Path To Radiance; First Ascent

Chapter 10 - First Ascent: Part 2

When I can make out the world around me, the red around my vision has receded quite a bit. In front of me, the Goblin I stabbed first is standing between me and the retreating caster. His club is raised weakly. The Goblin stammers over his words. I can see him fighting his fear. The large gaping and bleeding wound wasn't helping. "I s... shall n...n... not let y...y..."

A silver blur passes through the Goblin's neck and his words are cut off, pun intended. He falls to the ground and his head rolls over to me. The blur keeps moving until it rebounds off a wall and sparks fly from the contact zone. Then crossing the room again, Rina catches her chakra. We make eye contact and she winks at me.

Tamos yells in pain and Rina steps in, swinging her chakram at the offender and making the Goblin back off. Taking in the scene before me, my stomach sinks. My party is surrounded by ten or more Goblins still. I had left a gap in our formation that two Goblins are now exploiting.

Everyone is missing around twenty percent of their HP. There is a trail of blood that leads from where I had been standing right to my feet. My legs are still bleeding, a pool forming behind me.

I made a huge mistake. Instead of dwelling on it, I run back to where I am supposed to be. Each step sends a stab of pain up each leg. I couldn't allow myself to stop. We are not going to wipe on floor one because of me.

When I get within range of the two interlopers, I kick the smaller one who has a medium spear. He falls to the ground. His lack of attack distracts his buddy who takes chakram to the neck and face. I turn on the Goblin I had kicked and end him quickly with my Long Dagger.

"Jut. We can handle the remaining rats. The others need you." Tamos hollers at me as he begins another spell.

I don't hesitate. Standing straight, I scan Brick and Tella. Brick has the Leader and Caster's attention while Tella is keeping five Goblins off them both. Tella is faring well, but there's a female Goblin who uses two swords, similar to Tella's daggers. Every time an opening appeared for Tella, the she Goblin would intervene, saving her fellows' lives.

My brain scrambles for a quick solution that can break this stalemate. The flow of battle is rapidly leaning towards my party's demise and my new attack is still on cool down. That's when an idea strikes me.

"Can you get these back even if they are blocked?" I ask Rina while tapping her ready blades.

"Yeah, unless they're caught. I have a technique that brings them back to me every time."

"On my signal, aim both at the dual wielder. I'll make sure you get them back." She nods in my direction. "Ready...now!"

Rina holds both chakram ready and spins her body to add momentum. After a few turns, she releases the discs and I run after them. I slip between Brick and Tella and head directly for the dual-wielding Goblin.

The Goblin has to use both of her swords to block the silver death hurdling towards her. One blade would hit her neck and the other her legs.

While she is preoccupied with deflecting the chakram and regaining her balance, I thrust my dagger into her chest. My aim is true, striking a vital area. She topples backward to bleed out over the floor. Not risking a retaliatory attack from the remaining Goblins, I hop back to the party quickly.

It just goes to show how important one role can be in a party. With the dual wielder out of the mix, the tide of battle changes quickly.

Tella is finally able to land a blow on one of the remaining four Goblins. She transitions this attack into two swift jabs into another's stomach.

Rina is bending, spinning, and slicing. She slices off an arm, uses the momentum from that attack to throw one of her weapons at a rat, spins, and makes another limb fall away from the first goblin with the other chakram, catches the returning disc to strike a new foe with both.