knew of Drakes, that might actually be the case; the local militias often did more work that adventurers in the south.
“How did it go with the others?”
The Drake hesitated, and then grimaced.
“We lost a few good soldiers, but only a few. Those damn Goblins fought well, almost as if they’d been trained. They didn’t break until the last.”
“And the Hobs. There were a lot of them for a raiding party.”
“Yes. There were.”
Ceria and Zevara exchanged a look, and then the truce or whatever had passed between them ended. Ceria coughed.
“I’d like to claim partial salvage rights on the dead, unless you object?”
“Partial salvage…? You mean loot them?”
“It’s an adventuring thing. We helped, so we’d like to collect items and equipment.”
Zevara shook her head, but waved a claw.
“Go ahead. Do whatever you want. I’ll have my men strip and burn the rest later.”
Ceria nodded. She turned to Halrac. The [Scout] hadn’t even spoke to Zevara. He was going from body to body, collecting arrows he could reuse.
“Halrac? Thanks for covering for us out there. We’re requesting salvage rights? Do you want…?”