Chapter 2 - Attack of the Goblins

oooooooooo

The goblins' onslaught had come like a bolt out of the blue.

The people of Sandpoint found themselves flung right into the a nightmare just as they were celebrating one of the most joyous moments in their recent history. In a matter of seconds, the vile green-skinned creatures were storming the town, stabbing left and right, and trying to rob and devastate as much as possible. Goblins armed with torches were setting fire to straw sheaves and wooden stalls, laughing with childish glee as the flames began to rise!

"Yahoooo! Fire burn! Nice!" a goblin squealed, looking at a burning stall in excitement.

"Come on, goblins! We take Sandpoint!" another goblin exclaimed as he brandished a horsechopper - a pike-like weapon that consisted of a serrated blade mounted at the end of a long wooden pole.

Other goblins laughed again, and began to sing a strange and eerie dirge as they went about their plundering.

Goblins chew and goblins bite.

Goblins cut and goblins fight.

stab the dog and cut the horse,

Goblins eat and take by force!

Goblins race and goblins jump.

Goblins slash and goblins bump.

Burn the skin and mash the head,

Goblins here and you be dead!

Chase the baby, catch the pup.

Bonk the head to shut it up.

Bones be cracked, flesh be stewed,

We be goblins! You be food!

Some of Sandpoint's people tried to escape, but to no avail - despite their small size, the goblins were fast, and they could cover the distance that separated them from their victims in just a few strides . Others, braver or perhaps just more desperate, grabbed the first thing they could use as a weapon and tried to resist. And among them were Yan and Reji, who had suddenly found themselves surrounded by four of those little monsters, just as they were enjoying a moment of quiet amidst the din of celebration!

"What the... where on Golarion did these little monsters come from?" the young swordsman exclaimed . He unsheathed the sword that hung by his side and grabbed a small metal shield, just before one of the goblins lunged at him with an ear-splitting screech! The young man reacted effectively and hit the goblin in the face with his shield, breaking some of the green menace's teeth and sending it flying a short distance, while another goblin tried to catch him from the side, wielding a broken bottle like a knife.

"Watch out, Yan!" Reji intervened, wielding a battle staff and striking the goblin on the shoulder, with enough force to break his arm! The little monster lost its grip on his improvised weapon and fell to the ground, screeching in pain, and Yan took advantage of that moment to step forward and strike a blow against a third opponent. The blow was accurate and lethal, opening a gash in the goblin's chest, and the greenskin collapsed in a pool of blood. The fourth opponent stepped forward and tried to bite Reji's leg while it was distracted, but the black-haired Tian girl caught him before he could attack and lifted him up before tossing him away!

"Nicely done, Reji... but we need to go help! If we don't hurry, those little imps will turn Sandpoint into their playground!" the young man exclaimed. Reji nodded in assent, and the two friends rushed towards the square, where there seemed to be the highest concentration of invaders.

As they had imagined, the situation there was chaotic to say the least - the goblins, making the most of their surprise, were spreading panic among the crowd. Some of them had climbed onto the stalls to gorge themselves on the food they found, stuffing huge chunks of meat into their gaping mouths or in their pockets to be saved for later. Other goblins climbed up on the tables and used them as springboards to attack passersby... and as soon as Yan and Reji had approached the square, one of them lunged at the young man, brandishing his serrated dagger!

Yan raised his shield just in time, and the goblin slammed into it, then slid to the ground confused and dazed, easy prey for the slash with which the young warrior finished him off. But for every goblin that fell, another one would pop out of the most unlikely hiding places to attack them and the people of Sandpoint, some of whom lay dead or badly wounded on the ground. The goblins fought as if it was all some sort of cruel game to them, seemingly lacking any sense of danger.

"There are too many of them, Yan!" exclaimed Reji, narrowly avoiding a goblin that had jumped at her from a nearby rooftop. The little green monster smashed to the ground, triggering laughter from the other goblins. "We have to try to hold them off and get the civilians to safety!"

"I'm doing what I can..." the young man replied. With a sudden dash, he interposed himself between two goblins and a man who was helping his son to his feet, and quickly stabbed one of the two little monsters... but the other managed to sneak through his defense and went for a lunging stab! Yan dodged just in time, but the blade still managed to inflict a painful wound on his right hip. "Gah! You little bastard..."

"Keheheee! Cut longshanks' throats!" the goblin snickered as it tried to get closer and attempt a new attack. But before he could strike again, a low hiss was heard... and a crossbow bolt struck the goblin in the right temple, going through his skull and out the left temple! The goblin fell dead, a demented grin frozen on his lips.

"Hahahaaa, funny!" another goblin laughed sneeringly at his comrade's death... a moment before a smaller crossbow bolt plunged into his forehead and killed him in turn. When Yan and Reji looked in the direction from which the quarrels had come, they saw a bespectacles half-elven young woman in wizardly clothes, and a female gnome dressed in long white robes, her blonde hair flowing down her back and her long eyebrows giving her a sharp look.

"You two! Are you alright?" the half-elven woman asked, putting her crossbow back in place and picking up an iron-shod staff instead.

"Thank you, we could use a hand right now..." said Reji, as the two newcomers joined the pair. "What's going on here? How did all these goblins get into town?"

"We... we have no idea! We need to chase them away and protect the people of Sandpoint!" the female gnome stated, her clothes fluttering all over the place, as if stirred by a wind coming from multiple directions. The blonde gnome girl tried to hold back the flaps of her dress with an annoyed expression, then pointed to the main square, where some goblins had gathered around another of their kind who was singing another of their atrocious dirges. "There, the one in the square! If we can take that one down, maybe the other goblins will lose heart!"

"Let's go!" Yan exclaimed, taking the lead of the group. "By the way... my name is Yan, and this is my companion Reji."

"Eli... and this is Misia." the half-elf wizard said. "For the rest of the introductions, let's wait until everything is back in place!"

"Look out, here come more of them!" Misia exclaimed, pointing to a small group of goblins that were charging at them, leaving some dead or wounded Sandpoint residents behind. Yan gritted his teeth in anger and sorrow. It should have been a day of celebration and joy, but instead those people had only found death. He was going to make those hideous little beasts pay for it...

"I need some space so I can cast a spell," Eli said. "Yan, Reji... can you stop those little worms from reaching me?"

"Not a single one will get through!" exclaimed Yan, shield raised and sword ready to strike.

"I'll watch your flanks! I won't let those little bastards hit you!" exclaimed Reji. A goblin lunged at Yan, screeching in a demented tone, but was met by the steel of his sword that sent him to the ground, nearly split in two! Reji deftly wielded her battle staff and delivered a deadly blow that struck an attacker in the chest, breaking his ribs!

"Get pointy ears!" the singing goblin shrieked. Around him, three other goblins had gathered, seeming almost emboldened by his eerie songs. The first of the three picked up a javelin and hurled it at Eli, who widened her eyes and jumped aside just in time. Before another goblin could take aim and attempt another attack, the half-elf managed to cast a spell and pointed her open hand at the goblins.

"Acid Splash!" Eli exclaimed . A stream of greenish liquid shot out of the palm of her hand and hit a goblin that was targeting her! The goblin let out a high-pitched screech and collapsed, writhing in pain. Misia had time to reload her crossbow and fired a quarrel at the goblin bard standing on the table, but the latter ducked just in time, and the female gnome winced in disappointment. She had hoped she could get him...

"That goblin! He's a bard, he infuses the other goblins with energy when he sings." Misia stated. "If we can take him out, we'll make things easier on ourselves!"

Misia raised a hand and cast a spell in turn - a faint golden aura lit up around her and her companions, who felt slightly invigorated and advanced to attack again. The two goblins next to the bard were now launching an attack, while the one irritated by the acid had fled, frantically searching for some fresh water. But two more goblins had joined the attackers, and they were closing in on the quartet of defenders faster than Eli and Misia could reload their weapons or cast their spells.

"Damn it! If they keep coming... Aaaargh!" Reji let out a cry of pain as a javelin thrown by one of the goblins wounded her right arm. "We... we won't be able to reach the bard! We'll have to figure something out!"

"I'll try to catch him with a crossbow shot, but the damn thing isn't that easy to hit," Eli said. "Maybe I should use my Magic Missile spell now..."

"Better to keep your spells for later, unless we have no other choice." Misia said. She managed to reload her crossbow and fired another shot that pierced a goblin in the abdomen. "Let's try to hold them off for now!"

"I'll try to pave the way for you! You do what you can to..." Yan noticed that the goblin bard was pointing a small crossbow at him, and he raised his shield just in time before the little green monster pulled the trigger. Yan gritted his teeth as the quarrel planted itself in his shield, almost managing to penetrate it. "Ugh! Quick, now is the time! Eli, cast a spell on him!"

"Hey, don't give me orders! I'm already doing it!" Eli exclaimed. "Acid... Gah!"

The wizard let out a pained exclamation as a goblin struck her in the arm with his knife, appearing from a nearby overturned table. She retreated, dabbing at her wound, and the vile little creature came up licking the bloody blade to strike again... but this time, he was intercepted by Misia who bent down, picked up a rock and threw it at the goblin, hitting it in the eye. The greenskin retreated, pressing his eye and screeching in pain, while Yan tried to seize the right moment to attack the bard.

"Hyahahahaaa! Fire burn! Sandpoint burn!" snickered a goblin under the bard's table, brandishing a lit torch as he emerged from his hiding place. He waved his improvised weapon frantically, drawing trails of fire throughout the air... and the goblin bard finally stopped his crooning and unsheathed his knife, ready to throw himself into the fray in turn.

"Longshanks bring it on! Goblin cut! Goblin eat!" the goblin bard snickered. He was about to climb down from his makeshift podium to join the battle...

When suddenly, something came up behind him... and a moment later, the singing goblin's eyes widened and he let out a high-pitched squeal of pain, then fell forward with a dagger in his back! He writhed for a moment, then lay motionless as his attacker revealed himself. Eli and Misia immediately recognized Jolan, the halfling they had met moments before!

"Gah! No more celebestial music!" exclaimed the goblin with the lit torch, looking disapprovingly at the fallen bard.

"Look, Eli!" Misia exclaimed in relief. "That... that's the halfling we saw earlier, isn't he?"

Eli nodded, admittedly glad to see him again. She didn't think that halfling would be capable of handling himself, but she was not going to turn down extra help.

Swiftly, Jolan pulled a knife from a sleeve of his shirt and threw it at a goblin trying to climb towards him. The blade struck the little green monster in the wrist and forced it to let go with a high-pitched squeal of pain, before the goblin ran off screaming and babbling.

"Longshanks have halfling with them!" one of the goblins shrieked. "Good for pot!"

"But he strong! Knives hurt!" a more cautious one replied, then retreated a step. The fact that their bard had fallen in battle seemed to have put some salt in the noggin of the surviving goblins, some of whom had soon decided to cut and run and never return to Sandpoint. Others instead advanced, trying to reach Jolan ... but one of them was hit by another Acid Splash spell cast by Eli, which made him run away in pain, and another one was knocked down by a crossbow quarrel from Misia. The female gnome tried to aim again... but the crossbow slipped off her hands and fell to the ground with a clattering noise, scattering the remaining quarrels around her!

"Gah! Why does this always happen in the most inopportune moments?" an exasperated Misia complained.

"Never mind, we'll take care of the rest!" Yan exclaimed. He quickly placed himself in front of his two friends and charged the goblins with his shield held high in front of him, like a battering ram. The green monsters, smaller and certainly much less robust than an ordinary man, had no choice but to get away or be run over. Another goblin suddenly emerged from under an overturned table and tried to stab Yan in the back, but he was met by a deadly roundhouse kick from Reji, who threw him against a nearby wall. The goblin let out a short cry before slumping to the ground.

"Good job!" Eli exclaimed. "I have to admit, I didn't think you guys were that skilled."

"Heh. Thanks, but no time for pleasantries. There are still plenty of goblins... we have to move it and try to stop them before they take more victims." Yan replied.

"Wait!" exclaimed a mature man's voice, which Yan and Reji immediately recognized as that of Father Zantus. The kindly priest was trudging behind the group as quickly as he could... and as soon as he was within a few steps of the team, he stopped to catch his breath, immediately assisted by Jolan.

"Father Zantus! You shouldn't be here, it's too dangerous..." the halfling exclaimed worriedly. The rest of the group gathered in turn around the priest, who now seemed calmer.

"Yeah... I know, guys... but I couldn't just stand here when... you were risking your lives for us," he wheezed. "There are...quite a few goblins coming through the north gate of our town...near the White Deer Inn. If... if you could go and help out around there, it would make it easier to repel this attack."

"Alright, father... but you, get to safety! We'll take care of the rest now!" Yan tried to convince him.

But Zantus had one more thing to do. With a determined look, he took his sacred symbol, a silver medallion in the shape of a butterfly, and held it up above his head... and immediately, a wave of golden energy expanded from the priest and reached the five adventurers. The wounds and bruises they had received in the battle disappeared in a matter of moments, and Yan looked at himself for a moment before smiling at Father Zantus and thanking him.

"There. You should be at your best now." said Zantus. "Take care, my children...and may Desna's blessing be with you."

Misia clenched a hand into a fist and placed it over her heart. "We will do our best to save Sandpoint."

oooooooooo

"Look out! More are coming!" Ameiko exclaimed, using an overturned table to shield herself from a barrage of small arrows the goblins were firing at Sandpoint's defenders. Gritting her teeth, the young innkeeper crawled to a compartment at the bottom of her counter and opened it, pull out a finely chiseled rapier whose blade was made of a silvery metal that seemed to glow with its own light.

"It seems that... I'll have to make use of my adventuring experience." she said to herself with a small, bitter smile. The memories of what had happened so long ago were still all too fresh in her mind... but at that moment, it was not the time to be sentimental. After taking a deep breath, Ameiko grabbed the hilt of her rapier and stood up, just in time to see two goblins pouncing on her specialties and filling their mouths, chewing and gorging themselves without restraint.

"Hey! That stuff is not on credit!" Ameiko exclaimed as she picked up a rock and threw it at one of the two attackers. The goblin grabbed the rock and mumbled something with his mouth full, but he didn't have time to finish before Ameiko's blade went right through him. The other goblin lunged at the innkeeper wielding his dogslicer, and delivered a slash that tore through the right sleeve of her dress, but thankfully failed to injure her. With a skill that few would have imagined in a simple innkeeper, Ameiko kicked her attacker and sent him to the ground, then stabbed him through the heart with a decisive lunge. Startled by Ameiko's unexpected skill, the other goblins ran away screaming and babbling.

"Phew... That makes two. Good thing I still got it," Ameiko said to herself. But there was no time for complacency - around her, the goblins stubbornly continued to fight and destroy, even now that the people of Sandpoint had organized and were putting up a fight. "Well, I'd better lend my support as well..."

With a leap, Ameiko joined a group of people who, wielding knives and sticks, had gathered into an impromptu fighting group. To her relief, the young Tian realized that the city militia was also arriving, and with their determined counterattack, the goblins were quickly losing ground.

oooooooooo

The Sandpoint main square was the place where the battle continued to rage most fiercely. The goblins had shown a modicum of organization, gathering at a point in the center of the square where they had the advantage of numbers and elevated position, and were trying to break through Sandpoint's defense line. At the head of the green humanoids was a particularly stout and ferocious goblin, whose skin was a peculiar blue-gray color, and who wore a badly tanned fur coat and a leather hat with a helmet made from the skull of a dog on top. At that moment, he was leading the other goblins from the back of a strange creature, an obscenely glabrous dog-like quadruped whose pinkish skin was infested with reddish sores, and whose huge incisors resembled those of a rat.

"Cut! Eat! Burn!" he exclaimed, waving a lit torch. "Sandpoint must burn!"

His mount emitted a strange cry, a cross between a dog's growl and a rat's squeak, and his rider spurred it toward some stalls, while his henchmen shrieked hysterical and attacked once again, barely held at bay by Sandpoint's town militia's spears. With a gesture, the goblin leader tossed his torch at a wooden stall on which colored clothes were displayed, and the goods caught fire, turning the stall, which fortunately was completely abandoned, into a bonfire. Then, the riding goblin grabbed his horsecutter and charged at the first target he came across. Coincidentally, it was a well-dressed man along with a hunting dog.

"Hahahahaaa! Dog die!" the goblin leader shrieked. The man cried out in panic and narrowly managed to dodge the attack, but his dog wasn't as lucky and was skewered by the terrifying blade, dying an instant later.

"No! Primrose!" exclaimed the man, looking in horror at his faithful companion lying dead on the ground.

The goblin leader drew his weapon from the dog's body and let out a cry of triumph. "Yaaaaah! Glorious chief Brunkel slay dog! Brunkel hero!" he exclaimed with malicious glee. His hideous mount screeched and turned sharply toward the man on the ground, and the goblin pointed his bloodied weapon at him. With an exclamation of fear, the man tried to back away, but there wasn't much he could do before Brunkel was upon him.

"Freeze, goblin!"

Reji charged into the fray with a shrill battle cry, and Brunkel was not even able to realize what was going on before a flying kick reached him and knocked him to the ground with a pained exclamation! The Tian girl backflipped and stood on guard, her ponytail swishing elegantly behind her head. Brunkel sprang up and picked up his weapon, as his mount screeched fiercely at the oncoming quintet.

"Stay behind us, sir!" Yan exclaimed, addressing the sharply-dressed man. "We'll take care of these two!"

Still reeling from the narrow escape, the man took a second to collect himself and took refuge behind a nearby empty barrel as Yan and his companions got ready to fight the goblin leader and his mount.

"A goblin dog." warned Eli, staring in disgust at the mangy creature hissing fiercely at them. "Be careful not to get bitten. Their saliva contains a powerful allergen."

"I thought goblins hated dogs," Misia asserted, holding a short spear she had taken from some fallen goblin. "Instead, this goblin actually rides on one..."

"Goblin dog no dog, filthy gnome!" Brunkel growled indignantly. The goblin dog, as if indignant at the idea of being mistaken for a normal dog, rushed in to attack and tried to bite Misia's throat, but the female gnome managed to dodge the blow, and responded by striking the beast in the side with her spear. The dog-goblin growled and retreated suddenly, bleeding from a wound in its side.

"Brunkel no need help to kill longshanks!" the goblin leader snickered. Some of his henchmen had paused for a moment to cheer him on, and Brunkel grinned confidently before grabbing his horsecutter and standing on guard in front of Yan.

"Alright, I'll take care of this guy!" exclaimed the young man, shield raised and sword ready to strike. "You guys keep the other goblins and that mutt at bay."

"Alright. But be careful." replied Jolan promptly. The halfling turned his head, parrying a goblin's attempted sneak attack, while Eli sighed, a little annoyed at the order, and prepared to cast another spell. The goblins were becoming more aggressive, perhaps intoxicated by the surprise attack and the leader's presence, and the half-elf thought it might be time for some more powerful spells...

The goblin dog was attacking again, throwing a feint and then trying to catch Reji in the side. With a curse, the young martial artist managed to fend off the creature, which landed nimbly a few steps away from her and crouched down to rebuild momentum. The young girl shifted her weight backwards... and when the beast took a leap to attack, she threw herself to the ground and let the goblin dog run over her, then hit it with a pinpoint-accurate punch to the chest. With a yelp, the monster fell to the ground next to her, but managed to get back up a moment later, and Reji was forced to hold back when a goblin swept down on her and swiped at her left leg with his broadsword.

"Leave it to me." exclaimed Eli. "Magic Missile!"

The wizard pointed the index and middle fingers of her right hand at the goblin dog... and with a hissing sound, a blue-white projectile of pure energy darted from her fingertips. The beast threw itself to the side to avoid the projectile... but its attempt proved futile, as the Magic Missile changed direction at the last moment and hit the goblin dog in the side.

"Hah! A Magic Missile spell never misses its target, stupid beast." Eli commented smugly. Her expression became serious again when she saw that the goblin dog had recovered much faster than expected, and was already charging again.

"I don't think he understands you!" Misia exclaimed. She pointed her spear at the goblin dog and used it to try and keep it away... and for a few seconds, the hideous creature backed away uncertainly, sensing that the weapon was a threat. "We need to deal an harsher blow, or this beast won't go down."

Eli gritted her teeth in disappointment. "In terms of attack spells, I only had that Magic Missile prepared," she stated. "I can try again with Acid Splash, or Ray of Frost, but I don't think they'll do enough damage to stop him."

"Never mind, I'll take care of the rest," Reji affirmed. Jolan was busy holding off a couple of goblins that were trying to flank the quintet, but even though he was doing a good job, more of the little green monsters were getting ready to back up their comrades. "Can you try and help Jolan?"

"Ugh... why is everyone ordering me around today...?" Eli muttered. Nevertheless, she hurried to do as Reji had asked, and cast another simple attack spell, Ray of Frost. She fired a small beam of freezing energy at one of the goblins, and the green menace was struck in the right wrist, let out a high-pitched squeal of pain and dropped the shortsword it was wielding.

"Thank you, wizard girl! Nice aiming you got there!" exclaimed Jolan as he parried a blow from another goblin, and responded with a punch to the face. Misia came running and skewered another goblin with her spear, while Eli tried to reload her crossbow as quickly as possible.

oooooooooo

Yan dodged a lunge from the goblin commander and pushed him back with a kick, then slammed the blade of his sword into his shield, so as to intimidate his opponent. With an enraged growl, Brunkel tried to attack again, but the young fighter managed to deflect the blade. With a sprint, the boy tried to skewer the goblin, but he proved to be more cunning opponent than its brethren, and managed to raise its horsechopper in time to block the attack. Reacting swiftly, Brunkel used the handle of his weapon to strike Yan in the spleen and knock him off balance... then, he took advantage of Yan being off balance for a moment to deliver a slash with his weapon. Yan narrowly avoided being seriously wounded, but the blade still managed to open a painful wound on his left thigh.

Yan sucked in and let out a grunt of pain, then limped back until his back was against the wall. He quickly looked up and stared the goblin commander straight in the eye, daring him to step forward... and Brunkel, not at all intimidated by his opponent's resolve, snickered and pointed his horsechopper at Yan again, confident that victory was in his grasp. An instant later, the goblin leader charged again and slashed... but this time, instead of dodging it, Yan decided to take his chances and brought his shield forward, upon which the serrated blade crashed with a deafening clangor!

"HAAAAAH!" With a determined cry, Yan pushed against his opponent, putting all his strength into it and trying to ignore the pain of his leg wound. Brunkel was caught off guard, his eyes widened and his teeth gnashing, but he couldn't dodge in time, and Yan's longsword pterced right into him! The sharp blade struck the goblin in the chest and went through the shoddy armor he wore, then sliced through his internal organs.

Brunkel froze and spat out a mouthful of blood, then fell to his knees and dropped his weapon. With a hateful hiss, the dying goblin stretched out his hands towards his opponent, as if trying to take Yan down with him. He mumbled something in their bizarre language... then finally lost all strength and slumped lifelessly to the ground.

The loss of their commander completely broke the goblins' morale. The closest ones fell silent for a moment, then exploded into a series of screams of terror and scattered, bumping into each other and almost trampling each other in a frantic attempt to save their own skins. Their screams drew the attention of even the most distant goblins, who also panicked and fled, shrieking and babbling.

"Dead boss! All run away!"

"Longshanks too strong!"

"Go go goooo!"

Yan breathed a sigh of relief and retrieved his sword from his opponent's lifeless body. He looked towards his comrades to make sure they were okay, and was relieved to see that indeed, they too had managed to keep their opponents at bay... with Reji even managing to launch a decisive attack against the goblin dog.

"YAAAAAH!" With one last effort, Reji struck the dog-goblin's snout with her fist, a moment after getting bitten on her right arm. The beast yelped one last time and fell unconscious, while the young monk waved her injured arm, which had begun to itch unbearably. "Ugh... dammit, I let my guard down."

"We did it! They're splitting!" exclaimed Jolan. The goblins had now given up the fight and were fleeing in disarray towards the town gates, leaving their fallen comrades behind, with several enraged Sandpoint residents in pursuit. Within minutes, the goblins' high-pitched, snickering voices had been drowned out by the victorious cries of the people of Sandpoint... And Eli turned to the man they had rescued, motioning for him to come out of his hiding place.

"Guys, is everything okay? Reji?" asked Yan, limping a bit from his injured leg. Reji wrinkled her nose at her painfully itching arm, but managed to smile and nod, while the other three also nodded in assent... and the man they'd rescued finally showed up - an individual in his late twenties, good-looking, with long black hair pulled back over the nape of his neck, wearing a neutral-colored suit that was still stylish despite the dust it had picked up in the confusion, a blue jacket with gold embellishments, and a pair of brown leather shoes that were clearly well-made. Even at first glance, he gave the distinct impression of being a nobleman, and his refined way of speaking only confirmed it.

"Yes, everything is fine... how about you, sir? You're not hurt, are you?" Reji asked the nobleman, who gave a polite smile and nodded slightly.

"I am unharmed, ladies and gentlemen, thanks to your intervention. I am indebted to you, and Aldern Foxglove does not forget his debts." the nobleman stated evenly. He brushed off his clothes with a gloved hand, trying to look presentable even in the midst of such a chaotic situation.

Reji returned the smile for a moment, before her expression turned contrite. "We're sorry about your dog, Lord Foxglove." she stated, casting a sympathetic glance at the faithful animal's body. "We could not save her."

"Primrose was a faithful friend. As few are found, these days." Aldern replied wistfully. Eli sighed and picked up Primrose's body, believing that it would be only fair to give her a proper burial. "But you must not blame yourselves for what happened. You acted rightly, within your means, and saved my own life and that of many other people. Had it not been for you, I believe we would still have been able to repel this treacherous attack...but there would undoubtedly have been many more casualties."

"We thank you for your trust, Lord Foxglove," Misia answered with an embarrassed smile.

The nobleman gently waved her concern off. "There is no need to be so formal, milady. Just Aldern will do." he said cordially. "Besides, I still owe you a debt of gratitude for the courtesy of saving my life. I have come here to Sandpoint to attend to some personal matters that will require my full attention... however, I can always make time for you. If it pleases you, gentlemen, we may meet at the Rusty Dragon Inn on an evening of your choosing, so that we may better discuss the circumstances and manner of your reward."

Yan chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "Well... we are most grateful to you, Lord Foxglove..." he said, still unable to forget that the man he was speaking to was of a higher social class. "In fact... my companion and I were thinking of staying at the Rusty Dragon as well. So... we'll definitely have a chance to meet up this very evening. What do you guys think? Will you also take a room at the Rusty Dragon?"

Eli adjusted her glasses. "Actually, I was planning to leave for Magnimar as soon as possible... but I guess staying a few more days won't make much of a difference." she answered, after a bit of hesitation due to crossing Misia's almost imploring gaze. "Alright. We'll just take a room and stay a few days."

"Yay! You're the best, Eli!" the female gnome beamed. Eli sighed again, wanting to drop the matter as soon as possible.

"As for me, I was born here in Sandpoint... But I'd never say no to a party at the Rusty Dragon!" Jolan replied. "Alright, I'm in."

Aldern nodded and bowed slightly. "Then it is settled. I expect to receive a visit from you soon, gentlemen, and I hope you will do me the honor of accepting my reward." he replied. "Now... if you do not mind, I would like to go and pay my last respects to my companion." He pointed his gaze to the fallen Primrose, still in Eli's arms.

"Fair enough, Lord... er, I mean, Aldern." Reji replied. She looked around, observing the townspeople's reactions to the goblins' shocking and sudden attack. The populace seemed astonished and yet proud at the same time. It had been a sudden shock, but one that Sandpoint had managed to overcome without too many issues. Although unfortunately, there had been some victims, though admittedly not quite as many as there could have been. The festive atmosphere had faded, and the populace was now trying to resume their activities somehow and put everything back in place...

"Perhaps... we'd better go help out again." Reji affirmed, seeing how the townsfolk, after getting over their moment of shock, were trying to put back what had been damaged by the goblins during the fight. "I'll... see you at the Rusty Dragon, then."

"Of course. Oh, and if I can help out, let me know, okay?" Aldern replied. Each of the adventurers nodded, then joined the volunteers who had already begun to rebuild what the goblins had ravaged...

oooooooooo

"Phew... I didn't expect such a violent attack from the goblins. And in such numbers, too!" Kendra sighed . The Sandpoint mayor had joined several other volunteers, and was helping clear the street of half-burned debris from a stall that the goblins had set fire to. "Those little assholes... They really like setting things on fire, huh? Hah. But we showed them! We of Sandpoint don't get scared off by a bunch of green pustules!"

"Mrs. Deverin... I trust you are well. There are no injuries, are there?" Father Zantus asked, as he joined them from the main square, where he had just finished tending to some of the wounded.

"Father Zantus! No, we're thankfully fine..." Kendra replied, pleased to see that Sandpoint's spiritual support had escaped that attack unscathed. "It could have been much worse. Thankfully, we were able to respond quickly. And it was also thanks to those brave youngsters who rose to the challenge. Please remind me of giving them public commendation."

Zantus smiled slightly and nodded... but the atmosphere of relief was suddenly broken when one of the acolytes came running in, looking like he was running away from some monster!

"Father Zantus! Father Zantus, this is terrible!" the young acolyte exclaimed. He stopped beside the surprised priest and mayor, and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Immediately, Father Zantus came to him and put a hand on his shoulder to tell him not to fret.

"My son." said the kindly priest, in a soothing voice. "Calm down. Catch your breath, and don't fret. What happened? Why are you so agitated?"

"Did those goblins... did they kill anyone?" Kendra asked. "Besides the ones we saw?"

The initiate took a few seconds to catch his breath and wait for his heartbeat to return to bearable levels. "No... no, at least... not that I know of... phew..." he stated. "But... when... when I went to check the cemetery... I saw that... Father Ezakien's remains had been stolen!"

Kendra and Zantus' eyes widened in shock. "What? Did they...did they take advantage of the chaos... to steal Father Ezakien's remains?" the mayor asked with obvious apprehension. When the initiate answered with an affirmative nod, the woman looked down at the ground and rubbed her chin for a few moments. "Father Zantus...do you... do you have any idea what the goblins might do with... a corpse stolen from a graveyard?"

"Many things, my child. And none of them good." replied the good-natured cleric. "Indeed, the theft of a corpse is a very serious matter. We must tell the sheriff about it as soon as possible."

"What is going on here? What are you discussing?" As if summoned by Zantus' words, the bulky Shoanti sheriff approached, wiping the sweat from his brow. He too had participated in the fight against the goblins, and now bore a cut on his right arm and one on his left cheek. His sword was still stained with the blood of the goblins he had taken out.

Kendra took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to say. "I'm afraid...you're not going to like what you're about to hear at all, sheriff..."

oooooooooo

The dark-skinned, white-haired young woman sensed someone approaching, and her fine hearing caught the barely perceptible sound of approaching footsteps. Kneeling before a black stone altar stained with congealed blood, her gaze lost in contemplation of the darkness before her, the woman clutched the unholy symbol around her neck - a talisman in the shape of a jackal's head, its three eyes made of semiprecious stones. After muttering a prayer in a terrible guttural tongue, she turned to face the newcomer - a tall half-elf with long black hair tied in a braid, and a grim expression accompanying a sculpted physique.

"So... how did it go?" the young woman asked. Carelessly, she combed her long white hair with her free hand and turned fully toward her accomplice.

The half-elf stepped cautiously into the makeshift chapel, and shuddered slightly when a sense of malice hit him like a cold gust of wind. "The attack on Sandpoint went just as planned, my love," he said. "We lost several goblins. That includes the commander of the expedition, Brunkel."

"But the remains. Did they manage to get them?" the woman wanted to know.

Her companion grinned ominouly. "Yes, they get them. And they're bringing them here as we speak."

The woman felt satisfied. "Then the losses are acceptable," she affirmed. "I would have preferred for that damned city to have been wiped off the face of Golarion, but at this point... it is only a matter of time. We just have to be patient, Tsuto."

"I know, my dear." The half-elf, Tsuto, leaned his back against the wall, feeling a kind of cruel excitement at the idea that their plan was still going strong. "In the end, it won't change much whether it happens today... or in a few days. Sandpoint will pay for what it did to both of us."

With a somber expression, the young woman looked at her hand. "And finally, I'll be able to free myself from this angelic taint I've been carrying around since I was born..."

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...