2 Chapter 2

His eyes adjusted to the change in scenery quickly, yet two things hit him at once. It was roughly twenty degrees hotter on this side, and the acrid scent of death.

Unbuttoning his fatigues, he slipped the top off his shoulders while his eyes scanned the perimeter. Allowing his senses to go to their limits, one more thing hit him. A strange pressure from everything around him.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he tore a large strip from the bottom half of his undershirt. Wrapping it around his wound, he could feel the blood seeping through the fabric.

'Hmm. Did they even have a reason to do that?'

For a rough twenty minutes, he began searching for signs of life. His eyes picked out a few items strewn about the forest floor. Weapons, ammo cases and more were all around him.

'This must have been the camp. I heard it got attacked seven times in total, wiping out the soldiers sent inside without fail, but how?'

Keeping aware of his surroundings, he searched through a few crates until he found what he desperately needed. Water and rations.

'Alright. I can survive now, as long as I'm not attacked.'

As soon as he finished his thought, a new pressure could be felt. A menacing dark energy further into the forest. However, it wasn't aiming for him.

'Is someone else...'

His feet were carrying him through the trees. His movements practiced and skilled as he flew past dozens of massive trunks, closing in on that dark energy.

Moments later, he slid to a halt. He pressed against a large tree on the edge of a large opening. Peering around the side, he could see someone kneeling. The frame was quite slender, but the skin wasn't a human color.

'I may be a soldier now, but I damn sure know an dark elf when I see one. Am I in a video game?'

Allowing his eyes and thoughts to wander in unison, he caught sight of the dark energy spewing about. Roughly three hundred feet behind the elf was a strange creature.

'Is that... a goblin?'

The small creature had wrinkled green skin and wore a small bit of animal hide around its waist. A contraption similar to a slingshot was aiming for the elf.

'Damn!'

As soon as he busted free from the treeline, a small rock was barreling towards the elf. A moment later, they slumped over, the goblin running in to finish them off.

The soldier sped forward, unleashing a spray of bullet from his rifle at the creature. It slid to a halt and stared towards him, eyes filled with rage and hunger.

"Back away, or I'll fire again."

His voice was calm and even. A solid chill slicing through the air with each word. The goblin simply smiled. Ugly teeth filed to a point were now fast approaching him.

'The hell?'

He aimed for its head, emptying his clip into the mouth of the goblin. It paused again, spitting every bullet back out, confusion contortions it's features now.

Choking back his gasp, the soldier bit his lip. He tossed his gun to the ground and rushed the goblin.

'If bullets won't work... time to be stupid.'

The goblin stared at the pile of bullets before it, another larger object rolling into the pile as the soldier drifted by. His feet carried him to the elf, whom he covered with his body as soon as his grenade went off. The noise echoed and the heat radiated for a moment, before the soldier heard strange giggling from behind himself.

'H-how?! I tossed right in front of its face!'

The goblin stared at him, barely forty feet away. It aimed it's slingshot once again, now at the soldier. He got to his feet slowly, unsheathing his combat knife from his side.

"I won't let you hurt her."

Anger had begun to creep into his eyes as he stared at the goblin. Hunger and desire were lighting it's own eyes at the prospect of two meals, one of which was more a toy to play with before it killed her.

The goblin cackled as it shot it's loaded rock towards the soldier, who simply stepped sideways out of the way. He legs began speeding toward the goblin, his knife in a reverse grip as he closed the distance.

The goblin laughed out as it smacked the soldier to the side, his knife unable to pierce the creatures flesh. He landed hard on his back, his breath knocked away. Pushing himself up, he slowly controlled his breathing before realizing his knife was jammed into his waist.

'Hell. Can't pull you out right now...'

His eyes wandered, clouding up as the pain from his head caught up to him.

'I need something, anything!'

Something thin and light brushed passed his fingertips, and before he knew it, he was barreling towards the goblin. His eyes were too unfocused by this point, not a single clue telling him what was in his outstretched hand. All he heard was the annoying laughter of the goblin as he grew closer.

He gasped out in agony. His eyes sharpened with the new sense of pain, seeing the goblin lowering it's slingshot once more.

"You bastard... just die already!"

A voice filled with rage and hatred escaped his lips as the goblin went limp beneath him. Blood pooled around him as he dragged himself towards the fallen elf. Just seeing her breathing gave him a sense of calm as he looked towards the goblin.

"The hell..."

He began to attempt to place his face in his hands, laughter creeping out, but his vision blurred greatly. His battle high fading as he realized where the rock had struck him. For the first time, fear shook the soldiers eyes as he slumped over. His eyes began to close as a massive pool of blood formed beneath him, oozing from his missing shoulder.