by Kumo Kagyu
“Good.” Goblin Slayer held it tight, examining it closely. “We enter, then go as far in as we can,” he said.
“Is that our, uh, strategy?”
“Yes.”
As always, Priestess couldn’t help but smile at his behavior. Then she quickly knelt and held her sounding staff. “O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy,” she intoned, praying for the peace of all the goblins who had died so far, and all those who had been killed by them. “Please, by your revered hand, guide the souls of those who have left this world.”
The adventuring party waited until she was finished with her prayer of repose, then they hurried toward the gate.
Goblin Slayer slid the key in the lock, turned it. There was a hollow clack.
“It doesn’t fit.”
That meant it had to go to some other door somewhere else. He clucked his tongue and pulled the key out.
Priestess opened her bag, clearing some space. “Here, I can take that.”
“Yes, please.”
She took the key, put it away, and let out a breath.
“I guess that makes it my turn,” High Elf Archer said, crouching confidently in front of the lock. Her ability to pick such devices, which she claimed to have learned largely to amuse herself, had proven quite valuable to the party.
She used a pick to fumble with the lock, twitching her ears in search of the gentle click that would announce her success. When it came at last, she announced, “Excellent,” and puffed out her chest proudly. “It’s unlocked.”
“Right, now before we open it…,” Dwarf Shaman said. He crouched next to her and rooted through his bag of catalysts, pulling out a cloth.
Priestess tilted her head in confusion, asking hesitantly, “What are you doing?”
“Gotta put a little oil on there,” Dwarf Shaman winked. “Wouldn’t want it creaking, now, would we?”
“Oh, I’ll help!”
“I’ll take the right, then, and you take the left.”
He tossed Priestess a rag dipped in oil, and she got to work. She showed herself to be an excellent cleaner, from long experience with her duties in the Temple. Soon, the door had been carefully oiled, and the adventurers pushed it open with nary a sound.
They slipped through as quietly as shadows then closed the door behind them. The goblins still had not noticed their companions had been killed.
If they had realized it, they would not have mourned or wept but would have thought only of how to punish the adventurers.
“Geez… It r-reeks of mold…,” High Elf Archer complained. The nest blended the odors of an ancient ruin with the rotten stench of a typical goblin habitat.
“W-well, it is an old building… Here, I’ll light a fire,” Priestess said. “Hup!” she grunted cutely, as she struck a flint and lit a torch.
They were smack in the middle of the fire-prevention ward the elves had placed on the structure, so the light was limited and weak. Still, it was enough for the entire party to see by. Priestess swept her eyes across the faces of her companions and then she let out a breath of relief.
The passageway on the other side of the gate was intensely claustrophobic. It wasn’t so small as to force them to crawl, but they weren’t going to be spreading out to establish a battle line, either. It might be just the right size for goblins, but as for everyone else…
“Ugh, I don’t like this!” High Elf Archer said. “A spike trap could wipe us all out at once.”
“I rather worry about my ability to continue onward at all,” Lizard Priest added.
“Yeah, chances are the dwarf gets stuck!”
Dwarf Shaman looked incensed but wisely didn’t give voice to his objection.
“Let’s go,” Goblin Slayer said curtly, and the party formed up and started walking.
High Elf Archer went in front, Goblin Slayer just behind her, followed by Lizard Priest: they were technically the front row. In back were Priestess, nervously clutching her staff, and Dwarf Shaman, at the tail of the formation.
The constricting passageway went deeper and ever deeper, bending gently left and right along the way. The booming echo they heard must have been the dammed-up water.
I hate narrow tunnels like this, Priestess thought. If goblins came from the front, they couldn’t run away. If they came from behind, the party would be equally trapped.
The fetid air. The clinging sense of dread. An odor she knew all too well from somewhere, sometime. Priestess hurriedly looked around, taken by the sense that if she didn’t pay close attention, she would lose track of where she was.
“At least we don’t have to worry about our footsteps,” High Elf Archer said lightly. Maybe that remark was part of why Priestess found herself breathing a sigh of relief. The air in the tunnel suddenly seemed to grow lighter.
“And it doesn’t look like we need to worry about them breaking out of a wall behind us,” Dwarf Shaman remarked.
“If there are no hidden doors,” Goblin Slayer said.
“And if they don’t find the corpses outside,” Lizard Priest added helpfully.
“Let’s keep going,” Priestess said in a trembling voice, swallowing audibly. “Carefully.”
“Yes. Especially considering that… What was it called…?”
“Mokele Mubenbe,” High Elf Archer chimed in as she measured her next footstep. “Right?”
“Yes, that,” Goblin Slayer continued, nodding. “Something managed to put a saddle on that. We can’t let down our guard.”
Lizard Priest gripped his Swordclaw tighter, looking around. “You think it was one of the little devils?”
“Would anyone entrust a dragon to goblins, besides a goblin?”
Dwarf Shaman ran his hand gently along the wall of the passageway. “I’ve known philistines, but goblins set a new low,” he said with a resigned shake of his head. “Look at this. There were these drawings right here, and they—”
The illustrations might have depicted the history of the ruins, or perhaps they were a warning to intruders. Whatever the drawings had once been, they were now daubed over and cracked by the antics of the goblins. It suggested the defacement was not a deliberate act of blasphemy on the goblins’ part. If they had really been servants of Chaos trying to desecrate the marks of Order, they would have done a more thorough job.
Instead, the scene was shattered here, painted over there, broken in another place, and left alone in still another…
“…Like children who got bored of a toy,” Priestess whispered, chilled. And well she should be: it was clear that this act of the destruction of someone else’s labors had been done for the sheer fun of it. Priestess knew all too well what that impulse looked like when it was turned upon living beings.
“…”
It might have been dread or anxiety that made her trembling right hand stiffen upon her sounding staff, while the left adjusted her hold on the torch. She repeated the name of the Earth Mother under her breath.
Perhaps that was why she was the first to notice it when it came blowing on the breeze through the ruins, mixed with the sound of water.
“A voice…?” she said suddenly, stopping.
“What’s wrong?” Goblin Slayer asked when he noticed. That fact alone brought Priestess a measure of relief. It was a reminder that he was looking out for her. That all of them were.
She realized she was unconsciously comparing the party to them and looked down, abashed.
“I just… There was a voice…”
“You heard a voice?”
“From up ahead, I think…”
Goblin Slayer met her uncertain words with a grunt. “Hmm. What do you think?”
“Well, hold on a second. I’ve been totally focused on this floor…” High Elf Archer looked up, her ears now standing straight, straining to pick up any sound.
Fwip, fwip. They fluttered gently.
“…Yeah, I hear it, too. A person’s voice. I can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman.”
“So there’s somethin
g alive down here besides goblins,” Dwarf Shaman said, frowning in surprise. “I suppose we should be happy, but it’ll add to our troubles to rescue them.”
“There’s no guarantee it is a prisoner,” Lizard Priest added, rolling his eyes and touching the tip of his nose with his tongue.
“But if there is a captive down here…” Priestess raised the torch as high as she could, as if using it to wave away fear and indecision. “Then we…we have to help them…!”
“Yes,” Goblin Slayer replied without a moment’s hesitation. He double-checked his shield in his left hand, then turned his right wrist once and adjusted his hold on his sword. “It doesn’t change what we must do. Let’s go.”
Shortly after, the party arrived at a spiral staircase that stretched from the very bottom to the very top of the ruins. Countless tunnels spiderwebbed away from it in every direction.
The echoing voice could be heard from down below—far, far below, as if sounding from the depths of hell.
§
“…Smells like a goblin nest, all right.”
The party decided to work its way down the stairwell, following the lead of High Elf Archer’s senses.
The staircase hugged the stone wall, winding down into the depths. The steps were narrow, and there was no railing. Each of them placed a hand on the wall and proceeded slowly, oh so slowly.
“Rather like an anthill, isn’t it,” Lizard Priest said, observing the many tunnels that led deeper into the fortress.
“Mmm, they make pretty good towers, don’t they?” Dwarf Shaman replied.
The levees and the riverside fortifications had been withstanding battles for at least an eon. They would shortly be attempting to bring it all down with just five adventurers. One could hardly blame them for feeling a little tense.
“Eep!” Priestess squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against the wall as a sudden gust whipped through the atrium. The strength of the wind was bad enough, but it brought a rank stench that hinted at evil things ahead.
“M-maybe we should tie a lifeline to ourselves so—”
“No,” Goblin Slayer said, brusquely rejecting Priestess’s idea. “We are in single file. We don’t know if goblins may come from in front or behind.”
“Yes, it could only be dangerous to restrict our own movements further.” Lizard Priest, making up the rear of the formation, rolled his eyes in his head and slapped the ground with his tail. “But never fear; if you should fall, just grab on to my tail and keep going.”
“I’d really rather not fall, but… Right, I’ll do my best.” Priestess nodded, making sure she was holding her staff and the torch tightly so as not to drop them.
At that moment, High Elf Archer’s ears twitched.
“Goblins?”
“What else could it be?” The whole party stopped dead behind her and readied their weapons. “We’ve got a light. They’ll notice us when we get close.”
“We can’t let him get away alive.”
“Goblin Slayer, sir, what should we do?”
“Whether there’s a captive down there or not, we must get to the bottom of this staircase,” Goblin Slayer said darkly. “And then, we must come back up.”
“You know what they say about labyrinths,” Dwarf Shaman chimed in, adopting a singsong tone: “Going in is easy done, but getting out is never fun.”
“Mm,” Lizard Priest rumbled, nodding.
“We won’t be able to avoid combat,” Priestess said, “and if we’re discovered—”
—what would happen then?
The blood drained from her cheeks, and she suddenly felt her footing become unsteady.
Torn clothes. Fighter’s screaming. Shouting voices. The awful sight of the captured elf. The women on skewers.
All of these memories flashed through her mind, quickening her breath. She felt her teeth chattering.
She fought to keep them still and to steady her breathing. She forced her legs, which threatened to go out from under her, to remain upright.
“…I’ll try requesting Silence again.”
She would use another of her precious miracles. Goblin Slayer did some quick mental calculations.
“If all goes well, we may be able to rest when we reach the bottom,” Dwarf Shaman said as he reached into his bag of catalysts, looking vigilantly down the seemingly never-ending stairs. “This place has got to be too big to patrol everywhere at once, even for goblins.”
“How many would you say we are dealing with, milord Goblin Slayer, based on what they have stolen?”
“They even have wolves,” Goblin Slayer replied. “There’s no doubt they’re operating on a massive scale.”
“Still, surely not enough t’maintain this entire fortification.”
“Most likely.”
“Well, that settles it.” High Elf Archer smiled brightly, reaching out to pat Priestess on the shoulder. “You’re up!”
“Right!” Priestess nodded and bit her lip. She knew what would happen if they didn’t do this. She gave her head a vigorous shake, sending the memories flying like the hair around her head. Then she took a deep breath.
She put both hands on her staff, connecting her soul to the Earth Mother who dwelt on high.
“What about the corpse?” Lizard Priest inquired.
“Drop it,” Goblin Slayer replied immediately, ruthlessly. “There would be nothing unusual about a goblin falling from these stairs.”
“Here I go!” Priestess held her staff, relaxing into the warmth of the torch as she offered up the words of her prayer. “O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy, grant us peace to accept all things.”
Then all sound ceased.
The goblin emerging from the corridor went wide-eyed at the adventuring party that approached with nothing but the light of a torch.
High Elf Archer’s arrow pierced his throat before he could call out to his companions. He windmilled his arms as if swimming through the air as he toppled forward; Goblin Slayer gave him a solid kick.
The goblin fell, disappearing into the endless, deep blackness.
As they continued down the stairs, High Elf Archer swiveled her ears. It was hard to be certain what she was hearing. She kept her eyes peeled, trying to spot any goblins that might be coming their way.
There.
She quickly held up three fingers on one hand before drawing an arrow from her quiver, pulling back the bow, and firing.
The bolt flew silently, catching the spear-wielding sentry square in the eye and lodging in his helmet. He spun and toppled from the staircase.
His fellow guard pointed and laughed then cocked his head in surprise at the fact that his voice made no sound. High Elf Archer rushed past him, while just behind her, Goblin Slayer cracked the creature’s skull as if he were splitting wood.
The head broke open and brains spilled out. Goblin Slayer sent the second goblin tumbling into the abyss then continued forward.
The third goblin, although flabbergasted at these sudden developments, nonetheless steadied the spear in his hand.
He was faced with a dwarf and a human girl. It only took him an instant to focus on the girl, but he found his path blocked by the palm of the dwarf’s hand. Before he knew what was happening, there was a handful of dust in his eyes, and an instant later, Lizard Priest’s tail had swept his feet out from under him.
All that was left was the drop.
The corkscrew-shaped tunnel continued on and on. One could feel faint contemplating its scale.
All sound had vanished, and the only thing they could see was the light they carried. They smelled only bubbling water and their own sweat.
Priestess wobbled, attacked by a spell of dizziness. Even as she registered what was happening, she found her unsteady body wrapped in Lizard Priest’s supportive tail.
She gave a hurried look back. The lizardman rolled his eyes in his head and touched his tongue to his nose. He seemed to be saying, Don’t worry about it.
Priestess shook her head, then she f
aced forward again with the torch and her staff well in hand and began diligently following the back in front of her. Dwarf Shaman had kindly slowed down for her. Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer remained as vigilant as ever.
I have to keep praying…!
She made a couple of sharp exhalations as she forced all irrelevant thought from her mind and continued offering her supplication to the Earth Mother.
She was just standing behind her companions, praying. She started to doubt if it was really helpful.
But doubt led to death at times like this. And she would not let it overcome her prayer to the gods.
Everyone is here, and I’m with everyone. They protect me, and I protect them.
She took another deep breath.
Even in these dark depths, she had friends beside her, and her soul was in touch with the Earth Mother who abided in heaven.
Surely there was nothing to fear.
§
Bob, bob. Five or six goblin corpses drifted on the surface of the water.
At the bottom of the vast span was a channel of water. Was it the Silence miracle, or sheer distance, that prevented the adventurers from hearing any sound as the goblins struck the surface?
Dammed up and then stored up, what remained of the river water continued to course downstream.
“Perhaps the little devils think to poison the water,” Lizard Priest whispered when sound resumed in the world. Considering they had dammed up the river, that would be the natural next step. Downstream lay not only the elf village, but also the water town.
“Goblins being goblins, their leader might be planning something,” Dwarf Shaman agreed.
“What’s the use, thinking about what goblins think all the time?” High Elf Archer said, frowning in frustration. She gave Goblin Slayer’s helmet a couple of good raps. “You’ll end up like him.”
“I have a sneaking suspicion y’could stand to think a little harder yourself,” Dwarf Shaman said. “This is about your home, after all,” he added softly, provoking an angry “Come again?!” from the elf. They managed to keep their voices low enough that Lizard Priest didn’t feel compelled to intervene.
Goblin Slayer, completely unmoved, pulled a waterskin from his item pouch and uncorked it. He took several swigs through his visor then offered it to Priestess where she crouched nearby. She took it vacantly, her face pale as she desperately tried to collect herself.