Disclaimer: Goblin Slayer and Warhammer Fantasy are properties of Kumo Yagyu and Games Workshop respectively. I own nothing here except the few OCs I create.
Short Intro: Due to the surprising amount of good responses that I got for the previous chapter, I now have no choice but to bow to the whims of my lovely readers, and present them with a new chapter.
Which is why I'll be leaving this little message in bold right here:
Warning! This story may contain graphic depictions of violence and gore, sexual abuse and the use of strong language. Underage viewers have been advised. Adult viewers on the other hand, please enjoy :D
Goblin Slayer
Tanya bit down a curse as she hurriedly reloaded her weapon. Heart pounding in her chest and cold sweat running down her brow. The Goblin she knocked back just now with her rifle's butt was slowly getting up, nursing a bleeding wound at the side of it's head. The other one she had just shot was writhing on the stone floor, bleeding from a new hole on it's belly. But another came charging in, it's malefic intentions plainly seen upon it's face. Acting fast, she stopped reloading her firearm and held it in front of her with both hands, blocking an incoming strike from the Goblin's club.
But another Goblin came charging in, leaped up and planted a swift kick onto Tanya's face. She cried out in pain, knocked to the ground by the force of that attack, losing grip of her rifle in the process. Dizzy and with her head hurting from the impact, Tanya tried to get up. Only to be forced back down when several of the green savages piled on top of her.
She cried out in anger as she struggled beneath their hold, trying to shake off these little green bastards. But their combined strength kept her limbs firmly upon the ground. The Goblins all jeered and laughed at her, amused by her pitiful resistance. One of the creatures soon hopped on top of her and straddled her chest, grinning madly as it looked down at her.
With this beast so close to her, Tanya had to restrain herself from vomiting due to the rancid stink emanating from it's filthy maw. She sent it a look of fierce indignation, her emerald eyes glaring into it's own.
"Get off me you little scheiss!" she hissed at it venomously as she continued to struggle under their hold.
And the Goblin enjoyed her defiance. As it would enjoy breaking her in before the end.
"Screem fer me humie!" It said to her in barely intelligible Reikspeil with it's rasping voice. And that was all the warning she had before the little monster raised it's crude dagger up, and stabbed her in the shoulder.
Tanya screamed alright. She screamed as fierce agony lanced through her senses. She struggled beneath the Goblins' hold more violently, hoping to removed the rusty blade buried within her flesh, desperate to bring some measure of relief. But the Goblins kept her arms and legs firmly pinned down, barely able to raise them an inch from the ground. They all laughed evilly, finding great pleasure from her suffering.
The one Goblin responsible for it was enjoying it the most, and it wanted more. So it started twisting the blade in her shoulder while pushing it slowly deeper, tearing her flesh, widening the already bleeding wound. And Tanya could only scream even more. Unable to handle the excruciating pain she felt, she began to sob. Tears now running down her face, a mask of pure agony.
"No more! Please no more!" she openly pleaded, no longer able to contain herself, throwing all pride away. Desperate for any kind of relief. She only wanted it to stop. Make the pain stop!
Her pleas were answered.
In form of another dagger plunging into her thigh, courtesy of another Goblin. More of her warm blood oozed out and slowly drenched her once pristine skirt. The Goblin responsible for it licked the blood off, savoring her taste. And Tanya could only scream and struggle uselessly, almost akin to a tortured animal. And in the Goblins' eyes, she and her kind were nothing more than animals.
The little monsters continued to laugh and jeer at her in their own vile tongues, greatly amused by her torment. But the Goblin sitting right on top of her had a slightly different reaction. Seeing her lovely face up close, in terrible pain and sobbing like a mere child, feeling her supple body shuddering and writhing beneath it as she continued to struggle futilely. All of it served to make it's tainted blood quicken, and inflame it's arousal.
The Goblin released it's hold on the dagger, leaving the blade buried within Tanya's shoulder. Through teary eyes she watched the Goblin stand up, and for the briefest of moments, she thought that maybe this Goblin would give her some measure of mercy. Only to be sorely disappointed, when the Goblin began ripping off pieces of her dress.
"NO! STOP!" came Tanya's terrified screams. Her struggles were renewed with even greater ferocity. Desperately trying to get this despicable little abomination off of her.
So in response one of the Goblins' holding her arm grabbed the dagger buried within her shoulder and pressed on it, while the other one holding her leg also pressed down on the dagger still buried in her thigh. With this, Tanya immediately ceased her thrashings, for to do so would only bring even more pain upon her. Pain that she had never felt before. Pain that she was simply unprepared for.
She could only remain still and sob pitifully, while the Goblin standing on top of her continued to destroy her clothes. With each piece of her dress torn off, more and more of Tanya's creamy flesh was revealed, smooth and unblemished. She could almost feel their hungry gazes roaming across her body, and she felt absolutely disgusted.
When the Goblin on top of her finally tore off the last remnants of her dress, the little green devil's yellow eyes were immediately drawn to her ample bosom, still contained within her chest bindings. Grinning maniacally, the Goblin grabbed the handle of it's dagger and ripped it forcefully out of Tanya's shoulder, once again eliciting another agonized scream from her. With the blade in hand, the Goblin used it to cut away at Tanya's bindings. And with it, she was now laid completely bare.
Seeing this human female sprawled helplessly in front of them, young and beautiful, healthy and fit, and so perfectly capable of bearing children. It was all enough to drive the Goblins mad with lust. And it showed in the erections that they all sported. She was painfully aware of this fact, and her feelings of dread mounted even further, knowing very well what would happen next.
One of the Greenskin menaces holding her down could no longer contain itself. It reached out with it's filthy hand and grabbed a handful of her breast, roughly kneading and squeezing her sizable mound. Another one mimicked it's fellow's example and also grabbed a handful of Tanya's other breast, giving it the same rough attention, savoring the feeling of her soft flesh within it's grasp
She cried out in pain as a result, feeling their dirty, pointed nails breaking her delicate skin and drawing blood. She finally closed her eyes shut as tears continued to leak through them, unable to bear further witness to the depravity being done to her. She felt so humiliated. So dirtied. And no matter how much she tried she could not break free, and she cursed herself for being so weak.
When they forced her legs further apart and felt the Goblin who was standing above her move in between her thighs, Tanya started praying silently to Sigmar and Shallya.
But not for herself, for she knew she was already doomed. She prayed for her sister, that her dear Anna would be spared from suffering the same horrible fate that was about to befall her. She prayed for her friends over at the village, that they would prevail against the Greenskins besieging them. She prayed that no other villages and towns would ever have to suffer the evils of Goblins ever again.
And she prayed for him, the mysterious adventurer, that he be kept safe from harm, for she had failed him. A sad and bitter smile soon formed on her lips.
"It would be so much better if he was the one about to rape me right now, instead of these disgusting little monsters" she thought sardonically to herself.
When she felt something hard press against her vulnerable entrance, she prepared herself for the coming pain and defilement, and hoped it would all be over soon.
Then came the sound of something falling to the ground, followed by something wet and warm splattering her legs. Which was soon followed by various cries of alarm and pain from the gathered Goblins, and she felt the hold upon her limbs lifted.
Puzzled by this, Tanya cracked open her teary eyes and slowly sat up, curious to see what had happened. Only for her to stare wide eyed, when she saw that the Goblin who was standing between her thighs was now lying on the floor, headless. The stump where it's head once stood spurting copious amounts of blood. And that's not all. The four others who were holding her arms and legs earlier were also lying dead on the ground, each one bleeding from a single clean cut on their tiny bodies.
The one responsible for it was currently in the process of slaying all the remaining Goblins. And with brutal efficiency.
One of the foul beasts closed in on him with it's sword at the ready, only to be knocked back when a steel plated boot smashed against it's face, shattering it's crooked nose. It sailed through the air with great speed, before crashing directly into the still burning fireplace. The Goblin howled and writhed violently as it's body was engulfed in flames. It would soon die a painful death.
Another Goblin charged in with it's rusty shortsword raised high in preparation, only to lose both of it's arms in a blink of an eye, when he sliced them off cleanly with his own blade. It would have screamed in pain, but it was immediately cut off when his hand closed around the Goblin's head like a vise, and slammed it against the nearby wall, crushing it like an overripe fruit.
Another one charged at him from the side with a short spear, only for him to deftly avoid the clumsy thrust. His free hand then lashed out and grabbed the Goblin by the neck and lifted it off the ground. The creature released it's hold on it's weapon and tried to pry off his hand. But it might as well be trying to bend gromril, for his grip proved unyielding.
Seeing him preoccupied with it's unfortunate kin, one of the treacherous little devils sought to blindside him with it's spiked club. Only for him to quickly turn around and parry the coming blow with the flat of his sword, sending the Goblin stumbling backwards. Before the beast could even right itself, he impaled it through the neck with a fine thrust of his blade.
Pulling his sword out of the Goblin's neck, he kicked it's still upright body away and sent it flying through the window. He then turned his attention back to the Goblin still held within his other hand, the creature still fruitlessly trying to escape his hold, grunting and kicking.
From her angle, Tanya could see his face. His handsome features set into a cold and expressionless mask. His crimson eyes, now alight with an eerie light, were the only ones that betrayed his true emotions. And such searing hatred he felt towards the vile creature trapped in his grasp, that Tanya almost expected the Goblin to burst into flames from the intensity of his rage.
His grip began to slowly tighten, and the Goblin struggled even more furiously as a result. It screeched and gasped while desperately clawing at his hand, yellow eyes bulging from their sockets while leaking tears of blood. Until finally it's neck broke with an audible snap, body ceasing all movement and hanging lifelessly. He then hurled the Goblin towards the direction of the thick wooden door, and with such force that the diminutive monster crashed right through it. It landed outside the house a good distance away, it's scrawny body twisted in several different angles.
And with it, it was all over.
Tanya remained where she was, transfixed. Shocked by the carnage he so easily wrought upon her would-be defilers. And eternally grateful to him for saving her. If she weren't injured right now, she would have ran towards him and threw herself at him, and show him just how much she appreciated his most timely arrival.
"Tanya!" She heard a familiar voice call out to her from the side, before a pair of slender arms wrapped around her in a fierce embrace.
"Anna!" she exclaimed happily as she turned her eyes towards her dear sister, pleasantly surprised to see her. She had thought her long gone by now. "You're still here? But, didn't I tell you to leave?"
Anna turned her lovely blue eyes towards her and glared into her own emerald ones, and she was slightly surprised at the look of anger on her face.
"You idiot! How could I ever leave you behind!? You're my sister and I am never abandoning you, no matter what happens to me!" was Anna's stern declaration, appalled that she would ever expect her to do something so wrong.
"Oh you…" Tanya could only smile at her, there was not much she could say about that. But it truly warmed her heart to hear her say that, and she quietly thanked the Heldenhammer and the White Dove for answering her prayers. Such was her relief at the moment that the pain from her wounds were mostly forgotten.
Anna on the other hand took a closer look at her beloved sister's current state, and her youthful features quickly morphed into a look of horror.
"What have these monsters done to you?! Shallya's tears, did they…?!" Anna could not bring herself to finish that last word, fearing the worse might have happened to Tanya.
But much to her relief, her older sister shook her head and smiled at her reassuringly.
"Not to worry, they have not. All they were able to do was give me a couple new scars." and then her smile became a bit more strained. "And perhaps some nightmares for a few nights"
Anna could not stop the sigh that escape her lips, feeling both relieved and sorry for her sister. She was truly grateful that she and their mysterious tenant arrived just in time to prevent those green devils from forcing themselves upon Tanya. But it still pained her heart to see that they had hurt her so. Their deaths could not be more well deserved.
The sound of heavy footfalls soon reached their ears, and the two Stahlhart sisters turned towards the source. They were met with the sight of their mighty saviour, his imposing form looming over them. Now that Tanya had a better look at him, she noted that he was only dressed in his cotton trousers and his pair of heavy leather boots. His torso remained mostly bare save for the leather harness that contained his throwing knives and those odd three-bladed daggers, while a sword belt was strapped to his waist.
All this coupled with his thick, corded muscles bulging beneath his pale-white skin, and his numerous scars adorning his form, made him an intimidating and impressive figure. And Tanya once again felt her heart race. But whether due to fear or arousal, she knew not. Probably both.
"The blood loss must be getting to me…" she thought to herself in slight amusement. But that was when she remembered one little detail.
She was still completely nude.
Tanya immediately covered her breasts with her good arm and closed her legs shut. She looked away from him, her face beet red. She felt so embarrassed at her current state. This was not how she wanted him to see her for the very first time. Sitting on the floor stark naked, eyes red from crying with dried tears staining her face, wounded and bleeding. She looked positively terrible.
She turned her eyes back to him, looking at him rather demurely. At least he wasn't ogling her at the moment, though she wouldn't fault him if he was. As a matter of fact, his crimson eyes were not even directed at her chest or privates. His attention was directed at her wounds, and on the dagger still lodged within her thigh in particular.
He then turned his calm gaze towards Anna, and spoke. "You, girl"
Hearing him speak for the first time surprised both Stahlhart sisters. They didn't even know if he spoke Reikspeil actually. It was a good thing that he could. Makes things a lot less awkward.
Anna was the first to recover from her surprise and replied. "Yes, what is it?"
"In the upstairs bedroom where I was kept, there are bottles within my bag. Bring me one" he spoke to her in a calm but firm tone, face still set within it's stoic mask.
"Um… which one?" Anna asked tentatively, looking at him rather nervously.
"The red one" was his simple reply.
Anna nodded at that and stood up before heading back upstairs to carry out his directive. He flicked his sword once to remove some of the blood before sheathing it, and then he knelt before her. He examined the rusty blade stuck within her thigh for a moment before turning his stoic gaze towards her.
"I need to remove the dagger. There will be pain, but it will be quick" he said to her.
She immediately grew nervous. She knew that the dagger had to be removed so she could be properly treated, but it would be painful. And after everything she just suffered earlier, she was more than a little fearful of anymore pain. But she would bear with it. She only hoped he knew what he was doing.
And so she nodded at him in agreement and braced herself for the coming discomfort, jaw clenched tight. He slowly placed his hand upon the hilt of the dagger, taking care not to jar it, and then held it tight. Before pulling it out in one swift motion. She groaned out in pain as a result, but at least it did not hurt as much as she expected. He had good hands, she noticed.
"Hmm… at least it's not poisoned" he idly said as he examined the rusty dagger within his hand, shortly before discarding it.
He took one of the tattered pieces of her dress and began to wrap it around her wound. She watched quietly with interest as his hands worked, moving with a deftness and gentleness that belied their crushing strength, standing in contrast to the many callouses that adorned them. After he was done with the wound on her leg, he took another torn piece of fabric and moved closer to her, giving the same treatment to her wounded shoulder. He displayed the same expert skill and gentleness as before, taking care not to cause her any undue pain.
Not that she would have noticed, for she was more painfully aware of their closeness at the moment. With his charming face up close, calm and focused, his hard and powerful form dwarfing her more supple and delicate figure. It was all enough to distract Tanya from any sort of pain or discomfort that she would normally be feeling right now. That, and he had good hands.
"Really good hands" she quietly mused, her cheeks flushing a little. Again, must be the blood loss.
When he was finally done, Tanya took a moment to inspect her wounds. She was glad to see that she was no longer leaking blood like an open tap. The rapid sounds of footfalls drew her attention, causing her to look towards the source. She saw that Anna was finally back. In one hand she held a small glass bottle containing some unknown reddish liquid, while on the other she held a new cotton spun dress.
Upon reaching them, the younger Stahlhart knelt down and gave the bottle to the silver-haired man before unfolding the dress in her hand and used it to cover her older sister's front. Tanya muttered a quiet thank you to her and smiled appreciatively, grateful to have some semblance of modesty back. The silver haired man uncorked the bottle and gave it to Tanya.
"Drink" he said to her.
Both siblings turned their attention towards the proffered bottle and looked at it with equal parts curiosity and wariness. Tanya was the first to voice her thoughts.
"What is that?"
"It's a healing potion. It will help speed up your recovery" was his matter of fact reply.
Anna just looked at him dubiously though, clearly wary. "Healing potion? What sort of quackery is that?"
Tanya immediately cast her unruly sister a reproachful look, not wanting her to disrespect the one who had saved their lives. In secret however, Tanya was also rather skeptical of this potion he was offering. She had heard of many stories regarding these so-called miracle cures that were being sold by those pretending to be physicians. She had even encountered a few of them in the past, trying to hawk their fake medicines to unsuspecting citizens. Tanya loathed those kinds of people.
It was because of leeches like them that the field of medicine has been often likened to witchcraft, and that proper doctors and healers like her and her late mother were given a wide berth, looked upon with distrust or fear.
Tanya did not doubt their savior specifically to be perfectly honest. He had already more than proven his trustworthiness to her after everything he had done so far. But still, one could not fault her for being a little skeptical.
He must have sensed her doubt as well, as he sighed rather tiredly before giving Tanya a slightly impatient look. "It is not a fake. Please, just drink it already. We have little time"
She pursed her lips at that, feeling a little guilty. Here she was doubting him, when he had just risked his life to save both her and her sister's life from a bunch of vile monsters and was now trying to help her even more. When it would be easier for him to just abandon them to their fates.
Trusting in him, Tanya took the bottle from his hand and brought it to her lips, downing it's entire contents. The taste was quite bitter, and Tanya instinctively coughed a little as a result. But that was when she noticed something odd though. Earlier she was in a lot of pain, her wounded shoulder and thigh feeling like it was burning though she was able to somewhat ignore them. But now, the pain she felt was slowly going to down to a mere dull ache.
She looked at her shoulder and tried moving it a little, and to her pleasant surprise she only felt some minor discomfort in her movements and not downright agony. And not only that, but she felt oddly refreshed as well.
"It actually works" Tanya said in slight awe, drawing a curious look from Anna. But before the two sisters could ponder this more though, he had spoken again.
"Now tell me. Are there anymore Goblins?" was his firm demand.
That brought their attention back to their current situation, now remembering that their friends over at the village were still in dire need of help.
"Yes. Over at the village. They attacked our village!" she exclaimed, distress once again marring her face.
"Where is your village? Is it far?"
Tanya shook her head at this. "No, not far. It's just a few minutes away from here, to the north"
He calmly nodded before asking again. "And how many Goblins are there?"
She frowned at that, trying to recall their exact number. "I'm not entirely sure. Three hundred maybe, perhaps more"
"I see" was his simple reply. His face frowned ever so slightly at the knowledge, and his crimson eyes took on a more calculating and contemplative quality to them. Tanya wished she knew what he was thinking right now.
And then he suddenly stood up and walked away. Bewildered by this, Tanya called out to him. "Wait! Where are you going?"
"To kill all the Goblins" came his stern declaration, nary a hint of doubt or fear within his voice. He walked out through the ruined entrance of the Stahlhart home, turned towards the direction of the village, and sprinted off.
Anna looked towards her sister with a look of disbelief upon her face, mirrored by that of Tanya who still looked at where she last saw him.
"He's not planning on taking on all those things by himself, is he?" was the younger Stalhart's question.
A look of deep worry soon graced Tanya's face. "From what I have seen of him so far, I believe he will"
Feeling herself well enough to move, Tanya hastily put on the new dress, intent on following after their silver haired saviour. Hoping to make sure he doesn't get himself into too much trouble.
Earlier…
"Die you green SCHWEIN!"
Wulfrik roared out as he buried his axe blade into the bald head of an Orc trying to climb up the palisade, splitting it's skull into two bloody halves. He pulled out his axe from the beast's head and watched it fall down into the writhing and howling mass of green at the bottom. Another Goblin was soon near him, it's pointed nails and strong limbs allowing it to climb the side of the palisade with ease. It's reward for it's efforts came in the form of Wulfrik's axe biting deep into it's shoulder, severing it's whole arm in the process. The little monster lost it's grip and fell back down, screaming in agony as it did so.
A large barbed spear was soon hurtling through the air, and only because Wulfrik saw it coming that he was able to duck just in time to avoid getting skewered. Getting back up, the retired State Army sergeant turned his wrathful gaze towards the damnable Orc who chucked that overly large and crudely made pig-sticker. The Orc bellowed out a fierce war-cry towards Wulfrik in it's own guttural tongue.
In response, the former soldier drew out his pistol, already loaded and cocked, and took aim at the offending green brute. He squeezed the trigger, and a thunderous report filled the air followed by a thick cloud of smoke, briefly stinging Wulfrik's eyes and nose. But his effort bore fruit as the Orc was struck dead center, punching a sizable hole onto it's bare torso. It immediately fell to the ground, lifeless.
"Boys, reload!" he shouted out as he threw his pistol to his two nearby assistants.
Felix Steiner caught the pistol and began reloading it with powder and shot with practiced ease. His brother Hans on the other hand had just finished reloading Wulfrik's longrifle and soon gave it to him, after which another spent firearm was given to Hans by one of the militiamen and he began reloading it as well.
With his rifle back in hand, Wulfrik quickly spun around and turned his attention at a Goblin that had just managed to reach the top of the palisade. He swung the butt of his rifle at it, striking the little beast directly at the side of it's head with enough force to crack it's skull. The Goblin was knocked over the side of the palisade and it fell back down. Wulfrik shouldered his rifle and aimed down at one of the Greenskins climbing up the side of the palisade.
Eyes full of righteous hatred towards the green and hairless aberration before him, the former sergeant squeezed the trigger, and out came the thunderous report of his longrifle. The Orc stood no chance as it was shot pointblank, sporting a sizable hole at the center of it's forehead. The muscled beast soon lost grip of the palisade's rough surface and fell back down, it's lifeless bulk colliding with several more of it's smaller cousins trying to climb up and they all crashed to the ground together.
"Reload!"
He cried out as he threw the rifle over to the Steiner twins, both of which were already busily reloading firearms given to them by other militiamen, with several more already lying next to them and waiting to be reloaded.
Barely a second after he gave his rifle away, another Greenskin was already at the top of the wall, brandishing sword. Wulfrik would not allow it to gain a foothold however, as he quickly lashed out with a kick and struck the vile thing in the face, the force knocking it off the palisade and sending it crashing onto the rest of it's tainted kin down below.
"Oi, Erik! How long until the State Troopers get here!?" he shouted over the din of battle to one of his fellow militiamen. The man he was talking to was currently ducked behind the palisade as he calmly reloaded his longrifle.
"We already sent out riders earlier to call for aid," Erik calmly said, raising his voice enough to be heard by Wulfrik as he took out a percussion cap and inserted it in the touch hole. "But-"
He was soon cutoff though when he had to avoid a hasty swing from an Orc with it's rusty Choppa. In response, Erik took up his axe and sunk it's blade deep into the foul Greenskin's ugly face. He then wrenched his axe out of it's head and allowed it to fall down to the ground. With the immediate threat gone, Erik continued.
"But it will still be a while before State Army elements get here though." he explained to Wulfrik as he calmly shouldered his rifle. "A day, at the earliest"
"We'll all be dead by then!" the grizzled sergeant exclaimed angrily as he hacked off another offending Goblin and sent the foul little thing to Morr's cold embrace.
"Perhaps" The younger man said as he finally took a bead at the distant form of an Orc Shaman standing more than two hundred yards away, currently in the process of casting a spell. It would not be able to complete it though, as Erik soon squeezed the trigger of his rifle and launched forth another deadly ball of lead. His shot struck true as the Orc Shaman was hit at the center of it's chest, downing it.
"Or perhaps not" Erik smiled confidently as he said this, pleased at making his long distant shot. Growing up in Hochland have a tendency of making an expert marksman out of anyone, and Erik was no exception. And he didn't even need to use a scope.
A Goblin soon rose out of the edge of the palisade and looking to sink it's blade onto Erik. He struck down that notion by simply smashing the butt of his rifle into it's face, shattering it and knocking it away. He smirked at his handiwork and went to reloading his rifle again. But that was when another Orc rose up from the edge, frothing at the mouth with rage and with it's Choppa raised in preparation to cleave Erik in two.
A look of alarm was plastered on his face as the young man hastily brought it's rifle up to block the incoming blow. But he needn't bother. Before the Orc's weapon could descend upon him, a thunderous report came from the side and the Greenskin was literally blown away, sporting about a dozen new holes all over it's bare torso.
Surprised and more than a little grateful for the timely intervention, Erik glance to the side to see the one responsible. His eyes fell upon the familiar buxom form of Giselle. The Bretonnian serving girl was armed with one of Mauser's specially made firearms, a modified blunderbuss with two barrels, designed to fire a dozen smaller lead balls in one blast. If he remembered correctly, Mauser had called that weapon a scattergun, or shotgun.
He never really liked that weapon. It was far too crude for his tastes. And Erik much preferred to bring down his opponents at a comfortable distance with a rifle.
But the beautiful serving girl looked completely at ease with this type of weapon though, as she casually turned the scattergun towards another incoming Orc and obliterated the unfortunate brute's head with pointblank fire. She then reversed her spent weapon and held it with both hands like a club, before using it to bat away a Goblin, breaking more than a few bones in the process. She repeated the same action and smashed another Goblin with the stock of her scattergun, bending the unfortunate creature's neck at an impossible angle.
Watching her kill two Orcs and two Goblins in just a few seconds without so much as batting an eye, Erik was torn between feeling aroused and shitting his trousers. This was actually the first time he had seen her fight, and she was honestly not bad. And that dress she wore really did her body justice, Erik noted.
Giselle was aware of Erik's lingering gaze on her however as well as the way he was undressing her with his eyes. She rolled her eyes in annoyance before giving him a pointed look.
"Stay focused pretty boy" came Giselle's offhand remark in accented Reikspeil before she turned towards the Steiner twins and threw her scattergun towards them. "Reload, s'il vous plaît"
While waiting for the twins to finish reloading her gun, Giselle drew out her sword and skewered another Goblin through the neck with one elegant thrust.
All around the village of Essental the sounds of gunfire, clashes of steel and roars of hatred filled the air as the over one hundred strong defending militia fought off a Greenskin horde more than thrice their number. Muzzle flashes and discharges erupted sporadically all along the top of the palisade surrounding the village as the Imperials defending it shot Orcs and Goblins pointblank. And whenever the green invaders got too close, they were hacked off by axes or swords before they could get a proper foothold.
Some of the Orcs took to simply cutting the wooden barrier before them but the heavy oaken posts comprising the palisade would not be so easily broken down. And for their effort, the militiamen on the ramparts would prioritize these Orcs and shoot them down with their firearms before they could do too much damage. The northern and southern entrances of the village were the ones facing the brunt of the Greenskins' attack. Brutish Orcs pounded against the thick wooden gates with their crude weapons while the more numerous Goblins simply climbed up the side of the palisade to get at the defenders.
Some of the Greenskins wielding crudely made war-bows would take to loosing deadly shafts at the defenders, some of which would find their mark and impale an unfortunate militiamen. And the defenders would gladly reply in kind with gunpowder and lead. And any magic user found within the Greenskin horde were always the first to be brought down before they could start casting their foul magics, as skilled marksmen brought them down with accurate longrifle fire.
Aiding the militiamen were a number of younger lads and some women arranged into various teams, and their roles were to reload the spent firearms. They were positioned on the ramparts as well, just a few feet behind the militiamen. At the bottom of the palisade near the stairs, there were crates containing ammo cartridges as well as some spare rifles and pistols, all of which were provided by the Master Gunsmith. And Mauser himself was also helping in reloading the spent firearms, doing so with surprising speed and efficiency born from decades handling gunpowder weapons.
With the support teams reloading their firearms for them, the militiamen were able to let loose a steady stream of gunfire at the invaders while cutting down those who got too close. They all worked together like one well-oiled machine, covering one another as they fought and killing many times their number of Greenskins.
Wulfrik raised his axe and brought it down upon another Goblin, cutting it from shoulder to chest. Dark blood splattered his wrathful face as he pulled out his axe from the green menace. That must have been the thirtieth Goblin he killed since this whole battle began barely fifteen minutes ago. And there was still more trickling out from the nearby woods. And no matter how much of them they killed, no matter the staggering number of losses they inflicted upon these vile monsters, they still kept fighting. Unmindful of their dead piling up at the base of the palisade.
He did not know how long they could keep on fighting like this. They would tire out eventually. And with every man they lost, there whole defence became that much weaker. If the State Army doesn't come to relieve them soon, they would all perish. Become food to these damnable abominations.
Fortunately the Greenskins attacking them lacked anything in the form of proper siege weapons or artillery. Had they brought out even just a few of their primitive rock-throwers with them, doubtless this village would have been completely overrun by now. That, and the Greenskins were just too stupid to come up with a smarter way of attacking their defenses. He thanked Sigmar for this fact, and quietly wished these savages won't bring out some nasty surprise for them.
But that wish would not be answered this day however.
As the last of group of Goblins finally emerged from the woods they were followed by an Orc. But this Orc was much larger than all the ones present. It's heavily muscled bulk was covered in thick hides and a ramshackle suit of plate armor and mail, with it's head protected by a thick steel helmet adorned with long curved horns. Gripped within one of it's massive hands was the haft of an enormous choppa.
The massive Orc roared out in a fearsome war-cry before charging towards the village, it's hard and heavily scarred visage a mask of mad rage, frothing at the mouth with it's red beady eyes full of malice.
"Scheiss! Here comes a big one!" one of the militiamen cried out.
Wulfrik also saw the enormous Orc coming, deeply alarmed. He pointed at it and cried out. "Everyone! Shoot it down! Shoot it down!"
Several militiamen immediately did just that and brought their rifles to bear against the charging Orc. A volley of deadly lead was soon launched from the top of the palisade and all of which impacted the massive Greenskin, easily penetrating it's armor and punching deep bleeding holes into it's muscled bulk. But despite these many wounds, the Orc kept running, not in the least slowed down by that volley. If anything, it actually increased the pace of it's heavy strides, roaring out in defiance as it did so.
Wulfrik brought out his newly reloaded pistol and aimed at the still charging Orc, before squeezing the trigger. Another loud report came out with his shot impacting the Greenskin's massive form, but to no visible effect.
"Verdammt!" he cursed, deeply disappointed with his failure to bring down the hulking brute. His dread mounted as the Orc was now merely fifty yards away from the palisade. If they did not stop that giant green monster, it would surely smash through the palisade.
Wulfrik turned to Erik.
"Erik, kill it! Kill it now!" was the old sergeant's frantic cries.
The younger man need not be told twice as he already shouldered his freshly reloaded rifle and aimed at the Orc, who began smashing aside and trampling it's smaller kin in it's mad dash towards the palisade. His brown eyes stared coldly at the ugly monster as he tried to line up a good shot.
On top of the ample protection given by it's leathery hard skin and thick muscles, the monster was also well armored. Even it's head was well protected by the crude horned helm it wore. So Erik needed to hit the beast directly between the eyes, the only part of it's body that was vulnerable and would result in the highest chance of downing it. Even if it won't be enough to kill it, it would at least stun it long enough for the other militiamen to bring it down.
When the brute was less than twenty paces away from the palisade, Erik finally squeezed the trigger. But just when his shot was about to connect, the Orc had moved it's head just the slightest bit down, and so the round impacted it's thick helm instead. It still managed to penetrate the helm and struck the Orc's head underneath it, but much of the force behind the round had been absorbed by the initial impact. So the Orc was wounded, but not dead. And still very much capable of rampaging.
Erik's calm face morphed into horrified shock, not expecting to see the hulking brute survive a shot to the head. He quickly pulled out his pistol, intent on putting another round into the Orc. But it was too late.
With one final cry of rage, the massive Orc crashed right through the thick and heavy wooden barrier protecting the village, showering the area around it with splinters and debris. Now having literally broken through the village's defense, hundreds of it's smaller kin immediately poured into the hole it created, intent on wreaking carnage and destruction. Those militiamen and villagers closest to where the horde were brutally cut down, their soon bodies lost within the green tide of death.
Now that their enemies were getting inside the village itself, it left the defenders painfully exposed and there was no other choice but to flee.
"Everyone fall back! Fall back now!" Wulfrik shouted over to his fellow militiamen, and they were quick to follow as they descended from the stairs that lead up the palisade.
"Retreat! To the Temple! Retreat!" Mauser cried out as well as he and all the other villagers in the supporting teams quickly grabbed as many guns and ammunition they could carry and began running away as fast as they could.
As Wulfrik and the others beat a hasty retreat to the temple on the center of the village, occasionally shooting back at the horde of green monsters chasing after them, his mind briefly wandered to the two Stahlhart sisters. And he sent out a brief prayer to Sigmar, asking him to keep those two girls safe. He would never be able to forgive himself if anything bad happened to them, not after having promised their father that he would keep them safe.
Tanya held onto the reins of her horse tightly as the beast galloped along the road leading towards the village. She was now fully dressed and mostly recovered. Her father's rifle was slung behind her back. Sitting just behind her was Anna, holding onto her sister's waist for support. The bag of cartridges for the rifle was slung over her shoulder and strapped to her waist was a simple sheath with a hatchet placed inside, the one they used to cut wood.
Tanya would have much preferred if Anna had stayed behind at the house, for she did not want her to get into harms way by coming with her to the village, which was undoubtedly teeming with Goblins and Orcs right now. But the younger Stahlhart had insisted she come along, that she would be of more use to Tanya by assisting her rather than just hiding somewhere in their home. She reluctantly agreed, having not enough time or patience to convince Anna otherwise.
The familiar palisades and watch towers of Essental loomed overhead. But unlike the day prior, the whole area outside the village was littered with countless corpses, all of which were Greenskins. The southern entrance to the village was now wide open and she could not see a single one of the defenders at the ramparts. Tanya could feel her fears growing. She dearly hoped the villagers were all safe, that none of her friends had come to harm.
As she drew closer, the sounds of an ongoing battle could be heard. Tanya quickly pulled on the reins and brought her horse to a stop.
"Get off now Anna, we'll be going on foot" Tanya said to her sister and Anna complied, getting off the horse.
Tanya got down from the horse as well. She then quickly pulled off her rifle from her back and shouldered it, pointing the barrel towards the direction of the open gate. She began her steady approach towards the village entrance, her rifle already loaded and cocked, ready to shoot down the first sigh of green she sees. Anna stood just a couple of feet behind her sister, the hatchet she brought now drawn, ready to cut down any Goblin that dares venture too close.
Upon passing through the gates, the two Stahlhart sisters were greeted with a rather astonishing sight. All around them they saw dozens upon dozens of dead Greenskins, both Goblins and Orcs. Many of them sported clean cuts upon their necks or other vital areas, obviously made by a keen blade of sorts. But the others suffered much more disfiguring wounds, in the form of shattered skulls, twisted necks, pulped faces, torn limbs or chests savagely caved in. They even saw an Orc with it's head and both it's arms cut off.
It was clear for Tanya and Anna to see that these were not the handiwork of any of the village militia. She knew enough about them that none of them possessed the skill and raw strength to inflict such fatal injuries upon the Greenskins. Only one other person could have committed this carnage.
The sound of a loud war-cry caught their attention. Tanya and Anna immediately ran towards the source, passing through one of the dirt pathways and passed through a corner where they came upon one of the narrow side street. And that was where they finally found him.
There was a hulking Orc clad in thick furs and rough leathers, armed with a cumbersome looking weapon of crude design and a large round shield plated in bronze. It ran down the street with it's brutal looking implement poised to strike, it's beady red eyes filled with murderous intent. The target of it's ire calmly stood his ground, his back currently turned towards the two Stahlharts.
When the Orc came within striking range it swung it's massive weapon towards him diagonally, seeking to bisect him in two. But in a surprising display of swiftness, the silver haired man dashed pass the heavy swing before it could connect, the Orc's weapon passing harmlessly through thin air. Before the hulking brute could swing it's weapon around to try and hit his wily opponent, the silver haired warrior drove his keen blade into the back of the Orc's unprotected knee, impaling it.
The Orc cried out in pain as it was forced down to the ground on one knee, the other rendered completely disabled. And then the silver haired man stepped closer towards the injured Orc, pulled out one of those strange triple-bladed daggers of his, and delivered a single precise swing to the back of the Orc's neck, cutting it wide open.
Tanya watched with macabre interest as the Orc's pained cries and struggles immediately ceased. It's lifeless body soon fell forward and hit the ground face first with heavy thud, the wound on the back of it's neck still leaking copious amounts of blood.
Tanya turned her gaze from the murdered Orc to the one who performed the deed. He regarded the downed Greenskin with a look of utter disdain, before he turned his sights towards their direction. His crimson eyes glowed like a pair of hot coals, but the coldness within them was enough to chill Tanya's spine. Those were the eyes of a ruthless killer, a mighty predator bound in mortal flesh.
And this predator suddenly dashed towards their direction, weapons poised to strike. He moved so fast, closing the scant distance between them in the blink of an eye. Tanya expected herself to be choking on her own blood as he slices deep and gaping wounds all across her body. But when he simply rushed past them, nothing of the sort happened.
Gurgling sounds and pained groans soon reached their ears, and both of them turned around to see what it was. Standing just several feet from them was a Goblin. And it was currently coughing out blood from it's filthy maw as a wide cut on it's neck bled copiously. And lying lifeless on the ground were two more of it's kind. Both of which had their heads severed from their necks.
And the man responsible for it loomed over the dying Goblin, blades dripping with freshly spilled blood. As the creature groaned pitifully, clutching at it's ruined throat in a useless attempt to staunch the bleeding, the silver haired warrior simply raised it's foot, and sent a kick towards the Goblin's face. Breaking it's pointed nose and sending it sprawling to the ground several feet away, where it bled to death.
The sounds of bestial grunts and rasping voices soon got their attention as a large group consisting of over a dozen Goblins soon emerged from the village's main street and were now charging towards their pale-skinned warrior. Each Goblin was armed with an assortment of crude but deadly weapons, and all were intent on tearing apart the human that had been killing so many of their kind. Any other man would have balked at the sight and ran.
But to their continued surprise, the mysterious man in front of them met their charge head on, sword and triple-bladed dagger poised to strike, his eyes glowing bright with an eerie red light.
Tanya had never seen anyone fight like he did before.
The Goblins fought back as best they could, using their superior numbers to try and overwhelm him while also maneuvering around him to strike at his exposed flanks. But he moved much faster than any of them, his reflexes razor sharp, responding to each strike delivered to him in a flash, parrying it or avoiding it outright before unleashing a counterattack of his own. It resulted in either a clean death or in such a grievous state where death was certain.
Whole limbs were severed, necks were cut, bellies sliced wide open and heads were shattered like much too delicate porcelain . All done using either one of his deadly tools of war, or the crushing force delivered through his powerful limbs.
Such brutal efficiency. Tanya truly had not seen anyone fight like he did. No dramatic maneuvers, no proud poses, no fancy flourishes. And no proud war-cries or loud praises to some deity. He did not fight with honor. He fought simply to kill. And in the most expedient manner possible.
When it became apparent that the human before them was simply way beyond their meagre capabilities to match, let alone defeat, the few remaining Goblins in the group turned craven and ran. They only managed a few meagre steps before their crimson eyed opponent quickly caught up to them and cut them down without any ounce of mercy.
Barely a minute had gone by when he was finally done with this large group of Goblins. Both of his blades slick with their foul dark blood, with some of their still warm life fluids staining his arms and torso. Had Tanya not known any better, she would have surely thought this man as some fearsome Norscan warrior or someone possessed by a malevolent deity of carnage. She quietly thanked the Gods he was not. At least, she believed he wasn't.
She glanced towards her sister Anna, to see how she was doing in the face of such brutality. And she was not surprised to see a deeply disturbed expression upon her face. One that was most likely mirrored by her own.
A loud roar came from behind them, startling the two young women as they quickly turned towards the source. They were met with the sight of another savage looking Orc, it's massive spiked club gripped within it's two large hands as it ran towards their direction. The desire for blood and carnage evident upon it's hard and battle scarred visage.
It only managed to get within ten paces of the two women when a familiar looking shortsword soon flew across the air and impaled the Orc through it's exposed neck, silencing it bestial cries. It released it's hold upon it's weapon as it slowly fell to it's knees, trying in vain to hold in the blood flowing out of it's neck.
Her attention was once again drawn to him as he calmly walked past them and approached the still kneeling Orc. The Greenskin cast him a look of murderous rage as it feebly reached out to him with it's grubby hand, attempting vengeance. He simply batted away the outstretched limb before grabbing the hilt of his sword. And slowly pushed it deeper.
The Orc's red eyes widened as it's scarred face twisted into a mask of agony, it's hands instinctively grabbing the silver haired warrior's hand in an effort to stop him from driving the blade further in, coughing out more blood as it groaned piteously. But inch by bloody inch the blade was still driven deeper, until it finally stopped at the hilt. He then twisted the hilt of his sword, widening the wound, before pulling his blade out of the Orc's neck.
He calmly stepped to the side as the large Orc fell forward. It twisted several times, slowly bleeding out upon the ground as it futilely clutched at it's ruined neck. Before it's movements finally ceased, the look of agony it wore still frozen upon it's face.
And with it, the last of their immediate foes were slain. And Tanya didn't even get the chance to fire off a shot.
She watched as he sliced off a sizable piece of the Greenskin's filthy tunic, and used it to wipe the blood clean off his sword.
"You two shouldn't have come here." he finally spoke after a few moments, sheathing his sword before cleaning the blades of his strange dagger next. "It is much too dangerous, as you have no doubt seen"
"We can say the same for you" quipped at the younger Stahlhart, causing the man to turn towards them and look at Anna curiously
"What my sister means to say is that we have come here to help you. As you said, it is quite dangerous, so you will need all the help you can get" she explained to him rather diplomatically.
"If you want to help me then you should have remained in your house where it is safest" came his immediate rebuttal as he casually sheathed his strange dagger before discarding the bloodied piece of cloth. "It will be difficult for me to watch over you two while fighting at the same time"
"But we can fight too! We are not just a couple of helpless wallflowers you know!" Anna argued back, eyes full of stubborn courage.
"Perhaps. But I cannot risk it" he shook his before turning away and walked deeper into the village. "Best you go back now"
"Wait" Tanya called out to him, causing him to halt and turn his head slightly towards them.
"Please reconsider" Tanya began, voice filled with passion and deep emerald green eyes full of determination. "This village is our home. The people living here are our friends. What are we if we simply stand aside and let someone else shoulder the burdens of protecting all those we cherish? Let us be of assistance to you at least. I promise we shall not be a burden"
In the face of such passionate words, the crimson eyed warrior before them stood silent. And it continued for a few agonizingly long moments, his face utterly unreadable. But Tanya knew for a fact that he was contemplating her offer right now, and she dearly wished he would agree. She knew that there was very little she could actually do to help him in the coming battle. She was not a soldier, and she was hardly a fighter even, this she accepted. But she still wished to help him in anyway she could..
It was the least she could do after he saved her earlier.
He soon turned back towards them and stared at them, his crimson eyes roaming across their forms, calm and calculating. And Tanya felt somewhat uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, her cheeks reddening. He then pointed to something at Tanya's direction.
"That long stick you carry. What is it called?"
Caught slightly off guard by that question, Tanya glanced briefly towards her firearm before looking back at him. "It is called a rifle"
"Rifle?" he asked, looking a bit confused at that, speaking each syllable rather awkwardly, unfamiliar with the word.
"A type of weapon that launches tiny metal spheres at great speeds towards a target" came her more informative answer. It would seem that from where he came from, gunpowder weapons were not common or simply had not been discovered yet. She took some satisfaction in the knowledge that she would be able to at least impress him later.
"I see" he then gestured towards Anna and asked "Does she know how to use one of those?"
"Yes, well enough" was Anna's swift response, nodding at him rather proudly.
Tanya fought the urge to smirk at her sister in amusement for her rather competitive spirit as she gave him a more factual answer. "She has practiced a few times in the past, yes"
"Alright" he said to them before walking off to the side towards one of the nearby dead militiamen.
The unfortunate man was barely recognizable, having had his face smashed to pieces and with his limbs twisted into several different angles. Tanya instinctively cringed at the sight, feeling a stab of sorrow within her heart. One more reason for her to hate Greenskins. And they have given her plenty of reasons to hate their kind already.
As their mysterious companion reached the broken corpse, he knelt down and grabbed the longrifle lying next to it. He inspected it for a moment, his critical gaze searching for any damage upon it, before he finally rose back to his feet and headed towards them.
"Here" he said as he gave the rifle to Anna.
Her younger sister grabbed a hold of it and immediately began reloading the rifle. He watched her closely, studying every single action she made as she worked with the firearm, seemingly committing every single information to memory. Once Anna was finished, she turned her attention back to him and gave him a nod, showing that she was ready.
He gave them both a stern look, like a seasoned Imperial officer would to his subordinates.
"Stay close, keep calm and be on alert. Mind every corner" were his firm instructions to them, to which Tanya and Anna nodded in acknowledgement.
Satisfied with that, he began walking down the narrow side street, his body crouched slightly and his footsteps light as a feather despite the weight of his muscled physique and the heavy boots he wore. Tanya and Anna followed after him, doing as he said by staying close to him. Their rifles shouldered and cocked, eyes searching for any signs of danger.
"By the way," Tanya whispered to him. "Who are you anyway?"
He looked at her for a brief moment before turning his sights forward. A long moment passed, and when she thought that he wouldn't answer her, he finally spoke.
"Goblin Slayer"
"Goblin Slayer?" she was a little perplexed to hear that. "Is that your name, or your title?"
"It is what I am called. For that is what I am"
"So what do we call you then?" Anna chimed in this time, also whispering as to not draw unwanted attention, as she looked at him with incredulously. "Slayer?"
His back was turn to them so they could not see his face, but Tanya and Anna could almost feel him smiling at that suggested moniker.
"You may"
Author's notes: Alright, where do I start? Right, the dead Goblins. As you all know, this chapter contained a lot of action and a whole lot of dead Goblins. And more will eventually die since I have finally decided to turn this story into a full series.
Now, one reviewer had suggested that I should try and go with the overall style of Goblin Slayer instead of Warhammer, to not bank so much on the grimdark. And I wholly agree with that. Even I can only take so much dark before getting turned off. So I will be balancing grimdark with lighthearted as I write this story. I want to entertain you guys after all, not scare you away. So fluffiness and a bit of comedy will go hand in hand with gratuitous violence and bloody gore.
A guest reviewer mentioned something about the Goblins here, and that they had yellow eyes instead of red. That's because I will be using both the goblins from Goblin Slayer as well as the typical Warhammer goblins. So just consider those yellow eyed bastards as a mutated subspecies of the garden variety goblin. Not as numerous, but way nastier. So there might or might not be some unfortunate females getting 'Gobbed' within this story. Heck, one such girl very nearly got family styled in this chapter.
As for my characters, I am glad to know that many of you liked how I wrote them. I just went and based their overall personalities with some actual people that I know, including Giselle. And I was surprised to learn that some of you actually liked Giselle. I am aware of the whole Slaanesh thing in Warhammer and how he/she/it is closely tied to any and all things lust or depravity. But I'm afraid that at this time, I can neither confirm nor deny that our resident Bretonnian is a Slaaneshite. I'll leave it to you guys to figure out what she is. More fun that way :D
Anyhow, I hope you all liked this chapter. Please, send me a comment or a review and let me know what guys think. You got any suggestions or advise, let me know.
Oh and one more thing before I finally stop rambling. In case any of you are wandering, the timeline of this story begins exactly on the 16th of Erntezeit of the year 2500 IC. So about twenty or so years before the start of The End Times. That's a spoiler already right there and the only one I will give out. So I hope you all look forward to what GS will do when the Everchosen's hordes finally invade the Old World.
Until next time. John out :D