Goblin Bound: The First of Many

Chapter 8: Encounter

Yiyaiyai!!! Yiyaiyyi!!! Yiyiiiiyayi!!!

Three familiar looking green cretins unhurriedly walked past his hiding spot, arguing animatedly amongst themselves. They were garbed indistinguishably nor looked any different from the other, the only difference among them being the choice of weaponry. Two of the goblins held sharpened stones that could pass off as daggers and the other one held a flimsy bow and had a couple arrows tucked in a small pouch by its waist.

Their inexplicable language left a painful ringing sensation in his head, one he could only grit his teeth and ignore as he trained his eyes on the passing goblins.

They were nearly past his tunnel when one gazed deeply into his tunnel and momentarily paused. His heart leapt to his throat and a chill spread down his spine.

‘Can it see me?’ He thought in a panic, his hands clenching the hilt of his sword hard.

The archer goblin squinted its eyes into the tunnel, muttering something to the other two causing them to look over as well. Their eyes glowed an evil yellow in the dark tunnel, one that seemed to peer deep into his soul.

The goblin hesitatingly grabbed an arrow, its gaze unflinching and somewhat…uncertain. Unlike its initial slow movement, the speed of it nocking and shooting the arrow was incredibly fast and before Kenny knew it, an arrow sailed dangerously past his cheek, missing him by just a few short inches.

His eyes widened at the goblin’s actions, its deadly accuracy and the implication of its action. It could see him. There were no more guesses now, he only had two choices left. Run or fight.

Gripped with panic and adrenaline flooding his veins, he drew his sword with a loud swish and charged with a guttural yell at the goblins.

The other two goblins seemingly just being aware of him quickly drew their stone daggers amidst their seemingly panicked nonsensical yells. They both ran the blade across their tiny green palms, splitting their skin and coating the blade in their blood.

Kenny charged fast at the goblins, their entire action - which drew question marks from him- not escaping his eyes, but he was more worried about the archer goblin that had already nocked another arrow and aimed it at his forehead, eliciting a faint stinging feeling on his head.

Gritting his teeth, he quickly raised the sword to cover his forehead as he charged forward. He didn’t go far into the tunnel earlier to hide so he was soon before them after sprinting for a few seconds.

He felt the arrow collide harshly with his sword just as he raised it, tilting it at an angle and nearly knocking him off balance. He slightly stumbled but quickly brought his sword back to his side stably.

An arrow whizzed across his face, missing him simply because of his stumble and not because he saw it. Shock painted his face, he gazed ahead and noted the archer goblin had retreated a few paces back and was already pulling out another arrow.

The other two goblins had arrived at both his sides, their blood-coated daggers aimed at his thighs. Untrained and unskilled, he was momentarily stumped but instinctively struck out at the goblin on his right.

Clang!

Sparks flew from the collision as metal scraped stone, the dagger was deflected off mark and the goblin knocked a few paces back. He didn’t have the luxury to express his surprise at coming out on top when he felt a stinging pain on his left thigh.

A grinning goblin greeted his eyes as he sharply turned his head, its dagger deep into his thigh. Gritting his teeth hard in pain, his left hand reflexively hammered on the head of the goblin.

It yelped in pain and with eyes full of malice ruthlessly yanked out its dagger and jumped a few steps back. The other dagger-wielding goblin walked round to rejoin it, its dagger dancing in its hand as if it were alive.

Yiyiaiiyi! Yiyiaiyi!

Both goblins muttered rubbish to the other and all three burst out laughing, their gazes oozing mockery as they gazed at him. He couldn’t tell what they said but he could definitely tell they didn’t see him as a threat.

“Yiyiayi!…Weak!”

His head throbbed painfully from their squeals and he didn’t immediately process that he understood the last word, nor did he register the arrow that sailed through the air and lodged itself in his right shoulder.

Pain registered in his shoulder a moment later and a grunt tore from his throat in pain. He nearly bit off his tongue trying not to yell from the pain. Fueled with pain and growing anger, he yelled and charged once more at the goblins, both hands on his sword.

Wicked laughter echoed from their throats as the two dagger-wielding charged in once again at both his sides and the archer goblin nocked another arrow.

Kenny’s eyes sharpened from intense calculations. He ran several simulations in his head on how to counter their earlier tactic in a few short seconds and his body reacted to that which he thought best.

Taking advantage of his momentum, his left fist smacked the goblin on his left on the face, sending it tumbling backward. His sword flashed to parry the goblin on his right, sending it skidding a few steps back.

Still charging ahead, an arrow tore flesh across his right cheek as it sailed past. Eyes burning with wrath, he stretched his arm all the way behind him and …threw his sword at the archer goblin already pulling out another arrow a few feet away.

He recognized the variable adding a lot of unpredictability to the fight was the archer and knew he had to take him out so he could have an easier time dealing with the other two.

The sword sailed through the air with incredible momentum and…missed. It fell out of the air and landed awkwardly a few feet away from the archer.

‘Why did I think that would work again?’ Kenny cursed at himself. He still somehow instinctively thought all of this as some fantasy scenario where he could just pull off incredible stuff just by thinking about it.

Malicious grins echoed from his sides from the dagger-wielding goblins and he knew he was screwed. His ear twitched from movement to his right and he struck out his fist in a panic, confused how to interpret what his ear picked up.

His fist connected squarely with the face of one of the goblins, it had leaped with the intent to dig its dagger into his head. Green stinking blood dripped from his fist and the goblin’s nose.

Slightly surprised at the accuracy of his reaction and strength, he felt his ear twitch once again and this time he heard it. He ducked his head and rolled to the side, an arrow flying over his head.

His hand caught the other goblin by the wrist and with a quick punch, drilled it into the cavern wall. Small cracks spread across the length of the earthen wall and he momentarily marveled at the strength he wielded.

Green blood leaked from the wall and the goblin twitched but remained unmoving. The other two goblins glared at him, their glowing yellow eyes overflowing with malice.

“Dieee!!!” “Dieee!!!”