Disclaimer: I own neither Red Dead Redemption 2 or Goblin Slayer

Chapter 4

Been a little over seven months now. I've found myself far more comfortable in this place than I ever imagined.

It feels good. Being able to use my skills for something that ain't robbing or killing good people. I just thought that my talents would only be useful for a criminal life. But here, it really feels like… that freedom I always wanted out West. To be able to hit that open land without a worry about the law or the rest of the world.

I wish the gang was here. Back when we were a family. There'd be no need for killing or running. Just us on the open range. Taking jobs and helping people. Like how we thought we was.

Or at least that's what I convinced myself we were doing.

That aside, I've been quickly climbing up in rank. After the howler hunt, I got ranked up. After another month of jobs, I got to steel. It seemed like each month after that, I kept getting reviewed and approved for higher ranks. Currently, I'm sitting at Emerald rank. That's been pretty helpful. Let's me choose a lotta good paying jobs when I'm not out hunting goblins with Goblin Slayer.

I owe that man a lot. Hunting goblins has become like a clean up duty, but I don't mind. I've done much worse things before, killing goblins is the least I can contribute. And maybe, part of it feels like I'm paying off a longtime debt to him for helping me get my start.

But maybe it's also just what 'party' members do for each other. Something I have been coming to understand.

Not to mention that other adventurer's can recommend rank ups for people. Part of me would think that's not something he'd go out of his way to do, but I've caught him and Guild Girl speaking alone sometimes, both acting real suspicious when I ask what's going on. Usually, a short time after that, I've ranked up.

I might not be a genius, but I can see when someone's vouching for me. I owe them both a lot. I may not quite deserve their kindness, but I certainly appreciate it. No one's made me feel quite as at home as them.

Oh, and let the record show that I do think Padfoot Waitress's cooking is good. I feel that if I don't mention that once, she'll know somehow and hunt me down.

"Whatcha writin' about, Gunslinger?"

Arthur looked up from his journal and smirked, Padfoot Waitress hovering close by with his order in hand. "Nothin' special. I just like to write sometimes."

"Eh~, that's suspicious. I'll have to sneak that away from you one of these days and take a look," Padfoot Waitress said, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"You do that, and you'll lose a long time customer, little lady," Arthur smiled back, his words immediately causing the dog eared girl to wince.

"W-Wait, that's not fair! Don't be like that!"

"Hehe, I'm just kiddin'. But I'd prefer not to have someone read this. It'd be pretty embarrasin'," Arthur laughed, stuffing the journal into his satchel.

"Fine~, have it your way. Oh, here's your order! Make sure you eat it all, kay?" Padfoot Waitress said, giving a big smile as she set a plate of lamb leg and diced potatoes in front of Arthur.

"I will be sure to do that. Thank you, miss," Arthur tipped his hat to her before picking up a fork and beginning to eat. The dog eared girl gave a fervent nod before skipping back to the kitchen.

"Yo~, Gunslinger."

Arthur looked up from his meal and smirked, swallowing the food in his mouth as Spearman and Witch approached with friendly smiles.

"And here I thought I was gonna have a nice quiet lunch. Guess that's hard with the Frontier's strongest loudmouth around, huh?" Arthur said with a laugh under his breath. "Oh, and good day, Witch."

"Hello… Gunslinger," Witch smiled as she and Spearman took a seat across from him.

"Oh, shove it with that nickname, jerk," Spearman huffed out in amusement. "So, no goblin hunt today? Figured you and that stiff bastard would be gone when we got back."

"We'll see. He's usually not this late, but maybe he's just gettin' a rest." Arthur shrugged, still digging into his meal. "We just got back from a few day trip for a hunt last night. He's probably catchin' up on some sleep."

"Eh, that so? Guess that gives me a chance to chat up Guild Girl, huh?" Spearman grinned, eliciting a small sigh as he spared a small glance at Witch, who merely rolled her eyes and pulled her long pipe from between her breasts and stuck it in her mouth.

"You know, there is such a thing as a hunt you just can't catch, right?" Arthur drawled, picking up a napkin and wiping his mouth.

"Hah! We'll see about that!" Spearman puffed out his chest confidently. "I don't give up when I've set my eyes on something! The more I show her what I'm made of, the more she'll start to see how much better I am than that boring guy!"

"She certainly won't hear the end of it, I'm sure…" Arthur sighed, pushing his plate away and leaning back in his chair. "You ever think that maybe you just like the idea of bein' with her rather than her specifically?"

"Huh? The hell does that even mean?" Spearman tilted his head to one side in confusion.

Arthur let out a breath, rubbing a hand across his face. "Forget I said anythin'. You two stickin' around today or you gonna head out for another job soon?"

"We're taking a small… break today," Witch answered this time, welcoming the change in topic. "I have some… supplies to… refill. Tomorrow we will… set out on another… job."

"I've gotta get some of my armor fixed up too. The dragon we killed took longer than I expected to finally go down," Spearman said, tapping his knuckles on his chest plate. Arthur could see some surface damage on it, some dents and even a splintered area at the edge.

"And here I was hopin' that dragon would crush your lungs and take away your voice," Arthur snickered, earning a small laugh from Witch.

"Haha, very funny! You sure love to throw your jokes around, asshole," Spearman clicked his tongue but looked amused regardless. "What about you? Gonna head out for a hunt alone this time or wait for the stiff guy?"

"Not sure. Was thinkin' of relaxin' for the day, myself. We've had a lotta hunts lately," Arthur explained, scratching the scraggly hair of his beard. "For a while, it felt like there were less and less goblin hunts… but in the past couple months, it feels like that's all we've been doin'. Almost like they just decide to come outta the woodwork."

"There have been a few more goblin quests lately, huh? Even Goblin Slayer cant take them all on at once," Spearman laughed, recalling several postings on the board.

"Goblins do seem to… only increase in number… don't they?" Witch hummed, blowing out a cloud of smoke. Arthur decided to join her, pulling a cigarette out from his jacket pocket and putting it in his mouth. "Enflambre~." With the small spell, the end of Arthur's cigarette lit up.

"Thank you, miss," Arthur said, inhaling a cloud of tobacco smoke and puffing out. "But yeah, I can't say you're wrong. They're almost like goddamn roaches. Too many of the little bastards that don't know when to quit."

"You should take a goblin hunting break and go with us on a quest, again. It's not like you don't do enough of it with Goblin Slayer as is," Spearman suggested with a grin, slapping his shoulder.

"You did quite… well on our… last quest together…. We'd be… happy to have… you," Witch smiled.

Over the past few months, when Arthur felt like exploring different types of quests, he had teamed up with several adventurers, namely Spearman and Witch. Arthur wouldn't say it straight out that he liked working with them, but only because he knew it would got to Spearman's head.

"I might sometime soon, but… I don't know. Somethin' don't feel right about all the goblins poppin' up," said Arthur, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth. "Goblin Slayer does fine without me, but I… I don't know, feels like I still gotta help him clean up more of 'em. At least for a bit. But I'll keep the offer in mind."

"Well, if that's what you wanna do," Spearman shrugged. "But hey, how about we do some drinkin' tonight at least?"

"Hehe, now that's somethin' I can get behind," Arthur laughed.

"You are rather mature, but… you also seem… to bring out your more… childish side when… drinking," Witch giggled.

"You wouldn't be the first person to say that, I'll admit," Arthur agreed, standing up from the table. "Anyway, I best be gettin' on. Got some of my own errands to run today."

"Alright. I'll see you for drinks later then if you don't get dragged off for some goblin quest again," Spearman winked as he left.

"We'll be… seeing you," Witch nodded as she watched him leave. Arthur walked through the main hall, sparing a glance at Guild Girl and thinking of saying hi. But seeing her busy with several young adventurers, Arthur decided to let her work. He headed out the front door, walking down the road and heading for the nearby blacksmith.

"Ah, if it isn't our funny hatted silk maid!" The blacksmith greeted with snark.

"And here I was hopin' to see the kid in charge now with you dead somewhere. Imagine my poor luck," Arthur shot back with a laugh, earning huff from the blacksmith.

"Yeah, right! I'll outlive ya and the brat, easily!" Smith said, leaning forward on his counter.

"Unfortunately, that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Well, I guess I don't mind so long as you keep makin' some good stuff for me," Arthur chuckled, shaking his head as he approached. "Got my order?"

"What do I look like, some amateur? 'Course I got your order!" Smith spat, looking back at a young man nearby. "Hey! Go get Mister Gunslinger his weapon!"

"Oh, yes sir!" The young man, Apprentice as he was called, answered before running off to the back. He quickly came back with an axe in hand, placing it on the table. It had a far more intricate design when compared to the axe Arthur had normally carried around. It had a sharp, glistening curved blade with a hand carved pommel, leather wrapped around the bottom for comfort. Arthur picked it up,feeling its weight and the balance of it in his hand.

"You brought me some good steel for that beauty. It'll take far more damage than the standard hand axe you've been carryin' and neither will the pommel. You'll cut right through the hide of a manticore, though how deep it goes depends on how strong those maiden arms of yours are."

"Sure, put it on me if it don't work, old man," Arthur chuckled, holding the axe up and inspecting the detail. "Very nice. This is just what I needed. Had too many of those damn axes before break after just a month. Here." Arthur put a pouch of coins on the table, Smith reaching out to count it. "Keep the change."

"Heh, if you insist, boy. Put that thing to good use."

The swinging doors to the shop opened, causing Arthur and Smith to look up and see a young woman around Arthur's age enter. She had long blonde hair and a beautiful face, a bang curved on her forehead. She wore silver plated armor and a cape in the back with a black sigil on her pauldrons.

"Well, if it ain't miss Female Knight," Arthur greeted, tipping his hat before looking down at his axe again.

"Ah, afternoon to you, Gunslinger," she greeted with a smile, walking up to the counter next to him before inspecting the axe. "That's a fine crafted weapon. You just purchase it?"

"Yeah. Decided buyin' one every couple months after one broke was gettin' annoyin'," Arthur nodded, placing the axe on his belt and looking up at her. "You?"

"Just getting my sword sharpened," she answered, pulling the blade from her belt.

"I see. Where's Heavy Swordsman?" Arthur asked, looking around.

"He's back at the guild, having a drink. Our latest quest was somewhat tougher than we were expecting," She answered, placing her blade on the table. Smith quickly took it, resting it on his shoulder as he moved to his sharpening stone.

Arthur had gotten acquainted with Female Knight and Heavy Swordsman several months back when trying different jobs. After that, they had quickly become friends, Arthur liking both of them well enough to go on a few other jobs with them in the past.

"Seems to be a lot of that goin' around. Almost like everything's been comin' outta their caves lately," Arthur said, thinking out loud for the most part. "Makes me wonder what the hell's goin' on…"

"It likely has to do with the Demon Lord," Female Knight said, causing Arthur to raise a brow. "Don't you know? The newest Demon Lord has been making a move lately, rousing all sorts of beasts and creatures. A good number have either gone to his army or are just out and causing havoc across the country."

"Well, that might explain some things," Arthur muttered, somewhat unsettled by the idea. "You think things are gonna start gettin' harder from here for us?"

"Not likely. Sure, there will be some more difficult or surprising quests, but nothing too outside the realm of expectation," Female Knight dismissed, leaning forward on the counter. "There's supposedly a young woman in the gold ranks that's already planning to tackle the Demon Lord soon. Whether she'll succeed is another story, though. I have heard that she's quite fierce in battle."

"Guess we can just hope that she wins and keep cleanin' up around the Frontier, then." Arthur shrugged, pulling out his cattleman revolver and inspecting it.

"We all have our parts to play. Though part of me wonders if you're fulfilling yours," she said, causing Arthur to raise a brow.

"How you mean?" Female Knight looked away for a moment before sighing and looking back.

"Perhaps it's not my place to say, but… I feel someone should say it. You've shown me and many others what you're capable of. No one doubts your skill, Gunslinger," Female Knight started, her eyes peering into his. "But you still spend much of your time on hunts with Goblin Slayer. He's quite capable on his own, at least when dealing with goblins. There's no stopping him from doing those quests, we all know this. But don't you think you're wasting your own abilities on those kind of hunts?"

"Not really. The man's my partner. If he wants help killin' some goblins, I give him some," Arthur dismissed easily enough, taking a rag from his belt and rubbing out some residue on the barrel. "Besides, I've seen what goblins are capable of. If anything needs killin', it's certainly those little bastards."

"No one's saying they don't. But-"

"Listen, Female Knight. You might say I'm good at what I do and, well I wouldn't say you're wrong but… there ain't much I'm good for, neither," Arthur said, raising his gaze to her with steely expression. "I ain't no hero. I wouldn't even call myself a good man. But the world needs exterminators too, don't it? I think… that's what I'm best at bein'."

Female Knight's expression softened, looking at Arthur with some confusion and wonder. "What… happened to you to make you think that…" She released a breath, shaking her head. "Apologies. I shouldn't pry."

Arthur answered with a silent nod of appreciation. One thing he liked about the guild was that people really could come from all walks of life. There was an unwritten rule because of that, one that kept adventurers from attempting to delve too deep into other people's lives before joining. Sure, if people felt so inclined, they would share, but only with close friends and members of one's own party. If Arthur had known that from the beginning, perhaps he could have avoided the whole amnesia nonsense. Still, it helped him out in other ways, at least.

"Well, enough about how I'm wastin' my time. What about you and the big guy?" Arthur said, deciding to switch topics as he stuffed his gun back in its holster. "Any sorta progress with him?"

"P-Progress? What do you mean?" Female Knight asked, her cheeks turning red and making Arthur laugh.

"Guess I'll take that as a no. I swear, seems to be a lotta you people at the guild actin' like kids that never been with someone. You sure you're adults?" Arthur teased, causing Female Knight to gasp in shock, feeling called out.

In Arthur's time at the guild, he'd easily picked up on the many strange romances going on. Or lack thereof, truthfully. Guild Girl was obviously interested in Goblin Slayer while Spearman pined for her. Witch, who took a bit longer for Arthur to peg, actually harbored feelings for Spearman to his mild surprise. And in the few missions and drinks he shared with Female Knight and Heavy Swordsman, he quickly picked up on the fact that the woman was obviously interested in her comrade.

Other people's love lives usually weren't his concern, but Arthur did find quite a bit of enjoyment teasing most of them about their lack of action.

"I-I haven't the faintest idea of what you mean! B-Besides, it's… rare for party members to get involved. What if things go bad or it causes drama with another party member?" Female Knight mumbled, though Arthur could tell she was trying to convince herself more than him.

"If you say so. It's not like I'm the greatest romantic in the world neither," Arthur shrugged with a chuckle, causing Female Knight to puff out her cheeks. Despite her intimidating strength and fierce demeanor in battle, Arthur liked poking her buttons. She might not have let her guard down around most, but Arthur knew exactly what buttons to push to get her to crack. Of course, he always made sure not to push too far lest he puts himself on the wrong side of her sword.

Before the two could continue, the doors to the shop opened, Goblin Slayer suddenly entering.

"Hey."

"Ah, there you are. Was wonderin' if you were gonna sleep all day," Arthur said, pushing off the counter. He quickly took note of the fact that he was fully armored. "Guess yer not restin' today?"

"No. Goblins aren't either," he answered shortly, bringing a paper to the counter.

"Of course they aren't," Female Knight sighed, looking up at Arthur. "I'll see you later, Gunslinger. Good luck exterminating."

"Will do," Arthur nodded before turning back to Goblin Slayer and picking up the paper. "You seem excited. For you, at least. What's goin' on?"

"There's a goblin horde that's taken over an abandoned stronghold," Goblin Slayer explained, pointing at the details for him to read. "With the details in the request, there should be over fifty. Including a Champion."

"Champion, huh? This'll be the second one I'm killin', then," Arthur hummed, his eyes trailing down to the reward. To his surprise, it was strangely high. "Ten gold pieces? A lord order this one?"

"Yes. The stronghold is near a town. They likely don't want to send what guards they have to deal with the threat and leave their defenses lowered."

"Makes sense. We should go pick up some-"

"Hey, what does this shop look like to you lot? Some social club?!" The Smith finally spoke up, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Keep your shirt on, old man. Don't wanna have a heart attack," Arthur huffed, but nonetheless heading for the door with Goblin Slayer. "We'll see you later. Unfortunately."

"I heard that!"

"Do you not like him?" Goblin Slayer asked innocently.

"What? No, 'course I do. I just like to mess with people," Arthur chuckled. Goblin Slayer was one of the only people that never received the jokes. Mostly because his reactions were either dry or silent.

"I see."

"Anyway, there anything you wanna pick up? I was gonna grab some cocktails for fire bottles, at least. Maybe grab some herbs to make poison knives and arrows on our way there."

"Some items from the alchemist. We'll likely need some more tools considering the location. We've yet to tackle a goblin host inside of a stronghold together," Goblin Slayer explained.

"Yeah, we should probably try and sneak in first. Goin' loud will probably just make 'em lock the place up before we can flush 'em out," Arthur agreed before slapping his shoulder. "Still, ain't nothin' we can't handle."

"Still, be cautious. We don't have all the information available," Goblin Slayer suggested.

"Sure, but I'm sure it ain't anythin' we haven't seen before."


I feel like… the biggest damn fool in the world.

Arthur didn't necessarily underestimate the job. He knew that with a different location came different circumstances to a fight with goblins. He didn't deviate from their plan. He did everything without an ounce of carelessness. Any goblin patrolling the stronghold was taken care of. Goblin Slayer and Arthur approached this job just like any other, cautious and ready.

But what made Arthur feel stupid was the cardinal rule he forgot. No matter how good a job starts… no matter how well you execute your plans… any job can go wrong. Sometimes, things out of your control occur, and those moments can ruin everything you had prepared, even your backup plans.

Arthur had scolded himself again and again for failing to remember this rule as he hugged his left arm to his side, trying to keep it from moving too much due to the bone protruding from his forearm.

The infiltration had gone without a hitch, the two having taken out the goblins guarding the walls and sneaking inside the stronghold. But the problem was the number of rooms that were scattered throughout the fortress. Not wanting to miss a single goblin, Arthur and Goblin Slayer were forced to check every room they came across. Some went without incident while others had to be spent taking out several goblins squatting inside.

But when they got to one of the last few rooms left, Arthur made the simple mistake of having a hand on his axe rather than on his gun. Because when he opened the door, he found a goblin Champion lurking inside. His decision to remain silent for the infiltration had worked against him, as he hadn't gotten a hand to his gun fast enough. The moment his hand was on his gun, the Champion was already swinging a club directly into his left arm. It broke on impact.

Arthur considered that lucky though as he was only wearing chain mail, a ring of durability and a jacket fashioned from a cloak of defense. He was now very thankful for Witch's help in securing those. They had been expensive but considering the little amount of armor he wore, they had proven their worth. If he hadn't worn them, he likely would have been dead or dying by now.

Goblin Slayer had quickly jumped to fight the Champion, but it proved to be his superior in strength, pushing him back against the wall and trying to choke him to death. Arthur had to spend a long, excruciating moment ignoring the broken bones and hoist up his revolver in the opposite hand.

Despite the pain, Arthur didn't waste his first shot. The Champion's skull was tough, so killing it with a headshot wasn't guaranteed, something he learned from his first encounter. That's why Arthur aimed for its eye, putting a hole through its brain without fail.

While his quick and precise aim had dealt with the immediate threat, it was no surprise to either adventurer when they heard a goblin horn sound. Arthur's revolver was far too loud to go unheard. So, having to swallow a healing potion that barely fought the pain off, Arthur and Goblin Slayer were forced to run out of the room without a second to rest. The patter of goblin feet could be heard echoing down the hall with unmistakable, heavy foot fall being among them.

"They've got another damn Champion, don't they…?" Arthur ground out, trying to keep up with Goblin Slayer as they kept running.

"Yes. And some hobgoblins as well." Goblin Slayer confirmed, the two stopping shortly as they reached a fork in the hall.

"Just dandy… What do you wanna do then?" Arthur asked, taking the brief stop as a moment to tie a handkerchief around his forearm.

"Get them in a narrow path. Kill them in groups." Goblin Slayer said, giving a quick wave. "This way."

Arthur quietly followed. While his idea seemed risky, Arthur couldn't see any better option. Leaving the stronghold was one thing, but the chances of them making it out without a fight and getting cornered in a bad spot was high. He didn't have both arms to work with, meaning he'd have to rely on one of his revolvers to fight. He could use his axe, but that didn't do him too much good in this situation.

"Whatcha got on ya left?"

"Two tear gas bombs, three fire bottles and ten arrows," Goblin Slayer listed off, coming to a halt as they reached the end of the hall. "Right's the only path left, but it's a dead end."

"Shit. Check each room for a way out," Arthur cursed, swiveling his head back and forth. The approaching rumble of goblins was still some ways off, but was steadily approaching.

Goblin Slayer opened three doors, checking each one quickly before returning to him. "Each room has a window, but is a long way down. If we prepare a rope now, we might outrun the horde… maybe."

"You might, but… not with this arm I won't," Arthur cursed, gritting his teeth. "Looks like we're makin' a stand here... unless you wanna go while I cover you."

"I'm not leaving you," Goblin Slayer answered, immediately picking up on his meaning.

"I know… well, this hallway's pretty long. If we're gonna make a stand anywhere, here's about as good as we could hope for," Arthur sighed, looking around the hall. There were several ragged banners loosely hanging along the walls. Enough to go across the entire hallway. "Were there any tables in those rooms?"

"Several."

"Okay. Grab whichever ones you can and set 'em up along the hall. It'll help slow 'em down, at least. I'm gonna douse these curtains in liquor," Arthur said, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a fire bottle. Goblin Slayer nodded, quickly rushing back to the rooms. Arthur pulled the rag out of the fire bottle's top with his teeth, jogging up to the banner hanging at the middle of the hall and splashing it.

"GRAGH!"

"Shit, they're close…" Arthur cursed, not wasting any time to move onto the next banner and splash it as well. The hall was at least twenty yards in length, giving them plenty of space to work with. The problem would be how fast the goblins could clear that distance, though.

As he finished up, he looked back to see Goblin Slayer having put several tables on their side, spaced enough that they would keep the goblins also saw Goblin Slayer slather each one with alcohol.

"Good idea. They won't be in a rush to push 'em if they're on fire," Arthur smirked at his partner's own quick thinking. He pulled out a pouch of matches, thankful that he was able to find and alchemist to make them for him. He raised his boot and struck it against the heel, quickly tossing the match onto one of the tables as he passed by. "Keep 'em away from the banners. That'll be our next surprise."

"Okay."

Three fires were set, each table blazing. Arthur and Goblin Slayer quickly jogged to the end of the hall, the cowboy painfully pulling the shotgun off his shoulder. "Here. I think more than ever, you're gonna need it."

Goblin Slayer took it without question, raising it up and taking aim. Arthur raised his revolver, eyes narrowing past the blaze as the inhuman rumbling grew loud enough for them to hear from their position.

"How many you thinkin' left?" Arthur asked quietly.

"We killed twenty two and a Champion. My guess would be twenty three more, including two hobgoblins and the other Champion," Goblin Slayer robotically answered, his helmet's gaze still forward.

"Sounds about… right," Arthur grit out, beginning to feel the healing potion he drank wear off and his arm start to sting worse and worse. "Well… whatever you do… save our last potions for yourself."

"No." Arthur looked at him to argue, only stopping when he saw a potion now being held up to his face. "I need you as strong as possible. Drink."

Arthur opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he heard a goblin screech just at the end of the hall. "Fine. Stubborn bastard…" He relented, quickly taking it with his good hand and downing it, tossing the bottle aside as he focused his gaze forward and raised his gun again. "Here they come."

"I know."

Just at the opposite end of the hall, the two soon saw several goblins through the blaze, watching them with vengeful eyes. They didn't move at first, and for a long moment, they were the only ones to be seen. But a moment later, another small crowd of goblins scurried out from the right hall. Then another. Then another, with two hobgoblins at each side. And then, with thunderous steps, the Champion stepped out, a club in one hand and a large, round shield in the other. The moment Arthur saw that, he couldn't help but feel worried.

I don't think my guns can get through that.

"GRA~GH!" The Champion pointed forward with its club, and immediately the first group of goblins began to charge.

"About damn time. Come on, then!" Arthur growled out in defiance, taking aim and letting a bullet fly. He headshot the first goblin he could, being careful with his aim. Next to him, Goblin Slayer fired the lever shotgun off, though it only seemed to wing one of the goblins but not kill it.

"Wait 'til they're at the second table! That thing don't got too long'a range!" Arthur told him, firing off another shot and killing another goblin. He was taking careful aim, making every shot count. As the goblins dodged around the first table, he unleashed another bullet, sending one of the goblins tumbling back, dead. They weaved around the next table, only to be met with bullets and buckshot as they both fired. Arthur put two more shots out, killing two more goblins and leaving two others. As he put the revolver away and drew his other one, Goblin Slayer killed the last two with successive shots. He's gotten good with that thing.

The Champion let out another roar, and this time the entire pack of goblins began rushing at them with the Champion lagging in the back.

"Now!" Arthur said, looking at Goblin Slayer. He was already prepared, the shotgun slung on his shoulder as he now took aim with a bow and arrow with the tip wrapped in a burning cloth. He let the arrow loose, setting the banners ablaze as the goblins moved under them. It caused them to recoil in fear, taking a step back from the burning tapestry that ignited each one after the other and filled the hall with black smoke. The goblins began to cough madly, covering their faces from the heat as they tried to proceed forward.

That disorientation was all Arthur wanted, quickly pulling out his second revolver and letting it reload now that the goblins approach had been slowed. As it snapped closed, he quickly bore down on them, taking carefully planned shots and killing six, including both hobgoblins, of the beasts.

Goblin Slayer dared to step closer, putting them all within range of the shotgun and unleashing several shots. He quickly killed the closest ones, breaking their resolve to keep pushing and forcing them back with the speed of their mounting losses. Arthur would have been relieved had he not seen the Champion make its approach, batting away the lesser goblins like trash and killing them. It let out a deep bellow of a roar, slowly beginning to charge. Arthur hoped to kill him before he could get close, but the Champion simply raised its shield, each bullet deflecting off of it without much fuss.

"Shit! Get back! Get back now!" Arthur cursed, damning his luck when he heard the gun click, empty. He quickly switched to his schofield, but had trouble finding a target as the Champion continued forward with its shield.

"I'll make it drop its guard. Look for an opening," Goblin slayer said, letting the shotgun fall to the ground as he drew his short sword.

"Wait, don'-" Arthur watched as Goblin Slayer pulled out two small eggs in hand and tossed them at the Champion, one hitting his shield and the other hitting the ground around its feet. They quickly exploded into puffs of smoke, and the Champion actually stopped. It let out a strangled cry, its head swaying back and forth as it tried to rub its eyes on its forearm.

"See if you can get its shield down for me!" Arthur said, keeping his gun up as he got ready to fire. Goblin Slayer obeyed without a word, rushing forward and slamming his blade against its shield, hoping to break its guard. But it reacted violently, using its large circle shield to swing wildly and hit Goblin Slayer, knocking him into the wall with great force.

But with that single movement, Arthur didn't miss his chance. The Champion's shield was away from its face, exposing it. And with one properly placed bullet, he put a hole that started at its eye and ended at the back of its head.

Arthur watched it slump to the ground, slowly lowering his shaking arm as he started to cough. The fight might have been over, but the fire still raged on, filling the entire hall with smoke. He looked up at Goblin Slayer, feeling nervous when he saw that he was still slumped against the wall.

"Hey! Goblin Slayer! Come on, we-" He started to cough again, smoke and heat filling his eyes and lungs. He felt his eyes strain and water, struggling to see his surroundings. But he fought through the smoke, grabbing the black neckerchief he wore and using it to cover his mouth. Squinting, Arthur pushed forward thankful that the fires had yet to spread completely across the carpet.

As he weaved around the burning tables, he saw Goblin Slayer, hearing him groan and cough weakly. Using his good arm, Arthur reached down and grabbed him, slinging his left arm over his shoulder. He let out a strained groan, but forced them both to stand.

"Don't you get nappy… on me now. Come on!" Arthur told him, slowly trudging forward. Goblin Slayer seemed to finally be waking up, although barely, and started to move his feet at least.

Still, as much as the neckerchief helped, it wasn't the best filter, causing Arthur to suck in a bit of smoke regardless. He let out several pained coughs, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. Each breath became a terrible chore, and his eyes started to fog up.

"Come on… almost there... " He mumbled, though more to himself than to Goblin Slayer. His head was starting to go dizzy, though and the world around him light. Arthur's vision began to fade as his pace began to slow. He felt his grip on Goblin Slayer begin to loosen, and was beginning to fall himself.

In the end, before completely blacking out, all he felt was a tight grip grab his shoulder that kept him from falling.


I wanna die… again...

Arthur noticed two things the moment he began to stir. The first was the splitting headache that rudely greeted him the moment he woke. The other was the fact that his throat was unbearably parched. He slowly began to shift around, attempting to move his left arm. Not only did the action hurt, it also felt impossible to move. He groaned as he forced his eyes open slowly, suddenly realizing that he was in a room. Not to mention on a bed. He looked down at his arm, seeing now that it was wrapped up in a bandage as well as splinted.

Right… the fortress…

Arthur closed his eyes again, resting his head back into the pillow beneath it. He began to notice how annoying it felt to breath, his chest tightening with each weak breath.

Please tell me I don't got TB again… I'd prefer to die a different way this time, at least...

"Oh, you're awake!"

Arthur slowly opened his eyes when he heard an unfamiliar voice. At the door of the room he was stuck in was a young woman with short red hair. She was young, around seventeen or so, with a cute face and kind smile. She had short, neck length red hair and wore blue overalls on top of a white shirt.

"Hey…" Arthur wheezed out, his voice scratchy. The young woman seemed to understand immediately, jogging to his side and holding out a cup of water.

"Here, drink! You've had it rough…" She said, Arthur greedily grasping at the cup and dumping the water down his throat. He started to cough, the water having gone down the wrong pipe, but he fought through it, still drinking more. "Are you feeling okay?"

"About as… good as I look, perhaps…" Arthur choked out, dropping the cup and slowly rolling onto his back again. "Where… am I?"

"You're at my uncle's farm. This certainly isn't the way I wanted our first meeting to go, but I guess he didn't give us much choice, huh?" The girl giggled sheepishly, causing Arthur to force a glance her way.

"You… wanted to meet me?" Arthur asked in confusion. Before he could push the topic, he heard the door push open again, both looking up to see Goblin Slayer standing in the doorway.

"You're awake."

"Ah, just in time!" The girl said, bouncing up to stand straight and giving the armored adventurer a smile. "I'm sure your friend would like a familiar face right now."

"Goblin Slayer…" Arthur wheezed, weakly attempting to sit up. His partner soon was at his side, standing over him.

"Don't push yourself. Rest."

"Hard to… rest, feelin' like my lungs've just been put through a fire," Arthur mumbled, running a hand over his face. "My pathetic state aside, uh… this your place?"

"Yes. I live here," Goblin Slayer nodded, the young woman approaching from his side and giving a radiant smile.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" She asked with a playful tone, nudging Goblin Slayer with an elbow.

"This is Cow Girl. She's my friend from childhood," Goblin Slayer said before looking up at Cow Girl. "This is Gunslinger. He's my partner."

"Pleasure to meet you…" Arthur mumbled, forcing himself to sit back against the headboard and nod. "I'd tip my hat, but…"

"It's no problem. I'm glad to finally get to meet you!" Cow Girl giggled as she smiled at Arthur. "He doesn't always talk, but he's been saying a bit more and coming home more often than he used to after working. I guess I have you to thank for that, huh?"

"Well, it's a two way street… I suppose," Arthur chuckled, resting his head back. "But just tell me one thing… is he secretly more talkative at home than anywhere else?"

"What?" Goblin Slayer tilted his head innocently.

"Sorry, he's like that everywhere," Cow Girl laughed.

"That's what I thought. Didn't hurt to ask, at least," Arthur forced out his own laugh, rubbing his chest. "Thank you for the… hospitality, Cow Girl. And sorry for the inconvenience…"

"You don't even need to worry. Just be sure to thank my uncle when you get the chance. You were the last thing that he was expecting this guy to suddenly haul into our barn," Cow Girl giggled, looking at Goblin Slayer. "Well, I'll let you two catch up. I'm going to go check on dinner."

"Thank you, again…" Arthur forced out, watching the bubbly girl leave the room before looking at Goblin Slayer. "She seems nice…"

"She is," was his short answer, the armored man taking a seat in the chair next to his bed.

"Didn't realize you lived so far out from the town. Figured you'd have brought me to that village instead," Arthur said curiously.

"I don't. This place is close to town. I took you to the village near the stronghold once we escaped to tend to your wounds. Once they were done, I thought you'd prefer to be closer to home." Goblin Slayer answered.

"I see. How long was I out?"

"A day. I brought you here soon after." he answered once more.

"Good. I'd hate to be out too long," Arthur grumbled, looking at his splinted arm in annoyance. "Still feel like a goddamn fool for what happened, though. Anything I should know about?"

"They said your lungs were strained from breathing in too much smoke. If you rest, they'll heal quickly. But your arm was broken in several places. The doctors and healers did what they could and fixed the bones, but said to let it rest for two weeks, at least."

"Sounds about right… still, you know if the job's really done?" Arthur asked, unsure if they had killed them all.

"Yes. I went back and checked the fortress. The fire died out, but it seems that the goblins were all dead."

"At least that's one thing we got right… still, now I gotta go home lookin' like this. I'll never hear the end of it from Spearman," Arthur groaned, placing a hand over his face. "You shoulda let me die in the fortress…"

"I see. I'll keep that in mind for next time."

Arthur lowered his hand from his face to look at Goblin Slayer, his neutral helmet staring back at him. He couldn't stop a laugh from erupting, though he regretted it as he felt his lungs strain.

"Damn that hurts… still, happy to see you're learnin'..."

"My partner likes to joke a lot."


Arthur had spent another day at the farm, putting off going back to the guild for the moment as he rested. Arthur strode out into the early morning light, his splint adjusted and hanging in a sling. He leaned back against the fence lining the farm, staring out at a rising sun. In the back, he could hear the small rustle of movement from Goblin Slayer who, as he easily guessed, was checking for goblin prints. He wasn't expecting anything less and for the most part figured that would have been a daily routine for a guy like him.

"I have to say… this land that you live on is… beautiful," Arthur said, watching as the orange hue of sunlight reflected off the far spread greenland. It was moments like these that made his worldly traverse worth it all.

"Yeah, it is."

Arthur spared him a glance, watching as his partner pushed aside small blades of grass. He opened his mouth, tempted to give Goblin Slayer some sass for spending so much time on his search. But he didn't. Because looking at the helmet he had rarely seen removed from his head, Arthur understood. There was a reason for his caution. A reason for his hate. It all centered on goblins. Having seen what the monsters were capable of, Arthur could only imagine what they did to leave an effect on this man. It made his stomach churn.

We've all got our hangups.

"Morning."

Arthur craned his head to the left, seeing Cow Girl's uncle approaching him with a neutral frown. The previous night's dinner had made it clear to Arthur that he wasn't exactly pleased to have him as a surprise guest, but was also still accommodating him. Arthur had no right to complain.

"Mornin' to ya," Arthur greeted, tipping his hat to the farmer.

"Hello," was Goblin Slayer's short greeting, still mulling through blades of grass.

"Hard at work as usual…" the Cow Girl's uncle sighed, leaning back on the fence next to Arthur. "You sure picked an interesting man to partner with."

"No kiddin'. But I guess I like havin' someone around as crazy as I am," Arthur laughed, though the man didn't seem very amused by the joke.

"He's as crazy as you?" He asked, raising a brow in wonder. "You don't seem much like him at all."

"Well, not all crazy men wear it on their sleeves," Arthur shrugged, sparing the man a sideways glance. "Some of us are just better at hidin' it."

The man stared at him incredulously, likely trying to decide whether or not what Arthur said was a joke or not. Arthur decided to spare him the deep thought, giving a laugh and slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm just messin' with ya. He's just good at killin' things. Makes workin' together easy."

The rancher seemed to process his words, giving an awkward smile and chuckle, nodding. "I-I see. That makes a lot of sense. Sorry, I didn't mean to give you a hard time."

"No problem, mister. Guess I'd be curious about a guy who hangs out with him, too," Arthur chuckled, both men sparing a glance back at Goblin Slayer. He had moved on from his previous position but wasn't far, still mulling through the grass.

"I worry about him, sometimes. Not because I care about him, though. I'm more worried about how my niece sees him," the rancher sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I didn't miss the looks she gave him, neither," Arthur smirked, finding it rather amusing. Goblin Slayer was a more popular man with women than he had realized.

"He's not the boy she knew ten years ago. But she's still…" The rancher trailed off, shaking his head. "I don't care much for what happens to him, personally. But… do me a favor and keep an eye on him, will you? He seems to trust you quite a bit. And I don't want to see my niece cry over his corpse. She's done enough of that in her life."

Arthur looked at the man in wonder, but didn't push the subject. He looked back forward, letting out a small breath. "I guess I hadn't realized that… she mighta suffered somethin' too. Was it… related to what happened to him?"

The farmer looked down, his expression grave. "Figures he hasn't told you. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he was willing to share it casually."

"It's not exactly somethin' you ask straight out," Arthur said, scratching his neck. "If you don't ask, he ain't sayin' nothin'. But some things, I just don't wanna ask."

A short silence fell between them, the two staring out at the sunrise as the hue of light began to brighten. As they stood there, Arthur heard the approach of a wagon (something he was probably too familiar with), his eyes trailing to the dirt path that led to the center of the barn.

"Perfect timing. I was wondering when he'd be back," the farmer said, turning to Arthur and giving a small nod. "I'm heading off to work."

"Sure. Thank you again for your hospitality," Arthur nodded back, watching the man walk toward the center of the barn. Arthur instinctively reached into his jacket pocket, almost putting a cigarette into his mouth until he realized what he was doing. Not exactly the wisest idea while my lungs are black. Arthur sighed, stuffing the cigarette away as he pushed off the fence and walked back toward the barn. Goblin Slayer was now checking by the fences near the buildings, and figured he'd bother him again.

"Hey, boss! Hope I didn't keep you waitin' too long!" Arthur heard a new voice as he passed the wagon that rode up, though it sounded strangely familiar to him. Familiar enough to make him stop dead in his tracks.

"You're perfectly on time, Ranch Hand. Did you get everything or do you need to do another run?" Cow Girl's uncle asked, the two on the other side of the wagon. Arthur was curious, the familiarity of the voice driving him nuts. He did a short walk around the horses, deciding to satisfy his curiosity.

If it ain't no one, it ain't no one. He told himself as he reached the opposite side. To his annoyance, the man's back was turned toward him and a wide brimmed hat covered his head and neck, currently in the middle of a chat with the farmer.

"Hm? Did you need something else, Gunslinger?" The farmer asked, noticing him watching them.

"S-Sorry, guess I was just…" Arthur muttered, feeling awkward at being caught checking.

"Gunslinger? I been wonderin' about…" The Ranch Hand turned.

Arthur's heart stopped.

The box of goods in the Ranch Hand's grip suddenly dropped to the ground.

The two stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity, recognition in both of their eyes.

"... Arthur?"

.

.

.

"... Lenny?"

To be continued…

Alright, we're finally done with this. To be honest, this chapter took a bit longer than I would have liked to finish. I was mostly struggling with how I handled the end of the goblin fight scene more than anything else, though. I wasn't sure how I wanted to wrap that up, and wasn't even sure how I handled it in the end, either. Plus the thought of how I wanted to end the chapter was something I've been wrestling with for a while, myself.

Bringing in more RDR characters has been something I've wrestled with. Mostly because I wanted to make sure that their appearance in the story had meaning. Just making some of Arthur's friends appear without meaning just… didn't sit right with me. But, as you can all see, I've committed to having Lenny join us.

Now, his role in this story won't be what you think, perhaps. He has a purpose, something that will have an effect on the world around Arthur and Goblin Slayer as a whole, but what that role is you'll have to wait and see. Just know that if an RDR character does make an appearance, they have a reason for being around rather than just being a cameo.

Also something I want to note, I don't know if the rate that Arthur has been ranked up is right. Goblin Slayer's series hasn't been clear on how fast one can class up like that. But taking into account Arthur's penchant for constantly working and doing good work at that has helped his reputation in the guild and with those around him. Sorry if you feel like I gave him too much too fast. The story just isn't clear about it.

Anyways, that's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it and enjoyed the surprise appearance of everyone's favorite drinking buddy. Please be sure to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind. Thanks :)