Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Goblin Slayer.
It was so easy to lose one-self. The feeling of power coursing through ones veins, gathering in ones fingers before unleashing it in an awesome display of light, noise and power. It was intoxicating.
A power that was so slow to gather in the beginning. As a child he studied as his peers played games. As a youth he studied as his peers discovered the taste of the forbidden fruits of liquor and girls and all to show for it was a measly light show, a single ball of light was seen as a triumph.
How pitiful it seemed now that a wave of his hand summoned a dozen balls of light to be sent at his will to burn through stone, wood, metal, cloth, flesh and bone. Screams of pain sounded, the smell of blood, burnt flesh and fear hung thick in the air.
The fear, he found, was particularly intoxicating. The way its stench hung in the air, the way the fools scurried from the room, their pale faces, their wide eyes and the tremor of their voices.
It was simply marvelous.
Perhaps they had thought him weak when they had summoned him here. Perhaps they had thought their numbers would hinder him.
If so than all the more fools them.
A bolt of light came from his left flying in lighting spead only to shatter on the shimmering wall that appeared around him. He did not even deign to look in the direction the attack had come from, he waved his hand, uttered a word of power and a scream of panic was brutally cut short.
They could not stop him. Had he so chosen he could have simply walked out and that would be all they would ever see of him. He did not choose to do so.
Instead he moved further and deeper, tearing through their attempts to stop him, stall him as he tore those that held him back so long. Thoughts came to his mind, thought of how with this power was it not right that they cowered? Was it not proper?
And why only cower? Why not kneel? Why not grovel and press their heads into the ground only lifting them at his mercy? Was it not proper before one who should rule them as a king? No, not king as, after all, was his power not divine?
- 'The new quests are up!'
At the guild workers words a crowd of adventurers rushed to the wall, the excited hubbub of conversation filling the hall.
-'Vermin extermination?'
-'I'm sick of trudging through sewers, let's look at the other jobs.'
- 'Goblins maybe?'
- 'Will we manage?'
- 'It's in our pay-grade...'
A group of porcelain adventurers discussed among themselves, their hushed tones completely drowned out as an excited voice declared.
- 'Trolls! There's always good money involved!'
- 'To say nothing of the fact that troll meat is a delicacy.'
Some groaned, others nodded in agreement at the statement while others laughed at the exchange, including the receptionist observing the goings on.
There were many pros to the job and many cons, all agreed to that as a fact, and as far as the guild receptionist was concerned observing these people going about, their banter and the pleasure on the return from a dangerous task was greater than the having to deal with the fact that many of them returned crippled if at all.
-'Excuse me?'
She pushed her thoughts aside and turned to the speaker, a fresh faced youth, probably no more than sixteen springs. With a professional smile she asked,
- 'How may I help?'
-'I would like to register.'
He said, confirming her suspicions. Professional smile still in place she held his gaze for a moment, he managed to look both nervous and excited in equal measure, par for the course of new adventurers but his eyes, there she saw determination and a strength that held potential, a good candidate.
- 'Of course. Can you read? Write?'
- 'Not really...'
He admitted, a slight blush tinging his face at the admittance. Also par for the course among many applicants, a testimony to the rather patchy education dependent entirely on the skill and willingness of village priests.
- 'That is not an issue, I'll help you along.'
As she spoke she leaned down to collect the registration form and placed it in front of the youth.
- 'Can you get your superior?'
The voice did not belong to the youth, it was deeper, harsher. The guild receptionist did not look up and simply answered.
-'Please wait your turn. Thank you. First if you can give me your name...'
She got no further as the sound of metal hitting wood sounded in the guild hall, making her and the youth start in surprise while the few remaining adventures looked up from their matters to the source of the sound.
An armoured fist rested on the counter top. It belonged to a dark form, dark cloth, dark mail and helm, though that may have simply been the thick layer of dust covering his person. His face was hidden by the shadow cast by the brim of his helmet and the mail standard covering what was not.
- 'I have arrived at your guilds request and was asked to report as soon as possible. Please inform your superiors of my arrival.'
He spoke as if their previous interaction had not occurred. The smile on the receptionists face disappeared replaced by a frown at the interruption and glanced around. Noting with annoyance she was the only receptionist present she sighed and pressed a button to call for another guild worker. Nothing happened and she glanced down making sure she actually pressed down on the button, she had.
- 'It won't work, you need to go in person.
A sudden headache made her sigh at the annoyance of the newcomer and looked at him with none of the professional politeness that was required of her.
- 'And who am I to say is come?'
Though she could see nothing of his face she could swear from the tone of his voice that the guest was smirking.
- 'The problem solver.'
- 'I trust your journey was not too arduous?'
- 'No more than expected.'
That was as much of the conversation as the secretary heard before the guild supervisor made it clear, with a glare and slight head movement, that she was to leave. Huffing in annoyance she left the drink and did as told. Once the door closed behind her the supervisor sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair and once more looked the self declared "problem solver" over.
The gauntlets and helmet had come off which did little too improve the overall quality of the image before him, the skin was drawn tight and the shadows under the guests eyes drew to mind a skull while the stubble covering his jaw brought to mind a brigand or other bandits and the supervisor found himself wondering if under the coif the slayer had his hair in the manner assosciated with such groups.
The impression the guest made was not helped by the heavy horse smell that hung around him and was now slowly filling the room nor by the thick layer of dust covering the man and the supervisor winced at the thought of it being rubbed into one of his high backed chairs. He made a brief mental note to have the chair thoroughly cleaned after his guest had left and focused on making it happen as soon as possible.
- 'You are the Wizard Slayer?'
- 'A wizard slayer.'
The guest corrected. The supervisor grunted to show he understood and shifted in his own chair.
- 'How much do you know of the situation?'
The wizard slayer leaned back in the chair, the supervisor wincing slightly as he could almost see the dirt being ground into it, and crossed his arms as he replied.
- 'This cities mage school has cut itself off and ignored all attempts to restore contact. The party that went to investigate vanished and you heard nothing more from it. Has anything else occurred since?'
- 'No. Once we've informed Head Office we held back and focused on ensuring nobody suspected anything was amiss.'
The wizard slayer nodded.
- 'My guild sent a letter, requesting you prepare any plans of the building you could.'
The supervisor shook his head.
- 'Unfortunately the Mage Guild built their school without any outside aid and are the sole possessors of any proper plans or maps. What little we have has been collected and will be brought to you.'
The wizard slayer leaned forward, resting his chin on his left hand.
- 'Unfortunate. What about the missing party? Have they left any information before they disappeared?'
The supervisor shook his head.
- 'No, not with us in any case nor have we find any information they might have left elsewhere.'
The wizard slayer clicked his tongue in obvious annoyance.
- 'So I have to investigate everything from the start.'
The supervisor was uncertain whether he was meant to answer, and if so how but it seemed he was not expected to as the slayer sat straight, emptied the cup left for him and stood up collecting his kit.
- 'I'll get to work. If I find anything worth reporting I shall do so.'
- 'I see...'
The supervisor started to speak only to stop as he realized he was talking to the slayers back.
Despite his seeming urge to get to work the agents sent to keep an eye on their guest reported his first steps were to the stables where he investigated the state of his horse and saddle bags. Apparently he was satisfied as he tossed the stable boy a quarter penny before taking his bags to the room he had rented. After that he visited the bathhouse and ate a hearty dinner before returning to his room and that was all seen of him till the following morning.
The agents reported that the following day he spent most of the morning in casual clothing walking around the city, especially in the parts near the mage school before he started walking into taverns, in each sharing a drink and conversation with the patrons and it was around this point that the agent lost sight of the wizard slayer.
It was the guild receptionist that reported the slayers arrival in the guild where he spoke with several porcelain ranked adventurers, some briefly, others for lengthy periods before disappearing once again. The agent that broke into the guests room found the arms and armour gone and a wax tablet left open on the bed with what turned out to be the slayers report written down.
The guild supervisor read the contents with a grim face before ordering the room restored to as it was left by the slayer and began to wonder whether he would not be forced to report the disappearance of another adventurer soon.
Water dripped from dozens of places creating a seemingly never ending cacophony of sound. Just a foot to his right a river of filth slowly weaved by making the air reek. A rodent paused as it came into the light cast by his lamp before quickly scurrying away, a normal sized rat fortunately.
The wizard slayer paused and pulled free a map of the sewers and studied it, glanced over his shoulder as if the action would make it easier for him to remember how far he had gone before, nodding to himself, he put the map away and continued his march.
'A pox on the one who invented sewers.' he thought grimly to himself as he heard, smelled and felt the filth squish under his boots, expensive boots. Boots made of good leather that gave good traction and still allowed his footfall be almost silent, he was not looking forward to cleaning them afterward.
Still there had seemed to be no other way. He saw no entrance to the mage school from the outside nor did it seem the missing party had done so either, which meant the either magicked in or entered from below. It was also possible they left for corners of the world uncharted but that seemed highly unlikely so he assumed they had found a way into the school.
The porcelains helped him here as they knew more of sewer system than most, what with most of them earning a living by clearing them of over sized vermin. It was just a case of finding the ones who were willing to talk. With some it was enough to ask as most adventurers are rather prone to boasting but others had to be payed for their time but finally he had found what he was looking for.
Wizards always protected their interests, much like any other group in truth, but they had different means of doing so and while tall walls were mandatory it would always be better if any potential threats couldn't get to the wall in the first place. And much like he had expected the closer one was to the sewers underneath the school the more "odd", for a lack of a better term, things became.
The asked adventurers reported they found themselves where they had started despite constantly moving forward, or they found themselves in completely different parts of the city than they had expected. Yes, mages liked their little tricks but he had learned well what to expect.
He felt it, a dull throbbing in his skull most would say was a migraine but he knew otherwise, he knew it meant he was getting close as the magic in the area grew stronger so did his headache, one of the many perks of being a wizard slayer he thought without amusement.
His vision grew blurry the further he went and sounds started assaulting him and he could not be certain which were real and which suggestions offered by defensive spells, he found himself pausing occasionally to wipe the sweat from his brow and rub weary eyes but he kept going even as his feet began to protest as if he were dragging them in thick, clay-like mud before, with a sound resembling a pierced bladder, he was free.
He spat, coughed and spat again. The magic the school had placed around their building was powerful and he briefly wondered whether the previous party had really managed to get through.
He would soon find out he decided as he turned a corner and came face to face with a wall. A door to be more precise, carved in stone to resemble a face it glared at him as if demanding to know by what right he was here. Spitting again he glanced down to the muck slowly streaming by and saw what he expected, a massive grate blocking that entry, no doubt reaching the bottom to stop anyone from getting in that way. He turned back to the door and frowned.
- 'Friend?'
He offered. Nothing happened and he smiled self deprecatingly, it would be too simply if they had left the default password in place unless…
He lifted a hand to touch the door and was surprised to see it swing back. A normal door? At a mage school? Unlikely, more likely it had been drained of magic prior. True his very presence sometimes removed magic from artifacts but he doubted it would work on the entry to a magical academy… perhaps the missing adventurers had done so?
In the end it was irrelevant. He glanced past the door and saw nothing but stairs leading up and a light flickering at the top. Stepping back into the shadows he put out his lamp, fastened the mail so it covered his face and drew his dagger before slowly making his way to and up the stairs. The short distance seemed to take a long time to cover as he used all his senses in the hopes of noticing any danger first, however having been in the sewers he heard before he smelled what lay ahead.
Flies buzzed about, landing briefly on carcasses only to lift into the air again. Chunks of flesh that had some point must have been bodies littered the ground in seeming random heaps, their skin had gone green and the blood long gone brown. The stench of rot hung in the air.
His left went instinctively up to cover his nose but he forced it down and glanced around, hoping nothing had seen his movement.
Stench. Buzzing. Nothing more. Slowly the wizard slayer left the stairway. He was in a small room, probably nothing more than an entry point from the school to the sewers as well as a good way to isolate the smells from the rest of the academy. Seeing the room was empty and the only door shut he glanced down to the flesh. The decay was well along and he couldn't glean anything noteworthy from the corpse pile, the brief thought to investigate was dismissed at the seething mass of maggots and the knowledge that any previous adventures would have picked it clean as the scavengers so many of them were.
With nothing else he slowly moved to the door and listened, hearing nothing new he reached for the handle and slowly pushed it down.
Whistle and thud.
That was all the warning she got before the arrow sprouted from the beam a scant foot from her head.
- 'Keep moving!'
She needed no encouragement and ran faster than she had ever run in her life. Arrows whistled around them as the enemy shot at them from their hidden positions. Her lungs burned and her legs ached but the light ahead promised salvation.
So close. Only one last obstacle, a steep slope so easily crossed a scant hour ago now seemed a formidable obstacle. Her friend bound ahead and managed to reach the top and turned round.
- 'Hurry!'
She did. She reached the base and bound up, loose soil giving way under her feat she nearly reached the top before too much ground gave way and she fell.
She cried out, more surprise than fear as the ground gave way and she fell down into the dark. Her fingers were bleeding and no doubt the rest of her body was also battered. She wanted nothing more than to lay there and catch her breath, perhaps rest a moment…
Laughter.
Mocking laughter and shrieks of joy in a guttural language she did not understand and she forced herself up to her feet and began to scramble up the slope again, sand and pebbles giving way under her weight she never the less made her way up.
The laughing creatures were closer now and she dared not look back for fear how what she would see.
- 'Nearly there! Grab my hand!'
She looked up and felt tears form, she was so close. One last effort and she would be saved, all she had to do was reach out and grab that hand.
She paused, something was not right.
-'What are you doing!? Take my hand!'
She should lest she fall, lest they take her and yet… something was wrong. She wasn't in a cave, was she? No.
-'Hurry!'
She looked up again… this wasn't right, his face was not right. She saw…
Screams of pain, the stench of ozone. The fighter on the floor, screaming, screaming in a way she never knew a man could possibly scream as the flesh slid off his skull.
-'Give me your damned hand!'
The voice snarled and lashed towards her, she flinched and the slope disappeared from under her and she fell into the darkness…
She vomited. There was nothing in her stomach so all that came was bile and air but she was shook by spasms as reality crashed down on her.
-'She is stubborn, just force the change and be done with it.'
-'You know as well as I the process yields better results if the host submits.'
She remembered. She remembered everything and a sob escaped her throat as she flinched away from the voices, scurried on naked, scabbed knees and hands away from them, as far away as the cage allowed.
- 'No matter. Another night will probably break her.'
The owner of the first voice shrugged and turned to leave followed by the other leaving her alone in the darkness and with her thoughts as the memories tore into her anew.
It was supposed the be so wonderful. Investigate the mage school, find out why they had severed ties with the outside world and, if possible, resolve the problem and enjoy the rewards of a job well done. Such a job was to be no trouble for such a collection of seasoned adventurers and indeed all did go well. She soon discovered the only way in was underground and the casters soon worked out how to counter the magical protections in place and then… and then there was a series of corridors and rooms, desecrated, and the pitiful remains of those who had been in the school.
Yet they carved through all opposition, proved to be more cunning than the traps and barriers in their way and it seemed it only a matter of time till the matter ended with their triumph.
The ranger was the first. He slipped on the filth coating the floor and before he regained his balance it was on him. He screamed, once, before those yellowed fangs sank into his neck and tore out his throat. It all went quickly after that, the priest lashed out with his hammer, sending his enemies down with each blow but they kept at him till he vanished under their sheer numbers. She couldn't recall what happened to the mage other than that scream and a sudden force that knocked her and the warrior to the ground and then… A sob tore out as she drew her limbs in close, closed her eyes and dug her fingers into her head as if hoping to tear out the sight of flesh sliding, sliding off leaving bare bone as he screamed and screamed.
She moaned a wordless moan of despair and rocked back and forth, for how long she did not know but she stopped when she more sensed than heard it.
The door had opened, ever so slightly but the light beyond was blinding compared to the darkness she had been left in.
She felt panic rise, had they returned? So soon? She pushed back against the bars desperately trying to put as much distance between them as she could in a blind hope of delaying the inevitable.
She realized something was wrong. They never opened the door but a crack only to slide in silently nor did they care to shut it so cautiously. As she looked she realized even the shape was wrong. It seemed to glide towards the cage and crouched opposite her.
- 'Still alive?'
His voice betrayed more surprise than anything else and the sound of it could not be viewed as a pleasant but it was not their voices. The owner, she saw, dressed all in dark cloth and metal, armoured and armed peered at her with what sort of eyes she could not tell, hidden as they were behind the dark slits cut into his helmet.
- 'You're real?'
She hazarded, terrified by how her voice sounded.
- 'Yes.' - came the answer, - 'Are you of the party that first took this job?'
- 'You're from the guild?'
She more stated than asked and felt as if the crushing grip on her heart had loosened.
- 'Thank the earth mother you're from the guild!'
A part chided herself. It was a trick, it had to be. Soon something would betray the enemy and the realization that she was alone would come back, all the more crushing.
And yet she hoped.
The figure raised a finger to where his mouth would be in a request for silence and she obliged. The man pulled an oiled cloth from a small pouch and unrolled it on the floor she soon saw what it was and the hope grew as the man inserted a pick and blade into the lock and began to probe.
Neither said anything and the only sound was that metal clinking as he worked and finally the strained sound of the lock being pulled back.
She jolted as the lock escaped the mans grip and he cursed wordlessly and looked to the door and she followed his gaze. Nothing, just darkness, the distant drip of liquid and the buzz of flies and the two crouching, looking to the door with breath held in anticipation of someone, something, hearing that sound and coming to investigate.
He looked away first to fish out another pick and began fiddling with the lock again. His movement drew her attention away and she observed him in silence before, slowly, she pushed herself to her knees and crawled to the door. He paused, the slight sound of metal hitting metal showing he had turned his attention to her but he said nothing and soon continued working on the lock. She crawled close and placed and ear to the lock and closed her eyes.
- 'A bit deeper.'
He paused again and she could swear she had heard him take in a breath to speak, but chose not too and he continued his work.
- 'Too far.'
Another pause but she heard the pick slide back soon after.
- 'There.'
The sound of the lock protesting at such treatment was heard again only this time it ended with it locking open and the man pulled the bars back.
- 'You are of the party sent to investigate the mage school?'
He asked again.
- 'Yes I… I am.'
Her voice caught as she saw "that" again and closed her eyes as if hoping that the action would block out the memory. So occupied she did not notice the man slowly take his hand off his dagger and instead move to put his lock-pick away.
- 'What can you tell me about the enemy?'
She opened her eyes and her hands moved from her head to grip her arms, as if to shield herself.
- 'They… they're mages, students I think. Most of the dead have been turned undead and…'
She paused, shuddering with revulsion and barely suppressed fear.
- '… and things. Abominations.'
- 'Daemons?'
He asked. She hesitated before slowly shaking her head.
- 'No… at least not any that I recognized as such nor did our… our cleric see them as such.'
- 'Spawns then?'
The man asked, more himself than her and she noted that there seemed a hint of relief in his voice.
- 'You're here to clear the school, right? To purge it?'
- 'If possible.'
He answered as he stood up and took a few steps aside, looking through a pile of ruined furniture and other rubbish.
- 'No offense but looking at your lockpicking skills I don't think your parties level is high enough….'
- 'I am the party.'
He answered with something resembling indignation in his voice, the words leaving her speechless. In the silence he continued to shift through the rubbish before pulling out a length of cloth that at some point might have been a rug.
- 'It's not much but probably better than nothing.'
He said as he handed it to her. She looked down and remembered that they had stripped her bare. She extended a hand as if to take the cloth but instead gripped his wrist.
- 'You have to turn back! You'll be lucky if they only kill you.'
He pulled himself free of her grip and tossed the cloth at her.
- 'Once you're out the door go right to the end of the corridor and right again. Down the stairs and the third door leads to the sewer.'
He said, not acknowledging her words in the slightest. He turned as if to leave but stopped and turned back, pulling a knife from some hidden scabbard and tossing it on the cloth.
- 'Better than nothing.'
He said as he left. The darkness seemed all the heavier, the silence unbearable. She gripped the knife tightly till it pained her. Without the other adventurer she was alone with her thoughts again and the memories. She looked to the knife again before lifting it to her throat.
He smelled it before he heard it. A sweet stench, nauseatingly so. Soon after shuffling, the buzz of flies and a low groan. He crouched low in the gloom of the schools corridors and waited. The undead shuffled into view and it took some effort to stop himself from flinching as it turned around and began shuffling down the corridor. His hand tightened on his dagger as he waited, nerves on edge, ready to pounce. The undead paused, shifted its head this way and that, a single eye, seemingly blind, sweeping the area before it turned and shuffled away.
Slowly he relaxed and once the corpse had shuffled out of sight he moved again. Keeping to the shadows as much as he could he passed scorch marks on the walls, dried blood and other stains he assumed he'd rather not know the source of. Reaching a meeting point he hesitated only a moment before choosing a path.
Another corridor, stained, scorched, a few shattered doors leading to empty rooms but he paused at a door that was intact. He stood for a moment, glanced up and down the corridor before slowly reaching to the handle and pushing it down, wincing at the sound before quickly sliding through the gap.
It stank. Of sweat, feces and blood. It was also darker than the corridor and it took a moment for his eyes to grow accustomed.
- 'Who're you?'
Voice. Female. Even pleasant to the ear and he looked in the direction it sounded from, his eyes had grown accustomed so he could make out details now. Much like the rest of the building it was heavily damaged, naked brick showing through the walls whitewash, burn marks and stains here and there with what used to be furniture littering the floor.
The voice had come from the far end of the room where bars blocked off a part of the room behind which two naked shapes peered at him, unlike the previous room this cage was open.
-'And you?
He asked by way of answer. The two shapes, one male the other female and both probably human, looked at each other before the male answered.
-'We're whats left of our party. We were investigating the school but… well we failed.'
-'You did.'
He answered, his hand dropping from the hilt of his weapon as he started moving to the two.
- 'I was sent to investigate after your lot went missing.'
- 'Thank the gods! We managed to open the cage but didn't know what to do now that we did.'
The female said in a loud whisper as she moved to him, hands outstretched as if to embrace him only to pause, face twisting as if she'd encountered something unpleasant.
His hand jumped back to the hilt and the blade hissed as it left the scabbard and in a swift motion thrust it though her abdomen, the liver and catching the lung before coming out the other end. Blood splattered to the floor as he twisted the blade and the womans face contorted in pain.
Only it wasn't a womans face any more.
The eyes were too large, too bright. The nose had disappeared replaced by two narrow slits and thin lips pulled back to reveal a mouth full of small fangs. A hiss escaped the creatures throat as it reached out with fingers ending in claws and the Wizard Slayer stepped back, pulling the blade free. Without the blade in it it was as if all strength had fled the creature and it collapsed with a moan, moving feebly on the floor.
No time to pause. Shift your feet. Blade up. Attack. The other creature hissed as it fell back and the man followed with a thrust which the creature dodged to the side, muscles tensing. To attack? Flee? It didn't matter.
Move your wrist, bring the blade round and twist your hips to put as much force into the attack as possible. He caught the creature where a human would have its temple, blood flowing freely from the wound the creature staggered, hand raising up and began to shift its weight to regain it's balance, the man was faster.
He shifted his feet and thrust forward, punching through the creatures neck, twisting the blade before pulling it free in a spray of blood and stepped back. The creature gurgled, hand gripping its neck and took a staggered step forward before collapsing face first to the floor where it twitched as it died.
The wizard slayer breathed out and wiped the blood off the blade before kneeling to better inspect the creatures.
Strange things, he mused, almost like a doppler but not quit… a subspecies? Something else? His musings were cut short at the sound of the door being thrust open and he turned to the sound, body tensing.
-'I told you I sensed something.'
- 'Yes, you were right. Some rodent is indeed poking around.'
Two shapes, hooded and robed as academy students, entered the room and the wizard slayer stood.
- 'Shall I or do you want the pleasure?'
- 'You can do it, just remember to keep him alive.'
The other shape responded and the first lifted a hand and began chanting. The wizard slayer moved, bounding at the two figures.
The chant suddenly stopped as the chanter started coughing.
-'What are you doing!'
-'I don't know! The words just...'
-'Step aside!'
The other shape pushed past the first, thrust out her hand and began to chant. Power rose through her, gathering and flowing to her hand as she concentrated on the intruder and it was gone, replaced with a pained yelp. It had felt as if the magic had been simply torn from her and she stared numbly at her hand as if seeking an answer, a pointless act that lasted a crucial second.
Than there was pain as steel punched through her gut drawing a scream as the pain shifted to agony. The wizard slayer twisted the blade as he pulled it free and brought it around, slashing with the point across the mages neck, sending her stumbling back with a gurgle before she hit the wall and slid down, hands clamping on the wound as her feet kicked feebly.
Before she had fallen the wizard slayer turned to the other, blade swinging high, only to see the shape disappear out the room, he followed.
Despite her head start the wizard slayer was catching up, a fact that drew a scream from the mage after she glanced over her shoulder, the fear giving her more strength to run and soon she disappeared round a corner, the wizard slayer followed a moment later only to slide to a sharp stop.
A wheeze came from the zombies ruined throat as it reached to the wizard slayer, the man lashing out and well honed steel parted rotting flesh and bone with little trouble. The undead, of course, showed no sign of discomfort as it's hand separated from its body and lurched at its opponent, gripping him with one hand and hitting him with the stump of the other, rotten fluid smearing over the mail, as it opened its jaw and threw itself forward. The wizard slayer hissed wordlessly, brought back his free hand and hammered the pommel into the undeads nose.
Bone shattered and the zombies entire body lurched back under the blow. The man used the sudden shift to pull back, grip the undeads arm and with a twist threw it down. The knees made an unpleasant sound as they hit the floor and the wizard slayer lifted his weapon up and brought it down, the blade parting flesh and bone again and the undeads head parted ways with its body. Even as its head bounced on the floor the zombie tried to stand before going limp and falling to the floor.
Even as that happened the second undead lurched forward and gripped the wizard slayer and he shifted his weight in an effort to break free, the zombie stumbled and fell, still with a firm grip on the man and pulled him down with it. Fortunately the zombie hit the ground first meaning it was the wizard slayer that pinned it down, the undead ribs cracking under the impact. Nevertheless the zombie reacted sooner to the situation and clamped its jaw on his arm, teeth scrapping on his gauntlet.
The wizard slayer pushed as far back as he could and brought the weapon up before slamming it down. The pommel struck the skull, tearing rotten flesh and cracking the bone but little else so he brought it up and slammed the pommel down again, and again and again till bone and rotten brain began to shower the area and the undead went limp.
With a weary sigh the wizard slayer broke the undeads jaw to free his captured hand before yanking the zombies hand from the grip it still held, fingers snapping under the strain. Thus free he stood and took a deep breath. Things had taken a turn for the worse, he noted as he looked round. Obviously the mage had escaped and was no doubt sounding the alarm.
As if to confirm that the sound of moaning and many shuffling feet sounded and the wizard slayer hesitated a moment before moving down the corridor, away from the sound.
- 'Is that him?'
The wizard slayer groaned inwardly as the voice declared that yes, they have noticed him and yes, they were ready.
He found himself in a large room, one that reminded him of a theater. A half circle littered with benches no doubt once lined up in orderly rows but now scattered bout in a chaotic manner while at the far end was a raised podium on which three robed figures stood.
- 'Yes that him! He killed….'
- 'That hardly matters.'
The wizard slayer moved towards the trio, blade in scabbard as he pulled a length of rope free from round his waist, his other hand moving to a pouch.
- 'What matters is that he is interrupting our mission and that you were too weak to stop him...'
- 'No.'
The third figure spoke and everything went silent. The figure speaking till now, the rising protest of the one being berated and even the wizard slayers steps as he stopped moving, surprising him. The word came as if a physical force, spoken by one entirely confident in oneself. Behind his helmet the wizard slayer's eye's narrowed as he measured the distance between him and the mage.
- 'This fool is an odd one, an aura like this... that you can not sense it is telling of your limits.'
The wizard slayer pulled free a lead shot, thrust it into the slings pocket and with a quick motion slung it at the one speaking. The shot hissed as it cut through the air and the trio flinched as the chair behind them was flung back under the force of the impact.
Hissing with annoyance the wizard slayer bounded the distance separating them drawing steel as he did, causing a panicked yelp from the one closest.
The other two raised their hands and began to chant and channeling power ready to tear apart the fool that came at them so openly.
The further coughed and spat, looking at her hand in confusion. The central continued to chant and several balls of light flew from his hand, sailing with blinding speed at the wizard slayer. The mage smiled, the fool would not even have time to flinch before they hit him and… keep going.
- 'How?'
His companion voiced his own thoughts, one he quickly found an answer to.
- 'Magical shield no doubt. I shall dispel it and you strike him then.'
- 'Yes master.'
The two confirmed as the central figure once again began to form words of power and slung it at the approaching fool, the other two readying their own spells only to once again find the words torn from their throats causing another fit of coughing.
The central mage looked to his companions before looking back to the fool, could he actually…
The wizard slayer had lept onto the podium leaving no time to finish the thought, rather he had to act. Gripping his disciple to the right he flung her at the attacker.
There was a shriek cut short as the wizard slayer lashed out, blood following the blade as it cut through the mage, her body hitting the floor a mere moment later and she tried to scream but all that came out was a gurgle from her ruined throat. This did however force the wizard slayer to stop and the mage used that time to grab the left hand disciple be the arm and pulled the surprised girl closer before digging the fingers of his other hand into her skull and begin chanting words of power.
She screamed. A wordless scream of pure agony as her hair slid off her skull, as her skin began to ripple and bubble, bloating greatly before bursting.
The mage jumped back, arms raised to shield himself from the skin, blood, puss, bone and everything else meant to be on the inside showered the area while the wizard slayer paused at the sight.
The thing standing where the girl had been was short and thin, gray skin pink from blood and from beneath strips of human flesh one could see long sinewy limbs. Eyes seemed to shine as it glared at its surroundings, its thin lips pulled back to present impressive fangs.
A cousin to the things he had met earlier? The wizard slayer thought, though he quickly noticed it was shorter, poorly proportioned with one arm and a tentacle where the other arm should have been. Three eyes glared with hate and loathing at its surroundings and when it opened its mouth no words came out but rather a hiss.
He moved, crossing the distance between himself and the creature and thrusting forward. The creature flinched back from the blade, the she-mages flesh sliding off its form as it did. The wizard slayer took another step and a movement of his wrist made the blade move round in a quick cut to the creatures head. It jumped back, avoiding contact and growled as it crouched, tentacle whipping round much like a tail.
- 'What are you waiting for!? Kill him!'
The mage shouted, gesticulating in the wizard slayers direction, who had taken a step back, blade held in a low guard. The creature snarled and with a twist of its hips and swift elbow movement struck the mage. The was a brief flash of light and mage staggered back. The creature snarled as it struck again and this time there was no light and the mage was struck with enough force that he landed on the floor below the podium.
Surprised the wizard slayer hesitated till the creature turned and lunged at him. A step back and he brought the blade up in a low cut. The creature swerved on its feet, gripping the incoming blade with its tentacle while attacking with its hand, catching the wizard slayers head with more force than one would expect from its small form staggering the man.
The creature pulled the sword from his grip, tossing it aside before lunging forward, gripping the wizard slayer by the head and knocking him to the floor. Dazed by the blows it was only the pain from his neck twisting further than the gods intended that jolted him from his stupor into a panic as he realized the creature had latched onto his neck and head. It was as if it could not decide whether it wanted to strangle him or snap his neck and so chose to do both. He fought.
His feet kicked out hitting nothing. An attempt to throw the creature off resulted in nothing as the creature held firmly. His hands gripped the creatures limbs and tried to tear them away doing little more than slow the speed with which his neck twisted.
Fortunately the panic faded and he forced himself to tear a hand free and instead search for his dagger, draw it and place it against one of his opponents limbs.
The pull cut went through the creatures skin and flesh, the creature howling out in pain, its grip loosening enough for the wizard slayer to return his head to its proper position. The enemy in his sight and reeling from his attack his free hand lashed out gripping the wound he had just delivered it, digging his fingers into the bloody mess and twisting his grip.
This time it screamed and tried to free itself from the wizard slayers grip, he did not let it.
He half pushed and was half pulled after the creature, one hand still digging into it's wound while the one wielding the dagger jumped up, biting deep into its neck. Blood gushed free from the wound and more followed with each movement of his hand as he sawed through more of the creature flesh before coming free. The creature gurgled as it staggered before collapsing to the floor, the wizard slayer barely stopping himself from following its example.
The stood, bent over the creature as it shook in its final convulsions, one hand unclasping the length of mail covering his face to better breath. Standing he wiped the dagger as clean as he could and put it away before looking for his sword. Gripping it tightly he looked around the area and realized two things, both bad.
The first was the sight of the mage that had summoned, and had been swatted aside by, the creature ran out of the room through a door. The other was that through a different door a large number of undead shambled in and were currently moving to where he was.
The wizard slayer groaned in annoyance, looked to the ceiling in mute protest before moving.
'This is all wrong!' - he thought as he limped down the corridor, - 'This is not what was promised!'
It was all supposed to be so different. His patron promised him power, wealth… Respect! All in exchange for a task. It was not his fault! It was not his fault so few listened to him. It's not his fault so many had to be killed. It's not his fault he was surrounded by incompetent weaklings. It's not his fault the fool did not follow the laws of magic and refused to die when ordered to!
It's. Not. His. Fault!
He limped as fast as he could down the dark corridors, racing for his office and the tools he had there, everything he needed to fix this... this mess. To save the situation! He just needed to escape this place, the undead could deal with the fool. Yes. Flood the lecture hall with the undead and whatever cheat the fool had used would avail him little against their numbers. "Nec hercules contra plures" after all.
But after that, what? This was the second time someone interrupted him, might there be a third? They would no doubt be better prepared and each attack had weakened him. Perhaps leaving would be the best course of action? Rebuild his strength elsewhere and return to this city once he was properly ready with an army at his back and new acolytes to serve.
So deep in his thoughts he only realized something was amiss when an explosion of pain dominated all else and he staggered forward with a cry. He turned and felt another stab of pain. A woman wearing what looked to be a rug pulled back a bloodstained knife as if to strike again.
It was his blood.
He roared a wordless roar of rage at the thought, power flaring from him as a physical force and his assailant was flung back, slamming against a wall with a crack.
-'Fool!'
He snarled at the limp form.
- 'Did you honestly think you could stop me? ME!?'
The last came out as a shriek, all the anger, fear, frustration and hate coming out in the sound. Breathing heavily he wiped his face with a shaking hand before turning to leave. His legs folded under him and his knees protested the sudden landing.
He looked down and stared in numb disbelief at the small tear in his robe just below his ribs, the area was stained red. The stain spread further, an uneven line spreading all the way down to a small puddle on the floor.
A whimper escaped his throat as he pressed his hands to the wound all anger fleeing replaced by fear at the sudden reminder of his own mortality, warm blood squeezing past his fingers and joining that already on the floor.
This was not right! This is not how it was supposed to be! This was wrong!
He forced himself to tear a hand away from the wound and reached to the pouch at his side. At first he pushed aside the contents looking for what he sought before flinging the contents out. Ink pot, quill, wax, bottles… Yes!
A groan as he felt broken glass and pulled it free, fearful of it being that and sighed in relief when it was not, throwing the broken glass aside he looked again and released a bark of laughter as he pulled free a healing potion only to stop short at another obstacle, like most the flask was secured with wax.
Loath to remove the hand pressing at the wound he first pried the wax in an awkward one handed grip before clenching the bottle with his knees and tore at it there, with little success he took to tearing at it with his teeth.
He would not die here. Could not! So much had been promised, he would not die!
Thud.
He paused and looked up.
Thud.
He groaned and tried to stand only to fall again. He could hear it clearly now. The thud of fast paced steps, the creak of leather and jingle of metal.
His hand moved, blood flowing freely from the wound once more as he tore in desperation at the wax, his breath becoming more ragged as the panic rose, his eyes straying to the corridor behind him as the sounds become louder, clearer, Closer!
He screamed as the monster came round the corner, the bottle falling from his hands. Dark clothes, dark armour and no sign of humanity in the dark slits where his eyes should be. The steel head turned as if drawn by the sound and the mage watched in horrid fascination as drops of blood tore away from the gore streaked surface, glint a moment in the faint light only to shatter on the floor. The monster turned and stepped toward him and the mage tried to stand only to fall flat.
'This isn't right.' - he thought as he stretched a hand out. -'This shouldn't happen.' - he dragged himself across the floor. - 'I was promised something else.' - he reached out with his other hand - 'This is not right!' - he pulled himself across the floor - 'NOT RIGHT!'
Something hit him in the back, drawing a cry of pain. A hand gripped his hair and lifted his body up.
- 'Please. No.'
He more whispered than said. He felt something press to his neck and a sharp pain and than he felt nothing more.
The wizard slayer held the corpse up for a moment as the blood spurted from the slit throat before dropping the still convulsing body. Stepping back from the corpse he wiped the blood from his blade and looked round the corner he had come from and noted with some satisfaction that the undead pursuing him were now falling down as the magic that held them together faded. Nodding to himself he sheathed his weapon and walked over to the woman's form, stopping to pick up the knife that he had lent her.
- 'You should have left this place.'
He said as he knelt next to her, wiping the blood off the small blade.
- 'Leave?'
Her voice was more a whisper than anything and he had to lean in to hear it.
- 'How could I leave after what I saw… what they did?'
- 'You'd get over it, as most do.'
He answered even as he gripped her jaw and forced her head up and looked intently at her face. Green eyes, freckles… altogether not a very attractive woman but human without a doubt, not one of those things.
He stood up, sheathing the knife as he did and walked back to the corpse before patting it down, pulling out anything that seemed valuable and found several glass vials. He had no way of knowing what was in them but he assumed the mage would have carried at least one healing potion on him and he knew he would be expected to give it to her.
But what if the mage hadn't carried any? What of they were something else entirely, something that would make the situation dangerous for him? Was doing what was expected worth the risk? It's not like there were any witnesses.
He glanced back and made his decision.
So when Goblin Slayer first came out my first thought was along the lines of: "So he's like a Wizard Slayer but with goblins?" For those who don't know a Wizard Slayer was one of the specializations for a Baldur's Gate 2 fighter and one of my favourites, even if he wasn't as good at killing magic users as his name would suggest...
Still the similarity made me think of how such a character might function in the GS world hence the above story.
Thanks for reading.