"It sure has gotten quite cold around here." Cow Girl smiled as she looked up toward the sky to see the falling snowflakes.
"Is that so?"
"I would assume so based on your breath being visible."
"I see."
Goblin Slayer aided his friend as he pulled the wagon toward Frontier Town, today was the day for the newest deliveries for the guild. It had been nearly two weeks since their quest in the north, their battle with the horde of the undead led by the Lich Queen, thankfully all had been peaceful. Cow Girl and the others had been worried since that strange night, but were relieved when he finally returned and with new additions no less in the form of Half-Demon Thief and Snow. Cow Girl smiled as she looked to her side to see the white dire wolf walking beside her, Wolf was walking near Goblin Slayer, both dire wolves happily accompanying them into town.
"She's like Wolf in many ways, she warmed up to me very quickly." Cow Girl reached out to pet the massive white wolf as they walked.
"She was the same when we found her."
"Though I'm sure that it's due to both you and Wolf helping her see that not all people are dangerous."
"The wolves are dangerous."
"I'm sure they are, especially when protecting those they care for in their pack, but seeing them right here and now, even you can't help but compare them to a loyal dog."
"Hmm…perhaps."
Cow Girl smiled once again as they continued onward toward, happy that all her fears were for naught. She and Guild Girl had already sent out a letter to Sword Maiden in hopes of alleviating any worry; it was only two days ago when they received a correspondence from the her thanking them for letting her know and promising to come and visit, but to keep that part secret for now as not to spoil the surprise.
The guild was as active as usual, even with the year winding down, there was still plenty of work for the adventurers to do. Adventurers crowded around the quest board in hopes of undertaking any final quests before the year was up, always looking for opportunities to advance their rank and make a bit of coin as well.
"Hey look at that, says there is an Ice Golem bothering a village about a day away from here."
"Says here that a fishing village on the far side of the country is being attacked by a pride of Saber Cats, looks like they need an experienced party hunting them down."
"Speaking of animals, looks like there's a pack of Winter Wolves that have been giving the merchants a bit of trouble on the roads. Maybe we should go after them?"
"If you're dealing with wolves, maybe you better leave that for Goblin Slayer and his party. I hear they brought back another dire wolf from their travels to the north."
"Ha ha ha! Goblin Slayer deal with something that is not a goblin, now that's a good one!"
Guild Girl could hear all of this commotion and smirked a bit, she wanted to tell these pompous adventurers of all that Goblin Slayer and his comrades had done in the far north near the mountains but knew that so long as she and her friend Cow Girl knew the truth that would be enough.
"If only they knew that he battled armies of the undead, saved the Hero and fought against a powerful Lich, then they'd change their tone. It really is not far to the younger ones, that should have easily moved them all up a rank, perhaps even two, but the orders from the King are absolute."
Guild Girl continued to smirk as her eyes wandered over toward the nearby tables where the rest of Goblin Slayer's party members met that morning as they enjoyed their breakfast.
"A Winter Wolf huh? Do you think that's what Snow is?"
"Doubtful Long Ears, it's said a Winter Wolf can breathe freezing cold breath, and we haven't seen that from her yet."
"It is possible that she might be descended from one Sir Mage, given her appearance, it is quite easily for her to hide in the snowy setting."
"Then what about Wolf, is it possible he is descended from a demon wolf, perhaps from the very depths of hell itself?" High Elf Archer smirked as she enjoyed the conversation with her comrades.
"All I know is that each of them seems to have their strengths in terms of stalking. Wolf is perfect from any of your nights quests and Snow for anything to do with winter." Half-Demon Thief smiled as she finished her porridge and bread with a bit of honey and butter. "I tell you all, the food around here is amazing. I'm slowly getting used to being able to enjoy my meals."
"What was it like for you and your brother before you worked with the Lich Queen?" Priestess too had finished her meal as she looked toward the door for any sign of Goblin Slayer then back to her friend.
"For those years on the run, it was steal what food you can, eat when you can, but always watch your back. No telling when someone might try to kill you." Half-Demon Thief sighed as she thought back to how many times they were forced to sleep outdoors or steal what supplies they needed just to survive.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories for you."
"It's fine, being able to enjoy this meal with those I trust, actual friends is very comforting." Half-Demon Thief then began to look around also trying to spot their stoic leader. "No sign of Goblin Slayer yet, is he taking the day off?"
"If I know Orcbolg, he's probably checking for any signs of goblins on that farm of his before coming over here to inquire about goblin quests."
The rest of the party chuckled as they thought about their leader and his unusual mannerisms, when they heard the door to the guild hall sound. A quick glance from the guild patriots and they could see a figure in dirty leather armor boldly enter the establishment followed by two massive wolves one black in color while the other was white as snow. Guild Girl had a brilliant smile on her face as she nodded towards him with a gentle wave of her hand before continuing her work with the adventurers around her desk.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear! Good Morning Beardcutter!"
Goblin Slayer was silent as he walked toward the rest of his party save a simple nod of his head. Half-Demon Thief and Priestess went about petting the two dire wolves while Goblin Slayer remained standing while looking over the others.
"It wouldn't kill you to at least say "hello" or "good morning" Orcbolg."
"Is that so? Then good morning."
"And a fine morning indeed Milord Goblin Slayer, would you care to partake in some fine cheese with us?"
"No thank you. Have they announced any goblin quests yet?"
There was a pause from the party as they looked toward Goblin Slayer, both Half-Demon Thief and High Elf Archer had an incredulous look on her face while Priestess had a weak smile.
"Oh no Orcbolg, we're doing fine, I appreciate you asking."
"Only you didn't ask Goblin Slayer. I've only been with this group for a short amount of time and I can tell that you are lacking in social skills…and here I thought I was bad at it." Half-Demon Thief sighed as she shook her head before looking toward the rest of the party. "I'm surprised that you've all lasted this long working with him."
"It has been trying at times, quite trying in fact, but you get used to it." Priestess found herself nervously laughing as she thought about all they had gone through.
"If nothing else lass, it helps builds character." Dwarf Shaman gave a hearty laugh while helping himself to his wine.
"Indeed, quite the unique experience." Lizard Priest smiled as he finished his cheese while chuckling with the others.
While the party was there laughing, Goblin Slayer remained silent as he watched over his party, not completely oblivious to their jokes but also not as interested.
"Sorry sir, I did get a chance to check earlier with the posting but did not see any goblins." Priestess was quick to let her teacher know otherwise he'd just stand there staring at them.
"I see."
"Oh come on Orcbolg, we just got back from quite the harrowing adventure and you're already set on going back to chasing after goblins? Besides, don't goblins usually stay hidden in their caves during the winter?"
"Not always. Just as with the Fall Festival, they may attack villages when they are vulnerable."
While Goblin Slayer was busy speaking with his party members, Cow Girl was over by the counter getting her signature for the delivery from Guild Girl.
"And there you go."
"Thank you very much." Cow Girl carefully put away her paperwork and looked over the vast number of adventurers still huddled around the quest board. "Goodness, it's quite busy here today."
"Yes. Quite the number of last-minute quests being submitted." Guild Girl eyed Goblin Slayer carefully before leaning in to whisper to her friend. "I've been keeping an eye out for any goblin quests, thankfully I have not seen any. I feel it's far too soon for him to be back questing after nearly dying on that last quest."
"Thank you, I too have been wishing that he might slow down a bit, at least until the start of the new year." Cow Girl too whispered in hopes that Goblin Slayer would not hear.
All seemed calm for many of our adventurers, Spearman and Witch happily spoke with Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric, praising them for their excellent work in the North. Elsewhere, Heavy Warrior and his party happily ate their large meal, he would check in with Female Knight about the bite she had received from the large wolf to which she replied it will barely leave a scar. Cow Girl had gone to meet with the others, eager to speak with Half-Demon Thief and learn more about her friend's new comrade as she had with the others, that is until a new face entered the guild.
"Please, is this where I am able to request aid from adventurers?"
It was a middle-aged woman who, white hairs visible in her long brunette hair and visible wrinkles on her face. She was rather plain in her wear, a simple dark blue dress and winter coat to protect from the wind, no different than any other villager only she was not from this particular town. She cautiously eyed the patrons in the building, she had been told this was the guild, but was of course unsure of what to expect in terms of adventurers, thankfully she found a young girl near the front desk smiling as she waved at her.
"Over here please. I'll be more than happy to help you get the paperwork for your quest underway."
The woman quickly made her way over to the front desk, still cautiously looking over the adventurers, her eyes seemed to linger on the two large wolves near a group of diverse characters.
"I…I've never had to do something like this before. My people sent me to gain aid for our village, do I select adventurers?"
"My deepest sympathies for you've been through, but before we start looking for adventurers, please let us know what type of situation had beset your village."
"Yes, of course. Our village has been beset by a horde of monsters. Twice now they've attacked, taking livestock, supplies, even people back…at least those they have not killed." The woman had a despairing look about her face as she looked down toward her shaking hands. "These little monsters, green little devils are but the minions for the true terror…the Winter Devil!"
Many of the adventurers were half listening to what the old woman had been describing, but her description of certain events caught the attention of two in particular, Goblin Slayer and Dwarf Shaman.
"Did you say "The Winter Devil"…you've seen it?" Dwarf Shaman had a stern yet worried look on his face as he looked toward the woman.
"I have…a horned demon that commanded his minions to attack without discrimination. Man, woman, child, none are free from his wrath! Everywhere we ran we would find him starring down on us from a rooftop or near the houses…there was no safe place from him."
"Hey Dwarf, what's this Winter Devil?"
"A dreadful legend Long Ears, one that I've heard of when traveling through human villages, especially near mountain settlements. A demon who stalks through the villages during the winter season, one known for a unique habit."
"What kind of habit? I've never heard of this particular demon myself." Half-Demon Thief was confused what made this demon so odd compared to other lower demons.
"It is one who observes individuals around it and rewards those of good nature. Usually leaving food, firewood, or even small bags of gold to those he feels are worthy."
"Then…what about those who are unworthy?" Priestess was nervous as mentally prepared herself for the likely answer.
"The demon drags those people away. The rumors I heard vary, some claim they are to be taken away to be eaten while others say the victims are dragged straight to hell."
"But those are only rumors thought right?" High Elf Archer was a bit unnerved by the look on Dwarf Shaman's face.
"I've never seen the monster myself, but I and other dwarves had seen the result of a supposed attack. Houses completely torn apart, massive hoof prints in the snow and a trail where something massive had been dragged away before being lost I the snow."
There was silence among those at the table as they heard the story from Dwarf Shaman, even Guild Girl was a bit unnerved as she heard the description of the demon, but then all focused their attention on Goblin Slayer who moved toward the woman.
"Those green monsters you spoke of attacking your village…were they goblins?"
"Y, yes. Dozens of goblins have stormed in to attack us." The woman nearly broke down as she thought of all the people they had lost as she desperately took hold of his hand in hers. "We're a large village, nearly 400. Our neighbors around us have been decimated and we are the last. I have a wagon outside ready to take the adventurers so please, will you help my people?"
"I will."
"You'll be taking on this quest then Goblin Slayer? Isn't it too soon for you and your party to undertake another quest?" Guild Girl, though happy to hear Goblin Slayer was willing to help, was worried that he might be pushing himself too hard.
"I don't know about this other monster, but if it is controlling the goblins, then is may pose a future threat such as the Beast Master, I won't allow it."
"Just a moment there Beardcutter, you're not about to take on this task alone. I know you are well versed with goblins, but this Winter Devil is new for many of us, it would be wise not to underestimate him."
"You are free to do as you wish."
"And we intend to Goblin Slayer sir." Priestess smiled as she stood with hat and sounding staff in her hands.
"Then if you are going to go, take Snow and Wolf with you, I'd feel better knowing that you have as much assistance as possible." Cow Girl sighed as she finished petting the two dire wolves, like Guild Girl was a bit annoyed that he was already wanting to undertake another quest. "However, you all better be back in time for the New Year Celebration. I won't tolerate any excuses."
"Then let's gather what supplies we need and get underway, I'm eager to see what this Winter Devil really looks like." Half-Demon Thief was eager to prove herself to her comrades on her first official quest.
xxxx
While Goblin Slayer and his party were getting ready, deep within a cave there they lay indulging in their debauchery. The goblins cackled as they pleasured themselves with the few captive women they had acquired, happily drank their stolen wine and devoured the meat of the livestock animals taken from the village. Further away seated around a large fire was an imposing figure in a dark cloak, above his head were twin horns, yet all was not as it seemed.
"Those damn foolish humans!" The figure chuckled as he reached above his head and removed the twin horns which were attached to simple metal band. "They let their simple superstitions get the better of them. I mean…how stupid can they truly be to believe in The Winter Devil."
"Indeed."
Beside the demon were two other cloaked figures who also sported horns, but like the first demon these were fake. The trio of demon brothers laughed as they too indulged in food and wine, but they also took hold of the gold they had stolen in their various raids.
"Oh no, the Winter Devil is here! No matter where we turn, we can't evade him!" The first demon brother wickedly laughed as he mocked the people in the villages.
"This has been the easiest line of work we've ever undertaken. The goblins do most of the work, and we get to reap the benefits!" The second demon brother as joined as he reached to his side and pulled one of the captured women closer to him by her hair. "That's right my pet, scream for your master!"
"Unfortunately, the women, food and drink won't last forever." The third brother tore at the mutton in hand, disgustingly chewing with the meat in his mouth.
"Then, that means the "Winter Devil" will have to make another appearance to take everything from those villagers. We'll raze the village to the ground, take everything of value for ourselves." The first brother sneered as he ran his fingers over the stolen gold. "But there is no rush, we can still have some fun with these women before they're completely broken."
The trio of demons laughed as they, like the goblins, would satisfy their baser desires until it was time to attack the village once again. What none of them knew was outside their cave something was watching them, though barely visible through the wind and snow, a massive shape looked toward the cave entrance where the light of the fire could be seen. Its breath visible with every heavy breath it exhaled, it's orange-yellow eyes glared as it continued to study the figures in the cave.
xxxx
"Confound this cold."
Lizard Priest found himself shivering even as they traveled by wagon, the chill of the wind would enter from time to time adding to his discomfort. The party loaded up in the wagon with Goblin Slayer sitting at the front with the woman, to the right were the two dire wolves trotting alongside. They would have to stop soon to rest the horses and try to keep themselves warm, but within a day they would soon arrive at the village.
"Would it help if you had another coat?" Priestess was already pulling out her rain coat to pass to her comrade.
"You are most kind, but I shall endure. We managed to endure the cold in the North when fighting the undead, I shall take this as another challenge on my path towards becoming a dragon."
The party members smiled as they continued to travel toward the village, Half-Demon Thief joked about maybe having Snow or Wolf hop into the wagon with them, then it would be plenty warm.
"Hey, I mean to ask, how did you come to hear about this Winter Devil?" High Elf Archer turned toward Dwarf Shaman curious to hear more about this demon.
"Like any race, even we dwarves have our own legends, in some cases these legends tend to overlap." Dwarf Shaman chuckled as he took a sip of his wine and offered it to the others around. "Working in the mines and mountains of the world, we have come across much. Cave Trolls, Dragons, even a Balrog."
High Elf Archer's eyes were wide as she heard the name, she could feel a chill running down her back and this was not caused by the cold.
"Balrog?" Priestess was confused by the name.
"They've also been called Balor, great flame demons. When my brother and I were still freelancing, we had heard of the resurrected Demon Lord, some said it was a powerful Balor who would burn the world to the ground. Of course, none of us had seen this Demon Lord, so it was just speculation." Half-Demon Thief frowned as she thought about such a powerful demon. "Thankfully, my brother and I were not about to join this demon army, no guarantee we'd survive. So instead we opted to work with the Lich Queen…though that in itself was also a terrible idea."
"Then going off those demons you mentioned, the Winter Devil is another demon that is said to be within caves." Dwarf Shaman sighed as he took another sip of his wine. "Some of the legends I heard mentioned dwarves actually working with the demon, making chains and hooks for him to use when punishing the wicked, I figured it had to have been Dark Dwarves, but again it was all legend."
"Why would this demon use goblins though? If it punishes the wicked, I would believe that the goblins are the most wicked." Priestess needed to only think about the goblins had done to her party members.
"I'm not sure lass, but once we deal with this demon, we'll discover the truth."
xxxx
It had now been a week since the attack on the village, the food and drink were gone, the women they had captured lay dead on the cold floor. The three demons brother donned their false horns, and black robes as they stood before the small force of goblins.
"Tonight, the Winter Devil shall make his appearance. Destroy all in your path, capture the women, take all their valuables for our own!" The first demon brother roared as he raised his arm high above his head.
The goblins bellowed in fury as they raised their weapons up, eager to fight and spill as much blood of the humans as possible.
"Lunacy has been cast on them, these goblins will fight to death for us my brother." The second demon brother snickered as he looked over the goblins.
"I grow starved for companionship. Let us go and capture as many of those young women for ourselves! Their screams will be music to my ears!" The third demon brother eagerly clenched and released his fingers as he thought of all the enjoyment he would get.
"To the village!"
xxxx
"I have brought the adventurers!"
Goblin Slayer and his party arrived in the village, more than three dozen buildings could be seen, the smaller structures were clearly houses for the families while the larger ones included a workshop for the blacksmith, a badly damaged barn, and a large hall for the village leaders to gather in. upon the woman's cries, several villagers cautiously exited from the dwellings to examine the force that had been brought to aid their struggling village.
"You here to help yes?" The village elder still disbelieving they actually had the assistance they requested.
"We are here to slay the goblins."
Goblin Slayer's mechanical tone did little to ease their nervousness, but the rest of the party were quick to step in and reassure the villagers they would do all in their power to stop the attacks. After a brief examination, they could see four of the houses badly damaged, each burned to the ground. Goblin Slayer looked toward the sky and could see the winds were bringing in cloud coverage as the snow continued to strike against his armor.
"What are you thinking Orcbolg?"
"The wind is picking up, making it almost impossible to see, they'll use this as coverage to assault the village." Goblin Slayer grunted as he looked past the damaged fences towards the trees.
"You think they'll wait until nightfall or attack beforehand?" Half-Demon Thief was still trying to learn as much as she could about the goblins.
"Don't know, but we need to get ourselves ready for their attack." Goblin Slayer check his sword to ensure it did not freeze up in the sheath.
It was then that he remembered it was his black blade he recovered in the castle when fighting the Lich Queen. There was still a slight discomfort in his left shoulder where she had been stabbed by her, but he would not allow it hinder his ability to fight.
"Then what do you say we get something to eat before this battle. Not to worry Beardcutter, something small to warm our bellies but won't keep us sluggish."
The party followed the villagers towards the center building to go over their strategy as they were given a bowl of soup, some bread and cheese to tide them over. When the fighting begun, the villagers would stay close together and they were encouraged to arm themselves should the goblins break through. High Elf Archer would use the rooftops to easily move about the battlefield, Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest would be on the front lines engaging the bulk of the force, Dwarf Shaman and Priestess would stay toward the back for defense of the town, ensure the goblins did not sneak past them and Half-Demon Thief would act as mid-range, stopping goblins that made it past the frontline warriors and using her ability if possible. The only thing they were not sure of was how to deal with this Winter Devil, the ideal situation would be for High Elf Archer or Dwarf Shaman to take out the demon from a far, but they would wait to see what it was truly capable of. It was before sunset when everyone heard the twin howls of the dire wolves from outside the village.
"They're here."
The party members quickly rushed into their positions in readiness for the attack, High Elf Archer hiding herself behind a large chimney stack with arrow and bow ready, Half-Demon Thief ready in the shadows of two nearby buildings with daggers ready. Priestess and Dwarf Shaman stood ready to protect the buildings if the goblins got through the cracks. Lizard Priest and Goblin Slayer stood ready with Wolf and Snow at their side, the dire wolves as the unfamiliar scents drew closer to the village. High Elf Archer struggled to listen, she could hear the cackles of the goblins even over the winds and then heard a voice.
"That must be the Winter Devil, not quite as menacing as I would have…wait. I hear more than one voice!" High Elf Archer peered from around the side and through the snowstorm thought she could make out three tall figures. "Dwarf, I can hear more than one voice commanding them."
"What'd you say Long Ears?"
"I said there's more than one of these Winter Devils, three of them from what I hear."
"What? How the hell can there be more than one? Something's not right here, we move up."
The false Winter Devil chuckled as he looked over village, the torches they used for lights already fluttering in the wind and snow. Near him were his two brothers who were eager to see the humans drowned in the fear of their stupid legends.
"Let us begin the onslaught!"
Before he or the others could move into position, an arrow struck the nearest goblin in the head. The demon brothers shocked by the looked ahead and there they could see through the haze six figures and two massive wolves.
"What the hell! Who the hell are you!" The first demon brother had a scowl at the sight of the adventurers.
"The ones sent here to stop you. So, you three are the Winter Devil huh?" Dwarf Shaman had a scowl on his face as he looked at the small force before him. "Clever bastards, the three of you look alike so it appears the true demon can be in more than one place."
"Your goblins will be crushed here today." Goblin Slayer stood ready with sword and mace in hand as he took a step toward the monsters.
"It would seem that our disguises are no longer needed brother." The second demon brother threw off his heavy cloak and removed the false horns.
"It would seem you are correct." The first demon brother followed his brother as did the third brother. "We will take this village, no six adventurers and their pets are going to stop us. And now look brothers, a female elf and demoness, I was starting to grow bored of using only humans over and over."
"I want the female demon." The third brother licked hi lips as he eyes Half-Demon Thief.
The three demon brothers now stood before the party in their leather armor, these were not trained warriors but simple thieves who relied on numbers and flexibility to defeat their opponents.
"Kill them all!" The first demon brother shouted with sword pointed toward the adventurers.
The goblins, under the effect of Lunacy, screamed as they charged forward to attack, not caring about their own wellbeing. Goblin Slayers and the others charged forward to engage the forces, easily tearing through the force of goblins even with them being forty strong. High Elf Archer picked off goblin one after another with her arrows, Dwarf Shaman would use his sling to keep the goblins at bay while waiting for any goblins to try and get closer to the village. During the chaos, the third brother rushed off to the side with sword in hand, eager to slip past the lizard man and armored adventurer to get to the female demon.
"Looks like I'll be the first one to enjoy himself with a new…what, where did she go?"
The demon brother looked around the area where the female demon had been, but there was no sign of her, in fact the goblins were also confused by her sudden disappearance. Before he could even voice his concerns, one of the goblins near him had his throat slashed, then another beside it had blood running from its head. He could hear the crunching of the snow as if someone was running around killing thr goblins left and right.
"What the hell…show yourself!"
"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to have me all to yourself, isn't that what you said to your brothers?" Her voice could be heard echoing around him but there was no visible sign of her.
The third demon brother nervously looked around the snow, but there had been so many footprints from the goblins it was hard to tell where she could be standing. The third brother then cried out as a great pain was felt behind him, Half-Demon Thief stopped her Stealth spell as she jammed her left dagger into the demon's back and brought her right dagger toward his neck.
"Lucky you, you have me all to yourself, but I imagine this is not the type of fun you wished to have." Half-Demon Thief whispered this into his ear with as much hatred as she could muster. "There is only one I would give myself to, and you it won't be some disgusting creature such as you."
She dragged her blade across his throat and kicked him to the ground, freeing her dagger that was stuck in his back. The third brother clutched at his throat, desperately trying to stop the bleeding but it was a futile effort. With a look of disgust, she wiped the demon's blood from her blades before charging back to deal with the goblins.
Goblin Slayer found himself fighting against the second demon brother, the demon viciously attacking with his sword, but Goblin Slayer was not some weak human. Goblin Slayer swung with his mace at the demon, the beast raised his sword to defend only to have the blade shattered from the impact. The second brother was shocked by this only to then feel the terrible pain in his gut, he looked down to see the armored adventurer had rammed his sword straight through him.
"You will not use the goblins as your own personal army. I won't let you." Goblin Slayer violently tore his blade free then swung it across the demon's neck, easily decapitating the monster.
The first demon brother could only watch as his brothers were killed before him, off to the side the dire wolves viciously mauled the goblins, his force of goblins, more than 40 at the start, had been reduced to less than ten in these few minutes of fighting. He would certainly not allow himself to be killed here, the goblins would act as a useful distraction for him to make his escape until a monstrous roar echoed across the land. Everyone stopped as they began to look around for what had caused such a noise, was it the sound of the mountain caving in or some massive beast about to attack them. Priestess suddenly became aware of what sounded like heavy breathing and as she looked around saw something on the roof beside the High Elf Archer.
"Beside you!"
High Elf Archer was shocked by her friends comment and she slowly turned toward her left and looked up to see a giant beside her, it was wearing a dirty red cloak, atop its head were two massive, curved horns, within the darkness where its face should have been everyone could see a long white beard hanging down across its chest and two bright yellow-orange eyes looking at them. Wolf and Snow found were growling as they eyed this creature, its scent making them feel uneasy
"What…what is thing? I didn't even notice it beside me!"
Everyone could see this massive creature, where it came from no one knew, but they all had an idea of what this thing was.
"The Winter Demon." Dwarf Shaman looked up at this massive beast, immediately worried it would attack the ranger.
The Winter Demon growled as it looked ahead and with suddenly leapt upward to the surprise of all around them. They watched as it moved through the air, leaping forward, past the adventurers, past the goblins, and right for the first demon brother. The demon dropped his sword and screamed, he a demon steeped in fear as the monster drew closer toward him until it landed on top of him, crushing its body beneath its massive hooves. The Winter Devil snorted as it looked toward the gory mess that had been the demon before slowly turning around to look back toward the adventurers and the goblins, it was only when it was standing before them that they noticed it carried a large burlap sack. The monster growled as studied everyone around it and raised its right hand, black claws visible on its fingertips as it pointed toward them.
"Böse." It was a strange dialect that none of the adventurers had ever heard of and thus it's meaning was lost to them.
The Winter Devil then moved to open the sack pointing it toward the group, instantly chains with thick hooks at the end shot out of the bag at a speed that none could comprehend. These chains flew past Goblin Slayer and the others and hooked into the flesh on the surviving goblins. The goblins collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain as they attempted to remove the hooks, then the chains then went taut and began to move back into the burlap sack. The goblins screamed as many tried to remove the hook while others clawed at the ground to keep from being dragged into this sack. High Elf Archer had jumped down from the rooftop to join the others who could only look on with wide eyes as the monster continued to drag the goblins toward him. One by one the goblins were pulled into the sack, until the final one disappeared into the darkness, once all the goblins were collected, the Winter Devil seal the bag while the goblins continued to scream as bulges could be seen moving from within.
"My word, he captured them all." Lizard Priest lowered his weapon as he too was stunned by all he had witnessed.
The Winter Devil looked toward the adventurers, in particular the man in the armor and slowly walked toward him, dragging the sack along the ground. The others quickly rushed to join Goblin Slayer, not sure what this creature would do let alone what it could do.
"He does not appear to be a goblin."
"Beardcutter are you daft, this is the Winter Demon we mentioned." Dwarf Shaman was at a loss for his friend's behavior.
The Winter Devil studied to man before him then looked toward the other five around him before uttering one word.
"Ehrenwert."
The creature reached into the right pocket along its coat and pulled out a small red pouch and held it out toward Goblin Slayer. Goblin Slayer was hesitant as he looked toward the creature with the item in hand, only for the creature to nod its head toward him. Goblin Slayer put his weapons away before reaching out to take the item in hand.
"Ich werde aufpassen."
The Winter Devil turned and began to walk away from the village, still dragging the sack of screaming goblin along the ground. The group watched him in amazement, and with a sudden gust of wind and snow, the creature was gone and all was silent save the howling of the wind.
"O Earth Mother…." Priestess collapsed to her knees in the snow as she struggled to steady her breathing. "What kind of monster wad that?"
"A demon from ancient times lass, and one I hope we never see again."
"That thing cannot be a demon, that's beyond comprehension. I've seen plenty of lesser and mid-ranked demons, but that's the first time I've seen a higher rank demon." Half-Demon Thief put her daggers away as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Um…Orcbolg, what did it give you?"
Priestess got back to her feet and moved toward the front with the others to see Goblin Slayer open the small red pouch, within it was a small golden bell.
"A bell, how peculiar? Are there any visible markings on it?" Lizard Priest was puzzled by the sight of the small bell.
"There appears to be writing on it." Goblin Slayer grunted as he examined the golden bell.
"What does it say Goblin Slayer?" Priestess was curious what message was written on the bell given to him.
"A single word, KRAMPUS." Goblin Slayer examined the bell a bit more before placing that too into his pouch.
"Krampus? Is that the name of the beast?" Half-Demon Thief looked back toward the trail left by the Winter Devil only to find the impressions already filled in by the snow.
"It doesn't matter. We shall inform the villagers that the goblins have been dealt with." Goblin Slayer placed the bell back within the pouch before placing that in his own back pouch. "We can then return to home tomorrow."
The party followed with Goblin Slayer and the dire wolves to report on the situation, thankfully that night there had been no visible sign of the Winter Demon. By the next morning, the party had loaded up the wagon and was ready to make the journey back home. Just as they were leaving they heard the villagers cry out in joy, within the barn were large bundles of wood and several baskets of food. The weather itself seemed to have improved as well, as the journey back to Frontier Town was far better. After three short days on the road, the party was back in town much to the relief of Cow Girl and Guild Girl.
"So you all actually saw the creature?" Cow Girl was shock that the demon had turned out to be quite real and captured the goblins.
"Oh it's real alright, and if we're lucky we won't have to see it ever again." High Elf Archer sighed as she shook her head, still surprised by its sudden appearance.
"And you say it gave you something?" Guild Girl was concerned that this demon would give out items after what it had done to the goblins.
Goblin Slayer nodded as he reached within his back pouch to retrieve the item given to him yet when feeling for the small pouch, it no longer felt like the bell from before. He grunted as he pulled out the small red pouch for all to see and they too could see that the shape had changed, Goblin Slayer opened the pouch and emptied it into his hand, but rather than a small golden bell were seven golden coins.
"What happened to the bell? Is that the same pouch from before?" Half-Demon Thief was surprised by the change of the bell into gold.
"It is." Goblin Slayer looked toward the golden coins before placing the seven coins in the center. "Each you take one."
"You're sure Orcbolg?"
"I am."
"Thank you Goblin Slayer." Priestess bowed her head toward her teacher.
Each of the party members took a coin which still lefts two in the center; Goblin Slayer took these two coins and gave one to Cow Girl and one to Guild Girl.
"Wait, I don't understand, why are you giving them to us Goblin Slayer, we didn't aid you on your quest?" Guild Girl was puzzled by Goblin Slayer's actions.
"I don't need the coins, and a way of apologizing for making you worry."
Both Guild Girl and Cow Girl smiled as they held the coin tightly in their hands as did the rest of the party. They were quick to order a large meal and drink to celebrate their recent victory, unaware of the massive creature watching them through the window from the rooftop of the opposite building. The Winter Demon grunted one final time before leaping away from the building, once again disappearing into the blinding snow.
Author's Note: A little story in time for the Holidays, I used Google translate for the German words, so hopefully I used the correct phrasing. I'm hopeful to get another chapter for Howl of Vengeance out before Christmas, thanks again for all the support and feedback everyone.