Awaken

Chapter 12: Goblin Infestation

- Damien -

I followed the general direction where Wesley went, not really knowing which way exactly and not giving a damn. I was a blind man led only by the leftovers of some sort of conviction and an order from a king I have never seen, nor will ever meet in this meagre lifetime. If I did end up in a ditch in the middle of a foreign country, I wondered if it seemed a fitting end for a person like me.

You may be as blind as a bat, but so does that guy. Use everything at your disposal, throw them everything you've got. Do you hear me? Now you have the element of surprise.

My mother's words echoed in my mind. Funny how my memories of her would resurface in such absurd situations. The middle of a ditch will be better than going back anyway. My brain reasoned. The word home no longer feels like one or what it once meant to me. Sometimes I confess the walls of the Paranormal HQ felt as if they were closing in on me, slowly suffocating me inside-out. So I chose to run far away, my mind trying not to dwell over the place that housed me like a giant birdcage, or my consciousness ignoring the assessing eyes of all the men and demi-fae my father had raised.

If possible, I would rent a place outside, and return only when summoned. That would be a pipe dream— my fantasy of escape, and in that little fantasy Isabelle would be there. Somewhere at least, like it used to be. The six of us parading in the streets of Soren, dirty and exhausted after completing missions from the day, laughing over liquor or silly jokes.

I could barely make out the glint of Wesley's chestnut brown hair, and I squinted trying to keep pace with the silhouette of his broad shoulders, half swallowed in the night. Fortunately, Fenrys cut in between the both of us, drawing the distance short.

"Stay behind me," he said in a low tone. "I won't let him try anything funny."

I accepted his help, secretly a little glad that he took the lead. Behind me, I felt Johnathan shadowing me closely with Vesna beside him, an unspoken diamond formation was formed. They could make out better in the dark as they have demi-fae senses and I trusted them with my life.

As we walked, my mind wandered and I felt something was off about the situation. So I begin to make the connection inside my head. The building was large as Wesley led us through an entrance from the side, more like a public entrance that was once open for the Velinians to come and go as they pleased. Now, the booth was embraced by layers of dust and silence, and a row of stands as tall as our midsections stood blocking our paths, filled with some sort of mechanics.

The whole place looked eerily familiar, one that I realised was a forgotten station. Long ago, they were common before maglev technology replaced them. I recognized the stands with the gated mechanics were once automated gantries that opened when a ticket was scanned. Wesley paused and waved us closer to him.

"Where are the rest?" I asked.

"The rest?" Wesley asked confused.

"The rest of your team, unless you are saying you're the only one left..." I left the sentence hanging and its implications to all six of us. My squad mates looked at me in alarm. I knew they were able to figure out what I meant.

"Ah. No. I mean there were also four others, with me, but we agreed to split up. They went to secure the other entrances in case, you know, to make sure the goblins can't escape." Wesley gave a shrug, "we were promised backup from your headquarters and the situation wasn't exactly what we had initially expected. So we're kinda all over the place."

Jonathan, Fenrys, Qas and Vesna traded glances, but they said nothing. So, I decided to let it slide.

"I was glad they sent you guys. I can't express my gratitude enough. This place was too isolated from the town and getting any back-up was challenging enough that it would only be a fool's dream," Wesley rambled on. "If you guys didn't come, it will be a suicide mission."