Goblin Village

Beating the sword as sweat drops off my forehead, once again I try to forge a perfect sword. I beat it as perfectly as I could and then put it into water to cool it down.

After sometime I take it out and store it for a few hours to make it perfect. I just finished forging when I decided to have lunch. I had my lunch prepared by Bella (Bert's wife).

Then I went outside near the forbidden forest to train with caterpi. While I was practicing swordsmanship I saw Bleny with some of the friends walking towards the forest.

I hide my sword as soon as possible and go towards them.

Me : Hi everyone. What are you all doing here ?

Blake : Bleny and some of the girls had to collect herbs and firewood. So we decided to tag along with them to keep them safe and enjoy a trip.

Bleny : Luke what are you doing here ?

Me : I was just roaming around. You all better be back before sunset as this area is not safe after sunset.

Blake : < keeping his hand on my shoulder> don't worry dude I will protect them all.

Me : < sighing > Yeah as if .

Bleny : Don't worry we will be back before sunset.

I nodded to her and let them go. After they left I took my sword and left with caterpi.

I went back and started to take out the silver ring from the mould. Finally a good and unique silver ring. It is just a silver ring without any gems but I think that I can sell it for atleast 3 silver.

Yeah I have to sell it for that much. I brought the raw silver for 2 silver coins and I could have made atleast two rings. But the first rings material was blackened because of my carelessness.

I just hope I can atleast sell this for a little profit.

I keep it in my pocket and then decide to sharpen customers tools. This is my actual work as I have not mastered making weapons.

So I forge a sword in the morning and sharpen tool after lunch and once my work is over. I take my sword to Bert for testing and it basically ends up with he telling how useless my weapon is.

So yeah this is my usual routine. I was so focused on work that I do not know when it was sunset. I finish my work and take my sword towards Bert.

He inspects it and then moves towards a wooden log. He strikes the log and cuts it cleanly in two halves.

Bert : Yeah this sword is sharp. It is good for attacking.

Then he hit the same log with the flat side of the sword. He hits it for sometimes and then flips it and continues.

Bert : The thickness is ok but when you will face someone with great strength, it may break. So I recommend you to use it as a secondary weapon. It's not good enough to be a primary weapon.

Me : <😲> Wow. This is the first time you have praised me.

Bert : I am not praising you just telling you the capability of your sword. You still have a long way to go.

Me : But still that's an improvement.

Just when he was going to tell me something, someone barged in the shop.

??? : <😨> Bert quickly come near the heads house. It's an emergency.

Hearing it he quickly rushed outside the house and I followed him. Where we reached the heads house I saw a shocking scene.

Blake was lying on the cot in the heads courtyard while everyone was surrounding the head.

I rushed towards him quickly and held his hands.

Me : <trembling> Blake what happened to you and where are others.

Seeing me Blake began to cry.

Blake : Luke ... I ... am sorry ..... was not able to ..... save them.

Hearing him the land beneath my feet shifted, I did not want to think about what I was thinking. I wanted to ask him but seeing his condition I stayed silent. After he fall unconscious I went near Bert to know the situation.

Head : The children that went to collect herbs and firewood encountered a mob of goblins. The boys were all killed and the females were all taken by goblins.

Bert : You must send soldiers to rescue them otherwise their life will become hell after the night. I want my daughter back.

Head : Don't worry Bert my son will go along with some soldiers. They will surely rescue them.

Hearing the death of my friends I was sad but finding out that Bleny is safe for now I felt relieved. I don't know should I feel relieved after some of my friends died but some are safe. I don't know what mom would advise, but I will think about it later as they are still not safe. I must rescue them.

Just when the head's son was assembling soldiers and was preparing to leave I shouted.

Me : Wait. Even I will go.

Arot : Child this is not a game. We have to fight goblins.

Bert : Yes Luke I know that you treat Bleny as your sister but I do not want you to risk your life like this. You are just a child.

I went to Bert and took the sword I made, from his hands, went near Arot and knelt on one knee with my sword in right as a support and my left hand on my chest. This is a knights greeting.

Me : I am a son of a knight who is in the Slayer brigade. I have been trained in swordsmanship since I was young. I can surely kill a goblin.

Hearing me everyone was amazed. Ofcourse Arot was a knight and had the title of a nobel so surely my father was atleast a noble and can be even ranked higher.

If they knew that my father is a viscount and captain of Slayers I can't guess their reaction and if Arot knows that I am a Strine than he will practically worship me cause even though now the Strine family is just a viscount, knights still idolize the first knight who was a Strine. So I think this is the most I will say.

Arot : So you belong from a noble family then I think you can come but beware in the forest none will save you. You are responsible for your own life.

Me : <respectfully> I am well aware of that sir.

Arot : Ok then everyone follow me.

And like that we reached the forbidden forest.

Arot : We will first go towards the location where the incident happened and look for clues. Everyone will be in a group of 3. You child will be in my group.

Even though he is just a low level knight his leadership skills and determination is far greater than any soldier.

Me : <😏> I thought that I was responsible for my own life.

Arot : <poker face> Don't think too much child I put you in my group so that you do not hinder others work.

He explained while moving towards the location told by Blake. There were a total of 7 groups with Arot's group leading the way. His group consisted of me, him and a fellow soldier.

We reached the place and I was shocked to see the body of my friends. I can't believe that the friends I made were lying there without a trace of life in their body.

I don't know when I reached near them and saw them clearly my knees gave way. Tears started running down my eyes as I saw their half eaten body.

Arot came near me and knelt beside me.

Arot : Child you have learned how to fight but you have not learned to see your comrades die. You may have heard the stories of hero's but have never seen or felt their view. In fight either they win or lose they lose comrades.

Arot : You must have always thought of knights and hero wearing shining armour but in reality the armour is blooded. Blooded with their enemies blood. Blooded with their own blood. And blooded with the blood of their comrades.

Arot : I advise you to return to the village child as today some of our comrades will die and you may not be able to see that. You may not be able to fight and lose your life. Return child none will blame you.

Me : No. After seeing the bodies of my friends, I am more determined to save the rest of my friends as I do not want to see them in much more worse state than this.

Me : Seeing them gave me a reason to fight. Seeing them makes me want to save them more.

Arot : <😳> You have a very different perception kid. If you survive the night I will definitely remember your name.

Just then a soldier came to him.

Soldier : Sir we have found their traces.

Arot : Ok we will move after burying their bodies. Take some of their personel belongings and bury them.

Me : <😢> Wait. Won't we send their bodies to their parents for a last time.

Arot : <sadly> Their bodies are too mangled for their parent to see. Trust me, it's better that they do not see it.

Me : I understand.

The soldiers took their belongings and dug 3 graves and buried them one in each.

After burying them we started following the goblins tracks.

We followed them for a very long time when we suddenly reached a small village in the middle of the forest. But this village was different it was more like a tribal village.

Arot was shocked seeing this. I do not know why but he was somewhat scared.

I became alarmed as what can scare a knight. He gave a team an order to scout the village. When the team returned their faces were pale.

Soldier : <😱> Sir it's a goblin village with around 100 goblin and a hob goblin as a chief.

We all were shocked hearing him. We were just 20 soldiers and a knight. We were outnumbered 1 to 5. A soldier can easily defeat a goblins and can even fight with two to a tie but 5 is too much.

Yes a knight can easily defeat 30 to 40 goblins. If he uses magic attacks but we have only one knight and there is even hob goblin who is difficult to deal with.

Goblins speciality is agility so once we remove this advantage they are just Normal humans, but hob goblins are a different case. They are as agile as a goblins but with the strength of around 5 humans.

So Arot will be busy with him that leaves us with the remaining goblins.

Me : Our mission is rescue. So I think we should just attack the side where the girls are kept and escape.

Arot : No kid the situation has changed. The goblins here have formed a village and will start developing soldier goblins. Once they achieve that we will have to face a goblin Invasion.

Arot : And looking from their numbers they may have already started making soldiers. If we just rescue them than they will invade our village as it is the nearest. So we will have to annihilate them all.

Goblin soldiers are similar more proficient in using weapons. They are on equal footing with the soldiers. So if there are any soldiers our chances have become more slim.

Me : So let's call and wait for more reinforcement.

Arot : Kid how many soldiers do you think are there in our village ?

Me : may around 100.

Arot : We are just a small village we have only around 50 soldiers and we can't call all the soldiers here there must be some left there to protect the village in case of an emergency.

Soldier : Their number are so huge than even if we call all our forces victory is not sure as we do not know how many soldiers they have made. So with just 20 of us in which 1 is a kid, how will we win ?

Me : I think I have a plan.