The Hollow Grove: The Companions [Book 2]

[22] Crashing The Goblin (Hunting) Party

Previously:

They pushed open the two doors and exited the underground maze like they were born again. The fresh forest air cleansed their mouths and lungs. The darkness of night and the stars above were a welcoming sight. But the stars and waxing moon was just enough light for all of the companions to see the large Goblin hunting party just returning from their evening hunt.

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"Prasidius!" Kayla screamed.

Magical shielding formed a clear shell around the Wizard. It was an instinct, really. The first rule of a Battle Mage was to protect yourself, so you can protect others. She was no Battle Mage, but her masters taught her that lesson well enough. She calmed herself with a deep breath. The sight of the Goblins frightened the Elf. Her big sister, Teira, used to jump out of a closet for a scare and Kayla's heart would drop into her stomach and her whole body would flinch. Teira would laugh and the scaring game would continue for the rest of the day between the two sisters. Each tried to better the other, though Teira would always get the best of her. Now, though, she recovered quickly from the scare. She crushed new charcoal with both her hands as hard as she could for a small punishment for being frightened.

The Goblin pack leader was adorned with many black ribbons tied to various sections of her filthy, matted gray hair. Her leather boots rode up past her knees and her armor was of fine kit in comparison to her underlings. Her spear dripped with blood from a fresh deer kill. The look in her widened yellow eyes expressed the same shock as Kayla's. But the primal reflex of a wicked, vile thing like a Goblin is to kill if it looks like you can kill it—run if it looks like you can't. They were itching to top off their night with more fresh meat, so she chose the former. Her twenty odd hunters hid their true faces under wooden hunting masks carved in cruel scowls, or mocking smiles, and painted in the blood of past harvests. She lowered her own mask that bore pointed red horns and a massive mouth of chunky white teeth. She pointed her bloody spear at the intruders and let out a short poem of barks and howls befitting an eager, wild beast.

The Goblin attack had no structure, so Otis' strategic mind was flustered for a moment. Then his brain rallied. The Goblins were armed with a few spears but mainly crude short bows and arrows. He wanted to close the distance and take away the advantage of their bowmen. He banged his hammer to his shield and yelled, "Charging!"

The companions sprang in for the attack.

Haygen still held his spear, so he launched it at the first Goblin he saw. The sharp steel point drove through his victim's body, but the wooden shaft stopped it from passing through completely. His throwing hand continued around to draw Icefang in a smooth continuous motion as he moved in.

Kayla had her aqua blue eyes fixed on the Goblin leader. She sidestepped around Otis to get a good angle on her. She aimed her palms forward. "Arsonas Dara Yakan!" A thin, fiery tentacle shot from each of her hands and wrapped around the neck of the horrified leader. The line of flames lit up the night like a row of torches. The two combatants locked eyes and the Goblin female froze in panic. Kayla snarled as she yanked back, forcing her Flaming Whip of Bit-Yakan spell to tighten and eventually sever the head of the screaming Goblin leader with her mask still attached.

Otis braced his shield and steamed forward. He ran smack into two Goblins who were nocking jagged arrows to their small, but wicked bows. One Goblin tumbled backwards, but the other recovered. The monster abandoned its bow and came at the Dwarf with the arrow in its hand in a savage stabbing motion. Otis punched his shield in a hooking motion to block the attack, then came over the top with his magic warhammer. The heavy steel met skull and and the steel won. Black goo splattered in a circular pattern and covered all of those nearby.