Dragon Nest: Small Towns Volume One

Chapter IX: Party Ticket (Xian)

     Triana is not like any elves out there. She’s friendly, innocent, kind, she made me comfortable. I guess it’s just the first time that I had a friend like her. But I don’t think that she will be staying in Prairie Town much longer and more importantly, I have to take care of this goblin. We stared at the talking goblin for a while and suddenly stood up and grabbed my weapon making an offensive stance as it embraced for my attack. I was about to attack it but Triana grabbed my hand and stopped me from doing so as she looked at me with a requesting face.

Chapter IX: Party Ticket (Xian)

     “Wait!” Triana said. “I would like to talk to it.” 

     “But he’s a goblin!” I said with a little fierce voice. “I’m not giving it a chance.”

     Just as I was about to attack it again, Triana pulled my hand. “Please give one. Remember that Humans and Elves were once enemies, once strangers to one another. I am asking you to know this stranger… plus it can talk.”

     Listening to a monster? Those monsters that attacked my village didn’t listen to anyone at all. How can this one be different from them? I don’t want to take any chances, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to trust in Triana for once in a while. I lowered my sword as he lowered his arms.

     “Hello.” Triana said.

     “Hello adventurers…” The goblin said. “You may call me Grandpa Goblin.”

     “A goblin that could talk?” I said with a strange look.

     “Our tribe is different from those other monsters. *Grobble* We don’t attack humans, we stay away from them.”

     First time seeing a monster talk and things just got stranger by the second. “So why come to us again?”

     “My grandchildren are missing. *Grobble* I did not see them back at home, but I saw my grandson’s loincloth near Ancient Temple Ruins. *Grobble*”

     “Ancient Temple Ruins…” Triana said. “Wait a minute.” She had a thought and looked at me. “Is that where Timothy and his troops are going?”

     My face widened in realization. “If they found the goblins there, we might be looking at a massacre.”

     Triana grasps from the statement. “Goddess, please help them.” Her face has solemn. “We have to get there now.” She just ran off like that.

     It looks like that Triana trusts Grandpa a lot. I have no choice but to make sure that she doesn’t run to anything and follow her… wait a minute… “It’s the other way.”

     “Right… going to the other way.” She changed her direction.

     I looked back to Grandpa. “We will find your grandchildren before they kill them.” We’re off to Ancient Temple Ruins and I thought Triana knew where, later on ended up following me. The wind stopped flowing and clouds started to darken. Knowing that something has happened, both of us grabbed our weapons. She picked her longbow as I equipped me sword. Just a few more steps and we are about to face what’s coming, but when we got there, we only found bodies of monsters but not of what Grandpa’s goblins that look like him. Well I didn’t know what they look like but Triana hopes that they are not one of them.

     “What could have done this?” She asked.

     “Timothy, probably.” I said. “They sure did one heck of a job clearing the way for us.”

     “If… if one of these is his Grandchildren… I do not know how to…” She looked up ready to tear when suddenly she saw a smoke. “To… Hey, who is camping there?”

     I too looked up and noticed it. “I don’t know but there’s only one way to find out.” Indeed only one way to find out. As we were nearing the place we heard noises and cries. We went behind a fallen tree hiding to see what is happening.

     We saw monsters swarmed and cages with people in it. Soldiers tied up to one another going in there, babies crying and families hugging each other. These must be the missing villagers. Not only that but three goblins tied each other to a post.

     “There they are!” Triana said. “What will happen now?”

     I continued watching them and an orc carrying a shield approaches one of the villagers. He picked a lady and kept on dragging her to a bon fire. I looked at Triana and nooded. She understood what I meant. She fired an arrow to its head and it fell to the ground. The other monsters swarming looked at our position but only saw bushes, until I came out and ATTACK!!!

     No one can help us now but that doesn’t matter, we have to save those people and monsters. I charged in and swished my sword to the enemies, using skills regarding impact punches and small waves enough to lift goblins up. Sure I was quick but Triana was somehow quicker. Her kicks were already enough, it’s like she doesn’t need arrows to kill them because one kick is already dead to those goblins. She moves like the wind, dodging gracefully, using arrow skills that pierced through the orc’s Shield. I just don’t know if it is enough to defeat all of them.

     They just kept on coming and we are already out of fatigue. Triana seems to be okay but I however am on my knees. An Orc pushed me with its shield and attacked me with its mace. It hurts. It was the end for me. I looked at Triana trying to fight all of them, people trembling to the monsters, and soldiers that can’t do anything. I was sorry that I can’t save all of them, and even those goblins… wait a second, where are they?

     The Orc in front of my stumbled and behind it was a goblin holding a knife. It was looking at me and he lends a hand. I grabbed it but he was too short so it’s like I still have to stand up for myself. Good effort though. Now I know that some monsters can be trusted… those goblins for now. Now there were five of us narrowing their numbers until they retreated and we won.

     We freed the villagers and talked to the goblins.

     “Thank you for helping us earlier.” I said.

     “No problem. *Grobble* Look our Grandpa is probably worried, we should go now.”

     “Okay. See you around little dude.” I smiled as they left.

     Triana approached me and shoved me with a little force using her shoulder. “Little dude huh? Huh? HUH?” She was grinning. “I thought that you don’t trust them.”

     “People change.” I argued. “And when did you get that personality?”

     She smiled more. “Elves change too.”

     Of course everyone change. Everyone saved and… Timothy is not here. An old man wearing glasses and black ragged cloak approached me, it was Heraldry Scholar Bernstein.

     “Thank you for saving some of us.” He said.

     “No problem… What?” I wondered. “Some of us? What do you…”

     “We are not all of the missing villagers, the others were transported to somewhere else and we saw Timothy abandoned his soldiers to follow his girl friend, Rose.”

     That person abandoned his troops? Just to save his girlfriend? Well that’s his problem chasing them with the other people. So the Mayor’s stepdaughter is still missing and another hiding place to find… now where to start looking for it. Someone was pulling my pants and it was a goblin.

     “Hello human.” The goblin said.

     “The name’s Xian.”

     “And I’m Triana.”

     “*Grobble* We just want you to have this for saving us. It’s not enough but we stole it from one of the monsters.” He gave me some messy red stuff all over my hand. I guess it shows their appreciation.

     Heraldry Scholar Bernstein looked at it and was shocked. “Red Seal Fragments!?”

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