goblin lair

When Alex spotted the lone goblin, whose attention was toward some of the merrily hacking goblins, where he threw the stone, he bolted to it. Without a sound, he reared the spear backwards before thrusting it in the goblin throat.

Even with just a stone spearhead, he had more than enough momentum from the race and thrust to perforate the neck of the unaware goblin easily. Fixing the butt of the spear in the ground, all he had to do was to counterbalance the weight of the screaming goblin, before giving a sharp shake.

The blade pierced, and the goblin had half of his neck sectioned, bleeding profusely, as he fell to the ground. Not waiting for them to be the first to move, Alex immediately goes for the next one, his tail catching the dead goblin's hatchet along the way.

Focused briefly on the nearest goblin, Alex' tail snapped in motion, throwing the weapon with all it might. By the time Alex passed it, the goblin was already down, the hatchet splitting its head.

Because they had spread to encircle the fallen tree, only three goblins were on the side Alex chose, with four still at the front and the rest on the other side, unaware and unable to see what happens.

Sweeping his new lance, the blade had only enough reached to draw a bloody line across the eyes of the goblin, but enough to render it blind, and screeching in pain. Catching the falling weapon, Alex moved with the weapon's inertia before striking at the goblin forehead with the three-spiked end.

With the dead weight of at it end, the spearhead rose, caught off-guard the incoming goblin, eviscerating it.

Alex had only enough time to act to bring the second hatchet to the second goblin, sinking it in its neck, but not enough to avoid the two others, from the group of four. Grunting at the stone that struck him on the knee, he let a small yelp of pain at the hatchets cutting on his right elbow.

Letting his spear go, he turned on himself, delivering a crushing kick to the goblin knees while caving the temple of the other with the blunt side of his hatchet. Taking a split second to breath, he hacked at the moaning goblin cradling his broken knee, before doing the dame for the other to be sure.

Looking around, he sees the last four goblins madly running at him with a raised weapon. Gritting his teeth, he took a hatchet in each hand, and a third in is tail, before running to them. Alex tail cracked one again, throwing an unsuspected hidden hatchet to of the forerunner. Diving in a mightily leap near the ground, Alex had only enough space to roll and burry deeply the hatchets in his hand, in the two goblins at the back, while his tail ensnares itself around the neck of the last one and snap its neck.

~~~

As the adrenaline recede, Alex fell on his back, panting, short of breath. Add the forced craft; the short fight had burned throughout nearly all his reserve, leaving him dangerously near to exhaustion and unconsciousness.

-We need to up our game and fast.- Solemnly said CS, making himself know only now that the fight had ended. It would not have been a good thing to divert Alex previously, short of really impending danger, and both know it.

"Danmachi had never seemed so life-threatening in the show." Whispered Alex. "I always through goblin were weak, but only for those in those type of world, even when there were new of entire settlement overturned by them. I understand now how those green bastard could induct so much fear into common folk."

The encounter had been an eye-opening experience for Alex. Knowing that you actually don't hold a candle against fifteen of monsters you had always thought of cannon-fodder wasn't a pleasant experience. He knows that he had won only thanks to his higher mental capacity and trick, that he wasn't strong and equipped enough to face them head-on, yet.

Rolling on himself, he pushed on his arm and raise. Making his way to the river, he took off his coat and shirt, washing as most as the blood he could from, before dipping his arm in the water, cleaning the wound.

Thankfully, it wasn't too deep nor the weapon rusted, so the risk of tetanus was weak. Even then all Alex could hope for was for his system to wash it off, with his shout up to date.

"Episkey."

Muttering the healing spell, he looked at the wound partially knitting close, needing him three other to close the wound. Doing the same to the forming bruise on his knee, he sees relief as the pain vanish. He knows that there exist better spell to heal the wound, but it would be enough as long as they stay small.

Looking at his clothes, a simple 'Reparo' on each was enough to repair the fabric, leaving them only wet.

~~~

Starting a fire on the waterside to dry his clothes, Alex took a break to eat and refill his stamina, before beginning to work. To converse much of his stamina, he simply started to drag all corpse near the fire, and collect the weapons. Looking at the tree, only one of the goblin under had enough of it body out to retrieve the core.

He took a hatchet and started to cut and shave all tree branches, stacking them on the side. Done with the trunk and clearing the surrounding, he pushed the trunk, using the bodies under as leverage to give enough difference to make it roll further.

Wrinkling his nose at the state of the mushed goblin, he collected two other hatchets, before looking for the cores.

-At least you don't need to broke the bones to open them.- Chuckled CS as Alex retrieved the two cores.

'True, but I wouldn't have been against not having to lost three good hours to clear the tree and move it to the side. Let see what we had, nine hatchets and fifteen core, not bad.' Say him happily, knowing that he didn't lose much for the effort, if all, the unsuspected harvest was a boon.

-Alex, look at the hatchets. You say they are not to the point of industrialisation, but they had all the same setting and appearance. They were mass-produced.-

'And that means that they must come from somewhere. Any place having so much similar weapon must not be a simple place. For them to have made their hand on signifies that those weren't the only one.' Understood him, not liking were thing were going.

-And if they were able to raid such place that not a threat you could ignore. I don't know if you remarked, but they are far from being as dumb as the previous one.- Alerted CS.

~~~

Looking at the alginate nine hatchets, Alex couldn't help but agree that CS. The goblins had enough intelligence to put basic formation, know how to use the tools and must be part of a larger number than must have raided a small village or a type of outpost.

Putting all the hatchets in his storage, he took his spear before sniffing the surrounding.

After passing the smell of blood, it was easy for him to track down the goblins' stench. Taking another bit before departing, Alex vanished in the canopy, following the odour track they had left in coming here.

Say track was easy to follow, as it stayed on the side of the stream, before entering the forest via an animal trail through the wood.

Not ten minutes after he started to follow it. The trail split in two, one going to his left, and the other slightly deviating from the track. The fading odour for the first indicate it's to be at least a few days cold and not an established route, while the second was stronger and the scent more persistent.

-So a hunting trip on the left and a route upfront?- Summarised CS.

'Most likely. The state of the weapon was a little old but still well maintained. If I were to guess, the left trail would lead to the place they plunder the weapons, the one upfront to their den, or at least a series of trail interconnected.' Confirm Alex.

Tightening his grip and the spear, he took the left trail, keeping an eye for any possible lingering goblin, just in case.

~~~

After another half hour trek, Alex and CS discover a small clearing. In it, a short three stories building stood, partially damaged. The shattered windows glass and the door broken-in, indicating that a great weight had been repeatedly smashed against it until it cave-in.

Seeing the narrow space, he knows that his spear would be useless. Separating it in three-part, he stored it while retrieving two hatchets. Making his way carefully in, he discovered the place thrashed as he expects. The still relative cleanliness was indicating the event recently.

The different splotches of blood height and odour were enough to let him know that the place had four humans, before a good twenty to thirty goblins attacked. A subtle difference in the musk caught his attention. Thinking hard on where he smelled it, the memory of the taller goblin immediately came to mind.

'They were at least three variant with the other goblin.'

CS winced at the news. -This isn't good news, nor the lack of bodies. If they raided the place, they also seem to have taken any equipment they were wearing on them, too.-

The possibility that the larger specimens had sword didn't sit well with him, but what was done, was done. The attack happens three or four days before he arrived, a good week by now for what he was perceiving.

Looking around, he stored the few dry rations still present in the highest cupboards, along with three empty skins.

Climbing the first flight of stairs, he found the sleeping quarter, two six-metre squares rooms with a bunk bed in each, separated by a short corridor, with a second staircase on the other side.

Looking through the wrecked room, he retrieves some blankets, before making his way to the last floor.

Like the first floor, a kitchen on a side and table at the centre, the room span on the entire floor. The racks who previously housed weapons, hatchets and swords most likely, were empty. The closets on the side were smashed, like any other furniture in the building, half burring some fabrics.

When Alex took some, he was positively surprised to found paddled pants, paddled and travelling coats, with two leather jackets. Not bothering looking through them, he stored as much as he could, putting the rest in leathered backpacks who need some minors repairs.

Giving another look at the room, he found a surviving shield under the smashed ones, intact bowstrings on broken bows and snapped arrows. Retrieving the five bowstring, repairing a bow along with ninety arrows, he exits the room. Done with salvaging as most as he could, he fixed the round shield to his forearm, before leaving the outpost.

~~~

Making his way back, he couldn't use the same way he came forth, now packed like a mule. Carefully testing the bow's resistance, he wasn't surprised that the wooden construct was far from copping with his full strength. Even then, it was a welcome addition as it secured his a long-range weapon, and short-range protection with the shield. Balancing the three backpacks didn't impede much on his running speed, as the heaviest items were in his storage.

What reduced his travelling speed was that the trail exited the pre-existing animals' tracks in the forest.

After emptying the stored fruits, freeing place in his storage, he abruptly came to a stop, and hide behind the tree; he stood at the side. A group of three goblins, all sporting throwing hatchets pilferage from the outpost, passed in front of him.

Lightly sniffing the air, their direction coincided with the havier scent. Following the group for another twenty minutes led Alex to a partially dissimulated entrance of an underground cave. Moving swiftly, he landed at the top of the protuberance rock. Raising his head, he could see the sun already setting. Knowing that it would be suicidal to launch an assault on an unknown base at night, he made his way in the rock, creating another chamber for him to pass the night.

Now securely confined, he emptied his storage, leaving only his grimoire, his change and the cores inside. Looking through his spoil, he made a rapid inventory.

"Let's see. Five bowstrings, nine throwing hatchets, four clean blankets, eight paddled shirt, four paddled coat, four travelling coat, five pair of paddled pants, two pair of boots, three pair of socks, three empty skins, a bow, ninety arrows, three stones knives, and a buckler shield. Way more than what we started with." Contently nod him. "I could have taken more, but there was no need."

Folding back all the clothes, he filled a backpack with them, another for the blankets. The last one, to store the skins; all left on the side safe for a blanket.