Chapter 16
743 Words
“Enormous forces of goblins are heading straight for us. They could be here at any minute.”
“Goblins,” I repeated.
“Yes,” Andu replied.
Goblins on the road, goblins normally hid and kept to themselves. They were also quite observant if Andu had seen them. That means…
“Did you run back directly here?”
From the expression gathered upon his face, I had gotten my answer. “Shields!” I called, “gather closer to the wagon push the horses behind the wagon.”
The men responded with perplexed faces, but did as they were told. The tired guard before the wagon slugged off his horse to join the caravan, a single crude arrow flew passed him, landing before him on the ground.
“Stop!” I yelled to him but it was too late an arrow flew straight to his knee.
Andu screamed as he felled moving around in agony. Another arrow fell before him.
To the goblins, it was a senseless game. If he moved he was playing, but if he stayed still he stood a better chance for now.
The men reacted by shouting taunts in every direction, at times lowering their shields.
“Are you trying to get us killed!” Caremila barked at them.
“Silence!” I shouted as coarse giggles came from the trees blowing in the wind it sounded like it was coming from everywhere.
An arrow flew towards the caravan, quickly followed by others. Some hit shields, others landed upon the men.
“How dare you!” Caremila roared.
A breath of fire came from the caravan. I felt it on my face as it passed from Caremila hands towards the trees. It spewed like hell’s fury upon the earth as trees and goblins were eviscerated.
Goblins screamed, running out towards us only to get a taste of their own medicine. If they didn’t fall by arrows, blade met the stragglers. I swung at each one that came challenging me. The others that tried to get away didn’t make it too far, and as quickly as it had started, it was done.
They were many of them but it seemed only a few had bows. It was the way goblins had always been deceitful and cunning. The injuries of the men were minor, but the psychological effect might be high. They were before only peasants and unlike me they didn’t aspire to be a hero. They just wanted to protect their village.
“Still want to strike a deal with demihumans, girl,” the guild master said. “You might as well turn back.”
Caremila wiped her blade into cloth and doused the flames that she had made before she sheathed it. She was truly dangerous. Would I have been able to take them all and keep everyone alive? More than likely not. I might have been able to fight them all. But the men would of die to arrows that I couldn’t dodge. I needed to learn a skill to block arrows, but there was no one that knew it in the town or in any books I had read.
“You never forewarn us of any danger that we might face.”
“You think I am some mystic, boy. These lands are savagery all on their own.”
“But haven’t you been here before?”
“I have but with many.”
“A detail you failed to mention. Then what other monsters hide in this place?”
Silence.
“Talk before I douse you with flames,” Caremila replied.
“As long as we keep to this path, we should be fine. They are many of course, many that we probably have not seen so I can’t prepare you for this land. Does it matter though you want to save your father, yes? Then these are just the trials to get you there.”
Caremila drew her sword to his face but I place my hand on her shoulder. “I think that’s enough for now.”
The guild master went silent again as wounds were tended and the others helped the guard up from the ground and onto the front of the carriage. I couldn’t help but wonder if the guild master might actually be right. Can deals really be struck with monsters?
- Writer
