William frowned at the sound of a bell ringing through Brindlecross. “What in God’s name is that racket?”
Fredric froze, his eyes wide. “The warning bell, my lord. Goblins!”
“Goblins?” Will repeated. “As in, little green XP pi?atas?”
The boy didn’t answer; he was already sprinting towards the sound.
[Questline Triggered: Repel the Goblin Raid]
Will cursed. “Of course, Brindlecross would be attacked now that I’m tired and hungry.” He ran after Fredric, with his armour clanking, and his heart pounding in excitement while imagining a roast chicken sandwich with all the trimmings. He checked his interface and found his stamina was at 76%. It’ll have to be enough.
Villagers were spilling from their cottages with spears, pitchforks, and torches. A woman thrust a staff into his hands, then yanked it back with an apologetic squeak when she realised he already carried a sword almost as big as she was.
An old man with a missing left arm headed towards the palisade with a lumberjack’s axe in his good hand. To his left and right, two younger men carried similar weapons.
Smoke drifted on the wind. Shouts rose from the far fields. And then, through the firelight, came the shapes; small, hunched figures darting between fence posts, their eyes glinting yellow.
Ugly little goblins.
***
William set his feet and raised his sword. His chest tightened at the realisation that this didn’t feel like a game, and this encounter wouldn’t reset if he ran far enough away.
The first goblin lunged from the dark with a jagged blade aimed at a farmer with a pitchfork. Will sprinted forward with his sword raised, and the blade shrieked through the air. The creature split in two, its blood splattered across his sword arm as its insides painted the ground and the shaking farmer red.
Another goblin leapt at him with its rusty dagger raised. Will slammed the hilt of his sword into its face with a crunch, then finished it with a downward chop that pinned the body to the dirt.
Screams and fire lit the fields. Villagers fought in ragged groups, protecting one another from the vicious creatures; a mother with a torch shoved it into one goblin’s face, and it shrieked as it clawed at her before a neighbour speared it clean through.
Master Grukk swung a huge, black war hammer the size of a child’s torso, caving in a goblin’s skull; on his shoulder sat a small gnome, who was lobbing small explosives at the incoming goblins.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
William smiled at the gnome. I don’t recall him being here at the start of the game. Must be a new NPC.
Fredric darted at Will’s side, clutching his sword with both hands. His face was pale, but his jaw was set firm.
“Stay close!” Will barked, swinging wide to clear a space.
Without warning, the magic came. An intense heat surged from his core and rushed down his arms and into his sword. “Oh my!” The runes lit up as golden sparks danced across the steel, followed by a golden-white flame crackling the length of the blade. He felt the old memory of casting a skill, but this was different; it was pure instinct, as familiar as breathing. This was the Holy Paladin’s power, an amalgam of weapons mastery and divine magic.
“Hell yeah!” William yelled at the return of his [Divine Fire] skill. “That’s more like it.” He carved through the next creature in a flash of golden fire, the smell of scorched goblin filling the air.
The villagers gasped, and Fredric stared, wide-eyed.
“Don’t just gawk!” Will roared. “Fight!”
Wielding a broken sword, a goblin lunged at the boy. Fredric squealed, but raised his sword in time. Steel met steel, the clang jarring through his arms. The creature snarled, its teeth gnashing, pressing the young squire back.
Come on, Fred. I know you can do it. Will rooted for the teenager he’d taken a liking to. “Step in. Shoulders!” he shouted while cutting through two more foes like butter as he watched the boy struggle.
Obeying, Fredric stepped in. It was a little too close, but he pivoted his shoulders and slid his blade beneath the goblin’s guard and punched through its throat. The creature gurgled, its eyes widening in shock, before collapsing dead in a pool of its own blood. Fred staggered back, staring at the blood on his hands.
“You did it,” Will barked, parrying another strike. “You’re alive. Now keep doing it.”
Fredric’s fear hardened into something else, grim determination.
The next goblin shrieked at William as the burning blade carved it down with ease. Will roared, half in terror, half in exhilaration, as he hacked and swung through goblin after goblin. Sparks flew, and the smell of scorched goblin flesh drifted across the battlefield.
[XP: +1]
[Warning: Minor Fatigue 75%]
They fell like wheat to a scythe, but for every one he cut down, more shadows spilt from the tree line. The villagers fought to hold them back, their torches swinging, and their pitchforks thrusting.
[XP: +1]
Fredric stayed at Will’s side, supporting his new master with his cheap blade. Together, they pushed the goblins back, steel and [Divine Fire] against claws and shrieks.
William heard a scream of pain far behind him. He looked back, but couldn’t see who was hurt. I hope they’re alright? He continued to fight, cutting down more goblins than anyone else nearby.
[XP: +1]
The battle raged on. A group of goblins swarmed the outer huts, some setting roofs alight, others dragging livestock squealing into the dark. Will fought at the centre, his sword blazing, every swing tearing through the creatures’ mismatched armour and flesh. Villagers rallied behind him, their courage kindled by his divine blade.
At last, the goblin raiders broke. The retreating warband shrieked in their guttural tongue and fled into the tree line. Arrows and stones followed, felling a few stragglers, but most melted into the darkness of the night.
William thrust his flaming sword through the back of an injured goblin that was attempting to crawl away. “I don’t think so, buddy.” He placed a boot on the dead creature and ripped his blade free.
[XP: +1]
Chapter 012 [Game Notification: Burn the Corpses to Prevent Necromancy]
