Chapter 8: Goblins (P3)

It was a giant, big green and undoubtedly mean Goblin. It groans and moans, rubbing the side of his head like it ached. An understandable reaction to being possessed and tossed aside to sleep.

The giant squints and rubs his eyes, I figure his poor eyesight is the only reason I haven't been smacked away and place my bets on that. Quickly and as silently as I'm able -which isn't very silent- I slide out of the water and crawl out of the Goblins line of sight.

I must have not been silent enough because the it lets out a rumbling roar and hammers the water with its club, soaking himself and I, but more importantly waking the others.

"Sense Death, Summon Spirit!" In my panic I call out my spell, if I were to be killed here and now, I at least wanted the privilege of companionship and the honour of going down with a fight. In a flash Anselm appears, hovering lightly in front of me, probably more panicked than I.

I spurt out an order, something from my past as a gang member but hopefully useful in everyday magical life, "Possess him again and take a hostage, NOW!"

Just as he floods into the giant's body there's a scuttle amongst the wooden and leather tents, then, like a mob awakened by a call for chaos the goblins marched out.

Many wielding their weapons- Spears and clubs mostly but there was the occasional brilliant shine of a sword. They varied vastly in sizes, from small to medium to just my size, but one thing was certain- None were as giant as the one behind me

I hold onto my mana and crawl to my feet, at the ready with my would-be assailant now ally behind me growling in a strange fashion.

Casting two spells in a row and prepping for a third was tasking even on my large reserves but I was certain I had more than enough to fight my way out- now I just had to find an exit.

The Goblins stood at the ready, growling and speaking in a language I wasn't privy to understand. It seems like they were trying to communicate with Anselm, if he understood what they were saying I couldn't know. Whenever he possessed something, he just loses all functionality with his tongue.

Anselm in the giant body stomps past me, club still firm in hand. The other Goblins quiet, aside from the light chanting and cheering for something I instinctively knew was bad even with the language barrier.

I wait and watch as he approached, none seemed to question the giant except the small one at the front that still barked orders at him, at least until it was picked up and quite nearly crushed in Anselm's Giant hand.

"Ahh!!!" It screamed. The others brandish their weapons and start jabbing at Anselm's feet.

"Squeeze him!" I yell out but it seems Anselm caught on to the general idea. He shoves and shoos many away from his feet like flies and squeezes the small goblin until it begins barking out something different. Slowly and cautiously the goblin horde back down.

The small one regards me with a look that was either a product of its pain or its disgust for me "Hrek! Reek tybal?" Finally, it seems to understand that I was the one in charge here, it asks a question, I don't know what it asks but intonation tells me it's a question.

I look to Anselm for answers but he only regards me with a mouth full of teeth and a clueless look.

"Way out of here, where is it?" I demanded, hoping the goblin understood me even if I didn't understand it.

"Reek yi vey? Ulk tie dur!"

"I don't understand you! Point me out of here or else he'll squeeze you again!"

It grumbles under its breath a bit but ultimately points me…to the way I'd come in.

"Ugh!" I cry in frustration, I could feel the timer on Anselm's possession ticking at the back of my head now, I didn't have much time left. "Squeeze."

"Ahh!!" the horde bristle at the screams, watching with barely contained rage, I don't mind them.

"I've been through that path. It is blocked by stones, I had to kill a bear to get in here. I know you have an exit. Just like I know you blocked this place off with a boulder to get away from the bear."

I didn't know anything for sure but I felt pretty confident in the mosaic of clues my brain painted before me.

When I first saw the bear it was chewing quite contently on the short lived goblin, though I didn't have anything other than the colour of the corpse I'd seen -the bones in the bear's pit were crushed beyond recognition- I had the fact that the bear couldn't make it without water with the boulder blocking its path, the bear was the only threat in the cave that warranted a boulder being rolled over the entrance to the Goblins haven and although they were shockingly ugly I doubt they were dumb enough to lock themselves up without a source of food.

The Goblin groans then waves at its people, shouting out some new orders. They make way and one of them at the very back of the horde ran over to a wall, knocking on it it fails to make the usual thudding of you'd expect from a stone wall, instead there's a light flapping sound.

The goblin the holds onto the edge of the wall and peels it back. I would chuckle if not for the rather nerve-wracking atmosphere, the 'wall' was just a black leather flap covering a dark tunnel.

The Goblin watches me expectantly, as if to say 'You've got your way out now get out'.

I gave a cautious nod and started a hurried strut with Anselm. Not just because his single stride equalled three of mine but also because the alarm was going off at the back of my head now, soon he'd be knocked out of the Goblins body and I'd lose my hostage.

I don't take the time to complain or register the growling and murderous mutterings of the goblins around me, my attention is fixed solely on the leather flap covering my path to freedom, real food and baths.

Tentatively, we approach at the flap, only a few more feet and I'd be free. I make sure not to have my back turned on the little angry creatures, especially with the small one getting louder with its chants.

Cruelly, as is the nature of time, mine ran out. Anselm's giant fell with a thunder to the ground, my eyes shot over to him, his hand let the equally wide-eyed goblin leader out of his grasp and unto the floor. My eye locked with his, I still had Sense Death on so I could see and get the blatant hint from him to run like hell.

And so, I did, but with a horde of goblins right on my tail I didn't make it very far. I get tackled to the ground by a me-sized goblin, it seemed to have abandoned its spear to get its grimy hands wrapped round my neck.

[You Have Been Injured. HP- 10]

I choke and call for help even though there was none. The goblins reached me quickly and were cheering on for the one atop me to strangle the life out of me, some took pride in kicking at my head, legs, thighs- anywhere that wasn't covered by the goblin already draining the life out of me.

[HP- 8]

[HP- 13]

[You Have Been Hit. HP- 29]

[Status Effect: Head Trauma- INT- 20 WIS- 20]

[WARNING: Effectiveness of Spells Declines, Dizziness, Confusion, Coma.]

[HP- 18]

[HP- 19]

Having no choice, I unleashed my strongest spell, hard as it was to concentrate on mana flowing into my hands whilst being choked and battered it was worth it in the end.

"Soul Drain." I declare. Immediately the me-sized goblin was drained, within mere seconds he transformed from a maniacal grinning green skinned murderer strangling the life out of me to a shrivelled husk hanging on to me for life.

[Soul Drain Complete!]

HP+ 10

HP+ 10

HP+ 10

HP+ 10

[Soul Drain Proficiency +1]

[Necromancy Proficiency +2]

The horde did not fail to see this. Immediately they back away, leaving me chance to get up to my feet, panting and exhausted. Soul Drain is as powerful as it is costly. Even with my mana low I persist.

"Death Grip!" sighting on of my grinning assailants I shot out a green deathly tether resembling my hand to wrap around its neck. I screamed and screeched.

Like the rat had when I performed this spell the first time, the goblins flesh churns and boils with necromantic energy coursing throughout its entire body, turning its blood to murk that spilled out all orifices.

[Death Grip Proficiency +2]

[Necromancy Proficiency +0.5]

Once I was sure it was dead, I let the spell end. Unlike Soul Drain I didn't get any health from the success of the spell. Which was too bad cuz I was hurting pretty badly, one of my legs felt broken beyond repair and blood still pours out of the side of my head.

"Stay back, or else!" I let green mana manifest soothingly in my hand, waving it at anyone too close. They growled and grunt, stepping away.

Not waiting for them to change their mind or even worse, for the giant goblin to wake up, I back away, slipping through the leather flap and limp out the sound of crickets, of wolves and of the fields of freedom.