C.U.C.K.E.D H.E.R.O Ch:9

“Slow down a minute hero, we've got a plan.” Vance put his hand on my shoulder, but I brushed it off.

“Plan? I don't care about the plan! Hailey’s in trouble, she needs-”

“Shhhhhh.” Myla glared at us. She was crouching behind some barrels, keeping watch.

I took a deep breath and lowered my voice. “She needs our help.”

“You won't be helping her by charging in blindly.” Vance hissed. “Besides, getting captured was her plan. She's our distraction. You need to trust her.”

He hadn't heard what I had, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him. She was in the tent right now, with that gross Goblin chief. ‘Massaging’ his body… her soft hands rubbing him all over… making their way down his body until…

Fuck. My head was still feeling funny. Whatever effect this was, I still hadn't shaken it. Which meant Hailey was still being affected by it…

But Vance was right. Charging in there right now might get me killed, or worse, get Hailey killed. She had a plan, and I couldn't disrupt her unless it was an emergency. As much anxiety it filled me with, I would have to trust her to hold off Ungar's advances a little bit longer.

“So what is this plan then?” I whispered.

“Simple.” Vance gave me a smug smirk. Happy either that I was doing as he said and following their plan, or that he knew it and I didn't.

So childish.

“Hailey’s making sure their leader is, busy.” He explained. With a little too much emphasis on that last word. “We sneak in and rescue you before the fighting starts, and then any second now-”

A large bang echoed throughout the cave. We snapped our heads around just in time to watch the Goblin guard slam into the central courtyard with another loud thud.

Stepping into the cave, his shadow was projected onto the walls by the bonfires at the entrance. A horned figure striding in, blood dripping from the axe he rested in his shoulder.

In the tents that sounded the main courtyard, Goblins came rushing out. Quietly keeping their distance and sticking to the shadows. Everyone watching as the intruder casually walked into their den.

“Hmff.” Sandor walked into the center of the cave, putting his foot on top of the Goblin he'd launched into the room. Looking around at the Goblins which slowly sounded him. Smiling for the first time all day.

“I was hoping for more of a challenge.” His deep voice boomed throughout the cave.

“Huh, there he is. Guy sure does know how to make an entrance.”

We peered over the barrels. Trying to stay hidden as the cave slowly became lit up. Luckily there didn't seem to be any Goblins hanging around the stables. Most were coming out of the larger tents. Forty, maybe fifty Goblin's skulking around Sandor. The majority of them unarmed, too scared to dare approach the Minotaur that stood at three times their height.

Even the war council, leaders of the tribe who were armed and armoured, didn't want to approach. They pointed their spears and swords at him, but didn't make a move. They were waiting.

Waiting for the chief… who wasn't going to come.

“Hailey you beautiful genius.” I chuckled to myself.

Her plan was risky, and had me worried sick, but it was brilliant. Without their leader taking charge, the mass of Goblins were disorganised. Paralysed.

Easy prey.

Sandor watched the crowd carefully. Stretching and flexing his muscles. Cracking his neck while repeatedly huffing.

“Eyoya!”

The Goblin under Sandors Hoof started screaming. He was hurting him, making him scream. Waiting for somebody to break.

“Dualas ed ec¨Ãpse!” A Goblin in the crowd screamed. Charging Sandor from behind with what looked like nothing more than a kitchen knife.

He made it within ten feet of Sandor before being cut down. Sandor cleaving the Goblin in two in a single swipe of his axe. Splashing the floor with the creature's viscous green blood.

Sandor grinned at the Goblins. Holding his ground and squeezing more screams out of his hostage.

“Euqatta! Ãl retser ressial el sap snovuop en suon!” A Goblin shouted, raising his weapon.

In of the Goblins from the council charged in. The smallest of the bunch. He had the typical green skin, yellow eyes and bald head. Shirtless with ragged pants on, with three white stripes crossing his chest. Swiping his stone spear around in the air, rallying Goblins to his cause.

A few fools actually joined with him, despite the other, more well equipped, members of the council trying to stop them.

Five more Goblins entered the no man's land around Sandor. All of them with the same markings on their chest. Were they a team? Family? I couldn't tell. Most of them had the same tribal stone spears, but one held a jagged price of wood.

The Goblin raised it up, swirling it round while chanting something. Bright purple flakes drifted off it, like a magic snow that blanketed their party. The flakes absorbing into the Goblin's, giving them a light glow.

“Should we be helping?” I asked. Watching the Goblins split up and surround Sandor.

“Nah.” Vance said.

“The big guy isn't much of a team player.” Myla smiled at me. “Just let him have his fun and enjoy the show!”

The leader of the Goblin party charged first. Diving at Sandor from the front but then feinting back, dodging Sandor's strike. While Sandor swiped forward, two Goblins from either side dashed in. Moving faster than I would have expected.

Not fast enough.

Sandor knocked the first one down with his Hoof, scattering his teeth across the floor. In the same motion he lunged his Ax backwards. Striking the other Goblin with its handle, driving it into his chest and impaling him.

Two more Goblins charged, this time throwing their spears at him. Sandor blocked one strike with the head of his axe, but one got through. Digging into his thigh.

Pulling knives out of who knows where, the two Goblins kept charging. Sandor tried to cleave them before they reached him, but the Goblin still impaled on his handle through his balance off. The two attackers diving under the blade and skidding across the cave floor.

Sandor dropped his axe and swiped at the Goblins with his fist. Grabbing one by the neck while the other dashed under his feet. Bouncing off the screaming body of his friend and jumping onto Sandors back.

Knife in hand, he was about to dive it into Sandors neck when the beast roared. A powerful roar that you could feel in your bones. The Goblin faltered. Dropping his knife and losing his grip. Falling to the ground.

The Goblin I'm Sandors grip had already stabbed his knife into Sandors arm and was panicking. Scratching and hitting Sandor as best he could. The Minotaur didn't loosen his grip. He threw the Goblin into his friend at full force, cracking their bones against the stone floor.

He picked up his axs and swung it backwards. Flinging the Goblin that was impaled on it into the crowd.

It was just the leader and the mage now, shaking side by side as they stared down their opponent.

The mage swung his staff and fired a blinding light out, in the same moment that the leader dashed forward.

When I could see again, the two were standing right by Sandor. The Goblin leader holding his spear from both ends. Parrying Sandors axe which grinded against it, glowing a darker purple as the mage pumped more magical energy directly into him.

Whatever buff he was using wasn't enough. Sandor pulled his axe back and quickly drove it back down, snapping the enhanced spear in two but without enough force to follow through on his attackers.

They skittered out of the way, crawling back while the mage lunged his staff forward, firing a bolt of energy at Sandor.

Sandor knocked it aside with his axe. Swiping wide and splitting the staff in half.

Sandor didn't cut them down while they were still knocked prone. Instead he stood firm and let them get to their feet. The glowing on them had faded, their weapons destroyed and friends killed.

But the Goblin's didn't run. They didn't back down. They must have known it was hopeless but they didn't care.

Holding into the mages hand, the leader let out a piercing wail and charged. Making it three steps before Sandor took their heads clean off. Departing them with enough force to send their heads flying.

“Woah.” I said. Tracking the arc of the flying head as it soared over us and tumbled to the ground behind our hiding spot.

Hitting one of the boar wolf things on the back. The creature didn't even seem to notice, continuing to snore. I wonder-

“Oh shit.” My senses sharpened the second I saw the threat, but I wasn't fast enough.

Hidden just behind the stables and the beasts was a Goblin. The moment I looked his way he shot a blow dart at us. It pierced the air slower than it normally would, but not slow enough for me to catch it.

“Ouch!” Myla's hand went to her neck, to the dart that had hit her. “What? I don't… ughhh…”

Her vibrant eyes dilated, and she fell to the floor. Giggling to herself and flowing around.

I looked back at our attacker just in time to see another dart flying my way. I braced myself for the hit, but it didn't come. Instead I heard the sound of the dart pinging off of Vances shield.

“Look after her, I've got this.” Vancd told me. Drawing his sword from its sheath like a trained professional.

“Who dares hurt my lady!” Vance shouted. Putting on this weird posh accent. “I demand you show yourself!”

Stepping out of the shadows, the Goblin revealed his own sword. Rough jagged edges, with a handle made of bone.

As he walked into the light, I saw who it was. The muscled Goblin with hair. The one that had captured me, disarmed me with ease.

“Vance, watch out. This one isn't a pushover.” I tried to warn him, but Vance barely seemed to notice.

“I swear to you Goblin, we shall punish you for such a cowardly attack!” Vance pushed his shield out, raising his sword high.

He would have looked like an idiot, but the sword started to glow. A faint golden light emanating from it. Did Vance figure out how to use his magic?

“Mmhmmm…” The Goblin grunted. Leaving his sword at Vance. “Try.”

They charged each other, sword clanging on shield. The Goblin striking and then dodging, striking again but being parried.

Vance fought like he'd spent his life actually training for it, instead of just pretending to do it. They were closely matched in strength and speed, but the Goblin had more experience.

For every three blows that were perfectly blocked, one got through. No more than a cut or a scratch, but the wounds would pile up. Vance was better armoured, but the Goblin kept pressing the attack. Never giving him a chance to take the offensive.

Vance was going to lose. I couldn't just sit here and watch that. Myla was still rolling on the floor, giggling and mumbling to herself. She couldn't help, but she still had her dagger at her side.

Vance was just down to his sword now. The Goblin had knocked his shield away. They had locked swords, the Goblin forcing his down on Vance as he tried to hold him back.

Pulling the dagger out, I dashed forward. Just in time to see the Goblin make his move. In a flash while Vances attention had slipped, he pulled out a hidden knife that was strapped to his waist. Diving it into a gap in Vances armour, stabbing him in his stomach.

“You bastard!” I screamed. Throwing the dagger out in my rage.

It had been a stupid, impulsive move, but somehow I hit him with almost pin point accuracy. The dagger piercing his neck, dropping the Goblin to the ground

“Oh shit. Oh shit.” I ran to Vance. Trying to check on his wound.

“Fuuuuuuck.” He moaned. Coughing up some blood. “Getting stabbed hurts dude.”

He tried to sit up, but just groaned in agony. Putting his hand on the knife handle.

“Don't pull it out!” I told him. “That'll just make the bleeding worse.”

“You want me to just live with a knife in me?” He started to laugh but the pain was too much for him.

“Just… fuck.” I was panicking. What could I even do right now? We needed bandages. We needed medicine.

We needed a healer.

“Some adventure, huh…” The light was fading from his eyes, his face losing colour. There wasn't any time. Only one way to save him.

“Just hold on.” I picked him up, letting him lean on me while trying to keep his wound compressed.

“Heh… where are we going?” He asked. His voice a faint whisper over the sound of Sandor slaughtering more Goblins.

“You need help.” I told him.

“We need Hailey.”