Chapter 134: Offering

"They took him as a sacrifice," Ned answered. "He will be offered."

It seemed that Keesha couldn't believe what Ned said. "Since when did Goblins and Butrikis made an offering. No—to whom Malik will be offered?"

"To the one, they obeyed," Ned nodded toward the still beasts.

Steam coming out from the snouts of the butrikis, sharp teeth run their elongated jaws, and yellow scales lit beneath the warming sun.

Intent to kill flashed under the goblin's eye, as if it was flaming red.

"Fucking newt!" Rickart cussed. Better than scared. He seemed to recover instantly after realizing that Malik was still alive. "We can't remain standing here."

"And we can't leave either," Ned said. Cocking his eyebrow to the right of Keesha, a path (where Erin passed) was now blocked by the swamp goblins; eight of them stood holding a wooden club coiled with rusty iron wires.

"Kid, hide behind me," Keesha said, gesturing Ned with her long fingers to move behind her.

Ned didn't move an inch.

"Can you fight?" Rickart said, noticing Ned's calm and cautious eyes.

"A little," Ned said, spinning to face the eight goblins blocking their path. Keesha was weakened, and Rickart was overcome with surprise. Ned thought about Rickart not being able to show his strength. "Don't mind me."

"Don't mind me," Rickart scuffed. A while ago he was cowering; remembering how Malik was stabbed and dragged.

Ned didn't mind, it must be his way to console himself.

"A little isn't enough, kid," Keesha said, her breathing was better than before, still rapid but smooth. "We can't let—"

One of the butriki hissed, green fluids came out its nose. Nodding at the swamp goblin beside it.

Green skin and furry back. The swamp goblins were covered with nothing but thin loin cloth or hide from their prey. The rest of the goblins looked the same, aside from their weapons, but one of them had a red cloth ( or a rag) tied under his left arm. Like a red ribbon tied to secure a gift. The red-ribbon goblin nodded, paused, then nodded. His nod was directed toward Keesha.

The red-ribbon goblin raised his left arm. To his right held a club, the same with the rest spiked with iron wire.

It was clear, they weren't just teaming, they were communicating. The red-ribbon growled and spoke: "Wooka lee zaa zazaku."

The remaining goblins laughed. Joy and fulfillment filled their laughter as their green eyes glared at Keesha with lust.

The butriki beside it hissed; pretty sure it wasn't fond of humans.

The red-ribbon goblin balled its hand. The rest went quiet.

This is going to be harder than I thought. They were planning. Ned thought pacing toward the eight goblins with spiked clubs.

"Keesha," Ned whispered as he stopped behind her. "We need to leave, can you make an opening?"

"Not now, kid," Keesha insisted. "I have a plan; hold our ground until Sidric arrived. Just stay behind me if you're afraid."

Ned shook his head. Persistent brat. Ned thought. "You're taking them lightly."

"Wooka zoo a lah!"

The red-ribbon goblin cried and dozens of them sped toward the trio: "Fuck!" Rickart cried—or duo.

Ned distance himself away from Keesha but he didn't approach the eight goblins (that were dashing toward him). Instead he ran further to his right, enough to have an open space to swung Boom. Mud slurped in his boots.

Eight of the goblin followed—seven as Ned shot one of them right into its eye and fell with head dipped in the mud. The rest stopped momentarily and cried then dashed even faster.

Ned saw Rickart fighting, with his dagger at wit's end, the rest of the goblins and butrikis. While Keesha supported him with a burst of short and less consuming spells. Throwing small wind spells enough to slow the beasts.

They won't hold long. Ned thought, jumping backward. Evading the club swung above his head. He landed with a click on his mechanical bow. A goblin fell dead, neck seeped with green blood.

"Two," Ned muttered. Seeing a gap at the approaching goblins, he then dashed between the two.

To his right, the five-foot goblin clubbed Ned. To his left, the grinning goblin struck Ned with the spiked club.

Ned raised to block the five-foot goblin and push the button under his wrist to release three short arrows aimed at the neck of the grinning goblin to his left.

The goblin to his left gurgled with blood and thudded on the ground holding his neck as the three arrows stuck.

Boom, the short sword, remained to block the club as the goblin screeched. Ned ducked, with one foot on the ground, he kicked the five-foot goblin, swiping it to the ground.

The goblin tripped, head first, mud splattered its eyes. With haste, it stood—

Boom stabbed the goblin's thin skull. The short-sword crunched with bones as Ned pushed it starting from the left temple piercing the other side.

Ned stood pulling Boom against the lifeless goblin. One of its eyes fell and rolled before stopping in the mud. "Four," Ned said. This time louder to let the goblins hear as he intimidates them.

"Rickart!" Keesha shouted. Eight, maybe ten of dead goblins formed circling the two. One of them was butriki. Rickart knelt on one knee while an arrow was stuck on one of his legs.

He wasn't supposed to fight in the front. Ned thought. The remaining goblin flank both his sides. Two to his right; two to his left.

Ned raised his left, releasing one arrow with less aim as his eyes went looking at Keesha who was about to conjure a spell.

The goblin to his left evaded the aimless arrow.

A loud boom came roaring behind the four remaining goblins that faced Ned.

It was Keesha, must be her strongest spell. The space around them went blank, corpses laid dead almost five meters away from them. Half of the raiding beasts died under Keesha's wind blast. But half remained.

"It wasn't enough," Ned said. "ICE, Over—

Ned, with his left hand, released a blast of fire aimed at the two goblins to his left. Together with the boom, Ned went drizzling with steam as his skin turned red. He blurred.

—clock!"