Disclaimer: I own neither Red Dead Redemption 2 or Goblin Slayer
Chapter 6
Arthur pulled the worn bandage off of his arm, flexing his fingers open and closed. The broken bones had healed thanks to some magic from the local church. Arthur would have liked a faster recovery to start work, but couldn't complain too much considering he would have been out for months had he been back in his own world. But he couldn't help being anxious for work again.
Especially since he'd been in his own mood for killing goblins.
Should be plenty o' quests for goblins still posted up.
Standing from his bed, Arthur rolled his shoulders and neck, grabbing his leather stitched hat and placing it on top of his head. He walked out into the lobby, straightening his jacket collar before heading down the stairs. A small crowd of adventurers were still gathered around the front desk, Guild Girl still busily signing off on the requests being handed in. Arthur gave a small chuckle, stepping down the stairs and heading for the board.
Goblins, goblins, goblins… there. Arthur pulled a poster down from the board, looking at the details written on it. Hm… looks like a horde preppin' for a raid. Gonna be a lot of 'em. Good. Arthur found it somewhat humorous that he was now familiar enough with goblin signs to identify exactly what was coming.
"Ah, Gunslinger! You're all healed!" He heard Guild Girl's voice, craning his neck to look at her from the side and giving a smile.
"Indeed I am. Not soon enough, if you ask me, though," Arthur chuckled, walking over to the front desk now that it was somewhat cleared of other adventurers. "Goblin Slayer come in yet?"
"No, not yet. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"Good. I got a job I'm sure he'll be happy to take with me." Arthur said, placing on the table. "Need to get a good stretch in after sittin' on my ass for so long. I think killin' goblins is a good way to start."
"You've only been out a couple of weeks, Gunslinger! Most would have considered that a nice little vacation," Guild Girl laughed, shaking her head. "But we're happy to have you back. I'm sure the three of you will handle it without problem."
"Three?"
The guild doors swung open, the two looking up to see Goblin Slayer walk in. The armored adventurer's head trailed up, looking directly at Arthur and giving him a short nod in greeting.
"Just in time. Thought you were gonna make me wait all mornin'," Arthur chuckled, turning around and leaning back against the front desk. "Guess who's ready to get back into the hunt?"
"You?" Goblin Slayer asked as he walked over.
"No, Guild Girl over here-yes, me!" Arthur shook his head with a short laughed, holding up his left arm. "All healed up. Time to get back into things and kill some little green bastards. Even got the perfect quest for to start with."
He handed Goblin Slayer the poster, his partner taking it and inspecting the contents. "A goblin horde is getting ready to attack a village."
"I know. Which means plenty to kill," Arthur chuckled, pulling out his cattleman revolver and looking at it in his hand. "And I'm up for killin' quite a few."
"I see. Let's take it. Do you need to prepare?"
"Nope. Got everything ready yesterday, just in case. Had to do somethin' while I was playin' cripple," Arthur said, slapping his shoulder pad. "We can take off now, if you got all you need."
"I do. But first, here," Goblin Slayer unslung the shotgun from his shoulder, holding it out to Arthur. "It served me well. Even before reloading, it made for a good emergency club."
"Yeah, these things are certainly heavy enough," Arthur smirked, taking the gun and looking it over. There was a faded stain of blood on the buttstock, but it was in good condition aside from that. "Could use a little… better cleanin', but it looks in good shape."
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Ain't nothin' a little oil won't clean up. I think…" Arthur shrugged, slinging the gun over his shoulder. "Let's get a move on."
"Not yet. We have to wait first." Goblin Slayer shook his head, causing Arthur to raise a brow.
"Wait? Wait for what?"
"A-Ah, Mister Goblin Slayer!"
Arthur winced subconsciously, his eyes trailing to the side to see none other than Priestess approaching them. The timid girl smiled at the armored man before looking at Arthur, her eyes widening a bit before quickly bowing her head. "M-Mister Gunslinger! It's good to see you again. Are you fully healed now?"
"... Sure." Arthur answered slowly, watching the young girl with some caution. "It's uh… good to see you, but we were-"
"Okay, we can go now."
Arthur looked up at his partner in question. Opening his mouth to speak.
"Oh, are we going on a quest?"
Arthur's head snapped to Priestess, her eyes shining up at him and Goblin Slayer curiously.
"You can't be serious? You tellin' me she's comin' too?!" Arthur asked, pointing a finger at a gently surprised Priestess.
"Yes. If she still wants to go." Was Goblin Slayer's short answer.
Arthur stared at him, waiting for an explanation. Of course, he didn't get one. "Well, why?!"
"W-Well, they have been partnering for the past week, Gunslinger…" Guild Girl spoke up awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "I um… thought you knew."
"I ain't necessarily seen much of him. Now I know why," Arthur said, his head snapping back to Priestess. "Look, little lady, I uh… get what you're doin', but I think it's about time you went back to your monastery or whatever your religion calls it."
"W-What?" Priestess squeaked out in surprise. "B-But I'm an adventurer now! I can't do that!"
"Look, we're goin' on a real goblin hunt. That little cave that you and your friends…" Arthur saw her expression immediately fall, her hands gripping her staff tightly. Guilt immediately weighed in his gut, causing him to sigh. "Sorry… I shouldn'ta said that. But if you don't wanna get into that kinda trouble again, it's best if you stay outta these kinda jobs."
Priestess was quiet for a moment before looking back up, her expression shaky but her brow knitting seriously. "N-No. I can't. I… I want to learn how to become a better adventurer and Mister Goblin Slayer has been teaching me. So please, let me join you Mister Gunslinger!"
Arthur stared down at her in surprise. Girl's got more spirit than I figured. Despite her determination, Arthur still felt reluctant, scratching his chin hairs in frustration before looking at Goblin Slayer. "And you're okay with this?"
"Yeah. She's been helpful." he said, looking at Priestess. "And if she wants to learn how to survive goblins, it's a good thing."
Arthur scoffed, looking between the two as he felt some frustration bubble up in his stomach before finally letting out a sigh. "Fine. But you listen to what we say and do what we say, got it?" He said, turning to Priestess and pointing a finger at her face.
"Y-Yes! I-I'll do my best to help out!"
"If you say so…" Arthur mumbled, turning back to Guild Girl and setting the poster on the table. "We'll take this one, I guess."
"Go and grab your things." Goblin Slayer said, looking at Priestess.
"R-Right!" Priestess nodded before running off to the tavern side of the guild.
"I hope you're right about this," Arthur spoke, his focus still on Guild Girl as she filled out the appropriate forms. "Don't wanna see that kid get turned into a chew toy."
"Her miracles are useful for distracting goblins." Goblin Slayer said casually, eliciting a sigh from Arthur.
"I guess I'll see about that… What do you think?" Arthur asked, looking up at Guild Girl.
"Well… it's better than having her travel with inexperienced adventurers, don't you think?" Guild Girl said, offering a hopeful smile. "Her rank might not go up as quickly because of it, but this will at least help her survivability in the future!"
"I hope you're right…" Arthur sighed, taking the parchment before turning around and walking out with Goblin Slayer.
"What kinda jobs have you been takin' together?" Arthur asked, the three trekking through the forest slowly. The goblin nest was hidden in a cave, as was the usual hiding spot for them. Arthur knew the number of goblins were going to be close to fifty, at least. A raid on the village meant a good number of them as well as several hobgoblins.
"Well… we attacked a nest just yesterday. There was a little over twenty in that one since they hadn't spawned any goblin children." Priestess explained.
"I see. You two attack a horde just before a raid yet?" Arthur asked, this time looking at Goblin Slayer.
"No. This will be her first." Goblin Slayer confirmed.
"Alright. Then you need to be even more careful, understand me?" Arthur said, looking again at Priestess. "There ain't just gonna be a few of these little bastards. It'll be twice as many if not more. You see any that you think we haven't noticed, call 'em out. Once we're in the heat o' things, stayin' quiet can just get people killed."
"O-Okay, I'll do my best!" Priestess quickly nodded, looking determined. Arthur spared her a small look again before letting out a quiet breath.
She's just a goddamn kid. She shouldn't be here. They shouldn'ta been there.
"We're getting close."
Arthur quickly bat aside the stray thought. The three focused forward, the mouth of a cave within sight. The three quickly hid in the trees, peering ahead to see what lookouts there were.
"Two at the mouth of the cave." Goblin Slayer announced.
"Yeah… this rock ain't too big neither, so we might have a couple on top lookin' out." Arthur pointed out. "We'll need to get a better look and make sure it's only them watchin'." Arthur turned around, looking at Priestess. "Keep close and stay quiet. Last thing we need is to let them know we're here before we're ready."
"O-Of course!" Priestess quickly nodded. Arthur stared at her for a short moment before letting out a breath, the three creeping closer and moving stealthily through the brush. Arthur unslung his bow from his shoulder, keeping it ready in case they needed to shoot the guards by the cave mouth. Getting a clearer view, they were able to see two other goblin guards standing over the cave mouth, bows and arrows in their hands.
"Looks like we gotta be careful. If we take too long shootin' 'em down, one might alert the rest." Arthur said, scratching the hairs on his chin.
"Priestess can use her Holy Light miracle to blind them." Goblin Slayer said, drawing Arthur's attention to the girl.
"Y-Yes! Mister Goblin Slayer often uses it when attacking multiple goblins at once." Priestess explained.
"I see. Refresh my memory, but how many times can you use your miracles?"
"Three times. I can use the miracles Holy Light, Minor Heal and Protection, which creates a barrier of light." Priestess explained.
"Sounds useful enough, at least…" Arthur mumbled, looking up at the goblins again. "Alright… we'll save the light show for the horde. We'll take the two on top out first. The guards by the cave won't notice quick enough before they're dead. Take the one on the top left, I'll take the one to the far right. Be quick to draw up another arrow so we can take out the other two just as quick."
Goblin Slayer nodded, drawing his own bow and arrow. Arthur left the two to move through the brush closer to the right side. When he got to a good enough spot, he sent a glance back at Goblin Slayer. His partner gave a quick nod, drawing his arrow back and taking aim. Arthur did the same, both loosing an arrow. The guards up top were dead on hit, both suffering arrows to the head. While Goblin Slayer's target fell back, Arthur's stumbled a bit before falling forward, landing with a thud in front of the two guards by the door.
But Arthur already had an arrow ready, watching as the goblins began to panic and scatch at their waists for their horns. Before it could even be drawn, arrows pierced through their chests,knocking them back into the wall before they fell limp.
Arthur came out of cover, waving at Goblin Slayer and Priestess. The two quickly made their way over to him as he put his bow away. "Alright, we're off to a good start. Now, we can try and draw 'em out and toss a few fire bottles on 'em, or we can go in while we still got surprise on our side."
"Fire bottles?" Priestess repeated in question.
"He hasn't used one yet? Well, guess this is the perfect time to show you. Come on," Arthur said, moving forward and grabbing the goblin bodies at the mouth. "Pile the other ones up."
"Okay." Goblin Slayer did as bid, while Priestess hesitated a moment. Still, not wanting to do nothing, Priestess ran over to the other body and brought the other one over. Her face wrinkled in disgust as she handled it, but nevertheless toughed it out as she brought it over to the others.
"Alright, let's climb up where those little bastards were perched. Once we're up, I'll blow the horn and bring more of 'em out." Arthur said, pulling one of their shoddy horns from the corpse's belt.
"You want to bring more to us?" Priestess blinked in surprise.
"That's right. You'll see why soon enough. Hope you got the stomach for it, though." Arthur said, turning around to the rockface and gripping at the wall. He and Goblin Slayer climbed up, with Priestess hopping on Goblin Slayer's back to carry her up. Once they reached the top, Arthur pulled out the horn, looking at his companions. "You ready?"
"Yes."
"Y-Yes!"
Arthur accepted their answers before blowing the ill made horn loudly. Once it was done, he tossed it aside, instead taking a fire bottle out of his satchel. He looked at Priestess, holding it out to her. "Take it. You're gonna need to be ready to use one of these soon enough."
"F-For what?" She asked, taking it trepidly.
"You'll see soon enough. Just wait for us to toss ours, then toss yours right into the crowd. Got it?" Arthur said, pulling another bottle out.
"It's effective." Goblin Slayer assured her, pulling one out of his own stash.
"O… Okay."
Arthur looked at Priestess for a moment, seeing her hesitation. It took him some time to realize that she was both still a kid as well as a gentle girl. Despite whatever happened in that cave with her and her friends, she wasn't excited by the idea of killing goblins. Arthur probably wouldn't be wrong to think that he was more excited.
With a sigh, Arthur snatched the bottle away. "Nevermind. Just leave-"
"N-No!" Arthur snapped his head up to her, eyebrow raised. "If… if this really works, than I want to help out with it."
Arthur stared at her for a moment, seeing the determination in her eyes. He had to admit, this girl was surprising him bit by bit. "If you say so… just don't blame me if you get squeamish." He said, handing her the bottle again. She took it gingerly, gripping it in her hand tightly. "Make sure you toss it right in the middle of 'em. We're tryin' to kill as many as possible in one swoop."
"Okay!"
The three soon heard the approaching patter of multiple feet under them, quickly getting ready for their targets. They watched dozens pour out of the cave, though Arthur noted that no hobgoblins had come out. They're lettin' the fodder die first, then. Don't matter too much, I suppose.
Arthur shot a look at both Priestess and Goblin Slayer, giving a quick nod before chucking his bottle directly into the goblin crowd. Fire and glass burst across the horde, shrill shrieks of horror rang through the air. Arthur spared a glance at Priestess, her jaw slack as she stared in awe and shock.
"Clean 'em up! Clear 'em out!" Arthur called out to Goblin Slayer, the armored adventurer nodding as he slid down the rock face with his short sword and arm shield ready. Arthur pulled his revolvers out, cocking the hammers back. He looked at Priestess. "Get your mind back in the game! Keep an eye out and let us know if anymore come outta the cave."
"O-Oh, okay!" Priestess agreed, nodding her head quickly. Arthur gave her a short nod before focusing forward, looking for any goblins not caught in the blaze. Goblin Slayer was managing the crowd well, already having cut down three that tried to run his way. Arthur raised his revolver, eyes narrowed. "Better cover your ears, girl!"
Priestess opened her mouth to ask, but was too late and could only wince after Arthur fired off a shot. He put a hole in a goblin's stomach, watching it fall to the ground. Another made to get to the treeline, but Arthur soon put a stop to that, raising his gun and firing off another shot. This one went through its head, sending it rolling across the ground.
"Your ears ringin'?" Arthur laughed, sparing a look at Priestess.
"What?!" She asked, hands clasped tightly over her ears.
"Nevermind," Arthur said, quickly firing off three more successive shots into several stranglers. As the fire died down, the shrieks finally ceased, and all the goblins who had come out were dead. Arthur touched her shoulder, signaling for Priestess that it was okay to move her hands. "It's done. This group is, at least."
"Okay…" Priestess mumbled, looking over the ground covered in charred and slain goblins. "I've… never seen him use fire bottles before…"
They're mostly good for big ol' crowds of 'em. Sounds like you two've only been dealin' with a couple small hordes before this." Arthur said, opening the chamber to his revolver and letting it reload.
"Don't you… think using fire is a bit cruel?" Arthur looked up at her, raising a brow. Priestess's expression was conflicted, her eyes lingering on the burnt bodies.
"After seein' what those little bastards do to people?" Arthur began, his expression becoming stony. "No. They deserve whatever they get."
"I… I know, but-"
"Come on. We still got quite a few to kill inside." Arthur cut her off, walking to the edge of the cave top.
"Okay…" She mumbled, walking over to Arthur and getting help in sliding down the rockface to join Goblin Slayer.
"How many we get?" Arthur asked as he walked over to his partner.
"Twenty four."
"We still got a quite a few in the cave then. Less than half, at least." Arthur hummed, stuffing his revolver away and pulling out his custom hatchet. He looked up at the cave mouth, seeing that it was wider than most of the holes that they were used to diving into. "Stay between us, Priestess. I'll take up the rear in case we gotta deal with another cave."
Priestess nodded, the three moving in single file with Goblin Slayer at the front and a torch in his hand.
"The walls are wide apart. Keep an eye out for goblins hidden behind rocks and in the shadows." Goblin Slayer advised this time.
"R-Right." Priestess nodded, her eyes darting back and forth as they moved forward.
"I don't like this. Feel kinda exposed in an open path like this…" Arthur muttered, his free hand feeling for one of his revolvers.
"We are in a bad position," Goblin Slayer agreed, his helmet tilting side to side as he remained aware of the open proximity. "But if we hug one wall, we may lose sight of the other side and get ambushed."
"Right… well, ain't nothin' to be done. Gotta watch out for archers in here. Our equipment might be able to stop 'em but what about-" Arthur's voice fell when he heard a rock kick in the darkness. Goblin slayer moved quick, reaching for a knife on his shoulder strap and throwing it forward. A death rattle filled the darkness, alerting them. Arthur grabbed a fire bottle and lobbed it forward. It splashed across the ground, illuminating the cave several meters across. Soon revealing there to be seven goblins standing there, recoiling from the fire while one had a knife lodged in its gut, on the ground dying.
"We got company!" Arthur announced, pushing Priestess behind him before producing his own throwing knives. Goblin Slayer didn't hesitate, pushing through the fire with his armor and hacking a goblin to pieces. Arthur tossed a dagger, piercing the skull of the goblin just behind the one his partner had killed.
"T-To our left!"
Arthur spun around, seeing several goblins rushing at them. A small, almost unperceivable crawl hole at the bottom of the left rock quickly pulled the hatchet from his waist and kicked the closest goblin into the others. Arthur proceeded to chop one from the shoulder and down. One attempted to stab him in the side, but Arthur didn't bother stopping it. It's shoddy dagger couldn't pierce through his chainmail, let alone his jacket of defense. It was mildly irritating, but with adrenaline pumping through Arthur, it was barely noticeable. Arthur simply grabbed its neck with one hand, choking it while he used his off hand to slit the third goblin's throat with his axe. He threw it down on the ground and ended its life with a vicious stomp, crushing its neck with ease.
"G-Go away!" Arthur's head snapped back, soon seeing Priestess flailing her staff around to keep one stray goblin back, the little beast attempting to get close and run her through with a spear. Arthur tucked his axe away and snatched the goblin's head up in his hand. Picking the goblin up, Arthur dragged the goblin forward and viciously slammed its head into the rock wall, again and again. Its skull cracked on the first slam, and it shattered on the second. The third and forth made blood, bone and brain fluid spatter against the wall. The fifth slam was for good measure and a bit of self satisfaction. The sixth-
"M-Mister Gunslinger!"
Arthur froze just before he could slam the goblin again. His head swiveled to Priestess, the girl watching him with hesitant eyes. But despite her reluctance, she spoke up.
"I-It's dead already. You don't need to go that far."
Arthur felt a mixture of annoyance and guilt build up, looking down at the bloodied carcass hanging in his hand. The thing was barely discernible, even for a goblin. He took several quick breaths, trying to find his mind again. He dropped the body, flicking what blood had splattered onto his hands off before walking up to Priestess.
"That damn staff really all you got?!" He snapped, causing the girl to recoil in surprise. "If you lose that thing, you're good as dead!"
"B-But I don't…" Priestess mumbled, her head lowering as she struggled to answer. Arthur let out a heated breath, shaking his head as he fished into his satchel.
"Here." He said, holding out one of his throwing knives. "Put it on your waist or somethin'. Keep it close."
"B-But I don't know how to use this…"
"Easy. You lose that staff, you put the pointy end in the goblin. All you need to know. They're weak as kids and, while crafty, will definitely underestimate a kid like you." Arthur said before looking up at Goblin Slayer. The armored man was silent, the goblins he had attacked all dead and cut to pieces. "I'm surprised you didn't give her one."
"She preferred her staff," he answered with shrug.
"Well, we-"
Arthur was silenced when the low rumble of multiple growls and snarling began to fill their ears. The heavy patter of feet on earth could be heard, and further down the cave, the three could make out dark figures in the distance.
"They're coming." Goblin Slayer said, tightening his grip on the buckler and sword in his hands.
"Shit. Guess they got tired o' waitin', then. They do got an advantage in this wide of a cave." Arthur huffed, stowing his axe away. He pulled out both revolvers, cocking the hammers back. "Get back, girl. You're only…"
"Hear me, oh merciful Earth Mother, please protect us the weak…"
What is she doing..?
"... With your divine light and the power of nature! Protection!"
Arthur watched as Priestess's staff illuminated the cave with a brilliant white light. He then looked forward, watching a wall of light erected across the cave in front of them. He could now see the goblins approaching, several hobgoblins among them. He raised his guns again in urgency, but widened his eyes when he saw them smash into the wall, unable to get past it.
"I'll be damned… I heard about these miracles, but never seen 'em firsthand…" Arthur muttered, straightening out as he looked up at the struggling goblins trying to break through.
"While it… holds them back. You both should be able to attack through it…" Priestess explained, showing some strain as she tried to keep focused.
"I see. So this is your new miracle." Goblin Slayer informed him, the armored man knocking his bow before his helmet tilted toward Arthur. "I'm sure you can use it well."
"P-Please hurry! I can't hold it up for too long!" Priestess informed him, the blonde pursing her lips as she kept her staff raised.
Arthur spared a look back at her and smirked. "Well, I'm startin' to see just how nice it is to have you around, little lady. Thanks," Arthur raised his revolvers, eyes narrowing as he counted the goblins out. "I'll take it from here."
It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Or even easier, if Arthur was honest. The goblins were still attempting to push through, not once moving in any sort of way except forward. In twelve successive shots, Arthur killed the entire group without missing a beat. Each one had a hole in their head within seconds. The wall of light had faltered for a moment when Priestess flinched at the loud bang of his guns, but held strong despite the deafening explosions. Thankfully, Arthur had made it quick, and the young girl was relieved when the firing stopped. Her ears were ringing to be sure, but it was nothing a healing potion wouldn't help. She hoped.
"Well, that was certainly somethin'." Arthur chuckled, returning the guns to their holsters. "Good job, little lady."
"What?!" Priestess asked loudly, causing Arthur to raise a brow.
Arthur opened his mouth before scratching his chin hairs awkwardly. He leaned in closer so that she could hear him. "I was sayin' good job! And uh… sorry about the noise!"
"Oh, thank you!" She exclaimed, putting a hand over her ears. "S-Sorry if I'm loud! My ears are ringing…"
"Those guns are very loud in this cave." Goblin Slayer pointed out.
"Yeah, I got that much." Arthur dryly chuckled, fishing into his pocket and producing a healing potion. "Here. Might help your ears a bit, I think."
"Thank you!"
Arthur smirked, somewhat guilty but also somewhat amused by the girl's plight. He walked over to Goblin Slayer, putting a hand on his hip holster. "That was a good number of 'em. How many you think are left?"
"Eleven at most. Anymore would have come out with this group to assault us." Goblin Slayer said, looking down at the corpses.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinkin'. Should be a shaman in there too. Champion woulda come out by now, as well." Arthur spat on one of the goblin corpses. No better thing to spit on, in his opinion. "Let's go and weed 'em out then, huh?"
"Yeah." Goblin Slayer looked back at Priestess. "Are you okay now?"
"Y-Yes, a bit better… though my hearing is still a bit off," Priestess admitted, rubbing the side of her head.
"You'll get used to it. If you really wanna keep goin' with us, that is," Arthur chuckled, pulling out his schofield revolver. "Well, no time like the present. Let's go."
"Priestess. Before the next room, as we're about to enter, use Holy Light to blind the goblins."
"Like last time? O-Okay!" She nodded in acceptance.
"She can really make a light that bright?" Arthur asked in surprise.
"Yes. You should use your hat to keep from getting your back to her."
"If you say so," Arthur gave a brisk nod. "Should be quick. You focus on the grunts, I'll plug the shaman bastard full o' holes."
"Alright." The three moved forward, heading deeper into the cave. As they went deeper in, the path began to narrow. Goblin Slayer held an arm up, the three now approaching another room. He spared his party members each a look, earning nods of understanding.
"Hear me, oh merciful Earth Mother, bless us and protect us with Holy Light!"
Arthur stepped ahead of her, eyes lighting up as her staff illuminated the cave ahead. Everything in the next room became easily perceivable, and the goblins were blinded by Priestess's power. Goblin Slayer didn't waste a second, immediately rushing in and hacking the first goblin in his way in two.
Arthur quickly followed, raising his gun and finding the shaman easily enough, the magic casting goblin shielding its vision the same as the others. A head shot wasn't clear because of its arms, but Arthur was fine with that. He simply aimed at its chest, his revolver spewing fire and metal forth and putting a golf ball sized right through it. He quickly followed it by turning to the rest of the cave, now fanning the hammer of his gun as he plugged several more goblins with bullets.
Goblin Slayer was soon done on his part as well, now stabbing through a goblin's gut and lifting it into the air. He watched the monster shriek and cry for a moment before it finally fell limp, tossing the body aside like a ragdoll. He moved onto his last target, instead swing his arm shield forward and smashing it across the last goblin's skull, causing it to flop onto the ground. He quickly followed by raising his shield again and bringing it back down on its head, causing its face and skull to cave in on impact.
"Fifty seven."
Priestess let her Holy Light fade, the room now dimly lit by Goblin Slayer's torch. The three began to relax, Arthur holstering his gun.
"Who'd a' thought a bright light would be so damn useful, huh?" Arthur chuckled, looking back at Priestess with a smirk. "You did good, kid."
Priestess smiled at his approval, but her eyes trailed off to the side. They then widened in horror before she quickly rushed at Arthur. "Watch out!"
Arthur didn't have time to question her, the young girl barreling into him and knocking them both to the ground. Before he hit the ground, Arthur saw a bolt of lightning narrowly miss him and Priestess.
The goblin shaman was still alive, albeit barely, It hacked out a blob of blood from its mouth, its arm shaking as it held its staff up at them and its back leaned back against the stone wall. Goblin Slayer didn't give it another chance to cast a spell, pulling a knife from his belt and immediately launching it directly into the goblin's skull. The goblin's arm fell, body going limp.
"A-Are you okay?!" Priestess asked in panic, looking down at Arthur in worry.
"Me? You're askin' me?!" Arthur snapped, sitting up and pushing Priestess off of him. "What the hell were you thinkin'?!"
"Wh-What?"
"You damn fool! You almost got yourself killed!" Arthur exclaimed, glaring harshly down at Priestess as he stood up. "Don't ever pull a damn stunt like that again!"
"B-But I was…."
"My life ain't worth a damn! So don't you go riskin' yours for mine, got it?!" Arthur almost snarled, pointing a finger at Priestess. "You tell me if somethin' comes, but you better damn well not waste your life doin' it!"
"Enough." Goblin Slayer stepped in front of Priestess, shielding her from Arthur's rage. "She saved your life."
Arthur huffed for air, staring into the helm of his partner for a moment as his anger started to subside. He spared a glance again at Priestess, her expression crestfallen as her eyes cast to the ground. Arthur immediately felt his guilt return, looking to the side and letting out a heavy sigh.
"Whatever. Let's just get outta this damn cave already…" Arthur muttered, holstering his gun.
"I'm going to make sure nothing is left."
"Do what you gotta. I'll be outside." Arthur turned away from them, immediately heading back for the exit. Priestess's gaze slowly rose, watching his back with trepidation.
"Sorry." Goblin Slayer finally said, her gaze trailing over to him.
"Why… why was he so mad?" Priestess asked quietly, the grip on her staff tightening.
"He was worried." Goblin Slayer turned around, passing by Priestess to inspect the rest of the cave. Priestess pursed her lips, watching him move across the room before trailing her eyes back to the receding back of Arthur.
Arthur let out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to relax. He pulled out a rolled up cigarette and popped it in his mouth, lighting it with the candle sitting on his table at the tavern. The mission had been a success, and the trio returned home that same day and gotten paid. Arthur hadn't spoken much since his outburst, quickly leaving the two and going to the bar and grabbing a drink. He didn't see them leave, keeping his focus on the bottom of his cup that night.
"Hey!"
Arthur raised his gaze up, seeing the friendly smile of Padfoot Waitress greeting him.
"Ah, mornin' to ya." Arthur greeted, pulling the cigarette from his mouth.
"Are you okay? You look a little beat up," Padfoot Waitress asked, her eyes showing a bit of concern. "I thought you would be happy now that you can start taking jobs again."
"Yeah, well, I guess I… I dunno…" Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm just not used to this new girl in my party."
"Oh, right. That girl, Priestess?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. "What's wrong with her?"
"Nothin' really, I guess. She's just…"
"Did she get in the way?"
"Well… nothin' like that."
"Hm. Are you sad it's not just you and Goblin Slayer now?"
Arthur barked out a small laugh. "You almost make it sound like he's my woman or somethin'."
"Some might say you two are an item with how much time you spend together," Padfoot Waitress stuck her tongue out, causing Arthur to laugh again.
"At this point I might as well be. But I'd like to see you tell that to all the other parties around here. They'll go nuts about how they ain't a thing." Arthur pointed out, this time eliciting a laugh from Padfoot Waitress.
"Yeah, you're right about that. But hey, it did the job, right? You look a little better," Padfoot pointed out, smiling. "How about the usual breakfast to fix you up?"
"That sounds delightful. Please," Arthur nodded, earning a thumbs up from the waitress before she skipped off to the kitchen. He watched her leave for a moment before returning to his cigarette, letting a cloud of smoke out.
"Mister Gunslinger?"
Arthur felt his shoulders tense, eyes trailing to the side to see Priestess standing close by.
"Hey." He greeted lowly, putting the cigarette out on his boot before looking up at her. "You need somethin'?"
"Well… J-Just waiting for Mister Goblin Slayer to come in. Is it alright if I…" Priestess trailed off, looking hesitant. Arthur sighed, scratching his chin hairs.
"Sure. Take a seat. We'll get you some breakfast too, if you want." Arthur said, motioning to the chair across from him. The blonde slowly sat in the chair, giving a forced smile. Arthur hated the awkwardness, but knew it was his fault.
It was about time I said it, anyway.
"Hey. About yesterday, I…" Arthur rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the table. "I'm sorry. I shouldnt'a snapped like that. Not after you just saved me."
"It's okay, Mister Gunslinger. I know you were only concerned," Priestess said, causing Arthur to look back up at her. Her smile was gentle and kind. "I thought about it last night, and… I realized why you felt that way. Do you… feel responsible for what happened to my previous party?"
Arthur's eyes trailed away from her again, biting the inside of his cheek.
"B-But Mister Gunslinger, what happened wasn't your fault!"
"Yeah, it was." Arthur quietly answered, holding the tip of his chin. "I pushed too hard. Forgot how easy it is to mess with a kid's pride like that. I shoulda known. I shoulda-"
"But it's because of you that… that only one of us was killed that day."
Arthur's eyes trailed back to Priestess, seeing her own eyes glisten as they looked on the edge of tears. "How you figure that?"
Priestess gave a small, sad smile before she fished into a bag at her side, producing a bottle. Arthur sat up more when he realized that it was the bottle that he gave her before, only empty.
"I know you haven't heard the details yet. Were you afraid to hear what happened?" Arthur gave a small nod of his head in shame.
"I see… I followed after them that day because I was afraid that you were right. I wanted to help and try to keep them alive if everything you said came to pass," Priestess explained, looking down at the bottle with a thankful smile. "Even though… Warrior was still acting restless, Fighter and Wizard were at least more on guard. But even so, we still got ambushed. After… after Warrior fell, Fighter took the lead to protect us. We were starting to get surrounded and then a… a hobgoblin appeared. It almost hurt Fighter but Wizard was able to kill it first. She got stabbed in the process, though. Fighter helped fight the remaining goblins off before we carried Wizard toward the entrance. After Minor Heal only repaired her wound and didn't wake her up, I gave her the antidote you gave me. Still, we were nearly caught again when we were trying to help her. Fighter and I were hit by some arrows. The goblins attacked us again, jumping on top of fighter first and… began ripping her clothes off…"
Arthur swallowed a lump in his throat. "Did she get..?"
"No. She didn't. Neither of us did. Because that's when Mister Goblin Slayer arrived," Priestess explained, giving a sad smile. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. "It was… it was so terrifying… but I think that… that if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have made it even that far."
Arthur rubbed a hand over his face. Conflicted feelings of relief and guilt still filled him. On one hand, he could see Priestess's point. Still, that boy died all the same. But Arthur could at least take the good with the bad. Because had he not said anything, they might have all died that day.
He finally let out a breath, giving a brisk nod. "So… what happened to the other girls?"
"When Wizard woke up, she said she wanted to go back home and think about how much she doesn't know. I'm sure she was scared the most…" Priestess explained, her hands fumbling with her staff. "Fighter went back with Mister Goblin Slayer to get Fighter's body and returned it to his village. She said she wanted to think about where to go from here and might come back someday… but I'm not sure."
"And you decided to stay. Figure out what you did wrong the first time and keep goin' from there," Arthur said, looking up at Priestess with a small smirk. "You're either one of the bravest or stupidest women I've ever met. Maybe both."
Priestess's head tilted low when she heard that.
"But hell, I guess it takes a certain amount o' stupid for anybody to be in this kinda job, right?" Priestess looked back up, her eyes shining when she heard the mirth in his voice. "Thanks… for tellin' me that. I… I think I needed to hear that."
Priestess gave a small, weeping laugh and wiped a tear from her eye. "And thank you for what you told us that day."
"Well, I'd say we're more than even on that one, now." Arthur pointed out, scratching the hairs on his chin. "You saved me yesterday. Which… erm… I'm sorry for snappin' at you for. And thank you."
Priestess gave a more warm hearted smile at that. "It's okay. I understand. I was just happy to help you how I could."
Arthur felt a weight lift from his shoulders, a gentle grin spreading across his lips as he and Priestess were able to finally clear the air. "I gotta admit… I mighta said it a bit yesterday, but you did more than help yesterday. You made the hunt pretty damn easy for us. Well, easier than it coulda been for me and Goblin Slayer. You did good, and I… I'd bee happy to have you stay in the party if that's what you really want."
"I do! I feel like, working with you both, I can learn so much about being an adventurer!" Priestess said, speaking with greater energy and confidence now.
"Heh, maybe you will. Still, don't let your guard down just 'cause there's three of us, now. Things are gonna only get harder with how much goblins have been actin' up lately." Arthur pointed out, leaning forward on the table. "And let me tell you somethin'; Goblin Slayer and I like to work a lot. Think you can keep up with that?"
"Y-Yes! I'll do my best!" Priestess nodded fervently, earning a small chuckle from Arthur.
"Good. Then I hope you're ready to work once Goblin Slayer gets in. Should be here soon enough," Arthur said, standing from his seat. "But 'til then, I got somethin' we can work on."
"Oh, what?" Priestess asked in interest, standing from her seat.
"We're gonna work on how to use that knife I gave you." Arthur pointed out, causing her to blink. "Though now that we got the time, we'll get you somethin' bigger."
"O-Oh, I'm still not sure about that…" Priestess mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.
"Look. There are just gonna be sometimes that you'll need somethin' in case you drop that staff. If you wanna keep yourself protected, this is how you do it. Goblin Slayer and I may not always be there to defend you. You think on that." Arthur pointed out, causing Priestess to bite her lip.
She took a moment as she looked down in thought. After some deliberation, she finally nodded. "Okay… if you'll help me learn how to use it, I would be thankful for the help!"
"Good. Now come on. Let's go practice outside. Don't wanna accidently cut someone up in here."
"Okay!"
I wasn't sure why I felt so responsible for that kid who died. Maybe it was because of what I did to the Downes boy. Kids shouldn't have to go through shit like that.
I am thankful for my talk with Priestess. The kid has a lot of guts for such a brittle looking thing. But I have come to appreciate her presence in our party. I hope that Goblin Slayer and I can actually give her the help she wants.
I WON'T let anything happen to that kid. Not while I'm still breathing.
It does feel kind of good to help a new kid find their feet, though. Maybe that's what some of these rookies really need. Maybe I can give a few others that help.
We'll see.
To becontinued…
Ah, there we go. Finally, this chapter has been finished. Sorry for the small delay, I wasn't feeling all too well when writing this chapter out. Thankfully, I was able to finish the rest out.
I was honestly struggling a bit with the fate of the rookie party, to be honest. I wanted the impression it left on Priestess to still be strong, but I also wanted what Arthur did to have more of an affect on its outcome without completely changing everything. In the end, I decided to take a more grounded approach. Even if Warrior makes the same mistakes because of his pride, I don't think that the others would after Arthur's warning. So I think that this was ultimately the best approach I could take and feel comfortable with. I hope that it will satisfy most of you if not all.
It was nice to get Priestess and Arthur more acquainted now. Their relationship will evolve as the story goes on. While Priestess views Goblin Slayer in a more… intimate light I suppose, she and Arthur will share a sort of mentor/sibling relationship I think. Sort of how he was with Tilly in RDR2.
Lastly, I'll be taking a month break from writing my monthly updated stories, so sorry that the wait for this one will probably be among the longest on my list. We'll get back on track soon enough. I just need to recharge my batteries a bit.
Anyways, that's it for this chapter! I do hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind!
